Geology Commons^™

Polygonal Faults In The Austin Chalk: Invariance Of Scale From Mud Cracks To Polygons With Implications Of Structural, Geomorphic And Isotopic Data On Polygonal Fault Geometry And Origin., Kun Shang

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The Cretaceous Austin Chalk contains large numbers of fractures and normal faults whose orientations have been attributed to either regional stresses (e.g., the Balcones fault trend) or, by analogy with the mudrocks, to polygonal faulting resulting from compaction. In this study, we present geomorphic data, field study, and stable isotope data to support that the majority of these faults in North Texas are polygonal. Field-measured fault orientations suggest randomly distributed fault strikes, indicating a polygonal fault structure. Using geomorphologic data (topographic and DEM data) on stream orientations suggests that the polygonal fault patterns are best reflected in the headwater (1st …

Impact Of Lithological Variation And Topology On The Connectivity And Intensity Of Fracture Networks In Carbonates, Fahad Qassim

Dissertations & Theses in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Assessing fracture network connectivity in reservoirs remains a challenging task because of the complex nature of fracture networks at various length scales, which significantly impacts fluid flow behavior. Outcrop studies are essential for understanding subsurface fracture networks because intersecting fracture sheets' length, orientation, height distribution, and, therefore, network connectivity and intensity are difficult to measure from wellbores and are typically below seismic resolution. Nevertheless, fracture network connectivity is a crucial parameter and a critical factor in understanding, evaluating, and predicting fluid flow behavior in hydrocarbon reservoirs, aquifers, hazardous waste and CO₂ storage systems, and geothermal energy exploitation. Moreover, fracture …

Evaluating Snow And Ice Cover In Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, Zoe Pitman

Geosciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Evaluating changes in snow and ice cover is an important field for studying climate change and its impacts. This evaluation is commonly done using remote sensing because of its ability to evaluate large areas. The purpose of this study is to determine the reliability of one remote sensing technology, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), by comparing it to in-situ snow and climate data from the weather station at the Austral Center for Scientific Research (CADIC). Data was converted from daily to monthly averages and was sorted into a series of graphs to compare the two data sets. Correlations were …

Late Holocene Slip History Of The Central Garlock Fault, Mojave Desert, California, James Eric Burns

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study investigates the late Holocene slip history of the central Garlock Fault, using measurements of left-lateral offsets of alluvial features from airborne and hand-held LiDAR imagery, drone photogrammetry, and field measurements. IRSL dating of the offset late Holocene alluvial deposits was compared to published paleoseismic records to estimate the number of earthquakes that contributed to the offsets. Focus was given to geomorphic features offset in the past 1-4 earthquakes. Results indicate the average slip per earthquake was about 5.75 m (range: 4.75 to 6.25 m) in the past four events in the El Paso Mountains (EPM) and was 4.3-7.3 …

Experimental Methodologies In Assessing Ceramic Shrinkage In Residual Fingerprints For Archaeological Application, Luke Aaron Burnor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research evaluates the extent of ceramic shrinkage using a natural clay source that was locally available and known to be used by native populations in the American Southwest. The experiment took into account variables of temper mixture and firing temperature to assess the extent and potential need for shrinkage calibration in archaeological biometric research (specifically fingerprints). An experimental design was employed to test shrinkage rates while accounting for natural temper materials found frequently in the archaeological record including sand, grog, and quartz. The experiment evaluated whether shrinkage rates may have skewed data collected in previous studies regarding sex and …

Testing Pedagogical Approaches To Online Lecture: Effects Of Background Music And Interactive Video Series On Student Retention Of Prior Conception-Correcting Information On Climate Change, Roya Franseth

Honors Projects

Climate change is a pervasive element in our modern lives, yet many harbor ideas about climate change and associated climate mechanisms that are misinformed or incorrect. Ideas like these – prior conceptions (ideas that people carry with them into learning experiences about a subject) – are studied in varying degrees across fields. The geosciences do not have a particularly robust collection of research on the subject of geoscience-specific prior conceptions. At the same time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, alternatives to in-person lecture such as online lecture have become normalized. The original aim of this paper was to determine if …

Interspecies Differences In Food Sources For The Tropical Callichirid Shrimp Neocallichirus Spp. On San Salvador Island, Bahamas, Koji Seike, H. Allen Curran

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

At least 4 species of callichirid shrimp coexist in the shallow marine settings of San Salvador Island, an isolated, small platform of the all-carbonates Bahama Archipelago, implying that interspecific competition or trophic niche segregation occurs between these shrimp species. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were conducted on soft tissues of 3 callichirid species, Neocallichirus cacahuate, N. grandimana, and N. maryae, to determine the food sources for each species. These analyses revealed that the isotopic trophic niches for these 3 species do not overlap. The most important food source for all 3 species was manatee grass Syringodium filiforme …

