SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Acoustics”

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

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

USGS2007

Application of an acoustic streamflow-measuring system on the Columbia River at The Dalles, Oregon

The need for accurate, independent records of flow on the Columbia River at The Dalles, Oregon, has been met by the installation of an acoustic streamflow-measuring system. This device provides an index of the velocity of flow by measuring the difference in traveltimes of acoustic pulses transmitted through the water in each direction along a diagonal path across the river. The flow of water along the path increases the speed of one signal and retards the speed of the other. The difference in time of travel is related linearly to the water velocity along the path. Installation of the system, which is the first application of an acoustic flowmeter in a large natural channel, was completed in April 1969. It has been in continuous operation since that date. The velocity index and water-surface elevation are used as a two-variable index in the computation of flow. These variables, correlated against current-meter measurements made by use of specialized boat equipment, provide a reliable basis for computations of instantaneous and daily mean discharges.

Oregon↗

USGS2021

Short-term survival of lake whitefish following surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters using chemical anesthesia and electroimmobilization

The recreational, tribal, and commercial importance of lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis ) has prompted interest in conducting large-scale telemetry studies to evaluate movement patterns, stock structure, and spatial distribution of fish relative to fishing effort in the Laurentian Great Lakes. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the postoperative effects of intracoelomic transmitter implantation and the use of different anesthetic agents and immobilization techniques during surgery on the survival of lake whitefish. Consequently, we evaluated 48-h survival of lake whitefish following intracoelomic implantation of acoustic transmitters using chemical anesthesia (i.e., Aqui-S 20E®) and electroimmobilization through a series of field surgery trials during November 2016 and 2017. Lake whitefish were collected using electrofishing and assigned to treatment groups including: 1) a loop tag; 2) a loop tag and acoustic transmitter with no anesthesia or immobilization; 3) a loop tag and transmitter using Aqui-S 20E®; 4) a loop tag and transmitter using electroimmobilization; and 5) reference fish. In treatments involving anesthesia or immobilization, induction and recovery times were recorded, and all fish were monitored for postoperative mortality. After 48 h, all fish that underwent anesthesia or immobilization during surgery were alive, but 4 of 25 (16%) fish that underwent surgery without anesthesia or immobilization died within 48 h. Induction and recovery times were substantially shorter for fish immobilized with electricity (induction time: instantaneous; recovery time < 20 s) than for those anesthetized with Aqui-S 20E® (induction time > 200 s; recovery time > 500 s). Results indicate that survival of lake whitefish following surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters was high when surgeries were conducted with Aqui-S 20E® or electroimmobilization. Compared to using Aqui-S 20E®, electroimmobilization can provide shorter induction and recovery times and may be a preferred option for field-based tagging activities with limitations on time and fish holding capacity.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2025

Integrating acoustic telemetry research into management: successes and challenges in the Laurentian Great Lakes

In the Laurentian Great Lakes, the application of acoustic telemetry to track fish movements has evolved into an important part of multijurisdictional management. Nevertheless, barriers remain in translating telemetry research into management or conservation actions. Here, we synthesize acoustic telemetry literature within the Great Lakes basin to explore factors that have contributed to successes and failures of integrating research with the needs of decision-making processes. Collaboration between researchers and managers, facilitated by consistent opportunities for stakeholder engagement, stood out as one of the most effective means of integration. For example, 79% (95 of 127) of articles published (up to 2023) included co-authorship by both government and academic organizations. Case studies on lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ), walleye ( Sander vitreus ), and sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) further highlight how telemetry has informed management through collaborative engagement among researchers, stakeholders, and managers, as well as ongoing challenges. By exploring facets of acoustic telemetry research and connections to conservation and fisheries concerns, we identify pathways to reduce knowledge–action gaps widely applicable within and outside of the Great Lakes.

Laurentian Great Lakes↗

USGS1991

Acoustic measures of the abundance and size of pelagic planktivores in Lake Michigan

