Earth Sciences Commons^™

Limetstone And Dolomite Resources Of Kentucky, Garland R. Dever Jr., Gerald A. Weisenfluh

Map and Chart--KGS

Large quantities of limestone and dolomite suitable for construction, agriculture, and industrial uses are available in Kentucky. Deposits of hard and durable stone are quarried and mined for construction. The stone is crushed to produce aggregate for concrete and asphalt used in the construction of highways, streets, and buildings. Much of the state’s stone being produced for construction also meets the chemical and physical specifications for aglime, which is used to adjust the pH of soils for agricultural crops and pastures. Deposits of chemically pure stone are used for the manufacture of lime and cement, and for industrial applications such …

Modeling Of Co2-Water-Rock Interactions In A Mississippian Sandstone Reservoir Of Kentucky, Anne M. Schumacher

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study examined CO₂-water-rock interactions occurring during a carbon sequestration pilot test into a Mississippian oil reservoir in western Kentucky. New samples (n=62) and archived data, both collected from oil wells, were used to characterize the chemistry of formation waters from the Sugar Creek field in Hopkins County. In addition, core and cuttings samples (n=17) from the reservoir and overlying cap-rocks in, or near, the field were analyzed for bulk and clay mineralogy using X-ray diffraction. Electric logs were used to select sample intervals within the overlying cap-rocks and the center of the producing zones in the Jackson …

Swat Model Simulation Of Bioenergy Crop Impacts In A Tile-Drained Watershed, Chelsie Marie Werling Boles

Open Access Theses

Tile drains are an important component of agricultural production in the Midwest, and their inclusion in modeling studies is important in watersheds where they are a principal hydrologic pathway. The new tile drainage simulation method in the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was parameterized and tile flow results were compared with reviewed literature. Streamflow, sediment, and nutrient outputs were compared to measured values and simulated crop yields were examined with respect to average county yields. Plant growth stressors were examined to account for differences between simulated and published yields. The bioenergy crop switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) was applied over …

Identifying Ditch Geometry And Top Of The Bank Location Using Airborne Lidar Point Cloud, Naime Celik

Open Access Theses

The geometry of agricultural drainage ditches is very important in crop production as it impacts drainage of cropland and affects vegetation and soil erosion along the banks of the ditches. Thus, implementation of water conservation and management practices in engineered and natural ditches necessitates determination of ditch geometry along the reach of the ditch. This study explores the use of airborne commercial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to identify the top of the ditch banks. The method was developed to obtain the normalized cross sectional shape of the ditch using one-dimensional spline fits to ground classified points from the …

Callovian (Upper Middle Jurassic) Magnetostratigraphy: A Composite Polarity Pattern From France, Britain And Germany, And Its Correlation To The Pacific Marine Magnetic Anomaly Model, Rachel Anne Gipe

Open Access Theses

Callovian strata from sixteen exposures across western Europe produced a nearly continuous composite geomagnetic polarity reference sequence spanning the latest Bathonian (Clydoniceras discus Zone) through the entire Callovian and into the earliest Oxfordian (Quenstedtoceras mariae zone). This sequence is compiled from multi-section sequences from France and England, a section in southern Germany, and a section on the Isle of Skye (Scotland). These sections are calibrated with ammonite biostratigraphy, brachiopod associations and sequence stratigraphy. Over 400 oriented core samples were subjected to progressive thermal demagnetization and filtered according to magnetic behavior; the highest quality suite produced mean paleopoles of 67.3°N, 174.8°E …

The Influence Of The Tibetan Plateau Elevation On The Global And Asian Monsoons, Rene Paul Acosta

Open Access Theses

It has been long hypothesized that large-scale topographic changes, such as the surface uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, impacts the development of the South Asian and East Asian monsoons and influences other monsoon regions. However, recent modeling has shown that spatial distribution of the global monsoon, which includes the South Asian and East Asian monsoons is largely unaffected by the elevation of the plateau. In this study, we present results from a series of modern day simulations using CESM1.0 in a mixed-layer (slab ocean) configuration. The Tibetan Plateau height is varied from double that of the modern maximum plateau elevation …

