Results for “Environment and Resources” — Page 46

USGS1995

Oil, biological communities and contingency planning

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 mandates the inclusion of a fish and wildlife response plan in the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and the creation of Area Committees that must develop an Area Contingency Plan (ACP). Area Contingency Plans must include a detailed annex containing a Fish and Wildlife and Sensitive Environments Plan. Tank vessels, offshore facilities, and certain onshore facilities must have response plans consistent with the requirements of the NCP and the ACP. New regulations to supersede the Type A and B procedures of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Regulations are being developed for oil spills. Currently, four assessment methods have been proposed: (1) Type A, (2) comprehensive (Type B), (3) intermediate (between types A and B), and (4) compensation tables. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is approaching its ceiling of $1 billion, but only $50 million has been appropriated. Effective biological contingency planning requires extensive knowledge of (1) the environmental fate of petroleum, (2) the effects of petroleum on organisms, (3) the existing biological resources, and (4) the establishment of a system of biological priorities. The characteristics and fate of petroleum and the biological effects of petroleum are reviewed. Assessment of biological resources includes plant and animal distributions, important habitat, endangered or threatened species, and economic considerations. The establishment by Area Committees of priorities for environmental protection, injury assessment, and restoration will promote efficient spill response. Three special issues are discussed: (1) improving our ability to restore natural resources, (2) the potential role of biological diversity in spill response planning, and (3) planning for animal rehabilitation.

Book chapter↗

USGS1998

International impact research and management

To be sustainable, ecotourism requires the protection of natural environments and processes both from development and operation of the tourism infrastructure, and from the activities of ecotourists within protected areas. This book chapter reviews the international literature on the study of visitor or recreation-related resource impacts with special reference to ecotourism. Four case examples are presented to characterize the geographic scope, focus, and principal findings of this recreation ecology literature and its relevance to ecotourism management. Case examples include the Cairngorms National Nature Reserve, Scotland; the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; the Central American tropics; and wildlife viewing in Kenya?s protected areas. Implications for the management of international protected areas and ecotourism resources are discussed.

Book chapter↗

USGS1990

Recent geophysical and geological research in Antarctica related to the assessment of petroleum resources and potential environmental hazards to their development

During the 6-year negotiation of and adoption of the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resources Activities on June 2, 1988, various countries have increased their attention to the possibility of exploitation of Antarctica's petroleum resources, which are covered by this treaty. However, there are no known petroleum resources in Antarctica, and scientific information is lacking to adequately assess any undiscovered resources or the possible environmental hazards to their development. Scientific research carried out in Antarctica since the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958) has provided a great deal of information on the geological framework of this ice-covered continent and its margin and has found general indications of the types of hazards that must be considered. Antarctica covers a vast area, and likely supergiant oil fields of the type to be exploited would be tiny (e.g., a few tens of kilometers across) in comparison. Any petroleum resources located in Antarctica will be found by applying the knowledge, techniques, and experience gained developing oil fields in other parts of the world and would, therefore, be other examples of general cases; in contrast, the Antarctic environment and its associated hazards must be considered unique.

Book chapter↗

USGS2004

Seafloor habitat mapping and classification in Glacier Bay, Alaska: Phase 1 & 2 1996-2004

Glacier Bay is a diverse fjord ecosystem with multiple sills, numerous tidewater glaciers and a highly complex oceanographic system. The Bay was completely glaciated prior to the 1700’s and subsequently experienced the fastest glacial retreat recorded in historical times. Currently, some of the highest sedimentation rates ever observed occur in the Bay, along with rapid uplift (up to 2.5 cm/year) due to a combination of plate tectonics and isostatic rebound. Glacier Bay is the second deepest fjord in Alaska, with depths over 500 meters. This variety of physical processes and bathymetry creates many diverse habitats within a relatively small area (1,255 km 2 ). Habitat can be defined as the locality, including resources and environmental conditions, occupied by a species or population of organisms (Morrison et al 1992). Mapping and characterization of benthic habitat is crucial to an understanding of marine species and can serve a variety of purposes including: understanding species distributions and improving stock assessments, designing special management areas and marine protected areas, monitoring and protecting important habitats, and assessing habitat change due to natural or human impacts. In 1996, Congress recognized the importance of understanding benthic habitat for fisheries management by reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and amending it with the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA). This amendment emphasizes the importance of habitat protection to healthy fisheries and requires identification of essential fish habitat in management decisions. Recently, the National Park Service’s Ocean Stewardship Strategy identified the creation of benthic habitat maps and sediment maps as crucial components to complete basic ocean park resource inventories (Davis 2003). Glacier Bay National Park managers currently have very limited knowledge about the bathymetry, sediment types, and various marine habitats of ecological importance in the Park. Ocean floor bathymetry and sediment type are the building blocks of marine communities. Bottom type and shape affects the kinds of benthic communities that develop in a particular environment as well as the oceanographic conditions that communities are subject to. Accurate mapping of the ocean floor is essential for park manager’s understanding of existing marine communities and will be important in assessing human induced changes (e.g., vessel traffic and commercial fishing), biological change (e.g., rapid sea otter recolonization), and geological processes of change (e.g., deglaciation). Information on animal-habitat relationships, particularly within a marine reserve framework, will be valuable to agencies making decisions about critical habitats, marine reserve design, as well as fishery management. Identification and mapping of benthic habitat provides National Park Service mangers with tools to increase the effectiveness of resource management. The primary objective of this project is to investigate the geological characteristics of the biological habitats of halibut, Dungeness crab, king crab, and Tanner crab within Glacier Bay National Park. Additionally, habitat classification of shallow water regions of Glacier Bay will provide crucial information on the relationship between benthic habitat features and the abundance of benthic prey items for a variety of marine predators, including sea ducks, the rapidly increasing population of sea otters, and other marine mammals.

