Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Dual State Hierarchical Ensemble Kalman Filter Algorithm, William J. Cook, Jesse Johnson, Marko Maneta, Doug Brinkerhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dynamic models that simulate processes across large geographic locations, such as hydrologic models, are often informed by empirical parameters that are distributed across a geographical area and segmented by geological features such as watersheds. These parameters may be referred to as spatially distributed parameters. Spatially distributed parameters are frequently spatially correlated and any techniques utilized in their calibration ideally incorporate existing spatial hierarchical relationships into their structure. In this paper, a parameter estimation method based on the Dual State Ensemble Kalman Filter called the Dual State Hierarchical Ensemble Kalman Filter (DSHEnKF) is presented. This modified filter is innovative in that …

Trawling Through The Five Gyres: A Microplastic Research Study. Subjects: Life Science, Earth Science, Marine/Ocean Science - Grade 6, Meredith Seeley

Reports

This activity challenges students to help researchers understand what types of plastics are polluting the oceans!

Teachers will prepare samples of microplastics that were collected in each of the 5 ocean gyres, mimicking plastic concentrations actually found in the oceans! Working as a group, students will count the items of plastic and graph their results. They will share their results with the class to compare their gyre to the other four gyres. Finally, students will understand the link between ocean microplastic pollution, and our use of single-use plastics.

This activity can be completed in 45 minutes in the class. An …

Clinopyroxene Trace Element Chemistry As A Proxy For Magma Compositional Variations In The Izu Bonin Rear Arc Over The Last 15 Million Years, Kimberly N. (Kimberly Nicole) Wurth

WWU Graduate School Collection

This study presents major and trace element chemistry of clinopyroxene (CPX) in 0-15 Ma core material recovered from Site U1437 during IODP Expedition 350. Because no fresh glass is present in the core samples older than 4.4 Ma, and hence there is no way to directly determine magma compositions, my study presents the development of a novel method for calculating liquid compositions from CPX grains in volcaniclastic sediments using distribution coefficients and trace elements measured in CPX.

Geochemical data from CPX grains was acquired using a laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS). These data were used to calculate trace element …

Paleomagnetic Results From Upper Triassic And Middle Jurassic Strata Of East-Central New Mexico, And Implication For North American Apwp, Masoud Mirzaei Souzani

WWU Graduate School Collection

Two contradictory apparent polar wander paths (APWPs) of North America (NA) for most of Jurassic time have been the subject of many studies since the 1990s, and are important to rectify if in order to constrain the tectonic evolution of the continent. Among various efforts to resolve this persistent issue, additional results from well-dated kimberlite volcanics have been used to support a higher-latitude APWP (Kent et al., 2015), and the controversy was blamed on inclination error (IE) in paleomagnetic results of sedimentary units, most of which are from the U.S. South Western interior. Those paleomagnetic poles define the other, lower-latitude …

Defining Historical Earthquake Rupture Parameters And Proposed Slip Distributions Through Tsunami Modeling In South-Central Chile, Alexander Dolcimascolo

All Master's Theses

Reliable tsunami early warning forecasts rely on accurate initial modeling conditions and interpretations of subduction zone behavior in a multi-century perspective. GPS and seismologic data were introduced this past century to study rupture dynamics in detail, however limited information is known about ruptures that pre-date the 20^th century. I propose a methodology that uses statistics to better understand these pre-20^th century ruptures. This methodology applies the historical and geologic tsunami record as a means to select a suite of tsunami simulations from earthquake source solutions. I chose south-central Chile (46°S to 30°S) to test this new methodology; it …

Identifying Key Factors Affecting Translational Landslides In Part Of The Yakima Fold And Thrust Belt, Washington State, Joseph Schilter

All Master's Theses

Washington has one of the fastest growth rates in the nation, and unfortunately also is among the most landslide-prone states. With increased population density and urban sprawl, the need for landslide hazard assessment grows. On the Columbia Plateau in central Washington, the smooth rigid, inclined surfaces of the Columbia River Basalts (CRBs) with loose sediment layers between them induces landslides of large blocks of bedrock. These hazards remain poorly understood, but their significance was heightened by the 2017 Rattlesnake Hills Landslide that currently threatens a community and an interstate highway south of Yakima, Washington. I propose that the strongest influences …

