Geology topics

Research about New York, Pennsylvania

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including New York, Pennsylvania.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Longitudinal variability of demographics and life history in an anadromous spawning population within a large, unimpeded East Coast, USA, watershed

Objective The goal of this study was to characterize the variability in age, growth, and life history of sea-run fish throughout a large, East Coast, USA, watershed to improve the parameterization of longitudinal variation in demographics and spawning histories in an undammed river. Methods Both live and dead American Shad Alosa sapidissima were collected during spring 2020 and 2021. Sex, length, age, and repeat spawning information were recorded for all individuals ( n = 512). Growth curves were created to test hypotheses about the variables that were related to the growth rates of American Shad for this relatively unsampled portion of the spawning population in the Delaware River. Results We observed variation in size, age, repeat spawning probability and propensity, and sex ratios from downstream to upstream as well as during the spawning season. Individual traits also varied among the fish that died during migration and those that were collected alive. Conclusions This study expands the current knowledge about variability in the life history traits that are commonly used in assessing and managing an anadromous fish that spawns upstream in a large, undammed watershed. Our results have broad implications for the assessment and management of anadromous fish populations globally and contribute to understanding parity along a continuum. Some potential priorities for future work include using telemetry to understand the final disposition of live fish, investigating fine-scale genetic control for correlated life-history traits, and investigating the correlations between natal origin (i.e., genetic stock mixing) and longitudinal variation within spawning populations.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2021

Methods for estimating regional skewness of annual peak flows in parts of eastern New York and Pennsylvania, based on data through water year 2013

Bulletin 17C (B17C) recommends fitting the log-Pearson Type III (LP−III) distribution to a series of annual peak flows at a streamgage by using the method of moments. The third moment, the skewness coefficient (or skew), is important because the magnitudes of annual exceedance probability (AEP) flows estimated by using the LP–III distribution are affected by the skew; interest is focused on the right-hand tail of the distribution, which represents the larger annual peak flows that correspond to small AEPs. For streamgages having modest record lengths, the skew is sensitive to extreme events like large floods, which cause a sample to be highly asymmetrical or “skewed.” For this reason, B17C recommends using a weighted-average skew computed from the skew of the annual peak flows for a given streamgage and a regional skew. This report presents an estimate of regional skew for a study area encompassing parts of eastern New York and Pennsylvania. A total of 232 candidate U.S. Geological Survey streamgages that were unaffected by extensive regulation, diversion, urbanization, or channelization were considered for use in the skew analysis; after screening for redundancy and pseudo record length ( P RL ) of at least 36 years, 183 streamgages were selected for use in the study. Flood frequencies for candidate streamgages were analyzed by employing the expected moments algorithm, which extends the method of moments so that it can accommodate interval, censored, and historical/paleo flow data, as well as the multiple Grubbs-Beck test to identify potentially influential low floods in the data series. Bayesian weighted least squares/Bayesian generalized least squares regression was used to develop a regional skew model for the study area that would incorporate possible variables (basin characteristics) to explain the variation in skew in the study area. Ten basin characteristics were considered as possible explanatory variables; however, none produced a pseudo coefficient of determination greater than 1 percent; as a result, these characteristics did not help to explain the variation in skew in the study area. Therefore, a constant model that had a regional skew coefficient of 0.32 and an average variance of prediction at a new streamgage ( AVP new , which corresponds to the mean square error [MSE] of 0.11) was selected. The AVP new corresponds to an effective record length of 68 years, a marked improvement over the Bulletin 17B national skew map, whose reported MSE of 0.302 indicated a corresponding effective record length of only 17 years.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2019

A comparison of hydrocarbon-related landscape disturbance patterns along the New York-Pennsylvania border, 2004–2013