Based on acoustic data taken at night and vertically stratified by bottom depth (3–110 m only), the total number (± 95% Cl) of pelagic fishes in Lake Michigan was 43.4 ± 10.1 x 10 9 or 226.0 ± 55.2 kt in spring (mean density 0.7–3.8 fish·m -2 or 1.6–12.8 ga·m -2 ) and 115.8 ± 18.3 x 109 or 313.2 ± 74.3 kt in late summer, 1987 (mean density 1.1–7.0 fish·m -2 or 3.0–13.2 g·m -2 ); approximately 30% of this increase in numbers (35% of biomass) occurred within Green Bay. Abundance estimates from horizontally stratified (by water column depth) data were within 9-11% of vertically stratified estimates during spring but over 20% higher during summer. By extrapolation to all water depths, we estimated total pelagic biomass as 274.6 kt for spring and 410.8 kt for summer. During both seasons, smaller fishes were nearer to the surface and nearer shore than larger individuals, and acoustic measures of size approximated the sizes of fishes caught in trawls. Bioenergetic model simulations suggest that 60% of the available production of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) was either consumed by stocked salmonines (52.9%) or commercially harvested (7.1%) in 1987. Underwater acoustics proved a valuable tool for lakewide assessments of fish abundances in the Great Lakes.

Michigan↗

USGS2015

Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens: lack of evidence for changes in behavior

An assumption of studies using acoustic telemetry is that surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters or tags does not alter behavior of tagged individuals. Evaluating the validity of this assumption can be difficult for large fish, such as adult sturgeons, not amenable to controlled laboratory experimentation. The purpose of this study was to determine if and when this assumption was valid for adult lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens tagged with large (34 g) acoustic transmitters and released into the St. Clair River during 2011–2014. The hypothesis that activity and reach-scale distributions of tagged and untagged lake sturgeon did not differ was tested by comparing movement frequencies, movement rates (speed-over-ground), and location-specific detection probabilities between newly-tagged lake sturgeon and presumably fully-recovered conspecifics tagged and released in prior years.

Animal Biotelemetry↗

USGS2026

Bird predation obscures detection of acoustic telemetry tags in fish

Increasing application of acoustic telemetry for determining survival, migration and habitat use of fishes highlights the need to improve interpretation of tracks that end abruptly: when is fishing mortality, predation, or some other cause to be inferred? Significant technological advances have led to the development of tags that “sense” predation and can be used to infer information about the type of predator that consumed the tagged fish. However, growing evidence suggests that bird predation is not effectively quantified by the technology. We hypothesized that reduction in sound transmission from acoustic tags in the gut of a bird combined with short bird diving intervals would eliminate detections of acoustic telemetry tags from the surface and severely reduce detection efficiency at depth. We test this hypothesis indirectly with two experiments using cormorant carcasses containing tagged fish in which carcasses were either tethered to a mooring for several hours or lowered through the water to simulate diving behavior. Detection of tagged prey fish in the gut of bird carcasses was severely reduced or negated completely, supporting our hypothesis. By comparison, as expected, tagged fish that were not in the gut of bird carcasses were detected at a higher frequency. Depth and distance to passive moored receivers also affected detection probability of tagged fish with more detections at depth and when closer to the receiver. Our results emphasized the importance of accounting for avian predation of tagged fish in studies of prey species in surface waters. Further, while recent development of predation sensing tags has illustrated a few examples of bird predation, our results demonstrate that determining that a tagged fish has been consumed by a diving bird will be difficult and will likely require alternative methods or technologies.

Animal Biotelemetry↗

USGS2020

Movement-assisted localization from acoustic telemetry data

Acoustic telemetry technologies are being increasingly deployed to study a variety of aquatic taxa including fishes, reptiles, and marine mammals. Large cooperative telemetry networks produce vast quantities of data useful in the study of movement, resource selection and species distribution. Efficient use of acoustic telemetry data requires estimation of acoustic source locations from detections at receivers (i.e., “localization”). Multiple processes provide information for localization estimation including detection/non-detection data at receivers, information on signal rate, and an underlying movement model describing how individuals move and utilize space. Frequently, however, localization methods only integrate a subset of these processes and do not utilize the full spatial encounter history information available from receiver arrays.

Movement Ecology↗

USGS2011

Feasibility of Surgically Implanting Acoustic Tags into Pacific Herring

Internally implanted acoustic tags represent a potentially valuable approach to assessing the seasonal migration and distribution patterns of Pacific herring Clupea palasii. We examined the feasibility of implanting two sizes of dummy acoustic tags (9 mm in diameter × 21 mm long, 1.6 g; and 7 mm in diameter × 18 mm long, 0.7 g) in Pacific herring that had been held in captivity for nearly a year and that ranged from 165 to 215 mm in fork length (FL) and from 41.6 to 142.6 g. Relatively low mortality (4%) and tag shedding (4%), as well as growth similar to that observed in control fish after 135 d, indicate that, with proper handling, Pacific herring are amenable to surgical implantation of acoustic tags.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS2012

