Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Intensive farming practices have led to the release of sediments and nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, into the environment, which account for nearly half of all water pollution issues in the United States. Among the affected areas is the Bloody Run Swamp in Ohio, an historical swamp drained for agricultural purposes. A restoration project being undertaken by the Stream and Wetlands Foundation aims to retain water, sediments and nutrient on the 80-acre site by restoring the former wetland and constructing a natural channel design channel to replace the ditch to the north of the site. In this study, the pre-construction and during-construction hydrology and sediment concentration at seven sites were assessed to see the impact of the stream restoration and wetland construction aimed at reducing nutrient and sediment pollution. Water samples were gathered and assessed for total dissolved solids (TDS), total solids (TS), and total suspended solids (TSS). While the construction period was wetter than the pre-construction period, there were periods of sediment transport. Most sediments were transported at TDS rather than TSS, with TSS concentrations increasing with large runoff events. The results suggest that the restoration project aimed at reducing nutrient and sediment pollution in the Bloody Run Swamp has the potential to be effective.

Committee: Natalie Kruse Daniels (Advisor); Kelly Johnson (Committee Member); Sarah Davis (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Engineering; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Hydrology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2022, Geology

Summit Lake is an urban kettle lake located in Akron, Ohio. Once used by industry, Summit Lake is currently being revitalized to provide recreational opportunities. It is important to study the lake's overall health to ensure it is suitable for increased recreational use. Seasonal water column profiles were measured and reveal that from May to October the lake is thermally stratified, the hypolimnion becomes anoxic, and orthophosphate as phosphorus is released from the sediment into the hypolimnion and averages 1100 μg/L by October. This phosphorus release may contribute to harmful algal blooms (HABs). During the sunny productive season, the drawdown of CO2 by algae and increased temperatures results in the precipitation of calcite in the epilimnion and deposition of a white calcite-rich sediment layer. During the remainder of the year organic matter deposition produces a brown sediment layer. The white-brown sediment rhythmites observed from 0-58.7 cm composite core depth have been shown to be varves based upon correlation to year 2003 sediment cores and 210Pb dating. Productive season meteorological precipitation was assessed to determine if heavy rain events increased algal productivity and in-turn produced thicker brown sediment layers. Results were inconclusive, but years with extreme rain events (2003, 2004, and 2011) corresponded to thicker brown layers the following non-productive season. The varve-age model allowed the sediment record to be divided into three time periods. The Industrial Period is defined by sediment with no calcite laminations below 58.7 cm composite core depth which varve-dated to 1980. At this time the residence time of Summit Lake water was short due to high input and extraction of water by industry and resulted in unfavorable conditions for abundant calcite precipitation. A massive brown mud layer from 58.7-96.2 cm composite core depth is interpreted as dredged spoil or possibly sediment disrupted by the 1977 bor (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Peck (Advisor); John Senko (Committee Member); Caleb Holyoke (Committee Member) Subjects: Biogeochemistry; Environmental Geology; Environmental Science; Geochemistry; Geology; Hydrology; Limnology; Sedimentary Geology

