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At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
USGS2010

Changes in the North American ferroalloys industry structure and trends in the industry during the past 20 years

This analysis of changes in the North American (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) ferroalloys industry between 1987 and 2007 includes the locations and types of ferroalloy plants in North America and the changes in production, imports, exports, pricing, and the structure of ownership since 1987, which was just prior to the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Significant events affect the supply of and demand for North American ferroalloys -- changes in end uses, global industry structure, political stability, and technology. Mergers and acquisitions in the ferroalloys industries of North America and their impact on trade are other significant issues in international trade as are antidumping and countervailing duty orders, and trade agreements and policies related to ferroalloys occurring during this period and affecting the North American region. Raw materials and energy supply to the ferroalloy industry, the logistics involved in the trade of North American ferroalloys, and the use of ferroalloys within major downstream industries are also important factors. Emphasis is placed on the bulk ferroalloys—ferrochromium, ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, and silicomanganese. Other ferroalloys investigated include those of boron, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, titanium, tungsten, and vanadium.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2013

A conceptual framework for Lake Michigan coastal/nearshore ecosystems, with application to Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) objectives

The Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) within the Great Lakes region are examples of broad-scale, collaborative resource-management efforts that require a sound ecosystems approach. Yet, the LaMP process is lacking a holistic framework that allows these individual actions to be planned and understood within the broader context of the Great Lakes ecosystem. In this paper we (1) introduce a conceptual framework that unifies ideas and language among Great Lakes managers and scientists, whose focus areas range from tributary watersheds to open-lake waters, and (2) illustrate how the framework can be used to outline the geomorphic, hydrologic biological, and societal processes that underlie several goals of the Lake Michigan LaMP, thus providing a holistic and fairly comprehensive roadmap for tackling these challenges. For each selected goal, we developed a matrix that identifies the key ecosystem processes within the cell for each lake zone and each discipline; we then provide one example where a process is poorly understood and a second where a process is understood, but its impact or importance is unclear. Implicit in these objectives was our intention to highlight the importance of the Great Lakes coastal/nearshore zone. Although the coastal/nearshore zone is the important linkage zone between the watershed and open-lake zones—and is the zone where most LaMP issues are focused--scientists and managers have a relatively poor understanding of how the coastal/nearshore zone functions. We envision follow-up steps including (1) collaborative development of a more detailed and more complete conceptual model of how (and where) identified processes are thought to function, and (2) a subsequent gap analysis of science and monitoring priorities.

Lake Michigan↗
USGS2026

Preface to the focus section on intraplate earthquakes

More than a half century after plate tectonics provided an overarching framework to explain earthquakes along active plate boundaries, numerous theories have been proposed to explain where, why, and how often earthquakes occur well away from active plate boundaries, but a paradigm remains elusive. Even the classification of earthquakes away from active plate boundaries as "intraplate" raises issues, with potentially important distinctions between Stable Continental Regions and more actively deforming regions including passive margins and failed rifts. Some of the largest known intraplate earthquakes themselves remain enigmatic, having occurred before the modern instrumental era. Hazard assessments are often data-limited: low fault-slip rates relative to landscape modification rates result in poor discoverability of fault sources, challenging the characterization of source zones and earthquake recurrence; the completeness and homogenization of instrumental earthquake catalogs using uncertain magnitude conversions can lead to uncertainties in earthquake recurrence; and, limited strong-motion observations for large-magnitude events at near-source distances leads to uncertainties in the selection and development of ground-motion models for seismic hazard studies. Data from recent intraplate earthquakes around the world—from the moment magnitude M 7.7 2001 Bhuj, India, earthquake 25 years ago to the 2024 M 4.8 Tewksbury, New Jersey earthquake—have yielded both new insights and new questions. The papers in this special focus discuss many of the long-standing challenges involved with intraplate earthquake investigations and provide a snapshot of the state of the art with current research to advance our understanding.

Seismological Research Letters↗
USGS2013

Shear-wave velocity-based probabilistic and deterministic assessment of seismic soil liquefaction potential

Shear-wave velocity (V s ) offers a means to determine the seismic resistance of soil to liquefaction by a fundamental soil property. This paper presents the results of an 11-year international project to gather new V s site data and develop probabilistic correlations for seismic soil liquefaction occurrence. Toward that objective, shear-wave velocity test sites were identified, and measurements made for 301 new liquefaction field case histories in China, Japan, Taiwan, Greece, and the United States over a decade. The majority of these new case histories reoccupy those previously investigated by penetration testing. These new data are combined with previously published case histories to build a global catalog of 422 case histories of V s liquefaction performance. Bayesian regression and structural reliability methods facilitate a probabilistic treatment of the V s catalog for performance-based engineering applications. Where possible, uncertainties of the variables comprising both the seismic demand and the soil capacity were estimated and included in the analysis, resulting in greatly reduced overall model uncertainty relative to previous studies. The presented data set and probabilistic analysis also help resolve the ancillary issues of adjustment for soil fines content and magnitude scaling factors.

Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engin↗
USGS1997

Coordination and standardization of federal sedimentation activities

In August 1964, the Bureau of the Budget issued Circular A-67 to set forth guidelines for the coordination of water-data acquisition activities throughout the Federal government. The U.S. Department of the Interior was assigned the task of implementing Circular A-67, which in turn redelegated this responsibility to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Delegation of the lead responsibility for water-data coordination to the USGS occurred because of its historical role as the primary agency for water-data acquisition in the United States. To provide overall leadership for implementing the provisions of Circular A-67, the USGS established the Office of Water Data Coordination in the Water Resources Division (WRD). In addition, regional and district offices of the WRD were delegated responsibility for coordinating water data within their geographic areas of responsibility. On December 10, 1991, the Office of Management and Budget issued OMB Number Memorandum M-92-01, which expands the USGS's coordination role to encompass all water information. This includes data critical to water resources in the following categories: - surface- and ground-water quality and quantity, - sediment, - constituent transport, - erosion, - water chemistry, and - precipitation information critical to water resources management. Memorandum M-92-01 covers primarily freshwater bodies and includes activities, such as "development and distribution of consensus standards, field-data collection and laboratory analytical methods, data processing and interpretation, data-base management, quality control and quality assurance, and water- resources appraisals, assessments, and investigations." Research activities are not included.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2003

Climate effects of pacific decadal oscillation on streamflow of the Feather River, California

The timing of maximum monthly-mean streamflow for the Feather River in northern California has come earlier in the year in recent decades (since the 1950s), as have timings in most rivers throughout California and the western United States. Much of the timing shift in the Feather River basin appears to coincide with interdecadal changes in the North Pacific climate regime. The coincident timing changes are seen as a shift in the month of maximum streamflow from April-May during the cooler Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) phase to March-April during the warmer phase. The change in streamflow timing in the Feather River basin became an issue during the testing of a new set of watershed models of inflow to Lake Oroville, because model performance degraded in simulations of recent years (1998-2001). The model calibration period (1971-97) was dominated by the warmer (1977-98) PDO phase. However, the 1998-2001 period mostly corresponds to a newly reestablished cool PDO (beginning late 1998). Simulations during 1998-2001 failed to reproduce streamflow as well as simulations of the calibration period, probably because some model parameters, like those associated with rain-snow mixes or temperature and precipitation distributions, are not calibrated for climatic conditions that occur during a cool PDO.

California↗
USGS2008

Hazard information management during the autumn 2004 reawakening of Mount St. Helens volcano, Washington

The 2004 reawakening of Mount St. Helens quickly caught the attention of government agencies as well as the international news media and the public. Immediate concerns focused on a repeat of the catastrophic landslide and blast event of May 18, 1980, which remains a vivid memory for many individuals. Within several days of the onset of accelerating seismicity, media inquiries increased exponentially. Personnel at the U.S. Geological Survey, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest soon handled hundreds of press inquiries and held several press briefings per day. About one week into the event, a Joint Information Center was established to help maintain a consistent hazard message and to provide a centralized information source about volcanic activity, hazards, area closures, and media briefings. Scientists, public-affairs specialists, and personnel from emergency-management, health, public-safety, and land-management agencies answered phones, helped in press briefings and interviews, and managed media access to colleagues working on science and safety issues. For scientists, in addition to managing the cycle of daily fieldwork, challenges included (1) balancing accurate interpretations of data under crisis conditions with the need to share information quickly, (2) articulating uncertainties for a variety of volcanic scenarios, (3) minimizing scientific jargon, and (4) frequently updating and effectively distributing talking points. Success of hazard information management during a volcanic crisis depends largely on scientists’ clarity of communication and thorough preplanning among interagency partners. All parties must commit to after-action evaluation and improvement of communication plans, incorporating lessons learned during each event.

