Undergraduate Research at Eastern

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH Eastern Connecticut State University Students (1999-present) my page
I have been very fortunate to have worked with several oustanding undergraduate students while at Eastern. The following provides a summary of final projects either from published abstracts or in the research final report. I also include links to each students' unpublished final reports (which are rather large pdf documents).
	Comparison of Vibracore records of massive human-induced erosion at Providence Canyon State Park in southwest Georgia *Nicoulin, Amberlee, 2010* This study examines 5 vibracore samples collected within valley floors from a ~550 m longitudinal transect along a human-induced erosional gully at Providence Canyon State Park in southwest Georgia. Canyons at the park reveal in excess of 50 m of Cretaceous and younger poorly consolidated sandstone that was exposed by runaway erosion that followed deforestation at the time of European settlement. Sediments eroded from the canyon headlands are transported down valley by alluvial and colluvial processes, creating deposits that exceed 6 m in thickness at some sites. Stratigraphic interpretations of those cores are compared with previous studies of 14 cores collected from an adjacent canyon to better understand the spatial variability of sedimentary records of canyon development. Sediments indicate systematic down-valley trends related to three sedimentary units. Lowermost Unit I consists of in situ Cretaceous sediments that are unconformably overlain by modern floodplain (Unit II, at open-valley locations), and medium- to coarse-grained canyon-derived alluvium (Unit III, at all locations). Unit I, present in cores PC09-02 and PC09-03, consists of Cretaceous clay-rich marine muds which are bioturbated and weakly laminated. At up-valley locations, Unit I consists of cross-bedded medium sandstone of the Providence Formation. Unit II, present in cores PC09-01 and PC09-04, consists of a clay-rich, floodplain deposits which are only present at down-valley locations. All coring sites are capped by alluvial deposits (Unit III) consisting of medium- to coarse-grained sand with abundance of kaolin rip-up clasts, suggesting cut and fill deposition. Similar sediments occur in the adjacent canyon, although the new cores lack colluvium due to channel erosion. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 76.
	Building K-12 supporting resources for digital media that examine standards-based content on weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition at Providence Canyon State Park, southwest GA. *Jessica Farrell, 2010* This study develops supporting materials that enable K-12 science educators to utilize digital resources to explore the geomorphology of Georgia's Providence Canyon State Park (PCSP) that address K-12 science content standards. Landforms and associated processes at PCSP relate to Georgia's and Connecticut's middle school science standards that involve the scientific view of how the earth's surface formed. In fact, PCSP is specifically mentioned in Georgia's education framework as part of the human impact unit, and the site exemplifies many concepts in the middle school weathering and erosion units for both states' content standards. PCSP provides spectacular examples of landforms related to weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition. This is due to the erosion of weakly cemented Cretaceous Providence sands by concentrated runoff, piping, and undercutting that followed land clearing in the early 1800s. Eroded sediments from 50 meter high headwalls are transported down valley by slope and river processes creating associated talus and fluvial landforms. Also, associated deposition has created thick beds of eroded sediment, making this site an ideal location for field trips. However, due to its remote location and possible safety concerns, it is not practical for many classes to visit PCSP in person. To capitalize on the educational value of the site, researchers at Eastern Connecticut State University have constructed interactive multimedia resources that highlight the geology of the park. This includes panoramas, fish-eyes, videos, and other media that will illustrate the ways in which erosion and deposition have shaped the land. Supporting resources described in this poster provide background for teachers utilizing these digital media. This includes an illustrated glossary with links to interactive images, historical context for landscape change, landform identification activities, and video reviews. In addition, there are guides to using virtual sediment cores to understand how sediment deposits at the site reveal landform development. *Reference:Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs*, Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 76.
