Earth Sciences Commons^™

Stratigraphic Architecture And Lithofacies Of High-Frequency Deltaic Sequences: Virtual Outcrop Analysis Of The Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Ferron Sandstone Member Of The Mancos Shale, South-Central Utah, Usa, Conor J. Horton

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sequence stratigraphic models for low-accommodation settings are not well-formulated and lack documented examples illustrating lithofacies stratal stacking pattern complexities. Presented herein is a detailed stratigraphic analysis of the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale Formation; a fluvial-deltaic succession that primarily accumulated under forced-regressive, falling stage systems tracts during decreasing accommodation. The small (4 km2) study area is located at the connecting point of a 67 km long, depositional strike-oriented and a 30 km long, depositional-dip transect within the western-limb of the Henry Mountains Syncline. Detailed outcrop sections and digital Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) derived Virtual …

Lost Names In The Paleozoic Lithostratigraphy Of Arkansas, Noah Morris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The geology of Arkansas has been studied for nearly 160 years, and our understanding of it is continually evolving. Part of this ever-changing study is the nomenclature of the stratigraphy. From the early reports to today, several lithostratigraphic names have been proposed and abandoned to improve the accuracy and clarity of the understanding of Arkansas’ geology. Over these 160 years of study, 214 names have been proposed for the Paleozoic beds of Arkansas, with nearly 80 of them currently in use today. These names are a testimony and legacy of the history of Arkansas’ natural resource development and Arkansas’ geologists. …

Using Cross-Sets For Paleodischarge Estimation And Paleocurrent Vectors In The Parthenon Sandstone, Northwest Arkansas, Sean Robert Parry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, set thicknesses are used to estimate the paleohydraulics (paleodischarge and give magnitudes for paleocurrent directions) of the ancient river system which deposited the Parthenon Sandstone in northwest Arkansas. Set thickness is the vertical thickness of a group of strata conformable series (Mckee and Weir, 1953); set thickness represents truncated dunes. The goal of this thesis is to: 1) obtain paleodischarge estimates of the Parthenon sandstone via cross-sets and compare the results with previously calculated discharge estimates which use basin area to discharge collation techniques and 2) use paleodischarge estimates calculated within this thesis to give magnitude to …

Sequence Stratigraphic Correlation Of The Bow Island Member Of The Thermopolis Formation Using Surface Outcrop And Subsurface Data, Liberty And Hill Counties, Montana, Michael Vineyard

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Bow Island Member of the Thermopolis Formation in Montana is a low-pressure gas producer, which formed due to the first (Kiowa-Skull Creek) transgressive–regressive cycles of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.

The Bow Island Member and its correlative units (Viking and Muddy Formations) have been extensively exploited for oil and gas throughout Canada and Wyoming, but remains relatively unmapped in Montana. The area of stratigraphic study is located at section 15, T36N, R5E Liberty County, Montana. This area located on Dafoe Ranch exhibits a moderately exposed stratigraphic section of Cretaceous Thermopolis Formation. The Bow Island Member lies between the Skull …

An Antarctic Stratigraphic Record Of Stepwise Ice Growth Through The Eocene-Oligocene Transition, Sandra Passchier, Daniel J. Ciarletta, Triantafilo E. Miriagos, Peter K. Bijl, Steven M. Bohaty

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Earth’s current icehouse phase began ∼34 m.y. ago with the onset of major Antarctic glaciation at the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Changes in ocean circulation and a decline in atmospheric greenhouse gas levels were associated with stepwise cooling and ice growth at southern high latitudes. The Antarctic cryosphere plays a critical role in the ocean-atmosphere system, but its early evolution is still poorly known. With a near-field record from Prydz Bay, Antarctica, we demonstrate that Antarctic ice growth was stepwise and had an earlier onset than previously suggested. Prydz Bay lies downstream of a major East Antarctic Ice Sheet drainage system, and …

