Earth Sciences Commons^™

Microclimatic Conditions In Shulgan-Tash Cave (Southern Ural, Russia): Implications For The Preservation Of Eastern Europe’S Largest Paleolithic Art Collection, Olga Chervyatsova, Rayan Akhmedyanovb, Nailya Saifullina, Ludmila Kuzmina, Mihael Kotov, Yuri Dublyansky

International Journal of Speleology

This study presents the results of a long-term investigation of the microclimatic conditions in Shulgan-Tash Cave (Southern Urals, Russia), which hosts the largest assemblage of Upper Paleolithic paintings (ca. 16.3–19.6 ka) in Eastern Europe. The cave exhibits two distinct seasonal ventilation regimes – winter and summer – differentially influence its two levels of galleries. In the Lower Level, which contains 83% of the images, near-atmospheric CO₂ concentrations persist year-round, and temperature variations associated with seasonal infiltration events are minimal (1.0–1.3°C). By contrast, the Upper Level, including the decorated Hall of Paintings, is affected by downdrafts of CO₂-rich …

The Taxonomy And Origins Of Folia: A Brief Review, Donald G. Davis, Louise D. Hose, Harvey R. Duchene

International Journal of Speleology

All folia demonstrate a few common elements: folia (singular, folium) are planar or sub-planar speleothems, slanting downward and away from cave walls and ceilings, and genetically associated with fluctuating environmental interfaces. They were first identified and named from examples in western USA hypogenic caves but have since been identified elsewhere in the world. Folia shelves are typically composed of calcite and interweave smoothly along sub-horizontal contours. Calcite accretion, both chemical and mechanical from suspended particles, follows water-surface fluctuations to form protrusions in arrays along walls and ceilings where new accretion tends to follow the water-surface downward during descending phases, gradually …

Nomina Ignota: Dinosaurios, Dinosauroides Y Otros Animales Del Pasado Que Nunca Existieron, Charlie Charmer, Iván Narváez

Alambique. Revista académica de ciencia ficción y fantasía / Jornal acadêmico de ficção científica e fantasía

Aunque desaparecieron hace 66 millones de años, los dinosaurios no avianos y otros grandes reptiles con los que convivieron son un reclamo habitual en las historias de ficción del cómic, cine, literatura u otros medios de expresión artística y/o entretenimiento. A menudo, sirven también de inspiración para introducir criaturas inexistentes cuya imagen y denominación parten de referentes conocidos. En el presente trabajo se analizan los diferentes métodos utilizados para bautizar a estas criaturas, así como las características y funciones que sus nombres pueden tener en los mundos de ficción, acuñando una nueva categoría para la nomenclatura científica, aplicable exclusivamente en …

Phosphorus: From The Origins Of Life To The Origin Of An Industry, Joshua Abbatiello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The element phosphorus is a key biogenic element that is often the limiting reagent for life. Phosphorus is quickly bound by metal divalent cations making it virtually insoluble and inert in water (forming the phosphate mineral apatite). Due to this, it becomes imperative to understand alternative pathways to increase biogenically available phosphorus in environments. To that end, this dissertation involved examining olivine as an alternative source of phosphorus to apatite, analyzing a novel grain of iron silicide found via lightning reduction in a fulgurite, and finally sought to understand the impact of phosphate mining through phosphogypsum stacks. Olivine is a …

First Insight On The Genesis Of Iron Oxide-Hydroxide Biospeleothems In Rancho Chico Lava Tube, Mexico, Rafael López-Martínez, Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo, Rocio Alcántara-Hernández, Teresa Pi Puig, Sergey Sedov, Daisy Valera Fernández, M. Nayeli Luis-Vargas, Yasmany Lima Vera, Jesús Solé, Ramon Espinasa-Pereña

International Journal of Speleology

Iron is a common element in lava tube systems, typically observed as thin crusts or inferred from the reddish coloration of secondary mineral deposits. In this study, we describe iron oxide-hydroxide biospeleothems discovered in the Rancho Chico Lava Tube, located within the Xalapa Monogenetic Volcanic Field in Mexico. We adopt an integrative approach combining petrography, soil micromorphology, scanning electron microscopy, mineralogy, and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. DNA sequencing reveals the presence of microorganisms such as Acidithiobacillus, Gallionella, and members of the Leptospirillaceae family, which may be involved in the oxidation of Fe²⁺ within the lava tube. The source …