Executive Summary The New York-Pennsylvania area has a long history of hydrocarbon extraction, and the addition of shale gas extraction methods contributes to landscape disturbance borne by previously developed oil and non-shale gas resources. The main unconventional extraction method used to extract shale gas from the Marcellus Shale located in New York and Pennsylvania is hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” although other conventional methods are used extensively. All forms of hydrocarbon extraction disturb the surrounding landscape to some extent, primarily in the form of land clearance and degradation, road construction, and pipeline development, although the effects of these disturbances are not fully understood. In this study, landscape-change metrics and indicators are used to analyze change in a 10-county region along the New York-Pennsylvania border—the New York counties of Allegany, Steuben, Chemung, Tioga, and Broome, and the Pennsylvania counties of McKean, Potter, Tioga, Bradford, and Susquehanna. This 10-county region was selected due to the differences in policies between the States of New York and Pennsylvania. While fracking occurred extensively in Pennsylvania over the past 10 years or more, the State of New York issued a temporary moratorium against hydraulic fracturing in 2010—citing repercussions that might affect air quality, water quality, and public health—and officially banned hydraulic fracturing in June 2015. The quantification of landscape disturbance due to hydrocarbon extraction activities is presented in this report as land-use and land-cover (LULC) change between 2004 and 2013 and defined using specific disturbance categories (including well sites, roads, and pipelines) to compare the disturbances and changes, by county, on both sides of the New York-Pennsylvania border. The quantification was accomplished by gathering the signatures of disturbance from high-resolution aerial images, comparing the derived totals of disturbance, and then computing landscape metrics in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. The collected data represent a summation of landscape disturbance from oil and gas development, as some of the data represented were established decades earlier. The Analytical Tools Interface for Landscape Assessments (ATtILA) software was used to calculate land-cover area and landscape metrics for each shale gas, non-shale gas, oil, and other infrastructure types associated with hydrocarbons across each county and both five-county regions in the study area. The three primary metrics used to describe changes in forest structure were (1)forest area, (2) interior forest area, and (3) forest edge area. The changes in metrics were subsequently evaluated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Overall, the disturbed-area footprint in the Pennsylvania region is considerably larger than the disturbed-area footprint in the New York region (13,687.9 hectares [ha] in Pennsylvania; 3,840.5 ha in New York). Disturbance per site is similar, with 1.2 disturbed ha per site in New York and 1.6 disturbed ha per site in Pennsylvania. In the New York-Pennsylvania 10-county region, hydrocarbon-development and extraction disturbance strongly correlate with a reduction in the percentage of forest for the entire region. This observation also appears to be true in the New York five-county region for forest area. This form of disturbance in the New York five-county region shows significantly correlated changes in forest metrics (–0.4 percent total forest area), particularly in the percentage of interior forest (–1.2 percent total area) and forest edge (+0.7 percent total area). On the other hand, gas and hydrocarbon-development and extraction disturbance (1.0 percent total area) in the Pennsylvania five-county region strongly correlates with a total decline in forest area and agricultural land area (–0.8 percent combined total area) but not with either land-cover class separately.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2019

Reduced soil macropores and forest cover reduce warm-season baseflow below ecological thresholds in the upper Delaware River Basin

We examined the impacts of changes in land cover and soil conditions on the flow regime of the upper Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER). We simulated flows for two periods, circa 1600 and 1940, at three sites using the same temperature and precipitation conditions: the East Branch (EB), West Branch (WB), and mainstem Delaware River at Callicoon, NY. The 1600 period represented pristine forest and soils. The 1940 period included reduced forest cover, increased agriculture, and degraded soils with reduced soil macropore fractions. A model-sensitivity test examined the impact of soil macropore and land cover change separately. We assessed changes in flow regimes between the 1600 and 1940 periods using a variety of flow statistics, including established ecological limits of hydrologic alteration (ELOHA) thresholds. Reduced forest soil macropore fraction significantly reduced summer and fall base flows. The 1940 period had significantly lower Q50 flows (50% exceedance) than the 1600 period, as well as summer and fall Q90 and Q75-90 flows below the ELOHA thresholds. The 1- to 7-day minimum flows were also lower for the 1940 period, by 17% on the mainstem. 1940 flows were 6% more likely than the 1600 period to fall below the low-flow threshold for federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) habitat. In contrast, the 1940 period had higher flows than the 1600 period from late fall to early winter.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2019

