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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 1,621 records · Page 90Linked to original sources
USGS1970

Hydrogeologic data for the lower Housatonic River basin, Connecticut

This report contains hydrologic and geologic data collected for an investigation of the lower Housatonic River basin by the U.S. Geological Survey in financial cooperation with the Connecticut Water Resources Commission. The report also summarizes data that are available in other publications. The towns within the 557 square mile area of the basin in western Connecticut include all of Beacon Falls, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Seymour, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, and Woodbury; and parts of Ansonia, Bethany, Bethlehem, Bristol, Burlington, Cheshire, Derby, Easton, Goshen, Narwinton, Litchfield, Milford, Monroe, Morris, New Hartford, Newtown, Norfolk, Orange, Plymouth, Prospect, Roxbury, Shelton, Southbury, Stratford, Torrington, Trumbull, Washington, Winchester, Wolcott, and Woodbridge. The factual information on the following pages was the basis for a companion interpretive report, Connecticut Water Resources Bulletin No. 19 (Wilson, W. E., and others, in preparation, 1970). The basic-data report can be used alone for detailed information needed in planning water resources development at specific sites or it can be used to supplement the interpretive report. Data were collected for this investigation from 1965 to 1967. Water levels measured in wells as part of this investigation were published in Connecticut Water Resources Bulletin No. 7 (Meikle and Baker, 1965) and No. 13 (Meikle, 1967) with water-level data from other wells throughout the State. Publications containing relevant ground-water information are listed on page those concerned with streamflow are on page 5 and those on quality of water, are on page 6. The locations of sites at which data were collected are shown on plate A in the back pocket of this report. Data presented here were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey unless otherwise noted.

Connecticut↗
USGS1972

Photogeology: Part W: Apollo 16 landing site: summary of Earth-based remote sensing data

The purpose of the infrared (IR) and radar study of the Apollo data is to establish lunar surface conditions in the vicinity of the orbital tracks of the Apollo command modules during the J-series missions. Correlations and comparisons between the Earth-based radar observations, IR observations, and other data will be plotted on photomaps produced from the mapping and panoramic cameras. In addition, the Apollo photography will be used to improve the classifications of the anomalous IR and radar features. The three sets of Earth-based data have already been obtained. The IR (11 μm) data (ref. 29-112) were obtained during a total lunar eclipse. More than a thousand thermally anomalous regions with an unusually high population of exposed boulders have been identified (ref. 29-113). The 70-cm radar backscatter observations made at the same resolution as the IR measurements show regions of anomalous backscatter. These regions have been explained as roughness caused by the boulders on the surface and below the surface. The high-resolution 3.8-cm radar backscatter measurements (ref. 29-114) reveal in great detail regions of anomalous radar backscatter. At this short radar wavelength, small-scale surface and subsurface roughness and boulders less than the order of 10 cm are responsible for the anomalous returns. Previous studies have revealed strong correlation between these three data sets (refs. 29-115 to 29-117). The strongest anomalies (anomalous at all three wavelengths) correspond to features interpreted geologically as young Copernican craters. There are, however, many combinations of enhancements from IR only, 70-cm radar only, 3.8-cm radar only, or combinations of two of these types but not a third. The variation of intensity in all combinations indicates a very complex set of features. These data provide information about the surface on a centimeter- and meter-sized scale although the basic instrumental resolution was 2 to 15 km. The Apollo orbital photography and observations at the landing sites, used in conjunction with the remote sensing data, can significantly improve geologic and geophysical interpretations of lunar surface conditions.

Book chapter↗
USGS2010

New software methods in radar ornithology using WSR-88D weather data and potential application to monitoring effects of climate change on bird migration

Radar ornithology has provided tools for studying the movement of birds, especially related to migration. Researchers have presented qualitative evidence suggesting that birds, or at least migration events, can be identified using large broad scale radars such as the WSR-88D used in the NEXRAD weather surveillance system. This is potentially a boon for ornithologists because such data cover a large portion of the United States, are constantly being produced, are freely available, and have been archived since the early 1990s. A major obstacle to this research, however, has been that identifying birds in NEXRAD data has required a trained technician to manually inspect a graphically rendered radar sweep. A single site completes one volume scan every five to ten minutes, producing over 52,000 volume scans in one year. This is an immense amount of data, and manual classification is infeasible. We have developed a system that identifies biological echoes using machine learning techniques. This approach begins with training data using scans that have been classified by experts, or uses bird data collected in the field. The data are preprocessed to ensure quality and to emphasize relevant features. A classifier is then trained using this data and cross validation is used to measure performance. We compared neural networks, naive Bayes, and k-nearest neighbor classifiers. Empirical evidence is provided showing that this system can achieve classification accuracies in the 80th to 90th percentile. We propose to apply these methods to studying bird migration phenology and how it is affected by climate variability and change over multiple temporal scales.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1981

