Effects of stream acidification and habitat on fish populations of a North American river

Water quality, physical habitat, and fisheries at sixteen reaches in the Neversink River Basin were studied during 1991-95 to identify the effects of acidic precipitation on stream-water chemistry and on selected fish-species populations, and to test the hypothesis that the degree of stream acidification affected the spatial distribution of each fish-species population. Most sites on the East Branch Neversink were strongly to severely acidified, whereas most sites on the West Branch were minimally to moderately acidified. Mean density of fish populations ranged from 0 to 2.15 fish/m²; biomass ranged from 0 to 17.5 g/m². Where brook trout were present, their population density ranged from 0.04 to 1.09 fish/m², biomass ranged from 0.76 to 12.2 g/m², and condition (K) ranged from 0.94 to 1.07. Regression analyses revealed strong relations (r² - 0.41 to 0.99; p h 0.05) between characteristics of the two most common species (brook trout and slimy sculpin) populations and mean concentrations of inorganic monomeric aluminum (Al_im), pH, Si, K⁺, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, DOC, Ca²⁺, and Na⁺; acid neutralizing capacity (ANC); and water temperature. Stream acidification may have adversely affected fish populations at most East Branch sites, but in other parts of the Neversink River Basin these effects were masked or mitigated by other physical habitat, geochemical, and biological factors.     

Soluble iron sulfide species in natural waters: Reappraisal of their stoichiometry and stability constants

A wide range of stoichiometries has been previously proposed for soluble iron sulfide species and there is no general agreement on their importance in natural waters. The solubility of Fe(II) in 0.1 M NaClO₄ equilibrated at 20 - 0.1°C with various partial pressures of H₂S (0.1, 0.001, 0.0001, 0.00001 MPa) was measured in the pH range 3.1-7.9. Equilibrium was established within 1-6 h when amorphous FeS was the solid phase. The results could all be fitted using values for the solubility product constant (I = 0) of p*K_s = 3.00 - 0.12 and of the stability constant for a soluble Fe(HS) ₂ species (I = 0) of p#₂ = -6.45 - 0.12 where *K_s = aFe²⁺ · aHS-/aH⁺ and #₂ = aFe(HS) ₂/aFe²⁺ · (aHS^-)². Any soluble species of the form Fe_x (HS) _2x where x = &gif1; would fit the data equally well. Measurements at different partial pressures are inconsistent with labile species of the form Fe_xS_x. There was no evidence for a Fe(HS) ⁺ species. When a solution is saturated with respect to amorphous FeS, Fe(HS) ₂ will only be a significant proportion of Fe(II) when S(-II) is higher than 0.2mmoll^-1. The constants for Fe(HS) ₂ or Fe_x (HS) _2x (x S 2) are consistent with all freshwater data where constant values of measured ion activity products provide no evidence for soluble complex formation. For marine waters with high sulfide concentrations (S 6mmol l^-1), measured concentrations of Fe(II) are consistent with there being negligible soluble iron sulfide. The data are better fitted if the dissolved species are polymeric as predicted concentrations of the monomer Fe(HS) ₂ are significant. These findings suggest that rather than the dissolved species being Fe(HS) ₂, it is probably polymeric, that is Fe_x (HS) _2x (x S 2).     

Changes in the photosynthetic coefficients α and Pm of Planktothrix rubescens grown on light-dark cycles

The relationship between photosynthesis and irradiance was investigated in a strain of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens isolated from Lake Zürich, using cultures grown on a 12:12-h light-dark cycle. From the photosynthesis-irradiance (P/I) curves, values of the light-affinity coefficient, f, and the maximum rate of photosynthesis, P_m, were determined: in different cultures f ranged from 0.02-0.08 7mol mg^-1 h^-1 (7mol m^-2 s^-1)^-1 and P_m from 0.6-2.6 7mol mg^-1 h^-1 (rates of O₂ production related to dry biomass). Comparisons made at different phases of the light-dark cycle in individual cultures showed that in the first hour of the light phase f rose by an average of 21 % and P_m by 7 %. In cultures that had been grown in many light-dark cycles, however, the rise occurred only if light was given at the beginning of the notional light phase; cultures kept in darkness showed no rise. It is concluded that the observed increases in f and P_m after dawn were in response to the exogenous irradiance rather than due to endogenous rhythms. These findings are discussed in relation to diel variations in the photosynthetic coefficients of natural populations of P. rubescens in Lake Zürich.     

