Earth Sciences Commons^™

Hydrology Of The Springs, Seeps, And Fens At The Nature Conservancy's Pigeon Point Preserve, Ransom County, North Dakota, Corey W. Askin

Theses and Dissertations

Pigeon Point lies along the Sheyenne River in the west-central part of the Sheyenne Delta Aquifer, southeastern North Dakota. Groundwater discharges along a north-facing bluff at Pigeon Point and forms springs, seeps, and fens 'hosting atypical boreal species. The Nature Conservancy owns 231 ha at Pigeon Point, a tract that also includes the largest and least disturbed spring-fed stream in the region as well as some of the finest riparian forest in the state. In response to possible future groundwater diversion, the objectives of this study are: 1) to characterize the Sheyenne Delta Aquifer up-gradient from Pigeon Point, 2) to …

Geomechanics Applied To Reservoir Development In The Coso Geothermal Field, Andrew J. Nygren

Theses and Dissertations

The Coso geothermal field is located approximately 220 kilometers north of Los Angeles, CA. In 2002, a project began to develop the east flank of the Coso geothermal field into an enhanced geothermal system (EGS); in such a system water is injected via injection well(s) into hot dry basement rock through naturally occurring or stimulated fractures. The injected water gathers heat from the reservoir rock before being extracted for direct use or energy production. To develop such a reservoir, adequate understanding of the reservoir geomechanics is necessary. This thesis investigates the state of stress and rock fractures, the existing permeable …

Isotopic Tracers As Evidence Of Denitrification In The Karlsruhe Aquifer, Eben J. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

The Karlsruhe Aquifer of north-central North Dakota has experienced considerable nitrate contamination sparking an investigation by the North Dakota State Water Commission. Certain portions of the aquifer have experienced nitrate-N concentrations of up to seven times the drinking water standard. Although contamination is evident it is possible the NO₃¯ is naturally being eliminated by denitrification, whereby bacteria reduce NO₃¯ to nitrogen gas. Evidence of denitrification may be illustrated by accelerated reduction of NO₃¯ relative to the conservative tracer Cl¯ coupled with an increase in the heavy isotopes of 15N and 18O within the NO₃¯ ion. Such an increase is not …

Regional Stratigraphy Of The Newcastle Formation (Lower Cretaceous) In Eastern Montana And Western North Dakota, Adam J. Ulishney

Theses and Dissertations

The Newcastle Formation (Lower Cretaceous) consists of sandstone with interbedded shale, siltstone, and mudstone facies. This work shows that the regional stratigraphy of the unit is detailed enough for the interpretation of its depositional history and environments in eastern Montana. This work also illustrates the possible lowstand position of the Western Interior Seaway along with probable source areas providing sediments into the study area.

A total of 3446 geophysical wireline logs were used to determine formation tops of the Greenhorn, Mowry, Newcastle, Skull Creek, and Inyan Kara Formations. The log character of the Newcastle Formation was also described for all …

Variations In Mineralogy, Temperature, And Oxygen Fugacity In A Suite Of Strongly Peralkaline Lavas And Tuffs, Pantelleria, Italy., John C. White, Minghua Ren, Don Parker

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Eight samples of pantelleritic lava and tuff and a lithic inclusion of trachyte from Pantelleria, Italy, have been thoroughly analyzed with an electron microprobe. These samples reveal five different mineral assemblages if classified by the presence of fayalite, aenigmatite, ilmenite, and magnetite: (1) augite + fayalite + ilmenite + magnetite, (2) augite + fayalite + ilmenite, (3) hedenbergite or sodian hedenbergite + fayalite + ilmenite + aenigmatite + quartz, (4) sodian hedenbergite or aegirine-augite + ilmenite + aenigmatite + quartz ± ferrorichterite, and (5) aegirine-augite + aenigmatite + quartz. Alkali feldspar (Or35–37) is present as the dominant phyric phase in …

Chromian Spinel–Olivine Phase Chemistry And The Origin Of Primitive Basalts Of The Southern Washington Cascades, Diane R. Smith, W. P. Leeman

