Abstract
Field and laboratory observations have indicated that the “fractionation” mechanism, whereby the bulk of the solute in seasonal snowcover is removed in the early meltwater fractions, is a differential process. Some soluble ions may be removed at faster rates than others. This process is known as “preferential elution”. Since the process is not yet universally accepted amongst scientists who engage in research into snowmelt chemistry, in this chapter we review the pertinent experimental work. Varying experimental conditions in real snowpacks often militate against reproducible elution sequences, although sodium and chloride are consistently found to be the least mobile ions upon melt. Laboratory experiments have provided more controlled conditions under which to examine the relative removal rates of soluble ions in meltwater. Those ions which are more soluble in ice are seen to be less mobile upon melt, whereas the ions which are eluted more rapidly may be regarded as being more strongly partitioned into the solute-rich surficial liquid, or quasi-liquid, layer. In real melting snowpacks, preferential elution of some ions by the meltwater can be masked by snowpack-scale hydrology.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Adams, W.P., 1981: Snow and ice on lakes. In: Handbook of snow, D.M. Gray and D.H. Male, eds. Pergamon Press. 776pp.
Adams, W.P. and Roulet, N.T., 1982: Areal differentiation of land and lake snowcover in a small sub-arctic drainage basin. Nordic Hydrology, 13, 139–156.
Babiaková, G. and Bodis, D., 1986: Accumulation and evolution of sulphate and nitrate levels in snow. In: Mode11ing Snowme1t-Induced Processes. E.M. Morris, ed. IAHS Publ. no.155, pp.271–281.
Barrie, L.A. and Vet, R.J., 1984: The concentration and deposition of acidity, major ions and trace metals in the snowpack or the Eastern Canadian Shield during the Winter of 1980–1981. Atmos. Env. 18, 1459–1469.
Bodhaine, B.A., 1972: The effects o± ammonia on the electrification of freezing and splashing water drops. Tellus, 24(5), 473–480.
Brill, R. and Ender, H., 1955: Separation of ions at crystallisation of water. Nature. 176, 925.
Brimblecombe, P., Tranter, M., Abrahams, P.W., Blackwood, I., Davies, T.D. and Vincent, C.E., 1985: Relocation and preferential elution of acidic solute through the snowpack of a small, remote, high-altitude Scottish catchment. Annals of Glaciology, 7, 141–147.
Brimblecombe, P., Tranter, M., Tsiouris, S., Davies, T.D. and Vincent, C.E., 1986: The chemical evolution of snow and meltwater. In: Modelling snowmeIt-induced processes (Proc. of the Budapest Symposium, July 1986). IAHS Publ. 155, 283–295.
Brimblecombe, P., Davies, T.D., and Tranter, M. Airmass evolution and the composition of precipitation in the Scottish Highlands. In: Proc. Symp. on Air Pollution Modelling, WMO, Leningrad, May 1986. (in press).
Brimblecombe, P., Clegg, S., Davies, T.D., Shooter, D. and Tranter, M. Laboratory observations of the preferential loss of major ions from melting snow. Water Research, (submitted)
Cadle, S.H., Dasch, J.M. and Grossnickle, N.E., 1984 : Northern Michigan snowpack - a study of acid stability and release. Atmospheric Environment, 18, 807–816.
Cadle, S.H., Dasch, J.M. and Grossnickle, N.E., 1984 : Retention and release of chemical species by a northern Michigan snowpack. Water Air Soil Pollution, 22, 303–319.
Cadle, S.H., Dasch, J.M. and Mulawa, P.A., 1985: Atmospheric concentrations and the deposition velocity to snow or nitric acid, sulfur dioxide and various particulate species. Atmospheric Environment. 19, 1819–1827.
Castillo, R. An analysis of black aerosol found in two winter Atlantic coastal storms at Whiteface Mountain, New York, (in press)
Cobb, A.W., 1963: Salt incorporation in natural ices. Science, 141, 733.
