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2017

Earth Sciences

Missouri State University

Articles 1 - 15 of 15

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Provenance Analysis Of The Grover Gravel Using Detrital Zircon Geochronology, Petrology And Heavy Mineral Analysis, Grant Spoering Dec 2017

Provenance Analysis Of The Grover Gravel Using Detrital Zircon Geochronology, Petrology And Heavy Mineral Analysis, Grant Spoering

MSU Graduate Theses

The Grover Gravel in the St. Louis, Missouri area contains a mix of chert, quartzite, jasper, and ironstone in clast sizes ranging up to 60 cm. The gravel varies in thickness from a veneer to over 30 feet and rests on upland surfaces at elevations sometimes exceeding 300 feet above the floors of major valleys. A pre-Pleistocene age generally has been proposed or assumed for the gravel, which classically has been interpreted to be a meandering-stream deposit atop an extensive flat upland surface, which was subsequently eroded and dissected by rejuvenated streams. However, large quartzite boulders in the gravel also …

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Geomorphic Disturbance And Anthropogenic Modifications In Big Barren Creek, Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri, Rachael A. Bradley Aug 2017

Geomorphic Disturbance And Anthropogenic Modifications In Big Barren Creek, Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri, Rachael A. Bradley

MSU Graduate Theses

This study investigates the influence of human disturbance on channel conditions in Big Barren Creek. The Big Barren watershed drains 191 km2 of the Ozark Highlands in southeast Missouri. Several segments of the creek have been channelized by levee construction and gravel mining. Approximately 27.2 km of the main stem of Barren Creek were assessed for 13 photo-years ranging from 1939 to 2014. Geomorphic classifications using channel conditions in aerial photographs and field observations were used to evaluate patterns of disturbance. While 52% of the creek is managed by private landowners, 81% of disturbed length occurs on private lands. Further, …

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Geology And Geochemistry Of The Uvas Volcanic Field And Rubio Peak Formation Of South-Central New Mexico, Usa, Max Logan Hoffman Aug 2017

Geology And Geochemistry Of The Uvas Volcanic Field And Rubio Peak Formation Of South-Central New Mexico, Usa, Max Logan Hoffman

MSU Graduate Theses

South-central New Mexico is characterized by many Cenozoic volcanic and tectonic events that produced a complex system of magma sources. These mechanisms are responsible for the diverse volcanic activity and magmatic evolution in New Mexico. To understand the growth and development of the mantle sources associated with these events, geochemical, petrographic, structural and spatial distribution data were collected from the Uvas volcanic field (UVF) and the Rubio Peak Formation of the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field (MDVF). Volcanic rocks from these volcanic fields were chosen based on their importance to relative timing of magmatic and tectonic transitioning events. The structural and spatial …

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Urban Detention Basin Contamination With Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) And Metals, Holly Marie Duff Aug 2017

Urban Detention Basin Contamination With Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) And Metals, Holly Marie Duff

MSU Graduate Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds that can be toxic to wildlife and humans when released to the environment. Coal-tar sealants, which are applied to parking lots or driveways, contribute up to 1,000 times more PAHs than alternative sealants. Over time, these sealants abrade and are transported into drainage networks. Coal-tar sealants are currently used in Springfield, Missouri, however the extent of PAH contamination throughout urban drainage systems is unclear. This study focused on PAH contamination within an urban detention basin on the Missouri State University campus which receives runoff from several coal-tar sealed parking lots. Sediment samples collected …

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Lithospheric Evaluation Of The Mid-Continental Rift System In Iowa From A Gravity And Magnetic Analysis, Moamen Mohamed Almaz May 2017

Lithospheric Evaluation Of The Mid-Continental Rift System In Iowa From A Gravity And Magnetic Analysis, Moamen Mohamed Almaz

MSU Graduate Theses

The Proterozoic Midcontinent Rift System (MCRS) is considered one of the most important tectonic features in North America and was formed during a continental breakup event at 1.1 Ga (billion years). The MCRS is totally covered by Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks except in the Lake Superior region. Consequently, the geological characteristics of the MCRS are primarily inferred from extrapolations from the outcrop areas, drill holes, and from a variety of geophysical investigations. Iowa has a large segment of the MCRS which to date has only been partially investigated geophysically with little information regarding the lower crustal and upper mantle structure under …

