Geology Commons^™

Chemical Eor, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Yujun Feng, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Consolidation And Suspension Of Mud From Lake Lery And Relevance To Wetland Restoration In Louisiana, Edward L. Lo

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Hydrochemical Investigation Of A Transient Parafluvial Zone Under Drought Conditions, Platte River, Nebraska, Audrey R. Boerner

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Shallow groundwater (0.5 m -1.2 m deep) beneath a vegetated and non-vegetated fluvial island was observed in the lower Platte River, Nebraska, USA during exceptional summer drought. Over the course of three months, sub-hourly measurements of hydraulic head, and weekly measurements of redox indicators, δ²H, δ¹⁸O, and dissolved gases were analyzed together with nitrogen and carbon species from an array of shallow piezometers in the river bed and islands. These data were compared with the same parameters collected from a 15 m-deep riparian borehole. Vertical hydraulic gradients in the island piezometers indicated the vertical component to …

Integrated Geophysical Exploration Of A Known Geothermal Resource: Neal Hot Springs, Clinton Ryan Colwell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

I present an integrated geophysical characterization of the Neal Hot Springs geothermal system in eastern Oregon. This newly established 23 MW geothermal production site is located in a region of complex geology and intersecting faults associated with two major extensional systems; the Oregon-Idaho Graben and the western Snake River Plain. The intersection of two dominant fault orientations, coupled with a high geothermal gradient from relatively thin continental crust and radioactive decay from a shallow granitic body, produces the pathways and heat needed for deep water circulation at Neal Hot Springs. New geologic mapping, geochemistry, and measurements from several boreholes in …

Glacier Slip And Seismicity Induced By Surface Melt, Peter L. Moore, J. Paul Winberry, Neal R. Iverson, Knut A. Christianson, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Miriam Jackson, Mark E. Mathison, Denis Cohen

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Many of the key processes governing fast glacier flow involve interaction between a glacier and its basal hydrological system, which is hidden from direct observation. Passive seismic monitoring has shown promise as a tool for remotely monitoring basal processes, but lack of glacier-bed access prevents clear understanding of the relationships between subglacial processes and corresponding seismic emissions. Here we describe direct measurements of basal hydrology, sliding, and broadband seismicity made in a unique subglacial facility in Norway during the onset of two summer melt seasons. In the most pronounced of these episodes, rapid delivery of surface meltwater to the bed …

Application Of (U-Th)/He And 40ar/39ar Thermochronology To The Age Of Thrust Faulting In The Sevier Orogenic Belt, Michael Giallorenzo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Sevier fold-thrust belt of the Cordilleran orogen in the western United States is a well-studied geologic province, yet our understanding of the history of thrust faulting is still far from complete. Thermochronological methods are applied to major thrust systems from two distinct sections of the Sevier fold-thrust belt (SFTB): the Wheeler Pass thrust in the Mojave Desert section of the southern SFTB, and the Willard thrust in the Idaho-Utah-Wyoming section of the SFTB. The new thermochronological data greatly improve our understanding of the structural evolution of this extensive geologic province.

The zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) system records thrust-induced uplift and …

Ichnology And Paleoecology Of The Jurassic Aztec Sandstone, Heather Marie Stoller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this study I describe and interpret tracks and trackways of the Jurassic Aztec Sandstone of southern Nevada and southern California. This study involved mapping of all known tracks and trackways, including foot length, stride length, and trackway width. Photogrammetric data, collected by Bureau of Land Management scientists, were utilized for several trackways in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

More than three hundred tracks belonging to five ichnotaxa were documented within the Aztec Sandstone, including about 165 tridactylGrallator, 250 tetradactyl (four-toed)Brasilichniumtracks, and 7 arthropod trackways ofOctopodichnusandPaleohelcura. Four of the five ichnotaxa were not previously reported from the Aztec Sandstone. …

Pennsylvanian To Cretaceous Folds And Thrusts In South-Central Nevada: Evidence From The Timpahute Range, Angela Giovanna Russo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Understanding Permian and Mesozoic contractional structures from southern California to northern Nevada requires correlation through south-central Nevada. After the Devonian-Mississippian Antler orogeny through the Permian-Triassic Sonoma orogeny and then up to the Sevier orogeny, south-central Nevada was thought to have remained tectonically inactive. However, Pennsylvanian through Jurassic age deformation is documented to the south in Death Valley and to the north. Identifying geometries, spatial relationships, and relative timing of deformations in the Timpahute Range, south-central Nevada, is an essential piece to completing the overall understanding of Nevada geology. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze deformational structures …

