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Enhanced Lithological Mapping In Arid Crystalline Regions Using Explainable Ai And Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Data, Hesham Morgan, Ali Elgendy, Amir Said, Mostafa Hashem, Wenzhao Li, Surendra Maharjan, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Lithological classification is essential for understanding the spatial distribution of rocks, especially in arid crystalline areas. Artificial intelligence (AI) recent advancements with multi-spectral satellite imagery have been utilized to enhance lithological mapping in these areas. Here we employed different AI models namely, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest Classification (RFC), Logistic Regression, XGBoost, and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) for lithological mapping. This was followed by the application of explainable AI (XAI) for lithological discrimination (LD) which is still not widely explored. Based on the highest accuracy and F1 score of the previously mentioned models, RFC model outperformed all of them, and …

The Compass - Volume 93 Issue 2 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

A History Of The Geology Program At The University Of Tennessee At Martin, Michael A. Gibson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The teaching of geology has as long a history as The University of Tennessee at Martin has itself, extending back to 1901 when the first geology class was offered at the campus’s original institution, Hall-Moody Institute, a small Baptist college. Geology, usually with geography, was offered as a service course to the primary programs of agriculture, education and, later, engineering. Faculty turnover during these formative years was frequent. When the school was acquired by the University of Tennessee in 1927 and became UT Junior College, geology remained a service course. Geology offerings had been expanding since 1947 and, in 1951, …

An Archaeological And Archaeoseismological Perspective On Earthquakes In The Coastal Cities Of Western Anatolia In The 3rd Millennium Bce: Settlement Abandonment And Changes In Social Structures, Ümi̇t Gündoğan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This study investigates the impact of the earthquakes that occurred in the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE on Western Anatolian settlements, aiming to determine the dates of the earthquakes that happened during the prehistoric period using the earthquake layers of the settlements and associated C14 data. The focus of the paper is the investigation of the effects of two earthquakes that occurred in the region during the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE on the settlements of the region. The first earthquake occurred around 2800 BCE and damaged settlements in the area of İzmir. Evidence of this …

Exploring Intraplate Seismicity In The Midwest, Alexa Fernández

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Intraplate seismicity represents a notable occurrence within the stable North American Craton. This research explores the potential sources of stresses that could reactivate older faults and influence seismic activity within this region. Among these sources, the enduring impact of the last glacial period is considered, which includes continued glacial isostatic adjustments (GIA). During GIA the lithosphere rebounds due to the retreating ice, and the forebulge caused by far-field flexure in response to the glacial load, collapses. This results in significant faulting, fracturing, and seismic activity associated with the deglaciation phase. The adjustment of the lithosphere manifests as both near surface …

Drilling Faqs, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about geological research drilling. Cylindrical rock samples, called cores, and geologic data will be collected from an exploratory hole drilled in McKenzie County, North Dakota.

Chemical Recycling Of Bio-Based Polyurethane Foams: Evaluating Bio-Based Glycols In Comparison To Petroleum-Based Glycols, Anirudh Thorbole Mr.

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The paradigm shift towards bio-based polyurethane foams (bio-PUF) has significantly increased post-consumer waste. To address this issue, this research represents a novel approach to enhance sustainable development in the recycling industry by replacing traditional petroleum-based glycols with sustainable bio-based alternatives. This study explores the glycolysis of bio-PUF using bio-based SG-522 glycol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for comparison. The findings from this research as outlined, reveal no significant differences in depolymerization time between the two glycols, achieving proper depolymerization and high recovery yields of over 95% after solvent purification. Comprehensive FT-IR and NMR analyses confirmed the successful degradation of bio-PUF and …

Castor Oil-Based Polyurethane Adhesives: Effect Of Cross-Linker On The Bond Strength, Mayankkumar Chaudhary

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Adhesives are important for binding diverse materials, promoting structural integrity and functional versatility in countless daily life applications. An enormous obstacle remains in the development of polyurethane (PU) adhesives exhibiting excellent bonding strength. Designing a chain extender with appropriate molecular structures is critical to improving the bonding strength of PU-based adhesives. In this work, PU-based adhesive was prepared using castor-oil-based polyol (COP) and diisocyanate. The bonding strength of the adhesive was improved by adding chain extenders such as N, N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) thiophene-2,5-dicarboxamide (ETP) and N, N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-terephthalamide (ETAM). The modified adhesive showed high bonding strength after the addition of chain extenders due …

