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USGS2026

Long-term intermittent connection between the western Snake River Plain and Columbia basin: A two-phased incision history of Hells Canyon

For more than a century, researchers have debated the route of the Snake River across the northern Cordillera and U.S. Pacific Northwest, including the associated incision history of Hells Canyon. Here, we use detrital zircon U-Pb provenance analysis of Miocene strata upstream and downstream of Hells Canyon to constrain the evolution in fluvial pathways over time. Downstream of Hells Canyon, we show that the ca. 10−6 Ma Clarkston Heights gravel was dominantly sourced from the nearby Salmon and Clearwater rivers but also with substantial input from drainages that now flow into the western Snake River Plain. These same western Snake River Plain drainages were contributing to time-equivalent Lake Idaho strata, upstream of Hells Canyon, indicating a Hells Canyon fluvial connection between the western Snake River Plain and Columbia basin before 6 Ma. Results from Lake Idaho strata suggest a two-phased lacustrine history in the western Snake River Plain: Before ca. 6.0 Ma, lake strata were derived from local tributaries, suggesting that the western Snake River Plain was isolated from the modern upper Snake River system. Between ca. 4.3 Ma and 2.2 Ma, the source area expanded to include eastern tributaries in conjunction with migration of high-standing topography of the Yellowstone hotspot. Our results challenge the long-held hypothesis of “capture” of the Snake River through Hells Canyon. Instead, we infer that Hells Canyon was a long-established route for outflow of lakes occupying the western Snake River Plain, possibly intermittently, during a ca. 10−2 Ma phase of slow regional incision, followed by rapid incision in Hells Canyon starting ca. 2 Ma in conjunction with erosion of the topographic barrier impounding Lake Idaho.

Idaho, Oregon↗

USGS1990

Sedimentology and petroleum occurrence, Schoolhouse Member, Maroon Formation (Lower Permian), northwestern Colorado

The Lower Permian Schoolhouse Member of the Maroon Formation forms a partly exhumed petroleum reservoir in the Eagle basin of northwestern Colorado. The Schoolhouse consists mainly of yellowish gray to gray, low-angle to parallel bedded, very fine to fine-grained sandstone of eolian sand-sheet origin; interbedded fluvial deposits are present in most sections. Geological and geochemical data suggest that Schoolhouse Member oils have upper Paleozoic sources, including the intrabasinal Belden Formation. Late Paleozoic faults have served as local conduits for vertical petroleum migration. Large-scale (>200 km) lateral migration from sources in the Permian Phosphoria Formation is also possible but less likely. Belden oil was generated and migrated before about 75 Ma. Subsequently, the Schoolhouse Member reservoir was uplifted, then partly exhumed on the monoclinal flank of the Laramide (latest Cretaceous-Paleogene) White River uplift. -from Authors

