Interstitial Waters of Recent Marine Muds Off Cape Cod

Abstract

Interstitial waters of Recent muds off Cape Cod have salinities higher than the present ocean water in the same location and pH values lower than normal sea water in equilibrium with the atmosphere. The salinities may be either "paleosalinities" or an effect produced by behavior of the clay-water system as a semipermeable membrane. The low pH values are due to higher pressures of CO₂ in the sediment, probably coming from bacterial decomposition of organic matter.