Aeolian and Fluvial Interaction in the Middle Ohio River Valley: New Geomorphic, Stratigraphic, and Sedimentological Evidence From Sandy Springs, Adams County, Ohio

Purtill, Matthew P.

doi:10.1130/abs/2016am-282520

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Aeolian sediments are located on both the north bank of the Ohio River at Sandy Springs and on the south bank in Vanceburg, Kentucky ( Figure 1D). When mapped in total, aeolian deposits include ∼304 ha of land (Morris and Pierce, 1967;Lucht and Brown, 1994;Purtill and Kite, 2015;Purtill, 2016Purtill, , 2017. Currently, pool elevation for this river reach is dam-controlled at 148 m, although early navigation charts list a low-water elevation of 141 m at Sandy Springs (Jones, 1916, p. 163).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three separate geomorphic classifications of the Sandy Springs valley bottom have been proposed and each delineates between two and four alluvial/outwash surfaces or terraces above a modern floodplain (Morris and Pierce, 1967;Pavey et al, 1999;Purtill and Kite, 2015;Purtill, 2016Purtill, , 2017. In the 1960s, the valley bottom initially was mapped as consisting of a high surface (Qo) at 185 m with an assumed Illinoian age (ca.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geochronology and Depositional History of the Sandy Springs Aeolian Landscape in the Unglaciated Upper Ohio River Valley, United States

2019

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The study of active and stabilized late Quaternary aeolian landforms provides important proxies for past climate events and environmental transitions. Despite an overall increase in the study of aeolian landforms in previously glaciated and coastal settings in eastern North America, the history of aeolian sedimentation in many unglaciated inland alluvial settings remain poorly understood. This study reports on the geochronology and depositional history of aeolian landforms and sediments in the unglaciated upper Ohio Valley at the Sandy Springs site. Aeolian landforms and sediments include complex, linear, barchan-like, and climbing dunes; an interdune sand sheet; and sandy loess that blankets high valley surfaces. At Sandy Springs, aeolian dune sands and sandy loess are restricted to intermediate (S2) and higher (S3) geomorphic surfaces. Eight optically stimulated luminescence age estimates constrain the initiation of aeolian processes on the S2 surface to sometime after 17 ka and episodic deposition on the S2 and S3 surfaces between 11 and 1.4 ka. The distribution of aeolian sediments at Sandy Springs is influenced by several past factors including local wind fetch potential, sediment availability, and underlying alluvial topography. Sediment availability is interpreted as the primary factor controlling aeolian processes and appear linked to several pan-regional paleoclimate events. Sandy loess deposition at ca. 8.2 ka on the S3 surface may reflect hydrologic variability and cooling, associated with the final pulse of meltwater into the North Atlantic from the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Dune reactivation and erosion at ca. 4.5 ka on the S2 surface indicate enhanced sediment availability possibly associated with drought conditions. These results illustrate that the deciphering the coupled fluvialaeolian records in this catchment of the Ohio River provides new insight into the nature of changing surface processes against the backdrop of climate variability over the past ca. 20 ka.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochronology and Depositional History of the Sandy Springs Aeolian Landscape in the Unglaciated Upper Ohio River Valley, United States

2019

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“…Building upon Morris and Pierce (1967) and Pavey et al (1999), this study defined three geomorphic surfaces (S1-S3) above a modern floodplain (S0) (see also Purtill, 2016Purtill & Kite, 2015) (Fig. 4-3).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The upper surfaces on both the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the river contain a ~304 ha dune field characterized by prominent relict sand dunes up to 18 m in height (Morris & Pierce, 1967;Purtill, 2016;Purtill & Kite, 2015). Springs have been reported to exist among these dunes (Cunningham, 1973, pp.…”

Section: Sandy Springs Environmental Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4-1). Sandy Springs is a rolling, stepped-surface landscape characterized by sandy to silty aeolian landforms that straddle both the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the Ohio River (Chaplin & Mason, 1967;Morris & Pierce, 1967;Purtill, 2016;Purtill & Kite, 2015). Sandy Springs also is known to archaeologists due to the presence of a substantial late Pleistocene Paleoindian archaeological site (33AD30), remains of which have been documented amongst the relict dunes (Cunningham, 1973;Seeman et al, 1994).…”

Section: Chapter 3 Non-journal Article Supplemental Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards a Better Understanding of Paleoindian Native American Settlement in Southern Ohio: A Multi-Scalar Approach

Purtill¹

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Despite Ohio's prominent role in the historical trajectory of archaeological research into the Native American Paleoindian period (13.5 to 11.4 ka years ago), it has been over 30 years since the last attempt to model Paleoindian land-use behavior at a resolution that includes the southern half of the state. This dissertation revisited Paleoindian adaptation and land-use behavior in southern Ohio and by association the eastern United States. Research was accomplished through a study of Paleoindian occupation at two distinct resolutions in southern Ohio: (i) regional; and, (ii) local, or site-level. The regional level was explored through a GIS and statistical modeling approach of known Paleoindian site locations against randomly selected environmental information to evaluate current theories of Paleoindian land-use behavior. Significant patterns were further explored through comparison of similarly generated trends for later archaeological sites dated to the Early Archaic (~11-8.5 ka) and Late Archaic (~6-2.7 ka) periods. A binary logistical regression test was calculated with significant variables to assess the relative strength of individual variables in explaining Paleoindian site location. The second, site-level component of this dissertation involved archaeological, geomorphological, and geochronological investigation of the Sandy Springs archaeological site and surrounding landscape. Research focused on landform reconstruction with special emphasis on aeolian sand dune formation histories. Furthermore, proxy paleoenvironmental indicators are documented through investigation of sediments at Sandy Springs. Research focused on potential explanations for site function during the Paleoindian period and directly tested the statement that saline springs were a primary reason for Paleoindian occupation. Study results indicate that Paleoindians did not practice a uniform land-use strategy in the upper Ohio Valley but instead adapted strategies to fit local conditions. A potentially distinct Paleoindian land-use strategy is identified for the Interior Low Plateaus province of Ohio. This strategy may reflect strengthening post-11 ka interaction for groups occupying the Cumberland, Tennessee, and upper Ohio drainages. This strategy also may indicate a preference for prairie environments. The combined modeling of Paleoindian, Early Archaic, and Late Archaic site distributions provides a method to assess the impact of collector bias on archaeological interpretations. Study results suggest that collector bias is not restricted to Paleoindian assemblages alone. Cross-temporal approaches provide a means to mitigate the influence of such bias in future studies. Sandy Springs represents one of the largest Paleoindian sites in the upper Ohio River Valley and study results increased our understanding of its geomorphological and archaeological history. The previous claim of saline springs at Sandy Springs was tested through electrical conductivity and pH analysis. Results failed to support the idea that Sandy Springs possessed wa...

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Aeolian and Fluvial Interaction in the Middle Ohio River Valley: New Geomorphic, Stratigraphic, and Sedimentological Evidence From Sandy Springs, Adams County, Ohio

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Geochronology and Depositional History of the Sandy Springs Aeolian Landscape in the Unglaciated Upper Ohio River Valley, United States

Geochronology and Depositional History of the Sandy Springs Aeolian Landscape in the Unglaciated Upper Ohio River Valley, United States

Towards a Better Understanding of Paleoindian Native American Settlement in Southern Ohio: A Multi-Scalar Approach

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