Colorado↗

USGS1974

Water resources inventory of Connecticut Part 5: lower Housatonic River basin

The 557 square miles of the lower Housatonic River basin in western Connecticut include the basins of two major tributaries, the Pomperaug and Naugatuck Rivers. Nearly all water is derived from precipitation, which averaged 47 inches per year during 1931-60, In this period an additional 570 billion gallons of water per year entered the basin in the main stem of the Housatonic River at Lake Lillinonah, and some water was imported by water-supply systems from outside the basin. Almost half the precipitation--21.6 inches--was lost from the basin by evapotranspiration. Except for small amounts exported, the remainder discharged as runoff and underflow into Long Island Sound. Variations in streamflow at 6 long-term continuous-record gaging stations are summarized in standardized graphs and tables that can be used to estimate streamflow characteristics at other sites. For example, mean flow and two low-flow characteristics, the 7-day annual minimum flow for 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals, have been determined for many partial-record stations throughout the basin. Of the 37 principal lakes, ponds, and reservoirs in the basin, 6 have usable storage of more than 1 billion gallons. The “maximum safe draft rate” (described in: “Storage of Water in Lakes and Reservoirs”) of the largest of these, Thomaston Reservoir near Thomaston, is 75.6 million gallons per day for the 10-year and 20-year recurrence intervals of annual lowest mean flow. Floods have occurred during every month, at one time or another. The two greatest floods on the Naugatuck River in historical time occurred 2 months apart in 1955. The larger, in August, had a peak of 106,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) at Beacon Falls. Since then, the likelihood of major floods has been considerably reduced by a program of flood control in the basin. Water can be obtained from three aquifers under-lying the basin-stratified drift, till, and bedrock. Stratified drift covers about 16 percent of the basin, mostly in valleys and lowlands, and its saturated part generally ranges in thickness from 10 feet in small valleys to 200 feet in the Housatonic River valley. Its transmissivity ranges from 0 to 47,000 ft 2 /day (feet shared per day). Till, deposited directly by glacial ice, forms a widespread but discontinuous mantle over bedrock in most upland areas and extends beneath stratified drift in lowlands; it ranges in thickness from 0 to 200 feet. The median value of 31 published determinations of hydraulic conductivity of till in southern New England is 0.67 ft/day and ranges from 0.013 to 29 ft/day. Crystalline bedrock underlies most of the basin and is composed principally of granite, gneiss, and schist. Sedimentary volcanic bedrock underlies only the Pomperaug River basin. Regardless of rock type, water is obtained mostly from fractures. Streambed deposits are significant features of the hydrogeologic system because they affect the amount of water from streams and lakes that can be induced to infiltrate aquifers. Based on field tests, characteristic values of vertical hydraulic conductivity of streambed deposits are 0.40 ft/day for fine-grained deposits and 14 ft/day for gravelly deposits. Ground-water supplies generally range in yield from several millions of gallons per day from large well fields to 1 gpm (gallons per minute) from single wells. Large supplies, with yields of 100 gpm or more from individual wells, are most commonly obtained from stratified drift. Yields to be expected from screened wells tapping this aquifer can be calculated by use of a series of graphs in conjunction with estimates of transmissivity and aquifer thickness. The yields of 14 principal ground-water reservoirs are estimated from aquifer characteristics and also from the amount of water that can be obtained from aquifer storage, from interception or runoff, and from infiltration of streamflow at low-flow conditions, using a hypothetical well-field arrangement for each reservoir. It is assumed that induced infiltration is restricted to an amount equal to the 7-day annual minimum stream-flow for a 2-year recurrence interval. Yields range from 1.4 to 15 mgd (million gallons per day) during periods of no recharge, and from 2.0 to 17 mgd during recharge periods. Small to moderate water supplies can be obtained from any of the aquifers under suitable conditions. For example, data from 294 wells in the basin indicate that yields of a few gallons per minute can be obtained from bedrock at most sites. The likelihood of obtaining an adequate domestic supply is slightly greater in granite than in schist and also is greater where the overburden is stratified drift rather than till. Chemical analyses of precipitation samples collected monthly from five stations in the basin during a 9-month period in 1966 show that rainfall is acidic and that sulfate is the dominant anion, probably because of industrial fumes and smoke within and near the basin. Where unaffected by man’s activities, water in the basin is generally low in dissolved-solids concentration, is of the calcium magnesium bicarbonate type, and is soft to moderately hard. In general, streamflow is less mineralized than ground water, particularly when it consists largely of direct runoff. However, streamflow becomes more highly mineralized during low-flow conditions, when most of it consists of more highly mineralized water discharged from aquifers. The median value of dissolved-solids concentration of water at 22 stream sites was 51 mg/1 (milligrams per liter) during high flow, and 68 mg/1 during low flow within the study period. Iron and manganese occur naturally in objectionable concentrations in parts of the basin, particularly in streams draining swamps and in water from bedrock containing iron and manganese-bearing minerals. Man’s activities have degraded the quality of water in streams in much of the basin, except in the Pomperaug subbasin. In the Naugatuck River basin, the degradation in quality is shown by wide and erratic changes in dissolved-solids concentration, excessive amounts of certain trace elements, a low dissolved oxygen content, and abnormally high temperatures. Ground water is degraded principally by induced infiltration of stream water containing chemical wastes, by wastes stored on the ground and by effluents from septic tanks. Below its confluence with the Naugatuck River, much of the Housatonic River and adjoining marshes, wetlands, and aquifers contain salt water. Measurements of specific conductance during low-flow conditions in 1969 indicate that the dissolved-solids concentration of water in the estuary ranged from 210 mg/1 near Twomile Island to 20,000 mg/1 near Long Island Sound. The quantity and quality of water in the basin are satisfactory for a wide variety of uses, and, with suitable treatment, the water may be used for most purposes. In 1967, the total amount of water used in the basin was about 194 billion gallons. About 90 percent of this was used for industrial purposes, and 95 percent of the industrial water was obtained from surface-water sources. In the same year, 17 municipal and private water-supply systems supplied water of satisfactory quality to about three-fourths of the population.

