Mechanisms of water storage in salt marsh sediments: The importance of dilation

Direct observation of surface displacement in two New England salt marshes shows that shrinking and swelling of the sediment is an important mechanism for water storage. This mechanism accounts for 20 per cent of the total change in water content of the sediment in Belle Isle marsh, Massachusetts, and for as much as 36 per cent and 86 per cent of the total at separate sites in Sippewissett Marsh, Massachusetts. Swelling in response to infiltration appears to follow the infiltration model of Hemond et al. (1984). Shrinkage decreases the aeration of the sediment compared to soils that do not shrink, and reduced aeration represents a physiological stress to vegetation. For a given depth of water loss, e.g. one day's evapotranspiration, more shrinkage, less aeration, and higher stresses on vegetation will occur in deeper sediment deposits.