Geologic And Geochemical Characterization Of Cross-Communication Potential Within The Northern Edwards Aquifer System, Texas, Ingrid J. Eckhoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Edwards Aquifer is a large, complex groundwater system located throughout Central Texas in association with the Balcones Fault Zone. The San Antonio and Barton Spring segments of the Edwards Aquifer have been extensively studied in the past because they provide groundwater resources to the largely urbanized areas of San Antonio and Austin, respectively, and smaller communities along the Interstate 35 corridor. Previous research has been conducted on these southern and central portions of the Edwards Aquifer system, which have characterized the structural, hydrogeological and geochemical variations within the highly karsted region. However, the Northern Segment of the Edwards Aquifer …

Ironstone Gravel Types In Western Australia: Re-Purposing A Geological Survey To Improve Soil Management, Edward A. Griffin, Karen Holmes, Tim Overheu

Conference papers and presentations

The deeply laterised landscapes of Western Australia’s wheatbelt contain large amounts of ferruginous concretions or pisoliths, referred to locally as ironstone gravel. Soil surveys over the years have described ironstone gravel presence and abundance, and the state soil classification system recognises their importance in agriculture by designating ‘ironstone gravel soils’ at the highest level of the classification hierarchy. These gravels have generally been assumed inert in agricultural soils; however, farm trials and anecdotal experience suggest they may play a more active role in nutrient and water retention than previously recognised. Gravelly soil performance under dryland agriculture varies dramatically across the …

An Evaluation Of The Lithologies And Geochemistry Of The Upper Beaver Deposit Of The Kirkland Lake Area, Katherine E. Feick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Upper Beaver Cu-Au deposit contains a unique style of mineralization in the Larder Lake and Kirkland Lake areas in terms of mineralization, alteration style, and age. This study aims to use company-provided data, supplemented with focused data collection, to evaluate what information can be attained from company-provided geochemical data. The evaluation uses a combination of hand sample, petrographic, geochemical, statistical, and microprobe analytical methods.

Lithogeochemical analyses indicated that the altered igneous host rock is calc-alkaline in composition and is most likely part of the diorite-monzonite suite. Further, exploratory data analysis of Au and Cu mineralization identified that there are …

Geothermometry Of Two Cascade Geothermal Systems, Donnel Alexander Malkemus

Dissertations and Theses

For this thesis I applied classical and multi-component geothermometry techniques to new water chemistry data from Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon and the Wind River Valley, Washington. A total of 20 well, spring, and stream samples from Breitenbush Hot Springs and 4 spring samples from the Wind River Valley were collected and analyzed for major, minor, and select trace anions and cations, as well as stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. I used two computer programs, GeoT and RTEst, to conduct multi-component geothermometry reservoir condition estimation on each water sample. Water chemistry data from Breitenbush Hot Springs indicates a range of thermal, …

Sedimentology And Geochemistry Of The Mixed Carbonate-Siliciclastic Espanola Formation, Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup, Bruce Mines-Elliot Lake Area, Ontario, Canada, Mansour H. Al-Hashim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Espanola Formation of the Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup is a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic succession. Detailed sedimentological analysis of the formation in the Bruce Mines-Elliot Lake region reveals 17 sedimentary lithofacies, which comprise three distinct lithofacies associations. The lithofacies associations represent, in ascending order, shoreface, offshore, and nearshore (or lagoon) depositional environments along a wave- and storm-dominated shallow siliciclastic marine shelf. Major, trace, and rare earth element analyses of the siliciclastic component indicate derivation from a mainly granodioritic Archean upper continental crust with some contributions from mafic volcanic and/or sedimentary rocks. The results show that the source rocks were subjected to relatively …

Geochemical Constraints Of The Gold Mineralization Sources From The South Mine Complex And The Main/’04 Breaks, Macassa Mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Liana K.T. Stammers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa Mine is a lode gold deposit in the Abitibi Greenstone. It has two systems of mineralization: the Main/’04 Breaks, and the South Mine Complex (SMC). The objective of this work was to constrain mineralization sources between these systems using geochemical signatures. The SMC has different structure, mineralogy, alteration, trace- and major-elements composition, and δ¹⁸O values. The Main/’04 is a series of faults with thin alteration dipping south 60-85º. The SMC is a series of structurally controlled zones dipping southeast 25-50° with wide alteration. It is interpreted to be a Riedel Shear between the ’04 …

