Geology Commons^™

Hypogene Speleogenesis In The Grand Canyon; Observational, Mineralogical, And Geochemical Investigations From The Bopper Cave System, Sierra Heimel

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

One of the most prominent features of the Grand Canyon is the iron-stained Redwall Limestone, which has been documented to contain extensive cave systems with significant storage potential in the karstic Redwall-Muav (R-M) aquifer. The hydrogeologic relationships between the R-M aquifer and cave formation in the Grand Canyon via descending (epigenic) surface waters have been well documented. However; the potentially large role of deeply sourced (hypogenic) waters rising from depth in relation to cave formation is poorly understood. The Bopper Cave System (BCS) is a relict feature of the ancient abandoned hydrologic system at Grand Canyon and displays unique network …

Field Tests Of A Uav-Compatible Spectrometer To Evaluate Its Suitability For Detailed Soil Radon Potential Mapping, Alexandria Briahnne Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

As part of ongoing research on radionuclide mapping and radon hazard characterization, field tests were performed to evaluate the suitability and limitations of a UAV-compatible gamma spectrometer. To date, this data set includes completed stationary data collection, mobile ground collection, multi-level UAV flights over a known material transition, as well as redundant ground and multi-level UAV data collection over a relatively uniform area. Total counts were used as a measure of soil radionuclide levels for our data collected above background. Although our test sites were in regions underlain by bedrock with high indoor radon levels, uranium counts were barely above …

Closing The Modern Seismic Gap Along The Teton Fault Via Seismic Mapping Of Mass Transport Deposits In Jackson Lake, Wy, Callia Jacqueline Cortese

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Terrestrial paleoseismological records along the Teton fault have historically indicated two-to-three major post-Pinedale (~14 ka) earthquake events, leaving an unresolved 6-9 m offset along the modern scarp. Recent studies of Jenny Lake have augmented this record, but the triggering mechanism is still equivocal until new paleo-earthquake records are developed. The earthquake record of the Teton fault is complicated by quiescence from ~5 ka to present, demonstrating the need for additional paleoseismic investigations. Compressed, high-intensity radar pulse (CHIRP) reflection data from Jackson Lake indicates multiple potentially seismically-induced mass transport deposits (MTDs). At least six MTD Groups representing chronostratigraphic intervals were interpreted …

The Appalachian System Of Basins And Platforms As A Tectonostratigraphic Analogue To The Barents Sea Shelf: Where Arctic Meets The Appalachians, Gustavo De Aguiar Martins

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Divided between Norway and Russia, the Barents Sea shelf (BSS) is an ~1.4 million km² Arctic province, containing significant hydrocarbon accumulations. However, much of the area is frontier, and geologic data are often restricted or unavailable. One strategy to mitigate lack of geologic data is the use of analogues from well-known, mature basins. Even though there have been attempts to use analogues to study the geology of the BSS, such use is limited. Moreover, no analogue, to my knowledge, has been capable of addressing the regional tectonostratigraphic development of the shelf as a whole.

In this research, the Appalachian …

Applications Of Digital Terrain Modeling To Address Problems In Geomorphology And Engineering Geology, Sarah Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This dissertation uses digital terrain modeling and computational methods to yield insight into three topics: 1) evaluating the influence of glacial topography on fluvial sediment transport in the Teton Range, WY, 2) integrating regional airborne lidar, UAV lidar, and structure from motion photogrammetry to characterize decadal-scale movement of slow-moving landslides in northern Kentucky, and 3) applying machine learning methods to surficial geologic mapping.

The role of topography as a boundary condition that controls the efficiency of fluvial erosion in the Teton Range, Wyoming, was investigated by using existing lidar data to delineate surficial geologic units, geometrically reconstruct the depth to …

Measuring Ground Surface Elevation Changes In A Slow-Moving Colluvial Landslide Using Combinations Of Regional Airborne Lidar, Uav Lidar And Uav Photogrammetric Surveys, Sarah E. Johnson, William C. Haneburg, Lindsey Sebastian Bryson, Matthew M. Crawford

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Slow-moving, chronically destructive landslides are projected to grow in number globally in response to precipitation increases from climate change, and land disturbances from wildfire, mining and construction. In the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky metropolitan area, USA, landslides develop in colluvium that covers the steep slopes along the Ohio River and its tributaries. Here we quantify elevation changes in a slow-moving colluvial landslide over 14 years using county-wide lidar, uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) structure-from-motion (SfM) surveys and a UAV lidar survey. Because the technology and quality differ between surveys, the challenge was to calculate a threshold of detectable change for each …

