Sedimentology Commons^™

Characterizing Seagrass Effects On Hydrodynamics Of Waves And Currents Through Field Measurements And Computational Modelling, Ramin Familkhalili, Navid Tahvildari

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Low-lying coastal and estuarine areas are among the most populated regions globally, have high economic significance, and are increasingly threatened by climate change, sea level rise, nuisance flooding, and extreme storms. Nature-based coastal protections are sustainable and sea-level resilient alternatives compared to traditional solutions such as dikes and seawalls. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) or seagrasses can provide coastal flood and erosion protection by attenuating storm wave and current energy and stabilizing seabed sediments. However, more research is needed to understand the interactions between flow, SAVs, and sediments. These dynamic interactions affect flow at different scales and seagrass productivity. In this …

Analysis Of Vibracores From The New Hampshire Continental Shelf From 1984 And 1988, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

During this study, the twenty-three vibracores taken in 1984 and 1988 were reexamined, original descriptions verified and significantly expanded, and the cores sampled to provide complete grain size data (i.e. the original sediment grain size analyses were limited). The vibracores were grouped by location with respect to major physiographic features (geoforms) or surficial sediment type including Offshore Marine-Modified Glacial Features (Drumlins and Lodgement Till Deposits), Northern Sand Body, Isles of Shoals, Nearshore Marine-Modified Glacial Features (Eskers and Drumlins), Nearshore Sheet Sand, and Offshore Seafloor Plain.

The Northern Sand Body (NSB), located near the Isles of Shoals ~10 km from shore, …

New Hampshire Atlantic Beaches: 2017 Field Campaign Database - Field And Sample Photographs And Sediment Data, Larry Ward, Nathan W. Corcoran, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Rachel C. Morrison

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Sediment data, sediment photographs, and field photographs from a major field campaign conducted on the New Hampshire Atlantic beaches in 2017 are presented here. Research was carried out with the purpose of better understanding how sediment grain size of NH beaches varies under accretional and erosional conditions. Seven major beaches along the NH coast (Wallis Sands, Foss Beach, Jenness Beach, North Hampton Beach, North Beach, Hampton Beach, and Seabrook Beach) representing the range of morphologic and sedimentologic types found on the NH coast were sampled along multiple transects and multiple locations on each transect. This work provides baseline data to …

New Hampshire And Vicinity Continental Shelf: Sand And Gravel Resources, Larry G. Ward, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The continental shelf off New Hampshire (NH) has extensive marine-modified glacial deposits and associated shoals. These features are potential targets for sand and gravel resources for beach nourishment and other efforts to build coastal resiliency. The distribution of sand and gravel deposits was evaluated based on the synthesis of relatively recent high-resolution bathymetry, new surficial sediment and geoform maps, and an extensive data archive that includes over ~1280 km of seismic profiles, ~750 grain size analyses, and 23 vibracores. This work heavily utilizes the results of previous research on mineral resources on the NH shelf by Birch (1984) …

Surficial Geology Of The Continental Shelf Off New Hampshire: Morphologic Features And Surficial Sediment, Larry G. Ward, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani, Rachel C. Morrison

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The continental shelf off New Hampshire (NH) in the Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) is extremely complex and includes extensive bedrock outcrops, marine-modified glacial deposits, marine-formed shoals, seafloor plains, and associated features that are composed of a range of sediment types from mud to gravel. Furthermore, the physiography and composition of the seafloor frequently changes dramatically over relatively short distances (tens of meters). The complexity of the WGOM seafloor results from the interplay of glaciations, sea-level fluctuations, and marine processes (waves and currents). High-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) bathymetry and backscatter surveys, along with ground truth consisting of archived seismic reflection …

Seasonal Changes In Sediment Grain Size Of New Hampshire Atlantic Beaches, Larry G. Ward, Nathan W. Corcoran, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Rachel C. Morrison

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The beaches along the New Hampshire Atlantic coast are essential to the local and regional economy and are one of the major attractions of the seacoast. Beyond their economic importance, the beaches also have great aesthetic and ecological value that are vital to the character and history of New Hampshire. Unfortunately, climate change and an acceleration in sea-level rise, coupled with a major reduction in sediment supply and extensive development (including engineering structures along the coast), has led to loss of elevation and narrowing of many of the beaches. The forecast is that these trends will continue and likely become …

Erosion And Accretion Trends Of New Hampshire Beaches From December 2016 To March 2020: Results Of The Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Alyson L. Eberhardt, Wellsley J. Costello, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Caitlin P. Mandeville

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

New Hampshire Atlantic beaches were monitored from December 2016 to March 2020 to determine seasonal changes in morphology and elevation, assess the response of the beaches to storms with respect to erosion and subsequent recovery, and develop a baseline to determine long-term trends in beach size, elevation, and position. A unique aspect of this study was the involvement of community volunteers working together with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, UNH Cooperative Extension, New Hampshire Sea Grant, and the New Hampshire Geological Survey. The monitoring network consisted of thirteen stations located at six of …