Sea Turtle Nesting On Nourished Beaches With Different Construction Designs: A Case Study In Southeast Florida, Usa., Lara Novalvos Hernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the influences of different beach nourishment designs and subsequent post-nourishment profile adjustments on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles nest survival and reproductive success. Data on time-series post-nourishment beach-profile changes, positions and elevations of turtle tracks and nest/false-crawl apices, and sea turtle nest hatch/emergence success were collected on five high density nesting beaches along the east coast of Florida: Melbourne Beach, Jensen Beach, Jupiter Island Beach, Juno Beach, and South Hutchinson Island Beach. The field data collection was conducted in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 with the main goal of documenting and comparing turtle …

Quantifying Wellbore Effects During Co2 Sequestration In A Saline Aquifer, Uzoma Johnpaul Ajugwe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a strategy for mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from large stationary sources like fossil-fuel-fired power stations. One method of CCS involves carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers, where supercritical CO2 is injected into an aquifer. The success of such projects depends on accurate predictions of CO2 behavior within the subsurface, which are obtained through numerical simulations.

TOUGHREACT, a renowned simulation tool, models subsurface fluid flow, geochemical interactions, and solute transport, providing insights into the feasibility of CO2 sequestration projects. A critical aspect of these simulations is the apportioning of …

Siliciclastic Cave Or Diamond Mine? Multiapproach Investigation In Igatu Village, Chapada Diamantina, Northeastern Brazil, Raphael Parra, Ricardo G. F. De A. Pereira, Leonardo F. Vieira, Rubson P. Maia

International Journal of Speleology

The territory around Igatu, as that of many villages in southeastern Chapada Diamantina (Bahia, Brazil), was deeply modified by diamond mine activity. Caves were special targets for miners, since they can act as diamond-bearing sediment traps, and the Canal da Fumaça Cave was one of the most important and rich of them. The question that arises is whether the formation is a natural cave or an artificial diamond mine. In order to answer this question, we developed speleological and geological studies with detailed cave surveys, remote sensing and field measurements for structural analysis, optical and electronic microscope for petrographic characterization, …

Temperature-Driven Air Circulation In Caves With Blind Passages, Chris Hendy Dr, David J. Merritt, Shannon Corkill, Cross Cross

International Journal of Speleology

Two blind-passage show-caves in the Waitomo district of New Zealand, Ruakuri Cave and Aranui Cave, have been monitored for the impact of visitors on their environment, especially focusing on partial pressures of carbon dioxide because high levels cause speleothem degradation. In Ruakuri Cave, annual cycles of daily mean pCO₂ correspond with annual cycles of visitor numbers, both peaking in summer. The origin of the high pCO₂ had been assumed to be anthropogenic due to respiration from visitors. Prolonged intervals with no visitation during the Covid-19 pandemic saw the daily mean pCO₂ continuing to show the annual cycle, …

New Petrographic And Geochemical Constraints On Pre-Eruptive Storage Conditions And Their Control On Eruptive Styles In Martinique’S Recent Volcanic Systems, Abigail Martens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the volcanic systems of Martinique Island, focusing on magma storage conditions, magmatic evolution, and eruption dynamics. Chapter 3 presents a petrographic analysis of volcanic rocks from the island’s old, intermediate, and recent arcs, examining the evolution of plagioclase textures and the increasing abundance of other mineral phases, such as pyroxene, amphibole, olivine, and quartz, which provide insights into changing magmatic conditions. The main research is divided into two projects. Chapter 4 addresses the pre-eruptive storage conditions (pressure and temperature) of magmas beneath recent (<5 Ma) volcanic complexes (Morne Jacob, Piton du Carbet, Trois Îlets, Mt. Conil, and Mt. Pelée), exploring magma evolution, crystallization, and the role of lower crustal injections and flank collapses in triggering eruptions. Results reveal variable magma storage depths (<6 km), with significant temperature and pressure variations, indicating complex magmatic systems. Chapter 5 focuses on the Roches-Genty ignimbrite in southwestern Martinique, investigating its stratigraphy, geochemistry, and age using field mapping, grain size analysis, and 40Ar/39Ar dating. The study identifies two distinct sub-Plinian eruptive phases associated with the Dizac ignimbrite, with ages of 3.37 ± 0.14 Ma and 2.10 ± 0.26 Ma, providing insights into past explosive volcanic activity. Geochemical analysis confirms an andesitic composition, similar to regional volcanic systems. This dissertation enhances understanding of Martinique’s volcanic history, providing valuable insights into magmatic processes and eruption dynamics, with implications for volcanic hazard assessments in the Lesser Antilles.

