Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Biomass Shifts In Phytoplankton, Macroalgae And Seagrass With Reduced Nitrogen Loading Rates To Hillsborough Bay, J.O. R. Johansson

Reports

Presentation on Biomass Shifts In Phytoplankton, Macroalgae And Seagrass With Reduced Nitrogen Loading Rates To Hillsborough Bay.

Degassing And Hydrothermal Activity At Mt. Spurr, Alaska During The Summer Of 2004 Inferred From The Complex Frequencies Of Long-Period Events, S. De Angelis, Stephen R. Mcnutt

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Results of analyses of unusual long-period earthquakes, recorded between July and September 2004 at Mt. Spurr, Alaska, are presented. The waveforms of these events are characterized by quasi-sinusoidal signatures of long duration (up to 40 sec) with slowly decaying amplitudes; bandwidths of 0.5–4.0 Hz are typical; amplitude spectra are marked by strong and sharp peaks, reflecting the quasi-monochromatic nature of the signal. The temporal variations of the complex frequencies are investigated by use of the Sompi method; the dominant mode is resolved and its Q factor estimated for each available event. Dominant frequencies are found in the band 0.8–2.2 Hz …

Hydrology Of Vernal Pools At Three Sites, Southern Sacramento Valley, Robert J. Williamson, Graham E. Fogg, Mark C. Rains, Thomas H. Harter

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The subsurface hydrology of vernal pools at three vernal pool complexes was investigated during three wet seasons in 2002-2004. The complexes were at Gridley Ranch, Valensin Ranch, and the Mather Field in northern California. The selected complexes provided variation in soils, landforms and topography. Three vernal pools were chosen in each complex based on variation in pool type, size, and position in the drainage system. The objectives were to describe the subsurface hydrology of vernal pools to refine the conceptual model of vernal pool hydrology and to answer questions about: the size of watershed support for vernal pools, the importance …

Geochemistry Of Serpentinized Peridotites From The Mariana Forearc Conical Seamount, Odp Leg 125: Implications For The Elemental Recycling At Subduction Zones, Ivan P. Savov, Jeffrey G. Ryan, Massimo D'Antonio, Katherine Kelley, Patrick Mattie

Geology Faculty Publications

Recent examinations of the chemical fluxes through convergent plate margins suggest the existence of significant mass imbalances for many key species: only 20–30% of the to-the-trench inventory of large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) can be accounted for by the magmatic outputs of volcanic arcs. Active serpentinite mud volcanism in the shallow forearc region of the Mariana convergent margin presents a unique opportunity to study a new outflux: the products of shallow-level exchanges between the upper mantle and slab-derived fluids. ODP Leg 125 recovered serpentinized harzburgites and dunites from three sites on the crests and flanks of the active Conical Seamount. These …

Probabilistic Modeling Of Tephra Dispersal: Hazard Assessment Of A Multiphase Rhyolitic Eruption At Tarawera, New Zealand, Costanza Bonadonna, Charles B. Connor, B. F. Houghton, Laura Connor, Marc A. Byrne, A. Laing, T. K. Hincks

Geology Faculty Publications

The Tarawera Volcanic Complex comprises 11 rhyolite domes formed during five major eruptions between 17,000 B.C. and A.D. 1886, the first four of which were predominantly rhyolitic. The only historical event erupted about 2 km³ of basaltic tephra fall (A.D. 1886). The youngest rhyolitic event erupted a tephra fall volume more than 2 times larger and covered a wider area northwest and southeast of the volcano (∼A.D. 1315 Kaharoa eruption). We have used the Kaharoa scenario to assess the tephra fall hazard from a future rhyolitic eruption at Tarawera of a similar scale. The Plinian phase of this eruption …

Evidence For Static Stress Changes Triggering The 1999 Eruption Of Cerro Negro Volcano, Nicaragua And Regional Aftershock Sequences, M. Diez, P. C. La Femina, Charles B. Connor, W. Strauch, Tenorio V. Tenorio

Geology Faculty Publications

Remarkable evidence of coupling between tectonic and magmatic events emerges from investigation of three tectonic earthquakes, aftershock sequences and eruption of Cerro Negro volcano, Nicaragua in 1999. Here, we explain this coupling through static stress changes following three Mw 5.2 earthquakes. We use focal mechanism solutions to estimate fault system geometry and magnitude of slip from these events, which are then used to calculate the change in minimum horizontal principal stress (σ₃) for the region and the change in Coulomb failure stress on optimally oriented fault planes. Results of these simulations indicate that σ₃ was reduced by …

