Geology Commons^™

Hypogenic Caves Of Syracuse Area, Sicily (Italy): Geomorphological Evidence Of Co2 Degassing, Fresh-Salt Water Mixing, And Late Condensation Corrosion, Philippe Audra, Jean-Yves Bigot, Didier Cailhol, Pierre Camps, Ilenia M. D'Angeli, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Fernando Gàzquez-Sanchez, Gabriella Koltai, Giuliana Madonia, Jean-Claude Nobécourt, Marjan Temovski, Marco Vattano, Jo De Waele

International Journal of Speleology

Many caves in Sicily have been shown to have a sulfuric acid or other hypogenic origin. We studied three caves (Palombara, Scrivilleri, Monello) near Syracuse (eastern Sicily), in an area that was strongly uplifted and faulted, creating multiple Pleistocene marine terraces. Mineralogy, stable isotopes and dating methods (paleomagnetism, U/Th) were used to characterize cave sediments, some of which were related to the initial hypogenic phase (Fe and Mn oxides, calcite spar), others were introduced by surface runoff later. Many other sediments are the result of in situ weathering, such as lime sands produced by condensation-corrosion processes on the calcarenite walls. …

Crustal Structure And Evolution Of The Queen Charlotte Plate Boundary, Collin C. Brandl

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

There are many outstanding questions in plate tectonics that remain unanswered because large regions of the Earth are unexplored, both at the surface and in the subsurface. In this dissertation, I processed and analyzed active source seismic reflection data from the historically understudied Queen Charlotte transform plate boundary. Using this dataset, I found that the southern segment of the plate boundary has active underthrusting, is analogous to subduction zone crustal slivers, and is a site of early subduction initiation. Along the entire plate boundary, I constrained the near-surface thermal gradient using the stability of gas hydrate, finding that it is …

Structural Characterization Of The Puma Diapir, Gulf Of Mexico Basin, Rodrigo Velasquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Basin has been a significant target for oil and gas since the 1990s and continues today as a leading exploration target. This super basin is home to an estimated 200 BBOE (Billon barrels of oil equivalent), with current production totaling 60 BBOE for both USA and Mexico. Even though the overall depositional evolution of the GOM has allowed for the key elements for petroleum accumulations to be met, a complex structural framework is present. This framework results from the asymmetric spreading of the North American Plate from the Yucatan block crating the GOM basin we …

Structure Of The South-Central Skagit Gneiss Complex: Implications For Rheological Response To Magmatic Flare-Ups, Jeffery Wegener

Master's Theses

The Skagit Gneiss Complex in the North Cascades magmatic arc consists of Late Cretaceous to Eocene orthogneiss and partially migmatitic paragneiss. Orthogneiss protoliths intruded during two magmatic flare-ups, making the Skagit Gneiss an ideal location to study the relationship between flare-ups and deformation. Geologic mapping, microstructural analysis, and U-Pb dating of zircon were used to construct a timeline of magmatism, metamorphism and deformation in a portion of the Skagit Gneiss. A tonalitic gneiss intruded between ~79-73 at the beginning of the older flare-up and an ~60 Ma, tonalitic to granodioritic, leucocratic orthogneiss intruded at the end of this flare-up. NW-SE …

Assessing The Role Of Steam Explosivity In Shallow And Deep Marine Environments, Frederick Ede

Master's Theses

Volcaniclastic deposits formed in shallow and deep marine environments show strikingly different characteristics resulting from the ability of steam to assist in lava fragmentation. Deep marine deposits come from recent lava flows at Axial Seamount, formed around 1,500 m water depth, while shallow marine samples come from Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) lava flows that were emplaced in a shallow marine to subaerial environment and are now exposed on the Oregon coast. Volcaniclastic material from these two environments was compared using granulometry, componentry, and mapping. Lithofacies from the CRBG contained abundant ash and lapilli sized clasts with a high …

Charlotte: A Modern Tool For Cave Surveying, Luca Tringali Mr., Giacomo Canciani Dr., Alexander Debenjak, Tecla Tripari

