Earth Sciences Commons^™

A New Pelagic Conodont Taxon Of The Central Pontides (Turkey), Ali̇ Murat Kiliç

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Hallstatt-type limestones in the Central Pontides yield abundant conodonts of the genus Gladigondolella ranging throughout the entire studied sequence and indicating Anisian to Early Carnian ages. Gladigondolella okayi n. sp. is described.

Organic Geochemistry And Element Distribution In Coals Formed In Eocene Lagoon Facies From The Eastern Black Sea Region, Ne Turkey, Çi̇ğdem Saydam Eker, İbrahi̇m Akpinar, Ferkan Si̇pahi̇

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The amount and type, the inorganic element content, and the maturity of organic materials of Eocene coals, shaly coals, and coaly shales exposed in the Gümüşhane and Bayburt districts of the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey were investigated. The depositional environments and hydrocarbon potentials were also interpreted. The total organic carbon concentrations in the studied samples ranged from 0.50% to 63.08%. The samples from Özyurt, Kayadibi, and Tarhanas contained types II and III kerogen, and those from Sökmen and Manas contained type III kerogen. The samples contained Co, Cs, Ga, Hf, Th, U, Y, Mo, Be, Cd, Sb, and …

Geochemical Characterization And Palynological Studies Of Some Agbada Formation Deposits Of The Niger Delta Basin: Implications For Paleodepositional Environments, Olajide Femi Adebayo, Segun Ajayi Akinyemi, Henry Yemagu Madukwe, Adeyinka Oluyemi Aturamu, Adebayo Olufemi Ojo

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Forty-two ditch cutting samples of the KR-1 offshore well from depths of 9660 ft to 10,920 ft composited at 90-ft intervals were subjected to sedimentological, micropaleontological, and geochemical analyses using standard procedures and the laser ablation-induced coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique, respectively. Sedimentological analysis revealed the presence of glauconites and the rare occurrence of framboidal pyrites, indicative of deposition in a slightly anoxic marine environment. Palynomorph percentage distribution shows that there are more terrestrially derived miospores (dominated by Zonocostites ramonae (Rhizophora spp.), Psilatricolporites crassus (Tabernaemontana crassa), Acrotichum aureum, and Laevigatosporites sp.) than marine phytoplanktons. Rare occurrence of Globoquadrina venezuelana, Globigerinoides …

Clay Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Three Offshore Wells In The Southwestern Black Sea, Northern Turkey: The Effect Of Burial Diagenesis On The Conversion Of Smectite To Illite, Yi̇nal Neşes Huvaj, Warren D. Huff

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The conversion of smectite to illite has long been studied by numerous researchers because of its importance as a diagenetic metric. Interpreting the pressure, temperature, and age of the sequences in which this conversion occurs provides the possibility to identify the historical maturation parameters of hydrocarbon sources. The Black Sea Basin is known to be an area that can provide source rocks for oil and gas production. The purpose of this study was to determine the clay minerals and their abundances, to establish a stratigraphic correlation among three wells, which is useful to select specific stratigraphic horizons for hydrocarbon exploration, …

A Comparison Between 2010 And 2006 Air Quality And Meteorological Conditions, And Emissions And Boundary Conditions Used In Simulations Of The Aqmeii-2 North American Domain, Till E. Stoeckenius, Christian Hogrefe, Justin Zagunis, Timonthy M. Sturtz, Benjamin Wells, Tanarit Sakulyanontvittaya

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Several participants in Phase 2 of the Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII-2) who are applying coupled models to the North American domain are comparing model results for two years, 2006 and 2010, with the goal of performing dynamic model evaluation. From a modeling perspective, the differences of interest are the large reductions in domain total emissions of NO_x (21%) and SO₂ (37%) from 2006 to 2010 and significant differences in meteorological conditions between these two years. The emission reductions occurred mostly in the eastern U.S, with some reduction in emissions from western wildfires in 2010. Differences …

Potential Aquifer Vulnerability In Regions Down-Gradient From Uranium In Situ Recovery (Isr) Sites, James A. Saunders, Bruce E. Pivetz, Nathan Voorhies, Richard T. Wilkin

