This study examines the impact of snowmelt runoff on nutrient transfer from the terrestrial to the aquatic (lake) portion of a subarctic catchment 6 km WSW from Schefferville, Quebec. / Statistically significant differences in snow chemistry were recorded among the tundra, woodland and forest snowpacks. Significant overland substantial scouring of nutrients from the organic horizons were recorded in the tundra, woodland and forest. A calculation designed to generate, on a daily basis, 70% of the meltwater from the terrestrial catchment to the lake indicates overland flow is a predominant route of meltwater during the spring. This calculation made possible the determination of daily nutrient mass transfer from land to lake. The daily nutrient mass balance of input and output to Elizabeth Lake during springmelt indicates significant retention of land source nutrients. Deuterium/hydrogen measurements aided in determining mixing of snowmelt and lake water. The data indicate snowmelt water is undistinguishable from lake water at depths greater than 1.0 m. / It is concluded that snowmelt runoff is an important event for nutrient transfer from terrestrial to aquatic systems in this environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.72003 |
| Date | January 1984 |
| Creators | English, Michael Crawford. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Geography.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 000219667, proquestno: AAINL20867, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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