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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Formation Of Rapakivi Feldspars In The Deer Isle Granite Complex, Coastal Maine: In Situ Lead Isotope And Trace Element Analysis, William Desmond Obrien Jun 2017

Formation Of Rapakivi Feldspars In The Deer Isle Granite Complex, Coastal Maine: In Situ Lead Isotope And Trace Element Analysis, William Desmond Obrien

Theses and Dissertations

Rapakivi and alkali feldspar phenocrysts from the Deer Isle Granite Complex were investigated using in situ trace element and Pb isotope geochemistry to see if magma mixing or isothermal decompression was responsible for their formation. Pb isotope and trace element profiles, along with CL imagery of quartz phenocrysts, indicate compositional changes in the magma chamber occurred during rapakivi and alkali feldspar growth. Repeated episodes of magma mixing/replenishment by relatively isotopically primitive and LREE enriched magmas (along with hybridized variations with the host magma) created localized disequilibration. Alkali feldspar phenocrysts proximal to these zones of thermal perturbation were first resorbed and …


Near-Salt Stratal Geometries And Implications For The Evolution Of The Onion Creek Diapir Moab, Ut, Ethan L. Cook Apr 2017

Near-Salt Stratal Geometries And Implications For The Evolution Of The Onion Creek Diapir Moab, Ut, Ethan L. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

The Onion Creek Diapir is one of many salt domes proximal to the Uncompahgre thrust front of the ancestral rockies in the Paradox Basin. It is comprised of Paradox Formation evaporites and large blocks of Honaker Trail Formation carbonates that were deformed by loading of Permian Cutler Formation progradational alluvial to fluvial fans. The history of salt movement in the Onion Creek Diapir is recorded in the near-salt strata. Large salt bodies and their adjacent mini-basins evolve conforming to a complex relationship between salt withdrawal, creating localized accommodation, and sediment deposition. Migrating mini-basin depo-centers, thinned and folded strata, and spatial …


Weathering Sequence Of Young Basalts: A Case Study From Kohala, Hawaii, Kimberly Francis Sowards Apr 2017

Weathering Sequence Of Young Basalts: A Case Study From Kohala, Hawaii, Kimberly Francis Sowards

Theses and Dissertations

Exposed weathering profiles of a series of Pololu lava flows in Kohala, Hawaii are ideal for investigating the sequence of reactions/reaction pathways of weathered basalt. Weathering reactions for saprolites show mineral sequences that include feldspar → halloysite ± gibbsite + solutes; clinopyroxene → hematite + minor halloysite + solutes; olivine → hematite + solutes; magnetite → hematite or other Fe-oxides/hydroxides. However, the presence of smectite in four samples suggests that smectite-group clays may form as short lived intermediates at the base of the weathering profile. Regionally, on Kohala, soils and saprolites are dominated by halloysite with small quantities of other …


A Quaternary Climate Record From A Uinta Mountains, Usa, Fen Core With Emphasis On Sediment Pyrolysis, Samuel Abraham Hillam Mar 2017

A Quaternary Climate Record From A Uinta Mountains, Usa, Fen Core With Emphasis On Sediment Pyrolysis, Samuel Abraham Hillam

Theses and Dissertations

The northern slopes of the Uinta Mountains, Utah were previously glaciated and contain many landslides. The Tokewanna Landslide is very large and lacks Quaternary faults. Presumably, increased moisture was the failure trigger. A Quaternary climate record from a cored fen, developed in a small basin between hummocks, was reconstructed using sediment pyrolysis, biomass balance, and magnetic susceptibility. Pyrolysis is used to define Hydrogen Indices that are used to delineate wetter and drier conditions based on the kerogen type - Type III being drier, and Type II wetter. The data were matched to a time/depth curve and compared to other Uinta …


Facies Analysis, Sedimentary Petrology, And Reservoir Characterization Of The Lower Triassic Sinbad Limestone Member Of The Moenkopi Formation, Central Utah: A Synthesis Of Surface And Subsurface Data, Kristopher Michael Powell Feb 2017