Summary Of Nutrient Enrichment Studies Of Natural Phytoplankton Populations In The Lower Hillsborough River And The Palm River Conducted On February 1 - 4, 2005, The City Of Tampa Wastewater Department

Reports

The Bay Study Group (BSG) conducted nutrient enrichment studies (bioassays) on natural phytoplankton population samples collected in the lower Hillsborough River and the Palm River on February 1, 2005. The Hillsborough River test site was located approximately 200m upriver of the Nebraska Avenue bridge (Lat: 28o 01.171’N; Lon: 82o 27.025’W) and the Palm River test site was located approximately 300m downstream from the barrier at Structure-160 (Lat: 27o 57.308’N; Lon: 82o 22.200’W).

Summary Of Nutrient Enrichment Studies Of Natural Phytoplankton Populations In The Lower Hillsborough River, The Palm River, And The Alafia River Conducted On October 18 - 22, 2004, The City Of Tampa Wastewater Department

Reports

The Bay Study Group (BSG) conducted nutrient enrichment studies (bioassays) on natural phytoplankton population samples collected in the Lower Hillsborough River, the Palm River, and the Alafia River on October 18, 2004. The Lower Hillsborough River test site was located approximately 200m upriver of the Nebraska Avenue bridge (Lat: 28o 01.171’N; Lon: 82o 27.025’W), the Palm River test site was located approximately 300m downstream from the barrier at Structure-160 (Lat: 27o 57.308’N; Lon: 82o 22.200’W), and the Alafia River test site was located at the Hillsborough County boat ramp at Center Avenue (Lat: 27o 52.842’N; Lon: 82o 18.011’W).

A Disturbance Instance For Karst Environments., Philip Van Beynen, Kaya Van Beynen

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Karst environments, unique from other environments, require their own disturbance index. Karst resources are increasingly disturbed by a variety of processes related to social, physical, and economic factors. Recent studies have begun to qualify and quantify these disturbances, yet their focus has been limited to one or two factors such as biotic, geomorphic, or economic impacts. A more holistic approach, addressing economic, scientific, and cultural factors, is needed, to effectively assess the threats to karst areas. Currently, there is no efficient method to measure, compare, and contrast the disturbance of karst environments. We propose a hierarchal and standardized environmental disturbance …

Sedimentological Characteristics And Internal Architecture Of Two Overwash Fans From Hurricanes Ivan And Jeanne, Mark H. Horwitz, Ping Wang

Geology Faculty Publications

Extensive overwash occurred along the Florida coast during the passage of four strong hurricanes in 2004, providing an excellent opportunity to study the spatial patterns and sedimentary architecture of washover deposits. Detailed 3D sedimentological characteristics of two of the overwash fans were studied through coring, trenching, and ground penetration radar surveys. The first washover-fan complex, deposited by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne is located on the Atlantic facing Hutchinson Island in southeastern Florida. The second fan, deposited by hurricane Ivan is located on the Gulf-facing Santa Rosa Island in northwestern Florida. Subsurface imaging using a 250 MHz Ground penetrating radar profiling …

Numerical Simulation Of Double‐Diffusive Finger Convection, Joseph D. Hughes, Ward E. Sanford, H. L. Vacher

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

A hybrid finite element, integrated finite difference numerical model is developed for the simulation of double‐diffusive and multicomponent flow in two and three dimensions. The model is based on a multidimensional, density‐dependent, saturated‐unsaturated transport model (SUTRA), which uses one governing equation for fluid flow and another for solute transport. The solute‐transport equation is applied sequentially to each simulated species. Density coupling of the flow and solute‐transport equations is accounted for and handled using a sequential implicit Picard iterative scheme. High‐resolution data from a double‐diffusive Hele‐Shaw experiment, initially in a density‐stable configuration, is used to verify the numerical model. The temporal …

Assembly Focuses On Volcanism And Societal Impacts, Anita Grunder, Stephen R. Mcnutt

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

With a theme of “Volcanism and Its Impact on Society,” the November 2004 meeting of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) held in Pucón, Chile, brought together experts to discuss many aspects of volcanology.

The five‐day IAVCEI meeting was the association's largest, attracting 940 participants from 44 countries. U.S. participants constituted one third. The meeting consisted of over 1100 abstracts presented in 12 theme sessions, and reflected a diversity of disciplines and techniques encompassed by volcanic studies.

