The ability of western United States lakes to overcome acid rain

Abstract

The effects of anthropogenic acid rain are well documented in many countries and especially the Northeastern United States. This study was engineered to study the buffering ability of the granitic watersheds when subjected to differing degrees of acidic conditions. Different mineral types were selected to best represent the granitic soils and drainage most often found in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges, two ranges established to be representative for the western high elevation lakes and their susceptibility to acidification. These ground minerals were subjected to varying degrees of acidification and the pH and cation concentrations were measured for 100 days. The results of this experiment were that the buffering capacity of the deep granitic soils of the Western United States was capable to withstand pH as low as 4.0 for extended lengths of time.