Effects of acoustic deterrents on foraging bats

Significant bat mortality events associated with wind energy expansion, particularly in the Appalachians, have highlighted the need for development of possible mitigation practices to reduce or prevent strike mortality. Other than increasing turbine cut-in speed, acoustic deterrents probably hold the greatest promise for reducing bat mortality. However, acoustic deterrent effectiveness and practicality has not been experimentally examined and is limited to site-specific case studies. Accordingly, we used a crossover experimental design with prior control period to show that bat activity was reduced 17.1 percent by the deployment of ultrasonic deterrents placed around gauged watershed weir ponds on the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. We caution that while our results should not be extrapolated to the scope of a typical wind energy production facility, the results warrant further research on the use of acoustic deterrents to reduce bat fatalities.

West Virginia↗

USGS2000

Gas hydrates amount estimated from acoustic logs at the Blake Ridge, Sites 994, 995, and 997

The amount of in situ methane hydrates present in marine sediments is estimated at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 164 drill sites on the Blake Ridge using acoustic logs. A weighted equation developed for relating the amount of hydrates concentrated in the pore space of unconsolidated sediments to the increase of acoustic velocities is applied to the acoustic logs using three sets of porosity distribution (porosity derived from bulk density logs, core porosity, and linear approximation of core porosity). Generally, the gas hydrate concentration increases with increasing depth toward the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR). The average gas hydrate concentration in the pore space varies between 12.1%, using porosity from the bulk density, and 3.8%, using core-derived porosity. The average hydrate concentrations in the pore space using core porosities are 3.9% (2.2 vol% of sediment), 5.7% (3.3 vol%) and 3.8% (2.2 vol%) at Sites 994, 995, and 997 respectively. These estimated concentrations are comparable to those calculated from chloride anomalies at these sites.

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program: Scienti↗

USGS2012

Profile measurements and data from the 2011 Optics, Acoustics, and Stress In Situ (OASIS) project at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory

This report documents data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Coastal Model Applications and Field Measurements project under the auspices of the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research Optics, Acoustics, and Stress In Situ (OASIS) Project. The objective of the measurements was to relate optical and acoustic properties of suspended particles to changes in particle size, concentration, and vertical distribution in the bottom boundary layer near the seafloor caused by wave- and current-induced stresses. This information on the physics of particle resuspension and aggregation and light penetration and water clarity will help improve models of sediment transport, benthic primary productivity, and underwater visibility. There is well-established technology for acoustic profiling, but optical profiles are more difficult to obtain because of the rapid attenuation of light in water. A specially modified tripod with a moving arm was designed to solve this problem by moving instruments vertically in the bottom boundary layer, between the bottom and about 2 meters above the seafloor. The profiling arm was designed, built, and tested during spring and summer 2011 by a team of USGS scientists, engineers, and technicians. To accommodate power requirements and the large data files recorded by some of the optical instruments, the tripod was connected via underwater cable to the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory, operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). This afforded real-time Internet communication with the embedded computers aboard the tripod. Instruments were mounted on the profiling arm, and additional instruments were mounted elsewhere on the tripod and nearby on the seafloor. The tripod and a small mooring for a profiling current meter were deployed on September 17, 2011, at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory 12-meter-deep underwater node about 2 kilometers south of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Divers assisted in the deployment and cleaned the instrument surfaces on the tripod approximately once per week until the tripod and current meter were recovered on October 23, 2011. There was a range of wave and current conditions during the 36-day deployment, including the distant passage of Hurricane Ophelia, several moderate wave events, and a significant local gale that generated wave heights greater than 4 meters at the 12-meter site and knocked over the tripod 3 days before it was recovered. All but one of the instruments functioned well and provided complete datasets. The details of these data and the location of files containing the best basic version of the data are described in this report.

Massachusetts↗

USGS2016

QRev—Software for computation and quality assurance of acoustic doppler current profiler moving-boat streamflow measurements—User’s manual for version 2.8

The software program, QRev computes the discharge from moving-boat acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements using data collected with any of the Teledyne RD Instrument or SonTek bottom tracking acoustic Doppler current profilers. The computation of discharge is independent of the manufacturer of the acoustic Doppler current profiler because QRev applies consistent algorithms independent of the data source. In addition, QRev automates filtering and quality checking of the collected data and provides feedback to the user of potential quality issues with the measurement. Various statistics and characteristics of the measurement, in addition to a simple uncertainty assessment are provided to the user to assist them in properly rating the measurement. QRev saves an extensible markup language file that can be imported into databases or electronic field notes software. The user interacts with QRev through a tablet-friendly graphical user interface. This report is the manual for version 2.8 of QRev.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2023

