Modeling Apparent Pb Loss In Zircon U-Pb Geochronology, Glenn R. Sharman, Matthew A. Malkowski

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The loss of radiogenic Pb from zircon is known to be a major factor that can cause inaccuracy in the U–Pb geochronological system; hence, there is a need to better characterize the distribution of Pb loss in natural samples. Treatment of zircon by chemical abrasion (CA) has become standard practice in isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS), but CA is much less commonly employed prior to in situ analysis via laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) or secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS). Differentiating the effects of low levels of Pb loss in Phanerozoic zircon with relatively low-precision in situ U–Pb …

Assessment Of Potential Impacts Of Climate Change On Hydrology And Water Resource Availability In The Passaic River Basin, New Jersey, Felix Oteng Mensah

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Streamflow dynamics in a basin is known to be a major driver of available water resources. In the context of climate change, it is expected that global warming will accelerate the global hydrologic cycle, which will drive more intense floods and droughts leading to changes in streamflow and water resource availability. Most researchers agree that the amount and intensity of precipitation have a direct impact on runoff. Yet, there is no consensus as to how warming can affect streamflow. Evapotranspiration (ET) plays a crucial role here. However, there is a shortage of real-world observations on it. And yet, ET is …

Simulation Of Wave Propagation In Granular Particles Using A Discrete Element Model, Syed Tahmid Hussan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The understanding of Bender Element mechanism and utilization of Particle Flow Code (PFC) to simulate the seismic wave behavior is important to test the dynamic behavior of soil particles. Both discrete and finite element methods can be used to simulate wave behavior. However, Discrete Element Method (DEM) is mostly suitable, as the micro scaled soil particle cannot be fully considered as continuous specimen like a piece of rod or aluminum. Recently DEM has been widely used to study mechanical properties of soils at particle level considering the particles as balls. This study represents a comparative analysis of Voigt and Best …

Investigating The Roles Of Plants, Fungi, And Biocrusts In Nutrient Movement Within Dryland Ecosystems, Catherine E. Cort

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In dryland ecosystems, plant productivity and microbial decomposition are often separated in space and time due to the asynchronous availability of soil moisture and organic matter inputs. It has been proposed that fungi play a key functional role in connecting these cycles by facilitating movement of water, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) through a network of shared hyphae between plant roots and biological soil crust (biocrust) communities at the soil surface. This connection, also known as the â??fungal loop,â?? effectively re-couples processes of nutrient release and uptake between primary producers and minimizes ecosystem N losses due to leaching, erosion, and …

Assessing And Understanding Soil Characteristics​, Amy Papineau

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Revised Geologic Map And Structural Interpretation Of The Mineral King Pendant, Southern Sierra Nevada, California (Usa): Evidence For Kilometer-Scale Folding And Structural Imbrication Of A Permian To Mid-Cretaceous Volcanosedimentary Assemblage, David C. Greene, Jade Star Lackey, Erik W. Klemetti

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Geuda Sapphires From Sri Lanka, Hussain Akiff Mohamed Faleel

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Geuda sapphire samples from the Kataragama and Ratnapura deposits in Sri Lanka were classified into milky, silky, and diesel varieties. Each sample was sliced into two pieces and subjected to two different heat treatments. The first slice was heated to 1750°C in a gas furnace using LPG, creating an oxygen-reduced environment, while the second slice was annealed at 1650°C in an electric furnace under oxidizing condition. Both heating methods produced similar results for the milky and diesel geuda varieties. However, in the silky geuda, which contained needle-like ilmenite inclusions, the gas furnace under oxygen-reduced conditions yielded more pronounced effects. In …

Basal Topography And Carbon Accumulation Rate Of A Rare Northern California Coastal Fen, Sarah Leidinger

