Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Recent Discoveries In The Ni-Cu-Pge Bearing Trill And Parkin Offset Dykes, Sudbury Impact Structure, Canada, Adam B. Coulter

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Sudbury structure hosts world class Ni-Cu-PGE deposits that have been mined, explored and studied for over 130 years. The structure is widely recognized as the erosional remnant of a 1.85 Ga 200- to 250-km tectonically altered multi-ring impact basin located in central Ontario, Canada. The focus of this investigation is on the Trill and Parkin Offset dykes. This study provides updated regional scale geologic maps, detailed geologic maps of newly exposed sections, geochemistry, sulphide analysis and an analysis of the inclusion population and orientation within the dykes. We conclude, the dyke phases display remarkable geochemical homogeneity, the Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization …

The Mistastin Lake Impact Structure As A Terrestrial Analogue Site For Lunar Science And Exploration, Marianne M. Mader

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The impact cratering record on the Moon is important for many reasons, from understanding early solar system chronology to probing the lunar interior. In order to maximize scientific return from future lunar missions, it is useful to: 1) study terrestrial impact craters to better understand impact processes and products, and 2) develop appropriate human and robotic exploration strategies aligned with geological goals.

This research shows that the intermediate-size Mistastin Lake impact structure, in northern Labrador, Canada, is an unparalleled lunar analogue site, which includes both an anorthositic target and an almost complete suite of impact lithologies, including proximal ejecta deposits. …

Silver Nanoparticle Transport Through Soil: Illuminating The Governing Pore-Scale Processes, Ian L. Molnar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Engineered nanoparticles are widely used and will eventually be released to the subsurface environment and contaminate groundwater resources. However, the transport of engineered nanoparticles through soil is currently not well understood and cannot be modelled in any fundamental manner, placing groundwater resources at risk from nanoparticle contamination. This inability to accurately simulate transport is due to a lack of experimental information on nanoparticle interactions in the pore spaces of real soils.

This thesis illuminates the pore-scale processes governing silver nanoparticle transport through soil. In addition, it examines the influence of surface chemistry and grain/pore distributions on those processes. For the …

Morphological, Structural And Spectral Mapping Of The Central Uplifts Of The Alga And Verlaine Craters, Mars, Bianca D'Aoust

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Impact cratering is a ubiquitous geological process that has shaped planetary bodies of the Solar System and beyond. While the impact cratering record on Earth has been poorly preserved, the Martian surface is characterized by a very old and cratered terrain. Central uplifts within complex impact craters are of particular interest as they expose deep-seated material, some of which may correspond to samples of the early Martian crust. Central uplift formation is, however, still a poorly understood geological process. This research investigated the origin of the exposed bedrock in the central uplifts of two Martian complex craters as well as …

Reflectance And Emission Spectroscopy: Curve Fitting Methods With Application To Impact Glasses And The Varying Grain Size Of Planetary Analogue Minerals, Michael A. Craig

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Spectroscopy, i.e., the measurement of electromagnetic radiation as a function of wavelength, is arguably the technique most responsible for the majority of what is collectively known about the composition of stars, the distances to galaxies, the age of the universe and so on. Spectroscopy is also the tool most used to discern the mineralogy of planetary bodies remotely. Measuring the speed at which a star is receding and its composition, or the composition of an interstellar cloud of gas are well understood uses of spectroscopy. When it comes to spectroscopies use to discern mineralogy, the scientific literature on the subject …

Characterizing Seismicity In Alberta For Induced-Seismicity Applications, Luqi Cui

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This report documents the compilation of a high-quality catalog of earthquakes in Alberta and the surrounding region: the Composite Alberta Seismicity Catalog (CASC). It currently includes events through July 2015. The catalog and its documentation are available for download at www.inducedseismicity.ca. For the determination of the magnitude of completeness (M_c) of the catalog, we map M_c (x_i, y_i, t) across a grid of the region, where x_i and y_i represent the longitude and latitude of center nodes in the grid and t indicates time period. The empirical …

Factors Controlling The Composition And Lithofacies Characteristics Of The Paleoproterozoic Bar River Formation, Huronian Supergroup, Rohan Dj Aranha

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Bar River Formation of the Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup is one of the earliest sedimentary formations deposited following Earth’s Great Oxidation Event. Ten quartz-rich lithofacies were identified near Flack Lake, Ontario. Lithofacies associations resemble multiple, stacked tidal inlet fill sequences, common to mesotidal shorelines. Sedimentary structures, such as herringbone cross-stratification, reactivation surfaces, and wave ripples, support tidal and wave action. Paleocurrent patterns are bimodal to polymodal with a mean paleoflow to the southeast. Potential sources northwest of the study area include Archean Superior Province rocks and the Paleoproterozoic Lorrain Formation. Major and trace element, and oxygen isotope geochemistry support either …

Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Investigations Of The Late Pleistocene Paleoecology Of Eastern Beringia, Yukon Territory, Using Soils, Plants And Rodent Bones, Farnoush Tahmasebi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

During the late Pleistocene (130-12 ka), Beringia, a largely ice-free land located in the Mammoth Steppe Ecosystem, was home to a large grazing community of megafauna. Many of these animals, including the woolly mammoth, became extinct at the terminal Pleistocene. Assessment of the paleoenvironment, nutrient cycling and foraging ecology in Beringia should help to understand the role of climate change in their extirpation. Such information might also help to explain the curiously higher δ¹⁵N of woolly mammoths relative to other coeval herbivores.

This study assessed eastern Beringian paleoecology using stable nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) isotopic analyses of …

Morphology And Morphometry Of Double Layered Ejecta Craters On Mars, Ryan Schwegman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Double layered ejecta (DLE) craters display two distinct layers of ejecta that appear to have been emplaced as a mobile, ground-hugging flow. While volatile content within the target, atmosphere, or some combination of the two is generally considered a major variable enhancing the mobility of ejecta, the presence of unconsolidated surface materials may also have some effect. This statement is studied further here, aiming to determine whether bulk target lithology and/or attributes of the surface have any effect on morphometric properties between DLEs situated on sedimentary targets to those on volcanic ones. Results suggest that ejecta mobility (the distance ejecta …

Investigating Potential Climatic Cycles In Glacially-Influenced Rhythmites Of The Upper Gowganda Formation Using Geochemical, Sedimentological And Spectral Analyses, Timothy S. Howe

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The upper Gowganda Formation of the Huronian Supergroup contains glacially-induced, varve-like rhythmites composed of turbiditic micro-laminae that potentially preserve a detailed record of climatic conditions during the Paleoproterozoic Era. A sedimentological analysis of upper Gowganda Formation deposits enabled identification of eight lithofacies comprising a glaciogenic depositional environment: 1) diamictite, 2) contorted argillite, 3) interlaminated siltstone and sandstone, 4) interbedded siltstone and claystone, 5) sandstone, 6) siltstone, 7) interbedded coarse-grained and fine-grained siltstone, and 8) wavy argillite. Major, trace, and rare earth element analyses indicate that the rhythmites have undergone limited recycling and chemical alteration. Whole-rock δ¹⁸O values are …

High Resolution Stratigraphy And Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of The Upper Devonian Kettle Point Formation, Southwestern Ontario, Canada, Nikole E. Bingham-Koslowski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Upper Devonian Kettle Point Formation of southwestern Ontario consists of interbedded organic-rich black shales and organic-poor greyish green mudstones and red beds, the distribution of which were controlled by water depth, primary productivity, paleoclimate, and tectonism associated with the concurrent Acadian orogeny. Black shales were deposited under anoxic conditions and represent the background deposition. Less abundant organic-poor lithologies were formed under dysoxic to oxic conditions caused by a drop in relative sea level (either eustatic or related to subsidence or uplift). Sulphur isotope data shows a largely consistent background value for the black shales around -20‰ δ³⁴S, …

Identification Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Periphery Of Motul De San José, Alexandra E. Smofsky

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Agricultural systems were investigated in the Motul de San José periphery, an ancient Maya polity in Guatemala, using soil geochemical techniques. The δ¹³C values of soil organic matter delineated areas of ancient maize agriculture at the satellite center of Kante’t’u’ul. A new method to locate areas of former cacao cultivation or processing was developed using HPLC to detect theobromine, an alkaloid of the cacao plant, preserved in soils. Extraction of spiked soils revealed that theobromine adsorption is inversely correlated with organic matter content of soils. Detection of naturally occurring theobromine was successful, demonstrating its utility as a tracer. …

Field Scale Application Of Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron: Mobility, Contaminant Degradation, And Impact On Microbial Communities, Chris M.D. Kocur

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis began by verifying that nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) synthesis methods could be scaled up and implemented at the field scale in a safe manner. This led to successful demonstration of nZVI injection and mobility under constant head gravity injection into a contaminated utility corridor in Sarnia, Ontario. Where field studies have fallen short in the past was linking the somewhat qualitative field geochemical parameters to other evidence of nZVI transport. Definitive nZVI detection was elusive in previous field studies due to the highly reactive nature of the particles caused by their high surface area. nZVI was detected …

Strength Study Of Zircon Under High Pressure, Ievgeniia Morozova

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Zircon (ZrSiO₄) is a strong accessory mineral that can retain U, Th and Hf within its structure. This makes zircon an important material in geochemical and geochronological studies. In addition, the strong thermal shock resistance of zircon allows for dating the formations of melt and impact events and to separate shocked and potentially shocked country rocks. However, the deformation mechanism and microstructure behavior of zircon at high pressure is poorly understood. Therefore, this work aims to study the deformation and texture of zircon in situ at high pressure and room temperature, and also to examine the microstructure of …

