Geology Commons^™

Geotherms From The Temperature-Depth–Constrained Solutions Of 1-D Steady-State Heat-Flow Equation, Dhananjay Ravat, P. Morgan, A. R. Lowry

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

We use the Curie depth derived from spectral analysis of near-surface magnetic anomaly data to constrain the solution of a one-dimensional (1-D) steady-state heat-flow equation. The method, in addition to anchoring the geotherm at deep levels in the crust, yields the ratio of radiogenic heat pro- duction to thermal conductivity. We evaluate the utility of this constraint in two granitic regions in the United States where radiogenic heat production, thermal conductivity, and heat flow are well determined. We also examine the results of this method in the context of previous research in the central Red Sea and coastal Saudi Arabia. …

Spatiotemporal Slip Rate Variations Along Surprise Valley Fault In Relation To Pleistocene Pluvial Lakes, Brian N. Marion

All Master's Theses

Using mapped paleoshoreline features with high-resolution topographic data and obtained radiocarbon dates on paleoshoreline tufas, I documented precise fault offsets of dated features over the last 25 ka along the Surprise Valley Fault (SVF). Fault offset measured in three lake sections within Surprise Valley ranged from 3.6 m in the southern section to 14.4 m in the central section. The offset paleoshorelines are dated to the late Pleistocene (<22 >ka) and were formed during the latest impoundment of pluvial Lake Surprise since the last glacial maximum. Slip rates vary along strike, assuming a fault dip of 68° with 0.25 ± …

Fluid Release During Eclogite Formation, North Qaidam Terrane, Western China, Jake M. Meyer

All Master's Theses

Ultrahigh-pressure (UHP, depths ≳100 km) eclogite samples from the Dulan area of the North Qaidam Terrane, western China, preserve evidence of fluid release along a prograde pressure-temperature (P-T) path. Eclogite sample D126A, Grt + Omp + Qtz + Zo + Amp + Phe + minor Rt + Hem, contains garnet porphyroblasts that preserve strong Ca zoning, recording higher core values (Grs₃₄), lower inner mantle values (Grs₂₅), increasing outer mantle values (Grs₂₈), and lower rim values (Grs₂₆). Isochemical phase diagrams (pseudosections), assuming H₂O saturation, produce a P-T path constrained by multiple …

Investigating Taphonomic Changes Of Deposits And Modeling Of The 2010 Earthquake And Tsunami In South-Central Chile, Alexandra Carranco Ruiz

All Master's Theses

South-central Chile has an extensive written catalog of historic earthquakes and tsunamis, but such records can be subject to inconsistencies. Dated tsunami deposits are more objective data that provide hard evidence of past tsunamis. The inland extent of deposits from past tsunamis (paleodeposits) can be used in tsunami modeling to reveal characteristics of the source earthquake, but these deposits may have undergone taphonomic processes since initial deposition. Therefore, to determine how tsunami deposits change during burial and preservation and the potential limitations of using paleodeposits in modeling, I investigated the modern 2010 M_w 8.8 Maule earthquake and tsunami as …

Documenting Mantle And Crustal Contributions To Flood Basalt Magmatism Via Computational Modeling Of The Steens Basalt, Southeast Oregon, Sylvana J. Bendaña

All Master's Theses

Flood basalts are enormous volcanic events with volumes of volcanic cover and intrusive equivalents that are affected by and significantly affect the crust. Steens Basalt represents 31,800 km³ of flood basalt lavas that erupted in eastern Oregon ~16.8 Ma in less than 300,000 years. Analytical data of flows from a 1 km vertical exposure at Steens Mtn. documents time-transgressive changes in composition of two geochemically distinct units: (1) lower Steens, MgO-rich lavas with lower incompatible trace element concentrations and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, and (2) upper Steens, MgO-poor, with higher incompatible trace element concentrations and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. …

Evolution Of A Flood Basalt Crustal Magmatic System: In Situ Mineral Data And Computational Modeling Of The Steens Basalt, Megan Graubard

