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

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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
USGS1985

Diversion of lava during the 1983 eruption of Mount Etna

Mankind's first known attempt to divert a lava flow was in 1669, when a flow from Mount Etna volcano threatened the Sicilian city of Catania. This attempt was largely unsuccessful, in part due to opposition by citizens of another town, Paterno. Attempts to divert lava flows from Mauna Loa Volcano on the island of Hawaii by aerial bombing were made in 1935 and 1942, with no signifcant effects. Earthen bariers were hurriedly constructed in attempts to divert flows from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii in 1955 and 1960, again with little success. The first successful lava diversion took place in 1973, when a thick lava flow was impeded and a harbor saved in Iceland by pumping massive quantities of seawater over advancing aa lava. Nonetheless, methods that could be applied to areas far from sources of water remained unproven. During the 1983 eruption of Etna, Italian scientists managed, for the first time, to convince government authorities that direct intervention in natural volcanic processes was warranted. Both explosives and earthen barriers were used to divert major flows. These efforts were fairly successful, although at the time the historic importance of the operations was not fully recognized.

Mount Etna, Sicily↗
USGS1960

Ground-water investigations in Utah in 1960 and ground-water reports published by the U.S. Geological Survey or the Utah State Engineer prior to 1960

Listed below and shown on the map are projects in the ground-water program being conducted cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah State Engineer. Project UT-5 is conducted from a field office in Cedar City, project UT-17 from a field office in Richfield, project UT-26 from a field office in Fillmore, and all other projects are operated from the Geological Survey offices in Salt Lake City.

Utah↗
USGS1958

Recent underwater surveys using low-frequency sound to locate shallow bedrock

Underwater investigations at Lake Mead, Chicago, Passamaquoddy Bay, and on Long Island established the characteristics of sound waves that can be used in shallow geophysical exploration by the sonar method. At Lake Mead the sediments were for the most part clay of high water content which was easily penetrated by low-power sound at a frequency of 14.2 kilocycles. The greatest depth of penetration was 140 feet. Sound having frequencies of 50 and 80 kilocycles did not penetrate. At Chicago, sound at a frequecy of 11 kilocycles and an output power of 800 watts gave a satisfactory delineation of bedrock beneath Lake Michigan. The maximum distance to bedrock was about 135 feet. At Passamaquoddy Bay a sound frequency of 6 kilocycles and about 700 watts of output power gave much better delineation of bedrock. A frequency of 6 kilocycles at the lower output power was much better than 11 kilocycles at higher power. About 250 feet of penetration was attained. Pulsed power was used in each of these investigations. The pulse lengths were long—about 14–25 milliseconds. Bedrock was mapped at Lake Mead, Chicago, and Passamaquoddy Bay. The methods of ordinary hydrographic surveying were used for horizontal and vertical positioning. For horizontal positions the ordinary three-point sextant-fix method was used. For vertical positioning, recording gages suitably placed and supplemented by staff gages were used. All data were tied into the third-order control net of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. In connection with a study for a proposed Midwestern waterway, the technical problem was reviewed and the techniques considerably improved. New equipment was built and evaluated on Long Island Sound. It operated with pulsed power at a frequency of 6 kilocycles, and pulse length was controlled and variable from 1 to 9 milliseconds. Output acoustic power was about 2500 watts. With the transducer in ordinary operating positions as much as 400 feet of sediment was penetrated. With the transducer placed directly on the bottom of the water in Huntington Bay about 750 feet of penetration was attained. Several innovations in sonar techniques, which are desirable for sediment exploration, and which give much more detailed information than the earlier equipment are described. The techniques required for stratigraphic interpretation of the sound records are described briefly. A method for the determination of sound velocities is discussed. Multiple echoes and other effects complicate the interpretation of records and are explained. The problems of geological control encountered also are mentioned.

Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Brunswick, New York↗
USGS1980

Earthquake alarm; operating the seismograph station at the University of California, Berkeley.

