The Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Illinois Basin Paleosols: Recognizing Detrital, Pedogenic, And Diagenetic Minerals, 2022 Southern Methodist University
The Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Illinois Basin Paleosols: Recognizing Detrital, Pedogenic, And Diagenetic Minerals, Julia A. Mcintosh
Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations
The geochemical compositions of minerals in paleosols are assumed to be homogenous and attained through chemical weathering processes during episodes of pedogenesis in the geologic past. As such, the geochemical composition of minerals from paleosols may be used to reconstruct ancient climates and environments. One problem with this assumption is that paleosols were initially clastic sedimentary rocks or substrate prior to pedogenesis, thus it is likely that some portion of the paleosol is still composed of detrital minerals. Secondly, conditions may change in a sedimentary basin as the basin is buried and later uplifted, potentially triggering new mineralization or transformation …
Experimental Insights Into The Origin Of Microcrystalline Calcites, 2022 Western Michigan University
Experimental Insights Into The Origin Of Microcrystalline Calcites, Mohammed Hashim
Dissertations
A significant proportion of modern marine calcium carbonate sediments is dominated by metastable aragonite and high Mg calcite that either dissolves or stabilizes to low-Mg-calcite (calcite) or dolomite during diagenesis. Sediment dissolution and stabilization have implications for the CaCO3 budget in the ocean and carbon burial rates. Yet, the diagenetic conditions that promote each process and their relative importance are poorly understood. Further, stabilization most commonly produces calcite microcrystals that exhibit various textures and host micropores. Despite their ubiquity in the rock record, the controls on microcrystal textures remain unclear. Here, laboratory experiments were used to investigate aragonite-to-calcite stabilization as …
Honey As A Biomonitor For Air Pollutant Deposition In The Eastern United States Using Ion Chromatography And Scanning Electron Microscopy, 2022 William & Mary
Honey As A Biomonitor For Air Pollutant Deposition In The Eastern United States Using Ion Chromatography And Scanning Electron Microscopy, Cole Cochran
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Anthropogenic activities generate metal, acid, and particulate air pollutants which negatively impact human and ecological health. In the United States, power plant, industrial, and vehicle emissions are leading causes of air pollution, however, the measurement of air pollution at high-resolution spatial regimes remains a challenge. Honey has emerged as a powerful biomonitoring tool to effectively quantify contaminants without the need for a large array of monitoring instruments. I hypothesized that honey could be used to effectively measure and map modern air pollutant spatiotemporal relationships over the Eastern U.S. Using ion chromatography with sulfate as an indicator for air pollution and …
Geologic Controls On 137cs Cycling By Terrestrial Vegetation In The Eastern U.S., 2022 William & Mary
Geologic Controls On 137cs Cycling By Terrestrial Vegetation In The Eastern U.S., Kathleen Chellman
Undergraduate Honors Theses
137Cs is a radioactive trace metal (T1/2 = 30 y) that was dispersed globally by nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s-1960s. Prevailing winds and precipitation systems caused some areas far from the test sites to receive significant fallout, which is still easily measured in soils, sediments and even some vegetation in the Eastern United States. Recent work near Chernobyl and Fukushima indicates that trace levels of 137Cs can harm insects, pollination services, and other ecological functions. In areas with low soil potassium, 137Cs is cycled in vegetation; however, soil potassium alone doesn't consistently predict the 137 …
Improving The Hydrological Analysis Of Groundwater Flow Paths By Integrating Geochemical And Physical Characteristics Of A Highly Fractured Aquifer System To Create Sustainable Use Of Groundwater In A Climate With Projected Drying Trends., 2022 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Improving The Hydrological Analysis Of Groundwater Flow Paths By Integrating Geochemical And Physical Characteristics Of A Highly Fractured Aquifer System To Create Sustainable Use Of Groundwater In A Climate With Projected Drying Trends., Marsha K. Allen
Doctoral Dissertations
Improving the hydrological analysis of groundwater flow paths by integrating geochemical and physical characteristics of a highly fractured aquifer system to create sustainable use of groundwater in a climate with projected drying trends.
