Search USGS⌕ Search

Geology topics

J. D. Phillips

Publications and source records attributed to J. D. Phillips.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2018

Integration of potential-field and digital geologic data for two North American geoscience transects

Two North American contributions to the Global Geoscience Transects Program, the Quebec-Maine-Gulf of Maine transect and the Great Lakes portion of the United States-Canadian Border transect, are among the first to produce digital geology in a form that can be combined with gridded gravity and aeromagnetic data. Maps of shaded relief and color-composite bandpass-filtered potential-field data combined with overlays of digitized geologic contacts and faults reveal significant new geologic information, including the relative thickness of plutons, the structure of poorly exposed or concealed magnetic units, and possible evidence for mineralized ground. Mechanisms for capturing digital geology by use of scanners, commercial geographic information systems (GIS) software packages, and public-domain PC-based software packages are illustrated by examples from these two transects. The digital geology is combined with the potential field data by use of in-house raster-based image-processing software and commercial hardware. Geologic cross sections constructed along the transects may be tested and refined by using 2-D and 2.5-D magnetic- and gravity-modeling software. The integrated data sets ultimately allow construction of 3-D models of the crust within the transects.

Journal of Geological Education↗
USGS2012

Geophysical investigations of geology and structure at the Martis Creek Dam, Truckee, California

A recent evaluation of Martis Creek Dam highlighted the potential for dam failure due to either seepage or an earthquake on nearby faults. In 1972, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed this earthen dam, located within the Truckee Basin to the north of Lake Tahoe, CA for water storage and flood control. Past attempts to raise the level of the Martis Creek Reservoir to its design level have been aborted due to seepage at locations downstream, along the west dam abutment, and at the base of the spillway. In response to these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey has undertaken a comprehensive suite of geophysical investigations aimed at understanding the interplay between geologic structure, seepage patterns, and reservoir and groundwater levels. This paper concerns the geologic structure surrounding Martis Creek Dam and emphasizes the importance of a regional-scale understanding to the interpretation of engineering-scale geophysical data. Our studies reveal a thick package of sedimentary deposits interbedded with Plio-Pleistocene volcanic flows; both the deposits and the flows are covered by glacial outwash. Magnetic field data, seismic tomography models, and seismic reflections are used to determine the distribution and chronology of the volcanic flows. Previous estimates of depth to basement (or the thickness of the interbedded deposits) was 100 m. Magnetotelluric soundings suggest that electrically resistive bedrock may be up to 2500 m deep. Both the Polaris Fault, identified outside of the study area using airborne LiDAR, and the previously unnamed Martis Creek Fault, have been mapped through the dam area using ground and airborne geophysics. Finally, as determined by direct-current resistivity imaging, time-domain electromagnetic sounding, and seismic refraction, the paleotopography of the interface between the sedimentary deposits and the overlying glacial outwash plays a principal role both in controlling groundwater flow and in the distribution of the observed seepage.

California↗
USGS2007

Estimating locations and total magnetization vectors of compact magnetic sources from scalar, vector, or tensor magnetic measurements through combined Helbig and Euler analysis

The Helbig method for estimating total magnetization directions of compact sources from magnetic vector components is extended so that tensor magnetic gradient components can be used instead. Depths of the compact sources can be estimated using the Euler equation, and their dipole moment magnitudes can be estimated using a least squares fit to the vector component or tensor gradient component data. ?? 2007 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2007

Geophysical Characterization of Pre-Cenozoic Basement for Hydrocarbon Assessment, Yukon Flats, Alaska

The Cenozoic basins of interior Alaska are poorly understood, but may host undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in sufficient quantities to serve remote villages and for possible export. Purported oil seeps and the regional occurrence of potential hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks fuel an exploration interest in the 46,000 km2 Yukon Flats basin. Whether hydrocarbon source rocks are present in the pre-Cenozoic basement beneath Yukon Flats is difficult to determine because vegetation and surficial deposits obscure the bedrock geology, only limited seismic data are available, and no deep boreholes have been drilled. Analysis of regional potential field data (aeromagnetics and gravity) is valuable, therefore, for preliminary characterization of basement lithology and structure. We present our analysis as a red-green-blue composite spectral map consisting of: (1) reduced-to-the-pole magnetics (red), (2) magnetic potential (green), and (3) basement gravity (blue). The color and texture patterns on this composite map highlight domains with common geophysical characteristics and, by inference, lithology. The observed patterns yield the primary conclusion that much of the basin is underlain by Devonian to Jurassic oceanic rocks related to the Angayucham and Tozitna terranes (JDat). These rocks are part of a lithologically diverse assemblage of brittlely deformed, generally low-grade metamorphic rocks of oceanic affinity; such rocks probably have little or no potential for hydrocarbon generation. The JDat geophysical signature extends from the Tintina fault system northward to the Brooks Range. Along the eastern edge of the basin, JDat appears to overlie moderately dense and non-magnetic Proterozoic(?) and Paleozoic continental margin rocks. The western edge of the JDat in subsurface is difficult to distinguish due to the presence of magnetic granites similar to those exposed in the Ruby geanticline. In the southern portion of the basin, geophysical patterns indicate the possibility of overthrusting of Cenozoic sediments and underlying JDat by Paleozoic and Proterozoic rocks of the Schwatka sequence. These structural hypotheses provide the basis for an overthrust play within the Cenozoic section just south of the basin.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2006