International Journal of Speleology

The future of cave surveying is a full 3D scan, as automatic as possible, capturing all morphologically relevant details. However, the vast majority of cavers are still using tools designed more than 15 years ago. The advancements in tools for architects, CAD designers, programmers of VR and robotics could be helpful also for the caving community. That’s why Charlotte, a cheap DIY 2.5D scanner designed for cave surveying, was developed and built. To demonstrate its capabilities, a new survey of Grotta Regina del Carso cave (cad. nr. 2328/4760VG), the biggest cave in the Gorizia Karst, has been realized and published. …

Hypogene Speleogenesis In Carbonates By Cooling Hydrothermal Flow: The Case Of Mt. Berenike Caves, Israel, Roi Roded, Boaz Langford, Einat Aharonov, Piotr Szymczak, Micka Ullman, Shemesh Yaaran, Boaz Lazar, Amos Frumkin

International Journal of Speleology

The Berenike hypogenic cave system near Lake Kinneret, Israel, provides a valuable case study for investigating the recently proposed Confined-Cooling-Flow (CCF) speleogenesis model. Field and speleological surveys, along with existing research, are used to provide a thorough analysis. The CCF model relies on a simple thermo-hydro-chemical scenario, involving the rise of CO2-rich hydrothermal fluids discharging into a confined layer. The cooling of these CO2-rich fluids turns them into aggressive solutions due to the inverse relation between temperature and solubility of carbonates (retrograde solubility). Previous geochemical and numerical analyses of the CCF model predict localized and persistent dissolution and speleogenesis on …

Peri-Gondwanan Sediment In The Arkoma Basin Derived From The North: The Detrital Zircon Record Of A Uniquely Concentrated Non-Laurentian Source Signal In The Late Paleozoic, Tyson M. Smith, Marieke Deshesne, Jaime A.M. Hirtz, Glenn R. Sharman, Mark R. Hudson, Brandon M. Lutz, Neil Griffis

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the assembly of Pangea, peri-Gondwanan terranes collided with the eastern and southern margins of Laurentia and brought with them unique detrital zircon U-Pb signatures. Discriminating between individual peri-Gondwanan terranes in the detrital record is difficult due to their similar geologic histories. However, characterization of this provenance is critical for understanding late Paleozoic sediment routing during development of Pangea. Along southeastern Laurentia, in the Arkoma Basin (present-day Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma, southeastern United States), we identified Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) strata that exhibit a concentrated peri-Gondwanan detrital zircon signature (e.g., ca. 800–550 Ma). Although several southern peri-Gondwanan terranes (e.g., Maya, Suwannee) …

Polygenetic Cave Sedimentation And Speleogenesis In The Mccloud Limestone Of Northern California, Niles Lathrop

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Caves in the Permian-aged, McCloud Limestone of the Klamath Mountains of Northern California preserve a diverse range of clastic sediments that represent broad-scale variations in paleo-hydrologic conditions and transport mechanisms that hint at varied modes of speleogenesis through local landscape development. Caves in the McCloud Limestone exhibit a range of cave passage geometries and arrangements that suggests periods of both hypogene and epigene cave development through temporal and spatial scales. This study evaluates the variability in the distribution, mineralogy, and transport mechanisms of clastic-cave sediments in seven hydrologically-distinct caves in the McCloud Limestone to establish relationships between clastic-cave sedimentation and …

Development And Application Of The Sinkhole Hazard Risk Index To Inform Karst Policy And Mitigation Planning, Meghan Puente

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sinkholes are geologic hazards that occur in karst landscapes and can be highly destructive and costly. Sinkhole mitigation plans and development policies are nonexistent at the federal level within the United States and vary significantly at the state level. The lack of a unified standard for sinkhole mitigation planning is partly due to a lack of available data and resources needed to assess sinkhole risk. While there are established sinkhole assessments within the literature, they focus more on the detection and prediction of sinkholes rather than a holistic approach to risk assessment. The goal of this study is to create …

