Earth Sciences Commons^™

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 …

An Integrated Analysis Of The Oppliger And Harkness Oil Fields Using Well Log Data And 3d Seismic Data, Casey B. Langdon

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Subsurface mapping from well points and 3D seismic interpretation are essential techniques used to study and locate structures in petroleum exploration. In this study, subsurface structure maps, detailed well log facies analysis, 3D seismic interpretation, and attribute analysis were used to map a Mississippian interval and middle Pennsylvanian age interval from two oil fields in Ness County, Kansas. The objective of this study is to analyze formation properties and facies distribution, map middle Pennsylvanian Cherokee channel deposits using seismic data, and to construct a structural model highlighting important features effecting oil production. Results show that the stratigraphic succession of this …

Measurement Of Antioxidant Activity Toward Superoxide In Natural Waters, D. Whitney King, Emma Berger, Zachary Helm, Eleanor Irish, Kenneth Mopper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Antioxidants are a class of molecules that provide a protective function against reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems by out competing physiologically important molecules for ROS oxidation. In natural waters, the reactivity of antioxidants gives an estimate of oxidative stress, and may determine the reactivity and distribution of reactive oxidants. We present an analytical method to measure antioxidant activity in natural waters through the competition between ascorbic acid, an antioxidant, and MCLA, a chemiluminescent probe for superoxide. A numerical kinetic model of the analytical method has been developed to optimize analytical performance. Measurements of antioxidant concentrations in pure and …

Water Vapour Variability In The High-Latitude Upper Troposphere- Part 2: Impact Of Volcanic Eruptions, Christopher E. Sioris, Jason Zou, C. Thomas Mcelroy, Chris D. Boone, Patrick E. Sheese, Peter F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The impact of volcanic eruptions on water vapour in the high-latitude upper troposphere is studied using deseasonalized time series based on observations by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) water vapour sensors, namely MAESTRO (Measurements of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation) and the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). The two eruptions with the greatest impact on the high-latitude upper troposphere during the time frame of this satellitebased remote sensing mission are chosen. The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic eruption in June 2011 was the most explosive in the past 24 years and is shown to be able to account …

Optimizing The Safety Margins Governing A Deterministic Design Process While Considering The Effects Of A Future Test And Redesign On Epistemic Model Uncertainty, Nathaniel B. Price

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

At the initial design stage, engineers often rely on low-fidelity models that have high uncertainty. Model uncertainty is reducible and is classified as epistemic uncertainty; uncertainty due to variability is irreducible and classified as aleatory uncertainty. In a deterministic safety-margin-based design approach, uncertainty is implicitly compensated for by using fixed conservative values in place of aleatory variables and ensuring the design satisfies a safety-margin with respect to design constraints. After an initial design is selected, testing (e.g. physical experiment or high-fidelity simulation) is performed to reduce epistemic uncertainty and ensure the design achieves the targeted levels of safety. Testing is …

Use Of Laboratory Geophysical And Geotechnical Investigation Methods To Characterize Gypsum Rich Soils, Raghava A. Bhamidipati

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Gypsum rich soils are found in many parts of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Most gypsum occurs in the form of evaporites, which are minerals that precipitate out of water due to a high rate of evaporation and a high mineral concentration. Gypsum rich soils make good foundation material under dry conditions but pose major engineering hazards when exposed to water. Gypsum acts as a weak cementing material and has a moderate solubility of about 2.5 g/liter. The dissolution of gypsum causes the soils to undergo unpredictable collapse settlement leading to severe structural damages. The damages incur …

Dating Deformation In The Palmer Zone Of Transpression, Central Massachusetts: Temporal Constraints On Models For Progressive Deformation In The Middle Crust, James K. Mcculla

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Palmer Zone of Transpression (PZoT) in the Bronson Hill zone of central Massachusetts is an expression of late Paleozoic oblique convergence between Avalonia and Laurentia. The steeply W-dipping, N-S trending PZoT is defined by bounding high strain zones (Mt. Dumplin on west, Central Maine and Conant Brook on east) of opposing shear sense enclosing the Monson orthogneiss. Research was designed to establish the timing of deformation to test the hypothesis that strain in transpressional systems occurs contemporaneously. An understanding of the timing of deformation in this zone could elucidate the mechanisms that formed the zone and contribute to a …

Lithostratigraphic And Geochemical Characterization Of The Upper Pennsylvanian ‘Wolfcamp D’ Shale, Midland Basin (Usa): Implications For Paleoenvironments And Unconventional Petroleum Reserviors, Patrick W. Baldwin

