Geology Commons^™

Development Of A Web-Based Gis For Groundwater Exploration In Arid Lands, Nakul Manocha

Masters Theses

A three-fold exercise was conducted to assess the groundwater potentiality in the Eastern Desert (ED) of Egypt. First, a database was generated to host all relevant data sets in a GIS environment for a better understanding of the spatial relationships between these data sets. Co-registered digital mosaics were generated from relevant data sets including remote sensing (e.g., Landsat TM, SIR-C, SRTM, TRMM), geochemical (solute concentrations, O and H stable isotope composition), geological (geologic maps), and hydrological (lithology, depth to water table) data sets. Second, a web-based GIS interface (ArcIMS) was developed to provide a vehicle for data analysis, visualization, and …

Investigating Nickel Partitioning In A Contaminant Aquifer, Suama Ndengu

Masters Theses

Improved prediction of the transport and bioavailability of metals in contaminated sediments demands a better quantitative understanding of how metals partition between aqueous solutions and mineral phases. This research examines the partitioning of nickel in a contaminated aquifer from Grand Rapids, Ml. Contaminated aquifer sediments were examined using the five step Tessier et al. (1979) operationally defined sequential extraction procedure to determine the solid phase distribution of nickel in the aquifer sediments. Models used to guide remediation efforts at the contaminated site assume that Ni behavior can be predicted based on Ni adsorption onto ferrihydrite (HFO). Although sequential extraction results …

Seasonal Variability In Trace Metal Speciation And Vertical Redox Stratification Of Freshwater Lake And Marsh Sediments In The Kalamzoo River Watershed (Mi, Usa), Noah Tumusiime Ndenga

Masters Theses

This research was aimed at: 1) quantifying redox-sensitive parameters in order to study redox stratification of the upper freshwater sediments at Asylum Lake and Kleinstuck Marsh, 2) quantifying the speciation of metals (e.g., Pb, Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn, Co and Cd), particularly with respect to their association with Fe and Mn (hydr)oxide phases, and 3) assessing changes in redox stratification and metal speciation as a function of season in the sediments. Both the solid phase and sediment pore waters were collected to a depth of ~50cm. Pore waters were analyzed for redox-sensitive species and the sediment solid phase was …

Glacial Stratigraphy And Surficial Geology Of The Decatur, Lawrence, And Paw Paw U.S.G.S.7.5 Minute Quadrangles In Van Buren County, Michigan, Brian Bird

Masters Theses

The modern day landscape of Van Buren County Michigan was created by the advance and retreat of glaciers from about 13,000 to 20,000 years ago. The Lake Michigan Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet sculpted southwest Michigan most recently. The sediments deposited by the glacier include diamicton, outwash sediments, and lacustrine deposits. The build up of sediment by the glaciers led to the construction of particular features such as moraines, till plains, and outwash fans. The huge amount of meltwater from the glaciers led to the erosion of channels throughout the area. In the area of this investigation the Ganges …

Slope Stability Analysis Of A Lake Michigan Coastal Bluff, Gregory Carlton Young

Masters Theses

Bluff failure along the Lake Michigan coast can be produced primarily by increased pore pressure from perched water tables above lacustrine clay deposits. To test this theory, a site in Allegan County, Michigan with alternating layers of sand, clay and glacial till was chosen for bluff failure monitoring. Historically, the site experiences sporadic massive failures as opposed to neighboring sites that show more regular and uniform displacements. Four pole and cable monitoring lines were measured bi-weekly from December 2001 to October 2003. Lake levels were low and no erosion of material at the base of the slope occurred. Slumps above …

The Glacial Geology Of Southern St. Joseph County, Michigan, Linda Nicks

Dissertations

The objective of the dissertation was to map the glacial geology in southern St. Joseph County, Michigan. The surficial geology was divided into three distinct land systems which are moraine, outwash and fan deposits. The Sturgis Moraine is the most prominent feature transecting the study area from east to west. The topography is further dissected by southwest-trending channels interpreted as tunnel channels.

