Date of Award:

5-1975

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Geosciences

Department name when degree awarded

Geology

Committee Chair(s)

Raymond L. Kerns Jr.

Committee

Raymond L. Kerns Jr.

Committee

William T. Helm

Committee

Robert Q. Oaks

Abstract

Development by man through the last half century has caused a number of changes in Bear Lake. These changes include the diversion of Bear River water into Bear Lake, the pumping of lake water back into the river, and the building of breakwaters and other obstructions along the shore of Bear Lake.

The diversion of Bear River water into the lake has resulted in a yearly addition of an estimated 36,000 metric tons of calcium into the lake, which has caused the precipitation of an estimated minimum 90,000 metric tons of aragonite. The pumping of Bear Lake water back into the Bear River has resulted in an estimated yearly depletion of 10,900 metric tons of magnesium. This deficit may be compensated by the dissolution of detrital dolomite in the lake water.

Equilibrated samples of sediment and distilled water had little resemblance to the composition of lake water. There was also no correlation between the composition of the equilibrated water and the cation exchange capacity or mineral composition of the sediment.

A study of the dissolved oxygen content of littoral-zone waters indicated no development of vertical stratification of oxygen. There was also no statistically significant difference between the oxygen contents of waters on different sides of breakwaters.

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