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USGS2012

Monitoring inland storm tide and flooding from Hurricane Irene along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, August 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployed a temporary monitoring network of water-level sensors at 212 locations along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Maine during August 2011 to record the timing, areal extent, and magnitude of inland hurricane storm tide and coastal flooding generated by Hurricane Irene. Water-level sensor locations were selected to augment existing tide-gage networks to ensure adequate monitoring in areas forecasted to have substantial storm tide. As defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA; 2011a,b), storm tide is the water-level rise generated by a coastal storm as a result of the combination of storm surge and astronomical tide.

Atlantic Coast↗
USGS1972

Catalog of earthquakes along the San Andreas fault system in central California for the year 1971

A network of seismograph stations was established by the National Center for Earthquake Research (NCER) to study in detail the earthquakes along the San Andreas fault system in central California (Eaton, Lee, and Pakiser, 1970). This report, in the form of a catalog, summarizes the results of routine earthquake locations from that network for the year 1971, and provides the basic data for further studies to be published elsewhere. Similar catalogs for 1969 and 1970 have been prepared by Lee, Roller, Bauer, and Johnson, (1972), and Lee, Roller, Meagher, and Bennett, (1972). We located a total of 2,429 events that occurred in 1971 from primarily 34,111 first P-wave arrival times recorded at 121 seismograph stations. Among these events, 339 were blasts (mostly in quarries), 8 were suspected blasts, and 41 were either too far away from available stations or too small in magnitude to be adequately located. The remaining 2,041 events which were identified as earthquakes are presented in the catalog. The 121 seismograph stations consisted of 93 telemetered stations operated by NCER, and 28 stations operated by several other organizations. Readings from the latter stations were obtained through the courtesy of the Seismographic Stations, University of California, Berkeley, the Earthquake Mechanism Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, San Francisco, and the California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento. Data on local earthquakes in northern California, Nevada, and Oregon have been published in the Bulletins of the Seismographic Stations of the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) for many decades. The present catalog covers earthquakes which occurred in a smaller area but in greater detail than those covered by the UCB Bulletins. For example, the UCB Bulletins for 1971 (Cloud and Qamar, 1972; Cloud, Tomblin, and Litehiser, 1972) list a total of 116 earthquakes (most with magnitude greater than 2.5) in the region covered by this report (a coastal strip from Santa Rosa to Parkfield). In addition, we attempted to use all available data in locating earthquakes within and near our seismic network.

