Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Stabilized Least Squares Migration, Graham Ganssle

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Before raw seismic data records are interpretable by geologists, geophysicists must process these data using a technique called migration. Migration spatially repositions the acoustic energy in a seismic record to its correct location in the subsurface. Traditional migration techniques used a transpose approximation to a true acoustic propagation operator. Conventional least squares migration uses a true inverse operator, but is limited in functionality by the large size of modern seismic datasets. This research uses a new technique, called stabilized least squares migration, to correctly migrate seismic data records using a true inverse operator. Contrary to conventional least squares migration, this …

Submarine Channel Evolution Linked To Rising Salt Dome, Mississippi Canyon, Gulf Of Mexico, Rachel C. Carter

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

By examining halokinetics and channel evolution in a deep-water system, we investigate how submarine channel morphology is affected by changing seascape linked to diapirism. The study area is located in Mississippi Canyon, Gulf of Mexico (GOM), situated directly off the continental slope in a prominent salt dome region. Interactions of salt domes with submarine channels in the GOM are poorly documented. Utilizing 3D seismic data and seismic geomorphology techniques, a long-lived Plio-Pleistocene submarine channel system has been investigated to develop a relationship between variable phases of salt movement and plan-form morphology of preserved channels.

We suggest that halokinetics acts as …

Petroleum Play Study Of The Keathley Canyon, Gulf Of Mexico, Jean Pierre Malbrough

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Beneath Keathley Canyon (KC) off the Southern Coast of Louisiana and Texas, allochthonous salt bodies have attained thicknesses of over 7620 m (25000 feet), providing excellent seals and migration pathways for hydrocarbons produced by post-rift sedimentary deposition. This study analyzes a small portion of the KC area, utilizing Petrel Seismic software and well information from the KC102 (Tiber) well.

An intra-Miocene wedge, expressed beneath salt, may provide information about movement of allochthonous salt over Wilcox sands, sediment compaction, and hydrocarbon pathways. Progradational sedimentation is the driving force which leads to faulting in the early Miocene, allowing Jurassic salt to rise, …

The Great Lakes' Regional Climate Regimes, Noriyuki Sugiyama

Theses and Dissertations

For the last couple of decades, the Great Lakes have undergone rapid surface warming. In particular, the magnitude of the summer surface-warming trends of the Great Lakes have been much greater than those of surrounding land (Austin and Colman, 2007). Among the Great Lakes, the deepest Lake Superior exhibited the strongest warming trend in its annual, as well as summer surface water temperature. We find that many aspects of this behavior can be explained in terms of the tendency of deep lakes to exhibit multiple regimes characterized, under the same seasonally varying forcing, by the warmer and colder seasonal cycles …

Using Foraminifera Shell Geochemistry To Test Proxies For Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction, Catherine Hudson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Structural Analysis Of Enola And Greenbrier, Arkansas Earthquake Swarms: Cause And Effect?, Minella Majenu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Almost 20 years after the remarkable earthquake swarm of 1982, near the town of Enola, Arkansas, with more than 40,000 micro-earthquakes, another event revisited the same North-Central Arkansas region in 2001. Nine years later, in 2010, a huge swarm event shook the northern part of Faulkner County, around the city of Guy. The following year, this seismic swarm event apparently migrated southward towards the city of Greenbrier, with an increase in the number of yearly recorded events. A 13km previously unrecognized, NE trending Guy-Greenbrier basement fault was revealed as a result of these swarm events.

Within the vicinity of the …

Geophysical Evidence For Mid-Crustal Magma Reservoirs In The Lassen Volcanic Region, California, Samantha Catherine Tavarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regional-scale complete Bouguer gravity anomalies underlying the Lassen and Shasta -Medicine Lake regions in northern California and southern Oregon are associated with subduction of the Gorda plate beneath North America. These generally negative anomalies reflect where underplating has deepened to form the mantle wedge, and where subduction has given rise to a series of Quaternary volcanoes comprising the southernmost end of the Cascade range. Multiple conductive bodies were identified by Park and Ostos (2013) in their magnetotelluric (MT) study of the broader Lassen volcanic region. Their broadband and long period measurements were conducted along a 250 km profile spanning from …

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 …

Cordilleran Front Range Structural Features In Northwest Montana Interpreted From Vintage Seismic 2 Reflection Data, Mason Porter

