Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Micro- To Macro-Scale Structural And Lithological Architecture Of Basal Nonconformities: Implications For Fluid Flow And Injection Induced Seismicity, Garth Hesseltine

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rising incidents of earthquakes caused by human activity in the United States, known as induced earthquakes, is a growing concern. Induced earthquakes may occur when fluid and/or wastewater is injected several kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface into sedimentary rocks. Fluids and pressures can migrate from the sedimentary rocks, which are typically friendlier to fluid flow, into underlying less friendlier crystalline rocks along fluid pathways weakening and possibly reactivating preexisting faults. Understanding potential fluid pathways and/or barriers from the sedimentary rocks to crystalline rocks is crucial. I investigate the structure, composition, and heterogeneity of rocks near the contact between the sedimentary …

Evaluation Of 'Structure-From-Motion' From A Pole-Mounted Camera For Monitoring Geomorphic Change, Rebecca K. Rossi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Emerging "Structure-from-Motion" (SfM) photogrammetry techniques encourage faster, cheaper, and more accessible field methods for accurately reconstructing 3D topography. The SfM method consists of collecting sets of overlapping images of the ground surface with a point and shoot camera, and reconstructing surface topography from the images with developed software programs. This research develops and implements a SfM image acquisition method and post-processing workflow as a supplemental technique to the traditional total-station method to aid in monitoring sandbar change in Marble and Grand Canyons along the Colorado River in Arizona. Due to permitting in Grand Canyon National Park, a 4.9 m pole-mounted …

Rationalizing Structure, Stability, And Chemical Bonding Of Pure And Doped Clusters Isolated And Solvated Multiply Charged Anions, And Solid State Materials, Alina P. Sergeeva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chemistry is the study of materials and the changes that materials undergo. One can tune the properties of the known materials and design the novel materials with desired properties knowing what is responsible for the chemical reactivity, structure, and stability of those materials. The unified chemical bonding theory could address all these questions, but we do not have one available yet. The most accepted general theory of chemical bonding was proposed by Lewis in 1916, though Lewis’s theory fails to explain the bonding in materials with delocalized electron density such as sub-nano and nanoclusters, as well as aromatic organic and …

Structural And Functional Characterization Of The Essential Rna Helicase Mtr4, Ryan N. Jackson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To insure the integrity of nuclear RNA, the eukaryotic cell employs surveillance systems that identify and degrade RNAs that are detrimental or unneeded. The failure of RNA surveillance systems can lead to neurodegenerative disease states and cancer. The essential RNA helicase Mtr4 is required for the degradation and processing of several nuclear RNAs. To further the understanding of RNA surveillance and processing in eukaryotes, Ryan Jackson of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Utah State University has determined the molecular structure of Mtr4 and has used this structure to interrogate Mtr4 function biochemically. The structure revealed that Mtr4 contains …

Rock Properties And Structure Within The San Andreas Fault Observatory At Depth (Safod) Borehold, Northwest Of Parkfield, California: In Situ Observations Of Rock Deformation Processes And Fluid-Rock Interactions Of The San Andreas Fault Zone At ~ 3 Km Depth, Kelly Keighley Bradbury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) is a scientific drilling experiment situated along the central creeping segment of the San Andreas Fault, near Parkfield, California, and north of a segment of the fault that has experienced large historical earthquakes. Drilling into active fault zones allows scientist’s to examine in situ rock samples and to record real-time data.

The main goal of this study is to characterize the geologic setting and rock properties of the San Andreas fault at ~ 3 km depth in the SAFOD borehole. In this region, the fault deforms nearly continuously through aseismic creep and …

Structure And Interaction Energies Of Kr Atoms Adsorbed On Graphitic Amorphous Carbon, Sang -Joon Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The physisorption of Kr on graphitic amorphous carbon (g-C) has been investigated using a statistical approach. The interaction energy calculation process (i) established a structural model of g-C and (ii) determined the adsorbate-adsorbate and the adsorbate-substrate interaction potentials on g-C.

