The Laurentian Great Lakes are the largest system of freshwater on earth containing 22% of the world’s supply. Although part of a single system, each lake shows substantial variation regarding physical, chemical and biological parameters. The main goals of this thesis were to characterize the nutrient status of natural phytoplankton communities while comparing several commonly used measurements of nutrient status and Chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence measurements. The study sites include the western basin (WB), west-central basin (WCB), and central basin (CB) of Lake Erie, the Bay of Quinte in Lake Ontario, and Colpoys Bay in Lake Huron. Independent measures of nutrient status were assessed by measurements of nitrogen (N) debt, phosphorus (P) debt, particulate C:N:P ratios, and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). Variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a was measured by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry and fast repetition rate (FRR) fluorometry in parallel with the independent measures. In 2005, the phytoplankton communities in Lake Erie were generally N deficient in May, P deficient in June, and neither N nor P deficient in September. The maximum dark adapted quantum yield (Fv/Fm) measured by PAM or FRRF was lower in May and June, and maximal in September, while the functional absorption cross section of photosystem II (σPSII) was maximal in May and June, and minimal in September. Relationships between the variable fluorescence indicators and independent measures of nutrient status showed strong associations with N or P deficient sites having low Fv/Fm and high σPSII. In 2006, the electron transport rate (ETR) and the initial slope (α) derived from the PAM fluorescence rapid light-response curves (RLC) were compared to independent measures and Fv/Fm measurements in Lake Erie. Relationships between ETR, α, independent measures of nutrient status, and Fv/Fm measurements revealed strong associations with nutrient status. Confirming previous reports, N deficiency was highest in the WB during isothermal conditions while P deficiency was highest in the CB during summer stratification. The fluorescence parameters generally decreased as the severity of N and P deficiency increased. N and P enrichment assays also revealed increased values of Fv/Fm, ETR, and α from N and P deficient samples over twenty-four hours. Additionally, spatial variability of P status was evaluated during summer stratification. Colpoys Bay, the most oligotrophic site, had the strongest P deficiency, and evidence for existence of P deficiency was weakest in the Bay of Quinte, the most eutrophic site. Nutrient enrichment assays revealed that all fluorescence parameters showed a positive response to P additions in oligotrophic sites, with no response in eutrophic sites. Community structure was also associated with nutrient status and Chl a fluorescence at all locations. In P deficient sites, nano-flagellates such as chrysophytes and cryptophytes were prevalent; cyanobacteria were dominant at sites that displayed N deficiency.

The Laurentian Great Lakes are the largest system of freshwater on earth containing 22% of the world’s supply. Although part of a single system, each lake shows substantial variation regarding physical, chemical and biological parameters. The main goals of this thesis were to characterize the nutrient status of natural phytoplankton communities while comparing several commonly used measurements of nutrient status and Chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence measurements. The study sites include the western basin (WB), west-central basin (WCB), and central basin (CB) of Lake Erie, the Bay of Quinte in Lake Ontario, and Colpoys Bay in Lake Huron. Independent measures of nutrient status were assessed by measurements of nitrogen (N) debt, phosphorus (P) debt, particulate C:N:P ratios, and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). Variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a was measured by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry and fast repetition rate (FRR) fluorometry in parallel with the independent measures. In 2005, the phytoplankton communities in Lake Erie were generally N deficient in May, P deficient in June, and neither N nor P deficient in September. The maximum dark adapted quantum yield (Fv/Fm) measured by PAM or FRRF was lower in May and June, and maximal in September, while the functional absorption cross section of photosystem II (σPSII) was maximal in May and June, and minimal in September. Relationships between the variable fluorescence indicators and independent measures of nutrient status showed strong associations with N or P deficient sites having low Fv/Fm and high σPSII. In 2006, the electron transport rate (ETR) and the initial slope (α) derived from the PAM fluorescence rapid light-response curves (RLC) were compared to independent measures and Fv/Fm measurements in Lake Erie. Relationships between ETR, α, independent measures of nutrient status, and Fv/Fm measurements revealed strong associations with nutrient status. Confirming previous reports, N deficiency was highest in the WB during isothermal conditions while P deficiency was highest in the CB during summer stratification. The fluorescence parameters generally decreased as the severity of N and P deficiency increased. N and P enrichment assays also revealed increased values of Fv/Fm, ETR, and α from N and P deficient samples over twenty-four hours. Additionally, spatial variability of P status was evaluated during summer stratification. Colpoys Bay, the most oligotrophic site, had the strongest P deficiency, and evidence for existence of P deficiency was weakest in the Bay of Quinte, the most eutrophic site. Nutrient enrichment assays revealed that all fluorescence parameters showed a positive response to P additions in oligotrophic sites, with no response in eutrophic sites. Community structure was also associated with nutrient status and Chl a fluorescence at all locations. In P deficient sites, nano-flagellates such as chrysophytes and cryptophytes were prevalent; cyanobacteria were dominant at sites that displayed N deficiency.

