Geology Commons^™

The Mineral Industry Of Nebraska

United States Geological Survey: Publications

In 2013, the value of the nonfuel mineral production1 in the State of Nebraska was $166 million,2 0.2% of the total U.S. nonfuel mineral production, ranking it 39th in the country. In 2012, the corresponding value was $160 million,2 0.2% of the Nation’s total nonfuel mineral production, ranking it 36th among the 50 States. In 2013, on a per capita basis, nonfuel mineral production in Nebraska in 2013 had a value of $89 compared with the national average of $238. In 2012, the per capita value was $86 compared with the national average of $241. The value of nonfuel mineral …

Lithogeochemical And Stable Isotope Characteristics Of Bristol And Northern Thorneloe Townships And Its Correlation With Gold Mineralization, Zachary Grant Stevison

Wayne State University Theses

The Porcupine Mining Camp located in the southwestend of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt has been mined extensively for its prolific precious and base metal enrichment. This study targeted Bristol and Northern Thorneloe, fifteen kilometers southwest of Timmins, ON, an area that is of economic interest for its gold mineralization. Rock samples were collected (drill- core and outcrop) throughout both townships and analyzed for their major and trace element composition, These were used to determine hydrothermal alteration signatures as well as specific elemental enrichment that relate to gold mineralization in Bristol-Thorneloe Township. Quartz-carbonate and quartz-carbonate-tourmaline vein samples were also collected near …

Rare Earth Element Geochemistry Of The Sierra Blanca Laccoliths, Texas, Amed Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Abiotic Nitrate And Nitrite Reactivity With Iron Oxide Minerals, Prakash Dhakal

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Under iron (Fe³⁺)-reducing conditions where aqueous Fe²⁺ and unreduced solid Fe³⁺-oxides commonly coexist, soil Fe²⁺ oxidation has been shown to be coupled with nitrate (NO₃^-) reduction. One possible secondary reaction is the involvement of NO₃^- and nitrite (NO₂^-) with Fe-oxide minerals found in many natural environments. Yet, spectroscopic measurements and kinetic data on reactivity of NO₃^- and NO₂^- with Fe-containing oxide minerals such as goethite (a-FeOOH), and magnetite (Fe₃O­₄) are not found in the literature. The reactivity of …

Are 34s-Enriched Authigenic Sulfide Minerals A Proxy For Elevated Methane Flux And Gas Hydrates In The Geologic Record?, Walter S. Borowski, Nancy M. Rodriguez, Charles K. Paull, William Ussler Iii

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The sulfate–methane transition (SMT) zone is a diagenetic transition within anoxic marine sediments created by the metabolic activity of a consortium of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methane-oxidizing Archaea. As interstitial dissolved sulfate is consumed by microbially mediated sulfate reduction of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) large enrichments of ³⁴S occur in the interstitial sulfate pool. These isotopic enrichments are transmitted to the dissolved sulfide pool (∑HS⁻) and subsequently into sulfide minerals (So, ∼FeS, FeS₂).

We investigate the sulfur isotopic composition of pore-water sulfate and sulfide minerals at three sites underlain …

Natural And Anthropogenic Factors Which Influence Aerosol Distribution In Ingleborough Show Cave, Uk, Andrew C. Smith B.S.C, Peter M. Wynn, Philip A. Barker Professor

International Journal of Speleology

Monitoring in Ingleborough Show Cave (N. Yorkshire, UK) reveals the influence of tourism and cave management techniques on different parameters of the cave atmosphere. Exploratory aerosol monitoring identified a 0.015 ± 0.03 mg/m³ (≈70%) reduction in airborne particulates within the first 75 meters of cave passage and two major aerosol sources within this artificially ventilated show cave. Autogenic aerosol production was identified close to active stream ways (increases of

A Model For The Formation Of Layered Soda-Straw Stalactites, Bence Paul, Russell Drysdale, Helen Green, Jon Woodhead, John Hellstrom, Rolan Eberhard

