Geology Commons^™

Application Of Lidar To 3d Structural Mapping, Bertrand Gaschot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The rugged, densely forested terrain of the West Virginia Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province has made it difficult for field-based studies to agree on the structure of the highly deformed Silurian-Devonian cover strata. In this study, we demonstrate a 3D approach to geologic mapping utilizing the structural information revealed in a “bare-earth” 1-m Lidar DEM of the Smoke Hole Canyon. The completed 3D map was integrated with kinematic forward modeling carried out in MOVE^TM to provide information on the parameters required to form the major structures observed. Additionally, land surface attributes generated using geomorphometric analysis of the Lidar allowed …

Sediment Provenance Study Of The Lower Hamilton Group: An Analysis Of The Organic-Rich Facies And Its Depositional History, Luke Patrick Fritz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Currently, insufficient geological models exist to explain the variability and distribution of TOC in the Marcellus Shale, within the Hamilton Group. TOC is one of the several limiting factors for natural gas production within the Marcellus Shale basin. One possible explanation for the low TOC regions is that detrital dilution was variable across the basin, with different sediment sources contributing detritus to low TOC areas, compared to surrounding regions with higher TOC. This hypothesis is tested by analyzing the source composition of inorganic detritus, using elemental and mineralogical proxies, with two cores in the Hamilton Group. The Armstrong #1 core …

X-Ray Fluorescence Applications In Mudrock Characterization: Investigations Into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, Usa, Keithan Garrett Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mudrocks are characterized by nanometer-scale pore sizes and nano-darcy permeability, which plays a significant role in hydrocarbon flow during production. Resulting from these characteristics, mudrocks were exclusively considered a source rock, which charged overlying, more porous mediums. Hydraulic fracturing, a technology used to create artificial fractures to liberate hydrocarbons from the reservoir, enabled natural gas to be produced from mudrock reservoirs economically. Over the last fifteen years, this technology motivated research efforts to understand reservoir characteristics of mudrock. These investigations significantly improved our knowledge of mudrock systems, but have also highlighted key areas that are undeveloped and/or where conflicting hypotheses …

Possible Bite-Induced Abscess And Osteomyelitis In Lufengosaurus (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorph) From The Lower Jurassic Of The Yimen Basin, China, Lida Xing, Bruce M. Rothschild, Patrick S. Randolph-Quinney, Yi Wang, Alexander H. Parkinson, Hao Ran

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We report an osseous abnormality on a specimen of the sauropod dinosaur Lufengosaurus huenei from the Fengjiahe Formation in Yuxi Basin, China. A gross pathological defect occurs on the right third rib, which was subjected to micro-computed tomographic imaging as an aid in diagnosis. The analysis of pathological characteristics and the shape of the abnormality is incompatible with impact or healed trauma, such as a common rib fracture, and instead suggests focal penetration of the rib, possibly due to a failed predator attack. The identification of characteristics based on gross morphology and internal micro-morphology presented by the specimen, suggests an …

Mapping The Yearly Extent Of Surface Coal Mining In Central Appalachia Using Landsat And Google Earth Engine, Andrew A. Pericak, Christian J. Thomas, David A. Kroodsma, Matthew F. Wasson, Matthew R.V. Ross, Nicolas E. Clinton, David J. Campagna, Yolandita Franklin, Emily S. Bernhardt, John F. Amos

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Surface mining for coal has taken place in the Central Appalachian region of the United States for well over a century, with a notable increase since the 1970s. Researchers have quantified the ecosystem and health impacts stemming from mining, relying in part on a geospatial dataset defining surface mining’s extent at a decadal interval. This dataset, how- ever, does not deliver the temporal resolution necessary to support research that could establish causal links between mining activity and environmental or public health and safety outcomes, nor has it been updated since 2005. Here we use Google Earth Engine and Landsat imagery …

Spatiotemporal Evolution Of Land Subsidence In The Beijing Plain 2003–2015 Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (Psi) With Multi-Source Sar Data, Chaodong Zhou, Huili Gong, Youquan Zhang, Timothy A. Warner, Cong Wang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Land subsidence is one of the most important geological hazards in Beijing, China, and its scope and magnitude have been growing rapidly over the past few decades, mainly due to long-term groundwater withdrawal. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has been used to monitor the deformation in Beijing, but there is a lack of analysis of the long-term spatiotemporal evolution of land subsidence. This study focused on detecting and characterizing spatiotemporal changes in subsidence in the Beijing Plain by using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) and geographic spatial analysis. Land subsidence during 2003–2015 was monitored by using ENVISAT ASAR (2003–2010), RADARSAT-2 (2011–2015) …

