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Articles 91 - 120 of 240

Full-Text Articles in Earth Sciences

Calculating Groundwater Recharge: The Navajo Sandstone Of Southern Utah, Matthew Olson, Dr. Greg Carling Apr 2014

Calculating Groundwater Recharge: The Navajo Sandstone Of Southern Utah, Matthew Olson, Dr. Greg Carling

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Southern Utah is world renowned for its beautiful canyons and red rock features. The Navajo Sandstone, an Early Jurassic formation created by 2000 feet of petrified sand dunes, is one of the primary features of this unique landscape. Groundwater in the Navajo Sandstone is important for sustaining life in arid southern Utah communities and ensuring recreational usability for state and national parks. Springs that discharge from the Navajo Sandstone aquifer in Zion National Park are a primary source of water to the Virgin River, which provides water for a number of towns in arid southern Utah (Christensen et al., 2005). …

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An Improved Temperature Index Model For Alpine Glaciers Using Derived Degree-Day Factors From Climatic Inputs, Durban G. Keeler, Dr. Summer Rupper Apr 2014

An Improved Temperature Index Model For Alpine Glaciers Using Derived Degree-Day Factors From Climatic Inputs, Durban G. Keeler, Dr. Summer Rupper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Glaciers represent one of the most climatically sensitive and dynamic systems under study, and therefore have diverse implications for nations around the world. For example, Switzerland generates 56% of its power from hydroelectric facilities, many of them fed by glacial meltwater (SFOE, 2012). Many nations in the Himalayas are at risk of catastrophic flooding as glacial melt rates increase (Rupper et al., 2012). Attempts to comprehend past glacial changes can help us better understand modern changes in climate. The study of glacial melt rates over time therefore has potential regional and global significance.

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Geomorphic Mapping And In Situ Analysis Of Avalanches On Loafer Mountain, Kimball Hansen, Dr. Matthew Bekker Apr 2014

Geomorphic Mapping And In Situ Analysis Of Avalanches On Loafer Mountain, Kimball Hansen, Dr. Matthew Bekker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was continue the previous avalanche chronology of Loafer Mountain that my mentor professor started and had me finish in 2011. We wanted to incorporate using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which could help us find better results for our avalanche chronology. By using a GIS we can map our samples and thus provide a more in-depth analysis of the avalanche path by providing the width and magnitude.

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Religious Balance In The Middle East: A Study On How Geography Influences Christian Tolerance In The Jordan State, Conor Fishback, Dr. Chad Emmett Apr 2014

Religious Balance In The Middle East: A Study On How Geography Influences Christian Tolerance In The Jordan State, Conor Fishback, Dr. Chad Emmett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recently three of Jordan’s neighboring states: Israel, Iraq, and Syria have experienced different types of large scale violence within their country. Jordan has remained relatively stable with no major violent conflicts. On October 21st 2012, the Jordanian Government announced that it had foiled a terrorist plot involving 11 Jordanians seeking to target Western interests in Amman. Even though Jordan is near the heart of the Muslim world, it has been targeted by terrorists, as if it was a Western state. This study analyzed the level of tolerance to the Christian faith inside a Muslim state according to the location of …

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Major Earthquakes In Tsunamic Of The Banda Arc Region, Indonesia: The Past 400 Years, Tsz Man Fisher (Lau), Dr. Ronald Harris Apr 2014

Major Earthquakes In Tsunamic Of The Banda Arc Region, Indonesia: The Past 400 Years, Tsz Man Fisher (Lau), Dr. Ronald Harris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The original project was titled, “Journey to the Center of the Earth: Investigating Subduction Channel Processes in Southern Tibet.” Complications came up when we began to work on this project last summer. With the permission of the ORCA committee, we changed the project into tsunami modeling instead of investigating subduction channel in Tibet.