Hydrocarbons in upland groundwater, Marcellus Shale Region, Northeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New York, USA

Water samples from 50 domestic wells located <1 km (proximal) and >1 km (distal) from shale-gas wells in upland areas of the Marcellus Shale region were analyzed for chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers. Uplands were targeted because natural mixing with brine and hydrocarbons from deep formations is less common in those areas compared to valleys. CH 4 -isotope, predrill CH 4 -concentration, and other data indicate that one proximal sample (5% of proximal samples) contains thermogenic CH 4 (2.6 mg/L) from a relatively shallow source (Catskill/Lock Haven Formations) that appears to have been mobilized by shale-gas production activities. Another proximal sample contains five other volatile hydrocarbons (0.03–0.4 μg/L), including benzene, more hydrocarbons than in any other sample. Modeled groundwater-age distributions, calibrated to 3 H, SF 6 , and 14 C concentrations, indicate that water in that sample recharged prior to shale-gas development, suggesting that land-surface releases associated with shale-gas production were not the source of those hydrocarbons, although subsurface leakage from a nearby gas well directly into the groundwater cannot be ruled out. Age distributions in the samples span ∼20 to >10000 years and have implications for relating occurrences of hydrocarbons in groundwater to land-surface releases associated with recent shale-gas production and for the time required to flush contaminants from the system.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2019

Geologic cross section A–A′ through the Appalachian basin from the southern margin of the Ontario Lowlands province, Genesee County, western New York, to the Valley and Ridge province, Lycoming County, north-central Pennsylvania

Introduction Geologic cross section A–A′ is the fifth in a series of cross sections constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to document and improve understanding of the geologic framework and petroleum systems of the Appalachian basin. Cross section A–A′ provides a regional view of the structural and stratigraphic framework of the Appalachian basin from the southern margin of the Ontario Lowlands province in western New York, across the Allegheny Plateau province of central New York and north-central Pennsylvania, to the Valley and Ridge province in north-central Pennsylvania, a distance of approximately 176 miles. This cross section is a companion to cross sections E–E′, D–D′, C–C′ , and I–I′ that are located approximately 100 to 500 miles to the southwest. Cross section A–A′ complements earlier geologic or stratigraphic cross sections through the central New York and north-central Pennsylvania part of the Appalachian basin. Although some of these other cross sections show more structural and stratigraphic detail, they are of more limited extent geographically and stratigraphically. Cross section A–A′ contains much information that is useful for evaluating energy resources in the Appalachian basin. Although the Appalachian basin petroleum systems are not shown on the cross section, many of their key elements (such as source rocks, reservoir rocks, seals, and traps) can be inferred from lithologic units, unconformities, and geologic structures shown on the cross section. Important oil- and gas-bearing formations like the Oriskany Sandstone, Medina Group sandstones, Tuscarora Sandstone, and the Marcellus and Utica Shales are present on cross-section A–A′ .

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2018

Comparison of regression relations of bankfull discharge and channel geometry for the glaciated and nonglaciated settings of Pennsylvania and southern New York

Streambank erosion in areas of past glacial deposition has been shown to be a dominant source of sediment to streams. Water resource managers are faced with the challenge of developing long and short term (emergency) stream restoration efforts that rely on the most suitable channel geometry for project design. A geomorphic dataset of new (2016, n=5) and previous (1999–2006, n=96) estimates of bankfull discharge and channel dimensions at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations was compiled to present and contrast the glaciated and unglaciated noncarbonate settings of southern New York and Pennsylvania that included selected areas of Maryland. Empirical models were developed by using simple linear regressions that relate bankfull discharge and channel geometry to drainage area (regional curves). Significant relations (p<0.05) were able to explain variability with coefficient of determination (R2 ) values of 0.89 for bankfull discharge, 0.94 for cross-sectional area, 0.87 for bankfull width, and 0.83 for bankfull depth. These regression relations for the glaciated noncarbonate settings of northern Pennsylvania and southern New York were able to provide a slightly better fit than regional curve models developed previously for the entire noncarbonate region of Pennsylvania. Although, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results for comparison between regression equations for the glaciated and unglaciated settings showed that except for the significant intercept of bankfull discharge versus drainage area (F=8.26, p-value<0.005), the regression equations are not significantly different between the glaciated and unglaciated setting of Pennsylvania and southern New York. Therefore, data stratification by glaciation does not improve regional curves relations developed previously for the noncarbonate (glaciated and unglaciated) and carbonate settings of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Further analysis that incorporates data stratification or multivariate approaches based on mean annual runoff, precipitation, slope, stream classification, or other relevant parameters may optimize the accuracy and utility of statewide models. The new estimates of bankfull discharge and channel dimensions at streamflowgaging sites and updated drainage areas from StreamStats were incorporated into previously developed regional curves to produce an updated set of regression relations of bankfull discharge and channel geometry for the noncarbonate and carbonate settings of Pennsylvania and Maryland.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2018

