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USGS2003

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2001

The collection of 14 studies that follow continues the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. This series presents new and sometimes-preliminary findings that are of interest to Earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. The reports presented in Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of topics from various parts of the State, serving to emphasize the diversity of USGS efforts to meet the Nation’s needs for Earth-science information in Alaska.The chapters in this volume are organized under the topics Geologic Framework, Environment and Climate, and Hazards. This organization is intended to reflect the scope and objectives of current USGS programs in Alaska.

Alaska↗

USGS2005

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2004

The collection of six papers that follow continues the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. This series represents new and sometimes-preliminary findings that are of interest to Earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. The reports presented in Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of topics from various parts of the State, serving to emphasize the diversity of USGS efforts to meet the Nation's needs for Earth-science information in Alaska. This professional paper is the first 'online only' version of Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, reflecting the current trend toward disseminating research results on the World Wide Web with rapid posting of completed reports.

Professional Paper↗

USGS2006

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2005

Summary The collection of papers that follows continues the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. This series represents new and sometimes-preliminary findings that are of interest to Earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. The reports presented in Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of topics from various parts of the State, serving to emphasize the diversity of USGS efforts to meet the Nation’s needs for Earth-science information in Alaska. This professional paper is one of a series of “online only” versions of Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska , reflecting the current trend toward disseminating research results on the World Wide Web with rapid posting of completed reports.

Alaska↗

USGS2009

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2007

The collection of papers that follow continues the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. This series represents new and sometimes-preliminary findings that are of interest to Earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. The reports presented in Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of topics from various parts of the State, serving to emphasize the diversity of USGS efforts to meet the Nation's needs for Earth-science information in Alaska. This professional paper is one of a series of 'online only' versions of Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, reflecting the current trend toward disseminating research results on the World Wide Web with rapid posting of completed reports.

Professional Paper↗

USGS2010

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2008-2009

Professional Paper↗

USGS2011

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2010

The collection of papers that follows continues the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. This series represents new and sometimes-preliminary findings that are of interest to Earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. The reports presented in Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of topics from various parts of the State, serving to emphasize the diversity of USGS efforts to meet the Nation’s needs for Earth-science information in Alaska. This professional paper is one of a series of “online only” versions of Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska , reflecting the current trend toward disseminating research results on the World Wide Web with rapid posting of completed reports.

Alaska↗

USGS2012

Central Basin and Range Ecoregion: Chapter 20 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard (2006), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5288). The Central Basin and Range Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 343,169 km² (132,498 mi2) of land bordered on the west by the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, on the east by the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion, on the north by the Northern Basin and Range and the Snake River Basin Ecoregions, and on the south by the Mojave Basin and Range and the Colorado Plateaus Ecoregions (fig. 1). Most of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion is located in Nevada (65.4 percent) and Utah (25.1 percent), but small segments are also located in Idaho (5.6 percent), California (3.7 percent), and Oregon (0.2 percent). Basin-and-range topography characterizes the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion: wide desert valleys are bordered by parallel mountain ranges generally oriented northsouth. There are more than 33 peaks within the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion that have summits higher than 3,000 m (10,000 ft), but valleys in the ecoregion are also high, most having elevations above 1,200 m (4,000 ft) (Grayson, 1993).

California;Idaho;Nevada;Oregon;Utah↗

USGS2012

Sierra Nevada Ecoregion: Chapter 15 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Raumann and Soulard (2007), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, 1973–2000” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5011). The Sierra Nevada Ecoregion covers approximately 53,413 km² (20,623 mi²) with the majority of the area (98 percent) in California and the remainder in Nevada (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The Sierra Nevada Ecoregion is generally oriented north-south and is essentially defined by the Sierra Nevada physiographic province, which separates California’s Central Valley to the west from the Great Basin to the east. It is bounded by seven other ecoregions: Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion on the west; Klamath Mountains and Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills Ecoregions on the north; Southern California Mountains Ecoregion on the south; and Northern Basin and Range, Central Basin and Range, and Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregions on the east (fig. 1). The Sierra Nevada range is a granitic batholith, much of which is exposed at higher elevations, with a gradual western slope and a generally steep eastern escarpment.

California;Nevada↗

USGS2012

Southern California Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 18 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard and others (2007), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Southern California Mountains ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5235). The Southern California Mountains Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 17,871 km² (6,900 mi²) of land located entirely within California. The ecoregion is bounded on the far north by the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, on the east by the Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion, on the southeast by the Sonoran Basin and Range Ecoregion, and on the west and north by Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion. In addition, the northern part of the ecoregion is separated from the Central California Valley Ecoregion by a narrow strip of the Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion (fig. 1).

