Geology Commons^™

Somatic Prosthetics For Planetary Resonance, Disha Dharesh Kumar R

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how industrial design can transcend extractive technological paradigms in favor of relational interfaces that foster planetary attunement. Framing the climate crisis as a 'crisis of imagination', the research challenges the Western bifurcation of nature and culture by drawing on Indic cosmologies- which recognize stones, plants, and ecosystems as conscious at different levels and participants in a shared cosmic field. By synthesizing research in Biosemiotics, Quantum Information Pansycishm, and Neuroscience, the project redefines intelligence as a distributed, more-than-human phenomenon.

The research materializes as a speculative design artifact: a device that functions as a somatic prosthetic for planetary resonance. …

Empirical-Based Model Of Spatio-Temporal Errors, Godwin Naaba Ndaa

Masters Theses

This research develops an empirical model to characterize spatial-temporal InSAR errors and improve the accuracy of deformation time-series analysis. Using standardized Sentinel-1 HyP3 products and MintPy, the study quantifies how correlated noise affects velocity precision and validates the results against continuous GNSS velocities.

Residual velocities are near-Gaussian, with σ ~0.92–2.04 cm/yr and ~1 cm/yr on average. Variograms show power-law spatial structure with a non-zero nugget implicating troposphere and decorrelation while errors drop exponentially with more acquisitions; spatial uncertainty is strongly affected by unwrapping errors, coherence, and tropospheric noise, not simply troposphere.

A comparative assessment of on-demand cloud processing with other …

Understanding The Fluid Source During Alteration Of Former Oceanic Lithosphere In The Polygenetic Ingalls Ophiolite Complex, Washington, Usa, Zachary Russell Stevens

Masters Theses

The Ingalls Ophiolite Complex is an ophiolite of Jurassic age in central WA, USA. Much of the complex formed in a supra-subduction zone setting in a back-arc ocean basin during subduction of the Farallon plate beginning 192 Ma. Between formation and obduction, mafic and ultramafic lithologies experienced alteration in the presence of water, which previous studies inferred to be seawater. Previously published δ¹⁸O and δD data from the Ingalls indicates isotopic depletion possibly caused by interaction with meteoric water at current latitude (~47.5 °N). The current study reports new δD, δ¹⁸O, and Δ ′¹⁷O measurements from mafic and ultramafic lithologies …

Revealing Watery Geologies: Softening The Mississippi River Bluffs In Saint Paul, Minnesota, Chloe Kahn

Masters Theses

How is a place shaped by the geologies beneath it? In Saint Paul, Minnesota, the geologic ground tells the story of the different forces and processes that shaped it through time, but in the most recent geologic period of the anthropocene, industrialization and urban development have covered up these stories. On the edge of downtown, where the city meets the Mississippi River, an eighty foot concrete wall replaces the natural form of the bluff shaped by glacial and riverine activity. This thesis peels back the anthropogenic materials we encounter every day and explores Saint Paul through deep time– exploring how …

Evaluating Tropospheric Delay Modeling For Enhanced Geospatial Accuracy, Adeyinka Olaoluwa Olaseinde

Masters Theses

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a vital technique for monitoring ground surface deformation across large spatial scales. However, variability in atmospheric water vapor, pressure, and temperature introduces tropospheric delays that can significantly affect measurement accuracy. These delays are often corrected using outputs from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. RAiDER, an open-source Python package, facilitates this by estimating tropospheric delays using models such as the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR). Previous studies have shown that weather model–based corrections can substantially reduce atmospheric noise in InSAR data but also highlight persistent residual errors, especially at spatial scales smaller than the model grid …

Overall Tropospheric Noise Over The St. Louis Using Isce And Fringe Processing, Maryann Lee

Masters Theses

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a satellite-based technique that is used to measure various aspects such as ground deformation, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and motions of glaciers. Although the technique has proved very useful, measurements errors such as ionospheric and tropospheric noise, and deformation often cause problems with making precise measurements. InSAR is a tool used in geodesy that is used to measure the change of surface deformation over time through a series of repeated SAR acquisitions. These errors in the acquisitions occur from factors of signal decorrelation, atmospheric delays, and phase unwrapping errors that affect the accuracy and precision …

