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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
USGS2013

Rejuvenating Pre-GPS era geophysical surveys using The National Map

Old geophysical surveys [pre–Global Positioning System (GPS)] stand as valuable, largely untapped sources of scientific data. If data from these surveys were in a format that had reasonable accuracy, availability, and ease of access, they could be more widely used. In this paper, a pre-GPS survey is integrated into a modern geographic database, in this case, The National Map (TNM). The ultimate goal is to improve the accuracy, precision, provenance, and ease of access of the geospatial components of archived geophysical data. An unique set of data sources was assembled for this purpose. A comparison of these different data sources indicates that more than 80% of stations were positioned on The National Map within 15 m (horizontal) and 2 m (vertical) of the GPS-derived coordinates for each station within the survey. Although online database coordinate accuracy continues to improve, these results imply that web databases have already matured to a point where it is possible to integrate pre-GPS era survey coordinate data with reasonable positional accuracy.

Missouri↗
USGS1987

Field surveying and topographic mapping in Alaska: 1947-83

The U.S. Geological Survey's earliest presence in Alaska dates back to 1889. A decade later, topographic mapping became an integral part of the Geological Survey's Alaska program, mostly as reconnaissance-type mapping and special-purpose mapping of specific sites. It was not until after World War II that the Survey's Alaska topographic mapping efforts began to bear fruit. This circular retraces surveying and topographic mapping by the Geological Survey in Alaska from 1947 to 1983 and describes camp life and some of the unusual happenings involved in working in virtually uninhabited country, adverse weather, and difficult terrain. A year-by-year recap of activities documents the transition from early small-scale mapping efforts to more accurate and detailed 1:63,360-scale mapping for Alaska except the Aleutian Islands and isolated islands in the Bering Sea. Recent 1:25,000-scale metric mapping and the preparation of orthophotographs and special mapping efforts for other Government agencies also are recounted.

Alaska↗
USGS1981

Ground-water levels in selected well fields and in west-central Florida, May 1981

The water table in the surficial aquifer and the potentiometric surface of the Floridan aquifer in a 1,200-square-mile area in west-central Florida are mapped semi-annually by the U.S. Geological Survey. Maps are based on water levels measured in wells each May to coincide with seasonal low levels and each September to coincide with seasonal high levels. The mapped area shows 14 well fields that supplied 200.7 million gallons to municipalities on May 18, 1981. The water is withdrawn from the Floridan aquifer, the major aquifer in Florida. The effect of localized withdrawal on ground water is shown on the maps as depressions in both the potentiometric and water-table surfaces. Water levels were lower in May 1981 than in May and September 1980. Annual change of water levels ranged from decreases of 19 feet at Sun City well field to less than 1 foot at Eldridge-Wilde well field. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

Inference about species richness and community structure using species-specific occupancy models in the National Swiss Breeding Bird Survey MUB

Species richness is the most widely used biodiversity measure. Virtually always, it cannot be observed but needs to be estimated because some species may be present but remain undetected. This fact is commonly ignored in ecology and management, although it will bias estimates of species richness and related parameters such as occupancy, turnover or extinction rates. We describe a species community modeling strategy based on species-specific models of occurrence, from which estimates of important summaries of community structure, e.g., species richness, occupancy, or measures of similarity among species or sites, are derived by aggregating indicators of occurrence for all species observed in the sample, and for the estimated complement of unobserved species. We use data augmentation for an efficient Bayesian approach to estimation and prediction under this model based on MCMC in WinBUGS. For illustration, we use the Swiss breeding bird survey (MHB) that conducts 2?3 territory-mapping surveys in a systematic sample of 267 1 km2 units on quadrat-specific routes averaging 5.1 km to obtain species-specific estimates of occupancy, and estimates of species richness of all diurnal species free of distorting effects of imperfect detectability. We introduce into our model species-specific covariates relevant to occupancy (elevation, forest cover, route length) and sampling (season, effort). From 1995 to 2004, 185 diurnal breeding bird species were known in Switzerland, and an additional 13 bred 1?3 times since 1900. 134 species were observed during MHB surveys in 254 quadrats surveyed in 2001, and our estimate of 169.9 (95% CI 151?195) therefore appeared sensible. The observed number of species ranged from 4 to 58 (mean 32.8), but with an estimated 0.7?11.2 (mean 2.6) further, unobserved species, the estimated proportion of detected species was 0.48?0.98 (mean 0.91). As is well known, species richness declined at higher elevation and fell above the timberline, and most species showed some preferred elevation. Route length had clear effects on occupancy, suggesting it is a proxy for the size of the effectively sampled area. Detection probability of most species showed clear seasonal patterns and increased with greater survey effort; these are important results for the planning of focused surveys. The main benefit of our model, and its implementation in WinBUGS for which we provide code, is its conceptual simplicity. Species richness is naturally expressed as the sum of occurrences of individual species. Information about species is combined across sites, which yields greater efficiency or may even enable estimation for sites with very few observed species in the first place. At the same time, species detections are clearly segregated into a true state process (occupancy) and an observation process (detection, given occupancy), and covariates can be readily introduced, which provides for efficient introduction of such additional information as well as sharp testing of such relationships.