Earth and Environmental Geosciences Faculty Research

Geochemically diverse basalts occur in an ~160-km-wide transect that stretches across the Quaternary southern Washington Cascades (SWC) volcanic arc. Two fundamental groups of SWC basalts can be identified on the basis of major and trace element chemistry. On primitive mantle-normalized “spidergrams”, Group I lavas resemble within-plate basalts, whereas Group II lavas exhibit chemical characteristics (e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti depletions) typical of subduction-related magmas. The primitive nature of many SWC basalts is indicated by their high MgO (>6.5 wt.%, up to 9.5 wt.%), Ni (>85 ppm) and Cr (>180 ppm) contents. Electron microprobe analyses of olivine–spinel pairs …

Bedrock Geology Of Rogers Quadrangle, Benton County, Arkansas, Jon C. Dowell, Camille M. Hutchinson, Stephen K. Boss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A digital geologic map of Rogers quadrangle was produced at 1:24,000 scale using the geographic information system (GIS) software Maplnfo. Data regarding stratigraphic relations observed in the field were digitized onto the United States Geological Survey (USGS) digital raster graphic (DRG) of Rogers quadrangle. The geology of Rogers quadrangle consists of sedimentary rocks of the Ordovician, Devonian, and Mississippian systems. The Cotter, Powell, and Everton formations represent the Ordovician System. The Clifty and Chattanooga formations represent the Devonian System. The St.Joe and Boone formations represent the Mississippian System. This mapping effort represents the first time stratigraphy of Rogers quadrangle was …

Monsoon-Driven Biogeochemical Processes In The Arabian Sea, Jerry D. Wiggert, Raleigh Hood, Karl Banse, John Kindle

Faculty Publications

Although it is nominally a tropical locale, the semiannual wind reversals associated with the Monsoon system of the Arabian Sea result annually in two distinct periods of elevated biological activity. While in both cases monsoonal forcing drives surface layer nutrient enrichment that supports increased rates of primary productivity, fundamentally different entrainment mechanisms are operating in summer (Southwest) and winter (Northeast) Monsoons. Moreover, the intervening intermonsoon periods, during which the region relaxes toward oligotrophic conditions more typical of tropical environments, provide a stark contrast to the dynamic biogeochemical activity of the monsoons. The resulting spatial and temporal variability is great and …

Transient Detection And Modeling Of Continuous Geodetic Data, Walter Michael Szeliga

All Master's Theses

Transient surface deformation has been observed by continuously operating Global Positioning System stations in the Puget Sound area during the past decade. This surface deformation is associated with processes occurring on or near the subducting plate boundary between the Juan de Fuca and North American plates. This thesis is composed of two studies of transient deformation along the Cascadia plate margin and a discussion of the methodologies employed in these studies. We model one 7-week episode of transient deformation that occurred during 2003 beneath the Puget Sound area. Additionally, we utilize a combination of continuous Global Positioning System and seismic …

The Role Of Geomorphic Features And Hydrologic Processes On Sediment Clusters In Gravel-Bed Rivers, Washington: A Field-Based Approach, Ross Richard Hendrick

All Master's Theses

This project investigated the movement and evolution of sediment clusters after four separate flood events at two geomorphically different sites along the Entiat River, Washington. Clusters are defined as an obstacle or anchor clast(s) that impede the progress of two or more sediment particles, and are believed to be an important characteristic of the variable bed topography of gravel-bed rivers. Detailed field descriptions and digital photographs of clusters were used to determine the characteristics of clusters at chosen locations on gravel bars regularly covered by high flow events. Data were collected during low-flow conditions, and clusters were re- examined and …

Geotectonic Setting And Origin Of The Youngest Kula Volcanics (Western Anatolia), With A New Emplacement Model, Murat Tokçaer, Samuele Agostini, Mehmet Yilmaz Savaşçin

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Quaternary Kula volcanics are Na-dominant in character while all the older volcanic rocks of western Anatolia are generally definitive K-dominant rocks. As a unique example in western Anatolia, the existence of a huge amount of plateau basalts at Kula indicates rapid uplift of mantle material, as confirmed by new geochemical data. Based on our field observations, the oldest Kula volcanics are the plateau basalts with more than one main lava flow. At the beginning of volcanic activity (first-period plateau basalts), this plateau was vast. Subsequently, parts of the first-period plateau basalts were uplifted and partly eroded while other parts …