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences

Lake Erie is critical in understanding regional paleoclimate and hydrology because it is the shallowest and volumetrically the smallest of the Great Lakes, therefore, it is very sensitive and vulnerable to environmental and hydrologic changes, including perturbations by humans. This study is a basic approach to evaluate past climatic history using five deep sediment cores from western, central and eastern basin of the Lake Erie. Particle size analysis (Malvern UM 2000), reflectance measurements (handheld Minolta CM-2600d), XRF analysis, XRD, MS and Age dating were carried out using homogenized sediments at 10 cm resolution. The freshwater Reservoir correction was recalculated for three basins of Lake Erie and for Lake Michigan and Huron using modern 14C dates which has previously been referred to as the `hardwater effect'. Prior calculation of the hard water effect for Lake Michigan and Lake Huron (Moore et al., 1998) varies from 226 to 375 14C yrs and 326 to 498 14C yrs respectively. The revised FWRC values obtained from published data document a generally increasing trend among the circulation pathway from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron with increasing ages of 265 ± 53 14C yrs in Southern Lake Michigan, 226 ± 61 14C yrs in Northern Lake Michigan, and 375 ± 41 14C yrs in Green Bay area. The average FWRC value for Northern Lake Huron is 348 ± 70 14C yrs; For Georgian Bay is 345 ± 70 14C yrs and Southern Lake Huron is 459 ± 61 14C yrs. Calculated freshwater reservoir correction value for Lake Erie western basin is 464 ± 51 14C yrs and the central basin is 678 ± 46 14C yrs, and for eastern basin 732 ± 64 14C yrs. The FWRC value increased from west to east in Lake Erie. These changes are likely related to basin depth, carbonate preservation differences and changes in circulation within the basins. The linear sedimentation rate (LSR) and Mass Accumulation Rate (MAR) is gradually increasing from western basin to central basin and highest is obtained in the eastern basin. (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joseph Ortiz Professor (Committee Chair); Alison Smith Professor (Committee Member); Daniel Holm Professor (Committee Member); Beverly Saylor Professor (Committee Member) Subjects: Climate Change; Environmental Geology; Geology; Paleoclimate Science; Sedimentary Geology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Earth Sciences

Human activities including fertilizer application and fossil fuel burning have increased nutrient concentrations in coastal waters. Nutrient inputs can be difficult to constrain at the coastal interface where multiple waters mix, including river water, groundwater, and lake or ocean water. At coastal interfaces, rivers distribute their nutrient loads across delta wetlands, where processes like anaerobic respiration and plant uptake may reduce nutrient concentrations. Beneath the coast, groundwater also carries nutrients offshore, where biogeochemical reactions alter the nutrient chemistry and discharge rates are difficult to measure. I aim to improve the assessment of nutrient loads to coastal waters in these challenging environments through two case studies. First, I estimate groundwater discharge, a previously unaccounted source of nutrients, to the United States Great Lakes coast using high-resolution geospatial analysis. By integrating land use data, I also identify areas of the coast that are vulnerable to high nutrient loads from groundwater. My analysis shows that almost one-third of Lake Erie's United States coastline is vulnerable to contamination from groundwater nutrient sources. By collecting field measurements at a vulnerable beach site, I show that the nitrogen load from groundwater exceeds 1 gram/day/meter of coastline, which constitutes a small but non-negligible source to Lake Erie. In the second case study, I use benthic chambers to measure nitrogen removal rates in a coastal wetland in Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana. Results suggest that summertime nitrate removal kinetics are highly correlated with a widely available remotely-sensed vegetation index (NDVI). Heavily vegetated, submerged levees at intermediate elevations in the delta are thus predicted to be the most reactive habitats. Though less reactive, larger channels primarily on the eastern half of the delta may contribute most to nitrate removal, as they receive the greatest mass fluxes of nitra (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Audrey Sawyer (Advisor); Joachim Moortgat (Committee Member); Derek Sawyer (Committee Member); Rachel Gabor (Committee Member) Subjects: Earth; Environmental Geology; Geochemistry; Geographic Information Science; Geology; Geomorphology; Sedimentary Geology; Water Resource Management

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Geology

The Middle Silurian-aged Guelph Formation pinnacle reefs and associated deposits of the Michigan basin (U.S.A.) are a prolific hydrocarbon play, valued for its potential for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon sequestration. Recent work has aided in resolving reef growth models and complex architecture, however previous studies have been focused on reef development, largely overlooking depositional controls of the leeward debris apron development and implications for reservoir development. This study hypothesizes that the leeward debris apron of Guelph Formation pinnacle reefs accumulated with depositional controls and architectural elements like those of larger, line-fed slope apron systems of carbonate platform margins. This study utilizes a case study well, which was laterally deviated leeward of the reef pinnacle and captured the leeward slope profile of a Guelph Formation pinnacle reef. This study uses 70 m of whole core, 117 core plugs, 16 mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) curves, 21 thin sections, in addition to a suite of geophysical wireline logs, including borehole image logs, to build a depositional model for the leeward debris apron and evaluate controls on reservoir quality. Core analysis of sedimentary deposits recovered from the well identified 16 lithofacies, interpreted to have been deposited within six facies associations including reef zone, tempestite, debrite-turbidite, subtidal back-reef, intertidal, and supratidal. Stratigraphic analysis revealed that the leeward debris apron developed within two distinct growth stages: (1) a stage correlative to active reef growth and accumulation of the debris apron and (2) a peritidal stage of deposition. Reef growth deposits (stage one) consisted of deepening upward sedimentary successions comprised of skeletal framestones, floatstones, rudstones, grainstones, wackestones and intraclastic conglomerates. The vertical succession of these deposits was interpreted to represent the lateral shift of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Evans (Advisor); Margaret Yacobucci (Committee Member); Yuning Fu (Committee Member); Kurt Panter (Other) Subjects: Geology; Petroleum Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

