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27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2020

A continuously updated, geospatially rectified database of utility-scale wind turbines in the United States

Nearly 60,000 utility-scale wind turbines are installed in the United States as of July, 2019, representing over 97 gigawatts of electric power capacity; US wind turbine installations continue to grow at a rapid pace. Yet, until April 2018, no publicly-available, regularly updated data source existed to describe those turbines and their locations. Under a cooperative research and development agreement, analysts from three organizations collaborated to develop and release the United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) - a publicly available, continuously updated, spatially rectified data source of locations and attributes of utility-scale wind turbines in the United States. Technical specifications and wind facility data, incorporated from five sources, undergo rigorous quality control. The location of each turbine is visually verified using high-resolution aerial imagery. The quarterly-updated data are available in a variety of formats, including an interactive web application, comma-separated values (CSV), shapefile, and application programming interface (API). The data are used widely by academic researchers, engineers and developers from wind energy companies, government agencies, planners, educators, and the general public.

Scientific Data↗
USGS2002

Rationale and operational plan to upgrade the U.S. gravity database

A concerted effort is underway to prepare a substantially upgraded digital gravity anomaly database for the United States and to make this data set and associated usage tools available on the internet. This joint effort, spearheaded by the geophysics groups at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is an outgrowth of the new geoscientific community initiative called Geoinformatics (www.geoinformaticsnetwork.org). This dominantly geospatial initiative reflects the realization by Earth scientists that existing information systems and techniques are inadequate to address the many complex scientific and societal issues. Currently, inadequate standardization and chaotic distribution of geoscience data, inadequate accompanying documentation, and the lack of easy-to-use access tools and computer codes for analysis are major obstacles for scientists, government agencies, and educators. An example of the type of activities envisioned, within the context of Geoinformatics, is the construction, maintenance, and growth of a public domain gravity database and development of the software tools needed to access, implement, and expand it. This product is far more than a high quality database; it is a complete data system for a specific type of geophysical measurement that includes, for example, tools to manipulate the data and tutorials to understand and properly utilize the data. On August 9, 2002, twenty-one scientists from the federal, private and academic sectors met at a workshop to discuss the rationale for upgrading both the United States and North American gravity databases (including offshore regions) and, more importantly, to begin developing an operational plan to effectively create a new gravity data system. We encourage anyone interested in contributing data or participating in this effort to contact G.R. Keller or T.G. Hildenbrand. This workshop was the first step in building a web-based data system for sharing quality gravity data and methodology, and it builds on existing collaborative efforts. This compilation effort will result in significant additions to and major refinement of the U.S. database that is currently released publicly by NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center and will also include an additional objective to substantially upgrade the North American database, released over 15 years ago (Committee for the Gravity Anomaly Map of North America, 1987).

Open-File Report↗
USGS2002

FrogwatchUSA

full text: Frogs and toads are perhaps the most approachable and available of all our wildlife. In many, if not most places, they are abundant. In wetter parts of the East, almost anyone outside on a warm rainy night in spring will hear their dream-like calls, bellows, trills and snores. Even in the deserts of the Southwest, a nocturnal trip after a summer monsoon will yield toads moving across the roads toward a cacophonous orgy of mating and calling in the roadside ditches and desert pools. Birds share with frogs and toads this same sense of presence in our daily lives. But the difference is that birds are like the attractive neighbor who just never gives you the time of day, while frogs are more like the troglodyte who appears regularly to chat, philosophize, and have a beer. Uninvited, frogs appear in our water gardens, toads are on our stoops in the morning, we catch them when we are kids, raise their babies in the aquarium, and feel sorry when we find we have run them over with the lawnmower. When concerns about declining populations of amphibians reached the mass media, the Secretaries' office became involved. In addition to using traditional research mechanisms to investigate the problem, the Secretary also wanted to involve the public directly. The combination of high public appeal and the relative ease with which frog calls can be learned made a large-scale monitoring program for frogs and toads possible. What emerged was a program called Frogwatch USA, modeled after a successful Canadian program with a similar name. A web site was created (www.frogwatch.org) that presented potential frogwatchers with directions and a way to register their site online as well as enter their data. Observers chose where to count frogs depending on what they felt was important. For some it was their backyard, others chose vulnerable wetlands in their neighborhoods, or spots on local refuges and parks. Initially funded at $8,000 a year and then after two years increased to $25,000, most of the first part of this program's life was spent developing the tools and web site to document counts of frogs online. Despite the lack of time available to promote the program, send out press releases and recruit observers, news of the program quickly spread by word of mouth and the electronic media. Many newspaper articles later, we found a large number of people had become involved with counting frogs in their neighborhoods and backyards. Current figures show 1,456 observers who have registered at 1,683 sites logging almost 5,000 visits. These visits yield information on when and what species are calling from wetlands throughout the United States. These records are usually the only records of information about frogs and toads for those sites and become a permanent record that can be revisited in future years. Additionally, when observers make a lot of visits or there are many sites in a region, a phenology of calls can be created that documents when it is most likely in that year for each species to be recorded. Finally, even for those observers whose data we may mistrust and therefore are likely to eliminate from analyses, these people have taken the time to leave their televisions, go outside, and directly experience frogs, toads, and all that occur in Nature. In 1999 it was decided that FrogwatchUSA needed to work with another group that specifically focused on environmental education and outreach. After talking to a number of organizations we found that the National Wildlife Federation, with their Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Endangered Species, and other programs along with their four million members who are interested in nature, would be an excellent match. Thus a partnership was born. After over a year of work between Interior and National Wildlife Federation biologists and lawyers, an agreement has been created that places the Federation as the lead of Frogwatch USA. It will now take care of res

