chemistry of tasmanian inland waters
TRANSCRIPT
I Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. I 68 I 1 1 1973 1 61-78 I
R. T. BUCKNEY and P. A. TYLER
Department of Botany, University of Tasmania
Chemistry of Tasmanian Inland Waters
Abstract
A few of Tasmania's several thousand lakes and rivers have been sampled in a preIiminary survey of water chemistry. They range in concentration from extremely dilute glacial lakes (TDS < I0 ppni) to hypersaline lagoons (TDS > 85";0), the majority being dilute (TDS < 50 ppm). The 3 mechanisms controlling water chemistry proposed by GIBBS (1970) are seen to operate and the 3 terminal water types showing precipitation-dominance, roclr-dominance and solubility- limited composition are found, together with a range of intermediates. The majority of waters have seawater ionic composition or moderate geochemical modification of this.
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. General descriptive background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a) Province I - the South-West and West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b) Province I1 - The Central Plateau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c ) Province 111 - The North-West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . d) Province I V - The Midlands, East and North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e) Province V - The Bass Strait Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. Acknowledgenierits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
61 62 62 63 63 65 67 67 69 69 77 77
1. Introduction
Most of Tasmania's several thousand lakes have never been investigated chemi- cally or biologically. The only previous survcy is that of WILLIAMS (1964, 1967) though scattered information on various waters is contained in the publications of BAYLY et al. (1966), NICHOLLS (1958), POWELL (1945) and WEATHERLEY (1958).
This survey aimed to investigate the chemical nature of as many Tasmanian waters as possible. In this paper we have divided Tasmania into 5 Provinces based partly on climatic or geological criteria but mainly on topographic or arbitrary grounds. The latter was unavoidable for areas of complex geology or sparse information and such Provinces contain a mosaic of different water types. Nonetheless, some are real water chemistry provinces where distinctive water types predominate over large areas, determined by predominance of one environmental factor.
62 It. T. BIJPKNEY and P. A. TYLEII
2 . Methods
Water samples were collected in polyethylene bottles and stored a t 4 "C for 1-6 weeks before analysis. Colour was measured with a comparator and p H and conductivity (K18) electrometrically. Bicarbonate was determined titrimetricslly on unflltered samplcs (AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 1965). All other analyses were of water filtered through 0.45 p membranes. Chloride was determined by conductornetric titration (GOLTERMAN, lY69), sulphate by the method of MACKERETH (1955) and silica by the molybdate yellow method (AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 1965). Cations were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Fixed Solids (TFS) were determined by evaporation in platinum dishes followed by ignition at GOO "C.
3. General Descriptive Background
Tasmania lies ~ i t h i n latitudes affected by the wcstcrly air stream of the Roaring Fortics. This fact, arid thc disposition of mountain ranges, accounts for the west-east rainfall gradient (Fig. 1) . Mean July temperatures range froin 0 "C-10 "C while
R U IEF RA fNFALL
GEOt OG Y VEGETATION
Fig. 1. The general pattern of relief, rainfall, geology and vegetation of Tasmania. Simplified from several authors in DAVIES (1965)
Chemistry of Tasmanian Inland Waters 63
thosc for January vary frcni 10 "C-18 'C. More than half the island lies at, an ele- vation greater t,lian 300 m, t,he only extensive lowland plains occuring in northern coastal and Midland areas (Fig. 1). Therc is a major geological discontinuity from west to east, the metamorphosed pre-Permian rocks of t'he western regions cont'rasting with the Cent'ral Plateau and drier eastern areas which are dominated by Jurassic doleritc (Fig. 1). This climatic and geological discontinuit'y is reflected in pronounced vegetat,ional differences, temperate rain-forest, or sedgelaEd dcminating the a-et arcas while dry scltrophyll or epacrid heat'h covers the drier East (Fig. 1).
Most of thc scveral t>houeand lakes lie within the a,reas occupied b y Pleistocene ice sheets or cirquc glaciers (DERRYSHIRB et al., 1965). The large shallow lakes of the eastern Central Plateau were subject, t.o periglacial activity.
The clirnat'e, geomorphology, geology and vcgetat,ion of Tasmania have been treated in detail by the aut,hors BANKS, DAVIES, JACKSON and LANCFORD in I)AVIES (1965), and by JACKSON (1968) and SPRY and BAKKS (1962).
I n a general way Taemania can be divided into 5 water chemistry provinces re- fle,ct,ing these prevailing environmental features. Inevitably, thtre is sume overlap but' such a division seems to represent broad differences and a t the same time facili- tat,es discussion of a large amount of data.
4. Results
a ) Pruvincr I - the South-West and West
Analyses of sampks from lotic and lcntic localities shonn in Fig 2 are given in Table 1.