Reducing Uncertainties In Applying Remotely Sensed Land Use And Land Cover Maps In Land-Atmosphere Interaction: Identifying Change In Space And Time, Yaqian He, Timothy A. Warner, Brenden E. Mcneil, Eungul Lee

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Land use and land cover (LULC) data are a central component of most land-atmosphere interaction studies, but there are two common and highly problematic scale mismatches between LULC and climate data. First, in the spatial domain, researchers rarely consider the impact of scaling up fine-scale LULC data to match coarse-scale climate datasets. Second, in the temporal domain, climate data typically have sub-daily, daily, monthly, or annual resolution, but LULC datasets often have much coarser (e.g., decadal) resolution. We first explored the effect of three spatial scaling methods on correlations among LULC data and a land surface climatic variable, latent heat …

Past And Future Drought In Mongolia, Amy Hessl, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Casey Jelsema, Benjamin Cook, Oyunsanaa Byambasuren, Caroline Leland, Baatarbileg Nachin, Neil Pederson, Hanqin Tian, Laia Andreu Hayles

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The severity of recent droughts in semiarid regions is increasingly attributed to anthropogenic climate change, but it is unclear whether these moisture anomalies exceed those of the past and how past variability compares to future projections. On the Mongolian Plateau, a recent decade-long drought that exceeded the variability in the instrumental record was associated with economic, social, and environmental change. We evaluate this drought using an annual reconstruction of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) spanning the last 2060 years in concert with simulations of past and future drought through the year 2100 CE.We show that although the most recent …

Environmental Governance And Climate Change Adaptation In The Okavango Delta, Botswana, Jamie Shinn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Increased environmental variability as a result of climate change will continue to intensify in coming decades, with particularly acute consequences for those living in already marginal conditions. The impacts of these biophysical changes require new approaches to environmental governance to facilitate successful forms of climate change adaptation for individuals and communities in changing social-ecological systems.

Improved Kerogen Models For Determining Thermal Maturity And Hydrocarbon Potential Of Shale, Vikas Agrawal, Shikha Sharma

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Kerogen is the insoluble component of organic-rich shales that controls the type and amount of

hydrocarbons generated in conventional and unconventional reservoirs. Significant progress has

recently been made in developing structural models of kerogen. However, there is still a large gap in understanding the evolution of the molecular components of kerogen with thermal maturation and their hydrocarbon (HC) generative potential. Here, we determine the variations in different molecular fragments of kerogen from a Marcellus Shale maturity series (with VRo ranging from 0.8 to 3) using quantitative 13C MultiCP/MAS NMR and MultiCP NMR/DD (dipolar dephasing). These molecular variations provide insight into …

Risk Assessment And Mapping Of Hand, Foot, And Mouth Disease At The County Level In Mainland China Using Spatiotemporal Zero-Inflated Bayesian Hierarchical Models, Chao Song, Yaqian He, Yanchen Bo, Jinfeng Wang, Zhoupeng Ren, Huibin Yang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a worldwide infectious disease, prominent in China. China’s HFMD data are sparse with a large number of observed zeros across locations and over time. However, no previous studies have considered such a zero-inflated problem on HFMD’s spatiotemporal risk analysis and mapping, not to mention for the entire Mainland China at county level. Monthly county-level HFMD cases data combined with related climate and socioeconomic variables were collected. We developed four models, including spatiotemporal Poisson, negative binomial, zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP), and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) models under the Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework to explore disease …

Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Carbonate Waters In The Peters Mountain Region Of Monroe County, Wv, Emily A. Bausher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Water in Monroe County, WV is used extensively for public and private supply and requires quantification, chemical analysis, and assessment for contamination susceptibility. Over 250 springs were previously identified in the eastern side of Monroe County on or near Peters Mountain; 14 were continuously monitored in this study. Springs were grouped based on geologic and spatial distribution: interbedded clastic-rock springs on the mountain flanks, carbonate springs in the valley, and a thermal spring associated with the St. Clair thrust fault. Clastic and carbonate springs have calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate chemistries, neutral pHs and high alkalinities; the thermal spring has calcium-magnesium-sulfate-carbonate chemistry, low pH, …

Temporal And Geochemical Signatures In Granitoids Of Northwestern Nevada: Evidence For The Continuity Of The Mesozoic Magmatic Arc Through The Western Great Basin, Kenneth L. Brown, William K. Hart, Richard J. Stuck

