Earth Surface Processes: Projects
Mark Camp, Invertebrate Paleontologist, Quaternary Geologist
Projects
- Mollusca of Wisconsinan lacustrine deposits of Logan County, Ohio
- Apaleontological study of Ohio marl lakes
- Apaleo-limnologic comparison of lakes and lacustrine deposits from northern Ontario to northern Ohio
- Glacial geology of Fulton County, Ohio (also other counties)
- Geology of Monroe County, Michigan--then and now-a comparison of from 1900 to 2000
- The fauna and ecology of limestone bedrock streams in northern Ohio
- Building stone use and historic quarrying sites in the Lake Erie Basin (also other locations)
Timothy Fisher, Geomorphologist, Glacial and Quaternary Geologist
Projects
- Chronology of the Kaiashk system channels, the earliest Nipigon phase eastern outlets of Lake Agassiz. This project would involve working with cores from lakes and bogs in eastern Ontario and examining the deglacial landscape in the area. Funding for this project is in hand.
- Chronology of the northwestern outlet spillway channels of Lake Agassiz in northwestern Saskatchewan. This project would involve working with cores from lakes and bogs in northern Saskatchewan and examining the deglacial landscape in the area. Funding for this project is in hand.
- Chronology and sedimentology of the Au Train Whitefish channel, Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This project would (1) determine when meltwater last drained across the UP and (2) describe gravel megaripples at the south end of the spillway.
- Duration and age of the Algonquin phase of Lake Michigan on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This project would involve lake coring to determine when the Algonquin Lake drained off the UP and examine rhythmites to estimate the lakes duration.
- Flooding of the Indian River lowlands, northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This project would determine the chronology of these lowlands in comparison with the Mackinaw channel and possibly aid in constraining the Nipissing transgression of Lake Michigan.
- Investigating lake level change in Lake Erie related to the rise to the Nipissing level in Lake Huron.
- Investigate the deglacial chronology of the Saginaw Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.
- Investigate glacial lacustrine sediments at Grand Marais, Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This ~100m stack of glaciolacustrine units is likely associated with the Marquette readvance of ice in Lake Superior, but its relationship to either ice advance or retreat is unknown.
David Krantz, Coastal and Marine Geologist, Oceanographer
Projects
Physical
U.S. East Coast
- Holocene stratigraphy of the shoreface, Atlantic coast of the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia), from high-resolution marine seismic surveys. Emphasis on the stratigraphic record and facies preserved during the Holocene sea-level rise.
- Influence of antecedent geology and modern shoreface processes on shoreline change,
- Atlantic coast of the Delmarva Peninsula.
- Internal structure and evolution of shoreface sand ridges, Atlantic coast of the Delmarva Peninsula.
- Hydrogeology of the coastal bays along the Atlantic coast of the Delmarva Peninsula.
- Geomorphology, hydrogeology, and Holocene evolution of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia.
- Evolution of Delaware Bay and adjacent continental shelf during the Holocene transgression.
- Geologic setting and history of incised valleys associated with the “Chincoteague Bight” along the Virginia Eastern Shore.
Great Lakes Region
- High-resolution seismic stratigraphy and the deglacial history of the Western Basin of Lake Erie.
- Geomorphology, subsurface stratigraphy, and processes associated with the formation of the Oak Openings sand ridge, northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
- Nipissing and post-Nipissing lake-level changes and development of coastal dune fields, western coast of Michigan.
- The history of the Lake St. Clair delta, eastern Michigan and western Ontario.
Environmental
- Geophysical characterization of the subsurface at landfill and industrial sites in support of bioremediation research.
- Wetland design to enhance removal of fecal coliform and pathogenic bacterial and viral contaminants from ditched waterways draining into Maumee Bay, western Lake Erie.
- Shallow sand resources in Maumee Bay for beach nourishment and remediation projects.
James Martin-Hayden, Hydrogeologist
Projects
Physical
- Characterize the hydrogeology and groundwater geomorphology of seepage erosion gullies forming within glacial-lake beach ridges, northwest Ohio.
- Investigate surface-water/groundwater interactions between Lake Erie and the regional carbonate aquifer.
Environmental
- Investigate flow-weighted averaging in groundwater monitoring wells and the implications on groundwater sample representativeness, plume characterization, and model predictions.
- Characterize thermal convection within monitoring wells and boreholes and investigate
the affects on groundwater sampling and monitored
natural attenuation.
Alison Spongberg, Environmental Geochemist
Projects
- Soil studies: In conjunction with bioremediation studies, several soil investigations are needed to determine a soil’s ability to retain contaminants to prevent their migration into groundwater. Additional studies will determine the delicate balance between a soil’s retentive capacity and the ability of plants to access those contaminants by sorption into their root systems. Various techniques can be attempted to manipulate this system.
- Global energy flux: As human population grows and land cover is changes, the energy flux between the soil and surrounding environment will be altered. We are currently investigating how the soil’s heat retention is changing with time and urban sprawl.
Donald Stierman, Geophysicist