GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR STUDY ON TABLE MOUNTAIN, FREMONT CO., WYOMING

Table Mountain, standing at 7000 ft. above the Lander Valley, is a large (~10 mi²/30 km²) flat-topped mountain that stands out from the southwest facing view from Lander. The surface is primarily loose gravel (grus) embedded with large (3-5 m²) granitic boulders. The origin of this surface is unclear.

This study focuses on the use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR ) on the surface of the top of Table Mountain to see if different layers of sediment can be defined that would aid in understanding the origin of this feature. The survey was conducted on a 100 m² grid square using a 250 MHz MALA GPR unit with 100mh wheel for measurement, provided by (Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology & Geosphysics (Wy-CEHG). The survey site was chosen based on the flat topography, and close proximity to the middle of the mountain surface, where deep erosion is limited. Runs of 100 meters where done from east to west, then west to east, starting at the far north edge 100 meters to the south, at about 5 meter intervals. Markers for locations where taken with a Garmin Oregon 450 model hand held GPS.

The results are consistent with a large boulders being dispersed with in the 100 meter grid along with loose sediment, possibly indicating reworked glacial deposits.