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

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At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Reconnaissance study of the geology of U.S. vermiculite deposits: Are asbestos minerals common constituents?

Unusually high incidences of asbestos-related mortality and respiratory disease in the small town of Libby, Montana, have been linked to amphibole mineral fibers intergrown with the vermiculite deposits mined and milled near the town from 1923 to 1990. A study conducted by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry concluded that mortality due to asbestosis in Libby mine and mill workers and residents during 1979 to 1998 was much higher than expected for a similar Montana or United States population group. Recent medical testing of past and present mineworkers and residents of Libby showed lung abnormalities in nearly one-fifth of the adult study participants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under Superfund authority, is completing sampling and cleanup of asbestos-bearing materials in the mine, mill, and town sites. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a study, reviewed herein, to investigate the mineral content of other U.S. vermiculite deposits and to determine if the amphibole asbestos minerals like those found in the Libby deposits are common in other vermiculite deposits.

Montana↗
USGS2012

Perils of correlating CUSUM-transformed variables to infer ecological relationships (Breton et al. 2006; Glibert 2010)

We comment on a nonstandard statistical treatment of time-series data first published by Breton et al. (2006) in Limnology and Oceanography and, more recently, used by Glibert (2010) in Reviews in Fisheries Science. In both papers, the authors make strong inferences about the underlying causes of population variability based on correlations between cumulative sum (CUSUM) transformations of organism abundances and environmental variables. Breton et al. (2006) reported correlations between CUSUM-transformed values of diatom biomass in Belgian coastal waters and the North Atlantic Oscillation, and between meteorological and hydrological variables. Each correlation of CUSUM-transformed variables was judged to be statistically significant. On the basis of these correlations, Breton et al. (2006) developed "the first evidence of synergy between climate and human-induced river-based nitrate inputs with respect to their effects on the magnitude of spring Phaeocystis colony blooms and their dominance over diatoms."

Limnology and Oceanography↗
USGS2021

U–Pb zircon eruption age of the Old Crow tephra and review of extant age constraints

Eruption of the Old Crow tephra deposited ~200 km 3 of volcanic ash throughout Alaska and the northwestern Yukon (eastern Beringia), providing an isochronous marker across the region on a scale unique in the Pleistocene. The Old Crow tephra represents a critical temporal piercing point used extensively to link geographically disparate stratigraphic sections and the paleo-environmental records they contain. Although the canonical age of the Old Crow suggests eruption during the transition between the glacial and interglacial periods of Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 5 and 6 at ~125 ka, recent U–Th–Pb and (U–Th)/He zircon dating of the tephra suggests eruption at ~200 ka, within MIS 7. If accurate, this revised eruption age begets significant change to existing models describing the geologic and biotic evolution of Beringia in the Pleistocene. Thus, confidently knowing the age of the tephra is critical to its time-stratigraphic utility and for past and future work in the region where the tephra has been found. With this contribution, we review existing Old Crow age constraints and present an eruption age for the tephra determined via high spatial resolution ion microprobe U–Pb surface analysis on zircon crystals isolated from source-proximal (<500 km from plausible source) pumiceous pyroclasts of the tephra. By dating only glass-mantled crystals isolated from discrete pumice clasts, we limit the potential for sample contamination from exotic crystals and resulting age bias. The young population of dates from this dataset corroborate previous radiometric dates and confirm Old Crow eruption within late MIS 7 at 207 ± 13 ka.

