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Turbidity of a Salt Marsh within the Altamaha River estuary, GA, USA, 2015-2017

General Information
Data Package:
Local Identifier:edi.441.2
Title:Turbidity of a Salt Marsh within the Altamaha River estuary, GA, USA, 2015-2017
Alternate Identifier:DOI PLACE HOLDER
Abstract:

We measured turbidity along a transect from channel to marsh interior for 1 year, beginning in June 2016 at a salt mash in the Altamaha River estuary. We measured turbidity (NTU) with three optical back scatter sensors to in a shore normal transect, with one in the channel (YSI 6600), and two on the marsh surface. The “marsh edge sensor” was 2.4m from the channel edge (Seapoint, RBR Solo) and the “marsh interior sensor” was 18m from the edge (Seapoint, RBR Duo; Figure 1c). The sensors measured every 15 minutes and were equipped with automatic wipers to reduce biofouling. Following retrieval, the turbidity time series data was filtered to remove any erroneous points and times when the sensors were fouled or exposed (Ganju et al. 2005). Turbidity was then calibrated to suspended sediment concentration with local sediment resulting in the calibration equation SSC (mg/L) =1.33*Sensor Turbidity (NTU) (R2=0.9345, n=26, p<<0.001).

Publication Date:2021-09-02

Time Period
Begin:
2016-06-03
End:
2017-01-28

People and Organizations
Contact:Coleman, Daniel J  [  email ]
Creator:Coleman, Daniel J (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
Creator:Kirwan, Matthew L (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
Associate:Kirwan, Matthew L 

Data Entities
Data Table Name:
sa_matrix
Description:
Turbidity data for salt marsh 2016-2017, GCE LTER
Detailed Metadata

Data Entities

Data Table

Data:https://pasta-s.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/edi/441/2/88213384596e663199c2b11469e69b8d
Name:sa_matrix
Description:Turbidity data for salt marsh 2016-2017, GCE LTER
Number of Records:22910
Number of Columns:4

Table Structure
Object Name:sa_matrix.csv
Size:807906 byte
Authentication:9f5e36d6b66c380647da9e5c176f87f5 Calculated By MD5
Text Format:
Number of Header Lines:1
Record Delimiter:\r\n
Orientation:column
Simple Delimited:
Field Delimiter:,
Quote Character:"

Table Column Descriptions
 sa_datetimesa_1sa_2sa_3
Column Name:sa_datetime  
sa_1  
sa_2  
sa_3  
Definition:Date and Time of sampleTurbidity of the sensor located within the Tidal ChannelTurbidity of the sensor located at the marsh edgeTurbidity of the sensor located at the marsh interior
Storage Type:dateTime  
float  
float  
float  
Measurement Type:dateTimeratioratioratio
Measurement Values Domain:
FormatDD-MMM-YYYY hh:mm:ss
Precision
UnitNTU
Typereal
UnitNTU
Typereal
UnitNTU
Typereal
Missing Value Code:  
CodeNaN
ExplSensor was fouled, blocked, or not submerged
CodeNaN
ExplSensor was fouled, blocked, or not submerged
CodeNaN
ExplSensor was fouled, blocked, or not submerged
Accuracy Report:        
Accuracy Assessment:        
Coverage:        
Methods:        

Data Package Usage Rights

This data package is released to the "public domain" under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 "No Rights Reserved" (see: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). It is considered professional etiquette to provide attribution of the original work if this data package is shared in whole or by individual components. A generic citation is provided for this data package on the website https://portal.edirepository.org (herein "website") in the summary metadata page. Communication (and collaboration) with the creators of this data package is recommended to prevent duplicate research or publication. This data package (and its components) is made available "as is" and with no warranty of accuracy or fitness for use. The creators of this data package and the website shall not be liable for any damages resulting from misinterpretation or misuse of the data package or its components. Periodic updates of this data package may be available from the website. Thank you.

Keywords

By Thesaurus:
LTER Controlled Vocabularyturbidity, salt marshes, geomorphology, wetlands, suspended solids

Methods and Protocols

These methods, instrumentation and/or protocols apply to all data in this dataset:

Methods and protocols used in the collection of this data package
Description:

We measured turbidity along a transect from channel to marsh interior, from in June 2016 to January 2017. We measured turbidity (NTU) with optical back scatter sensors along a shore normal transect. The transect consisted of three turbidity sensors, with one in the channel (YSI 6600), and two on the marsh surface (referred to as the channel sensor and marsh sensors, respectively). The “marsh edge sensor” was 2.4m from the channel edge (Seapoint, RBR Solo) and the “marsh interior sensor” was 18m from the edge (Seapoint, RBR Duo). The sensors measured every 15 minutes and were equipped with automatic wipers to reduce biofouling. Sensors were cleaned and maintained and the data downloaded on approximately bimonthly site visits. Following retrieval, the turbidity time series data was filtered to remove any erroneous points and times when the sensors were fouled or exposed (Ganju et al. 2005).

