The Oligocene West Elk Breccia: Evidence For Massive Volcanic Debris Avalanches In The Eastern Gunnison River Valley, West-Central Colorado, U.S.A.,
2017
University of Kentucky
The Oligocene West Elk Breccia: Evidence For Massive Volcanic Debris Avalanches In The Eastern Gunnison River Valley, West-Central Colorado, U.S.A., Patrick J. Whalen
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
The West Elk Breccia has been studied since the late 1800’s with many interpretations regarding its origin. One unrecognized possibility is that parts of it are debris-avalanche deposits. This study has recognized evidence for this interpretation at three scales: volcano scale, outcrop scale, and intra-outcrop scale. At the volcano scale, a scarp in the old volcano reveals underlying Mesozoic bedrock, suggesting sector collapse. At the outcrop scale, megablocks of the original edifice, up to hundreds of meters in length, have atypical orientations and are surrounded by a gravel matrix. At the intra-outcrop scale, jigsaw-fit fracturing and rip-up clasts are common …
Initial Microseismic Recordings At The Onset Of Unconventional Hydrocarbon Development In The Rome Trough, Eastern Kentucky,
2017
University of Kentucky
Initial Microseismic Recordings At The Onset Of Unconventional Hydrocarbon Development In The Rome Trough, Eastern Kentucky, Andrew Holcomb
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
The Cambrian Rogersville Shale is a part of a hydrocarbon system in the Rome Trough of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia that can only be produced unconventionally. In Kentucky, the Rogersville Shale ranges in depth from ~1,800 to ~3,700 m below the surface with the crystalline basement ~1,000 m lower than the formation’s base. Baseline Rome Trough microseismicity data were collected, focusing on wastewater injection wells and recently completed and planned unconventional hydrocarbon test wells in the Rogersville Shale, using thirteen broadband seismic stations installed between June, 2015 and June, 2016 and existing University of Kentucky and central and eastern …
Potential Field Modeling Across The Neodymium Line Defining The Paleoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic Boundary Of The Southeastern Margin Of Laurentia,
2017
University of Kentucky
Potential Field Modeling Across The Neodymium Line Defining The Paleoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic Boundary Of The Southeastern Margin Of Laurentia, Rachel Lauren Durham
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
A zone of high magnetization along the SE margin of Paleoproterozoic Laurentia in the United States is indicated by magnetic anomaly data. The SE edge corresponds to the geochemical Neodymium mantle derivation model age (TDM) boundary and the entire anomaly overlies the Paleoproterozoic Mazatzal Province. Two-dimensional gravity and magnetic models across the Nd boundary are created with Moho constrained from receiver functions with gravity, sedimentary thickness and the base of the crustal magnetization. Upper crustal magnetization does not show strong variation across this boundary and much of the strong magnetization appears to lie in the middle crust. Using …
Effects Of Hydrologic Connectivity And Land Use On Floodplain Sediment Accumulation At The Savannah River Site, South Carolina,
2017
University of Kentucky
Effects Of Hydrologic Connectivity And Land Use On Floodplain Sediment Accumulation At The Savannah River Site, South Carolina, Jeremy E. Eddy
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
Floodplains, and the sediment accumulating naturally on them, are important to maintain stream water quality and serve as sinks for organic and inorganic carbon. Newer theories contend that land use and hydrologic connectivity (water-mediated transport of matter, energy, and/or organisms within or between elements of the hydrologic cycle) play important roles in determining sediment accumulation on floodplains. This study hypothesizes that changes in hydrologic connectivity have a greater impact on floodplain sediment accumulation than changes in land use. Nine sediment cores from seven sub-basins were collected from the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, and processed for grain-size, radionuclide dating …
Geologic Map Of The Lima Peaks 7.5' Quadrangle, Beaverhead County, Montana,
2017
U.S. Geological Survey
Geologic Map Of The Lima Peaks 7.5' Quadrangle, Beaverhead County, Montana, Betty Skipp, William J. Perry Jr., Susanne U. Jänecke
Geosciences Faculty Publications
The Lima Peaks quadrangle is located in southwestern Beaverhead County in southwestern-most Montana, near the southern terminus of the Beaverhead Mountains (fig. 1). Rocks and deposits of Mississippian through Quaternary age are present along the eastern margin of the Cretaceous to early Tertiary Sevier fold-and-thrust belt. This area is structurally complex because rocks of older, Laramide Blacktail-Snowcrest uplift (Perry and others, 1988; Skipp, 1988; Lonn and others, 2006).
