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Research about Ohio

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Ohio.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
USGS1990

Source parameters and effects of bandwidth and local geology on high- frequency ground motions observed for aftershocks of the northeastern Ohio earthquake of 31 January 1986

A 10-station array (GEOS) yielded recordings of exceptional bandwidth (400 sps) and resolution (up to 96 dB) for the aftershocks of the moderate ( m b ≈ 4.9) earthquake that occurred on 31 January 1986 near Painesville, Ohio. Nine aftershocks were recorded with seismic moments ranging between 9 × 10 16 and 3 × 10 19 dyne-cm ( M w : 0.6 to 2.3). The two largest aftershocks (depth 5.3, 5.6 km; oblique right slip, rake ≈30°, strike ≈N25°E) yielded seismic signals above background noise at frequencies as high as 130 Hz at epicentral distances up to 17 km. The aftershock recordings at a site underlain by ≈8 m of lakeshore sediments show significant levels of high-frequency soil amplification of vertical motion at frequencies near 8, 20, and 70 Hz. Viscoelastic models for P and SV waves incident at the base of the sediments yield estimates of vertical P -wave response consistent with the observed high-frequency site resonances, but suggest additional detailed shear-wave logs are needed to account for observed S -wave response. Peak acceleration values obtained from the broadband recordings are about two and four times as large as those that would be recorded on strong-motion recorders or short-period networks with upper bandwidth limits of 30 and 15 Hz, respectively. Attenuation-corrected acceleration spectra are used to reduce the influence of high-frequency (up to 100 Hz) local site effects on corner frequency estimates. The moment versus source radius trend inferred for events with moments as small as 9 × 10 16 dyne-cm, based on the Brune source model, extends previous relations inferred for the central United States, shows little evidence for a minimum source radius, and suggests that stress drops for the smaller events ( M 0 < 10 19 dyne-cm) decrease with decreasing moment.

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USGS1990

Ground-water levels, flow, and specific conductance in unconsolidated aquifers near Lake Erie, Cleveland to Conneaut, Ohio, September 1984

This report described ground-water levels, flow, and specific conductance in aquifer along the southern shore of Lake Erie from Cleveland to Conneaut, Ohio. The data were collected in September 1984 as part of the U.S Geological Survey's Northeast Glacial Buried Valley Regional Aquifer-System Analysis. The study area is about 60 miles long, extends inland from the lake about 10 miles, and encompasses parts of Cuyahoga, Lake, and Ashtabula Counties. Water levels were measured in 202 existing wells, all of which were completed in the glacial deposits or at the contact with the underlying shale. Specific conductance was measured in 59 of the wells. Results of the survey are presented in table and map form. Unconsolidated material throughout the area consists primarily of till, whereas the bedrock consists of Devonian shale. The till is composed chiefly o silt and clay with some sand and gravel, and is less than 50 feet thick in most areas. Some valleys are filled with as much as 200 feet of glacial till and outwash deposits that are mainly sand and gravel. Ground-water levels in much of the area within 20 feet of the land surface. Contours of ground-water levels resemble a subdued version of those of the land surface, which indicates that ground water generally flows from high areas to low areas following the land-surface gradient. Locally, ground water discharges into streams. Regionally, flow is towards the north-northeast, to Lake Erie. Specific conductance ranged from 160 to 2,900 μ S/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius) with a median of 540 μ S/cm. Ground water with a specific conductance greater than 650 μ S/cm is localized, with no specific spatial pattern; possible sources of elevated specific conductance are road-deicing salt, leachate from landfills, natural brings associated with oil and gas drilling, and the leakage of saline water from bedrock.

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USGS1990

Long-term effects of surface coal mining on ground-water levels and quality in two small watersheds in eastern Ohio

