Until very recently the south-western part of the Eastern Townships had not received a great deal of attention from geomorphologists; indeed in the Eastern Townships as a whole the work has been essentially of a reconnaissance nature. However, lying as it does at the junction of the Appalachian ridges to the south and the St. Lawrence Lowlands to the north, one might expect it to be interesting from two points of view: firstly in having morphological features common to both areas and secondly in offering the possibility of a comparison between their sequences of development. In recent years the attention has been focussed on two particular topics which reflect increasing awareness of the significance of the area as a field of geomorphological research: the development of pre-glacial topography (Sangree, 1953; Bird, 1961) and studies of glacial geomorphology (Dresser and Denis, 1944; Sangree, 1953; Cooke, 1957). [...]

No description available.

The need to renew and expand civil infrastructure, combined with an increased acknowledgement of a changing climate, has highlighted the need to incorporate the influence of climatic factors into the design of infrastructure. In geotechnical engineering, this includes understanding how climate influences the performance of slopes associated with engineered cuttings in pre- existing natural landforms. This understanding extends to both hydrological and hydrogeological conditions, both of which are often analyzed using numerical modeling of surface water and groundwater. Climate change predictions for Northern Ireland indicate that the amount and intensity of rainfall and extreme weather events will increase. This has raised concerns regarding the stability of existing engineered cut-slopes and the design of future highway and railway infrastructure. Recent studies have indicated that there is a link between pore pressure cycles and softening of slope structures, especially in clay rich materials typical of glacial till drumlins in Northern Ireland. These pore pressure fluctuations are caused by seasonal changes in the rate of recharge which then propagate through the deeper hydrogeologic system. As a consequence, the design of these cuttings requires that the hydrogeological response of these landforms to seasonal climate variations be incorporated into geotechnical designs. Two dimensional hydrogeological simulations are typically used in engineering practice. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of these simulations to dimensionality (two- and three-dimensions). The primary focus was on steady state groundwater flow within two drumlins with large slope cuts. Two- and three-dimensional groundwater models were developed using available information for a highway and a railway study site. The performance of each of these models was then compared to field monitoring from each site. A series of sensitivity studies were undertaken to evaluate the influence of key material properties and boundary conditions. Estimated recharge rates were found to range from 21 to 31 mm year-1 for both the railway (Craigmore) and highway (Loughbrickland) study sites. The hydraulic head distribution at the Craigmore site was similar for both dimensional simulations with a “best-fit” recharge rate of 50 to 60 mm year-1. At the Loughbrickland site, similar hydraulic head distributions with the “best-fit” recharge rate of 80 mm year-1 were reached in both dimensions. Overall, the research completed here emphasized the importance of gathering appropriate data prior to conducting development of hydrogeological models. As more data is made available, the overall complexity of the system can be better understood. As the complexity of the problem increases, the requirements for understanding the hydrogeological system in all three-dimensions becomes more important.

The role of ice blocks in the creation of distinctive proglacial landscapes during and following glacier outburst floods (jökulhlaups) In recent years, it has been recognised that ice blocks form a major component of jökulhlaups. There are, however, very few published hypotheses of ice-block impact during and following jökulhlaups. The November 1996 jökulhlaup in southern Iceland, which transported ice blocks as large as 55 metres in diameter on to Skeioarärsandur, provided an opportunity to study ice-block impact produced during a high-magnitude flood. This thesis aims to (i) determine the impact of ice blocks on the morphology and sedimentology of proglacial river channels during and following a jökuihlaup, and (ii) provide a model which links distinctive landscapes created by ice blocks with specific controls on ice-block impact. A range of ice-block related features are produced during and following a jökulhlaup reflecting glacial and topographical constraints, ice-block characteristics and jökulhlaup hydraulics. In locations where sediment flux remains high throughout a flood, large ice blocks form kettle-scours. Rapid sediment deposition around ice blocks results in the formation and preservation of antidune stoss sides, entirely aggradational ice block obstacle shadows and hummocky topography. The grounding of ice blocks in flows of low sediment concentration or total exhumation of buried ice blocks results in the formation of classic U-shaped obstacle marks. Where channel geometry abruptly expands ice-block berms form. On outwash fans kettle holes and obstacle marks occur in distinct clusters. 11 Kettle holes form post-flood by the in situ melt of (1) progressively buried ice blocks and (2) small ice blocks incorporated into flow deposits. Ice block debris is superimposed onto obstacle marks and kettle holes and deposited on the post-flood streambed to form rimmed kettle holes and obstacle marks and ice-block till mounds respectively. Knowledge of associations between ice blocks and the bedforms and facies produced during and following a jökulhlaup will aid jökulhlaup identification and reconstruction in modern and ancient proglacial environments.

