Earth Sciences Commons^™

Biogeochemical Cycling In Lake Superior Tributaries: Seasonality, Quantity And Quality Of Export, Ashley Anne Coble

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Seasonal and spatial variability in environmental factors may affect dissolved organic matter composition and nutrient transformation and retention in streams. The objective of this research was to quantify and describe seasonality, quantity, and quality of nutrient processing and export of ammonium (NH₄), soluble reactive phosphate (SRP), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into Lake Superior through intensive study in a small 1st order watershed coupled with snapshot measurements across 12 tributaries that varied in size, location, and wetland coverage. Our results suggest biodegradable C is exported from a small headwater stream year-round and that DOC mineralization rates can be …

Heavy Metal Uptake By Four Plant Species: Radish, Indian Mustard, Corn, And Soybean., Oluwasogo Bolaji Alonge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metal contaminated soils are a problem throughout the world. Because metals accumulate in the food chain they have been linked to adverse human and ecosystem health. One promising approach to remediating metal contaminated soils is phytoremediation but success has been limited by an incomplete understanding of the factors that control metal uptake by plants, including the effects when more than one contaminant metal is present in the system. Metal contaminated soil for this study was collected from near Spelter in Harrison County WV, the site of a former zinc smelting site that has contaminated residential soils and stream sediments with …

Magnetic Susceptibility Of North American Ordovician Epicontinental Seas: Spatial Variability And Sandbian-Katian Boundary Correlation, Thomas J. Schramm

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Magnetic susceptibility (χ) has gained increased usage as a stratigraphic correlation tool. This project evaluates the utility of a χ correlation tool, including its shortcomings, and attempts its integration with other datasets. The Upper Ordovician of eastern North America represent the stratigraphic interval in which these experiments were conducted. 4566 samples were collected for the purposes of this study, and χ was measured on 3345 of the samples. This project includes three major facets, 1) the spatial variability of χ, 2) correlation of Sandbian-Katian boundary interval strata in eastern North America using χ, and 3) utility of χ for interpreting …

Origins Of Life On Earth: Mineral Effects On Vesicle Formation And Permeability, Jacob Morris

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Understanding how life could have emerged on Earth is a very old problem that is still far from being resolved. Minerals have long been proposed to play a role in the formation of the first cell, but only few experimental data were reported concerning the mineral-lipid interactions. In the present work, calcein leakage assay, a fluorescence based experiment, and dynamic light scattering measurements were used to examine the effects of mineral properties and of MgCl₂ on the formation and the stability of vesicles formed from single-chain amphiphiles (SCA), which are believed to have been present on early Earth. The …

Atmospheric Effects On Radar/Ladar Detection Of Seismic Activity, Michelle Frances Via

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This thesis investigates how well ground vibrations can be detected at ladar or radar wavelengths and how the atmosphere may impact the observation of such activity. First understanding atmospheric hindrances at each of these wavelengths is helpful to prioritize by those yielding best transmission results. A prerequisite to the outdoor field experiment performed for this study involves analyzing atmospheric effects characterization at six probable wavelengths using the Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference tool (LEEDR) developed by the Air Force Institute of Technology's (AFIT) Center for Directed Energy (CDE). These wavelengths, selected from the shortwave infrared and microwave portions of …

Quantifying The Stratigraphic Completeness Of Delta Shoreline Trajectories, Robert C. Mahon, John B. Shaw, Katherine R. Barnhart, Daniel E. J. Hobley, Brandon Mcelroy

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding the incomplete nature of the stratigraphic record is fundamental for interpreting stratigraphic sequences. Methods for quantifying stratigraphic completeness for one-dimensional stratigraphic columns, defined as the proportion of time intervals of some length that contain stratigraphy, are commonplace; however, quantitative assessments of completeness in higher dimensions are lacking. Here we present a metric for defining stratigraphic completeness of two-dimensional shoreline trajectories using topset-foreset rollover positions in dip-parallel sections and describe the preservation potential of a shoreline trajectory derived from the geometry of the delta surface profile and the kinematics of the geomorphic shoreline trajectory. Two end-member forward models are required …

Octocoral Mitochondrial Genomes Provide Insights Into The Phylogenetic History Of Gene Order Rearrangements, Order Reversals, And Cnidarian Phylogenetics, Diego F. Figueroa, Amy R. Baco

