Element mass balances for South Carolina coastal plain watersheds [(USA)]
1981
Gardner, L.R. (South Carolina Univ., Columbia (USA). Dept. of Geology)
Element mass balance estimates for South Carolina Coastal Plain watersheds indicate that fertilizers and liming materials are the major sources for inputs of Ca, Mg, K, Cl, and HCO(,3) whereas precipitation is the major input for Na and SO(,4). Stream flow is the chief mode of output for all of these elements. A balance between input and output is evident only for Cl. Retentions of 50% or more are shown by Ca, Mg, K, HCO(,3), and SO(,4) whereas Na shows an apparent net loss. The retention of Ca, Mg and HCO(,3) suggests that less than 25% of the dolomitic liming materials applied to the landscape actually dissolve and that the carbonate chemistry of Lower Coastal Plain streams is therefore probably largely controlled by seepage of groundwaters from underlying calcareous aquifers. The retention of K and the loss of Na may be due to cation exchange reactions on soil clays whereas the apparent retention of SO(,4) is probably due to reduction to H(,2)S in floodplain environments and soil adsorption.
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