Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Fan And Fracture Formation: Morphologic And Sedimentologic Characteristics Of Alluvial Fans On Earth And Mars, And Fracture Population Distributions On Europa, Claire A. Mondro

Doctoral Dissertations

Planetary science is inherently limited by the resolution and coverage of the currently available data. What can be observed in person, measured precisely in high-resolution data, or sampled for lab analysis in terrestrial investigations ca only be inferred, modeled, or hypothesized on other planetary bodies. The Earth remains our best tool for understanding the geologic systems of the rest of the Solar System. By applying what is known or can be measured about terrestrial systems, it is possible to determine how large-scale controls and observable features relate to geologic complexity that is beyond the resolution of planetary data. This dissertation …

Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, And Deformational Significance Of Cambrian And Early Ordovician Strata Along The Southeast Wisconsin Arch, Allison Raeann Kusick

Theses and Dissertations

A detailed study of the stratigraphic units in and around the Wisconsin Arch of central and southeast Wisconsin are presented to refine the sedimentologic record and the geologic implications within the Cambrian and early Ordovician strata. The Cambrian and early Ordovician sediments in central and southeast Wisconsin unconformably overlie a topographic high composed of Precambrian basement rocks, called the Wisconsin Arch, and consist of various clastic deposits, dolostones, and several horizons of deformation. Bedrock cores, made available through the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS), were analyzed, to understand sedimentation in the Cambrian and early Ordovician. My analyses focused …

Reconstructing Deglacial And Holocene Climatic And Environmental Change In The Snowy Mountains Of Southeast Australia, Aidan Warner Burdick

WWU Graduate School Collection

Multi-proxy, long-term records of deglacial and Holocene climatic and environmental change in southeast Australia are rare, leaving the region a gap in local and large-scale synoptic climate reconstructions. The Snowy Mountains include the highest and coldest regions of mainland Australia and were the only part of the mainland that was glaciated during the late Pleistocene. Lakes formed by the glaciers have provided continuous sediment traps since glacial retreat following the Last Glacial Maximum. In this report, I reconstruct the maximum ice extents of glaciers during the last glacial period and estimate their equilibrium line altitudes, revising the work of Barrows …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Floodplain Topography And Channel Avulsion: Evidence From The Devonian Catskill Formation, North-Central Pennsylvania, Usa, Molly O'Halloran

Honors Theses

Topographic complexity on floodplains can route flow, control sediment dispersal, and influence channel behavior, but studying floodplain-channel interactions in modern rivers is challenging because of human modifications and the short timescales of observable data. This project assesses the link between different types of floodplain microtopography and avulsion style in the Devonian Catskill Formation, north-central Pennsylvania, where thick stacks of fluvial strata provide a lengthy record of channel-floodplain interaction. Using a combination of field observations and computer modeling, this study identifies sedimentary features indicative of floodplain complexity and analyzes their impact on avulsion style at fourteen Catskill Formation outcrops.

Based on …