Geology Commons^™

Heavy-Oil And Bitumen Resources Of The Big Clifty Sandstone, Northeastern Grayson County And Adjacent Hardin County, Kentucky, J. Richard Bowersox

Report of Investigations--KGS

Rock asphalt (bitumen-saturated sandstone) was produced from the Big Clifty Sandstone near Tar Hill and Big Clifty in northeastern Grayson County, and at Summit in adjacent Hardin County, from 1889 to 1940. Noncommercial amounts of oil were distilled from Big Clifty rock asphalt before 1930. Resource assessments conducted throughout the area during the mid-1920's described substantial rock-asphalt deposits. Later assessments in 1951, 1965, and the early 1980's, however, overlooked the northeastern Grayson County area. A new evaluation in 2015 estimated that the historically developed area between Clifty Creek and meeting Creek, and between the Summit Fault and Eveleigh Fault Zone, …

Storing Co2 Deep Underground, Stephen F. Greb

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Injecting Liquids And Gases Deep Underground, Stephen F. Greb

Map and Chart--KGS

Every year, thousands of wells are drilled into underground reservoirs in search of water, oil, and natural gas. The gases and fluids are trapped inside tiny pores and cracks in underground reservoirs.

Rocks To Roads To Ruin: A Brief History Of Western Kentucky’S Rock-Asphalt Industry, 1888–1957, J. Richard Bowersox

Information Circular--KGS

The history of western Kentucky’s rock-asphalt industry required substantial research of primary sources to correct the disjointed and often conflicting record published to date. Its history is checkered with characters from visionary entrepreneurs and ambitious businessmen to financial scoundrels. The earliest evidence of exploitation of bitumen resources at the surface in western Kentucky is in Native American artifacts recovered from several sites. Early settlers in the region used heavy oil and bitumen found in seeps as lubricants and wood preservatives, among other uses. The commercial value of the widespread western Kentucky rock-asphalt deposits was first recognized in the 1880’s, leading …

Mapped Karst Groundwater Basins In The Elizabethtown 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle, James C. Currens, Robert J. Blair

Map and Chart--KGS

This map shows karst groundwater basins in the Elizabethtown 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, determined primarily by groundwater tracer studies. It can be used to quickly identify the groundwater basins and springs to which a site may drain. Major springs and the relative size of their catchment areas can be evaluated for potential as water supplies. The map also serves as a geographic index to literature on karst groundwater in the area.

Heavy-Oil And Bitumen Resources Of The Western Kentucky Tar Sands, J. Richard Bowersox

Report of Investigations--KGS

Heavy-oil and bitumen resources in western Kentucky are present in the Upper Mississippian Big Clifty and Hardinsburg Sandstones and Lower Pennsylvanian Kyrock and Bee Spring Sandstone Members of the Caseyville Formation in a belt extending from Logan County on the south to Breckinridge and Hardin Counties on the north.

Net oil-saturated intervals in the tar sands range from 2.5 to 4.7 m thick, largely in downthrown fault blocks in and bounding the Rough Creek Graben. Records from 1,500 wells, analysis of reservoir properties from 3,769 plugs from 135 coreholes, and bulk volume of hydrocarbon calculated in 139 surface samples were …

Use And Evaluation Of Lidar For Mapping Sinkholes In Royal Spring Groundwater Basin, Fidele Nsonguh Tibouo

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study utilizes a digital elevation model of the surface derived from high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and aerial-image technologies to map sinkholes in the Royal Spring groundwater basin. Shade-relief maps, with vertical exaggeration, were very helpful in the initial characterization of depressions. Then, aerial-photography sets were likewise helpful in identifying man-made structures such as retention basins, swimming pools, and parking lots, and to identify new sinkholes.