Geochemical Comparison Of Ancient And Modern Eolian Dune Foresets Using Principal Components Analysis, David A. Little

Theses and Dissertations

Geochemistry has been used to determine the provenance and diagenetic history of eolian sandstone deposits. However, the grain size, sorting, cementation, and detrital composition of eolian units can change along dune foreset laminae. The purpose of this study was to test for consistent trends of compositional change along dune foresets. Such trends could increase the quality of geochemical sampling of eolian sandstones and possibly aid in estimating the original height of ancient sand dunes. XRF data was gathered for both major and trace elements from the Pennsylvanian to Permian Weber Sandstone, Early Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, and modern Coral Pink Sand …

Spatial Cluster And Outlier Identification Of Geochemical Association Of Elements: A Case Study In Juirui Copper Mining Area, Thanh Nguyen Ti̇en, Tuyen Vu Danh, Hung Tri̇nh Le Hung, Hang Nguyen Thi̇ Le Hang

Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration

Spatial clusters and spatial outliers play an important role in the study of the spatial distribution patterns of geochemical data. They characterize the fundamental properties of mineralization processes, the spatial distribution of mineral deposits, and ore element concentrations in mineral districts. In this study, a new method for the study of spatial distribution patterns of multivariate data is proposed based on a combination of robust Mahalanobis distance and local Moran’s Ii. In order to construct the spatial matrix, the Moran’s I spatial correlogram was first used to determine the range. The robust Mahalanobis distances were then computed for an association …

A Complex Origin For The Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, Usa: A Case Study Using A Simple Geochemical Method With Global Applications, Daniel R. Muhs, Nicholas Lancaster, Gary L. Skipp

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Kelso Dune field in southern California is intriguing because although it is of limited areal extent (~100 km2), it has a wide variety of dune forms and contains many active dunes (~40 km2), which is unusual in the Mojave Desert. Studies over the past eight decades have concluded that the dunes are derived primarily from a single source, Mojave River alluvium, under a dominant, westerly-to-northwesterly wind regime. The majority of these studies did not, however, present data to support the Mojave River as the only source.We conducted mineralogical and geochemical studies ofmost of the 14 geomorphically defined dune groups …

The Sudbury Impact Structure - New Insights Into The Origin And Emplacement Of The Basal Onaping Intrusion And The Parkin, Trill And Foy Offset Dykes Of The North Range, Denise Anders

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact structure is considered a remnant of a multi-ring basin with an estimated original diameter of 150-200 km. The so-called “Basal Onaping Intrusion” form discontinuous sheets between the Granophyre of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and the Sandcherry Member of the Onaping Formation and had been considered part of the complex breccia series of the Onaping Formation. Based on the investigation of core and field samples from the North Range we conclude that the Basal Onaping Intrusion, in fact, are the roof rocks of the SIC and, thus, may represent the initial bulk composition of the …

Variations In Geochemistry And Mineralogy Of Aeolian Dust Deposition To Mountains In Utah And Nevada, Usa, Dylan Binder Dastrup

Theses and Dissertations

Major and trace metal loading to mountains in the western US depends on dust sources, intensity of storms and their availability for transport during snowmelt and runoff. Previous work has been conducted on dust production, composition, and its affect on solar radiation and timing of snow melt. This study was conducted to 1) examine temporal and spatial variability in dust chemistry; 2) evaluate form and availability of major and trace elements in dust; and 3) identify potential dust sources affecting mountains in Utah and Nevada. Spring and summertime dust was collected across northern Utah over the course of three years …

Emplacement Of The Foy, Hess And Pele Offset Dykes At The Sudbury Impact Structure, Canada, Eric A. Pilles

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact structure is the remnant of what is generally considered to have been an ~150–200 km diameter impact basin in central Ontario, Canada. The so-called Offset Dykes are impact melt dykes that are found concentrically around – and extending radially outward from – the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC), a ~3 km thick differentiated impact melt sheet. The dykes are typically composed of two main phases of granodiorite: an inclusion- and sulfide-rich granodiorite in the centre of the dyke, and an inclusion- and sulfide-poor granodiorite along the margins of the dyke. This study uses a combination of …