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A Geophysical Analysis Of The Great Falls Tectonic Zone And The Surrounding Area, Montana Usa, Travis Lane Fultz May 2017

A Geophysical Analysis Of The Great Falls Tectonic Zone And The Surrounding Area, Montana Usa, Travis Lane Fultz

MSU Graduate Theses

The Great Falls Tectonic Zone (GFTZ) is a northeast trending zone of high angle faults and lineaments extending from northeastern Idaho into Saskatchewan, Canada. The GFTZ is believed to have facilitated the collision between the Archean Wyoming and Hearne cratons. Previous geophysical studies have analyzed seismic refraction data across the boundary between the Paleoproterozoic GFTZ and Archean Wyoming Craton (WC), this indicated the lower crustal layer thickens as it dips beneath the boundary towards the WC. In this study, three 2 dimensional (2D) gravity models that crossed the central region of the GFTZ were produced using constraints from existing geologic …

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Cyclostratigraphic Trends Of Δ13c In Upper Cambrian Strata, Great Basin, Usa: Implications For Astronomical Forcing, Wesley Donald Weichert May 2017

Cyclostratigraphic Trends Of Δ13c In Upper Cambrian Strata, Great Basin, Usa: Implications For Astronomical Forcing, Wesley Donald Weichert

MSU Graduate Theses

Composite geochemical studies of carbonate isotope values (δ13C) by other investigators have established that the Cambrian period is punctuated by a series of significant, globally correlated, positive and negative δ13C excursions. However, it remains unclear if low-amplitude secular variations in δ13C values exist superimposed on, or between large-scale perturbations in the Cambrian carbon cycle, especially in cyclic successions. Rocks of Steptoean-Sunwaptan (Paibian-Jiangshanian) stage, exposed in the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada, are excellent candidates for testing the hypothesis that sedimentary cycles record minor variations in Earth's orbit (Milankovitch cycles) through application of high-resolution chemostratigraphic analysis. High-resolution δ13C data was …

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Geochronology Of Calc-Alkaline Ash Flow Tuff Units In The Ogollon Datil Volcanic Field, Southern New Mexico: U-Pb In Zircon, Shannon Porter Rentz May 2017

Geochronology Of Calc-Alkaline Ash Flow Tuff Units In The Ogollon Datil Volcanic Field, Southern New Mexico: U-Pb In Zircon, Shannon Porter Rentz

MSU Graduate Theses

Caldera systems are capable of outputting voluminous quantities of volcaniclastic material with wide ranging negative environmental impacts. Determining the behaviors of previously erupted caldera systems may help inform predictive models used to evaluate hazards and assess risks for analogous currently active volcanic systems. The Mogollon-Datil volcanic field (MDVF) is a 40-24 Ma cluster of caldera activity in southern New Mexico tied to the subduction, and possible delamination, of the Farallon plate beneath the North American plate. A regional ignimbrite flare up from 36-24 Ma produced at least 28 caldera-forming eruptions. The calc-alkaline magmatism of three calderas in this field (the …

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Using Survey Data And Hec-Ras Modeling To Assess A Riffle-Remediation Structure On The Big River, Bonne Terre, Missouri, Nichole Renee Weedman May 2017

Using Survey Data And Hec-Ras Modeling To Assess A Riffle-Remediation Structure On The Big River, Bonne Terre, Missouri, Nichole Renee Weedman

MSU Graduate Theses

Sediment transport and deposition in river channels can vary for many reasons including flooding, dredging, channel velocity, and grain size. On the Big River, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a riffle ramp structure to trap and remediate lead-contaminated sediments. The performance of the structure is unknown. The goal of this study is to evaluate the storage capabilities of the riffle structure. To do this, survey data was collected to analyze sediment storage and entered into the HEC-RAS 5.0 to model the hydraulics of the channel before and after the riffle installation. Samples were collected to assess the level of …

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Geomorphic Effects Of Logging Railbeds On An Ozarks Headwater Stream, Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, Nickolas S. Bradley May 2017

Geomorphic Effects Of Logging Railbeds On An Ozarks Headwater Stream, Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, Nickolas S. Bradley