International Journal of Speleology

Climate records based upon instrumental data such as rainfall measurements are usually only available for approximately the last 150 years at most. To fully investigate decadal-scale climate variation, however, these records must be extended by the use of climate proxies. Soda-straw stalactites (straws) are a previously under-utilised potential source of such data. In this contribution we investigate the structure and formation of straws and look at some issues that may affect the reliability of straw-based palaeoclimate records. We use laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) trace element analysis to document surface contamination features that have the potential to obscure annual …

Geochemical Evidence For Vertical Migration Of Deep Formation Fluids Through The Baton Rouge -Denham Springs Fault System, Lesley C. Prochaska

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Accumulations of brackish groundwater exist across south Louisiana within the shallow, south-dipping Pleistocene to Upper Miocene Baton Rouge Aquifer System (BRAS). This research investigates the source of brackish groundwater through geochemical analysis of representative groundwater samples by comparing the following geochemical ratios along with other trace elements. Low Bromide (Br)/Chloride (Cl) and Potassium (K) /Cl ratios, high Sodium (Na) /Cl ratios, trace Magnesium (Mg) concentrations, and low Strontium (Sr) ⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ in brackish waters from the BRAS are inconsistent with in situ saline water from marine formation fluids of similar age. The ratios are consistent with in situ saline-water …

Chemical Contaminants As Stratigraphic Markers For The Anthropocene, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Thousands and even millions of years from now, widespread anthropogenic contaminants in sediments would likely persist, incorporated into the geological record. They would inadvertently preserve evidence of our present era (informally designated as the Anthropocene Epoch) characterized by large human populations engaged in intensive industrial and agricultural activities.

Hypothetical geologists in the distant future would likely find unusually high concentrations of a wide variety of contaminants at stratigraphic levels corresponding to our present time, analogous to the iridium anomaly marking the bolide impact event at the close of the Cretaceous Period. These would include both organic and inorganic substances, such …

Petrogenesis Of The East Fork Member Rhyolites, Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Usa, Carla Eichler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The most recent volcanism in the Valles caldera is represented by the El Cajete Pyroclastic Beds (ECPB), Battleship Rock Ignimbrite (BRI), and Banco Bonito Flow (BBF) as well as the VC-1 rhyolite, which are collectively known as the East Fork Member (EFM) of the Valles Rhyolite. The EFM was erupted at approximately 55 ka and 40 ka after an approximate 460 ka lull in volcanism. Previous studies suggested a mafic intrusion at depth triggered the eruptions. This thesis represents the first detailed study of the EFM.

Crystal assemblages consist of plagioclase, biotite, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, amphibole, sanidine, quartz, and oxides. Electron …

Volcanic Evolution Of The Southern Quinn Canyon Range: Implications For Regional Correlation Of Volcanic Units, Christina Emery

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The southern Quinn Canyon Range lies in an area of the Great Basin subjected to large-volume Oligocene-Miocene silicic volcanism and smaller volume basaltic volcanism during the Pliocene. Three major ash-flow tuff units were correlated in the southern Quinn Canyon Range (the Pahranagat Tuff, Clifford Spring Tuff, and the Cow Canyon Tuff) with regional units by utilizing U/Pb and 40 Ar/ 39Ar geochronology, geochemical correlation, and field mapping. Isotopic analysis suggests that basalt in the southern Quinn Canyon Range is part of the Death Valley-Pancake Range Basalt Zone and is similar to Reveille Range Episode 1 and 2 basalts. Further comparison …

Geogram 2012, David J. Keeling, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Utility Of Detrital Mineral Microchemistry And Radiogenic Isotope Compositions As Provenance Discriminators, Jack Hietpas

Earth & Environmental Sciences - Dissertations

The provenance of clastic sediments remains one of the key tools for understanding the complex dynamic history of the Earth. Detritus shed from ancient orogens may be the only evidence available for determining the timing, evolution, paleogeography, and existence of tectonic events active over the 4.56 Ga of Earth history. The focus of this dissertation research is to assess the strengths and limitations of existing, as well as novel, tools for determining the provenance of siliciclastic sediments.

