Sand boil formation due to underseepage is a potential failure mechanism for levees in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Sand boils were identified in the Buck Chute study area in the 1990s during high water events and during the 2009 Flood. The site is unique due to the presence of point bar and abandoned channel deposits. To understand the role of these alluvial deposits on sand boil formation at the site, a geologic investigation of the subsurface was conducted. Using shallow geophysics, cone penetrometer tests (CPT), borings, and a geographic information system (GIS), it was concluded that the thin blanket associated with point bar deposits, abandoned channel deposits causing a blocked seepage path, and head differential changes caused by the Muddy Bayou Control Structure were the controls of sand boil formation at Buck Chute.

155 pages / In the stratigraphic record of Camp Creek are episodes of fluvial scour and fill thousands of years old. Radiocarbon dates and the Mazama tephra, which serves as a stratigraphic time line, temporally bracket episodes of vertical aggradation and incision. Before 9000 years B.P. the valley floor was scoured to the Tertiary bedrock. Aggradation dominated since that time. Large cut-and-fill structures indicate that two periods of erosion occurred prior to incision of the modern arroyo. The first occurred before 6800 yr B.P. and the second occurred approximately 3000 years ago. The modern arroyo-channel flows at or near the Tertiary bedrock, is entrenched as much as nine meters in the valley-fill alluvium and is thought to have originated during the late 19th century.

La vallée de la Komadougou Yobé constitue un site privilégié de recharge de l'aquifère quaternaire du bassin du lac Tchad. Depuis les années 1980, le développement des cultures de rente (p. ex. poivron) a conduit à un doublement des surfaces irriguées (1995-2005) dans sa partie aval. Afin de quantifier la recharge supplémentaire induite, une modélisation des flux hydriques verticaux dans la zone non-saturée (0-8 m) a été engagée. La première étape, objet de ce travail de thèse, consiste à décrire l'organisation spatiale et les propriétés hydrodynamiques des corps sédimentaires constitutifs de l'alluvium.Des forages à travers les formations superficielles mettent en évidence des alternances sable-sable argileux dans la totalité de la zone non-saturée, conséquence des migrations du lit mineur de la Komadougou Yobé. Le calcul de la corrélation entre les forages indique une forte analogie avec les hétérogénéités identifiées en surface à partir de données de télédétection (Landsat 7 binarisée). Ces données sont donc utilisées pour l'apprentissage de statistiques multipoints représentatives des hétérogénéités et un modèle géologique 3D de l'alluvium est généré via l'algorithme snesim.Des suivis neutroniques de l'humidité le long de plusieurs profils caractéristiques des différentes unités sédimentaires associées à ce modèle sont réalisés pour des conditions de flux contrôlées en surface. A partir de simulations numériques 1D, des jeux de paramètres hydrodynamiques permettant de reproduire les humidités mesurées sont déterminés par une approche de type Monte-Carlo. Des densités de probabilité intégrant l'incertitude sur les mesures sont obtenues pour les paramètres de Mualem - van Genuchten décrivant les courbes de rétention et de conductivité hydraulique des sédiments.Une procédure 1D-distribuée est utilisée pour simuler les écoulements non-saturés verticaux au sein de plusieurs réalisations du modèle géologique et pour différents jeux de paramètres hydrodynamiques probables. La recharge diffuse calculée se montre particulièrement sensible au paramètre de pression d'entrée d'air attribué aux dépôts superficiels, siège des principales interactions sol-plante-atmosphère, ainsi qu'aux contrastes verticaux de conductivité hydraulique. / The downstream part of the Komadugu Yobe River is an important recharge area for the Lake Chad Quaternary aquifer. Since the 1980s, cash crop development (e.g. sweet pepper) has led to the doubling (1995-2005) of irrigated surfaces in the vicinity of the river. A modeling approach of vertical water fluxes through the vadose zone (0-8 m) was designed to quantify the related increase in groundwater recharge. The first step, which is the main topic