Geology Commons^™

Relating Recharge Mechanisms To Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Dynamics In An Updip Appalachian Coal Mine Discharge, Matthew L. Bell

Presentations

Impaired drainage from active and abandoned mines degrades the water quality of receiving streams and aquifers. Coal mine drainage (CMD) has been studied for decades in Appalachia, but unknowns and uncertainties are still present, including the influence of mine hydrogeology on the outflow chemistry of above-drainage mines. To evaluate the influence of recharge type on above-drainage mine dissolved inorganic carbon chemistry, samples were collected every two weeks at a CMD outflow treatment system in Harrison County, West Virginia. Samples were collected to measure geochemical changes taking place in the mine workings and along the flowpath of the passive treatment system. …

Quantifying The Contribution Of Solid Precipitates To The Total Alkalinity In A Coal-Mine Discharge, Lili Lei, Dorothy Vesper

Presentations

Flocculates and precipitates from coal mine drainage (CMD) are an integral part of the geochemical setting in mining-impacted streams. The precipitates may be very small, amorphous, and, depending on their chemistry, play a role in the storage and release of alkalinity. To evaluate the potential impact of CMD-solids on alkalinity, we conducted various tests using model and natural solids. Laboratory measurements of alkalinity are operationally defined by a titration to a fixed pH. When the solid-solution mixtures were tested using the standard alkalinity measurement method, no alkalinity could be detected; however, a possible reason for that was that the standard …

Incorporating Universal Design Into Tsunami Modeling Results For Cascadia Subduction Zone Faults To Create An Inundation Map And Universally Designed Evacuation Map For Port Angeles, Wa, Hannah Rose Spero, Breanyn Macinnes, Naomi J. Petersen

Student Published Works

Current tsunami hazard inundation and evacuation maps in the Puget Sound are based primarily on Cascadia and Seattle fault tsunamis. The standard evaluation process for tsunami impacts focuses on elevation and hypothetical fault rupture of known and predicted earthquakes. However, there are several known tsunami deposits in the Puget Sound that are not from Cascadia or Seattle fault tsunamis, potentially from other faults within the region, that could affect tsunami mitigation. Work to understand newly discovered crustal deformation and faults in Puget Sound is ongoing, therefore evacuation and inundation maps need to be updated to include these new faults and …

Local- And Regional-Scale Forcing Of Glacier Mass Balance Changes In The Swiss Alps, Saeideh Gharehchahi, Thomas J. Ballinger, Jennifer L.R. Jensen, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Lydia Sam, Russell C. Weaver, David R. Butler

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Glacier mass variations are climate indicators. Therefore, it is essential to examine both winter and summer mass balance variability over a long period of time to address climate-related ice mass fluctuations. In this study, we analyze glacier mass balance components and hypsometric characteristics with respect to their interactions with local meteorological variables and remote large-scale atmospheric and oceanic patterns. The results show that all selected glaciers have lost their equilibrium condition in recent decades, with persistent negative annual mass balance trends and decreasing accumulation area ratios (AARs), accompanied by increasing air temperatures of +0.45 C decade 1. The controlling factor …

Characterization Of Landslide Processes From Radar Remote Sensing And Hydromechanical Modeling, Yuankun Xu

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Landsides are a natural geomorphic process yet a dangerous hazard which annually causes thousands of casualties and billions of property loss in a global scale. Understanding landslide motion kinematics from early initiation to final deposition is critical for monitoring, assessing, and forecasting landslide movement in order to mitigate their hazards. Landslides occur under diverse environmental settings and appear in variable types; however, all types of landslides can be mechanically attributed to shearing failure at the basal surface due to stress regime shift contributed by internal and/or external forcing. Typical internal factors include soil/rock weathering, whereas typical external triggering forces encompass …

Determining Biostratigraphy And Correlation Using Color Alteration Index And Lithofacies Of Conodonts In The Edinburg Formation, Central Virginia, Lauren Showalter

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Conodont species, CAI and lithofacies analysis are used as methods of correlation to determine the relative age, depositional environment, and post depositional burial history of the Edinburg Formation in central Virginia. Samples collected for conodont microfossils yielded faunas of Baltoniodus sp. or Amorphognathus sp., Periodon grandis and Protopanderodus liripipus from a site near Luray and Drepanoistodus suberectus, Plectodina sp., Protopanderodus liripipus, Oistodus sp., Phragmodus undatus, Erismodus radicans and Panderodus gracilis from a site in Harrisonburg. The species supports a Late Ordovician (Late Sandbian age). Conodonts from both sites have a CAI of 4-5, indicating post-depositional heating of …

