Seasonal drivers and patterns of sediment temperatures in a New England salt marsh

Salt marshes are globally important ecosystems and thus their resilience to climate change holds societal importance. To date, studies addressing salt marsh responses to climate change have focused on sea-level rise and biogeochemical feedbacks with increasing inundation. Less is known about how salt marsh sediment temperatures, which impact physical, biological, and chemical ecosystem processes, will respond to climate change. In this study, we present multi-depth sediment temperature and porewater level data from low-, mid-, and high-marsh sites at a New England salt marsh for a 1-year period and investigate how salt marsh sediment temperatures respond to atmospheric and oceanic forcing. We use spectral analyses to identify the frequencies at which sediment temperatures vary and link the temperature variations to specific forcing mechanisms. We find that all sites across the marsh responded to air temperature with roughly equal amplitude whereas the responses to radiative heating and ocean tides varied spatially. The high-marsh site is more sensitive to radiative heating than the mid- and low-marsh sites. The low-marsh is affected by tidal processes and inundation whereas the high- and mid-marsh sites are not. In addition, we find that the bulk thermal diffusivity of the saturated sediments decreases with distance from the tidal channel. These factors contribute to considerable temporal and spatial variability in sediment temperatures with elevation, distance from the tidal channel, and time of year (season) being most important.     

An Assessment of Potential Oil Spill Damage to Salt Marsh Habitats and Fishery Resources in Galveston Bay, Texas

We sampled nekton, benthic infauna, and sediments in salt marshes of upper Galveston Bay, Texas to examine relationships between habitat use and sediment hydrocarbon concentration. Most marsh sediment samples were contaminated with relatively low concentrations of weathered petroleum hydrocarbons. We found few statistically significant negative relationships between animal density and hydrocarbon concentration (6 of 63 taxa examined using simple linear regression). Hydrocarbon concentration did not contribute significantly to Stepwise Multiple Regression models we used to explore potential relationships between animal densities and environmental parameters; in most cases where hydrocarbon concentration was an important variable in the models, the relationship was positive (i.e., animal densities increased with hydrocarbon concentration). Low hydrocarbon concentrations in sediments of upper Galveston Bay marshes could have contributed to our results either because levels were too low to be toxic or levels were toxic but too low to be detected by most organisms.     

Evaluating indicators of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise along a historical marsh loss gradient

Sea level rise (SLR) is threatening coastal marshes, leading to large-scale marsh loss in several micro-tidal systems. Early recognition of marsh vulnerability to SLR is critical in these systems to aid managers to take appropriate restoration or mitigation measures. However, it is not clear if current marsh vulnerability indicators correctly assess long-term stability of the marsh system. In this study, two indicators of marsh stress were studied: (i) the skewness of the marsh elevation distribution, and (ii) the abundance of codominant species in mixtures. We combined high-precision elevation measurements (GPS), LiDAR imagery, vegetation surveys and water level measurements to study these indicators in an organogenic micro-tidal system (Blackwater River, Maryland, USA), where large-scale historical conversion from marshes to shallow ponds resulted in a gradient of increasing marsh loss. The two indicators reveal increasingly stressed marshes along the marsh loss gradient, but suggest that the field site with the most marsh loss seems to experience less stress. For the latter site, previous research indicates that wind waves generated on interior marsh ponds contribute to lateral erosion of surrounding marsh edges and hence marsh loss. The eroded marsh sediment might temporarily provide the remaining marshes with the necessary sediment to keep up with relative SLR. However, this is only a short-term alleviation, as lateral marsh edge erosion and sediment export lead to severe marsh loss in the long term. Our findings indicate that marsh elevation skewness and the abundance of codominant species in mixtures can be used to supplement existing marsh stress indicators, but that additional indices such as fetch length and the sediment budget should be included to account for lateral marsh erosion and sediment export and to correctly assess long-term stability of micro-tidal marshes. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heat budget for a shallow,sinuous salt marsh estuary

