Alabama through Time the development of karst and related topography in north Alabama

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Alabama through Time the development of karst
(and related) topography in north Alabama
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Welcome to north Alabama!
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Barrier Islands along the Atlantic Coast
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LaGrange College on LaGrange Mountain
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Vegetation of the Carboniferous period included
mosses and cycads the oxygen content of the
atmosphere was thought to be much higher
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Coal Seams
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The beaches of Russellville the Tuscaloosa
formation
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Rounded rocks are formed by water
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Cretaceous Seaway
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Mosasaur The state fossil of Alabama
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Cretaceous Seaway
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What is Limestone?

• Limestone is primarily CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate)
• It is a sedimentary rock of marine origin
• Calcareous deposits, coral, shells, limy mud etc.
  all form limestone of various types
• Limestone dissolves in acid (fizzes)
• Rainwater being slightly acidic, dissolves
  limestone

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Joints and layers in limestone deposits

• Different amounts and types of sediments form
  different layers of sedimentary rock
• Vertical cracks form in the mass of limestone
  these vertical cracks cross multiple layers and
  provide a transport corridor for water and are
  called joints

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Air Photo Courtesy of Kevin McCanless
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• Identifying the Spatial Distribution of Sinkholes
  in Relation to Regional Joint Patterns in the
  Karst Region of Northwest Alabama A GIS
  Approach
• Greg G. Gaston (Associate Professor, Geography
  Department University of North Alabama)
• Christopher R. Terry (GIS Analyst, City of
  Huntsville, AL)
• Corresponding author
• Abstract
• The project described herein presents an
  automated approach to identifying sinkholes using
  a basin fill hydrological analysis model inside a
  Geographic Information System (GIS) and describes
  patterns in sinkholes in North Alabama. The
  patterns identified in surface karst features
  support a regional joint pattern that has not
  been previously described for the study area.
• Submitted to The Journal of Cave and Karst
  Studies September 2008

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Figure 1 The study area for this project covers
nine quad sheets and is located in the
northwestern corner of North Alabama and includes
significant portions of Colbert and Lauderdale
counties.
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Figure 4 Deeply incised meanders on lower
Cypress Creek support a NW-SE trending regional
joint pattern.
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Figure 5 The same bearing lines from Cypress
Creek carried to the South side of the Tennessee
River. Joints in the rock below Wilson Dam allow
water to flow from the impoundment into the River
below the dam. The bearing lines on these joints
is virtually identical to those identified for
the meanders on Cypress Creek.
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A portion of the sinking creek quad sheet
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The digital orthophoto of the same quad (DOQQ)
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Dye Trace Paths (USGS 2001)
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Figure 3 Sites used to assess the accuracy of
the hydrologic model identifying sinkholes. The
modeled features were compared with sinkholes
manually digitized from depression contours on
the 124000 topographic map.
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Table 1 Accuracy assessment of modeled sinkholes
with mapped sinkholes digitized from depression
contours from124000 USGS Topographic map sheets.
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Figure 6 Compass Rose illustrating the number
of sinkholes occurring within a 0.25 mile buffer
of the 5, 20 mile long lines at each of the four
orientations 0 to 180o (N S), 90 to 270o (E
W), 135 to 315o (SE NW), and 45 to 315o (NE
SW). The greater the length and width of the
arrow, the greater the number of sinkholes
located within the 0.25 mile buffer zone along
that bearing.
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So what is Chert?

• Chert (pronounced to rhyme with dirt but it is
  not spelled chirt!)
• Chert is SiO2 , the same compound as beach sand,
  flint etc. Third hardest mineral compound known
  (after diamond and beryl)
• Chert has been called dirty flint
• Strikes sparks with steel
• Does not dissolve in acid/water
• An upwarp of the Ft. Payne Chert caused muscle
  shoals in the Tennessee River.

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Cotaco-Wright 2500 - 1800 BPNarrow, stemmed
point with rounded to squared shoulders and a
triangular blade. The blade is well made and the
blade edges are usually serrated. Many have
rounded or blunt tips.
Lauderdale Co., Alabama
Material Ft. Payne Chert

Lauderdale Co., Alabama Material Banded tan
chert
http//www.theaaca.com/typology/Cotaco_Creek.html
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Sedimentary rocks are formed when materials that
break off existing rocks are piled together and
pressed back into rock. Alabama is mostly
covered by rocks of this type.
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laws of sedimentary rocks

• Horizontal deposition with limited exceptions
  (turbidity currents, sand dunes etc.) sedimentary
  rocks are deposited parallel to the surface
  (flat)
• Superposition The oldest sediments are on the
  bottom, progressively covered by younger
  sediments
• The Characteristics of the sedimentary rocks are
  dependent on
• the nature of the sediments
• the amount and duration of compaction and
• the presence or absence of chemical cementation.