The utility of detrital monazite crystallization ages was investigated as a provenance indicator in both modern and ancient sedimentary systems. The results from …

Evaluation Of Possible Source Rocks In Northern Nye County, Nevada: Implications For Hydrocarbon Exploration, Inessa Yurchenko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The presence of oil outside of Railroad Valley, northern Nye County has sparked the interest of exploration companies in Nevada. The geology in this region is very complex and the level of petroleum exploration is low. In order to understand the distribution of oil, a complete petroleum systems analysis is required. Previous studies confirmed that the Mississippian Chainman Shale and Cretaceous to Paleocene Sheep Pass Formation, Member B are source rocks. However, a number of other possible source rocks exist in northern Nye County, but they are not confirmed because of incomplete datasets. The goal of this thesis project is …

The Effects Of Fractures On The Occurrence And Distribution Of Arsenic In The Upper Floridan Aquifer During Aquifer Storage And Recovery, William Charles Hutchings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is used world-wide to supplement available water supplies by storing surplus water in aquifers and recovering it during periods of drought and increased demand. The use of ASR as an option for increasing available municipal irrigation and fresh water supplies is threatened as a result of the mobilization of arsenic in some aquifers during ASR. Arsenic is liberated from arsenic-bearing sulfide minerals as a result of the mixing of oxidizing injected water with reducing insitu groundwater. Fracture networks can have significant influence on the migration and distribution of arsenic in the Upper Floridan Aquifer …

A Geochemical Analysis Of Fulgurites: From The Inner Glass To The Outer Crust, Michael L. Joseph

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cloud-to-ground lightning strikes produce natural glasses on the surface of the Earth, called fulgurites. These natural glasses are tubular in shape with a central void surrounded by an inner glass, and the inner glass is surrounded by an outer crust or toasted region. Previous studies report different kinds of melts existing in several different types of fulgurites; however, little to no chemical data has been collected that tracks chemical variations from the inner glass to the outer crust of a fulgurite. This study uses microprobe and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer analytical techniques to collect transects of chemical …

A Mineralogical Textural And Chemical Characterization Of A Hypothesized Kimberlite At White Mountain, Sunlight Basin, Wyoming, Stuart Kenderes

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Geologists have examined the causes and mechanisms responsible for the Heart Mountain detachment for over a century with much debate and discussion. White Mountain is a part of the upper plate, which was emplaced during the detachment event. Within White Mountain, there exist several andesitic dikes and carbonate ultra-cataclasite injectites, which were integral in the emplacement of the Heart Mountain detachment. This research involves the characterization and identification of an enigmatic vertical outcropping of brecciated rock located on White Mountain, Sunlight Basin, Wyoming, which was originally interpreted as a kimberlite. Samples were collected for geochemical and textural comparison, and cut …

The Behavior Of Zircon During Partial Melting In Anatectic Migmatites: Insights To Metamorphism, Deformation And Tectonism In The Central Santa Fe Range, Northern New Mexico, Michelle Renee Stropky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Three lithologic assemblages exposed in the central Santa Fe Range, northern New Mexico include (1) a septum of Proterozoic low temperature (~700oC, 5.5 kbars), semi-pelitic anatectic migmatites surrounded by (2) deformed megacrystic biotite granite that is intruded by (3) discrete plutons of largely undeformed hornblende biotite tonalite. Metamorphic fabrics in the migmatite record three deformation events (D1 - D3); a composite S1/S2 fabric (D1 and D2) that formed contemporaneous with anatexis and is folded about a southwest plunging map-scale (D3) antiform. The megacrystic granite exhibits a pervasive S1 subsolidus foliation that parallels the S1/S2 fabric in the migmatite and is …

Deciphering The Evolution Of Ore Fluids At The Batu Hijau Copper-~Gold Porphyry Deposit, Sumbawa, Indonesia, Jordan Thomas Armstrong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fluid inclusions contained within quartz veins from the Batu Hijau Cu-Au porphyry deposit in Indonesia were analyzed to track the evolution of fluid temperature, pressure, and composition during the formation of the deposit to better understand the formation of this and other Cu-Au porphyry deposits in order aid future exploration. A combination of petrography, microthermometry, synchrotron x-ray fluorescence, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry were used to determine the temperature, pressure, and compositional aspects of the deposit.

