Honors Program Theses

Award/Availability

Open Access Honors Program Thesis

First Advisor

Alexa Clements

Second Advisor

Chad Heinzel

Abstract

Speleothems are widely used as paleoclimate archives, as they preserve geochemical records of environmental change through groundwater feeding. In regions like Mammoth Cave National Park, these records could be used to determine the position of the Laurentide Ice Sheet based on hydrologic changes. This study uses detached flowstone samples, known as float, from the New Discovery flowstone within Mammoth Cave to assess calcite preservation and the feasibility of accurate age dating to record paleoclimate information. Samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence to determine elemental composition and were prepared as petrographic thin sections for microscopic analysis. Petrographic observations revealed a range of calcite textures and preservation states, including both well-defined crystalline structures and diffuse, fine-grained fabrics. Petrographic observations revealed a range of calcite textures and preservation states, including both well-defined crystalline structures and diffuse, fine-grained fabrics. Some samples were dominated by more crystalline calcite with less distinct layering, while others displayed visible bedding and curved laminae patterns. These results indicate that the New Discovery flowstone likely contains both well-preserved and altered regions, with implications for the reliability of geochemical records used to reconstruct past Laurentide Ice Sheet dynamics. Future research should focus on fluorescence analysis and additional in situ sampling to better identify well-preserved regions and improve the reliability of paleoclimate reconstruction.

Year of Submission

2026

Department

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

University Honors Designation

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation University Honors

Date Original

2026

Object Description

1 PDF file (22 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Download

Comments?

Share

COinS