The role of remotely sensed and other spatial data for predictive modeling: the Umatilla, Oregon example

The U. S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observations Systems Data Center, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, developed and tested techniques that used remotely sensed and other spatial data in predictive models to evaluate irrigation agriculture in the Umatilla River Basin of north-central Oregon. Landsat data and 1:24,000-scale aerial photographs were initially used to map he expansion of irrigate from 1973 to 1979 and to identify crops under irrigation in 1979. The crop data were then used with historical water requirement figures and digital topographic and hydrographic data to estimate water and power use for the 1979 irrigation season. The final project task involved production of a composite map of land suitability for irrigation development based on land cover (from Landsat), land-ownership, soil irrigability, slope gradient, and potential energy costs. The methods and data used in the study demonstrated the flexibility of remotely sensed and other spatial data as input for predictive models. When combined, they provided useful answers to complex questions facing resource managers.

Oregon↗
USGS1993

History of greenness mapping at the EROS data center

In 1987, the U.S. Geological Survey's EROS Data Center (EDC)installed a system to acquire, process, and distribute advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite image data collected over North America. Using this system, the EDC began an experimental greenness mapping program as part of the U.S. Agency for the International Development Famine Early Warning System. The program used the greenness information derived from AVHRR data to identify potential outbreaks of locusts and grasshoppers in the Sahelian region of Africa. In 1988, the EDC began greenness mapping projects in Africa and the northern Great Plains of the United States. In 1989, the system was augmented to acquire AVHRR information for the rest of the world. As a result, the greenness mapping program was able to collect data for fire danger assessment, agricultural assessment, and land characterization. Illustrations of each of the mapping projects trace the chronology of the greenness mapping program at the EDC. Displays represent the initial activity in Africa and the transition of the north Great Plains project to the current conterminous U.S. project. The program's expansion to include Alaska, Eurasia, a prototype North America data set, and ultimately, an experimental global land 1-km product is also shown. The poster describes major technical advances in data processing, the development of derivative products, the magnitude of the data volume of each level, and major applications.

Pecora 12 Symposium↗
USGS1986

Vegetation and terrain mapping in Alaska using Landsat MSS and digital terrain data

During the past 5 years, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center Field Office in Anchorage, Alaska has worked cooperatively with Federal and State resource management agencies to produce land-cover and terrain maps for 245 million acres of Alaska. The need for current land-cover information in Alaska comes principally from the mandates of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), December 1980, which requires major land management agencies to prepare comprehensive management plans. The land-cover mapping projects integrate digital Landsat data, terrain data, aerial photographs, and field data. The resultant land-cover and terrain maps and associated data bases are used for resource assessment, management, and planning by many Alaskan agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Applications addressed through use of the digital land-cover and terrain data bases range from comprehensive refuge planning to multiphased sampling procedures designed to inventory vegetation statewide. The land-cover mapping programs in Alaska demonstrate the operational utility of digital Landsat data and have resulted in a new land-cover mapping program by the USGS National Mapping Division to compile 1:250,000-scale land-cover maps in Alaska using a common statewide land-cover map legend.

Alaska↗
USGS1995

Effects of empirical versus model-based reflectance calibration on automated analysis of imaging spectrometer data: a case study from the Drum Mountains, Utah

Data collected by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) have been calibrated to surface reflectance using an empirical method and an atmospheric model-based method. Single spectra extracted from both calibrated data sets for locations with known mineralogy compared favorably with laboratory and field spectral measurements of samples from the same locations. Generally, spectral features were somewhat subdued in data calibrated using the model-based method when compared with those calibrated using the empirical method. Automated feature extraction and expert system analysis techniques have been successfully applied to both data sets to produce similar endmember probability images and spectral endmember libraries. Linear spectral unmixing procedures applied to both calibrated data sets produced similar image maps. These comparisons demonstrated the utility of the model-based approach for atmospherically correcting imaging spectrometer data prior to extraction of scientific information. The results indicated that imaging spectrometer data can be calibrated and analyzed without a priori knowledge of the remote target.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗
USGS2012

