MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILES IN FLOODPLAIN AND TERRACE DEPOSITS ALONG THE JAMES RIVER, SOUTHWEST MISSOURI

Magnetic susceptibility is used to determine stratigraphic relationships within alluvial deposits of different ages from the James River valley in the Ozarks Plateau region of south west Missouri. Magnetic susceptibility is a measure of how magnetizable a material is in an applied magnetic field. The objectives are to determine if magnetic profiles can be used to discriminate among different deposits, correlate with other stratigraphic markers, and offer insights into the origin and formation of valley floor landforms in the Ozarks. Analysis will focus on four different units: (1) recent over bank floodplain; (2) historical low terrace; (3) hillslope colluvium; and (4) Pleistocene high terrace. Preliminary results indicate that magnetic characteristics vary among surface sediments from different aged landforms based on differences in weathering degree, hydromorphic setting, and sediment source. Magnetic variations in core profiles will be evaluated. It appears that magnetic susceptibility can aid in sediment source studies in Ozark watersheds.