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Comparative Sedimentology Of Lake Bonneville And The Great Salt Lake, Kevin Michael Mcguire Mar 2014

Comparative Sedimentology Of Lake Bonneville And The Great Salt Lake, Kevin Michael Mcguire

Theses and Dissertations

Ooids of Great Salt Lake, Utah (GSL) have been studied periodically by geologists since the 1960's. These studies have documented the locations of ooid deposits, bulk composition, mineralogy, and internal structural variations of GSL ooids. Ooids have also been identified in sediment cores from lakes predating the Great Salt Lake, but similar descriptions have not been made for these ooids. Samples of ooids from cores in Pilot Valley, UT/NV and Knolls, UT have been obtained, along with samples from the Great Salt Lake at Bridger Bay and Rozel Point. The cortical fabrics and crystal morphologies of these ooids were studied …

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West Antarctic Surface Mass Balance: Do Synoptic Scale Modes Of Climate Contribute To Observed Variability?, Mclean Kent Carpenter Mar 2014

West Antarctic Surface Mass Balance: Do Synoptic Scale Modes Of Climate Contribute To Observed Variability?, Mclean Kent Carpenter

Theses and Dissertations

Western Antarctica has been experiencing significant warming for at least the past fifty years. While higher Net Surface Mass Balance (SMB) over West Antarctica during this period of warming is expected, SMB reconstructions from ice cores reveal a more complex pattern during the period of warming. The mechanisms giving rise to SMB variability over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are not well understood due to lack of instrumental data. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are believed to contribute to WAIS SMB variability but the assumption has not been rigorously tested. SMB during years …

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Glacier Sensitivity In The Bhutanese Himalaya: Present And Future, Summer Rupper Feb 2014

Glacier Sensitivity In The Bhutanese Himalaya: Present And Future, Summer Rupper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The primary scientific goal of this 2011 MEG grant was to determine the current melt-rates for glaciers in the monsoonal Himalayas and how these rates will affect the size of glaciated areas and water resources in the next few decades. The target region was the Kingdom of Bhutan. The primary mentoring purpose of this proposal was to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in this multi-institutional, international research project, contribute to science that is of direct, societal importance, and be part of a unique cultural experience.

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Web Browser For The Visually Impaired, Corey Wride, Dr. Parris Egbert Feb 2014

Web Browser For The Visually Impaired, Corey Wride, Dr. Parris Egbert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The original purpose of this project was to make the incredible resource of the Internet available to the visually impaired. The main contribution, however, has been a human-realistic text reader.

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Computer Model For Characterization Of Crystal Fragments Within Volcanic Ash Deposits, Garret L. Hart Feb 2014

Computer Model For Characterization Of Crystal Fragments Within Volcanic Ash Deposits, Garret L. Hart

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For decades, geologists have used crystals fragments to characterize volcanic ash deposits. This requires identification and analysis of the mineral crystals and fragments contained in the ash. It is known that ash deposits can have two basic types of crystal fragments-those that are broken by impact in the explosive ejecta from the volcanic vent and those that are separated from larger crystal aggregates in the magma chamber. Crystals that have been broken are typically euhedral, while those have been separated from larger crystal conglomerates tend to be anhedral in shape. Characterization of ash deposits utilizing the differences in the two …

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Reconnaissance Evaluation Of The Groundwater Systems Of Skull Valley, Utah, Rachel Henderson, Dr. Alan Mayo Jan 2014

Reconnaissance Evaluation Of The Groundwater Systems Of Skull Valley, Utah, Rachel Henderson, Dr. Alan Mayo

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The proposal, by Private Fuel Storage, a Limited Liability Company representing several utilities, to store solid, spent nuclear fuel in Skull Valley requires that many variables be taken into consideration, one of which is groundwater. Groundwater contamination is not anticipated in the proposed short term storage of the waste. However, it is uncertain how long the waste will be stored in Skull Valley. The purpose of this research is to conduct a reconnaissance investigation to evaluate the nature and interaction of various surface and groundwater systems in Skull Valley, and consequently, the likelihood of groundwater contamination from nuclear waste storage.

