Salt Marsh Sediment Cores from Cape Cod with Age-Dating and Carbon Data, 2015-16

Nineteen sediment cores were collected from five salt marshes on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, by the United States Geological Survey between 2015 and 2016. The cores, up to 168 cm long, provide measurements of dry bulk density, carbon content, land surface elevation, and radionuclide activity. The data represent a chronosequence of tidal marsh restoration occurring between 2001 and 2010.

Use Cases

• Modeling vertical accretion rates based on lead-210 and cesium-137 radionuclide dating.
• Analyzing carbon burial rates over time using measured carbon content percentages.
• Evaluating the impact of tidal restoration by comparing upstream and downstream core sites.
• Assessing organic matter sources using carbon isotope measurements.

Strengths

• Nineteen cores collected from five distinct marsh sites provide spatial replication.
• Cores represent a restoration chronosequence spanning 2001 to 2010.
• Includes specific measurements like carbon content (0.12% to 48.91%) and dry bulk density (0.04 to 2.62 g/cm³).
• Land surface elevation was measured for each site, ranging from 0.484 to 1.51 meters relative to NAVD88.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

United States Geological Survey (USGS), author O'Keefe Suttles.

Collection Method

Collection, analysis, and gamma counting of sediment cores from natural and restored salt marshes.

Time Range

2015-2016 (collection), with core data representing a restoration chronosequence from 2001-2010.

Geography

Five salt marshes on the northern shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.