Geology topics

Research about Alabama

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Alabama.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

USGS2007

Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, organic wastewater compounds, and pesticides in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed near Montgomery, Alabama, 2005

Synthetic and natural organic compounds derived from agricultural operations, residential development, and treated and untreated sanitary and industrial wastewater discharges can contribute contaminants to surface and ground waters. To determine the occurrence of these compounds in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed, Alabama, new laboratory methods were used that can detect human and veterinary antibiotics; pharmaceuticals; and compounds found in personal-care products, food additives, detergents and their metabolites, plasticizers, and other industrial and household products in the environment. Well-established methods for detecting 47 pesticides and 19 pesticide degradates also were used. In all, 186 different compounds were analyzed by using four analytical methods. The lower Tallapoosa River serves as the water-supply source for more than 100,000 customers of the Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board. Source-water protection is a high priority for the Board, which is responsible for providing safe drinking water. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board, conducted this study to provide baseline data that could be used to assess the effects of agriculture and residential development on the occurrence of selected organic compounds in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed. Twenty samples were collected at 10 sites on the Tallapoosa River and its tributaries. Ten samples were collected in April 2005 during high base streamflow, and 10 samples were collected in October 2005 when base streamflow was low. Thirty-two of 186 compounds were detected in the lower Tallapoosa River watershed. Thirteen compounds, including atrazine, 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine (CIAT), hexazinone, metalaxyl, metolachlor, prometryn, prometon, simazine, azithromycin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and tylosin, had measurable concentrations above their laboratory reporting levels. Concentrations were estimated for an additional 19 compounds that were detected below their laboratory reporting levels. The two most frequently detected compounds were the pesticides atrazine (19 of 20 samples) and simazine (13 of 20 samples). Tylosin, a veterinary antibiotic, was detected in 8 of 20 samples. Other compounds frequently detected at very low concentrations included CIAT and hexazinone (a degradate of atrazine and a pesticide, respectively); camphor (derived from personal-care products or flavorants), para-cresol (various uses including solvent, wood preservative, and in household cleaning products), and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET, an insect repellent).

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USGS2005

Back to the basics: Birmingham, Alabama, measurement and scale

Back to the Basics: Birmingham, Alabama is the fourth in a series of workshops that focus on teaching foundational map reading and spatial differentiation skills. It is the second published exercise from the Back to the Basics series developed by the Wetland Education through Maps and Aerial Photography (WETMAAP) Program (see Journal of Geography 103, 5: 226-230). Like its predecessor, the current exercise is modified from the Birmingham Back to the Basics workshop offered during the annual National Council for Geographic Education meeting. The focus of this exercise is on scale and measurement, foundational skills for spatial thinking and analysis.

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USGS2005

Assessing American black bear habitat in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta of southwestern Alabama

American black bears ( Ursus americanus ) have been extirpated from all but a few areas in southwestern Alabama, and the remaining habitat is being rapidly lost to development. Remnant bear populations exist near extensive (>125,000 ha) bottomland hardwood forests in the Mobile–Tensaw Delta (MTD), but those bottomland areas are rarely used by bears. Reintroduction of black bears to the MTD may improve viability of the remaining bear populations in southwestern Alabama. To evaluate the suitability of this area for bears, we compared habitat conditions at the MTD with similar alluvial habitats at White River National Wildlife Refuge (White River NWR), where bears are numerous. We measured overstory, midstory, and understory vegetation in the MTD and on the North and South management units at White River NWR. We used principal components analysis and principal variable selection to identify 9 variables associated with 5 principal components (hard mast, soft mast, cavity tree availability, large tree availability, and total basal area) that best explained variation among study areas. Differences among the study areas were associated with hard mast, soft mast, and cavity tree availability ( P ≤ 0.001). Hard and soft mast production in the MTD was lower than at White River NWR, but we believe it was adequate. However, suitable den trees, which may be a critical habitat component given the duration and severity of winter flooding, appeared to be lacking in the MTD.

