Geology Commons^™

Surficial Geologic Mapping Of The Starkville 7.5-Minute United States Geological Survey Quadrangle 33088d-7 In Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, Jonathan Leard

Theses and Dissertations

The Starkville Quadrangle is a hotspot for geological research. The Late Cretaceous is represented by the Demopolis Formation in the northeast corner of the quadrangle, followed by the Ripley Formation, and the Prairie Bluff Formation. The K-Pg boundary is exposed in the quadrangle, and the remarkable paleontology is of global importance. The Clayton Formation is the first Paleocene unit. Where the Clayton Formation channel sands are in contact with the underlying Prairie Bluff Formation, springs occur. Springs were a rare source of water in the Black Prairie and spurred the settlement of the area over 10,000 years ago. The Paleocene …

Geologic Mapping Of The Sparta 7.5-Minute Quadrangle In Northern Mississippi Via Remote Sensing, Traditional Geologic Survey, And Applied Geospatial Information Systems Methods, Rayford Dean Parnell

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional geologic mapping involves substantial time and labor in the field as geologic contacts are manually examined and interpreted. The processes of mapping geologic contacts can be condensed into a quicker and less laborious process using advances in remote sensing and GIS (geospatial information systems), including increased resolution and computerized data management and interpretation. Application of these advances reduces the costs and time of geologic mapping. The Sparta 7.5-minute quadrangle provides a mostly unaltered view of regional Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous geology due to its rural locale, lack of development, and stream topography. Recently LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) survey …

Immobilization Of Uranium And Iodine By Calcium Phosphate Minerals, Angel L. Jimenez-Arroyo

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three independent but interconnected studies with the scope of further understanding uranium and iodine partitioning between apatite and fluid. The studies herein presented investigated: 1) brushite to apatite crystallization method; 2) the degree of uranium incorporation into apatite; 3) the degree of iodine incorporation into apatite. The importance of this work is assessing the role of apatite in immobilizing these elements, where uranium is a major component of spent nuclear fuel and iodine is a chemical analog of its radioactive isotope (¹²⁹I). Once we understand the incorporation mechanisms, we will provide data that …

Differentiating Pleistocene Alloformations In The South Carolina Coastal Plain Through Lithologic, Textural, Mineralogical, And Cluster Analyses, Charles Andrew Wykel

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is no textural or mineralogic basis for identifying and differentiating Pleistocene strand deposits in the South Carolina (SC) Lower Coastal Plain (LCP). Historically, geologic mapping of the SC coastal plain uses geomorphologic and biostratigraphic techniques for identifying and mapping LCP surficial strand deposits. While useful, both approaches have problems. The aim of this study is to develop a cost-effective approach to differentiate and identify strand deposits of different Pleistocene alloformations occurring in the SC LCP. To accomplish this task, four strand samples were taken from the Ten Mile Hill, the Ladson, and Wicomico alloformations in Horry County, SC. …

An Assessment Of The Performance Of The Earthscope Automated Receiver Survey: A User’S Guide To Ears., Erin L. Taxon

Theses and Dissertations

An Assessment of the Performance of the EarthScope Automatic Receiver Survey: A User's Guide to EARS.

With the advent of digital seismic recording, the ability to process and interpret large quantities of seismic data has become increasingly vital. EarthScope Automated Receiver Survey, EARS, was launched in 2005 to estimate bulk crustal properties in real time, at all broadband seismograph stations, globally. EARS utilizes the receiver function HK stacking method to estimate a station’s crustal thickness (H) and ratio of P wave velocity (Vp) and S wave velocity (Vs), known as Vp/Vs (K). Receiver function analysis observes the arrival times …

Characterization Of Quaternary Stratigraphy In The Mississippi Sound To Evaluate The Influence Of Geologic Heterogeneity On Submarine Groundwater Transport And Discharge, Zachary Peoples

Theses and Dissertations

Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) through seafloor sediments is gaining recognition as an important component of coastal water quality. Stratigraphic features creating geologic heterogeneity, such as incised paleochannels, may influence preferential pathways for SGD. The central Mississippi Sound is underlain by paleochannels that were incised into Pleistocene sediments while the area was subaerially exposed during the last glacial maximum and are now buried by transgressive Holocene deposits. In this thesis, newly collected chirp, previously published seismic reflection, and sediment core data are used to characterize the three-dimensional structure of the Holocene-Pleistocene contact. Results indicate that Pleistocene paleochannels cross-cut the study area, …