Revised Structure And Correlation Of The Great Salt Lake, North Promontory, Rozel And Hansel Valley Fault Zones Revealed By The 2015-2016 Low Stand Of Great Salt Lake,
2017
Utah State University
Revised Structure And Correlation Of The Great Salt Lake, North Promontory, Rozel And Hansel Valley Fault Zones Revealed By The 2015-2016 Low Stand Of Great Salt Lake, Susanne U. Jänecke, James P. Evans
Geosciences Faculty Publications
Years of drought conspired to produce the present historic low stand in Gunnison Bay of Great Salt Lake. The lake has receded enough to expose the Great Salt Lake fault zone, and reveal its geometry through the shallow and clear lake water. We mapped the newly visible escarpments along the fault zone, upgraded the Utah fault map, and revised the regional correlation of the Great Salt Lake, Rozel, and North Promontory fault zones. We explored the origin of wave-cut platforms in the footwall of the faults, and identify geometrically unique types of microbial communities along faults and fault-related springs and …
Experimental Biomechanics Of Trinucleid Fringe Pits (Trilobita),
2017
Oberlin College
Experimental Biomechanics Of Trinucleid Fringe Pits (Trilobita), Kirk Pearson
Honors Papers
The morphometric uniqueness of the trinucleid family of fossil arthropods, known as the trilobites, has led to a considerable amount of attention in paleontology literature. In particular, the distinctive hourglass-shaped pits that dot their anterior have been the subject of debate for over a century. Though anatomically well understood, their function remains unknown. Many proposals have been suggested, including its use as a sieve for filter-feeding, a strong shield for defense, and a sensory mechanism to compensate for their blindness. Despite the wide range of speculations, no study has attempted to model these hypotheses experimentally. Flume experiments and mechanical strength …
Lithologic Stratigraphic Position, Sequence And Diagenetic History, Lower Mississippian Tripolitic Chert, Northern Arkansas And Southern Missouri,
2017
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Lithologic Stratigraphic Position, Sequence And Diagenetic History, Lower Mississippian Tripolitic Chert, Northern Arkansas And Southern Missouri, S. Mckim, J. Cains, J. Chick, F. Mcfarlin, A. Potra
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science
Tripolitic chert development in the southern Ozark region is associated with a third-order, transgressive-regressive cycle comprising St. Joe transgressive packstones, succeeded by lower Boone calcisiltites, with black, penecontemporaneous, nodular chert deposited during maximum flooding, overlain by basal upper Boone calcisiltites deposited during highstand. The onset of regression produced upper Boone packstones and grainstones with white-gray, later diagenetic chert reflecting groundwater replacement along bedding planes. Tripolitic chert is a product of the highstand calcisiltites at the base of the upper Boone Formation of Arkansas, and its equivalent, the Elsey Formation of southern Missouri. This tripolitic chert appears to reflect a hydrothermal …
Hydrothermally Emplaced, Lower Mississippian, Tripolitic Chert And Its Possible Relationship To The Tri-State Lead-Zinc Mining District,
2017
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Hydrothermally Emplaced, Lower Mississippian, Tripolitic Chert And Its Possible Relationship To The Tri-State Lead-Zinc Mining District, J. Chick, J. Cains, F. Mcfarlin, S. Mckim, A. Potra
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science
Across the southern Ozark Region, northern Arkansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma, exposures of the Lower Mississippian Boone Formation and its equivalents exhibit well-developed tripolitic chert that has been mined, more or less continuously, for at least 80 years. The tripolitic chert is a replacement of an interval within the basal portion of the upper Boone Formation in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and equivalent to the Elsey Formation in Missouri. The movement of silica-rich, hydrothermal fluids appears to have been much like that of a confined aquifer. It followed the basal upper Boone Formation (Arkansas) = Elsey Formation (Missouri) and was …
Estimating The Thickness Of An Ultrahigh-Pressure (Uhp) Terrane: Insights From Phase Equilibria Modelling And Zr-In-Rutile Thermometry, Dulan Area, North Qaidam Terrane, China,
2017
Central Washington University
Estimating The Thickness Of An Ultrahigh-Pressure (Uhp) Terrane: Insights From Phase Equilibria Modelling And Zr-In-Rutile Thermometry, Dulan Area, North Qaidam Terrane, China, David Hernández Uribe
All Master's Theses
