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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
USGS2018

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Monterey-Salinas Shallow Aquifer Study Unit, 2012–13: California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 7,820-square-kilometer (km 2 ) Monterey-Salinas Shallow Aquifer (MS-SA) study unit was investigated from October 2012 to May 2013 as part of the second phase of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is in the central coast region of California in the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The MS-SA study was designed to provide a statistically robust assessment of untreated-groundwater quality in the shallow aquifer systems. The assessment was based on water-quality samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 100 groundwater sites and 70 household tap sites, along with ancillary data such as land use and well-construction information. The shallow aquifer systems were defined by the depth interval of wells associated with domestic supply. The MS-SA study unit consisted of four study areas—Santa Cruz (210 km 2 ), Pajaro Valley (360 km 2 ), Salinas Valley (2,000 km 2 ), and Highlands (5,250 km 2 ). This study had two primary components: the status assessment and the understanding assessment . The first primary component of this study—the status assessment —assessed the quality of the groundwater resource indicated by data from samples analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, and naturally present inorganic constituents, such as major ions and trace elements. The status assessment is intended to characterize the quality of groundwater resources in the shallow aquifer system of the MS-SA study unit, not the treated drinking water delivered to consumers by water purveyors. As opposed to the public wells, however, water from private wells, which often tap the shallow aquifer, is usually consumed without any treatment. The second component of this study—the understanding assessment —identified the natural and human factors that potentially affect groundwater quality by evaluating land-use characteristics, measures of location, geologic factors, groundwater age, and geochemical conditions of the shallow aquifer. An additional component of this study was a comparison of MS-SA water-quality results to those of the GAMA Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Groundwater Basins study unit. This study unit covered much of the same areal extent as the MS-SA, but assessed the deeper, public drinking-water aquifer system. Relative concentrations (sample concentration divided by the benchmark concentration) were used to evaluate concentrations of constituents in groundwater samples relative to water-quality benchmarks for those constituents that have Federal or California benchmarks, such as maximum contaminant levels. For organic and special-interest constituents, relative concentrations were classified as high, greater than 1.0; moderate, greater than 0.1 and less than or equal to 1.0; or low, less than or equal to 0.1. For inorganic constituents, relative concentrations were classified as high, greater than 1.0; moderate, greater than 0.5 and less than or equal to 1.0; or low, less than or equal to 0.5. A relative concentration greater than 1.0 indicates that the concentration was greater than a benchmark. Aquifer-scale proportions were used to quantify regional-scale groundwater quality. The aquifer-scale proportions are the areal percentages of the shallow aquifer system where relative concentrations for a given constituent or class of constituents were high, moderate, or low. Inorganic constituents were measured at high and moderate relative concentrations more frequently than organic constituents. In the MS-SA study unit, inorganic constituents with benchmarks were detected at high relative concentrations in 51 percent of the study unit. The greatest proportions of high relative concentrations of trace elements and radioactive constituents were in the Highlands and Santa Cruz study areas, whereas high relative concentrations of nutrients were most often detected in the Salinas Valley and Pajaro Valley study areas and salinity indicators were most often detected in the Highlands and Salinas Valley study areas. The trace elements detected at high relative concentrations were arsenic, boron, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and strontium. The radioactive constituents detected at high relative concentrations were adjusted gross alpha radioactivity and uranium. The nutrient detected at high relative concentrations was nitrate plus nitrite. The salinity indicators detected at high relative concentrations were chloride, sulfate, and total dissolved solids. Organic constituents (VOCs