California↗
USGS2014

Statistics for stochastic modeling of volume reduction, hydrograph extension, and water-quality treatment by structural stormwater runoff best management practices (BMPs)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to indicate the risk for stormwater concentrations, flows, and loads to be above user-selected water-quality goals and the potential effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce such risks. SELDM models the potential effect of mitigation measures by using Monte Carlo methods with statistics that approximate the net effects of structural and nonstructural best management practices (BMPs). In this report, structural BMPs are defined as the components of the drainage pathway between the source of runoff and a stormwater discharge location that affect the volume, timing, or quality of runoff. SELDM uses a simple stochastic statistical model of BMP performance to develop planning-level estimates of runoff-event characteristics. This statistical approach can be used to represent a single BMP or an assemblage of BMPs. The SELDM BMP-treatment module has provisions for stochastic modeling of three stormwater treatments: volume reduction, hydrograph extension, and water-quality treatment. In SELDM, these three treatment variables are modeled by using the trapezoidal distribution and the rank correlation with the associated highway-runoff variables. This report describes methods for calculating the trapezoidal-distribution statistics and rank correlation coefficients for stochastic modeling of volume reduction, hydrograph extension, and water-quality treatment by structural stormwater BMPs and provides the calculated values for these variables. This report also provides robust methods for estimating the minimum irreducible concentration (MIC), which is the lowest expected effluent concentration from a particular BMP site or a class of BMPs. These statistics are different from the statistics commonly used to characterize or compare BMPs. They are designed to provide a stochastic transfer function to approximate the quantity, duration, and quality of BMP effluent given the associated inflow values for a population of storm events. A database application and several spreadsheet tools are included in the digital media accompanying this report for further documentation of methods and for future use. In this study, analyses were done with data extracted from a modified copy of the January 2012 version of International Stormwater Best Management Practices Database, designated herein as the January 2012a version. Statistics for volume reduction, hydrograph extension, and water-quality treatment were developed with selected data. Sufficient data were available to estimate statistics for 5 to 10 BMP categories by using data from 40 to more than 165 monitoring sites. Water-quality treatment statistics were developed for 13 runoff-quality constituents commonly measured in highway and urban runoff studies including turbidity, sediment and solids; nutrients; total metals; organic carbon; and fecal coliforms. The medians of the best-fit statistics for each category were selected to construct generalized cumulative distribution functions for the three treatment variables. For volume reduction and hydrograph extension, interpretation of available data indicates that selection of a Spearman’s rho value that is the average of the median and maximum values for the BMP category may help generate realistic simulation results in SELDM. The median rho value may be selected to help generate realistic simulation results for water-quality treatment variables. MIC statistics were developed for 12 runoff-quality constituents commonly measured in highway and urban runoff studies by using data from 11 BMP categories and more than 167 monitoring sites. Four statistical techniques were applied for estimating MIC values with monitoring data from each site. These techniques produce a range of lower-bound estimates for each site. Four MIC estimators are proposed as alternatives for selecting a value from among the estimates from multiple sites. Correlation analysis indicates that the MIC estimates from multiple sites were weakly correlated with the geometric mean of inflow values, which indicates that there may be a qualitative or semiquantitative link between the inflow quality and the MIC. Correlations probably are weak because the MIC is influenced by the inflow water quality and the capability of each individual BMP site to reduce inflow concentrations.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2005

Attitudinal survey component of the study Quantity, quality, and support for research in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: An organizational assessment : Report of methods and frequencies

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is responsible for managing the Nation’s fish and wildlife resources so that these trust resources are preserved for the present and future use and enjoyment of the citizens of the United States. The FWS achieves this mission by managing many programs. These include the national system of refuges and fish hatcheries, Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Offices, migratory birds program, law enforcement, and working with tribal, state, and other Federal agencies to ensure protection of threatened and endangered species. Another role of the FWS is consulting with tribal, state, and other Federal agencies and private sector interests on the best conservation management practices consistent with Federal law. Each of these activities requires a workforce that is recognized for its professionalism, dedication to public service, and command of expert knowledge. Recognition for expert knowledge in fish and wildlife conservation is demonstrated, in part, when FWS personnel direct, conduct, or report research that is well-designed to answer questions of importance for natural resource management. The data reported in this document are one part of a three-part study of the status of organizational support for research in FWS, which was commissioned by the Directorate of the FWS. Funding for this study was provided by the FWS, and the Science Support Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In 1994, the biological research functions of the FWS were transferred to the National Biological Survey, and subsequently into the USGS. This transfer was principally accomplished by moving whole research units from one agency to another. The result was that some employees whose positions were involved with research were not transferred. In addition, some research, information, and management needs of the FWS have continued to be met by studies conducted within the FWS itself. Although the FWS relies on the USGS and others for most basic research investigations, the FWS also conducts its own studies to meet management needs. Because it is vital for FWS employees to be able to conduct such tactical and applied research tasks in a timely manner, the agency must promote the culture necessary to support and encourage these activities. Such research activities are spread widely across the various programs of the FWS, and there is presently no collective, formal, or systematic record of planned or existing research activities. In commissioning this organizational assessment research, the Directorate of the FWS recognized that it would be to the advantage of the agency to more fully understand its research capacity. To develop a clearer picture of the nature, extent, quality, and degree of administrative support available for conducting research within the FWS, investigations have been undertaken to: 1. identify positions in the FWS that may include, in whole or in part, a component of scientific research; 2. identify organizational units within the FWS that may conduct research as a significant portion of their mission; and 3. assess the attitudes of employees and managers about the obstacles and opportunities for scientific research existing within the FWS by using a scaled-response survey instrument. The findings presented in this report represent the basic results derived from the attitude assessment survey conducted in the last quarter of 2004. The findings set forth in this report are the frequency distributions for each question in the survey instrument for all respondents. The only statistics provided are descriptive in character - namely, means and associated standard deviations.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2010