An experimental study of temperature cycles and the heat budget in the Duplin River, a tidal creek bordered by extensive intertidal salt marshes, was carried out in late summer of 2003 and spring of 2004 near Sapelo Island on the central Georgia coast in the southeastern US. Three water masses are identified with differing temperature and salinity regimes, the characteristics of which are dictated by channel morphology, tidal communication with the neighboring sound, ground water hydrology, the extent of local intertidal salt marshes and side channels and the spring–neap tidal cycle (which controls both energetic mixing and, presumably, ground water input). For the first experiment, heat budgets are constructed for the upper (warmer) and lower (cooler) areas of the Duplin River showing the diminishing importance of tidal advection away from the mouth of the creek along with the concomitant increase in the importance of both direct atmospheric fluxes and of interactions with the marsh and side creeks. The second experiment, in the spring of 2004, reexamines the heat budget on seasonal and daily averaged scales revealing the decreased importance of advective fluxes relative to direct atmospheric fluxes on this scale but the constant importance of marsh/creek interactions regardless of time scale or season. Short period temperature fluctuations which affect larval development are examined and analogies are drawn to use heat to understand the marsh as a source of sediment, carbon and other nutrients.     

Historical development of the saltmarsh at Wells,Maine

Comparisons of maps and aerial photographs dating from the late 1700s to the present document the recent development of an 8 km² saltmarsh that is situated behind a barrier spit in southern Maine. Tidal channels that were relatively narrow in 1794 became wider by 1872. The reduction of marsh bordering tidal channels is interpreted as evidence that marsh accretion could not keep pace with rising sea-level. This suggests that the rate of sea-level rise had increased, although a change in discharge or sediment load caused by extensive settlement and land clearance may also have been involved. Meander patterns of the tidal streams changed considerably throughout the time period covered by the maps, demonstrating that the streams of this marsh are more dynamic than some others that have been widely reported in the literature. These differences in stream dynamics are probably related to the differences in sedimentological structure of the marshes. Between 1872 and 1956 the barrier spit eroded on its inside (shoreward) edge, probably in response to the construction of riprapping and houses along the spit, and the subsequent reduction of overwash and aeolian transport of sediment. Modification of the tidal inlet and adjacent marsh during the 1960s, including jetty construction, dredging, and filling of portions of the marsh surface, affected the marsh only locally. One tidal stream has been migrating rapidly apparently in response to compaction of peat by dredge spoils and consequent local disruption of the marsh hydrology. Except for this migration, erosion of the marsh edge occurred immediately after the inlet modifications; planimetric changes in the marsh and its streams have been minor since then.     

Empirical observations and numerical modelling of tides,channel morphology,and vegetative effects on accretion in a restored tidal marsh

Tidal marshes form at the confluence between estuarine and marine environments where tidal movement regulates their developmental processes. Here, we investigate how the interplay between tides, channel morphology, and vegetation affect sediment dynamics in a low energy tidal marsh at the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island. Poplar Island is an active restoration site where fine-grained material dredged from navigation channels in the upper Chesapeake Bay are being used to restore remote tidal marsh habitat toward the middle bay (Maryland, USA). Tidal currents were measured over multiple tidal cycles in the inlets and tidal creeks of one marsh at Poplar Island, Cell 1B, using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) to estimate water fluxes throughout the marsh complex. Sediment fluxes were estimated using acoustic backscatter recorded by ADCPs and validated against total suspended solid measurements taken on site. A high-resolution geomorphic survey was conducted to capture channel cross sections and tidal marsh morphology. We integrated simple numerical models built in Delft3d with empirical observations to identify which eco-geomorphological factors influence sediment distribution in various channel configurations with differing vegetative characteristics. Channel morphology influences flood-ebb dominance in marshes, where deep, narrow channels promote high tidal velocities and incision, increasing sediment suspension and reducing resilience in marshes at Poplar Island. Our numerical models suggest that accurately modelling plant phenology is vital for estimating sediment accretion rates. In-situ observations indicate that Poplar Island marshes are experiencing erosion typical for many Chesapeake Bay islands. Peak periods of sediment suspension frequently coincide with the largest outflows of water during ebb tides resulting in large sediment deficits. Ebb dominance (net sediment export) in tidal marshes is likely amplified by sea-level rise and may lower marsh resilience. We couple field observations with numerical models to understand how tidal marsh morphodynamics contribute to marsh resilience. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The shoreline preservation index as a relative-age dating tool for late pleistocene shorelines: An example from the bonneville basin,U.S.A.