Crustal insights from gravity and aeromagnetic analysis: Central North Slope, Alaska

Aeromagnetic and gravity data are processed and interpreted to reveal deep and shallow information about the crustal structure of the central North Slope, Alaska. Regional aeromagnetic anomalies primarily reflect deep crustal features. Regional gravity anomalies are more complex and require detailed analysis. We constrain our geophysical models with seismic data and interpretations along two transects including the Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect. Combined geophysical analysis reveals a remarkable heterogeneity of the pre-Mississippian basement. In the central North Slope, pre-Mississippian basement consists of two distinct geophysical domains. To the southwest, the basement is dense and highly magnetic; this basement is likely mafic and mechanically strong, possibly acting as a buttress to basement involvement in Brooks Range thrusting. To the northeast, the central North Slope basement consists of lower density, moderately magnetic rocks with several discrete regions (intrusions?) of more magnetic rocks. A conjugate set of geophysical trends, northwest-southeast and southwest-northeast, may be a factor in the crustal response to tectonic compression in this domain. High-resolution gravity and aeromagnetic data, where available, reflect details of shallow fault and fold structure. The maps and profile models in this report should provide useful guidelines and complementary information for regional structural studies, particularly in combination with detailed seismic reflection interpretations. Future challenges include collection of high-resolution gravity and aeromagnetic data for the entire North Slope as well as additional deep crustal information from seismic, drilling, and other complementary methods. Copyrights ?? 2006. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulle↗
USGS2005

Historical development of the gravity method in exploration

The gravity method was the first geophysical technique to be used in oil and gas exploration. Despite being eclipsed by seismology, it has continued to be an important and sometimes crucial constraint in a number of exploration areas. In oil exploration the gravity method is particularly applicable in salt provinces, overthrust and foothills belts, underexplored basins, and targets of interest that underlie high-velocity zones. The gravity method is used frequently in mining applications to map subsurface geology and to directly calculate ore reserves for some massive sulfide orebodies. There is also a modest increase in the use of gravity techniques in specialized investigations for shallow targets. Gravimeters have undergone continuous improvement during the past 25 years, particularly in their ability to function in a dynamic environment. This and the advent of global positioning systems (GPS) have led to a marked improvement in the quality of marine gravity and have transformed airborne gravity from a regional technique to a prospect-level exploration tool that is particularly applicable in remote areas or transition zones that are otherwise inaccessible. Recently, moving-platform gravity gradiometers have become available and promise to play an important role in future exploration. Data reduction, filtering, and visualization, together with low-cost, powerful personal computers and color graphics, have transformed the interpretation of gravity data. The state of the art is illustrated with three case histories: 3D modeling of gravity data to map aquifers in the Albuquerque Basin, the use of marine gravity gradiometry combined with 3D seismic data to map salt keels in the Gulf of Mexico, and the use of airborne gravity gradiometry in exploration for kimberlites in Canada.

Geophysics↗
USGS2003

Utility of high-altitude infrared spectral data in mineral exploration: Application to Northern Patagonia Mountains, Arizona

Synoptic views of hydrothermal alteration assemblages are of considerable utility in regional-scale minerals exploration . Recent advances in data acquisition and analysis technologies have greatly enhanced the usefulness of remotely sensed imaging spectroscopy for reliable alteration mineral assemblages mapping. Using NASA's Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) sensor, this study mapped large areas of advanced argillic and phyllic-argillic alteration assemblages in the southeastern Santa Rita and northern Patagonia mountains , Arizona . Two concealed porphyry copper deposits have been identified during past exploration , the Red Mountain and Sunnyside deposits, and related published hydrothermal alteration zoning studies allow the comparison of the results obtained from AVIRIS data to the more traditional field mapping approaches. The AVIRIS mapping compares favorably with field-based studies. An analysis of iron-bearing oxide minerals above a concealed supergene chalcocite deposit at Red Mountain also indicates that remotely sensed data can be of value in the interpretation of leached caps above porphyry copper deposits. In conjunction with other types of geophysical data , AVIRIS mineral maps can be used to discriminate different exploration targets within a region.

