Earth Sciences Commons^™

Using Svd For Improved Interferometric Green's Function Retrieval, Gabriela Melo, Alison Malcolm, Dylan Mikesell, Kasper Van Wijk

CGISS Publications and Presentations

Seismic interferometry (SI) is a technique used to estimate the Green’s function (GF) between two receiver locations, as if there were a source at one of the receiver locations. However, in many applications, the requirements to recover the exact GF are not satisfied and SI yields a poor estimate of the GF. For these non-ideal cases, we improve the interferometric GFs, by applying singular value decomposition (SVD) to the cross-correlations before stacking. The SVD approach preserves energy that is stationary in the cross-correlations, which is the energy that contributes most to the GF recovery, and attenuates non-stationary energy, which leads …

Aquifer Heterogeneity Characterization With Oscillatory Pumping: Sensitivity Analysis And Imaging Potential, M. Cardiff, T. Bakhos, P. K. Kitanidis, W. Barrash

CGISS Publications and Presentations

[1] Periodic pumping tests, in which a fluid is extracted during half a period, then reinjected, have been used historically to estimate effective aquifer properties. In this work, we suggest a modified approach to periodic pumping test analysis in which one uses several periodic pumping signals of different frequencies as stimulation, and responses are analyzed through inverse modeling using a “steady-periodic” model formulation. We refer to this strategy as multifrequency oscillatory hydraulic imaging. Oscillating pumping tests have several advantages that have been noted, including no net water extraction during testing and robust signal measurement through signal processing. Through numerical experiments, …

Insights Into Distributed Plate Rates Across The Walker Lane From Gps Geodesy, Zachery M. Lifton, Andrew V. Newman, Kurt L. Frankel, Christopher W. Johnson, Timothy H. Dixon

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Contemporary geodetic slip rates are observed to be approximately two times greater than late Pleistocene geologic slip rates across the southern Walker Lane. Using a dense GPS network, we compare the present‐day crustal velocities to observed geologic slip rates in the region. We find that the Walker Lane is characterized by a smooth transition from westward extension in the Basin and Range to northwestward motion of the Sierra Nevada block. The GPS velocity field indicates that (1) plate parallel (N37°W) velocities define a velocity differential of 10.6 ± 0.5 mm/yr between the western Basin and Range and the Sierra Nevada …

City Of Tampa 2011 Urban Forest Analysis: The Structure, Composition, Function And Economic Benefits Of Trees And The Urban Forest, Shawn M. Landry, Robert J. Northrop, Madison Andreu, Carolyn Cheatham Rhodes

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Integrated Geophysical Investigation Of The St. James Fault Complex: A Case Study, Robert W. Jacob, Jeremy B. Byler, Mary Beth Gray

Faculty Journal Articles

We noninvasively detected the characteristics and location of a regional fault in an area of poor bedrock exposure complicated by karst weathering features in the subsurface. Because this regional fault is associated with sinkhole formation, its location is important for hazard avoidance. The bedrock lithologies on either side of the fault trace are similar; hence, we chose an approach that capitalized on the complementary strengths of very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic, resistivity, and gravity methods. VLF proved most useful as a first-order reconnaissance tool, allowing us to define a narrow target area for further geophysical exploration. Fault-related epikarst was delineated …

Self-Potential Signals Generated By The Corrosion Of Buried Metallic Objects With Application To Contaminant Plumes, Justin B. R. Rittgers, Andre Revil, Marios C. Karaoulis, Michael A. Mooney, Lee D. Slater, Estella A. Atekwana

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Large-amplitude (>100 mV) negative electric (self)-potential anomalies are often observed in the vicinity of buried metallic objects and ore bodies or over groundwater plumes associated with organic contaminants. To explain the physical and chemical mechanisms that generate such electrical signals, a controlled laboratory experiment was carried out involving two metallic cylinders buried with vertical and horizontal orientations and centered through and in the capillary fringe within a sandbox. The 2D and 3D self-potential (SP) data were collected at several time steps along with collocated pH and redox potential measurements. Large dipolar SP and redox potential anomalies developed in association …

Hypogenic Origin Of Provalata Cave, Republic Of Macedonia: A Distinct Case Of Successive Thermal Carbonic And Sulfuric Acid Speleogenesis, Marjan Temovski, Philippe Audra, Andrej Mihevc, Jorge E. Spangenberg, Victor Polyak, William Mcintosh, Jean-Yves Bigot

