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Basic
equation
mudllat-marsh
for upward growth. Peatformation on salt marshes. Other than being an un-
Mudflats grading upinto saltmarshesarisein the high lithified, plant-dominated sediment,there is no general
intertidal zone of open coasts in response tothe growth agreement as to how peat should be defined composition-
and movement of sheltering barrier islands and spits and, ally, and it is here taken to be a material containing 75%
743
l44 SHORT PAPER
(a)
hiahesl astronomical tide
(dry mass) ormore of organic matter.Theremainder is The numerical value of k depends on (1) the weight percent
minerogenic. of organic matter required by the definition, (2) the solids
An inspection of Eq. (1) will show whether or not a peat density of the mineral particles and organic matter, and (3)
so defined can form in a tidal setting when relative sea-level the fractional porosity of the depositedmaterialbefore
is rising. Two issues are relevant. First, under what 'long-range' compaction. For peat as above, quartz-density
circumstances will a mudflat-marsh build up to a state of mineral matter and an intermediate fractional porosity (say,
dynamic equilibrium, thatis, can it rise to a constant 0.4), k is approximately 0.18. When the inequality is not
elevation relative to the tidal frame? Secondly, under what satisfied, the proportion of organic matter falls below that
conditions is thebalancebetweenthe minerogenic and allowing the deposit on the equilibrium marsh to be called
organogenic supplies to that surface such as to create peat? peat. The marsh is then minerogenic.
The required state of dynamic equilibrium is equivalent
to putting dE/dt = 0 in Eq. (1). We then see that dynamic Some ealcnletions. It is interesting to attempt to estimate,
equilibrium is possible when the minerogenic term is zero, forreal mudflat-marsh systems, at what actualelevation
provided thatthe organogenicsupply precisely balances relative to the tidal frame a peat could form under condi-
compaction and sea-level rise combined.Equilibrium is tions of dynamic equilibrium and of rising relativesea-
attainable, however, only after an infinitely long time, when level.
the marsh will have ascended to the elevation of the highest Assuming the independent sea-level term to be constant
astronomical tide (nil minerogenic supply). When the and thatthe organogenic and compactionterms are also
organogenic term falls below the combined sea-level and constant on account of the expected nature of the functions,
compaction terms, equilibrium becomes possible in a finite Eq. (1) was integrated numerically for the known tidal and
time,because the value of the minerogenic termthen fine-sediment regimes of the SevernEstuary in southwest
satisfying dE/dt = 0 is non-zero. Thestable equilibrium Britain.Although severely macrotidal, the estuaryhas a
surface consequently forms at an elevation below that of the typical semi-diurnal tidal regime (Pugh 1987), as shown by
highest astronomical tide,thedegree of its depression the predictedastronomical tides for thestandardport of
increasing with the deficit between the organogenic and the Avonmouth (e.g. Hydrographer of the Navy 1988). The
combined sea-level and compaction terms. main features are an extreme tidal range of 14.8 m, mean
The sedimentsteadilydeposited on this dynamically spring and neap ranges of 12.3 m and 6.5 m respectively,
stable surface has a constant composition determined by the mean high-water springs of 13.2 m above tidal datum and
relative importance of the two sediment terms in Eq. (1). mean high-water neaps of 10.0m.Theestuarine waters
Further substituting dS,,,,/dt = k(dS,,Jdt), where k > 0 is a contain much flocculated silt and clay which, with varying
coefficient, the condition that the depositmeetscomposi- degrees of time lag, changesinconcentration with tidal
tionally some chosen definition of a peat (organogenic height on semidiurnal, semilunar, lunar and seasonal time
marsh) is scales (Hydraulics Research Station 1981; Kirby 1986). The
characteristicparticlefractionalvolumeconcentration and
settling velocity, however, are 2.25 X 10-4 and 2.5 X
10-4m S-' respectively. The minerogenicterm is then
J . R. L . ALLEN 745
calculated from these base values on introducing (1) I thank H. Begg for the calculations underlying Fig. 1 . The work
empirical loading factors accounting for observed variations waspartlysupportedbyaResearchGrantfrom theNational
in concentration with season and tidal height,and (2) an Environment Research Council, which is gratefully acknowledged.
empirical factor allowing forsome wave- andcurrent- Reading University PRIS contribution No. 063.
controllednon-deposition and resuspension of the tidal
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