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<p>  </p> <p>In this thesis, I investigate whether (U-Th)/He thermochronology on the bioapatite of fossilized gar scales can be used to reconstruct the thermal histories of sedimentary basins. I acquired 37 (U-Th)/He dates from fossil gar scale ganoine, two (U-Th)/He dates from fossil gar scale bone, and 18 (U-Th)/He dates from detrital apatite grains within sandstones from the upper Cretaceous and lower Paleogene rocks of two sedimentary basins with distinct thermal histories: the Williston basin and San Juan basin. I also obtained spatially resolved trace element concentrations by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, as well as scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction data to assess the chemical and structural impacts of diagenesis on gar scale bioapatite. Timescales of diagenesis in bioapatite are relevant to (U-Th)/He thermochronology since the parent nuclides are taken up by bioapatite during fossilization but could also be taken up or lost much later, which could complicate (U-Th)/He data interpretation. Trace element concentrations and profiles vary spatially between ganoine and bone. Ganoine trace element profiles commonly show exponentially decreasing concentration profiles from the surface to 20 µm depth, and occasionally display more complex concentration depth profiles. Trace element profiles in bones are complex and spatially heterogeneous. (U-Th)/He data from ganoine and bone show an inverse relationship between (U-Th)/He age and parent nuclide concentrations, indicating open system behavior and late-stage uptake of parent nuclides. Helium loss via diffusion through pore spaces, fractures, and growth layers could also provide a reason for young fossil gar scale (U-Th)/He ages. Detrital apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology from two Williston Basin samples suggest heating of upper Cretaceous and lower Paleogene rocks to ~100 ℃ at ~50 Ma. Detrital apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology from the San Juan Basin sample yielded modeled maximum temperatures of ~150 ℃ at ~30 Ma. The discrepancies between fossil gar scale and detrital apatite (U-Th)/He ages suggest that protracted diagenesis of gar scale bioapatite prevents gar scales from being a suitable material for (U-Th)/He thermochronology.</p>

<p>Chemical weathering of highly reactive mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks may be a key sink in the global carbon cycle. Understanding how uplift of these rocks during arc-arc and arc-continent collisions through earth history has affected the evolution of global climate, including the onset of icehouse periods, requires improved constraints on the relative sensitivity of their weathering rates to physical erosion vs. climate. If weathering rates depend chiefly on erosion, then tectonic uplift of mafic and ultramafic rocks may have a strongly destabilizing effect on global climate. Conversely, if weathering rates are limited primarily by temperature or runoff, then a negative feedback mechanism between weathering and climate may attenuate the effects of rock uplift. This work characterizes the relationship between chemical weathering rates, physical erosion rates, and climate in tropical, montane watersheds in Puerto Rico that are underlain by volcanic arc rocks and associated ophiolitic serpentinite. Key to this analysis are new constraints on long-term erosion rates on these rocks from cosmogenic Cl-36 produced <em>in situ</em> in magnetite. These cosmogenic erosion rates are paired with classical measurements of stream solute fluxes and sediment geochemistry across runoff gradients to quantify the limits to volcanic arc rock and serpentinite weathering rates. </p> <p><br></p> <p>This work is divided into three chapters. Chapter 2 constrains the altitude scaling behavior of Cl-36 production in magnetite. This allows erosion rates to be determined more accurately in watersheds near sea level in Puerto Rico. Chapter 3 demonstrates that volcanic arc rock weathering rates in the humid tropics are more strongly limited by physical erosion than by climatic factors. However, a positive correlation between erosion and runoff observed in this landscape may enhance the coupling between climate and weathering rates. Chapter 4 finds that, in contrast to volcanic arc rocks, serpentinite weathering is strongly limited by runoff and weakly limited by erosion. These results are presented as empirical power-law relationships that can be readily applied in global carbon cycle modeling.  </p>

