Earth Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Expression Of Civic-Engagement Values By Students In A Service-Learning Chemistry Course, Audrey Mcgowin, Rebecca Teed

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

A service-learning course at a midsized Midwestern research university was modified over a period of six years to integrate best-practice pedagogies that have been shown to increase civic engagement by students. Best-practice pedagogies included regular interaction with community partner(s), significant time spent on the service activity, and regular reflection (written and verbal) on the implications of the service activity. Besides water quality monitoring, students performed private well water analysis, wrote multiple formal reflection papers, and presented a public talk on the results of their project that included significant discussion time with community partners. Authentic expression of civic engagement values was …

A Nanoscale Investigation Of Carlin-Type Gold Deposits: An Atom-Scale Elemental And Isotopic Perspective, Philippe Gopon, James O. Douglas, Maria A. Auger, Lars Hansen, Jon Wade, Jean S. Cline, Laurence J. Robb, Michael P. Moody

Geoscience Faculty Research

Carlin-type gold deposits are one of the most important gold mineralization styles in the world. Despite their economic importance and the large volume of work that has been published, there remain crucial questions regarding their metallogenesis. Much of this uncertainty is due to the cryptic nature of the gold occurrence, with gold occurring as dispersed nanoscale inclusions within host pyrite rims that formed on earlier formed barren pyrite cores. The small size of the gold inclusions has made determining their nature within the host sulfides and the mechanisms by which they precipitated from the ore fluids particularly problematic. This study …

Joint Geodetic And Seismic Analysis Of Surface Crevassing Near A Seasonal Glacier-Dammed Lake At Gornergletscher, Switzerland, Louis Garcia, Karen M. Luttrell

Faculty Publications

Seasonal lake Gornersee forms at the confluence of Gornergletscher and Grenzgletscher, Switzerland, and experiences outburst floods annually in midsummer. To study the interplay between lake drainage, glacier movement and crevasse activity, high-frequency seismometers and GPS receivers were deployed in networks near Gornersee during the summer ablation seasons of 2004, 2006 and 2007. We use a Rayleigh wave coherence method to locate 3289, 7939 and 4087 icequakes, respectively, primarily along well-defined surface crevasses. We calculate two-dimensional strains from triads of GPS stations and find mean differential strain rates of similar to 300 x 10(-6) d(-1) with diurnal variations up to 800 …

Environmental Assessment Of Arsenic And Mercury Levels At The Garfield Mill Site, Calico, California, Steven Gregory Thorp

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Environmental impacts of mining at Calico, California, are poorly understood in comparison to the details of its history of silver production. Human health risks associated with arsenic from the lode rock, as well as mercury from the silver milling process, include central nervous system damage, organ failure, and death. To quantify the potential human health risk and manage remediation of this site, tailings from the Garfield Mill site were digitally mapped and chemically analyzed by portable x-ray fluorescence, which permitted volumetric estimates of total mill tailings and the arsenic and mercury budget, as well as identification of anomalies in the …

Elevated Temperature Attenuates Ovarian Functions And Induces Apoptosis And Oxidative Stress In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Potential Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Nash, Jackson Johnston, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is predicted to intensify thermal stress in marine and coastal organisms, affecting their development, growth, and reproductive functions. In this study, we performed histological observations on ovarian development, immunohistochemical analyses of ovarian heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species (RNS)), and dinitrophenyl protein (DNP, an indicator of protein oxidation) expressions, in situ TUNEL assay for cellular apoptosis, biochemical analyses of ovarian caspase-3/7 activity and protein carbonyl (PC, a measure of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) contents, nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels, and extrapallial fluid (EPF, an important body fluid) pH in the American oyster, …

Elevated Temperature Attenuates Ovarian Functions And Induces Apoptosis And Oxidative Stress In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Potential Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Nash, Jackson Johnstone, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is predicted to intensify thermal stress in marine and coastal organisms, affecting their development, growth, and reproductive functions. In this study, we performed histological observations on ovarian development, immunohistochemical analyses of ovarian heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species (RNS)), and dinitrophenyl protein (DNP, an indicator of protein oxidation) expressions, in situ TUNEL assay for cellular apoptosis, biochemical analyses of ovarian caspase-3/7 activity and protein carbonyl (PC, a measure of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) contents, nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels, and extrapallial fluid (EPF, an important body fluid) pH in the American oyster, …

