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Geologic Framework and Processes of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

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Geologic Framework and Processes of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Geologic Framework and Processes of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana 94° 93° 92° 91° 90° 89° Wetland loss and pollution are critical environmental concerns N Arkansas Mississippi within the Pontchartrain Basin. U.S. Geological Survey scientists and 33° collaborators have conducted a multidisciplinary study of lake-bottom Jackson sediments, sediment transport, and distribution of contaminants to assist Louisiana future remediation efforts. r Alabama e iv 32° R INTRODUCTION i p p i s Lake Pontchartrain and adjacent lakes in s i Pontchartrain Louisiana form one of the larger estuaries in s s the Gulf Coast region. The estuary drains the i Basin M Pontchartrain Basin (fig. 1), an area of over Texas 31° 12,000 square kilometers situated on the eastern Lake side of the Mississippi River delta plain. In Pontchartrain Louisiana, nearly one-third of the State population lives within the 14 parishes of the basin. Over the past 60 years, rapid growth and Baton development within the basin, along with Rouge natural processes, have resulted in significant New 30° environmental degradation and loss of critical Orleans habitat in and around Lake Pontchartrain. Human activities associated with pollutant discharge and surface drainage have greatly 100 KILOMETERS affected the water quality in the lake. This change is evident in the bottom sediments, Gulf of Mexico 29° which record the historic changes of the lake. Also, land-altering activities such as logging, Figure 1. Lake Pontchartrain and the Pontchartrain Basin are located in Louisiana and Mississippi. dredging, and flood control in and around the lake have led to shoreline erosion and loss of wetlands. The effects of pollution, shoreline geologic past. The sedimentary layers below Shoreline and wetland change.—To erosion, and wetland loss on the lake and the lake bottom were imaged using a radar- determine shoreline and wetland change, his- surrounding areas have become a major like technique called high-resolution seismic torical charts and aerial photographs were ana- public concern. profiling. Sidescan-sonar images of the lake lyzed digitally. These analyses were compared To better understand the basin’s origin floor also were collected. These images are with recent surveys and charts. Because of this and the processes driving its development similar to aerial photographs of the land. work, scientists can use information on shore- and degradation requires a wide-ranging Sediment samples were collected and their line change over the past 100 years to predict study involving many organizations and compositions were analyzed to guide interpre- areas of future change. personnel. When the U.S. Geological tations of seismic profiles. Water circulation.—Water circulation in Survey (USGS) began the study of Lake Sediment characterization.—The sedi- Lake Pontchartrain was characterized by wind, Pontchartrain in 1994, information on four ment samples were also used to measure the current, tide, turbidity, salinity, and temperature topics was needed: (1) geologic framework, natural concentration of chemical elements measurements. Satellite images were studied to (2) sediment characterization, (3) shoreline known as trace metals. Trace metals today are observe water quality over time. Water circula- and surrounding wetland change over time, associated with pollution; knowing the amount tion, especially waves, resuspends polluted bot- and (4) water circulation. of trace metals present before humans affected tom sediments, and knowledge of circulation is Geologic framework.—The geologic the area allows the level of pollution to be key to predicting where the contaminants are like- framework is an assessment of how the determined. From surface sediments, scientists ly to be concentrated. The objective was to con- sediments accumulated in the area during the can also locate modern areas of contamination. struct a computer model of circulation patterns. U.S. Department of the Interior USGS Fact Sheet FS–025–00 U.S. Geological Survey February 2000 90° 35' 90° 25' 90° 15' 90° 05' 89° 55' 89° 45' 89° 35' 89° 25' Explanation Seismic survey 0 10 KILOMETERS L a k e P o n t c h a r t r a i n Sidescan-sonar survey Bathymetric survey Bottom sediment sample 20' ain 010° Box core survey MILES 30 Vibracore survey Pearl Lake Maurepas The River Rigolets 10' ° 30 ne rg Mississippi River o B ke La 00' ° 30 New Orleans 50' ° Figure 2. Location of remote-sensing and sediment sampling surveys of Lakes Maurepas, Pontchartrain, and Borgne. 