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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
USGS1978

Trenches across the 1906 trace of the San Andreas Fault in northern San Mateo County, California

Two trenches were excavated across the 1906 trace of the San Andreas fault near fences that were displaced by the 1906 faulting. About 18 displacements equal to the 1906 displacement would account for the offset of a stream adjacent to one of the trenches. Review of divergent reports on the amount of fault displacement in 1906 at 7 localities indicates that right slip ranged from about 2 in (meters) to about 3 m at the main trace and was about 0.6 m on a subsidiary trace near one of the trench sites. Materials exposed in the trenches included Franciscan bedrock, Merced (?) sandstone, alluvial deposits, and modern soils. Visibility of the evidence for faulting covered a wide range. Faulting was expressed in the trenches as conspicuous color differences, abrupt termination of geologic units, fractures, gouge, granulation of rock, streaked contacts, rounding of rock fragments, and slickensides. Irregularly shaped masses of gouge and other materials found in both trenches may also be a manifestation of faulting. Neither caving of the walls nor the inflow of ground water were reliable indicators of the locations of faults in these trenches. The features exposed in the trenches clearly indicated the presence of an important zone of faults with geologically young displacements, but they were inadequate to identify with certainty the 1906 break or the probable 1838 break. For example, evidence of the 1906 rupture could not be seen in a unit 200 mm (millimeters) thick that is believed to predate 1906. The approximate location in the trenches of the 1906 zone of ruptures could, however, be inferred from surface morphology, historic records, and evidence in the trenches. A moderately sharp and steep contact between two surface soils, in itself suggestive of very young faulting, did not have a fault below it. Brass monuments were installed at the trench sites so that future surface ruptures can be related to the faults and other structures mapped in the trenches.

California↗
USGS2019

Extreme coastal water level in Washington state: Guidance to support sea level rise planning

This document provides guidelines for assessing exposure to future coastal flooding during extreme coastal water level events – whether these are due to tides, surge, wave run-up, or, more likely, a combination of the three. These guidelines provide information about the current and future magnitude of extreme coastal water levels across Washington State and the underlying processes that influence them. This information is intended to be combined with sea level projections to assess future exposure to coastal flooding along Washington’s coastline. Although the results of our analyses can be combined with any available sea level projections, this report is intended as a companion to the localized sea level rise projections (Miller et al., 2018) developed as part of the Washington Coastal Resilience Project. The Washington Coastal Resilience Project was a three-year effort to rapidly increase the state’s capacity to prepare for sea level rise. The project aimed to improve risk projections, provide better guidelines for land use planners and strengthen capital investment programs for coastal restoration and infrastructure. Partners in the Washington Coastal Resilience Project included Washington Sea Grant, Washington Department of Ecology, Island County, King County, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Padilla Bay National Estuary Research Reserve, The City of Tacoma, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Oregon, University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Western Washington University. The 2018 sea level projections are described in an accompanying technical report, along with a review of the science related to sea level rise (Miller et al., 2018). The report and all associated supporting information are available on the Washington Coastal Hazards Resilience Network website (http://www.wacoastalnetwork.com/).

Washington↗
USGS2020

Science in action or science inaction? Evaluating the implementation of "best available science" in hydropower relicensing

Over the next two decades, half of all hydropower projects in the USA will require relicensing by the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC). Relicensing proceedings invoke a range of informational sources and agency regulators are tasked with using the “best available science” (BAS) to make informed decisions about hydropower operations and management. Although embraced as the standard, BAS is not well-defined. The Kennebec and Penobscot River watersheds in Maine provide an ideal opportunity for studying BAS in the relicensing process. Using citation analysis and an online survey, we identified informational sources used in relicensing decisions for dams in this system and assessed agency perceptions of BAS. Analysis of relicensing documents (n=62) demonstrates that FERC and licensee documents are highly similar in citation composition. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) documents typically cite more sources and are three times more likely to cite peer-reviewed sources than FERC and licensee documents. Survey data reveals that federal and state agency respondents (n=49) rate peer-reviewed literature highly as BAS, followed by university, agency, and expert sources while industry and community sources rate poorly. Federal respondents report using peer-reviewed/academic sources more frequently and expert sources less frequently than state respondents. Overall, the agreement between individuals with respect to the valuation of sources is low. The reported differences in information use may be linked to disparities in the access to certain sources of information, particularly peer-reviewed literature. Enhanced understanding of information use may aid in identifying pathways for better informed relicensing decisions.