The South-Wcst a t t rs vary in ccimpsition dcptnding on the nature and degree of geological influenccs. At the one end of the spectIurn are bionn, acid maters (Sam- ples 1-15a, 28-32) with thc bea water order of cationic and anionic dominance i. e. Na > Mg > Ca > K : C1> SO4 > I-ICO,. Ionic proportions o f thew are near those of stawater (Fig. 3). At the othcr end of the spectrum arc the Ttaters shoming the marked geochemical influence of weatherablc rocks not covered by d ~ e p pcats. Sarn- ples 33 and 34 drain the serpentenite of the Sawback Range and are magnesium- calcium-hicarLonate dominated. Samples 35-37 are influenced by the dolomite on the northern flanks of the Mt. Anne massif. Between thcse extremes are diverse u aters shov ing various degrees of geochcmical influence. Square Lakc (Xamplc 14) and Hanging Lake (Sample 13) are high altitude lakcs on the pre-Cambrian yuarti- zites of the Arthur Range. Gtochemical influence is minimal and they resemble the acid, rtc..natcr type cxcept tha t humic influences are absent. We expect many cirque lakes in the metarnorphoscd fold ranges of the South-West to be of this type. Samples 25-27 arc high altitude watc rs of uncertain status from the geologically-complex Mt. La Perousc. Samples 18-24 taken from lakes on the dolerite of Mt. Picton and Mt. Ficld show alight geochemical modification of atmospheric supply and rpscmble closely the dolerite waters of the Central Plateau (Province 11) while Nos. 38-54, all rivers, show various influrnces which r i f f d further investigation.
Thc geology of the West Coast area is complex and sedgeland peats are replaccd generally by yellow podzolic soils (NICOLLS and DIMMOCK, 1965). Only 4 lakes were sampled. Lake Rolleston (Sample 15) (Tyndall Range) and Lake Bellinger (Sample 15 a) (coastal dunes) both have near-seawater ionic proportions. On Frenchman's Cap, Lake Vera (Sample 16) shows only slight geochemical influence but Lake Tahune is calcium-magncsiurn-bicarbonate dominated. Only one lotic water retains the sea- water dominance order, the others showing various degrees of calcium and bicar- bonate additions.
Tab
le 1
. C
hem
ical
ch
arac
teri
stic
s of
sur
face
wat
ers
of th
e S
outh
-Tes
t an
d W
est
of T
asm
ania
. The
sam
ple
num
bers
ref
er
to th
e lo
cati
ons
indi
cate
d in
Fig
. 2. +
indic
ates
a t
race
, - in
dica
tes
unde
tect
able
L
ocat
ion
NO
. T
F S
Ppn1
C
olou
r P
t rn
iits
S;L+ t-
K+
Qua
rtz
Dra
inag
e,
Port
Dav
ey
Peat
Bog
, P. D
avey
M
ine
Pool
, P. D
avey
Pe
at P
ool,
Bla
kes
Ope
ning
L
ake
Pedd
er
Lak
e M
aria
1
Lak
e M
aria
3
Lak
e M
aria
4
Lak
e M
aria
5
Lak
e M
aria
6
Lak
e M
aria
7
Peat
seep
age,
Str
athg
ordo
n H
angi
ng L
ake
Squa
re L
ake
(Art
hur R
a.)
Lak
e R
olle
ston
L
ake
Bel
linge
r L
ake
Ver
a L
akeT
ahun
e N
orth
Lak
e L
ake
Pict
on
Lak
e R
ivea
ux
Lak
e D
obso
n Ja
mes
Tar
n L
ake
Seal
L
ake
Web
ster
O
use
Lak
e T
arn,
Lea
ning
Tre
e Sa
ddle
Pi
gsty
Pon
ds
Mel
aleu
ca C
k., P
. Dav
ey
Lou
isa
Riv
er
Ck.
2 L
. Ped
der,
Ck.
5, L
. Ped
der
Hon
eym
oon
Ck.
-,
L. P
edde
r C
k. o
n Sa
wba
ck R
ange
A
dam
Riv
er
Wel
d R
iver
Sa
ndfl
y C
k.
Lit
tle
Flor
entin
e R
iver
H
uon
Riv
er
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
12
13
14
15
15a
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
65.2
67
.2
56.2
76
.0
38.1
54
.1
32.5
63
.0
37.4
51
.2
48.2
35
.2
21.8
80.4
38
.4
26.8
34
.8
18.3
24
.8
27.6
17
.4
23.8
24
.6
62.4
71
.8
31.4
37
.8
50.4
41
.6
109.
2 21
1.0
142.
4 15
2.2
64.1
30.0
26
.0
24.2
6.
0 17
.7
21.0
17
.1
21.2
17
.4
20.2
18
.3
17.4
13
.6
46.2
17
.6
12.8
21
.4
9.0
17.0
18
.1
5.8
14.0
12
.6
23.0
29
.8
14.0
13
.8
17.8
30
.8
92.2
14
8.2
88.6
12
1.4
28.1
70.8
4.
5 66
.1
4.5
59.0
4.
9 53
.0
4.2
35.4
4.
8 41
.9
4.8
36.5
5.
2 22
.2
4.8
41.4
4.
8 58
.3
4.8
41.3
4.
5 32
.4
4.7
2.5.1
6.0
28.6
5.
6 27
.3
5.1
99.5
5.
6 28
.8
7.0
26.3
6.
8 28
.9
7.3
31.0
6.
8 30
.2
7.2
31.7
6.
5 14
.0
6.9
21.6
7.
2 22
.4
7.2
36.8
6.
7 34
.4
6.4
34.6
6.
5 71
.8
4.3
67.4
5.
3 40
.3
4.5
34.9
4.
8 39
.8
4.9
63.0
7.
7 16
7.9
7.6
309.
2 7.
7 21
4.5
7.9
245.
6 7.
