Geology topics

Research about Oklahoma

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Oklahoma.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

USGS2020

Water resources in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, west-central Oklahoma, with an analysis of data gaps through 2015

This report provides an overview of existing hydrologic information describing the quality, quantity, and extent of the major surface-water and groundwater resources in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, west-central Oklahoma. Hydrologic information is provided for five major river systems (Cimarron River, North Canadian River, Canadian River, Washita River, and North Fork Red River), two reservoirs (Foss Reservoir and Canton Lake), and eight aquifers consisting of the alluvial aquifers associated with each of the five major river systems and three major bedrock aquifers (Ogallala aquifer, Elk City aquifer, and Rush Springs aquifer). Types of information provided about rivers and reservoirs for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area include diversion sites and amounts of water allocated and diverted for permitted uses in 2015; treated wastewater discharge sites and amounts discharged in 2015; and characteristics describing water-quality field properties, major ions, nutrients, and selected trace elements. Major ions, nutrients, and selected trace elements are compared to secondary maximum contaminant levels and maximum contaminant levels for finished drinking water. Additionally, statistics are provided describing daily, monthly, and annual streamflow characteristics at 12 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages. Streamflow statistics include the magnitudes and frequencies of floods, base-flow characteristics, and long-term streamflow trends. Types of information provided about the aquifers include amounts of water allocated and pumped for permitted uses in 2015; characteristics of groundwater describing water-quality field properties, major ions, nitrate (measured as nitrogen), and selected trace elements with comparisons to secondary maximum contaminant levels and maximum contaminant levels for finished drinking water; groundwater levels and long-term changes in water levels; and ranges of hydraulic conductivity, aquifer recharge, specific yield, transmissivity, and well yields from reports and groundwater-flow models. Surface water is used primarily for irrigation and mining and other nonconsumptive uses in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, except from the Washita and North Fork Red Rivers, where water is treated for use as a public-water supply. Large concentrations of dissolved solids are the primary limiting factor affecting the use of surface water. Median concentrations of dissolved solids in surface water range from less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in samples from the North Canadian River to greater than 9,000 mg/L in samples from the Cimarron River. Large dissolved solids concentrations are correlated with hard water. Median hardness as calcium carbonate concentrations in surface water ranges from 427 mg/L in samples from Canton Lake to 1,000 mg/L in samples from the Washita River. In 2015, groundwater was used at more than twice the rate of surface water in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area. Although the alluvial aquifers are considered reliably good sources of water in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, concentrations of nitrate (measured as nitrogen) exceed the maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for finished drinking water in parts of all of the alluvial aquifers. Water from the three major bedrock aquifers is used for irrigation, mining, public-water supply, and other uses; however, large concentrations of dissolved solids, nitrate (measured as nitrogen), and naturally occurring trace elements such as arsenic and uranium may limit the use of groundwater as a source of public-water supply in some areas. As of 2015, the depletion of groundwater from the major aquifers in west-central Oklahoma is a minor concern to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Groundwater levels and other hydrologic information show that recharge rates exceed the rates of water pumped from aquifers, except in areas that may be affected locally by groundwater depletions.

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USGS2020

Evaluating the effects of downscaled climate projections on groundwater storage and simulated base-flow contribution to the North Fork Red River and Lake Altus, southwest Oklahoma (USA)

Potential effects of projected climate variability on base flow and groundwater storage in the North Fork Red River aquifer, Oklahoma (USA), were estimated using downscaled climate model data coupled with a numerical groundwater-flow model. The North Fork Red River aquifer discharges groundwater to the North Fork Red River, which provides inflow to Lake Altus. To approximate future conditions, Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 climate data were downscaled to the watershed and a time-series of scaling factors were developed and interpolated for three climate scenarios (central tendency, warmer and drier, and less warm and wetter) representing future climate conditions for the period 2045–2074. These scaling factors were then applied to a soil-water-balance model to produce groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration estimates. A MODFLOW groundwater-flow model of the North Fork Red River aquifer used the scaled recharge and evapotranspiration data to estimate changes in base flow and water-surface elevation of Lake Altus. Compared to a baseline scenario, the mean percent change in annual base flow during 2045–2074 was −10.8 and −15.9% for the central tendency and warmer/drier scenarios, respectively; the mean percent change in annual base flow for the less-warm/wetter scenario was +15.7%. The mean annual percent change in groundwater storage for the central tendency, warmer/drier, and less-warm/wetter climate scenarios and the baseline are −2.7, −3.2, and +3.0%, respectively. The range of outcomes from the climate scenarios may be influenced by variability in the downscaled climate data for precipitation more than for temperature.