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USGS2004

Magnitude and frequency of floods on small rural streams in Alabama

Equations for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods for small rural streams in Alabama are presented for recurrence intervals ranging from 2 to 500 years. Floodfrequency characteristics are documented for 43 streamflow gaging stations included in the analysis. Each station used has a drainage area less than 15 square miles and at least 10 years of record prior to 2003. None of these stations were affected by regulation or urbanization. Regression relations were developed using generalized least-square techniques to estimate flood magnitude and frequency on ungaged streams as a function of the drainage area of a basin.

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USGS2002

Water resources data, Alabama, water year 2001

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Alabama each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data - Alabama."

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USGS2002

Investigation of water quality and aquatic-community structure in Village and Valley Creeks, City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, 2000-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a 16-month investigation of water quality, aquatic-community structure, bed sediment, and fish tissue in Village and Valley Creeks, two urban streams that drain areas of highly intensive residential, commercial, and industrial land use in Birmingham, Alabama. Water-quality data were collected between February 2000 and March 2001 at four sites on Village Creek, three sites on Valley Creek, and at two reference sites near Birmingham—Fivemile Creek and Little Cahaba River, both of which drain less-urbanized areas. Stream samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, fecal bacteria, trace and major elements, pesticides, and selected organic constituents. Bed-sediment and fish-tissue samples were analyzed for trace and major elements, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and additional organic compounds. Aquatic-community structure was evaluated by conducting one survey of the fish community and in-stream habitat and two surveys of the benthic-invertebrate community. Bed-sediment and fish-tissue samples, benthic-invertebrates, and habitat data were collected between June 2000 and October 2000 at six of the nine water-quality sites; fish communities were evaluated in April and May 2001 at the six sites where habitat and benthic-invertebrate data were collected. The occurrence and distribution of chemical constituents in the water column and bed sediment provided an initial assessment of water quality in the streams. The structure of the aquatic communities, the physical condition of the fish, and the chemical analyses of fish tissue provided an indication of the cumulative effects of water quality on the aquatic biota. Water chemistry was similar at all sites, characterized by strong calcium-bicarbonate component and magnesium components. Median concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were highest at the headwaters of Valley Creek and lowest at the reference site on Fivemile Creek. In Village Creek, median concentrations of nitrite and ammonia increased in a downstream direction. In Valley Creek, median concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, organic nitrogen, suspended phosphorus, and orthophosphate decreased in a downstream direction. Median concentrations of Escherichia coli and fecal coliform bacteria were highest at the most upstream site of Valley Creek and lowest at the reference site on Fivemile Creek. Concentrations of enterococci exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criterion in 80 percent of the samples; concentrations of Escherichia coli exceeded the criterion in 56 percent of the samples. Concentrations of bacteria at the downstream sites on Village and Valley Creeks were elevated during high flow rather than low flow, indicating the presence of nonpoint sources. Surface-water samples were analyzed for chemical compounds that are commonly found in wastewater and urban runoff. The median number of wastewater indicators was highest at the most upstream site on Valley Creek and lowest at the reference site on Fivemile Creek. Concentrations of total recoverable cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in surface water exceeded acute and chronic aquatic life criteria in up to 24 percent of the samples that were analyzed for trace and major elements. High concentrations of trace and major elements in the water column were detected most frequently during high flow, indicating the presence of nonpoint sources. Of the 24 pesticides detected in surface water, 17 were herbicides and 7 were insecticides. Atrazine, simazine, and prometon were the most commonly detected herbicides; diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and carbaryl were the most commonly detected insecticides. Concentrations of atrazine, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion periodically exceeded criteria for the protection of aquatic life. Trace-element priority pollutants, pesticides, and other organic compounds were detected in higher concentrations in bed sediment at the Village and Valley Creek sites than at the reference site on Fivemile Creek. Bed-sediment concentrations of chromium, copper, lead, mercury, and silver were highest at the most upstream site on Valley Creek; and concentrations of cadmium, nickel, selenium, and zinc were highest at the second downstream site on Village Creek. Bed-sediment concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc from the Village and Valley Creek sites exceeded median concentrations observed nationwide. Concentrations of cadmium, selenium, and zinc were highest in fish-liver tissue samples collected from the second downstream site on Village Creek — concentrations of copper and mercury in fish-liver samples were highest at the most downstream site on Village Creek. The highest total concentration of organic compounds detected in bed-sediment samples occurred at the most upstream site on Valley Creek and the lowest total concentration occurred at Fivemile Creek. In Village Creek, concentrations of 75 percent of the detected organic compounds increased in a downstream direction; in Valley Creek, concentrations of about 70 percent of the detected organic compounds decreased in a downstream direction. Concentrations of 10 organic compounds in bed-sediment samples, including chlordane and p,p'-DDE, exceeded levels considered harmful to aquatic organisms at sites on Village and Valley Creeks. Concentrations of dieldrin, chlordane, and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish-tissue samples exceeded National Academy of Science/National Academy of Engineering guidelines for the protection of fish-eating wildlife. Fish and benthic-invertebrate community structure differed between Village and Valley Creeks and the reference streams. Multiple lines of evidence, including the richness and density of benthic invertebrates as well as fish-community structure, indicate that the aquatic community in Village Creek is similar to that of Valley Creek, but that the integrity of the aquatic communities in both creeks is poor in comparison to that observed at the two reference sites. The abundance of mayflies and the number of EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) taxa (two well-known indicators of good water quality) were negatively correlated with industrial land use. The abundance of midges (an indicator of poor water quality) was positively correlated with industrial land use — and midge density was positively correlated with commercial land use, providing additional evidence that these streams have been negatively affected by urbanization in the basins. The percentage of mosquitofishes (a tolerant species) was positively correlated with commercial land use. In contrast, the numbers of fish species, fish families, and the percentage of sunfishes (intolerant species) were positively correlated with forested land use, indicating that the more diverse fish communities were found in basins with a higher percentage of forested land. The concentrations of 12 water-quality constituents (including several nitrogen species, chloride, copper, and molybdenum, and the detection frequency of wastewater indicators) and 18 organic compounds detected in bed sediment were positively correlated with industrial land use. Mercury and molybdenum concentrations detected in fish-liver tissue also were positively correlated with industrial land use. Bed-sediment and water-quality constituents that were found to have significant correlations with land use often were found to be correlated with many biological indicators, further supporting the link between increased urbanization and changes in aquatic-community structure. The water quality and aquatic-community structure in Village and Valley Creeks are degraded in comparison to streams flowing through less-urbanized areas. Low community richness and increased density of certain species within the fish and benthic-invertebrate communities indicate that degradation has occurred during an extended period of time. Decreased diversity in the aquatic communities and elevated concentrations of trace elements and organic contaminants in the water column, bed sediment, and fish tissues at Village and Valley Creeks are indicative of the effects of urbanization. The degree of degradation may be related to point and nonpoint sources of contamination originating within the basins. Industrial land use, in particular, was significantly correlated to elevated contaminant levels in the water column, in bed sediment, in fish tissue, and to the declining health of the benthic-invertebrate communities. The results of the 16-month study have long-range watershed management implications, demonstrating the association of urban development and stream degradation. These data can serve as a baseline from which to determine the effectiveness of stream-restoration programs.

