A Geochemical Record of Late- Holocene Hurricane Events From the Florida Everglades
Yao, Qiang; Liu, Kam‐biu; Rodrigues, Erika; Bianchette, Thomas; Aragón‐moreno, Alejandro Antonio; Zhang, Zhenqing
2020-08
Citation
Yao, Qiang; Liu, Kam‐biu ; Rodrigues, Erika; Bianchette, Thomas; Aragón‐moreno, Alejandro Antonio ; Zhang, Zhenqing (2020). "A Geochemical Record of Late- Holocene Hurricane Events From the Florida Everglades." Water Resources Research 56(8): n/a-n/a.
Abstract
A 5.25- m sediment core SRM- 1 and 45 surface samples from mangrove forests at the Shark River Estuary in the Everglades National Park, Florida, were examined by using X- ray fluorescence and carbon isotopic analyses to study the history of intense hurricane landfall during the Late- Holocene. Significance testing of the surface samples in relation to storm deposits from Hurricane Wilma suggests that elemental concentration of Sr and Cl and the ratio of Cl/Br are the most sensitive indicators for major hurricane events in our study area. The geochemical data sets of core SRM- 1 identified five active periods of intense hurricane activities during the last 3,500 years at ~3,400- 3,000, ~2,200- 1,500, ~1,000- 800, ~600- 300, and ~150 calibrated years before present to present. This is the longest paleohurricane record to date from South Florida. Our results are consistent with the view that intense hurricane activities in South Florida were modulated by Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) movements, El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activities, and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) strength. This study contributes to the methodological advancement in paleotempestological studies by demonstrating that geochemical signals, particularly signals of saltwater intrusions, can be preserved in the sediment profiles on millennial time- scale and measured by X- ray fluorescence techniques, thereby enabling more storm records to be produced from otherwise suboptimal sand- limited coastal systems such as the Florida Everglades. More work needs to be done to explore the use of geochemical and stable isotopic analyses in detecting storm signals from sand- limited coastal environments.Plain Language SummaryThis study uses geochemical analyses to detect intense hurricanes that made landfall near the southwest coast of the Florida Everglades from sediment profiles. The geochemical data sets identified five active periods of intense hurricane activities during the last 3,500 years at ~3,400- 3,000, ~2,200- 1,500, ~1,000- 800, ~600- 300, and ~150 years ago. Results from this study agree with previous studies that intense hurricane activities in the western Atlantic Basin were controlled by the position of ITCZ, ENSO activities, and NAO strength.Key PointsThis study demonstrates the use of XRF analysis in detecting major hurricane events in sand- limited coastal systemsFive active hurricane periods were identified at ~3,400- 3,000, ~2,200- 1,500, ~1,000- 800, ~600- 300, and ~150 cal yr BP to presentThis study suggests that intense hurricane activities in the western Atlantic Basin were modulated by ITCZ, ENSO, and NAO activitiesPublisher
Columbia University Press Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN
0043-1397 1944-7973
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