Geology Commons^™

Facies Analysis, Sequence Stratigraphy And Paleogeography Of The Middle Jurassic (Callovian) Entrada Sandstone: Traps, Tectonics, And Analog, George R. Jennings Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The late Middle Jurassic (Callovian) Entrada Sandstone has been divided into two general facies associations consisting primarily of eolian sandstones in eastern Utah and "muddy" redbeds in central Utah. Sedimentary structures within the redbed portion are explained by the interfingering of inland sabkha, alluvial, and eolian depositional systems. A complete succession from the most basinward facies to the most terrestrial facies in the Entrada Sandstone consists of inland sabkha facies overlain by either alluvial or eolian facies. Where both alluvial and eolian facies interfinger, alluvial facies overlain by eolian facies is considered a normal succession. Sequence boundaries, often identified by …

The Bell Springs Formation: Characterization And Correlationof Upper Triassic Strata In Northeast Utah, Skyler Bart May

Theses and Dissertations

Upper Triassic strata that lie between the Chinle Formation and Nugget Sandstone along the south flank of the Uinta Mountains in northeastern Utah are distinctive. In the past, these rocks have been lumped together with the overlying or underlying units. These strata are equivalent to the Bell Springs Member of the Nugget Sandstone as defined in Wyoming and perhaps to the Rock Point Formation of the Chinle Formation near the Four Corners region. In this study, these rocks will be called the Bell Springs Formation following the usage of Lucas (1993) in Wyoming. The unit is regionally mappable in northeastern …

Geophysical Applications For Levee Assessment, Hussein Khalefa Chlaib

Theses and Dissertations

Levees are important engineering structures that build along the rivers to protect the human lives and shield the communities as well as agriculture lands from the high water level events. Animal burrows, subsurface cavities, and low density (high permeability) zones are weakness features within the levee body that increase its risk of failure. To prevent such failure, continuous monitoring of the structure integrity and early detection of the weakness features must be conducted. Application of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Capacitively Coupled Resistivity (CCR) methods were found to be very effective in assessing the levees and detect zones of weakness …

Characterization Of Cretaceous Chalk Microporosity Related To Depositional Texture: Based Upon Study Of The Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Formation, Denver-Julesburg Basin, Colorado And Wyoming, P D. Pahnke

Theses and Dissertations

Prompted by increased interest in understanding microporosity, recent efforts at describing and classifying pore types in mudstones have focused primarily on siliceous, gas producing unconventional reservoirs with little attention being paid to carbonate, mixed oil-and-gas producers. The Niobrara Formation in the Denver-Julesburg Basin is a self-sourced resource play producing oil and natural gas from low permeability chalks. Key reservoir lithologies consist of chalk, chalky marl and marl. These lithologies contain flattened chalk fecal pellets which play a significant role in providing porosity. Integration of depositional fabric with pore-type distribution emphasizes the unique textural and depositional nature of chalk and provides …

The First 40ar/39ar Ages And Tephrochronologic Framework For The Jurassic Entrada Sandstone In Central Utah, Toby S. Dossett

Theses and Dissertations

The first 40Ar/39Ar ages of the Middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone were derived from tephra beds found in central Utah. Eight air fall ash beds in the Entrada Sandstone, with 40Ar/39Ar biotite ages ranging from 168.1 ± 0.2 to 160.8 ± 0.2 Ma, help to establish the age of Entrada deposition. They were also used to create the first chronostratigraphic divisions within the mudstone-dominated Entrada Sandstone. Statistical cluster analysis of chemical data from electron microprobe analyses of phenocrysts were used as a second line of evidence to test absolute age and stratigraphic correlations. The first direct correlations of two distinct air …

Comparative Sedimentology Of Lake Bonneville And The Great Salt Lake, Kevin Michael Mcguire

Theses and Dissertations

Ooids of Great Salt Lake, Utah (GSL) have been studied periodically by geologists since the 1960's. These studies have documented the locations of ooid deposits, bulk composition, mineralogy, and internal structural variations of GSL ooids. Ooids have also been identified in sediment cores from lakes predating the Great Salt Lake, but similar descriptions have not been made for these ooids. Samples of ooids from cores in Pilot Valley, UT/NV and Knolls, UT have been obtained, along with samples from the Great Salt Lake at Bridger Bay and Rozel Point. The cortical fabrics and crystal morphologies of these ooids were studied …

