Publication Date
2007
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Ernest Hauser (Advisor)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
Antioch University is located in Yellow Springs, OH. This study was conducted on the Antioch University Campus in the commons area and is concentrated on the area west of the easternmost sinkhole. The primary purpose of this study is to locate and identify buried anomalous karst features, such as joints and collapses that may be hazardous to nearby buildings on the Antioch University Campus. The secondary purposes of this study are to identify remaining features in the geophysical data that may be related to manmade structures, and to identify areas for future studies. It is known that an 8-inch steel sewer pipe runs east-west, and a 1-inch water line runs southeast-northwest, through the survey area. This steel sewer pipe and the water line may be the cause of two of the anomalous features discovered. There is, however, a feature in the ground penetrating radar data that seems to be related to the sinkholes in the study area. This feature is most likely a joint or collapse that is related to the karst topography in the study area. At least one sinkhole has been visible since 1975 when an Antioch University chemistry professor noticed the geological feature. Since that time the sinkholes have been filled in with rocks, dirt and similar materials. Preliminary electrical resistivity studies by Wright State University geophysics students in 2004 indicated a low resistivity anomalous feature in the subsurface. Five geophysical methods were used in this study to locate the extent of known anomalous features in the area. These five methods are: electrical resistivity, magnetic surveying, ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic surveying, and seismic refraction. Anomalous features were discovered with each method employed. Electrical resistivity produced low resistivity anomalous features in each line. These features vary in shape and size. Low resistivity features are found near the sinkholes. These features are most likely the result of a steal water line. The magnetic surveying method produced mixed results. Some magnetic anomalous features were discovered that correlate with other methods in this study, and some features did not correlate as well with the other methods. High amplitude responses in the ground penetrating radar data correlate very well with low resistivity anomalous features. Electromagnetic data correlates well with the known extent of the 8-inch steel sewer pipe, and the 1-inch steel water pipe. Seismic surveying produced excellent results in relation to the known sinkholes. Seismic energy was greatly attenuated at the middle sinkhole exactly where it was expected. This high attenuation is most likely the result of a joint in the bedrock, and not likely the result of the buried steel pipe. A steel pipe would create some impedance but not as much as displayed in the seismogram. The seismic attenuation found near the middle sinkhole is found in the same location as a probable collapse feature in the GPR data, a low resistivity anomalous feature in the resistivity data, an anomalous feature in the magnetic data, and an anomalous feature in the electromagnetic data.
Page Count
123
Department or Program
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Year Degree Awarded
2007
Copyright
Copyright 2007, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