Constraining The Formation And Alteration Of Sudbury Breccia, Ontario, Canada: Implications For Footwall Cu-Ni-Pge Exploration, Jonathan W. O'Callaghan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sudbury breccia is an impactite situated in the footwall of the 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact structure, situated in Ontario. Developing exploration vectors towards Sudbury breccia-hosted Cu-Ni-PGE mineralization is inhibited by an insufficient understanding of the relative contributions of footwall lithologies versus impact melt. By combining whole-rock geochemistry, field observations, statistical modelling and petrography, this study has determined that Sudbury breccia is a parautochthonous shock melt, which does not require a melt sheet contribution. Furthermore, the trace metal content of the breccia is largely controlled by the assimilation of mafic footwall lithologies, the exception being breccia proximal to mineralization, where a …

Development And Curation Of The Sample Data Library For The Astrobiogeochemistry Laboratory, Meika R. Nwaomah, Lorenia Jimenez, Michael Tuite

STAR Program Research Presentations

In 2011, the National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated EarthCube, an integrated cyber infrastructure initiative, to tackle challenges within geoscience research. EarthCube’s goal is to improve public access and collaboration within the geoscience community. During the summer of 2015, the Astrobiogeochemistry Laboratory (abcLab) joined the collective efforts of EarthCube by developing the Sample Data Library (SDL) for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The main focus of the SDL concentrates on effectively curating the samples collected by researchers within the Planetary Chemistry and Astrobiology section at JPL. The goal of this summer internship was to assimilate field notes, images, and from data …

Role Of Sorting On The Composition Of Siliciclastic Sediment: Implications For Interpreting Provenance After Limited Transport In An Arid Climate, Forrest Christopher Driscoll

Masters Theses

This study tested whether transport distances (< 500 m) have the capacity to shape the geochemistry of sediments across multiple grain-size populations due to sorting derived from a single source. In the Stepladder Mountains, Mojave Desert, CA, a < 1 km² [square kilometers] watershed allows for a controlled study to understand how modern sediments acquire their composition from a single granodioritic source in an arid climate where there is no chemical weathering. Sediments are naturally sorted into distinct grain-size populations, with modes ranging from very fine sand to gravel within a single, alluvial channel. Sediment samples representative of each population were petrographically and geochemically analyzed in order to test the effectiveness of commonly used discrimination diagrams. Sediments became proportionally enriched in plagioclase and biotite and depleted in K-feldspar and quartz with decreasing grain …

Hornbrook Formation, Oregon And California: A Sedimentary Record Of The Late Cretaceous Sierran Magmatic Flare-Up Event, Kathleen D. Surpless

Kathleen D. Surpless

Early Late Cretaceous time was characterized by a major magmatic flare-up event in the Sierra Nevada batholith and early phases of magmatism in the Idaho batholith, but the sedimentary record of this voluminous magmatism in the U.S. Cordillera is considerably less conspicuous. New detrital zircon U-Pb ages from the Hornbrook Formation in southern Oregon and northern California reveal a significant and sustained influx of 100–85 Ma detrital zircons into the broader Hornbrook region beginning ca. 90 Ma. Detrital zircon ages and hafnium isotopic compositions, combined with whole-rock geochemistry, suggest that sediment was largely derived from the Sierra Nevada, requiring uplift …

Geochemical Attributes Of Hydraulically Active Fractures And Their Influence On Groundwater Quality, Amy L. Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study utilized discrete interval diffusion sampling of a fractured bedrock well completed in schist to investigate if a natural weathering signal can be used to identify hydraulically active fractures. The open borehole well MFS-1, is the focus of the study, which is in close proximity to the recharge zone making it ideal for testing the hypotheses of this study. The hydraulically active fractures of Well MFS-1 were identified, and the dominant mixing force of the water column of the well was determined to be thermal convection in the upper portion of the well and upward gradients. The isotopic data …

Reexamination Of Ore-Forming Processes In The Emery Mining District, Powell Co., Montana, Jarred Zimmerman