Two small watersheds in eastern Ohio that were surface mined for coal and reclaimed were studied during 1986-89. Water-level and water-quality data were compared with similar data collected during previous investigations conducted during 1976-83 to determine long-term effects of surface mining on the hydrologic system. Before mining, the watersheds were characterized by sequences of flat-lying sedimentary rocks containing two major coal seams and underclays. An aquifer was present above each of the underclays. Surface mining removed the upper aquifer, stripped the coal seam, and replaced the sediment. This created a new upper aquifer with different hydraulic and chemical characteristics. Mining did not disturb the middle aquifer. A third, deeper aquifer in each watershed was not studied. Water levels were continuously recorded in one well in each aquifer. Other wells were measured every 2 months. Water levels in the upper aquifers reached hydraulic equilibrium from 2 to 5 years after mining ceased. Water levels in the middle aquifers increased more than 5 feet during mining and reached equilibrium almost immediately thereafter. Water samples were collected from three upper-aquifer well, a seep from the upper aquifer, and the stream in each watershed. Two samples were collected in 1986 and 1987, and one each in 1988 and 1989. In both watersheds, sulfate replaced bicarbonate as the dominant upper-aquifer and surface-water anion after mining. For the upper aquifer of a watershed located in Muskingum County, water-quality data were grouped into premining and late postmining time periods (1986-89). The premining median pH and concentration of dissolved solids and sulfate were 7.6, 378 mg/L (milligrams per liter), and 41 mg/L, respectively. The premining median concentrations of iron and manganese were 10 μg/L (micrograms per liter) and 25 μg/L, respectively. The postmining median values of pH, dissolved solids, and sulfate were 6.7, 1,150 mg/L, and 560 mg/L, respectively. The postmining median concentrations of iron and manganese were 3,900 μg/L and 1,900 μg/L, respectively. For the upper aquifer of a watershed located in Jefferson County, the water-quality data were grouped into three time periods of premining, early postmining, and late postmining. The premining median pH and concentrations of dissolved solids and sulfate were 7.0, 335 mg/L, and 85 mg/L, respectively. The premining median concentrations of iron and manganese were 30 μg/L for each constituent. Late postmining median pH and concentrations of dissolved solids and sulfate were 6.7, 1,495 mg/L, and 825 mg/L, respectively. The postmining median concentrations of iron and manganese were 31 μg/L and 1,015 μg/L, respectively. Chemistry of water in the middle aquifer in each watershed underwent similar changes. In general, statistically significant increases in concentrations of dissolved constituents occurred because of surface mining. In some constituents, concentrations increased by more than an order of magnitude. The continued decrease in pH indicated that ground water had no reached geochemical equilibrium in either watershed more than 8 years after mining.

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USGS1989

Ground-water levels, water quality, and potential effects of toxic-substance spills or cessation of quarry dewatering near a municipal ground-water supply, southern Franklin County, Ohio

A newly completed municipal ground-water supply that produces from a sand and gravel aquifer in southern Franklin County, Ohio, may be susceptible to potential sources of pollution. Among these are spills of toxic substances that could enter recharge areas of the aquifer or be carried by surface drainage and subsequently enter the aquifer by induced infiltration. Ground water of degraded quality also is present in the vicinity of several landfills located upstream from the municipal supply. Local dewatering by quarrying operations has created a ground-water divide which, at present, prevents direct movement of the degraded ground water to the municipal supply. In addition, the dewatering has held water levels at the largest landfills below the base of the landfill. Should the dewatering cease, concern would be raised regarding the rise of water levels at this landfills and transport of contaminants through the aquifer to the Scioto River and subsequently by the river to the well field. From June 1984 through July 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Columbus, Ohio, investigated the relations among the ground-water supply and potential sources of contamination by means of an observation-well network and a program of measuring water levels and sampling for water quality. Sample collections included those made to determine the baseline levels of organic chemicals and metals, as well as periodic sampling and analysis for common constituents to evaluate any changes taking place in the system. Finally, a steady-state, three-dimensional numerical model was used to determine ground-water flow directions and average ground-water velocities to asses potential effects of toxic-substance spills. The model also was used to simulate changes in the ground-water flow system that could result if part or all of the quarry dewatering ceased. Few of the organic-chemical and metal constituents analyzed for were present at detectable levels. With respect to chemical analysis of water and soil materials reported in earlier studies, no new problem areas were discovered as a result of either the baseline or periodic samplings. Model simulations suggest that, under March 1986 conditions, a toxic-substance spill along the major highways in the northern two-thirds of the study area eventually could discharge into one of the two quarries being dewatered or into the Scioto River. A toxic-substance spill in the southern one-third of the study area ultimately may discharge into the Scioto River, Big Walnut Creek, or possibly into the municipal ground-water supply. Model simulations also indicate that concentrated landfill leachate probably would not reach the municipal ground-water supply under current or well-field pumping conditions if dewatering ceased at either or both of the quarries.

