■ GEOLOGY OF THE OHIO SHORE OF LAIŒ

ERIE BETk’/EEI'I FAIRPORT AMD THE

PEMSYLVAHIA BORDER

DISSERTATION

Presented in P a r tia l F u lfillm en t of the

Requirements fo r the Degree Doctor

of Philosophy in the Graduate

School of The Ohio State

U niversity

by

JAIvES ELLIS CHRISTOPHER, A .B., 1,1.Sc.

The Ohio State U niversity 19^9

Approved by:

Advise Department of//Geology

CONTENTS

Page

H'ITRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 1

Puipose and scope o f th e I n v e s t ig a t io n ............................................ 1

Acknowle dgmen t s ............................................................................................ 2

P revious W ork ............................................................. U

GEOGRAPHÏ AIŒ GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE AREA............................................. 7

Location and s ize o f th e a r e a .............................................................. 7

Geomoiphology o f th e topograph ic su rface ....................................... 7

The Grand R iver ..................................................................... 11

The A shtabula R i v e r ......................................................................... 13

The Conneaut R i v e r .............................................................................. l 6

Hinor s t r e a m s ...................................................................................... l 6

Geomorphology o f th e bedrock su rface ..................... 20

GENERAL STRATIGRAPHY OF THE A Æ A ........................................................ 32

S tra tig ra p h y o f the b e d r o c k ......................................................................32

S tra tig ra p h y of the s u r f i c i a l d e p o s i t s ........................................... 36

G la c ia l t i l l .............................................................................................. 36

L acu strin e and f l u v i a t i l e d e p o s i t s ...........................................

i i

IX X

Madison tcrvmship sand d e p o s i t s ................................................... U7

DETAILED STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LAKE ERIE BLUFF IN THE AREA . . $2

Lake County 'P a in e sv i lle to w n s h ip ................................................... 53

P erry to w n s h ip .......................................................................................... 57

D eform ational f e a tu re s in th e la c u s tr in e d e p o s its . . 69

Madison to w n s h ip .................................................................... 76

A shtabula CountyGeneva to w n s h ip ..................... 81;

Saybrook to w n s h ip .............................................................................. 85

A shtabula to w n s h ip ......................................................................... 96

K in g sv ille to w n s h ip ......................................................................... IOI4

Conneaut to w n s h ip ................................................................................. 117

The o r ig in o f loam a t th e top of the s t r a t ig r a p h iese c tio n .............................................................................................. 120

Summary o f th e b lu f f s tra t ig ra p h y betweenF a irp o r t and the O hio-Pennsylvania b o rd e r .............................. 123

THE LATE 7/ISCOHSIN HISTORY OF THE STUDY AREA............................... 128

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETvVEEl'j BLUFF LITHOLOGIES MIDDEGRADATIONAL PROCESSES ............................................................................. 135

D egradation o f sandy b lu f f d e p o s its ............................................... 137

D egradation o f th e la c u s tr in e c l a y - s i l t member ...................... 139

D egradation of b lu f f s composed of competent g la c ia l t i l l lUO

XV

F a ilu re by Creep in c e r ta in b lu f f s o f g la c ia l t i l l . . . l50

Slumping in composite b lu f f s o f g la c ia l t i l l s and in terbedded la c u s tr in e c l a y .......................................... iS?

Group "A" s lu m p s ............................................................................. 1^7

Group "B" s lu m p s ............................................................................. l60

The sluîTÇJs o f P a in e sv il le to iv n sh ip ..................................... l 6 l

The slumps o f Geneva and Saybrook tœ m sh ips . . . . I 69

LITTORAL PROCESSES Alffi SOURCES ........................................................ I 8I

D esc rip tio n of th e beach d e p o sits in the a r e a .................... I 83

Stream mouth b e a c h e s ..................................................................... l83

Beaches inpounded by j e t t i e s .................................................... l8?

Shingle end bedrock defended beaches ................................... 190

M echanical and heav^'' m in era l analyses o f b lu f f andbeach s a m p le s ...................................................................................... 19$

O bservations on l i t t o r a l tra n s p o r t of sedim ents . . . . 200

Submerged s p i t s ............................................................................. 217

SUÎvliARY.............................................................................................. 222

CONCLUDIira REI.ÎARKS............................................................................. 228

BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................... .................... 231

APPENDIX AW ell s ec tio n s o f s u r f i c i a l d e p o sits on the LaJce P la in . 23$

APPENDIX BA tte rb erg va lu es o f b lu f f and lalce p la in samples . . . 2U5

M echanical and heavy m in era l a n a ly s e s .............................. 2h >

C alcu la tio n s o f b lu f f e ro s io n v s . q u a n tity o f beachs a n d ....................................................................................................... 2U8

APPENDIX GG lossary o f term s used in S o il M ech an ics .......................... 2k9

AUTOBIOGRAPHY....................... 2$0

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure Page

1. County map o f n o rth e rn Ohio, shovdng lo c a tio n ofstudy a r e a ............................................................................ 8

2. Photograph. Govdes Greek, shovdng drovmed v a lle y . 21

3. Photograph. Big (A reola) Creek, shovdng drovmedv a lle y . ......................................................................................... 22

U. Photograph. Blackmore Greek, P erry tovmship;shovdng v a l le y - in -v a l le y f o r m ■ . . 23

Photograph. Red Brook, Saybrook tovmship;shovdng stream bench .................................................. 2h

6. G eneralized map of Lake E rie bottom d e p o sitsbetvreen F a irp o r t and the O hio-Pennsylvania border . 28

7. Photograph. Hanging t r ib u ta r y o f the A shtabulaR iver in S h e ff ie ld tovmship. Vievr from upperf a l l s ................................................................................... 29

8. As f ig u re 7, b u t vievf from bottom of upper f a l l s . 29

9. As f ig u re 7, b u t viev; from top o f lovrer f a l l s . . . 30

10. Photograph. Sma].l a n t ic l in e in th e v a lle y ofth e A shtabula R i v e r ...................................................................... 31

11. Geologic map o f the Lake E rie r e g i o n ............................ 3U

12. Photograph. Chagrin shale in the v a lle y of theA sh ta b u la ......................................................................................... 33>

13. Geologic map shovdng g la c ia l d e p o s its o f n o rth e a s te rn O h io ........................................................................ 37

lU. Northwest to so u th eas t geologic c ro s s -s e c tio n of s u r f i c i a l d e p o s its in Saybrook and Plymouth t mm sh ip s, A shtabula C o u n ty ................................................... U3

1$. North to south geologic c ro s s -s e c tio n of s u r f i c i a l d ep o sits in S h e ff ie ld and K in g sv ille tow nships,A shtabula C o u n ty ........................................................................... Iiit

V i

Vax

16. Photograph. S ec tion through the Lake Escarpment moraine in Saybrook to v m sh ip ................................................ 1|6

17. Isopach map of s u r f i c i a l d e p o sits in n o rth e rnMadison to v m sh ip ....................................................... SO

18. Northwest to so u th eas t geolog ic c ro s s -s e c tio n o fs u r f i c i a l d ep o sits in n o rth e rn Madison tovmship . . $1

19. Photograph. Topmost u n i t in b lu f f s e c tio n o f LakeE rie in P a in e sv i lle tovmship a t Hardy R o a d .................. $6

20. Photograph. 1,600 f e e t n o r th e a s t of BlackmoreRoad, Perry to-rmship ............................................................. ^9

21. Photograph. C ontact zone a t base o f Upper T i l l ,800 f e e t southw est o f Blaclcmore Road, P erry tovmship . 6 l

22. Photograph. C ontact zone a t base o f Upper T i l l ,750 f e e t n o r th e a s t o f Blaclcmore Road, P erry tovmship 62

23. Photograph. Boulder pavement on c o n tac t betvreenUpper and Lower t i l l s , 1,000 f e e t n o r th e a s t of Blaclcmore Road, P erry to v m s h ip ........................................... 63

2U. Photograph. B lu ff , 2,000 f e e t southw est o f-N orthP erry V illag e Park, p e rry to v m sh ip ..................... 68

23. Drawing o f c o n to rted foimis in la c u s tr in e beds ofthe b lu f f , 950 f e e t southw est o f p e rry Park Road,P erry to v m sh ip ............................................................................ 70

26. Dravâng o f p iercem ent fo ld in la c u s tr in e u n i t a ts i t e o f f ig u re 2 5 ..................................................................... 71

27. Photograph. C ontorted bedding a t s i t e o f f ig u re 25 72

28. Diagram of c la j’" b lock in la c u s tr in e lam inated bedsa t s i t e of f ig u re 2 5 ................................................................. 75

29. Photograph. L acu strin e c la y c o n tac t on the UpperT i l l , P erry to v m sh ip ................................................................. 79

30. Photograph. L acustrine u n i t in b lu f f of w este rnMadison tovmship ..................................................................... 80

31. Photograph. Sandy b lu f f in w estern Liadison tovmship 8 l

V llX

32. Photograph. C ontorted bedding in lam inated c layand s i l t ; lîadison to v m sh ip ............................................... 83

33. Photograph. C ontact zone between Upper and LovrerT i l l s , 1,^00 f e e t n o r th e a s t o f Red Brook, Saybrook tovmship . .......................... ................................................... 89

3U« Photograph. Boulder pavement between Upper andLovrer T i l l s a t s i t e of f ig u re 3 3 ................................... 90

35. Pliotograph. Upper p a r t o f b lu f f , 3,200 f e e tn o rth e a s t o f Red Brook, Saybrook to v m sh ip .................. 92

36. Photograph. B lu ff , showing t i l l s and in te rbeddedla c u s tr in e c lay s in e a s te rn Saybrook tovmship . . . 9k

37. Photograph. B lu ff d e ta i l , shmving in terbedded la c u s tr in e c lay and sand in e a s te rn Saybrooktovmsliip ..................... 95

38. Photograph. Sharp b a sa l c o n tac t o f la c u s tr in e u n i ton Upper T i l l ; A shtabula team s h i p ......................... 97

39. Photograph. U horls o f lam inated s i l t and c layw eathering ou t o f nonbedded s i l t y m a t r i x ...................... 101

UO. Photograph. B lu ff; sand member in te rbedded betvreenUpper and Lovrer T i l l s . W estern K in g sv ille ta .m sh ip . 107

1|1. Photograph. B lu ff , 1 ,600 f e e t e a s t o f the vresternK in g sv ille tovmship l in e , shovâng co n tac t o f Upper T i l l on la c u s tr in e b e d ............................. 108

U2. photograph. Laminated g la c ia l T i l l in b lu f f ofvre s te m K in g sv ille to v m sh ip ................................................ 110

U3. Photograph. Topographic form eroded fromlam inated t i l l o f f ig u re I4 .2 ............................................... I l l

Uii. Photograph. Sand d e p o s its in b lu f f o f w esternConneaut tw m s h ip ..................................................................... 121

U5. Photograph. C ontact sp ring tra n sp o r tin g sand tobeach from sand d e p o s its in b lu f f o f e a s te rn Madison to v m sh ip ......................... l l | l

I46. Photograph. L acu strin e cl%r s l id in g over c o n tac ton Upper T i l l ; P erry to v m sh ip ...................................... . lU2

XX

U7. Photograph. S lip su rface on vrhich la c u s tr in e m a te r ia lhad s l i d to beach; A shtabula to v m sh ip .............................. 1U3

I4.8. T rian g u la r p lo t o f g ra in s iz e d is t r ib u t io n of g la c ia lt i l l in the b lu f f o f Lalce and A shtabula Counties . . lk $

P la s t i c i t y c h a r t shovdng s o i l c la s s i f i c a t io n asbased on the A tte rb erg l i m i t s ................................................ IU6

$0. P la s t i c i t y c h a r t shovdng r e la t io n s h ip betvfeen l iq u idl im i t and p l a s t i c i t y index f o r ty p ic a l s o i l s and the t i l l samples o f th e Lal-:e P la in and b lu f f o f Lake E rie in the study a r e a ......................................................................... lU7

^1. Photograph. V e r tic a l b lu f f n o r th e a s t o f BlackmoreRoad, w estern P erry tw rnship . . . . . . . . . . . . lU9

$2. Photograph. B lanket o f t i l l c reep ing do\m b lu f f ,and over the beach, 3,000 f e e t n o r th e a s t of Saybrook Tovmship P a r k ............................................................ 1^1

$3» As in f ig u re 52, shovdng polygonal d e s s ic a tio ncracks in the t i l l ..................................................................... l52

5I1. photograph. Creeping t i l l b lan iie t a t the w esternl im i t s of A shtabula tc r .m sh ip ................................................ l53

55. Photograph as in f ig u re 5U, b u t one year l a t e r . . . l$ k

56. Photograph. B lu ff shovdng 2 t i l l and 3 la c u s t r in emembers in A shtabula to v m sh ip ........................................... l59

57. Hap of the in v e s t ig a te d P a in e sv i lle tovmship slumparea a t Hardy R o a d ................................................... 162

58. Schematic c ro s s -s e c tio n o f slump a t Hardy RoadStage 1 ............................................................................................... 167

59. As in f ig u re 58. Stage 3 ........................................................ 167

60. Photograph. B lu ff a t Hardy Road, P a in e sv i l le .Slump i s in p ro cess of undermining Route 535 . . . . 170

61. Same s i t e as f ig u re 60, b u t one y ear l a t e r . Roadpavement i s broken, and has s l i d p a r t ly dovm-bluff . 171

62. Same s i t e as f ig u re 60, b u t 2 y ears l a t e r . Shovdngshear zone a t base o f b l u f f ........................................... . 172

X

63. Same s i t e and time as f ig u re 62j shov/ing c o n ta c t zonebelow Upper T i l l and shear jo in t s a t base o f b lu f f . . 173

6U. Photograph. Slumping o f b lu f f in Geneva tovmship . . 1?8 -

65!. Photograph. T ensional f r a c tu r e s in slumpingg la c ia l t i l l o f Geneva tovmship .............................. 179

66. Photograph. Slumping in w este rn Saybrook tovmship . . I 80

67. Photograph. M eeting o f stream to r r e n t and wave f ro n ta t Big (A reola) Creek; e a s te rn Madison tovmship . . . 183

68. Photograph. Beach a t mouth o f V.heeler Creek, shovmng b a r r i e r e f f e c t o f th e stream on the l i t t o r a l d r i f t ;Geneva to v m sh ip .............................................................................. I 86

69. Map of Ind ian Creek beach promontory, Geneva tovmship 192

70. Photograph. Beach promontory a s tr id e the P a in e s v i l le - P e rry tovmship l i n e ..................................................................... 193

71. Photograph. B reaker l in e on submerged s p i t a t Geneva- on-the-Lalce beach promontory, Geneva tovmship . . . . 19U

72. Graph. Heavy m in era l sp ec ie s percen tage o f beachsamples, F a irp o r t to A s h ta b u la ........................................... 202

73. Graph. P lo t of median s ize v s . T ra sk 's so r tin gc o e f f ic ie n t ; F a irp o r t to A shtabula ................................... 202

7U. Map of shore betvreen F a irp o r t and A shtabula showinglo c a t io n of beach and b lu f f sanple s i t e s . . . . . . 202

73. Graph. Heavj'- m in era l sp ec ies percen tage o f beachsamples. Conneaut Tovmship Park beach .......................... 203

76. P lo t o f median s iz e v s . T ra sk 's s o r tin g c o e f f ic ie n t ;Conneaut Tovmship Park b e a c h ................................................ 203

77. Map of model beach shaped by steep w a v e s ....................... 207

78. Map o f model beach shaped by low v re v e s ........................... 208

79. Photograph. 7/alnut beach A shtabula, showinga c c re tio n under the in flu en ce of n o r th e a s t vrinds . . 210

80. Photograph. Walnut beach shovâng the e f f e c t o fe ro s io n by n o r th e a s t vând d riv en waves . . . . . . . 211

X I

81. Map of model beach shovdng the e f fe c t o f vraves andcurrents on a steep beach Ijdng at an angle to thevrave o r th o g o n a ls ......................................................................... 21h

82. Map o f model beach shovdng e f f e c t of a bedrock highon beach development at time of steep v/aves . . . . 219

83. As figu re 82, but shovdng beach development by lovrv/'aves.............................................................................................. 220

P la teI I . West to e a s t geologic c ro s s -s e c tio n of the Lalce

Escarpment, A shtabula County, O h io .............................. I4O

IV. S horeline map and s t r a t ig ra p h ie fence diagramof beach a t Mentor Headlands Park, F a irp o r t, 0 . . I 89

V II .- Bedrock map o f the Lalce P la in , e a s te rn Lalce CountyX. to th e Ohio-PennsylvLuda b o r d e r ............................................. Pocket

X I.- Fence diagram of b lu f f d e p o s its along the OhioX III. Lake E rie shore between F a irp o r t and the Ohio-

Pennsylvania bo rd er ................................................................. Pocket

XIV.- Maps o f beach promontory of c e n tr a l Madison,XVI. e a s te rn Geneva and c e n tr a l Saybrook tovmships . . . Pocket

XVII. O ffshore p r o f i l e s ...................................................................... Pocket

TableI . G eneralized ta b le o f f o r m a tio n s ....................................... 33

I I . S eq u en tia l lalce s tag es of the E rie b a s i n ................. 132

I I I . L is t o f heavy m inera l sp ec ies in b lu f f and beachs a m p le s ....................................................... 201

IV. M echanical analyses and A tte rberg v a lu es of b lu f fand Lake P la in g la c ia l t i l l s a m p le s .............................. 2kS

V. Heavy m ineral s^Jecies percen tage o f b lu f f samples . 2it6

VI. Heavy m ineral sp ec ies percen tage , median s ize andT ra sk 's s o r tin g c o e f f ic ie n t of beach samples . . . . 2hl

INTRODUCTION

Purpose and Scope o f the In v estiga tion

The Lake Erie G eological Research Program has been conducting

a long-term inquiry in to the nature o f the Lake Erie g eo lo g ica l

environment in general, and p a r tic u la r ly in to how t h is environment

ap p lies to the Ohio shore area in terms o f erosion and deposition .

This research i s spearheaded prim arily by the Ohio D iv ision o f

Shore Erosion, Nr. F. 0 . Kugel, Chief, and under the immediate

leadership o f Dr. Howard J. Pincus, Chief S c ie n t is t o f the D iv i­

sion and A ssociate Professor o f Geology at The Ohio State U niversity .

Under th is program the author in v estig a ted the $0 m ile shore

len gth between Fairport, Ohio, and the Ohio-Pennsylvania border

during the summers o f ISBh) 19SS and 1956. The o b jec tiv es sought

were -

1) A d e ta iled d escr ip tion o f the s tr a t ig r ^ h y o f the b lu ffs ;

2) The is o la t io n o f fa c to rs contributing to fa ilu r e o f the

b lu ffs ; and

3) An inquiry in to the formation o f the beaches and th e ir

sources o f sediments.

The author b e lie v e s th a t the greater part o f th ese o b jec tiv es

were atta ined .

The f i e ld work was supplemented by laboratory and lib ra ry

T/ork. Selected samples from b lu f f and beach were analyzed in terms

1

of s iz e d istr ib u tio n and heavy m ineral qpecies. B lu ff samples and

auger samples taken by the Ohio D iv ision o f Shore Erosion from the

Lake P lain vrere a lso examined in terms o f the Atterberg c o e f f ic ie n ts

bearing on the c la s s if ic a t io n of c lays by th e ir moisture content.

Experimental beach conditions o f growth and d ec lin e under the impact

o f steep and low waves were viewed in a wave generating tank.

F in a lly , the stratigraphy o f the Lalce P lain and the configuration

o f the bedrock surface underneath the Lake P la in were in v estig a ted

by use o f w e ll lo g s f i l e d in the o f f ic e s o f s ta te and p rivate agencies.

Acknorrledgments

The Diamond A lk a li Company presented the author v/ith a copy

of a bedrock surface contour map o f the Mentor Quadrangle, the some­

what m odified version o f which i s included in th is paper. The

Company a lso supplied the author -with subsurface data on the area

ea st o f Fairport betvreen the Grand River and the lak e. This in fo r­

mation enabled the author to is o la te one o f the fa c to r s actuating

slumping in th at area. The Morton S a lt Company provided the sub­

surface data th at helped the author to reconstruct the h isto ry of

the Lower Grand River v a lle y . The author appreciates th e ir help

and thanks Mr. D. R. Richner and Mr. D. D. McCormick, resp ec tiv e ly ,

o f the two companies.

The author obtained from the f i l e s o f the Ohio D iv ision of

Water and the Ohio D iv ision o f Shore Erosion the numerous w e ll

lo g s on which he has based the bedrock surface contour map o f the

Perry, Ashtabula- and Conneaut quadrangles; and from which he has

attenpted to describe the stratigraphy of the Lalce P lain and the

Lake Escarpment moraines. The patience and generosity o f the s ta f f s

of the two D iv ision s were unbounded, and the author hopes, j u s t i ­

f ie d . He remembers them w ith gratitu de.

The author thanks P rofessors A. Brandenberger and F. J. Doyle

o f the In s t itu te o f Geodesy and Photogrammetry. The Ohio State

U niversity , who performed the photogrammetric and cartographic

work on the beach models described in t h is te x t .

In the area o f s o i l mechanics the author had to acquire new

s k i l l s . Thus he stands deeply indebted to Professor R. F. Baker

and l,îr. K. S. Senanthiraj a j , who opened the f a c i l i t i e s o f The Ohio

State U niversity Engineering Eqaeriment S tation to the author, and

showed him how to make the Atterberg t e s t s on h is b lu f f samples.

In th is connection, auger samples from the Lalce P la in included

in t h is d isser ta tio n were c la s s i f i e d by The Ohio State U niversity

S o ils Testing Laboratory as a courtesy to the Ohio D iv ision o f

Water. The author has b en efited and thanks them a lso .

C loser to home, there i s the Ohio D iv ision of Shore Erosion

w ithout whom th is d is ser ta t io n could not have come in to ex isten ce .

The author wants to thanlc h is competent and agreeable co-v/orkers,

Messrs. J. V. Verber, R. P. H artley, W. Lemlce and a ss is ta n ts on

whom the author has leaned on many occasions for inform ation on

the offshore area, and who have helped to map and run offshore

p r o f i le s .

The author extends h is gratitude to Doctors R, P. Goldthwait

and J, Forsyth, a u th o r itie s on the P leistocen e; th e ir constructive

c r it ic ism s have p u lled th is d isser ta tio n out o f many k e tt le -h o le s .

With deep appreciation the author, remembers Dr. H. J. Pincus,

Senior S c ie n t is t o f the Ohio D iv ision o f Shore Erosion, and the

author ' s fa c u lty adviser, who through the yeai's has contributed

the s tim u li th a t no\T brings th is work to fr u it io n .

In conclusion, the author greets a l l contributors to th is

ivork and not mentioned herein , and thanks them.

Previous Work

H ost o f th e v e ry e a r ly vrorkers, in c lu d in g M. C. Read (1873)

and C. S. P ro sse r (1912), concerned them selves p r im a r i ly v /ith th e

s tra t ig ra p h y o f th e bedrock. R ead 's work in p a r t i c u la r was one

of reconnaissance .

L everett (1902) and Leverett and Taylor (1915) in th e ir monu­

mental monographs on the Great Lakes region described the topogr^hy

developed on the Lake Escaipment moraines, and the prominent beach

rid ges o f the former g la c ia l lalces,

F. J . Camey (1908 - 1917, unpublished n o te s) sp e c ia liz e d

in a s tudy of th e se form er la k e beach d e p o s its , and made d e ta i le d

maps o f them,

C. W. Hutton (19U0, unpublished M.S. th e s is . The Ohio State

U n iversity ), produced a geomorphic and jo in t study o f the area

s

covered by the U.S. G eological Survey topographic lS minute Ashta­

b u la and Conneaut quadrangles.

More la t e ly , in 19L7, the Beach Erosion Board, U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers, in conjunction vdth the State of Ohio, conducted a

cooperative survey of shore erosion along the Ohio Shoreline o f

Lake E rie. The synopses of these surveys are published in House

Documents 3^1 and ^96 (19^2 and 19S3 r esp e c tiv e ly ). In conjunction

vri-th th is study, P. R. Shaffer made a g eo lo g ica l reconnaissance

o f the b lu ff s tr a t ig r ^ h y . His unpublished reports are on f i l e

Vidth the Ohio D iv ision of Shore Erosion.

The shore was mapped by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in

19U7, and airphotos were taken in 19SU and 19S6. Maps and photos

are f i l e d Tfith the Ohio D iv ision o f Shore Erosion, To the south­

west o f the study area, the shore areas betr/een Fairport and the

w est boundarj’’ of Lake County were studied by Gordon (19^6) and

Christopher (19^6).

In terms of current work, a s e r ie s o f seven maps trea tin g

the engineering geology o f the Oliio Shoreline of Lake Erie by

H. J. Pincus i s in preparation. Both R. P. Hartley and J. L. Verber

are drawing up meps of the bottom d eposits o f the lake, and W. J*

Tinker I I I , i s worlcing on a genetic c la s s if ic a t io n o f Lake Erie

beaches.

Concerning map coverage, the area l i e s across the U.S. Geo­

lo g ic a l Survey minute top ogr^ h ic sheets t i t l e d Conneaut,

Ashtabula, Perry and Mentor; the U.S. Lake Survey Charts, 1:80,000,

numbers 33 and 3U; and the U.S. Army Map Service topcgrjyhic sheet,

1:2^0,000, VSOl.

GEOGRAPHY AMD GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE AREA

Location and Size o f the Area

The stndy area l i e s on the southern shore o f Lake Erie in north­

eastern Ohio, betvfeen and l4l ° 39' north la t itu d e and betvfeen

80°31' and 8 l°2 2 ’ v/est lon gitu d e3 i . e . , roughly betvreen Fairport,

Ohio, and the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. About 30 m iles long and

an average 3 1 /2 m iles wide, the study area embraces a l l of the

former g la c ia l lake bed region in Ashtabula County and the north­

eastern h a lf o f Lalce County. On the southeastern flan k , a lovr b e lt

o f undulating Late Cary term inal moraines, c a lle d the Lalce Escarp­

ment moraines (F. L everett, 1902, p . 63 ), demarcates the southern

border, beyond which r is e s the i^palachian Escarpment o f M ississippian

rocks. To the northvrest l i e s the b lu ff and shoreline-x- o f Lake E rie,

Geomoiphology o f the Topographic Surface

The Lake P lain o f the study area forms part o f Fenneman's

(1917, p . 63) Eastern Lake Section physiographic subprovince.

I t i s newly emergent and represents the surface formed by a blanket

o f la cu str in e sand, s i l t , and c la y , and g la c ia l t i l l on bedrock of

Chagrin shale.

^During the summers o f f i e ld work, the le v e l o f the lake f lu c ­tu ated betv/een 372.3 and 373.8 f e e t . The United S ta tes Lake Surrey u ses 372.0 and 370.3 f e e t r esp e c tiv e ly as the Mean Stage and Low V/'ater datum, measured above Mean Tide at New York, 1935 (U .S.L .S. Chart no. 3U, 19U9). In th is report, the author has adopted the general summer le v e l o f 373 f e e t as a reference surface and shore­l in e fo r ease o f usage.

- 4-1

1 F u i . T O N

I g s a u &WI C u Y A H A,

|H » M R Y j W O O D I S a m o u S K Y

,s e m e -c >k I H u b o m , , .' ^1— I MIO^Na , I

I L

s o M i i - E L

-31 t Æ . 6.1

-42S I

4-

AS >+“»

L 'L A ; K "::

g : E A !U G! A

Fig. 1 , Location and In set maps of study area, northern Ohio,

Along the northvvestem edge o f the Lake P la in stands the 8

to 75 fo o t high b ln f f o f g la c ia l t i l l and la cu str in e d ep osits over­

looking Lalce E rie. Against the southeastern margin r is e the flank­

ing Lalce Escarpment moraines, a se r ie s o f k n o ll- lik e forms under

100 f e e t in r e l i e f , th a t mark one o f the southern lim its o f Late

Cary ic e readvances during the waning stage o f the Wisconsin Ice

sh eet. Between th ese margins the Lalce P la in f a l l s unevenly toward

the northeast w ith an o v era ll slope of about 30 f e e t per m ile,

and terraced slop es o f 10 to 1$ f e e t per m ile . The prominent breaks

in slope represent former shores o f g la c ia l lak es th at l e f t behind

beaches and b lu f fs S to 60 f e e t high.

Carved out o f the northwestern flank o f the Lake Escarpment

moraines over the greater part o f the area, the b lu f fs o f Lake

IV hittlesey, the base o f which l i e s at an e lev a tio n o f 720 to 7W

f e e t , a tta in s i t s g rea test development o f 60 f e e t in Ashtabula

County. However, i t i s everyvdiere -well pronounced, and in cer ta in

spots presents a long -view toward the north o f the Lake P la in . ■

The top o f the b lu f f across the area i s follovred by S tate Route 8U.

As i t s height in creases toward the northeast the r e l i e f developed

on the b lu f f and moraines becomes stronger, e sp e c ia lly in Geneva

and Saybrook tovmships where Cowles and Indian Greeks and Red Brook

tra n sect them.

Between the b lu f f o f Lake VJhittlesey and th at o f Lake Erie

l i e s the lo n g itu d in a lly continuous beach and b lu f f o f Lalce Warren

(680 to 690 f e e t in e lev a tio n on the c r e s t ) . This former shore

1 0

swings toward and aray from Lalce Erie as sa lie n t forms around r e la ­

t iv e ly th ick (35 to 50 f e e t ) , extensive sand and gravel dep osits

in Madison tovmship in the southwest, and K in gsv ille and Conneaut

townships in the northeast. These s a lie n ts apparently represent

d ep osition a l forms b u i l t out in to and shaped by Lake Warren, Be­

tween th ese broad sand dep osits the Warren shore sweeps in land

to w ith in 3/U m ile o f the Lake fJh ittlesey b lu ff as i t cro sses Geneva,

Saybrook and Ashtabula townships. In th is area, from the Lalce

Warren shore toward Lake Erie in the north, a 5 to 20 fo o t th ick ­

n ess o f g la c ia l t i l l forms a broad, shelv in g , sand d e f ic ie n t , loam

covered surface. Apparently the shore o f Lalce Warren here i s p r i­

m arily an erosion a l fea tu re .

Many sm aller topogrsphic fea tu res such as dunes, sand bars

and ^ i t s dot the land surface. Hutton (19U0) mapped many such

fea tu res on the Ashtabula and Conneaut topographic quadrangles.

The bars as mapped range between 0 .3 and 0 .6 m iles in len gth , and

m aintain axes roughly p a r a lle l to the Y/arren beach. A dditionally ,

tra ces o f l e s s d is t in c t beaches occur. An example o f such i s pre­

sented by the beach o f Lake Lundy in Madison tovmsliip v/hich appar­

e n tly con tro ls the w ester ly course o f Chapel Creek (Camey, 1919).

The Lake Erie shore o f the study area fea tu res throughout

most o f i t s length a wave-eroded b lu f f , broken by the gaps o f major

and minor streams. The b lu ff ranges in height from h$ f e e t in the

southwestern one-th ird o f the area., to 8 to 17 f e e t in the middle

one-th ird , and up to 75 f e e t in northeastern one-th ird . Only the 3

1 1

major r iv e r s , and a few sm aller streams as Big Greek, CovXLes Greek,

Red Brook and Yftiitman Greek open gaps in the b lu f f exceeding 600

f e e t .

By v ir tu e o f i t s very ex isten ce the b lu ff co n stitu te s an

erosion a l form; the product o f wave-erosion, surface wash, ground­

water seepage and weathering in general. Since in general the

b lu f f i s carved out o f uncemented m ateria l, i t w astes rap id ly .

The homogeneous t i l l b lu f f s , an exceedingly rare type, r e s i s t wast­

ing b e s t th'-iiVK.i to strong conpaction by overriding g la c ie r s , and

low perm eability. At the other end, b lu ffs of la cu str in e c la y

and sand, l ik e those th a t r is e in Perry, Madison, K in gsv ille and

Gonneaut tovvnsliips, r e trea t rsp id ly under the in flu en ce of ground­

water seepage. B lu ffs of g la c ia l t i l l overlying r e la t iv e ly th ick ,

(6 f e e t or more) d ep osits o f basa l la cu str in e m aterial develop the

spectacular block slump th at a f f l i c t s the shore on both s id es of

Fairport Harbor and the shore across vrestem Geneva and eastern

Saybrook townships.

The major streams, such as the Grand, Ashtabula and Gonneaut

Rivers enter the study area from headvraters on the J^palachian

Plateau. On the other hand, the larger minor streams spring from

sources on the Lalce Escarpment moraines; and most o f the sm aller

minor streams extend headi'^ard no farth er than the beach of Lake

Warren.

The Grand River. The drainage basin o f t h is stream enconpasses

712 square m iles , which p laces i t a poor fourth in s iz e fo r Ohio

1 2

streams entering the Lake when compared v/ith the 6,^86 square m ile

drainage of the Maumee River, the la r g e s t o f the stream systems

(Ohio D iv ision of Water, 19^0). The Grand River in i t ia t e s i t s

58-m ile course on the Appalachian Plateau in vrestcentral Trumbull

County to the south of Ashtabula County, I t flow s due north on

a g la c ia l d r i f t - f i l l e d v a lle y fo r about 30 m iles before turning

abruptly v/est to follovr the Lake Escarpment moraines fo r 18 m iles.

Along th is w ester ly course below H arpersfield , the r iv er flov/s a t

the bottom o f a canyonlike v a lle y cut in shale , lUO to 180 f e e t

deep. Then i t swings north through the moraine a t northern Paines­

v i l l e and continues i t s course on bedrock fo r U m iles . Beyond

the Lake Warren beach th e r iv er lea v es the shale and v/idens i t s

v a lle y on g la c ia l t i l l by a fa c to r o f 3, continues north an addi­

t io n a l 2 m iles , and then meanders w est fo r 1 1 /2 m iles to southern

F aiip ort, There i t impinges on the Chagrin shale cropping out in

i t s southern v a lle y v /a ll a t the B & 0 ra ilroad bridge 5 from here

i t swings north and en ters the Lake at Fairport a fter another m ile.

Sweeping southv/esterly from Fairport in a great crescen t,

opening toward the northvrest, l i e s the Mentor Marsh, 3/U o f a m ile

wide and U 1 /2 m iles lon g . I t i s a l l th at remains o f a former

extension o f the loiver course o f the Grand River a fter the r iv er

v a lle y had been in ter sec te d by b lu f f r e trea t a t Fairport,

The Grand River i s in process o f recovering i t s ov/n ancient

v a lle y , and perhaps others, from the g la c ia l debris f i l l i n g i t .

However th is exhumation lack s system, fo r in i t s downcutting, the

13

r iv er missed segments o f the former v a lle y . Accordingly, certa in

len gth s o f i t s v a lle y -which are conparatively narrow are in te ip reted

as newly carved v a lle y . Other length s are broader, r e f le c t in g

the presence o f the an cestra l v a lle y . This rela tio n sh ip was ob­

served by Camey (1908-1917 ) fo r the b ig meander be-bween the ceme­

te r y and infirm ary ea st o f -the C ity o f P a in e sv ille (Perry topographic

quadrangle) a There, on a northbound course, the r iv er emerges from

a narro\Y "V" gorge in bedrock, and sweeps out the meander in a

fla -t-flo o red v a lle y -tavice as wide. Subsequent d r il l in g ju s t ea st

o f the cemetery shovrs th a t the bedrock surface l i e s at le a s t 8$

f e e t below the ground surface; i . e , , a t an e leva tion below 600

f e e t . Thus -vlr-fcually the en tire northeastern v a lle y -w a ll a t th is

s i t e c o n s is ts o f u n lith if ie d m aterial f i l l i n g an o ld v a lle y .

The Ashtabula River. P ossessing only 136 square m iles of

drainage basin and 32 m iles o f length , the Ashtabula River i s the

sm allest o f the three major s-breams in the study area. I t r is e s

in vfestem Pennsylvania and flovrs -wes-bward as the Ashtabula Creek

to K e llo g g sv ille in western Monroe township, of Ashtabula County.

There i t i s jo ined by the West Branch flow ing from the south, vdience

i t continues -west, then north, and vrest again on a Zig-Zag course

in to the c i t y o f Ashtabula, through which the stream flow s north

to the lake.

For most o f i t s course from Lalce Erie to a po in t bet-ween Cage-

v i l l e and K e llo g g sv ille , the r iv er has flu sh ed i t s an cestra l v a lle y

Ik

free o f g la c ia l f i l l . Farther upstream, however, the bedrock v a lle y

continues below the f i l l m ateria l.

The exposed bedrock v a lle y carved out o f the Chagrin shale

i s steep -w alled and f la t - f lo o r e d . I t s serai-angular areal pattern

seems to be a t le a s t p a r t ia l ly jo in t con tro lled ,

V/hereas the Grand River crosses the Lake Escarpment v/ith a

gradient o f 5 .5 f e e t per m ile below a w ester ly gradient o f 2 ,5

f e e t per m ile , the Ashtabula River tumbles onto the Lake P lain

at a ra te o f 20 f e e t per m ile, a fter m aintaining an upvalley west­

e r ly gradient to G ageville o f 10 f e e t per m ile. Upstream, beyond

Cagev i l l e to K e llo g g sv ille the gradient on the v a lle y f i l l decreases

to 5 f e e t per m ile.

Three fa c to r s apparently ex erc ise great in fluence on the magni­

tude of the stream gradient, e sp e c ia lly in terms o f i t s upstream

f la tte n in g : ( l ) g la c ia l v a lle y f i l l , ( 2) bedrock a tt itu d e , and

(3) n et lowering o f base le v e l . Just downstream from K e llo g g sv ille ,

the stream has developed a broad mature v a lle y on the g la c ia l f i l l

because th is m ateria l i s rea d ily eroded and reworked. Thus what­

ever base le v e l i s imposed downstream, th is upstream portion fin d s

no d i f f ic u l t y in keeping adjusted to i t . The next v a lle y segment

downstream fo llo w s the strilce o f the bedrock from G ageville to the

lo c a l i t y where the r iv er turns north to cross the Lake Escarpment

as a consequent stream. I t s r e la t iv e ly low gradient probably re­

f l e c t s the regimen of a higher base le v e l , or, s ince the stream

i s flow ing along the s tr ik e o f the beds, greater res is ta n ce to

IS

dovmcutting i s o ffered along t h is segment than in the consequent

portion immediately dovmstreara. The th ird segment, represented

by the passage o f the stream across the s tr ik e of the Chagrin shale

a l l the way to the southern edge of the c i t y o f Ashtabula, includes

the s i t e o f most a c tiv e downcutting and s teep est gradients. The

stream f a l l s lakeward on a p r o f i le of' abruptly steepened and f l a t ­

tened slopes th a t lead to a lovf-water expression o f an a ltern ation

o f f a l l s , a few f e e t h igh , and p o o ls o f water in the v a lle y f lo o r .

From t h is , the author p o stu la te s th a t the r iv er i s not only adjust­

ing i t s v a lle y to the current base le v e l a t Lake E rie, but th at

the g en tly sloping f l a t segments ending at the d iffe re n t f a l l s

represent e a r lie r attempts to a tta in grade ivhen the base le v e l

was higher, i . e . , when the r iv er was emptying in to the g la c ia l

forerunners o f Lake E rie.

Thus the g en tler upstream gradients are le g a c ie s o f the p a st.

On the other hand, the f a l l s or knickpoints, products o f s ta t ic

rejuvenation of the v a lle y , are moving up valley to impose the new

gradient on the older v a lle y p r o f i le s .

Above Bushnell, Ashtabula Creek i s jo in ed by three barbed

tr ib u ta r ie s , the most prominent o f y/hich occurs 1 m ile northeast

of Bushnell in cen tra l Monroe toim ship. The other tvfo l i e ju s t

ea st o f the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Presumably, the Ashtabula

v a lle y channelled in to Pennsylvania the meltwater from the Late

Cary ic e grounded on the Lake Escarpment.

16

BetvTeen the w ester ly courses o f the Ashtabula and Grand r iv er s

l i e linlcing troughs or channels now occupied by .Coffee and Center

Creeks o f Plymouth tovmship, i^ parently the streams once d irected

the flow o f the g lacier-b lock ed Ashtabula River southwesterly in to

the Grand River, which then e ith e r transferred the outflow south-

vrest in to the Chagrin-Cuyahoga drainage system flow ing south, or

due south in to the drainage system o f the Ohio River (L everett,

1902, PI. I I ) .