West Antarctic Surface Mass Balance: Do Synoptic Scale Modes Of Climate Contribute To Observed Variability?, Mclean Kent Carpenter

Theses and Dissertations

Western Antarctica has been experiencing significant warming for at least the past fifty years. While higher Net Surface Mass Balance (SMB) over West Antarctica during this period of warming is expected, SMB reconstructions from ice cores reveal a more complex pattern during the period of warming. The mechanisms giving rise to SMB variability over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are not well understood due to lack of instrumental data. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are believed to contribute to WAIS SMB variability but the assumption has not been rigorously tested. SMB during years …

Seismotectonics Of The Northeastern Margin Of The Arabian Plate In Iraq, Wathiq Gh. Abdulnaby

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to study the seismotectonics of the Bitlis-Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt in northern Iraq and surrounding regions. This was accomplished through studying the crustal seismic velocity structure, focal mechanism solutions, and stress pattern of the study area. The joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion, the moment tensor inversion, and formal stress inversion of moment stress axes are among the methods used to study the seismotectonic patterns of the study area. Another goal of this study is to provide a regional velocity model and pre-computed Green's functions that can be used accurately …

Multi-Scale Neotectonic Study Of The Clear Lake Fault Zone In The Sevier Desert Basin (Central Utah), Brandon D. Heiner

Theses and Dissertations

A multi-scale high-resolution geophysical and geological study was conducted in the Sevier Desert, central Utah, found within the Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range Transition Zone. The region is marked by with Quaternary volcanics and faulting as young as 660 yr B.P., with many fault scarps thought to have the potential for 7+ magnitude earthquakes. Three locations within the Sevier Desert which represent three different tectonic expressions of possible faulting at the surface were selected. These include a location found within surface sedimentation, a location with surface sedimentation and sub-surface basalts and a location with basalts, at the surface with very limited …

Lithostratigraphic Investigation Of A Late Devonian Carbonate-Evaporite Sequence; The Duperow Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota, Zachary P. Alcorn

Theses and Dissertations

The Duperow Formation of northwestern North Dakota is a cyclical carbonate evaporite unit deposited on a shallow marine shelf during the early part of the Late Devonian (Frasnian). The formation forms the lower part of the Jefferson Group and lithostratigraphic review permits three informal members to be recognized: lower, middle, and upper. Petrographic, lithologic, and well log examination of drill cores and thin sections allows the identification of seven lithofacies within the three members. Lithofacies include; bioclastic wackestone/packstone (LF1), stromatoporoid boundstone/floatstone (LF2), Amphipora boundstone/floatstone (LF3), peloidal wackestone (LF4), dolomitic mudstone (LF5), microbially laminated dolowackestone (LF6), and anhydrite (Lf7). Lithofacies are …

Quantifying Nutrient Cycling And Fate Within An Abandoned Feedlot And Adjacent Wetlands, Prosper Prosper Gbolo

Theses and Dissertations

Feedlot operations over the years have increased revenue and boosted economies of states and countries, but these operations have resulted in elevated concentrations of nutrients in soils, surface water, and groundwater. Feedlot operations generate large quantities of manure and other waste, which when not managed properly can result in environmental problems.

It is hypothesized that nitrogen can cause a short-term contamination of soils and groundwater beneath abandoned feedlots, but phosphorus can cause both short- and long term contamination, especially in well-drained carbonate and iron-rich soils associated with Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. It is also hypothesized that a spectral vegetation index …

Elemental Chemostratigraphy Of The Three Forks Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota, Brian R. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The Three Forks Formation of the Williston Basin in northwestern North Dakota is an Upper Devonian stratigraphic unit unconformably overlain by the Bakken Formation. It consists principally of dolostone, shale and anhydrite. The Three Forks is a productive tight oil resource play, which in recent years has been increasingly targeted and developed as part of the unconventional Bakken Petroleum System. Core analysis via energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) is a non-destructive, high-resolution chemostratigraphic data collection method that has been used here to produce concentration logs which reflect both lithologic heterogeneity and paleoredox conditions for the Three Forks Formation. These geochemical …

