CURRICULUM
VITAE
Dr. TIMOTHY M. DELLAPENNA
EDUCATION
1993 M.S., Western Michigan University: Hydrogeology
1991 M.S., Western Michigan University: Geology; Sedimentology
1986 B.S., Michigan State University: Geology
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
1994-1998 Graduate Research Assistant: Virginia Institute of Marine Science College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1991-1992 Petroleum Geologist: Marathon Oil Company, Midland, TX
1988-1989 Hydrogeologist: Environmental Response/Waste Management, MI-DNR
1986-1987 Geologist: Michigan Geological Survey
SELECT
PUBLICATIONS
Dellapenna,
T.M., Kuehl, S.A., and Schaffner L.C., 1998. Seabed mixing and particle residence times in biologically
and physically dominated estuarine systems: a comparison of lower Chesapeake Bay
and the York River subestuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 4:777-795.
Mitra, S., Dellapenna, T.M., and Dickhut, R.M., 1999. Geochemical factors affecting sediment/pore water distribution of PAH's in the Hudson River. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 49: 311-326.
Schaffner,
L. C., Dellapenna, T.M., Hinchey, E., Friedrichs, C.., and Kuehl,
S.A., 2000. Physical energy
regimes, benthic biology, and seabed dynamics along an estuarine gradient:
implications for ecosystem structure and function.
Submitted October 1998 for a special volume of Workshop Proceedings:
Organism-Sediment Interactions (edited by J.Y. Aller, R. Aller and S.A. Woodin)
University of South Carolina Press.
Dellapenna, T.M., Kuehl, S.A., and Pitts, L., in press. Transient, longitudinal, erosional furrows in the York River subestuary, Chesapeake Bay: furrow evolution and effects on seabed mixing and sediment transport (accepted, 10/00: Estuaries)
Dellapenna, T.M., Kuehl, S.A., and Schaffner L.C., in review. Ephemeral deposition, seabed mixing, sediment transport and strataformation in an energetic microtidal estuary: the York River. (submitted to: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science)
Schaffner, L. C., Dellapenna, T.M., Friedrichs, C., Hinchey, E., Smith, M., Dorgan, K., and Lee, G. H., in review. Physical energy regimes and sediment dynamics in the York River estuary. (Submitted to: Estuaries)
G.C. Kineke, Woolfe,K.J., Kuehl, S.A., Milliman, J.D., Dellapenna, T.M., Lally, J.H., and Purdon, R.G., in press. Sediment export from the Sepik River, Papua New Guinea ‑ Evidence for a divergent dispersal system. (Accepted: Continental Shelf Research)
Bryant, W., Dellapenna, T.M., Bean, D., and Slowey, N., in prep. Longitudinal mega-bedforms at the base of the continental slope suggest the existence of ephemeral/episodic high velocity contour currents and helical flow in the Gulf of Mexico. (in prep. to be submitted Jan.,. 2001 to: Science)
Dellapenna,
T.M., Kuehl, S.A., and Schaffner L.C., in prep.
Deep seabed mixing and sediment flushing in coastal plain estuaries: the
role of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes (in prep. to be submitted Winter 2001
to: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science)
Dellapenna, T.M., Allison, M.A., Gill, G.A., Warnken, K., and Lehman, R., in prep. The role of trawling induced resuspension on the particulate exchange between the water column and seabed in shallow estuaries (in prep. to be submitted Winter. 2001 to: Estuaries)
Unger, M., and Dellapenna, T.M., Kuehl, S.A., Tributyl tin (TBT) as a geochronometer in recent sediments in bays and harbors. (In prep. to be submitted to Winter 2001: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science)
My research interests focus primarily on seabed dynamics and sedimentary processes in marine systems. My projects are divided between basic and applied research and much of my work is highly interdisciplinary. Presently, I am involved with projects which fall into four distinct focus areas:
1) Estuarine seabed mixing and sediment dynamics-
a)
Sediment dynamics and sedimentary facies architecture in tropical and
subtropical estuaries- In an effort to investigate these processes, I am
focusing on two different study areas: the
Guianas coast and North Island of New Zealand.