Designing A Cave Air Monitoring System: Guide And Feedback From 15 Years Of Monitoring The Cussac Cave (France), Nicolas Peyraube, Jessica D. Villanueva, Fabien Naessens, Roland Lastennet, Sylvain Mateo, Alain Denis

International Journal of Speleology

Understanding the cave’s ventilation system is important for determining how the cavity interacts with external airflow. This requires a well-designed monitoring system. This article addresses these key aspects: how to build a monitoring system for cave air parameters and how to assess the ventilation of a cave. We proposed a flowchart to help address the issues in: 1) the modularity of a monitoring system, 2) the use of “homemade device” or “ready to use device”, 3) the frequency of measure and its effect on the electrical consumption, 4) the duration of the survey, and 5) the accessibility of the recorded …

Characterizing Lava Flow Morphology And Lava Flow Dynamics: A High-Resolution Lidar And Structure From Motion Study Of The Hell’S Half Acre Lava Flow, Idaho, Rachel T. Bakowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Basaltic lava flow eruptions can impact vast areas, profoundly altering the landscape. Although many past eruptions have gone unobserved by scientists, they often leave behind substantial deposits that preserve key elements of the eruption’s history. By studying lava textures and the overall structure of lava flows, we can reconstruct the specific conditions that occurred during the eruption and contributed to the final morphology of the lava flows. Hell’s Half Acre is a large, well-preserved basaltic lava flow in the Eastern Snake River Plain, containing a variety of significant geological features resulting from its distinctive eruption history. This thesis examines a …

The Integrated Monitoring Of Karst Systems (Miks) Model, Applied In Karst Studies In Bulgaria, Petar Stefanov, Dilyana Stefanova, Peter Nojarov

International Journal of Speleology

Karst is a widespread natural phenomenon that is highly sensitive and very vulnerable to both natural and various anthropogenic impacts. This is due to the complex structure of karst territories, which comprise both surface forms and complex systems of underground cavities. Therefore, the study of karst requires a geosystem approach and integrated monitoring, which gives a real idea of the state of karst geosystems and the impacts of global changes on karstogenesis. The article presents a model of this approach, which is applied in karst studies in Bulgaria. The methodological basis is the original ProKARSTerra paradigm, based on the geosystem …

The Affordable Diy Mandeye Lidar System For Surveying Caves, And How To Convert 3d Clouds Into Traditional Cave Ground Plans And Extended Profiles, Loris Redovniković, Antun Jakopec, Janusz Będkowski, Jurica Jagetić

International Journal of Speleology

The paper examines the potential use of low-cost LiDAR for cave surveying. Mobile mapping using LiDAR complements traditional speleological surveying using a polygonal traverse. These methods assist each other, with one serving as an independent control measurement for the other, ultimately resulting in a more accurate 3D model. The testing results show that achieving high accuracy and detailed cave representation is possible using open hardware and open-source software. Both spacious and well-indented cave sections and narrow passages barely passable by humans were successfully mapped. The surveying process is significantly faster than traditional cave mapping, as drawing cave sketches by hand …

Teaching Agroecology Through Play: A Board Game On Companion Planting Using Agroecological Principles, Ashmita Das, Julie Capito-Hernandez, Estelí Jiménez-Soto

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Board games themed around environmental topics are promising tools for promoting awareness of complex sustainability issues, as the materiality, sociality, and multidimensionality of gameplay can help overcome some of the inherent limitations of more traditional learning formats. To explore the potential relevance of board games for communicating about agrifood system topics in particular, we designed and tested a game called Companion: An Agroecological Adventure, in which players take on the role of community gardeners who must apply both social and ecological principles of agroecology to cultivate a thriving garden plot. In this paper, we present the results of a study …

