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Geology

Selected Works

Eric Wade Peterson

Articles 1 - 11 of 11

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Three-Dimensional Geological Model Of Quaternary Sediments In Walworth County, Wisconsin, Usa, Jodi Jau, Jason F. Thomason, David H. Malone, Eric Wade Peterson Jun 2016

Three-Dimensional Geological Model Of Quaternary Sediments In Walworth County, Wisconsin, Usa, Jodi Jau, Jason F. Thomason, David H. Malone, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

A three-dimensional (3D) geologic model was developed for Quaternary deposits in
southern Walworth County, WI using Petrel, a software package primarily designed for use in
the energy industry. The purpose of this research was to better delineate and characterize theshallow glacial deposits, which include multiple shallow sand and gravel aquifers. The 3D modelof Walworth County was constructed using datasets such as the U.S. Geological Survey 30 mdigital elevation model (DEM) of land surface, published maps of the regional surficial geology andbedrock topography, and a database of water-well records. Using 3D visualization and interpretationtools, more than 1400 lithostratigraphic picks were …

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Modeling The Sediment Fill Of The Uppertroy Pre-Glacial Bedrock Valley,Mchenry County, Llinois, Usa, Jodi Lau, Jason F. Thomason, David H. Malone, Eric Wade Peterson May 2016

Modeling The Sediment Fill Of The Uppertroy Pre-Glacial Bedrock Valley,Mchenry County, Llinois, Usa, Jodi Lau, Jason F. Thomason, David H. Malone, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

The Troy Bedrock Valley (TBV) and its tributary valleys are the principal pre-glacial drainage insouthern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, USA. This study focused on the headwaters of a tributarythat occurs in McHenry County, IL. Drilling, geophysical surveys, and the analysis of existinggeologic and water well data were used to determine the lithologic and geometric characteristicsof the sediments that fill the paleovalley. A 3D geologic model of these sediments was then developedin Petrel. More than 65 m of Quaternary sediments filled the paleovalley. The model domaincovers approximately 30 km2. The valley drains to the west and meanders, which is …

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Porosity Controls On Secondary Recovery At The Loudon Field, South-Central Illinois, John S. Wagle, David H. Malone, Eric Wade Peterson Jan 2016

Porosity Controls On Secondary Recovery At The Loudon Field, South-Central Illinois, John S. Wagle, David H. Malone, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

Waterflooding has been used as an effective means to enhance oil recovery in mature oil fields for decades.
The success of waterflooding is a function of geology, facies changes, and fluid dynamics, specifically, formation
porosity and permeability. Within the Loudon oil field (Illinois), waterflooding has been used to increase pro-
duction, but the degree of success has been variable. We have used 3D facies modeling was evaluate the var-
iables controlling the success or failure of waterflooding. Three leases within the Loudon field exhibiting varying
degrees of waterflood success were investigated. The K. Stubblefield lease, with the highest mean porosity …

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Stratigraphy And Extent Of The Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer, Mchenry County, Il, Usa, Drew C. Carlock, David H. Malone, Jason F. Thomason, Eric Wade Peterson Dec 2015

Stratigraphy And Extent Of The Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer, Mchenry County, Il, Usa, Drew C. Carlock, David H. Malone, Jason F. Thomason, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

Quaternary glacial till, outwash, lake sediments, and loess compose the surficial deposits of McHenry County, Illinois. Much of the landscape of McHenry County were formed by at least three separate advances of the Harvard Sublobe of the Wisconsin Episode Lake Michigan Lobe, which was part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. This project focuses on the delineation of the stratigraphy and extent of the Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer. The Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer is the combination of the proglacial outwash of the Wisconsin Episode Ashmore Tongue of the Henry Formation and the youngest outwash associated with the Illinois Episode, which is the Pearl Formation. A …

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Longitudinal Profile And Sediment Mobility As Geomorphic Tools To Interpret The History Of A Fluviokarst Stream System, John Woodside, Eric Peterson, Toby Dogwiler Dec 2014

Longitudinal Profile And Sediment Mobility As Geomorphic Tools To Interpret The History Of A Fluviokarst Stream System, John Woodside, Eric Peterson, Toby Dogwiler

Eric Wade Peterson

The complex drainage systems within karst settings can result in atypical longitudinal profiles. Features, such as cave entrances, can be expressed as anomalous ‘bumps’ in the longitudinal profile of a stream if downcutting has continued upstream of the area in which the water is pirated to the subsurface. Horn Hollow, a fluviokarst valley located in Carter Caves State Park Resort in northeastern Kentucky, was examined for these types of features. The objectives of this study were to determine if sediment mobility can be used as a proxy for anomalous areas along the profile of the valley and if detailed cross-sections …

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Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of The Pecatonica Gas Storage Field, Winnebago County, Illinois, Nicole Kron, David Malone, Eric Peterson Dec 2014

Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of The Pecatonica Gas Storage Field, Winnebago County, Illinois, Nicole Kron, David Malone, Eric Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

