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  • Uso de Aloformaciones

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    Juan Carlos Caicedo Andrade
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    ALOFORMACION

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    ALOFORMACION

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    13 vistas9 páginas

    Uso de Aloformaciones

    Cargado por

    Juan Carlos Caicedo Andrade
    ALOFORMACION

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Descargue como PDF o lea en línea desde Scribd
    Marcar por contenido inapropiado
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    Use of alloformations for definition of Holocene meander belts in the middle Amite River, southeastern Louisiana WHITNEY J. AUTIN Louisiana Geological Survey, Box G, Baton Rouge, Lousiana 70893 ABSTRACT Geomorphological studies in drainage basins of the northern Gulf ‘of Mexico coasal plain have indicated simiarities in flood-plain char- acter and comparable influences on basin evolution. Alluvial mor- phology and stratigraphy ean be linked to flood-plain evolution through the use of alloformations, unconformity-bounded strati- graphic units. This procedure extends classical terrace mapping concepts to conform with formally defined stratigraphic procedures. ‘A meander belt segment of the middle Amite River valley in southeastern Louisiana was selected to test the applicability of allo- formation mapping in part of a regional-scale (5,000 km*) drainage basin, Three alloformations, identified as Magnolia Bridge (MAG), ‘Denham Springs (DS), and Watson (WAT), can be differentiated by ‘unconformable boundaries, landscape morphology, and relative ped- ‘genie development. The valley fill consists of a lower sandy and "upper sity facies. Preserved deposits consist of channel lg, poit bar and seroll bar, channel il, and overbank sequences. Lichofaces and. sedimentary environments are dependent on Quvial process, and a suite of meander bel environments can be identified within each sll formation. Surface horizons of allwvial soils are all similar (ochric : Lam “Amite River [J Magnolia Bridge Atlformation 2 enham Springs» Seolanvie Fut Zone 236 Fig 1). The basin’ upland areas are designated as Pleistocene Upland, Intermediate, and Prairie complexes (Snead and McColl, 1984; Saucier and Snead, 1989). A complex isa regionally coreatve group of allofor. ‘mations that ae informally defined (Autin and others, 1991). The Peisto- ‘ene surfces over the western part of the basin ae loess covered. Two ‘ast-west-trending growth faults have surface expression acros the south- erm part ofthe basin Prior investigations in the valley (Gagliano, 1963; Durham, 1968) recognized multiple alluvial surfues in the flood plain. Autin (19890) identified morphologic differences berween meander belts along with cot- responding sedimentologic and pedologc variations in the alluvial fil ‘This se of criteria was used to subdivide deposits of the Amite River previously mapped as undifferentiated alluvium (Snead and McCulloh, 1984), The study area is a 14.3km segment of the middle Amite River located north ofthe town of Denham Springs (Fig 2). This valley segment has geomorphic surfaces that can be recognized as constructional land- forms created by episodes of meander belt accretion. Preserved abandoned meanders are localy aligned in such a mannet ast permit the definition ‘of crosscutting morphologic features and mapping of abandoned meandet belts Floodplain sediments are composed mestly of abandoned point bas and fil of abandoned channels and chute channels covered by overbank sediments. The valley fill consists of approximately two-thirds sand and sravel and one-third fine-grained sediment. Individual meander belts rep- resent. periods of lateral channel accretion and vertical floodplain accretion by proceses similar to those constructing the madern meander belt Methods Holocene alluvium in the middle Amite River valley was dffeen- tiated by interpretation of topographic pattems, lithofaies, and soils to elineate meander bets a alloformation at a 1:24,000 scale. Floodplain Figure 3. Conceptual block model of the riddle Amite River alloformations, MAG, DS, and WAT, and ther relation tothe loess- covered Prairie Complex (PR). Lateral allo- formation boundaries are marked by geomet- fie discontinuities in the sandy facies that ‘merge with an upper inferred boundary within cumulle soil profiles developed in the ‘brown silt. Lithofacies patterns are reflected by the constructional geomorphic surfaces associated with each alloformation. The up- per surface of the MAG has a meandering ‘channel, point bar, and chute channels devel- ‘oped by the modern Amite River (A). The DS surface has well preserved point bar and ‘abandoned channels (B) and ridge and swale topography (C). The WAT surface has locally preserved abandoned channels (D) and near- ly level flood plain flats (E). Ww, J. AUTIN slopes were estimated from 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles foreach alloformation for both alluvial ridges and meander loops. Measurements and statistical analyses of flod-plain slopes are presented in Autin (198). Borings of up to 8 m length and either 25- or -cm diameter were collected with Giddings hydraulic probe and provide mest of the subsur- face field data. Locations inaccessible to the truck-mounted probe were sampled with a hand auger. Valley cross sections were constructed to iusrate geometric relationships between lthofacies, landscapes and allo- formations. Sedimentary sequences exposed along moder stream cut- ‘banks and the walls of commercial sand and gravel pts were used to ‘observe and describe lthologc and pedologc properties and the nature of stratigraphic contacts. Soil description procedures and terminology are consistent with those of Soil Survey Staff (1975). A total of 313 vertical profiles were measured wsing ether the Giddings hydraulic probe, a hand auger, or field exposures (Autin, 1989). MORPHOLOGY OF GEOMORPHIC SURFACES ‘The approach to mapping alluvium in this study diverges significantly {om historical precedents i south Louisiana (se Autn and others, 1991, for review). Alluvium inthe study area younger than the late Pleistocene Prairie Complex can be grouped into three alloformations (Fig. 2). Bach alloformation of the middle Amite River is bounded by (1) a basal contact between the sandy alluvium and the Prarie Complex, (2) an upper boundary corelated to the geomorphic surface of a particular meander bel, and (3) lateral boundaries defined by crosscutting relationships of ‘meander belts. The Magnolia Bridge (MAG) alloformation is the youngest and constitutes the deposits of the currenly active meander belt. The ‘Denham Springs (DS) alloformation is of intermediate age and i ident- fed as a continuous abandoned meander belt that approximately coincides With the center ofthe alluvial valley. The Watson (WAT) alloformation is the oldest alluvium that postdates the Prarie Complex and occurs as BROWN siLT Gray siur SANDY FACIES PEORIA LOESS PRAIRIE COMPLEX yreeReD ALLOFORMATION BOUNDARY DEFINITION OF HOLOCENE MEANDER BELTS, LOUISIANA,

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