Facies Analysis, Sedimentary Petrology, And Reservoir Characterization Of The Lower Triassic Sinbad Limestone Member Of The Moenkopi Formation, Central Utah: A Synthesis Of Surface And Subsurface Data, Kristopher Michael Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Lower Triassic strata in the Wellington Flat and Tully cores reflect a lateral transition from shallow water strata (Wellington Flats core) to strata that indicate deposition on a relatively more distal, storm-dominated ramp (Tully core). The Sinbad Member, along with the upper part of the underlying Black Dragon Member and the lower part of the overlying Torrey Member (Moenkopi Formation), are composed of ten carbonate, siliciclastic and mixed carbonate/siliciclastic facies deposited on a west-facing ramp/shelf that reached maximum flooding during Smithian time. Individual beds and facies display a large degree of lateral homogeneity and regional persistence in the study area. …

Re-Evaluating The Tectonic Model For The Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma By Spatial And Geometric Analysis Of Stratigraphic And Structural Trends, Dakota James Kolb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the spatial distribution and geometric relations between stratigraphy and structural features can allow for a more accurate tectonic timeline to be considered for not only the Arbuckle Mountains but for the assembly of modern North America. The Arbuckle Mountains in south central Oklahoma exhibit structurally complex stratigraphy associated with regional features like the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, the Arbuckle Anticline and the Washita Valley fault. Camp Classen YMCA and Turner Falls city park in Davis, OK, hosts observed, but largely unmapped, small scale structural features that best represent the magnitude of deformation. The goal of this study was to determine …

The Use Of Geophysical Methods For Dam Seepage Investigations And Dredged Oyster Deposit Characterization, Stanley Chinedu Nwokebuihe

Doctoral Dissertations

"The dissertation is made up of three papers, which discuss the utility of geophysical tools in earthfill dam investigations and dredged oyster bed characterization.

In the first paper, an earthfill dam in Warren County, Missouri was effectively investigated for seepage through the dam and its outlet works using an integration of the electrical resistivity tomography, induced polarization and spontaneous potential geophysical tools. Recommendations were subsequently made based on the results of the study on grout locations to prevent further seepage. In the second paper, a similar study of earthfill dam seepage was conducted on a different dam in Southern Missouri. …

Laser Ultrasound Observations Of Mechanical Property Variations In Ice Cores, Thomas Dylan Mikesell, Kasper Van Wijk, Larry Thomas Otheim, Hans-Peter Marshall, Andrei Kurbatov

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study of climate records in ice cores requires an accurate determination of annual layering within the cores in order to establish a depth-age relationship. Existing tools to delineate these annual layers are based on observations of changes in optical, chemical, and electromagnetic properties. In practice, no single technique captures every layer in all circumstances. Therefore, the best estimates of annual layering are produced by analyzing a combination of measurable ice properties. We present a novel and complimentary elastic wave remote sensing method based on laser ultrasonics. This method is used to measure variations in ultrasonic wave arrival times and …

Kentucky Stratigraphy With Stage Correlations, Stephen F. Greb

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Stratigraphy, Stephen F. Greb

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Fluvial-Lacustrine Processes Shaping The Landforms Of The Distal Paraguay Fluvial Megafan, Edward Limin Lo

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tropical wetlands such as the Pantanal help regulate global biogeochemical cycles, but climate change is modifying these environments. Controls on environmental changes can potentially be assessed from ancient, well-dated lacustrine sedimentary records. An integrated field and laboratory approach was undertaken to study the limnogeology of Lake Uberaba in the northern Pantanal, and test whether the lake has preserved a reliable record of environmental change in its strata. This study was designed to understand how the basin accumulates sediment and to assess its sensitivity to hydroclimatic variability. The data showed that modern Lake Uberaba is a highly dynamic, freshwater fluvial-lacustrine basin. …

Stratigraphy And Site Formation At The Sanders Site (45 Kt 315), Kittitas County, Washinton, James Mclean

All Master's Theses

The Sanders site (45KT315) was excavated in 1971 and 1972 by Central Washington State College under the direction of Dr. William Smith, then Associate Professor of Anthropology at CWSC. A total of 88 1 x 1 meter units were excavated up to 270 cm below surface. During the initial excavations and in subsequent student work, there was investigation of what would now be called site geoarchaeology, but this work was not reported in detail. In this thesis, I synthesize existing records on site stratigraphy and completed new field characterization and laboratory analyses to build a geoarchaeological summary for the site. …

