Reports
Chesapeake Bay Earth Science Study: interstitial water chemistry, final report
1981, Hill, J.M. and Conkwright, R.D.
Open-File Report 3
Abstract
The bottom sediments of Chesapeake Bay constitute a large reservoir of chemical species derived from natural and anthropogenic sources. These sediments may serve as a source or a sink of material to the water column and biota. This depends upon: 1) The rate of transfer of materials across the sediment-water interface; 2) The rate and nature of chemical reactions occurring in the sediment; 3) The physical setting, and composition of the solids of the sediment and the overlying water column. The interstitial water is a key element in understanding these processes. It is the medium in which the sediments react and through which material is transported within the sediment and across the sediment-water interface. This study represents the collection and analyses of interstitial water samples taken from 97, one meter long, cores. The sampling grid provides good coverage of the main portion of the Chesapeake Bay at three separate seasonal conditions. The sample collection and analytical procedures are described. The data reported are in two categories: 1) Chemical parameters of the interstitial water; Eh, pH, pS=, conductivity (as salinity), Fe, Mn, and Si02; 2) Physical properties of the associated sediment; lithologic description, water content and calculated porosity, and bulk density. Also presented are the estimated fluxes and graphical presentation of all of the chemical parameters measured on the interstitial water samples; this includes the data in this report and the companion study's report of Tyree, et al. (Grant No. R8059660). Preliminary interpretation of the general chemistry of the sedimentary environment based on this data is discussed.
