Earth Sciences Commons^™

Tailings Tale: Mike Horse Looms Dark Over The Blackfoot, Elizabeth L. Harrison

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

In the spring of 1975, a heavy rain blew out an earthen dam holding back toxic metal waste from the now defunct Mike Horse mine at the headwaters of the scenic Big Blackfoot River. Federal agencies, a corporate mining giant, and the small town community of Lincoln, Montana, grapple with the repercussions and future of the watershed.

The Use Of Soil Enzyme Activities And Active Carbon As Indicators Of Soil Quality In Response To Management Practices, Tracy Marie Woodruff

Student Theses and Dissertations

In order to meet the increasing needs of food, fiber, and fuel, management practices that enhance the soil health must be sought out. The two studies conducted examined the effects of management practices on soil enzyme activities and active carbon concentration. A forested ecosystem in Oregon was examined following nutrient treatments on forest plots. The effects of tillage, residue management and time on soil enzyme activities and active C were measured in a greenhouse study from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR, USA. In both studies, β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, acid phosphatase, and active carbon were analyzed in soil samples. Results …

Anthropogenic Osmium In Rain And Snow Reveals Global-Scale Atmospheric Contamination, Cynthia Chen, Peter N. Sedwick, Mukul Sharma

Dartmouth Scholarship

Osmium is one of the rarer elements in seawater, with typical concentration of approximately 10 x 10(-15) g g(-1) (5.3 x 10(-14) mol kg(-1)). The osmium isotope composition ((187)Os/(188)Os ratio) of deep oceans is 1.05, reflecting a balance between inputs from continental crust (approximately 1.3) and mantle/cosmic dust (approximately 0.13). Here, we show that the (187)Os/(188)Os ratios measured in rain and snow collected around the world range from 0.16 to 0.48, much lower than expected (>1), but similar to the isotope composition of ores (approximately 0.2) that are processed to extract platinum and other metals to be used primarily …

Salamanders Of The Mio-Pliocene Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee., Grant Stanley Boardman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Screening efforts at the Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee, have yielded a unique and diverse salamander fauna for the southern Appalachian Mio-Pliocene; including at least five taxa from three modern families (Ambystomatidae, Plethodontidae, and Salamandridae) supporting the woodland-pond interpretation of the site. All specimens represent the earliest record of their respective families in the Appalachian Mountains; with the Notophthalmus sp. vertebrae being the only Mio-Pliocene skeletal fossil known for the family Salamandridae in North America. Three types of plethodontid salamander are present, with one type representing the earliest known desmognathine. The desmognathine fossils lend credence to the 'Appalachian' origin …

Seasons, Storms And Seawalls: A Comparison Of Constrained And Unconstrained Beaches In Groton, Connecticut, Katherine A. Serafin

Environmental Studies Honors Papers

A study was done in order to evaluate the impact of a seawall on a beach in Groton, Connecticut. Literature predicts beaches containing seawalls will inhibit functioning as a normal beach and lead to increased erosion. Groton Long Point is developed and backed by a seawall while Bluff Point is located on a state park and receives much less human usage. Profiles were measured to study the effect of storms, seasonality and time on these two barrier beaches. Two transects at each beach were used to determine changes in profiles throughout the year. Profiles were then compared to previous research …

Vadose Zone Hydrology Near The Vicinity Of Edna's Dome, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Johnny Merideth

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines the differences in key physical aqueous parameters at two different cave sites separated by only a few tens of meters. One site (FF) has a freefalling water component where water descends nearly 30 meters from the ceiling of a vertical shaft. The other location (WW) appears to have continuous water to rock contact as it descends to near the same level in the cave.