Late Amazonian Wind Regimes And Landscape Evolution In Northern Meridiani Planum, Mars, Thomas Stritch

Geology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Aeolian process have dominated the lower latitudes of Mars for billions of years. Aeolian landforms can act as records of current and past climates and landscape evolution processes. The etched deposits of Meridiani Planum, a vast suite of layered bedrock extending from southwest Arabia Terra to Schiaparelli crater, have long been noted to have been eroded by aeolian processes. However, little detailed work on the aeolian landforms of Meridiani Planum beyond the Opportunity rover landing site has been done. In this study, I examine wind streaks, aeolian bedforms (including dunes and large ripples), and yardangs in a valley about 370 …

Linking Human Activities To Water Quality In Coastal New England: Past And Present, Amelia Hurst

University Scholar Projects

This project examines the timing and effect of direct and indirect anthropogenic and natural influences on the marine environment in embayments in southern New England over the past decades to century timescale. We investigated the effects of human land use from colonial through post-industrial times, determined baseline conditions and natural climatic variability, and analyzed the response of marine ecosystems to specific local management actions aimed to improve water quality. A coastal sediment core was taken in Mumford Cove, CT and was analyzed downcore for eutrophication markers (C: N, %C, %N, d¹⁵N, d¹³C) and metals (Hg, Pb, …

Investigations Of Geochemical Variations With Depth At The First 15 Drill Sites On Mars Analyzed By The Chemcam Instrument Onboard The Curiosity Rover And Supported By Laboratory Studies And Analog Research At The Valle Grande Paleolake, Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Usa, Ryan S. Jackson

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The ChemCam instrument collected a wealth of data during the first 15 drill campaigns and on the distribution of trace elements at Yellowknife Bay, Mars. The drill sites investigation showed that most sites were geochemically homogenous down the depth of the drill hole. Two sites in the Stimson formation contained a vertical gradient of decreasing silica down > 3 cm. This gradient may be the result of groundwater flow and is likely recent, within 2.3 Ma. The trace element research was grounded with an analog study at the Valle Grande paleolake in New Mexico. We observed progressive alteration in the minerology …

Terrestrial Soldier Crab (Coenobita Clypeatus, Fabricius 1787) And Cerion Spp. (Röding 1798) Shell Relationship On San Salvador Island, Bahamas, Harley Hunt

Biology Theses

The Caribbean terrestrial soldier crab, Coenobita clypeatus(Fabricius 1787), coexist and utilize the shells of numerous species of land and marine gastropods. Soldier crabs rely on gastropod shells for protection as the crabs have a soft abdomen, leaving them vulnerable for predation and desiccation, threatening their survival. This creates a strong pressure to obtain well-fitting shells that provide adequate protection against water loss. Cerion of Röding (1798) shells are one of the most commonly used shells among living colonies of C. clypeatuson San Salvador Island. This study is interested in the frequency of shell use by C. clypeatus crabs …

Geochemical Characterization Of The Utica Shale Play Using Xrf-Based Chemostratigraphy In Ohio, Barbara Kemeh, Julie M. Bloxson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Utica shale is an extensive gas shale play within the Appalachian Basin, expanding from Quebec through New York, into Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Currently a target for gas exploration, it is also the source rock for much of the Paleozoic reservoirs throughout the basin. However, the Utica-Point Pleasant lithology varies significantly across the Appalachian Basin which can make it challenging to characterize.

The Utica shale Play consists of the Trenton/Lexington Limestones, Point Pleasant Formation and Utica shale. The Point Pleasant Formation and Utica shale are often grouped together, especially in Ohio because they are difficult to visually distinguish …

Structural Re-Orientation Of Magmatic Fabrics And Layering In The Lower Oceanic Crust: Hole Gt1, Wadi Tayin Massif, Samail Ophiolite, Justin Guillot

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to re-orient borehole images of layered gabbros sampled beneath Hole GT1 in the Wadi Tayin massif of the Oman ophiolite by the Oman Drilling Project to better constrain models of crustal accretion. The gabbro glacier model proposes that crystallized basalt flows down and away from the crystallization site to form the lower crust while the sheeted sill model proposes that basaltic melt crystallizes at multiple levels in the crust through sills. Hole GT1 provides an unprecedented 400 m, 100% recovery, look at the lower oceanic crust. Cores lose their geographic orientation when drilled, requiring use of the …