This study involves the construction of a three-dimensional (3D) geologic model of Paleozoic strata that are part of an underground gas storage field in northern, Illinois, USA. The Pecatonica Anticline trends 60W and plunges gently to the southeast. It is 10 km long and 3 km wide, and verges to the NE. Six water wells and 22 gas wells were used to create the 3-D geologic model in Petrel using well tops as determined from wire-line logs. The following horizons were created for the Cambrian and Ordovician strata: the Ancell, Trempealeau, Franconia, Ironton-Galesvilles, Eau Claire Proviso A and B, Eau …

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Stratigraphy And Porosity Modeling Of Southern Centeral Illinois Chester (Upper Missisippian) Series Sandstones Usng Petrel, Darren Kimple, Eric Peterson, David Malone Dec 2014

Stratigraphy And Porosity Modeling Of Southern Centeral Illinois Chester (Upper Missisippian) Series Sandstones Usng Petrel, Darren Kimple, Eric Peterson, David Malone

Eric Wade Peterson

Maximizing resource extraction from mature oilfields requires enhanced and secondary recovery techniques. The success of these methods relies on knowledge and understanding of the reservoir geology and hydraulics. At the Loudon Oilfield (Illinois, USA), enhanced oil recovery is being used to extend the production life of the reservoir. The suitability and placement of additional wells for oil recovery processes required three-dimensional (3D) facies and porosity modeling of the oilfield. The purpose of this work was to assess the ability of a porosity model to predict sandstone facies. The facies model for the Loudon field was generated using data obtained from …

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Identification Of Potential Vertical Gas Migration Pathways Above Gas Storage Reservoirs, Eric Peterson, Lauren Martin, David Malone Dec 2014

Identification Of Potential Vertical Gas Migration Pathways Above Gas Storage Reservoirs, Eric Peterson, Lauren Martin, David Malone

Eric Wade Peterson

Natural gas is stored underground in geologic structures throughout the United States. However, complexities associated with these geologic structures may provide vertical pathways for gas migration, and thus gas loss. Possible upward migration (loss) of natural gas in an underground gas storage field in stimulated this investigation that aims to identify potential migration pathways. Spatial analysis of volume of shale (Vsh) and formation porosity (n) values were conducted in conjunction with high-resolution shallow seismic surveys to identify potential vertical pathways. Surficial gas accumulations within glacial deposits were confirmed by the seismic surveys. These gas pockets accumulated by migration along steeply …

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Identifying The Stream Erosion Potential Of Cave Levels In Carter Cave State Resort Park, Kentucky, Usa, Eric Peterson, Brianne Jacoby, Toby Dogwiler Dec 2010

Identifying The Stream Erosion Potential Of Cave Levels In Carter Cave State Resort Park, Kentucky, Usa, Eric Peterson, Brianne Jacoby, Toby Dogwiler

Eric Wade Peterson

Cave levels, passages found at similar elevations and formed during the same constant stream base level event, reveal information about paleoclimates and karst geomorphology. The investigation presented here examines how Stream Power Index (SPI) relates to cave levels. The study area, Carter Caves State Resort Park (CCSRP), is a fluviokarst system in northeastern Kentucky containing multiple cave levels. SPI deter-mines the erosive power overland flow based on the assumption that flow accumulation and slope are proportional to potential for sediment entrainment. Part of this digital terrain analysis requires the creation of a flow accumulation raster from a digital elevation model …

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Using Gis To Identify Cave Levels And Discern The Speleogenesis Of The Carter Caves Karst Area, Kentucky, Lara Harlan, Eric Wade Peterson, Toby J. Dogwiler Dec 2010

Using Gis To Identify Cave Levels And Discern The Speleogenesis Of The Carter Caves Karst Area, Kentucky, Lara Harlan, Eric Wade Peterson, Toby J. Dogwiler

Eric Wade Peterson

Cave level delineation often yields important insight into the speleogenetic history of a karst system.Various workers in the Mammoth Cave System (MCS) and in the caves of the Cumberland Plateau Karst(CPK) have linked cave level development in those karst systems with the Pleistocene evolution of theOhio River. This research has shown that speleogenesis was closely related to the base level changesdriven by changes in global climate. The Carter Caves Karst (CCK) in northeastern Kentucky has beenpoorly studied relative to the MCS to the west and the CPK karst to the east. Previously, no attempt hadbeen made to delineate speleogenetic levels …

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Temporal Stability Of Cave Sediments, Kevin Hughes, Eric Wade Peterson Dec 2010

Temporal Stability Of Cave Sediments, Kevin Hughes, Eric Wade Peterson

Eric Wade Peterson

Sediments within cave systems have been examined concerning source, mineralogy, and transport potential. While sediments in the thalweg are very mobile, the entrainment potential of the sediment piles has not been examined. Over the course of nine months, sediment piles in a Missouri cave were sampled to determine the stability of the piles and of the sediment properties. Sediment cores were analyzed for dry bulk density (ρd), porosity (n), volumetric wetness (θ), organic content (O.C.), hydraulic conductivity (K), and sediment particle size distribution. Observational evidence, deposited sediment and deformation of previous …

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