Four types of fluid inclusions were recognized at Batu Hijau based on the volume percent of the vapor bubble; inclusions were classified as …

Evaluating Recharge And Dynamics Of Flow In The Lower Virgin River Basin, Usa: Interpretation Of Hydrochemical And Stable Isotopic Data, Joseph Asante

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Because of the complex geologic setting of the Basin and Range province, groundwater flow systems of the Intermountain basins of the southwestern United States are complex and remain poorly understood. Understanding these flow systems is important for water budgeting on a regional and local scale, and development of robust numerical groundwater models for sustainable water use and protection of water-dependent ecosystems. Although for decades hydrochemistry and isotopes have been used to characterize and trace subsurface water and surface water, effectively interpreting these data are still challenging, which can be attributed to existing subjective grouping of these data and the lack …

Chemical Weathering Of The Mafic Minerals Serpentine And Olivine In Natural Environments, Julie Lynn Baumeister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chemical weathering is a critical process that plays a key role in controlling the chemistry of natural waters, the cycling of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the formation of soil. The weathering of silicate minerals is important because the Earth's crust is composed of approximately 92 weight percent silicate minerals. Despite an extensive literature on mineral dissolution and kinetics, relatively few studies have examined weathering of the mafic minerals serpentine and olivine, especially in a natural environment. The first chapter of this thesis provides an introduction to the minerals serpentine and olivine. The second chapter of this thesis examines the important …

Bulk Rock Composition And Geochemistry Of Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions In The Grey Porri Tuff And Selected Lavas Of The Monte Dei Porri Volcano, Salina, Aeolian Islands, Southern Italy., Angela L. Doherty, Robert J. Bodnar, Benedetto De Vivo, Wendy A. Bohrson, Harvey E. Belkin, Antonia Messina, Robert J. Tracy

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The Aeolian Islands are an arcuate chain of submarine seamounts and volcanic islands, lying just north of Sicily in southern Italy. The second largest of the islands, Salina, exhibits a wide range of compositional variation in its erupted products, from basaltic lavas to rhyolitic pumice. The Monte dei Porri eruptions occurred between 60 ka and 30 ka, following a period of approximately 60,000 years of repose. The bulk rock composition of the Monte dei Porri products range from basaltic-andesite scoria to andesitic pumice in the Grey Porri Tuff (GPT), with the Monte dei Porri lavas having basaltic-andesite compositions. The typical …

Reservoir Potential Of Sands Formed In Glaciomarine Environments: An Analog Study Based On Cenozoic Examples From Mcmurdo Sound, Antarctica, Christopher R. Fielding, Brian A. Blackstone, Tracy D. Frank, Zi Gui

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

This paper provides documentation of unexpectedly high-reservoir-quality glaciomarine sands found in the Cenozoic succession beneath McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, as an analogue study for evaluations of hydrocarbon prospectivity in basins elsewhere. The Oligocene to Lower Miocene succession of the Victoria Land Basin, an extant portion of the West Antarctic Rift System, comprises diamictites, mudrocks, and sandstones with minor conglomerates. These lithologies are arranged in repetitive stacking patterns (cycles), interpreted to record repeated advance and retreat of glaciers into and out of the basin, with attendant eustatic and isostatic effects. Phases of ice retreat within the cycles comprise an array of mudrocks, …

Geology Of National Parks Modules For The Spreadsheets Across The Curriculum Library, H. L. Vacher, Thomas C. Juster, Judy Mcllrath, Mark Rains

Geology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evolution With Depth From Detrital To Authigenic Smectites In Sediments From And-2a Drill Core (Mcmurdo Sound, Antarctica), Francesco Iacoviello, Giovanna Giorgetti, Fernando Nieto, Isabella Turbanti Memmi

ANDRILL Research and Publications

We have examined the nature and origin of smectites in glaciomarine sediments of the AND-2A drill core (McMurdo Sound, Antarctica) by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses on the clay fraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations and SEM-EDS microanalyses on smectite particles. Relying on the smectite variation throughout the drill core it was possible to split the sequence into three units. Smectites throughout the core are either detrital or authigenic. Detrital smectites are close to montmorillonite-beidellite in composition while newly-formed smectites frequently have higher Fe-Mg contents and intermediate compositions between the saponite and nontronite …