Paleoecology Of Foraminifera From The Late Miocene - Early Pliocene Pullen And Saint George Formations, Northwestern California, Trenton J. Ryan

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Pullen and Saint George formations are coeval late Miocene-early Pliocene sedimentary formations in northwestern California. The type localities of both formations were studied from a micropaleontologic perspective that focused primarily on Foraminifera, but with additional observations of other fossil groups to reconstruct their past depositional environments. The results obtained in this study provided a photomicrographic inventory of the microfossils from both formations, aided in investigating changes in paleobathymetry of the formations during the late Miocene and early Pliocene based on Foraminifera, and allowed for interpretation of paleoecological signals from the foraminiferan associations. Foraminifera have not been previously described in …

Implications Of Lithofacies Association And Architecture For Low And High-Accommodation System Tracts From The Sandstone Dominated Zone ( The Barren Series) Of The Cretaceous-Paleocene Raton Formation, Trinidad, Colorado, Yaqoub Y Y S M Alsayed Alrefaei

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

The Raton Formation is an Upper Cretaceous and Lower Paleocene unit that is interpreted to be deposited in various stages of high-accommodation fluvial systems. High-accommodation flood basin deposits are generally considered poor as reservoir bodies because sand bodies within these basins are considered to be small and disconnected within flood basin mud. Accordingly, they gain less attention in oil and gas exploration and in research. High-accommodation deposits in the Raton Formation contain several sand bodies with different sizes and geometries that could be good candidates for reservoir rocks. These sand bodies are common in outcrops of high-accommodation deposits in the …

Using Near-Infrared Photography To Better Study Snow Microstructure And Its Variability Over Time And Space, Jesse Raymond Dean

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The methods typically used to study snow stratigraphy, microstructure, and variability are expensive, cumbersome, and often highly subjective. Near-infrared (NIR) photography is a low-cost, portable tool to rapidly collect high-resolution, objective measurements of snow microstructure and variability. To expand its application, an active-source NIR flash was introduced to the traditionally passive-source method. NIR imagery was collected alongside proven snowpit methods such as manual observation, Snow Fork wetness, and Snow Micro-Penetrometer hardness profiles. NIR photography was also deployed in five pits along a 10.6 km transect in Grand Mesa, CO, to track stratigraphy variations in space. The NIR flash was found …

Stratigraphy And Depositional Environment Of The Middle Atoka Formation, Central Arkoma Basin, Western Arkansas, Yueyang Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wire line logs are widely used in analysis of the subsurface stratigraphy of the middle Atoka Formation, Central Arkoma Basin, Western Arkansas. SP log, Gamma ray log, resistivity log and conductivity log provide valuable information to construct cross sections.

The middle Atoka formation is composed of a succession of shale and sandstone alternations with thickness reaching approximately 3000 feet in the study area. It contains several sandstone units which include Morris, Tackett, Areci, Bynum, Casey and Dunn”A” separated by shale intervals. The purpose of this study is to identify these units and predict sequence stratigraphy and depositional environment by constructing …

On The Importance Of Stratigraphic Control For Vertebrate Fossil Sites In Channel Islands National Park, California, Usa: Examples From New Mammuthus Finds On San Miguel Island, Jeffrey S. Pigati, Daniel R. Muhs, John P. Mcgeehin

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Quaternary vertebrate fossils, most notably mammoth remains, are relatively common on the northern Channel Islands of California. Well-preserved cranial, dental, and appendicular elements of Mammuthus exilis (pygmy mammoth) and Mammuthus columbi (Columbian mammoth) have been recovered from hundreds of localities on the islands during the past half-century or more. Despite this paleontological wealth, the geologic context of the fossils is described in the published literature only briefly or not at all, which has hampered the interpretation of associated 14C ages and reconstruction of past environmental conditions. We recently discovered a partial tusk, several large bones, and a tooth enamel plate …

Stratigraphy Of The Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Michigan Basin: Review And Revision With An Emphasis On The Ellsworth Petroleum System, Bryan J. Currie

Masters Theses

Compression associated with the formation of the Transcontinental Arch and the Acadian Mountains initiated subsidence in the Michigan Basin and lead to a depositional switch in the Michigan Basin from an oxic shallow-water carbonate platform (Traverse Group and Squaw Bay Limestone) to a deep anaerobic sea floor and the beginning of Upper Devonian Antrim Shale. The vertical distribution of the different Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian formations and members demonstrates large scale cycles of anaerobic-dysaerobic transitions attributed fluctuations in sea-level, different rates of subsidence and sediment influx triggered by different orogenic events to.

