Identifier

etd-04142009-160434

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geography and Anthropology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This study aims to find modern and prehistoric hurricane records in sediment from marsh and swamp forest surrounding Weeks. Hurricane Ivan made landfall in this area at category 3 intensity in 2004. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Frederic also seriously affected this region in 2005 and 1979, respectively. Seventy two cores were taken from marshes, swamps, and bay bottom. The cores, taken from baymouth marsh, contain a prominent Ivan sand layer, and possibly a prominent Frederic sand layer as well. For those cores taken from the marshes and swamps around the eastern, western, and northern Weeks Bay, there is no distinct sand layer at the top that could be attributed to Hurricane Ivan, Katrina, or Frederic. However, a distinct mud or clay layer, probably representing the storm deposit left by Ivan, was found at the top of many of these cores except those from the northern and eastern swamps forest. Hurricane Katrina may have left a marker in sediments of the Weeks Bay region. However, Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina’s signatures in these cores are not individually distinguishable because of the short time interval between them and the slow sedimentation rate. Overall, the occurrence of the Ivan storm deposit is spatially variable in different places around Weeks Bay. Research results show that sediment supply and sediment transport mechanism are important factors affecting the nature and strength of the proxy signal in the paleohurricane records. The temporal analysis of past catastrophic hurricanes from core WB 3-1 and WB 06-9 shows that four periods with different frequencies of major hurricane activities exist. Due to the limited dating control and the complexity of the depositional environment around Weeks Bay, it is premature to evaluate these frequent estimates in the context of chronological pattern of paleohurricane activity derived from other Gulf Coast lakes and marshes. Better dating control and more data on environment changes in Weeks Bay are needed to further test the Bermuda High hypothesis.

Date

2009

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Kam-Biu Liu

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1922

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