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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). Two folded sheets in pocket. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-161). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This study maps the facies architecture and geometry of stratigraphic surfaces within the tide-influenced upper Sego Sandstone exposed in the Book Cliffs between Crescent Junction and Thompson Springs, Utah. A bedding diagram was constructed by correlating 32 measured stratigraphic logs across this 8.5 kilometer strike-oblique outcrop to interpret depositional environments and the sequence stratigraphic setting of this tidally-influenced sandstone. Five facies associations are defined: marine shale, lower shoreface, tidally-influenced bedsets, heterolithic tidal bedsets, and tidal flat deposits. Vertical facies trends define two sandy intervals separated by a marine shale, that are interpreted to record episodic progradation of deltaic shorelines. Erosion surfaces at the base of these intervals are interrupted to record tidal scouring of the sea floor during falling stage regression. Sandstone-bodies within these intervals shingle westward recording delta lobes that thinned and became more heterolithic. Although sandstone intervals are interpreted to record progradation, internal cross stratification is dominantly tidal-flood oriented. This is interpreted to record preferential preservation of bedload transported by flood tidal currents onshore, even though net sediment was directed offshore in a suspended ebb-oriented hypopycnal plume and as fluid mud during uncommon river floods. Deposits above high-relief erosion surfaces observed to cut down into the upper Sego Sandstone do not meet the criteria for incised valley fills. These surfaces are interpreted to record tidal current enlargement of distributary channels after abandonment. Such incisions thus do not necessarily record changes in sea level.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1970. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 21-22)

Since the earliest explorations of the Colorado Plateau, geologists have suspected that cliffs are retreating back laterally. Clarence Dutton envisioned “the beds thus dissolving edge wise until after the lapse of millions of centuries their terminal cliffs stand a hundred miles or more back from their original position” when he wrote about the landscape in 1882. While many geologic studies have determined how fast rivers cut down through the Plateau, only a few studies have calculated how quickly cliffs retreat laterally, and geologists have been arguing since the 1940’s what exactly drives cliffs to retreat in the first place. We study the Book Cliffs in central Utah, and in particular remnant landforms and deposits related to a 120,000-year history of erosion and deposition, which we date by optically stimulated luminescence methods. Our dataset shows that deposits along the Book Cliffs are preserved especially during times of climate instability, which suggests that escarpment retreat locally is driven by climatic disturbances. This disproves older hypotheses suggesting escarpments retreat in response to local factors regardless of shifts in climate, and it is consistent with the few other well-studied escarpment records globally. We also constrain the rates of cliff retreat via a new measurement approach and luminescence age control, showing that the Book Cliffs have retreated at 1-3 meters per thousand years while local toeslope drainages have incised at about 0.5 meters per thousand years, which confirms that cliffs of shallow-dipping, layered rock retreat laterally faster than streams lower the landscape vertically.

Research on green roofs has shown their potential to moderate stormwater runoff and excessive heat in large cities. This has supported the implementation of a bylaw in Toronto, Canada which mandates large scale green roof construction. However, designers lack knowledge on appropriate plant selection for local green roofs. European research has demonstrated that healthy plant cover can significantly improve stormwater capture and cooling on green roofs. This thesis employed two methodologies to select native plants suitable for green roofs. Plants species were first identified from Ontario ecosystems with conditions similar to extensive green roofs including alvars, rock barrens, talus and cliffs. Secondly, plant surveys of existing extensive green roofs in Toronto and other southern Ontario locations to discover plant species already in use. Formal testing of the plant species generated from both methodologies can eventually provide designers with knowledge of dependable plant assemblages for extensive green roofs in Toronto.

Unusual Fe-rich mineral formations were collected from the Calvert Cliffs area of Maryland. Surficial features such as wire-like filaments and columnar “chimneys” indicated a potential biological origin for the samples. Reference samples were collected from an Fe-rich acid mine drainage site near Carbondale, IL to serve as a comparison. The Chesapeake Bay samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope-Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy analysis and Next-Generation Sequencing microbial assay. Minor ferrihydrite in the surficial wires and extensive microcrystalline goethite throughout the rest of the samples indicates a relatively recent origin. The small particle size and unusual microscale morphologies of iron (oxy)hydroxides and the presence of birnessite suggest that microbial metabolism was involved in the formation of these Fe minerals. EDS data indicate a strong relationship between Fe and C, as well as between Fe and P, while a lack of inorganic phosphate and carbonate minerals also indicates biological input. Genetic analysis reveals distinct internal and external microbial communities and the most common taxon within the sample interior was a novel bacterial phylum, indicating the mineralization may be a product of previously undescribed metabolic pathways. The presence of SO4- reducing, nitrogen-reducing and Fe-oxidizing bacteria as described by NGS analysis lends support to a microbially-mediated origin. Microbially driven oxidation of Fe and minor Mn into metal hydroxides is the proposed formation mechanism.