29 COLLABORATORS INVESTIGATIONS USGS J. Kindinger (project leader) Between 1994 and 1998, surveys were Studies include the following: conducted in Lakes Pontchartrain, Maurepas, C. Demas (water quality) J. Flocks (geochemistry) and Borgne by the USGS, in cooperation Sediment Sample Data with private, State, and Federal institutions C. Holmes (age determination) • 100+ Vibracores in lakes J. List (modeling) (see box, figs. 2 and 3). The acquired data are • Data from 100+ U.S. Army Corps of critical in characterizing the lake system and F. Manheim (geochemistry) Engineers boreholes across lake M. Marot (age determination) in providing information for environmental • 80+ box cores in lakes management of the basin. C. Polloni (data base, visuals) • 1,700 bottom sediment samples R. Signell (modeling) R. Stumpf (remote sensing) Geologic Analyses D. Willard (palynology) • Sediment composition S. Williams (framework) • Stratigraphy (layering) • Palynology (pollen and spores) EXTERNAL • Sediment ages Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) • Trace-metal concentrations M. Davies (environmental) • Models of water and atmospheric Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) circulation N. Thomas (biology) Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) Remote Sensing C. Dufrechou (director) • 650 line km of single-channel J. Waters (project manager) seismic profiling National Oceanic and Atmospheric • Five sidescan-sonar grids Administration (NOAA) • Four bathymetric surveys (>200 km) K. Clemens Dennis (environmental) • Continuous wave, turbidity, salinity, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) temperature measurements (five sites up D. Britch (geology) to five months each) University of Georgia • AVHRR (advanced very high J. Noakes (geochemistry) resolution radiometer) satellite imagery University of New Orleans (UNO) S. Penland (geology) Figure 3. Most of the surveys were conducted from the USGS Research Vessel G.K. Gilbert, M. Porrier (biology) depicted here acquiring a Vibracore. M. Roth (computers) 2 GEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK 18,000 years ago 6,000 years ago 5,000 years ago 4,500-2,000 years ago Present day A Prairie Terraces B C D E Complex Pearl River Lake Pontchartrain Pontchartrain Embayment Wisconsinan Pine St. Bernard Delta New Orleans Island exposed surface Gulf of Mexico Figure 4. Evolutionary model for basin development from 18,000 years ago (A) to today (E). An evolutionary model (fig. 4A–E) for sediment transport began developing a barrier- ing the St. Bernard Delta lobe (on which the the Lake Pontchartrain area was developed beach system (fig. 4B). As sea level continued city of New Orleans is located), enclosing the by using seismic and sedimentologic data. to rise, the barrier system was bypassed, form- embayment (fig. 4D). Modern stabilization and Following the late Wisconsinan sea-level low- ing the Pine Island Barrier trend, while flood- subsidence of the delta lobe began about 2,000 stand (~18,000 years ago), the sea rose and ing created the Pontchartrain Basin embayment years ago, developing Lakes Maurepas, flooded the area (fig. 4A, B). By 6,000 years (fig. 4C). By 4,500 years ago, the Mississippi Pontchartrain, and Borgne and creating the ago, sea-level rise had slowed, and longshore River moved into the area and began deposit- land surface seen today (fig. 4E). SEDIMENT CHARACTERIZATION Figure 5. Pollen and trace-metal abundances in (Vibracore) Ipon 97–1. AND CIRCULATION MODELING Note: ppm=parts per million, wt%=weight percent. Depth Lithology Depth Evidence for environmental change can (cm) (cm) be seen in a Lake Pontchartrain sediment core (fig. 5). Percent abundances of selected pollen taxa and trace-metal concentrations show that 100 100 about 120 centimeters (4 feet) beneath the Higher Higher Higher Higher (Pigweed family) lake bottom, pollen assemblages changed from clays Colonization and land clearing began and pine/oak (common Gulf Coast) to herbaceous silts species that indicate human colonization (Aster family) (Cattails) 200 (Sawgrass family) 200 (Grass family) and land clearing. At the same level, the concentrations of trace metals increased, also Typha an indication of human activity. Poaceae Asteraceae Depositional patterns in Lake Pontchartrain Cyperaceae 300 300 were determined from current and circulation modeling and from rates of sediment deposition clays Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae (fig. 6). The current model was based on 0 20 40 60 0 10 0 0 0 0 15 25 35 16 24 32 2 3 4 0.1 0.5 0.9 Concentration of Percent abundance Copper (ppm) Lead (ppm) Iron (wt%) Cadmium (ppm) prevailing wind speed and direction and pollen/gram x 103 of pollen bathymetry. Current direction and magnitude (size of arrows) show a predominantly northwest flow from the eastern side of the lake (Rigolets) during a prevailing northwest wind, which sets up gyres of circulation in the central part of the lake. Recent sediment deposition (darker red areas) appears to coincide with areas of decreased circulation (short arrows). Wind direction Rigolets Figure 6. Circulation and sediment accumulation
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