The Compass - Volume 93 Issue 1 - Complete Issue, Scott R. Beason

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Overview Of The Geology, Paleontology, And Geoscience Education Opportunities Of The University Of Tennessee At Martin Coon Creek Science Center For Visitors, Researchers, And Docents, Michael A. Gibson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Coon Creek Formation is an internationally recognized Upper Cretaceous (Campanian, 76 million-years-old) marine clastic lagerstätten deposit with over 500 identified species of nearly perfectly preserved invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, and trace fossils with original shell geochemistry and paleoecological fidelity preserved. The type-locality and type-section, located in rural McNairy County, Tennessee, was preserved for research and education in 1988 when the Memphis Pink Palace Museum constructed a 232-acre geoscience education facility on the site, now run as the University of Tennessee at Martin Coon Creek Science Center. Visitors to the site participate in a wide variety of geoscience education programming and …

Predicting Ph At In-Situ Temperature For Aquatic Environments, Sarah E. Bartoloni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

pH is typically measured at a constant temperature and, as needed, converted to in-situ temperature using a system of thermodynamic equations. Using this equilibrium approach, adjustment of pH to in situ conditions requires two measured CO2 system parameters (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, or CO2 fugacity). Currently, when pH is the only measured CO2 system parameter, linear models are used to adjust the pH to in-situ temperature. Although many studies have attempted to optimize CO2 equilibrium constants (K1 and K2) for the CO2 system over a range of conditions, very little prior work has experimentally examined which CO2 system …

Carboniferous Graptolites (Hemichordata: Graptolithina) From The Dnipro-Donets Depression And Donets Basin, Ukraine, Vitaly Dernov

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Remains of the Carboniferous graptolites ?Ptiograptus sp. and Dictyonema sp. are described from the Donets Basin and the border zone of the Dnipro-Donets Depression and Donets Basin (eastern Ukraine). These graptolites were found in the Mezhova (Visean, Mississippian) and Avilovka (Kasimovian, Pennsylvanian) formations. Dictyonema sp. from the Avilovka Formation is probably the youngest dendroid graptolite to date. The analysis of geological data allowed to make a reasonable assumption about the Late Devonian rather than the Carboniferous age of the graptolite fauna from the Englewood Formation of South Dakota (USA) and the Tournaisian rather than the Cisuralian age of graptolites from …

Characterizing Potentially Harmful Environmental Legacy Issues Within A Declining Midwest City: A Street Sediment Study Of Northeastern Terre Haute, Indiana, Katelyn Adams '24, Ken Brown

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

Urban settings face unprecedented environmental challenges that include legacy issues as well as emerging pollution problems (e.g., micro-plastics) that continually impact the public health of its communities. Determining the baseline abundances of potentially harmful contaminants in soil, sediment, air, and water is essential to protecting residents. This study examines anthropogenic pollution in street sediments collected from three neighborhoods located in northeast Terre Haute, Indiana. Using stereomicroscopy, SEM/EDS, pXRF analyses, and geospatial analysis (GIS), the goal of this work is to characterize the types of pollutants present and place important constraints on their potential sources.

Stereomicroscopy on nine street sediment samples …

Geologic Face Mapping Methodology Utilizing Global Positioning Systems And Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Luke Whitenburg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geologic field mapping has traditionally been a low-technology process, limited by time in the field and a delicate balance between data collection and coverage area. Advancements in Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and software packages offer new tools and techniques for collecting high volume, accurate geologic information. These tools can provide geologists with safe and efficient ways to collect and process greater volumes of field data.

Field data for this study was collected from three open pit mines using a Trimble Geo 7X GPS unit with Geo 7 Series Rangefinder module and a Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 …

Klimchouk’S Impact On The Development Of Speleogenetic Models For Castile Evaporites: West Texas And Southeastern New Mexico, Usa, Kevin W. Stafford

International Journal of Speleology

Due to the pioneering work of Alexander Klimchouk (2007), hypogene karst is now recognized as being complex and extensive throughout Permian strata of the greater Delaware Basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico (USA). Klimchouk heavily influenced our current understanding of hypogene speleogenesis in the Permian Ochoan Castile Formation where we now recognize diverse hypogene manifestations that include vertically-extensive breccia pipes, laterally-extensive blanket breccias, morphologically-varied caves, diagenetically-altered sulfates, and unique venting structures. Underlying Bell Canyon strata provide the transmissive zone for delivery and removal of solutionally aggressive fluids to the conformably overlying Castile evaporites. Current speleogenetic models indicate that …

Estimating Crustal Thickness In Northwest Louisiana Using The Receiver Function Method, Delton Samuel

