Geology Commons^™

Multiple Scales Of Beach Morphodynamic Processes: Measurements And Modelling, Jun Cheng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multiple scales of beach morphodynamic processes ranging from those of wave-breaking induced turbulence, individual wave, storm, seasonal, to inter-annual are examined in this dissertation based on both laboratory and field data. These processes were simulated using process-based numerical models and data-driven models.

At a microscale, separating turbulence from orbital motion under breaking waves in the surf zone is essential to understanding wave-energy dissipation. Velocity data under monochromatic and random waves in the large-scale sediment transport facility (LSTF) were analyzed. Moving averaging provides a simple method for extracting turbulence from velocity measurements under random breaking waves collected at a reasonably high …

Investigation Of The Mechanisms For Mobilization Of Arsenic In Two Asr Systems In Southwest Central Florida, Gregg William Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a strategy in which water is injected into an aquifer when it is plentiful and pumped from the aquifer when water is scarce. An impediment to ASR in Florida is leaching of naturally-occurring arsenic from limestone of the Upper Floridan Aquifer System (UFAS) into stored water. The concentration of arsenic in surface water, which serves as the recharge water for many ASR systems, and native groundwater is usually much less than 3.0 µ/L. However, data from ASR wells in Florida show that arsenic in recovered water frequently exceeded the 10 µg/L maximum contaminant level …

Phosphorus Sorption Dynamics In Shallow Groundwater, Coastal Everglades, Florida, Usa, Hilary Flower

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For this dissertation I studied phosphorus (P) sorption dynamics in the shallow groundwater of the southern Everglades. In particular, I examined how the ambient water type governs soluble reactive P (SRP) availability through adsorption/desorption reactions with the aquifer matrix. Chapter 2 investigated how P sorption dynamics of the mangrove root zone sediment are affected by high bicarbonate brackish groundwater compared to both fresh groundwater and saltwater. The results from chapter 2 show that the sediment exhibited exceptionally low sorption efficiency in the high bicarbonate brackish water, which would allow ambient water SRP concentration to be maintained at a higher level. …

Geophysical Evidence For Mid-Crustal Magma Reservoirs In The Lassen Volcanic Region, California, Samantha Catherine Tavarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regional-scale complete Bouguer gravity anomalies underlying the Lassen and Shasta -Medicine Lake regions in northern California and southern Oregon are associated with subduction of the Gorda plate beneath North America. These generally negative anomalies reflect where underplating has deepened to form the mantle wedge, and where subduction has given rise to a series of Quaternary volcanoes comprising the southernmost end of the Cascade range. Multiple conductive bodies were identified by Park and Ostos (2013) in their magnetotelluric (MT) study of the broader Lassen volcanic region. Their broadband and long period measurements were conducted along a 250 km profile spanning from …

Is Nubia Plate Rigid? A Geodetic Study Of The Relative Motion Of Different Cratonic Areas Within Africa., Mary Wambui Njoroge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Nubia plate is normally considered to be a rigid plate and as such used in the realization of terrestrial reference frame. Gondwana breakup plate reconstruction, the Cameroon volcanic line, seismicity, and the morphology of the Okavango rift zone (ORZ) suggest the presence of internal deformation within the Nubia plate. To test this hypothesis, six different reference frames were developed from the velocity field of three individual regions (West, Central and South), and of different combinations of them (West+Central, South+Central, and Nubia as a whole). The residual velocities with respect to these references frame help us understand the presence of …

Understanding Acceptable Level Of Risk: Incorporating The Economic Cost Of Under-Managing Invasive Species, Alisha D. Davidson, Chad L. Hewitt, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Management of nonindigenous species includes prevention, early detection and rapid response and control. Early detection and rapid response depend on prioritizing and monitoring sites at risk for arrival or secondary spread of nonindigenous species. Such monitoring efforts require sufficient biosecurity budgets to be effective and meet management or policy directives for reduced risk of introduction. Such consideration of risk reduction is rarely considered, however. Here, we review the concepts of acceptable level of risk (ALOR) and associated costs with respect to nonindigenous species and present a framework for aligning risk reduction priorities with available biosecurity resources. We conclude that available …

A College Level Geology Field Trip In Western Connecticut And Vicinity, Stanley Schleifer, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Keshaw Narine, Ezazul Haque, Ratan Dhar

Publications and Research

There are a number of excellent locations for field exposure for college students in, and around Western Connecticut. These are accessible for a one day field trip within striking distance of New York City, Bridgeport and New Haven, CT and other nearby locations. They are also suitable for an expanded weekend field trip. The field locations include; Kent Falls State Park, Kent, CT, Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, CT, the Hubbard Mining Museum, Kent, CT, Bash Bish Falls in Mt. Washington, Massachusetts, Macedonia Brook State Park in Kent, CT and various outcrops exposed along U. S. Route 7 north of …

So, You Want To 3d Print A Landscape? An Outline Of Some Methods, Dylan J. Mckevitt, Thomas L. Rice, Emily Jackson, Victoria Couser

Alumni Book Gallery

No abstract provided.

