Chemical composition of rain, dry fallout, and bulk precipitation at Menlo Park, California, 1957-1959

Abstract

Winter precipitation is defined as rain, dry fallout, and bulk precipitation—the last being a mixture of the other two. The division of winter precipitation into phases is based on collection procedures. Each phase shows distinctive characteristics of chemical composition. Rain displays the strong influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Dry fallout, collected between rains, shows strong effects from locally derived materials in the atmosphere. Bulk precipitation shows, in chemical composition, the expected blending of the two environmental influences and is about 4 to nearly 10 times higher in mineral concentration than rainwater is. Bulk precipitation is considered the geochemically significant phase that should be used in studies relating contributions of atmospheric salts to surface‐ and groundwater supplies, to weathering, and to the nourishment of growing plants. Comparison with published data indicates that, wherever sampled, bulk precipitation contains more dissolved mineral content than rainwater does. Detailed comparisons, however, are not feasible because of widely differing procedures in sampling and analysis used in various studies. Increasing attention should be given to minor constituents in precipitation, as well as recognition of the several phases of precipitation.

Silicon nutrition and sugarcane production: A review1

“…Rain water contained less than 0.2 mg dm -3 Si and was considered not enough to be of agronomic importance (Whitehead and Feth, 1964;Fox et al, 1967a and b). In Hawaii, mountain water at about 300 m contained only 2.5 mg dm -3 Si whereas irrigation water pumped from wells near sea level contained 30 mg dm -3 Si (Fox et al, 1967a).…”

Dissolved iodine species in a British freshwater system

“…Figure 1 shows the collection locations. Bulk rain water (Whitehead and Feth 1964) was collected in a 30-cm polypropylene funnel supported at about 60 cm above the ground. River water was sampled by submerging a l-liter polypropylene bottle below the surface.…”

Chloride in natural continental water--A review

“…According to those data, dry fallout and capture of salt particles by vegetation have little effect on the Cl concentrations of the rivers chosen for study, "in marked contrast," as Gorham says, "to results elsewhere." We do not know, however, from the information given, whether Anderson collected and analyzed samples of bulk precipitation or of rain (as defined by Whitehead and Feth, 1964).…”

“…Marked variation was reported by Rossby and Egner (1955, p. 118) between Cl in precipitation from arctic or polar continental air masses where concentrations were negligible, and precipitation from air masses reaching Sweden from the south or southeast. Whitehead and Feth (1964, We may conclude that rain, snow, hail, and dry fallout all contribute Cl to continental water. The concentrations vary widely in space and with time.…”

“…3). 3 years, monthly composite samples, bulk precipitation; six miscellaneous samples after 3-year sequence omitted (Miller, 1961, (Whitehead and Feth, 1964, tables 1, 2). 99 individual samples of "shower" rain, 8 years.…”