Economic Geology↗
USGS2002

Basement geology of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA), Northern Alaska

Gravity, aeromagnetic, seismic, and borehole information enable mapping of crustal basement characteristics within the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA). In general, the pre-Mississippian basement of the southern portion of the NPRA is different from that in the north in that it is deeper and thinner, is made up of dense magnetic rocks, is cut by more normal faults, and underlies thicker accumulations of Mississippian to Triassic Ellesmerian sequence sedimentary rocks. Mafic igneous rocks within the basement and locally within the deeper Ellesmerian sequence sedimentary section could explain the observed density and magnetic variations. Because these variations spatially overlap thicker Ellesmerian sequence sediment accumulations, they may have developed, at least in part, during Mississippian to Triassic extension and basin formation. If this period of extension, and postulated mafic magmatism, was accompanied by higher heat flow, then early Ellesmerian sequence clastic sediments may have become mature for hydrocarbon generation (Magoon and Bird, 1988). This could have produced an early petroleum system in the Colville basin.

Alaska↗
USGS2002

Digital data grids for the magnetic anomaly map of North America

The digital magnetic anomaly database and map for the North American continent is the result of a joint effort by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Consejo de Recursos Minerales of Mexico (CRM). This integrated, readily accessible, modern digital database of magnetic anomaly data is a powerful tool for further evaluation of the structure, geologic processes, and tectonic evolution of the continent and may also be used to help resolve societal and scientific issues that span national boundaries. The North American magnetic anomaly map derived from the digital database provides a comprehensive magnetic view of continental-scale trends not available in individual data sets, helps link widely separated areas of outcrop, and unifies disparate geologic studies. This open-file report presents three unique, gridded data sets used to make the magnetic anomaly map of North America. Subsets of these three grids that span only the United States were also created, giving a total of six grids. Details on the data processing and compilation procedures used to produce the grids are described in the booklet that accompanies the North American magnetic anomaly map. All three grids have 1-km spacing and are projected to the DNAG projection (spherical transverse mercator, central meridian of 100 o W, base latitude of 0o, scale factor of 0.926 and Earth radius of 6,371,204 m.) More details are given in the metadata files that accompany the gridded data files. These grids are presented in Geosoft binary grid format, with two files describing each of the six grids (suffixes .grd and .gi). This format can be easily converted to numerous other formats using the free conversion software offered by this company at http://www.geosoft.com/. The first grids (NAmag_origmrg.grd and USmag_origmrg.grd) show the magnetic field at 305 m. above terrain. For the second grids (NAmag_hp500.grd and USmag_hp500.grd) we removed long-wavelength anomalies (500 km and greater) from the first grid. This grid was used for the published map. Although the North American merged grid represents a significant upgrade to older compilations, the existing patchwork of surveys is inherently unable to accurately represent anomalies with long (greater than roughly 150 km) wavelengths, particularly in the US and Canada (U.S. Magnetic-Anomaly Data Set Task Group, 1994). The lack of information about long wavelength anomalies is primarily related to datum shifts between merged surveys, caused by data acquisition at widely different times and by differences in merging procedures. Therefore, we removed anomalies with wavelengths greater than 500 km from the merged grid to reduce the effects caused by the spurious long wavelengths but still maintain the continuity of anomalies. The correction was accomplished by transforming the merged grid to the frequency domain, filtering the transformed data with a long-wavelength cutoff at 500 km, and subtracting the long-wavelength data grid from the merged grid. In addition to the 500-km high pass filter, an equivalent source method, based on long-wavelength characterization using satellite data (CHAMP satellite anomalies, Maus and others, 2002), was also used to correct for spurious shifts in the original magnetic anomaly grid (Ravat and others, 2002). These results are presented in the third grids (NAmag_CM.grd and USmag_CM.grd), in which the wavelengths longer than 500 km have been replaced by downward-continued satellite data. The steps used to create the third long-wavelength-corrected grid are: 0. The North American 1-km merged grid was decimated to 5 km. 1. This 5-km grid was converted to a 0.05 degree grid and was low-pass filtered using a Gaussian filter with a 500-km cutoff, then decimated to 1 degree. 2. A joint inversion of this 1-degree low-pass aeromagnetic grid and satellite data, with the aeromagnetic data weighted very low, was used to produce a stabilized downward continuation of the satellite data. 3. The inverted data were interpolated to 0.05 degrees and again low-pass filtered using the same Gaussian 500-km filter to remove short-wavelength artifacts. 4. The low-pass grid from step 1 was subtracted from the original 0.05-degree aeromagnetic grid to create a 500-km high-pass aeromagnetic grid. This grid was added to the low-pass inverted grid from step 3 to get a corrected 0.05-degree aeromagnetic grid. 5. The corrected 0.05-degree aeromagnetic grid was projected to the DNAG projection and regridded to 5 km. This was subtracted from the decimated 5-km aeromagnetic grid to generate a 5-km correction grid. A matched filter was used to remove short-wavelength artifacts resulting from the projection and regridding process. 6. The resulting 5-km correction grid was regridded to the original 1-km grid and subtracted from the original 1-km aeromagnetic grid to generate the final 1-km corrected aeromagnetic grid. The six grids described in this report are available for download. Two metadata files, one for the North American grids and one for the United States grids, are also included with the gridded data.

Open-File Report↗