Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Numerical Simulation Of Thermohaline Convection In The Mixed Layer Of The Ocean, Victor Eli Delnore

OES Theses and Dissertations

The intradiumal heating and cooling cycle of the mixed layer of a tropical ocean is investigated through the use of a pseudo-two-dimensional numerical model. Particular emphasis is given to two-component diffusion resulting from dynamic instabilities in the water column. The conservation equations for salt and heat include the effects of solar heating, horizontal advectlon, and turbulent fluxes at the sea surface, while wind mixing enter through the use of depth-dependent eddy diffusion coefficients resulting from the wave-orbital shear model of KitaigorodsldLy. All inputs are treated as functions of time-of-day, or calculated via the bulk aerodynamic method.

The entrainment fluxes of …

The Effect Of 4-Chlororesorcinol On The Growth Potential Of Dunaliella Tertiolecta Butcher (Dun Clone), John Anthony Chigges

OES Theses and Dissertations

Jolley (1973) identified and quantified 4-chlororesorcinol at the 1.2 μg/1 level in secondary treated sewage effluent as one of 17 stable organochlorine compounds. The present report presents the first data on the effect of 4-chlororesorcinol on the growth potential of the marine phytoplankter, Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher (Dun clone).

The assay method used herein was that of the Marine Algal Assay Procedure: Bottle Test (EPA, 1974). An algal culture chamber was constructed capable of providing controlled temperature (18 ± 2°C) and light (400-500 ft-c) conditions. Four parameters were used to describe the growth response of D. tertiolecta including maximum specific growth …

A Numerical Model For The Prediction Of Tides And Tidal Currents In The Lafayette River, Norfolk, Virginia, G. Mcallister Sisson

OES Theses and Dissertations

A prediction technique for tidal heights and currents in the Lafayette River of Norfolk, Virginia has been formulated and tested by the implementation of a two-dimensional numerical model employing the Navier-Stokes momentum equations and conservation of mass. The model operates on a spatially-fixed rectangular grid system by utilizing a multi-operation finite difference scheme which employs implicit and explicit solutions to the aforementioned equations. Forces due to bottom friction and Coriolis are taken into account. The only open boundary considered in the model is the river mouth, across which tidal height is specified temporally. Collected tidal height and current data at …

Test Variation In The Sand Dollar, Mellita Quinquiesperforata (Leske), George Glynn Rountree

OES Theses and Dissertations

Mellita quinguiesperforata is a common member of the benthos along the eastern coast of North America. This study considers variation of the test within the species, specifically: 1) variation in test weight, 2) variation in the length-width relationship, and 3) the average number of pore pairs in the ambulacral petals.

A total of 844 sand dollars from three localities was utilized: 1) Pass-a-Grill Beach, St. Petersburg, Florida,2) Bird Shoal, Beaufort, North Carolina, and 3) Fisherman Island, Virginia.

Animals were measured for length and width and the dry weight determined. Prediction equations for the size-weight relat1onships were computed for the three …

Control Of Clay Mineral Distribution By Estuarine Circulation, James River Estuary, Virginia, Jean-Pierre Feuillet

OES Theses and Dissertations

A study was performed on the clay minerals of the James River estuary, Virginia, to determine the predominant factors that influence clay mineral distribution in the estuary. The factors of differential settling, flocculation, and diagenesis show minor or no effects on distribution, while estuarine circulation exerts the strongest influence upon the clay mineral distribution.

There are two clay suites in the James River estuary. The upper James River clay suite is a kaolinite, dioctahedral vermiculite, and mixed-layer suite, with kaolinite being the major mineral. The lower Chesapeake Bay clay suite is an illite, chlorite, and montmorillonite suite, with illite being …

The Natural History Of The Naked Goby Gobiosoma Bosci (Perciformes: Gobiidae), Leonard L. Nero

OES Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of re ­ production, growth, age, abundance, habitat preference, feeding habit and behavior of the naked goby, Gobiosoma Bosci.

Monthly collections were made from January through December. 1974 in Deary Cove a apart of the Lynnhaven estuary, Virginia Beach, Virginia. All fish were measured and sexed in the field.

Most were returned to the population, the remainder. were removed for food habit analyses, determination of fecundity, degree of gonadal maturity and aging. Habitat­ preference and abundance were determined in the field.

