Earth Sciences Commons^™

Calibration, Installation Techniques, And Initial Measurements For Vertical Resistivity Probes Used In Hydrogeologic Investigations, Jeffrey Mark Groncki

Masters Theses

Vertical Resistivity Probes (VRPs) are being increasingly used in a variety of applications where detailed vertical resistivity information in both the vadose and saturated zones is needed. All the different possible array types and spacings must be calibrated for the effect of the 2" (outer diameter) insulating PVC cylinder on which the electrodes are mounted. Apparent resistivities must be corrected by calibration factors. Varying the installation parameters greatly influences the measured apparent resistivity because of the disturbed annulus and the composition of the backfill materials. Bentonite slurry is necessary for the installations to keep the electrodes in good contact with …

Structural And Stratigraphic Relationships Of Ortho- And Paragneisses Southwest Of Marion, North Carolina, Brendan Richardson Bream

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the stratigraphic and structural relationships in the western Inner Piedmont of several orthogneisses and a paragneiss sequence. Detailed mapping was completed for an area slightly larger than one 7.5-minute quadrangle and is located southwest of Marion, North Carolina, at the northeast outcrop termination of the main Henderson Gneiss unit. From bottom to top, the stratigraphy of the study area consists of the Tallulah Falls Formation, Poor Mountain Amphibolite, and Poor Mountain Quartzite. Amphibolites and amphibole gneisses of the Tallulah Falls Formation, Poor Mountain Formation, and Dysartsville gneiss are interpreted as tholeiitic basalts related to rifting along the …

The Effect Of Divalent Cations On The Prophenoloxidase Enzyme Cascade Activity In The Freshwater Crayfish Cambarus Latimanus, Hans Skailand Eikaas

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of divalent cations such as cadmium, calcium, copper, lead and magnesium upon the prophenoloxidase system (proPO) was studied in hemocytes of the crayfish Cambarus latimanus. It was demonstrated that cadmium, calcium, copper and lead increased proPO activity significantly, whereas magnesium had no statistically significant effect on the system. Also, the molecular weight of the proPO enzyme was estimated using SDS-PAGE and found to be approximately 76 kDa.

Stratigraphic Analysis Of Diamicton Units In North-Central St. Joseph County, Michigan, Andrew C. Flint

Masters Theses

Seven subsurface glacial diamicton units, including a paleosol, have been characterized from two borings in north-central St. Joseph County, Michigan. These units have been characterized in terms of their clay mineralogy, texture, color, and stratigraphic position. t-Tests confirm that each unit displays a significant difference in mean 7A/10A peak height ratio from all other units.

Unit 4, informally called the Gray Marker tilt has been correlated between borings in this study and to the findings of others (Gardner, 1997, Nicks, in preparation). The Newbury till described by the Indiana Geological Survey (unpublished data) may also correlate to Unit 4, raising …

Mineral Paragenesis And Ore Fluids At The Turquoise Ridge Gold Deposit, Nevada, Michiko Shigehiro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this study, mineral assemblages and related fluid inclusions at the Turquoise Ridge Carlin-type gold deposit were examined to answer the following questions: (1) What is the ore-stage mineral paragenesis? (2) At what pressures and temperatures did the deposits form? (3) What are the sources of ore fluids?

Pyrite with gold, jasperoid quartz, stibnite, orpiment, realgar, and calcite were successively deposited at Turquoise Ridge. Microthermometric data and isotopic ratios of inclusion fluids in ore-related minerals indicate entrapment of multiple generations of fluids in pre-ore, ore-, and late-ore stage minerals. Primary fluid inclusions in an ore-stage jasperoid quartz crystal have salinities …

Alteration Associated With Gold Deposition At The Getchell, Carlin-Type Gold Deposit, North-Central Nevada, Tracy Lynn Cail

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alteration at the Getchell deposit was examined to determine the effects of ore-bearing fluids on host lithologies and the relationship between K-bearing alteration minerals and Au deposition. The geochemistry of unaltered to highly altered and mineralized rocks from the Getchell deposit was quantified for 54 samples collected along 14 transects in calcareous siltstone, carbonaceous limestone, and a rhyodacitic dike. Each transect was collected along a single homogeneous bed that could be followed from visibly unaltered waste rock into high-grade ore.