Book chapter↗
USGS2003

Intrusive rock database for the Digital Geologic Map of Utah

Digital geologic maps offer the promise of rapid and powerful answers to geologic questions using Geographic Information System software (GIS). Using modern GIS and database methods, a specialized derivative map can be easily prepared. An important limitation can be shortcomings in the information provided in the database associated with the digital map, a database which is often based on the legend of the original map. The purpose of this report is to show how the compilation of additional information can, when prepared as a database that can be used with the digital map, be used to create some types of derivative maps that are not possible with the original digital map and database. This Open-file Report consists of computer files with information about intrusive rocks in Utah that can be linked to the Digital Geologic Map of Utah (Hintze et al., 2000), an explanation of how to link the databases and map, and a list of references for the databases. The digital map, which represents the 1:500,000-scale Geologic Map of Utah (Hintze, 1980), can be obtained from the Utah Geological Survey (Map 179DM). Each polygon in the map has a unique identification number. We selected the polygons identified on the geologic map as intrusive rock, and constructed a database (UT_PLUT.xls) that classifies the polygons into plutonic map units (see tables). These plutonic map units are the key information that is used to relate the compiled information to the polygons on the map. The map includes a few polygons that were coded as intrusive on the state map but are largely volcanic rock; in these cases we note the volcanic rock names (rhyolite and latite) as used in the original sources Some polygons identified on the digital state map as intrusive rock were misidentified; these polygons are noted in a separate table of the database, along with some information about their true character. Fields may be empty because of lack of information from references used or difficulty in finding information. The information in the database is from a variety of sources, including geologic maps at scales ranging from 1:500,000 to 1:24,000, and thesis monographs. The references are shown twice: alphabetically and by region. The digital geologic map of Utah (Hintze and others, 2000) classifies intrusive rocks into only 3 categories, distinguished by age. They are: Ti, Tertiary intrusive rock; Ji, Upper to Middle Jurassic granite to quartz monzonite; and pCi, Early Proterozoic to Late Archean intrusive rock. Use of the tables provided in this report will permit selection and classification of those rocks by lithology and age. This database is a pilot study by the Survey and Analysis Project of the U.S. Geological Survey to characterize igneous rocks and link them to a digital map. The database, and others like it, will evolve as the project continues and other states are completed. We release this version now as an example, as a reference, and for those interested in Utah plutonic rocks.

Utah↗
USGS1988

Aggradation and degradation of alluvial sand deposits, 1965 to 1986, Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

High discharges occurring between 1983-1985 resulted in redistribution of sand stored in zones of recirculating current in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Redistribution resulted in net loss in the number of reattachment deposits in narrow reaches and aggradation of some separation deposits. Separation deposits were more stable than other types of deposits. Alluvial sand deposits that are large enough and of sufficient size for use as campsites were more stable than smaller lower-elevation deposits. Fluctuating flows between October 1985 and January 1986 caused erosion throughout the Grand Canyon, and caused erosion of some deposits created by the high flows of 1983-1985. Data collected for this study included measurements of flow velocity, scour-and-fill of sand deposits, topographic and bathymetric surveys, mapping of surface-flow patterns, water-surface slope surveys, sedimentological analysis, and replication of photographs. A classification system of alluvial sand deposits was developed on the basis of morphometric characteristics and the location of these deposits in relation to parts of recirculation zones. (Author 's abstract)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Specification for the U.S. Geological Survey Historical Topographic Map Collection

This document provides the detailed requirements for producing, archiving, and disseminating a comprehensive digital collection of topographic maps for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC). The HTMC is a digital archive of about 190,000 printed topographic maps published by the USGS from the inception of the topographic mapping program in 1884 until the last paper topographic map using lithographic printing technology was published in 2006. The HTMC provides a comprehensive digital repository of all scales and all editions of USGS printed topographic maps that is easily discovered, browsed, and downloaded by the public at no cost. The HTMC provides ready access to maps that are no longer available for distribution in print. A digital file representing the original paper historical topographic map is produced for each historical map in the HTMC in georeferenced PDF (GeoPDF) format (a portable document format [PDF] with a geospatial extension).

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1976

Geological Survey and selected U.S. Bureau of Mines and Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys reports and maps on Alaska released during 1975, indexed by quadrangle

All Geological Survey reports and maps on Alaska published or released to open files during 1975 are listed by the quadrangles (scale 1:250,000) into which Alaska has been divided for topographic mapping (p. 3). Also listed are U.S. Bureau of Mines reports on the geology and mineral resources of Alaska, but not those that deal exclusively with other subjects such as economics. Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys published and open-filed reports and maps that were received by the Alaskan Geology Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey before March 1, 1976 are listed; the availability of several other reports and maps was publicly announced, but the documents were not available to me in time for them to be included here. Most of the reports and maps in this index bear a 1975 imprint date. Others bear earlier imprint dates, but were not released until 1975. All Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys open-file reports and maps were withdrawn in 1974 for revision, consolidation, or assignment of new identification numbers. Those reissued reports and maps that I received before March 1, 1976 are listed in this index, no matter what imprint date they may bear. Also included are a few reports that were released before 1975, but hitherto had escaped my attention. Reports that deal with Alaska as a whole, with areas that can not be identified with a specific quadrangle, or that are mainly statistical presentations are listed under ALASKA - GENERAL, as are indexes and the like. Reports and maps that deal with offshore areas not within quadrangle boundaries are listed under OFFSHORE AREAS. The ALASKA - GENERAL and OFFSHORE AREAS lists appear before the alphabetically arranged quadrangle listings.

Alaska↗
USGS2013

Geologic map of the Valley Mountain 15’ quadrangle, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California

The Valley Mountain 15’ quadrangle straddles the Pinto Mountain Fault, which bounds the eastern Transverse Ranges in the south against the Mojave Desert province in the north. The Pinto Mountains, part of the eastern Transverse Ranges in the south part of the quadrangle expose a series of Paleoproterozoic gneisses and granite and the Proterozoic quartzite of Pinto Mountain. Early Triassic quartz monzonite intruded the gneisses and was ductiley deformed prior to voluminous Jurassic intrusion of diorite, granodiorite, quartz monzonite, and granite plutons. The Jurassic rocks include part of the Bullion Mountains Intrusive Suite, which crops out prominently at Valley Mountain and in the Bullion Mountains, as well as in the Pinto Mountains. Jurassic plutons in the southwest part of the quadrangle are deeply denuded from midcrustal emplacement levels in contrast to supracrustal Jurassic limestone and volcanic rocks exposed in the northeast. Dikes inferred to be part of the Jurassic Independence Dike Swarm intrude the Jurassic plutons and Proterozoic rocks. Late Cretaceous intrusion of the Cadiz Valley Batholith in the northeast caused contact metamorphism of adjacent Jurassic plutonic rocks. The Tertiary period saw emplacement of basanitoid basalt at about 23 Ma and deposition of Miocene and (or) Pliocene ridge-capping gravels. An undated east-dipping low-angle normal fault zone in the Pinto Mountains drops hanging-wall rocks eastward and may account for part of the contrast in uplift history across the quadrangle. The eastern Transverse Ranges are commonly interpreted as severely rotated clockwise tectonically in the Neogene relative to the Mojave Desert, but similar orientations of Jurassic dike swarms suggest that any differential rotation between the two provinces is small in this quadrangle. The late Cenozoic Pinto Mountain Fault and other strike-slip faults cut Quaternary deposits in the quadrangle, with two northwest-striking faults cutting Holocene deposits. Geographic Information System and metadata on most geologic features are available on the Geologic map of the Sheep Hole Mountains 30’ by 60’ quadrangle, U.S. Geological Survey map MF–2234, scale 1:100,000, available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/mf/2002/2344/.