Connecticut↗

USGS1982

Water resources inventory of Connecticut Part 10: Lower Connecticut River basin

The lower Connecticut River basin study area in south-central Connecticut includes 639 square miles and is drained principally by the Connecticut River and by seven smaller streams that flow directly to Long Island Sound between the West River on the west and the Connecticut River on the east. The population in 1979 was estimated to be 210,380. Much of the industrial development and population centers are in the Mattabesset River basin in the northwestern part, and the largest water use is also in the Mattabesset River basin. Precipitation averages 47 inches per year and provides an abundant supply of water. About 20 inches returns to the atmosphere as evapotranspiration, and the remainder either flows directly to streams or percolates to the water table, eventually discharging to Long Island Sound. Small quantities of water are exported from the basin by the New Haven and Meridan Water Departments, and small quantities are imported by the New Britain Water Department and Metropolitan Direct Commission. Precipitation during 1931-60 resulted in an average annual runoff of 302 billion gallons. In inflow from the Connecticut River is added to the average annual runoff, the 4,370 billion gallon s per year is potentially available for water ue. The domestic, institutional, commercial, and industrial (other than cooling water) water use for 1970 was 7 billion gallons, which is only 3 percent of the total water used, whereas 97 percent of the total is cooling water for power plants. Approximately 60 percent of the 7 billion gallons is treated before being discharged back to the streams. The total amount of fresh water used during 1970 was estimated to be 256,000 million gallons (Mgal), of which 247,000 Mgal was used for cooling water at stream electric-generating plants. The quantity for domestic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural used was 9,000 Mgal, which was approximately 120 gallons a day per person. Public water systems providing 70 percent of these requirement and all the systems supplying water met the drinking water standards of the Connecticut General Assembly (1975). Till is widespread and generally provides only small amounts of water. Wells in till normally yield only a few hundred gallons of water daily and may be inadequate during dry periods. The thickness of of till ranges from 0 to 15 feet; a median thickness of 26 feet is estimated from information provided in drillers' logs of 467 wells penetrating underlying bedrock. The till is generally used only as an emergency or secondary source of water. Bedrock aquifers underlie the entire area and include sedimentary and crystalline (igneous and metamorphic) rock types. These aquifers supply small and usually reliable quantities of water to wells and are the chief source of water for many rural homes and farms., About 90 percent of the wells tapping bedrock yield at least 2 gal/min. The median yields from wells tapping aquifers in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks are 11, 8, and 6.5 gal/min, respectively. The quantity of water potentially available from stratified drift was estimated on the basis of hydraulic characteristics of the aquifers, mathematical modeling of the aquifer system, and evaluation of natural and induced recharge. Long-term yields estimated or ten areas underlain by significant thickness of stratified drift range from 0.4 to 4.4 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). A change in well spacing or numbering could increase the long-term yields, but detailed modeling verification studies are needed to confirm optimal well locations. The chemical and physical (turbidity, color, taste, and sediment load) quality of water is good. The water if generally low in dissolved solids and is classified as soft to hard. Surface water is less mineralized than ground water, especially during high flow, when it is primarily derived from surface runoff rather than groundwater runoff. A median dissolved-solids concentration of 42 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and median hardness of 18 mg/L were determined from water samples collected from 26 streams during the high-flow period. During the low-flow period, median dissolved-solids concentration of 61 mg/L and median hardness of 27 mg/L were determined from sample from the same streams. The quality of water in stratified-drift and crystalline-rock aquifers is generally better than that in the sedimentary-rock aquifers. Water from 32 wells tapping stratified drift had median dissolved-solids concentrations of 116 mg/L; and 33 wells tapping stratified drift and 42 tapping crystalline rock had median hardness of 73 mg/L and 68 mg/L, respectively. Water from 32 wells tapping sedimentary rock had median dissolved concentrations of 231 and 156 mg/L, respectively. Sedimentary rock generally yields the hardest water. Iron and manganese occur objectionable concentrations in places, particularly in water from streams draining swamps and in water from aquifers either rich in iron and manganese-nearing minerals or where the reducing environment for solution of these minerals is favorable. Concentrations of iron in excess of 0.3 mg/L were found in 35 percent of the high streamflow samples, and in 45 percent of the ground-water samples. Most of the high iron and manganese concentration in streams and aquifers are found east of the Connecticut River. Human activities and tidal influence along the coast have modified the quality of water in much f the study area. The greatest influence from human activities has been in the northwestern part, in the Mattabesset River basin. There, the quality of water has been affected by domestic and animal wastes, which cause high dissolved-solids concentrations, high nitrate and phosphate loads and high bacterial counts. In the entire area, high nitrate in groundwater occur only locally, and its presence in an individual water supply is chiefly a function of its proximity to sources of contamination, of well construction, and of thickness of overburden. Thirty public-supply wells did have water that had high sodium concentrations or objectionable iron and manganese concentrations, but these are not considered health hazards in the concentrations found in the water samples. Streams, wetlands, and some aquifers along the sough boundary of the basin contain salty water because of tidal movement or extensive ground-water withdrawals. High sediment concentrations also occur as a result of tidal influence in this area.

Connecticut↗

USGS1991

Sedimentation and tectonics of the Sylhet trough, Bangladesh

The Sylhet trough, a sub-basin of the Bengal Basin in northeastern Bangladesh, contains a thick fill (12 to 16 km) of late Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata that record its tectonic evolution. Stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and petrographic data collected from outcrops, cores, well logs, and seismic lines are here used to reconstruct the history of this trough. The Sylhet trough occupied a slope/basinal setting on a passive continental margin from late Mesozoic through Eocene time. Subsidence may have increased slightly in Oligocene time when the trough was located in the distal part of a foreland basin paired to the Indo-Burman ranges. Oligocene fluvial-deltaic strata (Barail Formation) were derived from incipient uplifts in the eastern Himalayas. Subsidence increased markedly in the Miocene epoch in response to western encroachment of the Indo-Burman ranges. Miocene to earliest Pliocene sediments of the Surma Group were deposited in a large, mud-rich delta system that may have drained a significant proportion of the eastern Himalayas. Subsidence rates in the Sylhet trough increased dramatically (3-8 times) from Miocene to Pliocene-Pleistocene time when the fluvial Tipam Sandstone and Dupi Tila Formation were deposited. This dramatic subsidence change is attributed to south-directed overthrusting of the Shillong Plateau on the Dauki fault for the following reasons. (1) Pliocene and Pleistocene strata thin markedly away from the Shillong Plateau, consistent with a crustal load emplaced on the northern basin margin. (2) The Shillong Plateau is draped by Mesozoic to Miocene rocks, but Pliocene and younger strata are not represented, suggesting that the massif was an uplifted block at this time. (3) South-directed overthrusting of the Shillong Plateau is consistent with gravity data and with recent seismotectonic observations. Sandstone in the Tioam has a marked increase in sedimentary lithic fragments compared to older rocks, reflecting uplift and erosion of the sedimentary cover of the Shillong Plateau. If the Dauki fault has a dip similar to that of other Himalayan overthrusts, then a few tens of kilometers of horizontal tectonic transport would be required to carry the Shillong Plateau to its present elevation. Uplift of the Shillong Plateau probably generated a major (∼300 km) westward shift in the course of the Brahmaputra River.