Using computational modeling of river flow with remotely sensed data to infer channel bathymetry

As part of an ongoing investigation into the use of computational river flow and morphodynamic models for the purpose of correcting and extending remotely sensed river datasets, a simple method for inferring channel bathymetry is developed and discussed. The method is based on an inversion of the equations expressing conservation of mass and momentum to develop equations that can be solved for depth given known values of vertically-averaged velocity and water-surface elevation. The ultimate goal of this work is to combine imperfect remotely sensed data on river planform, water-surface elevation and water-surface velocity in order to estimate depth and other physical parameters of river channels. In this paper, the technique is examined using synthetic data sets that are developed directly from the application of forward two-and three-dimensional flow models. These data sets are constrained to satisfy conservation of mass and momentum, unlike typical remotely sensed field data sets. This provides a better understanding of the process and also allows assessment of how simple inaccuracies in remotely sensed estimates might propagate into depth estimates. The technique is applied to three simple cases: First, depth is extracted from a synthetic dataset of vertically averaged velocity and water-surface elevation; second, depth is extracted from the same data set but with a normally-distributed random error added to the water-surface elevation; third, depth is extracted from a synthetic data set for the same river reach using computed water-surface velocities (in place of depth-integrated values) and water-surface elevations. In each case, the extracted depths are compared to the actual measured depths used to construct the synthetic data sets (with two- and three-dimensional flow models). Errors in water-surface elevation and velocity that are very small degrade depth estimates and cannot be recovered. Errors in depth estimates associated with assuming water-surface velocities equal to depth-integrated velocities are substantial, but can be reduced with simple corrections.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2006

Textural analysis of marine sediments at the USGS Woods Hole Science Center; methodology and data on DVD

Marine sediments off the eastern United States vary markedly in texture (i.e., the size, shape, composition, and arrangement of their grains) due to a complex geologic history. For descriptive purposes, however, it is typically most useful to classify these sediments according to their grain-size distributions. In 1962, the U.S. Geological Survey began a program to study the marine geology of the continental margin off the Atlantic coast of the United States. As part of this program and numerous subsequent projects, thousands of sediment grab samples and cores were collected and analyzed for grain size at the Woods Hole Science Center. USGS Open-File Report 2005-1001 (Poppe et al., 2005), available on DVD and online, describes the field methods used to collect marine sediment samples as well as the laboratory methods used to determine and characterize grain-size distributions, and presents these data in several formats that can be readily employed by interested parties. The report is divided into three sections. The first section discusses procedures and contains pictures of the equipment, analytical flow diagrams, video clips with voice commentary, classification schemes, useful forms and compiled and uncompiled versions of the data-acquisition and data-processing software with documentation. The second section contains the grain-size data for more than 23,000 analyses in two “flat-file” formats, a data dictionary, and color-coded browse maps. The third section provides a GIS data catalog of the available point, interpretive, and baseline data layers, with FGDC-compliant metadata to help users visualize the textural information in a geographic context.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1976

Geothermal flux through palagonitized tephra, Surtsey, Iceland: The Surtsey temperature-data-relay experiment via Landsat-1

The net geothermal flux through palagonitized basaltic tephra rims of the Surtur I and Surtur II craters at Surtsey, Iceland, in 1972, is estimated at 780 ±325 μ cal cm -2 s -1 , indicating a decline since 1969 when a flux of 1,500 μ cal cm -2 s -1 was estimated. Heat flux in this range characterizes the postvolcanic environment on Surtsey in which the subaerial palagonitization of basaltic tephra is associated with mass transfer of hydrothermal vapor, either of meteoric or sea-water origin, only a few years after cessation of eruptive activity. The flux estimation is the result of the Surtsey data-relay experiment via Landsat-1 which was carried. out in several phases. Successful field installation and test transmissions demonstrated the feasibility of repetitive long-distance (that is, 4,800-km) data transmission and reception from a volcanic environment in Iceland via the Landsat Data Collection System. Temperature data were transmitted for a 38-day period in November and December 1972. A near-surface vertical gradient of 69.4 °C/m was obtained, suggesting a mixed mechanism of heat transfer, partitioned between conduction and convection. Comparison of four methods for estimating fluxes between 500 and 1,500 μ cal cm -2 s -1 , using temperature data derived from the Data Collection Platform, suggests that, where the only temperature available are from the surface and a depth of 1 m, methods of estimating the net geothermal flux from examination of spectral radiance are superior to methods that assume dominant convection or conduction. A computerized thermal-modeling technique to construct parametric diurnal surface-temperature curves is particularly applicable. Flux-estimation methods that assume dominant convection or conduction are limited by the lack of temperature data at greater depths and lack of knowledge of the exact energy partition.