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USGS2020

Characterization of peak streamflow and stages at selected streamgages in eastern and northeastern Oklahoma from the May to June 2019 flood event—With an emphasis on flood peaks downstream from dams and on tributaries to the Arkansas River

As much as 22 inches of rain fell in Oklahoma in May 2019, resulting in historic flooding along the Arkansas River and its tributaries in eastern and northeastern Oklahoma. The flooding along the Arkansas River and its tributaries that began in May continued into June 2019. Peaks of record were measured at nine U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) streamgages on various streams in eastern and northeastern Oklahoma. This report documents the peak streamflows and stages for 38 selected streamgages in eastern and northeastern Oklahoma and is a followup to a previous report by the USGS that documented flood peaks associated with the May 2019 flood event. Most of the flood peaks occurred from May 26 to June 4, 2019. This report includes data from streamgages on tributaries to the Arkansas River and uses modeling methods to extend the period of record for Arkansas River streamgages. The historic flooding caused homes to fall into the river as a result of bank erosion, forced some towns to be evacuated, and resulted in the highest flood depths in Tulsa, Oklahoma, since 1986. Several USGS and USACE streamgages along the Arkansas River and its tributaries recorded new peaks of record.

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USGS2020

Soft Release Translocation of Texas Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) on an Urban Military Installation in Oklahoma, United States

Wildlife translocation is an often-used technique to augment populations or remove animals from harm’s way. Unfortunately, many translocation efforts fail to meet their goals for myriad reasons, particularly because translocated animals make large, erratic movements after release, which can result in high mortality rates. Soft release, holding animals in acclimation pens for some period of time at the recipient site before release, has been proposed as a technique to reduce these large movements and increase the survival of translocated animals. Here, we compared the survival and movement patterns of soft-released Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum ) with resident lizards, as well as hard-released lizards from a prior study. Juvenile lizards that were soft-released had high survival rates similar to resident lizards, despite still moving more frequently and occupying larger home ranges than residents. Conversely, soft-released adult lizards had survival rates similar to those that were hard-released, and much lower rates than resident adults. Curiously, soft-released adults did not have significantly higher movement rates or home range sizes than residents. Our results suggest that caution should be used before adult Texas horned lizards are translocated. However, juveniles responded well to soft release, and future research should explore whether they are more resilient to translocation in general, or if soft release provided a specific survival advantage. Contrary to our predictions, the survival of translocated animals was not related to their post-release movement patterns, and the mechanism underlying the observed survival patterns is unclear.

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USGS2020

Factors influencing the probability of hydraulic fracturing induced seismicity in Oklahoma

Injection‐induced seismicity became an important issue over the past decade, and although much of the rise in seismicity is attributed to wastewater disposal, a growing number of cases have identified hydraulic fracturing (HF) as the cause. A recent study identified regions in Oklahoma where ≥75% of seismicity from 2010 to 2016 correlated with nearly 300 HF wells. To identify factors associated with increased probability of induced seismicity, we gathered publicly available information about the HF operations in these regions including: injected volume, number of wells on a pad, injected fluid (gel vs. slickwater), vertical depth of the well, proximity of the well to basement rock, and the formation into which the injection occurred. To determine the statistical strength of the trends, we applied logistic regression, bootstrapping, and odds ratios. We see no trend with total injected volume in our Oklahoma dataset, in contrast to strong trends observed in Alberta and Texas, but we note those regions have many more multiwell pads leading to larger cumulative volumes within a localized area. We found a > ∼50% lower probability of seismicity with the use of gel compared to slickwater. We found that HF wells targeting older formations had a higher probability of seismicity; however, these wells also tend to be deeper, and we found the trend with well depth to be stronger than the trend with age of formation. When isolated to the Woodford formation, well depth produced the strongest relationship, increasing from ∼5%> to ∼50% probability from 1.5 to 5.5 km. However, no trend was seen in the proximity to basement parameter. Based on previously measured pore pressure gradients, we interpret the strong absolute depth relationship to be a result of the increasing formation overpressure measured in deeper portions of the basin that lower the stress change needed to induce seismicity.