Washington↗
USGS2007

Sources of seasonal water-supply forecast skill in the western US

Many water supplies in the western US depend on water that is stored in snowpacks and reservoirs during the cool, wet seasons for release and use in the following warm seasons. Managers of these water supplies must decide each winter how much water will be available in subsequent seasons so that they can proactively capture and store water and can make reliable commitments for later deliveries. Long-lead water-supply forecasts are thus important components of water managers' decisionmaking. Present-day operational water-supply forecasts draw skill from observations of the amount of water in upland snowpacks, along with estimates of the amount of water otherwise available (often via surrogates for antecedent precipitation, soil moisture or baseflows). Occasionally, the historical hydroclimatic influences of various global climate conditions may be factored in to forecasts. The relative contributions of (potential) forecast skill for January-March and April-July seasonal water- supply availability from these sources are mapped across the western US as lag correlations among elements of the inputs and outputs from a physically based, regional land-surface hydrology model of the western US from 1950-1999. Information about snow-water contents is the most valuable predictor for forecasts made through much of the cool-season but, before the snows begin to fall, indices of El Nino-Southern Oscillation are the primary source of whatever meager skill is available. The contributions to forecast skill made available by knowledge of antecedent flows (a traditional predictor) and soil moisture at the time the long-lead forecast is issued are compared, to gain insights into the potential usefulness of new soil-moisture monitoring options in the region. When similar computations are applied to simulated flows under historical conditions, but with a uniform +2°C warming imposed, the widespread diminution of snowpacks reduces forecast skills, although skill contributed by measures of antecedent moisture conditions (soil moisture or baseflows) grow in stature, relative to snowpacks, in partial compensation. Forecast skills, e.g., of March forecasts for April-July water supplies from those parts of the region that yield the majority of the runoff, decline by an average of about 15% of captured variance in response to the imposed warming.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2008

New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. IV: Orleans East Bank (Metro) protected basin

This paper addresses damage caused by Hurricane Katrina to the main Orleans East Bank protected basin. This basin represented the heart of New Orleans, and contained the main downtown area, the historic French Quarter, the Garden District, and the sprawling Lakefront and Canal Districts. Nearly half of the loss of life during this hurricane, and a similar fraction of the overall damages, occurred in this heavily populated basin. There are a number of important geotechnical lessons, as well as geo-forensic lessons, associated with the flooding of this basin. These include the difficulties associated with the creation and operation of regional-scale flood protection systems requiring federal and local cooperation and funding over prolonged periods of time. There are also a number of engineering and policy lessons regarding (1) the accuracy and reliability of current analytical methods; (2) the shortcomings and potential dangers involved in decisions that reduced short-term capital outlays in exchange for increased risk of potential system failures; (3) the difficulties associated with integrating local issues with a flood risk reduction project; and (4) the need to design and maintain levees as systems; with each of the many individual project elements being required to mesh seamlessly. These lessons are of interest and importance for similar flood protection systems throughout numerous other regions of the United States and the world. ?? 2008 ACSE.

Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engin↗
USGS2007

Development and certification of the new SRM 695 trace elements in multi-nutrient fertilizer

During the past seven years, several states within the US have enacted regulations that limit the amounts of selected non-nutritive elements in fertilizers. Internationally, several countries, including Japan, China, and Australia, and the European Union also limit the amount of selected elements in fertilizers. The elements of interest include As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. Fertilizer manufacturers and state regulatory authorities, faced with meeting and verifying these limits, need to develop analytical methods for determination of the elements of concern and to validate results obtained using these methods. Until now, there were no certified reference materials available with certified mass fraction values for all elements of interest in a blended, multi-nutrient fertilizer matrix. A new standard reference material (SRM) 695 trace elements in multi-nutrient fertilizer, has been developed to help meet these needs. SRM 695 has recently been issued with certified mass fraction values for seventeen elements, reference values for an additional five elements, and information values for two elements. The certificate of analysis includes an addendum listing percentage recovery for eight of these elements, determined using an acid-extraction inductively-coupled plasma optical-emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) method recently developed and tested by members of the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials. ?? Springer-Verlag 2007.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2016

A semi-structured MODFLOW-USG model to evaluate local water sources to wells for decision support

