Pleistocene Landscape Reconstruction using GIS

Water Quality and Aqueous Chemistry

Students in several acadeimic programs have worked on water quality and water quantity issues. In IES: Mt. Rainier (1999-2000), the class delineated and monitored a wetland system in Mt. Rainier National Park (study). In the Core program, The Olympic Peninsula: Salmon, Timber & Energy (Fall 2000 & Winter 2001), students monitored McLane Creek during the fall chum salmon run (data). In Temperate Rainforests (Fall 2001), students designed and conducted a monitoring program in the Blue Ridge Installation in Capitol Forest (data).

Tabbutt, K. D., 2002, Delineating and Monitoring a Wetland in Mt. Rainier National Park: A Collaboration Between an Introduction to Environmental Studies Class from The Evergreen State College and the Park Service (Abstract): Geologic Society of America, Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting.

Chronostratigraphy

Back in the day, before I was married, I spend a lot of time dating rocks. In particular, ash layers within Neogene stratigraphic sequences that were frequently used to constrain the magnetic polarity stratigraphy of the sequence. I used the fission track dating method and worked in northwestern Argentina (Pampean Range and foreland basin) and Pakistan (Suliman Range).

Reynolds, J. H., Nickelsen, J. J., Tabbutt, K. T., Jordan, T. E., and Johnson, N. M., 1986, Variation in Sediment Accumulation Rate within the Central Andean Foreland Basin (16-10 Ma interval), San Juan and La Rioja provinces, Argentina: Geological Society America Abstracts with Programs, v. 18., p. 729.

Tabbutt, K. D., Reynolds, J. H., Johnson, N. M., and Jordan, T. E., 1987, Fission Track Constraints on the Uplift of the Sierra de Famatina, Argentina: A Stratigraphic Approach: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, p. 817.

Tabbutt, K. D., 1987, Fission Track Chronology of Foreland Basins in the Eastern Andes: Magmatic and Tectonic Implications: Unpublished Master's thesis, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 100p.

Tabbutt, K. D., Naeser, C. W., Jordan, T. E., and Cerveny, P. R., 1987, Edades Nuevas por Metodo de Trazas de Fision de Tobas Mio-Pliocenas en las Sierras Pampeanas y la Precordillera de Argentina: X Cong. Geol. Argent., Tucuman, v. 4, p. 222-224.

Reynolds, J. H., Tabbutt, K. T., Johnson, N. M., and Jordan, T. E., 1987, Non-Systematic Uplift of the Northwestern Sierras Pampeanas, Catamarca Province, Argentina: Interpretation of Magnetic Polarity Stratigraphy Data: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, p. 817.

Waheed, A., Wells, N. A., Ahamed, N., Tabbutt, K. D., 1988, Paleocurrents Beside an Obliquely Convergent Plate Boundary (Sulaiman Foldbelt, Southwestern Himalayas, West-central Pakistan): A.A.P.G. Bulletin v. 72/2, p. 255.

Ramos, V., Reynolds, J. H., Tabbutt, K. D., and Jordan, T. E., 1988, Time Constraints for the uplift of the Sierra de Toro Negro, Umango, and Espinal, Western Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 20:7, p. 61.

Reynolds, J. H., Malizzia, D. C., Tabbutt, K. D., Johnson, N. M., and Nickelsen, J.J., 1988, Chronology of Andean Neogene Tectonic events affecting the Campo de Talampaya, La Rioja Province, Argentina: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 21:6, p. 380.

Jordan, T. E., Beer, J. A., Kay, S. M., Damanti, J. F., Reynolds, J. H., Tabbutt, K. D., and Johnson, N. M., 1988, Basin Development during Neogene Flat-subduction, Argentine Andes: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 21:6, p. 8.

Alonso, R. N., Jordan, T. E., and Tabbutt, K. D., 1988, Neogene Sedimentary Basins of the Argentine Southern Puna Plateau, Central Andies Mountains: 28th International Geological Congress Abstracts, v.1, p.33.

Tabbutt, K. D., Reynolds, R. C., Barreiro, B., 1989, Variation in Clay Mineral and REE Composition of Shales from some Mesozoic Terrestrial Clastics of the Western Interior: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 21:6, p. 335.

Tabbutt, K. D., Naeser, C. W., Jordan, T. E., and Cerveny, P. F., 1989, New Fission-Track ages of Mio - Pliocene tuffs in the Sierras Pampeanas and Precordillera of Argentina: Asociacion Geologica Argentina, Rev., p. 408-419.

Spencer, P. K., Carson, R. J., Tabbutt, K. D., and Esterbrook, D. J., 1989, Age of the Enterprise Gravels, Wallowa Lake, northeastern Oregon: Cordilleran section GSA Abstracts with Programs, p. 147.