Geological Society of America Bulletin↗

USGS2004

U-Pb zircon and geochemical evidence for bimodal mid-Paleozoic magmatism and syngenetic base-metal mineralization in the Yukon-Tanana terrane, Alaska

New SHRIMP (sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe) U-Pb zircon ages and trace element geochemical data for mafic and felsic metaigneous rocks of the pericratonic Yukon-Tanana terrane in east-central Alaska help define the tectonic setting of mid-Paleo-zoic magmatism and syngenetic hydrothermal Zn-Pb-Ag mineralization along the ancient Pacific margin of North America. We compare data from similar greenschist-facies sequences of bimodal volcanic and subvolcanic rocks associated with carbonaceous and siliciclastic marine sedimentary rocks, in the Wood River area of the Alaska Range and the Salcha River area of the Yukon-Tanana Upland, and from amphibolite-facies augen gneiss and mafic gneiss (amphibolite) in the Goodpaster River area of the upland. Allowing for analytical uncertainties, igneous crystallization age ranges of 376–353 Ma, 378–346 Ma, and 374–358 Ma are indicated by 13 new SHRIMP U-Pb dates for the Wood River, Salcha River, and Goodpaster River areas, respectively. Bimodal magmatism is indicated by Late Devonian crystallization ages for both augen gneiss (371 ± 3 and 362 ± 4 Ma) and associated orthoamphibolite (369 ± 3 Ma) in the upland and by stratigraphic interleaving of mafic and felsic rocks in the Alaska Range. Metabasites in all three study areas have elevated HFSE (high field strength element) and REE (rare earth element) contents indicative of generation in a within-plate (extensional) tectonic setting. Within-plate trace element signatures also are indicated for peralkaline metarhyolites that host the largest volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits of the Bonnifield district in the Wood River area and for metarhyolite tuff interlayered with the carbonaceous Nasina assemblage, which hosts sedimentary exhalative sulfide occurrences in the Salcha River area. Most of the other felsic metaigneous samples from the Alaska Range and the Yukon-Tanana Upland have geochemical signatures that are similar to those of both average upper continental crust and continental-margin arc rocks generated in thick continental crust. Given the absence in our study areas of intermediate-composition magmatic products generally found in most arcs, and the presence of bimodal magmatism, the alkalic within-plate chemistry of the mafic rocks and some of the felsic rocks, and the widespread occurrence of interlayered carbonaceous sedimentary rocks indicative of deposition within a restricted marine basin or submerged continental margin, we consider it most likely that this prolonged Late Devonian to Early Mississippian magmatic episode resulted from attenuation of the ancient continental margin of western North America, rather than development of an arc, as proposed by many others.

Alaska↗

USGS1969

A geophysical study of North Park and the surrounding ranges, Colorado

A geophysical study in the North Park basin and surrounding mountains, Colorado illustrates the structural relationship of various sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock units. Bouguer anomalies from 1330 gravity stations range from −210 mgal over Precambrian metamorphic rocks in the mountains to −260 mgal in the Walden syncline and —280 mgal in the North Park syncline. Steep gradients delineate a fault which strikes west-northwest along the north flank of the North Park syncline. Two models fitted to the gravity data show 1 to 2 km relief on this steeply dipping fault. Density contrasts between Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks produce anomalies of as much as 25-mgal amplitudes in the Park and Medicine Bow Ranges. A 30-km-long seismic refraction profile, parallel to the most negative Bouguer anomaly values in the North Park basin, shows velocities increasing from 2.5 to 3.4 km/sec within Tertiary rocks at depths ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 km. Mesozoic sedimentary rocks have a velocity of 4.0 to 4.5 km/sec, a very high velocity in view of the predominance of Upper Cretaceous rocks. Precambrian basement with a velocity of 6.25 km/sec underlies the profile at depths ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 km. Strong second arrivals across the profile, observed at distances of more than 14 km from the shotpoints and interpreted as SP reflections, verified the refraction model. An aeromagnetic survey shows numerous anomalies ranging from 100 to 200γ in the Park and Rabbit Ears Ranges and in the Never Summer Mountains, to 400γ in the Front Range, and to 1200γ over the Medicine Bow Range. Positive anomalies in the Park, Medicine Bow, and Front ranges overlie metamorphic rocks. Magnetic and gravity data suggest that the Never Summer Mountains are separated from the Front Range by a north-trending, steeply east-dipping reverse fault, extending beneath the Front Range along the Colorado River valley. The magnetic data indicate that this fault may connect with a possible fault that is parallel to the Laramie River valley. In the Rabbit Ears Range, a series of magnetic anomalies show that igneous rocks are present in the eastern part of the range. A northeast-trending positive magnetic anomaly, which is parallel to foliation trends reported in Precambrian rocks, extends from the Park Range across the North Park basin to the Medicine Bow Range. On the basis of this anomaly, the high seismic velocity of the Precambrian basement, and computed profiles fitted to the gravity and magnetic data, we infer that much of the basin is underlain by high-density metamorphic rock. As shown by gravity data, the deepest part of the basin is 2.7 km below sea level, resulting in a maximum relief of 6.7 km on the basement, relative to the Medicine Bow Range. A 25-mgal negative gravity anomaly and a zone of negative magnetic anomalies outline a large granitic intrusion in the Park Range, which probably extends northeast beneath the North Park basin and connects with granitic rocks in the Medicine Bow Range.

