Earth Sciences Commons^™

Petrology And Pedology Of The Gordon Natural Area: A Collaborative Service-Learning Project, Martin Helmke, Corinne Trice, Leeann Srogi

Gordon Natural Area Geology Studies Documents

No abstract provided.

Tornadoes: Are They Becoming More Frequent And Severe?, Matthew E. Westburg

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

Inconsistent record keeping, changes with tornado reporting systems such as the Fujita Scale and Doppler radar, increased public awareness, the use of technology to report tornadoes, and the shifting populations have all played a role in increasing the number of reported tornadoes in Illinois and in the United States. The role that global warming has played in the increased number of tornadoes and their severity since 1950, is still unclear. Several more years of tornado data collecting is needed for us to have a more definitive answer as to whether tornadoes are increasing in frequency and severity and the role …

Geothermal Systems Of Northern Thailand And Their Association With Faults Active During The Quaternary, Spencer H. Wood, Fongsaward Suvagondha Singharajwarapan

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many of northern Thailand hot springs systems are associated with regions of active faulting. An arcuate pattern of wells with high-fluoride water occurs in the Chiang Mai basin. The pattern is parallel to the Mae Tha fault which cuts Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks 10 km east of the basin. The San Kamphaeng geothermal system is within parallel faults in Paleozoic rocks. The Mae Tha fault is believed to be active in the Quaternary. A conceptual diagram shows deep groundwater circulation driven by ~300 to 800 meters of relief in the hills east of the basin. The Mae Chan geothermal system …

Continuous Snowpack Monitoring Using Upward-Looking Ground-Penetrating Radar Technology, Lino Schmid, Achim Heilig, Christoph Mitterer, Jürg Schweizer, Hansruedi Maurer, Robert Okorn, Olaf Eisen

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Snow stratigraphy and water percolation are key contributing factors to avalanche formation. So far, only destructive methods can provide this kind of information. Radar technology allows continuous, non-destructive scanning of the snowpack so that the temporal evolution of internal properties can be followed. We installed an upward-looking ground-penetrating radar system (upGPR) at the Weissfluhjoch study site (Davos, Switzerland). During two winter seasons (2010/11 and 2011/12) we recorded data with the aim of quantitatively determining snowpack properties and their temporal evolution. We automatically derived the snow height with an accuracy of about ±5 cm, tracked the settlement of internal layers (±7 …

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2014, A. R. Young, M. E. Burbach, L. M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Basalt Ring Formations Of The Columbia River Plateau, Skye Schillhammer, Carly Sorensen, Ted Uecker, Natasha Garland

2014 Symposium

Unusual basalt ring formations are located about 6 miles north of Odessa, WA as part of the expansive Columbia River Basalt Group. There are over 100 crater-like structures that range in size from 50-500 meters in diameter and span a 60 kilometer area of the channeled scablands. These structures are enigmatic due to the erosion of surficial features by the Missoula Floods, and due to their association with a magnetic anomaly as evidenced by an aerial geophysical survey. Since the 1970s, multiple geologists have proposed conflicting formational mechanisms for the rings, including hydrothermal explosions and sag flows. Over the past …

Geophysical Investigation Of Hot Springs In The Vicinity Of Shoshone, California, Felix Dziedzorm Ziwu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Magnetic and gravity surveys were conducted in the vicinity of Shoshone, California to test a hypothesis from investigating hotsprings within Tecopa and Saratoga which states that deep faults must intersect with a specific orientation relative to the regional stress field in order to create hot springs along the Amargosa River.

Three isolated basalt flows with different gravity and magnetic properties were identified near the Shoshone hot spring. Two of the flows have very low magnetic anomalies and the remaining one has a high magnetic anomaly. The high magnetic anomaly basalt flow also has a significantly higher Bouguer anomaly than the …

Central Cascadia Subduction Zone Creep, Gina M. Schmalzle, Robert Mccaffrey, Kenneth C. Creager