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Industry seismic reflection data were collected in 1983 in the Rocky Mountain Cordillera front ranges of northwest Montana. These seismic profiles represent 160 km of deep reflection data that cross the eastern Purcell anticlinorium, Rocky Mountain Trench (RMT), Rocky Mountain Basal Detachment (RMBD), and Lewis thrust. We have reprocessed these data using modern processing techniques including refraction statics, pre-stack time migration (PSTM), and pre- and post-stack depth migration. The RMT contains Tertiary fill to 1 km depth and the RMT fault system has a minimum of 3-4 km of normal displacement. The RMT and Flathead fault systems are interpreted to …

Investigation Of Ambient Seismic Noise Using Seismic Interferometry In Western Montana, Natalia Krzywosz

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Passive seismic interferometry is a process by which ambient noise data recorded at different seismic stations can be cross-correlated to estimate Green's functions. In the past, both surface waves and body waves have successfully been extracted by cross-correlation of ambient noise data on both regional and global scales. In this study, I have generated Matlab code to simulate an application of seismic interferometry on a synthetic model with pre-defined layers and p-wave velocities. For areas with known velocity models, the Matlab code produced in this study can be used to generate synthetic seismograms, and model the effects of cross-correlation on …

A Hydrogeophysical Investigation Of Logan, Mt Using Electrical Techniques And Seismic Refraction Tomography, Taylor Stipe

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Logan, Montana USA is located on the Gallatin River, one of the three rivers forming the headwaters of the Missouri River. Previous hydrogeological studies have determined that the location at Logan is a possible pinch-point for the local Gallatin watershed where shallow groundwater is expected to discharge into the Gallatin River. However, groundwater monitoring wells indicate dry Tertiary sediments overlying bedrock, suggesting surface and groundwater systems are disconnected. We performed shallow seismic refraction, electrical resistivity, spontaneous potential, and electromagnetic surveys to investigate the groundwater system in the study area. Geophysical measurements were obtained near the Gallatin River and close to …

Topographic Signatures Of Geodynamics, Samuel G. Roy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The surface of the Earth retains an imperfect memory of the diverse geodynamic, climatic, and surface transport processes that cooperatively drive the evolution of Earth. In this thesis I explore the potential of using topographic analysis and landscape evolution models to unlock past and/or present evidence for geodynamic activity. I explore the potential isolated effects of geodynamics on landscape evolution, particularly focusing on two byproducts of tectonic strain: rock displacement and damage. Field evidence supports a strong correlation between rock damage and erodibility, and a numerical sensitivity analysis supports the hypothesis that an order of magnitude weakening in rock, well …

Recent Seismicity And Regional Extension Aithin Southwestern Montana, Usa, Jessica Szkody

Masters Theses

Southwestern Montana has experienced several large damaging earthquakes over the last 100 years, but many minor ones that unveil the nature of the intraplate seismicity. The region in this study is part of two distinct Late Cretaceous tectonic provinces, the Rocky Mountain Foreland Basement (RMFB) and the Cordilleran Fold and Thrust Belt (CFTB). Relationships between the two provinces and their faults show that the focal mechanisms are different. Deep focal mechanisms (between 8 and 10 km) within the RMFB can be placed on a specific fault, with many smaller events falling within the hanging wall. The hypocenters within the hanging …

Tracking And Characterization Of Moving Acoustic Sources Using An Infrasound Array At Volcán Santiaguito, Guatemala, Brian R. Terbush

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Active volcanic processes produce large amounts of acoustic energy within the infrasound band (0-20 Hz). Infrasound-sensitive microphones are often installed in addition to other forms of volcano monitoring equipment to increase the ability to remotely detect volcanic activity. In this study, an array of microphones was deployed without any additional sensor types for 36 hours at Santiaguito, Guatemala, to test the detection capabilities of a standalone microphone array. Array processing was applied to the recorded data, through frequency-domain beamforming and calculating a Fisher statistic (F). A changing F-threshold value was applied to differentiate between desired detections, or …

Defining Antecedent Topography At Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kane County, Utah: The Influence Of Structural Controls On Dune-Field Boundary Conditions And Holocene Landscape Evolution, Elizabeth Janna Rozar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Dune fields are transient features that record climate signatures through changes in mobility, morphology, and patterning. Aeolian geomorphologists are increasingly recognizing the important role that pre-existing, antecedent topography plays in controlling boundary conditions that affect changes in dune patterning. However, the dynamic relationship between antecedent topography and climate-sensitive boundary conditions is relatively unexplored. Here, I define antecedent topography for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in southern Utah and show that structural controls play an important role in shaping antecedent geomorphic conditions of this dune field. I use ground-based terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to produce a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), …