Interim guidance for calibration checks on a submersible acoustic backscatter sediment sensor

Over the past two decades, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies have pioneered the use of active acoustic sensors to monitor suspended-sediment concentrations and particle sizes in rivers and streams at the subdaily time scale. The LISST-ABS submersible acoustic backscatter sediment sensor (or “ABS sensor”) was developed by Sequoia Scientific, Inc., as an alternative to turbidity sensors for monitoring suspended-sediment concentrations in surface waters. The ABS sensor is different than traditional active acoustic instruments because it is small, lower in cost, lightweight, and requires less power; and the sampling volume is within the first 15 centimeters of the transducer face. Initial testing by the USGS indicated the ABS sensor had utility as a novel, cost-effective, off-the-shelf tool for monitoring suspended-sediment concentration in surface waters, and its use within the agency has increased in since its introduction around 2016. However, initial testing did not account for the potential of transducer calibration drift over longer deployments. As part of its mission to unify and standardize research and development activities of Federal agencies involved in fluvial sediment studies, the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project partnered with the USGS Wyoming-Montana and New Mexico Water Science Centers to examine the potential for use of standard, low-tech laboratory equipment to perform calibration checks on ABS sensors on long-term deployments. The experiments were intended to provide USGS scientists and the public with interim guidance to assist in operating and maintaining the ABS sensor.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2015

Colored shaded-relief bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, and selected perspective views of the Inner Continental Borderland, southern California

In late 2013, Scripps Institution of Oceanography collected multibeam bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data of the Inner Continental Borderland Region, Southern California. The U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center processed these data, and this report provides the data in a number of different formats in addition to a set of map sheets. The data catalog provides the new bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data, collected mainly in the Gulf of Santa Catalina and San Diego Trough, as well as this new bathymetry data merged with other publicly available bathymetry data from the region. Sheet 1 displays a colored shaded-relief bathymetry map of the Inner Continental Borderland generated from the merged bathymetry data. Sheet 2 displays the new acoustic-backscatter data along with other available backscatter data in the region. Sheet 3 displays selected perspective views of the bathymetry data highlighting submarine canyon and channel systems, knolls, and tectonic features.

California↗

USGS2010

Use of acoustic backscatter and vertical velocity to estimate concentration and dynamics of suspended solids in Upper Klamath Lake, south-central Oregon: Implications for Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

Vertical velocity and acoustic backscatter measurements by acoustic Doppler current profilers were used to determine seasonal, subseasonal (days to weeks), and diel variation in suspended solids in a freshwater lake where massive cyanobacterial blooms occur annually. During the growing season, the suspended material in the lake is dominated by the buoyancy-regulating cyanobacteria, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae . Measured variables (water velocity, relative backscatter [ RB ], wind speed, and air and water temperatures) were averaged over the deployment season at each sample time of day to determine average diel cycles. Phase shifts between diel cycles in RB and diel cycles in wind speed, vertical water temperature differences (Δ T° ), and horizontal current speeds were found by determining the lead or lag that maximized the linear correlation between the respective diel cycles. Diel cycles in RB were more in phase with Δ T° cycles, and, to a lesser extent, wind cycles, than to water current cycles but were out of phase with the cycle that would be expected if the vertical movement of buoyant cyanobacteria colonies was controlled primarily by light. Clear evidence of a diel cycle in vertical velocity was found only at the two deepest sites in the lake. Cycles of vertical velocity, where present, were out of phase with expected vertical motion of cyanobacterial colonies based on the theoretical cycle for light-driven vertical movement. This suggests that water column stability and turbulence were more important factors in controlling vertical distribution of colonies than light. Variations at subseasonal time scales were determined by filtering data to pass periods between 1.2 and 15 days. At subseasonal time scales, correlations between RB and currents or air temperature were consistent with increased concentration of cyanobacterial colonies near the surface when water column stability increased (higher air temperatures or weaker currents) and dispersal of colonies throughout the water column when the water column mixed more easily. RB was used to estimate suspended solids concentrations (SSC). Correlations of depth-integrated SSC with currents or air temperatures suggest that depth-integrated water column mass decreased under conditions of greater water column stability and weaker currents. Results suggest that the use of measured vertical velocity and acoustic backscatter as a surrogate for suspended material has the potential to contribute significant additional insight into dynamics of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae colonies in Upper Klamath Lake, south-central Oregon.

