The Chemical Composition of Some Waters from Lowland Lakes in Shropshire, England

Abstract

Analyses are presented for pH, Na, K, Ca, Mg, HCO₃, Cl, SO₄, NO₃, PO₄ and SiO₂ in surface waters from eight Shropshire meres subject to dense water blooms of blue-green algae. Samples were taken in November 1954 and June 1955. It appears likely that the chemistry of the waters reflects increasing alteration of rain water composition by solution of the products of rock and soil weathering, chiefly calcium bicarbonate. Magnesium was the only major ion observed to vary greatly with season of sampling. Potassium was anomalous in being more abundant in the dilute waters, where it accounted for an unusually high proportion of total salts. An attempt has been made to relate the chemical composition of the various waters to local geological and physiographical variations.