Methods for development of planning-level estimates of stormflow at unmonitored stream sites in the conterminous United States

This report documents methods for data compilation and analysis of statistics for stormflows that meet data-quality objectives for order-of-magnitude planning-level water-quality estimates at unmonitored sites in the conterminous United States. Statistics for prestorm streamflow, precipitation, and runoff coefficients are used to model stormflows for use with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM), which is a highway-runoff model. SELDM is designed to better quantify the risk of exceeding water-quality criteria as precipitation, discharge, ambient water quality, and highway-runoff quality vary from storm to storm. Summary statistics also may be used to help estimate annual-average water-quality loads. Streamflow statistics are used to estimate prestorm flows. Streamflow statistics are estimated by analysis of data from 2,873 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the conterminous United States with drainage areas ranging from 10 to 500 square miles and at least 24 years of record during the period 1960−2004. Streamflow statistics are regionalized using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Level III nutrient ecoregions. Storm-event precipitation statistics are estimated by analysis of data from 2,610 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hourly-precipitation data stations in the conterminous United States with at least 25 years of data during the 1965−2006 period. Storm-event precipitation statistics are regionalized using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rain zones. Statistics to characterize volumetric runoff coefficients are estimated using data from 6,142 storm events at 306 study sites. Runoff coefficient statistics are not regionalized, but are organized by total impervious area. All of the geographic information system files, computer programs, data files, and regression results developed for this study are included on the CD−ROM accompanying this report.

Report↗
USGS2023

AIMS for wildlife: Developing an automated interactive monitoring system to integrate real-time movement and environmental data for true adaptive management

To effectively manage species and habitats at multiple scales, population and land managers require rapid information on wildlife use of managed areas and responses to landscape conditions and management actions. GPS tracking studies of wildlife are particularly informative to species ecology, habitat use, and conservation. Combining GPS data with administrative data and a diverse suite of remotely sensed, geo-referenced environmental (e.g., climatic) data, would more comprehensively inform how animals interact with and utilize habitats and ecosystems and our goal was to create a conceptual model for a system that would accomplish this – the ‘Automated Interactive Monitoring System (AIMS) for Wildlife’. Our objective for this study was to develop a Customized Wildlife Report (CWR) - the first AIMS for Wildlife deliverable product. CWRs collate and summarize our 8-year GPS tracking dataset of ∼11 million locations from 1338 individual (16 species) avifauna and make actionable, real-time data on animal movements and trends in a specific area of interest available to managers and stakeholders for rapid application in day-to-day management. The CWR exemplar presented in this paper was developed to address needs identified by habitat managers of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and illustrates the highly specific, information offered and how it contributes to assessing the efficacy of conservation actions while allowing for near real-time adaptive management. The report can be easily customized for any of the thousands of wildlife refuges or regional areas of interest in the United States, emphasizing the broad application of an animal movement data stream. Utilizing diverse, extensive telemetry data streams through scientific collaboration can aid managers and conservation stakeholders with short and long-term research and conservation planning and help address a cadre of issues from local-scale habitat management to improving the understanding of landscape level impacts like drought, wildfire, and climate change on wildlife populations.