Conneaut River. This r iv er drains an area o f 192 square m iles,

th ree-fourth s o f which l i e s in Pennsylvania. I t en ters Ohio on

a w est by southwest bearing, and ju s t e a st o f K in gsv ille turns

toward the northeast, and em pties in to the lake a t Conneaut a fter

meandering across the Lake P la in in an entrenched v a lle y fo r 13

m iles. The Conneaut River lack s the deep spectacular gorge o f

e ith er the Grand or Ashtabula r iv er s , but l ik e them has i t s lower

course carved in to the Chagrin shale. East o f Famham and in to

Pennsylvania the r iv er flow s on g la c ia l t i l l . The bedrock v a lle y

s t i l l contains a great deal o f alluvium which was probably in tro ­

duced at the time o f the higher g la c ia l lalces.

Minor streams. Cowles Creek, the la r g e s t o. .he minor streams,

drains an area o f 23 square m iles (House Doc. 31p1> p . l 5 ) . Tlae

stream r is e s on the Lake Escarpment moraines, and flow s in a v a lle y

of g la c ia l t i l l to Geneva, where i t enters upon the sh a le . Thence

northv/ard to the lake i t flow s in a 20 fo o t deep bedrock gorge which

opens out in to a broad drowned v a lle y about 1 m ile from the lalce.

17

At Lake E rie, the stream once meandered p a r a lle l to the shore for

1,800 f e e t before emptying in to the lak e. However, in te r c is io n

by the retrea tin g shore has l e f t th is lower p ortion stranded as

a swanp, 6^0 f e e t m de (F ig . 3 ) . Beneath the sv/amp l i e s the bottom

of the bedrock v a lle y , a t le a s t 18 f e e t below the lake le v e l , 373

f e e t in e lev a tio n .

Both Wheeler and Big (Areola) creeks, the tiTO neighbors of

Cowles Creek to the southvrest in Geneva and Madison to\>mships

r esp ec tiv e ly , are a lso carved in to bedrock and ex h ib it droymed

mouths. The submerged v a lle y bottom of Big Creek l i e s a t an e le ­

vation o f 361 f e e t or about 12 f e e t below lake le v e l of 373 f e e t .

The e lev a tio n o f the drowned v a lle y of Wheeler Creek was not de­

termined,

Indian Creek and Red Brook to the w est in Geneva and Saybrook

townships r e sp ec tiv e ly , have eroded out broad mature v a lle y s in

the g la c ia l t i l l . The Indian Creek v a lle y opens in to the Lake

about 3 f e e t below lalce le v e l o f 373 f e e t . Red Brook lik ew ise

has a drovmed mouth, s in ce i t s v a lle y f lo o r at the lake l i e s 12

f e e t below the lake le v e l . Also sim ilar in development and topo­

graphic age, Whitman and Turkey Creeks o f Ashtabula and Conneaut

tov/nslTdps r esp e c tiv e ly , empty in to the lake at approximately lake

le v e l .

Thus the lower v a lle y s o f th ese seven streams are ty p ica ll y

mature, and revea l f l a t f lo o r s , v a lle y widths th at exceed the

18

meander b e lt widths by severa l tim es, meander scars and terra ces .

Likewise a l l o f th ese streams orig in ate on the Lake Escarpment

moraines.

Most o f the sm all minor streams spring from the Lake Warren

beach ridge. Their v a lle y s w ith in one-half m ile o f the Erie b lu ff

ex h ib it a "V" sh ^ ed b a sa l v a lle y in c ised in to a broader, f l a t -

floored v a lle y , of which only remnants may p e r s is t as terraces.

These f la t - f lo o r e d v a lle y s where f u l ly preserved d isp lay , in mini­

ature, the sign s o f f u l l m aturity, including meander c u t-o ffs ,

oxbovf la k es , s c r o lls and scalloped w a lls ,

Blackmore Creek, loca ted in northwestern Perry tovmship,

ty p if ie s t l i is category o f streams at th e ir f u l l development. I t

has carved i t s higher mature v a lle y from the rea d ily eroded lacu s­

tr in e c la y , s i l t and sand, a u n it 17 f e e t th ick , overlying the

more r e s is ta n t t i l l . The inner "V" v a lle y i s eroded in to the sub­

jacent g la c ia l t i l l , and has a w e ll developed system of entrenched

sigmoid meanders in h er ited from the higher v a lley . The higher

or mature v a lle y ends abruptly a t the b lu ff , about 23 f e e t above

the lake (373 f e e t ) , and i s 300 to f e e t wide. The inner "V"

v a lle y f a l l s to la k e - le v e l across a narrow zone of increased gradi­

ent or upvalley migrating knickpoint,

Apparently when the Lake-Plain was f i r s t exposed and the stream

estab lish ed thereon, a broad, mature v a lle y was swept out rather

early . This ivould have been p o ss ib le because the la cu str in e m aterial

i s rea d ily removed, and the r e s is ta n t t i l l member o f the b lu f f .

19

some ZS to. 30 f e e t high, might have acted as a temporary base le v e l

over which the stream f e l l , With the passage of tim e, the t i l l

member o f the b lu f f was notched to the le v e l o f the lak e . However,

the e f f e c t o f the f a l l in g base le v e l was communicated upstream

more slow ly by means o f the knickpoints. Thus today, the la s t

800 f e e t o f the inner v a lle y len gth , i . e . , the p r o f ile below the

k n ic lg o in t, has a gradient about 10 tim es greater than th at fa r ­

ther upstream.

The constant r e trea t o f the b lu ff under pressure of vrave attack

a lso serves to e:q)edite development o f the inner v a lle y , since the

gradient o f the stream from source to lake i s e f f e c t iv e ly steepened

(assuming th at lake le v e l s have remained vriLthin a certa in constant

range).

In the study area th ese v a lle y - in -v a lle y forms are found where­

ver the arrangement of l i t h o lo g ie types in the b lu ff at Blackmore

Greek, i . e . , 10 to 20 f e e t o f la cu str in e m ateria l on a sim ilar th ick ­

ness o f t i l l , i s du plicated . A ll streams d issec tin g the b lu ff in

Perry township maintain t h is type of v a lle y , as does Red Brook of

Saybrook township (F ig , S ).

Chapel Creek of Madison tovmship i s the only member o f the

larger minor streams th a t flow s w est in to the lak e . In fa c t , i t s

course runs d ir e c t ly a t r ig h t angles to Big (Areola) Creek, i t s

neighbor to the ea st in eastern Madison tovmship. Flovdng through

a plush carpet o f sand, 30 to I4.0 f e e t th ick . Chapel Creek has

developed a r e la t iv e ly broad v a lle y in i t s middle course, and i s

20

now eroding the underlying la cu str in e c la y member. I t s tr ib u ta r ie s

fo llo w the normal northerly d irectio n of drainage from the Lake

Tfarren beach i*idge. At Lalce Erie over 1,600 f e e t o f v a lle y - le n ^ h

has been lo s t by the encroachment o f the ]ake in to the lo n g itu d in a l

ax is of the v a lle y .

Camey (unpublished n otes, 1908-1917) has hypothesized th at

the stream flow s w est because of the b arr ier e f f e c t exercised by

the beach o f Lake Lundy. The author concurs.

Geomorphology o f the Bedrock Surfaced

The surface o f the bedrock r is e s from the bottom o f the lake,

at an e lev a tio n o f at le a s t ^00 f e e t (U .S.L .S . Chart 314-) on a long,

uneven, concave slope under the Lalce P lain to the Appalachian Escarp­

ment at 870 f e e t . Offshore, between the Conneaut River and TJhitman

Creek in eastern Ashtabula County, the portion o f the slope under

Lake Erie r is e s shoreward at the rate o f 28 f e e t per m ile . Beneath

the Lake P la in th is rate in creases to an o v e ra ll UU f e e t per m ile,

then steepens on the Lake Escarpment between the Ashtabula and

Conneaut Rivers to iLO f e e t per m ile. At Geneva township in the

middle o f the stuc^ area, the offshore slope remains at 28 f e e t

per m ile; but the slope under the Lake P lain and on the Escarpment

f a l l s o f f to 18 and I4.O f e e t per m ile resp e c tiv e ly . Farther south-

westward in to Perry, P a in e sv ille and Mentor tovmships, the pattern s

*See P la tes VII to X fo r bedrock surface contour map.

21

iSï:Fig. 2. Cowles Greek, Vievr toward the north east, and up aban­

doned drovmed channel. Stream noiv flovra to the lake on a northerly course along the b lu f f vri.th the vdiite co ttages in the fa r background. The lake l i e s a t the end o f the wooded l in e at l e f t center-, Y/idth across v a lle y - 6^0 f e e t . Date- Aug, 1956,

22

F ig . 3. View up the v a lle y o f Big (Areola) Creek tovrard the south. Beach l i e s in foreground, Water- vray sho\m i s about 100 f e e t wide, Vfidth o f swanç> f i l l e d v a lle y = 1;00 to 300 f e e t .

23

Fig. h» View down the v a lle y o f Blackmore Creek toward the north. Lake Erie l i e s in the cen tra l back­ground, L ?erve broad f la t - f lo o r e d v a lle y o f the creek as developed on the t i l l . Stream i s now in c ised below. Meander-scars are v is ib le in the middle fore­ground, Aug. 19S6,

2k

Fig. 5. Looking southvTest along Lake Erie toward Red Brook, Saybrook tovmship. Stream enters the lake at the long j e t t y . Long low b lu f f leading to the j e t t y in the fa r fore­ground represents bench developed by the stream on the t i l l surface. L ake-level - about 573 f e e t . Aug» 1956.

2g

of numerous buried channels and erosion a l highs assoc ia ted vd.th

ancestral streams o f the Grand-Chagrin River system and outwash

courses o f many g la c ie r s , describe a coirplicated surface, the e f fe c ­

t iv e reso lu tio n and in te ip r e ta t io n o f vrhich l i e someivhat beyond

the author's data.

Several d r i f t - f i l l e d v a lle y s , not now occupied by major streams,

are buried beneath the unconsolidated d ep o sits . The Austinburg

v a lle y o f the an cestra l Grand River, and the K irtland v a lle y be­

tween the East Branch o f the Chagrin River and the Mentor Lagoon,

conç)rise the la r g e s t tvro.

The Austinburg v a lle y opens on the bedrock surface o f the

Lake P la in beneath the Lake "Whittlesey b lu f f in southwestern Say­

brook tovmsliip. I t rep resen ts the northern extension o f the north-

south buried v a lle y of the Grand River, over which the present r iv er

flovra before turning vrest a t M echanicsville, A transverse cro ss-

sec tio n a l vievr, looking tovrards the north, rev ea ls th a t the slope

of the w est w a ll o f the v a lle y r is e s a t a ra te o f only 60 f e e t

per m ile , or l e s s than one degree. On the other hand, the ea st

vrall has a slope o f 280 f e e t per m ile, or roughly 3 degrees, which

makes i t four tim es steep er than the vrest s lop e, although s t i l l

r e la t iv e ly g en tle . On the vdiole, the p ortion o f the v a lle y m^ped

i s about 6 m iles wide across the top , and about 260 f e e t deep,

w ith a bottom e lev a tio n o f around 600 f e e t (P late I I ) ,

The K irtland v a lle y extends due south from the southvrest end

o f the Mentor Marsh to the Lalce-Geauga county l in e , where i t runs

26

under the v a lle y o f the East Branch of the Chagrin R iver, There

the buried v a lle y l i e s on the northeast side o f the r iv e r and heads

southeastward. The e lev a tio n o f the bottom o f the v a lle y ranges

from 5lO f e e t at the lake to I4OO fe e t in the south o f the study

area, i^ parently , drainage through the v a lle y was a t one time

m ostly toward the north in to the loiyer course o f an an cestra l Grand

River. Horrever, when the g la c ie r s h a lted on the Lake Escarpment,

or fa rth er to the north on the Lake P la in , the v a l le y 's gradient

was Epparently reversed by southerly draining meltiTater th at flowed

in to the Chagrin-Cuyahoga River sj’'stem. The older n orth erly p r o f ile

of the v a lle y under the Lake P lain i s r e la t iv e ly f l a t ; whereas

the in c ise d younger p r o f i le in southern Mentor tovmship in creases

southward to a gradient f e e t per m ile.

Buried v a lle y s o f the three major streams extend in to the

offshore area, but these were not in v estig a ted by the author.

However, R. H artley (personal communication, 19^9) rep orts the

presence of a buried v a lle y o f the Ashtabula River a t an e leva tion

of f e e t , or 68 f e e t belovf the le v e l of the lalce at 573 f e e t ,

and about one m ile offshore at the East Breakwater navigation al

l ig h t o f the harbor.

Very l i t t l e o f the subaqueous bedrock slope, lin k in g the shore

w ith the nearly f l a t bed of the lake, i s covered by sediments, vnLth

the exception o f the area o f f Mentor and P a in e sv ille townships

where extensive sand and gravel deposits are spread outvfard from

the shore and over the bottom of the la k e . An even larger area

27

o f sim ilar d ep osits covers the lalce-bottom o f f the Conneaut River,

but apparently ends a t the fo o t o f the subaqueous bedrock slope

about one m ile offshore as sho\vn in Fig. 6 (H artley and Verber,

unpublished map. 19$9)»

The con tro l on drainage pattern s exercised by bedrock stru ct­

ures has not been s p e c if ic a l ly studied; hojvever, inform ation ob­

ta in ed from reconnaissance up the Ashtabula River strongly suggests

th a t the tr ib u ta r ie s and part o f the major stream i t s e l f are stru ct­

u r a lly con tro lled (F ig s, 7, 8 and 9 ) . These observations confirm

the conclusions of Hutton (19U0) who made a system atic study o f

jo in ts found in the v a lle y s o f the Conneaut and Ashtabula r iv e r s .

The author a lso sav/ many minor f a u lt s and fo ld s , e sp e c ia lly in the

north-south stre tch o f the Ashtabula River in Plymouth tovmship,

where he counted nine fa u lt s and two a n t ic l in e s in the two-m ile

segment o f v a lle y between Dewey Road and S tate Route 83. A ll fa u lt s

die out in the v a lle y w a ll a t a h eigh t o f 6 to 7 f e e t , and most

o f them occur in the f lo o r o f the v a lle y , or in the bench, k to

10 f e e t above the f lo o r o f the v a lle y .

Folds as i l lu s t r a t e d by F ig. 10 are p resen t along the shore

of the lalce as vrell as in the v a lle y s o f the larger streams.

lO

TOC « /XV fu L.

A. M O

u A V

^ Roc^

P R a»s-t R . p H A « T 1- E Y k, j- A. VER.6ER. ,'959 . v.>k»Po6-o map»,Ot 'O O'V-. SHotE’E C o S . c j t j , C o liuwQ O S, O

F ig , 6 . Generalized map o f bottom deposits o f Lake E rie , between F airport, Ohio, and the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

29

P late I , F ig . 7, F ig , 8, Hanging tr ib u tary of the Ashtabula River in the northeastern com er of S h effie ld tvç>.

F ig . 7 - View toward the southwest p a r a lle l to the course o f the Ashtabula. Stream malces sharp turn to the iy.ght below the f a l l s , i . e . , toward the northwest.

F ig . 8 - View a t base o f f a l l s . Stream turns toward the observer.

30

Fig, 9 . Vievr dormstream from the upper f a l l s shovm in F ig. 8. Stream plunges over a second f a l l s before entering the v a lle y of the Ashtabula in the s u n lit area of the back­ground.

31

F ig , 10, Small a n t ic lin e on bench in the v a lle y o f the Ashtabula River, ÿ)0 f e e t south o f the Dewey Road covered bridge, Plymouth twp. Axis surface o f f a u lt extends in to a jo in t on the v a lle y f lo o r ivith bearing N ^0° W, 19^7,

GENERAL STRATIGRAPHÏ OF THE AREA

Stratigraphy o f the Bedrock

V irtu a lly the en tire shoreline of northern Ohio, ivith the

exception of the southwestern end, has been carved out o f Upper

Devonian rock dipping south -sou theasterly in to the J^palachian

B asin . At i t s southv'restem end, the lake inp inges on the Findlay

arch or platform o f u p lif te d Middle and Lower Devonian and Upper

and Middle S ilu r ian rocks (F ig , 11 ),

In the study area only the Upper Devonian Chagrin shale crops

out. An exposure o f i t , severa l hundred f e e t lon g , i s found along

the shore of Lake Erie in cen tra l Ashtabula township, where i t r is e s

a few f e e t above the le v e l o f the lak e . Inland, i t forms the steep

w a lls o f the major and some minor stream v a lle y s as p rev iou sly

discussed . The formation c o n s is ts o f a b lue-gray to dark gi*ay

s i l t y sh ale , which lo c a l ly inclu d es large calcareous concretion s.

Also included in the formation are th in , r e s is ta n t beds of sandy

s i l t s to n e s (F ig , 12 ), According to Pepper, DeWitt and Demarest

(19 U> p . 17)f th ese s i l t s to n e s increase in th ick ness and number

toward the e a st , so th at zones up to ^ f e e t th ick o f in terca la ted

massive s i l t s to n e s and th in gray sh a les, separated by th ick er zones

of r e la t iv e ly pure sh a les, develop.

The Chagrin shale i s regarded as the eastern fa c ie s o f the

Huron and Cleveland sh a les, two b lack shale form ations d i f f i c u l t ly

32

33

d istin gu ish ab le one from the other (Table l ) . All three formations

are members o f the Ohio sh a le . The Chagrin shale th ickens ea st­

ward at the expense o f the overlying tongue o f Cleveland shale

which th in s out in P a in e sv ille tovmship, Hovrever, the underlying

Huron member th in s l e s s , and continues across northern Ohio below

the le v e l o f Lalce E rie. In Concord township, ju s t south o f Paines­

v i l l e tovmship, l i th o lo g ie lo g s show a thiclcness o f 900 f e e t fo r

the Chagrin shale and 600 f e e t fo r the Huron, but only 12 f e e t for

the Cleveland, Farther e a st , near Pennsylvania, the Chagrin shale

a tta in s a maximum th ick ness o f 1 ,200 f e e t .

Tsble I . Generalized ta b le o f formations in northeastern Ohio (from Pepper, DeWitt, J r ., and Demarest, 19SL, p . 10 ).

Period and Epoch

Rock U nits

M eadville shaleCuyahoga S h arpsville sandstone

LOVTOR Group O rangeville shaleMISSISSIPPI# Sunbury shale

Berea sandstoneBedford shale

Cleveland memberUPPER Ohio ChagrinDEVONI# shale shale

Huron member

(KE-rTLfjV.ool '

Fig* U Geologic map o f the Lake Erie reg ion .

U)•p-

35

Fig. 12, Chagrin shale exposed in the v a lle y o f the Ashtabula River. Location; Eastern Plymouth to^rnship, about 1 ,^ 0 f e e t north of the State Route 83 bridge.Aug. 1957.

36

Stratigraphy o f the S u r f ic ia l D eposits#

G lacia l T i l l . In broad topographic terms the g la c ia l t i l l

assumes both the lin ea r to cu rv ilin ear landforms ty p ic a l o f termi­

n a l moraines, and the ex ten sive subdued surfaces a ssocia ted vri.th

ground moraines. The Lake Escaipment moraines (F ig , 13) p o ss ib ly

represent the marginal d ep osits o f the l a s t major readvance or

p e r h ^ s recess io n a l pause o f the Late Wisconsin ic e -sh e e t in the

study area.

On the other hand, the t i l l sh eets form the most vn.despread

stratigrap h ie member of the d ep osits superjacent to the Chagrin

shale; although th is statement, i s q u a lified by the fa c t th a t b asa l

gravels and sand up to 18 f e e t th ick o ften un d erlie the t i l l .

Along the shore the t i l l , u su a lly made up of tvio la y ers herein

c a lle d the %per T i l l and Lower T i l l , p resen ts an unbroken fron t

th a t ranges from a maximum th ick ness o f some 6S f e e t (ex c lu siv e

of 6 to 10 f e e t of in te r s tr a t if ie d la cu str in e d ep osits) in Paines-

v j.lle tovmship, to a low o f 10 f e e t in Madison tovmship. North­

eastward in to Geneva township and beyond, th is th ick n ess again

in creases, f lu ctu a tin g between 2$ and ^0 f e e t according to the

presence and extent o f the la te r a l ly discontinuous in t e r s tr a t if ie d

la cu str in e beds.

Inland from the shore of Lake Erie in Lake County, the t i l l

th ickens u n t i l i t has passed beyond the Lake Warren beach and then

■JtLithologic sec tio n s l i s t e d in the te x t are described under Appendix.

37

5 U N ^ r v i \ T , - o - „c | o O ft o

f“ — 'E: X P U A T I O t- I|x x I L.<®>k ET B E U 1 >

(ô"T| ÙA rE CA.R'r ExJt> l\/ioR«\\SE^ u t. t. / A ^ 1 |A a | U ^ t E C A R ' r G R o o k i D

o_o I ^ MoRAITsJEI & O U T'vV ASHO o [o o "P

A I A * I ' * O ^ • I^ , (r oM G W. WHITE"» 19 5 3 .

F ig. 13, Geologic Map shov/ing g la c ia l d ep osits o f Northeastern Ohio.

38

proceeds to th in as the Lake Ti’/h it t le s e y b lu f f i s approached. Thus

in P a in e sv ille to\’mship, "whereas a thiclcness o f 6$ f e e t i s recorded

at the shore o f the lalce, only 6 f e e t o f th is thiclcness remains

at a p o in t one m ile south o f the Lalce T /h ittlesey ridge against the

Grand River v a lle y . Again, th is statement i s q u a lified by the

presence o f d r if" t-f illed v a lle y s in the "vicinity of the Grand River,

In Perry township, the thiclcness o f the t i l l , 3S f e e t a t the lake,

in creases to 73 f e e t under the Lake T/arren rid ge, but th in s to near

zero a t the town o f Perry, about one-quarter m ile north o f the

Lake IVhittlesey r id ge, Madison tovmship rev ea ls a sim ilar r e la t io n ­

ship as shown by the cro ss -se c tio n of,. Figure 17,

On the other hand, the o v era ll bedrock surface o f Ashtabula

County in the area "west o f K in gsv ille tovmship and north o f the

Lake Warren ridge, i s more th in ly covered w ith t i l l than sim ilar

areas in eastern Lake County, This mantle i s th in n est in Geneva

and Ashtabula tov"mslvips, vfhere only 3 to U f e e t and 10 f e e t respec­

t iv e ly are reg istered , and th ick est in Saybrook tovmsliip, vdiere

19 f e e t are recorded. However, immediately south o f the r id ges

o f Lakes Warren and Y ftiittlesey, the t i l l th ickens to form m odified

benches facin g the north. From the foregoing, the author postu­

la t e s th at the waves of Lakes Warren and Arkona-V/hittlesey had

cut away much of the t i l l on the Lake P la in , and had l e f t th ese

benches as erosion a l forms (F igs, lU and l 3 ) .

In general, the t o t a l th ick ness o f the t i l l on the Lake Escarp­

ment exceeds th at on the Lake P la in , These moraines were examined

39

at severa l lo c a l i t i e s by Read (1873, p . ^16-17), who recorded the

presence o f two t i l l s in the Lake Escaipment moraines as reproduced

below. The sec tio n was measured in the lo c a l i t y where the Ashta­

bula River in te r se c ts the moraines.

Top Feet

1 . Sandy lo a m ....................................................................1 - 22. Yellow c lay vd.th fragments o f shale . . . . 103 . Blue c la y w ith fragments of shale and

b o w ld ers ..................................................................... lUU. Fine sand, l o c a l ....................................................0 - 3

Coarse gravel, co a rsest at bottom . . . . 106 . Blue c lay w ith bowlders ....................... SO7. Erie shale in p lace

On the Lake Escarpment across P a in e sv ille and Perry tcnmships,

the sec tio n m aintains a th ick n ess of 96 f e e t , and c o n s is ts o f c o ­

ping and b asa l t i l l u n its , L7 and 23 f e e t r e sp ec tiv e ly , separated

by 2S f e e t o f la cu str in e or f lu v ia t i l e sand and c la y (se c t io n 6 ) .

Towards the northeast in to Madison township, the moraines th in to

70 f e e t on a r is in g bedrock contact (se c tio n 7 ) . Across Haipers-

f i e l d and Austinburg townships, the l in e o f sec tio n p a sses throu^i

the o ld north-south Austinburg v a lle y of the Grand River. Accord­

in g ly , the sec tio n undergoes gradual thickening to a maximum of

2h^ f e e t a t the base o f the eastern w a ll o f th is v a lle y (P la te I I ) .

In conjunction v/ith the thickening sedimentary sec tio n across

the v a lle y , add ition al beds appear below the th ick t i l l u n its traced

from the southwest. The new u n its are described by the w e ll d r i l le r s

of the United S ta tes Amy Coips o f Engineers m ostly as s i l t y c lay

or pebbly c lay , separated one from the other by beds o f sand.

llO

w marf-G-k' s rI _

900'

TO O i t100 -

P l_ /A M A T > o r-a

5 3r&?vl PE BBl.r T'E-L. A U'3 Tl M BI R c:

Cx P

Plate I I . East to w est geo log ic cro ss -sec tio n through the Lake Escarpment moraines, H axpersfield and Saybrook townships, Ashtabula County.

llO

t v< U N - l o t J I 1 I ! . . I -

14-

100 -

A U j T l Kl B i R c:-,B ' . I K I r O V I E Y

u T r i i f qram D fvivER.U N C j f I 1 ' A . I ' T A I J CJ> R t l A F - - , I- E K C C 1 A i „ T 1 U. U. 5

MuNieerRT. a - I S refetr toE t 1 H O e O . T 1 C L O G S d e s c r i b e d v i t M O E K A P R S N I O I X A A n O P L S . V I I - X ,

C E C T I O K l I Z 0 - < 3 t v i l L E s o u t h .

500 -Tt.

:tion through the rbrook townships.

l a

They apparently occupy a p o s it io n o f onlap against the w est w a ll

of the v a lle y . The author has separated from the lo g s (se c tio n s

10, 11, 12 and 13) three ad d ition al u n its o f t i l l , p o ss ib ly Cary

in age (P la te I I ) . On the other hand, the two b asa l s i l t y c la y

u n its and the included sand in the ax is o f the v a lle y may be lacu s­

tr in e in o r ig in , i f the fa c t th at they l i e below 700 f e e t in e le ­

vation , i . e . , below the le v e l o f the higher g la c ia l la k es , can be

construed as an in d ica tio n th a t the Austinburg v a lle y was an arm

of some pre-Late Cary g la c ia l Great Lake. Unfortunately, the author

lack s the means to t e s t e ith e r p o stu la te .

The stratigraphy becomes more s im p lified ea st o f the Austin­

burg v a lle y . At lîunson H il l , Saybrook tov’mship, 90 f e e t o f t i l l

r e s t on more than 22 f e e t o f sand and gravel (se c tio n lU)'i Here

the one-m ile wide v a lle y o f Coffee Creek has been cut in to the

moraine. On the south sid e o f the d iv id e . Center Creek apparently

occupies a m o ra in e-filled bedrock v a lle y (F ig . l it ) .

Passing in to northern Jefferson tovmship, the moraine forming

the d ivide north o f the w ester ly course of the Ashtabula River,

th in s to about 23 to 30 f e e t from the 90 fo o t value o f Saybrook

township, although th ick er d ep osits are Icnown to occur in the v a lle y

of the Ashtabula at K e llo g g sv ille . N evertheless, the r e la t iv e ly

th in mantle o f t i l l on the d iv id e thickens northward to some 60

f e e t near the Lake W hittlesey b lu f f , as i l lu s tr a te d by the s t r a t i ­

graphie c ro ss -sec tio n o f Figure l3 .

U2

Eastward, between the courses of the Ashtabula and Conneaut

r iv ers , only $ to 20 f e e t o f g la c ia l t i l l covers the Lake Escarp­

ment. However, on the northern side o f the Conneaut River, the

moraines thicken to values betrreen 60 and 90 f e e t (se c tio n s l 6

and 17) .

The sp a tia l re la tio n sh ip between the t i l l on the Lake P lain

and the moraines on the Lake Escarpment i s probably b e s t delin eated

in Saybrook and Geneva townships o f Ashtabula County (F ig . l it ) .

The rather steep b lu ff o f Lake Y iliittlesey marks the norther topo­

graphic fro n t of the Lake Escarpment moraines, here UO f e e t th ick .

From the base o f the b lu f f the g la c ia l t i l l o f the Lalce P la in ex­

tends northward as a th in sh eet. N evertheless, the author traced

the t i l l sheet in to the lower part o f the Lake Escarpment moraines

in the lo c a l i t y vrhere Cowles Creek turns north through the Lake

W hittlesey b lu ff .

A s e r ie s o f k n o lls resembling kames, 20 to ^0 f e e t high , caps

the Lake T jhittlesey b lu f f in Saybrook tovmship. The author meas­

ured the fo llow ing sec tio n in a gravel p i t cut in to one of these

h illo c k s .

Section 18

Location: State Route 81)., betvreen Indian Creek and BrovmRoad, Saybrook tovmship.

Top Feet

1 . Fine sand, red-brown, s t r a t i f ie d and w e llsorted .......................... . . . . . . . . ................... 8

Ce-mtCR c r e e -k %

300 -t _ A . K E e S i ^ A R P M E N T

L A K E :•.VHITTLESe»'BLUFF

E X P U Al'J

E 3 T l l _ l _ , G l A C 1 AL­

ES] S A M D

E 3 G R A V E T L -

I O N "TOOLAKEgraesmere- -L U N D Y 6 E A C H

6 0 0 -

OVERY t y.LGQ

50 oJ1-500

F ig . 14. G eological cro ss-sec tio n B-B', Saybrook and Plymouth Townships, Ashtabula County, Ohio.

A S M T A B Ü U A R i v e p V A L l e t

CA.«aEV»L\_e’

L.AKEv v H t- rX l-E 'S E"Y B L .U F -F -u a k e :

W A R A E T MBE-ACW -800

NORTH Kl NGSViLUeL A K E T

E R I ES L U R

F E E T CxPLANAT'OM[ 5 3 T I L L , G L A C I A L .

( 2 3 S A N D

R T I G R A V E L600 '

V E R T EX A G G . 2 6 X

F ig . 15. G eological cro ss-sec tio n C-C», S h e ff ie ld and K in gsv ille Townships, Ashtabula County, Ohio.

2, Gravel and sand mixture j poorly sorted and irreg u la r ly bedded. P recise th o u ^ undulatoryb asa l contact .............................................. . . . 8

3. T i l l ; pebbly, poorly compacted s i l t y to sandyc la y (Road le v e l e leva tion : ca, 7$0 f e e t ) .......................9

“2F“

I t seems to the author th at perhaps a certa in amount o f the

Lake Escarpment moraines postdate the ty p ic a lly compacted t i l l

of the Lake P la in , vrhich in i t s turn would be co rre la tiv e w ith

lower portions of the Escarpment moraines. Units of the Lake P lain

t i l l s equivalent to the upper portion o f the Escarpment moraines

may have been removed by erosion a l a c t iv ity associated v/ith the

g la c ia l lalce s .

Since the t i l l s o f the Lake P lain underlie la cu str in e deposits

la id down in lak es Arkona and TJhittlesey, and sin ce la cu str in e beds

of Lake W hittlesey age have been dated at Cleveland, Ohio, by tech­

niques based on Carbon II4., as 13,600 + ^ 0 years before present

(Goldthwait, 19^8, p , 216), then the t i l l s and moraines would not

be any younger than th is , i , e . . Late Cary Age,

Lacustrine and F lu v ia t ile D eposits. Two extensive d ep osits

of sand and gravel occupy broad areas o f the Lake P lain in the

study area. One such d ep osit, 20' to 30 f e e t th ick , covers an 11

square m ile area of Madison tovmship of Lake County, between the

b lu ffs o f Lalce W hittlesey in the south and Lake Erie in the north.

The other deposit, about 12 square m iles in area, i s loca ted in

Ashtabula County, between North K in gsv ille in the southwest, and

the c i t y of Conneaut in the northeast. The 70 fo o t b lu f f o f Lake

U6

F ig . 16. Section through sand-capped ' moraine on State Route 8U, between Indian Creek and Brovm Road; Saybrook twp. looking south. Aug., 19^6.

k l

Erie term inates the deposit to the northwest, whereas the 60 fo o t

b lu f f o f Lake "Whittlesey overlooks i t from the southeast. Trend­

ing d iagonally across the area toward the northeast, the Conneaut

River d iv id es th is deposit in to tvro p arts; a southeastern portion ,

co n sistin g o f a th in sheet o f sand and gravel, 7 to 10 f e e t th ick

restin g on bedrock, and a northern and vrestem u n it vd.th sand more

than $0 f e e t th ick in the broad beach o f Lalce Vfarren, and 35 f e e t

th ick in the b lu ff o f Lake E rie, Unhsppily, the author has not

gathered enough subsurface data to formulate a sound reconstruction

of the h isto ry of th is reg ion al sand d ^ o s i t . However, he b e lie v e s

th at i t has undergone a development s im ilar to th at given fo r the

Madison toimship deposit below.

The Madison Tcnmship Sand D eposit, On the ■ b a s is of i t s mor­

phology, one may divide the Madison township sand dep osit in to a

southern and northern area, and u t i l i z e the ea st-w est, northerly

arched sandy b lu ff o f Lake Warren as the l in e o f demarcation. At

Haines and MacMackin Roads in the northwestern part o f the tovmship,

the sand in the Lake Warren beach a tta in s a th ickness o f 30 or

more f e e t . Away from t h is area, toward the south, ea st and w est,

the southern sand deposit th in s to l e s s than l3 f e e t . N evertheless,

a th ick ness o f 33 f e e t i s maintained over most o f i t s cen tra l area,

Isopachs drawn on the northern deposit (F ig , 17) rev ea l a

w ester ly elongated body, the eastern end o f which i s anchored to

the r is in g bedrock surface in the adjacent area o f Geneva township.

From the western end, where the sand body i s truncated by the receding

U8

b lu ff o f Lake E rie, and the sand u n it i s 3$ f e e t th ick , the dep osit

th in s p ro g ressiv ely eastward to a th ickness o f 3 f e e t . The beach

of Lake Lundy, ju s t north o f Chapel Creek, fo llo w s i t s a x is as

in ferred from the iscp ach s,

. Lacustrine clqy under the northern sand dep osits (F ig . 17)

th ickens toward the southwest to 20 f e e t . In i t s turn, the la cu s­

tr in e c la y r e s ts on g la c ia l t i l l which th ickens as the la cu str in e

c la y th in s toward the south and southeast, u n t i l i t becomes about

UO f e e t th ick under the Lake Warren beach. Thence southward the

t i l l pinches out against the r is in g bedrock surface (F ig , l 8 ) .

Concerning the source o f the sand d ep osit, the author b e lie v e s

th at g la c ia l outwash and reworked t i l l served as i t s parent m ateri­

a l, Gravel and send, up to 20 f e e t th ick , and presumably g la c ia l

outwash, are found in many of the neighboring lo c a l i t i e s underneath

the Lake Escarpment moraines. Since g la c ia l Lakes Maumee (?) ,

Arkona, and W hittlesey have benched th ese moraines, a great deal

of the b asa l sand and gravel, as w e ll as the coarse fr a c tio n of

the t i l l , must have been re leased fo r red ep osition .

Also i t i s p ostu lated th a t the source area la y to the south­

ea st fo r the fo llow in g reasons;

1) The bedrock surface slop es toward the northwest and T/est

under the northern dep osits; and la cu str in e c la y th ickens

in th a t d irectio n at the expense of the sand d ep osit,

2) The southeastvTard and eastward increase o f the bedrock

e lev a tio n brings i t to -within a few f e e t o f the topographic

U9

surface in adjacent Geneva tovmship. There the bedrock

p resen ts a broadly shelving, t il l-v e n e e r e d surface, 20

to 1|0 f e e t higher than th a t in Madison tovmship,

3) A dditionally , in Geneva township, the b lu ff o f Lake W hittle­

sey i s 20 f e e t higher than th at in Madison tovmship, which

im plies strong erosion of the t i l l and kame d ep osits found

th ere.

Thus the author concludes th a t the predominant l i t t o r a l d r i f t

of Lakes Arkona and W hittlesey was westward, and th at i t introduced

the bulk o f the sand d ep osits in to the area. Each lower lalce-stage

continued the red istr ib u tio n by bencliing the prev iou sly formed

sand d ep osit, and spreading the derived and newly introduced sed i­

ments farth er northward and northwestward over the deeper water

fa c ie s o f la cu str in e c la y . The la s t o f th ese g la c ia l lak es on the

Lake P la in , i , e , . Lake Lundy, reshaped and extended the northern

deposit along the present s i t e o f G h^el Creek in to a beach or

sp it beyond the present shore o f Lake Erie,

I t i s worthy o f note, i f the foregoing be v a lid , th a t the

l i t t o r a l d r i f t o f th ese g la c ia l lak es proceeded in a d irectio n

opposite to the predominant northeastward l i t t o r a l d r if t e x is t in g

in Lake Erie today.

F ig , 17, Isopach Map of s u r f ic ia l la cu str in e sand d ep o sits . Northern Madison Township, Lake County, o Ohio,

N N W

LAwr lake e p « e : L U N O YR l U " E b e a c hj/

LAKEvvARRENB E A C H

LAKE e s c a r p m e n tMORAINE"L A K e l a k e

VfH IT T U E S e r M A u M E E P G R A N PB L U F F B l u f f ^ ^ R iV E R

5 S E

6: :

V AUEY

C H A P E uc p e e k

B E O R

Ex plan ATI O iJE3[ g SANOFT°I G R A V E u

800

- T O O

- 50 0

50C

F ig , 18, G eological cro ss -sec tio n A-A>, Madison Township, Lake County, Ohio,

VJ«

DETAILED STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LAKE ERIE BLUFF IN THE AREA

An erosion a l fea tu re o f shore and mass masting processes, the

b lu ff o f Lalce Erie presen ts a v e r t ic a l stra tigrap h ie cro ss -sec tio n

of the Lake P la in , Two t i l l formations herein c a lle d the Upper

T i l l and Lower T i l l , lo c a l ly s^ a ra ted from each other by la cu s­

tr in e s i l t , sand and c la y , red c la y le n se s , and boulder pavements,

can be traced throughout most o f the b lu f f area, from Mentor-on-

the-Lake to the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. These u n its co n stitu te

the s a lie n t stra tigrap h ie members o f the b lu f f , except in the areas

stretch in g across eastern Perry, Madison and western Geneva tovm-

sh ip s, and across K in gsv ille and Conneaut townships, vdiere two u n its

of la cu str in e c lay and sand, up to $0 fe e t th ick , dominate th e

section .

The dark la cu str in e c la y and s i l t which o v e r lie the Upper

T i l l , may or may not grade downward in to the t i l l , Where they do,

the tr a n s it io n zone i s marked by an increase in toughness, an in ­

crease in the percentage o f c la y and pebbles, and a decrease in

the percentage o f s i l t and sand, Likerri.se, th is pattern holds

true fo r the b asa l contact o f the la cu str in e c la y and s i l t in te r ­

bedded between the t i l l s .

Y/here the la cu str in e u n it between the t i l l s i s absent from

the sec tio n , the i n t e r t i l l contact has been loca ted by other c r i­

te r ia ; such as, the presence o f boulder pavements, zones o f

S2

S 3

in ter fin g er in g or incorporation o f red, fa t ty , c la y m th pebbly,

greenish gray t i l l ; by the presence o f str in g ers and alignments

o f red la cu str in e c la y le n se s in the t i l l ; and by the p e r s is te n t

tendency of the contact to fo llo w an e lev a tio n ranging between

and S80 f e e t ; i . e . , 1 to 7 f e e t above la k e - le v e l (^73 f e e t ) .

With resp ect to the appearance of the t i l l s them selves, the

author found no sa tis fa c to r y method o f d istin gu ish in g one from

the other in the f i e ld or lab orato iy , save fo r a h igh ly subjective

in terp reta tion o f co lor d ifferen ces . The Upper T i l l appears to

be s l ig h t ly more p inkish gray than the Lower. The ex isten ce of

another older t i l l i s suggested by the le n se s o f greenish gray,

very pebbly t i l l occa sio n a lly incorporated in to the la cu str in e

c la y o f the i n t e r t i l l contact zone.

In the fo llow ing account, the b lu ff stratigraphy i s described

by townships, beginning vdth P a in esv ille in the southwest, and

proceeding northeastward. P la tes XI to XIII provide a continuous

section or fence diagram o f the stra tigrap h ie u n its .