Conceptualisation Of Speleogenesis In Multi-Storey Artesian Systems: A Model Of Transverse Speleogenesis, Alexander Klimchouk

International Journal of Speleology

Conceptual and respective quantitative models of speleogenesis/karstification developed for unconfined aquifers do not adequately represent speleogenesis in confined settings. A conceptual model for speleogenesis in confined settings is suggested, based on views about hydraulic continuity in artesian basins and close cross-formation communication between aquifers in multi-storey artesian systems. Soluble units sandwiched between insoluble porous/fissured formations (common aquifers) initially serve as low permeability beds separating aquifers in a confined system. Conduits evolve as result of vertical hydraulic communication between aquifers across the soluble bed ("transverse speleogenesis"). Recharge from the adjacent aquifer is dispersed and uniform, and flow paths across the soluble …

Cross-Formational Flow, Diffluence And Transfluence Observed In St. Beatus Cave And Sieben Hengste (Switzerland), Philipp Häuselmann

International Journal of Speleology

Observations in St. Beatus Cave and neighbouring caves revealed complex water flowpaths that can be used for explaining the behaviour of tracing experiments. The observations prove that even in vadose conditions, cross-formational flow, diffluences and transfluences are a quite common feature. Therefore, also the vadose karst has a very complex organisation.

Radon In Caves, Arrigo A. Cigna

International Journal of Speleology

The physical characteristics of radon are reported as well as its sources,the transport in rock and its behaviour in caves. Then, the instruments,both active and passive, used for the measurement of radon concentration are discussed by taking into account their respective advantages and disadvantages for the use in the cave environment. Since in many countries radon is the object of regulations that were adopted for radiation protection purposes, this aspect is examined and the recommendations issued by international organisations and enforced in different countries are reported. Materials, methods and other remarks on the limits implementation are also listed with the …

Agraphorura Calvoi N. Sp. From Venezuelan Caves (Collembola: Onychiuridae), Javier I. Arbea

International Journal of Speleology

A new species of Agraphorura (Collembola: Poduromorpha: Onychiuridae) from caves in the Nort-West of Venezuela is described. A. calvoi n. sp. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: antennal organ III with four papillae, 32/133/33343 dorsal pseudocellar formula, 3/000/0112 ventral pseudocellar, subcoxae each with two pseudocelli, postantennal organ with 7-9 vesicles, unguiculus with a basal lamella, tibiotarsi I-III with 19,19,18 setae (distal whorl of 9 setae). A table with the differential characters, as well as an identifi cation key for all of the known species of Agraphorura are provided.

Cavity-Based Secondary Mineralization In Volcanic Tuffs Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: A New Type Of The Polymineral Vadose Speleothem, Or A Hydrothermal Deposit?, Yuri V. Dublyansky, Sergey Z. Smirnov

International Journal of Speleology

Secondary minerals (calcite, chalcedony, quartz, opal, fl uorite, heulandite, strontianite) residing in open cavities in the Miocene rhyolite tuffs of Yucca Mountain, Nevada have been interpreted by some researchers as "speleothemic" formations, deposited as a result of downward infi ltration of meteoric waters (DOE, 2001, Whelan et al., 2002). The major mineral of the paragenesis, calcite, shows spectacular trend of the textural and crystal morphology change: from anhedral granular occurrences, through (optional) platelet, bladed and scepter varieties, to euhedral blocky morphologies. The trend is consistent with the overall decrease in the supesaturation of the mineral forming solution. Stable isotope properties …

Partitions, Compartments And Portals: Cave Development In Internally Impounded Karst Masses, R. Armstrong L. Osborne

International Journal of Speleology

Dykes and other vertical bodies can act as aquicludes within bodies of karst rock. These partitions separate isolated bodies of soluble rock called compartments. Speleogenetically each compartment will behave as a small impounded-karst until the partition becomes breached. Breaches through partitions, portals, allow water, air and biota including humans to pass between sections of caves that were originally isolated.