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We use full mitochondrial genomes to test the robustness of the phylogeny of the Octocorallia, to determine the evolutionary pathway for the five known mitochondrial gene rearrangements in octocorals, and to test the suitability of using mitochondrial genomes for higher taxonomic-level phylogenetic reconstructions. Our phylogeny supports three major divisions within the Octocorallia and show that Paragorgiidae is paraphyletic, with Sibogagorgia forming a sister branch to the Coralliidae. Furthermore, Sibogagorgia cauliflora has what is presumed to be the ancestral gene order in octocorals, but the presence of a pair of inverted repeat sequences suggest that this gene order was not conserved …

Spatio-Temporal Patterns Of Water Table And Vegetation Status Of A Deserted Area, Limin Duan, Tingxi Liu, Xixi Wang, Yanyun Luo

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Understanding groundwater-vegetation interactions is crucial for sustaining fragile environments of desert areas such as the Horqin Sandy Land (HSL) in northern China. This study examined spatio-temporal variations in the water table and the associated vegetation status of a 9.71 km² area that contains meadowland, sandy dunes, and intermediate transitional zones. The depth of the water table and hydrometeorologic parameters were monitored and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were utilized to assess the vegetation cover. Spatio-temporal variations over the six-year study period were examined and descriptive groundwater-vegetation associations developed by overlaying a water table …

Patterns And Processes Of Salt Efflorescences In The Mcmurdo Region, Antarctica, Kelsey M. Bisson, Kathleen A. Welch, Susan A. Welch, Julia Meyer Sheets, W. Berry Lyons, Joseph S. Levy, Andrew G. Fountain

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evaporite salts are abundant around the McMurdo region, Antarctica (~78°S) due to very low precipitation, low relative humidity, and limited overland flow. Hygroscopic salts in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) are preferentially formed in locations where liquid water is present in the austral summer, including along ephemeral streams, ice-covered lake boundaries, or shallow groundwater tracks. In this study, we collected salts from the Miers, Garwood, and Taylor Valleys on the Antarctic continent, as well as around McMurdo Station on Ross Island in close proximity to water sources with the goal of understanding salt geochemistry in relationship to the hydrology of …

Mineral And Geochemical Attributes Of The Midcontinent Rift Sequence; An Application For Deep Carbon Dioxide Sequestration, Alsedik Mohamed Ali Abousif

Doctoral Dissertations

"The potential for using the Oronto Group of the Midcontinent Rift (MCR) Sequence for CO₂ sequestration has been disparaged because of low porosity-permeability characteristics, which are largely a result of extensive calcite cementation. This study investigated the potential for using the MCR as a target for CO₂ sequestration by examining reactions involving detrital host-rock minerals at high pressure-temperature conditions that could provide dissolved Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe²⁺, and then precipitating these cations as carbonate minerals. The effect of carbonic acid on cement dissolution was also evaluated with respect to enhancing porosity and …

Microstructure And Geotechnical Properties Of St. Peter Sandstone In Clayton, Iowa, Amir Hossein Bagherieh

Doctoral Dissertations

"The St. Peter Sandstone is significantly different from the minerals and rocks which have been studied extensively in mining. It is brittle and characterized by an unusually high friction angle. On the other hand it is friable, and it is nearly cohesionless. The scarcity of the ground control techniques for this particular mining environment has created many difficulties for mine operators. This research aims to establish a fundamental understanding of the basic mechanical and strength properties of the St. Peter Sandstone for engineering design and scientific research. The specific objectives are 1) characterizing the strength of the St. Peter Sandstone, …

Stratigraphy And Porosity Modeling Of South-Central Illinois (Usa) Chester (Upper Mississippian) Series Sandstones Using Petrel, Darren Kimple, Eric W. Peterson, David H. Malone

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Maximizing resource extraction from mature oilfields requires enhanced and secondary recovery techniques. The success of these methods relies on knowledge and understanding of the reservoir geology and hydraulics. At the Loudon Oilfield (Illinois, USA), enhanced oil recovery is being used to extend the production life of the reservoir. The suitability and placement of additional wells for oil recovery processes required three-dimensional (3D) facies and porosity modeling of the oilfield. The purpose of this work was to assess the ability of a porosity model to predict sandstone facies. The facies model for the Loudon field was generated using data obtained from …

Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of The Pecatonica Gas Storage Field, Winnebago County, Illinois, Nicole D. Kron, David H. Malone, Eric W. Peterson

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

This study involves the construction of a three-dimensional (3D) geologic model of Paleozoic strata that are part of an underground gas storage field in northern, Illinois, USA. The Pecatonica Anticline trends 60W and plunges gently to the southeast. It is 10 km long and 3 km wide, and verges to the NE. Six water wells and 22 gas wells were used to create the 3-D geologic model in Petrel using well tops as determined from wire-line logs. The following horizons were created for the Cambrian and Ordovician strata: the Ancell, Trempealeau, Franconia, Ironton-Galesvilles, Eau Claire Proviso A and B, Eau …

The Effects Of Invasive Earthworm Species On Salamanders In The Grand Valley State University Ravine Ecosystem, Hunter J. Brunges, James Dunn

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Earthworms are an invasive species that are causing ecological damage to northern forest ecosystems. The disruption to soil nutrient cycling and litter decomposition can negatively impact organisms that live within the leaf litter, such as salamanders. To test this hypothesis, we sampled earthworms within three ravines at thirty-six sites using the mustard extraction method. We surveyed salamander populations on two dates in 2015 at each site using cover boards. We also collected data on slope aspect, altitude, soil moisture, leaf litter coverage, canopy cover, and coarse woody debris at each site to determine their effects on earthworm and salamander populations. …

Accelerated Degradation Of Chlorinated Solvents By Copper-Modified Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron (Cu-Nzvi) Stabilized With Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Andrew Franze

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Nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) is a remediation technology that can be used to treat chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) in contaminated aquifers. Nanoparticles remain mobile in water and can be transported with groundwater flow to contaminated zones. However, due to magnetic and van der Waals forces, unstabilized nZVI agglomerates. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was used as a polyelectrolyte stabilizer in this study. nZVI serves as an electron donor and can dechlorinate CHCs. nZVI reactivity with CHCs can be enhanced by addition of a secondary metal catalyst. This study evaluates the potential of copper amended nZVI (Cu-nZVI) to degrade select CHCs. The objective of …

Stability Of Monomethylmercury In Water, Sarah Elyse Harvey

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Monomethylmercury (MMHg) bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs, leading to concentrations in fish that increase health risks for humans who consume fish. As a result of processes that produce and decompose it, MMHg concentrations are notoriously unstable in many natural waters. I examined the stability of MMHg in both filter-sterilized (< 0.1 µm) reagent-grade water and 0.22-µm filtered sediment pore water from Grand Lake St. Marys, Auglaize and Mercer Counties, Ohio, each at three MMHg treatment concentrations (1, 5, and 50 ng/L). Reagent-grade water samples were incubated under both light and dark conditions at either 5 or 26 °C for 112 days. Pore water samples were incubated in the dark at 26 °C, mimicking environmental conditions, for a period of 98 days. Decay constants (± 95% CI) for solutions containing either 1 or 5 ng/L MMHg in reagent-grade water ranged from 0.0009 ± 0.0013 to 0.1225 ± 0.0150 d-1, with greater decay constants at higher temperature and no significant effect of light exposure. In contrast, decay constants for 50 ng/L MMHg in reagent-grade water were much less than those in more dilute solutions, ranging from 0.0018 ± 0.0015 to 0.0055 ± 0.0023 d-1, with both light and temperature influencing MMHg decomposition. Decay constants of MMHg in pore water were found to be independent of initial concentration of MMHg; however, decay constants in pore water samples were 3-fold higher than those in reagent-grade water amended with the same initial concentration (p = 0.007). These results suggest that natural constituents in pore water accelerate MMHg decay reactions.