Freshwater mussel salvage and relocation at the Pond Eddy Bridge, Delaware River, New York and Pennsylvania

In a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, freshwater mussels were salvaged and relocated from the anticipated zone of impact for the Pond Eddy Bridge construction project in New York and Pennsylvania. Five 25-meter (m) by 25-m cells along the Pennsylvania bank of the Delaware River were sampled in three generally straight-line passes by four surveyors wearing snorkel gear for a total of 180 survey minutes per cell. All mussels encountered were collected and identified to species. A subset of individuals was marked with shellfish tags, weighed, and measured prior to relocation upstream from the zone of impact. A total of 3,434 mussels, including 3,393 Elliptio complanata (eastern elliptio mussels), 39 Anodonta implicata (alewife floaters), 1 Strophitus undulatus (creeper), and 1 Pyganodon cataracta (eastern floater), were salvaged and relocated. All non-eastern elliptio species were georeferenced using a high-resolution global positioning system unit; a subset of tagged eastern elliptio was placed in transects between georeferenced points. These mussels will be monitored to assess the effects of translocation on mortality and body condition at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2018

Canopy volume removal from oil and gas development activity in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York (USA): An assessment using lidar data

Oil and gas development is changing the landscape in many regions of the United States and globally. However, the nature, extent, and magnitude of landscape change and development, and precisely how this development compares to other ongoing land conversion (e.g. urban/sub-urban development, timber harvest) is not well understood. In this study, we examine land conversion from oil and gas infrastructure development in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York, an area that has experienced much oil and gas development over the past 10 years. We quantified land conversion in terms of forest canopy geometric volume loss in contrast to previous studies that considered only areal impacts. For the first time in a study of this type, we use fine-scale lidar forest canopy geometric models to assess the volumetric change due to forest clearing from oil and gas development and contrast this land change to clear cut forest harvesting, and urban and suburban development. Results show that oil and gas infrastructure development removed a large volume of forest canopy from 2006 to 2013, and this removal spread over a large portion of the study area. Timber operations (clear cutting) on Pennsylvania State Forest lands removed a larger total volume of forest canopy during the same time period, but this canopy removal was concentrated in a smaller area. Results of our study point to the need to consider volumetric impacts of oil and gas development on ecosystems, and to place potential impacts in context with other ongoing land conversions.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2018

Brook trout distributional response to unconventional oil and gas development: Landscape context matters

We conducted a large-scale assessment of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development effects on brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) distribution. We compiled 2231 brook trout collection records from the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed, USA. We used boosted regression tree (BRT) analysis to predict occurrence probability at the 1:24,000 stream-segment scale as a function of natural and anthropogenic landscape and climatic attributes. We then evaluated the importance of landscape context (i.e., pre-existing natural habitat quality and anthropogenic degradation) in modulating the effects of UOG on brook trout distribution under UOG development scenarios. BRT made use of 5 anthropogenic (28% relative influence) and 7 natural (72% relative influence) variables to model occurrence with a high degree of accuracy [Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUC) = 0.85 and cross-validated AUC = 0.81]. UOG development impacted 11% ( n = 2784) of streams and resulted in a loss of predicted occurrence in 126 (4%). Most streams impacted by UOG had unsuitable underlying natural habitat quality ( n = 1220; 44%). Brook trout were predicted to be absent from an additional 26% ( n = 733) of streams due to pre-existing non-UOG land uses (i.e., agriculture, residential and commercial development, or historic mining). Streams with a predicted and observed (via existing pre- and post-disturbance fish sampling records) loss of occurrence due to UOG tended to have intermediate natural habitat quality and/or intermediate levels of non-UOG stress. Simulated development of permitted but undeveloped UOG wells ( n = 943) resulted in a loss of predicted occurrence in 27 additional streams. Loss of occurrence was strongly dependent upon landscape context, suggesting effects of current and future UOG development are likely most relevant in streams near the probability threshold due to pre-existing habitat degradation.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2017

