Geology Commons^™

Revealing Watery Geologies: Softening The Mississippi River Bluffs In Saint Paul, Minnesota, Chloe Kahn

Masters Theses

How is a place shaped by the geologies beneath it? In Saint Paul, Minnesota, the geologic ground tells the story of the different forces and processes that shaped it through time, but in the most recent geologic period of the anthropocene, industrialization and urban development have covered up these stories. On the edge of downtown, where the city meets the Mississippi River, an eighty foot concrete wall replaces the natural form of the bluff shaped by glacial and riverine activity. This thesis peels back the anthropogenic materials we encounter every day and explores Saint Paul through deep time– exploring how …

Latah Formation: History And Case Studies, Kylee M. Woodworth

2025 Symposium

The Latah Formation is a series of discontinuous sedimentary interbeds between the flows of the Columbia River Flood Basalts outcropping across northern Idaho and eastern Washington. Ages ranging between the Middle to Upper Miocene, the sediments represent varied fluvio-lacustrine environments. The deposits are predominantly composed of claystones and shales as alternating, laminated couplets, many containing a variety of fossils. Though the sediments may appear similar across localities, they come from different source rocks, ranging from ashes from Yellowstone hotspot to metamorphic rock from nearby hills. These ancient lacustrine and fluvial environments allowed for great preservation of fossils, often in great …

Structural Analysis Of Catawissa Quadrangle, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, Kylee M. Woodworth

2025 Symposium

Catawissa Mountain within Columbia County, Pennsylvania is a part of a much large system of mountains called the Appalachian Mountains. Though little more than hills today, the Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest mountains in the Americas, dating back to after the separation of the supercontinent, Pangea. This presentation is about the structure interpretations of the Catawissa 7.5 Minute Quadrangle, located in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, including fold analysis of the SW trending Catawissa Syncline, formed from Appalachian fold-thrust belt. These analyses are to decipher how the mountain formed from the surrounding regional tectonics and the timeframe of when the …

Fired And Fractured: An Analysis Of Broken Ceramics, Evan Mcguire

Honors Projects

How does the construction of a ceramic object affect how it breaks? How does the force applied affect this break? These questions are based on my first-hand observations of the multitude of ceramic fragments found in different states of decay at archaeological sites. To answer these questions, I created samples that imitate ancient ceramics and then broke them in different ways. I then analyzed the fracture surfaces and looked for evidence of weak points in the objects. Pieces that were hit by a blunt force, such as a hammer, had radial fractures that formed along paths that had clusters of …

Apatite Entrapment Of Iodine For Nuclear Waste Disposal Applications, William E. Laird

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to provide baseline knowledge of iodine incorporation into calcium phosphate minerals, specifically apatite. Iodine-129 is a fission product in Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) that can administer significant amounts of radiation in small quantities. Apatite (Ca10(PO4)6 (OH, F, Cl)) has been studied for the use of radionuclide confinement. Experimental design was set up to mimic temperatures expected in geologic repositories from 40 to 250℃. Experiments are broken into 2 groups based on iodine species being examined. The first group focuses on iodate (IO3-) which is prevalent under oxidized conditions, and the second handles iodide (I-) …

Earth Analogue Analysis Of Volcanic/Tectonic Interactions With Applications To Venusian Stresses, Michael Ortigoza

Theses and Dissertations

Venus shares many geological similarities with Earth, yet its tectonic processes and magma injection mechanisms remain poorly understood. A key question in planetary geology is how effusive volcanism persists despite the intense horizontal compression terrestrial bodies experience over time. To explore these issues, we examine the Spanish Peaks dike swarm in Colorado which serves as an ideal site for investigating magma intrusion under compressive stress conditions. Through field mapping, orientation measurements, and structural analysis, we identify a strong relationship between pre-existing joints and dike orientations, suggesting that these fractures serve as critical magma pathways in compressive regimes. Additionally, evidence of …

Assessment Of Water Quality And Remediation Of Heavy Metals In A Coastal System, Christiana Fumnanya Eziashi

Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on a three-part study to assess water quality in a coastal system and evaluate the absorption capacity of modified biochar and algae to remediate cadmium (Cd). The first chapter introduces the hypothesis and objectives, and the second chapter provides a detailed literature review. The third chapter focuses on the first study, where surface water samples and water quality data collected from a manned boat and a novel autonomous surface vessel (ASV) in the Western Mississippi Sound (WMS) in the summer of 2021 and 2022 were analyzed and the interrelationship between the nutrient, trace metals, salinity, and chlorophyll-a …