The Kaskaskia/Absaroka boundary is an unconformable surface that separates the Lower Pennsylvanian Sharon Sandstone from the Mississippian Maxville Limestone or Logan Formation. Previous maps of the drainage pattern formed on the boundary lacked detailed spatial control or were of regional scale. This study examined 348 geophysical well logs from four townships in southwestern Athens County, which were used to create cross-sections, and isopach maps of the gross and net sandstone, the Maxville Limestone, and the total Mississippian interval. Correlation and isopach data show that thick sandstones present in the wells of the study interval were unambiguously Early Pennsylvanian incised valley deposits of the Sharon Sandstone that were deposited in a braided fluvial environment. The fluvial sandstones are interbedded with mudstones that have gamma-ray and porosity values that differ from the underlying marine Mississippian sediments, suggesting a possible base level change associated with eustatic sea level rise. The change from laterally continuous Mississipian marine strata to the incised fluvial valleys marks a shift in tectonic from dynamic to thrust loading. The location of the main channels of the drainage system formed on the older Mississippian strata was close to the boundary between the forebulge and backbulge regions of the Appalachian foreland basin.

Committee: Gregory Nadon (Advisor); Gregory Springer (Committee Member); Xizhen Schenk (Committee Member) Subjects: Geological; Geology; Petroleum Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Earth Sciences

The Arctic is warming at increasingly rapid rates as a consequence of current global climate change. Temperature increases are amplified at these high latitudes and have resulted in major environmental changes, especially pronounced in the continual decline of sea ice at the surface of the Arctic Ocean. Through atmospheric and oceanic connections, these effects have been linked to many of the climatic changes taking place around the world. In addition, sea ice loss has major societal impacts, as it allows for increased human activity in the Arctic Ocean region. Therefore, it is necessary to improve our understanding of the changing Arctic system, which requires a profound knowledge on its history on various time scales, from decades to millions of years. This dissertation investigates multiple sedimentological proxies from the western Arctic Ocean, with a focus on reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene (Plio-Pleistocene; ~5-0.8 Ma). This time period preceded the expansion of major Northern Hemisphere glaciations (~0.8 Ma) and potentially represents one of the most useful paleo-analogs for the changes currently taking place in the Arctic Ocean. Two sediment cores from the Northwind Ridge north of Alaska were analyzed in detail, as they recovered material dating back to the Pliocene and exhibit uniquely good preservation of calcareous microfossils, primarily benthic foraminifera. These microfossils aided in constructing a better resolved Plio-Pleistocene stratigraphy for the Arctic Ocean, and they provided a proxy for reconstructing paleo-sea ice conditions by relating the distribution of specific ecological groups to sea-ice extent. Other proxies, such as sediment texture (grain size) and elemental composition (X-ray Fluorescence) were used to interpret paleo-circulation and sediment transport processes. Together, these proxy records indicate that the Pliocene and early Pleistocene environments had little effect from (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Andrea Grottoli (Advisor); Leonid Polyak (Advisor); Lawrence Krissek (Committee Member); Cinnamon Carlarne (Committee Member) Subjects: Oceanography; Paleoclimate Science; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Earth Sciences

