Earth Sciences Commons^™

Chemical Weathering Of The Mafic Minerals Serpentine And Olivine In Natural Environments, Julie Lynn Baumeister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chemical weathering is a critical process that plays a key role in controlling the chemistry of natural waters, the cycling of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the formation of soil. The weathering of silicate minerals is important because the Earth's crust is composed of approximately 92 weight percent silicate minerals. Despite an extensive literature on mineral dissolution and kinetics, relatively few studies have examined weathering of the mafic minerals serpentine and olivine, especially in a natural environment. The first chapter of this thesis provides an introduction to the minerals serpentine and olivine. The second chapter of this thesis examines the important …

Muddy Creek Formation: A Record Of Late Neogene Tectonics And Sedimentation In Southern Nevada, Thomas William Muntean

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Late Neogene Muddy Creek Formation (MCF), exposed in the vicinity of Lake Mead in southern Nevada, represents the youngest widespread Cenozoic sedimentary sequence in the region and is the focus of this study. Historically, the MCF has been largely ignored, with limited previous studies providing only regional-scale constraint on the age, stratigraphy, and mode of deposition for the formation; resulting in a data gap for our understanding of the Late Cenozoic tectonic and sedimentological evolution of southern Nevada.

From The Foreland To The Hinterland: Taphonomy Across The Cretaceous To Paleogene Sevier Retroarc Region Of Nevada, Joshua William Bonde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Until 2004 very little paleobiology, let alone paleoecology, had been studied within exposures of the Sevier retro-arc foreland and hinterland, in the state of Nevada. This is due largely to poor and spotty exposure. This study focuses on taphonomic processes within three stratigraphic intervals in the foreland and hinterland of the Sevier retro-arc region, and what these taphonomic indicators reveal about the geography of the hinterland.

First, the Willow Tank Formation of southern Nevada was deposited in the foredeep of the Sevier retroarc foreland basin. This unit represents a multi-channel, aggradational, fluvial system that drained the Sevier highlands to the …

The Effects Of Salt Diapirs On The Thermal Maturity Of Surrounding Sediments In The Western Pyrenees, Spain, Nicholas Martin Downs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Salt diapirs have been modeled as having a large effect on the thermal maturity of surrounding sediments as a result of the high thermal conductivity contrast between halite and other lithologies. The goal of this study was to confirm these and other theoretical predictions through sampling of three salt structures in the western Pyrenees, Spain. Stratigraphic units around these three diapirs were targeted based on their lithologies and positions relative to the diapirs. Samples were analyzed for vitrinite reflectance and quartz cementation to determine their levels of thermal maturity. Remote sensing instruments were used to attempt to measure present day …

The Behavior Of Zircon During Partial Melting In Anatectic Migmatites: Insights To Metamorphism, Deformation And Tectonism In The Central Santa Fe Range, Northern New Mexico, Michelle Renee Stropky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Three lithologic assemblages exposed in the central Santa Fe Range, northern New Mexico include (1) a septum of Proterozoic low temperature (~700oC, 5.5 kbars), semi-pelitic anatectic migmatites surrounded by (2) deformed megacrystic biotite granite that is intruded by (3) discrete plutons of largely undeformed hornblende biotite tonalite. Metamorphic fabrics in the migmatite record three deformation events (D1 - D3); a composite S1/S2 fabric (D1 and D2) that formed contemporaneous with anatexis and is folded about a southwest plunging map-scale (D3) antiform. The megacrystic granite exhibits a pervasive S1 subsolidus foliation that parallels the S1/S2 fabric in the migmatite and is …

Evaluation Of Electrophoretic Protein Extraction And Database-Driven Protein Identification From Marine Sediments, Eli K. Moore, Brook L. Nunn, Jessica F. Faux, David R. Goodlett, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

Intact proteins comprise a major component of organic carbon and nitrogen produced globally and are likely an important fraction of organic matter in sediments and soils. Extracting the protein component from sediments and soils for mass spectral characterization and identification represents a substantial challenge given the range of products and functionalities present in the complex matrix. Multiple forms of gel electrophoresis were evaluated as a means of enhancing recovery of sedimentary protein before proteomic characterization and compared with a direct enzymatic digestion of proteins in sediments. Resulting tryptic peptides were analyzed using shotgun proteomics and tandem mass spectra were evaluated …