and pesticides) were not detected at high relative concentrations in any of the study areas. The fumigant 1,2-dichloropropane was detected at moderate relative concentrations. The VOC chloroform and the pesticide simazine were the only organic constituents detected in more than 10 percent of samples. The constituents of special interest NDMA ( N -nitrosodimethylamine) and perchlorate were detected at high relative concentrations in the MS-SA study unit. Selected constituents were evaluated with explanatory factors to identify potential sources or processes that could explain their presence and distribution. Trace elements and radioactive constituents came from natural sources and were not elevated by anthropogenic sources or processes, except for selenium and the radioactive constituent uranium. Arsenic, manganese, iron, selenium, and uranium concentrations were all influenced by oxidation-reduction conditions. Unlike other trace elements and radioactive constituents, uranium and selenium can be affected by agricultural practices. Uranium and selenium can be released from aquifer sediments as a result of irrigation recharge water interacting with bicarbonate systems. Nitrate can be strongly affected by anthropogenic sources. Nitrate concentrations were significantly higher in modern groundwater, indicating recent inputs of nitrate to the shallow aquifer system. Nitrate was positively correlated with agricultural land use, indicating that irrigation-return water could be leaching nitrogen fertilizer and naturally present nitrate to elevate nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater. The salinity indicators total dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate all had natural sources in the MS-SA study unit, primarily marine sediments. Concentrations of the constituents were elevated as a result of evaporative concentration of irrigation water or precipitation. Sulfate concentrations were significantly correlated to agricultural land use, indicating that agricultural land-use practices are a contributing source of sulfate to groundwater. The samples with most of the detections of VOCs were from sites in the Pajaro Valley and northern part of the Salinas Valley. Most of the samples with pesticide detections were from sites in the Salinas Valley study area. The herbicide simazine was positively correlated to the percentage of agricultural land use, and its concentrations were higher in modern groundwater than in pre-modern groundwater. Perchlorate, similar to nitrate, has natural and anthropogenic sources. Correlations of perchlorate to dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and percentage of agricultural land use indicated that the irrigation-return water could be leaching naturally present perchlorate, as well as perchlorate from historical applications of Chilean nitrate fertilizer, to increase perchlorate concentrations in groundwater. The quality of the water in the shallow aquifer system from this study was compared with the quality of water in the public drinking-water aquifer in a previous GAMA (MS-PA) study in the same area. The shallow system was more oxic and had more sites with modern groundwater than the public drinking-water aquifer, which was more anoxic and had sites with more pre-modern groundwater. Arsenic and selenium were found at high relative concentrations in a greater proportion of the shallow system. Manganese and iron were found at high relative concentrations in a greater proportion of the public drinking-water aquifer. Uranium was found at higher relative concentrations in a greater proportion of the shallow system. Concentrations of arsenic, iron, manganese, and molybdenum are not likely to change much as groundwater percolates from the shallow system to the public drinking-water aquifer because there are no anthropogenic sources affecting these constituents. Uranium and selenium concentrations in the public drinking-water aquifer could be affected by the higher concentrations in the shallow system because of irrigation-return water, however. Nitrate and salinity indicators had concentrations that were much higher in the shallow system than the deeper public drinking-water aquifer. High concentrations of these constituents in the shallow system could lead to increased concentrations in the public drinking-water aquifer in parts of the study units because of land-use practices, such as irrigated agriculture. Organic constituents were detected more frequently in the public drinking-water aquifer than in the shallow system, possibly because more of the sites sampled in the public drinking-water aquifer were in urban areas compared to the sites sampled for the shallow system or because sources of contamination have decreased as a result of changes in use at the land surface.

