LOUISIANA PEAT RESOURCES Final Technical Report for the Period 1 April 1981 through 15 April 1983 Elisabeth C. Kosters August 1983 Work Performed under Contract DE-FG18-81FE05113 Department of Natural Resources Louisiana Geological Survey University Station, Box G Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70893 DOE / FE / 05113
Kosters, E. C., and A. Bailey, A., 1983, Louisiana peat resources. Final technical report, 1 April 1981-15 April 1983. Report prepared for the U. S. Department of Energy Division of Energy Technology under Contract DE-FG18-81FE05113. Louisiana geological Survey, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 63 pp.
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LOUISIANA PEAT RESOURCES
Final Technical Report for the Period
1 April 1981 through 15 April 1983
Elisabeth C. Kosters August 1983
Work Performed under Contract
DE-FG18-81FE05113
Department of Natural Resources Louisiana Geological Survey University Station, Box G
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70893
DOE/ FE/ 05113
DISCLAIMER
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States nor the United States Department of Energy, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, mark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
Available from the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22161:
Price: Printed Copy A04 Microfiche AO 1
LOUISIANA PEAT RESOURCES
Final Technical Report for the Period
1 April 1981 through 15 April 1983
Elisabeth C. Kosters
with a contribution by
Alan Bailey Department of Geology
University of Southwestern Louisiana Lafayette. Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources Louisiana Geological Survey University Station. Box G
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70893
August 1983
Prepared for the U. S. Department of Energy
Division of Energy Technology under Contract DE-FG18-81FE05113
DOE/FE/05113
Abstract
Introduction
Classification and Properties Clas sifica tion Depositional Setting s Ash Content and Btu Bulk Density
CONTENTS
Relationships between Percent Moisture and Percent Organic Matter ,
Mineral Content Average Values ,
History of Assessment Study and Overview of Prospect Areas
History of Assessment Gueydan Prospect, Avery Island Prospect Sale-Cypremort Prospect Barataria Prospect Lake Pontchartrain Prospect
Methods Sampling ,. , Determination of Percent Moisture and Ash Bulk Density Calculation of Peat Tonnage
2. Plot showing relationship between bulk density and percent organic matter. ••••....••.••.•.••. 7
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
II.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Linear plots showing relationship between (3a) bulk density and depth for samples taken from the top 80 cm of section and between (3b) bulk density and depth for all samples. .••••••.•••••••
Log-linear plot showing relationship between percent moisture and percent organic matter in Sale-Cypremort and Barataria. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Gueydan prospect. Approximate depths to the Pleistocene. · · · · · · · · · · · Gueydan prospect. Location and analysis of the two most important cores. · · · · · · · · · Avery I.sland prospect. Loca~ion map.
Avery Island prospect. Dip sections A-A' and B-B'.
* Figure based on one sample. t Average for all areas.
MATTER (%)
78.3%
79.4
79.4
81.6
79.4
81.1
80%
§ See p. 25 for respective thicknesses. ** Figures not established.
DENSITY (g/ cm3)
0.12 g/cm3t
0.12 g/cm3
tt Figures for average quantity are approxima.~ .
AVERAGE QUANTITY
AREA THICKNESS METRIC TONS Btu (km2) (m) (x 106 )
9227* 3.43 km2 1.20 m 0.49 x 106
8328 9.65 0.60 0.69
8328 7.68 0.40 0.36
34
8485 87.12 § 5.50
8189 127 ** 2.51
8620 81 1.08 10.53
8515 TOTAL: 20.08 x 106
CLASSIFICATION AND PROPERTIES
Classification
Sediments in the upper 4 m of the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain are
highly variable in organic matter content. In order to log sediments
properly, a special classification was developed (Kearns, 1982, personal
commun.) (Table 2):
Table 2. Classification of organic sediments, with clayey inorganic texture.
Organic Matter (%) <5%
5-15% 15-35% 35-55% 55-75%
> 75%
Type clay mucky clay clayey muck muck peaty muck peat
NOTE: The term "organic-rich material" is used to describe material containing more than 35% organic matter by dry weight.
Depositional Setting s
There are several types of peat deposits in the delta and chenier plains
of South Louisiana. The two major kinds are blanket peats and
interdistributary peats; of lesser importance are channel fill and detrital
peats.
