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Preliminary geological investigation of the Bir Hayzan diatomite deposit, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a section on selected physical properties and implications for future geophysical exploration

A 2.2-m-thick lake bed composed entirely of diatomite was found in the southwestern arm of the Nafud sand sea, about 67 km east of Tayma in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Its stratigraphic position above eolian sand and below a large barchanoid dune indicates deposition during an exceptional period of pluvial climate in an otherwise arid sand desert. Radiocarbon-dated carbonate lake beds found in similar stratigraphic settings in other parts of the Nafud suggest that the diatomite was deposited in the late Pleistocene epoch sometime between 32,000 and 20,000 years ago. Diatomite of the same pluvial episode has also been found in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Four samples of the diatomite were analyzed for major chemical components and 32 minor and trace elements. Two of the samples appeared to be representative of the lake bed. These samples contained about 85 percent SiO2, 2.34 percent Fe2O3, 1 4 percent Al2O3, and 8.27 percent ignition loss, with only traces of CaO, P2O5, MgO, Na2O, and TiO2. The high content of silica and low contents of alumina, iron oxide, lime, and other constituents indicate low contamination. Analyses of samples from the two atypical units indicate a small amount of contamination, probably clay or mica, in the basal unit and addition of iron oxide and carbonate by ground water in an isolated green-colored unit. Chemically the Bi'r Hayzan diatomite compares favorably with commercial deposits from other parts of the world. Low bulk densities of 0.64 g/cm3 (30-40 lbs/ft3) and an average porosity of 63 percent for five samples also suggest the deposit is of industrial grade. Further studies are recommended to determine: (1) the size and extent of the deposit and (2) the suitability of the diatomite for commercial applications. As means to these ends, electrical-resistivity surveys following winter rains are suggested to determine both the extent and thickness of the lake bed beneath the overlying sand dunes. A complete species identification of the diatom association and further laboratory testing of physical properties of the diatomite also should be made. Further exploration in the Nafud is recommended to locate other possible diatomite deposits.

Open-File Report↗

Regional hydrostratigraphic framework of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of perfluoroalkyl substances contamination of groundwater and surface water

A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, to describe the regional hydrostratigraphy of shallow aquifers and confining units underlying Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of contamination of groundwater and surface water by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) potentially originating from JBMDL sources. The aquifers studied are two that crop out within JBMDL boundaries—the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and the Vincentown aquifer—and another aquifer near JBMDL that does not crop out at land surface—the Piney Point aquifer. The unconfined portion of the Vincentown aquifer and portions of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system that overlie the unconfined portion of the Vincentown aquifer are consolidated into, and described as, a single, separate unconfined aquifer system. Regionally extensive clay subunits that potentially create semiconfined hydrologic conditions within the mostly unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system also are identified. Two confining units were studied—the Manasquan-Shark River confining unit underlying the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, which includes the basal confining sediment in the Kirkwood Formation, and the Navesink-Hornerstown confining unit underlying the Vincentown aquifer. The hydrostratigraphic units are defined using available borehole geophysical logs, lithologic logs, and (or) drillers’ logs from 131 wells and are presented in a series of 8 aquifer structure maps and 12 cross sections. The framework positions JBMDL into a regional hydrostratigraphic structure for which higher-resolution delineation of the shallow aquifers can be constructed to determine potential pathways of PFAS contamination in groundwater to off-site drinking water wells in areas adjacent to JBMDL.

New Jersey↗

Conceptual model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system

A conceptual model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system (GBCAAS) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for a regional assessment of groundwater availability as part of a national water census. The study area is an expansion of a previous USGS Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis (RASA) study conducted during the 1980s and 1990s of the carbonate-rock province of the Great Basin. The geographic extent of the study area is 110,000 mi 2 , predominantly in eastern Nevada and western Utah, and includes 165 hydrographic areas (HAs) and 17 regional groundwater flow systems. A three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework was constructed that defines the physical geometry and rock types through which groundwater moves. The diverse sedimentary units of the GBCAAS study area are grouped into hydrogeologic units (HGUs) that are inferred to have reasonably distinct hydrologic properties due to their physical characteristics. These HGUs are commonly disrupted by large-magnitude offset thrust, strike-slip, and normal faults, and locally affected by caldera formation. The most permeable aquifer materials within the study area include Cenozoic unconsolidated sediments and volcanic rocks, along with Mesozoic and Paleozoic carbonate rocks. The framework was built by extracting and combining information from digital elevation models, geologic maps, cross sections, drill hole logs, existing hydrogeologic frameworks, and geophysical data.