Pyroclastic surges and flows from the 8–10 May 1997 explosive eruption of Bezymianny volcano, Kamchatka, Russia

The 8-10 May 1997 eruption of Bezymianny volcano began with extrusion of a crystallized plug from the vent in the upper part of the dome. Progressive gravitational collapses of the plug caused decompression of highly crystalline magma in the upper conduit, leading at 13:12 local time on 9 May to a powerful, vertical Vulcanian explosion. The dense pyroclastic mixture collapsed in boil-over style to generate a pyroclastic surge which was focused toward the southeast by the steep-walled, 1956 horseshoe-shaped crater. This surge, with a temperature <200 °C, covered an elliptical area >30 km² with deposits as much as 30 cm thick and extending 7 km from the vent. The surge deposits comprised massive to vaguely laminated, gravelly sand (Md -1.2 to 3.7J sorting 1.2 to 3J) of poorly vesiculated andesite (mean density 1.82 g cm^-3; vesicularity 30 vol%; SiO₂ content ~58.0 wt%). The deposits, with a volume of 5-15᎒⁶ m³, became finer grained and better sorted with distance; the maximal diameter of juvenile clasts decreased from 46 to 4 cm. The transport and deposition of the surge over a snowy landscape generated extensive lahars which traveled >30 km. Immediately following the surge, semi-vesiculated block-and-ash flows were emplaced as far as 4.7 km from the vent. Over time the juvenile lava in clasts of these flows became progressively less crystallized, apparently more silicic (59.0 to 59.9 wt% SiO₂) and more vesiculated (density 1.64 to 1.12 g cm^-3; vesicularity 37 to 57 vol%). At this stage the eruption showed transitional behavior, with mass divided between collapsing fountain and buoyant column. The youngest pumice-and-ash flows were accompanied by a sustained sub-Plinian eruption column ~14 km high, from which platy fallout clasts were deposited (~59.7% SiO₂; density 1.09 g cm^-3; vesicularity 58 vol%). The explosive activity lasted about 37 min and produced a total of ~0.026 km³ dense rock equivalent of magma, with an average discharge of ~1.2᎒⁴ m³ s^-1. A lava flow ~200 m long terminated the eruption. The evolutionary succession of different eruptive styles during the explosive eruption was caused by vertical gradients in crystallization and volatile content of the conduit magma, which produced significant changes in the properties of the erupting mixture.     

近30 a云贵高原湖泊表面水体面积变化遥感监测与时空分析

以云贵高原湖泊近30 a来的TM、ETM~+和OLI遥感影像为数据源,采用归一化水体指数(NDWI)、改进归一化水体指数(MNDWI)、新型水体指数(NWI)、增强型水体指数(EWI)和自动水体提取指数5种水体指数提取了1985—2015年云贵高原10个湖泊表面水体面积,并对各种算法进行精度对比分析.针对湖泊各自特点采用不同的水体指数提取其表面水体面积,并进行水体面积变化时空分析.结果表明:云贵高原湖泊表面水体面积总体呈现先增加后缩减趋势,1985—1995年湖泊表面水体面积增加了30.86 km~2,1995—2015年湖泊水体表面面积减少了48.12 km~2,其中,面积变化最大的是杞麓湖与异龙湖.对云贵高原湖泊表面水体面积变化与该区域的年降水量、蒸发量、平均气温、流域植被覆盖面积和人类活动时空进行相关分析,结果表明:1)高原湖泊对区域气候变化的响应具有明显的空间差异性,云贵高原湖泊的表面水体面积与气候相关性较显著,气温升高引起蒸发加速,降水量下降,湖面不断缩小,与逐年上升的气温呈负相关,与逐年波动上升的蒸发量呈负相关,与逐年减少的降水量呈正相关;2)云贵高原湖泊各流域的植被覆盖面积与湖泊面积变化相关性较弱;3)人类活动是影响湖泊面积变化的重要因素,大肆围湖造田、围湖养殖以及旅游开发等人类活动直接导致云贵高原湖泊面积的锐减,并对湖泊生态环境产生重要影响.     

