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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
USGS2014

Assessment of Appalachian basin oil and gas resources: Devonian gas shales of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System

This report presents the results of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of the technically recoverable undiscovered natural gas resources in Devonian shale in the Appalachian Basin Petroleum Province of the eastern United States. These results are part of the USGS assessment in 2002 of the technically recoverable undiscovered oil and gas resources of the province. This report does not use the results of a 2011 USGS assessment of the Devonian Marcellus Shale because the area considered in the 2011 assessment is much greater than the area of the Marcellus Shale described in this report. The USGS assessment in 2002 was based on the identification of six total petroleum systems, which include strata that range in age from Cambrian to Pennsylvanian. The Devonian gas shales described in this report are within the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System, which extends generally from New York to Tennessee. This total petroleum system is divided into ten assessment units (plays), four of which are classified as conventional and six as continuous. The Devonian shales described in this report make up four of these continuous assessment units. The assessment results are reported as fully risked fractiles (F95, F50, F5, and the mean); the fractiles indicate the probability of recovery of the assessment amount. The products reported are oil, gas, and natural gas liquids. The mean estimates for technically recoverable undiscovered hydrocarbons in the four gas shale assessment units are 12,195.53 billion cubic feet (12.20 trillion cubic feet) of gas and 158.91 million barrels of natural gas liquids

Appalachian basin↗
USGS2013

Measuring discharge with acoustic Doppler current profilers from a moving boat

The use of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) from a moving boat is now a commonly used method for measuring streamflow. The technology and methods for making ADCP-based discharge measurements are different from the technology and methods used to make traditional discharge measurements with mechanical meters. Although the ADCP is a valuable tool for measuring streamflow, it is only accurate when used with appropriate techniques. This report presents guidance on the use of ADCPs for measuring streamflow; this guidance is based on the experience of U.S. Geological Survey employees and published reports, papers, and memorandums of the U.S. Geological Survey. The guidance is presented in a logical progression, from predeployment planning, to field data collection, and finally to post processing of the collected data. Acoustic Doppler technology and the instruments currently (2013) available also are discussed to highlight the advantages and limitations of the technology. More in-depth, technical explanations of how an ADCP measures streamflow and what to do when measuring in moving-bed conditions are presented in the appendixes. ADCP users need to know the proper procedures for measuring discharge from a moving boat and why those procedures are required, so that when the user encounters unusual field conditions, the procedures can be adapted without sacrificing the accuracy of the streamflow-measurement data.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS2011

U.S. Geological Survey development of a Landsat-based Fire Disturbance ECV

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is the steward of the Landsat archive which includes satellite imagery dating back to 1972. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have specified requirements to systematically observe atmosphere, ocean, and land characteristics, or Essential Climate Variables (ECVs). The Global Climate Observing System has developed formal specifications for ECVs that are technically and economically feasible for systematic ECV observation. Fire Disturbance is one of the 14 Terrestrial ECVs, and is defined as “burned area” supplemented by “active fires” and fire radiated power” (FRP) measurements. Landsat’s temporal resolution and sensor characteristics make it suitable for mapping burned area, but not suitable for monitoring active fires or FRP. In this paper, we describe the development of a database for calibration, verification, and validation of a Landsat-based burned area ECV, along with the algorithms to be tested against that database.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2015

Moving environmental DNA methods from concept to practice for monitoring aquatic macroorganisms

The discovery that macroorganisms can be detected from their environmental DNA (eDNA) in aquatic systems has immense potential for the conservation of biological diversity. This special issue contains 11 papers that review and advance the field of eDNA detection of vertebrates and other macroorganisms, including studies of eDNA production, transport, and degradation; sample collection and processing to maximize detection rates; and applications of eDNA for conservation using citizen scientists. This body of work is an important contribution to the ongoing efforts to take eDNA detection of macroorganisms from technical breakthrough to established, reliable method that can be used in survey, monitoring, and research applications worldwide. While the rapid advances in this field are remarkable, important challenges remain, including consensus on best practices for collection and analysis, understanding of eDNA diffusion and transport, and avoidance of inhibition in sample collection and processing. Nonetheless, as demonstrated in this special issue, eDNA techniques for research and monitoring are beginning to realize their potential for contributing to the conservation of biodiversity globally.