California↗
USGS2017

Paleozoic and mesozoic GIS data from the Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region: Volume 1

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is, once again, publishing portions of the 1972 Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region (Mallory, ed., 1972) as a geospatial map and data package. Georeferenced tiff (Geo TIFF) images of map figures from this atlas has served as the basis for these data products. Shapefiles and file geodatabase features have been generated and cartographically represented for select pages from the following chapters: • Phanerozoic Rocks (page 56) • Cambrian System (page 63) • Ordovician System (pages 78 and 79) • Silurian System (pages 87 - 89) • Devonian System (pages 93, 94, and 96 - 98) • Mississippian System (pages 102 and 103) • Pennsylvanian System (pages 114 and 115) • Permian System (pages 146 and 149 - 154) • Triassic System (pages 168 and 169) • Jurassic System (pages 179 and 180) • Cretaceous System (pages 197 - 201, 207 - 210, 215, - 218, 221, 222, 224, 225, and 227). The primary purpose of this publication is to provide regional-scale, as well as local-scale, geospatial data of the Rocky Mountain Region for use in geoscience studies. An important aspect of this interactive map product is that it does not require extensive GIS experience or highly specialized software.

Book↗
USGS2022

Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Executive summary

Executive Summary The Williston Basin, which includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the United States and parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada, has been explored as a potential source of energy resources since the early 20th century; however, commercially viable petroleum drilling and recovery began in earnest in the 1950s. When oil prices rose in the mid-1980s, the number of wells also increased and then subsequently declined. Interest in the Williston Basin increased again in the mid-2000s with the application of new drilling technology. Since then, development has increased rather quickly. Most of this new development has been facilitated by advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies. The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources reported an increase of more than 10,000 producing wells between 2000 and the spring of 2016. In total, 84 percent of those 10,000 wells target the Bakken Formation, which is now home to one of the Nation’s largest energy booms. Current estimates suggest that exploration and drilling activities are expected to continue for the next 20 to 50 years; however, future activity will likely ebb and flow in response to energy prices. Although most energy has been developed on non-Federal property, more than 2,000 wells were started on federally managed lands in the three States that contain the Williston Basin between 2004 and 2015, though these numbers do not reflect whether or not these wells targeted the Bakken Formation. Executive Order no. 13604 (March 22, 2012) directs Federal agencies to improve the timeliness of the permitting process for extracting publically owned minerals, while minimizing negative environmental effects. This means that Federal agencies need information about how energy development may affect other resources they are tasked with managing. One example of where information about potential effects of development may be useful is the Bureau of Land Management’s permitting process. Permits may include stipulations or special conditions that limit unforeseen negative consequences or ameliorate potential conflicts of future development. Federal agencies also need to coordinate permitting actions to ensure that development complies with existing regulations (for example, the Endangered Species Act [16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.] or the National Environmental Protection Act [42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.]) without unnecessarily restricting or delaying development. Part of this coordination entails agreeing on the information that will be used to assess the potential effects of energy development, which should also improve efficiency of the permitting process. Within the Williston Basin, a group of Federal agencies called the Bakken Federal Executive Group is developing coordination strategies for numerous energy-related issues on Federal lands. This report was developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management to provide them with the best available scientific information to support documentation of potential effects on resources that Federal agencies manage. This report summarizes information about the effects of energy development on air, water, and biological resources within the U.S. part of the Williston Basin. The topics discussed in the report were based on a prioritized list of information needs elicited from the Bakken Federal Executive Group. The list was developed using a process known as structured decision making or decision analysis. This process began with an initial scoping workshop to determine the range of decisions made by those involved directly in managing energy development and resources on public land. U.S. Geological Survey staff then developed a simple quantitative ranking tool to assess which information needs were of greatest importance to those decisions.

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS1993

SPECtrum Processing Routines User's Manual Version 3 (program SPECPR)

Introduction The SPECtrum Processing Routines (SPECPR) is a large-scale interactive program for general one-dimensional array processing and optimized for reflectance spectroscopy data and analysis. The program processes one-dimensional arrays up to 4852 data points and the operations include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, trigonometric functions, logarithmic and exponential functions, and many more specialized routines. The Specpr user interface is a menu driven, character command system with all user input entered as ascii characters to the program. User commands are thoroughly checked for the context in which they will be used. This provides for essentially all user input mistakes to be caught and appropriate error messages to be issued. The user interface also allows for command aliasing, variable substitutions, command history and batch command processing to occur at any point in the program. The user can also control his or her own variables, increment and decrement them, and monitor certain internal variables. This flexibility allows for sophisticated programming, e.g. from specific computations, to management of a database. All arrays are treated as one dimensional lists of numbers, each with an appropriate header for identification and history. Any array can be plotted versus another array, and each axis labeled appropriately. For example, you may plot a reflectance spectrum versus wavelength or wavelength versus reflectance. The array type is simply a label, so data like temperature versus time can be treated just as easily as a reflectance spectrum. Some routines are specific to certain purposes, however. For example, the Planck black body generator is specific to intensity versus wavelength, whereas a smoothing routine could operate equally on reflectance versus wavelength or temperature versus time. Each array element can have an error bar associated with it and errors are propagated through all appropriate routines. Data points can be marked deleted and deleted points are tracked appropriately. These features allow the program to be effectively used on real world data. This philosophy has resulted in a flexible system for which a user can manipulate data arrays efficiently. The program was designed for analysis of laboratory, field, telescopic, and spacecraft spectroscopic data, and although general in nature, there are biases built in. For example, horizontal axis labels default to wavelength in micrometers, but the defaults can be changed. Because of the orientation in Specpr to process planetary and terrestrial data, and the need to access such data, Specpr has been extended to have access to non-Specpr default file types. In particular, Specpr can "skewer" an 3-dimensional (3D) data file along any of the three axes. Further, block skewers can be done with the standard deviation of the mean computed for each channel in the block. Currently, Specpr can access any of the standard file types common in the terrestrial and planetary remote sensing communities. Details on 3D file I/O are given in Chapter 6. Specpr has multiple record types available within a single Specpr data file. Currently defined record types are data and text. In a data record, a standard one-dimensional array is held, along with its header information. The header information includes a title, history, dates and time of data acquisition and when the data were last processed, the user who processed the data, information typical of a spectrum like temperature and viewing geometry, as well as pointers to wavelengths, resolution, and text. If a spectrum is more than 256 channels in length, then the data gets put in succeeding records in the file, and the following records are continuation records. The second record type is the text, where a title and a block of text (up to 19 kbytes) can be stored. This record type is typically used for a description of samples, experiments, instruments, or data processing for a particular data set. It could also store the actual commands used to create a spectrum. The commands for a complicated plot for a publication might be stored in a text record. That way, you can easily regenerate the plot, or even write the commands to a non-Specpr file, modify them with any editor and re-execute them. The file types, text and command processing, combined with the math and special functions, provide for very powerful and general analysis tool. These facilities also provide the framework for database management.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