Stratigraphy And Provenance Of Shallow Sandstones Endountered In Wells In Townships 9 And 10 North, Ranges 6 And 7 West, White County, Arkansas, Lacie Knight

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Paleozoic formations in western Arkansas have been well-studied; however, they are not well-understood in the eastern part of the state. The study area encompasses Townships 9. N. and 10. N., Ranges 6. W. and 7. W. in north-central White County, Arkansas. This area is at the intersection of four physiographic provinces as defined by the Arkansas Geologic Survey- the Ozark Plateaus, the Arkansas River Valley, the Ouachita Mountains, and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Interpretations of the surface unit in the area disagree. The Arkansas Geologic Map shows that the Morrowan Hale Formation crops out in the area; however, various petroleum …

Experimental Simulations Of Dark Slope Streaks On Mars, Kelly Howe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Martian slope streaks were first observed in Viking images but their formation still remains ambiguous. Martian slope streaks are currently occurring geological phenomenon on Mars, which requires any formation theory to be in agreement with Mar's current temperature and pressure conditions. Planar morphology of martian slope streaks suggest a potential fluvial formation, but current conditions on Mars are not conducive to water remaining liquid long enough to erode the surface. Debris flows, fluid stains and dry dust avalanches have all been previously cited as a potential formation mechanism for martian slope streaks. Recent experimental simulations indicate that a fluvial source …

Role Of Vegetation And Environmental Characteristics On Slope Stability In Northwest Arkansas, Michael Maguigan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Slope failure continues to pose risks to society because knowledge of environmental factors and their interactions are unclear and possibly misunderstood. This misunderstanding leads to generalizations about slope failure susceptibility mapping, despite knowing that slope failures are likely the result of an extensively complex set of interactions among a number of environmental, edaphic, and geomorphic characteristics. Therefore a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of slope, soil texture, vegetation cover, bedrock permeability, and compaction,. A wooden flume with a slope face 1 m wide by 1.5 m long with a 10 cm toe was constructed to contain …

Fate Of Cerium Oxide (Ceo₂), Nanoparticles In Landfill Leachate, Casey Marie Ezyske

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Nanomaterial (NM) based manufacturing is predicted to grow to 15% of the global manufacturing economy by 2014. Subsequent to their use, most of the engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), man-made particles with at least dimension between 1 and 100 nm, will be disposed of in landfills. Landfill leachate is highly contaminated wastewater containing a variety of constituents that may affect the fate and transport of the nanomaterials. In this study, the size and zeta potential of cerium oxide (CeO₂), an industrially important nanomaterial, was investigated in different solution matrices (Milli-Q water, a real landfill leachate, KC1 solution, and humic acid …

The Role Of Self-Interest As A Determining Factor Of Environmental Concerns, Eleftherios Papaioannou

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

While it may be quite evident that people perform environmentally harmful acts, the psychological origin of environmentally destructive behaviors and attitudes has been largely avoided and set-aside. This research offers an insight claiming that environmental concerns only exist when there is no self-interest. Self-interest was narrowed down to the self and the focus placed on the T . The study conducted was aimed at bringing about a correlational relationship between selfism and environmental concerns, with the hypothesis stating that a negative correlation should exist.

Scientific research has devised environmental concern measurements according to various ideas of what it is that …

Geochemistry Of The Diorite Pluton From The Stony Point Complex, New York, And Its Relation To The Cortlandt Complex, Andrew James Temples

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Cortlandt-Beemerville magmatic belt of probable late Ordovician age is bound in the west by the Beemerville alkaline complex, New Jersey, and in the east by the calc-alkalic to alkalic Cortlandt complex, New York. Connecting the Cortlandt and Beemerville plutonic complexes is a string of east-west trending lamprophyre and felsic dike rocks (Eby, 2004). The Stony Point complex on the western side of the Hudson River is linked to the Cortlandt complex on the eastern side of the river, as well as the Rosetown complex further to the west through similar mineralogical and chemical compositions. Due to a lack of …

Terrestrial Vertebrate Families On Noah's Ark, Seth J. Beech

Senior Honors Theses

One of the central challenges faced by young-Earth creation researchers who believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God is defending the Biblical claim that two of every kind of nephesh animal was saved from the great flood on Noah’s ark. Recently, Answers in Genesis became involved in the design and construction of a full-sized, authentic replica of Noah’s ark. They have endeavored to be as accurate as possible in presenting the number of kinds that would have needed to be on the ark in order to have the diversity in species that we observe today. In order …