Alaska↗

USGS2009

Trends in Surface-Water Quality at Selected Ambient-Monitoring Network Stations in Kentucky, 1979-2004

Increasingly complex water-management decisions require water-quality monitoring programs that provide data for multiple purposes, including trend analyses, to detect improvement or deterioration in water quality with time. Understanding surface-water-quality trends assists resource managers in identifying emerging water-quality concerns, planning remediation efforts, and evaluating the effectiveness of the remediation. This report presents the results of a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet-Kentucky Division of Water, to analyze and summarize long-term water-quality trends of selected properties and water-quality constituents in selected streams in Kentucky's ambient stream water-quality monitoring network. Trends in surface-water quality for 15 properties and water-quality constituents were analyzed at 37 stations with drainage basins ranging in size from 62 to 6,431 square miles. Analyses of selected physical properties (temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, hardness, and suspended solids), for major ions (chloride and sulfate), for selected metals (iron and manganese), for nutrients (total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate), and for fecal coliform were compiled from the Commonwealth's ambient water-quality monitoring network. Trend analyses were completed using the S-Plus statistical software program S-Estimate Trend (S-ESTREND), which detects trends in water-quality data. The trend-detection techniques supplied by this software include the Seasonal Kendall nonparametric methods for use with uncensored data or data censored with only one reporting limit and the Tobit-regression parametric method for use with data censored with multiple reporting limits. One of these tests was selected for each property and water-quality constituent and applied to all station records so that results of the trend procedure could be compared among stations. Flow-adjustment procedures were used with these techniques at all stations to remove the effects of streamflow on water-quality variability. Flow adjustments were used for all constituents, except temperature. A decreasing trend indicates a decrease in concentration of a particular constituent; whereas, an increasing trend indicates an increase in concentration and potential degradation in water quality. Trend results varied statewide by station and by physical property and water-quality constituent. The results for all stations and all physical properties and water-quality constituents examined had at least one statistically significant (p-value <0.05) increasing or decreasing trend during the specified period of record. Water temperature and concentrations of dissolved oxygen had no significant decreasing trends at any station. Water temperature had one significant increasing trend at the South Fork Cumberland River near Blue Heron station. Specific conductance and concentrations of hardness had one significant decreasing trend at the South Fork Cumberland River near Blue Heron station. pH also had a significant decreasing trend at the Mud River near Gus station. Concentrations of total suspended solids had 1 increasing trend at the Kentucky River at High Bridge station and 10 decreasing trends with 5 of those stations located in the Cumberland River Basin. Major ions analyzed for trends included chloride and sulfate. Concentrations of chloride at the 37 stations had increasing trends at 15 stations, decreasing trends at 3 stations, and no significant trend in concentration over time at 19 stations. Most of the increasing trends in concentrations of chloride are located in the northern part of Kentucky, possibly indicating an increase in the use of road salts for road deicing and (or) the result of resource extraction (oil, gas, and coal). Increasing trends of sulfate concentrations were detected at seven stations, all located in the Appalachian