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Central Cascadia between 43ºN and 46ºN has reduced interseismic uplift observed in geodetic data and coseismic subsidence seen in multiple thrust earthquakes, suggesting elevated persistent fault creep in this section of the subduction zone. We estimate subduction thrust "decade-scale" locking and crustal block rotations from three-component continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) time series from 1997 to 2013, as well as 80 year tide gauge and leveling-derived uplift rates. Geodetic observations indicatecoastal central Oregon is rising at a slower rate than coastal Washington, southern Oregon and northern California. Modeled locking distributions suggest a wide locking transition zone that extends inland undercentral …

Seismic Characterization Of The J-Reflector Near The Meizoseismal Area Of The 1886 Charleston Earthquake For Lithologic Constraint, Craig Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

Investigations into the relationship between geologic structure and seismicity in and around the meizoseismal area of the 1886 Charleston earthquake have been ongoing since the 1970s. Seismic reflection profiles collected in this area display a prominent, laterally continuous, high amplitude, low frequency, two cycle reflection at ~0.7-1.2 s TWT, termed the "J" reflector, which has been correlated with Lower to Middle Jurassic tholeiitic basalt flows encountered in the Clubhouse Crossroads wells. The "J" reflector was also extended offshore onto the continental shelf. Recent reevaluation of sub Coastal Plain wells within the South Georgia Rift (SGR) Basin, including wells around the …

A Quantitative Analysis Of White-Tailed Deer Harvest Across States And Counties, Rebecca Lynne Cain

Theses and Dissertations

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have gone from locally extirpated to overabundant in many areas in the United States since the early 1900s. Ecosystems with chronically overabundant populations experience many disastrous effects resulting from the selective browsing behavior of deer. White-tailed deer are managed at the state level resulting in different management strategies, harvest data collection, and deer management goals between states. However recreational hunting is the primary tool used by wildlife agencies to control population growth. As such, it is beneficial to understand the influence each regulatory variable has on white-tailed deer harvest.

For this research, I compiled historical harvest …

Hydrological Influences On Ecological Zonation In A Salt Marsh Tidal Creek Basin: Crab Haul Creek, South Carolina, Usa, Elizabeth Madsen

Theses and Dissertations

Ecological zones in a salt marsh are controlled by many factors, including hydroperiod, elevation, soil salinity, groundwater flow, competition, and nutrient/oxygen availability. The primary driving factor(s) are still debated, but most models of zonation consider elevation or hydroperiod as the key factor. This project is designed to gather high-resolution aerial images from a helium balloon kite (Helikite) to improve our understanding of the influence of hydroperiod on zonation. The Helikite was used to capture aerial photographs of Crab Haul Creek Basin, the most landward salt marsh basin in North Inlet, South Carolina. Near-IR photographs were taken from 75-100m altitude to …

Comparative Recharge Rates Of Isolated And Riverine Wetlands, Chenille Hargrove Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Isolated wetlands have a slightly depressed topography surrounded by an upland area. There is no direct surface water connection, as with riverine wetlands; however, there is a groundwater connection that allows isolated wetlands to have similar hydrologic functions to riverine wetlands. This study sought to compare surficial aquifer groundwater recharge rates of several isolated and riverine wetlands in the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas by evaluating soil characteristics, water table fluctuations, and precipitation from January 2012 - September 2012. Data analysis indicated no significant difference in mean recharge rates between the isolated and riverine wetlands at each study site. Whereas …

Long-Term Deformation In The Southern Rí­O Grande Rift As Inferred From Topographic And Uplifted Terraces, Linda K. Armour

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines Basin and Range topography relating tectonic processes to topographic features. The observation that the terraces along either side of the Franklin Mountains were deformed and uplifted is a reflection of tectonic uplift. The uplift represents long-term deformation of the range. This led to the question of what shapes the deformation and does it represent differential subsidence into the Río Grande Rift or true uplift. A more regional study of the Sacramento, San Andres, and Guadalupe Mountains follows. Two papers form this Dissertation.

