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JOCELYN_HICKS_THESIS_2017.pdf (76.07 MB)

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Oxbow Lakes as Geological Archives of Historical Changes in Channel Substrate; Swan Creek Metropark, Toledo, Ohio

Hicks, Jocelyn Lorene
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510273054292742

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Geology.
Urbanization impacts hydrologic systems, including changes in flood magnitude and frequency, sediment budgets, and channel morphology. As attempts are made to restore urban rivers, complications arise when trying to understand the extent of human-caused changes in channel substrates. This study looks at the sedimentary record in oxbow lakes as an archive of historical changes in channel substrates. The study area is a 3.5 km reach of Swan Creek containing three oxbow lakes. The two most significant events, related to land-use changes in the study area are: (1) land clearance for agriculture in the upper drainage basin starting around 1850 and continuing into today, and (2) urbanization of the lower watershed, specifically from 1945-1970 during a peak of new home construction. Historical aerial photographs and topographic maps were collected from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Ohio Geographic Rectification and Information Program (OGRIP). The root mean square errors (RMSE) of these ranged from 0.19 to 0.77, an average RMSE of 0.47+/-0.20 m Using historical images and historical flood records It was determined that one of the oxbows formed during a channel avulsion before 1940. Trenches in this oxbow show coarse-grained sand and fine pebbles representing the post-urbanization channel (-0.8 phi +/- 2.5). The other two oxbows predate the imagery and contain a finer channel substrate (0.7 phi +/- 1.07). Furthermore, the sinuosity in the study area increased from 1.88 in 1935 to 1.98 in 2006. When available, anthropogenic materials such as food packaging labels found in trenches 16SC5 and 16SC2 were used to provide approximate ages for layers. In other cases, organics ii were dated using 14C dating. The samples yielded results of 1469+/-35 YBP (16SC5), 94+/-22YBP (16SC5), and 928+/-YBP(16SC8) . Channel substrate changes due to human activity have been studied in the Eastern U.S., but they have not been studied in detail in the Midwest. Eastern U.S. examples are primarily a response to urbanization, whereas the Midwestern U.S. examples may be the result of a two phase disturbance involving land clearance for agriculture, followed by urbanization. This would indicate that there are observable impacts upon river channel substrates, preserved in the geological record.
James Evans, Dr. (Advisor)
Sheila Roberts, Dr. (Committee Member)
Jeffrey Snyder, Dr. (Committee Member)
190 p.
Environmental Geology; Geomorphology
oxbow lake; sediment; historical; fluvial pavement; channel substrate; Toledo, OH

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hicks, J. L. (2017). Oxbow Lakes as Geological Archives of Historical Changes in Channel Substrate; Swan Creek Metropark, Toledo, Ohio [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510273054292742

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hicks, Jocelyn. Oxbow Lakes as Geological Archives of Historical Changes in Channel Substrate; Swan Creek Metropark, Toledo, Ohio. 2017. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510273054292742.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hicks, Jocelyn. "Oxbow Lakes as Geological Archives of Historical Changes in Channel Substrate; Swan Creek Metropark, Toledo, Ohio." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1510273054292742

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1510273054292742
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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.