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

An integrated stratigraphic analysis of a ~350 ft drill core from Upton County (Texas) has revealed pervasive variability of several key siliciclastic and carbonate lithofacies in vertical section, where organic-rich siliceous mudrock beds alternate with aluminum-rich mudrocks and calcareous gravity flow deposits. Sediment chemistry, especially major and trace elements derived from x-ray fluorescence, captures this variability with high sensitivity. The high frequency chemostratigraphic variability appears to be cyclic, and it is interpreted to represent the first example of deep-water Late Pennsylvanian cyclothems for the Midland Basin. Positive trace metal (Mo, Cr) correlations to total organic carbon and gamma ray response …

Integrated Geophysical Methods In Investigation Of Claiborne Aquifer Hydrostratigraphy, Jackson Purchase, Kentucky, Marie Cooper

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Increased groundwater withdrawals associated with agricultural irrigation in the Jackson Purchase have prompted questions related to groundwater availability and sustainability. Key factors in addressing these questions are understanding the extent and variation in thickness of the local hydrostratigraphic system, which is the upper part of the Mississippi Embayment aquifer system. Correlations of 70 gamma-ray well logs, and 49 resistivity logs were made across parts of the Jackson Purchase in Fulton and Hickman Counties in order to delineate the upper Claiborne aquifer and middle Claiborne confining unit. Commercial software (i.e. Petra 3.8.3) was used to generate cross sections, structure and isopach …

Mobility Of Escherichia Coli Within Karst Terrains, Kentucky, Usa, Ashley M. Bandy

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Bacterial contamination of karst aquifers is a concern as water quality across the globe deteriorates in the face of decreasing water security. This study examined the transport and attenuation of two non-virulent isolates of Escherichia coli in relation to traditional groundwater tracers such as rhodamine WT dye and latex microspheres in two karst regions in Kentucky. Differential movement between the four tracers was observed in both epikarst and karst aquifer traces, with differences in behavior dependent on flow conditions. Attenuation was greater for the bacterial isolate containing the iha gene, compared to the isolate containing the kps gene. Microspheres of …

Spring Responses To Storms And Seasonal Variations In Recharge In The Middle Atlas Region Of Morocco, Brett Andrew Howell

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Springs in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco are significant sources for public water supply. From March 2014 to May 2015, water temperatures were measured hourly at three springs (Ribaa, Sidi Rached, and Zerouka); water levels were measured hourly at Sidi Rached and Zerouka; and daily turbidity data were obtained from Ribaa. From March 2014 to March 2015, daily water samples were taken at Zerouka for analyses of the stable isotopes deuterium and oxygen-18. Hourly weather data (precipitation and air temperature) were available from March 2014 to May 2015 from Ifrane, near Zerouka. Temperature responses varied between the springs, showing …

Paleoearthquakes Of The Past ~6000 Years At The Dead Mouse Site, West-Central Denali Fault At The Nenana River, Alaska, Joseph K. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Denali fault (DF) in south-central Alaska is a major right lateral strike-slip fault that parallels the Alaska Range for much of its length. This fault represents the largest seismogenic source for interior Alaska but due to its remote location and difficulty of access, a dearth of paleoearthquake (PEQ) information exists for this important feature. The fault system is over 1200 km in length and identification of paleoseismic sites that preserve more that 2-3 PEQs has proven challenging. In 2012 and 2015, we developed the ‘Dead Mouse’ site, which provides the first long PEQ record west of the 2002 rupture …

Denali In A Box: Analog Experiments Modeled After A Natural Setting Provide Insight On Gentle Restraining Bend Deformation, Anne M. Fendick

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Mount McKinley restraining bend (MMRB) creates an ~18° left-step in the arcuate surface trace of the dextral Denali Fault in south-central Alaska. Despite being a large, crustal-scale fault, little is understood about the controls on deformation within the MMRB. Similarities between previous wet kaolin analog modeling and the MMRB suggest that the first-order deformation patterns may derive from similar mechanisms. We compare uplift patterns, localization of deformation, formation of new faults, and displacement fields from the analog model and the natural setting to assess the influence of different variables on the overall system. Despite strong rheological heterogeneity in the …

Development Of A Semi-Automated Methodology For Discriminating Between Natural And Manmade Seismic Events Using The Oiink Seismic Array, Paul Rodriguez Asihama