Petrographic And Core Analysis Of The Jurassic Norphlet Formation: A Case Study In The Lithofacies Control Of Diagenesis And Porosity In The Flomaton Field, Al, Jarrett Thomas Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study includes a sedimentologic and petrographic study of cores and thin-sections from the Jurassic Norphlet Formation in the Flomaton Field in southern Alabama to define a specific paragenetic history of each facies encountered and to identify key controls on reservoir quality. Eolian dune, nearshore, sand flat, and wadi facies were likely encountered in Norphlet core and thin-section samples that displayed a high degree of heterogeneity between them in terms of porosity, grain contacts, cement abundance/type, intergranular volume, and overall diagenetic processes. These distinct petrographic differences suggest that the paragenesis in the Flomaton Field is primarily facies controlled. The eolian …

Delineating Of The Utica Shale/Point Pleasant Formation Play System To Determine Influence Of The Precambrian Basement In Northeastern Ohio, Jarrod R. Bridges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Utica Shale/Point Pleasant Formation system has recently become a highly developed unconventional target for oil and natural gas production, leading to an increased desire for knowledge of the controls on deposition of this system. Precambrian basement features have long been known to affect deposition of older strata near these features across Ohio, but the effects of far field tectonics is not fully agreed upon. Precambrian faults and lineaments are known to exist and have been mapped, but are thought to have ceased their influence on deposition by the time of the Knox unconformity during the Cambrian. In the case …

Sediment Provenance Of Tsunami Deposits: Implications For Assessing The Relative Intensity Of Paleotsunamis From The Sendai Coastline Of Japan, Tiffany Otai

Master's Theses

The 2011 Tohoku tsunami impacted the northeastern coast of Japan and caused unexpected damages due to the underestimation of this type of hazard. Of particular importance is the fact that geologic evidence for a predecessor event, the Jogan tsunami (CE 869), could have forecasted the severity of the 2011 Tohoku event. While the timing of tsunamis is important for effective hazard mitigation, outside of the 2011 Tohoku event, the intensity of past tsunamis remains unclear. To understand paleotsunami intensity, it is important to document characteristics of modern analogues like the 2011 event. This study utilizes surface distributions of foraminifera from …

Framework Grain Composition And Texture Of The Wedington Sandstone Member, Fayetteville Shale, As A Provenance And Sediment Dispersal Indicator For Clastic Depositional Systems Across The Northern Arkansas Structural Platform During The Late Mississippian, Tanner Wayne Corbin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Wedington Sandstone Member of the Fayetteville Shale is a constructive delta complex in the Chesterian section of the Late Mississippian record in Northwest Arkansas. A comparative analysis of framework grain composition between the Wedington and two other stratigraphically proximal Carboniferous sandstones: the Batesville Sandstone (older) and the Basal Atoka-Spiro Sandstone (younger) has addressed three questions: 1) Is there similarity in sediment provenance for the three sandstones? 2) Do these three sandstone units have a similar sediment dispersal vector? 3) What are likely sediment source terrains for the Wedington Sandstone? Wedington samples overwhelmingly plot as quartzarenites with fewer samples plotting …

Multi-Proxy Provenance Evaluation Of The Stevens Sandstone, San Joaquin Basin, California, Charles Adam Ball

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Stevens sandstone is a prolific hydrocarbon reservoir in the southern San Joaquin Basin that has produced greater than five billion barrels of oil equivalent and represents an important exploration target. The San Joaquin basin has a complex depositional and structural history related to the overprinting of a Mesozoic-Paleogene forearc basin by transtension and transpression along the San Andreas fault system that presently borders the southwestern side of the basin. The Stevens sandstone consists of quartzo-feldspathic, deep-water turbidite deposits and is primarily confined within the subsurface of the southern San Joaquin basin. Due to this mode of deposition and the …

The Use Of Green Pond Conglomerate As Building Stone In Morris County, New Jersey, Gregory A. Pope

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Green Pond Conglomerate (GPC) is a maroon colored quartzite with white quartz pebbles, a classic “puddingstone”. GPC derives from a NW-SW-trending sliver of Paleozoic sediments, the “Green Pond Outlier”, surrounded by older metamorphic and igneous rocks of Morris and Passaic Counties. Buildings, retaining walls, field fences, and monuments incorporate the durable and attractive stone, in a distinct geographic area of Morris County. Several instances of structures completely constructed or faced with GPC occur in and around Morristown, limited to affluent houses and one prominent church. In these cases, GPC stones were dressed and faced, a labor-intensive effort. Elsewhere in the …

