scholarly journals Belle Fourche River-Cheyenne River Drainage Divide Area in the Wyoming Powder River Basin Analyzed by Topographic Map Interpretation Methods, USA

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Eric Clausen
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Powder River Basin ◽  
Normal Science ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
The North ◽  
Map Interpretation ◽  
New Research ◽  
Cheyenne River

The dearth of scientific literature in which specific erosional landform origins are determined is an example of what Thomas Kuhn considered a scientific crisis. Scientific crises arise when scientists following their discipline’s established paradigm’s rules, or doing what Kuhn calls normal science, cannot explain observed evidence. Scientific crises are resolved in one of three ways. Normal science may eventually explain the evidence and normal science returns, the unsolved problems may be identified and labeled and left for future scientists to solve, or a new paradigm may emerge with an ensuing battle over its acceptance. To succeed any new paradigm must demonstrate its ability to explain the previously unexplained evidence and also open up new research opportunities. During the 20th century’s first half regional geomorphologists abiding by their discipline’s paradigm rules unsuccessfully tried to explain origins of numerous erosional landforms, such as drainage divides and erosional escarpments. Their failures eventually caused the regional geomorphology discipline, at least that part of the discipline concerned with determining specific erosional landform origins, to almost completely disappear. A new and fundamentally different geomorphology paradigm that requires massive southeast-oriented continental ice sheet melt-water floods to have flowed across the Powder River Basin has the ability to explain specific erosional landform origins and is demonstrated here by using detailed topographic map evidence to show how large southeast-oriented floods eroded the Powder River Basin’s Belle Fourche River-Cheyenne River drainage divide segment, eroded through valleys now crossing that drainage divide segment, eroded the Powder River Basin’s Belle Fourche River valley, established Belle Fourche and Cheyenne River Powder River Basin tributary valley orientations, and eroded the north-facing Pine Ridge Escarpment. The success of this and other similar new paradigm demonstrations suggest many if not all specific erosional landform origins can be determined.

scholarly journals Origin of the Redwater River Drainage Basin Determined by Topographic Map Interpretation: Eastern Montana, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Eric Clausen
Keyword(s):  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Missouri River ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Dry Valleys ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
Yellowstone River ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
The North ◽  
Map Interpretation ◽  
River Drainage Basin

Topographic and geologic map interpretation strongly suggests the eastern Montana Redwater River valley eroded headward across large southeast-oriented ice-marginal melt water floods. The north-oriented Redwater River heads in an area to the south of recognized continental glaciation and flows into the recognized glaciated region before joining the east-oriented Missouri River. Detailed topographic maps show the eastern drainage divide is asymmetric with steeper slopes on the Redwater River side and is crossed by shallow dry valleys linking northwest-oriented Redwater River tributaries with southeast-oriented streams that flow as barbed tributaries to the northeast-oriented Yellowstone River. The western drainage divide is also crossed by shallow dry valleys linking northwest-oriented drainage routes to north-oriented Missouri River tributaries with southeast-oriented and barbed tributaries to the northeast- and north-oriented Redwater River. Alluvium from upstream Yellowstone River source areas found within the Redwater River drainage basin suggests the Redwater River and much longer Yellowstone River valleys eroded headward from a continental ice sheet margin as headward erosion of the larger Yellowstone River valley across the southeast-oriented flood flow was supplemented by northeast- and north-oriented flow moving at the present day Redwater-Yellowstone River drainage divide elevation.

Preliminary detrital zircon U-Pb Geochronology of the Wasatch Formation, Powder River Basin, Wyoming

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-266
Author(s):  
Ian Anderson ◽  
David H. Malone ◽  
John Craddock
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Powder River Basin ◽  
Zircon Age ◽  
Lower Eocene ◽  
The North ◽  
Mountain Front ◽  
Fluvial Sandstone

