Monday, 7 November 2005
14

Evaluation of Landforms Impacted by "Sand Blows"on the Mississippi River Alluvium.

Robert Freeland1, John Ammons1, and Carl Wirwa2. (1) University of Tennessee, 2506 E.J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, (2) Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, 200 Lowell Thomas Drive, Jackson, TN 38301

Landforms in Dyer County, Tennessee were impacted by the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes. Liquefaction of the alluvial parent materials during the earthquake resulted in “sunken lands" (Reelfoot Lake) and “sand blows”. “Sand blows” are surface deposits of sandy materials that were spewed out on the surface through vents and fissures during the earthquake event. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) is developing duck ponds in this area along the Mississippi flyway at Bogata, Tennessee. It has been difficult to maintain water levels in these ponds and “sand blows” or other earthquake features are suspected of being the cause. The objective of this study was to use the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and soil morphology to determine if “sand blows" are present,thereby being responsible for the water loss in the ponds. Initial methodology included locations of the sites on soil survey maps,locating sites on USGS maps indicating "sand blows", and completing “ground truthing” with a soil auger and a Giddings hydraulic probe. The authors found that surface features appearing on aerial photography as being "sand blow" remnants may be misleading. "Ground truthing" by physical probing has been found to be difficult due to the small size of the vents and feeder dykes. However, GPR surveying allows rapid identification of subsurface sills (dia.> 30m), which have laminal striations that can be traced back to the feeder dyke.

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