Food Sovereignty Among Migrant Farmworkers: The Role Of Agrobiodiversity For Autonomy And Resistance In A Mexican Coffee Plantation, Estelí Jiménez-Soto, Sanya Cowal, April Lopez

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Coffee agroecosystems represent the economic base for thousands of small growers and agricultural workers, as well as a significant proportion of many regional economies in Latin America. Every year, the production of coffee in this region attracts a great number of laborers and their families, particularly during the harvest season. Despite being essential workers in the food system, agricultural workers continue to be one of the most marginalized actors in the coffee production chain. Even with an environment of precarity, agricultural workers exercise their autonomy and food sovereignty—the process by which agricultural workers, in this case, define their food system …

Fewer Wetlands, More Drainage: Forensic Mapping Of Wetland Loss And Drainage Alteration Illustrates The Hydrological Transformation Of Coastal Watersheds, Kai C. Rains, Seanacy A. Lawlor, Edgar J. Guerron-Orejuela, Shawn M. Landry, W J. Kleindl, Mark C. Rains

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Land use-land cover (LULC) change is widely implicated in coastal water quality degradation, but we often lack understanding of how LULC change has varied spatiotemporally because so much change occurred before the advent of modern mapping. In this study, we overcome this challenge by using forensic mapping techniques of LULC change over the past 175 years in coastal watersheds on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, USA. We benchmark historical mapping products to modern mapping standards using historical products. These include maps and notes from the Public Land Survey System, military campaigns, and navigation surveys from the nineteenth century, and aerial …

Unquantifiable: The Impacts Of Len Vacher, Victor J. Ricchezza, Nathan D. Grawe

Numeracy

This article celebrates H.L. (Len) Vacher, the founding editor of Numeracy. While many readers of this journal are no doubt familiar with Len’s contributions here and to quantitative literacy as a practice and habit of mind, fewer are intimately familiar with Len’s history and impacts as a professor and colleague. This paper analyzes Len's contributions to the advancement of quantitative literacy through his scholarship in the journal and through the careers of former students and colleagues at the University of South Florida. The former observations originate in interview data originally collected as part of research on Len’s computational geology course …

A Python Pipeline For Rapid Inversion Of Gravity Data Aimed At Early Career Researchers: Application To The Lost River Fault, Idaho, Bradford C. Mack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gravity data and modeling can be used to create a 3D view of basin and fault geometries, a valuable tool for seismic hazard assessment. Additionally, access to a high-speed, easy-to-use modeling workflow will enable more researchers to supplement their work with a new method and allow students to be exposed to modeling earlier in their academic careers. The primary goals of this work are to create a widely usable 3D gravity and basin model, to create an introduction to modeling teaching module for undergraduate geology students, and to apply the model to the northernmost two segments of the Lost River …

3d Reconstruction And Comparative Anatomical And Kinematic Analyses Of The Foot Of Archaeopteryx, Alexander M. Kirk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on the evolution of dinosaur flight has long been dominated by the wing, often overlooking the foot. The foot of Archaeopteryx, the “icon of evolution”, thus offers a unique opportunity to investigate this critical evolutionary stage. Chapter I of this dissertation integrates advanced 3D reconstruction techniques, combining photogrammetry with X-ray data, to create a high-resolution model of the foot of the Thermopolis specimen of Archaeopteryx for visualization and analysis. Driven by 3D coordinate axes derived from joint surface topology, the analyses in Chapter II reveal terrestrial adaptations -- such as a medially oriented hallux (81°), serially shorter phalanges on …

Compositional Characteristics And Relationships Between Oceanic Basement, Sediment, And Volcanic Arc Rocks: Geochemical Evolution Of The South China Sea And Luzon-Taiwan Arc, Antonio J. Luna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I have characterized the geochemical signatures of the South China Sea (SCS) igneous basement and marine sediments with the intent to examine the results in the context of the understanding the origin and evolution of the SCS oceanic mafic crust, the type of sediments found in the SCS, and finally their impact on the composition of the island arc lavas within the northern Luzon Arc. This dissertation research has three main objectives:

