Collaborative Research: Hydrogeophysical monitoring and modeling of heterogeneity in salinization processes across the marsh-upland transition

合作研究：沼泽-高地转变过程中盐化过程异质性的水文地球物理监测和建模

• 批准号: 2316492
• 负责人: Lee Slater
• 金额: $ 38.36万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University Newark
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2027-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2316492&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Hydrogeophysical; monitoring; modeling

Rising sea levels driven by climate change threaten to transform coastal landscapes with profound, global economic implications. Within the coastal zone, increased flooding of soils with saline water disrupts the natural cycling of nutrients and carbon between soils, the atmosphere and the ocean. Coastal marshes are an important sink of terrestrial carbon, and carbon accumulation rates in coastal marshes exceed those of temperate forests. Whereas gradual sea-level rise results in slow, lateral inland movement of saline groundwater, storms and large tides cause rapid inundation of soils with saltwater, driving vertical transport of salt into soils. The ecological consequences of these processes are visible to the naked eye, particularly across the transition between coastal marshes and forested uplands, where increasing soil water salinity results in tree mortality and the formation of ‘ghost forests’. However, the patterns of salinity change beneath the subsurface in soils and groundwater are unclear, particularly as numerous positive and negative feedback mechanisms may exist. For example, the death of individual trees may locally enhance vertical transport of salt if dead roots and surrounding soil serve as preferential pathways for the transport of saline water. Variations in soil texture (e.g., grain size) across the marsh-upland transition may also result in variability in rates of salinization both during short-term storm events and in response to gradual sea-level rise.This project will apply electrical geophysical imaging technologies and hydrological models of saltwater transport to improve understanding of the role of subsurface heterogeneity (both geology and vegetation induced) in regulating gradual and rapid (storm surge) hydrological processes across multiple marsh-upland transition zones. Electrical geophysical imaging methods provide spatially continuous, non-invasive information of variations in salinity. In this project, these methods will be deployed to monitor the evolution of salinity changes in response to major storm events. The work will [1] produce data and simulations to improve conceptual models for salinization resulting from storm events by incorporating the role of subsurface heterogeneity; [2] develop strategies to improve the predictive capabilities of hydrological models of saltwater transport by incorporating spatially and temporally rich geophysical observations; [3] promote awareness of geophysical imaging technologies for investigating coastal landscapes within a broad community of interdisciplinary scientists; [4] engage a diverse body of students and early career scientists in workshops studying the marsh-upland transition. This project is jointly funded by Hydrologic Sciences and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

由气候变化驱动的海平面上升威胁着对沿海景观的影响，具有深远的全球经济影响。在沿海地区，用盐水水增加土壤的洪水会破坏土壤，大气和海洋之间养分和碳的自然循环。沿海沼泽是陆生碳的重要水槽，沿海沼泽的碳积累速率超过温度森林的碳。大海水平的上升导致盐水地下水的缓慢，内陆的侧向运动，风暴和大潮汐会导致盐水迅速淹没土壤，将盐垂直运输到土壤中。这些过程的生态后果是肉眼可见的，尤其是在沿海沼泽和森林陆地之间的过渡中，土壤水盐分的增加导致树木死亡率和“幽灵森林”的形成。但是，在土壤和地下水中地下下方的盐度变化尚不清楚，尤其是可能存在许多正和负反馈机制。例如，单个树木的死亡可能会在局部增强盐的垂直运输，如果死根和周围的土壤是盐水运输的首选途径。整个沼泽地的土壤质地变化（例如，谷物尺寸）的变化也可能导致短期暴风雨事件中的盐分变化以及对级海平面上升的响应。跨多个沼泽式过渡区的过程。电地球物理成像方法在盐度变化方面提供了空间连续的无创信息。在该项目中，将部署这些方法来监测响应重大风暴事件的盐度变化的演变。这项工作将[1]产生数据和仿真，以通过增加地下异质性的作用来改善风暴事件引起的盐学概念模型； [2]制定策略，通过增加空间和暂时丰富的地球物理观测来提高盐水运输水文模型的预测能力； [3]提高对地球物理成像技术的认识，以调查广泛的跨学科科学家社区中的沿海景观； [4]让学生和早期职业科学家的多样性团体参与研究沼泽式过渡的研讨会。该项目由水文科学和启发竞争性研究的既定计划共同资助（EPSCOR）。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响评估审查标准，认为值得通过评估来获得支持。