Intertidal Creeks and Overmarsh Circulation in a Small Salt Marsh Basin
Abstract
The role of intertidal creek networks in overmarsh circulation is not well constrained. In this study, we systematically remove intertidal creeks from a high-resolution salt marsh digital elevation model and conduct new flow simulations with each iteration. Overall, removal of first- and second-order creeks reduced drainage density by 65%, and this had a negligible effect on overmarsh circulation and tracer distribution. However, upon removal of third- and fourth-order creeks, drainage density was reduced by 80% of the original value, and changes in peak velocity magnitude across various spatial and temporal scales reveal a system-wide switch from ebb to flood dominance. This response coincides with the interruption of topographically connected creeks that facilitate the direct exchange of water and tracer between the marsh interior and the larger subtidal system. Further, this reduction in hydraulic connectivity gives rise to less expansive tracer dispersal and a systematic decline in tracer residence time. Together, these results reveal that for the Groves Creek marsh, lower-order intertidal creeks have a minor role in overmarsh circulation, while higher-order creeks increase the potential for short circuiting of flow; they greatly influence overall flood and ebb dominance, and net tracer dispersal and associated retention time. Moreover, results reported heremore »
- Authors:
-
[1];
- Univ. of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC (United States)
- Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)
- Savannah River National Lab., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Site (SRS).
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Savannah River National Lab., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Site (SRS).
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; PADI Research Foundation
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1501351
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1494161; OSTI ID: 1766453
- Report Number(s):
- SRNL-STI-2019-00065; SRNL-STI-2017-00381
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9003
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC09-08SR22470; AC09-96SR1850; 10911
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. Earth Surface
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Earth Surface; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9003
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; intertidal creeks; hydraulic connectivity; salt marsh; overmarsh circulation; tracer exchange; DEM resolution
Citation Formats
Sullivan, Jessica Chassereau, Torres, Raymond, and Garrett, Alfred. Intertidal Creeks and Overmarsh Circulation in a Small Salt Marsh Basin. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1029/2018JF004861.
Sullivan, Jessica Chassereau, Torres, Raymond, & Garrett, Alfred. Intertidal Creeks and Overmarsh Circulation in a Small Salt Marsh Basin. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004861
Sullivan, Jessica Chassereau, Torres, Raymond, and Garrett, Alfred. Fri .
"Intertidal Creeks and Overmarsh Circulation in a Small Salt Marsh Basin". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004861. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1501351.
@article{osti_1501351,
title = {Intertidal Creeks and Overmarsh Circulation in a Small Salt Marsh Basin},
author = {Sullivan, Jessica Chassereau and Torres, Raymond and Garrett, Alfred},
abstractNote = {The role of intertidal creek networks in overmarsh circulation is not well constrained. In this study, we systematically remove intertidal creeks from a high-resolution salt marsh digital elevation model and conduct new flow simulations with each iteration. Overall, removal of first- and second-order creeks reduced drainage density by 65%, and this had a negligible effect on overmarsh circulation and tracer distribution. However, upon removal of third- and fourth-order creeks, drainage density was reduced by 80% of the original value, and changes in peak velocity magnitude across various spatial and temporal scales reveal a system-wide switch from ebb to flood dominance. This response coincides with the interruption of topographically connected creeks that facilitate the direct exchange of water and tracer between the marsh interior and the larger subtidal system. Further, this reduction in hydraulic connectivity gives rise to less expansive tracer dispersal and a systematic decline in tracer residence time. Together, these results reveal that for the Groves Creek marsh, lower-order intertidal creeks have a minor role in overmarsh circulation, while higher-order creeks increase the potential for short circuiting of flow; they greatly influence overall flood and ebb dominance, and net tracer dispersal and associated retention time. Moreover, results reported here provide new insight on, for example, salt marsh restoration and the requisite digital elevation model bathymetry for robust simulations of overmarsh circulation.},
doi = {10.1029/2018JF004861},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research. Earth Surface},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 25 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Fri Jan 25 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Modeling Floodplain Inundation, Circulation, and Residence Time Under Changing Tide and Sea Levels
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