Structural And Biological Analysis Of Faults In Basalts In Sheepshead Mountains, Oregon As An Earth Analogue To Mars, Allison Bohanon

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial life on Mars is not visible from orbit or by rover cameras, but the fracture networks and scarp morphologies associated with fractures they could live in are measurable. We conducted a field analogue study of 92 normal fault scarps in the Sheepshead Mountains, Oregon to examine the correlation between scarp morphology and vegetation growth in the Steens Basalt. While vegetation is not expected on Mars, the fracture networks that sustain vegetation offer the same micro-environment that would support and protect endoliths. Structural variables were measured in the field and infrared spectra of fault scarps were measured using a handheld …

Quantifying The Controls Of Shear-Coupled P-Waves, Jackson Saftner

Theses and Dissertations

Shear-coupled P-waves have been shown to possess great utility in resolving crustal and upper mantle models, however these phases remain largely untapped due to their ephemeral nature. Shear-coupled P-waves are a type of seismic phase that undergo S-to-P conversion either at the free-surface or at the base of the crust. Under the proper conditions, it is possible for the converted crustal P phases to achieve total internal reflection, allowing these phases to remain large in amplitude and sample long segments of the crust. In this study, we use a combination of real-world observations collected from literature, and synthetic seismograms, to …

Identifying Biogeochemical Factors Responsible For The Cyclical Precipitation Of Sphalerite And Galena In Low Temperature Mississippi Valley Type Ore Deposits, Daniel John Makowsky

Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) lead and zinc deposits provide a significant source of sedimentary galena and sphalerite. However, geochemical characteristics and genesis including the source and production of hydrogen sulfide required for galena and sphalerite ore formation and the reasoning for quick, episodic mineralization is not fully understood. By simulating regional MVT brines, the input and effect of biological by-products during the development of these ores as well as the cause of cyclicity within MVT deposits have been observed. Experiments using compositions from MVT fluid inclusions were conducted over two-week periods. Variables during the experiments included temperature, CO2, hydrogen sulfide …

Chemical And Physical Weathering Rates Of Basaltic Volcanic Regions: Utilizing Space In Place Of Time In The Hawaiian Archipelago, Benjamin Clyde Barton

Theses and Dissertations

With large populations living in tropical regions of the world with volcanic substrates, understanding basalt weathering processes is vital. The Hawaiian Islands are an excellent natural analogue to study chemical weathering rates due to a uniform bedrock (basalt), large variations in rainfall, and varying ages across the islands. Laterite weathering profiles (LWP) develop over time through chemical weathering, where LWP thickness is influenced by many factors, including precipitation and time. Using the rapid, non-invasive horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method, LWP thicknesses can be estimated to constrain chemical weathering rates. Studying the laterite weathering profiles developed from basaltic bedrock of varying …

Carbon Storage Via Mineral Bonding In Subsoils A Review Of Soil Processes, Kiele Goins

Theses and Dissertations

Soil is an important but often poorly understood portion of the carbon cycle. Soil can store more carbon than twice today’s atmosphere, but the factors that control carbon storage are often unclear. Carbon enters the soil through input of organic matter, erosion, and aerosol deposition and is lost mostly via microbial decomposition. Carbon loss in soil is impacted by the chemical composition of organic compounds, environmental factors, and human activities. Furthermore, as climate changes soil, carbon storage may be vulnerable. Although carbon can be stored throughout soil, carbon storage varies with depth. In topsoil, carbon is stored for short periods …

Groundwater Flow And Transport At The Forest-Marsh Boundary: A Modeling Study, Sophia Chason Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

The forest-marsh boundary, where tidally influenced salt marshes meet a forested upland, is hydrologically complex due to its multiple water inputs. Groundwater flow and salinity transport at this boundary are not well understood. In order to make predictions about salinity at this boundary as it responds to climatic factors, a two-dimensional model was built to simulate groundwater flow and solute transport at a salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia. After calibration based on observed data from wells at the study site, the model can be used to identify patterns in groundwater movement and solute transport that may influence the vegetation …

Groundwater Discharge From Passive Continental Margins: Rethinking Marine Chemical Budgets, Andrew William Osborne