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Karst Topography Northwest Alabama (and other
parts of the SE)
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A sinkhole outside Birmingham AL note the vehicle
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Sinkholes appear as solution caverns collapse.
The drainage network is poorly developed because
the streams flow through the structure of the
rock.
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A portion of the sinking creek quad sheet
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The digital orthophoto of the same quad (DOQQ)
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http//www.stoptranspark.org/sinkholes.html An
interesting web site w/useful links dedicated to
stopping the development of an industrial site on
Karst topography in KY.
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http//www.groundpenetratingradar.com/sinkholes/
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The physical principles of Electrical Resistance
imaging
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Penetration is a function of the length of the
electrode line and the distance between
electrodes. Functionally, depth is 10-20 of the
total length of the electrode array and the
minimum target discrimination is ½ the electrode
spacing.
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Compaction and moisture near sidewalk
Steam Tunnel to adjoining building
Known Steam Tunnel
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The natural use for a sinkhole in Alabama ?
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Mogotes Mature Karst Topography CUBA
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An integral part of Chinese Art
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Phuket...coast of Thailand
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More Local Impacts...

• Karst topography has a significant impact on
  culture/development in NW Alabama
• Woodward Avenue was build on top of an extensive
  sinkhole complex
• Your tax dollars at work....millions of dollars
  have been spent building collection/pumping
  structures...storm water runoff is collected in
  basins and pumped to the river.

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Flood Control in Muscle Shoals

• 4 main pumps 18,750 gallons per minute
• 3 emergency/auxiliary pumps 10,000 gallons per
  minute a piece
• Back up Diesel generator and fuel for more than
  72 hours

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Limestone Quarry Tuscumbia limestone
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Ripple marks in the shale along US 72 indicating
deposition under water
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http//www.archives.state.al.us/kids_emblems/st_mo
tto.html
Official Alabama Motto Audemus Jura Nostra
Defendere                                      
              "Audemus jura nostra defendere"
is a Latin phrase on the state coat of
armscompleted in 1923. It has been translated
as "We Dare Maintain Our Rights" or "We Dare
Defend Our Rights."
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Thermal Karst
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Photo Jill Webster
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NPS photo
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Pamukkale http//www.bitez.net/turkey/pamukkale/
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Characterizing the landscape
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Options to characterize apopulation

• Census observe every element in a population
• Sample observe selected elements in
• population and extrapolate properties to
• population characteristics

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• ...A well-planned sampling design is intended to
  ensure that resulting data are representative of
  the target population and defensible for their
  intended use....

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Two main categories of sampling designs

• Probability-based sampling designs apply sampling
  theory and involve random selection of sampling
  units.
• (quantitative conclusions about the sampled
  population are produced)
• Judgmental sampling designs involve the selection
  of sampling units on the basis of expert
  knowledge or professional judgment.
• (statistical analysis tools cannot be used,
  conclusions can only be drawn on the basis of
  professional judgment)

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Systematic or Grid Sampling

• samples are taken at regularly spaced intervals
  over space or time.
• useful for estimating spatial patterns over a
  large area or trends over time.
• ensures uniform coverage of a site.

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Linear Transect

• Introducing sampling
• In characterizing the landscape we need to be
  aware of how the human mind processes and stores
  data
• Primacy
• Recency
• Oh Wow!

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The transect or windshield survey

• A regular sampling scheme
• A linear transect allows the geographer to
  extrapolate a limited set of field observations
  into a description of a fairly large area.
• A well done transect avoids observational bias.
  (primacy, recency, oh wow!)

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• Linear transects are usually laid out along paths
  of easy transport while this can limit their
  statistical viability and leads to a biased
  sample the short answer is that they are cheap,
  easy to lay out and often one of the best tools
  available for initial reconnaissance of a field
  area

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across the grain

• it is desirable to construct the transect across
  as many features / factors of the landscape as
  possible. In many places the gradient on the
  landscape will be elevation and or climatic.
• In Oregon, a north/south transect has little
  utility as the topography and climatic
  variability are greatest in the E-W direction
• In North Alabama, the grain appears to be related
  to the Tennessee River

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