An alarm bell rings at the seismographic station and at the office of the campus police. It is 3:00 on a foggy San Francisco morning. Somewhere in the world an earthquake has occurred. The police telephone the duty seismologist at home telling him that the alarm has triggered. He makes his way into the seismograph station, bathrobe and all, to locate the earthquake and determine its magnitude. In this way, many seismology graduate students have been initiated into the responsibilities of running a seismographic station. At the University of California seismographic stations, the task of locating and determining magnitudes for both local and distant earthquakes is a continuous one. Teleseisms must be located rapidly so that events that occur in the Pacific can be identified and the Pacific Tsunami Warning System alerted. For great earthquakes anywhere, there is a responsibility to notify public agencies such as the California Office of Emergency Services, the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, the California Seismic Safety Commission, and the American Red Cross. In the case of damaging local earthquakes, it is necessary to alert also the California Department of Water Resources, California Division of Mines and Geology, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit. These days, any earthquakes that are felt in northern California cause immediate inquiries from the news media and an interested public. The series of earthquakes that jolted the Livermore area from January 24 to 26 1980, is a good case in point.

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗
USGS1955

Ground water investigations in Oklahoma

Prior to 1937, ground-water work in Oklahoma consisted of broad scale early-day reconnaissance and a few brief investigations of local areas. The reconnaissance is distinguished by C. N. Gould's "Geology and Water Resources of Oklahoma" (Water-Supply Paper 148, 1905), which covers about half of the present State of Oklahoma. Among the shorter reports are two by Schwennesen for areas near Enid and Oklahoma City, one by Renick for Enid, and one by Thompson on irrigation possibilities near Gage. These reports are now inadequate by modern standards. Cooperative ground-water work in Oklahoma by the United States Geological Survey began in 1937, with the Oklahoma Geological Survey as cooperating agency. With the passage of the new ground-water law by the State Legislature in 1949, the need for more information on available ground waters and the safe yield of the various aquifers became very pressing. Accordingly, the Division of Water Resources of the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, to which was delegated the responsibility of administering the Ground-Water Law, entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, providing for an expansion of ground-water investigations. Both cooperators have consistently given full and enthusiastic cooperation, often beyond the requirements of the cooperative program. The first cooperative investigation was an evaluation of ground-water supplies available for irrigation in the Panhandle. In 1937 the Panhandle was still very much in the dust bowl, and it was hoped that irrigation would alleviate the drought. A bulletin on Texas County was published in 1939, and one on Cimarron County in 1943. Ground-water investigations during the World War II were restricted to the demands of Army and Navy installations, and to defense industries. Ground-water investigations since 1945 have included both country-wide and aquifer-type investigations. In Oklahoma it has been the policy for the State cooperator to publish the results of the ground-water investigation.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2003

Comparisons of two moments‐based estimators that utilize historical and paleoflood data for the log Pearson type III distribution

The expected moments algorithm (EMA) [ Cohn et al. , 1997 ] and the Bulletin 17B [ Interagency Committee on Water Data , 1982 ] historical weighting procedure (B17H) for the log Pearson type III distribution are compared by Monte Carlo computer simulation for cases in which historical and/or paleoflood data are available. The relative performance of the estimators was explored for three cases: fixed‐threshold exceedances, a fixed number of large floods, and floods generated from a different parent distribution. EMA can effectively incorporate four types of historical and paleoflood data: floods where the discharge is explicitly known, unknown discharges below a single threshold, floods with unknown discharge that exceed some level, and floods with discharges described in a range. The B17H estimator can utilize only the first two types of historical information. Including historical/paleoflood data in the simulation experiments significantly improved the quantile estimates in terms of mean square error and bias relative to using gage data alone. EMA performed significantly better than B17H in nearly all cases considered. B17H performed as well as EMA for estimating X 100 in some limited fixed‐threshold exceedance cases. EMA performed comparatively much better in other fixed‐threshold situations, for the single large flood case, and in cases when estimating extreme floods equal to or greater than X 500 . B17H did not fully utilize historical information when the historical period exceeded 200 years. Robustness studies using GEV‐simulated data confirmed that EMA performed better than B17H. Overall, EMA is preferred to B17H when historical and paleoflood data are available for flood frequency analysis.

