Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Gis Analysis Of Waulsortian-Like Mounds In The Mississippian Of Kentucky And Tennessee, Philip Roberson

Scholars Week

Following a mass extinction nearly 365 million years ago, bryozoans and crinoids replaced corals and stromatoporoids as the dominant framework organisms in reefs and, during the very earliest part of the Carboniferous period, they built reef-like structures that are known from Europe, North America and Africa. They are characterized by large size, a matrix of carbonate mud, and their major framework organisms.

Waulsortian-like mounds occur in geographically isolated patches in outcrop and in the subsurface of central Tennessee and Kentucky where they are associated with hydrocarbon production. These mounds have the same characteristic organisms as the European mounds and do …

Tracking Earthquake Frequency And Intensity In Oklahoma, Kristin Lorenzini

Scholars Week

The purpose of this project is to show the dramatic increase of earthquakes that have occurred in Oklahoma over the past eight years that have been correlated to fracking in the area. Starting in 2009, before fracking took place in Oklahoma, there were a total of 33 earthquakes throughout the whole year. In 2010, when fracking began in Oklahoma, the number of earthquakes spiked to over 100 in one year. The number of earthquakes grew over the years and in 2015 there were over 2,000. Data from 2016 were also used but only through the month of September, the year …

Change Detection Of Mount Nyiragongo Post Eruption, Molly E. Karnes

Scholars Week

Because of the dangerous nature of volcanic eruptions, it makes them very difficult to study, however this makes them even more important for us to study because of how much destruction they can cause in such a short amount of time. We need to study all parts of an eruption to gain more insight into the specifics of how a volcano works. Having a better understanding of how large of an area is effected by an eruption will allow governments to decide on evacuation procedures. The goal of my project is to answer a very simple question, “How can we …

Landform Mapping Of The Clarks River Alluvial System Using Lidar Dems, Benedict W. Ferguson

Scholars Week

The Clarks River is located in western Kentucky near the city of Benton. It travels through and weathers lacustrine or lake deposits as well as fluvial or river deposits. These deposits are also overlain by loess deposited from the last glacial maximum. Historically, people have taken advantage of these rich deposits for agriculture which has led to increased settlement. With increased settlement, the river has experienced alteration. The west fork of the Clarks River has been channelized while the east fork of the Clarks River has managed to remain un-channelized and has since been allowed to run relatively freely.

Detailed …

Using Clinopyroxene Mineral Chemistry To Decipher Magma Composition Changes Over 13 Million Years In The Izu-Bonin Volcanic Arc, Erin Benson, Brian Rusk, Ricardo Escobar, Luan Heywood

Scholars Week

International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 350 drilled into the relatively unexplored rear arc of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana system (see map). It recovered 2000 meters of volcanic rock core in the spring of 2014. The core has been divided into seven lithostratigraphic units, from age 0 at the top to at least 13 million years at the bottom. I analyzed the major and trace element geochemistry of representative clinopyroxene and glass (in Unit I) and just clinopyroxene (in all other units) in volcaniclastic rocks throughout the core from top to bottom and used them as a proxy for interpreting magma compositional …

Channel Flow Studies Using Driftwood Density Analysis In Elger Bay, Camano Island, Wa, Rebeca Becerra, Jasmine Bates, Clairissa De La Vergne

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

Previous studies on Elger Bay, Camano Island, WA hypothesized that the bay has been emptying of stored driftwood since the 1970's. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a research project using a combination of field data and historical imagery analysis with Google Earth and ArcGIS to mathematically compare the density of driftwood. Changes in driftwood area may indicate changes in sea level rise, bay subsidence, and/or anthropogenic activity. We found that the maximum driftwood extent was actually closer to the 1950's than the 1970's. In addition to overall extent we investigated the overall channel flow along Elger Bay by analyzing …

The Spatial Distribution And Origins Of Sandstone Monoliths In The Swauk Watershed, Kittitas County, Wa, Rebeca Becerra, Daniel O'Dell