Water samples were collected at the two sites in two week intervals from May to August 2002. While both sites were proximal, they demonstrated very different behaviors, particularly during storm events. Differences in …

Biogeochemical Behavior Of Dissolved Arsenic And Uranium Concentrations In Public Water Supply Wells, Kevin J. Mcvey

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Public water supply (PWS) wells currently contain dissolved uranium concentrations above the federally mandated maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 30 ppb (parts per billion) and dissolved arsenic concentrations above the 10 ppb MCL. Both uranium and arsenic are known to cause various forms of cancer in humans. Variations in total uranium concentrations in PWS wells in Nebraska indicate a relationship to the duration and rate of pumping in specific wells. Although total arsenic concentrations show some variability over time in specific wells, the relationship to pumping is not as clear. Previous studies show that iron and sulfur bacteria present in …

Fluvial Systems Tied Together Through A Common Base Level: The Geomorphic Response Of The Dirty Devil River, North Wash Creek, And The Colorado River To The Rapid Base Level Drop Of Lake Powell, Adam L. Majeski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fluvial adjustment to base level change has its roots in the fundamental concepts of geomorphology. This thesis explores the rate of erosion and sedimentation on the Colorado and Dirty Devil rivers and North Wash Creek under the current base level changes related to the drawdown conditions of Lake Powell. Through cross section and long profile resurveys, the current state of each system is captured and added to the historic record of sedimentation in Lake Powell. All three systems are generally forming narrow and deep incised channels driven by the rapid rate of base level fall. Cross sections that deviate from …

Using Real-World Data As A Basis For Problem-Based Learning: Investigating Preservation Biases Of Fish In Fossil Butte National Monument, Blair Larsen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This project examined the design and development of an online problem-based learning module to teach earth-system science to K-12 educators. The module revolved around identifying earth sphere (lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere) interactions needed to produce mass fish mortality layers found in the Green River Formation at Fossil Butte National Monument. Students investigated the unique earth sphere combinations needed to produce mass fish mortality layers, reflected on the formation of such deposits, and examined the impact of these earth spheres on the earth system. As a supplement to the course, the students also analyzed data on fossils collected from a …

Soil Organic Carbon And Site Characteristics In Aspen And Evaluation Of The Potential Effects Of Conifer Encroachment On Soil Properties In Northern Utah, Mical K. Woldeselassie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the Intermountain West, aspen (Populus tremuloides) has declined mainly due to a combination of successional processes, fire suppression and long-term use of ungulates which has led to replacement by conifers, sagebrush or other shrub communities. Conifer encroachment is believed to cause critical changes in the ecosystem properties. In order to understand the impacts of conifer encroachment on soil properties such as soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, soil morphology, and soil chemical properties, and the implications of such changes, it is very important to assess the soil properties under the two vegetation types. The objectives of this study …

A Geologic And Hydrochemical Investigation Of The Suitability Of Central Utah's Navajo Sandstone For The Disposal Of Saline Process Water And Co2, Kevin L. Randall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Salt water is produced from the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale in central Utah as part of the production of coalbed methane (CBM) and is disposed of by injection predominantly into the Navajo Sandstone between 4,500 feet to 7,300 feet and is considered to be a hazardous waste. Local government agencies are concerned about the potential impacts on shallow groundwater because of this disposal method.

Water samples were gathered from four shallow water-supply wells, and nine salt water disposal (SWD) wells to compare hydrochemistries as an indicator of potential mixing. Shallow water-supply wells are likely recharged by local …

A River Transformed: Historic Geomorphic Changes Of The Lower Rio Grande In The Big Bend Region Of Texas, Chihuahua, And Coahuila, David James Dean

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the last century, the construction and management of large dams and stream-flow diversions, and periodic drought have resulted in significant declines in stream flow of the lower Rio Grande in the Big Bend region. Reductions in mean annual flow and peak discharge have resulted in channel narrowing by the formation of vertically accreting inset floodplains. Narrowing has been temporarily interrupted by infrequent large dam releases greater than 1000 m³/s that have temporarily widened the channel; however, after each of these events, narrowing has resumed. Prior to 1942, floods of this magnitude occurred approximately once every 4 years …

Evolution Of The Lower Cretaceous Chifeng Half-Graben Basins, Inner Mongolia, China, Scott Joshua Friedman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As a result of complex extensional tectonics in northeast China and southern portions of Mongolia, some workers have interpreted the Cretaceous Maanshan Uplift and associated Chifeng basins as metamorphic core complex. Previous work has relied solely upon kinematic indicators to determine the structural origin of these basins. To fully understand the creation of these basins, the sedimentiological record was analyzed in this study. The early Cretaceous sedimentary fill of these basins was analyzed to determine if it is synextensional in nature, and if so what manner of extension was in progress during that deposition.

