Geology
John B. Ritter
I teach courses in physical geology, geomorphology, and environmental geology. My current research interests include temporal and spatial variations in drainage basin water and sediment yield and the associated downstream adjustments. The general objective of this research is to understand causative mechanisms for stream deposition, stability, or erosion, especially with respect to climate change. I am presently working on alluvial fan evolution in the Buena Vista valley of north central Nevada. This work compliments previous work in southeastern California and southwestern Montana and will culminate in a review paper on the influences of climate on alluvial fan evolution. I am also working on the causes of local drainage pattern changes in the Mad River and Little Miami River systems as they relate to the formation of Clifton Gorge and other gorges in the region. I joined the Wittenberg faculty in 1990.
Education
- Ph.D., Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, December, 1990
- M.S., Geology, University of New Mexico, May 1987
- B.S., Geosciences, Honors Degree, Pennsylvania State University, August 1983
Memberships and Offices Held
- American Geophysical Union, 1990-present
- American Quaternary Association, 1989-present
- Geological Society of America, 1982-present, Assoc. Editor of Geological Society of America Bulletin, term 1996-1998, Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Panel Member, term 1996-1998
- Ohio Academy of Sciences, 1995-present
- Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society, 1988-present
Publications
- Ritter, J.B., 1992, The application of field infiltration data
to hydrologic model parameterization: an example from drainage
basins disturbed by surface mining: Journal of Hydrology, v. 134,
p. 173-202.
- Ritter, J.B. and Gardner, T.W., 1993, Hydrologic evolution of
drainage disturbed by surface mining, central Pennsylvania:
Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 101-115.
- Ritter, J.B., and others, 1993, Quaternary evolution of Cedar
Creek Alluvial Fan, Montana: Geomorphology: v. 8, p. 287-305.
- Ritter, J.B., Miller, J.R., Enzel, Y., and Wells, S.G., 1995,
Reconciling the roles of tectonism and climate in Quaternary
alluvial fan evolution: Geology, v. 23, p. 245-248.
- Miller, J.R. and Ritter, J.R., 1996, An Examination of the Rosgen Classification of Natural Rivers: Catena: v. 27, p. 295-299.
- Rush, D.B.(student) and Ritter, J.B., 1993, An investigation
of the
hypogean meiofauna in sediments adjacent to the North Fork Little
Miami River, Clark Co., Ohio: The Ohio Journal of
Science, v. 93, p. 92.
- Ritter, J.B., Miller, J.R., Enzel, Y., and Wells, S.G., 1994,
Reconciling the roles of tectonism and climate in Quaternary
alluvial fan evolution: 1994 Annual Meeting of Geological Society
of America, Seattle, Washington, v. 26, p. 304.
- Ritter, J.B., Coonfare, C.T.(student), and Lamb,
M.J.(student), 1994, A
groundwater pollution potential exercise: Teaching GIS concepts
using spreadsheets: 1994 American Water Resources Association,
November 6-10, 1994, Chicago, Illinois.
- Ritter, J.B., 1995, Late Quaternary drainage evolution in
the Little Miami River and Mad River watersheds, west central
Ohio: The Ohio Journal of Science, v. 95, p. 51.
- Ritter, J.B. and Miller, J.R., 1995, The Alluvial Fan
Stratigraphy of Buena Vista Valley, North Central Nevada:
Synchronous Geomorphic Response on Alluvial Fans in a Semiarid
Climate: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists
Research Conference on Alluvial Fans.
- Ritter, J.B., 1995, Critical reasoning and writing in
undergraduate environmental geology laboratory exercises: 1995 Annual
Meeting of Geological Society of America, New Orleans, Louisiana, v. 27,
p. 352.
- Monegan, T.A.(student) and Ritter, J.B., 1996, Beach sediment
analysis of Sarasota County, Florida: Implications for origin of
Phosphate Miocene sands: 1996 National Conference on Undergraduate
Research, Asheville, North Carolina, p. 5-15.
- Dogwiler, T.J.(student), Ritter, J.B., and Hobbs, H.H., 1996,
Drainage
basin delineation of the Warrensburg Road karst, Delaware County, Ohio:
Implications for evaluating land use impacts: The Ohio Journal of
Science, v. 96, p. 29.
- Ritter, J.B., 1996, Glacial, geologic, hydrologic, and
base-level controls on late Quaternary drainage evolution, southwestern
Ohio: 1996 Annual Meeting of Geological Society of America, Denver,
Colorado, v. 28, p. 56.
- Ritter, J.B., 1997, Late Quaternary landscape development in a stable midcontinent setting using adjacent drainage systems with variable geologic controls: Fourth International Conference on Geomorphology, Bologna, Italy, 1997.
Refereed
Papers Presented at Professional Meetings