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Sandstone-hosted roll-front uranium ore deposits originate when U(VI) dissolved in groundwater is reduced and precipitated as insoluble U(IV) minerals. Groundwater redox geochemistry, aqueous complexation, and solute migration are important in leaching uranium from source rocks and transporting it in low concentrations to a chemical redox interface where it is deposited in an ore zone typically containing the uranium minerals uraninite, pitchblende, and/or coffinite; various iron sulfides; native selenium; clays; and calcite. In situ recovery (ISR) of uranium ores is a process of contacting the uranium mineral deposit with leaching and oxidizing (lixiviant) fluids via injection of the lixiviant into wells …

Identification Of Putative Geographically Isolated Wetlands Of The Conterminous United States, Charles R. Lane, Ellen D'Amico

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) are wetlands completely surrounded by uplands. While common throughout the United States (U.S.), there have heretofore been no nationally available, spatially explicit estimates of GIW extent, complicating efforts to understand the myriad biogeochemical, hydrological, and habitat functions of GIWs and hampering conservation and management efforts at local, state, and national scales. We used a 10-m geospatial buffer as a proxy for hydrological or ecological connectivity of National Wetlands Inventory palustrine and lacustrine wetland systems to nationally mapped and available stream, river, and lake data. We identified over 8.3 million putative GIWs across the conterminous U.S., encompassing …

Water Consumption Estimates Of The Biodiesel Process In The Us, Qingshi Tu, Mingming Lu, Y. Jeffrey Yang, Don Scott

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

As a renewable alternative to petroleum diesel, biodiesel has been widely used in the US and the world. However, its potential impact on water resources has not been much evaluated. This study investigates water consumption from the biodiesel process, which includes three stages: soybean irrigation, soybean-to-soybean oil processing, and biodiesel manufacturing, at both national and state levels. Mass-based allocation is performed and water consumption at the three stages is obtained on the basis of million gallons per year and gallon water per gallon biodiesel (gal/gal). The normalized water consumption (water intensity) of the irrigation, oil processing, and biodiesel production stages …

Quantitative Structure–Mesothelioma Potency Model Optimization For Complex Mixtures Of Elongated Particles In Rat Pleura: A Retrospective Study, Philip M. Cook, Joseph Swintek, Timothy D. Dawson, David Chapman, Mathew A. Etterson, Dale Hoff

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Cancer potencies of mineral and synthetic elongated particle mixtures, including asbestos fibers, are influenced by changes in fiber dose composition, bioavailability, and biodurability in combination with relevant cytotoxic dose-response relationships. An extensive rat intrapleural dose characterization data set with a wide variety of elongated particles physicochemical properties facilitated statistical analyses of pleural mesothelioma response data combined from several studies for evaluation of alternative dose-response models. Utilizing logistic regression of individual elongated particle dimensional variations within each test sample, four major findings emerged: (1) Mild acid leaching provides superior prediction of tumor incidence compared to samples that were not leached; (2) …

Quantitative Structure–Mesothelioma Potency Model Optimization For Complex Mixtures Of Elongated Particles In Rat Pleura: A Retrospective Study, Philip M. Cook, Joseph Swintek, Timothy D. Dawson, David Chapman, Mathew A. Etterson, Dale Hoff

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Cancer potencies of mineral and synthetic elongated particle mixtures, including asbestos fibers, are influenced by changes in fiber dose composition, bioavailability, and biodurability in combination with relevant cytotoxic dose-response relationships. An extensive rat intrapleural dose characterization data set with a wide variety of elongated particles physicochemical properties facilitated statistical analyses of pleural mesothelioma response data combined from several studies for evaluation of alternative dose-response models. Utilizing logistic regression of individual elongated particle dimensional variations within each test sample, four major findings emerged: (1) Mild acid leaching provides superior prediction of tumor incidence compared to samples that were not leached; (2) …

Sea Lamprey Mating Pheromone Registered By U.S. Environmental Protection Agency As First Vertebrate Pheromone Biopesticide, Marc Gaden, Marisa Lubeck

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Ann Arbor, MI – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered a sea lamprey mating pheromone, 3kPZS, as the first ever vertebrate pheromone biopesticide in late December, 2015. Like an alluring perfume, the mating pheromone is a scent released by male sea lampreys to lure females onto nesting sites. Research and development of the mating pheromone was funded by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, with additional support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, in collaboration with federal government, university, and private industry partners.