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USGS2020

Biological assessment of a proposed vegetation management program to benefit tribes in eastern Oklahoma

Tribal communities may benefit from land management activities that enhance their use of resources on tribal lands. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is implementing a 5-year vegetation management program to provide support for projects that develop and use natural and cultural resources and improve opportunities for agricultural activities to benefit 20 Indian Tribes and Nations in the Eastern Oklahoma Region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The bureau is working with individual Tribes to identify project objectives and design treatments, which include prescribed burning, timber removal, thinning, and reduction of hazardous fuels. The total action area for the vegetation management program is estimated to be 236,575 acres, representing approximately 1 percent of the region. A biological assessment was prepared, in cooperation with the bureau and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to evaluate the potential effects of the proposed vegetation management program on 22 federally threatened, endangered, and candidate species that may occur within the Eastern Oklahoma Region. The species evaluated included one plant, two insects, one reptile, five fresh-water mussels, four fishes, five birds, and four bats. Because the proposed treatments will be largely restricted to terrestrial systems, it is expected that there will be no adverse effects on the 15 species associated with aquatic habitats, provided that best management practices are followed. The proposed treatments may affect but are unlikely to adversely affect six of the primarily terrestrial species (the Papaipema eryngii [rattlesnake master borer], Picoides borealis [red-cockaded woodpecker], Myotis grisescens [gray bat], Myotis sodalis [Indiana bat], Myotis septentrionalis [northern long-eared bat], and Corynorhinus townsendii ingens [Ozark big-eared bat]), provided that best management practices are followed, including avoidance of critical habitat features. The only species likely to be adversely affected by the proposed treatments is Nicrophorus americanus (American burying beetle) as a consequence of short-term disturbances to soils and vegetation. Most adverse effects of the treatments (such as soil compaction and decreased cover in the forest understory) are expected to be short term (habitat will recover or be restored within 5 years of treatments). Less than 1 percent of the action area is expected to result in long-term adverse effects to the American burying beetle as a result of permanent cover changes that persist for more than 5 years. It is expected that the primary treatments will be largely beneficial to the American burying beetle population in the region by reducing the risk of high-severity fires and expansion of invasive woody shrubs, such as Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) within potential beetle habitat and the surrounding landscape. Overall, the proposed management program is expected to provide long-term benefits to American burying beetle habitat across 91 percent of the action area.

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USGS2020

Seasonal movements and tributary-specific fidelity of blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus in a Southern Plains riverscape

This study used acoustic telemetry and a multistate Cormack–Jolly–Seber model to determine the seasonal movement patterns of blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus from 2015 to 2017. Several hypotheses were ranked using AIC c , and it was determined that the movement patterns of blue suckers in a mainstem reach below a hydropower dam ( i.e. , tailwater) differed from those of blue suckers tagged in the major tributaries (perennial with stream order >3). This study estimated a low probability (≤0.13) blue suckers would leave the tailwater reach at any time during the study. Conversely, blue suckers tagged in the major tributaries had a high probability (≥0.88) of leaving after the spawning season (February–May). Blue suckers tagged in the major tributaries displayed a high probability (0.83) of returning to the tributaries in the spawning season of 2016 when discharges were high. Blue suckers also had a higher probability of fidelity to the tributary where they were tagged (0.65) rather than straying to different tributaries (0.18). The majority of tagged blue suckers that strayed selected the only undammed tributary in the study area. In 2017, spring discharges were low, and the probability of blue suckers returning to any major tributary was low (0.19), with little difference in the probability of displaying site fidelity (0.10) vs. straying (0.09).

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USGS2020

Minimal clustering of injection-induced earthquakes observed with a large-n seismic array

