Geology Commons^™

Systematic Paleontology, Acritarch Biostratigraphy, And Δ13c Chemostratigraphy Of The Early Ediacaran Krol A Formation, Lesser Himalaya, Northern India, Shuhai Xiao, Ganqing Jiang, Qin Ye, Qing Ouyang, Dhiraj M. Banerjee, Birendra P. Singh, A. D. Muscente, Chuanming Zhou, Nigel C. Hughes

Geoscience Faculty Research

Acritarch biostratigraphic and δ13C chemostratigraphic data from the Krol A Formation in the Solan area (Lesser Himalaya, northern India) are integrated to aid inter-basinal correlation of early–middle Ediacaran strata. We identified a prominent negative δ13C excursion (likely equivalent to EN2 in the lower Doushantuo Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China), over a dozen species of acanthomorphs (including two new species—Cavaspina tiwariae Xiao n. sp., Dictyotidium grazhdankinii Xiao n. sp.), and numerous other microfossils from an interval in the Krol A Formation. Most microfossil taxa from the Krol A and the underlying Infra-Krol formations are also present in …

Comparing Satellite Vs Marine Potential Fields Data Over The Bathymetrists Seamounts, Alexa Fernandez, Irina Filina

UNL Student Research Days Posters, Graduate

The Bathymetrists Seamounts (BSM) are located north of the Sierra Leone Rise (SLR) in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. The seamounts reside on oceanic crust that is 105 to 45 million years old. However, dredging over the Bathymetrists Seamounts dated rocks at ~40 Myr. The general trend of the seamounts contradicts the eastward motion of the African tectonic plate. The origin and tectonic history of the Bathymetrists Seamounts remains debated in literature. Potential fields (gravity and magnetic) data can provide important insight into the formation and evolution of the seamounts. The purpose of this study is to compare available gravity and magnetic …

Sediment Buffering And Recycling On An Annual To Centennial Scale Along The Mississippi River, Nikki E. Neubeck

LSU Master's Theses

Although the Mississippi River and its tributaries have been investigated for many years, the alteration of the river through dams, levees, and diversions has affected how sediment is transported from source to sink (>10³ y). Previous provenance research using detrital zircon U-Pb dating indicates a slow transport time from source-to-sink, but recent anthropogenic alterations of the river may potentially diminish the transportation time of heavy minerals due to an increase in flow efficiency. The objective of this study is to analyze the degree of buffering and recycling of Mississippi River sediment over a range of short time scales, …

Isotopic Analysis Of Hydrous Phenocrysts In Lava Flows Of The Peruvian Altiplano Plateau: Testing For A Subduction Signature, Alyssa Schiwal

Student Research Symposium

The process of flat-slab subduction introduces fluids directly into the overlaying lithosphere, leaving behind a unique stable isotope and trace element signature to the surrounding crust/mantle. Fluid alteration of the deep lithosphere can help explain geologic processes that are observed at the surface, such as patterns of crustal deformation (mountain building) and volcanism. The young high-K mafic volcanic rocks found in the Altiplano region of Southern Peru are derived from the melting of an altered mantle source. By analyzing the hydrogen stable isotopes as well as the trace elements of these volcanic rocks we can locate the water source associated …

Thickness Of Fluvial Deposits Records Climate Oscillations, Xiaoping Yuan, Laure Guerit, Jean Braun, Delphine Rouby, Charles Shobe

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Fluvial deposits offer Earth’s best-preserved geomorphic record of past climate change over geological timescales. However, quantitatively extracting this information remains challenging in part due to the complexity of erosion, sediment transport and deposition processes and how each of them responds to climate. Furthermore, sedimentary basins have the potential to temporarily store sediments, and rivers subsequently rework those sediments. This may introduce time lags into sedimentary signals and obscure any direct correlation with climate forcing. Here, using a numerical model that combines all three processes—and a new analytical solution—we show that the thickness of fluvial deposits at the outlet of a …

Detecting Climate Change In Trilobite Time, Michelle Norman

Student Research Symposium

Trilobites are a signature marine fossil of the Cambrian explosion, which took place about 500 Ma (million years ago). By studying these fossiliferous rocks (limestone), we can get an understanding of ecological and environmental change. In fact, we can detect the ancient carbon cycle by measuring stable carbon isotopes in these limestone samples. By studying the carbon environment the trilobites lived in and which trilobite species evolve or go extinct, we can learn more about ancient climate events and constrain them to a certain period of time based off the age of radioactive zircons we find in sandy material around …

Jillson, Willard Rouse, 1890-1975 (Mss 682), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 682. Writings and supporting materials of Willard Rouse Jillson, State Geologist of Kentucky, author and historian. Includes manuscripts, page proofs, photographic negatives, and promotional pamphlets for his books.