Gross And Microscopic Lesions In Corals From Micronesia, T. M. Work, G. S. Aeby, K. A. Hughen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The authors documented gross and microscopic morphology of lesions in corals on 7 islands spanning western, southern, and eastern Micronesia, sampling 76 colonies comprising 30 species of corals among 18 genera, with Acropora, Porites, and Montipora dominating. Tissue loss comprised the majority of gross lesions sampled (41%), followed by discoloration (30%) and growth anomaly (29%). Of 31 cases of tissue loss, most lesions were subacute (48%), followed by acute and chronic (26% each). Of 23 samples with discoloration, most were dark discoloration (40%), with bleaching and other discoloration each constituting 30%. Of 22 growth anomalies, umbonate growth anomalies composed …

Droughtscape, Winter 2016, Kelly Smith

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

Contents

Director’s column

California drought FAQ

October-December 2015 drought

October-December 2015 impacts

2015 drought impacts in review

NDMC hiring geospatial analyst

CA drought exposes social vulnerability

UA helps Arizona ranchers, Forest Service work together

NDMC and partners help southern Plains ranchers manage drought

Chickasaw ranching workshop

Perchlorate Variations Over 300 Years: Influence Of Human Activities, Volcanic Eruptions And Bolide Events, Kari Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate, which derives from both anthropogenic and natural sources in the current environment, constitutes a significant health risk to humans because it competitively inhibits iodine uptake by the thyroid gland. Thus, there has been considerable interest in reducing the human exposure to environmental perchlorate by limiting the release of perchlorate from anthropogenic sources. However, a lack of understanding of the relative contributions from anthropogenic and natural sources has prevented widespread regulation. A 300-year ice core perchlorate record from Summit Station, Greenland (1700-2007 C.E.) that extends beyond the onset of the Industrial Revolution (1850 C.E.) is used to assess the anthropogenic …

Contribution Of Shallow Geology To Hydrocarbon Seep Formation In Green Canyon Block 600, Samantha Lynn Lucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Green Canyon Federal Protraction area in the Gulf of Mexico is rich in hydrocarbons. The movement of the Sigsbee salt escarpment in green canyon has resulted in a complex bathymetric profile and extensive shallow faulting that has allomigration of hydrocarbons to the surface creating cold seep sites. Green Canyon block 600 (gc600) contains multiple naturally occurring, active hydrocarbon seeps. Multi-beam bathymetry, backscatter, and polarity preserving chirp data were collected for gc600 to study the development of these naturally occurring seeps. Using these data, the structure and sedimentation of the first fifty meters can be studied in relation to the …

Cyclostratigraphy And Sedimentation Of The Cenomanian-Turonian Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, Christian Gilbert Kunhardt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A cyclostratigraphic and geochemical analysis was conducted on the basal high resistivity zone of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale to determine if orbital forcing is apparent in mineralogical data suites. Geochemical data suites obtained via x-ray diffraction from five cored wells located near the southern Mississippi/Louisiana border were used in the study. The results were used in concert with previously published insolation and biostratigraphic data and unpublished stable carbon isotope data to determine sedimentation rate, to identify and correlate the cretaceous oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE 2) recovery period within the studied interval, and to determine the possible mechanisms of orbital …

Diffusion And Invasion Percolation: A Coupled Model To Simulate The Fate Of Trapped And Compressed Gases In Partially-Saturated Low Permeability Media, Ross Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hegranesþing On Hegranes: Geophysical Prospection Interim Report 2013 – 2015, Brian N. Damiata, John M. Steinberg, John W. Schoenfelder, Douglas J. Bolender

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

Geophysical surveys were conducted at Hegranesþing on Hegranes in North Icelad during the summers of 2013 and 2015.

Viability Of The Use Of Electromagnetic Induction To Predict Streambed Properties, Alexandra R. Hruby

UCARE: Research Products

This study examined whether electromagnetic induction is a reliable tool to predict various streambed properties, including water conductivity, water temperature, and hydraulic conductivity. The test site was along the North Loup River, outside of St. Paul, Nebraska. Electromagnetic induction was performed using a field portable, multi-frequency EMI tool. Hydraulic conductivity was measured using the falling-head permeameter test, and water temperature and conductivity were measured using handheld meters. The study found that there is a strong positive correlation between water conductivity and apparent electrical conductivity measured by electromagnetic induction. This relationship can be explored further through the analysis of spatial patterns …

Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Measurement Viability In Organic Rich Soils: Pxrf Response As A Function Of Organic Matter Presence, Roozbeh Ravansari

Wayne State University Theses

Portable X-Ray fluorescence provides a cost effective method for producing rapid geochemical data. With advancements in X-Ray generation and detection technology, pXRF has become feasible for use on pedologic materials. Factors affecting pXRF soil measurements such as heterogeneity, moisture content, object geometry, and matrix interferences are widely recognized. However, the influence of organic matter on pXRF soil measurements is poorly understood.