	Subsurface investigation of pseudokarst features in eastern Connecticut using ground penetrating radar. *David Ciccalone, 2010* This study examines ground penetrating radar (GPR) imaging of subsurface pseudokarst structure at three geologically differing sites in eastern Connecticut. All sites contain sink areas underlain by insoluble bedrock (gneissic or sandstone) with till and artificial fill overburden. Discussion with home owners suggests that the sinks are the result of using improper grading techniques that have caused persistent settling that required maintenance by owners. A total of 65 GPR profiles were collected using Paleozoic Pro GPR with 100 and 200 MHz antennae. Topographic control for profiles and three dimensional grids were surveyed using a Trimble VX spatial station. All GPR profiles were processed using a dewow filter, topographically correcting profiles, and applying spreading exponential gains. Ground velocities (averaging 0.09 m/ns) were determined by hyperbola fitting. Ground truth control was limited to profiles that traverse known obstacles including bedrock exposure that become buried by fill down-line. GPR records were examined to define reflectors, void boundaries, and to identify radar facies. Sink void boundaries and bedrock facies were more clearly identifiable at the sites underlain by gneissic bedrock than the site underlain by sandstone. The clearest indication of sink voids consisted of dish shaped reflectors with overlying complex facies that have varying amplitudes. Within sinkhole fill, GPR records display contorted to complex facies. Results from the sandstone site, despite being collected at 0.5 meter grid spacing and known locations of surface sinks, were the most difficult to interpret. Profiles from the sandstone site displayed 3.5 meters of penetration of contorted fill with varying amplitude and intensity with no clear reflector for the boundary of the sinks. Ambiguous facies at the sandstone site likely is caused by a high water table and more fine grained sediments in the overburden. Ongoing efforts seek to define the volume of sinks and fill using tightly spaced grids (X lines at 0.5 meter spacing) and software seek to develop three-dimensional visualization of the pseudokarst. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 76.
	Evaluating geomorphic characteristics of Diana's Pool, a bedrock-controlled river in Chaplin, CT. *Kelly Martin, 2010* The geologic characteristics of many river landscapes in Connecticut are strongly influenced by the underlying bedrock. This study examines a bedrock controlled reach of the Natchaug River in South Chaplin that is within the Diana's Pool Nature Preserve. Here, differential weathering is evident, leaving behind overhangs, which eventually break and leave slabs along the river bank. The influence of the bedrock on the river is reflected in the shape of the long profile, the character of valley-side breakdown, and the influence the mineralogy of the bedrock has on erosional forms made by the river. A variety of field and analytical techniques were used to evaluate these controls. The long profile of the river was surveyed with a laser-total station in order to identify deeper "pools" and steeper "steps," as well as providing location control for other measurements. A distinct break in slope occurs when the river enters a confined, fault-controlled bedrock valley. A total of 132 boulders were examined along the east bank as their shapes reflect the process of weathering, bedrock breakdown, and transport by the river. Shape analyses reveal disk as being the dominate boulder shape, accounting for two-thirds of the measured boulders, and blade comprising the other third. Sphere and roller shape rocks where infrequent with only 6 boulders. As well, there appears to be no trend among the shape of the boulder and the shift onto different bedrock units. Spreadsheet analysis of boulder dimensions also reveal that the boulders, if derived from adjacent bedrock valley walls, could not have broken by beam failure because their shapes do not fall within the limits required for failure based on common tensile strength values for these rocks. This implies that valley-side breakdown was greatly enhanced by the presence of joints and fractures within bedrock. Erosional forms are best preserved in resistant feldspar-rich lithologies and are most numerous near the current river. However, some large and weathered forms do occur at higher locations suggesting that they may have formed by meltwater during deglaciation. Microscope thin-section analyses indicate that differential weathering patterns and bedrock control on the valley relate to differing mica or feldspar compositions. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 76.
	Down-valley stratigraphic records of human-induced canyons in southwest Georgia *Kevin Bieler, 2008* Several large canyons (>60m deep) within Providence Canyon State Park (PCSP) in southwest Georgia were initiated by land clearing and enhanced erosion following European settlement. Eroded Cretaceous sediments moved down-valley from canyon headlands by colluvial and alluvial processes creating spatially variable sedimentary records of change in places >6 meters thick. Seven vibracore samples collected at headlands, confined-valley and open-valley locations are used to construct a stratigraphic model of sedimentation. Three units are identified from visible and physical properties including: basal unit I, which consists of in situ Cretaceous sediments of the Perote member and Providence Sand formations. These sediments predate canyon formation and are composed of finely laminated clay and cross-bedded sand associated with marine and near-shore depositional paleoenvironments. Stratigraphically higher deposits display vibrant colors due to groundwater staining of coarse grained sands. Unit II consists of colluvium with capping paleosols at down-gradient sites where the valley is open, but lack buried soil profiles at the up-gradient confined-valley locations. Contacts between units I and II are sharp in cores at confined-valley settings, suggesting erosion and undercutting of the canyon walls preceded deposition of overlying alluvium. Unit III, present in all cores, consists of recent alluvial deposits that contain large kaolin ball clasts which mark cut and fill sequences. Radiocarbon ages, although problematic due to the recent age of the canyons, indicate very recent unit I-II transitions (post 1950) at confined-valley locations, but a European settlement age for the transition at open-valley locations. The absence of buried soil horizons at confined-valley locations suggest that many deposits laid down immediately following canyon formation have been eroded away. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 40, No. 2, p. 58.
