Geology Commons^™

Fractal Location And Anomalous Diffusion Dynamics For Oil Wells From The Ky Geological Survey, Keith Andrew, Karla M. Andrew, Kevin A. Andrew

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Utilizing data available from the Kentucky Geonet (KYGeonet.ky.gov) the fossil fuel mining locations created by the Kentucky Geological Survey geo-locating oil and gas wells are mapped using ESRI ArcGIS in Kentucky single plain 1602 ft projection. This data was then exported into a spreadsheet showing latitude and longitude for each point to be used for modeling at different scales to determine the fractal dimension of the set. Following the porosity and diffusivity studies of Tarafdar and Roy[1] we extract fractal dimensions of the fossil fuel mining locations and search for evidence of scaling laws for the set of deposits. The …

Analysis Of Electromagnetic And Seismic Geophysical Methods For Investigating Shallow Sub-Surface Hydrogeology, Eric M. Parks

Theses and Dissertations

An integrated electromagnetic (EM) and seismic geophysical study was performed to evaluate non-invasive approaches to estimate depth to shallow groundwater in arid environments with elevated soil salinity where the installation of piezometers would be impractical or prohibited. Both methods were tested in two study areas (semi-arid and arid respectively), one in Palmyra, Utah, USA near the shore of Utah Lake where groundwater is shallow and unconfined in relatively homogeneous lacustrine sediments. The other area is Carson Slough, Nevada, USA near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Amargosa Valley. The area is underlain by valley fill, with generally variable shallow depths …

Creation Of Soil Liquefaction Susceptibility Maps For San Luis Obispo & Marin Counties Using Geographic Information Systems., Amelia M. Lowman

Earth and Soil Sciences

Liquefaction of soils in response to earthquake shaking is a pressing issue in the state of California. Using Geographic Information Systems, Geological and lithology layers, along with criteria in order to separate out the data into four risk categories, a liquefaction risk assessment map was created for San Luis Obispo and Marin Counties. The accuracy of these maps was then assessed using liquefaction occurrences for San Luis Obispo County, and it was determined that while the map is somewhat accurate, in order to obtain a greater amount of accuracy and increase the usefulness of these maps, more data would need …

Block Modeling With Multiple Fault Network Geometries And A Linear Elastic Coupling Estimator In Spherical Coordinates, Brendan J. Meade, John P. Loveless

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Geodetic observations of interseismic deformation provide constraints on the partitioning of fault slip across plate boundary zones, the spatial distribution of both elastic and inelastic strain accumulation, and the nature of the fault system evolution. Here we describe linear block theory, which decomposes surface velocity fields into four components: (1) plate rotations, (2) elastic deformation from faults with kinematically consistent slip rates, (3) elastic deformation from faults with spatially variable coupling, and (4) homogeneous intrablock strain. Elastic deformation rates are computed for each fault segment in a homogeneous elastic half-space using multiple optimal planar Cartesian coordinate systems to minimize areal …

Reconciling Holocene Alluvial Records In Buckskin Wash, Southern Utah, Jonathan E. Harvey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most approaches to interpreting alluvial records in drylands fall into one of two categories: (1) The "arroyo problem," wherein workers study cycles of streambed aggradation and degradation in broad, unconstricted alluvial valleys; and (2) paleoflood hydrology, where alluvial sequences in constricted bedrock canyons are interpreted as paleoflood deposits from streams with stable channel grade and geometry. Both approaches can be valid in their end-member settings, but there is confusion about how the two record types relate in a single drainage. We address this disconnect in Buckskin Wash, an ephemeral stream that consists of a broad alluvial reach draining into a …

Geologic Mapping, Alluvial Stratigraphy, And Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating Of The Kanab Creek Area, Southern Utah, Michelle Carlene Summa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

At the turn of the century, Kanab Creek incised 30-meters into its alluvium, leaving behind fluvial terraces and thick basin fill sediments exposed along arroyo walls. Research objectives were to determine the timing and causes of past valley-filling and arroyo-cutting episodes along a 20 km-long reach of Kanab Creek in southern Utah. Fluvial deposits were mapped at the 1:12,000 scale and sediments were described and dated using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating.