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient regulating productivity in both freshwater and marine ecosystems. A full knowledge of the sources and pathways of the P cycle is essential for understanding aquatic ecosystem function and for managing eutrophication. However, two significant pathways are poorly understood or remain uncharacterized. First, aquatic metazoans represent a significant internal regenerative pathway of P through the mineralization, translocation (i.e., benthic pelagic coupling) and excretion of nutrients. Rates of P excreted are expected to vary across taxa (i.e., zooplankton vs. mussels vs. benthic macroinvertebrates vs. fish), yet the significance of any one group of taxa in supplying P to bacteria and algae is unknown. Therefore, I developed the first comprehensive set of empirical models of nutrient release for aquatic metazoans (zooplankton, mussels, other benthic macroinvertebrates, and detritivorous and non-detritivorous fish) and compared inter-taxonomic differences in P excretion. I demonstrated that detritivorous fish excrete P at rates greater than all other taxa (as a function of individual organism mass); whereas, mussels generally excreted P at rates less than other taxa. Significant differences in the rate of P excretion between zooplankton and non-detritivorous fish were not observed [i.e., the allometry of P excretion was similar between zooplankton and non-detritivorous fish (as a function of individual body mass)]. I subsequently applied the models to assemblage biomass and abundance data to examine and compare the relative contribution of each taxa to the internal supply of P, and to examine the turnover time of P bound in metazoan biomass. I clearly demonstrated a hierarchy in the contribution by different metazoan assemblages to P cycling (zooplankton > benthic macroinvertebrates > mussels > fish) and clarified the significance of different metazoan taxa in P cycling. Moreover, I demonstrated that the slow turnover time of P bound in fish biomass (relative to other metazoans) indicates that fish are important as sinks rather than sources of P. A second potentially significant P pathway is through the influence of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on P cycling. UVR may alter P cycling abiotically through changes in P availability and biotically through changes in the acquisition and regeneration of dissolved P by plankton. However, the significance of P released from the photodecomposition of dissolved organic P compounds (DOP), and the effect of UVR on the uptake and regeneration of dissolved P, the turnover of particulate P, and on ambient phosphate (PO43-) concentration has not been investigated and remains unknown. Therefore, my initial experiments applied the novel use of radiophosphate uptake assays to quantify the significance of the photodecomposition of DOP to PO43-. I concluded that the liberation of PO43- through the photodecomposition of DOP is not a significant pathway. However, the photochemical liberation of PO43- from suspended sediments was evident and should be an important pathway supplying PO43- to plankton in shallow polymictic lakes. This represents the first study to identify this P pathway in lakes. The turnover time of the PO43- pool increased under UVR irradiance (i.e., uptake of P by plankton decreased), while the regeneration rate of dissolved P and turnover rate of planktonic P were generally not affected. The net effect of UVR was an increase in steady state PO43- concentration (ssPO43-). Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in the dissolved and particulate fractions was significantly reduced in UVR treatments, but unrelated to changes in P uptake as proposed in the literature. This is the first study to comprehensively investigate the biotic effects of UVR on P cycling and represents a major advancement in the field of photobiology. In summary, I have characterized several poorly understood pathways in the P cycle of lakes. With the models I have developed, aquatic metazoans can now be integrated into the P cycle of lakes, for example, with other internal and external sources of P (e.g., from inlets, lake sediments and the atmosphere). This will advance our knowledge of P cycling, and will provide researchers with a better understanding of the nutrient pathways supporting primary production.

