Pore Water Salinity Research Articles

Isotopic signatures of stem water reveal differences in water sources accessed by mangrove tree species

Mangrove trees are rooted in saline soils which can limit their growth. Access to alternative, less saline water sources may provide important water subsidies. We assessed the hydrogen and oxygen isotopic signatures of soil porewater, groundwater and atmospheric water sources (dew and rainfall) and tree stem water from three mangroves species over two sites that varied in elevation. Although stem water isotopic signatures were most similar to porewater, variation in isotopic values indicated trees also accessed alternative water sources, the degree to which varied over sites and among species. Rhizophora stylosa had lowest values of stable isotopes among the species indicating significant groundwater utilization. In a long-term fertilization experiment we found that growth of Ceriops australis and Lumnitzera racemosa was nitrogen limited, while growth of R. stylosa was nitrogen limited to a lesser extent, suggesting groundwater may also provide nutritional benefits for R. stylosa. The uptake of alternative water sources in addition to saline porewater may improve metabolic function, differentially altering the performance of different species and over sites.

Effect of volcanic dykes on coastal groundwater flow and saltwater intrusion: A field‐scale multiphysics approach and parameter evaluation

AbstractVolcanic dykes are common discrete heterogeneities in aquifers; however, there is a lack of field examples of, and methodologies for, comprehensive in situ characterization of their properties with respect to groundwater flow and solute transport. We have applied an integrated multiphysics approach to quantify the effect of dolerite dykes on saltwater intrusion in a coastal sandstone aquifer. The approach involved ground geophysical imaging (passive magnetics and electrical resistivity tomography), well hydraulic testing, and tidal propagation analysis, which provided constraints on the geometry of the dyke network, the subsurface saltwater distribution, and the sandstone hydrodynamic properties and connectivity. A three‐dimensional variable‐density groundwater model coupled with a resistivity model was further calibrated using groundwater and geophysical observations. A good agreement of model simulations with tide‐induced head fluctuations, geophysically derived pore water salinities, and measured apparent resistivities was obtained when dykes' hydraulic conductivity, storativity, and effective porosity are respectively about 3, 1, and 1 orders of magnitude lower than the host aquifer. The presence of the dykes results in barrier‐like alterations of groundwater flow and saltwater intrusion. Preferential flow paths occur parallel to observed dyke orientations. Freshwater inflows from upland recharge areas concentrate on the land‐facing side of the dykes and saltwater penetration is higher on their sea‐facing side. This has major implications for managing groundwater resources in dyke‐intruded aquifers, including in coastal and island regions and provides wider insights on preferential pathways of groundwater flow and transport in highly heterogeneous aquifer systems.

Oceanic and climatic drivers of mangrove changes in the Gulf of Urabá, Colombian Caribbean

The Gulf of Uraba is the largest estuary on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The aim of this research was to analyse the oceanic, climatic and environmental variables that influence mangrove structure and composition in the gulf. Based on the availability of remote sensing, the study area was divided into western and eastern zones. The spatial pattern of environmental variables (water salinity, pH and percentage of organic matter, sand, silt and clay in the soils) and oceanic and climatic variables (winds, wave height and wave period) was analysed. The relationship of these variables with variables of vegetation structure (basal area, diameter at breast height, tree height, and abundance of seedlings of mangrove species in 1 m2 subplots) was analysed in 27 plots of 500 m2 containing fringe mangroves and 5 plots containing basin mangroves. Mangroves of the western zone showed a higher structural development and were dominated by Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove). This zone is supplied by fresh water and sediments, and the soils have a high content of organic matter and clay and a low degree of anthropogenic disturbance. The eastern zone was characterized by higher pore water salinity due to lower freshwater input from rivers. In this area there is a smaller impact of waves and winds, higher sedimentation rates, high anthropogenic disturbance and mangroves are dominated by Avicennia germinans (black mangrove). Although Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove) did not show a particular spatial pattern, due to its tolerance to open canopy conditions it was commonly found in anthropogenically disturbed areas.