Characterizing The Deformation History Of The Southern Mina Deflection: Field And Structural Studies In The Huntoon Mountains, California-Nevada, Joseph Bodie Mccosby

All Master's Theses

New geologic mapping and structural studies in the Huntoon Mountain area (HMA), California-Nevada document the volcanic and deformation histories across the south-central Mina Deflection (MD). Our work allows us to (a) test whether present-day GPS predicted sinistral slip rates are the same as geologic slip rates in the southern MD, and (b) determine the kinematics of fault slip is transfer through the MD. The HMA exposes primarily Miocene andesitic-dacitic volcanic rocks overlain by the 12.114 ± 0.006 Ma (⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar sanidine, Petronis et al., 2019) Tuff of Jack Spring and the 11.399 ± 0.041 Ma (^{40 …}

Holocene Periods Of Aggradation And Incision, Hanson Creek, Washington, Levi Earl Windingstad

All Master's Theses

The causes and timing of cycles of aggradation and incision in the Hanson Creek drainage in central Washington provide insight into changes in channel morphology and paleoenvironment within the region over the last 8000 years. Stratigraphically and spatially coincident archaeological evidence reveals information related to human occupation during the latter half of the epoch. Using LiDAR imagery and field surveys, recent processes such as degree of modern channel incision, accumulation of valley floor sediment, channel morphology and gradient were evaluated. The spatial distribution of these channel characteristics was assessed in relation to proximal landforms such as colluvial deposits, basalt outcrops, …

Amplitude-Preserved Processing Of The Blackfoot 10 Hz Seismic Data, Bader Mohammed A Algarni

Masters Theses

"The broadband 3C-2D seismic survey was acquired in the Blackfoot Field in southern Alberta. The single-component 10 Hz geophone data were reprocessed to increase vertical resolution and provide a better seismic image of the incised valley channel fill deposits in the Glauconitic Formation. The amplitude-preserved seismic processing of the data was followed by the Kirchhoff prestack time migration. The processing parameters and algorithms used were based on parameter optimization approach. Elevation statics and surface consistent residual statics were utilized to remove near surface delays in the data. Seismic noise, such as ground roll and air blast, were attenuated effectively by …

Geophysical Imaging Beneath Lake Chesterfield, Missouri, James Daniell Hayes

Masters Theses

"Lake Chesterfield in Wildwood, Missouri, has been leaking since construction of the earth-fill dam was completed in 1986, despite numerous mitigation efforts. The mitigation efforts, including the injection of grouting and the emplacement of clay liners, has not solve the leakage problem.

In the current study, geophysical (subsurface imaging) data was acquired across the drained and dry lake bed and along the base of the earth-fill dam to 1) map variable depth to top of bedrock, 2) determine the variable quality of the bedrock to depths on the order of 80 ft., 3) identify any significant karst features beneath the …

Submarine Groundwater Discharge Data At Meter Scale (223ra, 224ra, 226ra, 228ra And 222rn) In Indian River Bay (Delaware, Us), Carlos Duque, Karen L. Knee, Christopher J. Russoniello, Mahmound Sherif, Usama A. Abu Risha, Neil C. Sturchio, Holly A. Michael

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Abstract

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) was sampled at high-spatial resolution in Indian River Bay, DE, USA, in July 2016 to characterize the spatial variability of the activity of the radium and radon isotopes commonly used to estimate SGD. These data were part of an investigation into the methods and challenges of characterizing SGD rates and variability, especially in the coastal aquifer transition from freshwater to saltwater (Hydrogeological processes and near shore spatial variability of radium and radon isotopes for the characterization of submarine groundwater discharge (Duque et al., 2019)). Samples were collected with seepage meters and minipiezometers to obtain sufficient …

Geochronology And Depositional History Of The Sandy Springs Aeolian Landscape In The Unglaciated Upper Ohio River Valley, United States, Mathew P. Purtill, J. Steven Kite, Steven L. Forman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The study of active and stabilized late Quaternary aeolian landforms provides important proxies for past climate events and environmental transitions. Despite an overall increase in the study of aeolian landforms in previously glaciated and coastal settings in eastern North America, the history of aeolian sedimentation in many unglaciated inland alluvial settings remain poorly understood. This study reports on the geochronology and depositional history of aeolian landforms and sediments in the unglaciated upper Ohio Valley at the Sandy Springs site. Aeolian landforms and sediments include complex, linear, barchan-like, and climbing dunes; an interdune sand sheet; and sandy loess that blankets high …