The regional understanding and the distribution of the different …

Stratigraphy And Structure Of A South-Trending Structural High, Northern Arkoma Basin, Arkansas, Yirong Chen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkoma Basin is a Carboniferous peripheral foreland basin in southeastern Oklahoma and west-central Arkansas. The formation of the Arkoma Basin is a result of a collision between the North American Plate and the Sabine Terrane. To the north of the basin, there is a structural high that extends southward from the Arkoma Shelf into the basin. This structure is in contrast with the prevailing east-trending strike of structures in the northern margin of the basin and is poorly defined. This paper examined the structure of the salient with stratigraphic and structural cross sections. Across the study area, two NS …

Initial Structural Subsidence As Reflected In Morrowan And Atokan (Pennsylvanian) Subsurface Stratigraphy, Northern Arkoma Basin, North-Central Arkansas, Fatimah Taher Nahi Al Asadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkoma Basin is a carboniferous foreland basin that is known for its prolific gas production. The objective of this research is to study the initial subsidence of the basin by analyzing the strati-graphic and structural features of the study area. This was accomplished through IHS Petra, Surf-er 13, and Win-Tensor software. Field work studies comprised a large part of this study. Also, a seismic profile and Google earth elevation profiles are among the methods used to study the initial subsidence of the Arkoma Basin. The study area within the basin represents a transitional zone from the shelf into the …

Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of The Middle Jurassic Preuss Sandstonein Northern Utah And Eastern Idaho, Preston Scott Cook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Middle Jurassic Preuss Sandstone and re-evaluate past sedimentological interpretations. The Preuss is located in northern Utah, western Wyoming and eastern Idaho and is stratigraphically equivalent to the Entrada Sandstone, which is Callovian in age (Dossett et al., 2014). This study is the first attempt at 1) a sequence stratigraphic framework, 2) a petroleum system analysis and 3) an extraterrestrial analog study for the Preuss. This study frames the Preuss within three broad facies groups: marine, coastal and terrestrial. The marine group includes the open marine and …

A History Of African And South American Basins, Rebecca A. Bobick

Open Access Theses

As hydrocarbon development in Africa and South America continues to expand, understanding the geologic evolution as well as the geologic symmetry of each of the continent's coastal basins grows increasingly important. Unfortunately, there's currently no comprehensive database that contains the stratigraphic record, depositional environments, and tectonic evolution available for either Africa or South America. Therefore, the goal of my research is to create an extensive datapack and guide booklet for Africa's major sedimentary basins, complete the South America datapack that's currently being constructed, and correlate the western African conjugate basins to the eastern South American conjugate basins. To accomplish this, …

A Synthetic Study To Assess The Applicability Of Full-Waveform Inversion To Infer Snow Stratigraphy From Upward-Looking Ground-Penetrating Radar Data, Lino Schmid, Jürg Schweizer, John Bradford, Hansruedi Maurer

CGISS Publications and Presentations

Snow stratigraphy and liquid water content are key contributing factors to avalanche formation. Upward-looking ground penetrating radar (upGPR) systems allow nondestructive monitoring of the snowpack, but deriving density and liquid water content profiles is not yet possible based on the direct analysis of the reflection response. We have investigated the feasibility of deducing these quantities using full-waveform inversion (FWI) techniques applied to upGPR data. For that purpose, we have developed a frequency-domain FWI algorithm in which we additionally took advantage of time-domain features such as the arrival times of reflected waves. Our results indicated that FWI applied to upGPR data …

Hazard Identification And Coastal Stratigraphy In Crescent Harbor, Northeast Whidbey Island, Washington, Brian Ostrom

