Sedimentology Commons^™

Temporal Scales Of Sediment Accumulation, Mass Wasting, And Stratigraphy Across The Mississippi River Delta Front, Jeffrey E. Duxbury

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Mississippi River Delta Front (MRDF) is a subaqueous apron of rapidly deposited, weakly

consolidated sediment extending from the subaerial portions of the Mississippi River’s Birdsfoot Delta, historically known for sediment transport via mass wasting. To better understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of processes influencing the MRDF, 29 cores ranging from 5.8 to 8.71 meters in length were collected from the South Pass (SP) and Southwest Passes (SWP). These cores targeted specific depositional environments, including the undisturbed topset apron, medial mudflow gully, mudflow lobe, and prodelta. The cores were analyzed along their full lengths for gamma density, grain size, …

Landslide At River's Edge: Alum Bluff, Apalachicola River, Florida, Joann Mossa, Yin-Hsuen Chen

Center for Geospatial Science, Education & Analytics Faculty Publications

When rivers impinge on the steep bluffs of valley walls, dynamic changes stem from a combination of fluvial and mass wasting processes. This study identifies the geomorphic changes, drivers, and timing of a landslide adjacent to the Apalachicola River at Alum Bluff, the tallest natural geological exposure in Florida at similar to 40 m, comprising horizontal sediments of mixed lithology. We used hydrographic surveys from 1960 and 2010, two sets of LiDAR from 2007 and 2018, historical aerial, drone, and ground photography, and satellite imagery to interpret changes at this bluff and river bottom. Evidence of slope failure includes a …

Sedimentary Archives Of Late Quaternary Limnological, Ecological, And Environmental Change In The Eastern Sierra Nevada (California, Usa), Bailee Hodelka

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Sierra Nevada essentially serve as the headwaters of California, providing crucial freshwater to the state through seasonal snowmelt. This water supply is threatened by climate change in complex ways that are not fully understood. Geological records provide a valuable source of information on how the hydrology, limnology, and ecology of the Sierra Nevada region has responded to climate changes of the past. This dissertation presents new sedimentary and paleoecological research from Mono Lake and Convict Lake (Mono County, California) and aims to shed light on environmental changes in the eastern Sierra Nevada from ~16 ka to present.

At Mono …

Stratigraphy And Osl Chronology Of Lunette Deposits Indicates That Nebraska’S Rainwater Basins Formed By Aeolian Deflation Between 39 And 25 Ka, P.R. Hanson, Robert Matthew Joeckel

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Provenance Of Clastic Sedimentation In Middle Deadfall Lake And Paleoclimate Modelling Of Glacier Fluctuations At Mount Eddy, Eastern Klamath Mountains, California, Usa, Emily Stebbins

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study reconstructs the timing, extent, and paleoclimate conditions associated with late Pleistocene glaciation in the Mount Eddy region of the eastern Klamath Mountains, northern California and investigates the provenance of clastic sedimentation in Middle Deadfall Lake, just east of Mt Eddy. Using a multi-pronged approach that combines geomorphic mapping, sediment core analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) geochemistry, tephrochronology, and glacier modeling using PalaeoIce 2.0, this research provides new insights into glacial dynamics and climate variability in a region with limited glacially derived paleoclimate datasets, as well as past volcanic eruption deposits.

Field and GIS-based geomorphic mapping identified three generations …

Seasonality Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Pathways In A Coastal Lagoon Revealed By Radium Isotopes: The Importance Of Porewater Exchange In Summer, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Valentí Rodellas, Marc Diego-Feliu, Andres Alcolea, Joaquín Jiménez-Martínez, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Francisco Pereira, Marisol Manzano, Javier Gilabert, Jordi Garcia-Orellana

OES Faculty Publications

Chemical fluxes supplied by Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) can be relevant for coastal ecosystems, particularly lagoonal environments. An appropriate understanding of SGD requires constraining the magnitude and composition of its different pathways. However, the evaluation of SGD pathways is often limited to independent estimations, lacking a comprehensive understanding of the groundwater processes at play. In this study, we combined a Ra mass balance and hydrogeological modeling to simultaneously estimate different SGD pathways flowing into a coastal lagoon. We assessed water fluxes derived from fresh SGD, long-scale recirculation of seawater, and porewater exchange (PEX) into Mar Menor, a highly anthropized coastal …