Ua24 Mcicsl Newsletter - November 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Partners Recognized for Water Quality Research at Mammoth Cave National Park and Increasing Diversity in the Geosciences

Texas A&M – Galveston Students Participate in Citizen Science at Mammoth Cave National Park

Northern Kentucky University and the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning to Host Partners in the Parks Program at Mammoth Cave National Park

as well as education and research highlights, and MCICSL symposium information

3d Geometric Morphometrics In Modern And Extinct Foot-Propelled Diving Birds: An Evaluation Of The Tarsometatarsus For Species Identification, Mackenzie E. Kirchner-Smith

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Hesperornithiformes (Aves: Ornithurae) were flightless foot-propelled diving birds that lived during the Late Cretaceous and have a good fossil record compared to most Mesozoic birds. Extinct taxa are often identified using fragmentary or isolated specimens, and several species of Hesperornis have been named from the morphology of the tarsometatarsus, often relying on size for taxonomic differentiation. However, little has been done to examine intraspecific variation in this bone and evaluate its use for taxonomic identification. To test for intraspecific and interspecific variation in the tarsometatarsus of hesperornithiforms, variation in extant members of the foot-propelled diving Gaviidae (loons) and Podicipedidae (grebes) …

Development And Validation Of A Physically Based Ela Model And Its Application To The Younger Dryas Event In The Graubünden Alps, Switzerland, Durban Gregg Keeler

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid rate of global warming currently underway highlights the need for a deeper understanding of abrupt climate change. The Younger Dryas is a Late-Glacial climate event of widespread and unusually rapid change whose study can help us address this need for increased understanding. Reconstructions from the glacial record offer important contributions to our understanding of the Younger Dryas due to (among other things) the direct physical response of glaciers to even minor perturbations in climate. Because the glacier equilibrium line altitude (ELA) provides a more explicit comparison of climate than properties such as glacier length or area, ELA methods …

Low-Shield Volcanism: A Comparison Of Volcanoes On Syria Planum, Mars And Snake River Plain, Idaho, Amanda Olivia Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Volcanoes are key indicators of a planet's internal structure, mechanics, and evolutionary history. Consequently, understanding the types and ages of volcanoes on a planet's surface is an important endeavor. In an attempt to better understand the relationship between morphometry and volcanic processes, we compared low-shield volcanoes on Syria Planum, Mars, with basaltic shields of the eastern Snake River Plain. We used 133 volcanoes on Syria Planum that are covered by Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) elevation data and 246 eSRP shields covered by the National Elevation Dataset (NED) for this comparison. Shields on Syria …

A Bat-Guano-Derived Δ15N And Δ13C Record Of Paleoenvironmental Change: Zidită Cave, Romania, Daniel Martin Cleary

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because nitrogen isotopes are fractionated along the soil-plant-insect-bat-guano pathway, it may be possible to reconstruct environmental and climatic changes reflected in the nitrogen isotopic composition of guano. A 1.5-m core of bat guano from Zidită Cave (western Romania) provides a record of climatic and anthropogenic influence on the regional nitrogen cycle and paleoenvironmental controls on nitrogen transforming processes. Increasing and decreasing trends of nitrogen isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N values) correspond well with changes in the influence of farming practices, deforestation, and forest expansion. These influences likely had a significant effect on the openness of the nitrogen cycle, resulting in …

Hydrothermal Speleogenesis In Carbonates And Metasomatic Silicites Induced By Subvolcanic Intrusions: A Case Study From The Štiavnické Vrchy Mountains, Slovakia, Pavel Bella, Ľudovít Gaál, Vladimír Šucha, Peter Koděra, Rastislav Milovský

