Geology Commons^™

Seasonal Variability Of Forces Controlling Sedimentation In The Sundarbans National Forest, Bangladesh, Carol A. Wilson, E. J. Bomer

Faculty Publications

Southwest Bangladesh, located on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, is experiencing the impacts of sea level rise (SLR) due to processes at both the local and global scale. In particular, regional alterations of the hydrodynamic network, due to embankment construction, have drastically altered effective SLR, placing millions of inhabitants at risk of prolonged inundation, and threatening the world's largest continuous mangrove stand, the Sundarbans National Forest (SNF). In order to effectively employ landscape recovery solutions, an understanding of local sediment transport and deposition is critical. This field-based study investigates the sediment dynamics between the mangrove platform and tidal channels of the SNF …

Fluid-Mobile Trace Element Variability Of Serpentinites And Entrained Crustal Rocks Across The Mariana Forearc System, Raymond M. Johnston

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the Mariana subduction system, active serpentinite mud volcanoes are associated with the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Philippine plate in a non-accretionary convergent plate margin. This location offers a unique opportunity to study the subduction zone interface with little crustal contamination. The systematics of fluid-mobile trace elements (FME) (As, Cs, Rb, Sb, Tl, Pb, and Sr) in erupted serpentinite muds and entrained serpentinized ultramafic and mafic clasts can place constraints on the release of slab-derived fluids from the downgoing plate, and ultimately the pressure/temperature (P/TC°) conditions at which these fluids are mobilized.

The samples analyzed in this …

Fracture Networks On Mars: Preservation Of Surface And Subsurface Environments At Mawrth Vallis, Phoebe Kinzelman

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Mawrth Vallis is an outflow channel on Mars that cuts through some of the planet’s most ancient terrains, which contain many different types of fractures. The ExoMars rover mission will search for biosignatures on Mars, and this site was proposed as one of the two final candidate landing sites for the rover. A biosignature is any object that shows evidence of past or present life. Fracture networks are a high priority for the mission because they might contain minerals precipitated by fluid interaction, and these minerals could trap and preserve biosignatures, critical for our understanding of ancient processes. In this …

Assessment Of Cluster Chondrite Accretion Temperature Using Electron Backscatter Diffraction And Implications For Chondrule Formation Models, Secana Portia Goudy

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis studies ordinary chondrites with cluster chondrite lithologies using electron backscatter diffraction so as to measure the temperatures of their olivine grains during deformation, for the purpose of constraining the accretion temperatures of cluster chondrites and creating new constraints on chondrule formation models. Samples analyzed with the technique are shock classified in this thesis as S1 and are type 3, so the deformation analyzed is interpreted to represent the temperatures of the chondrules during accretional deformation. It is found that the studied samples are primarily composed of chondrules at hot temperatures (>850°C) during deformation, mixed with a questionable …

The Spatial And Temporal Evolution Of The Portland And Tualatin Basins, Oregon, Usa, Darby Patrick Scanlon

Dissertations and Theses

The Portland and Tualatin basins are part of the Puget-Willamette Lowland in the Cascadia forearc of Oregon and Washington. The Coast Range to the west has undergone Paleogene transtension and Neogene transpression, which is reflected in basin stratigraphy. To better understand the tectonic evolution of the region, I modeled three key stratigraphic horizons and their associated depocenters (areas of maximum sediment accumulation) through space and time using well log, seismic, outcrop, aeromagnetic, and gravity data. Three isochore maps were created to constrain the location of Portland and Tualatin basin depocenters during 1) Pleistocene to mid-Miocene (0-15 Ma), 2) eruption of …

The Role Of A Permeable Sand Column In Modifying Tidal Creek Geochemistry And Land-Derived Inputs To The Coastal Ocean, Nicholas Anthony Legut

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The impairment of regional water quality in Long Bay is an episodic occurrence that has been documented for over a decade. According to one explanation, the occurrence of these events is hypothesized to be the combination of local, terrestrially derived inputs and water-column stratification in the nearshore zone. A portion of these inputs may discharge as surface run-off through estuaries ending in sandy transitional environments termed "swashes". An investigation into the fate of land-derived materials through swashes utilize a linear conservative mixing model to describe the non-conservative behavior of materials in the overlying water and pore-water. This model relies on …

