An overview of the acidification of lakes in Atlantic Canada

Analysis of water chemistry from a sample of lakes (1300) in Atlantic Canada has indicated that lakes in geologically sensitive portions of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland have been acidified due to the combined effects of natural organic acids and anthropogenically derived mineral acids. Principal component analysis of six measured variables (pH, Ca, Conductance, SO_inf4^sup*, Alkalinity, Colour) and one computed variable (Alk/Ca^*+Mg^*) for each province result in four components which retain at least 89% of the original variability. Cluster analysis of the four principal components resulted in 6 lake groups for New Brunswick and 8 groups for Nova Scotia and 7 groups for Newfoundland. Geographic ordination of these clusters indicates that there is good correspondence between cluster group and the underlying bedrock geology of the region.