Alaska↗
USGS2010

An 11 000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history at Beaver Lake, Oregon, central Willamette Valley

High-resolution macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis were used to reconstruct an 11??000-year-long record of fire and vegetation history from Beaver Lake, Oregon, the first complete Holocene paleoecological record from the floor of the Willamette Valley. In the early Holocene (ca 11??000-7500 calendar years before present [cal??yr??BP]), warmer, drier summers than at present led to the establishment of xeric woodland of Quercus, Corylus, and Pseudotsuga near the site. Disturbances (i.e., floods, fires) were common at this time and as a result Alnus rubra grew nearby. High fire frequency occurred in the early Holocene from ca 11??200-9300??cal??yr??BP. Riparian forest and wet prairie developed in the middle Holocene (ca 7500??cal??yr??BP), likely the result of a decrease in the frequency of flooding and a shift to effectively cooler, wetter conditions than before. The vegetation at Beaver Lake remained generally unchanged into the late Holocene (from 4000??cal??yr??BP to present), with the exception of land clearance associated with Euro-American settlement of the valley (ca 160??cal??yr BP). Middle-to-late Holocene increases in fire frequency, coupled with abrupt shifts in fire-episode magnitude and charcoal composition, likely indicate the influence anthropogenic burning near the site. The paleoecological record from Beaver Lake, and in particular the general increase in fire frequency over the last 8500??years, differs significantly from other low-elevation sites in the Pacific Northwest, which suggests that local controls (e.g., shifts in vegetation structure, intensification of human land-use), rather than regional climatic controls, more strongly influenced its environmental history. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Oregon↗
USGS2006

Birds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are present throughout the global environment and are produced naturally and by activities of humans. Effects of PAH on birds have been determined by studies employing egg injection, egg immersion, egg shell application, single and multiple oral doses, subcutaneous injection, and chemical analysis of field-collected eggs and tissue. The four-to six-ring aromatic compounds are the most toxic to embryos, young birds, and adult birds. For embryos, effects include death, developmental abnormalities, and a variety of cellular and biochemical responses. For adult and young birds, effects include reduced egg production and hatching, increased clutch or brood abandonment, reduced growth, increased organweights, and a variety of biochemical responses. Trophic level accumulation is unlikely. Environmental exposure to PAH in areas of high human population or habitats affected by recent petroleum spills might be sufficient to adversely affect reproduction. Evidence of long-term effects of elevated concentrations of environmental PAH on bird populations is very limited and the mechanisms of effect are unclear.

Avian and Poultry Biology Reviews↗
USGS2016

Evaluation of Yersinia pestis transmission pathways for sylvatic plague in prairie dog populations in the western U.S.

Sylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis , is periodically responsible for large die-offs in rodent populations that can spillover and cause human mortalities. In the western US, prairie dog populations experience nearly 100% mortality during plague outbreaks, suggesting that multiple transmission pathways combine to amplify plague dynamics. Several alternate pathways in addition to flea vectors have been proposed, such as transmission via direct contact with bodily fluids or inhalation of infectious droplets, consumption of carcasses, and environmental sources of plague bacteria, such as contaminated soil. However, evidence supporting the ability of these proposed alternate pathways to trigger large-scale epizootics remains elusive. Here we present a short review of potential plague transmission pathways and use an ordinary differential equation model to assess the contribution of each pathway to resulting plague dynamics in black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) and their fleas ( Oropsylla hirsuta ). Using our model, we found little evidence to suggest that soil contamination was capable of producing plague epizootics in prairie dogs. However, in the absence of flea transmission, direct transmission, i.e., contact with bodily fluids or inhalation of infectious droplets, could produce enzootic dynamics, and transmission via contact with or consumption of carcasses could produce epizootics. This suggests that these pathways warrant further investigation.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Dakota, Dakota, Ida↗
USGS2002

Practical application of disease resistance: A brook trout fishery selected for resistance to furunculosis