Facies Analysis, Sedimentary Petrology, And Reservoir Characterization Of The Lower Triassic Sinbad Limestone Member Of The Moenkopi Formation, Central Utah: A Synthesis Of Surface And Subsurface Data, Kristopher Michael Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Lower Triassic strata in the Wellington Flat and Tully cores reflect a lateral transition from shallow water strata (Wellington Flats core) to strata that indicate deposition on a relatively more distal, storm-dominated ramp (Tully core). The Sinbad Member, along with the upper part of the underlying Black Dragon Member and the lower part of the overlying Torrey Member (Moenkopi Formation), are composed of ten carbonate, siliciclastic and mixed carbonate/siliciclastic facies deposited on a west-facing ramp/shelf that reached maximum flooding during Smithian time. Individual beds and facies display a large degree of lateral homogeneity and regional persistence in the study area. …


Facies Analysis And Depositional Environments Of The Saints & Sinners Quarry In The Nugget Sandstone Of Northeastern Utah, Jesse Dean Shumway Dec 2016

Facies Analysis And Depositional Environments Of The Saints & Sinners Quarry In The Nugget Sandstone Of Northeastern Utah, Jesse Dean Shumway

Theses and Dissertations

The Saints & Sinners Quarry preserves the only known vertebrate body fossils in the Nugget Sandstone and the most diverse fauna known from the Nugget-Navajo-Aztec erg system. The fauna includes eight genera and >18,000 bone and bone fragments assignable to >76 individuals, including theropods, sphenosuchians, sphenodontians, drepanosaurs, procolophonids, and a dimorphodontid pterosaur. Cycadeoid fronds are the only plant fossils. There are two depositional environments at the site – dune and interdune, each consisting of two or more faces. The dune facies are (1) Trough Cross-Stratified Sandstone (TCS) representing dry dunes, and (2) Massive and Bioturbated Dunes (MBD) representing bioturbated, damp …


Redbeds Of The Upper Entrada Sandstone, Central Utah: Facies Analysis And Regional Implications Of Interfingered Sabkha And Fluvial Terminal Splay Sediments, Jeffery Michael Valenza Dec 2016

Redbeds Of The Upper Entrada Sandstone, Central Utah: Facies Analysis And Regional Implications Of Interfingered Sabkha And Fluvial Terminal Splay Sediments, Jeffery Michael Valenza

Theses and Dissertations

First distinguished from other sedimentary successions in 1928, the Entrada Sandstone has been the subject of numerous studies. The western extent of the formation was initially described as laterally continuous "earthy" red beds, and categorized as sub- to supratidal marine-influenced sediments. Recent workers have reexamined the sedimentary facies hosted by the Entrada Sandstone, and findings suggest purely terrestrial depositional environments. Several outcrops of the upper Entrada hosted peculiar sedimentary features, including undulatory and convex-upward, parallel-laminated bedforms, reminiscent of hummocky cross-stratification- unexpected features in a terrestrial environment. The purpose of this study was to collect detailed outcrop measurements of these and …


Geochemical Comparison Of Ancient And Modern Eolian Dune Foresets Using Principal Components Analysis, David A. Little Nov 2016

Geochemical Comparison Of Ancient And Modern Eolian Dune Foresets Using Principal Components Analysis, David A. Little

Theses and Dissertations

Geochemistry has been used to determine the provenance and diagenetic history of eolian sandstone deposits. However, the grain size, sorting, cementation, and detrital composition of eolian units can change along dune foreset laminae. The purpose of this study was to test for consistent trends of compositional change along dune foresets. Such trends could increase the quality of geochemical sampling of eolian sandstones and possibly aid in estimating the original height of ancient sand dunes. XRF data was gathered for both major and trace elements from the Pennsylvanian to Permian Weber Sandstone, Early Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, and modern Coral Pink Sand …


