Acidic deposition is especially a concern when poorly buffered soils, with little acid-neutralizing capacity, are impacted. In North America, large areas of eastern Canada, the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and sections of New England all are considered "acid sensitive " areas, where resistant bedrocks and thin soils prevent significant neutralization of acidity.
Historical Perspective
Acidic deposition is not a new phenomena, as E. B. Cowling (1982) has noted. In 1872, the term "acid rain" was first known to be used by Angus Smith to describe the precipitation around Manchester, England. Smith analyzed the chemistry of the rain and attributed this acid rain to combustion of coal. He also noted damage from acid rain to plants and materials. C. Crowther and H. G. Ruston (1911) demonstrated gradients in rainfall acidity decreasing from the center of Leeds, England and associated the acidity with coal combustion. E. Gorham (1957, 1958) established that acid precipitation affects the acid-neutralizing capacity of lakes and bogs. A. Dannevig (1959) of Norway recognized the relationship between acid precipitation, lake and stream acidity, and the disappearance of fish. S. Oden (1968) used trajectory analysis to demonstrate that acid precipitation in Sweden was the result of long-range transport and transformation of sulfur emissions from England and central Europe.
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