Geomorphology Commons^™

The Impacts Of Mid-Holocene Warming On Water Quality In A Southwestern Ontario Kettle Pond, Morgan E. Peicheff

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

No abstract provided.

328— Watershed Analysis Of The Eberswalde Delta (Early Hesperian), Mars, Jason Mueller

GREAT Day Posters

The Eberswalde Delta is an impressive Martian fluvial-deltaic system. It is fed by an Earth-like dendritic river system that indicates past precipitation. This study is designed to quantify controls on network morphometry and its past extent using Esri ArcMap. Upstream contributing area (km2), elevation (m), depth (m), width (m), W/D ratio, and slope (-m/m), were calculated and graphed by stream order and long profiles. Width/depth increased with distance downstream but fluctuated in the fifth-order channel that was convex with knickpoints. This implied the system was youthful. The fourth-order stream was concave and in a sedimentary sub-basin. This sub-basin may have …

205— Revisiting The Geologic History Of The Pathfinder Landing Site At Ares Vallis, Mars, Andrew Agent

GREAT Day Posters

Before NASA sent the Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover to the mouth of Ares Vallis in 1997, they anticipated the discovery of Hesperian-age (3.6 Ga-3.0 Ga) sediments deposited from catastrophic outflows. When pictures came back, the rocks they discovered were large, boulder-size, angular, and were largely inconsistent with transport by large floods. The origin of the deposits at the Pathfinder landing site remains controversial. This study aims to constrain the surface geology of the Pathfinder landing site using new high-resolution imagery and crater statistics. Context Camera (CTX) images along with High-Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) images were used to map surface …

069— Geomorphic Characteristics Of Canadice Lake, Ny, Watersheds And The Anthropogenic Effects On Watershed Output And Sensitivity, Carla Crampton

GREAT Day Posters

Land use and size of watershed catchment areas affects the overall health and water quality of Canadice Lake. Methods in ArcGIS Pro were used for high resolution imagery and topography data to analyze the geomorphology of watersheds at Canadice Lake. Watersheds were mapped using ArcGIS Hydrology tools by constructing flow direction and accumulation grids. In each individual watershed, total area of the watershed, area of residential and agricultural land use, and total length of roads was determined to evaluate which watersheds are most sensitive to human impact and which watersheds are likely to contribute the highest flow discharge and sediment …

Glacial Geology Of Readfield Maine, Bryer Carlson

Michael D. Wilson Symposium

This poster explores the glacial geology in the town of Readfield Maine. With the use of GPR (ground penetrating radar), LiDar imaging and the State's surficial geology maps, evidence for a specific glacial feature called an "esker" was sought out and collected.

411— Analysis Of Hillslope Stability, Harriman, Tennessee, Walter Hennings, Anthony Wagman

GREAT Day Posters

We seek to conduct a hillslope safety analysis of a hill located in Roane County, Tennessee, composed of the Gilpin-Petros soils. This unit is composed primarily of residuum from sandstone, siltstone, and shale. The stability of the hill was assessed using a one-dimensional infinite slope-stability model. This model was used to calculate the factor of safety under both dry and wet conditions based on a set of assumptions derived from soil lithology and hydrologic parameters. Simulations in ArcGIS show that under dry conditions, the slope is unconditionally stable at all locations. Under conditions of sufficiently heavy rainfall (>9 inches …

Assessing The Habitability Of Mars Using Impact Crater Statistics, Emily N. Shaver

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Because Mars lacks a global magnetic field or protective ozone layer, its surface is unshielded to harsh radiation from space. This ionizing radiation breaks down any organic components in the soil at the martian surface on timescales of tens to hundreds of millions years (10–100 Ma). In planetary geology, we use the density of impact craters as a proxy for time: older surfaces tend to accumulate more craters. Using impact craters, we can assess the exposure age and therefore organic preservation potential of the Martian surface from orbit.

