Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Spatial Distributions Of Tidal Marsh Blue Carbon Using Morphometric Parameters From Lidar, Bonnie Turek

Masters Theses

Tidal marshes serve as important “blue carbon” ecosystems that accrete large amounts of carbon with limited area. While much attention has been paid to the spatial variability of sedimentation within salt marshes, less work has been done to characterize spatial variability in marsh carbon density. Driven by tidal inundation, surface topography, and sediment supply, soil properties in marshes vary spatially with several parameters, including marsh platform elevation and proximity to the marsh edge and tidal creek network. We used lidar to extract these morphometric parameters from tidal marshes to map soil organic carbon (SOC) at the meter scale. Fixed volume …

Pre-Agricultural Soil Erosion Rates In The Midwestern U.S., Caroline Lauth Quarrier

Masters Theses

Soil erosion undermines agricultural productivity, limiting the lifespan of civilizations. For agriculture to be sustainable, soil erosion rates must be low enough to maintain fertile soil, as was present in many agricultural landscapes prior to the initiation of farming. However, there have been few measurements of long-term pre-agricultural erosion rates in major agricultural landscapes. We quantified geological erosion rates in the Midwestern U.S., one of the world’s most productive agricultural areas. We sampled soil profiles from 14 native prairies and measured concentrations of the cosmogenic nuclide 10Be and chemically immobile elements to calculate physical erosion rates. We used the erosion …

Challenges In Approaching The Detection Limits For Hillslope Erosion Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning, Gene Nathan Bailey Iii

Masters Theses

Accurately quantifying soil loss due to water erosion is a critical step in managing soils. Terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) presents a potential alternative to traditional soil loss measurement by estimating soil erosion and deposition through detecting surface changes. Terrestrial LiDAR can also provide spatial distribution information without disturbing the observed surface. While erosion estimation through terrestrial LiDAR detects large magnitude erosion well, the finer temporal/spatial scale erosion experienced on the hillslope in sheet and rill erosion has remained a challenge to detect. This research addresses two of the challenges in using terrestrial LiDAR on fine scales in two …

Sedimentary Processes Influencing Divergent Wetland Evolution In The Hudson River Estuary, Kelly Mckeon

Masters Theses

Consistent shoreline development and urbanization have historically resulted in the loss of wetlands. However, some construction activities have inadvertently resulted in the emergence of new tidal wetlands, with prominent examples of such anthropogenic wetlands found within the Hudson River Estuary. Here, we utilize two of these human-induced tidal wetlands to explore the sedimentary and hydrologic conditions driving wetland development from a restoration perspective. Tivoli North Bay is an emergent freshwater tidal marsh, while Tivoli South Bay is an intertidal mudflat with vegetation restricted to the seasonal growth of aquatic vegetation during summer months. Using a combination of sediment traps, cores, …

Enforcing Higher Standards For Flood Hazard Mitigation In Vermont, Tamsin Flanders

Masters Theses

The state of Vermont faces increasing risk of costly damage from catastrophic flooding events as climate change increases the frequency of heavy rains and cumulative precipitation. In addition to increasing flood inundation risk, extreme precipitation events are leading to high rates damage from fluvial erosion—erosion caused by the force of floodwater and the materials it carries. As in all U.S. states, flood hazard governance in Vermont is shared by multiple levels of government and involves a complex compliance model that relies on local governments to regulate private property owners to achieve community, state, or federal goals.

To encourage municipalities to …

Legacy Sediment Controls On Post-Glacial Beaches Of Massachusetts, Alycia Ditroia

Masters Theses

Here we examine seasonal grain-size trends on 18 beaches in the Northeastern US and dispersed along the post-glacial coast of Massachusetts (USA) in order to explore the mechanisms influencing median grain size and slope. Over 800 grain size samples were collected along 200 summer and winter cross-shore beach elevation surveys. Obtained grain size and beach slope data are compared to coastal morphology, sediment source, wave height, and tidal magnitude in order to ascertain controls on beach characteristics. In general, median grain size increases with intertidal beach slope in the study region. However, grain sizes along post-glaciated beaches in the study …

Influence Of Environmental Conditions And Inundation History On Bacterial Diversity Of Salt Marsh Soils In Southern Louisiana, Brandon M. Bagley