Evaluation of the streamgage network for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged sites in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York

The current (2015) streamgage network in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York was evaluated in order to design a network that would meet the hydrologic needs of many partners and serve a variety of purposes and interests, including estimation of streamflow statistics at ungaged sites. This study was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. The study area includes the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York. For this study, 229 streamgages were identified as reference streamgages that could be used to represent ungaged watersheds. Criteria for a reference streamgage are a minimum of 10 years of continuous record, minimally altered streamflow, and a drainage area less than 1,500 square miles. Some of the reference streamgages have been discontinued but provide historical hydrologic information valuable in the determination of streamflow characteristics of ungaged watersheds. Watersheds in the study area not adequately represented by a reference streamgage were identified by examining a range of basin characteristics, the extent of geographic coverage, and the strength of estimated streamflow correlations between gaged and ungaged sites. Basin characteristics were determined for the reference streamgage watersheds and the 1,662 12-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC12) subwatersheds in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin using a geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis and nationally available GIS datasets. Basin characteristics selected for this study include drainage area, mean basin elevation, mean basin slope, percentage of urbanized area, percentage of forested area, percentage of carbonate bedrock, mean annual precipitation, and soil thickness. A GIS spatial analysis was used to identify HUC12 subwatersheds outside the range of basin characteristics of the reference streamgages. There were 320 HUC12 subwatersheds, or 19 percent of the study area, with basin characteristics outside the range represented by the reference streamgage watersheds. A GIS spatial analysis was used to identify geographic gaps in the streamgage network. For each streamgage, a watershed area, called the gage statistical area (GSA), was delineated. The GSA shows the drainage area within a specific drainage-area ratio of the streamgage for transfer of streamflow statistics from that streamgage to ungaged sites on the valid statistical reach of the GSA for a streamgage. In Pennsylvania, a drainage-area ratio of 0.33–3 times the drainage area of the ungaged site was found to perform as well as, if not better than, more traditional ratios such as 0.5–1.5 (or 2) for transfer of selected streamflow statistics. A total of 1,102 HUC12 subwatersheds, or 66 percent of the study area, are outside the GSA for a reference streamgage. The USGS Baseline Streamflow Estimator (BaSE) program was used to determine how well HUC12 subwatersheds outside the streamgage GSAs are represented by the reference streamgage network in Pennsylvania, based on estimated streamflow correlation. The centroid of each HUC12 subwatershed was run through the BaSE program to determine the reference streamgage with the highest estimated streamflow correlation. There were 929 HUC12 subwatersheds in Pennsylvania, or 56 percent of the State, with an estimated correlation coefficient less than 0.96. The results from the basin characteristic, geographic, and streamflow correlation analyses were combined to identify 1,405 HUC12 subwatersheds in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York that lack a representative reference, based on at least one identified gap. Of the 1,405 HUC12 subwatersheds, 139 exhibited all three gaps, indicating a 8-percent gap in the reference streamgage network. Streamgages in areas with similar hydrologic characteristics and in close proximity to one another can potentially provide similar information (termed streamgages with high substitution potential). Streamgages were considered to have a high substitution potential with a nearby streamgage(s) if (1) the streamflow correlation coefficient was equal to or greater than 0.96, (2) the streamgages had 10 years of concurrent record, and (3) the streamgages are in the same watershed within the GSA of the streamgage. Seventy-four current (2015) streamgages with high substitution potential with at least one other streamgage were identified in the study area. Although these identified streamgages have a high substitution potential, they provide valuable streamflow information to a stakeholder. Selected primary uses of these streamgages were identified to determine the overall need for an individual streamgage.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2016

