Geology Commons^™

Active-Passive Array Surface Wave Inversion And Comparison To Borehole Logs In Southeast Missouri, Alexei A. Malovichko, Neil Lennart Anderson, Dmitriy A. Malovichko, Denis Yu Shylakov, Pavel G. Butirin

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In May 2002, both active- and passive-source surface wave data were acquired using 4-channel arrays at six selected bridge sites in southeast Missouri. Processing of acquired data (increase of signal-to-noise ratio, estimation of phase velocities) was carried out and dispersion curves of Rayleigh wave phase velocities were constructed. Each fundamental mode dispersion curve was then inverted by linearised optimization to a layered shear-wave velocity profile to depths of up to 60 m. The estimated shear-wave velocity profiles were compared to other geotechnical data that had been previously acquired at each test site for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) including …

Modeling Tephra Sedimentation From A Ruapehu Weak Plume Eruption, Costanza Bonadonna, J. C. Phillips, B. F. Houghton

Geology Faculty Publications

We present a two-dimensional model for sedimentation of well-mixed weak plumes, accounting for lateral spreading of the cloud, downwind advection, increase of volumetric flux in the rising stage, and particle transport during fallout. The 17 June 1996 subplinian eruption of Ruapehu produced a bent-over plume that rose to a height of 8.5 km in a wind field with an average velocity of 24 m s⁻¹ and generated a narrow deposit on land extending up to 200 km from vent. The sedimentation from the Ruapehu plume was dominated by coarse ash, with all the blocks and most of the lapilli …

A Tale Of Three Sisters: Reconstructing The Holocene Glacial History And Paleoclimate Record At Three Sisters Volcanoes, Oregon, United States, Shaun Andrew Marcott

Dissertations and Theses

At least four glacial stands occurred since 6.5 ka B.P. based on moraines located on the eastern flanks of the Three Sisters Volcanoes and the northern flanks of Broken Top Mountain in the Central Oregon Cascades. The youngest of these advances was the Little Ice Age (LIA) glaciation, which reached its maximum advance 150-200 yrs. B.P. and is defined by the large sharp crested and unvegetated moraines adjacent to the modern glaciers. In isolated locations less than 100 m downslope from these moraines, a second set of sparsely vegetated lateral moraines marks the Late-Neoglacial stand of the glaciers between 2.1 …

Piecing Together The Triassic/Jurassic Stratigraphy Along The South Flank Of The Uinta Mountains, Northeast Utah: A Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Bell Springs Member Of The Nugget Sandstone, Paul H. Jensen Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Nomenclature for the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic strata along the south flank of the Uinta Mountains has been somewhat confusing because of the position of the study area between southern Wyoming, where one set of names is used, and central/southern Utah where a different set of formation names is used. The Nugget Sandstone or Glen Canyon Sandstone of the eastern Uinta Mountains overlies the Upper Triassic Popo Agie or Chinle Formation. The nature of the contact between these two formations is unclear both in stratigraphic location and conformability. The Chinle Formation consists, in ascending order, of the Gartra Member, …

Variation In Glacier Length And Ice Volume Of Rabots Glaciar, Sweden, In Response To Climate Change, 1910–2003, Keith A. Brugger, Kurt A. Refsnider, Matthew F. Whitehill

Geology Publications

Historical records, photographs, maps and measurements were used to determine changes in the length, geometry and volume of Rabots Glaciar, Sweden, in response to a warming that occurred early in the 20th century.

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 …

Elevation, Longitudinal Profile, And Schmidt Hammer Analysis Of Strath Terraces Through Capitol Reef National Park, Utah: Bedrock Channel Response To Climate Forcing?, James L. Eddleman

Theses and Dissertations

Elevation, longitudinal profile, and Schmidt hammer data indicate that strath terraces (specifically the lower elevation terraces) mapped in the Fremont River drainage of Capitol Reef National Park are correlative to the terraces of the smaller Pleasant Creek drainage located approximately ten miles to the south. This correlation suggests that drainage development in this area of the Colorado Plateau was strongly dependent upon a regional-scale forcing mechanism (e.g. climate) rather than strictly independent basin-scale processes. Elevations of mapped strath terraces and their associated black volcanic boulder deposits were calculated from geologic maps, Digital Elevation Models (DEM), and Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles of …

