Seasonal Temperature Distributions and Variations in Salt Marshes: Field Investigation and Numerical Simulation

作者：Xiayang Yu, Xinghua Xu, Lucheng Zhan, Haifeng Cheng, Pei Xin · 发表于：Water Resources Research · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1029/2023wr037016 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics、Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology、Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics

Abstract Soil temperature regulates biogeochemical processes and is a key environmental factor affecting salt marsh ecosystems. Previous studies on soil temperature and heat transport in intertidal marshes predominantly focused on short‐term changes, leaving seasonal variations unclear. This study conducted a yearlong field and modeling investigation to examine temporal and spatial temperature variations in a creek‐marsh section under estuarine and meteorological influences. The results showed that inundating tidal water propagated the seasonal water temperature signal to marsh soils, especially at low elevations, thereby modulating air temperature‐induced soil temperature variations and distributions. The response of soil temperature to air and tidal water temperatures exhibited a damped and delayed pattern. In contrast, tide‐induced porewater circulations near the creek facilitated the temperature responses. A regression model incorporating a Gamma distribution function was developed to quantify the delayed and cumulative thermal effects of tidal water and air on shallow soil temperatures. The model coefficients varied along the creek‐marsh section, capturing the seasonal regulation of periodic tidal inundation on soil temperature in the low‐elevation marsh and near the creek. Sensitivity analyses indicated that relative sea level rise lowered yearly‐averaged temperatures for the marsh platform by enhancing latent heat export. Surface water warming increased the marsh tempe...