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

Large groups of gigantic sandstone and conglomerate monoliths populate the Swauk Watershed of northern Kittitas County. These monoliths rest on side slopes in the watershed and distinctively project from their surroundings. The origins of these features are unknown. We studied these monoliths in the field by mapping their spatial distribution, describing their morphology and composition, and measuring their orientation and sizes in order to determine their origins. We used Google Earth and topographic maps to locate the monoliths and map their distribution. Interpretations were based from field work data and past research. Our field results show commonalities between the features …

Undergraduate Research Projects Help Promote Diversity In The Geosciences, De'etra Young, Shannon R. Trimboli, Rick S. Toomey, Thomas Byl

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Citizen Science At Mammoth Cave National Park: Integrating Research And Education, Shannon R. Trimboli

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Modeling Activity Of The Indiana Bat (Myotis Sodalis) At Mammoth Cave National Park Using Remotely-Sensed Descriptors Of Forest Canopy Conditions, Luke E. Dodd, N, S. Skowronski, M. B. Dickinson, L. K. Rieske, M. J. Lacki

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Dye Studies To Evaluate The Spill Response System For Mammoth Cave National Park, Jetara Brown, Thomas Byl, Rick S. Toomey, Lonnie Sharpe Jr.

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Natural Resource Condition Assessment For Mammoth Cave National Park, Cate Webb, Chris Groves, Katie Algeo

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

The Max Kämper Map Of Mammoth Cave: An Nps Centennial Restoration, Tres Seymour

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Growth Of Synthetic Silver Wires From Natural Acanthite, Calvin J. Anderson

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Wire silver is an unusual crystal habit of native silver which is intimately associated with acanthite (Ag2S). These delicate wires have been collected for several centuries, but much remains unknown regarding their growth mechanism and crystal structure. This study has successfully produced synthetic silver wires from natural acanthite in order to investigate the nature of their crystallinity.

Chunks of crude acanthite crystals from the Hongda mine, Shanxi Province, China, were trimmed into roughly 1 cm chunks for growth experiments. Preexisting silver wires, which appeared to be natural, were avoided.

Several techniques were explored with varying degrees of success. Attempts using …

On The Aquatic Habits Of Sauropods – An Antiquated Theory In Need Of Revival?, Michael D. Sprague

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

When sauropods were first discovered, they were thought to have been restricted to life in the water due to their immense size. This image of sauropods was dismissed in the 1950’s when it was determined that the lungs would have been placed under massive amounts of pressure at these depths, rendering breathing nearly impossible (Kermack, 1951). However, these experiments failed to consider pneumaticity of sauropod vertebrae and were later dismissed. Sauropods possessed pneumatic features in all their presacral vertebrae, originally identified as weight-saving structures. These features kept the strength and integrity of the bone while dramatically reducing its weight. The …

What Data Analytics Can Do For You!, Leyla Zhuhadar, J. Kirk Atkinson, Albert Meier, Ouida Meier

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Correlation And Isopach Map Of Navajo-Aztec-Nugget Sandstones, Western United States, Emily Jackson

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Lower and middle Jurassic sandstones across western North America were correlated using stratigraphic thickness and lithofacies data obtained from the AAPG-produced Correlation of Stratigraphic Units of North America (COSUNA) data charts and spreadsheets. An isopach map and a series of stratigraphic cross-sections were created to display the lateral and horizontal extent of the correlated formations. The goal was to determine lateral equivalents of the primarily lower Jurassic Navajo Sandstone from Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. The Nugget Sandstone of Wyoming, Utah, and southern Idaho, and the Aztec Sandstone of southeastern California and southern Nevada were determined to be laterally equivalent to …

The Petrology And Geochemistry Of The Independence Dike Swarm, Owen’S Valley, California, Sean B. O'Donnell

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Petrologic studies are important because they provide insights into the conditions under which rocks form. The Late Jurassic Independence Dike Swarm is a series of vertical igneous dikes that crop out in eastern and southern California, and range from mafic to felsic in composition. In order to examine their petrology and geochemistry, surface samples were collected from four different dike outcrops within Owen’s Valley, CA. The samples were examined through thin-section analysis under a petrographic microscope, X-ray diffraction analysis, and X-ray fluorescence analysis. Mineral composition, mineral size, major, trace, and rare earth element concentrations were collected from these analyses. Results …

Identifying The Ordinary High Water Mark Through The Use Of Uavs, Victoria Couser

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The accurate determination of the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) on streams and shorelines has taken on an increased importance since the recent redefinition of “Waters of the United States” by the U.S EPA. The redefinition has increased the amount of land and water over which the federal government has jurisdiction. The OHWM helps define the limits of those jurisdictional waters. Accurate, consistent, and efficient OHWM delineation practices are thus essential to proper and effective implementation of these laws and regulations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program and other agencies.