As formas naturais do relevo costeiro são resultantes da atuação e interação de processos continentais, oceânicos e atmosféricos. Dentre as diversas feições costeiras destacam-se as falésias e, nesta tese, serão discutidas estas feições esculpidas na Formação Barreiras, sendo esta uma vasta área sedimentar que se estende desde o estado do Rio de Janeiro até o estado do Amapá. Há um grande conjunto de elementos em interação atuando na morfogênese e evolução das falésias e estes são considerados dentro de uma perspectiva de análise sistêmica, sendo estes agrupados e caracterizados como elementos de um Sistema Natural, considerando-se o sistema como um conjunto formado por materiais, processos e formas, tratados, nesta tese, como um sistema geomórfico dinâmico com entrada (inputs) e saída (outputs) de energia e materiais identificáveis, dirigidos e controlados pelas condições ambientais, no qual inúmeros tipos de processos ocorrem simultaneamente. Estudos teóricos e de campo foram realizados em Beberibe-CE, Mucuri-BA e Tibau do Sul-RN e possibilitaram a observação e identificação de características e indícios da morfogênese e evolução das falésias, permitindo a proposição de uma classificação, dentro de um quadro regional da Formação Barreiras, destas feições em: 1) falésia precedida por praia; 2) falésia não precedida por praia. / Natural forms of coastal relief are the result of the action and interaction of continental, oceanic and atmospheric processes. Among various coastal features, cliffs stand out and in this thesis, we discuss these features carved into Formação Barreiras, which is a vast sedimentary area stretching from Rio de Janeiro to Amapá State. There is a large set of elements in interaction taking part in the morphogenesis and in the evolution of cliffs which are considered here within the perspective of a systemic analysis. These elements are classified and characterized as elements of a \"Natural System\", considered system as a whole formed by materials, processes and forms, treated, in this thesis, as a dynamic geomorphic system with inputs and outputs of strenght and materials identifiable, directed and controlled by environmental conditions, in which numberless types of material processes occur simultaneously. Theoretical and field studies performed in Beberibe-CE, Mucuri-BA and Tibau do Sul-RN, allowed us to observe and identify characteristics and evidences of cliffs morphogenesis and evolution, making possible we propose a classification of these features, within a regional framework of Formação Barreiras: 1) cliffs preceded by a beach; 2) cliffs not preceded by a beach.