Masters Theses

Diversity patterns and controls on bacterial community composition were investigated from coastal salt marsh soils in southern Louisiana (USA) from 2012 – 2014. These salt marshes are part of an extensive coastal landscape that is experiencing land loss due to subsidence, sea-level rise, and anthropogenic activities, including from the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Prior to the oil spill, microbiology research focused predominately on biogeochemical roles and not on taxonomic representation in the soils or on understanding the significance of taxonomic diversity at the microbial level to marsh food webs or ecosystem dynamics. The purpose of …

Geochemical And Petrological Characterization Of The Back Forty Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposit, Anthony Robert Boxleiter

Masters Theses

The Back Forty Zn-Au deposit is the eastern-most Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposit in the Penokean Volcanic Belt (PVB). It is the only VMS deposit found in Michigan, and is located along the east side of the Menominee River in Menominee County (45°26'57.5"N, 87°49'43.2"W). The Back Forty is the most zinc-enriched, copper depleted deposit among the major VMS deposits within the PVB that include Flambeau, Crandon, Bend, and Lynne. This work constitutes the first sulfur isotope study on the Back Forty VMS deposit.

The Back Forty is characterized by massive, semi-massive, disseminated and stringer sulfide mineralization hosted within felsic-dominated volcanic …

Using Digital Elevation Models Derived From Airborne Lidar And Other Remote Sensing Data To Model Channel Networks And Estimate Fluvial Geomorphological Metrics, Noah Slovin

Masters Theses

Recent advances in remote-sensing technologies and analysis methods, specifically airborne-LiDAR elevation data and corresponding geographical information system (GIS) tools, present new opportunities for automated and rapid fluvial geomorphic (FGM) assessments that can cover entire watersheds. In this thesis, semi-automated GIS tools are used to extract channel centerlines and bankfull width values from digital elevation models (DEM) for five New England watersheds. For each study site, four centerlines are mapped. LiDAR and NED lines are delineated using ArcGIS spatial analyst tools with high-resolution (1-m to 2-m) LiDAR DEMs or USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) DEMs, respectively. Resampled LiDAR decreases LiDAR DEM …

Geological Controls On Stratigraphy And Sedimentation Of The Mississippian Marshall Formation, Michigan Basin, U.S.A., Joseph G. Adducci

Masters Theses

An understanding of regional orogenic, climatic, and eustatic processes is critical to the interbasinal correlation of Paleozoic strata in eastern North America. Tectonic activity associated with the culmination of Appalachian Orogenic events has been shown to have regional influence on paleostructure and sediment dispersal in the Appalachian foreland basin and adjacent intracratonic Illinois and Michigan basins. The culmination of the Acadian Orogeny at the end of the Devonian represents the beginning of a period of general tectonic quiescence extending throughout the early and middle Mississippian in eastern North America. Early Mississippian strata in the Michigan basin is distinctive and marks …

Establishing A Chronology Of Late Quaternary Glacial Advances In The Cordillera De Talamanca, Costa Rica, Rebecca Susan Potter

Masters Theses

Little research has focused on glacial events in the tropics. Providing an absolute glacial chronology in Costa Rica will build a foundation for future glacial chronologies and paleoclimate reconstructions in the highlands of Central America. Evidence of past glaciation, including moraines and glacial lakes, is preserved within formerly glaciated valleys in the Cordillera de Talamanca. Orvis and Horn (2000) constrained deglaciation ages of the most recent glacial event in the Cordillera de Talamanca based on radiocarbon dates of glacial lake sediments. Radiocarbon ages indicated complete deglaciation after 12.4 ka cal BP but before 9.7 ka cal BP (Orvis and Horn, …

Europan Double Ridge Morphology As A Test For Hypothesized Models Of Formation, Ashley Caroline Dameron

Masters Theses

Double ridges on the Jovian satellite Europa consist of two ridges with a central trough. Several hypotheses exist describing their formation. Explosive cryovolcanism would result in granular ice depositing as two self-symmetric ridges flanking a central fracture, lying at or below the angle of repose (AOR). Cryo-sediments deposited by tidal squeezing and low-viscosity cryolavas emplaced by effusive cryovolcanism would likely have shallow slopes, although ridge symmetry is not expected. A second group of hypotheses involves brittle deformation of the crust, namely by diapirism, shear heating, and buckling of the lithosphere due to compression. Because these models involve uplifting vertical fractures, …