The lower Eocene Wasatch Formation is more than 1500 m thick in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The Wasatch is a Laramide synorgenic deposit that consists of paludal and lacustrine mudstone, fluvial sandstone, and coal. U-Pb geochronologic data on detrital zircons were gathered for a sandstone unit in the middle part of the succession. The Wasatch was collected along Interstate 90 just west of the Powder River, which is about 50 km east of the Bighorn Mountain front. The sandstone is lenticular in geometry and consists of arkosic arenite and wacke. The detrital zircon age spectrum ranged (n=99) from 1433-2957 Ma in age, and consisted of more than 95% Archean age grains, with an age peak of about 2900 Ma. Three populations of Archean ages are evident: 2886.6±10 Ma (24%), 2906.6±8.4 Ma (56%) and 2934.1±6.6 Ma (20%; all results 2 sigma). These ages are consistent with the age of Archean rocks exposed in the northern part of the range. The sparse Proterozoic grains were likely derived from the recycling of Cambrian and Carboniferous strata. These sands were transported to the Powder River Basin through the alluvial fans adjacent to the Piney Creek thrust. Drainage continued to the north through the basin and eventually into the Ancestral Missouri River and Gulf of Mexico. The provenance of the Wasatch is distinct from coeval Tatman and Willwood strata in the Bighorn and Absaroka basins, which were derived from distal source (>500 km) areas in the Sevier Highlands of Idaho and the Laramide Beartooth and Tobacco Root uplifts. Why the Bighorn Mountains shed abundant Eocene strata only to the east and not to the west remains enigmatic, and merits further study.

scholarly journals Use of Wyoming Southern Bighorn Mountains Topographic Map Evidence to Test a Recently Proposed Regional Geomorphology Paradigm: USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Eric Clausen
Keyword(s):  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Water Source ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
The South ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
North Fork ◽  
Bighorn Mountains

Detailed topographic maps covering a high elevation Bighorn-Powder River drainage divide segment in the southern Bighorn Mountains are used to test a recently proposed regional geomorphology paradigm. Fundamentally different from the commonly accepted paradigm the new paradigm predicts immense south-oriented continental ice sheet melt water floods once flowed across what is now the entire Missouri River drainage basin, in which the high Bighorn Mountains are located. Such a possibility is incompatible with commonly accepted paradigm expectations and previous investigators have interpreted Bighorn Mountains geomorphic history quite differently. The paradigm test began in the high glaciated Bighorn Mountains core area where numerous passes, or divide crossings, indicate multiple and sometimes closely spaced streams of water once flowed across what is now the Bighorn-Powder River drainage divide. To the south of the glaciated area, but still in a Precambrian bedrock region, the test found the roughly adjacent and parallel south-oriented North Fork Powder River and Canyon Creek headwaters located on opposite sides of the Bighorn-Powder River drainage divide with North Fork Powder River headwaters closely linked to a 300-meter deep pass through which south-oriented water had probably flowed. Shallower divide crossings located further to the south suggest diverging and converging streams of water once flowed not only across the Bighorn-Powder River drainage divide, but also across Powder River and Bighorn River tributary drainage divides. The paradigm test also found published geologic maps and reports showing the presence of possible flood transported and deposited alluvium. While unable to determine the water source, the new paradigm test did find evidence that large south-oriented floods had crossed what was probably a rising Bighorn Mountains mountain range.

scholarly journals How a New Paradigm Explains Topographic Map Drainage System and Erosional Landform Evidence in the Fremont County Royal Gorge Area, Colorado, USA

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Eric Clausen
Keyword(s):  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
United States Geological Survey ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
Glacial History ◽  
The South ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Arkansas River ◽  
River Drainage

A new Cenozoic geologic and glacial history paradigm (new paradigm) describes massive and prolonged continental ice sheet meltwater floods that eroded the Colorado Royal Gorge area and surrounding regions and which were diverted in east, northeast, and even north directions as uplift of a thick ice sheet created deep “hole” rim gradually occurred (the thick ice sheet was located where North American ice sheets are usually recognized to have existed). A deep “hole” rim segment followed what is now the northern and central Colorado east-west continental divide southward to the Arkansas River headwaters area and then continued south along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains crestline to at least the Purgatoire River-Canadian River drainage divide and may have continued east from that point along a less well-defined zone beginning with what is now the Purgatoire River-Canadian River drainage divide. Diverging and converging valley complexes, barbed tributaries, and Arkansas River and other drainage route direction changes (easily seen on United States Geological Survey detailed topographic maps) are interpreted to have developed as the south-oriented floodwaters first flowed across the rising deep “hole” rim to reach the south- and southeast-oriented Rio Grande River drainage basin and were subsequently blocked by deep “hole” rim uplift and diverted to flow in east, northeast, and north directions. The accepted Cenozoic geologic and glacial history paradigm (accepted paradigm) has to date been unable to satisfactorily explain the detailed topographic map drainage system and erosional landform evidence and the new and accepted paradigms are incommensurable and lead to quite different Cenozoic geologic and glacial histories.