An Assessment Of Negative Samples And Model Structures In Landslide Susceptibility Characterization Based On Bayesian Network Models, Sahand Khabiri, Matthew M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, William C. Haneberg, Yichuan Zhu

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) characterizes landslide potential, which is essential for assessing landslide risk and developing mitigation strategies. Despite the significant progress in LSM research over the past two decades, several long-standing issues, such as uncertainties related to training samples and model selection, remain inadequately addressed in the literature. In this study, we employed a physically based susceptibility model, PISA-m, to generate four different non-landslide data scenarios and combine them with mapped landslides from Magoffin County, Kentucky, for model training. We utilized two Bayesian network model structures, Naïve Bayes (NB) and Tree-Augmented Naïve Bayes (TAN), to produce LSMs based on …

Mapping Landslide Susceptibility Over Large Regions With Limited Data, J. B. Woodard, Benjamin B. Mirus, Matthew M. Crawford, D. Or, B. A. Leshchinsky, K. E. Allstadt, N. J. Wood

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Landslide susceptibility maps indicate the spatial distribution of landslide likelihood. Modeling susceptibility over large or diverse terrains remains a challenge due to the sparsity of landslide data (mapped extent of known landslides) and the variability in triggering conditions. Several different data sampling strategies of landslide locations used to train a susceptibility model are used to mitigate this challenge. However, to our knowledge, no study has systematically evaluated how different sampling strategies alter a model's predictor effects (i.e., how a predictor value influences the susceptibility output) critical to explaining differences in model outputs. Here, we introduce a statistical framework that examines …

Estimating Bedrock Shear Wave Velocity At Vsap, Paducah, Kentucky, Using Ambient Noise, Russel Rogers

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Due to the nature of the Mississippi Embayment region and its vicinity to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, earthquake ground-motion site effects are potential hazards and quantifying the associated hazard is a necessary step for public safety. Measuring the V_s contrast between bedrock and overlying soil layers is necessary for site effect evaluation. Various methodologies for investigating shear wave velocity (V_s) profiles have been implemented in the Mississippi Embayment. However, these previous studies provided a wide range of bedrock Vs. In this study, microtremor array measurements, utilizing ambient background noise, were used to provide an additional estimate …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Big Clifty 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia E. Bottoms, Ann Hislop, Matthew Massey, Michele Mchugh, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Big Clifty 7.5-minute quadrangle is located south of Louisville and west of Elizabethtown along the boundary between Hardin and Grayson Counties. The quadrangle lies within the Mammoth Cave plateau of the Mississippian Plateau physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). Topography is characterized by a low relief plain sitting at elevations between 650 to 850 ft above sea level, which is dissected and incised by Rough River, Meeting Creek, Clifty Creek, and their tributaries to below 500 ft. Swadley (1962) mapped the bedrock geology of the quadrangle, which was later digitized by Conley (2002). Mississippian bedrock is exposed throughout the quadrangle and …

Phase I Activities Of The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth Mri) In The Western Kentucky Fluorspar District, Georgina Lukoczki, Craig Dietsch, John B. Hickman, Emily Morris, Douglas C. Curl, Carrie Pulliam, Stephanie Vicroy, William M. Andrews Jr.

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Western Kentucky Fluorspar District (WKFD), which comprises the Kentucky portion of the Illinois–Kentucky Fluorspar District, is well known for the occurrence of strategically important critical mineral resources, such as fluorite (fluorspar) and rare earth elements (REEs). Due to technological advances, demand has increased for critical minerals used in cell phones, magnets in wind turbines, batteries for electric vehicles, smart weapons, and other devices and systems. The overall objective of the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) program, directed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is to gather information that will help better understand the distribution of critical minerals in …

Landslide Susceptibility Map Of Johnson County, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch, William C. Haneberg

Contract Reports--KGS

The purpose of this map is to identify landslide-prone areas in Johnson County in order to provide the public, as well as local and state government agencies, with information about where landslides are likely to occur. This map represents geomorphic-based susceptibility modeling that focuses on physical slope characteristics and morphology, the quality of which is dependent on data accuracy and resolution of terrain models. The availability of high-resolution (5-ft digital elevation model) lidar derived datasets allows for the generation of terrain elevation derivatives such as hillshades, slope, aspect, curvature, and roughness, as well as identification of existing landslide deposits. These …