	A field and GIS-based analysis of land-use induced sedimentation in eastern Connecticut *John Liddon, 2006* This study examines the consequences of landuse change in terms of erosion at a broad scale using GIS/RUSLE, and associated deposition at a local scale based on field measurements. The primary study site, a campus forest/wetland property (Arboretum), serves as a learning resource for students in a variety of classes at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU). Recent clearing of forest for a housing subdivision (4.7 ha) adjacent to the Arboretum has resulted in significant sedimentation. Detailed measurements of eroded sand thickness (n > 150), and total station survey data points (n >270) were imported into 3D modeling software to create isopach maps and estimate the total sand volume (2830 m^3). Analysis of the results, indicate substantial spatial variability in the thickness and lateral extent of these deposits, particularly in the vicinity of a stonewall. Sands are dramatically thicker, by a factor of 2 or more, on the up slope side of the wall where funneling also influences the distribution of sediments down slope. In addition to valley side deposits, two percussion core samples were recovered from a pond and wetland complex located down slope. The cores indicate substantial contributions of sand from the construction site including redistribution well after initial deposition. Ongoing GIS analysis makes use of NED 10 meter digital elevation model data, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) soil and landuse shapefiles and other inputs derived from NRCS/RUSLE website. These results from both GIS analysis and a field based approach will be used to determine similarities between spatial characteristics of the primary study site and the larger watershed containing it *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 2, p. 12.
	Identifying spatial trends in the physical properties of sediments, Lake Louise, Georgia. *Amie Leandro, 2005* Lake Louise is a coalesced sinkhole lake located in Lowndes County, southern Georgia. Previous studies examining sediments in the lake indicate that construction of a nearby interstate highway in 1957 introduced significant quantities of sediment into the lake, but that the characteristics of the resulting silt layer varies with location. This variability may influence chemical concentrations of lake bottom sediments. This study examines more than 190 samples collected from three sites across the primary inflow basin of the lake at water depths of 6.1, 5.4, and 4.5 m. Analysis of physical characteristics identify four zones within the uppermost ˜4.5 m of lake sediment. Basal zone I, at least 1.3 m thick, consists of organic rich gyttja with small increases in moisture content and organic carbon concentrations, decreasing dry bulk densities, and no consistent trend in inorganic carbon contents moving up core. Zone II displays less well defined yet opposite trends of declining moisture content and organic carbon concentrations, slight increases in dry bulk densities upwards in the core. The most dramatic changes occur in the silty sediments of zone III, which are characterized by a sharp increase in dry bulk densities, by as much as a factor of 15, and sudden decreases in moisture content, organic carbon and inorganic carbon concentrations. These trends reverse in the upper half of zone III and continues upward through zone IV but at a reduced rate. Correlations between sites indicate that the thickness and concentrations of sediments in these zones change across the lake, most notably in zone III. This zone is thickest (0.09 m) in the deepest part of the basin, decreases to 0.05 m at intermediate depths, and it is difficult to determine its thickness near the lake side. Sediment densities and inorganic sediment concentrations in zone III also decrease with water depth by as much as a factor of 60. Analyses comparing the spatial variations in physical properties with similar trends in metal concentrations as determined by aqua region digestion and ICP-AES are ongoing. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 1, p. 15.
	Vibracore records of alluvial aggradation following massive human-induced erosion, Providence Canyon, Georgia *Todd Ostrowski, 2005* Providence Canyon in Southwest Georgia is often cited as among the most extreme examples of human-induced soil erosion on the continent. Anecdotal accounts suggest initiation of the canyons, now >60m deep, following European settlement in the early 1800's. Sediments eroded from canyon headwalls have aggraded the valley floor downstream resulting in thick deposits of alluvium above pre-existing lithologies. Previous studies have examined rates of fluvial recovery and lacustrine sedimentary records of landscape change, but there have been very few attempts to identify either the quantity of cross-valley fill or the date of initial alluviation. This study describes seven vibra-cores (to 4.7 m in length) recovered from transects across the valley floor down gradient from the canyons. Three stratigraphic units are recognized. Unit I is interpreted as pedogenically altered Cretaceous-aged clays and sands of the Ripley and Providence Formations that contain large 0.05 m diameter mottles. These sediments are sharply overlain by medium to coarse grained sands of Unit II which contain limited soil mottles, zones of altered colors (perhaps related to leaching) and capping organic rich horizons. This sequence is interpreted as buried soil profiles (cores PC-01, PC-02) and/or stream deposit (PC-04) indicating a period of stable surface conditions. This sequence is in turn sharply overlain by in excess of 4.0m of medium to coarse-grained sands that contain abundant clay balls, organic debris, and iron stones eroded from the canyon headlands and similar in appearance to modern valley bottom alluvium. These cores indicate 4 meters or more alluvial aggradation since initial deposition of coarse canyon-derived sediments. Abundant organic matter occurs at well defined contacts between soil surfaces (upper Unit II) and fluvial sediments (Unit III). Organic samples are being submitted for radiometric carbon dating to determine whether buried soil horizons are within the range of 14C dating. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 1, p. 16.