Diagenesis and reservoir quality of sandstones with ancient “deep” incursion of meteoric freshwater——An example in the Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, East China

An example of diagenesis and reservoir quality of buried sandstones with ancient incursion of meteoric freshwater is presented in this study. The interpretation is based on information including porosity and permeability, petrography, stable isotopic composition of authigenic minerals, homogenization temperatures (Th) of aqueous fluid inclusions (AFIs), and pore water chemistry. These sandstones, closely beneath or far from the regional unconformity formed during the late Paleogene period, are located in the thick Shahejie Formation in the Gaoliu area of Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, East China. Early-diagenetic calcite cements were leached to form intergranular secondary pores without precipitation of late-diagenetic calcite cements in most sandstones. Feldspars were leached to form abundant intragranular secondary pores, but with small amounts of concomitant secondary minerals including authigenic quartz and kaolinite. The mass imbalance between the amount of leached minerals and associated secondary minerals suggests that mineral leaching reactions occurred most likely in an open geochemical system, and diagenetic petrography textures suggest that advective flow dominated the transfer of solutes from leached feldspars and calcites. Low salinity and ion concentrations of present pore waters, and extensive water rock interactions suggest significant incursion of meteoric freshwater flux in the sandstones. Distances of the sandstones to the regional unconformity can reach up to 1800 m, while with significant uplift in the Gaoliu area, the burial depth of such sandstones (below sea level) can be less than 800–1000 m during the uplift and initial reburial stage. Significant uplift during the Oligocene period provided substantial hydraulic drive and widely developed faults served as favorable conduits for downward penetration of meteoric freshwater from the earth's surface (unconformity) to these sandstone beds. Extensive feldspar leaching has been occurring since the uplift period. Coupled high Th (95∼115 °C) of AFI and low δ18O(SMOW) values (+17∼+20‰) within the quartz overgrowths show that quartz cementation occurred in the presence of diagenetic modified meteoric freshwater with δ18O(SMOW) values of −7∼−2‰, indicating that authigenic quartz only have been formed during the late reburial stage when meteoric fresh water penetration slowed down. Secondary pores in thin sections and tested porosity suggest that meteoric freshwater leaching of feldspars and calcite minerals generated approximately 7–10% enhanced secondary porosity in these sandstones. Meteoric freshwater leaching reactions cannot be ignored in similar sandstones that located deep beneath the unconformity, with great uplift moving these sandstones above or close to sea level and with faults connecting the earth's surface with the sandstone beds.

Combined effects of tides, evaporation and rainfall on the soil conditions in an intertidal creek-marsh system

Salt marshes, distributed globally at the land-ocean interface, are a highly productive eco-system with valuable ecological functions. While salt marshes are affected by various eco-geo-hydrological processes and factors, soil moisture and salinity affect plant growth and play a key role in determining the structure and functions of the marsh ecosystem. To examine the variations of both soil parameters, we simulated pore-water flow and salt transport in a creek-marsh system subjected to spring-neap tides, evaporation and rainfall. The results demonstrated that within a sandy-loam marsh, the tide-induced pore-water circulation averted salt build-up due to evaporation in the near-creek area. In the marsh interior where the horizontal drainage was weak, density-driven flow was responsible for dissipating salt accumulation in the shallow soil layer. In the sandy-loam marsh, the combined influences of spring-neap tides, rainfall and evaporation led to the formation of three characteristic zones, c.f., a near-creek zone with low soil water saturation (i.e., well-aerated) and low pore-water salinity as affected by the semi-diurnal spring tides, a less well-aerated zone with increased salinity where drainage occurred during the neap tides, and an interior zone where evaporation and rainfall infiltration regulated the soil conditions. These characteristics, however, varied with the soil type. In low-permeability silt-loam and clay-loam marshes, the tide-induced drainage weakened and the soil conditions over a large area became dominated by evaporation and rainfall. Sea level rise was found to worsen the soil aeration condition but inhibit salt accumulation due to evaporation. These findings shed lights on the soil conditions underpinned by various hydrogeological processes, and have important implications for further investigations on marsh plant growth and ecosystem functions.