The Rí­o Grande Rift and the Franklin Mountains, in particular, are the subject of the …

Analyzing Stress Drops Of Earthquakes Near Wellington, New Zealand, Kyle Eugene Barnes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Stress drop studies analyze the change of stress across faults before and after an earthquake. The goal of this study was to determine how stress drop varies throughout the Wellington region of the North Island of New Zealand. To the east of the North Island, the Hikurangi Trough obliquely subducts the Pacific Plate beneath the younger Australian Plate. Toward the southern end of the North Island and into Cook Strait the Pacific plate becomes more buoyant and the plate interface displays strong coupling as subduction diminishes into the strike-slip Marlborough fault system. Subduction of the Pacific plate ceases beneath the …

Sedimentologic, Stratigraphic, And Diagenetic Analysis Of Microbialite-Bearing Lacustrine Rift Sequence Within The Lower Cretaceous Yucca Formation, Indio Mountains, West Texas, Xiaowei Li

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study sedimentologically, stratigraphically, and diagenetically analyzed strata of the upper member of the Lower Cretaceous Yucca Formation in the Indio Mountains, West Texas in order to develop an outcrop-based analog model for similar facies that form major hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Pre-salt rift basins of the South Atlantic margin. The lower Cretaceous strata of the Indio Mountains were deposited in rift basins that formed along the eastern margin of the Chihuahua Trough under similar greenhouse climate conditions as the South Atlantic basins.

Eleven lithofacies are recognized from the upper member of the Yucca Formation to the base of the …

Exploring The Hydrogeologic Controls On Brackish Water And Its Suitability For Use In Hydraulic Fracturing: The Dockum Aquifer, Midland Basin, Texas, Francisco Ruben Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water scarcity in arid regions can limit or impede certain hydrocarbon production activities, such as hydraulic fracturing and well drilling. The Midland Basin, a major oil-producing area in semi-arid far west Texas and the eastern sub-basin of the Permian Basin, is already impacted by limited freshwater availability. A typical tight oil well in the Midland Basin requires ~3.8–11.4 × 103 m3 of water per fracture treatment (Nicot et al., 2012). Despite draught conditions and limited resources, data for 2011 indicate freshwater comprises ~70% of the water used in hydraulic fracturing in the Midland basin. Thus, the Midland Basin represents an …

Mapping Technologically And Economically Important Materials At Lunar And Terrestrial Sites Using Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) And Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission And Reflection Radiometer (Aster) Data, Douglas L. Standart

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation comprises three distinct research projects, all of which employ the use of remote sensing and digital image processing methods for the discovery and characterization of mineral resources. Two of the research projects focus on the use of hyperspectral data to identify water and ilmenite on the lunar surface. The third research project involves the use of multispectral data to map alunite in copper porphyry and epithermal silver-gold deposits. Our approach to these problems result in innovative algorithms and geological interpretations that are of use to both planetary science and exploration and the terrestrial mineral industry.

Project I: Towards …

The Influences Of Poultry Litter Biochar And Water Source On Radish Growth And Nutrition, Julia Allen, David E. Longer, Edward E. Gbur, Lichen Hao

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Many row-crop fields today have declined in soil fertility due to poor management practices and overuse of pesticides. Under these conditions, plant nutrient uptake can be sub-optimal. There are several soil amendments that can be used to improve soil quality and plant growth. This study focused on the addition of biochar to the soil and the use of structured water to enhance plant growth. Biochar is produced by pyrolysis of organic feedstocks. Previous studies which focused on biochar have shown an increase in plant yield, nutrient availability in the soil, and soil water holding capacity. Structured water is the liquid …

Bermudagrass Growth In Soil Contaminated With Hydraulic Fracturing Drilling Fluid, Douglas Wolf, Kristofor R. Brye

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Hydraulic fracturing is the process of injecting aqueous solutions at high pressure to break apart rock formations and increase the extraction of natural gas. The solutions are recovered and have been land-applied as one disposal technique. Excessive fluid application can result in increased soil salinity that can inhibit plant growth. The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate the effects of inorganic fertilizer, broiler litter, and Milorganite® and soil depth interval (0-15 cm or 0-30 cm) on the growth of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers] in soil that was collected from a site that had been contaminated with fracturing …

On The Reconstruction Of Plant Photosynthetic And Stress Physiology Across The Triassic-Jurassic Boundary, Matthew Haworth, Angela Gallagher, Elysia Sum, Marlene Hill-Donnelly, Margret Steinthorsdottir, Jennifer Mcelwain