Reconstructing A Centennial-Scale Extreme Paleoflood History Of The Pee Dee River Using Oxbow Lake Sediments, Nicholas William Conway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extreme river floods are the key force shaping floodplain landscape and a major process delivering sediment, pollutants, and nutrients to coasts. These devastating natural hazards pose concerns about potential change of extreme flood occurrence in the face of climate change. However, accurately assessing the impact of anthropogenic climate change and natural climate modes on the intensity and frequency of extreme flooding relies on multi-century discharge records. Unfortunately, instrumental records are relatively short (often <100 years) and overlap with times of dam and reservoir construction. Oxbow lakes, ubiquitous in the floodplains of alluvial rivers, may preserve an archive of extreme flood at centennial timescales as they capture coarser channel sediments transported by intensified river flows. This study has identified signals of extreme floods in oxbow lake sediments and established a timeline of past flooding events to evaluate change(s) in flood hazard near the Pee Dee River (PDR), South Carolina. Laser diffraction grain-size analysis and X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning were performed on a ~2-m long piston core (SBL2) to identify event layers of extreme floods. CT images reveal high-density laminations and corresponding coarser shifts of grain size are interpreted as flood layers. A robust age-depth model was established for SBL2 using multiple independent age controls (C14, optically stimulated luminescence, Pb210/C137, and historical event tie-points). End-member modelling analysis was performed to identify a coarse component of the grain-size data used as a proxy of extreme flood. A linear relationship between end-member modelling results and measured discharge was established for the last 80 years and applied to the older part of the core yielding peak discharge estimates back to ca. AD 1840. This analysis identifies abrupt shifts in grain size resulting from dam construction, droughts, and local geomorphic changes to the river system. A multidecadal trend in the frequency of extreme floods is present in the PDR system, controlled by Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The most extreme peak annual discharges of the PDR occurred between AD 1870-1900 from the combined interaction of increased tropical cyclone activity with intensified land use for agricultural purposes. Peak annual discharges of the PDR seem to have decreased through time since flood control damming was completed in AD 1962.

Multivariate Assessment Of Metal Contamination In Mtoni Sedimentary Environment, Tanzania, Matobola Mihale

Tanzania Journal of Science

Enrichment factor, geo-accumulation factor, contamination factor, degree of contamination, modified degree of contamination and potential contamination index were applied to assess the contamination of metals (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb ) in the Mtoni estuary sediments in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The sediment samples were sampled as appropriate, treated using established methods and analysed using inductively coupled plasma-high resonance mass spectrometry. The calculated enrichment factor values indicated contamination varying from minor (EF > 1) to severe contamination (EF > 50). The determined geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, degree of contamination, modified degree of contamination and potential contamination …

Geological Modeling Of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rocks In The Mafia Basin, Offshore Tanzania, Bahati Mohamed, Elisante Mshiu, Ernest Mulaya

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study presents a 3D geological model of reservoir rocks in the Mafia Basin based on interpretation of 2D seismic and well data towards understanding the hydrocarbon prospectivity. 2D seismic data were used to generate surface maps and therefore the subsurface configuration of the reservoir complemented with petrophysical analysis to determine lithology and reservoir properties. Structural and petrophysical properties modeling were distributed stochastically within the constructed 3D grid using Sequential Indicator Simulation (SIS) and Gaussian Random Function Simulation (GRFS) algorithms. Results from well log analysis and petrophysical models classify the reservoir under a moderate reservoir quality with 19% to 20% …

Assessment Of The Effect Of Acid Activation Of Kaolin From Malangali On Water Defluoridation, Hosea Shuma, Lupituko Mkayula, Yahya Makame

Tanzania Journal of Science

Malangali kaolin clay was activated by means of an acid for defluoridation studies. The Acid Activated Malangali Kaolin (AAMK) clay and the Untreated Malangali Kaolin (UMK) were both characterized using spectroscopic and adsorption techniques. BET analysis of AAMK and UMK showed that both clays have mesoporosity characteristics with surface areas ranging from 55 to 58 m2/g. Spectroscopic studies showed that in both clays the major mineral forms are kaolinites and albites with high amounts of SiO2 and Al2O3. AAMK and UMK are endowed with surface functional groups such as OH, Si–O–Si, and Al–O–Al all of which being suitable for adsorption …

A Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle Control On The Metallogenic Signature Of Post-Subduction Magmatism, David A. Holwell, Marco Fiorentini, Iain Mcdonald, Yongjun Lu, Andrea Giuliani, Daniel J. Smith, Manuel Keith, Marek Locmelis