Pore-water evolution and solute-transport mechanisms in Opalinus Clay at Mont Terri and Mont Russelin (Canton Jura, Switzerland)

Data pertinent to pore-water composition in Opalinus Clay in the Mont Terri and Mont Russelin anticlines have been collected over the last 20 years from long-term in situ pore-water sampling in dedicated boreholes, from laboratory analyses on drillcores and from the geochemical characteristics of vein infills. Together with independent knowledge on regional geology, an attempt is made here to constrain the geochemical evolution of the pore-waters. Following basin inversion and the establishement of continental conditions in the late Cretaceous, the Malm limestones acted as a fresh-water upper boundary leading to progressive out-diffusion of salinity from the originally marine pore-waters of the Jurassic low-permeability sequence. Model calculations suggest that at the end of the Palaeogene, pore-water salinity in Opalinus Clay was about half the original value. In the Chattian/Aquitanian, partial evaporation of sea-water occurred. It is postulated that brines diffused into the underlying sequence over a period of several Myr, resulting in an increase of salinity in Opalinus Clay to levels observed today. This hypothesis is further supported by the isotopic signatures of SO42− and 87Sr/86Sr in current pore-waters. These are not simple binary mixtures of sea and meteoric water, but their Cl− and stable water-isotope signatures can be potentially explained by a component of partially evaporated sea-water. After the re-establishment of fresh-water conditions on the surface and the formation of the Jura Fold and Thrust Belt, erosion caused the activation of aquifers embedding the low-permeability sequence, leading to the curved profiles of various pore-water tracers that are observed today. Fluid flow triggered by deformation events during thrusting and folding of the anticlines occurred and is documented by infrequent vein infills in major fault structures. However, this flow was spatially focussed and of limited duration and so did not markedly affect the bulk pore-water.

Coastal aquifer response to extreme storm events in Emilia‐Romagna, Italy

AbstractWith global warming and sea level rise, many coastal systems will experience increased levels of inundation and storm flooding, especially along sandy lowland coastal areas, such as the Northern Adriatic coast (Italy). Understanding how extreme events may directly affect groundwater hydrology in shallow unconfined coastal aquifers is important to assess coastal vulnerability and quantify freshwater resources. This study investigates shallow coastal aquifer response to storm events. The transitory and permanent effects of storm waves are evaluated through the real time monitoring of groundwater and soil parameters, in order to characterize both the saturated and unsaturated portions of the coastal aquifer of Ravenna and Ferrara (southern Po Delta, Italy). Results highlight a general increase in hydraulic head and soil moisture, along with a decrease in groundwater salinity and pore water salinity due to rainfall infiltration during the 2 days storm event. The only exceptions are represented by the observation wells in proximity to the coastline (within 100 m), which recorded a temporary increase in soil and water salinity caused by the exceptional high waves, which persist on top of the dune crest during the storm event. This generates a saline plume that infiltrates through the vadose zone down to the saturated portion of the aquifer causing a temporary disappearance of the freshwater lens generally present, although limited in size, below the coastal dunes. Despite the high hydraulic conductivity, the aquifer system does not quickly recover the pre‐storm equilibrium and the storm effects are evident in groundwater and soil parameters after 10 days past the storm overwash recess.

Biomarkers in Lake Van sediments reveal dry conditions in eastern Anatolia during 110.000–10.000 years B.P.

AbstractLipid biomarkers were analyzed in Lake Van sediments covering the last 600 ka, with a focus on the period between 110 and 10 ka, when a broad maximum in pore water salinity as a relict from the past suggests dry conditions. The occurrence and distribution of biomarkers indicative for terrestrial plants (long‐chain n‐alkane C29), haptophyte algae (methyl alkenones C37) and halophilic archaea (archaeol) all point toward a dry climate in Lake Van region during this time interval. The hydrogen isotopic composition of C29 n‐alkanes (δDC29) and C37 alkenones (δDC37) is enriched between MIS 4 and MIS 2, which is interpreted as a decrease in the regional ratio of precipitation to evaporation. Similarly, the low abundance of the acyclic glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether GDGT‐0 relative to archaeol, quantified by the Archaeol and Caldarchaeol Ecometric (ACE) is assumed to reflect the presence of halophilic euryarchaeota adapted to high salinity water. The climate around Lake Van appears in phase with the Yammouneh basin 800 km southwest and Lake Urmia 250 km southeast of Lake Van over the last two glacial periods. The results highlight the potential of combining ACE, δDC29, and δDC37 for reconstructing salinity changes and regional precipitation to evaporation ratio from lake sediments.

