title: The effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on seabed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico.
abstract: To assess the extent to which Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), sediment cores were analyzed in late 2005 from: a shallow shelf, a deeper shelf, and a marsh station. Sediment geochronology, fabric, and geochemistry show that the 2005 storms deposited approximately 10cm of sediment to the surface of a core at 5-12A. Bulk carbon geochemistry and PAH isomers in this top layer suggest that the source of sediment to the top portion of core 5-12A was from a relatively more marine area. Particulate PAHs in the marsh core (04M) appeared unaffected by the storms while sediments in the core from Station 5-1B (deeper shelf) were affected minimally (some possible storm-derived deposition). Substantial amounts of PAH-laden particles may have been displaced from the seabed in shallow areas of the water column in the GOM by these 2005 storms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States. mitras@ecu.edu
authors.forename: Siddhartha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lalicata
authors.forename: Mead A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dellapenna
mesh_terms: D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical