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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
USGS2021

Grassland live fractional cover map creation and Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis for rangeland management supporting Kenya Northern Rangelands Trust Conservancies

The handbooks and synchronized MP4 recordings provide hands-on instruction for creating and analyzing vegetation live fractional cover (LFC) maps. The methods and protocols used in the instruction materials follow those developed and recorded in Rangoonwala and Ramsey (2019). The LFC mapping and geographic information system (GIS) analyses highlight the consortium of rangeland conservancies covering the semiarid central region of Kenya (approximately 44,000 square kilometers). The instruction materials are separated into two parts: processing and map-product creation based on remote-sensing images and GIS analyses of the created maps for rangeland management. The image processing is conducted using the advanced and professional software package SeNtinels Application Platform (SNAP) that is supported and maintained by the European Space Agency. SNAP is a free image analyses software package available for download. It is largely icon driven but offers simple to advanced program inserts and batch processing. The GIS analyses are conducted using the software package Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS), another free and downloadable software. QGIS is compatible with numerous software, including the Esri suite of ArcGIS software and database structure. The image data includes both high-spatial-resolution Sentinel-2 optical data and Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Both datasets are freely available via a public portal that is maintained by the European Space Agency. The image-processing instruction handbook covers all aspects of acquiring and processing satellite-image data and importing vector-data sources into SNAP. The GIS analysis handbook covers final creation of map products from the maps created in SNAP and creation of GIS procedures in QGIS that are needed to manage the rangeland resources for wildlife and pastoral grazing. Although focused on the Kenyan conservancies and their semiarid environment, the processing methods and procedures are applicable for similar environments and management, and to a large part, even for integrated mapping and GIS functionality of any managed landscape resource. The instruction handbooks are synchronized to MP4 training videos created with U.S. Geological Survey-licensed Camtasia 9 software. The workbook and MP4 video combinations are suitable for a single user or a workshop setting.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2001

HAZUS 99 estimated annualized earthquake losses for the United States

Recent earthquakes around the world show a pattern of steadily increasing damages and losses. The increases are due primarily to two factors: 1) significant growth in urban areas that are prone to earthquakes; and 2) the vulnerability of the older building stock, even buildings that were constructed within the past twenty years. In the United States, earthquake risk has grown substantially with development, while the earthquake hazard has remained relatively constant. To understand the hazard, we study earthquake characteristics and locales in which they occur. To understand risk, we must include characteristics of the built environment in the locales where earthquakes occur, and we must assess potential damages to the built environment and the people who use it. That is a complex undertaking and one this study intends to advance. It is important to estimate the varying degrees of seismic risk throughout the United States because we need that understanding in order to make informed decisions on mitigation policies, priorities, strategies and funding levels—in both the public and private sectors. We can reduce earthquake losses to older buildings by rehabilitating them, and we can reduce earthquake losses in new buildings by applying seismic codes to their design and construction. However, decisions to spend money on either of those solutions require evidence of risk. In the absence of a nationally accepted criterion and methodology for comparing seismic risk across regions, a consensus on optimal mitigation approaches has been difficult to reach. We are all aware of regions with high hazard and high risk, such as Los Angeles, but there is growing recognition that some regions with low seismic hazard actually have high seismic risk, as is the case in New York City and Boston. This risk results, in part, from concentrations of buildings and infrastructure built without use of seismic codes or provisions. Additionally, mitigation policies and practices in the public and private sectors may not have been adopted because a community’s earthquake risk was not clearly demonstrated, and neither was the value of mitigation measures in reducing that risk. The low hazard/high risk problem exists in a number of areas in the U.S., where the infrequency of damaging earthquakes has been interpreted, wrongly, as lack of risk. While earth scientists work to increase knowledge about the hazard throughout the United States, structural engineers and other professionals work to enumerate the many factors that comprise risk. This study is one result of that endeavor. It is based on loss estimates generated by Hazards U.S. (HAZUS), a Geographic Information System (GIS)- based earthquake loss estimation tool, developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in cooperation with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). The HAZUS tool provides an approach to quantifying future earthquake losses that is national in scope, uniform in application, and comprehensive in its coverage of the built environment.

Report↗
USGS2008

Proceedings of the U.S. Geological Survey Seventh Biennial Geographic Information Science Workshop, Denver, Colorado, May 12-16, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Seventh Biennial Geographic Information Science (GIS) Workshop (USGS-GIS 2008) on May 12 through 16, 2008, at the Denver Federal Center in Denver, Colorado, is unique in that it brings together GIS professionals from all of the USGS disciplines across all regions, and focuses primarily on the needs and accomplishments of the USGS. The theme for the 2008 workshop, “GIS for Tomorrow’s Challenges,” provides an opportunity for USGS GIS professionals to demonstrate how they have responded to the challenges set forth in the USGS Science Strategy (http://www.usgs.gov/science_ strategy/). During this workshop, attendees will have an opportunity to present or demonstrate their work; develop their knowledge by attending hands-on workshops and presentations given by professionals from the USGS and other Federal agencies, GIS-related companies, and academia; and to network with other professionals to develop collaborative opportunities. In addition to participation in numerous workshops and presentations, attendees will have opportunities to listen to top-level managers from the USGS present updates and goals concerning the future of several USGS programs. Monday evening’s Star Guest presentation by Thomas Wagner, NSF Office of Polar Programs, and Paul Morin, Antarctic Geospatial Information Center, entitled “Mapping all that is White: Antarctic Science and Operations Viewed Though Geospatial Data,” will be one of many valuable presentations. This Proceedings volume will serve as an activity reference for workshop attendees, as well as an archive of technical abstracts presented at the workshop. Author, co-author, and presenter names, affiliations, and contact information are listed with presentation titles with the abstracts. Some hands-on sessions are offered twice; in these instances, abstracts submitted for publication are presented in the proceedings on both days on which they are offered. All acronyms used in these proceedings are explained in the text of each abstract.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1996

Natural hazard zonation

This paper presents the basic scientific principles underpinning the professional practice of zonation for natural hazards such as floods, severe storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, wildfires, tsunamis, and droughts. Zonation is the scientific process of identifying those parts of a geographic area which are best and least suited for community development in terms of their exposure to the physical effects of recurring, rapid onset, natural hazards.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2008

Age, distribution, and stratigraphic relationship of rock units in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

The San Joaquin Basin is a major petroleum province that forms the southern half of California’s Great Valley, a 700-km-long, asymmetrical basin that originated between a subduction zone to the west and the Sierra Nevada to the east. Sedimentary fill and tectonic structures of the San Joaquin Basin record the Mesozoic through Cenozoic geologic history of North America’s western margin. More than 25,000 feet (>7,500 meters) of sedimentary rocks overlie the basement surface and provide a nearly continuous record of sedimentation over the past ~100 m.y. Further, depositional geometries and fault structures document the tectonic evolution of the region from forearc setting to strike-slip basin to transpressional margin. Sedimentary architecture in the San Joaquin Basin is complicated because of these tectonic regimes and because of lateral changes in depositional environment and temporal changes in relative sea level. Few formations are widespread across the basin. Consequently, a careful analysis of sedimentary facies is required to unravel the basin’s depositional history on a regional scale. At least three high-quality organic source rocks formed in the San Joaquin Basin during periods of sea level transgression and anoxia. Generated on the basin’s west side, hydrocarbons migrated into nearly every facies type in the basin, from shelf and submarine fan sands to diatomite and shale to nonmarine coarse-grained rocks to schist. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources and future additions to reserves in the San Joaquin Valley of California (USGS San Joaquin Basin Province Assessment Team, this volume, chapter 1). Several research aims supported this assessment: identifying and mapping the petroleum systems, modeling the generation, migration, and accumulation of hydrocarbons, and defining the volumes of rock to be analyzed for additional resources. To better understand the three dimensional relationships between hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks, we compiled a database consisting of more than 13,000 well picks and of one-mile resolution seismic grids. Both the well picks and the seismic grids characterize the depths to the top of key stratigraphic units. This database formed the basis of subsequent numerical modeling efforts, including the construction of a three- dimensional geologic model (Hosford Scheirer, this volume, chapter 7) and simulation of the petroleum systems in space and time (Peters, Magoon, Lampe, and others, this volume, chapter 12). To accomplish this modeling, we synthesized the age, geographic distribution, lithology, and petroleum characteristics of hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks in the basin. The results of that synthesis are presented in this paper in the form of new stratigraphic correlation columns for the northern, central, and southern San Joaquin Valley (fig. 5.1; note that all figures are at the back of this report, following the References Cited). The stratigraphic relationships and ages published here draw heavily on published and unpublished studies of the San Joaquin Basin. The stratigraphy presented in each of the columns necessarily idealizes the subsurface geology over a relatively large area, instead of representing the specific geology at an individual well, oil and gas field, or outcrop. In this paper we present the background rationale for defining the geographic divisions of the basin (inset map, fig. 5.1), the paleontological time scales used for assigning absolute ages to rock units (figs. 5.2 and 5.3), and the supporting maps illustrating the geographic distribution of each rock type included in the stratigraphic column (figs. 5.4 through 5.64).

California↗
USGS2007

Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States

Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States results from the complex interplay of climate, geology, and vegetation across widely ranging spatial and temporal scales. Present-day recharge tends to be narrowly focused in time and space. Widespread water-table declines accompanied agricultural development during the twentieth century, demonstrating that sustainable ground-water supplies are not guaranteed when part of the extracted resource represents paleorecharge. Climatic controls on ground-water recharge range from seasonal cycles of summer monsoonal and winter frontal storms to multimillennial cycles of glacial and interglacial periods. Precipitation patterns reflect global-scale interactions among the oceans, atmosphere, and continents. Large-scale climatic influences associated with El Niño and Pacific Decadal Oscillations strongly, but irregularly, control weather in the study area, so that year-to-year variations in precipitation and ground-water recharge are large and difficult to predict. Proxy data indicate geologically recent periods of naturally occurring multidecadal droughts unlike any in the modern instrumental record. Any anthropogenically induced climate change will likely reduce ground-water recharge through diminished snowpack at higher elevations. Future changes in El Niño and monsoonal patterns, both crucial to precipitation in the study area, are highly uncertain in current models. Current land-use modifications influence ground-water recharge through vegetation, irrigation, and impermeable area. High mountain ranges bounding the study area—the San Bernadino Mountains and Sierra Nevada to the west, and the Wasatch and southern Colorado Rocky Mountains to the east—provide external geologic controls on ground-water recharge. Internal geologic controls stem from tectonic processes that led to numerous, variably connected alluvial-filled basins, exposure of extensive Paleozoic aquifers in mountainous recharge areas, and distinct modes of recharge in the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range subregions. The chapters in this professional paper present (first) an overview of climatic and hydrogeologic framework (chapter A), followed by a regional analysis of ground-water recharge across the entire study area (chapter B). These are followed by an overview of site-specific case studies representing different subareas of the geographically diverse arid and semiarid southwestern United States (chapter C); the case studies themselves follow in chapters D–K. The regional analysis includes detailed hydrologic modeling within the framework of a high-resolution geographic-information system (GIS). Results from the regional analysis are used to explore both the distribution of ground-water recharge for mean climatic conditions as well as the influence of two climatic patterns—the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation—that impart a high degree of variability to the hydrologic cycle. Individual case studies employ a variety of geophysical and geochemical techniques to investigate recharge processes and relate the processes to local geologic and climatic conditions. All of the case studies made use of naturally occurring tracers to quantify recharge. Thermal and geophysical techniques that were developed in the course of the studies are presented in appendices. The quantification of ground-water recharge in arid settings is inherently difficult due to the generally low amount of recharge, its spatially and temporally spotty nature, and the absence of techniques for directly measuring fluxes entering the saturated zone from the unsaturated zone. Deep water tables in arid alluvial basins correspond to thick unsaturated zones that produce up to millennial time lags between changes in hydrologic conditions at the land surface and subsequent changes in recharge to underlying ground water. Recent advances in physical, chemical, isotopic, and modeling techniques have fostered new types of recharge assessments. Chemical and isotopic techniques include an increasing variety of environmental tracers that are useful and robust. Physically based techniques include the use of heat as a tracer and computationally intensive geophysical imaging tools for characterizing hydrologic conditions in the unsaturated zone. Modeling-based techniques include spatially distributed water-budget computations using high-resolution remotely sensed and ground-based geographic data. Application of these techniques to arid and semiarid settings in the southwestern United States reveals distinct patterns of recharge corresponding to geologic setting, climatic and vegetative history, and land use. Analysis of recharge patterns shows that large expanses of alluvial basin floors are drying out under current climatic conditions, with little to no recharge to underlying ground water. Ground-water recharge occurs mainly beneath upland catchments in which thin soils overlie permeable bedrock, ephemeral channels in which flow may average only several hours per year, and active agricultural areas. The chapters in this professional paper represent a coordinated attempt to develop a better understanding of one of the Nation's most critical yet difficult-to-quantify renewable resources.

