Geology Commons^™

Spatial Variations Of Stochastic Noise Properties In Gps Time Series, Xiaoxing He, Michael Simon Bos, Jean-Philippe Montillet, Rui Fernandes, Timothy I. Melbourne, Weiping Jiang, Wudong Li

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The noise in position time series of 568 GPS (Global Position System) stations across North America with an observation span of ten years has been investigated using solutions from two processing centers, namely, the Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array (PANGA) and New Mexico Tech (NMT). It is well known that in the frequency domain, the noise exhibits a power-law behavior with a spectral index of around −1. By fitting various noise models to the observations and selecting the most likely one, we demonstrate that the spectral index in some regions flattens to zero at long periods while in other regions it …

Incorporating Universal Design Into Tsunami Modeling Results For Cascadia Subduction Zone Faults To Create An Inundation Map And Universally Designed Evacuation Map For Port Angeles, Wa, Hannah Rose Spero, Breanyn Macinnes, Naomi J. Petersen

Student Published Works

Current tsunami hazard inundation and evacuation maps in the Puget Sound are based primarily on Cascadia and Seattle fault tsunamis. The standard evaluation process for tsunami impacts focuses on elevation and hypothetical fault rupture of known and predicted earthquakes. However, there are several known tsunami deposits in the Puget Sound that are not from Cascadia or Seattle fault tsunamis, potentially from other faults within the region, that could affect tsunami mitigation. Work to understand newly discovered crustal deformation and faults in Puget Sound is ongoing, therefore evacuation and inundation maps need to be updated to include these new faults and …

Deriving Melt Rates At A Complex Ice Shelf Base Using In Situ Radar: Application To Totten Ice Shelf, Irena Vaňková, Sue Cook, J. Paul Winberry, Keith W. Nicholls, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

A phase-sensitive radar (ApRES) was deployed on Totten Ice Shelf to provide the first in situ basal melt estimate at this dynamic East Antarctic ice shelf. Observations of internal ice dynamics at tidal time scales showed that early arrivals from off-nadir reflectors obscure the true depth of the ice shelf base. Using the observed tidal deformation, the true base was found to lie at 1,910–1,950-m depth, at 350–400 m greater range than the first reflection from an ice-ocean interface. The robustness of the basal melt rate estimate was increased by using multiple basal reflections over the radar footprint, yielding a …

Tsunami Deposits And Tsunami Modeling Of The 900 Ad Seattle Fault Event In Northern Puget Sound, Andrew A. Raulerson

All Master's Theses

Puget Sound has a history of earthquakes and tsunamis with an ever-expanding knowledge of these events. The focus of this study is the Seattle fault earthquake and resulting tsunami 1100 years ago. This study aimed at refining the extent of tsunami inundation north of the fault using a two-phased approach: a field study at Elger Bay and tsunami modeling. Tsunami deposits dating to this event have been observed in six sites total sites in Puget Sound, and four of them are in northern Puget Sound. At Elger Bay I found one tsunami deposit in cores from the southwest corner of …

Long-Term Geomorphic Effects Of The Glines Canyon Dam Removal On The Elwha River, Washington, Usa, Alyssa D. Demott

All Master's Theses

The Elwha River once provided vital habitat for a variety of salmonid species, but after two dams were emplaced on the river in the early 1900s, habitat diminished, and salmon populations declined. From 2011-2014, the dams were finally removed to restore the Elwha ecosystem. To understand the long-term geomorphic impacts of the Glines Canyon Dam removal on the Elwha River, I quantified changes in four parameters: in-channel large wood, main channel sinuosity, channel braiding, and sedimentation. High-resolution imagery from 2012-2020 was used to map large wood and digitize main and secondary river channels, and field surveys were completed at study …

Refractory Black Carbon (Rbc) Variability In A 47-Year West Antarctic Snow And Firn Core, Marquetto Luciano, Susan Kaspari, Jefferson Cardia Simões