Field checking was necessary to further define depressions into two categories: 1.) potential sinkholes and 2.) probable sinkholes. This study had a lower success rate (50 percent) for identifying sinkholes via LiDAR …

Site Characteristics, Instrumentation, And Recordings Of The Central United States Seismic Observatory, Edward W. Woolery, Zhenming Wang, N. Seth Carpenter

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Central United States Seismic Observatory is a vertical seismic array in southwestern Kentucky within the New Madrid Seismic Zone. It is intended to record the effects of local geology, including thick sediment overburden, on seismic-wave propagation, particularly strong ground motion. The three-borehole array is composed of seismic sensors placed on the surface, in the bedrock, and at various depths within the 585-m-thick sediment overburden. The array's deep borehole also provides a unique opportunity to describe the geology and geophysically measure the complete Late Cretaceous through Quaternary stratigraphy in the northern Mississippi Embayment.

Based on the surface and borehole geophysical …

Dating Deformation In The Palmer Zone Of Transpression, Central Massachusetts: Temporal Constraints On Models For Progressive Deformation In The Middle Crust, James K. Mcculla

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Palmer Zone of Transpression (PZoT) in the Bronson Hill zone of central Massachusetts is an expression of late Paleozoic oblique convergence between Avalonia and Laurentia. The steeply W-dipping, N-S trending PZoT is defined by bounding high strain zones (Mt. Dumplin on west, Central Maine and Conant Brook on east) of opposing shear sense enclosing the Monson orthogneiss. Research was designed to establish the timing of deformation to test the hypothesis that strain in transpressional systems occurs contemporaneously. An understanding of the timing of deformation in this zone could elucidate the mechanisms that formed the zone and contribute to a …

Lithostratigraphic And Geochemical Characterization Of The Upper Pennsylvanian ‘Wolfcamp D’ Shale, Midland Basin (Usa): Implications For Paleoenvironments And Unconventional Petroleum Reserviors, Patrick W. Baldwin

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

An integrated stratigraphic analysis of a ~350 ft drill core from Upton County (Texas) has revealed pervasive variability of several key siliciclastic and carbonate lithofacies in vertical section, where organic-rich siliceous mudrock beds alternate with aluminum-rich mudrocks and calcareous gravity flow deposits. Sediment chemistry, especially major and trace elements derived from x-ray fluorescence, captures this variability with high sensitivity. The high frequency chemostratigraphic variability appears to be cyclic, and it is interpreted to represent the first example of deep-water Late Pennsylvanian cyclothems for the Midland Basin. Positive trace metal (Mo, Cr) correlations to total organic carbon and gamma ray response …

Integrated Geophysical Methods In Investigation Of Claiborne Aquifer Hydrostratigraphy, Jackson Purchase, Kentucky, Marie Cooper

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Increased groundwater withdrawals associated with agricultural irrigation in the Jackson Purchase have prompted questions related to groundwater availability and sustainability. Key factors in addressing these questions are understanding the extent and variation in thickness of the local hydrostratigraphic system, which is the upper part of the Mississippi Embayment aquifer system. Correlations of 70 gamma-ray well logs, and 49 resistivity logs were made across parts of the Jackson Purchase in Fulton and Hickman Counties in order to delineate the upper Claiborne aquifer and middle Claiborne confining unit. Commercial software (i.e. Petra 3.8.3) was used to generate cross sections, structure and isopach …

Mobility Of Escherichia Coli Within Karst Terrains, Kentucky, Usa, Ashley M. Bandy

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Bacterial contamination of karst aquifers is a concern as water quality across the globe deteriorates in the face of decreasing water security. This study examined the transport and attenuation of two non-virulent isolates of Escherichia coli in relation to traditional groundwater tracers such as rhodamine WT dye and latex microspheres in two karst regions in Kentucky. Differential movement between the four tracers was observed in both epikarst and karst aquifer traces, with differences in behavior dependent on flow conditions. Attenuation was greater for the bacterial isolate containing the iha gene, compared to the isolate containing the kps gene. Microspheres of …

Spring Responses To Storms And Seasonal Variations In Recharge In The Middle Atlas Region Of Morocco, Brett Andrew Howell