The Great Lakes side-wheel steamboat Anthony Wayne was built in 1837 at Perrysburg, OH and participated in lakes shipping during a time when such vessels were experiencing their heyday. Designed as a passenger and cargo carrier, the steamer spent 13 years transporting goods and people throughout the Upper Lakes until succumbing to a boiler explosion while headed to Buffalo on 28 April 1850. The remains of Anthony Wayne were discovered in 2006 and two years later a collaborative project was begun for the purposes of documenting and assessing the present day condition of the wreck. Anthony Wayne is the oldest steamboat wreck on the Great Lakes to be studied by archaeologists and represents an important piece of maritime heritage that can aid researchers in understanding architectural and machinery specifics that are unknown to us today. This thesis presents the results of an archaeological and archival investigation of Anthony Wayne. Information pertaining to the discovery and significance of the vessel are presented, followed by descriptions of Perrysburg and its shipping industry, the steamer's owners, and how the vessel was built. The operational history of Anthony Wayne is then outlined chronologically, including ports of call, cargoes, masters, and incidents the steamer experienced. Details of the explosion and the aftermath of the sinking are then discussed, followed by a brief summary of other Great Lakes steamboat catastrophes from 1850 and why boilers explode. Focus then shifts to the two-year archaeological investigation, including project objectives, methodology, and findings. The construction specifics of the steamboat's hull, drive system, and associated artifacts are then presented, followed by post-project analysis and conclusions. A catalog of Great Lakes steam vessels, vessel enrollment documentation, the coroner's inquest following the disaster, and the initial dive report from the discoverers are furnished as appendices.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Alice M. Crawford, Susan P. Hocevar, Philip J. Candreva. Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-88). Also available online.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 1998. Graduate Programme in Geography. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-88). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ39192.

Located in central Brazil, the Araguaia River is the largest river flowing through the Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna. The thesis presented here assesses the hydro-geomorphology of the middle Araguaia River-floodplain system by characterizing flooding patterns and linking these patterns to the geomorphology of the floodplain. It also determines the response of floodplain lake morphometry and surface water connectivity to the annual flooding of the river, and describes how different floodplain geomorphologic units influence changes in open water areas in the floodplain from the dry season to the wet season. Peak discharges along the middle Araguaia River can be reduced downstream despite large increases in drainage area and the contribution of tributary inputs. After analyzing average daily discharge measurements from 1975 to 2007 along an upstream reach and a downstream reach in the middle Araguaia River, four main flooding types are characterized based on the magnitude of the peak discharge and the pattern of peak discharge reduction that occurs as the flood wave moves downstream. Short-term losses of channel discharge during the flooding peak and over the flooding season from November to May are estimated, with the downstream reach displaying more short-term channel loss compared to the upstream study reach. Differences in floodplain geomorphological characteristics between the two study reaches, including the proportions of distinct geomorphologic units (a lower elevation impeded floodplain, a unit dominated by paleomeanders, and a unit of accreted banks and islands), influence the patterns of peak reduction and channel loss. Short-term losses of channel discharge during flooding peaks are usually re-gained by the channel by the end of the flooding season, although in two years about 10% of the volume input into the downstream reach was lost from the channel over the flooding season. Using satellite imagery and an open water index, changes in lake area, perimeter, and surface water connectivity with the main channel between dry season and the wet season are determined for 32 floodplain lakes. The changes in lake morphometry and connectivity are linked to how fluvial processes formed the floodplain lakes. Spatial variations in the floodplain areas that became open water from the dry season to the wet season demonstrate that distinct floodplain geomorphologic units influence the extent and location of open water areas during flooding. Floodplain lakes that expand in area and in depth and are connected to the river channel via surface water likely provide storage areas for the channel losses and peak discharge reductions observed in some of the flooding types for the middle Araguaia River. Although there have been attempts to plan the placement of dams on the Araguaia River, the river is not impounded, allowing for the analysis of a river system with an unaltered flow regime. This thesis contributes to knowledge of a large and understudied tropical river in an ecologically sensitive region. / text