Seismological Applications To Crustal Deformation And Explosion Discrimination, Olumide Adedeji

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

There are many outstanding questions in seismology and plate tectonics that remain unresolved due to the complexity of seismic wave propagation, fault system evolution, and sedimentary-tectonic interactions. In this dissertation, I analyze seismic and acoustic data to improve event discrimination, understand strain partitioning along a transpressive plate boundary, and investigate the influence of tectonic deformation on sedimentary processes. Using seismic arrays, I assess the detectability of Ground Coupled Airwaves (GCA) generated by shallow borehole explosions and earthquakes, demonstrating that GCA detections are highly dependent on source type, environmental conditions and sensor distribution. Along the Queen Charlotte Plate Boundary, I analyze …

Insights Into Fluid-Rock Interactions On The Cv3 Chondrite Parent Body Through The Use Of Secondary Garnets In The Allende Cv3 Chondrite And Terrestrial Skarns, Jessica Marie Johnson

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Garnets are valuable for studying geologic processes, particularly fluid-rock interactions in terrestrial skarns. This dissertation examines secondary garnets and associated Ca-Fe silicates in Allende-like CV3 chondrites and terrestrial skarns to assess garnets as recorders of fluid-rock interactions. Chapter 2 investigates garnets from the Willsboro-Lewis skarn, revealing that mineral separate techniques misrepresent rare earth element (REE) signatures. Chapter 3 examines garnets and clinopyroxenes from the Victorio Mining District skarn, showing that REE incorporation was controlled by fluid composition rather than crystal chemistry. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on extraterrestrial samples. Chapter 4 finds that garnets and pyroxenes in Allende CV3 matrix …

Visualization Of Coastal Carbonate Lithosomes: Color-Intensity Patterns And Georadar Imaging Of A Semi-Lithified Strandplain, Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas, Ilya Buynevich, Michael Savarese, H. Allen Curran

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Quaternary carbonate strandplains serve as archives of land–sea interaction, including the impacts of storms and tsunamis. Incipient lithification, especially of compound beach/dune ridges within the action zone of salt spray, presents challenges to geological research, which is often limited to exposures. This study combines aerial image analysis with geophysical datasets to assess the morphostratigraphy and internal structure of the Freedom Beach Strandplain along southern Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas. Color-intensity analysis of field photographs and satellite images revealed general patterns that can be used to distinguish between areas with different grayscale parameters (sand-covered surfaces, lithified ridges, vegetation, etc.). Cross-shore (dip-section) high-resolution …

Proceedings Of The 12th Research Symposium At Mammoth Cave National Park, Pat Kambesis Editor, Lee Anne Bledsoe Editor, Ana K. Celis Editor

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Proceedings of the 12th Research Symposium at Mammoth Cave National Park: Celebrating 100 Years of Scientific Research & Resource Management in the Mammoh Cave Region.

Evaluating Subduction Zone Processes In Early Paleozoic Rocks Of The Northern Appalachian Orogen, John Mark Brigham

Dissertations - ALL

The study of rocks presently exposed at the surface in mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains can offer insight into the evolution of orogenic and subduction zone processes over geologic time. To better understand the timing, conditions (i.e., pressure and temperature), and tectonic setting of mineral formation in former subduction settings, geologists conduct geochronology, geochemistry, and thermobarometry analyses on rocks and minerals in paleo-subduction zones. This dissertation contains three chapters that focus on serpentinization, hydrothermal alteration of mafic rocks during serpentinization (rodingitization), and high-pressure metamorphism that occurred in a subduction setting during the first phase of the Appalachian Orogeny. …

Magma Evolution And Eruptive History Of Three Fingered Jack: A Mafic Composite Volcano In The Central High Cascades Of Oregon, Javaria Aziz

Dissertations and Theses

The central High Cascades graben in Oregon has been a center for mafic volcanism since its initiation. Three Fingered Jack is one of the larger mafic composite cones in the graben, located 20km south of Mount Jefferson. Three Fingered Jack erupted between 142.1 - 150.8ka, based on Ar⁴⁰/Ar³⁹ age dates. This study provides stratigraphic, compositional and petrographic evidence to understand the eruptive history of Three Fingered Jack and the processes involved in generating compositionally diverse basaltic andesites here.