The Kanab Creek valley can be divided into a narrow, upper terraced reach and a broad lower basin fill reach near Kanab, Utah. The most prominent …

Dinosaurian Faunas Of The Cedar Mountain Formation And La-Icp-Ms Detrital Zircon Ages For Three Stratigraphic Sections, Hirotsugu Mori

Theses and Dissertations

The Cedar Mountain Formation contains the most diverse record of Early Cretaceous dinosaurs in the western hemisphere. However, analyses of its faunas have been hindered because 1) most taxa are based on incomplete/fragmentary materials or incomplete descriptions, 2) most sites and some horizons preserve few taxa, and 3) the stratigraphy and geochronology are poorly understood. To help resolve these stratigraphic and correlation problems U-Pb LA-ICP-MS detrital zircon ages were obtained at significant sites and horizons. These dates indicate all sites at or near the base of the formation are no older than 122 to 124 Ma, thus all basal stratigraphic …

Future Cascadia Megathrust Rupture Delineated By Episodic Tremor And Slip, James S. Chapman, Timothy I. Melbourne

Faculty Scholarship for the Cascadia Hazards Institute

A suite of 15 episodic tremor and slip events imaged between 1997 and 2008 along the northern Cascadia subduction zone suggests future coseismic rupture will extend to 25 km depth, or approximately 60 km inland of the Pacific coast, rather than stopping offshore at 15 km depth. An ETS-derived coupling profile accurately predicts GPS measured interseismic deformation of the overlying North American plate, as measured by approximately 50 continuous GPS stations across western Washington State. When extrapolated over the 550-year average recurrence interval of Cascadia megathrust events, the coupling model also replicates the pattern and amplitude of coseismic coastal subsidence …

A La-Icpms Sr Isotope And Trace Element Study Of Plagioclase And Clinopyroxene Of The Higganum Dike, Connecticut: Determining The Magma Source Of The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, Caprise Steadman Harper

Theses and Dissertations

The Higganum dike of Connecticut is one of the earliest basaltic dikes of the Central Atlantic Magmatic province and is geochemically representative of the widespread low-Ti basaltic lavas (~1 wt % TiO2) that make up the majority of the province in North America. Liquid compositions calculated from Cr-rich clinopyroxene cores from the Higganum dike are significantly more primitive than the bulk rock with average Mg# s of 0.63 compared to the Higganum dike which has Mg #'s ~ 0.55. However, the negative Nb and positive Pb anomalies that are seen in trace element patterns of the low-Ti group are also …

Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment At Seaside, Oregon, For Near- And Far-Field Seismic Sources, Frank González, Eric L. Geist, Bruce Jaffe, Utku Kânoğlu, Harold O. Mofjeld, Costas Synolakis, Vasily V. Titov, Diego Rodriguez Arcas, Douglas Bellomo, David Carlton, Thomas Horning, Jeff Johnson, Jean Newman, Thomas Parsons, Robert Peters, Curt D. Peterson, George Priest, Angie Venturato, Joseph Weber, Florence L. Wong, Ahmet Yalçıner

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The first probabilistic tsunami flooding maps have been developed. The methodology, called probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment (PTHA), integrates tsunami inundation modeling with methods of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA). Application of the methodology to Seaside, Oregon, has yielded estimates of the spatial distribution of 100- and 500-year maximum tsunami amplitudes, i.e., amplitudes with 1% and 0.2% annual probability of exceedance. The 100-year tsunami is generated most frequently by far-field sources in the Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone and is characterized by maximum amplitudes that do not exceed 4 m, with an inland extent of less than 500 m. In contrast, the 500-year …

Plains Co2 Reduction (Pcor) Partnership Atlas, Wesley D. Peck, Katherine K. Anagnost, Barry W. Botnen, Lisa S. Botnen, Daniel J. Daly, Charles D. Gorecki, Megan M. Grove, John A. Harju, Melanie D. Jensen, Michael L. Jones, Steven A. Smith, James A. Sorensen, Edward N. Steadman, Stephanie L. Wolfe, Andrea T. Mcnemar, John T. Litynski, Sean I. Plasynski

EERC Maps and Infographics

The Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) atlas, 3rd edition, introduces global climate change and provides a regional profile of CO₂ sources and potential sinks across the PCOR Partnership region. Carbon storage offers a promising set of technologies through which CO₂ can be stored for long periods of time.