Utah↗

Amount of ground‐water recharge in the southern High Plains

For the last six years the United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the State Engineer of New Mexico, has been making somewhat intensive studies of ground‐water in the part of the High Plains that lies in New Mexico, and in 1933 and 1934 the Geological Survey, with funas allocated by the Public Works Administration, made an extensive reconnaissance‐survey of the ground‐water conditions in the southern High Plains. These studies have resulted in considerable data that throw much light on the quantity of recharge to the ground‐water in this area. An estimate of the quantity of recharge is of immediate value for this area, because the use of ground‐water is constantly being increased. In addition, it has a general value in serving as a criterion for estimating recharge in other areas in the Southwest for which fewer data are available. Estimates of the recharge in the High Plains as previously made without the advantage of quantitative data have ranged from less than three or four inches a year [see 1 of “References” at end of paper] to less than six inches [2]. The work of the last few years indicates they should be greatly reduced.

Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas↗

Geochemistry of bedrock and glacial deposits in the vicinity of the Bend massive sulfide deposit, north central Wisconsin

In 1998 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a study to examine the natural regional environmental impact of sulfide mineralization exposed to episodic weathering and glaciation. The study focused on the Bend copper-gold massive sulfide deposit located in the Medford District of the Chequamegon National Forest in north central Wisconsin. The Bend massive sulfide deposit is a small, metal-rich sulfide body hosted by Paleoproterozoic metavolcanics. The mineralized horizon subcrops beneath 100-120 feet of glacial cover, and consists of massive pyrite and other sulfides. Bedrock and ore geochemistry are well characterized by analyses of diamond drill core provided to the USGS by Sharpe Energy and Resources. In July 1999, five rotasonic drillholes were completed through the unconsolidated Quaternary sediment, averaging about 100 feet thick, on a transect across the Bend deposit. Nearly continuous core was recovered from the surficial material along with several feet of the underlying bedrock. Samples representing the entire section were analyzed by the USGS to give a two-dimensional representation of element dispersal from the unmineralized bedrock. In addition, one hundred regional till samples were subsampled from the archives of the Quaternary Sediment Laboratory in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Geology and Geophysics. These regional samples were collected mainly from Taylor County, where the Bend deposit is located, as well as contiguous parts of Clark and Marathon Counties. This open file report presents all of the geochemical data collected for this study. Additional publications describing the data in more detail are being completed.

Wisconsin↗

Executive summary

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy needs over much of the last three centuries. Early records indicate that Appalachian coal was first mined in the middle 1700s (Virginia and Pennsylvania) and was used sparingly to fuel colonial settlements and, later, a fledgling industrial-based economy along the eastern seaboard of the United States (de Witt and Milici, 1989). In 2011, central Appalachian basin coal production accounted for approximately 77 percent of all U.S. metallurgical (or coking) coal and 29 percent of total U.S. production (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2013). Following initial discoveries and commercial use in western New York (1821) and Ohio and West Virginia (mid-1830s), the Appalachian petroleum (oil and gas) industry began in earnest in 1859 with the discovery of oil at the Drake well in northwestern Pennsylvania. Between 1860 and 1989, the Appalachian basin produced more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and more than 30 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG) from more than 500,000 wells (de Witt and Milici, 1989). Although both oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to the Nation’s energy needs. For example, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2010) estimated that there are 6,484 million short tons of recoverable coal reserves in the Appalachian basin. Similarly, about 14.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE) (1.2 BBO+81 TCFG [or 13.5 BBOE]) of recoverable Appalachian basin oil and gas remain available of an estimated ultimate endowment of approximately 25.5 billion BBOE (cumulative production + reserves + estimated recoverable undiscovered resources) (this volume, chap. C.1). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. Several of the chapters have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters cover large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. As the title implies, this volume addresses topics that refer to the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results and documentation of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files (such as selected coal beds, selected oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology). Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs also are included. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources such as those by Arndt and others (1968) and the numerous contributors to USGS Miscellaneous Map Series I−917 (for example, Harris and others, 1978), respectively. USGS Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the wide variety of topics, papers, and digital images of value for landuse and policy planning issues. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian Basin↗

Amplification of earthquake ground motions in Washington, DC, and implications for hazard assessments in central and eastern North America