Evaluating methods to establish habitat suitability criteria: A case study in the upper Delaware River Basin, USA

Defining habitat suitability criteria (HSC) of aquatic biota can be a key component to environmental flow science. HSC can be developed through numerous methods; however, few studies have evaluated the consistency of HSC developed by different methodologies. We directly compared HSC for depth and velocity developed by the Delphi method (expert opinion) and by two primary literature meta-analyses (literature-derived range and interquartile range) to assess whether these independent methods produce analogous criteria for multiple species (rainbow trout, brown trout, American shad, and shallow fast guild) and life stages. We further evaluated how these two independently developed HSC affect calculations of habitat availability under three alternative reservoir management scenarios in the upper Delaware River at a mesohabitat (main channel, stream margins, and flood plain), reach, and basin scale. In general, literature-derived HSC fell within the range of the Delphi HSC, with highest congruence for velocity habitat. Habitat area predicted using the Delphi HSC fell between the habitat area predicted using two literature-derived HSC, both at the basin and the site scale. Predicted habitat increased in shallow regions (stream margins and flood plain) using literature-derived HSC while Delphi-derived HSC predicted increased channel habitat. HSC generally favoured the same reservoir management scenario; however, no favoured reservoir management scenario was the most common outcome when applying the literature range HSC. The differences found in this study lend insight into how different methodologies can shape HSC and their consequences for predicted habitat and water management decisions. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2015

Translating climate change effects on species into everyday language: an example of more driving and less fishing

Climate change is expected to result in widespread changes in species distributions (e.g., shifting, shrinking, expanding species ranges; e.g., Parmesan and Yohe, 2003), especially for freshwater fish species (Heino et al. 2009). Although anglers and other resource users could be greatly affected by changes in species distributions, predicted changes are rarely reported in ways that can be easily understood by the general public. In contrast, climate science that more directly affects human welfare or livelihoods is often more readily communicated to the general public because it is of greater concern or closely related to everyday life. For example, most people can readily interpret how increases in the number of “hot” days above a given temperature threshold might affect their lives, and property owners in coastal areas can use predictive maps to determine how they might be affected by sea level rise (for more examples, see the Third National Assessment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at globalchange.gov ). However, the effects of climate change on species are usually reported to the general public using summary metrics or maps designed to communicate concepts that are not normally encountered in everyday life, including changes in habitat suitability, range shifts, or increasing risks from disease or extreme events (e.g., National Audubon Society 2009; Groffman et al. 2014). Though these metrics are necessary, meaningful, and understood by scientists, many people lack the necessary training and background to readily understand them. Further, scientists and nonscientists alike may struggle to convert these metrics into a currency that directly affects day-to-day life. Climate science is a complex issue, and we argue that when communicating potential responses of vegetation, fish, and wildlife to nonscientists, creative thinking with respect to the currency of communication will facilitate discussions between scientists, policy makers, and the public. We posit that with some additional thought and relatively simple summaries, the responses of fish and other species to climate change can be translated into everyday language that will facilitate climate science communication. Although such translations are rare, one example of this type of creativity is the translation from changes in habitat suitability for tree species to potential reductions in maple syrup production (West over 2012), which is arguably more interesting and understandable for the general public. Similar translations could be especially important for communicating climate change effects on game fish and other species that are socially and economically important to large groups of people. We demonstrate this translation by communicating the potential effects of climate change on the distribution of a coldwater fish species, the eastern Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis . Rather than communicating the potential forecasted contraction of the Brook Trout's distribution in terms of habitat loss, we report the predicted increases in the driving distance to streams likely offering Brook Trout angling opportunities under a climate change scenario. Travel costs based on distance have been widely used to value ecosystem services such as angling under climate change scenarios (e.g., Pendleton and Mendelsohn 1998; Mendelsohn and Markowski 1999; Ahn et al. 2000) but, to the best of our knowledge, have not been used for communicating potential changes to the public despite the intrinsic link to everyday life.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2015