Transformation Of Organic To Inorganic Nitrogen In Nh4 +-Illite-Bearing And Ga-Al-Ree-Rich Bituminous Coals: Evidence From Nitrogen Isotopes And Functionalities, Qian Wang, Shifeng Dai, Victor P. Nechaev, David French, Ian Graham, Lei Zhao, Shaowei Zhang, Yang Liang, James C. Hower

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Nitrogen is one of the most important elements and mainly occurs as organic forms in coal, and in a few cases, in an inorganic form. Organic nitrogen in coal is mainly derived from the proteins of plants and micro-organisms but sources of inorganic nitrogen remain controversial. One hypothesis for the source of inorganic nitrogen is the organic matter of coal, but this lacks strong evidence. In the Daqingshan Coalfield of Inner Mongolia, northern China, an igneous intrusion in the east of the coalfield led to a coal rank increase from the Hailiushu through the Datanhao mines to the Adaohai mine …

Coal Creek Carbon Capture, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about Coal Creek Carbon Capture project, a CarbonSAFE initiative. The Coal Creek Carbon Capture project is investigating the feasibility of developing safe, permanent geologic storage of CO₂ captured from Coal Creek Station.

Diatom-Inferred Hydroclimate Variability In Marl Lake, Wi Over The Past ~2050 Years, Christian E. Sizemore

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydroclimate variability in the Midwest has increased over the past few decades, as as evidenced by increases in average precipitation and frequency of extreme hydroclimate events. Understanding natural climate variability in this region will help communities in the Midwest to better prepare and mitigate the risks associated with extreme hydroclimate variability in the future. Natural lakes in the Midwest are often effective archives of hydroclimate; many have been shown to respond directly to changes in climate both locally and regionally. We extracted a 4.5-meter sediment core, representing approximately 2050 years of sediment accumulation, from the deepest part of Marl Lake …

Preguntas Más Frecuentes De Perforación, Universidad De Dakota Del Norte. Centro De Investigación De Energía Y Ambiental

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Hoja informativa acerca de la investigación geológica de la perforación. Muestras de roca cilíndricas, llamadas núcleos de roca, y datos geológicos serán adquiridos en un pozo exploratorio perforado en el Condado McKenzie, Dakota del Norte

The Roughrider Carbon Storage Hub, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet regarding the Roughrider Carbon Storage Hub, a CarbonSAFE project. The Roughrider Carbon Storage Hub project is investigating the feasibility of safe, permanent storage of CO₂ in McKenzie County, North Dakota.

El Centro De Almacenamiento De Carbono Roughrider, Universidad De Dakota Del Norte. Centro De Investigación De Energía Y Ambiental

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Hojas informativas acerca del Centro de Almacenamiento de Carbono Roughrider, un Proyecto de CarbonSAFE. El Proyecto del Centro de Almacenamiento de Carbono Roughrider está investigando la viabilidad para el almacenamiento Seguro y permanente de CO₂ en el condado McKenzie, Dakota del Norte.

Drilling Faqs, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about geological research drilling. Cylindrical rock samples, called cores, and geologic data will be collected from an exploratory hole drilled in McKenzie County, North Dakota.

Using Raman Spectroscopy To Validate Metamorphic P-T Paths From Western New Hampshire, Alexis Thomas

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Constructing and interpreting pressure-temperature (P-T) paths in metamorphic rocks is crucial to understanding tectonic processes occurring at mid- to deep-crustal levels. Conventional methods for obtaining P-T paths rely on mineral chemistry, such as chemical zoning in garnets, which assumes growth at chemical equilibrium. However, studies show that garnet growth can occur with disequilibrium nucleation, which can result in a biased or potentially incorrect P-T path. An alternative, physics-based approach using Raman spectroscopy can also be used to determine P-T paths. This method involves using elastic thermobarometry of quartz inclusions within garnet. In this study, I tested the hypothesis that P-T …

Tales In The Teeth: Using Isotopic Analysis To Understand The Paleoecology And Social Behavior Of Brontotheres Of The Intermountain Basins During The Middle Eocene, John Michael Michalski

