Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Re-Evaluating Missouri’S Strategic Element Potential: A Geochemical Study Of The Mesoproterozoic Fe-Cu-Co-Ree Deposits In Southeast Missouri, Usa, Brandon James Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits are poorly understood mineral systems. For example, we do not know why Cu- and Co-rich IOCG deposits typically occur proximal to Fe ore deposits that are notably Cu and Co-poor, such as Iron Oxide Apatite (IOA) deposits. To better understand the formation of IOA and IOCG deposits in Missouri, USA, this PhD thesis examines the genesis of the Kratz Spring IOA and the Boss Central Dome IOCG deposits. This study presents the first constraints on formation conditions and fluid sources in the studied deposits using integrated petrographic, mineral composition, and Fe isotope analyses of oxide minerals. Observations …

Environmental Fate Of Sulfur In Sulphur Creek, Valles Caldera, Nm: Implications For Metal Transport And Water Quality, Daniel Lavery

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The 1.2 Ma Valles Caldera in north-central New Mexico hosts a young igneous volcanic hydrothermal system after the model proposed in Goff and Janik (2000). The Sulphur Springs area within Valles Caldera is an acid-sulfate area typical of this model, discharging acidic waters (pH 1.5-3) formed by oxidation of magmatic H₂S at the surface. We report on samples obtained from springs and streams collected between October 2021 and May 2023 in the Sulphur Creek and Alamo watersheds. Sulphur Creek receives input from Sulphur Springs and exhibits low pH (2-4) and high concentrations of Al (≤110 mg/L), Fe (≤60 …

In-Depth Geochemical Analysis Of Turbidite-Associated Shales Of The Pindos Basin, Greece, Jonathon Michael Sevy

Theses and Dissertations

Detailed geochemical analysis of the turbidite-associated shales of the Cretaceous Katafito Formation, Greece, reveals important details regarding the paleoenvironment, paleoproductivity, and regional tectonics of the Pindos Basin. The Katafito Formation was deposited along an active margin at the early onset of closure of the Tethys Sea in the Pindos sub-basin. While careful studies of the coarse clastic component of turbidites are common, this study consisted of a detailed geochemical characterization of the fine-grained portions, which helped reveal paleoenvironmental information about the basin. This study combined organic and inorganic geochemistry utilizing elemental, mineralogical, and organic chemical signatures from fine-grained turbidite-associated sediments …

Utilizing Phylogenetic And Geochemical Techniques To Examine Echinoderms Through Time, Maggie Ryan Limbeck

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding biotic changes through Earth’s history has been the goal of paleobiology since the inception of the field. Advances in science and technology have progressed allowing us to reassess old questions and new questions that could have not been addressed without these new methods. Echinoderms (sea stars, sea urchins, etc.) appear in the fossil record during the early Cambrian and are still abundant in marine ecosystems today. This persistence through time has made echinoderms model organisms to answer questions about Earth’s past and present. Despite this role as a model organism there are many questions that remain with respect to …

Metagenomic Investigation Of Microbial Dark Carbon Fixation, Viral Interactions, And Horizonal Gene Transfer Within A Convergent Margin Subsurface Ecosystem, Timothy Joseph Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations

Convergent margins are geological regions where two or more tectonic plates collide, and the denser “subducting slab” is pushed beneath the less dense overriding plate. As the slab descends, it devolatilizes under higher temperatures and pressures, allowing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and redox active volatile rich fluids to cycle between the upper crust and Earth’s mantle. These fluids migrate through cracks and fissures in the upper mantle and crust, fueling chemolithoautotrophy-based microbial ecosystems in the subsurface before they are expelled on the surface in the form of hydrothermal seeps and springs. Chemolithoautotrophic ecosystems, such as those in the Costa Rican …

The Mobility Of Long-Lived Radioisotopes And Their Burial In The Marine Environment, Neil Redmond

Dissertations

Marine sediments record chemical signals that reflect past environmental conditions. It is important to establish how these signals are created and whether they may be altered over time so that they can be useful for reconstructing ocean history. Measurements of uranium isotopes are used as a novel proxy for sedimentary diagenetic processes (Chapter 2). Because ²³⁴U can be ejected from mineral lattice during the decay of ²³⁸U, it creates a pool of U in porewater that is potentially mobilized and then deposited elsewhere in the core. We found that alpha-recoiled ²³⁴U is sensitive to differences in sediment …

Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterium Correlation With Geochemical Characteristics Of Soil And Basalt In Hawaii, Leeza Marie Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause opportunistic lung disease though environmental exposure pathways. Among the United States, Hawaii has a significantly higher infection rate. Preliminary studies have shown certain environmental factors, such as phosphorus and other select soil geochemical characteristics, to be statistically significant to NTM occurrence. However, a model to predict NTM occurrence based on soil geochemistry had yet to be attempted. A selection of 40 NTM positive and 40 NTM negative soils from Oahu were selected for a geochemical analysis to search for possible correlations to mineralogy and elemental abundances that may promote, or inhibit, NTM growth in the environment. …

Understanding The Connection Between Gypsum Blooms And Human Health At The Salton Sea, Isabel Ichiyama

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Salton Sea is a closed hypersaline lake in Southern California that has been receiving little input over the past few decades, leading to desiccation that is rapidly increasing every year. This large-scale evaporation of the sea has led to increased dissolved solutes, high salinity, and gypsum blooms. Gypsum blooms, the precipitation of gypsum (CaSO42H2O) in the sea, have been a prominent facet of the sea and their distribution is well known. However, much of their chemistry and potential health hazards are still undetermined. Potential health effects from gypsum salt, an atmospheric dust particle present at the sea, have known …

Investigation Of The Sheep Creek Carbonatites, Ravalli County, Montana, Sarah Risedorf

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Carbonatite-related REE-Nb mineralization in southern Ravalli County, Montana was first discovered in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Over 30 discontinuous carbonatite bodies occur in a ~ 10 km² area centered on Sheep Creek, a tributary to the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River (WFBR). The deposits are contained in a belt that extends to the southeast into the Mineral Hill district of Lemhi County, Idaho. Country rocks include a deformed and metamorphosed bimodal igneous suite of diabase and A-type granite, both dated to 1.37 Ga by previous workers. These rocks are locally metamorphosed to amphibolite …

The Impact Of Glacial Proximity On The Elemental Composition Of Leachate Derived From Sediment Weathering, Karoline Ford

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study assesses chemical weathering trends as they relate to glacial retreat. The chemical environment of surfaces exposed to the atmosphere differs significantly from beneath a glacier. As a glacier melts, changes to the biogeochemical processes generate environmental gradients. This study analyzed chemical weathering signals at different distances from a glacial front by comparing the elemental composition of leachate derived from sediments in southeastern Greenland. Samples from proglacial, nonglacial, and moraine locations were weathered in a laboratory setting, and ion chromatography was used to determine the elemental composition of the products. Divergent trends in leachate composition were observed as distance …

Study Of Trace Elements In Southern Nevada Spring Waters And Lakes, Hyejeong Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Comprehending the natural water resource is imperative for the entire state of Nevada and of particular significance for Southern Nevada, where rapid population growth and climate change are placing significant strain on supplies. This research underscores the significance of water chemistry in identifying potential water source areas through trace elements. For the first time, the study proposed measuring the compositions of the entire suite of metal elements, ranging from Li to U, in over 40 springs in the Moapa Valley and its upper gradient valleys, utilizing the iCAP Qc ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer) at UNLV. The research evaluated …

Investigating The Petrogenesis Of The Naifeh And Plumeria Seamounts: Insights Into The Geochemical Diversity Of Seamounts Adjacent To The Hawaiian Seamount Chain, Geoffrey Montour

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Naifeh and Plumeria seamount clusters, which consist of 10 submarine volcanoes located ~220km north of the Northwest Hawaiian Ridge, were mapped and sampled by the E/V Nautilus expedition NA101 in 2018. The origin of these seamounts is unknown, but their unique orientation and location imply several possible mechanisms of formation. Four possible mechanisms of formation include: 1) off-axis upwelling of the Hawaiian mantle plume, 2) ancient arch volcanism, 3) intraplate extension and deformation, 4) hotspot volcanism. Investigating the origin of these seamount clusters will better constrain the composition of the underlying mantle, as well as the depth and extent …

Geochemical Analysis And Numerical Modeling Of Central And East Tennessee Mississippi Valley-Type Ore Districts: Constraints On Ore Genesis, Jackson Price Copeland

Geosciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

A simple two-way stochastic mixing model is presented for analysis of the lead (Pb) isotope compositions of the North American Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) districts of East Tennessee, Central Tennessee, and Central Kentucky. Four distinct mixing scenarios were run to critically evaluate the stochastic model and examine different hypotheses regarding the genesis of Central Tennessee and Central Kentucky MVT deposits. Additionally, Pb isotope analysis was conducted on sphalerite samples from the Central and East Tennessee MVT districts. Model and sampling results suggest that Central Tennessee and Central Kentucky ores likely formed by mixing of three fluids. In contrast to conclusions from …

Evaluating Bulk Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Compositions Of Acidic Hydrothermal Sediments On Earth– Implications For Mars Astrobiology, Chance Sturrup

Masters Theses

Carbon isotopes have been widely used as unique biosignatures because biologic processes commonly result in distinctive negative delta ¹³C values (-35 to -10 ‰) within organic material on Earth. However, the bulk delta ¹³C analysis in Gale crater sediments on Mars revealed a wider range of values, from -25 to +56 ‰ (Franz et al., 2020), which suggests a more complex origin. To determine if bulk isotope analysis can be successfully used to detect a microbial signature in a martian analog environment, we analyzed concentrations and isotope compositions of C within hydrothermal sediments in Iceland (Námafjall, Krýsuvík, Hveragerdi) …

Connections Between Eruption Style And Magmatic Reservoir Evolution: Insights From Augustine Volcano, Alaska, Usa, Mahinaokalani G. Robbins

WWU Graduate School Collection

At a single volcano, eruptive behavior can change through time as the plumbing system evolves. Augustine Volcano, a frequently active intermediate stratovolcano in the Alaska-Aleutian arc (USA), is an ideal setting to investigate magma reservoir processes due to its frequent modern and Holocene eruption history. Its most recent 2006 CE eruption included mixed effusive and moderately explosive (VEI 3) events and has been studied in detail. Proximal fall deposits from this eruption were generally mixed fine ash to lapilli with variable thickness, but typically ~5 cm on the island (Wallace et al., 2010). The Pre-contact “Tephra M” was deposited by …

Relationships Between Geochemistry, Carbon Content, And Grain Size In Clastic Cave Sediments, Rebekah Rose Nicholas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Understanding geochemical and physical properties of cave sediment gives insight to sediment characterization and carbon storage in the cave system. Previous work on clastic sediments largely encompasses physical properties, neglecting the importance of geochemical parameters on sediment deposition.

This study reports physical and chemical properties of sediment cores from three caves: two caves in Puerto Rico and one cave in Virginia. A total of 25 cores were used in this study; 6 of these cores were new and collected in 2022 from Butler Cave (BTC) in Virginia to focus on the effects of water level. Core samples were analyzed for …

Dynamics And Timescales Of Magmatic Processes At Cerro Uturuncu, Bolivia, Sarah Jane Rasor

MSU Graduate Theses

Between 12-25°S latitude there is prolific volcanism fueled by the Altiplano-Puna Magmatic Body (APMB), a mid-crustal magma body above the 30° angle subduction of the Nazca plate and within 60-70 km thick South American crust. Cerro Uturuncu, a stratovolcano constructed above the center of the APMB, can provide insight to the evolution of the APMB over time. Previous research suggests that the APMB is more homogenous near its center as opposed to its edges. However, the processes that led to greater homogenization as well as the structure of the magma body below Cerro Uturuncu remain unknown. This research contributes greater …

Magmatic Evolution Of The Chasca Orkho Lava Series And Its Magmatic Enclaves, Volcán Ollagüe, Central Andes, Nathaniel W. Lenhard

MSU Graduate Theses

Magma mixing is a common factor in the creation of intermediate composition magmas and a potential instigator of a volcanic eruption. Magmatic enclaves, physical evidence of magma mixing within a volcanic system, are a phenomenon whose mechanisms remain unclear and debated. Common hypotheses explaining the occurrence of magmatic enclaves within a host lava range from the repeated injection of a new magma into a shallow reservoir to the disruption of equilibrium within a stratified magma chamber. Within the Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ), the occurrence of magmatic enclaves yields similar geochemical compositions to their respective host rocks, bringing more difficulty …

Petrological And Geochemical Evaluation Of Rare-Earth Element Potential In The Sparta Granite Complex, Max J. Eshbaugh

