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Research about Pennsylvania

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Pennsylvania.

At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources
USGS1976

Preimpoundment water quality of Raystown Branch Juniata River and six tributary streams, south-central Pennsylvania

The Raystown Branch Juniata River watershed, which is the main water source for Raystown Lake, is a 960-square-mile (2,490 square kilometres) drainage basin in south-central Pennsylvania. Preimpoundment water-quality data were collected on the Raystown Branch and six tributary st.reams in the basin. Specific conductance values varied inversely with water discharge. The pH values were extremely low only at the Shoup Run site. Dissolved oxygen concentrations observed at all sites indicated a relatively high oxygen saturation level throughout the year. Seasonal variations in nitrate-N and orthophosphate-P levels were measured at the main inflow station at Saxton, Pa. The highest concentrations of nitrate-N and orthophosphate-P occurred in the winter and spring months and the lowest concentrations were measured dur:l.ng the swnmer and fall. Bacteriological data indicated no excessive -amounts of fecal matter present at the inflows. Soil samples collected at four sites in the impoundment area were predominantly of the Barbour, Philo, and Basher series, which are considered to be highly fertile soils with silt-loam and sandy~loam textures. Morphological features of the lake basin and low nutrient levels at the inflows should prevent excessive weed growth around the lake perimeter.

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USGS1976

Limnological survey of Sacony Creek Basin, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Samples of water, fish and benthic macroinvertabrates collected at 10 sampling stations over a 10-month period indicate that Sacony Creek and its major tributaries contain water of good to excellent quality. The waters were found to be free of excessive quantities of dissolved nutrients, oxidizable matter, and fecal coliform bacteria. (p>Fish inhabitants include a sizabel wild trout population in the upper Sacony basin and a diverse ware-water population, dominated by white suckers ( Catostomus commersoni ), in the lower basin. A population of 590 trout or 119 pounds per acre (113 kilograms per square hectometre) was estimated for good habitat in the upper basin. A maximum standing crop of 558.7 pounds per acre (626 kilograms per square hectometre) was measured at one of the more productive reaches. Benthic macroinvertebrate collections tended to support he water chemistry and fish population studies. Diversity (d) and redundancy (r) ranged from 2.44 to 3.46 and 0.14 to 0.38, respectively. Such diversity and redundancy values indicate a healthy environment at all stations.

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USGS1976

Geology and ground-water resources of northern Mercer County, Pennsylvania

The Shenango and Stoneboro 15-minute quadrangles are in northwestern Pennsylvania and are about 60 miles north of Pitts burgh. These two quadrangles comprise the following 7%-minute quadrangles: Greenville West, Greenville East, Sharpsville, Fredonia, Hadley, New Lebanon, Jackson Center, and Sandy Lake. The area covered by the two quadrangles includes the northern two thirds of Mercer County and a small amount of adjoining southern Crawford County.

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USGS1976

Earthquake history of Pennsylvania

Record of early earthquakes in Northeastern United States provide limited information on effects in pennsylvania until 1737, 55 years after the first permanent settlement was established. A very severe earthquake that centered in the St.Lawrence River region in 1663 may have been felt in Pennsylvania, but historical accounts are not definite. Likewise, a damaging shock at Newbury, Mass., in 1727 probably affected towns in Pennsylvania. A strong earthquake on December 18, 1737, toppled chimneys at New York City and was reported felt at Boston, Mass., Philadelphia, Pa. and New Castle, Del. Other shocks with origins outside the State were felt in 1758, 1783, and 1791. Since 1800, when two earthquakes (March 17 and November 29) were reported as "severe" at Philadelphia, 16 tremors of intensity V or greater (Modified Mercalli Scale) have originated within the State. On November 11 and 14, 1840, sever earthquakes at Philadelphia were accompnaied by a great and unusual swell on the Delaware River.

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USGS1976

Effects of air injection at Prompton Lake, Wayne County, Pennsylvania

Air injected into the hypolimnion of Prompton Lake at a maximum rate of 210 cubic feet per minute (6 cubic metres per minute) during a 65-day period (July 27 to September 30, 1973) produced the following results: (1) With cooler air temperatures prevailing, the mean subsurface temperature increased by 4.0° C compared with the same period in 1972, (2) although chemical and thermal destratiflcation was incomplete, 6 weeks of air injection increased the dissolved-oxygen concentration of the entire tropholytic zone to more than 4 milligrams per litre, (3) concentrations of nitrogen increased in the trophogenic zone during air injection, and (4) Anabaena flos-aquae attained cell concentrations in excess of 4,500 per millilitre during air injection.

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USGS1976

Brannerite from the Penn Haven Junction uranium occurrence, Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Thorium-free brannerite has been identified in Upper Devonian uraniferous sandstone from Penn Haven Junction, Carbon County, Pa. The brannerite was located by a variation of the "Lexan" technique and is associated with galena, uraninite, and clausthalite. The angular thorium-free nature of the brannerite suggests that it formed by metamorphism of uranium-saturated leucoxene. As a result of the metamorphism some uranium may be in less soluble minerals than those found in the uranium deposits of the Western United States. For this reason, in-place leaching of the uranium may be impractical.

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USGS1975

Hydrology and sedimentation of Bixler Run basin, central Pennsylvania

Rainfall, streamflow, stream chemical, and sediment discharge data were collected from Bixler Run near Loysville, Pa., during the period February 1954 to September 1969, as part of a project to evaluate sediment discharge from an agricultural area that had been adopting soil-conservation techniques at a moderate rate. The study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, State Conservation Commission. Sediment yields from the basin averaged 64 tons per square mile (22.4 tonnes per square kilometre) per year, approximately 25 percent less than yields from the surrounding area. The relation between water discharge and suspended-sediment discharge remained constant during the study. Suspended-sediment concentrations in the streamflow were less than 10 milligrams per litre 70 percent of the time. The concentration of chloride ions in the streamflow increased from the period 1959 to 1969. Ground water maintained flows at the gaging location at a rate of 1.9 cubic feet per second (0.054 cubic metres per second) during the period of data collection.

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USGS1975

Stream reconnaissance for nutrients and other water-quality parameters, Greater Pittsburgh Region, Pennsylvania

Eighty-five stream sites in and near the six-county Greater Pittsburgh Region were sampled in mid-June 1971 in mid-October 1972. Data are reported for 89 sites because 4 substitute sites were sampled in the second period. Drainage areas of the basins sampled ranged from 4.1 to 19,5000 square miles (10.6 to 50,500 square kilometres). The chemical analyses included constituents of three general classes: (1) nutrients, (2) activity indicators, and (3) dominant anions. Modification of the natural chemical and physical characteristics of the surface waters by man's activities is evident in some of the data. However, the activities are so diverse in type and in areal extent that their influence in terms of cause and effect is often obscure. Nutrient concentrations were high enough to indicate potential problems at about a quarter of the sampling sites. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH values indicated a generally favorable capacity for regeneration or recovery from degradation, although a number a streams east of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers are marginal or lacking in the capacity. Regionally, sulfate is the dominant ion and was observed in concentrations of 40 milligrams per litre or more at 90 percent of the sites. Bicarbonate exceeded 100 milligrams per litre at 22 sites. A moderate to high degree of mineralization, as indicated by conductance readings of more than 500 micromhos per cetrimetre at half of the sampling sites, is a characteristic of the region's surface waters.

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