Seasonal changes of the gill epithelia of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from a high mountain lake

The gill structure of Arctic char from a low ionic (1-2 7mol Cl^-) high mountain lake (2344 m above sea level) showed distinct seasonal changes. From spring to early winter chloride cells (responsible for ion uptake) were numerous, and during summer gill epithelia were highly hypertrophic resulting in a thick blood-to-water barrier. This gill morphology is typical for fish from soft water habitats and reflects osmoregulatory responses. In mid-winter, however, both chloride cell numbers and epithelia thickness were reduced and comparable to the situation in freshwater with high ionic contents. This pattern correlated with seasonal fluctuations of water chemistry. The most significant correlation was found with CO₂ which accumulated under the ice cover, reaching a tenfold oversatturation. The concentration of Ca, Na, and Cl varied only by a factor of two or less and the correlation with the epithelial thickness was much weaker.     

Estimation of SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> abundance in the eruption plume of Mt. Etna using two MIVIS thermal infrared channels: a case study from the Sicily-1997 Campaign

In this paper, an algorithm is developed based on the split-window technique, to estimate the SO₂ abundance in the plume of Mt. Etna volcano using the multispectral infrared and visible imaging spectrometer (MIVIS). The MIVIS data were remotely sensed in the thermal infrared (TIR) during the Sicily-1997 Campaign. In this study, the MODTRAN 3.5 code has been used to simulate the radiance at the sensor; the radiative transfer model was input along with the data of radio-sounding performed simultaneously with the MIVIS flight using a mobile radio-theodolite. From the SO₂ map, derived from the MIVIS image, the SO₂ flux along the axis of the plume was computed knowing the wind speed at the plume altitude. The SO₂ flux is variable along the plume axis. The average SO₂ flux (about 45 kg s^-1 on 12 June and about 30 kg s^-1 on 16 June) emitted from the vents is compared with the correlation spectrometer (COSPEC) measurements carried out by other teams (from the ground and from a light aircraft flying under the plume) during the MIVIS flight. Finally, by means of this algorithm it should be easier, with respect to the previously described procedure to monitor the SO₂ flux of a specific volcano such as Mt. Etna.     

Origin of silicic volcanic rocks in Central Costa Rica: a study of a chemically variable ash-flow sheet in the Tiribí Tuff

Chemical heterogeneities of pumice clasts in an ash-flow sheet can be used to determine processes that occur in the magma chamber because they represent samples of magma that were erupted at the same time. The dominant ash-flow sheet in the Tiribí Tuff contains pumice clasts that range in composition from 55.1 to 69.2 wt% SiO₂. It covers about 820 km² and has a volume of about 25 km³ dense-rock equivalent (DRE). Based on pumice clast compositions, the sheet can be divided into three distinct chemical groupings: a low-silica group (55.1-65.6 wt% SiO₂), a silicic group (66.2-69.2 wt% SiO₂), and a mingled group (58.6-67.7 wt% SiO₂; all compositions calculated 100% anhydrous). Major and trace element modeling indicates that the low-silica magma represents a mantle melt that has undergone fractional crystallization, creating a continuous range of silica content from 55.1-65.6 wt% SiO₂. Eu/Eu*, MREE, and HREE differences between the two groups are not consistent with crystal fractionation of the low-silica magma to produce the silicic magma. The low-silica group and the silicic group represent two distinct magmas, which did not evolve in the same magma chamber. We suggest that the silicic melts resulted from partial melting of relatively hot, evolved calc-alkaline rocks that were previously emplaced and ponded at the base of an over-thickened basaltic crust. The mingled group represents mingling of the two magmas shortly before eruption. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00445-001-0188-8.     

