Search USGS⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Science News”

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

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
USGS2011

Future of gas hydrate research

Methane hydrates are ice‐like inclusion compounds, in which every volume of hydrate can contain as much as 180 volumes (STP) of gas.The amount of methane in natural gas hydrates is twice the total recoverable fossil fuel reserve. Because of their natural abundance in oceans and permafrost, hydrates have become an exciting national and international research issue. The movement of the gas and oil industry to ever deepening waters where hydrates occur, the compelling size and distribution of hydrate deposits, and strong international interest all support identification of crucial elements in a hydrate research program.

Eos, Earth and Space Science News↗
USGS2011

Data on past climate warmth may lead to better model of warm future

Weather bureaus around the world have accumulated daily historical records of atmospheric conditions for more than a century to help forecast meteorological conditions 3 to 5 days ahead. To gain insight into the impact of possible future climate warming and constrain predictive models for a warm future, climatologists are seeking paleoclimatologic and paleoceanographic records from recent intervals of the late Quaternary, when conditions were demonstrably warmer than today. Results of past research on Brunhes-age paleoclimate suggest that Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11), an interval between 420 and 360 ka, was the longest and warmest interglacial interval of the past 500 kyr (see the recent review by Howard [1997]). This interval was characterized by warmer seasurface temperatures in high latitudes, strong thermohaline circulation, unusual carbonate plankton blooms in high latitudes, higher than present sea level, coral reef expansion resulting in large accumulation of neritic carbonates, and overall poor pelagic carbonate preservation.

Eos Science News↗
USGS2011

New strategy needed in earthquake, volcano monitoring

Recent advances in space geodesy provide unprecedented opportunities for measuring and understanding processes related to earthquake occurrence and volcanic eruptions in the United States and elsewhere. The Global Positioning System (GPS) uses Earth-orbiting satellites to obtain relative movements of ground points accurate to a few millimeters, either through periodically repeated surveys or by continuous measurements at permanent sites [ Segall and Davis , 1997]. Satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) uses repeat-pass radar backscatter images of Earth's surface to obtain complete spatial mappings of surface deformation over 100 km × 100 km scenes to centimeter precision [ Massonnet and Feigl , 1998]. During the past 5 years GPS and InSAR increasingly have been applied to local studies of active fault zones and volcanic systems, imaging the sources of deformation buried in Earth's crust and quantifying the hazards they pose to society. The potential now exists to deploy these tools to map and monitor all of the actively deforming western United States, and a new scientific initiative with these goals is under active discussion [ Silver et al , 1998].

Eos Science News↗
USGS2011

Standardization of gravimeter calibrations in the geological survey

The calibration of gravimeters has long been primarily the concern of geodesists involved in measuring large gravity differences, but recent developments suggest that the precision and stability of gravimeter calibrations may have greater geologic importance in the future. First, the use of high-speed computers and an increasing variety of supplemental data now make possible the geologic interpretation of gravity anomalies so small that they would not have been noticed in surveys made ten years ago. The kind of gravity interpretation that identifies small reefs and local accumulations of petroleum [ McCulloh , 1967] often requires local increases in station density and the assurance that the calibration of meters used in all parts of a survey are compatible. Second, temporal changes of gravity have already been measured in connection with earthquakes [ Barnes , 1966], volcanic eruptions [ Iida et al , 1952], and the movement of ice caps [ Behrendt , 1967]; they are now being considered for several other types of geologic processes.

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Was↗
USGS2011

The U.S. Geological Survey's gravity program in California

Since the 1963 gravity symposium, the U.S. Geological Survey has entered into a cooperative program with the California Division of Mines and Geology, the Army Map Service, and several universities for the purpose of completing a 5-mgal Bouguer gravity map of the entire State of California at a scale of 1:250,000 by 1970. The areal division of responsibility within the program is shown on a map of California by Chapman (p. 542). It is evident from a plot of existing stations that considerably more data are required in the eastern Mojave Desert located in the southeastern corner of the state, and in the Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe. Additional fill-in work is needed in nearly all parts of the state. The data requirements vary for a 5-mgal contour map depending on the local complexity of the gravity field; but in general, we are obtaining gravity stations at an interval of about 3 km along roads, trails, and rivers, and 5 to 8 km between these access routes by cross-country jeep, horseback, or helicopter if necessary. About 6000 new stations were obtained in California by the Geological Survey during 1968 and we expect to obtain about 3000 more in 1969.