Blanket peats form atop slowly subsiding abandoned delta lobes. Often,
several depositional cycles can be recog nized . Organic-rich deposits
represent periods when active delta deposition took place at a considerable
distance from the area of organic accumulation; deposits with little organic
matter (clays and mucky clays) represent periods when a depocenter was located
in proximity to the area (Coleman and Smith, 1964). Blanket peats experience
little detrital influx, are laterally continuous, and display a relatively
uniform thickness. The upper peat deposit in the Sale-Cypremort prospect is
an example of a blanket peat.
Interdistributary peats form in relatively low-lying basins between
distributaries during periods of active delta deposition. The basins are
susceptible to the influx of fine-grained detrital material by overbank
flooding. In these basins, stratig raphic correlations are usually difficult
to establish; however, pockets of organic-rich material up to 4 m thick may
exist. The Barataria prospect is an example of interdistributary-peat
accu mula tion •
The Gueydan prospect is characterized by a third kind of peat
accumulation, that of channel fill. Pleistocene channels, or abandoned
meander belts of the Mississippi or one of its distributaries, provide the
setting for these peats. Compared to that of other types, the aerial extent
is small; although detrital influx is minimal, organic matter content is
similar to that of other peats (Table 1).
Lastly, there are detrital peats. These originate by shoreline erosion
of marshland, after which the eroded marsh material is deposited in the
shallow offshore zone. These peats were not investigated.
Blanket peats, interdistributary peats, and detrital peats can be
preserved in the fossil record and should therefore be considered examples of
modern coal-forming environments.
Ash Content and Btu
The ash content of Louisiana peats averages 20% (Table 1) as a result of
the following factors:
1) Intermittent interruption of marsh growth due to detrital influx. such as crevasse splays and flooding events.
5
.
2) Botanical orlgm of peats, which are composed mainly of cypress swamp and marsh material (Table 3). Sphagnum vegetation yielding low-ash peats is not present. Determination of botanical origin of peats was done visually. Microtome analysis has not yet been done.
3) Subsidence. A certain amount of subsidence is necessary to enable the marsh to continue growing upward. When the optimal subsidence rate is exceeded, inundation begins, resulting in the influx of detrital matter.
Ash percenta·ges, as determined by the Grand Forks Energy Technology
Center, were, in 81.5% of all cases, slightly lower than those established by
LGS for the same samples. The difference ranges from 0.2 to 13.1% (ash
content), with an average of 3.9%. This discrepancy is thought to be due to
the fact that, at Grand Forks, samples are ground prior to analysis. Grinding
loosens the sediment, thus freeing more particles for combustion. In the
remaining 18.5% of all cases, ash percentages determined by Grand Forks were
slightly higher than those at LGS. The reason for this is unknown.
Values for Btu range from 7431 to 9227, with an average of 8515 for all
prospects (Table 1; App. A).
Bulk Density
For organic-rich material, bulk density values range from 0.07 to
0.20 g/cm3, with an average of 0.12 g/cm3 for all depths. The botanical
origin of the different peats may account for the rather wide range of bulk
density values (Cohen, 1982, personal commun.). Fifty-three samples were
analyzed (App. B). The results show (Fig. 2) that a relationship between
organic matter content and bulk density does not exist. Neither is there any
difference between values for different areas. Because of this, the average
of all bulk density values for organic-rich material has been taken as the
Linear plot showing relationship between bulk density and depth for all areas for samples taken from the top 80 cm of section.
0
50
100
150
200
C 250 M
300
350
400
450
sao 0.0
Figure 3b.
o. I 0.2
80
BULK 0[NS\11 IN GAAMS PER CENTIMeTER CUBED
0.3
o E p T H
Linear plot showing relationship between bulk density and depth for all samples. Average bulk density for samples taken at depths less than -1 m, between -1 and - 3 m, and greater than -3 m is 0.11, 0.13, and 0.15 g / cm3 . respectively.
... o
P E A C E
(A) SALE-CYPREMORT
< I METEA, POINTS AAE HASHES' AEGAESSION IS SOLID 1-3 METEAS, POINTS AAE STAAS' AEGAESSION IS DASHED
> 3 METERS, POINTS ARE TAIANGLES , AEGRESSION IS LONG-SHORT 2
< I METER AEGRESSION, T_12.0SLNX-3B.20 WHEAE O.BO-A 2
1-3 METER REGAESSION, T-S.36LNX'41.Be WHEAE O.Se-A 2
siliceous spicules, and the trace minerals rutile, biotite, and pyroxene.