	Spatial trends in the physical and bulk sediment chemistry composition of sediments in Andover lake, Connecticut. *Jennifer Vinci, 2004* Examination of ten sediment cores (to 1.5m in length) from Andover Lake, CT, dammed in 1927, reveal spatially variable trends in physical properties and bulk sediment chemistry within two well defined stratigraphic Units. Basal Unit I varies with location and consists of coarse grained gravel and sands to sandy silts that often retain buried soil horizons indicating a terrestrial setting prior to damming. These sediments are draped by up to 0.88 m of stratified sand and silt (Unit IIA) at locations near primary inflows to the lake indicating rapid deposition soon after damming. This facies is absent in cores collected from the deep, north end of the lake. Fine-grained and massive lacustrine muds with high moisture, organic and inorganic contents cap the sequence at all location. At the shallow south end of the lake, however the uppermost 0.13 m of Unit IIB contain discrete layers of sand. Moisture and carbon concentrations are higher for Unit IIB than Units IIA or I, although buried soil A-horizons in Unit I also have high concentrations. Bulk sediment chemistry concentrations by aqua-regia digestion and ICP-AES are also highest in Unit IIB, except for Cr, Mg, and Ni. 210-Pb dating for a single core at the deep north end of the lake, indicates a pronounced increase in mass accumulation beginning between 1964 and 1972, a time when power line construction across the primary inflow likely increased sediment delivery to the lake. Cross lake correlations, based on Al concentrations suggest that increasing rates of accumulation at the deep north end of the lake are associated with the progradation of a small sandy delta at the shallow south end of the lake. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 2, p. 153.
	Using geographic information systems (GIS) to model total Phosphorous (TP) and total Nigrogen (TN) levels in Andover Lake, Connecticut, based on land-use patterns. *Walter Tokraz, 2003* This study models watershed-derived nutrient loads for Andover Lake using estimates of the area of distinct land-use categories within the watershed. This approach is used to estimate expected total phosphorous (eTP) and expected total nitrogen (eTN) for the lake. Because these nutrients are associated with eutrophication, land-use changes in the watershed potentially affect the trophic status of the lake and resulting water quality. By modeling land-use, it is possible to predict the affects of future development on the water quality in Andover Lake. This study uses a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to define the Andover Lake drainage basin area, to isolate sub-basins areas, and to identify land-use proportions within each sub-basin. Following the approach of Field et al. (1996), this study estimates springtime eTP and eTN values for current land-use conditions of 15.3 ppb and 380.6 ppb respectively. The eTP value is similar to measured springtime TP in the water column, however, eTN is higher than most measured sources entering the lake. Modeled eTP and eTN values are calculated for 3 growth scenarios, which capture possible future land-use changes within the Andover Lake watershed. Results of these analyses suggest that land-use changes may be less important to the immediate health of the lake than are other nutrient sources, such as faulty septic systems or remobilized nutrients from lake bottom sediments. An important area of future study is the consideration of wave mixing as a contributing factor in lake nutrient loading. *Reference:* Tokraz, W. , 2003. Final Report, EES 480, 37 pp.