How To Search For Life In Martian Chemical Sediments And Their Fluid And Solid Inclusions Using Petrographic And Spectroscopic Methods, Kathleen C. Benison

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Abundant resources and efforts have been employed in the search for life on Mars. Satellites, landers, and rovers have tested atmospheric gases, general sediment and rock compositions, and images of Mars surface in an effort to detect biosignatures left by any possible modern or ancient life. Chloride and sulfate minerals suggestive of past acid saline lakes have been found on Mars. In terrestrial acid brine environments, these minerals trap microorganisms and organic compounds and preserve them within fluid inclusions and as solid inclusions for long geologic time periods. Some cells remain viable, especially in the isolated, microscopic aqueous environments of …

Large-Area, High Spatial Resolution Land Cover Mapping Using Random Forests, Geobia, And Naip Orthophotography: Findings And Recommendations, Aaron E. Maxwell, Michael P. Strager, Timothy A. Warner, Christopher A. Ramezan, Alice N. Morgan, Cameron E. Pauley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Despite the need for quality land cover information, large-area, high spatial resolution land cover mapping has proven to be a difficult task for a variety of reasons including large data volumes, complexity of developing training and validation datasets, data availability, and heterogeneity in data and landscape conditions. We investigate the use of geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA), random forest (RF) machine learning, and National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) orthophotography for mapping general land cover across the entire state of West Virginia, USA, an area of roughly 62,000 km2. We obtained an overall accuracy of 96.7% and a Kappa statistic of …

Protoconch Enlargement In Western Atlantic Turritelline Gastropod Species Following The Closure Of The Central American Seaway, Stephanie Sang, Dana Suzanne Friend, Warren Douglas Allmon, Brendan Matthew Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Abstract The closure of the late Neogene interoceanic seaways between the Western Atlantic (WA) and Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP)—commonly referred to as the Central American Seaway—significantly decreased nutrient supply in the WA compared to the TEP. In marine invertebrates, an increase in parental investment is expected to be selectively favored in nutrient‐poor marine environments as prolonged feeding in the plankton becomes less reliable. Here, we examine turritelline gastropods, which were abundant and diverse across this region during the Neogene and serve as important paleoenvironmental proxies, and test whether species exhibit decreased planktotro‐ phy in the WA postclosure as compared to …

Cliff-Top Dunes In The Lower Chippewa River Valley Of West-Central Wisconsin, Jason Millett

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to investigate recently identified cliff-top sand dunes located within the Lower Chippewa River Valley (LCRV), Wisconsin, USA. Research within the LCRV notes the existence of a variety of aeolian deposits, but a comprehensive explanation of their complete spatial distribution, genesis, age, and paleoenvironmental significance does not exist. In particular, stabilized cliff-top dunes with a parabolic form remain poorly understood. This problem is exacerbated by a lack of clarity in the literature regarding the genesis of dunes in a cliff-top position. Therefore, this thesis begins by reviewing the literature concerning sand dunes in cliff-top …

Luminescent Calcium Carbonate Micro ‘Bow Ties’, Fearghal C. Donnelly, Finn Purcell-Milton, Peter W. Dunne, Aleksandra Rulikowska, Victor Alguacil, Yurii K. Gun’Ko

Articles

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a ubiquitous material which has been studied for centuries due to its integral nature across various fields and its vast range of applications. Here we report, for the first time, a low temperature dry ice carbonation method for the production of unique rare earth-doped calcium carbonate ‘bow ties’. CaCO3 exhibits retrograde solubility, an interesting property in which its solubility increases with decreasing temperature. In this synthesis, dry ice acts not only as a CO2 source, but as a coolant, increasing the solubility of CaCO3 and CO2 and allowing specific growth to occur. The incorporation of trivalent …

Carbon Dioxide Measurement In Irish Blanket Peatlands: An Assessment Of Pool-Soil Flux Variability, Mariya Radomski, Alan Gilmer, Vivienne Byers, Eugene Mcgovern

