Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Geological Evolution Of Sorgun (Yozgat)-Yildizeli̇ (Si̇vas) Foreland Basin, Petrographic, Geochemical Aspects And Geochronology Of Volcanism Affecting The Basin, Ali Ekber Akçay, Metin Beyazpi̇ri̇nç

Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration

Sorgun-Yıldızeli basin is an east-west trending asymmetric marginal foreland (peripheral foreland basin) formed as a result of the consumption of oceanic crust of the northern branch of Neotethys due to the collision of Sakarya continent in the north and Kırşehir Block in the south. It provides much information about the geodynamic evolution of the region. The basement of the study area consists of Late Palaeozoic-Mesozoic Akdağmadeni Massif. Akdağmadeni Massif was intruded by Cenomanian-Maastrichtian granitoids and is overlain tectonically by Late Cretaceous Artovaophiolitic melange within the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone and by Cenomanian-Maastrichtian Darmik Formation. The volcano-sedimentary sequence deposited in Sorgun-Yıldızeli foreland …

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 …

Geochemistry Of The Dome Mine Ankerite Veins: Insights Into The Multi-Stage Enrichment Of A World-Class Orogenic Gold Deposit, Jessica M. Stromberg

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Dome Mine in the world-class Timmins camp has produced over 16 Moz of gold during its 108 year production history. This gold endowment is the result of multistage enrichment of which the first stage is a set of ankerite veins that extend over 5,400 m in strike and 1,500 m vertically. A deposit wide geochemical study of the Dome ankerite veins was undertaken to characterize their genesis, geochemistry, and role in the deposit mineralization history. Samples and mapping from new and historic mine workings, bulk rock geochemistry, and stable isotope geochemistry were used to constrain the depositional context of …

Geochemical Characteristics And Storm Dynamics Of Surface Waters And Groundwater At Eastern Kentucky University’S Meadowbrook Farm, Madison County, Kentucky, Reid E. Buskirk, Walter S. Borowski, Jonathan M. Malzone

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Agricultural activities often contaminate watersheds with excess nutrients leading to poor water quality and eutrophication. Eastern Kentucky University’s Meadowbrook Farm raises crops and livestock, contributing dissolved nutrients to the neighboring Muddy Creek watershed. Consequently, the Farm is developing methods to sequester and limit nutrient contamination.

Before phosphorous sequestration methods can be tested, the geochemistry of surface water and groundwater on the Farm need to be better understood to determine hydrological pathways. We use naturally-occurring, dissolved cations as tracers to identify the contribution of different water sources and interpret storm events.

Water samples taken from springs (groundwater), surface water, and storm …

The Geochemistry Of Loess: Asian And North American Deposits Compared, Daniel R. Muhs

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Loess is widely distributed over Asia and North America and constitutes one of the most important surficial deposits that serve as terrestrial records of the Quaternary. The oldest Pleistocene loess in China is likely ∼2.6 Ma, thus spanning much or all of the Pleistocene. In North America, most loess is no older than the penultimate glacial period, with the exception of Alaska, where the record may go back to ∼3.0 Ma. On both continents, loess deposits date primarily to glacial periods, and interglacial or interstadial periods are represented by paleosols. Both glacial and non-glacial sources of silts that comprise the …

Investigating Core Shale Depositional Environments Of Late Pennsylvanian Cyclothems Utilizing Geochemical Proxies To Test The Superestuarine Model, Bryce A. Mathis

LSU Master's Theses

The Late Paleozoic Midcontinent Sea (LPMS) inundated vast areas of the North American interior during glacio-eustatic transgressions, depositing widespread black shales facies within the core shale intervals of major cyclothems. These black shale deposits are unique because no modern analogs can adequately explain the depositional environments and model for organic matter preservation across such vast ancient epicontinental settings. One possible explanation is that a superestuarine circulation system developed across the LPMS during humid interglacial phases, which promoted strong water column stratification and benthic anoxia.

The goal of this research was to test the validity of the superestuarine estuarine model and …

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 …

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 …

Changes In Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Quartz And Feldspars In Response To Impact Cratering, Steven Jaret

Geosciences Research Data

Impact cratering is an important geologic process that has affected all objects in the Solar System. The goal of this work is to understand how this process affects the mineralogy and geochemistry of planetary surfaces. Studies of extraterrestrial materials (e.g., laboratory studies of meteorites) and studies of planetary surfaces via orbiter or lander missions encounter impacted and shocked materials. Therefore, knowing how this secondary process of cratering has altered the rocks and minerals is critical to our ability to deconvolve the secondary effects of shock from the original primary geology. Specifically, I seek to understand impact metamorphism in three ways: …

Foundations For A Geobiochemical Characterization Of Mudpots In Yellowstone National Park, Georgia Dahlquist

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Mudpots are acidic, turbid thermal features formed by the argillic or sericitic alteration of rock with enough fluid to create a viscous feature. Prior to this research, the combination of interdisciplinary sampling for geochemistry, mineralogy, and microbiology of rhyolite hosted mudpots, particularly in chemically distinct subregions of an area, remained largely unavailable. This work discusses mudpots and nearby hot springs sampled in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in July 2016 and the measured in situ pH, temperature, and conductivity values, and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Water, filtered via gravity pre-filtration and 1.2 μm and 0.8/0.2μm syringe filtration, yielded δD and δ18O values …

