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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 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
USGS2006

Fish health study Ashtabula River natural resource damage assessment

INTRODUCTION The Ashtabula River is located in northeast Ohio, flowing into Lake Erie at Ashtabula, Ohio. Tributaries include Fields Brook, Hubbard Run, Strong Brook, and Ashtabula Creek. The bottom sediments, bank soils and biota of Fields Brook have been severely contaminated by unregulated discharges of hazardous substances. Hazardous substances have migrated downstream from Fields Brook to the Ashtabula River and Harbor, contaminating bottom sediments, fish and wildlife. There are presently more than 1,000,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the Ashtabula River and Harbor, much of which originated from Fields Brook. Contaminants include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated ethenes, hexachlorobutadiene, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), other organic chemicals, heavy metals and low level radionuclides. A Preassessment Screen, using existing data, was completed for the Ashtabula River and Harbor on May 18, 2001. Among the findings was that the fish community at Ashtabula contained approximately 45 percent fewer species and 52 percent fewer individuals than the Ohio EPA designated reference area, Conneaut Creek. The Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek are similar in many respects, with the exception of the presence of contamination at Ashtabula. The difference in the fish communities between the two sites is believed to be at least partially a result of the hazardous substance contamination at Ashtabula. In order to investigate this matter further, the Trustees elected to conduct a study of the status and health of the aquatic biological communities of the Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek in 2002-2004. The following document contains brief method descriptions (more detail available in attached Appendix A) and a summary of the data used to evaluate the health status of brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) collected from the above sites.

Ohio↗
USGS1978

Principal facts for borehole gravity stations in test well Ue 19z, exploratory drill hole PM-1, and water well 5a, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

During field studies conducted in October 1977 and March 1978, borehole gravity surveys were completed by the U.S. Geological Survey at the Nevada Test Site in test well Ue19z, exploratory drill hole PH-1, and water well 5a. The U.S. Geological Survey-LaCoste and Romberg-1/ borehole gravity meter (McCulloh and others, 1967a; McCulloh and others, 1967b) was used in the logging program. The primary objective of this work was to obtain data for the determination of accurate in situ formation densities utilizing an instrument not significantly affected by casing, borehole rugosity, or other near-borehole conditions. This report provides a brief summary of the geology of the rock formations penetrated by drill holes Ue 19z, PH-1, and water well 5a, and tabulates the subsurface gravity data obtained in these, wells. Reduced sections of the gamma-ray logs run in PM-1 and 5a are also included.

Nevada↗
USGS1962

Bismuth in the United States, exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii

The bismuth-bearing deposits in the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii) are shown on the accompanying map. In compiling the map the deposits were classified into two categories: 1) those that have produced bismuth or are regarded as potential sources based on available information (in general, this category includes the minable base- and precious-metal depos its whose ores or concentrates are reported to contain at least 0.02 percent bismuth); and 2) deposits that have been reported to contain bismuth but which are either unappraised or are regarded as having no potential importance as sources of the metal. The map also shows by stipple pattern various segments of the southern Piedmont gold belt, which extends from northern Virginia southwestward to Alabama. Numerous gold deposits within this belt contain very minor quantities of bismuth and are, therefore, of general interest. Each deposit or group of deposits is numbered on the map by state and identified in the index. The index gives the name of each locality, the coordinates to the nearest minute of latitude and longitude, the principal metals in the ore, a very brief geologic description, and references to published reports if any. Both published and unpublished data have been used in compiling this map.

Mineral Investigations Resource Map↗
USGS1953

A preliminary report of geochemical investigations in the Blackbird District

This paper reviews an experimental geochemical prospecting survey in the Blackbird cobalt-copper mining district. The district is in east-central Idaho, about 20 miles west-southwest of Salmon. The area is one of deeply weathered nearly flat-topped upland surfaces cut by steep-walled valleys which are tributary to the canyon of Panther Creek. Most of the area has a relatively heavy vegetative cover, and outcrops are scarce except on the sides of the steeper valleys* Because of the importance of the surficial deposits and soils and the physiographic history of the region on the interpretation of the geochemical data, a separate chapter on this subject by Gerald H. Richmond follows the following brief description of the geology of the district.

