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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
USGS1979

U.S. Geological Survey activities in New York, 1979

This report describes the work of the U.S. Geological Survey and summarizes projects conducted in New York during 1979. Many of these projects are continuing into the 1980's. The major programs provide basic scientific information concerning water, land, and mineral resources. The Survey also supervises the exploration for mineral fuels on leased outer continental shelf lands. The programs are: (1) Water resources investigations--These encompass (a) statewide networks of measurement stations that provide continuous records of streamflow, groundwater levels, water quality, and sediment discharge, and (b) projects to study local or regional water problems as well as critical water problems of national scope or interest. (2) Geologic and mineral resource surveys and mapping--These studies focus on geologic, mineral, and energy-resources investigations both on land and offshore. (3) Conservation of lands and mineral resources--These studies include the classification and evaluation of mineral resources on the outer continental shelf. (4) Topographic surveys and mapping--These studies include quadrangle, small-scale, and special mapping. (5) Land information and analysis--These studies focus on the interpretation and application of earth-science and related information to multi-disciplinary land-resource and environmental-impact problems. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2000

Accuracy assessment for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Land-Cover Mapping Program: New York and New Jersey Region

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with other government and private organizations, is producing a conterminous U.S. land-cover map using Landsat Thematic Mapper 30-meter data for the Federal regions designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accuracy assessment is to be conducted for each Federal region to estimate overall and class-specific accuracies. In Region 2, consisting of New York and New Jersey, the accuracy assessment was completed for 15 land-cover and land-use classes, using interpreted 1:40,000-scale aerial photographs as reference data. The methodology used for Region 2 features a two-stage, geographically stratified approach, with a general sample of all classes (1,033 sample sites), and a separate sample for rare classes (294 sample sites). A confidence index was recorded for each land-cover interpretation on the 1:40,000-scale aerial photography The estimated overall accuracy for Region 2 was 63 percent (standard error 1.4 percent) using all sample sites, and 75.2 percent (standard error 1.5 percent) using only reference sites with a high-confidence index. User's and producer's accuracies for the general sample and user's accuracy for the sample of rare classes, as well as variance for the estimated accuracy parameters, were also reported. Narrowly defined land-use classes and heterogeneous conditions of land cover are the major causes of misclassification errors. Recommendations for modifying the accuracy assessment methodology for use in the other nine Federal regions are provided.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗
USGS1980

Elevations and Distances in the United States

The information in this booklet was compiled to answer inquiries received by the Geological Survey from students, teachers, writers, editors, publishers of encyclopedias, almanacs and other reference books, and people in many other fields of work. The elevations of features and distances between points in the United States were determined from surveys and topographic maps of the Geological Survey or obtained from other sources. Some of this information, compiled from older maps, will be revised as new surveys are completed. For further information, write to the U. S. Geological Survey, 507 National Center.Reston,Virginia 22092.

General Information Product↗
USGS1972

Reconnaissance geologic map of the west half of the Solomon quadrangle, Alaska

The Solomon quadrangle adjoins the Bering Sea east of Nome, Alaska. It has a common west border with the Nome quadrangle (Sainsbury and others, 1972b) and a common north border with the Bendeleben 1:250,000- scale quadrangle. Part of the area was mapped by Smith (1910), who discussed the rocks in some detail. The rocks mapped by Smith were remapped in 1971 along with the unmapped part of the west half of the Solomon quadrangle. Maps covering half the area of the present report have been issued in preliminary form at a scale of 1:63,360 (Sainsbury and others, 1972, 1972a). Consequently, only a brief text accompanies this map. The east half of the Solomon quadrangle has been mapped by Thomas P. Miller, U.S. Geological Survey (unpublished). Mapping techniques of the various workers led to different maps and results; hence the map of the west half is presented only in preliminary form- a final compilation of the entire Solomon quadrangle may incorporate changes.

Alaska↗
USGS1980

Surficial geology of Richland quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of 12 kinds of surficial deposits in Richland quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology potential for ground-water development at any specific location.

New York↗
USGS1980

Surficial geology of Oswego West quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of 10 kinds of surficial deposits in Oswego West quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology and potential for groundwater development at any specific location. (USGS)

New York↗
USGS1981

Surficial geology of Hannibal quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of 10 kinds of surficial deposits in part of Hannibal quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology and potential for ground-water development at any specific location. (USGS)

New York↗
USGS1981

Surficial geology of Panther Lake quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of eight kinds of surficial deposits in Panther Lake quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology and potential for groundwater development at any specific location.

New York↗
USGS1981

Surficial geology of part of Westdale quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of seven kinds of surficial deposits in part of Westdale quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology and potential for groundwater development at any specific location.

New York↗
USGS1981

Surficial geology of Williamstown quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of seven kinds of surficial deposits in Williamstown quadrangel, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology and potential for groundwater development at any specific location.

New York↗
USGS1981

Surficial geology of Dugway quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of 11 kinds of surficial deposits in Dugway quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the tithology and potential for ground-water development at any specific loaction.

New York↗
USGS1981

Surficial geology of Mallory quadrangle, Oswego County, New York

The location and extent of seven kinds of surficial deposits in Mallory quadrangle, Oswego County, N.Y., are mapped on a 7.5-minute U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The map was compiled to indicate the lithology and poential for ground-water development at any specific location. (USGS)

New York↗
USGS1982

Map projections used by the U.S. Geological Survey

After decades of using only one map projection, the Polyconic, for its mapping program, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) now uses sixteen of the more comnon map projections for its published maps. For larger scale maps, including topographic quadrangles and the State Base Map Series, conformal projections such as the Transverse Mercator and the Lambert Conformal Conic are used. On these, the shapes of small areas are shown correctly, but scale is correct only along one or two lines. Equal-area projections, especially the Albers Equal-Area Conic, and equidistant projections which have correct scale along many lines appear in the National Atlas. Other projections, such as the Miller Cylindrical and the Van der Grinten, are chosen occasionally for convenience, sometimes making use of existing base maps prepared by others. Some projections treat the Earth only as a sphere, others as either ellipsoid or sphere. The USGS has also conceived and designed several new projections, icluding the Space Oblique Mercator, the first map projection designed to permit mapping of the Earth continuously from a satellite with low distortion. The mapping of extraterrestrial bodies has resulted in the use of standard projections in completely new settings. With increased computerization, it is important to realize that rectangular coordinates for all these projections may be mathematically calculated with formulas which would have seemed too complicated in the past, but which now may be programed routinely, if clearly delineated with numerical examples. A discussion of appearance, usage, and history is given together with both forward and inverse equations for each projection involved.

Bulletin↗
USGS1983

Airborne biogeophysical mapping of hidden mineral deposits

Airborne survey techniques have been developed to detect and map forest canopies affected by metal-induced stress. A high spectral resolution airborne spectroradiometer system, used over a known forest-covered copper soil anomaly, has revealed previously unknown spectral changes in the near-infrared chlorophyll absorption spectrum. The metal-induced spectral shifts have subsequently been reproduced in the laboratory at Columbia University. Waveform analysis techniques specifically designed for computer analysis of the high spectral resolution aircraft data filter out the very strong background noise introduced by variations in normal, unstressed vegetation canopy and by topographic effects. The wave-form method proves most effective in extracting the subtle spectral indicators of metal-induced stress. The analytic method is a unique frequency domain technique made possible by the high spectral resolution of the 500-channel spectroradiometer system. The biogeophysical technique is demonstrated by three mapping surveys of Cotter Basin, Montana, and Spirit Lake, Washington. This airborne mapping technique presents new application opportunities in large areas of the world where heavy forest cover has in the past made geologic and geophysical exploration tedious and expensive. The tree cover with widespreading and deeply penetrating root systems is turned to an advantage in the airborne biogeophysical technique by detecting metal-induced changes in the chlorophyll reflectance spectrum.

Montana↗
USGS2012

Trajectory of early tidal marsh restoration: elevation, sedimentation and colonization of breached salt ponds in the northern San Francisco Bay

Tidal marsh restoration projects that cover large areas are critical for maintaining target species, yet few large sites have been studied and their restoration trajectories remain uncertain. A tidal marsh restoration project in the northern San Francisco Bay consisting of three breached salt ponds (≥300 ha each; 1175 ha total) is one of the largest on the west coast of North America. These diked sites were subsided and required extensive sedimentation for vegetation colonization, yet it was unclear whether they would accrete sediment and vegetate within a reasonable timeframe. We conducted bathymetric surveys to map substrate elevations using digital elevation models and surveyed colonizing Pacific cordgrass ( Spartina foliosa ). The average elevation of Pond 3 was 0.96 ± 0.19 m (mean ± SD; meters NAVD88) in 2005. In 2008–2009, average pond elevations were 1.05 ± 0.25 m in Pond 3, 0.81 ± 0.26 m in Pond 4, and 0.84 ± 0.24 m in Pond 5 (means ± SD; meters NAVD88). The largest site (Pond 3; 508 ha) accreted 9.5 ± 0.2 cm (mean ± SD) over 4 years, but accretion varied spatially and ranged from sediment loss in borrow ditches and adjacent to an unplanned, early breach to sediment gains up to 33 cm in more sheltered regions. The mean elevation of colonizing S. foliosa varied by pond (F = 71.20, df = 84, P < 0.0001) and was significantly lower in Ponds 4 and 5 compared with Pond 3 which corresponded with greater tidal muting in those ponds. We estimated 16% of Pond 3, 13% of Pond 4, and 24% of Pond 5 were greater than or equal to the median elevation of S. foliosa . Our results suggest that sedimentation to elevations that enable vegetation colonization is feasible in large sites with sufficient sediment loads although may occur more slowly compared with smaller sites.

California↗