Characterization And Delineation Of Potential Evaporite Geohazards Using Electrical Resistivity Methods Along Fm 2185, Culberson County, Texas, Lenora Diane Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive karst development within the Delaware Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico poses a significant geohazard threat to infrastructure. Dissolution of regional evaporite strata have led to manifestations of karst geohazard phenomena including sinkholes, subsidence features, and caves. The study area is located within the Gypsum Plain in Culberson County, Texas, and includes outcrops of Castile and Rustler strata that host gypsum karst geohazards. Land reconnaissance surveys conducted during the summer of 2019 documented numerous surficial manifestations of karst features proximal to Farm to Market Road 2185 (FM 2185). In combination with traditional survey techniques, electrical resistivity methods …

Migmatite-Like Textures In Anthracite: Further Evidence For Low-Grade Metamorphic Melting And Resolidification In High-Rank Coals, James C. Hower, Susan M. Rimmer, Maria Mastalerz, Nicola J. Wagner

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Previous studies demonstrated that melting, initiated by supercritical fluids in the 375–400 °C range, occurred as part of anthracite metamorphism in the Appalachian Basin. Based on the known behavior of vitrinite at high temperatures and, to a lesser extent, at high pressures, it was determined that the duration of the heating, melting, and resolidification event was about 1 h. In the current study, featureless vitrinite within banded maceral assemblages demonstrates the intimate association of melted and resolidified vitrinite with anthracite-rank macerals. By analogy with metamorphosed inorganic rocks, such associations represent diadysites and embrechites, i.e., cross-cutting and layered migmatites, respectively. Even …

Sub-Surface Structural Analysis Of The Appalachian Basin In Morrow County, Ohio, Adrian Isaiah-Sias Valdez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Located in the western most region of the Appalachian Basin, Morrow County, Ohio, was once one of the largest oil-producing regions in the nation and continually produces today. To date, approximately 30 million barrels of oil and 6.5 billion cubic feet of gas have been produced, primarily from the Copper Ridge Dolomite. Past studies suggest that regional remnant doming within the Copper Ridge accounts for production, however it is hypothesized that faulting within the basement rock exerts an important control on trapping and migration of hydrocarbons. In order to gain insight into the underlying structure and the causes of significant …

Taphonomy Of Late Jurassic (Tithonian) Morrison Formation Apatosaurus Sp. Vertebrae Found Associated With Teeth From Allosaurus Sp. And Ceratosaurus Sp., And Body Size Extrapolation From The Associated Theropod Teeth., Greg C. Agyan

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

An Apatosaurus sp. locality from Dinosaur National Monument designated DNM-15 was excavated in 1985, and associated with two Allosaurus teeth and one Ceratosaurus tooth that were near one of the caudal vertebrae. The Ceratosaurus tooth was buried between an overlying rib and that same caudal vertebra. The caudal vertebrae of the DNM-15 Apatosaurus were intact and articulated, but the anterior skeleton was mostly absent, with a row of articulated sacral vertebrae in close association with a femur. Two other Allosaurus teeth were reported near the preserved ilium of the Apatosaurus, but they could not be located in the collections. …

A Triple Oxygen Isotope Analysis Of Altered Oceanic Crust And Its Buffering Effect On The Steady State Oxygen Isotope Composition Of Seawater, Jesse P. Mcgunnigle

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The secular chemical marine sediment trend showing an increase in δ¹⁸O over geologic time has traditionally been investigated using δ¹⁸O modelling of ancient ocean compositions, ocean surface temperatures, and sample diagenetic alteration. This study presents a triple oxygen isotope mass balance for the oceans using high precision δ¹⁸O and Δ'¹⁷O measurements of altered oceanic crust. The mass balance model predicts an ice-free seawater with δ¹⁸O = -0.29‰ and Δ’¹⁷O = -0.002‰ with steady state reached at approximately (0.5 to 1)×10⁹ years. Modifications to the hydrothermal alteration and …

Assessing Soil-Related Terroir Factors In Sunnyslope District Vineyards Of Southwest Idaho, Rachael Nicole Haggen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Terroir is the set of factors including climate, soil, and management practices that influence the character of a wine. Of these factors, soil texture and chemistry is a major determinant in wine grape quality (van Leeuwen et al., 2009). Understanding the characteristics of the soil is key to making decisions that support the production of the highest possible quality grapes from the resources available. Few studies have been conducted in the Snake River Valley AVA (SRVAVA). This study seeks to build upon the data already available and provide analysis of vineyard-scale terroir in a leading grape growing district of the …