Calculated elemental gains and losses record an increase in the concentrations of Au, Hg, Sb, Se, Si, Te, Tl, and …

Depositional And Diagenetic Relationships Of The Honaker-Nolichucky Formational Boundary (Middle Cambrian, Conasauga Group), Southern Appalachians, Gary Alan Ottinger

Masters Theses

The upper Honaker and lower Nolichucky Formations (Middle Cambrian, Conasauga Group) in northeastern Tennessee comprise part of a thick pericratonic Cambro-Ordovician passive margin sequence along the eastern edge of North America. Throughout the Cambrian, the interplay of autocyclic controls, including sediment supply, tectonism and accompanying subsidence, and eustasy, resulted in various sedimentary architectures, including the Conasauga platform and intrashelf basin adjacent to the craton. To date, the Middle Cambrian westerly carbonate sections adjacent to and within the intrashelf basin (near Knoxville) have been studied in considerable detail. Particularly, these studies have proposed a third-order sequence boundary near Knoxville as well …

Zinc Speculation And Ligand Fluxes In Chesapeake Bay And Elizabeth River Pore Waters, Duncan Glover Byers

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Presented here are the first data on the vertical concentrations, complexation, speciation, and fluxes of total dissolved zinc and zinc complexing ligands, and zinc speciation in sediment pore waters in the Chesapeake Bay and Elizabeth River, Virginia.

Sediment pore waters were collected in mid and southern Chesapeake Bay in November 1997 and in the Elizabeth River (Pinner's Point) in March, April, and July 1998. Flux experiments were conducted in Elizabeth River sediment cores in April and July 1998. [TDZn] and zinc complexation were determined using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode (DPASV-HMDE).

[TDZn] in the …

Multiple Isotopic Studies Of Calcium Carbonate Growths In Concrete Structures, Danielle M. Schmitt

Masters Theses

Secondary minerals, predominantly carbonates, forming under concrete structures have received attention in terms of their possible role in the degradation of their hosts. δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O analyses of several calcium carbonate growths collected from bridges in Michigan and New York were performed. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values clustered around -24.7 ± 1(PDB) and 13.7 ± 1(SMOW) ‰, respectively. A positive δ¹⁸O- δ¹³C correlation suggests kinetically driven precipitation involving atmospheric CO2• ¹⁴C activities determined for select samples support the theory that atmospheric CO₂ is involved …

A Comprehensive Approach For Evaluation Of Groundwater Vulnerability To Contamination, Shafiul H. Chowdhury

Dissertations

Groundwater vulnerability to contamination from surface sources was evaluated for Nottawa Creek Watershed, Calhoun County Michigan using AQUIPRO and DRASTIC vulnerability methods. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to analyze and map the data. Forty groundwater samples were collected following a statistical sampling protocol from private wells. Samples were analyzed for nitrate-N and atrazine. Atrazine was not detected (detection limit 0.1 ppb) in any of the samples. Five samples contained detectable nitrate-N (detection limit 0.05 mg/L). Due to insufficient chemical data, the relative AQUIPRO and DRASTIC vulnerability scores could not be compared with the frequency of occurrences o f …

Molecular Characterization Of Soil Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria Based On The Genes Encoding Ammonia Monooxygenase, Jose Javier Alzerreca

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are chemolithotrophs that oxidize ammonia/ammonium to nitrite in a two-step process to obtain energy for survival. AOB are difficult to isolate from the environment and iso lated strains may not represent the diversity in soil. A genetic database and molecular tools were developed based on the ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) encoding genes that can be used to assess the diversity of AOB that exist in soil and aquatic environments without the isolation of pure cultures. The amo genes have excellent potential as molecular markers; since AMO is only found in the AOB and is essential for their metabolism, …

Evaluating Snowmelt Runoff, Infiltration, And Erosion In A Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem, Eric K. Duffin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Production of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) has created a need for safe storage facilities. These facilities must be capable of isolating radioactive waste and preventing contamination from physical or biological intrusion until the waste material is isotopically stable. At the present time, managers of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) have a substantial database characterizing rainfall events and the subsequent impact on integrity of shallow land burial sites used for storage of LLRW. Little information has been gathered describing the processes of snow accumulation/ablation and the resulting impact on storage facilities. This study examines snowmelt runoff, infiltration, and …

Sequence Stratigraphy And Paleoecology Of The Middle Cambrian Spence Shale Member Of The Langston Formation Of Northeastern Utah And Southeastern Idaho, Scott H. Wright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Middle Cambrian Spence Shale Member contains meter-scale, shallowing-up cycles (parasequences) and record approximately 360 ky of deposition. These meter-scale cycles are nested within transgressive systems tracts (TST) and highstand systems tracts (HST) which reflect different stages of a lower-order, higher-magnitude sea-level excursion.