Landslide Susceptibility Map Of Floyd County, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch, William C. Haneberg

Contract Reports--KGS

The purpose of this map is to identify landslide-prone areas in Floyd County in order to provide the public, as well as local and state government agencies, with information about where landslides are likely to occur. This map represents geomorphic-based susceptibility modeling that focuses on physical slope characteristics and morphology, the quality of which is dependent on data accuracy and resolution of terrain models. The availability of high-resolution (5-ft digital elevation model) lidar derived datasets allows for the generation of terrain elevation derivatives such as hillshades, slope, aspect, curvature, and roughness, as well as identification of existing landslide deposits. These …

Landslide Susceptibility Map Of Magoffin County, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch, William C. Haneberg, Ashton A. Killen

Contract Reports--KGS

The purpose of this map is to identify landslide-prone areas in Magoffin County, Kentucky, in order to provide the public, as well as local and state government agencies, with information about where landslides are likely to occur. This map represents geomorphic-based susceptibility modeling that focuses on physical slope characteristics and morphology, the quality of which is dependent on data accuracy and resolution of terrain models. The availability of high-resolution (5-ft digital elevation model) lidar derived datasets allows for the generation of terrain elevation derivatives such as hillshades, slope, aspect, curvature, and roughness, as well as identification of existing landslide deposits. …

Landslide Susceptibility Map Of Pike County, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch, William C. Haneberg

Contract Reports--KGS

The purpose of this map is to identify landslide-prone areas in Pike County in order to provide the public, as well as local and state government agencies, with information about where landslides are likely to occur. This map represents geomorphic-based susceptibility modeling that focuses on physical slope characteristics and morphology, the quality of which is dependent on data accuracy and resolution of terrain models. The availability of high-resolution (5-ft digital elevation model) lidar derived datasets allows for the generation of terrain elevation derivatives such as hillshades, slope, aspect, curvature, and roughness, as well as identification of existing landslide deposits. These …

Landslide Susceptibility Map Of Martin County, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch, William C. Haneberg

Contract Reports--KGS

The purpose of this map is to identify landslide-prone areas in Martin County in order to provide the public, as well as local and state government agencies, with information about where landslides are likely to occur. This map represents geomorphic-based susceptibility modeling that focuses on physical slope characteristics and morphology, the quality of which is dependent on data accuracy and resolution of terrain models. The availability of high-resolution (5-ft digital elevation model) lidar derived datasets allows for the generation of terrain elevation derivatives such as hillshades, slope, aspect, curvature, and roughness, as well as identification of existing landslide deposits. These …

A Geospatial And Binomial Logistic Regression Model To Prioritize Sampling For Per- And Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances In Public Water Systems, Sweta Ojha, Ying Li, Nader Rezaei, Ariel Robinson, Anna G. Hoover, Kelly G. Pennell

UK CARES Faculty Publications

As health‐based drinking water standards for per‐ and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) continue to evolve, public health and environmental protection decision‐makers must assess exposure risks associated with all public drinking water systems in the United States (US). Unfortunately, current knowledge regarding the presence of PFAS in environmental systems is limited. In this study, a screening approach was established to: (1) identify and direct attention toward potential PFAS hot spots in drinking water sources, (2) prioritize sampling locations, and (3) provide insights regarding the potential PFAS sources that contaminate groundwater and surface water. Our approach incorporates geospatial data from public sources, …

Automatic Segmentation Of Sinkholes Using A Convolutional Neural Network, Muhammad Usman Rafique, Junfeng Zhu, Nathan Jacobs

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Sinkholes are the most abundant surface features in karst areas worldwide. Understanding sinkhole occurrences and characteristics is critical for studying karst aquifers and mitigating sinkhole-related hazards. Most sinkholes appear on the land surface as depressions or cover collapses and are commonly mapped from elevation data, such as digital elevation models (DEMs). Existing methods for identifying sinkholes from DEMs often require two steps: locating surface depressions and separating sinkholes from non-sinkhole depressions. In this study, we explored deep learning to directly identify sinkholes from DEM data and aerial imagery. A key contribution of our study is an evaluation of various ways …

