Erosion of Fractured Banks, Lake Sakakawea, Western North Dakota Mark C
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University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects 1991 Erosion of fractured banks, Lake Sakakawea, western North Dakota Mark C. Elliott University of North Dakota Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/theses Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Elliott, Mark C., "Erosion of fractured banks, Lake Sakakawea, western North Dakota" (1991). Theses and Dissertations. 79. https://commons.und.edu/theses/79 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EROSION OF FRACTURED BANKS, LAICl!: SAKAKAWEA, WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA by Mark C. Elliott Bachelor of Science, University of Minnesota-Duluth, 1987 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of science Grand Forks, North Dakota August . 1991 ·'' .. \ QfJ;?t 1' \.. -. (-, \, r: t:·<:,:, This thesis, submitted by Mark c. Elliott in partial fulfillment of ~ ihe requirements for the Degree of Master of Science from the University of North Dakota, has been read by the Faculty Advisory Committee under whom the work has been done and is hereby approved. This thesis meets the standards fer appearance, conforms to the style and format requirements of the Graduate School cf the University of North Dakota, and is hereby approved. \l-1'2.-'11 ii PERMISSION Title Erosion of Fractured Banks, Lake §akakawea, Western North Dakota Department Geology and Geological Engineering Degree Masters of Science In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the library of this University shall make it freely available for inspection. I Further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor who supervised my thesis work or, in his absence, by the chairperson of the department or the dean of the graduate school. It is understood that any copying or publication or other use of this thesis or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed-without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and the Unive:t:"sity of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis. Signature Date !J/<tt )91 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ............... -................................. vi LIST OF TABLES . • . • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • X ABSTRACT • • • • • . • . • . • • • • . • . • . • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • xi INTRODUCTION ••••..••..••.••••.•••••••••••••••••••.•••••..•.••.•... 1 General • . • • . • • • • . • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • 1 Purpose • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • . • . • • • • 4 Regional Geology and Climate . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • . 6 Definitions . .. 8 Previous Work ................................................. 9 PROCEDURES ••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••.•••.••••.••••••••• 13 Bank Recession .Measurements ..••.•.....•.•....•.••.•••••••.. 13 Fractures .................................................. 15 Bank-Top Fractures ••.•••••••••••••.•.••••.••••••••.•• 15 Bank-Face Fractures ................................. 15 Orientations .................................. 15 Length ••••••••.•••..•••• • • • ••• • · • • • · • • , • · • • • • • • 17 Abundance ••.•••.•••.••••••••••.•.••••••••••••.• 20 Geometry and Surface Characteristics .......... 20 Detection of a Preferred Orientation .............•... 21 RESULTS .......................................................... 24 Bank Erosion Rates ......................................... 24 Geology ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••. • • •· •.• • · · • • • • • • • • · • • • • • 37 sentinel Butte Formation •••••••••••••••.•..••..•..••••••••• 30 General ............................. · · .. • . · • • • • • · • • · · 30 Fractures ........................................... 32 Upper Medicine Hill Formation ........................... _.. 46 General ................................... • .... • • . • • • 46 Fractures ...................................... • · • • • • 46 Upper Horseshoe Valley Formation ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 53 General .............................................. 53 Fractures ........................................... 56 Upper Snow school Formation •..•.•••••••••••..•••••••••••••• 59 Gener al ............................................. 59 Fractures ........................................... , 64 Oahe Formation •..