The 2003 Boumerdes, Algeria Earthquake: Regional Moment Tensor Analysis, Jochen Braunmiller, Fabrizio Bernardi

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

We used regional broadband seismograms to determine seismic moment tensors for the destructive May 21, 2003 Boumerdes (Algeria) M_w = 7.0 earthquake and its larger aftershocks. Fully automatic inversions using near-real time data provided solutions for seven M_w ≥ 4.7 events within 90 minutes after event occurrence. After adding off-line data, we manually obtained 30 solutions (M_w ≥ 3.8) from May 2003 to January 2004. All have shallow source depths (6–21 km). The median P-axis orientation (338°) of 24 thrust and four strike-slip events is consistent with Africa-Eurasia plate motion (330°). The main shock hypocenter at 8–10 …

Locating A Radioactive Waste Repository In The Ring Of Fire, Mick Apted, Kelvin Berryman, Neil Chapman, Mark Cloos, Charles B. Connor, Kazumi Kitayama, Steve Sparks, Hiroyuki Tsuchi

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The scientific, technical, and sociopolitical challenges of finding a secure site for a geological repository for radioactive wastes have created a long and stony path for many countries. Japan carried out many years of research and development before taking its first steps in site selection.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) began looking for a high-level waste repository site (HLW, vitrified residue from reprocessing power reactor fuel) 2 years ago. Over the next 10–20 years, NUMO hopes to find a site to dispose of ∼20,000 tons of HLW in a robustly engineered repository constructed at a depth of …

Geodetic And Sconstraints On Some Seismogenic Zone Processes In Costa Rica, Edmundo Norabuena, Timothy H. Dixon, Susan Schwartz, Heather Deshon, Andrew Newman, Marino Protti, Victor Gonzalez, Leroy Dorman, Ernst R. Flueh, Paul Lundgren, Fred Pollitz, Dan Sampson

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

New seismic and geodetic data from Costa Rica provide insight into seismogenic zone processes in Central America, where the Cocos and Caribbean plates converge. Seismic data are from combined land and ocean bottom deployments in the Nicoya peninsula in northern Costa Rica and near the Osa peninsula in southern Costa Rica. In Nicoya, inversion of GPS data suggests two locked patches centered at 14 ± 2 and 39 ± 6 km depth. Interplate microseismicity is concentrated in the more freely slipping intermediate zone, suggesting that small interseismic earthquakes may not accurately outline the updip limit of the seismogenic zone, the …

Modeling Long-Term Volcanic Hazards Through Bayesian Inference: An Example From The Tohoku Volcanic Arc, Japan, Andrew J. Martin, Koji Umeda, Charles B. Connor, Jennifer N. Weller, Dapeng Zhao, Masaki Takahashi

Geology Faculty Publications

The need to quantitatively estimate future locations of volcanoes in the long-term is of increasing importance, partly as a result of the requirement of constructing certain types of installations in regions of low geologic risk. The complex geological factors and natural processes controlling the locations of volcanoes make it problematic to estimate future patterns deterministically. Instead, the probabilistic approach can be developed with quite high levels of confidence; however, for regions with few or no volcanoes, there is a need to include additional geological and geophysical data that may indicate the likelihood of future volcanism. We achieve this using Bayesian …

Data Summary From The Tampa Bay Interagency Seagrass Monitoring Program Through Year 2003, Walt Avery, Roger Johansson

Reports

Results regarding seagrass species abundance, distribution, and zonation over time are presented for the 1997-2003 period in Hillsborough Bay (HB, Figures 15-26) and the 1998-2003 period for Old Tampa Bay (OTB, Figures 3-14), Middle Tampa Bay (MTB, Figures 28-40), Lower Tampa Bay, including Terra Ceia Bay (LTB, Figures 41-56), and Boca Ciega Bay (BCB, Figures 57-68). For each transect, results are presented in a graphic format illustrating annual species composition, abundance, and distribution. Seagrass abundance is presented as percent coverage within a square meter using the Braun Blanquet coverage class system.

Interm Report Of A Pilot Study To Evaluate Impacts To Water Quality And Seagrass Meadows From The Green Mussel (Perna Viridis) Invasion In Hillsborough Bay, Tampa Bay, Florida., J.O.R. Johansson, W. M. Avery

Reports

The green mussel (Perna viridis) was discovered in Tampa Bay in 1999 and was first noted as a biofouler at a power generating plant. This was apparently the first record of this species in the U.S. Since 1999, green mussels have been found throughout Tampa Bay and in other marine locations outside Tampa Bay on the west-coast of Florida (Benson et al. 2001; Benson et al. 2002).