Through this research it is shown that …

Preliminary Correlation And Isopach Map Of Pennsylvanian And Permian Sandstones Of The Western United States, John H. Whitmore

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Using the COSUNA data compiled by the AAPG in the 1980’s, Permian and Pennsylvanian sandstones were correlated across western North America. Stratigraphic sections and thickness information were obtained from charts and spreadsheets available from that data set. An isopach map was constructed from the thickness data of sandstones usually found below a Guadalupian Limestone. In particular, this project was concerned with sandstones that could be lithostratigraphically correlated with the Leonardian Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon region of northern Arizona. These sandstones are mostly Lower Permian (Leonardian and Wolfcampian) but some are Upper Pennsylvanian, especially in the northern part of …

Laboratory Determination Of Porosity For A Vugular Carbonate Core Section By Water Immersion Method - Is It Effective Porosity?, Nolan Shula

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Porosity is one of the most vital characteristics in hydrocarbon reservoir evaluations, affecting the methods implemented in the completion process and the efficiency of the production process. Several methods are used for porosity calculations, but due to both lithologic and downhole drilling factors, these values can range more than ± 5%. Also, most limestone reservoirs contain multiple-porosity systems, which lead to effective porosity concerns, especially when secondary porosity is a significant factor. Therefore, through both geophysical wireline log analysis and basic laboratory analyses, this project compared total and effective porosity values of a vugular Onondaga Limestone pinnacle reef core section …

Correlation Of Basal Cambrian Sandstones Across North America, Joshua W. Perez

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

A thin, widespread sequence of siliciclastic strata ranging from lower to upper Cambrian age overlies Precambrian crystalline and metamorphic basement rock bounded by the Great Unconformity. This sequence is mainly comprised of basal Cambrian sandstones which can be subdivided into three distinct suites of lithofacies transitioning in age across most of North America. From the west, which is most notable for the Tapeats sandstone of Arizona and Nevada, lies gravelly to boulder sized conglomerates directly overlying basement rock. Eastward, the lower to middle Cambrian consists of a variety of ledge-forming sandstones which contain various areas rich in cross bedded, as …

Use Of Multiphysics Simulation To Model Environmental Conditions Associated With Bat Hibernacula Including Preliminary Indication Of Impacts On Saltpeter Vats In Mammoth Cave, Aaron Bird, Rick Olson, Rick Toomey, Aaron Addison, Rachel Bosch

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Faulting On Past And Present Hydrogeology In Long Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park, Rick Olson, Rick S. Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

An Overview Of The Reverse Flow Patterns Of River Styx In Mammoth Cave, Kentucky: 2009-2012, Shannon R. Trimboli, Kim Weber, Susan Ryan, Rick S. Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Measurement Of Inorganic Carbon Fluxes From Large River Basins In South Central Kentucky Karst, Connor Salley, Chris Groves

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Tracing Carbon In Karst Environments In South-Central Kentucky To Identify Changes In Groundwater Dynamic Under Varying Land Uses, Chelsea Ballard, Jason Polk, Kegan Mcclanahan

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Ongoing Geographic Documentation Of The Mammoth Cave System And Related Caves, Pat Kambesis, Bob Osburn

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Strip Adaptive Cluster Sampling With Application To Cave Crickets, Kurt Lewis Helf, Tom Philippi, Bill Moore, Lillian Scoggins

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Organization And Development Of The Eyes Of Ptomaphagus Hirtus, The Troglobitic Small Carrion Beetle Of Mammoth Cave, Markus Friedrich, Jasmina Kulacic, Elke Buschbeck

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.