Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Assessing The Ore Mineralization Depth And Crustal History Of Plutons In Northeastern Washington Using Thermodynamic Modeling Of Wall Rock Assemblages, David William Miller

All Master's Theses

Critical minerals are essential for advanced technologies across all economic sectors, but domestic deposits are unconstrained and underutilized, leaving the U.S. economy vulnerable to disruption. In northeastern WA, several ore-bearing plutons may be a significant resource; however, their formation depths, a component responsible for ore genesis, are unknown. To constrain regional ore formation depths, the mineral assemblages of calc-silicate and pelitic rocks from the contact aureoles of two Cretaceous plutons, located in the Adams Mountain and Hunters (AMH) quadrangles in the hangingwall of the Kettle detachment fault (KDF), were quantitatively constrained with scanning electron microscopy and XMapTools and compared to …

Groundwater Flow And Water Clarity At Cenotes In The Yucatan Peninsula, Laura Rossana Fracica Gonzalez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Characterizing and predicting groundwater flow in complex karst aquifers poses significant challenges. This study explores the potential application of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) technology for in-situ groundwater flow measurement within sinkholes (cenotes) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Two specific questions are addressed: 1) Can ADCP determine flow within Yucatan Peninsula sinkholes? 2) Are groundwater flow vectors related to water clarity in open cenotes? The geological setting of the Yucatan Platform is characterized by horizontal sedimentary strata with highly permeable limestones and extensive karst features. The research focuses on the Holbox fracture zone, where groundwater flow dynamics remain elusive. The …

Reconstructing Vegetation Cover During The Retreat Of The Puget Lobe Of The Cordilleran Ice Sheet Using Organic Matter From Marine Sediment Cores, Emily Mcquarrie

WWU Graduate School Collection

The dynamics of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) over the last glacial period are complex, with several instances of ice retreat and readvance before the final retreat. This study demonstrates that in western Washington, marine sediment cores can be used to reconstruct continental ice cover. Here, I present a reconstruction of terrestrial landscape evolution within the Puget Sound during the last deglaciation, using geochemical analyses of organic matter from marine sediment cores. I measured the carbon isotope composition in bulk organic matter (d¹³C_org) and concentrations of leaf wax biomarkers (n-alkanes and fatty acid methyl …

Critical Convergence: Mapping The Boundaries Of How Faculty Interrogate Whiteness In The Geoscience Educational Landscape, James E. Hobbs

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

This study examined the role of faculty members in interrogating whiteness within geoscience education. The dominant reliance on whiteness as the primary way of knowing in geoscience education has long perpetuated a singular perspective that serves as a mechanism for reinforcing existing power structures rooted in white supremacy. Drawing on tenets from Critical whiteness Studies, Curriculum Theory, and Transformative Learning Theory, this research investigated U.S. higher education faculty members' strategies and challenges in disrupting whiteness within the geoscience curriculum.

Through critical qualitative narrative inquiry, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with geoscience faculty members across multiple institutions across the United …

Diagenesis And Quartz Grain Provenance Of The Turner Sandstone, Carson Lee Broaddus

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Provenance analysis of sedimentary rocks is an essential tool for basin analysis and paleogeographic reconstructions. Numerous tools and analytical methods have been developed over the years to investigate the source of detrital constituents in sedimentary rocks. The Late Cretaceous (Turonian) Turner Sandstone in the eastern Powder River Basin (PRB), WY, and the time equivalent Frontier Formation in the western PRB are commonly described as the remnants of a marginal marine depositional system. However, contradictory evidence exists about the source of those deposits. Here, I present results from a comprehensive scanning electron microscope panchromatic cathodoluminescence (SEM-PCL) analysis of >1200 individual sand-sized …

Paragenesis Of The Austin Chalk Formation In Southwest Texas, Mitchell C. Sherry

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Presented in this study is a detailed investigation of the paragenesis and diagenetic processes of the Austin Chalk Formation in southwest Texas, utilizing a combination of core-based, petrographic, mineralogic, SEM, and geochemical based analyses. This study is conducted on a single whole rock core from an oil and gas producing well in Webb County, Texas. At this distal shelf location within the Maverick Basin, the Austin Chalk Formation consists of foraminiferal wackestones, siliceous wackestones, foraminiferal mudstones, bentonites, and foraminiferal packstone facies. These facies were deposited below wave base through pelagic, hemipelagic, and gravity driven processes. Petrographic and SEM analyses reveal …