Surtsey↗
USGS2022

Update on the Center for Engineering Strong-Motion Data (CESMD)

he Center for Engineering Strong-Motion Data (CESMD), an internationally utilized joint center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Geological Survey (CGS), provides a unified access point for earthquake strong-motion records and station metadata from the CGS California Strong-Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP), the USGS National Strong-Motion Project (NSMP), the USGS Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), and other affiliates. The CESMD works closely with the ANSS and with the Consortium of Organizations for Strong-Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS) to engage with strong-motion networks in the U.S. and other countries to receive, process, and post records. The CESMD has recently developed new tools to facilitate access to strong-motion data and metadata for use in post-earthquake response and scientific research applications. The Center provides raw and processed strong-motion data via its Engineering Data Center (EDC) and the Virtual Data Center (VDC) web portals, currently hosting more than 60,000 records with peak ground accelerations greater than 0.1% g, from over 3,000 earthquakes. This short paper provides updates of the available strong-motion data, station metadata, recent enhancements and developments of the tools, and applications that are made available to users for accessing strong-motion data.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2023

Development of small uncrewed aerial systems for multi-instrument geophysical data acquisition in active geothermal systems

Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS) serve as critical platforms for geophysical data collection at an intermediate scale between lower resolution, regional datasets collected via crewed aerial surveys, and high resolution, but spatially sparse sampling of ground-based data collection methods. Advances in sensor design and sUAS capabilities have led to rapid advances in the amount and type of geophysical data that can be acquired using sUAS-based survey designs (Gavazzi et al., 2019). Here we showcase the utility of a single sUAS (the Matrice 600 Pro and accompanying sensor package) that collects magnetic, thermal infra-red (TIR) and gas (CO2, SO2, H2S, water vapor) data for use in geothermal resource exploration and monitoring, with case studies in eastern California and Iceland. The work highlights the flexibility of modern sUAS systems for single-team acquisition of multiple independent but coupled geophysical data which allow for a multidisciplinary approach to geothermal systems research. We summarize the workflows involved in collecting each dataset as well as several common issues encountered both during data collection and data processing.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2006

Dissemination of LANDFIRE Prototype Project data

The transfer of LANDFIRE data to users is the most important aspect of the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Project (LANDFIRE Prototype Project). The creation of an accurate, consistent, nationwide data set provides the foundation for a successful project. The final step is to make the data readily available to the user community. User capabilities and needs vary widely. Many users require LANDFIRE data to solve day-to-day wildfire management problems such as planning fuel treatments or managing active wildfires. Others use LANDFIRE data to gather information over large geographic areas for strategic planning and analyses. The diversity of users and the variety of applications of LANDFIRE data present an interesting challenge: to develop a data dissemination system that is comprehensive, user-friendly, and flexible. The system must be functional across many levels of technology, ranging from powerful computing capability to support national-scale strategic planning to field-level tactical wildfire operations support. The system must be sustainable, dependable, affordable, and adaptable to various levels of and changes in technology.

General Technical Report↗
USGS2005

Analysis of multi-temporal geospatial data sets to assess the landscape effects of surface mining

Geospatial data sets, especially digital elevation data, have proven useful for characterizing and analyzing land surface conditions. Digital elevation models are routinely used for describing the morphology of the land surface in terms of slope gradient and aspect. Additionally, the elevation data are useful for deriving parameters that describe the local drainage conditions such as watersheds and stream channels. When the element of time is added to the analysis through the use of multi-temporal topographic data, the effects of changes to the physical shape of the land surface may be studied. Such is the case with analysis of historical (pre-mining) and recent (post-mining) topographic and other geospatial data sets, including land cover maps derived from remote sensing. Nationwide geospatial data sets now exist with the required spatial and temporal resolution that allow for assessment of the effects of surface mining operations. Changes to the local landscape morphology are readily identified, and the effects to the surface drainage features are quantifiable, such as changes to local relief and drainage pattern and the total length of affected streams. Additionally, the visual impact of the movement of rock and soil materials may be assessed through viewshed analysis. Examples in both Appalachian and Western coalfields show the usefulness of analyzing detailed historical and recent geospatial data sets to better map and describe the effects of surface mining.