Idaho↗
USGS2017

Lidar-revised geologic map of the Des Moines 7.5' quadrangle, King County, Washington

This map is an interpretation of a modern lidar digital elevation model combined with the geology depicted on the Geologic Map of the Des Moines 7.5' Quadrangle, King County, Washington (Booth and Waldron, 2004). Booth and Waldron described, interpreted, and located the geology on the 1:24,000-scale topographic map of the Des Moines 7.5' quadrangle. The base map that they used was originally compiled in 1943 and revised using 1990 aerial photographs; it has 25-ft contours, nominal horizontal resolution of about 40 ft (12 m), and nominal mean vertical accuracy of about 10 ft (3 m). Similar to many geologic maps, much of the geology in the Booth and Waldron (2004) map was interpreted from landforms portrayed on the topographic map. In 2001, the Puget Sound Lidar Consortium obtained a lidar-derived digital elevation model (DEM) for much of the Puget Sound area, including the entire Des Moines 7.5' quadrangle. This new DEM has a horizontal resolution of about 6 ft (2 m) and a mean vertical accuracy of about 1 ft (0.3 m). The greater resolution and accuracy of the lidar DEM compared to topography constructed from air-photo stereo models have much improved the interpretation of geology, even in this heavily developed area, especially the distribution and relative age of some surficial deposits. For a brief description of the light detection and ranging (lidar) remote sensing method and this data acquisition program, see Haugerud and others (2003).

Washington↗
USGS1978

Coastal mapping handbook

Passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 focused attention on the Nation's coastal land and water areas. As plans for more effective management of the coastal zone evolved, it soon became apparent that improved maps and charts of these areas were needed. This handbook was prepared with the requirements of the entire coastal community in mind, giving greatest attention to the needs of coastal zone managers and planners at the State and local levels. Its principal objective is to provide general information and guidance; it is neither a textbook nor a technical manual, but rather a primer on coastal mapping. This handbook should help planners and managers of coastal programs to determine their mapping requirements, select the best maps and charts for their particular needs, and to deal effectively with personnel who gather data and prepare maps. The sections on "Sources of Assistance and Advice" and "Product and Data Sources" should be especially useful to all involved in mapping the coastal zone. Brief summaries of the mapping efforts of several State coastal zone management programs are included. "Future outlook" discusses anticipated progress and changes in mapping procedures and techniques. Illustrations are inserted, where appropriate, to illustrate the products and equipment discussed. Because of printing restrictions, the colors in map illustrations may vary from those in the original publication. The appendixes include substantial material which also should be of interest. In addition a glossary and an index are included to provide easy and quick access to the terms and concepts used in the text. For those interested in more technical detail than is provided in this handbook, the "Selected references" will be useful. Also, the publications of the professional societies listed in appendix 4 will provide technical information in detail.

Report↗
USGS1980

Streamflow characteristics of the Yellowstone River Basin, Montana, through 1976

Statistical summaries of streamflow data for selected stream-gaging and crest-stage gage sites are presented in this report to aid in appraising the hydrology of the Yellowstone River basin, Montana. Streamflow records presented for 45 gaging stations and 45 crest-stage gages for the period of record. Streamflow record collection in the Yellowstone River basin began in 1889. For each gaging station selected for this report, a brief description is given for station location, drainage area , period of record, revisions of previously published records, type and history of gages, regulation and diversions, and extremes of discharge. These data are followed by tables of monthly and annual flow statistics, high-flow and low-flow frequency data, flood-frequency data, flow-duration information, and for natural-flow sites selected basin characteristics. For each crest-stage gage, the brief description consists of location, drainage area, period of record, and type and history of gage. This information is followed by tables of flood-frequency data and selected basin characteristics.

Montana↗
USGS2004

Chemical Data for Detailed Studies of Irrigation Drainage in the Salton Sea Area, California, 1995?2001