The research proposed herein is the first of two I am preparing to
investigate the Funding
for the Guianas coast is pending, the project will focus on investigating
sedimentary facies architecture within two estuaries, the Sinnemary River in
French Guiana (FG) and the Maroni River which runs along the border of FG and
Surinam. In March of 2000, I
participating in field work with Dr. Mead Allison of Tulane Univerisity on the
offshore component of the Sinnemary, if funded, this project will build on that
work
b)
Sedimentary processes in subtropical estuaries: I
have been invited by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
of New Zealand to make a reconnaissance visit (March 2001) to develop a series
of project investigating sedimentary processes in a variety of estuarine systems
on both the North and South Island. After
the reconnaissance visit, I will be putting together an NSF Proposal through
International Programs. Much
of this work will focus on mangrove dominated systems which are similar in scale
to those proposed for the French Guiana project.
c)
The role of seabed mixing on the degradation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAH’s) and other forms of dissolved (DOC) and particulate (POC) organic
matter in coastal plain esturies- In an effort to expand on my dissertation
work and expand on collaborations with Dr. Sid Mitra (Tulane University), we
have submitted a proposal presently in review with the EPA-Star Program for
Exploratory Research to Anticipate Future Environmental Issues.
If funded the project will contrast the degradation of PAH’s, DOC and
POC in esturine systems for which the seabed is dominated by biologically,
intense physical mixing and systems where there is net accumulation of sediment
and little or no mixing. All of the
systems to be investigated are within the Chesapeake Bay.
d) The role of bioturbation in nutrient cycling in estuaries- Last summer, I participated in field work with colleagues at the Marine Biological Laboratory of Woods Hole, MA. We were working on the Rowley River, which is part of the Plumb Island Ecosystem Long-term Ecological Research Site in northern Massachusetts. I took cores throughout the entire system to develop a conceptual model of the sedimentary processes in this system, this model will be used to better understand the structuring and functioning of the biological community.
e)
The role of trawling induced resuspension on the particulate exchange
between the water column and seabed in shallow estuaries- This project is
wrapping up, it was my Post-Doc project and focused on comparing the relative
impacts of shrimp trawling and wind-induced wave resuspension on sediment
resuspension and contaminant release in Galveston Bay.
2)
Sediment transport and coastal morphodynamics of the inner continental
shelf of the Texas coast- Funding for this project is on an 18-month cycle,
through the NOAA Coastal Management Program and the General Land Office of
Texas. Cycle 1 started Oct. 1, 2000
to conduct multibeam side-scan sonar and CHIRP high resolution seismic surveys
along Galveston Island to investigate the transport of sand, identify new sand
resources and to investigate coastal morphodynamic processes.
This is part of an ongoing program, the proposal for Cycle 2 at the same
level of funding has been submitted and is pending.
3) The occurrence and formation of sedimentary furrows-I began working on sedimentary furrows in the York River as part of my dissertation. Since coming to TAMUG I have been working with Drs. Bill Bryant and Niall Slowey with the Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A&M University to interpret data they have collected at the base of the continental slope in 2000-3000 m of water. We have identified a regionally extensive field of sedimentary furrows which rim the northern Gulf of Mexico. We have funding from a variety of sources, including the Mineral Management Service (MMS), the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and are in the process of putting a Joint Industry Proposal (JIP) with a consortium of oil companies. This project so far has supported two deep-sea submersible dives (Alvin) in Oct. 2000 and will support two cruises to conduct deep tow seismic and side-scan sonar surveys of the furrow field. This project is becoming a large interdisciplinary collaboration with several investigators.
4) The importance of antecedent geology in providing habitat and nurseries for juvenile fish- The basis of this work is a collaboration with Drs. Jay Rooker and Andy Landry of the TAMUG Marine Biology Dept. The work is funded through the National Marine Fisheries (NMFs) MARFIN Program, presently, we are looking at drowned barrier islands and other offshore geological features as structures being used as nursery grounds for red snapper and other commercially important finfish. My lab is conducting side scan sonar, multibeam and seismic surveys to investigate these features. It appears that seabed roughness elements which control the structuring of the fin fish community are control by the distribution of different sedimentary facies such as ancient oyster reefs, dunes and shore faces.
9/2000-present Assistant Professor, TAMU Oceanography/TAMUG Marine Science
1999-8/2000 Texas Institute of Oceanography Postdoctoral Fellow/Lecturer TAMU Oceanography/TAMUG Marine Science
1994-1998 Graduate Research Assistant, School of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA
1993 Graduate Student (Hydrogeology), Dept. of Geology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
1991-1992 Staff Exploration/Development Geologist, Marathon Oil Company, Midland, TX
1987-1990 Graduate Research Assistant (Sedimentology/Petroleum Geology), Dept. of Geology, Western Michigan University
1988-1989 Hydrogeologist/Intern, Environmental Response/Waste Management Divisions, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, Plainwell, MI
1986-1987 Geologist/Intern, Michigan Geological Survey, Lansing, MI