Graduation Date
Spring 2022
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Science degree with a major in Environmental Systems, option Geology
Committee Chair Name
Melanie Michalak
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Harvey Kelsey
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Tyler Ladinsky
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Fourth Committee Member Name
Robert Witter
Fourth Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Keywords
Paleoseismology, Tectonic geomorphology, Hydesville, Rohnerville, Little Salmon Fault, Humboldt Basin, Eel River
Subject Categories
Geology
Abstract
Upper-plate deformation in the southern Cascadia subduction zone is dynamic and complex, situated in the transition between northward translation to westward convergence. Rock uplift and incision rates characteristic of this dynamic region are preserved in suites of fluvial and marine terraces. Fluvial terraces at the Yager Creek–Van Duzen River confluence record fluvial incision rates, and are crosscut by the understudied Goose Lake fault, an upper plate structure. In this work, I use high resolution lidar imagery to map terrace surfaces, and use optically stimulated luminescence, radiocarbon, and Beryllium-10 geochronology to bracket terrace ages and calculate incision and slip rates. With GIS analysis, I mapped 21 fluvial terrace suites and calculated slope aspect for each surface. I mapped three strands of the Goose Lake fault, and calculated vertical separation across each strand. Results show terrace surfaces tilt northward up to 8.6°, and the Goose Lake fault progressively vertically separates terrace surfaces up to 16.6 m up to the south. Age determinations for ten samples from five terraces reveal depositional ages for terrace cover sediment ranging from at least ~47 to ~9 ka. Channel incision rates range from 2.3 to 5.2 mm/yr, and vertical slip rates on the Goose Lake fault range from 0.03 to 0.87 mm/yr. Incision rates, interpreted as rock uplift, indicate regionally rapid uplift in the lower Van Duzen River valley. In contrast, relatively slow slip rates of the Goose Lake fault indicate a distinct and less significant mechanism.
Citation Style
MLA
Recommended Citation
Bold, Samuel E., "Geomorphic evaluation of the Goose Lake fault and fluvial terraces at the Yager Creek–Van Duzen River confluence, northern coastal California" (2022). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 550.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/550