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Results for “Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey”

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 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1978

An evaluation of errors in mapping land use changes for the Central Atlantic Regional Ecological Test Site

Land use change maps prepared from high-resolution, high-altitude aerial photographs for the period 1970 to 1972 of the CARETS (Central Atlantic Regional Ecological Test Site) project were analyzed for accuracy. To test for errors of commission, all outlined areas (polygons) of land use change on five l:100000-scale maps were examined for accuracy. An estimate of the errors of omission was obtained by comparing the land use change polygons mapped for the Norfolk SMSA (Norfolk and Virginia Beach Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area) with the changes mapped in a more detailed study of the same area. The results of these studies showed that the largest number of errors was caused by misregistration of the land use change map to the 1970 land use map; however, only a very small percentage of the total land area of the land use change was affected by misregistration. In the Norfolk SMSA, which is an area of rapid urban growth, many of the land use changes had not been mapped. The conclusion is that quality control checks are necessary both during and after map compilation. The experience of the CARETS and other land use mapping experiments conducted in the early 1970's has resulted in the development of carefully designed quality-control procedures implemented in the nationwide mapping of land use and land cover currently being carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Maryland, Virginia↗
USGS1972

Geological Survey research 1972

This collection of 30 short papers is the third published chapter of "Geological Survey Research 1972." The papers report on scientific and economic results of current work by members of the Geologic and Water Resources Divisions of the U.S. Geological Survey. Chapter A, to be published later in the year, will present a summary of significant results of work done in fiscal year 1972, together with lists of investigations in progress, cooperating agencies, and Geological Survey offices. "Geological Survey Research 1972" is the thirteenth and last volume of the annual series Geological Survey Research. The short-papers chapters (B, C, and D) will be replaced in 197 3 by the "Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey," and the summary chapter (A) will be published as a separate professional paper. The twelve volumes already published are listed below, with their series designations.

Professional Paper↗
USGS1978

Remote-sensing methods for monitoring surface coal mining in the northern Great Plains

Recent studies at a large surface coal mine in southern Montana confirm that remote sensing is both feasible and effective for gathering land-use and environmental data (spatial, dynamic, and seasonal) for large-scale surface mines in the northern Great Plains. The Western Energy Co.'s Rosebud mine near Colstrip, Mont., was selected as a test site because it typifies surface operations in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming and elsewhere in the northern Great Plains. Several basic interpretive and analytical remote-sensing techniques were used to identify and delineate various categories of surface-mining operations and concurrent stages of reclamation that characterize most, if not all, such mining operations. Color infrared and black-and-white aerial photographs and a black-and-white band 5 Landsat image were used to identify (1) high wall and bench areas, (2) ungraded spoils, (3) graded and recontoured areas, (4) revegetated recontoured areas, (5) natural and impounded surface water, and (6) miscellaneous areas. Over the lifespan of an extensive surface mine, cultural and natural processes and cumulative environmental effects can be monitored by capitalizing on the close correlation between enhanced satellite imagery, infrared and (or) black-and-white aerial photography, standard large-scale topographic maps (such as U.S. Geological Survey 7½-minute quadrangle maps), and results of onsite inspection of mining and reclamation by Federal or State agencies.

Montana↗
USGS1974

Spectrophotometric determination of niobium in rocks

After acid decomposition and evaporation to volatilize silica, samples containing 0.5 6 μ g Nb are fused with pyrosulfate and dissolved in hydrochloric acid tartaric acid. Niobium is separated by thiocyanate extraction with amyl alcohol and back-extracting from the organic solvent with dilute hydrofluoric acid. Niobium is reacted with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol to obtain a colored species. Analytical error, estimated from replicate analyses of eight U.S. Geological Survey standard rocks, ranges from 2.9 to 6.4 percent at the 1 27 μ g/g Nb level.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1978

Iron-titanium oxide minerals and associated alteration phases in some uranium-bearing sandstones

Detrital iron-titanium (Fe-Ti) oxide minerals of the ulvospinel-magnetite (titanomagnetite) and ilmenite-hematite (titanohematite) solid solution series are common in uranium-bearing sandstones. Alteration of Fe-Ti oxide minerals in oxidizing environments formed secondary products (primarily hematite) that are distinct from those produced under reducing conditions (iron disulfide minerals). Oxidation of sulfidized Fe-Ti oxide minerals, by the processes that formed uranium rolls, produced ferric oxide minerals (limonite) having textures that mimic those of the iron disulfides. Titanomagnetite and titanohematite have been severely depleted in the ore-bearing zones of some uranium deposits. The alteration of detrital Fe-Ti oxide minerals near uranium ore deposits may produce characteristic signatures in the magnetization of the sandstone. Knowledge of the distribution and magnetic properties of these minerals can aid in interpreting data from total magnetic-field and magnetic-susceptibility surveys of uranium deposits.

Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming↗
USGS1974

The cartographic and scientific application of ERTS-1 imagery in polar regions

The first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1), launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in. July 1972, is providing valuable data for investigations of the most inaccessible and hostile regions of the Earth the Arctic and Antarctic. ERTS images and map products derived from them offer a whole new dimension in source material for multidiscipline investigations in the earth sciences. For the first time scientists can view synoptic, repetitive scenes of the polar regions in four spectral bands. Ongoing experiments funded by NASA and conducted in the U.S. Geological Survey have demonstrated the feasibility of revising coastlines on maps of Antarctica, detected gross changes in the northern limits of the three largest ice shelves in the world, and led to the discovery of uncharted mountain ranges.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1974

Hydrogeologic aspects of structural deformation in the northern Gulf of Mexico Basin

The first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1), launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in.July 1972, is providing valuable data for investigations of the most inaccessible and hostile regions of the Earth the Arctic and Antarctic. ERTS images and map products derived from them offer a whole new dimension in source material for multidiscipline investigations in the earth sciences. For the first time scientists can view synoptic, repetitive scenes of the polar regions in four spectral bands. Ongoing experiments funded by NASA and conducted in the U.S. Geological Survey have demonstrated the feasibility of revising coastlines on maps of Antarctica, detected gross changes in the northern limits of the three largest ice shelves in the world, and led to the discovery of uncharted mountain ranges.

Louisiana, Texas↗
USGS1994

Crude-oil spill research project near Bemidji, Minnesota - Bibliography, 1984-1994

The U.S. Geological Survey began a research project at the site of a crude-oil spill near Bemidji, Minnesota in 1983. The project is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. The objectives of research at the site are to obtain an understanding of the mobilization, transport, and fate of petroleum derivatives in the shallow subsurface and to use this understanding to develop predictive models of contaminant behavior. This report presents a bibliography of scientific papers that have been published from 1984 to early 1994. Research results have been published in scientific journals, conference proceedings, U.S. Geological Survey Reports, and academic theses.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1974

Rates of salt solution in the Permian basin

For safe, long-term storage of radioactive materials in salt beds, rates of solution of salt which might imperil such storage must be known. For solution to continue, fluid must move through the system. Major fluid discharge from the system is by surface streams. Using U.S. Geological Survey records of streamflow and chemical quality of water, computations of sodium chloride discharges of numerous subbasins have been made. A map has been constructed showing tons of sodium chloride discharged per day and tons of sodium chloride discharged per square mile per year. Also shown are locations of major saline springs and their rate of discharge of sodium chloride in tons per day.

Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas↗
USGS1973

Geologic bench marks by terrestrial photography

A photograph made with a level camera, if taken at a known height above a permanent mark on the ground, can be later repeated with exactness for measurement of changes in terrain. Such a photograph is one of several means for establishing a geologic bench mark and is especially useful for monitoring the subtle qualities of a landscape that are otherwise hard to map and describe, including the effects of man's use. Moreover, the geometry of such a photograph provides the same angular measurements between objects as can be made with a transit. A measurement of distance on a single photograph, however, requires control points. These can be surveyed at any convenient time, not necessarily when the initial photograph is made. Distances can also be determined by simple stereophotography from a base line of suitable length.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1975

Notes on the origin of Colluma Crater, Bolivia

Colluma Crater, on the semiarid Altiplano (high plain) of western Bolivia, is an oval structure having overall dimensions of 6.7 km by 6.0 km. The structure has two almost concentric cuestaform rims (the inner rim is 3.6 km by 3.1 km) composed of poorly consolidated clastic sediments that dip outward. The center of the crater is about 80 m below the maximum height of the rims and about at the altitude of the surrounding plain. Because of the double rim, the centripetal drainage, and the absence of volcanic rocks, this structure is considered a collapsed dome. We believe it was probably formed by the doming of lower Quaternary (?) sediments by a subjacent igneous intrusion, partial retreat of the magma, collapse of the central part of the dome, erosional etching of the two rims, and partial filling of the center by detritus from the walls. Evidence for origin by impact (nickel-iron materials, shock structures, ejecta, and so forth) is lacking or was unrecognized, but this mode of origin is not rejected at this time. Geophysical surveys are recommended to determine whether the structure continues in depth and if an igneous, plug is below the crater.

Colluma Crater↗
USGS1976

Intermediate-scale mapping

The U.S. Geological Survey has introduced an intermediate-scale map series (1:100,000 and 1:50,000) in response to the demand for maps at scales between the 1:24,000 and 1:250,000 standard series. The goal is to provide basic cartographic data at the level of detail and in the format selected by Federal, State, regional, county, and other users. A major innovation is the preparation of feature-separation drawings which provide great flexibility in constructing maps. The new series is designed with digitization in mind, ultimately to facilitate forming a digital cartographic data bas

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1978

Refraction studies between Icy Bay and Kayak Island, eastern Gulf of Alaska

Results of five seismic refraction lines shot by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Gulf of Alaska between Icy Bay and Kayak Island indicate the following: (1) The Continental Shelf is underlain by as much as 11 km of sedimentary rock of probable Tertiary age where refraction velocities range from 1.2 to 5.5 kilometers per second; (2) a section approximately 5 km thick, which has velocities of 4.1-5.5 km/s and which could represent the Orca Group (lower Tertiary), is present in the western part of the study area but not in the eastern part; and (3) consistent basement velocities of approximately 7.0 km/s could indicate oceanic crust underlying the continental margin.