Maine↗
USGS2025

One hundred ninety-nine dead birds: Review of the scientific basis of ecological incident reporting requirements for pesticide registrants under Fifra § 6(A)(2)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pesticide use in the United States. The EPA is charged by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with ensuring that a pesticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. Incident reports (documentation of exposure and injury from pesticide applications) can serve as a reality check on the pesticide registration decisions made by the EPA scientists and risk managers. The EPA collects incident reports on human, domestic animal, and ecological injury. The FIFRA section 6(a)(2) rule requires the pesticide registrant (generally, the company or other entity that wishes to market the pesticide, hereafter registrant) to submit such data to the EPA. The EPA’s ecological incident category includes injuries to aquatic (fish), terrestrial (wildlife), other non-target organisms (ONT, e.g., invertebrates) and plants. Our document focuses on the fish and wildlife ecological incidents that are submitted by registrants. We critique the application of the FIFRA section 6(a)(2) rule that controls the quality and quantity of ecological incident data that the EPA receives from registrants. We conclude that the section 6(a)(2) provisions can impede the transfer of ecological incident data from registrant to the EPA. Consequently, detailed data for many fish and wildlife incidents may never reach the EPA, and policies and decisions may be formulated in the absence of these data.

Buffalo Environmental Law Journal↗
USGS2001

Controls of stream chemistry and fish populations in the Neversink watershed, Catskill Mountains, New York

The Neversink Watershed Study was initiated in 1991 to develop an understanding of the key natural processes that control water quality within the forested, 166 km 2 (64 mi 2 ), Neversink River watershed; part of the New York City drinking water supply system, in the Catskill Mountain region of New York. The study entailed (1) hydrological investigations of water movement from the atmosphere to streams, (2) biogeochemical investigations of nitrogen and calcium, important nutrients in forest and aquatic ecosystems whose availability has been altered by acidic deposition, (3) an investigation of elevational patterns in atmospheric deposition, and (4) fisheries investigations to determine the relative importance of physical habitat and acidic deposition in controlling the abundance and diversity of fish species in the watershed. This report summarizes the results of these investigations, which have also been presented, in detail, in peer-reviewed technical articles and reports that are cited throughout the text.

New York↗
USGS2015

Synthesis of current knowledge on post-fire seeding for soil stabilization and invasive species control

The General Accounting Office has identified a need for better information on the effectiveness of post-fire emergency stabilization and rehabilitation methods used by the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior (DOI) agencies. Since reviews were published on treatment effectiveness in the early 2000s, treatment choices have changed and increased monitoring has been done. Greater use of native species has added substantially to burned area emergency response (BAER) treatment costs, for example, but quantitative data on this treatment were scarce in earlier reviews. We synthesized current information on the effectiveness of post-fire seeding for both soil stabilization and for prevention of the spread of invasive species in rangelands. We reviewed published literature (peer-reviewed and “gray”) and agency monitoring reports, as well as compiled and analyzed quantitative data in agency files. Products of this review include a web-accessible database of monitoring reports and published information, a scientific journal paper summarizing findings of scientific studies, an annotated bibliography of peer-reviewed papers, a summary report published as a General Technical Report that will be available online (in progress), and presentations to scientific meetings and BAER/ESR team training sessions and workshops. By combining results from studies done by Forest Service and DOI agency personnel with research studies published since the initial reviews, we presented a comprehensive synthesis of seeding effectiveness knowledge that complements the review of other hillslope treatments published by other researchers. This information will help federal land managers make more cost-effective decisions on post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation treatments.