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The present investigation was undertaken in collaboration with the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology to re-evaluate the Emery district using modern methods of ore deposit study including fluid inclusions, stable isotopes, and mineral geochemistry. Results from this thesis will be an aid in reassessing the potential of the Boulder Batholith and surrounding geologic units to host large, undiscovered precious and/or base metal deposits. The Emery (aka Zosell) district was mined from the late 1800s until the early 1950s. Mineralized quartz veins are hosted by basaltic andesite flows of the late Cretaceous Elkhorn Mountain Volcanics (EMV). Two sets of veins …

Determining Groundwater Sources And Ages Via Isotope Geochemistry In Big Sky, Montana, Thomson Connie

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Big Sky ski resort area in southwestern Montana is experiencing exponential growth in both development and population. Concerns have arisen over the quantity of good-quality groundwater in the region, and whether there is a large enough reserve to support the growing demand. In light of already-documented water-level decreases, and domestic wells needing to be deepened or replaced, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) enlisted the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology's Ground Water Investigation Program to perform an assessment of groundwater availability and quality in the region, and define groundwater supply sources.

The geology in the …

An Investigation Of Hydrogeologic, Stratigraphic, And Structural Controls On Acer Grandidentatum Communities In A Karst Landscape, Owl Mountain Province, Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas, Melinda S. Faulkner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Owl Mountain Province is located within the Fort Hood Military Installation, an approximately 880 km2 installation established in the 1940s in Bell and Coryell counties, Texas, which has undergone extensive land use changes associated with military training, maintaining much of the vegetation in early succession. This study investigates thelithologic, stratigraphic, and structural controls on the hydrologic, hydrogeologic, and geomorphologic evolution of the Owl Mountain Province as expressed by mesic vegetation communities, including Pleistocene relicts Acer grandidentatum, within karst terrains. These systems exhibit complexly overprinted speleogenetic evolutions within a dynamic groundwater regime resulting from regional climate shifts throughout the …

Speleogenesis Of Critchfield Bat Caves And Associated Hydrogeology Of The Northern Edwards Aquifer, Williamson County, Texas, Ashley N. Landers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Karst development in the Edwards Aquifer has been significantly studied in the San Antonio and Barton Spring Segments; however, karst development remains poorly studied in the Northern Segment. Detailed characterization of the Northern Segment is vital for future water conservation because of increasing urban sprawl along the Interstate 35 corridor. The Northern Segment of the Edwards Aquifer consists of Lower Cretaceous strata of the Comanche Peak, Edwards, and Georgetown formations. The stratigraphy is dominated by Edwards Limestone as it is the only formation that crops out in the study area.

Karst, stratigraphic, GIS, and geochemical studies were conducted to evaluate …

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 …

Geochemical And Petrological Characterizations Of Peridotite And Related Rocks In Marquette County, Michigan, Andrew Lloyd Sasso

Masters Theses

This study characterizes the following rock units in Marquette County, Michigan in terms of geochemistry and petrology: (1) Presque Isle Peridotite, (2) Deer Lake Peridotite, (3) Yellowdog Peridotite, and (4) Black Rock Point Gabbro. Analyses were conducted to determine if any petrological or geochemical relationships exist between these units, and to assess the potential of these units to host magmatic sulfide deposits.

The generated data and chosen geotectonic proxies indicate that Black Rock Point Gabbro and Deer Lake Peridotite crystallized from unrelated magmas, probably during the formation of the Great Lakes Tectonic Zone (2.7-1.85 Ga). No evidence was found which …

Natural Acid Rock Drainage And Ferricrete Deposit Chemistry Of The Judith Mountains, Montana, Sara Edinberg

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Judith Mountains are a low-elevation “island” mountain range in east-central Montana composed of a series of laccoliths and stocks cut by coarse-grained alkali granite and tinguaite dikes. The geology of the Judith Mountains in the vicinity of Red Mountain and Judith Peak, two of the tallest mountains in the range, is conducive to the creation of headwater streams that are naturally acidic. Extensive limonite staining on Red Mountain attests to the widespread presence of disseminated pyrite in hydrothermally altered porphyry rock. However, no major historical mining operations are known to the area. The acidic streams undergo neutralization in pH …

