Digital Commons Network^™

Hydrostratigraphic Interpretation Of Test-Hole And Surface Geophysical Data, Elkhorn And Loup River Basins, Nebraska, 2008 To 2011, Christopher M. Hobza, Paul A. Bedrosian, Benjamin R. Bloss

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Elkhorn-Loup Model (ELM) was begun in 2006 to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During phase one of the ELM study, a lack of subsurface geological information was identified as a data gap. Test holes drilled to the base of the aquifer in the ELM study area are spaced as much as 25 miles apart, especially in areas of the western Sand Hills. Given the variable character of the hydrostratigraphic units that compose the High Plains aquifer system, substantial variation in aquifer thickness and characteristics can exist between test holes. To improve the hydrogeologic understanding …

Watershed Land Use And River Engineering Drive Wetland Formation And Loss In The Mississippi River Birdfoot Delta, A W. Tweel, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

The Mississippi River basin was developed for agriculture at an unprecedented scale and intensity within the last 200 yr. These changes favored erosion and sediment transport, which were subsequently reduced by soil conservation practices, the trapping of sediment behind large reservoirs, and channel engineering. We discuss the relationship between sediment loading and the growth, loss, and stability of wetlands in the Mississippi River birdfoot delta (MRBD). We report an anthropogenically driven increase in mean suspended sediment concentrations in the Mississippi River below New Orleans, from a modeled 350 mg L-1 (174 x 10(9) kg yr(-1)) at the end of the …

Constraints On The Structure Of The Border Ranges Fault System, South-Central Alaska From Integrated 3d Inversion Of Gravity/Magnetic Data, Niti Mankhemthong

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

I use updated gravity data, available aeromagnetic data, and other geophysical information as constraints to develop 2D and 3D structural models of density and magnetic susceptibility to better locate and determine the shape of the Border Ranges fault system (BRFS), the Border Range ultramafic and mafic assemblages and other forearc-arc boundary structures in south-central Alaska, that have previously been studied in only limited detail. There are three geophysical research projects that form the chapters of the dissertation. First, I estimated near-surface density variations in the central Kenai Peninsula based on the adaptation of the Nettleton (1939)-Parasnis (1952) method using Tarantola …

Mines And Minerals Of The Western Kentucky Fluorspar District, Warren H. Anderson, Thomas N. Sparks

Map and Chart--KGS

This map shows all the known and identified mines, mineral prospects, and igneous intrusions (dikes or sills) in the Western Kentucky Fluorspar District, compiled from thousands of maps and files, creating an up-to-date, comprehensive catalog for the district. The district has been extensively mined for more than 120 years and was once the largest producer of fluorspar (fluorite) in the United States.

Millions of tons of vein ore minerals (fluorite, zinc, lead, and barite) has been produced from these mines, and substantial reserves still remain. New mining and exploration activity has renewed interest in the district, and the industry will …

Varying Sediment Sources (Hudson Strait, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Bay) To The Nw Labrador Sea Slope Between And During Heinrich Events 0 To 4, J. T. Andrews, Donald C. Barber, A. E. Jennings, D. D. Erbel, B. Maclean, M. E. Kirby, J. S. Stoner

Geology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Core HU97048-007PC was recovered from the continental Labrador Sea slope at a water depth of 945m, 250km seaward from the mouth of Cumberland Sound, and 400km north of Hudson Strait. Cumberland Sound is a structural trough partly floored by Cretaceous mudstones and Paleozoic carbonates. The record extends from ~ 10 to 58k cal a BP. On-board logging revealed a complex series of lithofacies, including buff-colored detrital carbonate-rich sediments [Heinrich (H)-events] frequently bracketed by black facies. We investigate the provenance of these facies using quantitative X-ray diffraction on drill-core samples from Paleozoic and Cretaceous bedrock from the SE Baffin Island Shelf, …

Active Tectonics And Earthquake Destructions In Caves Of Northern And Central Switzerland, Arnfried Becker, Philipp Häuselmann, Jost Eikenberg, Eric Gilli