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Nature Of Calcium Carbonate Precipitate And Chemical Composition Of Water At Blue Lake Warm Spring, Utah, Benjamin R. Jordan, Dr. Eric H. Christiansen Jan 2014

Nature Of Calcium Carbonate Precipitate And Chemical Composition Of Water At Blue Lake Warm Spring, Utah, Benjamin R. Jordan, Dr. Eric H. Christiansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Blue Lake is located in a remote area of Western Utah, about 25 km south of Wendover, Utah. The lake has a year-round temperature of 23 degrees Celsius. This is due to the lake being fed by warm springs located at a depth of 15 m within the lake. The bottom of the lake is covered with a fine carbonate mud. The multiple inflows, however, are filled with fine sand, predominately quartz, much of which is kept in constant motion by the inflowing groundwater. Contained within this sand, and located directly within the inflows, sometimes actually suspended in them, are …

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Interrelation Of Faultng, Karsting And Calcite Veining Near The South Flank Fault Zone Of The Uinta Mountains, Utah, Erin T. Duerichen, Dr. Jeffrey D. Keith Jan 2014

Interrelation Of Faultng, Karsting And Calcite Veining Near The South Flank Fault Zone Of The Uinta Mountains, Utah, Erin T. Duerichen, Dr. Jeffrey D. Keith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Uinta Mountains, south of the South Flank Fault Zone, a thick sequence of Mississippian limestone is exposed. In the Blind Stream area, this limestone is transected by a series of north-south trending faults and fractures, with associated karsting (ie: large, collapsed cavities resulting from underground fluid migration, dissolving the carbonate rock) and calcite veining.

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Ä13c Isotope Analysis Of Pennsylvanian Carbonates In Arrow Canyon, Nevada, Julia Kahmann, Dr. Scott Ritter Jan 2014

Ä13c Isotope Analysis Of Pennsylvanian Carbonates In Arrow Canyon, Nevada, Julia Kahmann, Dr. Scott Ritter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Carbonate rocks, when sampled and analyzed for their carbon isotopes, carry an isotopic signature that may be used as a correlation tool. When other tools do not suffice, or the present correlation needs to be enhanced, isotope analysis is an appropriate alternative. Arrow Canyon Nevada has extensive, continuous, cyclical packages of pristine limestone making the location a prime candidate for isotopic analysis. As an isotopic signal for the limestone cycles is established, the resulting isotope carbon curve may be used as a correlative to91 for other basins along the Pennsylvanian paleo-margin.

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Multi-Scale Neotectonic Study Of The Clear Lake Fault Zone In The Sevier Desert Basin (Central Utah), Brandon D. Heiner Jan 2014

Multi-Scale Neotectonic Study Of The Clear Lake Fault Zone In The Sevier Desert Basin (Central Utah), Brandon D. Heiner

Theses and Dissertations

A multi-scale high-resolution geophysical and geological study was conducted in the Sevier Desert, central Utah, found within the Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range Transition Zone. The region is marked by with Quaternary volcanics and faulting as young as 660 yr B.P., with many fault scarps thought to have the potential for 7+ magnitude earthquakes. Three locations within the Sevier Desert which represent three different tectonic expressions of possible faulting at the surface were selected. These include a location found within surface sedimentation, a location with surface sedimentation and sub-surface basalts and a location with basalts, at the surface with very limited …

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The Role Of Defects In Interlayer Cation Exchange In Clay Minerals, Laura Cardon, Dr. Barry R. Bickmore Dec 2013

The Role Of Defects In Interlayer Cation Exchange In Clay Minerals, Laura Cardon, Dr. Barry R. Bickmore

