Subsurface flow in salt marsh peat: A model and field study1

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Abstract
Subsurface flow within the peat at a site 15 m from the nearest creek in Great Sippewissett Marsh was investigated by field measurements and mathematical modeling. Tidal influence was found to be slight; the subsurfice flow regime was dominated by an upward flow of groundwater in response to evapotranspirational demand. This subsurface regime may be typical of much of the marsh, but does not describe conditions near the creekbanks. Sensitivity analyses show that permeability is the most important peat property influencing subsurface flow in the interior marsh.