Earth Sciences Commons^™

Instruments And Methods: A Method For Recording Ice Ablation Using A Low-Cost Ultrasonic Rangefinder, M. Len Keeler, Keith A. Brugger

Geology Publications

We have adapted inexpensive ultrasonic rangefinders to measure ablation rates on the surface of a glacier.While ultrasonic rangers are commercially available for this purpose, our goal was to utilize rangefinders typically used in hobby robotics without significantly compromising performance. To correct for environmental factors that affect the speed of sound we use two ultrasonic rangefinders, one focused on a fixed target. Measurements of ablation correlate well with manual measurements with an uncertainty of about 3 cm, suggesting an accuracy comparable with other non-manual methods of recording ablation. The limitations of our rangefinder include those inherent in commercially available units as …

Using Lidar To Map Landslides In Kenton And Campbell Counties, Kentucky, Matthew M. Crawford

Report of Investigations--KGS

The geology and topography of northern Kentucky and Cincinnati make the area susceptible to landslides. Decades of development and slope modification have contributed to the area being prone to landslides and having one of the highest costs per capita in the United States for landslide damage. The slow nature of some landslides and incremental damage that can span several decades often result in lack of awareness of the problem, however. Many of the landslides go unreported, and citizens do not take advantage of resources to become educated about mitigating the problem.

Research at the Kentucky Geological Survey developed a methodology …

Xmm-Newton Survey Of The Brightest Supernova Remnants In The Large Magellanic Cloud, Zachary I. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Therefore, a realistic understanding of SN contribution from SNRs populations is needed to model the evolution of a galaxy.

Effects Of Root-Zone Temperature And N, P, And K Supplies On Nutrient Uptake Of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.) Seedlings In Hydroponics, Qiuyan Yan, Zengqiang Duan, Jingdong Mao, Xun Li, Fei Dong

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The nutrient uptake and allocation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings at different root-zone temperatures (RZT) and different concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) nutrients were examined. Plants were grown in a nutrient solution for 30 d at two root-zone temperatures (a diurnally fluctuating ambient 10°C-RZT and a constant 20° C-RZT) with the aerial parts of the plants maintained at ambient temperature (10°C -30°C). Based on a Hoagland nutrient solution, seven N, P, and K nutrient concentrations were supplied to the plants at each RZT. Results showed that total plant and shoot dry weights under …

The Biogeochemistry Of Carbon Isotopes In Local Lakes, Stephen Edward Sadurski

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Photosynthesis, respiration, and decay of organic matter all involve the transfer of carbon among the carbon-bearing species in the systems. These biogeochemical processes also fractionate the carbon isotope composition, which results in changes to the carbon isotope composition of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) pool. This thesis presents two separate, but related studies regarding the influence of biogeochemical processes on carbon isotopes in local lakes. Crystal Lake is a small but deep glacial lake (12.5 acres, 11.9 meters). The study shows that during thermal stratification, the heaviest carbon can be found in the epilimnion near the surface, where photosynthesis dominates …

Crystal Structure Of Graphite Under Room-Temperature Compression And Decompression, Yuejian Wang, Joseph E. Panzik, Boris Kiefer, Kanani K. M. Lee

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Recently, sophisticated theoretical computational studies have proposed several new crystal structures of carbon (e.g., bct-C4, H-, M-, R-, S-, W-, and Z-carbon). However, until now, there lacked experimental evidence to verify the predicted high-pressure structures for cold-compressed elemental carbon at least up to 50 GPa. Here we present direct experimental evidence that this enigmatic high-pressure structure is currently only consistent with M-carbon, one of the proposed carbon structures. Furthermore, we show that this phase transition is extremely sluggish, which led to the observed broad x-ray diffraction peaks in previous studies and hindered the proper identification of the post-graphite phase in …

Could Satellite Altimetry Have Improved Early Detection And Warning Of The 2011 Tohoku Tsunami?, B. D. Hamlington, R. R. Leben, O. A. Godin, E. Gica, V. V. Titov, B. J. Haines, S. D. Desai

CCPO Publications

The 2011 Tohoku tsunami devastated Japan and affected coastal populations all around the Pacific Ocean. Accurate early warning of an impending tsunami requires the detection of the tsunami in the open ocean. While the lead-time was not sufficient for use in warning coastal populations in Japan, satellite altimetry observations of the tsunami could have been used to improve predictions and warnings for other affected areas. By comparing to both model results and historical satellite altimeter data, we use near-real-time satellite altimeter measurements to demonstrate the potential for detecting the 2011 Tohoku tsunami within a few hours of the tsunami being …