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Clay minerals comprise a large portion of the abundant sediment that covers the earth’s surface. As such, they have a significant impact on society in regard to land development and also water and mineral resources. The purpose of this study was to help unravel the mysteries of clay mineral properties by focusing special attention on the effects of defects found in the clay mineral structure. These defects are believed to play a key role in the exchange of, oftentimes toxic, interlayer cations in the clay mineral. Better understanding of this exchange would lead to better water management and aid us …

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Geology Of The Birdseye 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Utah County, Utah:Â Implications For Mid-Cenozoic Extension And Deposition Of The Moroni Formation, Don L. Bagshaw Dec 2013

Geology Of The Birdseye 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Utah County, Utah:Â Implications For Mid-Cenozoic Extension And Deposition Of The Moroni Formation, Don L. Bagshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Geologic structures within the Birdseye 7.5 minute quadrangle Utah County, Utah have been related by previous workers to both the Jurassic Arapien Shale diapirism and to the mid-Cenozoic extensional collapse of the Charleston-Nebo Thrust. Whichever model proves valid, it will have implications for oil exploration and interpretation of the subsurface geologic structure in the region. A detailed map of the quadrangle was constructed to better constrain which mechanism was responsible for the deformation. Exposures of Arapien Shale near, and within the Birdseye quadrangle show no evidence of diapiric movement. Arapien involvement in the deformation of Tertiary rocks in the center …

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Digital Outcrop Model And Paleoecology Of The Eight-Foot Rapid Algal Field (Middle Pennsylvanian Lower Ismay Sequence), Paradox Basin, Utah, Colton Lynn Goodrich Dec 2013

Digital Outcrop Model And Paleoecology Of The Eight-Foot Rapid Algal Field (Middle Pennsylvanian Lower Ismay Sequence), Paradox Basin, Utah, Colton Lynn Goodrich

Theses and Dissertations

Although phylloid algal mounds have been studied for 50 year, much remains to be determined concerning the ecology and sedimentology of these Late Paleozoic carbonate buildups. Herein we perform a digital outcrop study of the well-known Middle Pennsylvanian Lower Ismay mound interval in the Paradox Basin because outcropping mounds along the San Juan River are cited as outcrop analogs of reservoir carbonates in the Paradox Basin oil province of Utah and adjacent states. The principal field area is the Eight Foot algal field located at river mile 19.2 on the San Juan River, approximately 14 miles SSW of Bluff, Utah. …

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The Surface Charging Behavior Of The Gibbsite (001) Surface: An Evaluation Of The Music Model, T. J. Campbell, Dr. Barry Bickmore Nov 2013

The Surface Charging Behavior Of The Gibbsite (001) Surface: An Evaluation Of The Music Model, T. J. Campbell, Dr. Barry Bickmore

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The struggle to find and maintain sources of clean water faces billions of people throughout the world. Increases in groundwater contamination have made this problem even more severe. It is therefore of great importance to understand how contaminants travel and interact in the subsurface. Chemical reactions with the surrounding rock often control the movement of these contaminants. Mineral surfaces can become charged, attracting oppositely charged contaminant particles and slowing their progress. This surface charging is dependent on the reactivity of the individual functional groups on mineral surfaces. Reliable predictions of the reactivity of these groups are necessary to improve the …

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A Comparison Of Computational Efficiency: Cholesky Decomposition And Spectral Methods For The Generation Of Fractional Brownian Motion, Micah S. Allred, Dr. David Clark Nov 2013

A Comparison Of Computational Efficiency: Cholesky Decomposition And Spectral Methods For The Generation Of Fractional Brownian Motion, Micah S. Allred, Dr. David Clark

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Since its popularization by Mandelbrot and Von Ness in the early 60’s, Fractional Brownian Motion (fBm), has found a great many applications in such fields as Option Pricing, Signal Processing, Internet Traffic, Hydrology, and Geology. This process is an extension of Brownian Motion which allows for a process with long memory, that is, the next increment is influenced by the evolution of increments in the past. Contrast this to Brownian Motion which is the continuous time analog to coin flipping. Here, each flip of the coin is completely independent and unaffected by past flips. As many processes exhibit dependent, rather …

