sediment
Newsletter
Credit: Jossuha Théophile/Unsplash
Saving vital marshlands along Intracoastal Waterway
Researchers hope that using dredged sediment can both restore marshes and maintain the East Coast’s marine highway.
In short:
- Scientists added a thin layer of sediment to marshes along Georgia’s Intracoastal Waterway in 2019 to combat erosion and sea level rise.
- Monitoring over five years showed promising results, with significant vegetation regrowth and sediment stability.
- The technique could help protect marshlands and ensure the waterway remains navigable, but further research and technological advancements are needed.
Key quote:
"The test is going to be 10 years, 20 years on, to see how this area of marsh compares to the marsh around it."
— Christine Hladik, associate professor of geography at Georgia Southern University.
Why this matters:
Salt marshes, those lush coastal ecosystems, play an unsung role in safeguarding our shorelines. Acting as natural buffers, they absorb wave energy and trap sediments, effectively reducing erosion and mitigating flooding. Yet these vital landscapes are in peril, facing a rapid decline spurred by climate change.
Keep reading...Show less
Omri D. Cohen/Unsplash
Rain gardens are on the rise in cities, and for good reason
The city’s sewer system, which combines storm runoff and raw sewage in some areas, has a history of overflowing. Instead of flowing into a treatment plant, that toxic mix, along with the sediment, trash and other pollutants storm water washes off streets, ends up in rivers.
Photo by sara nudaveritas on Unsplash
From carbon sink to source: the stark changes in Arctic lakes
For millennia, lakes in Greenland’s dry tundra have locked up huge loads of carbon in their sediment. But as the Arctic becomes warmer and wetter, scientists believe these lakes could become sources of carbon, which would have important consequences for the world’s climate.
Newsletter
Photo by Joshua Leong on Unsplash
The oceans are missing their rivers
For billions of years, rivers connected continents to the sea. Then we came along.
Photo by Cate Bligh on Unsplash
Climate change is worsening the water quality issues at the center of a dispute over Lake Auburn
Climate change has been contributing to worsening water quality in Lake Auburn, as winter ice cover diminishes, and water temperatures are rising, giving algae more time to grow. And more extreme storm events can dump sediment and runoff which further degrade water quality.
The world’s dams are filling up — but not with water
Accumulating sediment in reservoirs is affecting how much water dams can hold back to supply water for drinking, irrigation and flood control.
Searching the ocean for secrets to help fight climate change
By sampling prehistoric sediments in the ocean floor, geologist Hartmut Schulz hopes to identify ancient analogues of today’s warming world.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
