Earth Sciences Commons^™

An Evaluation Of Five Perfluorinated Hydrocarbons As Tracers In Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids, Jennifer K. Bergin

Masters Theses

Tracers are used in many facets of hydrogeological investigations. At this time, only tracers for aqueous phase liquids are known. The object of this investigation is to assess the viability of a suite of hydrocarbons as tracers m underground spills of non-aqueous phase liquids.

Laboratory experiments were performed to determine if the potential tracers were soluble in common petroleum hydrocarbons, non-volatile, differentiable and quantifiable by GC/MS, and conservative.

The first compound tested, perfluorokerosene, was detected but could not effectively be determined quantitatively with the GC/MS. Its use should be restricted to investigations in which only its presence, and not its …

Geological And Hydrogeological Characterization Of The Schoolcraft Aquifer, Schoolcraft, Michigan, William K. Steinmann

Masters Theses

Newly installed monitoring wells, county well logs, gamma-ray logs, head measurements, flow nets, slug tests, and full aquifer pumping tests were utilized to characterize the geologic and hydrogeologic conditions of the area. Evaluation of the geologic conditions indicate that the study area is best described as a glacially generated, humid type, alluvial fan. A hydrogeologic facies model concept aided in the initial evaluation of the hydrogeologic conditions and was utilized for the placement of several vertically nested monitoring wells. Further evaluation indicates an unconfined aquifer comprised of two separate flow systems: a shallow, local flow system interacting with flow-through surface …

Subsurface Glacial Geology Of The Area Between The Tekonsha And Kalamazoo Moraines, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Kim Finkbeiner

Masters Theses

Cross sections profiling the stratigraphy of the glacial sediments were created using the geological logs recorded on water well records. Glacial sediments in the study area comprise a large outwash complex between two moraines. The surficial landforms are the result of the last Wisconsinan advance and retreat through the area.

Cross sections contructed for this project reveal at least three major till units. An additional till unit contains a weathered soil sequence. Therefore, it is possible that this paleosol represents the Sangamon Interglacial period between the Wisconsinan and Illinoian stages. No obvious evidence of movement of the Saginaw Lobe remains …

Investigations Of Glacial-Drift Aquifer-Lake Interactions Using Hydrogeology, Geochemistry, And Stable Isotopes At Asylum Lake, Michigan, Vincent E. Buening

Masters Theses

A hydrogeological investigation of Asylum Lake and its associated unconfined glacial-drift aquifer in Kalamazoo, Michigan was undertaken to define the lake-aquifer interaction at the study area. In addition, the impact of development proximal to the study area on ground water and lake-water quality was evaluated. Hydrogeology, inorganic water chemistry, and stable isotopic ratios of deuterium to hydrogen were employed to establish the interaction of the lake and the aquifer.

The findings from this study indicated that: (a) the sandy unconfined glacial-drift aquifer discharges into the lake along its western margin and is recharged by the lake along its eastern margin; …

Allozyrne Variation Within And Between Populations Of Ruth's Golden Aster, Pityopsis Ruthii (Small) Small, Steven A. Sloan

Masters Theses

Genetic structure of the two known populations of Ruth's golden aster, Pityopsis ruthii (Small) Small, was determined. Pityopsis ruthii is a rare, endemic plant species restricted to exposed phyllite and graywacke rock outcrops in the flooding zones of the Hiwassee and Ocoee River drainages in Polk County, Tennessee. There are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 P. ruthii plants on the Hiwassee and ~600 on the Ocoee River. Patterns of variation at three enzyme loci were examined. Two loci, Pgm-2 and Prx-1, were polymorphic in both river populations. Despite limited habitat and subsequent restricted ranges (~ 5 kmalong each river), populations …

Problems Associated With Using Ground Penetrating Radar To Locate A Lnapl Plume, Jodie Mcneil

Masters Theses

The Crystal Refinery in Carson City, Michigan was the site used to test the hypothesis that Ground Penetrating Radar can locate LNAPL plumes. The contamination at the site is in the form of two tree product plumes and a dissolved plume. Three Ground Penetrating Radar antennas were used, a 100 MHz, a 300 MHz and a 500 MHz. Borings with a hand auger were made on some of the GPR lines. Gravel and coarse sand along with product in the form of residual stain and tree product were found in some locations. A vertical electrical sounding and a resistivity profile …

Total Organic Carbon In A Glacial Aquifer: Measurement And Effects Upon Transport Of Organic Compounds, Jiang Wu

Masters Theses

Organic contaminant transport processes in subsurface systems have been paid increasing attention recently. Sorption of organic compounds on the aquifer solid matrix (retardation) is one of the most important processes influencing contaminant transport. The extent of sorption has been estimated by determination of organic carbon in aquifer materials and assumptions concerning sorption constants.