The Chifeng basins are filled with …

Investigations Into Mapping Lava Flows In The Snake River Plain, Idaho, Vinita Ruth Hobson-Broko

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The origin of the Snake River plain continues to be debated, but the plume model is most popular at the current time. Some theories, such as meteorite impact, have been excluded, but the remaining theories require more scrutiny.

Various methods of examining phenomena in the Snake River Plain were employed. Unsupervised classification of Landsat ETM data indicates that spectra can be used to differentiate between flows. However, photographs of flows at Craters of the Moon National Monument show wide variations in texture and color within a single flow. Vegetation grows preferentially on the smoother pahoehoe slabs and significantly impacting the …

Correlation, Paleogeography, And Provenance Of The Neoproterozoic Eastern Uinta Mountain Group, Goslin Mountain Area, Northeastern Utah, Daniel J. Rybczynski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Geologic mapping, facies analysis, sedimentary petrography, and detrital zircon analyses of undivided eastern Uinta Mountain Group stratigraphy are presented to better understand the depositional environments and tectonic setting of the Uinta Mountain Group basin. Subdivided units have been modified and correlated from previous work and include the Red Pine Shale, Hades Pass, Crouse Canyon, Outlaw Trail, and Diamond Breaks formations. Three lower-order maximum flooding surfaces associated with the lower Outlaw Trail formation, lower Hades Pass formation, and Red Pine Shale are interpreted. The relative magnitude of each lower-order transgression increases up section along with increasing diversity of palynomorph assemblages found …

Stratigraphy And Geochemistry Of Squantum Tillite, Boston Bay Group : Using Field Log And Icp Analysis, Efe Junior Erukanure

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Squantum Tillite has been studied in order to ascertain its depositional history. The Squantum Tillite is part of the Neoproterozoic Boston Bay Group, located in the Boston Basin. Researchers have proposed contradicting hypotheses about the origin of the rocks in the area for over a century. While some believe that the rocks were deposited by glaciers along a prograding submarine margin, others believe the rocks are of volcanic or tectonic origin. Many scientists are inclined to believe the rocks are of tectonic origin because the Squantum Tillite is located in a tectonic Basin (the Boston Basin).

Field logging was …

Observation And Modeling Of Source Effects In Coda Wave Interferometry At Pavlof Volcano, Matthew M. Haney, Kasper Van Wijk, Leiph A. Preston, David F. Aldridge

CGISS Publications and Presentations

We examine seismic records of repeating explosions from Pavlof volcano, Alaska, during its 2007 eruption. Repetitive explosions are typical of Strombolian-style eruptions and allow measurement of relative time shifts between similar late-arriving phases using the technique called coda wave interferometry (Snieder et al., 2002). The measurements enable the detection of small changes in the volcanic interior of Pavlof. We are able to resolve an increase in the relative traveltime change of late-arriving seismic waves on the order of 0.3% over the course of two weeks. Based on the spectra of the explosions, their location inside the magma conduit, previous studies …

Strain Waves, Earthquakes, Slow Earthquakes, And Afterslip In The Framework Of The Frenkel-Kontorova Model, Naum I. Gershenzon, V. G. Bykov, Gust Bambakidis

Physics Faculty Publications

The one-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) model, well known from the theory of dislocations in crystal materials, is applied to the simulation of the process of nonelastic stress propagation along transform faults. Dynamic parameters of plate boundary earthquakes as well as slow earthquakes and afterslip are quantitatively described, including propagation velocity along the strike, plate boundary velocity during and after the strike, stress drop, displacement, extent of the rupture zone, and spatiotemporal distribution of stress and strain. The three fundamental speeds of plate movement, earthquake migration, and seismic waves are shown to be connected in framework of the continuum FK model. The …

