Geology, climate, and water circulation of the Galveston Bay System

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dc.acquisition-srcDownloaded from-Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstractsen_US
dc.call-noen_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorWermund EGen_US
dc.contributor.authorMorton RAen_US
dc.contributor.authorPowell Gen_US
dc.contributor.otherUnited States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Estuarine Programs Office, Wash , D C , NOAA Estuary-of-the-Month Seminar Series Feb , 1989 no 13, pp 3-22 1989en_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T17:13:12Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T17:13:12Z
dc.date.issued1989en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.description3-22en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractThe geology of the Galveston Bay System reflects its location in one of the world's largest depositional basins, the northwest Gulf Coast Basin, as well as changes in the rates and balance among sea level, sediment influx, and basin subsidence. Sedimentary deposits of two ages dominate the surficial geology surrounding the bays. Deposits of the most recent interglacial period of the Pleistocene epoch include 1) river sands and floodbasin muds of a deltaic plain, and 2) sands of a barrier island system. Modern (Holocene) sediments that entrench and overlie the older strata are fine sand and mud in rivers and bayhead deltas; mud in the bays; oyster reefs in the bays; and sand composing the youngest barrier islands. Galveston Bay is extremely shallow (10-12 ft deep) compared with its large areal extent of 600 mi super(2) . Sediment samples, collected a mile apart, are mud in most of the bays; samples coarsen shoreward where sand and reworked shell (gravel) dominate. Geochemical analyses of sediment samples indicate that abnormally high concentrations of barium, boron, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc are products of anthropogenic activities and pollutants. The Galveston Bay System has a subhumid, subtropical climate; mean summer high temperatures are in the upper 80s ( degrees F), and mean winter low temperatures are in the middle 40s ( degrees F). Mean annual rainfall and surface-water evaporation are similar to 50 in. Summer winds are dominantly moderate and southerly; winter brings frequent aperiodic strong north winds. Droughts and hurricanes are frequent. Bay circulation is controlled by balances among freshwater influx, tides, and storm winds. The Trinity and San Jacinto River basins provide >88% of the freshwater inflow to the bays. Bay tides are diurnal in a 14-day cycle, and maximum tidal range is similar to 2 ft. Hurricane landings may raise the bay level to 15 ft., whereas strong north winds may locally lower bay level similar to 2 ft. Principal geologic processes currently altering the Galveston Bay System include 1) a relative sea level rise ( similar to 2 ft in this century) and subsidence (nearly 10 ft at Johnson Space Center) in response to withdrawal of subsurface water, oil, and gas; 2) active faulting; and 3) coastal erosion and deposition. Between 1850 and 1982, bay shorelines eroded at an average rate of 2.2 ft/yr; before 1930, the erosion rate was 1.8 ft/yr, whereas the post-1930 rate was 2.4 ft/yr. Human activities commonly overprint normal natural processes and effect a loss of natural resources. Models of circulation, salinity, and nutrients developed by the Texas Water Development Board indicate potential management problems. Further documentation and regular, selective process monitoring are needed for future holistic management of the Galveston Bay System to be successfulen_US
dc.description.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htmen_US
dc.historyen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/22898
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesRefs., figs., tables(TAMU-SG-88-115)EnglishJournal Articleen_US
dc.placeen_US
dc.publisheren_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries50352.00en_US
dc.relation.urien_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjectBay circulationen_US
dc.subjectClimate of Galveston Bay,Texasen_US
dc.subjectGalveston Bay,Gulf of Mexicoen_US
dc.subjectGulf of Mexicoen_US
dc.subjectM2 551.435.37en_US
dc.subjectM2 551.468.2 Deep marginal sea areas: bays,fjords,inletsen_US
dc.subjectM2 551.582.1 Qualitative descriptionsen_US
dc.subjectMorphology of baysen_US
dc.titleGeology, climate, and water circulation of the Galveston Bay Systemen_US
dc.typeJournalen_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issue(13)en_US

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Galveston Bay Bibliography
GBIC Abstracts (full text not available through Jack K. Williams Library)