Melting snow provides clues for acidification

In forests of the northeastern United States, sulfate and nitrate are the dominant dissolved forms of sulfur and nitrogen in precipitation. In winter, these acidic agents accumulate in the snowpack and are released to groundwater and streams over a short period of time during spring snowmelt. This pulsed release of sulfate and nitrate in snowmelt can cause episodic acidification in poorly buffered soils, ultimately threatening the health of acid-sensitive biota.