California↗

USGS2012

Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion: Chapter 29 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Sleeter and Raumann (2006), entitled “Land-cover trends in the Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5098). The Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 130,922 km 2 (50,549 mi 2 ) in the southwestern United States. The ecoregion, which encompasses parts of four states, includes the Mojave Desert and much of the other desert areas in southeastern California, as well as a large part of the southern Nevada desert (fig. 1). The ecoregion is bounded on the north by the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion, on the east by the Colorado Plateaus and the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregions, on the south by the Sonoran Basin and Range Ecoregion, and on the west by the Southern California Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Ecoregions.

Arizona;California;Nevada;Utah↗

USGS2012

Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2011

The collection of papers that follow continues the series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigative reports in Alaska under the broad umbrella of the geologic sciences. This series represents new and sometimes-preliminary findings that are of interest to Earth scientists in academia, government, and industry; to land and resource managers; and to the general public. The reports presented in Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of topics from various parts of the State, serving to emphasize the diversity of USGS efforts to meet the Nation's needs for Earth-science information in Alaska. This professional paper is one of a series of "online only" versions of Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska , reflecting the current trend toward disseminating research results on the World Wide Web with rapid posting of completed reports.

Alaska↗

USGS1905

The lead, zinc, and fluorspar deposits of western Kentucky

Geography and distinctive characters. The fluorspar, lead, and zinc deposits that were the subject of the investigations reported in this paper are situated hi Livings ton, Crittenden, and Caldwell, and adjacent portions of Christian, Trigg, and Lyon counties, in western Kentucky, and in the counties immediately across the Ohio River, in the extreme southern portion of Illinois. This area, constituting what may be aptly termed the Kentucky-Illinois fluorite district, contains also lead, zinc, and other minerals in subordinate quantities and values. It is usually considered a minor division of the lead and zinc districts of the Mississippi Valley, but is in some ways rather sharply distinguished from the other districts of the valley. It differs from the other districts chiefly in the following respects: (1) In the presence of basic igneous dikes; (2) in the abundance of fluorite and its almost constant association with the lead and zinc ores; and (3) in the mode of occurrence of the ores, which are found principally in true fissure .veins that have resulted from fracturing and subsequent faulting. In the other districts the lead and zinc are of primary importance, while in this region the igneous dikes and the fluorite are the primary or predominant features and the lead and zinc are only incidental.

Kentucky↗

USGS1967

Geology and ground-water resources of Laramie County, Wyoming

Laramie County, an area of 2,709 square miles, is in the southeast corner of Wyoming. Rocks exposed there range in age from Precambrian to Recent. The most extensive aquifers in the county are the White River Formation of Oligocene age, which is as much as 500 feet thick and consists predominantly of siltstone ; the Arikaree Formation of Miocene age, which consists of as much as 450 feet of very fine grained to fine-grained sandstone; and the Ogallala Formation of Miocene and Pliocene age, which consists ,of as much as 330 feet of gravel, sand, silt, and some cobbles and boulders. These formations are capable of yielding large ,supplies of water locally. Terrace deposits of Quaternary age yield moderate .to large supplies of water in the southeastern and northeastern parts of the county. In the Federal well field, large yields of water from the White River Formation are obtained from gravel lenses. In the eastern part of the county near Pine Bluffs, large yields are obtained from openings in .the siltstone of the White River. Previous investigators reported that the large yields were obtained in areas where the formation is fractured and fissured. The authors of this report believe that .the large yields from siltstone in the White River Formation are from pipes, sometimes called natural tunnels, rather than from fractures ,or fissures. Little is known about the water-bearing properties of the pro-Tertiary aquifers in the county, but water derived from the pro-Tertiary formations would probably be of poor quality, except in the vicinity of the outcrop near the western edge of the county. Precipitation is the principal source of recharge to the ground-water reservoirs. About 5 percent of the annual precipitation, or about 108,400 acre-feet per year, is estimated to be recharged. Only a small amount of additional recharge is from streams. The general movement of ground water is eastward, and the average gradient of the water table is about 40 feet per mile. The total amount ,of ground water pumped from wells in Laramie County during 1964 is estimated to be 28,000 acre-feet; about 6,000 acre-feet was used for municipal and industrial supplies, about 17,000 acre-feet was used for irrigation in the Pine Bluffs-Carpenter area, and about 5,000 acre-feet was used for other purposes. The balance of the recharge (80,400 acre-feet) is estimated to be discharged by the following means: 20 percent by underflow, 20 percent by streamflow, and 60 percent by evapotranspiration. The coefficient of transmissibility of the Ogallala Formation, determined by averaging data from 28 pumping tests made in the Cheyenne municipal well field, is about 16,000 gallons per day per foot. However, this figure is an average of the more permeable zones, and the average coefficient of transmissibility of the Ogallala in the county is probably much less because of the heterogeneous character of the formation. A coefficient of transmissibility of 3,800 gallons per day per foot was calculated for the Ogallala, in the same vicinity that the pumping tests were made, by using a regional method of analysis. Although the average transmissibility of the Ogallala is considered to be low, large yields are obtained from gravel stringers and lenses in the formation. The maximum perennial yield from the Cheyenne well field is estimated to be about 1.6 billion gallons per year. Moderate to large yields of water can be obtained in the north-central part of the county where the saturated thickness of the Arikaree Formation, or combined Arikaree and Ogallala Formations, is 200 feet or more. Ground water has been developed throughout the county, but development has been intensive only in the Cheyenne municipal well fields near Cheyenne and Federal and in the Pine Bluffs lowland. The water level has been lowered as much as 40 feet in the Cheyenne well field and somewhat less in the Federal well field.