Evolution Of And Factors Controlling Eocene Sedimentation In The Darende-Balaban Basin, Malatya (Eastern Turkey), Kemal Gürbüz, Murat Gül

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Collision of the Arabian and Anatolian plates affected evolution of basins located along the southern flank of the Anatolian Plate. The Darende-Balaban foreland basin is one such basin – a basin filled with Upper Cretaceous and Eocene sediments, accumulated unconformably and transgressively above ophiolitic and carbonate basement rocks. This basin is locally surrounded, to the north and south, by Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous structural highs created by tectonic elements during the collision of Arabia and Anatolia. This paper aims to describe the factors controlling and evolution of the Eocene sedimentation in the Darende-Balaban basin. The basin fill comprises two distinct sequences …

Quantitative Clay Mineralogy Of Several Louisiana Soils, Johan Forsman

LSU Master's Theses

A method was developed to simplify the approach to obtaining a better quantitative representation (QR) of complex clay mineral assemblages by XRD analysis. The method has eight steps: 1) preparation of samples with preferred orientation; 2) qualitative identification of phases; 3) peak decomposition to obtain precise locations of individual peaks contained within broad diffraction bands; 4) creation of a library of theoretical XRD patterns by modeling of one-dimensional XRD patterns; 5) selection of experimental library patterns; 6) employing the LINEST function found in common spreadsheet software to fit library patterns to experimental patterns; 7) evaluation of results to determine needed …

Fluvial Evolution Of The Garonne River, France: Integrating Field Data With Numerical Simulations, Robin Rene Lancaster

LSU Master's Theses

The Garonne River of southwestern France presents a unique opportunity to study the controls on long-term incision and terrace formation within a large-scale fluvial system. The Garonne heads in the Pyrenees, flows through the Aquitaine Basin, and discharges into Atlantic Ocean via the Gironde Estuary/Bay of Biscay. From field data, three terrace complexes were identified and traced for >251 km from the base of the Pyrenees to the onset of tidal influences. Each complex is separated from adjacent complexes by scarps >10 m and represent 10s to 100s kyrs during which time the river occupied a finite elevational range within …

Sulfur And Oxygen Isotope Characterization Of An Eocene Playa Deposit, Northern High Plains, And Rainwater Sulfate, Baton Rouge, Usa, Kathryn Ann Jenkins

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of two independent chapters which are linked through the application of multiple stable isotope measurements of sulfate. Chapter 1 compares two Cenozoic playa deposits in the northern High Plains. Anomalous playa sulfate was discovered at Scotts Bluff which is speculated to have originated via the oxidation of volcanically emitted reduced sulfur gases. A question arises, then, is a volcanic origin of sulfate common for other Cenozoic playa deposits in the region. A complete stable isotope characterization was performed on the gypsum sulfate collected at Wolf Butte (nearby apparent playa setting) to determine if the sulfate has …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 33, 2004-2005, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Molluscan Taphonomy As A Proxy For Recognizing Fossil Seagrass Beds, Jill Suzanne Leonard-Pingel

LSU Master's Theses

Seagrass beds, important marine ecosystems both economically and environmentally, have a poor fossil record. As a result, little is known about the geographic distribution of seagrasses over historic and geologic time, or their abundance when unaltered by anthropogenic effects. The purpose of this study is to define a taphonomic signature unique to seagrass beds that can be used as a proxy for identifying the seagrass habitat in the fossil record. In order to develop this proxy, sediment samples from Recent seagrass and non-seagrass environments were collected, and the molluscan bioclasts from these samples were categorically ranked for the following taphonomic …

Using Ground Penetrating Radar, Light Detection And Ranging, Geodetic Leveling, And Area Hydrogeology To Study The Baton Rouge And Scotlandville Faults, East Baton Rouge Parish, La, Angela Mooi Thomas