Reynolds, J. H., Jordan, T. E., Tabbutt, K. D., Re, G., Vilas, J., Bercowski, F., Miana, J. P., Beer, J. A., Damanti, J. F., and Ramos, V. A., 1990, Chronology of foreland deformation in the Precordillera - Sierras Pampeanas region of Argentina (28-33 S): Symposium International, Geodynamique Andine, Grenoble, France, p. 147-148.

Tabbutt, K. D., 1990, Temporal Constraints on the Tectonic Evolution of Sierra de Famatina, Argentina using the Fission Track Method to Date Synorogenic Clastic Sequences: Jour. of Geology, v. 98, p. 557-566.

Jordan, T. E., Rutty, P. M., McRae, L. E., Beer, J. A., and Tabbutt, K. D., 1990, Magnetic Polarity Chronostratigraphy of the Miocene Rio Azul Section, Precordillera Thrust Belt, San Juan Province, Argentina: Jour. of Geology, v.98, p. 519-539.

Reynolds, J. H., Jordan, T. E., Johnson, N. M., Damainti, J. F., and Tabbutt, K. D., 1990, Neogene deformation of the flat-slabduction segment of the Argentine-Chilean Andes: Magnetostratigraphic constraints from Las Juntas, La Rioja province, Argentina: Geol. Soc. of America Bull., v. 102, p. 1607-1622.

Mortensen, J. M., Tabbutt, K. D., and Barreiro, B. A., 1990, Single detrital zircon evidence for multiple sources of the Greybull sands, Cloverly Formation, Wyoming: Geol. Soc. Am. Abstracts with Programs, v.22, p.A315.

Alonso, R. N., Jordan, T. E., Tabbutt, K. D., and Vandervoort, D., 1991, Giant evaporite belts of the Neogene central Andes: Geology, v. 19, p. 401-404

Mobility of Rare Earth Elements

Tabbutt, K. D., and Barreiro, B. A., 1990, Isotopic evidence for a volcanic source of the shales of the Morrison and Cloverly Formations, Wyoming: Geol.Soc. Am. Abstracts with Programs, v.22, p.A315.

Tabbutt, K. D., 1990, Provenance of some Mesozoic terrigenous clastic strata in the Western Interior of North America: A Mineralogical and Geochemical Approach: Unpublished Doctoral thesis, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 162p.

Paleogeographic Evolution of South America

The Andes (or western margin of South America) have undergone multiple cycles of deformation and uplift over the past 600 million years.  During some intervals the margin experienced extension (Triassic & Jurassic) and at other times compression (Eocene & Neogene).  The evolution of this region of the world is slowly being deciphered.  During the 1990's I collaborated with several other geologists to piece together the history of the Andes.  This has involved compiling databases on radiometric age data, stratigraphic data, and structural data.  With these data we have produced a series of paleogeographic maps which show how the Andes changed over time (Phanerozoic) and how the associated basins developed.  Below are a couple of links which show the latest iteration of the Neogene map and a cross section through the foreland basin of Ecuador.

Pindell, J. L., Tabbutt, K. D., Dewey, J. F., Pitman, W. C., and Cande, S., 1990, Phanerozoic Evolution of the Andean system and implications for hydrocarbon potential: Tectonic Analysis, Inc., unpublished report.

Pindell, J. L., Tabbutt, K. D., Dewey, J. F., and Pitman, W. C., 1992, Phanerozoic Geological Evolution of the Andean system and implications for hydrocarbon potential: Tectonic Analysis, Inc., unpublished report.

Tabbutt, K. D., and Pindell, J. L., 1992, Geologic evolution of the Cordillera of North, Central and South America during the Aptian - Cenomanian interval: Tectonic Analysis, Inc., unpublished report.

Pindell, J., Villamil, T., Higgs, R., Erikson, J., Algar, S., Tabbutt, K., Arango, C. & Odreman, O., 1995, Geodynamic and Paleogeographic Development of Venezuelan and Adjacent Basins in Colombia and Trinidad: Controls on Hydrocarbon Systems: Tectonic Analysis, Inc., unpublished report.

Pindell, J., George, R. P., Higgs, R., Tabbutt, K. D., Kennan, L., and Cristancho, J., 1998, A Critical Examination of the Paleogeographic Evolution of Colombia with Implications for its Hydrocarbon Potental: Tectonic Analysis, Inc., unpublished report.

Pindell, J., George, R. P., Higgs, R., Tabbutt, K. D., Kennan, L., and Cristancho, J., 1998, A Critical Examination of the Paleogeographic Evolution of Colombia with Implications for its Hydrocarbon Potental: Tectonic Analysis, Inc., unpublished report.

Pindell, J. L., and Tabbutt, K. D., Mesozoic-Cenozoic Andean Paleogeography and Regional Controls on Hydrocarbon Systems: in Tankard, A. J., Suarez, S., and Welsink, H. J. (eds) Petroleum Basins of South America, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 62, p. 101-128.



USGS 30 arc-second (approximately 1 x 1 km) DEM of South America
Neogene Paleogeographic Map of the Central and Southern Andes
Geologic Cross Section through the Oran Basin of Ecuador