Effects Of Hurricane Fault Architecture On Groundwater Flow In The Timpoweap Canyon Of Southwestern, Utah, Sarah J. Dutson

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogeologically important features of fault zones include undamaged country rock, the damage zone, and the core zone. Fault cores generally have low porosity and permeability, and often act as a barrier to groundwater flow. The damage zone, by contrast, consists of small faults and fracture networks, which can act as conduits. Timpoweap Canyon near Hurricane, Utah has superb exposures of the fault core and damage zone of the Hurricane Fault. Also within the canyon, springs discharge from the damage zone into the Virgin River, providing an ideal natural laboratory for the study of groundwater discharge from a fault zone. The …

Long-Term Surface Uplift History Of The Active Banda Arc-Continent Collision: Depth And Age Analysis Of Foraminifera From Rote And Savu Islands, Indonesia, Nova Roosmawati

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of foraminifera for synorogenic pelagic units of Rote and Savu Islands, Indonesia, reveals high rates of surface uplift in the past 1.5 Ma of the incipient Banda arc-continent collision. Paleodepth estimates are derived from benthonic forams and ages from planktonic forams. But estimates are complicated, however, by abundant reworking; yet several distinctive species have been found. Synorogenic deposits in western Rote yield forams of biozone Neogene (N) 18 and depths from 5000-5700 meters at the base of the section, and 3600 meters at the top of the section. Eastern Rote yields forams of N 19/20 - N 22 and …

Gps Velocity Field In The Transition From Subduction To Collision Of The Eastern Sunda And Banda Arcs, Indonesia, Hendro Nugroho

Theses and Dissertations

Campaign GPS measurements during 2001-2003 in the transition between subduction and collision of the Banda arc reveal how strain is partitioned away from the trench and distributed to other parts of the arc-trench system. Genrich, et. al. (1996) conducted a GPS campaign (1992-1994) throughout the Eastern Sunda and Banda arcs that demonstrated partial accretion of the arc to the Australian plate. We reoccupied many of the sites from this earlier study and 7 additional stations, 3 of which are new benchmarks. Our study shortened many baselines and extended the observation epoch to ten years for many key stations. The resulting …

A Late Devonian Isoetalean Lycopsid, Otzinachsonia Beerboweri Gen. Et Sp Nov., From North-Central Pennsylvania, Usa, Walter L. Cressler, H W. Pfefferkorn

Earth & Space Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evidence For Marine Influence On A Low-Gradient Coastal Plain: Ichnology And Invertebrate Paleontology Of The Lower Tongue River Member (Fort Union Formation, Middle Paleocene), Western Williston Basin, U.S.A., Edward S. Belt, Neil E. Tibert, H. Allen Curran, John A. Diemer, Joseph H. Hartman, Timothy J. Kroeger, David M. Harwood

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

The Paleocene Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation contains trace-fossil associations indicative of marine influence in otherwise freshwater facies. The identified ichnogenera include: Arenicolites, Diplocraterion, Monocraterion, Ophiomorpha, Rhizocorallium, Skolithos linearis, Teichichnus, Thalassinoides, and one form of uncertain affinity. Two species of the marine diatom Coscinodiscus occur a few meters above the base of the member. The burrows occur in at least five discrete, thin, rippled, fine-grained sandstone beds within the lower 85 m of the member west of the Cedar Creek anticline (CCA) in the Signal Butte, Terry Badlands, and Pine Hills areas. Two discrete burrowed beds …

Upper Mantle Reflectivity Beneath An Intracratonic Basin: Insights Into The Behavior Of The Mantle Beneath Illinois Basin., Maxwell Sunday Okure

Theses and Dissertations

Reflectivity images of the lower crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Illinois basin have been derived from reprocessing of several hundred kilometers of industry seismic reflection data using extended vibroseis recorrelation. The recorrelation was based on extending an originally 4-s correlated record, acquired with a 16-s sweep from 14 to 126 Hz, to the absolute limit of the full 20 s (~70 km) listening travel time. The reconstructed bandwidth includes frequency components suitable for imaging structures from signals received from both sedimentary basin reflectors and those received from reflectors in the deep crust and upper mantle. Mantle and sub-Moho reflectors …

