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Movement of salts in Antarctic soils: experiments using lithium chloride
Author(s) -
Claridge G. G. C.,
Campbell I. B.,
Balks M. R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
permafrost and periglacial processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-1530
pISSN - 1045-6740
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1530(199907/09)10:3<223::aid-ppp327>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - soil water , lithium (medication) , geology , mineralogy , forestry , environmental chemistry , environmental science , chemistry , geography , soil science , endocrinology , medicine
In order to investigate the fate of contaminants accidentally spilt on Antarctic soils, known amounts of lithium chloride were added to soil plots beside Lake Vanda, in the Wright Valley, and close to Scott Base, on Ross Island. The soils were sampled over a three‐year period to trace the movement of lithium. On dry sites most of the added lithium remained in the soil where it had been applied, although trace amounts had moved up to 3 m laterally. On wet sites, where moisture was available from melting snow, much greater amounts of lithium had moved laterally and could be detected up to 5 m away. Thus in dry sites, typical of most of the ice‐free areas of Antarctica, accidental contaminants will only move slowly over a short distance from the spill site, whereas on wet sites, the contaminants will eventually move more rapidly and be leached out to the lowest point in the drainage system. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.