Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Inverse Modelling Of The Reversely Magnetized, Shallow Plumbing System Hosting Oil Reservoirs Of The Auca Mahuida Volcano (Payeina Retroarc, Neuquén Basin, Argentina), John Paine, Riccardo De Ritis, Guido Ventura, Mariana Longo, Dhananjay Ravat, Fabio Speranza, Massimo Chiappini

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The Auca Mahuida volcano (2.03–0.88 Ma) located east of the Andean thrust front in the Neuquén basin (Argentina) hosts an oil system of thermogenic origin and is affected by the NW–SE striking-faults. Intrusive bodies and the underlying Jurassic sediments constitute the reservoir rocks. Aeromagnetic data collected in the Auca Mahuida area detected multiple dipolar magnetic anomalies, many of which have reverse polarity. Palaeomagnetic measurements on rock samples collected in the field together with available age determinations indicate that the reversely magnetized sources were mainly emplaced during the Matuyama reverse polarity chron while the normal polarity sources were emplaced during the …

The Volta Grande Do Xingu: Reconstruction Of Past Environments And Forecasting Of Future Scenarios Of A Unique Amazonian Fluvial Landscape, A. O. Sawakuchi, G. A. Hartmann, H. O. Sawakuchi, F. N. Pupim, D. J. Bertassoli, M. Parra, J. L. Antinao, L. M. Sousa, M. H. Sabaj Pérez, P. E. Oliveira, R. A. Santos, J. F. Savian, C. H. Grohmann, V. B. Medeiros, Michael M. Mcglue, D. C. Bicudo, S. B. Faustino

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The Xingu River is a large clearwater river in eastern Amazonia and its downstream sector, known as the Volta Grande do Xingu (“Xingu Great Bend”), is a unique fluvial landscape that plays an important role in the biodiversity, biogeochemistry and prehistoric and historic peopling of Amazonia. The sedimentary dynamics of the Xingu River in the Volta Grande and its downstream sector will be shifted in the next few years due to the construction of dams associated with the Belo Monte hydropower project. Impacts on river biodiversity and carbon cycling are anticipated, especially due to likely changes in sedimentation and riverbed …

Soil Quality In Relation To Forest Conversion To Perennial Or Annual Cropping In Southern Brazil, Elcio Liborio Balota, Ines Fumiko Ubukata Yada, Higo Furlan Amaral, Andre Shigueyoshi Nakatani, Mariangela Hungria, Richard Peter Dick, Mark S. Coyne

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Many forested areas have been converted to intensive agricultural use to satisfy food, fiber, and forage production for a growing world population. There is great interest in evaluating forest conversion to cultivated land because this conversion adversely affects several soil properties. We examined soil microbial, physical, and chemical properties in an Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico) of southern Brazil 24 years after forest conversion to a perennial crop with coffee or annual grain crops (maize and soybeans) in conventional tillage or no-tillage. One goal was to determine which soil quality parameters seemed most sensitive to change. A second goal …

Detection Of Small-Scale Rockfall Incidents Using Their Seismic Signature, Achilleas Tripolitsiotis, Antonis Daskalakis, Stelios Mertikas, Dionysios Hristopulos, Zacharias Agioutantis, Panagiotis Partsinevelos

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Several algorithms have been effectively used to identify the seismic signature of rockfall incidents, which constitute a significant threat for human lives and infrastructure especially when occurring along transportation networks. These algorithms have been mostly evaluated using data from large scale rockfall events that release a large amount of energy. However, low-energy rockfall events (< 100 Joules) triggered by small-sized individual rocks falling from small heights can be severely destructive. In this study, a three-parameter algorithm has been developed to identify low-energy rockfall events. An experimental setup was implemented to 1) validate the results obtained by this algorithm against visual inspection of seismic signals records, 2) define the optimal algorithm parameterization to minimize false alarms, and 3) investigate whether tri-axial vibration monitoring can be replaced by a uniaxial device in order to reduce the installation cost of a real-time rockfall monitoring system. It was found that the success rate of the proposed algorithm exceeds 80% independently of the parameters used, while event identification at a maximum distance with minimal false alarms was achieved when using mean ± 3σ as the threshold criterion and 6 ms and 4 ms as the trigger and event window parameters respectively. Finally, it was found that for the specific experimental setup, a uniaxial device could be used for rockfall event identification.