Multi-Component Active Source Rayleigh Wave Analysis, Gabriel Gribler

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining how a building site will respond to earthquake ground shaking plays a critical role in proper construction practices. One critical constraint on how a site responds is the near surface shear wave seismic velocity distribution. One commonly used method for indirectly estimating shear wave velocities is Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), which utilizes a spread of vertical geophones to measure Rayleigh wave dispersion. With this approach, phase velocity vs. frequency dispersion curve picks can be used to estimate shear wave velocities with depth. I investigate the use of two (vertical and horizontal inline) component seismic signals to record …

Automatic Detection And Denoising Of Signals In Large Geophysical Datasets, Gabriel O. Trisca

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

To fully understand the complex interactions of various phenomena in the natural world, scientific disciplines such as geology and seismology increasingly rely upon analyzing large amounts of observations. However, data collection is growing at a faster rate than what is currently possible to analyze through traditional approaches. These datasets, supplied by the increasing use of sensors and remote sensing, require specialized computer programs to effectively analyze complex and expansive volumes of data.

Elaborating on existing geophysical data processing approaches for infrasound data collected from an avalanche-prone area, this project proposes new techniques for processing large geophysical datasets. These improved techniques …

Stable Isotopes Of Hydrothermal Carbonate Minerals In The Butte Porphyry-Lode Deposits, Montana, Ryan Stevenson

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The stable isotopic compositions of over 90 hydrothermal carbonate minerals in the Butte porphyry-lode system were analyzed. These samples came from the underground workings as well as the active Continental Pit area. Most material came from polymetallic “Main Stage” veins which post-date the porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization of Butte. Some samples from late calcite-stellerite veins were also included in the study. Rhodochrosite d¹³C and d¹⁸O values range from -8.3 to -2.9‰ (average of -6.7±1.0‰) and -1.8 to 12.8‰ (average of 3.6 ±3.4‰) respectively, while calcite d¹³C and d¹⁸O values range from -9.0 to …

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 …

Thermal History Of The Michigan Basin: Results From Thermal Maturation Data And Geodynamic Modelling, Kirk A. Wagenvelt

Masters Theses

Thermal cooling, crustal convection, high temperature fluid advection, and 1.0 Km of eroded overburden are required to explain thermal maturation observations in the Michigan Basin. Observed tectonic subsidence in central Michigan follows an exponential decay indicative of thermal cooling following an anomalous heating event. Crustal convection is responsible for episodes of rapid subsidence coincident with the late Paleozoic Appalachian orogeny. Fluid advection through dilated faults reactivated by the Alleghanian orogeny brought hot fluids (as much as 255⁰ C) to the surface and impacted thermal maturation of organic matter in sediments. Models require 1.0 Km of eroded overburden to model thermal …

Lithologic Properties Of The Upper Ordovician Utica Formation, Michigan Basin, Usa: A Geological Characterization And Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Confinement Potential, Frank Richard Sattler

Masters Theses

The Utica/Maquoketa Shale is considered to be the primary confining layer for Cambro-Ordovician CO₂ sequestration targets in the Midwest in the Michigan and Illinois basins, respectively. Prospective regional geologic seals in mudrock formations possess a combination of lithologic properties including nanometer scale pore space, elevated breakthrough pressures for non-wetting fluid phases and ductile mechanical deformation. Mineralogical composition is related to and typically controls these properties.

The objective of this study is to investigate the geological controls on stratigraphic and lithologic variability in the Utica/Collingwood in the Michigan basin. Twelve conventional cores and hundreds of modern well logs from the …

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; …

Seismic Imaging To Constrain Groundwater Models For A Better Understanding And Management Of Water Quality In Coastal Benin, West Africa: A Saltwater Intrusion Problem, Kyle Michael Lindsay

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The coastal city of Cotonou in Bénin, West Africa, is a large population center that is facing a serious threat to the sustainability of its fresh water supply. Cotonou relies on groundwater derived from the Godomey aquifer for its domestic water supply. The aquifer is undergoing saltwater intrusion due to an increase in pumping to accommodate a growth in population. Hence, there is substantial interest in better characterizing the groundwater system for the purpose of determining appropriate management strategies to ensure sustainability of this freshwater resource.

