Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Origin Of The Mega-Streamlined Morphology In Ne Africa And Arabia: Remote Sensing And Field-Based Investigations, Mohamed Samy Mohamed Elhebery

Dissertations

Mega-streamlined landforms on Earth and Mars have been attributed to aeolian, glaciogenic, fluvial, and tectonic processes. Identifying the forces that shaped these landforms is paramount for understanding landscape evolution and constraining paleo-climate models and ice sheet reconstructions. Exhumed Late Ordovician glacial deposits and landscape of the North Gondwana are reported here for the first time from SE Egypt. Using field and remote sensing (Advanced Land Observing Satellite [ALOS], Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) radar, multispectral Landsat TM datasets, and digital elevation models (DEMs) I mapped the distribution of the Late Ordovician glacial features (i.e. deposits and landforms) in …

Remote Sensing Application For Landslide Detection: Monitoring Along Eastern Lake Michigan (Miami Park, Mi), Guzalay Sataer

Dissertations

I assessed the nature and spatial and temporal patterns of deformation over the Miami Park bluffs on the eastern margin of Lake Michigan and investigated the factors controlling its observed deformation. Our approach involved the following steps: (1) extracting bluff deformation rates (velocities along the line of sight of the satellite) using a stack of Sentinel-1A radar imagery in ascending acquisition geometry acquired between 2017 and 2021 and applying the Intermittent Small Baseline Subset (ISBAS) InSAR time series analysis method; (2) generating high-resolution (5 cm) elevation models and orthophotos from temporal unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys acquired in 2017, 2019, …

Evidence For An Early Saginaw Lobe Ice Retreat And Drainage Adjustments Across Southern Michigan, Usa, Nathan Erber

Dissertations

The Saginaw lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS), flowed out of Saginaw Bay, across Lower Michigan and into northern Indiana. As it retreated, the Saginaw lobe deposited the Sturgis moraine, a recessional moraine of the lobe in southern Michigan. Positioned to the west and east of the Saginaw lobe were the Lake Michigan and Huron-Erie lobes, respectively. These lobes retreated across the region asynchronously, with the Saginaw lobe retreating first. The asynchronous behavior of the lobes allowed for the Lake Michigan and Huron-Erie lobes to overprint and alter landscapes once occupied by the Saginaw lobe ice.

The Kalamazoo moraine, …

Mid To Late Neogene (5.9-3.7 Ma) Epeirogenic Uplift And Associated Ultramafic Volcanism, Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, Katherine Anne Dvorak

Dissertations

Cored marine sediments from Canterbury Basin Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 317 shelf sites U1351, U1353, and upper slope Site U1352 have been resampled with emphasis on benthic foraminifera from the Late Eocene to Late Pliocene. These new data coupled with paleo water-depth and age data from the nearby Clipper-1 petroleum exploration well, are used to develop a 1-dimensional basin subsidence model for the Canterbury Basin. Our model indicates there was widespread epeirogenic uplift of 890  350m, in the mid-Neogene (5.9-3.7 million years ago), which took place during concomitant ultramafic volcanism. Close association of uplift and volcanism could …

Experimental Insights Into The Origin Of Microcrystalline Calcites, Mohammed Hashim

Dissertations

A significant proportion of modern marine calcium carbonate sediments is dominated by metastable aragonite and high Mg calcite that either dissolves or stabilizes to low-Mg-calcite (calcite) or dolomite during diagenesis. Sediment dissolution and stabilization have implications for the CaCO3 budget in the ocean and carbon burial rates. Yet, the diagenetic conditions that promote each process and their relative importance are poorly understood. Further, stabilization most commonly produces calcite microcrystals that exhibit various textures and host micropores. Despite their ubiquity in the rock record, the controls on microcrystal textures remain unclear. Here, laboratory experiments were used to investigate aragonite-to-calcite stabilization as …

Understanding Potential Climate Change Impacts On Water Resources Within A Fractured Rock Watershed In Northern Togo, Mahawa-Essa Mabossani Akara

Dissertations

More than 72% of sub-Saharan Africa land surface is comprised of hard rock with fractured rock aquifers supplying water to an estimated 25% of the rural population. Given low porosity and storativity, fractured rock aquifers are particularly vulnerable to stresses such as projected population growth and climate variability. General circulation models of sub-Saharan Africa predict increases in temperature and in occurrences of extreme precipitation trends, such as flooding and drought. Adaptation strategies that promote optimal uses of water resources have emerged, although, most focus exclusively on surface water resources. This project investigates the potential impact of climate change on surface …