4-D Evolution Of Anticlines And Implications For Hydrocarbon Exploration Within The Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Mjahid M. Zebari, Caroline M. Burberry

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, extending from southern Iran, through northern Iraq and into Turkey, is characterized by elongate NW-trending anticlines that house large hydrocarbon accumulations. In recent years, the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq has become an area of interest for both structural studies and petroleum exploration-related investigation. Key questions to be answered concern the nature of the anticlines and whether the geometry of any associated thrusts can be predicted from surface geomorphology, as well the 4-D evolution of the area and along-strike continuity of the anticlines. To address these questions, this study combines field data, remote-sensing data concerning the …

Integrating Geoscience Into Undergraduate Education About Environment, Society, And Sustainability Using Place-Based Learning: Three Examples, David Gosselin, Steven Burian, Tim Lutz, Julie Maxson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

From water to energy, and from climate change to natural hazards, the geosciences (marine, Earth, and atmospheric science) have an important role to play in addressing a wide range of societal issues, with particular relevance to how humans can live sustainably on Earth. Although arguably important to developing solutions for many societal issues, more often than not, students have limited exposure to the geosciences in high school or college. To address this geoscience literacy problem, the Interdisciplinary Teaching of Geoscience for a Sustainable Future (InTeGrate) Talent Expansion Center has engaged members of the geoscience community and their colleagues in allied …

Water Quality Of The Upper Little Miami River Watershed In Ohio: Impacts Of Natural And Anthropogenic Processes, David Allan Huff

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Stream water quality is increasingly threatened by expanding anthropogenic activities, mainly through point source discharges and urban and agricultural runoffs of contaminants getting through a water body's watershed resulting in pollution. Concerns developed as to whether urban or agricultural type activities were causing most water quality impairment issues in the upper Little Miami River watershed in southwest Ohio.

Characterizing the upper Little Miami River (LMR) watershed with respect to water chemistry and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) while evaluating the sources of any higher than expected natural parameter concentrations, with a strong emphasis on the nutrients phosphorus and nitrate, serves as …

Accelerated Degradation Of Chlorinated Solvents By Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Coated With Iron Monosulfide And Stabilized With Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Shirin Ghahghaei Nezamabadi

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Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) injections have proven to be a promising approach for the remediation of aquifers contaminated by chlorinated organic pollutants. This study compares the efficacy of nZVI in sulfidated and unamended forms in degrading selected chlorinated hyrocarbons (CHCs). Results show that nZVI amended with iron monosulfide (FeS) increases the rate of dechlorination of CT, CF and 1,1,1-TCA compared to that by unamended nZVI. The focus of this research was to characterize degradation kinetics and degradation byproduct distributions of CT, CF and 1,1,1-TCA by nZVI coated by iron monosulfide, which is represented as nZVI/FeS. To prevent nZVI particles from …

Algal Quality Controls The Distribution, Behavior And Growth Of Algivorous Cichlids In Lake Tanganyika, Renalda Nanziga Munubi

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The nutritional value of primary producer is dependent on the concentrations of C, N and P. These elements are the building blocks for protein, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biochemical compounds. The balance between the supply of dietary elements and the herbivore's demand is crucial for the growth of algivorous organisms, including fish. However, anthropogenic changes in primary producer quality due to sediments may alter the value and quantity of food in the littoral zone of Lake Tanganyika, which may affect both herbivorous near shore and pelagic fisheries. This dissertation focuses on the influence of algae food on herbivore …

Impact Of Antecedent Groundwater Heads And Transient Aquifer Storage On Flood Peak Attenuation In An Unconfined Karst Aquifer: Study Of The Upper Suwannee River, Florida, Usa., Jeremy Loucks

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Flood peak attenuation is an important aspect of understanding flooding and its effects. Few studies exist that look at the effects of ground-surface water interactions in regards to peak attenuation, and fewer still focus on karst environments. In the karstic, variably confined Suwannee River Basin, discharge, river stage, and water table data that were collected over a ten-year period were analyzed to determine the relationship between antecedent groundwater head and flood peak attenuation. Flooding causes high hydraulic heads in the river, which rise faster than corresponding groundwater heads. Springs which normally feed groundwater into the river reverse flow, and conduits …

Insights Into The Relationship Between Mixing Duration And Volcanic Explosivity Index (Vei): Pacaya And Fuego Volcanoes, Guatemala, Nicola Mari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigates whether the timing of magma mixing phenomena could be related to explosivity and style of volcanic activity. Lava flow and tephra samples, derived from observed, energetically-diverse eruptions, from Pacaya and Fuego volcanoes (Guatemala), were studied, the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) was used as an indicator of eruption intensity. Polarized light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for textural and geochemical measurements. Results are interpreted as evolution of mixing through changes in textures of plagioclase and olivine crystals. These suggest that boxy-cellular plagioclase (high frequency in VEI 0 samples) is associated with brief mixing residence …