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ore deposits are loci on Earth where energy and mass flux are greatly enhanced and focussed, acting as magnifying lenses into metal transport, fractionation and concentration mechanisms through the lithosphere. Here we show that the metallogenic architecture of the lithosphere is illuminated by the geochemical signatures of metasomatised mantle rocks and post-subduction magmatic-hydrothermal mineral systems. Our data reveal that anomalously gold and tellurium rich magmatic sulfides in mantle-derived magmas emplaced in the lower crust share a common metallogenic signature with upper crustal porphyry-epithermal ore systems. We propose that a trans-lithospheric continuum exists whereby post-subduction magmas transporting metal-rich sulfide cargoes play …

A Log And Core Analysis Of The Marmaton Group, Granite Wash Fan Delta In The Anadarko Basin, Washita County, Oklahoma, Cole A. Hatchel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Pennsylvanian Marmaton Group Granite Wash located in the southern Anadarko Basin is a fan delta system that consists of stacked arkosic sandstones, conglomerates, and shale, and within Washita County, Oklahoma, are known to be a prolific hydrocarbon producer. The Marmaton Group in Washita County, though, has a variable and largely unestablished stratigraphic framework and sudden changes in lithology throughout the region, both horizontally and laterally. This combined with a lack of core or outcrop data has created confusion in the subsurface, and the Marmaton Group has remained largely unstudied in southern Washita County, OK.

This study examined two sets …

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

Masters Theses

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

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

Geologic Mapping And Geochronology Of The Heavens Gate 7.5-Minute Quadrangle: How Long Does It Take To Accrete An Island Arc To A Continent?, Samuel Gordon Deyoung

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Blue Mountain province of western Idaho and eastern Oregon is composed of a mélange of geologic terranes that represent Permian and Triassic island arcs that collided with North America in the Mesozoic, resulting in westward growth of the continent. Separating these accreted rocks from North America are the mid- crustal metamorphic rocks of the Salmon River suture zone. Containing units and features associated with the accreted island arc terranes and suture zone is the Heavens Gate 7.5-minute quadrangle, located in Idaho county, Idaho. Within the quadrangle the Salmon River suture zone is divided into structural blocks by a series …

Historical Land Use Influence On Fine-Grained Sedimentation In Channel And Floodplain Deposits In A Forested Missouri Ozark Watershed, Katy Nicole Reminga

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Hydrologic disturbances due to land use and climate effects can disrupt river form and increase sediment transport. Ozark streams have been experiencing the effects of accelerated channel erosion on coarse sediment delivery and gravel bar deposition since the onset of early European settlement in the late 1800’s. Little attention has focused on understanding the fate of fine-grained sediment released by upland soil and headwater channel erosion and the potential for storage as legacy deposits on floodplains. Legacy deposits are attributed to human disturbances as the result of land clearing and agriculture that increase runoff, soil erosion, flooding, and sediment supply …

Assessing Bioavailability, Metal Fractionation, Magnetic Susceptibility, And Organic Matter Interactivity In Mine-Waste Contaminated Sediments In Turkey Creek, Joplin, Missouri, Zachary Joseph Collette

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Joplin, Missouri, part of the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), has a long history of mining that resulted in mine waste piles proximal to the mines throughout the area. A local lead smelter also resulted in smelter fallout in Joplin. Mine waste pile runoff and local smelter fallout resulted in contamination of sediments, soils, and waterways. In the 1990s, remediation of residential soils and play areas began after blood lead levels in children were much higher than the national average. Soon afterwards, the chat piles were removed and used for beneficial reuse purposes. In May of 2011, an EF5 tornado devastated …

Response And Recovery Of Horn And Petit Bois Islands, Mississippi, Usa To Tropical Cyclone Impacts: 2004 – 2016, Shara Gremillion

Master's Theses

Horn and Petit Bois islands are two of five Mississippi (MS) barrier islands that provide physical protection from tropical cyclones threatening the MS Gulf Coast, in addition to critical habitat for the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan removed a large volume of sediment from the eastern ends of Horn and Petit Bois islands with its 1-2 m storm surge and ~194 kph wind speeds. Then, in August 2005 Hurricane Katrina severely impacted the two islands again with its 3.5-5.5 m storm surge on Horn and Petit Bois islands, and up to 204 kph wind speeds …

Stratigraphic Interpretations Of Eocene Winona And Tallahatta Formations In The Duffee Quadrangle, Ms, Sydney Kennedy

Honors Theses

Outcrops and exposures of the Winona and Tallahatta formations in the Duffee Quadrangle in Newton and Lauderdale counties were mapped and analyzed. The rock type, composition, structures, and fossils were identified at each site; unit thicknesses were measured, and stratigraphic relationships were analyzed for available exposures. Using GPS coordinates, each site was mapped on Google Earth Pro. The data collected at each site, aerial photographs, and topographic maps were used to identify each formation. The variability between previous works and this study was analyzed. The primary rock type found in the Tallahatta Formation is siliciclastic silty claystone and sandstone; some …