Professional Paper↗
USGS1994

Evaluating temperature regimes for protection of brown trout

Geographic distribution and population success of brown trout (Salmo trutta) are affected by temperature regimes. Concepts are presented for evaluating alternative temperature regimes for brown trout based on published temperature information and professional judgment. Temperature information from the literature is included for spawning runs, spawning, egg and larval development, growth, and other subjects. The objective is to aid biologists in evaluating alternative temperature regimes so as to select those that will protect and enhance environmental quality for brown trout.

Report↗
USGS2006

Bedrock Geologic Map of New Hampshire, a Digital Representation of Lyons and Others 1997 Map and Ancillary Files

The New Hampshire Geological Survey collects data and performs research on the land, mineral, and water resources of the State, and disseminates the findings of such research to the public through maps, reports, and other publications. The Bedrock Geologic Map of New Hampshire, by John B. Lyons, Wallace A. Bothner, Robert H. Moench, and James B. Thompson, was published in paper format by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1997. The online version of this CD contains digital datasets of the State map that are intended to assist the professional geologist, land-use planners, water resource professionals, and engineers and to inform the interested layperson. In addition to the bedrock geology, the datasets include geopolitical and hydrologic information, such as political boundaries, quadrangle boundaries, hydrologic units, and water-well data. A more thorough explanation for each of these datasets may be found in the accompanying metadata files. The data are spatially referenced and may be used in a geographic information system (GIS). ArcExplorer, the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) free GIS data viewer, is available at http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer. ArcExplorer provides basic functions that are needed to harness the power and versatility of the spatial datasets. Additional information on the viewer and other ESRI products may be found on the ArcExplorer website. Although extensive review and revisions of the data have been performed by the USGS and the New Hampshire Geological Survey, these data represent interpretations made by professional geologists using the best available data, and are intended to provide general geologic information. Use of these data at scales larger than 1:250,000 will not provide greater accuracy. The data are not intended to replace site-specific or specific-use investigations. The U.S. Geological Survey, New Hampshire Geological Survey, and State of New Hampshire make no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding the use, accuracy, or completeness of the data presented herein, or from a map printed from these data; nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The New Hampshire Geological Survey disclaims any legal responsibility or liability for interpretations made from the map, or decisions based thereon. For more information on New Hampshire Geological Survey programs please visit the State's website at http://des.nh.gov/Geology/. New Hampshire Geographically Referenced Analysis and Information Transfer System (NH GRANIT) provides access to statewide GIS (http://www.granit.unh.edu/). Questions about this CD or about other datasets should be directed to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Data Series↗
USGS2006