The clustering behavior of injection‐induced earthquakes is examined using one month of data recorded by the LArge‐ n Seismic Survey in Oklahoma (LASSO) array. The 1829‐node seismic array was deployed in a 25 km×32 km area of active saltwater disposal in northern Oklahoma between 14 April and 10 May 2016. Injection rates in the study area are nearly constant around the time of the deployment. We develop a local magnitude ( ⁠ M L ⁠ ) equation for the region and estimate magnitudes for 1104 earthquakes recorded by the deployment. The determined earthquake magnitudes range from M L 0.01 to 3.0. The majority of earthquakes occurred between 1.5 and 5.5 km depth, and the shallowest earthquake depths overlap with the base of injection wells at depths between 1.5 and 2.5 km. We compute focal mechanisms of the largest events ( ⁠ M L > 2.0 ⁠ ), and find a mix of normal‐ and strike‐slip‐faulting types. Earthquakes occur regularly in time during the deployment, but are not evenly distributed in space across the study area, that is, they are spatially clustered. Analysis of the nearest‐neighbor distances in the space–time–magnitude domain shows the seismicity is dominated by single‐event clusters (i.e., independent events). This high proportion of single‐event clusters compared with multievent clusters has been previously noted for induced events at geothermal sites. When clustering occurs, the number of events in a cluster is typically small. We observe only four clusters with 10 or more events. For these larger clusters, we find equivalent numbers of foreshocks and aftershocks; however, the foreshock sequences are significantly longer in duration lasting days to tens of days, while aftershock sequences are observed only on the order of one day. The minimal clustering observed for events in the LASSO array suggests that the majority of events are being directly driven by stress changes due to local saltwater disposal.

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USGS2020

Precipitation runoff modeling system (PRMS) as part of an integrated hydrologic model for the Osage Nation, northeastern Oklahoma, 1915–2014

Executive Summary The Osage Nation lacks a comprehensive tribal water plan to describe the quality and quantity of water resources in the Osage Nation, a 2,304-square-mile (mi 2 ) area of rolling pastures, tallgrass prairie, and mixed woodlands in northeastern Oklahoma. A tribal water plan can be used to help manage the sustainable development of surface and groundwater resources, thereby helping to provide a better future for the Osage Nation and their neighbors, while preserving water resources for the benefit of the surrounding environment and future generations. To help meet these goals and contribute to increased knowledge of the quantity and quality of water resources and the hydrologic processes and factors affecting those resources, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Osage Nation began studies to evaluate the surface-water and groundwater resources of the Osage Nation. An important component of these studies is the development and application of numerical models to improve quantification and understanding of the hydrologic system. These models are needed to estimate and quantify the effects of historical and potential future water resource development for the Osage Nation. This report describes the development and application of a precipitation-runoff model, the Osage Nation watershed model (ONWM). The ONWM is needed as a component of the Osage Nation integrated hydrologic model (ONIHM). At the time of this study, the ONIHM was being developed using the USGS computer software MODFLOW-One Water Hydrologic Flow Model (MODFLOW-OWHM). The intended use of the ONIHM is to simulate all surface-water and groundwater components of the hydrologic system for a 2,905-mi 2 study area centered on the Osage Nation. The ONWM was developed using the USGS Precipitation Runoff Modeling System, version 4 (PRMS-IV) computer software, also referred to as PRMS in this report, for an 8,343-mi 2 study area in northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, centered on and including the areas of the Osage Nation and the ONIHM. The ONWM is to be used as part of the ONIHM to provide a direct coupling with spatially and temporally varying daily climate conditions affecting the ONIHM study area. As an integral part of the ONIHM, the ONWM (1) simulates the inflow boundary conditions from tributary basins in the region outside and surrounding the ONIHM area; (2) provides estimates of spatially and temporally distributed precipitation, air temperature, potential evapotranspiration (PET), actual evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture, recharge, and streamflow in the ONIHM area; and (3) provides a preliminary water budget for the ONIHM area and the surrounding region, including tributary drainage basins outside of and next to the ONIHM. The specific objectives of this study were to use the ONWM to (1) provide a systematic inventory of the historical distribution of water inflows from precipitation (rain or snow) falling on the land surface and flowing through the surface-water network, (2) provide a historical context of the variability and spatial and temporal distribution of these waters, and (3) provide estimates of water inflows and potential observations to the ONIHM. The application of the ONWM as a component of the ONIHM is needed for planned simulations using the ONIHM to improve the understanding of the hydrologic system and to develop a fully comprehensive water budget, including the use and movement of water across the landscape, in the surface-water network, and in groundwater aquifers under historical and potential future conditions.