All Master's Theses

Flood basalts are gigantic basaltic eruptions that modify the mass of the crust via intrusion of mantle-derived magma, and change its composition through interaction between magma and crust. The Steens Basalt, located in southeast Oregon, erupted approximately 16.8 million years ago, and is the oldest member of the Columbia River Basalt Group, the youngest and best-exposed flood basalt province on Earth. The Steens Basalt has an eruption volume of approximately 31,800 km³ and the duration of eruption is estimated to be between ~50,000 and 300,000 years. Major- and trace element whole rock data from 111 stratigraphically controlled samples from …

Black Carbon Concentrations From A Tibetan Plateau Ice Core Spanning 1843–1982: Recent Increases Due To Emissions And Glacier Melt, Susan Kaspari, Matthew Jenkins, Shi-Chang Kang, Bjorn Grigholm

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Black carbon (BC) deposited on snow and glacier surfaces can reduce albedo and lead to accelerated melt. An ice core recovered from Guoqu glacier on Mt. Geladaindong and analyzed using a Single Particle Soot Photometer provides the first long-term 5 (1843–1982) record of BC concentrations from the Central Tibetan Plateau. The highest concentrations are observed from 1975–1982, which corresponds to a 2.0-fold and 2.4-fold increase in average and median values, respectively, relative to 1843–1940. BC concentrations post-1940 are also elevated relative to the earlier portion of the record. Causes for the higher BC concentrations include increased regional BC emissions and …

Gravity And Magnetic Investigations Of The North-Eastern Kansas Section Of The Midcontinent Rift System, Ozgun Kamil Sahin

Masters Theses

"The Midcontinent Rift System (MRS) is a major Precambrian magmatic province on the North American continent. It formed when the North American craton began to split apart during the Mesoproterozoic era (1,100 Ma). As a result of the extension and possibly the effects of a rising mantle plume, a thick layer of basalt and numerous reverse and normal faults were formed. The basalt layer is buried below sedimentary formations and makes it difficult for seismic techniques to image. On the other hand, gravity and magnetic methods can be utilized for focused depths, and the basalt layer of the system can …

2d Seismic Data And Gas Chimney Interpretation In The South Taranaki Graben, New Zealand, Taqi Talib Alzaki

Masters Theses

"The Taranaki Basin is one of the major oil and gas producing basins offshore New Zealand. The study area covers an area of 10,000 km² in the basin, and includes 171 2D seismic lines and six wells, which are provided by the New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals. Some previous studies refer to the study area as the South Taranaki Graben.

This thesis provides detailed mapping and interpreted subsurface stratigraphy and structure of five horizons, i.e. basement top, Pakawau Group top, Kapuni Group top, Wai-iti Group top, and seafloor. It undertakes studies of the relation between the basin evolution, faults, …

Phytoforensics Tools: The Degradation And Detection Of Chlorinated Solvents In Integrated Systems, Tommy J. Goodwin Jr.

Masters Theses

"Due to decades of mismanaged pollutants entering groundwater, subsurface pollution of various compounds has become a widespread challenge. Chlorinated solvents are the most common groundwater contaminants that persist in aquifers, and remediation of these wide-spread plumes is difficult. Bioremediation, permeable reactive barriers, and phytoremediation are remedial technologies that have been developed and applied to chlorinated solvents in groundwater systems. This study integrates these technologies in different combinations to demonstrate the remediation potential of this approach. Zerovalent iron (ZVI) and bioaugmentation with a Dehalococcoides sp. (DHC) culture were applied separately and in combination for degradation of perchloroethene (PCE). Salix pentandra were …

Imaging Reinforced Concrete: A Comparative Study Of Ground Penetration Radar And Rebarscope, Abhishek Kodi

Masters Theses

"Geophysical techniques have been playing a very vital role in subsurface imaging in the recent past. Technology has been making it both reliable and convenient to utilize non-destructive geophysics techniques like Ground Penetration Radar, Induction current based Rebarscope, Seismic methods, ERT, etc. The applications range from shallow subsurface investigation of Bridge decks to old tunnels, mapping of rabars in a pre-existing construction and analyzing the concrete strength.