Theses and Dissertations

Geothermal convection and sediment compaction drive large-scale flow in continental shelves. We suggest that this flow is an overlooked control on the major ion chemistry of the ocean. Conventional ocean chemical budgets are constructed using river discharge, axial mid-ocean ridge (MOR) convection and CaCO3 production, but these budgets are still poorly quantified. We synthesized data from 17 passive continental margin basins to calculate a range of estimated groundwater and chemical fluxes from continental shelves, considering five major ions (Ca2+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Cl-). When extrapolated globally, volumetric groundwater flux estimates were comparable to those for MOR axial circulation, and …

Terrestrial Lidar Scanning And Gaming Engines: Using Unity3d To Visualize High-Resolution Point Clouds From Big Bat Cave, Kentucky, Jeffrey Aaron Baggett

Theses and Dissertations

Terrestrial LiDAR scanning has become a staple of modern speleological research and mapping due to its increasing availability, rapid deployment, and ability to collect large quantities of spatial data in a short period of time. In addition to spatial data, LiDAR scanners’ ability to record reflection intensity is of interest in the geoscience community as a proxy for surface reflectivity and as a means of aiding in visualizations when a lack of lighting prevents the use of photography at a useful scale. In this study, a methodology for rendering a stereoscopic, real-time rendering of a 10 scan, 425-million point portion …

Carbonatite Metasomatism And Water Systematics Of Peridotite Xenoliths From Lanzarote, Canaries, Sierra N. Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

Water in Earth’s mantle, present as structurally bound hydrogen in minerals, influences large scale processes like mantle deformation, plate tectonics, and melting. To better understand the processes controlling water concentrations in the Earth’s upper mantle, we analyzed hydrogen (calculated as ppm wt. H₂O), major, and trace element concentrations in minerals from peridotite mantle xenoliths of Lanzarote, Canaries. The Canaries Islands are thought to be the surface expression of a deep-seated mantle plume erupting through the Atlantic Ocean lithosphere. Carbonatite magmas have erupted in the Canaries and previous studies have shown evidence for carbonatite metasomatism in Lanzarote peridotites. Thus, …

Monitoring Of Carbon Dioxide Injection In The Southeastern United States, Adil Murad Awad Alshammari

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, measured levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have substantially increased. One way to limit the adverse impacts of increased carbon dioxide concentrations is to capture and store it inside Earth's subsurface, a process known as CO2 sequestration. This method's success is critically dependent on the ability to confine injected CO2 for up to thousands of years. Establishing effective maintenance of sealing systems of reservoirs is of importance to prevent CO2 leakage. Understanding the nature and rate of potential CO2 leakage related to this injection process is essential to evaluating seal effectiveness and ultimately mitigating global warming. …

Radium At The Lost City And Mid-Cayman Rise Hydrothermal Fields, Jessica D. Frankle

Theses and Dissertations

Fluid residence times of deep-sea hydrothermal circulation influence chemical cycling in the ocean. While fluid residence time estimates exist for many basalt-hosted systems, no estimates exist for serpentinite hosted systems that emit fluids with inherently different chemistry. We measured short- and long-lived radium (Ra) nuclides in fluids from two hydrothermal systems on the Mid-Cayman Rise to constrain their residence times: the Von Damm Vent Field, a mixed ultramafic-mafic system, and the Piccard Vent Field, a mafic, neovolcanic system. Von Damm fluids contain remarkably elevated 223Ra activities (half-life = 11.4 days), surpassing those from basalt-hosted hydrothermal systems by one to two …

Impacts Of Land-Use Change On The Menominee River In Jo Daviess County, Illinois, Preston J. Konop

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses land-use changes in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, and their effects on the Menominee River. The Menominee River flows north to south through Jo Daviess County, and southern Grant County, Wisconsin. Many of the surrounding properties are agricultural and have undergone developmental and land-use changes that may affect the flood flashiness of the Menominee River. The concern with increasing flood flashiness of the Menominee River include more frequent flooding events, undercutting of riverbanks, and increased amounts of sediment transport from upstream locations into the Mississippi River. Increases in impermeable surfaces have led to greater amounts of runoff during …

The Role Of Floating Gardens To Alter The Water Quality Of The Chicago River: Chicago, Il, Emmett Andrew Spooner