The Strain Seismograms Of P- And S-Waves Of A Local Event Recorded By Four-Gauge Borehole Strainmeter, Zehua Qui, Shunliang Chi, Zhenming Wang, Seth Carpenter, Lei Tang, Yanping Guo, Guang Yang

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

At a sampling rate of 100 samples per second, the YRY-4 four-gauge borehole strainmeters (FGBS) are capable of recording transient strains caused by seismic waves such as P and S waves or strain seismograms. At such a high sampling rate, data from the YRY-4 strainmeters demonstrate fairly satisfactory self-consistency. The strain tensor seismograms demonstrate the senses of motion of P waves, that is, the type of seismic wave travels in the direction of the maximum normal strain change. The observed strain patterns of S waves significantly differ from those of P waves and should contain information about the source mechanism. …

Hybrid Cement Clinker And Cement Made From That Clinker, Thomas Robl, Tristana Y. Duvallet, Robert Rathbone, Yongnin Zhou

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Patents

A hybrid cement clinker incorporates specific ranges of clinker phases and falls within specific modulus values as set forth and described in this document.

Memories, Kentucky Alfalfa Conference

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Photo Highlights Of The 35th Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Darold J. Akridge

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Farmer Panel--What Hay Quality Means To Me, Clayton Geralds, Ben Cox, John Mccoy, Dennis Wright, Minos Cox

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Hay Quality: What Is It?, Garry D. Lacefield, Don Ball

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Profitable livestock production almost always requires a forage program that will supply large quantities of adequate quality, homegrown feed. A major percentage of the feed units for beef (83%) and dairy cattle (61%) come from forages. In addition, forages supply an estimated 91%, 72%, 15% and 99% of the nutrients consumed by sheep and goats, horses, swine, and wildlife, respectively.

Alfalfa And The Environment, Don Ball

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

We live in a society in which many people don’t understand or appreciate agriculture as much as they really should. After all, only about 2% of the population of the United States is involved in agriculture, so most people don’t know much about it. Furthermore, most don’t spend much time thinking about it. Forage crops, including alfalfa, are especially under-appreciated because forage is not consumed directly by humans (alfalfa sprouts being a minor exception).

Red Meat, Our Health And Alfalfa--Separating Scientific Fact From Opinions, Policy, Politics, And Bureaucracy, Peter Ballerstedt

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The general public is becoming increasingly aware of the failure of the official nutritional policy of United States and other countries. Books like Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Taubes, 2008), Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It (Taubes, 2011) and The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet (Teicholz, 2014) have exposed the disconnect between nutrition science and nutrition policy, and have told the story of how we’ve come to this point in history.

Grazing Alfalfa: Real Cost Of "Fear" Of Bloat, S. Ray Smith, Kenneth H. Burdine, Jeff Lehmkuhler

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

In the Southeast, including legumes like alfalfa and clover in pastures provides many advantages. It reduces the impact of fescue toxicosis, provides free nitrogen, and improves pasture quality leading to increased animal performance. Individual animal performance is greater on grass/legume pastures compared to performance on similar monoculture grass stands. Daily gains for steers grazing clover-fescue swards is improved compared to straight tall fescue pastures (Figure 1). Improved performance is partially due to greater forage intakes. This practice is sound management even though legume bloat is a risk to livestock. If one considers the number of cattle grazing pastures containing legumes …

What's Required To Break The "Beef Per Acre" Kentucky Record, Kenneth R. Johnson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

As I approach the task that Garry assigned me, I ask the question, “Do I really want to attempt to produce 1400 or more pounds of beef per acre?” An easy answer is “yes,” but more likely “no.” Most farmers I know, full or part time have all they can do now and to reach record levels of anything requires much more time and management. I am going to attempt to discuss the steps I think that will be required to reach record breaking production. Higher gains are certainly possible. We know alfalfa can produce 8 to 10 tons of …

Alfalfa Is Our Family Farming Operation, Myron Ellis

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Ellis Family Farm is a 5th generation family farm located in Harrodsburg, KY. Currently we farm 1250 acres total of which 870 acres is owned and the remainder is leased. We buy and resale between 1500-1800 head of feeder cattle per year and have 100 head of brood cows. The cattle operation feed is completely supplied by the first cutting of our 580 acres of alfalfa and alfalfa grass mix hay. From the second cutting on, we produce small square bales of alfalfa for the horse market in four states. Our normal production of square bales ranges between 75,000 and …

Kentucky Alfalfa Conference Reflections After 35 Years, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This event today marks the 35th consecutive year we have come together for a full day’s conference featuring "Alfalfa - Queen of the Forages" as the theme and focal point. Only one other state (California) in the U.S. has such an annual event.

