Date of Award

6-2003

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Geological and Environmental Sciences

Department

Geosciences

First Advisor

Dr. Alan E. Kehew

Second Advisor

Dr. David Barnes

Third Advisor

Dr. William Sauck

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The surficial glacial deposits and landforms of Van Buren County were recently mapped at a 1:24,000 scale as part of a STATEMAP project. Several borings were drilled to supplement the surface data. Six of these borings were characterized in detail by means of gamma ray logging, textural analysis, and X-ray diffraction of the clay-sized fraction of the diamicton units.

Results from this study reveal two diamicton units at stratigraphically distinct positions that can be correlated across the county and that are separated by a thick sequence of lacustrine sediments. Correlation of diamicton and lacustrine units was accomplished by analyzing several factors, including topography, stratigraphic position, texture, and clay mineralogy. The diamicton units in this study correlate to an upper and lower diamicton at the bluffs of Lake Michigan as well as to inland surface diamictons that Monaghan et al. (1986) characterize and informally name the Saugatuck and Ganges tills. This stratigraphy also correlates with other regional studies (Wong, 2002; Bird, in preparation) and suggests an advance of the Lake Michigan Lobe at least as far as the Kalamazoo Moraine, a subsequent retreat of the lobe with a significant period of a lacustrine deposition, followed by a readvance.

Comments

Additional File included.

Plate 1. Glacial Terrain Map of Van Burden County, Michigan

Additional Files
BeukemaPlate1.tif (341233 kB)
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