Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Database

Acceptance and utilization of LTER data requires that:

(1) The Principal Investigator be sent a notice stating reasons for acquiring any data and a description of the publication intentions.
(2) The Principal Investigator of the data set be sent a copy of the report or manuscript prior to submission and be adequately cited in any resultant publications.
(3) A copy of any resultant publications should be sent to:

Principal Investigator
Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543

Dataset URLs:METADATA: HTML, Rich Text, XML(EML compliant)
DATA: Comma Delimited, Excel file with Metadata and data
Dataset ID:MAR-PR-Wtable-T-2006.01
Dataset Title:Marsh water table height, logging data from the Typha site on the upper Parker River for April-December 2006.
Investigator 1: 
First Name:Charles
Last Name:Hopkinson
Address line 1:Ecosystems Center
Address line 2:MBL
Address line 3:7 MBL St
City:Woods Hole
State:MA
Zip Code:02543
Country:USA
Associate Investigators:John Logan, Emily Gaines
Keywords:LTER, PIE, Plum Island Ecosystems, Massachusetts, Parker River, disturbance, estuary, Typha sp., water table, porewater, marsh, elevation
Abstract:Readings of water table height, taken every 10 minutes, by a transect of water level loggers running perpendicular to the Parker River bank at Site T for April-December 2006.
Contact: Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Information Manager
The Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Lab
7 MBL St
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Phone (508) 289 7485
Email: pie_im@mbl.edu
Online URL: http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/
DATA FILE INFORMATION:
Data File URL http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/data/MAR/data/MAR-PR-Wtable-T-2006.dat
Data File Name MAR-PR-Wtable-T-2006
Beginning Date 4/27/2006
End Date 12/5/2006
Number of Data Records 31943
Other Files to Reference
Availability Status Type 1
Quality Control Information
Maintenance Description no new data for 2006, collection done
Log of Changes: 01) 26Sep2007, new file with EML metadata level 4-5
 
RESEARCH LOCATION: Site 1 Site 2
Geographic Description Upper Parker river, Typha-dominated marsh edge, PR-21.75 km  
Location Bounding Box    
West Bounding Coordinate    
East Bounding Coordinate    
North Bounding Coordinate    
South Bounding Coordinate    
OR if single point location    
Latitude 42.9007771166666  
Longitude -70.9150511583333  
Elevation    
     
     
 
TAXONOMIC COVERAGE:
Taxonomic Protocols
Organisms studied Typha sp.
 
Methods:A transect of wells is established on the marsh platform, perpendicular to the marsh edge. A total of 5 wells are dug to the depth of the water table under the marsh platform. Wells 1-4 are spaced approximately evenly within the first 5m of marsh edge with well 5 approximately 20m upland from the marsh edge. A water level logger, referred to as the tide gauge, (Onset HOBO U20 series) is placed at the river bottom directly in front of the transect . Individual water level loggers (Onset HOBO U20 series) are used in each well and they measure water height in terms of absolute pressure. Barometric pressure is measured above ground with an additional Onset HOBO U20 series water level logger to tease out the atmospheric pressure from water column pressure. Prior to deployment, each water level logger is sealed in protective plastic whirl-pak bags filled with freshwater, and calibrated to known water depths. Once in the field, water height measurements, in terms of absolute pressure, are recorded every 10 minutes. Pressure readings are uploaded from the HOBO water level loggers using HOBOware software which compensates for temperature, fluid density, and barometric pressure, then are converted to absolute water height above the river bottom.



Well Location Information:
Logger Well Height of Marsh Surface Above Creek Bottom (m) Horizontal Distance Upland of Creek Edge (m)
1 (tide gauge) 0 -9.43
2 1 2.25 -1.13
3 2 3.14 0
4 3 3.15 1.47
5 4 3.22 3.93
6 5 3.35 21.57

Logger 1 tide gauge located on river bottom.
Marsh wells 1-5, numbered consecutively moving upland.

NOTES AND COMMENTS: Due to occasional equipment malfunction, readings are not continuous throughout the field season. Times in EST.

Data Table

Variable Name Variable Description Units Measurement Scale Code Information Number Type DateTime Format Missing Value Code Missing Value Code Explanation
Time Date and minute of water height measurement   datetime     mm-dd-yyyy hh:mm   blank cell
Logger 1 (tide gauge) Dc (m) Depth of water (in m) above creek bottom relative to the tide gauge meter ratio   real     blank cell
Logger 2 Dc (m) Depth of water (in m) above creek bottom relative to the tide gauge meter ratio   real     blank cell
Logger 3 Dc (m) Depth of water (in m) above creek bottom relative to the tide gauge meter ratio   real     blank cell
Logger 4 Dc (m) Depth of water (in m) above creek bottom relative to the tide gauge meter ratio   real     blank cell
Logger 5 Dc (m) Depth of water (in m) above creek bottom relative to the tide gauge meter ratio   real     blank cell
Logger 6 Dc (m) Depth of water (in m) above creek bottom relative to the tide gauge meter ratio   real     blank cell
Comments Information pertaining to individual data points   nominal         blank cell