Geomorphology Commons^™

Influences Of Channel Dredging On Avulsion Potential At The Atchafalaya River, Gordon William Mccain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1950, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reported a rapid increase of water discharge from the Mississippi River to its distributary channel; the Atchafalaya River. If not prevented by man-made structures, the complete capture of the Mississippi River by the Atchafalaya River was predicted. The USACE report cites multiple causes for the observed increase in discharge partitioning, yet fails to assess the largescale channel dredging operations conducted throughout the Atchafalaya River Basin during the 1930's and 1940's as a potential cause for the increased discharge. To assess the role man-made interventions, specifically channel dredging, played in the increase …

Reservoir Characterization And Depositional System Of The Atokan Grant Sand, Fort Worth Basin, Texas, Victoria Wood

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Atokan Grant Sands are a tight gas sand play that would add new reserves to the Fort Worth Basin. The Fort Worth Basin is located in north-central Texas just west of Dallas, Texas. Within the basin, the study area consists of Denton, Wise, Tarrant, and Parker Counties in Texas. The basin is bounded to the north by the Red River Arch, to the west by the Bend Arch, to the south by the Llano uplift, to the east by the Ouachita structural front, and to the northeast by the Muenster Arch. The Grant Sands are approximately 1,500 ft stratigraphically …

Lithologic Controls On Bedrock Channel Morphology In The Buffalo River Basin, Evan A. Thaler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The longevity of high relief terrains in passive margin systems remains an explained phenomenon in geomorphology. Current landscape evolution models assume an equilibrium state between rock uplift rates and erosion rates. However, analysis of chi gradients of bedrock channels across several lithologies in the Buffalo River Basin reveals disequilibrium in the basin controlled by the presence of a thick interval of Pennsylvanian sandstone that caps many of the plateaus in the basin. Headwater channels beneath the caprock tend to have higher chi gradient values in all lithologies than headwater channels in basins where the sandstone caprock is absent. High chi …

Controls On Dissolution Rate Variation At A Pair Of Underflow-Overflow Springs At The Savoy Experimental Watershed, Kiefer Allen Vaughn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Physical dissolution experiments and numerical modeling have been used in the past to study limestone dissolution rates. Numerical models have typically used constant dissolution rates, whereas rates in nature vary in time. Limestone tablets allow natural estimation of rates over month time scales, but these rates cannot necessarily be extrapolated to geologic timescales and also do not aid our understanding of short term variability. This study characterizes natural variability in these rates and examines potential causes of that variability from first principles. This may enable more accurate projections of dissolution rates within models. This study combines measurement of physical and …

Analysis Of Environmental Influences On Dressed Stone Decay: A Case Study Of Tafoni Development On A Hewn Djinn Block In Petra, Jordan, Kaelin M. Groom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Petra, Jordan captivates tourists and researchers with its dramatic sandstone cliffs, Nabatean, Roman, Byzantine and Roman architecture, and rich cultural heritage. However, increasing tourism in the valley is exacerbating stone degradation and complicating heritage management. This research analyzed environmental influences on dressed stone decay via tafoni development and evaluating cell evolution on an isolated hewn feature, known as Djinn Block X. Resembling other sandstone blocks found in the area, this irregular sandstone monument exhibits faces ranging in size from 2.5m by 3.5m to 3.9m to 4.2m (29m perimeter). Protruding features, incisions along the top, and a large platform attached to …

Breckenridge Shelter Geoarchaeology, Trevor John Seekamp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My graduate research mainly focuses on Breckenridge Shelter (3CR002), Carroll County, Arkansas. As a geoarchaeologist, my concerns are geomorphological and geological processes affecting the shelter and surrounding hill slope. Breckenridge is one of several similar, Pine Hollow bluff shelters, about Beaver Lake, an impoundment of the White River, in northwest Arkansas.

Classification Of Satellite Time Series-Derived Land Surface Phenology Focused On The Northern Fertile Crescent, Brian Embree Bunker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Land surface phenology describes events in a seasonal vegetation cycle and can be used in a variety of applications from predicting onset of future drought conditions, to revealing potential limits of historical dry farming, to guiding more accurate dating of archeological sites. Traditional methods of monitoring vegetation phenology use data collected in situ. However, vegetation health indices derived from satellite remote sensor data, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), have been used as proxy for vegetation phenology due to their repeated acquisition and broad area coverage. Land surface phenology is accessible in the NDVI satellite record when images …