Paragenesis And Geochemistry Of The Calvert Tungsten Skarn Deposit, Pioneer Mountains, Montana, Joshua Messenger

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Calvert tungsten skarn deposit is located in the northern extent of the West Pioneer Mountains, approximately 40 miles southwest of Butte, Montana. The orebody was a significant tungsten producer from 1956-1957 and 1960-1962 during which time the mine produced a total of approximately 113,000 tons of ore averaging 1.10% WO₃. The mine has a measured reserve of 128,000 tons at 1.10% WO₃. The scheelite-bearing deposit occurs within skarn developed in the Pennsylvanian Amsden Formation near or in contact with a satellite pluton of the Late Cretaceous Pioneer Batholith.

Mineral paragenetic studies reveal at least three …

Mineralogy And Environmental Geochemistry Of Slag In Lower Area One, Butte, Montana, Jenna Kaplan

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Butte, Montana is the host to a Cu-Mo porphyry deposit and has been a location of mining interest since 1864. Once copper ore is removed from this deposit it goes through a smelting process. Copper smelting processes consist of roasting, smelting, concentrating, and fire refining. During smelting, metals are separated from the waste, or gangue material. Slag is the waste material from these processes. Non-ferrous slag, such as a copper ore, removes iron and silica from the original ore. There is much interest in slag postproduction for there is often still a significant weight percent of metals trapped within a …

Geochemical And Petrological Studies On The Origin Of Nickel-Copper Sulfide Mineralization At The Eagle Lntrusion In Marquette County, Michigan, Benjamin Davis Hinks

Masters Theses

The Eagle magmatic intrusion is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Marquette County. It hosts a high grade magmatic nickel-copper sulfide ore deposit. Country rocks surrounding the Eagle intrusion are metamorphosed slate and greywacke of the Proterozoic Michigamme Formation and Archean granite-gneiss. The aim of this thesis is to characterize the magmatic sulfide mineral deposit at Eagle and to establish its relationship to the surrounding host rocks of the Baraga Basin area.

The Eagle East intrusion is located 600 meters east of the Eagle intrusion. These two intrusions are similar in composition and sulfide mineralization. Sulfide textural domains …

Comparison Of The Chemical And Isotopic Composition Of Groundwater And Surface Water In The South Sound Region, Andrew H. Oberhelman

Summer Research

This project seeks to characterize the chemical and isotopic compositions of groundwater and surface water in portions of Pierce and King Counties, with the goal of using these results to determine the water sources of local lakes. Specifically of interest are lakes studied by Puget Sound students over the past ~10 years where water analyses appear to define a mixing line, likely between surface runoff and the shallow groundwater (Figures 1, 2, and 3). Existing data pertain only to surface water from the lakes while data pertaining to groundwater is patchy or nonexistent and includes only a few of the …

High Flow Events As Hot Moments Of Reactive Fe And P Export: Impacts Of Land Cover And Seasonality, Braden Rosenberg

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

High flow events often comprise the majority of annual discharge and riverine geochemical flux of phosphorus (P) and metals such as iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) due to glacial melt, snowmelt, and storm-driven sustained high flow. Aquatic ecosystem productivity in receiving water bodies such as Lake Champlain and the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) are impacted by the riverine import of nutrients. The magnitude of these high flow events can be a strong predictor of receiving water body conditions, and in some cases can contribute to eutrophication. We explore the intersection of high flow events and land cover in contrasting catchments …

Geochemical Investigation Of Anomalous Arsenic Enrichment In The Santiago Peak Volcanics Of Southern California, Elizabeth C. Johnston

Theses

Arsenic (As) is enriched in the Santiago Peak Volcanics (SPV) that crop out at Black Mountain Open Space Park in San Diego, CA. Thus, the Black Mountain SPV present an excellent opportunity to investigate As enrichment in ancient volcanic arc systems as a result of deep earth subduction zone processes. Through targeted field study of this unit, we aim to (1) confirm the volcanic arc provenance of rocks cropping out at Black Mountain, (2) investigate As enrichment in relation to volcanic arc processes, and (3) propose a model for As occurrence in the SPV. Our findings indicate Black Mountain SPV …