8 57
.8
7.0
140
160
100
280
120
200 60
20
0 60
80
100
100
<5
30
50
10
0 70
30
10
< .5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
15
15
70
50
140
160
100
120
150
<5
60
40
20
15
12
0
304
283
266
239
140
152
133
167
1.53
18
9 14
5 11
8 10
4 10
3 98
68
3 12
2 78
126 94
100
57
74
70
87
187
163
183
313
287
129
121
154
135
183
187
152
135
183
17
15
23
24 8 13
6 11
9 9 3 21
12 8 10
34
13
8 15 8 13
5
14
3 3 20
18
19
19
37 8 5 10
16
16
302 14
14
17
42
60
42
13
52
60
33
47
39
33
37
35
35
28
39
67
8 5
100 55
27
95
135 55
80
75
43
30
33
42
74
26
24
45
95
1255
20
00
1550
17
60
206
103
100
93
23
61
83
49
85
53
69
73
58
42
36
45
197
101
92
50
56
67
100 38
58
58
6 5
38
53
103
145
44
74
74
325
708
2055
12
50
1558
18
0
472
460
420
315
200
324
251
234
244
271
241
248 86
18
1 18
1 72
7 15
0 11
4 16
9 17
5 14
8 12
6 90
147
153
295
210
250
472
495
211
220
287
190
300
450
255
199
255
0 27
0
32
0 80
0
33
15
37
0 35
9
12
36
69
0 23
0
27
0 27
0
21
16
30
5 26
3
28
35
76
96
11
120
13
51
11
14
53
95
8 20
5 8
70
20
105
85
2%
160
118 0
27
0 44
0
19
0 23
0
48
338
56
1610
17
36
20
22
2170
16
24
80
16
271
37
0.20
0.
2 -
0.2
0.12
-
0.46
-
0.32
-
-
-
0.05
-
+?
j
-
0.09
3 2
0.7
-
d R
2.0
-
.'d
2.0
-
?
3.1
-
2.7
-
6.8
-
f *I
-
-
0.14
-
0.34
0.
3 -
0.3
0.05
-
-
-
2.1
0.30
2.
8 -
2.6
-
5.9
-
2.5
0.12
Pict
on R
iver
St
yx R
iver
Sa
vage
Riv
er
Farm
Ck.
B
ulgo
bac
Cre
ek
gr Po
ssey
Riv
er
5 H
atfi
eld
Riv
er
6
D
War
atah
Cre
ek
a Q
ue R
iver
M
agne
t Ck.
Res
'r *g
Hen
ty R
iver
b~
M
acki
ntos
h R
iver
p.
u1
Yol
land
e R
iver
-
Mur
chis
on R
iver
w 3
Why
teR
iver
- K
ing
Riv
er
5 0,
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
53.4
31
.0
46.5
92
.2
68.4
14
8.7
71.2
64
.8
125.
4 53
.4
29.2
46
.1
41.8
24
.2
39.6
34
.2
24.2
39
.3
33.2
22
.6
38.2
29
.2
29.6
40
.5
35.6
21
.2
36.3
32
.2
21.0
40
.5
37.8
19
.6
39.8
36
.6
19.6
36
.0
28.2
16
.6
32.4
32
.6
14.8
21
.1
57.4
30
.4
58.0
29
.8
16.4
34
.3
* Bic
arbo
nate
con
cent
ratio
n re
duce
d fo
r fu
rthe
r ca
lcul
atio
ns
7.1
60
170
7.7
15
252
7.1
50
326
6.5
5 19
2 6.
2 50
15
7 5.
6 20
14
4 6.
8 50
12
2 7.
4 <
5 13
9 6.
8 30
13
5 6.
5 15
15
2 7.
4 50
14
8 7.
5 70
10
0 6.
2 50
12
2 7.
5 50
78
6.
8 40
18
7 6.
4 30
96
12
215
28
450
28
240
31
75
23
65
23
53
10
70
20
185
18
65
19
65
15
95
20
130
15
45
13
45
8 11
0 13
90
133
709
500
104
92
101
104
98
104
185
94
61
73
37
221
249
269
39
4.1
+ 41
0 12
00*
39
516
583*
16
0 4.
2 0.
15
342
31
29
4.2
0.30
25
6 22
31
4.
2 0.
20
200
110
13
4.5
-
231
129
10
25.0
0.
10
245
102
16
3.5
-
254
67
25
3.1
0.35
27
5 60
23
3.
1 -
266
74
23
1.9
-
163
170
19
1.8
0.10
23
0 33
23
1.
0 0.
25
174
33
20
2.0
0.10
24
9 23
1 51
0.
20
-
65
175
89
32
1.6
-
Fig.
3.
Ter
nary
dia
gram
s sh
owin
g io
nic
prop
ortio
ns o
f w
ater
s fr
om P
rovi
nce
I-th
e So
uth-
Wes
t and
Wes
t of T
asm
ania
. T
he n
umbe
rs r
efer
to
sam
ple
num
bers
in
Tab
le 1
. + i
ndic
ates
sea
wat
er p
ropo
rtio
ns.
Chemistry of Tasmanian Inland Waters 67
Fig. 4. The location of sample sites in Province 11-The Central Plateau of Tasmania.
c) Province 111 - The North- West
The geology of the North-West is complex and a wide variety of waters is found. The majority sampled (Fig. 6) have the dominance order Na > Mg > Ca > K: HCO, > C1> SO, (Table 3). The anionic order suggests geochemical contribution but there are considerable ion imbalances which may be attributed to over-estimation of bicarbonate in the solid phase (GOLTERMAN, 1969). If bicarbonate is calculated as HCO, = Z+ - (SO, + C1) then the C1> HCO, > SO, order is restored.
