Abstract
About 200 lakes in Southern Alps (Italy and Switzerland) were studied in order to quantify their acidification. Although samplings were carried out in summer, long after the acid shock caused by snowmelt, some lakes were found to be acidic and 47% of them show alkalinity values of below 50 µeq 1-1. Losses in alkalinity (acidification levels) were evaluated using a titration model with variable F-factor.
Factor analysis shows that the main factors influencing water chemistry are related to rock weathering and nitrate uptake by vegetation. In watersheds containing carbonatic rocks the weathering of calcite is responsible for the most of the alkalinity production. We therefore focused on a set of 19 low-alkalinity lakes in the Maggia Valley lying in watersheds containing mainly acidic rocks. Results show that the weathering of silicate and calcite (present in small quantities, but highly soluble) and nitrate uptake account for most of the alkalinity production. Other watershed and in-lake processes may be important in some cases, but they never account for more than 27 % of the alkalinity production in these lakes.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Barbieri, A. & G. Righetti, 1987. Chimica delle deposizioni atmosferiche nel Cantone Ticino ed effetti sulle acque dei laghi alpini d'alta quota. Documenta Ist ital. Idrobiol. 14: 19–34.
Baker, J. P. & C. L. Schofield, 1982. Aluminium toxicity to fish in acidic waters. Wat. Air Soil Pollut. 18: 289–309.
Brakke, D. F., A. Henriksen & S. A. Norton, 1990. A variable F-factor to explain changes in base cation concentrations as a function of strong acid deposition. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 24: 146–149.
Carollo, A., F. Contardi, V. Libera & A. Rolla, 1985. Hydroclimatic cartography of the Lake Maggiore drainage basin. Mem. Ist. ital. Idrobiol. 42: 1–4.
Giovanoli R., J. L. Schnoor, L. Sigg, W. Stumm & J. Zobrist, 1988. Chemical weathering of crystalline rocks in the catchment area of acidic Ticino lakes, Switzerland. Clays and Clay Minerals 36: 521–529.
Goldstein, R. A. & S. A. Gherini (eds), 1984. The integrated lake-watershed acidification study. Report EPRI EA-3221.
Gruppo di Studio, 1987. Deposizioni atmosferiche nel Nord Italia. Rapporto finale anni 1983–1984. Quaderni Ingegneria Ambientale 6: 5–63.
Henriksen, A., 1980. Acidification of freshwater. A large scale titration. In D. Drablos and Tollan, A. (eds), Proc. Int. Conf. on Ecol. Impact of Acid Precipitation. As, Norway: 68–74.
Mosello, R., 1984. Hydrochemistry of high altitude alpine lakes. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 46: 86–99.
Mosello, R., A. Marchetto, G. A. Tartari & L. Guzzi. 1988. Acidificazione e acidificabilità delle acque lacustri italiane. Documenta Ist. ital. Idrobiol. 15: 1–80.
Mosello, R., A. Marchetto, G. A. Tartari, M. Bovio & P. Castello, 1991. Chemistry of Alpine lakes in Aosta Valley (N. Italy) in relation to watershed characteristics and acid deposition. Ambio 20: 7–12.
Psenner, R., K. Arzet, A. Brugger, J. Franzoi, F. Heisberger, W. Honsig-Erlenburg, F. Horner, U. Nickus, P. Pfister, P. Schaber & F. Zapf, 1988. Versauerung von Hockgebirgsseen in Kristallinen Einzugsgebieten Tirols and Kaerntens. Bundesministerium fuer Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Wien, 335 pp.
Psenner, R. & F. Zapf, 1990. High mountain lakes in the Alps: peculiarity and biology. In: M. Johannessen, R. Mosello and H. Barth (eds), Acidification processes in remote mountain lakes. Guyot, Brussels: 22–38.
Sullivan, T. J., D. F. Charles, J. P. Smol, B. F. Cumming, A. R. Selle, D. R. Thomas, J. A. Bernert & S. S. Dixit, 1990. Quantification of changes in lakewater chemistry in response to acidic deposition. Nature 345: 54–58.
Wright, R. F., 1983. Predicting acidification of North American lakes. EPA, Corvallis, Oregan: 165 pp.
Zobrist, J., Sigg, L., Schnoor, J. L. & W. Stumm, 1987. Buffering mechanism in acidified Alpine lakes. In: Barth, H. (ed.), Reversibility of acidification. Elsevier, London: 95–103.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marchetto, A., Barbieri, A., Mosello, R. et al. Acidification and weathering processes in high mountain lakes in Southern Alps. Hydrobiologia 274, 75–81 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014629
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014629