Thick accumulations of sand and gravel in the study area indicate that glacial meltwater deposition played a dominant role in shaping the landscape. Based on the relative size of the channels and outwash deposits, the largest contribution from …

Origin Of The Central Kalamazoo River Valley, Southwestern Michigan, Usa, Andrew Kozlowski

Dissertations

Chapter I

Introduction

Southern Michigan's geomorphology is a testament to the glacial processes that buried and sculpted the landscape during the last glaciation. Many glacial landforms in southwestern Michigan, including the Kalamazoo River Valley, provide evidence that aids in understanding the chronology, ice dynamics and glacial processes that occurred in Michigan during the last ice age.

As the climate began to warm about 20,000 yr B.P. (Larson and Schaetzl, 2001) the extensive Laurentide Ice Sheet began to recede from its maximum southern position reached during the Late Wisconsinan (Figure 1). It was at this point that modem surficial drainage systems …

Chemical And Isotopic Investigation Of Groundwater In Eastern United Arab Emirates (Uae), Ahmed Ali Abdalla Murad

Dissertations

UAE is located at the southeast of Arabian Peninsula. Two main aquifers occupy the study area: the Eastern Gravel Plain and Ophiolite aquifer. Increasing salinity of groundwater and depletion of aquifers are a major concern in the UAE. Previous studies suggest that groundwater, particularly in the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer, is affected by seawater intrusion and evaporation. Isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and chlorine, and chemical analyses were used to investigate this problem in detail. Samples of groundwater from the Eastern Gravel Plain aquifer have R³⁶Cl values in the range of 13.3 to 17.4 x10^-15 while those …

Laboratory Testing Of Select Geotextiles As Biointrusion Barriers And Sediment Filters, David R. Beck

Masters Theses

It has been proposed that placing a geotextile over sediments with adsorbed contaminants can prevent bioaccumulation of the contaminants in larger animals by isolating the benthic organisms living within these sediments from fish. In conjunction with a field study carried out at Gull Creek, a laboratory study testing two geotextiles as biointrusion barriers and sediment filters was conducted.

Constant-head permeameters were run for seven days using cores from the field study area with a geotextile placed over the cores. For biointrusion barrier tests, medium sand was placed over the geotextile and spiked with nutrients. Following each trial, benthic organisms in …

Application Of Geochemical Fingerprinting And Isotopes To Identity Landfill Gas Impacts To Groundwater, Eric E. Wallis

Masters Theses

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are detected in two groundwater monitoring wells (MW-60 and MW-62S) located along the northern, downgradient property line of the McGill Road Landfill (MRL) in Jackson, Michigan. Potential on-site sources for groundwater impact are two distinct landfill units at the MRL. Leachate chemistry suggested that landfill leachate was not the source of VOCs detected in groundwater. A potential source for VOCs was landfill gas. Sources of landfill gas in the vicinity of the impacted wells included the distinct MRL landfill units as well as the old Jackson County Landfill (JCL), located hydraulically downgradient from the impacted wells. …

Stratigraphy Of Lake Michigan Lobe Deposits In Van Buren County, Michigan, Steven P. Beukema

Masters Theses

The surficial glacial deposits and landforms of Van Buren County were recently mapped at a 1:24,000 scale as part of a STATEMAP project. Several borings were drilled to supplement the surface data. Six of these borings were characterized in detail by means of gamma ray logging, textural analysis, and X-ray diffraction of the clay-sized fraction of the diamicton units.

Results from this study reveal two diamicton units at stratigraphically distinct positions that can be correlated across the county and that are separated by a thick sequence of lacustrine sediments. Correlation of diamicton and lacustrine units was accomplished by analyzing several …

Integrated Geophysical Examination Of A Former Refinery Site, Carson City, Michigan, Kennedy Opiyo Mwanda

Masters Theses

Integrated geophysical surveys, including electromagnetic (EM-31), magnetic, dc resistivity, and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods and soil borings were used to investigate part of a former refinery site in Carson City, Michigan, which has more than a 50-year history of hydrocarbon contamination.

