Solute erosion and chloride balance in selected river basins of the western conterminous United States

A. S. Van Denburgh; J. H. Feth

doi:10.1029/wr001i004p00537

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Solute erosion and chloride balance in selected river basins of the western conterminous United States

A. S. Van Denburgh·J. H. Feth

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Abstract

The estimated average rates of annual solute erosion in 11 important western river basins range from 180 tons per square mile (Willamette basin) to 4.2 tons per square mile (Gila basin). An average rate of 58 tons per square mile is indicated for the entire 545,000‐square‐mile area drained by the 11 rivers. The wide range in tonnage is the result of a complex of causes, among which differences in geology, gross climatic environments, and activities of man are the most important. Rates of solute erosion are highest in areas of abundant precipitation and runoff, in contrast to rates of suspended‐sediment removal, which are characteristically highest in basins subjected to only 10–15 inches of effective annual precipitation. Tonnages of chloride brought into the 11 river basins by rain and snow make up an equivalent of about 1.6 to about 17% of the chloride removed in runoff during an average year. The range of percentages reflects differences in the relative importance of oceanic and continental solute contributions. This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. Published in 1965 by the American Geophysical Union.

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Water Resources Research Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 22.59372606392931° to 50.064191736659104° latitude; -128.32031249999997° to -66.4453125° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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BibTeX RIS

A. S. Van Denburgh, J. H. Feth. 2010-07-09. Solute erosion and chloride balance in selected river basins of the western conterminous United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/wr001i004p00537

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