The primary purpose of this report is to present all chemical data from the Salton Sea area collected by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1995 and 2001. The data were collected primarily for the Department of the Interior's National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP). The report also contains a brief summary and citation to investigations done for the NIWQP between 1992 and 1995. The NIWQP began studies in the Salton Sea area in 1986 to evaluate effects on the environment from potential toxins, especially selenium, in irrigation-induced drainage. This data report is a companion to several reports published from the earlier studies and to interpretive publications that make use of historical and recent data from this area. Data reported herein are from five collection studies. Water, bottom material, and suspended sediment collected in 1995-96 from the New River, the lower Colorado River, and the All-American Canal were analyzed for elements, semi-volatile (extractable) organic compounds, and organochlorine compounds. Sufficient suspended sediment for chemical analyses was obtained by tangential-flow filtration. A grab sample of surficial bottom sediment collected from near the deepest part of the Salton Sea in 1996 was analyzed for 44 elements and organic and inorganic carbon. High selenium concentration confirmed the effective transfer (sequestration) of selenium into the bottom sediment. Similar grab samples were collected 2 years later (1998) from 11 locations in the Salton Sea and analyzed for elements, as before, and also for nutrients, organochlorine compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Nutrients were measured in bottom water, and water-column profiles were obtained for pH, conductance, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Element and nutrient concentrations were obtained in 1999 from cores at 2 of the above 11 sites, in the north subbasin of the Salton Sea. The most-recent study reported herein was done in 2001 and contains element data on suspended material isolated by continuous-flow centrifugation on samples collected in transects extending out from the Whitewater, the Alamo, and the New Rivers into the Salton Sea. Chemical data on suspended sediment and bottom material from tributory rivers and the Salton Sea itself show that many insoluble constituents, including selenium and DDE, are concentrated in the fine-grained, organic- and carbonate-rich bottom sediment from deep areas near the center of the Salton Sea. Data also show that selenium and arsenic are markedly enriched in seston (plankton, partially-degraded algal detritus, and mineral matter that compose suspended particulates in the lake) collected just below the water surface in the Salton Sea. This result indicates that bio-concentration in primary producers in the water column provides an important pathway whereby high selenium residues accumulate in fish and fish-eating birds at the Salton Sea.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2018

Analysis of population change and movement using robust design removal data

In capture-mark-reencounter studies, Pollock’s robust design combines methods for open populations with methods for closed populations. Open population features of the robust design allow for estimation of rates of death or permanent emigration, and closed population features enhance estimation of population sizes. We describe a similar design, but for use with removal data. Data collection occurs on secondary sampling occasions clustered within primary sampling periods. Primary sampling periods are intervals of brief enough duration that it can be safely assumed that the population is unchanged by births, deaths, immigration or emigration during them; all population change and movement occurs between primary sampling periods. Our model provides a basis for inference about population size, changes in population size, and movement rates among sample locations between primary sampling periods. Movement rates are modeled as functions of distance and time. Capture probabilities are modeled as a function of effort. We apply the model to data obtained in attempting to eradicate an introduced population of veiled chameleons ( Chamaeleo calyptratus ) on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environme↗
USGS1976

Availability of Earth resources data

The purpose of this booklet is to help the reader to become aware of the volume of Earth resources data that have been collected by agencies of the United States Government and to find out where and how these data may be obtained. Earth resources data as discussed here are those obtained by remote-sensing instruments, including aerial cameras, multispectral cameras, multispectral scanners, and radar. They are obtained by spacecraft and high-altitude aircraft. Also, various agencies have been acquiring vast quantities of conventional aerial mapping photography from low and medium altitudes for more than 50 years. There is also brief information to assist the reader in locating published references and identifying research projects relating to application of Earth resources data to a variety of purposes. In all cases, it is not the intent to say what data are needed or how the data are to be used, but to describe where an interested person can begin to locate Earth resources data.

General Information Product↗
USGS2015

Natural disturbance shapes benthic intertidal macroinvertebrate communities of high latitude river deltas

Unlike lower latitude coastlines, the estuarine nearshore zones of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea are icebound and frozen up to 9 months annually. This annual freezing event represents a dramatic physical disturbance to fauna living within intertidal sediments. The main objectives of this study were to describe the benthic communities of Beaufort Sea deltas, including temporal changes and trophic structure. Understanding benthic invertebrate communities provided a baseline for concurrent research on shorebird foraging ecology at these sites. We found that despite continuous year-to-year episodes of annual freezing, these estuarine deltas are populated by a range of invertebrates that represent both marine and freshwater assemblages. Freshwater organisms like Diptera and Oligochaeta not only survive this extreme event, but a marine invasion of infaunal organisms such as Amphipoda and Polychaeta rapidly recolonizes the delta mudflats following ice ablation. These delta sediments of sand, silt, and clay are fine in structure compared to sediments of other Beaufort Sea coastal intertidal habitats. The relatively depauperate invertebrate community that ultimately develops is composed of marine and freshwater benthic invertebrates. The composition of the infauna also reflects two strategies that make life on Beaufort Sea deltas possible: a migration of marine organisms from deeper lagoons to the intertidal and freshwater biota that survive the 9-month ice-covered period in frozen sediments. Stable isotopic analyses reveal that both infaunal assemblages assimilate marine and terrestrial sources of organic carbon. These results provide some of the first quantitative information on the infaunal food resources of shallow arctic estuarine systems and the long-term persistence of these invertebrate assemblages. Our data help explain the presence of large numbers of shorebirds in these habitats during the brief summer open-water period and their trophic importance to migrating waterfowl and nearshore populations of estuarine fishes that are the basis of subsistence lifestyles by native inhabitants of the Beaufort Sea coast.