The weathering of shales is a globally important process affecting both natural and built environments. Shales form roughly 70 % of worldwide sedimentary rock deposits and therefore the weathering of these rocks has substantial effects on the geochemical cycling of elements such as carbon, iron and sulfur. Microbes have been shown to play a key role in weathering shales, primarily through the oxidation of the iron and sulfur of embedded pyrite and the resultant production of sulfuric acid. Despite significant interest in the microbial weathering of shales within industrial sectors such as biohydrometallurgy and civil engineering, comparatively few studies have investigated microbial shale weathering in natural environments. Furthermore, the role of microbes in natural shale weathering processes beyond iron oxidation has largely remained unexplored. In this thesis, the weathering capabilities of microbial communities from natural weathered shale was investigated. The North Yorkshire coastline was used as a study location, due to the abundance and diversity of natural cliffs and historic, disused industrial sites. Cliff erosion and recession on the North Yorkshire coastline is a major concern for local authorities and is the focus of current research. The aim of this work has been to evaluate microbial shale weathering processes within these environments, and hypothesise the possible contribution they may have to erosive processes. Phenotypic plate assays inoculated with weathered shale material were used to obtain rock weathering bacterial isolates that tested positive for a specific weathering phenotype, such as iron oxidation or siderophore production. Subsequent 16S rRNA sequencing enabled genera level identification, revealing 15 genera with rock weathering capabilities with several being associated with multiple weathering phenotypes including Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Streptomyces sp. Shale enrichment liquid cultures were incubated with shale rock chips to simulate natural biological weathering conditions, and the concentration of rock-leached elements in the fluid measured. No evidence of microbially-enhanced leaching was found consistently for any element, however the significant reduction in leachate iron concentration under biological conditions indicates that iron precipitation occurred via microbial iron oxidation. Enrichment cultures inoculated with weathered shale and containing organic matter (OM) rich rocks in water or M9 medium, both liquids lacking an organic carbon source, were grown over several months. The cultures yielded microbial isolates that could utilise rock bound OM sources and one bacterial isolate, Variovorax paradoxus, was taken forward for ecophysiological study. The shale rock that the organism was isolated from, along with other OM rich rocks (mudstones and coals), elicited complex responses from V. paradoxus including enhanced growth and motility. Finally, mineral microcosms in vitro and mesocosms in situ investigated microbial colonization and weathering of shale-comprising minerals (albite, calcite, muscovite, pyrite and quartz). Microcosms were established using iron oxidizing enrichment cultures, as based on the results of the simulated rock weathering experiments, while the in situ mesocosms were buried within weathered shale scree within a disused mine level. Levels of colonization significantly varied between minerals within the microcosms (pyrite > albite, muscovite > quartz > calcite). Although differences in mineral colonization were seen in the mesocosms, they did not match those in the microcosms and were not statistically significant. Pyrite incubated in the microcosms became significantly weathered, with extensive pit formation across the mineral surface that is consistent with microbial iron oxidation. In the mesocosms, pit formation was not identified on pyrite surfaces but dark etchings into the pyrite surface were found underneath fungi hyphal growth. The results of this thesis highlights that a range of microbial rock weathering mechanisms are abundant across weathered shale environments. Microbial iron oxidizing activity was a dominant biogeochemical process that altered rock-fluid geochemistry and weathered pyrite surfaces. However, the impact on rock or mineral weathering of other microbial mechanisms was not elucidated by this work. Given the known capabilities of these mechanisms, the conditions under which they are active may not have been met within the experimental setup used. Microbial iron oxidation in shale and shale-derived materials has previously been demonstrated to weaken rock structure through acid production and secondary mineral formation. From the results of this thesis, it is clear that microbial iron oxidation is an active process within some of the weathered shale environments studied, including cliff surfaces. Therefore, it can be hypothesised that microbial activity could play a role in structurally weakening shale rock within cliffs and accelerate their erosion. Future work should attempt to quantify the rate and extent of microbial iron oxidizing activity within shale cliff environments and investigate its contribution to erosive processes.

As formas naturais do relevo costeiro são resultantes da atuação e interação de processos continentais, oceânicos e atmosféricos. Dentre as diversas feições costeiras destacam-se as falésias e, nesta tese, serão discutidas estas feições esculpidas na Formação Barreiras, sendo esta uma vasta área sedimentar que se estende desde o estado do Rio de Janeiro até o estado do Amapá. Há um grande conjunto de elementos em interação atuando na morfogênese e evolução das falésias e estes são considerados dentro de uma perspectiva de análise sistêmica, sendo estes agrupados e caracterizados como elementos de um Sistema Natural, considerando-se o sistema como um conjunto formado por materiais, processos e formas, tratados, nesta tese, como um sistema geomórfico dinâmico com entrada (inputs) e saída (outputs) de energia e materiais identificáveis, dirigidos e controlados pelas condições ambientais, no qual inúmeros tipos de processos ocorrem simultaneamente. Estudos teóricos e de campo foram realizados em Beberibe-CE, Mucuri-BA e Tibau do Sul-RN e possibilitaram a observação e identificação de características e indícios da morfogênese e evolução das falésias, permitindo a proposição de uma classificação, dentro de um quadro regional da Formação Barreiras, destas feições em: 1) falésia precedida por praia; 2) falésia não precedida por praia. / Natural forms of coastal relief are the result of the action and interaction of continental, oceanic and atmospheric processes. Among various coastal features, cliffs stand out and in this thesis, we discuss these features carved into Formação Barreiras, which is a vast sedimentary area stretching from Rio de Janeiro to Amapá State. There is a large set of elements in interaction taking part in the morphogenesis and in the evolution of cliffs which are considered here within the perspective of a systemic analysis. These elements are classified and characterized as elements of a \"Natural System\", considered system as a whole formed by materials, processes and forms, treated, in this thesis, as a dynamic geomorphic system with inputs and outputs of strenght and materials identifiable, directed and controlled by environmental conditions, in which numberless types of material processes occur simultaneously. Theoretical and field studies performed in Beberibe-CE, Mucuri-BA and Tibau do Sul-RN, allowed us to observe and identify characteristics and evidences of cliffs morphogenesis and evolution, making possible we propose a classification of these features, within a regional framework of Formação Barreiras: 1) cliffs preceded by a beach; 2) cliffs not preceded by a beach.