Seasonal variation of mineralization of groundwater in karst zone soils

Abstract

The article deals with the regime and mineralization of ground water in the prevailing moraine sandy loam soils and peat-covered sinkholes in the Lithuanian active karst region. It was established that the mineralization of ground water had a seasonal nature and depended on water level variation. A higher mineralization of the analysed ground water was during the cold (November – March) period compared with the warm (April – October) period. The fluctuation of groundwater levels activated geochemical processes in the aeration zone and determined the variation of concentrations of many chemical elements and their compounds. Lower levels of groundwater predetermine higher total amount of ions.