Papers by Carrie Jennings
Scientific Investigations Report, 2020
Watershed characteristics and comparison of daily mean and estimated (synthetic) streamflows in F... more Watershed characteristics and comparison of daily mean and estimated (synthetic) streamflows in Filson Creek, Keeley Creek, and the St. Louis River watersheds, northeastern Minnesota, 2014-15 .
Banking Groundwater - A study examining aquifer storage and recovery for groundwater sustainability in Minnesota
Some of the more than 75% of Minnesotans who rely on groundwater may find it in short supply in t... more Some of the more than 75% of Minnesotans who rely on groundwater may find it in short supply in the face of population, land-use and climate change. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a technological approach to treat and inject clean water into an aquifer for temporary storage. The hydrogeological characteristics and the chemistry of the source water and aquifer impact treatment needs prior to injection and after extraction. Aquifer properties that control how water moves determine the volume and rate of water injected. This study examined four different kinds of aquifers across Minnesota with unique pressures to determine their suitability for ASR. The study findings suggest three may be suitable for ASR. The Buffalo aquifer in Moorhead has variable injection capacity and multiple sources of water for injection. Water quality issues of arsenic, sulfate, manganese, and hardness would require treatment after extraction. The Jordan aquifer in Rochester faces increased pressure from growth and nitrate contamination in the surrounding agricultural areas. The wastewater treatment plant could provide adequate source water if treated. Woodbury faces pressure from increasing population and PFAS contamination of the Jordan aquifer. ASR could recharge groundwater from wastewater treatment plants and also be integrated with PFAS remediation scenarios by reinjection of treated groundwater. ASR is not recommended for the surficial sand aquifer in the Straight River Groundwater Management area in north central Minnesota because there is no source of water to make it a feasible option at this time. Cost-benefit analysis combined with a sensitivity analysis of economic factors should be a component of ASR project feasibility. Modified state well code and a streamlined permitting path would allow more successful development and deployment of ASR. State adoption of control over Class V injection wells from the USEPA is also necessary.Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The methodology developed in this study is also partly supported by a grant from the Future Research Program (2E27030) funded by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Etienne Bresciani acknowledges support from the Korea Research Fellowship program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT through the National Research Foundation of Korea (grant 2016H1D3A1908042)
72 Year Legacy of Academic Research and Training in Polar and Mountain Earth Systems Science: Juneau Icefield Research Program
Past Global Change Magazine, 2018
Late Quaternary Discharge History and Geomorphic Evolution of the Upper Mississippi River
Geomorphology and Interpreted Surficial Geology of the South Fork of the Crow River Watershed, Minnesota
.zip file contains GIS data, project report, supplementary project data, and PDFs of maps linked ... more .zip file contains GIS data, project report, supplementary project data, and PDFs of maps linked to digital photographs.
The design and implementation of a robot manipulator with 6 degrees of freedom (DOF), which const... more The design and implementation of a robot manipulator with 6 degrees of freedom (DOF), which constitutes a physical platform on which a variety of control techniques can be tested and studied, are presented. The robot has mechanical, electronic and control systems, and the intuitive graphic interface designed and implemented for it allows the user to easily command this robot and to generate trajectories for it. Materializing this work required the integration of knowledge in electronics, microcontroller programming, MatLab/Simulink programming, control systems, communication between PCs and microcontrollers, mechanics, assembly, etc.
The Quaternary of Minnesota
Developments in Quaternary Sciences, 2011
Minnesota was affected by Laurentide ice lobes of different provenance. Lake Agassiz drained thro... more Minnesota was affected by Laurentide ice lobes of different provenance. Lake Agassiz drained through Minnesota. Tills in Minnesota are correlated on the basis of their lithologic and mineralogic composition. A number of dating methods along with weathering horizons and truncated paleosols have been used to strengthen correlations in pre-MIS-2 deposits.
Holocene landscape evolution and erosional processes in the Le Sueur River, central Minnesota
Archean to Anthropocene: Field Guides to the Geology of the Mid-Continent of North America, 2011
Abstract The Minnesota River Valley was carved by the draining of glacial Lake Agassiz~ 13,400 ye... more Abstract The Minnesota River Valley was carved by the draining of glacial Lake Agassiz~ 13,400 years ago. Up to 85 m of incision along the proto–Minnesota River during this event spawned knickpoints that have been migrating upstream on tributaries, including the Le ...