Automated System To Improve Levelness Of Reconstructed Soil, Venkata Srikiran Bodapati, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Extraction of coal, ores, and minerals from the earth by surface mining has occurred for many years and has always presented a significant challenge with regard to restoration of productive soil to mined areas. Federal and state regulations require that land should be returned to pre-mine productivity or reclaimed as per specific standards following mining. Excessive compaction of reconstructed soil caused by traffic of heavy earth moving equipment has been an enduring challenge regarding successful restoration of soil. A mechanical system was previously designed and developed to reconstruct soil to a depth of 1.22 m (48 in.) while completely avoiding …

Reservoir Characterization And Seismic Expression Of The Clinton Interval Over Dominion's Gabor Gas Storage Field In North-East Ohio, Scott Michael Bey

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In northeastern Ohio, an interval of interbedded sandstone and shale between the Queenston Shale and the Dayton Formation (both in the Silurian System) has long been referred to as the "Clinton interval". The Clinton interval has produced oil and gas for over a century, but has been converted locally to gas storage. Within the Clinton interval, reservoirs are commonly compartmentalized, in part because the sandstones are discontinuous but also because fractures enhance permeability in portions of otherwise continuous sandstones. The goal of this study is to characterize the Clinton interval within the Gabor gas storage field of Dominion East Ohio …

Observation Of Sulfate Aerosols And So₂ From The Sarychev Volcanic Eruption Using Data From The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (Ace), D. Doeringer, A. Eldering, C. D. Boone, G. González Abad, P. F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

[1] Infrared spectra measured by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) on the SCISAT satellite were used to analyze the Sarychev volcanic aerosol after the eruption in June 2009. Evidence of the Sarychev eruptions was first detected in July 2009 from enhanced SO₂ concentrations and atmospheric extinction. By February 2010, the atmosphere had returned to pre-Sarychev conditions. In July 2009, the volcanic plume was found between 8.5 km and 17.5 km in altitude at mid- and high latitudes (55°N–70°N). The first SO₂ and sulfate aerosol retrievals carried out using the infrared solar occultation spectra recorded with …

Process-Evaluation Of Tropospheric Humidity Simulated By General Circulation Models Using Water Vapor Isotopologues: 1. Comparison Between Models And Observations, Camille Risi, David Noone, John Worden, Christian Frankenberg, Gabriele Stiller, Michael Kiefer, Bernd Funke, Kaley Walker, Peter Bernath, Matthias Schneider, Debra Wunch, Vanessa Sherlock, Nicholas Deutscher, David Griffith, Paul O. Wennberg, Kimberly Strong, Dan Smale, Emmanuel Mahieu, Sabine Barthlott, Frank Hase, Omaira García, Justus Notholt, Thorsten Warneke, Geoffrey Toon, David Sayres, Sandrine Bony, Jeonghoon Lee, Derek Brown, Ryu Uemura, Christophe Sturm

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The goal of this study is to determine how H₂O and HDO measurements in water vapor can be used to detect and diagnose biases in the representation of processes controlling tropospheric humidity in atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs). We analyze a large number of isotopic data sets (four satellite, sixteen ground-based remote-sensing, five surface in situ and three aircraft data sets) that are sensitive to different altitudes throughout the free troposphere. Despite significant differences between data sets, we identify some observed HDO/H₂O characteristics that are robust across data sets and that can be used to evaluate …

Atmospheric Effects Of Energetic Particle Precipitation In The Arctic Winter 1978-1979 Revisted, L. A. Holt, C. E. Randall, V. L. Harvey, E. E. Remsberg, G. P. Stiller, B. Funke, P. F. Bernath, K. A. Walker

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

[1] The Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) measured polar stratospheric enhancements of NO₂ mixing ratios due to energetic particle precipitation (EPP) in the Arctic winter of 1978–1979. Recently reprocessed LIMS data are compared to more recent measurements from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) to place the LIMS measurements in the context of current observations. The amount of NO_x (NO + NO₂) entering the stratosphere that has been created by EPP in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (EPP-NO_x) has been quantified …

Seeing The Forest For The Fossil Trees: Uncovering A 365-Million-Year-Old Landscape In Pennsylvania, Or, Rendezvous At Red Hill: Encounters In The Late Devonian, Walter Cressler

University Libraries Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Limnoarchaeology Using Commercially Available Side Scan Sonar: The Locks Of The Muscle Shoals Canal, Alabama, Robert Kavanaugh

Theses

No abstract provided.