This report constitutes an interim report provided to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) to describe progress on the project to date. A final project report, including a detailed discussion of …

Lithium Abundance And Isotope Systematics Of Forearc Serpentinites, Conical Seamount, Mariana Forearc: Insights Into The Mechanics Of Slab-Mantle Exchange During Subduction, Laurie D. Benton, Jeffrey G. Ryan, Ivan P. Savov

Geology Faculty Publications

[1] Variable lithium contents and contrasting Li isotopic signatures are evident in the serpentininite muds and clasts extruded at Conical Seamount in the Mariana forearc. The muds have high Li contents compared to mantle values (3–7 ppm) and a mean δ7Li value of ∼+6‰. The clasts are generally lower in Li, and δ7Li varies from −6‰ to +10‰, with higher δ7Li correlating broadly to higher lithium contents. The diverse δ7Li in the serpentinite clasts suggests Li exchanges between mantle rocks and evolving slab‐derived fluids from different depths, producing a subarc mantle that is zoned in terms of Li abundances and …

Space-Based Measurements Of Sheet Flow Characteristics In The Everglades, Wetland, Florida, Shimon Wdowinski, Falk Amelung, Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, Timothy H. Dixon, Richard Carande

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

New space-based observations of South Florida with interferometric SAR (InSAR) reveal spatially detailed, quantitative images of water levels in the Everglades. The new data capture dynamic water level topography, providing the first detailed picture of wetland sheet flow. We observe localized radial sheet flow in addition to well-known southward unidirectional sheet flow, modelled as a linear diffusive flow. We obtain quantitative estimates of flow diffusivity (23–91 m²/s), the first space-based estimates of such hydrologic parameter for the Everglades. Space-based hydrologic observations can provide critical information for monitoring, understanding and managing wetland sheet flow, and contribute to wetland restoration.

Results Of The City Of Tampa Surface Water Compliance Monitoring Program For The Year 2003 And Examination Of Long-Term Water Quality And Biological Indicator Trends In Hillsborough Bay, The City Of Tampa Wastewater Department

Reports

This report is submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to satisfy the requirements set forth in Reclaimed Water and Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements condition No. 10 of the Howard F. Curren WWTP operation permit FL0020940-001- DW1P. The report is based on data obtained by the City of Tampa (COT) surface water compliance monitoring program approved on August 14, 2000 by the FDEP. The report includes examination of long-term trends for water quality parameters and biological indicators collected by the City of Tampa Bay Study Group and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPC).

Seagrass And Caulerpa Monitoring In Hillsborough Bay Fifteenth Annual Report, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers

Reports

This is the fifteenth annual report submitted to the FDEP to satisfy the requirements set forth in Reclaimed Water and Effluent Limitations and Monitoring Requirements condition #10 of the Howard F. Curren WWTP operation permit FL0020940-001-DW1P.

The City of Tampa, Department of Sanitary Sewers, Bay Study Group (BSG), created in 1976, has monitored the effects of pollution abatement that occurred in Hillsborough Bay when the Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (formerly Hookers Point Wastewater Treatment Plant) was upgraded to secondary treatment in 1978 and advanced treatment in 1979. During the mid 1980's, water quality improvements and evidence of …

“Coupling” Semantics And Science In Earthquake Research, Kelin Wang, Timothy H. Dixon

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Coupling is a convenient word that describes a wide variety of interactions or feedback processes, including those that we do not fully understand. Examples in Earth science include ocean-atmosphere coupling, climate-tectonics coupling, and core-mantle coupling. The word is also very popular in discussions of plate boundary earthquake processes.

As a vague expression, fault coupling is a perfectly adequate term, describing some kind of mechanical interaction between rocks of each side of a fault. For those of us who try to infer fault processes from geodetic measurements, coupling usually indicates a state of no or low current slip. If a fault …

Factors Influencing Seagrass Recovery In Feather Sound, Tampa Bay, Florida, Feather Sound Seagrass Recovery Workgroup

Reports

This document is a summary of the findings and recommendations of the Feather Sound Seagrass Recovery Workgroup.

In response to nutrient load reductions and resulting clearer water, seagrasses have expanded significantly in many areas of Tampa Bay since the mid-1980s. However, the recovery rate and expansion of seagrasses in several areas, especially in the Feather Sound region of Old Tampa Bay, have been much slower. This project was designed to examine factors that may be affecting seagrass recovery and growth in the Feather Sound region compared to three other areas of Old Tampa Bay.