Earth Sciences Commons^™

Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis, Part 2: Gis Methodology, Jacob Deangelo, John W. Shervais, Jonathan M. Glen, Dennis Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick F. Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Lee M. Liberty, Drew L. Siler, James P. Evans

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) in geothermal exploration originates from a systematic methodology developed within the petroleum industry and is based on a geologic, geophysical, and hydrologic framework of identified geothermal systems. We tailored this methodology to study the geothermal resource potential of the Snake River Plain and surrounding region, but it can be adapted to other geothermal resource settings. We adapted the PFA approach to geothermal resource exploration by cataloging the critical elements controlling exploitable hydrothermal systems, establishing risk matrices that evaluate these elements in terms of both probability of success and level of knowledge, and building a code-based ‘processing …

The Portable Hand Streamer: Rapid Seismic Imaging For Shallow Targets, Lee M. Liberty, L. Thomas Otheim

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we introduce a portable hand streamer seismic system. The system is appropriate for characterizing the mechanical properties of geologic and engineered materials in the upper 5 to 10 m depth and for reflection imaging from tens to hundreds of meters depth. Unlike other seismic land streamer systems that are typically pulled behind a vehicle with a long string of geophones, our recording system and electric seismic source are contained within an electric utility cart to allow ease of mobility for a single operator. Our 48-channel contact-coupled streamer is tethered to the cart to enable low-effort data collection. …

Brief Communication: Recent Estimates Of Glacier Mass Loss For Western North America From Laser Altimetry, Brian Menounos, Caitlyn Forentine, Alex A. Gardner, Andrew G. Fountain

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glaciers in western North American outside of Alaska are often overlooked in global studies because their potential to contribute to changes in sea level is small. Nonetheless, these glaciers represent important sources of freshwater, especially during times of drought. Differencing recent ICESat-2 data from a digital elevation model derived from a combination of synthetic aperture radar data (TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X), we find that over the period 2013–2020, glaciers in western North America lost mass at a rate of 12:3+3:5 Gt yr^-1. This rate is comparable to the rate of mass loss (11:71:0 Gt yr1) for the period 2018– 2022 calculated …

Zircon And The Role Of Magmatic Petrogenesis In The Formation Of Felsic-Hosted Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (Vms) Deposits: A Case Study From The Mid-Paleozoic Yukon-Tanana Terrane, Northern Canadian Cordillera, Matthew J. Manor, Stephen J. Piercey, Corey J. Wall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Magmatism is a critical component in sustaining hydrothermal convection and metal transport during the formation of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. Previous studies of magmatic petrogenesis in VMS systems have demonstrated that ore-related volcanic rocks have distinct whole-rock geochemical and isotopic signatures (i.e., high HFSE, REE, Th, εHf-Nd, zircon saturation T) relative to barren volcanic rocks, which supports models of elevated crustal heat flow during periods of ore deposition; however, the petrologic characteristics and intrinsic parameters (e.g., T, fO₂) related to these magmatic events in VMS districts remain poorly understood. Arc–back-arc assemblages from the mid-Paleozoic Yukon-Tanana terrane …

Chronostratigraphy Of Miocene Strata In The Berkeley Hills (California Coast Ranges, Usa) And The Arrival Of The San Andreas Transform Boundary, Stacey H. Gerasimov, Eben B. Hodgin, James L. Crowley, Nicholas L. Swanson-Hysell

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Miocene strata of the Claremont, Orinda, and Moraga formations of the Berkeley Hills (California Coast Ranges, USA) record sedimentation and volcanism during the passage of the Mendocino triple junction and early evolution of the San Andreas fault system. Detrital zircon laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) age spectra indicate a change in sedimentary provenance between the marine Claremont formation (Monterey Group) and the terrestrial Orinda and Moraga Formations associated with uplift of Franciscan Complex lithologies. A sandstone from the Claremont formation produced a detrital zircon chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) maximum depositional age of 13.298 ± 0.046 Ma, …

Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis, Part 1: Example From The Snake River Plain, Idaho, John W. Shervais, Jacob Deangelo, Jonathan M. Glen, Dennis L. Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Lee M. Liberty, Dennis L. Newell, Drew Siler, James P. Evans

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Snake River Plain (SRP) volcanic province overlies the track of the Yellowstone hotspot, a thermal anomaly that extends deep into the mantle. Most of the area is underlain by a basaltic volcanic province that overlies a mid-crustal intrusive complex, which in turn provides the long-term heat flux needed to sustain geothermal systems. Previous studies have identified several known geothermal resource areas within the SRP. For the geothermal study presented herein, our goals were to: (1) adapt the methodology of Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) for geothermal exploration to create a formal basis for its application to geothermal systems, (2) assemble …