Lead And Arsenic Contamination In Urban Soils In New York City, Anna Paltseva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examined total and bioaccessible soil lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) concentrations and their accumulation in commonly grown garden vegetables in New York City (NYC) metropolitan area. Direct oral ingestion of contaminated soil and consumption of plants that have accumulated Pb or As from underlying soil are known human exposure pathways in urban garden soils that often contain elevated levels of contaminants. The research had four components: (1) assessment of the variability of bioaccessible Pb in NYC urban soils; (2) field experiments to evaluate Pb stabilization and As mobilization by phosphate and alternative amendments; (3) development of a new …

The Role Of Fluids In Ore Remobilization At The Balmat Zinc Deposit, Ny, Peter D. Matt

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Shear zone-hosted orebodies at the Balmat, NY, zinc deposit were remobilized at the kilometer scale during amphibolite facies regional metamorphism ca. 1180 Ma. Despite there being little evidence for interaction of hydrous fluids and ores during deformation, such translocation distances are considered unlikely without the assistance of fluids. Two independent research methods, SEM-EDS micro-petrography and zinc isotope geochemical analysis, demonstrate that anatectic sulfide and silicate melts were generated during metamorphism. Micro-petrography of the Fowler ore body reveals low melting-temperature micro-inclusions of sulfosalt and sulfide assemblages which occur predominantly in Qtz-Py and Kfs-Py domains that cross-cut peak metamorphic assemblages. These results …

The Water/Energy Nexus: Climate, Consumption And Ecosystem Services, Hildegaard D. Link

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Water and energy are drivers of living systems. This work provides an assessment of the Water Energy Nexus in the United States, comparing the well-watered north-east and the arid west. Electric grid systems are most stressed on hot summer afternoons. Grid stress can lead to cascading failures of electricity, water and wastewater treatment systems. (Zimmerman, 2017) Water for power generation and/or water supply depend on ecosystem services. The ecosystem services and resource trade-offs embedded in provision of a watt of power and an ounce of potable water, however, have yet to be comprehensively enumerated nor have the cost relationships been …

Don Reduction Of Wheat Grain Without Compromising The Lab-Scale Milling Properties Of Flour, Jikai Zhao, Xin Liu, Fengcheng Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Wheat bran was investigated to be the most commonly contaminated raw material by mycotoxins. However, there are no economical and practical pretreatment methods for industrial on-line application until now. The effect of light debranning on deoxynivalenol (DON) removal, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and flour quality from lab-scale milling were performed. For on-line production, the DON concentration in wheat decreased 15.89% at debranning ratio of 1.2%. For lab experiment, the maximum DON removal for wheat and flour was 23.35% and 21.95%, respectively. However, the PPO activity, browning of dough sheet and flour qualities in lab scale exhibited no significant variation. …

Integrated Imaging: A Powerful But Undervalued Tool, Irina Filina, Ed K. Biegert, Luise Sander, Victoria Tschirhart, Neda Bundalo, Cara Schiek-Stewart

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Following the 2018 SEG Annual Meeting, the Gravity and Magnetics Committee held a postconvention workshop titled “Integrated Imaging.” The half-day workshop attracted nearly 50 participants from various backgrounds. Three primary objectives of the workshop were to explore the nonseismic toolbox, highlight real examples of integrated projects that benefited (or did not benefit) from nonseismic data, and provide geoscientists from all backgrounds a learning opportunity to see how they might optimize the value of their imaging projects via integration with relatively low-cost nonseismic methods. The workshop had a highly interactive format that differed from traditional presentation-based settings. After eight brief case …

Measurement And Characterization Of Infrasound From A Tornado Producing Storm, Brian R. Elbing, Christopher E. Petrin, Matthew Van Den Broeke

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

A hail-producing supercell on 11 May 2017 produced a small tornado near Perkins, Oklahoma (35.97, –97.04) at 2013 UTC. Two infrasound microphones with a 59-m separation and a regional Doppler radar station were located 18.7 and 70 km from the tornado, respectively. Elevated infrasound levels were observed starting 7min before the verified tornado. Infrasound data below ~5Hz was contaminated with wind noise, but in the 5–50 Hz band the infrasound was independent of wind speed with a bearing angle that was consistent with the movement of the storm core that produced the tornado. During the tornado, a 75 dB peak …