International Journal of Speleology

The present publication focuses on the study of caves in northern and central Switzerland in order to detect and date historical earthquakes and active tectonic displacements by investigations of broken and resealed or displaced speleothems datable by U/Th and ¹⁴C. While it can be shown that these methods are potentially suitable, the ages obtained are often beyond the range of historically recorded earthquakes, and it cannot be proved that the observed and dated events are related to a seismic event. Particularly this is true for the caves in central Switzerland, where most ages in the Melchsee-Frutt region were beyond …

The Density And Porosity Of Lunar Rocks, Walter S. Kiefer, Robert J. Macke, Daniel T. Britt, Anthony J. Irving, Guy J. Consolmagno

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Accurate lunar rock densities are necessary for constructing gravity models of the Moon's crust and lithosphere. Most Apollo-era density measurements have errors of 2-5% or more and few include porosity measurements. We report new density and porosity measurements using the bead method and helium pycnometry for 6 Apollo samples and 7 lunar meteorites, with typical grain density uncertainties of 10-30 kg m(-3) (0.3-0.9%) and porosity uncertainties of 1-3%. Comparison between igneous grain densities and normative mineral densities show that these uncertainties are realistic and that the helium fully penetrates the pore space. Basalt grain densities are a strong function of …

Holocene Earthquakes And Late Pleistocene Slip Rate Estimates On The Wassuk Range Fault Zone, Nevada, Usa, J. M. Bormann, Benjamin E. Surpless, M. W. Caffee, S. G. Wesnousky

Earth and Environmental Geosciences Faculty Research

The Wassuk Range fault zone is an 80‐km‐long, east‐dipping, high‐angle normal fault that flanks the eastern margin of the Wassuk Range in central Nevada. Observations from two alluvial fan systems truncated by the fault yield information on the vertical slip rate and Holocene earthquake history along the range front. At the apex of the Rose Creek alluvial fan, radiocarbon dating of offset stratigraphy exposed in two fault trenches shows that multiple earthquakes resulted in 7.0 m of vertical offset along the fault since ∼9400 cal B.P. These data yield a Holocene vertical slip rate of 0.7±0.1  mm/yr. The south trench …

Geology Of The Eau Claire Formation And Conasauga Group In Part Of Kentucky And Analysis Of Their Suitability As Caprocks For Deeper Co2 Sequestration, Ralph E. Bandy Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Carbon sequestration, or carbon capture and storage (CCS), is the process of capturing anthropogenically generated CO₂, transporting the CO₂ to an injection site, and then injecting the CO₂ into suitable reservoirs for long-term storage, or sequestration. Integral to the successful sequestration of CO₂ is an understanding of the confining intervals (seals) above potential reservoirs. The purpose of this thesis research was to perform a detailed geological study of the Eau Claire Formation and equivalent parts of the Conasauga Group in part of the Ohio River Valley region in order to better evaluate its suitability as …

Timing Is Everything : How Environmental Change May Disrupt The Timing Of Plant-Pollinator Interactions, Michelle Jene Solga

Range Science

Ecosystems are experiencing environmental change brought about by warming temperatures, altered precipitation, and increasing atmospheric CO2, among other factors. These changes could alter interspecies’ relationships, including those between plants and pollinators. One important change may be to the timing of when flowers bloom and when pollinators are active. Environmental cues drive the phenology of many flowers and insect pollinators, so an alteration in timing for either species could jeopardize the plant-pollinator relationship. Previous studies indicate that many plant species have changed flowering dates in response to an environmental cue, but the response is species specific. Some pollinators may not be …

Systematics, Diversity, And Origins Of Upper Cretaceous Continental Molluscan Fauna In The Infra- And Intertrappean Strata Of The Deccan Plateau, Central India, Marron J. Bingle-Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The Deccan Plateau in western and central India has been a major area of interest for researchers since the 1800s. In 1840, James Sowerby described the molluscan collection sent to him by John Malcolmson. In 1860, Stephen Hislop identified new molluscan species and redescribed based on better preserved material. Although this seminal work was comprehensive, interpretations have changed since the mid 1800s. Species need to be reassigned to current and/or accurate taxa, as well as revalidated statistically. Seventeen character traits were measured on over 600 specimens from five eastern Deccan Plateau localities representing a stratigraphic and temporal sequence. Cluster analysis …

