Mineral composition of some drainage waters from Arctic Alaska

Abstract

Columns of synthetic ion-exchange resin were used to sample the exchangeable cations in drainage waters of northern Alaska. Details of the sampling and analytical procedures are presented. For the elements Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, an average recovery of 96 percent was realized on a typical sample. However, recoveries were quite low for most trace elements. Sampling was necessarily diversified, but results for major cations closely follow the lithology of the sample area. The concentrations observed were similar to those reported for many areas of North America.