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VARIABILITY OF BOTTOM SEDIMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES 1
Author(s) -
Suedel Burton C.,
Rodgers John H.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1991.tb03117.x
Subject(s) - sediment , estuary , oceanography , continental shelf , hydrology (agriculture) , physiographic province , environmental science , geology , total organic carbon , ecology , geomorphology , biology , geotechnical engineering
Sediment characteristics of samples from physiographic provinces of the continental United States were examined to determine variability within and among physiographic provinces and to compare characteristics of freshwater and saltwater sediments. Organic carbon, particle size distribution, particle surface area, cation exchange capacity, redox potential, and percent solids were examined for a variety of lotic and lentic freshwater sediment samples and nearshore estuarine and marine samples from the continental United States. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) within and among physiographic provinces for both freshwater and saltwater sediment samples. Sediment characteristics within physiographic provinces were as variable as characteristics among provinces. Freshwater sediment characteristics were not significantly different (p < 0.05) from saltwater sediment characteristics. Saltwater sediment characteristics were observed to be more strongly correlated with each other than were freshwater sediment characteristics. Based on the variability of sediment samples examined in this study, a specific site may require 50 or more replicate samples to be adequately or accurately represented.