Geological History of Ferris Flats: Implications for a Re-advance of the Saginaw Ice lobe

Purpose

Procedures

Results Conclusions

Materials

Hypothesis

This study was conducted to find the geographic history of Ferris Flats (an area along the Muskegon River in Big Rapids, MI). Because of the history and the geography of the area there were two main focus points. The first focus point being how the Muskegon River interacted with this area. The other point being how Ferris Flats was impacted by the Wisconsinan Glacial period, and what implications that has for a larger area around Ferris Flats.

IntroductionThe land around Big Rapids, Michigan is composed of glacial deposits from both the Michigan Lobe to the west and the Saginaw Lobe to the east . The Muskegon River is in a glacial melt valley that can represent the approximant position of the boundary between the two ice lobes. The Muskegon River passes through Big Rapids. This research shows that, at some point, both lobes melted back from the area and the Saginaw Ice Lobe swept back across the present-day Muskegon River Valley in a westward direction.

100 foot tape measure25 foot tape measureBinocular microscopeBrunton CompassCompassDigging toolsGlovesGrain size comparatorGraph paperHand lensMarkerDigital scale

Munsell Color ChartNotebookPolaroid i634 (camera)Sample bagsSiftersSoil augerSoil auger extensionStereographic netTarpTopographic mapTracing paperPetri dish

Core Sampling• Sampling sites were determined• Soil cores were taken out• Observations were mad and noted• Pictures were taken• Samples were takenObserving River Bank Soil Properties• A vertical surface was cleared on the river bank• Pictures and notes were taken of the river bank• Observations of different facies were made and noted• Samples were takenObserving Glacial Deposits• Searching for glacial deposits and noting them when seen• Folded clay’s strike and dip was measuredSifting Sands• Sands was sifted• Sand was weighed• Percent of total was determined

It was hypothesized that evidence of the Muskegon River crossing Ferris Flats would be found. It was also hypothesized that there would be something stranger acting upon the sediments in the area besides the normal glacial and fluvial behavior.

Core Samples and River BankFigure 2 shows the overview of the sediments found in the core samples and the river bank observations. It can be seen that there are is a ordered layering of gravel, sand, and clay.

Sifting SandsThe sand in between the clays was qualified to be dune sand by the grain size distribution (figure 3).

Two separate conclusions were found in this study. The first conclusion being about the fluvial activities at Ferris Flats. It was concluded that the Muskegon River did pass over Ferris Flats. The proof for this conclusion is the data obtained from the core samples and river bank. Sediments were sorted with large ones underneath smaller sediments, which is usual in environments that were once covered by a river.

The other conclusion was concerning the glacial history of the area. It was concluded that the Saginaw Ice Lobe re-advanced over Ferris Flats following its first retreat from the area. There are three points that helped to reach this conclusion. The clay found around the area were folded in the same general direction. The uni-directional folds show that the force that folded the clays came from one direction. Another point to the conclusion is that the folded clays were found underneath the till, which shows that till was deposited after the clays were folded, i.e., there was a second retreat, and therefore a re-advance. The last point of evidence to the concluding of a re-advance involves the dune sands within the clay. The clay layer in the area was formed by a standing water environment much like the environments that are found after a retreat of a glacier. Dune sands are often found in an area that was previously covered in glaciers. The fact that both these glacial sediments were folded together shows that post glacial environment that was covered again by a glacier. Implication: The fact that the glacier re-advanced implies that the medial moraine by Big Rapids is actually a terminal moraine of the re-advancement.

Observing Glacial DepositsTill was found (figure 2 red arrows). There was clay found underneath till at the top red arrow. There was folded clay found too, these had their strike and dip measured(figure 4).

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