Honors College Theses

Rare earth elements (REEs) are important resources with applications in the electronics, renewable energy, and automotive industries. REEs may be concentrated in the residual weathered portion of igneous parent rocks, typically granites. These residual deposits are mined in southeast Asia, but analogous climatic and geologic conditions suggest the existence of economically viable REE residual deposits in the southeastern United States (U.S.). The Sparta Granite Complex in east-central Georgia is a granitoid complex emplaced at the end of the Alleghanian orogeny, forming a suture between the Savannah River and Milledgeville terranes. Petrologic and geochemical assessments of the Sparta Granite and overlying …

Natural, Experimental, And Educational Explorations Of The Interiors Of Terrestrial Planetary Bodies, Nadine L. Grambling

Doctoral Dissertations

Planetary interiors are enigmatic, inaccessible, and vital to the processes that have formed the rocks we see on the surface of bodies in the inner Solar System today. Based on geophysical explorations of the Moon and Earth, along with information gleaned from rocks at the surface today, there is understanding of the basic structure and processes at depth. Using a combination of natural samples and experimental studies, we attempt to learn more about the physical conditions beneath the surface, and their effect on material properties and tectonics processes in the mantle.

On Earth, mid-ocean ridge processes have long been debated, …

Rock-Fluid Interaction And The Incorporation Of Cations Into Calcite During Recrystallization In Multiple Hydrothermal Systems., Van Anh Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Fluid-rock interaction causes an exchange of isotopes or elements through various reactions. The rate of these reactions strongly depends on temperature. The interaction involves dissolution precipitation, chemical exchange reactions, redox reactions, diffusion, and their combinations. The goal of studying fluid-rock interaction is to understand the change in mineral chemistry of the rock materials when in contact with an aqueous solution. These processes occur in all regions of the Earth where aqueous solutions are found. This work is comprised of three independent studies which provide an understanding about crystallization processes under multiple hydrothermal conditions with geological and environmental applications.

In the …

Geochemical Characterization Of The Louann Salt, Puma Field, Green Canyon, Gulf Of Mexico Basin – Using Xrf And Xrd, Brian Lesh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Jurassic-aged Louann Salt is an evaporite sequence deposited in the Gulf of Mexico Basin (GOMB). It is an important component of the GOMB petroleum system and influences the facies pattern in overlying strata and the distribution of petroleum stratigraphic traps. The Louann Salt is composed primarily of halite with intercalated anhydrites and silty or sandy-halite intervals, with overall thicknesses in excess of four kilometers (~13,000 feet). Suture zones occur intermittently within the Louann Salt, formed by the collision of allochthonous evaporite layers. The mineralogy and geochemistry of the suture zones are currently understudied and can be hazardous during drilling …

Geochemical Characterization Of The Bone Spring Formation, Delaware Basin, Using Chemostratigraphy And Integrated Petrophysics, David Tonner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Delaware Basin forms part of West Texas's and New Mexico’s famous petroleum-generating Permian Basin. The Bone Spring Formation is a prolific hydrocarbon producer within this basin, creating one of the world’s richest oil shales. This formation has lithological sequences that are characterized by repeating carbonate and siliciclastic intervals of a third-order cycle which can largely be correlated to highstand and lowstand systems tracts, respectively. Lithological complexity and facies change are manifested by debris flows, turbidites, and slumps. In addition to glacio-eustasy, both tectonism and broader Milankovitch cycles have influenced the depositional history. Previous investigations have utilized cores and wireline …

Comparative Geochemical Analysis Of Recent Volcanic Flows On Barva Volcano, Costa Rica, Julie Coulombe

Masters Theses

ABSTRACT

Barva Volcano is a dormant stratovolcano in the Cordillera Central region of Costa Rica, rising above the capital city of San Jose with a population of 347,000. Barva’s recent inactivity and extensive forestation have resulted in fewer investigations of its composition, petrogenesis, and eruptive history. The objective of this research is to analyze the geochemical data from several of the most recent lava flows, evaluate variability between eruptive units, and ascertain physical conditions within the Barva magma storage region. The data collected in this study helps constrain the geochemistry of units seen in the quarry and provides information regarding …

Halogen And Non-Traditional Isotope Geochemistry Of Planetary And Terrestrial Materials, Anthony Gargano, Zachary Sharp, Justin Simon, Charles Shearer, Adrian Brearley, James Day