Factors controlling Li concentration and isotopic composition in formation waters and host rocks of Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin

In this study, water and whole rock samples from hydraulically fractured wells in the Marcellus Shale (Middle Devonian), and water from conventional wells producing from Upper Devonian sandstones were analyzed for lithium concentrations and isotope ratios (δ 7 Li). The distribution of lithium concentrations in different mineral groups was determined using sequential extraction. Structurally bound Li, predominantly in clays, accounted for 75-91 wt. % of total Li, whereas exchangeable sites and carbonate cement contain negligible Li (< 3%). Up to 20% of the Li is present in the oxidizable fraction (organic matter and sulfides). The δ 7 Li values for whole rock shale in Greene Co., Pennsylvania, and Tioga Co., New York, ranged from -2.3 to + 4.3&permil;, similar to values reported for other shales in the literature. The δ 7 Li values in shale rocks with stratigraphic depth record progressive weathering of the source region; the most weathered and clay-rich strata with isotopically light Li are found closest to the top of the stratigraphic section. Diagenetic illite-smectite transition could also have partially affected the bulk Li content and isotope ratios of the Marcellus Shale. In Greene Co., southwest Pennsylvania, the Upper Devonian sandstone formation waters have δ 7 Li values of + 14.6 ± 1.2 (2SD, n = 25), and are distinct from Marcellus Shale formation waters which have δ 7 Li of + 10.0 ± 0.8 (2SD, n = 12). These two formation waters also maintain distinctive 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios suggesting hydrologic separation between these units. Applying temperature-dependent illitilization model to Marcellus Shale, we found that Li concentration in clay minerals increased with Li concentration in pore fluid during diagenetic illite-smectite transition. Samples from north central PA show a much smaller range in both δ 7 Li and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr than in southwest Pennsylvania. Spatial variations in Li and δ 7 Li values show that Marcellus formation waters are not homogeneous across the Appalachian Basin. Marcellus formation waters in the northeastern Pennsylvania portion of the basin show a much smaller range in both δ 7 Li and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, suggesting long term, cross-formational fluid migration in this region. Assessing the impact of potential mixing of fresh water with deep formation water requires establishment of a geochemical and isotopic baseline in the shallow, fresh water aquifers, and site specific characterization of formation water, followed by long-term monitoring, particularly in regions of future shale gas development.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2009

The Shawangunk and Martinsburg Formations revisited; sedimentology, stratigraphy, mineralogy, geochemistry, structure and paleontology

In southeastern New York Middle Silurian Shawangunk Formation (Figure 1), containing gray conglomerate, sandstone and shale, lies unconformably above the Ordovician Martinsburg Formation, consisting of shales and graywackes. In southwestern New York, near the Port Jervis area, The Shawangunk Formation is overlain by the Bloomsburg Red Beds, the same stratigraphic sequence that occurs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the southwest. The Shawangunk Formation thins gradually from Port Jervis to its pinchout near Hidden Valley and Binnewater, New York. Two tongues of the upper part of the Shawangunk are: the Ellenville Tongue that extends from the Ellenville-Accord area to its feather edge just southwest of the New York-New Jersey border and, the High View Tongue that is restricted to the Wurtsboro area (Epstein and Lyttle, 1987; Epstein, 1993). Early in the Paleozoic carbonate banks lay along the east coast of the ancient North American continent. During the Ordovician plate convergence commenced in the closing of the Iapetus Sea and a deep basin developed into which thick muds and dirty sands were deposited. These were later lithified into the Martinsburg Formation. Eventually, with continued compression, these sediments were folded and faulted during the complex deformation of the Taconic Orogeny. The trend of these folds in southeastern New York is approximately N20E. As one proceeds westward across the Wallkill Valley these structures become less intense. Subsequent to the Taconic Orogeny mountains rose to the east and coarse sediments were transported westward and deposited as the conglomerates and sandstones of the Shawangunk Formation across the beveled folds of the Martinsburg. Deposition occurred on a plain of alluviation and in a marine basin to the northwest. Erosion of the source area was intense, and the climate, based on the mineralogy of the rocks, was warm and at least semiarid. The source was composed predominately of sedimentary and low-grade metamorphic rocks with exceptionally abundant quartz veins and small local areas of gneiss and granite. As the source highlands were eroded, the steep braided streams of the Shawangunk gave way to more gentle-gradient streams of the Bloomsburg Red Beds.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS1983

