Regional Relationships between Geomorphic/Hydrologic Parameters and Surface Water Chemistry Relative to Acidic Deposition

摘要

The authors determined geomorphic and hydrologic parameters for 144 forested, lake watersheds in the Northeast (NE) of the United States based primarily on measurements from topographic maps. These parameters were used to test for relationships with selected surface water chemistry relevant to acidic deposition. Analyses were conducted on regional and subregional scales delineated based on soils, land use, physiography, total sulfur deposition and statistical clustering of selected geomorphic/hydrologic parameters. Significant relationships were found among the geomorphic/hydrologic parameters and the surface water chemistry for the NE. Elevation had the most significant relationship with surface water chemistry, particularly in the mountainous areas of the NE. Other factors occurring consistently as significant predictors of surface water chemistry were maximum relief, relief ratio, runoff, and estimates of basin elongation. Results suggest that elevational parameters might be surrogates for other watershed characteristics, such as soils or spatial deposition patterns.(Copyright (c) 1989 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.)