An Integrated Approach For The Assessment And Monitoring Of Land Deformation In The Riyadh City And Its Surroundings For Identifying The Controlling Factors, Abdulaziz Ibrahim Aljammaz

Dissertations

An integrated approach (remote sensing, field, geodesy, geology, and hydrogeology) was conducted to assess and monitor land deformation at Riyadh city and its surroundings. Two settings were investigated. The first, Jinadriyah area (1.5 km²), an urban area located east of Riyadh city, was selected to assess deformation associated with urbanization over desert lands. The second location was Al Kharj area (19,790 km²) to the south of Riyadh city, a reclaimed desert land that was selected to assess the deformation associated with agricultural groundwater extraction from fossil aquifers. My investigations revealed high subsidence rates (up to -30 …

Dolomite Stoichiometry As A Proxy For Fluid Chemistry, Cameron J. Manche

Dissertations

The origin of massive dolomites is a contentious issue in geology. Because modern dolomite is rare, interpretation of ancient dolomites requires the use of proxy resources, most of which provide ambiguous information. High-temperature dolomite synthesis experiments have shown that dolomite stoichiometry, the degree of cation ordering, and reaction rate are controlled by Mg:Ca, temperature, molarity, and salinity of the formative solution. Thus, it is posited here that dolomite stoichiometry may be a useful proxy for fluid chemistry, as are stable isotope and trace element composition of ancient dolomites. High-frequency sample intervals (cm-scale) from the Cretaceous Upper Glen Rose Formation (Comanche …

Monitoring Salt Diapir Related Land Deformation And Distribution: A Geophysical And Remote Sensing Approach Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia, Hannah G. Pankratz

Dissertations

Salt diapirs are rarely preserved on the surface and seldom considered as environmental hazards. The Jazan city diapir (JZD) is located in southwest Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea coastal plain and outcrops in the middle of a rapidly growing port city. The intrusion of the diapir (~ 2 km²) into the overburden sediments continues to cause uneven surfaces, compromises building foundations and infrastructure, caused dissolution sinkholes, and limits the expansion of the city along the coastline. This research aims to better understand the distribution and deformation associated with salt diapirs in arid environments.

Using integrated Interferometric Synthetic …

Statistical Downscaling Techniques To Enhance The Spatial Resolution Of The Grace Satellite Data And To Fill Temporal Gaps, Hossein Sahour

Dissertations

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has been successfully used to monitor variations in terrestrial water storage (GRACE_TWS ) and groundwater storage (GRACE_GWS) across the globe, yet such applications are hindered on local scales by the limited spatial resolution of GRACE data. Using the Lower Peninsula of Michigan as a test site, I developed optimum procedures to downscale GRACE Release-06 monthly mascon solutions. A four-fold exercise is conducted. Cluster analysis is performed to identify the optimum number and distribution of clusters (areas) of contiguous pixels of similar geophysical signals (GRACE_TWS time series); three clusters are …

Integrating Detailed Petrography, Geochemistry, And Mineralogy To Elucidate Extensive Early Diagenesis In The Eocene Carbonates Of Qatar, Brooks H. Ryan

Dissertations

Eocene carbonates comprising the Umm er Radhuma (UER), Rus, and Dammam Formations, cover 80% of the surface and extend >300 m into the subsurface of Qatar. These rocks record marine sedimentation in shallow sub-tidal to restricted settings. Despite undergoing only shallow burial (<1000 m), extensive diagenetic alteration has occurred. Given that little work on this topic has been published previously, the objectives of this work are to document diagenesis in the Eocene, and to integrate petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry to delineate the timing and environments of diagenesis of these Eocene carbonates. Detailed petrographic data show that dolomitization occurred early in the UER, before the formation of diagenetic chert, palygorskite, pyrite, calcite, and gypsum cements. Bulk dolomite δ¹⁸O values, coupled with clumped isotope-derived (Δ47) temperatures and dolomitizing fluid δ¹⁸O values, suggest dolomitization took place in near-normal marine fluids, perhaps during shallow burial. These data challenge the current paradigm of large-scale, top-down hypersaline reflux dolomitization in the UER. Associated depth trends of increasing crystal size and with increasing stoichiometry and cation ordering …

A New Chronostratigraphic Framework For The Silurian (Wenlockian) Niagara And Salina Units Of The Michigan Basin, Matthew Rine