The Lake Heron basin is an intermontane basin located approximately 30 kms west of Mount Hutt. Sediments within the basin are derived from a glacier that passed through the Lake Stream Valley from the upper Rakaia Valley. The lack of major drainage in the south part of the basin has increased the preservation potential of glacial phenomena. The area provides opportunities for detailed glacial geomorphology, sedimentology and micropaleontogical work, from which a very high-resolution study on climate change spanning the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) through to the present was able to be reconstructed. The geomorphology reveals a complex glacial history spanning multiple glaciations. The Pyramid and Dogs Hill Advance are undated but possibly relate to the Waimaungan and Waimean glaciations. The Emily Formation (EM), previously thought to be MIS 4 (Mabin, 1984), was dated using Be10 to c. 25 ka B.P. The EM was largest advance of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Ice during the LGM was at least 150m thicker than previously thought, as indicated by relatively young ages of high elevation moraines. Numerous moraine ridges and kame terraces show a continuous recession from LGM limits, and, supported by decreasing Be10 ages for other LGM moraines, it seems ice retreat was punctuated by minor glacial readvances and still-stands. These may be associated with decadal-scale climate variations, such as the PDO or early ENSO-like systems. There are relatively little sedimentological exposures in the area other than those on the shores of Lake Heron. The sediment at this location demonstrates the nature of glacial and paraglacial sedimentation during the later stages of ice retreat. They show that ice fronts oscillated across several hundred metres before retreating into Lake Heron proper. Vegetation change at Staces Tarn (1200m asl) indicates climate amelioration in the early Holocene. The late glacial vegetation cover of herb and small shrubs was replaced by a low, montane forest about 7,000 yrs B.P, approximately at the time of the regional thermal maxima. From 7,000 and 1,400 yrs B.P, temperatures slowly declined, and grasses slowly moved back onto the site, although the montane forest was still the dominant vegetation. Fires were frequent in the area extending back at least 6,000 years B.P. The largest fire, about 5,300 yrs B.P, caused major forest disruption. But full recovered occurred within about 500 years. Beech forest appears at the site about 3,300 yrs B.P and becomes the dominant forest cover about 1,400 yrs B.P. Cooler, cloudier winters and disturbance by fire promoted the expansion of beech forest at the expense of the previous low, montane forest. Both the increased frequency of fire events and late Holocene beech spread may be linked to ENSO-related variations in rainfall. The youngest zone is characterised by both a dramatic decline in beech forest and an increase in grasses, possibly representing human activity in the area.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Canterbury, 2008. / Typescript (photocopy). One folded sheet in pocket. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-134). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Part one (also issued separately)--is S.G. Bergquist's Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Michigan. / "Published as part of the annual report of the Geological Survey Division for 1936." Bibliography: p. [139]-140, 218-219, [255]-256.

Part one (also issued separately)--is S.G. Bergquist's Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Michigan. / "Published as part of the annual report of the Geological Survey Division for 1936." Bibliography: p. [139]-140, 218-219, [255]-256.

Part 1 is Glenn Charles Tague's Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan; part 2 is James Lewis Calver's thesis (Ph. D.) University of Michigan. / "Published as part of the annual report of the Geological Survey Division for 1946." Includes bibliographical references (p. 80, 68).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 174 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-174).