Interaction Of Sea Ice Sediments And Surface Sea Water In The Arctic Ocean: Evidence From Excess 210Pb, M. Baskaran

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

We measured the activities of ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸U and ¹³⁷Cs in a suite of ice-rafted sediments (IRS) from the Arctic Ocean in an attempt to assess the interaction of sea ice sediments and surface water. The concentrations of these nuclides were compared to those of the benthic sediments in the coastal and shelf regions of the Arctic Ocean, which are believed to be the major source region for the IRS. The concentration factors (CF = activity of a nuclide in IRS/average activity in benthic sediments) are ∼1 and 4-92 for ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb, respectively. …

"Got Rocks?" An Inquiry-Based Geology Program For 3rd To 5th Grades In Conjunction With The Museum Of Science, Jennifer D. Todd

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

How can the Boston Museum of Science be of help to classroom teachers when planning a field trip? The synthesis presents a set of lesson plans for 3rd to 5th grade science teachers in the Boston area, with an ultimate goal of promoting students’ critical and creative thinking in their classroom units on rocks and minerals. The program was designed especially for those in the New England area because these states are within proximity to take a field trip to the Boston Museum of Science. The institution has many rocks and mineral samples from around the world and in the …

A Memorial To D. Craig Edwards (1939-2004), H. Allen Curran, Hilary Edwards Lithgow

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Improved Music Model For Gibbsite, Scott Christian Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Several recent studies that have proposed MUSIC models for gibbsite surfaces have purported to achieve a very good fit with potentiometric titration data. However, in order to achieve such results, several significant parameters, such as the number of surface sites, site densities, and pKa values were sometimes re-introduced in the model as fitted parameters, and physically unrealistic modeling assumptions were sometimes used. In addition, recent evidence supports the idea that some of the gibbsite potentiometric titration data from these studies may be unreliable. In order to re-interpret the potentiometric titration data, we used several recently published methods. In order to …

Evaluation Of Paleo-Climate For The Boise Area, Idaho, From The Last Glacial Maximum To The Present Based On Delta 2h And Delta 18o Groundwater Composition, Melissa Eileen Schlegel

Theses and Dissertations

There are four distinguishable groundwater systems in the Boise area, Idaho, U.S.A., identified as modern batholith, thermal batholith, Boise frontal fault, and Nampa-Caldwell systems (Figure 1). Modern batholith and thermal batholith groundwaters are located in Tertiary to Cretaceous aged granites and granodiorites of the Atlanta lobe of the Idaho Batholith. The frontal fault system near Boise, ID defines the southeastern edge of the Idaho Batholith, and divides the batholith from the western Snake River Plain. The Nampa-Caldwell system is in the volcanic, fluvial and pluvial sediments of the western Snake River Plain. Groundwater ages for these systems are modern, 5-15 …

Mapping And Kinematic Structural Analysis Of The Deep Creek Fault Zone, South Flank Of The Uinta Mountains, Near Vernal, Utah, David A. Haddox

Theses and Dissertations

The geology along the southern flank of the Uinta Mountains, located north of Vernal, Utah, has been mapped at the 7.5' scale within two quadrangles: the Dry Fork and Steinaker Reservoir Quadrangles. Ambiguities dealing with stratigraphy, structural geology, and geohazards are currently being addressed as a result of this and other mapping projects in the vicinity. The geologic units in the area range in age from Mississippian to Late Cretaceous and include Uinta-sourced Tertiary units. Brief unit descriptions are provided for each of the units exposed in the map area. The main structural influence on the rocks within the area …

Geochronology Of Hemphillian-Blancan Aged Strata, Guanajuato, Mexico, And Implications For Timing Of The Great American Biotic Interchange, Bart J. Kowallis, John J. Flynn, Clarita Nunez, Oscar Carranza-Castaneda, Wade E. Miller, Carl C. Swisher Iii, Everett Lindsay