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This dissertation presents the advances in non-traditional isotope geochemistry of planetary and terrestrial materials encompassing chlorine, sulfur, and zinc isotopes, as well as halogen geochemistry. A wide breadth of materials was studied throughout the completion of this work including iron meteorites, achondrites, chondrites, Apollo lunar samples, as well ancient marine chert, and carbonate sediments. Much of the focus involved the development of a method capable of simultaneously measuring the halogen contents and chlorine isotope compositions of geological materials. Here, I present these data sets to broadly characterize the process of devolatilization of planetary materials, and specifically the problem of ‘halogen-poisoning’ …

Texture And Composition Of An Arid-Climate Weathering Profile And The Link Between Bedrock And Derived Sediment Composition, Kristan Leigh Watkins

Masters Theses

Multiple compositional aspects of Holocene, terrigenous-clastic sediment differ from its source, the underlying Cretaceous Stepladder granodiorite (Mojave Desert, California). Different processes can cause sediments to change in composition from source, including chemical weathering, hydrodynamic sorting during transport, and diagenesis. Sorting and physical processes have previously suggested. To assess the relative contributions of these processes to understand provenance reconstruction, the textures and compositions of an exposed Holocene saprolite weathering profile, grus, and granodiorite bedrock were studied. Fracture density in the weathering profile decreased from ~10% at the top to ~2% at the bottom of the profile in contact with the bedrock. …

Connections Between Interglacial Variation And Lithological Variability Within Midland Basin Permian Shale Rocks In Martin County, Texas, Helen Rice Hammon

LSU Master's Theses

The Upper Pennsylvanian (323.2–289.9 Ma) and Lower Permian (289.9-251 Ma), (Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations) interval of the Midland Basin, West Texas, contains a mixed succession of shale, carbonate, and siltstone/sandstone lithofacies that accumulated in a deep-water marine environment under variable hydrographic restrictions. The heterogenous stratigraphy found in the Wolfcamp and Spraberry formation was formed in response to variations in sea level and a transition from a glacial to an interglacial climate during the Early Permian. These fluctuations left behind alternating beds of mudstone and carbonate, interwoven with thin sandstone beds. Because the Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations are highly heterolithic, it …

Connections Between Interglacial Variation And Lithological Variability Within Midland Basin Permian Shale Rocks In Martin County, Texas, Helen Rice Hammon

LSU Master's Theses

The Upper Pennsylvanian (323.2–289.9 Ma) and Lower Permian (289.9-251 Ma), (Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations) interval of the Midland Basin, West Texas, contains a mixed succession of shale, carbonate, and siltstone/sandstone lithofacies that accumulated in a deep-water marine environment under variable hydrographic restrictions. The heterogenous stratigraphy found in the Wolfcamp and Spraberry formation was formed in response to variations in sea level and a transition from a glacial to an interglacial climate during the Early Permian. These fluctuations left behind alternating beds of mudstone and carbonate, interwoven with thin sandstone beds. Because the Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations are highly heterolithic, it …

Geology And Geochronology Of The East Dome Complex Within The Hog Heaven Volcanic Field, Flathead County, Montana, Ethan Coppage

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This study describes the style and timing of volcanic activity and mineralization in the East Dome Complex (EDC) of the 55-km2 Eocene-Oligocene Hog Heaven Volcanic Field (~36-30 Ma; HHVF) located in northwestern Montana. The HHVF consists of three NE-aligned, predominantly high-K rhyodacitic dome complexes (1.8-4.9 wt. % K2O; 63.2-72.9 wt. % SiO2) formed near the crest the Purcell Anticlinorium, a major Cordilleran fold-thrust belt structure deforming metasedimentary rocks of the Mesoproterozoic Belt Supergroup. Dome emplacement was controlled by a NE-striking fault associated with a pull-apart basin formed between two overlapping, NW-trending dextral oblique-slip faults. The objective of this study is …

Stratigraphic And Geochemical Evaluation Of Distal Flows Of The Columbia River Flood Basalts In The Greater Vale Area, Southeastern Oregon, Lena Marie Fox

Dissertations and Theses

Exposures of Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) in southeastern Oregon are dominated by the four main phase CRBG units: Steens Basalt, Imnaha Basalt, Grande Ronde Basalt (GRB), and Picture Gorge Basalt (PGB). These units are best seen in stratigraphic sequence along the Malheur Gorge corridor of southeastern Oregon, between the towns of Vale and Juntura, with flows of Steens Basalt from the south overlain by flows of Imnaha and GRB from the north. Recently, PGB flows were found to be part of the eastern Malheur Gorge stratigraphy as well.

In Malheur Gorge, local units of Birch and Hunter Creek Basalt …