Geochemistry Commons^™

Environmental Assessment Of Arsenic And Mercury Levels At The Garfield Mill Site, Calico, California, Steven Gregory Thorp

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Environmental impacts of mining at Calico, California, are poorly understood in comparison to the details of its history of silver production. Human health risks associated with arsenic from the lode rock, as well as mercury from the silver milling process, include central nervous system damage, organ failure, and death. To quantify the potential human health risk and manage remediation of this site, tailings from the Garfield Mill site were digitally mapped and chemically analyzed by portable x-ray fluorescence, which permitted volumetric estimates of total mill tailings and the arsenic and mercury budget, as well as identification of anomalies in the …

Organic/Inorganic Interfacial Interactions Affecting Metal Reactivity: Water Treatment And Sensor Applications, Mohamed Nabil Shaikh

Civil Engineering ETDs

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the interactions occurring at the organic – inorganic interface between solid media and aqueous contaminants for water treatment and sensor applications. The gaps in current literature on these interfacial organic-inorganic interactions must be bridged in order to develop advanced water treatment and monitoring technologies for improving water quality and thus, restore and protect the contaminated water resources. As a part of this dissertation, manganese oxides-based composites and electrospun polymer mats were developed and investigated for gaining mechanistic insights of organic (bisphenol A and acetaminophen) and inorganic (uranium) contaminants removal, respectively. These reactions …

Fluid-Mobile Trace Element Variability Of Serpentinites And Entrained Crustal Rocks Across The Mariana Forearc System, Raymond M. Johnston

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the Mariana subduction system, active serpentinite mud volcanoes are associated with the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Philippine plate in a non-accretionary convergent plate margin. This location offers a unique opportunity to study the subduction zone interface with little crustal contamination. The systematics of fluid-mobile trace elements (FME) (As, Cs, Rb, Sb, Tl, Pb, and Sr) in erupted serpentinite muds and entrained serpentinized ultramafic and mafic clasts can place constraints on the release of slab-derived fluids from the downgoing plate, and ultimately the pressure/temperature (P/TC°) conditions at which these fluids are mobilized.

The samples analyzed in this …

Assessing Diagenetic Conditions In The Late Triassic Chinle Formation Through Petrographic And Geochemical Analysis Of Phytosaur Teeth, John Fortner

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The Upper Triassic (Norian; ~227-208 Ma) Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest (PeFo) National Park was deposited during a time of major tectonic breakup and profound changes in atmospheric circulation and faunal compositions. Little has been done however to assess whether surficial paleoenvironmental trends related to deterioration of the Late Triassic Megamonsoon resulted in similar trends in the early diagenetic environment. Here, we use phytosaur tooth dentin as a proxy for diagenetic conditions in the Chinle of PEFO, as its greater susceptibility to chemical alteration relative to enamel makes it an excellent substrate from which changing diagenetic conditions may be studied …

A Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle Control On The Metallogenic Signature Of Post-Subduction Magmatism, David A. Holwell, Marco Fiorentini, Iain Mcdonald, Yongjun Lu, Andrea Giuliani, Daniel J. Smith, Manuel Keith, Marek Locmelis

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ore deposits are loci on Earth where energy and mass flux are greatly enhanced and focussed, acting as magnifying lenses into metal transport, fractionation and concentration mechanisms through the lithosphere. Here we show that the metallogenic architecture of the lithosphere is illuminated by the geochemical signatures of metasomatised mantle rocks and post-subduction magmatic-hydrothermal mineral systems. Our data reveal that anomalously gold and tellurium rich magmatic sulfides in mantle-derived magmas emplaced in the lower crust share a common metallogenic signature with upper crustal porphyry-epithermal ore systems. We propose that a trans-lithospheric continuum exists whereby post-subduction magmas transporting metal-rich sulfide cargoes play …

Supporting Dataset For Chloride Source Delineation In An Urban-Agricultural Watershed, Deicing Agents Versus Agricultural Contributions, Eric Wade Peterson, Andrew Oberhelman

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Analyses (n = 535) of chloride (Cl^-), bromide (Br^-), nitrate as nitrogen (NO₃-N), sodium (Na⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), and potassium (K⁺) in stream water, tile-drain water, and groundwater were conducted in an urban-agricultural watershed (10% urban/impervious, 87% agriculture) to explore potential differences in the signature of Cl^- originating from an urban source as compared to an agricultural source. Water samples were collected on a weekly interval from February 2018 to February 2019 at three station along the stream and from tile drains and wells. Nearly all surface water …

Assessing Bioavailability, Metal Fractionation, Magnetic Susceptibility, And Organic Matter Interactivity In Mine-Waste Contaminated Sediments In Turkey Creek, Joplin, Missouri, Zachary Joseph Collette

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Joplin, Missouri, part of the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), has a long history of mining that resulted in mine waste piles proximal to the mines throughout the area. A local lead smelter also resulted in smelter fallout in Joplin. Mine waste pile runoff and local smelter fallout resulted in contamination of sediments, soils, and waterways. In the 1990s, remediation of residential soils and play areas began after blood lead levels in children were much higher than the national average. Soon afterwards, the chat piles were removed and used for beneficial reuse purposes. In May of 2011, an EF5 tornado devastated …