The goal of this ongoing project is to better understand exposure ages …

Engaging The Greater Lafayette Community In A Journey Through The Earth Sciences: Purdue’S Eaps Earth Science Passport Day Event, Dara Laczniak, Bradley Garczynski

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Topovar90m: Global High-Resolution Topographic Variables For Environmental Modeling, Giuseppe Amatulli Dr.

Yale Day of Data

Topographical relief involves the vertical and horizontal variation of the Earth's terrain and it drives processes in hydrology, climatology, geography and ecology. Its assessment and characterization is fundamental for various types of modeling and simulation analysis. In this regard, the Multi-Error-Removed Improved Terrain (MERIT) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) currently provides the best high-resolution DEM globally available, at a 3 arc-second resolution (90m), due to the removal of multiple error components from the underlying SRTM3 and AW3D30 DEMs. To depict topographical variations worldwide, we developed a new dataset comprising different terrain features derived from the MERIT-DEM. The fully standardized topographical variables …

Optimizing Uav Surveys For Coastal Morphodynamics: Estimation Of Spatial Uncertainty As A Function Of Flight Acquisition And Post-Processing Factors, Mark Lundine

Celebration of Learning

Recent developments in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetry software enable the rapid collection of aerial photography and video over study areas of varying sizes, thereby providing ease of use and accessibility for studies of coastal geomorphology. However, there remains uncertainty over UAV survey techniques, with disagreement on specific flight patterns, flight altitudes, photograph amounts, ground control point (GCP) amounts, GCP spacing schemes, drone models, and which SfM software to use, amongst other study-specific parameters.

A controlled field test (of 1.2 hectares) was performed to determine SfM’s sensitivity to the following flight parameters: altitude (60 m, 80 m, 120 m), …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Island Morphology In Lower Pool 18 Of The Mississippi River, Marissa C. Iverson

Celebration of Learning

The Upper Mississippi River System has a significant trend in island loss due to river engineering structures. However, Lower Pool 18 is observed as a counterexample to the island loss pattern with its island development near Lock and Dam 18 during the past 80 years. This research is modeled after a study done in Lower Pool 6 of the Upper Mississippi River where an island development was found to contradict the island loss prevalence. The Lower Pool 18 research’s goal is to map, describe, and explain spatial patterns of islands growth, persistence and loss. Historical maps and aerial photographs of …

Use Of Floodscape Mapping To Assess Changes In Inundation Frequency Of The Upper Mississippi River, Jeffrey L. Swanson

Celebration of Learning

As an alternative to probability-based maps, DeJager (and others) reconceptualized floodplain mapping using the notion of “floodscapes” (DeJager et al., 2015). A floodscape map is developed using daily stage data and high-resolution topography to create maps that depict the average number of days of inundation (per year or growing season). Floodscape maps reveal intricate and continuous patterns of high-frequency flows that are critically important to floodplain ecological functioning. DeJager found significant correlations between floodscape inundation and riparian vegetation patterns but single floodscape maps only provide snapshots in time. This current research develops and utilizes multiple floodscape maps to quantify changes …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Effects Of Urbanization, Mesophication And Prescribed Burns On Oak Woodlands In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Chad Populorum

Celebration of Learning

Urban expansion has had devastating impacts on forest ecosystems, especially within the past century. Human attempts to dominate nature have diminished natural disturbance regimes, which have maintained the biodiversity and historic composition of these ecosystems. Fires have been a prominent force in maintaining the structure of oak, hickory and other heliophytic (sun loving and fire-adapted) forest systems. Human induced fire suppression has led to mesophication across North America. Mesophication is the transition from drier conditions with open canopies to wetter conditions with closed canopies. These new conditions decrease the survival rates of these important species and begin to favor mesophytic …

Reconstructing Late Holocene Paleofloods Along The Middle Tennessee River And Exploring Links With Climate And Land Use, Lance Stewart