Variations In Geochemistry And Mineralogy Of Aeolian Dust Deposition To Mountains In Utah And Nevada, Usa, Dylan Binder Dastrup Oct 2016

Variations In Geochemistry And Mineralogy Of Aeolian Dust Deposition To Mountains In Utah And Nevada, Usa, Dylan Binder Dastrup

Theses and Dissertations

Major and trace metal loading to mountains in the western US depends on dust sources, intensity of storms and their availability for transport during snowmelt and runoff. Previous work has been conducted on dust production, composition, and its affect on solar radiation and timing of snow melt. This study was conducted to 1) examine temporal and spatial variability in dust chemistry; 2) evaluate form and availability of major and trace elements in dust; and 3) identify potential dust sources affecting mountains in Utah and Nevada. Spring and summertime dust was collected across northern Utah over the course of three years …


Natural And Anthropogenic Sources Of Arsenic And Nitrate In A Semi-Arid Alluvial Basin; Goshen Valley, Utah, Brian John Selck Sep 2016

Natural And Anthropogenic Sources Of Arsenic And Nitrate In A Semi-Arid Alluvial Basin; Goshen Valley, Utah, Brian John Selck

Theses and Dissertations

Arsenic (As) and nitrate (NO3) are common contaminants in groundwater that are introduced through a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources. In this study we investigated the sources and distribution of As and NO3 in Goshen Valley, Utah, USA. Goshen Valley is a semi-arid alluvial basin that is impacted by geothermal waters, agriculture, urban development, and legacy mining. In this study we sampled surface water, springs, and wells to analyze concentrations of major ions, trace elements (As, B, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Si, Sr, Zn), and stable isotopes in water (δ18 …


Spatial Trends And Facies Distribution Of The High-Energy Alluvial Cutler Formation, Southeastern Utah, Isaac John Allred Jun 2016

Spatial Trends And Facies Distribution Of The High-Energy Alluvial Cutler Formation, Southeastern Utah, Isaac John Allred

Theses and Dissertations

The Cutler Formation is composed of thick, arkosic, alluvial conglomerate, sandstone, and mudstone shed southwestward from the Uncompahgre Uplift into the Paradox Basin. More basin-ward the Cutler is recognized as a group consisting of differentiable formations. Discrete formations historically have not been distinguished near the uplift, but this study identified several separate successions in the Richardson Amphitheater. Research at the Richardson Amphitheater, ~12 km southwest of the uplift and ~30 km northeast of Moab, Utah, led to a systematic subdivision of the Permian Cutler Formation proximal to the uplift. Likely driven by channel cutting and migration across the alluvial fan, …


Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of The Middle Jurassic Preuss Sandstonein Northern Utah And Eastern Idaho, Preston Scott Cook Jun 2016

Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of The Middle Jurassic Preuss Sandstonein Northern Utah And Eastern Idaho, Preston Scott Cook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Middle Jurassic Preuss Sandstone and re-evaluate past sedimentological interpretations. The Preuss is located in northern Utah, western Wyoming and eastern Idaho and is stratigraphically equivalent to the Entrada Sandstone, which is Callovian in age (Dossett et al., 2014). This study is the first attempt at 1) a sequence stratigraphic framework, 2) a petroleum system analysis and 3) an extraterrestrial analog study for the Preuss. This study frames the Preuss within three broad facies groups: marine, coastal and terrestrial. The marine group includes the open marine and …


Geochemistry Of The Fluorine- And Beryllium-Rich Spor Mountain Rhyolite, Western Utah, Shane Robert Dailey Jun 2016

Geochemistry Of The Fluorine- And Beryllium-Rich Spor Mountain Rhyolite, Western Utah, Shane Robert Dailey