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Granitoid magmatism in the Basin and Range Province of northwestern Nevada remains an important gap in our understanding of the along-strike variability of Mesozoic Cordilleran arc systems. We present a comprehensive investigation on a suite of intrusions within the Santa Rosa Range (SRR) and Bloody Run Hills (BRH) of northwestern Nevada. Petrography, whole-rock geochemistry, and zircon U-Pb geochronology indicate two distinct magmatic systems in the SRR: an older, mafic, and metaluminous pulse (Santa Rosa/Andorno [SRA] group—ca. 102–100 Ma) and a younger, felsic, and peraluminous pulse (Granite Peak/Sawtooth [GPS] group—ca. 94–92 Ma). Within the BRH to the south, the Flynn (ca. …

40ar/39ar Ages And Zircon Petrochronology For The Rear Arc Of The Izu-Bonin-Marianas Intra-Oceanic Subduction Zone, Graham Dm Andrews

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Long-lived intra-oceanic arcs of Izu-Bonin-Marianas (IBM)-type are built on thick, granodioritic crust formed in the absence of pre-existing continental crust. International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 350, Site U1437, explored the IBM rear arc to better understand continental crust formation in arcs. Detailed petrochronological (U–Pb geochronology combined with trace elements, oxygen and hafnium isotopes) characterizations of zircon from Site U1437 were carried out, taking care to exclude potential contaminants by (1) comparison of zircon ages with ship-board palaeomagnetic and biostratigraphic ages and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, (2) analysing zircon from drill muds for comparison, (3) selectively carrying out in situ analysis in petrographic …

A Geologic Study To Determine The Potential To Create An Appalachian Storage Hub For Natural Gas Liquids, Kristin M. Carter, Douglas G. Patchen, Jessica P. Moore, Mohammad Fakhari, Gary W. Daft Jr, Michael Solis, Brian J. Dunst, Robin V. Anthony, Katherine W. Schmid, Kyle Metz, Philip Dinterman, Julie M. Bloxson, Erica N. Schubert, John Saucer

Appalachian Oil and Natural Gas Research Consortium

The Marcellus and Utica shale plays continue to lead the way in an ever-expanding shale revolution with average daily production, growing from about 3 billion cubic feet (BCF) in 2010 to more than 24 BCF today. Forecasts suggest that this could grow to as much as 40 BCF in the next 5 years. Fortunately, sweet spots in the Utica in eastern Ohio and in the Marcellus in northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania are areas of wet gas production, downdip from oil production and updip from dry gas. Production in these regions represents about 40 percent of the total from …

Eons, Eras And Periods, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

A discussion of eons, era, periods and epochs of the geologic time scale.

The Silurian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The Silurian Period is the shortest of all the periods of the Paleozoic Era, lasting only 30 million years from 438 million years ago until 408 million years ago. As the Silurian Period opens, the eastern margin ofLaurentia was dominated by the Taconic Highlands that had been created during the Taconic Orogeny at the close of the Ordovician. The rest of the craton was essentially flat-lying and covered by a shallow sea. Except for the northeastern margin which was involved in a major orogeny following the Taconic Orogeny, Laurentia was tectonically quiet throughout the Silurian. About 10 million years before …

The Permian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The Permian Period was a time of great crisis in Earth's history. The Permian saw the final closure of the Iapetus Ocean that had formed following the breakup of the super­ continent of Rodinia in the late pre-Cambrian; the closure resulting in the formation of another super-continent, Pangea. It was during the Permian that two of Earth's major mountain chains, the Appalachians and the Urals, were created. The period was one of climatic extremes. By the end of the Permian, Earth had not only experienced its most widespread glaciation but also the formation of deserts the likes of which had …

The Cretaceous Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

A global rise in sea level occurred during the Cretaceous; as a result, sea level stood as high during the Late Cretaceous than at any other time in the Phanerozoic history of Earth. Although Pangea had begun to breakup during the Early Mesozoic Era, the smaller continents remained tightly clustered at the beginning of Cretaceous time. The continued breakup of Pangea and the dispersion of the newly created continents were among the most important events that occurred during the global geography of the Cretaceous. Especially important was the breakup of Gondwana. Gondwana was still intact at the beginning of the …

The Mississippian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The first rocks to attract the attention of the early European were those containing the coals, primarily because of their importance in supplying the source of energy for the Industrial Revolution which began in the mid-1700s. As early as 1808, the coal-bearing rocks were referred to on the Continent as the "bituminous terraine' while the British geologists called them the "Coal Measures" The name Carboniferous was introduced in 1822 by Conybeare and Philips when they were attempting to make sense of the rocks of England and Wales. They proposed that all of the rocks from the Coal Measures down to …

The Cambrian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The Cambrian Period extends from 570 million years ago to 505 million years ago. Notwithstanding the discovery of the Ediacara fauna, the Cambrian Period of the Paleozoic Era has historically been taken as the beginning of historical time based on the first appearance of abundant fossil remains. It is interesting to note, however, that where first described, the lower Cambrian was not very fossiliferous.

