FESDIA (v1.0): exploring temporal variations of sediment biogeochemistry under the influence of flood events using numerical modelling

Type Article
Date 2022-10
Language English
Author(s) Nmor Stanley, I1, Viollier Eric1, 4, Pastor Lucie2, Lansard Bruno1, Rabouille Christophe1, Soetaert Karline3
Affiliation(s) 1 : Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL,CEA-CNRS-UVSQ-Université Paris Saclay, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France
2 : Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Ifremer – Centre de Bretagne, 29280 Plouzané, France
3 : Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Korringaweg 7, P.O. Box 140, 4401 NT Yerseke, the Netherlands
4 : Institut de Physique Du Globe de Paris, 1 Rue Jussieu, Université Paris Cité, 75238, Paris CEDEX 05, France
Source Geoscientific Model Development (1991-959X) (Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh), 2022-10 , Vol. 15 , N. 19 , P. 7325-7351
DOI 10.5194/gmd-15-7325-2022
WOS© Times Cited 1
Abstract

Episodic events of flood deposit in coastal environments are characterized by deposition of large quantities of sediment containing reactive organic matter within short periods of time. While steady-state modelling is common in sediment biogeochemical modelling, the inclusion of these events in current early diagenesis models has yet to be demonstrated. We adapted an existing model of early diagenetic processes to include the ability to mimic an immediate organic carbon deposition. The new model version (FESDIA) written in Fortran and R programming language was able to reproduce the basic trends from field sediment porewater data affected by the November 2008 flood event in the Rhone River prodelta. Simulation experiments on two end-member scenarios of sediment characteristics dictated by field observation (1-high thickness deposit, with low TOC (total organic carbon) and 2-low thickness, with high TOC), reveal contrasting evolutions of post-depositional profiles. A first-order approximation of the differences between subsequent profiles was used to characterize the timing of recovery (i.e. relaxation time) from this alteration. Our results indicate a longer relaxation time of approximately 4 months for SO42- and 5 months for DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) in the first scenario, and less than 3 months for the second scenario which agreed with timescale observed in the field. A sensitivity analysis across a spectrum of these end-member cases for the organic carbon content (described as the enrichment factor alpha) and for sediment thickness indicates that the relaxation time for oxygen, sulfate, and DIC decreases with increasing organic enrichment for a sediment deposition that is less than 5 cm. However, for larger deposits (> 14 cm), the relaxation time for oxygen, sulfate, and DIC increases with alpha. This can be related to the depth-dependent availability of oxidant and the diffusion of species. This study emphasizes the significance of these sediment characteristics in determining the sediment's short-term response in the presence of an episodic event. Furthermore, the model described here provides a useful tool to better understand the magnitude and dynamics of flooding event on biogeochemical reactions on the seafloor.

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How to cite 

Nmor Stanley, I, Viollier Eric, Pastor Lucie, Lansard Bruno, Rabouille Christophe, Soetaert Karline (2022). FESDIA (v1.0): exploring temporal variations of sediment biogeochemistry under the influence of flood events using numerical modelling. Geoscientific Model Development, 15(19), 7325-7351. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-7325-2022 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00799/91092/