Glaciological Applications Of Terrestrial Radar Interferometry,
2015
University of South Florida
Glaciological Applications Of Terrestrial Radar Interferometry, Denis Voytenko
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Terrestrial Radar Interferometry (TRI) is a relatively new ground-based technique that combines the precision and spatial resolution of satellite interferometry with the temporal resolution of GPS. Although TRI has been applied to a variety of fields including bridge and landslide monitoring, it is ideal for studies of the highly-dynamic terminal zones of marine-terminating glaciers, some of which are known to have variable velocities related to calving and/or ocean-forced melting. My TRI instrument is the Gamma Portable Radar Interferometer, which operates at 17.2 GHz (1.74 cm wavelength), has two receiving antennas for DEM (digital elevation model) generation, and images the scenes …
Quantifying The Stratigraphic Completeness Of Delta Shoreline Trajectories,
2015
University of New Orleans
Quantifying The Stratigraphic Completeness Of Delta Shoreline Trajectories, Robert C. Mahon, John B. Shaw, Katherine R. Barnhart, Daniel E. J. Hobley, Brandon Mcelroy
Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications
Understanding the incomplete nature of the stratigraphic record is fundamental for interpreting stratigraphic sequences. Methods for quantifying stratigraphic completeness for one-dimensional stratigraphic columns, defined as the proportion of time intervals of some length that contain stratigraphy, are commonplace; however, quantitative assessments of completeness in higher dimensions are lacking. Here we present a metric for defining stratigraphic completeness of two-dimensional shoreline trajectories using topset-foreset rollover positions in dip-parallel sections and describe the preservation potential of a shoreline trajectory derived from the geometry of the delta surface profile and the kinematics of the geomorphic shoreline trajectory. Two end-member forward models are required …
Patterns And Processes Of Salt Efflorescences In The Mcmurdo Region, Antarctica,
2015
Ohio State University
Patterns And Processes Of Salt Efflorescences In The Mcmurdo Region, Antarctica, Kelsey M. Bisson, Kathleen A. Welch, Susan A. Welch, Julia Meyer Sheets, W. Berry Lyons, Joseph S. Levy, Andrew G. Fountain
Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Evaporite salts are abundant around the McMurdo region, Antarctica (~78°S) due to very low precipitation, low relative humidity, and limited overland flow. Hygroscopic salts in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) are preferentially formed in locations where liquid water is present in the austral summer, including along ephemeral streams, ice-covered lake boundaries, or shallow groundwater tracks. In this study, we collected salts from the Miers, Garwood, and Taylor Valleys on the Antarctic continent, as well as around McMurdo Station on Ross Island in close proximity to water sources with the goal of understanding salt geochemistry in relationship to the hydrology of …
Microstructure And Geotechnical Properties Of St. Peter Sandstone In Clayton, Iowa,
2015
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Microstructure And Geotechnical Properties Of St. Peter Sandstone In Clayton, Iowa, Amir Hossein Bagherieh
Doctoral Dissertations
"The St. Peter Sandstone is significantly different from the minerals and rocks which have been studied extensively in mining. It is brittle and characterized by an unusually high friction angle. On the other hand it is friable, and it is nearly cohesionless. The scarcity of the ground control techniques for this particular mining environment has created many difficulties for mine operators. This research aims to establish a fundamental understanding of the basic mechanical and strength properties of the St. Peter Sandstone for engineering design and scientific research. The specific objectives are 1) characterizing the strength of the St. Peter Sandstone, …
Stratigraphy And Porosity Modeling Of South-Central Illinois (Usa) Chester (Upper Mississippian) Series Sandstones Using Petrel,
2015
Illinois State University
Stratigraphy And Porosity Modeling Of South-Central Illinois (Usa) Chester (Upper Mississippian) Series Sandstones Using Petrel, Darren Kimple, Eric W. Peterson, David H. Malone
Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment
Maximizing resource extraction from mature oilfields requires enhanced and secondary recovery techniques. The success of these methods relies on knowledge and understanding of the reservoir geology and hydraulics. At the Loudon Oilfield (Illinois, USA), enhanced oil recovery is being used to extend the production life of the reservoir. The suitability and placement of additional wells for oil recovery processes required three-dimensional (3D) facies and porosity modeling of the oilfield. The purpose of this work was to assess the ability of a porosity model to predict sandstone facies. The facies model for the Loudon field was generated using data obtained from …
Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of The Pecatonica Gas Storage Field, Winnebago County, Illinois,
2015
Illinois State University
Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of The Pecatonica Gas Storage Field, Winnebago County, Illinois, Nicole D. Kron, David H. Malone, Eric W. Peterson
Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment
This study involves the construction of a three-dimensional (3D) geologic model of Paleozoic strata that are part of an underground gas storage field in northern, Illinois, USA. The Pecatonica Anticline trends 60W and plunges gently to the southeast. It is 10 km long and 3 km wide, and verges to the NE. Six water wells and 22 gas wells were used to create the 3-D geologic model in Petrel using well tops as determined from wire-line logs. The following horizons were created for the Cambrian and Ordovician strata: the Ancell, Trempealeau, Franconia, Ironton-Galesvilles, Eau Claire Proviso A and B, Eau …
4-D Evolution Of Anticlines And Implications For Hydrocarbon Exploration Within The Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, Kurdistan Region, Iraq,
2015
Salahaddin University-Erbil, Iraq
4-D Evolution Of Anticlines And Implications For Hydrocarbon Exploration Within The Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Mjahid M. Zebari, Caroline M. Burberry
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications
The Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, extending from southern Iran, through northern Iraq and into Turkey, is characterized by elongate NW-trending anticlines that house large hydrocarbon accumulations. In recent years, the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq has become an area of interest for both structural studies and petroleum exploration-related investigation. Key questions to be answered concern the nature of the anticlines and whether the geometry of any associated thrusts can be predicted from surface geomorphology, as well the 4-D evolution of the area and along-strike continuity of the anticlines. To address these questions, this study combines field data, remote-sensing data concerning the …
Geothermal Regime Of The Williston Basin In North Dakota,
2015
University of North Dakota
Geothermal Regime Of The Williston Basin In North Dakota, Faye N. Ricker
Theses and Dissertations
Understanding the thermal regime of a large intracontinental basin such as the Williston Basin can be enhanced by analysis of the relationships among radiogenic heat production, surface heat flow, formation temperatures, and gravity and magnetic anomaly patterns. Digital processing of the spatial and causal relationships gives insight into the effect of basement heat production on the thermal state of the basement rocks and the overlying sedimentary successions. These relationships provide valuable insight on the radioactive heat contribution to heat flow, heat flow from the lower crust, composition of the upper crust, and the potential for geothermal power generation. The specific …
Reservoir Analysis Of The Birdbear Formation (Devonian) In Northwestern North Dakota,
2015
University of North Dakota
Reservoir Analysis Of The Birdbear Formation (Devonian) In Northwestern North Dakota, Mitchell V. Sigler
Theses and Dissertations
The Birdbear Formation of northwestern North Dakota is a carbonate-evaporite unit deposited on a rimmed carbonate platform during the Late Devonian. The upper and lower contacts are conformable and the formation has been previously divided into two informal upper and lower members. Analyses of core intervals, thin sections, total organic carbon, and wire line logs have allowed for the identification of three informal units that are divided based on lithologic changes, depositional settings, and reservoir characteristics of the formation. Each unit is identified and mapped across the study area using core to log correlations. The units are recognized and named …
Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant Transport Property
Heterogeneity In The Borden Aquifer,
2015
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant Transport Property Heterogeneity In The Borden Aquifer, Richelle M. Allen-King, Indra Kalinovich, David F. Dominic, Guohui Wang, Reid Polmanteer, Dana Divine
Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications
We determined that the spatial heterogeneity in aquifer properties governing the reactive transport of volatile organic contaminants is defined by the arrangement of lithofacies. We measured permeability (k) and perchloroethene sorption distribution coefficient (Kd) for lithofacies that we delineated for samples from the Canadian Forces Base Borden Aquifer. We compiled existing data and collected 57 new cores to characterize a 30 m section of the aquifer near the test location of Mackay et al. (1986). The k and Kd were measured for samples taken at six elevations from all cores to create a data set consisting of …
Radiocarbon Dating Of Late Quaternary Sediments Using Fossil Gastropod Shells,
2015
U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center