Monitoring bird populations in small geographic areas

Numerous methods exist for monitoring bird populations, and there is a large literature describing them. There are few resources, however, that provide comprehensive advice on every step of organizing and carrying out a survey, from the early stages of planning to final use of the data. Even fewer resources are designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of potential users, from amateurs interested in change of bird life in a local study preserve to professionals testing hypotheses on the response of birds to habitat management, although much of the advice should be the same for every monitoring program. Whether survey objectives are very modest or rigorously scientific, samples must be sufficiently numerous and well distributed to provide meaningful results, and the survey should be well designed to ensure that the money and effort going into it are not wasted. This document is intended to be a complete resource for anyone planning to organize monitoring of noncolonial landbirds within a relatively small geographic area (e.g., from the size of a woodlot to a large park). The first of its two parts provides background explaining the importance of good study design and gives specific advice on all aspects of project planning and execution of high-quality data collection for the purpose of hypothesis testing. The second part is self-contained and nontechnical and describes complete plans for a site-specific checklist survey, suitable for addressing monitoring questions frequently asked by amateurs and for involvement of volunteers in data collection. Throughout are references to additional resources, from background literature to sources of existing survey protocols, analysis software, and tools for archiving data.

Occasional Paper of the Canadian Wildlife Service↗
USGS1932

Physiography and Quaternary geology of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The scenic beauty, rugged contour, and great variety of geologic phenomena displayed by the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado have lured to that region many geologists, both professional and amateur, as well as countless laymen. Serious geologic studies in these mountains seem to fall historically into three periods. The first of these covers the work of the geologists and topographers of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories. Field studies were prosecuted under the general direction of F. V. Hayden in this region from 1869 to 1876, and the results obtained were published among the monographs of the Hayden Survey. The second period of geologic examinations began in 1887, when Whitman Cross undertook investigations of certain of the mining districts in the San Juan region, which by that time had attracted much attention in the mining world. The results of this second series of studies have appeared from time to time as folios"' of the Geologic Atlas and reports on the economic geology of the mining districts, published by the United States Geological Survey between 1899 and 1910. Gradually the concept of the geologic problems was changed. Instead of considering individual mining districts as the units of investigation it became apparent that the San Juan region must itself be the unit. In 1908 Mr. Cross drafted plans for the completion of the San Juan studies on this enlarged basis. His aim was to arrange for the publication of papers on different subjects rather than one huge monograph on the region as a whole.

Colorado, New Mexico↗
USGS1998

Aerial Photography Summary Record System

The Aerial Photography Summary Record System (APSRS) describes aerial photography projects that meet specified criteria over a given geographic area of the United States and its territories. Aerial photographs are an important tool in cartography and a number of other professions. Land use planners, real estate developers, lawyers, environmental specialists, and many other professionals rely on detailed and timely aerial photographs. Until 1975, there was no systematic approach to locate an aerial photograph, or series of photographs, quickly and easily. In that year, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) inaugurated the APSRS, which has become a standard reference for users of aerial photographs.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2001

Geologic framework of the San Juan structural basin of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, with emphasis on Triassic through Tertiary rocks

The San Juan Basin Regional Aquifer-System Analysis began in 1984. This report describes rocks of Triassic through Tertiary age in the basin and also describes the regional geologic and stratigraphic framework of the basin's multilayered aquifer system. Maps showing altitude of top, depth to top, and thickness of major geologic units were prepared using geographic information system technology. Results presented form the basis for ground-water flow modeling and geochemical studies of the basin.

Professional Paper↗
USGS2024

Indices for common North American fishes

One of the greatest advantages to the standardization of fisheries sampling methods is the comparable data they produce (Bonar et al. 2017). Following American Fisheries Society (AFS) standardized sampling methods, fisheries professionals can more easily compare their data with standardized data collected across North America to address both small- and large-scale fisheries questions. For example, access to standardized data can allow fisheries managers to evaluate if a fish species is within an expected range for weight or length in a particular water body, providing them with valuable information about the baseline health of their fish population. Additionally, given that fish can take years to respond to certain management actions (Meals et al. 2010), access to standardized data over time can be used to assess the effectiveness of these actions. Finally, standardized fisheries data can be analyzed over large geographic regions and provide increased sample sizes to evaluate management actions that cross local or state borders, such as habitat improvements or regulations, as well as the effects of large-scale transformations such as climate change on fish growth or body condition. Ultimately, the use of standardized data enhances the ability of fisheries professionals to address both small- and large-scale threats currently facing freshwater ecosystems and the fishes they support.