Theses and Dissertations

The Miocene rhyolites of the Spor Mountain Formation hosts the world's largest beryllium deposit which produced 85% of the world's beryllium in 2010. The fresh lava is extremely enriched in Be (up to 75 ppm in matrix glass). We have examined the rhyolite to understand the Be enrichment. The Spor Mountain rhyolite contains ~40% quartz, ~40% sanidine, ~10% biotite, and ~10% plagioclase, along with accessory fluorite, columbite, euxenite, fergusonite, monazite, thorite, and zircon. Two types of rhyolite erupted within the Spor Mountain Formation, a less evolved magma (1150 ppm Rb, 42 ppm Be, 0.68 wt% F in matrix glass) and …


Designing An Instructional Publication On The Geology Of Capitol Reef National Park, Kinsey Gayle Spiel Jun 2016

Designing An Instructional Publication On The Geology Of Capitol Reef National Park, Kinsey Gayle Spiel

Theses and Dissertations

The wide variety of strata, structural features, and landscapes of Capitol Reef National Park result from its complex, yet discoverable history. Our task was to write and design an informative book on this complexity while making it engaging for the public. We approached the design of this book using Stufflebeam's (2007) CIPP model. The CIPP model uses both summative and formative evaluations in the categories of context, input, process, and product. It provides the framework to methodically investigate the value of a product and identify and correct less effective pedagogical and design elements during its development. We demonstrated the use …


Trace Element Inputs From Natural And Anthropogenic Sources In An Agricultural Watershed, Middle Provo River, Utah, Timothy Holman Goodsell Mar 2016

Trace Element Inputs From Natural And Anthropogenic Sources In An Agricultural Watershed, Middle Provo River, Utah, Timothy Holman Goodsell

Theses and Dissertations

Water chemistry in rivers is impacted by a variety of natural and anthropogenic processes including agricultural runoff, urban runoff, storm runoff, groundwater inputs, and the built environment. In this study we used trace element concentrations (including As, B, Ce, Co, Cu, Li, Mn, Rb, Sb, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn) and continuous measurements of flow rates and specific conductance to investigate dynamic processes affecting water quality in a rapidly urbanizing agricultural area typical of the western U.S. The middle Provo River, located in northern Utah, USA, was selected as the study area because it is well instrumented with water quality …


Lineations And Structural Mapping Of Io's Paterae And Mountains: Implications For Internal Stresses, Alexandra Anne Ahern Mar 2016

Lineations And Structural Mapping Of Io's Paterae And Mountains: Implications For Internal Stresses, Alexandra Anne Ahern

Theses and Dissertations

Io, the most volcanically active body in the solar system, also has some of the tallest and steepest mountains. The mountains seem to be tectonic in origin, yet the methods of their formation have not been decisively constrained and their associations with volcanic paterae are yet unclear. We have compiled global spatial statistics on mountain dimensions and orientations, lineations attributed to structures, straight patera margins, and patera dimensions in order to better define their genetic relationships and the mechanisms forming each type of feature. Additionally, we have produced 4 regional structural maps of mountain complexes and have proposed tectonic histories. …


Cooling Before Super-Eruption: No Role For Rejuvenation In The Cottonwood Wash Tuff Magma Body, Southern Great Basin Ignimbrite Province, Utah And Nevada, Keryn Tobler Ross Dec 2015

Cooling Before Super-Eruption: No Role For Rejuvenation In The Cottonwood Wash Tuff Magma Body, Southern Great Basin Ignimbrite Province, Utah And Nevada, Keryn Tobler Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The model of rejuvenation of a near-solidus crystal mush to produce large volumes of crystal-rich magma is tested here by analyzing the mineralogical, chemical, modal, and physical characteristics of the 31.1 Ma super-eruptive (2000 km3) Cottonwood Wash Tuff. It is the oldest in a series of three so-called "monotonous intermediate" ignimbrites from the Indian Peak-Caliente volcanic field in southern Utah and Nevada. A crystal-rich (~50% Pl > Qz ≈ Hbl ≈ Bt > Mag ≈ Ilm > Cpx + Zrn + Ap+ Po) dacite (62 - 69 wt% SiO2), the Cottonwood Wash Tuff is similar in age, volume, mineralogy, crystallinity, and elemental composition …