This paper evaluates the utility of the shoreline preservation index (s.p.i.) for estimating the age of late Pleistocene palaeolake shorelines, the relative influence of various factors on shoreline preservation, and whether shoreline preservation varies significantly with shoreline aspect. Sampled shorelines from the 3300 km² study area, which includes the Skull, Tule and Puddle Valley portions of the Lake Bonneville basin, range in age from approximately 26 to 12 ka. Their total s.p.i. values range from 23 to 69 per cent, average 46 per cent, and do not vary significantly with shoreline aspect. The data from Skull and Tule Valleys, where studied shorelines are of known age, are analysed first in order to determine if there are statistically significant associations between variables representing shoreline preservation, age, degree of geomorphic development and duration of subaerial exposure. Pairwise correlation is then repeated using observations from all three valleys in order to determine how data from the Puddle Valley shorelines, whose hypothesized ages are not supported by radiocarbon analyses, affect the results. Results show that s.p.i. is useful as a relative-age dating tool, that the postulated ages of the Puddle Valley shorelines are ordinally correct, and that geomorphic development is not an important influence on the preservation of these late Pleistocene shorelines. The relative importance of shoreline age and the relative unimportance of duration of subaerial exposure with respect to shoreline preservation suggest that subaqueous processes play a more substantial role in shoreline obliteration than is generally suggested.     

Use of remote sensing to document changes in marsh vegetation following the Amoco Cadiz oil spill (Brittany, France, 1978)

Image analysis of historical aerial photographs was used to examine the effects of the Amoco Cadiz oil spill and resulting clean-up on marsh ecology. Two heavily oiled marsh systems were compared. The marsh which received no clean-up recovered to its prior condition. The marshes in the system cleaned by sediment removal were extensively altered as a result of changes in intertidal height of the sediment surface.     

Flood defence in the Blackwater Estuary, Essex, UK: the impact of sedimentological and geochemical changes on salt marsh development in the Tollesbury Managed Realignment site

Recent changes in the UK's coastal defence strategy have resulted in the introduction of Managed Realignment (MR), a technique which attempts to establish salt marshes on low-lying coastal farmland. This work investigates the impact of MR, in particular on the interactions between sediment movement, changes in heavy metal concentrations and salt marsh development. Pre- and post-inundation samples were collected and analysed between 1995 and 1997. Sediment transport patterns (1996) demonstrated that sediment particles were distributed by tides around the site, resulting in a change in the spatial distribution of the metals which was related to the sediment particle size distribution. Despite the presence of some metal contaminants found within the MR site, vegetated salt marsh has developed since 1997. However, heavy metals such as Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn exhibited relative depletion in the sediment developing with salt marsh in 1997, which is in agreement with data indicating that concentrations of metals within sediments is related to frequency of tidal inundation. During initial development of the site, sediment transport was the main factor controlling metal distribution, however, subsequently the frequency of tidal inundation became the most significant factor. Further work may allow for prediction of how future MR sites will develop with respect to redistribution of sediments and subsequent transport of contaminants in the dissolved phase.     

The thin blue line: A review of shoreline dynamics across time scales and environments