The drivers of biogeochemistry in beach ecosystems: A cross-shore transect from the dunes to the low-water line

This study addresses key processes in high-energy beach systems using an interdisciplinary approach. We assess spatial variations in subsurface pore water residence times, salinity, organic matter (OM) availability, and redox conditions and their effects on nutrient cycles as well as on microbial community patterns and microphytobenthos growth. At the study site on Spiekeroog Island, southern North Sea, beach hydrology is characterized by the classical zonation with an upper saline plume (USP), a saltwater wedge, and a freshwater discharge tube in between. Sediment and pore water samples were taken along a cross-shore transect from the dunes to the low water line reaching sediment depths down to 5 m below sediment surface. Spatial variations in pore water residence time, salinity, and organic matter availability lead to steep redox and nutrient gradients. Vertical and horizontal differences in the microbial community indicate the influence of these gradients and salinity on the community structure. Modeled seawater flux through the USP and freshwater flux through the tube are on average 2.8 and 0.75 m3 per day and meter of shoreline, respectively. Furthermore, ridge sediments at the lower beach discharge seawater at rates of 0.5 and 1.0 m3 per day and meter of shoreline towards the runnel and seaside, respectively. Applying seawater and freshwater fluxes and representative nutrient concentrations for the discharge zones, nutrient fluxes to adjacent nearshore waters are 117 mmol NH4+, 55 mmol PO43 − and 575 mmol Si(OH)4 per day and meter of shoreline. We propose that this nutrient efflux triggers growth of microphytobenthos on sediment surfaces of the discharge zone. A first comparison of nutrient discharge rates of the beach site with a nearby sandy backbarrier tidal flat margin indicates that the beach system might be of less importance in supplying recycled nutrients to nearshore waters than the backbarrier tidal flat area.

Application of 224Ra and 222Rn for evaluating seawater residence times in a tidal subterranean estuary

The length of time in which seawater circulates through the beach face and mixes with terrestrial groundwater will have a profound influence on the geochemical cycling of nutrient deliveries to surface waters through submarine groundwater discharge. The goal of this work is to utilize pore water measurements of 222Rn and Ra isotopes to evaluate the time-scale of tidal seawater circulation in a coastal bluff and a barrier beach subterranean estuary (STE) on Long Island, NY. Intertidal pore water profiles sampled monthly between 2014 and 2015 revealed distinct geochemical differences between the two sites that were driven by the primary hydrogeologic forcing mechanisms. The coastal bluff site was dominated by a large hydraulic gradient that drove terrestrial groundwater discharge, while the barrier beach site had saline pore waters and was physically controlled by tidal forcing mechanisms. These mechanisms resulted in notably different pore water radionuclide (222Rn, 223,224,226,228Ra) and trace metal (Fe, Mn, Ba) distributions in the STE. A one-dimensional advective transport model was applied to estimate the residence time of circulated seawater within the STE using measured radionuclide activities. There are inherent uncertainties within the model, set by the activity of deep groundwater that has mixed with the circulated seawater, the initial activity of seawater that infiltrated the coastal aquifer and the radionuclide production rates. Residence times generally increased with depth from 0.1 to ≥15d and were greater in the low tide well of the barrier beach (4.9±3.4d) compared to the coastal bluff (1.1±0.4d). Residence times were fairly constant over time within the coastal bluff STE but varied seasonally in the barrier beach STE, suggesting that the barrier beach may have not been in “steady-state.” Variable pore water residence times within the STE may have a profound effect on the cycling of carbon, nutrient and trace metal fluxes to the coastal ocean.