The extent of damage in Washington, DC, from the 2011 M w 5.8 Mineral, VA, earthquake was surprising for an epicenter 130 km away; U.S. Geological Survey “Did-You-Feel-It” reports suggest that Atlantic Coastal Plain and other unconsolidated sediments amplified ground motions in the city. We measure this amplification relative to bedrock sites using earthquake signals recorded on a temporary seismometer array. The spectral ratios show strong amplification in the 0.7 to 4 Hz frequency range for sites on sediments. This range overlaps with resonant frequencies of buildings in the city as inferred from their heights, suggesting amplification at frequencies to which many buildings are vulnerable to damage. Our results emphasize that local amplification can raise moderate ground motions to damaging levels in stable continental regions, where low attenuation extends shaking levels over wide areas and unconsolidated deposits on crystalline metamorphic or igneous bedrock can result in strong contrasts in near-surface material properties.

Washington, DC↗

A recording evaporimeter

The instrument herein described was originally designed and built to record the evaporation‐loss from a standard Weather Bureau pan for use in a study of the variation of flow in Santa Ana River. Valuable suggestions were made by various members of the Water Resources Branch of the Geological Survey in Southern California, and financial assistance for construction was given by F. C. Ebert and H. C. Troxell of the same organization. The typing of the paper and some of the drafting were done by Works Progress Administration help. The original instrument was damaged by flood‐waters in 1934, while in operation at Baldwin Park, California. It was then redesigned and constructed of stainless materials and installed on the campus of the San Bernardino Valley Junior College. The Weather Bureau pan was replaced by a thermally insulated pan. The damping unit was added at this time by the present writers. The evaporimeter was placed in regular operation on October 30, 1937, in a study of the relative magnitudes of the various energy‐components associated with solar and sky radiation and with evaporation from water‐surfaces, from damp soil, and from plants.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗

Committee on glaciers, 1939–40

The Committee on Glaciers is now composed of the following members: Harry Fielding Reid, Professor Emeritus of Geology, Johns Hopkins University, 608 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Maryland; William H. Hobbs, Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Lawrence Martin, Chief of the Division of Maps, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; J. E. Church, Professor of Meteorology, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada; Wm. Osgood Field, Jr., Explorer, 18 West Twelfth Street, New York, N.Y.; Earl A. Trager, Chief of the Naturalist Division, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.; Oliver Kehrlein, Chairman, Committee on Glacier Studies, 1050 Mills Tower, 220 Bush Street, San Francisco, California; Kenneth N. Phillips, Associate Hydraulic Engineer, Water Resources Branch, United States Geological Survey, Chairman, Research Committee of the Mazamas, 606 Post‐Office Building, Portland, Oregon; William S. Cooper, Professor of Botany, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Gerald FitzGerald, Senior Topographic Engineer, Alaska Branch, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.; Lawrence M. Gould, Professor of Geology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota; François E. Matthes (Chairman), Senior Geologist, Section of Glacial Geology, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. The international relations of the Committee have changed somewhat during the past year as a result of the consolidation of the International Commission of Glaciers with the International Commission of Snow. That consolidation was effected by the International Association of Scientific Hydrology (to which both commissions belonged) at the triennial meeting in Washington, in September, 1939. Inasmuch as the membership of the new International Commission of Snow and Glaciers comprises the personnel of the two former commissions, our Committee on Glaciers now automatically is represented on the new International Commission by four men—Church, Hobbs, Gould, and Matthes. Moreover, Church is acting President, and it is understood that he will become President as soon as the political situation in Europe permits the holding of a formal election of officers at which all nations interested can exercise their right of voting

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗

High-sensitivity aeromagnetic survey of the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

The U.S. Geological Survey contracted a high-sensitivity, digital aeromagnetic survey that was flown over the U.S. Atlantic continental margin over a period of 15 months between 1974 and 1976. The 185,000 km of profile data have a relative accuracy approaching a few tenths of a nanotesla, which allowed compilation into maps at a scale of 1:250,000, with a contour interval of 2 nT. Automatic data processing using the Werner method allowed calculations of apparent depth to sources of the magnetic anomalies on all of the profiles, assuming a dike or interface as a source. Comparison of the computed depths to magnetic basement with multichannel seismic profiles across the survey area helped to reduce ambiguities in magnetic depth estimates and enabled interpolation of basement structures between seismic profiles. The resulting map showing depth to basement of the Atlantic continental margin is compatible with available multichannel seismic data, and we consider it a reasonable representation of the base of the sedimentary column.