Searching For The Hyperobject: Crystals As Transscalar Vehicles, Jay Costello

Masters Theses

When I touch the street outside my house, I'm touching Los Angeles—a contiguous vector of material bisecting a continent. A slab, a stone, dust and oil, a googolplex of tightly packed anisotropic particles... At nightfall, I sneak to the edge of the highway and break off a piece. 'What does it mean for a worm to be aware of the scale of the planet?' Bruno Latour's evocative questioning of scalar jumps prompts an existentialism that places me somewhere between the hyperlocal and the massively distributed. Like a cosmic traveler floating through the universe, I feel adrift. I look around, grasping …

The Geodetic Strain Rates From Gnss In The North American-Carribean-Cocos Triple Junction In Guatemala And Implications For Seismic Hazard, Tanaya Kashyap

Masters Theses

"Geodetic velocity data are pivotal for deciphering seismic risks, providing initial constraints for crustal surface strain rates. Gaining an understanding of the 2D surface strain tensor across an entire area necessitates knowledge of the surface velocity field, yet geodetic data such as measurements from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) are dispersed across the Earth’s surface. In the current scope of study, we have employed various methodologies to estimate strain rates in Guatemala, utilizing GNSS velocity data and leveraging the open-source Python tool Strain_2D. Strain_2D facilitates the computation of strain rates through diverse methods applied to the same dataset and …

Unearthing Complexity: Tangible Histories Of Water And Earth, Alexis Violet

Masters Theses

Unearthing Complexity investigates conceptions of time and surface through geological stories of the water and earth. Building on theories of deep time, hydrofeminism, critical zones, and grounding, I hope to foster a deeper awareness of time scales other than our own and a more tangible understanding of the embodied experience of matter in the universe. Working toward a new literacy of the water and earth in which they are recognized as living, changing bodies to which we are inherently tied at a molecular level, the site of this multiscalar inquiry occurs in the coastal zones of the Narragansett Bay where …

Wast3d Potential, Andrew Larsen

Masters Theses

Waste is obsolete. Standard building industry practices are harmful to the environment. Non-traditional construction methods were examined as alternatives. Circular design logic was the guiding principle in material choice. Additive manufacturing is a proven modern method for building construction. Research on 3D printing case studies revealed that recycled plastic is a proven material and readily available. Removing plastic waste from the environment and sequestering it in architectural components gives the material a new purpose. The component of focus was a building block for a wall assembly. Inspiration was taken from the hexagonal Basalt rock formations found near volcanic fault lines. …

“This Isn't Working For Me. Can We Do It A Different Way?" The Lived Experiences Of Geoscience Students With Learning Disabilities, Nina Morris

Masters Theses

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to better understand the lived experiences of geoscience students with learning disabilities in their geoscience classes. Students with learning disabilities bring a unique perspective while also facing unique challenges in post-secondary education. In the literature, there is limited information on what support and teaching strategies are beneficial to this population. Undergraduate and graduate geoscience students who identify as having a learning disability from colleges and universities in the United States were recruited. Six students consented to participate in the study, and each completed a semi-structured interview. Semi-structured interviews were designed to prompt …

Instructor Selection And Use Of Virtual Field Experiences In College Geoscience Course, Kristen Foley

Masters Theses

Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) are a growing supplement and gateway to traditional fieldwork in the geosciences. With VFEs becoming more accepted for use in college geoscience courses, how instructors find and choose VFEs for their students is critical to creating greater accessibility and future resources. VFEs that are not easily accessed by instructors may go unused, and the effort put into making them would have been wasted. This phenomenological descriptive study utilized five focus groups of college geoscience instructors in the United States. Each 1-to-1.5-hour focus group session of 3-7 participants took place on video conferencing software, which was recorded …

Using Lake Sediment Chemistry In The Exploration For Nickel Laterite Deposits In Tropical Regions, Gabriela Yvonne Ramirez

Masters Theses

"Developing reliable geochemical indicators to guide the search for ore deposits is a long-standing goal. This particularly applies to tropical regions that are often heavily vegetated which hampers boots-on-the ground exploration efforts. Here we present the preliminary results of a study that investigates the usefulness of lake sediment chemistry in the exploration for nickel laterite ore deposits in tropical regions using Lake Izabal, Guatemala, as a case study. Lake Izabal’s catchment area contains Ni laterite deposits along its northern shore, whereas no Ni-laterite discoveries have been made in the south except for a Ni mine in the southern region that …