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS1999

Metal and sediment ingestion by dabbling ducks

The chemical analysis of intestinal digesta from hunter-killed carcasses or of wildlife scat is a promising means of estimating the exposure of wildlife to those environmental contaminants that, like lead, are poorly absorbed in the digestive tract. When evaluating contaminants at a site, biologists may find the results of this non-destructive approach more straightforward to interpret in terms of exposure to wildlife than would be analyses of soils, sediments, water, or wildlife tissues. To illustrate the approach, we collected digesta from 47 waterfowl shot by hunters at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, in Delaware, USA. The waterfowl digesta contained an average of approximately 2.4% sediment, estimated from the Al concentrations in the digesta, a marker for sediment. Al concentrations were significantly correlated with concentrations of Cr (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, r= 0.57), V ( r =0.70), Ni ( r =0.31), and Pb ( r =0.55), and we concluded that these metals were ingested mainly with sediment. American widgeon ( Anas americana ) ingested sediment at a rate of about four times that of three other species of dabbling ducks ( Anas crecca , A. acuta , A. rubripes ) and had several times the exposure to the sediment-associated metals. The digesta of one American black duck contained a high concentration of lead (70 mg/kg, dry wt.), presumably from lead shot, but none of the other samples had notably elevated metal concentrations. We suggest that scat and digesta be analyzed more widely by biologists and resource managers seeking a simple, inexpensive assessment of contaminants in local wildlife habitat.

Science of the Total Environment↗

USGS2002

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory-Arsenic speciation in natural-water samples using laboratory and field methods

Analytical methods for the determination of arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)], dimethylarsinate (DMA), monomethylarsonate (MMA), and roxarsone in filtered natural-water samples are described. Various analytical methods can be used for the determination, depending on the arsenic species being determined. Arsenic concentration is determined by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as an arsenic-specific detector for all methods. Laboratory-speciation methods are described that use an ion chromatographic column to separate the arsenic species; the column length, column packing, and mobile phase are dependent on the species of interest. Regardless of the separation technique, the arsenic species are introduced into plasma by eithe rpneumatic nebulization or arsine generation. Analysis times range from 2 to 8 minutes and method detection limits range from 0.1 to 0.6 microgram-arsenic per liter (ug-As/L), 10 to 60 picograms absolute (for a 100-microliter injection), depending on the arsenic species determined and the analytical method used. A field-generation specciation method also is described that uses a strong anion exchange cartridge to separate As(III) from As(V) in the field. As(III) in the eluate and the As(V) in the cartridge extract are determined by direct nebulization ICP-MS. Methylated arsenic species that also are retained on the cartridge will positively bias As(V) results without further laboratory separations. The method detection limit for field speciation is 0.3 ug-As/L. The distribution of arsenic species must be preserved in the field to eliminate changes caused by photochemical oxidation or metal oxyhydroxide precipitation. Preservation techniques, such as refrigeration, the addition of acides, or the additoin of ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and the effects of ambient light were tested. Of the preservatives evaluated, EDTA was found to work best with the laboratory- and field-speciation methods for all sample matrices tested. Storing the samples in opaque polytethylene bottles eliminated the effects of photochemical oxidation. The percentage change in As(III):As(V) ratios for an EDTA-preserved acid mine drainage (AMD) sample and ground-water sample during a 3-month period was -5 percent and +3 percent, respectively. The bias and variability of the methods were evaluated by comparing results for total arsenic and As(III), As(V), DMA, and MMA concentrations in ground water, AMD, and surface water. Seventy-one ground-water, 10 AMD, and 24 surface-water samples were analyzed. Concentrations in ground-water samples reached 720 ug-As/L for As(III) and 1080 ug-As/L for As(V); AMD samples reached 12800 ug-As/L for As(III) and 7050 ug-As/L for As(V); and surface-water samples reached 5 ug-As/L for As(III) and As(V). Inorganic arsenic species distribution in the samples ranged from 0 to 90 percent As(III). DMA and MMA were present only in surface-water samples from agricultural areas where the herbicide monosodium methylarsonate was applied; concentrations never exceeded 6 ug-As/L. Statistical analyses indicated that the difference between As(III) and As(V) concentrations for samples preserved with EDTA in opaque bottles and field-speciation results were analytically insignificant at the 95-percent confidence interval. There was no significant difference among the methods tested for total arsenic concentration. Percentage recovery for field samples spiked at 50 ug-As/L and analyzed by the laboratory-speciation method (n=2) ranged from 82 to 100 percent for As(III), 97 to 102 percent for As(V), 90 to 104 percent for DMA, and 81 to 96 percent for MMA; recoveries for samples spiked at 100 ug-As/L and analyzed by the field-speciation method ranged from 102 to 107 percent for As(III) and 105 to 106 percent for As(V). Laboratory-speciation results for Environment Canada reference material SLRS-2 closely matched reported concentrations. Laboratory-speciation metho

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2026

Towards affordable wetland evapotranspiration monitoring using the Variance-Bowen Ratio method: Insights from three contrasting wetlands