Foreword And Recipients Of Kentucky Alfalfa Awards [2015], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Reductions Of Wheat Yield And Yield Components And Nitrogen Loss Following Frozen Soil Nitrogen Applications, Carrie Ann Knott, Edwin L. Ritchey, Lloyd W. Murdock

Plant and Soil Sciences Research Report

Most wheat producers in Kentucky apply nitrogen (N) as a split application. The first N increment is applied when wheat plants begin actively growing (green-up) in late winter, which is typically in mid- February between growth stages Feekes 2 to 3. The second N increment typically occurs in March when wheat is between Feekes 5 to 6. Many producers in Kentucky, especially Western Kentucky, have become accustomed to beginning first N applications in late January when the ground is frozen and the wheat is still dormant. This practice allows them to apply N to large acreages of wheat while avoiding …

Quality Of Water From Tile Drains In Fields Treated With Poultry Litter In Mclean County, Kentucky, E. Glynn Beck, Lisa Y. Blue, David A. Atwood

Information Circular--KGS

Poultry litter (a mixture of feed, manure, and bedding material) is commonly used as a soil amendment to row-crop fields in western Kentucky. Because of feed additives, litter typically has elevated concentrations of contaminants, including metals and anions. These metals and anions can accumulate in the soil and therefore could be transported to surface water through drainage tiles. In order to assess water quality in tile drains, a pilot study was conducted in 2008 in McLean County, Kentucky, in which 10 tile drains and six drainage ditches were sampled for total metals and anions. Seven of the tile-drained fields were …

Assessing The Relative Mobility Of Submarine Landslides From Deposit Morphology And Physical Properties: An Example From Kumano Basin, Nankai Trough, Offshore Japan, Zachary T. Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

A prominent landslide deposit in the Slope Basin seaward of the Megasplay Fault in the Nankai Trough was emplaced by a high-mobility landslide based on analysis of physical properties and seismic geomorphology. Slide acceleration is a critical variable that determines amplitude of slide-generated tsunami but is many times a variable with large uncertainty. In recent controlled laboratory experiments, the ratio of the shear stress to yield strength (defined as the Flow Factor) controls a wide spectrum of mass movement styles from slow, retrogressive failure to rapid, liquefied flows. Here, we apply this laboratory Flow Factor approach to a natural landslide …

Finding Mars Paleopoles From Magnetization Edge Effects To Determine The History Of Mars’ Core Dynamo, Melissa Lynn Ditty

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This is a new method of determining magnetization strength, direction, and paleopole location from magnetic anomalies across edges of the equatorial band of magnetic sources on Mars. Different assumed locations of paleopoles result in different inducing field directions in the vicinity of an edge. Thus, with different paleopoles, the resulting magnetic fields from the edges of magnetic sources are different, and correlate differently with the observed fields. Best correlating observed and computed magnetic edge effect fields yield the potential paleopoles. The total gradient (TG) of the z-component magnetic field was used to identify the edges of magnetization boundaries. Three edge …

Bedrock Geologic Mapping And Structural Analysis Of The Western Half Of The Petersham Quadrangle, Central Massachusetts: Further Tests Of The Model For Middle To Late Paleozoic Ductile Transpression, Vertical Extrusion, And Lateral Escape In The Northern Appalachians, Lucas P. Rohrer

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Bedrock mapping, structural analysis, and geochronology reveal the distribution of lithologies and timing of metamorphism and deformation in the western half of the Petersham 7.5’ quadrangle, western Massachusetts. Underlying lithologies are: (from west to east) the Ordovician Monson granitic orthogneiss, Silurian Rangeley migmatitic paragneiss, and Late Devonian (357 Ma) Hardwick tonalitic orthogneiss. Their tightly folded contacts strike north to south. The 361 Ma, unfoliated, strike-parallel Nichewaug quartz-diorite (10-100 m wide) intrusion spans the map area within the Rangeley. Evidence for vertical and lateral extrusion/escape of the Monson orthogneiss, as observed in the Palmer MA area, is absent. Instead, petrofabrics (foliations …

The Geologic Context Of Landslide And Rockfall Maintenance Costs In Kentucky, Bethany L. Overfield, Daniel I. Carey, Gerald A. Weisenfluh, Rebecca Wang, Matthew M. Crawford

Report of Investigations--KGS

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet maintenance cost data for landslides and rockfalls were associated with geology along Kentucky roadways in a three-phase study. Work-order costs collected over 7 yr were divided into 1-mi segments, and the segment midpoints were assigned to geologic formation. Formations that were expensive to maintain were not necessarily those that were the most frequently repaired and vice versa. Costs and frequency of repair were greater in eastern and northern Kentucky, where slope and relief are greater than in other parts of the state and shale-bearing geologic units prevail.