The Depositional Environment And Diagenetic Effects On Sand Bodies Within The Unconventional Resource Play Of The Spearfish Formation (Triassic) In North Central North Dakota, Matthew J. Sebade

Theses and Dissertations

The Triassic Spearfish Formation in North Dakota is comprised of three members, the Belfield, Pine, and Saude Members, in ascending order. This study focuses on the Saude Member in north-central North Dakota on the eastern margin of the Williston basin. Both the upper and lower contacts of the Spearfish in the study area are unconformable. In this region, the lateral distribution of red sandstone and argillaceous siltstone lithofacies were mapped using well log data. Four sandstone bodies were identified then mapped across the region using gamma ray logs. Sandstone bodies in descending order are the A sand, B sand, water …

Landscape Evolution And Preservation Of Ice Over One Million Years Old Quantified With Cosmogenic Nuclides 26al, 10be, And 21ne, Ong Valley, Antarctica, Theodore C. Bibby

Theses and Dissertations

Antarctica has been glaciated for the past 35-40 million years (Denton et al., 1991) and evidence of periodic fluctuations of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) during the Cenozoic are recorded in the ice sheet itself, deep sea sediments, and glacial deposits on the continent (Ingólfsson, 2004). Quaternary continental records of AIS extent is limited to few locations along the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) and coastal continental boundaries (Denton et al., 1984; Denton et al., 1989). Records of atmospheric variation over time, glacial extents, and ice sheet responses to environmental changes are required to understand modern day forces on climate and the …

Patterns And Mechanisms Of Heat Transport In The Northern Denver Basin Nebraska, South Dakota And Wyoming, Aaron T. Ochsner

Theses and Dissertations

Finite difference simulations of the hydrothermal system of the northern Denver Basin are suggestive of a correlation between anomalous heat flux and the presence of faults and structural lineaments mapped in the region. Geothermal, hydrogeological, lithological, and structural data available for the northern Denver Basin were compiled and analyzed in an effort to determine the hydrothermal mechanisms responsible for observed heat flow anomalies in the study area. Measurement of thermal conductivity was conducted for 82 solid core samples and 60 unconsolidated samples from drill cuttings, yielding a harmonic mean thermal conductivity value of 1.52 ± 0.91W m-1 K-1 for the …

Stratigraphy, Depositional Environments, And Petroleum Potential Of The Three Forks Formation -- Williston Basin, North Dakota, Richard A. Ashu

Theses and Dissertations

The hydrocarbon potential of the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota is poorly known due to limited stratigraphic, geochemical, and petrophysical data. This study presents a methodology and results of a reservoir characterization study of the stratigraphy, lithofacies distribution, petroleum potential, and paleo-environments of the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota as a potential for hydrocarbon exploration with the principal objective to evaluate the Three Forks Formation’s potential for future developments. The detailed lithology is computed by employing a probabilistic interpretation approach calibrated with lab results and five major lithofacies of the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota, which display …

Characterization, Diagenesis, And Geocellular Modeling Of Winnipegosis Formation Pinnacle Reefs In The Williston Basin, North Dakota, Nicholas W. Bosshart

Theses and Dissertations

The Middle Devonian Winnipegosis Formation of the North Dakota Williston Basin contains pinnacle reef structures which have been targeted in the past for hydrocarbon production. These reefs have not been proven to hold economically important primary recoverable reserves, and are now being analyzed for potential CO₂ EOR and storage applications.

During this study multiple sizes of Winnipegosis Formation pinnacle reef geocellular models were constructed utilizing data from North Dakota Winnipegosis pinnacle reefs wells, cores, and thin sections. These models were then simulated for CO₂ injectivity.

Initial results show that Winnipegosis pinnacle reefs smaller than 1.5 miles in diameter are likely …

Geoneutrino Production Of The Northern Black Hills, South Dakota, United States Of America, Eric Eric Zimney

Theses and Dissertations

Current neutrino observatories operate underground to isolate the detector from cosmic rays and background radiation. However, background radiation from local sources has yet to be accounted for. Current models for neutrino contributions from terrestrial rocks are formulated from bulk compositional estimates of the whole Earth. To better understand local background radiation from geologic sources surfaces rocks were collected throughout the area surrounding the Homestake Mine, South Dakota, home of the Sanford Underground Research Laboratory. The surface rocks were analyzed for radioactivity and neutrino luminosity, producing heat maps indicating the levels of neutrino production throughout the area. The area around the …