In order to better represent the configuration of the stream network and simulate local groundwater-surface water interactions, a version of MODFLOW with refined spacing in the topmost layer was applied to a Lake Michigan Basin (LMB) regional groundwater-flow model developed by the U.S. Geological. Regional MODFLOW models commonly use coarse grids over large areas; this coarse spacing precludes model application to local management issues (e.g., surface-water depletion by wells) without recourse to labor-intensive inset models. Implementation of an unstructured formulation within the MODFLOW framework (MODFLOW-USG) allows application of regional models to address local problems. A “semi-structured” approach (uniform lateral spacing within layers, different lateral spacing among layers) was tested using the LMB regional model. The parent 20-layer model with uniform 5000-foot (1524-m) lateral spacing was converted to 4 layers with 500-foot (152-m) spacing in the top glacial (Quaternary) layer, where surface water features are located, overlying coarser resolution layers representing deeper deposits. This semi-structured version of the LMB model reproduces regional flow conditions, whereas the finer resolution in the top layer improves the accuracy of the simulated response of surface water to shallow wells. One application of the semi-structured LMB model is to provide statistical measures of the correlation between modeled inputs and the simulated amount of water that wells derive from local surface water. The relations identified in this paper serve as the basis for metamodels to predict (with uncertainty) surface-water depletion in response to shallow pumping within and potentially beyond the modeled area, see Fienen et al. (2015a).

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin↗
USGS2014

The role of tidal marsh restoration in fish management in the San Francisco Estuary

Tidal marsh restoration is an important management issue in the San Francisco Estuary (estuary). Restoration of large areas of tidal marsh is ongoing or planned in the lower estuary (up to 6,000 ha, Callaway et al. 2011). Large areas are proposed for restoration in the upper estuary under the Endangered Species Act biological opinions (3,237 ha) and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (26,305 ha). In the lower estuary, tidal marsh has proven its value to a wide array of species that live within it (Palaima 2012). In the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta), one important function ascribed to restoration of freshwater tidal marshes is that they make large contributions to the food web of fish in open waters (BDCP 2013). The Ecosystem Restoration Program ascribed a suite of ecological functions to tidal marsh restoration, including habitat and food web benefits to native fish (CDFW 2010). This background was the basis for a symposium, Tidal Marshes and Native Fishes in the Delta: Will Restoration Make a Difference? held at the University of California, Davis, on June 10, 2013. This paper summarizes conclusions the authors drew from the symposium.

California↗
USGS2019

Overcoming barriers to progress in seismic monitoring and characterization of debris flows and lahars

Debris flows generate seismic signals that contain valuable information about events as they unfold. Though seismic waves have been used for along-channel debris-flow and lahar monitoring systems for decades, it has proven difficult to move beyond detection to more quantitative characterizations of flow parameters and event size. This is for two primary reasons: (1) our limited understanding of how the radiated wavefield relates to debris flow characteristics and dynamics, and (2) difficulties quantifying the effects of heterogeneous shallow earth structure on the observed wavefield. The latter issue, essentially our inability to sufficiently separate seismic path effects from source information, is a barrier to improving our understanding of the first issue. We review the progress that has been made toward establishing the theory, models and methods required to use seismic observations to make quantitative measurements of flows and summarize the practical, social, and scientific barriers to progress. We discuss some specific ongoing efforts to overcome some of these barriers, with a focus on how we are using large-scale seismic experiments at the U.S. Geological Survey debris-flow flume to develop methods for directly measuring path effects and to develop and validate theoretical debris flow seismicity models.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2019

Modelling development of riparian ranchlands using ecosystem services at the Aravaipa Watershed, SE Arizona

This paper describes how subdivision and development of rangelands within a remote and celebrated semiarid watershed near the US-Mexico border might affect multiple ecohydrological services provided, such as recharge of the aquifer, water and sediment yield, water quality, flow rates and downstream cultural and natural resources. Specifically, we apply an uncalibrated watershed model and land-change forecasting scenario to consider the potential effects of converting rangelands to housing developments and document potential changes in hydrological ecosystem services. A new method to incorporate weather data in watershed modelling is introduced. Results of introducing residential development in this fragile arid environment portray changes in the water budget, including increases in surface-water runoff, water yield, and total sediment loading. Our findings also predict slight reductions in lateral soil water, a component of the water budget that is increasingly becoming recognized as critical to maintaining water availability in arid regions. We discuss how the proposed development on shrub/scrub rangelands could threaten to sever imperative ecohydrological interactions and impact multiple ecosystem services. This research highlights rangeland management issues important for the protection of open-space, economic valuation of rangeland ecosystem services, conservation easements, and incentives to develop markets for these.

