Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Water Depth (Mtl) At The Deep Edge Of Seagrass Meadows In Tampa Bay Measured By Gps Carrier-Phase Processing: Evaluation Of The Technique, J.O. R. Johansson

Reports

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) has selected seagrass restoration target depths for each major bay segment at which adequate light conditions (20.5% of subsurface PAR irradiance) shall be maintained to ensure seagrass growth and the long-term Tampa Bay seagrass restoration goal of 15,400 ha. To evaluate the progress towards the goal, information on today’s seagrass depth distribution is needed. Specifically, a need exists to accurately determine the water depth at the deep edge of the meadows for each seagrass species in different sections of the bay. A relatively simple technique that provides elevation measurements, related to the mean tide …

Gps Geodetic Constraints On Caribbean-North America Plate Motion, Charles Demets, Pamela E. Jansma, Glen S. Mattioli, Timothy H. Dixon, Fred Farina, Roger Bilham, Eric Calais, Paul Mann

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

We describe a model for Caribbean plate motion based on GPS velocities of four sites in the plate interior and two azimuths of the Swan Islands transform fault. The data are well fit by a single angular velocity, with average misfits approximately equal to the 1.5–3.0 mm yr⁻¹ velocity uncertainties. The new model predicts Caribbean-North America motion ∼65% faster than predicted by NUVEL-1A, averaging 18–20±3 mm yr⁻¹ (2σ) at various locations along the plate boundary. The data are best fit by a rotation pole that predicts obliquely convergent motion along the plate boundary east of Cuba, but are …

Neotectonics Of Puerto Rico And The Virgin Islands, Northeastern Caribbean, From Gps Geodesy, Pamela E. Jansma, Glen S. Mattioli, Alberto Lopez, Charles Demets, Timothy H. Dixon, Paul Mann, Eric Calais

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates is characterized primarily by left-lateral motion along predominantly east-west striking faults. Seismicity and marine geophysical survey data are consistent with at least two, and possibly three, microplates in the diffuse boundary zone in the northeastern Caribbean: (1) the Gonave, (2) the Hispaniola, and (3) the Puerto Rico-northern Virgin Islands (PRVI). We discuss results from GPS geodetic measurements acquired since 1994 to test the microplate hypothesis, define PRVI translation and rotation within the boundary zone, and constrain PRVI neotectonics. GPS-derived velocities are analyzed with respect to both North American and Caribbean plate …

2000 File Geodatabase Containing Photo Point Locations, Aerial Photos, And Flight Maps, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers Bay Study Group, Pete Reehling, Richard Mckenzie

Data Sets

The Bay Study Group was created by the City of Tampa in 1976 to monitor the effects of pollution abatement that occurred in Hillsborough Bay when the city’s wastewater treatment plant was upgraded from primary to advanced treatment in 1979. The Bay Study Group documented a remarkable restoration of water quality parameters and biological indicators in Hillsborough Bay from the mid 1980s until 2009, when it was disbanded. This zip Geodatabase file contains the photo point locations, aerial photos, and flight maps for the year 2000.

Is It Always Dark In Caves?, Giovanni Badino

International Journal of Speleology

Underground natural sources of visible light are considered. The main light producer is Cerenkov radiation emitted in air, water and rock by cosmic ray muons, that depends, in a complex way, on shape of mountain and of caves. In general the illumination increases linearly with the cavity dimensions. Other light sources are from secondary processes generated by radioactive decays in rock from minerals luminescence. The natural light fluxes in caves are in general easy to detect but are not used from underground life.

Révision De Quelques Hypothèses Sur Le Creusement Karstique, Jacques Choppy

International Journal of Speleology

Quite often, as we know better karst phenomena and the evolution of the karst environment, several hypotheses on speleogenesis appeared to be flimsy. Some of these hypotheses, concerning processes playing a part in the creation of karst forms, exceed the limits of their field. Others suggest hydraulic mechanisms, and interventions of geological or geographical factors likely to be questioned. Hypotheses relating to the evolution of karst, as well as the classification of karst types, suffer from the lack of an analytical approach. However, some of these hypotheses still have an important place in the current vision of speleologists and karstologists.