Colorado↗

USGS1985

Quaternary tectonic setting of the 1983 Borah Peak earthquake, central Idaho

The 1983 Borah Peak earthquake was accompanied by extensive surface faulting along a part of the Lost River fault that has abundant evidence of latest Quaternary (last 15,000 yr) offset. This fault and two similar range-front normal faults along the Lemhi Range and Beaverhead Mountains lie in an area of basin-and-range structure in central Idaho that is part of a roughly V-shaped belt of latest Quaternary surface faulting that extends from the Wasatch fault, through the Yellowstone area, to the Lost River fault. The position of this belt may be related to the outward migration of a thermal front associated with the northeastward progression of late Cenozoic silicic volcanism along the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain axis. The central segments of the Lost River, Lemhi, and Beaverhead faults have been active more recently, and probably more active throughout Quaternary time, than the southern and northern segments. The main 1983 surface faulting occurred in an area of high structural relief along a central segment of the Lost River fault that has ruptured in latest Quaternary time, which suggests that comparable areas along other range fronts in the area should be regarded as likely sites of future surface faulting. Other perspective of fault behavior suggest additional possible sites, and all segments of the range-front faults are regarded as capable of surface faulting.

Idaho↗

USGS1980

Tremors from earthquakes and blasting in the Powder River basin of Wyoming and Montana

Coal in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana (fig. 1) is greatly in demand. It can be economically mined from the surface, and the land is much easier to reclaim than land above underground mines that has been damaged by subsidence or by underground fires. Exploitation of the vast coals resources in the basin has caused a rapid influx of population into the area and an associated increase in building construction. The activity has also generated concern about possible regulation of development. With these facts in mind, the U.S Geological Survey has been investigating the geologic implications of development in the Powder River Basin. One area of study has been the effect of earth tremors caused by blasting in the large coal surface mines or by naturally occurring earthquakes. The basin proper was classified by Algermissen and Perkins (1976) as belonging to a region of low seismic risk. Naturally occurring earthquakes are, therefore, mainly of scientific interest, unless of course there was an isolated event that occurred near a populated area or a surface mine. We are not aware of any damage to people or to property caused by blasting in the coal surface mines even though thousands of tons of explosives are detonated each year in the basin. The maximum weight of an individual explosive charge and the time interval between blasts are regulated so that any nearby structures will not be damaged or the residents disturbed. Blasting, nevertheless, does produce seismic tremors that can be recorded over 200 kilometers away. In addition, at one mine, some very low order aftershocks were recorded relatively close to the source within 2 hours after blasting.

Montana; Wyoming↗

USGS1990

Hydrothermally derived petroleum: examples from Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California, and Escanaba Trough, northeast Pacific Ocean

In the Guaymas Basin, a spreading axis in the Gulf of California, petroleum having a wide range of compositions forms by hydrothermal alteration of organic matter in Quaternary sediment composed mainly of marine diatomaceous ooze and muddy turbidites. In Escanaba Trough, at the southern end of the Gorda Ridge spreading axis offshore northern California, petroleum is formed by hydrothermal processes acting on mainly terrigenous organic material in Quaternary turbiditic river-derived sediment. Comparisons of the distributions of hydrocarbons - n-alkanes, isoprenoids, terpanes, steranes, and aromatics - show that chemical differences among four petroleum samples are such that two samples from Guaymas Basin can be distinguished from two samples from Escanaba Trough. Distinguishing characteristics resulting from differences in sources include n-alkane distributions and certain sterane ratios; distinguishing characteristics resulting from differences in thermal histories of the organic matter include hopane and sterane epimer ratios and various distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These oils differ from conventionally derived petroleum in that they are admixtures of products generated over a wide range of thermal regimes, and their generation, expulsion, and migration occurred simultaneously over an instantaneous geological time period. The potential economic significance of hydrothermal derived petroleum is uncertain, but the fact that petroleum can form at active oceanic spreading axes adds a new facet to understanding the processes of petroleum generation, expulsion, and migration.