Ignoring Species Availability Biases Occupancy Estimates In Single-Scale Occupancy Models, Graziella V. Direnzo, David A. W. Miller, Evan H. C. Grant

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

1. Most applications of single-scale occupancy models do not differentiate between availability and detectability, even though species availability is rarely equal to one. Species availability can be estimated using multi-scale occupancy models; however, for the practical application of multi-scale occupancy models, it can be unclear what a robust sampling design looks like and what the statistical properties of the multi-scale and single-scale occupancy models are when availability is less than one.
2. Using simulations, we explore the following common questions asked by ecologists during the design phase of a field study: (Q1) what is a robust sampling design for the multi-scale occupancy …

Processing Seismic, Gravity And Magnetic Data Over Diebold Knoll On Juan De Fuca Plate, Md Ariful Islam, Irina Filina

UNL Student Research Days Posters, Graduate

The Juan de Fuca plate is subducting beneath the North American plate along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The CSZ is associated with multiple earthquakes, although compared to other subduction zones, it is less active. Many studies suggest that subduction will cause major mega thrust earthquake in near future, while others oppose this view. This project is focused on the Diebold Knoll on the JdF plate Various geophysical methods will be integrated to determine its origin and tectonic history.

A Tectonic Geomorphic Study Of Neotectonics And Seismic Hazard Of The Fold And Thrust Belt Complex Of Bengal Basin, Eastern Himalayan Range, Niroj Shrestha

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Tectonic activity continues to shape and create challenges for human populations in tectonically active areas. The Bengal Basin is one of the most important sedimentary basins of the Eastern Himalayan Range, aiding in one of the densely populated regions of the world. The basin is part of the tectonically active Himalayan Orogen that is undergoing oblique subduction between the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate. As a result of this subduction-related convergence, the eastern part of the Basin, particularly the Chittagong-Tripura Fold Belt (CTFB) and western part of the Indo-Burman Range (IBR) has structurally deformed into a series of mostly …

A Geospatial And Binomial Logistic Regression Model To Prioritize Sampling For Per- And Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances In Public Water Systems, Sweta Ojha, Ying Li, Nader Rezaei, Ariel Robinson, Anna G. Hoover, Kelly G. Pennell

UK CARES Faculty Publications

As health‐based drinking water standards for per‐ and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) continue to evolve, public health and environmental protection decision‐makers must assess exposure risks associated with all public drinking water systems in the United States (US). Unfortunately, current knowledge regarding the presence of PFAS in environmental systems is limited. In this study, a screening approach was established to: (1) identify and direct attention toward potential PFAS hot spots in drinking water sources, (2) prioritize sampling locations, and (3) provide insights regarding the potential PFAS sources that contaminate groundwater and surface water. Our approach incorporates geospatial data from public sources, …

Mineralogy, Isotope Geochemistry And Geothermometry Of The Lowry Deposit, Black Butte Copper Project, Meagher County, Montana, John Allard

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Black Butte Copper Project is a sedimentary rock hosted, Cu-rich massive sulfide deposit hosted in rocks of the ca. 1.5-1.325 Ga Mesoproterozoic Belt Supergroup. Copper-bearing sulfides, mainly chalcopyrite and tennantite, are hosted in debris flows, black shale, dolostone and sedimentary pyrite layers of the Newland Fm. of the Lower Belt Group in the Helena Embayment, an E-W striking limb of the greater NNW trending Belt Basin. Mineralization is hosted within two separate but contemporaneous deposits, Johnny Lee, which hosts Cu sulfides in an upper and lower sulfide zone within sedimentary pyrite and debris flow conglomerates, and Lowry, where Cu …

Geology And Geochronology Of The East Dome Complex Within The Hog Heaven Volcanic Field, Flathead County, Montana, Ethan Coppage

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This study describes the style and timing of volcanic activity and mineralization in the East Dome Complex (EDC) of the 55-km2 Eocene-Oligocene Hog Heaven Volcanic Field (~36-30 Ma; HHVF) located in northwestern Montana. The HHVF consists of three NE-aligned, predominantly high-K rhyodacitic dome complexes (1.8-4.9 wt. % K2O; 63.2-72.9 wt. % SiO2) formed near the crest the Purcell Anticlinorium, a major Cordilleran fold-thrust belt structure deforming metasedimentary rocks of the Mesoproterozoic Belt Supergroup. Dome emplacement was controlled by a NE-striking fault associated with a pull-apart basin formed between two overlapping, NW-trending dextral oblique-slip faults. The objective of this study is …

Mineralogy And Fluid Inclusion Study Of The Marget Ann Mine Of The Butte Mining District, Silver Bow County, Montana, Tiffany Ostenburg