Book chapter↗
USGS2002

Lake Pontchartrain Basin: Bottom sediments and related environmental resources

Lake Pontchartrain is the largest estuary southern Louisiana. It is an important recreational, commercial, and environmental resource for New Orleans and southwestern Louisiana. This publication is part of a 5-year cooperative program led by the USGS on the geological framework and sedimentary processes of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. This presentation is divided into two main parts: - Scientific Research and Assessments - Multimedia Tools and Regional Resources The scientific sections include historical information on the area; shipboard, field, and remote sensing studies; and a comprehensive sediment database with geological and chemical discussions of the region. The multimedia and resources sections include Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and data, a video demonstrating vibracore sampling techniques in Lake Pontchartrain, and abstracts from four Basics of the Basin symposia.

Louisiana↗
USGS2004

Toward a scientifically rigorous basis for developing mapped ecological regions.

Despite the wide use of ecological regions in conservation and resource-management evaluations and assessments, a commonly accepted theoretical basis for ecological regionalization does not exist. This fact, along with the paucity of focus on ecological regionalization by professional associations, journals, and faculties, has inhibited the advancement of a broadly acceptable scientific basis for the development, use, and verification of ecological regions. The central contention of this article is that ecological regions should improve our understanding of geographic and ecological phenomena associated with biotic and abiotic processes occurring in individual regions and also of processes characteristic of interactions and dependencies among multiple regions. Research associated with any ecoregional framework should facilitate development of hypotheses about ecological phenomena and dominant landscape elements associated with these phenomena, how these phenomena are structured in space, and how they function in a hierarchy. Success in addressing the research recommendations outlined in this article cannot occur within an ad hoc, largely uncoordinated research environment. Successful implementation of this plan will require activities--coordination, funding, and education--that are both scientific and administrative in nature. Perhaps the most important element of an infrastructure to support the scientific work of ecoregionalization would be a national or international authority similar to the Water and Science Technology Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

Environmental Management↗
USGS2007

A brief history of oil and gas exploration in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California:

The Golden State got its nickname from the Sierra Nevada gold that lured so many miners and settlers to the West, but California has earned much more wealth from so-called “black gold” than from metallic gold. The San Joaquin Valley has been the principal source for most of the petroleum produced in the State during the past 145 years. In attempting to assess future additions to petroleum reserves in a mature province such as the San Joaquin Basin, it helps to be mindful of the history of resource development. In this chapter we present a brief overview of the long and colorful history of petroleum exploration and development in the San Joaquin Valley. This chapter relies heavily upon the work of William Rintoul, who wrote extensively on the history of oil and gas exploration in California and especially in the San Joaquin Valley. No report on the history of oil and gas exploration in the San Joaquin Valley would be possible without heavily referencing his publications. We also made use of publications by Susan Hodgson and a U.S. Geological Survey Web site, Natural Oil and Gas Seeps in California (http://seeps.wr.usgs.gov/seeps/index.html), for much of the material describing the use of petroleum by Native Americans in the San Joaquin Valley. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the contribution of Don Arnot, who manages the photograph collection at the West Kern Oil Museum in Taft, California. The collection consists of more than 10,000 photographs that have been scanned and preserved in digital form on CD-ROM. Many of the historical photographs used in this paper are from that collection. Finally, to clarify our terminology, we use the term “San Joaquin Valley” when we refer to the geographical or topographical feature and the term “San Joaquin Basin” when we refer to geological province and the rocks therein.

California↗
USGS2014

Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy supplies over much of the last three centuries. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to fulfilling the Nation’s energy needs. Although both conventional oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources. Some chapters are new, and several have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters pertain to large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. This volume discusses the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available from chapter I.1 as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files about the characteristics of selected coal beds and oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology. Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs are included in other chapters. Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the topics, papers, and digital images valuable for land-use and policy planning. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian basin↗