Geospatial Applications Of Cave Resource Data To Better Understand Epikarst And Unsaturated Zone Groundwater Flow Path Development, Sierra M. Heimel, Benjamin W. Tobin

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

The unsaturated zone is a critical component of karstic groundwater systems and is shown to provide substantial storage capacities. Understanding the spatial patterns and controls on flow path activation is often a challenge. Previous research focused on remotely sensed data or inferential analyses to quantify these patterns. Here, we use two cave systems—one in Arizona, USA and a second in Kentucky, USA—to show the value of the cave survey and inventory data in the direct observation of speleogenesis and unsaturated zone processes. Using geospatial statistical analyses, we show that passage size varies with distance from some faults, indicating that these …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Summit 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Antonia E. Bottoms, Ann Hislop, Matthew Massey, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Michele M. Mchugh, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Summit 7.5-minute quadrangle is located south of Louisville and west of Elizabethtown along the boundary between Hardin and Grayson Counties and within the Mississippian Plateau physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). Topography is characterized by the low relief Pennyroyal region that sits at elevations between 560 to 650 ft above sea level, the low relief Mammoth Cave plateau at elevations between 750 to 900 ft, and the steep Dripping Springs escarpment that separates the two plains. Moore (1964) mapped the bedrock geology of the quadrangle, which was later digitized by Conley (2002). Mississippian bedrock is exposed throughout the quadrangle and is …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Flaherty 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Ann Hislop, Matthew Massey, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia E. Bottoms, Michele Mchugh, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Flaherty 7.5-minute quadrangle is located southwest of Louisville and northwest of Elizabethtown along the boundary between Hardin and Meade Counties. The quadrangle includes mostly the Pennyroyal region of the Mississippian Plateau and also smaller areas of the Mammoth Cave plateau and the highly dissected Dripping Springs escarpment in the western half of the map area (McDowell, 1986). Topography is mostly characterized by pervasive sinkhole development in a lower elevation and low-relief plain, and high-relief plateaus, ridges, and knobs of the Dripping Springs escarpment scattered along the west side of the quadrangle. Swadley (1963) mapped the bedrock geology of the …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Upton 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Meredith Swallom, Matthew Massey, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia Bottoms, Ann Hislop, Michele M. Mchugh

Contract Reports--KGS

The Upton 7.5-minute quadrangle is located south of Elizabethtown along the boundaries between Hardin, Hart, and Larue Counties and within the Mississippian Plateau physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). Topography is characterized by the low relief Pennyroyal plain that sits at altitudes below about 750 ft above sea level, the ridges, spurs, and isolated knobs of the intensely dissected Dripping Springs escarpment; the low relief cap of the escarpment landforms is part of the Mammoth Cave plateau region. Moore (1972) mapped the bedrock geology of the quadrangle, which was later digitized by Toth (2006). Mississippian bedrock is exposed throughout most of the …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Millerstown 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Matthew Massey, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia Bottoms, Ann Hislop, Michele Mchugh, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Millerstown 7.5-minute quadrangle is located south of Louisville and southwest of Elizabethtown along the boundaries between Hardin, Grayson, and Hart Counties and within the Mississippian Plateau physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). Topography is characterized by the low relief Pennyroyal plain that sits at altitudes below about 650 ft above sea level, the low relief Mammoth Cave plateau at altitudes above about 650 ft, and steep slopes of and isolated knobs of the incised Dripping Springs escarpment that separates the two plains. Moore (1965) mapped the bedrock geology of the quadrangle, which was later digitized by Johnson (2006). Mississippian bedrock and …

Influence Of Bedrock Erodibility On Orogen Evolution In Collisional Systems And Implications For Geodynamic Models, Stephanie Ann Sparks

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Theoretical and numerical geodynamic models of continental collisional systems often involve, either explicitly or implicitly, a necessary yet complicated dependence between tectonics and erosion; however, the exact nature of these relationships remains elusive and controversial. In such models for the Himalayan-Tibetan (H-T) collisional orogen, surface processes are theorized or in some cases required to play an essential role in modulating critical processes active in the evolution of that system. To investigate, at least to first order. these interactions between climate and tectonics, we generate a simplified landscape evolution model of an actively uplifting orogenic wedge acted upon by surface processes. …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Constantine 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia E. Bottoms, Matthew Massey, Emily Morris, Michele Mchugh

