Geology topics

D. C. Marron

Publications and source records attributed to D. C. Marron.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2007

Physical and chemical characteristics of a metal-contaminated overbank deposit, west-central South Dakota, USA

The deposit along the Belle Fourche River is typically up to 2 m thick and extends about 90 m away from the channel along the insides of meander bends. The sediments contain above-background levels of copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and particularly arsenic. An influx at high streamflow of uncontaminated sediment from terraces and the premining floodplain as well as from tributaries causes arsenic concentrations in parts of the contaminated deposit that are farthest away from the channel to be two to three times less than arsenic concentrations in overbank sediment that is immediately adjacent to the channel.

South Dakota↗

USGS2006

Floodplain storage of mine tailings in the Belle Fourche river system: a sediment budget approach

Arsenic‐contaminated mine tailings that were discharged into Whitewood Creek at Lead, South Dakota, from 1876 to 1978, were deposited along the floodplains of Whitewood Creek and the Belle Fourche River. The resulting arsenic‐contaminated floodplain deposit consists mostly of overbank sediments and filled abandoned meanders along White‐wood Creek, and overbank and point‐bar sediments along the Belle Fourche River. Arsenic concentrations of the contaminated sediments indicate the degree of dilution of mine tailings by uncontaminated alluvium. About 13 per cent of the 110 × 10 6 Mg of mine tailings that were discharged at Lead were deposited along the Whitewood Creek floodplain. Deposition of mine tailings near the mouth of Whitewood Creek was augmented by an engineered structure. About 29 per cent of the mine tailings delivered by Whitewood Creek were deposited along the Belle Fourche River floodplain. About 60 per cent of that sediment is contained in overbank deposits. Deposition along a segment of the Belle Fourche River was augmented by rapid channel migration. The proportions of contaminated sediment stored along Whitewood Creek and the Belle Fourche River are consistent with sediment storage along the floodplains of perennial streams in other, similar sized watersheds.

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms↗

USGS1988

Field and laboratory data describing physical and chemical characteristics of metal-contaminated flood-plain deposits downstream from Lead, west-central South Dakota

Samples from metal-contaminated flood-plain sediments at 9 sites downstream from Lead, in west-central South Dakota, were collected during the summers of 1985-87 to characterize aspects of the sedimentology, chemistry, and geometry of a deposit that resulted from the discharge of a large volume of mining wastes into a river system. Field and laboratory data include stratigraphic descriptions, chemical contents and grain-size distributions of samples, and surveyed flood-plain positions of samples. This report describes sampling-site locations, and methods of sample collection and preservation, and subsequent laboratory analysis. Field and laboratory data are presented in 4 figures and 11 tables in the ' Supplemental Data ' section at the back of the report. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1984

Stream-channel response to the January 3-5, 1982 storm in the Santa Cruz Mountains, west central California

Intense rainfall on January 3-5, 1982 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California caused high streamflow and widespread landsliding. Generalized channel response in the studied basins included scour in steep, low-order channels and moderate fill in higher order channels. Large volumes of channel fill were noted along some channels but this was limited to reaches that received large volumes of colluvium from debris flows and streamside debris slides. The local nature of these effects on channel geometry contrasts with widespread depositional effects observed following major storms in steep terrain in other parts of California. The morphology of most intermediate and high-order channels in the study area appear to have been formed at least as much by events with moderated recurrence intervals as by extreme events. Along low-order channels that were scoured and along isolated reaches of some intermediate and high-order channels where fill was severe, however, storm effects will probably persist for long periods of time. Since the localized effects of high magnitude storms can persist longer than the recurrence interval of the storms themselves, channel morphology throughout the area probably reflects the effects of a number of storms. (USGS)

California↗