Carbonate Microfacies Of The Middle To Upper Pennsylvanian Cache Creek Group At Meadow Lake, British Columbia, Canada, Brennen Leidy

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Modeling Spatial Distributions Of Tidal Marsh Blue Carbon Using Morphometric Parameters From Lidar, Bonnie Turek

Masters Theses

Tidal marshes serve as important “blue carbon” ecosystems that accrete large amounts of carbon with limited area. While much attention has been paid to the spatial variability of sedimentation within salt marshes, less work has been done to characterize spatial variability in marsh carbon density. Driven by tidal inundation, surface topography, and sediment supply, soil properties in marshes vary spatially with several parameters, including marsh platform elevation and proximity to the marsh edge and tidal creek network. We used lidar to extract these morphometric parameters from tidal marshes to map soil organic carbon (SOC) at the meter scale. Fixed volume …

Snow Distribution And Influence In Taylor Valley, Antarctica, Using Remote Sensing, Katherine Mcnulty, Peter Doran, Mark Salvatore, Suniti Karunatillake

LSU Master's Theses

The McMurdo Dry Valleys is the largest ice-free area in Antarctica, but seasonal snow covers the valley floors sporadically throughout the year. In this study, a model to estimate areal snow coverage from satellite imagery was created. An area-volume model was created to estimate the amount of snow water equivalent (SWE) from the snow area extracted from the imagery. Snow cover influences the total albedo, the hydrologic budget, and the soil moisture and soil temperature in Taylor Valley (TV). Quantifying snow precipitation in TV is challenging because snow redistributes with winds, sublimates, or melts within a short period. Previous estimates …

Spot1328 Meira Spit, Robert C. Mahon, Elizabeth J. Trower, Benjamin P. Smith, Tyler A. Lincoln, Juliana Olsen-Valdez, John S. Magyar, Cedric J. Hagen

2D Wave Spectral Data, South Arm, Great Salt Lake, Utah

Data in this folder are produced by a SoFarOcean Spotter wave buoy deployed along the south arm of the Great Salt Lake, near Antelope Island State Park from the period of July 13, 2021 through June 28, 2022, in relatively shallow water, approximately 1.6m.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Water depths for #1328 (Miera Spit) started at ~1.7 m, but dropped rapidly to 0.9 m on July 15, 2021 and dropped further to ~0.4 m on August 17, 2021. The timing of these rapid water depth changes matches the timing of buoy location changes when the anchor was dragged inshore by waves. When …

2021 Particle Grain-Size And Total Organic Content Analyses Of Surface Sediments From Puget Sound And Elliott Bay Near Seattle, Wa, Ethan Hoang

Environmental Science Undergraduate Theses

Seattle’s Elliott Bay has been a particularly intriguing area in regards to anthropological activities and their effects on the surrounding environment. The construction of the city brought about the displacement of sediment around the bay, resulting in lower quality sediments that negatively impact the nutrient cycles in the benthic zone. This project’s examination of total organic carbon and particle size in sediment serves as a baseline to which scientists can refer in monitoring future sediment health. To determine this baseline, UW Tacoma obtained sediment samples from Washington State Department of Ecology’s Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program. The samples were analyzed …

New Surficial Geologic Mapping In Kentucky (2021-2022), Matthew Massey, Antonia Bottoms, Max Hammond Iii, Ann Hislop, Meredith Swallom, Michele M. Mchugh

Kentucky Geological Survey Research Data

New surficial geologic mapping was performed in nine new 7.5-minute quadrangles in Hardin, Meade, Breckinridge, Grayson, Hart, and Larue Counties, Kentucky.

Quadrangles include Big Clifty, Big Spring (Hardin county only), Custer (Hardin County only), Flaherty, Madrid (Hardin county only), Millerstown, Summit, Tonieville (Hardin county only), and Upton.

Mapping data for each of the nine quadrangles is captured in a ZIP file that contains an ESRI geodatabase and associated FGDC-compliant metadata files (.xml).