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Preliminary Paleostress And Deformation Analysis Of The Backlimb Of The Miners Mountain Uplift, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, Samuel Sorber Oct 2013

Preliminary Paleostress And Deformation Analysis Of The Backlimb Of The Miners Mountain Uplift, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, Samuel Sorber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Measurement of fracture sets and small-scale folds along the backlimb of the Miners Mountain uplift in the northern portion of Capitol Reef National Park reveal a paleostress direction of approximately 20° azimuth, nearly 45° counterclockwise from the principle stress observed by Bump and Davis (2003). Slickenlines along the plane of a major fault across the hinge of the Miners Mountain uplift reveal right-lateral oblique-normal movement along the fault. This information has potential significance in modeling basement involvement as well as the kinematic development of this uplift.

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A Sequence Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Cedar Mountain Formation, Brent Greenhalgh, Dr. Brooks Britt Oct 2013

A Sequence Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Cedar Mountain Formation, Brent Greenhalgh, Dr. Brooks Britt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Cedar Mountain Formation (CMF) contains an abundance of Early Cretaceous dinosaur bone accumulations unrivaled in North America. The CMF also records the propagation of mountain building into western Utah tied to the Sevier fold and thrust belt. The fluvial nature of the CMF and its similarities to the underlying Morrison formation have made the details of its depositional history difficult to discern. Currently there is a great deal of controversy over the stratigraphic relationship between the members of the formation. The goal of my research was to better understand the complex sequence stratigraphy of the CMF.

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Utah Valley Stream Study, Elizabeth Adele Outdoor Hunter, Dr. Allan R. Mayo Oct 2013

Utah Valley Stream Study, Elizabeth Adele Outdoor Hunter, Dr. Allan R. Mayo

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Aquifers in Utah provide water to over 84% of our population. The aquifer system beneath Utah Valley is the main provider for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and domestic use. A better understanding of the flow paths and recharge rates of this aquifer system is needed. A recent thesis from a geology student Barnhurst (2003) evaluated this Utah Valley groundwater flow system using stable and radio isotopic techniques. However, he only had limited data analysis regarding recharge waters i.e. stream flow in constructing his model. The purpose of this study was to synoptically collect and analyze these potential recharge waters. This analysis …

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Jurassic Dinosaurs And Insects: The Paleoecological Role Of Termites As Carcass Feeders, Anne Dangerfield, Dr. Brooks Britt Sep 2013

Jurassic Dinosaurs And Insects: The Paleoecological Role Of Termites As Carcass Feeders, Anne Dangerfield, Dr. Brooks Britt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My original project focused on the comparison of postcranial bones of two species of Allosaurus with the goal of differentiating the species based on limb robustness. A detailed study of 78 bones showed that there were at least 13 individuals of Allosaurus in the Dry Mesa quarry that belong to Allosaurus jimmadseni. Measurements of the A. jimmadseni specimens were compared with those of A. fragilis from two other institutions. There were no significant differences except for the robustness of the femur bone, which is less robust in A. jimmadseni than A. fragilis. My conclusion is that although the skulls of …

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New Fossil Crinoids From The Early Mississippian (Kinderhookian) Wassonville Formation Of Southeast Iowa, Forest J. Gahn, Dr. Scott Ritter Sep 2013

New Fossil Crinoids From The Early Mississippian (Kinderhookian) Wassonville Formation Of Southeast Iowa, Forest J. Gahn, Dr. Scott Ritter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this paper is to document a newly discovered assemblage of Early Mississippian (Kinderhookian) fossil crinoids from southeast Iowa. I will provide an introduction and background of the project, followed by the results of the research. Cited references are included at the end of the report.