College Of Natural Sciences 2023 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 3 Department Highlights
Page 4 One Day for State
Page 5 Noble Prize Winner Speaks on Campus
Page 6-7 Faculty Excellence
Page 8-9 Student Excellence
Page 10 Outreach Program
Page 10 Events and Traditions
Page 11 Connections Abroad
Page 12 Student Spotlight
Page 13 Alumni Spotlight
Page 14 First Ever Drone Day
Page 15 Grand Opening of POET Bioproducts Center
Page 16 Work Anniversaries

Mapping Urban Form Into Local Climate Zones For The Continental Us From 1986–2020, Meng Qi, Chunxue Xu, Wenwen Zhang, Matthias Demuzere, Perry Hystad, Tianjun Lu, Peter James, Benjamin Bechtel, Steve Hankey

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Urbanization has altered land surface properties driving changes in micro-climates. Urban form influences people’s activities, environmental exposures, and health. Developing detailed and unified longitudinal measures of urban form is essential to quantify these relationships. Local Climate Zones [LCZ] are a culturally-neutral urban form classification scheme. To date, longitudinal LCZ maps at large scales (i.e., national, continental, or global) are not available. We developed an approach to map LCZs for the continental US from 1986 to 2020 at 100 m spatial resolution. We developed lightweight contextual random forest models using a hybrid model development pipeline that leveraged crowdsourced and expert labeling …

Salmonella In The Environment: A Review On Ecology, Antimicrobial Resistance, Seafood Contaminations, And Human Health Implications, Mohammad Maruf Billah, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Salmonella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that is responsible for numerous food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. With 93.8 million food-borne illnesses and 155,000 fatalities annually, it has emerged as a significant global public health issue. There are currently more than 2,500 distinct Salmonella serotypes, and more than half of them are associated with Salmonella enterica. An increasing global public health concern for humans and animals is antimicrobial resistance by Salmonella species worldwide. Salmonella infections can be lethal; conditioned with an increased prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains in the future. The emergence of MDR Salmonella serotypes is considerably …

Southern Maine, New Hampshire, And Northern Massachusetts Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2022 Field Campaign – Grain Size Data, Station Summaries, And Seafloor Photographs, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Michael Bogonko

Data Catalog

Presented in this data report are the geophysical data collected during a major field campaign in 2022, with the purpose of obtaining ground truth for the expansion and improvement of high-resolution surficial geology maps of the western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) and for the description of reference sites developed for future evaluations of acoustic systems (Ward et al., 2021a; 2021b). Data from the UNH Ocean Engineering 972 Hydrographic Field Course classes in 2021 and 2022 are also included. This expansion of the geophysical database is being used to verify seafloor classifications in previously mapped areas that lack sufficient data, and …

Trees In Urban Environments: How Soil Quality Impacts Tree Performance, Saidan Qi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cities around the world are increasingly investing in reforestation and afforestation efforts to mitigate impacts from climate change and population growth. However, urban soil conditions can be unfavorable for tree growth. Street trees are widely known to suffer from poor soil quality, but there has been no comprehensive review of this topic so far. Clean soils can be transported from nonurban areas to support cities’ green projects, but this approach is not sustainable. Artificial (constructed) soils can be created from various materials and have been proposed as an alternative medium for urban tree growth, but no research has been done …

Towards Sociobiogeochemistry: Critical Perspectives On Anthropogenic Alterations To Soil Nitrogen Chemistry Via U.S. Urban And Suburban Development, Christopher D. Ryan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ecological impacts of changes to land use are relevant to concerns about climate change, eutrophication of waterbodies, and reductions in biodiversity. As a foundational component of ecosystem functioning, changes to soil biogeochemistry have significant effects on overall ecosystem health. With cities continuing to grow and develop in extent, the impacts of urbanization and suburbanization on soils are of particular concern. Despite a wide range of natural climatic and geologic conditions, several factors have driven similar patterns of land transformation and management across the United States. In particular, federal initiatives including the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, …

Eocene (50–55 Ma) Greenhouse Climate Recorded In Nonmarine Rocks Of San Diego, Ca, Usa, Adrian P. Broz, Devin Pritchard-Peterson, Diogo Spinola, Sarah Schneider, Gregory Retallack, Lucas C.R. Silva