Verification Of The Causes Of Glaciations And Sea Level Changes Using The Records Of Calcite Speleothems, Y. Shopov, D. Stoykova, L. Tsankov, M. Sanabria, J. Lundberg, L. Georgiev, P. Forti, D. Georgieva

International Journal of Speleology

The luminescence of calcite speleothems displays an exponential dependence on soil temperature unless there is a dense cover of forest over the cave to dampen it. This relationship is determined primarily by the strength of solar visible and infrared radiation. It is suggested that, as a consequence, the microzonal variations of luminescence often found in speleothems can be used as a proxy index of Solar Insolation. The luminescence solar insolation proxy record of a speleothem from Jewel Cave, South Dakota, USA, was found to display millenial and centennial cycles in the record. It exhibits a rapid increase in solar insolation …

Tampa Bay Estuary Program Partner Action Plans 1995-1999, Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Reports

This initial Action Plan covers the 1995-1999 time frame; thus, substantial progress already has been made in implementing many of the actions contained in the CCMP and some progress has been documented for all of the actions. This combined Action Plan presents a summary of progress made in implementing each of the 41 individual actions contained in the CCMP. In keeping with the flexible management approach advocated in the Plan, partners were not required to comply with rigid reporting guidelines. Instead, they were encouraged to canvass the broad spectrum of bay management activities conducted by their organization and report all …

Summary Of Historical Information Relevant To The Hydrobiological Monitoring Of The Lower Peace River And Upper Charlotte Harbor Estuarine System, Pbs&J, Inc.

Reports

This review is focused on the relationship between plankton communities in Upper Charlotte Harbor and changes in freshwater flows that might result from Peace River water withdrawals. There are lour mechanisms by which freshwater withdrawals from the Peace River could influence plankton communities within the Lower Peace River and Upper Charlotte Harbor estuarine system. The first mechanism would involve removing enough water to cause the geographical location of mean isohalines to shift. If the locations shifted enough that isohalines lie over areas with different physical or biological habitats than the areas currently occupied, a significant biological effect might result. The …

Studying The Importance Of Hurricanes To The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Gregory W. Stone, Ping Wang, David A. Pepper, J. M. Grymes Iii, Harry H. Roberts, Xiongping Zhang, S. A. Hsu, Oscar K. Huh

Geology Faculty Publications

A pilot study was recently begun dealing with the impacts and post-storm adjustment of barrier islands to severe storms along the northern Gulf of Mexico. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of coastal morphodynamics and longer term evolution of the coast in that area. Study of the recent impacts and post-storm adjustment of the area to Hurricane Georges is playing a very important role in enhancing our comprehension of the significance of these high-energy events in coastal dynamics.

A few hours before dawn on September 28, 1998, Hurricane Georges made landfall …

Results Of The City Of Tampa Surface Water Compliance Monitoring Program For The Year 1998 And Examination Of Long-Term Water Quality And Biological Indicator Trends In Hillsborough Bay, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers

Reports

This report is submitted to Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) to satisfy the requirements set forth in specific condition No. 14 of Hookers Point WWTP permit No. D029-184532B. The report is based on data obtained by the City of Tampa (COT) compliance water quality monitoring program approved under construction permit DC29-152799 and the report also 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 Tenth Annual Report, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers

Reports

This is the tenth annual report to FDER to satisfy the requirements set forth in specific condition #14 of FDER construction permit DO29-1845321B.

The City of Tampa, Bay Study Group (BSG), has monitored the effects of sewage pollution abatement in Hillsborough Bay since 1976. Within the last decade, water quality improvements and evidence of minor seagrass revegetation in Hillsborough Bay prompted the BSG to initiate a seagrass study to compliment other programs assessing the environmental status of Hillsborough Bay.

State Of Tampa Bay 1998, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (Tbrpc), Agency On Bay Management

Reports

The 1998 "State of Tampa Bay" Report is the twelfth edition. It has been prepared in accordance with the rules of the Agency on Bay Management and funded by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. The Report highlights projects and programs underway around the Tampa Bay estuary and its watershed. It also provides an excellent overview of several programs of Baywide significance. In this edition are summaries submitted by the various researchers, activists, regulators and stewards engaged in understanding, managing, improving and restoring the estuary. From public education to watershed planning; seagrass monitoring to port improvements; the number and variety …

1999 File Geodatabase Containing Aerial Photos, Pete Reehling, Richard Mckenzie, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers Bay Study Group

Images

The Bay Study Group was created by the City of Tampa in 1976 to monitor the effects of pollution abatement that occurred in Hillsborough Bay when the city’s wastewater treatment plant was upgraded from primary to advanced treatment in 1979. The Bay Study Group documented a remarkable restoration of water quality parameters and biological indicators in Hillsborough Bay from the mid 1980s until 2009, when it was disbanded. This zip Geodatabase file contains the aerial photos for the year 1999.

1999 File Geodatabase Containing Photo Point Locations, Aerial Photos, And Flight Maps, City Of Tampa Department Of Sanitary Sewers Bay Study Group, Pete Reehling, Richard Mckenzie

Data Sets

The Bay Study Group was created by the City of Tampa in 1976 to monitor the effects of pollution abatement that occurred in Hillsborough Bay when the city’s wastewater treatment plant was upgraded from primary to advanced treatment in 1979. The Bay Study Group documented a remarkable restoration of water quality parameters and biological indicators in Hillsborough Bay from the mid 1980s until 2009, when it was disbanded. This zip Geodatabase file contains the photo point locations, aerial photos, and flight maps for the year 1999.