Wyoming↗

USGS2002

Preface

This issue of Hydrobiologia brings together a series of papers resulting from an intensified effort to describe the current status of the physical and biological conditions present at California's Salton Sea. Most of the studies were contract investigations that were part of a project initiated in January 1998 to pursue the improvement of environmental conditions at the Salton Sea. The remainder are independent investigations resulting in information of importance for the Salton Sea Restoration Project. The information provided by those investigations resulting in information of importance for the Salton Sea Restoration Project. The information provided by those investigations is the most holistic assembly of scientific knowledge about the Salton Sea ever brought together in a single publication. The resulting findings provide an important foundation of knowledge for what has been stated to be '. . . one of the worlds' most dynamic salt lakes . . .' (Hart et al., 1998). We hope this publication will serve as a catalyst to stimulate additional scientific investigations that will further enhance understanding of the dynamics of this unique ecosystem. The purpose for these introductory comments is to place the scientific investigations reported on and the Salton Sea Restoration Project in context and entities, and to one another.

California↗

USGS1985

Ecological effects of rubble-mound breakwater construction and channel dredging at West Harbor, Ohio (western Lake Erie)

The investigation reported herein indicated that breakwater construction and associated channel dredging activities by the US Army Corps of Engineers in western Lake Erie at the entrance to West Harbor (Ohio) had no detectable adverse impacts on the distributions or abundances of macrozoobenthos and fishes. Rather, increases were noted in the number of fish eggs and larvae and in the density and biomass of periphyton and macrozoobenthos on and near the breakwaters. The area also served as a nursery ground for 20 species of fishes both during and after construction and dredging activities. Colonization of the breakwaters by periphyton, primarily a green alga (Cladophora glomerata), diatoms (Gomphonema parvulum), and a bluegreen alga (Oscillatoria tenuis), and by macrozoobenthos, primarily worms (Oligochaeta), amphipods (Gammarus spp.), and midge larvae (Chironomidae), was rapid and extensive, indicating that the breakwaters provided new, favorable habitat for primary and secondary producer organisms. Marked adverse changes in water quality, especially reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations (25 mg/l), occurred around the entrance to West Harbor in 1983 following cessation of construction and dredging activities. These water quality changes, however, could not be ascribed with certainty to construction and dredging activities at West Harbor. Construction of additional breakwaters in the study area at that time by the State of Ohio served to confound determination of the responsible causal factors.

Technical Report↗

USGS1969

Pre-nesting and nesting behavior of the Swainson's warbler

The Swainson?s Warbler is one of the least known of southern birds. Although fairly common in some parts of its summer range, observations of its breeding biology have been made by very few persons. The present study was conducted mostly at Macon, Georgia; Pendleton Ferry, Arkansas; and Dismal Swamp, Virginia....In central Georgia and east-central Arkansas, Swainson?s Warblers usually arrive on their territories during the first two weeks in April. Territories in several localities ranged in size from 0.3 to 4.8 acres. A color-marked Arkansas male occupied the same territory for at least four months. Hostile encounters between territorial male Swainson?s Warblers usually take place along the boundary of adjacent territories. Paired males were more aggressive than unpaired males. Toward the end of an encounter one of the two males would usually perform a display in which the wing and tail feathers were spread and the tail vibrated. Following boundary encounters males drifted back onto their territories and usually sang unbroken courses of songs for several minutes.....During pre-nesting at Macon, a mated pair spent the day mostly on the ground within 20 feet of each other, often foragin g 3 to 4 feet apart. What may have been a form of courtship display, in which the male flew from a perch down to the female and either pecked her rump or pounced on her, occurred about three times each hour throughout the day. During this period the male sang less than at other times during the breeding season.....First nests are usually built by the first week in May. Although other investigators reported finding nests of this species outside of the defended territory, all nests that I have found were within the territory. The large, bulky nest of this species usually is placed 2-6 feet above the ground. It is built by the female from materials gathered close to the nest site; and takes two or three days to complete.....Three and occasionally four white eggs are laid. The female incubates for 14-15 days. The Cowbird parasitizes nests in some parts of the breeding range of the Swainson?s Warbler.....During incubation the female spends about 78 per cent of daylight time on the nest. Both sexes feed young and clean nest. Young remain in nest from 10-12 days.