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USGS2001

Arsenic in stream sediments of northern Alabama

OVERVIEW OF ARSENIC IN STREAM SEDIMENTS The overall range of arsenic in the NURE stream sediments was from 0.3 to 44 mg/kg sediment (ppm) As in the sample data set. The mean value was 4.3 ppm with a standard deviation of 4.1 ppm. For comparison, the crustal abundance of arsenic is 1.8 ppm (Taylor, 1964). Shale is higher, with average values of 15 ppm. Coal samples from the entire USGS National Coal Resource Data System coal database (Finkelman, 1994) average 24 ppm arsenic. A study of stream sediments from throughout the U.S. by the USGS NAWQA program reported that the 75th percentile for arsenic in 541 stream sediments was 9.5 ppm (Rice, 1999). Given the relatively low crustal abundance of arsenic, a number of stream-sediment samples in this study may be considered geochemically anomalous in this element.

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USGS2001

Water resources data, Alabama, water year 2000

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USGS2001

Assessment of water-quality conditions in the J.B. Converse Lake watershed, Mobile County, Alabama, 1990-98

J.B. Converse (Converse) Lake is a 3,600- acre, tributary-storage reservoir in Mobile County, southwestern Alabama. The lake serves as the primary drinking-water supply for the city of Mobile. The Converse Lake watershed lies within the Coastal Plain Physiographic Province. Semiconsolidated to unconsolidated sediments of sand, silt, gravel, and clay underlie the watershed, and are covered by acidic soils. Land use in the watershed is mainly forest (64 percent) and agriculture (31 percent). Residential and commercial development account for only 1 percent of the total land use in the watershed. Converse Lake receives inflow from seven major tributaries. The greatest inflows are from Big Creek, Crooked Creek, and Hamilton Creek that had mean annual streamflows of 72.2, 19.4, and 25.0 cubic feet per second, respectively, for the period 1990 to 1998, which represents about 72 percent of the total annual streamflow to the lake. The total mean annual inflow to the lake is estimated to be about 163 cubic feet per second. In general, water quality in Converse Lake and its tributaries meets the criteria established by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for drinking-water supplies, whole-body contact, and aquatic life. The exceptions include acidic pH levels, iron and manganese levels above secondary or aesthetic criteria, and fecal bacterial levels in some tributaries above whole-body contact (swimmable) criteria. The pH levels throughout the watershed were commonly below the criteria level of 6.0, but this appears to have been a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by poorly buffered soil types, resistant sediments, and forested land use. Median iron and manganese levels were above aesthetic criteria levels of 300 and 50 micrograms per liter, respectively, in some tributaries. All tributary sites in the Converse Lake watershed had median and minimum dissolved-oxygen concentrations above the ADEM criteria level of 5 milligrams per liter except for Boggy Branch, which had a minimum dissolved-oxygen concentration of 3.7 milligrams per liter. The degree to which nutrient contributions from tributaries were causing nutrient enrichment and eutrophication in Converse Lake was assessed. Trend analysis detected little or no change in nutrient concentrations at the tributary and lake sites in the Converse Lake watershed from the 1991 to 1998 water years. Nutrient concentrations at most tributary sites exhibited a significant, positive relation with streamflow that indicated the dominant source of nutrient input to the watershed is from nonpoint contributions. From 1990 to 1998, computed mean annual loads of 75,400 kilograms of total nitrogen, 36,950 kilograms of total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 28,870 kilograms of total inorganic nitrogen, and 3,480 kilograms of total phosphorus were contributed to the lake by Big Creek, Hamilton Creek, and Crooked Creek combined. These mean annual loads of nutrients corresponded to borderline eutrophic/mesotrophic conditions in the lake. Of the combined loads, 62 percent of the total nitrogen, 70 percent of the total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 54 percent of the total inorganic nitrogen, and 47 percent of the total phosphorus originated from the forested subbasin of Big Creek. The more residential and agricultural subbasins of Crooked Creek and Hamilton Creek, however, yielded over twice the total phosphorus load per hectare of land use. Crooked and Hamilton Creek subbasins also had higher yields of the more bioavailable total inorganic nitrogen. A simplistic empirical model could not explain the relation between year-to-year nutrient contributions to Converse Lake from the tributaries and the lake’s ability to assimilate those contributions. The potential presence of pathogens in the lake and its tributaries was assessed based on fecal bacterial concentrations. Fecal bacterial concentrations at some tributary sites were above existing criteria for swimmable uses. Contributions of fecal bacteria from tributaries to the lake, however, did not appear to affect the lake because fecal bacterial concentrations at lake sites were one to two orders of magnitude lower than tributary sites and well below criteria levels. Juniper Creek had the highest fecal bacterial concentrations during the study. Trend analysis showed that flow-adjusted fecal streptococcus concentrations increased at Juniper Creek during the 8 years of data collection. Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected infrequently at sites in the lake and the raw-water intake during the monitoring effort. Most of the detections occurred during the summer months, but no clear relation between season and cyst density or cyst concentrations in the water supply can be established because of the infrequent detections. Naturally occurring organic carbon compounds derived from the decay of plant material on land were the major source of organic carbon in the Converse Lake watershed. Reactive organic carbon had a greater potential to form trihalomethanes as a result of chlorination during water treatment. In the lake, algae was considered an important source of organic carbon as indicated by strong, positive, statistically significant correlations among chlorophyll a, total organic carbon, and dissolved organic carbon. The algalderived organic carbon, however, was not considered the major source of the reactive organic carbon as indicated by the absence of significant statistical correlations between chlorophyll a, total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nanometers, and trihalomethane-formation potential.

