Bathymetric Mapping and Lake Shoreline Characterization at Green Lakes State Park

Material Information

Title:
Bathymetric Mapping and Lake Shoreline Characterization at Green Lakes State Park
Creator:
Nicole Insolia
Justin Stroup
Rachel Lee
Aidan Becker
Publication Date:

Notes

Abstract:
Green Lakes State Park, located in Fayetteville, NY consists of two meromictic lakes: Green Lake and Round Lake. Green Lake is the larger and deeper of the two which reside at the base of a gorge formed from a glacial river during the last Ice Age (~15 ka). The origin of these lakes is not entirely known, but it is inferred that the formation of these glacial plunge pools is associated with large waterfalls. The meromictic nature of these lakes indicates that deep, intermediate, and shallow waters within the lake remain separate and do not mix. Dissolved solids, such as calcium, are concentrated in the groundwater here, which regularly outlet into both lakes. The presence of calcium carbonate ions in the groundwater contribute to lake precipitate in the form of the mineral calcite, which has accumulated as a mineral crust enveloping parts of Green Lake’s shoreline and deep beneath its surface. Occasionally, sediment and debris fall into the lake, which become encapsulated in the mineral crust, forming what is known as a tufa. Tufa are prevalent throughout the lakes, particularly at groundwater outlets. Currently, there is limited information about the bathymetry of these lakes as they are significantly deep and understudied. Our project sought to provide a more in-depth look at the topography of the lake bottom, sides, and transition to shorelines. Additionally, this research aimed to identify locations of tufa development and evaluate if tufa localities and concentrations of coniferous trees correspond. We collected sonar data using a Humminbird SOLIX side scanning sonar system in August, 2020. The data was processed with Reefmaster software and track depths were edited to ensure the interpreted sonar reflections accurately represented lake bottom depths. We produced a high-resolution bathymetric map of the lake bottom. Side scan sonar data was processed using Sonar TRX software and tufa were visually identified. We were also able to detect shoreline steepness, vegetation and woody debris (trees). We provide the first high resolution bathymetric map of the lake and were able to identify tufa in known locations and also document many lesser or unknown locations of tufa formation.
Acquisition:
Collected for SUNY Oswego Institutional Repository by the online self-submittal tool. Submitted by Nicole Insolia.

Record Information

Source Institution:
SUNY Oswego Institutional Repository
Holding Location:
SUNY Oswego Institution
Rights Management:
All applicable rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.