A Detailed Record Of Shallow Hydrothermal Fluid Flow In The Sierra Nevada Magmatic Arc From Low-Δ18o Skarn Garnets, M. E. D'Errico, J. S. Lackey, Benjamin E. Surpless, S. L. Loewy, J. L. Wooden, J. D. Barnes, A. Strickland, J. W. Valley

Earth and Environmental Geosciences Faculty Research

Garnet from skarns exposed at Empire Mountain, Sierra Nevada (California, United States) batholith, have variable δ¹⁸O values including the lowest known δ¹⁸O values of skarn garnet (–4.0‰) in North America. Such values indicate that surface-derived meteoric water was a significant component of the fluid budget of the skarn-forming hydrothermal system, which developed in response to shallow emplacement (∼3.3 km) of the 109 Ma quartz diorite of Empire Mountain. Values of δ¹⁸O, measured in situ across single garnet crystals by secondary ion mass spectrometry, vary considerably (up to 7‰) and sometimes abruptly, indicating variable mixing …

Holocene Earthquakes And Late Pleistocene Slip Rate Estimates On The Wassuk Range Fault Zone, Nevada, Usa, J. M. Bormann, Benjamin E. Surpless, M. W. Caffee, S. G. Wesnousky

Earth and Environmental Geosciences Faculty Research

The Wassuk Range fault zone is an 80‐km‐long, east‐dipping, high‐angle normal fault that flanks the eastern margin of the Wassuk Range in central Nevada. Observations from two alluvial fan systems truncated by the fault yield information on the vertical slip rate and Holocene earthquake history along the range front. At the apex of the Rose Creek alluvial fan, radiocarbon dating of offset stratigraphy exposed in two fault trenches shows that multiple earthquakes resulted in 7.0 m of vertical offset along the fault since ∼9400 cal B.P. These data yield a Holocene vertical slip rate of 0.7±0.1  mm/yr. The south trench …

Integrated Geophysical Investigation Of Karst Features – Inner Bluegrass Region Of Kentucky, Jamin C. Frommel

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

High-resolution electrical-resistivity, seismic-refraction, and seismic-reflection surveys were performed at three locations in the Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky along coincident survey lines in order to correlate results and determine which method is most effective at locating karst features in this area. The first two survey locations at Slack’s Cave and the Kentucky Horse Park were chosen in order to investigate known karst features. High and low electrical-resistivity anomalies were correlated to air- and water-filled karst voids, respectively. Seismic velocity anomalies, including parabolic time suppressions, amplitude terminations, and surface-wave backscatters, were also observed and correlated to these karst voids. These findings …

The Evolution Of Grenville Basement In The Eastern Great Smoky Mountains; Constraints From U-Pb Zircon Geochronology, Whole Rock Sm-Nd, And Feldspar Pb Geochemistry, Ryan Joel Quinn

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Identifying the crustal affinity of Grenville basement rocks in the Dellwood quadrangle, western NC, provides insight into the tectonic evolution of eastern Laurentia during Grenville orogenesis. U-Pb zircon geochronology of orthogneiss, augen gneiss, and mafic xenoliths in orthogneiss reveal magmatic pulses at 1130, 1180, and 1330 Ma and metamorphic episodes at 450 and 1040 Ma. Xenoliths in 1330 Ma orthogneiss are as old as 1382 Ma and represent the oldest component of Blue Ridge basement identified to-date. Feldspar Pb isotope values span a range between juvenile-Laurentian and southern-central Appalachian basement/Amazonia. Most Pb isotope data define an array consistent with crustal …

Geology Of The Eau Claire Formation And Conasauga Group In Part Of Kentucky And Analysis Of Their Suitability As Caprocks For Deeper Co2 Sequestration, Ralph E. Bandy Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Carbon sequestration, or carbon capture and storage (CCS), is the process of capturing anthropogenically generated CO₂, transporting the CO₂ to an injection site, and then injecting the CO₂ into suitable reservoirs for long-term storage, or sequestration. Integral to the successful sequestration of CO₂ is an understanding of the confining intervals (seals) above potential reservoirs. The purpose of this thesis research was to perform a detailed geological study of the Eau Claire Formation and equivalent parts of the Conasauga Group in part of the Ohio River Valley region in order to better evaluate its suitability as …

