Earth Sciences Commons^™

A Tectonic Reconstruction Of Accreted Terranes Along The Paleo-Pacific Margin Of Gondwana, Brandon Bammel

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The southern oceanic margin of Gondwana was nearly 40,000 km long or 24,854.8 miles. The southern margin was the result of the Terra Australis orogen. Spanning 18,000 km or 11,184.7 miles and is proposed as one of the largest and longest lived orogens in Earth history. The paleo-Pacific margin of Gondwana consisted of segments of the Australian-Antarctic craton, southern South America (modern Argentina and Chile), southern South Africa, Marie Byrdland, New Zealand and its adjacent continental shelf, the Ellsworth Mountains, and the Transantarctic Mountains. The process of terrane accretion has played a substantial part in the assembly of the continents …

The Effect Of Freshwater Input On Δ18o Distribution At The Younger Dryas, Anand Soni

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Younger Dryas cooling event (~12.9-11.5 δ18O ka BP) is a recognized example of an abrupt decline of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and thus may serve as an analog for expected rapid future climate change. Prediction of the atmospheric and oceanic conditions at the onset of Younger Dryas presents various challenges and this study is aimed to contribute towards the better understanding of the changes in the oceanic tracer distribution. Here, output from a fully coupled coarse resolution model from the National Center of Atmospheric Research, the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3) have been utilized to predict …

Characterization Of Exogeous Particale Content: Of Canine Tissue Urban Vs. Rural Inhalation Exposures, Jamell Kennedy

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Exogenous zinc (Zn) is emerging as a serious contaminant in the environment. Yearly deposition of zinc particles line heavily traveled inner city roadways and less traveled rural roadways. Particle size for zinc ranges from approximately PM10 to PM 2.5 µm or less. These fine particles contain microscopic solids or liquids that can cause serious health problems. PM10 are considered to be "thoracic" sized particles, with the mass fraction of inhaled particles penetrating beyond the larynx. Whereas, PM2.5 are considered to be "respirable" sized particles, with the mass fraction of inhaled particles penetrating to the unciliated airways. Exogenous zinc can be …

The Subsidence Evolution Of The Fort Worth Basin In North Central Texas, U.S.A., Ohood Bader Al Salem

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Although the Fort Worth Basin in north-central Texas has become a major shale-gas production system in recent years, its subsidence history and dynamic relationship to the Ouachita fold-and-thrust belt have not been well understood. Here I study the sedimentation patterns, model the basin subsidence and thermal maturation histories to understand the evolution of the Fort Worth Basin. Depositional patterns show that the tectonic loading of both the Muenster Arch and the Ouachita fold-and-thrust belt influenced the subsidence of the basin as early as the middle-late Mississippian. Rapid subsidence of the basin initiated in the earliest Pennsylvanian in response to the …

Depositional Facies And Reservoir Analysis Of The Tyler Formation In The Central Williston Basin, North Dakota, Paul David Monahan

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Traditionally, the Pennsylvanian Tyler Formation has been targeted as a conventional reservoir consisting of barrier island and channel sand deposits in the southwestern Williston basin, North Dakota. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cyclothemic stacking patterns in the Tyler Formation near the depocenter of the basin to improve the petroleum system model. Utilizing one core located in central McKenzie County, the litho-stratigraphy of the cyclothems is characterized. Six facies were identified and described in each cyclothem. A network of six structural and stratigraphic cross sections was constructed. Structural cross sections and structural maps illustrate that the Tyler …

Chemostratigraphy Of The Austin Chalk And Upper Eagle Ford Shale, Zain Abdi

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

A single drill core from La Salle, TX was analyzed for its chemical composition and percent concentration of both major and trace elements in order to understand depositional environments and local tectonic activity of the Balcones Fault Zone. The drill core contained the entirety of the Austin Chalk and the upper portion of the Upper Eagle Ford Shale. Samples were taken from 47 boxes at 3 inch intervals which accumulated in a total of 1,680 samples. Each sample was analyzed using a handheld x-ray fluorescence instrument which provided quantitative analysis of the following elements: Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, …