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Triassic-Jurassic boundary (TJB) coincides with major disruption to the carbon cycle and global warming as the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province developed. This resulted in both marine and terrestrial extinctions, with terrestrial plants thought to experience thermal stress as global temperatures and atmospheric CO_2 levels rose. As plant compression fossils typically only preserve external morphological features, it has not been possible to reconstruct plant paleophysiology in order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying plant stress and extinction. Here we present a new approach allowing us to infer the photosynthetic performance and stress physiology of fossil plants, applied to fossil Ginkgoales across …

Experimental Investigation Of Mixtures Of Bentonite And Dredged Sediments From Chorfa Dam In Algeria, Zehour Labiod - Aloui, Habib Trouzine, Moulay Smaine Ghembaza, Tahar Nouioua, Yahya Sebaibi

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Geotechnical properties of dredged sediment from Chorfa dam in Algeria and their mixtures (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) with bentonite were investigated through a series of laboratory experimental tests in order to investigate possibilities of their usage as a barrier against the spread out of the Sebkha of Oran in the northwest of Algeria. Grain size and Atterberg limits tests, chemical and mineral analyses, and compaction, vertical swelling, and horizontal and vertical permeability tests were performed on the soils and their mixtures using tap water and the salty Sebkha water. The results indicate that the bentonite specimens remolded and …

Assessment Of The Perchertal Avalanche In Tyrol, Austria, Tayfun Kurt

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The present study has been conducted to analyze the Perchertal avalanche area near Bärenkopf Mountain, which has several avalanche-prone areas on its slopes, within the area of Pertisau, Tyrol, in Austria. The main focus is on identifying the characteristics of the avalanche process itself to determine the potential risk to endangered objects, which include an important road and a hotel. Another focus is to evaluate the current local hazard map. Based on the dynamic avalanche models (Samos-AT, Ramms), several important action parameters such as impact pressure, avalanche velocity, and run-out length of the Perchertal avalanche track are presented and discussed. …

A 3d Model For The Formation Of Turtleback Surfaces: The Horzum Turtleback Of Western Turkey As A Case Study, Gürol Seyi̇toğlu, Veysel Işik, Korhan Esat

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Turtleback surfaces are common elements of highly extended terrains all over the world. This paper presents a 3D model explaining the formation of turtleback surfaces based on field observations made on the Horzum Turtleback of the Alaşehir graben, western Turkey. Three essential features have been determined as forming a turtleback surface. These are 1) the rolling hinge mechanism on a normal fault system, where the initial fault stays operational after forming second and third normal faults in its hanging wall; 2) relay ramps between initial fault segments; and 3) a synextensional intrusion on the shear zone of the initial normal …

Ree Geochemical Characteristics Of Titanium-Rich Bauxites: The Permian Kanigorgeh Horizon, Nw Iran, Ali Abedini, Ali Asghar Calagari

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Permian Kanigorgeh bauxite horizon is one of the typical titanium-rich bauxite deposits in the northeast of Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran. It is a part of the Irano-Himalayan karst bauxite belt and was developed as discontinuous stratified layers and lenses in Upper Permian carbonates. Mineralogically, diaspore and kaolinite are 2 major mineral phases accompanied by boehmite, smectite, illite, rutile, anatase, hematite, goethite, chlorite, quartz, and plagioclase as minor phases. Geochemical considerations for a selected profile indicate that the concentration values of rare earth elements (REEs) in the bauxite ores range from 8.9 to 200.4 ppm. Eu and Ce …

Antique Quarries Of Marmor Troadense (Nw Turkey): Insights From Field Mapping And Absolute Dating, Enver Vural Yavuz

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In this study, we present new field and chronological data from 2 antique quarries of marmor troadense (Kestanbol quartz-monzonite) in northwestern Turkey. Marmor troadense has been mined and the building stones have been exported all over the Mediterranean region since approximately 2500 years ago. Analysis of 11 samples from the quarried bedrock for cosmogenic ^{10}Be showed that the landscape is so old that the inheritance obscured the absolute dating of the operation periods. Nonetheless, ^{14}C analysis of 4 charcoal samples from the sediments covering the ruins of Alexandria Troas indicated that these quarries stopped operating no later than 395 AD. …