Precipitation over Caribbean islands has decreased steadily since the 1950's, which has led to severe drought conditions. The most recent Pan-Caribbean Drought occurred from 2013 to 2016. Climate models predict that drying trends are expected to continue and become more severe over time as precipitation decreases and temperatures rise. In addition, evaporation rates on these islands are expected to increase by ~15-17%, contributing to the drought. Though …
Contrasting Styles Of Inter-Caldera Volcanism In A Peralkaline System: Case Studies From Pantelleria (Sicily Channel, Italy), 2022 Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Contrasting Styles Of Inter-Caldera Volcanism In A Peralkaline System: Case Studies From Pantelleria (Sicily Channel, Italy), Pierangelo Romano, John C. White, Silvio G. Rotolo, Nina J. Jordan, Rosolino Cirrincione, Giovanni De Giorgio, Patrizia Fiannacca, Epifanio Vaccaro
EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship
The recent (<190 ka) volcanic history of Pantelleria is characterized by the eruption of nine peralkaline ignimbrites, ranging in composition from comenditic trachyte to comendite to pantellerite. The ~46 ka Green Tuff (GT) was the last of these ignimbrites, which was followed by many effusive and explosive low-volume eruptions of pantellerite from vents within the caldera moat and along the caldera rim. Although recent studies have shed additional light on the age, petrochemistry, and volcanology of the older ignimbrites, there is very little knowledge of magmatism that occurred between these older ignimbrites, primarily due to the very scarce exposures. In this paper, we present new field descriptions and geochemical data for three local peralkaline centers never studied before, two pre-GT and one post-GT, which share a similar setting with respect to the caldera scarps but differ in terms of their age, composition, and eruptive style. These centers include: (i) the older (~125 ka) Giache center (comenditic trachyte), (ii) the ~67 ka Attalora center (comendite, pantellerite), and (iii) the younger (~14 ka) Patite center (pantellerite).
Stratigraphic And Geochemical Evaluation Of Distal Flows Of The Columbia River Flood Basalts In The Greater Vale Area, Southeastern Oregon, 2022 Portland State University
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 …
Geologic Homogenization, Conditioning, & Reuse, 2022 University of North Dakota
Geologic Homogenization, Conditioning, & Reuse, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center
EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets
Fact sheet about the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) project to evaluate the geologic homogenization, conditioning, and reuse (GHCR) concept of water management. Describes the GHCR concept and summarizes results of the multiyear project.
Fundamental Controls On The Water Cycle In Arid Environments: A Mechanistic Framework For Spatiotemporal Connectivity Between Hydroclimate And Groundwaters In The Dry Andes, 2022 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Fundamental Controls On The Water Cycle In Arid Environments: A Mechanistic Framework For Spatiotemporal Connectivity Between Hydroclimate And Groundwaters In The Dry Andes, Brendan J. Moran
Doctoral Dissertations
There remain many persistent uncertainties regarding fundamental aspects of natural water cycles in arid mountainous regions, the Dry Andes of South America represents one of the most extreme examples of these environments on the Planet. Deep water tables (>100 meters), long groundwater transit times and distances (>100 years, 10-100 kilometers), limited and infrequent rainfall, remote and difficult to access terrain, and complex salar/evaporite hydrogeology common in these environments make reliable monitoring of these hydrological systems particularly difficult. As a result, major gaps remain in our understanding of critical aspects of the water cycle such as recharge and evaporation …
Distribution Of Particulate Organic Carbon – Fluxes And Inventories – In Growth-Faulted Coastal Wetlands, 2022 University of Kentucky
Distribution Of Particulate Organic Carbon – Fluxes And Inventories – In Growth-Faulted Coastal Wetlands, Samuel Joel Whitehead
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
Coastal wetlands along the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOMx) are critically important but threatened environments which provide significant and diverse economic, social, and environmental value. These environments are essential components to the global carbon cycle, serving as one of the most efficient terrestrial carbon sinks. Since onset of the Industrial Revolution increasing rates of coastal wetland loss have been documented due to a variety of anthropogenic activities, neotectonic processes, subsidence, and rising sea-levels. This research utilized an array of methods and sedimentological analyses to test the hypothesis that growth-fault induced changes at Earth’s surface affects the delivery to, and storage …
Chemical And Thermal Influence On Intermediate Magma Storage Conditions: Volcán Ollagüe, Chile-Bolivia, Central Andes, 2022 Missouri State University
Chemical And Thermal Influence On Intermediate Magma Storage Conditions: Volcán Ollagüe, Chile-Bolivia, Central Andes, Drew Allen Laviada-Garmon
MSU Graduate Theses