A major thread of theoretical research on the response of shorelines to changing boundary conditions has adapted the moving-boundary approach from heat transfer and solidification/melting. On sufficiently short time scales, shorelines respond to changes in relative sea level in a simple, geometrically predictable way. On longer time scales, their behaviour becomes far more complex and interesting, because the surface over which the shoreline moves is itself continually modified by morphodynamics that depend sensitively on shoreline location. This makes the shoreline the archetype of moving-boundary problems in morphodynamics, and subject to potentially counterintuitive behaviours over time scales on which the sediment surface modifies itself as relative sea level changes. We review existing moving-boundary theories and propose two significant extensions to allow inclusion of first-order effects of waves and tides. First, we show how wave effects can be included via planform diffusion linked to river-mouth location, which results in shoreline smoothing during delta-lobe growth and localized transgression after channel abandonment. Tides produce a low-gradient region in which the sea and land overlap; we show how this can be treated in a moving-boundary framework by replacing the shoreline with a ‘mushy region' so that the handoff from land to water occurs over a zone rather than a line. We also propose that the moving-boundary approach can be readily generalized to other dynamic moving boundaries, such as those separating different regimes of river transport. The shoreline thus serves as a prototype for modelling dynamic facies boundaries along the whole source–sink system. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Modified sediments and subsurface hydrology in natural and recreated salt marshes and implications for delivery of ecosystem services

Recreation or restoration of salt marsh through the deliberate removal of flood defences (managed realignment or de‐embankment) is a common practice across Europe and the USA, with potential to enhance delivery of ecosystem services. However, recent research suggests that physical, chemical and ecological processes may be impaired in recreated sites as a result of the modified morphology, sediment structure and hydrology associated with both the restoration process and historic land use. This paper compares physical sediment properties and subsurface water levels recorded in paired natural and de‐embanked (recreated) salt marshes in SE England. Using a combination of statistical and time‐series modelling, significant differences between the natural and recreated marshes are identified. Sediment properties (bulk density, moisture content and organic content) within each marsh were statistically different and imply that de‐embanked sediments are compacted, which may affect subsurface water movement. Analysis of hydrological time series reveals that the de‐embanked salt marsh is characterized by a damped response to tidal flooding with elevated and less variable water levels. This, combined with analysis of hydrographs and hysteresis patterns over individual tidal cycles, suggests that fast, horizontal near‐surface flows enhanced by the relict land surface may play a greater role in drainage of the de‐embanked salt marsh. The importance of hydrological functioning in governing many important physical and biogeochemical processes in salt marshes suggests any modifications would have significant implications for the delivery of ecosystem services. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variation of salt-marsh organic and inorganic deposition and organic carbon accumulation: Inferences from the Venice lagoon,Italy

Salt marshes are ubiquitous features of the tidal landscape governed by mutual feedbacks among processes of physical and biological nature. Improving our understanding of these feedbacks and of their effects on tidal geomorphological and ecological dynamics is a critical step to address issues related to salt-marsh conservation and response to changes in the environmental forcing. In particular, the spatial variation of organic and inorganic soil production processes at the marsh scale, a key piece of information to understand marsh responses to a changing climate, remains virtually unexplored. In order to characterize the relative importance of organic vs. inorganic deposition as a function of space, we collected 33 shallow soil sediment samples along three transects in the San Felice and Rigà salt marshes located in the Venice lagoon, Italy. The amount of organic matter in each sample was evaluated using Loss On Ignition (LOI), a hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) treatment, and a sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) treatment following the H₂O₂ treatment. The grain size distribution of the inorganic fraction was determined using laser diffraction techniques. Our study marshes exhibit a weakly concave-up profile, with maximum elevations and coarser inorganic grains along their edges. The amount of organic and inorganic matter content in the samples varies with the distance from the marsh edge and is very sensitive to the specific analysis method adopted. The use of a H₂O₂+NaClO treatment yields an organic matter density value which is more than double the value obtained from LOI. Overall, inorganic contributions to soil formation are greatest near the marsh edges, whereas organic soil production is the main contributor to soil accretion in the inner marsh. We interpret this pattern by considering that while plant biomass productivity is generally lower in the inner part of the marsh, organic soil decomposition rates are highest in the better aerated edge soils. Hence the higher inorganic soil content near the edge is due to the preferential deposition of inorganic sediment from the adjacent creek, and to the rapid decomposition of the relatively large biomass production. The higher organic matter content in the inner part of the marsh results from the small amounts of suspended sediment that makes it to the inner marsh, and to the low decomposition rate which more than compensates for the lower biomass productivity in the low-lying inner zones. Finally, the average soil organic carbon density from the LOI measurements is estimated to be 0.044 g C cm⁻³. The corresponding average carbon accumulation rate for the San Felice and Rigà salt marshes, 132 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, highlights the considerable carbon stock and sequestration rate associated with coastal salt marshes.     