Report↗
USGS2026

Biochar modulates the dynamics of legacy nutrients in enhancing soil health and crop productivity

Most major crops in agricultural soils exhibit relatively low nutrient use efficiency for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), often necessitating supplemental nutrient inputs to achieve sustainable yields. Furthermore, the increasing use of biowastes such as compost, manure, and biosolids, which frequently have nutrient ratios that do not match crop requirements, has contributed to excessive nutrient inputs and subsequent accumulation in soils. This situation has been further exacerbated by intensive farming practices involving multiple cropping cycles per season. Overuse of nutrients causes them to accumulate in the soil, creating a legacy nutrient pool. The application of biochar as soil amendment is considered a potential strategy to control legacy nutrients dynamics. The current review inspects the possible value of biochar in modulating legacy nutrient reserves in the soil, thereby increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and improving crop yield. This review discusses the search scope and synthesis approaches for the bibliometric methodological component through rigorous screening process (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)), focusing on journal articles published in last 20 years that specifically address legacy nutrient management. The significance of the economic and environmental effects of legacy nutrients and the insufficient knowledge of how biochar application influences nutrient dynamics in soil highlight the necessity for additional research to address current gaps.

Land↗
USGS1979

Discharge characteristics of triangular-notch thin-plate weirs

The triangular-notch, thin-plate weir is a convenient, inexpensive, and relatively precise flow-measuring instrument. It is frequently used to measure the flow of water in laboratories and in small, natural streams. The purpose of this report is to present a comprehensive analysis of the discharge characteristics of triangular-notch weirs. Previously-published data are analyzed in the light of the effective-head concept, and a new discharge formula is proposed. Coefficients are recommended, and requirements for precise measurements are described. Limits of applicability are discussed. The report includes an extensive review of the literature of triangular-notch weirs.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Report of Committee on Underground Waters, 1941–42

So many ground‐water hydrologists are engaged on problems relating directly to the war that the usual annual inquiry for information as to projects that deserve review in the annual report of the Committee on Underground Waters brought relatively little response. It is in part for this reason, but also in part because the Chairman of the Committee is busy on war problems, that this report is shorter than usual.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS1995

Selected environmental and geohydrologic reports for the Fort Wainwright and Fairbanks areas, Alaska as of July 1995

As part of its effort to help collect data and gather information for geohydrologic investigations, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects and reviews environmental and technical reports relating to geology, hydrology, and geohydrology. The USGS investigation efforts are coordinated with ongoing technical investigations by the Water Research Center of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. One project objective for Fort Wainwright includes maintaining a library of report references for USGS project use and for use by the U.S. Army, Alaska (USARAK), USARAK contractors, and other Federal and State agencies. This report presents an annotated bibliography of reports relating to the project study area or geohydrologic processes important to investigations in the study area.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2006

Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: Station operation, record computation, and data reporting

The U.S. Geological Survey uses continuous water-quality monitors to assess the quality of the Nation's surface water. A common monitoring-system configuration for water-quality data collection is the four-parameter monitoring system, which collects temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH data. Such systems also can be configured to measure other properties, such as turbidity or fluorescence. Data from sensors can be used in conjunction with chemical analyses of samples to estimate chemical loads. The sensors that are used to measure water-quality field parameters require careful field observation, cleaning, and calibration procedures, as well as thorough procedures for the computation and publication of final records. This report provides guidelines for site- and monitor-selection considerations; sensor inspection and calibration methods; field procedures; data evaluation, correction, and computation; and record-review and data-reporting processes, which supersede the guidelines presented previously in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report WRIR 00-4252. These procedures have evolved over the past three decades, and the process continues to evolve with newer technologies.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1954