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Isotopic analysis has been a common practice used in paleontology to study ancient ecosystems, and the lives of animals therein. Oxygen isotopic analysis is of particular importance not only because of its use in studying paleoecology, diet, and migration, but also its use in studying mountain elevation, and its impact on ancient ecosystems. I use stable oxygen isotopic analysis to study the habits and ecology of brontotheres from intermountain basins surrounding the Uinta Mountains of Utah and Wyoming, USA. I studied the oxygen isotopes from 16 fossil specimens of teeth, most of which belonged to brontotheres, including the genera Palaeosyops …

Exploring Overbank Sediment Deposition Variation In Heavily Modified Floodplains Of The Lower Mississippi River: A Sedimentological And Geophysical Analysis, Seth Fradella

Master's Theses

Since the 1930s, the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) has experienced large-scale modifications to the channel profile and surrounding floodplains through dams, dikes, revetments, dredging, and channel cutoffs. Although these changes have improved navigation and reduced flood risk, unanticipated changes to the major flood return period, individual flood severity and duration, and sediment regime have become increasingly apparent and sometimes problematic, such as the 2011 and 2018-2020 floods. Flood control levees along the LMR have reduced the natural floodplain area by 70-90%, resulting in heavily restricted overbank storage capacity of water and sediment. For the same flood events in recent history, …

Accretion Of Warm Chondrules In Weakly Metamorphosed Ordinary Chondrites And Their Subsequent Reprocessing, Alex M. Ruzicka, Richard C. Hugo, Jon M. Friedrich, Michael T. Ream

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

To better understand chondrite accretion and subsequent processes, the textures, crystallography, deformation, and compositions of some chondrite constituents in ten lithologies of different cluster texture strength were studied in seven weakly metamorphosed (Type 3) and variably shocked ordinary chondrites (Ragland—LL3 S1, Tieschitz—H/L3 S1, NWA 5421—LL3 S2, NWA 5205—LL3 S2, NWA 11905—LL3-5 S3, NWA 5781—LL3 S3, NWA 11351—LL3-6 S4) using optical and electron microscopy and microtomography techniques.

Results support a four-stage model for chondrite formation. This includes 1) limited annealing following collisions during chondrule crystallization and rapid cooling in space prior to accretion, as evidenced by olivine microstructures consistent with dislocation …

Characterizing Groundwater Flow Across The Barrier Island-High Marsh Interface, Dean Michael Wrobel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The freshwater resources of barrier islands are influenced by a variety of hydrogeologic factors, which create unique regions of groundwater composition. Factors including evapotranspiration, geologic constraints, tidal forcing, and meteoric inputs influence subterranean flow creating a groundwater salinity gradient throughout the island-marsh setting which directly influences the spatial distribution of dominant vegetation on the island. Rising sea levels and variation in local climate may alter the hydrologic balance on barrier islands, potentially shifting salinity gradients and ecological baselines on short timescales. The intrusion of saltwater into the barrier island freshwater system could result in the shifting of ecotones and potential …

Exploring Intraplate Seismicity In The Midwest, Alexa Fernández

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Intraplate seismicity represents a notable occurrence within the stable North American Craton. This research explores the potential sources of stresses that could reactivate older faults and influence seismic activity within this region. Among these sources, the enduring impact of the last glacial period is considered, which includes continued glacial isostatic adjustments (GIA). During GIA the lithosphere rebounds due to the retreating ice, and the forebulge caused by far-field flexure in response to the glacial load, collapses. This results in significant faulting, fracturing, and seismic activity associated with the deglaciation phase. The adjustment of the lithosphere manifests as both near surface …

Sensitivity Of Present And Future Seasonal Precipitation Over Central United States To The Representation Of Rocky Mountain Topography, Ranasinghe Disanayakalage Sherly Shelton Ranathunga

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Precipitation change across the Central United States (USA) is of great interest to the research community. Studies using global climate simulations suggest that the “100^th-Meridian”, which separates the “dry west” from the “moist east” will shift to the east as the climate responds to future emissions pathways. However, these simulations are run at relatively coarse resolutions, which do not accurately represent topography. Here, we perform regional simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to explore the sensitivity of present and future precipitation patterns across the central USA to the representation of the Rocky Mountains (RM). We …

