Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Imaging Wetland Hydrogeophysics: Applications Of Critical Zone Hydrogeophysics To Better Understand Hydrogeologic Conditions In Coastal And Inland Wetlands And Waters, Christine Marie Downs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three projects utilizing electric and electromagnetic (EM) methods to better understand critical-zone hydrogeologic conditions in select Florida wetlands and waters.

First, a time-lapse electrical resistivity (ER) survey was conducted in section of mangrove forest on a barrier island in southeast Florida to image changes in pore-water salinity in the root zone. ER data show the most variability in the root zone over a 24-hour period, and, generally, the ground is more resistive during the day than overnight.

Second, a suite of three-dimensional forward models, based on varying lateral boundaries and conductivities typical of a coastal wetland, …

Evaluating Satellite And Supercomputing Technologies For Improved Coastal Ecosystem Assessments, Matthew James Mccarthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water quality and wetlands represent two vital elements of a healthy coastal ecosystem. Both experienced substantial declines in the U.S. during the 20^th century. Overall coastal wetland cover decreased over 50% in the 20^th century due to coastal development and water pollution. Management and legislative efforts have successfully addressed some of the problems and threats, but recent research indicates that the diffuse impacts of climate change and non-point source pollution may be the primary drivers of current and future water-quality and wetland stress. In order to respond to these pervasive threats, traditional management approaches need to adopt modern …

Investigating The Effects Of Land-Cover Change On The Hydrologic Conditions Of A Restored Agricultural Area In Everglades National Park, Dillon Reio

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the Florida Everglades, remodeling of natural wetlands to promote agriculture and human settlement, have profoundly altered its hydrologic regime. As a result of anthropogenic changes, many restoration programs have been initiated to restore hydrologically controlled wetland ecosystems. One such restoration project that has been ongoing for the past 27 years is the Hole-in-the-Donut restoration program in Everglades National Park. The restoration program is unique in that it utilized an unorthodox technique to restore the landscape. The viability of the restoration technique was assessed by coupling long-term hydrologic and evapotranspiration data with water chemistry analyses. Key results indicated that the …

Spatially Distributed Pothole Depth Data, Xuefeng Michael Chu Ph.D, Kendall Grimm, Mohsen Tahmasebi Nasab, Ning Wang, Mohammad Hadi Bazrkar, Lan Zeng, Matt Lee, Jamal Ghauri, Dillon Ekholm, Jackie Arntson, Libby Kruse, Jared Swanberg

Datasets

The locations of our surveyed potholes are located in the Cottonwood Lake Study Area (CLSA) of the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC). RiverSurveyor M9 by SonTec (RiverSurveyor M9) was utilized to obtain spatially distributed pothole depth data. This way a modified DEM was created which reflected the pothole bathymetry rather than the water surface elevations. The M9 records water depths using multi-band multiple acoustic frequencies from the vertical beam which “pings” the pothole bed while simultaneously collecting the GPS coordinates of each “ping”. High ping rates ensure robust data collection and high resolution. The vertical beam can measure …

Temporal Pothole Depth Data, Xuefeng Michael Chu Ph.D, Kendall Grimm, Mohsen Tahmasebi Nasab, Ning Wang, Mohammad Hadi Bazrkar, Lan Zeng, Matt Lee, Jamal Ghauri, Dillon Ekholm, Jackie Arntson, Libby Kruse, Jared Swanberg

Datasets

The locations of our surveyed potholes are located in the Cottonwood Lake Study Area (CLSA) of the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC).The HOBO pressure transducers (HOBO Pressure Transducer) used in this hydrologic monitoring study are wireless water level loggers with Bluetooth capabilities for data download. These sensors have a 3-point NIST-traceable calibration certificate from ONSET. They were self-calibrated/lab tested by our NDSU hydrologic modeling group. The measured water level accuracy is ± 0.05 – 0.1%. The sensors were installed in the summers of 2016 and 2017 and removed in late September or early October of each year, respectively. …

Temporal Variability Of Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter At A Brackish, Tidal Marsh-Estuary Interface, Alana B. Menendez

Dissertations and Theses

Marshes are both terrestrial and aqueous, sitting as an intermediate between land and water. Studies over constrained numbers of tidal cycles have demonstrated that these marshes are net exporters of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to adjoining estuaries, however, there is need for continuous monitoring to better understand the temporal variability of this flux: tidally, seasonally, and during episodic rain events. Through use of a YSI EXO2 sonde, an in situ optical sensor at the interface of the brackish, tidal Kirkpatrick Marsh and Rhode River sub-estuary in Edgewater, Maryland (located on the northwestern shore of the Chesapeake Bay), we were able …

Permafrost Thaw Induced Changes To Runoff Generation And Hydrologic Connectivity In Low-Relief, Discontinuous Permafrost Terrains, Ryan Connon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Recent climate warming in northwestern Canada is occurring at an unprecedented rate in recorded history and has resulted in the widespread thaw of permafrost. Where present, permafrost exerts a significant control on local hydrology, and disappearance of permafrost threatens to change the hydrology of northern basins. In the peatlands that characterise the southern distribution of permafrost in low relief terrain, permafrost takes the form of forested peat plateaus and is interspersed by permafrost-free wetlands (i.e. channel fens and flat bogs). Previous field studies have found that channel fens serve as the drainage network and route water to the basin …

Marsh-Exported Dissolved Organic Matter Fate In Estuaries, Laura Ann Logozzo

Dissertations and Theses

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant driver of estuarine productivity and nutrient cycling. The colored component of DOM, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), impacts coastal optical properties, ocean color, and light attenuation. While marshes are largely considered sinks for carbon due to their high productivity and low soil carbon degradation rates, laterally they are sources of carbon as optically and chemically distinct DOM to surrounding aquatic ecosystems; these inputs are often essential in sustaining a net heterotrophic system. However, the photoreactivity and bioavailability of marsh-exported DOM is largely uncategorized, thus making it difficult to quantify its impacts on estuarine …