Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Anorogenic Granitic Miarolitic Pegmatites Associated With The White Mountain Intrusive Suite, New Hampshire, Kristen F. Camp

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Subvolcanically emplaced granitic, miarolitic pegmatites associated with the White Mountain Igneous Province (WMIP), New Hampshire, were sampled and analyzed using modern analytical techniques including X-ray fluorescence, electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, and direct-coupled plasma spectrophotometry. Analytical results suggest that all the sampled miarolitic pegmatites from this study are petrogenetically related to the same intrusive suite, the WMIP. Based on the geochemical data, all the samples formed in an anorogenic tectonic setting and are rift-related. They are classified as NYF-type and plot in the “within plate granite” field on tectonic discrimination diagrams. The majority of the samples are peraluminous, A_{1 …}

Experimental Investigations Of Fluid–Mineral Interactions In Olivine And Dolomite, Michael Thomas Deangelis

Doctoral Dissertations

Geochemical processes involving the interaction of fluids and minerals occur in nearly every environment on the surface and in the crust of the Earth. The variety of fluid–mineral processes on the Earth is quite diverse, and these various processes can occur under a large range of geochemical conditions. Aqueous dissolution and alteration, hydration, protonation, solution–precipitation, diffusion, and fluid and isotope exchange are among the many fluid–mineral interaction processes that contribute to the overall cycling of elements on Earth. This dissertation uses analog experiments to examine fluid­–mineral interaction processes found in different geological environments and under a range of environmental conditions. …

Late Pleistocene And Holocene Hydroclimate Change In The Southeastern United States: Sedimentary, Pedogenic, And Stable Carbon Isotope Evidence In Tennessee River Floodplain Paleosols, James Joseph Kocis

Masters Theses

In order to understand hydroclimate variability of future climate change, it is important to know the timing and range of natural climate change in the past. The Southeastern United States (SE) is situated along the poleward extent of projected subtropical drying, where the expression of past hydrological balances remains unclear. The lack of high-resolution paleohydroclimate records in the SE forces climate modelers to base interpretations on better-understood regions of North America. The SE likely experienced significant changes in precipitation regimes resulting from its position at the convergence of several oceanic and continental air masses. To reconstruct precipitation variability, this study …

Paired Positive Carbonate Carbon Isotope, Organic Carbon Isotope, And Oxygen Isotope Composition Study Across The Lower Mississippian Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion, Southeastern Nevada, Usa, Robert Alan Henry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A prominent positive carbonate carbon isotope (delta13Ccarb) excursion of Early Mississippian age (ca 351 Ma) has been documented by previous studies from numerous sites globally. This delta13Ccarb excursion has been interpreted as resulting from enhanced organic carbon burial that removed 13C-depleted carbon from the ocean and atmosphere. Anticipated outcomes from enhanced organic carbon burial would include a similar positive excursion in organic carbon isotopes (delta13Corg) and a global cooling event resulting from reduced CO2 in the atmosphere and ocean. These predictions, however, were not tested sufficiently in previous studies. This research has tested these predictions through an integrated study of …

Microstructural Characterization Of Kinked Germanate Olivine Grains, Alex Gregory Drue

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Olivine is the most common and the weakest mineral in the upper mantle. Thus the strength of olivine controls the rheology of the earth's upper mantle. The rheology of olivine in the upper mantle has important implications for mantle flow, mountain building, and rates of isostatic adjustment. Recent experimental measurements of the flow strength of deformed olivine polycrystals have assumed a homogeneous state of stress. X-ray synchrotron diffraction experiments have implied that this assumption is not always valid. Elastic Plastic Self Consistent (EPSC) modeling offers an approach to estimating the flow strength of olivine that does not assume a homogeneous …

Magma Chamber Processes At Mutnovsky Volcano, Russia, Kelly L. Robertson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation is composed of two manuscripts about the evolution of Mutnovsky Volcano in Kamchatka, Russia. Mutnovsky has been active for the past approximately 80,000 years, during which there was the formation and subsequent eruption of four major stratocones. These four eruptive centers, named Mutnovsky I, II, III, and IV from oldest to youngest, have a range of erupted product compositions from basalt to dacite. The first major goal of this project was to investigate the melt source for Mutnovsky. Whole rock trace element and Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic data were used to determine that the melt source was …