Escanaba Trough and Guaymas Basin in the system of↗

USGS2000

High-resolution seismic reflection surveys and modeling across an area of high damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Sherman Oaks, California

Approximately 3.6 km of P-wave seismic-reflection data were acquired along two orthogonal profiles in Sherman Oaks, California to determine whether shallow (less than 1-km depth) geologic structures contributed to the dramatic localized damage resulting from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Both lines, one along Matilija Avenue and one along Milbank Street, crossed areas of both high and low damage. We believe these data reveal a geologic structure in the upper 600 m that contributed to the increased earthquake ground shaking in the high-damage areas south of and along the Los Angeles River. Of interest in these data is a reflection interpreted to be from bedrock that can be traced to the north along the Matilija Avenue profile. This reflecting interface, dipping northward at 15°–22°, may be an important impedance boundary because it is the lower boundary of a wedge of overlying low-velocity sediments. The wedge thins and terminates in the area where we interpret down-warped reflections as evidence of a shallow subbasin. The low-velocity subbasin sediments (V s of 200 m/sec V p of 500 m/sec) may be up to 150 m thick beneath the channelized Los Angeles River. The area across the subbasin experienced greater earthquake damage from possible geometric focusing effects. Three-dimensional basin effects may be responsible for the variable damage pattern, but from these seismic profiles it is not possible to determine the regional structural trends. Two-dimensional elastic and SH-mode finite-difference modeling of the imaged structural geometry along Matilija Avenue suggests that a peak horizontal-velocity amplification factor of two-and-over can be explained in the high-damage area above the shallow subbasin and sediment wedge. Amplification factors up to 5 were previously observed in aftershock data, at frequencies of 2 to 6 Hz. Amplification in the elastic simulation at the Santa Monica Mountains range-front on the southern end of the Matilija profile, with the geologic layering and geometry interpreted from the seismic data, is also consistent with aftershock observations.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2002

Unconventional shallow biogenic gas systems

Unconventional shallow biogenic gas falls into two distinct systems that have different attributes. Early-generation systems have blanketlike geometries, and gas generation begins soon after deposition of reservoir and source rocks. Late-generation systems have ringlike geometries, and long time intervals separate deposition of reservoir and source rocks from gas generation. For both types of systems, the gas is dominantly methane and is associated with source rocks that are not thermally mature. Early-generation biogenic gas systems are typified by production from low-permeability Cretaceous rocks in the northern Great Plains of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana. The main area of production is on the southeastern margin of the Alberta basin and the northwestern margin of the Williston basin. The huge volume of Cretaceous rocks has a generalized regional pattern of thick, non-marine, coarse clastics to the west and thinner, finer grained marine lithologies to the east. Reservoir rocks in the lower part tend to be finer grained and have lower porosity and permeability than those in the upper part. Similarly, source beds in the units have higher values of total organic carbon. Patterns of erosion, deposition, deformation, and production in both the upper and lower units are related to the geometry of lineament-bounded basement blocks. Geochemical studies show that gas and coproduced water are in equilibrium and that the fluids are relatively old, namely, as much as 66 Ma. Other examples of early-generation systems include Cretaceous clastic reservoirs on the southwestern margin of Williston basin and chalks on the eastern margin of the Denver basin. Late-generation biogenic gas systems have as an archetype the Devonian Antrim Shale on the northern margin of the Michigan basin. Reservoir rocks are fractured, organic-rich black shales that also serve as source rocks. Although fractures are important for production, the relationships to specific geologic structures are not clear. Large quantities of water are coproduced with the gas, and geochemical data indicate that the water is fairly fresh and relatively young. Current thinking holds that biogenic gas was generated, and perhaps continues to be, when glacial meltwater descended into the plumbing system provided by fractures. Other examples of late-generation systems include the Devonian New Albany Shale on the eastern margin of the Illinois basin and the Tertiary coalbed methane production on the northwestern margin of the Powder River basin. Both types of biogenic gas systems have a similar resource development history. Initially, little technology is used, and gas is consumed locally; eventually, sweet spots are exploited, widespread unconventional reservoirs are developed, and transport of gas is interstate or international. However, drilling and completion techniques are very different between the two types of systems. Early-generation systems have water-sensitive reservoir rocks, and consequently water is avoided or minimized in drilling and completion. In contrast, water is an important constituent of late-generation systems; gas production is closely tied to dewatering the system during production. Existing production and resource estimates generally range from 10 to 100 tcf for both types of biogenic gas systems. Although both system types are examples of relatively continuous accumulations, the geologic frameworks constrain most-economic production to large geologic structures on the margins of basins. Shallow biogenic gas systems hold important resources to meet the increased domestic and international demands for natural gas.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulle↗

USGS1974

Buried Triassic basin in the central Savannah River area, South Carolina and Georgia

A basin filled with Triassic red beds, located on the South Carolina–Georgia line ∼32 km southeast of Augusta, Georgia, is buried beneath ∼350 m of Coastal Plain sediments. An extensive aeromagnetic survey, seismic refraction and reflection surveys, and geophysical logs and samples from three wells define the extent and character of the basin. This basin, herein named the Dunbarton Triassic basin, is ∼50 km long, 10 km wide, and trends northeast. The northwest margin of the basin is well defined by the aeromagnetic survey, a seismic reflection traverse, and a well that passed through 485 m of Triassic fanglomerate before entering the crystalline metamorphic rocks below. Near the center of the Triassic basin, a well passed through 902 m of maroon Triassic mudstone and sandstone of fluvial origin without penetrating the bottom of the basin. The permeability of the Triassic rock is extremely low, and water-transmitting fractures were not penetrated. Even slight water-level disturbances in the Triassic wells require many years to recover. Total dissolved solids of the water from the Triassic basin are about twice that in the crystalline metamorphic rocks that surround it. The inferred geologic history of this basin is similar to the history of Triassic basins that crop out in North Carolina.

