Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Lake Water and Groundwater Chemistry in Hulun Lake, Northeast China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

After reading article can say that it is prepared in high level and almost flawless.

Become a bit confused in chapter 3.5. about names of rivers which not completely fits to names represented in Fig 6.

In article page numbering trough whole article isn't right.

It seems that nitrate concentrations is low and values in table 2 are represented in micrograms per litre, but more easily for readers can be if values will be in milligrams per litre like all other concentrations. 

Only suggestion - but probably authors can provide approximate annual amount (in methods) of water which is carried with rivers to lake.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thanks very much for your insightful and valuable comments for our manuscript. They have great help for improving our manuscript. We have carefully revised our manuscript according to your suggestions. Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors analysis several parameters and their chemistry of Hunan lake before and after freezing. The manuscript lacks important aspect which must be studied and added in the revised manuscript. My points of concern are as follows.

1. What are the dissolution and distribution state of salinity causing salts before and after freezing? Are they similar or varying on going down to bottom?

2. How about biological species at varying temperature! In terms of their population!

3.  What are the important outcomes of this study, better to discuss in depth with future aspects of such studies.

4. Conclusion section needs to be revise by corresponding authors too. On Surface or floating sentences are seems less conclusive.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thanks very much for your insightful and valuable comments for our manuscript. They have great help for improving our manuscript. We have carefully revised our manuscript according to your suggestions. Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

1. Why did you integrate surface water with groundwater? What is the nature of soil and rock in the study region? is the types of aquifers: confined, unconfined, and perched?

2. Abstract is not good enough. revise it and add key findings 

3. I feel that, author need to add more recent and related literature papers in introduction. Add why the present study is more important. 

4. In study area : Temperature details are not clear. Add in number like maximum, minimum avg. throughout the year 

5. Why did you used brown bottle? is there any special reason there? if yes, please mention it 

6. Only correlation study is not enough to represent the hydrochemical properties of surface and groundwater. 

7. Add PCA and HCA method to identify the source of contamination in study area

8. Why did you measure NO3- in different unit? use mg/L for all parameters

9. Improve Fig.2 and 3 quality. it is not clear

10. Add PCA description in methodology section

11. Improve the conclusion section based on the correction carried in the main text. 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thanks very much for your insightful and valuable comments for our manuscript. They have great help for improving our manuscript. We have carefully revised our manuscript according to your suggestions. Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors responded well. The manuscript can be accepted in the current form.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your response and your advices have great help for improving our manuscript.

Xiaomin GU

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

1. Literature part need to add more recent studies, kindly refer these
article https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09553-x and 
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05813-w 

2. Key findings are missing in the abstract and conclusion, refer:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2020.107008 and
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2021.107379

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thanks very much for your comments. We have carefully revised the manuscript and added references according to your suggestions. Please see the attachment of the responses.

Xiaomin GU

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf