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North-Central Section (44th Annual) and South-Central Section (44th Annual) Joint Meeting (11–13 April 2010)

Paper No. 10
Presentation Time: 4:00 PM

DC-RESISTIVITY AND GPR STUDIES ALONG THE FLOODPLAINS OF THE BIG RIVER, MISSOURI FOR MINING SEDIMENT STUDIES


AUSTIN, Emily C.1, MICKUS, Kevin L.2, PAVLOWSKY, Robert T.3, MARTIN, Derek4, OWEN, Marc4, LECCE, Scott A.5 and WOMBLE, Patrick J.6, (1)Geography, Geology, Planning, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, (2)Dept. of Geosciences, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, (3)Geography, Geology, & Planning, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave, Springfield, MO 65897, (4)Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, (5)Geography, East Carolina University, A-227 Brewster Building, Greenville, NC 27858, (6)Geology Department, Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401, Emily78@live.missouristate.edu

The Old Lead Belt is a historic lead and zinc mining district within the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District which was a leading producer of lead worldwide from 1869 to 1972. There are major concerns about the long-term stability and toxic risk of mill waste dumps and mining sediment in rivers draining the mining areas of the Old Lead Belt. Experience indicates that chat-sized and smaller materials are easily transported downstream as bed load by seasonal floods occurring in the Big River. Finer-grained mining sediment is transported as suspended load and deposited on floodplains and low terrace surfaces along the channel during flood stage. However, during periods of low flow, chat- and sand-sized particles settle out on the channel bed and form bar deposits. In order to understand the mobility of the mining sediment and metal contamination within the floodplain deposits, a study was undertaken to sample the floodplain deposits along four areas of Big River. In conjunction with the geomorphological and chemical studies, a geophysical study consisting of DC-resistivity and ground penetrating radar (GPR) was undertaken in order to determine if these methods could determine the floodplain deposits thickness, sedimentary features within these deposits and if the fine grain metal contamination could be detected. At each site, one to two DC-resistivity profiles using the Schlumberger array were collected perpendicular and parallel to the floodplain. A GPR profile was also collected along each DC-resistivity profile using a 250 MHz antenna. Two-dimensional inversions of the DC-resistivity data indicate that the resistivity data can determine the depth to bedrock or reusal which varies between 5 and 10 meters along all the sites. Additionally, the DC-resistivity imaged a sandy layer (higher resistivity) that may a flood event or an old channel at the St. Francois State Park and Morse Mill sites. The GPR was limited by depth penetration in the clay rich sediments but did image the sand rich layers at St Francois and Morse Mill.

Session No. 6

T31. Human Impacts on Fluvial Systems
Sunday, 11 April 2010: 1:30 PM-5:15 PM
Short Creek 3 & 4 (Branson Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 42, No. 2, p.44
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