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NDGeospatialSummit2022 - A Look Underneath the Climax Slump
1. “A Look Underneath
the Climax Slump”
SOIL 644 Graduate Case Study
Beverly Álvarez-Torres1*, Annalie Peterson1*
Carrie Knutson1,2, Cecelia Castleberry1, Katelyn Landeis1,2, David Hopkins1
1 North Dakota State University
2 NDSU Agriculture and Extension
Photo Credit: Knutson 2021
2. Underneath
the Slump
• Geology Perspectives
• Rotational Slump
• Formation, Geology and Parent
Material
• Ground water
• Geospatial analysis
• Soil Type
• Particle Size Data
• Geospatial Analysis
• Economic Analysis
Photo Credit: Knutson 2021
11. Conceptual model
of a rotational
slump.
Source: Strahler
Physical Geography,
3rd Ed.
Slide Credit: Dr.
Hopkins 2021
Loose sediments and ground
water movement are main
cause of slumps
17. Poplar River Formation -
West Fargo Member
• Consists of fluvial channel
sediment and some near-channel
overbank sediment
• Composed mostly of silt and very
fine sand in the Trail county area
• Sand contains large- and small-
scale cross bedding
• Overlies Brenna Formation and
is covered by
the Sherack Formation
Harris et al. 2020; p. 36 and 38
Did the Poplar River Fm. lead to
destabilization causing the large slump?
18. Harris et al. 2020; p. 9
Formation,
Geology and
Parent Material
21. Ground
Water
Flow
Photo Credit: Joe Zelezink 2021
Is it possible that groundwater
regimes and preferential flow
paths lead to large-scale
destabilization
23. Geospatial
Analysis
Goals
• Determine the soil type
• Make a morphological
description of the landslide
• Measure the volume of soil
displaced
• Quantify a possible economic
loss for the farmer
25. Soil Type - I383A
• 0-150 cm
• Fine-silty, mixed, superactive
frigid Pachic Hapludolls
Overly, Silty Clay Loam
26. Overly, Silty Clay Loam
Fine-silty, mixed, superactive frigid Pachic Hapludolls
Soil
order
Mollisols
have enough rain in
summer to equal or
exceed the amount of
evapotranspiration; or
have adequate winter
rains to recharge the
soils
little development
of horizons
From Greek achys,
thick A horizon
A soil warmer in summer where the mean annual
temperature is lower than 8°C, and the difference
between mean summer and mean winter soil
temperatures (June to August and December to
February) is more than 5°C either at a depth of 50 cm
A soil that have a ratio of
cation-exchange capacity
(by NH4 OAc at pH 7) to
clay (percent by weight)
of 0.60 or more
Mixed clay
mineralogy,
less than 50%
clay content between
18%-35% and less
than 15% sand that is
coarser than very fine
Soil Survey Staff. 2014
27. Soil Type - I16F
• A - 0 to 16 inches: fine sandy loam
• Cg - 16 to 80 inches: stratified loamy sand to silt loam
Fluvaquents, frequently flooded
• A - 0 to 9 inches: loam
• C - 9 to 60 inches: loam
Hapludolls complex
28. Overly, Silty Clay Loam
Hapludolls
Soil
order
Mollisols
have enough rain in summer
to equal or exceed the amount
of evapotranspiration; or have
adequate winter rains to
recharge the soils
little development
of horizons
Fluvaquents
Soil order
Entisols
A soil that is virtually free of
dissolved oxygen because it is
saturated by groundwater or by
water of the capillary fringe.