The relationship of joints and stream drainage in flat-lying rocks of south-central New York and northern Pennsylvania

Examination of the relationship of joints to stream development shows that the oft-cited development of streams parallel to joint directions does not, in general, apply in south-central New York and adjacent northern Pennsylvania. Streams whose courses are oblique to the joint directions (joint-oblique valleys) tend to erode easily owing to increased corrasion and subsequent undercutting at the upstream intersection of joints. The removal of joint-bounded blocks in joint-oblique valleys forms cascades that advance headward by apical erosion. Streams whose courses are parallel and perpendicular (joint-parallel valleys) to the nearly orthogonal joint sets erode by waterfall and plunge-pool formation; bedrock is undercut on the downstream side, and unstable blocks subsequently collapse into the plunge pool. Most valleys in the Finger Lakes region are joint-oblique, although some well-developed valleys are joint-parallel. These joint-parallel valleys are usually due to (1) a single deep, pervasive joint whose presence acts as a barrier to lateral expansion of the stream, or (2) erosion along joint zones whose intense fracturing produces weak erosional resistance in the rocks.

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS1979

Flow routing in the Susquehanna River Basin, Part II: Lowflow frequency characteristics of the Susquehanna River between Waverly, New York and Sunbury, Pennsylvania

Six flow-routing models were developed, calibrated, and verified for the Susquehanna River between Waverly, New York, and Sunbury , Pennsylvania. The models give the Susquehanna River Basin Commission tools to estimate effects of water-resource developments upstream from Waverly upon four gaged sites and two ungaged sites within the study reach. The models were used to simulate a 32-year record of daily flows at the two ungaged sites. Low-flow frequency curves for simulated flows at these sites were used to estimate 7-day low-flows at the 10-year recurrence interval of 540 and 770 cubic feet per second, respectively. The model errors, differences between model results and observed streamflow at gaged sites, are considered to be within reasonable limits and overall quality of simulated streamflow and low-flow frequency curves is considered good. (Woodard-USGS)

New York, Pennsylvania↗

USGS1979

Flow routing in the Susquehanna River Basin: Part III -- Routing reservoir releases in the Tioga and Chemung rivers system, Pennsylvania, and New York, 1977

Channel-routing models were used to route hypothetical releases from reservoirs in the upper Tioga River basin, Pennsylvania. These releases were routed northward down the Tioga River to Lindley, Erwins, and Corning, New York: combined with flows routed down the Cohocton River from Campbell to Corning, New York; and then routed southeastward down the Chemung River from Corning to Chemung, New York. The models used to route the flows of Cohocton and Chemung Rivers accounted for bank-storage discharge and streamflow depletion by well pumpage. In general, 17 water years of concurrent streamflow data were available for model calibration and verification. Three hypothetical reservoir releases were made from the reservoirs and routed to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, using the models developed in this study and models developed downstream to Wilkes-Barre in a previous study. A hypothetical makeup water requirement of 65 cubic feet per second was assumed. Two historical low-flow periods were investigated. The first hypothetical release investigated was a constant 100 cubic feet per second, and the second release was a constant 70 cubic feet per second. The third scheme was a hypothetical release of 100 cubic feet per second for three days followed by a constant 70 cubic feet per second for the duration of the period considered. Constant 100 cubic feet per second releases arrived downstream more quickly than constant 70 cubic feet per second releases for both test periods, but delivered more water than required to satisfy the assumed makeup requirement. The third release scheme was generally the most efficient of the three schemes tested. Although inherent modeling errors exist in all the simulated data, the accuracy of the estimated routed reservoir releases at the downstream sites is considered good.

New York, Pennsylvania↗