Open-incubation, diffusion methods for measuring solute reaction rates in sediments

Major advantages of the plug incubation method are that interactions between classes of sedimentary reactions can be examined by manipulating the composition of the stirred water reservoir, and kinetic relations, such as reaction order, can be inferred from comparisons of reaction rate with steady-state concentrations of pore water solutes. The water reservoir-size and sediment thickness can be altered to allow rapid estimates of reaction rates at near steady-state or to examine nonsteady-state behavior. -from Authors