Accurate measurement of evapotranspiration (ET) is essential for sustainable water management. Standard methods such as eddy covariance (EC) are costly, while alternatives such as surface renewal are cheaper but require calibration and complex data processing. This study evaluates the utility of the Variance-Bowen Ratio (VBR) method for estimating ET across three California’s wetlands. Using data from 2023, half-hourly latent heat flux (λE) and daily/monthly ET from VBR were compared with EC at one non-tidal (site A) and two tidal (sites B and C) wetlands. λE VBR consistently underestimated λE EC , with root mean squared errors (RMSE) of 61.2 W m -2 at sites A, 106.1 W m -2 at site B, and 137.2 W m -2 at site C, largely due to storage fluxes across sites. Temporal integration improved VBR’s performance at tidal sites, where compensating water heat storage errors yielded low daily and monthly biases (site B: RMSE = 0.78 mm/d and 12 mm/month; r = 0.93; site C: RMSE = 0.90 mm/d and 13 mm/month; r = 0.93), with reduced major axis (RMA) regression slopes of 0.98 and ~0.91. In contrast, biomass heat storage at site A caused persistent biases (RMSEs = 0.97 mm/d and 23 mm/month; daily and monthly RMA slopes ~0.75; r = 0.85). These results highlight VBR’s limitations in environments with substantial storage fluxes. Despite this, VBR is cost-effective for estimating daily and monthly ET, with sensor costs at least tenfold lower than EC and simpler setup, making it suitable for ET monitoring in resource-limited and hard-to-access regions.

California↗

USGS2023

The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Oregon's economy

Introduction Oregon’s physical environments and vegetation are diverse. The varied geologic and climatic conditions combined with increasing population have created the need for high-quality elevation data that can be used for infrastructure management, forestry and wildfire management, agriculture, natural resources conservation, and other business uses. Critical applications that meet the State’s management needs depend on light detection and ranging (lidar) data that provide a highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth’s surface and aboveground features.

Oregon↗

USGS1961

Geologic summary of the Appalachian Basin, with reference to the subsurface disposal of radioactive waste solutions

The Appalachian basin is an elongate depression in the crystalline basement complex which contains a great volume of predominantly sedimentary stratified rocks. As defined in this paper it extends from the Adirondack Mountains in New York to central Alabama. From east to west it extends from the west flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the crest of the Findlay and Cincinnati arches and the Nashville dome. It encompasses an area of about 207,000 square miles, including all of West Virginia and parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The stratified rocks that occupy the basin constitute a wedge-shaped mass whose axis of greatest thickness lies close to and parallel to the east edge of the basin. The maximum thickness of stratified rocks preserved in any one part of the basin today is between 35,000 and 40,000 feet. The volume of the sedimentary rocks is approximately 510,000 cubic miles and of volcanic rocks is a few thousand cubic miles. The sedimentary rocks are predominantly Paleozoic in age, whereas the volcanic rocks are predominantly Late Precambrian. On the basis of gross lithology the stratified rocks overlying the crystalline basement complex can be divided into nine vertically sequential units, which are designated "sequences" in this report. The boundaries between contiguous sequences do not necessarily coincide with the commonly recognized boundaries between systems or series. All sequences are grossly wedge shaped, being thickest along the eastern margin of the basin and thinnest along the western margin. The lowermost unit the Late Precambrian stratified sequence is present only along part of the eastern margin of the basin, where it lies unconformably on the basement complex. It consists largely of volcanic tuffs and flows but contains some interbedded sedimentary rocks. The Late Precambrian sequence is overlain by the Early Cambrian clastic sequence. Where the older sequence is absent, the Early Cambrian sequence rests on the basement complex. Interbedded fine- to coarse-grained noncarbonate detrital rocks comprise the bulk of the sequence, but some volcanic and carbonate rocks are included. Next above is the Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate sequence which consists largely of limestone and dolomite. Some quartzose sandstone is present in the lower part in the western half of the basin, and much shale is present in the upper part in the southeast part of the basin. The next higher sequence is the Late Ordovician clastic sequence, which consists largely of shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Coarse-grained light-gray to red rocks are common in the sequence along the eastern side of the basin, whereas fine-grained dark-gray to black calcareous rocks are common along the west side. The Late Ordovician clastic sequence is overlain unconformably in many places by the Early Silurian clastic sequence. The latter comprises a relatively thin wedge of coarse-grained clastic rocks. Some of the most prolific oil- and gas-producing sandstones in the Appalachian basin are included. Among these are the "Clinton" sands of Ohio, the Medina Sandstones of New York and Pennsylvania, and the Keefer or "Big Six" Sandstone of West Virginia and Kentucky. Conformably overlying the Early Silurian clastic sequence is the Silurian-Devonian carbonate sequence, which consists predominantly of limestone and dolomite. It also contains a salt-bearing unit in the north-central part of the basin and a thick wedge of coarse-grained red beds in the northeastern part. The sequence is absent in much of the southern part of the basin. Large volumes of gas and much oil are obtained from some of its rocks, especially from the Oriskany Sandstone and the Huntersville Ghert. The Silurian-Devonian carbonate sequence is abruptly overlain by the Devonian clastic sequence a thick succession of interbedded shale, mudrock, siltstone, and sandstone. Colors range from predominantly purple and red in the northeastern part of the basin to predominantly dark gray and black in the southwestern part. Many rocks in the upper part contain hydrocarbons in commercial quantities. The next higher sequence is a heterogeneous succession that comprises most rocks of Mississippian age in the basin. It is composed largely of fine-grained to very coarse-grained noncalcareous clastic rocks in the northern half of the basin, and largely of carbonate rocks in the southern part. Large quantities of oil and gas are produced from the sequence. The youngest sequence consists of coarse-grained clastic rocks largely of Pennsylvanian age. In the center of the basin a relatively small volume of lithologically similar rocks of Permian age are included. The sequence has been intensively mined for coal throughout most of its extent. The waste-disposal possibilities of the stratified rocks in the Appalachian basin are considered in terms of the following: 1) gross lithology of the sequences; 2) general lithology of the rock units composing the sequences; and 3) the structural attitudes of the sequences in different parts of the basin. The degree of exploitation of economically significant mineral* resources is considered briefly where such exploitation may affect waste-disposal possibilities. Hydrologic aspects are not in general considered. Based largely on consideration of the above geologic factors the following types of reservoirs associated with particular geologic environments offer some prospects for the disposal of radioactive waste solutions. They are: 1) artificially created cavities in thick salt beds; 2) artificially fractured thin lenticular sandstone bodies isolated in shale or mudrock sequences; 3) portions of thick noncarbonate clastic sequences possessing appreciable natural porosity and permeability; 4) thin clastic units (with natural or artificially created openings) in the plate of a thrust fault overlain by impermeable strata. Considered in its entirety the Late Ordovician clastic sequence appears to have a greater number of favorable geologic factors for waste-disposal purposes than the others. The Early Silurian clastic sequence, the Silurian-Devonian carbonate sequence, and the Devonian clastic sequence offer fewer possibilities. The Late Precambrian stratified sequence, Early Cambrian, and the Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate sequence offer few possibilities. The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian sequences appear to be generally unsuitable.