Thermal History Of The Michigan Basin: Results From Thermal Maturation Data And Geodynamic Modelling, Kirk A. Wagenvelt

Masters Theses

Thermal cooling, crustal convection, high temperature fluid advection, and 1.0 Km of eroded overburden are required to explain thermal maturation observations in the Michigan Basin. Observed tectonic subsidence in central Michigan follows an exponential decay indicative of thermal cooling following an anomalous heating event. Crustal convection is responsible for episodes of rapid subsidence coincident with the late Paleozoic Appalachian orogeny. Fluid advection through dilated faults reactivated by the Alleghanian orogeny brought hot fluids (as much as 255⁰ C) to the surface and impacted thermal maturation of organic matter in sediments. Models require 1.0 Km of eroded overburden to model thermal …

Anomalous Thermal Indicators From Authigenic Minerals In Upper Paleozoic Strata Of The Michigan Basin, Kyle Cox

Masters Theses

Indications of anomalous paleo-temperatures exist in strata of the Michigan basin, USA. The thermal history of the basin was investigated through identification and analysis of authigenic components in two Upper Paleozoic strata, the Devonian Dundee Formation and Mississippian Marshall Sandstone. Formation conditions for diagenetic phases in both units were estimated through a variety of means and compared to conditions expected for a simple burial model. Authigenic clays identified in the Marshall via X-ray diffraction are expected to have formed at temperatures above what would have been produced by burial alone. Stable isotope and fluid inclusion analysis indicate the same for …

Lithologic Properties Of The Upper Ordovician Utica Formation, Michigan Basin, Usa: A Geological Characterization And Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Confinement Potential, Frank Richard Sattler

Masters Theses

The Utica/Maquoketa Shale is considered to be the primary confining layer for Cambro-Ordovician CO₂ sequestration targets in the Midwest in the Michigan and Illinois basins, respectively. Prospective regional geologic seals in mudrock formations possess a combination of lithologic properties including nanometer scale pore space, elevated breakthrough pressures for non-wetting fluid phases and ductile mechanical deformation. Mineralogical composition is related to and typically controls these properties.

The objective of this study is to investigate the geological controls on stratigraphic and lithologic variability in the Utica/Collingwood in the Michigan basin. Twelve conventional cores and hundreds of modern well logs from the …

Determining Discharge From The Fallasburg Dam And The Hydrology Of The Flat River Bypass Channel, Lowell, Michigan, Seth Kuiper

Masters Theses

The Fallasburg Dam on the Flat River is required to release 110 cfs to the Bypass Channel. Residents have often reported low flows in the river, especially during the summer. The hydrology of the Bypass Channel downstream from the dam was investigated to determine whether the required flow was being released. Discharge measured at multiple transects reveal a shifts from gaining to losing conditions during the year. Gaining conditions occur during the spring and after significant rain events; losing conditions occur in the summer during dry periods. Five discharge measurements in 2013 and three in 2014 reveal flows less than …

A New Technique For Modeling The Geomorphology Of A Slow Moving, Soft-Slope Landslide Using Terrestrial Lidar, Nathan Bradley Rohrbaugh

Masters Theses

"Soft slope movement is a big problem whether it involves an engineered slope, one that is near infrastructure, or both. Active landslides that fail slowly sometimes allow ample time to affect remedial works. In order to plan effective remedial works, there needs to be a model of the entire geometry of the slide. This thesis describes a new approach to evaluate the morphology of slope geometry using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data obtained from simple targets strategically positioned on a slide body. The data was gathered in three-month intervals over a period of one year to allow enough time …

Channel Morphology At A Meander Bend Chute Cutoff Partially Obstructed By Woody Debris, Drew Sobczak

Masters Theses

Field and flume experiments have examined the conceptual model for a meander bend in depth. Large woody debris piles are often associated with the development of a chute cutoff due to local aggradation and deflection of flow. This paper examines the bed morphology of a meander bend chute cutoff that is partially obstructed by woody debris. The bed morphology of the channel around the woody debris pile as well as the head of the cutoff are mapped. The pile is shielding the point bar immediately behind it and causing a narrow, deep channel on either side of the pile. The …