Water Resources Research↗
USGS1978

Understanding natural systems; a perspective for land-use planning in Appalachian Kentucky

An eight-county area at the headwaters of the Kentucky River has been designated the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The objective of the project described in this report has been to provide materials to KRADD planners in a format and containing terminology usable by local people untrained in earth science. Experimental maps (not included in this report) have been prepared largely from preexisting data. Time and cost limitations required a regional analysis as well as somewhat more detailed examples of selected localities. Most of the maps produced to meet these needs show the abundance and distribution of naturally occurring materials and the areas affected by various geomorphic processes. Three types of maps, showing current land use, slope, and flood-prone areas, present both basic and derived data directly applicable to specific land-use decisions. Basic map information on quality and quantity of surface and ground water, bedrock and surficial geology, and mineral fuels can be interpreted for a wide variety of current and potential uses. Texts accompanying the maps explain bedrock control of geomorphic processes, distribution and significance of surficial deposits, and hydrologic characteristics of the intricately dissected eastern Kentucky terrain. Within this conceptual framework, geomorphic processes and the landscape may be evaluated in humanly significant terms of low to high potential risk, thereby indicating both opportunities and limitations for land use.

Kentucky↗
USGS1983

Active submarine volcano sampled

On June 4, 1982, two full dredge hauls of fresh lava were recovered from the upper flanks of Kavachi submarine volcano, Solomon Islands, in the western Pacific Ocean, from the water depths of 1,200 and 2,700 feet. the shallower dredge site was within 0.5 mile of the active submarine vent shown at the surface by an area of slick water, probably caused by gas emissions. Kavachi is a composite stratovolcano that has been observed to erupt every year or two for at least the last 30 years (see photographs). An island formed in 1952, 1961, 1965, and 1978; but, in each case, it rapidly eroded below sea level. The latest eruption was observed by Solair pilots during the several weeks up to and including May 18, 1982.

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗
USGS2016

Resetting the bar: Establishing baselines for persistent contaminants after Hurricane Sandy in the coastal environments of New Jersey and New York, USA

In the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, public health officials and other first responders engage in many activities to protect the public and ecosystems in the affected area. These activities include critical tasks designed to minimize adverse consequences resulting from chemical and microbial contaminant exposures, such as acute disease incidence and transmission. However, once these urgent priorities have been met and situations requiring immediate attention have been stabilized, questions regarding the potential longer term threats to humans and ecosystems associated with persistent contaminant exposures remain. Research conducted to address these questions is frequently challenged by the lack of available baseline contaminant information collected before the event for comparison and perspective. In addition, deployments of field crews and collection of environmental samples typically occur days, weeks, or months after the event. Consequently, during and in the aftermath of disasters, public health agencies commonly advise the public to disinfect water, avoid contact with disturbed infrastructure (such as sewer lines), and (or) refrain from use of recreational waters, with the general focus on acute health threats; however, the persisting effects of such releases on local recreational waters, fisheries, and other estuarine habitats are often undetermined.

New Jersey, New York↗
USGS1957

Military geology in the United States sector of the European theater of operations during World War II

Geology, which was of far-reaching importance on the Western Front of World War I, played a less spectacular role during World War II in so far as the United States armies in Europe were concerned. The U. S. Army in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) used geologists in two capacities: (1) to make staff studies at the level of Theater Headquarters, and (2) as officer personnel in a water-supply unit. In the first category, only one group of seven geologists was employed, forming part of the Information Section, Intelligence Division, Office of the Chief Engineer, ETO. The products of this group consisted largely of regional and localized terrain (trafficability) studies that ranged geographically from the Normandy invasion beaches to Czechoslovakia. Problems of water supply, sources of road material, and many other questions of a geologic nature also arose. French geologists collaborated closely with the work of the section. As the campaign progressed, the Military Geology Unit of the U. S. Geological Survey made important contributions to the geologic intelligence of Germany.

Geological Society of America Bulletin↗
USGS2007

Simulation and mapping of soil-water conditions in the Great Plains

Soil-water conditions provide valuable insight into the hydrologic system in an area. A soil-water balance quantitatively summarizes soil-water conditions and is based on climatic, soil, and vegetation characteristics that vary spatially and temporally. Soil-water balances in the Great Plains of the central United States were simulated for 1951-1980. Results of the simulations were mean annual estimates of infiltration, runoff, actual evapotranspiration, potential recharge, and consumptive water and irrigation requirements at 152 climatic data stations. A method was developed using a geographic information system to integrate and map the simulation results on the basis of spatially variable climatic, soil, and vegetation characteristics. As an example, simulated mean annual potential recharge was mapped. Mean annual potential-recharge rates ranged from less than 0.5 inch in much of the north-central and southwestern Great Plains to more than 10 inches in parts of eastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas.