Colbeck, S.C., 1977: Tracer movement through snow. IAHS-AISH Publ.118, pp255–262.
Colbeck, S.C., 1978: The physical aspects of water flow through snow. Adv. Hvdrosci., 11, 165–206.
Colbeck, S.C., 1979: Grain clusters in wet snow. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 77(3), 371–384.
Colbeck, S.C., 1981: A simulation of the enrichment of atmospheric pollutants in snow cover runoff. Water Resource Res., 17, 1283–1388.
Cotton, F.A. and Wilkinson, G., 1967: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. Interscience Publishers, John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Davies, T.D., Vincent, C.E. and Brimblecombe, P., 1982: Preferential elution of strong acids from a Norwegian ice cap. Nature, 300, 161–163.
Davies, T.D., Abrahams, P.W., Tranter, M., Blackwood, I., Brimblecombe, P. and Vincent, C.E., 1984: Black acid snow in the remote Scottish Highlands. Nature. 312, 58–61.
Dovland, H. and Eliassen, A., 1976: Dry deposition on a snow surface, Atmos. Env. 10, 783–785.
Drost-Hansen, W., 1967: The water-ice interface as seen from the liquid side. J. Coll. Interface Sci. 25, 131–160.
Elgmork, K., Hagen, A. and Langeland, A., 1973: Polluted snow in southern Norway during the winters 1968–1971. Environ. Pollut., 4, 41–52.
Fletcher, N.H., 1970: The chemical physics of ice. Cambridge University Press, New York.
Forland, E.J. and Gjessing, Y.T., 1975: Snow contamination from washout/rainout and dry deposition. Atmospheric Environment, 9, 339–352.
Foster, P.M., 1978: The modelling of pollutant concentrations during snowmelt. CEGB Report RD/L/N 46/78 Job No.VC455.
Gerdel, R.W., 1948: Physical changes in snow cover leading to runoff, especially to floods. Ass. Int. Hydrol. Sci., IUGG, Oslo, 2, 42–54.
Gerdel, R.W., 1954: The transmision of water through snow. Trans. Am. Geophvs. Union. 35(3), 475–485.
Gjessing, Y.T., 1977: Episodic variations of snow contamination of an Arctic snowfield. Atmospheric Environment, 11, 643–647.
Gjessing, Y.T., 1984: Marine and non-marine contribution to the chemical composition of snow at the Riiser-Larsenisen Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Atmospheric Environment, 18, 825–830.
Gross, G.W., 1968: Some effects of trace inorganics on the ice/water system. In: Trace Inorganics in Water, R.F. Gould, ed., Amer. Chem. Soc, Advances in Chem. Ser.73, 27–97.
Gross, G.W., Wong, P.M. and Humes, K., 1977: Concentration dependent redistribution at the ice-water phase boundary. III. Spontaneous convection. Chloride solutions. J. Chem. Phvs., 67, 5264–5274.
Harrison, J.D., 1965: Measurement of brine droplet migration in ice. J. Appl. Phvs., 36, 3811.
Haynes, R.M., 1982: Environmental science methods. Chapman and Hall, 404pp.
Hibberd S., 1984: A model for pollutant concentrations during snow melt. J. Glaciol. 30, 58–65.
Jaccard, P.C. and Levi, L., 1961: Segregation d’impuretes dans la glace. Z. Angew. Math. Phvs. 12, 70–76.
Jeffries D.S., Cox CM. and Dillon P.J., 1979: Depression of pH in lakes and streams in Central Ontario during snowmelt. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 36, 640–646.
Jeffries, D.S. and Snyder, W.R., 1981: Variations in the chemical composition of the snowpack and associated waters in Central Ontario. In: B.E. Goodwin, ed., Proc. 38th Eastern Snow Conf. 11–22.
Johannes, A.H., Galloway, J.N. and Troutman, D.E., 1981: Snowpack storage and ion release. In: Integrated Lake-Watershed Study, EPRI Report, EA-125, 6–1.
