Acidic deposition has its origins primarily in emissions of oxides of sulfur (SO2) and nitrogen (a mix of compounds usually denoted by NOx) from the combustion of fossil fuels by electric utilities, factories and motor vehicles. A variety of chemicals (principally hydroxyl radicals, ozone or hydrogen peroxide) oxidize SO2 and NOx in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric and nitric acids. Although natural sources (e.g. volcanoes and forest fires) can also contribute to ‘acid rain’ artificial sources predominate in urban areas and can dominate the depositional chemistry of areas downwind.
Emitted SO2 and NOxcan travel great distances before being deposited to the surface of the Earth. Deposition can occur in several ways: (1) wet deposition (i.e. precipitation), (2) dry deposition (e.g. as gases or particles) or (3) interception of fogs or cloud waters. Increasing forest canopy cover in natural watersheds effectively increases dry deposition and interception, with coniferous vegetation...
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Herschy, R.W., Herschy, R.W., Singh, V.P., Aravamuthan, V., Singh, V.P., Church, M.R. (1998). Acidic deposition: Acidification of surface waters. In: Herschy, R.W., Fairbridge, R.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Hydrology and Water Resources. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4497-7_5
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