Author photo

By Glen Sorenson
Look at that 

Why does the river look like root beer anyway?

 

December 21, 2018

Put four of these molecules together and you get tannic acid, a form of tannin. Tannin protects plants, tans leather and stains water. Key for symbols: C (carbon), H (hydrogen), O (oxygen), – (single bond), = (double bond). Molecule drawing by Glen Sorenson/ Pine Knot News

Merry Christmas to all of you Pine Knotters! Time passes so quickly, 2019 will soon be upon us.

Our last adventure required time travel as we investigated the origin of the red clay that is carried by the Nemadji River.

Our new adventure requires us to get small, but I happen to have a shrinking machine. Miss Frizzle would be proud. This time we are examining the root-beer-colored water of the St. Louis River. This brown-colored water is also common in most of the north shore streams that spill into Lake Superior.

Most of you have probably been told that the brown stain is from tannin tha...



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