Abstract
This paper records the concentrations of major and trace elements determined from snow samples collected during a comprehensive survey undertaken in the Scottish Highlands during the winter and spring period of 1987. The configuration of calculated back-trajectories allowed the samples to be categorized into one of five geographical sectors. Discriminant analysis was used to check the validity of these calculations, to isolate potentially deviant samples, and to predict the possible source of one sample whose back-trajectory could not be computed with confidence. Limitations of the statistical method are discussed, but we conclude that the technique justifies more use by environmental scientists involved in the evaluation of data.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrahams, P.W., Tranter, M., Davies, T.D., Blackwood, I.L., Brimblecombe, P. and Vincent, C.E.: 1985, ‘The Mobilization of Trace Elements in a Remote Scottish Catchment at the Onset of Snow-Melt’, in: Hemphill, D.D. (Ed.), Trace Substances in Environmental Health, Missouri, pp. 67–78.
Abrahams, P.W., Tranter, M., Davies, T.D., Blackwood, I.L. and Landsberger, S.: 1988, ‘Trace Element Studies in a Remote Scottish Upland Catchment I. Chemical Composition of Snow and Meltwaters’, Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 37, 255–271.
Abrahams, P.W., Tranter, M., Davies, T.D. and Blackwood, I.L.: 1989, ‘Geochemical Studies in a Remote Scottish Upland Catchment II. Streamwater Chemistry During Snow-Melt’, Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 43, 231–248.
Batifol, F.M. and Boutron, C.F.: 1984, ‘Atmospheric Heavy Metals in High Altitude Surface Snows from Mount Blanc, French Alps’, Atmospheric Environ. 18, 2507–2515.
Cryer, R.: 1986, ‘Atmospheric Solute Inputs’, in: Trudgill, S.T. (Ed.), Solute Processes, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., pp. 15–84.
Davies, T.D., Farmer, G. and Barthelmie, R.J.: 1990, ‘Use of Simple Daily Atmospheric Circulation Types for the Interpretation of Precipitation Composition at a Site (Esdalemuir) in Scotland, 1978–1984’, Atmospheric Environ. 24A (1), 63–72.
Davies, T.D., Tranter, M., Jickells, T.D., Abrahams, P.W., Landsberger, S., Jarvis, K. and Pierce, C.E.: 1992, ‘Heavily Contaminated Snowfalls in the Remote Scottish Highlands: A Consequence of Regional-Scale Mixing and Transport’, Atmospheric Environ. 26A (1), 95–112.
Galloway, J.N., Thornton, J.D., Norton, S.A., Volchok, H.L. and McLean, R.A.: 1982, ‘Trace-Metals in Atmospheric Deposition: A Review and Assessment’, Atmospheric Environ. 16, 1677–1700.
Henriksen, A., Skogheim, O.K. and Rosseland, B.O.: 1984, ‘Episodic Changes in pH and Aluminium Kill Fish in a Norwegian Salmon River’, Vatten 40, 255–260.
Howarth, R.J.: 1971, ‘Empirical Discriminant Classification of Regional Stream-Sediment Geochemistry in Devon and East Cornwall’, Trans. Instn. Min. Metall. (Sect. B: Appl. earth sci.) 80, B142-B149.
Howarth, R.J. and Sindling-Larsen, R.: 1983, ‘Multivariate Analysis’, in: Howarth, R.J. (Ed.), Handbook of Exploration Geochemistry, Vol. 2, Statistics and Data Analysis, Elsevier, pp. 207–289.
Jeffries, D.S., Cox, C.M. and Dillon, P.J.: 1979, ‘Depression of pH in Lakes and Streams in Central Ontario During Snowmelt’, J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 36, 640–646.
Jickells, T.D., Davies, T.D., Tranter, M., Landsberger, S., Jarvis, K. and Abrahams, P.W.: 1992, ‘Trace Elements in Snow Samples from the Scottish Highlands: Sources and Dissolved/Particulate Distributions’, Atmospheric Environ. 26A (3), 393–401.
Johnson, R.J.: 1978, Multivariate Statistical Analysis in Geography, Longman.
Keene, W.C., Pszenny, A.A.P., Galloway, J.N. and Hawley, M.E.: 1986, ‘Sea-Salt Corrections and Interpretation of Constituent Ratios in Marine Precipitation’, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 6647–6658.
Norris, J.M. and Barkham, J.P.: 1970, ‘A Comparison of Some Cotswold Beechwoods Using Multiple-Discriminant Analysis’, J. Ecol. 58, 603–619.
Ross, H.B.: 1986, ‘The Importance of Reducing Sample Contamination in Routine Monitoring of Trace Metals in Atmospheric Precipitation’, Atmospheric Environ. 20, 401–405.
Ross, H.B. and Granat, L.: 1986, ‘Deposition of Atmospheric Trace Metals in Northern Sweden as Measured in the Snowpack’, Tellus 38B, 27–43.
Saenz, G. and Pingitore, N.E.: 1990, ‘Characterization of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Areas by Multivariate Statistical Analysis: Case Studies’, Environmental Monitoring Assessment 17, 281–302.
Smith, F.B. and Jeffrey, G.H.: 1975, ‘Airborne Transport of Sulphur Dioxide from the U.K.’, Atmospheric Environ. 9, 643–659.
SPSS Inc.: 1988, SPSS-X User's Guide, 3rd edition, Chicago.
Sullivan, T.J., Christopherson, N., Muniz, I.P., Seip, H.M. and Sullivan, P.D.: 1986, ‘Aqueous Aluminium Chemistry Response to Episodic Increases in Discharge’, Nature 323, 324–327.
Sykes, R.I. and Hatton, L.: 1976, ‘Computation of Horizontal Trajectories Based on the Surface Geostrophic Wind’, Atmospheric Environ. 10, 925–934.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abrahams, P.W., Davies, T.D., Jickells, T.D. et al. Multi-element geochemical analysis of snow samples: Use of discriminant analysis in interpreting the results. Environ Monit Assess 27, 159–174 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00548363
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00548363