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Barbara H. Lidz

Publications and source records attributed to Barbara H. Lidz.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1991

Impact of exploratory wells, offshore Florida: A biological assessment

Seven offshore exploratory oil well sites were examined in an effort to determine the ecological impact of exploratory drilling on the subtropical marine ecosystems of southern Florida, including seagrass beds and coral reefs. The time since drilling ranged from 2 to 29 years; water depths varied between 5 and 70 m. The major long-term ecological impact observed at these sites ranged from the creation of "artificial-reef" conditions to the physical destruction of hardbottom habitat that had not recovered in 29 years. Long-term ecological perturbation appeared to be limited to physical destruction and the deposition of drilling debris, which provided substratum for settling organisms. Significant deposits of drill muds or cuttings were not encountered at any of the sites, and there was no evidence of ecological damage from cuttings or drill muds. The results of this study pertain only to exploratory drilling that, unlike production wells that remain in place for tens of years, is a one-time perturbation to the habitat.

Florida↗
USGS1982

Spurs and grooves revisited: construction versus erosion, Looe Key Reef, Florida

Six of 12 core holes drilled at Looe Key Reef (24°37'18"N. 81°24'24"W) by a diver-operated coring device penetrated a spur and groove system. Drilling indicated that: (II the spurs and grooves formed over at least 5 m of carbonate reef sand: (2) the underlying Pleistocene surface is essentially flat and therefore could not control or initiate spacing of spurs or grooves; (3) only the thin seaward ends of spurs are rooted on underlying bedrock: and (4) the interior of the Millepora-encrusted spurs is composed primarily of Acropora palmata. a species no longer abundant on this reef. From the drilling of Looe Key Reef and from other observations along the reef tract, we propose that most shallow spurs and grooves in active coral reef areas of the Caribbean are constructional in origin and not initiated or controlled by bedrock topography. Spurs and grooves in non-coral reef areas adjacent to shorelines, however. are clearly of erosional origin and have a close spacing distinctly different from spurs and grooves known to be of constructional origin. These observations indicate that spurs and grooves in deeper (> 15 m) fore-reef areas off Florida, which have the same geometry as the shoreline features. are erosional in origin and therefore formed on a shoreline during a lower stand of sea level.

Florida↗
USGS1977

Limestone compaction: an enigma

Compression of an undisturbed carbonate sediment core under a pressure of 556 kg/cm 2 produced a “rock” with sedimentary structures similar to typical ancient fine-grained limestones. Surprisingly, shells, foraminifera, and other fossils were not noticeably crushed, which indicates that absence of crushed fossils in ancient limestones can no longer be considered evidence that limestones do not compact.

Geology↗
USGS1977

Pleistocene barrier bar seaward of ooid shoal complex near Miami, Florida

An ooid sand barrier bar of Pleistocene age was deposited along the seaward side of an ooid shoal complex southwest of Miami, Florida. The bar is 35 km long, about 0.8 km wide, elongate parallel with the trend of the ooid shoal complex and perpendicular to channels between individual shoals. A depression 1.6 km wide, interpreted as a back-barrier channel, isolates the bar from the ooid shoals. During sea-level fall and subaerial exposure of the bar, the ooid sand was cemented in place, preventing migration of the barrier. No Holocene analogue of this sand body is recognized, perhaps because of the relative youthfulness of Holocene ooid shoals. This Pleistocene ooid shoal complex, with its reservoir-size barrier bar, may serve as a refined model for exploration in ancient ooid sand belts.

Florida↗
USGS1976

Sclerochronology: a tool for interpreting past environments

X-radiographs of stony coral slabs reveal two types of annual density bands. Detailed studies of these bands in relation to known variations in air temperatures indicate that sclerochronology is a valid tool for documenting time sequences and changing environmental conditions on a coral reef.

Geology↗