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Increasingly, the importance of peatlands as biodiversity hotpots, year-round water storage features, and significant carbon sinks are being recognized. Despite this, they are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems globally. While some peatland conservation and restoration initiatives are being developed, a greater understanding of small peatlands is needed to make management decisions. This study aims to determine the timing of peat formation, peat volume, and carbon accumulation rates of the Conspicuous Scoop Fen, a small (2.1-acre) fen near Bridgeville, California (~840 m.a.s.l.). During the summers of 2022 and 2023, I collected 39 m of peat cores at 14 sampling locations. …

Insect Frass Fertilizer As A Regenerative Input For Improved Biological Nitrogen Fixation And Sustainable Bush Bean Production, Agnes Chepkorir, Dennis Beesigamukama, Harun I. Gitari, Shaphan Y. Chia, Sevgan Subramanian, Sunday Ekesi, Birachi Eliud Abucheli, Jean Claude Rubyogo, Theodore Zahariadis, Gina Athanasiou, Aikaterini Zachariadi, Vasileios Zachariadis, Abdou Tenkouano, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production is undermined by soil degradation and low biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) capacity. This study evaluated the effect of black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) on bush bean growth, yield, nutrient uptake, BNF, and profitability, in comparison with commercial organic fertilizer (Phymyx, Phytomedia International Ltd., Kiambu, Kenya), synthetic fertilizer (NPK), and rhizobia inoculant (Biofix, MEA Fertilizers, Nairobi, Kenya). The organic fertilizers were applied at rates of 0, 15, 30, and 45 kg N ha−1 while the NPK was applied at 40 kg N ha−1, 46 kg P ha−1, and 60 kg K ha−1. The fertilizers …

Evidence That Ericoid Mycorrhizal Shrubs Can Outcompete Ectomycorrhizal Trees For Nitrogen In Tannin-Rich Litter, Kai C. Rains, Caroline Bledsoe, Tamara E. Kraus, Nina Wurzburger

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Mycorrhizal associations of trees play a key role in ecosystem biogeochemistry, yet we know relatively little about the nutrient acquisition strategies of ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) shrubs, despite their prevalence in forest understories. ErM shrubs tend to produce litter with high concentrations of polyphenols, which form decay-resistant complexes with organic nitrogen (N). Some ErM fungi appear capable of producing a diverse suite of extracellular enzymes, but it is unclear whether this enables ErM shrubs to acquire the N from their own litter, and whether this ability is greater than that of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) trees, with which they commonly co-occur. Here, we …

Uav-Based Wetland Monitoring: Multispectral And Lidar Fusion With Random Forest Classification, Robert Van Alphen, Kai C. Rains, Mel Rodgers, Rocco Malservisi, Timothy H. Dixon

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

As sea levels rise and temperatures increase, vegetation communities in tropical and sub-tropical coastal areas will be stressed; some will migrate northward and inland. The transition from coastal marshes and scrub–shrubs to woody mangroves is a fundamental change to coastal community structure and species composition. However, this transition will likely be episodic, complicating monitoring efforts, as mangrove advances are countered by dieback from increasingly impactful storms. Coastal habitat monitoring has traditionally been conducted through satellite and ground-based surveys. Here we investigate the use of UAV-LiDAR (unoccupied aerial vehicle–light detection and ranging) and multispectral photogrammetry to study a Florida coastal wetland. …

Optimizing Field-Linked Simulations Of Dry Season Uptake And Monsoon Infiltration Within An Aspen-Mixed Conifer Forest, Raymond J. Hess

Master's Theses

Climate models forecast that headwater catchments in the western U.S. will undergo a reduction in snowpack, early season snowmelt, and increases in evapotranspiration. The resulting extended dry season will stress vegetation in mountainous watersheds throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin. We investigate infiltration patterns and root water uptake in response to dry season disturbances within the East River watershed in Colorado. To do this, we collected soil cores, measured matric potential and sap flow, and monitored tree xylem and soil for stable isotopes of water (2H, 18O) in two soil profiles to 90 cm depth (with three Engelmann spruce and …

Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry For Sensing Salinity And Sodicity In Glacial Northern Great Plains Soils With Machine Learning Models, Adam Devlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Saline and sodic soils are an increasing concern across the Northern Great Plains (NGP) due to factors of climate change and land management that are drawing geologically derived salts to the land surface. Traditional laboratory assessments, such as electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), are time and resource consumptive. Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) may be a viable proximal sensing alternative, as it is able to provide elemental data in minutes, in situ or ex situ, and can directly quantify salinity-associated elements like Ca, Mg, and S. PXRF paired with predictive models has proven useful for a range of …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 48, 2024, Department Of Geography, Geology, And The Environment

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment

The Flora, Fauna, And Paleoenvironment Of The Late Middle Miocene Quebrada Honda Basin, Bolivia (Eastern Cordillera, Central Andes), Beverly Z. Saylor, Russell K. Engelman, Darin A. Croft

Faculty Scholarship

Miocene ecosystem change in the Central Andes is not well understood because of a dearth of well-dated fossil sites from the region. The late Middle Miocene (~13-12 Ma) Quebrada Honda Basin (QHB) in southern Bolivia (22° S) helps fill this gap and provide vital insights into Neotropical paleoenvironments. The site is among the best-characterized Middle Miocene terrestrial vertebrate sites of South America and has a robust temporal, spatial, and lithostratigraphic framework for analyzing its sedimentary facies, fossils, and paleoenvironment. Here, we present new plant silica (phytolith) assemblage data from the QHB as well as new analyses of QHB faunal data. …

Measuring And Modeling Riparian Wetland Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Nutrient Concentrations And Shallow Groundwater Dynamics In An Appalachian Mixed Land Use Catchment, Bidisha Faruque Abesh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The paucity of research on accurate predictions of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), spatiotemporal analysis of nutrient concentrations relative to water source types (stream and shallow groundwater (SGW)), water flow directions, and land use in riparian wetlands of Appalachian mixed land use catchments underscored the need for this study. Additionally, the lack of SGW flow simulations and stream-SGW interactions using three-dimensional (3D) numerical models (i.e., MODFLOW) in these riparian wetlands further highlighted the research gap. Observed data including soil properties, Ksat, surface water (SW) and SGW levels, and nutrient concentrations, including nitrate (NO3-N), nitrite (NO2-N), ammonium (NH4-N), orthophosphate (PO43-P), total nitrogen …

Examining The Role Of Microbial Communities In Soil Carbon Cycling Across Levels Of Complexity, Chansotheary Dang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microorganisms provide the foundation for many ecosystem processes and are important drivers of carbon and nutrient cycling. The advancement of next generation sequencing has allowed researchers to lift open the lid on the ‘black box’ in microbial ecology. While previously unculturable microbes can now be characterized with the 16S rRNA gene, answering ‘who’s there?’ is only part of the challenge. Hidden inside the ‘black box’ remains the question, ‘who’s doing what?’. Recent development in trait-based methods like quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP) equipped microbial ecologists with the tool to connect taxon-specific traits to ecosystem processes. Despite the growing body of …

Advances In Machine Learning Aided Seismic Interpretation And Inversion For Subsurface Characterization, Tobi Micheal Ore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Geophysical data are used to “remotely sense” the subsurface to illuminate structures, stratigraphy, and features that are of interest in the exploration for energy, suitable storage for carbon dioxide, geothermal development, and environmental considerations. The interpretations of these data typically are regarded as partially an art, as it depends on the experience of the interpreter. This is further exacerbated with the big data era as this data is large and takes several days, even longer, to manually interpret. To bridge this gap of speed and subjective bias, machine learning has been successfully applied to automate the geophysical interpretation process. This …