Journal of Environmental Management↗
USGS2002

Hurricane Mitch: Peak Discharge for Selected River Reachesin Honduras

Hurricane Mitch began as a tropical depression in the Caribbean Sea on 22 October 1998. By 26 October, Mitch had strengthened to a Category 5 storm as defined by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (National Climate Data Center, 1999a), and on 27 October was threatening the northern coast of Honduras (fig. 1). After making landfall 2 days later (29 October), the storm drifted south and west across Honduras, wreaking destruction throughout the country before reaching the Guatemalan border on 31 October. According to the National Climate Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (National Climate Data Center, 1999b), Hurricane Mitch ranks among the five strongest storms on record in the Atlantic Basin in terms of its sustained winds, barometric pressure, and duration. Hurricane Mitch also was one of the worst Atlantic storms in terms of loss of life and property. The regionwide death toll was estimated to be more than 9,000; thousands of people were reported missing. Economic losses in the region were more than $7.5 billion (U.S. Agency for International Development, 1999). Honduras suffered the most widespread devastation during the storm. More than 5,000 deaths, and economic losses of more than $4 billion, were reported by the Government of Honduras. Honduran officials estimated that Hurricane Mitch destroyed 50 years of economic development. In addition to the human and economic losses, intense flooding and landslides scarred the Honduran landscape - hydrologic and geomorphologic processes throughout the country likely will be affected for many years. As part of the U.S. Government's response to the disaster, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted post-flood measurements of peak discharge at 16 river sites throughout Honduras (fig. 2). Such measurements, termed 'indirect' measurements, are used to determine peak flows when direct measurements (using current meters or dye studies, for example) cannot be made. Indirect measurements of peak discharge are based on post-flood surveys of the river channel (observed high-water marks, cross sections, and hydraulic properties) and model computation of peak discharge. Determination of the flood peaks associated with Hurricane Mitch will help scientists understand the magnitude of this devastating hurricane. Peak-discharge information also is critical for the proper design of hydraulic structures (such as bridges and levees), delineation of theoretical flood boundaries, and development of stage-discharge relations at streamflow-monitoring sites.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2024

Comparison of butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine and nalbuphine-medetomidine-azaperone in free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) in Pennsylvania, USA

Chemical immobilization is commonly used to capture and handle free-ranging elk ( Cervus canadensis ). Butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM) and nalbuphine-medetomidine-azaperone (NalMed-A) are compounded drug combinations that are lower-scheduled in the US than drugs historically used for elk immobilizations. We compared BAM and NalMed-A for immobilization of free-ranging elk using free-darting and Clover trapping. From January 2020 to April 2022, 196 female elk were immobilized in Pennsylvania, USA. We report vital rates, induction and recovery times, and the need for supplemental drugs. We built mixed-effects logistic regression models to describe differences between drug choice based on induction and recovery times, capture method, and individual variation. Several models were competing, including our null model, which suggests that BAM and NalMed-A are comparable based on the parameters we evaluated. Supplemental drug administration was more frequently needed in NalMed-A immobilizations (21.2%) than in BAM immobilizations (9.0%). Overall, we found minor differences between BAM and NalMed-A, both of which appear to be effective for immobilizing elk in both free-darting and Clover trapping scenarios when performing moderately invasive, minimally painful procedures on free-ranging elk.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2013

Volcano crisis response at Yellowstone volcanic complex - after-action report for exercise held at Salt Lake City, Utah, November 15, 2011

A functional tabletop exercise was run on November 14-15, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to test crisis response capabilities, communication protocols, and decision-making by the staff of the multi-agency Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) as they reacted to a hypothetical exercise scenario of accelerating volcanic unrest at the Yellowstone caldera. The exercise simulated a rapid build-up of seismic activity, ground deformation, and hot-spring water-chemistry and temperature anomalies that culminated in a small- to moderate-size phreatomagmatic eruption within Yellowstone National Park. The YVO scientific team's responses to the unfolding events in the scenario and to simulated requests for information by stakeholders and the media were assessed by (a) the exercise organizers; (b) several non-YVO scientists, who observed and queried participants, and took notes throughout the exercise; and (c) the participants themselves, who kept logs of their actions during the exercise and later participated in a group debriefing session and filled out detailed questionnaires. These evaluations were tabulated, interpreted, and summarized for this report, and on the basis of this information, recommendations have been made. Overall, the YVO teams performed their jobs very well. The exercise revealed that YVO scientists were able to successfully provide critical hazards information, issue information statements, and appropriately raise alert levels during a fast-moving crisis. Based on the exercise, it is recommended that several measures be taken to increase YVO effectiveness during a crisis: 1. Improve role clarification within and between YVO science teams. 2. Improve communications tools and protocols for data-sharing and consensus-building among YVO scientists, who are geographically and administratively dispersed among various institutions across the United States. 3. Familiarize YVO staff with Incident Command System (ICS) procedures and protocols, and provide more in-depth training to appropriate staff members, as needed. 4. Train all science team members in the use of all analytical and computational tools available to them, in order to maximize effectiveness of teams in tracking and interpreting possible accelerating unrest at Yellowstone. Desirable pre-crisis preparations include: (a) updating a catalog of existing map and information products (and identifying additional products) that would be helpful during a crisis; (b) creating "to do" lists of early-crisis tasks for each scientific team; (c) coordinating radio frequencies among partner agencies; and (d) brief training on and promotion of the internal YVO Web log as a repository for scientific observations, data, photographs, and other material to be shared among YVO scientific teams during a crisis. This exercise was designed as an opportunity to practice response to a fast-developing volcano crisis and to test for organizational and procedural weaknesses that could emerge during a real crisis. This report is based upon the observations of the exercise organizers during the one-day exercise and upon written evaluations by the participants. It does not attempt to evaluate any other aspect of YVO or the scientific expertise of any of the highly competent YVO staff. Participants unanimously found the exercise to be helpful for improving their response capabilities, and it is our hope that the report will be a starting point for internal discussions that will make YVO even better-prepared for some future volcano crisis.

