Geology Reports⌕ Search

Geology topics

W.M. Phillips

Publications and source records attributed to W.M. Phillips.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2016

Weathering pits as indicators of the relative age of granite surfaces in the Cairngorm mountains, Scotland

Weathering pits 1-140 cm deep occur on granite surfaces in the Cairngorms associated with a range of landforms, including tors, glacially exposed slabs, large erratics and blockfields. Pit depth is positively correlated with cosmogenic exposure age, and both measures show consistent relationships on individual rock landforms. Rates of pit deepening are non-linear and a best fit is provided by the sigmoidal function D = b1+ exp(b2+b3/t). The deepest pits occur on unmodified tor summits, where 10 Be exposure ages indicate that surfaces have been exposed to weathering for a minimum of 52-297 ka. Glacially exposed surfaces with pits 10-46 cm deep have given 10 Be exposure durations of 21-79 ka, indicating exposure by glacial erosion before the last glacial cycle. The combination of cosmogenic exposure ages with weathering pit depths greatly extends the area over which inferences can be made regarding the ages of granite surfaces in the Cairngorms. Well-developed weathering pits on glacially exposed surfaces in other granite areas are potential indicators of glacial erosion before the Last Glacial Maximum. ?? Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography.

Geografiska Annaler, Series A: Physical Geography↗
USGS2011

Episodic soil succession on basaltic lava fields in a cool, dry environment

Holocene- to late Pleistocene-aged lava flows at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve provide an ideal setting to examine the early stages of soil formation under cool, dry conditions. Transects were used to characterize the amount and nature of soil cover on across basaltic lava flows ranging in age from 2.1 to 18.4 ka. Results indicate that on flows <13 ka, very shallow organic soils (Folists in Soil Taxonomy) are the dominant soil type, providing an areal coverage of up to &sim;25%. On flows &ge;13.9 ka, deeper mineral soils including Entisols, Aridisols, and Mollisols become dominant and the areal extent increases to &ge;95% on flows older than 18.4 ka. These data suggest there are two distinct pedogenic pathways associated with lava flows of the region. The first pathway is illustrated by the younger flows, where Folists dominate. In the absence of a major source of loess, relatively little mineral material accumulates and soils provide only minor coverage of the lava flows. Our results indicate that this pathway of soil development has not changed appreciably over the past &sim;10 ka. The second pedogenic pathway is illustrated by the flows older than 13.9 ka. These flows have been subject to deposition of large quantities of loess during and after the last regional glaciation, resulting in almost complete coverage. Subsequent pedogenesis has given rise to Aridisols and Mollisols with calcic and cambic horizons and mollic epipedons. This research highlights the importance of regional climate change on the evolution of Craters of the Moon soilscapes.

Idaho↗