LSU Master's Theses

East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, is situated on at least two faults, the Baton Rouge Fault and the Denham Springs-Scotlandville Fault. These faults have surface expressions in the form of escarpments and damage to man-made structures. The purpose of this thesis is to study these faults in the shallow subsurface, in climate and soils found in Louisiana, and to study their ability to block fluid flow and whether groundwater withdrawal influences the amount and rate of subsidence along these faults. Techniques used to gather field data or to research and compile previously acquired data for this thesis includes: Ground Penetrating …

Response Of Sagebrush Steppe Species To Elevated Co2 And Soil Temperature, Melissa S. Lucash, Blake Farnsworth, William E. Winner

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Elevated atmospheric CO₂ may cause long-term changes in the productivity and species composition of the sagebrush steppe. Few studies, however, have evaluated the effects of increased CO₂ on growth and physiology of species important to this ecosystem. Since the response of plants to elevated CO₂ may be limited by environmental factors, soil temperature was also examined to determine if low soil temperatures limit CO₂ response. To determine how CO₂ and soil temperature affect the growth of species native to the sagebrush steppe, bottlebrush squirreltail [Elymus elymoides (Raf.) Swezey], Thurber needlegrass (Stipa thurberiana Piper), …

Morphologic And Stratigraphic Evolution Of The Antarctic Peninsula, Pacific Margin, Jason Henry Holloman

LSU Master's Theses

Rebesco et al. (1998) proposed a general depositional model that relates sediment drift evolution on the Antarctic Peninsula Pacific-margin continental rise to glacial processes on the continental shelf. In their model, terrigenous sediment was directly delivered to the rise and contributed to the construction of large sediment drifts when grounded ice extended to the shelf edge. In this scenario, large volumes of fluidized sediment by-passed the margin at the mouth of ice streams (i.e., fast flowing ice), whereas prograding slopes were constructed on those portions of the shelf margin between major ice streams. This model relies heavily on the modern …

Wagin-Woodanilling (Zone 5) : Catchment Appraisal 2005, K Ohlsen, T Schulz, T W. Mathwin, Gina Pemberton, Henry Brockman, J Firth, Mitchell Davies, Heather M. Percy

Resource management technical reports

The aim of this report is to assess the current extent of salinity and other natural resource degradation issues and provide landholders with the best current management options to address natural resource management issues and enhance sustainable agricultural production.

Natural Resource Management Issues For The South Coast Regional Strategy, B Nicholas

Resource management technical reports

This report has been prepared by the Agricultural Resource Management Program of the Department of Agriculture to assist SCRIPT (South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team) in preparing the regional strategy. It records the key natural resource management issues threatening agricultural land on the south coast of Western Australia. Managing agricultural land effectively should be a priority in reducing the risks of land degradation on all assets-productive agricultural land, biodiversity and waterways.

Upper Yilgarn Catchment Appraisal 2005, Keith Ohlsen, Susan Murphy-White

Resource management technical reports

Soil degradation on farmland reduces agricultural production and will often lead to damage to natural resources such as remnant vegetation and waterways, as well as to infrastructure, including roads and townsites. This report provides current information on the land degradation status for the Upper Yilgarn Catchment area in Western Australia by outlining: condition of the soils, hydrology, natural vegetation, farming systems and agricultural production and risks to natural resources.

A Salt On The Land: The Osmolyte Production And Physiological Responses Of Selected Myrtaceae Species Exposed To Salt And Water Stress, Janelle Atkinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Glasshouse trials were conducted on Calothamnus quadrifidus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Melaleuca uncinata

to test relative tolerance and uniformity of response in the Myrtaceae family to salt, waterlogging and salt x waterlogging. Seed sources from both saline (SA) and non-saline areas were used to compare differences in survival, growth and proline production to these stresses.