Appalachian Basin↗

USGS2021

Improved Automated Identification and Mapping of Iron Sulfate Minerals, Other Mineral Groups, and Vegetation using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager Data, San Juan Mountains, Colorado, and Four Corners Region

Multispectral remote sensing data acquired by the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensor were analyzed using a new, automated technique to generate a map of exposed mineral and vegetation groups in the western San Juan Mountains, Colo., and the Four Corners Region of the United States. Band ratio results were combined into displayed mineral and vegetation groups using Boolean algebra. New analysis logic has been implemented to exploit the coastal aerosol band in Landsat 8 OLI data and identify concentrations of iron sulfate minerals. These may indicate the presence of near-surface pyrite, which can be a potential nonpoint source of acid rock drainage. Zoned occurrences of iron sulfate minerals in areas surrounding and down gradient of known sources of pyrite have been mapped using this technique. They show high correlation with occurrences of jarosite-bearing mineral assemblages, as mapped using airborne imaging spectrometer data and supporting field verification surveys. Mapping the occurrence of iron sulfate minerals produced by the weathering and oxidation of pyrite in exposed hydrothermally altered rocks can also provide an important indicator of the genetic environment of alteration and the associated mineral deposit type. The automated analysis methodology is being employed to rapidly and cost-effectively generate maps of large regions of the United States in support of U.S. Geological Survey mineral resource and mineral-environmental assessments. This map, which includes the ERDAS IMAGINE thematic raster format in the data release, has been attributed by pixel value with mineral and vegetation group classification data, which can be queried in most image processing and GIS software packages.

Colorado, Utah↗

USGS1961

Geologic summary of the Appalachian basin, with reference to the subsurface disposal of radioactive waste solutions