Archean to Anthropocene: Field Guides to the Geology of the Mid-Continent of North America, 2011
The glacial history of southern Minnesota, based on the surfi cial deposits of the late glacial D... more The glacial history of southern Minnesota, based on the surfi cial deposits of the late glacial Des Moines lobe and older deposits correlated to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 16, is documented in exposures along tributaries to the Minnesota River. A recently formalized stratigraphy defi nes and correlates these tills on the basis of their texture, lithologic composition, and stratigraphic position. Soils developed in this glacial landscape are among the most productive in the world. Their subtle variations refl ect shifting ecotones throughout the Holocene.
On the formation of the tunnel valleys of the southern Laurentide ice sheet
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2006
Catastrophic releases of meltwater, produced by basal melting and stored for decades in subglacia... more Catastrophic releases of meltwater, produced by basal melting and stored for decades in subglacial reservoirs at high pressure, may have been responsible for eroding the broad, deep tunnel valleys that are common along the margins of some lobes of the southern Laurentide ice sheet. We surmise that these releases began when the high water pressure was transmitted to the margin through the substrate. The water pressure in the substrate at the margin would then have been significantly above the overburden pressure, leading to sapping failure. Headward erosion of a conduit in the substrate (piping) could then tap the stored water, resulting in the outburst. In some situations, development of a siphon may have lowered the reservoir below its overflow level, thus tapping additional water. Following the flood, the seal could have reformed and the reservoir refilled, setting up conditions for another outburst. Order of magnitude calculations suggest that once emptied, a subglacial reservoir could refill in a matter of decades. The amount of water released during several outbursts appears to be sufficient to erode a tunnel valley.We think that tunnel valleys are most likely to have formed in this way where and when the glacier margin was frozen to the bed and permafrost extended from the glacier forefield several kilometers back under the glacier, as reservoirs would then have been larger and more common, and the seal more robust and more likely to reform after an outburst.
Weathering phases recorded by gnammas developed since last glaciation at Serra da Estrela, Portugal
Quaternary Research, 2009
The morphometrical analysis of gnammas (weathering pits) in granite landscapes has been used to e... more The morphometrical analysis of gnammas (weathering pits) in granite landscapes has been used to establish the relative chronology of recent erosive surfaces and to provide the weathering history in a region. To test the validity of gnammas as relative chronometer indicators, and the reliability of the obtained weathering record, two sites have been studied in Serra da Estrela, Portugal. The first site is within the limits of the glacier that existed in these mountains during the last glaciation, whereas the second site is located in an unglaciated sector of the mountains, which preserves a longer record of weathering in the bedrock surface. The number of gnamma weathering phases recorded in the latter site (8) is larger than those from the former (6). Correlation between both measurement stations based on morphometrical criteria is excellent for the younger six weathering phases (1 to 6). Consequently, the parameter used for relative chronology (δ-value) has been verified to be age ...
Changes in ice‐margin processes and sediment routing during ice‐sheet advance across a marginal moraine
Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2007
Page 1. CHANGES IN ICE-MARGIN PROCESSES AND SEDIMENT ROUTING DURING ICE-SHEET ADVANCE ACROSS A © ... more Page 1. CHANGES IN ICE-MARGIN PROCESSES AND SEDIMENT ROUTING DURING ICE-SHEET ADVANCE ACROSS A © The authors 2007 Journal compilation © 2007 Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography 203 CHANGES IN ICE-MARGIN PROCESSES AND ...
Multi‐phase evolution of gnammas (weathering pits) in a Holocene deglacial granite landscape, Minnesota (USA)
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 2008
The morphometry of 85 gnammas (weathering pits) from Big Stone County in western Minnesota allows... more The morphometry of 85 gnammas (weathering pits) from Big Stone County in western Minnesota allows the assessment of the relative ages of the gnamma population. The ratio between maximum and minimum depths is independent of the initial size of the cavity and only depends on the weathering evolution. Therefore, the distribution of depth ratios can be used to assess the gnamma population age and the history of weathering. The asymmetrical distribution of depth ratios measured in Big Stone County forms three distinct populations. When these sets are analyzed independently, the correlation (r2) between maximum and minimum depths is greater than 0·95. Each single population has a normal distribution of depth ratios and the average depth ratios (δ‐value) for each population are δ1 = 1·60 ± 0·05, δ2 = 2·09 ± 0·04 and δ3 = 2·42 ± 0·08.The initiation of gnamma formation followed the exhumation of the granite in the region. This granite was till and saprolite covered upon retreat of the ice fr...
