ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Particle size, organic matter (OM) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN: nitrite, nitrate and ammonium) in the sediments as well as in the water column of two temperate estuaries, the Scheldt Estuary in Belgium and the Netherlands, and the Fraser Estuary in Canada, were investigated. The results show that the vertical distribution of OM and DIN in a sediment layer is affected by the instability, caused by episodic resuspension and re-deposition, of the uppermost sediment layer. This study suggests that, next to the biogeochemical processes, the OM and DIN distributions in the upper layer sediments are influenced by different sedimentary processes in the estuarine environment. The same sedimentary processes even in different estuaries affect OM and DIN distributions in an equivalent way. Correspondingly, the similarity or difference in OM and DIN distribution to a certain extent reflects the sedimentary dynamics.