Effect of salinity on mercury methylating benthic microbes and their activities in Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Surface water and biota from Great Salt Lake (GSL) contain some of the highest documented concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in the United States. In order to identify potential biological sources of MeHg and controls on its production in this ecosystem, THg and MeHg concentrations, rates of Hg(II)-methylation and MeHg degradation, and abundances and compositions of archaeal and bacterial 16 rRNA gene transcripts were determined in sediment along a salinity gradient in GSL. Rates of Hg(II)-methylation were inversely correlated with salinity and were at or below the limits of detection in sediment sampled from areas with hypersaline surface water. The highest rates of Hg(II)-methylation were measured in sediment with low porewater salinity, suggesting that benthic microbial communities inhabiting less saline environments are supplying the majority of MeHg in the GSL ecosystem. The abundance of 16S rRNA gene transcripts affiliated with the sulfate reducer Desulfobacterium sp. was positively correlated with MeHg concentrations and Hg(II)-methylation rates in sediment, indicating a potential role for this taxon in Hg(II)-methylation in low salinity areas of GSL. Reactive inorganic Hg(II) (a proxy used for Hg(II) available for methylation) and MeHg concentrations were inversely correlated with salinity. Thus, constraints imposed by salinity on Hg(II)-methylating populations and the availability of Hg(II) for methylation are inferred to result in higher MeHg production potentials in lower salinity environments. Benthic microbial MeHg degradation was also most active in lower salinity environments. Collectively, these results suggest an important role for sediment anoxia and microbial sulfate reducers in the production of MeHg in low salinity GSL sub-habitats and may indicate a role for salinity in constraining Hg(II)-methylation and MeHg degradation activities by influencing the availability of Hg(II) for methylation.

Role of induced electrical polarization to identify soft ground/fractured rock conditions

This study attempted to evaluate the role and effectiveness of induced polarization (IP) along with electrical resistivity to identify soft ground/fractured rock. Theoretical studies as well as laboratory-scale experiments were conducted for this purpose. The theoretical study involved deriving the functional relationship between chargeability and influential variables. This was followed by performing a sensitivity analysis using the derived relationship to reveal that the size of narrow pores (r1) exerted the greatest influence on the chargeability followed by the salinity of the pore water (C0). In the laboratory test, a small-scale fractured rock zone was modeled using sandstone as a parent rock. The chargeability and resistivity were measured by changing the size of the joint aperture filled with tap water and/or sea water, the location of the fractured zone, and the thickness of the soil layer in a soil-rock multi-layered ground. The experimental study modeled the jointed zone between competent sandstone layers and indicated that the chargeability was mostly controlled by the size of the narrow pore (r1) of the surface sandstone and not by the porosity of the jointed zone. Hence, it was concluded that the chargeability did not significantly depend on the fractured characteristics of the jointed rock. It could be difficult to clearly distinguish as to whether the low resistivity value is caused by the sea water intrusion or by the increase in porosity of the fractured ground. However, the IP exploration can be effectively utilized to identify sea water intrusion since the chargeability decreased as the salinity of pore water increased. The experimental study on a soil-rock multi-layered ground indicated that the measured chargeability was controlled by the percentage of current flow that passed through the competent rock as well as by the narrow pore size of the rock itself. In conclusion, the ground condition could be easily identified by measuring the IP in conjunction with the electrical resistivity, and this increased the reliability of identifying the existence of sea water, layered ground, and/or the fractured rock.

Salinity-induced increase of the hydraulic conductivity in the hyporheic zone of coastal wetlands

