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- C13C-0815: Identification of glacial deposits within the Yampa River Valley, Colorado through Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW)
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Board 0815‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
Author(s):Generic 'disconnected' Message
Kailey Dougherty, Colorado School of Mines (First Author, Presenting Author)
Olivia Wills, Colorado School of Mines
Jack Logan, Colorado School of Mines
Eliza Ross, Colorado School of Mines
Matthew Siegfried, Colorado School of Mines
Brian Passerella, Colorado School of Mines
Marion McKenzie, Colorado School of Mines
Ryan Venturelli, Colorado School of Mines
Roy Bowling, Collier Geophysics
Understanding the processes that drive glacial movement is increasingly important as modern glaciers retreat. One way to determine glacial extent is through the identification of glacial deposits. In this study, we investigated a portion of the Yampa River Valley in Northwestern Colorado, where the landscape suggests past glacial activity. As no previous studies had been conducted to examine the presence of a glacial deposit in the subsurface here, we used a multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), which uses seismic waves to determine how stiff or soft the ground is, to create a 2D profile of the subsurface. Our results show a layer of sediment 60 to 85 meters deep that stretches approximately 150 meters. This layer of sediment aligns with a fan-shaped feature visible in elevation maps, suggesting that this feature was formed by flowing meltwater from a glacier further up the nearby valley. This indicates that previously identified glaciers extend further into the valley than formerly thought, expanding its geological context. Additionally, these findings suggest MASW could be used to identify buried glacial deposits and assess local resources. The processes determined to govern this glacier resemble margins of the modern Greenland Ice Sheet, evidenced by similar subglacial topography.
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