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Carbon cycle and the rate of vertical accumulation of peat in the Mississippi River deltaic plain

Journal Article · · Southeast. Geol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5230563
;
A large percentage of the annual plant biomass production in interdistributary basins of the Mississippi River delta plain either remains on the marsh in the form of organic-rich sediment (peat) or is lost to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and methane. Peat is formed due to vertical accretion as the marsh surface is maintained relative to a mean water level. The rate of accretion determined from Cs-137 dating averaged 0.85 cm and 0.95 cm/yr for the fresh and brackish peat deposits respectively. However, increase in water level, obtained from analysis of tide gauge data, was estimated to be in order of 60-1.0 cm/yr. The rapid rate of peat accumulation (254-296 g C/sq m/yr) is attributed to increases in water level due to subsidence resulting from the consolidation of Mississippi River deltaic deposits. 28 references, 5 figures, 1 table.
Research Organization:
Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge
OSTI ID:
5230563
Journal Information:
Southeast. Geol.; (United States), Journal Name: Southeast. Geol.; (United States) Vol. 25:2; ISSN SOGEA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

510100* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
520100 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKANES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
COASTAL REGIONS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPES
METHANE
MINERAL CYCLING
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
NUCLEI
NUTRIENTS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEAT
RADIOISOTOPES
RIVER DELTAS
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHESIS
WETLANDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES