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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 1,549 records · Page 86Linked to original sources
USGS2017

Impact of tile drainage on evapotranspiration in South Dakota, USA, based on high spatiotemporal resolution evapotranspiration time series from a multi-satellite data fusion system

Soil drainage is a widely used agricultural practice in the midwest USA to remove excess soil water to potentially improve the crop yield. Research shows an increasing trend in baseflow and streamflow in the midwest over the last 60 years, which may be related to artificial drainage. Subsurface drainage (i.e., tile) in particular may have strongly contributed to the increase in these flows, because of its extensive use and recent gain in the popularity as a yield-enhancement practice. However, how evapotranspiration (ET) is impacted by tile drainage on a regional level is not well-documented. To explore spatial and temporal ET patterns and their relationship to tile drainage, we applied an energy balance-based multisensor data fusion method to estimate daily 30-m ET over an intensively tile-drained area in South Dakota, USA, from 2005 to 2013. Results suggest that tile drainage slightly decreases the annual cumulative ET, particularly during the early growing season. However, higher mid-season crop water use suppresses the extent of the decrease of the annual cumulative ET that might be anticipated from widespread drainage. The regional water balance analysis during the growing season demonstrates good closure, with the average residual from 2005 to 2012 as low as -3 mm. As an independent check of the simulated ET at the regional scale, the water balance analysis lends additional confidence to the study. The results of this study improve our understanding of the influence of agricultural drainage practices on regional ET, and can affect future decision making regarding tile drainage systems.

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth O↗
USGS2016

Do we need demographic data to forecast plant population dynamics?

Rapid environmental change has generated growing interest in forecasts of future population trajectories. Traditional population models built with detailed demographic observations from one study site can address the impacts of environmental change at particular locations, but are difficult to scale up to the landscape and regional scales relevant to management decisions. An alternative is to build models using population-level data that are much easier to collect over broad spatial scales than individual-level data. However, it is unknown whether models built using population-level data adequately capture the effects of density-dependence and environmental forcing that are necessary to generate skillful forecasts. Here, we test the consequences of aggregating individual responses when forecasting the population states (percent cover) and trajectories of four perennial grass species in a semi-arid grassland in Montana, USA. We parameterized two population models for each species, one based on individual-level data (survival, growth and recruitment) and one on population-level data (percent cover), and compared their forecasting accuracy and forecast horizons with and without the inclusion of climate covariates. For both models, we used Bayesian ridge regression to weight the influence of climate covariates for optimal prediction. In the absence of climate effects, we found no significant difference between the forecast accuracy of models based on individual-level data and models based on population-level data. Climate effects were weak, but increased forecast accuracy for two species. Increases in accuracy with climate covariates were similar between model types. In our case study, percent cover models generated forecasts as accurate as those from a demographic model. For the goal of forecasting, models based on aggregated individual-level data may offer a practical alternative to data-intensive demographic models. Long time series of percent cover data already exist for many plant species. Modelers should exploit these data to predict the impacts of environmental change.

Methods in Ecology and Evolution↗
USGS2020

Statewide assessment of karst aquifers in New York with an inventory of closed-depression and focused-recharge features

Karst is a landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rock or rock containing minerals that are easily dissolved from within the rock. The landscape is characterized by sinkholes, caves, losing streams, springs, and underground drainage systems, which rapidly move water through the karst. The two forms of karst in New York State include carbonate karst, which forms in carbonate rock (limestone, marble, and dolostone), and evaporite karst, which forms in rock that contains the evaporite minerals gypsum and halite. Past and recent studies of karst across the State have shown that areas of focused recharge in karstic carbonate rock allow contaminants to enter aquifer systems with little attenuation. Focused areas of recharge need to be identified to help prevent such contamination from sources on or adjacent to the karst. The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health are collaborating with the agricultural community to make farmers and farm-planning advisors more aware of karst and how to manage daily farming activities to reduce their impact on surface water and groundwater resources, especially in karst areas. There is also a need to make regulators, planners, and the general public aware of New York’s karst resources and to properly protect and manage these resources to protect the quality of groundwater and surface water that can flow into, through, and from karst bedrock. Using publicly available geospatial data, karst bedrock and closed depressions over or near karst rock were identified across New York. Carbonate, evaporite, and marble geologic units were selected from a statewide 1:250,000-scale bedrock geology dataset. The selected geologic units were intersected with 7.5-minute quadrangle maps to define the study area. The U.S. Geological Survey has compiled an inventory of closed depressions from statewide digital contour data, scanned 7.5-minute topographic maps known as a digital raster graphics, and light detection and ranging (lidar) digital elevation models. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of 5,023 closed depressions statewide. The inventory was conducted to eliminate duplication of results from analysis of the three data sources. A series of overlay analyses was conducted using the closed depressions and thematic data known to be key factors in determining the probability of a closed depression contributing to focused groundwater recharge; the thematic data include bedrock geology, soil type, soil infiltration rate, and land cover. Though the extent of karst development is important in understanding the interaction between surface water and groundwater in karst terrains, some of the worst cases of groundwater contamination in karst can occur where only minor karst features might be present. The presence of karst—be it a short section of a solutioned fracture or an extensive cave system—requires careful consideration, forward-looking environmental planning, and consistent water-quality protection to preserve New York State’s water resources.

New York↗
USGS2005

Water resources data, Oakland County, Michigan 2001-2004

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Oakland County, the Huron-Clinton Metropark Authority, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and the Rouge Program Office, collected streamflow, water-quality, and ground-water-level data in watersheds across Oakland County during water years 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. Water years begin October 1 and end September 30. This report presents water resources data used to produce a series of interpretive reports on the quantity and quality of water in Oakland County for Oakland County, Michigan. Some of these data have been published elsewhere, but are provided here in one report. This report has two main sections. The first section provides an overview of the methods used to collect the various types of data. The second section is a series of data tables containing ground-water-level data, synoptically measured stream-water-quality data, synoptically measured lake-water-quality data, and the results of a macroinvertebrate and habitat assessment.

Michigan↗
USGS2019

User’s manual for the Draper climate-distribution software suite with data‑evaluation tools

Development of a time series of spatially distributed climate data is an important step in the process of developing physically based environmental models requiring distributed inputs of climate data beyond what is available from observations collected at climate stations. To prepare inputs required for model-mapping units across the study area, climate data (temperature and precipitation) are distributed by combining data from gridded surfaces of mean-monthly climate-data values with (often) widely spaced daily point observations. Examples of climate-data files used to develop PRMS-formatted input files for the Merced River Basin Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) are included in this manual. The Draper Climate-Distribution Software Suite (Draper Suite) consists of the Draper climate-distribution program (Draper) and several supporting pre- and post-processing applications. Draper combines spatially distributed input in the form of monthly averaged values for precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature with daily observed data from climate stations to estimate distributed climate-data values at predefined locations across a study area (typically a drainage basin) on a daily time step. Alternative methods are used when station data are limited or missing for a particular day. Draper uses a set of required and optional input and output files with defined formats and naming conventions. A shell application also is available to manage multiple runs of the Draper application. Other applications in the Draper Suite include (1) a tool to find and interactively remove outliers in the input data, (2) a tool to check and enforce a minimum daily temperature range, and (3) a tool to view output diagnostic information as time-series graphs. These tools can be used iteratively to evaluate and improve the results from Draper as part of a workflow involving physically based environmental models, such as the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS).

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS2012

Data resources for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) Integrated Assessment (IA)

The data contained in this report were compiled, modified, and analyzed for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) Integrated Assessment (IA). The WLCI is a long-term science based effort to assess and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats at a landscape scale in southwest Wyoming while facilitating responsible energy development through local collaboration and partnerships. The IA is an integrated synthesis and analysis of WLCI resource values based on best available data and information collected from multiple agencies and organizations. It is a support tool for landscape-scale conservation planning and evaluation, and a data and analysis resource that can be used for addressing specific management questions. The IA analysis was conducted using a Geographic Information System in a raster (that is, a grid) environment using a cell size of 30 meters. To facilitate the interpretation of the data in a regional context, mean values were summarized and displayed at the subwatershed unit (WLCI subwatersheds were subset from the National Hydrography Dataset, Hydrologic Unit Code 12/Level 6). A dynamic mapping platform, accessed via the WLCI webpage at http://www.wlci.gov is used to display the mapped information, and to access underlying resource values that were combined to produce the final mapped results. The raster data used in the IA are provided here for use by interested parties to conduct additional analyses and can be accessed via the WLCI webpage. This series contains 74 spatial data sets: WLCI subwatersheds (vector) and 73 geotiffs (raster) that are segregated into the major categories of Multicriteria Index (including Resource Index and Condition), Change Agents, and Future Change. The Total Multicriteria Index is composed of the Aquatic Multicriteria Index and the Terrestrial Multicriteria Index. The Aquatic Multicriteria Index is composed of the Aquatic Resource Index and the Aquatic Condition. The Aquatic Resource Index is composed of the following components: Groundwater, Special Management Areas, and Priority Areas. The Aquatic Condition is composed of the following components: Focal Species, Species of Concern, Focal Ecosystems, and Proper Functioning Condition. The Terrestrial Multicriteria Index is composed of the Terrestrial Resource Index and the Terrestrial Condition. The Terrestrial Resource Index is composed of the following components: Special Management Areas, Agriculture, and Priority Areas. The Terrestrial Condition is composed of the following components: Focal Species, Big Game, Species of Concern, Rare Plants, and Focal Ecosystems. The Change Agents are composed the following components: Roads, Energy, Mines, and Urban. The Future Change is composed of the following components: Oil-Gas-Coal, Wind, Minerals, Climate-Temperature, Invasive Species, and Urban.

Wyoming↗
USGS2013

Carolinas coastal change processes project data report for nearshore observations at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

An oceanographic field study conducted in February 2010 investigated processes that control nearshore flow and sediment transport dynamics at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. This report describes the project background, field program, instrumentation setup, and locations of the sensor deployments. The data collected, and supporting meteorological and streamflow observations, are presented as time-series plots for data visualization. Additionally, the data are available as part of this report.

North Carolina↗
USGS1997

Water resources data, Washington, water year 1996

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State, local, and other Federal agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Washington each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data Washington." This report includes records on both surface and ground water in the State. Specifically, it contains: (1) Discharge records for 225 stream-gaging stations, 29 partial-record or miscellaneous streamflow stations, and 3 crest-stage partial-record streamflow station; (2) stage only records for 2 gaging stations; (3) stage and (or) content records for 34 lakes and reservoirs; (4) water-quality records for 68 stream, canal and drain sites; (5) water-level records for 4 observation wells; and (6) water quality record for 1 observation well. Records included for stream stages and for ground-water levels are only a small fraction of those obtained during the water year. This series of annual reports for Washington began with the 1961 water year with a report that contained only data relating to the quantities of surface water. For the 1964 water year, a similar report was introduced that contained only data relating to water quality. Beginning with the 1975 water year, the report format was changed to present, in one volume, data on quantities of surface water, quality of surface and ground water, and ground-water levels.

Washington↗
USGS2002

Water resources data, Iowa, water year 2001, Volume 2. surface water--Missouri River basin, and ground water

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State, county, municipal, and other Federal agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Iowa each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make this data readily available to interested parties outside of the Geological Survey, the data is published annually in this report series entitled “Water Resources Data - Iowa” as part of the National Water Data System. Water resources data for water year 2001 for Iowa consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in two volumes, contains stage or discharge records for 132 gaging stations; stage records for 9 lakes and reservoirs; water-quality records for 4 gaging stations; sediment records for 13 gaging stations; and water levels for 163 ground-water observation wells. Also included are peak-flow data for 92 crest-stage partial-record stations, water-quality data from 86 municipal wells, and precipitation data collected at 6 gaging stations and 2 precipitation sites. Additional water data were collected at various sites not included in the systematic data-collection program, and are published here as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating local, State, and Federal agencies in Iowa. Records of discharge or stage of streams, and contents or stage of lakes and reservoirs were first published in a series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled “Surface Water Supply of the United States.” Through September 30, 1960, these water-supply papers were published in an annual series; during 1961-65 and 1966-70, they were published in 5- year series. Records of chemical quality, water temperatures, and suspended sediment were published from 1941 to 1970 in an annual series of water-supply papers entitled “Quality of Surface Waters of the United States.” Records of ground-water levels were published from 1935 to 1974 in a series of water-supply papers entitled “Ground-Water Levels in the United States.” Water-supply papers may be consulted in the libraries of the principal cities in the United States, or they may be purchased from Books and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, Colorado 80225. For water years 1961 through 1970, streamflow data were released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Water-quality records for water years 1964 through 1970 were similarly released either in separate reports or in conjunction with streamflow records. Beginning with the 1971 water year, water data for streamflow, water quality, and ground water is published in official U.S. Geological Survey reports on a State-boundary basis. These official reports carry an identification number consisting of the two-letter State postal abbreviation, the last two digits of the water year, and the volume number. For example, this report is identified as “U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report IA-01-1.” These water-data reports are for sale by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22161.

Iowa↗
USGS2014

Characterization of intra-annual reflectance properties of land cover classes in southeastern South Dakota using Landsat TM and ETM+ data

Landsat-7 and Landsat-5 have orbits that are offset from each other by 8 days. During the time that the sensors on both satellites are operational, there is an opportunity for conducting analyses that incorporate multiple intra-annual high spatial resolution data sets for characterizing the Earth's land surface. In the current study, nine Landsat thematic mapper (TM) and enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM+) data sets, covering the same path and row on different dates, were acquired during a 1-year time interval for a region in southeastern South Dakota and analyzed. Scenes were normalized using pseudoinvariant objects, and digital data from a series of test sites were extracted from the imagery and converted to surface reflectance. Sunphotometer data acquired on site were used to atmospherically correct the data. Ground observations that were made throughout the growing season by a large group of volunteers were used to help interpret spectroradiometric patterns and trends. Normalized images were found to be very effective in portraying the seasonal patterns of reflectance change that occurred throughout the region. Many of the radiometric patterns related to plant growth and development, but some also related to different background properties. The different kinds of land cover in the region were spectrally and radiometrically characterized and were found to have different seasonal patterns of reflectance. The degree to which the land cover classes could be separated spectrally and radiometrically, however, depended on the time of year during which the data sets were acquired, and no single data set appeared to be adequate for separating all types of land cover. This has practical implications for classification studies because known patterns of seasonal reflectance properties for the different types of land cover within a region will facilitate selection of the most appropriate data sets for producing land cover classifications.

Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing↗
USGS2012

Data resources for range-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome

The data contained in this series were compiled, modified, and analyzed for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report "Range-Wide Assessment of Livestock Grazing Across the Sagebrush Biome." This report can be accessed through the USGS Publications Warehouse (online linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1263/). The dataset contains spatial and tabular data related to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grazing Allotments. We reviewed the BLM national grazing allotment spatial dataset available from the GeoCommunicator National Integrated Land System (NILS) website in 2007 (http://www.geocommunicator.gov). We identified several limitations in those data and learned that some BLM State and/or field offices had updated their spatial data to rectify these limitations, but maintained the data outside of NILS. We contacted appropriate BLM offices (State or field, 25 in all) to obtain the most recent data, assessed the data, established a data development protocol, and compiled data into a topologically enforced dataset throughout the area of interest for this project (that is, the pre-settlement distribution of Greater Sage-Grouse in the Western United States). The final database includes three spatial datasets: Allotments (BLM Grazing Allotments), OUT_Polygons (nonallotment polygons used to ensure topology), and Duplicate_Polygon_Allotments. See Appendix 1 of the aforementioned report for complete methods. The tabular data presented here consists of information synthesized by the Land Health Standard (LHS) analysis (Appendix 2), and data obtained from the BLM Rangeland Administration System (http://www.blm.gov/ras/). In 2008, available LHS data for all allotments in all regions were compiled by BLM in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by a private organization. The BLM provided us with a copy of these data. These data provided three major types of information that were of interest: (1) date(s) (if any) of the most recent LHS evaluation for each allotment; (2) whether if evaluated, each region-specific standard (3–8 LHS depending on region) had been met on a given allotment; and (3) whether livestock contributed to any of these standards not being met. A description of how we processed the original data to prepare for analysis is described in Appendix 2, and the synthesized dataset can be found in the table "lhs_x_walk." Permitted use dates, livestock type (horse, sheep or cattle), number of livestock, and Animal Unit Months [the number of animal units (1,000-pound animal equivalents) that can be grazed for 31 days with the available forage in a sustainable manner] are the legal maximum grazing amounts for a given allotment, and legal adjustments to these numbers occur infrequently. We summarized permitted use by BLM allotment in the table "Permitted_Use." Billed use records are used for calculations of permittees' annual grazing bills. We summarized billed use by allotment for BLM grazing year in the table "Billed_Use." All three tables can be joined with the allotment spatial data in a geographic information system (GIS) environment, using the IDENT attribute as the primary key.