A few lotic samples show considerable enrichment by calcium or magnesium bicar- bonate (Samples 8-13). Maracoopa Creek drains limestone caves and limestone also outcrops in the Mersey catchment. Magnesium dominance in some creeks may be derived from Tertiary olivine basalts.
Waters draining coastal heaths (Samples 5,21) resemble the brown waters of the South-West in dominance order but are more concentrated. Humic coastal waters of this type also occur on the Bass Strait Islands and the North East.
It seems likely that atmospheric ions form the main supply in this area except where readily-soluble rocks are exposed.
d) Province I V - The Midlands, East and North
Most of the eastern part of Tasmania is dry (mean annual rainfall < 75 cm), especially in the far North-East and Midlands where evaporation may exceed precipitation and closed lakes occur. There are many shallow lagoons in this Province (Fig. 7), 5.
68 R. T. BUCKNEY and P. A. TYLER
\
most of which have not been sampled. The ones sampled (Table 4) wcre saline (Samples 1-6) as recorded by WILLIAMS (1964). The Tunbridge Lagoons (Samples 3,4) appeared to be closed lakes and were highly saline. Sodium chloride dominance was usual but Tnnbridge No. 4 was magnesium chloride dominated. The coastal lagoons of the North-East have seawater-type composition but they differ from the South-West waters and Bass Strait Islands lagoons in having low colour, high pH, relatively high calcium and high salinity. Many of the eastern rivers had the excess bicarbonate phenomenon noted in the North-West.
69 Chemistry of Tasmanian Inland Waters
Fig. 6. The location of sample sites in Province 111-the North-West of Tasmania.
The Ben Lomond massif is a special case within this Province. It is a high-elevation granite block capped with dolerite. I t s waters (Table 4) (Samples 11-19,21) have seawater-type dominance orders typical of inert rocks, though there is some enrichment by calcium and bicarbonate. Not surprisingly, they resemble the waters of the western Central Plateau.
e) Province V - The Bass Strait Islands
The waters of the Bass Strait Islands (Fig. 8) present a range of types (Table 5 ) from dilute, acid, huinic waters (Samples 1, 7, 8) with seawater dominance, through types with apparent geochemical influences, to the high salinity lagoons (Samples 6,13). The former are similar to the waters of the South-West and the Queensland coastal lagoons (BAYLY, 1964) while the colourless, high-salinity lagoons are like the saline lagoons of the Midlands. They are, however, dominated by bicarbonate, not chloride. Chain of Lagoons (Sample 2) appears to bc sulphate dominated, the only such water in this survey. Although rare, sulphate dominance has been reported elsewhere (RODHE, 1949, TALLINC and TALLING, 1965).
5 . Discussion
In a recent paper GIBBS (1970) concluded that three major mechanisms control thc chemistry of surface waters throughout the world - atmospheric precipitation, geochemical processes and evaporation-crystallisation. Each process leads to a well-defined type of water with a continuum of variation between the extremes.
Tab
le 2
. C
hem
ical
cha
ract
eris
tics
of s
urfa
ce w
ater
s of
th
e C
entr
al P
late
au o
f T
asm
ania
. T
he s
ampl
e nu
mbe
rs r
efer
to
the
loca
tions
ind
icat
ed i
n Fi
gure
4.
+ in
dica
tes
a tr
ace,
- in
dica
tes
unde
tect
able
Loc
atio
n N
o.
TD
S T
FS
K
i8
pH
Col
our
NA
’ K
f C
at+
Mg++
C1
- H
CO
d-
SOc-
- Si
Oz
Fe
pprn
pp
rn
pS
.cn
~-~
P
t un
its
+
Iceq
/l
+
pprn
pp
m
Lak
e D
ove
Lak
e A
yr
Lag
oon
on M
t. Pi
lling
er
Tar
n on
Pad
dy’s
Nut
L
abyr
inth
No.
1
Lab
yrin
th N
o. 2
L
abyr
inth
No.
3
Lab
yrin
th N
o. 3
A
Lab
yrin
th N
o. 4
L
abyr
inth
No.
5
Lak
e H
elio
s L
ake
St. C
lair
Lak
e T
hor
Lak
e Sa
lom
e L
ake
Bal
l Po
ol o
f B
ethe
sda
“Lak
e A
lliso
n”
Lak
e M
acke
nzie
N
ew Y
ear L
ake
“Lak
e Iv
o”
Tal
inah
Lag
oon
Lak
e A
da
Car
ter’
s Lag
oon
Lak
e A
ugus
ta
Pine
Lak
e G
reat
Lak
e Sh
anno
n L
agoo
n A
rthu
rs L
ake
Lit
tle
Lak
e G
unn’
s Lak
e L
ake
Ech
o B
ront
e L
agoo
n T
unga
tinah
Lag
oon
Lag
oon
of Is
land
s W
oods
Lak
e L
ake
Sore
11
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
17.0
7.
9 28
.6
17.8
21
.4
12.4
20
.6
4.4
16.8
9.
0 18
.4
11.2
8.
8 4.
8 21
.0
12.8
20
.2
11.4
9.
8 4.
6 11
.4
7.0
20.8
11
.0
13.0
9.