An Integrated Sediment Budget for the Le Sueur River in Southern Minnesota
The Le Sueur River is the primary sediment contributor to the Minnesota River, which is impaired ... more The Le Sueur River is the primary sediment contributor to the Minnesota River, which is impaired by sediment under the Clean Water Act. The necessary first step toward developing a watershed management plan is identifying sediment sources and sinks throughout the basin. The focus of this study is to quantify the contribution of sediment from different sources in order to
Delineating the Erosion-Potential of Agricultural Lands Within the Le Sueur Watershed Using Remotely Sensed Data and GIS
The Le Sueur River, southern Minnesota, is the largest contributor of sediment to the Minnesota R... more The Le Sueur River, southern Minnesota, is the largest contributor of sediment to the Minnesota River, which is impaired for turbidity under Section 303d of the Clean Water Act. The agricultural fields within the Le Sueur River watershed were studied to assess their erosion potential and hence their contribution to the sediment loading problem in the study area. Soil type, slope, land cover and on-field land management practices were used to classify agricultural lands to determine their susceptibility to erosion. Field studies were conducted to determine the prevalent conditions that would be considered when analyzing the protection against erosion. Land cover types were identified and their geographic locations were noted for detection on sequential satellite images and mapping purposes. Land management practices were also identified in the field and their locations geo-registered. The slope profile of the Le Sueur watershed was derived from a Digital Elevation Model, while the seasonal land-cover was extrapolated from the land-cover ground-referencing exercise using satellite imagery. Soil maps of the different counties that constitute the Le Sueur watershed were also acquired and the spatial data was then integrated in a GIS to generate the erosion potential map. Plant physiology and morphology are important when developing a criterion for classifying land-cover types depending on the protection they confer against erosion. Land management practices influence the susceptibility of agricultural fields to erosion and these together with soil type and slope are useful erosion related properties on which to base the classification of the agricultural fields. Erosion potential is a dynamic aspect of agricultural lands and is a function of the combined prevalent factors. The set of factors used to study this aspect of agricultural lands were all very important but are by no means the only factors that should be considered when conducting such a study. The results lend credence to the classification criteria used and indicate the usefulness of remote sensing as well as GIS as tools in the extrapolation, integration and interpretation of the data collected. Key words: Le Sueur River, erosion, agriculture, remote sensing, GIS, Minnesota
Using Ground based LiDAR to identify the processes of bluff erosion in the LeSueur River basin in Southern Minnesota
ABSTRACT
Estimation of Ravine Sediment production using MIKE 11 model, in the lower Le Sueur Watershed, Minnesota
ABSTRACT A study of sediment dynamics in the Le Sueur River basin, southern Minnesota has been in... more ABSTRACT A study of sediment dynamics in the Le Sueur River basin, southern Minnesota has been initiated with the goal of developing an integrated sediment budget. Preliminary analysis of the sediment load to the Minnesota River has shown that the Le Sueur River contributes substantial amount of the sediment transport and deposition. Many deeply incised ravines exist, especially towards the lower Le Sueur River. The ravines are believed to be one of the major sediment producing sources in the river basin. Hence the ravine sediment production should be accounted for in the sediment budget. This study concentrates on the hydrology of the ravines and evaluates the sediment budget at the ravine scale. Field observations from summer 2008 show that most of the bluffs along the main stem of both ravines are actively eroding. Also, landsliding of the steep ravine valley walls and rapid incision of the fluvial channels within the ravine are producing sediment. Several large fill terraces are present along the main stem, towards the mouth of the ravines. Recent incision through these extensive fill terraces may be another sediment producing source. Sediment storage in the ravines also occurs, behind woody debris jams as well as in locations where local baselevel has been raised by the insertion of a culvert. The sediment budget of the ravines would be quantified as the difference between the storage of sediment and the sum of sediments loads derived from the uplands, as well as the bluffs and terraces inside the ravines. Primary locations of major bluffs, terraces, gullies and drainage tiles in the gauged ravines were mapped using GPS. A database of major bluff, terraces, and drainage tiles was built in ArcGIS. Sediment samples from ravine heads, bluffs, terraces and ravine mouth were collected to study the grain size distribution and stratigraphy of major bluffs along the ravines. Sediment transport in the ravines will be modeled using MIKE 11 (DHI group), a dynamic, one-dimensional modeling tool. The model will use data on sediment grain diameter and standard deviation of grain size, soil cover, precipitation and the high resolution LiDAR digital elevation model of the ravines, to quantify the total sediment transport. Key words: Le Sueur River, sediment budget, ravine, Mike11, GIS, Minnesota
Mapping to Inform Modeling of Turbidity in Agricultural Watersheds of the Minnesota Basin
The Minnesota River is the major sediment source to a large, riverine lake on the Mississippi Riv... more The Minnesota River is the major sediment source to a large, riverine lake on the Mississippi River, Lake Pepin. Both the Minnesota River and Lake Pepin are impaired for turbidity and the focus of Clean-Water-Act-mandated restoration. Work funded in part by the Minnesota ...
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Papers by Carrie Jennings