Abrupt Climate Transitions, Christine J. Ramadhin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Earth’s climate system displays a long history of nonlinear abrupt transitions which have resulted in significant ecosystem disruption and are recorded in the geologic data. Today significant anthropogenic changes are occurring in many Earth systems that seem to be pushing these toward critical thresholds. Thus, increasing the possibility of a transition to alternative states which can have unfavorable consequences. Therefore, it becomes compelling to forecast when and how these transitions will occur so that decision-makers can devise appropriate strategies to avoid or cope with the effects of a changeover to a new alternative state. However, due to the highly …

Oldowan Tool Behaviors Through Time On The Homa Peninsula, Kenya, Emma M. Finestone

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The adaptive significance of tool use to genus Homo is a central theme in human origins. However, what we know from the early Oldowan sites suggests that persistent technology may have begun as an opportunistic behavior with minimal investment, rather than a habitual and widespread adaptive revolution. This dissertation seeks to investigate investment in Oldowan tool production on the Homa Peninsula, Kenya, considering raw material selection, transport, and lithic production at two newly discovered Oldowan localities: Nyayanga (ca. 2.6 Ma) and Sare River (ca. 1.7 Ma).

The first section of this dissertation outlines a method that enables the comparison of …

Effects Of Electro-Osmotic Consolidation Of Clays And Its Improvement Using Ion Exchange Membranes, Lucas Martin

Dissertations

Electro-osmosis is an established method of expediting consolidation of soft, saturated clayey soils compared to commonly used methods, such as preloading with wick drains. In electro-osmotic consolidation a direct current (DC) is applied via inserted electrodes. This causes hydrated ions in the interstitial fluid to migrate to oppositely charged electrodes. Because the clay particles have a negative surface charge, the majority of ions in the interstitial fluid are positively charged. Therefore, the net flow will be towards the negatively charged electrode (cathode), where the water can be removed and thus consolidation is achieved. Certain problems, such as pH changes in …

Prevalence And Distribution Of Ranavirus In Amphibians From, Drew R. Davis, Jillian K. Farkas, Taylor R. Kruisselbrink, Jessa L. Watters, Elyse D. Ellsworth, Jacob L. Kerby, Cameron D. Siler

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Several infectious diseases are threatening amphibian species worldwide and have resulted in massmortality events across the globe. An emerging group of viral pathogens (ranaviruses) are documented to cause die-offs in amphibian populations worldwide, including in several regions of the U.S. Unfortunately, large gaps remain in our understanding of the distribution of this systemic pathogen in the U.S., including within the state of Oklahoma. To address this gap in our understanding, we carried out surveys of this infectious pathogen across 14 sites in seven southeastern Oklahoma counties in spring 2015, screening 17 amphibian species from this region. Using liver and tail …

Collaborative Research: Development And Application Of A Framework For Integrated Geodynamic Earth Models, Anthony Lowry

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Annual And Seasonal Variation In Hydrologic Performance Of Ecoroofs Of Multiple Depths, Portland, Or, Ashley Michelle Baker

Dissertations and Theses

It is essential that cities adopt new approaches to stormwater management in the face of changing precipitation regime. In some locations, ecoroofs have been incorporated into city plans as a stormwater control measure, and thus their real-world performance under current conditions can assist with adequate planning. In this study rainfall retention data collected during a three year period, between 2014-2017, is analyzed for 75mm and 125mm ecoroof plots in Portland, Oregon, USA. There is no difference in annual rainfall retention performance between the shallower and deeper plots. However, the 36% mean annual retention of the ecoroof plots is a significant …

Organic/Inorganic Interfacial Interactions Affecting Metal Reactivity: Water Treatment And Sensor Applications, Mohamed Nabil Shaikh

