Organic and inorganic geochemistry of some coastal plain rivers of the southeastern United States |
| |
| Authors: | KC Beck JH Reuter EM Perdue |
| |
| Institution: | School of Geophysical Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, U.S.A.;School of Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, U.S.A. |
| |
| Abstract: | In a comprehensive study of the distribution of organic and inorganic constituents in natural waters, the chemical compositions of several rivers flowing through the Coastal Plain of southeast Georgia (the Satilla River, in particular) have been investigated. These streams are generally characterized by low suspended load, low ionic strength, low pH values, and a predominance of organic over inorganic constituents. The dominance of sodium and chloride among inorganic ions indicates that rainfall is a major factor in determining the distribution of major elements in these waters. The low pH values and the relatively high concentrations of iron and aluminum appear to result from the high concentrations of organic matter. Chemical analysis (total acidity, carboxyl groups, amino acid residues, and CHN analysis) and spectroscopic analysis (i.r. and NMR) indicate that river water organic matter is chemically similar to soil fulvic acids.The dominance of organic matter over inorganic constituents and the resultant low pH values of these waters are in direct contrast with the chemical compositions of most of the rivers of the world which have been previously studied. Many large tributaries draining from the low relief tropical basins of the Amazon and other tropical rivers are expected to show similar characteristics; however, none of these has been studied extensively. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
