17
ABSTRACT Halden Creek has been frequently impounded by flowslides. The landslides are recorded in sedimentary exposures in two ways: 1) Trees died in the resultant temporary lakes and were subsequently partially buried by alluvium. The buried portions of the trees were preserved. Bank erosion exhumed these ancient drowned forests. 2) In some cases multiple organic layers in eroded slide debris record separate flowslide events. Using radiocarbon dates of trees and organic layers, we attempt to reconstruct flowslide history at Halden Creek. Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek, northeastern British Columbia MARTEN GEERTSEMA AND JOHN CLAGUE

Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

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Page 1: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

ABSTRACT

Halden Creek has been frequently impounded by flowslides. The landslides are recorded insedimentary exposures in two ways: 1) Trees died in the resultant temporary lakes and weresubsequently partially buried by alluvium. The buried portions of the trees were preserved. Bankerosion exhumed these ancient drowned forests. 2) In some cases multiple organic layers ineroded slide debris record separate flowslide events. Using radiocarbon dates of trees and organiclayers, we attempt to reconstruct flowslide history at Halden Creek.

Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek, northeasternBritish Columbia

MARTEN GEERTSEMA AND JOHN CLAGUE

Page 2: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Flow

slid

esFl

owsl

ides

and

drow

ned,

bur

ied

and

drow

ned,

bur

ied

fore

sts

atfo

rest

s at

Hal

den

Hal

den

Cree

k,Cr

eek,

nort

heas

tern

Brit

ish

Colu

mbi

ano

rthe

aste

rn B

ritis

h Co

lum

bia

Mar

ten

Gee

rtse

ma

BC F

ores

t Se

rvic

e, P

rince

Geo

rge

Reg

ion

John

Clag

ueSi

mon

Fras

erU

nive

rsity

Page 3: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Sett

ing

Sett

ing

Page 4: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Sett

ing

Sett

ing

Buc

king

hors

eFo

rmat

ion

(mar

ine

shal

e)

Sika

nniF

orm

atio

n(s

ands

tone

-sh

ale)

Dun

vega

nFo

rmat

ion

(san

dsto

ne)

Sully

For

mat

ion

(mar

ine

shal

e)

Page 5: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Sett

ing

Sett

ing

Dun

vega

n

Fort

Nel

son

Low

land

(Buc

king

hors

eFo

rmat

ion)

Sully

Page 6: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Sett

ing

Sett

ing

Page 7: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Land

slid

e Ty

pes

Land

slid

e Ty

pes

Roc

k fa

ll, R

ock

slid

es

Page 8: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Land

slid

e ty

pes

Land

slid

e ty

pes

Tran

slat

iona

lroc

k rid

ge

Larg

etr

ansl

atio

nalb

edro

ck s

lides

Page 9: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Land

slid

e ty

pes

Land

slid

e ty

pes

Low

-ang

le r

ock

flow

(~

4 k

m lo

ng)

sour

ce a

rea

plow

ridge

(mud

dydi

amic

ton)

boul

dery

rubb

Page 10: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Land

slid

e ty

pes

Land

slid

e ty

pes

Low

-ang

leflo

wsl

ides

(in m

uddy

, low

clas

tco

nten

tdia

mic

ton)

1997

slid

e

Page 11: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Flow

slid

esFl

owsl

ides

sand

21 -

22 %

silt

47 -

48

%cl

ay31

- 3

2 %

Liq

uid

limit

37 -

41

Plas

tic li

mit

17.5

- 2

0Pl

astic

ity I

ndex

19 -

21

Act

ivity

.63

- .6

519

97 s

lide

•sam

ples

con

tain

sm

all a

ngul

ar r

ock

frag

men

ts >

2m

m•s

ampl

es c

onta

in s

ome

salt,

but

ana

lyse

s ar

e no

t ye

t co

mpl

ete

Page 12: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Flow

slid

esFl

owsl

ides

1997

slid

e

olde

r sl

ide

flood

ing

(1 k

m u

pstr

eam

)

600

m

Page 13: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Dro

wne

d Fo

rest

sD

row

ned

Fore

sts

997

impo

undm

ent

3.8

m o

f s

and

and

pebb

le g

rave

l abo

ve 9

7 flo

odpl

ain

delta

fro

n(S

ept

2000

)

mud

up

to 7

m a

bove

del

ta t

op

Page 14: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Log

in s

lide

debr

is

←16

92 A

D

Hol

ocen

eH

oloc

ene

Flow

slid

eFl

owsl

ide

Reco

rdRe

cord

←25

6 BP

Anci

ent

drow

ned

fore

st

375

7 BP

Logs

in s

lide

debr

is

> 5

m fl

uvia

l san

d

dia

mic

ton

san

d

dia

mic

ton

Page 15: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Hol

ocen

eH

oloc

ene

Flow

slid

eFl

owsl

ide

Reco

rdRe

cord

mul

tiple

bur

ied

orga

nics

( 8

at s

ite 1

1) -

do t

hey

repr

esen

t di

stin

ct e

piso

des

of m

ovem

ent,

or

com

plex

eve

nts?

Page 16: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Impl

icat

ions

Impl

icat

ions

Slop

e ha

zard

s an

dsi

lvic

ultu

re

Sho

uld

we

inve

st h

ere?

Page 17: Flowslides and drowned, buried forests at Halden Creek ... › hfd › pubs › Docs › Tr › Tr003 › Geertsema… · -22 % silt 47 - 48 % clay 31 - 32 % Liquid limit 37 - 41

Impl

icat

ions

Impl

icat

ions

Slop

e ha

zard

s an

dsi

lvic

ultu

re

Shou

ld w

e in

vest

her

e?