The structural model of g-C was divided into three regions. For the interaction potential between a Kr atom and a carbon atom the short and medium range order of g-C was described with a discrete medium model based on three ring clusters using ring statistics from Beeman's continuous random network C1120 model of g-C. For the intermediate distance region, Beeman's …

Structure And Petrology Of Tertiary Volcanic Rocks In Parts Of Toms Cabin Spring And Lucin Nw Quadrangles (Box Elder Co.), Utah, Bruce Edward Scarbrough

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of late Tertiary rhyolitic and dacitic flows, domes, and minor pyroclastic rocks form an elongate volanic mass along the northwestern Utah-northeastern Nevada border. The structure of the flow banding and the linear arrangement of vents indicate that the mass represents a multi-sourced extrusive complex which erupted through many fissure-type conduits. A 39 km² area at the southern end of the mass was studied in detail in order to gain a better understanding of the eruptive nature and history of these Tertiary volcanic rocks. Age dating reveals that volcanism in the study area was episodic, and covered a …

Structure And Petrography Of The Tertiary Volcanic Rocks Between Death Creek And Dairy Valley Creek (Box Elder Co.), Utah, E. Matthew Hare

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several volcanic flows lie between Death Creek and Dairy Valley Creek, near Etna, Utah. The major, central portion of the volcanic flows is composed of dacite and dacite vitrophyre. An elongate ridge in the southeastern corner of the study area and several small outcrops in Death Creek Valley are composed of rhyolite and rhyolite vitrophyre. Additional rock types include conglomerate, volcanic ash, and tuffaceous sedimentary rock of the Tertiary Salt Lake Formation, Paleozoic limestone, and Tertiary basalt.

Dacite and dacite vitrophyre samples are porphyritic, containing phenocrysts of plagioclase, quartz, biotite, amphibole, orthopyroxene, and iron-titanium oxides. Rhyolite and rhyolite vitrophyre samples …

Structure And Petrology Of Tertiary Volcanic Rocks Near Etna, Utah, Kent W. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three volcanic domes and related volcanic rocks of Tertiary age are located near Etna, Utah, in Box Elder County. The domes follow a north-south trend and are fault controlled. Flow structure indicates a change from a less viscous, flow-forming lava which produced an exogenous dome to a more viscous lava which formed endogenous domes. Associated pyroclastic deposits are negligible. The volcanic rocks are composed of porphyritic rhyolite and rhyolitic vitrophyre having phenocrysts of quartz, sanidine, plagioclase and biotite with minor amounts of Fe-Ti oxides, hypersthene, allanite and calcic amphibole. Quartz and sanidine phenocrysts are generally embayed whereas plagioclase phenocrysts are …

Structural Geology Of The Southern Part Of Elkhorn Mountain, Bannock Range, Idaho, George A. De Vries

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The area of southern Elkhorn Mountain, a previously unmapped area, is located north of Malad City, Idaho, in the Bannock Range. The mapped area is within the Basin and Range province. The mapped area measures 5.9 miles in the north-south direction and approximately 8.8 miles in the east-west direction.

The oldest stratigraphic unit, in the mapped area, is the Ute Formation of Middle Cambrian age. Other units of Cambrian age, in ascending order, are: Blacksmith Formation, Bloomington Formation, Nounan Formation, and St. Charles Formation. The units of Ordovician age are the Garden City and the Swan Peak Formations. The youngest …

Influence Of Compaction And Freezing On The Structure And Permeability Of Some Selected Horizons From Northern Utah Soils, Samir Ramzy Nagmoush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Frequently, in evaluating plant deficiencies, one considers only those soil factors which are associated with the fertility of the soil-- mainly the levels of phosphorus, potash, nitrogen, and organic matter. A certain level of nutrition is essential for plant growth, but in order for the nutrients to exert their maximum influence on the productivity of the soil, it is equally important that a good soil environment be provided and maintained. A good environment requires that good physical conditions of soil, sir, and water be in balance.