Average Values
The average values of peat in each prospect are given in Table 1. Peat
in South Louisiana averages 90% moisture, 80% organic matter, and a bulk
density of 0.12 g / cm3 , the latter two based on dry weight. Tonnage could be
calculated for Gueydan and Avery Island. Calculations of tonnages for Sale
Cypremort and Barataria are statistical averages. For Lake Pontchartrain,
only a rough estimate could be given.
12
HISTORY OF ASSESSMENT ST UDY AND OVERVIEW OF PROSPECT AREAS
History of Assessment
The LGS began a literature study of Louisiana peat resources in 1979.
This study resulted in a report (Kress, 1980) recommending four areas for
further investigation (Fig. 1). Field sampling for the program funded by the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was begun in September 1981. Sale-Cypremort
was primarily surveyed during the fall of 1981; Avery Island, Gueydan, and
Pontchartrain, in the spring of 1982; and most of Barataria, during the summer
of 1982. The A very Island prospect was added to the areas originally
recommended by Kress after additional information was obtained.
Gueydan Prospect
The G:ueydan prospect is located south of Gueydan in Vermilion Parish
(Fig. 1) on the edge of the Pleistocene terrace. The peat originated as a
fill in a Pleistocene river channel that cuts the terrace. South of the
deposit, the Pleistocene becomes completely covered by Holocene marsh. The
area is classified as fresh marsh (Chabreck and Linscombe, 1978) (Table 3).
In the eastern part of the area, the channel cut is less than -2 m deep
(Fig. 5), and only muck and clayey muck were encountered. In the western
part, the bayou reaches depths of more than -6 m, but peat has not yet
developed; most of the area is covered with a mat of floating vegetation.
Surveys in the area, aided by the study of aerial photographs dating back
to the 1930's, suggest that high-quality peat is present only in the center of
the bayou between depths of -1 and -2.2 m (Fig. 6), where it is currently
being mined.
13
Table 3. Typical vegetation by marsh type (from Chabreck and Linscombe, 1978).
FRESH MARSHES
Panicum hemitomoR (maiden cane)
Hydrocotyl sp.
Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)
Pontederia cordata (pickerelweed)
Alternan thera p hiloxeroides (alligatorweed)
S agit taria s p • (bulltongue)
BRACKISH MARSHES
S partina patens (wireg rass)
S cirpus olneyi (three-cornered grass)
Scirpus robustus (coco)
Ruppia maritima (widg eong rass)
INTERMEDIA TE MARSHES
S partina patens (wireg rass)
Vigna repens (deer pea)
Sagittaria sp. (bull tongue)
Echinochloa walteri (wild millet)
Scirpus californicus (bullwhip)
Cladium jamaicense (sawgrass)
SALINE MARSHES
Spartina alternif/ora (oysterg rass)
Salicornia sp.
Juncus roemerianus (black rush)
Batis maritima
Avicennia nitida (black mangrove)
Distichlis spicata (saltg rass)
Figure 5.
1 KM
r------- ----- --- ---I i I I i I
LAKE CHARLES.
STUDY AREA
LEGEND
~ <1.5 M
!III] 1.5 - 3 M
~ 3 - 4.5 M
[] 4.5 - 6 M
III > 6 M
~ UNKNOWN
--- --------7 BATON ROUGE
Gueydan prospect. Approximate depths to the Pleistocene. (After F. Shutt & Sons, Civil Engineers, Lake Charles, La.)
Figure 6.
a::
I~ 1 KILOMETER 3
3.5
a::
I~
o 50 100
-100% OM
Gueydan prospect. Location and analysis of the two most important cores. Histograms show percent organic matter versus depth (OM = organic matter). High-grade peat is present in the center of Latanier Bayou between depths of -1 to -2.2 m.
16
Peat is hemic, of reed sedge origin. and averages 92.2% moisture and 78.3%
organic matter. Elemental analyses indicate that sulfur content is less than
1% (Bailey, 1982. personal commun.). Total estimate is 0.49 x 106 metric
tons (Table 1).