Bedrock Geological Map Of The Rockhouse Quadrangle, Carroll And Madison Counties, Arkansas, Douglas Eben Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A digital geologic map of the Rockhouse quadrangle, Carroll and Madison counties, Arkansas, was created on a 1:24,000 scale using ArcMap 10 and Photoshop CS4. The data obtained in the field are digitized onto the United States Geological Survey (USGS) digital raster graphic (DRG) of the Rockhouse quadrangle. The geology in the Rockhouse quadrangle consist entirely of sedimentary rocks that are Paleozoic ranging from Lower Ordovician to Mississippian in age. The Ordovician System is represented by the Cotter, Powell, Everton, and St. Peter Formations. The Cotter and Powell are the prominent bluff forming units throughout the quadrangle and along the …

Sedimentary Provenance Of The Wedington Member, Fayetteville Shale, From Age Relations Of Detrital Zircons, William Tyson Cains

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

U-Pb geochronology of detrital zircons collected from the Chesterian Wedington Sandstone allows interpretation of sediment provenance and dispersal patterns in the southern midcontinent during the Late Mississippian. Detrital zircons analyzed from six samples of Wedington Sandstone yielded a final result of 565 concordant analyses used for interpretation. Results are plotted as Probability-Density Plots to interpret the spectrum of ages. Significant peaks occurred at 350-500 Ma, 950-1250 Ma, 1300-1500 Ma, 1600-1800 Ma, 1800-2300 Ma, and >2500 Ma. These peaks are interpreted as sourced by crystalline rocks within the Laurentian craton from Taconic-Acadian, Grenville, Midcontinent Granite-Rhyolite, Yavapai-Mazatzal, Paleoproterozoic, and Superior Provinces. The …

La Yeguada Volcanic Vomplex In The Republic Of Panama: An Assessment Of The Geologic Hazards Using 40ar/39ar Geochronology, Karinne L. Knutsen, William I. Rose, Brian Jicha

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Publications

La Yeguada volcanic complex is one of three Quaternary volcanic centers in Panama. To assess potential geologic hazards, new samples were analyzed using argon analysis (⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar), and obtained the following: the most recent eruption occurred approximately 32,000 years ago at the Media Luna cinder cone; the youngest dated eruption from the main dome complex occurred 357 ± 19 ka, producing the Castillo dome unit; Cerro Picacho, a separate dacite dome 1.5 km east of the main complex is 4.47 ± 0.23 Ma; and the El Satro Pyroclastic Flow unit surrounds the northern portion of the volcanic …

Seismic Slip Deficit In The Kashmir Himalaya From Gps Observations, Celia Schiffman, Bikram Singh Bali, Walter Szeliga, Roger Bilham

Faculty Scholarship for the Cascadia Hazards Institute

GPS measurements in Kashmir Himalaya reveal rangenormal convergence of 11±1 mm/yr with dextral shear of 5±1 mm/yr. The transition from a fully locked 170 km wide décollement to the unrestrained descending Indian plate occurs at ~25 km depth over an ~23 km wide transition zone. The convergence rate is consistent with the lower bounds of geological estimates for the Main Frontal Thrust, Riasi, and Balapora fault systems, on which no surface slip has been reported in the past millennium. Of the 14 damaging Kashmir earthquakes since 1123, none may have exceeded M_w = 7.6. Therefore, either a seismic moment …

Reverse-Time Migration-Based Reflection Tomography Using Teleseismic Free Surface Multiples, S. Burdick, M. V. De Hoop, R. D. Van Der Hilst

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Converted and multiply reflected phases from teleseismic events are routinely used to create structural images of the crust–mantle boundary (Moho) and the elasticity contrasts within the crust and upper mantle. The accuracy of these images is to a large extent determined by the background velocity model used to propagate these phases to depth. In order to improve estimates of 3-D velocity variations and, hence, improve imaging, we develop a method of reverse-time migration-based reflection tomography for use with wavefields from teleseismic earthquakes recorded at broad-band seismograph arrays. Reflection tomography makes use of data redundancy—that is, the ability to generate numerous …

The Western Kentucky University Crumps Cave Research & Education Preserve, Chris Groves, Jason Polk, Ben Miller, Pat Kambesis, Carl Bolster, Sean Vanderhoff, Beth Tyrie

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Crumps Cave is located about one kilometer northeast of Smiths Grove, Kentucky (Figures 1, 2, and 3). The only known entrance was purchased by Western Kentucky University (WKU) in 2009 through a grant from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund and the cave is managed as the focal point of a research and education preserve to study a wide range of environmental conditions and dynamics, and their interactions, using high-resolution electronic monitoring along with geochemical sampling, analysis and modeling. Crews from WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute visit the cave weekly for sampling, data downloading, and equipment maintenance, with a major …