scholarly journals Topographic Map Analysis of the North Platte River-South Platte River Drainage Divide Area, Western Larimer County, Colorado, USA Eric Clausen

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Eric Clausen
Keyword(s):  
Colorado River ◽  
The United States ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
Platte River ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
South Platte River ◽  
The North ◽  
Cache La Poudre River ◽  
South Platte

The United States Supreme Court settled legal disputes concerning four different Larimer County (Colorado) locations where water is moved by gravity across the high elevation North Platte-South Platte River drainage divide, which begins as a triple drainage divide with the Colorado River at Thunder Mountain (on the east-west continental divide and near Colorado River headwaters) and proceeds in roughly a north and northeast direction across deep mountain passes and other low points (divide crossings) first as the Michigan River (in the North Platte watershed)-Cache la Poudre River (in the South Platte watershed) drainage divide and then as the Laramie River (in the North Platte watershed)-Cache la Poudre River drainage divide. The mountain passes and nearby valley and drainage route orientations and other unusual erosional features can be explained if enormous and prolonged volumes of south-oriented water moved along today’s north-oriented North Platte and Laramie River alignments into what must have been a rising mountain region to reach south-oriented Colorado River headwaters. Mountain uplift in time forced a flow reversal in the Laramie River valley while flow continued in a south direction along the North Platte River alignment only to be forced to flow around the Medicine Bow Mountains south end and then to flow northward in the Laramie River valley and later to be captured by headward erosion of the east-oriented Cache la Poudre River-Joe Wright Creek valley (aided by a steeper gradient and less resistant bedrock). Continued uplift next reversed flow on the North Platte River alignment to create drainage routes seen today. While explaining Larimer County North Platte-South Platte drainage divide area topographic map drainage system and erosional landform evidence this interpretation requires a completely different Cenozoic history than the geologic history geologists usually describe.

scholarly journals Use of Topographic Map Evidence From Drainage Divides Surrounding Wyoming’s Great Divide Basin to Compare Two Fundamentally Different Regional Geomorphology Paradigms

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Clausen
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Geologic History ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Continental Divide ◽  
Great Divide ◽  
East West

Divide crossings (or low points or gaps) notched into the North American east-west continental divide segments completely encircling Wyoming’s Great Divide Basin interior drainage region (as observed on detailed topographic maps) are used to compare the commonly accepted regional geomorphology paradigm with a fundamentally different and new regional geomorphology paradigm. Paradigms are sets of rules governing how a scientific discipline conducts its research and are judged on their ability to explain observed evidence. Published literature is used to contrast an accepted paradigm interpretation that east-oriented drainage previously flowed across what is now the Great Divide Basin with the new paradigm basic requirement that mountain range and continental divide uplift occurred while immense south-oriented floods flowed across them. Numerous divide crossings are notched into the continental divide segments now completely encircling the relatively flat-floored Great Divide Basin interior drainage area and divide crossings observed along each of the Great Divide Basin’s north, east, south, and west margins are described and interpreted first from the accepted paradigm perspective (using published literature interpretations to the extent possible) and second from the new paradigm perspective. The published literature does not mention most of the described divide crossings, much less provide explanations for their origins, perhaps because the accepted paradigm cannot satisfactorily explain those origins. In contrast the new paradigm successfully explains most if not all of the described (and observed, but undescribed) divide crossings, although the new paradigm requires a completely different middle and late Cenozoic regional geologic history than what most published regional geology literature describes.

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