The thesis constitutes of a comparative study and analysis of a Ground Penetration Radar system and a Rebarscope. Individual parameters obtained directly from the study and obtained indirectly from the study shall be …

3d Seismic Structural And Stratigraphic Interpretation Of The Tui-3d Field, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, Gorkem Yagci

Masters Theses

"Identifying seismic structures and stratigraphy are important for exploration of hydrocarbons. The purpose of this study is to discover seismic structural and stratigraphic features and to utilize the results for interpreting depositional environments. A 3D seismic dataset from the Tui-3D Field, the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand with well data were used to visualize structures, to detect stratigraphic features, to identify main lithology, to understand depositional environment, and to describe seismic facies and reflection patterns of the target horizons. The major formations are in the Kapuni Group.

Seismic structural interpretation indicates thirty-two minor faults, which may play an important role in …

Variable Stress Orientations In The Offshore Nile Delta: The Role Of Salt As A Mechanical Detachment Horizon, Weicheng Zhang

Masters Theses

"The offshore Nile Delta is characterized by variations of the maximum horizontal stress orientation in subsalt and supra-salt sequences. Margin-parallel SH, typical for tertiary deltas, is observed for regions that are below or do not contain evaporites. In sequences underlain by evaporates pre-dominantly margin-normal SH is observed. This observation yielded the first conclusive in situ evidence that salt acts as a mechanical detachment layer. In this study, 3D finite element analysis (FEA) is used to simulate the total stress distribution in the offshore Nile Delta featuring evaporate sequences. Several parameters such as different salt sequence geometries, friction coefficient on faults, …

Structural Analysis And Fluid Flow Modeling Of The Kapuni Field, New Zealand, Jarret Taylor Baldwin

Masters Theses

"The Taranaki Basin is the largest hydrocarbon producing basin in New Zealand. A total area of over 330,000 km

Periclinal Folding In Ozark Plateau: A Record Of Local Karst Collapse Or Regional Tectonic Forces?, Chao Liu

Masters Theses

"The Ordovician Rubidoux Formation of the Ozark Plateau, Missouri is typically identified as mechanically competent sub-horizontal beds of medium grained sandstone. North of Licking, MO, the Rubidoux Formation was deformed into a series of dome-and-basin shaped buckle folds, exposed in road cuts over a distance of ~10 km. Such folds are highly unusual within the Ozark Plateau and their origin remains controversial. Three major hypotheses have been proposed based on field observations and stereographic analysis. Given the pervasive distribution of karst collapse throughout Missouri, one hypothesis to explain these folds is that the Roubidoux Formation sagged into collapsed caverns. A …

Origin Of Lacustrine Carbonate-Dominated Clinoforms In The Lower-Permian Lucaogou Low-Order Cycle, Southern Bogda Mountains, Nw China, Yiran Lu

Masters Theses

"Lacustrine carbonate clinoforms deposit can reflect ancient lake condition like paleoclimate and lake type. Complex lithofacies of a carbonate-dominated clinoform package in lower Permian Lucaogou low order cycle, Bogda Mountains, NW China, provide clues on clinoform-forming processes in a half-graben lake. The clinoform package is ~5.2 m thick, prograding from S to N for ~200 m with a maximum 15o dip angle, and spans ~4 km laterally. A clinoform consists of a lower siliciclastic-rich and an upper carbonate-rich beds, forming a clinoform cycle. Results of petrographic study of 30 thin sections suggest that the clinoform package is composed of mixed …

Provenance And Depositional Environments Of Fluvial-Lacustrine Sandstones Of Lower Permian Lucaogou Low-Order Cycle, Bogda Mountains, Nw China, Xiaowei Peng

Masters Theses

"Compositional and textural maturity of sandstones may reflect provenance lithology and sediment transport distance, which are useful for paleogeographic reconstruction. 37 sandstones in six outcrop stratigraphic sections in Tarlong-Taodonggou and Zhaobishan areas in the greater Turpan-Junggar rift basin were studied to investigate the fluvial-lacustrine sandstone provenance in lower Permian Lucaogou (LCG) low-order cycle, Bogda Mountains, NW China. 400 points were counted in each thin section. All the samples are classified into lithic arenites, subarenites, wackes, and mudrocks. Three Petrofacies are defined. Petrofacies A is characterized by a high lithic content which is dominantly basaltic lithics with minor sedimentary lithics and …