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Broadband waveforms from the Ozark, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky temporary seismic array OIINK, a Flexible Array in the EarthScope project, were used to develop routines to identify and remove mine blast events from a database of local events and preserve the infrequent, small, natural earthquakes. The approach taken was to first create a database of all seismic events that were detected by the OIINK Seismic Array. False-detections, events detected from outside of the project area (approx. 302 thousand square km), and known (i.e. cataloged) local earthquake were also removed. The remaining in the database were local unknown events. During the Phase …

Stratigraphic, Geochemical, And Well Log Analysis Of The Wolfcamp-D Unconventional Play In The Central Midland Basin, Texas, Patrick Thomas Ryan

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This M.S. thesis utilizes diverse subsurface datasets from the central Midland Basin, a recently reinvigorated petroleum producing region, to better understand the depositional history of the prospective Wolfcamp-D interval. An integrated set of methods were applied to ~320 ft of drill core from Midland County (Texas). Elemental chemostratigraphy collected via x-ray fluorescence highlights the pervasive fine-scale variability in the stratigraphy of the core, and aided in the classification of three different mudrock facies types. Organic-rich, siliceous mudrocks are cyclically interbedded with aluminum-rich mudrocks and carbonates throughout the Wolfcamp-D. Trace metal correlations with total organic carbon indicate slow bottom-water recharge from …

Field, Geochronologic, And Geochemical Constraints On Late Precambrian To Early Paleozoic Terrane Accretion In The Southern Appalachian Blue Ridge Province, Emma A. Larkin

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Xenolith-bearing orthogneiss of Amazonian affinity discovered in the Dellwood quadrangle in the Blue Ridge basement complex represents the oldest crustal component of the southern Appalachians (1.33 – 1.37 Ga: Quinn, 2012). New U-Pb zircon ages for migmatitic paragneiss of the Cartoogechaye terrane exposed in the Dellwood quadrangle reveal two unique detrital zircon age signatures that indicate either a local eastern Laurentian margin source or an exotic source. Detailed mapping, whole rock geochemistry, and U-Pb zircon geochronology were conducted to determine whether this exotic crustal component extends farther south into the Hazelwood 7.5” quadrangle. Lithological similarities exist between paragneisses in the …

Effects Of Hydrology On The Growth And Recruitment Of Stream Fish In The Eastern Broadleaf Province Of Minnesota, Eric J. Krumm

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Agricultural practices and urban development have altered streamflows within the Eastern Broadleaf Province of Minnesota. Stream-flow alteration can produce significant changes in native freshwater communities. Therefore, knowledge of streamflow effects on representative freshwater populations and communities within the province are needed to maintain ecological integrity. Fish community and population dynamics often display predictable responses to flow regimes, which can make fishes model organisms for examining flow-ecology relationships.

In lotic systems, annual variation in streamflow can influence the annual growth and recruitment of fishes. Understanding the growth and recruitment of fish populations is essential for management and conservation efforts. Growth can …

Late Quaternary Chronostratigraphy Of The Aegean Sea Sediments: Special Reference To The Ages Of Sapropels S1?S5, Ekrem Bursi̇n İşler, Richard Nicholas Hiscott, Ali̇ Engi̇n Aksu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Four sapropel layers (S1, S3, S4, and S5) are identified in five 6-10-m-long piston cores collected from the Aegean Sea basins. A chronostratigraphic framework is established for the last ~130 ka using benthic and planktonic foraminiferal oxygen isotope curves, total organic carbon contents, volcanic ash layers, and limited radiocarbon dates. These data show that the onsets of sapropels S3, S4, and S5 in the Aegean Sea basins were not synchronous, highlighting the heterogeneity of the Aegean Sea basins in terms of rapid versus lagged responses to changing ocean-climate boundary conditions. In all cases, however, the development of sapropels S3, S4, …

Upper Cenomanian-Lower Campanian Derdere And Karababa Formations In The Çemberlitaş Oil Field, Southeastern Turkey: Their Microfacies Analyses, Depositional Environments, And Sequence Stratigraphy, Oğuz Mülayi̇m, Ernest Mancini, İbrahi̇m Çemen, İsmai̇l Ömer Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The frontal belt of the southeastern Anatolia fold-thrust belt in Turkey contains several small to mid-size oilfields, producing from carbonate reservoirs of the Cretaceous Mardin group. Many of these fields are found along narrow, asymmetrical anticlinal structures, associated with the formation of the fold-thrust belt. The Çemberlitaş oil field in Adıyaman, southeastern Turkey, is one of the most important oilfields in the region. It produces from the Upper Cretaceous Derdere and Karababa formations of the Mardin group. We have conducted a detailed study of the microfacies, depositional environments, and sequence stratigraphy of the Karababa (Coniacian-lower Campanian) and Derdere (mid-Cenomanian-Turonian) formations …