Significance Of The Deformation History Within The Hinge Zone Of The Pennsylvania Salient, Appalachian Mountains, Mary Beth Gray, Peter B. Sak, Zeshan Ismat

Faculty Journal Articles

Two competing models exist for the formation of the Pennsylvania salient, a widely studied area of pronounced curvature in the Appalachian mountain belt. The viability of these models can be tested by compiling and analyzing the patterns of structures within the general hinge zone of the Pennsylvania salient. One end-member model suggests a NW-directed maximum shortening direction and no rotation through time in the culmination. An alternative model requires a two-phase development of the culmination involving NNW-directed maximum shortening overprinted by WNW-directed maximum shortening. Structural analysis at 22 locations throughout the Valley and Ridge and southern Appalachian Plateau Provinces of …

Depth To Curie Temperature Across The Central Red Sea From Magnetic Data Using The De-Fractal Method, Ahmed Salem, Chris Green, Dhananjay Ravat, Kumar Hemant Singh, Paul East, J. Derek Fairhead, Saad Mogren, Ed Biegert

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The central Red Sea rift is considered to be an embryonic ocean. It is characterised by high heat flow, with more than 90% of the heat flow measurements exceeding the world mean and high values extending to the coasts — providing good prospects for geothermal energy resources. In this study, we aim to map the depth to the Curie isotherm (580 °C) in the central Red Sea based on magnetic data. A modified spectral analysis technique, the “de-fractal spec- tral depth method” is developed and used to estimate the top and bottom boundaries of the magnetised layer. We use a …

Evaluation Of Groundwater Recharge Estimates In A Partially Metamorphosed Sedimentary Basin In A Tropical Environment: Application Of Natural Tracers, Felix Oteng Mensah, Clement Alo, Sandow Mark Yidana

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study tests the representativeness of groundwater recharge estimates through the chloride mass balance (CMB) method in a tropical environment. The representativeness of recharge estimates using this methodology is tested using evaporation estimates from isotope data, the general spatial distribution of the potential field, and the topographical variations in the area. This study suggests that annual groundwater recharge rates in the area ranges between 0.9% and 21% of annual precipitation. These estimates are consistent with evaporation rates computed from stable isotope data of groundwater and surface water in the Voltaian Basin. Moreover, estimates of groundwater recharge through numerical model calibration …

Rollover, Drowning, And Discontinuous Retreat: Distinct Modes Of Barrier Response To Sea-Level Rise Arising From A Simple Morphodynamic Model, Jorge Lorenzo Trueba, Andrew Dale Ashton

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We construct a simple morphodynamic model to investigate the long-term dynamic evolution of a coastal barrier system experiencing sea-level rise. Using a simplified barrier geometry, the model includes a dynamic shoreface profile that can be out of equilibrium and explicitly treats barrier sediment overwash as a flux. With barrier behavior primarily controlled by the maximum potential overwash flux and the rate of shoreface response, the modeled barrier system demonstrates four primary behaviors: height drowning, width drowning, constant landward retreat, and a periodic retreat. Height drowning occurs when overwash fluxes are insufficient to maintain the landward migration rate required to keep …

Effect Of Carex Rostrata On Seasonal And Interannual Variability In Peatland Methane Emissions, Genevieve L. Noyce, Ruth Varner, Jill L. Bubier, Steve Frolking

Earth Sciences

Peatlands are a large natural source of atmospheric methane (CH₄), and the sedge Carex rostrata plays a critical role in the production, oxidation, and transport of CH₄ in these systems. This 4 year clipping experiment examined the changes in CH₄ emissions from a temperate peatland after removing all aboveground C. rostrata biomass. Methane fluxes, dissolved CH₄, and environmental variables were measured during spring, summer, and fall from 2008 to 2011. Clipping and removing the C. rostrata leaves and stems caused an immediate decrease in CH₄ emissions that persisted over 4 years of this …