of this PhD thesis, consisted in describing both spatial arrangement and hydrodynamic properties of the sedimentary bodies that make up the alluvium.Boreholes in surficial deposits highlighted sandy to clayey alternations within the whole unsaturated zone; this was interpreted as the result of frequent migrations of the River channel. Spatial correlation between bore logs showed strong similarities with heterogeneities depicted on ground by means of remote sensing data (binarized Landsat 7 image). This data were therefore used to train multiple-point statistics representative of heterogeneities, and a 3D geological model was generated through the snesim algorithm.For each representative sedimentary unit, soil moisture under controlled hydraulic surface conditions was monitored by vertical neutron probe soundings. Using 1D numerical simulations, different data sets of hydrodynamic properties that reproduced moisture measurements were determined by a Monte-Carlo approach. Probability density functions including measurement uncertainties were deduced for the Mualem - van Genuchten parameters which describe both retention and hydraulic conductivity curves.A 1D-distributed procedure was applied for modeling vertical flows in the unsaturated zone within several geological model realizations with different probable sets of hydrodynamics parameters. The simulated diffuse recharge was shown to be particularly sensitive to two main parameters: air-entry pressure linked to superficial deposits, where soil-plant-atmosphere interactions do occur, and vertical hydraulic conductivity contrasts within the alluvium.

Orientador: Norberto Morales / Resumo: A paisagem na Amazônia tem mostrado um quadro geomorfológico evolutivo associado a condicionamentos tectônicos no controle da rede de drenagem, com importantes mudanças nos cursos dos rios associadas a sistemas de falhas no âmbito da Neotectônica. Esta pesquisa compreende o estudo da bacia hidrográfica do rio Apuaú, afluente da margem esquerda do rio Negro na sua porção média, a norte de Manaus, no Estado do Amazonas. Foi subsidiada por estudos estruturais e geomorfológicos apoiados em dados de campo, de sensores remotos e de datação dos depósitos aluvionares. Foram reconhecidos blocos desnivelados do relevo, com rupturas de declive (knickpoints) associadas e controladas por falhas. A rede de drenagem apresenta padrões anômalos dos cursos d’água, capturas, meandros e canais encurvados, alinhamento de canais retilíneos, marcando zonas de juntasou zonas de falhas. Os blocos controlam também a distribuição de terraços, paleoterraços e canais abandonados, e suas datações por LOE apontam para depósitos mais antigos na faixa de 53.000 a 62.200 anos, intermediários na faixa de 20.330 a 23.100 anos, e depósitos atuais. O quadro geológico-estrutural aponta para compartimentos morfotectônicos, controlados por falhas normais e falhas transcorrentes destrais associadas. As falhas normais condicionam blocos rotacionados, a rede de drenagem e a distribuição dos depósitos aluvionares, enquanto as falhas transcorrentes parecem balizar e controlar os blocos na porção norte e leste da bacia hi... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Submitted by MAYARA ALINE SANTOS RIBEIRO null (may.aline@hotmail.com) on 2017-01-05T17:38:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Mayara.pdf: 39283902 bytes, checksum: 070cd0b333890899ac8433d3c55582b7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-01-10T17:02:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 nascimento_masr_me_rcla.pdf: 39283902 bytes, checksum: 070cd0b333890899ac8433d3c55582b7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-10T17:02:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nascimento_masr_me_rcla.pdf: 39283902 bytes, checksum: 070cd0b333890899ac8433d3c55582b7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A paisagem na Amazônia tem mostrado um quadro geomorfológico evolutivo associado a condicionamentos tectônicos no controle da rede de drenagem, com importantes mudanças nos cursos dos rios associadas a sistemas de falhas no âmbito da Neotectônica. Esta pesquisa compreende o estudo da bacia hidrográfica do rio Apuaú, afluente da margem esquerda do rio Negro na sua porção média, a norte de Manaus, no Estado do Amazonas. Foi subsidiada por estudos estruturais e