Arizona↗
USGS1994

Pesticides detected in surface waters and fish of the Red River of the North drainage basin

The Red River of the North drainage basin (herein referred to as Red River Basin) within the United States is a study unit under the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The overall goals of this program, initiated to better define the status and trends of the Nation’s water quality, are to address regional and national water-quality issues in a nationally consistent manner. Pesticide contamination of surface water and fish is one focus of this program. The Red River Basin is about 90,600 square kilometers (km2 ) in area and is composed of rolling prairie with a high density of prairie-pothole wetlands to the west; a very flat glacial lake bed with drainage ditches and meandering streams in the center (Red River Valley Lake Plain); morainal hills with a mosaic of agriculture, lakes, and forest in the southeast; and a flat lake-washed till plain with extensive peatlands in the northeast (fig. 1). Stoner and others (1993) have given a more complete description of the environmental setting of the Red River Basin. Agriculture is a major component of the region’s economy, and is greatest in the Red River Valley Lake Plain. Principal crops are wheat, barley, oats, sunflowers, corn, soybeans, dry beans, potatoes, sugarbeets, alfalfa hay, and other hay. Herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide use depends on crop type and environmental stresses such as crop disease, drought, and periodic insect-pest infestation. This paper focuses on the occurrence, movement, and fate of agricultural pesticides that are applied to crops, but improper disposal, and use of pesticides for household pests, lawn care, golf courses, and home gardening can also result in contamination of the aquatic environment. Furthermore, atmospheric transport is known to transport pesticides to regions far from their source (Kurtz, 1990). Pesticide data have been collected in the Red River Basin by various Federal, State, and local agencies. Tornes and Brigham (1994) recently summarized many of these historical data. This paper summarizes selected data collected as part of the NAWQA program during 1992-93, and briefly compares these data to historical data and to pesticide usage.

Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS2018

International Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6), Reno USA, special issue on new limnogeological research focused on Holocene lake systems

The 6th International Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6) of the International Association of Limnogeology (IAL) was held in Reno, Nevada, USA 15–19 June, 2015. The successful congress brought together a wide variety of academic, government, and industry participants from 20 countries and six continents. The highpoint of the four-day meeting were eight keynote addresses highlighting cutting-edge research in paleolimnology and limnogeology. These addresses were often the focal point of discussions throughout the congress. Among the topics covered in the more than 140 poster presentations included the use of biological proxies to identify paleoenvironmental change due to natural variability and human impact, the evolution of mineral formation in saline lakes, sedimentation deposition processes in Mesoproterozoic lakes, the role of groundwater in lacustrine hydrology, and organic and inorganic contaminant histories in modern lakes.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2025

Gaps in water quality modeling of hydrologic systems

This review assesses gaps in water quality modeling, emphasizing opportunities to improve next-generation models that are essential for managing water quality and are integral to meeting goals of scientific and management agencies. In particular, this paper identifies gaps in water quality modeling capabilities that, if addressed, could support assessments, projections, and evaluations of management alternatives to support ecosystem health and human beneficial use of water resources. It covers surface water and groundwater quality modeling, dealing with a broad suite of physical, biogeochemical, and anthropogenic drivers. Modeling capabilities for six constituents (or constituent categories) are explored: water temperature, salinity, nutrients, sediment, geogenic constituents, and contaminants of emerging concern. Each constituent was followed through the coupled atmospheric-hydrologic-human system, with prominent modeling gaps described for a diverse array of relevant inputs, processes, and human activities. Commonly identified modeling gaps primarily fall under three types: (1) model gaps, (2) data gaps, and (3) process understanding gaps. In addition to potential solutions for addressing specific individual modeling limitations, some broad approaches (e.g., enhanced data collection and compilation, machine learning, reduced-complexity modeling) are discussed as ways forward for tackling multiple gaps. This gap analysis establishes a framework of diverse approaches that may support improved process representation, scale, and accuracy of models for a wide range of water quality issues.

Water↗
USGS1984

National water summary 1983: Hydrologic events and issues

The United States as a Nation possesses abundant water resources and has developed and used those resources extensively. The national renewable supply of water is about 1,400 billion gallons per day (for the conterminous 48 States). Approximately 380 billion gallons per day of freshwater is withdrawn for use by the Nation's homes, farms, and industries, and about 280 billion gallons per day is returned to streams. Although a large percentage of the Nation's waste is carried in this return flow, the quality of water in streams has improved in many respects as a result of the pollution-control pro- grams of recent years. However, much remains to be learned about water quality particularly the extent of contamination by synthetic organic chemicals and heavy metals, and the effects of these contaminants on human health.

Water Supply Paper↗