Geophysics↗

Suspended matter in several small streams

The measurement of the loads of suspended matter carried past 34 gaging‐stations located on streams in eight regional projects of the Soil Conservation Service has required greater precision in the measurement of discharge and a more intensive program for the collection of samples of suspended matter than has been found necessary by the Geological Survey in making similar measurements on the larger streams on which measurements have been made in the past. It was found early in the work that much the greater part of the annual load of suspended matter was carried in a relatively few days of high water for almost all the streams on which measurements were made. In order that these loads might be determined with reasonable accuracy it was found necessary to collect samples every hour and occasionally every half‐hour on rising and rapidly changing stages during floods. Some floods occurring at night were missed in part or entirely because the resident observer did not realize that a flood was in progress. Twenty‐four‐hour sampling programs, together with the aid of electric‐alarm systems at some stations, have made possible the collection of an adequate number of samples during most floods.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗

Geophysical maps of the Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness Study Area, Cochise County, Arizona

The Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness Study Area, Arizona, lies along part of the crest and northeast flank of the Dos Cabezas Mountains, Cochise County, near the southeast corner of Arizona (fig. 1). The U.S. Bureau of Land Management requested mineral surveys of about 11,921 acres of the approximately 15,000 acre wilderness study area. In this report "wilderness study area" refers to the 11,921 acres that were studied. The Dos Cabezas Mountains are in many ways a typical mountain range of the Basin-and-Range physiographic province. They are a northwest-trending block-faulted range separated from adjacent ranges by broad valleys. The range is about 22 mi long and 8 mi wide, and it reaches an elevation of 8,354 ft at Dos Cabezas Peaks, located about 2 mi west of the study area. The terrain of the area is rugged. Roadheads and trails provide adequate access for foot traverses. In the Dos Cabezas Mountains the Apache Pass fault zone is the major structural feature, barely skirting the southwest side of the study area. It extends several miles to the northwest and tens of miles to the southeast, across the Chiricahua Mountains beyond Apache Pass. It is typically made up of a pair of bounding faults and some anastomosing faults between them. The study area is underlain by a variety of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks that provide only a fragmentary record of geologic events between Precambrian and Holocene times. A suite of metamorphic and igneous (primarily crystalline) rocks forms the basement terrain. Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks and also Paleozoic and Mesozoic volcanic rocks overlie the basement rocks but are extensively eroded away and may be covered. A pile of volcanic rocks of Late Cretaceous and Paleocene age caps the older rocks in much of the study area. Mid-Tertiary intrusive rocks underlie the eastern part of the study area as well as some very small, widely scattered additional localities. Quaternary gravel deposits occur in the major valleys and along the mountain front.

Arizona↗

Environmental Assessment for a Marine Geophysical Survey of Parts of the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2010