Deglacial And Holocene Environmental Change Recorded In Lake Sediments From The Snowy Mountains, Kosciuszko National Park, Southeastern Australia, Emma J. Mickelson

WWU Graduate School Collection

The sediment record from Lake Albina, the Snowy Mountains, southeastern Australia suggests significant environmental change mostly reflecting shifts in climate from the LGM through the Holocene. Immediately following deglaciation, approximately 19.4 thousand cal ky BP, Lake Albina experienced cold and/or dry conditions with minimal vegetation in the catchment. Cooler conditions persisted with a slight increase in moisture throughout the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR; 14.7-13 cal ky BP) aligning closest with a strengthening of the Atlantic Meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and a northward shift of the South Westerly Winds (SWW). Between 12.9-9.7 cal ky BP, Lake Albina recorded a climate reversal …

High Resolution Seafloor Structure Of The Gofar Oceanic Transform Fault, Paige Koenig

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Gofar oceanic transform fault (OTF) accommodates 12.5 cm/year of plate boundary motion through large earthquakes, microseismic swarms, and aseismic slip in distinct regions of the fault along strike. Local and teleseismic observations show that well- coupled segments of the fault tend to fail via M~6 earthquakes roughly every 5 years. These fully-coupled segments are bound by barrier zones, up to ~10 km-wide, that do not generate large-magnitude earthquakes, but instead host microseismic swarms, accompanied by aseismic slip (Shi et al., 2021). Geophysical modeling and observations provide evidence that hydrothermal fluid circulation and fault damage may influence slip behavior segmentation. …

Velocity Structure Of The Queen Charlotte Fault Across The 2013 Mw 7.5 Craig Earthquake Region, Lazaro Valentin Garza

WWU Graduate School Collection

Offshore southeastern Alaska and western Canada, the Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) separates the Pacific (PA) and North American (NA) plates. Here the plate boundary experiences ~55 mm/yr of dextral slip accompanied by increasing fault obliquity from north to south. Among the historical M>7 earthquakes that have occurred on the QCF, two recent earthquake ruptures in 2012 and 2013 highlight the potential for seismic and tsunami hazard along the margin. Earthquake observations and geophysical imaging following the 2013 Mw7.5 Craig earthquake provided new insight into QCF crustal architecture, but also created new questions about how earthquake rupture dynamics are related …

The Geodetic Strain Rates From Gnss In The North American-Carribean-Cocos Triple Junction In Guatemala And Implications For Seismic Hazard, Tanaya Kashyap

Masters Theses

"Geodetic velocity data are pivotal for deciphering seismic risks, providing initial constraints for crustal surface strain rates. Gaining an understanding of the 2D surface strain tensor across an entire area necessitates knowledge of the surface velocity field, yet geodetic data such as measurements from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) are dispersed across the Earth’s surface. In the current scope of study, we have employed various methodologies to estimate strain rates in Guatemala, utilizing GNSS velocity data and leveraging the open-source Python tool Strain_2D. Strain_2D facilitates the computation of strain rates through diverse methods applied to the same dataset and …

4500-Year Paleohurricane Record From The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Coastal Central Tx, Usa, Sarah B. Monica, Davin J. Wallace, Elizabeth J. Wallace, Xiaojing Du, Sylvia G. Dee, John B. Anderson

OES Faculty Publications

Texas receives the second-highest number of tropical cyclone (TC) landfalls per year in the United States. At present, long-term TC projections from climate models remain uncertain due to the short and biased nature of Atlantic TC observations. Sediment archives of past storms can help extend the observational record of TC strikes over the past few millennia. When a TC makes landfall along the central Texas coast, coastal downwelling channels and storm currents transport and deposit coarse sediment to a zone of rapid accumulation along the shelf, known as the Texas Mud Blanket (TMB). This “backwash” process results in expansive storm …