Fluid-Rock And Fluid-Steel Interaction In Geothermal Energy Development In The Appalachain Basin, Samuel H. Bowman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The ever-increasing demand for clean energy requires creative solutions. In the United States, unconventional energy sources such as geothermal are conventionally limited to the western half of the country. The Appalachian Basin in the Eastern United States is one such possible creative solution, although the comparatively low temperature gradient presents a significant challenge to delivering economically feasible geothermal energy. An emerging technology is enhanced geothermal systems, these are engineered reservoirs where a working fluid (typically water) is cycled between the subsurface energy source and the energy collection facility at the surface. The liquid water interacts with the geothermal reservoir rock …

Earthquakes And Seismic Waves: Solutions For Fermi Questions, March 2024, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Solution to Question 1: To estimate h, we take the geometric mean of 1 km and 70 km, or ~8 km, and take ρ ≈ 2500 kg/m³.

Hence, δl ≈ 4 × 0.05 × (2.5 × 10³ kg/m³) × (10 m/s²) × (8 × 10³ m) × (2 × 10⁴ m) × 0.1 ÷ (3 × 10¹⁰ kg · m⁻¹ · s⁻²) ≈ 1.3 m. (Note that this is not meant to be an estimate of the width of the Icelandic rock fracture in the photograph, though it appears to be of the right order …

Earthquakes And Seismic Waves, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

This article discusses earthquakes and seismic waves. It explains that earthquakes occur in the crust or upper mantle, with "shallow" earthquakes happening above a depth of 70 km in the crust. The article also introduces the slider-block model, which is a simple model used to understand earthquake behavior. It provides equations to calculate the displacement and maximum slip velocity of the fault based on various factors. The article then presents two questions related to earthquake calculations. Additionally, it mentions Fermi Questions, which are brief questions with estimation techniques.

Cats, Dogs, And Roll Waves: Solutions For Fermi Questions, April 2024, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

On a hot afternoon in western North Carolina, the heavens opened and (to mix metaphors) it started raining “cats and dogs.” The rain was torrential, and soon a river of water was flowing downhill into the parking lot. In rivers and dam spillways, these are known as flood waves. The picture shows a particular type of flood waves known s roll waves—shock-like patterns separated by smooth profiles. In a steady-state situation, the drag forces on the water in the channel are balanced by the down-slope gravitational force. The dimensionless friction coefficient is C, the stream depth is h, v is …

Cats, Dogs, And Roll Waves, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

This article discusses the phenomenon of roll waves, which are shock-like patterns separated by smooth profiles that occur in flood waves. The author mentions that in a steady-state situation, the drag forces on the water in the channel are balanced by the down-slope gravitational force. The article also includes questions for readers to estimate the speed and length of the roll waves, as well as determine the stability of the flow. The author provides additional information about the Chezy formula, an empirical equation used in fluid mechanics to estimate the mean flow velocity of open channel flow.

Quantifying Chemical Erosion In The Lithologically-Heterogenous Appalachian Valley And Ridge, Amelia Jayne Zanoni

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Quantifying chemical erosion in the lithologically-heterogenous Appalachian Valley and Ridge

Amelia J. Zanoni

The interplay between physical and chemical erosion is well understood in landscapes underlain by a uniform rock type, but many regions are underlain by a mixture of rock types with varying erosion resistance and solubility. We used measurements of stream-water chemistry to estimate chemical erosion rates in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge, a region where the mechanisms of lithologic control over topography are poorly understood. Newly acquired stream water samples were collected from 51 locations across the research area during the Fall of 2023. The sampled waters …

Estimating Inorganic Carbon Flux From Coal Mining Discharge Portals In The Bituminous Coal Field Region Of Pennsylvania, Lauren J. Rockwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A fundamental driver of the adverse effects associated with coal mining is the interplay of water and oxygen within mined sites, leading to the creation of coal mine drainage (CMD). One often overlooked consequence of CMD is the release of geologically-bound carbon as carbon dioxide (CO₂). The interaction of CMD with carbonate rocks, specifically the presence of sulfuric acid driving the dissolution of these rocks, leads to the release of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This study examined 25 CMD locations in an approximately 2,370 km² area within the bituminous coal field region of Pennsylvania (PA), specifically in …