P a in e sv ille Township

Throughout northwestern P a in e sv ille township, from the Grand

River to Bacon Road, th e b lu f f stra tigrap h ie d iv is io n s c o n s is t ,

in general, o f an upper t i l l u n it , U2 to U6 f e e t thi.ck, overlying

6 to 12 f e e t o f la cu str in e m ateria l, vdiich in turn r e s ts on the

b asa l member o f Lower T i l l . The contact on the Lov/er T i l l i s v i s i ­

b le near beach le v e l , e sp e c ia lly in the area ju s t ea st o f P a in esv ille

Tcïvmship Park. P recip itou s slop es and slurtp made d i f f ic u l t the

accurate measurement o f sec tio n s on the face o f the b lu ff in th is

area.

On the property o f the Diamond A lkali Coup any, the fo llow ing

two sec tio n s were d r il le d and described by the g eo lo g ica l s t a f f

of th at conpany, and are here presented through th e ir courtesy.

Section I

Location: Diamond A lk a li Conpany property, 1^0 f e e t southo f the b lu f f , and about 3,000 f e e t -west o f Hardy Road on the e a st sid e o f P a in e sv ille Tovmship Park.

Top (E levation: 628 f e e t ) . Feet

1. T opsoil .......................................................................................... 0 - 3

2. Yellovr c la y , pebbly (weathered t i l l ) . . . . . . . . 3 - 1 1

3. Blue c la y , pebbly (unweathered t i l l ) .......................... 11 - U6

U. Blue c la y , s o f t , no pebbles ( la c u s t r in e ) .................I4.6 - 32

3. Blue c lay , firm , pebbly ( t i l l ) ......................... 3 2 - 3 6

Section I I

Location: Diamond A lk a li Company property, 70 f e e t southof b lu f f , and 1,800 f e e t -west o f Hardy Road,

Top (E levation: 628 f e e t ) Feet

1 . Topsoil and yellovy c l a y .......................................... 0 - 1 0

2. Blue c lsy , pebbly ( t i l l ) ...................................................10 - U2

3. Blue c la y , s o f t (la cu str in e ) ...................... U 2 - 3 8

U. Blue c la y , firm (end o f h o le) ( t i l l ) . . . . . . . 38 - 62

In the length o f b lu ff between sec tio n s I and I I , la cu str in e

d ep osits appear a t the top o f the b lu f f . The m ateria l contains

lo c a l ly vrell sorted sand, but i s otherwise h igh ly pebbly, as i f

g la c ia l lake water had but poorly reworked g la c ia l d ep o sits . This

u n it i s described under Section I I I , u n it 1 , and portrayed under

ï l g . 19.

Section I I I

Location: At fo o t o f Hardy Road, on the eastern sid e o f Paines­v i l l e Tovmship Park, P a in esv ille Twp.

Top (E levation: 628 f e e t ) . Feet

1 . Gravels o f a l l s iz e s . The coarse s iz e s are rounded, irreg u la r ly layered , and c o n s is t m ostly o f sh in g le, l/U to 1 /2 inches in great diameter. Very coarse sand, granules and pebbles l i e in i l l - d e f in e d len ses at the lovrer contact. M aterial becomes soupy wiien saturated, in d ica tin g high s i l t and c la y content(F ig, 1 9 ) ........................................................................... 3 .5

2. Clay, p eb b le-free , reddish gray to brovm, fa t ty .Contain fa tty ;r e d c la y nodules and th in le n se s o f f in e gray sand and s i l t . Lower contact i s grada­tio n a l, as: in d icated by an increase dovmvrard of the pebble population, grayness and hardness, anda decrease o f th e moisture c o n te n t ...................................... 3 .0

3. T i l l , gray, very hard. Mostly s i l t y c la y . Upper 3 f e e t contain small pockets and surfaces o f sand.Lower contact i s obscured by slump. Thickness unmeasured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

U. Lacustrine c la y , sand and s i l t . Observed prim arily in the slump forms. Basal contact i s w e ll developed, and l i e s 2 to 7 f e e t above lake datum o f 373 f e e t .Contact zone in clu d es len ses o f gray-broam, fa t ty , pebble-free c la y and undulates, th ick en s, th in s and b ifu rca tes to include len ses o f t i l l . Combined th ickness o f u n its 3 and U = . . . . . ............................... U6 .0

3. T i l l , pebbly, gray, s i l t y c l a y _______________________ 2_t o t a l 3 ÏÏ3

Apparently, the lower part o f the %per T i l l intertongues

w ith , and incorporates large q u a n tities o f la cu str in e c lay and

^ 6

51g, 19, Unit at top o f Section I I I and U f e e t th ick , I4.OO f e e t north east o f P a in e sv ille Tvjp, Park, The small rounded cobbles embedded in the c layey m atrix are p art o f an eastward decrease in s iz e o f the co n stitu en ts . About 1,000 f e e t to the southwest, the cobbles become boulders, and the sand percentage o f the m atrix in crea ses. Farther to the NE, the u n it grades in to f in e , w e ll sorted sand, Aug. 19^6,

$1

sand. Thus the b asa l contact cannot be properly delim ited . This

heterogeneity o f lith o lo g y i s b e liev ed to f a c i l i t a t e displacement

o f the Upper T i l l member, because o f the greater perm eability and

p la s t ic i t y o f the la cu str in e member. Slumping occurs throughout

the area as fa r northeast as Bacon Road, and i s described under

the Chapter dealing vrith "Mass Movement,"

Units 1 and 2 of Section I I I continue northeastvrard fo r 3,600

f e e t . Unit 1 thickens to 6 f e e t , and the s iz e fra c tio n s decrease

in to small pebbles in a m atrix o f s i l t and c lay . Unit 2 thickens

to it f e e t , and revea ls s l ig h t lam inations. T i l l remains the s a l i ­

ent member o f the b lu f f .

At Bacon Road, both u n its 1 and '2 have pinched out, leaving

the b lu ff a l l t i l l . The stretch o f b lu ff across the property of

In d u stria l Rayon iTas not in v estig a ted .

Perry Tormsliip

Northeastward across Perry township, the upper contact on the

t i l l undergoes a gen tle but constant decrease in e leva tion ( i . e . ,

from $9$ to 380 f e e t , over a d istance o f 23,000 f e e t ) on which

the la cu str in e d ep osits correspondingly expand in th ick ness. Both

Upper and Lower t i l l s remain in evidence on a lo c a l ly bold in ter ­

t i l l contact, th at fo llo w s a le v e l o f 373 to 37S f e e t , and wliich

becomes s tr ik in g ly d is t in c t in the southwestern part o f the area

by the presence o f boulder pavements. Two la cu str in e beds o v er lie

the Upper T il l ; an upper sandy u n it , and a lower clayey member. The

^ 8

upper u n it even tu a lly dominates the lith o lo g y in the northeastern

b lu ff area.

Section IV (F ig . 20)

Location: About 3,000 f e e t northeast o f the P a in esv ille -P errytcnvnship l in e , and 1,600 f e e t southwest o f Black- more Road.

Top (E levation: 620 f e e t ) Feet

1 . Clay; b u ff, s i l t y , p eb b le-free . Becomes laminated 3 f e e t from the top , and grades downward in to gray laminated c la y , s i l t and sand. Basal contact zone inclu des small (feiT inches long) surfaces o f redc l a y .............................. 18

2. T i l l . Pebbly, s i l t y c la y . Basal contact zone i s1 to 3 f e e t th ick , and 1 to f e e t above the beach . 22

3. T i l l . Like u n it 2 ....................................................................... 3u -

Section I I I remains c h a ra c ter is tic o f the b lu f f toward Black-

more Road, Y/ith the exception th a t the upper 3 f e e t o f u n it 1,

becomes d istin gu ish ab le as a separate u n it , which fa rth er to the

northeast develops as the sand member capping the b lu f f .

The contact zone between the t i l l s was traced from a p o in t

1, 200 f e e t southwest o f Blackmore Road to a p o in t 300 f e e t south-

vrest o f the second creek northeast o f Blackmore, fo r a b lu f f d is ­

tance o f 3,800 f e e t . This zone gen tly undulates between the e le ­

vation o f 573 and 578 f e e t . Strongly contorted, red-m ottled, pebbly,

and p ebb le-free c la y and sand characterize the m ateria l o f th is

zone. This m aterial strongly resembles the b asa l d ep o sits o f the

la cu str in e beds th at cover the t i l l in th is area and elseYdiere. The

red ^ o t s in the c la y c o n s is t o f small hem atitic p eb b le-size c la y bodies.

Fig. 20. B lu ff . S ite o f Section IV, 1,600 Northeast of Blackmore Road in the ‘background ( s i t e o f low b lu f f ) . Section c o n s is ts o f la cu str in e sand, s i l t and clay on t i l l . Dark seepage zone tra ces the upper contact on the t i l l member. Height o f b lu ff z k3 f e e t . Lake le v e l-P 573.5 f e e t . Aug. 1955.

60

About 700 f e e t southvæst o f Blackmore Road, gray-red, fa t ty ,

p eb b le-free c la y forms the m aterial in the contact zone (F ig . 21),

Northeast o f Blackmore Road, about 7 ^ f e e t , the zone irvidens and

th in s , l ik e boudinage, around U to 5 f e e t o f contorted la cu str in e

sand, s i l t and c la y (F ig , 22), S t i l l farth er to the northeast,

about 1,100 f e e t from Blaclmore Road, the zone th in s , but i s c le a r ly

demarcated by a boulder pavement (F ig , 23) made up o f f la t - ly in g

sandstone slabs ivith a few rounded igneous stones. Beyond th is

l a s t area, the contact zone th in s to a fevr inches, but includes

pockets o f very gra v elly , greenish gray t i l l , before fading or

becoming lo s t a l l togeth er.

Along the length o f th is p a rticu lar shore, the b lu f f f a i l s

by near v e r t ic a l sh earin g-off o f the massive t i l l , caused by wave-

undermining in general, and the scooping out o f the la cu str in e

m aterial o f the contact zone in p a rticu la r (F ig , 22),

Section V

Location: On property o f the Roosevelt Cairp fo r boys nearthe w est boundary; and 1,1^0 f e e t SIT o f Perry Park Road, and 2 ,830 f e e t KE o f Blackmore Road,

Top (E levation: 617 fe e t ) Feet

1, S i l t , b u ff, contacted. Cut by la te r a l and oblique lim onite-encrusted fra c tu res , 6

2, Mixture o f s i l t , sand and clay; gray. Uppermost U f e e t include b lue-gray, p ebb le-free c la y , th a t in te r ­tongues la t e r a l ly v/ith brown interbedded sand and c la y , Dovmward fo r 10 more f e e t d is to r ted pockets and small le n se s o f sand, an inch to several inches long, ^ p ea r throughout the f a t ty c la y . Lateral gradations in to laminated sand and c la y are also present.

61

Fig, 21» Contact zone at base o f Upper T i l l 800 f e e t southwest o f Blackmore Road P en y township. Zone c o n s is ts o f pebbly, lean , reddish, dark-gray s i l t y clay; peb b le-free very f in e sand, le n se s o f b lue-gray t i l l , and p eb b le-free red, fa t t y c lay . Sept. 19^6,

62

F ig . 22, Contact zone betv/een Upper and Ixnver T i l l , 7^0 f e e t northeast o f Blackmore Road, Perry t\vp. Zone th in s and 'widens around contorted bod ies o f la cu str in e sand, s i l t and c la y , up to $ f e e t th ick . View "towards the southvrest, Wave action has scooped out some o f the la cu str in e m ateria l, Aug, 19^6. Lalce le v e l = $73 f e e t .

63

F ig . 23. Boulder pavement on contact between %per and Lower T i l l s . Location - 1,100 f e e t northeast o f Blackmore Road. Aug. 19$6. Water le v e l: ^73 f e e t . Looking north­ea st . Observe wave nipping a t base o f b lu f f .

6U

Toward the base o f the u n it , the c la y becomes more reddish, denser and harder, and in clu des small (0 .1 to0 .3 in ch ), hem atitic red c lay bod ies. The sand con stitu en t disappears and rounded granules appear. 2k

3. T i l l . Very hard, dense, pebbly to bouldery. Contains long bands o f gravel and sand, 8 to 12 inches th ick , and 1,500 f e e t long. I n t e r t i l l contact unrecognized. 13

T T

In th is general lo c a l i t y , the beds o f u n it 2 o f Section V

are marked by the development o f strongly contorted forms as de­

scribed a t the end o f t h is subchapter, under the heading "Certain

deformational fea tu res in the Lacustrine D e p o sits ."

Northeastward to Section VI, the s tr a t ig r ^ h y r e ta in s the

th ree -fo ld grouping of Section V, and continues to ex h ib it the

le n tic u la r and intertonguing r e la t io n s o f u n it 2 o f th a t section .

Section VI

Location; Perry Tovmship Park, on the eastern side o f Perry Park Road, and 1,1^0 f e e t HE of sec tio n V.

Top (E levation: 6lU fe e t ) Feet

1 . Buff s i l t and f in e sand. Includes many horizon ta l surfaces o f partin g encrusted Tjith lim on ite , to give a f a in t ly bedded appearance. Lower O.S fo o t c o n s is ts o f b u ff, f in e sand. 8 .S

2. Clay; brown, f a t ty , p eb b le-free . Grades downward in to laminated brown-gray c la y and sand. Laminae are irregu lar and discontinuous. Sands are o ften bedded and le n t ic u la r . l 4 .S

3. Upper Tin. Very pebbly, s i l t y c lay; few boulders.Grades downward from u n it 2 through a tough clayey zone contain ing red c la y pebbles and a doi'mward increasin g pebble population. l 6

U. Lower T i l l . Like Upper T i l l . Contact betweent i l l s about 1 fo o t above the beach. 1

"TiO

65

According to Chieruzzi and Baker (1958, p . 99), the t i l l l i e s

on 3 f e e t o f basa l gravel, which in turn r e s ts on the shale a t an

e leva tion of 563 f e e t . Thus the Lcnver T i l l i s ac tu a lly 22 fe e t

th ick .

Unit 2 of sec tio n VI in creases to a th iclo iess o f 9 f e e t , 600

f e e t northeast of that sec tio n , and i t s sand becomes cross-bedded

and generally s tr a t if ie d .

Section VII

Location: 600 f e e t I'lE o f Parmly Road extended, or 1,800 f e e tIIS o f Perry Park Road.

Top (E levation: 6l 6 fe e t ) Feet

1 . S i l t and f in e send, b u ff. In terbedded ...................... 10

2. Sand; b u ff, and bro-;m c lay . Grade da/mward a fter U . 5 f e e t in to gray sand and c lay . The c la y content increases dor/nvTard, u n t i l a fter 13.5 f e e t , the u n it becomes a gray-brovm, s t i f f c lay , m ottled w ith red and black c la y p eb b le-size bod ies. Hie black c lay bodies when fr e sh ly broken, give o f f a fa in t marshy odor. Near the b asa l contact, small pebbles appear,and the u n it grades in to the t i l l .......................................... 19 .5

3. T i l l . Very pebbly, s i l t y c lay ..................lUÏ Ï 3 3

Several hundred f e e t to the northeast o f sec tio n VII, the

gradational contact between the lacu str in e c lay and the t i l l , y ie ld s

to one th at i s c le a r ly sharp, not only in the ph ysica l break, but

also in the change of co lor from the reddish gray o f the la cu str in e

c lay to the blue-gray of the t i l l .

Be} id th is lo c a l i t y , the b lu ff becomes obscured by vegeta tion .

Hovrever, the stratigraphie r e la t io n s seem to maintain the order

66

o f th at o f section VII to Center Road, a d istance o f U,5>00 fe e t .

This conclusion i s supported by the occasional exposures o f the

b lu ff con stitu en ts along th is is o la te d stretch .

Section VIII

Location; 2,200 f e e t NE o f in ter sec tio n of Center Road and Lockwood Road, or 600 f e e t SVf o f f i r s t creek ea st o f Center Road,

Top (E levation: 622 f e e t ) Feet

l a . Sand, poorly sorted , b u ff, pebbly. 3

lb . Sand, w e ll sorted , bedded. Sharp b asa lcontact, 9 ,5

2. Gray c la y , s i l t and sand. Laminated.Becomes more clayey vrLth depth. B asal zone contains discontinuous le n se s o f gray c lay , red c la y , s i l t and f in e sand. Basal contact i s sharp, but strongly undulatory, v/ith a r e l i e f as great as 7 f e e t both southvrest and northeast o f the sec tio n ...................... . . . . . 23

3. T i l l (beach l e v e l ) ............................................................ ll;

Section IX

Location: 3,000 f e e t e a st o f center Road, or 800f e e t northeast o f section VIII,

Top (E levation: 625 f e e t ) . Feet

la . Sand, b u ff, very f i n e ....................................................... 3

lb . Sand, interbedded, bedded and cross-bedded. Subordinate s i l t and c3a y . A ll sands, f in e to coarse, are encrusted v/ith lim o n ite . Clays and f in e s i l t s are gen era lly gray. (See below fo r d e ta iled d escr ip tio n )............................................... 7

2, Clay; gray, p eb b le-free , m oist, and s t i f f .Contains le n se s o f sand, Lov/er one-th ird

67

becomes m ottled vâth red c la y and streaked vdth f in e sand. Pebbles appear in the b asa l portion ,Tïhich becomes very hard, and grades in to the t i l l , 29

3, T i l l , Upper, pebbly to bouldery. Separated fromLower T i l l by contact zone 3 f e e t wide, 8 ,5

U, T i l l , Lovrer, gray pebbly, 2

Unit lb o f section IX bears the c h a r a c ter is t ic s o f a shallow

water deposit as in d icated by the abundance o f cross-bedding.

Unit lb (sec tio n IX) Feet

1) Sand; mixture of b u ff and gray, tra ces o f c ro ss- bedding, though genera lly nonbedded, 2

2) Sand, medium, gray and cross-bedded. Cross-beds ^ a n the e n tire th ickness o f the subunit, and dips NE about 30°. Individual laminae o f the cross-beds a tta in length s o f 2,U f e e t . Unit appears to be le n s lik e , and to have been deposited in a shallow hollow by currents (scour and f i l l ) .S ize o f sand grains become sm aller toward the north­ea st in conjunction ivith thinning o f the le n s , , , , 0 ,7

3) Five s l ig h t ly cross-bedded la y ers o f s i l t and sand , 2 ,1

U) Sand; coarse to medium, gray and rusted. Strongly cross-bedded. Upper contact c o n s is ts o f wavy, lim onite-encrusted s i l t , Tfith bedding th at fo llow s the undulation of the contact. From th is contact, cross-beds in the coarse sand dip e a ster ly on curved surfaces, th at suggest more of the scour and f i l l d ep osition a l p attern s, A dark lim onite encrusted la y er th at th ickens westward to I4. inches, forms the b asa l contact ........................................................... 1 ,0

5) Bedded s i l t s ; gray to b u f f ......................................... ..... ,1 ,57 .3

Northeast o f sec tio n IX, the contact on the Upper T i l l under­

goes a steady decline in e lev a tio n , and f a l l s to w ith in a few f e e t

o f the beach, ju st w est o f North Perry V illage Park,

6 8

Fig. 2U. View o f b lu f f ^0 f e e t high between sec tio n s VIII and IX; about 2,000 f e e t SVf o f North Perry V illa g e Park, Cavi- ta ted top u n it w ith c a v it ie s . Unit c o n s is ts o f sand, in which martins have b u i l t th e ir n e s ts . The dark zone ch aracter izes the denser and m oister laminated la cu str in e m ateria l.The l in e o f v eg eta tion d e lin ea tes the contact on the t i l l . View tovrard the vrest.

69

From a p o in t about 1,000 f e e t southwest o f the North Perry

Park to Townline Road, a t the eastern boundary o f Perry township,

no good b lu ff exposures are seen, except fo r an eroded remnant

forming the north v a lle y w a ll at the mouth of G h^ el Greek.

In the long stre tch o f shore, vegeta tion , protected by a

fr in g in g beach, conceals the b lu f f stratigraphy. Iso la ted exposures

revea l the presence o f great th ick n esses o f sand, and la cu str in e

laminated sand, s i l t and c lay , sim ilar to th at o f sec tio n IX and

sec tio n X of Madison township, and very l i t t l e g la c ia l t i l l .

Gertain Deformational Features in the Lacustrine D eposits

In the l o c a l i t i e s between sec tio n s IV and V, a d istance of

U,000 f e e t along the b lu f f o f western Perry, the la cu str in e beds

overlying the %per T i l l reveal lo c a l , in ten se deformation on a

small sca le , o f v/hich the general s i t e o f sec tio n V, about 9^0

f e e t southv/est o f Perry Park Road, provided the b e s t exposure.

These fea tu res are diagrammed and protrayed in Figures 25 to 28,

and discussed below.

The fo ld described in the diagram o f Figure 25 r e s t s on a

bed o f f in e to medium, clean , vrell sorted sand, 8 inches th ick ,

from which i t r is e s sharply in to an arch. I t s northern flan k dips

more gen tly than the southern, and bends to form a g en tle syncline,

from which the c la y beds work th e ir way in to the ta ttered ends o f

the interbedded sand and c la y of u n it 2 o f sec tio n V. Gontorted

sandy le n ses snalce southerly from the broken beds and fo llo w the

KJ

I////J Bvpoon d a y k\\\N G ray c l ay

] G ra y sand 1 Broiao sar><l_ e x AG G.NO

3

F ig . 25. Contorted forms in la cu str in e beds of u n it 2 , sec tio n V; 950 f e e t southwest of Perry Park Road. Perry Twp. Fold apparently developed by p la s t ic flowage and shear in response to d if fe r e n t ia l load ing.

o __________________ Z f t t f

N O V E R T l C ^ l - E X ^ G Q .

|;.'-'.| Gray sand. %//] B ro^o d a yIr»*l & rou jn s a n d _ l \ \N G r a y d a y

F ig , 26, About U f e e t south of F ig , 25. Piercement fo ld (d iap ir) in la cu str in e u n it o f interbedded sand and c la y . Note small sand dike a t th e southern end of the fo ld protruding frœn the underlying beds.

F ig , 27, Contorted bedding laminated, la cu str in e beds on th e west sid e of "V" cu t, 950 f e e t southwest of Perry Park Road; and immediately north of th e s i t e of F ig , 25* At the northern end where d is to r tio n i s a t maximum, the fo ld r e s t s against a m assive, dense block of s i l t y c la y , Beds of the middle section are m ildly contorted, A sim ilar a n t ic l in e , but le s s deformed than the one in the north, l i e s to the south, and i s marked the handle of th e trenching to o l a t the l e f t . This i s the fea tu re diagrammed in F ig , 25, D istance between trenching to o ls = 9 f e e t .

70

73

general curvature o f the syn clin e . On the northern flanlc o f the

a n tic lin e , the array of c lo s e ly im bricated and tvfisted miniature

len ses o f sand becomes leg io n , and assumes a be\’ri.ldering com plexity

on the apex o f the fo ld . Southward, the disorder dim inishes and

the crunpled forms stra ighten in to f l a t beds dipping southerly at

an angle o f 3 to 9 degrees, fo r a d istance of l 5 to 20 f e e t .

Most o f the d is to r tio n i s r e f le c te d by the primary c la y forms.

The disruption o f the interbeds a t the northern end o f the diagram

and the associa ted curled and waved sand str in g ers suggest the

former ex isten ce o f a d is to r tin g force , viiich was probably la rg e ly

congressional and exerted by a load. The body o f the a n t ic lin e

probably represents the s i t e o f le a s t s tr e s s in to which the p la s t ic

c la y members o f the loaded interbeds were squeezed. Involution

of the ends o f the opposing p a irs o f sandy le n se s in the lo\Ter

body o f the a n tic lin e in d ica tes ro ta tio n a l as w e ll as tra n sla tery

movement from d irectio n s both north and south. The e ig h t-in ch

sand u n it beloir, p o ss ib ly because o f a greater competency in a

confined environment, r e s is te d deformation more e f fe c t iv e ly .

About 1$ f e e t to the south o f the a n tic lin e o f Figure 2U oc­

curs th at o f Figure 2^. The f l a t but southerly dipping beds of

Figure 2k repeat on a sm aller sca le the behavior o f i t s northern

counterpart. Again, primarj’- d is to r ted forms a tta in g rea test de­

velopment on the northern flan k o f the fo ld . Sheared beds are

l e s s in evidence than those o f the more northerly neighbor; and

the a x ia l surface o f the as symétrie a l fo ld t i l t s toward the north.

7U

The penetration o f \ the brorm c la y by the upper part o f the fo ld

suggests diapirism , a behavior assoc ia ted vri.th piercement s a lt

p lu gs. Sand dikes intruded in to the southern flan k o f the fo ld

from the underlying bed in d ica te th at very l i t t l e la te r a l slippage

o f the fo ld has talcen p lace .

Both the fo ld o f Figure 25 and another 9 f e e t north o f i t ,

are shomi in Figure 26. The more northerly fo ld revea ls even greater

deformation than the fo ld o f Figure 25, and apparently grew against

the side o f a massive b lock o f dense, loamy c la y . This block in ter ­

rupts the normal h orizon ta l d is tr ib u tio n of the laminated beds o f

c la y and s i l t , and apparently had la in , on the f lo o r o f th is p a r ti­

cular lake during the period th at the laminated beds vrere deposited.

As shovm in Figure 27, another such block (on the opposite

w a ll o f the cut) had apparently a lso undergone some deformation.

Overlying sand has been in jec te d in to the upper p ortion of the block,

forming a pocket, from wliich tongues o f sand ^ la y in to the body

of the c la y . Likevase, th in la y ers o f sandy m aterial r is e along

the southern margin as i f in response to squeezing. Adjacent to

the block diagrammed l i e s a sim ilar block immediately to the south,

which served as the opposing end o f the v is e between which the loam

o f u n it 1 o f sec tio n V was squeezed. The upper portions of both

blocks revea l some invasion o f the overlying h orizontal m aterial.

Beds restin g on the b lock s, as w e ll as the upper part o f the

blocks them selves, are cut by numerous, la te r a l , lim onite-encrusted

fra ctu res . These discontinuous fractu res even in te r se c t the

7S

d c - c \ .\y' r,-, 5 V y s t ^ i >-■ rV v

Fig. 28. Clay b locks opposite fo ld s o f F igs.2$ and 26, but on eastern w a ll o f "V" cu t. Observe splaying o f primary forms o f the overlying loamy zia teria l in jec te d in to the upper part o f the block. N ear-vertica l l in e s co n stitu te primary forms in the m aterial bordering the s id es o f the b lock . This m aterial was compressed between th is and adjacent block.

76

n ea r -v ertica l primaiy stru ctu ra l forms, and thus apparently post­

date them. The author b e lie v e s th at th ese fractu res represent

surfaces o f pressure r e l i e f ; i . e . , the sediments involved -were

once loaded by a now absent agent.

Thus to summarize, a l l o f the contorted forms d iscussed re ­

v ea l evidence o f having been forced in to movement and deformed

by a force , a component o f which exercised a southerly th ru sting

e f fe c t on the sediments. Moreover, the presence o f sand dikes

penetrating the disturbed beds ru les out the p ro b a b ility th a t mass

s lid in g of the overlying beds was part of the disturbance. F in a lly ,

the laminated beds dip ^ to 9 degrees toward the south, or in a

d irection opposite th a t expected fo r d ep osition a l d ips in to the

lake basin . Thus i t seems th a t one may a ttr ib u te the deformation

described to d if fe r e n t ia l loading by some agent, probably from the

north, such as a heavy ic e mass. Another probable agent may be

the weight o f the column of g la c ia l lake w ater. In th is s itu a tio n ,

the loading would be equal, but disequilibrium may have been in ­

duced by unequal response o f the sediments to the s tr e s s imposed.

Madison Township

The b lu f f f a l l s across Madison toi,'mship from an e lev a tio n o f

630 f e e t in the southwest to $90 f e e t in the north east. By fa r

the greater proportion o f i t s con stitu en ts c o n s is ts o f la cu str in e

sand w ith a subordinate amount o f c lay . The contact on the t i l l

remains near la k e - le v e l throughout.

77

Section X

Location: 600 f e e t northeast o f Toivnline Road, a t the •west­ern houndary o f Madison tovmsliip.

Top (E levation: 629 fe e t ) Feet

1. Sand; medium, b u ff and lim o n itic ; f r ia b le , washes and blows rea d ily . Bedded, ivith some lo c a l cross­bedding. Beds dip 2 to hP south. Lower 1 .5 f e e t c o n s is t o f gray bedded sand. lÆuch o f the sand i s poorly sorted and ranges from medium to coarse. 31

2. Gray c lay , and le n t ic u la r bodies o f gray s i l t and sand. L ith o log ie8 are bedded, though o ften con­torted . Clay i s f a t ty and p eb b le-free . 10

3. Gray c lay , fa t ty and pebbly. M ottled w ith hem atite.Grossly contorted. L atera lly , c la y in clu d es large masses o f reddish, gray, hard, pebbly c lay contain­ing le n tic u la r bod ies o f s i l t and sand. The matrix s p e a r s to be a very p la s t ic t i l l , -which in co ip o- ra tes b locks o f the more ty p ic a lly hard s i l t y t i l l . 13

On the western sid e o f Townline Road, the contact on u n it

3 o f sec tio n X, f a l l s sharply to beach le v e l , and resembles an

erosional contact forming part o f the v a lle y w a ll o f an ancient

Chapel Creek, j^parently, some mass movement on the contact by

overlying lacu str in e m ateria l has taken p la ce , as i s ind icated

by the curved surfaces o f the contorted c la y beds Fig. 29. Below

the contact, a slab o f pebbly t i l l , 17 f e e t long and 3 f e e t th ick

in the middle, i s -v isib le in the fig u re . This slab o f t i l l appar­

en tly co n stitu te s a remnant o f the Upper T i l l , since i t i s under­

la in by red, p la s t ic c la y , a m aterial th a t c h a r a c te r is t ic a lly occu­

p ie s the zone between Upper and Lower T i l l s across adjacent

Perry township.

78

Section XI

Location; I4.OO f e e t southwest o f Haines Road; about ^,100 f e e t northeast o f sec tio n X,

Top (E levation: 62? fe e t ) Feet

1 . Sand, f in e , b u ff. H orizontally bedded. Finer on the Tjhole than th a t in sec tio n X. Upper $f e e t c o n s is t o f poorly sorted , medium sand, 3U

2, Clay, s i l t y , gray. H orizontal la y ers a ltern ate w ith contorted ones, and are va rv elik e , i . e . , l/U to 1 /2 inch th ick , Toivard the base, the c la y becomes l e s s bedded, more massive and redder.Within a few f e e t o f the base, pebbles appear,as do str in g ers o f f in e , gray sand, red c la yle n ses and in c lu sio n s o f t i l l , 18

Toward the northeast the b lu f f lo s e s e lev a tio n at the expense

of u n its 1 and 2 o f sec tio n XI, The ra te o f d ec lin e in e lev a tio n

i s g rea test between Haines and T uttle Park, as shov/n on P late X.

Hence northeastward, no more tliick sand d ep o sits are encountered

in the b lu ff u n t i l one arrives in eastern Ashtabula township. Both

groups o f d ep o sits , v/ith resp ect to th e ir d is tr ib u tio n on the Lake

Plain , have been d iscussed under the chapter t i t l e d "General S tr a t i-

gr^ h y o f the Area,"

From Green Road toward the northeast, the b lu f f m aintains a

height o f 17 to 10 f e e t above the beach, i s m ostly grassy and b u i l t

over, and revea ls only sm all exposures o f the lith o lo g y .

79

Fig. 29. Contact o f la cu str in e c la y and s i l t on the Upper T i l l . Observe erosion a l contact and the contorted forms o f the la cu str in e member on the t i l l . Below the t i l l , at beach le v e l , l i e s the red c la y bed associa ted \vith the contact between Upper and Lov/er T i l l s .Location: 1 ^ f e e t SvY o f Tov/nline Road, Perry.Sept. 19^^.

80

• F ig . 30, Vievr o f b lu ff; look ing toiYard the SÏÏ; about 300 f e e t SIT o f To\mline Road, Upper u n it o f bedded sand overly ing la cu str in e c la y . Top o f b lu f f slop es southvfard in to the v a lle y o f Chapel Greek, Lake le v e l; 5?3 f e e t . Height o f b lu ff : ^0 f e e t .

81

F ig , 31. B lu ff , UOO f e e t w est o f Haines Road, View o f bedded sand forming dominant member o f the b lu f f lith o lo g y . Observe ca v ity in sandy u n it , created by seepage of water on contact o f the la cu str in e c la y . Sand u n it i s 3U f e e t th ick , Aug, 1 9 ^ ,

82

S ectio n XII

Location; 1,700 f e e t southvrest o f Hubbard Road, at the w est­ern sid e o f Madison Tov/nship Park.

Top (E levation: 593 f e e t ) Feet

1 . Sand, buff to lim onite yellow , medium, and fr ia b le . 3

2. Gray c lay , poorly bedded Tvith s i l t and f in e sand; p e b b le - fr e e ........................................................ ..............................2

3 . Clay; gray-brown, fa t ty , contorted, laminated Tfith f in e s i l t and sand (F ig. 32 ). Lovrer one-th ird in ­cludes bodies o f fa t ty red c lay , and p eb b le -size , black, fa t ty , c la y . Base obscured by ta lu s . . . . . 1 0

! - 53—

Section XIII

Location: 1,600 f e e t southeast o f Madison Township Park,

Top (E levation: 590 f e e t ) Feet

1. Sand; b u ff, medium to f in e , nonbedded, p eb b le-free ,shaip b asa l con tact......................................................................... 2

2. Sandy clay; th in ly laminated, b u ff and brovmresp ec tiv e ly . Pebble-free and le n t ic u la r . Inter­bedded v/ith a more m assive, nonbedded v a r ie ty o f c la y and s i l t . Grades dovmv/ard in to clas’’. Hear base b locks o f t i l l and le n se s o f red c la y occur . . 11-1/2

13-V 2

Toward the northeast, u n it 1 o f Section XIII th in s out, leav in g

only u n it 2, v/hich becomes more clayey and t i l l - l i l c e , but reta in s

the red c la y len ses and pockets of t i l l . The sec tio n throughout

maintains a height o f 10 f e e t , a l l the way to Cowles Greek in Geneva

tov/nship.

83

Fig. 32, Vievr o f contorted bedding in la mi nated c la y and s i l t o f u n it 3 o f sec tio n XII, Observe t ig h t ly contorted la y e rs between f la t t e r forms. Location; 1 ,700 f e e t S'il o f Hubbard Road, Madison, Aug. 19^6.

8U

A ^ tàbu la County - Geneva To-vmship

The lovr b lu f f o f eastern Madison tcnmship continues across

the boundary a t Countyline Road in to vrestem Geneva tormship, where

i t r is e s rather abruptly a t the e a st bank o f the droirned v a lle y o f

Cowles Creek,

Section XIY

Location: East bank o f Cowles Creek, Geneva-on-the-Lake.

Top (E levation: 591 fe e t ) Feet •

la . Sandy s i l t (loam); few pebbles ......................2 ,5b . Sand; b u ff, f in e , poorly s o r t e d .................................. . 2 ,5c. Gravel le n s , poorly s o r t e d ................... 0 ,5d. Thin bands o f c la y and s i l t « 1 ,5

2, T i l l ; gray to broim, pebbly (granules and largers iz e s ) . Upper contact slopes westward to creek , , 10 ,5

Ï T 3

Tovrard the north east, the b lu ff r i s e s rap id ly to a tta in heigh ts

exceeding UO f e e t , Hov/ever, because o f the combined e f f e c t s of

slump and a r t i f i c i a l m od ification s o f the b lu f f , no complete ex­

posure o f the b lu f f lith o lo g y was found in any given lo c a l i t y ,

Hov/ever, i t i s knovm th at a s i l t y loam, about 8 f e e t th ick , caps

the Upper T i l l u n it . The th ick ness of the Upper T i l l changes un-

pred ictab ly from lo c a l i t y to lo c a l i t y . Beneath the competent t i l l

l i e s a p la s t ic u n it o f la cu str in e c la y interm ixed vriLth sand. I t

cppears th a t th is u n it grades upward in to the t i l l vd.th an increase

in hardness and percentage o f pebbles. L ocally , i t i s d i f f ic u l t

to d istin g u ish between the la cu str in e u n it and a c layey t i l l .

Bedrock l i e s only a fo o t or two belovc lalce le v e l of 573 f e e t , and

85

thus i t seems th a t the Lower T i l l i s absent from t h is part o f the

shore. Sections XV and XVI, described belov;, trere made vrLth a

U-inch auger by the D iv ision o f Shore Erosion.

Section XV

Location: North berm of S tate Route 531, 2,900 f e e t north­ea st o f bridge over Indian Creek,

Top (E levation: 6lO fe e t ) Feet

1, Clay, s i l t y (loam); in clu d es some sand. 0 - 8

2, Upper T i l l , S i l t y c la y , pebbly, gray. Somesand. Becomes more m oist dovnivrard, 6 - l l ;

3 , Clay and very f in e sand, pebble-poor, gray,m oist, lU -29

U» Clay, gray, s o f t to mushy (high vrater con ten t).Some s i l t and f in e sand. Pebble-poor, End ofhole: E lev, 571 f e e t , 29 -39

Saybrook Tcrwnship

The b lu f f across western Saybrook townsliip re ta in s the charac­

te r o f heavy slumping assumed in eastern Geneva tovmship, to Say­

brook Tovmship Park, about 9,600 f e e t northeast o f the Geneva tovm­

ship e a st boundary. Section XVI, angered on Route 531, about l , l 5 0

f e e t northeast o f the Geneva l in e , repeats the stra tigrap h ie sequence

described under Section XV,

Section XVI

Top (E levation: 612 f e e t ) Feet

1, S i l t y c la y , hard, brovm, p eb b le-free , or perhaps pebble-poor. Some sand, 0 - 9

2, S i l t y c lay , brown, s o f t to mushy, 9 - 1 0

86

3. Upper T i l l . S i l t y c la y , hard, gray, pebbly,clacareous. 1 0 -1 1 +

U. S i l t y c la y , gray, s o f t and m oist. Pebble-poorto p eb b le-free , calcareous; spparently la cu str in e . lU - 39

Northeast o f Ninevah Road, about 1+,Q0G, f e e t northeast o f sec­

t io n XVI, the b asa l contact o f the la cu str in e c la y (u n it !+) has

r isen gradually to a h eigh t o f 1$ to 20 f e e t above beach le v e l .

Hoi'fever, the th ick ness o f the u n it remains unknorm because o f slump­

ing. Just e a st o f Saybrook Tovmship Park, a l l traces o f the lacu s­

tr in e c la y abruptly disappear. Thus the b lu ff immediately e a st o f

the Park presents an a l l - t i l l fro n t. For 2,1+00 f e e t beyond, vege­

ta t io n conceals the sec tio n .

Section XVII

Location; l+,700 f e e t northeast o f Saybrook Tovmship Park, and 1 , l+30 f e e t southwest o f Red Brook,

Top (E levation: 6 l5 f e e t ) Feet

1 , S i l t and sand; b u ff , m ottled w ith gray. Pebble-fr e e , nonbedded, sharp b asa l contact. 1 2 .S

2. T i l l , Upper; brown-gray, very pebbly v/ith high s i l t content. Strong s u r f ic ia l creep o f thesurface o f the b lu f f . Base obscured. 29

m3At the "V" cut in the b lu f f , $S0 f e e t to the southwest, the

lower part o f u n it 1, sec tio n XVII, includes le n se s o f brovm-red

c lay , very f in e sand and fa t ty , p eb b le-size red c la y b od ies.

The contact zone between the Lower and %per T i l l s reappears

ju s t southv/est o f sec tio n XVII, and i s traceab le to a p o in t 1,^00

f e e t to the southv/est. The zone l i e s near beach le v e l , i . e . , about

87

^73 to ^7h f e e t , i s 3 f e e t th ick , and c o n s is ts o f pebbly, red c la y ,

ivhich incorporates le n se s o f an exceedingly pebbly t i l l . About

8 ^ f e e t to the southv/est o f the sec tio n , the zone a lso includes

a boulder pavement.

Toward the northeast, u n it 1 in creases in th ick ness u n t i l in ter ­

cepted by the v a lle y of Red Brook, where i t has a tta ined a th ick ­

ness o f 20 fe e t , and i s floored by laminated c la y and sand, on a

layer o f compact red-gray clay .

Northeast o f Red Brook, the stream has carved a bench on the

contact o f the Upper T i l l , and most o f the la cu str in e deposits

have been removed fo r a d istance o f 600 f e e t . Beyond, the b lu ff

r is e s to include the en tire sequence as described under sec tio n XVIII.