Tracking The Uplift Of The Bolkar Mountains (South-Central Turkey): Evidence From Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology, Fati̇h Karaoğlan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronology is applied to the Horozköy granitoid, which outcrops within the Bolkar Mountains (south-central Turkey). The region comprises the Niğde Massif to the north, the Inner Tauride Suture Zone, and the Central Taurides to the south. The Niğde Massif and the Central Taurides collided during the Eocene following north-dipping subduction of the Inner Tauride Ocean beneath the Niğde Massif. The Ulukışla Basin formed above this suture zone. The AFT ages range between 23 and 16 Ma, although there was no significant uplift or exhumation during this period. During the Oligo-Miocene, the region experienced a slow uplift …

Quartz-Mica Schist And Gneiss Hosted Clay Deposits Within The Yenipazar(Yozgat, Central Anatolia) Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Ore, Şih Ali̇ Sayin

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Yenipazar deposit of volcanogenic sulfide occurrence, situated approximately 9 km SW of Yenipazar, is hosted in quartz-muscovite schists and gneiss. Following the Late Cretaceous, the quartz-mica schists and gneiss have been altered to clay minerals, resulting in important kaolin deposits. The clay deposits consist mainly of halloysite, kaolinite, smectite, illite, muscovite, chlorite, and α-quartz. Biotite, alunite, jarosite, pyrite, hematite, calcite, low cristobalite, and feldspar are present in minor amounts. In places, some mixed-layer clays, such as kaolinite/smectite and smectite/illite, are also observed within the clay deposits. Barite is present in a few clay samples. α-Quartz is the dominant silica …

Nummulitic Facies Of The Crimean-Caucasian Region, Ekaterina A. Lygina, Pavel A. Fokin, Ludmila F. Kopaevich, Anatoly M. Nikishin, Elena V. Yakovishina

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The nummulitic limestones of Crimea and the southwestern Caucasus, often interpreted as "nummulite banks", formed carbonate platforms throughout most of the Ypresian-Lutetian. Such deposits were accumulated in shallow warm-water basins of Crimea and the Caucasus, which differed from each other by the structure of the basement and the hydrodynamic regime. The Crimean carbonate platform was relatively flat and was formed mainly within quiet hydrodynamic conditions below the fair-weather wave base (less than 50 m). The facies changes within it reflect variations in water depth. Facies distinguished there form the nummulite bank, its lee-side slope, the shelf plain in the rear …

Comparison Between Natural Radioactivity Levels Andgeochemistry Of Some Granitoids In Western Turkey, Si̇bel Tatar Erkül, Süleyman Fati̇h Özmen, Fuat Erkül, İsmai̇l Boztosun

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Granitoids commonly include K-feldspar, biotite and zircon, apatite, titanite, allanite, and xenotime crystals, which are known to contain common radioactive elements. Radioactive isotopes of 40K, 238U, and 232Th can be harmful to human health with increasing dosage and their quantification should be well defined to assess the suitability of wall-rock granitoids for indoor and outdoor purposes. In this study, it is aimed to correlate the possible relationship between concentrations of natural radionuclides and SiO2, Na2O, K2O, and CaO together with elements U, Th, Zr, Y, Ba, Rb, and Sr to provide a basic approach to the compatibility of geochemical data …

The New Empirical Magnitude Conversion Relations Using An Improved Earthquake Catalogue For Turkey And Its Near Vicinity (1900-2012), Fi̇li̇z Tuba Kadi̇ri̇oğlu, Recai̇ Feyi̇z Kartal

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Empirical magnitude conversion relationships are one of the important parameters for not only seismological studies but also seismic hazard analysis and development of the attenuation relationships. Particularly, for seismic hazard analysis, conversion of various types of magnitudes to moment magnitude, which is the most reliable and common magnitude scale, is a key requirement. Within this scope, different magnitude conversion equations have been derived by various researchers in the literature. In this study, new empirical magnitude conversion formulas for conversion from mb, ML, Md, and MS to Mw were derived by using a recently established earthquake catalogue. The most important feature …

Mineralogy, Geochemistry, And Depositional Environment Of The Beduh Shale(Lower Triassic), Northern Thrust Zone, Iraq, Faraj Tobia, Sirwa Shangola