Although not readily evident on the magnetic anomaly maps, the EM-31 conductivity map clearly revealed many sections of buried pipes of various lengths and orientations. Also evident on the EM maps are extensive near surface conductivity anomalies. Soil borings in zones of anomalous conductivities to the west suggest the presence of shallow clays with pooled hydrocarbons at depths …

Inorganic And Organic Chemistry Of The Former Lakeside Refinery In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kurt W. Carlson

Masters Theses

The focus of this investigation of the Lakeside Refinery site is the inorganic geochemistry because previous investigations concerned organics and heavy metals. Because little nitrate is in native groundwater, high dissolved ammonia immediately downgradient from a petroleum body suggests the source is the petroleum and/or associated byproducts. Iron reduction is most prominent immediately upgradient from the known and measurable petroleum while manganese reduction occurs mostly downgradient. Sulfate reduction occurs mostly towards the southern portion of the light petroleum LNAPL. Based on concentrations of nitrate, manganese, iron and sulfate along a groundwater flow path, there appears to be a sequential use …

Microbial Community Structure In Hydrocarbon Impacted Sediment Associated With Anomalous Geophysical Signatures, Joseph W. Duris

Masters Theses

The Crystal Refinery is a former refinery site in Carson City Michigan that has had historic releases of refined and unrefined crude oil dating back to the late 1940's. The contamination of soil with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL) has had a dynamic impact on the subsurface environment in adjacent Carson City Park. Very little is known about the complex interactions between microbial communities, geochemistry and geophysics. In order to investigate possible connections between these parameters a multidisciplinary study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that the degradation of LNAPL by resident microbial communities causes a local increase in organic …

Geochemical And Isotopic Characteristics Associated With High Conductivities In A Shallow Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Aquifier, Franklyn D. Legall

Dissertations

In-situ vertical resistivity probes (VRPs) deployed at a hydrocarboncontaminated site in SW Michigan showed high soil conductivities within the contaminated zone. Within this zone, different phases of hydrocarbon impact were recognized, namely, zones with residual and dissolved phase hydrocarbons (RDH) and zones where these phases coexist with free product (RDFH). Bulk soil conductivities were highest ( 12 to 30 mS/m) in the zone with RDFH compared to the RDH zone (10 to 25 mS/m). Groundwater chemistry and stable carbon isotope data from closely spaced vertical samples within the anomalous conductive zones were used to provide evidence for biodegradation and to …

The Role Of Groundwater And Surface Water Interaction In The Development Of A 1,4-Dioxane Plume In Scio Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, James W. Brode

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that groundwater and surface water interaction resulted in the development a 1,4-dioxane plume in a glacial aquifer in Scio Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

An industrial solvent, 1,4-dioxane, was detected in the groundwater in the area of study in 1986. This area, referred to in this investigation as the Western Plume, is one of several 1,4-dioxane plumes associated with the Pall/Gelman Sciences Inc. (P/GSI) site, an extensively investigated site of groundwater contamination.

1,4-Dioxane in the Western Plume area was initially believed to be the result of contaminated groundwater transported from a …

Multiple Isotopic Investigation Of Lake Sediments From Northern India, Alice Mwanda

Masters Theses

Stable isotopes ratio of lake sediments can provide valuable environmental information. This possibility has been investigated using radiocarbon dated fossil lake sediments from the Himalayan region of Northern India. The chronology was established using Radiocarbon dating of both organic and inorganic fractions using (AMS). Inorganic ages are older than organic ages. Organic ages are expected to increase stratigraphically, however several anomalous old ages are found in the younger part of the sediments. Final chronology, determined using selected sensible ages identified two periods of sedimentation. The high sedimentation period is characterized by sedimentation rate of 0.8cm/yr and it fairly coincides with …

Determining Flow Type In A Carbonate Bedrock Aquifer, Presque Isle County, Michigan, Bonny Armstrong

Masters Theses

Presque Isle County, Michigan, has a long history of ground water quality problems. Aquifer contamination is most likely the result of large fractures in the bedrock allowing surface water to rapidly reach ground water. The purpose of the study is to l) perform a geochemical investigation of ground water in the bedrock aquifer, 2) suggest the type of ground water flow system present in the study area and characterize the aquifer type, and 3) suggest how the flow system might affect the behavior and transport of contaminants.