Seismic Hazard Assessment Of Turkey By Statistical Approaches, Serpi̇l Ünal, Sali̇h Çelebi̇oğlu, Bülent Özmen

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In this study, 2 probabilistic methods are presented for seismic hazard assessment in Turkey: Markov chains based on modeling the transition probabilities of states (related to the presence or absence of the earthquakes having magnitude M >= 4 during the time interval \Deltat = 0.07 years in each region of Turkey located between 36°N and 42°N and 26°E and 45°E), and the Poisson model, used for computing occurrence probability and recurrence periods of earthquakes. In particular, it should be stated that in this study, our purpose is not to compare the results obtained from these 2 methods. The main purpose …

Weekly Gridded Aquarius L-Band Radiometer/Scatterometer Observations And Salinity Retrievals Over The Polar Regions - Part 1: Product Description, L. Brucker, Emmanuel P. Dinnat, L. S. Koenig

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Passive and active observations at L band (frequency similar to 1.4 GHz) from the Aquarius/SAC-D mission offer new capabilities to study the polar regions. Due to the lack of polar-gridded products, however, applications over the cryosphere have been limited. We present three weekly polar-gridded products of Aquarius data to improve our understanding of L-band observations of ice sheets, sea ice, permafrost, and the polar oceans. Additionally, these products intend to facilitate access to L-band data, and can be used to assist in algorithm developments. Aquarius data at latitudes higher than 50 degrees are averaged and gridded into weekly products of …

Impact Of Climate Change On Wheat Production In Kentucky, Kathleen Russell, Chad Lee, Rebecca L. Mcculley, David Van Sanford

Plant and Soil Sciences Research Report

Summary:

• From 2002 to 2012, Kentucky winter wheat ranged in value from $52 million to $209 million.
• Climate change and variability have the potential to significantly impact this important economic enterprise within our state.
• This report summarizes the current state of knowledge of the potential of climate change to impact wheat production in Kentucky and surrounding states.

Source Characterization Of African Soils Using Computer Controlled Sem Analysis, Robert Mace Rogers

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

An investigation is underway to determine whether African dust can be chemically distinguished by regions and whether it is developed through Pedogenic or Aeolian processes. A total of 29 dust samples were taken from the Sahel and Saharan region of Africa and are to be analyzed using computer controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM). CCSEM collects data on size shape and chemical composition on individual microscopic dust particles present in a media sample analyzed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Back-scattered electron imaging (BEI) in the SEM is accomplished using a four-quadrants backscatter electron detector. This method of imaging the particles …

Investigation Of How Microbes Involved In Anerobic Digestion Of Vinasse Change As Functions Of Temperature, Vinasse Compositions And Time, Madhu Sanjog Sabnis

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Recent fossil fuel supply crunches and price spikes have prompted increased interest in ethanol as an alternative transportation fuel. However, vinasse, the liquid residue left from the distillation of ethanol, poses serious disposal challenges due to its high acidity, chemical oxygen demand, and concentrations of solids, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. On average, 12-14 liters of vinasse are produced per liter of ethanol. Brazilian production of ethanol is estimated as 15.1 billion liters per year, meaning that the vinasse treatment and disposal problem for Brazil is particularly significant.Degradation via anaerobic microbes has been demonstrated as a viable option for vinasse treatment, …

Using Spontaneous Imbibition And Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry To Investigate The Effect Of Pore Structure On Fluid Migration Within Porous Media, Zhiye Gao

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Much research has been conducted to investigate the property of fluid (water/oil/gas) migration in different types of porous media, and the knowledge of pore structure (including pore geometry and pore connectivity) plays an important role in this research. This dissertation will characterize the pore structure of different porous media (including building materials and natural rocks) by using spontaneous imbibition and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). A new approach to deriving effective permeability of building materials using imbibition experiments is provided. Spontaneous imbibition is an important process in oil/gas production and its rate could affect oil/gas recovery rate significantly. As a result, …

Well Log And Core-Derived Reservoir Properties Of Barnett Shale Of Fort Worth Basin, Melanie Dawn Ybarra