Lithofacies Characterization Of Marine Shelf Shale And Implicaitons On Depositional Conditions And Processes On The Continental Shelf — A Case Study Of The Upper-Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale In Louisiana And Mississippi, U.S.A., Efren Mendez Jr

Masters Theses

"The Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) is an unconventional shale reservoir deposited on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico Basin. Previous studies have focused on sequence stratigraphy, thermal modeling, and well-log correlations. However, a limited understanding of the stratigraphic heterogeneity of the TMS is yet to be studied. This study aims to characterize the stratigraphic heterogeneity of the TMS using core, petrographic, and well-log analyses to better understand the depositional conditions and processes that occur on the continental shelf. The TMS has been classified into four lithofacies of very fine sands – coarse silts (LF1), medium-fine …

Adsorption Of Arsenic Onto River Sediments, Leticia Augusta Dos Santos Ferreira

Masters Theses

“Previous studies have noted the relationship between shallow groundwater rich in sodium (Na) and bicarbonate (HCO₃) and elevated levels of dissolved arsenic. However, most experimental work on arsenic adsorption in the presence of HCO₃ and differing Na/Ca ratios has proven difficult to extrapolate to natural systems because of differences in tested mineral compositions and component concentrations. In this study, I performed a series of adsorption experiments using river sediments to evaluate the influence of HCO₃ and monovalent/divalent cations on the extent of arsenic adsorption onto natural sediment in groundwater.

Batch adsorption (kinetics, equilibrium, and metal loading) …

Impact Of Calcium Carbonate Reactant Size And Mineralogy On Dolomite Stoichiometry, Katharine G. Rose

Masters Theses

Dolomite is a common, diagenetic, Mg-Ca carbonate mineral. Dolomitization occurs by a dissolution-precipitation reaction between a CaCO₃ precursor (calcite or aragonite) and Mg bearing fluids. The amount of Mg in dolomite, referred to as dolomite stoichiometry (mol% MgCO₃), varies in natural dolomites (38-50 mol% MgCO₃). Laboratory experiments have shown that dolomite stoichiometry is dependent on physiochemical factors of the diagenetic fluids (i.e., temperature, salinity, and Mg/Ca). The impact of the CaCO₃ precursor on stoichiometry, however, has not been studied directly. This study tests how the CaCO₃ precursor size (sieve size) and mineralogy (calcite …

Preclassic Cultural Eutrophication Of Lake Petén Itzá, Lowland Guatemala, By The Early Maya Of Nixtun-Ch'ich', Brooke A. Birkett

Masters Theses

"Paleolimnological evidence indicates the ancient Maya transformed lowland terrestrial ecosystems by felling forest vegetation to construct large civic-ceremonial centers and expand agriculture. The effects of prehistoric Maya land alterations on lake trophic status, however, remain poorly understood. We analyzed a 515-cm-long sediment core from Lake Petén Itzá, lowland Guatemala, to infer paleoenvironmental changes resulting from Maya occupation of the riparian archaeological site of Nixtun-Ch'ich'. Substantial increases in charcoal and fecal stanol concentrations indicate Maya occupation of the Candelaria Peninsula by the late Early Preclassic period beginning ca. 1400 cal yr Before the Common Era (hereafter BCE), despite scant archaeological evidence …

Relationships Among Mineralogy, Geochemistry, And Oil And Gas Production In The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, Hayley Roxana Beitel

Masters Theses

"The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) is an unconventional shale reservoir located in southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. Limited mineralogical and geochemical data for the TMS have been published. The data that do exist indicate that the formation is heterogeneous. Consequently, previous investigators and oil and gas companies have not managed to effectively link mineralogical and chemical changes to oil and gas production in the TMS. These linkages are critical to establish for future exploration efforts. In this study, we attempt to establish these relationships by gathering all existing mineralogical and chemical data in the TMS, including newly acquired data from …

Multiple Generations Of Phlogopite In An Alnöite Diatreme: Insights Into The Petrogenesis Of The Avon Alkaline Igneous Province, Missouri, Nathan Gregory Limbaugh

