Heat and dissolved oxygen exchanges between the sediment and water column in a shallow salty lagoon

Abstract

Dissolved oxygen (DO) and heat exchanges across the water-sediment interface (WSI) of a shallow lagoon are controlled by processes occurring on both sides of the WSI, particularly volumetric source and sink on the sediment side and turbulent transport on the waterside. This article presents and analyzes measurements of DO (Js) and heat (Hg) fluxes across the WSI in the extremely shallow lagoon of Salar del Huasco (20.274°S, 68.883°W, 3800m above sea level), where volumetric source of DO and heat exists in the sediment layer, related to benthic primary production and absorption of solar radiation, respectively. Microprofiles of temperature and DO were measured, and they were used for measuring Js and Hg, and volumetric source/sink terms in the sediments. This information was used to propose and validate the simple theoretical framework to predict both the magnitude and direction of Js and Hg. On the one hand, Js can be predicted with a simple algebraic expression, where the diffusional mass transfer coefficient defines the magnitude of Js while the direction is controlled by the balance between DO production and consumption in the sediments. On the other hand, solar radiation is absorbed in the upper sediments, and this heat diffuses toward the water column and the sediments. The heat flux toward the water column also induces unstable convection that promotes vertical transport across the WSI. The theoretical framework proposed here will help to understand DO and heat budgets of shallow aquatic systems in which solar radiation reaches the WSI.