Scholars Week

Sediment stored in floodplains and low alluvial terraces along the middle Tennessee River reflects flood frequency and magnitude during the past ca. 2800 years. This study uses the stratigraphy, sedimentology, and geochronology of three alluvial terraces to infer past flooding and explore links with climate change and anthropogenic land-use practices. Four sites located on different geomorphic landforms adjacent to the Tennessee River preserve records of at least 11 major flood events from 2780 ± 185 BP to 100 ± 10 BP. Buried soils at three sites are older than ca. 1380 BP and suggest a relatively recent period of landscape …

The Effects Of Time And Topography On Deep Carbon Storage In The Clarks River Valley Of Western Kentucky, Benedict W. Ferguson

Scholars Week

Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at depths greater than one meter in valley bottoms are not well understood. This study examines the stock of SOC with depth across alluvial landforms in the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. Nine cores along three transects from terraces to floodplains and adjacent channel bars were collected to depths of 4 meters or refusal. Bulk density, clay content, and loss-on-ignition were used to estimate stocks. Age estimates based on radiocarbon suggest the landforms range in age from 7975 to 52 yr BP. Average SOC and carbon (C) flux varied with values of 1.76 kg/m^{2 …}

Assessing The Periodic Groundwater Flow Conditions Of A Perched Aquifer System In The Daniel Boone National Forest, Ethan Sweet

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Assessing the Periodic Groundwater Flow Conditions of a Perched Aquifer System in the Daniel Boone National Forest

Ethan Sweet and Jonathan Malzone

Eastern Kentucky University, Department of Geosciences

Natural ephemeral wetlands situated among the ridge-tops in the Daniel Boone National Forest serve as reservoirs that recharge a shallow groundwater system. Unique interactions between surface and groundwater in these isolated systems provide substantial support for the native ecosystem, serving as a breeding ground for amphibians and as source water for vegetation—especially in periods of drought. Currently it is not understood how groundwater could provide regional biodiversity, a drought buffer, or a …

A Spatial Relationship Between Stream Slope Stability And Water Quality Within An Urban Watershed In Rock Island, Il, Joseph Teresi

Celebration of Learning

The consistently observed phenomenon of highly altered streams and degraded water quality draining urban areas across the U.S is described as the urban stream syndrome. Rock Island, Illinois, contains a population of nearly 39,000 people, and houses industrial and logistical businesses amidst a city of aging infrastructure. Streams occupy ravines that have incised into the Quaternary loess plateau, flowing south towards the Rock River and north or west towards the Mississippi River. In an attempt to understand better the severity of Rock Island’s urban stream syndrome, this project analyzed stream slopes within the Rock Island watershed to categorize their level …

The Relationship Between Static Water Levels, Bedrock Topography, And Glacial Drift Thickness For The Cedarville, Greene County, Ohio Area, Joel G. Twinem

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Cedarville, Ohio, is an area covered in glacial deposits from the Pleistocene age. During this time, the Silurian dolomitic bedrock was exposed and worn down. Glacial till composed of sand and gravel was deposited atop the dolomite in wake of the glaciers retreat. The combination of vuggy bedrock and permeability of the overlying sediments cause the area to be very conducive to aquifer storage and movement. This study attempts to determine the relationship between bedrock topography, till thickness, and static water level, as well as the implications for future drilling. 26 static water levels were measured in the field using …

The Spatial Distribution And Origins Of Sandstone Monoliths In The Swauk Watershed, Kittitas County, Wa, Rebeca Becerra, Daniel O'Dell

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

Large groups of gigantic sandstone and conglomerate monoliths populate the Swauk Watershed of northern Kittitas County. These monoliths rest on side slopes in the watershed and distinctively project from their surroundings. The origins of these features are unknown. We studied these monoliths in the field by mapping their spatial distribution, describing their morphology and composition, and measuring their orientation and sizes in order to determine their origins. We used Google Earth and topographic maps to locate the monoliths and map their distribution. Interpretations were based from field work data and past research. Our field results show commonalities between the features …