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USGS2020

Activation of optimally and unfavourably oriented faults in a uniform local stress field during the 2011 Prague, Oklahoma, sequence

The orientations of faults activated relative to the local principal stress directions can provide insights into the role of pore pressure changes in induced earthquake sequences. Here, we examine the 2011 M 5.7 Prague earthquake sequence that was induced by nearby wastewater disposal. We estimate the local principal compressive stress direction near the rupture as inferred from shear wave splitting measurements at spatial resolutions as small as 750 m. We find that the dominant azimuth observed is parallel to previous estimates of the regional compressive stress with some secondary azimuths oriented subparallel to the strike of the major fault structures. From an extended catalogue, we map ten distinct fault segments activated during the sequence that exhibit a wide array of orientations. We assess whether the five near-vertical fault planes are optimally oriented to fail in the determined stress field. We find that only two of the fault planes, including the M 5.7 main shock fault, are optimally oriented. Both the M 4.8 foreshock and M 4.8 aftershock occur on fault planes that deviate 20–29° from the optimal orientation for slip. Our results confirm that induced event sequences can occur on faults not optimally oriented for failure in the local stress field. The results suggest elevated pore fluid pressures likely induced failure along several of the faults activated in the 2011 Prague sequence.

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USGS2020

Hydrogeologic units, contour maps, and cross sections of the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers, northeastern Oklahoma, 2020

The Boone and Roubidoux aquifers (or their equivalents) are the main sources of fresh groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma. Projected total water demand of both surface water and groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma is expected to increase approximately 56 percent from 2010 to 2060. This report provides an overview of the hydrogeology of northeastern Oklahoma, with an emphasis on the hydrogeologic units composing and surrounding the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers (the Western Interior Plains confining unit, the Boone aquifer, the Ozark confining unit, and the Roubidoux aquifer). This report also provides the hydrogeologic framework for an ongoing (as of 2020) hydrologic investigation to aid the Oklahoma Water Resources Board in determining the maximum annual yields of the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers. As a first step of this ongoing hydrologic investigation, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, developed hydrogeologic-unit maps, contour maps for the bases of the four hydrogeologic units, and generalized cross sections to further characterize the hydrogeologic framework of the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers. The contour maps illustrate the altitudes of the bases of each hydrogeologic unit. The altitude of the base of the Western Interior Plains confining unit ranged from 1,316 to −6,437 feet (ft) relative to North American Vertical Datum of 1988. The altitude of the base of the Boone aquifer ranged from 1,327 to −6,681 ft. The altitude of the base of the Ozark confining unit ranged from 1,275 to −6,720 ft. The altitude of the base of the Roubidoux aquifer ranged from 403 to −9,488 ft.

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USGS2020

Evaluation of the impacts of radio-marking devices on feral horses and burros in a captive setting

Radio-collars and other radio-marking devices have been invaluable tools for wildlife managers for >40 years. These marking devices have improved our understanding of wildlife spatial ecology and demographic parameters and provided new data facilitating model development for species conservation and management. Although these tools have been used on virtually all North American ungulates, their deployment on feral horses ( Equus ferus caballus ) or burros ( E. asinus ) has been limited. To determine if radio-collars and radio-tags could be safely deployed on feral equids, we conducted a 1-year observational study in 2015 to investigate fit and wear of radio-collars on feral horses and burros kept in pastures/pens at the Bureau of Land Management contracted adoption facility in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, USA. We assessed the impact of radio-collars and transmitter tags on individual behavior, body condition, and evaluated neck surface for effects. We tested 2 radio-collar shapes (teardrop and oval) and a radio-tag (i.e., avian backpack) braided into the mane and tail of horses. Behavior of mares did not differ between radio-collared ( n = 12) and control (uncollared; n = 12) individuals. Despite the small sample size, collared burro jennies ( n = 4) spent more time standing than controls ( n = 4). Stallions wearing radio-collars ( n = 9) fed less, moved less, and stood more than controls ( n = 8). During the study, we did not detect injuries to the necks of mares or burro jennies, but stallions developed small sores (that healed while still wearing radio-collars and re-haired within 3 months). Two radio-collars occasionally flipped forward over the ears onto the foreheads of stallions. Although our study confirmed that radio-collars could be safely deployed on captive mares and jennies, stallions proved challenging for a variety of reasons. While our conclusions were optimistic, longer studies will be required to ensure radio-collar safety on free-ranging feral horses and burros.