LSU Master's Theses

I aim to constrain the crustal thickness of the Sabine Block in the Sabine Uplift region of northwest Louisiana, using the frequency domain receiver function deconvolution technique followed by H-κ stacking. The passive margin on the southern edge of the North American continent experienced an active tectonic history, including the spreading events that led to the formation of the Gulf of Mexico. A previous study proposed the Sabine Block is a residual fragment of Proterozoic orogenic origin; however, its full extent and geometry are up for debate. It is now overlain by thick sedimentary sequences ranging from ~4-6 km deposited …

Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis, Part 2: Gis Methodology, Jacob Deangelo, John W. Shervais, Jonathan M. Glen, Dennis Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick F. Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Lee M. Liberty, Drew L. Siler, James P. Evans

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) in geothermal exploration originates from a systematic methodology developed within the petroleum industry and is based on a geologic, geophysical, and hydrologic framework of identified geothermal systems. We tailored this methodology to study the geothermal resource potential of the Snake River Plain and surrounding region, but it can be adapted to other geothermal resource settings. We adapted the PFA approach to geothermal resource exploration by cataloging the critical elements controlling exploitable hydrothermal systems, establishing risk matrices that evaluate these elements in terms of both probability of success and level of knowledge, and building a code-based ‘processing …

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. …

Hydrogeomorphic Response To Flooding In Northern Yellowstone National Park, Zachary P. Deluca

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding and predicting flood-induced geomorphic change, and the relative influences of fluvial forces and valley-bottom geometry on system response, are persistent quandaries in geomorphic process studies. We combine field surveys, remote sensing, and hydraulic modeling to assess the hydrogeomorphic effects of historic flooding in northern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in a variety of channel configurations. We compare impulse, a metric that incorporates a flow duration threshold based on threshold channel theory, grain size, channel-bed slope, and flood depth and stream power estimates with hydrogeomorphic response. Measurements of pre- and post-flood active-channel width change in aerial photos captured geomorphic response associated …

Age Dating Young Groundwater: How To Determine Groundwater Age From Environmental Tracer Data, D. K. Solomon, T. E. Gilmore

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Peak Ground Acceleration And Assessing The Economic Loss And Casualty Due To Potential Earthquakes Of Various Magnitudes In The New Madrid Seismic Zone, Mahmud Afroz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) is one of the active tectonic zones capable of producing big earthquakes in the southcentral USA. The objective of this study was to assess the economic losses and casualties that might be caused by various magnitudes of seismic events in the NMSZ. The manifestation is the estimation for each magnitude which is using the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) that might occur during an earthquake. It is calculated using an attenuation function that correlates the intensity of local ground movement, the earthquake magnitude, and the distance from its epicenter. The assessment of casualties was conducted …

Micp Restoration Law Of Coal Mining Induced Ground Fissures And Its Influencing Factors, Li Tao, Gao Ying, Yan Jingwang, Zhang Jiarui, Kou Guigui, Ma Tengfei, Mei Aoran

Coal Geology & Exploration

The coal mining induced ground fissures in the loess covered area of northwest China cause shallow groundwater resource leakage and soil instability. Therefore, the experimental study was conducted on Microbial Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) restoration of coal mining induced ground fissures in the loess covered area. Specifically, the characteristics of mining induced ground fissures were observed and their development characteristics were revealed based on Ningtiaota Coal Mine in northern Shaanxi. The coal mining induced ground fissures in loess were classified with consideration to the observed mine pressure. Based on the classification and characteristics of coal mining induced ground fractures, the …

A Study On The Magnetite Skarn Mineralization (Gümüşhane, Türkiye): A Magnetic Survey, Ferkan Si̇pahi̇, Münür Burhan Sadiklar, Mehmet Ali̇ Gücer, Ali̇ Aydin, Rasi̇m Taylan Kara

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Iron (Fe)-skarn mineralizations (Çambaşı, Dereli, Eğrikar, Karadağ, Kopuz, Sekü, Donguldere, Arnastal, Özdil, Ögene, İkizdere, Ovit Dağı, Kartiba, etc.) in the eastern part of the Pontides (NE Türkiye) are accommodated in the Pontide paleomagmatic arc and the eastern part of the Pontides Metallogenic Belt containing numerous various deposits. Fe-skarn mineralization around the Arnastal Plateau (Gümüşhane-Türkiye) is fragmentary in this area, which is covered with plants (grasses, flowers, etc.). Thus, it was attempted to describe the subsurface structures and Fe mineralization using an interpretation of the available geological and existing magnetic data in this area. Granitoid and volcano-sedimentary series (Upper Cretaceous) outcrop …

Interpreting Structural Configuration Of The Sengkang Basin Of Indonesia Using Edge Detection And 3-D Euler Deconvolution To Satellite Gravity Data, Jamhir Safani, Khalil Ibrahim, Wa Deni, Al Rubaiyn, Firdaus Firdaus, Harisma Harisma