The Appalachian basin is an elongate depression in the crystalline basement complex which contains a great volume of predominantly sedimentary stratified rocks. As defined in this paper it extends from the Adirondack Mountains in New York to central Alabama. From east to west it extends from the west flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the crest of the Findlay and Cincinnati arches and the Nashville dome. It encompasses an area of about 207,000 square miles, including all of West Virginia and parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The stratified rocks that occupy the basin constitute a wedge-shaped mass whose axis of greatest thickness lies close to and parallel to the east edge of the basin. The maximum thickness of stratified rocks preserved in any one part of the basin today is between 35,000 and 40,000 feet. The volume of the sedimentary rocks is approximately 510,000 cubic miles and of volcanic rocks is a few thousand cubic miles. The sedimentary rocks are predominantly Paleozoic in age, whereas the volcanic rocks are predominantly Late Precambrian. On the basis of gross lithology the stratified rocks overlying the crystalline basement complex can be divided into nine vertically sequential units, which are designated "sequences" in this report. The boundaries between contiguous sequences do not necessarily coincide with the commonly recognized boundaries between systems or series. All sequences are grossly wedge shaped, being thickest along the eastern margin of the basin and thinnest along the western margin. The lowermost unit the Late Precambrian stratified sequence is present only along part of the eastern margin of the basin, where it lies unconformably on the basement complex. It consists largely of volcanic tuffs and flows but contains some interbedded sedimentary rocks. The Late Precambrian sequence is overlain by the Early Cambrian clastic sequence. Where the older sequence is absent, the Early Cambrian sequence rests on the basement complex. Interbedded fine- to coarse-grained noncarbonate detrital rocks comprise the bulk of the sequence, but some volcanic and carbonate rocks are included. Next above is the Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate sequence which consists largely of limestone and dolomite. Some quartzose sandstone is present in the lower part in the western half of the basin, and much shale is present in the upper part in the southeast part of the basin. The next higher sequence is the Late Ordovician clastic sequence, which consists largely of shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Coarse-grained light-gray to red rocks are common in the sequence along the eastern side of the basin, whereas fine-grained dark-gray to black calcareous rocks are common along the west side. The Late Ordovician clastic sequence is overlain unconformably in many places by the Early Silurian clastic sequence. The latter comprises a relatively thin wedge of coarse-grained clastic rocks. Some of the most prolific oil- and gas-producing sandstones in the Appalachian basin are included. Among these are the "Clinton" sands of Ohio, the Medina Sandstones of New York and Pennsylvania, and the Keefer or "Big Six" Sandstone of West Virginia and Kentucky. Conformably overlying the Early Silurian clastic sequence is the Silurian-Devonian carbonate sequence, which consists predominantly of limestone and dolomite. It also contains a salt-bearing unit in the north-central part of the basin and a thick wedge of coarse-grained red beds in the northeastern part. The sequence is absent in much of the southern part of the basin. Large volumes of gas and much oil are obtained from some of its rocks, especially from the Oriskany Sandstone and the Huntersville Ghert. The Silurian-Devonian carbonate sequence is abruptly overlain by the Devonian clastic sequence a thick succession of interbedded shale, mudrock, siltstone, and sandstone. Colors range from predominantly purple and red in the northeastern part of the basin to predominantly dark gray and black in the southwestern part. Many rocks in the upper part contain hydrocarbons in commercial quantities. The next higher sequence is a heterogeneous succession that comprises most rocks of Mississippian age in the basin. It is composed largely of fine-grained to very coarse-grained noncalcareous clastic rocks in the northern half of the basin, and largely of carbonate rocks in the southern part. Large quantities of oil and gas are produced from the sequence. The youngest sequence consists of coarse-grained clastic rocks largely of Pennsylvanian age. In the center of the basin a relatively small volume of lithologically similar rocks of Permian age are included. The sequence has been intensively mined for coal throughout most of its extent. The waste-disposal possibilities of the stratified rocks in the Appalachian basin are considered in terms of the following: 1) gross lithology of the sequences; 2) general lithology of the rock units composing the sequences; and 3) the structural attitudes of the sequences in different parts of the basin. The degree of exploitation of economically significant mineral* resources is considered briefly where such exploitation may affect waste-disposal possibilities. Hydrologic aspects are not in general considered. Based largely on consideration of the above geologic factors the following types of reservoirs associated with particular geologic environments offer some prospects for the disposal of radioactive waste solutions. They are: 1) artificially created cavities in thick salt beds; 2) artificially fractured thin lenticular sandstone bodies isolated in shale or mudrock sequences; 3) portions of thick noncarbonate clastic sequences possessing appreciable natural porosity and permeability; 4) thin clastic units (with natural or artificially created openings) in the plate of a thrust fault overlain by impermeable strata. Considered in its entirety the Late Ordovician clastic sequence appears to have a greater number of favorable geologic factors for waste-disposal purposes than the others. The Early Silurian clastic sequence, the Silurian-Devonian carbonate sequence, and the Devonian clastic sequence offer fewer possibilities. The Late Precambrian stratified sequence, Early Cambrian, and the Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate sequence offer few possibilities. The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian sequences appear to be generally unsuitable.

