Page 22 - 1915, Springs of CA.

22 SPRINGS OP CALIFORNIA.

natural waters, 4 or 5 parts per million of hydrogen sulphide is
unpleasant to some people.
The following three analyses of water from Lake Tahoe, California
(which contains relatively small amounts of dissolved solids), of an
average sample from Sacramento River above Sacramento (which is
probably a fair sample of a slightly mineralized river water), and of
ocean water show the general character of natural waters, both as
to nature and amounts of dissolved solids.
Analyses of natural waters of different degrees of concentration.
[Parts per million.]
] ( 1 I
Constituents.
By Reacting By Reacting By Reacting
weight. values. weight. values. weight. values.
Sodium (Na). . ............................ 7.4 0.32 1 12 0.52 I 10,550 459
3 0 .08 / 12 \ 381 9 7
9 4 .47 12 60 412
3 A .24 6.7 .55 1,294 106
Sulphate (S04) ............................ 5.5 .11 18 .37 2,643 55.0
Chloride (Cl) .............................. 2.3 .07 7.0 .20 18,984 535
Bromide (Br) ............................. 65 0.8
28 .93 35 1.17 71 2.4
Silica (SiO2). . ............................. 14 .46 26 .86
79 Q 34 400
'
1. Water from Lake Tahoe, Cal. Analyst. F. W. Clarke. TJ. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 330, p. 122.
2. Water from Sacramento River above Sacramento, Cal. Average of 10 daily samples June 18-27,1908,
an average sample for the year. Total solids varied during the year from 80 in May 19-28 to 140 in Dec. 25-31.
Analyst, Walton Van Winkle. U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 237, p. 32,1908.
3. Ocean water. Mean of 77 analyses. Dittmar, Challenger Reports, Physics and chemistry, vol. 1,
p. 204,1884.
PROPERTIES OF MINERAL WATERS.
Practically all natural waters contain dissolved substances that
give them both saline and alkaline properties. In some waters the
saline properties are dominant, in others the alkaline, but seldom is
one group of substance present to the exclusion of the other. In the
following paragraphs some of the more important properties of water
are briefly discussed. The properties of reaction are defined sub-
stantially as proposed by Palmer,1 and are expressed in per cent based
on reacting values, the sum of all properties (except tertiary alka-
linity) being 100.
Salinity is a property of reaction such as is caused by the solution of
strong-acid salts. (See table, p. 16.) Primary salinity is salinity
such as is caused by the solution of strong-acid salts of the alkalies,
chiefly sodium and potassium chlorides and sulphates; secondary
salinity, by the solution of strong-acid salts of the alkaline earths,
chiefly calcium and magnesium chlorides and sulphates; and ter-
tiary salinity or persalinity by the solution of strong-acid salts of the
1 Palmer, Chase, Geochemical interpretation of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 479,1911,