The SiO
2 concentrations of rain water, through fall, unsaturated soil water, groundwater, spring water and streamwater were measured in a small forested watershed. SiO
2 is a soluble chemical substance which is comparatively contained in natural water. The results indicate the following points,
1) SiO
2 is not contained in rain water and stemflow.
2) SiO
2 is dissolved from soil mineral during the process of unsaturated vertical infiltration and temporary saturated lateral infiltration of soil water.
3) The SiO
2 concentration of groundwater settles into one value which is peculiar to each watershed (approximately 18 mg/
l in the case of Kiryu experimental watershed) at saturated zone and dose not change during lateral movement of groundwater.
4) The SiO
2 concentrations of spring and stream water are approximately same as groundwater without the rain events accompanied with direct runoff which dilute the spring and stream water to cause the lower concentration of SiO
2.
Furthermore it was estimated that approximately from 14 to 16g/m
2 of SiO
2 per year is dissolved at surface soil and its boundary with bed rock and run off to stream in Kiryu experimental watershed.
View full abstract