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Time‐Variant Differences in Chemistry Among Four Small Streams
Author(s) -
Teti Patrick
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr020i003p00347
Subject(s) - streams , surface runoff , snowmelt , snowpack , bedrock , groundwater , hydrology (agriculture) , structural basin , streamflow , drainage basin , metamorphic rock , geology , environmental science , geochemistry , snow , geomorphology , ecology , geography , computer network , computer science , biology , geotechnical engineering , cartography
Concentrations of the major cations and silica were monitored in four small British Columbia Coast Mountain streams during the 1976 snowmelt season. The four streams could be grouped into three unique classes using logarithmically transformed calcium and potassium concentrations. The two most similar basins fed streams that were chemically indistinguishable. The next most similar basin yielded runoff that was chemically similar to the other two except for unusually low K + concentration, possibly due to a shortage of biotite in the bedrock. The fourth stream had unusually high Ca ++ , Mg ++ , Na + , and silica concentrations due to the long residence time of groundwater from metamorphic rocks in its basin. Another different feature of that basin was the earlier depletion of its spring snowpack due to its south aspect. Time‐variant differences in chemistry among streams were measured as changing ratios of solute concentrations over time. Differences among streams were time‐variant due to time variance of interbasin runoff components. The relative contribution of groundwater increased in the basin with the metamorphic rocks and decreased in the other three basins over the summer. The chemical differences among streams were reflected in solute loads as well as solute concentrations. Therefore the major components of variable runoff and solute sources in the study area were high runoff and low solute yield from three basins on granite and low runoff but high solute yield from a basin on metamorphic rocks.