Articles | Volume 9, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-413-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-413-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Biophysical controls of marsh soil shear strength along an estuarine salinity gradient
Department of Geology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods
Hole, MA 02543, USA
Tyler C. Messerschmidt
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester
Point, VA 23062-1346, USA
Matthew L. Kirwan
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester
Point, VA 23062-1346, USA
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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In some tidal marshes, vegetation can convert to ponds as a result of sea level rise. We investigated to what extent this is related to decreasing strength of the marsh soil in relation to sea level rise. We found a reduction of marsh soil strength in areas with more inundation by sea water and more ponding, which results in easier erosion of the marsh and thus further expansion of ponds. This decrease in marsh soil strength is highly related to lower content of roots in the soil.
Junyan Ding, Nate McDowell, Vanessa Bailey, Nate Conroy, Donnie J. Day, Yilin Fang, Kenneth M. Kemner, Matthew L. Kirwan, Charlie D. Koven, Matthew Kovach, Patrick Megonigal, Kendalynn A. Morris, Teri O’Meara, Stephanie C. Pennington, Roberta B. Peixoto, Peter Thornton, Mike Weintraub, Peter Regier, Leticia Sandoval, Fausto Machado-Silva, Alice Stearns, Nick Ward, and Stephanie J. Wilson
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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We used a vegetation model to study why coastal forests are dying due to rising water levels and what happens to the ecosystem when marshes take over. We found that tree death is mainly caused by water-damaged roots, leading to major changes in the environment, such as reduced water use and carbon storage. Our study helps explain how coastal ecosystems are shifting and offers new ideas to explore in future field research.
Chen Wang, Lennert Schepers, Matthew L. Kirwan, Enrica Belluco, Andrea D'Alpaos, Qiao Wang, Shoujing Yin, and Stijn Temmerman
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Coastal marshes are valuable natural habitats with normally dense vegetation. The presence of bare patches is a symptom of habitat degradation. We found that the occurrence of bare patches and regrowth of vegetation is related to spatial variations in soil surface elevation and to the distance and connectivity to tidal creeks. These relations are similar in three marshes at very different geographical locations. Our results may help nature managers to conserve and restore coastal marshes.
M. L. Kirwan, G. R. Guntenspergen, and J. A. Langley
Biogeosciences, 11, 4801–4808, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4801-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4801-2014, 2014
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Linnea Blåfield, Carlos Gonzales-Inca, Petteri Alho, and Elina Kasvi
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Rachele Dominguez, Michael S. Fenster, and John W. McManus
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Climate change is a hot topic and changes in storminess can be indicative of climate change impacts. Also, coastal storms can impact ecosystems and the people who live, work, and recreate along our world's coasts. Our findings show that the number of the US east coast storms has not increased since the early 20th century, but storm strength has increased moderately. Finally, beaches can take up to 10 years to recover depending on the number, timing, and strength of previous storms.
Andrew A. Margason, Alison M. Anders, Robert J. C. Conrick, and Gerard H. Roe
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Adrian Ringenbach, Peter Bebi, Perry Bartelt, Andreas Rigling, Marc Christen, Yves Bühler, Andreas Stoffel, and Andrin Caviezel
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Ingo Hartmeyer, Robert Delleske, Markus Keuschnig, Michael Krautblatter, Andreas Lang, Lothar Schrott, and Jan-Christoph Otto
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Nadav Peleg, Chris Skinner, Simone Fatichi, and Peter Molnar
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Sebastian G. Mutz and Todd A. Ehlers
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Sebastian G. Mutz, Todd A. Ehlers, Martin Werner, Gerrit Lohmann, Christian Stepanek, and Jingmin Li
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We use a climate model and statistics to provide an overview of regional climates from different times in the late Cenozoic. We focus on tectonically active mountain ranges in particular. Our results highlight significant changes in climates throughout the late Cenozoic, which should be taken into consideration when interpreting erosion rates. We also document the differences between model- and proxy-based estimates for late Cenozoic climate change in South America and Tibet.
Andrew D. Wickert
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The ice sheets that once spread across northern North America dramatically changed the drainage basin areas and discharges of rivers across the continent. As these ice sheets retreated, starting around 19 500 years ago, they sent meltwater to the oceans, influencing climate and building a geologic record of deglaciation. This record can be used to evaluate ice-sheet reconstructions and build an improved history and understanding of past ice-sheet collapse across North America.
I. Beck, R. Ludwig, M. Bernier, T. Strozzi, and J. Boike
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J. Braun, C. Voisin, A. T. Gourlan, and C. Chauvel
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We have derived a simple solution to the stream power law equation governing the erosion of rapidly uplifting tectonic areas assuming that rainfall varies as a periodic function of time. We show that the erosional response of this forcing is characterized by an amplification of the resulting erosional flux variations as well as a time lag. We show how this time lag can be important in interpreting several geological observations.
A. Barkwith, C. W. Thomas, P. W. Limber, M. A. Ellis, and A. B. Murray
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Short summary
We measured the shear strength of marsh soils along an estuarine salinity gradient to determine salinity's influence on marsh erodibility. Our work is one of the first studies to directly examine the relationship between salinity and marsh erodibility. We find that an increase in salinity correlates with higher soil shear strength values, indicating that salt marshes may be more resistant to erosion. We also show that both belowground biomass and soil properties drive shear strength differences.
We measured the shear strength of marsh soils along an estuarine salinity gradient to determine...