	Characteristics of lake sediments of the south bay, Andover lake, CT. *Brian McCann, 2003* Andover Lake in Tolland County, CT experienced algal blooms in 1996 and 1997, thereby dimishing the quality and temporarily reducing the recreational utility of the lake. Algal blooms are attributed to overproductivity of lacustine biota primarily due to elevated levels of phosphorous, a limiting nutrient that is introduced to lakes from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Phosphorous precipitates out from the water column and accumulates in lake-bottom sediments at concentrations far greater than in the water. As a result, it is important to determine concentrations and availability of phosphorous and other elements within lake sediments. The quality of water in Andover Lake has been monitored since 1996, while studies analyzing lake-bottom sediments have been conducted since 2000. The research has found that water quality for the lake has improved since 1996, although elevated concentrations of phosphorous occur in lake-bottom sediments. However, in general iron is present at sufficient concentrations in lake sediments to inhibit the reintroduction of phosphorous to the water column under well-oxygenated conditions. The present study examines sediments in the south bay of Andover Lake, a site where future dredging may become necessary. Sediment cores were collected at three sites along a transect that extends out of the bay. These cores reveal varying thicknesses of sediments that have accumulated since the lake was damned in 1927. The shallow "bay" core contains 38cm, the middle "old road" core 110cm, and the deltaic core 147cm of post-damming lake sediment. These differences in thickness are due to pre-lake conditions, and the proximity to the outflowing Erdoni Creek. Physical (moisture content, organic carbon and inorganic carbon content) and chemical (Aq, B, Be, Bi, Ga, Hq, La, Mo, Na, Sb, Sc, Tl, U, and W) analysis from the cores indicates the presence of three sedimentary units, including a lowermost pre-lake unit, a transitional unit deposited rapidly soon after damming, and an uppermost lake sediment unit. Concentrations of phosphorous and other elements are highest in modern lacustrine sediments (Unit III), but diminish dramatically at depths greater than 60cm in unit I and II. Iron concentrations are high enough to prevent phosphorous from entering the water column under oxic conditions. These findings suggest that future dredging will mix the most chemically concentrated sediment first, but due to the high iron concentrations, they will not likely introduce significant quantities of phosphorous to the lake. *Reference:* McCann, B., 2003. Final Report, EES 480, 29 pp.
	Physical and geochemical sedimentary records of environmental change in the ECSU Arboretum. *Nick Barry, 2003* This study examines physical and geochemical characteristics of sediment cores collected from the ECSU Arboretum. The Arboretum is an important resource to the ECSU community and is greatly affected by the highly developed land that borders it. Records of this development are reflected in the Arboretums sedimentary column. In particular, I examine two sediment cores that were taken from an undisturbed site and a site known to have been disturbed by previous hydrologic sampling. Three distinct sedimentary units occur in both cores. Lowermost Unit I consists of fine to coarse grain sands with some large clasts and low chemical and organic contents. This unit is interpreted to be glacio-fluvial in origin. Unit II contains fine grain muds, terrestrial root remains, and small twigs with higher chemical and organic carbon concentrations. All of which indicate that this unit is a buried soil horizon. Unit III is an organic rich muddy deposit with elevated elemental concentrations. These sediments were deposited in standing water after the Arboretum pond was constructed. All elemental concentrations are enriched in Unit III. Howerver, after normalizing for organic content and clastic sediments the number of enriched elements in Unit III decreases drastically. Physical and geochemical characteristics of the undisturbed and disturbed cores were examined to determine whether previous hydrologic sampling activities compromise the use of sediments in the pond for reconstructing past environments. T-tests comparison of means show that 9 of 19 elements differ significantly at the p<0.05 level which suggests that based on average composition most elements do not differ significantly. However, physical and chemical properties of the sediments have changed through time, reflecting major changes in depositional environments. Further detailed comparisons of chemical profiles from core s2003-01 (undisturbed) and 2003-03 (disturbed site) indicate that the later is much more irregular and contains higher concentrations than core 2003-01. This suggests that disturbed sites are unsuitable for detailed core studies. Normalized chemical profiles indicate that only Pb, Be, Cu, and S have been significantly enriched in the Arboretum sediments (Unit III). These changes are likely the result of increased runoff and deposition of contaminated sediments associated with construction adjacent to the Arboretum site. *Reference:* Barry, N. 2003. Final Report, GLY 499, 30 pp.
	Spatial variability of total phosphorous in lake sediment, Andover lake, CT *Heath Carlson, 2002* This study examines the spatial variability of total phosphorus (TP) and related variables (moisture, organic, inorganic carbon, Fe) in sediment in Andover Lake, Connecticut, an artificial water body dammed in 1927. Three sedimentary units occur within seven-piston core and three percussion core collected along a tightly controlled lake-wide transect. Lowermost sandy and mottled sediments (Unit I) are interpreted as pre-lake soils and are sharply overlain by mixed organic-rich silty sediment (Unit II, 6-43 cm thick) that contains fibrous woody debris deposited as the lake flooded. Unit III (4.5-33cm thick) lacks wood fragments and is characteristic of modern lake deposition (gyttja). Analyses of surface grab samples (n=15) indicate that TP (by wet weight) is 2000-7500 times higher in unit III than the overlying water column. Comparison of means tests (n=21) indicate significant differences between units II and III for moisture, inorganic carbon, and Fe but not for organic carbon or TP. Trends in relation to water depth are strong for moisture, moderate for organic carbon, and are not significant for TP, Fe, and inorganic carbon. However, when adjusted for moisture content, TP shows a significant increase with water depth. These results suggest that mixing of lake bottom sediments will likely introduce TP to the water column and may contribute to lake eutrophication. *Reference:* Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 35.