Civil Engineering ETDs

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the interactions occurring at the organic – inorganic interface between solid media and aqueous contaminants for water treatment and sensor applications. The gaps in current literature on these interfacial organic-inorganic interactions must be bridged in order to develop advanced water treatment and monitoring technologies for improving water quality and thus, restore and protect the contaminated water resources. As a part of this dissertation, manganese oxides-based composites and electrospun polymer mats were developed and investigated for gaining mechanistic insights of organic (bisphenol A and acetaminophen) and inorganic (uranium) contaminants removal, respectively. These reactions …

Evaluating The Sustainability Of Indirect Potable Reuse And Direct Potable Reuse: A Southern Nevada Case Study, Sajjad Ahmad, Cory Dow, Krystyna Stave, Daniel Gerrity

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This case study presents a framework for evaluating the sustainability of indirect potable reuse (IPR) and direct potable reuse (DPR) in Las Vegas, Nevada. A system dynamics model was developed to simulate population growth, water supply, water quality, energy costs, net present worth (NPW), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The model confirmed that DPR could achieve a net reduction in energy costs of up to US$250 million while still ensuring an adequate water supply. However, the high NPW of DPR ($1.0–$4.0 billion) relative to the status quo IPR approach ($0.6 billion) represents a significant economic hurdle, although future monetization of …

Multicomponent Model Of Crustal Stress At Cajon Pass, Southern California With Implications For Stress Field Heterogeneity, Elliott Conley Helgans

LSU Master's Theses

Earthquake processes in plate boundary settings are chiefly controlled by the in situ crustal stress field. Knowledge of the relative importance of various active processes acting on a fault system is necessary to understand the mechanics of faulting. This is of extreme importance to the Cajon Pass region of southern California, which may function as an earthquake gate, imposing control on large multifault ruptures. We model the in situ stress field at seismogenic depth in Cajon Pass by balancing the orientation of the modern stress field inferred from earthquake focal mechanisms against the superposition of the far field tectonic driving …

Effect Of Nmr Technology-Based Ultrasonic Frequency On Stimulated Cracking Of Coal, Ma Huiteng, Zhai Cheng, Xu Jizhao, Sun Yong

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to further study the effect of ultrasonic frequency on the stimulated cracking effect of coal, the paper conducted the crack experiment on the original coal samples by using the ultrasonic generation meter, and measured the coal by using the NMR equipment through analyzing the T₂ curve, the changes of pore structure before and after coal sample cracking were deeply studied. The results show that the pore structure of coal can be effectively improved by the ultrasonic wave. After the crack induced by the ultrasonic wave, the pore quantity inside the coal increased and the total porosity, effective …

Advances On Geological-Geochemical Research Of Coal-Type Uranium In China, Zhou Xianqing, Qin Yong, Lu Lu

Coal Geology & Exploration

There is a huge gap in uranium resources in China. Only developing traditional uranium resources is unable to meet the increasing demand in energy and national defense construction. The exploitation and utilization of coal-type uranium resources can relieve the pressure of demand for uranium resources to a certain extent. By summarizing the research results of coal-type uranium in recent years, the ore location, uranium content range, formation time and distribution range of coal-bearing strata of major coal-type uranium deposits in China, and the definition criteria of coal-type uranium are given, which provides a basis for the classification of coal-type uranium …

Structural Optimization And Simulation Analysis Of High Reliability Wire-Line Coring Drilling Tools For Submarine Drilling Rigs, Wang Jialiang, Peng Fenfei, Wan Buyan, Zhou Yun

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to improve the working reliability of wire-line coring drilling tools used in submarine drilling rigs, based on the particularity of submarine environment, from the aspect of improvement of the single action performance of the single action mechanism and the working reliability of the suspension mechanism, the structural optimization of the single action mechanism was carried out, the numerical simulation analysis of the suspension mechanism was conducted by using ABAQUS simulation. The results show that the improved bearing assembly structure can restrain sea water corrosion, improve the centering effect of arbor and enhance the flexibility of bearing assembly. The …

Damage Mechanism And Countermeasures Of Reservoir With Abnormal Pickup Of Cbm Flow Pressure In Well, Jia Huimin, Hu Qiujia, Qi Kongjun, Qin Mengfu, Mao Chonghao, Zhang Guangbo