Faculty Publications

We present new geochronologic magnetostratigraphy, fission-track and 40Ar/39Ar radioisotopic dates, biostratigraphy)bdata constraining the age of three separate sequences and a composite section from Guanajuato, Mexico. Those data make this one of the most complete and precisely age-calibrated sequences in North America spanning the Hemphillian/Blancan North American Land Mammal “Age” (NALMA) boundary interval, and the data further constrain the timing and pattern of the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). In total, 196 samples (77 sites) were used to construct the magnetic polarity stratigraphies, with eight fission-track analyses and four new 40Ar/39Ar radioisotopic dates. The sections sampled are possibly latest Miocene to …

The Quaternary Stratigraphy Of The Henrys Fork And Western Browns Park, Northeastern Uinta Mountains, Utah And Wyoming, Ronald C. Counts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The landscape evolution of the northeastern Uinta Mountains and the manner in which climatic and tectonic forcing have influenced it are not well constrained. Surficial deposits covering ~325 km² below the glacial termini in the Henrys Fork and ~50 km² along the Green River in western Browns Park were mapped at 1:24,000 scale to develop a Quaternary stratigraphic framework for the northeastern Uinta Mountains.

The Henrys Fork mapping area spans from late Wisconsinan moraines to Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The Henrys Fork stratigraphy contains 10 mainstem gravels, six piedmont gravels, and landslide deposits. Terraces preserved along the Henrys Fork …

Characterizing Deformation, Damage Parameters, And Clay Composition In Fault Zones: Insights From The Chelungpu Thrust, Taiwan, And Mozumi Right Lateral Fault, Japan, Angela J. Isaacs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Chelungpu thrust fault, Taiwan, and the Mozumi right-lateral fault, Japan, provide an opportunity to characterize active faults in clastic sedimentary rocks and provide constraints to seismologic models. The northern Chelungpu fault has a 10-30 m wide primary damage zone characterized by dense fractures and chemical alteration. The southern Chelungpu fault has a 25-70 m wide primary damage zone characterized by dense fractures, alteration, intensely sheared rock, and secondary faults. The complexity of the damage zone, geochemistry, and clay mineralogy of the southern fault zone reflects its greater maturity (~1 Ma) relative to the northern fault zone (~46-100 Ka). A …

Stratigraphic And Structural Analysis Of Coals In The Ferron Sandstone Member Of The Mancos Shale And Fruitland Formation: Relationship To Coal Reservoir Permeability And Coalbed Methane Production, Jason Lynn Kneedy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Coal reservoir quality in the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale, and in the Fruitland Formation is dependent on coal cleat characteristics. Coal reservoir permeability increases as a result of high cleat density. From careful outcrop examination, we were able to identify several factors that increase cleat density. Vitrain coal typically has the highest fracture density as a result of having well-developed face cleats and conchoidal fractures. Clarain coal contains face and butt cleats. Cleat density in clarain is also controlled by mechanical layer thickness. As mechanical layer thickness decreases, cleat density increases. Durain and fusain coals typically contain …

Relating Bedrock Strength To Hydraulic Driving Forces Along The Large-Scale Profile Of The Colorado River In Glen And Grand Canyons, Rob D. Mackley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The role of bedrock on the longitudinal profile of the Colorado River has intrigued workers for over a century. The river's profile exhibits large-scale (10 to 100 km) variations in geomorphology that are qualitatively associated with changes in rock type. This study provides the first bedrock-strength data to quantitatively test the relation of bedrock-resisting to hydraulic-driving forces in Glen and Grand canyons. The intent of this study is to explore the role, if any, that bedrock has on large-scale geomorphic variations along the profile of the Colorado River. Rock-strength data collected at 84 sites along the river corridor in Glen …

The Quaternary Tectonic And Structural Evolution Of The San Felipe Hills, California, Stefan M. Kirby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We examine the transition between extension and strike-s lip in the San Felipe Hills, western Salton Trough, southern California using new and compiled geologic mapping, measured stratigraphic sections, magnetostratigraphy, and structural analysis. A 625 m measured section describes the Borrego, Ocotillo , and Brawley formations in the SE San Felipe Hills and constrains a regional disconformity and correlative angular unconformity at ~ 1 Ma. Sedimentation rates for the Brawley Formation above the disconformity range from 1.0 to 1.2 mm/yr, palcoflow was to the ENE. The Brawley Formation consists of three interbeddcd lithofac ics; (I) fluvial and fluvio-d eltaic, (2) lacustrinc, …