Gobiosoma Bosci appears to be an annual …

Dynamics And Sedimentology Of Inner Middle Ground - Nine Foot Shoal, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Mitchell Alan Granat

OES Theses and Dissertations

The historical, hydrodynamic, and sedimentological development of Inner Middle Ground - Nine Foot Shoal indicates that it is presently in quasi-equilibrium with mutually evasive ebb and flood tidal currents. Bathymetric comparisons among six surveys taken during the past 122 years depict development of the shoal from two linear sand bodies to its present double parabolic morphology. Circulation paths are proposed for each survey.

Information from eight current meter stations on and adjacent to Inner Middle Ground - Nine Foot Shoal were used to determine near-surface and near-bottom tidal current asymmetries and directions. The concepts of bathymetrically diverted currents and mutual …

Methane Distribution And Production In The Georgia Salt Marsh, Larry P. Atkinson, John R. Hall

CCPO Publications

Bacterial action in the anaerobic sediments of Spartina salt marsh produce large quantities of methane. Water in contact with the marsh has methane concentrations 200-300 times normal oceanic concentrations. The methane content of the water varies from maximum of 1.2 mu l CH sub(4)/ super(l) super(-1) in the summer to a minimum of 0.005 mu l CHl1

Microbenthic Algal Production Of An Intertidal Sandflat In Little Creek Harbor, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Clayton Barry Shedrow

OES Theses and Dissertations

Estimated annual net microbenthic algal production of an intertidal sandflat on Little Creek Inlet, Virginia Beach, Virginia, was 105 g C/m². Seasonally, primary production was greatest during the summer and fall periods (38 and 49 g C/m², respectively). Productivity was found to vary directly with water temperature and standing crop of benthic diatoms, and inversely with incident solar radiation and standing crops of sedimentary chlorophyll 'a' and 'c'. Orthophosphate and nitrate-N appeared to be limiting factors, nitrate-N more so than orthophosphate. Mean annual net photosynthetic efficiency (based upon total light) for the microphytobenthic community was 0.09%. …

Genetic Studies Of Cave And Spring Populations Of The Freshwater Amphipod Crustacean Gammarus Minus Say, Steven Wolf Hetrick

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The amphipod Gammaru. minus has three morphotypes in its Appalachian range : (1) a spring form with well-developed eyes, (2) an intermediate cave form with slightly reduced eyes, and (3) an extreme cave form with greatly reduced eyes. This study compares the genetic structure of populations in two karst areas and analyzes the genetics of populations of the three morphotypes.

Genetic data were collected from populations in the Ward's Cove, Virginia and Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia karst areas using zone electrophoresis zymograms. One hundred percent of the Ward's Cove populations are polymorphic at both MDH-1 and PEP 1 loci …

Urbanization And Environmental Change In Lynnhaven Estuary, Don W. Oswalt

OES Theses and Dissertations

The very minimal amounts of available urbanization data demonstrate that the number of residential dwellings in the Lynnhaven drainage basin increased sharply in the late 1950’s and early 1960's, and that the 1970 basin population density value of 1981 people per square mile is larger than all the burrough density values, except for the Virginia Beach burrough. Due to a lack of data, only qualitative changes in Lynnhaven’s marine environment can be noted. There is a strong suggestion of an increase in amounts of urban storm water run-off into Lynnhaven since 1937. A considerable amount of siltation has occurred since …

The Analysis Of Volatile Organic Compounds In The Southern Chesapeake Bay, Virginia By Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, James D. Haluska

OES Theses and Dissertations

Sea-water samples from the Norfolk, Virginia area were analyzed for trace volatile organic compounds by helium sparging. Contents of the trap were injected into a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Analysis of the trap contents indicated the presence of aliphatic and olef1nic hydrocarbons containing up to six carbon atoms and eight halogenated compounds of up to two carbon atoms in length. The halogenated compounds which were identified were dichlorofluoromethane, trichlorotrifluoroethane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, trichloroethane (2 isomers) bromodichloromethane, and chlorotrifluoroethylene. The

relative concentrations of volatile organic compounds generally tended to increase in samples collected from water prone to urban environmental pressures. All eight …

Heavy Mineral Distribution In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Frances Firek

OES Theses and Dissertations

Heavy minerals from 195 bottom sediment samples of the lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia have been studied. In comparison with other areas such as the Gulf of Mexico, qualitative and qualitative mineralogical variations were subdued, because of the absence of widely divergent source areas. The effect of present-day drainage system on the mineralogical distribution patterns is not clear, largely because of the complex Pleistocene history of the study area.