A review of plague persistence with special emphasis on fleas

Sylvatic plague is highly prevalent during infrequent epizootics that ravage the landscape of western North America. During these periods, plague dissemination is very efficient. Epizootics end when rodent and flea populations are decimated and vectored transmission declines. A second phase (enzootic plague) ensues when plague is difficult to detect from fleas, hosts or the environment, and presents less of a threat to public health. Recently, researchers have hypothesized that the bacterium (Yersinia pestis) responsible for plague maintains a continuous state of high virulence and thus only changes in transmission efficiency explain the shift between alternating enzootic and epizootic phases. However, if virulent transmission becomes too inefficient, strong selection might favor an alternate survival strategy. Another plausible non-exclusive hypothesis, best supported from Asian field studies, is that Y. pestis persists (locally) at foci by maintaining a more benign relationship within adapted rodents during the long expanses of time between outbreaks. From this vantage, it can revert to the epizootic (transmission efficient) form. Similarly, in the United States (US), enzootic plague persistence has been proposed to develop sequestered within New World rodent carriers. However, the absence of clear support for rodent carriers in North America has encouraged a broader search for alternative explanations. A telluric plague existence has been proposed. However, the availability of flea life stages and their hosts could critically supplement environmental plague sources, or fleas might directly represent a lowlevel plague reservoir. Here, we note a potentially pivotal role for fleas. These epizootic plague vectors should be closely studied with newer more exacting methods to determine their potential to serve as participants in or accomplices to a plague persistence reservoir.

Journal of Vector Borne Diseases↗
USGS2006

Palila Restoration: Lessons from Long-term Research

BACKGROUND The palila (Loxioides bailleui) is a member of the Hawaiian honeycreeper family of birds (Drepanidinae), which is renowned for the profusion of species - many with bizarre bills and specialized feeding habits - that radiated from a single ancestral type. Most of the 57 or so honeycreeper species are extinct, and the palila is endangered because of its high degree of dependence on the mamane tree (Sophora chrysophylla) (Figure 1) and its restricted distribution on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea (Figure 2). Three decades of research have revealed many important facts about palila, providing the foundation and impetus for conservation programs in the wild and captivity. Additionally, an ambitious public conservation campaign arose due to the land-use conflicts on Mauna Kea. Here we summarize progress in palila conservation biology and outline steps that might overcome the remaining major challenges to its recovery. We also highlight lessons learned from palila research that may help the recovery of other Hawaiian forest birds. Palila and two closely-related species on the tiny islands of Nihoa and Laysan are the last of the seed-eating honeycreeper species in the Hawaiian Islands. About a quarter of the honeycreeper species known from living and fossil specimens had finch-like bills suited mainly for eating seeds and fruits. Because of their dietary specialization, palila are vulnerable to changes in forest size and quality, as was also likely the case for extinct species of seed specialists. Palila and many other forest bird species were once distributed in dry, lowland forests. Fossil records indicate that palila also occurred in the lowlands of O`ahu and Kaua`i until human settlement of those islands. However, because lowland habitats have been highly modified by humans and because mamane occurs today primarily at high elevation, palila are the only native bird species found exclusively in dry, subalpine habitat (2000?2850 m). Similar to other feeding specialists, palila lay few eggs, raise few young each year, and take a relatively long time to complete the nesting cycle. Low rates of reproduction result in low rates of population growth and low potential for recovery from disturbances. Long-term studies of palila offer important insights into the conservation biology of all Hawaiian forest bird species, particularly feeding specialists like the palila. Palila face many challenges common to both generalist and specialist Hawaiian honeycreeper species. Habitat loss and degradation, as well as introduced avian diseases, have reduced their numbers and limited their distribution to a very small portion of their historic range. Introduced mammals prey on palila, while alien insects reduce caterpillars that are particularly important in the diet of nestlings. Securing legal protection and funding for palila restoration has been challenging. Understanding how the palila has avoided extinction can help managers plan its recovery, and better design recovery plans for species with different feeding strategies in other habitats.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2014

Understanding thermodynamic relationships and geochemical mass balances from catchment to coast: A tribute to the life and career of Owen P. Bricker III

This special volume of aquatic geochemistry is dedicated to the memory of Owen Peterson Bricker III (1936–2011) and serves as a tribute to his life and career. Owen had a distinguished and productive research career in both academics at Johns Hopkins University (Fig. 1) and as a public servant with the Maryland Geological Survey, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Geological Survey. He was a pioneer and leader in aqueous geochemistry, who applied a study approach that quantified mineral weathering reactions and equilibrium thermodynamic relations to better understand the chemical evolution of stream water in small watersheds. He will be especially remembered for his efforts to establish rigorous field studies in small catchments around the United States as a means of quantifying the sources of acid-neutralizing capacity that affect the chemical status and biological health of natural waters.

