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Research about San Francisco Bay

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including San Francisco Bay.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
USGS1998

Time series Of suspended-solids concentration, salinity, temperature, and total mercury concentration in San Francisco Bay during water year 1996

Many physical processes affect how constituents within San Francisco Bay vary. Processes and their associated time scales include turbulence (seconds), semidiurnal and diurnal tides (hours), the spring-neap tidal cycle (days), freshwater flow (weeks), seasonal winds (months), ecological and climatic changes (years), and geologic changes (thousands of years). The effect and relative importance of physical processes on the Bay can be determined from continuous time series of suspended-solids concentration (SSC), salinity, and water temperature. SSC time series and Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) waterquality data can be used to calculate time series of some trace-element concentrations (Schoellhamer, 1997). The purpose of this chapter is to qualitatively describe time series of SSC, salinity, water temperature, and mercury during water year 1996 (October 1995 through September 1996). In addition, a calculated time series of mercury will be used to evaluate the accuracy of using instantaneous water samples to evaluate a 4-day average water-quality objective.

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USGS1998

An overview of San Francisco Bay PORTS

The Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) provides observations of tides, tidal currents, and meteorological conditions in real-time. The San Francisco Bay PORTS (SFPORTS) is a decision support system to facilitate safe and efficient maritime commerce. In addition to real-time observations, SFPORTS includes a nowcast numerical model forming a San Francisco Bay marine nowcast system. SFPORTS data and nowcast numerical model results are made available to users through the World Wide Web (WWW). A brief overview of SFPORTS is presented, from the data flow originated at instrument sensors to final results delivered to end users on the WWW. A user-friendly interface for SFPORTS has been designed and implemented. Appropriate field data analysis, nowcast procedures, design and generation of graphics for WWW display of field data and nowcast results are presented and discussed. Furthermore, SFPORTS is designed to support hazardous materials spill prevention and response, and to serve as resources to scientists studying the health of San Francisco Bay ecosystem. The success (or failure) of the SFPORTS to serve the intended user community is determined by the effectiveness of the user interface.

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USGS1998

A nowcast model for tides and tidal currents in San Francisco Bay, California

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) installed Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) in San Francisco Bay, California to provide observations of tides, tidal currents, and meteorological conditions. PORTS data are used for optimizing vessel operations, increasing margin of safety for navigation, and guiding hazardous material spill prevention and response. Because tides and tidal currents in San Francisco Bay are extremely complex, limited real-time observations are insufficient to provide spatial resolution for variations of tides and tidal currents. To fill the information gaps, a highresolution, robust, semi-implicit, finite-difference nowcast numerical model has been implemented for San Francisco Bay. The model grid and water depths are defined on coordinates based on Mercator projection so the model outputs can be directly superimposed on navigation charts. A data assimilation algorithm has been established to derive the boundary conditions for model simulations. The nowcast model is executed every hour continuously for tides and tidal currents starting from 24 hours before the present time (now) covering a total of 48 hours simulation. Forty-eight hours of nowcast model results are available to the public at all times through the World Wide Web (WWW). Users can view and download the nowcast model results for tides and tidal current distributions in San Francisco Bay for their specific applications and for further analysis.

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USGS1997

Arias intensity assessment of liquefaction test sites on the east side of San Francisco Bay affected by the Loma Prieta, California, earthquake of 17 October 1989

Uncompacted artificial-fill deposits on the east side of San Francisco Bay suffered severe levels of soil liquefaction during the Loma Prieta earthquake of 17 October 1989. Damaged areas included maritime-port facilities, office buildings, and shoreline transportation arteries, ranging from 65 to 85 km from the north end of the Loma Prieta rupture zone. Typical of all these sites, which represent occurrences of liquefaction-induced damage farthest from the rupture zone, are low cone penetration test and Standard Penetration Test resistances in zones of cohesionless silty and sandy hydraulic fill, and underlying soft cohesive Holocene and Pleistocene sediment that strongly amplified ground motions. Postearthquake investigations at five study sites using standard penetration tests and cone penetration tests provide a basis for evaluation of the Arias intensity-based methodology for assessment of liquefaction susceptibility.