California↗
USGS2011

Progress on a gravity map of Alaska

The U.S. Geological Survey began gravity surveys in Alaska ten years ago with local surveys in the Copper River and Tanana Basins. Shortly before the 1963 AGU gravity symposium [ Barnes , 1965], the emphasis shifted from local surveys to the preparation of a reconnaissance gravity map of the whole state with a 10-mgal contour interval on a scale of 1:2,500,000, which would be similar to the gravity map of the United States [ Woollard and Joesting , 1964]. Data have now been obtained in approximately three-fourths of the state, but there are large variations in both station density and geologic usefulness of the coverage. The amount of coverage is primarily influenced by the distribution of water bodies because more than three-fourths of the stations have been obtained by riverboats, small skiffs, and floatplanes.

Alaska↗
USGS2011

International geophysics: Symposium on the hydrology of deltas

A Symposium on the Hydrology of Deltas was held in Bucharest, Romania, on May 6–9; it was followed by a field trip to the delta of the Danube River on May 10–14. The Symposium was organized by Unesco, with the collaboration of the Romanian Government and the support of the International Association of Scientific Hydrology (IASH). The Romanian Government did an excellent job of arranging for airport reception, hotels in Bucharest, a meeting hall for the technical sessions, hospitality sessions, a full side program for wives of delegates, and hotels, meals, and transportation (bus, train, and boat) on the field trip. The Institute of Hydrotechnical Research of the Romanian Government provided most of the support.

Bucharest↗
USGS2012

Groundwater Recharge Conference Reading, England September 21-24, 1970

An international Conference on Artificial Groundwater Recharge was held at the University of Reading, Whiteknights Park, Reading, Berkshire, England, sponsored by the Water Research Association, Medmenham, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. One hundred sixty-one delegates, representing 20 countries, registered. Five excellent tours were made available for them, to such installations as: the Hydraulics Research Station and Institute of Hydrology, Weilingford, Berkshire; the Metropolitan Water Board, Ashford Common Works, Sunbury-on-Thames; the Water Pollution Research Laboratory, Stevenage; and the Water Research Association, Medmenham, and Water Resources Board, Reading, Berkshire.

Eos Science News↗
USGS2012

Investigations at active volcanoes

The field of volcanology has expanded greatly in the years 1967–1970, and work on active volcanoes has kept pace with this expansion. I have restricted this summary and the accompanying bibliography to studies by U.S.‐based investigators of active or potentially active volcanoes. I have been immeasurably aided in writing this summary by communications from R. Citron of the Smithsonian Institution Center for Short‐Lived Phenomena, W. Melson and T. Simkin of the Smithsonian Institution, A. McBirney of the Center for Volcanology, University of Oregon, R.B. Forbes of the University of Alaska, and R.W. Decker of Dartmouth College.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2012

Man-made earthquakes and earthquake prediction

Convincing evidence that man can trigger earthquakes has been developed since the 1963–1967 report. The fact that man can start earthquakes has increased our understanding of earthquake mechanisms and reinforced our judgment that we are approaching the possibility of earthquake prediction. Traditionally, seismologists have avoided the subject of earthquake prediction because of its distasteful association with people who claim to be able to predict earthquakes by mystical nonscientific methods. Research on prediction has been intensified since the reports of the Panel on Earthquake Prediction [ Press , 1965] and the Interagency Working Group for Earthquake Research [ Pecora , 1968],. however, and it is appropriate to assess our progress toward that goal. Pakiser et al . [1969] and Oliver [1970] have also summarized recent U.S. progress toward earthquake prediction.

Eos Science News↗
USGS2012

Magnetic anomalies over the continents

By far most of the magnetic coverage over continents has been made via aircraft. The obvious advantages of the airborne method over ground measurements are the speed and economy of the survey, the coverage of areas that are inaccessible on the ground, and the nature of the data, which are displayed continuously rather than as discrete points along a profile. Much aeromagnetic work both in the United States and abroad has been conducted by private companies exploring for ore and petroleum. Unfortunately almost none of the data have been published, nor have they been made available to the public.

Eos Science News↗
USGS2012

Erosion and sedimentation

Research activities in erosion and sedimentation processes have expanded broadly during the past several years and have kept pace with generally accelerated developments in all phases of hydrology and water resources investigations.

Eos Science News↗
USGS2012

Third International Seminar for Hydrology Professors

The Third International Seminar for Hydrology Professors was held at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. There were 72 U.S. participants from 25 States and 19 participants from 15 other countries as follows: three from Canada; two each from Costa Rica and Peru; and one each from The Republic of China, Colombia, El Salvador, France, India, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Turkey, and the United Arab Republic. Seventy-eight of the participants were college or university professors and 13 represented various state and national research and technical agencies.

