Geochemistry of Lake Waters from the South Island, New Zealand

Abstract

Snow and lake water samples from the New Zealand region have been analyzed for a range of constituents. The results indicate that the lake waters are generally low in ionic constituents and that these constituents are distributed uniformly with depth in the lakes. The concentrations of sodium and potassium in the lake waters indicate that these elements are derived principally by direct atmospheric transport of marine aerosols. Calcium, magnesium, and silica are enriched relative to sodium in the lake waters when compared with rainwater by leaching of the surrounding schist and graywackes in the sequence calcium > magnesium > silicon silica. SO4 2- is also enriched relative to sodium in the lake water compared with the precipitation samples.