Trace Metals And The Environment: Studying The Behaviour Of Iceland’S Glacially Sourced Trace Metals, Owen Bailey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Trace metal contamination in marine ecosystems is a problem for every trophic level, from zooplankton up to humans. The mobility and uptake availability of these metals depend on such environmental parameters as salinity, temperature, and pH, among others. To explore the effects of varying parameters on dissolved metal behaviour, I studied the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, into which the Breidamerkurjökull glacier deposits trace metals from volcanic ash through glacial melt. In this study I develop and follow a sampling procedure to analyze trace metal concentrations in the lagoon, while additionally discussing the behaviour and impact of trace metals, focusing on cadmium, …

Seasonal Infilling And Sedimentary Characteristics In Sandy Versus Muddy Coastal Borrow Areas On The Louisiana Continental Shelf, Usa, Matthew Barley

LSU Master's Theses

Offshore sand deposits on the Louisiana Continental Shelf, such as inner shelf shoals and buried paleo-river channels, can be excavated to restore beaches and barrier islands that are rapidly deteriorating due to subsidence, sea-level rise and deficits in coastal sediment supply. Presented here is grain size, x-radiograph, and Beryllium-7 (⁷Be) derived sedimentation rates from multicores (~ 50 cm depth) retrieved from borrow areas (BAs) in contrasting depositional settings, all of which have implications for management of water quality, seafloor sedimentology, and biogeochemistry in proximal areas. Multicores were retrieved in fall 2018 at Caminada BA — a sandy energetic …

Field Measurements Of Bed-Load Transport Distances Using Painted Sediment Tracers In An Urban Stream In The Missouri Ozarks, Kristen E. Breckenridge

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Predictions of bed-load mobility and transport in stream channels are useful for restoration and management purposes. This study uses native gravel tracers to determine transport distances for bed-load in an urban stream in the Ozark Highlands. The objectives of this project are to: (i) determine downstream transport distances of painted tracers of different sizes over a range of flow conditions; (ii) evaluate the influence of channel morphology and thalweg location on transport; and (iii) compare field results to those predicted by mobility equations. The study site is located on South Creek, which drains Springfield, Missouri. The study reach is 132 …

Utilizing The Public On Public Lands: The Application Of Community Science To Monitor And Model Erosion In National Forests, Jacob L. Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unpaved forest roads are adversely affecting coldwater streams through excessive erosion and the subsequent sedimentation of adjacent waterways. To help identify areas of concern, Trout Unlimited (TU) in the Southern Appalachian region developed a Community Science initiative to gather data on sediment sources and stream-road crossings. Volunteers were recruited and trained to monitor road and trail conditions and collect and submit data using a Survey123 application on their cell phones. Analysis of the contributed data reveals statistical connections between drainage type and both erosion level and stream sedimentation. The contributed data were also included as a calibration for the lite …

Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of Quaternary Saltville, Virginia, Using Ostracode Autecology, Austin Gause

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saltville valley in southwestern Virginia is home to Quaternary localities containing paleontological and archaeological remains. Historically the valley has been mined for salt and the small lakes, ponds and springs along the valley floor have a brackish signature. A preliminary report on the site’s ostracode fauna suggested that the site’s water was not always saline. This study analyzed modern and Quaternary ostracodes to understand the valley’s hydrologic and chemical evolution. Sediments contained primarily freshwater species, including the environmentally sensitive Candona crogmaniana. The presence of Pelocypris tuberculatum and a new Fabaeformiscandona species throughout a vertical section spanning the latest Pleistocene …

Detrital Zircon Petrochronology For Sedimentary Provenance Analysis: Source To Sink Of The Mississippi/Missouri River Drainage Basin, Sage Denali Muttel

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Detrital petrochronology can provide a detailed look into sedimentary provenance through integrated mineral radioisotopic ages with corresponding mineral chemistry. By combining U-Pb ages and Th/U values of detrital zircon from 13 samples collected from Quaternary sand deposits in the Upper Missouri, Yellowstone, Bighorn, Platte, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Red and Brazos Rivers, an interpretation of detailed signatures that record evidence of the evolution of the Mississippi/Missouri River drainage and the tectonic events that shaped it were observed. Low Th/U values in zircon correlate temporally to convergent magmatism, whereas, higher and more variable Th/U zircon are coeval with known extensional tectonism. Using …

Three-Dimensional (3d) Characterization Of The Middle Ordoovician (Darriwilian) Strata In The Southern Great Basin, Western United States, Uday Mohamed Baheej Kara Ali

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Carbonates are mostly produced in shallow-marine environments and their deposition is sensitive to water depth changes on carbonate platforms. The water depth in depositional environments of a particular carbonate platform is controlled by the interplay of eustatic sea-level change, tectonic subsidence, platform morphology, and depositional rate. Due to the morphological variations of carbonate platforms in different tectonic settings, facies distribution across carbonate platforms varies significantly even during a single eustatic sea-level cycle. Carbonate platforms developed on passive continental margins are thought to be the most stable platforms and their facies distribution is commonly taken as examples in textbook depositional models. …