Shoreline Dynamics Of Jekyll Island (1888-2014), Diana Snyder, Tim Herold

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Cars And Karst: Investigating The National Corvette Museum Sinkhole, Jason S. Polk, Leslie North, Ric Federico, Brian Ham, Dan Nedvidek, Kegan Mcclanahan, Pat Kambesis, Mike Marasa

Sinkhole Conference 2015

On February 12th, 2014, a sinkhole occurred at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The collapse happened inside part of the building known as the Skydome and eight Corvettes on display were lost into the void that opened in the concrete floor. In this region of Kentucky, known as the Pennyroyal sinkhole plain, subsidence and cover collapse sinkholes are commonly found throughout the landscape. This iconic karst region in the United States is also home to Mammoth Cave, the longest cave in the world, and thousands of other caves and karst features. Investigation of the sinkhole collapse began …

Building Codes To Minimize Cover Collapses In Sinkhole-Prone Areas, George Veni, Connie Campbell Brashear, Andrew Glasbrenner

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Cover- collapse sinkholes are forming with increasing frequency under buildings. Analyses of sinkhole distribution in Beacon Woods, Florida, preliminarily indicate their occurrence is an order of magnitude greater in urban versus undeveloped areas, suggesting the structures themselves are enhancing the collapse process. The most likely causes are induced recharge via at least one of two sources. First, runoff and drainage from roads, structures, and impoundments that is not adequately dispersed will promote sinkhole development. Second, leaking water, sewer, and septic systems beneath or adjacent to a structure will also promote collapse. The process of cover-collapse from induced recharge is well …

Evaporite Geo-Hazard In The Sauris Area (Friuli Venezia Giulia Region - Ne Italy), Chiara Calligaris, Stefano Devoto, Luca Zini, Franco Cucchi

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Evaporite sinkholes represent a severe threat to many European countries, including Italy. Among the Italian regions, of the area most affected is the northern sector of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (NE Italy). Here chalks had two main depositional periods first in the Late Permian and then during the Late Carnian (Late Triassic). Evaporites outcrop mainly in the Alpine valleys or are partially mantled by Quaternary deposits, as occur along the Tagliamento River Valley. Furthermore, evaporites make up some portions of mountains and Alpine slopes, generating hundreds of karst depressions. This paper presents the preliminary results of the research activities carried …

The Cost Of Karst Subsidence And Sinkhole Collapse In The United States Compared With Other Natural Hazards, David J. Weary

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Rocks with potential for karst formation are found in all 50 states. Damage due to karst subsidence and sinkhole collapse is a natural hazard of national scope. Repair of damage to buildings, highways, and other infrastructure represents a significant national cost. Sparse and incomplete data show that the average cost of karst-related damages in the United States over the last 15 years is estimated to be at least $300,000,000 per year and the actual total is probably much higher. This estimate is lower than the estimated annual costs for other natural hazards; flooding, hurricanes and cyclonic storms, tornadoes, landslides, earthquakes, …

A Semi-Automated Tool For Reducing The Creation Of False Closed Depressions From A Filled Lidar-Derived Digital Elevation Model, John Wall, Daniel H. Doctor, Silvia Terziotti

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Closed depressions on the land surface can be identified by ‘filling’ a digital elevation model (DEM) and subtracting the filled model from the original DEM. However, automated methods suffer from artificial ‘dams’ where surface streams cross under bridges and through culverts. Removal of these false depressions from an elevation model is difficult due to the lack of bridge and culvert inventories; thus, another method is needed to breach these artificial dams. Here, we present a semi-automated workflow and toolbox to remove falsely detected closed depressions created by artificial dams in a DEM. The approach finds the intersections between transportation routes …

Sinkhole Vulnerability Mapping: Results From A Pilot Study In North Central Florida, Clint Kromhout, Alan E. Baker