Effectiveness Of Four Water-Bearing Zones Of The Glacierized Basin In Meltwater Runoff Modeling, Umesh K. Haritashya

Department of Earth, Environment and Sustainability Faculty Publications

Meltwater runoff modeling from glacierized basins needs several input data, including total meltwater contributing area. This study utilizes optical remote sensing data to assess glacierized basins in the central Himalayas where snow and glaciers contribute substantially to the water resources. Result shows that there are four main water-bearing zones in the basin: (a) dry snow, (b) wet snow, (c) exposed glacial ice, and (d) debris-covered glacial ice, and it is possible to differentiate and map these zones and their spatio-temporal variations from satellite sensor data. These zones can then be incorporated in meltwater runoff modeling as separate entities because they …

Impact Of Vegetation On Land-Atmosphere Coupling Strength And Its Implication For Desertification Mitigation Over East Asia, Boksoon Myoung, Yong-Sang Choi, Suk-Jin Choi, Seon Ki Park

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Desertification of the East Asian drylands and the consequent dust transport have been serious concerns for adjacent Asian countries as well as the western United States. Tree planting has been considered one applicable strategy to mitigate the desertification. However, the desired effect of the tree planting would not be brought to fruition unless the newly planted trees change the coupling characteristics between the land and the atmosphere. Based on this perception, we attempt to clarify the effects of vegetation on the coupling strength between the atmosphere and land surface, and we suggest the most efficient areas of tree planting for …

Modeling Potential Impacts Of Heavy Metals And Btex Compounds From The Former Year-A-Round Cab Company On Hiniker Pond, Jason Nolan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Year-A-Round Cab Company (an industrial metal preparation, painting, and welding facility) in Mankato, MN has a history of numerous environmental violations. The site is located 300 yards north of Hiniker Pond, a popular swimming spot. The primary purposes of my research were to determine if BTEX (ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylenes) and heavy metals had reached Hiniker Pond, and model estimated contaminate plumes from the Year-A-Round Cab Company. Lead, cadmium, and chromium were found in sediments at levels of up to 30 times higher near the site as compared to the control lake, Hallett's Pond. Although BTEX were not …

Trap Efficiency Of A Silted Prairie Reservoir: Rapidan Reservoir, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Katherine Brosch Rassmussen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Rapidan Dam and Reservoir are located along the Blue Earth River south of Mankato, Minnesota. The dam was constructed in 1911 as a source of hydroelectric power to supplement the surroundings communities. Currently, the reservoir is heavily silted and provides little hydroelectric benefit while proving costly to maintain. This study (1) defines the sedimentary, geomorphic, stream flow and suspended load characteristics of the reservoir for 2008-2009 and (2) compares these parameters with those available from 1985 (23 years prior). Stream gauging and sediment sampling took place in 2008 and 2009 at three monitoring locations (two upstream and one downstream of …

Toward A Framework For Systematic Error Modeling Of Spaceborne Precipitation Radar With Noaa/Nssl Ground Radar Based National Mosaic Qpe, Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter, Y. Hong, J. J. Gourley, S. Chen, Z. Flamig, J. Zhang, M. Schwaller, W. Peterson, Eyal Amitai

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Characterization of the error associated with satellite rainfall estimates is a necessary component of deterministic and probabilistic frameworks involving spaceborne passive and active microwave measurements for applications ranging from water budget studies to forecasting natural hazards related to extreme rainfall events. The authors focus here on the error structure of NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) at ground. The problem is addressed by comparison of PR QPEs with reference values derived from ground-based measurements using NOAA/NSSL ground radar based National Mosaic and QPE system (NMQ/Q2). A preliminary investigation of this subject has been …

Dating Subduction Events In East Anatolia, Turkey, Oberhaensli Roland, Bousquet Romain, Osman Candan, Aral Okay

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Metamorphic studies in the cover sequences of the Bitlis complex allow the thermal evolution of the massif to be constrained using metamorphic index minerals. Regionally distributed metamorphic index minerals such as glaucophane, carpholite, relics of carpholite in chloritoid-bearing schists and pseudomorphs after aragonite in marbles record a LT-HP evolution. This demonstrates that the Bitlis complex was subducted and stacked to form a nappe complex during the closure of the Neo-Tethys. During late Cretaceous to Cenozoic evolution the Bitlis complex experienced peak metamorphism of 1.0-1.1 GPa at 350-400°C. During the retrograde evolution temperatures remained below 460°C. 39Ar/40Ar dating of white mica …