Processes Controlling The Composition Of First-Cycle Sediments Deposited In An Arid-Climate, With Implications For Provenance Reconstruction Studies, Aubrey Lynn Modi

Masters Theses

Petrologic analysis of first-cycle clastic sediments derived from a single source in an arid environment provides a means to determine how well they resemble the petrology and geochemistry of their source. The Stepladder Mountains, located in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California, represents a well-controlled location (i.e., arid environment; single, known source; short transport distance) to examine how naturally formed sediments acquire their compositions. Compositional modifications associated with sediment production were resolved through direct examination of the weathered components (regolith, grus, and sediments). Sediment compositions strongly vary by grain size, indicating that, after the source itself, hydrodynamic sorting played the …

The Effects Of Evapotranspiration Upon Recharge Using The Stable Isotopes Of Oxygen And Hydrogen In The Carbonate Aquifers Of The Cumberland Plateau In Southeast Kentucky, Lee J. Florea

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

In this brief manuscript, we consider the variation of the stable isotopes of oxygen, δ18O, and hydrogen, δ2H, in samples collected during 2010 and 2011 from precipitation and shallow groundwater along the Cumberland Plateau of southeast Kentucky. These data from the 1,900-ha Redmond Creek karst aquifer lend insight into the source and timing of recharge to shallow groundwater in the epigenic karst of the U.S midcontinent. Specifically, we find that only 43% of precipitation remains as potential recharge after accounting for evapotranspiration, and 85% of this potential recharge occurs during only four two-week sampling periods. The isotopic composition of precipitation …

Spatial And Temporal Variations In The Air-Sea Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Of Florida Bay, Christopher Michael Dufore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The flux of CO2 between the ocean and the atmosphere is an important measure in determining local, global, and regional, as well as short term and long term carbon budgets. In this study, air-sea CO2 fluxes measured using a floating chamber were used to examine the spatial and temporal variability of CO2 fluxes in Florida Bay. Measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity obtained concurrently with chamber measurements of CO2 flux allowed calculation of ΔpCO2 from flux measurements obtained at zero wind velocity. Floating chamber measurements of ΔpCO2 were subsequently coupled with wind speed data to provide a simple …

Dissemination Of Geological Information In Avoiding Geotechnical Risks Associated With Tunnel Construction: Lessons Learned From Deep Voids In Marble In Lower Manhattan, New York City, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer, Masud Ahmed, Leah Scott

Publications and Research

Test boring associated with the recently accomplished City Water Tunnel # 3 in Manhattan, New York City revealed moderately to highly weathered marble with insoluble silicate residues composed mostly of phlogopite, chlorite, and tremolite. Apparent control on the weatherability of the marble was in response to original mineral constituents dominating this lithology. Encountered marble samples ranged between pure calcitic to mixed dolomitic/siliceous types. Fresh marble samples collected from adjacent boring locations revealed characteristic geochemical data: Lime (25-45%), Silica (4-7%), Alumina (1-3%), MgO (5-20%), and LOI (35-42%); compressive strength of unweathered marble varied between 2000-3000 Kg/cm². Relict foliations with …

Geogram 2011, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

Mobile Technology As A Tool For Enhancing Student Learning In Geosciences, Sam Matson

Mobile Learning Symposium

Incorporation of mobile technology into the post-secondary classroom is becoming increasingly common as universities seek to facilitate active, student-centered learning through rapid access to information, connect students with course content through social media, and evaluate digital alternatives to conventional instructor-student interaction. The m-Learning Scholars Program at Boise State University was initiated during the 2010 – 2011 academic year, and provides a venue for exploring the potential of mobile technology to enhance student learning in the geosciences. Through this program, 38 students in an introductory Earth History course for non-geoscience majors each purchased a subsidized handheld device (iPod touch) that they …

Thermal Fluid And Fault Interactions At The Intersection Of Two Faults, Agua Caliente, California, Rebekah Wood, James Evans