Aquatic Geochemistry↗
USGS1987

United States Geological Survey Yearbook, fiscal year 1986

This volume of the U.S. Geological Survey Yearbook is special, the first we have ever dedicated to an individual. While we were preparing that repost, Vincent E. McKelvey, eminent scientist and former Director of the Geological Survey died. Because of his deep devotion not only to his science but also to the agency and to the public that he served, we dedicate the 1986 Yearbook to Vince's memory.

Yearbook↗
USGS2001

Water resources data, Pennsylvania, water year 2000, Volume 1. Delaware River Basin

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State, municipal, and Federal agencies, collects a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Pennsylvania each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the Geological Survey, these data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data - Pennsylvania, Volumes 1, 2, and 3." Volume 1 contains data for the Delaware River Basin; Volume 2, the Susquehanna and Potomac River Basins; and Volume 3, the Ohio River and St. Lawrence River Basins. This report, Volume 1, contains: (1) discharge records for 76 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations, 7 partial-record stations, and 13 special study and miscellaneous streamflow sites; (2) elevation and contents records for 14 lakes and reservoirs; (3) water-quality records for 28 gaging stations and 14 ungaged streamsites; (4) water-quality records for 77 special-study stations; (5) water-level records for 53 network observation wells; and (6) water-quality analyses of ground water from 101 ground-water wells. Additional water data collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program may also be presented. Publications similar to this report are published annually by the Geological Survey for all States. For the purpose of archiving, these official reports have an identification number consisting of the two-letter State abbreviation, the last two digits of the water year, and the volume number. For example, this volume is identified as "U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report PA-00-1." These water data reports, beginning with the 1971 water year, are for sale as paper copy or microfiche by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. The annual series of Water Data Reports for Pennsylvania began with the 1961 water-year report and contained only data relating to quantities of surface water. With the 1964 water year, a companion report (part 2) was introduced that contained only data relating to water quality. Beginningwith the 1975 water year the report was changed to its present format of three volumes (by river basin), with each volume containing data on quantities of surface water, quality of surface and ground water, and ground-water levels. Prior to the introduction of this series and for several years concurrent with it, water-resources data for Pennsylvania were published in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. Data on stream discharge and stage, and on lake or reservoir contents and stage, through September 1960, were published annually under the title "Surface-Water Supply of the United States," which was released in numbered parts as determined by natural drainage basins. For the 1961-70 water years, these data were published in two 5-year reports. Data prior to 1961 are included in two reports: "Compilation of Records of Surface Waters of the United States through 1950," and "Compilation of Records of Surface Waters of the United States, October 1950 to September 1960." Data for Pennsylvania are published in Parts 1, 3, and 4. Data on chemical quality, temperature, and suspended sediment for the 1941-70 water years were published annually under the title "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States," and ground-water levels for the 1935-74 water years were published under the title "Ground-Water Levels in the United States." The above mentioned Water-Supply Papers may be consulted in the libraries of the principal cities of the United States and may be purchased from the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225. Information for ordering specific reports may be obtained from the Pennsylvania District Office at the address given on the back of the title page or by phoning the Scientific and Technical Products Section, at (717) 730-6940. Information on the availability of unpublished data or statistical analyses may be obtained from the District Information Specialist by telephone at (717) 730-6916 or by FAX at (717) 730-6997.

Water Data Report↗
USGS1890

A classed and annotated bibliography of fossil insects

The present work is an extension to date of a bibliography published in 1882. It has, however, been altered in a few details, and, besides being fuller, differs from that in being a classed list, the works and essays which cover the entire field (which embraces not only insects proper, but also myriapods and arachnids) being placed first, followed by the more special memoirs grouped first by times, next by classes orders, etc., the classification employed in my Systematic Review of Fossil Insects, being used as a convenient basis. This will also form the basis of the Index to Known Fossil Insects, forming a later complementary bulletin. The occasion for the publication of both of these at this time is the completion of the first extended account of the American Tertiary insects given in Vol XIII of the Hayden series of geological reports, by which the numbers of the European and American insects bear for the first time some sort of proper relation to each other, at least in the lower groups. This makes an immediate "account of stock," to employ a commercial term, desirable.