The North Qaidam UHP terrane, in western China, exposes minor UHP eclogites hosted by ortho- and paragneisses. In the southeastern part of the terrane, the Dulan area exposes eclogite with the mineral assemblage Grt + Omp ± Ky ± Ph ± Zo ± Qz/Coe. LASS U-Pb analyses of zircons yield weighted mean ages of 463-425 Ma, and REE patterns indicate that these ages record the eclogite-facies metamorphism. Inherited zircon cores yield ages of 928-905 Ma, and REE patterns indicate that the eclogite´s protolith had a magmatic origin. Zr-in-rutile thermometry reveals that Dulan eclogites record peak temperatures of 647-711°C. Spatially distributed …
Catastrophic Landscape Modification From Massive Landslide Tsunamis: An Example From Taan Fiord, Alaska,
2017
Central Washington University
Catastrophic Landscape Modification From Massive Landslide Tsunamis: An Example From Taan Fiord, Alaska, Colin Bloom
All Master's Theses
The October 17th 2015 Taan landslide and tsunami generated a high runup of 192 m, nearly an order of magnitude greater than most previously surveyed tsunamis. Extensive modifications observed and documented on several low gradient fan deltas within the fiord make Taan Fiord an excellent laboratory for characterizing geomorphic signatures of a high runup tsunami event. Although interest in this topic is high, most prior post-tsunami surveys are from earthquake-generated tsunamis with relatively low runup, thus the geomorphic signatures of high runup tsunamis or their potential for preservation are uncharacterized. Additionally, clear modifications described during post-tsunami surveys are typically …
Why Now?: A Case Study Of Split Estate And Fracking Activity In Garfield County Colorado,
2017
Central Washington University
Why Now?: A Case Study Of Split Estate And Fracking Activity In Garfield County Colorado, Janessa Zucchetto
All Master's Theses
This research examines the socio-environmental impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing activities and issues of split estate in Battlement Mesa Planned Unit Development in Garfield County, CO. Data for this research was collected during 2 months in the summer of 2015 using a series of ethnographic research methods. In doing so, this research adopts political ecology and political economy of nature as theoretical frameworks to understand the interconnections that exist between local impacts of fracking activities and a national strategy to secure gas markets internationally. I argue that the socio-environmental impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing in Garfield County, CO are not …
150 Years Of Light Absorbing Impurity Deposition On South Cascade Glacier, Washington State Usa,
2017
Central Washington University
150 Years Of Light Absorbing Impurity Deposition On South Cascade Glacier, Washington State Usa, Dan Pittenger
All Master's Theses
Glaciers and seasonal snowpack in Washington State have undergone significant decline over the past 50 years. While warming global temperatures are widely recognized as the cause of glacial decline, the deposition of black carbon (BC) can also contribute to increased melt. BC, commonly referred to as soot, is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil and biofuels. These particles are subject to atmospheric transport and are deposited on snow by wind and precipitation events. When BC is deposited, it lowers the albedo of the glacial surface resulting in increased energy absorption and melt. We used a 158 m long ice …
Post-Wildfire Black Carbon Deposition On The Snowpack In The Cascade Range, Washington State: Temporal And Spatial Variability With Implications For Accelerated Melt,
2017
Central Washington University
Post-Wildfire Black Carbon Deposition On The Snowpack In The Cascade Range, Washington State: Temporal And Spatial Variability With Implications For Accelerated Melt, Ted Uecker
All Master's Theses
Wildfires in the seasonal snow zone affect both snow accumulation and ablation patterns by decreasing forest canopy and depositing light absorbing impurities (LAI) on the snowpack. LAI such as black carbon (BC), burned woody debris, and dust reduce snow albedo (reflectance), accelerate melt, and affect the timing and availability of water resources. Charred trees in post-wildfire forests provide a significant source of BC that is deposited on the snowpack for years following a wildfire, and this effect varies with burn conditions and forest structure. Snow samples were gathered from five sites of varying burn age (0.7, 2.7, 3.8, and 9.8 …
Using Strontium Isotopes In Conjunction With Major, And Trace Elements To Identify Water/Rock Interaction In The Upper Kittitas County, Washington,
2017
Central Washington University
Using Strontium Isotopes In Conjunction With Major, And Trace Elements To Identify Water/Rock Interaction In The Upper Kittitas County, Washington, James Patterson, Carey Gazis
All Master's Theses