The Lithotectonic Setting And Paragenetic History Of Deposit No.1, Mary River District, North Baffin Island, Sean A. Fulcher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation is currently extracting the highest grade BIF-hosted direct shipping iron ore in the world from their flagship Deposit No.1 on north Baffin Island. This deposit and several other prospects are hosted within the isoclinally folded Mary River Group, a Neoarchean greenstone belt terrane hosting Algoma-type BIF, ultramafics volcaniclastics and sediment. Mary River Group supracrustals are juxtaposed against Mesoarchean basement gneisses due to a regional Transhudson Orogen overprint, forming a regional dome-keel tectonic framework.

Detail mapping and core logging of Deposit No.1 combined with geochemistry and geochronology reveal the footwall rocks, previously interpreted as gneisses, volcanics and …

Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of An Upper Ordovician Rocky Shoreline: The Lindsay Formation Of Heywood And Partridge Islands, Ontario, Hiba-Tul Naseer Maheen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The islands of Heywood and Partridge, located northeast of Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay, Ontario, preserve a major unconformity between the Paleoproterozoic Bar River and Lorrain Formation quartz arenite and Upper Ordovician Lindsay Formation carbonate and mudrock. The Lindsay Formation strata record two transgressive pulses of an epeiric sea that flooded the North American continent during the Late Ordovician. During this time, mountain building processes associated with the Taconic Orogeny were taking place to the present east, and the tectonic effects of this orogeny resulted in subsidence of the Michigan Basin. The Lindsay Formation of the Trenton Group was deposited …

Exploration Of Spatial And Temporal Changes In Trophic Status Of Lakes In The Northern Temporal Forest Biome Using Remote Sensing, Aleksey Paltsev

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a critical need for detailed surveys of lakes covering large spatial (>100 km²) and temporal scales (decades) to determine if there is an increase in the magnitude and frequency of phytoplankton blooms. Remote sensing was used to: (1) develop a regression model that relates chlorophyll a (chl-a) as a proxy of lake phytoplankton biomass to Landsat TM and ETM+ optical reflectance (r²=0.85, p

Geological Object Recognition In Extraterrestrial Environments, Gregory M. Elfers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

On July 4 1997, the landing of NASA’s Pathnder probe and its rover Sojourner marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration; robots with the ability to move have made up the vanguard of human extraterrestrial exploration ever since. With Sojourners landing, for the rst time, a ground traversing robot was at a distance too far from earth to make direct human control practical. This has given rise to the development of autonomous systems to improve the e?ciency of these robots,in both their ability to move,and their ability to make decisions regarding their environment. Computer Vision comprises a …

Chromite Crystal Structure And Chemistry Applied As An Exploration Tool, Patrick H.M. Shepherd

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The spinel group minerals have long been of interest to the geosciences due to their use as indicator minerals. Unit cell is a structural measure controlled by composition but is also affected by pressure and temperature relations through order-disorder. This study attempted to look at the applications of unit cell in exploration. The implementation of µXRD for this purpose required the creation the Slice Integration Technique to improve signal over background. Compositions of binary spinels can be approximated through their correlation with unit cell. Possible applications include gemology and curatorial studies, where the nondestructive nature of µXRD is highly advantageous …

Nitrate Sources In The Old Ausable River Channel And Adjacent Aquifers In Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario Canada, Samuel Dj Russell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Old Ausable River Channel (OARC) is located parallel to the shoreline of Lake Huron between the towns of Grand Bend and Port Franks, Ontario, Canada. Largely isolated from other water bodies, OARC water levels are mostly maintained by shallow groundwater. It is periodically in a state of eutrophication; a state commonly attributed to local anthropogenic nitrate loading. The primary goal of this work is to identify and quantify the sources of nitrate in the OARC watershed by measuring the oxygen and nitrogen isotope compositions of nitrate.

We have developed a dual method approach to measure the δ¹⁵N, …

Regionally-Adjustable Generic Ground-Motion Prediction Equation, Emrah Yenier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We develop a simulation-based generic ground-motion prediction equation (GMPE) that can be adjusted for use in any region by simple modifications to its key modeling parameters.

First, we determine how to treat ground-motion saturation effects observed at close distances to large magnitude earthquakes in a point-source sense. We model the source and attenuation attributes of well-recorded M ≥ 6 events, considering ground motions originate from an equivalent point source placed at an overall effective distance such that the empirically-observed saturation effects are successfully reproduced. We investigate the trade-offs between source and attenuation modeling parameters through analysis of Fourier amplitudes for …