Slurry Seeding Cover Crops, Edwin Alexander Suarez

Open Access Theses

Cover crops improve soil quality through increased organic matter, biological activity, aggregate stability, water infiltration, and nutrient cycling. Slurry seeding, the co-application of cover crop seed and swine (Sus domesticus) manure, is a new practice that saves fuel, time and labor. High salinity and/or ammonia, among other components in swine manure, may reduce cover crop seed germination and limit the use of slurry seeding. Ten cover crop species were evaluated to compare the effects of swine manure components on cover crop seed germination. Seed germination percentages and rates were affected by swine manure but not by equivalent salinity levels established …

An Evaluation Of Spatial Variability Of Water Stress Index Across The United States: Implications Of Supply And Demand In The East Vs The West, Jennifer Ann Roath

Open Access Theses

In order to support both human and environmental needs, high quality fresh water must be available when and where it is required. As a metric for indicating unsustainable water usage, WSI is only useful when the values reflect accurate interactions between supply and demand; however, the complexity of temporal and spatial variability of available fresh water complicates the analysis of water stress.

The overall goal of this project was to investigate the spatial variability of water stress across the United States and the appropriate spatial scale for management decisions. To accomplish this, a national dataset describing spatial distribution and breakdown …

Improving Model Performance For Invasive Plant Species Distribution Using Global-Scale Presence-Only Data: Parameterization And Data Quality, Feng Yu

Open Access Theses

Invasive species have significant ecological and economic impacts. To control species' invasion, risk assessment provides the most essential information for identification and evaluation of the potential risk of the invasive species, especially in their early invasion stages. Species distribution models (SDMs) is the foundation for risk assessment, in terms of both the practical and theoretical interest in our understanding of species invasion process. SDMs contribute to the proactive invasion management and the test of ecological or biogeographical hypotheses about species distributions in relation to their environment.

However, modeling of invasive species at large spatial scale (i.e., cross-continental) is rarely discussed. …

Rock Glaciers In The Eastern Cascades, Washington, Mark Weidenaar

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The eastern portion of Washington State's Cascade Range is a place not previously examined for rock glaciers, due to proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its associated marine-influenced climate. The objectives of this study were to determine spatial, activity, and genesis patterns, and paleoclimatic implications of Eastern Cascade rock glaciers. Using Google Earth, I found 103 rock glaciers in the study area. Rock glaciers are more common further east of the Cascade crest and more north in latitude, with the largest concentrations occurring east of Lake Chelan (22) and in the Pasayten Wilderness (28) in the North Cascades. None were …

Interactions Between African Easterly Waves And Moist Convection, Matthew Adam Janiga

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

African easterly waves (AEWs) over tropical Africa and the East Atlantic influence and are themselves influenced by moist convection. Data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, reanalyses, and in-situ observations are used to examine both directions of this two-way interaction.

Modeling Bedrock Mining Hotspots Within The Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas, Stephanie H. Mehlhope

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This study, concentrating on the Ouachita Mountain Range in western-central Arkansas, extends prior work on treethrows and their influence on soil development in the region by supplying a method of determining hotspots of bedrock mining by treethrow. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the abiotic and biotic factors that are highly correlated with the rate of bedrock detachment found in uprooted rootwads from three study sites within the Ouachita National Forest. The produced logistic regression models suggest topographic factors, tree specific characteristics, as well as the local geology and soil characteristics all have a significant effect upon the …

Fluctuations Of Sea Water Temperature Based On Nannofloral Changes During The Middle To Late Miocene, Adana Basin, Turkey, Manolya Sinaci