A step-change in atmospheric oxygen (O2) levels in the Ordovician has been attributed to the emergence of land plants. This phenomenon is tied to a major baseline shift in the stable carbon isotope (δ13C) curve consistent with an increase in nutrient delivery and enhanced primary productivity in the ocean and land, leading to high organic carbon burial. The timing and magnitude of this baseline shift, however, is still elusive in part because of the lack of high resolution δ13C data from this period. Much of the existing Ordovician 13C literature is focused on isotopic excursions with less emphasis on identifying long term shifts in baseline (pre- and post-excursion) values. This study presents new 13C curves from stratigraphic sections at Germany Valley (West Virginia) and Union Furnace (Pennsylvania) in the Central Appalachian Basin. These sections span the Upper Ordovician Sandbian Stage (~ 458.4 to 453.0 Ma) and cross into the Lower Katian Stage. The curves from both sections are characterized by relative stability and light (< 0‰) carbon isotope values in the Early Sandbian, followed by a shift toward positive values (> 0‰) in the Late Sandbian. I propose that the positive shift represents a long-term global shift in the δ13C baseline. A temporal relationship between this positive shift and diversification of liverworts clade and a clade that letter became mosses, hornworts, and vascular plants from their common ancestor in terrestrial plants suggests an organic carbon burial (net release of oxygen) mechanism for the stepwise oxygenation of the atmosphere in the Late Ordovician.

Committee: Matthew Saltzman (Advisor); Elizabeth Griffith (Committee Member); Thomas Darrah (Committee Member) Subjects: Earth; Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2018, Earth Sciences

IODP Expeditions 367/368 drilled the northern rifted margin of the South China Sea (SCS) basin to investigate the timing and mechanisms of its rifting history and to explore its sediment source-to-sink processes. This study examines the mineral composition of sand intervals recovered from two adjacent sites drilled during these expeditions, in order to contribute to understanding these aspects of the evolution of the SCS basin. The sand mineral assemblages at these two sites were interpreted in the context of sand mineral assemblages derived from major sources surrounding the SCS to evaluate the history of sediment supply and the patterns of sand transport throughout the mid-late Cenozoic. Mineral distributions in sand intervals throughout Sites U1499 and U1500 also help to distinguish between rifting models hypothesized for this basin. Sixty-nine samples of medium- to coarse-grained sand and sandstone intervals from Sites U1499 and U1500 were analyzed petrographically. The two sites contain similar lithostratigraphic successions, although unit boundaries occur at different depths. Moving downcore, these units include clay; silty sand with clay and siltstone interbeds; claystone; calcareous-rich claystone; and sandstone. The base of Site U1499 contained sandstone with polymict clasts and matrix-supported breccia, overlying sandstone cobbles. At Site U1499, thin sections from the cobble lithologic unit contain an average framework composition of Q18F74L8; shallower samples are more quartz-rich (average framework composition of Q54F38L8), and some intervals are enriched in mica. Most rock fragments in the cobble interval at Site U1499 are volcanic in origin, whereas the majority of rock fragments in the shallower sediments are plutonic. At Site U1500, thin sections contain an average framework grain composition of Q53F42L5, with limited variability. The majority of rock fragments shifts slightly at Site U1500 from more metamorphic rock fragments to more sed (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lawrence Krissek (Advisor); Derek Sawyer (Committee Member); William Ausich (Committee Member) Subjects: Earth; Geological; Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science, Miami University, 2018, Geology and Environmental Earth Science

Evaluation of the Upper Devonian (Famennian Stage) lower Huron Member in the north-central Appalachian Basin has revealed 4th-order cyclicity that can be correlated in subsurface geophysical well logs across Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania. Correlations consist of 21 parasequence-set cycles bounded by sequence boundaries, identified by low gamma ray log values. Trends in lithofacies, color, and total organic carbon identified from a core support sequence stratigraphic interpretation from geophysical well logs. Sequence trends show that the lower Huron Member can be divided into three separate sequence sets corresponding to different stages of basin development throughout the Late Devonian. Sequence sets include an initial transgressive stage exhibiting increases in stratigraphically condensed intervals to an overall regressive stage with increased erosional truncation of older sequences. Further, geochemical analysis using total organic carbon, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance, and gas chromatography data from the lower Huron Member show that hydrocarbon generation likely occurred in eastern Ohio, northeastern Kentucky, and western West Virginia. Study results increase the area of lower Huron Member hydrocarbon generative potential relative to previous studies.

