Author Profile

Eric Clausen

At present I am a professor emeritus having taught geology at Minot State University (North Dakota, USA) from 1968 until 1997. I was trained in geology at Columbia University and the University of Wyoming where my studies emphasized regional geomorphology. For many years I have pursued a research interest that developed when as result of geologic field work and interpretation of large mosaics of detailed North American topographic maps I discovered significant evidence previous investigators had ignored. Over a period of many years, after studying such anomalous evidence, I was forced to develop a fundamentally different interpretation of North American geomorphic history than that which is generally accepted. Geomorphology is the study of landforms and my interest as a geomorphology researcher is in determining the origin of large drainage systems, such as the Missouri River drainage basin in North America. The Missouri River drainage basin consists of thousands of smaller drainage basins, each of which has a history my essays (website posts) are trying to unravel. What I try to do is reconstruct the landscape the way it looked prior to the present day drainage system. I then try to determine how the present day drainage system evolved. While conducting my Missouri River drainage basin landform origins study I also developed an interest in scientific paradigms, especially in how scientific paradigms develop and how they are replaced. The Missouri River drainage basin landform origins project at geomorphologyresearch.com has been completed and I am currently creating a catalog of Philadelphia, PA area erosional landforms, which can be found at phillylandforms.info For off site questions and discussions about either project I can be contacted at eric2clausen@gmail.com

Recent Posts

The Topographic Map Mystery: Geology’s Unrecognized Paradigm Problem

A newly published book titled “The Topographic Map Mystery:Geology’s Unrecognized Paradigm Problem” discusses in considerable detail the problems geomorphologists have encountered when trying to explain topographic map drainage system and erosional landform evidence (such as is discussed on this website) and describes a new and fundamentally diffrent Cenozoic geology and glacial history paradigm which is […]

Links to open access published papers related to this website

This website shows research notes taken during the Missouri River drainage basin landforms origin research project. Papers related to the project are now being written and submitted to various scientific journals for review and publication. The following list shows the open access papers related to the Missouri River drainage basin landform origins research project that […]

Evidence for south-oriented drainage in the present day Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson River drainage basins

Abstract: Multiple deep passes crossing the present-day east-west continental divide and numerous south-oriented tributaries flowing to the present-day north-oriented Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson-Beaverhead-Red Rock, and Missouri Rivers provide evidence the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson-Beaverhead-Red Rock valleys originated as diverging channels in a large-scale south-oriented anastomosing channel complex that was subsequently reversed to form the present-day north-oriented Gallatin, […]

Evidence investigated that led to the Missouri River drainage basin landform origins research project

The following essay briefly outlines alternative hypotheses considered and evidence investigated prior to undertaking the Missouri River drainage basin landform origins research project, which is based entirely on previously unstudied topographic map evidence. Each phase of my study described here is documented by communications submitted to the North Dakota Academy of Science and/or by abstracts […]

Missouri River Drainage Basin Landform Origins Research Project is a 21st century Expedition of Discovery

  The Missouri River drainage basin landform origins research project is the first known scientific expedition of discovery to systematically study detailed topographic map evidence for all major drainage divide areas within and surrounding the Missouri River drainage basin and in a sense is a modern-day equivalent of historical voyages of discovery where explorers traveled […]

Cherry Creek-Plum Creek drainage divide area landform origins in Douglas County, Colorado, USA

  Abstract: This essay uses topographic map evidence to interpret landform origins in the Cherry Creek-Plum Creek drainage divide area in Douglas County, Colorado. Cherry Creek is a north and northwest oriented stream joining the north-northeast oriented South Platte River at Denver. Plum Creek is formed at confluence of northeast, north, and northwest oriented East […]

Kiowa Creek-Bijou Creek drainage divide area landform origins on the Colorado Piedmont, USA

  Abstract: This essay uses topographic map evidence to interpret landform origins in the Kiowa Creek-Bijou Creek drainage divide area on the Colorado Piedmont. Kiowa Creek and Bijou Creek are two of several north and north-northeast oriented streams located east of the north-northeast oriented South Platte River segment, which is located east of the Colorado […]

Bijou Creek-Beaver Creek drainage divide area landform origins in Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, and Washington Counties, Colorado, USA

  Abstract: This essay uses topographic map evidence to interpret landform origins in the Bijou Creek-Beaver Creek drainage divide area in Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, and Washington Counties, Colorado. Bijou Creek and Beaver Creek are north oriented tributaries to northeastern Colorado’s north-northeast, southeast, east, and northeast oriented South Platte River with Beaver Creek located east of […]