Selection is unwittingly influenced by nuances of fish culturists and adaptation of fish to intensive culture within artificial environments. When pathogens are present, susceptible individuals may be selectively eliminated from a population, accounting for inter-specific and intra-specific differences in susceptibility to disease. Biologists often intensify such selection to enhance resistance. Particularly important to this discourse is the selective breeding program initiated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Rome, NY, USA) to produce brown trout ( Salmo salar ) and brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) that are resistant to Aeromonas salmonicida . This program, specifically as it relates to brook trout, is reviewed throughout the current manuscript. In addition, we present a comparison between the performance of the Rome strain of brook trout to that of the Owhi strain of brook trout during a 17-month production cycle at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station (Grand Isle, VT, USA) and after stocking into Vermont waters. The Owhi strain is used in recreational fisheries because it has good post-stocking survival, but these fish are sensitive to furunculosis. Our data indicated that the Rome strain had a food conversion rate of 1.3 that was slightly less than the 1.1 conversion rate of the Owhi brook trout. The growth rate measured as Monthly Temperature Units per inch (MTU/in.) among Rome brook trout (24.9 MTU/in.) was better than the Owhi brook trout (29.5 MTU/in.). Both the average length (23.6 cm) and weight (159.7 g) of individual Rome brook trout were superior to those of the Owhi strain (20.4 cm and 78.2 g, respectively). Just prior to stocking, survival within the hatchery was 84% among the Rome trout, but only 51% among the Owhi brook trout and mortality was attributed to a persistent epizootic of furunculosis. Microbiological assays indicated that the prevalence of A. salmonicida in dermal mucus attained equivalent levels within both strains of fish at different phases of the production cycle. The level of systemic infection, however, was regulated to a much greater extent by the Rome strain of brook trout throughout production. Our results indicated that the Rome brook trout strain satisfies management objectives for establishing an effective recreational brook trout fishery. Use of this strain also reduces management issues that complicate production when A. salmonicida is enzootic.

Vermont↗
USGS2010

Assessment of PDMS-water partition coefficients: implications for passive environmental sampling of hydrophobic organic compounds

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has shown potential as an in situ passive-sampling technique in aquatic environments. The reliability of this method depends upon accurate determination of the partition coefficient between the fiber coating and water (K f ). For some hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs), K f values spanning 4 orders of magnitude have been reported for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and water. However, 24% of the published data examined in this review did not pass the criterion for negligible depletion, resulting in questionable K f values. The range in reported K f is reduced to just over 2 orders of magnitude for some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) when these questionable values are removed. Other factors that could account for the range in reported K f , such as fiber-coating thickness and fiber manufacturer, were evaluated and found to be insignificant. In addition to accurate measurement of K f , an understanding of the impact of environmental variables, such as temperature and ionic strength, on partitioning is essential for application of laboratory-measured K f values to field samples. To date, few studies have measured K f for HOCs at conditions other than at 20 degrees or 25 degrees C in distilled water. The available data indicate measurable variations in K f at different temperatures and different ionic strengths. Therefore, if the appropriate environmental variables are not taken into account, significant error will be introduced into calculated aqueous concentrations using this passive sampling technique. A multiparameter linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) was developed to estimate log K f in distilled water at 25 degrees C based on published physicochemical parameters. This method provided a good correlation (R2 = 0.94) between measured and predicted log K f values for several compound classes. Thus, an LSER approach may offer a reliable means of predicting log K f for HOCs whose experimental log K f values are presently unavailable. Future research should focus on understanding the impact of environmental variables on K f . Obtaining the data needed for an LSER approach to estimate K f for all environmentally relevant HOCs would be beneficial to the application of SPME as a passive-sampling technique.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1990

Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.): A literature review

Sago pondweed ( Potamogeton pectinatus L.) is a submersed macrophyte of nearly cosmopolitan distribution. The plant is of worldwide importance as a waterfowl food but also can be a nuisance in irrigation canals and recreational areas. The plant reproduces by many different means, depending on habitat and environmental stress. Several genetic ecotypes have evolved. Most important as waterfowl food are the turions (tubers), vegetative propagules rich in carbohydrates that are mostly buried in bottom sediments. In temperate wetlands, most turions sprout in spring, making sago behave as an annual. Drupelets (seeds) are the sexual propagules of sago and provide a mechanism for sago to survive periods of drought and excessive water salinity. Drupelets can be washed ashore or carried by birds for long distances. Sago decomposes rapidly at senescence, annually in temperate wetlands. Sago is mostly found in semipermanently or permanently flooded mixosaline lacustrine, palustrine, and riverine wetlands < 2.5 m deep, where fetches are not large or currents are < 1 m/s. Sago seems to prefer stable water levels but can tolerate significant water level fluctuations. Among the Potamogetons, only sago tolerates high salinity, pH, and alkalinity, but it fares poorly among specialist taxa in acidic or nutrient-poor waters. Sago is highly tolerant of eutrophic waters, and it can be the only species of submersed macrophyte present in heavily polluted sites. Sago grows in nearly all bottom substrates. Turbidity is the factor that most frequently limits sago growth. Sago often occurs in monotypic stands but can grow with many other submersed and emergent macrophytes. Dominance by sago in certain wetlands sometimes alternates with dominance by other submersed macrophytes when salinities or other environmental factors change. Sago also can be associated with a large variety of unattached filamentous, planktonic, or epiphytic algae. Increased turbidity caused by planktonic algae often is responsible for lowered sago production. Less common biotic limiting factors are organic pollutants and consumption and uprooting by waterfowl and fish. Sago provides food or shelter for amphibians, reptiles, fish, and mammals. The greatest value of sago in North America is as food for migrant and staging waterfowl, primarily diving ducks and swans. Sago beds also provide habitat for a large complex of invertebrates (an important food source for young waterfowl), but direct consumption of living sago by invertebrates is negligible. Sago has been propagated for many years-indoors, as an experimental organism for work in plant physiology or herbicide testing, and outdoors, for purposes of attracting waterfowl. Much work has also been done developing methods to control excessive sago growth in fishponds and irrigation canals. Future research should concentrate on (1) determining, in a variety of wetland types, the causes of light-limiting turbidity that often suppresses sago growth, (2) understanding the ways in which human activities on and near wetlands affect sago production, and (3) developing reliable and predictable techniques to stimulate sago production for waterfowl by using water level manipulations and other means, in a variety of environmental settings.

Resource Publication↗
USGS2009

Toward immunogenetic studies of amphibian chytridiomycosis: Linking innate and acquired immunity

Recent declines in amphibian diversity and abundance have contributed significantly to the global loss of biodiversity. The fungal disease chytridiomycosis is widely considered to be a primary cause of these declines, yet the critical question of why amphibian species differ in susceptibility remains unanswered. Considerable evidence links environmental conditions and interspecific variability of the innate immune system to differential infection responses, but other sources of individual, population, or species-typical variation may also be important. In this article we review the preliminary evidence supporting a role for acquired immune defenses against chytridiomycosis, and advocate for targeted investigation of genes controlling acquired responses, as well as those that functionally bridge the innate and acquired immune systems. Immunogenetic data promise to answer key questions about chytridiomycosis susceptibility and host-pathogen coevolution, and will draw much needed attention to the importance of considering evolutionary processes in amphibian conservation management and practice. ?? 2009 by American Institute of Biological Sciences.

BioScience↗
USGS2012

High shrew diversity on Alaska's Seward Peninsula: Community assembly and environmental change

In September 2010, 6 species of shrews (genus: Sorex ) were collected at a single locality on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. Such high sympatric diversity within a single mammalian genus is seldom realized. This phenomenon at high latitudes highlights complex Arctic community dynamics that reflect significant turnover through time as a consequence of environmental change. Each of these shrew species occupies a broad geographic distribution collectively spanning the entire Holarctic, although the study site lies within Eastern Beringia, near the periphery of all individual ranges. A review of published genetic evidence reflects a depauperate shrew community within ice-free Beringia through the last glaciation, and recent assembly of current diversity during the Holocene.