Comparing Structure From Motion Photogrammetry And Computer Vision For Low-Cost 3d Cave Mapping: Tipton-Haynes Cave, Tennessee, Clinton Elmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Natural caves represent one of the most difficult environments to map with modern 3D technologies. In this study I tested two relatively new methods for 3D mapping in Tipton-Haynes Cave near Johnson City, Tennessee: Structure from Motion Photogrammetry and Computer Vision using Tango, an RGB-D (Red Green Blue and Depth) technology. Many different aspects of these two methods were analyzed with respect to the needs of average cave explorers. Major considerations were cost, time, accuracy, durability, simplicity, lighting setup, and drift. The 3D maps were compared to a conventional cave map drafted with measurements from a modern digital survey instrument …

Modeling Extreme Heat Events Using Global Reanalysis Data: An Assessment Of Current Climate Data And The Need For Improved Weather Station Data In Tennessee, John Reasons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is used to assess categorical heat stress risk factors for individuals working in outdoor environments and to provide guidelines for work/rest ratios and water intake. The variables required to compute WBGT are used by meteorologists for many purposes and are available through the Copernicus Program which was implemented by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to provide users access to ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA) historical database. WBGT values for Tennessee during National Weather Service (NWS) issued excessive heat warnings were calculated to determine the need for additional advisories based on WBGT guidelines. Monthly average WBGT …

Provenance And Maximum Depositional Age Analysis Of The Moenave Formation Using Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology And Sandstone Petrography, Asher Rea Boudreaux

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In southwestern Utah and northeastern Arizona, Moenave Formation (latest Triassic(?)-Jurassic) is bracketed by well-studied Mesozoic units extensively sampled for detrital zircon geochronology and is poorly documented in regard to provenance, representing an important gap in knowledge. The Moenave Formation provides a unique opportunity to employ detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and sandstone petrography relevant to completing the paleogeographic, evolutionary, and climatic story of the region. This study aims to characterize the sedimentary provenance of the Moenave Formation and to identify, or at least improve constraints on, the stratigraphic position of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (TJB) and placement of the end-Triassic extinction (ETE), …

The Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks Of The Ouachita Mountains And Their Genetic Relationship To The Mississippi Valley-Type Mineralization In The Southern Ozark Region: Insights From Radiogenic Pb Isotopes And Trace Elements Studies, Christophe Wakamya Simbo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cluster of Pb and/or Zn deposits of the well-known Tri-State and Northern Arkansas Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) districts located north of the Arkoma basin and the Ouachita fold-thrust belt in north America are genetically connected to the Pennsylvanian-Permian Ouachita orogeny which triggered a South-North topographic gradient flow of basinal brines, leaching metal rich sediments en route. The objective of the research is twofold. First, to ascertain whether the organic-rich shales and sandstones from the study area provided metals during the mineralization event, which was coeval with the Ouachita orogeny. Second, to assess the depositional environment of the potential source rocks, …

Eutherian Biogeography During The Puercan North American Land Mammal Age (Paleocene, Earliest Danian): Problems And Potential Solutions, Jason Sterling Silviria

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Puercan North American Land Mammal Age (NALMA) is the earliest major North American terrestrial biochron of the Cenozoic era, spanning roughly the first one million years of the Paleogene period (Paleocene epoch, Danian stage; ~66.04-65.12 Ma). It is typified by the explosive ecomorphological diversification of the mammalian clade Eutheria (particularly our subclade, Placentalia), following the annihilation of non-avian dinosaurs and “archaic” mammal groups during the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event. The spatiotemporal mode and tempo of Puercan eutherian diversification has long been the subject of debate, with disagreements over biogeographic zonation. The traditional model – based largely on well-sampled, …

Single Crystal Elasticity Of Hydrous Fe-Bearing Wadsleyite At High-Pressure Condition, Zhiyuan Ren

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The 410-discontinuity separating the uppermost mantle from the transition zone is commonly believed to be caused by the olivine-wadsleyite transformation. However, the velocity change at the 410-discontinuity predicted by the standard pyrolitic model is not completely consistent with the seismic observations, leading to questions about the accuracy of the seismic models, or uncertainties of the mineral physics predictions. More regional seismic observations suggest that the depth, sharpness, and velocity jumps at the 410-discontinuity are different at different places, caused by thermal and/or compositional heterogeneities in the upper mantle. To explain the inconsistencies between the mineral physics and seismic models and …

Evaluating Sources Of Hydrochemical Variability And Mixing In The Upper Gila River, New Mexico, Pavel Vakhlamov

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This study of the upper reaches of the Gila River basin in southwestern New Mexico reveals both spatial and seasonal patterns in physical and hydrochemical parameters. Monsoonal precipitation, temporal variability in water chemistry of streams in the upper Gila watershed is significantly impacted by surface runoff due to variability in landscape cover features, as well as surface area of the catchment. However, during base flow regimes spring inputs are the dominant drivers of solute concentrations and chemical variability.