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Integrated mineralogical and geochemical methods are utilized to investigate the provenance, paleoweathering, and depositional setting of shale from the Lower Triassic Beduh Formation in the Northern Thrust Zone, Iraq. The ~64-m-thick Beduh Formation consists of calcareous shale and marl intercalations with thin calcareous sandstone interbeds. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that clay minerals comprise illite, kaolinite, and chlorite, with a minor mixed layer of illite/smectite and illite/chlorite. Calcite and quartz are the main nonclay species with subordinate amounts of feldspar and hematite. The mineralogical and geochemical parameters of the shale (e.g., high content of illite and moderate illite crystallinity index, Al2O3/TiO2, …

Mineral Chemistry Of Igneous Rocks In The Lar Cu-Mo Prospect, Southeastern Part Of Iran: Implications For P, T, And ƒO2, Rahele Moradi, Mohammad Boomeri, Sasan Bagheri, Kazuo Nakashima

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Lar Cu-Mo prospect is located 20 km north of Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. This area is geologically situated in the Sistan Suture Zone. The Cu-Mo mineralization occurs as silicic veins in the Lar igneous rocks and includes hypogene chalcopyrite, bornite, and molybdenite mineralization. The syenite to monzonite host rocks occur as stock and dyke and display granular to porphyritic texture. In this study, mineral chemistry and petrographic examination of igneous rocks are used to constrain the crystallization conditions of the magma. The compositional range of plagioclase is relatively narrow (0.11%-26.05% An), whereas that of potassium feldspar is …

Geochemistry And C, O, And Sr Isotope Composition Of The Föderata Group Metacarbonates (Southern Veporicum, Western Carpathians, Slovakia):Constraints On The Nature Of Protolith And Its Depositional Environment, Marek Vdacny, Peter Ruzicka, Anna Vozarova

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Major, trace, and rare earth element as well as C, O, and Sr isotope geochemistry is used to provide new insights into the characteristics and depositional environment of the protolith of the Föderata Group metacarbonates in the southern Veporicum cover sequence (Western Carpathians, Slovakia). The metacarbonates are characterized by high LOI and CaO and by small contents of various insoluble components. Among the trace elements investigated, only As, Ba, Co, Cu, Hg, Nb, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sr, Th, U, Y, Zn, and Zr display concentrations beyond their detection limits. The metacarbonates are strongly depleted in Rb, Ba, Th, Nb, …

Source Mechanism Analysis Of Single-Well Microseismic Data Using Full-Wavefield Moment Tensor Inversion, Trudy Watkins

LSU Master's Theses

Receiver angular coverage of microseismic sources occurring during hydraulic fracturing treatments is an important factor to consider when interpreting moment tensor inversion results. A horizontal receiver array can provide greater angular coverage of vertical failure planes than a vertical receiver array. The source orientation can be accurately determined if the array samples both sides of the failure plane. However, the compensated-linear-vector-dipole (CLVD) mechanism can be overestimated by up to ~40% for double-couple (DC) sources and the isotropic mechanism can be overestimated by ~70% for CLVD sources. Source mechanism constraints on the moment tensor inversion are used to mitigate the lack …

A Geochronological And Stratigraphic Reconstruction Of The Middle Barataria Bay Receiving Basin, Joseph Ethan Thomas Hughes

LSU Master's Theses

Barataria Bay, one of the largest receiving basins for the Mississippi deltaic complex, is the location of a proposed river-sediment diversion for delta restoration. In order to determine how the sediment in the receiving-basin may respond to diversion flows, twenty-five sediment vibracores were collected from a 115 km2 study area located near Myrtle Grove and Bayou Dupont, southeast of New Orleans, LA. These cores were subject to multiple tests, including gamma bulk density scans, grain size analysis, and loss-on-ignition, in order to identify the lithology and stratigraphy. In addition, 137Cs and 14C dating techniques were employed in order to construct …

The Role Of Amino Acids In The Nitrogen Cycle Of Peatlands, Tia Scarpelli

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Future release of carbon from peatlands in response to climate change may be impacted by nitrogen limitation. The current study considers the role of amino acids as a nitrogen source in peatlands. The total free amino acid (TFAA) concentration for peats ranged from 0-2.3 µM, and leucine was the primary contributor. The dominance of sedge or ericaceous shrub plant types did not significantly impact the TFAA pool. Ammonium concentrations were much greater than TFAA and nitrate concentrations. TFAA concentrations were greatest in spring and least in fall. The springtime maxima and summer decrease in concentrations were simulated in a modeling …