Volcanic edifice stability during cryptodome intrusion

Limit equilibrium analyses were applied to the 1980 Mount St. Helens and 1956 Bezymianny failures in order to examine the influence on stability of structural deformation produced by cryptodome emplacement. Weakening structures associated with the cryptodome include outward-dipping normal faults bounding a summit graben and a flat shear zone at the base of the bulged flank generated by lateral push of the magma. Together with the head of the magmatic body itself, these structures serve directly to localize failure along a critical surface with low stability deep within the interior of the edifice. This critical surface, with the safety coefficient reduced by 25-30%, is then very sensitive to stability condition variation, in particular to the pore-pressure ratio (r_u) and seismicity coefficient (n). For r_u=0.3, or n=0.2, the deep surface suffers catastrophic failure, removing a large volume of the edifice flank. In the case of Mount St. Helens, failure occurred within a material with angle of friction ~40°, cohesion in the range 10⁵-10⁶ Pa, and probably significant water pore pressure. On 18 May 1980, detachment of slide block I occurred along a newly formed rupture surface passing through the crest of the bulge. Although sliding of block I may have been helped by the basal shear zone, significant pore pressure and a triggering earthquake were required (r_u=0.3 and n=0.2). Detachment of the second block was guided by the summit normal fault, the front of the cryptodome, and the basal shear zone. This occurred along a deep critical surface, which was on the verge of failure even before the 18 May 1980 earthquake. The stability of equivalent surfaces at Bezymianny Volcano appears significantly higher. Thus, although magma had already reached the surface, weaker materials, or higher pore pressure and/or seismic conditions were probably required to reach the rupture threshold. From our analysis, we find that deep-seated sector collapses formed by removing the edifice summit cannot generally result from a single slide. Cryptodome-induced deformation does, however, provide a deep potential slip surface. As previously thought, it may assist deep-seated sector collapse because it favors multiple retrogressive slides. This leads to explosive depressurization of the magmatic and hydrothermal systems, which undermines the edifice summit and produces secondary collapses and explosive blasts.     

Effects of Watershed Land Use and Lake Morphometry on the Trophic State of Chinese Lakes: Implications for Eutrophication Control

Water quality in lakes is influenced by a large number of watershed and lake characteristics. In this study, we examined the relative effects of watershed land use and lake morphology on the trophic state of 19 lakes in the Yunnan plateau and lower Yangtze floodplain, the two most eutrophic regions in China. Trophic state parameters consisted of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll‐a, Secchi depth, and trophic state index, while lake morphometric variables included area, maximum depth, mean depth, water residence time (WRT), volume, and length to width ratio. Percentages of forest, grassland, cropland, unused land, built‐up land, and water body in each lake's watershed were extracted from a land use map interpreted from Landsat TM images. A t‐test indicated that lower Yangtze floodplain lakes were shallower and had higher percentages of cropland and built‐up land in watersheds than Yunnan plateau lakes. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that both watershed land use and lake morphometric variables were significantly related to most of the trophic state parameters. However, stepwise regression analyses demonstrated that the trophic state of the lower Yangtze floodplain lakes was mainly controlled by the percentages of cropland and built‐up land in watersheds, while that of Yunnan plateau lakes was mostly determined by the lake depth and WRT. These results suggest that the relative effects of watershed land use and lake morphology on lake trophic state are dependent on the lake's location. This study can provide some useful information in watershed land use management for controlling eutrophication in Chinese lakes.     