2 20
.0
11.6
16
.0
8.8
20.0
15
.2
18.4
10
.8
15.4
11
.0
21.8
12
.2
17.0
8.
4 17
.8
14.0
18
.0
9.6
19.6
7.
5 17
.6
6.5
12.7
6.
3 20
.1
9.0
25.7
16
.1
27.9
15
.7
17.0
10
.2
18.6
12
.6
21.6
13
.4
27.8
16
.0
24.8
14
.4
155.
7 98
.4
58.7
41
.6
36
57.8
41
.8
12.4
31
.3
21.9
12
.6
16.1
13
.3
19.0
19
.0
13.9
11
.8
16.8
21
.6
15.5
15
.7
17.8
23
.2
17.8
12
.8
21.5
19
.3
20.0
17
.7
22.5
23
.4
14.8
20
.1
38.6
26
.6
18.9
16
.3
28.6
31
.0
35.1
20
4.4
57.3
51
.2
7.0
7.1
7.3
6.8
6.5
6.6
6.3
5.9
6.1
5.8
7.4
6.2
6.9
6.9
7.6
6.8
7.2
6.8
6.9
6.9
6.7
7.1
6.9
6.5
7.8
6.3
7.3
6.5
7.3
7.4
7.2
7.1
7.2
7.7
7.1
7.0
20
<5
<
5
20
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
10
5 <
5
10
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
10
<5
<
5
48
10
83
10
78
8 44
10
57
15
52
18
57
26
70
28
48
18
61
19
44
5
78
5 48
20
48
10
48
12
52
13
65
12
61
6
96
5 65
5
52
8 48
3
52
64
52
26
30
15
57
8 96
8
78
17
52
8 57
15
78
14
74
13
83
10
45
7 38
14
8 16
40
135 75
65
30
25
25
35
35
45
40
50
50
60
45
90
65
50
90
70
95
75
55
85
45
69
135
131 60
60
90
290
115
919
162
187
18
189
25
75
50
25
42
25
33
50
33
33
67
42
25
42
33
66
42
50
67
58
67
50
42
32
17
60
184 80
42
33
83
75
83
584
110
138
97
15
75
156
83
91
103
23
152
21
83
20
105
18
128
35
64
30
111
22
109
17
113
64
60
60
13
88
54
79
49
143
77
51
74
97
92
135
81
80
70
120
38
104
160
89
98
73
50
34
73
110
140
281
177
68
91
70
63
95
92
125
181
209
138
230
726
1422
* 24
2 36
8
45
26
24
18 8 7 9 8 12 8 16
13
19
22
19
45
23 7 7 7 38 6 10
28
21
11
38
10
9 11
48
74
44
27
1.2
-
3.4
-
2.3
-
0.7
-
1.2
-
0.3
-
0.8
-
0.7
-
1.4
-
0.4
-
1.3
-
2.9
0.09
1.
2 -
2.7
-
1.1
-
4.0
-
1.0
-
0.1
-
0.5
-
0.1
-
0.5
-
0.1
-
1.8
-
2.3
-
1.6
-
1.2
-
7.1
-
2.6
-
1.7
-
3.3
-
3.9
-
5.1
-
5.1
-
10.6
-
0.14
20
0 30
0 90
12
.9
1.56
37
61.2
42
.9
86.0
7.
0 <
5
278
20
211
203
469
300
40
- 0.
08
Lak
e C
resc
ent
Bro
wnw
ater
Lag
oon
38
66.2
25
.1
42.8
5.
9 80
10
9 38
14
9 12
8 20
5 20
0 95
0.
9 0.
10
Iris R
iver
39
28
.4
18.4
27
.7
7.2
< 5
87
5 70
75
17
1 11
5 8
5.1
-
Wea
ning
Pad
dock
Ck.
40
42-2
31
.2
42.7
7.
2 <
5 11
3 5
130
188
168
435*
6
10.4
-
Tar
rale
ah C
anal
41
24
.8
8.5
27.4
5.
5 15
96
17
32
23
23
0 104*
18
2.9
0.15
R
ippl
es C
k.
42
35.4
24
.2
35.3
7.
4 <
5 96
14
13
1 70
48
45
6*
11
9.6
+ “W
oods
Ck.
” L
ake
Riv
er
43
75.4
44
.6
111.
5 7.
9 <
5
174
18
650
320
129
1010
23
13
.5
-
45
65.0
37
.6
68.7
7.
4 15
16
5 19
24
2 18
5 96
0 0.
22
* Bic
arbo
nate
red
uced
for
furt
her
calc
ulat
ions
.
Tab
le 3
. C
hem
ical
cha
ract
eris
tics
of
surf
ace
wat
ers
of t
he N
orth
-Wes
t of
Tas
man
ia.
The
sam
ple
num
bers
ref
er t
o th
e lo
ca-
tion
s in
dica
ted
in F
ig. 6
. + in
dica
tes
a tr
ace,
- in
dica
tes
unde
tect
able
. L
ocat
ion
So.
T
DS
TF
S
K,,
pH
Col
our
Nat
K
t C
a++
Mg+
+ C1
- H
CO
J-
SO
c--
SiO
L F
e pp
in
pp
in
p,S.
c
mi'
Pt
uni
ta
c
pe
dl
- pp
m
ppm
Lak
e R
owal
lan
1
26.5
15
.6
Lak
e Pa
rang
ana
2 22
.1
12.8
L
ake
Bar
ring
ton
3 32
.6
21.0
D
am, E
lliot
Res
. Far
m
4 70
.2
49.6
D
am, D
eten
tion
5 16
4.4
88.2
P.