From Decades To Epochs: Spanning The Gap Between Geodesy And Structural Geology Of Active Mountain Belts, Richard W. Allmendinger, John P. Loveless, Matthew E. Pritchard, Brendan Meade

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Geodetic data from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and from satellite interferometric radar (InSAR) are revolutionizing how we look at instantaneous tectonic deformation, but the significance for long-term finite strain in orogenic belts is less clear. We review two different ways of analyzing geodetic data: velocity gradient fields from which one can extract strain, dilatation, and rotation rate, and elastic block modeling, which assumes that deformation is not continuous but occurs primarily on networks of interconnected faults separating quasi-rigid blocks. These methods are complementary: velocity gradients are purely kinematic and yield information about regional deformation; the calculation does not …

Microbial-Induced Heterogeneity In The Acoustic Properties Of Porous Media, Caroline A. Davis, Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte, Estella A. Atekwana, D. Dale, Werkema, Marisa E. Haugen

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

It is not known how biofilms affect seismic wave propagation in porous media. Such knowledge is critical for assessing the utility of seismic techniques for imaging biofilm development and their effects in field settings. Acoustic wave data were acquired over a two-dimensional region of a microbial-stimulated sand column and an unstimulated sand column. The acoustic signals from the unstimulated column were relatively uniform over the 2D scan region. The data from the microbial-stimulated column exhibited a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in the acoustic wave amplitude, with some regions exhibiting significant increases in attenuation while others exhibited decreases. Environmental scanning …

Seismic And Geodetic Constraints On Cascadia Slow Slip, Timothy I. Melbourne, Aaron G. Wech, Kenneth C. Creager

Faculty Scholarship for the Cascadia Hazards Institute

Automatically detected and located tremor epicenters from episodic tremor and slip (ETS) episodes in northern Cascadia provide a high-resolution map of Washington’s slow slip region. Thousands of epicenters from the past four ETS events from 2004 to 2008 provide detailed map-view constraints that correlate with geodetic estimates of the simultaneous slow slip. Each of these ETS events exhibits remarkable similarity in the timing and geographic distribution of tremor density and geodetically inferred slip. Analysis of the latest 15-month inter-ETS period also reveals ageodetic tremor activity similar both in duration and extent to ETS tremor. Epicenters from both ETS and inter- …

Fold And Thrust Partitioning In A Contracting Fold Belt: Insights From The 1931 Mach Earthquake In Baluchistan, Walter Szeliga, Roger Bilham, Daniel Schelling, Din Mohamed Kakar, Sarosh Lodi

Faculty Scholarship for the Cascadia Hazards Institute

Surface deformation associated with the 27 August 1931 earthquake near Mach in Baluchistan is quantified from spirit-leveling data and from detailed structural sections of the region interpreted from seismic reflection data constrained by numerous well logs. Mean slip on the west dipping Dezghat/Bannh fault system amounted to 1.2 m on a 42 km x 72 km thrust plane with slip locally attaining 3.2 m up dip of an inferred locking line at approximately 9 km depth. Slip also occurred at depths below the interseismic locking line. In contrast, negligible slip occurred in the 4 km near the interseismic locking line. …

Isotopic Evaluation Of Carbon Dioxide In Soil Gas In Utah For A More Accurate Input Variable In Groundwater Age Determining Models, Rachelle Hart

Theses and Dissertations

In order to achieve a more accurate input value for groundwater age determining models, δ13CVPDB values for soil gas were evaluated at 50 cm depths in locations throughout Utah in order to define correlations between δ13C and environmental parameters. 16 sites were chosen that exploited large changes in elevation and latitude which provided variations in climate, precipitation, plant community, etc. Gas samples were collected over 1-1½ years, and soil samples were collected at depth during installations. Field and laboratory studies were also used to evaluate CO2 and δ13C change with depth. It was discovered that in mountainous recharge areas, the …

