Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering Graduate Theses
Recent Submissions
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Comparison of Informed and Un-Informed Shear Strength Reduction Procedures for Finite Element Method Slope Stability Analysis
Geotechnical engineers commonly rely on numerical models such as the Finite Element Method (FEM) to analyze natural, civil, and mining slope stability problems. One of the goals of these analyses is typically to determine ... -
Thermal History of the Frontenac Arch in Southeastern Ontario, Canada Constrained From Low-temperature Thermochronology
The Frontenac Arch is an intraplate low-relief ridge of Precambrian rocks that connects the southeastern Ontario part of the Canadian shield with the Adirondack Massif in New York State. The NW-SE trending ridge is oriented ... -
The Metallogenesis of the Mesoproterozoic Morro Agudo Zn-Pb Sulfide District and Vazante-Paracatu Mineral Belt: Evidence from Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Sulfide Mineral Chemistry
The Vazante-Paracatu Mineral Belt is a Proterozoic carbonate-siliciclastic basin with two distinct styles of base metal mineralization (sulfide and silicate). The Lapa and Morro do Calcário formations host Zn-sulfide ... -
Geomechanics of hydrothermal veins: Insights from laboratory direct shear and numerical triaxial experiments
Geotechnical rockmass strength characterization is a task regularly undertaken by rock engineering practitioners for underground and open pit excavations. As the demand for mineral resources drives extraction into deeper, ... -
Characterization of the REE fluorocarbonate minerals and REE release at Earth’s surface conditions of the T-Zone of the Nechalacho Deposit, Northwest Territories, Canada
There is limited knowledge regarding the behaviour of naturally occurring bastnaesite [REE(CO3)F] and parisite [Ca(REE)2(CO3)F2] during mineral-fluid interaction. Bastnaesite and parisite comprise the rare earth element ... -
Characterization of tailings, sediments, and vegetation and their impact on metal(loid) mobility in the Cobalt Mining Camp, Ontario
This study investigates the mineralogical, geochemical, and vegetation-related controls on metal(loid) mobility from historical mine wastes in the Cobalt Mining Camp in Ontario. The research focuses on arsenic (As) and ... -
Depositional history and downstream trends of hybrid event beds in the lower Cloridorme Formation, Quebec; implications for flow transformation in deep-water systems.
Submarine gravity flows build some of the largest accumulations of sediment on Earth and they host a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas reservoirs. Hybrid event beds (HEBs) are a type of deep- water sediment ... -
A geochemical study of Paleozoic alkaline magmatism in the Selwyn Basin and the potential relationship to Zn-Pb mineralization
The Selwyn Basin in the Yukon, Canada, has several occurrences of Paleozoic alkaline volcanic rocks that are spatially and temporally associated with Zn-Pb deposits. The volcanics are represented by ocean island basalt ... -
The Influence of Submarine Channel Sinuosity on Grain-Size Sorting of Channel Fill and Levee Deposits
Sinuous channels are common features of submarine fan systems and serve as a pathway for turbidity currents. Turbidity currents are sediment laden, gravity-driven underwater turbulent flows that transport sediments from ... -
Advancing Tools and Techniques for the Exploration of Undercover Ore Deposits: A Collection of Mineralogical, Geochemical, and Isotopic Studies to Increase the Detection of Element Migration from Ore Systems
This thesis presents three studies that focus on advancing new geochemical exploration tools and techniques to detect the geochemical expression of ore systems. The first study compares mechanical fragmentation and ... -
Characterization and Classification of Ambient Seismic Noise in Urban Environments
This thesis presents the characterization and classification of ambient seismic noise in urban environments. Urban ambient seismic noise refers to the coherent seismic signal that comes from uncontrolled, or passive sources ... -
A Systems Analysis of Trace Element Cycling in the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a globally unique freshwater resource, comprising six lakes (Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, Michigan, Lake St. Clair) containing 20% of global surface freshwater resources. The region is known for ... -
Exploring the Potential of an Interactive Geoscience Teaching Application for Dynamically Visualizing 3D Terrain in Undergraduate Classrooms
Students in the geosciences must develop the skills to visualize the Earth in 4D, and use those skills to interpret different geological processes. These take time to develop, which makes the experience of learning how ... -
Poroelastic Calibration for Hydromechanically Coupled Numerical Discontinuum Models with Application in Low Permeability Hard Rock
Societal demands require the design of underground structures in challenging ground conditions such as densely populated areas with sensitive infrastructure, deep mines, and for the storage of radioactive waste in deep ... -
Trace Element Occurrence in Wastewater and Effects on Surface Water Quality in the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Grand River, Ontario
Wastewater treatment plays an integral role in maintaining surface water quality in industrialized societies around the world. Wastewater effluent and sewage sludge can both be important vectors of contaminants that are ... -
Spatial Declustering of Zircon Data Indicate Rapid Archean Crustal Growth and Neoproterozoic Plate Tectonic Equilibrium
The geochemical information stored in mineral zircon makes it widely used to document the formation and evolution of the continental crust. The physiochemical resilience of zircon enables precise isotopic dating even in ... -
A Critical Laboratory Investigation of Multi-Stage Direct Shear Testing Procedures on Rock Joints Using Synthetic Replica Specimens
Direct shear testing is a common laboratory method used to define the geomechanical parameters of rock fractures for numerical inputs and rock engineering design. Of the standardized procedures, multi-stage direct shear ... -
Automated Mineralogical Analysis of <250 µm Heavy Minerals in Till: Method Development and Case Study
Exploration under glacial sediment cover is a necessary part of modern mineral exploration in Canada. Traditional indicator methods use visual examination to identify mineral grains in the 250 to 2000 µm fraction of till ... -
Surficial exploration methods for detecting low sulfide high precious metal and Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization in glaciated terrain
The increasing difficulty of finding near-surface mineral deposits in glaciated terrain requires modification of conventional exploration techniques (drift prospecting) that can assist in exploring for deposits buried under ... -
CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF AIRBORNE PARTICULATE MATTER ORIGINATING FROM MINING AND INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS
Activities performed at mining and other industrial operations are capable of producing significant quantities of particulate matter that, if not properly contained, can be harmful to workers, and can enter surrounding ...
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