Hamilton, Ohio is a post-industrial city in southwestern Ohio with many vacant properties that are being rehabilitated for economic growth. Due to the history of industrialism, Hamilton is at a higher risk of environmental contamination. Samples were collected from a residential property near The Great Miami River that is at high risk of contamination because […]
B53: SEM Imaging and Geochemical Analyses of Sands from an Active Dune System near Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a small town in the south-central portion of Nevada with a rich history of silver mining and a star sand dune complex known as Crescent (Tonopah) Sand Dunes just west of town. Because sand dunes accumulate sediments from broad geographic areas, sands from these environments are often used as a standard to describe […]
B57: Functional Trait Evolution of Mesozoic Marine Gastropods
Over the Mesozoic period, marine gastropods continued to evolve favored specific functional traits. More active motility, a surface-dwelling living habit, and a wide variety of feeding habits tended to be preferred. As time progressed, marine gastropods became vulnerable, with increasing amounts of ecological niches being occupied by fewer species. Despite the abrupt extinction event at […]
B59: Initial Mineralogical and Geochemical Evaluation of Talc Crayons from China
Talc products are of interest both in the context of consumer and occupational exposure to asbestos and toxic metals. One product that has not been investigated in detail is talc crayons used for marking in manufacturing. An unopened box of talc based industrial crayons originating from China were analyzed. Twenty crayons were manually powdered, then […]
B23: Surficial Geologic Map of the Miami University Natural Areas near Oxford, Ohio
This project examined the surface geology of the primary floodplain in Harkers Run, located in Oxford, OH. The primary focus for this project was to determine and map the surface and subsurface geology of Harkers Run. For this study, a team of students in Geoenvironmental Field Methods (GLG 311VA) used topographic base maps and GPS […]
B22: Organic Carbon/Nitrogen Content in Age-Calibrated Soils At-Depth
Four Mile Creek is an important watershed in Southwestern Ohio, including floodplain deposits that have historically been used for agriculture. However, due to extensive anthropogenic use, it is difficult to determine pre-human geochemical norms. Organic carbon and nitrogen abundances are important for understanding the soil health overall, as well as providing important benchmarks for carbon […]
A44: HVSR Analysis of Heterogenous Buried Glacial Valley Deposits, Southwestern Ohio
This study presents the results of a detailed Horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) passive-seismic recording program in glacial filled-valley deposits in southwestern Ohio. Study goals were to evaluate the sensitivity of the HVSR method and best practices regarding field sampling techniques and data analysis. The study was conducted in the valley of Four Mile Creek near […]
A35: Comparing PT Paths of Metamorphic Rocks Determined by Quantitative and Semi-quantitative Approaches: A Case Study from the Monviso Ophiolite, Italy
Historically, the field of metamorphic petrology has advanced largely due to the implementation of techniques for quantifying the chemical compositions of rocks in situ. Today, concentrations of major and trace elements are routinely measured on the micrometer scale with instruments like the Electron Probe Microanalyzer (EPMA) and others. Quantitative chemical maps of minerals produced by […]
A34: Deformation of Dry High-pressure Eclogites DuringTectonic Slicing of Subducted Oceanic Lithosphere: A Case Study from the Monviso Ophiolite, Italy
The Alps contain records of deeply subducted oceanic lithosphere that detached at high-pressure (HP) conditions and later exhumed to the surface. These HP ophiolite bodies are key to understanding important geodynamics processes occurring along the plate-interface within subduction zones, yet the nature of their detachment and recovery is not well-understood. For example, HP ophiolites from […]
A39: Using Student Outreach to Create Stewards of the Environment
Teaching STEM concepts to secondary-education students is a challenge, especially with large-scale, abstract concepts such as the degradation of our ecosystems and the impacts this has on communities. One way to address this is to use small-scale examples that exist in “their own backyards”. Thus, the purpose of this project is to develop hands-on experiences […]