Estuaries and Coasts↗
USGS1977

Paleomagnetic poles and polarity zonation from Cambrian and Devonian strata of Arizona

Basal Paleozoic Tapeats Sandstone (Early and Middle Cambrian) in northern and central Arizona exhibits mixed polarity and a low-latitude paleomagnetic pole. Carbonates of Middle and early Late Cambrian age, and directly superposed carbonate and carbonate-cemented strata of latest Middle(?) and early Late Devonian age, are characterized by reversed polarity and high-latitude poles. The high-latitude Middle Cambrian pole, which appears to record a large but brief excursion of the polar wandering path, is considered provisional pending additional work. The Devonian data from Arizona indicate that a shift of the pole to a “late Paleozoic” position had occurred by Middle Devonian time.

Arizona↗
USGS2025

ARCHI: A new R package for automated imputation of regionally correlated hydrologic records

Missing data in hydrological records can limit resource assessment, process understanding, and predictive modeling. Here, we present ARCHI (Automated Regional Correlation Analysis for Hydrologic Record Imputation), a new, open-source software package in R designed to aggregate, impute, cluster, and visualize regionally correlated hydrologic records. ARCHI imputes missing data in “target” records by linear regression using more complete “reference” records as predictors. Automated imputation is implemented using a novel, iterative algorithm that allows each site to be considered a target or reference for regression, growing the pool of complete references with each imputed record until viable gap-filling ceases. Users can limit artifacts from spurious correlations by specifying model-acceptance criteria and applying geospatial, correlation, and group-based filters to control reference selection. ARCHI provides additional functions for visualizing results, clustering records with similar correlation structures, evaluating holdout data, and interactive parameterization with an accessible and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). This methods brief provides an overview of the ARCHI package, modeling guidelines, and benchmarking on two regional groundwater-level datasets from the Central Valley, CA and Long Island, NY. We evaluate ARCHI alongside widely used multivariate imputation software to highlight and contextualize its computational efficiency, imputation accuracy, and model transparency when applied to large, groundwater-level datasets.

California, New York↗
USGS2013

Volcano crisis response at Yellowstone volcanic complex - after-action report for exercise held at Salt Lake City, Utah, November 15, 2011

A functional tabletop exercise was run on November 14-15, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to test crisis response capabilities, communication protocols, and decision-making by the staff of the multi-agency Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) as they reacted to a hypothetical exercise scenario of accelerating volcanic unrest at the Yellowstone caldera. The exercise simulated a rapid build-up of seismic activity, ground deformation, and hot-spring water-chemistry and temperature anomalies that culminated in a small- to moderate-size phreatomagmatic eruption within Yellowstone National Park. The YVO scientific team's responses to the unfolding events in the scenario and to simulated requests for information by stakeholders and the media were assessed by (a) the exercise organizers; (b) several non-YVO scientists, who observed and queried participants, and took notes throughout the exercise; and (c) the participants themselves, who kept logs of their actions during the exercise and later participated in a group debriefing session and filled out detailed questionnaires. These evaluations were tabulated, interpreted, and summarized for this report, and on the basis of this information, recommendations have been made. Overall, the YVO teams performed their jobs very well. The exercise revealed that YVO scientists were able to successfully provide critical hazards information, issue information statements, and appropriately raise alert levels during a fast-moving crisis. Based on the exercise, it is recommended that several measures be taken to increase YVO effectiveness during a crisis: 1. Improve role clarification within and between YVO science teams. 2. Improve communications tools and protocols for data-sharing and consensus-building among YVO scientists, who are geographically and administratively dispersed among various institutions across the United States. 3. Familiarize YVO staff with Incident Command System (ICS) procedures and protocols, and provide more in-depth training to appropriate staff members, as needed. 4. Train all science team members in the use of all analytical and computational tools available to them, in order to maximize effectiveness of teams in tracking and interpreting possible accelerating unrest at Yellowstone. Desirable pre-crisis preparations include: (a) updating a catalog of existing map and information products (and identifying additional products) that would be helpful during a crisis; (b) creating "to do" lists of early-crisis tasks for each scientific team; (c) coordinating radio frequencies among partner agencies; and (d) brief training on and promotion of the internal YVO Web log as a repository for scientific observations, data, photographs, and other material to be shared among YVO scientific teams during a crisis. This exercise was designed as an opportunity to practice response to a fast-developing volcano crisis and to test for organizational and procedural weaknesses that could emerge during a real crisis. This report is based upon the observations of the exercise organizers during the one-day exercise and upon written evaluations by the participants. It does not attempt to evaluate any other aspect of YVO or the scientific expertise of any of the highly competent YVO staff. Participants unanimously found the exercise to be helpful for improving their response capabilities, and it is our hope that the report will be a starting point for internal discussions that will make YVO even better-prepared for some future volcano crisis.