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USGS2000

Distribution of a suite of elements including arsenic and mercury in Alabama coal

Arsenic and other elements are unusually abundant in Alabama coal. This conclusion is based on chemical analyses of coal in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS; Bragg and others, 1994). According to NCRDS data, the average concentration of arsenic in Alabama coal (72 ppm) is three times higher than is the average for all U.S. coal (24 ppm). Of the U.S. coal analyses for arsenic that are at least 3 standard deviations above the mean, approximately 90% are from the coal fields of Alabama. Figure 1 contrasts the abundance of arsenic in coal of the Warrior field of Alabama (histogram C) with that of coal of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming (histogram A), and the Eastern Interior Province including the Illinois Basin and nearby areas (histogram B). The Warrior field is by far the largest in Alabama. On the histogram, the large 'tail' of very high values (> 200 ppm) in the Warrior coal contrasts with the other two regions that have very few analyses greater than 200 ppm.

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USGS2000

Water resources data, Alabama, water year 1999

Water resources data for the 1999 water year for Alabama consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stages and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels in wells. This report includes records on both surface and ground water in the State. Specifically, it contains: (1) discharge records for 125 streamflow-gaging stations, for 41 partial-record or miscellaneous streamflow stations; (2) stage and content records for 14 lakes and reservoirs and stage or elevation at 36 stations; (3) water-quality records for 25 streamflow-gaging stations, 2 lake stations, for 33 ungaged streamsites, and for 1 precipitation station; (4) water temperature and specific conductance at 14 surface-water stations; (5) dissolved oxygen at 9 stations; (6) sediment data at 38 stations; (7) chemical analyses of bed material at 25 stations; (8) water-level records at 3 recording observation wells; and (9) water-quality records for 56 ground-water stations. Also included are lists of active and discontinued continuous-record surface-water discharge stations, continuous-record surface-water stage stations, continuous-record surface-water-quality stations, and partial-record and miscellaneous surface-water-quality stations. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Alabama.

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USGS2000

Status of Salvinia (Salviniaceae) in Alabama

No abstract available.

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USGS1999

Freshwater mussels in the Gulf region: Alabama

No abstract available.