Bulletin↗
USGS1999

Digital mapping techniques '99 -- workshop proceedings

The Digital Mapping Techniques '99 (DMT'99) workshop was attended by 91 technical experts from 42 agencies, universities, and private companies, including representatives from 30 state geological surveys (see Appendix A ). This workshop was similar in nature to the first two meetings, held in June, 1997, in Lawrence, Kansas (Soller, 1997), and in May, 1998, in Champaign, Illinois (Soller, 1998a). This year's meeting was hosted by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, from May 19 to 22, 1999, on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. As in the previous meetings, the objective was to foster informal discussion and exchange of technical information. When, based on discussions at the workshop, an attendee adopts or modifies a newly learned technique, the workshop clearly has met that objective. Evidence of learning and cooperation among participating agencies continued to be a highlight of the DMT workshops (see example in Soller, 1998b, and various papers in this volume). The meeting's general goal was to help move the state geological surveys and the USGS toward development of more cost-effective, flexible, and useful systems for digital mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis. Through oral and poster presentations and special discussion sessions, emphasis was given to: 1) methods for creating and publishing map products (here, ìpublishingî includes Web-based release); 2) continued development of the National Geologic Map Database; and 3) progress toward building a standard geologic map data model. Especially to support the interest in map preparation and publication, five representatives of the GIS hardware and software vendor community were invited to participate. The three annual DMT workshops were coordinated by the AASG/USGS Data Capture Working Group, which was formed in August, 1996, to support the Association of American State Geologists and the USGS in their effort to build a National Geologic Map Database (see Soller and Berg, this volume, and http://ncgmp.usgs.gov/ngmdbproject/standards/datacapt/datacaptureWG.html ). The Working Group was formed because increased production efficiencies, standardization, and quality of digital map products were needed to help the Database, and the State and Federal geological surveys, provide more high-quality digital maps to the public.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2008

Ground-water quality data in the Central Eastside San Joaquin Basin 2006: Results from the California GAMA program

Ground-water quality in the approximately 1,695-square-mile Central Eastside study unit (CESJO) was investigated from March through June 2006 as part of the Statewide Basin Assessment Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Statewide Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within CESJO, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 78 wells in Merced and Stanislaus Counties. Fifty-eight of the 78 wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells). Twenty of the wells were selected to evaluate changes in water chemistry along selected lateral or vertical ground-water flow paths in the aquifer (flow-path wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gasoline oxygenates and their degradates, pesticides and pesticide degradates], constituents of special interest [perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP)], inorganic constituents that can occur naturally [nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements], radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes [tritium, carbon-14, and uranium isotopes and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon], and dissolved noble and other gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, samples for matrix spikes) were collected for approximately one-sixth of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control results showed that the environmental data were of good quality, with low bias and low variability, and resulted in censoring of less than 0.3 percent of the detections found in ground-water samples. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CADPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CADPH. VOCs and pesticides were detected in approximately half of the grid wells, and all detections in samples from CESJO wells were below health-based thresholds. All detections of nutrients and major elements in grid wells also were below health-based thresholds. Most detections of constituents of special interest, trace elements, and radioactive constituents in samples from grid wells were below health-based thresholds. Exceptions included two detections of arsenic that were above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US), one detection of lead above the USEPA action level (AL-US), and one detection of vanadium and three detections of 1,2,3-TCP that were above the CADPH notification levels (NL-CA). All detections of radioactive constituents were below health-based thresholds, although fourteen samples had activities of radon-222 above the lower proposed MCL-US. Most of the samples from CESJO grid wells had concentrations of major elements, total dissolved solids, and trace elements below the non-enforceable thresholds set for aesthetic concerns. A few samples contained manganese or total dissolved solids at concentrations above the SMCL-CA thresholds.

California↗
USGS1875

Annual report upon the geological exploration of the fortieth parallel from the Sierra Nevada to the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains: Being Appendix KK of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers to the Secretary of War for 1875

I have the honor herewith to present a brief annual report of the operations of the geological exploration of the fortieth parallel, under my charge, for the year ending June 30, 1875, and to state in explanation of its delay that, since the date when it should properly have been rendered, I have been severely ill, and confined to my bed more than half of the time. The entire year bas been spent in office here in New York, and devoted to the preparation of reports and their accompanying illustrations. I had hoped ere this to have been able to go to press with a completed work, and could easily have done so but for the impossibility of getting from the various paleontological authorities (to whom we were obliged to commit our collections of fossils) any final lists. It is the misfortune of geology to be more or less dependent on this branch of specialists. Without their specific determinations, the geological maps, even, cannot receive their ultimate color-designations, nor can reports, which like ours, involve a wide range of stratigraphy, be safely written. So it has happened, in spite of every effort on my part, that these scientific autocrats, although abundantly promising, have again and again disappointed me, and caused a wearying delay in the publication of our report. Vexatious as this has been, it has not, however, failed to add a compensating value to the work at large, in that it has yielded us the time to elaborate certain important branches, as I shall presently show. The following statement of what has been done in each special branch will give a clear idea of the present status of our work.