Insights Into The Evolution Of The Galápagos Archipelago And Its Mantle Source From Monogenetic Near-Island Seamounts, Darin M. Schwartz

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Lavas erupted at ocean island volcanoes are classically used as probes of the deep Earth, with ultimate goals of discerning the compositional heterogeneity, structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle. However, sampling restricted to volcanic islands and large, submarine volcanic constructs alone likely results in limited spatial resolution of the mantle’s composition and structure, owing to homogenization in sub-island magma reservoirs. Further, islands provide poor temporal resolution given that their multigenetic construction can overprint any time progressive chemical variations and they subside with age making detailed sampling difficult. For my dissertation I investigate whether seamounts surrounding islands in the Galápagos …

Stable Isotope And Geochemical Characterization Of Nutrient Sources In The Big Creek Watershed Of Northwest Arkansas, Kelly Robin Sokolosky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The establishment of a concentrated animal-feeding operation (CAFO) in Newton County, Arkansas near Big Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo National River, has raised concern over potential degradation of water-quality in the watershed. In this study, isotopic tools were combined with standard geochemical approaches to characterize nutrient sources and dynamics in Big Creek. An isotopic and geochemical reference library of potential nutrient sources in the Big Creek watershed was established by direct sampling of representative potential sources, including septic-system effluent, poultry litter, swine and cattle manure, and CAFO waste lagoons. Representative nutrient sources and Big Creek stream samples were analyzed …

Biogeochemical Controls Of Surface Ocean Phosphate, Adam C. Martiny, Michael W. Lomas, Weiwei Fu, Philip W. Boyd, Yuh-Ling L. Chen, Gregory A. Cutter, Michael J. Ellwood, Ken Furuya, Fuminori Hasshihama, Jota Kanda, David M. Karl, Taketoshi Kodama, Qian P. Li, Jian Ma, Thierry Moutin, E. Malcolm S. Woodward, J. Keith Moore

OES Faculty Publications

Surface ocean phosphate is commonly below the standard analytical detection limits, leading to an incomplete picture of the global variation and biogeochemical role of phosphate. A global compilation of phosphate measured using high-sensitivity methods revealed several previously unrecognized low-phosphate areas and clear regional differences. Both observational climatologies and Earth system models (ESMs) systematically overestimated surface phosphate. Furthermore, ESMs misrepresented the relationships between phosphate, phytoplankton biomass, and primary productivity. Atmospheric iron input and nitrogen fixation are known important controls on surface phosphate, but model simulations showed that differences in the iron-to-macronutrient ratio in the vertical nutrient supply and surface lateral transport …

Provenance And Maximum Depositional Age Analysis Of The Moenave Formation Using Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology And Sandstone Petrography, Asher Rea Boudreaux

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In southwestern Utah and northeastern Arizona, Moenave Formation (latest Triassic(?)-Jurassic) is bracketed by well-studied Mesozoic units extensively sampled for detrital zircon geochronology and is poorly documented in regard to provenance, representing an important gap in knowledge. The Moenave Formation provides a unique opportunity to employ detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and sandstone petrography relevant to completing the paleogeographic, evolutionary, and climatic story of the region. This study aims to characterize the sedimentary provenance of the Moenave Formation and to identify, or at least improve constraints on, the stratigraphic position of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (TJB) and placement of the end-Triassic extinction (ETE), …

The Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks Of The Ouachita Mountains And Their Genetic Relationship To The Mississippi Valley-Type Mineralization In The Southern Ozark Region: Insights From Radiogenic Pb Isotopes And Trace Elements Studies, Christophe Wakamya Simbo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cluster of Pb and/or Zn deposits of the well-known Tri-State and Northern Arkansas Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) districts located north of the Arkoma basin and the Ouachita fold-thrust belt in north America are genetically connected to the Pennsylvanian-Permian Ouachita orogeny which triggered a South-North topographic gradient flow of basinal brines, leaching metal rich sediments en route. The objective of the research is twofold. First, to ascertain whether the organic-rich shales and sandstones from the study area provided metals during the mineralization event, which was coeval with the Ouachita orogeny. Second, to assess the depositional environment of the potential source rocks, …

Constraining The Oxygen Values Of The Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway Using Marine Bivalves, Camille H. Dwyer

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Western Interior Seaway (WIS) remains an oceanographic enigma, including its circulation, similarity to the open ocean, and the fidelity of geochemical proxies to reconstruct paleoenvironments. Across the late Campanian and early Maastrichtian I test whether: 1) the WIS had unique δ¹⁸O_VPDB compared to other marine settings, 2) increasing oceanographic restriction changed the stable isotope composition, and 3) biases, e.g., taxonomy or diagenesis, influenced stable isotope compositions. Results indicate distinct δ¹⁸O_VPDB in the WIS compared to other marine settings. δ¹⁸O_VPDB values were stable through time, suggesting insignificant oceanographic restriction and a …