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USGS2019

Neotectonic and paleoseismic analysis of the northwest extent of Holocene surface deformation along the Meers Fault, Oklahoma

TheMeers fault (Oklahoma) is one of fewseismogenic structures with evidence for Holocene surface rupture in the stable continental region of North America. The 37-kilometer-long southeast section of the full 54-kilometer-long Meers fault is interpreted to be Holocene active. The 17-kilometer-long northwest section is considered Quaternary active, but not Holocene active.We reevaluate surface expression and earthquake timing of the northwest Meers fault to improve seismic source characterization.We use airborne light detection and ranging and historical stereopaired aerial photos to evaluate the fault scarp and local faultzone geomorphology. In the northwest, complex surface deformation includes fault splays, subtle monoclinal warping, and a minor change in fault strike. We interpret that the alongstrike transition from surface faulting on the southeastMeers fault to surface folding on the northwest Meers fault occurs at the lithologic contact between Permian Post Oak conglomerate and Hennessey shale. We excavated a paleoseismic trench to evaluate the timing of surface-deforming earthquakes on the northwest section of the fault. The excavation revealed weathered Permian Hennessey shale and an ∼1–2-meter-thick veneer of Holocene alluvial deposits that were progressively deformed during two surface-folding earthquakes likely related to blind fault rupture beneath the site. Repeated onlapping to overlapping stratigraphic sequences and associated unconformities are intimately related to folding events along the monocline. OxCal paleoearthquake age modeling indicates that earthquakes occurred 4704–3109 yr B.P. and 5955–4744 yr B.P., and that part of the northwest section of the Meers fault is Holocene active. We find the Holocene-active section of the Meers fault should be lengthened 6.1 km to the northwest, to a total Holocene-active fault length of 43 km. Empirical scaling relationships between surface rupture length and magnitude reveal that the fault could generate an Mw 7.0 earthquake.

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USGS2019

Age and growth of Freshwater Drum and Gizzard Shad occupying two reservoir-river complexes with different groundwater contributions

Restoring groundwater flow is a management option that improves water temperature regimes and benefits fishes. Although this strategy applies more readily to river systems, the thermal character of reservoirs is heavily influenced by inflowing rivers. We examined differences in age, structure, and growth of both Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens and Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum that occupy catchments with varying groundwater contributions in the south‐central United States. Seepage run data indicated that the Kiamichi River was losing surface water to groundwater in summer 2016, whereas groundwater inflows were apparent in the Elk River basin. Summer 2016 data showed that the Elk River had cooler water temperatures than the Kiamichi River and Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees water temperatures were similar to those in the incoming Elk River. We found higher densities of older Freshwater Drum and Gizzard Shad (maximums of 32 and 8 years old, respectively) in samples from the Grand basin than among fish that were sampled from the Kiamichi River basin (21 and 6 years old, respectively). Freshwater Drum grew at similar rates in both basins even though they reached larger maximum lengths in the Grand basin (649 mm TL) than in the Kiamichi River basin (600 mm). The average asymptotic length was greater for the Kiamichi population ( L ∞ = 613 mm) than for the Grand population ( L ∞ = 557 mm). Gizzard Shad from the Grand basin were larger than those from the Kiamichi River basin, though the latter population grew faster initially (Brody growth coefficient: K = 0.787 versus K = 0.179, respectively), but they had smaller asymptotic length ( L ∞ = 206 mm versus L ∞ = 343 mm). The role that groundwater plays in temperature regulation in these basins partially explains the observed differences. Our results suggest that the metabolic theory of ecology can be applied to fisheries management at a finer spatial scale.

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USGS2019

The susceptibility of Oklahoma’s basement to seismic reactivation

Recent widespread seismicity in Oklahoma is attributed to the reactivation of pre-existing, critically stressed and seismically unstable faults due to decades of wastewater injection. However, the structure and properties of the reactivated faults remain concealed by the sedimentary cover. Here, we explore the major ingredients needed to induce earthquakes in Oklahoma by characterizing basement faults in the field, in seismic surveys and via rock-mechanics experiments. Outcrop and satellite mapping reveal widespread fault and fracture systems with trends that display a marked similarity to the trends of recent earthquake lineaments. Our three-dimensional seismic analyses show steeply dipping basement-rooted faults that penetrate the overlying sedimentary sequences, representing pathways for wastewater migration. Experimental stability analysis indicates that Oklahoma’s basement rocks become seismically unstable at conditions relevant to the dominant hypocentral depths of the recent earthquakes. These analyses demonstrate that the geometry, structure and mechanical stability of Oklahoma’s basement make it critically susceptible to seismic reactivation.

