REPEAT: Rates and Evolution of Peat Accretion in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta

Project Chief: Judy Drexler

Wetland restoration shows great promise for mitigating land subsidence in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Currently, little is known about the temporal variability of peat accretion rates in the Delta, nor the processes controlling them. Such information is crucial for choosing the best potential sites for wetland restoration, i.e., those areas that can maintain their elevation relative to sea level and not get inundated. The goal of this project is to define and quantify processes affecting rates of peat and sediment accretion during both pre-European (ca. 10,500 B.P. - 300 B.P.) and post-European settlement (ca. 300 B.P.- present) and to use this information to understand current processes of peat formation within the Delta. We are using a broad range of biogeochemical techniques such as geochemical tracers, radioisotope analysis, palynological analysis, and environmental magnetic measurements to estimate historical rates of accretion. The accretion rates are being correlated to environmental conditions and the physical and chemical characteristics of the peat during its formation. The knowledge gained will form the basis for a predictive model of peat accretion that we will use to assess past and future changes in the carbon balance of the Delta.

Contact Information

Judy Drexler
Office phone: 916-278-3000

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