Re: Crystalling

David Yeamans, CST-7, 5-8832, dryeamans@lanl.gov (dryeamans@lanl.gov")
Thu, 02 Oct 1997 11:59:49 -0600


>I think lots of beach erosion is caused by wind--witness the
>rapid deterioration of the upland beach at Tapeats. Having
>thought about this, I am reconsidering my earlier point,
>that we should see perched remnant beachs from super-extreme
>flows (c. 800k cfs, 1400-year return interval). They would
>quickly blow away. But, fancy micro-crystal analysis might
>still detect traces of sand derived from rocks in the upper
>basin in locations where the only explanation is an extreme
>flow. Look in wind- and runoff-sheltered areas at elevations
>consistent with flows between 300k cfs and 800k cfs.
>
>Ben

(assuming that the 1400 year interval does not place the flood so far back
as to fall within previous pluvial cycles that would invalidate modeling
based on recent historic flows and climate)

Ben, you've hit on a perfect private boater professional science project.
With very little training, a crew could scout ancestral beaches and take
0.1-gram samples, logging in their locations. Samples could be transported
and analyzed off-site. The person with the burning need to know this
information would finance the analysis but the sample collection would be
free.

I can see reluctance on the part of NPS to have hordes of TEVA-clad
youngsters scrambling over the cryptogamic soils in search of sand, but they
can be made to realize that private boaters have a sensitivity for the
canyon as a Cathedral that sedimentologists on a field trip would not.

If anybody in this server is from NPS and knows about the planning of
science trips, could you inform the other users of the canyon about future
plans? We can help you and we can shorten the wait list a bit in the process.

Dave Yeamans

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