Appalachian Basin↗

USGS2012

Burn severity mapping in Australia 2009

In 2009, the Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment estimated approximately 430,000 hectares of Victoria Australia were burned by numerous bushfires. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams from the United States were deployed to Victoria to assist local fire managers. The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (USGS/EROS) and U.S. Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (USFS/RSAC) aided the support effort by providing satellite-derived "soil burn severity " maps for over 280,000 burned hectares. In the United States, BAER teams are assembled to make rapid assessments of burned lands to identify potential hazards to public health and property. An early step in the assessment process is the creation of a soil burn severity map used to identify hazard areas and prioritize treatment locations. These maps are developed primarily using Landsat satellite imagery and the differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) algorithm.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1985

Change detection in rangeland environments using Landsat MSS data: A quantitative approach

A range forage utilization study on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation in central South Dakota provided the opportunity to use Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data for examining range condition trends. A procedure was developed to compare change in spectral reflectance over time for polygon areas, defined by resource type within management units. A t-test was used to evaluate changes in brightness and greenness within pastures between September 27, 1978, and September 18, 1983. The first principal component transformation from four-band MSS images for both dates was used as a measure of brightness. Greenness was measure using the second principal component transformation for both dates. Examination of the brightness date showed that the assumptions required for a valid t-test were met. The greenness data violated the assumption of independence between dates and was not used for trend comparisons. The t-values calculated from each polygon were coded into three groups: (1) those indicating significant brightness decrease, (2) those indicating significant brightness increase, and (3) those indicating no significant brightness change. Significance was determine at the 5-percent level. These results were formatted into an image, which is a preliminary product for evaluating range condition trends over a 5-year period.

South Dakota↗

USGS2009

Prairie Monitoring Protocol Development: North Coast and Cascades Network

The purpose of the project was to conduct research that will guide development of a standard approach to monitoring several components of prairies within the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) parks. Prairies are an important element of the natural environment at many parks, including San Juan Island National Historical Park (NHP) and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (NHR). Forests have been encroaching on these prairies for many years, and so monitoring of the prairies is an important resource issue. This project specifically focused on San Juan Island NHP. Prairies at Ebey's Landing NHR will be monitored in the future, but that park was not mapped as part of this prototype project. In the interest of efficiency, the Network decided to investigate two main issues before launching a full protocol development effort: (1) the imagery requirements for monitoring prairie components, and (2) the effectiveness of software to assist in extracting features from the imagery. Several components of prairie monitoring were initially identified as being easily tracked using aerial imagery. These components included prairie/forest edge, broad prairie composition (for example, shrubs, scattered trees), and internal exclusions (for example, shrubs, bare ground). In addition, we believed that it might be possible to distinguish different grasses in the prairies if the imagery were of high enough resolution. Although the areas in question at San Juan Island NHP are small enough that mapping on the ground with GPS (Global Positioning System) would be feasible, other applications could benefit from aerial image acquisition on a regular, recurring basis and thereby make the investment in aerial imagery worthwhile. The additional expense of orthorectifying the imagery also was determined to be cost-effective.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2010

Volcanogenic uranium deposits: Geology, geochemical processes, and criteria for resource assessment

Felsic volcanic rocks have long been considered a primary source of uranium for many kinds of uranium deposits, but volcanogenic uranium deposits themselves have generally not been important resources. Until the past few years, resource summaries for the United States or the world generally include volcanogenic in the broad category of "other deposits" because they comprised less than 0.5 percent of past production or estimated resources. Exploration in the United States from the 1940s through 1982 discovered hundreds of prospects in volcanic rocks, of which fewer than 20 had some recorded production. Intensive exploration in the late 1970s found some large deposits, but low grades (less than about 0.10 percent U 3 O 8 ) discouraged economic development. A few deposits in the world, drilled in the 1980s and 1990s, are now known to contain large resources (>20,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 ). However, research on ore-forming processes and exploration for volcanogenic deposits has lagged behind other kinds of uranium deposits and has not utilized advances in understanding of geology, geochemistry, and paleohydrology of ore deposits in general and epithermal deposits in particular. This review outlines new ways to explore and assess for volcanogenic deposits, using new concepts of convection, fluid mixing, and high heat flow to mobilize uranium from volcanic source rocks and form deposits that are postulated to be large. Much can also be learned from studies of epithermal metal deposits, such as the important roles of extensional tectonics, bimodal volcanism, and fracture-flow systems related to resurgent calderas. Regional resource assessment is helped by genetic concepts, but hampered by limited information on frontier areas and undiscovered districts. Diagnostic data used to define ore deposit genesis, such as stable isotopic data, are rarely available for frontier areas. A volcanic environment classification, with three classes (proximal, distal, and pre-volcanic structures), permits use of geologic features on 1:500,000 to 1:100,000 scale maps. Geochemical databases for volcanic rocks are postulated to be more effective than databases for stream sediments or surface radioactivity, both of which tend to be inconsistent because of variable leaching of uranium from soils. Based on empirical associations, spatial associations with areas of wet paleoclimate, adjacent oil and gas fields, or evaporite beds are deemed positive. Most difficult to estimate is the location of depositional traps and reduction zones, in part because they are mere points at regional scale. Grade and tonnage data are reviewed and discussed for 32 deposits in the world. Experience of mining engineers and geologists in Asia suggests that tonnages could be higher than presently known in the Western Hemisphere. Geological analysis, and new data from Asia, suggest a typical or median deposit tonnage of about 5,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 , and an optimistic forecast of discoveries in the range of 5,000 to 20,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 . The likely grade of undiscovered deposits could be about 0.15 percent U 3 O 8 , based on both western and eastern examples. Volcanic terrane is under-explored, relative to other kinds of uranium deposits, and is considered a favorable frontier area for new discoveries.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2023