Turbidity data was converted to suspended sediment concentration (SSC) via a combination of in situ field sampling and laboratory calibrations using sediment collected from the site. In the field, we measured turbidity with an additional sensor at various locations around the site and at different tidal stages, and collected a water sample in conjunction with each reading. In the lab, we created sediment-water slurries with a range of SSC and used a turbidity sensor to measure the slurries while they were kept in constant motion to avoid sediment settling. We compared sensor turbidity measurements to total suspended solid measurements obtained via vacuum filtration of water samples from the site and lab-created water-sediment slurries. The y-intercept value was set to zero, resulting in the equation SSC (mg/L) =1.33*Sensor Turbidity (NTU) (R2=0.9345, n=26, p<<0.001).

Instrument(s):YSI 6600; Seapoint, RBR Solo; Seapoint, RBR Duo

People and Organizations

Publishers:
Organization:Environmental Data Initiative
Email Address:
info@environmentaldatainitiative.org
Web Address:
https://environmentaldatainitiative.org
Creators:
Individual: Daniel J Coleman
Organization:Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Address:
United States
Email Address:
dan.j.coleman@outlook.com
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4243-9153
Individual: Matthew L Kirwan
Organization:Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Email Address:
kirwan@vims.edu
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0658-3038
Contacts:
Individual: Daniel J Coleman
Email Address:
dan.j.coleman@outlook.com
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4243-9153
Associated Parties:
Individual: Matthew L Kirwan
Email Address:
kirwan@vims.edu
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0658-3038
Role:PI

Temporal, Geographic and Taxonomic Coverage

Temporal, Geographic and/or Taxonomic information that applies to all data in this dataset:

Time Period
Begin:
2016-06-03
End:
2017-01-28
Sampling Site: 
Description:18m transect west of Little Broughton Island in the Altamaha River, Georgia, USA
Site Coordinates:
Longitude (degree): -81.406667Latitude (degree): 31.299722

Project

Parent Project Information:

Title:The effect of a small vegetation dieback event on salt marsh sediment transport
Personnel:
Individual: Daniel J Coleman
Email Address:
dan.j.coleman@outlook.com
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4243-9153
Role:Lead author
Individual: Matthew L Kirwan
Email Address:
kirwan@vims.edu
Id:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0658-3038
Role:PhD Advisor
Abstract:

Vegetation is a critical component of the ecogeomorphic feedbacks that allow a salt marsh to build soil and accrete vertically. Vegetation dieback can therefore have detrimental effects on marsh stability, especially under conditions of rising sea levels. Here, we report a variety of sediment transport measurements associated with an unexpected, natural dieback in a rapidly prograding marsh in the Altamaha River Estuary, GA. We find that vegetation mortality led to a significant loss in elevation at the dieback site as evidenced by measurements of vertical accretion, erosion, and surface topography compared to vegetated reference areas. Belowground vegetation mortality led to reduced soil shear strength. The dieback site displayed an erosional, concave-up topographic profile, in contrast to the reference sites. At the location directly impacted by the dieback, there was a reduction in flood dominance of suspended sediment concentration. Our work illustrates how a vegetation disturbance can at least temporarily reverse the local trajectory of a prograding marsh and produce complex patterns of sediment transport.

Maintenance

Maintenance:
Description:

Data collection has terminated and dat product is final

Frequency:
Other Metadata

Additional Metadata

additionalMetadata
        |___text '\n        '
        |___element 'metadata'
        |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |___element 'unitList'
        |     |     |___text '\n                '
        |     |     |___element 'unit'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'id' = 'NTU'
        |     |     |     |  \___attribute 'name' = 'NTU'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n                    '
        |     |     |     |___element 'description'
        |     |     |     |     |___text 'Nephelometric Turbidity Unit'
        |     |     |     |___text '\n                '
        |     |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |___text '\n        '
        |___text '\n    '

Additional Metadata

additionalMetadata
        |___text '\n        '
        |___element 'metadata'
        |     |___text '\n            '
        |     |___element 'emlEditor'
        |     |        \___attribute 'app' = 'ezEML'
        |     |        \___attribute 'release' = '2021.08.25'
        |     |___text '\n        '
        |___text '\n    '

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