The Physical and Chemical Conditions of Chesapeake Bay; An Evaluation.
Abstract
An assessment of the physical and chemical conditions of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine system indicates: (1) that there are marked natural spatial and temporal variations of temperature, that man has in local areas, had a measurable effect on the temperature distribution, but that the present inputs of heated waters from power plants do not pose a threat to the Bay; (2) that there are large natural spatial and temporal variations of salinity, and that man has had almost no effect on the salinity distribution; (3) that man's activities have increased the frequency, duration, and extent of low oxygen zones in the upper reaches of a number of the tributaries; (4) that man's activities have resulted in large inputs of nutrients which have produced undesirable conditions in a number of the tributaries, but that the nutrient levels in the main body of the Bay are at an acceptable level; (5) that the Bay is being rapidly filled with sediments, and that the fine-grained sediments have a number of deleterious indirect effects on the ecology of the Bay; and (6) that there are large natural variations in the distributions of heavy metals, and suggests that levels have probably always been relatively high. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1972
- Accession Number
- ADA085850
Entities
People
- J. R. Schubel
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University