Large tracts of land are held and used by the US Army. Understanding natural rates of landscape change, erosion and sedimentation, is an important component of managing these lands.
Measurement of isotopes produced in rock and soil by the bombardment of cosmic radiation can be used to estimate the rate at which soil is stirred and material is naturally removed from geomorphic surfaces, such as alluvial fans. On Army facilities around the country, these surfaces are affected by the passage of tracked vehicles. By estimating background rates of surface change, we will provide data useful for management of Army lands. Specifically, our data will allow comparison between background, natural rates of surface change, and the current rates of change. Such a comparison should indicate the degree to which activities critical to the Army mission actually impact landscapes and what parts of the landscape are least sensitive to necessary maneuvers.
This project is supporting an MS (Kyle Nichols) and an undergraduate thesis (Darrin Santos). These UVM students are collecting and analyzing samples from the now-abandoned, but impacted, WW-II camp of General Patton at Iron Mountain. Their isotopic and geomorphic data will estimate long-term rates and depths of soil stirring for comparison to rates which can be measured by observing the current surface and the impact of tracked vehicles 50 years ago. This research integrates well with the data we are collecting under US ARO Terrestrial Sciences funding at Yuma Proving Grounds and will rely on the established research infrastructure at the University of Vermont funded in part by a grant from US ARO.
Kyle Nichols |
Darrin Santos |