Military Geosciences in the Twenty-First Century
Military geosciences are concerned with using the broad scope of the earth sciences for military purposes. These purposes range from direct support for military operations to a broad spectrum of non-combat military activities and military land management applications. Historically, the focus has been on geology and geography, but other earth science disciplines such as geophysics, remote sensing, and geocomputation have become increasingly important as a consequence of technological progress made during the final decades of the twentieth century. The eighteen chapters in this volume address the critical aspects of the role of geosciences in military undertakings by focusing on historical perspectives, geoscience for military operations, and military environmental stewardship.
Quaternary geologic studies on playas of the Nevada Test and Training Range in support of the Nellis Air Force Base training mission
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Published:January 01, 2014
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CiteCitation
Robert Dickerson, Nicholas Malczyk, 2014. "Quaternary geologic studies on playas of the Nevada Test and Training Range in support of the Nellis Air Force Base training mission", Military Geosciences in the Twenty-First Century, Russell S. Harmon, Sophie E. Baker, Eric V. McDonald
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Abstract
To assist U.S. Air Force archaeologists study and preserve cultural sites associated with early Native American inhabitants of the Nevada Test and Training Range, we have determined the late Pleistocene environments of nine playas on the range from surface deposits around the playas. Based on shoreline features such as barrier bars, wave-cut benches, and beach gravel deposits, the playas of Mud Lake, Gold Flat, and Kawich Lake contained pluvial lakes. Based on fossils, palustral clay sediments, paleospring, and seep deposits, the playas of Stonewall Flat, Indian Springs Valley, and Three Lakes Valley contained extensive wetlands. Two playas in Cactus Flat and one at Dog Bone Lake contain none of these surface deposits and are interpreted to have hosted seasonal lakes and grassy meadows, based on modern analogs in the Pahranagat Valley. Radiocarbon dates from Mud Lake, Gold Flat, and Stonewall Flat indicate these environments existed up to the beginning of the Holocene ca. 10,000 years before present (yr B.P.) and would have provided resources of fresh water, fish and game, edible and medicinal plants, fuel, and materials for the construction of shelter. As changing climate conditions from 10,000–8000 radiocarbon yr B.P. forced the contraction and eventual disappearance of these lakes and wetlands, basins with larger surface water budgets probably furnished early inhabitants with useful resources after the pluvial features in the smaller basins had disappeared.
- absolute age
- archaeology
- Basin and Range Province
- biogenic structures
- C-13/C-12
- C-14
- carbon
- Cenozoic
- clastic sediments
- clasts
- dates
- geomorphology
- gravel
- Holocene
- imagery
- isotope ratios
- isotopes
- lower Holocene
- military facilities
- military geology
- natural resources
- Nevada
- North America
- outcrops
- playas
- Pleistocene
- Quaternary
- radioactive isotopes
- remote sensing
- roundness
- satellite methods
- sedimentary structures
- sediments
- sorting
- stable isotopes
- stromatolites
- topography
- United States
- upper Pleistocene
- water balance
- wave-cut platforms
- southern Nevada
- Mud Lake
- Indian Springs Valley
- Nellis Air Force Base
- Gold Flat
- Three Lakes Valley
- Stonewall Flat
- Kawich Lake
- Dog Bone Lake
- Nevada Test and Training Range