Geology Commons^™

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Bowling Green North 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Warren County, Kentucky, Meredith Swallom, Matthew Massey, Wes Buchanan, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Hannah Hayes, Charles Wells Iii, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Bowling Green North 7.5-minute quadrangle is located in Warren County immediately north of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Regionally, the quadrangle includes parts of the Pennyroyal and Mammoth Cave plateau, both within the Mississippian Plateaus physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). The Dripping Springs escarpment, which separates the lower-elevation Pennyroyal from the higher-elevation Mammoth Cave plateau is highly dissected in the quadrangle. Topography in the Pennyroyal is characterized by pervasive sinkhole development across the low-relief Pennyroyal, which is mostly underlain by the Mississippian St. Louis Limestone, Ste. Genevieve Limestone, and Girkin Formation (Shawe, 1963). Higher-relief topography is restricted to the slopes of the …

Assessing Compressed Air Energy Storage (Caes) Potential In Kentucky To Augment Energy Production From Renewable Resources, J Richard Bowersox, John B. Hickman

Report of Investigations--KGS

Fossil fuel power plants in Kentucky have some of the highest emissions of greenhouse gasses in the United States. One potential strategy for mitigating greenhouse gasses from electric power generation is the co-installation of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) and a renewable source such as photovoltaic solar electricity generation (PV solar generation). CAES with complementary co-installed PV solar generation enhances stand-alone PV solar generation because CAES power is available at night.

CAES, however, requires both a site where large volumes of compressed air can be stored in the subsurface, and a heat source to prepare the stored air prior to …

Using 3-Dimensional Mapping To Determine The Possibility Of Structural Control On Development Of The Upper Ordovician Lexington Limestone, Central Kentucky, U.S.A., Sean Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The upper Lexington Limestone of Late Ordovician age has been interpreted to represent a structurally controlled, complex, facies mosaic. This facies mosaic has historically been interpreted to be a carbonate buildup of shoal complexes with interbedded shale units with intertonguing facies. Due to relatively recent advances in geographic-information-systems (GIS) mapping technologies, it is possible to generate three-dimensional (3-D) compatible maps to offer insight to the complexities of the upper Lexington Limestone and to determine if structural control affected the distribution of members. The resulting two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D maps show that basement faults likely exerted a significant influence on facies …

A Source-To-Sink Analysis Of The Pantanal Basin (Brazil): Implications For Weathering, Erosion, And Landscape Evolution In The World's Largest Wetland, Edward L. Lo

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Large back-bulge retro-arc basins have limited information about the sediment composition, yet they comprise important parts of the stratigraphic rock record. The exorheic Pantanal Basin is the world's largest continental wetland that regulates many valuable ecosystem services (water storage, nutrient cycling, agriculture, ranching, tourism, and transportation). This dissertation is composed of three studies that utilize a suite of tools to examine the most fundamental basin-wide source-to-sink sediment processes and controls that affect the characteristics and distribution of modern sediments.

The first paper consists of a metadata analysis of 76 shallow tropical floodplain lakes in the literature with bathymetric data and …

Data From: The Geography Of Glaciers And Perennial Snowfields In The American West, Andrew G. Fountain, Bryce Glenn, Hassan J. Basagic

Geology Faculty Datasets

A comprehensive mid-20th century inventory of glaciers and perennial snowfields (G&PS) was compiled for the American West, west of the 100° meridian. The inventory was derived from U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000 topographic maps based on aerial photographs acquired during 35 years,1955–1990.

Datasets From: Application Of Aerial Insar To Measure Glacier Elevations, Bryce Glenn, Andrew G. Fountain, Delywn Moller

Geology Faculty Datasets

In September 2016 NASA flew an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (GLISTIN) over most of the glacier-covered regions of the coterminous USA for the purpose of mapping the surface elevation of the glaciers. Where multiple passes were flown over the same ground track, the data were mosaiced together to improve data coverage and elevation accuracy. These data are to be used with elevations collected by past and future efforts to calculate volume change of glaciers.

The data were the basis for:

Glenn, Bryce Allen, "Assessing Airborne Radar to Map Glacier Elevations in Alpine Terrain Including Estimated Glacier Volume Change …

Effects Of Lead Exposure On Birds Breeding In The Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District, Rebecka Brasso, Danielle Cleveland, Frank R. Thompson Iii, David E. Mosby, Kathy Hixson, Melissa Roach, Barnett A. Rattner, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Julia S. Lankton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Lead mining in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District began in the 1700s and continued for nearly 300 years; the waste piles associated with smelting, mining, and milling of lead ores have released metal residues that have contaminated soil and water in the region. Previous studies in the district have indicated potential harm to wildlife, including birds, because of elevated lead concentrations associated with mining. Exposure to soil-borne lead was correlated with elevated lead concentrations in tissues, inhibition of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δALAD), and renal lesions in birds foraging on ground-dwelling invertebrates at contaminated sites (compared to reference sites) in …