Geothermal sources play a major role in salinization of the southwestern stream systems. Prolonged water/rock interaction combined with high temperature, pressure result …

Management Regime And Habitat Response Influence Abundance Of Regal Fritillary (Speyeria Idalia) In Tallgrass Prairie, K. Mccullough, G. Albanese, D.A. Haukos, A.M. Ricketts, S. Stratton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The >2,570,000-ha Flint Hills ecoregion of Kansas, USA, harbors the largest remaining contiguous tract of tallgrass prairie in North America, a unique system, as the remainder of North America’s tallgrass prairie has succumbed to development and conversion. Consequently, the loss and degradation of tallgrass prairie has reduced populations of many North American prairie-obligate species including the regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) butterfly. Population abundance and occupied range of regal fritillary have declined >99%, restricting many populations to isolated, remnant patches of tallgrass prairie. Such extensive decline has resulted in consideration of the regal fritillary for protection under the Endangered Species Act. …

Co2-Enhanced Gas Recovery In Shale: Lessons Learned In The Devonian Ohio Shale Of Eastern Kentucky, Brandon C. Nuttall

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey tested CO₂-enhanced gas recovery in the Devonian shale in Johnson County, in response to a directive from the Kentucky General Assembly in 2007; the study site included a fracture-stimulated shale-gas well. To supplement a standard suite of open-hole logs acquired when the well was drilled, a well-logging program was designed to identify open perforations, construct a flow profile, and acquire pre-injection baseline data to characterize the Devonian Ohio Shale for a pressure falloff test. Tubing and packer were installed, with gel and brine filling the annulus between the tubing and packer to block flow-through …

Architecture And Evolution Of The Peace Vallis Distributive Fluvial System, Gale Crater, Mars, Zachary E. Gallegos

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Peace Vallis alluvial fan, located within Gale crater on the planet Mars, is a distributive fluvial system indicating a wet climate in Mars’ past. The Mars Science Laboratory rover instrument ChemCam, with the high-resolution Remote Micro-imager, was utilized to remotely explore the Peace Vallis alluvial fan and surrounding areas area. The Peace Vallis imaging campaigns 1 and 2, led by Dr. Horton Newsom and Zachary Gallegos respectively, acquired 20 distinct rover observations with a total of 243 individual images to investigate the fan. Using visual interpretation of the images and GIS techniques, this study interprets the processes and products …

Constraining The Oxygen Values Of The Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway Using Marine Bivalves, Camille H. Dwyer

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Western Interior Seaway (WIS) remains an oceanographic enigma, including its circulation, similarity to the open ocean, and the fidelity of geochemical proxies to reconstruct paleoenvironments. Across the late Campanian and early Maastrichtian I test whether: 1) the WIS had unique δ¹⁸O_VPDB compared to other marine settings, 2) increasing oceanographic restriction changed the stable isotope composition, and 3) biases, e.g., taxonomy or diagenesis, influenced stable isotope compositions. Results indicate distinct δ¹⁸O_VPDB in the WIS compared to other marine settings. δ¹⁸O_VPDB values were stable through time, suggesting insignificant oceanographic restriction and a …

Natural Salinization Of The Jemez River, New Mexico: An Insight From Trace Element Geochemistry, Jon K. Golla

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Jemez River, a tributary of the Rio Grande in north-central New Mexico, receives thermal water input from the geofluids of the Valles Caldera, an active, high-temperature, liquid-dominated geothermal system. We focus on a ∼50-km portion of the northern Jemez River. This research extends previous decadal work (Crossey et al., in prep., 2013) on major chemistry in the river by characterizing the response of 16 trace elements to geochemical contributions from geothermal waters (McCauley, Spence, Soda Dam, and Jemez Springs springs and San Ysidro mineral waters), an area with copious hydrothermal degassing (Hummingbird), and two major tributaries (Rio San Antonio …