Performance Of Upham Beach T-Groin Project And Its Impact To The Downdrift Beach, Ping Wang, Tiffany M. Roberts

Geology Faculty Publications

The field of 5 T-groins installed at Upham Beach was designed to maintain a portion of the nourished beach at this chronically eroding location without negative impacts to the downdrift beach. The T-groin project area was renourished in September 2006 and all the structures were buried. During the initial 3 months after the nourishment, rapid beach erosion at the north segment, as typical of Upham Beach, was measured. Since all the structures were buried, this rapid erosion should not be directly related to the T-groin field. The downdrift beach remained largely stable to slightly accretionary, benefiting from the sand supply …

Eastern Mediterranean Pore Waters: Clues Into The Geochemical Pathways From Evaporated Seawater To Basinal Brines, Jessica A. Mumphrey

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

NOTES

1 Definitions

• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals.

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards.

• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is …

Construction Site Sedimentary Pollution In A Watershed, Imo Okwu

Theses and Dissertations

In the study of sediment pollution on and near a construction site, it is necessary to remember that sediment movement and deposition are part of the natural environment before the intervention of construction. As with many hydrologic problems, most sedimentation problems have visual impacts for relatively short periods, because they are rainstorm-related. Perhaps the most serious sedimentation problem is general deterioration of the total environment, a condition usually not recognized by the public. This research presents an analytical evaluation of five construction sites. The analytical framework categorized the life cycle of construction sites into three stages in order to facilitate …

Fore-Arc Motion And Cocos Ridge Collision In Central America, Peter Lafemina, Timothy Dixon, Rob Govers, Edmundo Norabuena, Henry Turner, Armando Saballos, Glen Mattioli, Marino Protti, Wilfried Strauch

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

We present the first regional surface velocity field for Central America, showing crustal response to interaction of the Cocos and Caribbean plates. Elastic half-space models for interseismic strain accumulation on the dipping subduction plate boundary fit the GPS data well and show strain accumulation offshore and beneath the Nicoya and Osa peninsulas in Costa Rica but not in Nicaragua. Since large subduction zone earthquakes occur in Nicaragua, we suggest that interseismic locking in Nicaragua and some other parts of Central America occurs but is mainly shallow, depth, too far offshore to be detected by our on-land GPS measurements. Our data …

Numerical Modeling Of Time-Lapse Seismic Experiments To Monitor Co2 Sequestration In A Layered Basalt Reservoir, Murari Khatiwada

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Instead of allowing carbon dioxide (CO₂) generated from the burning of hydrocarbons to escape into the atmosphere, CO₂ can be captured and stored. For the long term mitigation of the increasing amount of CO₂ emissions, its sequestration in geological formations is promising. As a measure, its short and long term monitoring is equally important for environmental and health safety issues. The seismic method is proposed as a non-invasive monitoring technique for geological sequestration of CO₂. Based on the positive results obtained from reservoir monitoring during enhanced oil recovery with CO₂ floods, geoscientists plan …

Paleoenvironment And Paleoclimate Of Coastal East Antarctica During The Middle Miocene : Particle Size Results Of The Andrill Southern Mcmurdo Sound Project, Candice Joy Falk

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The ANDRILL Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS) Project was carried out in December of 2007 by an international interdisciplinary team. The AND-2A core recovered the most complete Neogene stratigraphic record from Antarctica, spanning the past 20.2 million years. Analyzing particle size distributions of samples throughout the core can determine environmental conditions of the past, such as the advance or retreat of glaciers and the rise and fall of sea level. Over 300 samples were taken at approximately 3 m intervals from the 1138.54 m AND-2A core. Samples were processed and analyzed using a Malvern Instruments Mastersizer 2000, laser diffractometer which has …

Geochemical Provenance Of Clastic Sedimentary Rocks In The Western Cordillera: Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, And Oregon, John Aaron Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sedimentary rocks are an important source of information about previous orogenic conditions and the composition of which may describe the evolution of provenance and tectonic setting. Many factors influence sediment composition, namely, source rock composition, chemical weathering, climate, transport burial, and diagenesis. As the sediment composition changes through time, the geochemical characteristics of the sediment can be used to understand its geologic history.