A Miocene Nannofossil Biostratigraphic Case Study: Alaminos Canyon Block 627 And Mississippi Canyon Block 555, And Sedimentation Rates In The Gulf Of Mexico, Bethany L. Cobb Faulk, Murlene W. Clark

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The Miocene sediments of 2 deep—water boreholes from the northern Gulf of Mexico, from Alaminos Canyon (AC) Block 627 and Mississippi Canyon (MC) Block 555, have been biostratigraphically analyzed using calcareous nannofossils, revealing changes in sedimentation rates and depositional environments between these 2 areas. High nannofossil abundance values and low sedimentation rates generally recorded in the Alaminos Canyon region suggest a condensed section during much of the Miocene, associated with a basinal environment. Mississippi Canyon exhibits lower nannofossil abundance and higher sedimentation rates compared to Alaminos Canyon during the majority of the Miocene. Increased sediment volumes are largely attributed to …

The Influence Of Pre-Existing Structures On Fracture Systems In The Jurassic Surat Basin, Queensland, Australia, Sirirat Khamsaeng

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Pre-existing structures can influence the spatial distribution and geometry of subsequent fractures in sedimentary basins. In Queensland, Australia, contractional structures in the Permian-Triassic Bowen Basin control fracture development in the overlying Jurassic Surat Basin, where the Precipice sandstone is targeted for geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). Understanding the influence of pre-existing structures in the Bowen Basin on fracture systems in the Surat Basin is vital for the site selection process of CO2 geological storage projects in Queensland. This study focuses on the NW-SE trending Miles Thrust Fault (MTF) and its associated fault-propagation folds in the Bowen Basin, aiming to …

Berriasian–Valanginian Geochronology And Carbon-Isotope Stratigraphy Of The Yellow Cat Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Eastern Utah, Usa, Robert M. Joeckel, Celina A. Suarez, Noah M. Mclean, Andreas Möller, Gregory A. Ludvigson, Marina B. Suarez, James I. Kirkland, Joseph Andrew, Spencer Kiessling, Garrett A. Hatzell

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The Early Cretaceous Yellow Cat Member of the terrestrial Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah, USA. has been interpreted as a “time-rich” unit because of its dinosaur fossils, prominent paleosols, and the results of preliminary chemostratigraphic and geochronologic studies. Herein, we refine prior interpretations with: (1) a new composite C-isotope chemostratigraphic profile from the well-known Utahraptor Ridge dinosaur site, which exhibits δ¹³C features tentatively interpreted as the Valanginian double-peak carbon isotope excursion (the so-called “Weissert Event”) and some unnamed Berriasian features; and (2) a new cryptotephra zircon eruption age of 135.10 ± 0.30/0.31/0.34 Ma (2σ) derived from the CA-ID-TIMS …

Co2 Enhanced Oil Recovery: Greener Oil, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and stages of oil production. Includes benefits, safety information, and how North Dakota oil fields can utilize EOR.

Comparison Of Groundwater Chemistry And Associated Biodiversity Of Sulfidic Karst Habitats In Southcentral Kentucky, Kendall Wheeler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In most ecosystems, primary production is conducted by plants or photosynthetic microbes; however, extremophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria can use hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) as an electron donor to produce metabolic energy in a type of metabolism called chemoautotrophy. These ecosystems are a prominent feature of some karst landscapes, and two have been observed in the Mammoth Cave system, Sulphur River in Parker Cave and Marianne’s Pass in Mammoth Cave National Park respectively.

Sulfidic water is ubiquitous in southcentral Kentucky and is strongly associated with hydrocarbon deposits. This oil boom of the 1880s in this region predates most environmental regulation and records …

Hypogene Speleogenesis In The Grand Canyon; Observational, Mineralogical, And Geochemical Investigations From The Bopper Cave System, Sierra Heimel

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

One of the most prominent features of the Grand Canyon is the iron-stained Redwall Limestone, which has been documented to contain extensive cave systems with significant storage potential in the karstic Redwall-Muav (R-M) aquifer. The hydrogeologic relationships between the R-M aquifer and cave formation in the Grand Canyon via descending (epigenic) surface waters have been well documented. However; the potentially large role of deeply sourced (hypogenic) waters rising from depth in relation to cave formation is poorly understood. The Bopper Cave System (BCS) is a relict feature of the ancient abandoned hydrologic system at Grand Canyon and displays unique network …

Field Tests Of A Uav-Compatible Spectrometer To Evaluate Its Suitability For Detailed Soil Radon Potential Mapping, Alexandria Briahnne Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