Joint Interpretation Of Ert And Self-Potential Data To Characterize The Subsurface Geology And Hydrodynamics Along The Sutherland Supply Canal And Paxton Siphon Inlet, Paxton, Nebraska., M. K. Aboushanab, D. R. Hallum, R. M. Joeckel

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2023, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Sue Olafsen Lackey, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Nawaraj Shrestha, Jeffrey Westrop

Conservation and Survey Division

This report is a synthesis of groundwater-level monitoring programs in Nebraska. It is a continuation of the series of annual reports and maps produced by the Conservation and Survey Division (CSD) of the University of Nebraska in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since the 1950s. Groundwater-level monitoring began in Nebraska in 1930 to survey the state’s groundwater resources and observe changes in its availability on a regular basis. The CSD and USGS cooperatively developed, maintained, and operated an observation-well network throughout the state. These two agencies were responsible for collecting and archiving this information, and for making it …

Leveraging High Resolution Classifications And Random Forests For Hindcasting Decades Of Mesic Ecosystem Dynamics In The Landsat Time Series, N. E. Kolarik, Nawaraj Shrestha, T. Caughlin, J. S. Brandt

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.

Transient Electromagnetic (Tem) Survey For Targeted Drilling On The Kurtzhals Property, Cedar County, Nebraska, Jesse Korus, Katherine (Katie) Cameron, Michele Waszgis

Conservation and Survey Division

The Kurtzhals property is in Section 19, Township 30N, Range 3 in Cedar County, Nebraska. The present land use is agricultural row crop, but past use included hog production. Two active irrigation wells are located on adjacent properties to the west and southwest. An irrigation well was installed in the northwest corner of the property in 2022. Due to the low yield (300 gallons per minute) of this well, Mr. Kurtzhals seeks to install an additional irrigation well to supplement the first. Several unsuccessful test holes had been drilled prior to the present survey. The purpose of this survey was …

Multiscale Characterization Of Splays Produced By A Historic, Rain-On-Snow Flood On A Large Braided Stream (Platte River, Central Usa), J. T. Korus, R. M. Joeckel, A. R. Mittelstet, N. Shrestha

Conservation and Survey Division

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Historical And Future Bluff Recession In Puget Sound, Wa, Callie Little

WWU Graduate School Collection

Sea level rise in the coming century is projected to cause substantial changes along the world’s coastlines and adverse effects to communities and environments. Among these changes, questions about the extent, rate, and uncertainty of coastal bluff retreat relative to historical observations and in response to sea level rise are critical to evaluate. Coastal bluffs comprise ~43% of the shoreline across Puget Sound in the Salish Sea and their recession is a growing concern to human safety, property, infrastructure, and diverse ecosystem services for culturally and commercially important fisheries. This project assesses bluff erosion using field observations, structure from motion …

Using Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions To Better Understand The Transcrustal Architecture Beneath Mount Baker (Koma Kulshan), North Cascades, Washington, Amanda Florea

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Schriebers Meadow cinder cone is located on the southern flank of Mount Baker and produced the Sulphur Creek lava flows and SC tephra deposits ~9.8 ka. Mount Baker, a Cascade volcano, is located ~50 km east of Bellingham, Washington. Previous work on the Sulphur Creek lava flows show that the eruption comprised two primary bulk rock compositions, ranging from basalt at the toe to basaltic andesite closer to the vent. However, little is known about the relative composition and eruption timing of the SC tephra from the same vent. In this thesis, I quantify compositional variations through the explosive …

The Origin Of Float Rocks On The Western Fan Front In Jezero Crater, Mars, Bavani S. Kathir

WWU Graduate School Collection

Examining loose pieces of rock separated from outcrops, or “float” rocks, at Jezero crater, Mars, and comparing them to in-place outcrops can provide key insights into the crater’s erosional history, the units in the Jezero watershed that the Perseverance rover cannot visit in-situ, and the geologic context for any future returned samples. Here, we used multispectral observations from the Mastcam-Z instrument on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover to investigate the lithology and origin of float rocks found on the western Jezero fan front (sols 415-707). We identified four textural classes of float rocks (conglomerates, layered, massive, and light-toned). We …