Assessing Population-Level Effects Of Zinc Exposure To Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta) In The Arkansas River At Leadville, Colorado, John Toll, Kristina Garber, David Deforest, William Brattin

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

We assessed population-level risk to upper Arkansas River brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) due to juvenile exposure to Zn. During spring, individuals in the sensitive young-of-the-year life stage are exposed to elevated Zn concentrations from acid mine drainage. We built and used a simple life-history population model for the risk assessment, with survival and fecundity parameter values drawn from published data on brown trout populations located in the United States and Europe. From experimental data, we derived a toxicity model to predict mortality in brown trout fry after chronic exposure to Zn. We tested sensitivity of risk estimates to …

An Individual-Based Process Model To Simulate Landscape-Scale Forest Ecosystem Dynamics, Rupert Seidi, Werner Rammer, Robert M. Scheller, Thomas A. Spies

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forest ecosystem dynamics emerges from nonlinear interactions between adaptive biotic agents (i.e., individual trees) and their relationship with a spatially and temporally heterogeneous abiotic environment. Understanding and predicting the dynamics resulting from these complex interactions is crucial for the sustainable stewardship of ecosystems, particularly in the context of rapidly changing environmental conditions. Here we present iLand (the individual-based forest landscape and disturbance model), a novel approach to simulating forest dynamics as an emergent property of environmental drivers, ecosystem processes and dynamic interactions across scales. Our specific objectives were (i) to describe the model, in particular its novel approach to simulate …

Laboratory Testing Of Capillary Rise In Fine-Grained Sands And Silts, Rachel Salim

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Data for the height of capillary rise in fine-grained sands, silts, and clays is inconclusive. The literature gives a wide range of values and equations. Once source (Applied Hydrogeology, 3rd ed., C.W. Fetter, p. 182) claimed that the height of capillary rise varies from 100 cm in fine-grained sand up to 750 cm in fine silt. We found these numbers unbelievable, and asked the late C.W. Fetter to put better numbers in his 4th ed. Instead, he deleted the table in the 4th ed. The equation which generated his numbers was used by Adamski et al. (2005)* to explain free …

Using Structural Analysis To Assess Possible Formation Mechanisms Of The Gneiss Domes Of The Harvey Cardiff Domain, Eastern Ontario, Callie Sendek

Scripps Senior Theses

Gneiss domes are structural features associated with orogens worldwide. This study provides a structural analysis of the domes of the Harvey Cardiff Domain, associated with the Grenville Orogeny. Structural data and oriented samples were collected during field work in the summer of 2012. These were used in combination with published and unpublished foliation and lineation data to analyze structural patterns and determine a mechanism of formation for the domes. The end member scenarios for dome formation were taken from the gneiss dome classification scheme devised by Yin (2004). Most of these mechanisms were eliminated based on a lack of necessary …

Paleobiological Assessment Of Controls Underlying Long-Term Diversity Dynamics, Andrés L. Cárdenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deciphering the factors underlying both long-term patterns of diversity and taxonomic turnover rates (i.e., extinction, and origination) has been one of Paleobiology's major foci for the past three decades. The importance of documenting these components is that they will expand our ability to interpret and model the evolutionary processes underlying those trends, highlight the evolutionary impact of historical events, and contribute to the formulation of robust predictions about the future of global diversity in response to the current anthropologically driven environmental changes. Accordingly, the first part of this study examines the possible occurrence of global marine evolutionary environmental controls into …

Letter To The Members Of Sge, Erika Elswick

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Bulk Rock Composition And Geochemistry Of Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions In The Grey Porri Tuff And Selected Lavas Of The Monte Dei Porri Volcano, Salina, Aeolian Islands, Southern Italy., Angela L. Doherty, Robert J. Bodnar, Benedetto De Vivo, Wendy A. Bohrson, Harvey E. Belkin, Antonia Messina, Robert J. Tracy