Sierra Nevada Mountains, Rocky Mountains↗
USGS2000

Potential minability and economic viability of the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, north-central Armenia; a prefeasibility study

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a coal resource assessment of several areas in Armenia from 1997 to 1999. This report, which presents a prefeasibility study of the economic and mining potential of one coal deposit found and studied by the USGS team, was prepared using all data available at the time of the study and the results of the USGS exploratory work, including core drilling, trenching, coal quality analyses, and other ongoing field work. On the basis of information currently available, it is the authors? opinion that a small surface coal mine having about a 20-year life span could be developed in the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, specifically at the Dzoragukh site. The mining organization selected or created to establish the mine will need to conduct necessary development drilling and other work to establish the final feasibility study for the mine. The company will need to be entrepreneurial, profit oriented, and sensitive to the coal consumer; have an analytical management staff; and focus on employee training, safety, and protection of the environment. It is anticipated that any interested parties will be required to submit detailed mining plans to the appropriate Armenian Government agencies. Further development work will be required to reach a final decision regarding the economic feasibility of the mine. However, available information indicates that a small, economic surface mine can be developed at this locality. The small mine suggested is a typical surface-outcropstripping, contour mining operation. In addition, auger mining is strongly suggested, because the recovery of these low-cost mining reserves will help to ensure that the operation will be a viable, economic enterprise. (Auger mining is a system in which large-diameter boreholes are placed horizontally into the coal seam at the final highwall set as the economic limit for the surface mining operation). A special horizontal boring machine, which can be imported from Russia, is required for auger mining. Although auger-mining coal reserves do exist, the necessary development work will further verify the extent of these reserves and all of the other indicated reserves. The following items are based on the detailed study reported in this publication. Initial investment.?Following an investment of US $85,000 over a 12-month period in mine development drilling and other activities, a decision must be taken regarding further investment in an ongoing mining operation. If the new data support the opening of the surface mine, __________________________ 1Consultant, 6024 Morning Dew Drive, Austin, TX 78749. 2 U.S. Geological Survey, 956 National Center, Reston, VA 20192 1 2 MINABILITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY, ANTARAMUT-KURTAN-DZORAGUKH COAL FIELD the $85,000 development cost is amortized over the first 10 years of mine production. If the new data do not support the opening of the mine, the $85,000 is considered a business development expense that may be written off against profits from other operations for income or other tax purposes or simply as a business loss. Total capital required.?The equipment costs will reach a total of $900,500 which will be amortized over a 7-year period to establish estimated coal mining costs. Estimated working capital costs are $300,000, which will be borrowed. Surface mining reserves.?Approximately 840,200 metric tonnes of surface minable coal reserves at 9.3 m3 of overburden per metric tonne of minable coal is indicated. Recovery of the minable coal at 85 percent will yield 714,000 recoverable metric tonnes of marketable as-mined coal. Auger mining reserves.?Auger-mining reserves of 576,000 metric tonnes are indicated. Recoverable auger-mining reserves of 202,000 metric tonnes (at 35-percent recovery) can be expected. Auger-mining production will vary according to the hole size being used, but, in either case, augering is a very profitable addition to the mining oper

Bulletin↗
USGS1990

Volcanic and seismic hazards on the Island of Hawaii

The eruptions of volcanoes often have direct, dramatic effects on the lives of people and on their property. People who live on or near active volcanoes can benefit greatly from clear, scientific information about the volcanic and seismic hazards of the area. This booklet provides such information for the residents of Hawaii so they may effectively deal with the special geologic hazards of the island. Identifying and evaluating possible geologic hazards is one of the principal roles of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and its Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. When USGS scientists recognize a potential hazard, such as an impending eruption, they notify the appropriate government officials, who in turn are responsible for advising the public to evacuate certain areas or to take other actions to insure their safety. This booklet was prepared in cooperation with the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency.

General Interest Publication↗
USGS1994

Bibliography of selected publications approved by the U.S. Geological Survey on the water resources of New Mexico, 1975-93

This bibliography of about 500 references authored by U.S. Geological Survey employees has been compiled to assist in the study and development of water resources. The citations are dated from January 1975 to December 1993. Each citation is numbered and indexed by geographic location and discipline. Selected citations are indexed by physiographic province and basin, military, Indian, and other reservations, and topics of special hydrologic interest.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Groundwater-quality data in the North San Francisco Bay Shallow Aquifer study unit, 2012: results from the California GAMA Program