Rebekah Wood

Agua Caliente Springs lies at a unique intersection between the NNW-trending Elsinore fault and the 40° northeast-dipping, likely inactive West Salton detachment fault; it provides an opportunity to study damage zone geometry, fault behavior in crystalline rocks, a left-stepover, microseismicity, and the influence of thermal fluids on rock deformation. The Elsinore fault bounds the northwestern flank of the Tierra Blanca Mountains with strike-slip and normal motion; the detachment fault wraps around the northernmost portion of the mountains. Damage along the Elsinore ranges in thickness from a narrow slip plane to > 100 m along the eastern flank of the Tierra Blanca …

Magnetic Properties Of Ilmenite‐Hematite Single Crystals From The Ecstall Pluton Near Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Sarah J. Brownlee, Joshua M. Feinberg, Takeshi Kasama, Richard J. Harrison, Gary R. Scott, Paul R. Renne

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Paleomagnetic studies of the 91 Ma Ecstall pluton and other Cretaceous plutons of British Columbia imply large northward tectonic movements (>2000 km) may have occurred during the tectonic evolution of western North America. However, more recent studies have shown that the eastern edge of the Ecstall pluton experienced considerable mineralogical changes as younger Eocene plutons, such as the ∼58 Ma Quottoon Pluton, were emplaced along its margins. We investigated changes in the rock magnetic properties associated with this reheating event by examining isolated grains of intergrown ilmenite and hematite, the primary paleomagnetic recorder in the Ecstall pluton. Measurements of …

The Vinylguaiacol/Indole Or Vgi ("Veggie") Ratio: Assessing Relative Contributions Of Terrestrial And Aquatic Organic Matter To Sediments, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Jaroslaw W. Slusarczyk, Elaine Gomez

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In studies of the organic matter (OM) fraction of marine, estuarine, fluvial, or lacustrine sediments, one of the most fundamental distinctions to be made is that between terrestrial and aquatic OM. To supplement the parameters commonly used for this purpose (e.g., C/N and stable isotope ratios), we proposed the Vinylguaiacol/Indole or VGI ("Veggie") ratio, defined as [vinylguaiacol / (indole + vinylguaiacol)] using data produced by analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of dried, homogenized sediment samples [1]. The ratio employs the peak areas of these two compounds on the mass chromatograms of their molecular ions (m/z 150 and 117, respectively). Major pyrolysis …

Effects Of Weathering On Aromatic Compounds In Beach Tars From The Deepwater Horizon Disaster, Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Usa, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Operators aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform lost control of the Macondo No. 1 well about 90 km southwest of the Louisiana coast on April 20, 2010, leading to a catastrophic release of ca. 550 Gg of crude oil over the next 86 days [1]. Oil from the spill soon found its way to nearby coastal areas, leaving tarry deposits on beaches and marshes. Oil was reported on the beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama (180 km northeast of the well) on June 5 and the relatively fresh sample discussed herein (GSA) was collected that same day. Oil reached the beach …

Ice-Movement History And Kimberlite Indicator Mineral Dispersal Study, Pelly Bay, Lower Boothia Peninsula, And Wager Plateau Areas, Nunavut, Canada, Carl Ozyer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study reconstructs the ice flow history of the eastern portion of the Keewatin sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet by integrating field work, remote imagery, and work by others. The study reveals at least seven ice flow phases during the Wisconsinan, including ice streams. A model was developed using inverse distance weighed (IDW) interpolation with GIS to identify and isolate potential kimberlite bedrock sources in kimberlite indicator mineral-rich areas in the Pelly Bay area, Nunavut. Kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) data were normalized by “peer size” to better understand how KIM grains from three kimberlite sources are distributed within three …

Predicted Velocity And Density Structure Of The Exhuming Papua New Guinea Ultrahigh‐Pressure Terrane, Sarah J. Brownlee, Bradley R. Hacker, Matthew Salisbury, Gareth Seward, Timothy A. Little, Suzanne A. Baldwin, Geoffrey A. Abers