Paleohydrology And The Origin Of Jewel Cave, Mike Wiles

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2013

With more than 267 m (166 miles) of mapped cave passages, Jewel Cave is the third longest cave in the world. The passages are beneath an area of 775 ha (3 mi²), located almost entirely within the Hell Canyon drainage basin. The canyon itself is situated in the bottom of a south-plunging syncline and most of the cave passages are located within the east limb. A down-dip cross section shows the cave passages assuming the shape of an elongate lens, located just below the Pahasapa/Minnelusa contact. The lower boundary is a maximum of 75 m (250 feet) below …

Hydrogeologic Controls On The Occurrence And Movement Of Groundwater Discharged At Magic Springs In The Spring Branch Creek Drainage Basin: Spring Branch, Texas, Mark T. Childre

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2013

The hydrogeologic controls, flow velocities, flow direction, groundwater delineation, and physical characteristics in a joint controlled dendritic conduit-spring system have been characterized. The known conduit branches from Magic Springs past C My Shovel (CM) Cave with 4475 meters (m) of measurable passages and tributaries. Surface entrance to CM Cave is located 1360 m upstream from discharge at Magic Springs.

Four storm events were measured characterizing the dynamics. The rise time and half flow period time (t_0.5) occur in less than one day. The conduit volume exceeds one half million m³. The conduit-spring system drains within 3.7 …

Caver Quest 3d Virtual Cave Simulation Of Snowy River In Fort Stanton Cave, Ronald J. Lipinski, Pete Lindsley

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2013

Virtual worlds, or 3D simulations through which an avatar can travel, is becoming a common means to display products or provide training in new environments. This paper describes the steps in producing the 3D virtual simulation of Snowy River in Fort Stanton Cave, New Mexico. A traditional cave survey and map with cross sections was used to produce a 3D meshed surface of the cave walls using the Blender software package. Photographs were taken of the walls, ceiling, and floor and merged together. The merged montage was applied to the 3D mesh walls as a “texture”. Unity3D was used to …

The Nps Cave Visitor Impact Vital Signs Monitoring Protocol, Rodney Horrocks

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2013

The national Cave Visitor Impact Vital Signs Monitoring Protocol is an attempt to standardize visitor impact monitoring in all National Park Service managed caves. With standardized monitoring in place, it will be feasible for the first time to compare monitoring data from caves across the country. This cave monitoring protocol was initiated at the NPS Cave Vital Signs Workshop held in Lakewood, Colorado in 2008. That workshop identified the vital signs that were common to all caves, including cave visitor impact. A committee convened at that workshop decided that the cave visitor impact monitoring protocol would address four parameters of …

An Apparent Angular Unconformity In Western Connecticut, Stanley Schleifer, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Adisa Charles, Hernando Martinez, Shirley Jackson, Chiemeka Ihebom

Publications and Research

The recent extension, to the north, of the U. S. Route 7 ‘superhighway’ in the town of Brookfield, Connecticut has involved the excavation of crystalline bedrock of lower Paleozoic to upper Proterozoic age in the area. The road cuts produced by this excavation have exposed some interesting features of structure and lithology. An outcrop, observed by the authors off the east side of route 7, at grid coordinates 41.482444 N, 73.415307 W is of particular interest. It appears, to the casual observer to be an angular unconformity. Maps and publications regarding this area of Western Connecticut support the likelihood of …

Ichnogenic Megaporosity And Permeability In Carbonate Aquifers And Reservoirs: Definitions And Examples, H. Allen Curran, Kevin J. Cunningham

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Biogenic megaporosity in sedimentary deposits (readily visible without magnification) typically has body-fossil moldic or ichnogenic origin. We consider ichnogenic megaporosity as pores greater than 4 mm associated with either burrow- or rhizolith-dominated ichnofabrics. Dominant bioturbators in shallow-marine environments typically include thalassinidean crustaceans and polychaetes. Callianassid shrimp commonly dominate the deep-tier fauna in carbonate and siliciclastic, sandy, shallow-marine settings; when fossilized their thickly lined, pelleted burrows (cm-scale outside diameters) are assigned to the ichnogenus Ophiomorpha. In the mostly Pleistocene carbonate rocks of the Biscayne aquifer of south Florida, Ophiomorpha is well lithified and burrows form a rigid framework, with interburrow macroporosity …