Biological Conservation↗
USGS2006

The quest for the perfect gravity anomaly: Part 2 - Mass effects and anomaly inversion

Gravity anomalies have become an important tool for geologic studies since the widespread use of high-precision gravimeters after the Second World War. More recently the development of instrumentation for airborne gravity observations, procedures for acquiring data from satellite platforms, the readily available Global Positioning System for precise vertical and horizontal control, improved global data bases, and enhancement of computational hardware and software have accelerated the use of the gravity method. As a result, efforts are being made to improve the gravity databases that are made available to the geoscience community by broadening their observational holdings and increasing the accuracy and precision of the included data. Currently the North American Gravity Database as well as the individual databases of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America are being revised using new formats and standards. The objective of this paper is to describe the use of the revised standards for gravity data processing and modeling and there impact on geological interpretations. ?? 2005 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts↗
USGS1950

Bibliography of publications relating to ground water in Connecticut

The United States Geological Survey is currently investigating the ground-water resources of Connecticut in cooperation with the State Water Commission. As part of this cooperative project, in order to summarize the knowledge already gained about ground water in the State, a bibliography of reports dealing with ground water in Connecticut has been prepared. A compilation entitled "Bibliography and index of publications relating to ground water prepared by the Geological Survey and cooperating agencies", by G. A. Waring and O. E. Neinzer, was issued as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 992 in 1947. The following compilation lists all the papers in Water-Supply Paper 992 that refer to Connecticut plus other short reports not included in the letter. The first studies of ground water in Connecticut were begun in 1903 by Professor H. E. Gregory of Yale University under the auspices of the U.S. Geological Survey. The early studies were of the reconnaissance type, covering large sections of the State, and were concerned mainly with the relation of the bedrock geology to the water supply. The results were published in several Water-Supply Papers of the Geological Survey. In 1911 a cooperative agreement for the study of the ground-water resources of Connecticut in which each party shared equally in the expenses was made between the Federal Survey and the Connecticut State Geological and Natural History Survey. As a result more detailed studies in smaller areas were undertaken. Active field work covering more than half the State was continued through 1923 under this arrangement and the results published in eight U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. After an eleven year period of inactivity and with the inauguration of the Federal Emergency Relief Commission, detailed studies of ground water in Connecticut were begun again in October 1934 as a project of the Emergency Relief Commission (later the Works Progress Administration). The project was sponsored by the Connecticut State Water Commission, the State Planning Board, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The technical direction of the work was undertaken by the Geological Survey. The project consisted of an inventory and mapping of wells and springs in the State by towns and the recording of weekly observations of water levels in selected wells. The data collected through October 1939 were published in six mimeographed bulletins and one typewritten bulletin by the Works Program Administration. In 1939, when it became necessary to curtail the work being carried on by the Works Progress Administration, cooperation was arranged between the Federal Ecological Survey and the State Water Commission to continue investigations relative to the over-development of ground-water supplies in the New Haven area. From time to time additional funds have been made available to meet growing demands by the State for data on its ground-water supplied and the present cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey and the State Water Commission is a continuation of the original arrangement. It is estimated that about 14 per cont of the State has been covered by recent ground-water surveys and in addition some data are available for another 20 per cent of he State.

Connecticut↗
USGS2001

Geologic studies of deep natural gas resources

In 1995, the USGS estimated a mean resource of 114 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered technically recoverable natural gas in plays deeper than 15,000 feet/4,572 meters in onshore regions of the United States. This volume summarizes major conclusions of ongoing work. Chapters A and B address the areal extent of drilling and distribution of deep basins in the U.S. Chapter C summarizes distribution of deep sedimentary basins and potential for deep gas in the former Soviet Union. Chapters D and E are geochemical papers addressing source-rock issues and deep gas generation. Chapter F develops a probabilistic method for subdividing gas resources into depth slices, and chapter G analyzes the relative uncertainty of estimates of deep gas in plays in the Gulf Coast Region. Chapter H evaluates the mechanism of hydrogenation of deep, high-rank spent kerogen by water, with subsequent generation of methane-rich HC gas.