Seven geographic provinces were defined and treated statistically. An analysis of variance was conducted on the seven provinces. The more significant mineral species from the study area are zircon, hornblende, pyroxene, and …

77-4 Hydrographic And Biological Observations At An Anchor Station Off St. Augustine, Florida (Eastward Cruise E-1g-75), Larry P. Atkinson, Gustav A. Paffenhofer, William M. Dunstan

CCPO Publications

The intrusion of deep, nutrient-rich Gulf Stream water into the shelf waters off the southeastern United States is probably the major source of nutrients in the shelf waters and consequently intrusions have a major impact on the biota. This particular cruise was one of the first to be designed to find the front that represents the interface between intruding Gulf Stream waters and normal shelf water. Once the front was delineated an anchor station was occupied to observe the time change at a particular location as the front moved back and forth past the station.

The methods used and resultant …

Quantitative And Qualitative Seasonal Analysis Of The Surface Zooplankton Of Magothy Bay, Virginia, Malcom E. Browne

OES Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Feeding And Food Preferences By Three Sympatric Species Of Cyprinodontid Fishes, Lawrence J. Baer

OES Theses and Dissertations

The feeding and food utilization by three sympatric species of cyprinodontid fishes was examined using a modified Ivlev Electivity Co-efficient. Results indicated that although Fundulus heteroalitus and Fundulus majalis are sympatric in the area examined,their usage of the available food source varied noticeably. The third investigated species, Cyprinodon variegatus, fed mainly upon a vegetal detritus food source varied by the consumption of invertebrate and vertebrate food items. Slight intra-specific variances of diet between crespuscular periods was also discussed.

Observations On The Distribution And Composition Of Zooplankton In Portions Of The Intracoastal Waterway, Virginia, O. Clair Hillard Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Five stations were established in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, the Dismal Swamp Canal, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and the North Landing River. Representative samples of zooplankton were taken from October 1971 to June 1972. A. total of 57 species were identified and discussions regarding seasonal distribution in relation to physical factors and circulation are presented.

The composition of the zooplankton was found to fluctuate greatly due to the variables characteristic of the study area. The combined effect of tidal flow with freshwater input in conjunction with drainage from the Great Dismal Swamp, results in isolated populations …

A Zooplankton Study Of Stumpy Lake, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Jose E. Hernandez

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A one year study was made of the zooplankton composition in Stumpy lake, a reservoir in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Quantitative and qualitative -parameters were investigated under field conditions. The analysis of the data presents information on the monthly dynamics or the zooplankton and other fluctuations in the lake environment. It is the intention or this study to emphasize the seasonal changes in the zooplankton community and their relationship to the ecological factors responsible for these variations.

Phycosociology Of The Estuarine Eulittoral Of Smith Island Virginia: A Quantitative Approach To Seasonal Periodicity, William M. Willis

OES Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal periodicity of benthic algae of the estuarine eulittoral of Smith Island, Virginia, (37°07’55” N, 75°55’ W), has been investigated on a qualitative and quantitative basis. Forty-three taxa of benthic eucaryiotic algae were found to be present; of these, twenty-one were quantitatively significant at least once during the course of the study. Five species represent additions to the Virginia flora, and, at the same time, also represent southern extensions of the known U.S. east coast range. The range of three other species has been extended, though they are not new to Virginia.

Review of the literature suggests two models of …

Food And Feeding Of Fishes From Magothy Bay, Virginia, Joseph J. Kimmel

OES Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of The Halocline Structure In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Samuel Bowen Heltzel

OES Theses and Dissertations

A portion of the Chesapeake Bay from 37°20’N latitude to the entrance was investigated to determine the halocline structure, the effects on this structure through the tidal sequence, and seasonal variations. A determination of the stage of slack water during which maximum extension of the halocline occurred was also made. This was accomplished by looking at the salinity distribution at the halocline upper limit, the mean depth to the halocline, and seasonal salinity contours drawn for tidal increments. By comparing salinity/depth gradients and salinity-depth vertical profiles, an attempt was made to relate seasonal and tidal variations to the halocline structure. …

A Seasonal Distributional Survey Of The Epiphytic Diatoms Of The Outer Banks Region Of North Carolina With Respect To Temperature And Salinity, Charles Welles Belin Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

This study was initiated to investigate epiphytic diatoms at selected stations along the North Carolina coast and bay region. The relationships between these organisms and the season of the year and salinity and temperature of the water in which they were found are considered. The special affinity between the epiphytic diatoms and their host plants is also discussed. The specific data were analyzed statistically via linear correlation coefficients, graphs of least squares-best fit, and multiple linear regression analysis.