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Nonmarine rocks in sea cliffs of southern California store a detailed record of weathering under tropical conditions millions of years ago, where today the climate is much drier and cooler. This work examines early Eocene (~ 50–55 million-year-old) deeply weathered paleosols (ancient, buried soils) exposed in marine terraces of northern San Diego County, California, and uses their geochemistry and mineralogy to reconstruct climate and weathering intensity during early Eocene greenhouse climates. These Eocene warm spikes have been modeled as prequels for ongoing anthropogenic global warming driven by a spike in atmospheric CO2. Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM, ~ 55 Ma) kaolinitic …

Application Of Remote Sensing And Spectroradiometry In Geological Mapping: A Case Study Of Handeni (Qds 148) Block, Eastern Mozambique Belt, Tanzania, Masota M. Magigita, Elisante Mshiu, Cassy Mtelela

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study applies remote sensing (RS) as a geologic mapping aid tool , using Handeni Block of Tanzania as a case study. To achieve the objective of this study, we have utilized various RS processing and image enhancement techniques on multispectral data, including ASTER, Landsat 5, Landsat 8, and Sentinel 2A. The method proved successful whereby both Landsat-5-data with band combination (BC) 7:4:2 and 7:5:4 and band ratio (BR) 5/3:5/1:7/5 and Landsat-8 data with BCs 5:6:7 and 7:6:4 mapped out marble units. Sentinel 2A data (with BC 8:11:3, BRs 12/2:11/2:8/11; 12/4:11/3:11/2 and 12/4:12/2:11/3) together with image enhancement decorrelation stretch on …

Modelling Spatial Distributions Of Sediments Fingerprinting In The Ruvu Basin Of Tanzania Without Continuous Sediment Monitoring, Charles H. Kasanzu

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study investigates various hinterlands’ contribution of sediments into the sub-basin known as Ruvu that comprises Mindu, Kibungo, Mvuha and Mindu catchments of Morogoro, Eastern Tanzania. An integrated geochemical and isotopic data were used to constrain this. Strategic sampling of basement and silty-sized sediments was conducted and the data were modelled using mass-balance computations. This approach revealed that, more than 70% of suspended sediments in the Mgeta River originate from Kigalamila, Sezima, Kingule, Mafumbo and Kibuko areas. Thus, hills north of Kisaki are major contributors of sediments with less contribution from the southern terrain. After modelling of the data from …

Inventory Of Western United States Glaciers- 2020, Shrinidhi Ambinakudige, Bernard Abubakari

CAS Publications

The dataset employed for delineating glacier boundaries in the Western United States comprises a compilation of original Sentinel-2 images obtained from the European Space Agency's Copernicus website. These images were instrumental in generating the glacier inventory. Additionally, the dataset includes a Python and R script specifically crafted for processing and classifying Sentinel images. The outcome of this process is represented in an ESRI shapefile, which contains an inventory of glaciers extracted from Sentinel images.

Joint Map Of Hardin County, Kentucky, Steven L. Martin, Emily Morris

Map and Chart--KGS

New field mapping of joints with previously published joint and fault locations. This fracture map can be used as a critical data source for hydrological, karst or geotechnical applications. Joint orientations were measured in 2009, 2022 and 2023, and are combined with joint and fault locations for Hardin County, Kentucky from 1:24,000-scale USGS geologic quadrangle maps that were published from 1962 to 1977. The geologic quadrangle maps for the county were digitized from 2002 to 2007.

The geology of Hardin County consists of Upper Devonian New Albany Shale overlain by Lower to Upper Mississippian-age sequences of limestone, dolomite, sandstone and …

Clouds In The Ancient Lunar Atmosphere: Water Ice Nucleation On Aerosol Simulants, Mariana C. Aguilar

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Today’s moon is vastly different from what it was 3 billion years ago. At that time, it was home to a collisional atmosphere formed through massive amounts of volcanism, releasing enough subsurface gas to sustain surface pressures of up to 1 kPa. Observations of our solar system have taught us that all dense atmospheres are host to clouds and aerosols, and we expect the Moon’s to be no different. Knowing when, where, and under what conditions cloud particles form is important for understanding the evolution of the lunar atmosphere, how it reacted to temperature gradients, and how it cycled volatiles. …

Evaluating The Neotectonic Activities Of The Eastern Makran At The Northern Edge Of The Triple Junction In Southwest Pakistan, Waseem Khan, Ke Zhang, Hao Liang

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

A number of five GIS-based indices, such as stream slope (Ss), surface roughness (Sr), asymmetric factor (Af), hypsometry integral (Hi), and stream-length gradient (SL), were summarised to examine the intensity of the index of tectonic activity (IAT) in 43 subbasins of Hingol Basin at the northern edge of the triple junction in southwest Pakistan. In addition, tectonic influences were identified by knickpoints spatial distribution and field surveys. The majority of the indices are consistent and display roughly the same classifications. The uncertain results have a less substantial impact on the obtained results in most of the 43 subbasins. Using these …

