FINE-SCALE SPATIAL VARIATION OF SEDIMENT COMPOSITION AND SALINITY IN NUECES BAY OF SOUTH TEXAS

摘要

A thorough investigation of the sediment texture and salinity regime was conducted during August of 1993 at 101 stations within Nueces Bay, Texas. Based on these results, the bay can be divided into four salinity regions, with three sediment types. The four salinity regions at this time included: a low salinity region (13.3-20.5 ppt), a mid salinity region (20.5-26.1 ppt), a high salinity region (26.1-30.6 ppt), and an elevated region (26.1-30.6 ppt) where the salinity is influenced by cooling water discharges from the Central Power and Light plant. The three sediment types include: muddy sediments (< 50% sand), muddy-sands (50-75% sand), and sandy sediments ( > 75% sand). Muddy-sands predominate with sandy sediments prominent along the northern and southern shores. Muddy patches are distributed in the mid-section, eastern and western edges of the bay. A comparison of changes in sediment composition which have occurred in Nueces Bay since the completion of the Choke Canyon dam-reservoir in 1982 is reviewed. Nueces Bay is physically and chemically variable on fine spatial scales (500 m to 1 km).