geomorphology

Geomorphometric segmentation of complex slope elements to improve soil mapping in southeast Brazil

Marques, K., J.A. Demattê, B.A. Miller, and I. Lepsch. Geomorphometric segmentation of complex slope elements to improve soil mapping in southeast Brazil. Geoderma Regional 14: e00175. doi: 10.1016/j.geodrs.2018.e00175. Read More

25 August 2022

A new depositional model for sand-rich loess on the Buckley Flats outwash plain, northwestern Lower Michigan

This landscape was originally interpreted as loess mixed with underlying sands. This paper re-evaluates this landscape through a spatial analysis of data from auger samples and soil pits. To better estimate the loamy sediment’s initial textures, we utilized “filtered” laser diffraction data, which remove much of the coarser sand data. Our new model for the origin of the loamy mantle suggests that the sands on the uplands were generated from eroding gullies and saltated onto the uplands along with loess that fell more widely. Read More

5 February 2018

Defining Colluvium and Alluvium (2016 EGU General Assembly)

You can still take the survey to voice your perspective on the definitions of colluvium and alluvium! <a href="http://goo.gl/forms/fV8RBWKjis" target=""TAKE THE SURVEY Yones_LoessFest-2016… Read More

5 May 2016

What is Colluvium? An Interactive Poster Seeking a Common Definition to Improve International Communication (2015 SSSA Conference)

UPDATE: This poster was a test run for a survey asking the audience for their perspectives on how to differentiate colluvium and alluvium. That has… Read More

13 September 2015

Comparison of surficial geology maps based on soil survey and in depth geological survey

Despite the widespread availability of relatively detailed soil maps in the USA, few areas have a surficial geology map published with as much spatial detail. This apparent gap between disciplines calls to question the accuracy of soil maps to represent the spatial distribution of surficial geologic materials. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to test the agreement between maps from these two sources. Read More

10 March 2015

Colluvium vs Alluvium

UPDATE: The tremendous response to this blog post led to an international and interdisciplinary survey on how these terms are/should be defined. The results of… Read More

23 February 2015

Using Soil Surveys to Delineate Quaternary Parent Materials and Landforms (2010 Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium)

Using-Soil-Surveys-to-Map-Quaternary-Parent-MaterialsDownload… Read More

10 February 2014

Thin, pedoturbated, and locally sourced loess in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

County soil surveys document thin loess deposits across large tracts of Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula (UP), which we informally call the Peshekee loess. Our study is the first to examine the distribution, thickness and textural characteristics of these loess deposits, and speculate as to their origins. We introduce and describe a method by which the mixed sand data are removed, or “filtered out,” of the original particle size data, to better reflect the original textural characteristics of the loess. Read More

9 November 2012

Using soil surveys to map Quaternary parent materials and landforms

The integration of soil survey maps with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allows for an almost infinite level of collaboration across disciplines that use information related to soil databases. This study created a Quaternary geologic map by categorizing soil descriptions into a geologic context and joining the attributes with the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database in ArcGIS®. The resulting map communicates many of the spatial intricacies of the Des Moines Lobe landform with 15 map units based on geologic units. Read More

9 March 2008