Dynamic oxygenation of shallow intertidal aquifer by fluctuating water table in Oman coast

Intertidal zone sediments host many biogeochemical processes which drastically affect coastal ecosystems. Dissolved O2 plays a major role in many of these different biogeochemical reactions, and is of primary importance for intertidal groundwater quality. Groundwater level of intertidal zone fluctuates frequently corresponding to the tidal cycle. During the fluctuation of water table and capillary fringe caused, the oxygen-rich air could be entrapped in the pore space of sediments, and hence enhance the O2 transfer from air to the water phase. This proposal aims to use field core sample, laboratory experiments, and numerical model to test the hypothesis that tidal fluctuation enhances O2 transfer from air to water through entrapped air, and to investigate how the amplitude and frequency of the water table fluctuation influence this oxygenation of the shallow intertidal aquifer in Oman. Moreover, the findings from this study will provide fundament for further investigations on how water table fluctuation and the responding dynamic oxygenation influence specific biogeochemical reactions in intertidal ecosystems of Oman.