Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Regression Of The Flood In Virginia, James C. Rakestraw, Jim Melnick

Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism

The geology, tectonics, and hydraulics of the regression of the Flood formed much of the geomorphology of Virginia. Opportunities to view and study geology and geomorphology are available through visiting parks, traveling on public roads, and viewing geographic information system (GIS) resources.

Virginia is part of the North American Plate. A series of “blocks” of basement rocks within the plate underlie the geomorphological provinces of Virginia. These “blocks” form a series of steps between the Atlantic Ocean Basin and the Blue Ridge. The “Fall Line” found in Virginia is a fault between two blocks of basement rock. The basement rocks …

Modeling The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise In Coastal Virginia At Multiple Scales, George Murray Mcleod Iv

OES Theses and Dissertations

Relative sea level is increasing along the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and the rate of relative sea level rise (ΔRSL) for Coastal Virginia is approximately double the rate of global sea level rise (ΔSLRG)(1). The potential impacts posed to communities by ΔRSL are best understood by examining the spatial relationship between the upper limits of ocean-connected waters and the geographic positioning of critical natural and societal assets. This research examines this problem at three spatial scales to quantify the impacts of ΔRSL and storm flooding events on (i) structural and transportation infrastructure for the tide-influenced coastal zone of …

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 …

Estimated 2020 Co2 Emission Reductions In Virginia’S Transportation Sector From Covid-19, Eden E. Rakes, Pamela R. Grothe, Jeremy S. Hoffman

Virginia Journal of Science

The initial lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unfortunate opportunity to observe how abrupt, large-scale changes in traffic volume can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study explores how carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from Virginia’s transportation sector may have been affected by the changes in activity stemming from COVID-19 to inform more carbon-neutral policies as the state recovers from the economic downfall. Emission savings were calculated by multiplying the percent change from 2019 to 2020 in traffic volume from the Virginia Department of Transportation with the business-as-usual 2020 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimate of CO₂ emissions …

Characterizing Seagrass Effects On Hydrodynamics Of Waves And Currents Through Field Measurements And Computational Modelling, Ramin Familkhalili, Navid Tahvildari

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Low-lying coastal and estuarine areas are among the most populated regions globally, have high economic significance, and are increasingly threatened by climate change, sea level rise, nuisance flooding, and extreme storms. Nature-based coastal protections are sustainable and sea-level resilient alternatives compared to traditional solutions such as dikes and seawalls. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) or seagrasses can provide coastal flood and erosion protection by attenuating storm wave and current energy and stabilizing seabed sediments. However, more research is needed to understand the interactions between flow, SAVs, and sediments. These dynamic interactions affect flow at different scales and seagrass productivity. In this …

Ua37/42 Faculty Personal Papers Nina Hammer, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Personal papers of Nina Hammer, Bowling Green Business University Registrar 1938-1963; WKU Registrar 1963-1969.

De Paepe, Duane - Collector (Mss 625), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 625. The Duane De Paepe Kentucky Cave Saltpetre History Research Collection, a collection of historical research, field notes, cave surveys, photographs, maps, reports, and scholarly writing on saltpetre mining in Kentucky, especially at Mammoth Cave. The collection was created under a research program sponsored by the Cave Research Foundation and the National Geographic Society in Kentucky, 1976-1980, and directed by De Paepe.

Faust, Burton Sherwood, 1898-1967 (Mss 620), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 620. Correspondence, research notes, drafts, photographs, reference works and bibliographic material of Burton S. Faust relating to his studies of the chemical, historical and cultural aspects of saltpetre and of spelean saltpetre mining in the United States.

Shoreline Evolution: City Of Chesapeake, Virginia Elizabeth River Shorelines Data Summary Report, Donna A. Milligan, Christine Wilcox, C. Scott Hardaway Jr.

Reports

City of Chesapeake is situated between the Cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth along several branches of the Elizabeth River (Figure 1). Because the City's shoreline is continually changing, determining where the shoreline was in the past, how far and how fast it is moving, and what factors drive shoreline change will help define where the shoreline will be going in the future. These rates and patterns of shore change along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores will differ through time as winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments.

The purpose of this report is …

Towards Predicting Street-Level Inundation: Using Operational Forecast Modeling Techniques During 2011 Hurricane Irene, J. D. Loftis, H. V. Wang, D. R. Forrest

Presentations

Storm surge-induced coastal inundation poses numerous personal, commercial, industrial, and sociopolitical challenges for society. Flooding can be caused by the combination of storm surge and river-induced inland flooding in many locations throughout the coastal plain. The cross-disciplinary nature of the hydrodynamics involved (hydraulics, oceanography, and hydrology), coupled with the complexity of the atmospheric forcing, makes a numerical model the best approach for a comprehensive study of the dynamics of coastal inundation.