Water Resources Bulletin↗
USGS2008

Joint NOAA/NWS/USGS prototype debris flow warning system for recently burned areas in Southern California

Debris flows, also known as mudslides, are composed gravity-driven mixtures of sediment and water that travel through steep channels, over open hillslopes, and the like. Addressing this issue, US Geological Survey (USGS) and NOAA have established a debris-flow warning system that has the ability to monitor and forecast precipitation and issue timely weather hazard warning. In 2005, this joint NOAA-USGS prototype debris-flow warning system was issued in Southern California and as a result, it has provided valuable information to emergency managers in affected communities.

California↗
USGS2004

Log Pearson type 3 quantile estimators with regional skew information and low outlier adjustments

The recently developed expected moments algorithm (EMA) [ Cohn et al. , 1997 ] does as well as maximum likelihood estimations at estimating log‐Pearson type 3 (LP3) flood quantiles using systematic and historical flood information. Needed extensions include use of a regional skewness estimator and its precision to be consistent with Bulletin 17B . Another issue addressed by Bulletin 17B is the treatment of low outliers. A Monte Carlo study compares the performance of Bulletin 17B using the entire sample with and without regional skew with estimators that use regional skew and censor low outliers, including an extended EMA estimator, the conditional probability adjustment (CPA) from Bulletin 17B , and an estimator that uses probability plot regression (PPR) to compute substitute values for low outliers. Estimators that neglect regional skew information do much worse than estimators that use an informative regional skewness estimator. For LP3 data the low outlier rejection procedure generally results in no loss of overall accuracy, and the differences between the MSEs of the estimators that used an informative regional skew are generally modest in the skewness range of real interest. Samples contaminated to model actual flood data demonstrate that estimators which give special treatment to low outliers significantly outperform estimators that make no such adjustment.

Water Resources Research↗
USGS2014

Appendix B—Active ground‐water projects in California, Oregon, and Washington

General Pumping from wells for irrigation —The Division of Irrigation, Bureau of Agricultural Engineering, United States Department of Agriculture, is investigating the economics and practice of pumping from wells for irrigation in the western United States. The study is under the charge of Carl Rohwer. Its aims are (1) to gather data pertinent to the practical and economical phases of pumping for irrigation, including mechanical units, wells, methods of pump‐installation, the assembled plant, and the efficiency of the various units, and (2) to compile all available information on methods and cost of well‐drilling and the numerous factors influencing them, such as various types of casing and relation of diameter of casing to yield. The field‐work on both phases of the study is about complete. The manuscript on the first phase of the project is in process of preliminary editing. It is intended to publish the results of the study in two bulletins, probably as Department circulars.

California, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2023

Magnitude and frequency of floods on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, State of Hawaiʻi, based on data through water year 2020

Accurate estimates of flood magnitude and frequency are needed to (1) optimize the design and location of infrastructure, including dams, culverts, bridges, industrial buildings, and highways, and (2) inform flood-zoning and flood-insurance studies. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, estimated flood magnitudes for the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities (AEP) for unregulated streamgages in Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, State of Hawaiʻi, using data through water year 2020. Regression equations were developed to estimate flood magnitude and associated frequency at ungaged streams. This study improves upon a previous USGS flood-frequency report (Oki and others, 2010) by including more peak-flow data, implementing new statistical methods in flood-frequency analysis, and using updated techniques to estimate the regional-skewness coefficient (regional skew). Flood magnitude and frequency at 238 streamgages were estimated—following national guidelines established in Bulletin 17C (England and others, 2019)—by fitting annual peak-flow data to the Log-Pearson Type III distribution using the expected moments algorithm and the PeakFQ flood-frequency software. Potentially influential low outliers in the data were identified and removed using the Multiple Grubbs-Beck Test. An updated regional skew for Hawaiʻi was estimated using the Bayesian weighted least squares/Bayesian generalized least squares method. The updated regional skew employs a constant model for the five islands in the study area and has a value of −0.157 (mean square error of 0.212). Multiple linear regression techniques were used to develop regression equations that relate basin and climatic characteristics to peak flows at streamgages. The regression equations can be applied to estimate flood magnitude and frequency at ungaged sites. The study area was split into 10 regions—2 regions per island, generally following a leeward/windward division—containing from 9 to 49 streamgages each. The final regression equations for each region were determined with generalized least-squares analysis using the USGS weighted-multiple-linear regression (WREG) program. The standard error of prediction at the 1-percent AEP for the regression equations ranged from 18 to 164 percent; the pseudo coefficient of determination (pseudo-R2) at the 1-percent AEP ranged from 46 to 100 percent. The regression equations performed well for all regions except leeward Molokaʻi and southern Island of Hawaiʻi; for all other regions, the pseudo-R2 values ranged from about 75 to 100 percent. Compared to the regression equations developed by Oki and others (2010), the regression equations in this study generally showed modest improvements, although the magnitude of differences varied for each region. Peak-flow estimates at the 238 streamgages included in this study are improved by weighting the at-site statistics computed with PeakFQ and the predicted flows based on the regression equations. Results of this study—including the final peak-flow estimates at streamgages and the regional regression equations—are implemented in the USGS StreamStats web application (U.S. Geological Survey, 2023, StreamStats: https://streamstats.usgs.gov/ss/ ). StreamStats provides a consistent approach for obtaining peak-flow estimates at streamgages and for applying the regional regression equations for estimating peak flows at ungaged locations.

