| Abstract: | An S-wave refraction survey was conducted in the Yampa River valley near Steamboat Springs, Colo., to determine how well this method could map alluvium, a major source of construction aggregate. At the field site, about 1 m of soil overlaid 8 m of alluvium that, in turn, overlaid sedimentary bedrock. The traveltimes of the direct and refracted S-waves were used to construct velocity cross sections whose various regions were directly related to the soil, alluvium, and bed-rock. The cross sections were constrained to match geologic logs that were developed from drill-hole data. This constraint minimized the ambiguity in estimates of the thickness and the velocity of the alluvium, an ambiguity that is inherent to the S-wave refraction method. In the cross sections, the estimated S-wave velocity of the alluvium changed in the horizontal direction, and these changes were attributed to changes in composition of the alluvium. The estimated S-wave velocity of the alluvium was practically constant in the vertical direc-tion, indicating that the fine layering observed in the geologic logs could not be detected. The S-wave refraction survey, in conjunction with independent information such as geologic logs, was found to be suitable for mapping the thickness of the alluvium. |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 70678 |
| Citation Author: | Ellefsen, Karl J.; Tuttle, Gary J.; Williams, Jackie M.; Lucius, Jeffrey E. |
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| Citation Edition: | Version 1.0 |
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| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | 14 p. and 3 plates |
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| Citation Series: | Scientific Investigations Report |
| Citation Series Code: | SIR |
| Citation Series Number: | 2005-5012 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | S-wave refraction survey of alluvial aggregate; 2005; SIR; 2005-5012; Ellefsen, Karl J.; Tuttle, Gary J.; Williams, Jackie M.; Lucius, Jeffrey E. |
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| Citation Year: | 2005 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | S-wave refraction survey of alluvial aggregate; 2005; SIR; 2005-5012; Ellefsen, Karl J.; Tuttle, Gary J.; Williams, Jackie M.; Lucius, Jeffrey E. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5012/ |
| Date Other: | Mon, 6 Jun 2005 00:00 -0500 |
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