MSU Graduate Theses

Geomorphic characteristics of headwater streams draining the Missouri Ozarks have not been studied as much as larger rivers in the region. Further, while the effects of historical logging on channel form and sediment supply have been identified, no studies have investigated the effects of logging tramways constructed along Ozark headwater rivers. This study examines the geomorphic characteristics and channel disturbances of Tram Hollow (1.67 km2) within the Mark Twain National Forest in the Ozark Highlands. The purpose of this study is to classify and quantify natural and disturbed channel morphology in Tram Hollow which has been affected by …

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Deposition Patterns And Rates Of Mining-Contaminated Sediment Within A Sedimentation Basin System, S.E. Missouri, Joshua Carl Voss May 2017

Deposition Patterns And Rates Of Mining-Contaminated Sediment Within A Sedimentation Basin System, S.E. Missouri, Joshua Carl Voss

MSU Graduate Theses

Flooding events exert a dominant control over the deposition and formation of floodplains. The rate at which floodplains form depends on flood magnitude, frequency, and duration, and associated sediment transport capacity and supply. While it is known that sediment in the Big River is contaminated from historical mining, little is known about the patterns and rates of deposition on floodplains, especially those that have been modified for remediation purposes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of flood characteristics and topography on contemporary deposition patterns and rates in a sedimentation basin system located within a floodplain along …

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Petrography And Geochemistry Of Oligocene Rhyolitic Volcanic Rocks, Western Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field, New Mexico, Emily Elizabeth Salings May 2017

Petrography And Geochemistry Of Oligocene Rhyolitic Volcanic Rocks, Western Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field, New Mexico, Emily Elizabeth Salings

MSU Graduate Theses

The Mogollon-Datil volcanic field (MDVF), located in southern New Mexico, is the remnant of extreme and punctuated volcanism over ~12 m.y. of activity. The Bursum caldera is the youngest of three nested calderas in the Mogollon Mountains in the western MDVF. Here I present data from a high-silica, large volume tuff associated with the Bursum caldera, the Bloodgood Canyon Tuff (BCT). Extensive mapping by previous workers have provided a limited whole rock geochemical dataset and descriptions of the unit, but a detailed study had not been conducted. I present new whole-rock major- and trace-element analyses, Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope …

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Channel Bar Morphology, Distribution, And Mining-Related Geochemistry In The Big River, St. Francois County, Missouri: Implications For Geomorphic Recovery, Lindsay Marie Olson May 2017

Channel Bar Morphology, Distribution, And Mining-Related Geochemistry In The Big River, St. Francois County, Missouri: Implications For Geomorphic Recovery, Lindsay Marie Olson

MSU Graduate Theses

Tailings releases associated with large-scale historical Pb mining in St. Francois County, Missouri resulted in system-wide contamination of Pb and excess sediment in the Big River. Previous studies have addressed basin and segment scale variability of the contaminants; however, little is known about reach and bar scale variability. This study addresses how mining sediment inputs influence bar form and geochemistry across a range of scales. Bar sediment samples were collected at 21 reaches and analyzed for particle size and geochemistry, while air photo analysis was used to evaluate channel morphology, bar type, and area. Bar area is initially low in …

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Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente May 2017

Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente

MSU Graduate Theses

In the Mark Twain National forest there is a collaborative effort to restore parts of the forest to its original shortleaf pine-oak woodland areas by using a combination of silviculture and prescribed fire. The purpose of this project is to assess the effects of prescribed burning on upland forest and soil physical properties that influence erosion processes across a gradient of burned sites of different ages and unburned sites. A combination of geospatial, field, laboratory, statistical (one-way ANOVA) and modeling (USLE) methods were used to assess the effects of prescribed burns on forest and soil characteristics in Big Barren Creek …

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Geomorphic Characteristics And Sediment Transport In Natural And Channelized Reaches Of Big Barren Creek, Southeast Missouri, Matthew S. Thies May 2017

Geomorphic Characteristics And Sediment Transport In Natural And Channelized Reaches Of Big Barren Creek, Southeast Missouri, Matthew S. Thies

MSU Graduate Theses

Channelization, levee construction, and gravel mining are land management practices that are used for flood control. However, they often alter the balance between sediment supply and available sediment transporting power in streams, causing channel instability. Streams can respond to instability through channel incision and sediment aggradation which can degrade riparian habitat, increase flood risks, and cause property damage. These problems have been observed along segments of Big Barren Creek, which drains 190 km² of the Missouri Ozarks in Mark Twain National Forest. Field assessment and modeling methods were used to evaluate the spatial distribution of channel instability along the upper …

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