A Remote Sensing Approach To Characterize The Hydrogeology Of Mountainous Areas: Application To The Quito Aquifer System (Qas), Ecuador, Miriam Rios-Sanchez

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Climate change, intensive use, and population growth are threatening the availability of water resources. New sources of water, better knowledge of existing ones, and improved water management strategies are of paramount importance. Ground water is often considered as primary water source due to its advantages in terms of quantity, spatial distribution, and natural quality. Remote sensing techniques afford scientists a unique opportunity to characterize landscapes in order to assess groundwater resources, particularly in tectonically influenced areas. Aquifers in volcanic basins are considered the most productive aquifers in Latin America. Although topography is considered the primary driving force for groundwater flows …

Study Of Characterization Of Submicron Coal Particles Dispersed In Air And Capture Of Coal Particles By Water Drops In A Scrubbing Column, Utshab Chakravorty

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Present day water spray based dust removal technologies do not effectively remove respirable submicron coal and silica dust particles in the underground coal mines causing Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP). The objective of this research was to study the electrostatic charges present in the airborne coal dust in order to develop efficient water spraying based dust removal technology where water drops charged using ionic compounds and surfactants would be used to capture the oppositely charged coal particles. In an experimental scrubbing column, coal particles dispersed in an air stream by a Fluidized Bed Aerosol Generator were captured by water drops sprayed …

Three-Dimensional Deformation And Stress Models Of The Death Valley And San Andreas Fault Zones, Cecilia Del Pardo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Crustal deformation studies of tectonic motions have been the topic of many scientific investigations, as they can provide critical information about how tectonic structures shape and deform the Earth. While crustal deformation studies using observational data alone can provide a great deal of information about how the Earth is presently deforming, it is standard practice to implement mathematical and physics-based models to investigate the underlying causes of deformation in the crust. These models, constrained by geological, geodetic and seismic data, have successfully contributed key constraints of ongoing deformation processes and have provided predictions of past and future tectonic behavior of …

An Integrated Geophysical And Geologic Study Of The Paleogene-Age Volcanic Body And Possible Landslide Deposit On The South Slope Of The Traverse Mountains, Utah, John C. Hoopes

Theses and Dissertations

Development of homes, roads, and commercial buildings in northern Utah has grown significantly during the last several decades. Construction has expanded from the valley floor to higher elevations of benches, foothills, and other elevated regions of the Wasatch Mountain Front. Construction in the higher elevation areas are a concern due to potential for landslides, both new and reactivated. Landslides have been identified in this region and are dated as Pleistocene to historical in age. A possible landslide of about 0.5 km2 on the south slope of Traverse Mountain has been mapped by the Utah Geological Survey in 2005. Its surface …

Mesozoic Tectonic History And Geochronology Of The Kular Dome, Russia And Bendeleben Mountains, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, Daniel B. Harris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The tectonic history responsible for formation of the major basins of the Arctic and movement of landmasses surrounding these basins remains unclear despite multidisciplinary efforts. Most studies focus on one of four potential movement pathways of the Arctic Alaska-Chukotka microplate during the Mesozoic and the relationship between this movement and formation of the Amerasian Basin. Due to difficulty in access and harsh climate of the Arctic Ocean, most geological studies focus on landmasses surrounding the Amerasian Basin. For this reason, we have conducted research in the Kular Dome of northern Russia and the Bendeleben Mountain Range of the Seward Peninsula, …

The Ringed Crayfish, Orconectes Neglectus Neglectus, In Nebraska With A Revision Of Its Distributional Range, Steven C. Schainost

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Collections of crayfishes in Nebraska have yielded much new information on the distribution of the ringed crayfish, Orconectes neglectus neglectus. The distributional range of this species had been described as southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas with extensions into Kansas and Oklahoma. Isolated, disjunct populations in northeastern Colorado, southwestern Nebraska, and northwestern and east-central Kansas were thought to be relict populations. Between 1995 and 2009, collections of crayfishes were made throughout Nebraska using various techniques including seining, trapping, dip-netting, and handgrabbing. To date, the ringed crayfish has been found in 56 streams in eight of Nebraska’s 13 river basins. In …