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Wireline tools and log analysis methods were not designed for unconventional reservoirs. As a result, hydrocarbon assessment for shale source rock plays have significant uncertainties. This study focuses on petrophysical interpretation uncertainty from a single historic Barnett Shale well TP Sims #2 of Wise County, TX. The Barnett Shale is one of the major source rock plays in the United States. The large body of research and information from the well-drilled Barnett Shale provides a good opportunity to understand and adjust OGIP modeling approaches from volumetric analysis to well performance data. Several factors unique to shale source rocks such as …

Stable Isotopic And Geochemical Studies Of Late Quaternary Stalagmites, South-Central Appalachian Mountains, Eastern North America, Jessica Ann Buckles

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

A tripartite investigation was conducted utilizing speleothem geochemistry and modern cave environments: reconstruction of paleoclimate variability in southeastern West Virginia that spans the late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene, the development and optimization of Microbeam X-Ray Fluorescence analysis of speleothems, and high-frequency cave drip monitoring and cave environment study and implications for stalagmite paleoclimate studies. Paleoclimate interpretations of stable isotopic and geochemical results from three coeval 230Th-dated stalagmites provide insight into the timing, magnitude, and forcing mechanisms of past climate variability. Stable isotopic δ13C and δ18O and trace element (Sr) time series demonstrate variability between the coeval records, indicating different hydrologic histories …

Geochemistry Of The Haynesville Formation Using The Carthage Core In Panola County, Texas, Lauren A. Woolston

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Haynesville Formation has been described as a fine grained, organic, homogeneous shale that was deposited during the warm upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) in the tectonically formed East Texas Basin (Mainali, 2011). The Late Jurassic is characterized by a world-wide transgression that flooded most of the Atlantic shelves, followed by a regression (Hammes and Frebourg, 2011). The Haynesville Formation was influenced by basement structures, local carbonate platforms (Sabine Island Complex), and salt movement that was associated with the opening of the Gulf of Mexico (Hammes, 2012). The focus of this proposed study is to provide more insight into the chemostratigraphy, lithology, …

Indoor Air Quality In Schools: An Investigation Of The Impact Of Outdoor Air Quality, School Layout, And Room Type, Sahar M. Mansour

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in educational facilities is a very important aspect of the educational process because it may affect the students and staff health and performance. This study was conducted during the 2012-2013 academic year in three high schools from two school districts in the North Texas region, to determine whether or not the IAQ in test schools meets Texas IAQ guidelines, investigate the impact of the outdoor quality, school layout, and room type on the IAQ of the test schools. Temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), ozone (O₃), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were monitored …

Geochemical Analysis Of The Woodford Shale, Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma, Karen Mccreight

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Woodford Shale is a dark, siliceous mudstone that was deposited in a rift basin during late Devonian to early Mississippian times. Three drill cores containing the Woodford Shale from the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma, have been geochemically analyzed using a handheld energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence instrument. Each core was analyzed at 3- to 4- inch intervals, providing high-resolution chemostratigraphy. Analysis of the following elemental concentrations was performed: Mg, Al, S, Si, P, K, Ti, Ca, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Th, Rb, U, Sr, Zr, and V. Major element geochemistry supports that the Woodford is a siliceous mudstone, with …

The Impact Of Impoundment And Urbanization On Shallow Groundwater Conditions In The Joe Pool Lake Catchment, Texas, Manoj K. Ghimire

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation is an assessment of the shallow groundwater (SGW) regime within the drainage area of Joe Pool Lake (JPL), an impoundment on Mountain Creek (MC) located in Grand Prairie, Texas. A thin zone of highly-weathered consolidated rock is normally found at the upper surface of the bedrock in north-central Texas; the SGW regime, or shallow aquifer, as defined for this study, extends vertically downward from the water table to the base of this highly-weathered layer, and extends laterally over the surface water drainage area of JPL and its tributaries. Geologically, the shallow aquifer thus consists largely of unconsolidated material, …

Foraminifers Of The Clarita Formation (Wenlock, Silurian), From The Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, Melinda Parker