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Black carbon (BC) is an important climate-forcing agent that affects snow albedo. In this work, we present a record of refractory black carbon (rBC) variability, measured from a 20m deep snow and firn core drilled in West Antarctica (79°55’34.600” S, 94°21’13.3”W, 2122m above sea level) during the 2014–2015 austral summer. This is the highest elevation rBC record from West Antarctica. The core was analyzed using the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) coupled to a CETAC Marin-5 nebulizer. Results show a well-defined seasonality with geometric mean concentrations of 0.015 μg L^-1 for the wet season (austral summer–fall) and 0.057 μg …

A New Early Occurrence Of Cervidae In North America From The Miocene-Pliocene Ellensburg Formation In Washington, Usa, Meaghan M. Emery-Wetherell, Joseph F. Schilter

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

A new fossil cervid from the Craig’s Hill locality of the Miocene-Pliocene Ellensburg Formation in the State of Washington, USA, may be one of the oldest fossil deer yet found in North America, underlying a date of 4.9 Ma ± 0.1 Ma. This mandible fragment with m2, m3, and associated p2 has a size that does not distinguish it from Bretzia pseudalces, Odocoileus hemionus, or Capreolus constantini, and distinguishes it from Eocoileus gentryorum and Odocoileus lucasi only in having a thinner p2. A strong paraconid on the p2, and ectostylids and cingulids on the m2 and m3 link it most …

Geochronology Of The Middle Eocene Purple Bench Locality (Devil’S Graveyard Formation), Trans-Pecos Texas, Usa, Amy L. Atwater, Kelly D. Thomson, E. Christopher Kirk, Meaghan Emery-Wetherell, Logan Wetherell, Daniel F. Stockli

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Purple Bench is a middle Eocene fossil locality in the Devil’s Graveyard Formation of the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In addition to yielding a range of taxa characteristic of the Uintan North American Land Mammal Age, the Purple Bench locality is noteworthy in documenting a number of endemic species that are known only from the site. Despite the Uintan character of the mammalian fauna, the absolute age of Purple Bench is a matter of debate. This uncertainty stems from the wide interval of time encompassed by current radiometric dates bracketing the Purple Bench locality and from conflicting magnetostratigraphic correlations …

Sampling The Local Fare: Fishes At The Sam Israel House Pit (45gr76), Soap Lake, Washington, Adam Fruge

All Master's Theses

The Sam Israel site is a precontact archaeological complex with numerous fish bones at the north end of Soap Lake, Washington. Excavated in 1976, the fish remains recovered from there were never fully analyzed prior to this research. Since this inland Columbia Plateau site had thousands of fish bones, it contained untapped potential for our understanding of ancient local fish procurement. As such, I conducted a detailed analysis of 2,862 fish bone specimens from the Sam Israel House Pit locus to: study a larger sample of fish bones in greater detail than was done before; compare the distribution of fishes …

Documenting The Earthquake History Of The Thousand Springs Fault In Summer Lake Basin, Oregon, Usa, Elizabeth Curtiss

All Master's Theses

Defining seismic hazards in low-strain-rate regions such as the northwestern Basin and Range can be difficult due to the infrequency of earthquakes. Revealing the earthquake records of low-strain-rate regions can refine our understanding of the variability of earthquake sizes and recurrence intervals, however, which can ultimately improve hazard analysis. Four active normal faults form the Summer Lake basin, in the northwestern Basin and Range: The Thousand Springs (TSF), Ana River (ARF), Slide Mountain, and Winter Ridge faults. Other than the TSF, the faults in the Summer Lake basin have documented histories that include surface-rupturing (>M6) earthquakes. Scarps along the …

Modeling Cle Elum Reservoir Shoreline Erosion: Gis Analysis To Support Cultural And Environmental Resource Management, Yakima Basin, Washington, Michael H. Horner

All Master's Theses

In the Yakima Basin, managers are expanding reservoirs including Cle Elum Lake to increase the availability of water. The objective of this study was to examine areas prone to further shoreline erosion to inform resource management. This research included the use of airphotos and fieldwork to identify erosional shorelines. Erosion was verified in the field using a video survey as well as indicators such as shoreline slope, sediment size, and nearshore width. Near-term erosional segments were identified by more rapidly receding bluffs while long-term erosional segments included both bedrock cliffs and bluffs. Although most of the shoreline is depositional, near-term …