Avery Island Prospect
The Avery Island prospect, which is located south and southwest of the
Avery Island salt dome in Iberia Parish (Fig. 7). represents a blanket
peat-forming environment. The size of the area is approximately 50 km2 •
Four auger holes and five vibracores. each about 4 m deep. were drille'd.
Stratigraphic interpretation of cross sections is shown in Figures 8 and 9. A
cypress swamp deposit, about 2 m thick (-1 to -3 m deep), is present in most
cores. This deposit is characterized by organic-rich sediments with abundant
cypress wood frag ments. Within this deposit, two peat beds can be recog nized.
Isopachs of the peat and swamp deposits are shown in Figures 10 to 12. The
swamp deposit possibly correlates with a marsh deposit at the same depth at
Sale-Cypremort (Kearns. 1982. personal commun.). The subsurface swamp horizon
originated in a freshwater environment. and the present surface is classified
as a saline marsh (Chabreck and Linscombe, 1978) (Table 3).
tonnage of both peat beds is 1.05 x 106 metric tons.
Calculated
The presence of pyrite, together with a sulfur content of +3%, indicates
that postdepositional inundation by saltwater greatly influenced the sulfur
content of the peat (Bailey, 1982, personal commun.).
Sale-Cypremort Prospect
The Sale-Cypremort prospect is located south of Franklin. St. Mary Parish
(Figs. 1 and 13). and represents primarily a blanket peat-forming environment.
Several organic-rich horizons present in the subsurface were first shown by
17
Figure 7.
-----------------
Avery Island prospect. cross sections.
1 KM
LEGEND _ LINES INDICATE CROSS SECTIONS
• CORE LOCATIONS
Location map showing core locations and
18
5
o
-1
-2
-3
-4M---
100% OM
7
LAGOONAL CLAYS ?
100% OM
p.
A' 8
100% OM
o KM 5 KM
a o
-1
-2
-3
-4 M---
2
100% OM --LAGOONAL CLAYS?
a' 4
o KM 5 KM
Figure 8.
LEGEND
~ SPOIL ~ MUCK
~ CLAY tl] PEATY MUCK
EJ MUCKY CLAY • PEAT
[Z] CLAYEY MUCK ~ WOOD
THIN LENS OF ORGANIC MATTER
VERTICAL EXAGGERATION: 500
Avery Island prospect. Dip sections A-A' and B-B'. Two peat beds are present within a cypress swamp deposit.
19
C 5 3
o
- 1
- 2 ----------... DEPOSIT
-3 LAGOoNAL CLAYS
- 4 M --- -100% OM
I o KM I
5 KM
LEGEND
C8J SPOIL ~ MUCK
~ CLAY 121 PEATY MUCK
El MUCKY CLAY • PEAT
EZ1 CLAYEY MUCK 5] WOOD
VERTICAL EXAGGERATION: 500
Figure 9. Avery Island prospect. Strike section C-C' • Two peat beds (I and II) are present within a cypress swamp deposit.
CYPIlESS PEAT I
9 C'
-100% OM
I
0
-1
--- - 2
--- - 3
--- - 4 M
10 KM
·6
( !( o I / Q) 0
\ \ : g cf \ \ \ ( (~ (0 \ I"" ( /
to. 0 ( \ ~ 9
----1KM
• AREA FOR WHICH VOLUME HAS BEEN CALCULATED
CORE LOCATIONS
CONTOUR INTERVAL : 10 CM
IlIIIII1l > 30 eM THICK
Figure 10. A very Island prospect. Isopach map of lowermost peat bed (I). Pattern indicates peat with a thickness of 30 to 60 cm. Eastern part of the area was not included in the calculation of volume because core 9 was isolated.
I •
~ / N
5 / j • /
/ '\0 IO~3 \
1 ~ \ • I
) N \ N 7 0 9 • fl,0 •
/ I I~ AREA FOR WHICH VOLUME
.8 HAS BEEN CALCULATED
• CORE LOCATIONS
[llill) 30 CM THICK
CONTOUR INTERVAL: 10 CM 1 KM
Figure 11. A very Island prospect. Isopach map of upper peat bed (II).
~
I 8 •
5.1-___ _
• ____ 1 KM
\
\ \
\ ~ CP o
\
\
\
\ ~ o o
\
AREA FOR WHICH VOLUME HAS BEEN CALCULATED
CORE LOCATIONS
\
CONTOUR INTERVAL: 10 CM
Figure 12. Avery Island prospect. Isopach map of organic-rich cypress swamp deposit. in which peat beds are developed.