Articles

Peatlands have been recognised as having a significant role in the mediation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels with direct implications for global climate change. Longitudinal in situ measurement systems for CO2 concentrations in blanket peatland ecosystems are difficult to implement where the nature of terrestrial–aquatic connectivity and hydrodynamics have a significant effect on the carbon cycle. The need for greater data on CO2 concentrations and flux monitoring in these settings has been well recognised. However, applying the most appropriate monitoring approach presents a special challenge. This paper sets out the development of a direct method for field based longitudinal …

Impacts Of Basin-Scale Climate Modes On Coastal Sea Level: A Review, Weiqing Han, Detlef Stammer, Philip Thompson, Tal Ezer, Hindu Palanisamy, Xuebin Zhang, Catia M. Domingues, Lei Zhang, Dongliang Yuan

CCPO Publications

Global sea level rise (SLR) associated with a warming climate exerts significant stress on coastal societies and low-lying island regions. The rates of coastal SLR observed in the past few decades, however, have large spatial and temporal differences from the global mean, which to a large part have been attributed to basin-scale climate modes. In this paper, we review our current state of knowledge about climate modes’ impacts on coastal sea level variability from interannual-to-multidecadal timescales. Relevant climate modes, their impacts and associated driving mechanisms through both remote and local processes are elaborated separately for the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic …

Evaluation Of Landslide Occurrence Using Hydrological Model In Huai Nam Phung Subbasin, Thailand, Rugkiet Chansorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Huai Nam Phung subbasin, which is located at the boundary between Loei and Phetchabun provinces, is the area where landslides occur frequently. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the occurrence of landslides in this area by using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Meteorological data hydrological data and physical properties of soils processed with the Geographic Information System (GIS) to analyze the physical data of the study area and use the TOPography based hydrological MODEL (TOPMODEL) combined with the theory of factor of safety in slope stability to simulate the slope stability between 2016 and 2017. According to the satellite imageries …

Geological And Mineralogical Characteristics Of Pilok And Takua Pit Thong Tin-Tungsten Deposits, Western Thailand, Karn Phountong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Pilok and Takua Pit Thong mine were one of tin-tungsten mines associated with the Western Granitoid Belt. Despite the very poor condition of the outcrop, petrographic and geochemical studies reveal two granitoid units: porphyritic granite and equigranular granite, which show similar petrography characteristics except for tourmaline that appears only in equigranular granite, and their textures. Based on whole-rock geochemistry, porphyritic granite is ferroan to magnesian, alkalic, peraluminous granite whereas equigranular granite is ferroan to magnesian, alkali to alkali-calcic, peraluminous granite. Both granites show S-type affinity. The REE patterns show enrichment in LILE (e.g. K, Rb) and HFSE (e.g. Nb, Ta). …

Geology And Mineralization Characteristics Of Epithermal Gold, Suwan Prospect, Changwat Phitsanulok, Tanad Soisa

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The Suwan prospect is located about 6 km northwest of the Chatree gold mine in Phitsanulok province, central Thailand. Gold-silver mineralization occurs as veins and stockworks hosted in volcaniclastic and volcanogenic-sedimentary rocks of Late Permian- Early Triassic age which is classified as a low sulfidation epithermal deposit base on mineralization texture, alteration pattern and sulfide mineral assemblages. From top to bottom, the hosted volcanic succession can be divided into 3 units, namely 1) Felsic volcanic unit (Unit 1), 2) Volcanogenic-sedimentary unit (Unit 2), and 3) Porphyritic andesite unit (Unit 3). Unit 1 consists predominantly of quartz-rich fiamme breccia, lithic-rich fiamme …

Terrain Analysis In Phetchabun Province, Tanapat Pichetsopon

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Phetchabun province, lower northern Thailand is vulnerable to geohazards, landslide and flooding with the potential for significant harm to people and property. In addition, Phetchabun province has many lineaments that could be potential source of tectonic activities. In this study, terrain analysis techniques are used through 30 meters resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data in order to determine geomorphic indices related to tectonic activity. The statistic index method (Si) is calculated in relation of six parameters to indicate landslide susceptible area. and the hydromorphometric contrast index (HCI) is used to identify sensitive area to flooding by evaluating five parameters. According …