Fossil assemblages are located in stratigraphic positions within the Spence Shale Member that can be predicted on the basis of sequence architecture. The cycle architecture, taphonomy, and geochemistry of the Spence parasequences confirm synthetic sections and theoretical models of meter-scale cycles developed in other studies. Delineation of meter-scale cycles, based on taphonomic and sedimentologic criteria, allows high-resolution …

Prediction Of Suburban Encroachment On The Ethan Allen Firing Range And Camp Johnson, Chittenden County, Vermont, John D. Calandrelli

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Suburban encroachment is a growing concern for many National Guard training installations. The Ethan Allen. Firing Range and Camp Johnson, Vermont, are either experiencing or are completely enclosed by urban encroachment. The objective of this study was to analyze the trends of suburban growth within Chittenden County, Vermont, to evaluate growth and explore future training site viability of the Ethan Allen Firing Range and Camp Johnson.

This study focused on historical data, recent real estate transactions, population projections, and county plans for growth. Using historical and contemporary data, I developed a predictive model of suburban encroachment on Camp Johnson and …

Chemical And Hydrostratigraphic Characterization Of Ground Water And Surface Water Interactions In Cache Valley, Utah, J. Mike Robinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of five east-west and two north-south hydrostratigraphic cross sections were drawn from drillers' logs of water wells within the southern half of Cache Valley, Utah. These cross-sections demonstrate that ground water flow to streams is restricted by a continuous low- II permeability layer, nearly 100-feet thick. This layer was correlated to the lake-bottom deposits of the Bonneville (30,000 -13,000 years ago) and Little Valley (140,000 - 90,000 years ago) cycles of the ancient Lake Bonneville.

The most productive aquifers in the valley, collectively termed the principal aquifer , are in the southeast corner , approximately between Smithfield and …

Cenozoic Structural And Stratigraphic Evolution Of The Southeastern Salmon Basin, East-Central Idaho, James J. Blankenau

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The southeastern Salmon basin (SB) of east-central Idaho is a complex east-dipping half graben containing four unconformity-bounded sequences of Tertiary volcanic, alluvial fan, lacustrine, and fluvial deposits. From oldest to youngest these are the Challis volcanic group, sedimentary rocks of Tendoy (new name), sedimentary rocks of Sacajaweja (new name), and Quaternary-Tertiary deposits . The thick sequence of volcanic rocks was deposited in a southeast-trending paleovalley . New mapping, cross-cutting relationships, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations, and angular unconformities show that the SB has experienced at least four episodes of extension, and that it lies in the core of an …

Tertiary Stratigraphy And Structural Geology, Wellsville Mountains To Junction Hills, North-Central Utah, Kathryn M. Goessel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study integrates detailed mapping of Tertiary deposits along the divide between the lower Bear River basin and the Cache Valley basin with several other techniques to generate a depositional model, define extension-related structures, and compile a geologic history for this part of the northeastern Basin and Range province. The study area is situated along the topographic divide between Box Elder and Cache Counties, Utah, from the Wellsville Mountains north almost to Clarkston Mountain. These ranges are cored by folded and thrusted Paleozoic rocks. They are bound on the west by normal faults of the Wasatch fault zone and on …

Geochemistry And Petrogenesis Of The Bonanza King Mafic Intrusive Complex, Trinity Terrane Ophiolite, California, Keith R. Willse

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Bonanza King mafic intrusive complex (MIC) (>25 km^2₎ of the Trinity terrane ophiolite, northern California, consists of cogenetic plutonic and dike lithologies. Steep intrusive contacts exist between cumulate pyroxenite, isotropic gabbro, and peridotite country rock. Near vertical east-west trending, bimodal dikes intruded gabbro and are centered within the complex. Geochemical modeling indicates taht accumulation/fractionation of a gabbroic parental magma produced lithologic trends of cumulate pyroxenite and fractionated gabbro and dike lithologies. Similarities between all lithologies suggest cogenetic formation of all the elements of the Bonanza King MIC during the Late Silurian (431 +/- 3).