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The Aeolian Islands are an arcuate chain of submarine seamounts and volcanic islands, lying just north of Sicily in southern Italy. The second largest of the islands, Salina, exhibits a wide range of compositional variation in its erupted products, from basaltic lavas to rhyolitic pumice. The Monte dei Porri eruptions occurred between 60 ka and 30 ka, following a period of approximately 60,000 years of repose. The bulk rock composition of the Monte dei Porri products range from basaltic-andesite scoria to andesitic pumice in the Grey Porri Tuff (GPT), with the Monte dei Porri lavas having basaltic-andesite compositions. The typical …

Another Geoscience Department 'Bites The Dust', Larry E. Davis

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

U.S. Presidents And Their Geological Thinking, Dan Merriam

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

A number of United States presidents had some experience in geological thought and investigations and keen interests in the environment. The first U.S. president, George Washington, was a land surveyor. Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd U.S. president, was a keen supporter of science and maintained an interest in paleontology, and played a key role in the development of American paleontology. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th U.S. president, was a strong supporter of the national park service and was an influential naturalist.

Herbert Hoover, the 31st U.S. president, was a Stanford University graduate with a degree in geology and mining – a true …

Herbert Hoover: Only An Eye For Gold?, Larry E. Davis

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States, was a successful mining engineer and author prior to becoming president. Part of his mining engineering career was spent in the goldfields of Western Australia, where he has become part of the local folklore. Hoover allegedly had an eye for the ladies and fell in love with a barmaid to whom he wrote a love poem.

An Assessment Of The Relationship Between Air Mass Frequency And Extreme Drought In The Midwest United States, Curtis Walker, Erin Potter, Nicholas Esposito, Melissa Godek

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The Midwest of the United States is a region extensively utilized for agriculture and livestock production despite great susceptibility to widespread and persistent drought. While the location and duration of droughts are related to dynamic meteorological factors, pinpointing when and where a drought will commence, how long it will persist, and when the drought will end, remains a challenge. This investigation examines significant Midwest drought events from a synoptic meteorological perspective through an assessment of air mass frequency over the past decade. A synoptic approach is useful since air masses characteristically describe multiple weather and climate parameters at the same …

Sigma Gamma Epsilon - News And Information, Erika Elswick

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

No abstract provided.

Stratigraphy, Geochronology And Detrital Zircon Provenance Of Two Silicic Ash Layers At Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho, Susan K. Birnbaum, Brock Lipple

College of Arts and Sciences Poster Presentations

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (HAFO) is home to the world-famous Hagerman Horse Quarry. This site gives important insight into Pliocene age paleontology. Absolute ages of this site have been elusive, although researchers have assumed the site to be around 3.2 Ma. This study sought to determine more precise ages for the previously documented Hagerman Horse Quarry and Peters Gulch ash layers at HAFO thereby defining a more specific date for the Hagerman fossil assemblage, and to describe and interpret their sedimentary horizons. Detailed stratigraphic columns were created to describe sedimentary layers and establish marker beds. The sedimentology and stratigraphy …

Quantifying Pedogenic Carbon Content Within The Boise River Terraces Using Pressurized Calcimetry, Dawn Jarrels, Annika Quick, Jennifer L. Pierce

College of Arts and Sciences Poster Presentations

Soil carbon is the third largest carbon pool within the global carbon cycle; however, soil carbon amounts are not well quantified, and exchange rates of soil carbon are not well understood. Soil carbon can be divided into organic carbon and inorganic carbon, where inorganic carbon (pedogenic carbonate) is precipitated during soil formation and accumulates over time in semi-arid and arid environments. Calcic soils within the semiarid regions of the Boise Valley result from active pedogenic accumulation of secondary CaCO₃ resulting in prominent 'caliche' layers in soils formed on many of the Boise River terraces. The larger goals of this …

Tree Ring Dating Of Logs From Woodville Plantation, Bridgeville, Pa

Historic Structures

Dating historical structures in Pennsylvania using dendrochronology. The Historical Structures collection consists of reports that are the result of dendochronological analysis of timbers from structures in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Contributors: Aughenbaugh, Kelly; Mennett, Colin; Wiesenberg, Nicholas; Wiles, Greg

Paleomagnetism Of The Knight Island Ophiolite, Prince William Sound, Alaska, Steven M. Espinosa^, Terry L. Pavlis*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Computational Simulations Of Carbon Dioxide Flow In Porous Media For Carbon Sequestration Applications, Eduardo Cordero^, Jesus D. Ortega, Dustin Crandall, Grant Bromhal, Vinod Kumar*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.