Data Series↗
USGS1959

The rocks and fossils of Glacier National Park: The story of their origin and history

The story of Glacier National Park begins about 500 million years ago, at a time when there were no mountains in the region - only a vast, exceedingly shallow sea, bordered by desolate plains. The sand, clay, and mud, in part very limy, that were laid down in this sea eventually hardened into the rocks that are now known as the Belt series. These are the principal rocks in the park. Scattered through these rocks are crinkled, limy masses of many forms, the remains of deposits made by colonies of algae. After the Belt series was laid down, successive seas slowly advanced and retreated through long ages across what is now Glacier National Park, burying the Belt rocks under younger ones. After another very long time, a gentle uplift, the forerunner of later events, brought this part of the continent above the reach of sea water for the last time. Much later, some 50 million years ago, the disturbance became far more intense. To climax this upheaval, a mass of rock thousands of feet thick and hundreds of miles long was shoved eastward for 35 miles or more. This tremendous dislocation, well exposed along the eastern boundary of the park, is known as the Lewis overthrust. When the rocks of the region emerged from the sea they began to be attacked by erosion. As successive periods of crustal movement and erosion continued, the younger rocks were slowly stripped off the Belt series and sculpture of the latter by weather and water shaped the early Rocky Mountains. The final episode in the park's geologic past was the ice age, beginning about a million years ago. Repeated advances and retreats of the great glaciers in the high valleys accentuated the mountain terrain and developed the scenic grandeur that is now Glacier National Park. One may say that the park is still in the ice age, for some glaciers still exist. The present report, companion to two more technical reports on the region, informally presents the story of the park's development through past eras for readers without geologic training. Many places worth visiting are cited in the text, and a shaded relief map is provided to help find them.

Professional Paper↗
USGS1978

The Aleutian Basin, Bering Sea a frontier area for hydrocarbon exploration

The Aleutian Basin is the deep water (>3000 m) basin that lies north of the Aleutian Islands adjacent to the Bering Sea continental shelf. The basin, about the size of the state of Texas, is underlain by a 2-9 km-thick flat-lying sequence of mostly Cenozoic sediment and rock that includes diatomaceous silty clay interbedded with turbidities in the upper 1 km. Before 1974, geologic and geophysical investigations in the Aleutian Basin were directed at determining its geologic history; more recently, investigations have also been aimed at assessing the basin's hydrocarbon potential. The four major requirements for hydrocarbon accumulation may be present, namely, structural and stratigraphic traps, source rocks, reservoir beds, and an adequate thermal and sedimentation history. Energy resource investigations by the US Geological Survey indicate that: (1) numerous structural features (gentle folds, diapirs, basement ridges) are present in the central and eastern parts of the basin, (2) acoustic features (VAMP's _ Velocity AMPlitude features) that may be due to trapped gases within the sedimentary section are common (over 350 identified) in the central basin, (3) concentrations of organic gases, primarily methane, in the upper 1-3 m beneath the seafloor are very small, they increase with depth, and they are highest in areas near VAMP's, and (4) both the thermal gradient and the sediment thickness are sufficiently great to allow hydrocarbon maturation at depth, if source rocks are present. Adverse conditions in the Aleutian Basin such as excessive water depths and severe weather pose difficult technical problems for the recovery of hydrocarbons that may be present. The data nevertheless suggest the basin is a promising site for hydrocarbon accumulations and therefore warrants further exploration.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1994

History of early diet development in fish culture, 1000 B.C. to A.D. 1955

This paper traces the observations and speculations of early fish culturists as they sought to define the feeds necessary to keep hatchery fish alive. Although prescientific ideas about feeding fish existed in Egypt and China over three millennia ago, it was not until the 1700s that scientific studies of feeding and digestion by fish were documented. Aside from several books that provided early anecdotal accounts of feeds and feeding, much of the technical literature up to the 1930s is found in a few journals and relatively obscure bulletins. Such was the state of knowledge regarding the feeding of fish until about 1927 when Clive McCay, a professor at Yale University, and Abram Tunison, a hatchery worker, began some part‐time research on the nutritional requirements of trout at Connecticut's Burlington Fish Hatchery. In June 1932, these men founded an experimental hatchery, designed to study the nutrition, feeds, and feeding of fish, at Cortland, New York; this hatchery was operated under the auspices of the federal Bureau of Fisheries, the Conservation Department of New York State, and Cornell University. Over the next 25 years, it was research from this hatchery as well as from other federal, state, and university facilities that led to the development of purified test diets and the identification of the (unknown) growth factors in fresh meat, both essential criteria for scientific diet formulation, The first nutritionally complete diets appeared about 1955.