Dissertations

Constraining the ages of sedimentary strata is challenging and is the principle source of stratigraphic uncertainty in sedimentary basins worldwide. The story is no different in the Michigan Basin, where our current understanding of the Silurian Niagara-Lower Salina stratigraphic record is based in large part on limited sedimentological and chronological data, resulting in a collection of models that disagree about the timing of deposition. This disagreement marks the starting point for the dissertation research presented here. The studies included in the dissertation integrate conventional and novel approaches to address the stratigraphic uncertainty that has plagued Silurian reef researchers for decades. …

Developing Early Warning Systems For Debris Flows And Harmful Algal Blooms, Sita Karki

Dissertations

This study focused on developing early warning systems for two types of geohazards using methods that heavily rely on remote sensing data. The first investigation attempted to develop a prototype version of an early warning system for landslide development, whereas the second focused on harmful algal bloom prediction.

Construction of intensity-duration (ID) thresholds, and early warning and nowcasting systems for landslides (EWNSL) are hampered by the paucity of temporal and spatial archival data. This work represents significant steps towards the development of prototype EWNSL to forecast and nowcast landslides over Faifa Mountains in the Red Sea Hills. The developed methodologies …

Assessing Land Deformation And Sea Encroachment In The Nile Delta: A Radar Interferometric And Modeling Approach, Esayas Gebrekidan Gebremichael

Dissertations

Many of the deltas of the world are experiencing land deformation, subsidence or uplift of landmass, due to natural or anthropogenic causes, or a combination of both processes and causes. These deltaic settings are densely populated and border some of our world’s largest water bodies (oceans and seas). The land deformation, especially the subsidence component, when combined with the climate change-induced sea level rise, coastal erosion, and other anthropogenic drivers, will undoubtedly impact the population and economy of coastal areas of deltas. For the Nile Delta of Egypt, the land deformation processes and the factors that control the deformation processes …

Exploring Potential Water-Ice Occurrence On Asteroid 4 Vesta Using Orbital Radar Observations By The Dawn Mission, Elizabeth M. Palmer

Dissertations

Airless, differentiated planetesimals in the inner solar system were presumed to have been depleted of most of their initial volatile content during formation. However, water-ice has been discovered at the lunar poles (Li et al., 2018), is inferred to exist in polar craters on Mercury (e.g., Butler, Slade & Muhleman, 1993, and suggested to survive beneath the dusty regolith of objects in the main asteroid belt if buried at sufficient depths—at least one meter for small-bodies in the outer main-belt (Schorghofer, 2008). Hence, the study of volatile occurrence, past or present, on airless, desiccated small-bodies provides insights into the timing, …

Mapping And Interpreting The Glacial Geology Of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, Sarah M. Vandermeer

Dissertations

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is among the most popular parks in Michigan, yet prior to this study, it was the only National Park that lacked a detailed surficial geology map characterizing the distribution of sediments and landforms. Additionally, much of the landscape remained unexplored. These factors prevented thorough interpretations of landscape development and evolution. This research aims to map and further explore the relationship of glacial sediments and landforms throughout Pictured Rocks to refine and expand the current understanding of glacial events that shaped this landscape.

A new, detailed (1:24,000-scale) surficial geology map of the ten 7.5-minute quadrangles that contain …

An Lntegrated Approach (Remote Sensing, Hydrogeology, Geotechnical, And Geoinformatics) To Assess And Monitor Fossil Aquifers And Associated Land Deformation Over The Arabian Peninsula, Abdullah Ghurmullah Saeed Othman

Dissertations

Deformational features such as subsidence, sinkholes, fissures, settling and cracks in buildings and structures, and earthquakes are being reported from many of the world’s arid lands, in areas where fossil aquifers are being excessively exploited. Using the Lower Mega Aquifer System (LMAS) in Arabia as a test site, I applied an integrated approach (remote sensing, geodesy, GIS, geology, hydrogeology, and geotechnical) to identify nature, intensity, spatial distribution, and factors controlling the observed deformation in the central (Al-Qassim and Ha'il regions; area: 16×10⁴ km²) and the northern (Wadi As-Sirhan Basin; area: ~10.9×10⁴ km²) Arabia. A four -fold approach was adopted to …

Structural Controls On The Distribution Of Groundwater In Southern Sinai, Egypt: Constraints From Geophysical And Remote Sensing Observations, Lamees Mohamed