This study examined the influence of organic matter fraction on pXRF trace metal measurements in a soil matrix. Incremental addition of three organic matter surrogates (cellulose, graphite powder, and confectioner’s sugar) was used to investigate the influence of increasing …

Integration Of Deterministic And Stochastic Models In A 1,4-Dioxane Contaminated Glacial Aquifer System, Washtenaw County, Michigan, Lena Kristin Pappas

Wayne State University Theses

Hybrid models incorporating stochastic variability within a deterministic hydrostratigraphic framework provide an effective way to assess uncertainty in flow and transport model predictions. This study evaluated the distribution of groundwater flow and contaminant transport pathways in two ensembles of spatially variable hydraulic conductivity (K) distributions. The models comprised a 360 ft-thick sequence of Pleistocene glacial sediments in in an approximately 8 mi2 area across Washtenaw County, Michigan. Conditioned K fields were generated using Sequential Gaussian Simulation (SGS) and Sequential Indicator Simulation (SIS) constructed using indicator classes based on natural gamma ray logs from 77 monitoring wells. K fields were modeled …

Site Characteristics, Instrumentation, And Recordings Of The Central United States Seismic Observatory, Edward W. Woolery, Zhenming Wang, N. Seth Carpenter

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Central United States Seismic Observatory is a vertical seismic array in southwestern Kentucky within the New Madrid Seismic Zone. It is intended to record the effects of local geology, including thick sediment overburden, on seismic-wave propagation, particularly strong ground motion. The three-borehole array is composed of seismic sensors placed on the surface, in the bedrock, and at various depths within the 585-m-thick sediment overburden. The array's deep borehole also provides a unique opportunity to describe the geology and geophysically measure the complete Late Cretaceous through Quaternary stratigraphy in the northern Mississippi Embayment.

Based on the surface and borehole geophysical …

Analysis Of Carbon Dioxide And Cloud Effects On Temperature In Northeast China, Hyunsoo Lee

Geosciences Faculty Publications

With the observed rise in temperature, many researchers have tried to identify the causes of such climate change to help mitigate its effects. The objective of this study is to determine whether, under the same carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, CO2 with lower cloud coverage would raise the temperature at a greater rate than CO2 with higher cloud coverage. The hypothesis was tested through data analysis and modeling. The relationships between the temperature and the CO2 emissions, the temperature and the cloud coverage, and the CO2 emissions and the cloud coverage were identified using Pearson's correlation test. The data analysis concluded …

Volcanic Lightning In Eruptions Of Sakurajima Volcano, Harald E. Edens, Ronald J. Thomas, Sonja A. Behnke, Stephen R. Mcnutt, Cassandra M. Smith, Alexandra Farrell, Alexa R. Van Eaton, Corrado Cimarelli, Valeria Cigala, Ken Eack, Graydon Aulich, Christopher Michael, Daisuke Miki, Masato Iguchi

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

In May 2015 a field program was undertaken to study volcanic lightning at the Sakurajima volcano in southern Japan. One of the main goals of the study was to gain a better understanding of small electrical discharges in volcanic eruptions, expanding on our earlier studies of volcanic lightning at Augustine and Redoubt volcanoes in Alaska, USA, and Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. In typical volcanic eruptions, electrical activity occurs at the onset of an eruption as a near-continual production of VHF emissions at or near to the volcanic vent. These emissions can occur at rates of up to tens of thousands of …

Encrustation Of Inarticulate Brachiopods On Scaphitid Ammonites And Inoceramid Bivalves From The Upper Cretaceous U. S. Western Interior, Neil H. Landman, Joshua S. Slattery, Peter J. Harries