Contract Reports--KGS

The Constantine 7.5-minute quadrangle is located west of Elizabethtown along the boundary of Hardin and Breckinridge Counties. The quadrangle lies along the northern section of the Dripping Springs Escarpment, which separates the Mammoth Cave Plateau and Pennyroyal regions of the Mississippian Sinkhole Plain physiographic province (McFarlan, 1943). Topography is mostly characterized by high-elevation plateaus, ridges, and knobs of the Mammoth Cave Plateau (up to 919 ft), which have been intensely dissected by the Rough River and its tributaries (down to 516 ft). A small area of the Pennyroyal extends into the eastern part of the quadrangle, which is marked by …

Distribution Of Particulate Organic Carbon – Fluxes And Inventories – In Growth-Faulted Coastal Wetlands, Samuel Joel Whitehead

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Coastal wetlands along the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOMx) are critically important but threatened environments which provide significant and diverse economic, social, and environmental value. These environments are essential components to the global carbon cycle, serving as one of the most efficient terrestrial carbon sinks. Since onset of the Industrial Revolution increasing rates of coastal wetland loss have been documented due to a variety of anthropogenic activities, neotectonic processes, subsidence, and rising sea-levels. This research utilized an array of methods and sedimentological analyses to test the hypothesis that growth-fault induced changes at Earth’s surface affects the delivery to, and storage …

Deformation Of Wall Rocks And Overburden Sequences Proximal To Salt Diapirs In Salt Valley, Utah: Implications For Predicting Subseismic Damage In Salt Tectonic Systems, William Swanger

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Although deformation related to salt tectonics is generally considered to be an ancillary field of structural geology, owing to its relatively limited occurrence in the geologic record, the preponderance of salt-involved systems in multiple hydrocarbon-rich basins around the world (e.g., Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic passive margins, Iran, etc.) creates a necessity for understanding salt-related deformation. Traditionally, salt was considered to be relatively weak and thus was mostly unable to drive deformation of adjacent wall rocks and cover sequences. However, a number of recent numerical modeling studies have shown that mobilized and pressurized salt may have the ability to actively pierce …

Tryptophan-Like Fluorescence And Non-Point Source Pollution In Karst Basins, Inner Bluegrass Region, Kentucky, Ryan Dapkus

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Typically, the degree of fecal contamination of water is assessed by the concentration of thermotolerant coliforms, like E. coli. This method is time-consuming, taking > 18 hours between the start of incubation and subsequent enumeration. The current study examines the utility of monitoring tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF) using in-situ fluorometers as a proxy for fecal contamination, particularly E. coli. Relative timing of discharge peaks and TLF peaks is considered, as well as differences in E. coli concentrations and major anion concentrations between two different basins that were monitored weekly. Results indicate that TLF is somewhat useful in the prediction of …

Syn- To Post-Orogenic Evolution Of Collisional Mountain Systems: Investigating The Potential For Crustal Flow Using Thermochronology And Numerical Models, Brandon Spencer

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This dissertation is composed of three distinct manuscripts which collectively investigate processes that contribute to the late evolution of collisional mountain systems —specifically, the ancient Appalachian-Caledonian system. In the first paper, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar thermochronological data are used to constrain the timing of exhumation of the Scandian orogenic wedge of northern Scotland. Muscovite and amphibole samples yield dates of ca. 420-411 Ma, consistent with cooling after peak orogenesis. During this cooling phase, dates from both systems in individual thrust sheets show an increase in cooling rate in the later stage of exhumation; in the orogenic core, the cooling rate …

Analysis Of Rock Varnish From The Mojave Desert By Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Russell S. Harmon, Daria Khashchevskaya, Michelle Morency, Lewis A. Owen, Morgan Jennings, Jeffrey R. Knott, Jason M. Dortch

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a form of optical emission spectroscopy that can be used for the rapid analysis of geological materials in the field under ambient environmental conditions. We describe here the innovative use of handheld LIBS for the in situ analysis of rock varnish. This thinly laminated and compositionally complex veneer forms slowly over time on rock surfaces in dryland regions and is particularly abundant across the Mojave Desert climatic region of east-central California (USA). Following the depth profiling examination of a varnished clast from colluvial gravel in Death Valley in the laboratory, our in situ analysis of …