Indiana↗
USGS2011

Referees and the publications crisis

Routine refereeing by peers of manuscripts submitted to scholarly journals is a logical and effective device that can obviate ‘crankiness, irrelevance and gross incompetence’ [ Ziman , 1970 a ] on the one hand and minimize editorial arbitrariness on the other. As reviewed by Zuckerman and Merton [1971], the device has historical roots that extend back to the beginning of the first scholarly journals, such as Transactions of the Royal Society, and Journal des Scavans . The growth of science since World War II and the pressure of burgeoning manuscript submission appear to have been important factors in making automatic peer review nearly universal in American and British Commonwealth natural science journals and in international journals influenced by Anglo‐North Americans. A 1962 survey cited by Zuckerman and Merton [1971] found that 71% of 156 physical and biological science journals in 13 countries made use of referees.

Eos, Earth and Space Science News↗
USGS2011

Radioactive waste storage in the arid zone

By the turn of the century, nuclear power may generate more than one-half of the electric energy, and about one-third of the total energy consumed in the United States [ Thompson , 1971; Chapman et al ., 1972]. By 2020, the total quantity of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW) generated as a byproduct of nuclear fuel reprocessing for such power generation may total about 900,000 m 3 as liquid or 70,000 m 3 as solid [ Gera and Jacobs , 1972]; the radioactivity of long-lived nuclides in the HLW will total about 8.7×10 10 Ci [ Gera and Jacobs , 1972]. (High-level wastes are defined as wastes containing at least 1 Ci of radioactivity per liter of liquid, or 70 Ci/kg of solid [American Institute of Chemical Engineering, ANSI Standard N5.8-1967]. Wastes from chemical processing of irradiated nuclear fuels typically contain several hundred to several thousand curies per gallon [ Fox , 1969].)

Eos Science News↗
USGS2011

A history of paleoflood hydrology in the United States

The origins of paleoflood hydrology in the United States can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century, when windgaps and watergaps in the Applachians were believed to have been eroded by extraordinary floods as large lakes that were ponded behind the ridges rapidly drained. Sediment evidence for extraordinary floods was evoked several decades later when glacial sediments in New England were interpreted as deposits from the great Biblical deluge, and estimates of the depth and velocity of the great flood were attempted. The popularization of the glacial origins of drift by Agassiz by 1840 resulted in strong beliefs in uniformitarianism and waning interests in paleoflood investigations. The documentation of the origins of the channeled scablands in eastern Washington by catastrophic glacial outbreak floods, begun by Bretz in the early 1920s, led to renewed interest in paleoflood hydrology. Subsequent efforts to reconstruct hydraulic variables of past floods used conventional open channel flow equations applied to other enormous Pleistocene floods. The elevation of sediments was used as a paleostage estimator in the 1880s, and botanical techniques for estimating paleoflood frequency and magnitude were well documented by the mid-1960s. Since 1970, an exponential expansion has occurred in the recognition and use of paleoflood hydrology in the United States.

Eos, Earth and Space Science News↗
USGS2012

Group takes a fresh look at the lithosphere underneath southern Kenya

Since the turn of the century the well-developed Kenya rift has been a crucial location for studying the interrelationships between extension, uplift, and magmatism. In 1989–1990, an experiment conducted by the Kenya Rift International Seismic Project (KRISP) focused on the central and northern portions of Kenya (Figure 1) and provided a rich base of information regarding the structure and evolution of the rift, which answered many key questions and raised others. Does the crust thin to the south of the Kenya dome as it does to the north?, and if it does, which crustal layer would be mainly affected? How is the Chyulu Hills Quaternary volcanism related to the rifting process? What is the relationship between the crust and lithospheric mantle during extension?

East African Rift, Great Rift Valley, Gregory Rift↗
USGS2011

Urban seismic experiments investigate Seattle fault and basin

In the past decade, Earth scientists have recognized the seismic hazards that crustal faults and sedimentary basins pose to Seattle, Washington (Figure 1). In 1998, the US. Geological Survey and its collaborators initiated a series of urban seismic studies of the upper crust to better map seismogenic structures and sedimentary basins in the Puget Lowland. These studies are called the Seismic Hazard Investigations of Puget Sound (SHIPS). In March 1998, we conducted our first SHIPS study, an investigation of the upper crustal structure of the Puget Lowland, using marine airgun sources and land recorders [ Fisher et al. , 1999].The study was nicknamed Wet SHIPS. In September 1999, we obtained a seismic refraction line to study the upper crustal structure in the Seattle area in a land-based study nicknamed Dry SHIPS [ Brocher et al. , 2000] (Figure 1). In March 2000, we recorded the demolition of the Seattle Kingdome sports stadium using a dense array of seismic recorders for a detailed site response study; this study was nicknamed Kingdome SHIPS (Figure 1).

Washington↗