Commercialization Of A Small, Lightweight, Low-Cost Seismic Borehole Receiver, Rachel Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Herein, conceptualization of a recently patented seismic borehole receiver and its components is developed for commercialization. The device is significantly cheaper, lighter, and smaller than existing technologies on the market. Additionally, it has the potential to achieve better seismic readings than its competitors via patented sensor-to-borehole coupling mechanism. It is the hope that the commercialization of this device will not only provide a more affordable alternative to engineers and geophysicists in the existing market, but the significant cost difference may open new seismic measurement opportunities in the developing world. Its compact size and light weight will increase mobility, allowing investigators …

The Environmental Effects Of Coal Fires, Trent Garrison

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

There are thousands of subterranean coal fires in the world that, because of incomplete combustion, emit a wide variety of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds to the atmosphere, water, and soil at concentrations that could pose health risks to humans and wildlife. The main goals of this study were to (1) review methods that are used to characterize physical and chemical characteristics of coal-fire sites, (2) determine relationships between gas emissions and physical and chemical characteristics of coal-fire sites, using a combination of regression and multivariate statistical methods, and (3) determine the concentrations of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in …

Geologic, Geotechnical, And Geophysical Investigation Of A Shallow Landslide, Eastern Kentucky, Matthew M. Crawford, Junfeng Zhu, Steven E. Webb

Report of Investigations--KGS

In eastern Kentucky, landslides occur in colluvial soils or at the colluvium-bedrock contact, and are commonly triggered by heavy rainfall. These slides occur particularly where steep slopes and weak rocks combine with various methods of slope modification. Landslides can damage roadways, infrastructure, and residences, and mitigation costs can exceed $10 million per year.

The Meadowview landslide in Boyd County was investigated to assess the geologic conditions, extent, and behavior of a rainfall-triggered landslide in eastern Kentucky and evaluate the use of electrical resistivity as a tool to characterize a shallow colluvial landslide. Although this type of landslide is common in …

Fluvial Responses To Growth Faulting In The West Pearl River, Louisiana, Stephen A. Prosser

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) in southeastern Louisiana is an actively deforming deltaic complex displaying surface and near-surface evidence of growth faulting. Active growth faults in these environments are rarely identified at the surface, in part because the downthrown blocks often experience increased rates of sediment deposition leading to an obscured and low-relief, or entirely absent, surface expression. Faulting can be expressed in fluvial systems as changes in channel gradient, which often result in coincident changes in channel sinuosity, migration rates, planform deflections, and/or ponding features within the deformed zone. The study area is focused on a meander bend of …

Ecohydraulic Investigation Of Diatoms In A Bedrock-Controlled Stream, Alex M. Rittle

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Recent studies within the past decade or so have shown the importance of algae in geomorphic and hydrologic processes of lotic systems. However, the ecohydraulic role of algae in bedrock systems has largely been ignored. In addition, the utility of algae as indicators of channel dynamics have often been assumed by geomorphologists, but relatively few studies have examined this relationship. The purpose of this study was to determine whether algae, specifically diatoms, are useful indicators of channel geomorphological dynamics, and to examine if distinct habitats or biotopes typical in fluviokarst and bedrock systems provide unique habitat space for diatoms, and …

Comparison Of The Ground-Motion Attenuation Relationship Between The Wenchuan, China, Area And The Central And Eastern United States, Jiwei Feng, Zhenming Wang, Edward W. Woolery, Shanyou Li

Report of Investigations--KGS

An M_w-7.9 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan, China, in 2008, along the Longmenshan Fault, which is located on the western border of the South China stable continental region. A detailed comparison of the Wenchuan ground-motion attenuation relationships with the relationships for the central and eastern United States (also a stable continental region) showed that the ground-motion prediction equation for the Wenchuan area is similar to those for the central and eastern United States. Thus, the strong-motion records from the Wenchuan earthquake can be used for constraining the ground-motion prediction equation and engineering analysis for the central and eastern United …

Schoenophyllum Aggregatum Zone: Stratigraphic Marker For Investigations Of Mississippian Limestones In Western Kentucky, Garland R. Dever Jr., Preston Mcgrain

Report of Investigations--KGS

Schoenophyllum aggregatum, a Mississippian colonial rugose coral, has a widespread geographic distribution and narrow stratigraphic range in the upper Ste. Genevieve Limestone of western Kentucky. This coral zone serves as a useful stratigraphic marker for commercial and geologic investigations of the extensive limestone deposits formed by the Ste. Genevieve and enclosing limestone units in the region. S. aggregatum is also present in rocks correlative with the Ste, Genevieve that occur in the Monteagle Limestone Slade Formation of south-central Kentucky and the Newman Limestone of southeastern Kentucky.