Johannessen, M., Dale, T., Gjessing, E.T., Henriksen, A. and Wright, R.F, 1975: Acid precipitation in Norway: the regional distribution of contaminants in snow and the concentration processes during snowmelt. Proc. Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice, Symposium. Grenoble 1975. Int. Ass. Hydrol. Sci. Publ.118, 116–110.
Johannessen, M. and Henricksen, A., 1977: Chemistry of Snow Meltwater: Changes during Melting. SNSF-Project, Norway, FR 11/77.
Johannessen, M. and Henricksen, A., 1978: Chemistry of snow meltwater: changes in concentration during melting. Water Res. 14(4), 615–619.
Johannessen, M., Skartveit, A. and Wright, R.F., 1980: Streamwater chemistry before, during and after snowmelt. In: Ecological impact of acid precipitation. D. Drablos and A. Tollan, eds., SNSF Project, 224–225.
Jones, H.G., 1985: The chemistry of snow and meltwaters within the mesostructure of a boreal forest snowcover. Annals of Glaciology. 7.
Krishnan, P.N. and Salomon, R.E., 1969: Solubility or hydrogen chloride in ice. J. Phvs. Chem., 73, 2680–2683.
Langham, E.J., 1974: The occurrence and movement of liquid water in the snowpack. Adv. Concepts Tech. Study Snow Ice Resource Interdiscip. Symp., U.S. Nat. Acad. Sci., Washington, D.C., pp-67–71.
Langham, E.J., 1981: Physics and properties of snowcover. In: Handbook of Snow. D.M. Gray and D.H. Male, eds. Pergamon Pres, pp275–337.
Leung, W.K.S. and Carmichael, G.R., 1984: Solute redistribution during normal freezing. Water, Air. Soil Pollut. 21, 141–150.
Lodge, J.P., Baker, M.L. and Pierrard, J.M. 1956: Observations on ion separation in dilute solutions by freezing. J. Chem. Phys., 25, 716–719.
Marsn, A.R.W., and Webb, A.H., 1979: Physico-chemical aspects of snowmelt. CEGB Reports RD/L/N, 60/79, 12pp.
McKay, G.A. and Gray, D.M., 1981: The distribution of snowcover. In: Handbook of snow, D.M. Gray and D.H. Male, eds. Pergamon Press, 776pp.
McQuaker, N.R., Kluckner, P.D. and Sandberg, D.K., 1983: Chemical analysis of acidic precipitation: pH and acidity determinations. Environ. Sci. Technol., 17, 431–439.
Messer, J.J., Slezak, L. and Liff, C.I., 1982: Potential for acid snowmelt in the Wasatch Mountains. Utah Water Reserach Lab., Water Quality Series, UWRL/Q-82/06.
Morris, E.M. and Thomas, A.G., 1985b: Preferential discharge of pollutants during snowmelt in Scotland. J. Glaciology, 31, 190–193.
Mizuno, Y. and Kurouiwa, D., 1970: Solute segregation in ice observed by auto radiography. J. Glaciology, 9, 117–124.
Overrein, L.N., Seip, H.M. and Tollan, A., 1980: Acid precipitation-effects on forest and fish. Final report of the SNSF project 1972–19 80. SNSF Proiect FR 19/80, 175pp.
Paren, J.G. and Walker, J.C.F., 1971: Intluence of limited solubility on the electrical and mechanical properties of ice. Nature, 230, 77–79.
Paterson, W.S.B., 1981: The Physics of Glaciers, 2nd. Edition. Pergamon Press.
Posey, J.C. and Smith, H.A., 1975: The equilibrium distribution of light and heavy water in a freezing mixture. J. Amer. Chem. Soc, 79, 555–557.
de Quervain, M.R., 1973: Snow structure, heat and mass flux through snow. Int. Symp. on Properties and Processes in Snow, UNESCO (Banff), 203–226.