Bicoelia Corticifera, A New Inozoid Sponge From The Upper Triassic (Norian) Reef Boulders Of The Central Taurids (Southern Turkey), Baba Senowbari-Daryan, Michael Link

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Upper Triassic Norian reef boulders, exposed in a locality in the Central Taurids, southern Turkey, yielded a high number of hypercalcified sponges, including Sphinctozoans, Inozoans, Spongiomorphids, and Chaetetids. The reef boulders are exposed near the fountain Tavuk Çeşme, located at the road leading from the town of Aksu to Yenişarbademli. Geologically this locality belongs to the Anamas Akseki Autochthon. In this paper a new inozoan sponge, Bicoelia corticifera nov. sp., is described from Tavuk Çeşme. It is a cylindrical and unbranched sponge, found in several thin sections. The sponge is characterized by 2 axial spongocoels, and the sponge wall is …

Quaternary Travertine Ridges In The Lake Urmia Area: Active Extension In Nw Iran, Mohammad Mohajjel, Karim Taghipour

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Lake Urmia area is surrounded by several major active oblique-slip faults with dextral and normal offsets. Extensive travertine ridges were produced along the E-W up to NW-SE trending extension fractures in the Lake Urmia area, NW Iran. These fractures are parallel to subparallel with abundant normal faults. Pliocene-Quaternary volcanic domes occur in the area and their activities tend toward apparent distinction between colored travertine layers and ridges. Two different modes of banded travertine within the fissures and layered travertine on the surface are observed. Some banded travertines are not vertical and obviously were tilted. Layered travertines were cut, rotated, …

Structural Analyses Of Şaphane Relay Ramps And Fault Linkage Evolution In Active Extensional Regime, Western Turkey, Şule Gürboğa

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Şaphane relay ramps (SAR-I and SAR-II) are well-developed structures formed by extensional tectonic settings in western Turkey. Their formation is controlled by the configuration of 2 different breaching faults located in between and the overlapping area of 3 normal faults, which are the Şaphane, Gürlek, and Yumrutaş faults. The relay ramps form within a ~3 km-wide and ~12 km-long interaction zone between 045° and 060° trending faults on the northern boundary of the Erdoğmuş-Yenigediz graben. Some variations in structural styles and its products (for example, overlapping slip-lines (slickenlines), fractures, and antithetic-synthetic faults) are observed along the breaching faults in …

Utilization Of Petrographic Analysis For Determination Of Petroleum Coke Mixtures, Selami̇ Toprak, Emi̇ne Sütcü, Fatma Jale Gülen

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This study was carried out on mostly imported, processed petrocokes, which are also commercially known as “petcoke” or “petroleum coke”. Petrocoke is imported in great amounts and is occasionally consumed domestically without conscientious thought. It is not a well-known material, though there is an idea of its genesis. The samples, their analysis, and their images are essential to be kept in mind for further investigations, since it is not an environmentally friendly material. Petrographic and chemical analyses were conducted on all samples. Trace element and FT-IR analyses were made on a few representative samples. It is possible to distinguish petrocokes …

Geological, Petrological, And Geodynamical Characteristics Of The Karacaali Magmatic Complex (Kırıkkale) In The Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex, Turkey, Ömer Eli̇tok, Şenel Özdamar, Gürkan Bacak, Bektaş Uz

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Mafic and felsic igneous rocks in the Karacaali Magmatic Complex (KMC) in the northwestern margin of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) are classified into 4 groups: i) granitoid pluton including granite, granodiorite, and monzonite; ii) a few meter-scale porphyritic microgranite enclaves within the hybrid rocks; iii) hybrid rocks formed by mixing/mingling of mafic lavas (basaltic/diabasic/lamprophyric), anorthositic, and/or rhyolitic lavas; iv) diabasic dykes/veins within the granitoid pluton. Major element composition of the granitoid pluton and porphyritic microgranite enclaves within the hybrid rocks indicate subalkaline, calc-alkaline, and mostly I-type characteristics. These rocks are mainly peraluminous with aluminum saturation index > 1, but …