The upper layers of nearshore permeable sediments are dynamic, active sites of intense redox cycling. Previous research and our preliminary results indicate that vertical redox oscillations in these sediments can be driven by biogeochemical or physical variability, or by episodic events such as severe storms and their associated terrestrial runoff. Further, it can be assumed that each of these forcings operate on distinctive time and spatial scales.  The current work focuses on central goals of calculating the fluxes of redox-sensitive chemical species in surficial permeable coastal sediments, and understanding the transformations within the highly responsive �zone of reactivity� in the upper centimeters of these sediments.  Here, we describe recent efforts to: (i) improve understanding of the interaction between active, carbon recycling sediments and the overlying water column; (ii) examine the variability of key chemical species; (iii) quantify the relative contributions of benthic photosynthesis, sand ripple position, currents and waves to redox oscillations; and (iv) integrate fine-scale chemical measurements with porewater velocity modeling to calculate biogeochemical fluxes.

In situ electrochemical techniques for discerning fluxes in surficial permeable sediments

245th National Meeting (2013)

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