From ~1.5 Ma To Today: Insights Into The Southern San Andreas Fault System From 3d Mechanical Models, Laura Fattaruso

Masters Theses

Three-dimensional mechanical simulations of the San Andreas fault (SAF) within the Coachella Valley in California produce deformation that match geologic observations and demonstrate the impact of fault geometry on uplift patterns. Most models that include the Coachella Valley segment of the SAF have assumed a vertical orientation, but recent studies suggest that this segment dips 60-70° northeast. We compare models with varied fault geometry and evaluate how well they reproduce observed uplift patterns. Our model with a dipping SAF matches geologic observations, while models containing a vertical fault do not. This suggests that the active Coachella Valley segment of the …

An Analysis Of The Suspended Sediment Rating Curve Parameters In The Upper Mississippi River Basin At The Monthly And Annual Levels, Vi Thi Tuong Tran

Masters Theses

Suspended sediment rating curve parameters were analyzed to investigate the relationship of suspended load and discharge in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) at the annual and monthly levels. The rating curve parameters were obtained from the power function of load and discharge: Load = a × (Discharge)^b [(Discharge)^b]. The function was solved by ordinary least squares regression on its logarithmic form.

The annual rating coefficient a and exponent b ranged from 0 to 0.25 (kg/s)(s/m³)^b [(kg/s)(s/m^3)^b] and from 0.91 to 4.27, respectively. The monthly rating coefficient a and exponent b ranged from 0 to 0.239 …

Michigan's Clay Bluffs: The Description And Comparison Of An Erosion-Dependent Natural Community, Nathaniel G. Fuller

Masters Theses

The clay bluffs of Michigan are a natural community found along the shores of the Great Lakes. Groundwater is found to be critical to sustaining the alkaline wetlands on the face of the bluff as well as the source of most erosion events. The clay bluffs are unusual in their vegetation, disturbance regime and geographical context. This thesis focuses primarily on describing seeping clay bluffs and exploring the comparison to other natural communities. The purpose of this is twofold, to better understand the ways in which natural communities are described as distinct from one another, and to assess the distinctness …

Stratigraphic Framework And Landsystem Correlation For Deposits Of The Saginaw Lobe, Michigan, Usa, Ivan R. Guzman

Masters Theses

Since the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) the south-central portion of the Lower Michigan Peninsula has been subject to several glacial advances and retreats by the Saginaw lobe. As part of the U.S Geological Survey Great Lakes Geological Mapping Coalition projects, several rotosonic borings were drilled between 2006 and 2013 in Barry, Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties. Gamma ray logs and textural analyses were completed for each core. Five of these borings were selected according to their diamicton (till) content and correlated using water well logs and surficial geology maps. Glacial deposits such as diamicton serve as evidence of …

A Spatial Analysis Of Streambank Heterogeneity And Its Contribution To Bank Stability, Paul Vanterpool Simmons

Masters Theses

Streambank erosion is a function of fluvial detachment and geotechnical failure mechanisms working in combination to cause bank retreat. It is generally agreed that bank stability is dependent on both types of erosion; however, few studies have attempted to correlate the driving and resisting forces between the two. It has been proposed that: (1) streambanks possess a spatial structure and dependence of non-erodible resistant structures such as root masses and rocks; (2) streambanks naturally “armor” themselves from fluvial erosion with a combination of hard points and resistive soil; and (3) the stability of the streambank can be predicted by the …

A Remote Sensing Investigation Of Elevated Sub-Horizontal Topographic Surfaces In The Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma, Liang Xue

Masters Theses

"Multiple elevated horizontal to sub-horizontal topographic surfaces are present in the Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma. Elevated topographic surfaces, developed primarily on granite bedrock with gentle slopes of 0.5 to 7⁰,were investigated using 1) Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) extracted from NAD 27 UTM coordinates, 2) Google Earth imagery, and 3) USGS topographic maps. In the western Wichita Mountains prominent topographic surfaces at elevations of 720 ± 5 m, 685 ± 5 m, and 660 ± 5 m are well preserved on at least four different mountains (e.g., Solder's Peak, King Mt.) and can be correlated with similar surfaces on at least seven …