Avon Alkaline Igneous Province, Missouri: Characterization Of Subcontinental Mantle Source And Evolution Via Chemical Analysis Of Olivine, Zachary William Freeman

Masters Theses

"This article presents the crystallization age of, and composition of olivine phenocrysts within an alnoite of, the Avon Alkaline Igneous Province (AAIP) of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri. The AAIP is an ultramafic igneous province consisting of approx. 80 known intrusives of diverse lithology and texture. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹ Ar geochronology indicates an emplacement age of 386 +/- 1 Ma, which establishes the AAIP as the only known Devonian-age ultramafic igneous body in the Midwestern U.S. Study of the AAIP provides a unique opportunity to characterize the Devonian-age subcontinental mantle and the processes that generated the suite of ultramafic rocks present …

Paleogeogra Detrital Zircon Geochronology Of Upper Cambrian To Lower Mississippian Siliciclastic Strata Of The Ozark Dome And Vicinity, Bing Li

Masters Theses

"Siliciclastic strata exposed in the Ozark Dome provide Late Cambrian to Late Cretaceous snapshots of an evolving paleogeology and regional to far-field tectonic events. U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the arkosic base of the Upper Cambrian Lamotte Formation reflect first cycle derivation from the adjacent ca. 1.31-1.48 Ga Granite-Rhyolite province, with subsidiary input from ca. 1.6-1.7 Ga Mazatzal basement. Feldspathic arenites near the top of the Lamotte Sandstone also contain significant quantities of detrital zircon grains of these ages, with additional peaks centered at ca. 2.7 and ca. 1.1 Ga, signaling the onset of extra-regional detrital input most likely …

Quantifying Exceptionally Large Populations Of Acropora Spp. Corals Off Belize Using Sub-Meter Satellite Imagery Classification, James Busch, Lisa Greer, David Harbor, Karl Wirth, Halard Lescinsky, H. Allen Curran, Kirsten De Beurs

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Caribbean coral reefs have experienced dramatic declines in live coral cover in recent decades. Primary branching framework Caribbean corals, Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) and Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816), have suffered the greatest collapse. Coral Gardens, Belize, is one of few remaining, and perhaps the largest, refugia for abundant, healthy, but undocumented populations of both Acropora species in the Caribbean Sea. In the present study, GeoEye-1 multispectral satellite imagery of a 25 km2 reefal area near Ambergris Caye, Belize, was analyzed to identify live Acropora spp. cover. We used a supervised classification to predict occurrence of areas with live Acropora spp. …

Origin Of Late Holocene Strandplains In The Southern Exuma Islands, Bahamas: Progradation, Ephemeral Highstands, And Storminess, Michael Savarese, H. Allen Curran

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Reprinted from: Bosiljka Glumac & Michael Savarese (eds.), Proceedings of the16th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions:San Salvador, Gerace Research Center

Subaerial Seeps On Holocene Carbonate Eolian Strata From Cat Island, Bahamas, Bosiljka Glumac, H. Allen Curran, Sarah Brisson

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Reprinted from: Bosiljka Glumac & Michael Savarese (eds.),Proceedings of the 16th Symposium of the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions: San Salvador, Gerace Research Center

Microstructure And Deformation Mechanism Analysis Of Carbonate Rock Located In An Anticline, Natalie R. Zidd

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Rock samples were collected from the Tensleep formation in the Seminoe Mountains located in Carbon County, Wyoming. These samples were analyzed to determine the deformation mechanisms operating during small scale displacement faulting. There are three distinct zones included in the sample which includes the undeformed Tensleep, fine grained layers with grain size variation, and porous layers with grain size variation. The microstructures in the fine grained layer were consistent with deformation by crystal plastic deformation mechanisms; whereas, the microstructures in the porous layer were consistent with brittle deformation mechanisms. The microstructures in these rocks are nearly identical to those observed …

