Abstract
Sandy subtidal sediments are part of the earth's largest filter system. Water flow through bottom sediments is driven by wave action on the sea surface. The mechanisms involved are described, including a theoretical deduction and field measurements. As an example, the total water exchange through part of the West Atlantic shelf is computed and the influence of the phenomenon is discussed from a biological point of view and with regard to its importance for the world's oceans.
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Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
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Riedl, R.J., Huang, N. & Machan, R. The subtidal pump: a mechanism of interstitial water exchange by wave action. Mar. Biol. 13, 210–221 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391379
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391379