Detailed Geologic Studies Of Paleoseismic Features Exposed At Sites In The East Tennessee Seismic Zone: Evidence For Large, Prehistoric Earthquakes, Kathleen Frances Warrell

Masters Theses

The East Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ) is the second most active in the eastern United States, but recorded earthquakes do not exceed M_w [moment magnitude] = 4.6. Earthquake epicenters are located 5-26 kilometers deep in autochthonous basement, and faults producing these earthquakes do not break the surface. Detailed paleoseismic investigations at sites within the ETSZ include: detailed geological mapping, trenching, aerial photograph reconnaissance, X-ray diffraction (XRD), grain-size analysis, and optically stimulated luminescence dating of alluvium.

Site DL-6 near Dandridge, Tennessee, reveals a complex array of features providing evidence that at least 4‒6 M_w > 6 earthquakes affected the area. …

Testing A Novel Technique To Improve Aluminum-26 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Measurements For Earth Science Applications, Meghan Sarah Janzen

Masters Theses

The measurement of cosmogenic ²⁶Al [aluminum-26] in geological samples by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is typically conducted on Al₂O₃ [aluminum oxide] targets. However, Al₂O₃ is not an ideal source material because it does not form a prolific beam of Al^- [negative atomic aluminum ions] required for measuring low-levels of ²⁶Al. This thesis presents the performance of AlN [aluminum nitride], AlF₃ [aluminum fluoride] and mixed AlN + Al₂O₃ as novel alternative source materials for the analysis of ²⁶Al. A negative ion cesium sputtering source at the Holifield …

An Evaluation Of The History Of Aqueous Activity On Mars Through A Survey Of Select Hypothesized Martian Deltas And Paleolakes Via The Analysis Of Mineralogy, Morphology, And Thermophysical Properties, Andrea C.G. Hughes

Masters Theses

Aqueous deposits are an essential key to understanding the geologic/climatic history of water on Mars. The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), and Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) have enabled studies of Martian fan deposits in unprecedented detail, including the identification of hydrated minerals (such as phyllosilicates, carbonates, and sulfates) and morphologies consistent with formation in an aqueous environment associated with Martian sedimentary deposits. In this study, twenty-six previously identified fan-shaped deposits (hypothesized as possible deltas) have been examined for hydrated minerals in the beds and distal regions of the deposits. Six deposits …

Spatial Discrepancies Between Nhdplus And Lidar-Derived Stream Networks, Nicole Marie Samu

Masters Theses

Many organizations demand that current water resource issues necessitate improved stream network mapping for more accurate and reliable watershed analysis and modeling results, which can ultimately enable better management and policy decisions. Stream network data from the National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus) and derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) are each widely accepted to be of superior quality compared to many other conventional datasets. Each dataset indicates potential to improve a wide range of water resource applications; NHDPlus for its high spatial accuracy and functionality, and LIDAR-derived networks for their high resolutions. NHDPlus is publicly available and widely used; …

Evaluating Substrate Metrics For Monitoring Sediment Impairment Of East Tennessee Streams., James Hunter Terrell

Masters Theses

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to assess and list all streams that do not meet water quality criteria for their designated use classes. In Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) uses macroinvertebrate surveys to assess the condition of streams designated for “fish and aquatic life” and the progress of targeted waterbodies toward meeting established standards for sediment. As of yet, no substrate metric has been established to monitor water quality or to document progress toward water quality improvement with respect to fish and aquatic life in Tennessee. A substrate metric that could …

Geophysical Study At Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park, Manchester, Tennessee, Stephen Jay Yerka

Masters Theses

The Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park covers over 800 acres within Manchester, Tennessee, and is owned and managed by the Tennessee Division of State Parks. The central archaeological site within the park boundary is The Old Stone Fort mounds that enclose about 50 acres on a plateau above the convergence of the Big Duck and the Little Duck Rivers. The hilltop enclosure dates to the Middle Woodland Period, and radiocarbon dates obtained at the site range from the first to the fifth century A. D. Because of its size and apparent complexity, previous investigations of the site have been …