Georgia, South Carolilna↗

USGS2011

Controls on large landslide distribution and implications for the geomorphic evolution of the southern interior Columbia River basin

Large landslides (>0.1 km 2 ) are important agents of geomorphic change. While most common in rugged mountain ranges, large landslides can also be widespread in relatively low-relief (several 100 m) terrain, where their distribution has been relatively little studied. A fuller understanding of the role of large landslides in landscape evolution requires addressing this gap, since the distribution of large landslides may affect broad regions through interactions with channel processes, and since the dominant controls on landslide distribution might be expected to vary with tectonic setting. We documented >400 landslides between 0.1 and ∼40 km 2 across ∼140,000 km 2 of eastern Oregon, in the semiarid, southern interior Columbia River basin. The mapped landslides cluster in a NW-SE–trending band that is 50–100 km wide. Landslides predominantly occur where even modest local relief (∼100 m) exists near key contacts between weak sedimentary or volcaniclastic rock and coherent cap rock. Fault density exerts no control on landslide distribution, while ∼10% of mapped landslides cluster within 3–10 km of mapped fold axes. Landslide occurrence is curtailed to the NE by thick packages of coherent basalt and to the SW by limited local relief. Our results suggest that future mass movements will localize in areas stratigraphically preconditioned for landsliding by a geologic history of fluviolacustrine and volcaniclastic sedimentation and episodic capping by coherent lava flows. In such areas, episodic landsliding may persist for hundreds of thousands of years or more, producing valley wall slopes of ∼7°–13° and impacting local channels with an evolving array of mass movement styles.

Idaho, Oregon, Washington↗

USGS2007

Geology and Mineral Resources of the East Mojave National Scenic Area, San Bernardino County, California

The rocks of the East Mojave National Scenic Area (EMNSA) record a history of dynamic geologic events that span more than 1,800 million years (m.y.). These geologic events contributed significantly to development of the spectacular vistas and panoramas present in the area today. The oldest rocks underlie much of the northern part of the EMNSA. These rocks were subjected to extreme pressures and temperatures deep in the Earth's crust about 1,700 million years ago (Ma). They were subsequently intruded by granitic magmas from about 1,695 to 1,650 Ma, by additional granitic magmas at about 1,400 Ma and, later, at about 1,100 Ma, by iron-rich magmas that crystallized to form dark igneous rocks termed diabase. Unusual potassium- and magnesium-rich rocks, emplaced at about 1,400 Ma, crop out in a few places within and near the EMNSA. Their distinctive composition results from very small degrees of partial melting of mantle peridotite that was highly enriched in incompatible trace elements. At Mountain Pass, just outside the northeast boundary of the EMNSA, the potassium- and magnesium-rich rocks are accompanied by a rare type of carbonatite, an igneous rock composed of carbonate minerals, that contains high-grade rare earth element mineralization. Subsequent to these igneous-dominated events, sedimentary strata began to be deposited at about 1,000 Ma; mostly sandstone and shale were deposited initially in marine and, less commonly, in continental environments along the west edge of the core of the North American continent. Sedimentation eventually culminated in the widespread deposition of thick marine limestones from about 400 to about 245 Ma. These limestones represent a continental-shelf environment where shallow-water limestone formed to the east and deeper water limestone formed to the west. The end of the formation of these sedimentary deposits probably was caused by uplift of the shelf, which marked the beginning of a long period of tectonic upheaval. At about 170 Ma, widespread emplacement of coarse-grained granitic magmas began again in the region; some of these magmas also erupted as volcanic rocks. Additional episodes of magmatism took place at about 100 Ma and at 75 Ma. Most of the metallic-mineral occurrences in the EMNSA are associated with the igneous rocks that range in age from 170 to 75 Ma. During each of these magmatic events, the previously deposited sedimentary strata were buckled and broken as the entire region, part of a continental-scale fold and thrust belt, underwent crustal shortening and compression. A period of tectonic quiescence characterized the region from about 65 Ma to about 20 Ma. The quiet period ended abruptly with widespread volcanism along the southern and eastern parts of the EMNSA. The major gold deposits in the Castle Mountains are associated with this episode of volcanism. During this volcanic outburst, the crust extended laterally in several areas that border the EMNSA: along the lower Colorado River 65 km to the east, in the Kingston Range 20 km to the north, and in the central Mojave Desert 75 km to the southwest. This extensional deformation is characterized by the superposition of upper-crustal rocks over midcrustal rocks along large flat-lying faults, several of which project beneath rocks now exposed at the surface in the EMNSA. The near-surface rocks of the EMNSA, however, apparently escaped much of this intense extensional deformation. High-angle faults, which cut several of the mountain ranges, possibly have undergone several periods of movement, which date back to approximately 70 to 100 Ma. Some faults are of local importance to the physiographic development of the mountain ranges and intervening basins, and, in places, the faults seem to have localized various kinds of ore bodies and mineral occurrences. Volcanism and extensional deformation waned from 14 to 11 Ma. By approximately 10 Ma, widespread erosion had produced broad erosional dome-shaped mountains in the n