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Springs in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco are significant sources for public water supply. From March 2014 to May 2015, water temperatures were measured hourly at three springs (Ribaa, Sidi Rached, and Zerouka); water levels were measured hourly at Sidi Rached and Zerouka; and daily turbidity data were obtained from Ribaa. From March 2014 to March 2015, daily water samples were taken at Zerouka for analyses of the stable isotopes deuterium and oxygen-18. Hourly weather data (precipitation and air temperature) were available from March 2014 to May 2015 from Ifrane, near Zerouka. Temperature responses varied between the springs, showing …

Paleoearthquakes Of The Past ~6000 Years At The Dead Mouse Site, West-Central Denali Fault At The Nenana River, Alaska, Joseph K. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Denali fault (DF) in south-central Alaska is a major right lateral strike-slip fault that parallels the Alaska Range for much of its length. This fault represents the largest seismogenic source for interior Alaska but due to its remote location and difficulty of access, a dearth of paleoearthquake (PEQ) information exists for this important feature. The fault system is over 1200 km in length and identification of paleoseismic sites that preserve more that 2-3 PEQs has proven challenging. In 2012 and 2015, we developed the ‘Dead Mouse’ site, which provides the first long PEQ record west of the 2002 rupture …

Denali In A Box: Analog Experiments Modeled After A Natural Setting Provide Insight On Gentle Restraining Bend Deformation, Anne M. Fendick

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Mount McKinley restraining bend (MMRB) creates an ~18° left-step in the arcuate surface trace of the dextral Denali Fault in south-central Alaska. Despite being a large, crustal-scale fault, little is understood about the controls on deformation within the MMRB. Similarities between previous wet kaolin analog modeling and the MMRB suggest that the first-order deformation patterns may derive from similar mechanisms. We compare uplift patterns, localization of deformation, formation of new faults, and displacement fields from the analog model and the natural setting to assess the influence of different variables on the overall system. Despite strong rheological heterogeneity in the …

Stratigraphic, Geochemical, And Well Log Analysis Of The Wolfcamp-D Unconventional Play In The Central Midland Basin, Texas, Patrick Thomas Ryan

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This M.S. thesis utilizes diverse subsurface datasets from the central Midland Basin, a recently reinvigorated petroleum producing region, to better understand the depositional history of the prospective Wolfcamp-D interval. An integrated set of methods were applied to ~320 ft of drill core from Midland County (Texas). Elemental chemostratigraphy collected via x-ray fluorescence highlights the pervasive fine-scale variability in the stratigraphy of the core, and aided in the classification of three different mudrock facies types. Organic-rich, siliceous mudrocks are cyclically interbedded with aluminum-rich mudrocks and carbonates throughout the Wolfcamp-D. Trace metal correlations with total organic carbon indicate slow bottom-water recharge from …

Field, Geochronologic, And Geochemical Constraints On Late Precambrian To Early Paleozoic Terrane Accretion In The Southern Appalachian Blue Ridge Province, Emma A. Larkin

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Xenolith-bearing orthogneiss of Amazonian affinity discovered in the Dellwood quadrangle in the Blue Ridge basement complex represents the oldest crustal component of the southern Appalachians (1.33 – 1.37 Ga: Quinn, 2012). New U-Pb zircon ages for migmatitic paragneiss of the Cartoogechaye terrane exposed in the Dellwood quadrangle reveal two unique detrital zircon age signatures that indicate either a local eastern Laurentian margin source or an exotic source. Detailed mapping, whole rock geochemistry, and U-Pb zircon geochronology were conducted to determine whether this exotic crustal component extends farther south into the Hazelwood 7.5” quadrangle. Lithological similarities exist between paragneisses in the …

Geotherms From The Temperature-Depth–Constrained Solutions Of 1-D Steady-State Heat-Flow Equation, Dhananjay Ravat, P. Morgan, A. R. Lowry