Radiocarbon Dating Of Late Quaternary Sediments Using Fossil Gastropod Shells, Jeffrey S. Pigati, John P. Mcgeehin, Daniel R. Muhs
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
Terrestrial gastropods are one of the most successful groups of organisms on Earth. Their distribution includes all continents except Antarctica, and they occupy exceptionally diverse habitats, from marshes and wet meadows to alpine forests and Arctic tundra. Their shells are also commonly preserved in Quaternary deposits and potentially could be used for 14C dating. However, terrestrial gastropods are known to ingest limestone and incorporate the old carbon in their shells, resulting in apparent ages that are often too old. Recent studies have shown that many small (<1 cm diameter) terrestrial gastropods avoid this “limestone problem” even when living in areas in which carbonate rocks are readily available. However, the shells must also behave as closed systems with respect to carbon if their ages are to be considered reliable. Our latest work has been aimed at testing if small gastropod shells do, in fact, remain closed systems in late Quaternary deposits over a wide array of climate conditions across North America. Our results demonstrate that ages derived from Succineidae shells are identical to wood and charcoal ages in loess in Alaska, glacial deposits in the upper Midwest, loess in the Great Plains, and paleowetlands in the desert southwest. Moreover, Succineidae shell ages routinely fall within permitted limits set by stratigraphic boundaries, require less interpretation than humic acid ages that are commonly used in loess studies, can provide additional stratigraphic coverage to previous dating efforts, and maintain stratigraphic order more often than luminescence ages from the same stratigraphic intervals. Thus, we conclude that fossil Succineidae shells, and shells of a few other small gastropods, can be used for 14C dating regardless of the local lithology, past climate, or environmental …
Corn Belt Soil Carbon And Macronutrient Budgets With Projected
Sustainable Stover Harvest,
2015
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Corn Belt Soil Carbon And Macronutrient Budgets With Projected Sustainable Stover Harvest, Zhengxi Tan, Shuguang Liu
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
Corn (Zea mays L.) stover has been identified as a prime feedstock for biofuel production in the U.S. Corn Belt because of its perceived abundance and availability, but long-term stover harvest effects on regional nutrient budgets have not been evaluated. We defined the minimum stover requirement (MSR) to maintain current soil organic carbon levels and then estimated current and future soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) budgets for various stover harvest scenarios. Analyses for 2006 through 2010 across the entire Corn Belt indicated that currently, 28 Tg or 1.6 Mgha-1 of stover could be sustainably …
A Simple Web-Based Tool To
Compare Freshwater Fish Data
Collected Using Afs Standard
Methods,
2015
U.S. Geological Survey
A Simple Web-Based Tool To Compare Freshwater Fish Data Collected Using Afs Standard Methods, Scott A. Bonar, Norman Mercado-Silva, Matt Rahr, Yuta T. Torrey, Averill Cate Jr.
United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications
The American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently published Standard Methods for Sampling North American Freshwater Fishes. Enlisting the expertise of 284 scientists from 107 organizations throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this text was developed to facilitate comparisons of fish data across regions or time. Here we describe a user-friendly web tool that automates among-sample comparisons in individual fish condition, population length-frequency distributions, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) data collected using AFS standard methods. Currently, the web tool (1) provides instantaneous summaries of almost 4,000 data sets of condition, length frequency, and CPUE of common freshwater fishes collected …
3-D Numerical Simulation Of Carbon Dioxide Injection Into The South Georgia Rift Basin For Geologic Storage,
2015
University of South Carolina - Columbia
3-D Numerical Simulation Of Carbon Dioxide Injection Into The South Georgia Rift Basin For Geologic Storage, Daniel Eric Taylor Brantley
Theses and Dissertations
This study numerically simulated the injection of supercritical phase CO2 into the South Georgia Rift (SGR) basin to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of long term geologic storage. The injection simulation modeling was divided into two phases. During phase one of the modeling, very little geologic and reservoir dynamics data was known about the SGR basin. Due to lack of basin data, an equilibrium model was used to estimate the initial hydrostatic pressure, temperature and salinity gradients that represent our study area. For the equilibrium model, the USGS SEAWAT program was used and for the CO2 injection simulation, TOUGH2-ECO2N was …
Complexity In Overmarsh Circulation,
2015
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Complexity In Overmarsh Circulation, Jessica Chassereau Sullivan