Theses and Dissertations

The pollution of heavy metals within surface water is a rising global concern. As heavy metals are transported through rivers, they can bioaccumulate through the food web, leading to harmful concentrations within waterways. In urban areas such as the city of Chicago, Illinois, the use of road salts is a concern as elevated concentrations of chloride (Cl–) can reduce surface water quality. Since surface waters can carry heavy metals and Cl– salts over a large distance, methods of in-situ phytoremediation are of growing importance. Through a pilot project, a floating garden system has been installed along a portion of the …

Improving Student Outcomes In Introductory Earth Science Courses Using Active Learning Strategies, Kalyca N. Spinler

Theses and Dissertations

For many students, introductory core earth science courses, like UA Little Rock’s Earth and the Environment course, represent their last formal education in the Earth Sciences. This project looked to determine if using active learning strategies during lectures will increase understanding in introductory geoscience courses. A series of ConcepTests with Peer Instruction, intended to increase student involvement, were used. To assess the impact of using ConcepTests, two sections of the course, fall 2018 and spring 2019, were given pre- and post-tests using Geoscience Concept Inventory questions. Pre- and post-test scores were compared with classes that did not use ConcepTests with …

Nature And Origin Of Fissure Ore At The Porphyry-Epithermal Transition Zone Of The Bingham Canyon Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Deposit, Utah, David Harris Tomlinson

Theses and Dissertations

Late-stage fissure-filling ore at the world class Bingham Canyon, Utah, porphyry copper deposit has long been recognized, but poorly studied. Physical and chemical characterization of the Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag-Au mineralized fissures in the porphyry-epithermal transition zone provides insight into the origin, timing, and controls of ore deposition. These sheared sulfide-rich fissures are dominated by pyrite and multiple generations of quartz, with lesser amounts of other sulfides and gangue minerals. Au (0.27 to 4.61 ppm) provides the most value to the ore in the transition zone. Host rocks include Eocene monzonite and Paleozoic limestone and quartzite"”all of which can contain economic ore bodies. …

Glacial-Interglacial Changes In The Thermocline Structure Of The Makassar Strait: Implications For Changes In The Indonesian Throughflow, Michael Lis

Theses and Dissertations

The Indo-Pacific Warm Pool exerts a strong influence on the global climate system because it partially controls heat and moisture exchange (pressure gradient) between the atmosphere and ocean, and thus, the intensity of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) via the Makassar Strait, the main passage of water connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The magnitude of ITF is reflected by the structure of the oceanic thermocline. Here, we use shell δ¹⁸O signatures and trace element composition of foraminifera (Globigerinoides ruber, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, and Globigerinoides menardii) in two sediment records spanning the past 30 kya collected from …

Mantle Heterogeneity From The Mantle Plume Perspective: Sources Vs. Processes, Paul Béguelin

Theses and Dissertations

Oceanic island basalts (OIB) which are derived from mantle plumes sample a compositionally heterogeneous mantle, as revealed by their radiogenic isotope systematics. Isotope compositions recurring in distinct hotspots have been used to characterize the composition and heterogeneity of the mantle as well as the thermochemical structure of upwelling plumes, with the assumption that the isotope composition of erupted lavas directly reflects that of their mantle source.

Here I test how source transport, melting and hybridization in the upper mantle through space and time control the expression of deep mantle sources in erupted lavas. This work is focused on the Azores …

Multi-Stage Construction Of The Little Cottonwood Stock, Utah: Origin, Intrusion, Venting,Mineralization, And Mass Movement, Collin G. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The Little Cottonwood stock in central Utah, USA, is a composite granitic pluton that hosts the White Pine porphyry Mo-W deposit towards its northeast margin. The deposit is centered on the smaller White Pine intrusion, and associated igneous units include the Red Pine porphyry, phreatomagmatic pebble dikes, and rhyolite dikes. Twelve new U-Pb zircon LA-ICP-MS ages, for samples from this deposit and in pebble dikes from the nearby East Traverse Mountains, give peak ages of about 30 Ma and 27 Ma for the Little Cottonwood stock and White Pine intrusion, respectively, which correlate well with ages from previous studies. Ages …

3-D Potential Field Inversion Camp Clubhouse Crossroads Mafic Intrusive Pluton, Coastal Plain, South Carolina, Kubra Sibel Albayrak