A New Phase Speciation Leaching Procedure For The Determination Of Metals In Oxic And Anoxic Sediments, Brandon R. Gipson

OES Theses and Dissertations

Toxic trace elements such as cadmium, lead, chromium, and arsenic released by human activities can accumulate in marine and estuarine sediments, where these metals are often sequestered until local environmental changes (e.g., redox, salinity, and/or pH) allow these elements to be reintroduced into the food web. In order to assess the extent of toxic trace element contamination in sediment, numerous leaching schemes have been developed that separate sediment-bound trace metals into operationally defined geochemical phases. These "phase speciation" leaching schemes are typically designed with the purpose of being used on either oxic or anoxic sediments. However, natural sediments often contain …

Assessment Of Coal Geology, Resources, And Reserves In The Montana Powder River Basin, Jon E. Haacke, David C. Scott, Lee M. Osmonson, James A. Luppens, Paul E. Pierce, Jay A. Gunderson

United States Geological Survey: Publications

The purpose of this report is to summarize geology, coal resources, and coal reserves in the Montana Powder River Basin (MTPRB) assessment area in southeastern Montana. This report represents the fourth assessment area within the Powder River Basin to be evaluated in the continuing U.S. Geological Survey regional coal assessment program.

There are four active coal mines in the MTPRB assessment area: the Spring Creek and Decker Mines, both near Decker; the Rosebud Mine, near Colstrip; and the Absaloka Mine, west of Colstrip. During 2011, coal production from these four mines totaled approximately 36 million short tons (MST). A fifth …

The Evolution Of Grenville Basement In The Eastern Great Smoky Mountains; Constraints From U-Pb Zircon Geochronology, Whole Rock Sm-Nd, And Feldspar Pb Geochemistry, Ryan Joel Quinn

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Identifying the crustal affinity of Grenville basement rocks in the Dellwood quadrangle, western NC, provides insight into the tectonic evolution of eastern Laurentia during Grenville orogenesis. U-Pb zircon geochronology of orthogneiss, augen gneiss, and mafic xenoliths in orthogneiss reveal magmatic pulses at 1130, 1180, and 1330 Ma and metamorphic episodes at 450 and 1040 Ma. Xenoliths in 1330 Ma orthogneiss are as old as 1382 Ma and represent the oldest component of Blue Ridge basement identified to-date. Feldspar Pb isotope values span a range between juvenile-Laurentian and southern-central Appalachian basement/Amazonia. Most Pb isotope data define an array consistent with crustal …

Isotope Geochemistry And Geochronology Of Lavas From The Line Islands Chain, Central Pacific Basin: Insight Into The Origin Of The Line Islands, Lauren Storm

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Geochemical compositions of melts produced in the Earth's mantle provide key data for understanding Earth's internal structure. Particularly, the compositions of unusually large outpourings of basaltic lavas in large igneous provinces involve substantial source volumes, thereby contributing to our understanding of mantle structure and dynamics. Although the origin of such lavas remains enigmatic, geochemically they may originate from Earth's oldest and deepest mantle reservoir, transported by a mantle plume or by entrainment in passive upwelling beneath a fast spreading center. The Pacific Ocean basin hosts several large igneous provinces that formed near a triple junction of three oceanic plates, and …

Scientific Drilling Of Speleothems – A Technical Note, Christoph Spötl, David Mattey

International Journal of Speleology

This short article provides detailed descriptions of custom-made and commercially available hand-held drilling gear and options for water-flushing units specifically designed to obtained good-quality core material from speleothems even in remote cave regions. We use small-diameter (6-7 mm) diamond drill bits to obtain aliquots of calcite (as little as a few hundreds of milligram) from the interior of the basal part of in-situ stalagmites. These small cores are used to date the onset of stalagmite growth and occasionally to obtain other compositional information. Larger diameter drill bits produce cores 25-32 mm in diameter and up to 1.3 m in length …