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USGS1997

Reclamation of Bay wetlands and disposal of dredge spoils: meeting two goals simultaneously

San Francisco Bay is one of the world's largest urbanized estuarine systems with a watershed that drains about 40 percent of the State of California. Its freshwater and saltwater marshes comprise approximately 125 square kilometers (48 square miles), compared to 2,200 square kilometers (850 square miles) before California began rapid development in 1850. This staggering reduction in tidal wetlands of approximately 95 percent has resulted in significant loss . of habitat for many species of fish and wildlife. The need for wetlands is well documented- healthy and adequate wetlands are critical to the proper functioning of an estuarine ecosystem like San Francisco Bay.

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USGS1997

Pesticides associated with suspended sediments in the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California

During the study of inputs of sediment-associated pesticides into the San Francisco Bay Estuary, suspended sediments were isolated from large-volume water samples collected over several years at various stations in Suisun Bay and also covering the principal inputs and outlet. The samples were analyzed for 21 pesticides and pesticide degradation products to provide information about the source and fate of pesticides associated with suspended sediments in the estuary. Where multiple samples were collected and analyzed, the data were averaged to provide a more general picture of pesticide transport.

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USGS1997

Dissolved nutrient data for the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, January through November 1995

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted hydrologic investigations in San Francisco Bay between January and November of 1995. Dissolved inorganic plant nutrients, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, silica, and reactive phosphorus were measured in surface and in near-bottom waters at previously established locations in the channel portions of both northern and southern reaches of the bay, and at shallow water stations in the southern reach. This report presents the sampling and analytical methods and the data from these studies. Measured salinity values for the nutrient samples are also reported. Data on the variability due to sampling and sample handling procedures, and on the precision of the analytical methods are also presented.

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USGS1997

Studies of the San Francisco Bay, California, estuarine ecosystem regional monitoring program results, 1996

As part of a regional monitoring program, water samples were collected in the San Francisco Bay estuary during 21 cruises from January through December 1996. Conductivity, temperature, light attenuation, turbidity, oxygen, and in-vivo chlorophyll fluorescence were measured longitudinally and vertically in the main channel of the estuary from south of the Dumbarton Bridge in the southern part of the Bay to Rio Vista on the Sacramento River. Discrete water samples were analyzed for chlorophyll a, phaeopigments, suspended participate matter, and dissolved oxygen. Water density was calculated from salinity, temperature, and pressure (depth), and is included in the data summaries.

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USGS1997

Bottom boundary layer in south San Francisco Bay, California

Detailed velocity distributions within the benthic turbulent boundary layer were measured by a Broad Band Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (BB-ADCP) in South San Francisco Bay, California. In "mode 5", the BB-ADCP was able to measure velocity in 5 cm increments. The validation of these measurements was achieved by comparing the BB-ADCP measurements with the velocities measured by a Narrow Band Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (NB-ADCP) in close proximity. There were thirty-three (33) velocity time-series measured by the BB-ADCP beginning at 7 cm above bed and extending to 175 cm in water column for about two weeks. The velocities from locations at 7 cm and 12 cm above the bed were determined to be of lower accuracy, and they were not used in estimates of friction velocity, u.. The values of u. at 95% confidence level were determined with relative error less than 20%. The time-series of u. varied with velocity outside of the boundary layer, and responded to spring-neap tidal variations. Attempts to use acoustic backscatterance echo intensity to measure suspended sediment concentration showed prom ise, and merit consideration in future studies.