This study builds upon the lessons learned from forecast modeling experiences during 2011 Hurricane Irene in Tidewater Virginia, to ascertain the most effective way to approach predicting street-level inundation. …

Organic Copper Binding Ligands And Thiol Compounds Produced By Bacteria And In The Elizabeth River, Virginia, Christina Louise Dryden

OES Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents work focusing on copper and organic copper binding ligands in laboratory cultures and the Elizabeth River, Virginia. Laboratory cultures of the marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus were used to demonstrate the influence of elevated copper concentrations on copper-complexing ligand and thiol production. Copper-complexing ligands similar in binding strength to the strongest natural ligands were detected in V. parahaemolyticus cultures (log K′_CuL = 11.8–13.2). A strong correlation (r² = 0.973) was found between total thiol and copper-complexing ligand concentrations at all copper concentrations examined.

A yearlong seasonal study was undertaken in a heavily polluted estuary to ascertain …

Factors Influencing Nest Site Selection By Wood Turtles (Glyptemys Insculpta) In An Altered Forest Landscape, Ellery Ruther

Theses & Honors Papers

There have been many studies concerning wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) nest site selection, including studies that evaluate nest site conditions when stream sand banks are not available. However, because of the unique landscape at our study site (high gradient, first order streams) and rapidly diminishing wood turtle populations in Virginia, I am evaluating wood turtle nest site selection. Nine physiographic and vegetative characteristics from nest, positive, negative-one and negative-two control locations were evaluated using binomial generalized linear models and then best fit models were chosen using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). It was found that in lieu of typical stream …

Hydrologic Variations Within Created And Natural Wetlands In Southeastern Virginia, Aaron Dyer Despres

OES Theses and Dissertations

The hydrology of wetlands, particularly how wetland soils collect, store, and redistribute water strongly affects how wetland systems function. In created wetlands, construction processes and materials influence the hydrology and consequently, the potential for successful reestablishment of target vegetation communities. During .2002- 2004, the Virginia Department of Transportation constructed large mitigation wetlands on two different Quaternary aged surfaces with very similar hydrogeomorphic conditions. The Sandy Bottom Nature Park site (SBNP) located in Hampton, VA and rests on the sandy loam Tabb Formation while the Charles City Wetland site (CCW) lies on the older and clay-rich Shirley Formation. This study documents …

Tangier Island, Virginia Shoreline Management Plan For The West Coast Of The Uppards, C. Scott Hardaway Jr.

Reports

Utilizing geo-rectified aerial photography from 1938, 1960, 1987, and 2001, shoreline change rates were determined along the Uppards. Shoreline change rates vary but are all erosional except for areas around the north end where sand bars come and go. In the area of concern between baseline stations 4000 and 4600, the rates of erosion have increased with time. Using the rate calculated from the 1938 to 2001 shorelines for station 4000, 16 ft/yr, the 400 ft marsh isthmus width between the shoreline and Toms Gut would breach in about 25 years. This would essentially break the Uppards in two and …

Stratal Architecture In A Prograding Shoreface Deposit, Eastern Shore, Va: Relationship To Grain Size, Permeability, And Facies Distribution, Andrew C. Miller

OES Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental concern of the stratigrapher is to develop predictive models of stratigraphic organization. In sedimentology one of the most significant problems that has yet to be resolved is the fact that there is a lack of quantitative information regarding the relationship between geometry of beds, thickness of beds, grain size and sedimentary structures in sandy environments, especially shallow marine deposits. Scientists have also realized the need to correlate quantitative permeability to sedimentary structures and scales of stratigraphic organization. The purpose of the study is to investigate the scales of stratigraphic organization that control the variation of grain size and …

The Influence Of Saprolite Composition Texture And Structure On Groundwater Flow In The Piedmont Province Henry County Virginia, John Thomas Russell

OES Theses and Dissertations

At a 500 acre site in Henry County, Virginia, differences in vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_V) and lateral hydraulic conductivity (K_H) measured in saprolites formed from the Fork Mountain biotite gneiss and the Leatherwood granite reflect the control of the fabric, texture, and structure of the parent rock preserved within the saprolite horizon. Using subsurface data collected from approximately 350 boreholes in conjunction with published information enabled various maps to be generated that identify the spatial relationships between geology and topography and their influence on the nature of the saprolite aquifer.

