The effect of climate on the chemistry of carbonate groundwater

The temperature coefficient of the log Pco2‐temperature relationship for springwater from carbonate terrains in North America is approximately 0.07/°C. Consideration of a simple model of soil air behavior and various published data suggests that the temperature coefficient of the same relationship for soil air is of the order of 0.04/°C. A model where the soil zone is the source of carbon dioxide for water entering a groundwater system and where the subsequent chemical evolution of the water occurs under closed system conditions is consistent with these relationships.