Cooling Before Super-Eruption: No Role For Rejuvenation In The Cottonwood Wash Tuff Magma Body, Southern Great Basin Ignimbrite Province, Utah And Nevada, Keryn Tobler Ross Dec 2015

Cooling Before Super-Eruption: No Role For Rejuvenation In The Cottonwood Wash Tuff Magma Body, Southern Great Basin Ignimbrite Province, Utah And Nevada, Keryn Tobler Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The model of rejuvenation of a near-solidus crystal mush to produce large volumes of crystal-rich magma is tested here by analyzing the mineralogical, chemical, modal, and physical characteristics of the 31.1 Ma super-eruptive (2000 km3) Cottonwood Wash Tuff. It is the oldest in a series of three so-called “monotonous intermediate” ignimbrites from the Indian Peak-Caliente volcanic field in southern Utah and Nevada. A crystal-rich (~50% Pl > Qz ≈ Hbl ≈ Bt > Mag ≈ Ilm > Cpx + Zrn + Ap+ Po) dacite (62 – 69 wt% SiO2), the Cottonwood Wash Tuff is similar in age, volume, mineralogy, crystallinity, and elemental composition …


Superimposed And Auxiliary Dunes Of The Northern Namib Sand Sea: A Ground-Penetrating Radar Study, Clayton K. Chandler Dec 2015

Superimposed And Auxiliary Dunes Of The Northern Namib Sand Sea: A Ground-Penetrating Radar Study, Clayton K. Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding modern features allows for their use as analogues for understanding the environments of the past and even environments on other planetary bodies. This study uses Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) to image the near surface sedimentary structures on a large linear dune in the northern Namib Sand Sea and image the sedimentary structure of an auxiliary dune. GPR data was collected using a 200 MHz antenna with a continuous scan method and was processed by removing direct arrival, gain balancing, migration and more which produced the highest resolution imagery from this region to date. Large dune data was analyzed to determine …


Development And Validation Of A Physically Based Ela Model And Its Application To The Younger Dryas Event In The Graubünden Alps, Switzerland, Durban Gregg Keeler Nov 2015

Development And Validation Of A Physically Based Ela Model And Its Application To The Younger Dryas Event In The Graubünden Alps, Switzerland, Durban Gregg Keeler

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid rate of global warming currently underway highlights the need for a deeper understanding of abrupt climate change. The Younger Dryas is a Late-Glacial climate event of widespread and unusually rapid change whose study can help us address this need for increased understanding. Reconstructions from the glacial record offer important contributions to our understanding of the Younger Dryas due to (among other things) the direct physical response of glaciers to even minor perturbations in climate. Because the glacier equilibrium line altitude (ELA) provides a more explicit comparison of climate than properties such as glacier length or area, ELA methods …


Low-Shield Volcanism: A Comparison Of Volcanoes On Syria Planum, Mars And Snake River Plain, Idaho, Amanda Olivia Henderson Nov 2015

Low-Shield Volcanism: A Comparison Of Volcanoes On Syria Planum, Mars And Snake River Plain, Idaho, Amanda Olivia Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Volcanoes are key indicators of a planet's internal structure, mechanics, and evolutionary history. Consequently, understanding the types and ages of volcanoes on a planet's surface is an important endeavor. In an attempt to better understand the relationship between morphometry and volcanic processes, we compared low-shield volcanoes on Syria Planum, Mars, with basaltic shields of the eastern Snake River Plain. We used 133 volcanoes on Syria Planum that are covered by Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) elevation data and 246 eSRP shields covered by the National Elevation Dataset (NED) for this comparison. Shields on Syria …


Mechanisms And Timing Of Pluton Emplacement In Taranaki Basin, New Zealand Using Three-Dimensional Seismic Analysis, Phillip C. Cammans Oct 2015

Mechanisms And Timing Of Pluton Emplacement In Taranaki Basin, New Zealand Using Three-Dimensional Seismic Analysis, Phillip C. Cammans