Estimating Inorganic Carbon Flux From Coal Mining Discharge Portals In The Bituminous Coal Field Region Of Pennsylvania, Lauren J. Rockwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A fundamental driver of the adverse effects associated with coal mining is the interplay of water and oxygen within mined sites, leading to the creation of coal mine drainage (CMD). One often overlooked consequence of CMD is the release of geologically-bound carbon as carbon dioxide (CO₂). The interaction of CMD with carbonate rocks, specifically the presence of sulfuric acid driving the dissolution of these rocks, leads to the release of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This study examined 25 CMD locations in an approximately 2,370 km² area within the bituminous coal field region of Pennsylvania (PA), specifically in …

(Non-) Recovery Of An Agricultural Stream From Straightening And Dredging, Aras Anderson Mann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In recent history, natural, meandering streams have been straightened and dredged to reduce flooding. While this practice can be effective in reducing flooding locally, it often results in the degradation of stream water quality and aquatic ecosystems. A straighter channel inherently increases the stream gradient, which could increase flow velocity, shear stress, and potentially downstream sediment yield. Studies have shown that straightened, channelized streams often begin to return to a meandering pattern 35-50 years post-channelization. Yet cross-sectional surveys and air photo analysis of the stream reach in this study, Deckers Creek, indicate little to no observable trend of the stream …

The Magmatic Origin Of The Columbia River Gorge, Usa, Nathaniel Klema, Leif Karlstrom, Charles Cannon, Chengxin Jiang, Jim O'Connor, Ray E. Wells, Brandon Schmandt

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Along subduction zones, high-relief topography is associated with sustained volcanism parallel to the plate margin. However, the relationship between magmatism and mountain building in arcs is poorly understood. Here, we study patterns of surface deformation and correlated fluvial knickpoints in the Columbia River Gorge to link long-term magmatism to the uplift and ensuing topographic development of the Cascade Range. An upwarped paleochannel exposed in the walls of the Gorge constrains unsteady deep magma flux, the ratio of intrusive to extrusive magmatic contributions to topography, and the impact of magmatism on Columbia River incision since 3.5 million years ago. Geophysical data …

Zagamiite, Caal2si3.5o11, The Hexagonal High-Pressure Cas Phase With Dominant Si, As A Mineral From Mars, Chi Ma, Oliver Tschauner, John R. Beckett, Eran Greenberg, Vitali B. Prakapenka

Geoscience Faculty Research

Within the Ca-Al-silicate system, dense, layered hexagonal phases occur at high temperatures and pressures between 20 and 23 GPa. They have been observed both in nature and in experiments. In this study, we describe the endmember with a dominant sixfold coordinated Si as a mineral zagamiite (IMA 2015-022a). This new mineral identified in Martian meteorites has a general formula of (Ca,Na)(Al,Fe,Mg)2(Si,Al,□)4O11, thus defining CaAl2Si3.5O11 as a previously unknown endmember of the hexagonal CAS phases. Zagamiite assumes space group P63/mmc with a unit cell of a = 5.403(2) Å, c = 12.77(3) Å, V = 322.9(11) Å3, and Z = 2. …

Reverse Pseudo-Gours: A New Sub-Type Of Folia Observed In The Nerja Cave (Se Spain), Cristina Liñán Baena, Concepción Jiménez De Cisneros, Yolanda Del Rosal, Paolo Forti

International Journal of Speleology

A new sub-type of folia named “reverse pseudo-gour” has been observed and described in the Nerja Cave, southern Spain. It consists of fairly vertical, thin barriers (about 5 mm high and 2 mm thick) that develop on the underside of a sub-horizontal surface (shelfstone) and grow in the opposite direction to normal gours (rimstone dams), generating sinuous shapes. Their mineral composition is essentially calcium carbonate, although globular aggregates composed of clay and phosphate minerals have also been identified. The genesis and evolution of these reverse pseudo-gours occur just at the air-water interface and are controlled by (1) the sub-horizontality of …

Studi Alimentari Italiani E Geologia: Vino E Vulcani Da Diverse Prospettive, Maria Varriale Gomez