All Master's Theses

Crescent Harbor marsh, on northeastern Whidbey Island, records evidence of co-seismic land-level change 1825 to 1925 cal. yrs. BP. The lithostratigraphy and diatom microfossil assemblages reveal a marsh peat abruptly overlain by intertidal mud, indicating rapid subsidence. Analysis of the modern-day position of depositional facies indicates subsidence from a high marsh to a tidal-flat environment representing an estimated 1.7 m elevation change. The timing of subsidence fits within the dates of a rupture found on the nearby Utsalady Point fault between 1,100 and 2,200 years BP (Johnson et al. 2004). Likely, the stratigraphy at Crescent Harbor records the same event …

Depositional Facies And Sequence Stratigraphy Of Niagaran-Lower Salina Reef Complex Reservoirs Of The Guelph Formation, Michigan Basin, Matthew J. Rine

Masters Theses

Hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Niagara-Lower Salina Reef Complex in the Michigan Basin have been extensively studied since the early 1960’s. These reservoirs host an immense hydrocarbon resource, existing as closely-spaced, highly-compartmentalized reservoirs that have produced >500 million barrels of oil and 2.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Previous studies depict these “pinnacle reefs” as tall, symmetrical towers with a random distribution of facies. This study utilizes abundant core data (32 cores, 20-acre spacing), thin-section petrography, and petrophysical wire-line logs to reconstruct the geometry, facies distributions, depositional history, and sequence stratigraphy of the Columbus III Reef Complex within the Southern …

Geological Controls On Stratigraphy And Sedimentation Of The Mississippian Marshall Formation, Michigan Basin, U.S.A., Joseph G. Adducci

Masters Theses

An understanding of regional orogenic, climatic, and eustatic processes is critical to the interbasinal correlation of Paleozoic strata in eastern North America. Tectonic activity associated with the culmination of Appalachian Orogenic events has been shown to have regional influence on paleostructure and sediment dispersal in the Appalachian foreland basin and adjacent intracratonic Illinois and Michigan basins. The culmination of the Acadian Orogeny at the end of the Devonian represents the beginning of a period of general tectonic quiescence extending throughout the early and middle Mississippian in eastern North America. Early Mississippian strata in the Michigan basin is distinctive and marks …

Sequence Stratigraphy, Depositional Environments And Geochemistry Of The Middle Cambrian Bloomington Formation In Northern Utah, Christopher Ryan Jensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bloomington Formation (~425 m thick) is a latest Middle Cambrian (~506.5-505 Ma.), mixed warm water, carbonate and shale unit on the Cordilleran passive margin in northern Utah and southern Idaho. The Hodges Shale and Calls Fort Shale Members are shale dominated and the Middle Limestone Member is a thick carbonate. Fossil diversity and abundance is surprisingly low for a Middle Cambrian carbonate/shale formation. Present, however, are 10-50 cm thrombolite mud mounds, associated with Girvanella oncoliths. These mud mounds represent shallow water carbonates that experienced a small flooding event that gives the mud mounds time and proper conditions to build …

Unraveling Controls On Fracture Stratigraphy In Carbonates: The Influence Of Regional Stress, Mechanical Properties, And Diagenesis, Matthew H. Peppers

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fracture characteristics analyzed from outcrops provide key insights into the migration pathways of subsurface hydrocarbons, and allow for a detailed understanding of the tectonic history in an area. This study looks to assess the impacts that various controlling factors have on the development of fracture characteristics. To complete this objective, a succession of Ordovician to Mississippian rocks was examined. The logged section includes the Cotter Dolomite, Chattanooga Shale, St. Joe Formation, and the Boone Formation (subdivided into informal Upper and Lower members). Located in northwestern Arkansas and southwestern Missouri, data were collected from roadcut exposures along Highway 71. Collected fracture …

Stratigraphic Analysis With Respect To Aggregate Potential In The Duffield Quarry In Gum Log, Arkansas, Brock Evan Langford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The crushed stone mining industry is valued at nearly one billion dollars in Arkansas alone. Physical properties of the rock dictate whether or not an area may be suited for the establishment of an aggregate quarry. The Gum Log quarry located 10 miles northeast of Russellville, Arkansas is geographically well situated near areas in need of aggregate material, as well as physically competent rock. The rock mined in Gum Log is located in the Upper Atoka Formation, a Middle Pennsylvanian aged member of the Arkoma Basin. There are five different lithologic facies identifiable in the quarry (Facies 1-5 respectively): A …