1. Examining the origin, composition, and evolution of the SCS mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), as well as the preexisting crustal rocks recovered near the continent-ocean transition …

New Ichnofossil Discovery In Mallorcan Caves: Linking Ancient And Moden Bat-Ectoparasites Coporolites., Antonio Merino Juncadella, Joan J. Fornós, Antoni Mulet, Joaquin Gines

International Journal of Speleology

Bat ectoparasitic ichnofossils can be useful to elucidate microbial mediation in mineralization processes of organic material, supplying valuable information on ancient parasitology and palaeoecology, among other topics. Rod-shaped features found in Cova des Pas de Vallgornera (Mallorca, Spain) are described for the first time. They are related to an ancient bat colony inhabiting the cave in the Early Pleistocene. These micro-morphologies are cylindrical in shape with sizes of a few hundred microns in length and less than one hundred microns in diameter. They are composed by a mash of microscopic calcite particles of different sizes and shapes, lying on deposits …

Sea Surface Temperatures, The Gulf Of Mexico Loop Current, Hurricane Ian, And Their Junction, Alexander K. Nickerson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter, a climatology was created for the deep Gulf of Mexico, West Florida Shelf, and Tampa Bay. These climatologies were compared to each other and to global temperatures. Seasonal variability is shown to be a product of bathymetry as well as latitude. In Chapter Two, using the self-organizing map neural network, patterns of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current were analyzed to establish phases with necessary and sufficient conditions for translation from one phase to the next. Two separate patterns of evolution were established from these analyses, and empirical arguments are used to confirm the findings from …

Revealing Grounding Zone And Subglacial Processes At Cosgrove Ice Shelf: Seafloor Analogs For The Modern Antarctic Ice Sheet, Rosemary E. Burkhalter-Castro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The future loss of ice in West Antarctica is one of the biggest uncertainties in projections of global sea level rise. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), home to Cosgrove Ice Shelf (CIS), contains enough ice to raise global sea level by more than three meters if it collapsed completely. Accurately predicting how much sea level change may occur from a future collapse of WAIS is of particular interest to low-lying, heavily populated coastal areas such as Florida. For this reason, it is important to understand the processes underpinning rapid changes and retreat at marine-terminating glaciers in the Amundsen Sea. …

Manifestations Of Sulfuric Acid Speleogenesis In The Mulapampa Travertine, Central Andes Of Peru: Evidence From The Gruta Con Lago, Andrzej Tyc, Krzysztof Gaidzik, Justyna Ciesielczuk, Katarzyna Wątor

International Journal of Speleology

Sulfuric acid speleogenesis (SAS) is a form of hypogene speleogenesis characterized by the formation of caves in carbonate rocks due to the presence of sulfuric acid. This study focuses on the Gruta con Lago, one of three caves identified in the Mulapampa travertine, located in the central Andes of Peru. These caves are accessed through collapse sinkholes, and much of their morphology results from roof breakdown. The bottom of the studied cave is situated at the current water table. Despite the absence of typical solutional features associated with SAS caves, mineralogical and geochemical evidence of speleogenesis involving H₂SO …

The Environment Of Glaciovolcanic Caves And Their Value As Planetary Analogues, Christian Stenner, Lee J. Florea, Linda Sobolewski, Andreas Pflitsch, Morgan Cable, Roberto Anitori, Richard E. Davis, Kathleen Graham, Glyn Williams-Jones

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

The Ecology Of Chemosynthesis In Submerged Coastal Caves, Robert Scharping, Michael Casso, Isabel Schaal, Paul Henderson, James Garey, Matthew Charette, John Pohlman, Stefan Sievert

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Luminescence, Esr And Cl Characterisation Of Quartz Extracted From Granite Source Rocks And The Derived Sediments Used For Provenance Studies, Daniela Constantin, Aditi Dave, Serban Grecu, Zuzanna Kabacińska, Mihai Ducea, Petru Urdea, Alida Timar-Gabor

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Revisiting The Chronology Of Loess In North America By Using Sar-Osl And Pirir Protocols, Anca Avram

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Analysis Of Quartz Using Scanning Electron Microscopy Techniques, Serban Constantin Grecu, Alida Timar-Gabor

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.