Term of Award
Summer 2024
Degree Name
Master of Science, Applied Geography
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Geology and Geography
Committee Chair
Jacque Kelly
Committee Member 1
Munshi Rahman
Committee Member 2
John Carroll
Abstract
Florida Bay, situated at the southern tip of Everglades National Park and underlain by the Miami Limestone formation, is an ecosystem of global significance. Over the past century, the bay has faced threats such as droughts, seagrass mortality, and hypersalinity. Despite various studies and management efforts, the dynamics of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in the region remain underexplored. Given that SGD plays a significant role in the chemical dynamics of coastal ecosystems, it warrants thorough investigation. This study aims to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of SGD in Florida Bay by surveying three basins – Rankin, Whipray, and Rabbit Key – from 2021 to 2024, covering both wet and dry seasons. Using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) with a dipole-dipole array, I mapped marine resistivity, revealing low bulk resistivity values (0.1 - 4.0 Ωm) across the study area. Elevated resistivity anomalies upwelling from the limestone units were interpreted as possible SGD zones, prompting in-situ radon-222 and salinity measurements for validation. The hypersaline nature of groundwater, with concentrations up to 45 ppt in Rankin Basin, indicates the SGD is recirculated seawater. The identification of pockets of saline SGD and no fresh SGD underscored the difficulty in using ERT method in areas of minimal salinity variations and low resistivity ranges with respect to groundwater. I postulate that the geophysical anomalies primarily stem from subsurface petrophysical properties rather than groundwater chemistry. This study enriches our understanding of Florida Bay's hydrology and informs future scientific research and management efforts.
OCLC Number
1450368385
Catalog Permalink
https://galileo-georgiasouthern.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01GALI_GASOUTH/1r4bu70/alma9916583650202950
Recommended Citation
Eze, Ifeanyi Emmanuel, "Geoelectrical And Hydrochemical Characterization of Submarine Groundwater Discharge in Florida Bay" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2827.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/2827
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
Included in
Environmental Monitoring Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Geochemistry Commons, Geology Commons, Hydrology Commons