Upscaling Sapflow Measurements To Footprint Transpiration Estimations In The Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, Usa, Habibur R. Howlider

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study proposes a new method for computing transpiration across an eddy covariance footprint using field observations of plant sap flow, phytomorphology sampling, uncrewed aerial system (UAS) digital image processing, and eddy covariance micrometeorological measurements. The method is applied to the Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico where we address three key questions: (1) How do daily summer transpiration rates of Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and Creosote (Larrea tridentate) individuals of different ages compare? (2) How can the contributions of plants of varying sizes and ages be integrated for terrain-wide transpiration estimates? (3) What is the contribution of transpiration to total evapotranspiration …

Investigating Styles Of Contraction And Overprinting By Rio Grande Rift Extension In The Southern Indio Mountains, Western Texas, David W. West

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Laramide-style intracontinental deformation occurred throughout a large area in the western United States from the late Cretaceous through the Eocene. This event is largely investigated and viewed from classic exposures in Colorado and Wyoming, extending south to southern New Mexico. In this region the Laramide orogen merges with the Mexican fold and thrust belt (MFTB) and the northern limits of the Mexican orogen along a blurry boundary. In the Indio Mountain range in western Texas, Cretaceous sediments were deposited in the Jurassic-Cretaceous Chihuahua trough. They were inverted due to contraction and emplaced adjacent to the Diablo Plateau. This region lies …

Staying Fresh: Unconventional Approaches Towards Advancing Energy Sustainability, Water Resources, And Community Resiliency In The Southwestern United States, Judith Hoyt

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation addresses critical challenges in urban heat management, sustainable energy resource utilization, and water quality communication through three studies. Study 1 investigates the impact of roof color on urban heat islands in Tucson, Arizona where approximately 70% of roofs display high albedo (i.e., light) colors. Energy consumption simulations conducted indicate that converting dark- to light-colored roofs could save Tucson approximately $1,400,000 annually in energy costs, highlighting the potential of cool roofs for energy savings and improved thermal comfort. Study 2 assesses the sources of lithium in subsurface waters in West Texas and South Central New Mexico. Water chemistry data …

Shedding Light On Past Ice-Free Intervals In Northwest Greenland: Luminescence Dating Of The Base Of The Camp Century Ice Core, Hawke Woznick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The goal of this thesis is to provide greater resolution on the age and character of the subglacial sediment recovered from the base of the Camp Century ice core, northwestern Greenland. Geochemical analysis indicated that the upper sub-ice sediments were geochemically different and experienced greater weathering than the basal unit underlying a one-meter silty ice lens. Analysis of feldspars within the very fine sand fraction indicates they are dominated by potassium feldspar. Sediment was dated using luminescence, which provides an age for the last time sediment was exposed to light. Luminescence analysis returned ages around 420 thousand years old, which …

Rock Wall Fracturing As A Potential Control On River Valley Width In The Buffalo National River, Arkansas, Kindle Hon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantifying bedrock properties that control the persistence of fallen rock material (talus) along bedrock walls bounding river valleys may be a key factor in understanding what controls the rate at which these river valleys widen. My work is a component of a collaborative research project focused on the overarching hypothesis that the persistence vs. erodibility of talus that buffers river valley walls can be a first-order control on valley widening rates. I hypothesize that the primary control for creating erodible or persistent talus is the fracture spacing of bedrock valley walls as it sets the maximum block size of collapsed …

Environments And Controls Of Erosional Bedforms In Soluble Channels, Ethan W. Oleson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Erosional bedforms, such as scallops, preserve valuable information on the paleohydrologic conditions forming soluble channels in karst systems. While these bedforms are commonly used to interpret past conditions, questions about their formation remain. Mathematical models of speleogenesis in turbulent flow predict that the conditions for forming scallops do not occur in natural carbonate systems. However, scallops are readily found in caves throughout the world. This conundrum has several possible resolutions, but each lacks field-based observations. We present a field-based study of the environments and controls of scallops in gypsum, limestone, and dolostone caves. Our results are based on field observation, …