The basaltic andesites of Three Fingered Jack show three compositional trends of magma evolution: 1) enrichment, 2) depletion and …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

Impacts Of Water Conservation Cost-Share Programs On Irrigated Rice Extensification And Intensification In Critical Groundwater Areas Of The Arkansas Delta, Joshua Michael Blackstock, Oladipo S. Obembe, Aaron Shew, Michele Reba, Joseph M. Massey, Phillip R. Owens, Christopher D. Delhom

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We analyzed the impact of government cost-shares for irrigation water management (IWM) conservation practices on the expansion and cropping intensity of rice (Oryza spp.) acreage in the Arkansas Delta. We used the correlated random effects probit model to control for unobserved effects and exploit changes in government spending over time. We found that government-spending impacts are heterogeneous across Critical Groundwater Area (CGA) designations. A 10% increase in government spending in counties fully within CGAs would reduce the propensity to expand rice acreage by 1.2 percentage points and the likelihood to rotate rice after rice by 7.6 percentage points. In counties …

Survey Of A Paired Gravity Anomaly Within The Benton Uplift Of The Ouachita Mountains, Isaac B. Prud'homme

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Benton Uplift west of Hot Springs, AR is underlain by a paired gravity anomaly on the order of 80 mGal. Nicholas & Rozendal (1975) have theorized that the gravitational low is caused by a “downwarp of the crust into the mantle”1 however the cause of the gravitational high is still debated. This paired gravity anomaly within the Benton Uplift follows the Ouachita orogenic belt southwest for 500 miles where it meets the Marathon uplift in southwest Texas. We conducted a gravity survey along a 108-km-long transect east of two previous gravity surveys.2,3 We corrected the data from this transect …

Reevaluating The Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (Dice) In Western-Central Utah, Michelle M. Norman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Drumian Stage of the Cambrian Period is defined by the First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the cosmopolitan trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus in 504.5 Ma strata deposited on the slope and shelf of the Laurentia margin. The Drumian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), showing the best preserved example of P. atavus compared to global outcrops, is defined in the Drum Mountains of west-central Utah. Due to the inconsistent nature of fossil preservation, researchers have sought secondary proxies to identify Drumian-aged strata in the absence of age-diagnostic fauna. One key proxy is the Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (DICE), an ~-2.5‰ carbon …

Earthscape Ai Dataset V1.1, Matthew Massey, Abdullah-Al-Zubaer Imran

Research Data--KGS

EarthScape v1.1 Dataset Download Links:

esv1p1_smokeset.zip (197 MB)

esv1p1_splits.zip (2.5 MB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_data.zip (1 MB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_hardin_howevalley.zip (26.3 GB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_hardin_sonora.zip (26.3 GB)

esv1p1_usa_ky_warren.zip (166 GB)

Surficial geologic mapping is essential for understanding Earth surface processes and supporting applications in engineering, hazard assessment, and resource management. However, traditional mapping approaches are labor-intensive, limiting spatial coverage and introducing subjectivity. To address these challenges, we introduce EarthScape, a multimodal, AI-ready geospatial dataset designed for surficial geologic mapping and Earth surface analysis. EarthScape integrates high-resolution aerial RGB and near-infrared (NIR) imagery, digital elevation models (DEM), multi-scale terrain features derived from DEMs, and hydrologic and infrastructure vector …

Sediment And Debris Flows Resulting From The 2020 El Dorado Wildfire, San Bernardino Mountains, California, Andrew Suarez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Yucaipa Ridge is a section of the San Bernardino Mountains within the Transverse Ranges of Southern California. During the summer and early fall of 2020, Yucaipa Ridge experienced severe vegetation damage from both the Apple and El Dorado wildfires. Burned slopes exhibit a higher susceptibility to geomorphic change within several years of burning from the introduction of meteoric water onto the slope. Yucaipa, Oak Glen, and other nearby communities are currently at risk of damage by hyperconcentrated flows and debris flows during the seasonal rainy season.

Debris flows and hyperconcentrated flows (a.k.a. mudflows; are grouped and referred to in …

A Mineralogical And Geochemical Investigation Of The Influence Of Tectonic Setting On Accessory Mineral Assemblages In Serpentinites Along The Western North American Margins, Bryan H.T. Seymour

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Serpentinites are metamorphic rocks typically produced by hydrating mantle peridotites to form assemblages containing one or more serpentine minerals. They occur in various tectonic and geologic settings, such as submarine hydrothermal systems, ophiolite sequences, and the forearc mantle. Serpentinites are associated with highly reduced conditions, as indicated by low oxygen fugacity (ƒO₂) values. Previous investigations suggest that oxygen fugacity varies with tectonic setting due to differences in environmental conditions. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed serpentinites from a wide variety of tectonic settings in western North America: The New Idria forearc diapir (CA), Canyon Mountain Island arc complex (OR), Josephine …