International Journal of Speleology

Provalata Cave (Republic of Macedonia) is a small but remarkable hypogenic cave, developed in Cambrian marbles by successive thermal carbonic and sulfuric acid speleogenesis. The cave has a thick partly corroded calcite crust, abundant gypsum deposits, with cupolas, ceiling and wall channels, feeders and replacement pockets as some of the most characteristic morphological features. Distribution of morphology and deposits suggest a hypogenic origin in two distinct speleogenetic phases: the first by thermal CO₂ rich waters, the second by sulfuric acid dissolution, which were separated by complete infilling of cave passages with pyroclastic-derived clays. In the first phase of speleogenesis, …

Report Card On Sustainable Natural Resource Use In Agriculture : Status And Trend In The Agricultural Areas Of The South-West Of Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Books & book chapters

This report card summarises our current knowledge of the status and trend in the natural resource base in the agricultural areas of the south-west of Western Australia (WA) and provides a discussion of the implications for agricultural industries.

The condition of our natural resources is a complex interaction of numerous processes. In simple terms however, the performance of the land is driven by three primary factors: climate, land characteristics and land management. The first two factors are largely out of the control of land managers, and in a drying and variable climate, land management practices need to be able to …

Concentration And Stable Carbon Isotopic Composition Of Co2 In Cave Air Of Postojnska Jama, Slovenia, Magda Mandić, Andrej Mihevc, Albrecht Leis, Ines Krajcar Bronić

International Journal of Speleology

Partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) and its isotopic composition (δ¹³C_airCO2) were measured in Postojnska jama, Slovenia, at 10 locations inside the cave and outside the cave during a one-year period. At all interior locations the pCO₂ was higher and δ¹³C_airCO2 lower than in the outside atmosphere. Strong seasonal fluctuations in both parameters were observed at locations deeper in the cave, which are isolated from the cave air circulation. By using a binary mixing model of two sources of CO₂, one of them being the atmospheric CO_{2 …}

Carbon And Oxygen Isotope Study Of Carbonates From Watling's Blue Hole And Blue Hole Five, San Salvador, Bahamas, Elaine D. Flynn

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Carbonate platforms, such as the Bahamas, formed through deposition and sea level fluctuations. These platforms contain records of rapid interglacial climate change and are useful in studying the impacts of climate change on similar tropical carbonate environments. Blue holes are dissolution lakes that may be beneficial for understanding climate change and anthropogenic impact. A δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O study was conducted on lake sediment core samples from Watling’s Blue Hole and Blue Hole Five on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. These lakes are located in a failed housing development and Watling’s Blue Hole was once part of an …

Electron Microprobe Analysis Of Mantle-Derived Minerals From Eocene Alkaline Intrusions In North-Central Utah, Daniel T. Maughan, Dr. Jeffrey D. Keith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mafic alkaline magmas are unusually oxidized, volatile-rich, primitive magmas that are derived from the earth’s mantle when portions of the crust are being extended (stretched). The occurrence of alkaline magmatism is beginning to be recognized as one of the main criteria necessary for the formation of some types of metallic ore deposits through out the world. Alkaline magmas likely deliver metals and volatile gasses to the base of magma chambers, both of which are requisite for the mineralization of ore deposits. The Bingham district, Tintic district, Park City district, Alta district, and other smaller mining districts in north-central Utah all …

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 27, 2013, Anthony Artusa

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 27, 2013 (8/27/13) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

A Bond Valence-Based Force Field: A Multi-Body Approach, Matthew Harris Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The typical form for a molecular mechanics force field consists of a foundation of pair-wise terms to describe bonded and non-bonded atomic interactions, with multi-body correction terms to deal with the limitations of pair-wise terms. I present here the first attempts of a molecular mechanics model that is founded on multi-body terms, which are based on the Bond Valence Model (Brown, 2002) and recent developments in the Vectorial Bond Valence Model (Bickmore et al., 2013a; Harvey et al., 2006). I calibrated these models on pressure vs. energy curves for a set of SiO2 polymorphs. The average deviation for the best-fit …

Faulty Measurements And Shaky Tools: An Exploration Into Hazus And The Seismic Vulnerabilities Of Portland, Or, Brittany Ann Brannon

Dissertations and Theses

Events or forces of nature with catastrophic consequences, or "natural disasters," have increased in both frequency and force due to climate change and increased urbanization in climate-sensitive areas. To create capacity to face these dangers, an entity must first quantify the threat and translate scientific knowledge on nature into comprehensible estimates of cost and loss. These estimates equip those at risk with knowledge to enact policy, formulate mitigation plans, raise awareness, and promote preparedness in light of potential destruction. Hazards-United States, or Hazus, is one such tool created by the federal government to estimate loss from a variety of threats, …

Using Thermodynamic Modeling To Predict Fractional Crystallization Paths Of Andesite To Trachydacite, Tara Albertson Allen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Isom formation is a package of distinctive ignimbrites found in an Oligocene caldera complex along the Utah-Nevada border (Best and Christiansen, 1991). Similar high-alkali rocks are also found in other caldera complexes and imply their generation is a fundamental part of the evolution of large volcanic systems (Dorais, Whitney, and Stormer, 1991). Best and Christiansen (1989) hypothesized that the Isom magma is a result of fractional crystallization of an andesite. In contrast, other large volume ignimbrites appear to involve significant mixing and hybridization, but compositional analyses of the rocks found in this caldera complex do not match these trends.