Utah↗
USGS2015

Historic and forecasted population and land-cover change in eastern North Carolina, 1992-2030

The Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) was formed in 2005 as a partnership between the Department of Defense (DOD) and State and Federal agencies to promote better collaboration in making resource-use decisions. In support of this goal, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a study to evaluate historic population growth and land-cover change, and to model future change, for the 13-county SERPPAS study area in southeastern North Carolina (fig. 1). Improved understanding of trends in land-cover change and the ability to forecast land-cover change that is consistent with these trends will be a key component of efforts to accommodate local military-mission imperatives while also promoting sustainable economic growth throughout the 13-county study area. The study had three principal objectives: 1. Evaluate historic changes in population and land cover for the period 1992–2006 using both previously existing as well as newly generated land-cover data. 2. Develop models to forecast future change in land cover using the data gathered in objective 1 in conjunction with ancillary data on the suitability of the various sub-areas within the study area for low- and high-intensity urban development. 3. Deliver these results—including an executive-level briefing and a USGS technical report—to DOD, other project cooperators, and local counties in hard-copy and digital formats and via the Web through a map-based data viewer. This report provides a general overview of the study and is intended for general distribution to non-technical audiences.

North Carolina↗
USGS2020

Algorithm and data improvements for version 2.1 of the Climate Hazards center’s InfraRed Precipitation with Stations Data Set

To support global drought early warning, the Climate Hazards Center (CHC) at the University of California, Santa Barbara developed the Climate Hazards center InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) dataset, in collaboration with the US Geological Survey and NASA SERVIR. Specifically designed to support early warning applications, CHIRPS has high a spatial resolution (0.05°), a long period of record (1981 to the near present), and relatively low latencies. Here we will describe a brief formal analysis of distributional bias in CHIRPS2.0. This analysis reveals, as expected, that CHIRPS2.0 means are very similar to observed station data. However, a closer look suggests that low precipitation values are underestimated and high values are over-estimated in the CHIRPS2.0. We describe a potential correction for this below.

Book chapter↗
USGS1975

National Cartographic Information Center Newsletter No. 1

This is the first of what we hope will become a continuing series of quarterly NCIC newsletters. You, the reader, are encouraged to make comments, offer praise or criticism as the occasion warrants, send in suggestions, and contribute information or articles. In this issue, we plan to present information on NCIC's operating concepts, systems, and data base and several data acquisition notes. We also have a few words on our future plans along with a brief article on our current microfilming program and a general organizational chart designed to introduce our key personnel. We realize that with such a large amount of basically introductory material our first issue is going to be a bit on the heavy side. Bear with us now and we promise a more traditional format with a lighter editorial touch in the future.

Newsletter↗
USGS1985

Documentation of a Regional Aquifer Simulation Model, RAQSIM, and a description of support programs applied in the Twin Platte-Middle Republican Study Area, Nebraska

RAQSIM, a generalized flow model of a groundwater system using finite-element methods, is documented to explain how it works and to demonstrate that it gives valid results. Three support programs that are used to compute recharge and discharge data required as input to RAQSIM are described. RAQSIM was developed to solve transient, two-dimensional, regional groundwater flow problems with isotropic or anisotropic conductance. The model can also simulate radially-symmetric flow to a well and steady-state flow. The mathematical basis, program structure, data input and output procedures, organization of data sets, and program features and options of RAQSIM are discussed. An example , containing listings of data and results and illustrating RAQSIM 's capabilities, is discussed in detail. Two test problems also are discussed comparing RAQSIM 's results with analytical procedures. The first support program described, the PET Program, uses solar radiation and other climatic data in the Jensen-Haise method to compute potential evapotranspiration. The second support program, the Soil-Water Program, uses output from the PET Program, soil characteristics, and the ratio of potential to actual evapotranspiration for each crop to compute infiltration, storage, and removal of water from the soil zone. The third program, the Recharge-Discharge Program, uses output from the Soil-Water Program together with other data to compute recharge and discharge from the groundwater flow system. For each support program, a program listing and examples of the data and results for the Twin Platte-Middle Republican study are provided. In addition, a brief discussion on how each program operates and on procedures for running and modifying these programs are presented. (Author 's abstract)

Nebraska↗