Progressive Fish-Culturist↗
USGS1973

The role of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in the Great Lakes

Ecological blunders of man, such as timber exploitation, draining of wetlands, construction of canals and dams, and pollution have been mainly responsible for serious environmental degradation and catastrophic losses of fish and wildlife values in the Great Lakes Basin. Consequently, the major emphasis of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife must be on the protection and enhancement of the Great Lakes habitat -- primarily as a single large ecosystem, rather than as a number of political units separated by ecologically meaningless boundaries. By authority of Congress, the Bureau has long been concerned in the Great Lakes region with such diverse activities as establishing refuges for migratory waterfowl, conducting fishery research, evaluating the effects of federally sponsored water resource development projects on fish and wildlife, rearing and stocking of game fish, and assisting the states in fish and wildlife management by giving technical advice and financial assistance. Thus, the Bureau shares a strong common interest with other federal administrative units, as well as with state, interstate, and international agencies, in protecting, enhancing, and ensuring the wise use of fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes Basin.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2022

Minimum requirements for publishing hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur stable-isotope delta results (IUPAC Technical Report)

Stable hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur (HCNOS) isotope compositions expressed as isotope-delta values are typically reported relative to international standards such as Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW), Vienna Peedee belemnite (VPDB) or Vienna Cañon Diablo Troilite (VCDT). These international standards are chosen by convention and the calibration methods used to realise them in practice undergo occasional changes. To ensure longevity and reusability of published data, a comprehensive description of (1) analytical procedure, (2) traceability, (3) data processing, and (4) uncertainty evaluation is required. Following earlier International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry documents on terminology and notations, this paper proposes minimum requirements for publishing HCNOS stable-isotope delta results. Each of the requirements are presented with illustrative examples.

Pure and Applied Chemistry↗
USGS2003

Using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to assess the toxicity and teratogenicity of aquatic amphibian habitats

Environmental contamination has been suspected of being partially responsible for recent declines in amphibian populations. It is often not feasible to identify all of the compounds in an environment, nor the concentrations in which they are present. SPMDs are passive sampling devices that uptake lipophilic compounds from the environment in a manner similar to aquatic organisms. The extracts from the SPMDs, therefore, contain a composite sample of the compounds that are present in the environment. In this paper, we outline the methods from studies in which we have used extracts from SPMDs in toxicity tests on amphibian larvae. Using SPMD extracts makes it possible to establish potential links between amphibian deformities and declines and environmental contamination by lipophilic compounds.

ASTM Special Technical Publication↗
USGS2013

Data management challenges in species distribution modeling

An important component in the fields of ecology and conservation biology is understanding the environmental conditions and geographic areas that are suitable for a given species to inhabit. A common tool in determining such areas is species distribution modeling which uses computer algorithms to determine the spatial distribution of organisms. Most commonly the correlative relationships between the organism and environmental variables are the primary consideration. The data requirements for this type of modeling consist of known presence and possibly absence locations of the species as well as the values of environmental or climatic covariates thought to define the species habitat suitability at these locations. These covariate data are generally extracted from remotely sensed imagery, interpolated/gridded historical climate data, or downscaled climate model output. Traditionally, ecologists and biologists have constructed species distribution models using workflows and data that reside primarily on their local workstations or networks. This workflow is becoming challenging as scientists increasingly try to use these modeling techniques to inform management decisions under different climate change scenarios. This challenge stems from the fact that remote sensing products, gridded historical climate, and downscaled climate models are not only increasing in spatial and temporal resolution but proliferating as well. Any rigorous assessment of uncertainty requires a computationally intensive sensitivity analysis accounting for various sources of uncertainty. The scientists fitting these models generally do not have the background in computer science required to take advantage of recent advances in web-service based data acquisition, remote high-powered data processing, or scientific workflow systems. Ecologists in the field of modeling are in need of a tractable platform that abstracts the inherent computational complexity required to incorporate the burgeoning field of coupled climate and ecological response modeling. In this paper we describe the computational challenges in species distribution modeling and solutions using scientific workflow systems. We focus on the Software for Assisted Species Modeling (SAHM) a package within VisTrails, an open-source scientific workflow system.

Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Data Engine↗
USGS2023

A conceptual workflow for projecting future riverine and coastal flood hazards to support the federal flood risk management standard

In 2021, the reinstatement of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) required federally funded projects to recognize potential increases in flood hazards over their service lives due to climate change or local anthropogenic perturbations. Recognizing that the state of the science had advanced since the implementation guidelines for this standard were published in 2015 (WRC, 2015, Appendix H), an interagency state-of-the-science review committee conceptualized a workflow to guide the mapping and risk communication of projected future flood hazards in both riverine and coastal settings. This five-element workflow connects climate, hydrologic, and hydraulic models, incorporates land and water management impacts and ongoing geomorphic changes, and can be tailored to the unique nature of different agency needs and resources. These conceptual workflows also provide a basis for a Climate-Informed Science Approach (CISA) implementation roadmap that identifies incremental steps for addressing the research and data gaps elucidated in our review. Many of these incremental steps present opportunities for interagency collaboration that would facilitate the rollout of the FFRMS in diverse riverine and coastal settings of the United States. We conduct case-study thought experiments to evaluate the implementation of the riverine and coastal workflows at three different locations in the United States: central Indiana, Galveston, Texas, and a small coastal community in western Alaska (Shaktoolik). Our thought experiments consider different project horizons, data availability, failure consequences, technical training requirements, and computational resources.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2009

Use of predictive models and rapid methods to nowcast bacteria levels at coastal beaches

The need for rapid assessments of recreational water quality to better protect public health is well accepted throughout the research and regulatory communities. Rapid analytical methods, such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunomagnetic separation/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) analysis, are being tested but are not yet ready for widespread use. Another solution is the use of predictive models, wherein variable(s) that are easily and quickly measured are surrogates for concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria. Rainfall-based alerts, the simplest type of model, have been used by several communities for a number of years. Deterministic models use mathematical representations of the processes that affect bacteria concentrations; this type of model is being used for beach-closure decisions at one location in the USA. Multivariable statistical models are being developed and tested in many areas of the USA; however, they are only used in three areas of the Great Lakes to aid in notifications of beach advisories or closings. These “operational” statistical models can result in more accurate assessments of recreational water quality than use of the previous day's Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration as determined by traditional culture methods. The Ohio Nowcast, at Huntington Beach, Bay Village, Ohio, is described in this paper as an example of an operational statistical model. Because predictive modeling is a dynamic process, water-resource managers continue to collect additional data to improve the predictive ability of the nowcast and expand the nowcast to other Ohio beaches and a recreational river. Although predictive models have been shown to work well at some beaches and are becoming more widely accepted, implementation in many areas is limited by funding, lack of coordinated technical leadership, and lack of supporting epidemiological data.

Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management↗
USGS2006

Interaction of dams and landslides: Case studies and mitigation

In the first half of the 20th century, engineering geology and geotechnical engineering were in their infancy, and dams were often built where landslides provided valley constrictions, often without expert site investigation. Only the most important projects were subjected to careful geologic examination. Thus, dams were often built without complete understanding of the possible geotechnical problems occurring in foundations or abutments. Most of these dams still exist, although many have undergone costly repairs because of stability or leakage problems. Today, however, every effort is made in the selection of damsites, including those sited on landslides, to provide foundations and abutments that are generally impervious and capable of withstanding the stresses imposed by the proposed dam and reservoir, and possible landslides. By means of a literature search, technical interviews, and field inventory, I have located 254 large (at least 10 m high) dams worldwide that directly interact with landslides; that is, they have been built on pre-existing landslides or have been subjected to landslide activity during or after construction. A table (Appendix table A) summarizes dam characteristics, landslide conditions, and remedial measures at each of the dams. Of the 254 dams, 164 are earthfill, 23 are rockfill, and 18 are earthfill-rockfill; these are flexible dam types that generally perform better on the possibly unstable foundations provided by landslides than do more rigid concrete dams. Any pre-existing landslides that might impinge on the foundation or abutments of a dam should be carefully investigated. If a landslide is recognized in a dam foundation or abutment, the landslide deposits commonly are avoided in siting the dam or are removed during stripping of the dam foundation and abutment contacts. Contrarily, it has often been found to be technically feasible and economically desirable to site and construct dams on known landslides or on the remnants of these features. In these cases, proven preventive and remedial measures have been used to ensure the stability of the foundations and abutments, and to reduce seepage to acceptable levels.

Professional Paper↗
USGS2017

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the North Kara Basins and Platforms Province, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the North Kara Basins and Platforms Province as part of the its Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal. This geologic province is north of western Siberia, Russian Federation, in the North Kara Sea between Novaya Zemlya to the west and Severnaya Zemlya to the east. One assessment unit (AU) was defined, the North Kara Basins and Platforms AU, which coincides with the geologic province. This AU was assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources. The total estimated mean volumes of undiscovered petroleum resources in the province are ~1.8 billion barrels of crude oil, ~15.0 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and ~0.4 billion barrels of natural-gas liquids, all north of the Arctic Circle.

Professional Paper↗