Electron Donor Contributions To Denitrification In The Elk Valley Aquifer, North Dakota, Amanda M. Krieger

Theses and Dissertations

Six denitrification tracer tests were performed over eight and a half years in in situ mesocosms (ISMs) in the Elk Valley Aquifer (EVA) in east-central North Dakota. Groundwater samples were analyzed to determine how much nitrate was lost beyond that explained by dilution of the bromide tracer. Additional losses were attributed to denitrification. The denitrification rates varied from 0.10 to 0.23 mg N/L/day for the six tests. In general, the major electron donors for denitrification are organic carbon (OC), pyrite (FeS2), and ferrous iron silicate minerals. In the EVA tracer tests, increases in sulfate indicated that the oxidation of pyrite …

Geology Of The Birdseye 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Utah County, Utah:Â Implications For Mid-Cenozoic Extension And Deposition Of The Moroni Formation, Don L. Bagshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Geologic structures within the Birdseye 7.5 minute quadrangle Utah County, Utah have been related by previous workers to both the Jurassic Arapien Shale diapirism and to the mid-Cenozoic extensional collapse of the Charleston-Nebo Thrust. Whichever model proves valid, it will have implications for oil exploration and interpretation of the subsurface geologic structure in the region. A detailed map of the quadrangle was constructed to better constrain which mechanism was responsible for the deformation. Exposures of Arapien Shale near, and within the Birdseye quadrangle show no evidence of diapiric movement. Arapien involvement in the deformation of Tertiary rocks in the center …

Digital Outcrop Model And Paleoecology Of The Eight-Foot Rapid Algal Field (Middle Pennsylvanian Lower Ismay Sequence), Paradox Basin, Utah, Colton Lynn Goodrich

Theses and Dissertations

Although phylloid algal mounds have been studied for 50 year, much remains to be determined concerning the ecology and sedimentology of these Late Paleozoic carbonate buildups. Herein we perform a digital outcrop study of the well-known Middle Pennsylvanian Lower Ismay mound interval in the Paradox Basin because outcropping mounds along the San Juan River are cited as outcrop analogs of reservoir carbonates in the Paradox Basin oil province of Utah and adjacent states. The principal field area is the Eight Foot algal field located at river mile 19.2 on the San Juan River, approximately 14 miles SSW of Bluff, Utah. …

A Bond Valence-Based Force Field: A Multi-Body Approach, Matthew Harris Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The typical form for a molecular mechanics force field consists of a foundation of pair-wise terms to describe bonded and non-bonded atomic interactions, with multi-body correction terms to deal with the limitations of pair-wise terms. I present here the first attempts of a molecular mechanics model that is founded on multi-body terms, which are based on the Bond Valence Model (Brown, 2002) and recent developments in the Vectorial Bond Valence Model (Bickmore et al., 2013a; Harvey et al., 2006). I calibrated these models on pressure vs. energy curves for a set of SiO2 polymorphs. The average deviation for the best-fit …

Exploring Connections Between A Very Large Volume Ignimbrite And An Intracaldera Pluton: Intrusions Related To The Oligocene Wah Wah Springs Tuff, Western Us, Chloe Noelle Skidmore

Theses and Dissertations

The Wah Wah Springs Tuff and the Wah Wah Springs Intrusive Granodiorite Porphyry(Wah Wah Springs Intrusion) both originated from the Indian Peak caldera complex, which wasa major focus of explosive silicic activity in the middle Cenozoic Great Basin ignimbrite flareup. This caldera formed 30.0 Ma when an estimated 5,900 km3 of crystal-rich dacitic magma erupted to create the Wah Wah Springs Tuff. The Wah Wah Springs Intrusion later intruded the tuff, causing resurgence of the caldera. Field, modal, and geochemical evidence suggest the tuff and intrusion are cogenetic. The mineral assemblages of the two rocks are similar: both include similar …

Facies And Reservoir Characterization Of The Permian White Rim Sandstone, Black Box Dolomite, And Black Dragon Member Of The Triassic Moenkopi Formation For Co2 Storage And Sequestration At Woodside Field, East-Central Utah, Walter Andrew Harston