Continental arc volcanoes are the single best portrayal of the evolution of recycled earth material stemming from subduction, one of the most important and foundational phenomena in global tectonics. Understanding the genesis of intermediate-composition magmas produced at arc volcanoes is a difficult process making them a focal point for investigation. Geochemical investigation of zircon and plagioclase mineral phases erupted from continental arcs can provide insight into magma process, generation, storage conditions, timescales and differentiation of sub-volcanic plumbing systems prior to eruption events. The Central Volcanic Zone is a prime example of continental arc volcanism through subduction, and is host to …
Impact Of Prairie Restoration On Geochemistry And Microbial Communities In Groundwater, 2022 Northern Illinois University
Impact Of Prairie Restoration On Geochemistry And Microbial Communities In Groundwater, Kayla Koenig
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Prairie restoration is important for reversing the loss of biodiversity and repairing ecosystem functions humanity is dependent on diverse ecosystems. This study looks at the impact of the beginning phases of prairie restoration on groundwater geochemistry and microbial communities the relationship between them. This research project studied the geochemistry and microbial communities in five wells before, during, and after the beginning phases of the first year of a prairie restoration on the Northern Illinois University campus. Water samples were collected bimonthly for a year and analyzed on an Ion Chromatograph. Microbial samples were collected monthly and underwent DNA extraction, amplification, …
Exceptional Agate Formation Found In Spokane Basalt, 2022 Eastern Washington University
Exceptional Agate Formation Found In Spokane Basalt, Matthew J. Markus
2022 Symposium
People don’t normally associate semi-precious gems with basalt or the “boring black rock” that dominates the Eastern Washington landscape. However, a site just northeast of Cheney in the West Planes of Spokane, shows where a system of gem-filled veins can be found nestled into the 16-million-year-old (Kasbohm and Schoene, 2018) Priest Rapids Member of the Wanapum Basalt that is a part of the greater Columbia River Basalt. The volcanic rocks are the host to millimeter - 10 cm wide fractures with variable colored agate and opal.
Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster Magma Evolution And Magma Plumbing System Architecture During The Gordo Stage (6-4 Ma), 2022 Missouri State University
Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster Magma Evolution And Magma Plumbing System Architecture During The Gordo Stage (6-4 Ma), Kasey Lynn Buckley
MSU Graduate Theses
Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster (AVC) is an 11 m.y. volcanic system in the central Andes that is evolving over four distinct stages of activity. Stages include the Aloncha (11-8 Ma), Gordo (6-4 Ma), Polán (4-2 Ma), and Aucanquilcha (Ma) stages. The AVC evolved from a series of magmatic underpinnings during the Aloncha Stage to a larger zone of melting, assimilation, storage, and homogenization (MASH) by the Polán Stage. The transition from smaller underpinnings to MASH zones began during the Gordo Stage. At ~5-2 Ma the AVC reached thermal maturity before beginning its volcanic death during the Aucanquilcha Stage. This study focuses …
Mining-Contaminated Sediment And Metal Storage In Channel Deposits In Turkey Creek, Tri-State Mining District, Missouri And Kansas, 2022 Missouri State University
Mining-Contaminated Sediment And Metal Storage In Channel Deposits In Turkey Creek, Tri-State Mining District, Missouri And Kansas, Max Quinn Hillermann
MSU Graduate Theses
The Joplin subdistrict, within the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), was a major producer of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) ore between the 1880s to 1920s. Metalliferous mining wastes are still stored in the channel deposits of local streams raising environmental and health concerns. This study quantifies the volume, sediment size, and metal concentrations in channel bed, bar, bench, and chute deposits to quantify the spatial variability of contaminated sediment storage in Turkey Creek (119 km2). Sample reaches (n=14) contained metal concentrations elevated above the Tri-State Mining District specific probable effects concentration at every site with mean concentrations in …
Assessing Assumptions And Applying Cosmogenic Nuclide Methods To Earth Surface Processes, 2022 University of Vermont
Assessing Assumptions And Applying Cosmogenic Nuclide Methods To Earth Surface Processes, Christopher T. Halsted
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
Terrestrial in situ cosmogenic radionuclides are powerful tools for quantifying rates and durations of Earth surface processes. Among the many applications of cosmogenic radionuclides are quantification of basin-scale erosion rates, burial durations of paleosols and terrace sediments, and unraveling of glacial chronologies. In this dissertation I use large data sets to investigate methodological assumptions critical for using cosmogenic radionuclides to interpret Earth surface processes, and I apply this isotope system to reconstruct the deglacial history of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the northeastern United States.