Investigations On The Mesozoic Geologic And Tectonic History Of The Jackson Mountains, Northwest Nevada, Thomas Anthony Colby

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

New geologic mapping, high-precision U-Pb zircon geochronology, and isotope geochemistry provide insight into the early Mesozoic paleogeography and magmatic, stratigraphic, and structural evolution of the Jackson Mountains in the Black Rock Desert region of northwest Nevada. The magmatic history of the Jackson Mountains records Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (~215-195 Ma) marine deposition of the Boulder Creek Beds adjacent to the arc followed by the Early Jurassic (~193-189 Ma) eruption and emplacement of the Happy Creek Igneous Complex and associated plutons of the Early Mesozoic Intrusive Suite. Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic data from Early Jurassic intrusive rocks of the …

Magmatic Hydrothermal Alteration And Secondary Post-Shock Features In Martian Olivine-Phyric Basalt Northwest Africa 10416; Petrology And Geochemistry Of Primitive Achondrite Northwest Africa 11042, Zoltan Vaci

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Martian olivine-phyric basalt Northwest Africa (NWA) 10416 contains large olivine xenocrysts whose cores have been stained brown by hydrothermal alteration and whose rims are composed of pristine olivine overgrowths. Microanalysis of these olivine cores reveals various degrees of amorphization, some of which have been overprinted by terrestrial weathering, evident as part of a weathering rind along the exposed surface of the meteorite. Studies of a completely unweathered terrestrial analogue basalt from southern Colorado reveal similar features and indicate that both basalts were altered in a supersolidus magma chamber setting. The alteration features in NWA 10416 thus imply the presence …

Catalyzed Synthesis Of Zinc Clays By Prebiotic Central Metabolites, Marcelo I. Guzman, Ruixin Zhou, Kaustuv Basu, Hyman Hartman, Christopher J. Matocha, S. Kelly Sears, Hajatollah Vali

Chemistry Faculty Publications

How primordial metabolic networks such as the reverse tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle and clay mineral catalysts coevolved remains a mystery in the puzzle to understand the origin of life. While prebiotic reactions from the rTCA cycle were accomplished via photochemistry on semiconductor minerals, the synthesis of clays was demonstrated at low temperature and ambient pressure catalyzed by oxalate. Herein, the crystallization of clay minerals is catalyzed by succinate, an example of a photoproduced intermediate from central metabolism. The experiments connect the synthesis of sauconite, a model for clay minerals, to prebiotic photochemistry. We report the temperature, pH, and concentration dependence …

Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of The Heddleston Porphyry Cu-Mo Deposit, Montana, Ben Schubert

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Heddleston porphyry Cu-Mo deposit is located in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, near the headwaters of the Blackfoot River. It is immediately west of the historic Mike Horse mine, an important producer of Pb-Zn from polymetallic veins and lodes. The Heddleston property was explored extensively by the Anaconda Company in the 1960s and 1970s, but was never mined. Specimens of polished drill core from the deposit are archived in the Anaconda Research Collection at Montana Tech campus. The purpose of this research project was to use the archived samples to examine the geochemistry and mineralogy of the Heddleston and …

Naturally Occurring Acid Rock Drainage In The Anaconda-Pintler Mountain Range, Montana: A Case Study Of Geochemistry In Two Streams Flowing From Mount Evans, Margaret Doolittle

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Mount Evans is located in the Anaconda-Pintler mountain range of southwest Montana approximately 22 km southwest of Anaconda, Montana. Mount Evans appears reddish orange on Google Earth amongst the rest of the mountain range which is a grey white color, indicating the presence of limonite staining and probable sulfide mineralization. In addition, two streams draining opposite sides of the mountain, and either side of the continental divide have conspicuous white coatings on boulders that are clearly visible with Google Earth. During a mineral resource assessment in the 1980s, the USGS suggested that the Mount Evans area could be the top …

An Antarctic Stratigraphic Record Of Stepwise Ice Growth Through The Eocene-Oligocene Transition, Sandra Passchier, Daniel J. Ciarletta, Triantafilo E. Miriagos, Peter K. Bijl, Steven M. Bohaty

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Earth’s current icehouse phase began ∼34 m.y. ago with the onset of major Antarctic glaciation at the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Changes in ocean circulation and a decline in atmospheric greenhouse gas levels were associated with stepwise cooling and ice growth at southern high latitudes. The Antarctic cryosphere plays a critical role in the ocean-atmosphere system, but its early evolution is still poorly known. With a near-field record from Prydz Bay, Antarctica, we demonstrate that Antarctic ice growth was stepwise and had an earlier onset than previously suggested. Prydz Bay lies downstream of a major East Antarctic Ice Sheet drainage system, and …

Geochemical, Microthermometric, And Isotopic Constraints On The Origin Of Fluorite Deposits In Central Anatolia, Turkey, Peli̇n Coşanay, Ece Kirat, Ni̇hal Çevi̇k, Ceyda Kizilkanat, Hali̇m Mutlu, Şükrü Koç