R.
Bau
ld's
Dam
6
58.2
35
.4
Cre
ek o
n R
,oun
d M
t. 7
45.0
35
.4
Cas
tra
Rvt
. 8
32.8
23
.0
Mer
sey
Riv
er
9 10
8.8
71.8
M
arac
oopa
Cre
ek
10
78.6
53
.8
Mea
nder
Riv
er
11
66.2
55
.6
Qua
mby
Bro
ok
12
162.
2 72
.4
Rub
icon
Riv
er
13
156.
4 11
8.8
Saxo
n's
Cre
ek
14
84.4
60
.4
Flow
erda
le R
iver
15
74
.6
43.4
B
ig C
reek
16
64
.8
43.4
In
glis
Riv
er
17
72.4
45
.8
Bla
ckfis
h C
reek
18
81
.0
56.6
W
ilson
's C
reek
19
13
5.8
69.8
B
auld
's C
reek
20
10
3.2
92.2
H
eath
Dra
inag
e, D
eten
tion
21
193.
4 92
.6
* Bic
arbo
nate
red
uced
for
fur
ther
cal
cula
tion
25.2
20
.7
32.2
70
.5
167.
2 76
.1
42.7
40
.6
173.
6 11
3.6
95.1
14
2.5
187.
4 11
1.9
84.5
83
.0
87.0
11
0.2
132.
0 16
1.2
182.
3
6.2
6.2
6.3
7.0
4.8
7.0
7.5
7.5
7.8
7.7
6.8
7.0
7.5
6.0
5.8
6.6
7.0
6.6
5.3
6.9
4.8
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
280 5
<5
20
5 <
5
<5
15
10
50
70
10
80
<
5
240
<5
56
0
61
9 11
5 52
6
140
96
18
110
298
62
153
566
105
283
231
68
131
130
11
133
118
18
110
139
23
750
104
13
1060
12
2 23
33
0 29
5 31
28
0 39
5 46
42
5 40
9 46
16
0 28
3 58
14
0 28
7 47
14
5 29
6 24
14
8 38
7 65
15
8 52
2 10
5 14
2 61
0 55
22
5 61
0 10
5 55
63
58
100
253
400
198
192
133
283
125
267
616
1125
24
8 22
5 22
8
238
253
188
327
277
90
163
120
131
117
180
382
3860
* 84
2 0
415
1144
* 15
6 34
9 18
6 20
1 17
9 17
63*
132
1151
12
8 87
9*
469
1084
* 58
1 19
60*
677
231*
48
0 94
0*
445
1223
* 46
8 10
21*
644
1860
* 81
9 42
0*
1019
204
1*
1430
0
11
26
39
46
320 18
9 21
36
25
29
36
43
71
37
32
47
32
81
73
11
5
4.8
0.05
4.
4 -
4.1
-
0.18
0.
7 0.
26
- 9.
8 -
Y 10
.2
-
i2 L?l 4.
1 -
5.8
-
* .w 6.
1 -
.p 10
.0
-
20.0
-
M
-
a 2
-
0.18
m
0.14
'
19.6
0.
20
2.0
0.58
1.4
0.52
+ 8.
8 -
Tab
le 4.
Che
mic
al c
hara
cter
istic
s of
surf
ace
wat
ers
of
the
Mid
land
s, E
ast
and
Nor
t,h-
Eas
t Tas
man
ia.
Sam
ple
num
bers
re
fer
to t
he l
ocat
ions
ind
icat
ed i
n Fi
g. 7
. +
indi
cate
s a
t,rac
e, - in
dica
tes
unde
tect
able
Cal
vert
s Lag
oon
Lak
e T
ihrr
ias
Tun
brid
ge N
o. 1
T
unbr
idge
No.
4
Ula
ckni
ans L
agoo
n L
ittl
e L
. Wat
erho
use
Ben
achi
's C
reek
Dam
L
ake
Lea
ke
Lak
e To
oms
Ris
don
Bro
ok D
am
Bri
seis
Dam
Fr
ome
Dam
C
asca
de R
. G
room
R.
N.
Geo
rge
R.
Geo
rge
R.
Wel
d R
iver
(N. E.
) St
ory'
s C
reek
A
herf
oyle
Cre
ek
Bre
ak O
'Day
Riv
er
Sout
h E
sk R
., M
athi
iina
Sout
h E
ak R
., P
erth
Sh
eepw
ash
Cre
ek
Riu
garo
oma
R.
Fore
ster
R.
Bri
d. R
. C
rk. o
il Si
delii
ig
St..
Pat
rick
s K.
Dis
tille
ry C
k.
Blu
e T
ier
Ck.
C
lyde
Riv
er
Lis
dillo
n R
iver
A
pslc
y R
iser
M
ount
ain
Riv
er
Rus
sell
Riv
er
Sand
fly
Rvt
. iY. W
. Bay
Riw
r
1
2 3
4 5 6 8
9 10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
2i
28
29
30
31
32
33
31
35
36
37
I
463.
6 25
092
8638
4 23
81.0
12
53.2
23
8.4
42.2
32
.1
34.6
43
.4
39.2
50
.6
41.2
44
.4
42.8
18
.8
33.8
12
6.2
32.4
80
.0
214.