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The inarticulate brachiopod Discinisca is a rare faunal element in the Upper Cretaceous of the U.S. Western Interior. We report two occurrences of encrustation of Discinisca on a scaphitid ammonite (scaphite) and several inoceramids from the lower Maastrichtian Baculites baculus/Endocostea typica Biozones of the Pierre Shale at two localities. Six specimens of Discinisca are present on a single specimen of Hoploscaphites crassus from east-central Montana. They occur along the furrow at the mature apertural margin. Because the brachiopods are restricted to the margin and do not occur on the rest of the shell, it is likely that they …

A Fossilized Energy Distribution Of Lightning, Matthew A. Pasek, Marc Hurst

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

When lightning strikes soil, it may generate a cylindrical tube of glass known as a fulgurite. The morphology of a fulgurite is ultimately a consequence of the energy of the lightning strike that formed it, and hence fulgurites may be useful in elucidating the energy distribution frequency of cloud-to-ground lightning. Fulgurites from sand mines in Polk County, Florida, USA were collected and analyzed to determine morphologic properties. Here we show that the energy per unit length of lightning strikes within quartz sand has a geometric mean of ~1.0 MJ/m, and that the distribution is lognormal with respect to energy per …

Evaluation Of Aster-Like Daily Land Surface Temperature By Fusing Aster And Modis Data During The Hiwater-Musoexe, Guijun Yang, Qihao Weng, Ruiliang Pu, Feng Gao, Chenhong Sun, Hua Li, Chunjiang Zhao

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Land surface temperature (LST) is an important parameter that is highly responsive to surface energy fluxes and has become valuable to many disciplines. However, it is difficult to acquire satellite LSTs with both high spatial and temporal resolutions due to tradeoffs between them. Thus, various algorithms/models have been developed to enhance the spatial or the temporal resolution of thermal infrared (TIR) data or LST, but rarely both. The Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) is the widely-used data fusion algorithm for Landsat and MODIS imagery to produce Landsat-like surface reflectance. In order to extend the STARFM application over …

Developing Priority Variables (“Ecosystem Essential Ocean Variables” — Eeovs) For Observing Dynamics And Change In Southern Ocean Ecosystems, Andrew J. Constable, Daniel P. Costa, Oscar Schofield, Louise Newman, Edward R. Urban Jr., Elizabeth A. Fulton, Jessica Melbourne-Thomas, Tosca Ballerini, Philip W. Boyd, Angelika Brandt, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

Reliable statements about variability and change in marine ecosystems and their underlying causes are needed to report on their status and to guide management. Here we use the Framework on Ocean Observing (FOO) to begin developing ecosystem Essential Ocean Variables (eEOVs) for the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS). An eEOV is a defined biological or ecological quantity, which is derived from field observations, and which contributes significantly to assessments of Southern Ocean ecosystems. Here, assessments are concerned with estimating status and trends in ecosystem properties, attribution of trends to causes, and predicting future trajectories. eEOVs should be feasible to collect …

Middle Preclassic Period Maya Greenstone "Triangulates": Forms, Contexts, And Geology Of A Unique Mesoamerican Groundstone Artifact Type, Terry G. Powis, Sherman Horn Iii, Gyles Iannone, Paul F. Healy, James F. Garber, Jaime J. Awe, Sheldon Skaggs, Linda A. Howie

Publications and Research

Over the past twenty years our understanding of the Middle Preclassic (900–300 BCE) period has become much clearer through archaeological investigations at a number of sites located in the Upper Belize River Valley region of the eastern Maya Lowlands. While the picture of Middle Preclassic Maya life, including their material culture, has sharpened, there are aspects that remain uninvestigated. One artifact type, identified as greenstone triangulates, has been found at several Belize Valley sites and in a variety of contexts. Although a number of these multifaceted, polished groundstone items have been recovered, little research has focused on their distribution and …

Effects Of Chemical Amendments To Swine Manure On Runoff Quality, Elizabeth L. Bullock, Dwayne R. Edwards, Phillip A. Moore Jr., Richard S. Gates

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land-applied swine manure can be an environmental concern when runoff losses of manure constituents occur. The use of chemical amendments to mitigate these losses has been investigated for poultry litter, but materials such as swine manure have received less attention in this context, particularly at the plot scale or larger. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impacts of aluminum sulfate (alum; Al₂(SO₄)₃), aluminum chloride (AlCl₃), and ferric chloride (FeCl₃) addition on runoff of selected constituents of land-applied swine manure. Manure was collected from feeder pigs fed a …