Committee: Brian Currie PhD. (Advisor); Michael Brudzinski PhD. (Committee Member); Mark Krekeler PhD. (Committee Member) Subjects: Energy; Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2018, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study focused on outcrops of the Lamotte Sandstone (Cambrian) within Hawn State Park near Farmington, Missouri. The goal was to estimate the channel depth, channel width, and channel belt width for rivers that deposited this portion of the Lamotte Ss. Sedimentary characteristics (grain size, bedding type and thickness, and unit bar and compound bar boundaries) were mapped within three outcrops on photomosaics and within graphic sedimentary logs (totaling 14 m vertically). The change in sedimentary characteristics from the lowest to the highest deposits studied suggest the formation and filling of a major channel within the braided channel belt. The thickness of cross-sets was used to estimate the height of formative dunes (45-91 cm), mean channel depth (2.7-9.1 m), mean channel width (545-1824 m) and channel belt width (758-3967 m). Similar results were obtained using other measurements from the Lamotte Ss., and these dimensions are similar to the modern South Saskatchewan River. The Lamotte Ss. has long been correlated with the Mt. Simon Sandstone of the Illinois Basin and the results of this study will help constrain models of heterogeneity in it and other fluvial reservoirs.

Committee: David Dominic Ph.D. (Advisor); Robert Ritzi, Jr. Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ernest Hauser Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

The Allensville Member of the Logan Formation (Late Tournaisian; 345 – 349 Ma) in south-central Ohio is an anomalously coarse-grained unit deposited in a shallow marine setting at a time when tectonic subsidence rates were low and after the onset of Late Paleozoic glaciations. The Allensville Member mainly consists of interbedded very fine- to very coarse-grained arenites with small amounts of laminated mudstone and coarse-grained laminations in finer-grained sandstones. Less common are well sorted and well rounded, granule to pebble conglomerates. Average grain size is 0.9 mm with a maximum clast size of 3.0 cm. Vertical grain size trends in the measured sections show similar trends of coarsening and fining upwards that can be correlated along strike for 30 km. Fossils within the member consist of crinoid columnal molds and rare brachiopod shell molds. Vertical burrows that are filled with coarse-grained sand and granules from overlying beds and which are present at the same stratigraphic position within each measured section are interpreted as the Glossifungites ichnofacies. The presence of the Glossifungites traces combined with the textures of the sandstones and conglomerates are interpreted to be the result of deposition as storm deposits and transgressive lags, respectively. Vertical changes in grain size, texture, and concentrations of fossils were used to subdivide the interval into systems tracts that represent two 4th order sequences in which deposition was controlled by high-frequency, high magnitude glacio-eustatic sea-level fluctuations.

Committee: Gregory Nadon PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2018, Earth Sciences

Tsunamis pose a major threat to human health and safety in the Caribbean and coastal communities around the world. In order to constrain the recurrence interval of these natural disasters and help build resilience, sedimentary deposits from both paleotsunamis and those in the historical record must be identified and examined. Preservation of tsunami deposits is often poor, but coastal salt ponds, a common occurrence in the Caribbean, have been recognized as having the potential to capture tsunamites. This study examined <1m cores from the West End Salt Pond on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands for evidence of inundation events. One deposit that showed several characteristics of an inundation event and was present in multiple locations across the pond was identified, and interpreted as having originated from the 1867 Virgin Island Tsunami. Deeper cores may reveal deposits from other tsunamis that have been identified in the region.