I use new and previously-published measurements of in situ 26Al and 10Be concentrations, over 300 …
The Effects Of Channel Incision And Land Use On Surface-Water/Groundwater Interactions In The Teanaway River Basin, Washington, Usa, 2022 Central Washington University
The Effects Of Channel Incision And Land Use On Surface-Water/Groundwater Interactions In The Teanaway River Basin, Washington, Usa, Joseph Petralia
All Master's Theses
The Teanaway River basin, a major tributary to the Yakima River, is host to several restoration projects with the intention of returning the river channel to a more natural state and improving riparian habitat. These projects may also increase aquifer storage and potentially increase summertime streamflows. This study of the Teanaway Valley Family Farm, an 88-hectare parcel on the main-stem Teanaway River that was recently purchased by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, provides hydrogeologic data that will inform these restoration projects. Following the purchase of this land, ten wells were installed within and slightly above the floodplain in order …
Pascoite Minerals And Potential Application Of Nmr Spectroscopy, 2022 Illinois State University
Pascoite Minerals And Potential Application Of Nmr Spectroscopy, Craig C. Mclauchlan, Beth Trent-Ringer, Debbie C. Crans
Faculty Publications – Chemistry
The 20 minerals encompassing the pascoite family of decavanadate isopolyanion-containing [V10O28]6− minerals include a few minerals, such as rakovanite, that have been described as containing a protonated decavanadate anion. Rakovanite was originally assigned the formula Na3[H3V10O28]•15H2O and now is redefined with an ideal formula (NH4)3Na3[V10O28]•12H2O. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and particularly 51V NMR spectroscopy is an informative method used to describe the protonation state and speciation in both solid and solution states …
Defining The Endmember System Of Us Soils And Quantifying Relationships, And A Hyperspectral Approach To The Alteration Strength Index, 2022 Michigan Technological University
Defining The Endmember System Of Us Soils And Quantifying Relationships, And A Hyperspectral Approach To The Alteration Strength Index, Rachel Rulison
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Soils form a complex part of the environment, providing important functions in systems such as food production, groundwater movement, and ecosystem health. There have been numerous studies on soil geochemistry and the origin of elements within soils, but few studies into quantifying the relationships between elements and geographical data on a national scale. Using geochemical data obtained by the USGS, the surficial soils of the US were defined by a 13-endmember system using Polytopic Vector Analysis and mapped in GIS. Correlation matrices provided Pearson’s correlation coefficients for elements in the Top 5 cm soil profile, the A horizon, and the …
Spatial Geochemical Changes In Central And East Texas Soils Over Time Resulting From Human Decomposition, 2022 Claremont McKenna College
Spatial Geochemical Changes In Central And East Texas Soils Over Time Resulting From Human Decomposition, Isabela Marisol Overturf
CMC Senior Theses
Human decomposition is studied to aid forensic investigations and better understand the impact of cemeteries on urban resources like soil and groundwater. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in soil geochemistry at and around a human grave to search for lateral nutrient movement and possibly identify new patterns in elemental concentrations that could be used in estimating post-mortem intervals (PMIs). At the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) at Texas State San Marcos, soil samples were collected from a shallow grave over the course of 54 days to conduct analysis for organic matter content, texture, pH, and bulk …