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Some nannoplankton species are sensitive to water temperatures. While Coccolithus pelagicus and Reticulofenestra gelida indicate cooler water conditions, the genera Discoaster and Sphenolithus and Calcidiscus leptoporus are indicative of warmer water environments. This paper focuses on relative fluctuation of sea water temperatures during the Middle and Late Miocene, emphasised by cold and warm nannofossil changes in abundance in 2 wells. At the A-1 well in the Middle Miocene, the total abundance of cooler water species is 45%, while that of the warmer species is 3%. During the Late Miocene, the total abundance for cooler water species decreases to 34%; in …

Revised Late Campanian-Danian Age Of The Melange-Related Turbiditic Sequence In The Mersin Area (Central Taurides, S. Turkey), Hayati̇ Koç, Kemal Tasli, Erol Özer

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

A planktonic foraminiferal assemblage obtained from the Yavca stratigraphic section north of Mersin shows that the age of a melange-related turbiditic sequence extends to the Danian (Early Palaeocene). Previously, this turbiditic sequence, termed the Yavca Formation, was considered to be of Late Cretaceous or Campanian-Maastrichtian age. The formation is either depositionally overlain by the Fındıkpınarı ophiolite-related melange or tectonically by Mersin Ophiolite slices or Jurassic-Cretaceous platform carbonates. Clayey limestone and mudstone samples collected from the type area of the Yavca Formation yielded planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, which include Parasubbotina pseudobulloides (Plummer), P. varianta (Subbotina), Praemurica pseudoinconstans (Blow), P. inconstans (Subbotina), Globanomalina …

Oligocene Vegetation And Climate Characteristics In North-West Turkey: Data From The South-Western Part Of The Thrace Basin, Funda Akgün, Mehmet Serkan Akki̇raz, Sari̇ye Duygu Üçbaş, Mustafa Bozcu, Sevi̇nç Kapan, Ayşe Bozcu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In this paper we present the first palynomorph and mollusc assemblages from the sediments in three different sections. From east to west, these are the Şevketiye (northern Biga Peninsula), the Tayfur (Gelibolu Peninsula) and the Kuzu harbour (Gökçeada) (parts of the Danişmen Formation) sections in the south and south-western side of the Thrace Basin (north-west Turkey), with the aim of obtaining information about the composition and structure of vegetation and climate during the Oligocene. The stratigraphic interval extends from late Rupelian to Chattian. The Danişmen Formation in the Şevketiye section yielded a palynomorph association with abundant coastal palms (Arecaceae; Lepidocaryoidae), …

Revisiting The Genesis Of Red Mediterranean Soils, Nicolas Fedoroff, Marie-Agnes Courty

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This work, aside from being a classical discussion on the processes of rubefaction and illuviation, is an attempt to cross the abundant literature on red Mediterranean soils (RMSs) written by pedologists, and also by paleopedologists and geologists, with the climatic frame established by paleoclimatologists for the Quaternary. Such an approach leads us to consider that the development of the RMSs was discontinuous, occurring during periods of environmental stability, i.e. interglacials, characterized by a humid climate (precipitations exceeding evapotranspiration) with dry and hot summers. The impact of glacial intervals on the RMS covers is presently only partially documented. Aeolian processes during …

Geology Of Late Miocene Clayey Sediments And Distribution Of Palaeosol Clay Minerals In The North-Eastern Part Of The Cappadocian Volcanic Province (Araplı-Erdemli), Central Anatolia, Turkey, Selahatti̇n Kadi̇r, Ali̇ Gürel, Hülya Senem, Taci̇t Külah

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The study area is situated in the Araplı-Erdemli (Kayseri) area in the north-eastern part of the Cappadocian Volcanic Province (CVP), central Anatolia. The Late Miocene series comprises lacustrine and fluvial deposits interbedded with ignimbrites and lava flows. The Late Miocene Mustafapaşa member of the Ürgüp Formation comprises yellow to red mudstone that alternates with thin sandstone beds in the north-eastern part of the CVP. This unit continues upward through the Cemilköy ignimbrite palaeosol layers (comprising altered Cemilköy ignimbrite, vertisol and well-developed palaeosol layers), the Gördeles ignimbrite and red palaeosol layers, and includes two fallout levels; it is overlain by the …