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The study, identification, and classification of Silurian foraminifers from the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma have attracted little attention since the work of Moreman and Ireland in late 1930's. These authors described 48 new species and several new genera, some of which are synonyms in recent taxonomy. Besides foraminifers, diverse shelly faunas have been described from Silurian strata in the Arbuckle Mountain region, especially brachiopods, trilobites, and conodonts, as well as corals, bryozoans, and rare graptolites. Rich assemblages of foraminifers occur in the Fitzhugh Member of the Clarita Formation of the Hunton Group, in association with abundant and diverse conodont faunas. …

Rapid Fluctuations In Mid-Latitude Siliceous Plankton Production During The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (Odp Site 1051, Western North Atlantic), Jakub Witkowski, Steven M. Bohaty, Kirsty M. Edgar, David M. Harwood

ANDRILL Research and Publications

The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO; ~ 40 million years ago [Ma]) is one of the most prominent transient global warming events in the Paleogene. Although the event is well documented in geochemical and isotopic proxy records at many locations, the marine biotic response to the MECO remains poorly constrained. We present new high-resolution, quantitative records of siliceous microplankton assemblages from the MECO interval of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1051 in the subtropical western North Atlantic Ocean, which are interpreted in the context of published foraminiferal and bulk carbonate stable isotope (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) records. …

Winter Wind Chill Climatology For The High Plains Region, Holly B. Lussenden, Natalie A. Umphlett, Martha D. Shulski, Daniel Ebert

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

During the winter months in the High Plains region of the United States, wind chill temperatures can reach dangerous levels for humans and animals. Knowing the frequency in which extreme wind chill temperatures occur could help forecasters know when to issue wind chill advisories and also the general public understand just how rare, or common, certain wind chill temperatures are. A climatology spanning a 37-year period was created using data from 57 stations in and around the plains portion of the High Plains region from the Integrated Surface Hourly Database at National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). These climatologies were completed …

Climate Masters Of Nebraska: An Innovative Action-Based Approach For Climate Change Education, Tapan Pathak, Tonya Bernadt, Natalie A. Umphlett

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Climate Masters of Nebraska is an innovative educational program that strategically trains community volunteers about climate change science and corresponding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an interactive and action-based teaching environment. As a result of the program, 91% of participants indicated that they made informed changes in their lives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 500 hours of volunteer work was reported by participants as an outreach for greenhouse gas emission reduction. The program can be easily replicated to other locales with an effective planning and with small leadership team.

Droughtscape, Winter 2014, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Contents

Director’s report

Outlook & quarterly review . 2

Drought in 2013 review.

Quarterly impacts review . 5

Impacts in 2013 review.

Belmont Forum research0

USDM change maps 11

Central Asia drought planning

Kansas RC&D planning

Publication compares plans

Drought for planners webinar

Soil moisture networks

Kansas farm and ranch planning

$500 to develop leadership

Kids seek solutions

Plains symposium April 1-4

Burrow Morphology Of The Land Crab Gecarcinus Lateralis And The Ghost Crab Ocypode Quadrata On San Salvador Island, The Bahamas: Comparisons And Palaeoenvironmental Implications, Koji Seike, H. Allen Curran

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Burrow morphologies of the land crab Gecarcinus lateralis and the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata were investigated on East Beach, San Salvador Island, The Bahamas, with the goals of critical comparison of their morphologies and of clarifying and advancing their palaeoenvironmental usefulness. In comparing land crab burrows to those of the ghost crab, the former are simpler but more variable in overall shape. G. lateralis burrows have a more compressed form in the transverse section of the burrow shaft and possess lower (more horizontal) shaft inclination than those of O. quadrata. In the late Holocene backshore and dune deposits on San …

Soil Series Of The Gordon Natural Area, Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department Of Agriculture

Gordon Natural Area Soils Studies Documents

Official Soil Series Descriptions.

Available URL: http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/osd/index.html

[Accessed 28 April 2014]. USDA-NRCS, Lincoln, NE