Mapping And Modeling The Seattle Fault Tsunami Inundation In Puget Sound, David Bruce

All Master's Theses

Coastal communities of Puget Sound are susceptible to tsunami inundation from multiple sources. Two sources of potential tsunami hazard that threaten the region are earthquakes on crustal faults in the Puget Lowlands, or earthquakes originating on the Cascadia subduction zone. This study investigated two coastal marshes in Puget Sound, Deer Lagoon and Doe-Kag-Wats, for evidence of a paleotsunami record to combine with tsunami modeling, in order to predict how future events could inundate Puget Sound. A deposit, interpreted as a paleotsunami, is traceable thought the marsh stratigraphy near the modern day tidal inlet of Deer Lagoon, a site that has …

Applying Garnet And Zircon Ree Linkages To Determine Timing Of P-T Conditions And Tectonic Implications For Uhp Eclogites And Hp Granulites, Dulan Uhp Terrane, China, Wesley Weisberg

All Master's Theses

The Dulan ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terrane in western China hosts rocks that record continental collision, however; the timing of peak P-T conditions in UHP eclogites and HP granulites, and the tectonic significance of their spatial relationship within the Dulan UHP terrane are not well understood. This study, (1) evaluates rare earth element (REE) equilibrium between garnet and zircon, to assess coeval growth; (2) links timing (from zircon) to the P-T history (from garnet) to constrain the P-T-t path of the Dulan UHP terrane and interpret implications for zircon growth; (3) refines P-T conditions for HP granulite; and (4) evaluates the tectonic …

Modeling Of Potential Historical Tsunamis From Large Earthquakes In The Izu-Bonin Mariana Subduction Zone, Rachelle Reisinger

All Master's Theses

The Izu-Bonin Mariana (IBM) subduction zone is an over 3000-km long oceanic-oceanic convergence zone with no instrumental record of great subduction-zone earthquakes (M_w > 8.0). Due to the lack of great earthquakes and the oceanic-oceanic subduction style, previous researchers have speculated that the IBM does not produce great earthquakes. The same behavior was also proposed for the northern Japan and Cascadia subduction zones, which has since been proven false. We use the tsunami model GeoClaw (v5.6.0) with adjoint-guided refinement level flagging to simulate IBM earthquakes in three separate segments to produce estimates of wave heights at locations around the Pacific …

Late Holocene Paleoflood Hydrology Of The Snake River In The Lower Hells Canyon, Idaho, Kent C. Allen

All Master's Theses

The Snake River watershed spans a large geographic region from the Rocky Mountains to the inland Pacific Northwest, and a comprehensive paleoflood chronology on the mainstem of the river is key to identifying the frequency and magnitude of large prehistoric floods within the region. We examined and compared four sites of slackwater deposits along a 20-km reach of the Lower Hells Canyon on the Snake River, Idaho. The sites contain evidence of up to 34 paleofloods within the last 1700 years. Stratigraphic breaks, soils, and in-situ plant or archaeological materials demarcate distinct layers that represent discrete paleoflood events. Radiocarbon dates …

Recovering Lost Information From Avocational Projectile Point Collections, Mackenzie Hughes

All Master's Theses

Human prehistory in North America has sparked the interest of private citizens for decades, sometimes leading to an accumulation of avocational artifact collections that lack site-level provenience. The Wild/Clymer artifacts (n = 1,371) are one such collection where precise site provenience was lost. The analysis aims to recover regional provenience by using morphology, raw material sourcing, and typology to create a data set. The avocational collection data set was analyzed by comparing it to the professionally recorded archaeological data sets from within 100 miles of Frenchglen, Oregon. A paradigmatic classification approach identified 606 typeable points in the avocational collection, in …