•.••••••••.••••••••••••••••.•••...•..•.... 68 General ............ ~ ................................. • 68 Fractures ........................... , · ......... · • · • • • 69 Ba~k-Top Chaiacteristics .................................... 71 DISCUSSION ••••••••••...•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••.• · · • • 74 Fracture Genesis .......................................... 81 General .............................................. 81 Regional Stress ...................... • .. • .. • .... · • • • • • 82 Stress Relief •••••••••••••••••••••••• • • •••• •. • ••• • • • • 86 iv TABLE OF CON'.t'ENTS (Continued.·•• ) Page Volume Change and Weathering ••••. •. • ••• •... • • • • • • . • • . 79 SubglacLal Deformation .••••••••••••••••.••••••.••••.• 81 Genesis of Lake Sakakawea Fractures .................. 82 sentinel Butte Formation ........................ 82 Upper Medicine Hill Till • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . 82 Upper Horseshoe Valley and Upper Snow School Tills •••••••••• , •••••••••••.•••••••••••• 87 Oahe Format ion . 89 Factors Affecting Fracture Length and Frequency ••••••••.••• 89 General •••••••• , . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • 89 Bedding and Horizontal Fractures •••••••••••••.•••••.• 90 Grain Size ............................................ 91 consolidation ••••••.• , • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • 92 weathering ••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••• , ••.••••• 92 Bank-Failure Mechanisms .................................... 93 General • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • 93 High-Angle Toppling and Sliding • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 94 Bank-Parallel Tension cracks •••.••••••••••.••••••••.• 97 Block Falls and Topples • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 97 Bank Undercutting ..•••.••••••.•••••••••••.••.•• 98 Fractures and Bank Recession ............................... 98 General •••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••• , • • • • • • • • • 98 Fracture Orientations ................................ 99 Erosion of Tills •.•••.. , •..•••.•••••• , ••• , , , • • • • . • • • • 102 sentinel Butte Formation . 104 Till Overlying Sentinel Butte Formation ••••••••••••.• 106 Current and Future Bank Recession Trends ................... 106 General •••••••••••• , • • • • . • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • 106 Lake Level Fluctuations • . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • 117 Bank Recession Prediction ..... ~ .......•.............. 110 Recommendations for Further Study • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 115 CONCLUSIONS •••••.••.•...••••••• , • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • • • 119 Fractures ...................................... ·........... 119 Bank Erosion Trends ••••.•• , •••••••••..•••.•• , •.••••.••..•• , 121 APPENDIX I• BANK RECESSION STATION HISTORY •••••••••••••••••. ; •• , 122 APPENDIX II. BANK RECESSION STATION DESCRIPTIONS .••••••••.•..••• 143 APPENDIX III. BANK-FACE FRACTURE CHARACTERISTICS •••••.•••.•••.•.• 184 APPENDIX IV. BANK-TOP FRACTURE CHARACTERISTICS •••.•••..••••••••• 202 APPENDIX v. HORIZONTJ\L FRACTURE FREQUENCY •.•• , ••.••••.•••••••••• 205 APPENDIX VI. VERTICAL FRACTURE FREQUENCY , ••••••••••••••••.•••• , . 207 APPENDIX VII. VERTICAL FRACTURE LENGTH DISTRIBUTIONS ••••.••.••.• 209 REFERENCES ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• , ••.••••••••••••••••••••••••• 215 V LIST OF FIGURES Figure Number Page 1. Location Map . • . • . • • • . • . • • . • . 2 2. Study Area and Bank Recession Station Locations ...... 3 3. Bank-Recession Station Lithologiee .....•••..•........ 7 4. Template Method . • . • . • . • • . • . • • • • • • . • . • . • 10 5. Bank Recession Station showing measurement and alignment pins . • • • • • . • . • • • • • . • . • . • • . 14 6. Fracture T:ace Types 18 7. Average Monthly Bank Recession and Lake Levels 26 8. Characteristic Fracture Patterns for the Dominant Bank Lithologies •.•.•..•••••••••••..•..••..• 33 9. Photo Showing Blocky Fracture Pattern and Lithologies, Sentinel Butte Formation .••••••...•....• 34 10. Sentinel Butte Formation Fracture Orientations, Eastern Lake Sakakawea ................. 39 11. sentinel Butte Formation Fracture Orientations, Lake Sakakawea State Park ••...........• 41 12. Sentinel Butte Formation Fracture Orientations, Station 50 and Government Bay Launch Facility ...••... 42 13. Sentinel Butte Formation