Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Date of Award
January 2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Department
Geology
First Advisor
Sarah Brownlee
Abstract
Isotropic seismic properties are not sufficient to distinguish between many rock types believed to make up the middle and lower continental crust. Seismic anisotropy is the directional dependence of seismic velocity, which we can use to improve our understanding of the composition and structure of the middle and lower continental crust. Our rationale is that seismic anisotropy in the middle and lower crust is controlled by the crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of minerals. The effects of folding on mineral CPO in a folded gneiss from the Coweeta Group in North Carolina is used for this study, and we should be able to predict the effects on rock elastic tensors. From creating thin sections, analyzing the CPO, and collecting electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) patterns, seismic velocities were calculated throughout the fold. It was found that CPO variations throughout a fold are unlikely to be the dominant cause of variations in seismic properties through a structure.
Recommended Citation
Sarnowsky, Alexia K., "Effects Of Folding On Mineral Cpos In Gneiss: Implications For Lower Crustal Seismic Anisotropy" (2016). Wayne State University Theses. 507.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/507