In coastal zones globally, salinization of surface water and groundwater is rapidly taking place due to the combined effects of sea level rise, land use change, land subsidence, altered hydrology and climate change. Although increased salinity levels are known to have a great impact on both biogeochemical and hydrological processes in aquatic sediments, only few studies have included both types of processes and their potential interactions. In the present paper, we used a controlled three years experimental mesocosm approach in the surface water of a Dutch coastal wetland to test these interactions as a result of salinization, and to discuss mechanisms explaining the observed hydrological changes. In enclosures (1000 l), surface water salinity was experimentally increased from 14 mmol to 140 mmol Cl l-1 (0.9 and 9 PSU) by adding sea salt. This not only strongly increased pore water salinity, but also increased sulphate reduction rates, leading to higher sulphide and lower methane concentrations. By analysing slug test data with three different slug test analysis methods, we were able to show that hydraulic conductivity of the hyporheic zone increased 2.8 times by salinization. This shows that increased salinity can strongly change the hydrological characteristics of the hyporheic zone in coastal wetlands. Based on our hydrological and biogeochemical measurements, we conclude that the combination of pore dilation and decreased methane production rates were major controls on the observed increase in hydraulic conductivity. The slug test analysis method comparison allowed to conclude that the adjusted Bouwer & Rice method results in the most reliable estimate of the hydraulic conductivity for hyporheic zones. Our work shows that both physical and biogeochemical processes are vital to explain and predict hydrological changes related to the salinization of hyporheic zones in coastal wetlands and provides a robust methodological approach for doing so.

Complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in partially saturated sand columns

The increase in the use of nanoscale materials in consumer products has resulted in a growing concern of their potential hazard to ecosystems and public health from their accidental or intentional introduction to the environment. Key environmental, health, and safety research needs include knowledge and methods for their detection, characterization, fate, and transport. Specifically, techniques available for the direct detection and quantification of their fate and transport in the environment are limited. Their small size, high surface area to volume ratio, interfacial, and electrical properties make metallic nanoparticles, such as silver nanoparticles, good targets for detection using electrical geophysical techniques. Here we measured the complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in sand columns under varying moisture conditions (0–30%), nanoparticle concentrations (0–10mg/g), lithology (presence of clay), pore water salinity (0.0275 and 0.1000S/m), and particle size (35, 90–210 and 1500–2500nm). Based on the Cole-Cole relaxation models we obtained the chargeability and the time constant. We demonstrate that complex conductivity can detect silver nanoparticles in porous media with the response enhanced by higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles, moisture content, ionic strength, clay content and particle diameter. Quantification of the volumetric silver nanoparticles content in the porous media can also be obtained from complex conductivity parameters based on the strong power law relationships.

Varying Inundation Regimes Differentially Affect Natural and Sand-Amended Marsh Sediments.

Climate change is altering sea level rise rates and precipitation patterns worldwide. Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to these changes. System responses to stressors are important for resource managers and environmental stewards to understand in order to best manage them. Thin layer sand or sediment application to drowning and eroding marshes is one approach to build elevation and resilience. The above- and below-ground structure, soil carbon dioxide emissions, and pore water constituents in vegetated natural marsh sediments and sand-amended sediments were examined at varying inundation regimes between mean sea level and mean high water (0.82 m NAVD88 to 1.49 m NAVD88) in a field experiment at Laws Point, part of the Plum Island Sound Estuary (MA). Significantly lower salinities, pH, sulfides, phosphates, and ammonium were measured in the sand-amended sediments than in the natural sediments. In natural sediments there was a pattern of increasing salinity with increasing elevation while in the sand-amended sediments the trend was reversed, showing decreasing salinity with increasing elevation. Sulfide concentrations generally increased from low to high inundation with highest concentrations at the highest inundation (i.e., at the lowest elevations). High pore water phosphate concentrations were measured at low elevations in the natural sediments, but the sand-amended treatments had mostly low concentrations of phosphate and no consistent pattern with elevation. At the end of the experiment the lowest elevations generally had the highest measures of pore water ammonium. Soil carbon dioxide emissions were greatest in the sand-amended mesocosms and at higher elevations. Differences in coarse root and rhizome abundances and volumes among the sediment treatments were detected with CT imaging, but by 20 weeks the natural and sand-amended treatments showed similar total belowground biomass at the intermediate and high elevations. Although differences in pore water nutrient concentrations, pH, salinity, and belowground root and rhizome morphology were detected between the natural and sand-amended sediments, similar belowground productivity and total biomass were measured by the end of the growing season. Since the belowground productivity supports organic matter accumulation and peat buildup in marshes, our results suggest that thin layer sand or sediment application is a viable climate adaptation action to build elevation and coastal resiliency, especially in areas with low natural sediment supplies.

