Journal article

Bedforms as Biocatalytic Filters: A Pumping and Streamline Segregation Model for Nitrate Removal in Permeable Sediments

Morvarid Azizian, Stanley B Grant, Adam J Kessler, Perran LM Cook, Megan A Rippy, Michael J Stewardson

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | AMER CHEMICAL SOC | Published : 2015

Abstract

Bedforms are a focal point of carbon and nitrogen cycling in streams and coastal marine ecosystems. In this paper, we develop and test a mechanistic model, the "pumping and streamline segregation" or PASS model, for nitrate removal in bedforms. The PASS model dramatically reduces computational overhead associated with modeling nitrogen transformations in bedforms and reproduces (within a factor of 2 or better) previously published measurements and models of biogeochemical reaction rates, benthic fluxes, and in-sediment nutrient and oxygen concentrations. Application of the PASS model to a diverse set of marine and freshwater environments indicates that (1) physical controls on nitrate remova..

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Grants

Awarded by U.S. National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education


Awarded by Australian Research Council Discovery Projects


Awarded by Australian Research Council


Awarded by Office Of The Director; Office Of Internatl Science &Engineering


Funding Acknowledgements

We thank A. McCluskey, E. Gee, A. Herrero, B. Celine, R. Casas-Mulet, A. Mehring, and B. Winfrey for their comments and edits on the manuscript. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the U.S. National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (OISE-1243543) and the Australian Research Council Discovery Projects (DP130103619 and DP1096457).