Penetration Forces For Subsurface Regolith Probes, Ahmed Elshafie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Investigating planetary bodies using penetrometers can provide detailed information about its history and evolution. An estimation of subsurface density and porosity can be made from the shape of the penetration curve. Using penetrometers mounted on planetary platforms could be challenging due to the uncertainty of the subsurface composition and since the maximum allowed force for penetration is the weight of the lander or rover on the surface. Estimation of penetration forces can provide a reliable constraint on the maximum reachable depth without endangering the whole mission. Therefore, knowledge of the required penetration force to specific depths can be helpful in …

Subsurface Planetary Investigation Techniques And Their Role For Assessing Subsurface Planetary Composition, Ahmed Elshafie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface planetary investigation techniques are of high interest and importance for the scientific community. Not only they can enhance our knowledge of the history of planetary formation but also can lead to information about its future. Whether the investigation is being conducted remotely using imagers, radars or physically using penetrometers or drills, a pre-existed knowledge of the mechanical and electrical properties of the subsurface regolith should be acquired for better data interpretation and analysis. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to investigate the mechanical and electrical properties of planetary analogs, understand their role for assessing the subsurface structure …

Orbital Periodicities Reflected In Ancient Surfaces Of Our Solar System And The Implications For A Record Of Early Life, Dixie Lee Androes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Uniformitarian processes, governed by invariant physical laws, remain the most reliable source for reconstructing the past. Driving many of the repetitive, predictable processes are the orbital dynamics of the Sun-Planet-Moon systems. Astronomical periodicities range from a few hours (tides) to thousands of years (Milankovitch). These periodicities, combined with geomorphic observations of planetary surfaces, constrain the time-dependent processes and allow for reconstruction of events and conditions favorable for sedimentary accumulations. This research suggests that seasonal sedimentary processes are dominant on Titan and Mars, and have played a significant role in the formation of ancient banded-iron formations (BIF's) on Earth.

Earth, Mars, …

Impacts Of Hard Stabilization On The Shore Of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Usa, John Chandler Dennis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Discussions related to the adverse impacts associated with shore armor (i.e. seawalls and riprap) are a common topic within the coastal community. While many agree that the installation of these structures alters the shores geomorphic response, there is disagreement in the type and degree of response. Furthermore, studies that have delved into this topic have been conducted in numerous settings but have been confounded by a lack of data regarding shore morphologies prior to installation of these structures. At Yellowstone National Park, there is an opportunity to assess the impacts of shore armor quantitatively because the National Park Service requires …

Role Of Vegetation And Environmental Characteristics On Slope Stability In Northwest Arkansas, Michael Maguigan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Slope failure continues to pose risks to society because knowledge of environmental factors and their interactions are unclear and possibly misunderstood. This misunderstanding leads to generalizations about slope failure susceptibility mapping, despite knowing that slope failures are likely the result of an extensively complex set of interactions among a number of environmental, edaphic, and geomorphic characteristics. Therefore a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of slope, soil texture, vegetation cover, bedrock permeability, and compaction,. A wooden flume with a slope face 1 m wide by 1.5 m long with a 10 cm toe was constructed to contain …

Geoarchaeology Of The Orontes River Floodplain Surrounding Tell Qarqur, Syria, Anna Flora Wieser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project combines geoarchaeological soil description and GIS analysis of archaeological site distribution to investigate the history of marsh formation in the northern Ghab Basin, located within the Orontes River Valley of western Syria. Tell Qarqur, the archaeological site around which this project is focused, has a continuous occupational sequence throughout the Holocene. Annual inundation of the site by seasonal marshlands suggests that the marsh was either smaller or non-existent in the past, but its history remains unknown. The objectives of this investigation are to interpret the nature of depositional environments, particularly fluvial action, in the vicinity of Tell Qarqur, …

Experimental Simulations Of Dark Slope Streaks On Mars, Kelly Howe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Martian slope streaks were first observed in Viking images but their formation still remains ambiguous. Martian slope streaks are currently occurring geological phenomenon on Mars, which requires any formation theory to be in agreement with Mar's current temperature and pressure conditions. Planar morphology of martian slope streaks suggest a potential fluvial formation, but current conditions on Mars are not conducive to water remaining liquid long enough to erode the surface. Debris flows, fluid stains and dry dust avalanches have all been previously cited as a potential formation mechanism for martian slope streaks. Recent experimental simulations indicate that a fluvial source …

Geologic Map Of The Nez Perce Drainage Basin, Southwestern Montana, Rose Aimee Feinstein