Masters Theses

“Alkaline Ultramafic Carbonatite (AUC) complexes, although rare, are valued for diamonds and REEs, and as windows into subcontinental and mantle processes as recorded by rock fabrics, mineral spatial relationships, and mineral compositions. We report specifically on olivine and phlogopite petrographic relationships and compositions from the Devonian alnoite diatreme-facies of the Avon Alkaline Igneous Province, Missouri. The diatreme alnoite is a mixture of domains of olivine magmaclasts (OM) set in a crystal-rich melilite matrix. OM are highly fractured, serpentinized olivine pseudomorphs with variable amounts of pristine olivine fragments. Larger olivine domains typically exhibit clear crystal faces and irregular “channels” indicative of …

Agricultural Irrigation Induced Evaporation In A Temperate Study Area: A Stable Isotope Approach, Lincoln Grevengoed

Masters Theses

In regions where groundwater is used for irrigation, significant water losses take place due to evaporation. Previous studies demonstrated the utility of stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in estimating evaporative water loss experienced during return flow back to an aquifer. Unlike arid regions where the other studies took place, this study examined the region around Kalamazoo, Michigan, the United States, which experiences a more temperate climate. Irrigation in the Kalamazoo area primarily uses center-pivot systems supplied by wells, unlike flood irrigation in previous study areas. Water samples were taken periodically from wells close to center-pivot irrigation systems. Water losses due …

Distribution And Variability In Sulfur Isotopes Within Paleoproterozoic Metasedimentary Strata Of The Michigamme Formation, Upper Peninsula, Michigan, Beau J. Haag

Masters Theses

In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Paleoproterozoic Michigamme Formation is composed of a thick package of metasedimentary rocks derived from foreland basin sediments which were deposited during the 1.8Ga Penokean Orogeny. These rocks contain significant, but variable amounts of texturally distinct sulfide minerals such as pyrrhotite and pyrite. We report a systematic relationship between δ³⁴S values from sulfide mineral occurrences, and their stratigraphic locations regardless of texture and mineral composition. We suggest the sulfide minerals within the Michigamme Formation have inherited δ³⁴S values from early sedimentarydiagenetic sulfides, therefore preserving primary isotopic signatures. The observed stratigraphic …

Field And Numerical Evaluation Of Nitrogen Transport From Septic Systems In Surfical Aquifer Systems To Charlotte Harbor, Florida, Tanten T. Buszka

Masters Theses

Shallow water tables in coastal surficial aquifers limit effective treatment of septic effluent which can result in excess nutrient loading into nearby surface water bodies. Approximately 45,000 septic systems in Charlotte County, Florida transmit effluent into an under studied surficial aquifer and contribute to harmful algal blooms and outbreaks of E. coli. An undeveloped field site was characterized using standard hydrogeologic methods, including a one-year duration natural gradient tracer test, to obtain representative lithology of the sandy surficial aquifer and estimates of groundwater velocity, flow directions, effective porosity and dispersion. These data were used to support the development of a …

The Role Of Tectonic Inheritance, Plate-Reorganization, And Magma Flare-Ups In The Evolution Of The Sevier Orogeny, J. Daniel Quick

Masters Theses

"The temporal and spatial distribution of strain associated with the Sevier Orogeny in western North America is significantly different in the southern end of the belt, at the latitude of Las Vegas, than further to the north at the latitude of Salt Lake City. Until this study, reasons for these differences were speculative as a lack of thrust kinematic data in the intervening region hindered along strike correlation across the belt. A crystallization age of 100.18 ± 14 0.04 Ma was determined for zircons extracted from a recently recognized ash fall tuff near the base of the synorogenic Iron Springs …

Strain Partitioning Across The Polochic-Motagua Fault System In Guatemala: Insight From Kinematic Modeling, Qiaoqi Sun

Masters Theses

”The Polochic-Motagua Fault System in Guatemala is the on-land segment of the sinistral transform plate boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. Three major seismically active strike-slip faults in this fault system pose significant earthquake threats to surrounding populated cities. The assessment of seismic hazard requires a better understanding of the kinematics of the fault system. GPS monitoring indicates that seventy-five percent of the ~20 mm/yr. plate motion is accommodated by the Motagua Fault and less than twenty-five percent is accommodated by the Polochic Fault. However, the Polochic Fault documents a lateral offset of ~132 ± 5 …

Mineral Compositions Of Meteorite Samples Alha 77005, Nwa 7397, Nwa 5480, And Ausson: Implications For Geodynamic Processes On Their Parent Bodies And Meteorite Reclassification, Kaylin Agnata Tunnell