Section XVIII

Location: Ashtabula Country Club Allotm ent, 1,U00 f e e t north­ea st o f Red Brook.

Top (E levation: 62U fe e t ) Feet

1 . Aggregate o f boulders, cobble, sand, s i l t and clay; b u ff. 2

2. Clayey s i l t , b u ff . I^per one-th ird contains some pebbles. lÆiddle portion i s r e la t iv e ly p eb b le-free , but includes an occasional boulder and pebble; a lso dense and lo c a l ly d isto rted . Sand occurs as laminae in c lay le n se s . The b asa l U f e e t c o n s is ts o f reddish gray c la y which term inates downv/ard against a sharp contact. l8

3. T i l l , Upper. S i l t y c la y , pebbly, b lue-gray, v/itha w e ll developed contact zone on the Lower T i l l . 26

U. T i l l , Lower. 3h9

88

A la te r a l ly ex ten sive contact zone between the Upper and Lower

T i l l s l i e s about 3 f e e t above b ea ch -lev e l in th is lo c a l i t y . The

zone undulates vd-th a r e l i e f o f U f e e t , and contains boulder pave­

ment, erosion a l led ges vdiere la cu str in e s i l t and sand have been

scooped out by waves, le n se s o f very pebbly, b lue-gray t i l l , and

some red c la y (F igs. 33 and 3U). In general, sec tio n XVIII i s

nearly id e n tic a l w ith sec tio n IV o f perry township.

Farther toward the north east, Tri.thin 200 to 300 f e e t , u n it

1 o f sec tio n XVIII grades in to medium, vrell-sorted sand, and in ­

creases to a thiclcness o f 6 f e e t . Also slumping, c h a ra cter is tic

o f the b lu ff in the T/estem part o f the tOTmship, returns to promi­

nence, in d ica tin g the in crease o f the la cu str in e claj’' between the

Upper and Lovrer T i l l s to a su b sta n tia l th ick n ess.

Section XIX

Location: About 3,200 f e e t northeast o f the mouth o f Red Brook.

Top (E levation: 623 f e e t ) Feet

1. Sand; b u ff, medium to coarse. Sharp lowercontact (F ig . 3$ ). U

2. T i l l . Gray, pebbly, s i l t y , massive c la y . Very m oist and s o f t . Pebbles range in s iz e up to cobbles and co n stitu te about UO percent by volumeo f the t i l l . Upper 6 to 8 f e e t are exposed; ther e s t i s covered by slurp debris. 10

3 . Lacustrine sand and c la y . Revealed by th e ir presence in slurp b lock s. Water saturated muds is su e from near the contact on the Lovrer T i l l .This i s unmeasured, but probably l i e s between10 to 20 f e e t . Quite l ik e ly , the Upper T i l l and la cu str in e d eposit are intergraded. l6

8 9

Fig. 33. Saybrook tv/p., about 1,U00 f e e t KY o f Red Brook. Contact zone between Upper and Lovrer T i l l s . Note r e l i e f . Trenching to o l i s on the contact in the back­ground. Sloping, curved indented ledge represents contact in foreground. Vievf toward the southv/est. Aug. 19^6.

9 0

Fig. 3U. Location as in Figure 33. Boulder pave­ment in contact zone between Upper and Lcri’rer T i l l s ,See a lso Figure 23 Perry tovaiship. Aug. 19^6.

91

U. T i l l , Lower. Pebbly, s i l t y , hard c lay . 20

About 600 f e e t northeast o f Stowe Road, or about 1,800 fe e t

northeast of section XIX, slumping ends. This change i s re flec ted

in the b lu f f stratigraphy by a r ise in e leva tion o f the lacu str in e

clay contact on the Lower T i l l , a thinning o f the lacu str in e u n it,

and an increase in competency of the Upper T i l l .

Section XX

Location: 1,000 f e e t northeast o f Stowe Road.

Top (E levation: 623 fe e t ) Feet

1. T il l; gray, pebbly, s i l t y c lay . Upper 6 fe e t weathered b u ff, 1$

2. Very fin e sand, s i l t and c lay , gray-brovm to red-brown. Poorly bedded, p eb b le-free. Clay content in creases near lower contact, and be­comes dark brovm. Red fa t ty c lay p eb b le-size bodies increase in percentage near lower contact; sand and clay become strongly contorted and com­pacted, and a few rounded granules appear doi’nrward. 9

3. T i l l , s i l t y c la y , pebbly, hard and m assive. 23h9

This stratigrap h ie sequence remains constant to the tovmship

of Ashtabula.

Section XXI

Location: 3,000 f e e t northeast of sec tio n XX, and1,300 f e e t southwest o f the Ashtabula tovmship l in e .

Top (E levation: 626 fe e t ) Feet

1. T i l l , Upper. Gray, pebbly, s i l t y clay; alsoincludes cobbles and boulders. 2k

9 2

Fig. 3?. Looking Sil. B lu ff o f sec tio n XIX, 3,200 f e e t NE o f Red Brook, Medium and f in e la cu str in e sand on the %)per T i l l , Sand u n it i s 1| f e e t th ick , and i s l ig h t colored in the photograph.

93

2. Gray bedded s i l t , f in e sand and c la y . Sharp upper contact. Unit i s strongly contorted, and sand occurs as le n se s , 1 inch long. Clay percentage in creases dovmward. Pebbles appear in the massive c la y forming the b asa l two fe e t , and the m aterial becomes t i l l - l i k e . Red c la y intertonguing m th blue-gray pebbly c la y marks the b a sa l contact. 8 .5

3 . T i l l , gray, pebbly to bouldery, s i l t y c lay . 18__3Ô3

Northeastward in to the tovmship o f Ashtabula, the b asa l contact

of the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e u n it undulates downward vri.th a r e l i e f

of 5 f e e t . The u n it i t s e l f th ickens and th in s irreg u la r ly . Lacus­

tr in e sand a t the top o f the b lu ff becomes lo c a l ly conspicuous,

a tta in in g th ick n esses up to 6 f e e t .

Section XXII

Location: 700 f e e t northeast o f the western boundary o f Ashta­b u la tovmsliip.

Top (E levation: 631 fe e t ) Feet

1 . Sand, b u ff, binded by s i l t . 6_

2. Mostly a pebbly, c layey s i l t , i^ parently a t i l l , i t contains la cu str in e c la y and sand in i t s lovrer p ortion , vrhere le n se s o f brovm-gray sand can be seen. I t i s p o ss ib le th a t the en tire u n it c o n s is ts o f a mixture o f la cu str in e sand and c la y , and t i l l , s in ce the vdiole mass when moistened creeps dorm theface of the b lu f f as a g igan tic b lanket, 2 f e e t th ick . 35

3. Lovrer T i l l , pebbly, b lue-gray. 13

The b asa l contact o f the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e member, continuing

i t s descent toward the northeast, becomes lo s t under the v eg eta tive

cover o f the b lu ff behind the Ashtabula breakwater-inpounded beach.

9k

1

F ig , 36. B lu ff So f e e t high , ju s t SÏÏ of sec tio n XXI, near eastern boundary o f Saybrook t ï ç . Steep lovrer fa ce i s presented by the Lovrer T i l l . lÆiddle la cu str in e member slop es upward at an angle o f Upper T i l l l i e sabove the second break in slop e. The "V" notches in the b lu f f represent areas where the la cu str in e c la y has been thickened^ perhaps by the shoving action o f g la c ia l ic e . The b lu f f at such s i t e s o f th icken ing, tends to slmrp more r ea d ily . View toward the south­w est, July, I 9S6,

95

mg:F ig , 37. D e ta il o f b lu f f a t s i t e o f

sec tio n XXI, The section shown c o n s is ts o f % per and Lo\'rer T i l l s , and i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e u n it . Trenching to o l i s em­bedded on the b asa l contact o f the la cu s­tr in e member, Saybrook township.Sept, 1956,

96

Ashtabula Tovmship, Northeast o f the Ashtabula River

Across the breadth o f Ashtabula tovmship, f iv e s tr a t ig r ^ h ic

members, exclu sive o f bedrock, form the b lu f f . These include tvro

t i l l members and an i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e u n it , vfhich are overla in

by la cu str in e laminated c la y s and sand, topped by a sandy lacu s­

tr in e member restin g disconformably on the laminated u n it.

The two t i l l members and the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e u n it are

co rre la tiv e s o f those to the southwest, and th erefore Late Cary

or older in Age. Tlie laminated c la y beds apparently r e s t on a

broad bench swept out on the ipper T i l l by an ancestra l Ashtabula

River, and were probably deposited in Lake Warren or some older

g la c ia l lalce. The sand deposit at the top o f the sec tio n and i t s

basal gravels, ranging in e lev a tio n between 626 and 635 f e e t , pro­

bably date back to Lake Grassmere-Lake Lundy tim e.

About 2 m iles o f shore len gth , between the Ashtabula River

and R u ssell Road, 1 ,500 f e e t southwest o f sec tio n XXIII i s not

described in the fo llow in g d escrip tion o f the b lu f f . However,

the vo id has been f i l l e d on the fence diagram of P late XI by the

in ser tio n o f 3 graphic sec tio n s (A, B and C), o f Paul R. Shaffer

(urpub. r e p t . , 19U7).

Section XXIII

Location; Yflieatfieldj 1 ,500 f e e t northeast o f R u ssell Road (extended).

9 7

Fig. 38, Sharp b asa i contact o f laminated s i l t and c la y on the Upper T i l l . Marked by s t e e l chain r e e l in l e f t cen tra l area o f photogr^h . Section XXIII, looking soutln-rest. Ashtabula tovmship. July, 1 9 ^ .

98

Top (E levation; 631 f e e t ) Feet

1. Sand, f in e , lim o n ite -sta in ed , nonbedded, and h eav ily mixed 7/ith s i l t . Floored by 1 fo o t o f b asa l graveland coarse sand. Basal contact disconformable. 3

2. Sand, f in e , interbedded -with c la y . Clay laminae are 1 inch th ick , contorted, dense, and becomes b lu er gray vd-th depth. Tov/ard the w est, the sand interbeds increase to a th ick ness o f 1 fo o t . Contact drarm at seepage zone. 6

3. Laminated b lue-gray, f in e sand and fa t t y c lay .Laminated p a ir i s one to two inches th ick . L ocally contains small red c la y le n se s . Clay u n its become l e s s defined upward. Sand grades out dovmtward, and disappears near b a sa l contact, marked by red c la y p eb b le -s ize bod ies, b lack carbonaceous surfaces, and granules. Sharp b a sa l contact. 12

k» T i l l , T^per. Gray, pebbly, and in clu d es minute s i l t y le n se s . The b asa l contact undulates 2 to 3 f e e t above lake le v e l o f 373 f e e t . The contact zone i s th in , poorly delin eated , and rev ea ls th in ,(2 to 3 inches) sand le n se s , and one fo o t th ick pockets o f gravel binded by blue and red c la y . 33

3. T i l l , Lovrer. Like the Upper T i l l . 23 7 “

Farther to the n orth east, the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e cla^r returns

to the sec tio n as revealed by sec tio n XXVI»

Section XXTV

Location: 3 ,3Ü0 f e e t e a st o f R u sse ll, or 330 f e e t southvresto f f i r s t stream ea st o f the Cleveland E lec tr ic and Illum inating Company's property.

Top (E levation: 637 fe e t ) Feet

1. Fine sand, b u ff, r e s tin g on 2 f e e t o f gravel and coarse sand. Pebbles are f l a t , rounded on the edges and h o r izo n ta lly aligned . 3 .S

99

2. Sandy s i l t ivith str in gers o f clay; brovm or rust; compact vd-th a fa in t bedding pattern . Clay i s fa t ty and contorted. Sharp b asa l contact markedby springs, 7 .S

3, Dense gray s i l t ; grading below the upper two fe e t in to th in laminated u n its o f gray s i l t and fa t ty gray c lay . Contorted bedding i s p resen t, and the u n it y ie ld s p la s t ic a l ly , and washes rea d ily when saturated. I t i s la rg e ly obscured by slump, and creep m aterial from the overlying u n it and i t s upper portion per se . Clay dominates the b asa l one-th ird , near the bottom o f which, th in , d is ­continuous, laminae o f red c ls y appear. Basal contact i s sharp, 17

U. T i l l , Upper, Pebbly, b lue-gray, Shaip b asa l contact marked by th in laminae o f f in e lim o n ite - sta ined send, iS

5, S i l t and c lay , b lue-gray, la c u s tr in e . Highly compact and p ebb le-free in the upper one-th ird , i t grades dovmvrard in to an irreg u la r ly bedded p ortion of very f in e sand, end p eb b le-free c lay .The b a sa l zone, (1 to 2 f e e t th ick ), c o n s is tso f pebbly c lay and includes small red -c lay bod ies.B asal contact remains shaip, and i s delin eated by a parting , 6 ,5

6 , T i l l , Lovrer, Pebbly, b lue-gray, 12 ,5

7 , Shale, greenish-gray to b lack , f i s s i l e , jo in ted .Chagrin,

62

Thus from sec tio n s XXIII to XXIV, a d istan ce o f 2,200 fe e t ,

the upper contact o f the Lovrer T i l l , as traced in the b lu f f , r is e s

on an undulating l in e from an e lev a tio n o f 57S f e e t to one o f 587

f e e t . The i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e m aterial, u n it 5 o f sec tio n XXIV,

malces i t s f i r s t appearance at a p o in t a feiv hundred f e e t southwest

of sec tio n XXIV, and In s thickened out o f the m aterial in the con­

ta c t zone between the t i l l s o f section XXIII, Hence, northeastward

100

they remain present in the b lu f f , a corre la tab le u n it a l l the vray

to Gonneaut Tovmship Park,

This behavior i s th e eastern counterpart o f th at on the west­

ern sid e o f the Ashtabula River, where the contact on the Lower

T i l l s lop es downward toward the Ashtabula River v a lle y , and the

i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e m ateria l le n se s out. The combined r e la t io n ­

ship thus p resen ts a c ro ss -se c tio n o f vAiat resem bles a g la c ia l

in te r s ta d ia l v a lle y o f the Ashtabula,

Section XXV

Location; 3,U00 f e e t w est o f Labounty Road, or 1,3^0 f e e t ea st o f f i r s t creek e a st o f R u ssell Road,

Top (E levation: 637 f e e t ) . Feet

la . B uff, f in e sand ................................................................. Ub . B uff, f in e sand binded vri-th s i l t ; compact , , « , 3c . Basal gravel zone, mixed w ith sand and s i l t .

Bedded gravel c o n s is ts o f c r y s ta ll in e and sed i­mentary typ es, are w e ll rounded and polish ed ; and range in s iz e from granules to cobbles.Sharp b asa l contact w ith springs 2

2, Gray s i l t and clay; laminated and banded. Thinlylaminated u n its , 1 to 2 f e e t th ick , and gen era lly contorted, a ltern ate w ith beds o f dense s i l t , 2 to 3 f e e t th ick . These dense s i l t u n its contain whorls o f laminated c la y , 8 to 2k inches in diameter, which v/eather out to leave c a v it ie s in the m atrix.This hab it causes the u n it to co lla p se (F ig , 3 8 ),Sharp b a sa l contact , , , , ............................... 13

3 , Upper T i l l ................................................... 12

U. Lacustrine c la y and s i l t ; h igh ly contorted. Likeu n it S o f sec tio n XX17......................................... 10

Lower T i l l .................................. lU

6, Chagrin sh ale . Jointed: N70°E and N3 * V . . . 3

101

Fig. 39. YJhorls o f laminated s i l t and c la y weathering out o f dense, homogeneous s i l t y - c la y m atrix. Section XXV. Ashtabula township.

102

NortheasWard from sec tio n XXIV, the shale outcrop continues

to r is e , becoming, in the process, more e f fe c t iv e as a bulwark against

wave attack on the b lu ff . About oOO fe e t southvrest o f section

XXV, i t a tta in s a maximujn e lev a tio n of ^79 f e e t , or 6 f e e t above

lake le v e l . The shale p resen ts a serrated fro n t to the lal:e as

ou tlin ed by i t s jo in t pattern .

Section XXVI

Location; 2,1^0 f e e t e a st o f f i r s t creek e a st o f R u ssell Road, or 2,6^0 f e e t vrest o f Labounty Road.

Top (E levation: 635> f e e t ) Feet

1 . Sand, lim on ite-sta in ed , very f in e , w e ll sorted and nonbedded. O verlies basa l gravel zone. Sharp b asa l c o n t a c t .................................................................................................... S.S

2. Laminated gray c la y and s i l t , interbedded Vfith two fo o t beds o f very f in e sand. Unit i s l e s s coherent than u n it 2 o f sec tio n XXV, and contains b locks (Ipc5 f e e t ) o f t i l l , embedded in the u n it, which may represent ic e -r a fte d m ateria l. Sharp b asa l contact . l6

3. T i l l . Loiver contact i s debris c o v e r e d .................................18

U. S i l t and c lay , la c u s t r in e . A pparently y ie ld in g p l a s t i c a l l y under th e vreight o f the o v erly in g m a t e r i a l ........................................................................................... 6

5. T i l l , Low er.................................................................................. l5

6 . Chagrin s h a l e ............................................................................. 16 1 .S

northeast o f sec tio n XXVI, u n it 2 th in s against a r is in g t i l l

contact a fter a continuous ezqposure of more than a m ile . I t docs

not return to the sec tio n as a. s ig n if ic a n t member u n t i l Gonneaut

tovmship i s approached from eastern Ivingsville township.

103

S ection XXVII

Location: 2,100 f e e t vjest o f Labounty Road, and $00 f e e tnortheast o f section XXVI.

Top (E levation: 633 fe e t ) Feet

1. Fine sand, b u ff, grading .do\’/mvard in to a loamm ottled brcnm and gray , , . . .............................. 2

2, Clay, gray to brovm; becoming t i l l - l i k e dovmrard.Pinches out 300 f e e t to the northeast. I t i s the equivalent o f u n it 2 o f section TlT L ..................... U

3. Upper T i l l . Leaver 6 f e e t has slumped h eavily , and appear to raovb on shear p lanes p a r a lle l tothe slope (3 0 °), and on which are found th in layers of s i l t and sand, including lim on ite-sta in ed sand, which suggests the dovmward p erco la tion o f ground water through the fra ctu res . I t i s probable that th is lower portion of the t i l l , has incorporated v/itliin i t , a part o f the underlying lacu str in e s i l t and c la y . Lovrer contact u n lo c a te d ........................... 32

U. Pebble-free c la y and s i l t ; la cu str in e . Stronglycontorted. Contacts not located ................................ 6

$. T i l l , L ow er......................................................................... 1$

Tor,yard the northeast, about 600 f e e t , the i n t e r t i l l lacu str in e

m aterial th ickens to 1$ fe e t ; and the topography featu res creep

and flowage in the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e m aterial, and slump in the

overlying t i l l . The upper contact o f the lovrer t i l l l i e s 23 fe e t

above the beach.

Section XXVIII

Location: 200 f e e t w est o f Laboimty Road.

loU

Top (E levation: 633 f e e t ) Feet

la . Sand, b u ff, f in e . Sharp contact ................................... 3*5b . Clay and s i l t mixture; m ottled gray and b u ff.

Lower contact i s h igh ly irregu lar and includes blocks o f t i l l ; although to northeast and south­w est o f the sec tio n , i s sharp and r e la t iv e ly h orizon ta l , ........................................................ .... , . , I4

2. T i l l , Upper, Retreating as a scarp recessed onu n it Uj the Lower T i l l ........................................................ 19 ,3

3, Intimate mixture o f s i l t and c lay . Sharp b asa lcontact u n d erlies zone o f laminated c la y and s i l t w ith red c lay bod ies. Strong seepage occursnear the b asa l c o n t a c t ....................................................... 11

U. T i l l , LoTfer.......................................................................................19 ,3

About I4.OO f e e t e a st o f Labounty Road, the Lovrer T i l l includes

la y ers and bands of s i l t and laminated c la y and s i l t , I4. to 12 inches

th ick , and a l l ly in g below the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e d ep osits , i , e , ,

u n it 3 o f section XXVIII, The t i l l a lso inclu des contorted bodies

of very f in e sand, and in general has a layered appearance, featuring

u n its of pebbly c lay and pebbly sandy c lay . Bodies o f a b luer,

more pebbly c la y also l i e in the t i l l . Thus i t appears th at along

th is stretch of b lu f f , the t i l l contains a high percentage of lacus­

tr in e m aterial mixed in to the normal t i l l . This mixture o f l i t h o ­

lo g ie types characterizes the Lovrer T i l l fo r the 1,800 f e e t d is ­

tance to 7/hitman Creek.

K in gsv ille Tovmship

The sec tio n from the southwest in to K in gsv ille tovmship becomes

s im p lified to the th ree -fo ld arrangement o f the Upper and Lower T i l l s ,

10$

separated by 20 to 30 f e e t o f la cu str in e m ateria l. However, on

the eastern side o f the Y/hitman Greek v a lle y the i n t e r t i l l lacu s­

tr in e u n it , there 33 f e e t th ick , was d issec ted to a depth o f 18

f e e t and a vri-dth o f a t l e a s t 2,000 f e e t , by an an cestra l stream

of Y/hitman Creek, the v a lle y o f which was la te r f i l l e d w ith f in e

sand and covered by the Upper T i l l .

About 2,^00 f e e t northeast o f IVhitman Creek, three t i l l u n its

are present in the sec tio n , each separated by a la cu str in e u n it .

The author b e lie v e s th a t the uppermost o f th ese t i l l u n its le n se s

in to and out o f the sec tio n ivith in a d istan ce o f $,000 to 6,000

f e e t and i s apparently a la t e r phase o f the ic e advance th at de­

p o sited the c h a r a cter is tic Upper T i l l .

A la cu str in e le n s subjacent to the Uppermost T i l l , and restin g

on the Upper T i l l , i s regarded as a shallow? v a lle y f i l l i n g o f another

an cestra l v a lle y , subsequent to th at described fo r Y/hitman Creek

above.

In the northeastern on e-th ird of the toi’msliip, a r e la t iv e ly

th ick sec tio n o f sand and subordinate lam inated c la y , returns to

the b lu f f , and th ickens northeastward on the fa l l in g contact o f

the Upper T i l l .

Section XXIX (F ig . UO)

Location; 700 f e e t northeast o f Y/hitman Creek at the Kings­v i l l e township w est boundary.

Top (E levation; 632 f e e t ) Feet

1. T i l l , Upper. B uff, s i l t y clay; s l ig h t ly beddedappearance, pebbly to cobbly. Sharp b asa l contact. 12

106

2. Gray sand, f in e ; some cross-beds, but m ostly massive and fr ia b le . Thins 300 tovyard the north­ea st by a r is in g basa l contact. 17.2

3. Laminated c lay and s i l t , gray. Clay la y ers in ­crease in th ickness from one-h alf inch near the top to m ostly c la y near the b asa l contact. There i t includes la y ers o f red and gray c la y w ith f in e pebbles, 7

U. T i l l , Lovrer. B lue-gray, s i l t y c lay . 20

Unit 2, as mentioned prev iou sly , represents a v a lle y f i l l i n g

of an an cestra l Y,hitman Greek v a lle y that vras cut in to u n it 3, o f

the sec tio n above.

i^proxim ately, 1,000 f e e t east o f Vhitman Creek, or 300 f e e t

northeast o f sec tio n XXIX, u n it 3 inclu des la rg e , dense, len ses

of s i l t , in tegrated in to the laminated c lay , s i l t and sand. Simi­

la r blocks appear in the sec tio n s o f eastern Perry tovmsliip v/ithin

the laminated la cu str in e m aterial overlying the Upper T i l l . They

probably developed as a r e su lt o f a non-uniform d istr ib u tio n of

sediments over the bottom of the lake, since laminated la y ers are

observed to grade in to the margins o f these massive forms.

Toward the northeast, u n it 2 o f sec tio n XXX th in s against

the r is in g contact o f u n it 3, u n t i l about 900 f e e t from the section ,

i t becomes only 2 f e e t th ick ( f ig . U l). On the other hand, u n it

3 expands to 33 f e e t . The Upper T i l l a lso th in s to 2 f e e t , where­

as the Lovrer T i l l remains at 17 fe e t .

107

î l g . I4.O. Looking south a t sec tio n XXIX. Upper T i l l 7 f e e t th ick o v e r lie s the pock marked sand u n it . Portion o f b lu f f covered by the clumps o f grass, represents the lami­nated c la y and s i l t u n it . The Lovrer T i l l in the foreground i s a bench former. K in gsv ille toivnship. June, 1957.

108

■. •

F ig . I4I. Looking southeast a t b lu ff 1600 f e e t I'lE o f VJhitman Creek, T i l l over- ly in g la cu str in e bed. Chain r e e l r e s ts on upper contact o f dense, b lue-gray s i l t , u n it 3 of sec tio n XXIX, K in gsv ille tovmsliip, June, 19^7 .

109

Section XXX

Location; 1,900 f e e t west o f Route 90 (extended), and 1,U00 f e e t northeast o f sec tio n XXIX,

Top (E levation: 63^ f e e t ) Feet

1. T i l l , Upper, B uff, grading dovmward in to gray. The u n it has thickened from the 5 f e e t recorded 200 fe e t to the southvrest. Toward the northeast some 100 f e e t , i t s middle one-th ird c o n s is ts o f pebbly, cobbly, wavy, laminated beds o f t i l l and sand. Cobbles in the laminated t i l l are angular and l i e in the bedding surface; although in the nonbedded t i l l immediately above, no apparent alignment e x is t s . Sharp b asa l contact. (F igs. U2 and U3), 20

2. Laminated c la y and s i l t , gray. Gradational lovrer contact, through which m assiveness o f the c lay , small red p eb b le-size c la y bodies and larger le n ses ,and th in pebbly, c la y beds increase. 1 8 .S

3. T i l l , Lower, About 1$0 f e e t to the northeast, the upper contact slop es 1 2 , degrees east-n orth east, on a concave arc; an o u tlin e follow ed by the lovrer la y ers o f urdt 2, 22.2

61

Beyond sec tio n XXX, the so -c a lled Upper T i l l of th is paper,

gen era lly represented throughout the study area by a tough, com­

pacted, pebbly t i l l , i s replaced in the section fo r the next 3,000

f e e t , by a sandy, pebbly poorly compacted m ateria l, but s t i l l re­

garded as t i l l by the author. This nevf u n it i s underlain by lacu s­

tr in e sand and clay; below which l i e s a member o f tough t i l l , under­

la in by more la cu str in e c la y , and then the Lovrer T i l l , Accordingly,

the author co rre la tes the ty p ic a l Upper T i l l v/ith the t i l l u n it

in the middle of sec tio n XXXI. For the salee o f convenience, the

th ird t i l l phase i s c a lle d the "Uppermost" t i l l . I t i s p o ssib le

1 1 0

F ig . I|.2. View o f laminated t i l l , 100 f e e t I>IE of sec tio n XXX, Note the bedding alignment o f cobbles in the lam inated la y ers; the randomly d irected cobbles in the non-laminated portion; and the la y ers o f sand betvreen in terbeds o f t i l l . View toward the NE. Iîingsvi]l.e tovmship. June, 1957.

I l l

Fig. U3. Topogr^hic form eroded from the laminated t i l l o f sec tio n XXX. The hase o f the form r e s ts on the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e c la y and s i l t (aga in st which the hoard i s lea n in g ). Vievf tovrard the southeast. Board i s $ f e e t lon g . June, 1957.

1 1 2

th a t th is "Uppermost" t i l l represents ic e -r a fte d m aterial, or m aterial

deposited from f lo a t in g ic e -sh e e ts in to a shallevT arm o f a g la c ia l

lak e, because i t lacks compaction, and grades both to the north­

ea st and southwest in to water sorted d ep osits.

Section XXXI

Location; K in gsv ille Park A ssociation; 1,300 f e e t southwest o f Route 90 (extended).

Top (E levation: 636 f e e t ) Feet

1, T i l l , Sandy to loamy, pebbly, bro 'm; s o f t and fr ia b le , and ^ p a r en tly h igh ly permeable, Uh- compacted. Stands out as r idges separating r i l l - eroded amphitheatres. The pebbles are angular,and range up to cobbles in s ize , , , , , ..................... 12

2, Pebble-free s i l t and c la y . Upper one-th ird i s dense and hard. Fine sand becomes more commonin the lower on e-h a lf, decreasing the conpactness.Faint tra ces o f lam inations occur, and red c lay bodies appear near the base, Gray-bro\m ............................ l5

3, T i l l , Upper, Hard, gray-brow n..................................................l6

U, Fine sand and s i l t . Contacts are very irregu lar ,and o ften the u n it in ter fin g er s v/ith the t i l l , e sp e c ia lly the overlying t i l l . The u n it has under­gone strong d is to r tio n , th ickening and thinning by as much as 6 f e e t v e r t ic a l ly fo r 12 f e e t hori­zo n ta lly ............................................................ S

$, T i l l , Lower, Hard, g r a y ...............................................................13SÏ

To vard the northeast a len s o f sand emerges from the contact

betTreen the Uppermost T i l l and i t s subjacent la cu str in e member,

and th ickens at the expense o f the t i l l .

113

Section XXXII

Location; lü n gsv ille-on -th e-L ak e, UOO f e e t w est o f Route 90 (extended).

Top (E levation: 635 f e e t ) Feet

1. T i l l ; s i l t y c la y , pebbly to cobbly, crumbly, brovm . 3 .5

2a. Fine sand, brovm. L enticular. Tongues out in to u n it 1, 500 f e e t to the northeast, for a to t a llength of 1,200 f e e t ............................ 6

b. Laminated s i l t and c la y , gray-broim. Topped by large b locks o f dense, pebb le-free s i l t y c lay ................................................................................................13 .5

3. T i l l , The i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e c lay and s i l to f the sec tio n s to the southvrest are not inevidence. The author b e lie v e s th at the la cu str in e m aterial overlying th is u n it i s equivalent to u n it 2 o f sec tio n XXXI . ............................................................ 35

5775The author has traced u n it 2b, the laminated c lay and s i l t

member o f sec tio n XXXII, 1800 f e e t to the northeast, vdiere i t th in s

out in to the contact betvreen the Uppermost T i l l and the tj’p ic a l

Upper T i l l .

On the other hand, the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e member which occu­

p ie s the sec tio n between the Upper and Lower T i l l s , though absent

at sec tio n XXXII, returns to the b lu ff at a p o in t about 1,200 f e e t

to the northeast o f the sec tio n , and a t an e lev a tio n o f 25 f e e t

above the beach. However, i t i s interm ixed v/ith t i l l , e rra tic in

d istr ib u tio n , and undulates v/ith a r e l i e f o f 5 to 10 f e e t on the

Icnver contact. Because o f the capricious d is tr ib u tio n of the

la cu str in e beds, i . e . , abrupt thickening and th inning, erosion

and mass wasting have developed a sawtooth o u tlin e on the b lu ff .

Iiu

l ik e th at on the fa u lted fro n t o f a stream d issec ted b lock mountain.

The la cu str in e m ateria l, where thickened, rea d ily washes, flow s

and slumps; where thinned, the b lu f f stands as triangu lar fa c e ts .

This b lu ff , s tra tig ra p h iea l ly and topographically, resembles th at

found 1 1 / 2 m iles southvrest o f the Ashtabula Harbor west breakwater

(Tig. 36),

Section XXXIII

Location: 300 f e e t southwest of the second creek e a st o f Route90, or 2,600 f e e t east o f Route 90,

Top Feet

1, Sandy loam; b u ff, mixed vdth angular rock frag­ments, Grades la te r a l ly in to brown laminatedsand and c lay . Sharp contact.....................................................8 ,5

2, T i l l , Upper, Basal contact approxim ate........................13

3, S i l t and clay; some lam ination. Variable th ickness , 5

U. T i l l , L ow er...................................................................................... 30__333

Section XXXIII remains ty p ica l of the b lu ff section fo r a

distance of 3,000 f e e t , whereupon u n it 1 grades in to sand, a fter

passing through a zone containing large pockets o f gravels, 8 x U

f e e t in c ro ss -se c tio n a l area.

Section XXXIV

Location: 3,750 f e e t Trest o f Harmon Road, or 1,700 f e e t south­w est o f groin at f i r s t creek vrest o f Harmon Road,

Top (E levation: ca. 636 fe e t ) Feet

1 . Buff sand and s i l t , grading dcrymward in to c lay .Lower contact i s apparently gradational, although toward the northeast a sharp contact i s present , . 5 .5

2. T i l l , Upper. Buff, grading dov/nTcard in to b lu e- grajr. Lower contact i s marked by zone o f redcla y p a r t ic le s . ..................................................................... 6.5!

3. Blue-gray s i l t and c lay . Pebble-free. Sharplovrer c o n t a c t ................................................... 6

U. T i l l , Lovrer....................................................................................... I4I

At the s i t e o f sec tio n XXXV belov/, the in tergrad ation al zone

between the Upper T i l l .and the superjacent la cu str in e claj'' i s marked

by an a ltern atin g sequence o f t i l l and la cu str in e m aterial through

an 8 fo o t zone. Thus i t sçspears th at the upper portion o f the t i l l

was probably deposited from a flu ctu a tin g ic e margin in to a pro­

g la c ia l lake.

Section XXXV

Location: 3^0 f e e t w est o f Harmon Road.

Top (E levation: 6U0 fe e t ) Feet

la . Sand, s i l t and c la y m ixture. At the base l i e s ahorizon ta l la y er o f rounded pebbles, 3 inches th ick . 1 .3

lb . Clay and s i l t v/ith minor pebble population;m ottled bu ff and gray. Pebbles are sub-angular.The m aterial resembles the alluvium found in the terraces o f the lo c a l streams. Doi-mward, i t be­comes a s o l id b u ff and more clayey , featu rin g strong spheroidal contortion s. The b a sa l zone contains b locks o f hard, gray, pebbly c la y , mixed T/ith red c la y , and some sand; and grades downward in to the Upper T i l l . . .......................................... 8

2. T i l l , Upper. Pebbly laminated c la y and s i l t , and pockets o f sand occur about 3 f e e t from the top, and extend fo r 300 f e e t to the e a st , v/here slump covers the fea tu re . The lovrer part o f the t i l l grades in to the subjacent la cu str in e c l a y .....................23

116

3. Laminated, p eb b le-free c la y and s i l t . Contorted.Includes le n se s o f f in e sand in the upper p art.Red c la y le n se s occur near the sharply definedb a s e ......................... . 1 0

U. T i l l , L ow er.......................................... 2k52

About 7^0 f e e t to the northeast o f sec tio n XXXV, the lovrer

contact o f u n it 3 on the Lower T i l l f a l l s to a h eigh t o f 1$ f e e t

above the beach (37^ f e e t ) .

Another $00 f e e t northeastward, sand becomes the dominant

con stitu en t o f the topmost u n it in the b lu f f .

Section XXXVI

Location: 300 f e e t southwest of second creek ea st of HarmonRoad, and 2,0^0 f e e t e a st o f Harmon Road.

Top (E levation: 627 fe e t ) Feet

1. Sand, b u ff, f in e to coarse, binded v/ith s i l t yc la y , roughly bedded. Sharp b asa l contact . . . . . 13

2. T i l l , Upper. B lue-gray, r e la t iv e ly high s i l tcontent ............................................................. 26

3. Laminated c la y and sand, brown-gray v/ith red c laynear the base U. 3

U. T i l l , Lovrer. Very p e b b ly ........................................................ 10337^

Between sec tio n s XXXV and XXXVI, a ltern atin g beds o f pebbly

c la y and le n se s o f s i l t and f in e sand become the p r in c ip a l l i t h o ­

lo g ie types in the Upper T i l l .

Toward the northeast from sec tio n XXXVI, u n it 1 th ick ens. Thus

1,230 f e e t northeast o f the sec tio n i t c o n s is ts o f —

117

a« Fine sand, ir reg u la r ly bedded . . . . f e e tb . Gravel layer mixed rri-th f in e s . . . . 0 .^ fo o tc . Beach sand, coarse, medium to

f in e . Bedded to cross-bedded . . . . 12 .0 f e e tl8 .0 f e e t

Another U50 f e e t northeastward, and the above u n it has increased

to 27 f e e t .

Section XXXVII

Location; 1,100 f e e t w est o f Poor Road.

Top (E levation: 6Ip. f e e t ) Feet

la . Sand T/ith some s i l t , b u f f ........................................... 28

lb . Fine sand and s i l t , b lu e -g r a y ............................................. 7

2. T i l l ............................................................... 31

Beyond sec tio n XXX7II, vegeta tion and slunç) obscure the ex­

posures o f b lu ff l ith o lo g y . N evertheless, the Incomplete exposures

in d ica te th at the general stra tigrap h ie p ic tu re remains e s s e n t ia l ly

unchanged fo r the 7,300 f e e t d istance to the eastern boundary o f

K in gsv ille township.

Conneaut Township

The broad d ep osition a l basin ou tlin ed in the upper h a lf of

the b lu ff o f eastern K in gsv ille township continues in to Conneaut

tovmship, where h a lf o f the b lu ff sec tio n i s dominated by la cu s­

tr in e sand and subordinate c la y . The remaining h a lf c o n s is ts of

t i l l . The heavy wash and slippage o f la cu str in e m aterial over the

t i l l make i t d i f f i c u l t to trace continuously the contact betvreen

the Upper and Lo\rer T i l l s .

1 1 8

As the c i t y o f Conneaut i s approached^ the Upper contact on

the Upper T i l l r is e s u n t i l the la cu str in e u n it th in s to 11 f e e t

at Conneaut To-vvnship Park, and 3 f e e t at the Ohio-Pennsylvania

border.

At the western toimship l in e o f Conneaut, the upper le v e ls

of the sand u n it , v/ith e lev a tio n s ranging between 635 and 650 fe e t ,

c o n s ist o f ty p ic a l beach sand; end the author p o stu la tes th at these

d ep osits v/ere la id dcry/n in Lalce Grassmere (6U0 f e e t ) . Underlying

laminated c lays are probably o f Lake Warren Age. T i l l s are probably

Late Cary as d iscussed under General Stratigraphy o f the S u r f ic ia l

D eposits.

Section XXXVIII

Location: 500 f e e t ea st o f the K in gsv ille -L ak ev ille boundary,(west Conneaut tv /p line).

Top (E levation: 6U6 fe e t ) Feet

la . Buff s i l t and c la y , p e b b le - f r e e ................................... 3 .5

lb . Fine sand, cross s e t s one fo o t th ick , dipping3hP e a s t , (dune sand?)............................................................ 2

I c . Medium sand and cobbles. The very coarse la y ers a ltern ate v/ith v /e ll sorted , medium, quartz sand beds T/hich include a zone o f b lack iron I’u s t coat­ing granules and sand grains. The author b e lie v e s th at the lim o n ite -r ich zone i s the end product of the v/eathering o f m agnetite r ich la y ers in beach sand. B elieved to be Lalce Grassmere in age . . . 12

Id . Laminated sand, s i l t and clay . Sand beds d isa­ppear v/ith depth, and the u n it becomes a l l c la y near the b a s e ............................................................................. 17

2. T i l l , U pper............................................... .............................. 11

119

3. Lacustrine s i l t and c lay . Irregular and in d is t in c tcontacts ........................................................................................... 6

U. T i l l , Lcu’/ e r ....................................................................................... 18

About 1 m ile separates sec tio n XXXVIII from sectio n XXXIX.

The c o lls p se o f h lu ff m ateria ls and the overgrovrth o f vegeta tion

prevented the measurement of good sec tio n s. Ho-vTever, enough of

the lith o lo g y i s v is ib le to in d ica te th at the o v e ra ll stratigrap h ie

re la t io n s remain constant.

Section XXXIX

Top (E levation: ca. 6U3 fe e t ) Feet

la . Compact sand and s i l t , b u f f ............................................. 1

lb . Gravel, f in e sand, s i l t ..................................................... 3

Id . Gravel, sh in g les , granules, medium sand; cer ta in la y ers poorly sorted . Erosional b asa l contact (F ig . U U )................................................................. 3

l e . S i l t y c la y , brovm .................................................................. 1

I f . Fine sand, high quartz content, interbeds one fo o t th ick , a ltern ate v ith brovm s i l t , one-h alf fo o t t h i c k .................................................................................... 3

Ih. Thinly laminated very f in e send and s i l t y c la y . 12

2. T i l l . Contains ty p ic a l i n t e r t i l l la cu str in em aterial about 12 f e e t belov; the upper contact of the t i l l . Hovrever, ta lu s and slunp obscure the exact r e la t io n s h ip s ........................................................ 37

SF

hortheastward, both laminated and sandy la cu str in e u n its be­

gin to th in on a r is in g t i l l contact, as shovm by sec tio n s XL

to XLII.