Parental magma …

The Geochronology And Geochemistry Of The Bearhead Rhyolite, Jemez Volcanic Field, New Mexico, Leigh Justet

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Around 82% of mapped Bearhead Rhyolite (Main Cluster) and Peralta Tuff appears to have been derived from a relatively long-lived (~680 ka), large, shallow (Earth's surface) magma chamber that did not produce a caldera-forming eruption. Although volatile contents were great enough (~ wt.% H₂O), no large-scale explosive eruptions occurred because magma may have been tectonically vented. The lack of systematic chemical variation within the Main Cluster with time during this ~680 ka interval may imply that erupted magmas were physically separated from each other by fault-formed cupolas in the roof of the magma chamber. These results are significant …

The Origin Of Brucite In Hydrothermally Altered Limestone Near Devil Peak, Nevada, Rhonda L. Knupp

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Open-space brucite was identified in veins crosscutting hydrothermally altered limestone near the Devil Peak rhyolite plug in southern Nevada. The brucite occurs with serpentine, calcite, chalcedony, hydromagnesite, dolomite, and clinochlore.

Brucite usually forms as a replacement mineral, but textural evidence indicates that the brucite at Devil Peak precipitated in open space. The presence of chalcedony in veins indicates the temperature of the hydrothermal fluid was <180^oC during and after mineral deposition. Thermodynamic modeling shows this temperature is too low for replacement brucite to form, thus the low temperature of alteration may be a factor in this unusual occurrence of …

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 …

Effects Of Organic Matter And Iron-Rich Clay On Mobility Of Trace Metals From Flue Dust Contaminated Soil, Scott Ephraim Lewis

OES Theses and Dissertations

The enhanced leaching of trace metals through soil becomes a concern for human health if dissolved trace metals reach groundwater and migrate into a public water system. A serial batch extraction procedure was implemented to determine the effects of Vitagrow © organic matter and Fe-Rich TM clay on the mobility of trace metals (Zn, Pb, and Cd) from a flue dust treated (0, 600, 1200, and 2400 μgig Zn) Appling soil.

The addition of an organic matter (OM) amendment to the Appling soil enhanced Pb mobility and reduced soluble Zn and Cd. In general, average solution concentrations of trace metals …

Analysis Of Lunar Basalt Flows In Oceanus Procellarum Using Clementine Data, Noel William Jackson

OES Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing analyses of data set taken by Clementine in 1994 permit new observations about mineral distribution on the lunar surface, basalt flow stratigraphy, and thus the geologic evolution of the Moon. The northern section of Oceanus Procellarum contains numerous impact craters which penetrated the basalt and thus can be used as natural probes to estimate the number and thicknesses of flows.

I constructed a mosaic taken in three frequencies ( 415 nm, 750 nm, 950 nm), and a Ratio Image (750/415 = red, 750/950 = green, 415/750 = blue). On such an image, red indicates the iron-poor mature highland …

Major- And Minor-Element Analysis Of Apollo 14 Volcanic Green Glasses B, And Petrogenic Modeling Of Apollo 14 Green Glasses A And B, Vera Assis Fernandes

Geology Theses and Dissertations

The lunar picritic volcanic glasses have been identified as being quenched samples of primary magmas extruded onto the lunar surface via fire-fountains. The study of the composition of these glasses is of extreme importance for the understanding of the Moon's mantle composition and petrogenetic processes.
Based on their chemical signature (low-Ti and high Mg#) and physical characteristics, the lunar picritic glasses are believed to represent primary magmas. Experimental data suggest that these melts formed at 360-500 km depth (18-25 kbar) in the lunar mantle, and were transported onto the lunar surface through a "channel" network (McKenzie, 1985b) that isolated these …

The Geology Of The Liberty-Orrington-Passagassawakeag/Fredericton Trough Terrane Boundary In The Bucksport-Orland Area, Coastal Maine, Heather A. Short

Geology Theses and Dissertations

The Liberty-Orrington fault separates two tectonic terranes of widely different lithologies and metamorphic grades within the Coastal Lithotectonic Belt of Maine. While the juxtaposition of the sillimanite-bearing Passagassawakeag gneiss and the chlorite grade Bucksport Formation (turbidites) requires a fault between them, field evidence for, and an understanding of, the nature of the fault has hitherto been lacking. Although the Liberty-Orrington fault has previously been interpreted as a thrust, strike-slip, and/or normal fault, the most recent debate has been centered around two models of Acadian amalgamation involving thrusting of the Passagassawakeag terrane from the southeast vs. thrusting from beneath central Maine …