The complex bedrock lithologies in the Upper Kittitas County provide an ideal setting for developing isotopic methodology to identify groundwater sources and track flow paths through water-rock interaction. A wide range of 87Sr/86Sr (0.7040 to 0.7068) in surface waters, springs, and groundwater from wells was found, allowing for identification of the individual signatures of lithologic units. Rock leachates from different lithology were compared to water samples to determine a general 87Sr/86Sr signature of the water-rock interaction for that lithology. The signatures identified were systematically lower than their associated waters, but similar enough to identify the expected 87Sr/86Sr of water-rock interaction …
Surface Offset And Slip Rates For The Winter Rim Fault System In The Summer Lake Basin, Oregon,
2017
Central Washington University
Surface Offset And Slip Rates For The Winter Rim Fault System In The Summer Lake Basin, Oregon, Jennifer Hall
All Master's Theses
The 66-km-long Winter Rim Fault (WRF) system, located in the northwestern Basin and Range Province, encompasses several Holocene fault scarps within the Summer Lake basin that include the WRF system, a normal fault divided into three segments: Slide Mountain (SMF), Winter Ridge, and Ana River (ARF), and the newly-mapped Thousand Springs fault (TSF). The current least-compressive stress field is oriented ~264° (Crider, 2001). The USGS estimates a slip rate of 0.43 mm/yr, earthquake magnitudes of 6.5-7.19, and recurrence interval of 3.1 ka (Crone et al., 2009). However, these estimates are only based upon ARF and the unfavorably slip-oriented SMF. With …
Comparing Field And Laboratory Measurements Of Hydraulic Conductivity In The Mississippi Delta,
2017
University of Mississippi. Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Comparing Field And Laboratory Measurements Of Hydraulic Conductivity In The Mississippi Delta, Taylor Moore
Honors Theses
This research is part of a wider effort to investigate the decreasing water levels of the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA), which is partially located in the Mississippi Delta in northwestern Mississippi. The extent of this research compares laboratory and field based measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity, known as Ksat, in the vadose zone of the Delta. The soil samples used for the laboratory Ksat tests and textural analysis were collected at various depths from two boreholes near Sky Lake in Belzoni, Mississippi. Each sample was classified by Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) standards after being sieved and tested …
Glacial Deposits, Vol. 42, 2017,
2017
Illinois State University
Glacial Deposits, Vol. 42, 2017, Department Of Geography, Geology, And The Environment
Glacial Deposits
Newsletter of the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment
Paleoecology Of Foraminifera From The Late Miocene - Early Pliocene Pullen And Saint George Formations, Northwestern California,
2017
Cal Poly Humboldt
Paleoecology Of Foraminifera From The Late Miocene - Early Pliocene Pullen And Saint George Formations, Northwestern California, Trenton J. Ryan
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
The Pullen and Saint George formations are coeval late Miocene-early Pliocene sedimentary formations in northwestern California. The type localities of both formations were studied from a micropaleontologic perspective that focused primarily on Foraminifera, but with additional observations of other fossil groups to reconstruct their past depositional environments. The results obtained in this study provided a photomicrographic inventory of the microfossils from both formations, aided in investigating changes in paleobathymetry of the formations during the late Miocene and early Pliocene based on Foraminifera, and allowed for interpretation of paleoecological signals from the foraminiferan associations. Foraminifera have not been previously described in …
Pressure Dependence Of Polycrystalline Magnesite And Dolomite,
2017
The University of Akron
Pressure Dependence Of Polycrystalline Magnesite And Dolomite, Cole Blasko
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Intermediate depth (170-400 km) deep focus earthquakes are observed in subducting slabs, but unlike shallow (50-170 km) and deep (400-660 km) deep focus earthquakes, the mechanism(s) responsible for them are not clear. Two common alteration products observed in peridotites, magnesite and dolomite, are stable along the pressure-temperature path of a subducting slab. Low pressure experiments indicate that these minerals are weaker than olivine, but there are no data about the pressure dependence of the strength of magnesite or dolomite. Magnesite and dolomite cylinders (1mm by 1mm) were deformed in stacked series to 25-30% strain using the deformation-DIA (DDIA) at Argonne …
