Anion and cation concentrations can be entered into the RockWorks datasheet for the purposes of creating Piper diagrams, Stiff diagrams, computing total dissolved solids, and/or ion balances. These "hydrochemistry" files list cation and anion concentrations in parts per million (or milligrams per liter). There are 4 required cations and 4 required anions; additional cations and anions may be included as you wish.
- ID: Optional. Lists the sample number or name for each site. Used as point labels in Piper diagrams, and polygon labels in Stiff diagrams.
- Symbol and Color: Required for Piper diagrams; the color information is read for Stiff plots. Handy if you wish to create point maps showing sample sites (Maps | Point Symbols).
- X (Easting), Y (Northing) Coordinates: Optional; handy for point maps.
These may represent a local coordinate system, or a global coordinate system such as UTM or longitude/latitude. See Defining your Datasheet Coordinates and Units for information.
- Cation Concentrations: Four cations are required: Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), Calcium (Ca++), and Magnesium (Mg), in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l). They may be listed in any order; the program offers prompts in which you can specify order. The program permits you to list up to 4 additional (optional) cations in the datasheet. Their names and conversion factors can be declared prior to processing.
- Anion Concentrations: Four anions are required: Chloride (Cl-), Bicarbonate (HCO3-), Carbonate (CO3--), and Sulfate (SO4--), in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l). They may be listed in any order; the program offers prompts in which you can specify order. The program permits you to list up to 4 additional (optional) anions in the datasheet. Their names and conversion factors can be declared prior to processing.
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