Utah↗
USGS2004

The legacy of contaminated sediments in Boston Harbor

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have assembled a significant body of data that is now in a usable form. The USGS adopted an interdisciplinary approach to begin the pioneering effort at data rescue. This work involved collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). More than 100,000 sediment chemistry analyses from over 1,500 samples were gleaned from 500 references, compiled, and scientifically edited by the USGS and other workers for use in studies of the distribution and fate of contaminants.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2016

Historical files from Federal Government mineral exploration-assistance programs, 1950 to 1974

The Defense Minerals Administration (DMA), Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA), and Office of Minerals Exploration (OME) mineral exploration programs were active over the period 1950–1974. Under these programs, the Federal Government contributed financial assistance in the exploration for certain strategic and critical minerals. The information about a mining property that was collected under these programs was placed in files called dockets. A docket is a collection of material (application, contract, correspondence, maps, reports, results) about a property for which an individual applied for exploration assistance from the Federal Government. Information found in dockets describe where mineral deposits were examined, what was found, and whether it was mined. As such, they provide very useful information to private industry regarding potential and non-potential prospect areas, provide the U.S. Geological Survey with useful information on mineral occurrences that are used in national assessments for particular mineral deposits, and provide other U.S. Federal agencies (Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, and Environmental Protection Agency) information relevant to land management, permitting, and leasing.

Data Series↗
USGS2008

Sidescan-sonar imagery and surficial geologic interpretations of the sea floor in central Rhode Island Sound

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to interpret the surficial geology of areas along the northeastern coast of the United States. During 2004, the NOAA Ship RUDE conducted Hydrographic Survey H11321 in Rhode Island Sound. This sidescan-sonar and bathymetry survey covers an area of 93 km? located 12 km southeast of Brenton Point, RI in water depths of 28-39 m (fig. 1). The purpose of this report is to delineate sea floor features and sedimentary environments of this area in central Rhode Island Sound using sidescan-sonar and bathymetric data from NOAA Survey H11321 and seismic-reflection data from a previous USGS field study (Needell and others, 1983a). This is important for the study of benthic habitats and provides a framework for future research. Prior work in this area includes the mapping of surface sediments and surficial geology. McMaster (1960) collected sediment samples from Rhode Island Sound and Narragansett Bay and mapped our study area as having a sandy sea floor. In addition, one sample of sand from the National Ocean Service (NOS) Hydrographic Database came from a location in the northeast part of our study area in 1939 (fig. 2; Poppe and others, 2003). McMaster and others (1968) used seismic-reflection profiles to map the locations of a cuesta of Cretaceous sediments crossing Rhode Island Sound and post-Cretaceous drainage channels. Knebel and others (1982) identified sedimentary environments in Rhode Island Sound using sidescan sonographs. Needell and others (1983b) studied the Quaternary geology and mapped the structure, sedimentary environments, and geologic hazards in Rhode Island Sound using sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection data. Sidescan-sonar and bathymetric data from NOAA Survey H11320, which overlaps the far eastern edge of our study area, was interpreted to consist of basins surrounded by a moraine and bathymetric highs composed of till with areas of rocks, sand waves, hummocks, glaciolacustrine erosional outliers, small scarps and elongate hills (fig. 1; McMullen and others, 2007). Some of those features extend into this study area.