Water samples were collected from sixteen wells in the Genshaw Formation, three wells …

Stratigraphic Analysis Of Diamicton Units In Southern Allegan County, Michigan, Shannon A. Wong

Masters Theses

Two diamicton units from the southern Allegan County, Michigan lakeshore bluffs were identified and differentiated through clay mineralogy by analysis of 7 /10A peak-height ratios and the 2-80 mm crystalline fraction from pebble count results. t-Tests indicate the two units are significantly different. These two units are correlated with the Saugatuck and the Ganges tills of southwest Michigan based on similarities in stratigraphic position and lithologic description as described by Monaghan et al. (1986). Other diamicton samples were collected throughout southwest Michigan, near Moline, Otsego, Bloomingdale, Gobles, and Decatur. In correlating the Saugatuck and the Ganges tills to their inland …

The Geochemistry Of A Leaf Composting Leachate Plume, Asylum Lake, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Eric G. Steeves

Masters Theses

Since the implementation of legislation that bans yard waste from landfills, there has been a need to characterize the impact that large scale composting has on groundwater quality. Allen (1993) and Weaver (1995) have attempted to characterize a leaf composting leachate plume located at the WMU-Asylum Lake Well Field #2 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Allen was not able to base any conclusions on geochemical results and Weaver delineated the plume using fewer monitoring wells than are now available.

The data from twenty-one monitoring wells indicates that local groundwater is being impacted by the large-scale composting operation. The plume is characterized by …

In Situ Biosurfactant Production At Carson City Park, Michigan, Andrew J. Hudak

Masters Theses

Crude oil refining operations conducted by the Crystal Refining Company in Carson City, Michigan have led to the contamination of the soil and groundwater at Carson City Park with petroleum hydrocarbons. In situ biosurfactant production, occurring as a result of the biodegradation activities of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms, was investigated.

Background hydrogeological and biogeochemical data were collected from the groundwater from thirteen monitoring wells at Carson City Park. Further analysis included the identification of biosurfactant producing microorganisms and biosurfactants present in the soil and groundwater.

Results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was producing both monorhamnolipids and dirhamnolipids (glycolipid biosurfactants) in the contaminated …

Stratigraphic Analysis Of Diamicton Units In North-Central St. Joseph County, Michigan, Andrew C. Flint

Masters Theses

Seven subsurface glacial diamicton units, including a paleosol, have been characterized from two borings in north-central St. Joseph County, Michigan. These units have been characterized in terms of their clay mineralogy, texture, color, and stratigraphic position. t-Tests confirm that each unit displays a significant difference in mean 7A/10A peak height ratio from all other units.

Unit 4, informally called the Gray Marker tilt has been correlated between borings in this study and to the findings of others (Gardner, 1997, Nicks, in preparation). The Newbury till described by the Indiana Geological Survey (unpublished data) may also correlate to Unit 4, raising …

Calibration, Installation Techniques, And Initial Measurements For Vertical Resistivity Probes Used In Hydrogeologic Investigations, Jeffrey Mark Groncki

Masters Theses

Vertical Resistivity Probes (VRPs) are being increasingly used in a variety of applications where detailed vertical resistivity information in both the vadose and saturated zones is needed. All the different possible array types and spacings must be calibrated for the effect of the 2" (outer diameter) insulating PVC cylinder on which the electrodes are mounted. Apparent resistivities must be corrected by calibration factors. Varying the installation parameters greatly influences the measured apparent resistivity because of the disturbed annulus and the composition of the backfill materials. Bentonite slurry is necessary for the installations to keep the electrodes in good contact with …

Application Of The Paleomagnetic Fold Test To Determine The Relative Timing Of Sill Intrusion And Deformation In The Southwest Helena Salient, Montana, Stephen Christopher Whisner

