Late-glacial and postglacial history of the hill'', Norwich University campus, Northfield, Vermont
- Norwich Univ., Northfield, VT (United States). Dept. of Geology
The central part of the Norwich University campus at Northfield is built on a kame about 60 ft high on the side of the Dog River valley. Significant excavations made between 1979 and 1991 in the flank of the hill provide details about its glacial origin. Collapsed ice-contact lake deposits on the northwestern flank of the kame are overlain by undisturbed lake sediments formed by turbidity currents that moved southward in glacial Lake Roxbury. Lake Roxbury formed when the retreating ice margin blocked the north-draining Dog River valley and caused melt water to drain south over a 1,010-foot threshold at Roxbury. The lowest deposits exposed on the southeast flank of the kame are highly deformed and include a chaotic slide breccia overlain by progressively less deformed lake-bottom sediments. Northward retreat of the ice margin permitted Lake Roxbury to drop 80 ft to the level of glacial Lake Winooski, which still left 80 ft of lake water over the top of the hill''. Following the lowering of Lake Winooski, stream terraces were cut on the west flank of the hill''. The terraces are underlain by imbricated pebble gravel deposited by the north-flowing Dog River that probably was graded to a lower glacial lake in the Winooski River valley to the north. Downcutting by the Dog River and subsequent lateral migration of its meanders produced the topography the authors see today. The late-glacial and postglacial history can be summarized as follows: (1) deposition of lake sediments in contact with buried ice, (2) collapse and continued deposition of lake sediments during melting of buried ice, (3) deposition of undeformed lake sediments, (4) drainage of glacial lakes, and (5) development of stream terraces and the modern flood plain.
- OSTI ID:
- 5708472
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9303211--
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Vol. 25:2; ISSN GAAPBC; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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