The nature of bacteria pathogenic to fish

A review is made of the progress in research on bacteria which are pathogenic to fish, with particular emphasis on those investigations performed during the past decade. The report includes a critical review of material published; the comments and suggestions are designed to stimulate the initiation of new research projects.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1998

Antarctic ice sheet; computer animations and paper model

This report illustrates, through computer animation and a paper model, why there are changes on the ice sheet that covers the Antarctica continent. By studying the animations and the paper model, students will better understand the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet. Included in the paper and diskette versions of this report are templates for making a paper-model, instructions for its assembly, and a discussion of development of the Antarctic ice sheet. In addition, the diskette version includes a animation of how Antarctica and its ice cover changes through time. Many people provided help and encouragement in the development of this HyperCard stack, particularly Page Mosier, Sue Priest and Art Ford. This report was enhanced by reviews from Bonnie Murchey, Peter Stauffer and Stephen Eittreim.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2021

Interagency Ecological Program long-term monitoring element review: Pilot approach and methods development (2020)

This report describes the first-year, pilot-phase of what is intended to be a larger, multiple-year review of all IEP core long-term monitoring elements (LTMEs). Here we hope to provide evidence that the review team arrangement and communication schedule was effective at developing a framework to objectively evaluate a suite of LTMEs. We focused on developing methods for an effective review, documenting the process of methods development, and compiling recommendations for applications of these methods to future reviews. We also gathered recommendations to improve data collection, catchability-adjustment, and record keeping processes which will be useful for all LTMEs regardless of when they are to be reviewed. Although we did not complete a comprehensive review of the long-term monitoring elements due to our short timeline, we believe this report represents a substantial effort towards that review and will serve as an invaluable guide for subsequent IEP LTME reviews.

Report↗
USGS2017

Five-year external reviews of the eight Department of Interior Climate Science Centers: Alaska Climate Science Center

This report primarily addresses the first two purposes of the review while providing comments on the third as identified by the science review team (SRT). A separate report of recommendations for the recompetition, based upon compiled observation from all three reviews conducted in 2016, was submitted to NCCWSC on April 15, 2016 to assist with the development of recompetition documents. To further address host-university administrative competencies and efficiencies, separate interviews of host-university faculty and administrators were conducted by NCCWSC staff in conjunction with the on-site component of the reviews.

Alaska↗
USGS2014

Fluvial sediment fingerprinting: literature review and annotated bibliography

The U.S. Geological Survey has evaluated and adopted various field methods for collecting real-time sediment and nutrient data. These methods have proven to be valuable representations of sediment and nutrient concentrations and loads but are not able to accurately identify specific source areas. Recently, more advanced data collection and analysis techniques have been evaluated that show promise in identifying specific source areas. Application of field methods could include studies of sources of fluvial sediment, otherwise referred to as sediment “fingerprinting.” The identification of sediment is important, in part, because knowing the primary sediment source areas in watersheds ensures that best management practices are incorporated in areas that maximize reductions in sediment loadings. This report provides a literature review and annotated bibliography of existing methodologies applied in the field of fluvial sediment fingerprinting. This literature review provides a bibliography of publications where sediment fingerprinting methods have been used; however, this report is not assumed to provide an exhaustive listing. Selected publications were categorized by methodology with some additional summary information. The information contained in the summary may help researchers select methods better suited to their particular study or study area, and identify methods in need of more testing and application.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Yellowstone grizzly bear investigations: Annual report of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team 2018

This annual report summarizes the results of grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos ) research and monitoring conducted in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) during 2018. The research and monitoring program is focused on population estimation and demographics, food monitoring, and habitat monitoring. The report also contains a summary of grizzly bear management actions to address conflict situations and agency outreach efforts. This report is a summary of annual data collections. Data analyses, and summaries presented in this report supersede those published previously and may be subject to change contingent on additional information, future manuscript publications, and the peer review process.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