Masters Theses

The Doherty Mountain fold complex is a highly folded and faulted region along the southern boundary of the Helena Salient in southwestern Montana. This region has a complex deformation history that is a key to deformation within the Helena Salient as a whole. A structural interpretation of the deformed rocks of this area was conducted using field mapping and cross section construction at 1:24,000 scale providing insight to the internal deformation processes involved. Fourteen folds and three major faults were mapped and analyzed showing the influence of the Southwest Montana Transverse Zone and late stage detachment faulting on fold orientation. …

A Generic Multi-Electrode Automated/Semi-Automated Field Resistivity System, Douglas D. Werkema

Masters Theses

Geophysical field exploration using electrical resistivity typically employs the use of four electrodes which are progressively relocated to positions that differ from a few meters to hundreds of meters. Consequently, field operations are tiresome and often lead to imprecise locations of electrodes and poor data quality. This project develops an automated field resistivity system.

This automation of resistivity measurements is accomplished by using multiple sets of field electrodes, a programmable switch box, remotely controlling the acquisition instrument and digitally storing the results. Controlling the process is the Acquisition Control^©software, for Windows 95^© .The prototype switch box has …

Vertical Resistivity Electrode Arrays For Detecting Hydrocarbon Movement And Content In Sands, Kirt Elliott

Masters Theses

In many contamination sites where hydrocarbon is involved an accurate thickness of the contaminant can not be achieved through the most commonly used methods. The purpose of this study is to find an alternate method of determining a precise thickness and monitor the contaminant movement in conjunction with the current methods. Vertical resistivity electrode arrays were tested in a lab environment on singular probes and between probes. The arrays tested were the Wenner, dipole dipole, gradient, parallel and down-hole 3-arrays. Electrode pipes were constructed and placed into a sand tank where the hydrocarbon thickness and the water level could be …

Factors Governing The Rate Of Appearance Of Fuels In Monitoring Wells, Bradley A. Green

Masters Theses

Delays in the appearance of free product (e.g. fuels) in groundwater monitoring wells often cause costly delays in site evaluation. Little is known about how monitoring well design and installation affect this rate of appearance. This study examined the effects of well screen open area, filter pack grain size and wettability, and well development methods on the rate of appearance and subsequent thickness of free product in wells.

Laboratory and field results indicate that free product appears faster in hydrophilic filter packs than in hydrophobic filter packs. Hydrophobic filter packs with a finer grain size than the "industry standard", seem …

Sm-Nd Systematics As Indicators Of Displaced Plutons: A Test In The Idaho Batholith-Boulder Batholith Region, Christine J. Brand

Masters Theses

In east-central Idaho and western Montana a 400km-long Cretaceous and Tertiary magmatic corridor extends from the Wallowa-Seven Devils terrane to the Helena Salient. Three basement provinces underlie this area: Archean basement to the east, Permo-Triassic basement to the west, and Proterozoic basement in-between. Ideally, if Cretaceous plutons were decapitated and translated eastward along thrusts over a different basement province, then the Cretaceous pluton and the in-place Tertiary pluton would show different isotopic signatures. Pluton samples from locations evenly spaced throughout the magmatic corridor were analyzed for ε⁰_Nd, ε^t_Nd, and ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴³Nd model ages …

A Paleoclimatic Study Of The Midwestern United States From The Stable Isotope Records In Lake Sediments, Norman Alan Lovan

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Hydraulics And Slope Stability Analysis: Elements For Prediction Of Shoreline Recession, William W. Montgomery

Dissertations

Studies documenting the roles that geologic materials and groundwater play in Great Lakes bluff recession are rare. This study reports findings concerning relationships between bluff lithology, bluff hydrology, and bluff recession along a 10-mile stretch of eastern Lake Michigan shoreline in heterogeneous Pleistocene deposes. According to a newly-developed, field-tested, GIS-based methodology, bluffs in the study area can be characterized lithologically as sand, clay, or mixed sand/clay, and can be characterized hydrologically as exhibiting either high head or low head.

Geotechnical analysis indicates that Atterberg limits, index properties, consolidation state, and drainage conditions affect the shear strength of bluff materials. Silty …