Browsing Earth and Space Sciences by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 118
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A generalized interpolation material point method and anisotropic creep damage model for shallow ice shelves
Ice mass loss from Antarctica is the main source uncertainty in projections of sea level rise. In Antarctica, the rate at which grounded ice discharges into the ocean and raises sea level is largely controlled by ice ... -
A Thermodynamic Analysis of Microbial Surface Chemistry and Metabolic Strategies
A thorough understanding of microbial life on Earth and effective methods of searching for life beyond Earth require the description of possible interactions between those organisms and their geochemical environments. Such ... -
A window into terrestrial paleoclimate: soil carbonate formation processes and climate proxy applications
The isotopic composition of pedogenic (formed in soil) carbonates provides a geologically abundant archive of terrestrial climate change and the interactions between Earth’s climate, geologic, and biologic systems. However, ... -
Airborne-radar and ice-core observations of snow accumulation in West Antarctica
(2014-02-24)The world's ice sheets store enough water to raise global eustatic sea level by several tens of meters, and therefore, any fluctuations in their size will cause sea level to rise or fall. The net mass exchanged with the ... -
An investigation of lightning-generated whistler waves in the inner magnetosphere
In this dissertation, we use a new and unique dataset to investigate lightning-generated whistler waves in the Earth’s inner magnetosphere. Global lightning data and high-resolution waveform data in the inner magnetosphere ... -
Ancient playa in Glenelg Region, Gale Crater, Mars: evidence derived from the polygonal flagstone network in mudstone imaged by Curiosity
(2014-02-24)Polygonal patterned surfaces (PPS) are common on Mars, and found in the Glenelg region of Gale Crater that was extensively studied with the Curiosity rover in the first 200 sols of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. ... -
Antarctic glacial history inferred from cosmogenic-nuclide measurements in rocks
This dissertation describes three research projects on the glacial history of Antarctica using measurements of cosmogenic-nuclides in glacial deposits and bedrock surfaces. The first chapter investigates the deglaciation ... -
Assimilating novel geophysical datasets into ice-sheet models: Experiments at the margins and interior of West Antarctica
This thesis uses novel remote-sensing datasets in conjunction with focused modeling efforts to contextualize present and past changes in the mechanical behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. In the second and third ... -
Biosignatures, the Origin of Life, and the Early Earth Atmosphere
The ancient Earth atmosphere is our only example for how a microbial biosphere impacts planetary atmospheres and is therefore a critical asset to the spectroscopic search for life on exoplanets. Additionally, for a subaerial ... -
Bridging seismology and geomorphology: investigations into the 2006 and 2007 Kuril Islands earthquakes and tsunamis
(2010-12)Numerous geophysical and geological observations of the 15 November 2006 and 13 January 2007 Kuril Island earthquake doublet and associated tsunamis help link earthquakes’ seismological characteristics with tsunamis’ ... -
Bulk mineralogy of Lunar crater central peaks via thermal infrared spectra from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer - A study of the Moon's crustal composition at depth
(2012-09-13)The central peaks of lunar impact craters are thought to be composed of uplifted material originating from varying depths of the crustal column. The crystallization sequence of the early lunar magma ocean resulted in an ... -
Characterizing Habitable Environments on Mars Using Infrared Spectroscopy from Orbit
Until recently, the search for habitable environments on Mars has mostly been driven by the motto “follow the water”, as water is thought to be one of the fundamental requirements for life. Over the last several decades, ... -
Chronology, Lithology and Paleoenvironmental Interpretation of the Penultimate Ice-Sheet Advance into the Puget Lwoland, Washington
University of Washington Abstract Chronology, Lithology and Paleoenvironmental Interpretations of the Penultimate Ice-Sheet Advance into the Puget Lowland, WA Kathy Goetz Troost Chair of Supervisory Committee: Dr. Derek ... -
Climate dynamics revealed in ice cores: advances in techniques, theory, and interpretation
Ice cores from the polar ice sheets provide detailed histories of Earth's climate. Interpreting past climate dynamics from ice-core records requires understanding how the climate system influences the geochemical proxies ... -
Climate reconstructions from ice cores: New techniques to understand the information preserved in the South Pole ice core
Polar ice cores preserve information about past changes in climate and ice dynamics. Studying changes that have occurred in the past improves understanding of Earth's climate system. Large climate changes, such as the most ... -
Co-evolution of Life and Environment across Earth History: Empirical & Modeling Constraints on Nutrient Cycling, the Rise of Oxygen, and Eukaryotic Evolution
That life and its environment have co-evolved through Earth’s history, and in doing so have maintained the conditions required for planetary habitability, is one of the great discoveries in the natural sciences during 20th ... -
Coastal marsh stratigraphy as an indicator of past earthquakes, Puget Lowland, Washington State
(2011-03)In coastal wetlands fringing Puget Sound lies evidence for large earthquakes 1,100 years ago and subsequent subsidence. This study uses sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and geomorphic tools, as well as tsunami modeling, ... -
The Complexity of Arc Magmatism: A Geochemical Investigation of Crustal Processes Beneath a Highly Productive Volcanic Center, Kamchatka, Russia
(University of Washington Graduate School, 2012)Understanding crustal modification of magmas in volcanic arcs is a fundamental problem of igneous petrology and geochemistry. This dissertation examines the role of crustal processes including crustal assimilation, magma ... -
Constraining Interseismic Strain Release at the Cascadia Subduction Zone with Geodetic Data
In this dissertation, I study the style and distribution of interseismic strain release along a major convergent plate boundary to better understand how faults accommodate the relative motion between tectonic plates. ... -
Constraining seismic hazard in the Pacific Northwest through observation and direct modeling of earthquakes
In this dissertation, we seek to expand knowledge of the processes controlling seismic hazard in the Pacific Northwest through observing and interpreting earthquake records, as well as through directly modeling earthquake ...