Alaska↗
USGS1973

Photomechanical experiments in automated cartography

The U.S. Geological Survey recently undertook the investigation of two seemingly unrelated cartographic tasks: (1) the preparation of map copy for digitizing and (2) the production of experimental slope maps. Both tasks, however, require techniques and equipment for changing or manipulating the line weights of existing map symbols and producing suitable reproduction copy. After a study of existing equipment, a prototype revolving illuminator was designed and fabricated for experiments in line-weight manipulation. Sufficient exposures have been made with the device to indicate that positive control of line-weight increases and decreases up to 0.2 inch is attainable. The device has been used for photomechanical experiments in slope mapping, hill shading, and preparation of map copy for digitizing.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1977

Use of a hybrid computer in engineering-seismology research

A hybrid computer is an important tool in the seismological research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in support of the Energy Research and Development Administration nuclear explosion testing program at the Nevada Test Site and the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. The hybrid computer system, which employs both digital and analog computational techniques, facilitates efficient seismic data processing. Standard data processing operations include: (1) preview of dubbed magnetic tapes of data; (2) correction of data for instrument response; (3) derivation of displacement and acceleration time histories from velocity recordings; (4) extraction of peak-amplitude data; (5) digitization of time histories; (6) rotation of instrumental axes; (7) derivation of response spectra; and (8) derivation of relative transfer functions between recording sites. Catalog of time histories and response spectra of ground motion from nuclear explosions and earthquakes that have been processed by the hybrid computer are used in the Earthquake Hazard Research Program to evaluate the effects of source, propagation path, and site effects on recorded ground motion; to assess seismic risk; to predict system response; and to solve system design problems.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1977

Gravitational spreading of steep-sided ridges ("sackung") in Colorado

Large-scale gravitational spreading and fracturing of steep-sided ridges in the mountainous area of Colorado are characterized by horizontal linear fissures, trenches, and uphill-facing scarps on tops and sides of ridges. A pronounced north-trending cleft and several minor scarps have split a ridge extending northward from Dolores Peak in the San Miguel Mountains of southwestern Colorado. This ridge is capped by granogabbro of a Tertiary laccolith that intruded the Cretaceous Mancos Shale. Numerous active landslides in shale mantle the once glaciated lower slopes. Trenches in the granogabbro probably originated after glacial ice melted, leaving steep sides of the ridge unsupported. The soft Mancos shale moved outward toward the direction of least stress, placing the overlying granogabbro under tension. A ridge that extends southwest from Bald Eagle Mountain, north of Mount Massive in central Colorado, is marked by a graben on the top and several trenches on the northwest side, parallel to the long axis of the ridge. Rock exposed in graben and trenches is the Precambrian St. Kevin Granite, which includes some schist and migmatite. Gravitational movement probably took place after steepening of the valley sides by glacial erosion and melting of the glaciers. Movement followed preexisting discontinuities in the rock. A survey course approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long has been placed across .the fractured ridge. It will be monitored periodically to determine whether movement is continuing, and if so, at what rate.

Colorado↗
USGS1977

A thermostatic water bath for experimental studies in aqueous solutions

A temperature-controlled water bath for the study of ion-pairing equilibria and mineral solubility in aqueous solutions below 100°C is described. The bath is similar to a previously described system (P. B. Hostetler and C. L. Christ, 1968, U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 600-D, p. D217-D221) but incorporates several significant improvements. Included among these are a more efficient stirring mechanism, a potentially larger solid-to-solution ratio, and improved equilibration of the gas phase with the solution.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1977

Cauldron subsidence near Mount Lewis, Nevada: A misconception

The map and interpretation of the geology of the Mount Lewis quadrangle, northern Shoshone Range, Nev., contained in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 465 (1965) have recently been criticized and reinterpreted by C. T. Wrucke and M. L. Silberman in Professional Paper 876 (1975). I contend, however, that the reinterpretation ignores much cogent evidence and is quite inconsistent with the geometric disposition of the rocks. No justification exists for postulating a caldera. The faults considered by Wrucke and Silberman to constitute the bounding faults of a caldera hence normal faults downthrown toward the "caldera" are in part nonexistent, in part a strike-slip fault formed concurrently with the Roberts thrust fault in Devonian and Mississippian time, and in part a listric thrust branching into the hanging wall of the main thrust. In short, the two real faults of Wrucke and Silberman's postulated caldera ring are about 200 million years older than the Oligocene volcanic rocks dated by Wrucke and Silberman. The paucity of dikes associated with the faults is thus readily understood, whereas it would be highly anomalous were the faults defining a caldera. The evidence for our thrust-fault interpretation was presented in the text, map, and sections of Professional Paper 465; further detail is included here. The evidence is clear and unequivocal: no caldera is here present.

Nevada↗