California↗
USGS1983

Selected physical properties of rocks from the Baid al Jimalah West tungsten deposit, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and recommendations for geophysical surveys

Bulk density and magnetic susceptibility of 11 outcrop samples representing the Proterozoic lithologic units at the Baid al Jimalah West tungsten deposit, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were measured. Induced polarization response, apparent resistivity, and electromagnetic conductivity were determined for four specimens of the sample suite. Measurements show that there is a negative density contrast of about -0.17 g-cm^-3 between metasedimentary rocks of the Murdama group and the Bald al Jimalah graaite and that this contrast decreases with increasing mineralization of the granite. Similarly, the bulk magnetic susceptibility of the granite is about one-third that of the Murdama rocks for this sample suite; however, magnetic susceptibility increases with increasing mineralization in the granite specimens. Electromagnetic conductivities are uniformly low, in part because the specimens are weathered, but probably also because intense silicification accompanies the mineralization. Induced polarization chargeability increases in the granitic specimens with increasing mineralization and reflects higher percentages of sulfide minerals. Chargeability for the mineralized rocks is about four times higher than for the Murdama host rocks, and apparent resistivity values are about one-fifth the values of host rocks. Based on these results, it is recommended that during reconnaissance exploration of the area 15 detailed high-precision gravity profiles at 10 m to 50 m station spacing and eight induced polarization dipole-dipole profiles at 25 m dipole spacing and maximum 'n' of 6 be measured. To help define subsurface structure, a high-precision, ground-magnetic survey (map at 2-gamma contour interval) and a four-channel gamma ray spectrometric survey on a 25x50 m grid covering the area of the profiles are recommended.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1987

Potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, west-central Florida, September 1987

The potentiometric surface in the Upper Floridan aquifer was mapped by determining the altitude of water levels in a network of wells and is represented on maps by contours that connect points of equal altitude. Maps of the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida are prepared semiannually by the U.S. Geological Survey. Maps for May and September show, respectively, the potentiometric surface of the normally expected annual low and high water level conditions. Potentiometric surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971 to 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. The potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer is shown for September 1987. Most of the water level data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period of September 14-18. Supplemental data were collected by other agencies and companies. This map represents water level conditions near the end of the summer rainy season when groundwater withdrawals for agricultural use are low and therefore, when the potentiometric surface is near its highest level for the year. (See also W88-03126) (Lantz-PTT)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2010

Description of extreme-wave deposits on the northern coast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

To develop a better understanding of the origins of extreme-wave deposits and to help assess the potential risk of future overwash events, a field mapping survey was conducted in November 2006 on the northern coast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Deposits were mapped and analyzed to help develop a systematic sedimentological approach to distinguish the type of extreme-wave event (tsunamis or storms) or combination of events that formed and modified the deposits over time. Extreme-wave deposits on the northern coast of Bonaire between Boka Onima and Boka Olivia have formed sand sheets, poly-modal ridge complexes, and boulder fields on a Pleistocene limestone platform 3?8 meters above sea level. The deposits exhibit characteristics that are consistent with both large storm and tsunami processes that often overlap one another. Sand sheets occur as low-relief features underlying and incorporated with boulder field deposits. The seaward edge of ridge complexes are deposited up to 70 m from the shoreline and can extend over 200 m inland. Over 600 clasts were measured in fields and range in size from coarse gravel to fine block, weigh up to 165 metric tons, and are placed over 280 m from the shoreline. Our analyses indicate that the deposits may have been produced by a combination of hurricane and tsunami events spanning 10s to 1000s of years. Comparing the different deposit morphologies between study sites highlights the importance of shoreline orientation to the distribution of extreme-wave deposits onshore. However, further investigation is required to fully understand the processes that have produced and modified these deposits over time.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Standard for the U.S. Geological Survey Historical Topographic Map Collection

This document defines the digital map product of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC). The HTMC is a digital archive of about 190,000 printed topographic quadrangle maps published by the USGS from the inception of the topographic mapping program in 1884 until the last paper topographic map using lithographic printing technology was published in 2006. The HTMC provides a comprehensive digital repository of all scales and all editions of USGS printed topographic maps that is easily discovered, browsed, and downloaded by the public at no cost. Each printed topographic map is scanned “as is” and captures the content and condition of each map. The HTMC provides ready access to maps that are no longer available for distribution in print. A new generation of topographic maps called “US Topo” was defined in 2009. US Topo maps, though modeled on the legacy 7.5-minute topographic maps, conform to different standards. For more information on the HTMC, see the project Web site at: http://nationalmap.gov/historical/ .