Microbial Mats In Dinosaur Ichnocoenoses, Nora Noffke, Paul C. Murphey, Roger C. Buntin, Martin G. Lockley

OES Faculty Publications

Until now, the significance of microbial mats in preservation of dinosaur tracks and in reconstructing the palaeoenvironment in which dinosaurs roamed was rarely studied. Dinosaur tracks are commonly found close to ancient aquatic bodies where moist sediment had once allowed footstep registration. At such sites, epibenthic or endobenthic microbial mats may have developed as well and may have led to exquisite track preservation. Microbial mats in coastal, lacustrine or flood plain environments cause ‘microbially induced sedimentary structures—MISS’, which are micobialites found in sandy or evaporitic settings. The microbial structures record environmental parameters including meteorological conditions that existed at the time …

Successful Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Recruitment On Intertidal Artificial Substrates In Virginia, Usa, Rochelle D. Seitz, Kathleen E. Knick, Emily Suchonic, Amanda Pysher

OES Faculty Publications

Declines of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations and scarcity of natural oyster shell necessitate quantifying the effectiveness of artificial oyster reef substrates over varying environmental conditions. Oyster castles are often used in intertidal areas with moderate wave energy; however, new concrete, natural-looking substrates, GROW Reef Tiles, are now available. Eastern oyster recruitment and size on oyster castles (OC) and GROW Reef Tiles (GT), with 27% higher surface area on OC, were assessed three times over 25 months in locations with varying salinity. Four sites in the Chesapeake Bay region were examined: Cherrystone Inlet, Mockhorn Bay, Elizabeth River, and …

Core-Top Constraints On The Ecology And Paleothermometry Of Planktic Foraminifera In The Indian Ocean, Ryan H. Glaubke, Elisabeth L. Sikes, Natalie E. Umling, Katherine A. Allen, Matthew W. Schmidt

OES Faculty Publications

The magnesium-to‑calcium ratio (Mg/Ca) of fossil foraminifera is a widely used geochemical proxy for reconstructing past ocean temperatures. Culturing experiments have shown that, for some species, nonthermal influences like salinity and carbonate chemistry play a non-trivial role in the incorporation of Mg into foraminiferal calcite. Inclusion of these variables into Mg/Ca calibrations have provided a better fit to core top and sediment trap data in some recent studies, but the widespread covariation of potential control variables in the open ocean and the lack of multivariate calibrations for some species warrants additional work. Here, we assess Mg/Ca calibrations for four common …

Elucidating The Role Of Marine Benthic Carbon In A Changing World, Cristina Schultz, Jessica Y. Luo, Damian C. Brady, Robinson W. Fulwiler, Matthew H. Long, Colleen M. Petrik, Jeremy M. Testa, Heather M. Benway, David Burdige, Marta M. Cecchetto, Isa Elegbede, Natalya Evans, Alexandra Frenzel, Kayla Gillen, Lisa C. Herbert, Heidi K. Hirsh, Gennadi Lessin, Lisa Levin, Kanchan Maiti, Sairah Malkin, Sarah L. Mincks, Stanley Nmor, Anh Pham, James Pinckney, Christophe Rabouille, Shaily Rahman, Subhadeep Rakshit, Nicholas E. Ray, Dalton K. Sasaki, Samantha A. Siedlecki, Christopher Somes, Aron Stubbins, Olivier Sulpis, Cleuza Trevisan, Yiyang Xu, Hang Yin

OES Faculty Publications

The ocean plays a major role in controlling atmospheric carbon at decadal to millennial timescales, with benthic carbon representing the only geologic-scale storage of oceanic carbon. Despite its importance, detailed benthic ocean observations are limited and representation of the benthic carbon cycle in ocean and Earth system models (ESMs) is mostly empirical with little prognostic capacity, which hinders our ability to properly understand the long-term evolution of the carbon cycle and climate change-related feedbacks. The Benthic Ecosystem and Carbon Synthesis (BECS) working group, with the support of the US Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry Program (OCB), identified key challenges limiting our …