Interannual (1999-2005) morphodynamic evolution of macro-tidal salt marshes in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (France)

This paper provides a detailed study on the sedimentation patterns and the recent morphodynamic evolution affecting the macro-tidal salt marshes located west of the Mont-Saint-Michel (France). Twenty-two stations along three transects on the marshes were seasonally monitored for marsh surface level variations from 1999 to 2005, using a sediment erosion bar. The corresponding erosion/accretion rates were obtained together with data on topography, vegetation cover, and grain size of surface sediment. To examine the mechanisms contributing to the salt marsh sedimentation, the data and their evolution were treated with respect to tides, relative mean regional sea level, and wind speed/frequency variations.From 1999 to 2005, the marsh was globally accreting (from 3.45 to 38.11 mm yr⁻¹ in the low marsh, up to 4.91 mm yr⁻¹ in the middle marsh, and up to 1.35 mm yr⁻¹ in the high marsh), while the study was conducted during a window of decreasing trend in mean regional sea level (−2.45 mm yr⁻¹ according to regional-averaged time series). These sedimentation rates are one of the highest recorded worldwide; however, the sedimentation was not found to be continuous over the period in question. This pattern is illustrated by the strong extension of the marshes from 1999 to 2002, and the relative stability observed from 2003 to 2005. The imported and reworked sediments are trapped and fixed by the dense vegetation (Puccinellia maritima, Halimione portulacoides), inducing the general seaward extension of the marshes. The processes governing sediment budget (accretion/erosion) show annual, seasonal, and spatial variability on the marsh. Spatial variations display contrasted patterns of erosion/sedimentation between the low, middle, and high marsh, and between the different transects. These patterns are a result of distance from sediment sources, strong heterogeneity in vegetation cover (human induced or not), and contrasting topographic and micro-topographic characteristics. The higher accretion rates are observed in distal settings in the low marsh, and strongly decrease toward the middle and high marsh. This evolution results from a decrease in accommodation space/water column thickness, and frequency of inundation coupled with an increase in station elevation, but also from the cumulated effects of vegetation cover and micro-topography. The vegetation cover of the low and middle marsh enhance the settling and fixing of fine sediments imported through tides or dispersed by flood and ebb currents.The seasonal evolution of the marshes is marked by contrasting effects of water storage in the sediment. The overall seasonal sediment budget is controlled by the variation of the frequency of inundation relative to tidal range and marshes topography. Autumns are influenced by the tide (equinoxes), relative mean regional sea level, and variations in wind speed/frequency. Winter wind speed and frequency in relation with tidal variations appear to be the main parameters regulating winter marsh evolution. Summers are predominantly under the influence of local variations in water storage (desiccation) while external parameters generally display a low influence. Although it is not governed by any one parameter, springtime sediment budget seems to result from strong interaction between the above-cited parameters, despite the significant frequency of inundation (equinoxes).     