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Study Of An Archeological Site Near Mount Vesuvius Using Ground-Penetrating Radar Pollena Trocchia, Italy, Robert Weight, Dr. John Mcbride Sep 2013

Study Of An Archeological Site Near Mount Vesuvius Using Ground-Penetrating Radar Pollena Trocchia, Italy, Robert Weight, Dr. John Mcbride

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A major archeological excavation is ongoing for a Roman site near Mt. Vesuvius in the modern town of Pollena Trocchia, Italy. The excavation is being pursued as collaboration between BYU and the University of Naples. The excavation is being done in a present day urban setting therefore the excavators must be strategic in their methods and guided by whatever tools possible to avoid public disruption. A ground penetrating radar or GPR survey was completed which provided images of buried structures, collapsed buildings, and horizontal volcanic ash beds covering the site. These geophysical methods have assisted in a more timely and …

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Integrated Three-Dimensional Geophysical Analysis Of The Wasatch Fault Zone Near Rock Canyon, Provo, Utah, Leo T. Brown, Dr. Alvin K. Benson Sep 2013

Integrated Three-Dimensional Geophysical Analysis Of The Wasatch Fault Zone Near Rock Canyon, Provo, Utah, Leo T. Brown, Dr. Alvin K. Benson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Wasatch fault zone extends from southern Idaho into central Utah, and approximately ninety percent of Utah’s population live in or near this fault zone. Surface rupture and ground shaking associated with earthquake events represent the biggest geologic hazards to people and structures within this fault zone. Movement and rupture will most likely occur along preexisting zones of weakness or faults. In order to mitigate damage to buildings and loss of lives, the locations of individual faults within the fault zone should be determined as accurately as possible.

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The Earthquake History Of Eastern Indonesia, Jonathan Major, Jamie Robinson, Dr. Ron Harris Sep 2013

The Earthquake History Of Eastern Indonesia, Jonathan Major, Jamie Robinson, Dr. Ron Harris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world by population and encompasses thousands of islands. The tropical climate, fertile soil, and vast natural resources continue to fuel rapid population and economic growth. Much of the natural abundance of Indonesia can be attributed to its active and complex geology. Hundreds of volcanoes build, shape, and destroy islands while powerful earthquakes rock the land and sometimes generate devastating tsunamis. The Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and tsunami of 2004 is a sobering reminder of the region’s destructive potential. This event was not a surprise to a handful of researchers like Dr. Ron Harris …

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Electron Microprobe Analysis Of Mantle-Derived Minerals From Eocene Alkaline Intrusions In North-Central Utah, Daniel T. Maughan, Dr. Jeffrey D. Keith Aug 2013

Electron Microprobe Analysis Of Mantle-Derived Minerals From Eocene Alkaline Intrusions In North-Central Utah, Daniel T. Maughan, Dr. Jeffrey D. Keith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mafic alkaline magmas are unusually oxidized, volatile-rich, primitive magmas that are derived from the earth’s mantle when portions of the crust are being extended (stretched). The occurrence of alkaline magmatism is beginning to be recognized as one of the main criteria necessary for the formation of some types of metallic ore deposits through out the world. Alkaline magmas likely deliver metals and volatile gasses to the base of magma chambers, both of which are requisite for the mineralization of ore deposits. The Bingham district, Tintic district, Park City district, Alta district, and other smaller mining districts in north-central Utah all …

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A Bond Valence-Based Force Field: A Multi-Body Approach, Matthew Harris Davis Aug 2013

A Bond Valence-Based Force Field: A Multi-Body Approach, Matthew Harris Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The typical form for a molecular mechanics force field consists of a foundation of pair-wise terms to describe bonded and non-bonded atomic interactions, with multi-body correction terms to deal with the limitations of pair-wise terms. I present here the first attempts of a molecular mechanics model that is founded on multi-body terms, which are based on the Bond Valence Model (Brown, 2002) and recent developments in the Vectorial Bond Valence Model (Bickmore et al., 2013a; Harvey et al., 2006). I calibrated these models on pressure vs. energy curves for a set of SiO2 polymorphs. The average deviation for the best-fit …

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