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Butte, Montana, is a famous example of a zoned, polymetallic, porphyry-lode deposit. Whereas over a century of previous work has focused on the porphyry-style mineralization and centrally located, copper-rich lode deposits, relatively little has been written on the outer, silver-rich veins. The Marget Ann mine, in the northern portion of the district, was chosen for this study because of ease of access to the mine dumps as well as archived samples of high-grade vein mineralization. In addition, the Marget Ann mine is somewhat unique in Butte because gold has been found there and previously recorded in the veins. The main …

An Examination Of The Impacts Of Beaver Dam Mimicry Structures On Groundwater Surface-Water Interactions In Lower Mountain Riparian Systems, Mercedes D. Salazar

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are a low cost, low disturbance stream restoration technique that may improve surface-water/groundwater interactions and wetland connectivity. BDAs are intended to imitate the effects of natural beaver dams by slowing stream velocity, promoting infiltration, increasing dry-season streamflow, aggrading the streambed, and capturing organic matter and other nutrients. This study was conducted to evaluate the degree to which these objectives were being met at a study site on Perkins Gulch, southwest Montana, USA. The Perkins Gulch study area can be summarized by four gauging sites that separate three reaches along the creek. By detailing background processes and …

Surface Water/Groundwater Interactions And Hydrogeochemical Characterization Of The Elkhorn Mine And Mill, Beaverhead County, Montana, Tyler Kamp

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) and the contaminants associated with it have been described by some as the largest environmental problem facing the U.S. mining industry. Heavy metals associated with the drainage, such as copper, cadmium, and zinc affect the water quality of streams and can cause acute or chronic toxicity to invertebrates and fish (Martin, 1992& Padrillah et al., 2018). Elkhorn Creek in the Pioneer Mountains of southwest Montana is one of these impacted creeks. The historic Elkhorn Mine and Mill complex has historically attributed to the creek’s contamination and has undergone remediation. However, the problem has …

The Oldest Mineralized Bryozoan? A Possible Palaeostomate In The Lower Cambrian Of Nevada, Usa, Sara B. Pruss, Lexie Leeser, Emily F. Smith, Andrey Yu Zhuravlev, Paul D. Taylor

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

All skeletal marine invertebrate phyla appeared during the Cambrian explosion, except for Bryozoa with mineralized skeletons, which first appear in the Early Ordovician. However, the skeletal diversity of Early Ordovician bryozoans suggests a preceding interval of diversification. We report a possible earliest occurrence of palaeostomate bryozoans in limestones of the Cambrian Age 4 Harkless Formation, western United States. Following recent interpretations of the early Cambrian Protomelission as a soft-bodied bryozoan, our findings add to the evidence of early Cambrian roots for the Bryozoa. The Harkless fossils resemble some esthonioporate and cystoporate bryozoans, showing a radiating pattern of densely packed tubes …

Groundwater Modeling Of The West Plains, Wa, Erin L. Toulou, Chad Pritchard Phd, Lauren Stachowiak Phd

2022 Symposium

Located in Eastern Washington in the West Plains Region sits a plateau of Columbia River Basalts between Deep Creek, Hangman Creek, and south of the Spokane River. Primarily in Airway Heights, the amount of drinking water as well as the quality of the water has affected residents in the area. The most recent issue is PFAS contamination, which is thought to negatively affect human health and is found in drinking water wells across the West Plains. We can interpret subsurface geology using new well logs from Fairchild Air Force Base and in the Palisades area. When using ArcGIS PRO, well …

Instructor Selection And Use Of Virtual Field Experiences In College Geoscience Course, Kristen Foley

Masters Theses

Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) are a growing supplement and gateway to traditional fieldwork in the geosciences. With VFEs becoming more accepted for use in college geoscience courses, how instructors find and choose VFEs for their students is critical to creating greater accessibility and future resources. VFEs that are not easily accessed by instructors may go unused, and the effort put into making them would have been wasted. This phenomenological descriptive study utilized five focus groups of college geoscience instructors in the United States. Each 1-to-1.5-hour focus group session of 3-7 participants took place on video conferencing software, which was recorded …

Improving Asteroid Remote Sensing By Examining Past Martian Methods, James Dean King

Theses

Deep Space Remote Sensing is an ever-evolving field. The very first missions into deep space were explorations that utilized trial and error, as humanity faced a new frontier of unknowns. Over these 70 years of deep space exploration, much attention has been given to our three nearest celestial neighbors: the Moon, Venus, and Mars. Mars, in particular, has been the target of much observation and study due to it being a target for future colonization. Meanwhile, the areas beyond Mars have had comparatively less focus. Asteroids and objects beyond Mars offer many new horizons for humanity to study. By using …