Kentucky↗
USGS2025

From critical minerals to food security, the benefits of data collaboration

The volume of data in the public geoscience sphere is rapidly and continually expanding. At Geoscience Australia (GA) we saw an over 500% increase in data points within our relational databases between 2018 and 2024, over the life of the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program. With the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative, a continued increase in data quantity will be seen for the next 10 to 35 years. At the same time, a broadening audience for geoscience data is increasing the desire to enhance the diversity of delivery streams. This ranges from data-dense highly technical outputs for geoscience specialists to curated interpretive products for people who are non-geoscientists. Development of these curated outputs has contributed to our awareness of the need for data to be collected and compiled in a way that ensures its reuse, with a focus on quality metadata and data provenance.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2024

Plant macrofossil data for 48-0 ka in the USGS North American Packrat Midden Database, version 5.0

Plant macrofossils from packrat ( Neotoma spp.) middens provide direct evidence of past vegetation changes in arid regions of North America. Here we describe the newest version (version 5.0) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) North American Packrat Midden Database. The database contains published and contributed data from 3,331 midden samples collected in southwest Canada, the western United States, and northern Mexico, with samples ranging in age from 48 ka to the present. The database includes original midden-sample macrofossil counts and relative-abundance data along with a standardized relative-abundance scheme that makes it easier to compare macrofossil data across midden-sample sites. In addition to the midden-sample data, this version of the midden database includes calibrated radiocarbon ( 14 C) ages for the midden samples and plant functional type (PFT) assignments for the midden taxa. We also provide World Wildlife Fund ecoregion assignments and climate and bioclimate data for each midden-sample site location. The data are provided in tabular (.xlsx), comma-separated values (.csv), and relational database (.mdb) files.

Scientific Data↗
USGS1972

Annual summary of water quality data for selected sites in the Pacific Northwest, October 1971 to September 1972

Water resources data collected in the Pacific Northwest during the 1972 water year include chemical and physical characteristics of surface water. Data included in this report were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of the following district chiefs: H.K. Hall, Idaho; George M. Pike, Montana; S.F. Kapustka, Oregon; and L.B. Laird, Washington. The Geological Survey has published records of chemical quality, water temperatures, and sediment since 1941 in an annual series of water-supply papers entitled "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States." Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records have been published by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. These reports are available from the district offices. This report is for limited distribution and is intended primarily for rapid release of selected data shortly after the end of the water year. Data contained herein is provisional and subject to revision before final publication in the foregoing reports. The following pages contain listings of selected constituents and their values sampled at 34 selected sites in the'Pacific Northwest. The sites are listed in downstream order by states. The constituent values recorded in the tables are the results of laboratory determinations except for water temperature, Ph, Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductance, Alkalinity, and Immediate Coliform count, which are the results of field determinations. These data were collected and analyzed by the Geological Survey under cooperative programs with Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal, State, County, and municipal organizations as identified in the annual State-wide reports. Additional water-quality data may be obtained from district offices of the Geological Survey and from Environmental Protection Agency.

Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2022

Groundwater and surface-water data collection for the Walla Walla River Basin, Washington, 2018–22

The semi-arid Walla Walla River Basin (WWRB) spans 1777 square miles in the states of Washington and Oregon and supports a diverse agricultural region as well as cities and rural communities that are partially reliant on groundwater. Historically, surface water and groundwater data have been collected in the WWRB by several entities including federal, state, local, and tribal governments; irrigation districts; universities; and non-profits. This report describes the surface and groundwater data collection by the U.S. Geological Survey from February 2018 to April 2022 to provide the Washington State Department of Ecology and other stakeholders basic knowledge of existing water resources in the WWRB, Washington. Additionally, the data were collected to build a long-term groundwater dataset, with the intent to provide data for better understanding to assist in informed decisions about groundwater use, management, and conservation throughout the basin, and for future inclusion in a conceptual model of the groundwater-flow system (conceptual model). Data were collected and compiled for 237 sites—191 wells and 46 surface-water discharge sites. A small annual network of deep basalt wells was established in February 2018 to commence the data collection. In March 2020 and April 2021, additional field inventories were performed by locating and measuring groundwater wells in the WWRB. A subset of the inventoried wells were selected for an annual or a quarterly water level network to be measured until July 2024. In August 2020, field reconnaissance identified 46 surface-water sites to be measured for discharge, estimating gaining and losing reaches in streams for groundwater influences.

Oregon, Washington↗