Coal Geology & Exploration

The reasonable control of the casing pressure and the bottom-hole pressure and the reasonable depressurization of reservoir pressure is the key technology for the CBM development. The pickup of the bottom-hole flow pressure(BHFP) will restrain CBM' desorption, lead to reservoir permeability damage and reduce the production of CBM wells. Based on production practice of Fanzhuang block in Qinshui basin, this paper puts forward the cause of a CBM abnormal well type, pickup of the BHFP, clarifies the damage mechanism of the pickup of the BHFP through theoretical research and field data analysis, and puts forward the evaluating method of the …

Analysis And Application Of Key Influencing Factors Of Cbm Well Fracturing Effects In Shizhuang Area, Qinshui Basin, Xue Haifei, Zhu Guanghui, Wang Wei, Lu Xiaoxia, Wang Minghao, Wang Yanbin

Coal Geology & Exploration

CBM fracturing effect has many influencing factors. Development effect with the same technology is different in different area. Based on a large amount of geological and engineering data in Shizhuang block, it was found that high geo-stress affects fracture extension and support in CBM fracturing, and difference between horizontal stress affects fracture direction and morphology. Coal seam with poor coal structure can produce large amount of gum during fracturing, which will block the diversion channel and result in poor fracturing effect. Engineering factors affecting fracturing effect mainly include the fracturing fluids performance, displacement, prepad fluid proportion and hole enlargement ratio. …

Influence Of Internal Friction Angle On Damage Constitutive Model Of Freeze-Thaw Rock, Yuan Chao, Zhang Huimei, Meng Xiangzhen, Yang Gengshe, Wu Luyuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Based on Weibull random distribution and damage mechanics theory, starting from the characteristics of rock deformation process, the Drucker-Prager criterion was used to establish a damage constitutive model that can reflect the characteristics of rock various deformation stages. Through the conventional triaxial compression test of frozen-thawed sandstone, the Mohr stress circle was used to obtain the cohesion and internal friction angle of the sandstone under different freeze-thaw cycles. The model theoretical curve and the test curve of freeze-thaw sandstone were compared to verify the model rationality. By varying the internal friction angle, whether the friction angle has an effect on …

Accurate Test Technology And Device For Coal Seam Gas Content In Long Boreholes In Underground Coal Mines, Sun Siqing, Zhang Qun, Long Weicheng, Zheng Kaige, Hei Lei

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to get actual gas content of underground coal mine during large-scale advanced detection, the sealed coring method for gas content was proposed. The sealed coring device of "three-cylinders, single motion and ball valve sealing" suitable for accurate test of gas content of long boreholes in underground coal mines was designed and trial-produced, the outer diameter of the device is 89 mm, and the diameter of the coal core can reach 38 mm, the pressure holding capacity of the sealed coring device is above 11 MPa, which satisfies the requirement of sealing sampling for the determination of coal seam …

Geological Characteristics And High Efficiency Development Technology Of Coalbed Methane In Duijiangnan Coal Mine, Guizhou Province, Gong Zewen

Coal Geology & Exploration

The development progress of coalbed methane in Duijiangnan mine field is slow. The main problems are low drilling efficiency, serious cementing leakage, long fracturing transformation period and low single well production in the block. Objectively evaluating the geological characteristics and development technology of coalbed methane is very im-portant for coalbed methane in the future. The coalbed thickness, coal body structure, reservoir pressure, gas content and permeability are systematically studied, combining with the past drilling, fracturing and drainage practices. It is proposed that directional wells are the main method of coalbed methane development in the coalfield. The coal seam M18 which …

Corrosion Behavior Analysis Of Sucker Rod For Coalbed Methane Wells In The Eastern Block Of Ordos Basin, Pang Bin, Wang Hanxiang, Lan Wenjian

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to make clear the corrosion rule of sucker rod for coalbed methane wells in the eastern block of Ordos basin, the paper summarizes the corrosion types and corrosion intensities of the sucker rod, based on the test of produced gas, produced water, corrosion products and weight loss of sucker rod. The paper analyzes the effect of different drainage stages, coal seam and mineralization degree of water on the corrosion. The results of the research indicate that corrosion is mainly caused by CO₂ and H₂S originated from No.5 coal seam and No.11 coal seam. The corrosion …