The Kemer Metamorphic Complex (Nw Turkey): A Subducted Continental Margin Of The Sakarya Zone, Mesut Aygül, Gülteki̇n Topuz, Aral Okay, Muharrem Satir, Hans Peter Meyer

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

High-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks crop out widely in the northern Aegean. In many instances their ages and tectonic setting are poorly constrained. Here we report newly discovered high-pressure rocks of continental crustal origin and of Late Cretaceous age southwest of the Marmara Sea. They occur at the contact between the Rhodope-Strandja Zone in the north and the Sakarya Zone in the south. The Kemer Metamorphic Complex is composed mainly of mica schist, calcschist and marble with minor metabasite and serpentinite. The mica schists contain garnet, phengite (3.30-3.44 c.p.f.u), (±) paragonite, albite, epidote, calcite, chlorite and titanite. The high-pressure metamorphic …

Chromite-Hosted Silicate Melt Inclusions From Basalts In The Stravaj Complex, Southern Mirdita Ophiolite Belt (Albania), Izabella Havancsàk, Friedrich Koller, Jànos Kodolànyi, Csaba Szabò, Volker Höck, Kujtim Onuzi

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Stravaj ophiolite compex, part of the western Mirdita ophiolite belt in Albania, is located east of the Shpati massif, and west of the Shebenik massif. The Stravaj ophiolite sequence itself consist of MOR-related and subduction-related volcanic rocks (Hoeck et al. 2007) formed by pillow lavas and various dykes. The deeper units are formed by gabbros and plagioclase-bearing peridotites. The pillow lavas are intersected by basaltic dykes with a rather primitive composition. The studied basaltic dyke contains former relics of olivine, fresh spinel and clinopyroxene phenocrysts in a glassy groundmass. The silicate phases are strongly altered. The spinels appear as …

Aspects Of Final Disposal Of Radioactive Waste In Germany, Guido Bracke

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Safe disposal of radioactive waste is required in all countries using nuclear power, radioactive materials in medicine and in industry or research. This contribution presents an overview of the strategy of final disposal of radioactive waste and summarizes the procedure and present status in Germany. It is concluded that the safe disposal of radioactive waste is feasible but that the public demand for safety has to be met by applying a stepwise, transparent, and traceable development procedure for a repository in a safety case to obtain regulatory and public approval.

Early Oligocene Continental Climate Of The Palaeogene Basin (Hungary And Slovenia) And The Surrounding Area, Boglarka Erdei, Torsten Utescher, Lilla Hably, Julia Tamás, Anita Roth-Nebelsick, Michaela Grein

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This paper concentrates on the Early Oligocene palaeoclimate of the southern part of Eastern and Central Europe and gives a detailed climatological analysis, combined with leaf-morphological studies and modelling of the palaeoatmospheric CO_2 level using stomatal and \delta^1^3C data. Climate data are calculated using the Coexistence Approach for Kiscellian floras of the Palaeogene Basin (Hungary and Slovenia) and coeval assemblages from Central and Southeastern Europe. Potential microclimatic or habitat variations are considered using morphometric analysis of fossil leaves from Hungarian, Slovenian and Italian floras. Reconstruction of CO_2 is performed by applying a recently introduced mechanistic model. Results of climate analysis …

Late Miocene Palaeoclimate And Ecosystem Dynamics In Southwestern Bulgaria − A Study Based On Pollen Data From The Gotse-Delchev Basin, Dimiter A. Ivanov, Torsten Utescher, A. Rahman Ashraf, Volker Mosbrugger, Vladimir Bozukov, Nadezhda Djorgova, Evgenia Slavomirova

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

A profile 63 m thick in the Late Miocene in the Gotse-Dechev Basin (SW Bulgaria) was sampled for pollen analysis in the Kanina opencast mine. The exposed sequence comprises a basal unit with brown coal-clay cycles and clayey/siliciclastic cover layers partly representing a lacustrine facies. A total of 60 pollen samples were analysed, but quantitative data are confined to 30 polleniferous samples. The palynological analysis carried out provides data about the composition and structure of the fossil vegetation. The main vegetation type was a mixed mesophytic forest dominated by Carya, Fagus, Betula, Quercus, and Ulmus. Accessory elements included Magnolia, Corylopsis, …