Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8kt4b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-23T07:15:50.863Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Soils and surface water quality in northeastern Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

Malcolm S. Cresser ,
Kenneth B. Pugh  and
Anthony C. Edwards
Malcolm S. Cresser
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB9 2UE, Scotland, U.K.
Kenneth B. Pugh
Affiliation:
North East River Purification Board, Woodside House, Persley, Aberdeen AB2 2UQ, U.K.
Anthony C. Edwards
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB9 2UE, Scotland, U.K.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The nature of soil-water interactions is discussed in the context of both soil formation and drainage water chemistry. The interacting factors regulating drainage water chemistry are then briefly considered, including soil type and parent material, soil atmosphere CO2 concentration, hydrological pathways, soluble salts, topography, climate and biotic effects. Based upon these factors, some sites in NE Scotland thought to be highly susceptible to water acidification are examined, and the low pH of their waters is confirmed. The acidity trends of two superficially similar streams apparently less at risk are compared, and the differences explained in terms of sub-surface soil characteristics. The possible impacts of both afforestation and of acidifying pollutants on water pH are considered briefly where appropriate.

Keywords

acidificationcarbon dioxidefreshwatersgeochemical weatheringhydrological pathwaypeat.
Type
Acidification of surface waters
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 78 , Issue 4: Hydrology in Scotland , 1987 , pp. 399 - 404
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Battarbee, R. W., Flower, R. J., Stevenson, A. C. & Rippey, B. 1985. Lake acidification in Galloway: a paleoecological test of competing hypotheses. NATURE (LONDON) 314, 350–52.Google Scholar
Creasey, J., Edwards, A. C., Reid, J. M., MacLeod, D. A. & Cresser, M. S. 1986. The use of catchment studies for assessing chemical weathering rates in two contrasting upland areas in northeast Scotland. In Colman, S. M. & Dethier, D. P. (eds) Rates of Chemical Weathering of Rocks and Minerals, 467–502. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Cresser, M. S., Edwards, A. C., Ingram, S., Skiba, U. & Peirson-Smith, T. 1986a. Soil-acid deposition interactions and their possible effects on geochemical weathering rates in British uplands. J GEOL SOC LONDON 143, 649–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cresser, M. S., Harriman, R. & Pugh, K. 1986b. Processes of acidification in soils and freshwater. In Proceedings of the Symposium on Acid Rain Effects, September 1986, Imperial College, London.Google Scholar
Cresser, M. S. & Edwards, A. C. 1987. Acidification of Freshwaters. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Edwards, A. C., Creasey, J. & Cresser, M. S. 1984. The conditions and frequency of sampling for elucidation of transport mechanisms and element budgets in upland drainage basins. In Eriksson, E. (ed.) Hydrochemical Balances of Freshwater Systems, 187–202. IAHS PUBL 150. Oxford: International Association of Hydrological Sciences.Google Scholar
Edwards, A. C., Creasey, J. & Cresser, M. S. 1985a. Factors influencing nitrogen inputs and outputs in two Scottish upland catchments. SOIL USE MANAGE 1, 83–87.Google Scholar
Edwards, A. C., Creasey, J., Skiba, U., Peirson-Smith, T. & Cresser, M. S. 1985b. Long-term rates of acidification of UK upland acidic soils. SOIL USE MANAGE 1, 61–65.Google Scholar
Hornung, M. 1985. Acidification of soils by trees and forests. SOIL USE MANAGE 1, 24–28.Google Scholar
Johnson, D. W., Cole, D. W. & Gessel, S. P. 1979. Acid precipitation and soil sulfate adsorption properties in a tropical and in a temperate forest soil. BIOTROPICA 11, 38–42.Google Scholar
Johnson, D. W. & Cole, D. W. 1977. Sulfate mobility in an outwash soil in western Washington. WATER AIR SOIL POLLUT 7, 489–495.Google Scholar
Langan, S. J. 1987. Episodic acidification of streams at Loch Dee, SW Scotland. TRANS R SOC EDINBURGH EARTH SCI 78, 393–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayer, R. & Ulrich, B. 1974. Conclusions on the filtering action of forests from ecosystem analysis. OECOL PLANT 9, 157–168.Google Scholar
Miller, H. G. 1985. The possible role of forests in streamwater acidification. SOIL USE MANAGE 1, 28–29.Google Scholar
Nilsson, S. I., Miller, H. G. & Miller, J. D. 1982. Forest growth as a possible cause of soil and water acidification: an examination of the concepts. OIKOS 39, 40–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reuss, J. O. 1983. Implications of the calcium-aluminium exchange system for the effect of acid precipitation on soils. J ENVIRON QUAL 12, 591–595.Google Scholar
Van Breemen, N., Mulder, J. & Driscoll, C. T. 1983. Acidification and alkalinization of soils. PLANT SOIL 75, 283–308.Google Scholar