Data Series↗
USGS2023

Identifying drivers of population dynamics for a stream breeding amphibian using time series of egg mass counts

The decline in amphibian populations is one of the starkest examples of the biodiversity crisis. For stream breeding amphibians, alterations to natural flow regimes by dams, water diversions, and climate change have been implicated in declines and extirpations. Identifying drivers of amphibian declines requires long time series of abundance data because amphibian populations can exhibit high natural variability. Multiple population viability analysis (MPVA) models integrate abundance data and share information from different populations to estimate how environmental factors influence population growth. Flow alteration has been linked to declines and extirpations in the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog ( Rana boylii ), a stream breeding amphibian native to California and Oregon. To date, no study has jointly analyzed abundance data from populations throughout the range of R. boylii in an MPVA model. We compiled time series of egg mass counts (an index of adult female abundance) from R. boylii populations in 36 focal streams and fit an MPVA model to quantify how streamflow metrics, stream temperature, and surrounding land cover affect population growth. We found population growth was positively related to stream temperature and was higher in the years following a wet year with high total annual streamflow. Density dependence was weakest (i.e., carrying capacity was highest) for streams with high seasonality of streamflow and intermediate rates of change in streamflow during spring. Our results highlight how altered streamflow can further increase the risk of decline for R. boylii populations. Managing stream conditions to better match natural flow and thermal regimes would benefit the conservation of R. boylii populations.

California, Oregon↗
USGS2019

Integrating stream gage data and Landsat imagery to complete time-series of surface water extents in Central Valley, California

Accurate monitoring of surface water location and extent is critical for the management of diverse water resource phenomena. The multi-decadal archive of Landsat satellite imagery is punctuated by missing data due to cloud cover during acquisition times, hindering the assembly of a continuous time series of inundation dynamics. This study investigated whether streamflow volume measurements could be integrated with satellite data to fill gaps in monthly surface water chronologies for the Central Valley region of California, USA, from 1984 to 2015. We aggregated measurements of maximum monthly water extent within each of the study area’s 50 8-digit hydrologic unit code [HUC] watersheds from two Landsat-derived datasets: the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) Monthly Water History and the U.S. Geological Survey Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE). We calculated Spearman rank correlation coefficients between water extent values in each HUC and streamflow discharge data. Linear regression fits of the water extent/streamflow data pairs with the highest correlations served as the basis for interpolation of missing imagery surface water values on a HUC-wise basis. Results show strong (ρ > 0.7) maximum correlations in 11 (22.4%) and 25 (51.0%) HUCs for the DSWE and JRC time series, respectively, when comparisons were restricted to imagery and gages co-located in each HUC. Strong maximum correlations occurred in 39 (79.6%; DSWE) and 42 (85.7%; JRC) HUCs when imagery was paired with discharge data from any study area gage, providing a solid basis for reconstruction of water extent values. We generated continuous time series of 30+ years in 35 HUCs, demonstrating that this technique can provide quantitative estimates of historical surface water extents and elucidate flooding or drought events over the period of data collection. Results of a non-parametric trend analysis of the long-term time series on an annual, seasonal, and monthly basis varied among HUCs, though most trends indicate an increase in surface water over the past 30 years.

California↗
USGS2026

CRESCENT earthquake dynamic rupture, earthquake cycle, and tsunami code verification platform

Physics-based simulations are critical for understanding natural hazards. The increasing complexity of numerical codes requires benchmark exercises to verify that different computational methods yield consistent results when solving the same governing equations. Here, we present an open-access web platform designed for the verification of earthquake dynamic rupture, seismic cycle, and tsunami simulations. The platform architecture utilizes a modular, serverless backend on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide scalable file processing and visualization. A lightweight static web application provides a secure interface for uploading and managing results, while the browser-based data visualization enables interactive analysis of time series and surface grid data. By using structured JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) text files to define benchmark structures, the system remains fully extensible, allowing the addition of new scenarios without modifying the underlying software logic. The platform hosts the "The Tsunami Problem Versions" (TTPV) 1 & 2, two benchmarks for 3D fully coupled earthquake dynamic rupture and tsunami generation, and provides a framework for earthquake cycle models. This community resource aims to build trust in numerical simulations and facilitate long-term collaborative code verification as modeling software continues to evolve.

Seismica↗
USGS1999

Water resources data, Alaska, water year 1998

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State and other agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Alaska each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data - Alaska."

Alaska↗
USGS2000

Water resources data, Alaska, water year 1999

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State and other agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Alaska each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data - Alaska."

Alaska↗
USGS1987

Water resources data for Alabama, water year 1986

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Alabama each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled "Water Resources Data - Alabama."

Alabama↗