The geodatabase is a relational geodatabase of spatial and non-spatial data that conforms to "GeMS (Geologic Map Schema)--a standard format for digital publication of geologic maps", available at …

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2022, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Sue Olafsen Lackey, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Jeffrey Westrop

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Geological Survey Landslide Inventory [2023-03], Matthew M. Crawford

Kentucky Geological Survey Research Data

The KGS landslide inventory provides the locations of known landslides and areas susceptible to debris flows. Various types of landslides are represented including slides, flows, rockfalls, and creep. The data are available as ArcGIS geodatabase feature classes. Landslide locations and associated attributes are compiled from Kentucky Geological Survey research, published maps, state and local government agencies, the public, and media reports. A confidence ranking system assigns a value to each feature. A description of the feature classes is here: https://kgs.uky.edu/kgsmap/helpfiles/landslide_help.shtm

The inventory viewed in a GIS with geology, soils, slope or other terrain-based data can serve as a basis for …

Late Neoarchean To Middle Paleoproterozoic Geology Of Devon And Ellesmere Islands, Canadian Arctic, Joshua P. Laughton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The northernmost exposure of the Laurentian shield in Canada outcrops on Devon and Ellesmere islands within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Due to the remote location, the basement rocks of these islands have received little attention. From this study, zircon crystallization ages demonstrate that Devon Island is underlain by a late Neoarchean terrane comprising orthogneisses emplaced at ca. 2.55–2.51 Ga and an interleaved metasedimentary sequence deposited at ca. ≥2.47 Ga. On northern Devon Island, younger metasedimentary sequence(s) were deposited at ca. 2.2–1.9 Ga and intruded by ca. 2.01–1.95 Ga granitoids. Devon and Ellesmere islands experienced widespread metamorphic activity associated with the …

Picture Gorge Basalt: Internal Stratigraphy, Eruptive Patterns, And Its Importance For Understanding Columbia River Basalt Group Magmatism, Emily Bogdan Cahoon, Martin J. Streck, Anthony A.P. Koppers

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Picture Gorge Basalt (PGB) of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) has been previously thought to be limited in its eruptive volume (<3000 >km³) and thought to not extend far from its type locality. At present, PGB represents only 1.1 vol% of the CRBG with a relatively limited spatial distribution of ~10,000 km². New age data illustrate that the PGB is the earliest and longest eruptive unit compared to other main-phase CRBG formations and that some dated basaltic flows reach far (~100 km) beyond the previously mapped extent. This study focuses on extensive outcrops of …

Coral Gardens Reef, Belize: An Acropora Spp. Refugium Under Threat In A Warming World, Lisa Greer, H. Allen Curran, Karl Wirth, Robert Humston, Ginny Johnson, Lauren Mcmanus, Candice Stefanic, Tara Clark, Halard Lescinsky, Kirah Forman-Castillo

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Live coral cover has declined precipitously on Caribbean reefs in recent decades. Acropora cervicornis coral has been particularly decimated, and few Western Atlantic Acropora spp. refugia remain. Coral Gardens, Belize, was identified in 2020 as a long-term refugium for this species. This study assesses changes in live A. cervicornis coral abundance over time at Coral Gardens to monitor the stability of A. cervicornis corals, and to explore potential threats to this important refugium. Live coral cover was documented annually from 2012– 2019 along five permanent transects. In situ sea-surface temperature data were collected at Coral Gardens throughout the study period …

The Fate Of Carbonate Rocks During Hypervelocity Impacts: Case Studies From Three Impact Structures On Earth, Nicolas D. Garroni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Approximately 28% of all hypervelocity impact structures discovered on Earth exist in a carbonate-dominated target sequence. Despite decades of research, how carbonate rocks and minerals react to shock metamorphism is still poorly understood. In this contribution, three impact structures on Earth were studied to determine the effects of shock metamorphism on carbonate minerals: Chicxulub, Crooked Creek and Jebel Waqf as Suwwan.

At Chicxulub, carbonates from the impact-melt bearing breccia of drill core, M0077A were characterized petrographically and geochemically. Calcite was the only carbonate mineral present and is abundant throughout the impact breccia in five distinct varieties: limestone clasts …

Seismic Azimuthal Anisotropy Beneath A Fast Moving Ancient Continent: Constraints From Shear Wave Splitting Analysis In Australia, Kailun Ba, Stephen S. Gao, Jianguo Song, Kelly H. Liu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Seismic Azimuthal Anisotropy Beneath Australia is Investigated using Splitting of the Teleseismic PKS, SKKS, and SKS Phases to Delineate Asthenospheric Flow and Lithospheric Deformation Beneath One of the Oldest and Fast-Moving Continents on Earth. in Total 511 Pairs of High-Quality Splitting Parameters Were Observed at 116 Seismic Stations. Unlike Other Stable Continental Areas in Africa, East Asia, and North America, Where Spatially Consistent Splitting Parameters Dominate, the Fast Orientations and Splitting Times Observed in Australia Show a Complex Pattern, with a Slightly Smaller Than Normal Average Splitting Time of 0.85 ± 0.33 S. on the North Australian Craton, the Fast …