Committee: Derek Sawyer (Committee Member); Audrey Sawyer (Committee Member); Matthew Saltzman (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

Exposed paleosols are subject to modern pedogenic processes which, over time, are expected to alter paleosol chemistry and subsequent paleoclimate estimates to better reflect the environment at the time of exposure rather than the time of formation. Although paleosols are widely used in paleoclimatic reconstruction, current research typically does not address the degree of influence that modern weathering has on the bulk geochemistry of paleosols. Previously described Pennsylvanian and Permian paleoVertisols and paleoInceptisols with known durations of exposure were described and sampled from five roadcuts in southeastern, Ohio. Samples were collected at depths of 0, 25, 50, 100, and 150 cm from the outcrop surface, and then analyzed via XRF for major oxides (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Al, Si, Mn, P, and Ti). These data were used in molecular weathering ratios to characterize paleosol properties and calculate MAP and MAT. Results indicate that although oxide geochemistry often differs between sampling depths, the differences do not occur in a pattern that supports that recent pedogenesis is a driving factor. Rather, this study may be capturing naturally occurring geochemical variations that are the result of small-scale differences in formational environment. Additionally, decade- level exposure time along these roadcuts may limit the extent of pedogenesis. Ultimately, for geochemical studies on paleosols in outcrops located on young roadcuts in temperate climates, current sampling techniques seem to be sufficient in mitigating the effects modern weathering. Recommendations from this study include sampling from 25-50cm beyond paleosol surface and taking multiple samples across an outcrop to account for lateral variation.

Committee: Daniel Hembree (Advisor); Alycia Stigall (Committee Member); Gregory Springer (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology; Sedimentary Geology; Soil Sciences

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Geology

Alkali-aggregate reactions (AAR), including alkali-carbonate reactions (ACR) and alkali-silica reactions (ASR), may be a cause of premature degradation of concrete. Conventional ASTM testing suggested that some NW Ohio sourced dolostone aggregates were susceptible to AAR. However, these tests do not provide direct evidence of AAR and may take up to a year to perform. Therefore, this study was performed using modern analytical techniques to investigate AAR susceptibility of crushed dolostone sources through dolomite crystal texture analysis, evaluation of impurities, etc., as well as to directly detect AAR-type byproducts in concrete. PLM, insoluble residue testing, XRD, XRF, ICP-OES, and SEM/EDS analyses were conducted on aggregate and concrete samples. The results of these analyses suggest that there was a definitive relationship between dolomite formation conditions and ASR susceptibility but the relationship with dedolomitization was less straightforward. Impure, fine-grained dolostone aggregates with planar textures may be more prone to ASR and associated expansion. These aggregates contain greater concentrations of silica, which are proportional to concentrations of dissolved silicon in highly alkaline environments. In the concrete samples, the presence of reaction rims and carbonate haloes containing calcite and brucite indicated dedolomitization occurred in all samples, even at 28 days, due to the highly alkaline concrete pore solutions. However, the conspicuous presence of dedolomitization was not associated with deleterious expansion in the year-long test. ASR, which may be promoted by dedolomitization, is the likely cause of expansion and degradation due to AAR. ASR was not abundantly observed due to the short curing duration of the concrete in addition to the low-alkali cement and the relatively unreactive intercrystalline alpha quartz grains. Future research should focus on the analysis of potentially deleterious sources using modern analytical methods a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Farver PhD (Advisor); James Evans PhD (Committee Member); Yuning Fu PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Geochemistry; Mineralogy; Sedimentary Geology

MS, Kent State University, 2017, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences

The Yellow River is the second largest river in China, world-famous for its highly sediment-laden water. The Yellow River delta is located in the transitional zone of the river sea interaction, where land and sea interact intensely. This area not only is the sink of the materials from the Yellow River, but also the source of the Yellow River dispersal system into the Bohai Sea. The Yellow River experienced many instances of channel switching and formed ten superlobes during the latest Quaternary. From 8800 yr. cal. BP., the Yellow River has experienced three transgressions. According to the study of Yi et al. (2014), the Yellow River deltas switch and form a new superlobe about every 1500 year. This thesis studied three sediment cores by applying geostatistical analysis and grain size VPCA analysis. I confirmed the approximately 1500-year periodicity for new superlobes by applying VPCA to grain size spectra and by correlating sediment cores in order to build age models to identify the different facies and layers. Smaller crevasse-splay cycles occurred on much shorter cycles, on the order of several decades. The ~1500-yr cycle is probably caused by the interaction of the Eastern Asian Winter Monsoon, the Kuroshio Current, and the Arctic Oscillation. Sea level change is also a very important consideration. Most major river deltas have been found to exhibit a 1000 to 2000-year cycle, which has been attributed to variations in sea level change. However, during the late Holocene, after 6000 Cal yr. BP, when sea levels had essentially reached the modern elevation, the Yellow River delta became quiescent and the Bohai Sea was more stable. In the first chapter, I discuss the Yellow River's history and geological background and describe previous studies on the Yellow River delta. Chapter 2 discusses the methods that have been used in the thesis, specifically the Malvern Mastersizer and geostatical methods including VPCA (varimax principal component analysis) and it descri (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joseph D. Ortiz (Committee Member); Alison J. Smith (Committee Member); Neil Wells (Committee Member) Subjects: Earth; Geomorphology; Paleoclimate Science; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Geology

Suspended sediment in water bodies is a considerable environmental concern. Traditional sampling methods for suspended sediment are time-consuming as they involve vertical and spatial point-sampling. Remote sensing (RS) is an alternative to in-situ measurements and it is capable of monitoring suspended sediments in shallow waters spatially at large scales. Use of RS technology to map suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) depends on sensor type and its capability `to see through' the water column at given surface and water column conditions. This study examined the capabilities of RS technology to spatially quantify SSC at multi-depth intervals within the Maumee River, Ohio. Water samples were collected and analyzed for SSC in May, June, and October at depths of 0.5 ft., 2 ft., 3 ft., and 6 ft. Landsat 8, surface hyperspectral measurements (aggregated to simulate sensors), and MicaSense Sequoia camera onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were used. Single spectral bands, ratios, and multiple bands/ratios were examined in developing algorithms relating RS and field measurements. Linear regression models provided the best relationship for surface, Landsat 8, and UAV data throughout all depths. A 6 ft. depth had the highest correlation for surface (R2adj=0.93) and Landsat 8 (R2adj=0.79) data. For UAV a 3 ft. depth provided the best relationship (R2adj=0.52). Band ratios using nonlinear fitting provided good relationships (surface R2adj=0.72 and Landsat 8 R2adj=0.54) at 6 ft. as well. Results showed Landsat 8 more accurately measured suspended solids at 6 ft. than shallower depths. Regression equations and band ratios showed increasing relationships with SSC with increasing depth for Landsat 8 with an exception for 3 ft., which can occur due to stratification. UAV measurements produced best results for 3 ft. Algorithms with best results included ultra blue, blue, and green bands which are not typically used for quantifying SSC. Shorter wavelength bands (400 nm-5 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Anita Simic (Advisor); Robert Vincent (Committee Member); James Evans (Committee Member) Subjects: Geological; Geology; Geotechnology; Hydrology; Remote Sensing; Sedimentary Geology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Geological Sciences

Phylogeny-based studies of fossil organisms are increasingly utilized in the field of paleobiology to address macroevolutionary questions while taking into account the shared evolutionary history of closely related taxa. Broadly, this dissertation is concerned with tree-based investigations of evolutionary patterns in the fossil record, with a particular focus on the evolutionary history of crinoids. Using the fossil record of camerate crinoids as a model group, chapters herein integrate alpha taxonomy, phylogenetic inference, systematic revision, and phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate diverse macroevolutionary questions. In addition to inferring new phylogenetic trees, this comprehensive approach serves both to improve the primary data used to infer phylogenies (i.e., alpha taxonomy, morphology, and taxon sampling) and to incorporate phylogenetic hypotheses into tree-based studies of evolution in the fossil record. Descriptions of crinoid faunas from the Upper Ordovician (Katian) of Ontario and Spain were conducted to improve the resolution of paleobiogeographic and stratigraphic sampling in morphological datasets, and newly described taxa were included in subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Evolutionary relationships among camerate crinoids were inferred, and the resulting phylogenies were used to inform systematic revisions of crinoid classification. In addition, recovered trees were integrated with high-resolution morphologic and ecomorphologic datasets to conduct phylogeny-based studies of morphologic evolution and extinction selectivity, focusing on the role of ecology in the generation and maintenance of these patterns.

