The work doesn't end once the samples are gathered. To be more specific, the work has just begun. All of the samples are analyzed for their various chemical properties (anions, cations, etc.) to be used in answering those 4 questions proposed.
1)
how do sulfate and nitrate (and their associated acids) behave in the
watershed?
2) what effect is acid precipitation having on the other chemical constituents
in the watershed (e.g. is it mobilizing metals? is it causing the depletion
of base cations and therefore affecting soil fertility?)
3) what acid-neutralizing reactions are going on in the watershed and
how is Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC) or alkalinity being generated?
4) how does the degree and type of development in the watershed affect
the behavior of sulfate and nitrate (and their associated acids)?
Answers to all of these questions will help us to determine the intensity of the environmental impact that acid precipitation has on this small watershed, and to further delineate the consequences of fossil fuel combustion on earth systems.