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USGS1999

Mechanical and thermal control of cleating and shearing in coal: examples from the Alabama coalbed methane field, USA

Natural fractures provide most of the interconnected macroporosity in coal. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of these fractures and the associated mechanisms of formation is essential for effective coalbed methane exploration and field management. Natural fractures in coal can be divided into two general types: cleat and shear structures. Cleat has been studied for more than a century, yet the mechanisms of cleat formation remain poorly understood (see reviews by Close, 1993; Laubach et al .,1998). An important aspect of cleating is that systematic fracturing of coal is takes place in concert with devolatization and concomitant shrinkage of the coal matrix during thermal maturation (Ammosov and Eremin, 1960). Coal, furthermore, is a mechanically weak rock type that is subject to bedding-plane shear between more competent beds like shale, sandstone, and limestone. Yet, the significance of shear structures in coal has only begun to attract scientific interest (Hathaway and Gayer, 1996; Pashin, 1998).

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USGS1999

Water resources data, Alabama, water year 1998

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USGS1999

Synoptic survey of septic indicators in streams and springs at Monte Sano Mountain, Madison County, Alabama, January 29-31, 1998

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a synoptic investigation of fecal bacterial pollution in headwater streams and springs on Monte Sano Mountain. A total of 18 sites were sampled over a 3 day period in late January 1998. Fifteen of the sites were located hydrologically downgradient from residential areas on top of Monte Sano Mountain. Three additional sites were selected as background sites in unpopulated areas on Huntsville Mountain, south of Monte Sano Mountain. Sampling was conducted during a period of high baseflow after a recent storm when no surface runoff was present. Any contaminants identified in the streams and springs were likely derived from ground-water discharge because overland flow was not evident. Four of the five sites in the Pottsville-Pennington unit (uppermost) with the highest concentration of residential land use had Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations that were more than 25 times the background level. In contrast, with the exception of one site, E. coli concentrations in the Bangor-Monteagle unit (middle) and Tuscumbia unit (lowermost) were at or near background levels. Caffeine was also detected in the Pottsville-Pennington unit at a site with one of the highest densities of E. coli. Elevated levels of nitrate and chloride were also identified at sites in the Pottsville-Pennington unit. The results of this synoptic sampling event identified elevated concentrations of fecal bacteria in the Pottsville-Pennington unit at the top of the mountain. These elevated bacterial concentrations occurred in conjunction with caffeine detection and elevated levels of nitrate and chloride. This indicates that there is a potential water-quality problem related to discharge from the shallow ground-water system. These sites are located in close proximity to residential development, indicating that the most probable source of the elevated fecal bacterial concentrations was septic tank effluent.

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USGS1996

Potentiometric surface of the Miocene-Pliocene aquifer system of Baldwin County, Alabama, 1995

Baldwin County, the fastest growing county in Alabama in 1995, is 100-percent dependent on ground water for public water supply. Ground-water withdrawals in Baldwin County were estimated to be about 7 million gallons per day in 1996, 12 million gallons per day in 1980, and 30 gallons per day in 1990. The effects of future increases in ground-water withdrawals, to supply the needs of the growing county population, cannot be assessed without defining baseline conditions. To address the future of ground-water development, the Baldwin County Commission requested the USGS to perform a study of the ground-water resources of Baldwin County.

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USGS1996

Magnitude and frequency of floods in Alabama

Methods of estimating flood magnitudes for recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50,100, 200, and 500 years are described for rural streams in Alabama that are not affected by regulation or urbanization. Flood-frequency characteristics are presented for 198 gaging stations in Alabama having 10 or more years of record through September 1991, that are used in the regional analysis. Regression relations were developed using generalized least-squares regression techniques to estimate flood magnitude and frequency on ungaged streams as a function of the drainage area of a basin. Sites on gaged streams should be weighted with gaging station data that are presented in the report Graphical relations of peak discharges to drainage areas are also presented for siter along the Alabama, Black Warrior, Cahaba, Choctawhatchee, Conecuh, and Tombigbee Rivers. Equations for estimating flood magnitudes on ungaged urban streams (taken from a previous report) that use drainage area and percentage of impervious cover as independent variables also are given.

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