1 2 0

Section XL

Location; 900 f e e t e a st o f T/liitney Road.

Top (E levation: 638 fe e t ) Feet

1. Fine sand, w e ll sorted , b u ff, b a sa l gravel.Sharp contact from which water seeps . . . . . . . 20

2. T i l l . Covered by creeping b lu ff m aterial dovm to beach .................................................................................... Ul;

SC

Section XLI

Location: B lu ff ju s t w est of Conneaut Township Park,

Top (E levation: 627 fe e t ) Feet

1 . Pine sand, b u ff. Grades do^mward in to laminated c la y and s i l t . Lower 1 .5 f e e t i s gray. Sharpb a sa l c o n t a c t ........................................................... 11

2. T i l l , Contains tra ces o f la cu str in e m aterialhalfway do m the u n i t .............................................................. 35

Section XLII

Location: 500 f e e t w est o f the Pennsylvania border.

Top Feet

1 . Sand, f in e , b u ff; grading doimward in to c la y . . 3

2. T i l l , bouldery (to fo o t o f b l u f f ) ............................... 3639

The Origin o f Loam at the Top o f the Stratigraphie Section

A type o f loam resembling the lo c a l alluvium, here sandy, there

clayey and o ften pebbly, occurs u b iqu itously over the Lake P lain

and at the top o f the b lu f f sec tio n . I t grades la t e r a l ly from a

t i l l - l i k e lith o lo g y to one th a t i s purely la c u s tr in e , and includes

1 2 1

Fig, UI4.. Section XXXIX, Gravel beds o f u n it Id , on f in e , bedded sand of l e . Observe disconformable contact o f Id on l e . Thickness o f sec tio n shovm i s about S f e e t . July, 19^7.

1 2 2

b a s a l p o ck e ts o f g ra v e l. The au thor reg a rd s t h i s u n i t as th e p ro ­

duct o f sh ee t wash a c tin g on t i l l and la c u s t r in e d e p o s its o f th e

Lalce P la in , The p ro ce ss could have talcen p la ce e i th e r as a te rm i­

n a l la c u s t r in e e f f e c t an d /o r as a s u b a e r ia l development.

Under th e f i r s t co n d itio n , th e au tho r p o s tu la te s th a t th e re

was a p o in t in th e f a l l i n g s tag e of th e g la c ia l lalce le v e l when

th e w ater became too shallow to perm it e x ten s iv e tr a n s p o r t o f m a te r ia l

from a r e a d i ly e ro d ib le bottom and shore , Tlius i t was p robab le

th a t lo c a l m a te r ia l on th e topograph ic h ig h s , as i t became d isag g re ­

gated by th e s a tu ra t in g e f f e c t o f la k e w a ter, v/as m erely spread

over th e Icn-rer a re a w ith o u t ex ten s iv e s o r tin g where th e g ra d ie n t

was low, and vri-th b e t t e r s o r t in g where th e s lo p es and th e permea­

b i l i t y o f th e su rface p e rm itte d i t .

Under th e second co n d itio n , m eteoric sh ee t wash a c tin g on

low g ra d ie n ts o r h ig lily perm eable s lo p es could accom plish th e same

end. Loam d e p o s its o f K in g sv ille and Conneaut tovm ships and e ls e ­

where r e s t d i r e c t ly on co arse and medium sands p o s tu la te d as having

been d ep o sited in Lakes Grassmere and Lundy, th e l a s t g la c ia l la k e s

re p o rte d f o r th e Lalce P la in in th e study a re a . Thus i t i s p robab le

th a t most o f the loam d e p o s its p o s td a te th e p e rio d o f g la c ia l la k e s .

Also the h ig h p e rm e a b ility o f th e sand beds over which some su rface

ru n o ff must t r a v e l would i n h ib i t g u lly in g , s in ce so much w a ter i s

l o s t by seepage in to th e ground. On th e o th e r hand, d ep o s itio n o r

spread ing of m a te r ia l dovmslope by sh ee t wash would be fav o red .

123

Summary of the B lu ff Stratigraphy betTreen Fairport and the Ohio-Pennsylvania Border

i^parently, the ch a ra cter is tic stratigrap h ie sequence o f an

Upper T i l l overlying th ick la cu str in e c lay , s i l t and sand, which

in turn r e s t on the Lcn'rer T i l l , found in western P a in e sv ille , repre­

sen ts the northeastern extension of a sim ilar sequence th at makes

up the b lu ff o f northeastern Mentor tovmship on the western side

o f the Grand River V alley. The i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e u n it remains,

a member o f the lith o lo g y fo r about 3 m iles ea st o f the Grand River

mouth, and l ik e i t s counterpart on the west side of the River, seems

incapable o f m aintaining the heavy overburden of the %per T i l l .

Thus heavy slurping a f fe c ts the shore o f Paine s v i l l e toim ship,

as i t does th at o f the Mentor Headlands area.

The i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e d ep osits d is^ p ea r from the sec tio n

as a s ig n if ic a n t u n it across Periy and Madison tovmships, and only

a contact zone, which one may trace at in terv a ls across Perry tovm­

ship remains. This zone revea ls i t s e l f by a p h y sica l, undulatory

break in the m onolithic face o f the t i l l , by the presence o f fa t ty ,

p eb b le-free c lay , s i l t and sand, boulder pavements, and.by dense,

fa t ty , red c la y le n se s , and i t m aintains a general e leva tion rang­

ing between ^73 and j?77 f e e t .

Lacustrine laminated c la y , s i l t and sand, superj acent to the

t i l l , gain prominence in the section from vrestern Perry tovmship

toward the northeast, and a tta in a maximum th iclm ess o f around

30 f e e t in cen tra l Perry to\m sliip. Thence they undergo thinning.

12U

as another sandy la cu str in e member, overlying the laminated beds

in creases to i t s maximum th ick n ess of 3E> f e e t in the b lu f f o f w est­

ern Madison township. This sand u n it c o n s is ts o f d ep osits la id

dovm in Lakes Grassmere and Lundy. On i t s p art, the Upper T i l l

undergoes progressive th inning northeastvrard across eastern Perry

toTmship, and f a l l s below beach le v e l .

Across Madison tovmship, the b lu ff , having undergone a rapid

decline in e lev a tio n ju s t ea st o f Haines Road, in the western part

of the tovmship, a t the e:<pense o f the sand u n it , maintains a height

of 10 to 1^ f e e t , a l l the way to Cowles Greek in western Geneva

township, vihere i t abruptly r is e s . Across th is area, the contact

on the t i l l remains near lake le v e l , i . e . , 373 to 3TU fe e t . V/ith

the return o f the b lu f f to top o g r^ h ic prominence, the Upper T i l l

reoccupies the sec tio n at the top of the b lu f f . Sluttqping across

Geneva and western Saybrook townships, l ik e th a t in P a in e sv ille

tovmship, a lso returns. Auger borings by the D iv ision o f Shore

Erosion, revea l th at the ty p ic a l Upper T i l l o f compacted, s i l t y

c la y i s about lit f e e t th ick , and th at i t o v e r lie s a 23 fo o t th ick ,

someivhat permeable, pebble-poor to pebb le-free u n it o f s i l t y t i l l ,

and la cu str in e sandy to c layey m aterial.

Beyond Saybrook Tovmship Park, the la cu str in e i n t e r t i l l u n it

th in s out, and the b asa l contact of the Upper T i l l returns to beach

le v e l . On approaching Red Brook, sand appears in the top section

of the b lu f f , th ickening tovfard the brook.

125

East o f Red Brook, the lacu str in e c la y betvreen the Upper T i l l

and the overlying sand bed a tta in s lo c a l inportance, but th in s

rapidly against a r is in g t i l l contact, a fter an exposure o f 600

f e e t . The sand bed at the top o f the b lu ff le n se s out -vvithin 2,500

f e e t o f Red Brook. On the other hand, the i n t e r t i l l contact, near

beach le v e l , becomes vrell d elin eated by a boulder pavement, and

about 2,500 f e e t northeast o f Red Brook expands to include rather

th ick d ep osits o f la cu str in e m aterial.

On both s id es o f Red Brook, the stratigraphy throvTS some l ig h t

on the h isto ry o f the stream. The b a sa l contacts o f both la cu str in e

u n its - th a t on top of the Upper T i l l , and th a t betvTeen the t i l l s -

dip invrard toward the present v a lle y o f Red Brook, and probably

represent the c ro ss -se c tio n s o f an cestra l v a lle y s o f the present

stream, one of which was o b litera ted by drowning and g la c ia tio n ,

and the other by drowning in one o f the la te g la c ia l lalces.

Toward A shtabula tovm ship, th e i n t e r t i l l l a c u s t r in e m a te r ia l

r i s e s in th e s e c tio n , and th in s to th e b e n e f i t of th e Lower T i l l ,

which th roughout e a s te rn Saybrook a t ta in s an exposed th ic k n e ss o f

18 to 20 f e e t . However, in A shtabula tovmship, th e c o n tac t on th e

Lovrer T i l l f a l l s again belovr beach le v e l as th e r iv e r i s approached,

and a l l la c u s t r in e m a te r ia l d isap p ears from th e se c tio n , save f o r

a th in capping o f loamy m a te r ia l .

On th e e a s te rn s id e o f th e A shtabula R iver, th e Lov/er T i l l

re tu rn s to i t s p o s i t io n of prominence about 2 m ile s from the r iv e r .

126

and re ta in s t h is p o s it io n in to Conneaut tovmship. In l ik e manner,

the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e beds return to the sec tio n , and a tta in a

maximum th ickness o f 3$ f e e t a t T,hitman Creek in the border area

of Ashtabula and K in gsv ille tovmships. The Upper T i l l , exclu sive

of the area ea st o f the c i t y of Conneaut, novhere a tta in s the I4O

fo o t th ickness o f eastern Paine s v i l l e tovmship, i t f lu c tu a te s vd.thin

short d istan ces, and ranges betv/een 6 and 30 f e e t .

F a ir ly th ick (17 f e e t ) d ep osits o f laminated la cu str in e c lay ,

superjacent to the Upper T i l l , crop out between R u ssell and Labounty

Roads o f Ashtabula township, vhere the u n it occupies an ^ p aren t

bench, cut by an an cestra l Ashtabula River on the t i l l . The la cu s­

tr in e m aterial a lso grades dowmvard in to a tough c lay , v/ith sm all,

rounded pebbles or granules, and some red c la y , although the contact

on the t i l l remains marked by a p h ysica l break.

Above th ese lam inated beds l i e sand d ep osits , 7 to 20 f e e t

th ick . Both la cu str in e u n its term inate, in essen ce, against the

r is in g t i l l contact at Labounty Road. The sand u n it , l ik e th at

of Perry and Madison tovmships, forms a low topographic htmçi, and

i s regarded by the author as a d ep osition a l form la id dovm in Lake

Grassmere, and now truncated by the Lalce Erie b lu ff .

Across eastern KLngsville and a l l o f Conneaut tovmship v/est

of the c i t y o f Conneaut, sand d ep osits , to 6 m iles in b lu f f length ,

and m ostly 30 to 3^ f e e t th ick , occupy the b lu f f sec tio n . The

upper portion o f the d ep osits was probably la id dovm in G lacia l

Lalce Glassmere, 61+0 f e e t in e lev a tio n .

127

Northeast o f Whitman Creek of K in gsv ille tovTnship, two an cestra l

v a lle y s were cut and f i l l e d in the b lu f f sec tio n . The older v a lle y

was eroded in to the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e c la y , and then f i l l e d

m th sand, and sealed by the %per T i l l . The younger v a lle y was

excavated farth er eastward in to the Upper T i l l . This v a lle y was

then drovmed by one o f the g la c ia l lalces, f i l l e d vdth la cu str in e

c lay , and covered by a la te r phase o f the lÿiper T i l l or reworked

g la c ia l m ateria l.

Other in tr a g la c ia l v a lle y s antedating the Upper T i l l are por­

trayed in the b lu f fs adjacent to the Grand River, Ashtabula River,

and the aforementioned Red Brook.

THE LATE mSCONSIN HISTORY OF THE STUDY AREA

The ancestra l bedrock v a lle y s o f the Grand and Ashtabula r iv ers

predate the g la c ia l t i l l o f the study area by v ir tu e o f the fa c t

th at the t i l l s o f the Lalce P la in and the Lake Escarpment moraines

occupy segments o f th ese v a lle y s . On the other hand, the evidence

seems to in d ica te th a t the Conneaut River arrived in to the area

as a p o s t - t i l l event, s ince an ancestral v a lle y o f th is stream

Tfas not loca ted in the area. Moreover, along the w esterly course

of the Conneaut River, a northern bedrock w all to the bedrock floored

v a lle y i s v ir tu a l ly absent. Thus the fa l l in g surface o f the Lake

Escarpment forms the southern w a ll, from which the bedrock surface

descends northward to the Lake, independently o f the course o f the

above stream. Thus i t appears th at the Conneaut River i s con tro lled

topographically , e ith er by the presence o f the bedrock con tro lled

moraines or by the former ex isten ce o f an ic e - fr o n t in the area.

One o f the an cestra l bedrock v a lle y s of th e Lcnver Grand River

runs southwest betvreen the Mentor Marsh and the Lake Erie b lu ff

to enter the present basin of the lake under Mentor Harbor, where

i t jo in s the buried Kirtland v a lle y (P late IX) at an e lev a tio n of

^09 f e e t . Likev/ise, the ancestral v a lle y o f the Ashtabula River

enters the lalce s l ig h t ly west o f i t s present s i t e , and about 1

m ile offshore l i e s a t an e lev a tio n of 5o6 f e e t . Thus i t appears

th a t a period o f very low lake le v e ls preceded by some unlcnovm

1 2 8

129

in ter v a l o f time the deposition of the Lovrer T i l l . I t i s o f in te r ­

e s t to note th at such lor/ la lc e -le v e ls , i . e . , a d ifferen ce o f 69

f e e t from the present le v e l , vreuld v ir tu a l ly empty most o f the

vre s te m and cen tra l p arts o f the lake i f one assumes th at the same

basin morphology ex isted then as e x is t s today.

Both o f these v a lle y s were buried under the Lower T i l l and

inundated by the g la c ia l lak es th a t succeeded the period o f ic e

invasion . The author has found no c lea r evidence, such as a v a lle y

cut in to the Lower T i l l , to in d ica te th at the Grand River used any

of i t s o u t le ts in the study area or in the immediate v ic in it y to

the southwest at th at tim e. Accordingly, the author assumes th at

the r iv er was d iverted by the ic e , presumably in to the Chagrin-

Cuyahoga system v ia one of the buried channels between the Lakes

Warren and W hittlesey beaches. On the other hand, the Ashtabula

River and Red Brook o f Saybrook tovmship did carve channels in to

the Lovrer T i l l s in the v ic in it y o f th e ir present courses (P late XU) .

The i n t e r t i l l g la c ia l lalce stretched a t le a s t from one end

of the study area to the other, and continued fo r an unlcnovm d is ­

tance in to Pennsylvania on the northeast, and at le a s t as fa r south­

vrest as Mentor Harbor. The th ick ness o f the laminated c lay , pre­

served in th is b asin , lo c a l ly equals th at deposited in the p o st-

üpper T i l l g la c ia l lak es o f the area. This i s e sp e c ia lly true

in the Kingsville-Conneaut townships border area, where 33 f e e t

o f la cu str in e c la y have survived g la c ia l erosion . In th is area,

a 2,000 fo o t vdde an cestra l v a lle y o f Whitman Creek was cut in to

130

the laminated c lay , and then f i l l e d \Tith 17 f e e t o f f in e to medium

sand. From th is one may conclude th at more than one i n t e r t i l l

g la c ia l- la k e episode had transpired, since a fter deposition of

the la cu str in e c lay had taken p lace , there must have been a period

of lake re trea t and readvance to permit cu ttin g and f i l l i n g of the

v a lle y .

Subsequently, the ic e -sh e e t readvanced to the Lake Escarpment,

eroding, incorporating and red istr ib u tin g most o f the la cu str in e

c la y under i t . Those beds l e f t behind vrere, vri.th lo c a l exceptions,

badly d istorted .

Concomitant vriLth the mthdrarfal o f the ic e -sh e e t the period

of the g la c ia l lak es began, and the record of th e ir presence i s

la r g e ly preserved as beaches and b lu f fs on the Lake P la in . These

lakes rose and f e l l from one le v e l o f shore to anotherj and the

e lev a tio n o f each strand lin e was governed by the flu ctu a tin g margin

of the waning ic e sh eets , which covered and uncovered o u t le ts of

the severa l Great Lalces o f th a t tim e, and by u p l i f t o f the Canadian

Shield . The l i th o lo g ie pattern o f the la cu str in e claj''" in the Lalce

Erie b lu f f , wherein the la cu str in e c ls y grades dovnrnTard in to t i l l

in many o f the l o c a l i t i e s , suggests th at the i n i t i a l lalces were

p ro g la c ia l and th at the la cu str in e environment o f deposition merged

Tfith th at o f the t i l l . This i s emphasized by the presence o f blocks

of t i l l in the la cu str in e c la y of section XXVIII, u n it lb , of Kings­

v i l l e township (p. lOU).

131

About 15 le v e l s o f g la c ia l and p o s tg la c ia l lake le v e l s have

been catalogued fo r the Lalce Erie basin by Leverett and Taylor

(191^, p . 397). Since the reso lu tion o f a l l th ese sh orelin es in

the study area was beyond the scope of th is work, the author con­

tented h im self vdth the recogn ition of only those which were o f

stra tigrap h ie inçortance to the study; i . e . , Lalces Y fliittlesey,

V/’arren, Grassmere, Lundy and the lovrer stages o f Lake E rie. Tlie

fo llow in g g la c ia l lalces, th e ir sequence (beginning w ith the o ld e s t) ,

e lev a tio n s and o u t le ts are summarized from the vfork o f Hough (19^8,

p. 283) , and presented in Table I I .

Lake 7 /h ittle sey , which has developed strong b lu f fs across

the southern part o f the study area, has been dated as 12,800 _ 2^0

years before present. Lake Lundy, the beach o f which b r ie f ly crosses

northern I'adison tovmship, was given a p o ss ib le radiocarbon date

o f 8,^13 + ^00 years before present (Ooldthvrait, 1938. p . 2 l8 ) .

The evo lu tion o f Lake Erie from the 3U3 fo o t stage to the

373 fo o t le v e l i s probably b e s t reconstructed from the deposits

buried in the lovrer course o f the Grand River, as revealed by borings.

East o f Fairport, the old abandoned course of the Grand River trends

southw esterly to Mentor-on-the-Lalce v ia the southerly bovred Mentor

Marsh. The v a lle y i s in c ise d in to t i l l to an e lev a tio n of 33 l f e e t

at Fairport, and ^hh f e e t at Mentor-on-the-Lake, fo r a gradient

of roughly 1 .3 f e e t per m ile over the U.3 m ile course.

132

TABLE II

SEQUEI'ÎTIAL LAICE STAGES OF THE ERIE BASIN

Name o f Lake E lev a tio n in Feet G lac ia l Event O u tle t

Maumee I 800 Cary Ice R e trea t to th e T in ley - D efiance Moraine

F o rt Wayne to Wabash R iver

Maumee I I 760 F a rth e r R e trea t o f Ice

Saginai7Bay-

Maumee I I I 780 Cary Ice Advance F o rt Wayne to th e Lalce to Wabash Escarpment Moraine River

Arkona I , I I , I I I 710 700, 69$

Ice R e trea t GrandRiver

Lo\t Stage (?) ? C ary-Port Huron I n te r s ta d ia l

?

Arkona TV 69s P o rt Huron Ice Advance

GrandRiver

Y ih ittlesey 738 Ice R e trea t UblyChannel

V/arren I , I I 690, 682 Ice R e trea t Grand R iver

T’/fO Creek Loi? vrater Stage

? P o rt Huron - V alders i n t e r ­s ta d ia l

S t. David F i l le d gorge (?)

Wayne Advance & R e tre a t o f V alders Ice

ItohavvkRiver

Warren I I I 675 Ice R e trea t Grand R iver

Grassmere 6U0 LalceGlemTOod

Lundy 620 Lalce Calumet

E arly E rie 5U0 N iagara R iver

133

The sec tio n at the lower o u t le t c o n s ists o f I k f e e t o f medium

sand on 17 f e e t o f s i l t y muds, riiich in turn r e s ts on the t i l l .

Somewhere between the depths o f 9 and lU f e e t , i . e . , the e lev a tio n s

o f 566 and 561 f e e t , marsh d ep osits ai-e found in the sec tio n . At

the other end of th is v a lle y segment, on the w est side of the Grand

Hiver o f f Fairport, the fo llow in g represents a ty p ic a l section

recovered;

Top (E levation: 576.66 f e e t ) Elevation

1 . S oft, gray s i l t ............................ ...................................... .... 5732. S oft black peat ........................................................ 570.63. Sandy gray s i l t Tri.th seams of p e a t ................... 56U.6h. Loose medium to coarse gray sand and gravel , . , 553.05. Bro\-m sandy s i l t , some vegetation . ................. 55l.U6. Sandy t i l l .

S i l ty muds in the la cu str in e environment are genera lly a sso c i­

ated vri-th deeper water sedimentary fa c ie s . Thus the presence of

the b asa l s i l t y muds in the sec tio n at Hentor-on-the-Lalce in d ica tes

th a t the mouth o f the r iv er was already drovmed to a great depth

at the time of deposition or, at le a s t , th at the ra te o f droaming

exceeded the rate o f f lu v ia t i l e tr a c tio n a l sedim entation. From

the equivalent sand and gravel sec tio n upstream at F aiiport, i t

appears th at the s i t e o f sedm entation had already sh ifted upstream

from some p o in t dovm stream, beyond the present lo c a le o f luentor-

on-the-Laice.

Apparently the le v e l o f the laJce had tem porarily ha lted in

i t s climb or had slowed at some value betvraen 56 l and 56it f e e t ,

because sedim entation in the lower v a lle y vras able to catch up

13U

v/ith th e lalce v /a te rs, and marsh d e p o sits came in to e x is te n c e .

Upstream, the s tead y inflov/ o f co a rse r d e t r i tu s tap e red o f f in to

s i l t s ; and a lso a l te rn a te d v /ith m arsh-form ing co n d itio n s , as in d i­

ca ted by the beds of p e a t in te rb ed d ed v/ith th e s i l t . V/hereas i t

i s p o ss ib le th a t the source of the sand and g ra v e ls had d r ie d up,

the g re a te r p ro b a b i l i ty e x is t s th a t the stream meander a t F a iip o r t

a t t h i s tim e m ight have undergone in te r c is io n by th e -reced in g Iialce

E rie b lu f f , and thus d iv e rte d the r iv e r in to the lalce n o rth o f the

p re se n t harbor a t F a irp o r t . Tliis p a r t o f th e v a l le y must then have

become a baclcr/ater s e t t l i n g b a s in and swamp.

Subsequent in c re a se in th e le v e l o f th e lalce must have continued

slow ly, drcr/jning the v a l le y more, and in te n s i f jdng marsh co n d itio n s

over most o f th e v a l le y segment, a t e le v a tio n s between $6Q and

573 f e e t . Uoreover, a t 1,'entor-on-the-Lake, beach sand encroached

on th e v a l le y and began to s e a l i t o ff from th e lalce by damming.

Vfith th e opening o f the v a lle y to the lalce a t F a irp o r t , beach

m a te r ia l was ap p aren tly d riven in to th e v a l le y by wind and v/ater,

v /ith th e r e s u l t th a t a p o r tio n o f the marsh d e p o s its th e re was

covered v /ith sandy m a te r ia l up to an e le v a tio n of 580 f e e t , o r to

a depth of 7 f e e t .

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BLUFF LITHOLOGIES AND DEGRADATIONAL PROCESSES

Three major l i th o lo g ie types characterize the b lu ff con stitu en ts

o f the area;

1. Poorly cemented la cu str in e sand

2. Massive laminated and nonlaminated c lay , s i l t and sand

3. G lacia l t i l l

Sand d ep osits more than 5 fe e t th ick , as a ru le , occupy the

topmost sec tio n of the b lu f f , and are developed, 10 to 35 f e e t th ick ,

across the tcnmships of Perry and Madison in the southwest, and a l l

of Ashtabula County between Ashtabula and Conneaut Harbors. The

lone exception to the stra tigrap h ie p o s it io n o f these d ep osits i s

found in the border area of Ashtabula and K in gsv ille tovmships,

vdiere 17 f e e t o f sand u n d erlies 5 to 17 f e e t of Upper T i l l .

Invariably, the massive la cu str in e c la y s underlie the sand

d ep osits . N evertheless, in terms of th iclm ess, the c lays outrank

the superj acent d ep osits in western and cen tra l Perry tovmship,

and in Ashtabula tovmship, northeast of Ashtabula Harbor, where

they range in th ickness from l5 to 32 f e e t . The upper tw o-thirds

of th ese c la y s are gen era lly interbedded w ith sand and s i l t ; but

dovmward in the sec tio n th ese subordinate la y ers become scarcer

as the c la y increases in homogeneity and density .

135

136

R egionally, g la c ia l t i l l forms the dominant l ith o lo g ie type,

and ex h ib its a v ir tu a l ly complete b lu ff- fr o n t across P a in e sv ille ,

western Perry, Geneva, Saybrook and eastern Conneaut townships.

Only in eastern Perry and a l l o f Madison township does the t i l l

disappear as a strong l i th o lo g ie con stitu en t of the b lu ff .

The degradational processes include -

1. Chemical and p h ysica l weathering;

2. Mass w asting, i . e . , the tran sfer dovmslope en masse o f b lu ff debris under the primary in fluence of gravity; and

3. Erosion, prim arily by water and Tând.

Weathering in terms of freez in g and tha\’/ing, oxidation , h yd rolysis,

hydration and so lu tion attacks the t i l l s most, s in ce a great deal

o f the t i l l contains p a r t ic le s derived from igneous and metamoiphic

rocks. Freezing and thairLng disrupt s i l t - r i c h m aterial by the grovrbh

of ic e c r y s ta ls . Hematite and p y r ite in the t i l l s are hydrated to

lim onite; carbonates are leached in to so lu tio n , and i t i s assumed

th a t hydrolysis reduces igneous m inerals such as fe ldspar and mica

to c la y m inerals. The net e f fe c t of th is process i s one th at in ­

creases the bulk o f the weathered t i l l , loosen s i t and renders i t

more su scep tib le to movement, e sp e c ia lly where t l i is process has

acted in the deep v e r t ic a l jo in ts o f the t i l l . On the other hand,

hydration o f m agnetite layers in the sand deposits has produced

the liraon itic cementing m aterial th at helps to bind the sand b lu ff .

Mass wasting expresses i t s e l f in a vri.de spread of types th at

range from the f a l l of sand grains dcnm-bluff to the v e r t ic a l c o llsp se

137

of tons of undermined massive b locks o f t i l l ; from small mud flov;s

to ex ten sive slumping and creep. This process operates most e f f e c t ­

iv e ly in the b lu f fs of t i l l and la cu str in e c la y , and i s strongly

aided by the weathering and erosion a l processes.

Erosion occurs prim arily by m eteoric and subsurface w aters,

runoff and seepage, and by the motion o f lalce waters th a t erode

and remove m aterial by wave and current action . Y/'ind a c t iv ity

makes i t s e l f f e l t by i t s d e fla t io n a l e f f e c t s on the sandy b lu f f .

No one l i th o lo g ie type occupies a given stretch o f b lu f f to

the exclu sion of the other; nor does one type o f degradational

process operate on the b lu f f to exclu sion o f the other. Neverthe­

le s s , a cer ta in amount o f a sso c ia tio n does e x is t betvreen some o f

the degradational processes and a major l ith o lo g y o f a given area.

Degradation o f Sandy B lu ff D eposits

The b lu ff o f the Perry-lladison tovmship area e x h ib its , from

the top doimward, a 2$ to 3$ fo o t layer o f medium to very f in e sand

restin g on 1$ f e e t o f la cu str in e c la y , on 2 f e e t o f exposed t i l l .

The send u n i t m a in ta in s a s teep slope ranging from to 90 degrees

( f ig . 31 ). I t i s a lso p e re n n ia l ly damp to w et downward from the

uppermost 2 o r 3 f e e t , and c o n ta c t sp rin g s is su e from th e base over

th e la c u s tr in e beds.

One may a ttr ib u te the prevalence o f steep slop es on the sandy

b lu ff to (1) a s l ig h t in crease o f adhesion obtained by a tliin ,

cementing coat o f lim on ite on the in d iv idu a l grains; (2) strong

138

angularity o f the grains, and (3) the presence o f vadose -prater

seeping dovmvrard through the sands. These fa c to rs tend to increase

the intergranular fr ic t io n , so th at the angle o f in tern a l fr ic t io n ,

or angle o f repose (30 to 3^°), fo r lo o se ly p ile d sand i s grea tly

exceeded. As suggested by Kaye (19^0, p . 95-96), one may demon­

s tra te the importance of intergranular fr ic t io n on sand strength

by f i l l i n g a s o ft rubber bladder vriLth lo o se dry sand under atmos­

pheric pressure, and watching the r ig id ity of the sand increase

as the a ir in bladder i s evacuated. The increase in r ig id ity i s

attributed to the condition vfhereby the intergranular pressures

are ra ised by the sand bearing the vreight o f the atmosphere p ress­

ing on the bladder. This -weight i s roughly equivalent to an over­

burden o f 20 f e e t of sand. Dov’/npfai’d p erco lating -prater a lso adds

to the intergranular pressures, because the drag e f f e c t exercised

by the water on the sand grains acts to p u ll them together and

downward.

During periods of ra in , the high perm eability of the sand

preserves the upper portion of the b lu ff from strong sheet wash,

except under extreme con d itions. Hovrever, the r e la t iv e ly impermeable

f lo o r on the la cu str in e c lay serves as the substratum fo r contact

springs th at seep from the sand u n it. The basa l sand i s plucked

ai-ray and transported onto the beach as tr ic k le s forming mim.ature

allu -v ia l fans (F ig . U5). I f the springs become p a r ticu la r ly strong,

then large c a v it ie s develop in the b lu ff by co llap se o f the flanking

layers and masses in to the spring (F ig. 31).

139

This e f fe c t o f underground stream erosion acts to undermine

the fa ce o f the b lu ff in general, so th at th in la y e rs , chunlcs and

d iscre te p a r t ic le s f a l l o f f the fa ce as the general mass wasting

process. On the other hand, wave erosion by lake waters seldom

obtains the opportunity to attack the sand d ep osits d ir e c t ly since

these d ep osits maintain a p o s it io n recessed 10 to 30 f e e t above

the lak e, and 20 to lj.0 f e e t behind the s a lie n t subjacent t i l l and

la cu str in e c la y members. Wind d e fla tio n probably acts most e f f e c t ­

iv e ly during the dry summer months when the wind i s bloiving g u s t ily .

Most o f such m aterial Icnocked from the parent m aterial f a l l s as

ta lu s , and i s transported over the t i l l by the contact springs and

sheet wash.

The s itu a tio n described fo r the Madison-Perry township sand

deposits remains e s s e n t ia l ly the same fo r the Kingsville-Conneaut

d ep osits .

Degradation o f the Lacustrine C la y -S ilt Member

In terms o f i t s p h y sica l p rop erties, the la cu str in e c la y occu­

p ie s a tr a n s it io n a l zone between the members dominated by sand and

those dominated by g la c ia l t i l l . Since in most areas th ese dep osits

are capped by sand, contact springs from the upper contact pour

over the face o f the c la y beds to exercise a cer ta in amount of

sheet Tfash and r i l l erosion thereon. The e ffe c t iv e n e ss o f th is

type of erosion on a given u n it depends in great measure on the

character o f the lam inations. In the presence o f numerous permeable

lUo

sand la y ers , a great deal o f the moisture i s stored u n t i l f u l l satu­

ra tion of the sand beds i s accomplished. In such an even tu a lity ,

the c la y la y ers become p la s t ic and, weighted dovm by the excess

m oisture, may y ie ld p la c t ic a l ly . This i s e sp e c ia lly true o f the

lovrer massive p ortion o f the u n it, which c o n s ists m ostly o f c lay .

The en tire mass may then move over the t i l l contact as part flovf

and part sluiiç). Hovrever, actual s lid in g may depend on the dip of

the contact on the t i l l , s ince the dip does change from one lo c a l i t y

to another. East of Perry To^mship Park, s lid in g was observed

during the f i e ld season (P ig . U6), and there the dip of the contact

was lakeward. Southwest of the Park, the contact dips away from

the lak e, and fa ilu r e was observed to occur la r g e ly as flovr and

small sca le slumping and sapping of the la cu str in e u n it onto the

t i l l contact.

T/here the c la y la y ers tend to dominate the sand laminae, sheet

wash o f surface waters becomes e ffe c t iv e in removing a great deal

of the m ateria l. Chieruzzi and Baker (19$8, p. 8 l) p lace great

emphasis on th is process in th e ir d eta iled study o f the b lu ff at

Perry Township Park. The author concurs, but in region al terms,

b e lie v e s th at th is process as i t acts on the lacu str in e c lays i s

somewhat overshadovred by the processes o f mass w asting.

Degradation of B lu ffs Composed o f Competent G lacia l T i l l

C h a ra cter is tica lly , the t i l l c o n s is ts o f a heterogeneous as­

semblage o f preconsolidated p a r t ic le s ranging from c la y to boulders.

l i a

Fig. h$. A llu v ia l fan o f f in e sand formed on beach by spring issu in g from con­ta c t the sand member and the subjacent lacu s­tr in e c la y , Madison township, UOO f e e t south­w est o f Haines Road. Aug. 19^6.

1U2

r ig , k6. Lacustrine massive c la y s lid in g over contact On the Upper T i l l which forms the s a lie n t b lu ff member. Shear surface and contact marked by long h orizon ta l fra c ­ture. Height to shear surface = 13 f e e t . Observe v e r t i ­c a l f lu t in g 8 on the face o f the b lu f f , the product o f r i l l erosion by surface vrash and contact springs. Western Perry tv/p. Perry Tovmship Park l i e s on the d is ta n t promon­tory . View toward the southwest. July, 1955.

1U3

m .m '

Fig. U7. Scarred surface o f t i l l over T/hich saturated la cu str in e m aterial have s l id in a sudden descent a fter a period o f heavy ra in s , Ashtabula tv;p,, 3,^00 f e e t E of I ^ s s e l l Road. June, 19^7. Vieiv tcnTard the south.

110;

Mechanical analyses o f 12 samples, se lec ted from s i t e s in Perry,

Geneva, Saybrook, Ashtabula and K in gsv ille tovmships, reveal a

composition r ich in s i l t , c la y and very f in e sand, but dominated

by the s i l t and c la y fr a c tio n s (F ig . U8). Lateral consisten cy

or trend in the r a tio o f th ese co n stitu en ts, one to the other,

appears to be lack ing, Tliis observation i s p a r t ia l ly r e f le c te d

by changes in the behavior o f the mass wasting prop erties o f the

b lu ff from one lo c a l i t y to another.

With respect to the c la s s if ic a t io n based on the Atterberg

Lim its (F ig , U9), the data from l6 t i l l samples are p lo tted on

the P la s t ic it y Chart o f fig u re 50, There the t i l l s are shovm to

co n s ist prim arily of an inorganic s i l t y c lay vdth low to medium

p la s t ic i t y .

Where v ir tu a l ly the en tire b lu ff i s conposed of impermeable,

w ell-con so lid a ted t i l l , and the b lu ff i s under wave attack , a near

v e r t ic a l to v e r t ic a l face i s maintained.

Failure i s induced by d irec t wave undermining, u su a lly on

the e a s i ly eroded la cu str in e contact zone i f i t l i e s w ith in reach

of high waves, but above the general le v e l o f the lalce. S lid es

occur as sudden events, moving on near v e r t ic a l f is s u r e s and dump­

ing tons of m aterial on the be@.ch.

Such a b lu f f ty p if ie s the one-mile length of shore centering

on Blackmore Road in western perry tovmship. Here the b lu ff main­

ta in s a height of f e e t , and r is e s nearly v e r t ic a l ly from the

w ater's edge (F ig , 5 l ) , The contact zone betvreen the t i l l s ranges

116

S A N D (%-O'S Tnm)E X » = » t - C ? t ^

O O P P E * * ^ ‘A i_owe« T '‘-'-

- I —t S H C P P ! : C A R V r

“ “ I aS y' o-

S l i - T(O OS - 0 005

C l-A vY < o - O O S r« 'Y » ’

Fig. U8. Grain s iz e d istr ib u tio n of t i l l samples from the b lu f f o f Lake E rie, Perry to K in gsv ille ti'/ps. Numbers refer to the la s t two d ig it s of the sample numbers. In terms o f P leistocen e g eo lo g ica l age c la s s if ic a t io n , the s a n d -s ilt - c la y r a tio s do not f i t the d istr ib u tio n o f e ith e r Shepp's Cary I or Cary I I groupings. See Appendix B fo r numerical data.

1 U 6

f - ioH

60)(U 0Z 5 0

lrJO« G * < » C C I . A . V S o r L.Ovst PL^S”rt“

— c i T r

XMOPC ANJl c C U A - r S C P

M E O l ON/ \P i. a S X i c . i t y

2 0 __ 5 0 4 OI LI QUI D

5 0

I N O « e « A N I c

C L A Y S O FHIGHP L A S T i C l -

iOn.||.CSSC O M E

S i L T S

o r H i C M c o M p p e s - S i f â i i - n r i> o r g a n i cC u A Y 3

C A S A G I ^ A i - ' O t

(-TERJ c n I

Fig. U9. P la s t ic i t y Chart shov/ing s o i l c la s s if ic a t io n (a f te r A. Casagrande, in Terzaghi and Peck, 19^8. p .35).Tlie dry strength o f inorganic s o i l s p lo tte d above the "A" l in e in creases from medium fo r those T/ith liq u id l im it belovr 50, to very high fo r those near 100. Samples p lo tte d belovT the "A" l in e Tfith a liq u id lim it below 50 p ossesses very low dry strength , vrhile those v/ith a l iq u id l im it of 100 have only a medium dry strength (Terzaghi and Peck, 19U8,P. 35).

ih l

H

...... r ...1 -JBCNTON%T#r, W1 1 H-----roh— c

1VOUC. CUAY . iMBTir. CitV . />

( PVc smU: Siw l« , L' & CL 1 •I.JLIQUID LIMIT

h 40

M I C A P O W P t L Q

y ^ ^ O u l t J I M I C A . ' , V U A . « . H ^

°'"*6ILLITE

LIQUID L i m i t { L w |

Fig. ^0. R elationship between liq u id l im it and p la s t ic i t y index fo r ty p ic a l s o i l s as compared v/ith those from the t i l l of the Lalce P la in o f the study area. (A fter A. Casagrande,19U7, p. 803).• Lalce Erie b lu ff samples ■ÎÎ- Northern Lalce P lain

1U 8

in e lev a tio n betvreen ^?U and $76 f e e t , i . e . , 1 to 3 f e e t above

lalce le v e l , and c o n s is ts o f le n se s and pockets o f la cu str in e sand,

s i l t and c la y . Waves rea d ily undermine th is b lu ff by the removal

o f non resistant m aterial from the contact zone. V ertica l f is s u r e s

p a r a lle l to the fa ce o f the b lu ff develop near the base, p o ss ib ly

as a r e s u lt of hydration viiich may promote an expansion lalcevfard

of the b lu ff , or p o ss ib ly as a product o f freez in g and thai'dng

of c a p illa r y moisture drai-m up from the base o f the b lu ff . Ho\vbeit,

vdth s u f f ic ie n t undermining, do\’m come tons o f m aterial from above

(F ig. 51).

In general, the above described process o f mass vrasting, i . e . .

S o il F a ll (Vames, 1955, p. 22), operates vdierever in the study

area massive b asa l u n its o f competent t i l l are exposed to vreve

undermining. Horrever, the spectacular e f f e c t ejchibited at the

above s i t e becomes subdued in other lo c a l i t i e s by the fa c t th at

the t i l l i s seldom as th ick , and by the presence of th ick super­

jacen t la cu str in e beds, on which re la ted processes o f degradation

operate more e f f e c t iv e ly . Thus debris i s supplied by these over-

ly in g beds in s u f f ic ie n t amount to reduce the in te n s ity of wave

attack against the b lu f f . To th is one must add the fa c to r o f sheet

and r i l l erosion o f the b lu ff by contact springs issu in g from the

la cu str in e u n it onto the b lu f f , which helps to reduce the upper

slope of the b asa l t i l l (F ig . U6).