The Geology Of West Virginia, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

This is not meant to be a geology textbook but rather a discussion that will help you understand what you see around you every day or if you take a trip around the State. For example, you're on your way to work or to class or you are going shopping. Most likely, you're driving down a wide valley surrounded by hills. What do the hills look like? Why does the topography change as you go from one part of the State to another? In my opinion, of all the states that make up Appalachia, West Virginia is the most interesting …

The Cenozoic Era, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

It has been said that the modem world unfolded during the Cenozoic Era. It is true that every feature of the modem landscape was formed during the Cenozoic Era. The Alps and the Himalaya have literally risen from the ocean floor. The Rocky mountains have been formed, worn away and re-uplifted to their present heights. The Appalachian Mountains that had formed at the close of the Paleozoic and worn away by the end of the Triassic, were uplifted and sculpted into their present form during the Cenozoic. All the other mountains of the world were also elevated and sculpted to …

The Devonian Period, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

Until the 19th century, the rocks exposed throughout the provinces of Devonshire and Cornwall in southwestern England had long been considered to be Carboniferous in age because of their content of fossil plants. Closer investigation by Murchison and Sedgwick in 1836, however, showed that only the uppermost portion of these rocks contained fossil plants. Because the lower portion of the rock sequence was devoid of plant fossils, was highly deformed, and resembled the rocks of northwest Wales which they had recently studied, Murchison and Sedgwick assigned the rocks to the Cambrian System. However, local fossil collectors had submitted fossil corals …

Geologic History Of West Virginia, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

The exposed rocks and those that underlie the surface of West Virginia record approximately 300M years of Earth history. This may sound like a very long period of time, but in reality, it only represents about 7% of the total age of Eai1h. Before we undertake a discussion of the geologic history of West Virginia, there are some basic topics we should review in order to fully appreciate what will follow. To that end, the following topics will be discussed: 1) The Origin of Earth, 2) The Response of Rocks to Stress, 3) Some Basic Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks, 4) …

Coal Geology: The Origin Of Coal, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

Coal forms from the tissues of plants with the major contributor being the woody tissues, cellulose and lignin, from trees growing in fresh-water wetlands. Land plants first evolved during the early Devonian and by the end of the period had adapted to most terrestrial environments. Beginning in early Pennsylvanian time, vast portions of the eastern portion of Laurentia were covered with coal-forming swamps and bogs, environments that were to be repeated throughout the remainder of the Paleozoic Era and again in the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary Periods. It was during these times that the combination of climatic conditions and wetland …

A Geology Field Trip, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

oduction to Field Trip I had several objectives in mind when I prepared this field trip. I want to develop in you an interest, an understanding, and an appreciation of geology of the region. I want to show you differences between three of the basic physiographic provinces within Appalachia, the Low Plateau, the High Plateau, and the Appalachian Mountain Section of the Valley and Ridge Province. I also want to show you the role that the kinds and structures of the underlying rocks plays in the formation of the topography of a region in order to have you better understand …

Adiabatic Cooling And Warming, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

In order to understand how deserts form one needs to understand two processes called adiabatic cooling and warming.

Kinds Of Volcanoes, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

By definition, a volcano is a conical structure that builds around a volcanic vent. A volcanic vent is an opening from which molten rock and gases erupt. According to the definition, there is no size requirement. There are volcanoes that you can span with your legs while on the other hand, there is Mt. Fiji.

The West Virginia's Valley And Ridge Physiographic Province: An Overly Simplistic Introduction, John J. Renton, Thomas Repine

Readings and Notes

Anyone who has driven across West Virginia has noticed major changes in the lay of the land. In the western portion of the State the landscape belongs to the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province. But what constitutes a plateau? According to the Glossary of Geology, a plateau is a dissected (stream carved) upland underlain by horizontal strata. In the case of the Appalachian Plateau, it is a relatively flat to gently rolling surface with an average elevation of about 900 feet underlain by gently folded to flat-lying sedimentary rocks. But what is a physiographic province? Again, according to the Glossary of …