The geochemical characteristics of clastic sedimentary rocks are useful in determining the depositional setting and its associated provenance. Although many different studies have used geochemical discriminants to evaluate provenance and tectonic settings, none have used a defined …

The Sheep Pass Formation, A Record Of Late Cretaceous And Paleogene Extension Within The Sevier Hinterland, East-Central Nevada, Peter Alexander Druschke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Sevier hinterland of western North America is considered by many to be an ancient proxy for the modern Andean Puna-Altiplano or Tibetan Plateau. However, controversies exist as tectonic setting and overall paleogeography of the Sevier hinterland during the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene. The Sheep Pass Formation type section within the southern Egan Range of east-central Nevada comprises a > 1 km thick sedimentary succession spanning the latest Cretaceous to Eocene, and provides a rare opportunity to test prevailing tectonic and paleogeographic models for the Sevier hinterland. New 1:12,000 scale field mapping inthe southern Egan Range indicates that up to three …

Uncertainty, Sensitivity And Geostatistical Studies Of Flow And Contaminant Transport In Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone, Feng Pan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The objectives of this study are: (1) to develop a methodology of estimating probability density functions (PDFs) of unsaturated hydraulic parameters when field samples are sparse, (2) to evaluate the predictive uncertainties in flow and contaminant transport due to parameter uncertainties in the layer- and local-scale heterogeneities of hydraulic parameters in unsaturated zone (UZ), (3) to investigate the contributions of the parameter uncertainties to the flow and transport uncertainties, and (4) to estimate the spatial correlation structures of hydraulic parameters by incorporating prior information and site measurements.

At layer scale, the uncertainty assessment of flow and contaminant transport in UZ …

Substrate Monitoring, Contaminant Monitoring, And Educational Outreach On Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) In Lake Mead, Nevada, Sara Ann Mueting

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The invasive species, the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis, was found in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA on January 6, 2007. Since then, researchers have been attempting to quantify the amount of damage these mussels will cause to the lower Colorado River basin. Three projects were implemented in this thesis to research the quagga mussel in Lake Mead. First, a study to determine which types of substrates quagga mussels will grow on preferentially was conducted. Six different substrates, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, Concrete Underlayment Board (CUB), aluminum, stainless steel and fiberglass, were placed in the Boulder …

Reply To The Comments Of W. Helland-Hansen On “Towards The Standardization Of Sequence Stratigraphy” By Catuneanu Et Al. [Earth-Sciences Review 92 (2009), Pp. 1–33], Octavian Catuneanu, V. Abreu, J. P. Bhattacharya, M. D. Blum, R. W. Dalrymple, P. G. Eriksson, Christopher R. Fielding, W. L. Fisher, W. E. Galloway, M. R. Gibling, K. A. Giles, J. M. Holbrook, R. Jordan, C. G. St.C. Kendall, B. Macurda, O. J. Martinsen, A. D. Miall, J. E. Neal, D. Nummedal, L. Pomar, H. W. Posamentier, B. R. Pratt, J. F. Sarg, K. W. Shanley, R. J. Steel, A. Strasser, M. E. Tucker, C. Winker

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

We thank William Helland-Hansen for his compliments and feedback on our paper. We aimed to establish a consensus in sequence stratigraphy by using a neutral approach that focused on model-independent, fundamental concepts, because these are the ones common to various approaches. This search for common ground is what we meant by “standardization,” not the imposition of a strict, inflexible set of rules for the placement of sequence- stratigraphic surfaces. Our work is meant to eliminate the present state of methodological and nomenclatural confusion within sequence stratigraphy, which is largely the result of uncoordinated effort in the development of the method …