Diurnal Fluctuations of Arsenic Concentrations and Physiochemical Parameters along the Jemez River, New Mexico

Abstract

Snow pack dominated rivers and streams across the Southwestern United States have been feeling the effects of global climate change, which mainly include increasing temperatures and decreasing amounts of precipitation, especially precipitation in the form of snow. Over the past 50 years the Jemez River regions has experienced a 2oF increase in ambient air temperature, as well as a 40% decrease in stream discharge. Spanning roughly 129 km and contributing more than 50,000,000 cubic meters of water to the Rio Grande River annually, the Jemez River is the largest tributary to the Middle Rio Grande Basin. Further complicating matters, the surrounding geology of the Jemez River is of volcanic origin which is responsible for the many hydrothermal springs and seeps in the area, which allow for