Are global mangrove carbon stocks driven by rainfall?

AbstractMangrove forests produce significant amounts of organic carbon and maintain large carbon stocks in tidally inundated, anoxic soils. This work analyzes new and published data from 17 regions spanning a latitudinal gradient from 22°N to 38°S to assess some of the global drivers (temperature, tidal range, latitude, and rainfall) of mangrove carbon stocks. Mangrove forests from the tropics have larger carbon stocks (895 ± 90 t C ha−1) than the subtropics and temperate regions (547 ± 66 t C ha−1). A multiple regression model showed that 86% of the observed variability is associated with annual rainfall, which is the best predictor of mangrove ecosystem carbon stocks. Therefore, a predicted increase in rainfall along the tropical Indo‐Pacific may increase mangrove forest carbon stocks. However, there are other potentially important factors that may regulate organic matter diagenesis, such as nutrient availability and pore water salinity. Our predictive model shows that if mangrove deforestation is halted, global mangrove forest carbon stocks could increase by almost 10% by 2115 as a result of increased rainfall in the tropics.

고수압 해저터널에 급속 인공동결공법 적용시 간극수의 염분 농도가 동결속도에 미치는 영향 평가: 실내 동결챔버시험 위주로

고수압 조건의 해저터널 공사에 기존의 그라우팅 공법은 제한을 받게 되어 굴착작업이 어려울 수 있으나, 인공동결공법을 적용할 경우 신속한 차수 및 지반보강 효과를 얻을 수 있다. 인공동결공법을 적용할 경우, 동결 조건에 따라 동결토의 거동이 크게 변화하므로 기존의 연구 사례를 바탕으로 해저지반 등 특수한 조건에서 동결토의 역학적 거동을 예측하는 것에는 한계가 있다. 또한, 인공동결공법의 설계를 위해서는 동결체 형성에 필요한 소요시간 및 동결범위를 산정해야 하며, 해저지반의 경우 간극수 내 염분의 영향을 반영해야 한다. 본 논문에서는 동결토의 열적 특성을 파악하기 위해 인조규사 시료에 대한 실내 열전도도 측정시험과 동결챔버시험을 수행하였다. 동결토와 비동결 포화토 간극수의 염도를 조절하여 동결 과정과 염분에 따른 유효 열전도도를 비정상 열선법을 적용하여 측정하였다. 인조규사 간극수의 염도에 의한 동결특성 변화를 파악하기 위해 동결챔버를 설계 및 제작하였고 이를 통하여 동결 조건을 변화시키며 동결챔버시험을 수행하였다. 동결 조건에 따른 시료내 온도 변화를 분석하고 이를 통해 동결 조건이 사질토의 열전달 특성에 미치는 영향을 평가하였다. 비동결 포화토의 경우는 간극수가 담수(염도 0%)인 조건과 염수(염도 3.5%)인 조건 모두 유효 열전도도가 유사하게 평가되었으나, 동결토의 경우는 간극수가 염수인 조건이 보다 큰 유효 열전도도를 보였다. 이는 동결챔버시험에서 간극수가 염수인 조건이 담수인 조건보다 동결속도가 더 빠른 결과와 일치한다. It is extremely difficult to apply conventional grouting methods to subsea tunnelling construction in the high water pressure condition. In such a condition, the rapid artificial freezing method can be an alternative to grouting to form a watertight zone around freezing pipes. For a proper design of the artificial freezing method, the influence of salinity on the freezing process has to be considered. However, there are few domestic tunnel construction that adopted the artificial freezing method, and influential factors on the freezing of the soil are not clearly identified. In this paper, a series of laboratory experiments were performed to identify the physical characteristics of frozen soil. Thermal conductivity of the frozen and unfrozen soil samples was measured through the thermal sensor adopting transient hot-wire method. Moreover, a lab-scale freezing chamber was devised to simulate freezing process of silica sand with consideration of the salinity of pore-water. The temperature in the silica sand sample was measured during the freezing process to evaluate the effect of pore-water salinity on the frozen rate that is one of the key parameters in designing the artificial freezing method in subsea tunnelling. In case of unfrozen soil, the soil samples saturated with fresh water (salinity of 0%) and brine water (salinity of 3.5%) showed a similar value of thermal conductivity. However, the frozen soil sample saturated with brine water led to the thermal conductivity notably higher than that of fresh water, which corresponds to the fact that the freezing rate of brine water was greater than that of fresh water in the freezing chamber test.