Yucatan Hurricane Activity Highlights Common Era Tropical Cyclone Dipole, Richard M. Sullivan, Peter J. Van Hengstum, Elizabeth J. Wallace, Sloan Coats, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Robert Korty, Shawna N. Little, Martin G. Maas Vargas, Luis Mejia-Ortiz, Eduard G. Reinhardt, Courtney Schumacher, Anne E. Tamalavage, Tyler S. Winkler

OES Faculty Publications

Tropical cyclone (TC) impacts along the western Atlantic and Caribbean margin are not spatially uniform. Proxy based reconstructions of Common Era TC activity highlight this non-uniform distribution at centennial-millennial timescales. However, the sparse geographic scope of these reconstructions impedes our assessment of TC landfalls across broader spatial domains. This work presents a compilation of new and existing TC reconstructions from the Yucatan Peninsula for comparison with a contemporaneous compilation from New England, showing that these regions occupy distal nodes of a low-frequency TC dipole. Increased Yucatan (New England) storminess is closely linked to intervals of Northern Hemisphere warming (cooling) and …

Multi-Centennial Spatial Coherency Among Atlantic Tropical Cyclones From Simulated And Reconstructed Storm Records, Richard M. Sullivan, Elizabeth Wallace, Sylvia Dee, Gabiel A. Vecchi, Wenchang Yang, Kerry Emanuel

OES Faculty Publications

Proxy-based reconstructions of long-term Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) variability reveal low-frequency oscillations in regional TC landfalls over the Common Era. However, the limited spatial coverage and increased uncertainty of the proxy records complicates assessments of this feature. Here we present a new multi-ensemble set of synthetic TCs downscaled from the Last Millennium Reanalysis project, which is based on sea surface temperatures that more accurately reflect past conditions. Throughout ensemble members, there are coherent multi-centennial shifts in landfalls with persistent intervals of increased (decreased) occurrence along the eastern US concurrent with inverse activity in the southwest Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, …

Early Holocene Interaction Of Aeolian, Alluvial, And Lacustrine Processes In A Dune-Dammed Valley In The Central Nebraska Sand Hills, Gpsia Mahoney, R. D. Mandel, P.R. Hanson, Sherilyn Fritz

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Geochemical And Sedimentological Signals Of Bottom Water Oxygen Dynamics From Lake Tanganyika (Zambia), Njahi Mwangala

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Lake Tanganyika is a large, ancient freshwater body with exceptional biodiversity that is located in the East African Rift System. Lake Tanganyika’s size and longevity make its sedimentary record useful for understanding environmental changes that cross spatial and temporal boundaries. Lake Tanganyika is known to be susceptible to global warming given its tropical location. Over 12 million people living within Lake Tanganyika’s watershed rely on fishing for their income and nutrition. Changes to limnological function driven by climate could therefore have serious implications for human health and biodiversity conservation. This study focuses on using geochemical properties of modern lake bottom …

Late Holocene Paleolimnology Of Lake Tanganyika (East Africa), Leandro Domingos Luz

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Understanding the long-term responses of ecosystems to climate variability is crucial for predicting and mitigating future changes in the Afrotropics, a region where a significant portion of the population is highly vulnerable to extreme climatic events. Lake Tanganyika, the largest rift lake in East Africa, offers a unique sedimentary archive that can be used to investigate the limnological changes, hydroclimatic shifts, and vegetation dynamics across various timescales. A multi-proxy approach was employed to assess the landscape responses to hydroclimatic fluctuations in the Late Holocene, integrating paleoenvironmental records from radiocarbon-dated sediment cores. This approach involved sedimentology, mineralogy, geochemistry, phytolith analysis, and …

Geochronologic Constraints On The Meso-Neoproterozoic Tectonic Evolution Of Eastern Laurentia: An Investigation Of Sediment Recycling During And After The Grenvillian Orogeny, John M. Clay Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Grenvillian orogeny and Midcontinent Rift shaped the Mesoproterozoic basement of eastern Laurentia. Their convergence beneath Kentucky and Ohio formed a foreland basin, preserved as the Middle Run Formation. Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology constrains deposition to ~1.0 Ga, reflects Grenville unroofing phases, includes Midcontinent Rift input, and minor Ottawan components. This formation constitutes the most proximal preserved segment of the Grenvillian clastic wedge in Laurentia.

