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Estimation of Soil Base Cation Weathering Rates with the PROFILE Model to Determine Critical Loads of Acidity for Forested Ecosystems in Pennsylvania, USA: Pilot Application of a Potential National Methodology

Phelan, Jennifer ; Belyazid, Salim ; Kurz, Daniel ; Guthrie, Scott ; Cajka, James ; Sverdrup, Harald LU and Waite, Randall (2014) In Water, Air and Soil Pollution 225(9). p.2109-2109
Abstract
Base cation weathering (BCw) rate is one of the most influential yet difficult to estimate parameters in the calculation of critical acid loads of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition for terrestrial systems. Only the clay correlation-substrate method, a simple empirical model, has been used for estimating BCw rates for forest ecosystems in the conterminous USA and may not be suitable for application at all sites without calibration or revision. An alternate model, PROFILE, may offer an improved method to estimate BCw rates. It is a transferable, process-based model that simulates the weathering rates of groups of minerals. The objective of this study was to evaluate PROFILE using national datasets as a method to estimate BCw rates for... (More)
Base cation weathering (BCw) rate is one of the most influential yet difficult to estimate parameters in the calculation of critical acid loads of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition for terrestrial systems. Only the clay correlation-substrate method, a simple empirical model, has been used for estimating BCw rates for forest ecosystems in the conterminous USA and may not be suitable for application at all sites without calibration or revision. An alternate model, PROFILE, may offer an improved method to estimate BCw rates. It is a transferable, process-based model that simulates the weathering rates of groups of minerals. The objective of this study was to evaluate PROFILE using national datasets as a method to estimate BCw rates for forests in the USA, focusing on Pennsylvania (PA) as the first test state. The model paired with national datasets was successfully applied at 51 forested sites across PA. Weathering rates ranged from 119 to 9,245 eq ha(-1) year(-1) and were consistent with soil properties and regional geology. Comparisons of terrestrial critical acid loads with 2002 N and S deposition showed critical load exceedances at 53 % of the sites. This trial evaluation of PROFILE paired with national datasets in PA establishes that there are sufficient data to support the estimation of BCw rates and determination of critical acid loads for forests in the USA. However, the paired method should be applied in other locations to further evaluate the performance of the model in different regions of the country. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Base cation, Weathering, Critical acid load, Nitrogen, Sulfur, Forest
in
Water, Air and Soil Pollution
volume
225
issue
9
pages
2109 - 2109
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000341836700029
  • scopus:84920273567
ISSN
1573-2932
DOI
10.1007/s11270-014-2109-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1f327da3-1b0e-4854-b4ec-fc24d9e0b219 (old id 4712949)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:11:53
date last changed
2023-11-25 03:16:20
@article{1f327da3-1b0e-4854-b4ec-fc24d9e0b219,
  abstract     = {{Base cation weathering (BCw) rate is one of the most influential yet difficult to estimate parameters in the calculation of critical acid loads of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition for terrestrial systems. Only the clay correlation-substrate method, a simple empirical model, has been used for estimating BCw rates for forest ecosystems in the conterminous USA and may not be suitable for application at all sites without calibration or revision. An alternate model, PROFILE, may offer an improved method to estimate BCw rates. It is a transferable, process-based model that simulates the weathering rates of groups of minerals. The objective of this study was to evaluate PROFILE using national datasets as a method to estimate BCw rates for forests in the USA, focusing on Pennsylvania (PA) as the first test state. The model paired with national datasets was successfully applied at 51 forested sites across PA. Weathering rates ranged from 119 to 9,245 eq ha(-1) year(-1) and were consistent with soil properties and regional geology. Comparisons of terrestrial critical acid loads with 2002 N and S deposition showed critical load exceedances at 53 % of the sites. This trial evaluation of PROFILE paired with national datasets in PA establishes that there are sufficient data to support the estimation of BCw rates and determination of critical acid loads for forests in the USA. However, the paired method should be applied in other locations to further evaluate the performance of the model in different regions of the country.}},
  author       = {{Phelan, Jennifer and Belyazid, Salim and Kurz, Daniel and Guthrie, Scott and Cajka, James and Sverdrup, Harald and Waite, Randall}},
  issn         = {{1573-2932}},
  keywords     = {{Base cation; Weathering; Critical acid load; Nitrogen; Sulfur; Forest}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{2109--2109}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Water, Air and Soil Pollution}},
  title        = {{Estimation of Soil Base Cation Weathering Rates with the PROFILE Model to Determine Critical Loads of Acidity for Forested Ecosystems in Pennsylvania, USA: Pilot Application of a Potential National Methodology}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2109-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11270-014-2109-4}},
  volume       = {{225}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}