<p dir="ltr">Alpine glacier meltwater is an important source of recharge supporting groundwater flow processes in the high mountains. In the face of rapid ice loss, knowledge of response times of mountain aquifers to loss of glacial ice is critical in evaluating the sustainability of alpine water resources for human communities and alpine ecosystems. Glaciers are very sensitive to changes in climate, they advance during periods of global or regional cooling, and they retreat in response to global or regional warming conditions. When the glaciers grow, the equilibrium-line altitude separating the zone of accumulation and zone of ablation on the glacier moves downslope; it moves upslope when they retreat. The latter is not a sustainable condition for the glacier. Previous studies have shown that glacial meltwater is an important source of groundwater recharge. However, we lack fundamental information on the importance of glacial meltwater in mountain groundwater processes such as supporting baseflow generation to alpine streams, perennial flow to alpine springs, and the geochemical evolution of groundwater in mountain aquifers. Thus, continued glacial ice loss may have severe consequences for alpine hydrological and hydrogeological systems.</p><p dir="ltr">Glacier National Park (GNP) and Mount Hood National Forest (MH), both have alpine glaciers. These two study sites show different responses to climate change since their glaciers are in different states of retreat. GNP glaciers are in advanced stages of retreat compared to MH glaciers. Groundwater samples were collected from springs, seasonal snow, glacial ice, and glacial melt (subglacial flow) in GNP and MH. The samples were analyzed for a suite of environmental isotopes and geochemical tracers to address the following questions: 1) How are isotopic fingerprints of glacial meltwater preserved in mountain-block aquifers? What does the isotopic fingerprint of subglacial flow tell us about melting, meltwater processes, and mixing processes? 2) Is the preservation of the isotopic fingerprint of glacial meltwater affected by aspect controls on ice preservation? Aspect is defined as the compass direction of the slope where the glacier is found. 3) What controls groundwater flow and flowpath connectivity from high elevations (near glacier) to lower elevations? What geologic units support groundwater flow to local- and regional-scale springs and flowpath connectivity across spatial scales in each study site?</p><p dir="ltr">The flow of groundwater in mountainous terrain is heavily dependent on the hydraulic properties of the bedrock including presence/absence of dipping layers and structural features, primary and secondary porosity, and presence/absence of ongoing tectonic activity. Strontium isotopes (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) were used to identify the rock units that host groundwater flowpaths and to quantify flowpath connectivity across spatial scales in both study sites. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data show that flowpaths in GNP are primarily hosted in the Helena Formation and permeable facies in the Snowslip Formation. Groundwater also flows through alluvium and younger bedrock units, and there is some flow along or through the volcanic sill in the Helena Formation. Hydrostratigraphy also affects groundwater flow and the spatial distribution of alpine springs in GNP. At MH, the rock units hosting flowpaths are young reworked volcanic rock units that are Quaternary in age. Flowpaths in MH appear to be connected across spatial scales since warm springs emerging along the lower southern slopes of Mount Hood preserve stable isotopic signatures of glacial meltwater. In comparison, nearly all the sampled springs in GNP emerge on south-facing slopes. This is not an indication of ice preservation, instead it’s controlled by hydrostratigraphy. In fact, it’s unlikely that high-elevation groundwater is strongly connected to low-elevation sites due to hydrostratigraphy. There are more springs on south-facing slopes at MH as well; however, they do not preserve an isotopic signature of recharge from glacial meltwater except for the warm springs. Springs on north-facing slopes in MH, however, do preserve the signature.</p><p dir="ltr">Tritium (³H) and chlorine-36 (³⁶Cl/Cl) were measured to assess how the isotopic fingerprint of glacial meltwater is preserved in mountain aquifers. The ³H activities in spring water are elevated in GNP and it’s difficult to differentiate between modern precipitation and glacial meltwater. Tritium activities are lower in MH, but it’s also difficult to differentiate between potential endmembers. This discrepancy could imply that glacial meltwater doesn’t contribute to groundwater recharge, but this doesn’t support the Bayesian stable isotope mixing model results of an earlier study. Instead, I infer that englacial mixing processes are affecting the isotopic fingerprint of subglacial melt. An englacial mixing model (EMM) was developed to explain how the isotopic fingerprint of subglacial flow (glacial meltwater) changes in relation to the stage of retreat. The stage of retreat is important because it controls the proportion of glacial meltwater to runoff from snowmelt and rain that enters the englacial network from the surface of the glacier. Mixing occurs in the englacial network, and the mixed water is transported to the base of the glacier. Englacial mixing in conduits, fractures, and moulins affects the ³H and ³⁶Cl/Cl fingerprint of subglacial flow and will, in turn, affect the isotopic fingerprint of recharge from glacial meltwater. For this study, the ³H is not robust by itself; however, ³⁶Cl/Cl shows some additional benefits over ³H. The EMM suggests that the impact of englacial mixing and the influence of modern precipitation on the isotopic composition of subglacial flow increases as the glacier retreats in both GNP and MH. This model is novel to the best of our knowledge. Additional testing of the EMM should be prioritized in the near future.</p>