Major Ion Chemistry of Lakes on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Abstract

We characterized the major ion chemistry of over 800 lakes on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, from a probability sample of 59 lakes (August 1988). There were two groups: alkalinity < 300 μeq/L (78% of the lakes) and alkalinity > 700 μeq/L. Low-alkalinity lakes had significantly lower concentrations of base cations and silica and significantly higher average concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) than high-alkalinity lakes. Despite widespread acidic soils and bog vegetation, and resulting high DOC concentrations, none of the lakes sampled was acidic. Sulfate concentrations (~3 μeq/L) were similar in the two groups, as were Cl− concentrations, which decreased with distance from the coast. High-alkalinity lakes were similar chemically to rivers and shallow aquifers in the region, suggesting that the high alkalinity is a product of the major weathering reactions in this terrain; the substantially different ratios of base cations in the two groups also indicate quantitative and qualitative weathering differences. Low-alkalinity lakes were at higher elevations than high-alkalinity lakes, presumably in groundwater recharge zones. Consequently, the chemical differences between the two lake groups appeared to be controlled by relatively small differences in local hydrologic setting, and possibly by differences in mineralogy along the groundwater flowpaths.

Physical and Chemical Limnological Characteristics of 38 Lakes and Ponds on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic

“…Differences in Na and Cl concentrations were primarily related to the proximity of each site to the sea. Overall, this limnological dataset was similar to those reported by other studies from similar geological settings in the subarctic and arctic regions of North America (see KLING et al, 1992;EILERS et al, 1993;DOUGLAS and SMOL, 1994;PIENITZ et al, 1997a, b;RÜHLAND and SMOL, 1998;GREGORY-EAVES et al, 2000; Table 4). …”

“…These ratios are similar to those ofKLING et al (1992),EILERS et al (1993),DOUGLAS and SMOL (1994),PIENITZ et al (1997a, b) (although Mg was not considered), RÜHLAND and SMOL…”

Spatial, Environmental, and Biotic Determinants of Zooplankton Community Composition in Subarctic Lakes and Ponds in Wapusk National Park, Canada

“…1), have similar ratios of Na to Cl (1.06 and 1.10, respectively), albeit at lower absolute concentrations. This suggests that the influence of the coast may extend further inland in the HBL than reported for other subarctic regions (Kling et al, 1992;Eilers et al, 1993;Pienitz et al, 1997).…”

“…lower color) and lower in SiO 3 , suggesting a reduced surface water-groundwater A list of zooplankton species and their associated codes for taxa found in at least one study lake at a relative abundance of more than 1%. interaction (Eilers et al, 1993) (Fig. 5).…”

“…Bos and Pellatt, 2012), and in other subarctic regions (e.g. Eilers et al, 1993, Rühland et al, 2003. Lakes were also grouped with respect to their position on either continuous or discontinuous permafrost, and key water chemical variables between groups were compared (i.e.…”