1 U 9

Fig. $1. B lu ff IΠo f Blackmore Road, Tfestem Perry Observe steep face ,and co llap sed m aterial in the background resu ltin g from vraving undermining. Aug. 1955. W ater-level z 573.5 f e e t (approx). View toT/ard the northeast. Height of bench in middle foreground about 20 f e e t .

1^0

Failure by Creep in Certain B lu ffs o f G lacia l T i l l

Creeping of b lu ff co n stitu en ts occurs everyriaere in the study

area; but only in Saybrook to\m ship, between Saybrook toivnship and

Red Brook, and in Ashtabula tcnvnship at the western border area,

and a lo c a l i t y about 2 .5 m iles northeast o f Ashtabula Harbor, does

th is process assume a w holly in tegrated form. The en tire face of

the b lu ff , 1 to 2 f e e t th ick and severa l hundred f e e t vri.de, inches

i t s vray dovm and out over the beach. The author has seen beaches

up to 25 f e e t vri.de a t the above s i t e s covered by such a mantle

( ï i g s . 52 to 55).

A mechanical an a ly sis made o f a t i l l sample (9632) from the

Saybrook tovmship creep m aterial revealed th a t the t i l l contains

Yl% sand, UO.2^ s i l t , and ^2.8^ c lay . The western Ashtabula tovm­

ship s i t e vras not sampled. However, the Upper T i l l u n it in ea st­

ern Ashtabula tovmship, at the lo c a l i t y of sec tio n XXIV, a lso creeps

in a sim ilar manner; and the mechanical an a lysis o f a sançle there

(963S) revealed 16^ sand, 61% s i l t and 17.3^ c la y . The s i l t per­

centages o f the tv/o samples are higher than those o f any t i l l sam­

p le s talcen from other s i t e s in the study area, except fo r the

weathered Upper T i l l sample talcen from the b lu ff ea st o f VAiitman

Creek, K in gsville tovmship, which revealed a s i l t content of l+O .

Again, the sand percentages o f the two samples are su b sta n tia lly

loiver than any of the other samples, save one, an exceedingly c la y -

r ich v a r iety .

I S I

Fig. 3*2, Blanket o f t i l l , 2 .5 f e e t th ick , creeping from o f f face o f b lu ff in the back­ground and advancing over the beach in the foreground. S ite ; Saybrook tv<p., 3,000 f e e t IIE o f Saybrook Tovmship Park. Aug. 1956.

1 5 2

Fig. 53. Like Fig. 52. Same area. Observe polygonal fra ctu res , the product o f repeated saturation and drying o f the t i l l . Freezing and thavving in the spring probably la id the groundvrark fo r the movement d isplayed . Aug. 1953.

1^3

Fig. C ity o f Ashtabula near vrestemlim it . Blanket o f t i l l .creeping dovm the 60 fo o t b lu f f and advancing over beach, Tfave erosion has nipped the fr o n ta l margins. View tovrard the SvI. July, 19^6.

Fig. As Fig. Sltf but one year la te rand from top o f b lu f f . Wave erosion has re­moved most o f the b asa l m ateria l. Only a

amount o f movement has occurred over the year. Aug. 19^7. Vie;? toward the S'iY. Lake le v e l: 573 f e e t .

i s s

With r e j e c t to the creep phenomenon of th ese s i t e s , the high

s i l t content o f the b lu ff con stitu en t bears great s ig n ifica n ce .

Observations during the summers of 1?SS, 19^6 and 19^7 in d ica te

that the ty p ica l summer showers scarcely a ffe c t the q u a s i-s ta b ility

of these creeping masses. The rain barely wet the face o f the b lu ff ,

because o f the steep slopes and the resu lta n t rapid runoff.

On both hyp othetica l and em pirical grounds, as d iscussed by

ICrynine (l9lpL, p . 8 l) and Terzaghi and Peck (1 9 ^ , p. 131), sed i­

ments dominated by the s i l t s ized fra c tio n are strongly su scep tib le

to d isruption by freez in g and thai'ring, because such sediments com­

bine a considerable height o f "capillary r ise" ïâ th fa ir perm eability.

Moreover, the force o f c r y s ta ll iz a t io n th at induces a flcriT o f water

toward the zone of freezin g i s id e n tic a l in e f fe c t v/ith the c a p il­

la ry force th a t causes water to r is e from a ground-water source

through the voids o f a s o i l toward the surface o f evaporation. Tlie

ic e formed tends to force the s i l t grains apart, thereby reducing j

the in tern a l resista n ce o f the m aterial. In co n trad istin ction ,

c la y l i th o lo g ie s p o ssess a "high c ^ i l l a r y r is e , " but l i t t l e perme­

a b il ity . Sands, though h igh ly permeable, include v/ithin th e ir

structure s u f f ic ie n t ly large voids to accomodate the increase volume

gained by the freezin g of i n t e r s t i t i a l water.

Eventually, thav/ing ensues, and the s i l t s become saturated

v/ith m elt water from the ic e developed v/ithin them. Thus v/ith the

fab ric of the a ffected u n it already disrupted by freez in g , and the

intergranular pressure further reduced by the excess m oisture, the

1S6

surface layer o f the b lu ff i s s e t in to motion by g ra v ita tio n a l

s tr e s s . The depth o f f r o s t penetration ranges from 21 to 23 inches

for the area (Chieruzzi and Baker, 1958, p . 7 6 ). This depth i s

of the same order of the th ick ness o f the creeping masses which

ranges from 1 to 2 .5 f e e t .

Maximum rate o f movement apparently occurs in the early spring,

but as the b lu ff d r ies out during the summer months, movement comes

to a h a it . Not only the increased r ig id it y gained by the b lu ff

co n stitu en ts, but a].so the braking e f fe c t o f m aterial moving onto

the beach serve to end the motion. Heirever, the agents acting to

d isin teg ra te the creeping masses continue to fu n ction . D essication

and iTetting, e sp e c ia lly o f the lovrer portion o f these d ep osits,

fo llo w in rapid sequence, as implemented by r a in fa l l and spray from

rough -water on the la k e . A dditionally , vrater from above i s chan­

n e lle d through the f is s u r e s in the b locks; Eventually the mass

th at had crept over the beach i s d issip a ted , leav in g the w inter-

spring process o f freez in g and thavring to resume the operation.

The end e f f e c t i s th a t of b lu ff r e trea t by p a r a lle l re trea t o f the

slope. The re trea t as measured at the top of the b lu ff in western

Ashtabula tovmship has been of the order of 2 f e e t per year fo r the

period 195U-1956.

1S7

Slumping in Composite B lu ffs o f G lacial T i l l s and Interbedded. Lacustrine Clay

B lu ff slumping, by fa r the most e f fe c t iv e o f the mass wasting

processes in the study area, a f fe c ts the folloTdng two groups of

stratigraphie sequences:

A, th at co n sistin g from top to bottom of la cu str in e beds.Upper T i l l , i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e beds, and LoT,7er T il l; and

B. th at which inclu des a v ir tu a l ly a l l - t i l l b lu ff sec tio n restin g on la cu str in e m aterial, d iscrete or poorly in te ­grated in to the t i l l near lalce le v e l . The LOTYer T i l l or bedrock may l i e below.

Slump in the area i s fa c i l i t a t e d by wave erosion o f the b lu ff

and by the presence of water-sa.turated u n its ly in g at depth in the

sec tio n o f b lu ff a ffec ted .

Group "A" Slumps Only the b lu ff o f Ashtabula County presents

the w ell-developed sequence o f th ick a ltern atin g beds o f g la c ia l

t i l l s and la cu str in e sediments p rereq u isite to th is category'' of

slump forms. A step lik e p r o f ile i s presented by th is stra tigrap h ie

succession , wherein the Lovrer T i l l forms the s a lie n t , b asa l fron t,

20 to 30 f e e t high, behind and above which lacu str in e sediments,

6 or more f e e t th ick , r is e on a subdued slope. Superjacent and

recessed more than 20 f e e t inland, the front of the Upper T i l l

r is e s shaip ly for a height o f l6 to 2 f e e t . At the top o f the

sec tio n , sloping inland fo r a h orizonta l d istance o f J.i.0 f e e t from

the shore, l i e s another la cu str in e u n it, 3 to 35» f e e t th ick (F ig. $6).

The Loiver T i l l i s characterized by low perm eability , l i th o lo g ie

consisten cy, toughness and good competency. Thus i t contributes

1 S 8

a stab le base fo r the overlying beds. On the other hand, the

la cu str in e u n it , interbedded betvreen the Lovrer and Upper T i l l s ,

contains miniature le n se s o f sand in s i l t y c lay , and bears moisture

p eren n ia lly . In some lo c a l i t i e s i t i s saturated vvith water even

in the r e la t iv e ly dry months o f summer, bhen the u n it exceeds 6

f e e t in th ick n ess, i t tends to f a i l under the s tr e s se s generated

by the overburden o f Upper T i l l and la cu str in e sediments. Failure

apparently occurs by p la s t ic y ie ld in g of the c lay , aided by the

removal o f sand by ground water issu in g at the base o f the u n it,

,'TJhere t l i i s la cu str in e u n it i s tliick enough to generate r e la ­

t iv e ly large displacem ents, flowage o f i t s co n stitu en ts causes

slumping to develop in the more conpetent Upper T i l l member over-

ly in g i t . On the other hand, a th in u n it o f such interbedded lacu s­

tr in e deposits apparently produces l i t t l e adverse e f f e c t on the

resistan ce to fa ilu r e , Hovrever, one must condition th is observation

by the fa c t th a t th in interbeds of la cu str in e m ateria l are generally

discontinuous and drj’-, thus in d ica tin g th a t they do not in tercep t

sources o f ground water.

The la cu str in e m aterial a t the top o f the b lu ff may wash, flow

or slump, depending on the response of the p a rticu la r lith o lo g y

to the degradational forces acting thereon, Hovrever, good pem ea-

b i l i t y gen era lly ch aracterizes these beds, which th erefore act as

a good water bearer. Seepage from the contact on the Upper T i l l

fin d s i t s way below, to f a c i l i t a t e movement there, An example of

1^9

Fig. Looking south a t 60 fo o tb lu f f sec tio n made up o f sand (in the d ista n ce ), restin g on the Upper T i l l which r is e s sheerly as a bench above the underlying la cu str in e member as a bench in the middle foreground. The immediate foreground shows the Lovrer T i l l p a r t ia l ly covered by debris from above. S ite : sec tio n XXVI, 2,6^0 f e e twest o f Labounty Road, Ashtabula twp. June, 1957.

160

the erosion a l e f fe c t s o f such seepage i s revealed by the v e r t ic a l

f lu t in g s developed on the fa ce o f the Upper T i l l in Fig. ^6,

Group "B" Slumps Slung?s o f th is category involve the en tire

b lu ff as a u n it . Thus they are by far the most spectacu lar. By

the very nature .of th is tj’pe o f slumping, stra tigrap h ie r e la t io n s

o f the a ffected b lu f f become obscured, and inform ation in th is re­

gard must n e c essa r ily be sought by d r il l in g in to the roof o f the

b lu ff . A dd itionally , one may obtain c lu es from the l ith o lo g y of

the slump blocks them selves. In general, the contact bn the Lovrer

T i l l l i e s near lake le v e l , and the co n stitu en ts o f the b lu f f co n s is t

of a r e la t iv e ly th in to th ick (10 to lj.6 f e e t ) cru st o f compacted

t i l l which grades dov/nward in to a more p la s t ic or clayey t i l l layer

and/or la cu str in e sand and c lay .

This substratum o f permeable and p la s t ic m ateria l co n stitu te s

the c r i t i c a l fa c to r . Apparently i t s subsurface extension and th ick ­

ness are ir reg u la r ly d istr ib u ted over small areas, and th is irregu­

la r i t y i s perhaps a ttr ib u tab le to the d is to r tio n a l s tr e s se s imposed

on the la cu str in e m aterial by the g la c ie r s th at deposited the super­

jacent t i l l . Auger sec tio n s made by the Ohio D iv ision of Shore

Erosion in to such d ep osits during the summer o f 19$6 revealed p la s t ic

c lays th at one could Icnead between the fin g ers vdthout the addition

o f more m oisture. Likewise, R. Chieruzzi (19^6, personal communi­

ca tio n ), on malcing borings in to such c la y at the fo o t o f the Kentor

Headlands b lu f f in Mentor tovmship, found the c la y to have a natural

moisture content o f 13.9 to 2U.7 percent. Thus in th is category

l 6 l

o f slump, l ik e th at in group "A," the beds were m oist even during

the r e la t iv e ly dry months of summer, and therefore must transmit

even more water in the early spring when slump becomes accelerated»

The s i t e s o f th ese slu%)s in the study area extend across

P a in esv ille tovmship, but the author s p e c if ic a l ly studied the slump

ju s t ea st o f Hardy Road in Paine s v i l l e tovmship. A dditionally ,

a l l o f the b lu ff from Geneva-on-the-Lalce to Saybrook Tovmship Park

in cen tra l Saybrook Tovmship, a d istance o f U m iles , i s lik ew ise

affected and was stud ied over most of i t s length .

The Slumps of P a in e sv ille Tovmship Most o f the b lu ff o f Paines-

v i l l e tovmship, from the v ic in it y ea st o f F aiiport to Bacon Road,

undergoes slumping where i t i s exposed to wave attack. The w riter

se lec ted fo r studj’’ the 9,000 - fo o t stretch of shore centering on

Hardy Road ju s t ea st o f P a in e sv ille Tovmship Park, because the

slump process here ty p if ie s th a t o f the aforementioned shore length ,

and access to the shore was e a s i ly made. This s i t e and hinterland

i s shovm on the map o f Figure 57.

The b lu ff o f th is area ranges in e lev a tio n from 625 to 628

fe e t , i . e . , 52 to 55 f e e t above lake le v e l o f 573 f e e t . On the

other hand, bedrock l i e s 20 to 25 fe e t below the lake le v e l and

r is e s southward at a rate o f about 60 f e e t per m ile. G lacia l t i l l

dominates the s tr a tig r ^ h y , which p ossesses the tr ip a r t it e arrange­

ment o f an Upper and Lovrer T i l l u n it separated by 6 to 10 f e e t o f

la cu str in e c lay . The r e la t iv e ly competent Upper T iU , UO to U6

f e e t th ick , forms the dominant member o f the b lu ff . Hovrever, the

S.e-*c To WMS H I PP a r k

c-

%c-

-tw

163

r e la t iv e ly incompetent la cu str in e u n it occupies the c r i t i c a l basa l

section . On i t s part, the Lov/er T i l l l i e s m ostly at or below water-

le v e l .

This in essence i s the stratigraphy presented by the b lu ff

a l l the way in to western Perry tormship. However, in Perry town­

ship, the la cu str in e u n it has thinned to between 1 .and 3 f e e t .

One suspects th a t th is th inning o f the la cu str in e u n it ex erc ises

a profound control on the type o f b lu ff fa ilu r e th at p r e v a ils . ' In

Perry tovmship, as d iscussed e a r lie r , -waves removing the lacu str in e

m aterial undermine the competent Upper T i l l which then f a i l s by

v e r t ic a l shear. Contrarivd.se, slumping occurs throughout Paines-

v i l l e tovmship, vfhere the Upper T i l l i s v ir tu a l ly f lo a t in g on a

r e la t iv e ly th ick substratum o f p la s t ic claj’" interbedded v/ith sand.

This la cu str in e u n it has been traced inland by means o f w e ll

lo g s fo r a d istance exceeding 3,000 f e e t , and the author assumes

th at i t probably extends a l l the way to w esterly Grand River v a lle y

(Figure 57). About 3,000 f e e t south o f the b lu ff , the top of the

lacu str in e u n it , as deterroined vrest of Hardy Road, l i e s at a general

e lev a tio n o f 595 to 600 f e e t , or roughly l5 f e e t above i t s e lev a tio n

in the b lu ff . Thus there apparently e x is t s a gentle slope on the

upper contact o f 1:200 or roughly 26 f e e t per m ile tov/ard the north.

Should one p ro ject the contact southward 2,000 f e e t to the w all

of the Grand River, i t would in tercep t i t at le a s t l5 f e e t and

more l ik e ly 20 f e e t above the surface o f the r iv er . This fa c t i f

I61i

v a lid i s o f s ig n ifica n ce in a negative sense, vrhen compared vdth

the other fa c t bearing on the r e la t iv e ly high moisture content o f

the la cu str in e c lay uherever sampled. Apparently one cannot a t t r i ­

bute in flu e n t seepage from the r iv er as the source of the m oisture,

î ln a l ly , the c lay tliin s toward the lak e, from a maximum of l6 fe e t ,

and a general order o f 10 f e e t in the south, to 6 f e e t in the b lu f f ,

thus providing fo r a larger m oisture storage volume in the south.

To account for the presence o f moisture in the la cu str in e u n it,

the author hypothesizes th a t the la cu str in e bed in tercep ts the

topographic surface in the area to the south, most . l ik e ly the north­

ern w a ll of the Grand Hiver v a lle y . There, the u n it r ece iv es mois­

ture by surface in f i l t r a t io n and tra n sfers i t northward down i t s

gradient. Since the c la y s have but lovr perm eability , the recharge

and discharge proceed slow ly. Tlris hypothesis can be extended to

another major area o f slumping, th at o f the I'entor Headlands area

on the western side o f the Grand River at Fairport, There the

abandoned v a lle y o f the Grand River, now the llentor Marsh, and the

presence o f even th ick er i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e c la y in the b lu f f

have s e t up what resembles s im ilar p h ysica l cond itions (Christopher,

1925).

Returning to the P a in e sv ille slumps, the presence o f moisture

in the i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e c la y and sand serves to so ften the very

foundation o f the b lu f f . The weight o f the t i l l above i s tran s­

m itted to the sem ip lastic and p la s t ic c lay below, through which

the compressional s tr e s s i s p a r t ia l ly d istr ib u ted h y d ro sta tica lly .

165

Hwever, the confin ing pressure v/ithin the üacustrine c lay dim inishes

in the d irectio n o f the b lu f f , because o f the presence o f the boundary

between b lu ff and atmosphere, because of the lakeward d irected

hydraulic gradient and contact slope on the la cu str in e c la y , and

la s t ly , because of w etting by high waves. Consequently, the lacu str in e

clay y ie ld s p la s t ic a l ly , by the development o f what the author in te r ­

p rets as shear jo in ts (Figure 63), and by shearing on the lower

and upper contacts (Figure 62). Since the overlying t i l l in an

undisturbed s ta te n eith er bends nor flow s e a s i ly , i t even tually

breaks as i t s support i s removed, and develops a se r ie s o f rather

nondescript, lin ea r slump blocks mixed lYith debris.

The author observed th a t the surface o f shear near the base of

the b lu ff (Figure 62) slopes upward in to the b lu ff at an angle of

l e s s than 5 degrees vri.th resp ect to the horizon ta ls and th at the

angle on the back scarp o f the slump l i e s near the v e r t ic a l at

the top o f the b lu f f . Thus one can f i t the c la s s ic a l model o f a

dormvrard, ro ta tio n a l movement o f slumping m aterial on a concave

surface o f shear, as described by Sharpe, 1938, p. 65. However,

the t i l l i s b r i t t le and the la cu str in e u n it i s w e ll defined; thus

one should not expect to f in d a continuous d iscrete surface of

shear over any area in excess of 100 f e e t . Thus the diagrams o f

Figures 58 and 59 represent the author’s id e a liz a tio n o f the Paines-

v i l l e tovmship slump at Hardy Road, wherein steep surfaces o f shear,

developed in the t i l l , f la t t e n on encountering the la cu str in e u n it.

This s itu a tio n i s regarded as sim ilar to th at portrayed in Figure 13

1Ô 6

o f Vames' (1938, p . 27) vrork, where a photograph o f a slump cro ss-

section in la cu str in e c la y s revealed a sim ilar f la t te n in g o f the

shear surface along a bedding plane.

Over the years o f 195U to 19^7, the slunç» area at Hardy Road

has undergone a cy c le , wherein the slope on the b lu ff has increased

from a 1:2 r a tio to th at o f 1 :1 , then returned to the 1:2 r a t io .

This behavior i s p a r t ia l ly i l lu s t r a te d by F igs. 60 and 6 l . Move­

ment during the summers, f a l l s and w inters was r e la t iv e ly sloiv,

which i s understandable in vievf o f the summers' dryness end the

v/inters' fr eeze . Greatest movement coincided w ith the spring period

o f thawing and freez in g , and prolonged r a in fa l l , in which a great

deal o f water was released fo r entrj’’ in to the numerous ten sio n a l

cracks on the slump b lock s, not to mention the recharging o f the

moisture carrying la cu str in e c lay and sand.

Thus w ith a l l o f the foregoing as background m ateria l, the

author summarizes h is im pressions on the top ic in the fo llow ing

reconstruction o f the I; stages o f events.

1. The slope of the b lu f f l i e s a t i t s maximum value o f roughly

U5 degrees, or a r a tio o f 1 :1 . One may regard th is slope

r a tio as c r i t i c a l , s ince further steepening lead s to f a i l ­

ure (Figure 58).

2. Lacustrine c lay near the base of the b lu f f , softened by

ground and surface water, begins to y ie ld , expanding lake­

ward and subsiding v e r t ic a lly . Tensional fractu res in the

t i l l on the lower slope of the b lu ff r e f le c t th is flowage

167

62 84^^^

_ j % \ / '■■ V

^ .6 A5 1 3 £ é e t

ik /' V r

B luffli^e. oÇ X abfiboï'- bn e. «V

^ a e « . l . <*.b o v e .

P la ie I I , F ige. 58 - 5°. Hchenatic cro ss-sec tio n o f slrunp a i Hardy Road, I-a in esv ille tv,p.

Flg. 58. C r it ic a l p o sitio n ; surface slope at 1 :1 . Slump l i e s a t p o in t o f renevral. Stage 1.

?ic« S’?» Stable development. End of slumj3 cy c le , vrith surface slope a t 1 :2 . Stage 3.

SC/JLS: 1 inch = 30 f e e t .

1 6 8

beneath the t i l l . Lakeward transport o f the lovrer c o n s tit­

uents o f the b lu ff as creeping blocks leave the upper b lu f f

m aterial unsupported^ and fa ilu r e by slumping moves upslope,

vri.th l i t t l e change in the angle o f slope.

3. Surface waters enter the s I ueç) fractu res and lower the in tern a l

resistan ce o f the t i l l by hydration, a process th a t tends

to reduce the apparent cohesion o f c la y s iz e m aterial by

destroying the surface tension o f water f ilm s adhering to

the p a r t ic le s (Terzaghi and Peck, I 9I4.8, p . III1.-I28) . Thus

slunçiing, abetted by flow , continues u n t i l the r e la t iv e ly

low slope o f 30 degrees, or r a tio o f 1 :2 , i s developed. This

slope becomes explainable by the assumption th at the curva­

ture on the surface of shear i s f la tte n e d through the ]acu s-

tr in e c la y u n it (Figure $9). Thus the movement of slump

blocks over the lovrer s l ip surface becomes impeded by in ­

creased f r ic t io n a l fo rces . Slope s t a b i l i t y can now be

achieved but fo r wave erosion .

U. Eroding o f the toe o f the slumped area and the removal o f

debris by vrave action in creases the angle of slope by short­

ening the h orizon ta l spread of the b lu f f . A dditionally ,

by removal o f the toe m ateria l, conditions o f d isequilibrium

are rein forced . Hovrever, the force o f s ta t ic f r ic t io n i s

not overcome u n t i l the slope ra tion o f 1:1 i s approached.

The length o f a complete cycle ranges between U to years

under the high lake le v e l conditions o f 1 9 t o 1957. In estim ating

169

amounts o f shoreline re trea t in the area, one should s e le c t e ith e r

the top or bottom of the b lu f f and measure the r e trea t over a given

cy c le , since the ra tes o f r e trea t o f the top o f the b lu f f and th a t

of the bottom are p u lsa tio n a l and a ltern atin g .

The photographs o f Figures 60 to 62 portray the process of

slumping as i t developed over the years 19SS, 19^ and 19^7, at

the s i t e ju s t ea st o f Hardy Road. In sp ite o f the spectacular

nature o f the slumping here, the b lu ff l in e i t s e l f has retrea ted

only some f e e t in S years, or about 9 f e e t per year.

The Slumps of Geneva and Saybrook Townships In the m iles

of shore between Cowles Creek o f Geneva tovmship and Saybrook Tovm­

ship Park, slumping a ffe c ts a l l unprotected b lu f f s . Should one

compare th is area w ith th at o f the above described P a in e sv ille

tovmship b lu f fs , one vrould f in d th at the b lu ffs l i e 10 to f e e t

lower, i . e . , they range from 2$ to I4.O f e e t high, the stratigraphy

i s s im ilar in the respect th a t g la c ia l t i l l o v e r lie s la cu str in e

clay , but the slumps o f the Geneva-Saybrook township area ex h ib it

greater complexity.

S tr a t ig r ^ h ic a lly , the Upper T i l l member c ^ s the b lu ff along

th is stretch of shore. Hovrever, i t lacks l ith o lo g ie isotropism ,

and grades dovmward in to a rather unpredictable h eterogen eity o f

la cu str in e c lay , s i l t and sand, a rather clayey t i l l or a mixture

of a l l . The consolidated Upper T i l l u n it apparently f lu c tu a te s in

th ickness from poin t to p o in t vfithin a few hundred f e e t . In l ik e

170

r ig . 60. B lu ff a t Hardy Road, P a in e sv ille t-wp,Slunap s i t e . Above the wave nipped bench, b lu f f main­ta in s a 1 :1 s lop e. Observe two tr e e s marked by arrows. The one in foreground has already moved one-th ird o f the way down the b lu f f . The poplar in the background has not y e t moved. M aterial i s in process o f moving array from under the pavement o f route 53^. View toward the HE. L ake-level z 573.3 f e e t . August, 1955.

171

Fig. 61, Same lo c a l i t y as in fig u re 60, "but one year la te r . The pavement i s broken and has moved one- th ird o f the yray dorm-bluff. The poplar tree in the background has also moved a s im ilar d istan ce. The tree in the foreground i s noir on the bench or nearly two- th ird o f the slope dovm-bluff. Wave erosion has heightened the b asa l bench to about 1 f e e t , from the 8 to 10 f e e t of figu re 60. August, 19^6. L ake-level r S73.S f e e t .

172

ï l g , 62. Continuation o f fig u re 61. August, 1957. Base of slump area. Wave erosion has removed the slxuiç ta lu s and has exposed the shear surface developed in the contact zone betvreen the Upper T i l l and la cu str in e c la y . Movement o f the s lid in g block occurs in the d irection o f the trenching to o l handle. At top o f photo l i e s the lOTfer edge of the pavement which has sh ifte d i t s p o s itio n dov/nslope lit. f e e t below th a t shown in fig u re 6I . Lake- l e v e l = 5 7 3 f e e t .

173

Fig. 63. Contact zone at the base o f the Upper T i l l . Below the trenching to o l , the lith o lo g y c o n s is ts o f a red, s l ig h t ly pebbly c la y , v/ith a p la s t ic index o f ll|., and a liq u id l im it o f 37. Author in terp re ts the fra ctu res th a t trend in to the contact as shear jo in ts . Actual movement toward the observer occurs immediately to the e a st in fig u re 62. August, 19^7.

17U

manner, the moisture content o f the subsurface m aterial v a r ies

according to the lo c a l perm eability .

The author's studj» su ffers from the lack o f core h o les made

behind slumping stretch es o f the b lu f f . Hoimver the author has

gathered much c o lla te r a l inform ation on the b lu f f l ith o lo g y from

the slumped fragments them selves, and has supervised the angering

of tffo section s in the very c r i t i c a l area ea st o f Indian Creek in

Geneva tovmship (sec tio n XV), and a p o in t in Saybrook tovmship

(sec tio n XVI), about 11^0 f e e t e a st o f the Geneva tovmship l in e .

The f i r s t o f the auger s i t e s vfas loca ted 2,$00 f e e t vrest o f

the vvest Saybrook tovmship boimdary and ll;0 f e e t in land o f the

vfaterline. This sec tio n revealed th at the Upper T i l l reta ined

i t s c h a r a c te r is t ic a lly tough, compacted lith o lo g y fo r only the

upper 10 f e e t . From lU to 39 f e e t belovf the surface, sand in te ­

grated in to the somewhat pebbly c lay and s i l t v/as encountered, and

the moisture content increased dovmward u n t i l in the l a s t 10 f e e t ,

i . e . , 29 to 39 f e e t belov; the surface, the m aterial became mushy;

i . e . , the liq u id l im it o f 32 fo r a sample 17 f e e t beloiv the sur­

face was w e ll exceeded. The zone o f h ig h est moisture content l i e s

at an e lev a tio n of $71 f e e t , or roughly 2 .$ f e e t below the lalce

l e v e l of th at tim e. Unfortunately, the auger did not touch bedrock,

but the author i s f a ir ly certa in th at bedrock probably does not

l i e more than a fo o t belovr the e lev a tio n reached, s in ce at the shore

i t l i e s a t an e lev a tio n o f $71 f e e t as part o f a f l a t sh e lf sloping

17 s

gently lakeward. .Thus i t seems to the author th at Virater i s seep­

ing along the contact or contact zone in to the b lu ff through a

permeable la y er , and perhaps through jo in ts in the bedrock acting

as p ip es .

The other auger hole was bored at a po in t 130 f e e t from the

shore. Uppermost in the sec tio n la y 9 f e e t o f hard, dry, vreathered

t i l l , below which was found a s o f t to mushy zone o f s i l t y c lay ,

one fo o t th ick . Then was encountered an add itional h f e e t o f hard

t i l l , underlain by more than 2$ f e e t o f p la s t ic , sandy to clayey

t i l l . The hole ended a t the e lev a tio n of ^73 f e e t , or roughly

th at o f the lake at th a t tim e. The moisture content in section

was l e s s than th at o f the counterpart sec tio n in Geneva to\'mship.

Thus i t i s c lea r th a t the greater part o f the one-m ile length

o f sec tio n c o n s is ts o f a p la s t ic c lay , ir reg u la r ly interbedded vdth

sand. In fa c t , b locks and fragments o f th is m aterial crop out in

the b asa l slump forms along the shore. I t i s a lso in d icated , though

not proved, th a t the lake i s serving as the source o f moisture found

in th ese c la y s.

M orphologically, slumping in the area presents the ty p ica l

s ta ir lilc e topography. The slump blocks are lin ea r and up to 100

f e e t long in a few l o c a l i t i e s . Elsewhere they are short, about

20 f e e t , and r e la t iv e ly th ick . Block g lid in g as described by D. J.

Vames (19$S, p. 29) a lso seems to occur on a m odified sca le . In

th is process the f a i l in g block undergoes a r e la t iv e ly larger h orizontal

176

than v e r t ic a l d ip lacem en t as i t creeps over a p la s t ic c la y sub­

stratum. Hear the Saybrook tovmship l in e in Geneva tovmship, th is

type o f behavior i s probably encouraged by movement on the f l a t

surface o f the bedrock contact, v;hich vrould tend to f la t te n the

ty p ica l curved surface o f shear th at develops in iso tr o p ic c lays

undergoing fa ilu r e .

The ch a ra cter is tic back scarp associa ted v/ith slump develops

normally in conjunction vfith a near v e r t ic a l subsidence o f 9 to 10

f e e t (Figure 6I4.). Then tra n s la tio n a l movement gains dominance in

the area lalce^vard o f the scarp. About 30 f e e t from the back scarp

ten sion a l fractu res appear, increasing in number toirard the b asa l

scarp fronting the lalce (Figure 63) vdiere s p l i t t in g o f f o f the debris

in to the lake ensues. The v/aves and l i t t o r a l currents act to re­

d istr ib u te the m aterial as mud patches over the bedrock f lo o r o f f ­

shore. Apparently most o f the subsurface movement occurs p la s t ic a l ly

vfithout b e n e fit o f d irec t shear. Hovrever, the author has seen sur­

faces o f shear underlying sluiip blocks s lid in g o f f a b asa l bench,

3 to 3 f e e t high, in the area. Likev/ise bacWard rotated blocks

vrere a lso observed.

Hortheastvfard in to Saybrook tovmship, creep and block g lid e

phenomena become le s s in evidence. Apparently the decrease in mois­

ture content and the thickening of the Upper T i l l have le d to the

development of the long, lin ea r se r ie s o f b locks shovm in Figure 67.

177

Curiously, the re trea t o f the b lu ff here probably does not exceed

a fo o t or so per year; y e t in the sou time s te m part of the area,

in Geneva tovmship, the rate soars to 21 f e e t per year fo r the

years 19$k to 19^7.

178

Fig. 6U. Sluraping o f b lu ff in Geneva tnp. S ite , 3SO f e e t vrest o f Saybrook tv/pline. B lu ff i s f a i l in g by combi­nation of slump and flow . Observe l i th o lo g ie d isco n tin u ity as featured by large massive block o f pebbly c la y . Back scarp i s made o f the Upper T i l l which o v e r lie s moisture bearing sandy c la y th a t forms a very p la s t ic substratum on v/hich subsidence takes p lace . The fro n t bench i s caused by wave nipping. Height o f b lu ff = I4O f e e t . Date; August, I 9S7, Water le v e l : S73.S fe e t .

179

Fig. 6^, Immediately vrest o f s i t e o f figu re 6U. View toward the SW. Observe ten sio n a l fractu res dev­eloped in the slumping m ateria l. Fractures are more than 6 f e e t deep, and are apparently caused by lake­ward near h orizon ta l flovrage o f underlying p la s t ic c la y s .

180

Fig, 66, Saybrook tovmship, 600 f e e t ea st o f Geneva tv;p. Slntiç) forms are developed as long, narrovf s l i c e s , exceeding 100 f e e t in len gth . July, 19$6. View toward the SE.

LITTORAL DEPOSITS AND SOURCES

In terms o f l i t t o r a l processes, water currents generated by

winds predominate as the most a c tiv e agent o f transport in the study

area. The d irectio n o f the l i t t o r a l d r if t s h if t s from northeast

to southwest, or v ic e versa, as the p rop ellin g winds move from the

one quadrant to the other. As measured over the years betvreen

1937 and 19U8, winds blowing from the southwest, west and northvrest,

accounted fo r ^proxim ately $2 percent o f the to t a l vrijid duration,

and 59 percent o f the to t a l vdnd movement. On the other hand, winds

from out o f the north and northeast accounted fo r only 20 percent

of the iTind duration, and 22 percent o f the vriLnd movement. Thus

the n et l i t t o r a l d r i f t was toward the northeast (House Doc. 3 5 l,

p. 22). This conclusion remains v a lid , as i s further substantiated

by the accretion o f a l l the active major beaches on the u p d rift

side of the major j e t t i e s .

One may regard the l i t t o r a l d ep osits , which now p ro tect rouglily

one-h alf o f the shore, as the accumulated product of past and present

b lu ff erosion , combined vri-th the m aterial introduced from the h in ter ­

land. Today, the major streams, as the Grand, Ashtabula and Conneaut,

contribute very l i t t l e m ateria l to the l i t t o r a l p rocesses, s ince

most o f the f lu v ia t i l e sediments are trapped vdthin the harbors by

breakv’/a ters. Hor do many o f the larger small streams, i . e . . Big

(Arc'ôla), TJheeler and Cowles creeks, and Red Brook, now add much

181

182

sediment, because r is in g lake waters have drovmed th e ir lovrer v a lley s;

and the swamps, consequent thereon, act as s e t t l in g basins fo r the

river-d erived d ep osits . F in a lly data c o lle c ted from the in v e s t i­

gative work by the personnel of the Ohio D iv ision o f Shore Erosion

have, up to now, revealed no p o s it iv e evidence fo r shorev;ard move­

ment o f sediments from the deep basin areas (H. J, Pincus, 19^3,

p. 119). Thus i t appears th at the exposed b lu ff i s the p resen tly

active contributor of m aterial to the l i t t o r a l stream, to which

one may add th at minor amount y ie ld ed by the small streams eroding

the Lake P lain .

Apparently, an enormous amount of m aterial th at has been added

to the l i t t o r a l stream in the past from b lu ff erosion i s permanently

l o s t to the area. The author estim ates th at about I).9i000,000 cubic

f e e t o f sand forms the beaches between the breakwater at Fairport

and th at a t Ashtabula (Appendix C). On the same length of shore

stand 6 ,3 ^ ,0 0 0 square f e e t o f b lu ff , at most 20 percent o f which

c o n s is ts o f m aterial su ita b le for beach b u ild in g (House Doc. 3^1,

p. 17). Thus, on th is b a s is , only I4O f e e t o f o v era ll b lu ff retrea t

i s needed to account fo r a l l exposed beach d ep osits in the area.

This i s a r e la t iv e ly sm all aanount over p o s t-g la c ia l tim es v/hen

compared v/ith the published values of b lu ff r e trea t betvreen the

years 1076 and 19^8, wherein the b lu ff from Perry tovmship to Ashta­

bula Harbor has undergone an average 55 f e e t o f recession in only

72 years (House Doc. 351).

183

D escription of the Beach D eposits o f the Area

Of the e ig h t to\m ships ranging from P a in e sv ille in the south­

west to Conneaut in the northeast, only eastern Perry, Madison and

Conneaut townships p ossess shores fringed by a continuum of abundant

sand d ep osits . The lo ca tio n s of th ese tvro stre tch es of beach co­

in cid e vdth the presence of the 20 to 35 -foot th ick beds of sand

crovming the b lu ff in the area immediately behind the beaches, and

in the area stretch ing to the southwest. Elsewhere in the study

area, small and large beaches occur con tro lled by streams, bedrock

highs and j e t t i e s , but long lengths o f wave-eroded, bluff-bound

shore separate them more often than not.

The bulk of the l i t t o r a l d ep osits hugs the shore as i t d r if t s

v/ith a net movement toivard the northeast, V/here an excess o f sand

i s supplied to the system, beaches apparently grow without the aid

of impediments to the l i t t o r a l flov/. Otherv/ise, in the presence

o f an adequate amount o f sand, various o b stac les such as tran sect­

ing stream currents, boulder pavements, bedrock h ighs, man-made

structures and even fa l le n tr e e s may act as beach reta in ers . For

the sake o f d iscu ssion , the author groups these beaches in to three

categories: ( l ) stream-mouth, (2) j e t t y , and (3) sh ingle and bed­

rock defended beaches.

Stream-mouth Beaches Many o f the larger streams in the study

area, e sp e c ia lly those v/ith drov/ned v a lle y s , ±1 sp lay v/ell-developed

beaches across th e ir mouths. Most o f these beaches are located in

Madison, Geneva and Saybrook townships, at Chapel Big (A reola),

18U

Wheeler and Cov/les creeks, and Red Brook. Apparently, two fa c to rs

in flu ence the deposition o f sand at these l o c a l i t i e s . Foremost,

perhaps, i s the p h ysica l presence o f the v a lle y ly in g athwart the

l i t t o r a l path. Sand and larger p a r t ic le s , r o llin g in the zone o f

wave transport, f a l l in to the v a lle y u n t i l i t i s f i l l e d . The other

fa c to r co n stitu te s th at presented by the mass o f the stream, which

on encountering the l i t t o r a l flow acts as a hydraulic j e t t y . The

d iss ip a tio n of energy caused by the c o l l i s io n of stream torren t

and waves serves to reduce the competency o f both ca rr iers to the

b e n e fit of the d ep osition a l environment. Thus sand dep osits in

the form o f bars and submerged s p its may develop in a s i t e so af­

fec ted . The author has w itnessed the above described s itu a tio n ,

and Gordon (19$6, p. 56-60) has described a sim ilar development

at the mouth o f the Chagrin River. Figure 6? portrays the turbu­

lence caused by the meeting of waves driven by northeast winds and

the outflow from Big (Areola) Creek. Figure 68 i l lu s t r a t e s the

j e t t y e f f e c t exercised by the flov; from Y/heeler Creek on the l i t t o r a l

d r if t .

The pattern o f deposition and erosion about such streams enpty-

ing in to the lake obeys the general p r in c ip le o f accretion and

grov'/th o f beaches on the u p d rift side o f the b arrier , and depletion

on the leevfard s id e . C h a ra cter is tica lly , these beaches assume an

asymmetrical, b ird lik e morphology, T/hereby the volum etric and areal

body o f the sand deposit l i e s in the v a lle y , and the wings extend

185

Fig. 67. Meeting o f stream torren t and wave fron t at Big (Areola) Creek, Madison tvro. Incoming wave fron t i s bent in to a "7" opening tovrard the observer around poin t o f contact vdth stream entering from lower ]e f t com er of photo. View toward the northwest. 7/ind from the north­e a st , 5 m.p.h. Lake le v e l = 573 f e e t . August, 1936.