Joint Spacing In The Caples Lake Granodiorite Of The Sierra Nevada Batholith In Eldorado National Forest, California: A Comparative Analysis Of Joint Sets And Data Resolution, Jimmy Wood

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Joints are the most common deformation structure in the Earth’s upper crust and exert a significant influence on structural stability, landscape morphology, and fluid flow . Therefore, a greater understanding of fracture parameters (e.g., length, aperture, etc.) allows us to more accurately predict their presence, persistence, and prevalence, in the subsurface . We study the fracture spacing of two sub-orthogonal joint sets—66 NE-246 SW and 330 NW-150 SE—in the Caples Lake granodiorite of the Sierra Nevada Batholith, California. Specifically, we investigate 1) their spacing distributions with a keen interest in power-law (fractal) spacing, 2) distribution comparisons between master and cross …

Small-Scale Resuspension And Redistribution Of Surface Sediments In The Northeast Gulf Of Mexico, Austin Harris

Master's Theses

Following the release of ~4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico from the Macondo wellhead, a vast area of the seafloor contained recently deposited marine sediments contaminated by the oil spill. The initial deposition of these contaminated marine sediments was likely not the end of the journey for the particles. Downslope gravitational processes and events of increased current speed in the deep ocean setting can result in recently deposited sediments to resuspend and be moved laterally with the current flow, increasing the area effected by the oil spill. Erosion experiments performed in a closed-loop resuspension flume were …

Effects Of The Triassic-Jurassic Central Atlantic Magmatic Event Recorded In Continental Strata In Western Pangea: The Δ13c Record Of Warner Valley & Zion National Park, Dennis Mmasa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Triassic is a period of abrupt climate change bracketed by mass extinctions including one driven by the eruption of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) in the Late Triassic. The Moenave Formation (MF) of Utah and Arizona is ideal to investigate effects of the CAMP on continental strata distal to the eruptive center. This study focuses on the C-isotopic composition of bulk carbonate C from two localities, Blacks Canyon, Zion National Park, UT and Olsen Canyon within Warner Valley, UT. The data collected was used to document a chemostratigraphic record to compare to globally established records and bulk organic …

Gravel Geology And Muskoxen Paleontology Of A Late Pleistocene Fossil Site In Saltville, Virginia, Nickolas A. Brand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two distinct studies within the Saltville Valley of southwestern Virginia revealed insights into local Pleistocene geology and paleontology. A variety of analytical techniques were applied to gravel deposits within the paleontological site of SV-5/7 that revealed this unit is very poorly sorted, has a subangular matrix, and contains significant components of silt and sand in addition to rounded cobbles. These results suggest that rather than being deposited by fluvial processes as previously suggested, these gravels were likely the result of one or many debris flows. Additionally, the identity of fossil muskoxen from Saltville was reassessed using cranial and dental material. …

Carbon-Isotope Chemostratigraphy And Fluvial Sedimentology Of The Moenave Formation, Utah, Jordan Oefinger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The end Triassic extinction (ETE) is one of the largest mass extinction events of the Phanerozoic, and it has been hypothesized that this event, as well as the Triassic-Jurassic (TJ) boundary, are preserved within the Moenave Formation of the Colorado Plateau. Identification of this boundary within southwest Utah sections of the Colorado Plateau region is critical for better understanding the relationship between climate change and the ETE in terrestrial, low latitude paleoenvironments. The Moenave Formation is well exposed in Blacks Canyon of Zion National Park and in the nearby Warner Valley, where detailed sedimentologic observations and carbon isotope sampling have …

The Biggest Snowball Fight In Earth History: Stratigraphy, Facies Analysis, And Geochronology Of The Pocatello Formation, Matthew W. Ellison