Soil Survey Staff. 2014
From Latin fluvius),
fluviatile, marine, and
lacustrine sediments that
receive fresh material at
regular intervals or have
received it in the recent
past
31. Photo Credit: Hopkins 2021
Similar Location to
Sample #7
Collection Site
Soil Particle Size
32. Soil Particle Size
Objective:
Higher sand content in laboratory
analysis than field observations
Methods:
• Soil sample collection
• Soil ground and sieve
• Mix 50 g of soil saturated with 100
mL sodium hexametaphosphate in
a 250 mL plastic bottle
• Shake overnight
• Soil particle separation by sieves
• Oven at 104°C by overnight
• Calculate weight differences
33. Table 1. Data obtained from the
soil particle size analysis by
mechanical separation
Soil Particle Weight
Sample ID
Number
Silt +
Clay
Course
Silt
Very fine sand
and coarse silt
Medium
Sand
Sieve size < 38 μm >38 μm >53 μm >250 μm
1 46.47 2.89 0.68
2 39.06 6.22 4.74
3 40.50 8.27 1.28
4 48.93 0.38 0.77
5 47.30 0.34 0.41 2.01
6 49.43 0.15 0.27 0.23
7 36.40 11.19 2.13 0.33
Soil Particle
Size
34. Possible
Explanation
The carbonates broke down what appeared as sand in
the field but were silt and clay particles that were stuck
together.
https://www.ashtabulaswcd.org/Education/swcd_games.html
Soil Particle Size
35. Flight planification
• Dronelink App
To automates drone missions
• Photogrammetric flight
A drone flight designed as rectilinear paths positioned side by side
Flight execution
• Drone DJI Mavic Mini
(249 g)
Morphological Description
40. Digital Surface Model (DSM)
• DSM final
• Useful to calculate the volume of Soil Displaced
Morphological Description
41. Before
• DSM initial
• Light Detection and Ranging
or Laser Imaging Detection and
Ranging (LIDAR) After
• DSM final
• drone
Digital Surface Model
(DSM)
Volume of Soil Displaced
44. Calculate how much of the area are
represented in the economical loose
Possible
Economic Loss
45. Conclusions
Geospatial analysis
• Soil with high water capacity derived
from marine, and lacustrine sediments
• Silt and clay content higher in
laboratory analysis than field
observations
• Drone technology implemented as
a tool for slump geomorphological
description
• Total impacted area estimated in 4,722
m2
• Total volume displaced estimated in
26,903.2 m3
• Economic loss estimated about
$26,000
Geologic perspective
• Rotational slumps are caused
by loose sediments and water
flow
• We see both factors
• It's likely there was interaction
between both causing
destabilization
47. References
• Gerla, Phil. Personal Communication. Re Files Related to the Erickson Slump. Received by Carrie Knutson, Cecelia
Castleberry, Katelyn Landeis, Annalie Peterson, Beverly Alvarez Torres and David Hopkins, 9 Nov. 2021, and 30 Nov.
2021.
• Garrels, Robert. M. “Chapter 9”. A Textbook of Geology. Harper and Brothers. 1951. 197-217.
• Harris, Kenneth L., L. A. Manz and B. A. Lusardi. “Quaternary Stratigraphic Nomenclautre, Red River Valley, North
Dakota and Minnesota and Update”. North Dakota Geological Survey. Miscellaneous Series NO. 95. 2020
• Hopkins, D. Soils 444/644 Genesis and Survey. Fall 2021. Fargo ND. Lecture.
• Jantzi, D., K. Hagemeister, and B. Krupich. 2020. North Dakota Agricultural Statistics 2020. Ag Statistics No. 89.
Available in https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/North_Dakota/Publications/Annual_Statistical_Bulletin/20
20/ND-Annual-Bulletin20.pdf
• Schwert, Donald P. Website. "Geology of the Fargo-Moorhead Region; An Overview of the Problem: Mass
Wasting". Available in https://www.ndsu.edu/fargo_geology/mass_wasting/problem.htm
• Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th ed. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Washington, DC. Available
in https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/class/taxonomy/?cid=nrcs142p2_053580
• Sun, H., J. Zhong, Y. Zhao, S. Shen, Y. Shang. 2013. The Influence of Localized Slumping on Groundwater Seepage
and Slope Stability. Journal of Earth Science, Vol. 24, No. 1, p. 104–110.
• Unites States Department of Agriculture, NRCS. Web Soil Survey.
https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx. Accessed 12 Nov. 21.