Watershed and ocean controls of salt marsh extent and resilience

The formation and evolution of tidal platforms are controlled by the feedbacks between hydrodynamics, geomorphology, vegetation, and sediment transport. Previous work mainly addresses dynamics at the scale of individual marsh platforms. Here, we develop a process-based model to investigate salt marsh depositional/erosional dynamics and resilience to environmental change at the scale of tidal basins. We evaluate how inputs of water and sediment from river and ocean sources interact, how losses of sediment to the ocean depend on this interaction, and how erosional/depositional dynamics are coupled to these exchanges. Model experiments consider a wide range of watershed, basin, and oceanic characteristics, represented by river discharge and suspended sediment concentration, basin dimensions, tidal range, and ocean sediment concentration. In some scenarios, the vertical accretion of a tidal flat can be greater than the rate of sea level rise. Under these conditions, vertical depositional dynamics can lead to transitions between tidal flat and salt marsh equilibrium states. This type of transition occurs much more rapidly than transitions occurring through horizontal marsh expansion or retreat. In addition, our analyses reveal that river inputs can affect the existence and extent of marsh/tidal flat equilibria by both directly providing suspended sediment (favoring marshes) and by modulating water exchanges with the ocean, thereby indirectly affecting the ocean sediment input to the system (favoring either marshes or tidal flats depending on the ratio of the river and ocean water inputs and their sediment concentrations). The model proposed has the goal of clarifying the roles of the main dynamic processes at play, rather than of predicting the evolution of a particular tidal system. Our model results most directly reflect micro- and meso-tidal environments but also have implications for macro-tidal settings. The model-based analyses presented extend our theoretical understanding of marsh dynamics to a greater range of intertidal environments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment and vegetation spatial dynamics facing sea-level rise in microtidal salt marshes: Insights from an ecogeomorphic model

Modeling efforts have considerably improved our understanding on the chief processes that govern the evolution of salt marshes under climate change. Yet the spatial dynamic response of salt marshes to sea-level rise that results from the interactions between the tidal landforms of interest and the presence of bio-geomorphic features has not been addressed explicitly. Accordingly, we use a modeling framework that integrates the co-evolution of the marsh platform and the embedded tidal networks to study sea-level rise effects on spatial sediment and vegetation dynamics in microtidal salt marshes considering different ecological scenarios. The analysis unveils mechanisms that drive spatial variations in sedimentation rates in ways that increase marsh resilience to rising sea-levels. In particular, marsh survival is related to the effectiveness of transport of sediments toward the interior marshland. This study hints at additional dynamics related to the modulation of channel cross-sections affecting sediment advection in the channels and subsequent delivery in the inner marsh, which should be definitely considered in the study of marsh adaptability to sea-level rise and posterior management.     

Tidal channel meander formation by depositional rather than erosional processes: examples from the prograding Skagit River Delta (Washington,USA)

Channel meander dynamics in fluvial systems and many tidal systems result from erosion of concave banks coupled with sediment deposition on convex bars. However, geographic information system (GIS) analysis of historical aerial photographs of the Skagit Delta marshes provides examples of an alternative meander forming process in a rapidly prograding river delta: deposition‐dominated tidal channel meander formation through a developmental sequence beginning with sandbar formation at the confluence of a blind tidal channel and delta distributary, proceeding to sandbar colonization and stabilization by marsh vegetation to form a marsh island opposite the blind tidal channel outlet, followed by narrowing of the gap between the island and mainland marsh, closure of one half of the gap to join the marsh island to the mainland, and formation of an approximately right‐angle blind tidal channel meander bend in the remaining half of the gap. Topographic signatures analogous to fluvial meander scroll bars accompany these planform changes. Parallel sequences of marsh ridges and swales indicate locations of historical distributary shoreline levees adjacent to filled former island/mainland gaps. Additionally, the location of marsh islands within delta distributaries is not random; islands are disproportionately associated with blind tidal channel/distributary confluences. Furthermore, blind tidal channel outlet width is positively correlated with the size of the marsh island that forms at the outlet, and the time until island fusion with mainland marsh. These observations suggest confluence hydrodynamics favor sandbar/marsh island development. The transition from confluence sandbar to tidal channel meander can take as little as 10 years, but more typically occurs over several decades. This depositional blind tidal channel meander formation process is part of a larger scale systemic depositional process of delta progradation that includes distributary elongation, gradient reduction, flow‐switching, shoaling, and narrowing. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contamination of saltmarsh sediments and biota by CCA treated wood walkways

Sediments, marsh grasses, and ribbed mussels were collected under two CCA wood walkways (15 and 3 years old) and 1, 3, and 10 m out, in the high, middle and low marshes. These sediments, and samples from reference sites, were analyzed for Cu, Cr, and As by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Metal concentrations were highly elevated under the walkways and up to 10 m away. Dispersal of contaminants near the old walkway was greatest in the low marsh, less in the middle, and least in the high marsh, corresponding to periods of tidal inundation. Accumulation under the walkway was generally greatest in the low marsh. Contamination was much higher in sediments under the new walkway than the old one, but metals had not dispersed as far. Accumulation patterns in plants were similar, but the contamination did not disperse as far and was not greater under the new vs the old walkway, despite differences in sediment concentrations. In mussels, bioaccumulation was seldom statistically significant, due largely to small sample sizes.     