186

Fig. 68. Vievr toward the northeast at the mouth o f 7/heeler Creek, Geneva tv/p. Stream mouth beach, undergoing accretion on the northeast sid e and erosion on the south­west s id e . 7/ind i s from the northeast, $ m .p.h. Lake l e v e l = 5 7 3 f e e t . August, 1956.

187

as th in beaches fronting the b lu f f . A dditionally , sand driven in to

the v a lle y by onshore vriLnds accumulates as dunes at the rear o f the

beach, where i t i s anchored by vegetation against a background of

marsh and b lu ff .

Beaches Impounded by J e t t ie s In a l l p rob ab ility the three

major beaches at the w est break-jaters of Fairport, Ashtabula and

Conneaut harbors, a lso orig inated as stream-mouth forms. However,

at the present time only th at d istr ib u ted about the mouth of the

Conneaut River reta in s a semblance o f the former morphology, and

only to the extent th a t continuous stretch es o f sandy beach flank

the Conneaut Harbor breakvfaters both to the soutluTest and north­

e a s t . % )ic a lly , large beaches l i e to the southwest of the break­

w aters, and very l i t t l e other than b lu ff-eroded shore occupies the

shore to the northeast. Thus to the southwest o f the Grand River

l i e s the 9,000 fo o t-lo n g beach o f the Mentor Headlands State Park,

which a lso a tta in s a vriLdth o f at le a s t 600 fe e t and a depth of 30

f e e t . Likev/ise, the beach to the southwest o f the Ashtabula River

includes a length of 2, ?00 f e e t , a maximum v/idth of 300 fe e t and a

depth o f 13 f e e t .

On the other hand, at Conneaut Harbor l i e s not only the Conneaut

Township Park beach, a triangu lar form, 2,$00 f e e t long, $00 fe e t

7/ide, and $ to 7 f e e t deep, on the western side o f tlie breakv/ater,

but also a continuous s tr ip o f beach, 7,600 f e e t long, 7S f e e t v/ide

(average), and U to $ f e e t deep, fr in g in g a v ir tu a lly a l l - t i l l b lu ff

on the northeastern sid e of the Harbor. A great deal o f the eastern

188

beach i s overgrown ■with tr e e s , estim ated to be at le a s t 30 years

old . The author b e lie v e s th at th is beach came in to ex isten ce before

the indroduction of the present breakvraters th a t have cut o f f the

l i t t o r a l d r if t from the southwest, and thus represents the north­

e a ster ly vn.ng o f a former river-mouth beach th at la y astride of the

Conneaut Ri"ver mouth. Ibe author a ttr ib u te s the preservation of

th is beach to the f l a t nature and e lev a tio n of the bedrock surface,

which l i e s ju s t below v/ater le v e l (573 f e e t ) fo r severa l hundred

f e e t o f f the present shore. The broad sh e lf acts to d iss ip a te the

energy of waves r o llin g over i t s surface, and thus to p rotect the

beach dep osits already emplaced. Thus the eastern beach survives

as a somewhat f o s s i l form, since i t i s now separated from i t s source

area by the harbor structures.

The present major beaches on the western sid e o f the three

harbor breakwaters, by th e ir very s iz e , pay tr ib u te to the e f fe c t iv e ­

ness o f such structures in in tercep tin g the l i t t o r a l d r if t . The

j e t t i e s on the Grand River i l lu s t r a t e th is . A p ier was emplaced

out from the vreSt bank o f the r iv er at the shoreline in 1826. By

1891, or 65 years la te r , the shoreline along the w est side o f the

p ier had advanced 1 ,500 f e e t , fo r a rate o f 23 f e e t per year, as

a r e su lt o f the accumulation o f sand by impo'unding of the l i t t o r a l

d r if t (House Doc. 596, App. IX, 1950, p. 18). A high rate o f

accretion s t i l l continues as shovm on the map o f Pla'be IV, vfherein

the rate o f shoreline advance vrest of the vrest breakwater of Faiiport

Harbor amounted to 12 f e e t per year during the years betvreen 19U7 and 195U.

189

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, F a iïp ort, Ohio, shoreline changes

190

Shingle and Bedrock Defended Beaches (Beach Promontories) The

author u ses the term "beach promontory" to re fer to any of a group

of n a tu ra lly formed beaches in the study area th at p o ssess a s ta b le ,

h o r izo n ta lly rounded, a p ica l, lalceward p rojectin g sh orelin e , from

which la te r a l b lu ff- fr in g in g beaches extend in both d irectio n s;

about which erosion and accretion of beach m ateria ls s h i f t from

one side to the other; and from which a submerged sand s p it or

bar trends dovm the predominant d r if t , i . e . , northeastward, fo r

an u n sp ecified d istance (see p la te s XIV and XV).

Each of the tovmsliips p o ssesses at le a s t one o f th ese beaches,

and o f th ese , Geneva and K in gsv ille include two, and Gonneaut to’.m-

ship four. A ll beaches are characterized by an abundance o f boulders

and cobbles, which, lo c a l ly , account fo r up to 80 percent o f the

sediment by volume and w eight. V ir tu a lly a l l o f the beach promon­

to r ie s studied in the area between L'adison tormship and the Pennsyl­

vania border have th e ir ap ices res tin g on boulder-stream , bedrock

a n t ic l in a l f lex u res , and perhaps erosion a l h ighs. The author can­

not say w ith cer ta in ty th a t bedrock highs a lso con tro l the beach

of I'lorth Perry V illage (e a s t o f Antioch Road), and th a t ly in g a str id e

the P a in esv ille -P erry tovmship l in e , because the ^ e c i f i c bedrock

e lev a tio n s there are not' laiovm. A ll o f the beaches extend la k e-

ward from b lu f fs th a t re ta in the evidence of former wave erosion ,

such as arrested slump b locks and terra ces , s tra ig h t b lu f f - l in e ,

and steep fa ce s .

191

Tliree o f the beach promontories reveal paired ap ices. These

are the P a in esv ille -P erry border area beach, the one at Geneva-on-

the-Lalce, and the one a t Indian Creek o f Geneva tovmship (Figure

69) . Lilîe the s in g le ap ica l type, the double forms o f Geneva tovm­

ship, a t le a s t , r e s t on paired bedrock h ighs, b e liev ed to be an ti­

c l in a l flex u res in the shale.

The author has traced sand bars or submerged s p it s th a t begin

ju s t offshore of the apex, and extend north easterly fo r d istances

th at exceed 3,000 f e e t . Those o f L'adison, Geneva (Indian Greek),

and Saybrook tovvnships are mapped as shovm in P la tes XIV and XVI.

That a t Geneva-on-the-Lal:e i s portrayed in Figure 71.

T/hen and how th ese beach promontories were formed remains

problem atical to the author's knowledge. The b lu f fs forming the

rear o f the beaches s t i l l re ta in signs o f former vrave erosion .

lAoreover, since several of these b lu ffs have s tra ig h t fro n ts, pro­

je c tio n s of th e ir topographic traces northeast and southwest be­

yond the beach promontories produce b lu f f - l in e s th at l i e 200 to

3^0 f e e t lalcenvard o f the b lu ff l in e s in the ai’eas flanlring the beach

promontories. This in d ica tes to the author that the stretch es

of shore flanking the beach promontories have been eroded back

that many f e e t by waves since in i t ia t io n o f the beaches. For exam­

p le , the b lu f f - l in e behind the beach promontory at Indian Greek

l i e s about 200 f e e t lalceward of the b lu ff to the southwest, and

about 25)0 f e e t lalcevrard of the b lu ff to the northeast. According

to the offshore comparative p r o file measurements made by the Gorps

192

L _ A K e :

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Fig. 69. Map o f Indian Creek beach promontory. Note double ^ i c e s . Geneva twp., Ashtabula County.

193

Fig. 70. Vievr toward the M over­looking the northeast promontory of the natural beach ly in g astr id e the Paines- v ille -P e r r y township l in e . The b lu f f fr in g in g beach i s ephemeral. I t s pres­ence a t the time o f the photo was caused by action o f HE vdnds which had been bloTfing fo r some days. At the time of the photo i t was undergoing red istr ib u ­t io n dovm -drift T/ith the return of waves driven by MI vriLnds. July, 1955. Lake le v e l : 573 fe e t .

191;

Fig. 71. Breaker l in e on undervrater s p it t r a i l in g tOTfard the northeast from the eastern apex o f the Geneva-on-the-Lake beach promontory. August, 19^6. Lake le v e l z ^73 f e e t . View toward the M .

195

o f Engineers, the b lu ff to the northeast o f the promontory, s p e c if i­

c a lly the p o in t at the Saj'brook-Geneva tovmship l in e , i . e . , U,500

f e e t to the northeast, has retreated 190 f e e t betv/een l8?6 and

19U8 (House Doc. 351, 1952, p. 2U). Thus i t appears th at the

Indian Creek beach promontory, at the le a s t , p re-dates 18?6, e ^ e -

c ia l ly i f one assumes th a t the shoreline in the area was r e la t iv e ly

stra ig h t.

With respect to the "hovr" o f formation, the author assumes

th a t the b lu f f had retreated in customary fashion under the impact

of wave erosion . However, the landward recess io n took place over

an upwaiped surface o f bedrock, which, as i t became more exposed

and c lo se r to lalce le v e l , developed strong f r ic t io n a l fo rces on

the waves as they passed over. Boulders and cobbles l e f t behind

by the retrea tin g b lu ff a lso took th e ir t o l l o f wave energy and

began to ex erc ise a b arr ier e f f e c t on the l i t t o r a l d r i f t . A sandy

beach anchored by the boulder pavement on the bedrock surface sub­

sequently developed as a nucleus around vfhich further expansion

has taken p lace . In the meamvhile, vraye erosion continued i t s

degradational work on the flanking stretch es o f b lu ff .

Mechanical and Heavy I,mineral Analyses o f B lu ff and Beach Samples

In accordance w ith the procedure described by Krumbein and

P ettijohn (1938, ch. lU and l 5 ) , the author separated the heavy

m inerals in the 0 .25 to 0 .62 mm. s iz e range from nine o f the b lu ff

samples, and obtained th e ir r e la t iv e percentages by grain count

1 9 6

under the microscope. About 300 grains per sample were counted.

The s ix most important m inerals in terms o f th e ir frequences are

presented under Table IV (Appendix B). As shovm, p y r ite , amphibole

and clinopyroxene dominate the su ite .

According to Sindowski's (19U9, p. 8) tab le o f "Resistance

of heavy m inerals to w eathering," the amphiboles and clinopyroxenes

are h igh ly weatherable, i . e . , unstable, and they occupy Group II

o f h is seven-fo ld c la s s if ic a t io n , in which the most sta b le m inerals

are l i s t e d under Group VII. Tlie author's study seem to v e r ify

Sindowski's work with respect to the clinopyroxenes as shovm below.

That the sampled garnets, another of Sindowski's Group I I m inerals,

do not shovf signs o f corrosion may perhaps-be attrib uted to the

extreme youth of the g la c ia l d ep osits .

Both the b lu f f and beach d ep osits contain the same heavy min­

e ra l su ite (Table I I I ) , which suggests th at beach dep osits are

by'-products of b lu ff erosion. Kovfever, the t i l l samples ai’e charac­

te r ize d by a high percentage o f p y r ite (21.7 to I1I4..3 ) , most of

which i s authigenic. As viewed in s l id e s , the p y r ite occurs as

minute pyritohedrons and cubes, g lobu les and amorphous forms found

as in d iv idu al u n its , but more o ften in grains o f corroded pyroxenes

and amphiboles.

The percentage of clinopyroxene generally exceeds th at o f amphibole;

and since most o f the corroded m inerals appear to be clinopyroxenes,

i t appears th at th is mineral must have dominated the su ite at the

time o f deposition o f the t i l l s . N evertheless, th is gen era liza tion

197

does not apply to the topmost t i l l o f K in gsv ille tovmship, v/here

the ra tio amphibole/ clinopyroxene ranges from 2,^7 to U.U2, as

compared vrith the 0,6^ to 1 ,88 for the Upper and Lovrer T i l l s ,

As shoim on the map o f P late IV, Figure 7hi beach samples

vrere c o lle c te d from the Madison-Geneva tovmship length o f beach

(9551-9557), from the beach a t Red Brook in Saybrook tovmship

(9560-9563) and from the beaches v;est o f Ashtabula Harbor (956U-

9566),

In general, the median s iz e o f the sampled beach sand ranges

from 0 .21 to 0,^0 mm,, and decreases ta/fard the northeast, i . e . ,

the d irectio n o f the predominant l i t t o r a l d r i f t , fo r each o f the

lo ca tio n s o f continuous beaches, including the Gonneaut Tovmship

Park beach (P late V). P ettijohn and Ridge (1933) and Metter (1953,

p. Ul) a lso record a comparable trend for the median s iz e o f the

sand on the vmstern portion o f the beach a t Cedar p o in t. There the

trend i s in the opposite d irectio n , in keeping vdth the ivesterly

l i t t o r a l d r i f t there.

A ll o f the samples taken revea l good sortin g as described by

Trask's sorting c o e f f ic ie n t , Sq, which form ulates a geometric q u artile

deviation;

So =yOl/Q3 , vrhere 0% = the f i r s t q u artileQ3 = the th ird qu artile

A value l e s s than 2 ,5 in d ica tes good sortin g (Krumbein and P e t t i­

john, ch, 9 ).

198

Although a system atic study was not made, in sp ection o f the

beach samples under the microscope revea ls th at quartz, shale and

sandstone fragments dominate the su ite . Rock fragments outweigh

the quartz p a r t ic le s by an outrigh t to narroiT margin in the pocket

beaches. On the other hand, quartz gains the m ajority in the larger

and more permanent beaches. T exturally, the quartz fragments range

from sharply angular to very rounded and from c ry sta l c lea r to

thoroughly frosted ; hcn-rever, the c lea r , angular v a r ie t ie s g rea tly

predominate over the others.

Concerning the beach heavy mineral su ite , the author examined

only the l/U to 1 /8 mm, s iz e , because th is group i s common to a l l

o f the samples. A dditionally , since the median s ize and sorting

c o e f f ic ie n t of the samples share the same general order of magni­

tude, one f ix e d s ize group su ff ic e s as a b a s is o f coinparison (Rubey,

1933, p. 28). Moreover, the choice o f th is s iz e group rather than

the sm aller 1 /8 to l / l 6 mm. s iz e , which i s not common to a l l o f

the samples, reduces s ig n if ic a n t ly the percentage of m agnetite,

ilm en ite and garnets. These m inerals, though o ften v iv id ly d is ­

played in lo c a l spots along the shore, e .g . , at the mouth o f Big

(Areola) Creek, are apparently concentrated in response prim arily

to a h igh ly lo c a l sorting environment. Thus they pose a complex

region al pattern , and therefore in the author's opinion, are b etter

omitted rather than included in a regional study o f heavy mineral

trends.

199

i ^ i t e , the dominant mineral o f the b lu ff heavy mineral su ite ,

f a l l s to in sig n ifica n ce in the beach samples. However, exceptions

e x is t . Beach sediments newly derived from the b lu ff contain a high

percentage of p y r ite ; e .g . , the pocket beach sample, 95^0, includes

27.1 percent o f p y r ite . The major g laring exception in vo lves the

four samples, 9^68 to 9^71, o f Gonneaut Tormship Park. The p y r ite

percentage of these samples fo llo w s an increasin g trend toivard the

northeast; i . e . , a\vay from the b lu ff source, save fo r one small

creek, and ranges from 9 .1 to 22.0 (P late ? ) . I t has been observed

at the Mentor Headlands State Park beach, ju s t southwest o f Fairport

Harbor, th at offshore d ep osits contain more p y r ite and corroded

pyroxenes than do beach d ep o sits , and th at these d ep o sits , as send

bars, are frequently driven inshore by changed wave conditions

(Christopher, 19SS, p . 66 ). Thus i t i s p o ss ib le th a t the ty p ica l

beach deposits a t the Gonneaut Tovmship Park might have been con­

taminated by such onshore movement ju s t p rior to sampling.

M agnetite-ilm enite and p y r ite share the same general charac­

t e r i s t i c s o f s iz e , shape and density . Thus i f 80 and 90 percent

concentrations o f magnetite and ilm en ite occur in beach deposits

fo r mechanical reasons, then cer ta in ly sim ilar concentrations o f

p y r ite should a lso be found. This not being so, one must assume

th at the chemical response o f these m inerals to th e ir environment

supplies the d iscrim inating fa c to r . In the a ctiv e zone o f wave

action , p y r ite , a sulphide, i s rea d ily oxid ized to lim on ite , as

revealed by many grains o f p a r t ia l ly a ltered p yrite in the beach

200

samples. Limonite, o f course, hardly to le r a te s any abrasion, and

i s rea d ily carried avray in suspension.

A iphibole, hornblende in p a rticu la r , r e ta in s the dominant

p o s itio n in the heavy mineral su ite o f the beach sands, and shows

a tendency to decrease dovm-drift at the Red Brook and Gonneaut

beaches.

F ie ld and Laboratory Observations on L itto r a l Transport of Sediments

ViTith the general source o f the beach sediments and th e ir s i t e s

of deposition located , th e ir sp e c if ic path in the l i t t o r a l environ­

ment, in great measure, remains obscured by the host o f variab les

acting on them. The study of wave motion and the boundary condi­

t io n s e x is t in g between sediment and water medium, and betvreen vrater

and atmosphere, e n ta ils much e:xperimentation, tim e, patien ce , funds

and mathematical so p h istica tio n and in s ig h t, a l l o f which l i e beyond

the resources o f the author and the scope o f th is work. Thus by

n e c ess ity , the author's in v estig a tio n in to th is area i s lim ited

to some f i e ld and experim ental observations, from which a few ten ta ­

t iv e conclusions may be deduced,

Follov/ing a suggestion by H. J. Pincus th at the v/ave tank

designed o r ig in a lly fo r work in te r r e s tr ia l photogrammetry also

be used for model stu d ies o f beach behavior, the author attempted

to reproduce cer ta in f i e l d beach s itu a tio n s , such as the r e la t io n ­

ship o f vrave steepness to the development of sand bars, the angle

201

TABLE I I I

L ist o f Heavy I'Uneral Species in B lu ff and Beach Samples

Amphibole M agnetite-Ilm eniteHornblende; green Garnet, pink, red, c o lo r le s sHornblende; brorni P yriteTremolite Limonite = HematiteA ctin o lite Epidote

pyroxene Rare FdneralsAugite-Diop side KonaziteH ypersthene-Enstatite , , Leucoxene

T itan iteZirconV esuvianiteCorundumAndalusiteKyaniteR utile

202

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202

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3 0 0 0 2000 \ O O O 2 0 0

i9o-O6! :w5 .

p i Q . “I 6 . P e O T OP M r o I AM S I E E ( MS) v l s T R A S K ' S O R T I NOi O O E P P t Cl StM-r ( S o )

X X

•a,-kX

%H. j . P IN C U S

r'Sp3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 I O O O . 2 0 0 o '

D I S T A H C e I N P G E T W e S T W A B . O O P W P S T B R E A K W A T E R . , C O t s J N E A U T , O H i O .

Plate VI, F ig. 75, F ig. ?6. Grain s iz e and heavy mineral data of beach samples, Gonneaut tovmship, Park beach, Ohio. (Samples c o lle c te d by H. J. Pincus)

20U

o f incidence o f wave orthogonale to beach erosion , and the e f f e c t

of bedrock highs on the s t a b i l i t y or development o f beach promontories.

The beach model vfas developed in a wave tank 2$ f e e t long, U

f e e t T/ide and h f e e t deep, th a t was constructed and described by

K elley (19^6, p. U6-U8). The drive mechanism i s modeled a fter the

design o f Coyer (19^3), but m odified to perform as an o s c i l la to r

producing simple harmonic waves. The wave generating b a f f le i s

hinged at the bottom and made to o s c i l la t e back and fo r th on the

hinge. Waves produced by th is type o f o s c i l la to r are deep water

in type, but i t i s expected th at because o f the shalloiY depth of

water used (7 to 8 in ch es), and the length o f passage (18 f e e t ) ,

th at the vraves developed shallow water ch a r a c ter is t ic s before

breaking.

After a se r ie s of prelim inary experiments in which f i e ld beach

and offshore phenomena vrere reproduced in m iniature, f ix e d , v e r t ic a l ,

stereo-photographs from a height of 10 f e e t above the model beach

were talcen, and provide the data from which the maps o f Figures

77 to 8 l were constructed. The se ttin g up o f cameras and the p lo t­

t in g vrere performed by Professors A. Brandenberger and F. J. Doyle

o f the In s t itu te o f Geodesy, Photogrammetry, and Cartogrephy, The

Ohio S tate U niversity .

From h is experimental stu d ies vdLth beaches and v/aves, J. W.

Johnson (19U9) concludes th a t vraves which p ossess a steepness r a tio ,

i . e . , the ra tio o f deepvrater height to deep vrater length (Ho/ L o ) ,

20S

exceeding 0 .0 3 , produce a storm p r o f i le , wherein the foreshore i s

eroded and longshore bars are developed. On the other hand, waves

v/ith a r a tio of l e s s than 0.02$ cause deposition on the foreshore

and form p r o f i le s lack ing the longshore bars. The author success­

fu l ly reproduced these re la tio n sh ip s as shoim in Figures 77 and 78,

The contours o f Figure 77 d isp lay longshore bars separated

from the foreshore by scour depressions, as erected by steep waves

(Ho/Lo = 0 .0 3 3 ). 7/hen the waves were fla tte n e d (Ho/Lo = 0 .0 1 1 ),

the incoming r o lle r s exercised a shaving motion on the top o f the

bars, f la tte n in g them by svreeping the sand from o f f the tops in to

the troughs, and beyond to the shore. Thus the shoreline represented

by the 1 .8$ fo o t contour advances ( f ig . 78 ), as have the 1 .80 and

1 .7$ fo o t contours. On the other hand, the contours (1 .60 to 1 .70)

immediately lal:e\Tard o f the bar o f Figure 77, have moved shoreward

in response to the erosion on th a t part o f the offshore area. Far­

th e s t offshore, there has been a s h if t of contours ( l .$ 0 to 1 .3$)

æray from the shore in to the area beyond wave scour. Thus the

foreshore in Figure 78 i s b u i l t out at the expense o f the bar.

N evertheless, a n et lo s s o f m aterial to the deep part o f the tank

has talcen p lace .

The fa c to r of wave steepness and i t s e f f e c t on the in i t ia t io n

or d estruction o f offshore bars has been examined by Bascom (19$3),

in terms o f the pressure gradient th a t e x is t s on the bottom between

the cre s t and trough of a passing wave. He s ta te s th at the greater

the steepness, the greater the driving force th at i s exerted on

206

Figures 77 78. The comparison of beach p r o f i le s fo r steep (F ig . 77) and lovr (F ig. 78) waves

fo r a given depth of water, and a beach perpendicular to wave orthogonale.

Wave Tank Data

Fig. 77 F ig. 78

Water le v e l (inches) .......................... 8.25 8.25Period (seconds) (T) ...................... 0 .8b 1 .0Wave Height (H) in f e e t .................. 0 .125 0.057Wave steepness ra tio g (Ho/Lo) . .

Y/here Lo = 5.12 T ...................... 0.033 0.011Running time (hours) .......................... 2 .5 2.0O riginal slope of beach ................. i . S

207

I -9Û2-00

/ I

v « o

1- 6 '

ISOI- 4 S

OS-1

o'-

802

209

the vrater in o rb it, s ince the pressure gradient becomes greater.

Moreover, a higher steepness ra tio in creases the rate o f d e livery

of vrater to the beach, and correspondingly maintains more m aterial

in suspension. Thus a strong return of vrater makes i t s vray to the

offshore areaj conceivably, not only because of the increased volume

of vrater on the beach, but also because o f the consequent reduction

of perm eability o f the beach. These render the beach su scep tib le

to erosion to the advantage o f the bar and offshore area in general.

With respect to the study area on Lalce E rie, lovr waves p rev a il

most o f the summer, and i t i s not u n t i l in August th at higher vraves

become more frequent. Yet even then, the strong vraves breaking

against the shore seldom exceed 3 f e e t in amplitude, and are more

of the order o f 2 to 2 .3 f e e t . At th is time the period i s of the

order of I4. to U. 2 seconds. Goodman (1936, p. 83) has also made

sim ilar observations fo r the area near Lorain, Ohio. The steep­

ness ra tio of these waves accordingly ranges between 0.023 and

0.03U as computed by the author. These values l i e vrithin the tran­

s it io n zone steep and lovr vraves of Joluison (op. c i t . ) , i . e . , betvreen

0.023 end 0 . 03.

The development of bars o f f the beaches in the study area

i s further complicated by the generally oblique o r ien ta tion o f the

shore to the d irectio n o f the dominant m nds. This tends to in h ib it

the lakevrard return o f vrater perpendicularly to the shore, and to

favor a s h if t of the vrater mass dovmstream under the impetus o f the

l i t t o r a l current.

210

«

Fig. 79. Walnut beach, loca ted on the southvrestem sid e o f the West breakwater o f Ashtabula Harbor. The l in e s o f breakers o ffshore represent the s i t e s of offshore bars, over which waves driven by HE vri.nds are breaking ob liquely in the same manner th at they are shooting along the shore. The svfash marks represent new m aterial added from the up- d r if t end of the beach. Waves are 1 to 2 f e e t high.July, 195^.

211

Fig, 80. The northeastern end o f Walnut Beach. View toward the Iffi a fter the 2 day period o f high waves driven by NE K'/inds. Sand eroded from here was transferred dovm- d r if t as described under figu re 79. July, 19^?.

212

At the large beach immediately southv/est o f the w est brealc-

water o f Ashtabula Harbor, the author ejqslored the offshore area

ju s t a fter waves o f the order c ite d above and driven by strong

northeast winds had eroded the eastern end o f the beach. These

waves had a lso carved furrows or g iant r ip p les in to the bars, 10

inches between the c r e s ts , and h to $ inches deep, a ligned p a r a lle l

to the bars. Moreover, the bars were traced on a l in e tlia t approached

the shore ob liquely to a small beach p ro jection about 1,500 fe e t

southvrest of the brealavater, beyond which no bars v/ere found.

Beach erosion had occurred at the northeastern portion o f the

beach, vAiereas deposition had taken place on the sou time s te m part

by tran sfer o f sediments downdrift (Figures 79 and 80),

Apparently the bars are formed in the area toward the north­

ea st where an abundant sand supply, both onshore and offsh ore, i s

impounded against the breatavater. Toy;ard the southiTOst, the sand

cover th ins to a veneer on the bedrock o f shale. Under the impetus

of the ob liquely s tr ik in g northeast "find-driven waves, the shoreline

of the southwestern portion o f the beach grows lalceward. By the

same fo rce , the bars are extended toward the southvvest, but the

decreasing sand supply fo rces them to form nearer and nearer in ­

shore, u n t i l both shore and bar approach a junction . Beyond, the

beach b en efit in g by the double sources o f supply continues i t s

growth dovmdrift.

The steep waves accompanying strong r/inds from bhe northwest

or w est reverses the l i t t o r a l d r if t and the associated erosional

213

and dep osition a l p atterns. Supposedly, the advance o f the shoreline

at the northeastern h a lf o f the beach occurs in conjunction m th

the re trea t of the offshore bars lalce\Tard, This vras not in v e s t i­

gated f u l ly in the f i e ld , although the rela tion sh ip i s suggested

by the increased d istance between bar and shore at such a tim e.

During th is period of strong northeast Tri.nds, the impounding

e f fe c t of the west breakwater at Ashtabula Harbor causes a p ile-u p

of water against i t . This in turn induces-a strong hydraulic gradi­

ent d irected lakeward along the structure. The author has attempted

to duplicate th is condition in the wave tank as outlined under Table

VI and portrayed in Figure 81, as an inquirj'’ in to the nature of

sedimentation along the structure at such a time.

The model beach was aligned at an angle of degrees to the

orthogonals o f waves vd.th a steepness ra tio of 0 .0 $ . Under the

impact o f the steep waves, the shoreline on the west side of the

beach was rsp id ly eroded back, and a storm p r o f ile o f bar and trough

was carved on the offshore p r o f ile ( l ) . The waves were d eflected

toivard the e a st along the shoreline, and the swash formed a stream

as i t s volume was increased by the successive addition o f water

from the wave fron t s tr ik in g the shore in a delayed time continuum

from west to ea st (IV). 7i/here the flow impinged against the ea st

vrall o f the tank, i t swung toward the offshore area, b u ild in g a

tongue of sand or d e lta outward in to deeper water ( I I I ) . Area I I

o f the map had a se r ie s o f miniature channels running s tra ig h t doivn

from the top o f the sh e lf to the bottom of the slope, down which

21it

Fig, 81, The e f f e c t o f waves and currents on a shore angled a t degrees to the wave orthogonals.

Wave Tank Data

Water le v e l ; 8,2$ inches Period (T) in seconds: 0 , 7 3

Wave Height in fe e t : 0 , 1 3 $

Ho/Lo ( L o = $ . 1 2 t 2 ) ; 0 . 0 $

Running time in hours: 1O riginal slope of beach; 2 : 1

2lS

X

/ JV

fn

m

216

coarser sand p a r t ic le s and small pilecypod s h e lls s l id . The beach

surface of Area IV was covered by a concentrated layer o f magnetite

and garnet, the lag product o f sheet erosion o f the beach, in which

the l ig h t m inerals were swept away and the heavy m inerals l e f t .

By q u a lita tiv e tran sfer to the beach at Ashtabula Harbor, the '

author p o stu la tes th at a sim ilar s itu a tion as that in area I II

of the model e x is t s a].ong the west breaki'raterj i . e . , northvresterly

to southwesterly v/ind-im pelled l i t t o r a l floiT i s removing lakeward

a great deal of the sediments derived from the southwestern part

of the study area. I t i s probable that very l i t t l e o f th is m aterial

i s returned when the d r if t i s reversed. According to Krumbein and

Osheik (19^0), in th e ir study o f sediments impounded by harbor

j e t t i e s at Vfaukegan and Wilmette, I l l in o i s , on Lake Michigan, about

30 to $0 percent o f the shore d r if t escapes around these structures.

Likevri-se, the U.S. Corps o f Engineers (House Doc. ?96, 19?0, p. 33)

estim ates th at the west breakwater at Fairport, Ohio, lo s e s U?^000

cubic yards of the 1^0,000 cubic yards o f m aterial brought to i t

annually by the l i t t o r a l d r if t .

Under the th ird s e r ie s o f experiments, the author has e.ttempted

to reproduce the beach promontories discussed e a r lie r in the chapter,

on the b a s is o f the p ostu la te th at such beaches are con tro lled by

bedrock highs.

In th is experiment, the author graded the foreshore and immedi­

ate offshore area o f the beach to a slope o f l:lU j and covered the

area m th roofing asphalt t i l e . The granulated surface o f the t i l e

217

was l e f t exposed to provide the bottom roughness fa c to r presented

by the boulders and cobbles in the f i e ld s itu a tio n . The center o f

the t i l e d area w as.given a s l ig h t dome, ju s t enough to bring i t

w ith in 0.07 fo o t below water le v e l , as shovm in the map o f Figure

82. The baclcshore area was l e f t uncovered to provide fo r a source

of sand.

Because o f the sand d efic ien cy in the offshore area o f the

model beach, true bars could not come in to ex isten ce , even under

the conditions o f steep waves. Instead, a small s p it grew toward

the ea st from the supply area on the berm at the yiest side of the

tank. The s p it grew only to the s iz e shovm, and the excess m aterial

was swept shoreward to a small beach. The lab eled "bedrock" high

of Figure 02 acted to dim inish wave energy, so th a t the shore be­

hind i t was adequately protected .

Under the regime o f low wave steepness (0,002)' and continued

in troduction o f sand to the w est shore by the author, the beach

kept tovrard deep water and over the bedrock high to form a beach

promontory (Figure 63), However, the author could not reproduce

the long, ch a r a c ter is tic , submerged s p it t r a il in g dovmdrift because

of s iz e lim ita tio n s in the equipment used.

Submerged S p its As mentioned in the sec tio n o f th is paper

dealing v/ith beach promontories, v ir tu a lly a l l of these beach types

have lin ea r submerged s p its extending dovmdrift from th e ir ap ices.

Host of these sp its are flanked and floored by bedrock, p ossess a

218

Figures 82, 83. The e f f e c t of a shallov; bqdrock sh e lf on the development o f a beach under conditions of

steep (F ig. 82) and f l a t (F ig. 83) waves

ïïave Tanlc Data

Fig. 82 Pig. 83

Tfater le v e l in inches . . . 7.125 7.125Period (T) in seconds . . . 0 .75 2.0Yfave height in f e e t . . . 0.09U 0.052Ho/L o (Lq = S.IET?) . . 0.032 0.002Running time in hours . . . 3 .5 3.0O riginal slope .................. . 1;1U

219

I T S

I 1 0

I CO

220

WA-TKRUIMK

100

221

r e la t iv e ly unbroken fron t fo r at le a s t 1,000 f e e t , and a tta in lengths

exceeding 3,000 f e e t . In a l l o f them the shore curves abruptly

ar/ay from the p o in t o f attachment at the apex, and then stra ightens

out. After periods o f prolonged wave action from the predominant

northwest to southvrest d irec tio n s , the bars become strongly developed,

and the area immediately to the le e of the beach apex becomes a

sh eltered cove.

Apparently the l i t t o r a l d r if t p ossesses an in e r t ia l quality

that enables i t to r e s i s t p a r t ia l ly the tendency to fo llo w the shore­

lin e around the sharp bend of the beach apex; but, in stead , d irects

i t to maintain i t s o r ig in a l heading in to the lake for several thou­

sands of f e e t . However, winds from the northeast act to disrupt

th is trend, and tend to break up the portion s o f the s p it s near

th e ir junction v/ith the beach, and drive the sand inshore to the

beach. Likevd.se, i t i s probable th at the submerged s p its can be

extended in a n orth easterly d irectio n fo r only a cer ta in distance

before in s t a b i l i t y i s incurred. At th is po in t the m aterial may

be swept to sea or shore. The author b e lie v e s th at the beach at

Red Brook in Saybrook township rece iv es much of i t s nourishment by

period ic destru ction of the submerged s p it running from the beach

promontory near Saybrook Tovmship Park (P late xv).

SWiARï

The Lake P la in , a d ep osition a l surface constructed o f a th in

layer to 75 fe e t ) o f Carj'- and post-Cary la cu str in e beds and

g la c ia l t i l l s capping the surface o f the Upper Devonian Chagrin

shale, i s newly emergent and in an erosional stage of topographic

youth. Controlled by the northwesterly region al slope o f 10 to

20 f e e t per m ile, most o f the drainage flow s as consequent streams

across the p la in to Lake Erie, a l l o f which occupy youthful v a lle y s

over most o f th e ir len gth s.

Along the southeastern flanlc o f the area r is e s the band o f

Late Cary Lake Escarpment moraines -with a r e l i e f somewhat under

100 f e e t . Into the northern flanlc of th ese moraines the rather

bold b lu ff of Lake Y /hittlesey has been cut to a maximum height o f

about 60 f e e t . Farther to the northrrest, and running between the

b lu ff of Laice Erie and th a t o f Lake W hittlesey, the sand-rich shore

of g la c ia l Lake Warren forms a bench l5 to 30 f e e t high.

Extensive sand and gravel d ep osits , up to 60 f e e t th ick lo c a l ly

and more generally 35 f e e t th ick , cover the bedrock f lo o r of Madison,

K in gsv ille and Conneaut tovmships, and the beach ridge o f g la c ia l

Lake Warren.

The bedrock surface r is e s through the mud of the lalce, at an

e lev a tio n of about 500 f e e t , on a long uneven, concave slope under

the Lalce P la in to the Appalachian Escarpment at 870 fe e t . Exposures

222

223

of the bedrock occur in the major v a lle y s , the larger v a lle y s of

the small streams and along the Lake Erie shore in eastern Ashta­

bula tovmship.

A product o f erosion and mass w asting, the b lu f fs o f Lake Erie

present a v e r t ic a l stra tigrap h ie cro ss -sec tio n o f the Lake P lain .

G lacia l t i l l dominates the lith o lo g y across P a in e sv ille , eastern

Perry, Geneva, Saybrook, western Ashtabula and eastern Conneaut

tovmships. Elsewhere in the study area, la cu str in e d eposits co n sti­

tu te the upper h a lf or v ir tu a l ly a l l o f the section ; and o f th ese ,

f in e sand forms the dominant co n stitu en t. S tratigrap h iea lly , p o st-

Cary la cu str in e interbedded sand, s i l t and c lay o v er lie Late Cary

g la c ia l t i l l s . These t i l l s , tvro in number where recognizable, are

gen era lly separated one from the other by interbedded lacu str in e

beds, 1 to 18 fe e t th ick , or by a boulder pavement or a zone of

red c la y and pockets o f an u n id en tified , pebbly t i l l . The author

has dated the major t i l l s as Late Cary under the assumption that

they are preV ihittlesey in age and o f the same age as the Late Cary

Lake Escarpment moraines.

L ith o lo g iea lly , the t i l l s co n s ist o f a pebbly to bouldery,

s i l t y to sandy c la y , as in d icated by v isu a l in sp ection , hydrometer

and s iev e analyses, and th e ir Atterberg l im it s . Hcr^ever, la te r a l

consisten cy of the sand, s i l t and c lay r a tio s appears as the excep­

tio n rather than the ru le . On the whole the t i l l s p ossess medium

strength and lo-w s e n s it iv ity .

22U

The degradational processes acting on the b ln ff include -

1. Chemical and p h ysica l Aveatheringj2. Mass wasting; and3. Erosion by water and vdnd.

Weathering in terras o f freez in g and thawing, o:d.dation, hyd rolysis,

hydration and so lu tion , attacks the t i l l s most, since metamorphic

and igneous rock fragments, and s i l t co n stitu te a high percentage

of the t i l l s . Mass w asting i s expressed in a v a r ie ty of types that

include the f a l l o f sand grains, v e r t ic a l co llap se o f tons of wave-

undermined blocks of t i l l , small mudflows and extensive creep and

slump.

Sandy b lu f fs o f Perry, Madison and most o f Ashtabula County

northeast o f the harbor are la r g e ly undermined by basa l or in tra -

s tr a ta l contact springs plucking and transporting sand, and causing

adjacent and superjacent portions to f a l l from lack o f support.

Wind d e fla tio n a lso detaches much sand from the b lu f f , most o f which

f a l l s as ta lu s .

B lu ffs composed o f w e ll coinpacted t i l l s lacking a permeable

b asa l contact zone a ccessib le to ground-water, p ossess low perme­

a b il i ty , r is e v e r t ic a l ly , and f a i l by d irect wave undermining which

causes v e r t ic a l shearing o f f of segments along jo in t surfaces.

This type of fa ilu r e i s ty p if ie d by the b lu ffs o f western Perry

tovmship.

Failure by creep o f a one to 2 1 /2 fo o t th ick layer of the

en tire b lu ff face occurs in b lu ffs associated v/ith a low sand content

and high s i l t percentage (lj.0 to 67) in a matrix o f c lay . Freezing

72$

and thavdng in conjunction vri.th wave scavenging i s postu lated to

keep the process in motion, Tliis phenomenon was observed in the

b lu ff o f the Saybrook-Ashtabula tovmship border area, and th at of

Ashtabula tovmship northeast of Ashtabula Harbor.

Slumping a f fe c ts three types of stra tigrap h ie sec tio n s;

1. That represented by 20 to 35 f e e t o f la cu str in e c la y super­

jacen t to t i l l . The la cu str in e c la y slumps and i t s sur­

face o f shear develops on the t i l l contact 10 to l5 f e e t

above the beach, as exh ib ited in cen tra l Perry toim ship.

2. That co n sistin g from top to bottom of ( l ) la cu str in e beds,

(2) "Upper" t i l l , (3) i n t e r t i l l la cu str in e beds, and

(U) a sa lie n t l5 to 25 fo o t high "Lower" t i l l . Here perme­

able beds in (3) y ie ld to the soften ing and pluclcing e f f e c t

of ground water seepage. Their y ie ld in g causes the over-

ly in g beds to slump. This categorj’’ of slumping tj 'p ica lly

occurs in Ashtabula County.

3. That which c o n s is ts m ostly o f t i l l restin g on rather th ick

la cu str in e beds near or at la k e - le v e l. Slumping here i s

a major development o f th at which occurs under "b," since

the en tire b lu ff - s e c t io n i s a ffec ted . M oisture, again

the v i l la in , permeates the la cu str in e m aterial and i s

postu lated to seep from surface m eteoric sources in the

hinterland (P a in e sv ille tovmship) and from the Lake

(Geneva-Saybrook toivnships).