Dissertations

An integrated (Very Low Frequency [VLF] electromagnetic, magnetic, remote sensing, field, and Geographic Information System [GIS]) study was conducted over the basement complex in Southern Sinai (Feiran watershed) for a better understanding of the structural controls on the groundwater flow. The increase in satellite-based radar backscattering values following a large precipitation event (date: 17, 18 Jan 2010; amount: 34 mm) was used to identify water-bearing features, here interpreted as preferred pathways for surface water infiltration. Findings include: (1) The distribution of the water bearing features (conductive features) correspond to that of fractures, faults, shear zones, dike swarms, and wadi networks; …

Comparing Slug Test Methods For Unconfined Aquifers, Hussain Jaber Alfaifi

Dissertations

Slug test methods are used to determine in situ aquifer hydraulic conductivity (K) more quickly and economically than a pump test can. This study compares slug test methods for unconfined aquifers, looking at how to conduct a test using a physical slug, and at different analysis methods including Bouwer and Rice (1976), Kansas Geological Survey (KGS 1994), Hvorslev (1951) and Dagan (1978). Questions that motivated this study include: How well does the Bouwer and Rice method work? What is the most effective way to conduct a slug test? Does using a large physical slug relative to the well diameter and …

An Embodied Perspective Of Expertise In Solving The Problem Of Making A Geologic Map, Caitlin Norah Callahan

Dissertations

The task of constructing a geologic map is a cognitively and physically demanding field-based problem. The map produced is understood to be an individual’s two-dimensional interpretation or mental model of the three-dimensional underlying geology. A popular view within the geoscience community is that teaching students how to make a geologic map is valuable for preparing them to deal with disparate and incomplete data sets, for helping them develop problem-solving skills, and for acquiring expertise in geology. Few previous studies have focused specifically on expertise in geologic mapping. Drawing from literature related to expertise, to problem solving, and to mental models, …

Examining Antarctica From A Geodynamic Perspective: Backstripping, Ice Thickness, Tectonics And Erosion, Travis Gary Hayden

Dissertations

I have applied the principles of basin analysis and geodynamics to several cores recovered from on or near the Antarctic continent to answer 2 independent questions about the tectonic evolution of Antarctica; as well as estimate the thickness of the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum.

I developed, and applied a modification of the backstripping modeling technique to compensate for the loading and erosion of glacial ice at the AND-1B site by combining a backstripping driven inverse model, with a driven ice-load model. This modification allowed me to identify and constrain the timing of major pulses of subsidence …

Integrated Approach For Hydrogeologic Investigations In Africa: Inferences From Space-Borne And Land-Based Gravity, Aeromagnetic, Gis, And Remote Sensing Data, Mohamed El Sayed Ahmed Ahmed

Dissertations

An integrated (space-borne and land-based gravity, aeromagnetic, GIS, and remote sensing) approach was developed, tested, and applied to investigate the following on regional scales (Africa) or local scales (El Qaa Plain, Sinai): (1) assess the capability of GRACE data (04/2002 to 08/2011) for monitoring elements of hydrologic systems on the sub-basin level (Task 1); (2) address the nature and the controlling factors (e.g., climatic and/or human pressure-related) affecting the inter-annual GRACE-derived Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) trends over a large suite of hydrologic systems and domains in (Africa) (Task 2); and (3) identify the structural, geologic and hydrologic settings as well …

Paleoclimatic Regimes Of The African Sahara Desert During Pleistocene And The Origin Of Groundwater In The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, Abdou A. Abouelmagd

Dissertations

This study involves an integrated three-fold approach to better understand the paleoclimatic regimes over the North African Sahara Desert with emphasis on the origin of groundwater in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System. Specifically, the nature and origin of the paleo-wind regimes that produced the precipitation that recharged the fossil aquifers in North Africa in the previous wet climatic periods are deciphered using inferences from stable isotope data, noble gases, remote sensing and GIS.

In the first phase, the progressive depletion trend of stable isotopic composition in the fossil groundwaters under influence of paleowesterlies across North African Sahara Desert is simulated …

Investigating The Influence Of Organic Acids On Uraninite Solubility And Uranyl Sorption Onto Kaolinite, Michelle L. Barger

Dissertations

Within anoxic near surface aqueous settings where U0_2(S) may be released an opportunity to encounter and complex with organic acids may occur. Reactions between U0_2(S) and ligands may promote the solubility and mobility of uranium. Organic ligands investigated in the dissolution work include citric acid, NTA and EDTA. Exposure to the ligands had little effect on U0_2(S) solubility. The log activity of U0_2(S) hydrolysis under reduced conditions was -6.56. Under all measured conditions of ligand concentration, the data consistently show an increase in uranium concentration to a median log U activity of -4.89. The observed solubility …