Genesis Of The Hydrothermal Karaçayır Kaolinite Deposit In Miocene Volcanics And Palaeozoic Metamorphic Rocks Of The Uşak-Güre Basin, Western Turkey, Selahatti̇n Kadi̇r, Hülya Erkoyun

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Karaçayır kaolinite deposit, situated in the Uşak-Güre basin of western Turkey, is hosted by rhyolite and andesite of the Miocene Dikendere volcanics, and by muscovite schist, glaucophane schist, talc schist and chlorite schist of the Palaeozoic Eşme Formation. The association of kaolinization with silicification and Fe-oxidation, and the presence of pyrite, chalcopyrite and gypsum, suggest that hydrothermal alteration processes in the volcanics and schists were controlled by faults. Thus, prevalent kaolinite is associated with quartz, smectite, illite and opal-CT in the centre of the deposit, with relative increases in smectite, illite, chlorite and Fe (oxyhydr)oxide phases outwards and upwards. …

The Geochemistry And Petrology Of The Ophiolitic Rocks From The Kahramanmaraş Region, Southern Turkey, Utku Bağci

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The regionally important dismembered ophiolitic sequence from the southern Kahramanmaraş region, located along the Arabian-Eurasian collision zone in southeastern Turkey, contains harzburgitic tectonites, ultramafic to mafic cumulates, isotropic gabbros and ophiolite-related metamorphic rocks. The ultramafic-mafic cumulate rocks are composed of wehrlite, lherzolite, olivine websterite, olivine gabbronorite, olivine gabbro and gabbro. The crystallization order of the cumulus phases, the presence of high Ca-plagioclase (An_{83-94}), highly magnesian clinopyroxene (Mg#_{78-93}), olivine (Mg#_{71-91}) and their coexistence in the ultramafic-mafic cumulate rocks indicate a suprasubduction zone (SSZ) environment and suggest that the cumulates were derived from an island arc tholeiitic (IAT) magma. The isotropic gabbros …

Mineralogical And Physicochemical Properties Of Talc From Emirdağ, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, Bahri̇ Ersoy, Sedef Di̇kmen, Ahmet Yildiz, Remzi̇ Gören, Ömer Eli̇tok

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Lens-shaped talc deposits related to Mesozoic gabbroic rocks are exposed in an area of 2 km^2, about 80 km northwest of Afyonkarahisar (western Anatolia). Different alteration zones in talc deposits were determined depending on differences related to the texture and color of the host rock. In order to determine mineralogical, geochemical, and physicochemical features of the Emirdağ talc deposits, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), FT-IR and Mössbauer spectroscopy, differential thermogravimetric analyses, BET-specific surface area, color, water soluble substance, acid-soluble carbonate, and acid-soluble iron tests were performed on the samples collected from different alteration zones in the lateral direction. Four …

Three-Dimensional Subsurface Modeling Of Mineralization: A Case Study From The Handeresi (Çanakkale, Nw Turkey) Pb-Zn-Cu Deposit, Si̇nan Akiska, İbrahi̇m Sönmez Sayili, Gökhan Demi̇rela

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The main goal of 3D modeling studies in the mining sector is to address the complex geological, mineralogical, and structural factors in subsurface environments and detect the ore zone(s). In order to solve this complexity, use of quality data (e.g., a wide range of boreholes at regular intervals) is necessary. However, this situation is not always possible because of certain restrictions such as intensive vegetation, high slope areas, and some economic constraints. At the same time, with the development of computer technology, the unused and/or insufficiently considered data need to be gathered and reviewed. This assessment may lead to the …