Figure 18. Sale-Cypremort prospect. Contoured section B-B'. val is 10% organic matter. Dashed line indicates -4.5 m) to which planimetering was carried out.
I 6
I 7
Contour interdepth (about
13
I I 8 9
14 8'
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
- 9 M
10
0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6 Co) ...
- 7
- 8
- 9 M
Figure 19.
0 0' 19 20 13 21 22
!!I!i!i!l!!!lII!I!lliii:;!!III!!!II!!!!!lIIIIIII!!I!!!lIIIII!I!!lI!!!~~~~ LEGEND o 0 - 10% OM
o KM 2 3 4 5 6
Sale-Cypremort prospect. Contoured section D-D'. Contour inter-val is 10% organic matter. Dashed line indicates depth (about -4.5 m) to which planimetering was carried out.
!IIlID 10 - 30% OM
Cill 30 - 70% OM
~ 70 - 100% OM
7 8
r % FREOUENCY
60 ~------------l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I : 'Il 50
40
30
20 ..•............................
_. _(
10
o 20 40 60 80 100 +- % ORGANIC MATTER
Values for each Cross Section:
0-10% OM 10-30%OM 30-70%OM 70-100%OM
A-AI ............... 19.36 14 45.29 21.08
8-8' ----- 8 .56 20.97 61 .80 8.67
0-01 . . .. . . . 20.02 32 .00 34.93 12.94
Average 16.07 22.32 47.34 14.23
Figure 20.
LOUISIANA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Sale- Cypremort prospect. Frequency distribution plot for quantities of material resulting from the planimetering of contoured cross sections. Values for cross sections are quantities in percentage of the total.
32
Barataria Prospect
Barataria Basin, located southeast of Lake Salvador in Jefferson and
Lafourche Parishes, is a rapidly subsiding interdistributary basin (Figs. 1
and 21) exemplifying an interdistributary peat-forming environment. Depth to
the Pleistocene ranges from -20 to -50 m (McFarlan, 1961). Organic-rich
deposits are formed during periods of rapid deltation. Hence, due to highly
varying degrees of subsidence and detrital influx, an extremely high
variability in the amount of organic matter, both horizontally and vertically,
is present. Variation is such that separate peat beds cannot be mapped
(Figs. 22-26).
Cross section C-C', a dip section along Bayou Barataria (Fig. 24), shows
the following stratigraphy: levee clay in the lower portions is overlain by
organic-poor sediments with numerous clay lenses. This unit is interpreted as
"incipient marsh," which implies that the activity of Bayou Barataria as a
distributary declined and marsh started to grow. Marsh growth was still
frequently interrupted by overbank flooding, resulting in organic-poor
sediment and clay lenses. When Bayou Barataria became inactive, flooding
stopped, and the organic-rich "recent marsh" developed as the upper unit.
After the cross sections were planimetered and quantified (Figs. 27-30),
the frequency distribution of sediments in the Barataria prospect shows that
about 5% of the total amount of material is pBat (Fig. 31), compared to 15% at
Sale-Cypremort. Barataria prospect contains less peat than Sale-Cypremort for
the following reasons: 1) difference in depth to the Pleistocene surface,
causing variations in subsidence rates; 2) different depositional setting; and
3) larger influx of detrital matter in the form of crevasse splays and small
distributaries in Barataria Basin.
The total volume of the basin, from the surface until the 30% organic
matter isopleth (Fig. 32), is 317 x 106 m3 • Five percent of the total
38
.-----------~--- ---------~ • U D • I ~~oU .ltto4,." I • . I • • • • • I • I · O. • ~l. : . fJ~' \ : I I"Q~01t~ tll I • c:7' ;).p. ()
Barataria prospect. Dip section C-C'. (Levee clays: clays with less than 5% organic matter, occasional rootlets, and oxidation colors. Incipient marsh: mucky clays, clayey mucks, and mucks with numerous clay lenses. Recent marsh: mucks and peaty mucks without clay lenses. Crevasse splay: silty clays.)
C' 44
--- 0
----1
----2
----3
----4 M
100% OM
10 KM
o o
-1
-2
-3
-4 M---
Figure 25.
