| 8:00 AM-6:00 PM, George R. Brown Convention Center: |
The Origin of the Sandy Mantle and Mima Mounds of the East Texas Gulf Coastal Plain: Geomorphological, Pedological, and Geoarchaeological Perspectives
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| Primary Leader: Rolfe D. Mandel |
| Leader(s): Donald L. Johnson, Charles D. Frederick |
| Field Trip Description: Unconsolidated sands form an extensive mantle across uplands and Pleistocene terraces in East Texas. This sandy mantle is typically 1-2 m thick, but is much thicker in some areas. The geomorphic processes responsible for the formation of the sandy mantle have been hotly debated. Some researchers argue that the mantle consists of eolian sediments, but others contend that it is a pedological feature (i.e., an E horizon) related to in situ weathering of the underlying sandstone bedrock or sandy Pleistocene alluvium. Because cultural deposits are often buried in the sandy mantle, its origin has attracted the interest of the archaeological community. This field trip will focus on the controversy surrounding the formation of the sandy mantle in light of recent data gleaned from geomorphological, pedological, and geoarchaeological investigations. Also, stops will be made at Mima mounds, features often associated with the sandy mantle, in order to discuss their stratigraphy and origin. |
| Field Trip will span: 1 day |
| Sponsor(s): Archaeological Geology Division of GSA; Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division of GSA; Pedology Division (S-5) of the Soil Science Society of America; Council on the History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Soil Science |