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USGS1997

Time series of trace element concentrations calculated from time series of suspended solids concentrations and RMP water samples: Summary and conclusions

The supply and fate of trace elements in San Francisco Bay, which are partially dependent upon particulate matter in the Estuary, are important management issues. San Francisco Bay receives many waste water discharges, especially in areas south of the Dumbarton Bridge, that contain trace elements that accumulate in benthic organisms (Luoma et al., 1985; Brown and Luoma, 1995). Trace elements tend to adsorb particulate matter (Kuwabara et al., 1989), so the fate of trace elements is partly determined by the fate of suspended solids. Concentrations of dissolved trace elements are greater in the South Bay than elsewhere in San Francisco Bay, and bottom sediments are believed to be a significant source (Flegal et al., 1991). The concentration of suspended particulate chromium in the Bay appears to be controlled primarily by sediment re-suspension (Abu-Saba and Flegal, 1995). Water quality standards for trace elements in the Bay are written in terms of total or near-total trace element concentrations (TEC). This summary has two objectives. The first is to demonstrate the relationship between suspended solids concentration (SSC) and TEC by developing equations relating SSC to total (or near-total) concentrations of trace elements based on Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) data collected during 1993 and 1994. The second objective is to demonstrate the temporal variability of TEC that are linearly correlated (LCTEC) with SSC by presenting time-series information on LCTEC based on nearly continuous SSC measurements collected during the 1995 water year (October 1, 1994 to September 30, 1995) and the SSC-LCTEC equations.

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USGS1996

Phytoplankton bloom dynamics in coastal ecosystems: A review with some general lessons from sustained investigation of San Francisco Bay, California

Phytoplankton blooms are prominent features of biological variability in shallow coastal ecosystems such as estuaries, lagoons, bays, and tidal rivers. Long-term observation and research in San Francisco Bay illustrates some patterns of phytoplankton spatial and temporal variability and the underlying mechanisms of this variability. Blooms are events of rapid production and accumulation of phytoplankton biomass that are usually responses to changing physical forcings originating in the coastal ocean (e.g., tides), the atmosphere (wind), or on the land surface (precipitation and river runoff). These physical forcings have different timescales of variability, so algal blooms can be short-term episodic events, recurrent seasonal phenomena, or rare events associated with exceptional climatic or hydrologic conditions. The biogeochemical role of phytoplankton primary production is to transform and incorporate reactive inorganic elements into organic forms, and these transformations are rapid and lead to measurable geochemical change during blooms. Examples include the depletion of inorganic nutrients (N, P, Si), supersaturation of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide, shifts in the isotopic composition of reactive elements (C, N), production of climatically active trace gases (methyl bromide, dimethylsulfide), changes in the chemical form and toxicity of trace metals (As, Cd, Ni, Zn), changes in the biochemical composition and reactivity of the suspended particulate matter, and synthesis of organic matter required for the reproduction and growth of heterotrophs, including bacteria, zooplankton, and benthic consumer animals. Some classes of phytoplankton play special roles in the cycling of elements or synthesis of specific organic molecules, but we have only rudimentary understanding of the forces that select for and promote blooms of these species. Mounting evidence suggests that the natural cycles of bloom variability are being altered on a global scale by human activities including the input of toxic contaminants and nutrients, manipulation of river flows, and translocation of species. This hypothesis will be a key component of our effort to understand global change at the land-sea interface. Pursuit of this hypothesis will require creative approaches for distinguishing natural and anthropogenic sources of phytoplankton population variability, as well as recognition that the modes of human disturbance of coastal bloom cycles operate interactively and cannot be studied as isolated processes.

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USGS1996

Summary of suspended-solids concentration data, San Francisco Bay, California, water year 1994

Suspended-solids concentration data were collected in San Francisco Bay during water year 1994. Optical backscatterance sensors and water samples were used to monitor suspended solids continuously at two sites in Suisun Bay, two sites in Central San Francisco Bay, and three sites in South San Francisco Bay. Sensors were positioned at two depths at each site. In addition, a shallow-water instrument package was deployed in South San Francisco Bay three times for periods of several weeks to measure suspended-solids concentration and water velocity. Water samples were collected periodically and were analyzed for concentrations of suspended solids. The results of the analyses were used to calibrate the electrical output of the optical backscatterance sensors. This report presents the data-collection methods used and summarizes the suspended-solids concentration data collected from October 1993 through September 1994. Calibration plots and edited data for each sensor also are presented.

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