Theses and Dissertations
Overmarsh circulation is highly complex with variations in current direction over very short timescales and flowpaths that differ substantially between flood and ebb cycles. Understanding such flow complexities in salt marshes is important because they inherently impact the distribution of sediment, larvae and nutrients throughout the marsh, and hence, the ecogeomorphic feedbacks that control landscape evolution. The purpose this Ph.D. research is to quantitatively evaluate the effects of salt marsh topography on overmarsh circulation in a Georgia salt marsh. This dissertation is comprised of three parts. First, digital elevation models (DEMs) were compared to characterize how well airborne lidar (light …
Proxy Development And Application For Reconstructing The Surface Ocean Carbonate System,
2015
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Proxy Development And Application For Reconstructing The Surface Ocean Carbonate System, Brittney J. Marshall
Theses and Dissertations
Over the last two centuries, human activities have led to an unprecedented rate of carbon input into the atmosphere and oceans resulting in an alarmingly rapid decline in surface ocean pH, a process referred to as ocean acidification (OA). This process is leading to an observed decline in the carbonate ion concentrations ([CO3 2-]) in seawater – an ion that a large number of marine organisms (e.g. corals, foraminifera) utilize to secrete their skeletons and shells. The ability to identify past ocean acidification events using the marine sedimentary record can shed light on future impacts of the modern OA dilemma. …
The Ugly Duckling: Insights Into Ancient Maya Commerce And Industry From Pottery Petrography,
2015
American Museum of Natural History
The Ugly Duckling: Insights Into Ancient Maya Commerce And Industry From Pottery Petrography, James Aimers, Elizabeth Haussner, Dori Farthing
Anthropology
No abstract provided.
Nonmarine Time-Stratigraphy In A Rift Setting: An Example From The Mid-Permian Lower Quanzijie Low-Order Cycle Bogda Mountains, Nw China,
2015
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Nonmarine Time-Stratigraphy In A Rift Setting: An Example From The Mid-Permian Lower Quanzijie Low-Order Cycle Bogda Mountains, Nw China, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Wan Yang
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
Sedimentological and stratigraphic studies of seven stratigraphic sections of Permian Hongyanchi (HYC) and Quanzijie (QZJ) low-order cycles (LCs) in the Tarlong-Taodonggou half graben and Dalongkou area in Bogda Mountains, NW China, demonstrate effective approaches and methodology in cyclo- and time-stratigraphic analyses of complex fluvial-lacustrine deposits in an intracontinental rift setting. A new synchronous stratigraphic unit, the lower QZJ LC is defined. The lower and upper boundaries of this cycle include a regionally correlative disconformity, erosional unconformity, and conformity, across which significant and abrupt changes in palaeoenvironments and tectonic and climatic conditions occurred. The lower boundary is an erosional unconformity and …
Evaluation Of Rock Fall Hazards Using Lidar Technology,
2015
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Evaluation Of Rock Fall Hazards Using Lidar Technology, Norbert H. Maerz, Travis Kassebaum, Kenneth J. Boyko, James Otoo
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
Lidar (light detection and ranging) is a relatively new technology that is being used in many aspects of geology and engineering, including researching the potential for rock falls on highway rock cuts. At Missouri University of Science and Technology, we are developing methods for measuring joint orientations remotely and quantifying the raveling process. Measuring joint orientations remotely along highways is safer, more accurate and can result in larger and more accurate data sets, including measurements from otherwise inaccessible areas. Measuring the nature of rock raveling will provide the data needed to begin the process of modeling the rock raveling process. …
A Petrophysical Evaluation Of The Trenton-Black River Formation Of The Michigan Basin,
2015
Michigan Technological University
A Petrophysical Evaluation Of The Trenton-Black River Formation Of The Michigan Basin, Lu Yang
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open
This work is conducted to study the geological and petrophysical features of the Trenton- Black River limestone formation. Log curves, crossplots and mineral identification methods using well-log data are used to determine the components and analyze changes in lithology. Thirty-five wells from the Michigan Basin are used to define the mineralogy of Trenton-Black River limestone. Using the different responses of a few log curves, especially gamma-ray, resistivity and neutron porosity, the formation tops for the Utica shale, the Trenton limestone, the Black River limestone and the Prairie du Chien sandstone are identified to confirm earlier authors’ work and provide a …