Sinkhole Conference 2015

At the end of June in 2012, Tropical Storm Debby dropped a record amount of rainfall across Florida which triggered hundreds, if not thousands, of sinkholes to form which resulted in tremendous damage to property. The Florida Division of Emergency Management contracted with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Geological Survey to produce a map depicting the state’s vulnerability to sinkhole formation. The three-year project began with a pilot study in three northern Florida counties: Columbia, Hamilton and Suwannee. Utilizing the statistical modeling method Weights of Evidence, results from the pilot study yielded a 93 percent success rate of …

Shallow Depressions In The Florida Coastal Plain: Karst And Pseudokarst, Sam B. Upchurch, Thomas M. Scott, Michael C. Alfieri, Thomas L. Dobecki

Sinkhole Conference 2015

In Florida, shallow depressions (i.e., depressions <1-2 m in depth) on the land surface are often attributed to sinkhole development. However, it has become evident that there are at least six different mechanisms through which these depressions can form in geologically young cover sediments. These mechanisms include: 1. Cover-subsidence sinkholes over shallow limestone; 2. Suffosion sinkholes over shallow limestone; 3. Cover settlement over shallow shell beds; 4. Large, aeolian deflation areas that resemble “Carolina bays;” 5. Depressions that mimic landforms developed on a shallow paleosol; and 6. Depressions created by pedodiagenesis (i.e., conversion of smectite to kaolinite) in a soil-forming environment. Of these, only the first two appear to represent traditional mechanisms for sinkhole development in eogenetic karst. Cover settlement over shell beds is poorly understood and incorrectly attributed to sinkhole development processes. This type of depression has serious limitations in terms of cover thickness and shell content of the substrate. The last three mechanisms are pseudokarst created by aeolian and soil-forming processes. In this paper we present examples of each and discuss their constraints and evidence.

Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging To Characterize Karst Hazards In Southeastern Minnesota Agricultural Settings, Toby Dogwiler, Blake Lea

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Much of the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota is underlain by karstified carbonate bedrock. Land use in this karst terrain is dominated by agriculture, including row crop and dairy operations. The karst in this region is often mantled with up to 15 m of soil and unconsolidated sediments. As a result, underlying karst hazards such as incipient sinkholes are often hidden until they are suddenly revealed by the collapse of subsurface voids. Regionally, the economics of the dairy industry is causing a trend toward the consolidation and expansion of existing operations. As concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) or feedlots expand, …

Investigation Of A Sinkhole In Ogle County, Northwestern Illinois, Using Near-Surface Geophysical Techniques, Philip J. Carpenter, Lauren Schroeder

Sinkhole Conference 2015

A sinkhole measuring 40 m in diameter and up to 6.5 m deep occurs within the Nachusa Grasslands, near the town of Franklin Grove, northwestern Illinois. This area, dedicated to prairie conservation and restoration, is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy. Several meters of unconsolidated sand, gravel, and clay overlie the St. Peter sandstone, beneath which lies karstic Prairie du Chien dolomite. Investigations included EM conductivity profiles, resistivity soundings, 2D resistivity, and ground- penetrating radar (GPR), supplemented by conductivity logs, soil cores, and tree core studies. These data indicate the sandstone averages about 5 m deep near the sinkhole …

Characterization Of Karst Terrain Using Geophysical Methods Based On Sinkhole Analysis: A Case Study Of The Anina Karstic Region (Banat Mountains, Romania), Laurentiu Artugyan, Adrian C. Ardelean, Petru Urdea

Sinkhole Conference 2015

To understand karst topography, we must determine both the nature and the factors that are defining dissolution processes in soluble rocks, as well as the drainage network resulting from these processes. The goal of this paper is to understand the underground drainage direction configuration and, also, the factors that are involved in surface water drainage of the Anina karstic region. In this study we used two complementary geophysical methods, spontaneous potential (SP) and ground penetrating radar (GPR), applied in 5 sinkholes with a funnel shaped aspect. Four of these sinkholes are circular and one of them is elongated NW-SE direction. …