Rapid tidal marsh development in anthropogenic backwaters

Tidal marsh restoration and creation is growing in popularity due to the many and diverse sets of services these important ecosystems provide. However, it is unclear what conditions within constructed settings will lead to the successful establishment of tidal marsh. Here we provide documentation for widespread and rapid development of tidal freshwater wetlands for a major urban estuary as an unintended result of early industrial development. Anthropogenic backwater areas established behind railroad berms, jetties, and dredge spoil islands resulted in the rapid accumulation of clastic material and the subsequent initiation of emergent marshes. In one case, historical aerial photos document this transition occurring in less than 18 years, offering a timeframe for marsh development. Accretion rates for anthropogenic tidal marshes and mudflats average 0.8–1.1 and 0.6–0.7 cm year⁻¹, respectively, equivalent to two to three times the rate of relative sea level rise as well as the observed accretion rate at a 6000+ year-old reference marsh in the study area. Paired historical and geospatial analysis revealed that more than half of all the tidal wetlands on the Hudson River were likely triggered by anthropogenic development since the onset of the industrial era, including two-thirds of the emergent cattail marsh. These inadvertently constructed tidal wetlands currently trap roughly 6% of the Hudson River's sediment load. Results indicate that when sediment is readily available, freshwater tidal wetlands can develop relatively rapidly in sheltered settings. The study sites serve as useful examples to help guide future tidal marsh creation and restoration efforts.     

Martian oceans, valleys and climate

The new Mars Global Surveyor altimetry shows that the heavily cratered southern hemisphere of Mars is 5 km higher than the sparely cratered plains of the northern hemisphere. Previous suggestions that oceans formerly occupied the northern plains as evidenced by shorelines are partly supported by the new data. A previously identified outer boundary has a wide range of elevations and is unlikely to be a shoreline but an inner contact with a narrow range of elevations is a more likely candidate. No shorelines are visible in the newly acquired, 1.5 metre/pixel imaging. Newly imaged valleys provide strong support for sustained or episodic flow of water across the Martian surface. A major surprise, however, is the near absence of valleys less than 100 m across. Martian valleys seemingly do not divide into ever smaller valleys as terrestrial valleys commonly do. This could be due to lack of precipitation or lack of surface runoff because of high infiltration rates. High erosion rates and formation of valley networks supports warm climates and presence of large bodies of water during heavy bombardment. The climate history and fate of the water after heavy bombardment remain controversial.     

Contrasting biogeomorphic processes affecting salt‐marsh development of the Mokbaai,Texel, The Netherlands

The growth and decline of salt marshes may be the result of various interacting biogeomorphic processes and external factors. We present a case study of the Mokbaai on the Wadden island of Texel, where we assess the relative importance and the interaction between the biogeomorphic processes and various disturbances. We analysed changes in vegetation composition in the salt marsh and sedimentation–erosion patterns of the adjoining intertidal flat over a 30‐year period. Vegetation underwent regression in the lower parts of the marsh, i.e. the low marsh zone changed into pioneer zone. Comparing elevation measurements from 2013 and 1983 showed that the adjoining intertidal flats eroded 15–25 cm. Maintenance dredging of a nearby harbour might negatively impact the sediment balance indicating that the regression of the lower parts of the salt marsh is caused by a lack of sediment. Simultaneously, a change in the local hydrology led to vegetation succession into high and brackish salt marsh, increased organic sediment production and consequently cliff formation. The results from this case study show that, even in a relatively small salt marsh, changes in external factors may set in motion a series of biogeomorphic processes and feedbacks, leading to locally contrasting trends in spatiotemporal development. © 2016 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.