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Citation Graham, G, D. Allen and B. Finkbeiner; 2015; Climate controls on nitrate concentration variability in the Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer, British Columbia, Canada; Environmental Earth Sciences 73(6) · February 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s12665-014-3072-5;  
Organization EnvCan, SFU
URL https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272846100_Climate_controls_on_nitrate_concentration_variability_in_the_Abbotsford-Sumas_aquifer_British_Columbia_Canada
Abstract/Description or Keywords Understanding the linkage between temporal climate variability and groundwater nitrate concentration variability in monitoring well records is key to interpreting the impacts of changes in land-use practices and assessing groundwater quality trends. This study explores the coupling of climate variability and groundwater nitrate concentration variability in the Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer. Normalized nitrate data for 19 individual monitoring wells were assessed for a range of intrinsic factors including precipitation, depth to water table, depth below water table, and apparent groundwater age. At a broad scale, there is a negative correlation between nitrate concentration and apparent groundwater age. Each dedicated monitoring well shows unique, non-uniform cyclical variability in nitrate concentrations that appears to correspond with seasonal (1 year) cycles in precipitation as well as longer-period cycles (~5 years), possibly due to ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) or the Pacific North American (PNA) pattern. These precipitation cycles appear to influence nitrate concentrations by approximately ±30 % of the critical concentration (10 mg/L NO3–N). Not all wells show direct correlation due to many complex local-scale factors that influence nitrate leaching including spatially and temporally variable nutrient management practices and soil/crop nitrogen dynamics (anthropogenic and agronomic factors).
Information Type Article
Regional Watershed Lower Fraser
Sub-watershed if known
Aquifer # 15; 28
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