Water-Level Changes In Shallow Wells Before And After The 1999 İzmit And Düzce Earthquakes And Comparison With Long-Term Water-Level Observations (1999–2004), Nw Turkey, Cenk Yaltirak, Tolga Yalçin, Erkan Bozkurtoğlu, Gali̇p Yüce

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

It is well known that earthquakes cause hydrological changes, such as drying or flooding of water wells, fluctuations in ground-water levels in wells, changes in water quality, and formation of new springs. Significant drops in ground-water levels in wells were recorded during recent earthquakes in NW Turkey on August 17, 1999 in İzmit and on November 12, 1999 in Düzce. The İzmit earthquake (Ms 7.4) caused pre-seismic water-level changes in wells at Eskişehir, located 118-216 km away from the epicentre. Well-level changes in the Eskişehir, Sakarya, Bursa, Yalova, Yenişehir and İnegöl basins were recorded prior to and after the Düzce …

Cavity-Based Secondary Mineralization In Volcanic Tuffs Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: A New Type Of The Polymineral Vadose Speleothem, Or A Hydrothermal Deposit?, Yuri V. Dublyansky, Sergey Z. Smirnov

International Journal of Speleology

Secondary minerals (calcite, chalcedony, quartz, opal, fl uorite, heulandite, strontianite) residing in open cavities in the Miocene rhyolite tuffs of Yucca Mountain, Nevada have been interpreted by some researchers as "speleothemic" formations, deposited as a result of downward infi ltration of meteoric waters (DOE, 2001, Whelan et al., 2002). The major mineral of the paragenesis, calcite, shows spectacular trend of the textural and crystal morphology change: from anhedral granular occurrences, through (optional) platelet, bladed and scepter varieties, to euhedral blocky morphologies. The trend is consistent with the overall decrease in the supesaturation of the mineral forming solution. Stable isotope properties …

Partitions, Compartments And Portals: Cave Development In Internally Impounded Karst Masses, R. Armstrong L. Osborne

International Journal of Speleology

Dykes and other vertical bodies can act as aquicludes within bodies of karst rock. These partitions separate isolated bodies of soluble rock called compartments. Speleogenetically each compartment will behave as a small impounded-karst until the partition becomes breached. Breaches through partitions, portals, allow water, air and biota including humans to pass between sections of caves that were originally isolated.

The Effects Of Satellite-Derived Vegetation Cover Variability On Simulated Land–Atmosphere Interactions In The Nams, Toshi Matsui, Venkataraman Lakshmi, Eric Small

Faculty Publications

Substantial evolution of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NVDI)-derived vegetation cover (Fg)exists in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The intraseasonal and wet-/dry-year fluctuations of Fgare linked to observed precipitation in the North American monsoon system (NAMS). The manner in whichthe spatial and temporal variability of Fg influences the land–atmosphere energy and moisture fluxes, andassociated likelihood of moist convection in the NAMS regions, is examined. For this, the regional climatemodel (RCM) is employed, with three different Fg boundary conditions to examine the influence ofintraseasonal and wet-/dry-year vegetation variability. Results show that a strong link exists between evaporativefraction (EF), surface temperature, and …

Key Grazing Levels (Foo Targets) For Pasture And Sheep Management, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

Food On Offer (FOO) is the amount of pasture in front of an animal, and is measured in kilograms Dry Matter per hectare. Managing pastures to key grazing levels - or FOO targets - can result in improved production of grazing systems in Mediterranean environments which are characterized by slow winter growth, peak spring growth and dry summers. These targets vary according to what production response is required.

This information sheet illustrates key target FOO for sheep grazing annual pastures during autumn and spring.

New Standards For Reducing Gravity Data: The North American Gravity Database, William J. Hinze, Carlos Aiken, John Brozena, Bernard Coakley, David Dater, Guy Flanagan, Rene Forsberg, Thomas Hildenbrand, G. Randy Keller, James N. Kellogg, Robert Kucks, Xiong Li, Andre Mainville, Robert Morin, Mark Pilkington, Donald Plouff, Dhananjay Ravat, Daniel Roman, Jamie Urrutia-Fucugauchi, Marc Veronneau, Michael Webring, Daniel Winester

Faculty Publications

The North American gravity database as well as databases from Canada, Mexico, and the United States are being revised to improve their coverage, versatility, and accuracy. An important part of this effort is revising procedures for calculating gravity anomalies, taking into account our enhanced computational power, improved terrain databases and datums, and increased interest in more accurately defining long-wavelength anomaly components. Users of the databases may note minor differences between previous and revised database values as a result of these procedures. Generally, the differences do not impact the interpretation of local anomalies but do improve regional anomaly studies. The most …