Alaska↗
USGS2015

Lakes and reservoirs—Guidelines for study design and sampling

The “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data” (NFM) is an online report with separately published chapters that provides the protocols and guidelines by which U.S. Geological Survey personnel obtain the data used to assess the quality of the Nation’s surface-water and groundwater resources. Chapter A10 reviews limnological principles, describes the characteristics that distinguish lakes from reservoirs, and provides guidance for developing temporal and spatial sampling strategies and data-collection approaches to be used in lake and reservoir environmental investigations. Within this chapter are references to other chapters of the NFM that provide more detailed guidelines related to specific topics and more detailed protocols for the quality assurance and assessment of the lake and reservoir data. Protocols and procedures to address and document the quality of lake and reservoir investigations are adapted from, or referenced to, the protocols and standard operating procedures contained in related chapters of this NFM. Before 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data” (NFM) chapters were released in the USGS Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations series. Effective in 2018, new and revised NFM chapters are being released in the USGS Techniques and Methods series; this series change does not affect the content and format of the NFM. More information is in the general introduction to the NFM (USGS Techniques and Methods, book 9, chapter A0, 2018) at https://doi.org/10.3133/tm9A0 . The authoritative current versions of NFM chapters are available in the USGS Publications Warehouse at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov . Comments, questions, and suggestions related to the NFM can be addressed to nfm-owq@usgs.gov .

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS2013

Web-based flood database for Colorado, water years 1867 through 2011

In order to provide a centralized repository of flood information for the State of Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Transportation, created a Web-based geodatabase for flood information from water years 1867 through 2011 and data for paleofloods occurring in the past 5,000 to 10,000 years. The geodatabase was created using the Environmental Systems Research Institute ArcGIS JavaScript Application Programing Interface 3.2. The database can be accessed at http://cwscpublic2.cr.usgs.gov/projects/coflood/COFloodMap.html. Data on 6,767 flood events at 1,597 individual sites throughout Colorado were compiled to generate the flood database. The data sources of flood information are indirect discharge measurements that were stored in U.S. Geological Survey offices (water years 1867–2011), flood data from indirect discharge measurements referenced in U.S. Geological Survey reports (water years 1884–2011), paleoflood studies from six peer-reviewed journal articles (data on events occurring in the past 5,000 to 10,000 years), and the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System peak-discharge database (water years 1883–2010). A number of tests were performed on the flood database to ensure the quality of the data. The Web interface was programmed using the Environmental Systems Research Institute ArcGIS JavaScript Application Programing Interface 3.2, which allows for display, query, georeference, and export of the data in the flood database. The data fields in the flood database used to search and filter the database include hydrologic unit code, U.S. Geological Survey station number, site name, county, drainage area, elevation, data source, date of flood, peak discharge, and field method used to determine discharge. Additional data fields can be viewed and exported, but the data fields described above are the only ones that can be used for queries.

Colorado↗
USGS2011

The humpbacked species richness-curve: A contingent rule for community ecology

Functional relationships involving species richness may be unimodal, monotonically increasing, monotonically decreasing, bimodal, multimodal, U-shaped, or with no discernable pattern. The unimodal relationships are the most interesting because they suggest dynamic, nonequilibrium community processes. For that reason, they are also contentious. In this paper, we provide a wide-ranging review of the literature on unimodal (humpbacked) species richness-relationships. Though not as widespread as previously thought, unimodal patterns of species richness are often associated with disturbance, predation and herbivory, productivity, spatial heterogeneity, environmental gradients, time, and latitude. These unimodal patterns are contingent on organism and environment; we examine unimodal species richness-curves involving plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, plankton, and microbes in marine, lacustrine, and terrestrial habitats. A goal of future research is to understand the contingent patterns and the complex, interacting processes that generate them.