Microbial activity and biogeochemical cycling in a nutrient-rich meromictic acid pit lake

Microbial activity, abundance and biomass, and biogeochemical cycling of iron, sulphur and carbon were studied in the extremely acidic (pH 2.5-4.3), meromictic, nutrient-rich pit lake Cueva de la Mora in Spain. The goal was to find out (1) if the relatively high nutrient content influenced plankton abundance in the water column and alkalinity-producing microbial processes in the sediments compared to other acid pit lakes, and (2) if sediments in the shallow, mixed and the deep, stagnant parts of the lake exhibited differences in microbial activities and geochemical sediment composition related to meromixis. We hypothesised that redox cycling was more intense in the mixed part and higher amounts of reduced components would accumulate in the stagnant part. Especially phytoplankton biomass, CO₂ production, and sulphate reduction were indeed higher than reported from typical acid pit lakes and were rather within the range of neutral or weakly acidic lakes, which can be attributed to the relatively high nutrient contents of Cueva de la Mora. Even in the monimolimnion, anaerobic processes occurred mainly in the sediments. Sediments from the mixed and stagnant parts of the lake differed markedly in their biogeochemistry. Mixolimnetic sediments showed high iron and sulphate reduction rates, and they appeared to undergo substantial recycling, as supported by reactive Fe, relation between gross sulphate reduction rate and net accumulation of reduced sulphur, and viable counts of iron and sulphur bacteria. Monimolimnetic sediments exhibited lower anaerobic microbial activities, and surprisingly they accumulated more Fe(II) than mixolimnetic sediments, but less reduced sulphur and carbon. This might be explained by a strong separation of the two water bodies, resulting in comparably less input of energy (light) and allochthonous matter into the monimolimnion. Regarding the total extent of alkalinity-generating microbial processes, their net effect is not sufficient to neutralise the lake within decades.     

松辽盆地深部地壳构造特征与无机油气生成模式

松辽盆地中地壳有一低速-高导层(也称塑性层),中地壳的塑性层与松辽盆地的成因以及盆山耦合系统有关.盆地地幔流体活动有下列表现:(1)高热流、高地温场;(2)深大断裂与火山岩喷溢;(3)碱交代作用(如钠长石化、伊利石化);(4)Mg2 交代作用(如白云石化)等等.地球化学省与地球化学急变带控制了大油气田的分布并显示了盆地发生的壳-幔相互作用.中地壳的低速-高导层不是岩浆岩,而是一充满地幔流体的地质体,它们富含氢、碱金属(K 、Na )、卤素(F-、Cl-)、碳(甲烷、CO、CO2)、氮、硫等.在中地壳的温度压力条件下,在Fe、Ni等催化荆的参与下,H2与CO(CO2)可发生费-托合成烃的反应.实验表明:这个反应不仅可生成气态烃还可生成液态烃,并将发生碳同位素分馏作用.松辽盆地的U形运移模型受到质疑.按照石油无机生成的模型,松辽盆地的深部将会有更多的石油与天然气,庆深气田的发现便是一个明证.     

Planktonic rotifers in mining lakes in the Silesian Upland: Relationship to environmental parameters