4 58
.4
42.0
56
.4
33.6
38
.0
41.0
li
i.0
12
8.4
li1.
4 68
.8
76.8
51
.4
86.8
95
.0
90.8
319.
8
191.
6 27
.0
22.1
68
.5
21.4
31
.2
29.8
38
.4
33.6
34
.4
28.8
51.6
17
3.4
47.2
32
.0
40.4
24
.8
26.4
29
.6
132.
0 91
.4
152.
5 48
.6
52.0
33
.2
62.2
60
.4
5950
0 17
1500
363.
2 44
.0
24.6
13
2.2
52.1
56
.4
52.4
59.0
71
.2
21.4
41
.5
203.
9 37
.0
91.0
66.6
46
.3
57.8
37
.1
39.4
44
.0
245.
0 18
1.0
252.
3 89
.5
107.
5 61
.7
111.
6 11
1.6
7.6
8.5
8.3
8.2
i.9
8.3
6.6
6.8
7.1
7.3
7.3
6.9
7.9
7.1
6.7
7.1
7.4
6.9
5.7
i.1
6.8
6.8
7.0
i.3
6.
9 6.
9 6.
9
7.0
7.4
7.6
7.6
7.5
6.9 -..
I .3
140
50
20
50
60 5
<5
<
5
<5
20
40
<
5
20
<5
<
5
<5
5 5 5 5 20
12
0 <
5
<5
<
5
<5
<
5
<5
60
20
10
<5
<
5
5 30
30
6951
0 43
50
6400
00
8100
00
1131
0 95
62
930
139
161
278
165
244
213
256
218
244
244 50
83
56
2 15
9 25
0 16
17
261
183
218
144
148
935
530
1042
29
2 29
2
3i9
33
0
148
183
2281
10
24
2560
20
500 5
385 48
23
38
31
15
18
21
23
1
5
15
17
8
24
11
40
33
33
31
26
15
20
82
45
51
15
42
16
38
46
28
108
4400
13
0 25
000
3500
00
4050
44
50
1900
16
5 10
8 46
5 50
55
70
55
95
85
105
210
820
80
229
115
100 i0
10
5 49
90
95
750
750
7 50
200
290
189
245
390 ao
2000
0 21
66
1420
00
1600
000
6917
45
83
317
100
113
776 58
100
108 83
125
142
142
63
138
509
250
667
117 92
10
8 75
83
100
605
467
816
243
257
195
258
284
ioa
7360
48
iOO
O
1587
000
3440
0 17
320
1425
25
5 26
1 46
0 26
9 44
3 35
5 44
0 34
3 34
2 30
5 56
84
4il
16
9 44
0 28
74
407
274
340
255
180
205
1632
10
45
1294
55
5 46
6 31
0 60
5 51
5
2160
99
90
236
3990
' 23
i 64
0'
156'
15
0 34
45
14
4'
80
200
* 31
2'
180
139
308
I070
14
0 12
43'
121
104
187'
20
0 '
50
152
203
869.
15
50.
1261
38
60 *
i10'
35
2 45
6
5809
9x1 *
589
8390
0 49
6 94
0 i0
13
31
600 40
32
34
43
36
25
45
38
95
38
49
110 16
37
15
23
8
70
17
204 22
42
20
64
68
za
28
- .6
.5
18.0
i.
6
6.3
4.5 -
10.9
9.2
8.0
13
2.3
10.1
6.
5
9.6
8.8
11.7
.15
.29
.95
.30 -
-
-
-
-
-
.20
.15
.10
.I0
.1
0 -
-
-
-
.16
.20
.20 -
- - -
-
- - -
.16 -
-
.10 + .05 -
* Bic
arbo
nate
red
uced
for
furt
her
calc
ulat
ions
74 R. T. BUCKNEY and P. A. TYLER
FLINDERS I S L A N D
Fig. 8. The location of sample sites in Province V-the Bass Strait Islands of Tasmania
weathering of these rocks (HOLMES, 1965) and (d) the large areas of peat soil derived from Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus (Cyperaceae) which isolatcs the water from underlying rock. Supply of ions is mainly from airborne sea spray. The lack of significant geochemical influence can be gauged froin the low silica concentrations.
Rock-dominance waters (the second terminal typc of GIBBS) occur in all Provinces where easily-weathered rocks such as dolomite occur. Within the South-West, where seawater ionic proportions are usual, outcropping dolomite and serpentenite dramati- cally change the ionic composition as in the case of waters draining the northern slopes of Mt. Anne. The alkaline earth-bicarbonate dominance of such waters is usual wherever minerals are readily soluble in weakly acid rainfall (GORHAM, 1961 : HOLMES, 1965).
Most of Tasmania’s dilute waters (< 800 ppm TDS) are intermediate between precipitation-dominant and rockdominant. The varying degrees of modification of seawater ionic proportions arc shown by the ternary diagrams (Fig. 9). Waters on dolerite usually lie within the dotted line in the ternary diagrams (Fig. 9). Since dolerite is so abundant, most of Tasmania’s lakes will be of this type.