International Journal of Ecology↗
USGS1971

Water table in Long Island, New York, March 1971

The geologic framework and the hydrologic situation in Long Island are periodically reviewed by the U.S. Geological Survey as new knowledge is obtained from current investigations. This work is done through cooperative programs with Nassau and Suffolk County agencies and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A unique opportunity to update many of the hydrogeologic maps occurred when the Geological Survey's Mineola, N.Y., office participated in the New England River Basins Commission's "Long Island Sound Study." This map, one of a series of open-file maps showing the updated information, was compiled from data obtained from G. E. Kimmel (written commun., July 1972) and Jensen and Soren (in press). Comparison of the March 1971 data with similar data for March 1970 (Kimmel, 1970) shows virtually no change in water levels on Long Island during the 12 month period, except for a slight decline in levels in central Suffolk County.

New York↗
USGS2020

Quality assurance/quality control procedure for New Jersey’s water-use data for the New Jersey Water Transfer Data System (NJWaTr)

This report is an instructional reference document that describes methods developed and used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New Jersey Water Science Center (NJWSC) to assure the quality and completeness of water-use data as provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Bureau of Water Allocation. These data are owned wholly by the State of New Jersey. The role of the USGS NJWSC is to assure the quality of these data by compiling, reviewing, and checking the datasets before uploading them into the New Jersey Water Transfer Data System (NJWaTr) database on an annual basis. The complete uploaded version of the NJWaTr database serves as the repository for New Jersey’s approved and published water-use data. The State of New Jersey maintains a public-facing version of the NJWaTr database (available online at https://www.nj.gov/dep/njgs/geodata/dgs10-3.htm ) that contains monthly water-use data at the municipality and 14-digit Hydrologic Unit Code subwatershed level. The protected version of the NJWaTr database that contains monthly site-specific water-use data is available from the NJDEP upon request.

New Jersey↗
USGS2021

Human-polar bear interactions

Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are driven fundamentally by overlapping space and resources. As competition intensifies, the likelihood of interaction and conflict increases. In turn, conflict may impede conservation efforts by lowering social tolerance of wildlife, especially when human-wildlife conflict (HWC) poses a threat to human safety and economic well-being. Thus, mitigating conflict is one of the most consequential components of a wildlife management program, particularly for large carnivores. However, unlike other large carnivores, the causative factors and conservation consequences of interactions between humans and polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) are poorly understood. Historically, mitigation of human-polar bear conflict has been a low management priority with the exception of a few locations where conflict had been a chronic concern. In part, this was because of low human densities in most of the Arctic and sea ice act as a physical barrier regulating the frequency of human-polar bear interactions. However, as the Arctic has warmed, anthropogenic activities have increased, and polar bears have become more reliant on land. As a result, mitigating interaction and conflict between humans and polar bears has become a growing concern. In this chapter, we explore the nexus of polar bear and human behavior and environmental change in driving the nature and intensity of human-polar bear interaction and conflict. We first provide an overview of behaviors that contribute to the occurrence of interactions and conflicts. We then review historical and contemporary drivers of interaction and conflict and examine how climate-mediated changes to Arctic marine and terrestrial environments are likely to influence distribution and types of future incidents. We close by proposing a conceptual framework that conservationists and managers can use to mitigate the likelihood of future human-polar bear conflict in a rapidly changing Arctic.

Book chapter↗
USGS2021

Review: “Jacob’s Zoo”— How using Jacob’s method for aquifer testing leads to more intuitive understanding of aquifer characteristics

The interpretation of aquifer responses to pumping tests is an important tool for assessing aquifer geometry and properties, which are critical in the assessment of water resources or in environmental remediation. However, the responses of aquifers, measured by time-drawdown relationships in monitoring wells, are nonunique solutions that are affected by many factors. Jacob’s Zoo is a collection of graphical interpretations that allows students and practitioners to develop an intuitive feel for how natural hydrogeological systems work, and develop a set of skills that provide a better understanding of aquifer properties far beyond interpretation of pumping tests. Jacob’s Zoo, based on the work of Jacob (1950), fosters a deeper understanding, although few practitioners realize the full utility of the method. Jacob CE (1950) Flow of groundwater, In: Rouse H (ed) Engineering Hydraulics, Wiley, New York. P 321–386.

Hydrogeology Journal↗