Mineralogical And Geochemical Characteristics Of The Upper Cretaceous And Lower Paleocene Parts Of The Germav Formation: Southeastern Türkiye, Sema Teti̇ker

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleocene claystone sediment samples taken from Mardin and Batman, located in southeastern Türkiye, were analyzed in the present study. The clay mineral paragenesis in the Upper Cretaceous units consisted of chlorite-smectite (C-S) and illite, whereas the Lower Paleocene unit consisted of chlorite-vermiculite (CV) and vermiculite minerals. Analyses conducted on clay samples indicated high levels of Al, Mg, Fe, Cr, V, Ni, and Zr. Low levels of alkali and alkaline earth elements (Mg, Na, Ca, K) in the clay-rich sediments suggest relatively high-grade weathering in the source area. The mineralogical compositions, major elemental …

An Experimental Investigation On The Discrete Poisson’S Upward Continuation Of Anomalous Gravity Field Data, Mehmet Si̇mav, Bi̇hter Erol, Muhammet Aki̇f Gülender, Serdar Erol

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Poisson upward continuation of gravity field functionals, typically given on the Earth’s irregular topography with limited spatial extent, necessitates some proper treatments due to the theoretical requirements. This study reviews the Poisson theory and investigates a more rigorous methodology for the numerical solution of the spherical integral equation by addressing many issues such as spherical-Earth model implementation, far-zone effect, Poisson kernel modification, and suitable ground data reduction scheme. We first explore the far-zone effect and search for an optimal near-zone spherical cap radius above which the truncation error is negligible. We then compare different variants of remove-restore technique with …

Microfacies, Geometry And Growth Phases Of Microbial Mound In Gucheng Area, Southeastern Tarim Basin, China, Xu Chen, Iftikhar Satti, Yuwen Dong

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Microbial mound is favorable carbonate reservoir for petroleum exploration, especially for the deep tight reservoirs in the Tarim petroliferous basin. Due to lack of effective research methods, it is difficult to analyze its unique sedimentary structure and evolution process. In this study, based on cores, thin-sections, logging, 3D seismic data and geochemical test data, the petrographic texture, microfacies, geometry and growth phases of microbial mound in Gucheng area, Southeastern Tarim Basin were investigated, which can be used to reconstruct dynamic evolution of the microbial mounds and discuss the controlling factors. The major results are as follows: (1) Gucheng area is …

Genesis Of Efficient Reservoirs In Mixed Sedimentary Setting: A Case Study Of Benxi Formation In The Gaoqiao Area, Ordos Basin, Shu Liu, Jinbu Li, Fengbo Jin, Haifeng Liu, Meng Wang, Yulin Cheng, Yulin Cheng, Xiaohong Zhong, Hao Lu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Benxi-Taiyuan Formation in the southern region of the Ordos Basin represents a typical mixed sedimentary system, which has witnessed recent breakthroughs in the exploration of tight sandstone gas within the Benxi Formation. However, the development patterns of reservoirs in this mixed sedimentary area remain unclear, influenced by the sedimentary model and the distribution scale of sedimentary sandstone bodies. This study investigates the paleogeomorphology, sedimentary model, sandstone body type, petrological characteristics, and pore structure of the Benxi Formation. Field profiles, drilling core observations, microscopic section analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-pressure mercury injection (HPMI), and physical property analysis are employed. …

Dinsar Analysis And Geophysical Modeling Of 2022 November 23 Gölyaka-Düzce Earthquake, Şükrü Onur Karaca, Gülteki̇n Erten, Batuğhan Yikmaz, Seli̇m Özalp

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Numerous significant earthquakes have occurred along the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), Türkiye’s most important fault zone. An earthquake with magnitude of Mw 6.0 occurred near the Gölyaka District of Düzce Province at 04:08 local time on November 23, 2022. According to the moment tensor solutions published by national and international seismology centers, the earthquake occurred at the northeast end of the Karadere segment within the NAFZ and was caused by a right-lateral strike-slip fault in the NW-SE direction. In this study, the differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) method was employed to analyze the deformation. Four Sentinel-1A complex datasets …