People, Land, and Water↗
USGS2007

Surficial sediment character of the New York-New Jersey offshore continental shelf region: A GIS compilation

Broad continental shelf regions such as the New York Bight are the product of a complex geologic history and dynamic oceanographic processes, dominated by the Holocene marine transgression (>100 m sea-level rise) following the end of the last Pleistocene ice advance ~ 20,000 years ago. The area of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ) territory, extending 200 nautical miles seaward from the coast, is larger than the continental U.S. and contains submerged landforms that provide a variety of natural functions and societal benefits, such as: critical habitats for fisheries, ship navigation and homeland security, and engineering activities (i.e. oil and gas platforms, pipeline and cable routes, potential wind-energy-generation sites). Some parts of the continental margins, particularly inner-continental shelf regions, also contain unconsolidated hard-mineral deposits such as sand and gravel that are regarded as potential aggregate resources to meet or augment needs not met by onshore deposits (Williams, 1992). The present distribution of surficial sediment off the northeastern United States is shaped from the deposits left by the last glaciation and reflects the cumulative effects of sediment erosion, transport, sorting, and deposition by storm and tidal processes during the Holocene rise in sea level. As a result, the sediments on the sea floor represent both an historical record of former conditions and a guide to possible future sedimentary environments. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through the Coastal and Marine Geology Program, in cooperation with the University of Colorado and other partners, has compiled extant sediment character and textural data as well as other geologic information on the sea floor from all regions around the U.S. into the usSEABED data system (Reid and others, 2005; Buczkowski and others, 2006; Reid and others, 2006). The usSEABED system, which contains information on sediment grain size and lithology for more than 340,500 stations within the U.S. EEZ. has been developed and populated with data as part of the USGS Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes and the National Benthic Habitats projects in order to provide the base-line data needed to update the current maps of offshore surficial geologic character and sediment distribution. The maps are also used to characterize benthic sea floor environments important for marine ecosystems. U.S. Geological Survey, Data Series 118 (Reid and others, 2005), of the usSEABED data release series, represents the combined efforts of the USGS and several other government agencies to provide a unified resource for accessing and preserving records of U.S. east coast sea floor geologic information and sediment texture data. For this present report, we have chosen to focus on the New York-New Jersey region, an area that has been intensely studied by the USGS for many years to address many complex issues. This report illustrates the uses of the usSEABED database for GIS applications, while offering additional insight into the resources and data available from the USGS and its collaborative institutions. This report is based on data contained in U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 118 (Reid and others, 2005) and shows an assortment of example GIS products that are possible using usSEABED. All data are intended to be GIS-ready and should not require any additional cleanup, formatting, or renaming of fields in order to use the data in a Geographic Information System. This project employs the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcView™ software. Many of these maps were made as part of the ongoing USGS study to assess marine aggregate resources offshore New York and New Jersey, but these maps can serve many other purposes. The marine science community, educators, students and others are encouraged to use these data to generate GIS products for their own purposes. The objectives of the Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes project are to produce a series of new geologic maps and reports of the sea floor that will provide scientific insights into the character and geologic development of U.S. continental margins and to use these maps and information to assess the potential availability of offshore sand and gravel resources. The mapping and aggregate resource assessments are being conducted on a national scale using the usSEABED data base as described in Williams and others (2003). Potential uses for these data include: (1) defining the geological variability of the sea floor in relation to benthic habitat diversity; (2) improving our understanding of the processes that control the distribution and transport of bottom sediments and benthic habitats; (3) locating aggregate resources for beach nourishment and industrial applications; and (4) providing a detailed geospatial framework for future marine science research, monitoring, and management activities. The initial assessments are in progress for the New York Bight and Louisiana offshore areas.

