Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Geology and Geography
Committee Chair
CHARLES SHOBE
Committee Member
KATHLEEN BENISON
Committee Member
KRISTIN CHILTON
Abstract
The relative resistance of various rock types to incisional processes vary widely and the properties governing bedrock erodibility are poorly understood. Lithologic properties influencing erodibility are the culmination of a rock’s depositional, diagenetic, and exhumation processes. Difficulty identifying a convenient physical proxy for erodibility suggests examining evidence of these processes holistically may offer insight into the role of each in setting a rock’s resistance to incisional forces. In this study we use measured channel geometries along a short stretch of the Dry Fork, WV hosting three distinct lithologic settings to infer relative erodibility against measured and observed fluvial, lithologic, and structural features. We measure channel shape, tensile strength, fracture spacing and orientation, and bed thickness to understand the physical characteristics of each identified lithology. We also conduct petrographic analyses to identify lithology, mineralogy, and neomorphic features of each of the studied units. By inferring depositional and geomorphic settings from thin-section and stratigraphy, we are able to reconstruct the legacy of two chemically and procedurally distinct depositional environments and explore their inherited effects on modern channel form.
Recommended Citation
COLAIANNE, NICHOLAS J., "Bedrock channel geometry: meter to micron scale controls on fluvial incision" (2023). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12159.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12159