Measurements of K_H determined from …

Quaternary Seismic Stratigraphy Of The Inner Shelf And Coastal Zone, Southern Delmarva Peninsula, Virginia, Anthony M. Foyle

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Pleistocene stratigraphic record beneath the Virginia inner shelf is largely unknown. On the adjacent lower Atlantic Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia, the Pleistocene record consists of seven stacked transgressive sequences, while on the southern Delmarva Peninsula, a series of three transgressive to highstand sequences are developed. Reconstruction of the mid-Atlantic basin margin response to high-frequency Quaternary glacioeustasy is limited by this sparse record of late transgressive through early regressive deposition. Knowledge of high-frequency depositional sequence architecture, developed under conditions of low subsidence (to net uplift) and low sediment input, is also incomplete. The Atlantic inner shelf and coastal zone, …

Paleocene To Miocene Foraminifera From A Well Near Gloucester, Virginia, Nelson Stanley Ford

OES Theses and Dissertations

Lithologic analysis of twenty-one core samples from a well near Gloucester, Virginia, when compared to published descriptions of formations occurring in the study area, indicates the presence of five formations. From oldest to youngest these units are the Aquia (late Paleocene), Nanjemoy (early Eocene), Chickahominy (late Eocene), Old Church (late Oligocene and early Miocene), and Eastover (late Miocene) formations. Comparison of the stratigraphic ranges of key planktic and benthic foraminifera from each of the core samples shows chronological agreement with previously published ages for each of these formations.

Paleoenvironmental analysis of each of the formations in the well is based …

Ground Water Investigation Of The Petersburg Granite In Chesterfield County, Virginia, Michael W. Bennett

OES Theses and Dissertations

Yields of new water wells in areas underlain by the Petersburg Granite in Chesterfield County, Virginia should improve if procedures for site selection and well construction follow the new guidelines proposed. These guidelines integrate analyses of aerial photo linears and drainage patterns, survey of bedrock joints and shallow geophysical properties and techniques using several statistical methods.

Throughout the study area, fracture traces form in nearly the same orientation as bedrock fractures. The dominant N-S and E-W trending bedrock joints also corresponded to aerial photo linears of similar orientation.

Across one large fracture zone, both gamma-ray and electrical resistivity surveys reveal …

Evaluation Of Late Mesozoic And Cenozoic Tectonism: Atlantic Inner Coastal Plain Margin Near Richmond, Virginia, Andrew A. Gremos

OES Theses and Dissertations

A combined geologic, geophysical, and geomorphic analysis of the Virginia Inner Coastal Plain margin near Richmond was conducted to investigate the presence of basement structures and to evaluate their influence on the overlying sedimentary package and present-day landscape. Basement structures identified included north-northeast and northwest oriented faults that appear to bound and transect a north-northeast trending early Mesozoic basin or basins and other pre-existing zones of weakness. Observed offsets are propagated upward through the pre-Miocene strata in the form of reverse faults and flexuring. Fracture sets measured in the Petersburg Granite and overlying Coastal Plain units, stream drainage lines, and …

The Geomorphology Of Alluvial Fan Deposits On The West Flank Of The Blue Ridge, Augusta County, Virginia, Debra Lynn Duffy

OES Theses and Dissertations

Large coalescing alluvial fans mantle the carbonate and shale formations west of the Blue Ridge mountains near Stuarts Draft, Virginia. Fan sediments are predominantly boulder and cobble gravels derived from the Antietam Quartzite, The fan complex consists of three alluvial units of significantly different ages. The surface of each fan unit was mapped using relative geomorphic position, soil color, clay content and thickness of Bt horizons, clast weathering, and degree of removal of depositional surfaces by stream incision. A five-category quartzite clast weathering scale developed for this study was very effective as a measure to distinguish map units. Stratigraphic data …

A Geophysical And Geological Study Of The Farmville Triassic Basin, Charles G. James Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Farmville basin is one of many Triassic basins which are found along the eastern coast of North America, and is the largest of the central string of basins in Virginia. Meta-volcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Chopawamsic Formation, as well as felsic intrusives are the primary lithologies surrounding the basin. A detailed gravity survey was conducted along six roads that trend approximately NW-SE, across the basin. Geologic, gravity, magnetic, and radiometric data were used to develop a kinematic model. Gravity anomalies were isolated using two-dimensional harmonic analysis methods to isolate the local, and regional anomalies. This analysis indicates that …

A Geophysical Study Of The Easternmost Piedmont: Brunswick County, Virginia, Mark A. Corbin

OES Theses and Dissertations

Gravity and magnetic models indicate that a steeply dipping, mylonitic shear zone recognized by reconnaissance mapping in the easternmost Piedmont of Brunswick County, Virginia is a listric fault. A pronounced 3 to 5 mgal Bouguer anomaly high is associated with the fault zone. A band of N10° trending aeromagnetic anomalies delineate the areal extent of the fault zone. The fault zone flattens eastward over a short distance to a depth of 15 kms where it joins a near horizontal surface that cuts across the region. This surface is herein interpreted to be a decollement. The fault zone of this study …

The Geomorphology And Surficial Geology Of The West Flank Of The Blue Ridge, Sherando Area, Virginia, Derek Weston Ryter

OES Theses and Dissertations

The west flank of the Blue Ridge near Sherando, Virginia (Augusta County) consists of many landforms including talus slopes, bedrock cliffs, boulder streams, colluvial slopes, residual knobs, and debris fans. The purpose of this study is to describe the geomorphic history of the area by understanding the spatial and temporal relationships between landforms on the hillslopes.