Geogram 2009, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

The Emerging Role Of Lidar Remote Sensing In Coastal Research And Resource Management Full Access, John C. Brock, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Knowledge of coastal elevation is an essential requirement for resource management and scientific research. Recognizing the vast potential of lidar remote sensing in coastal studies, this Special Issue includes a collection of articles intended to represent the state-of-the-art for lidar investigations of nearshore submerged and emergent ecosystems, coastal morphodynamics, and hazards due to sea-level rise and severe storms. Some current applications for lidar remote sensing described in this Special Issue include bluegreen wavelength lidar used for submarine coastal benthic environments such as coral reef ecosystems, airborne lidar used for shoreline mapping and coastal change detection, and temporal waveform-resolving lidar used …

What Is Ccs?, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership. Outlines the three phases of U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership program. [This item is an outdated or superseded version and retained for historical purposes only. It may no longer reflect current information, policies, or practices.]

Nebraska Grout Task Force In-Situ Study Of Grout Material 2001 - 2006 And 2007 Dye Tests, Susan Olafsen Lackey, Will F. Myers, Thomas C. Christopherson, Jeffrey J. Gottula

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Understanding Paleoclimate And Human Evolution Through The Hominin Sites And Paleolakes Drilling Project, Andrew Cohen, Ramon Arrowsmith, Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Christopher Campisano, Craig Feibel, Shimeles Fisseha, Roy Johnson, Zelalem Bedaso, Charles Lockwood, Emma Mbua, Daniel Olago, Richard Potts, Kaye Reed, Robin Renaut, Jean-Jacques Tiercelin, Mohammed Umer

Department of Earth, Environment and Sustainability Faculty Publications

Understanding the evolution of humans and our close relatives is one of the enduring scientific issues of modern times. Since the time of Charles Darwin, scientists have speculated on how and when we evolved and what conditions drove this evolutionary story. The detective work required to address these questions is necessarily interdisciplinary, involving research in anthropology, archaeology, human genetics and genomics, and the earth sciences. In addition to the difficult tasks of finding, describing, and interpreting hominin fossils (the taxonomic tribe which includes Homo sapiens and our close fossil relatives from the last 6 Ma), much of modern geological research …

Geometry Of The Trachyte Mesa Intrusion, Henry Mountains, Utah: Implications For The Emplacement Of Small Melt Volumes Into The Upper Crust, Paul H. Wetmore, Charles B. Connor, Sarah E. Kruse, Sean Callihan, Geoffrey Pignotta, Ciprian Stremtan, Andrea Burke

Geology Faculty Publications

The Trachyte Mesa intrusion is one of several small satellite bodies to the larger intrusions of the Henry Mountains, Utah. Most previous studies have worked under the assumptions that Trachyte Mesa is blister shaped and intruded into flat and gently NW dipping strata. In this study we combine structural and geophysical data sets to constrain the structural geology of the host lithologies and the unmodified geometry of the intrusion. Trachyte Mesa intrudes a series of northeast trending upright and open folds formed within the Jurassic Entrada Formation. Truncation of these folds at the contact with the overlying Curtis/Summerville formations indicates …

Complex Dielectric Permittivity Measurements From Ground-Penetrating Radar Data To Estimate Snow Liquid Water Content In The Pendular Regime, John H. Bradford, Joel T. Harper, Joel Brown

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Monitoring the snow water equivalent (SWE) is critical to effective management of water resources in many parts of the world that depend on the mountain snowpack for water storage. There are currently no methods to remotely sense SWE with accuracy over large lateral distances in the steep and often forested terrain of mountain basins. Previous studies have shown that measurements of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) velocity can provide accurate estimates of SWE in dry snow. Introduction of liquid water into the snowpack results in a three-phase system that cannot be accurately characterized with GPR velocity alone. We show that measuring the …

Apparent Weekly And Daily Earthquake Periodicities In The Western United States, Ali Hadi Atef, Kelly H. Liu, Stephen S. Gao

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Analysis of apparent seismicity rate (ASR) using magnitude ≥1 earthquakes located in the western United States confirmed the existence of prominent spectral peaks with periods of 1 and 7 days. The number of recorded earthquakes on Sundays for the duration of 1963-2008 is about 5% higher than that on weekdays, and, more significantly, there is a 9% increase of ASR in the early morning compared with that in the middle of the days. Significant similarities in the spatial distributions of the weekly and daily variations suggest that the two types of variations have the same sources and both originate from …