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), individual nations? sovereign rights extend to 200 nautical miles (n.mi.) (370 km) offshore or to a maritime boundary in an area called the continental shelf. These rights include jurisdiction over all resources in the water column and on and beneath the seabed. Article 76 of UNCLOS also establishes the criteria to determine areas beyond the 200 n.mi. (370 km) limit that could be defined as ?extended continental shelf,? where a nation could extend its sovereign rights over the seafloor and sub-seafloor (As used in UNCLOS, ?continental shelf? refers to a legally defined region of the sea floor rather than a morphological shallow-water area adjacent to continents commonly used by geologists and hydrographers.). This jurisdiction provided in Article 76 includes resources on and below the seafloor but not in the water column. The United States has been acquiring data to determine the outer limits of its extended continental shelf in the Arctic and has a vested interest in declaring and receiving international recognition of the reach of its extended continental shelf. The U.S. collaborated with Canada in 2008 and 2009 on extended continental shelf studies in the Arctic Ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Healy worked with the Canadian Coast Guard ship Louis S. St. Laurent to map the continental shelf beyond 200 n.mi. (370 km) in the Arctic. Each icebreaking vessel contributed different capabilities in order to collect data needed by both nations more efficiently in order to save money, avoid redundancy, and foster cooperation. Generally, the Healy collects bathymetric (sea-floor topography) data and the Louis S. St. Laurent collects seismic reflection profile data. The vessels work in concert when ice conditions are heavy, with one vessel breaking ice for the ship collecting data. The Canadian Environmental Assessments for these projects are available on line at http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/052/details-eng.cfm?pid=38185 (2008) and http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/052/details-eng.cfm?pid=46518 (2009). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) are undertaking a similar partnership again for 2010 in a limited area of U.S. waters during the period between ~10 and 16 August. The survey vessels will then proceed to international or Canadian waters where surveying will proceed until ~3 September, when the two icebreakers will separate to conduct independent work. The survey area of the joint work will be bounded approximately by 145? to 158? W longitude and 71? to 84? N latitude in water depths ranging from ~2,000 to 4,000 m (fig. 1). Ice conditions are expected to range from open water to 10/10 ice cover. The Louis S. St. Laurent will join accompanying vessel Healy in or near the survey area around 10 August to begin the joint survey work. As its energy source, the seismic system aboard Louis S. St. Laurent will employ a 3-airgun array consisting of three Sercel G-airguns. Two guns will have a discharge volume of 500 in3 and the third a discharge volume of 150 in3 for a total array discharge volume of 1,150 in3. The seismic survey will take place in water depths 2,000?4,000 m. This airgun array is identical to the system used in the 2008 and 2009 field programs by the Geological Survey of Canada. The USGS requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issue an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to authorize the incidental, that is, not intentional, harassment of small numbers of cetaceans and seals should this occur during the seismic survey in U.S. waters. USGS is also consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding concerns about disturbance to walruses and polar bears. Through informal consultation with the Office of Protected Resources with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USGS proposes that no ESA-listed marine species?bowhead, fin, humpback or sperm whale?w

Open-File Report↗

Impact of recent extreme Arizona storms

Heavy rainfall on 27–31 July 2006 led to record flooding and triggered an historically unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Ariz. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documented record floods along four watercourses in the Tucson basin, and at least 250 hillslope failures spawned damaging debris flows in an area where less than 10 small debris flows had been documented in the past 25 years. At least 18 debris flows destroyed infrastructure in the heavily used Sabino Canyon Recreation Area (http://wwwpaztcn.wr.usgs.gov/rsch_highlight/articles/20061 l.html). In four adjacent canyons, debris flows reached the heads of alluvial fans at the boundary of the Tucson metropolitan area. While landuse planners in southeastern Arizona evaluate the potential threat of this previously little recognized hazard to residents along the mountain front, an interdisciplinary group of scientists has collaborated to better understand this extreme event.

Arizona↗

Fourth special report of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Hawaiian Volcano Research Association: Steam blast volcanic eruptions: A study of Mount Pelée in Martinique as type volcano

The investigation is concerned with the author's expedition to Martinique and St. Vincent in 1902 and comparison of the experience of investigators and sufferers with that of others in so-called "explosive" eruptions. The Hawaiian mechanism is reviewed with special reference to rifts, underground water, intrusion furnace, wedge rupture, and lowering of magma. These features of structure are applied to Martinique, St. Vincent, Kilauea, Tarawera, Sakurajima, Katmai, Taal and Tomboro as a series of steam blasts old and new. The comparison is found to be applicable and the analogy with Hawaii considered as fundamentally magmatic for gas and basaltic slag, brings out the contrast that lies in steam eruptions. For all volcanoes they are believed features of ground water and of collapse. Ground water stimulates lava eruptions. The Pelée disaster at St. Pierre May 8, 1902, followed by a dacite dome with spines, which renewed activity in 1929, is examined for paroxysms of downblast. These are distinguished sharply from the Carib migratory upblasts along valley fissures which are not uncommon elsewhere. The valleys are on rifts recognized as deep fumaroles. The Ghyben-Herzberg laws of ground water are applicable. Geyser rhythm was followed by Pelée, Soufriére of St. Vincent, and Kilauea in their sequence of paroxysms. Structure sections are drawn to scale, and the structural reactions of intrusion, rifts, boiler, gas effervescence, heat, and timing are thus outlined. The bearing of this machinery on volcanism in general, on world ignisepta and on reaction of magma is suggested. It is contended that steamblast is a climax of eruption in the water zone and should be sharply delimited from the rising and intrusion of fundamental earth magma, and from the high pressure water reactions of ocean bottoms. Rising magma is considered an age-long elevatory force along volcanic lines, modified by cyclical yielding. Compared with oceanic volcanism continental irruption in sediments is a separate science in experimental field geophysics. Every locality supramarine or submarine of warm ground and steep thermal gradient is a subject for volcanology, if pulsating ground water is critically, thermally and chemically measured. Authors are referred to herein by names and dates in parentheses, as listed in the appendices.