Mapping Crustal Shear Wave Velocity Structure And Radial Anisotropy Beneath West Antarctica Using Seismic Ambient Noise, J. P. O'Donnell, Audrey D. Huerta, J. Paul Winberry

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Using 8- to 25-s-period Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity dispersion data extracted from seismic ambient noise, we (i) model the 3-D shear wave velocity structure of the West Antarctic crust and (ii) map variations in crustal radial anisotropy. Enhanced regional resolution is offered by the UK Antarctic Seismic Network. In the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS), a ridge of crust ∼26–30km thick extending south from Marie Byrd Land separates domains of more extended crust (∼22km thick) in the Ross and Amundsen Sea Embayments, suggesting along-strike variability in the Cenozoic evolution of the WARS. The southern margin of the WARS …

Deep Open Storage And Shallow Closed Transport System For A Continental Flood Basalt Sequence Revealed With Magma Chamber Simulator, Jussi S. Heinonen, Arto V. Luttinen, Frank J. Spera, Wendy A. Bohrson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) quantitatively models the phase equilibria, mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, and radiogenic isotopes in a multicomponent–multiphase magma + wallrock + recharge system by minimization or maximization of the appropriate thermodynamic potential for the given process. In this study, we utilize MCS to decipher the differentiation history of a continental flood basalt sequence from the Antarctic portion of the ~ 180 Ma Karoo large igneous province. Typical of many flood basalts, this suite exhibits geochemical evidence (e.g., negative initial εNd) of interaction with crustal materials. We show that isobaric assimilation-fractional crystallization models fail to …

The Role Of Introductory Geoscience Courses In Preparing Teachers—And All Students—For The Future: Are We Making The Grade?, Anne E. Egger

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Introductory geoscience courses enroll hundreds of thousands of students a year, most of whom do not major in the geosciences. For many, including future K–12 teachers, an introductory course is the only place they will encounter Earth science at the college level. New standards for K–12 science education have profound implications for teacher preparation, particularly in Earth science. The new standards call for taking a systems approach, highlighting how humans interact with Earth, making use of science and engineering practices, and engaging students in discourse. Analysis of responses to the National Geoscience Faculty Survey (n = 813 in 2004; …

Dextral, Normal, And Sinistral Faulting Across The Eastern California Shear Zone-Mina Deflection Transition, California-Nevada, Usa, Kevin Delano, Jeffrey Lee, Rachelle Roper, Andrew Calvert

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Strike-slip faults commonly include extensional and contractional bends and stepovers, whereas rotational stepovers are less common. The Volcanic Tableland, Black Mountain, and River Spring areas (California and Nevada, USA) (hereafter referred to as the VBR region) straddle the transition from the dominantly NW-striking dextral faults that define the northwestern part

of the eastern California shear zone into a rotational stepover characterized by dominantly NE-striking sinistral faults that define the southwestern Mina deflection. New detailed geologic mapping, structural studies, and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology across the VBR region allow us to calculate Pliocene to Pleistocene fault slip rates and test predictions for the …

Tidal And Spatial Variability Of Flow Speed And Seismicity Near The Grounding Zone Of Beardmore Glacier, Antarctica, Jade Cooley, J. Paul Winberry, Michelle Koutnik, Howard Conway

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

GPS measurements of tidal modulation of ice flow and seismicity within the grounding zone of Beardmore Glacier show that tidally induced fluctuations of horizontal flow are largest near the grounding line and decrease downstream. Seismic activity is continuous, but peaks occur on falling and rising tides. Beamforming methods reveal that most seismic events originate from two distinct locations, one on the grid-north side of the grounding zone, and one on the grid-south side. The broad pattern of deformation generated as Beardmore Glacier merges with the Ross Ice Shelf results in net extension along the grid-north side of the grounding zone …

Radiative Forcing By Dust And Black Carbon On The Juneau Icefield, Alaska, Sonia A. Nagorski, Susan D. Kaspari, Eran Hood, Jason B. Fellman, S. Mckenzie Skiles