Coastal Inundation Due To Sea Level Rise And Extreme Sea State And Its Potential Impacts: Çukurova Delta Case, Özlem Si̇mav, Dursun Zafer Şeker, Cem Gazi̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

With the rising sea level becoming a more pressing issue to coastal areas, a comprehensive analysis has been conducted to assess the vulnerability of the Çukurova Delta under the projected inundation by the end of the century. The level of inundation was estimated from a multimission satellite altimetry sea level anomaly and significant wave height data between September 1992 and February 2012. Superposed to the clear annual oscillation with 6.2 cm amplitude peaking around the beginning of October, the mean sea level signal exhibits a positive trend of 3.4 ± 0.1 mm/year over the altimetric data period. The extreme wave …

Central Anatolian Plateau, Turkey: Incision And Paleoaltimetry Recorded From Volcanic Rocks, Erkan Aydar, Hüseyi̇n Evren Çubukçu, Erdal Şen, Lütfi̇ye Akin

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The erosion/incision patterns of radiometrically well-constrained volcanic rocks provide excellent markers for revealing the landscape evolution. The Central Anatolian High Plateau represents an uplifted area that reaches up to 1500 m above sea level and includes the Cappadocian Volcanic Province (CVP). The CVP is composed of horizontally emplaced Neogene-Quaternary ignimbrites intercalated with lava flows and epiclastic continental sediments. River incision rates have been calculated using the morphological/paleoaltimetric features of radiometrically well-constrained volcanic units in the area. Starting from 10 Ma until 5 Ma, there was no major erosion or incision. The morphology, uplift rate, and incision rates of the CVP …

Palaeoenvironmental And Chronological Constraints On The Tuğlu Formation (Çankırı Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey), Ilaria Mazzini, Natalia Hudáková, Peter Joniak, Marianna Kovacova, Tamás Mikes, Andreas Mulch, Fuat Bora Rojay, Stella Lucifora, Daniela Esu, Ingeborg Soulie-Marsche

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Çankırı Basin, located in the northern part of the Central Anatolian Plateau, is a large Tertiary basin where thick Miocene to Quaternary continental sediments overlay the Cretaceous-Tertiary units. This investigation focuses on the Tuğlu Formation, an Upper Miocene succession mainly composed of dark grey silty and organic rich clays. The type section of Tuğlu has been sampled for an array of multidisciplinary analyses. The palaeontological proxies included ostracod, foraminifer, nannoplankton, pollen, molluscs, charophytes, small mammal assemblages, fish, and crab remains. The abiotic parameters studied were: palaeomagnetism and environmental magnetism, stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (on ostracods and bulk …

Paleomagnetic Rotations In The Late Miocene Sequence From The Çankırı Basin (Central Anatolia, Turkey): The Role Of Strike-Slip Tectonics, Stella Lucifora, Francesca Cifelli, Fuat Bora Rojay, Massimo Mattei

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In this paper, new paleomagnetic and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data from Miocene continental units of the Çankırı Basin are presented, with the main goal of providing additional constraints on its deformational and rotational history during the Late Cenozoic. AMS data indicate a tectonic origin for the magnetic fabric, suggesting that Upper Miocene units were still involved in the deformation processes. Paleomagnetic data show that tectonic rotations in the Çankırı Basin do not show a symmetrical distribution along the opposite edges of the basin, as expected from the observed omega-shape. In particular, by combining our data with those already …

Messinian Paleoenvironmental Changes In The Easternmost Mediterranean Basin: Adana Basin, Southern Turkey, Costanza Faranda, Elsa Gliozzi, Paola Cipollari, Francesco Grossi, Güldemi̇n Darbaş, Kemal Gürbüz, Ati̇ke Nazi̇k, Rocco Gennari, Domenico Cosentino