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

We investigate rare earth element geochemistry, microthermometric characteristics, and radiogenic isotope systematics of fluorites and stable isotope compositions of gangue minerals from several fluorite deposits in central Turkey. In the deposits, fluorite is the main ore mineral and it is accompanied by quartz, calcite, and minor pyrite and barite. Veins are represented by three different fluorite types based on their color. Total REY contents of fluorites are highly variable, ranging from 24 to 693 ppm. LREE concentrations of fluorites of all colors are similar but medium and heavy REE abundances of green fluorites are nearly an order of magnitude greater …

Using Strontium Isotopes In Conjunction With Major, And Trace Elements To Identify Water/Rock Interaction In The Upper Kittitas County, Washington, James Patterson, Carey Gazis

All Master's Theses

The complex bedrock lithologies in the Upper Kittitas County provide an ideal setting for developing isotopic methodology to identify groundwater sources and track flow paths through water-rock interaction. A wide range of 87Sr/86Sr (0.7040 to 0.7068) in surface waters, springs, and groundwater from wells was found, allowing for identification of the individual signatures of lithologic units. Rock leachates from different lithology were compared to water samples to determine a general 87Sr/86Sr signature of the water-rock interaction for that lithology. The signatures identified were systematically lower than their associated waters, but similar enough to identify the expected 87Sr/86Sr of water-rock interaction …

Petrogenesis Of Plio-Quaternary Basanites In The Gandom Beryan Area, Kerman,Iran: Geochemical Evidence For The Low-Degree Partial Melting Of Enriched Mantle, Seyed Javad Yousefi, Abbas Moradian, Hamid Ahmadipour

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In the Gandom Beryan area, basanitic lava flows erupted from fractures in the Nayband fault zone and formed an area of about 300 km2 of basanitic rocks in the western part of the Lut Block. Olivine and clinopyroxene are the major phenocrysts in a microlitic groundmass for these basanitic rocks. The geochemical data show that Gandom Beryan rocks are basanite in composition and belong to intercontinental rifts related to alkali basanites. These rocks have low Fe/Mg ratios (Fe2O3t/MgO = 1.07-1.43) with low silica content (SiO2 = 44.89-48.26 wt.%) and are high-Ti basanites. The investigated rocks are characterized by a significant …

Cycling Of Gypsiferous White Sands Aerosols In The Shallow Critical Zone At White Mountain, New Mexico, Patrick Richard Rea

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dry deposition significantly affects evolution of the critical zone by nutrient supply and contributing to soil genesis. Dust influx and cycling in soils are difficult to quantify because dust sources can be chemically similar to local soils. White Sands, New Mexico, emits gypsum dust with a unique chemical and isotopic signature, providing an opportunity to investigate dust deposition and its movement in soils. This study evaluated the mobility of White Sands dust particles in the critical zone at White Mountain, New Mexico, a highland 100 km downwind. Four soil profiles were collected over limestone, igneous, mixed limestone and dolostone, and …

Modelling And Observational Evidence For The Igneous Evolution Of The Elysium Volcanic Province On Mars, David Andrew Susko

LSU Master's Theses

A major knowledge gap exists on how eruptive compositions of a single martian volcanic province change over time. The Elysium Volcanic Province is a location of great geologic interest on Mars. Its predominantly Amazonian surface age (beginning 3.3 Ga), and its isolation in the northern hemisphere of Mars away from other volcano-tectonic regions, make it an ideal locale to investigate igneous compositions erupted during the most recent geologic period on Mars. Here, this work seeks to fill that gap by assessing the compositional evolution of Elysium as a major martian volcanic province in two related projects. The first project seeks …

Mercury Increases In Lake Tanganyika Since ~1850, Troy A. Bole

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A series of three sediment cores were collected in Lake Tanganyika, Africa, and were analyzed for mercury concentrations. For all three cores, a decrease in mercury (Hg) levels was observed from the 1600’s (appx. 20 ng/g) until concentrations reached a minimum during the mid-1800’s (appx. 10 ng/g). The mid-1800’s marked a change from decreasing mercury levels to an increase over the following century. The core tops (circa 2006) have concentrations greater than 70 ng/g. The onset of the rise in mercury concentrations coincides with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the mid to late 18^th century. Relationships between …

Removal Of Select Chlorinated Hydrocarbons By Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Supported On Powdered Activated Charcoal, Md Abu Raihan Chowdhury

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron (NZVI) has shown limited effectiveness in degrading chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), like 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) and Trichloroethene (TCE), in aqueous solution. A rapid agglomeration behavior of NZVI particles due to van der waals and magnetic forces can negatively impact its overall effectiveness due to increase in particle size, and decline in CHC degradation kinetics. Different support materials, such as clays and activated carbon, have been used to stabilize NZVI particle and reduce agglomeration in aqueous solution. In this bench-scale study, NZVI supported on Powdered Activated Charcoal (PAC) was selected to prepare a composite, called PAC/NZVI, for a more …