Geology topics

D.M. Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to D.M. Anderson.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2007

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense in the western Gulf of Maine in 1993 and 1994: A comparative modeling study

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense commonly occur in the western Gulf of Maine but the amount of toxin observed in coastal shellfish is highly variable. In this study, a coupled physical-biological model is used to investigate the dynamics underlying the observed A. fundyense abundance and shellfish toxicity in 1993 (a high toxicity year) and 1994 (low toxicity year). The physical model simulates the spring circulation, while the biological model estimates the germination and population dynamics of A. fundyense based on laboratory and field data. The model captures the large-scale aspects of the initiation and development of A. fundyense blooms during both years, but small-scale patchiness and the dynamics of bloom termination remain problematic. In both cases, the germination of resting cysts accounts for the magnitude of A. fundyense populations early in the spring. Simulations with low net A. fundyense growth rates capture the mean observed concentration during the bloom peak, which is of similar magnitude during both years. There is little evidence that large-scale changes in biological dynamics between 1993 and 1994 were a primary driver of the differences in shellfish toxicity. Results instead suggest that the persistent southwesterly flow of the western Maine Coastal Current led to A. fundyense populations of similar alongshore extent by late May of both years. This period coincides with peak cell abundance in the region. Variations in wind forcing (downwelling favorable in 1993, upwelling favorable in 1994) and subsequent cell transport (inshore in 1993, offshore in 1994) in early June then provides a plausible explanation for the dramatic mid-June differences in shellfish toxicity throughout the western Gulf of Maine. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continental Shelf Research↗

USGS2005

Toxic Alexandrium blooms in the western Gulf of Maine: The plume advection hypothesis revisited

The plume advection hypothesis links blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense in the western Gulf of Maine (GOM) to a buoyant plume derived from river outflows. This hypothesis was examined with cruise and moored-instrument observations in 1993 when levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were high, and in 1994 when toxicity was low. A coupled physical-biological model simulated hydrography and A. fundyense distributions. Initial A. fundyense populations were restricted to low-salinity nearshore waters near Casco Bay, but also occurred in higher salinity waters along the plume boundary. This suggests two sources of cells - those from shallow-water cyst populations and those transported to shore from offshore blooms in the eastern segment of the Maine coastal current (EMCC). Observations confirm the role of the plume in A. fundyense transport and growth. Downwelling-favorable winds in 1993 transported the plume and its cells rapidly alongshore, enhancing toxicity and propagating PSP to the south. In 1994, sustained upwelling moved the plume offshore, resulting in low toxicity in intertidal shellfish. A. fundyense blooms were likely nutrient limited, leading to low growth rates and moderate cell abundances. These observations and mechanisms were reproduced by coupled physical-biological model simulations. The plume advection hypothesis provides a viable explanation for outbreaks of PSP in the western GOM, but should be refined to include two sources for cells that populate the plume and two major pathways for transport: one within the low-salinity plume and another where A. fundyense cells originating in the EMCC are transported along the outer boundary of the plume front with the western segment of the Maine coastal current.

Casco Bay, Gulf of Maine↗

USGS2003

A mechanism for offshore initiation of harmful algal blooms in the coastal Gulf of Maine

A combination of observations and model results suggest a mechanism by which coastal blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense can be initiated from dormant cysts located in offshore sediments. The mechanism arises from the joint effects of organism behavior and the wind-driven response of a surface-trapped plume of fresh water originating from riverine sources. During upwelling-favorable winds, the plume thins vertically and extends offshore; downwelling winds thicken the plume and confine it to the nearshore region. In the western Gulf of Maine, the offshore extent of the river plume during upwelling conditions is suffcient to entrain upward-swimming A. fundyense cells germinated from offshore cyst beds. Subsequent downwelling conditions then transport those populations towards the coast.

Journal of Plankton Research↗

USGS1981

Did ice streams carve martian outflow channels?

Outflow channels on Mars 1 are long sinuous linear depressions that occur mostly in the equatorial area (±30° lat.). They differ from small valley networks 2 by being larger and arising full born from chaotic terrains. Outflow channels resemble terrestrial stream beds, and their origin has generally been attributed to water 3–5 in catastrophic floods 6,7 or mudflows 8 . The catastrophic-flood hypothesis is derived primarily from the morphological similarities of martian outflow channels and features created by the catastrophic Spokane flood that formed the Washington scablands. These similarities have been documented extensively 3,6,7 , but differences of scale remain a major problem: martian channel features are on the average much larger than their proposed terrestrial analogues. We examine here the problem of channel origin from the perspective of erosional characteristics and the resultant landf orms created by former and present-day ice streams and glaciers on Earth. From morphologic comparisons, an ice-stream origin seems equally well suited to explain the occurrences and form of the outflow channels on Mars, and in contrast with the hydraulic hypothesis, ice streams and ice sheets produce terrestrial features of the same scale as those observed on Mars.

Nature↗