LAKE INTRACOASTAL
SALVADOR W'WAY ., 28
100% OM
OKM
BAYOU PEROT
ENTRANCE
15
Barataria prospect.
BAYOU PEROT
21
100% OM
5 KM
LEGEND
~ SPOIL ~ MUCK
~ CLAY 121 PEATY MUCK
r;J MUCKY CLAY • PEAT
121 CLAYEY MUCK I§ SILTY CLAY --
~ AL TERA TION OF LITH. ON LAMIN. SCALE
VERTICAL EXAGGERATION: 500
Strike section D-D'.
13
--
BAYOU
RIGOLETTES
--- - -
BAYOU BARATARIA
0'
o
--- -1
--- -2
--- -3
--- - 4M
10 KM
E 36
o
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4 M---
o KM
Figure 26.
35 14
[8J ~ El [Z] ~ rl1
SPOIL
CLAY
MUCKY CLAY
CLAYEY MUCK
MUCK
PEATY MUCK
BAYOU
PEROT
5 KM
LEGEND
• PEAT
Erl WOOD
~ SILTY CLAY
15
100'11> OM
THIN LENS OF ORGANIC MATTER
(THICKER LENS OF) REED CHUNKS
VERTICAL EXAGGERA liON: 500
Barataria prospect. Strike section E-E'.
4
BAVOU RIGOlETTES
./ ./
/' ./
( lEVEE
---
2
ABANX>t£O MEAhOEA OF
BAYOU BARATARIA ,.--,
E'
/1 / \
/ \ / \
/ \ I \ \
--- 0
----1
--- - 2
--- - 3
----4 M
------
10 KM
A 31 9 28 16 0
- 1
- 2
-3 --
- 4M--
\ I o KM 2 j j I
4 I 3
Iw IZ 1-1-' I:x; 1(.) I f-1< 35 39 40 4 1
I 1 14 I j I I ,I, I 8KM 10 1 1 1 3
LEGEND
D 0 - 10% OM .. ,
[]]]]]] 10 - 30% OM
[] 30 - 70% OM
~ 70 - 100% OM
Figure %7. Barataria prospect. Contoured section A-A'. is 10% organic matter. Dashed line indicates -4.5 m) to which planimetering was carried out.
40
Wi Z :::i :x; (.) f<
34 ::;;
I 7
A' 42
--0
---1
--- 2
--- 3
--- 4M
1
Contour interval depth (about
I UJ Z :::;
11
B
29
o KM
Figure 28.
12
8 7
I 3
13 14 15
26
I 4 5
16
LEGEND
[J 0 - 10% OM
IIIlIll 10 - 30% OM
lEI 30 - 70% OM
~ 70 -100% OM
38
6 7
17 18
Barataria prospect. Contoured section B-B'.
21
I 19
is 10% organic matter.. Dashed line indicates -4.5 m) to which planimetering was carried out.
41
I 8 9
20
Contour depth
UJ Z :::; :t () >-
6 « ::;
10
--0
---1
---2
---3
---4M
interval (about
D 28 15 21 o
- 1
-2
- 3
- 4
- 5 M---
Figure 29.
o KM 2 3 4
LEGEND
D 0 - 10% OM
[llll]] 10 - 30% OM
E] 30 - 70% OM
~ 70 -100% OM
5
Barataria prospect. Contoured section D-D'. . is 10% organic matter. Dashed line indicates
-4 • 5 m) to which planimetering was carried ou t.
Contour interval depth (about
D'
6 7 8
E o
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4M--
Figure 30.
E' 36 35
~~II_" _ ___ - -" 14
o KM 2 3 4 5
LEGEND
D 0 - 10% OM
!II 10 - 30% OM
IEl 30 - 70% OM
~ 70 - 100% OM
Barataria prospect. Contoured section E-E'. is 10% organic matter. Dashed line indicates -4.5 m) to which was planimetering was carried ou t.
6 7
Contour interval depth (about
8 9 10
fr' FREQUENCY
60 r'-'- '-'- '-'- '- '-I
o 20 40 60 80 100 +-% ORGANIC MATTER
Values for each Cross Section
0-10% OM 10-30% OM 30-70% OM 70-100% OM
A-A' ------ - -
B-B'
0-0'···············
E-E' - '-'-'-
Average
~
Figure 31.
