Evidence of mineral alteration in a salt marsh subterranean estuary: Implications for carbon and trace element cycling

JGR Biogeosciences
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Abstract

Subterranean estuaries (STE) in salt marshes are biogeochemically active zones where interactions between terrestrial groundwater and seawater drive complex cycling of carbon and trace elements, influenced by mineral dissolution. These systems, characterized by fine-grained organic-rich peat overlying permeable coastal aquifers, play a crucial role as a blue carbon sink, yet their geochemical dynamics remain poorly understood. We investigated dissolved trace elements, carbon, silica, and radium isotopes in a salt marsh STE (Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, MA) over seasonal and annual cycles. Our results reveal that groundwater and estuarine water circulation through marsh peat and aquifer sediments leads to enrichments of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC), Si, Ba, and Mn, with variable source/sink behavior of Fe and net removal of U. Submarine groundwater discharge dominated Ba fluxes, whereas pore water drainage from marsh peat acted as the main sink for U and source of Si. Fe cycling was variable, with terrestrial Fe largely removed as groundwater passed through the STE, consistent with Fe-sulfide and amorphous phase formation. Radium isotope ratios identified two distinct subsurface flow pathways, influenced by metal-oxide cycling and organic matter breakdown. Si production was decoupled from DIC, suggesting Si originates from mineral alteration, whereas DIC results from both mineral weathering and microbial respiration. Silicate mineral alteration, coupled with marsh pore water drainage, accounts for up to 16% of annual DIC exports (66 g C m−2 y−1), highlighting the importance of STEs in coastal carbon and trace element cycling, especially as marshes face environmental change.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Evidence of mineral alteration in a salt marsh subterranean estuary: Implications for carbon and trace element cycling
Series title JGR Biogeosciences
DOI 10.1029/2025JG008758
Volume 130
Issue 5
Publication Date May 12, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Contributing office(s) Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description e2025JG008758, 19 p.
Country United States
State Massachusetts
Other Geospatial Cape Cod, Sage Lot Pond salt marsh observatory
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