Monitoring long-term peat subsidence with subsidence platens in Zegveld, The Netherlands

Abstract

Peat oxidation in peat meadow areas is causing greenhouse gas emissions as well as land subsidence. Due to yearly fluctuations in soil surface level, long-term monitoring is needed to determine long-term net subsidence rates. In the experimental peat-meadow farm at Zegveld (NL) subsidence platens were installed in 1970 in a field with low ditchwater level, and in 1973 in a field with high ditchwater level. Platens were installed at 7 different depths, allowing to investigate where in the peat profile subsidence occurs. Elevation of platens as well as soil surface has been measured with surveyor’s levelling each year at the end of winter, so that a long timeseries up to 2023 is available. Analysis showed that surface level in the field with high ditchwater level subsided by 24 cm in 50 years (4.8 mm/yr), while in the field with low ditchwater level this was 31 cm in 53 years (5.8 mm/yr). Results also indicated that in the field with low ditchwater level, most subsidence due to permanent shrinkage and peat oxidation occurred between 40 and 100 cm depth, while for the other field this was between 0 and 20 and between 40 and 60 cm depth. Finally, in 2023 subsidence was still observed under continuously saturated conditions at 140 cm depth. Presumably, in the aerated part of the profile peat oxidation and the associated earthification process is the main cause of subsidence, while the observed subsidence in the saturated soil at 140 cm depth must be due to other processes, such as consolidation and creep.