Bulletin↗

USGS2021

New insights into organic matter accumulation from high-resolution geochemical analysis of a black shale: Middle and Upper Devonian Horn River Group, Canada

Organic matter (OM) accumulation in organic matter-rich mudstones, or black shales, is generally recognized to be controlled by combinations of bioproductivity, preservation, and dilution. However, specific triggers of OM deposition in these formations are commonly difficult to identify with geochemical proxies, in part because of feedbacks that cause geochemical proxies for these controls to vary synchronously. This apparent synchronicity is partly a function of sample spacing, commonly at decimeter to meter intervals, which may represent longer periods of time than is required for the development of feedbacks. Higher resolution data sets may be required to fully interpret OM accumulation. This study applies a novel combination of technologies to develop a high-resolution geochemical data set, integrating energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and infrared imagery analyses, to record proxies for redox conditions, bioproductivity, and clastic and carbonate dilution in millimeter-resolution profiles of 133 core slabs from the Middle and Upper Devonian Horn River shale in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, which provides decadal-scale temporal resolution. A comparison to a more coarsely sampled data set from the same core results in substantially different interpretations of variations in bioproductivity, redox, and dilution proxies. Stratigraphic distributions of organic matter accumulation patterns (bioproductivity-control, siliciclastic/carbonate-dilution, and redox conditions-control) show that organic enrichment events were highly varied during deposition of the shale and were closely related to second- and third-order sea-level changes. High-resolution profiles indicate that bioproductivity was the predominant trigger for organic matter accumulation in a second-order highstand, particularly during deposition of third-order transgressive systems tracts. Organic matter accumulation was largely controlled by dilution from either carbonate or clastic sediments in a second-order lowstand. Bioproductivity-redox feedbacks developed on timescales of decades to centuries.

British Columbia, Northwest Territories↗

USGS1995

Tectonic setting of the Portland-Vancouver area, Oregon and Washington: Constraints from low-altitude aeromagnetic data

Seismic activity in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area may be associated with various mapped faults that locally offset volcanic basement of Eocene age and younger. This volcanic basement is concealed in most places by young deposits, vegetation, and urban development. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an aeromagnetic survey in September 1992 to investigate the extent of these mapped faults and possibly to help identify other seismic and volcanic hazards in the area. The survey was flown approximately 240 m above terrain, along flight lines spaced 460 m apart, and over an area about 50 × 50 km. These magnetic data indicate a pronounced northwest-striking magnetic lineation east of the Willamette River in downtown Portland associated with a fault concealed beneath Quaternary sedimentary deposits and previously inferred from shallow well data. The magnetic lineation confirms the existence of the fault and suggests that it has had a prolonged history: (1) Although well data indicate <200 m of vertical offset of underlying volcanic basement, models based on the aeromagnetic data from downtown Portland suggest reverse faulting with up to 1 km of offset deeper in the section. (2) The magnetic lineation associated with this fault extends southeast to the Clackamas River drainage, a distance of 50 km and considerably beyond the mapped extent of the fault. A northwest-striking magnetic anomaly located southwest of the Tualatin Mountains corresponds closely with another mapped fault and with mixed reverse and strike-slip faulting during a seismic swarm (M ≤ 3) in 1991. We believe these and other anomalies in the aeromagnetic data reflect the Portland Hills fault zone, believed to be the southwestern boundary of a structural basin now occupied by Portland and Vancouver. The postulated northeastern boundary of the basin, the Frontal fault zone, is also evident, although less well represented in the aeromagnetic data. Aeromagnetic anomalies, geologic mapping, and earthquake focal-plane solutions demonstrate a complex deformational history in the Portland-Vancouver area since middle Miocene time that includes elements of compression, extension, and dextral slip. These complexities reflect Portland-Vancouver's unique position within a north-south transition in tectonic styles along the Cascadia margin, from compressional in the north to extensional in the south.

Oregon, Washington↗

USGS2005

Neotectonics of the offshore Oak Ridge fault near Ventura, southern California

The Oak Ridge fault is a large-offset, south-dipping reverse fault that forms the south boundary of the Ventura Basin in southern California. Previous research indicates that the Oak Ridge fault south of the town of Ventura has been inactive since 200-400 ka ago and that the fault tip is buried by ??? 1 km of Quaternary sediment. However, very high-resolution and medium-resolution seismic reflection data presented here show a south-dipping fault, on strike with the Oak Ridge fault, that is truncated at 80 m depth by an unconformity that is probably at the base of late Pleistocene and Holocene sediment. Furthermore, if vertically aligned features in seismic reflection data are eroded remnants of fault scarps, then a subsidiary fault within the Oak Ridge system deforms the shallowest imaged sediment layers. We propose that this subsidiary fault has mainly left-slip offset. These observations of Holocene slip on the Oak Ridge fault system suggest that revision of the earthquake hazard for the densely populated Santa Clara River valley and the Oxnard coastal plain may be needed.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