The Wilson Bulletin↗

USGS2015

Characterizing and simulating sediment loads and transport in the lower part of the San Antonio River Basin

This extended abstract is based on the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Reports by Crow et al. (2013) and Banta and Ockerman (2014). Suspended sediment in rivers and streams can play an important role in ecological health of rivers and estuaries and consequently is an important issue for water-resource managers. The quantity and type of suspended sediment can affect the biological communities (Wood and Armitage, 1997), the concentration and movement of natural constituents and anthropogenic contaminants (Moran and others, 2012), and the amount of sediment deposition in coastal environments (Milliman and Meade, 1983). To better understand suspended-sediment characteristics in the San Antonio River Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the San Antonio River Authority and Texas Water Development Board, conducted a two-phase study to (1) collect and analyze sediment data to characterize sediment conditions in the San Antonio River downstream of San Antonio, Texas, and (2) develop and calibrate a watershed model to simulate hydrologic conditions and suspended-sediment loads for four watersheds in the San Antonio River Basin, downstream from San Antonio, Texas.

Texas↗

USGS2015

Applications of optical sensors for high-frequency water-quality monitoring and research

The recent commercial availability of in-situ optical sensors, together with new techniques for data collection and analysis, provides the opportunity to monitor a wide range of water-quality constituents over time scales during which environmental conditions actually change. Traditional approaches for data collection (daily to monthly discrete samples) are often limited by high sample collection, processing, and analytical costs, difficult site access, and logistical challenges, particularly for long-term sampling at a large number of sites. Optical sensors that continuously measure constituents in the environment by absorbance or fluorescence properties (Figure 1) have had a long history of use in oceanography for measuring highly resolved concentrations and fluxes of organic matter, nutrients, and algal material. However, much of the work using commercially-available optical sensors in rivers and streams has taken place in only the last few years. Figure 1. [NOT SHOWN] Optical sensor technology is now sufficiently developed to warrant broader application for research and monitoring in coastal and freshwater systems, and the United States Geological Survey (a U.S. science agency) is now using these sensors in a variety of research and monitoring programs to better understand water quality in-situ and in real-time. Examples are numerous and range from the applications of nitrate sensors for calculating loads to estuaries susceptible to hypoxia (Pellerin et al., 2014) to the use of fluorometers to estimate methymercury fluxes (Bergamaschi et al., 2011) and disinfection byproduct formation (Carpenter et al., 2013). Transmitting these data in real-time provides information that can be used for early trend detection, help identify monitoring gaps critical for water management, and provide science-based decision support across a range of issues related to water quality, freshwater ecosystems, and human health. Despite the value of these sensors, collecting data that meet high-quality standards requires investment in and adherence to tested and established methods and protocols for sensor operation and data management (Pellerin et al., 2013). For example, optical sensor measurements can be strongly influenced by a variety of matrix effects, including water temperature, inner filtering from highly colored water, and scattering of light by suspended particles (Downing et al., 2012). Characterizing and correcting sensors for these effects – as well as the continued development of common methodologies and protocols for sensor use – will be critical to ensuring comparable measurements across sites and over time. In addition, collaborative efforts such as the Nutrient Sensor Challenge (www.nutrients-challenge.org) will continue to accelerate the development, production and use of affordable, reliable and accurate sensors for a range of environments. REFERENCES Bergamaschi .B.A., Fleck J.A., Downing B.D., Boss E., Pellerin B.A., Ganju N.K., Schoellhamer D.H., Byington A.A., Heim W.A., Stephenson M., Fujii R. (2011), Methyl mercury dynamics in a tidal wetland quantified using in situ optical measurements. Limnology and Oceanography, 56(4): 1355-1371. Carpenter K.D., Kraus T.E.C., Goldman J.H., Saraceno J., Downing B.D., Bergamaschi B.A., McGhee G., Triplett T. (2013), Sources and Characteristics of Organic Matter in the Clackamas River, Oregon, Related to the Formation of Disinfection By-products in Treated Drinking Water: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5001, 78 p. Downing .B.D., Pellerin B.A., Bergamaschi B.A., Saraceno J., Kraus T.E.K. (2012), Seeing the light: The effects of particles, temperature and inner filtering on in situ CDOM fluorescence in rivers and streams. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 10: 767-775. Pellerin B.A., Bergamaschi B.A., Downing B.D., Saraceno J., Garrett J.D., Olsen L.D. (2013), Optical Techniques for the Determination of Nitrate in En

Conference Paper↗