The Importance Of Supersaturated Silica Deposition For Base-Metalau-Ag Mineralisation In Western Turkey, Gülcan Bozkaya, David A. Banks

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

In the Arapuçandere LS-IS epithermal deposit in western Turkey, either well crystallised euhedral quartz or milky amorphous silica occurrences are associated with the precious and base-metal mineralisation. This study has determined the relative importance of the processes precipitating both of these in relation to the deposition of the ore. Analysis by LA-ICPMS of euhedral quartz and amorphous silica show that the latter is associated with much higher metal concentrations and suggests that the process responsible is more important for deposition of ore in the deposit. Mineralisation at Kumarlar and Koru may be similar. Slow cooling precipitates euhedral quartz and some …

The Effects Of Bedding Directions On Abrasion Resistance In Travertine Rocks, Mehmedi̇ Vehbi̇ Gökçe

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Travertine rocks are currently used in various architectural applications, cut perpendicular or parallel to bedding planes. Travertine stones used without enough attention paid to the cutting directions easily wear off in locations where pedestrian traffic is heavy and can cause some unexpected complications in practice. This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of cutting directions on the abrasion resistance of travertine stones. Travertine blocks were cut perpendicular and parallel to bedding planes, and their abrasion resistances were determined by means of the Böhme abrasion loss test. Travertine blocks were chosen from 6 different quarries whose products are currently in …

Production, Persistence And Diversity Of Species In Temperate Grasslands, Meredith L. Mitchell, Brendan P. Christy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Temperate grassland areas are considered to be semi-arid, with rainfall typically between 250 and 500 mm, much of it occurring in the late spring and early summer. Grazing plays an important role in all these grasslands with impacts on diversity and persistence. Against this assumption that seasonal productivity would be more uniform within a pasture that was diverse, the research suggested that species rich pastures were less stable, because this species richness was composed of non-perennial, volunteer and weed species. This paper explores the concept that systems diversity of temperate grassland does not always equate to production. In these systems …

Using Various Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains During Forage Conservation Towards Fermentation, Storage, Nutritive Value And Safety Improvement, Jonas Jatkauskas, Vilma Vrotniakiene

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Many research efforts have been devoted to find ways how to produce silages with maximum nutritive value, good fermentation and low mould and yeast counts. While there are different objectives in using silage additives, the main objectives are to improve fermentation and reduce dry matter loss, and to prevent secondary fermentation at feed out time. This paper presents our most significant and recent investigations on forage inoculation before ensiling that have a potential for beneficial application on grassland and ruminant nutrition.

Traditional Livestock Production And Growth Opportunities In India, S. M. Deb

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock and animal health development projects need to be based on an understanding of livestock production systems because different systems need different approaches particularly in view of degradation of environment combined with population pressure. In India, the livestock production system is primarily traditional, consisting of mixed-farming and pastoral systems, therefore, development of marginal and smallholder mixed farms must aim at intensification of the total production system. Resource-poor farming systems may aim at the improved management of the various livestock species in backyards. Pastoral systems must focus on effective management of grazing pressure. Community pasture management involves application of technologies, land …

Nutrient Movements Through Ruminant Livestock Production Systems, Adegbola T. Adesogan, Jose C. B. Dubeux, Lynn E. Sollenberger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Considerable attention has been paid to reducing nutrient emissions from ruminant livestock in the last few decades. This area will continue to attract considerable research in the future due to increasing farm sizes in some developed countries as well as the increasing demand for meat and dairy products, particularly in developing countries. This paper discusses the deposition and losses of carbon and nitrogen in soils and plants in grazed and harvested forage systems as well as utilization and losses of both nutrients by ruminants in both systems. The paper also outlines several soil, plant, and animal-focused strategies that can be …

Rainwater Harvesting And Its Impact On Farming Systems, J. S. Samra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Landless, small holders and other poors supplement their livelihood and adapt to climate change by grazing, stall feeding with crop residues and fodder cultivated under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Improving productivity by conserving rainfall, ground water recharging, harvesting and recycling of rainwater especially in degraded open access or shared land with community participation was quite successful over a wide range of precipitation and ecological situations. Various types of trenches, bunding, vegetative barriers, gully plugs, ponds, check dams, land slides and mine spoils stabilization etc. retained more soil moisture, seeds, vegetative propagules etc. in situ and prevented soil erosion. It regenerated …