Neoproterozoic-Cambrian rifting followed by Cambrian transgression formed the Great Unconformity in eastern Laurentia. Detrital zircon and basement U-Pb ages from Kentucky and the Appalachians constrain sediment provenance and recycling. Kentucky basement shows Eastern Granite-Rhyolite crust …

Geochemical Assessment Of Sediment Flux In A Sediment Core From A Tidal Flat In A Tropical Estuary, Olumide Ajulo

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Sediment flux in estuaries is influenced by both natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Understanding the historical and current trends in sediment flux inputs and geochemical composition are essential for evaluating the estuary’s response to natural and human-induced changes and for developing effective environmental management strategies. The tropical Wouri Estuary in Cameroon receives water and sediment inputs from three main rivers draining urban, industrial, and agricultural areas, as well as different rock terrains. The complex inputs into the estuary can significantly affect sediment flux, consequently impacting the ecosystem. Thereby making an understanding of the temporal variations in sediment inputs in the …

Using Simulated Cascadia Fakequakes To Interpret Paleotsunami Patterns, Anthony M. Joyce

All Master's Theses

This study uses GeoClaw to simulate 8 instantaneous rupture test earthquakes and 48 stochastic earthquakes (Fakequakes) along the Cascadia Subduction Zone to better understand tsunami generation and propagation. The primary goal is to evaluate how variations in Fakequake rupture patterns affect tsunami heights at coastal sites in the Pacific Northwest. The study focused on comparing inner and outer coast wave heights and impacts to understand how the Olympic Peninsula provides a barrier of protection to inner coast sites from southern-generated tsunamis, and implications for tsunami hazard at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI).

Test earthquakes show increased amounts of slip …

Moderate Heating Renders 7.8-Million-Year-Old Sedimentary Organic Matter Bioavailable, Shuchai Gan, Verena B. Heuer, Frauke Schmidt, Lars Wormer, Faming Wang, Rishi R. Adhikari, Patrick Hatcher, Ann Pearson, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Marine sediments are a large reservoir of recalcitrant organic matter and host microbes at subsurface depths exceeding 2.4 kilometers and temperatures up to 120°C, yet the mechanisms supplying bioavailable substrates remain unclear. Here, we investigated 7.8-million-year-old sediment from IODP Site C0012 off the Nankai Trough, Japan, through incubations at 20°, 35°, 55°, and 85°C to simulate burial temperatures. Using 3D fluorescence spectroscopy and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, we tracked changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM). At 35°C, humic-like DOM was released alongside metal ions, exhibiting low bioavailability. At 55°C, abiotic decomposition of humic compounds generated smaller, more bioavailable DOM, promoting fermentation. …

Conservation And Survey Division 2024 Annual Report, R.M. Joeckel, Michele Waszgis

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The Conservation and Survey Division of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln is the agency designated by statute to investigate and interpret the geologically related natural resources of the State, to make available to the public the results of these investigations, and to assist in the development and conservation of these resources. It consists of program areas in geology, water, soils and remote sensing-geographic information systems.

Investigating The Thermal Stratification Patterns Of A Shallow Polymictic Boreal Shield Lake And The Effectiveness Of Models In Predicting Shallow Lake Thermal Profiles, Matthew Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Thermal stratification is a core process of lakes which plays a critical role in shaping the ecological dynamics of lakes, influencing major processes like nutrient cycling and oxygen availability. For shallow polymictic lakes, thermal stratification patterns present some unique differences due to the complex and variable nature of these lakes. In this thesis, I examined thermal stratification in a shallow polymictic lake in northwestern Ontario during the ice-free season of 2019 to investigate the frequency, duration, and driving factors of thermal stratification. The lake underwent 146 separate stratification events, with a median duration of 2 hours per event, with a …

A Paleobiological And Paleoecological Analysis Of Mississippian Trilobites With Segmentation Abnormalities, April Catherine Cerami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trilobites are a well-preserved group of arthropods, with a fossil record extending from the Cambrian to the end of the Permian. Abnormalities, such as injuries or teratological defects, have been observed and described in multiple individuals, although investigating how these abnormalities occur in populations has been largely overlooked.

One possible cause of abnormalities in marine arthropods is heavy metal pollution. Such metals can leave individuals more susceptible to teratological deformities and injuries, interfering with the molting and healing process. Here, methods for analyzing elemental composition and preservation of the trilobite cuticle were refined, finding that 30 μm thin sections are …