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Here we present the first known data set on black carbon (BC) and mineral dust concentrations in snow from the Juneau Icefield (JIF) in southeastern Alaska, where glacier melt rates are among the highest on Earth. In May 2016, concentrations of BC (0.4–3.1 μg/L) and dust (0.2–34 mg/L) were relatively low and decreased toward the interior of the JIF. The associated radiative forcing (RF) averaged 4 W/m2. In July, after 10 weeks of exposure, the aged snow surface had substantially higher concentrations of BC (2.1–14.8 μg/L) and dust (11–72 mg/L) that were not spatially distributed by elevation or distance from …

Seismic Tremor Reveals Spatial Organization And Temporal Changes Of Subglacial Water System, Margot E. Vore, Timothy C. Bartholomaus, J. Paul Winberry, Jacob I. Walter, Jason M. Amundson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Subglacial water flow impacts glacier dynamics and shapes the subglacial environment. However, due to the challenges of observing glacier beds, the spatial organization of subglacial water systems and the time scales of conduit evolution and migration are largely unknown. To address these questions, we analyze 1.5‐ to 10‐Hz seismic tremor that we associate with subglacial water flow, hat is, glaciohydraulic tremor, at Taku Glacier, Alaska, throughout the 2016 melt season. We use frequency‐dependent polarization analysis to estimate glaciohydraulic tremor propagation direction (related to the subglacial conduit location) and a degree day melt model to monitor variations in melt‐water input. We …

Identifying Key Factors Affecting Translational Landslides In Part Of The Yakima Fold And Thrust Belt, Washington State, Joseph Schilter

All Master's Theses

Washington has one of the fastest growth rates in the nation, and unfortunately also is among the most landslide-prone states. With increased population density and urban sprawl, the need for landslide hazard assessment grows. On the Columbia Plateau in central Washington, the smooth rigid, inclined surfaces of the Columbia River Basalts (CRBs) with loose sediment layers between them induces landslides of large blocks of bedrock. These hazards remain poorly understood, but their significance was heightened by the 2017 Rattlesnake Hills Landslide that currently threatens a community and an interstate highway south of Yakima, Washington. I propose that the strongest influences …

Mapping And Reconstructing The Paleotsunami Record In Queule, South-Central Chile, Pedro I. Matos Llavona

All Master's Theses

Records of past tsunamis help constrain the long-term characteristics of megathrust earthquakes and elucidate the role of sea-level in the preservation of tsunami deposits. Near Queule, south-central Chile (39.3˚S, 73.2˚W), three sand layers interpreted as tsunami deposits are interbedded with dark, organic-rich, silt deposits along a tidal channel landward of a sand spit capped by eolian sand dunes. The uppermost sand layer is attributed to the tsunami from the Mw 9.5 1960 earthquake. The sand layer is widespread, tabular, oxidized, thins landward, and generally occurs at a depth of <20 cm. The spatial distribution of the deposit corresponds closely with the extent of the 1960 tsunami sand on 1961 aerial photographs. We computed numerical simulations of the 1960 tsunami in Queule using the GeoClaw finite-slip hydrodynamic model based on three published earthquake sources. The simulations showed inundation up to 4km inland that overtopped the coastal dunes; agreeing with historical documentation and testimonies of 1960 tsunami survivors. Stratigraphically below the 1960 tsunami deposit are two tabular, landward-thinning sand layers with sharp lower contacts above silty organic-rich layers. Combined radiocarbon ages of seeds, charcoal and wood fragments found at the contacts with the underlying organic layers yielded ages of 5460-5320 and 5990-5910 cal. years BP. These sand layers have similar distribution patterns to the 1960 sand layer, but are finer grained, thinner and less oxidized. Below this sequence of interbedded tsunami sands and silty organic layers there is an abrupt contact underlain by a distinct sequence of four inorganic silt layers alternating with dark brown organic-rich silts, which are older than 6280-6110 cal. years BP. The deepest studied layer is a thick, fine, gray sand. We interpret the gray sand as a submarine environment during the mid-Holocene sea-level high stand, and the alternating inorganic and organic silts as tidal to shallow sub-tidal environments, possibly indicating co-seismic land-level changes. Gradual sea level fall after the deposition of the two paleotsunami sand deposits that changed the geomorphology of the coast and limited the accommodation space necessary to preserve additional overwash sediments could explain the 5000-year hiatus with no evidence of earthquakes or tsunamis. Further research will offer possible explanations for the exception of the 1960 tsunami in breaking this long-term pattern.