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1975

Geological Survey and selected U.S. Bureau of Mines and Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys reports and maps on Alaska released during 1974, indexed by quadrangle

All Geological Survey reports and maps on Alaska published or released to open files during 1974 are listed by the quadrangle (scale 1:250,000) into which Alaska has been divided for topographic mapping (p. 2). Also listed are U.S. Bureau of Mines reports on the geology and mineral resources of Alaska, but not those dealing exclusively with other subjects such as economics. Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys published reports on geology and mineral resources are listed, but those released to open files are not. This is because all open-file reports and maps were withdrawn in 1974 for revision, consolidation, or assignment of new identification numbers before possible reissue. At the time of preparation of this index I had received so few newly released open-file reports that I felt that including any of them might cause confusion to potential users because of possible duplication of titles or numbers.

Alaska↗
USGS2014

Maps showing bathymetry and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, pre-Hurricane Sandy

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 2011 by using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents maps of bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, the coastal plain unconformity, the Holocene marine transgressive surface, and modern sediment thickness. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system and provide baseline information for research on coastal processes along southern Long Island.

New York↗
USGS2015

Maps showing the change in modern sediment thickness on the Inner Continental Shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, between 1996-97 and 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 1996 and 1997, using high-resolution sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection systems, and again in 2011, using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents a comparison of sediment thickness and distribution as mapped during these two investigations. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system and provide baseline information for research on coastal processes along southern Long Island.

New York↗
USGS2021

Surface Rupture Map of the 2020 M 6.5 Monte Cristo Range earthquake, Esmeralda and Mineral counties, Nevada

The 15 May 2020, M6.5 Monte Cristo Range earthquake was the largest earthquake in Nevada in over 66 years and occurred in a sparsely populated area of western Nevada about 74 km southeast of the town of Hawthorne. The earthquake produced surface rupture distributed across a 28-km-long zone along the eastward projection of the Candelaria fault in the Mina deflection of the central Walker Lane. Post-event field surveys mapped surface ruptures and measured displacements, which reached up to ~20 cm of oblique slip. Additional detailed mapping was completed using centimeter-resolution orthomosaics generated from Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle surveys. The rupture observations and displacement data are compiled into this 1:14,000-scale map, data tables, and accompanying digital dataset. The rupture consists of two distinct deformational domains roughly separated by U.S. Highway 95: ENE-trending ruptures with normal and left-oblique displacements in the western domain, and N- to NNE-trending ruptures with normal and right-oblique displacement in the eastern domain. The complex pattern of surface rupture is consistent with the projections of mapped bedrock and Quaternary faults in the area and illustrates the kinematics of slip partitioning at the junction of variably oriented structures in the shallow subsurface.

Nevada↗
USGS2007

Multibeam bathymetry and selected perspective views offshore San Diego, California

This set of two posters consists of a map on one sheet and a set of seven perspective views on the other. The ocean floor image was generated from multibeam-bathymetry data acquired by Federal and local agencies as well as academic institutions including: - U.S. Geological Survey mapped from the La Jolla Canyon south to the US-Mexico border using a Kongsberg Simrad multibeam echosounder system (MBES) (March - April 1998). Data and metadata available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1221/. - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography mapped the majority of the La Jolla Fan Valley including the sea floor to the north and south of the valley using a Seabeam 2100 MBES. Data available at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/multibeam.html. Survey ID, AT07L09, Chief Scientists, Barrie Walden and Joseph Coburn (April 2002). - California State University, Monterey Bay, mapped Scripps Canyon and the head of La Jolla Canyon using a Reson 8101 MBES (October 2001). Data and metadata available at http://seafloor.csumb.edu/SFMLwebDATA.htm. This work was funded by the California Department of Fish and Game California Coastal Conservancy, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), California Department of Fish and Game, and Fugro Pelagos mapped the nearshore region out to about 35-40 m. - The sea floor within this image that has not been mapped with MBES is filled in with interpreted bathymetry gridded from single-beam data available at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/hydro.html. Depths are in meters below sea level, which is referenced to Mean Lower Low Water.

California↗