New Jersey, New York↗
USGS2004

The influence of hook type, angler experience, and fish size on injury rates and the duration of capture in an Alaskan catch-and-release rainbow trout fishery

Owing to concerns about the high incidence of past hooking injuries in Alagnak River rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, fish were captured with spin- and fly-fishing gear with barbed and barbless circle and "J" hooks to determine gear types contributing to injury. Landing and hook removal times were measured for a portion of fish captured, and the anatomical hooking location, hooking scar locations, bleeding intensity, angler experience, and fish size were recorded for all captured fish. Approximately 62% of fish captured experienced at least one new hooking injury, and 29% of fish had at least one past hooking injury. Small fish sustained higher new injury and bleeding rates, but large fish had higher past injury rates. Injury rates were higher for barbed J hooks, barbed J hooks took longer to remove, and fish caught by spin-fishing were injured more frequently than fish caught by fly-fishing. Fewer fly-fishing-caught fish were injured using circle hooks, and circle hooks tended to hook fish in only one location, generally in the jaw. Barbed J hooks were more efficient at landing fish, and J hooks were more efficient at landing fish than circle hooks. Novice anglers injured proportionally more fish than experienced anglers, primarily during hook removal. Landing time was positively correlated with fish size, and experienced anglers took longer to land fish than novices because they captured larger fish. These results suggest that a reduction in hooking injuries may be achieved by using circle hooks as an alternative to J hooks and barbless J hooks to reduce injury and handling time, yet catch efficiency for both methods would be reduced. Although fish captured with barbless J hooks and circle hooks had fewer injuries, it is important to note that each hook type also caused significant injury, and angler education is recommended to promote proper hook removal techniques.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1993

The erosion of carbonate stone by acid rain: Laboratory and field investigations

One of the goals of research on the effects of acidic deposition on carbonate stone surfaces is to define the incremental impact of acidic deposition relative to natural weathering processes on the rate of carbonate stone erosion. If rain that impacts carbonate stone surfaces is resident on the surface long enough to approach chemical equilibrium, the incremental effect of hydrogen ion is expected to be small (i.e., 6% for a rain of pH 4.0). Under nonequilibrium (i.e., high flow rate) conditions, kinetic considerations suggest that the incremental effect of hydrogen ion deposition could be quite significant. Field run-off experiments involving the chemical analysis of rain collected from inclined stone slabs have been used to evaluate stone dissolution processes under ambient conditions of wet and dry deposition of acidic species. The stoichiometry of the reaction of stone with hydrogen ion is difficult to define from the field data due to scatter in the data attributed to hydrodynamic effects. Laboratory run-off experiments show that the stoichiometry is best defined by a reaction with H+ in which CO2 is released from the system. The baseline effect caused by water in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 is identical in the field and in laboratory simulation. The experiments show that the solutions are close enough to equilibrium for the incremental effect of hydrogen ion to be minor (i.e., 24% for marble for a rain of pH 4.0) relative to dissolution due to water and carbonic acid reactions. Stone erosion rates based on physical measurement are approximately double the recession rates that are due to dissolution (estimated from the observed calcium content of the run-off solutions). The difference may reflect the loss of granular material not included in recession estimates based on the run-off data. Neither the field nor the laboratory run-off experiments indicate a pH dependence for the grain-removal process.