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

A geologic map of the Nez Perce drainage basin in southwestern Montana offers an understanding of the developing paleotopography of the area following the Laramide orogeny, ca. 65 ma. In this project, a small drainage basin was studied in detail, focusing on the geomorphology, structure, lithology, and ages of the various rock units. Based on the results of these studies and the relationships found among four major gravel units mapped within the basin, the basin development was approximated. The youngest unit is a fine-grained (mean diameter = 8.23 cm) channel deposit within Nez Perce Creek, sourced from within the basin, …

Morphometry And Limnology Of Ferguson Lake, Saline County, Arkansas, John D. Rickett, E. P. (Perk) Floyd

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

To more fully understand Ferguson Lake as an ecosystem and eventually relate its water quality and production potential to fisheries management, several limnological variables were sampled monthly from April 1997 through March 1999. Vertical profiles of temperature and dissolved oxygen were recorded, and water samples from 0.5 m. depth were tested for turbidity, pH, total alkalinity, total hardness, ortho-phosphate, nitrate-nitrogen, sulfate, iron and specific conductance. Evaporation rate experiments, spillway discharge and rainfall records were used to estimate lake hydrology. Depth transects on the lake and USGS topographic maps were used to measure and calculate morphometric and watershed features. The lake …

Blackland Prairies Of Southwestern Arkansas, Thomas L. Foti

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Blackland Prairie community type has been described in Texas; related communities exist in Alabama and Mississippi. The Arkansas variant of the community has not been described in detail. Since the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission began a systematic inventory of the community in 1985, more than 36 remnants have been identified that retain substantial natural character. However, all show some degree of disturbance. Based on aerial photo interpretation, aerial inspection, and ground study, an initial description of the community is presented, including original distribution, soil, vegetation and relationship to similar communities of Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Relation Of Magnetic And Gravity Field Data To Selected Structural Elements Of The Central Portion Of The Arkoma Basin, John H. Mcbride

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In order to acquire a greater understanding of some of the major basement structural features characteristic of the Arkoma basin, magnetic and gravity data have been collected and analyzed for a selected area. Several anomalies exist and are found to be associated with faulting or major fracturing in the Precambrian basement. Modelling of source bodies based on magnetic and gravity values provides quantitative estimates of the depth as well as the geometry of basement structural geology.

Structural Geology Of The Brentwood-St. Paul Area, Northwest Arkansas, Mikel R. Shinn

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Photogeologic and field mapping of a 530 mi² area in southeastern Washington and southern Madison Counties, Arkansas, indicates that post-Atoka structural deformation occurred primarily through differential uplift of basement fault blocks. Northeast and east trending basement faults and fracture systems are present. Northeast trending features are related to the major fracture systems of the stable continental interior. They were initiated by shearing during Pre-Cambrian time and have subsequently acted as crustal zones of weakness along which mostly vertical movement has occurred. East trending basement faults may have originally developed as a result of tension between the stable Ozark uplift and …

Significance Of Major Northeast Trending Lineaments Observed On Landsat Imagery Of Northwestern Arkansas, David A. Smith

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Examination of LANDSAT 1 satellite imagery covering northwestern Arkansas reveals a set of well-defined northeast trending lineaments. The traces of two such lineaments coincide closely with the strike of the well-known Fayetteville and Drakes Creek faults in this area. The faults are downthrown to the southeast and show a variable amount of vertical displacement (0 to 91 m) along strike. A third major lineament has been recognized that is subparallel to the Fayetteville and Drakes Creek faults and extends from within the Arkoma basin on the south, northeasterly into southern Boone County, Arkansas, fora minimum distance of 85 km and …

Geologic Mapping From Aerial Photography In The Boston Mountains, Northwestern Arkansas, Mikel R. Shinn

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Aerial photography has been employed to map stratigraphic and structural features in the Boston Mountains of Washington and Crawford Counties, Arkansas. Exposures of resistant stratigraphic units within the lower Atoka Formation were delineated on a series of large scale aerial photographs over an area of about 150 square miles. With the aid of a Bausch & Lomb Zoom Transfer Scope, the positions of the units were subsequently transferred to 1: 24,000 scale topographic base maps. The presense of east trending anticlines and synclines and a series of low displacement normal faults is reflected by either gradual or abrupt changes in …

Chemical Weathering Of Lamprophyric Rock, Central Arkansas, Kenneth F. Steele, Edward C. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Geomorphic Analogs And Climax Morphogenesis, H. F. Garner

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Base-Level Control Of Erosion Surfaces, H. F. Garner

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Structural And Petrological Note On The Mazarn Synclinorium, Larry J. Lee

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Shear And Tension Fracture Patterns Of Northwest Arkansas, John F. Gibbons

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.