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Ion and Sulfate‐Isotope Ratios in Arid Soils Subject to Wind Erosion in the Southwestern USA
Author(s) -
Schlesinger William H.,
Peterjohn William T.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1988.03615995005200010010x
Subject(s) - aeolian processes , soil water , arid , precipitation , gypsum , sulfate , calcite , environmental science , environmental chemistry , soil test , acid rain , erosion , stable isotope ratio , hydrology (agriculture) , water erosion , geology , soil science , mineralogy , chemistry , geomorphology , paleontology , physics , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , meteorology
Our objective was to evaluate the potential for arid‐land soil dusts to contribute significantly to the content of SO 2‐ 4 and other ions in precipitation. Soil samples collected at 102 locations throughout southwestern USA deserts were extracted with distilled water and analyzed for major ionic constituents and the stable isotope ratios ( 34 S/ 32 S) in soluble sulfate. Most samples were dominated by Ca 2+ and HCO ‐ 3 , and were undersaturated with respect to gypsum. Only a weak correlation was found between Ca 2+ and SO 2‐ 4 in samples from upland sites. Median δ 34 S of soil SO 4 was +6.2‰ compared to +3.9‰ reported for precipitation. However, the median ratios for Ca/SO 4 (12.00) and Mg/SO 4 (1.84) in soil extracts were much larger than the same ratios in precipitation, suggesting that wind erosion of undisturbed desert soils is not a major source of the SO 4 in precipitation. Calcite aerosols from desert soils may act to neutralize acid rain in the western USA.