Bridger Formation Sandstones Used As An Indication Of Tectonics In The Green River Basin And Western Wyoming, Lisa S. Novins

Honors Papers

Sandstone from the Eocene Bridger Formation of southwestern Wyoming can be used as a tool to constrain the timing and order of controversial tectonic events in the region. The key tectonic element in this region is the Wind River Range. Sandstones in the Bridger were derived from two source areas to the north, one being the basement rocks from the Wind River Range and the other volcanic rocks from the Absaroka Volcanic field (AVF). The abundance of volcanic grains increases upsection in the Bridger indicating that more volcanic material was carried through the Wind River Range. This evidence supports the …

Evolution Of Quaternary Intraplate Mafic Lavas Detailed Using Helium-3 Surface Exposure And Argon-40/Argon-39 Dating, And Elemental And Helium, Strontium, Neodymium And Lead Isotopic Signatures: Potrillo Volcanic Field, New Mexico, United States Of America And San Quintin Volcanic Field, Baja California Norte, Mexico, Wendi Joan Whitehead Williams

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Pleistocene Potrillo volcanic field (PVF) resides within the southern axis of the Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico, U.S.A., near the eastern extent of the Basin and Range Province. Its alkalic mafic volcanism has resulted in several hundred cones, flows and maars distributed over approximately 4,600 km2. Alignments are segregated into two halves relative to the East Robledo fault system that dissects this field. Three of the five maars have brought peridotitic and lower to upper crustal xenoliths to the surface; several older, non maar-related flows from the west half of the field host ultramafic clots. Stratigraphic relationships, 3He surface …

Geochemistry Of Small Mountainous Rivers Of Papua New Guinea: Local Observations And Global Implications, Megan B. Raymond

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Small, wet mountainous rivers (runoff > 0.63 m yr" 1 , headwater elevation> 1000 m, basin area < 10,000 km2 ) contribute a disproportionate amount of sediment to the global ocean due to their steep high topography, erosive substrate, and often high precipitation. Scattered data have suggested a slight, but statistically insignificant, inverse relationship between total dissolved solid (TDS) yield (T km-2 yr-1 ) and basin area, but small to very small rivers (basin areas< 10,000 km2 ) have been poorly documented. To fill this data gap, as well as to elucidate possible links between weathering and basin hydrology, nine small wet mountainous rivers, basin areas 22 km2-2300 km2 , were sampled in late May 1997 in northeastern Papua New Guinea. TDS concentrations ranged from 75 to 148 mg L-1 , with no correlation to watershed area. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) values were low, with a mean DOC value of 135 f.Lmol L-1 ; POC values were lower, averaging 3lf.Lmol L- 1 • TDS data, combined with large wet mountainous river TDS data, demonstrate a significant inverse relationship between TDS yield and basin area. As a result, small wet mountainous rivers contribute a disproportionate amount of TDS, and have the highest TDS yields of any class of river. This observation is attributed to the high runoff of the sampled rivers (-2m yr-1 ), in addition to high rates of chemical weathering, which is facilitated by the erosive substrate and high rates of organic matter remineralization.

In-Situ Measurement Of Denitrification In The Elk Valley Aquifer, Allen Schlag

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater serves more than half of North Dakota's population as a drinking water source. Nitrate (NO₃¯) is a common groundwater contaminant associated with fertilizers, septic systems and livestock waste in shallow unconfined aquifers. As a suspected carcinogen and cause of potentially lethal methemoglobinemia in infants, the natural attenuation of NO₃¯ by denitrification can be an important process in keeping groundwater as a reliable source of clean drinking water for North Dakota. Organic carbon is often considered the most important electron donor for the chemical reduction of NO₃¯ into harmless nitrogen gas. However, several studies have shown that inorganic electron donors …

Nitrate Attenuation In A Narrow Non-Forested Riparian Buffer Zone In An Agricultural Watershed In Southern Ontario, Mark David Harris

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Riparian buffer zones are defined as strips of natural vegetation separating streams or lakes from surrounding upland landscapes. These zones may effectively reduce the nitrate-N load in shallow ground water draining intensively fertilized agricultural regions. Contemporary research has tended to focus on wide, forested riparian zones situated on poorly drained lowland sites. In addition, research has typically focused on the growing season, when the ecosystem is biologically active, with relatively day hydrological conditions. This field study monitored spatial and temporal patterns of nitrate-N in a comparatively narrow, non-forested buffer zone situated in an upland agricultural watershed in southern Ontario. Results …