Compaction and movement of interstitial water in bottom sediments of the Saguenay Fjord, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Eight sediment cores were collected along the length of the Saguenay Fjord and Baie des Ha! Ha!, Québec, Canada. Profiles of the sediment water contents were determined for each core. Porosities were fitted to an exponential relation with core depth. The relation was modified to account for variations in granulometry and in organic carbon contents of the sediments. Porosities were observed to be more sensitive to variations in organic content than to variations in granulometry, and grain sorting appeared more important than grain size. Grain-size distribution of the sediments is in agreement with a sedimentation model where most of the suspended load enters the fjord from the Saguenay River and is deposited downstream with the surface current. The coarse particles are mainly found close to the head of the fjord, whereas the fine particles are carried farther downstream. Surface porosities were observed to be proportional to the sedimentation fluxes obtained from the literature whereas the compaction showed an inverse relationship. The fractional decreases in porosity due to compaction along the fjord indicate some horizontal flow of the interstitial water at both ends of the sampled part of the fjord. An average vertical interstitial pore water flow of 0.4 cm yr −1 with respect to the surface horizon is estimated from the data. This is small compared with the diffusion of the major constituents of sea water through the sediment.