As part of ongoing research on radionuclide mapping and radon hazard characterization, field tests were performed to evaluate the suitability and limitations of a UAV-compatible gamma spectrometer. To date, this data set includes completed stationary data collection, mobile ground collection, multi-level UAV flights over a known material transition, as well as redundant ground and multi-level UAV data collection over a relatively uniform area. Total counts were used as a measure of soil radionuclide levels for our data collected above background. Although our test sites were in regions underlain by bedrock with high indoor radon levels, uranium counts were barely above …

Closing The Modern Seismic Gap Along The Teton Fault Via Seismic Mapping Of Mass Transport Deposits In Jackson Lake, Wy, Callia Jacqueline Cortese

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Terrestrial paleoseismological records along the Teton fault have historically indicated two-to-three major post-Pinedale (~14 ka) earthquake events, leaving an unresolved 6-9 m offset along the modern scarp. Recent studies of Jenny Lake have augmented this record, but the triggering mechanism is still equivocal until new paleo-earthquake records are developed. The earthquake record of the Teton fault is complicated by quiescence from ~5 ka to present, demonstrating the need for additional paleoseismic investigations. Compressed, high-intensity radar pulse (CHIRP) reflection data from Jackson Lake indicates multiple potentially seismically-induced mass transport deposits (MTDs). At least six MTD Groups representing chronostratigraphic intervals were interpreted …

The Appalachian System Of Basins And Platforms As A Tectonostratigraphic Analogue To The Barents Sea Shelf: Where Arctic Meets The Appalachians, Gustavo De Aguiar Martins

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Divided between Norway and Russia, the Barents Sea shelf (BSS) is an ~1.4 million km² Arctic province, containing significant hydrocarbon accumulations. However, much of the area is frontier, and geologic data are often restricted or unavailable. One strategy to mitigate lack of geologic data is the use of analogues from well-known, mature basins. Even though there have been attempts to use analogues to study the geology of the BSS, such use is limited. Moreover, no analogue, to my knowledge, has been capable of addressing the regional tectonostratigraphic development of the shelf as a whole.

In this research, the Appalachian …

Applications Of Digital Terrain Modeling To Address Problems In Geomorphology And Engineering Geology, Sarah Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This dissertation uses digital terrain modeling and computational methods to yield insight into three topics: 1) evaluating the influence of glacial topography on fluvial sediment transport in the Teton Range, WY, 2) integrating regional airborne lidar, UAV lidar, and structure from motion photogrammetry to characterize decadal-scale movement of slow-moving landslides in northern Kentucky, and 3) applying machine learning methods to surficial geologic mapping.

The role of topography as a boundary condition that controls the efficiency of fluvial erosion in the Teton Range, Wyoming, was investigated by using existing lidar data to delineate surficial geologic units, geometrically reconstruct the depth to …

Dynamics And Timescales Of Magmatic Processes At Cerro Uturuncu, Bolivia, Sarah Jane Rasor

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Between 12-25°S latitude there is prolific volcanism fueled by the Altiplano-Puna Magmatic Body (APMB), a mid-crustal magma body above the 30° angle subduction of the Nazca plate and within 60-70 km thick South American crust. Cerro Uturuncu, a stratovolcano constructed above the center of the APMB, can provide insight to the evolution of the APMB over time. Previous research suggests that the APMB is more homogenous near its center as opposed to its edges. However, the processes that led to greater homogenization as well as the structure of the magma body below Cerro Uturuncu remain unknown. This research contributes greater …

Magma Residence Times And Pre-Eruptive Processes As Determined By Diffusion Geospeedometry And Textural Analysis—Lascar Volcano, Chile, Bennett G. Van Horn

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Petrographic textural analysis and geochemical microanalysis of plagioclase phenocrysts was conducted to model near-liquidus residence times and to gain further insight into processes that occurred within the magma chambers sourcing historical explosive eruptions at Láscar Volcano (NE Chile). Plagioclase crystals were analyzed from representative samples of Stages II (Soncor ignimbrite), III (Tumbres scoria deposit), and IV (Talabre lava, 1993 Plinian eruption). I used laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, which was combined with previously collected electron microprobe analyses and electron backscatter images to build a representative dataset of major- and trace element contents, as well as the zoning patterns and …

The Anatomy And Phylogeny Of A New Large Plioplatecarpine Mosasaur From The Campanian Bearpaw Shale Of Montana (Usa), Richard A. Carr

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

In 2018, a large and associated plioplatecarpine mosasaur skull, pectoral girdle, and rib cage, whose total body length may have exceeded five meters, was uncovered in the Late Campanian Bearpaw Shale of Northeast Montana (USA). Phylogenetic analysis of this specimen, MOR 10855, recovers this individual as a basal member of the genus Plioplatecarpus. This specimen, is unique in that it is estimated to be nearly twice the size of any of the other species of Plioplatecarpus found in the Western Interior Seaway during this part of the Cretaceous. While the included phylogenetic study suggests MOR 10855 represents a new …