Rhode Island↗
USGS1977

Catalog of seismograph stations operated in support of the ERDA Nevada Operations Office, January 1964 thru June 1976

The seismograph stations listed in this catalog were established over the period January 1964 through June 1976 in support of the Energy Research and Development Administration, Nevada (ERDA/NV) underground weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), central Nevada, and Amchitka, Alaska. For station listings before 1964 see Coast and Geodetic Survey publication, "Seismic Data Summary Nuclear Detonation Program 1961 through 1963", by W. V. Mickey and T. R. Shugart, January 1964. Coordinates of stations instrumented for ERDA's Industrial Application Division (IAD, Plowshare) events are published in separate reports (Appendix A, page 66). In addition to the stations for monitoring the testing program, other stations established for specific seismicity studies, such as the Aleutian Seismicity Network, are also listed.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2015

U.S. Geological Survey groundwater toolbox, a graphical and mapping interface for analysis of hydrologic data (version 1.0): user guide for estimation of base flow, runoff, and groundwater recharge from streamflow data

This report is a user guide for the streamflow-hydrograph analysis methods provided with version 1.0 of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Groundwater Toolbox computer program. These include six hydrograph-separation methods to determine the groundwater-discharge (base-flow) and surface-runoff components of streamflow—the Base-Flow Index (BFI; Standard and Modified), HYSEP (Fixed Interval, Sliding Interval, and Local Minimum), and PART methods—and the RORA recession-curve displacement method and associated RECESS program to estimate groundwater recharge from streamflow data. The Groundwater Toolbox is a customized interface built on the nonproprietary, open source MapWindow geographic information system software. The program provides graphing, mapping, and analysis capabilities in a Microsoft Windows computing environment. In addition to the four hydrograph-analysis methods, the Groundwater Toolbox allows for the retrieval of hydrologic time-series data (streamflow, groundwater levels, and precipitation) from the USGS National Water Information System, downloading of a suite of preprocessed geographic information system coverages and meteorological data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Climatic Data Center, and analysis of data with several preprocessing and postprocessing utilities. With its data retrieval and analysis tools, the Groundwater Toolbox provides methods to estimate many of the components of the water budget for a hydrologic basin, including precipitation; streamflow; base flow; runoff; groundwater recharge; and total, groundwater, and near-surface evapotranspiration.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1976

Ground-water resources of the Barre-Montpelier area, Vermont

A study of the ground-water resources of the Barre - Montpelier area (fig. 1), Washington County, was begun in 1968 as part of a cooperative program between the Vermont Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey. The purpose of the study is to provide technical appraisal of potential sources of water to meet the expanded needs of most towns in Washington County, as pointed out by the Rural Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan (Vermont Department Water Resources, 1969). Funding was made available by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farmers Home Administration, for water-resources exploration, including the testing of the quantity and quality of the water in sand and gravel aquifers. The geology of the area was mapped, and private and municipal water supplies were inventoried in 1968.

Vermont↗
USGS2007

ASTER and USGS EROS emergency imaging for hurricane disasters

Satellite images have been extremely useful in a variety of emergency response activities, including hurricane disasters. This article discusses the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Joint United States-Japan Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Science Team, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in responding to crisis situations by tasking the ASTER instrument and rapidly providing information to initial responders. Insight is provided on the characteristics of the ASTER systems, and specific details are presented regarding Hurricane Katrina support.