Selected Re-Emerging And Emerging Trends In Oil And Gas Law As A Result Of Production From Shale Formations, Jeffrey C. King

Texas Wesleyan Law Review

Taking the statements in the above paragraph as true, there is also another consequence to these developments. There has been a proliferation of oil and gas leasing and drilling in areas that have little prior experience, or little recent experience, with such activities. This has caused a resurgence of oil and gas law and raised issues that have been either dormant or nonexistent. This Article will address some of the re-emerging and emerging oil and gas litigation issues that are the byproduct of shale development activities. Specifically, this Article will discuss: 1. Production in paying quantities and shut-in royalties; 2. …

Lineage Diversification And Morphological Evolution In A Large-Scale Continental Radiation: The Neotropical Ovenbirds And Woodcreepers (Aves: Furnariidae), Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Santiago Claramunt, Graham Derryberry, R. Terry Chesser, Joel Cracraft, Alexandre Aleixo, Jorge Pérez-Emán, J. V. Remsen, Robb T. Brumfield

Faculty Publications

Patterns of diversification in species-rich clades provide insight into the processes that generate biological diversity. We tested different models of lineage and phenotypic diversification in an exceptional continental radiation, the ovenbird family Furnariidae, using the most complete species-level phylogenetic hypothesis produced to date for a major avian clade (97% of 293 species). We found that the Furnariidae exhibit nearly constant rates of lineage accumulation but show evidence of constrained morphological evolution. This pattern of sustained high rates of speciation despite limitations on phenotypic evolution contrasts with the results of most previous studies of evolutionary radiations, which have found a pattern …

A Geologic Guide To The Gokyo Ri Trek: Its Hazards, Nepal’S Hindrances, Allison Bolger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this Independent Research Project is to study the geology of the Gokyo Ri Trek and record it in the form of a publishable, trailside guidebook. This guidebook will not only enhance trekkers’ academic experience with enjoyable, interesting facts about Gokyo’s geology, but will also inform them of the natural hazards all around. From glacial lakes and high mountain peaks to precarious scree slopes and towering ice falls, the geology of Sagarmatha National Park offers more than just rocks and snow. With these natural, yet highly unpredictable wonders and the tourists they attract also comes the power to …

Analysis And Finite Element Approximation Of A Coupled, Continuum Pipe-Flow/Darcy Model For Flow In Porous Media With Embedded Conduits, Yanzhao Cao, Max Gunzburger, Fei Hua, Xiaoming Wang

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We consider the continuum Darcy/pipe flow model for flows in a porous matrix containing embedded conduits; such coupled flows are present in, e.g., karst aquifers. the mathematical well-posedness of the coupled problem as well as convergence rates of finite element approximation are established in the two-dimensional case. Computational results are also provided. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hyperspectral-Based Adaptive Matched Filter Detector Error As A Function Of Atmospheric Profile Estimation, Allan W. Yarbrough

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral imagery is collected as radiance data. This data is a function of multiple variables: the radiation profile of the light source, the reflectance of the target, and the absorption and scattering profile of the medium through which the radiation travels as it reflects off the target and reaches the imager. Accurate target detection requires that the collected image matches as closely as possible the known "true" target in the classification database. Therefore, the effect of the radiation source and the atmosphere must be removed before detection is attempted. While the spectrum of solar light is relatively stable, the effect …

Reinvestigation Of A Hydrogeologic Feasibility Study For A Proposed Surface Water Reservoir In Smith County, Mississippi, William Dennis Mcbryde

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Forest Service desires to build a 2,700 acre surface water reservoir by constructing a dam to impound water on Oakohay Creek in Smith County, Mississippi. A previous study from 2007 deemed the proposed location based on the hydrologic and geologic characteristics. The reinvestigation study objectives focused on the site’s hydrology and geology. The hydrologic study was accomplished by developing daily water storage models for the proposed reservoir. Archived data from the Southern Regional Climate Center were used in the models. The geologic study evaluated the Glendon Limestone through field surveying, ground penetrating radar, sonic rig drilling, surface …