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

New electron backscatter diffraction measurements show that the Papua New Guinea (PNG) ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) terrane is dominated by rocks with weakly oriented quartz and feldspar and less abundant strongly oriented hornblende, clinopyroxene, and mica. Velocities measured at high pressures (600 MPa) show that V_P is 5.8–6.3 km/s for gneiss samples, 6.5–7.7 km/s for amphibolite, and 7.7–8.2 km/s for eclogite and V_S is 3.4–3.9 km/s for gneiss, 4.0–4.4 km/s for amphibolite, and 4.5–4.6 km/s for eclogite. Velocities and anisotropies calculated from mineral crystal preferred orientations (CPOs) are equivalent to within 5% of the measured values. The highest seismic anisotropy …

Assessing Ageing At Beaver Reservoir, Northwest Arkansas: Limnological, Geochemical & Paleolimnological Approach, Byron Anthony Winston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to potable water has been arguably one of the most important requisites for the advancement of human civilization on earth. As a result, man in his infinite wisdom devised the dam and formed reservoirs, (man- made lakes), to exploit water resources at will. In all natural lakes and reservoirs changes occur in the water quality parameters as it relates to chemical nutrients, temperature and turbidity over time. These changes are collectively referred to as "Reservoir Ageing", of which sedimentation and eutrophication are primary. Reservoir Ageing has consequences which adversely affect and defeat many of the intended uses of the …

Solving The Mystery Of The Atacama Nitrate Deposits: The Use Of Stable Oxygen Isotope Analysis And Geochemistry, Ji-Hye Seo

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

The Atacama Desert, Chile, one of the oldest and driest deserts on Earth, is unique because it contains the largest known nitrate deposits in the world. The origin of these nitrate deposits has been a mystery since their discovery in the 1800s. There are two possible sources of natural nitrate: microbiological processes and photochemical reactions. The majority of material on Earth follows mass-dependent fractionation between stable oxygen isotopes with the abundance of ¹⁷Ο (denoted by δ) as half that of ¹⁸O. This relationship is quantified by Δ¹⁷O = δ¹⁷O – ½ δ¹⁸O, …

An Ice-Core Proxy For Northerly Air Mass Incursions Into West Antarctica, Daniel D. Dixon, Paul Andrew Mayewski, Ian D. Goodwin, Gareth J. Marshall, Rhaelene Freeman, Kirk A. Maasch, Sharon B. Sneed

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

A 200-year proxy for northerly air mass incursions (NAMI) into central and western West Antarctica is developed from the examination of 19 shallow (21–150 m deep) Antarctic ice-core non-sea-salt (nss) Ca2+ concentration records. The NAMI proxy reveals a significant rise in recent decades. This rise is unprecedented for at least the past 200 years and is coincident with anthropogenically driven changes in other large-scale Southern Hemisphere (SH) environmental phenomena such as greenhouse gas (GHG) induced warming, ozone depletion, and the associated intensification of the SH westerlies. The Hysplit trajectory model is used to examine air mass transport pathways into West …

Environmental History Of A Closed-Basin Lake In The Us Great Plains: Diatom Response To Variations In Groundwater Flow Regimes Over The Last 8500 Cal. Yr Bp, William O. Hobbs, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Jeffery R. Stone, Joseph J. Donovan, Eric C. Grimm, James E. Almendinger

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sediment records from closed-basin lakes in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of North America have contributed significantly to our understanding of regional paleoclimatology. A high-resolution (near decadal) fossil diatom record from Kettle Lake, ND, USA that spans the last 8500 cal. yr BP is interpreted in concert with percent abundance of aragonite in the sediment as an independent proxy of groundwater flow to the lake (and thus lake water level). Kettle Lake has been relatively fresh for the majority of the Holocene, likely because of the coarse substrata and a strong connection to the underlying aquifer. Interpretation of diatom assemblages …

The Nature, Origin And Preservation Of Amide Organic Nitrogen In Organic Matter, Georgina Anne Mckee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Past studies have found much of nonliving sedimentary/aqueous nitrogen-containing organic matter (NCOM) is composed of amides, assumed to be peptides/proteins. Their lability calls into question their survival, and several hypotheses have been suggested to explain this. Using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy I investigated the molecular amide composition in sedimentary/aqueous systems while reassessing their preservation and formation routes.