Renaud, A., 1949: A contribution to the study of the glacier grain. J. Glaciol. 1, 320–324.
Schemenauer, R.S., Summers, P.W., Wiebe, H.A. and Anlauf, K.G., 1985: Spatial and temporal variability of surface snowfall and snowpack chemistry in Central Ontario. Annals of Glaciology, 7, 185–190.
Seidensticker, R.G. 1972: Partitioning of HC1 in the water-ice system. J. Chem. Phvs., 56, 2853–2857.
Seip, H.M., 1980: Acid snow - snowpack chemistry and snowmelt. In: Effects of acid precipitation on terrestrial ecosystems, T.C. Hutchinson and M. Havas, eds. Plenum Publishing Co., 77–94.
Tranter, M., Brimblecombe, P., Davies, T.D., Vincent, C.E., Abrahams, P.W. and Blackwood, I., 1986: The composition of snowfall, snowpack and meltwater in the Scottish Highlands - evidenc for preferential elution. Atmospheric Environment, 20, 517–525.
Tranter, M., Abrahams, P.W., Blackwood, I., Brimblecombe, P., Davies, T.D. and Vincent, C.E. Spatial variability in the chemical composition of snowcover in a small, remote Scottish catchment. Atmospheric Environment, (in press)
Tranter, M., Davies, T.D., Brimblecombe, P. and Vincent, C.E. The composition or acidic meltwaters during snowmelt in the Scottish Highlands. Water Air and Soil Pollution, (submitted)
Truby, J.F., 1955: Lattice constants of pure and fluoride-contaminated ice. Science, 121, 404.
Tsiouris, S., Vincent, C.E., Davies, T.D. and Brimblecombe, P., 1985: The elution of ions through field and laboratory snowpacks. Annals Glaciol., 7, 196–201.
Tsiouris, S., 1986: Release of atmospheric pollutants from snowpack with snowmelt and implications for environmental pollution. Ph.D. thesis, University of East Anglia.
Wakahama, G., 1968: Infiltration of meltwater into snow cover, III. Flowing down speed of meltwater in a snowcover. Low Temp. Sci. Sec. A, 26, 54–76, 77–85.
Wankjewicz, A.A., 1979: A review of water movement in snow. In: Proceedings Modelling of Snow Cover Runoff, S.C. Colbeck and M. Ray, eds. CRREL, Hanover, N.H., 222–252.
WMORPS, 1978: Meteorological Organisation second analysis on reference precipitation samples, Geneva, WMO.
Wolff, E.W. and Paren, J.G., 19 84: A two-phase model of electrical conduction in polar ice sheets. J. Geophvs. Res., 89, 9433–9438.
Workman, E.J., 1954: On geochemical effects of freezing. Science, 119, 73.
Workman, E.J. and Reynolds, S.E., 1950: Electrical phenomena occurring during the freezing of dilute aqueous solutions and their possible relationship to thunderstorm electricity. Phvs. Rev Ser. 78, 254–259.
Wright, R.F. and Dovland, H., 1977: Regional surveys of the chemistry of snowpack in Norway late winter 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. SNSF-Proiect, FR 12/77.
Young, I.G. and Salomon, R.E., 1968: Dielectric benaviour ot ice with HC1 impurity. J. Chem. Phvs., 48, 1635–1644.
Zaromb, S. and Brill, R., 1956: Solid solutions of ice and NH4F and their dielectric properties. J. Chem. Phvs., 24, 895–902.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1987 D. Reidel Publishing Company
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Davies, T.D. et al. (1987). The Removal of Soluble Ions from Melting Snowpacks. In: Jones, H.G., Orville-Thomas, W.J. (eds) Seasonal Snowcovers: Physics, Chemistry, Hydrology. NATO ASI Series, vol 211. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3947-9_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3947-9_20
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8251-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3947-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive