Regional and local controls of surface water chemistry in the Boreal Plain and Shield transition of Canada

• Author / Creator

  Bell, Wayne Ronald Victor

• The Western Boreal Forest exhibits complex hydrogeology juxtaposed with rapid resource development. Predicting surface water chemistry to assess the influence of landuse and climate change is needed. The research purpose was to test if a global model (Gibbs), used to assess water chemistry relative to precipitation, geologic and evaporative processes can be applied to mid-continental locations; and test if regional to local scale controls of surface-groundwater interactions can be used to refine predictions where geologic processes dominate water chemistry. The global model applied to many ponds, but failed in dilute and saline ponds. Caution is necessary, as the model assumes chloride-dominated precipitation, and continental to regional scale groundwater systems influence water chemistry, independent of evaporative processes. Bedrock geology influenced ion composition, TDS and pH via mineral dissolution and scale of flow. Surficial geology influenced TDP, TDN, DOC, pH and TDS, and wetland connection influenced TDP, TDN and DOC via flowpath. To assess water chemistry and the influence of landuse and climate change, regional to local controls of surface-groundwater interactions prove valuable over the global assessment of chemistry in heterogeneous and complex landscapes.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Surface waters
  • Boreal
  • Chemistry

• Graduation date

  Fall 2010

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3B669

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.