Date of Graduation
Summer 2024
Degree
Master of Natural and Applied Science in Geography, Geology, and Planning
Department
College of Natural & Applied Science
Committee Chair
Kevin Evans
Abstract
Small carbonate mud mounds are found in Lower Mississippian strata of southwestern Missouri. These compare favorably with larger mounds, known as Waulsortian mounds, located in the Meuse River valley of southern Belgium. The origin of Waulsortian and similar mounds is unknown, but they commonly are interpreted as accumulations of mud, where the presence of biological organisms responsible for supposed bio-construction remains uncertain. Alternative hypotheses are that these may have been non-cohesive slump or cohesive slide masses. Multiple techniques, including δ13C and δ18O isotopic analyses and unmanned aerial vehicle photography, were used to determine the most feasible working hypothesis. Determining the origin of the carbonate mounds will provide a key understanding of the geology of southwestern Missouri, and possibly the surrounding states.
Keywords
geology, mud mounds, Waulsortian mounds, Missouri, McDonald County, delta 13 carbon stable isotopes, stable isotope, unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV
Subject Categories
Geology
Copyright
© Jared McAvoy
Recommended Citation
McAvoy, Jared, "Origin of Carbonate Mud Mounds in Southwestern Missouri" (2024). MSU Graduate Theses. 3992.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3992