Organic Geochemical Characteristics Of Coal Deposits In Lampang Province, Patthapong Chaiseanwang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ถ่านหินและหินตะกอนจำนวน 31 ตัวอย่างจากแหล่งถ่านหินแม่ตีบและแหล่งถ่านหินแม่ทานที่ตั้งอยู่ในจังหวัดลำปางทางตอนเหนือของประเทศไทยถูกนำมาศึกษาลักษณะเฉพาะทางธรณีเคมีอินทรีย์ (Organic geochemistry) ผลจากการวิเคราะห์ปริมาณสารอินทรีย์ทั้งหมด (Total organic carbon) พบว่าตัวอย่างถ่านหินจากแหล่งแม่ตีบมีค่าระหว่าง 30.12 - 73.71 wt. % และสูงกว่าตัวอย่างถ่านหินของแหล่งแม่ทานซึ่งมีค่าระหว่าง 23.48 - 52.50 wt. % หินดินดานจากทั้งสองแหล่งมีค่าใกล้เคียงกันระหว่าง 4.82 - 19.49 wt. % ในแหล่งแม่ตีบ และ 14.00 - 24.87 wt. % ในแหล่งแม่ทาน ค่าที่น้อยที่สุดของปริมาณสารอินทรีย์ทั้งหมดปรากฏในตัวอย่างหินโคลนซึ่งมีค่าระหว่าง 0.88 – 4.92 wt. % ในแหล่งแม่ตีบ และค่าระหว่าง 0.59 – 5.98 wt. % การวิเคราะห์ปริมาณสารอินทรีย์ที่สกัดได้ (Extractable organic matter) ในตัวอย่างหินของแหล่งแม่ตีบมีค่าระหว่าง 1,277 - 9,764 ppm ในขณะที่ตัวอย่างหินของแหล่งแม่ทานมีค่ามากกว่าโดยอยู่ระหว่าง 1,256-16,421 ppm จากข้อมูลข้างต้นทั้งสองแหล่งมีศักยภาพการเป็นชั้นหินต้นกำเนิดของแหล่งปิโตรเลียมอยู่ในเกณฑ์ดีถึงดีเยี่ยมยกเว้นหินโคลนบางตัวอย่าง ข้อมูลลักษณะเฉพาะทางธรณีเคมีอินทรีย์ศึกษาจากแก๊สโครมาโตแกรม (Gas chromatogram) ได้มาจากการวิเคราะห์โดยใช้เครื่องมือแก๊สโครมาโตกราฟี-แมสสเปกโตมิเตอร์ (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer) ซึ่งให้ข้อมูลของตัวชี้วัดทางชีวภาพ (Biomarker and non-biomarker) ที่มีประโยชน์ในการตีความทั้งระดับความพร้อมสมบูรณ์ (Maturity) ชนิดของอินทรีย์วัตถุ (Organic matter input) และสภาพแวดล้อมการสะสมตัวในอดีต (Depositional environment) ในการศึกษานี้ถ่านหินมีระดับความพร้อมสมบูรณ์เทียบเคียงกับระดับถ่านหิน (coal rank) อยู่ในระดับลิกไนต์ถึงบิทูมินัสสารระเหยสูงระดับซี (Lignite – high volatile bituminous C) อ้างอิงจากตัวชี้วัดความพร้อมสมบูรณ์ทางชีวภาพ (Biomarker maturity) ซึ่งบ่งชี้ว่าตัวอย่างหินมีระดับความพร้อมสมบูรณ์อยู่ในระดับตอนต้น (immature-early mature stage) แก๊สโครมาโตแกรมของแอลเคนสายตรง (n-alkanes) …

Petrography And Geochemistry Of Volcanic Rocks In Khao Sam Sip Area, Sa Kaeo Province, Maythira Sriwichai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The volcanic rocks at Khao Sam Sip, Sa Kaeo province is part of the Loei-Phetchabun-Sa Kaeo Volcanic Belt. Based on field observation, petrographic and geochemical studies, the rocks in the study area can be divided into four rock units namely, 1) Basalt-andesite unit, 2) Polymictic andesitic unit, 3) Epiclastic unit, and 4) Clastic unit. Unit 1 is the lowest unit in sequence consisting of olivine-pyroxene-plagioclase basalt, pyroxene basalt, hornblende-plagioclase andesite, and plagioclase andesite. Unit 2 consists of polymictic andesitic breccia and polymictic andesitic sandstone. Unit 3 is epiclastic unit comprising of crystal-lithic sandstone and polymictic conglomerate. Units 4 includes fine-grained …