Geochemical processes in the catchments of Lakes Saana in North Scandinavia

Valle RaidlaGeological Survey of Estonia

2019

Let’s research the global warming!

So what did we do?.

Results

streams

subsurface

water

Carbonate weathering

Silicate weathering

The eastern part of the catchment carbonate

dissolution is controlled by vegetation and diffusion of

atmospheric CO2, but in the western part by pyrite

oxidation.

Conceptual model ver 1.1

Atop of mount Saana

Forsström et al., 2007

Acid pulses in Lake Saana (pH <6)

Correlation between NO3 and pH in snow was only 0.15 (Raidla et al., 2015).

Korhola et al., 2002 Forsström et al., 2007

Conceptual model ver 1.2

Opinions of three reviewers (Journal of Hydrology)

• I like the topic of this submission, combining aqueous and solid phase geochemicalobservations on an arctic catchment (in remote terrain) is a potentially important contribution.

• Please discuss critically if the length of the sampling period, the number of sampling sitesand the total numbers of rock and water samples are sufficient. Were the years when watersamplings were done representative years as compared to longer-term climatic conditions?

• I also would like to see a hypothesis or research question clearly formulated.

• So here is my idea: formulate testable hypotheses at the beginning (intro), this could reallyhelp focus the discussion and help avoiding jumpy arguments. It may also help to streamline the,somewhat lengthy, discussion.

• Without stats or the use of a geochemical model, all these options could be true…or not. We could have the same discussion over a cup of coffee and would agree and disagree on several aspects.

• Another comment along these lines: Reading through the discussion it seems the authors give equal weight to several possibilities, which makes it confusing to the reader.

They asked

for more solid

proofs.

Would this do?

Thank you!