Natural Salinization Of The Jemez River, New Mexico: An Insight From Trace Element Geochemistry, Jon K. Golla

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Jemez River, a tributary of the Rio Grande in north-central New Mexico, receives thermal water input from the geofluids of the Valles Caldera, an active, high-temperature, liquid-dominated geothermal system. We focus on a ∼50-km portion of the northern Jemez River. This research extends previous decadal work (Crossey et al., in prep., 2013) on major chemistry in the river by characterizing the response of 16 trace elements to geochemical contributions from geothermal waters (McCauley, Spence, Soda Dam, and Jemez Springs springs and San Ysidro mineral waters), an area with copious hydrothermal degassing (Hummingbird), and two major tributaries (Rio San Antonio …

Identifying Characteristics Of Actionable Science For Drought Planning And Adaptation, Adam Wilke, Amanda Cravens

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Changing climate conditions can make water management planning and drought preparedness decisions more complicated than ever before. Federal and State natural resource managers can no longer rely solely on historical trends as a baseline and thus are in need of science that is relevant to their specific needs to inform important planning decisions. Questions remain, however, regarding the most effective and efficient methods for extending scientific knowledge and products into management and decision-making. This project analyzed two unique cases of water management to better understand how science can be translated into resource management actions and decision-making, focusing particularly on how …

A New Plumbing System Framework For Mantle Plume-Related Continental Large Igneous Provinces And Their Mafic-Ultramafic Intrusions, Richard E. Ernst, Dustin A. Liikane, Simon M. Jowitt, K. L. Buchan, J. A. Blanchard

Geoscience Faculty Research

The magmatic components of continental Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) include flood basalts and their plumbing system of giant mafic dyke swarms (radiating, linear, and the recently discovered circumferential type), mafic sill provinces, a lower crustal magmatic underplate, mafic-ultramafic (M–UM) intrusions, associated silicic magmatism, and associated carbonatites and kimberlites. This paper proposes a new plumbing system framework for mantle plume-related continental LIPs that incorporates all of these components, and provides a context for addressing key thematic aspects such as tracking magma batches “upstream” and “downstream” and their geochemical evolution, assessing the setting of M-UM intrusions and their economic potential, interpreting deep …

Evaluating Fluid Fluxes From Deep-Sea Seepage Habitats, Leigha E. Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The permanently dark deep-sea, located at oceanic water depths greater than 200 m, represents the largest potential habitat space on Earth. The physicochemical conditions of the planet’s largest biome are tightly coupled to the exchange of matter and energy from terrestrial and sea-floor end-members. In fact, global ocean and climate systems are significantly impacted by deep-sea processes. Seafloor vents and seeps appear to act as geologic exchange conduits, returning recycled materials to the hydrosphere to sustain another generation of life. Despite submarine seepage having control on global elemental cycling, it is estimated that less than 1% of the deep-sea has …

Stable Isotope Geochemistry Of Shelled Marine Invertebrates: Wide-Ranging Applications, Nasser M. Al-Qattan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mollusks grow by adding discrete growth layers throughout their lifetime (i.e., accretion). More specifically, most marine mollusks precipitate their shells in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with seawater or with a constant offset from equilibrium. The stable oxygen isotope values (δ¹⁸O) of their shells are determined by the temperature and δ¹⁸O values of the surrounding water during calcification without significant vital effects. In comparison, the stable carbon isotope values (δ¹³C) of their shells reflect those of the dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C- DIC) and respired carbon dioxide. Therefore, variations in the oxygen and carbon isotope …

An Estimation Of Lower Tropospheric Mixing Derived From Inverse Modeling Of Boundary Layer Water Vapor Isotopologues On Graciosa Island, Azores, Jacquelyn M. Delp

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Recent studies have shown water vapor isotopologues to be sensitive tracers of mixing processes that govern low-cloud feedback in climate models. In this study, we develop an inverse model (MBL Mix inverse model) that uses one year of isotope and humidity observations from Graciosa Island, Azores to estimate mixing for four seasons. We show the dry end-member of the model, the lower free troposphere (LFT), can be represented using Rayleigh fractionation. Isotope observations from Graciosa Island are compared to other field locations to discuss controls on isotopic variability other than mixing. Output from the MBL Mix inverse model shows the …

Limitations To Photosynthesis In Silver Bow And Blacktail Creeks, Isaiah Robertson

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Throughout Silver Bow Creek’s history, consideration of the photosynthetic communities that make heterotrophic life possible have often been overlooked since macroinvertebrates made up a majority of ecosystem health assessments. Silver Bow Creek has had minimal biological research outside of macroinvertebrate surveys, especially as it pertains to photosynthetic organisms. This study assessed the photosynthetic communities of Silver Bow Creek and their limitations by limiting available light and comparing uptake of nutrients during a 23-day incubation experiment conducted at four sites along the flow of Silver Bow Creek and Blacktail Creek. At each site, nine one-liter microcosms, filled with creek water and …