Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 Effect of Major Storms on Morphology and Sediments of a Coastal Lake on the Northwest Florida Barrier Coast Aaron C. Lower Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES EFFECT OF MAJOR STORMS ON MORPHOLOGY AND SEDIMENTS OF A COASTAL LAKE ON THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA BARRIER COAST By AARON C. LOWER A Thesis submitted to the Department of Geological Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2008 The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Aaron C. Lower defended on March 19, 2008. ___________________________ Joseph F. Donoghue Professor Directing Thesis ___________________________ Anthony J. Arnold Committee Member ___________________________ Sherwood W. Wise Committee Member ___________________________ Stephen J. Kish Committee Member Approved: ___________________________ A. Leroy Odom, Chair, Department of Geological Sciences ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people I would like to thank and recognize for their support throughout my studies. First, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Joseph Donoghue, for his continuous support and guidance during the MS program. Many thanks to the late Jim Balsillie, whose field expertise and suggestions proved invaluable to the completion of this thesis. Thanks to Jim Sparr, of the Florida Geological Survey, for his assistance with the GPR surveys. I am grateful to Matt Curren, formerly of the FSU Antarctic Research Facility, for the use of the X-ray machine, darkroom facilities and the storage of my cores. I am grateful towards the Geological Society of America and the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies for their student research grants. A special thanks goes to the staff at Grayton Beach State Park. I am also indebted to Dr. Bill Hu, Beth Forrest, Lee Simons, Anthony Priestas and Corrie Neighbors for their contributions in the field. To my office mates – Jonathan, Zoe, Naba and Stacie – good times. I would also like to thank Beth, Alex, Chris and Bettsy for their social distractions and for showing me there is culture outside of Indiana. Thanks to Andy and Jake for providing a shoulder to cry on. Finally, thanks to my family and friends, especially Randy and Christi Lower, who brought me into this world and constantly remind me that they can take me out of it. Words can’t describe the support they’ve given me, support in every sense of the word. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………..vi List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………….xi Abstract………………………………………………………………………………….xvi 1. INTRODUCTION AND GEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND Statement of Problem……………………………………………………………...1 Storm Occurrence at Grayton Beach State Park, Florida…………………………2 Previous Paleo-Storm Studies……………………………………………………..3 Potential Significance……………………………………………………………..3 Hypotheses………………………………………………………………………...4 Florida Geologic Background……………………………………………………..5 Pleistocene and Holocene Sea Level History……………………………………..6 Recent Storm Record…………………………………………………………… ..7 2. STUDY AREA Grayton Beach State Park………………………………………………………..22 Subsurface Geology of the Walton County region, Florida……………………..22 Geomorphic Provinces of the Walton County region, Florida…………………..23 3. METHODS Field Sampling…………………………………………………………………...29 X-ray Imaging……………………………………………………………………30 Sediment Properties Analysis …………………………………………………...30 Percent Moisture…………………………………………………………30 Percent Organics…………………………………………………………30 Sediment Texture………………………………………………………...30 Geochronology…………………………………………………………………...31 Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR)………………………………………………..31 4. RESULTS Samples Sites…………………………………………………………………….40 Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) Transect Results……………………………..42 iv Sediment Properties Analysis……………………………………………………42 Percent Moisture Results………………………………………………...42 Percent Organics Results………………………………………………...44 Sediment Texture Results………………………………………………..46 X-radiography Results…………………………………………………………...47 Geochronologic Results………………………………………………….............48 Storm Layer Identification and Stratigraphic Correlation Results………………48 5. DISCUSSION Introduction of Storm Sediment into Western Lake……………………………..72 Stratigraphic Correlation…………………………………………………………73 Geochronology Data from Core 020507-1………………………………………74 6. CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………………………..80 APPENDIX A – Percent Moisture Data Results………………………………………...83 APPENDIX B – Percent Organics Data Results……………………………………….105 APPENDIX C – Individual Settling Tube Analysis Results…………………………...127 REFERENCES CITED…………………………………………………………………167 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH…………………………………………………………...171 v LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1. Geographic locations of each core used during this investigation. Also noted is the type of each core. Note that in Figure 4.1 only the last digit is used to identify the 091605-series cores……………………………………………………………………....41 Table 4.2. OSL age calculations………………………………………………………...49 Table 5.1. Western Lake Sediment Core Correlation…………………………………...75 Table A.1. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-1………………………….84 Table A.2. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-2………………………….85 Table A.2 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-2………………86 Table A.3. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-3………………………….87 Table A.3 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-3………………88 Table A.3 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-3………………89 Table A.4. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-4………………………….90 Table A.4 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-4………………91 Table A.4 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-4………………92 Table A.5. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-5……………………….....93 Table A.5 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-5………………94 Table A.6. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-6……………………….....95 Table A.6 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-6………………96 Table A.7. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-7………………………....97 Table A.7 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 091605-7………………98 Table A.8. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 020507-1………………………....99 Table A.8 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..100 Table A.8 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..101 vi Table A.8 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..102 Table A.8 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..103 Table A.8 continued. Percent Moisture Data Results for Core 020507-1…………..…104 Table B.1. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-1………………………...106 Table B.2. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-2………………………...107 Table B.2 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-2……………..108 Table B.3. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-3………………………...109 Table B.3 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-3……………..110 Table B.3 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-3……………..111 Table B.4. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-4………………………...112 Table B.4 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-4……………..113 Table B.4 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-4……………..114 Table B.5. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-5………………………...115 Table B.5 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-5…………..…116 Table B.6. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-6………………………...117 Table B.6 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-6……………..118 Table B.7. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-7………………………...119 Table B.7 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 091605-7……………..120 Table B.8. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 020507-1………………………...121 Table B.8 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..122 Table B.8 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..123 Table B.8 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 020507-1…………..…124 Table B.8 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 020507-1…………..…125 vii Table B.8 continued. Percent Organics Data Results for Core 020507-1……………..126 Table C.1. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-4 (depth of 4 cm)……………………………….................................................................128 Table C.2. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-7 (depth of 7 cm)…………………………………………………………….…………....129 Table C.3. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-8 (depth of 8 cm)……………………………………………………………….................130 Table C.4. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-11 (depth of 11 cm)………………………………………………………………….….….131 Table C.5. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-16 (depth of 16 cm) ………………………………………………………………………..132 Table C.6. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-23 (depth of 23 cm) ………………………………………………………….…………….133 Table C.7. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-1-26 (depth of 26 cm) ………………………………………………………….….................134 Table C.8. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-2-5 (depth of 5 cm) ……………………………………………………………………........135 Table C.9. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-2-9 (depth of 9 cm) ……………………………………………………….……...................136 Table C.10. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-2-13 (depth of 13 cm) …………………………………………………………......................137 Table C.11. GRANPLOT analysis of Core 091605-2-18 (depth of 18