California State waters map series—Benthic habitat characterization in the region offshore of Morro Bay, California

Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard geoform, substrate, and biotic component geographic information system products were developed for the California State waters of south-central California in the region offshore of Morro Bay. The study was motivated by interest in development of offshore wind-energy capacity and infrastructure in Federal waters offshore. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, in coordination with the State of California and many other members of the California Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, issued calls for information in 2018 for the study area offshore of Morro Bay, California. The study area is adjacent to a nuclear power plant (currently scheduled for decommissioning) with a developed electric grid connection, and in an area of high wind resource potential. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is the lead agency responsible for planning and leasing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and funded this project to assess baseline conditions of, and the potential effects on, the seafloor environment. This project, carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey, resulted in three data releases for individual map blocks that are part of the California State Waters Map Series: (1) Offshore of Point Estero, (2) Offshore of Morro Bay, and (3) Offshore of Point Buchon. The study area consists of 341 square kilometers (km 2 ) of multibeam echo sounder (MBES) data acquired by Fugro, Inc., in 2010. Towed camera-sled video was acquired in 2012 to supervise the classification of the MBES data into habitats. There were 935 annotations of organisms and habitat made from 22 video transects. Using video observations of habitat as ground truth, derivatives of the MBES data were classified into 3 seafloor character types (hard-rugged, hard-flat, and soft-flat), 25 modifier groups, and 9 geoforms. The study area substrate is predominantly soft-flat sediment (mud and fine sand) covering 191.3 km 2 (56.1 percent) of the area. Hard-flat substrate areas, predominantly coarse sediment in scour depressions, cover 52.2 km 2 (15.3 percent) of the study area. The hard-rugged substrate areas are primarily outcrops of layered sedimentary bedrock and constitute 97.5 km 2 of the study area (28.6 percent). After classification of bathymetry and backscatter raster images according to substrate, false-positive hard areas produced by noise artifacts were removed by manual editing. Nine geoforms were then identified in the analysis. The predominant geoforms mirror the seafloor character results, shelf geoforms (flat areas covered in soft sediment), rock outcrop geoforms (hard, rugged areas), and scour depression geoforms (flat areas covered in coarse sediment formed by bottom currents).

California↗

USGS2015

Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 report

Gas hydrate is a naturally occurring “ice-like” combination of natural gas and water that has the potential to serve as an immense resource of natural gas from the world’s oceans and polar regions. However, gas-hydrate recovery is both a scientific and a technical challenge and much remains to be learned about the geologic, engineering, and economic factors controlling the ultimate energy resource potential of gas hydrate. The amount of natural gas contained in the world’s gas-hydrate accumulations is enormous, but these estimates are speculative and range over three orders of magnitude from about 2,800 to 8,000,000 trillion cubic meters of gas. By comparison, conventional natural gas accumulations (reserves and undiscovered, technically recoverable resources) for the world are estimated at approximately 440 trillion cubic meters. Gas recovery from gas hydrate is hindered because the gas is in a solid form and because gas hydrate commonly occurs in remote Arctic and deep marine environments. Proposed methods of gas recovery from gas hydrate generally deal with disassociating or “melting” in situ gas hydrate by heating the reservoir beyond the temperature of gas-hydrate formation, or decreasing the reservoir pressure below hydrate equilibrium. The pace of energy-related gas hydrate assessment projects has accelerated over the past several years. The Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01 was designed to study the gas-hydrate occurrences off the Indian Peninsula and along the Andaman convergent margin with special emphasis on understanding the geologic and geochemical controls on the occurrence of gas hydrate in these two diverse settings. During Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 01, dedicated gas-hydrate coring, drilling, and downhole logging operations were conducted from 28 April 2006 to 19 August 2006.

Krishna-Godivari Basin↗