Theses and Dissertations

The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, is the largest known igneous province in the world. However, the geometry and volume of CAMP intrusives under the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States are poorly known. Under the Coastal Plain sediments of Georgia and South Carolina, the “J” seismic reflector was predicted to be produced by a CAMP lava flow. Recent studies of seismic and well data have shown that the “J” reflector is an unconformity and only locally a CAMP lava flow. In the Clubhouse Crossroads area of South Carolina, seismic reflection, seismic refraction, and well …

Fluvial Architecture And Reservoir Modeling Along The Strike Direction Of The Trail Member Of The Ericson Sandstone, Mesaverde Group In Southwest Wyoming, April Anahi Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

The Trail Member of the upper Cretaceous Ericson Sandstone, part of the Mesaverde Group, is exposed along hundreds of square kilometers through Wyoming along the flanks of several Laramide structural uplifts. This presents a unique opportunity to study the detailed architecture based on bed-scale heterogeneity and better assess the reservoir potential of these strata in outcrop exposure on a regional-scale, and to then relate these observations to producing fields nearby. The fluvial-dominated Trail Member formed as sediments traveled from the active Sevier thrust belt to the Cretaceous Interior Seaway, forming a basinward progradational clastic wedge along a relatively high gradient. …

Basinward Trends In Fluvial Architecture, Connectivity, And Reservoir Characterization Of The Trail Member, Ericson Sandstone, Mesaverde Group In Wyoming, Utah, And Colorado, Usa, Chelsea Anne Jolley

Theses and Dissertations

The Late Cretaceous Trail Member of the Ericson Sandstone represents a regionally extensive fluvial system that transported sediments from the Sevier fold and thrust belt and Uinta Mountain uplift to the Western Interior Seaway. The Trail Member is a petroleum reservoir target that has unpredictable production rates due to the unknown behavior and connectivity of channel sandstones. The abundant outcrop, wellbore, and core data available allows for a comprehensive analysis of how the fluvial architecture, connectivity, and reservoir quality change along 65 km of depositional dip. Observations made at Flaming Gorge and Clay Basin (most landward field locations) suggest a …

Hydrogeologic Characteristics And Groundwater Sustainability Of A Deep Bedrock Aquifer System In Illinois, Luis Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Population growth and climate change has made groundwater an increasingly important freshwater resource. This study uses MODFLOW to estimate sustainable yield of a deep St. Peter Aquifer in Bloomington, IL. The city of Bloomington has installed two high capacity wells into the St. Peter Sandstone to meet its growing water demands. The St. Peter Aquifer is confined, receiving almost no modern recharge and is experiencing overexploitation in parts of Northern Illinois. I hypothesize that existing fast depletion of the deep St. Peter occurs due to lower-than-expected aquifer parameters of the aquifer. Further, current pumping of groundwater from the St. Peter, …

Water Systematics Of Samoan Peridotite Xenoliths, Aaron Wolfgang Ashley

Theses and Dissertations

Water influences geodynamic processes such as melting, deformation and rheology. Yet its distribution in the oceanic upper mantle is primarily known indirectly from melt inclusions and glasses of erupted mantle melts (i.e. MORB and OIB). To constrain the mechanisms influencing the distribution of water in the mantle, we analyzed 15 peridotite xenoliths from Savaiʻi and 2 dunite xenoliths from Taʻū (Samoa) for water concentrations (by polarized FTIR) and major/trace elements. Savaiʻi peridotites are among the most melt depleted oceanic xenoliths recovered (degrees of melt depletion ≥15%). They show strong evidence of transient metasomatism by both carbonatite and silicate melts, with …

Endolithic Microbial Carbon Cycling In East Antarctica, Natalie Tyler

Theses and Dissertations

Microbes adapt to inhospitable conditions by colonizing niches that protect them from severe environmental conditions, making them model organisms in the search for life on other planets. Endoliths are globally ubiquitous microbes that colonize structural cavities within rocks, which protect them from environmental stressors while maintaining access to nutrition and light sources. Despite harsh katabatic winds, extreme temperature fluctuations, harmful UV radiation and exposure to desiccation, endolithic communities have been observed in Antarctica. Previous studies have found viable and abundant microbial biomass through microscopy and the addition of isotopic labels. However, due to the slow metabolic activity of these microbes, …