Objective CONTRIBUTION OF THE SNOWMELT PROCESS TO THE ACIDIFICATION OF SOIL. DESCRIPTION: MAIN PART OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT IS EXECUTED IN SCOTLAND; THE SITE OF THE FIELD PROGRAMME IS A SMALL CATCHMENT IN THE CAIRNGORM MOUNTAINS. THE DRY AND WET DEPOSITION OF POLLUTANTS IS DETERMINED BY A PROGRAMME OF SNOW COLLECTION (BOTH FALLING AND LYING PRECIPITATION) DURING THE WINTER AND BY RAINFALL COLLECTION IN THE SUMMER WHEN DRY DEPOSITION IS MONITORED. THE MAJOR IONS TO BE DETERMINED BY ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY AND ION CHROMATOGRAPHY ARE SULPHATE AND NITRATE. ONCE SNOWMELT OCCURS THERE IS A CONCENTRATION OF POLLUTANTS IN THE MELT PASSING THE SNOWPACK AND THE DETERMINATION AND MOVEMENT OF IONS THROUGH IT IS STUDIED. THE INTERACTION OF SULPHATE AND NITRATE IONS WITH SOIL IS ALSO INVESTIGATED. KEY FACTORS TO BE MEASURED ARE: CAPACITY AND EXTENT OF CATION EXCHANGE, RATE OF MINERAL WEATHERING, NEUTRALIZATION OF THE BASIC SUBSTANCES IN THE POLLUTING MEDIUM, SOIL BUFFERING CAPACITY. TRACE ELEMENTS ARE DETERMINED IN THE SOIL SYSTEM BY A COMBINATION OF CARBON-ROD FLAME PHOTOMETRY AND INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY. STREAMWATER IN THE CATCHMENT IS ALSO SAMPLED AND ANALYSED REGULARLY FOR THE MAJOR IONS AND TRACE ELEMENTS. THE ROLE OF THE SUSPENDED SEDIMENT IN THE STREAM IS ALSO CONSIDERED. ANALYSIS IS MADE, FOR COMPARISON, OF SNOW- AND ICE-CORES FROM NORWAY DURING THE SUMMER MELT PERIOD. SUCH ANALYSIS PERMITS A STUDY OF PREFERENTIAL ELUTION UNDER CONDITIONS WHERE ION SEPARATION IS LIKELY TO BE MOST PRONOUNCED. Programme(s) PRE-ENVPROT 3C - Sectoral research and development programme (EEC) in the field of environment (environmental protection and climatology) - indirect and concerted actions - Environmental protection -, 1981-1985 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator University of East Anglia EU contribution No data Address University Plain NR4 7TJ Norwich United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data