Hawaii↗
USGS1994

Identification of tire leachate toxicants and a risk assessment of water quality effects using tire reefs in canals

Cover is an important component of aquatic habitat and fisheries management. Fisheries biologists often try to improve habitats through the addition of natural and artificial material to improve cover diversity and complexity. Habitat-improvement programs range from submerging used Christmas trees to more complex programs using sophisticated artificial habitat modules. Used automobile tires have been employed in the large scale construction of reefs and fish attractors in marine environments (D'Itri 1985) and to a lesser extent in freshwater (Johnson and Stein 1979) and have been recognized as a durable, inexpensive and long-lasting material which benefits fishery communities. Recent studies by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Mueller and Liston 1991) have quantified the importance of tire reeds to enhancing freshwater canal fisheries in the southwestern United States. These studies have demonstrated that fisheries and aquatic macroinvertebrates are attracted to these structures, increasing species diversity, densities and biomass where reefs are places in canals. Potential benefits to fishermen are great in the form of recreational fishing. However, the use of tire reefs in aquatic environments which have relatively small volumes compared to marine or reservoir environments has raised water quality concerns. Effects of tires on water quality have not typically been studied in the part because of the obvious presence of fishes and other aquatic organisms that make use of tire reefs; the implication being that tires are intert and non-toxic. Little information on effects of tires on water quality is contained in the literature. Stone et al. (1975) demonstrated that tire exposure had no detrimental effects on two species of marine fish while results of Kellough's (1991) freshwater tests were inconclusive, but suggested that some factor in tire leachate was toxic to rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ). Nozaka et al. (1973) found no harmful substances leached from tire material soaked in fresh water. Because there are few data on toxicity associated with tires, this became the focus of our study. Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TUE) procedures developed by the EPA (1991) were used to evaluate water quality impacted by tires.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1967

The effect of pumping large-discharge wells on the ground-water reservoir in southern Utah Valley, Utah County, Utah

An extensive aquifer test in southern Utah Valley, Utah County, Utah, was made during January-March 1967 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah State Engineer. The purpose of the test was to obtain data about the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer in the valley and to determine whether pumping large-diameter wells decreased artesian pressures and resulting flow from the numerous small-diameter flowing wells in the valley (fig. 1).

Utah↗
USGS2001

Confidence intervals for expected moments algorithm flood quantile estimates

Historical and paleoflood information can substantially improve flood frequency estimates if appropriate statistical procedures are properly applied. However, the Federal guidelines for flood frequency analysis, set forth in Bulletin 17B, rely on an inefficient “weighting” procedure that fails to take advantage of historical and paleoflood information. This has led researchers to propose several more efficient alternatives including the Expected Moments Algorithm (EMA), which is attractive because it retains Bulletin 17B's statistical structure (method of moments with the Log Pearson Type 3 distribution) and thus can be easily integrated into flood analyses employing the rest of the Bulletin 17B approach. The practical utility of EMA, however, has been limited because no closed‐form method has been available for quantifying the uncertainty of EMA‐based flood quantile estimates. This paper addresses that concern by providing analytical expressions for the asymptotic variance of EMA flood‐quantile estimators and confidence intervals for flood quantile estimates. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the properties of such confidence intervals for sites where a 25‐ to 100‐year streamgage record is augmented by 50 to 150 years of historical information. The experiments show that the confidence intervals, though not exact, should be acceptable for most purposes.

Water Resources Research↗