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

We present detailed Messinian paleoenvironmental reconstructions for the Adana Basin based on a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes the fossil content of the Kuzgun and Handere Formations. To reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes that affected the Adana Basin during the Messinian, we analyzed mollusk, ostracod, planktonic and benthonic foraminifer, and calcareous nannofossil assemblages from 2 stratigraphic sections near Kabasakal village (Adana, southern Turkey). To determine if the environmental changes recognized in the Adana Basin are local or regional, and to understand the extent to which the global changes in oceanic circulation impacted the Mediterranean sedimentary basins, we compare our results with Messinian …

Middle-Upper Miocene Paleogeography Of Southern Turkey: Insights From Stratigraphy And Calcareous Nannofossil Biochronology Of The Olukpınar And Başyayla Sections (Mut-Ermenek Basin), Paola Cipollari, Eva Halásová, Kemal Gürbüz, Domenico Cosentino

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The age of the marine succession capping the basement rocks of the central Taurides in the Mut-Ermenek Basin is constrained using calcareous nannofossil biochronology. The Olukpınar section, which correlates with the biozones between MNN5a and MNN6b (late Langhian-late Serravallian), represents a deeper marine environment developed lateral to the Ermenek platform. The long-term transgressive-regressive cycle of the Olukpınar section, which corresponds to the middle-upper part of the TB2 supercycle, can be subdivided into 2 large-scale (10^6 years) cycles (TB2.4 and TB2.5) based on the occurrence of 2 major debris flow deposits linked to sea-level drop. The younger late Tortonian Başyayla section …

First 15 Probability-Based Multidimensional Tectonic Discrimination Diagrams For Intermediate Magmas And Their Robustness Against Postemplacement Compositional Changes And Petrogenetic Processes, Surendra Pal Verma, Sanjeet K. Verma

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Although for ultrabasic and basic magmas a plethora of tectonomagmatic diagrams have been used, with the exception of one bivariate diagram for refined tectonic setting of orogenic andesites, none is available for highly abundant intermediate magma. We present 3 sets of discrimination diagrams obtained from the correct statistical methodology of loge-ratio transformation and linear discriminant analysis. All major element log_e-ratio variables in 3664 samples, only immobile major and trace element log_e-ratio variables in 1858 samples, and immobile trace element log_e-ratio variables in 1512 samples were used. These diagrams with probability-based tectonic field boundaries and high success rates (about 69%-96%, 63%-100%, …

The U-Pb Age, Geochemistry And Tectonic Significance Of Granitoids In The Soursat Complex, Northwest Iran, Mahboobeh Jamshidi Badr, Alan S. Collins, Fariborz Masoudi, Grant Cox, Mohammad Mohajjel

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Soursat Complex in northwestern of Iran is part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic belt. Three granitoid suites are present: Type I- syenogranite and deformed syenogranite; Type II- Turkeh Dare and Pichagchi plutons; and Type III- quartz porphyry. The granites can be assigned to a medium-K calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline series. The Type I granitoids are weakly to strongly peraluminous and belong to a S-type suite, whereas Type II plutons are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous with I-type character. Type III granitoids are weakly peraluminous and can be labelled as a highly fractionated I-type suite. U/Pb zircon dating of the syenogranite and …

Emerging Multi-Proxy Records Of Late Quaternary Palaeoclimate Dynamics In Turkey And The Surrounding Region, Kathleen Nicoll, Ceren Küçükuysal

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

We present an overview of selected papers published since 2000 that interpret Late Quaternary multi-proxy palaeoclimate records from Turkey and the surrounding region of the Near-Middle East and Mediterranean region. Existing records in Turkey are rather limited in their resolution, and the locations studied thus far reflect a limited spatial and temporal distribution. Because Turkey is a very large country with numerous mountains that affect local weather conditions and create complex feedbacks, it is difficult to correlate trends across the broad landscape, and beyond. Published instrumental records are too short, and most palaeoclimate proxy records, including many lakes studied in …