Journal of

GEOsciences

  (Formerly Journal of the Czech Geological Society)

Original Paper

Groscheová

Use of isotopic composition of sulphur in precipitation, soils and runoff for the study of the biogeochemical sulphur cycle in small catchments

Journal of the Czech Geological Society, volume 38 (1993), issue 3-4, 234 - 242

Isotopic composition of sulphate in rainwater and runoff in two small catchments in the Bohemian Massif (Czechoslovakia) differing in their inputs of atmospheric sulphur is presented, complemented with content and δ³⁴S values of total sulphur in soils. The objective of the study was to compare these values in both catchments with literary data in an attempt to trace transformations of sulphur compounds of anthropogenic origin in the atmosphere - soil - water system. Measured δ³⁴S values of runoff sulphates (in the highly polluted catchment X-16 Jezeří in the Krušné hory Mts = +4.0±0.7 ‰, in stream “A” and +3.9±0.5 ‰ in stream “B”, in the much less polluted catchments in the Šumava Mts = +5.1±0.2 ‰ in the X-30 and +5.2±0.4 ‰ in the X-31 catchment) indicate atmospheric deposition as the most probable source of these sulphates. The development of total sulphur content of soil with the depth varies according to different sulphur inputs. In the highly polluted area of the Krušné hory Mts it decreased continuously with the depth. In deposition area of the Šumava Mts the soil sulphur content has maximum values at the depth of about 40 cm. It corresponds to similar mechanisms of sulphur transformation, but showing some loss of sulphur with increasing sulphur input. The δ³⁴S values of the soil sulphur increase with the depth in both catchments as a result of sulphate reduction.