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USGS1988

The northeastern Ohio earthquake of 31 January 1986: Was it induced?

On 31 January 1986, at 11:46 EST, an earthquake of mb = 5.0 occurred about 40 km east of Cleveland, Ohio, and about 17 km south of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. The earthquake was felt over a broad area, including 11 states, the District of Columbia, and parts of Ontario, Canada, caused intensity VI-VII at distances of 15 km, and generated relatively high accelerations (0.18 g) of short duration at the Perry plant. Thirteen aftershocks were detected as of 15 April, with six occurring within the first 8 days. Two of the aftershocks were felt. Magnitudes for the aftershocks ranged from about 0.5 to 2.5. Focal depths for all of the earthquakes ranged from 2 to 6 km. Except for one small earthquake, all of the aftershocks occurred in a very tight cluster with a north-northeast orientation. Focal mechanisms of the aftershocks exhibit predominantly oblique right-slip motion on nearly vertical nodal planes oriented N15° to 45°E, with a nearly horizontal P axis north of east.

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USGS1988

Chemical quality, benthic organisms, and sedimentation in streams draining coal-mined lands in Raccoon Creek basin, Ohio, July 1984 through September 1986

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation, plans widespread reclamation of abandoned coal mines in the Raccoon Creek basin in southeastern Ohio. Throughout Raccoon Creek basin, chemical, biological, and suspended-sediment data were collected from July 1984 through September 1986. Chemical and biological data collected at 17 sites indicate that the East Branch, Brushy Creek, Hewett Fork, and Little Raccoon Creek subbasins, including Flint Run, are affected by drainage from abandoned coal mines. In these basins, median pH values ranged from 2.6 to 5.1, median acidity values ranged from 20 to 1,040 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as CaCo 3 , and median alkalinity values ranged from 0 to 4 mg/L as CaCo 3 . Biological data indicate that these basins do not support diverse populations because of degraded water systems. Suspended-sediment yields of 70.7 tons per square mile per year at the headwaters of Raccoon Creek and 54.5 tons per square mile per year near the month of Raccoon Creek indicate that cumulative sedimentation from erosion of abandoned-mine lands is not excessive in the basin.

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USGS1987

Seismicity map of the state of Ohio

This map is one of a series of seismicity maps produced by the U. S. Geological Survey that show earthquake data of individual states or groups of states at the scale of 1:1,000,000. This map shows only those earthquakes with epicenters located within the boundaries of Ohio, even though earthquakes in nearby states or countries may have been felt or may have caused damage in Ohio. The data in table 1 were used to compile the seismicity map; these data are a corrected, expanded, and updated (through 1983) version of the data used by Algermissen (1969) for a study of seismic risk in the United States. The locations and intensities of some earthquakes were revised and intensities were assigned where none had been before. Many earthquakes were added to the original list from new data sources as well as from some old data sources that had not been previously used. The data in table 1 represent best estimates of the location of the epicenter, magnitude, and intensity of each earthquake on the basis of historical and current information. Some of the aftershocks from large earthquakes are listed, but not all, especially for earthquakes that occurred before seismic instruments were universally used. The latitude and longitude coordinates of each epicenter were rounded to the nearest tenth of a degree and sorted so that all identical locations were grouped and counted . These locations are represented on the map by a triangle. The number of earthquakes at each location is shown on the map by the arabic number to the right of the triangle. A Roman numeral to the left of a triangle is the maximum Modified Mercalli intensity (Wood and Neumann, 1931) of all earthquakes at that geographic location. The absence of an intensity value indicates that no intensities have been assigned to earthquakes at that location. The year shown below each triangle is the latest year for which the maximum intensity was recorded.

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USGS1987

Water resources data, Ohio, water year 1986. Volume 1: Ohio River Basin

Water-resources data for the 1986 water year for Ohio consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report, in two volumes, contains records for water discharge at 125 gaging stations, stage and contents at 4 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 17 gaging stations, 100 wells, and 60 partial-record sites; and water levels at 948 observation wells. Also included are data from 59 crest-stage partial-record stations and 19 miscellaneous sites. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Ohio.

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