This paper focuses upon the sensitivity of organic contaminant transport to the total organic carbon (TOC) content in a natural aquifer. This study was composed of two phases. The first phase was methodology development and laboratory analysis of organic carbon contents in soil samples. Acidification and furnace …

The Effects Of A Wetland On Ground-Water Quality In An Agriculturally Impacted Aquifer, Marilyn Ann Betts

Masters Theses

Nitrate concentrations in excess of U.S. EPA standards have been documented for farm wells in an area where hog production and row crops are the predominant forms of agribusiness. The aquifer serving this area is in glacial deposits of interbedded sand, clay, gravel and till. The upper, unconfined, sand and gravel unit of the aquifer is connected to a flow-through wetland. Five well nests, with wells at various depths, were installed in and around the wetland. Samples were taken from the wells in both winter and summer to establish temporal and spatial changes in ground-water quality parameters.

Concentrations of nitrate, …

Stratigraphy And Structure Of Part Of The Western Blue Ridge Foothills, Polk And Monroe Counties, Tennessee, Mark W. Carter

Masters Theses

The Upper Proterozoic Walden Creek Group (Ocoee Supergroup) is a thick sequence of metasedimentary rocks that underlies the western Blue Ridge Foothills belt in eastern Tennessee. Traditional interpretation suggests that rocks of the Walden Creek Group represent synrift sedimentation along the Late Proterozoic Laruentian margin. These rocks were later regionally metamorphosed, cleaved, folded, and thrust westward during two Paleozoic orogenies (Taconic and Alleghanian). Recent hypotheses from uncorroborated paleontological evidence suggest that the Walden Creek Group is no older than Silurian, deposited into a post-Taconic successor basin, and subsequently metamorphosed and deformed only during the Alleghanian orogeny. Stratigraphic and structural data …

Structure, Stratigraphy, And Metamorphism Of A Part Of The Columbus Promontory, Western Inner Piedmont, North Carolina, Gregory M. Yanagihara

Masters Theses

The geology of the Inner Piedmont in a part of southwestern North Carolina, called the Columbus Promontory, is characterized by a complex history involving high grade metamorphism and penetrative ductile deformation. This study involved detailed (1:24,000) geologic mapping, petrography, whole rock geochemical analysis, and structural analysis to study the stratigraphy, structural geology, and metamorphism of a part of the Columbus Promontory.

Rocks in the study area can be divided into three major lithotectonic units, each separated by a ductile thrust fault, and strike NE and dip gently to the SE. Unit 1, theStructurally lowermost and northwesternmost unit in the study …

The Relationship Between Basement Structure And Overlying Sediments In The Michigan Basin: A Detailed Gravity Investigation, Mitchell Joseph Gutaj

Masters Theses

A detailed gravity study consisting of 945 measurements was carried out in Branch County, Michigan. The objectives of this study are to determine if: (a) structural trends interpreted from regional gravity data in southwestern Michigan are also observed in a more detailed survey in Branch County and (b) any relationship exists between observed geophysical anomalies, geological structures and overlying basin sediments.

The resulting gravity map indicates that NW-SE, NE-SW, and N-S trends are more clearly identified comprising several elliptical highs and lows. Variations in the isopachs of some of the overlying Phanerozoic formations area are also coincident with gravity anomalies. …

Studies Of The Effect Of Hydrophobic Filter Packs In Free Product Hydrocarbon Recovery Wells, Stephen J. Shank

Masters Theses

Most free product hydrocarbon recovery wells are filter packed in order to prevent aquifer material from entering the well and to increase their effective diameter. Historically there are five factors in filter pack designs: grain size, grain shape, mineralogy, uniformity, and the filter pack diameter. Previous laboratory experiments found that filter packs treated with a water repellant chemical could dramatically improve well performance. This adds wettability as a sixth factor.

A desorption experiment was conducted to determine the feasibility of using a chemically treated filter pack in the subsurface. Analytical results of the leachate from the chemically treated sand indicated …