Question

You are a researcher on the that has takien water samples in quadruplicate during the winter. Once you return to your lab, you start to process one water sample in each of your replicates for each station you stopped at to be sure your analytical methods are valid. You notice that the samples have a very high degree of variation in salinity and other strange things. The % chloride ion is at 40% of the dissolved solids and the pH of the sea water is fluctuating between 7.0 and 9.2. What explanations can you offer for this sort of phenomena? What are your supporting arguments and what should you do next?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

There are several possible explanations for the high degree of variation in salinity and other strange phenomena observed in the water samples. One possible explanation is that the samples were taken during the winter, which is a season when the coastal areas experience a high degree of mixing and mixing of freshwater and seawater. This mixing can lead to fluctuations in the salinity and pH of the water.

Another explanation is that the samples were taken near a river mouth or estuary, where freshwater from the river mixes with seawater. This can also lead to fluctuations in the salinity and pH of the water. Additionally, the high % chloride ion in the dissolved solids can be an indication of human activity in the area, such as discharge of industrial waste and agricultural runoff which contains high levels of chloride ions.

To support these arguments, it will be important to check the location where the samples were taken. If it's near a river mouth or estuary, it will be consistent with the explanation that the high degree of variation in salinity and other strange phenomena observed in the water samples are due to the mixing of freshwater and seawater. Additionally, if the location is near an industrial area or agricultural land, it will support the argument of human activities impacting on the water.

The next step would be to take more water samples from the same location, but at different times of the year, and compare the results to see if the variations observed are consistent throughout the year or just in the winter. It will also be important to take samples from different locations to see if the variations observed are specific to this location or more widespread. Additionally, it will be important to conduct further analysis on the water samples to identify any specific pollutants or contaminants that may be present. This will help to further understand the source of the variations and take appropriate measures to address them.