Evaporation-crystallization processes lead to the third end type of the GIBBS scheme, where composition is determined by the ion source and by crystallization as concentration of saline waters proceeds. In Tasmania waters of this type are restricted to the Midlands and North-East in areas with high evaporation preci- pitation ratios so that closed lakes may occur (LANGBEIN, 1961). Even the magnesium chloride dominance of Tunbridge Lagoon No. 4 can be explained by this phenomenon.
Though the chemistry of Tasmanian waters is explicable in terms of the three processes outlined by GIBBS (1970) they do not fall entirely within the boomerang
Tab
le 5
. C
hem
ical
cha
ract
eris
tics
of s
urfa
ce w
ater
s of
the
Bas
s S
trai
t Is
land
s. T
he s
ampl
e nu
mbe
rs r
efer
to
the
loca
tions
in
dica
ted
in F
ig. 8
. - in
dica
tes
unde
tect
able
L
ocat
ion
No.
T
DS
T
FS
K
IR
pH
Col
our
Na+
K’
C
a++
Mgf
f C
l- H
C03
- SO
1--
SiO
, F
e 0
- ppm
pp
m
B K
ing
Isla
nd
Z’
$
Pear
shap
e L
agoo
n 3
279.
9 21
0.4
367.
7 7.
0 25
0 16
22
258
1690
70
0 38
20
1055
70
4 -
- 6 c
ppm
pp
m
&S
.cm
-1
Pt
unit
s C-
wed
l
Lak
e M
arth
a L
avin
ia
1
393.2
23
8.2
404.
0 5.
1 50
0 21
75
100
245
866
3751
17
2 80
0 0.
4 0.
35
Cha
in of
Lag
oons
2
394.
3 27
6.6
426.
8 6.
7 10
00
2428
12
0 29
5 78
3 39
20
468
4800
-
1.30
Nar
acoo
pa R
utile
Dam
5
315.
2 23
6.5
397.
1 7.
1 15
0 15
88
95
340
759
3584
32
1 80
0 5.7
0.
50
5 L
ake
Flan
igan
6
1463
.2
1249
.3
8.8
40
8235
55
3 19
00
4220
18
84
3190
10
35
0.1
0.15
$‘
Big
Ree
dy L
agoo
n 7
538.
4 -
5.3
600
4080
30
8 22
00
1250
66
10
0 50
9 0.
50 ’
Penn
y L
agoo
n 4
419.
8 53
2.4
7.0
30
4173
26
9 36
5 15
24
7755
52
5 36
00
0.3
-
Cap
e B
arre
n Is
land
J”
Big
Gra
ssy
Lag
oon
8 21
4.2
128.
4 23
4.0
5.7
400
1304
31
12
0 29
2 17
63
71
140
0.80
?L
Lag
oon
on C
row
s P
t. 9
834.
6 -
7.0
30
8300
38
5 22
50
200
1236
0 52
0 46
8 0.
20
3 C
reek
at H
alf
Moo
n B
ay
10
243.
6 18
3.4
306.
0 7.
0 20
0 20
43
97
100
458
2747
16
7 11
5 0.
30
Ft? D
over
Riv
er
11
155.
6 12
5.6
216.
0 7.
3 10
0 16
45
62
85
350
1933
14
0 65
0.
30
t! H
ome
Hill
Lag
oon
12
563.
8 46
0.2
7.3
350
5090
21
3 16
5 68
3 60
70
753
381
0.50
M
odde
r Lag
oon
13
998.
0 -
8.5
70
1142
0 38
5 42
00
2167
71
20
8782
51
1 -
76 R. T. BUCKNEY and P. A. TYLER
_.
\ O :
distribution of his Fig. 1. Our data would fill in between thc arms of the boomerang. A statement better describing the Tasmanian case is that when concentration in- creases beyond a certain value (c. 850 ppm TDS) the maximum attainable proportion of divalrnt ions decreases. At hypersaline concentrations, however, salting out of monovalent cations may lead to Mg or Ca dominance (e. g. Tunbridge No. 4).
The relationship between conductivity and total ionic concentration, TDS and TFS is approximately linear, the best correlation being between K,, and TFS where TFS = 0.5 Ki8. Other relationships are TFS = 0.72 TDS and Z+ (peqil) = 8.8 Ki8.
Chemistry of Tasmanian Inland Waters 77
The relationships hold for waters with concentrations up to 300 mg/l. The only waters with greater concentrations are the saline lagoons and some Bass Strait Islands lagoons and for these the relationships have not been investigated. The contribution of organic matter to TDS values, and of the H+ ion to conductivity, is significant in the case of dilute brown waters.
Silica concentrations in most lakes are low but in rivers they may be as high as 20 ppm. Rivers also tend to be more enriched in bicarbonate than do lakes and fre- quently display an anion excess. This may be caused by contribution of HCO, in the solid phase ( GOLTERMAN, 1969).
Tasmania is the richest state, limnologically, of the Commonwealth of Australia. It has most of the country’s lakes and also a greater range of type than other states. It is the only state where glacial lakes are well developed. Whereas in most states saline or hypersaline waters predominate the vast majority of Tasmania’s lakes are likely to contain less than 50 ppm TDS. It is a pure water state.
6. Acknowledgements
This work was carried out under a grant from the Australian Research Grants Committee. We thank also the Nuffield Foundation for a grant to provide atomic absorption facilities. We thank the numerous persons who collected water samples.
7 . References
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Mr. R. T. BUCKNEY Dr. P. A. TYLER Department of Botany University of Tasmania G. P. 0. Box 252C Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 7001