The effects of coal-mine waters on the structure and the density of planktonic rotifer communities were studied in lakes formed as a result of subsidence due to mining (collapse of underground tunnels). Water samples were collected according to the standard methods from four mining lakes in Tychy-Czu?ów (near Katowice, southern Poland), twice a month from June till October in 2004-2006. Two of the studied lakes were fed by mine waters but differed in flow rate, conductivity, water pH, and the amount of aquatic vegetation. The effects of those factors on the planktonic rotifer communities were analysed. In total, 83 species and forms of rotifers were recorded. The highest diversity of rotifers was found in the lakes with the largest patches of aquatic vegetation, while the highest density of rotifers was observed in the smallest and the most eutrophicated lake. High-water conductivity limited both species diversity and densities of rotifers. The rotifer communities of the studied lakes differed significantly in species diversity, although all the lakes were dominated by eurytopic species: Keratella cochlearis, Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, and Polyarthra sp. In the largest lake, characterized by the lowest conductivity and pH, the superdominant was Polyarthra luminosa, which in the other lakes was rare or absent. Higher conductivity was correlated with a lower density of P. luminosa, Brachionus diversicornis, K. cochlearis f. tecta, and a higher density of B. calyciflorus. In the lakes with the largest patches of aquatic vegetation, conductivity affected the number of dominant rotifer species. Apparently no other abiotic factors (pH, phosphates, and nitrates) affected the rotifer communities.     

Assessing External Water Exchange of Lake Bays by Water Chemistry Characteristics

Water Resources - External water exchange of bays of the lakes Onega (Kondopoga and Petrozavodsk bays) and Ladoga (Hiidenselkä Bay), considering the exchange with the lake water, was assessed...     

The most acidified Austrian lake in comparison to a neutralized mining lake

This study investigated two mining lakes located in the north of Lower Austria. These lakes arose 45 years ago when open cast lignite mining ceased. The lakes are separated by a 7-m wide dam. Due to the oxidation of pyrite, both lakes have been acidified and exhibit iron, sulphate, and heavy metal concentrations several orders of magnitude higher than in circumneutral lakes. The water column of both lakes is divided into two layers by a pronounced chemocline. The smaller mining lake (AML), with pH close to of 2.6, is the most acidic lake in Austria, whereas flooding with stream water and by drainage from the surrounding fields neutralized the adjacent larger pit lake. The goal of our study was to investigate the effect of flooding on its physical, chemical and biological properties, in comparison to the pristine AML. Even relative to other extremely acidic lakes, the flora and fauna in the AML was reduced and composed of only two flagellate, one ciliate, and one rotifer species. The simplified pelagic food web in the mixolimnion consisted of heterotrophic bacteria, the mixotrophic flagellates Chlamydomonas acidophila and Ochromonas sp., the ciliate Oxytricha sp., and the rotifer Cephalodella sp. The latter two are as yet undescribed new species. The heliozoan Actinophrys sp. that may act as top predator occurred only in low abundance. The euglenid Lepocinclis buetschlii formed a stable deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) at 7 m depth. Highest cell numbers of L. buetschlii in the DCM exceeded 10⁸ L^?1. The neutralized mining lake harboured higher plankton diversity similar to that of natural circumneutral lakes. A peak of at least 16 different phytoplankton taxa was observed during summer. The zooplankton consisted of several copepod species, daphnids and other cladocerans, and at least six different rotifer species. Several fish species occurred in the neutralized lake. Although the effect of non-permanent flooding was largely sustainable, interannual fluctuations of the pH affected the plankton community and reduced its species diversity.     

等离子体片离子与太阳风及地磁条件的关联研究

本文根据搭载于Cluster卫星的CIS/CODIF和RAPID仪器的观测数据,统计研究了等离子体片中的H⁺、O⁺离子在磁暴期间的时间变化特性,及其对太阳风条件的响应.观测结果表明：(1) 磁暴开始前,O⁺离子（0~40 keV）数密度保持在较低水平.随着磁暴的发展,O⁺数密度缓慢上升,其峰值出现在D_st极小值附近;H⁺离子(0~40 keV)数密度在磁暴开始之前的较短时间迅速增加并达到峰值,在磁暴开始之后迅速降低,并在整个主相和恢复相期间保持在相对较低水平.更高能量的离子则在磁暴开始后迅速增多,并在低能O⁺离子达到峰值之前达到峰值.因此我们推测磁暴初期从等离子体片注入环电流的主要是H⁺离子,主相后期O⁺离子可能扮演更为重要的角色.(2)在地磁活动时期,太阳风密度和动压强与等离子体片中的H⁺、O⁺数密度存在一定相关性.等离子体片中的H⁺离子对北向IMF B_z较为敏感,而IMF B_z南向条件下更有利于太阳风参数对等离子体片中O⁺数密度的影响.在地磁活动平静期,太阳风条件对等离子体片中的离子没有明显影响.     

