This study focuses on Long Pond, a groundwater-fed sinkhole lake in Georgia, which does not exhibit any evidence of eutrophication drivers despite high concentrations of sedimentary phosphorus (P) (> 3000 mg/kg P) in the recent sediment record. Chemical analyses have shown a strong correlation (r2>0.99) between P and aluminum (Al) throughout the core, suggesting Al plays a significant role in sequestering most of the P, and limiting its availability to phytoplankton, thereby inhibiting eutrophication. The purpose of this study is to decipher P and Al physicochemical associations in the sediments. After the samples were fractionated into amorphous and non-amorphous phases, the correlation was maintained in both phases. Evidence suggests two modes of Al-P associations: a sorption and/or co-precipitation occurring mostly in the amorphous phase and a mode whereby Al and P are being inputted to the lake bound together.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:GEORGIA/oai:scholarworks.gsu.edu:geosciences_theses-1098 |
Date | 12 August 2016 |
Creators | Tidwell, Christopher |
Publisher | ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University |
Source Sets | Georgia State University |
Detected Language | English |
Type | text |
Format | application/pdf |
Source | Geosciences Theses |
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