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

We use the Curie depth derived from spectral analysis of near-surface magnetic anomaly data to constrain the solution of a one-dimensional (1-D) steady-state heat-flow equation. The method, in addition to anchoring the geotherm at deep levels in the crust, yields the ratio of radiogenic heat pro- duction to thermal conductivity. We evaluate the utility of this constraint in two granitic regions in the United States where radiogenic heat production, thermal conductivity, and heat flow are well determined. We also examine the results of this method in the context of previous research in the central Red Sea and coastal Saudi Arabia. …

The Strain Seismograms Of P- And S-Waves Of A Local Event Recorded By Four-Gauge Borehole Strainmeter, Zehua Qui, Shunliang Chi, Zhenming Wang, Seth Carpenter, Lei Tang, Yanping Guo, Guang Yang

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

At a sampling rate of 100 samples per second, the YRY-4 four-gauge borehole strainmeters (FGBS) are capable of recording transient strains caused by seismic waves such as P and S waves or strain seismograms. At such a high sampling rate, data from the YRY-4 strainmeters demonstrate fairly satisfactory self-consistency. The strain tensor seismograms demonstrate the senses of motion of P waves, that is, the type of seismic wave travels in the direction of the maximum normal strain change. The observed strain patterns of S waves significantly differ from those of P waves and should contain information about the source mechanism. …

Geologic, Geotechnical, And Geophysical Investigation Of A Shallow Landslide, Eastern Kentucky, Matthew M. Crawford, Junfeng Zhu, Steven E. Webb

Report of Investigations--KGS

In eastern Kentucky, landslides occur in colluvial soils or at the colluvium-bedrock contact, and are commonly triggered by heavy rainfall. These slides occur particularly where steep slopes and weak rocks combine with various methods of slope modification. Landslides can damage roadways, infrastructure, and residences, and mitigation costs can exceed $10 million per year.

The Meadowview landslide in Boyd County was investigated to assess the geologic conditions, extent, and behavior of a rainfall-triggered landslide in eastern Kentucky and evaluate the use of electrical resistivity as a tool to characterize a shallow colluvial landslide. Although this type of landslide is common in …

Quality Of Water From Tile Drains In Fields Treated With Poultry Litter In Mclean County, Kentucky, E. Glynn Beck, Lisa Y. Blue, David A. Atwood

Information Circular--KGS

Poultry litter (a mixture of feed, manure, and bedding material) is commonly used as a soil amendment to row-crop fields in western Kentucky. Because of feed additives, litter typically has elevated concentrations of contaminants, including metals and anions. These metals and anions can accumulate in the soil and therefore could be transported to surface water through drainage tiles. In order to assess water quality in tile drains, a pilot study was conducted in 2008 in McLean County, Kentucky, in which 10 tile drains and six drainage ditches were sampled for total metals and anions. Seven of the tile-drained fields were …

Comparison Of The Ground-Motion Attenuation Relationship Between The Wenchuan, China, Area And The Central And Eastern United States, Jiwei Feng, Zhenming Wang, Edward W. Woolery, Shanyou Li

Report of Investigations--KGS

An M_w-7.9 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan, China, in 2008, along the Longmenshan Fault, which is located on the western border of the South China stable continental region. A detailed comparison of the Wenchuan ground-motion attenuation relationships with the relationships for the central and eastern United States (also a stable continental region) showed that the ground-motion prediction equation for the Wenchuan area is similar to those for the central and eastern United States. Thus, the strong-motion records from the Wenchuan earthquake can be used for constraining the ground-motion prediction equation and engineering analysis for the central and eastern United …

The Geologic Context Of Landslide And Rockfall Maintenance Costs In Kentucky, Bethany L. Overfield, Daniel I. Carey, Gerald A. Weisenfluh, Rebecca Wang, Matthew M. Crawford

Report of Investigations--KGS

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet maintenance cost data for landslides and rockfalls were associated with geology along Kentucky roadways in a three-phase study. Work-order costs collected over 7 yr were divided into 1-mi segments, and the segment midpoints were assigned to geologic formation. Formations that were expensive to maintain were not necessarily those that were the most frequently repaired and vice versa. Costs and frequency of repair were greater in eastern and northern Kentucky, where slope and relief are greater than in other parts of the state and shale-bearing geologic units prevail.

