Long-term changes in water mineral concentrations and their influence on sediment water content in a shallow lake

During the last four decades, substantial changes have been observed not only in tripton concentrations but also in other limnological parameters in Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow eutrophic lake. A previous study reported that tripton concentration showed a positive correlation with sediment water content (WC) and a negative one with sediment ignition loss. To explain the changes in sediment WC, we conducted an analysis of the changes in mineral concentrations and sediment WC during 1979–2016 to determine their relationship. High mineral concentrations in water throughout the lake were observed in the latter half of the 1990s and higher WC in sediments followed with a time lag of a few years, resulting in significant correlations. The relationship between them was confirmed in laboratory experiments that indicated swelling of sediments (slowdown of sediment compaction) by the addition of NaCl into the water-sediment system. In contrast, significantly lower SS concentrations in overlying waters observed in higher mineral conditions were similar to previous studies. The significantly low annual precipitation during 1994–1997 probably caused high Na+ and Cl- concentrations in the lake waters in the latter half of the 1990s. The combined influence of sea-spray aerosol and evaporation was suspected to be the cause of high salt concentrations. The intrusion of salty water through the downstream gate and/or surrounding construction structures was another possibility.