Noise In Gps Coordinate Time Series, Ailin Mao, Christopher G.A. Harrison, Timothy H. Dixon

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

We assess the noise characteristics in time series of daily position estimates for 23 globally distributed Global Positioning System (GPS) stations with 3 years of data, using spectral analysis and Maximum Likelihood Estimation. A combination of white noise and flicker noise appears to be the best model for the noise characteristics of all three position components. Both white and flicker noise amplitudes are smallest in the north component and largest in the vertical component. The white noise part of the vertical component is higher for tropical stations (±23° latitude) compared to midlatitude stations. Velocity error in a GPS coordinate time …

Impacts Of Agricultural Transformation On The Principal Karstic Regions Of France, Jean Nicod, Jean-Noël Salomon

International Journal of Speleology

The recent extension of intensive agriculture on the karst plateaus has caused different types of impact: soil management, generalised and/or localised pollution. Yet paradoxically rural depopulation can also have negative impacts, which largely depend on the characteristics and the hydrological function of the different karst environments. They are often negative, particularly as far as the water quality is concerned, which is why protection measures are undertaken, either in a defined area for a catchment, or in the framework of regional parks. But this is not always the case, so it is appropriate to analyse the problem of karst pollution as …

Decelerating Nazca-South America And Nazca-Pacific Plate Motions, Edmundo O. Norabuena, Timothy H. Dixon, Seth Stein, Christopher G. A. Harrison

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Space geodetic estimates of the rate of Nazca-South America convergence and Nazca-Pacific spreading averaging over several years show that present day rates are significantly slower than the 3 million year average NUVEL-1A model. The implied rates of deceleration are consistent with longer term trends extending back to at least 20 Ma, about the time of initiation of Andes growth, and may reflect consequences of ongoing subduction and construction of the Andes, e.g., increased friction and viscous drag on the subducted slab as the leading edge of South America thickens.

Agriculture, Landscape And Human Impact In Some Karst Areas Of Italy, Ezio Burri, Benedetta Castiglioni, Ugo Sauro

International Journal of Speleology

Italy is made up for about 1/5 of its surface by soluble rocks, which represent the arena of karst environments. The karst morpho-units, some hundreds, are mainly distributed inside the alpine structure of the Mediterranean mountains. A very large number of rock formations are present, different in facies, lithology, age, etc. Among these, carbonate rocks prevail, followed by gypsum and salt. Most of the carbonate rocks are limestones sedimented in a platform environment and they show a wide range of porosity, frequency of fractures and bedding planes. The climatic processes, the expression of some different sub-types of Mediterranean climate (from …

The Rehabilitation Of The Tampa Bay Estuary, Florida, Usa, As An Example Of Successful Integrated Coastal Management, R. R. Lewis, P. A. Clark, W. K. Fehring, H. S. Greening, R. O. Johansson, R. T. Paul

Reports

The first suggestion that controls on eutrophication and dredging impacts were needed came in 1969. The federal Water Pollution Control Administration recommended a water quality management plan and waste abatement program to control odour and other pollution symptoms in Hillsborough Bay, and a master plan for dredging and filling the bay.

New Kinematic Models For Pacific-North America Motion From 3 Ma To Present, I: Evidence For Steady Motion And Biases In The Nuvel-1a Model, Charles Demets, Timothy H. Dixon

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

We use velocities derived from 2–4.5 years of continuous GPS observations at 21 sites on the Pacific and North American plates along with a subset of the NUVEL-1A data to examine the steadiness of Pacific-North America motion since 3.16 Ma, the transfer of Baja California to the Pacific plate, and the magnitude of biases in the NUVEL-1A estimate of Pacific-North America motion. We find that Pacific-North America motion has remained steady since 3.16 Ma, but at rates significantly faster than predicted by NUVEL-1A. In the vicinity of Baja California, our GPS-derived model and recent seafloor spreading rates in the southern …

Land Use In The Karstic Lands In The Mediterranean Region, Ibrahim Atalay

International Journal of Speleology

Karstic lands have special importance in terms of soil formation and land-use. Soil appears only on the flat and slightly undulating karstic lands, while soils are found along the cracks and bedding surfaces between the layers on the hilly karst areas although these lands are rocky in appearance. Karstic lands in the hilly area are not conducive to cultivation. But rocky areas create a favourable habitat for the growth of forests except in an arid climate. Because the tree roots easily follow and develop along the cracks in the limestone. As a general rule soil erosion does not occur on …

Impact Of Agricultural Land Use On Some Hungarian Karst Regions, Ilona Bárány-Kevei

International Journal of Speleology

The karst regions are found in the medium altitude mountains of Hungary. Their land use types are natural and sustainable forestry, grazing and vineyards. In international comparison, Hungary belongs to those countries of Europe where arable land is abundant, therefore, in the future its extension has to be reduced. That means agricultural activity has to be restricted on the sensitive karst surfaces. This paper presents ways of sustainable forestry and other land use types for three karst regions of Hungary.

