Theses - Geological Engineering
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Seasonal Monitoring of an Infiltration Experiment Using Time-Lapse Geophysics and Chemical Characterization to Understand Nitrate Transport in the Vadose Zone
(2023)Nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers and manure are used throughout Wisconsin to provide nutrients for crops. However, nitrogen from these fertilizers may leach from the surface and root zone to the groundwater, creating ... -
NATURE AND FATE OF PFAS IN A STAGNANT ICE TERRAIN SAND AND GRAVEL AQUIFER
(2022-08-31)Detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in concentrations above EPA health advisory limits in 2019 led to closure of two of the five City of Rhinelander municipal water wells. The wells are in close ... -
MECHANICAL AND POROELASTIC PROPERTIES OF LITHOLOGIC UNITS WITHIN THE SAN EMIDIO GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM, NEVADA, UNITED STATES
(2022-08-31)The primary objective of the WHOLESCALE project is to simulate the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of stress in and around the geothermal reservoir at San Emidio, Nevada, United States. To constrain stress ... -
Investigation of Non-Uniform Erosion at the Kenosha Sand Dunes in Wisconsin
(2022-08-31)Coastal erosion is both a natural and anthropogenically induced earth process that can be costly to landowners, communities, and valuable ecosystems. Often, it is a complex issue that can occur at variable rates in both ... -
GEOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE GEOTHERMAL RESERVOIR AT SAN EMIDIO, NEVADA AND FRACTURE TOUGHNESS ANISOTROPY OF EGS COLLAB TESTBED ROCKS
(2022-05)The WHOLESCALE (Water and Hole Observations Leverage Effective Stress Calculations and Lessen Expenses) project is aiming to simulate the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of stress throughout the geothermal ... -
Time-Lapse Geophysics and Characterization of an Infiltration Experiment in Unsaturated Wisconsin Alluvial Sediments
(2021-08)This thesis discusses the use of field geophysics, laboratory testing, and numerical modeling to characterize the infiltration mechanisms of a plume in the vadose zone. The study of fluid flow and transport in the vadose ... -
PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER TRANSPORT IN EXPERIMENTAL RIVERBED SAND COLUMNS
(2021-08)Abstract The hyporheic zone is a hot spot for coupled transport and biogeochemical reactions at the aquatic-terrestrial interface. The influx of particulate organic matter (POM), a biological colloid, into the near-surface ... -
Impacts of Changing Frozen Ground Regimes on Groundwater Recharge
(2021-06)The spring snowmelt accounts for a large percentage of annual groundwater recharge in northern latitudes. Many factors control the proportion of snowmelt that becomes groundwater or runoff, including the volume of snow, ... -
Drainage Characteristics of Recycled Materials for Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls
(2021-05)With the expansion of transport, commercial, and residential infrastructure to support the needs of a growing populous, greater amounts of construction materials are required. These aspects place increased amounts of stress ... -
A Static Flux Chamber Design for Evaluation of Gas Flux Through Composite Cover Systems
(2020-05)EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Validated measurement of landfill gas (LFG) emissions can quantify the effectiveness of landfill cover and LFG collection systems for the management and containment of gases, ranging from trace (< 1%) ... -
POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS TO STREAM TEMPERATURE IN THE MARENGO RIVER HEADWATERS
(2019)ABSTRACT Cold-water trout habitat in Wisconsin is projected to significantly decrease as a result of climate change. The extent of habitat loss depends, in part, on groundwater discharge to the stream, which can provide ... -
SEISMIC ARRAYS FOR THE IMAGING OF ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS AND MONITORING ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
(2019)As part of the PoroTomo Project, active and passive seismic data were collected with a three component seismometer array in order to image petrophysical properties of a 1500-m by 500-m by 400-m volume in a geothermal ... -
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POORMAN SCHIST AND WESTERLY GRANITE
(2019)We investigate the influence of foliation orientation and fine-scale folding on the static and dynamic elastic properties and unconfined strength of the Poorman schist. The Poorman schist is the dominant rock type at ... -
District-Scale Geothermal System Performance Evaluation using Thermodynamic and Environmental Analysis
(2019)The focus of the work presented in this thesis aims to improve geothermal heat system efficiency by investigating subsurface thermal properties that influence system performance over the lifetime of the system, as well ... -
Low-Cost Instrumentation Development Using Independent, Self Contained Microcontrollers
(2019)This thesis describes the development and testing of low-cost geophysical and field instrumentation using microcontrollers. While open-source microcontroller boards have traditionally been developed for hobbyists and ... -
THREE-DIMENSIONAL STABILITY ANALYSIS OF BLUFFS ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE IN EASTERN WISCONSIN
(2019)The water level in Lake Michigan has been rising since 2013. Historically, erosion of the bluffs along the shoreline has increased during times of lake level increase. Erosion begins at the bluff toe and progresses ... -
ACOUSTIC EMISSIONS ANALYSIS AND 2-D P-WAVE TOMOGRAPHY ALONG A ROUGH LABORATORY FAULT UNDERGOING STICK-SLIP CYCLES
(2018)The distributions and magnitudes of seismicity within fault systems could be highly influenced by the heterogeneity of shear stress field according to the geometric structure, fractures and asperities. However, the ... -
Assessing the Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Aged Recycled Concrete Aggregate in Road Construction
(2018-05-31)EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The use of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in pavement construction applications is well established and successful, particularly its use as a granular and/or stabilized base course. However, leaching ... -
Particle Scale Dynamics of Coarse Granular Material
(2018-01-04)Developing a new wheeled or tracked vehicle for military use typically involves physical prototyping of preliminary vehicle designs and field tests to evaluate their performance in a range of conditions. Computational ... -
Rock Mechanics Laboratory Tests Relevant to the in-situ Stress Measurements at the 4850-level, Homestake Mine, Lead, South Dakota
(2018-01-03)Laboratory rock mechanics experiments were conducted on cores taken from the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) (formerly of Homestake Mine) in Lead, South Dakota. Strength properties and their anisotropy were ...
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