Morphology, Grain Size Characteristics, and Fluvial Processes of Two Bars, Colville River Delta, Alaska
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1977 Morphology, Grain Size Characteristics, and Fluvial Processes of Two Bars, Colville River Delta, Alaska. Donald Franklin Nemeth Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Nemeth, Donald Franklin, "Morphology, Grain Size Characteristics, and Fluvial Processes of Two Bars, Colville River Delta, Alaska." (1977). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3075. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3075 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St. John's Road, Tyler's G reen High Wycombe, Bucks, England HP10 8HR 77-25,392 NEMETH, Donald Franklin, 1938- MORPHOLOGY, GRAIN SIZE CHARACTERISTICS, AND FLUVIAL PROCESSES OF TWO BARS, COLVILLE RIVER DELTA, ALASKA. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1977 Geology Xerox University Microfilms,Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 @ 1977 DONALD FRANKLIN NEMETH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED MORPHOLOGY, GRAIN SIZE CHARACTERISTICS, AND FLUVIAL PROCESSES OF TWO BARS, COLVILLE RIVER DELTA, ALASKA A D issertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and A gricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillm ent of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy i n The Department of Geology by Donald F. Nemeth B.S., University of Southern California, 1962 M.S., University of Southern California, 1969 May, 1977 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In order to conduct this study of a remote and somewhat inhospi table area it was necessary to enlist the aid of many individuals and organizations. The author wishes to thank Dr. Harley J. Walker for proposing the expedition; offering guidance, assistance, and suggestions throughout the project; working out the logistics of the field study; sharing his vast knowledge of the arctic; and acting as co-major professor. Without his assistance this project would not have been possible. Dr. Donald R. Lowe, co-major professor, provided assistance, many valuable suggestions, and took time from his busy schedule to take on the burden of co-major professor at a late date. The author would also like to thank his minor professor, Dr. Robert A. Muller, and the other members of the doctoral committee, Dr. Donald H. Kupfer and Dr. Judith A. Schiebout, for their assistance and suggestions. Valuable suggestions were also given by Dr. Clarence 0. Durham, Jr. and Dr. James P. Morgan, who served as co-major professor until his retirem ent. The author gratefully acknowledges Dr. Prentiss E. Schilling who designed the statistical analyses and Dr. Penelope Hale who con ducted the analyses and offered valuable consultation along the way. M essrs. Jeffrey Peake, Lawrence McKenzie, and Donald White, and Dr. William Richie aided with the field work. Laboratory facilities and supplies were provided by the Depart ment of Geology, Louisiana State University. Travel expenses were financed through a Penrose Grant from the Geological Society of America. ii Logistic support in Alaska was supplied by the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory, Barrow, Alaska. The project was supported through the Office of Naval Research, under contract N00014-69-A-0211-0003, Project NR 388 02. The manuscript was diligently typed by Mrs. Mary M e v e rs. This study would not have become a reality without the support of the author’s family and especially his wife, Darlyne, who persevered throughout the project and assisted in ways too numerous to mention. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE PAGE.............................................................................................................................. i A ' ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................ i i LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................... v i i LIST OF SYMBOLS . ...................................................................................................... x LIST OF TABLES................................................................... x i i ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... x i i i INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 THE STUDY AREA............................................................................. 2 Nomenclature ............................................................................................................... 2 C lim a te .............................................................................................................................. 5 H y d ro lo g y ......................................................................................................................... 6 Environmental Subareas ....................................................................................... 8 PROCEDURES. ‘............................................................................................................... 15 Samples Collected ..................................................................................................... 15 Method Employed .......................................................................................................... 16 MORPHOLOGIC CHANGES ..................................................................................................... 17 Before Spring Flooding ....................................................................................... 17 Thickness of Snow Cover ............................................................................. 17 Ablation of Snow Cover .................................................................................. 23 Thickness of River Ice .................................................................................. 24 Spring Flooding .......................................................................................................... 25 Summer Flow Regim e ................................................................................................ 39 Page SEDIMENTS.................................................... 43 Grain Size S tatistical Parameters. ....................................... 47 Change with Elevation and Location ...................................................... 47 Group I —Submerged River Sediments and a ll Nongravel Bar Sediments ................................................................................................. 48 Group II—Gravel Deposits of the Longitudinal Bar. 52 Environmental Subareas and Grain Size S tatistical P a r a m e t e r s ...................................................................................................... 55 Scatter Plots ................................................................................................ 57 D is c u s s io n ................................................................................................ 61 Group 1 ................................................................................................................ 61 Group I I ..........................................................................................................