Controls On Joint Formation During Glacial Unloading Of The Sharon Sandstone At Gorge Metropark, Akron, Ohio, Abigail N. Ritter

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The transition between significantly different materials is known to inhibit crack propagation, i.e. automobile glass, machinable ceramics and joints in different lithologies. In order to determine if a significant material transition, or a surface, such as a bedding plane, has a greater impact on inhibiting joint formation, I investigated discontinuous joints that formed during glacial unloading of the Sharon Sandstone, which is exposed at Gorge Metropark in Akron, Ohio. The Sharon Sandstone is a medium grained quartz arenite of Early Pennsylvanian age with significant cross-bedding, and contains many continuous (i.e. through-going), and discontinuous, joints in similar orientations. Stress fields created …

Regional Geochemical Mapping Of The Superior Upland Province; Ichnology Of The Cretaceous Mesilla Valley Formation, Cerro De Cristo Rey; A New Ichnospecies Of Cardioichnus From The Cretaceous (Albian) Of New Mexico; A Pedagogy For The Cerro De Cristo Rey Tracksite; Walking In The Footprints Of Dino, Eric J. Kappus

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This is a multi-disciplinary study that covers a variety of geoscience topics on both international borders of the continental United States. This Dissertation is the product of several separate investigations. First is a report on the landscape geochemistry of the Superior Upland Province of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with regional maps of 37 chemical elements interpreted in terms of bedrock, glacial reworking, and anthropogenic influence. The next 2 sections are reports on the invertebrate ichnology of the Cretaceous Mesilla Valley Formation at Cerro de Cristo Rey, including the proposal of a new ichnospecies of echinoid resting trace, Cardioichnus biloba nov. …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 41, 2016, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Stratigraphy And Extent Of The Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer, Mchenry County, Il, Usa, Drew C. Carlock, Jason F. Thomason, David H. Malone, Eric W. Peterson

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Quaternary glacial till, outwash, lake sediments, and loess compose the surficial deposits of McHenry County, Illinois. Much of the landscape of McHenry County were formed by at least three separate advances of the Harvard Sublobe of the Wisconsin Episode Lake Michigan Lobe, which was part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. This project focuses on the delineation of the stratigraphy and extent of the Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer. The Pearl-Ashmore Aquifer is the combination of the proglacial outwash of the Wisconsin Episode Ashmore Tongue of the Henry Formation and the youngest outwash associated with the Illinois Episode, which is the Pearl Formation. A …

Land Use Regulation And Access To Amenities: Exploring Spatial Equity Using Gis, Robert B. Thompson

Theses

No abstract provided.

Rhyolite And Trachyte Formation At Lake City Caldera: Insight From Quantitative Textural And Geochemical Analyses, Jordan Lubbers

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lake City Caldera (22.93 ± 0.02 Ma) is the youngest of 15 Tertiary calderas found within the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field (SRMVF). Extreme topographical relief of the area reveals the three dimensional exposure of a complex, high-k calc-alkaline, magmatic system, which provides us with the opportunity to study, in detail, how large silicic magmas evolve in the subsurface. The Lake City igneous system is comprised of two major units: a resurgent syenite intrusion and the Sunshine Peak Tuff (Lower, Middle, and Upper). Bulk-rock analyses indicate that the Lower and Middle Sunshine Peak tuff are crystal poor and rhyolitic in …

Modeling Spring Catchment Discharge: A Case Study Of Candela, Panama, Central America, Jordan P. Van Sickle

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Where the proper geological and hydrological conditions exist, natural springs have provided a reliable source of clean water to mankind for eons. Changing climates and land development can negatively impact spring source replenishment and threaten their reliability as a source of water. In the face of prospects of diminishing supplies and increasing population demands, community leaders question whether and how to invest in development for enhancing sustainability and protecting water quality, causing water managers to dispute their reliability given decreasing flows. Springs located in the rugged jungle of western Panama serve as the primary water supply for many indigenous communities, …