Groundwater quality in the 1,850-square-mile North San Francisco Bay Shallow Aquifer (NSF-SA) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from April to August 2012, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in response to the California Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted in collaboration with the SWRCB and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The NSF-SA study unit was the first study unit to be sampled as part of the second phase of the GAMA-PBP, which focuses on the shallow aquifer system. The GAMA NSF-SA study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of untreated-groundwater quality in the shallow aquifer systems and to facilitate statistically consistent comparisons of untreated-groundwater quality throughout California. The shallow aquifer system in the NSF-SA study unit was defined as the part of the aquifer system that is used by many private domestic wells and is shallower than the primary aquifer system used by many public-supply wells. In the NSF-SA study unit located in Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties, groundwater samples were collected from 71 wells. Seventy of the wells were selected by using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells), and one well was selected to aid in evaluation of water-quality issues (understanding well). The groundwater samples were analyzed for organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], pesticides, and pesticide degradates); constituents of special interest (perchlorate and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]); naturally occurring inorganic constituents (trace elements, nutrients, major and minor ions, silica, and total dissolved solids [TDS]); and radioactive constituents (radon-222 and gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity). Naturally occurring isotopes (stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, boron, strontium, and inorganic carbon in water, tritium activities, and carbon-14 abundances) were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled groundwater. In total, 207 constituents and water-quality indicators were measured. Three types of quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and matrix spikes) were collected at up to 13 percent of the wells in the NSF-SA study unit, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the groundwater samples. Blanks rarely contained detectable concentrations of any constituent, suggesting that contamination from sample-collection procedures was not a significant source of bias in the data for the groundwater samples. Replicate samples generally were within the limits of acceptable analytical reproducibility. Matrix-spike recoveries were within the acceptable range (70 to 130 percent) for approximately 91 percent of the compounds. Most of the wells sampled for this study were private domestic wells. Private domestic wells are not regulated in California, and groundwater from these wells is rarely analyzed for water-quality constituents. Although regulatory benchmarks for drinking-water quality do not apply to private domestic wells, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the untreated groundwater were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory health-based benchmarks established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH), to non-regulatory health-based benchmarks established by the USGS in cooperation with the USEPA, and to non-regulatory benchmarks established for aesthetic concerns by the CDPH. Comparisons between data collected for this study and benchmarks for drinking water are for illustrative purposes only and are not indicative of compliance or non-compliance with those benchmarks. Most of the organic and inorganic constituents that were detected in groundwater samples from the 70 grid wells in the NSF-SA study unit were detected at concentrations less than drinking-water benchmarks. Of the 149 organic and special-interest constituents analyzed for in groundwater samples, 31 were detected; concentrations of most detected constituents were less than regulatory and non-regulatory health-based benchmarks. One VOC, benzene, and one insecticide, dieldrin, were detected at concentrations above their respective health-based benchmarks. In total, VOCs were detected in 40 percent of the grid wells sampled, pesticides and pesticide degradates were detected in 13 percent, and perchlorate was detected in 27 percent of the 70 grid wells sampled. Groundwater samples from 70 grid wells were analyzed for trace elements, major and minor ions, nutrients, and radioactive constituents; most detected concentrations were less than health-based benchmarks. Exceptions are 12 detections of manganese greater than the USGS Health-Based Screening Level (HBSL), 7 detections of arsenic greater than the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) of 10 micrograms per liter (μg/L), 2 detections of boron greater than the HBSL of 6,000 μg/L, 2 detections of fluoride greater than the CDPH maximum contaminant level (MCL-CA) of 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L), 2 detections of nitrate greater than the MCL-US of 10 mg/L, and two detections of radon-222 greater than the proposed MCL-US of 4,000 picocuries per liter. Results for constituents with non-regulatory benchmarks set for aesthetic concerns from the grid wells showed that iron concentrations greater than the CDPH secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL-CA) of 300 μg/L were detected in 13 grid wells. Chloride was detected at a concentration greater than the SMCL-CA recommended benchmark of 250 mg/L in two grid wells. Sulfate concentrations greater than the SMCL-CA recommended benchmark of 250 mg/L were measured in two grid wells, and the concentration in one of these wells was also greater than the SMCL-CA upper benchmark of 500 mg/L. TDS concentrations greater than the SMCL-CA recommended benchmark of 500 mg/L were measured in 15 grid wells, and concentrations in 4 of these wells were also greater than the SMCL-CA upper benchmark of 1,000 mg/L.

California↗
USGS2011

IASH Commission of Snow and Ice meeting: Paris, France, September 3-5, 1969

The IASH Commission of Snow and Ice met jointly with the Working Group on Glaciology of the Special Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Five technical guides have been prepared by the Commission of Snow and Ice for major IHD projects and have been in press at Unesco for more than a year and a half. They should be published by December 1969. A sixth guide, on Sea, Lake and River Ice, was approved for publication, and two other guides (Avalanche Classification and Part 2 of Combined Heat, Ice, and Water Balances) have been distributed in first or second draft form. They should be ready for approval by the next meeting of the officers of the Commission. Even though these guides have not yet been officially published, they have served as instruction and coordination media for a large number of glacier and seasonal snow cover projects in many nations during the first part of the International Hydrological Decade.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