Holocene Periods Of Aggradation And Incision, Hanson Creek, Washington, Levi Earl Windingstad

All Master's Theses

The causes and timing of cycles of aggradation and incision in the Hanson Creek drainage in central Washington provide insight into changes in channel morphology and paleoenvironment within the region over the last 8000 years. Stratigraphically and spatially coincident archaeological evidence reveals information related to human occupation during the latter half of the epoch. Using LiDAR imagery and field surveys, recent processes such as degree of modern channel incision, accumulation of valley floor sediment, channel morphology and gradient were evaluated. The spatial distribution of these channel characteristics was assessed in relation to proximal landforms such as colluvial deposits, basalt outcrops, …

Defining Historical Earthquake Rupture Parameters And Proposed Slip Distributions Through Tsunami Modeling In South-Central Chile, Alexander Dolcimascolo

All Master's Theses

Reliable tsunami early warning forecasts rely on accurate initial modeling conditions and interpretations of subduction zone behavior in a multi-century perspective. GPS and seismologic data were introduced this past century to study rupture dynamics in detail, however limited information is known about ruptures that pre-date the 20^th century. I propose a methodology that uses statistics to better understand these pre-20^th century ruptures. This methodology applies the historical and geologic tsunami record as a means to select a suite of tsunami simulations from earthquake source solutions. I chose south-central Chile (46°S to 30°S) to test this new methodology; it …

The Three-Stage Petrochemical Evolution Of The Steens Basalt [Southeast Oregon, Usa] Compared To Large Igneous Provinces And Layered Mafic Intrusions, N. E. Moore, A. L. Grunder, Wendy A. Bohrson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The Steens Basalt, southeast Oregon, USA, initiated at 17 Ma as the earliest pulse of the Columbia River Flood Basalt of the northwestern USA. New and existing stratigraphically controlled data reveal temporal changes in lava flow character, and whole-rock and mineral compositions, which we use to evaluate how the balance of magma differentiation processes change in time. Temporal petrochemical variations in the Steens Basalt are analogous to the transition from Imnaha Basalt to Grande Ronde Basalt units of the Columbia River Flood Basalt and have parallels to the temporal evolution of the Deccan and Siberian traps, in India and Russia, …

The Crust And Upper Mantle Structure Of Central And West Antarctica From Bayesian Inversion Of Rayleigh Wave And Receiver Functions, Weisen Shen, Audrey D. Huerta, J. Paul Winberry

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

We construct a new seismic model for central and West Antarctica by jointly inverting Rayleigh wave phase and group velocities along with P wave receiver functions. Ambient noise tomography exploiting data from more than 200 seismic stations deployed over the past 18 years is used to construct Rayleigh wave phase and group velocity dispersion maps. Comparison between the ambient noise phase velocity maps with those constructed using teleseismic earthquakes confirms the accuracy of both results. These maps, together with P receiver function waveforms, are used to construct a new 3-D shear velocity (Vs) model for the crust and uppermost mantle …

The 2015 Landslide And Tsunami In Taan Fiord, Alaska, Bretwood Higman, Breanyn Macinnes, Colin Bloom

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Glacial retreat in recent decades has exposed unstable slopes and allowed deep water to extend beneath some of those slopes. Slope failure at the terminus of Tyndall Glacier on 17 October 2015 sent 180 million tons of rock into Taan Fiord, Alaska. The resulting tsunami reached elevations as high as 193 m, one of the highest tsunami runups ever documented worldwide. Precursory deformation began decades before failure, and the event left a distinct sedimentary record, showing that geologic evidence can help understand past occurrences of similar events, and might provide forewarning. The event was detected within hours through automated seismological …