1976-2015年柴达木盆地湖泊演变及其对气候变化和人类活动的响应

柴达木盆地众多的湖泊不仅对维持当地脆弱的生态环境具有极其重要的作用,而且中心盐湖也是重要的矿产资源.进入21世纪以来,受气候变化和人类活动的共同影响,盆地湖泊发生了一系列重大变化.为科学认识这一问题,选取了1976-2015年6期Landsat系列卫星影像,解译了该区域1 km²以上的湖泊水面,并分析了湖泊变化对气候和人类活动的响应.结果表明：柴达木盆地湖泊面积总体上存在扩张（1976-1990年）萎缩（1990-2000年）扩张（2000-2010年）萎缩（2010-2015年）4个阶段的变化过程,2010年湖泊面积最大,2015年湖泊又明显萎缩.就气候水文因素而言,湖泊面积变化主要受山区降水径流的影响.湖面变化与前3 a的降水径流关系最为密切.进入21世纪以来,气候变化与上游社会经济耗水、盐湖周边人为阻隔河湖连通、开采卤水、修建人工盐田、排放老卤等人类活动,对盆地中心湖泊的空间格局、面积都产生了显著影响,苦水沟、达布逊湖南部形成了新湖泊,鸦湖、团结湖面积显著扩大,东、西台吉乃尔湖逐渐萎缩、干涸,一里平湖由以前的干盐湖在2010年一跃成为盆地最大的湖泊.针对盐湖大规模开发产生的负面影响,提出了合理开发盐湖资源的建议.     

Inorganic nitrogen retention in acid‐sensitive lakes in southern Norway and southern Ontario,Canada—a comparison of mass balance data with an empirical N retention model

In‐lake retention of inorganic nitrogen species (nitrate and ammonium) was estimated from mass balances in five acid‐sensitive lakes in southern Norway and eight in southern Ontario, Canada, to evaluate an empirical in‐lake N retention (R_N) model. This model is included in the First‐order Acidity Balance (FAB) model, which currently is used for calculation of critical acid loads and exceedances in many countries. To estimate in‐lake R_N, the FAB model uses a recommended mass transfer coefficient (S_N) of 5 m year⁻¹, which mainly is derived from NO₃⁻ mass balances in Canadian lakes. To date, the in‐lake R_N model has not been evaluated for large parts of Europe. At the Norwegian study sites receiving the highest N deposition (>120 meq m⁻² year⁻¹) the net in‐lake retention of inorganic N (TIN) exceeded the corresponding terrestrial retention by a factor of 1·1–2·6. Despite differences in N loading and hydrology at the Norwegian and Canadian sites, both the mean mass transfer coefficients for NO₃⁻ (S_NO3; 6·5 versus 5·6 m year⁻¹) and TIN (S_TIN; 7·9 versus 7·0 m year⁻¹) were of comparable magnitude. Both mean values and ranges of S_NO3 suggest that the default S_N value presently recommended for FAB model applications seems valid over a large range in N inputs and areal water loads (q_s). However, owing to the relatively few data available for lakes with high q_s values (15–150 m year⁻¹), it is recommended that more lakes within this range be included in future studies to obtain a more precise prediction of in‐lake N retention over a wide q_s gradient. Also, when considering that the FAB model treats all inorganic N leaching from a catchment as NO₃⁻, it seems reasonable to use a default S_TIN value instead of just S_NO3 when estimating in‐lake R_N. In that case, the in‐lake R_N presently calculated by the FAB model might be slightly underestimated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.