Journal of Chemical Education↗
USGS2024

Assessing community needs for terrestrial analog studies

Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed and released a survey to assess the terrestrial analog needs of the planetary science community. The goal was to assess the current state of terrestrial analog studies and determine community needs related to the use of field sites for training and research, data dissemination and archiving, and sample collections. The survey was designed to gather feedback from community members who have a self-described interest in the use of terrestrial analogs. The web-based questionnaire contained a total of 33 questions and was designed to take <10 minutes to complete. The questionnaire was divided into four sections: (1) “Respondent Details,” (2) “Field Analog Use,” (3) “Data Portal Use,” and (4) “Geologic Materials Collection Use.” Comment boxes were provided for 12 of the 33 questions, which allowed respondents to provide more detailed comments to individual questions. The questionnaire received a total of 248 responses. We identified 21 notable findings which are matched with one or more recommendations to be addressed by the planetary science community. In general, the findings highlight the importance of terrestrial analog studies to the planetary science community. The findings address how and why the community uses terrestrial analogs, areas in which further support can lead to a greater return on investment, and how the community can better manage data and samples from these studies. The results from this survey identify a need for additional training opportunities and analog-focused workshops. There is a gap in formal education related to field techniques for a significant part of researchers who conduct fieldwork. There is also a subset of the community who are interested in conducting field-based studies but are, however, unaware of relevant sites and methods. Workshops would provide an opportunity for scientists at all career stages to share their results and discuss common challenges such as logistics, field safety, funding, and data and sample archiving. Trainings, workshops, and better communication may also lead to increased field-analog work at locations in closer proximity to home institutions, reducing costs associated with large field expeditions and ultimately leading to more available funding for more localized field studies. The survey also shows that the ability to archive a diverse array of field data is a major challenge for terrestrial studies and finds that existing practices are not compliant with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) data management policies. The survey points to a strong need for a central data repository, allowing for easier access to existing analog data and the archiving of new field data. The community would benefit from additional physical sample archiving, consolidated into several key institutions to promote easier access, such as NASA and USGS centers. Though scientists would still need to acquire their own samples in the field for certain studies, many studies would benefit from an archive of existing samples and associated data for widely used analog sites, reducing redundant sampling practices. This report finds that a coordinated effort to improve and standardize training, data archiving, sample curation, and communication regarding terrestrial analog studies will best serve the planetary science community in our exploration goals.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2017

Assessing models of arsenic occurrence in drinking water from bedrock aquifers in New Hampshire

Three existing multivariate logistic regression models were assessed using new data to evaluate the capacity of the models to correctly predict the probability of groundwater arsenic concentrations exceeding the threshold values of 1, 5, and 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) in New Hampshire, USA. A recently released testing dataset includes arsenic concentrations from groundwater samples collected in 2004–2005 from a mix of 367 public-supply and private domestic wells. The use of this dataset to test three existing logistic regression models demonstrated enhanced overall predictive accuracy for the 5 and 10 μg/L models. Overall accuracies of 54.8, 76.3, and 86.4 percent were reported for the 1, 5, and 10 μg/L models, respectively. The state was divided by counties into northwest and southeast regions. Regional differences in accuracy were identified; models had an average accuracy of 83.1 percent for the counties in the northwest and 63.7 percent in the southeast. This is most likely due to high model specificity in the northwest and regional differences in arsenic occurrence. Though these models have limitations, they allow for arsenic hazard assessment across the region. The introduction of well-type (public or private), well depth, and casing length as explanatory variables may be appropriate measures to improve model performance. Our findings indicate that the original models generalize to the testing dataset, and should continue to serve as an important vehicle of preventative public health that may be applied to other groundwater contaminants in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire↗
USGS2018

Genetic integrity, population status, and long-term viability of isolated populations of shoal bass in the upper Chattahoochee River basin, Georgia