Land Use In The Tropical Karst - The Case Of Peruaçu, Januária And Jaiba; Se Brazil, Heinz Charles Kohler, Sergio Dos Anjos Ferreira Pinto, João Francisco De Abreu

International Journal of Speleology

The karstic regions of the municipalities of Peruaçu, Januária and Jaiba present a variety of soil uses which are a function of the organization of the karstic relief. This relief system forms a rift, which received fluvial sediments deposition from the São Francisco River. The horst of the Peruaçu plateau is developed on limestone rocks of Late Proterozoic age with a high concentration of calcium carbonate. The South American Surface was formed on this and is today occupied by cattle ranching. In the graben, due to easy irrigation from underground karst waters and because of the nearby drainage system of …

Environmental Vulnerability And Agriculture In The Karstic Domain: Landscape Indicators And Cases In The Atlas Highlands, Morocco, Brahim Akdim, Mohammed Amyay

International Journal of Speleology

After the brief presentation of the major karstic areas in Morocco, the article focused essentially on the Atlas mountains to investigate the impact of the agriculture on the natural systems equilibrium. Socio-economic changes (demographic pressure, escalation of the landscape use, utilisation of new techniques in water harvesting, etc...) have sometimes fathered mechanisms of degradation. Many indicators seem to reflect these mechanisms. The pedologic indicators, soil erosion, the hydrologic and geomorphic indicators, are apprehended to demonstrate existent correlation between different variables and the often negative impacts of land over-use in the karstic domain of the Middle Atlas.

Interaction Between Karst, Water And Agriculture Over The Climatic Gradient Of Israel, Amos Frumkin

International Journal of Speleology

The dry climate of Israel and the karstic nature of its rocks have always imposed human innovation for utilisation of water resources and agriculture. Large perennial karst springs are available only in the lowlands, but sophisticated water supply systems were built both in the lowland and highland regions. Marl layers interbedded within carbonates give rise to local perched springs and allow terrace construction. Deforestation has taken place for some 4000 years, causing intense soil erosion, but terraces have reduced this impact.

Karst And Agriculture In Australia, David Gillieson, Mia Thurgate

International Journal of Speleology

Much of the development and degradation of karst lands in Australia has occurred in the last two centuries since European settlement. Recent prolonged El Niño events add further climatic uncertainty and place real constraints on sustainable agriculture. The lower southeast of South Australia is perhaps the one area in Australia where karst, and particularly karst hydrology, impinge on the daily lives of the community in that pollution and overexploitation of the aquifer are readily apparent to the local population. Effluent from intensive dairy farms, piggeries and cheese factories enters the karst and has caused concern over pollution of water supplies. …

Agricultural Use And Water Quality At Karstic Cuban Western Plain, Juan Reynerio Fagundo Castillo, Patricia González Hernandez

International Journal of Speleology

In the paper some results of studies on the karstic aquifers of the western plain of Cuba are presented and discussed. The intensive exploitation of these aquifers for agriculture use and drinking water supply induces an increase of marine water intrusion, water salinisation and a progressive increase of chemical corrosion with a greater dissolution of carbonates. During the period of study (1983-1998) a trend in the deterioration of water quality was observed by means of a chronological series of hydrochloride content.

Land Use And Human Impact In The Dinaric Karst, Ivan Gams, Matej Gabrovec

International Journal of Speleology

The article presents Dinaric karst, human impacts in the area, and its long history of deforestation, transformation into stony semi-desert, and a century long reforestation, where plans to restore the primary thick soil were just hoping against hope.

Agriculture And Nature Conservation In The Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), Ivan Balák, Jozef Janèo, Leos Stefka, Pavel Bosák

International Journal of Speleology

Moravian karst is a narrow strip of limestone with long history of settlement, agricultural use and man impact to karst. It is naturally divided into smaller units - karst plateaus - separated by deep valleys (glens). Each plateau has different proportion of land use, i.e. the percentage of agricultural land, forests, etc. The agricultural land constitutes now up to 70% in the north and max. 30% in the centre and south of the total area of plateaus. Intensive agricultural use of the arable land since 60ties of this Century caused great impact to quality of soils and groundwater by overdoses …