Martinique↗

Seismology of the continental crust and upper mantle

More seismological studies of the continental crust and sub‐crustal lithosphere of the United States have been completed in the past four years than at any other similar period, and a continued growth in activity is likely to continue for years to come. Several trends account for this phenomenon. First, the interest in seismic reflection studies generated initially by COCORP results in this country [ Brown and others , 1986], and later by the British BIRPS results [ Matthews and Gheadie , 1986], has led to the development of several other seismic reflection programs. Among the most active of these research programs are those of the University of Wyoming [ Smithson and others , 1986], Virginia Polytechnic Institute, CALCRUST [ Henyey , 1986], and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) [ Hamilton , 1986]. In Canada, the Lithoprobe program has achieved remarkable results in a variety of geographic locations [ Green et al. , 1986]. A second trend is the resurgence of interest in seismic‐refraction/wide‐angle reflection profiling. The year 1978 marked the beginning of this increased activity when several large projects were conducted in the western U.S., such as the Yellowstone‐Snake River Plain experiment organized by the University of Utah. Since 1979, a large amount of refraction/wide‐angle reflection data has been collected by the USGS and by university groups utilizing large numbers of state‐of‐the‐art industry seismographs in cooperative experiments. A third trend is the increased sophistication of other seismic methods such as teleseismic delay‐time methods, tomography, and receiver‐transfer functions. In these studies, permanent or temporary recording arrays have been used to determine local and regional crustal and upper‐mantle structure with impressive resolution.

Reviews of Geophysics↗

Value of the electrical log for estimating ground‐water supplies and the quality of the ground water

This paper gives a brief summary of studies of the value of the electrical log for estimating ground‐water supplies and the quality of the water in them made in Texas by the United States Geological Survey and cooperating parties. The electrical log has been found to be especially valuable in the Coastal Plain Region of Texas where the rocks consist mostly of a succession of clays or shales or sandy clays or shales lnterbedded with sands or sandstones. In that region the electrical log has been found to be more useful than the driller's log for correlating the principal water‐bearing horizons over wide areas. The log by itself is not an indicator of the permeability of the water‐bearing beds, nor a safe guide as to the quality of the water in them, but if it is studied in connection with other data, it is sure to tell an interesting and instructive story. Thus far in Texas no extensive studies have been made of the value of the electrical log in limestone aquifers or in sand or sandstone aquifers associated with limestone.

Texas↗

Stratigraphic section and selected semiquantitative chemistry, Meade Peak phosphatic shale member of Permian Phosphoria Formation, central part of Rasmussen Ridge, Caribou County, Idaho

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has studied the Permian Phosphoria Formation in southeastern Idaho and the entire Western U.S. Phosphate Field throughout much of the twentieth century. In response to a request by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, a new series of resource, geological, and geoenvironmental studies was undertaken by the USGS in 1998. To accomplish these studies, the USGS has formed cooperative research relationships with two Federal agencies, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, tasked with land management and resource conservation on public lands; and with five private companies currently leasing or developing phosphate resources in southeastern Idaho. The companies are Agrium U.S. Inc. (Rasmussen Ridge mine) , Astaris LLC (Dry Valley mine), Rhodia Inc. (Wooley Valley mine, inactive), J.R. Simplot Company (Smoky Canyon mine), and Monsanto Co. (Enoch Valley mine). Some of the mineralogical research associated with this project is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Geology and Geological Enginee ring, University of Idaho. Present studies consist of integrated, multidisciplinary research directed toward (1) resource and reserve estimations of phosphate in selected 7.5-minute quadrangles; (2) elemental residence, mineralogical and petrochemical characteristics; (3) mobilization and reaction pathways, transport, and fate of potentially toxic elements associated with the occurrence, development, and societal use of phosphate; (4) geophysical signatures; and (5) improving the understanding of deposit origin. Because raw data acquired during the project will require time to interpret, the data are released in open-file reports for prompt availability to other workers. Open-file reports associated with this series of studies are submitted to each of the Federal and industry cooperators for comment; however, the USGS is solely responsible for the data contained in the reports.

Idaho↗