Effect of porewater salinity on residual shear strength of clays and their mixtures

Abstract It has been long recognized that the residual shear strength of clayey soil is influenced by porewater chemistry due to physico-chemical interactions between clay and porewater. However, although the correlation between the residual shear strength of clayey soils and salinity of porewater has been discussed by many researchers, it has not been quantitatively specified either in theory or experiment. In this study, the residual shear strength of pure and mixed clays made of smectite, interlayered illite/smectite and kaolinite were investigated after being saturated with NaCl solutions of various concentrations. It was found that the residual shear strength of smectite significantly increased when the concentration of the NaCl was in the range of 0–1 mol L −1 and showed little change when the NaCl concentration was higher. The residual shear strength of kaolinite displayed insignificant change when NaCl concentration varied. Variation of the residual shear strength of interlayered illite/smectite with porewater salinity was quite similar to that of smectite, but with much less magnitude. Moreover, the residual shear strength of the clay mixtures also displayed great variation with the porewater salinity, and the variation may be mainly attributed to aggregation when porewater salinity varied as a result of change in double-layer thickness among clay particles.

Simulated storm surge effects on freshwater coastal wetland soil porewater salinity and extractable ammonium levels: Implications for marsh recovery after storm surge

Coastal wetland systems experience both short-term changes in salinity, such as those caused by wind-driven tides and storm surge, and long-term shifts caused by sea level rise. Salinity increases associated with storm surge are known to have significant effects on soil porewater chemistry, but there is little research on the effect of flooding length on salt penetration depth into coastal marsh soils. A simulated storm surge was imposed on intact soil columns collected from a non-vegetated mudflat and a vegetated marsh site in the Wax Lake Delta, LA. Triplicate intact cores were continuously exposed to a 35 salinity water column (practical salinity scale) for 1, 2, and 4 weeks and destructively sampled in order to measure porewater salinity and extractable NH4N at two cm depth intervals. Salinity was significantly higher in the top 8 cm for both the marsh and mudflat cores after one week of flooding. After four weeks of flooding, salinity was significantly higher in marsh and mudflat cores compared to the control (no salinity) cores throughout the profile for both sites. Extractable ammonium levels increased significantly in the marsh cores throughout the experiment, but there was only a marginally (p < 0.1) significant increase seen in the mudflat cores. Results indicate that porewater salinity levels can become significantly elevated within a coastal marsh soil in just one week. This vertical intrusion of salt can potentially negatively impact macrophytes and associated microbial communities for significantly longer term post-storm surge.

Ecology of soil microbes in a tropical mangrove forest of south east coast of India

Abstract Present work enumerated nine groups of microorganisms in the soil samples drawn at 10depths from two mangrove sites for four seasons in two years, along with 23 physicochemical characteristics in a mangrove forest. The microbial density was higher in dense mangrove sediments than that in sparse ones. Among the microorganisms, actinobacteria, total heterotrophic bacteria (THB), thraustochytrids, yeasts and fungi were high in dense mangrove sediments. Microbial counts reduced with increasing soil depth. Physical factors displayed profound effect on microbes than chemical factors did. Among the physical factors, the dense mangrove sediment exhibited many fold higher silt, clay, redox potential, lower sand and higher pore water salinity than sparse mangrove sediment did. Among the chemical factors, total organic carbon (TOC) was 52% and soil nitrogen was 4.5% higher in dense mangrove sediment than that in sparse mangrove sediment. This work reiterated significance of mangrove forest for conserving marine microbiota for maintaining carbon and nutrients in coastal sediment.