Associate Professor of Geology and Director of Environmental Studies
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.
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
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.
Papers Presented at Professional Meetings
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.