Titan As A Laboratory For Linear Dune Formation, Christopher Savage, Dr. Jani Radebaugh

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Synthetic Aperture Radar images of Titan collected by the Cassini spacecraft show that dunes are abundant on Titan’s surface, covering almost 20% of Titan’s surface [1,2]. Nearly all of the dunes found on Titan are linear in form, are found near the equator (±30°), and have a west-east orientation. Since there is likely active linear dune formation presently on Titan [3], we can use Titan as a laboratory to study atmospheric conditions and dune processes of a younger Earth. Titan not only has active winds and a supply of dune-forming organic sediments, but where dunes form there are no large …

Analysis Of A Multiple Generation Fluid Escape Structure: Green River Formation, Utah, Todd D. Gibbs, Dr. Thomas H. Morris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In order to find natural resources, whether it be precious metals or fossil fuels, one must understand the geological history. Further, one must be familiar with how different environments will affect where the resource is found. When dealing with fossil fuels, it is vital that the person understands the environment in which the sedimentary rocks were deposited. For example, in order to find coal, you must determine what depositional environment the outcrop of rocks you are presently looking at are in the depositional sequence. If there are beach deposits to the east of you and marine deposits to the west, …

The Size Range Of Bubbles That Produce Ash During Explosive Volcanic Eruptions, Kimberly Genareau, Gopal K. Mulukutla, Alexander A. Proussevitch, Adam J. Durant, William I. Rose, Dork L. Sahagian

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Publications

Volcanic eruptions can produce ash particles with a range of sizes and morphologies. Here we morphologically distinguish two textural types: Simple (generally smaller) ash particles, where the observable surface displays a single measureable bubble because there is at most one vesicle imprint preserved on each facet of the particle; and complex ash particles, which display multiple vesicle imprints on their surfaces for measurement and may contain complete, unfragmented vesicles in their interiors. Digital elevation models from stereo-scanning electron microscopic images of complex ash particles from the 14 October 1974 sub-Plinian eruption of Volcán Fuego, Guatemala and the 18 May 1980 …

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 20, 2013, Michael J. Brewer

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 20, 2013 (8/20/13) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

The Deformation Path Of The Metamorphic Complex, Near Santaquin, Utah, Charity M. Phillips, Dr. Ron A. Harris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Precambrian rocks on Dry Mountain have been previously mapped by Davis (1983) and Witkind (1985) as Farmington Canyon Complex, found in the Wasatch Mountains near Farmington, Utah. Bryant in 1986 said that these rocks were “probably Farmington Canyon Complex” (FCC). This study was conducted to either prove or disprove a correlation between these rocks and the FCC. To do this, the complex itself had to be described by completing a deformation, pressure, temperature and time (D-P-T-t) study on its rocks. It may then be compared to other Precambrian rocks in Utah and Arizona.

Agenda: Arizona V. California At 50: The Legacy And Future Of Governance, Reserved Rights, And Water Transfers, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

Arizona v. California at 50: The Legacy and Future of Governance, Reserved Rights, and Water Transfers (Martz Summer Conference, August 15-16)

The Colorado River is an economic, environmental and cultural lifeline of the southwestern United States, and the allocation of its scarce waters are a source of ongoing controversy. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. California. While the case was an important landmark in the still-evolving relationship between these two Lower Basin states, it remains most relevant today by the way in which it clarified federal rights and responsibilities. This is especially true in the areas of federal (including tribal) reserved rights, the role of the Interior Secretary in Lower Basin water …

Improving Seismic Awareness And Earthquake Preparedness In Utah Valley Schools, Rachel A. Dunn, Dr. Ron A. Harris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this ORCA project was to provide guidelines specific to Utah Valley schools to protect students from seismic hazards along the Wasatch fault. In the proposal I stated that “At least 74% of the schools in Provo are not built to seismic code” (Robinson and Harris, 2009). While unfortunately in the last year this project has not changed these statistics, I have meet a number of people who are striving to change them and we have made children in the Provo area more prepared. Most of the objectives of the project have been accomplished.