Masters Theses

“This study investigates the major, minor, and trace element compositions of minerals from a series of meteorites which represent different stages of planetary evolution including two sample from Mars (ALHA 77005 and NWA 7397), one sample from Vesta (NWA 5480), and one ordinary chondrite (Ausson). The goal of this study is to investigate if petrogenetic tracers commonly employed to understand terrestrial samples can also be applied to extraterrestrial samples. The data presented here show that mineral trace element data allow for novel insight into the magmatic history of meteorite samples. For example, V/Sc and Fe/Mn ratios in olivine provide insight …

Assessing The Impact Of 3d Printed Terrain On Teaching Topography In Introductory Earth Science Labs, Jay Alan Cockrell

Masters Theses

Learning to effectively read topographic maps is challenging for students, as these maps contain 3D representations of terrain displayed on a 2D surface map. This project assessed student learning when 3D terrain printed from a portion of the laboratory quadrangle map currently in use was introduced into an earth science course for non-science majors. Using a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent groups across two semesters, performance on the Modified Topographic Map Assessment (MTMA) administered as a pre- and posttest was used to compare learning outcomes between the traditional lab and the 3D print lab intervention. Students in the traditional (n = …

Evaluating The Effects Of Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, And Calcium Concentrations On Dolomite Stoichiometry, Cation Ordering, And Reaction Rate, Hanna F. Cohen

Masters Theses

Numerous environmental factors affect dolomitization. Shallow peritidal and restricted marine environments, for example, are often associated with more abundant and more stoichiometric dolomite than deeper marine environments. Higher fluid Mg/Ca ratios resulting from gypsum precipitation are often invoked to explain this observation, even when evidence of evaporites is absent. In this study, high-temperature dolomitization experiments show that the concentrations of major cation concentrations (Na, K, Mg, and Ca) impact dolomite stoichiometry and reaction rate. Nearly 200 batch dolomitization experiments were run whereby 100 mg of natural aragonite ooids were dolomitized at 215°C in ionic solutions. Fluid [NaCl] and [KCl] correlate …

An Exploration Into The Controls And Extent Of Capillary Rise In Fine-Grained Sand, Neal S. Turluck

Masters Theses

Capillary rise in fine-grained sands is especially important due to the wide distribution of fine-grained sediment throughout the unconsolidated sedimentary layers blanketing the earth. The height to which water rises above the water table in porous media is known as the capillary fringe. Tension pulling on the water molecules from the solid surfaces of pores will cause water to rise in the unconsolidated fine-grained sands until the water reaches equilibrium with the downward force of gravity.

Researching the controls behind capillary rise and being able to predict the extent to which water will rise in fine-grained sand helped provide insight …

Petrogenesis Of The Eagle East Gabbro In Marquette County, Mi, Usa, Kevin Rupp

Masters Theses

The Eagle East gabbroic intrusion in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is a subvertical pluglike intrusion found near the base of the Eagle East Ni-Cu-PGE deposit. U-Pb baddeleyite dating of the gabbro yields an age of 1103.4 ± 1.2 Ma, suggesting formation during the early stages of the Midcontinent Rift System (MRS). Drill core observations show that the intrusion cross-cuts the eastern most portion of the Eagle East ultramafic conduit. The internal portion of the intrusion is made up of two main rock types, gabbro and gabbro norite, which consist of plagioclase (50-60%), clinopyroxene (15-25%), orthopyroxene (0-15%), olivine (0-10%), and are generally …

Bedrock Topography Mapping Of The East Leroy And Climax 7.5’ Quadrangles, Mi Using Hvsr And Other Geophysical Methods, Tyler A. Norris

Masters Theses

Geophysical methods were used to estimate bedrock depths below sedimentary cover and infer previously unknown features in two adjacent topographic quadrangles (Climax & East Leroy) in Michigan, USA. The study area contains mostly Mississippian Shale bedrock overlain by Wisconsin-aged glacial drift deposited during multiple glacial advances and retreats of the Saginaw Lobe (Laurentide Ice Sheet). These glacial events created complex landform assemblages that have only recently been mapped in detail near-surface, but are still poorly understood in the subsurface. Buried bedrock valleys typically contain coarse glacial sediment and thus are valuable aquifers, but these can be difficult to locate due …