Integrated Approach For The Assessment And Development Of Groundwater Resources In Arid Lands: Applications In The Quetta Valley, Pakistan, Zhanay Sagintayev

Dissertations

The lack of adequate field measurements (e.g., precipitation and stream flow) and difficulty in obtaining them often hampers the construction and calibration of rainfall-runoff models over many of the world's watersheds, leaving key· elements of the hydrologic cycle unconstrained. I adopted methodologies that rely heavily on readily available remote sensing datasets as viable alternatives and useful tools for assessing, managing, and modeling the water resources of such remote and inadequately gauged regions.

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was selected for continuous (1998-2005) rainfall-runoff modeling of the northeast part of the Pishin Lora basin (NEPL), a politically unstable area that …

Glaciotectonic Deformation Along The Valparaiso Upland In Southwest Michigan, Usa, Brian C. Bird

Dissertations

Glaciotectonic deformation has been observed and analyzed across parts of the Valparaiso, Kendall, and Inner Kalamazoo Moraines in southwest Michigan, USA. Deformation structures such as folds and faults have been analyzed using techniques typically used by structural geologist along with the fabric of elongated clasts in the surficial diamicton. The structures are consistent with simple shear, horizontal compressional stresses, and pure shear. A series of drumlin fields exist along the western boundary of the study area. Direct investigation of the deformed sediments was conducted at a gravel pit in one of these drumlins. Lacustrine derived sediments interbedded with coarse sand …

Remote Sensing Studies For The Assessment Of Geohazards: Toxic Algal Blooms In The Lower Great Lakes, And The Land Subsidence In The Nile Delta, Richard H. Becker

Dissertations

Remote sensing techniques provide valuable tools for assessing a wide variety of environmental phenomena. They have been used for monitoring and assessment of various types of geologic and environmental hazards occurring on land, in the air, or in oceans. I present results from two studies, the first of which examines the spatial and temporal distribution of algal blooms in the Great Lakes; the second measures subsidence in the Nile Delta.

In the first study, methodologies to investigate the extent and distribution (temporally and spatially) of algal blooms in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are studied. Millions of people in the …

Remote Sensing Solutions For Estimating Runoff And Recharge In Arid Environments, Adam M. Milewski

Dissertations

Efforts to understand and to quantify the interplay between precipitation, runoff, and recharge are often hampered by the paucity of appropriate monitoring systems. We developed methodologies for rainfall-runoff and groundwater recharge computations that heavily rely on observations extracted from a wide-range of global remote sensing data sets (TRMM, SSM/I, AVHRR, and AMSR-E,) using the arid Sinai Peninsula (SP; area: 61,000 km²) and the Eastern Desert (ED; area: 220,000 km²) of Egypt as our test sites. A two-fold exercise was conducted. Temporal remote sensing data (TRMM, AVHRR and AMSR-E) were extracted from global data sets over the …

Adsorption Of Lead On Single And Mixed Solid Systems, Soumya Das

Dissertations

Metal oxy-hydroxides and phyllosilicate minerals play a significant role in the fate and transport of heavy metals in the environment (Bertsch and Seaman, 1999). Chemical speciation of metals affects their bioavailability and chemical reactivity (Stumm and Morgan, 1996). Surface complexation models (SCMs) based on equilibrium thermodynamic principles have been successfully used to quantify adsorption of heavy metals on pure solid minerals, including phyllosilicates and oxy-hydroxides. For natural sediments with mixed mineralogy, Davis et al. (1998) suggested two different SCM approaches, namely, the component additivity and generalized composite models. In this study, adsorption of lead on pure HFO, silica and kaolinite …

Modified Fenton Oxidation Of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils With Cao2: Microbial Survival And Surfactant Production, Abraham Matthew Northup

Dissertations

The efficacy of CaO₂ for use in modified Fenton's (MF) reactions was investigated in this study, with the goal of developing a CaO₂-based MF oxidation technology for use in in situ chemical oxidation. Traditionally, liquid H₂O₂ (HP) is used, and is injected into the subsurface in excess to ensure a sufficient radius of influence. CaO₂ was investigated as an alternative source of H₂O₂ for MF reactions.

First, the rate of dissolution of powdered CaO₂ and the yield of HP was investigated. Our results showed that the rate of dissolution …