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 13, 2013, Michael J. Brewer

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 13, 2013 (8/13/13) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Timing Of Favorable Conditions, Competition And Fertility Interact To Govern Recruitment Of Invasive Chinese Tallow Tree In Stressful Environments, Christopher A. Gabler, Evan Siemann

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The rate of new exotic recruitment following removal of adult invaders (reinvasion pressure) influences restoration outcomes and costs but is highly variable and poorly understood. We hypothesize that broad variation in average reinvasion pressure of Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree, a major invader) arises from differences among habitats in spatiotemporal availability of realized recruitment windows. These windows are periods of variable duration long enough to permit establishment given local environmental conditions. We tested this hypothesis via a greenhouse mesocosm experiment that quantified how the duration of favorable moisture conditions prior to flood or drought stress (window duration), competition and nutrient …

Assessing The Reliability Of Stable Isotopes In Fossil Bone: A Unique Case Study Of Prehistoric Lung Pathology., Kathleen Bundy, Samuel D. Matson

Student Research Initiative

Mammals at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park (NE Nebraska) offer a unique opportunity to test for the preservation of primary isotopic signatures in fossilized materials. At this site, large herbivores such as rhinoceroses, horses and camels are buried in volcanic ash sourced from an eruption of the Bruneau-Jarbridge caldera (Idaho/Nevada) ca. 11.8 million years ago. Most fossils from Ashfall display pathologic bone symptomatic of a lung disease (hypertrophic osteopathy or HPOA) likely related to inhalation of volcanic ash. In this study, we compare the stable oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O) of pathologic bone with that of normal cortical …

A Novel Approach To Flow Estimation In Tidal Rivers, Hamed Moftakhari Rostamkhani, David A. Jay, Stefan A. Talke, Tobias Kukulka, Peter D. Bromirski

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reliable estimation of river discharge to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Due to the difficulties inherent in measuring tidal-river discharge, flow records are often limited in length and/or quality and tidal records often predate discharge records. Tidal theory indicates that tides and river discharge interact through quadratic bed friction, which diminishes and distorts the tidal wave as discharge increases. We use this phenomenon to develop a method of estimating river discharge for time periods with tidal data but no flow record. Employing sequential 32 day harmonic analyses of tidal properties, …

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 6, 2013, Brian Fuchs

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 6, 2013 (8/6/13) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Geomorphic Evolution Of Caminada Pass In Southeast Louisiana., Jordyn A. Spizale

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Tidal inlets play a significant role in barrier island sustainability along the barrier islands of southern Louisiana. With increasing tidal prism, major changes are taking place within and adjacent to the inlets. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how Caminada Pass, a tidal inlet along the Caminada-Moreau headland, has evolved through time. Fundamental to this effort is evaluating which processes have contributed toward inlet evolution and what is the response of the inlet-bordering barrier island shorelines of Grand Isle and Elmer’s Island. This effort summarizes previous results and utilizes published bathymetric data, aerial photographs, vector shorelines, satellite images, …

Revised Vertebral Count In The "Longest-Necked Vertebrate" Elasmosaurus Platyurus Cope 1868, And Clarification Of The Cervical-Dorsal Transition In Plesiosauria, Sven Sachs, Benjamin P. Kear, Michael J. Everhart

Sternberg Museum of Natural History Faculty Publications

Elasmosaurid plesiosaurians are renowned for their immensely long necks, and indeed, possessed the highest number of cervical vertebrae for any known vertebrate. Historically, the largest count has been attributed to the iconic Elasmosaurus platyurus from the Late Cretaceous of Kansas, but estimates for the total neck series in this taxon have varied between published reports. Accurately determining the number of vertebral centra vis-à-vis the maximum length of the neck in plesiosaurians has significant implications for phylogenetic character designations, as well as the inconsistent terminology applied to some osteological structures. With these issues in mind, we reassessed the holotype of E. …

The Influence Of Soil Organic Matter Stabilization Mechanisms On Carbon Mean Residence Time Within Various Ecosystems In The United States, Vicky Lynn Giese, Kate Heckman Phd

STAR Program Research Presentations

Some terrestrial ecosystems and soils serve as carbon sinks, partially offsetting rising atmospheric CO₂ levels. Physiochemical mechanisms of soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization affect how carbon stocks respond to global warming. In order to clarify the variance in SOM stabilization mechanisms across different soil types, SOM abundance, distribution and mean residence time (MRT) were compared for thirty-two soil samples from six ecosystems across the United States. Soils were previously described, collected and archived by the United States Geological Survey. Samples were processed by LLNL at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) using density fractionation to separate particulate organics …