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The East Walanae Fault Zone and the West Walanae Fault Zone are the two active fault segments in the south arm of Sulawesi. These fault segments are responsible for the formation of the Sengkang Basin. This geological complexity makes the Sengkang Basin a very interesting area to study. This research aims to (1) identify basin boundaries and lithological contacts; (2) estimate the positions of fault segments; and (3) model the basement beneath the Sengkang Basin. The free-air gravity anomaly from the GGMPlus dataset is employed and then corrected using Bouguer and terrain corrections to provide the complete Bouguer gravity anomaly …

Middle Eocene Alveolina-Dominated Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages Of The Western Flank Of The Isparta Angle (Sw Türkiye): Taxonomy, Biostratigraphy, Microfacies Analysis, And Paleoenvironmental Implications, Alper Bozkurt, Muhi̇tti̇n Görmüş, Banu Türkmen Bozkurt

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Middle Eocene formations of the western part of the Isparta Angle contain abundant larger benthic foraminifera (LBF). Twelve species belonging to the genus Alveolina, including A. callosa, A. fragilis, A. aff. fusiformis, A. gigantea, A. cf. gigantea, A. hottingeri, A. kieli, A. levantina, A. nuttalli, A. cf. obtusa, A. stipes, and A. tenuis have been identified throughout the two measured sections from Dinar and Çardak (SW Türkiye). The investigated assemblages, consisting also of nummulitids, orthophragminids, textulariids, rotaliids, and miliolids, allow us to assign the Suçıkan section to shallow benthic zone 13 (SBZ13) and the Karabayır section to SBZ17. Based on …

A Review Of The Geothermal System Evolution And Distribution In The Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (Türkiye), Mehmet Furkan Şener, Muhammed Zeynel Öztürk, Alper Baba

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Türkiye is located in the Mediterranean sector of the Alpine-Himalayan tectonic belt and is among the foremost seven countries in the world having an abundance of geothermal resources. The Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) is one of the most important geothermal regions in Türkiye. This study aims to evaluate the geothermal system of CACC using the geological, structural, and hydrogeochemical properties that were obtained from previous studies. The present study investigated and evaluated the hydrogeochemical and isotopic properties of 762 water samples belonging to 45 different localities from 41 scientific studies. The result shows that CACC has different heat sources …

Improving Xrd Analysis With Machine Learning, Rachel E. Drapeau

Theses and Dissertations

X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) is an inexpensive method to quantify the relative proportions of mineral phases in a rock or soil sample. However, the analytical software available for XRD requires extensive user input to choose phases to include in the analysis. Consequently, analysis accuracy depends greatly on the experience of the analyst, especially as the number of phases in a sample increases (Raven & Self, 2017; Omotoso, 2006). The purpose of this project is to test whether incorporating machine learning methods into XRD software can improve the accuracy of analyses by assisting in the phase-picking process. In order to provide …

Hydrological Dynamics Of Surface-Groundwater Interactions Between Major Springs Of Mammoth Cave And The Green River, Kentucky, Usa, Matthew Cecil

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Mammoth Cave is an iconic example of the cave and karst systems that underlie over 50% of the United States and provide around 13% of the world’s population with water resources. These environmental features are vulnerable to drought, pollution, and human impacts. The complex hydrological regime of the Mammoth Cave system has been studied in the past, but there are improvements and updates that can be made to the past research. The dynamics of the surface-groundwater system, particularly reversals of the Green River and how it backfloods into the cave, are some examples. Echo River and River Styx Springs provide …

Experimental And Theoretical Studies Of Fluid-Solid Coupling Processes Of Tight Rock Media, Tao Zhang

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

This study covers the application of continuum mechanics in the realm of rock work in geological studies. Continuum mechanics encompasses two major branches: fluid mechanics that deals with fluid behavior, and solid mechanics pertaining to the behavior of rock media. The research focuses on comprehending the mechanical behavior of rocks as a continuous mass, offering a comprehensive perspective for analyzing geological structures, fluid flow, and rock mechanics. Under the framework of continuum mechanics applied to rock media, following the sequence of the rock/solid properties, fluid flow properties, and the fluid-solid coupling behavior, this dissertation is divided into four sections, each …

Laboratory Simulations Of H2s Generation In The Bakken Petroleum System, Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, Bethany A. Kurz, Timothy O. Nesheim, David J. Miller, Carol B. Grabanski, Saptashati Biswas, Marc D. Kurz, Nicholas A. Azzolina, James A. Sorensen

EERC Publications, Papers, & Presentations

This work focuses on quantifying the H₂S generation potential of the Madison Group and Bakken Formation source rocks during the maturation process.