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Title: Hazards in determination and extrapolation of depositional rates of recent sediments

Abstract

Calculation of depositional rates for the past 250 years in estuarine sediments at sites in the Gulf of Mexico have been carried out by measuring changes that have taken place on bathymetric charts. Depositional rates during the past 50 to 100 years can similarly be estimated by this method and may be often confirmed by relatively abrupt changes at depth in the content of certain heavy metals in core samples. Analysis of bathymetric charts of Mobile Bay, Alabama, dating back to 1858, disclosed an essentially constant sedimentation rate of 3.9 mm/year. Apalachicola Bay, Florida, similarly, was found to have a rate of 5.4 mm/year. Though, in theory, these rates should provide reliable estimates of the influx of sediment into the estuaries, considerable caution must be used in attempting to extrapolate them to any depth in core samples. The passage of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico is a common event and can rapidly, and markedly, alter the bathymetry of an estuary. The passage of Hurricane Elena near Apalachicola Bay in 1985, for example, removed over 84 million tons of sediment from the bay and caused an average deepening of nearly 50 cm. The impact of Hurricane Frederick on Mobile Baymore » in 1979 was more dramatic. During the approximate 7 hour period when winds from this storm impacted the estuary, nearly 290 million tons of sediment was driven out of the bay and an average deepening of 46 cm was observed. With such weather events common in the Gulf Coast, it is not surprising that when radioactive age dating methods were used to obtain dates of approximately 7,500 years for organic remains in cores from Apalachicola Bay, that the depths at which the dated materials were obtained in the cores corresponded to depositional rates of only 0.4 mm/year, or one-tenth that obtained from historic bathymetric data. Because storm scour effects are a common occurrence in the Gulf, no attempt should be made to extrapolate bathymetric-derived rates to beyond the age of the charts.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL (United States). Dept. of Geology-Geography
  2. Volkert Environmental Group, Inc., Mobile, AL (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5687713
Report Number(s):
CONF-921058-
Journal ID: ISSN 0016-7592; CODEN: GAAPBC
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; Journal ID: ISSN 0016-7592
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BATHYMETRY; RELIABILITY; COASTAL REGIONS; SEDIMENTATION; ALABAMA; EROSION; ESTUARIES; FLORIDA; GULF OF MEXICO; HURRICANES; SEDIMENTS; ATLANTIC OCEAN; CARIBBEAN SEA; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; DISASTERS; NORTH AMERICA; SEAS; STORMS; SURFACE WATERS; USA; 580000* - Geosciences; 540210 - Environment, Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)

Citation Formats

Isphording, W C, and Jackson, R B. Hazards in determination and extrapolation of depositional rates of recent sediments. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Isphording, W C, & Jackson, R B. Hazards in determination and extrapolation of depositional rates of recent sediments. United States.
Isphording, W C, and Jackson, R B. 1992. "Hazards in determination and extrapolation of depositional rates of recent sediments". United States.
@article{osti_5687713,
title = {Hazards in determination and extrapolation of depositional rates of recent sediments},
author = {Isphording, W C and Jackson, R B},
abstractNote = {Calculation of depositional rates for the past 250 years in estuarine sediments at sites in the Gulf of Mexico have been carried out by measuring changes that have taken place on bathymetric charts. Depositional rates during the past 50 to 100 years can similarly be estimated by this method and may be often confirmed by relatively abrupt changes at depth in the content of certain heavy metals in core samples. Analysis of bathymetric charts of Mobile Bay, Alabama, dating back to 1858, disclosed an essentially constant sedimentation rate of 3.9 mm/year. Apalachicola Bay, Florida, similarly, was found to have a rate of 5.4 mm/year. Though, in theory, these rates should provide reliable estimates of the influx of sediment into the estuaries, considerable caution must be used in attempting to extrapolate them to any depth in core samples. The passage of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico is a common event and can rapidly, and markedly, alter the bathymetry of an estuary. The passage of Hurricane Elena near Apalachicola Bay in 1985, for example, removed over 84 million tons of sediment from the bay and caused an average deepening of nearly 50 cm. The impact of Hurricane Frederick on Mobile Bay in 1979 was more dramatic. During the approximate 7 hour period when winds from this storm impacted the estuary, nearly 290 million tons of sediment was driven out of the bay and an average deepening of 46 cm was observed. With such weather events common in the Gulf Coast, it is not surprising that when radioactive age dating methods were used to obtain dates of approximately 7,500 years for organic remains in cores from Apalachicola Bay, that the depths at which the dated materials were obtained in the cores corresponded to depositional rates of only 0.4 mm/year, or one-tenth that obtained from historic bathymetric data. Because storm scour effects are a common occurrence in the Gulf, no attempt should be made to extrapolate bathymetric-derived rates to beyond the age of the charts.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5687713}, journal = {Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)},
issn = {0016-7592},
number = ,
volume = 24:7,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}

Conference:
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