Approximately 14,500 years ago, Pleistocene Lake Bonneville discharged 4750 km 3 of water over the divide between the closed Bonneville Basin and the watershed of the Snake River. The resulting flood, emanating from the divide at Red Rock Pass, Idaho, followed the present courses of Marsh Creek, the Portneuf River, and the Snake and Columbia Rivers before reaching the Pacific Ocean. For the 1100 kilometers between Red Rock Pass and Lewiston, Idaho, the Bonneville Flood left a spectacular array of flood features that have allowed for geologic reconstruction and quantitative evaluation of many aspects of the flood hydrology, hydraulics, and sediment transport. Geologic evidence of maximum flood stages in conjunction with step-backwater modeling provides for peak discharge estimates and understanding of local hydraulic flow conditions for ten separate reaches along the flood route. Peak discharge was approximately 1.0 million m³•sec⁻¹ at the Lake Bonneville outlet near Red Rock Pass. Downstream, the maximum discharge had attenuated to 0.57-0.62 million m³•sec⁻¹ by arrival at Lewiston. Attenuation was primarily the result of flow storage in the wide alluvial valleys of the western Snake River Plain. The local hydraulic conditions (depth and velocity) of the Bonneville Flood varied significantly within and between the study reaches. The rate of energy expenditure was also highly varied; local calculated stream-power values ranged from less than 10 watts•m² to 100,000 watts•m². Greater than 60% of the total energy loss at peak discharge was expended in a total distance that encompassed less than 10% of the flood route. These spatial variations in local hydraulic conditions were profoundly important in controlling the distribution of flood processes and features. The deposition of tractively-transported cobbles and boulders (measured diameters ranged from less than 10 cm to greater than 10 m) occurred in reaches of decreasing flow energy within quantitatively-definable limits of flow energy. Areas of erosion are more difficult to precisely evaluate; however, they were restricted to reaches of greater stream power. It is likely that cavitation was an important erosional agent in many areas of most intense flow conditions.

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Project Competion Report, OWRT Project No. A-055-ARIZ / Donor Reference Number: 14-31-0001-5003 / Period of Investigation: July - August 1974 / The work upon which this report is based was supported by the United States Department of Interior, Office of Water Research and Technology, as authorized under the Water Resources Research Act of 1964. / The rapid expansion in the development of real estate lakes in the Southwest has produced a somewhat haphazard use of clay soils or clays in attempts to seal these lakes against seepage losses. This situation is further aggravated by the fact that very little basic information exists at present on the equilibrium and movement of water in a swelling clay soil, which is the type of natural lining material of direct relevance to seepage control. This report presents new results in the theory of swelling clay soils, including a description of the equilibrium moisture profile and the steady flow of water in a submerged, saturated, natural clay soil liner. The theory then is applied to develop an equation for the rate of seepage (the rate of lowering of the water surface) through a swelling liner in a real estate lake of simple trapezoidal configuration. This equation is compared to the standard results for the seepage rate, as calculated on the classical theory of water flow through non-swelling soils, and is applied to estimate the seepage rate from an experimental reservoir studied by Rollins and Dylla. The principal conclusions are: (a) that the major effect of swelling in the liner, except for very shallow lakes, is to cancel the contribution of gravity to the seepage rate, (b) that the most important factor determining seepage loss is likely to be the soil water tension in the pervious soil surrounding the lake and liner, and (c) that the seepage equation can provide a useful estimate of the rate of loss when the important geometric and soil water parameters for the lake, the liner, and the surrounding soil are available.