Regional Variation of Salt Components in Snow in Japan Island

Ion chromatographic analysis is on snow components has been carried out, to Prove the regional variation of snow components, Which was found at the previous field study in Tohoku district in 1983. In this paper, three field surveys were reported 99 samples along the lines from side of the Sea of Japan to side of the Pacific Ocean were analyzed and compared with the contained ions such as Na＋, K＋, Mg＋＋, Ca＋＋, Cl- and SO4--. As a result of this, it was confirmed that the amounts of ions in the snow were exponentially decreased. to less than l/10 according to the distance from the sea coast and at the same time the ratios of Na/Ca. Cl/SO4, which was above 10 : 1, were also decreased to 1 : 1. Difference between Mg and Ca was also noticeable, that is, the concentrations of two ions were occasionally reversed. The fact may be explained as follows : the ion ratios in snow similar to sea salt at first were gradually changing, through losing the water soluble components as NaCland Mg salt and remaining the water insoluble components as CASO4. In conclusion, three or four types of snow with regard to ion component were proposed and there by the influence of sea salt to the regional variation of snow was confirmed