Development of a suitable methodology is essential for successful NCOM study due to electrospray ionisation source requirements: sediment samples need to be rendered into solution. Based on NMR and FT-ICR-MS analysis, I determined …

Insights Into Chemical Structure Changes Of Kerogen From Bituminous Coal In Response To Dike Intrusions Investigated By Advanced Solid-State 13C Nmr, Yuan Li

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Variations in the chemical structures of kerogens From highly volatile bituminous coal located near two igneous dike intrusions in the Illinois Basin were examined in detail by advanced solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Spectral-editing techniques were used to identify specific functional groups. Direct polarization was used to quantify different functional groups. ¹H-¹³C two- dimensional heteronuclear NMR was used to examine connectivities and proximities, and ¹H-¹³C long-range recoupled dipolar dephasing was used to estimate aromatic cluster sizes. With decreasing distance to dike contacts and increasing thermal maturity (vitrinite reflectance R₀ from …

Full Conference Program With Abstracts, Jason S. Polk, Leslie A. North

International 2011 Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems

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 …

An Emerging Technique: Multi-Ice-Core Multi-Parameter Correlations With Antarctic Sea-Ice Extent, Sharon B. Sneed, Paul Andrew Mayewski, Daniel A. Dixon

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

ABSTRACT. Using results stemming from the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE) ice-core array plus data from ice cores from the South Pole and Siple Dome we investigate the use of sodium (Na+), non-sea-salt sulfate (nssSO4 2–) and methylsulfonate (MS–) as proxies for Antarctic sea-ice extent (SIE). Maximum and mean annual chemistry concentrations for these three species correlate significantly with maximum, mean and minimum annual SIE, offering more information and clarification than single ice-core and single species approaches. Significant correlations greater than 90% exist between Na+ and maximum SIE; nssSO4 2– with minimum and mean SIE; and MS– with mean SIE. …

Carbon And Sulfur Cycling In Early Paleozoic Oceans, Cara Kim Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

Here, I evaluate biospheric evolution during the Ordovician using high-resolution inorganic carbon and sulfur (carbonate-associated sulfate and pyrite) isotope profiles for Early Ordovician to early Late Ordovician strata from geographically distant sections in Western Newfoundland and the Argentine Precordillera. Additionally, I present new, high-resolution U-Pb ages for volcanic ash beds within strata of the Argentine Precordillera. Carbon isotope data record subdued variation that is typical of Early- to Middle Ordovician strata worldwide. By contrast, sulfur-isotopic compositions of carbonate-associated sulfate reveal a complex signal of short-term, rhythmic variation superimposed over a longer-term signal. This short-term, rhythmic variation occurs in all sections …

Measuring The Rate Of Garnet Growth: Implications For Rb-Sr Garnet Chronology, Jessica Sousa

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Garnet growth rates have provided valuable information for understanding the rates of tectonometamorphic processes. In theory, during its growth, garnet records the decay of 87Rb within a rock matrix as steadily increasing ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from core to rim. By measuring the Sr isotopic zoning within garnet and matrix Rb/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, the rate of garnet growth can be determined. To test this, we used ID-TIMS to measure Rb-Sr data for five samples from three major orogenic belts: central New England, southernmost Chile, and western Italian Alps. These new data introduce two major difficulties encountered using …

Pleistocene Climate In Alaska From Stable Isotopes In An Ice Wedge, Corinne Y. Griffing

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The CRREL permafrost tunnel offers a unique opportunity to sample ice wedges in a climate-controlled environment, penetrating frozen silts which host massive ground ice that may record Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) and Heinrich Events. Ice wedges in the tunnel have been dated to approximately 36-22 ka (Hamilton et al., 1988), allowing the paleoclimate of the region to be reconstructed during MIS 3, when D-O and Heinrich events were documented in various other records. These climate cycles are rapid climate oscillations that have been recognized in records from the Arctic and subarctic, and suggest that climate can rapidly shift by 10°C over millennial …