Subsurface Geological Analyses Of The Berea Petroleum System In Eastern Kentucky, Julie Floyd

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Berea Sandstone is a Late Devonian, tight oil and gas reservoir that intertongues with the Bedford Shale in eastern Kentucky. In order to evaluate the Bedford-Berea interval in the subsurface, 555 well logs from the Kentucky Geological Survey’s oil and gas database were used to construct structure maps, isopach maps, and cross sections of the interval and its possible hydrocarbon source rocks. Gamma-ray logs were compared to known cores in order to separate Bedford from Berea lithologies. Maps and cross sections were compared to known basement structures to evaluate possible structural influences on the interval.

The Bedford-Berea interval is …

Schoenophyllum Aggregatum Zone: Stratigraphic Marker For Investigations Of Mississippian Limestones In Western Kentucky, Garland R. Dever Jr., Preston Mcgrain

Report of Investigations--KGS

Schoenophyllum aggregatum, a Mississippian colonial rugose coral, has a widespread geographic distribution and narrow stratigraphic range in the upper Ste. Genevieve Limestone of western Kentucky. This coral zone serves as a useful stratigraphic marker for commercial and geologic investigations of the extensive limestone deposits formed by the Ste. Genevieve and enclosing limestone units in the region. S. aggregatum is also present in rocks correlative with the Ste, Genevieve that occur in the Monteagle Limestone Slade Formation of south-central Kentucky and the Newman Limestone of southeastern Kentucky.

Is There Space Inside Solid Rock?, Stephen F. Greb, David C. Harris, J. Richard Bowersox

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Mapped Karst Groundwater Basins In The Hopkinsville 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle, James C. Currens, Joseph A. Ray, Phillip W. O'Dell, Robert J. Blair

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Relative Mobility Of Submarine Landslides From Deposit Morphology And Physical Properties: An Example From Kumano Basin, Nankai Trough, Offshore Japan, Zachary T. Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

A prominent landslide deposit in the Slope Basin seaward of the Megasplay Fault in the Nankai Trough was emplaced by a high-mobility landslide based on analysis of physical properties and seismic geomorphology. Slide acceleration is a critical variable that determines amplitude of slide-generated tsunami but is many times a variable with large uncertainty. In recent controlled laboratory experiments, the ratio of the shear stress to yield strength (defined as the Flow Factor) controls a wide spectrum of mass movement styles from slow, retrogressive failure to rapid, liquefied flows. Here, we apply this laboratory Flow Factor approach to a natural landslide …

Dynamic Surface Water-Groundwater Exchange In Tidal Freshwater Zones: Insights From The Christina River Basin (Delaware, Usa), Cole T. Musial

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

In coastal rivers, tides can propagate for tens to hundreds of kilometers inland beyond the saltwater line. Yet the influence of tides on river-aquifer connectivity and solute transport in tidal freshwater zones (TFZs) is largely unknown. We estimate that along the TFZ of White Clay Creek (Delaware, USA), more than 17% of river water exchanges through hyporheic and riparian storage zones due to tidal pumping alone. Additional hyporheic processes such as flow through bedforms likely contribute even more exchange. The turnover length associated with the tidal pumping process is 39 km, similar to turnover lengths for all hyporheic exchange processes …

The Environmental Effects Of Coal Fires, Trent Garrison

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

There are thousands of subterranean coal fires in the world that, because of incomplete combustion, emit a wide variety of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds to the atmosphere, water, and soil at concentrations that could pose health risks to humans and wildlife. The main goals of this study were to (1) review methods that are used to characterize physical and chemical characteristics of coal-fire sites, (2) determine relationships between gas emissions and physical and chemical characteristics of coal-fire sites, using a combination of regression and multivariate statistical methods, and (3) determine the concentrations of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in …