USGS Science⌕ Search

Geology topics

Donovan B. Kelly

Publications and source records attributed to Donovan B. Kelly.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1984

Between Mount St. Helens and the world: How the U.S. Geological Survey provided news-media information on the 1980 volcanic eruptions

The eruptions of Mount St. Helens volcano, Wash., constituted one of the major national and international news stories of 1980 and involved the U.S. Geological Survey in more news coverage than any other event in its history. Much of the information about the volcano came from monitoring and research by geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, and other scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey. This scientific information was distributed to the public, through news media, by U.S. Geological Survey personnel. Key members of this group were Mount St. Helens hazards assessment scientists, monitoring scientists, and research scientists; public affairs officers; and the Information Scientist for Mount St. Helens. The Information Scientist, a geologist or geophysicist, assumed the major role of on-site (Vancouver, Wash.) news spokesman about a week after the main eruption of May 18. The Geological Survey released information through news conferences, interviews, news pools of reporters and cameramen on trips to the volcano, special television and radio appearances, news releases, and informal contacts with reporters. Members of the U.S. Forest Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, State of Washington, and other government agencies cooperated extensively with the Geological Survey. By providing assistance to news representatives, the Geological Survey and these other agencies helped effect rapid dissemination of the background information and daily events of a highly complex story while limiting disruption to the scientific working team and minimizing dangers to reporters and scientists.

Washington↗
USGS1975

The Black Hills-Rapid City flood of June 9-10, 1972: A description of the storm and flood

On June 9, 1972, an almost stationary group of thunderstorms formed over the eastern Black Hills of South Dakota near Rapid City and produced record amounts of rainfall and flood discharges. Nearly 15 inches of rain fell in about 6 hours near Nemo, S. Dak., and more than 10 inches of rain fell over a 60-square-mile area. The resulting floods were the highest ever recorded in South Dakota. At least 18 of the 27 streams where peak flows were computed experienced flows that exceeded the 50-year flood. At least 237 people died in the Black Hills flood and 8 people were still listed as missing 6 months after the flood. Another 3,057 people were injured, and total damage is estimated to have exceeded $160 million. As documented by radar and' satellite images and by radiosonde observations, as well as by much other weather data, the unusual and excessive rainfall was partly the result of a strong, low-level, easterly airflow that forced moist air upslope over the Black Hills. This sustained orographic effect helped the air to rise, cool, become very unstable, and release its moisture in repeating -thunderstorms. Another important contributing factor was the unusually light winds at higher levels. Those light winds did not disperse the moist air or move the thunderstorms along to prevent the extreme concentration of rainfall. Instead, these conditions allowed heavy rainfall to remain almost stationary along the eastern slopes of the Black Hills. Rainfall data from 24 observing stations and from over 200 miscellaneous sites show that all reported rains greater than 4 inches fell on the eastern slopes of the Black Hills. At least 6 inches of rain fell over a 300-square-mile area that lies primarily between 4,000 and 5,000 feet elevation. Almost all the flood peaks occurred between 2230 MDT on June 9 and 0100 MDT on June 10, 1972, in a flood belt about 40 miles long and 20 miles wide along the eastern slopes of the Black Hills. This belt extended from Sturgis, S. Dak., on the north to Hermosa, S. Dak., on the south, with Rapid City near the center. To document the flood, peak discharge determinations were made at 49 sites. Records show that about 13,000 acre-feet of water flowed through Rapid City during the 2 days of flooding. At one point during the night of June 9, the floodwaters rose about 3.5 feet in 15 minutes. Coming off the slopes of the Black Hills, the flood peak traveled the 22 miles between Deer Creek and Rapid City in about 3.5 hours.

South Dakota↗