From the statistical tests, it was found that the mean number of epiphytic diatoms shows a significant multiple linear regression with respect …

Effect Of Air Bubble Solution On Air-Sea Gas Exchange, Larry P. Atkinson

CCPO Publications

Recent data on ambient wave generated oceanic bubble spectra (Medwin, 1970) permit the calculation of the influence of bubble solution on air-sea gas exchange. Schulkin's formula is used to estimate the depth variation of bubbles, and a square law is used to estimate the increase of bubble volume with wind speed. Calculations indicate that bubble solution can be a very significant factor in gas exchange. Bubble solution enhances gas input and retards degassing of the water column. Preliminary data show a lag time of about 5 hours in the response of the water column to an atmospheric pressure change.

Air Bubbles In An Oceanic Mixed Layer: Effect On Gas Concentrations And Air-Sea Gas Exchange, Larry P. Atkinson

CCPO Publications

This thesis attempts to determine the effect of air bubbles that are entrapped into the surface layers of the ocean by breaking waves on gas concentrations in the ocean and gas exchange across the air-sea interface. N₂ and Ar data gathered during the Hudson-70 expedition produced indications of the magnitude and nature of the effect. A mathematical model is developed that equates the input of gas via bubble solution with the vertical eddy diffusion. Published values for bubble spectra and solution rates are used and assumptions are made concerning the effect of wind on bubble spectra. The model predicts …

Morphologic Time Series From A Submarine Sand Ridge On The South Virginia Coast, John F. Mchone Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

Submarine sand ridges several km long locally merge southward into the U. S. Atlantic coastline. Shallow (< 8m) observations of -such a ridge at False Cape, Virginia, favor a modern hydraulic origin. Time series maps show the ridge to be paralleled by a landward trough of approximately equal volume. Ridge flanks are usually steeper on the trough side.

Northeasterly winds and waves generate a coast-parallel current which funnels southward into the trough scouring it out and providing sediments for ridge aggradation. The current may be organized as a helical flow cell or cells. Bottom currents converge southward along the ridge crest causing landward transport of traction load along the crest. The trough current eventually breaches the confining ridge at the head of the trough, cutting saddles with steeper seaward slopes and producing outlying sediment fans.

The ridge and trough rest obliquely …

Determination Of Nutrient Levels And Proposed Predictive Models For Phosphate In The Lafayette River, Norfolk, Virginia, John R. Montgomery

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Lafayette River, an Urban, well-mixed estuarine embayment, was sampled from October, 1970 to January, 1972 for phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, oxygen, water temperature and salinity. The mean values found for these samples were: oxygen saturation from 69% to 106% nitrate from 0 to 4 microgram-atoms per liter, and salinity from 13 ‰ to 24 ‰. The mouth of the Elizabeth River to Hampton Roads as also sampled from May, 1971 to August, 1971. The Lafayette and Elizabeth Rivers were also sampled over a 24 hour period in the summer of 1971 and the Lafayette River again in the winter of …

Phytoplankton Distribution In Waters Off The Northeastern Coast Of The United States, Sharon H. Craft

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

Surface Water Turbidity In The Entrance To Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, James R. Melchor

OES Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal and spatial variations in the surface water turbidity across the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, have been monitored with an optical transmissometer for one year. The data indicate a suspended-sediment gradient across the entrance with higher turbidity on the south side. This condition suggests that the flooding and ebbing tidal currents are influenced by Coriolis force. Clearer ocean water is introduced into the bay on the north side; whereas highly turbid water from the major drainage systems exits on the south side. A salinity gradient with18 0/00 on the south side of the bay and approximately 32 0/00 on …

A Physical Hydrographic Study Of The Lafayette River, E. Glenn White

OES Theses and Dissertations

A basic investigation of the physical ~properties, temperature, density and current velocity, in the Lafayette River is presented. Graphs of the observations indicata a difference in salinity, density and current velocity- distributions after moderate to heavy rains from the graphs during a dry period. The changes in distribution indicate a change in the classification of the estuary from a type B/C, partially mixed estuary, to a type D, sectionally homogeneous estuary. The estuary is predominantly a well-mixed or sectionally homogeneous estuary.

Changes in salinity, temperature, density and current velocity over tidal cycles are discussed as well as tidal height data. …

Diurnal Studies At A Station On An Urban Estuary In Norfolk, Virginia, Burton Marc Golue

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.