Theses and Dissertations

Several off-shore volcano-plutonic complexes are imaged in detail in the Parihaka 3D seismic survey in the Taranaki Basin of New Zealand. Three intrusions were analyzed for this study. Part of the Mohakatino Volcanic Centre (15 to 1.6 Ma), these intrusions have steep sides, no resolvable base reflectors, no internal stratification or structure, and they exhibit doming and faulting in the sedimentary strata above the intrusions. Deformation along the sides is dominated by highly attenuated, dipping strata with dips of 45° or higher that decrease rapidly away from the intrusions. Doming extends several hundred meters from the margins and produced many …


Geologic Mapping Of Ice Cave Peak Quadrangle, Uintah And Duchesne Counties, Utah With Implications From Mapping Laramide Faults, Gabriel J. Poduska Jul 2015

Geologic Mapping Of Ice Cave Peak Quadrangle, Uintah And Duchesne Counties, Utah With Implications From Mapping Laramide Faults, Gabriel J. Poduska

Theses and Dissertations

Geologic mapping (1:24,000 scale) of the Ice Cave Peak quadrangle, Uintah and Duchesne Counties, Utah has produced a better understanding of the geologic structures present in the quadrangle and has increased our understanding of faulting in northeastern Utah. Map units in the quadrangle range in age from late Neoproterozoic to Quaternary and include good exposures of Paleozoic rocks (Mississippian to Permian), limited exposures of Mesozoic rocks, and good exposures of Tertiary strata (Duchesne River Formation and Bishop Conglomerate) deposited during uplift of the Uinta Mountains. Lower Mississippian strata along the south flank of the Uinta Mountains have typically been mapped …


Using Declassified Satellite Imagery To Quantify Geomorphic Change: A New Approach And Application To Himalayan Glaciers, Joshua Michael Maurer Jun 2015

Using Declassified Satellite Imagery To Quantify Geomorphic Change: A New Approach And Application To Himalayan Glaciers, Joshua Michael Maurer

Theses and Dissertations

Himalayan glaciers are key components of earth's cryosphere, acting as hydrological reservoirs vital to many human and natural systems. Most Himalayan glaciers are shrinking in response to changing climate, which will potentially impact water resources, natural hazards, sea level rise, and many other aspects. However, there is much uncertainty regarding the state of these glaciers, as direct field data are difficult to obtain. Accordingly, long-timespan remote sensing techniques are needed to measure changing glaciers, which have memory and often respond to climate on decadal timescales. This study uses declassified historical imagery from the Hexagon spy satellite database to fulfill this …


Validity Of Holocene Analogs For Ancient Carbonate Stratigraphic Successions: Insights From A Heterogeneous Pleistocene Carbonate Platform Deposit, Colby Hazard Feb 2015

Validity Of Holocene Analogs For Ancient Carbonate Stratigraphic Successions: Insights From A Heterogeneous Pleistocene Carbonate Platform Deposit, Colby Hazard

Theses and Dissertations

Observations of modern carbonate depositional environments and their accompanying depositional models have been used for decades in the reconstruction and interpretation of ancient carbonate depositional environments and stratigraphic successions. While these Holocene models are necessary for interpreting their more ancient counterparts, they inherently exclude important factors related to the erosion, diagenesis, and ultimate preservation of sediments and sedimentary structures that are ubiquitous in shallow marine carbonate environments. Andros Island, Bahamas is an ideal location to examine the validity of Holocene conceptual models, where geologically young (Late Pleistocene) limestones can be studied immediately adjacent to their well-documented modern equivalents. For this …


The 1852 Banda Arc Mega-Thrust Earthquake And Tsunami In Indonesia, Tsz Man Fisher Dec 2014

The 1852 Banda Arc Mega-Thrust Earthquake And Tsunami In Indonesia, Tsz Man Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

In 1852, a five-minute long earthquake hit the Banda Arc region that was felt over most of Indonesia. It caused uplift of new islands and sent a tsunami across the Banda Sea that reached a height of 8 meters at Banda Neira and was also registered at Ambon, Saparua and other islands. Records of the 1852 earthquake at multiple locations provide the constraints needed to reconstruct the disastrous event through earthquake intensity analysis and numerical modeling of the tsunami. Using tsunami heights and arrival times as the major constraints, best fit numerical models of the tsunami were constructed using Clawpack. …


Normal Fault Block Or Giant Landslide? Baldy Block, Wasatch Range, Utah, Eric R. Meyer Dec 2014

Normal Fault Block Or Giant Landslide? Baldy Block, Wasatch Range, Utah, Eric R. Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the interplay between surficial and tectonic processes in the development of Utah's Wasatch Range is vital to evaluating geologic hazards along the Wasatch Front. Baldy is a large (6.125 km3) block of limestone and sandstone structurally overlying shale on the western flank of Mount Timpanogos. It has been mapped as a downdropped normal fault block of Permian units, but no other trace of such a fault exists along the range. The Baldy block structurally overlies the weak Manning Canyon shale, which has produced a regional geomorphology replete with faceted spurs, landslide scarps and deposits. Structural, bio- and litho-stratigrahic mapping …


Compositional Analysis Of Three Clay Artifact Collections From The Southwestern United States, Kathleen R. Kirkham Dec 2014

Compositional Analysis Of Three Clay Artifact Collections From The Southwestern United States, Kathleen R. Kirkham

Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed ways compositional analysis, facilitated by portable X-ray fluorescence technology (PXRF), can be applied in the museum setting to resolve provenance issues and other collections management questions. A major segment of the study evaluated PXRF as a non-invasive geochemical analysis technique to address concerns about whether the resolution of results is sufficient to draw meaningful conclusions. Compositional analysis, mainly facilitated by PXRF, was successfully applied to three clay artifact collections from the southwestern United States. Pottery sherds from Fourmile Ruin were analyzed using PXRF and compared to analyses from invasive wavelength-dispersive XRF and X-ray diffraction techniques. Expanding the …


The Nature And Origin Of Pebble Dikes And Associated Alteration: Tintic Mining District (Ag-Pb-Zn), Utah, Douglas M. Johnson Nov 2014

The Nature And Origin Of Pebble Dikes And Associated Alteration: Tintic Mining District (Ag-Pb-Zn), Utah, Douglas M. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

In many ore deposits throughout the world, brecciation often accompanies or occurs in association with mineralization (Sillitoe, 1985). Such is the case in the Tintic Mining District (Ag-Pb-Zn) of north-central Utah, where unique breccia features called pebble dikes occur alongside significant mineralization. Pebble dikes are tabular bodies of breccia, which consist of angular to rounded clasts of quartzite, shale, carbonate, and minor igneous rock cemented in a fine-grained clastic matrix. All clasts now lie above or adjacent to corresponding source rocks. Dikes are thin, typically less than 0.3 m wide to as much as 1 m, and can exceed 100 …


Build-And-Fill Development Of Lower Ismay (Middle Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation) Phylloid-Algal Mounds Of The Paradox Basin, Southeastern Utah, Lincoln H. Reed Aug 2014

Build-And-Fill Development Of Lower Ismay (Middle Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation) Phylloid-Algal Mounds Of The Paradox Basin, Southeastern Utah, Lincoln H. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

Phylloid-algal mounds form heterogeneous hydrocarbon reservoirs in the southeastern portion (Blanding sub-basin) of the Paradox Basin. Well-studied Lower Ismay mounds exposed along walls of the San Juan River gorge in the vicinity of Eight Foot Rapids, the west limb of the Raplee Anticline, and at the classic Honaker Trail locality (southwestern Paradox Basin) have often been cited as outcrop analogs of productive subsurface mounds. Until now, however, there has not been a complete description of the distribution, size, and spacing of outcropping algal mounds at the classic Eight Foot Rapids locality. The Lower Ismay sequence was analyzed in the context …