Examination Of Exhumed Faults In The Western San Bernardino Mountains, California: Implications For Fault Growth And Earthquake Rupture, Joseph R. Jacobs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The late Miocene Cedar Springs fault system is a high-angle transpressional system in the Silverwood Lake area, western San Bernardino Mountains, southern California. This thesis presents the study of oblique-slip faults with modest amounts of slip, which represent the early stages of fault development by using slip as a proxy for maturity. A structural and geochemical characterization is provided for six fault zones ranging from 39 m of slip to 3.5 km of offset in order to develop a model of fault zone geometry and composition. Basic geometric and kinematic results are provided for an additional 29 small-displacement (cm- to …

Establising A High-Frequency Standard Reference Sequence Stratigraphy, Sea-Level Curve, And Biostratigraphy For Morrowan Strata Of The Lower Absaroka I Time Slice Based Upon The Bird Spring Formation, Arrow Canyon, Nevada, Kristen Phelps Briggs

Theses and Dissertations

For the same reasons which prompted its ratification in 1990 as the Global Stratotype Section and Point for the Mid-Carboniferous boundary, namely, section completeness, abundant fossils, and excellent exposure, the Morrowan Arrow Canyon Bird Spring strata is recommended as a candidate standard sequence stratigraphic reference for the Morrowan portion of the Lower Absaroka I supersequence. The stratigraphic architecture of Morrowan strata in Arrow Canyon was largely controlled by high-amplitude (100-m), high-frequency sea-level changes. Outcrop data and facies stacking patterns define 59 fifth-order fundamental cycles. These fundamental cycles stack into ten third-order sequences with an average duration of 320 ka. Changes …

Patterns Of Fish Use And Piscivore Abundance Within A Reconnected Saltmarsh Impoundment In The Northern Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Philip W. Stevens, Clay L. Montague, Kenneth J. Sulak

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Nearly all saltmarshes in east-central, Florida were impounded for mosquito control during the 1960s. The majority of these marshes have since been reconnected to the estuary by culverts, providing an opportunity to effectively measure exchange of aquatic organisms. A multi-gear approach was used monthly to simultaneously estimate fish standing stock (cast net), fish exchange with the estuary (culvert traps), and piscivore abundance (gill nets and bird counts) to document patterns of fish use in a reconnected saltmarsh impoundment. Changes in saltmarsh fish abundance, and exchange of fish with the estuary reflected the seasonal pattern of marsh flooding in the northern …

Geochemistry Of Serpentinized Peridotites From The Mariana Forearc Conical Seamount, Odp Leg 125: Implications For The Elemental Recycling At Subduction Zones, Ivan P. Savov, Jeffrey G. Ryan, Massimo D'Antonio, Katherine Kelley, Patrick Mattie

Geology Faculty Publications

Recent examinations of the chemical fluxes through convergent plate margins suggest the existence of significant mass imbalances for many key species: only 20–30% of the to-the-trench inventory of large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) can be accounted for by the magmatic outputs of volcanic arcs. Active serpentinite mud volcanism in the shallow forearc region of the Mariana convergent margin presents a unique opportunity to study a new outflux: the products of shallow-level exchanges between the upper mantle and slab-derived fluids. ODP Leg 125 recovered serpentinized harzburgites and dunites from three sites on the crests and flanks of the active Conical Seamount. These …

Correlation And Causes Of Fifth Order Cycles Within The Upper Cretaceous Eagle Formation, Bighorn Basin Of Wyoming, Kimberly Ann Johnson

OES Theses and Dissertations

Cyclic stratification was examined in the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian-Campanian) section (Eagle Formation) within the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming. Of particular concern was the 10³ to 10⁴ year band, which in marine settings has been attributed to orbital forcing (Milankovitch cyclicity). A series of 19 sections were measured through the Virgelle Member of the Eagle Formation. Most were measured on the “J”-shaped escarpment that constitutes the nose and north flank of the Thermopolis anticline. Several others were measured at sites up to 30 km to the northwest along paleo-shoreline. In the study, detailed thickness data of all sections and …