Theses and Dissertations

Geologic sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas emissions is an engineering solution that potentially reduces CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere thereby limiting their effect on climate change. This study focuses on Woodside field as a potential storage and sequestration site for CO2 emissions. The Woodside field is positioned on a doubly plunging, asymmetrical anticline on the northeast flank of the San Rafael Swell. Particular focus will be placed on the Permian White Rim Sandstone, Black Box Dolomite and Black Dragon Member of the Triassic Moenkopi Formation as the reservoir/seal system to store and sequester CO2 at Woodside …

Toward A Better Understanding Of Recent Warming Of The Central West Antarctic Ice Sheet From Shallow Firn Cores, Jessica Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown significant warming through the 1990s in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS); but the records used in those studies end in early 2000, preventing trend analysis into the latest decade. Fourteen new snowpits and firn cores were collected in 2010 and 2011, which have been combined with previous cores to extend the isotopic records over WAIS. Significance of these isotopic patterns across WAIS was determined and is used to re-evaluate the warming of the West Antarctic interior over recent decades. We find that isotopic records longer than 50 years are needed to assess climate trends due …

Research About Low Permeability Measurement, Jun He

Theses and Dissertations

Petroleum exploration and production from shale formations have gained great attention throughout the world in the last decade. Producing the hydrocarbons from shale is challenging because of the low porosity and permeability. It is imperative to investigate permeability of the shale formations in order to better understand the performance of wells that are producing hydrocarbons from shale. Permeability is also one of key parameters in modeling fluids flow in matrix in reservoir simulation. Due to the low or very low permeability, the measurement of permeability is time consuming and expensive. These factors often limited the ability to perform permeability measurement …

Correcting Heat Flow Data In The United States To Account For Climate Change, Godswill Njoku

Theses and Dissertations

Heat flow measurements may require correction for both recent warming and post-glacial warming signals. Warming during the last century can be detected in borehole temperature profiles. Both climate warming signals during the past century and post-glacial warming signals during the past 10 millennia are greatest near the surface and diminish with depth.

Both atmospheric data and borehole temperature data show that recent warming varies systematically with latitude along a north-south transect in the United States. The systematic increase with latitude from +0.7 oC at 41.6oN to +2.3 oC at 49oN during the last century is consistent with the prediction that …

Tidal Flux Of Trace Metals And Rare Earth Elements In A Barrier Island Salt Marsh, Ryan Antle

Theses and Dissertations

Barrier island salt marshes are known as sources of nutrients to the coastal ocean but it is unclear whether they are also sources or sinks of trace metals in regards to coastal waters. Salt marshes are characterized by steep redox and biogeochemical gradients, which constantly fluctuate as a result of tidal pumping. While several studies have examined metal budgets between terrestrial fresh water, estuarine subterranean fluids, and coastal saline waters, there is little data regarding fluid chemistry for metals in salt water estuaries in the absence of fresh water input. This study investigated a back barrier salt marsh on Cabretta …

Tectonics Of The South Georgia Rift, David Michael Heffner

Theses and Dissertations

Triassic rifting of the supercontinent Pangea left behind numerous basins on what is now the eastern North American margin. The South Georgia Rift (SGR) was thought to be the best preserved of these basins having been capped by thick basalt flows of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) and later buried beneath the Cretaceous and younger Coastal Plain. Because it is buried beneath the Coastal Plain, the SGR is only known through sparse drilling and geophysical methods. Despite this limited dataset, the SGR is the only one of the eastern North American Triassic basins known to overlie the ancient Alleghanian …

Geomechanics And Elastic Anisotropy Of The Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, Mehdi Ostadhassan

Theses and Dissertations

Many of the earth’s rocks exhibit anisotropic characteristics. Anisotropy is particularly common in many sedimentary rocks, such as shales. Anisotropy is defined as the spatial alignment of mineral grains, layers, fractures and stresses which causes elastic wave velocity and other elastic properties to vary with direction. There are two types of anisotropy: intrinsic and stress-induced. Intrinsic anisotropy is caused by beddings, microstructures or aligned fractures formed during deposition. Stress-induced anisotropy is caused by strain associated with external stresses. Intrinsic anisotropy originates in the absence of external stresses, while stress-induced anisotropy results from tectonic and overburden stresses. The style of earth …