Committee: William Ausich (Advisor); Matthew Saltzman (Committee Member); Lawrence Krissek (Committee Member); Marymegan Daly (Committee Member) Subjects: Evolution and Development; Geology; Paleontology; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2017, Geology-Environmental Geology

Lake sediment can provide records of past changes in climate, water budget and lake level, ecosystems, and human impacts to the environment. This study uses the sediment from Brady Lake, a kettle lake in northeastern Ohio, to determine Late Holocene natural and anthropogenic environmental variability. Because no bathymetric map of the lake was available, one was created in ArcMap by collecting 7,507 latitude, longitude, and water depth measurements with a Garmen 125 fathometer and GPS unit. Sediment dispersal processes were studied by collecting surface samples throughout Brady Lake. Dense, sandy sediment, having low organic content (<5%), were present in water less than 1.5 m deep where wind-wave orbital motion prevents muds from accumulating. Low density, porous muds, having high organic content (30%), accumulate below 1.5 m due to sediment focusing. A 4.13-m-long Livingston piston core was collected from the central deep-water basin to evaluate 2840 Cal yr of environmental change. Age control was determined through radiocarbon dating and correlating event stratigraphy datums to other dated Ohio kettle lake sediment records. Between 4.13 and 1.9 m core depth (2840-210 Cal yr BP), low density gyttja having 70% organic content and a C/N ratio of ~13.7 is present. These sediment characteristics are interpreted as the pre-Euro American settlement period when the watershed was forested and sediment yield was low. Within this interval, five lows in organic content, having increased sediment density, suggests a decrease in vegetation and increased watershed erosion. These changing watershed conditions may reflect fluctuations in atmospheric circulation and moisture balance during the Late Holocene. Furthermore, these lows agree with the timing of globally distributed rapid climate change occurring between 3500-2500; 1200-1000; and 600-150 Cal yr BP identified by Mayewski et al. (2004). At 1.9 m core depth, the gyttja abruptly changes to bedded mud having increased concen (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Peck (Advisor); John Senko (Committee Member); Linda Barrett (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Geology; Environmental Science; Geochemistry; Geology; Limnology; Paleoclimate Science; Sedimentary Geology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2016, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

The lacustrine, playa, and alluvial Jurassic East Berlin Formation is one of four understudied sedimentologic units in the Hartford Basin, a fault-bounded half-graben in southern New England. Past studies identified six complete lake successions, or source rocks with kerogen-rich black shale, in the southern and northern extents of the upper 107 m of the East Berlin. A geologic analysis of eight fresh cores, collectively penetrating the entire East Berlin for the first time in the central region of the basin, has synthesized the (1) sedimentology, (2) clay-sized mineralogy, (3) stratigraphy, and (4) biogeochemistry of an otherwise poorly-understood sedimentary formation. Facies are analogous to those found by previous workers and characterize three main depositional environments—(a) sheetflood-dominated sandflats, (b) pedogenically-altered dry playa mudflats, and (c) shallow and deep lakes. Travertine is found in the lower East Berlin for the first time in central Connecticut. Eight complete lake successions, the upper six of which are correlative to exposures in the southern and northern regions of the basin, are dominated by chlorite-smectite with 50% smectite layers (lakes 1a and 1b), illite-smectite with 20% smectite layers (lakes 2, 5, 7, and 8), and illite-smectite with 90% smectite layers (lakes 3, 4, and 6). Biomarker results are inconclusive and ongoing. These data suggest a gradient from balance-filled (lakes 1a and 1b) to under-filled (lakes 2-8) conditions during East Berlin time, which records a complex dynamic of tectonic and climatic forcings.

Committee: Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch (Advisor); Dina Lopez (Committee Member); Alycia Stigall (Committee Member) Subjects: Geochemistry; Geology; Sedimentary Geology