Circular↗
USGS2007

Sea-floor character and sedimentary processes of Great Round Shoal Channel, offshore Massachusetts

The imagery, interpretive data layers, and data presented herein were derived from multibeam echo-sounder and sidescan-sonar data collected in the vicinity of Great Round Shoal Channel, the main passage through shoals located at the eastern entrance to Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, and from the stations occupied to verify these acoustic data (fig. 1). Basic data layers show sea-floor topography, sun-illuminated shaded relief, and backscatter intensity; interpretive layers show the distributions of surficial sediment, sedimentary environments, and sea-floor features. Presented verification data include sediment grain-size analyses and a gallery of still photographs of the seabed. The multibeam and sidescan data, which together cover an approximately 39.9-km² area of sea floor, were collected during National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hydrographic survey H11079 (fig. 1). Although originally collected for charting purposes, these data provide a fundamental framework for research and management activities along this part of the Massachusetts coastline (Noji and others, 2004), show the composition and terrain of the seabed, and provide information on sediment transport and benthic habitat. This publication is the third in a series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) digital reports describing the sea-floor geology around Cape Cod. The first focused on the area off the eastern shore of the outer Cape (Poppe and others, 2006); the second on a passage through the Elizabeth Islands (Poppe and others, 2007).

Massachusetts↗
USGS2003

Trends in concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish tissue from selected sites in the Delaware River basin in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 1969-98

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in fish tissue collected during the 1990's from selected sites in the Delaware River Basin were compared with concentrations in fish tissue collected during 1969-88. Data collected by State and Federal agencies on concentrations in whole-body common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) and white sucker ( Catostomus commersoni ), and edible portions of American eel ( Anguilla rostrata ), smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ), and channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) during 1969-98 were compiled to define temporal trends in concentrations of PCBs in fish tissue from selected segments of the Delaware River, Lehigh River, Schuylkill River, and Brandywine Creek. The Delaware River in the vicinity of Trenton, New Jersey and Yardley, Pennsylvania (above the tidal influence) had the largest long-term data set among the sites considered for this study and was the only site with sufficient data for statistical analysis. A general pattern of decline in PCB concentrations during 1969-98 was apparent for this river segment. PCB concentrations in whole-body white sucker from this lower Delaware River segment declined during 1969-98 from a highest concentration of 7 micrograms per gram ( μ g/g, wet weight) in a sample collected during 1972 to 0.26 μ g/g (wet weight) in a sample collected during 1998. PCB concentration was negatively correlated with year (Spearman rank correlation -0.46, p < 0.08, n = 15); especially after removal of a sample from 1977 with an unusually low concentration (Spearman rank correlation -0.53, p = 0.05, n = 14). PCB concentrations in edible flesh of American eel declined during 1975-95, from a highest concentration of 3.8 μ g/g (wet weight) in a sample collected during 1976 to less than the reporting limit of 0.26 μ g/g (wet weight) in samples collected during 1993 and 1995. PCB concentrations in most samples (for species considered in this study) collected from the lower Delaware River exceeded the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering (NAS/NAE) wildlife guideline level of 0.5 μ g/g during the 1970's and 1980's, and decreased to below this level during the 1990's. No samples of edible portions of game fish exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tolerance level by the mid 1980's. However, the PCB concentration in a smallmouth bass fillet sample that was collected during 1998 (0.37 μ g/g) exceeded the Pennsylvania fish-consumption advisory level of 0.06 μ g/g, and the concentrations in whole-body common carp and white sucker collected during 1998 (1.10 μ g/g and 0.26 μ g/g, respectively) exceeded the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wildlife criterion concentration of 0.11 μ g/g. (The concentration in carp also exceeded the 1973 NAS/NAE wildlife guideline concentration of 0.5 μ g/g.) Graphical analysis of PCB concentrations in whole white sucker and (or) edible portions of American eel from the upper Delaware River, lower Delaware River, middle Schuylkill River, and Brandywine Creek indicate a decline from the 1970's and (or) 1980's to the middle to late 1990's. Temporal trends in PCB concentrations in white sucker samples from the lower Lehigh and Schuylkill Rivers during 1979-98 are less clear; the PCB concentration (wet-weight basis) from a sample collected in 1998 from the lower Lehigh River was similar to that from a sample collected in 1979, and concentrations actually increased during 1982-98. Similarly, PCB concentrations in samples of white sucker and American eel from the lower Schuylkill River were highly variable over time.

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania↗