Serotonin Immunoreactive Cells And Nerve Fibers In The Mucosa Of The Rat Stomach, A P Gesase

Tanzania Journal of Science

The current study has showed the morphological features of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) immunoreactivity in the pyloric mucosa of the rat stomach. The immunoreactive elements included the endocrine cells, mast cells and mucosal nerve fibers in the lamina propria. The immunopositive endocrine cells were oval in shape and located mostly in the basal part of the gastric glands. The cell contained a central non-staining area and the peripheral staining zone. The mast cells stained homogenously and appeared to be oval-round in shape. They were located in the upper, middle and basal parts of the mucosa. Serotonin immunoreactive nerve fibers with varicosities were …

Morphological Features Of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Immunoreactive Cells In The Mouse Islets Of Langerhans, A P Gesase, Y -I Satoh

Tanzania Journal of Science

The current immunohistochemical study used the antibody against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) to observe the immunoreactive elements in the mouse pancreas. The results indicated the presence of immunoreactive nerve fibers and endocrine cells. The immunopositive nerve fibers appeared as thick and thin bundles; thick bundles were seen to run along the blood vessels giving out fine fibers to the wall. Varicose nerve fibers were seen in the islets of Langerhans and also in close association with the exocrine endpieces. The TH immunoreactive cells were oval-round in shape and some showed the central non-staining area and the dense staining peripheral zone. More …

Moment Release Rate Of Cascadia Tremor Constrained By Gps, Ana C. Aguiar, Timothy I. Melbourne, Craig W. Scrivner

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

A comparison of GPS and seismic analyses of 23 distinct episodic tremor and slip events, located throughout the Cascadia subduction zone over an 11-year period, yields a highly linear relationship between moment release, as estimated from GPS, and total duration of nonvolcanic tremor, as summed from regional seismic arrays. The events last 1–5 weeks, typically produce ~5 mm of static forearc deformation, and show cumulative totals of tremor that range from 40 to 280 h. Moment released by each event is estimated by inverting GPS-measured deformation, which is sensitive to all rates of tremor-synchronous faulting, including aseismic creep, for total …

Modeling Stormwater Pollutant Transport In A Karst Region--Bowling Green, Kentucky, Allison H. Ross

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The management of stormwater runoff is a particular challenge for communities in karst regions. Most guidelines for compliance with regulations for stormwater monitoring and mapping pertain to non-karst environments. It can be argued that effective stormwater management is even more essential to karst regions because stormwater receives little or no natural filtration as it is transferred through conduits in the subsurface and the buildup of pollutants underneath can be detrimental to community and environmental health if not effectively mitigated. Because of the limited resources available to determine how stormwater runoff carries potential pollutants across the surface before being transferred to …

Temporal Geophysical Signatures From Contaminant-Mass Remediation, Vukenkeng Che-Alota, Estella A. Atekwana, Eliot A. Atekwana, William August Sauck, D. Dale Werkema

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We have previously documented changes in bulk electrical conductivity, self-potential (SP), and ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) reflections in a field setting caused by biogeochemical transformations of hydrocarbon-contaminated media. These transformations are associated with hydrocarbon biodegradation. The results of surface geophysical surveys acquired in 1996, 2003, and 2007 document changes in geophysical signatures associated with removing hydrocarbon mass in the contaminated zone. Initial investigations in 1996 showed that relative to background, the contaminated area was characterized by higher bulk electrical conductivity, positive SP anomaly, and attenuated GPR reflections. Repeated surveys in 2003 and 2007 over the contaminated area showed that in 2007, the …

Geologic Storage Of Sour Co2 From A Natural Gas-Processing Plant – A Commercial Demonstration, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about the Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) and Spectra Energy-led demonstration of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to manage the CO₂ emissions of natural gas processing facilities. Describes the project, research objectives, and intended schedule. [This item is an outdated or superseded version and retained for historical purposes only. It may no longer reflect current information, policies, or practices.]