Italian Renaissance Foodways

Nel mio progetto di integrazione avanzata, mi impegnerò in un'esplorazione interdisciplinare del vino. Analizzerò il vino utilizzando gli studi alimentari italiani e la geologia, concentrandomi in particolare sugli effetti che i vulcani hanno avuto sul vino in Italia sin dal Medioevo e dal Rinascimento. Nel corso della storia, il vino è stato una parte cruciale della cultura italiana e i vulcani del paese hanno influenzato la produzione della bevanda in modi diversi come la varietà delle uve coltivate e il suo sapore basato sulla composizione del terreno vulcanico. Le numerose regioni in Italia producono vino diverso in gran parte a …

Environmental Fate Of Sulfur In Sulphur Creek, Valles Caldera, Nm: Implications For Metal Transport And Water Quality, Daniel Lavery

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The 1.2 Ma Valles Caldera in north-central New Mexico hosts a young igneous volcanic hydrothermal system after the model proposed in Goff and Janik (2000). The Sulphur Springs area within Valles Caldera is an acid-sulfate area typical of this model, discharging acidic waters (pH 1.5-3) formed by oxidation of magmatic H₂S at the surface. We report on samples obtained from springs and streams collected between October 2021 and May 2023 in the Sulphur Creek and Alamo watersheds. Sulphur Creek receives input from Sulphur Springs and exhibits low pH (2-4) and high concentrations of Al (≤110 mg/L), Fe (≤60 …

Comparative Lineament And Geomorphic Analysis Of Chaotic Terrains And Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars, Sarah A. Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Noctis Labyrinthus (NL) is an extensional trough network connecting the Tharsis rise and Valles Marineris on Mars. Chaotic terrains are a group of polygonally-fractured surface features commonly associated with subsidence due to rapid fluid loss within the subsurface. Polygonal surface patterns are seen at both sites, where geometric topographic highs are bounded by low troughs. Lineaments, topography, and geomorphology of NL and chaotic terrains were analyzed to determine tectonics and fluid influence in the formation and evolution of both sites. NL shows preferential fracture patterns associated with regional extension. Lineaments within chaotic terrains do not show cumulative preferential trends but …

Analyzing The Shark Paleoecology Of Coastal Georgia From The Miocene And Pliocene Epochs, Joshua Lee Clark, Benjamin Angalet

Georgia Journal of Science

The field of shark paleoecology often yields indecisive conclusions based on the limited fossilization of their anatomical structures, with the exception of their teeth. The majority of the Atlantic coast has been studied regarding the presence of certain prehistoric shark species from the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene epochs. However, information pertaining to the Georgia coast and understanding its potential community structure is relatively understudied. This study was conducted in which thousands of fossil shark specimens and subsequent marine fauna were collected from dredge spoils created by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Savannah District. A total of 5,127 fossil …

Using Stromatolites To Rethink The Precambrian-Cambrian Pre-Flood/Flood Boundary, Ken P. Coulson

Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism

The 550-meter-thick upper Cambrian (Furongian Epoch) Notch Peak Formation of western Utah has over a dozen horizons of meter- to multiple-meter-thick sequences of stromatolites that have been correlated with similar stromatolitic beds in the Drum Mountains to the north and the Wah Wah mountains to the south, providing a total geographic distribution greater than 2,600 square kilometres. Cambrian stromatolitic beds have also been described from other areas in North America that circumscribe what appears to be the ancient coast of the North American craton associated with Laurentia. A total of 24 different locations span North America starting in Newfoundland, traveling …

Orthocone Cephalopods As Paleocurrent Indicators In The Ordovician Kimmswick Formation Of Northeastern Missouri, Zachary Aaron Klein

Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism

The intent of this project is to map and analyze orientations of large orthocone cephalopods in the Late Ordovician Kimmswick Formation to determine whether they indicate traceable current directions. The Kimmswick Formation is a medium-to-coarsely-grained crystalline limestone which is highly fossiliferous, with bedding varying from massive to cross-bedded, and ranging from 10-30 meters in thickness in the project region. Numerous orthocone cephalopods (of the genera Endoceras and Cameroceras) can be observed within the lower Kimmswick in several locations in Northeastern Missouri, especially near Imperial and Frankford. A total of 21 orientations along a six-kilometer corridor near Imperial have been …