226

The products o f b lu f f erosion and stream erosion o f the Lake

Plain and Lalce Escarpment Moraines end in the lalce. Of th ese the

fa r greater contribution comes from the b li i f f s . According to the

data from heavy mineral analyses, the heavy mineral su ite s of the

g la c ia l t i l l s and beach include the same m inerals, except th a t the

su ite belonging to the t i l l s contain a higher percentage (kO%) of

p y r ite than do ty p ica l beach d ep osits (5%). The median s iz e d is ­

tr ib u tio n of the beach sand, th ere in for a given stretch o f beach

grain s iz e decreases dovmdrift, in d ica tes th a t the l i t t o r a l d r if t

toward the northeast ex cerc ise s a sortin g action on sediment in

transport sim ilar to th at o f streams.

About one-h alf o f the shore i s protected by permanent beaches.

These the author has grouped in to tv/o ca tegories;

1. stream-mouth - those con tro lled by the hydraulic b arrier

e f f e c t of streams issu in g in to the lake

2. beach promontories - those con tro lled by bedrock highs

The large stream-mouth beaches on the vrestern sid e of the break­

waters at the Grand, Ashtabula, and Conneaut r iv er s , have had th e ir

vfidths m u ltip lied by the presence o f the harbor stru ctu res. Because

of the huge volume o f onshore and offshore sand comprising these

beaches, they conform to the " ty p ica l” beaches of oceanographic

researchers in th a t storm p r o f i le s o f sandbars and troughs come

and go vdth changes in the vdnd-vector and wave steepness.

On the other hand, the beach promontories are associated with

only a moderate sand supply. Most o f the sand i s concentrated on

227

the beaches and in submerged sp its th at t r a i l o f f dovmdrift (north­

ea st) on a rocky bottom away from the lakevfard p rojectin g heads

of the beaches. Sand transferred dovmdrift v ia the submerged sp its

may even tu ally be moved inshore, i f the bottom remains shallov/,

or may become p a r t ia l ly l o s t o ffshore.

C O N C L U D I N G R E M A R K S

SHORE EROSION IN THE AREA.

Today's problem of eroding shore along the lake began in the

19U0's vri-th a 1 to 2 fo o t e lev a tio n increase o f the vrater-level.

This has been only the l a t e s t o f such ep isod ic r is e s . McDonald

(19^3, p. 2SI) a ttr ib u tes th is high stage o f the lalce to a p e r s is t ­

ent trend of above normal r a in fa l l during the 10-year period pre­

ceding 1951, in -which the r a in fa l l average exceeded th at fo r the

years s in ce 1900 by 2,23 inches. Moreover, in 1930 and 1931, the

r a in fa l l was nearly 6 inches above th at average. The author has

not in v estig a ted th is aspect o f the problem, but has found no se r i­

ous objection to th is co rre la tio n .

However, the problem i s not only one o f high lake le v e ls , but

also one o f a dim inishing sand supply. Under the natural economy,

the income o f sand should a t le a s t match the outgo of m aterial

from the beaches vfhich su ffer continuous a t tr it io n by comminution

of p a r t ic le s , a continual lo s s o f sediments to the deep parts o f

the lak e, and to areas dovmdrift of the study area. As has been

esta b lish ed e a r lie r in t h is paper the b lu f fs form v ir tu a lly the

only source of neiT m aterial to the beaches.

For every large stretch o f beach-protected shore in the study

area, there i s a sim ilar length of wave-eroded b lu ff u p d rift. As

the area undergoes greater r e s id e n t ia l and in d u str ia l development,

228

2 2 9

more attempts are made to stem b lu ff erosion by the addition o f

p rotective structures. The higher the e f f ic ie n c y o f these struc­

tu res, the lower becomes the amount of sediment ava ilab le fo r dovm-

d r if t nourishment o f beaches. Thus in terms o f beach development

for a given la k e - le v e l, there seems to be a l im it to the shore

length o f b lu ff fo r which p rotection i s d esirab le .

Fortunately fo r the study ^ e a , the shore in the le e o f the

three major harbor structures i s ovmed by major in d u str ia l concerns

th at have land and economic resources enough to combat b lu ff re­

cession as they see f i t . Likei'/ise, most of the land in the receding

shore areas o f P a in e sv ille . Perry, eastern Ashtabula and western

K in gsv ille toim ships c o n s is ts o f large undeveloped hold ings. From

the viei'fpoint o f beach accretion th is i s as i t should be. In the

author's opinion, no permanent bu ild ing on the Lake P lain should

be b u i l t T/ithin 1,000 f e e t o f the b lu ff in these areas u n less the

owner can cope v/ith the engineering problems involved v/ith v/ave

erosion and the processes o f b lu f f fa ilu r e .

The h eav ily inhabited shore o f eastern Geneva and western

Saybrook townships represents the most c r i t i c a l lo c a le in the study

area ivith the p o ssib le exception o f Paine s v i l l e tovmship ju s t ea st

of the Tovmship Park. The pecu liar nature o f b lu ff slumping here

may involve measures o f correction too c o s t ly and perhaps too la te

to save the houses near the edge o f the b lu f f . The in d ication s

230

are, as has "been d iscussed previously , th at the zone o f fa ilu r e

extends down to bedrock. Perhaps a reta in in g se myall anchored

in the bedrock might be a p a r t ia l so lu tion .

LITERATURE CITED

Barendsen, G. W., Deevey, E. S ., and Gralenski, L. J . , 1957, Yale natural radiocarbon measurements III ; Science, n . s . , v , 126, p. 908-919.

Bascom, W. N ., 1953, The c h a r a c ter is t ic s o f natural beaches: Proc,o f Uth conf. on Coastal Engineering, p. 163-180.

Boyer, C. B ., 1953, A multipurpose wave generator: Proc. MinnesotaIn tern at'1 Hydraulics Convention, p. 281-291.

Camey, F. J . , 1908-1917, Manuscript and notes on the beach ridges of the g la c ia l IsJces: Unpub., open f i l e o f the Ohio Geol.Surv., Columbus, 0.

. 1916, The abandoned sh orelin es o f the Ashtabula Quad­rangle, Ohio: B u ll, o f S c i. Lab., Denison U niv., v o l. 18,p . 362- 369.

Campbell, L. J ., 1955, The la te g la c ia l and la cu str in e d eposits of Erie and Huron Counties, Oliio: Ph.D. d is ser ta tio n , TlieOhio State Univ., Columbus, 0 . ,

Casagrande, A., 19U7, C la ss if ic a t io n and id e n t if ic a t io n o f s o i ls :Proc. Amer. Soc. C iv il Engineers, p. 783-810.

Chieruzzi, R. and Balter, R. F ., 1958, A study o f Lalce Erie b lu ff recession ; Engr. Exper. S ta ., b u ll . 172, 100 p.

Christopher, J. E ., 1955, In v estiga tion o f Lake Erie Shore erosion between F aiiport Harbor and the Mentor Yacht Club, Lalce County,Ohio: M.S. th e s is . The Ohio State U niversity , 100 p.

Evans, 0. F ., 1938, F loating sand in the formation of svfash marks:Jour. Sed. P e t l . , v . 8, p. 71.

________ . 1939, Sorting and transportation of m ateria ls in theswash and backwash: Jour. Sed. P e t l . , v . 9, p. 28-31.

Fenneman, N. M., 1917, Physiographic d iv is io n s o f the United S tates:Annals of the Assoc. Amer. Geog., v . 6, p. 19-98.

Goldthwait, R. P ., 1958, Wisconsin Age fo r e s ts in western Ohio,Part I , age and g la c ia l events: Ohio Jour. S c i . , v . 58, p. 209-219.

231

232

Goodman, J . , 1936, An in v e stig a tio n of shoreline processes alongLake Erie betvveen the Vermilion and Huron Harbors, Erie County, Ohio: M.S. th e s is . The Ohio State Univ., I 8I4. p.

Gordon, D ., 1936, G eological processes along the chore of Lake Eriebetween Lakeline and Mentor-on-the Lalce, Lalce County, Ohio:M.S. th e s is . The Ohio State U niv., 122 p.

Hartley, R. P. and Verber, J. L ., 1939, Generalized map of bottom deposits o f Lalce E rie, 1:U00,000: Unpublished, the OhioD iv ision of Shore Erosion, Columbus, Ohio.

Hough, Jack L ., 1938, Geology of the Great Lakes: Univ. o f I l l in o i sPress, Urbane, H I . , 313 p.

House Document 331» 82nd Congress, 1932, Appendixes I I I , VII and XII, Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie between Faiiport and Ashta­bula, beach erosion study: U6 p.

House Document 396, 3 l s t Congress, 1930, Appendix IX, shore o f "Lake Erie in Lake County, Ohio, beach erosion control study:3U p.

Hutton, C. VL, I 9I4.O, Geology of the Conneaut and Ashtabula quad­rangles, Ohio: M.S. th e s is . The Ohio State Univ., 66 p.

Inman, D. L ., 19U9, Sorting o f sediments in the l ig h t o f f lu id mechanics: Jour. Sed. P e t l . , v . 19, p. 31-70.

Johnson, J. VL, 19U9, Scale e f f e c t s in hydraulic models involving wave motion: Trans. Amer.. Geophys. Un., v . 30, p. 317-323.

Kaye, C. A., 1930, P r in c ip les o f s o i l mechanics as vierred by ag eo lo g is t: Applied Sedimentation, P.D. Trask, Ed., p. 93-110.John Wiley and Sons, In c ., H .Ï.

K elley, R. A., 1936, A pplications of t e r r e s t r ia l photogrammetry for determination of shore movements: M.S. th e s is . The OhioState U niv., 93 p.

Krumbein, W. C. and Oshiek, L. E ., 1930, P u lsation al transport of sand by shore agents: Trans. Ajner. Geophys. Un., v . 31,p. 216- 220.

Krumbein, ¥ . C., and PettiJohn, F. J . , 1938, Manual o f Sedimentary Petrography: Appleton-Century-Crofts, In c ., N.Y., 3U9 p.

233

KrjTiine, D. P ., I 9I4I . S o il Mechanics; McGrœT-Hill Book Co., In c ., N.Y., U5l p.

ICrynine, D. P ., and Judd, R., 1937j P r in cip les o f Engineering Geology and Geotechnics: McGravr-Hill Book Co., In c ., N.Y.,730 p.

Lambe, T. W., 1931, S o il Testing for Engineers: John Wiley andSons, In c ., N.Y., l6 3 p.

L everett, F ., 1902, G lacia l formations and drainage fea tu res of the Erie and Ohio Basins: U.S. Geol. Surv. Iton. XV, 802 p.

L everett, F ., and Taylor, F. B ., 1913, The P leistocen e o f Indiana and Michigan and the h istorj’- of the Great Lalces: U.S. Geol. Surv. Mon. 33, 329 p.

Libbey, W. F ., 1931, Radiocarbon dates II; Science, n . s . , v , llU , p. 673-681.

McDonald, Y/. E ., 1933, V ariation in Great Lakes le v e ls in r e la t io n to engineering problems: Proc. o f Uth Conf. on CoastalEngineering, p . 2U9-237.

Mason, M. A., 1933, P r in c ip les o f shore p rotection fo r the Great Lakes: Proc. o f Uth Conf. on Coastal Engineering, p. 207-213.

M etter, R., 1933, Sedimentary p rocesses along Lake Erie shore from Cedar Point to Huron: 1931 In v estig a tio n s o f Lalce Erie shoreerosion , H. J. Pincus, Ed: Rept. of In v estig a tio n s, Div.Geol. Surv., Ohio, 138 p.

Pepper, J. F ., DeWitt J r ., W., Demarest, D. F ., 193U, Geology o fthe Bedford shale and Berea sandstone in the % palachian Basin; U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 239, 111 p.

P ettijoh n , F. J . , and Ridge, J. D ., 1932, A tex tu ra l v ar ia tion se r ie s o f beach sands from Cedar Point, Ohio: Jour. Sed.P e t l . , V . 3, p. 30- 39.

Prosser, C. S ., 1912, The Devonian and M ississip p ian of northeastern Ohio: Ohio Geol. Surv., Uth s e r . , B u ll. l3

Read, M. C., 1873, Geology o f Ashtabula County: Ohio Geol. Surv.Rept. V . 1, Pt. 1, p. U8I-U92.

23U

, Geology o f Lalce County: , p.

Rubey, W. lY., 1933, The s iz e d is tr ib u tio n o f heavy m inerals vdthin a water la id sandstone: Jour. Sed. P e t l . , v . 2, p. 76- 88.

Thorndike, J r ., S ., 1930, Model study of sand transport along an in f in i t e ly long, s tra ig h t beach: Trans. M er. Geophys. Un.,V . 31, p. 333-363.

Shaffer, P. R., 19U7, Geologj'- o f Appendix I I I , south shore of Lake Erie: Unpublished r e p t ., f i l e s of the Ohio Div. Shore Erosion,Columbus, 0 . , 3U p.

________ , Geology o f Appendix V, south shore o f Lalce Erie: ________W p .

Terzaghi, K., 1933, Influence o f geo lo g ica l fa c to rs on the Engineer­ing properties o f sediments: F if t ie th Anniversary volume,Econ. G eol., p. 337-617.

Terzaghi, K., and Peck, R. B ., 19U8, S o il Mechanics in Engineering P ractice: John Wiley and Sons, N.Y., 366 p.

Vames, D. J . , 1938, Landslide types and processes: Higltvvay ResearchBoard Spec. Rept. 29, Landslides and Engineering P ractice, Washington, B .C ., 232 p.

W iegel, R. L ., and Johnson, J. W., 1930, Elements o f wave theory: Proc. 1 s t Conf. on Coastal Engineering, p . 3-21.

Winslow, J. D ., White, G. W., Webber, E. E ., 1933, The water re­sources o f Cuyahoga County, Ohio: Ohio Div. Water, B u ll.26, 123 p.

APPE1\!DIX A

LAKE PLAIN YiELL LOGS USED IN TEXT (From the f i l e s o f the Ohio Div. o f Y/ater, Columbus, Ohio, See P la tes VII to X fo r lo ca tio n s)

Section 1

Location: Korthside o f U.S. Route 20, one-h alf m ile southwest ofPerry Park Road, Perry ta;mship, Lalce County.

Top (E levation: ca. 68S fe e t ) Feet

1 . Sand and gravel (Lalce Warren h e a c h ) ............................................ 1$

2. Blue c lay ( t i l l ? ) ..............................................................................

3 . G r a v e l......................................................................................................... 10100

Section 2

Location: East side of Boi^hall Road, 1 /$ m ile north of MadisonAve., C ity o f Paine s v i l l e , Paine s v i l l e tovmship, Lalce County.

Top (E levation: ca. 69$ f e e t ) Feet

1. Yellovf c l a y ......................................................................................... U

2. Sandy yellow c l a y ............................................................................. 11

3. Brown sand and g r a v e l .................................................................... U

U. Blue c la y bound vdth sand and gravel ( t i l l ? ) ................ 2

$. Blue hard pan ( t i l l ) .................................................................... 627

Section 3 (Auger boring - Ohio Div. Shore Erosion)

Location: In tersectio n o f Nevf London Road and Meyers Road, Geneva tovmship, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 632 f e e t ) Feet

1. Sand and s i l t ..................................................................................... 7

23S

2 3 6

2. Lacustrine c l a y ...................................................................................... 5

3. T i l l (to b e d r o c k ) .................................................................................. UÏ6'

Section I4. (Auger boring, Ohio Div. Shore Erosion, Columbus, Ohio)

Location; Gore Road and State Route Saybrook tovmship, Ashta­bu la County.

Top (E levation: 626 f e e t ) Feet

1 . T i l l , containing granules and small pebbles.Depth o f leach ing = 2 1 / 2 f e e t (to b ed ro ck ? )...................... 19

Section ^

Location: Lake D h ittle sey bed, 1 m ile v/est o f the confluence o fthe Grand River and Kellogg Creek.

Top (E levation: ca. 720 fe e t ) Feet

1 . S a n d ........................... ............................................................................ 10

2. Clay .................................................................................. UO

3. Quick s a n d ................................................................ 2$

h. T il]........................................................................................................... 23

5 . Clay.......................................................................................................... 20i

6. Sand and g r a v e l .......................... SÏ2T"

Section 6

Location: Southside o f S tate Route 307 l/U m ile ea st of junctionvdth northerly road to the tm'm of Perry. Distance from edge o f r iv er b lu ff = 1/U m ile.

Top (E levation: ca. 83O f e e t ) Feet

1. Yellov/ c lay (vreathered t i l l and lo a m ) .............................. 19

2. Blue c lay ( t i l l ) .............................................................................. 28

3 . G r a v e l................................................................................................... 2

237

U. Brovm s a n d ............................................................................................... 10

C la y ............................................................................................................ 13

6. Clay and gravel ( t i l l ? ) ...................................................................... 23

7. Shale (e leva tion ; ca. 735 fe e t ) ................................................9%

Section 7

Location: \7est sid e o f Route 528, about 500 f e e t south of junctioniTith Route 307 East, Madison tormship. Lake County

Top (E levation: ca. 850 f e e t ) Feet

1. Yellovf c lay (loam and vreathered t i l l ) ..................................... 19

2. Blue cla '- ( t i l l ) ............................................................................ U5

3. Gravel, das'-, some s a n d ............................................................ l6

U. Shale (E levation: ca. 775 f e e t ) .............................................. ....70

Section 8 (U. S. Army Corps o f Engineers)

Location: About 1,000 f e e t northwest o f junction of Route 723and,307, H arpersfield tovmship, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 8U6.9 fe e t ) Feet

1. Brown s i l t y lo a m ............................................................................. 2

2. S i l t y c lay vdth fragments o f sandstone and shale ( t i l l ) 68

3. Fine to medium sand w ith c la y and w a t e r ................................ 2

U. Sandy c l a y ................................................................................. 9

5. Sandy shale (E levation: 767.9 fe e t ) .. ....................................... ....81

238

Section 9 (U.S. Array Corps of Engineers)

Location: About 1,000 f e e t west o f f i r s t junction w est of the tovnio f H arpersfield on Route 307, H arpersfield township, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 86Ii..li f e e t ) Feet

1. Brown s i l t y loam ............................................................... 1 .0

2. S i l t y c lay ivith fragments o f sandstone ( t i l l ) .................... 16 .3

3. lledium to coarse sand m th c l a y ................................................ 0 .7

S i l t y claj' ( t i l l ? ) ...................................................................................U8.0

?. Coarse sand and fin e gravel and c l a y ......................................... 1 .0

6. S i l ty c lay ( t i l l ? ) ................................................................................... 26.0

7. Fine sand, free o f c l a y ................................................................. 2 .0

8. Sandy c lay w ith fragments o f shale and sandstone ( t i l l ) 2.3

9. Thin bedded gray sandy shale (E levation: 767.1 fe e t ) .9 T 3

Section 10 (U.S. Array Cordis o f Engineers)

Location: About 2,000 f e e t north-northwest o f f i r s t junction v/ithnorth-south road and Route 307 ea st of the tovni o fH arpersfield , H arpersfield township, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 860.5 fe e t ) Feet

1. S i l t y lo a m ........................................................................................... 6 .0

2. S i l ty c la y ( t i l l ) .............................................................................. 90.0

3. Coarse sand, vrater b e a r in g ........................................................ 3 .0

U. Gray s i l t y c lay ( t i l l ? ) ................................................................. 21.0

5. Gray s a n d ............................................................................................... 2 .5

6. Gray c l a y .................................................................... 8.9

239

7. S an d ........................................................................................................... 3 .3

8. Bedrock (E levation: 725.8 fe e t ) ...................................................13U.7

Section 11 (U.S. Army Corps o f Engineers)

Location: About 1 /3 m ile north of Route 307, 3/U m ile northeasto f in ter sec tio n of Route 307 and the vfest border of Austinburg tam iship, Austinburg tovmship, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 8I4.6 .3 fe e t ) Feet

1. Bro-un s i l t y lo a m ............................................................................. 3 .0

2. S i l ty clay v.dth fragments o f shale and sandstone ( t i l l ) 69.0

3. Gray sandy c l a y ................................................... 27.0

U. Fine to medium s a n d ..................................................................... 6 .0

5 . Fine to medium sand vrith seme c l a y ....................................... 3 .0

6. S i l ty clay v/ith fragments of sandstone and shale ( t i l l ) 21.0

7 . S i l ty c l a y ............................. 2U.0

8. Sandy c l a y .......................................................................................... 3 .6

9 . Thin bedded gray sandy shale v/ith some la y ers o fdark shale (E levation; 690.O fe e t ) .......................... . . .

156.6

Section 12 (U.S. Array Corps of Engineers)

Location: About 300 f e e t north o f Route 307, 0 .9 m iles v/est-south­west o f in ter sec tio n o f Routes 307 and US in the tovm of Austinburg, Austinburg toim ship, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 8l9 f e e t ) Feet

1. Brovm sandy lo a m ............................................................................. 0 .5

2. Sandy c lay .............................................. 17.5

3. Fine, clacareous sand, l i t t l e c lay . ................................. 3 .0

k. Sandy c l a y .......................................................................................... 3 .0

2itO

5. Very f in e sand 'vvith some clay; w a t e r ...................................... 6 ,0

6. S i l ty c l a y ......................................................................................... 12.0

7. Fine s a n d ............................................................................................. 0 ,$

8. Fine gravel, l i t t l e c la y , water bearing . . . . . . . . 10.0

9. S i l t y c la y T/ith fragments o f sandstone shale ( t i l l ) . . l6 ,0

10. Fine sand, w a t e r ............................................................................. 3 .5

11. Very fin e s a n d ................................................................................. 3 .0

12. Sandy c l a y ....................................................................................... . 3 .0

13. Fine sand, l i t t l e c l a y ................................................................ 3 .0

lU. S i l t y c l a y ................................................................... l5 .0

l5 . Sandy clay vdLth fragments o f sandstone and shale( t i l l ) ................................................................................. U.O

100 .0

Section 13 (U.S. Army Corps o f Engineers)

Location; l . l 5 m iles northeast o f sec tio n 12, 0 .5 m ile west o f Route 0 .3 m ile north of Route 307, Austinburg tovmship, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: 83U.U fe e t ) Feet

1 . S i l t y lo a m ........................................................................................... 3

2. S i l ty c l a y .......................... .... . ................................................ U5

3. Coarse s a n d ...................................................................................... 3

U. Gray s i l t y c l a y ............................................................................. 21

5. Gray sand, water b e a r in g ......................................................... 3

6. Gray sandy c l a y ............................................................................. 6

7. Verj'- f in e sand, water b e a r in g ............................................... l8

8. Coarse s a n d ..................... 3

• ■ 2l4l

9. Medium s a n d ..................................................................................... 3

10. Gray sandy c l a y ............................. .............................................. 3

11. l in e gray s a n d ................................................................................ 6

12. Gray sandy c l a y ................ ............................................................ 3

13. Coarse graj* s a n d .............................................................................. 6

lU. Gray s a n d ............................................................................................... 3

l3 . Coarse s a n d .......................................................................................... 6

16 . Gray c l a y ............................................................................................... 9

17. Gray sand, %vater b e a r in g ................................................................. 3

18. Gray c l a y ............................................................................................... 3

19. Sandy c lay . ...................................................................................... 3

20. Gray s i l t y c l a y .................................................................................. 28

21. Sandy c l a y .................................................................................................... 12

22. Gray s i l t y c lay .................................. 6

23. Gray s a n d .............................................................................................. 12

2U. Gray s i l t y c l a y .................................................................................. 38.3

23. Sandy shale (E levation: 609.1 fe e t ) . . _____2ÜF3

Section lU

Location: About 1,000 f e e t north-northvrest o f the road junctionat Munson h i l l , Austinburg toTmship, Ashtabula County

Top (E levation: ca. 860 fe e t ) Feet

1. Clay ( T i l l ) ...................................................................................... 90

2. S a n d ................................................................................................... 18

3. G r a v e l...................................... h112

2U 2

Section 1^

Location; Southwest side o f northwest - southeast road crossing Coffee Creek; 2.2 m iles northeast o f southwest corner o f Plymouth township, and 2 ,3 m iles southwest o f north­w est corner of Plymouth toivnship

Top (E levation: ca. 800 fe e t ) Feet

1. Clay ( t i l l ) ...................................................................................... Wt

2. G r a v e l....................................................... 2

3. Shale ...................................................................................................

Section l 6

Location: Conneaut tovmship. In tersection o f Route 7 and SouthRidge Road in the tovm of Famham

Top (E levation: ca. 838 fe e t ) Feet

1. Top d ir t (loam and weathered t i l l ) ...................................... 10

2. G ravel-clay ( t i l l ) ...................................................... U8

3. Water bearing s a n d ........................................................................ 8

U. Bedrock (E levation: ca. 762 fe e t ) .......................................

Section 17

Location: Conneaut tovmship. About 1,000 f e e t north of the in te r ­sec tio n o f South Ridge and Furnace Roads, south o f the c it y o f Conneaut

Top (E levation: ca. 830 fe e t ) Feet

1. Yellow c la y (loam and weathered t i l l ) ........................................ 20

2. Gravelly blue c lay ( t i l l ) .......................................................... 63

3. S a n d ..................................................................................... 7

H. Blue c l a y .............................................................................................. 8

3. Shale (e leva tion : ca. 738 fe e t ) ...........................................92

2 li3

Section 19

Location; Saybrook tovmship. About I/I4. m ile w est o f junction of Routes and 81). on the south sid e o f Route 81;

Top (E levation: ca. f e e t ) Feet

1. Clay ( t i l l ? ) ............................................................... ho

2. G r a v e l............................................................................................. 20

3. C la y ........................ 1;

U. Sand and g r a v e l ....................... 8

Clay ....................................................................................... 8

6 . Shale (e levation : ca. 67$ f e e t ) .......................................So

Section 20

Location: Saybrook tovmship^ about 0.3$ m ile w est o f Saybrooktovmship, 0 .3 m ile north of Plymouth township, and 0 .$ m ile south o f Route 81;

Top (E levation: ca. 790 fe e t ) Feet

1 . Clas ( t i l l ) .............................. - ..................................................... 30

2. Sand and G r a v e l..................................................................................... 3$

3. Bedrock (e leva tion : ca. 730 f e e t ) .. ...................................SK

Section 21

Location; Saybrook tovmship, about 1,000 fe e t south of Route 20 on Brovm Road

Top (E levation: ca. 6P0 f e e t ) Feet

1. S a n d ........................................................................................................... 12

2. Blue C la y ................................................................................................. 32

3. S a n d ........................................................................................................... 12

2hh

U. T i l l ................................................... 17

Sand and Gravel (end o f hole, e levation : ca. 600 fe e t ) . li;87

Remarks on s e c t io n s : Statements in parentheses fo llow ing d r i l l e r ' s

l i th o lo g ie descrip tion represent the author's in terp reta tion .

E levations where not p r e c ise ly sta ted have been determined from

the U. S. G eological Survey topographic sheets o f P la tes VII-X.

APPENDIX B

SAî.îPLE DATA

9 6 0 3 9 6 0 5 9 6 1 0 9 6S A M R U g M U M B E . P S - B U U F T

9 6 13 96t-r 9 6 3 1 9632 9633 9637 9 ^rctaikco ON-rYuem NQ..5L Sieve__

NO. t o s < c v r 1 2 - 58 5 0 6 5 9 2 3 31 i - n 5 2 3 4 0 9 1 9*62 4« I

NO. A O S l V x / g 9 5 3 8 5 5 1 3 - 0 5 1 0 - 4 3 10-28 6 1 I 4 -6 2 2 6 6 64 IG.(N O . 2 0 0 f t i a v c 1 2 - 5 9 13 66 6 5 9 1 9- 21 13-M 9 4 3 6-65 4 2 3 . 9 0

SILT (SO - 5 A ) 2 1 6 3 2 4 3 0 - 4 2 6 S 3 4 O 4 0 2 6 1 - 0 3 1 - 8 4 0 » OCUAV < 5 3 6 8 3 9 2 4 6 - 0 3 i - 8 3 3 - 0 4 2 8 n-3 60-8 2 9 - 3 3 4 »

LI Quid LI A4IT 3 7 - 0 3 2 O 3 0 - 0 2 9 O 2 9 - 0 4 0 0 3 2 * 0 2 6P L A S T I C l _ l N * |- r 2 2 - 1 2 2 O II O n o I B o 2 5 » 0 23.0 18»

P L A S T I C IT-r IMOeX J 4 - 3 10-0 13-0 12-0 ll-O n » o 9-0

Table IV. Mechanical Analyses and Atterberg Values o f B lu ff and Lake P la in G lacia l T i l l Samples (Samples 96I46 to 96^2 and th e ir values were obtained from the Ohio D iv ision o f '.Tater, Columbus, Ohio). Locations o f b lu f f samples p lo tted on P la tes Location o f Lake P lain samples p lo tted on P la tes

2U5

B

II

S a m r u b : N I U M B E . R S - B U U F T - l a k e : P L A I N9 6 1 1 9 6 1 3 9 6 1 - 7 9 6 ^ 1 9 6 3 5 9 6 3 7 9 6 4 0 9 * 4 % 9 * 4 g 9 * 4 g 9 6 % ! 1 9 6 5 26 0 5 | 9 6 I 0

0 - 3 1 - 0 O ' I 1-3 I ' Z 0 - 3 0 - 3

2 - 5 8 5 0 6 5 9 2 3 31 i-n 5 2 3 - 4 0 9 1 9 8 2 4 « II S 3 7 7 1 - 9 2 2 2 . 0 t ' 9 2 2 1 0 1- 1

3 - 5 3 8 5 5 laos 1 0 - 4 3 1 0 - 2 8 6 1 1 4 6 2 2 6 6 6 4 1 5 - 9 7 . 1 6-8 1 0 * 2 4 6 6 4 I'O 3 7

2 - 5 9 13 6 6 6 5 9 19-21 1 3 - 3 4 9 - 4 3 6 - 6 5 4 2 3 -1. 9 0 n - z 19- 8 1 4 9 1 0 - 6 1 9 - 3 % 7 ' 0 IS 5 4 6 7-9 @'7- 1 6 3 2 4 3 0 4 2 6 5 3 4 - 0 4 0 - 2 6 1 - 0 3 1 - 8 4 0 ' 0 3 2 . 5 44-7 49 0 4 0 - 2 3 1 6 26-0 3 3 3 4 0 4 61 7 3 6 - 7

6 8 3 9 2 4 6 0 3i-8 3 3 - 0 4 2 8 n - 3 6 0 - 8 2 9 - 3 3 4 ' S Zl -6 2 9 0 4 0 - 3 3 9 - 1 3 4 . 7 4 3 4 4 5 2 2 8 - 4 4 8 5

3 2 0 3 0 - 0 2 9 0 2 9 - 0 4 0 0 3 2 * 0 26.0 2 Z 2 21-5 2 0 - 9 2 4 0 33 3 1 9 - 7 2 5 - 2

22 0 n-o n- 0 I B 0 2 3 * 0 23.0 I 9 ' 5 l f e - 2 15-8 15-5 1 6 - 3 2 3 0 l S - 8 16-9

1 0 0 13 0 1 2 - 0 H - O n * o 9 . 0 n - s 6 0 5-7 5 4 7.7 JO-3 3 9 8-3

Bs and Atterberg Values o f B lu ff Les (Samples P6I46 to 96^2 and the Ohio D iv ision of Vfater, lu f f samples p lo tte d on P la tes lo tte d on P la tes

2U 6

SAlvIPLE m aE R S - BLUFF

lîIHSRAL 9605 9617 9632 9635 9637 9638 96UO 96m 96U3Pyrite 33.8 I1I1.3 36.8 38.2 21.7 32.0 UO.O 3 9 .U %2.0Amphibole 19.8 17.0 23.2 19.7 28.3 36.7 19.9 26.6 21.1

Clinopyroxene 16.0 26.3 1 3 .U 16.9 19 .3 lU .3 1 7 .U 6 .0 19.6Orthopyroxene U.3 2.7 3 .9 6 .7 10.3 1 .0 U .l 3 .2 2.6M agnetite-

Ilm enite12.3 1 .6 7 .1 ' 3 . 8 9.3 U.O 7 .3 U.3 3.3

White Garnet 3 .8 3 .0 3 .9 3 .2 3.U 3.7 3.U 7 .8 2.6

Pink Garnet 3 .2 0 .3 1 .3 U.O 1 .7 3 .0 3 .2 3 .3 3 .0

Table V. Heavy Ivlineral Species Percentage (by grain count of B lu ff Sançles.

2U7

9 5 5 0P Y R I T I

S A M F»L_ C N J U M B E R l

9551 9552 95533 - 2

95542 8

9555 9 5 5 6 95570 9

95594 2

9560 95619563 6 3 5 4-:

w

a m p h i b o l e 26 7 36 6 4 2 0 36 9 48 9 1 3 5 31 OC L l H O P y R O Y C N E 2 6 O 23 9 2 5 8 2 6 O 2 1 9 5 4 3 6 0

i l l4 2

O P T H O P Y R O X E N E 6 6 12-0 1 3 1 \ I -O 14-a 6 3 1 2 - S 11'C

M40NCTITE - luMENITC 6-2 0 - 6 0-6 0 - 3 14 2 0 6 O- :

P I N K g a r n e t 1 - 4 6 5 3 2 0-2 0-6 2 1 0 I 6 0 - 9

W H I T E G A R N E T 2 - 4 1 4 - 3 T-2 1 3 - 3 2-6 1 4 - 2 3 -6 O -S

H E A V Y M I N E R A L 0 - 0 5 o-;o 0 5 0 4 4 1-9 0 14 9 - 8 O- lO 0 8M E D I A N S I Z E ( Yni r>) 0 - 5 0 0 - 5 0 0 - 4 2 O 4 2 0 - 3 4 0 - 3 5 0 - 3 8 0 3 5 O- IDS O 3 3 0 2TRASK’S SORTING COEFI 1 - 0 9 I- 1 5 1-25 I- 16 I lO I-OS I - n I - 1 4 I • 1 9 1 - 6 7 1-6

Table VI. Heavjr îvlineral Species Percentage (by grain count, 0*2$ - 0 .12$ mm.) , Median S ize and Trask’s Sorting C oefficen t o f Beach Samples. Locations p lo tte d on P la tes

2U7

S A M P L - C N J U t v O E T R S - b e a c h

5 5 ? 95fÿ 9554 9555 955Ç 9557 9559 9560 9561 9Ç62 956$ 3564 9565 9566 9567 9568 9569 957Q 95713 2 2 8 0-9 4 2 3 6 3 5 4 2 4-3 5-5 9-1 13-9 2 0 - 7 2 2 - 0

36 6 4 2 0 36 9 4 8 9 13-5 37 0 37 4 17-6 36-7 4 3 0 34 2 24-2 3 2 - 0

23 9 25 8 26 O 27-9 5 4 36 0 42.5 t o o 27-5 16 4 15 2 * 7 . 7 14-312-0 131 11 -o 14-a 6 3 12-S 11- o 7-4 U-6 7 - 9 13-6 5 6 8-40-6 1-6 0 6 0-3 14-2 0-6 0 3 130 2 0 4 9 1-3 7-2 3 96 5 3 2 0-2 O 6 210 1-6 0 9 12 4 6 • 5 4 S 4-7 8 S 5 - 5

j 14-3 T 2 )3-3 2 6 14 2 3 6 O 9 32-4 7- 1 9 8 l o o n - 5 10-40 - / O 0 5 • 0 44 1-9 0 14 9-8 O- lO 0 84 31-2 0 0 1 2 34 0 09

•SO 0-42 O 42 O 34 0-35 0 38 0 35 0 1 0 9 0 33 O 2 2 0 20 0 35 0 4 9 0 27 0 49 0 35 0 3 5 0-26 0-21■25 1 16 I - lO i-oa 1 • I T 1 • 14 1 ' 1 9 1-67 \ - 1 * 1-86 1- 21 1 2 / I 1 5 12 1 " 0 7 1 ■ 1 1 1-13 1 4 1-77

rcentage (by grain count, k 's Sorting C oefficen t . P la tes

2hB

APPENDIX E-1

C alculation of amount o f b li if f erosion needed to account fo r beach deposits in the area

Length o f shore Fairport to Ashtabula in f e e t -

6$,000 ■ 38,000 32,000Height ofb lu f f X 30 X 20 X U3

3 ,230, 000' 760,000 2, 3U0,000

Area o f B lu ff = 6,330,000 square fe e t .

Percentage o f beach contributable m aterial in b lu f f = 20 (House Doc. 331, 1932).

Footage of b lu ff m aterial o f volume equivalent to th at found in the beach deposits

= U8, 708, 83ch;/1, 270, 000

= 38 f e e t .

-;:-Computed by author

APPENDIX C .

Glossary o f S o il laechanlcs Terms used in Text

Creep A slow motion of the upper few f e e t o f s tra ta o f a generally unloaded s o i l vri.th respect to the underlying stra ta ; and which may move en masse, or maj’’ c o n s ist o f tiTO or more por­tio n s o f variab le firm ness or consistency which may or may not move w ith resp ect to each other (a f te r Krynine and Judd, 1957, p . 657-558).

Liquid Limit That moisture content in a sediment, at which i t lo s e s the capacity to flow as a liq u id , but at which i t can be read ily molded to hold i t s shape. I t i s expressed in percent o f dry weight (Krjnine, I 9I4I , p . UO).

P la s t ic Limit Lowest water content in percent o f dry w eight, at which the sediment can s t i l l be r o lle d out in to threads 7/ith a diameter of 1 /8 inch. (Terzaghi, K., 1955, p. 562).

P la s t ic i t y Index The numerical d ifferen ce between the p la s t iclim it and the liq u id l im it . The greater the p la s t ic index, the more p la s t ic i s the s o i l .

Preconsolidation The s ta te of compaction developed in a sediment by the grea test u n it load which has acted on the sediment in the course o f i t s h isto ry (Terzaghi, K., 1955, p. 61U).

S e n s it iv ity The ra tio between the unconfined compressive strength o f the m aterial in an undisturbed and in a remolded s ta te . I t s value ma)'' range between 1 (" in sen sitiv e" ) and more than 16 ("quick") (1955, p. 565).

Slutiy The doT/nward slip p in g o f a mass o f rock or unconsolidated m aterial o f any s iz e , moving as a u n it or as several sub­sid ia ry u n its , u su a lly vfith baclcward rota tion on a more or l e s s horizontal ax is p a r a lle l to the slope from which i t descends (Shaipe, G., 1938, p. 65).

2U9

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I , James E l l i s Christopher, was bom in P hiladelphia, Penn­

sylvania, July 30, 1925. I received my secondary school education

in the p rivate schools o f Kingston, Jamaica, and my undergraduate

tra in in g at the Jersey C ity Junior College and Columbia U niversity .

Columbia College granted me the Bachelor o f Arts degree in 19^0,

From Hie Ohio State U niversity , I received the Master of Science

degree in 19^?. TJiile in residence there, I was a ss is ta n t to the

department o f geology during the years 1955-56, 1957-?8, and 1998-59.

A dditionally , in October o f 195Uj I was appointed John Haj' Whitney

Foundation Fellow for one year, and in October, 1956, John A.

Bownocker scholar in geology at The Ohio State U niversity . In

May, 1959,1 was e lec ted a member to The Society o f the Sigma Xi.

290

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

OEOLOQICAL SURVEY

n t w ç p d

L ittle

M apped , ed ited , and published by th e G eological SurveyControl by USGS and USC&GS

Topoeraplty from aerial photographs by Kslih plotterand by plina-labis aurveya 1953 , Aerial photographs taken 1952Hydrography from U. S. la k e Survey Chart 34 (1 :8 0 ,0 0 0 )

Polyconic projection. 1927 North American datum 1 0 ,0 0 0 foot grid based on Ohio coordinate system, north fone

Red tint Indicates areas In which only landmark buildings are shown

Entire area lies within the Connecticut Western Reserve Land lines were estebllihed by the Connecticut Land Company

teHcarefiLANOtSCALE * *

looo ?ooc 1000 4000 MOO 6000 rpoo f f t t

COf^TOLR INTERVAL 10 FEET DATUM IS MEAN SEA LEVEL

DEPTH CURVES AND SOUNDINGS IN FEET-OATUM IS 570 FEET

THIS MAP COMPLIES WITH NATIONAL MAP ACCURACY STANDARDS FOR SALE BY U. S. OEOLOQICAL SURVEY. WASHINGTON. 2 5 , D. C.

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