Researchers To Dig Deep Into Wyoming Basin For Global Warming Clues, Beth Potier

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Modern Weathering On The Geochemistry Of A Marine Permo-Triassic Boundary Section, Jeremy Christopher Williams

Graduate Masters Theses

The Permian-Triassic Boundary (PTB) marks the end-Permian extinction, the greatest mass extinction recorded in Earth's history. The Attargoo PTB section located in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India was situated along the north continental margin of Gondwana-land in the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the end-Permian extinction. In Spiti Valley, PTB sections such as Attargoo are exposed by a thin (~ 2cm) ferruginous layer separating the Permian black shale from Triassic Limestone. Studies that have presented geochemical data to support a theory of the end-Permian extinction lack any interpretation of post-depositional effects on Spiti Valley PTB sections. In order to accurately present a …

Upper Pleistocene Human Dispersals Out Of Africa: A Review Of The Current State Of The Debate, Amanuel Beyin

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Although there is a general consensus on African origin of early modern humans, there is disagreement about how and when they dispersed to Eurasia. This paper reviews genetic and Middle Stone Age/Middle Paleolithic archaeological literature from northeast Africa, Arabia, and the Levant to assess the timing and geographic backgrounds of Upper Pleistocene human colonization of Eurasia. At the center of the discussion lies the question of whether eastern Africa alone was the source of Upper Pleistocene human dispersals into Eurasia or were there other loci of human expansions outside of Africa? The reviewed literature hints at two modes of early …

Memorial To Charles Alexander Baskerville (1928–2009), Allen W. Hatheway, Ajitkumar Shah, Joseph J. Lifrieri, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer

Publications and Research

Charles Alexander Baskerville captured our imagination, as a senior colleague in the practice of engineering geology in New York City. “Charlie” held the seat of master Big Apple Geologist during his matured career. He was the source, he knew the possibilities, he was aware of the pitfalls of this most geologically complex of American cities. His final work was his greatest reach—the four bedrock geologic quadrangles of the city. Baskerville mapped New York City for more than fifty years. He was sought and given access to sites of bedrock and bedrock/ overburden interface on the various capitol construction projects undertaken …

Adsorption Of Neodymium Experiment Design To Simulate Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing, Brian C. Froese

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The purpose of this project was to develop a laboratory experiment to be conducted by future Nuclear Engineering Track (NET) students that adequately demonstrates adsorption of the lanthanide neodymium, an extraction technique used in nuclear fuel reprocessing. Nuclear fuel reprocessing is the chemical separation of various elemental components in spent nuclear fuel. These components, once isolated, can be recycled or reused and ultimately minimize the volume of radioactive waste. There were several steps taken to accomplish this task. First, an independent study of Dr. Hyung Jun Park’s work on phosphorus based adsorbents was conducted. Research was also done on current …

Evolution Of Ferric Sulfates With Relative Humidity And Temperature And Their Potential Usage As Environmental Indicators In Martian Research, Wenqian Xu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Ferric sulfates have attracted attention of geochemists since the discovery of jarosite on surface of Mars in 2004. To date, several ferric sulfates have been identified or suggested on Mars, including ferricopiapite, paracoquimbite, etc. These ferric sulfates, formed in evaporation or diagenetic processes, serve as mineralogical evidence for past water activity on Mars. More than proving the presence of water, ferric sulfates are hygroscopic and display complex hydration and dehydration transitions with change of air humidity and temperature, which suggest they may have application in tracing paleo-environment on Mars. On Earth, ferric sulfate minerals are environmentally important. Primarily distributed in …

Formation Of Geomorphic Features As A Response To Sea-Level Change At Ritidian Point, Guam, Mariana Islands, Blaz Miklavic

Theses and Dissertations

Geomorphic features have been one of the major tools for sea-level change studies. The present work shows an example of sea-level change study on karst terrain in the tropics. Sea-level notches as well as flank margin caves were identified in the research area and their elevation measured. The time of formation of the sea-level indicators was constrained by lithology study and dating methods such as facies comparison and U-Th dating. Denudation and uplift were also studied for the same purpose. From this study it can be concluded that sea-level stands within the glacial cycle can cause the formation of flank …