Date of Award

6-2014

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Geological and Environmental Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Alan E. Kehew

Second Advisor

Dr. Rama V. Krishnamurthy

Third Advisor

Dr. Upul B. Attanayake

Keywords

Glacial geology, Saginaw lobe, engineering, geoloy, geotechnical

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Since the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) the south-central portion of the Lower Michigan Peninsula has been subject to several glacial advances and retreats by the Saginaw lobe. As part of the U.S Geological Survey Great Lakes Geological Mapping Coalition projects, several rotosonic borings were drilled between 2006 and 2013 in Barry, Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties. Gamma ray logs and textural analyses were completed for each core. Five of these borings were selected according to their diamicton (till) content and correlated using water well logs and surficial geology maps. Glacial deposits such as diamicton serve as evidence of glacial advance/retreat, and are usually present as nearly continuous layers of sediments. Analysis of these layers affords the ability to accurately correlate these types of sediments across an area. Three cores, BA-10-02 and BA-09-02, KA-12-02 were drilled along the Kalamazoo moraine, each one containing 1 to 3 diamicton units separated by lacustrine sediments. The last two cores, CA-11-01 and KA-13-01 were drilled on a drumlinized till plain; both contain 2 to 4 diamicton units separated by outwash sediments. These diamicton units indicate the presence of at least one major and two minor advances/retreats of the Saginaw Lobe.

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