Boulder streams (maximum 30 m wide, 400 m long, 6.1 m thick) exhibit a gently dipping imbricated fabric and basal shear stresses of 0.1 to 0.4 bars.

Debris fans in Group L (lower) and Group U (upper) are distinguished by topographic position, degree of …

Trace Elements In Northern Virginia Middle Ordovician Carbonates: Implications For Diagenesis, Ruth Ann Strauss

OES Theses and Dissertations

Ninety-three carbonate rock samples collected from four of the major lithofacies types present in the Middle Ordovician limestone sequence of northwestern Virginia were analyzed to investigate whether the lithofacies bear the geochemical signature of the depositional and/or the diagenetic environment. Significant variations in Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn and Sr concentrations exist among the major lithofacies types. Low levels of Sr in both New Market lithofacies are indicative of an open system during diagenesis. Dissimilar Fe and Mn concentrations between these, however, reflect water chemistry differences in the depositional environment. Increasingly greater Cr, Fe, Mn, and Sr concentrations in the Lincolnshire …

Holocene Geology And Migration Of A Low-Profile Barrier Island System, Metompkin Island, Virginia, Mark R. Byrnes

OES Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of historical shoreline position, cross-island profile change, and stratigraphic data provided a shoreline response model for low-profile barrier island systems. Historical shoreline data illustrates continuous, shore-parallel retreat between 1852 and 1957, at which time the island narrowed to a width of approximately 200 m. Between 1957 and 1981, ephemeral inlet breaching along southern Metompkin Island disrupted longshore sediment transport, increased the rate of shoreline recession, and resulted in differential rates of retreat associated with an abrupt break in backbarrier morphology. By 1981, a 400 m offset had formed at a position midway along Metompkin Island, suggesting that ephemeral inlet …

Discrimination Of Subparallel Beach Ridges Using Detrital Ilmenite Composition And Fourier Shape Analysis, Allen E. Evans Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

Elemental composition (Fe, Ti, Mn, Mg, V, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Cr) and Fourier shape analysis of magnetically separated detrital ilmenite from seven Pleistocene and modern beach sand deposits of the Southeastern Virginia Coastal Plain were used to distinguish each deposit. Geomorphic expression, crosscutting relationships and proximity to the present shoreline differentiates the relative age of the seven sampled beach deposits. Analysis of ilmenite elemental composition, independent of geomorphic expression, distinguished beach sands of

different age and was successful in determining that each beach contained ilmenite similar in composition. Of the seven beach ridges tested, subtle yet significant differences in …

Depositional And Diagenetic History Of The Middle Ordovician Carbonates Of The Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia, Lynn Ellen Weyenberg

OES Theses and Dissertations

An examination of the Middle Ordovician carbonates in northwest Virginia has revealed a particularly sensitive record of deposition and subsidence. Two-hundred acetate peels from six measured stratigraphic sections in Shenandoah County, Virginia were examined to interpret the depositional and diagenetic history. Two major lithofacies have been recognized within the New Market Limestone and three have been recognized in the Lincolnshire Formation. These five lithofacies represent an overall transgressive sequence. This transgression was not uniform but paused several times to allow carbonate deposition to reach sea-level. These shoaling events suggest a slowly subsiding basin in this region. The carbonate rocks within …

Late Prehistoric And Protohistoric Large Mammal Zoogeography Of Virginia, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence derived from18late prehistoric (middle and late Woodland Period) archeological sites, from several early historical accounts, and from the current understanding of the distribution of Virginia mammals indicates that the large mammal fauna of the Commonwealth has not changed substantially within the past 4,000 yrs. Some species (e.g., bison, elk, timber wolf, and mountain lion) have been extirpated since the settlement of Virginia by Europeans; some previously extirpated species (e.g., porcupine, coyote, and beaver) have been naturally or artificially reintroduced during the historical period, and others (e.g., woodchuck and red fox) probably have expanded their distributions as a result of …

Conodont Biostratigraphy Of The Cambrian-Ordovician Boundary Interval In The Northern Shenandoah Valley Of Virginia, U.S.A., Randall C. Orndorff

OES Theses and Dissertations

Conodonts collected from two measured sections in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia indicate that locally the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary is within the upper part of the Conococheague Formation and that the Conococheague-Stonehenge formational contact as defined in this study, is diachronous in relation to the boundary. Using the generally accepted definition of the CambrianOrdovician boundary as at the base of the trilobite Missisguoia Zone or within the conodont Hirsutodontus hirsutus Subzone of the Cordylodus proavus Zone, it is found here that the boundary is 230 ft (70 m) below the formational contact at the Narrow Passage Creek section. Several North …