Landslide Susceptibility Assessment Of The Asi Watershed, Southern Türkiye, Senem Teki̇n, Adolfo Quesada Román, Tolga Çan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Landslides constitute recurrent natural hazards worldwide with greater socioeconomic impacts in low-income places. Landslide susceptibility studies are carried out to determine the potential for landslides to occur in a region, to predict possible risks in the future and to integrate this information into sustainable planning and management strategies. Slip-type landslides occur in limited areas of less than 1% of the Asi watershed in Southern Türkiye. Therefore, meaningful estimations cannot be made with classical statistical models. So, using the maximum entropy approach (MaxEnt), a technique for estimating based on a small number of observations, a landslide susceptibility assessment was constructed. The …

Genetic Mechanisms Of Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Resources In Central Inner Mongolia, Xiong Bo, Xu Hao, Tang Shuling, Wang Shejiao, Fang Chaohe, Xin Fudong, Wu Jingjie, Wei Xiangquan, Song Xuejing, Wang Jinwei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Central Inner Mongolia, located at the junction of plates, has undergone multi-phase tectono-magmatic activities and boasts abundant shallow hydrothermal resources. However, there is a lack of in-depth research on deep hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resources in this region. Based on the regional geological and tectonic settings, magnetotelluric sounding results, and geothermal anomaly manifestations, this study systematically explored the genetic mechanisms and geodynamic process of HDR geothermal resources in central Inner Mongolia and determined the genetic modes of HDRs. The results show that the major heat sources of deep HDR geothermal resources in the region include deep local melts and …

Heat Source-Related Mechanisms And Genetic Modes For The Formation Of Hot Dry Rocks In The Reshuiwei Geothermal Field, Hunan Province, Du Jiang, Cai Ningbo, Zhang Baojian, Wang Keying, He Lihong, Liao Fengchu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Hot springs with temperatures exceeding 90℃ indicate that the Reshuiwei geothermal field in Hunan Province enjoys sound geothermal geological conditions, making this geothermal field a potential favorable area for hot dry rock (HDR) exploration. To carry out a reasonable evaluation of the geothermal reservoir and prospects for exploration and exploitation of HDRs in the Reshuiwei geothermal field in the Rucheng area, this study comprehensively analyzed the deep geological structures, geochemical characteristics, geophysical characteristics including gravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic properties, and geothermal field characteristics of the geothermal field. Furthermore, it revealed the deep thermal structures of the geothermal field from …

Heating Experiments Of A Solar-Assisted Heat Pump And Thermal Equilibrium Simulations Of Geothermal Fields, Jia Zilong, Zheng Jia, Zhang Yaobin, Chen Ke, Liu Aihua, Li Juan

Coal Geology & Exploration

This study aims to explore technologies required for clean energy heating by means of multi-energy complementation, with the purpose of meeting the demand for clean heating in decentralized buildings in Beijing's villages and towns. To this end, this study built a solar-ground source heat pump (SGHP) compound system in a rural area of Beijing. Then, it carried out heating experiments of the solar-assisted heat pump system and thermal equilibrium simulations of geothermal fields using the COMSOL software. The results are as follows: (1) Compared to a single SGHP system, the solar-assisted heat pump scheme increased the outlet water temperature on …

Geodatabase And Modeling Code Used For Dynamic Landslide Hazard Maps In Eastern Kentucky, Nathaniel O'Leary, L. Sebastian Bryson

Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Data

We developed spatiotemporal landslide hazard maps (LHMs) using soil, hydrologic, and geomorphic parameters from the subaerial infinite slope factor of safety (FS) equation under unsaturated conditions. Soil properties were extracted from the NRCS WSS, while geomorphic variables were derived from a 1.5 m LiDAR-based DEM and ArcGIS Online. Soil moisture from Hydrus-1D, driven by precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) data from Irrigation Manager, introduced temporal variability. Validation against known landslide sites showed spatial and temporal FS accuracy despite some false positives. We also developed a landslide susceptibility maps (LSM) after comparing three machine learning algorithms, with bagged trees achieving the highest …

Genetic Mechanisms Of Low-Temperature Geothermal Water And Its Associated Helium Gas In Meixian County In The Piedmont Of Qinling Mountains, Han Yuanhong, Lyu Jun, Zhang Yuping, Luo Naning, Li Bing, Shen Xiaolong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Meixian County in the piedmont of the Qinling Mountains boasts abundant geothermal water resources with high-abundance associated helium gas. However, the characteristics and origin of geothermal fluids in the study area are yet to be studied. By analyzing the chemical composition and isotopic geochemistry of geothermal fluids and combining the distributions of regional structures and faults, this study delved into the characteristics and genetic mechanisms of geothermal fluids in the study area. The results show that the geothermal water exhibits salinity ranging from 638.96 to 1026.83 mg/L and a hydrochemical type of HCO₃-Na. The low-degree metamorphism suggests that …