This report characterizes the status of multiple isolated Shoal Bass ( Micropterus cataractae ) populations in the upper Chattahoochee River basin (UCRB), Georgia. The Shoal Bass, a sport fish endemic to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River (ACF) basin, is a fluvial-specialist species considered vulnerable to local extirpations and extinction due to habitat fragmentation and introgression with non-native congeners. Perhaps one of the most isolated populations of Shoal Bass exists in a 2-km reach of Big Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River located near Roswell, Georgia. Big Creek is partially contained within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, although the Big Creek watershed is riddled with urban land cover. Roswell Mill Dam limits the upstream extent of the Shoal Bass population at Big Creek, and the downstream extent is presumably limited to the confluence of Big Creek and the Chattahoochee River. This reach of the Chattahoochee River is thermally depressed because of coldwater releases from Lake Lanier, and is considered unsuitable for Shoal Bass. Herein, we examine the genetic integrity, population status, and long-term viability of the Shoal Bass population in Big Creek. We also examine two additional Shoal Bass populations that occur in the UCRB, specifically the Chestatee River and the upper Chattahoochee River, both of which are impounded at Lake Lanier. Together, the Shoal Bass inhabiting these three stream systems comprise a distinct genetic stock of Shoal Bass (Taylor 2017), underscoring the importance of conserving these populations towards maintaining the overall diversity and adaptive potential of the species. We assessed genetic diversity and estimated effective population sizes within these three rivers by genotyping fish with 16 microsatellite DNA markers. Results demonstrated that the Shoal Bass population in Big Creek has experienced high rates of introgression with non-native Smallmouth Bass (M. dolomieu), purportedly introduced into the Chattahoochee River in the past 10-15 years. Alarmingly, only 24% (15 of 62) of putative Shoal Bass collected from Big Creek were genetically pure Shoal Bass, whereas the majority of fish were first-filial (F1) generation hybrids and unidirectional backcrosses towards Shoal Bass. Fleeting opportunity may remain to conserve the native genome of the Shoal Bass population in Big Creek. High hybridization rates prevented genetic diversity analysis for the Big Creek population. Shoal Bass populations in the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers displayed levels of genetic diversity similar to populations that persist in other rivers in the ACF basin, namely the Flint and Chipola rivers. Effective population sizes of 93.8– 197.4 for the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers (combined) suggest that the conservation status of these populations is stable for the short-term, but may be at risk of losing genetic diversity and adaptive potential in the long-term. To estimate age and mortality of the three populations, we used fish scales and capture-markrecapture (CMR) as complementary, non-lethal methods for age estimation. Estimated ages of phenotypic Shoal Bass ranged from 1-12 years in all three populations, demonstrating increased longevity compared to populations elsewhere within the native range. Catch-curve estimates of annual mortality ranged from 18.4-23.7%, which are markedly lower than those observed in other Shoal Bass populations in the ACF basin. These differences in life-history characteristics underscore the need for the development of population-specific management and conservation strategies for Shoal Bass in the UCRB. The lowest recruitment variability (i.e., the variation in year-class strength) was observed in the Chestatee River, a forested watershed, whereas the highest variability was observed in Big Creek, an urbanized watershed. Recruitment strength in Big Creek was negatively influenced by discharge variability in the summer months, suggesting that flashy, sediment-laden flows hinder survival of recently hatched young. Other statistically significant models from Big Creek and the Chattahoochee River indicated that over-winter survival could be an important pinch-point for recruitment in UCRB populations. A multi-agency sampling effort was conducted from May 2013-May 2016 to estimate the population size of Shoal Bass occupying the 1-km of wadeable shoal habitats in Big Creek. Using CMR models, we estimated that approximately 219-348 Shoal Bass (≥ 70 mm total length) occupied the area throughout the duration of our study. These estimates largely reflect abundance of individuals aged 0-2 years, as only 9% (36 of 408) tagged fish were aged ≥ 7 years. Local abundance appeared similar to that reported for a population that inhabited Little Uchee Creek, a similar-sized tributary of the Chattahoochee River, prior to its recent functional extirpation. The low abundance of large, adult Shoal Bass further suggests the long-term viability of the Big Creek population may be in jeopardy. Perhaps most importantly, CMR estimates reflect abundance of phenotypic Shoal Bass – genetic analyses suggest the abundance of pure Shoal Bass could be an order of magnitude smaller. To evaluate the potential for adult Shoal Bass to emigrate from Big Creek into the mainstem Chattahoochee River, we tagged eight adults with acoustic telemetry tags and assessed their seasonal residency at two stationary receiver locations located in increasing proximity to the confluence with the Chattahoochee River. Fish took up residency near the confluence during the fall and winter months, during which time water temperatures in Big Creek were periodically colder than the Chattahoochee River. Although we were unable to document emigration, we conclude that the potential for emigration is highest during the winter months when the Chattahoochee River may be warmer than Big Creek. Two of the tagged fish were caught by anglers near the confluence, suggesting that angling pressure at Big Creek may be higher than previously suspected. Overall, this study observed unique life-history characteristics and characterized the population status of multiple Shoal Bass populations in the UCRB. Populations in the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers appear stable at present and likely represent the last remaining strongholds for pure Shoal Bass in the UCRB. Efforts to preserve forested watershed conditions, natural hydrology, and shoal habitats would contribute to the long-term persistence of Shoal Bass populations in these two rivers. Additionally, the detection of non-native Alabama Bass and their associated hybrids in both rivers is cause for concern. Diligent monitoring of hybridization dynamics between Alabama Bass and Shoal Bass is warranted, along with an assessment of Alabama Bass invasion extent upstream of Lake Lanier. The Shoal Bass population in Big Creek is threatened by elevated levels of introgression with nonnative Smallmouth Bass, recruitment variability, low abundance of adults, and isolation from other populations. Conservation intervention is urgently needed to restore and preserve this genetically distinct population, which would contribute to preservation of range wide genetic diversity and adaptability of the species. Additionally, an urban sport fishery for Shoal Bass at Big Creek has the potential to serve as a tool for increasing public awareness, engagement, and support of Shoal Bass conservation efforts in the UCRB. We suggest strategies for conservation of the remnant shoal habitats and Shoal Bass population in Big Creek, including potential development of a supplemental stocking program, selective removal of non-native congeners, and delivery of environmental education programs that could bolster awareness and appreciation.

Georgia↗