International Journal of Speleology

Several caves of hydrothermal origin in crystalline limestones and metasomatic silicites were investigated in the central zone of the Štiavnica stratovolcano, Štiavnické vrchy Mountains, central Slovakia. Evidence of hydrothermal origin includes irregular spherical cave morphology sculptured by ascending thermal water, occurrence of large calcite crystals and hydrothermal alteration of host rocks, including hydrothermal clays. The early phases of speleogenesis in the crystalline limestone near Sklené Teplice Spa were caused by post-magmatic dissolution linked either to the emplacement of subvolcanic granodiorite intrusions during Late Badenian time or to the spatially associated Late Sarmatian epithermal system. Speleogenesis in metasomatic silicites in the …

The Vulnerability Of Indo-Pacific Mangrove Forests To Sea-Level Rise, Catherine E. Lovelock, Donald R. Cahoon, Daniel A. Friess, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Ken W. Krauss, Ruth Reef, Kerrylee Rogers, Megan L. Saunders, Frida Sidik, Andrew Swales, Neil Saintilan, Le Xuan Thuyen, Tran Triet

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Sea-level rise can threaten the long-term sustainability of coastal communities and valuable ecosystems such as coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves^1,2. Mangrove forests have the capacity to keep pace with sea-level rise and to avoid inundation through vertical accretion of sediments, which allows them to maintain wetland soil elevations suitable for plant growth³. The Indo- Pacific region holds most of the world’s mangrove forests⁴, but sediment delivery in this region is declining, owing to anthropogenic activities such as damming of rivers⁵. This decline is of particular concern because the Indo-Pacific region is …

Microgravity Methods- The National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Ky, Ric Fredrico, Brian Ham

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Possible Influences In Karst Regions Contributing To Harmful Algal Bloom Occurrences In Freshwater Lakes, Robert Schaefer, Jason Polk, Keegan Mcclanahan

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Origin Of Jewel Cave And How It Supports Cave Management Decisions, Mike Wiles

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Contaminant Mapping And Refugia: Hidden River Cave, Kentucky, Chris Smart, Caren Raedts

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Groundwater Flow In The Vicinity Of Patoka Dam, Indiana: Assessment Research To Support United States Army Corps Of Engineers Dam Safety Risk, Lee Anne Bledsoe, Chris Groves, Kenneth Henn, Jackie Row

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Lost River Karst Aquifer’S Hydrometeorological Response To Storm Events For Flooding And Water Quality Management, Logan Mitchell, Jason Polk, Kegan Mcclanahan

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Lost River Karst Aquifer’S Hydrometeorological Response To Storm Events For Flooding And Water Quality Management, Logan Mitchell, Jason Polk, Kegan Mcclanahan

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Discovery And Management Of Georgia Caves, Lasha Asanidze, Kukuri Tsikarishvili, Zaza Lezhava, Nana Bolashvili, Nino Chikhradze

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Dye Studies To Evaluate The Spill Response System For Mammoth Cave National Park, Jetara Brown, Rickard Toomey, Rick Olson, D. Solomon, Lonnie Sharp

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Potential Application Of Hugelkultur To Increase Water Holding Capacity Of Karst Rocky Desertified Land, Megan Laffoon, Albert Meier, Chris Groves

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Isotopic Evolution And Epikarst Mixing In A Telogenetic Karst System: Implications For Contaminant Transport And Groundwater Movement, Keegan Mcclanahan, Jason Polk, Benjamin Miller, Robert Schaefer, Carl Bolster

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Dripwater Chemistry And Land-Use Study At Diamond Caverns, Hart County, Ky: Science And Student Engagement At A Show Cave, Ethan Morgan, Andrew Wulff, Pat Kambesis, Chris Groves

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Building Resilience Against Karst Hazards: A Case Study Of The National Corvette Museum Sinkhole, Jason Polk, Ric Fredrico, Brian Ham, Daniel Nedvidek, Kegan Mcclanahan, Leslie A. North, Pat Kambesis, Mike Marasa

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Improving Stormwater Treatment Efficiency Based On Runoff Properties At Mammoth Cave National Park, Hung-Wai Ho, Rickard Toomey

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Ocean Forcing Of Quaternary East Antarctic Ice Sheet Evolution: An Ice-Proximal Sedimentary Perspective, Michelle E. Guitard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean play a critical role in Earth’s climate system. Antarctica’s ice sheets contain enough ice to raise global sea level by ~58 m, and the Southern Ocean distributes climate signals and nutrients to the major ocean basins and the deep ocean. Antarctica’s largest ice sheet, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), was considered stable compared to those in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula because it was thought to be grounded above sea level. However, subglacial topography now reveals vast submarine basins and measurements of ice velocity in the Pacific sector indicate marine-terminating outlet glacier thinning …