C9.7O 25.45 47.35 7.50
20.49 28.99 43.02 7.50
19.12 19.25 56.73 4.91
34.15 25.61 36.28 3.96
23.88 16.96 58.26 0.89
23.47 23.25 48.33 4.95
LOUISIANA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Barataria prospect. Frequency distribution plot for quantities of material resulting from the planimetering of contoured cross sections. Values for each cross section are quantities in percentage of the total.
This project would not have been finished without the assistance of many people. First, I wish to thank those who helped to initiate the program: Robert Gerdes, who led most of the field trips in the fall of 1981; Fonda Kearns, who introduced me to numerous procedures, literature sources, and techniques; Whitney Autin, who headed the first part of the program; Todd Davison; and Robert Kemp.
Work during the second part of the program was greatly assisted by David Pominski, who worked in the field, planimetered, and did other office chores; Paul Templet and Michael Halun, who took care of the equipment, designed and built a number of pieces, and assisted in the field; and Peggy Autin, who processed, indexed, and catalogued most laboratory samples.
Thanks also go to Rick McCulloh, Laurel Gorman, Paul Kemp, Dianne Lindstedt, David DeBlanc, David Sonnenfeld, and Nameh Salem for field assistance and to Clay Kimbrell and Don Stadter for computer plotting and initial statistical work.
Drs. James Coleman, Harry Roberts, and Arthur Cohen provided fruitful discussions and sugg estions.
I am also indebted, first, to Raymond Bonin and Edmund Mcilhenny, Jr., of the Mcilhenny Co. of Avery Island for enabling the Survey to core the Avery Island site and, second, to Harvey Oudekerk and Robert Markman of the Markman Peat Co. for permitting the sampling of the Gueydan prospect.
Furthermore, I would like to thank Dr. Everett Besch and his colleagues at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. James Gosselink of the LSU Department of Marine Sciences for use of their cooled storage facilities.
I also benefited from the Louisiana Geological Survey administrators C.G. Groat, Harry Roland, and especially Don Bebout, who provided discussions, suggestion~, criticism, and moral support.
62
REFERENCES
Adams, R. D., B. B. Barrett, J. H. Blackmon, B. W. Gane, and W. G. McIntyre,
1976, Barataria Basin--Geologic processes and framework: La. State Univ.,
Sea Grant Pub. T 76.00, 117 p.
American Society for Testing and Materials, 1969, Standard classification of
peats, mosses, humus and related products: Standard D2607-69,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Bailey, A., 1982, Personal commun.: Univ. Southwestern La., Dept. Geol.,
Lafayette, La.
Boelter, D. H., 1969, Physical properties of peats as related to degree of
decomposition:
606-609.
Proc., Soil Science Soc. America, vol. 33, no. 4, p.
Chabreck, R., and G. Linscombe, 1978, Vegetative type map of the Louisiana
coastal marshes: La. Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries, New Orleans, La.
Cohen, A. D., 1982, Personal commun.: Los Alamos Nat. Laboratory, Los Alamos,
N. Mex.
Coleman, J. M., 1966, Coastal sediments and late Recent rise of sea level,
Vermilion, Iberia, and St. Mary Parishes, Louisiana: La. State Univ.,
Center for Wetlands Resources, Coastal Studies Inst., Baton Rouge, La.,
Rept. TR-17, 73 p.
, 1982, Personal commun.: La. State Univ., Coastal Studies --------Inst., Baton Rouge, La.
Coleman, J. M., and W. G. Smith, 1964, Late Recent rise of sea level: Bull.,
Geol. Soc. America, vol. 75, p. 833-840.
53
Fisk, H. N., 1958, Recent Mississippi River sedimentation and peat accumula
tion, in E. Van Aelst, ed., Congres pour l'avancement des etudes de
stratigraphie et de geologie du Carbonifiere, 4th, Heerlen: Maastricht,
Netherlands, Compte Rendu, vol. 1, p. 187-199.
Frazier, D. E., 1967, Recent deltaic deposits of the Mississippi River: Their
development and chronology: Trans., Gulf Coast Assoc. Geol. Soc., vol.
17, p. 287-315.
Frazier, D. E., A. Osanik, and W. C. Elsik, 1978, Environments of peat
accumulation--Coastal Louisiana, in W. R. Kaiser, ed., Proc., Gulf Coast
lignite conference: Geology, utilization, and environmental aspects: