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Geology

California State University, San Bernardino

Theses/Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Late Holocene Slip History Of The Central Garlock Fault, Mojave Desert, California, James Eric Burns May 2023

Late Holocene Slip History Of The Central Garlock Fault, Mojave Desert, California, James Eric Burns

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study investigates the late Holocene slip history of the central Garlock Fault, using measurements of left-lateral offsets of alluvial features from airborne and hand-held LiDAR imagery, drone photogrammetry, and field measurements. IRSL dating of the offset late Holocene alluvial deposits was compared to published paleoseismic records to estimate the number of earthquakes that contributed to the offsets. Focus was given to geomorphic features offset in the past 1-4 earthquakes. Results indicate the average slip per earthquake was about 5.75 m (range: 4.75 to 6.25 m) in the past four events in the El Paso Mountains (EPM) and was 4.3-7.3 …

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Experimental Methodologies In Assessing Ceramic Shrinkage In Residual Fingerprints For Archaeological Application, Luke Aaron Burnor May 2023

Experimental Methodologies In Assessing Ceramic Shrinkage In Residual Fingerprints For Archaeological Application, Luke Aaron Burnor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research evaluates the extent of ceramic shrinkage using a natural clay source that was locally available and known to be used by native populations in the American Southwest. The experiment took into account variables of temper mixture and firing temperature to assess the extent and potential need for shrinkage calibration in archaeological biometric research (specifically fingerprints). An experimental design was employed to test shrinkage rates while accounting for natural temper materials found frequently in the archaeological record including sand, grog, and quartz. The experiment evaluated whether shrinkage rates may have skewed data collected in previous studies regarding sex and …

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Reconstructing 1856-7 California Mining Patterns From Placer Gold Recovered From The Wreck Of The Ss Central America, Kathryn Ruth Vonsydow Aug 2021

Reconstructing 1856-7 California Mining Patterns From Placer Gold Recovered From The Wreck Of The Ss Central America, Kathryn Ruth Vonsydow

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The discovery of the SS Central America 1857 shipwreck site provides a time capsule that can be used to address questions about the spatial and temporal patterns of placer mining in California during the peak of the gold rush. Samples of placer gold in the collections of museums and private individuals can have uncertain pedigree due to labeling issues and alterations by cleaning and curatorial processes. However, placer gold from the 1857 shipwreck could only have come from the Mother Lode Country of California, as no other gold districts had yet been found in western North America. I compared the …

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Paleoseismology Of The Central Garlock Fault In Searles Valley, California, Kyle Pena Dec 2019

Paleoseismology Of The Central Garlock Fault In Searles Valley, California, Kyle Pena

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this study, a paleoseismic trench with limited age constraints that was previously excavated in 1990 across the central Garlock Fault near Christmas Canyon, in Searles Valley, California, was reopened to take advantage of new advances in luminescence dating techniques to investigate potential temporal variability in earthquake recurrence on the Garlock fault and to analyze previously unexposed older earthquake evidence. The trench exposed interbedded alluvial sand and pebble-gravels, with well-sorted, rounded, lacustrine sand from the most recent highstand of pluvial Lake Searles present at the base of the trench. Preliminary findings suggest at least 10 surface rupturing earthquake events occurred …

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Environmental Assessment Of Arsenic And Mercury Levels At The Garfield Mill Site, Calico, California, Steven Gregory Thorp Sep 2019

Environmental Assessment Of Arsenic And Mercury Levels At The Garfield Mill Site, Calico, California, Steven Gregory Thorp

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Environmental impacts of mining at Calico, California, are poorly understood in comparison to the details of its history of silver production. Human health risks associated with arsenic from the lode rock, as well as mercury from the silver milling process, include central nervous system damage, organ failure, and death. To quantify the potential human health risk and manage remediation of this site, tailings from the Garfield Mill site were digitally mapped and chemically analyzed by portable x-ray fluorescence, which permitted volumetric estimates of total mill tailings and the arsenic and mercury budget, as well as identification of anomalies in the …

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Ages Of Prehistoric Earthquakes On The Banning Strand Of The San Andreas Fault, Near North Palm Springs, California, Bryan Castillo Jun 2019

Ages Of Prehistoric Earthquakes On The Banning Strand Of The San Andreas Fault, Near North Palm Springs, California, Bryan Castillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

We studied a paleoseismic trench that was excavated across the Banning strand of the San Andreas Fault by Petra Geosciences (33.9172°, -116.538°). The trench exposed a ~40 m wide fault zone in interbedded alluvial sand gravel, silt and clay deposits. We present the first paleoseismic record for the Banning strand of the southern San Andreas Fault. The most recent event occurred sometime between 730 and 950 cal BP, potentially coincident with rupture of the San Gorgonio Pass thrust. We interpret that five earthquakes have occurred since 3.3-2.5 ka and eight earthquakes have likely occurred since 7.1-5.7 ka. It is possible …

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Qualitative Comparison Of Offset Surfaces Between The Central And Eastern Garlock Fault, Thomas M. Crane Dec 2014

Qualitative Comparison Of Offset Surfaces Between The Central And Eastern Garlock Fault, Thomas M. Crane

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Garlock Fault consists of three distinct segments, known as western, central, and eastern, together reaching approximately 260 km from the San Andreas Fault to the southern end of Death Valley. Although published slip rates are available along the western and central Garlock Fault segments, little is currently known of the Garlock Fault earthquake history or slip rate farther east. Using LiDAR and satellite imagery, the central and eastern Garlock Fault segments were analyzed for visibly offset, fault-adjacent, geomorphic surfaces that may potentially be used for estimating slip rate. Qualitative methods of assessing preserved alluvial surface maturity were adapted and …

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Refraction Microtremor Analysis Of Areas Surrounding California State University San Bernardino, Malcolm D. Thomas Dec 2014

Refraction Microtremor Analysis Of Areas Surrounding California State University San Bernardino, Malcolm D. Thomas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The San Andreas Fault stretches for over 800 miles through California. Along the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, areas in close proximity to the San Andreas Fault Zone may be subject to site amplification of ground motion caused by seismic activity via wave propagation through the subsurface. These seismic hazards are being addressed via the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Faulting Zone Act and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Shear wave velocity of the subsurface has served as a proxy for ground motion amplification and is therefore a useful parameter to help analyze and reduce seismic hazards. Low shear wave …

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Economic Geology Of The San Bernardino Mountains, California, Nicolette Deannah Grill Sep 2014

Economic Geology Of The San Bernardino Mountains, California, Nicolette Deannah Grill

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The San Bernardino Mountains are well known for their rich mining history, especially, gold in the mid-1800s and the current mining of one of the world’s largest deposits of high purity limestone. The purpose of this study was to compile new, current, and historical data of the major economic resources that are present and mining that has gone on in the San Bernardino Mountains. It is estimated that historical mining of the Holcomb Valley recovered $457,660,000 of gold or about 350,000 troy ounces based on samples collected for this study and 2013 gold price. The current major geologic resource is …

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Biostratigraphy Of The Halgaito Formation, Cutler Group Near Mexican Hat, San Juan County, Utah, Kimberly Marie Scott Jan 2013

Biostratigraphy Of The Halgaito Formation, Cutler Group Near Mexican Hat, San Juan County, Utah, Kimberly Marie Scott

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a better understanding of the paleontology and biostratigraphy of the Halgaito Formation and the position of the Carboniferous-Permian Boundary (CPB) within the Halgaito Formation which would provide useful data that can be extrapolated to other terrestrial ecosystems of the southwestern United States of America that are of comparable age.

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