geomorfológicos apoiados em dados de campo, de sensores remotos e de datação dos depósitos aluvionares. Foram reconhecidos blocos desnivelados do relevo, com rupturas de declive (knickpoints) associadas e controladas por falhas. A rede de drenagem apresenta padrões anômalos dos cursos d’água, capturas, meandros e canais encurvados, alinhamento de canais retilíneos, marcando zonas de juntasou zonas de falhas. Os blocos controlam também a distribuição de terraços, paleoterraços e canais abandonados, e suas datações por LOE apontam para depósitos mais antigos na faixa de 53.000 a 62.200 anos, intermediários na faixa de 20.330 a 23.100 anos, e depósitos atuais. O quadro geológico-estrutural aponta para compartimentos morfotectônicos, controlados por falhas normais e falhas transcorrentes destrais associadas. As falhas normais condicionam blocos rotacionados, a rede de drenagem e a distribuição dos depósitos aluvionares, enquanto as falhas transcorrentes parecem balizar e controlar os blocos na porção norte e leste da bacia hidrográfica. Reconhecidas em campo, as falhas normais formam dois grandes conjuntos, orientados NE-SW a EW e NW-SE, enquanto as falhas transcorrentes destrais predominam com orientação próxima a EW e transcorrentes sinistrais NE-SW. O tratamento das populações de falhas para obtenção de eixos de paleotensões indica um evento distensivo NNW-SSE a NW-SE, interpretado como mais antigo, um evento distensivo NE-SW a EW, ao qual pode ser atribuído o ajuste dos blocos rotacionados, controlados por falhas NW-SE, e um arranjo compressivo NNW-SSE a NW-SE, responsável pelas falhas transcorrentes, ambos mais jovens. A associação entre as falhas transcorrentes destrais EW balizando os blocos abatidos e rotacionados controlados por falhas normais NW-SE promove o rearranjo da rede de drenagem e o ajuste da distribuição das coberturas superficiais, indicando atuação do regime neotectônico, decorrente da interação da Placa Sulamericana com a Placa do Caribe. / The landscape in the Amazon has shown a geomorphological evolution associated to tectonic constraints in controlling the drainage network, with important changes in the stream courses associated with fault systems within the scope of the neotectonic regime. This research comprises the study of the catchment of the Apuaú river, a tributary of the left bank of the Negro river in its middle portion, North of Manaus, in the state of Amazonas. Structural and geomorphological studies supported by field data, remote sensing and dating of alluvial deposits were carried out. Uneven relief blocks were recognized with associated slope ruptures (knickpoints) and controlled by faults. The drainage network has anomalous patterns of water courses, captures, meanders and curved channels, rectilinear alignment of channels, indicating fracture or fault zones. The blocks also control the distribution of terraces, paleoterraces and abandoned channels, and their LOE datings point to older deposits in the range 53,000 to 62,200 years, intermediate ones in the interval of 20,330 to 23,100 years and current deposits. The geological and structural framework points to morphotectonic compartments controlled by normal faults and associated dextral strike-slip faults. Normal fault constrain rotated blocks, drainage network and the distribution of alluvial deposits, while the strike-slip faults seem to delimit and control the blocks in the northern and eastern parts of the hydrographic basin. Recognized in the field, normal faults adjust into two large sets, oriented NE-SW to EW and NW-SE, while strike-slip faults predominate striking close to EW dextral and NE-SW sinistral ones. Fault population analysis to obtain paleostress axis indicates a NNW-SSE to NW-SE extensional event, interpreted as the oldest, followed by one NE-SW to EW distensive event, which can be attributed to the adjustment of rotated blocks, controlled by NW-SE faults, and a compressive arrangement NNW-SSE to NW-SE, responsible for the slip faults.The association between the EW dextral transcurrent faults controlling uneven and rotated blocks affected by NW-SE normal faults promotes the rearrangement of the drainage system and adjusting the distribution of surface covers, indicating actions of the neotectonic regime, due to the interaction of the South American Plate with the Caribbean Plate.