I collected seismic reflection data along 15 transects to characterize the geometry of the …

Pennsylvanian Subsurface Sequence Stratigraphy Based On 3d Seismic And Wireline Data In Western Osage County, Oklahoma, Alexander West

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Pennsylvanian System in the Mid-Continent United States has been studied for nearly a century. In north central Oklahoma, the Pennsylvanian is primarily composed of cyclothems. These cyclothems are sequences of alternating carbonate, clastic, and shale members. Because of this, these zones can be difficult to differentiate. This project provides valuable insight into better understanding the Pennsylvanian System in western Osage County, Oklahoma. The scope of this project is to perform a subsurface study to produce a detailed interpretation of the depositional history and stratigraphy of Pennsylvanian sequences in western Osage County.

This study features 3D seismic and well log …

Analysis Of Paleokarst Sinkholes In The Arkoma Basin Using 3-D Seismic, Michael Kumbalek

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Paleokarst features are important to understand, both with regards to research geologists and to the petroleum industry. In terms of geology, understanding paleokarst features can yield more information about the depositional and surface environments of past times, and how diagenetic alteration affected the environment during the formation of karst features. In the petroleum industry, paleokarst features can have positive or negative consequence resulting in a potential reservoir with enhanced porosity due to the paleokarst features, or as a geo-hazard to prepare for or avoid when drilling.

Inspired by issues faced when drilling in the Ft. Worth basin, this study utilizes …

Interpretation Of Late Cretaceous Volcanic Mounds And Surrounding Gulfian Series Formations Using 3d Seismic Data In Zavala County, Texas, Laura Claire Bennett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Late Cretaceous Gulfian series is a prominent and important series across the State of Texas that has been extensively studied since the nineteenth century. It is composed of series of southeast-dipping shelf carbonates and clastics deposited on the northwest margin of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. In south Texas, the Gulfian series was deposited in the Rio Grande Embayment and Maverick Basin and is comprised of the Eagle Ford Group, Austin Group, Anacacho Limestone, San Miguel Formation, Olmos Formation, and Escondido Formation that crop out and continue basinward in the subsurface. Late Cretaceous volcanism formed volcanic mounds composed of …

An Investigation Of 3d Seismic Deep Basement Events In Osage County, Oklahoma, Kevin Matthew Liner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep basement events seen in 3D seismic surveys located in Osage County, Oklahoma can be observed and may have affect overlying sedimentary formations. The 3D surveys used in this study are on the Chautauqua platform about fifty miles northwest of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stratigraphy of the work area spans base of the Permian to Precambrian formations, with basement depth averaging around 5000 ft in the area of the 3D seismic surveys. Cores spanning Precambrian to Pennsylvanian were examined in the area of the 3D seismic surveys. Hydrothermal minerals were observed in Mississippian age cores. The basement events where tracked using OpendTect …

Discovering Rock Features With Geophysical Exploration And Archaeological Testing At The Mississippian Pile Mound Site, Upper Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, Jeremy G. Menzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Pile Mound survey includes magnetometry paired with targeted ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys of the mound and testing of associated features over the ca. 6.5 ha site. The GPR survey discovered six rock features (five large rock features within the mound and one marking the outside of the mound). Knowledge of mounds in the Upper Cumberland Plateau (UCP) is lacking—the closest other studied sites are at the Corbin Site, Croley-Evans, Bell Site, and Beasley Mounds, approximately 75 – 100 km away. However, the most similar mound construction is found at Corbin and Cherokee sites, some 175 …

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 …

Petrophysical Analysis And Rock-Physics Based Prediction Of Sonic Velocities In Carbonates, Yeliz Egemen

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

This study performs a petrophysical analysis and rock-physics modeling of the Traverse Formation, using eleven different wells. In the first part of this study, well logs, crossplots, and mineral identification were used to determine the rock components, lithology, and to predict the sonic velocities of carbonate rocks using conventional methods for two of those wells.

In the second part of this study, rock-physics modeling methods were used to predict the sonic velocities using the Kuster-Toksöz equations. Sonic velocities are very difficult to predict in carbonate rock because of their complex pore systems. To overcome this difficulty, multiple aspect ratios for …