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Snowball Earth Hypothesis details a time in Earth’s history (the Cryogenian period) where the entire planet was encapsulated by kilometer thick ice sheets for two, multi-million-year glaciations. The first, known as the Sturtian, lasted from 717 – 660 million years ago while the second, known as the Marinoan, lasted form approximately 650 – 635 million years ago. Snowball Earth was caused by a few processes that sort of built upon each other: Rodinia began splitting apart ~740 million years ago which allowed for increased rates of silicate weathering. High rates of silicate weathering resulted in CO₂ drawdown which …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of River Incision And Terrace Deposition In Response To Climate And Tectonics In Southern Taiwan, Dominique M. Shore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Geologists often look at the Earth’s surface to understand the underlying processes that cause mountain formation. As tectonic forces drive uplift of Earth’s surface, processes of erosion transport sediment to lower elevations. Climate can play a large role in landscape formation as well as increased precipitation, accelerating rates of erosion. Rivers leave markers of landscape evolution through terrace landforms, former river floodplains that are left behind when rivers incise into a valley. To better understand landscape response to uplift, this research investigated the initial linkages between uplift, hillslope erosion (mass wasting) and river incision. At some point, it is thought …

Dolomite Stoichiometry As A Proxy For Fluid Chemistry, Cameron J. Manche

Dissertations

The origin of massive dolomites is a contentious issue in geology. Because modern dolomite is rare, interpretation of ancient dolomites requires the use of proxy resources, most of which provide ambiguous information. High-temperature dolomite synthesis experiments have shown that dolomite stoichiometry, the degree of cation ordering, and reaction rate are controlled by Mg:Ca, temperature, molarity, and salinity of the formative solution. Thus, it is posited here that dolomite stoichiometry may be a useful proxy for fluid chemistry, as are stable isotope and trace element composition of ancient dolomites. High-frequency sample intervals (cm-scale) from the Cretaceous Upper Glen Rose Formation (Comanche …

An Integrated Approach For The Assessment And Monitoring Of Land Deformation In The Riyadh City And Its Surroundings For Identifying The Controlling Factors, Abdulaziz Ibrahim Aljammaz

Dissertations

An integrated approach (remote sensing, field, geodesy, geology, and hydrogeology) was conducted to assess and monitor land deformation at Riyadh city and its surroundings. Two settings were investigated. The first, Jinadriyah area (1.5 km²), an urban area located east of Riyadh city, was selected to assess deformation associated with urbanization over desert lands. The second location was Al Kharj area (19,790 km²) to the south of Riyadh city, a reclaimed desert land that was selected to assess the deformation associated with agricultural groundwater extraction from fossil aquifers. My investigations revealed high subsidence rates (up to -30 …

Petrogenesis Of Hawaiian Lavas: Investigations Using Radiogenic And Non-Traditional Stable Isotopes, Christopher Defelice

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Earth’s mantle is the most voluminous part of the planet and is inaccessible to direct investigations. It is only possible to study it through indirect methods, such as the chemical makeup of erupted lavas. The Hawaiian Islands are thought to be the product of the mantle plume hypothesis, sometimes called a hot spot. Material from the Earth’s mantle is brought to the surface and erupted as magnesium rich lavas and form basalts. Hawaii is the longest lived active hot spot on Earth and makes it an ideal candidate for understanding the evolution of the Earth’s mantle and how lavas cool …

Prograde Metamorphism And Upper-Crustal Cooling In The Northern Panamint Range, California: New Insights Into The Jurassic And Mid-Cretaceous Evolution Of The Southern Sevier Fold-Thrust Belt, Elijah A. Turner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Jurassic-Cretaceous southern Sevier fold-thrust belt, which experiences changes in orientation and structural style as it approaches intersection with the Mesozoic continental arc, has been pervasively overprinted by Neogene-Quaternary faulting, rendering its evolution enigmatic. Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material (RSCM) thermometry data from 14 samples and zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) thermochronology data from 23 samples collected in the northern Panamint Range illuminate the history of metamorphism and upper-crustal cooling associated with this belt of shortening structures. Best estimate peak temperatures derived from RSCM thermometry increase from 166 ± 19°C at 2.5 km structural depth (measured from the top of the exposed …

Effects Of Differences In Cell Wall Biochemistry On The Microbial Decomposition Of Sphagnum (Peat Moss), Alexis Koehl, Christian Lundy, Trevor Hile, Erik Schoonover

20th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2021)

Globally, peatlands store twice as much carbon as there is in the atmosphere as CO₂. As average global temperatures continue to rise, the growth or decay of these carbon stores will play an important feedback for future climate change. This study examined the mechanisms behind the rate of decomposition in Sphagnum mosses, specifically the differences in cell wall chemistry between species. We hypothesized that mosses from different microtopographies will differ in rate of decomposition, as previous studies have shown that hummock mosses have higher concentrations of recalcitrant structural carbohydrates in their cell walls compared to hollow mosses. The …