Integration Of 3d Structural Modelling And Well Logging Analysis In The Evaluation Of October Oil Field, Gulf Of Suez, Egypt, Lamiaa Yahia, Mostafa Toni, Farouk I. Metwalli, M. H. Mansour, Amir Ismail

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

An extensive study of the NUBIA and MAT reservoirs, incorporating numerous data sources, enhances the accuracy of production forecasts for hydrocarbon exploration and development. This study aims to integrate seismic and well data for re-assessment and to delineate the geological and petrophysical characteristics of the October oil field which is one of the most productive in the central Gulf of Suez, but it has recently witnessed a drop in output in some regions, and some wells have begun to depletion. While facies modeling enabled the spatial distribution of lithologic facies inside the constructed 3D structural model, which reflected two types …

Re-Evaluating Missouri’S Strategic Element Potential: A Geochemical Study Of The Mesoproterozoic Fe-Cu-Co-Ree Deposits In Southeast Missouri, Usa, Brandon James Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits are poorly understood mineral systems. For example, we do not know why Cu- and Co-rich IOCG deposits typically occur proximal to Fe ore deposits that are notably Cu and Co-poor, such as Iron Oxide Apatite (IOA) deposits. To better understand the formation of IOA and IOCG deposits in Missouri, USA, this PhD thesis examines the genesis of the Kratz Spring IOA and the Boss Central Dome IOCG deposits. This study presents the first constraints on formation conditions and fluid sources in the studied deposits using integrated petrographic, mineral composition, and Fe isotope analyses of oxide minerals. Observations …

Experimental Investigation Of High-Temperature Brine-Shale Interactions, Anna Atasha Hoffmann

Doctoral Dissertations

"Hydrofracturing (fracking), a common practice in the Petroleum Industry to induce or improve fluid flow in tight formations, creates chemical disequilibrium that further alters the porosity and permeability of host rocks and results in the production of saline and contaminated produced waters (PW). The PW of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) are Na-Ca-Mg-K-Cl brines with mean concentrations of approximately 16% Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and circumneutral pH. Analysis of composition suggests the PW result from a 20 to 80% dilution of formation waters (relict brines of the Louann Salt) by fracking fluid. Trace element concentrations generally show moderate to strong …

An Early Byzantine Ecclesiastical Complex At Ashdod-Yam: Correlating Geophysical Prospection With Excavated Remains, Yaniv Darvasi, Alexander Fantalkin, Paul Brindza, Amotz Agnon

Physics Faculty Publications

In this study we show the successful deployment of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) together with Electrical Resistivity Surveys (ERS) in guiding the archeological excavations at Ashdod-Yam (southern coast of Israel). This approach enabled the precise identification of excavation targets relating to an Early Byzantine ecclesiastical complex located in a residential neighborhood of the modern city of Ashdod. Applied over the course of five years, the combined use of GPR and ERS, interspersed with phases of archeological excavation, not only facilitated an efficient exploration but also ensured the preservation of valuable historical structures. The geophysical data, corroborated by drone images of …

Small-Strain Site Response Of Soft Soils In The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Region Of California Conditioned On Vₛ₃₀ And Mhvsr, Tristan E. Buckreis, Jonathan P. Stewart, Scott J. Brandenberg, Pengfei Wang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Sites located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region of California typically have peaty-organic soils near the ground surface, which are characteristically soft, with shear wave velocities as low as 30 m/s. These unusually soft geotechnical conditions, which are outside the range of applicability of existing ergodic site amplification models, can be anticipated to produce significant site effects during earthquake shaking. We evaluate site response for 36 seismic stations in the Delta region using non-ergodic methods with low-amplitude ground motion data. We model first-order site effects using a period-dependent relation conditioned on the 30 m time-averaged shear wave velocity (V …