Abstract
Sediment depth distributions and fluxes of dissolved chemical substances have been interpreted as being a result of reaction, diffusion, bioturbation and irrigation1,2. However, several studies suggest that density-driven convection3 can alter the depth distribution and increase the fluxes of dissolved substances when density decreases below the sediment surface4–7. We present here temperature–time series measurements for a freshwater lake undergoing autumn cooling. These are the first in situ observations of heat transport due to motion of interstitial waters over periods of less than 1 hour. Density, calculated from temperature, decreases with depth at the time and place that this motion occurs.
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Musgrave, D., Reeburgh, W. Density-driven interstitial water motion in sediments. Nature 299, 331–334 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/299331a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/299331a0