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USGS2019

Temporal patterns of induced seismicity in Oklahoma revealed from multi-station template matching

Over the past decade, Oklahoma became the most seismically active region of the mid-Continental USA as a result of industry operations. However, seismic network limitations and completeness of earthquake catalogs have restricted the types of analyses that can be performed. By applying multi-station template matching on the 23,889 cataloged earthquakes in Oklahoma and Southern Kansas between late-2008 and 2016, we increased the number of detected earthquakes to 209,409 events. While the improved catalog produced an order of magnitude events than the original catalog, the frequency-magnitude distribution remains similar to the original catalog. We found that the coefficient of variation of interevent times in small spatial bins tends to spatially correlate with the location of M ≥ 4 earthquakes. The improved catalog reveals the pervasiveness of swarm-like patterns in seismicity across the entire study region. The rapid increase in seismicity rate of these swarms in 2013 coincided with a reduction in the calculated p values (power law decay rates) before and after larger events. We also used the catalog to revisit the temporal patterns in the four M ≥ 5 sequences, finding more active foreshock behavior than previously recognized and variations in aftershock behavior. When compared against poroelastic stress models for the Pawnee and Fairview sequences, the catalog shows an improved correlation with stress that accounts for variable-rate injection, supporting the conclusion that injection rate is an important contributor to seismic hazard.

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USGS2019

Site response in the Oklahoma region from seismic recordings of the 2011 Mw 5.7 Prague earthquake

We invert the shear-wave displacement spectra obtained from 30 three-component, broadband waveforms recorded within 300 km of the 6 November 2011 Mw 5.7 Prague, Oklahoma earthquake to recover the site-response contribution using an inversion method that simultaneously inverts for source, path, and site effects. Site-response functions identify resonant frequencies within a range of 0.1-10 Hz that generally coincide with spectral peaks in H/V curves derived from the recorded waveforms. S-wave velocity profiles available for several sites were also used to calculate theoretical SH transfer functions that predict the site amplification due to the near-surface soil structure down to depths of 30-50 m. These transfer functions are generally flat below about 8 Hz in the frequency range sampled by the spectral inversion process, indicating that the spectral peaks in the site response obtained from the waveform analysis result from deeper velocity variations. A 0.3-Hz spectral peak observed at several stations, for example, coincides with the strong, surface-wave amplitudes observed at 3s periods for induced M ≥ 3 earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas, suggesting that this resonant peak may be due to surface waves trapped in the upper sedimentary layer of the crust. Both shallow and deep contributions to the site response are important for the characterization of ground motion from Central and Eastern North America (CENA) earthquakes. We obtain a seismic moment of 4.32 × 1024 dyne-cm and a corner frequency of 0.229, consistent with the magnitude of the event. A frequency-dependent attenuation relation of Q(f)=1107f 0.398 consistent with prior measurements of path properties in CENA is also derived.

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USGS2019

Seismic loss and damage in light-frame wood buildings from sequences of induced earthquakes

Activities related to oil and gas production, especially deep disposal of wastewater, have led to sequences of induced earthquakes in the central U.S. This study aims to quantify damage to and seismic losses for light-frame wood buildings when subjected to sequences of induced, small to moderate magnitude, events. To conduct this investigation, one and two-story multifamily wood frame buildings are designed, and their seismic response dynamically simulated using three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear models, subjected to ground motion sequences recorded in induced events. Damage is quantified through seismic losses, which are estimated using the FEMA P-58 methodology. Results show that at levels of shaking experienced in recent earthquakes, minor damage, consisting of cracking of interior finishes and nonstructural damage to plumbing and HVAC systems is expected, which is consistent with observed damage in these events. The study also examines how expected losses and building fragility will accumulate and/or change over a sequence of earthquakes. Results indicate that damage quantified in terms of absorbed hysteretic energy tended to accumulate over the sequences; this damage corresponds to elongation or widening of cracks. However, fragility is not significantly altered by damage in a preceding event, meaning structures are not becoming more vulnerable due to existing damage. In addition, sequences of events do not change losses if the building is only repaired once at the end of the sequence, as the worsening of damage does not alter repair actions. If repairs are conducted after each event, though, total seismic losses can increase greatly from the sequence.

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