Fox River, Wisconsin – By Peter Rubin
As the largest tributary to Lake Michigan, the Fox River serves both cultural and geological relevance to Northern Wisconsin. The river is thought to have been formed as a result of glacial retreat, with water from the melted ice sheet flooding the area. Fox River has always hosted communities–A large portion of Native Americans prior to European settlement, and the “Fox Cities” of Wisconsin today including Appleton and Oshkosh. Its location near lumbering areas and use for river commerce made it a prime location for paper mills and industrial development, however this human activity has caused great pollution in the waterway. Since the Clean Water Act, efforts have been made to clean up the river, however great contamination still remains along with the fight to remedy it. As a body of water with geologic, biological, and cultural significance, the Fox River requires sufficient cleanup and management.
Geomorphological Barriers to Excavation in Samothrace, Greece – By Grace Regnier
The island of Samothrace, Greece, is rich in stories of human-nature interactions. Geological and hydrological forces together sculpted a mythos which ancient societies both respected and feared. Rediscovery of cultural history on the island is now threatened by these same processes. The most immediate concerns are short-term events – landslides, earthquakes, and severe storms – though human occupation and climate change are expected to worsen the effects of each in the long-term. A comprehensive understanding of change agents impacting the Samothracian landscape is crucial to protecting ancient ruins as well as current life on the island. Moreover, the study of land, wind, and water on Samothrace today has already been shown to be a useful tool for reconstructing ancient ways of life. This article presents a summary of the geomorphological history of Samothrace, the known environmental threats to its cultural heritage, and adaptive measures discussed in recent scholarship.
The Developing, The Bustling, and The Disappearing: Bohai Bay, China – Cassiel Chen
Bohai Bay, bounded by the coastlines of eastern Hebei Province, Tianjin municipality, and northern Shandong Province, is a high-traffic waterway. While its abundant landscape and conveyance conveniences have sustained and nurtured generations of Chinese, the increasing demands of the surrounding regions for economic development are now threatening the ecological health of the bay area. To protect and prevent the further collapse of the bay environment and ensure its sustainability in the future, a detailed understanding of the area’s geomorphology and current situation is crucial. This article utilizes the methodology of reviewing past literature and comparing aerial photography of the Bohai Bay area over the past 30 years to analyze and examine the main threats that human activities have posed on Bohai Bay, including shoreline erosion, habitat destruction, and pollution.
Utah’s Great Salt Lake: Influence and Implications of Lake Level – by Murray Sternberg
The Great Salt Lake is an iconic landform of the American southwest. Located in northwestern Utah, the lake is a remnant of a massive paleolake, Lake Bonneville. Tracking geomorphological changes that have occurred during the transition from Lake Bonneville to the present-day Great Salt Lake unveils how geologic, climatic, and anthropogenic factors have each contributed significantly to the lake’s history. This report provides insight into relevant characteristics of the Great Salt Lake and how they came to be, the natural factors at play in the lake’s ecosystems, and how humans have influenced and been influenced by the lake. Human-caused disruption of the Great Salt Lake’s hydrology is particularly significant due to the wide-ranging ecological and societal implications of the lake’s water level.
Subsidence in Southeastern Virginia – by Sarah Orozco
Subsidence of land, primarily due land compaction from the over-extraction of subsurface water, is a significant problem in the coastal plain region of southeastern Virginia. It compounds the effects of climate change-induced sea level rise on the coastal communities and presents an additional reason to manage groundwater consumption, necessitating complex research and policy. A key element of monitoring is measuring vertical land movement. This paper presents background on the region and subsidence measurement, and then analyzes a set of data from USGS to statistically significant (though physically small) vertical height decreases from 2010 to 2022. It is set against additional data of local depth to groundwater and topographic maps in Google Earth to visually explain that subsidence can occur across the region, linked with lowered groundwater resources, while being too subtle to be represented in large scale topographic maps.