Oregon↗

USGS2022

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Mobile Acoustic Transect Surveys Standard Operating Procedure 2—Field Season and Survey Preparation

This document is the second of three standard operating procedures providing instructions and considerations for conducting mobile acoustic surveys along road transects to collect bat acoustic data following the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocol and sample design. This standard operating procedure focuses specifically on considerations for establishing the field survey season and preparing to conduct mobile acoustic transect surveys. Intended audiences for this document include those in charge of facilitating surveys within their region (for example, state or provincial mangers and NABat regional hub coordinators), project leaders or survey coordinators responsible for setting up and organizing NABat mobile transect monitoring for their organization or area, and field staff preparing to conduct surveys within the field.

Techniques and Methods↗

USGS1997

Bathymetric surveys of Morse and Geist Reservoirs in central Indiana made with acoustic Doppler current profiler and global positioning system technology, 1996

Acoustic Doppler current profiler, global positioning system, and geographic information system technology were used to map the bathymetry of Morse and Geist Reservoirs, two artificial lakes used for public water supply in central Indiana. The project was a pilot study to evaluate the use of the technologies for bathymetric surveys. Bathymetric surveys were last conducted in 1978 on Morse Reservoir and in 1980 on Geist Reservoir; those surveys were done with conventional methods using networks of fathometer transects. The 1996 bathymetric surveys produced updated estimates of reservoir volumes that will serve as base-line data for future estimates of storage capacity and sedimentation rates.An acoustic Doppler current profiler and global positioning system receiver were used to collect water-depth and position data from April 1996 through October 1996. All water-depth and position data were imported to a geographic information system to create a data base. The geographic information system then was used to generate water-depth contour maps and to compute the volumes for each reservoir.The computed volume of Morse Reservoir was 22,820 acre-feet (7.44 billion gallons), with a surface area of 1,484 acres. The computed volume of Geist Reservoir was 19,280 acre-feet (6.29 billion gallons), with a surface area of 1,848 acres. The computed 1996 reservoir volumes are less than the design volumes and indicate that sedimentation has occurred in both reservoirs. Cross sections were constructed from the computer-generated surfaces for 1996 and compared to the fathometer profiles from the 1978 and 1980 surveys; analysis of these cross sections also indicates that some sedimentation has occurred in both reservoirs.The acoustic Doppler current profiler, global positioning system, and geographic information system technologies described in this report produced bathymetric maps and volume estimates more efficiently and with comparable or greater resolution than conventional bathymetry methods.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1997

Application of acoustical methods for estimating water flow and constituent loads in Perdido Bay, Florida

Water flow and quality data were collected from December 1994 to September 1995 to evaluate variations in discharge, water quality, and chemical fluxes (loads) through Perdido Bay, Florida. Data were collected at a cross section parallel to the U.S. Highway 98 bridge. Discharges measured with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and computed from stage-area and velocity ratings varied roughly between + or - 10,000 cubic feet per second during a typical tidal cycle. Large reversals in flow direction occurred rapidly (less than 1 hour), and complete reversals (resulting in near peak net-upstream or downstream discharges) occurred within a few hours of slack water. Observations of simultaneous upstream and downstream flow (bidirectional flow) were quite common in the ADCP measurements, with opposing directions of flow occurring predominantly in vertical layers. Continuous (every 15 minutes) discharge data were computed for the period from August 18, 1995, to September 28, 1995, and filtered daily mean discharge values were computed for the period from August 19 to September 26, 1995. Data were not computed prior to August 18, 1995, either because of missing data or because the velocity rating was poorly defined (because of insufficient data) for the period prior to landfall of hurricane Erin (August 3, 1995). The results of the study indicate that acoustical techniques can yield useful estimates of continuous (instantaneous) discharge in Perdido Bay. Useful estimates of average daily net flow rates can also be obtained, but the accuracy of these estimates will be limited by small rating shifts that introduce bias into the instantaneous values that are used to compute the net flows. Instantaneous loads of total nitrogen ranged from -180 to 220 grams per second for the samples collected during the study, and instantaneous loads of total phosphorous ranged from -10 to 11 grams per second (negative loads indicate net upstream transport). The chloride concentrations from the water samples collected from Perdido Bay indicated a significant amount of mixing of saltwater and freshwater. Mixing effects could greatly reduce the accuracy of estimates of net loads of nutrients or other substances. The study results indicate that acoustical techniques can yield acceptable estimates of instantaneous loads in Perdido Bay. However, estimates of net loads should be interpreted with great caution and may have unacceptably large errors, especially when saltwater and freshwater concentrations differ greatly.

Florida↗