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Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Washington.

At least 1,657 records · Page 92Linked to original sources
USGS1971

Microearthquake activity in the vicinity of Wooded Island, Hanford region, Washington

The U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) began to monitor microearthquake activity in the region of the Atomic Energy Commission's Hanford Reservation in south-central Washington in March 1969. The Division of Reactor Development and Technology (DRDT), of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), supported the operation of a network of 6 (later 7) short-period, high-gain seismograph stations (Figure 1) through June 1970. Then the Chemical Processing Division (CPD) of the AEC assumed support of the original 7-station network and added 9 additional stations (Figure 1). Some preliminary results from the 7-station network covering the period 23 March 1969 to 31 December 1969 were released in the U.S.G.S. open-file4report "Geologic Investigation of Faulting in the Hanford Region, Washington", by James W. Bingham, Clark J. Landquist, and Elmer H. Baltz. Preliminary reports on the results from the seismograph network for 1970 have been submitted to the AEC. This report covers a specific zone of microearthquake activity located near Wooded Island in the Columbia River, which flows along the east side of the Hanford Reservation (Figure 1). The data cover the period 23 March 1969 to 28 February 1971.

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USGS1971

Radionuclides in transport in the Columbia River from Pasco to Vancouver, Washington

The radionuclide discharges in the cooling-water effluent of the reactors on the U.S. Atomic Energy Reservation at Hanford, Wash., were formed by neutron activation of: (1) impurities in the Columbia River water used to cool the reactors, (2) corrosion products from the reactor components, and (3) chemicals used in the water-treatment process. Until all the eight reactors that were cooled by once-through flow were shut down, their cooling-water effluents were the main source of dissolved and particulate radionuclides in the Columbia River. Concentrations and discharges of 13 dissolved and particulate radionuclides were observed at Pasco and Vancouver, Wash., for all or parts of the period from January 1964 to September 1966, and at Umatilla, Oreg., from May 1965 to September 1966.

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USGS1970

Geologic setting of Merrill Lake and evaluation of volcanic hazards in the Kalama River valley near Mount St. Helens, Washington

Volcanic rocks and unconsolidated geologic deposits in the upper Kalama River valley were studied in order to determine the kind of catastrophic geologic events that might accompany a future eruption of Mount St. Helens. The chief purpose of the study was to appraise the potential geologic hazards at the site of a hydroelectric project under consideration by the Cowlitz County Public Utility District. It is concluded that if future eruptions of Mount St. Helens are like those of the recent geologic past, the principal hazards near the project site probably will be from nuees ardentes, mudflows, floods, and lava flows. If the volcano should erupt after the hydroelectric facility is constructed, it is recommended that the reservoir be emptied as quickly as possible, and that persons be evacuated from the valley floors adjacent to the volcano.

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USGS1969

The Cloudy Pass epizonal batholith and associated subvolcanic rocks

The Cloudy Pass batholith, one of several small epizonal Tertiary batholiths in the Northern Cascade Mountains, discordantly intrudes metamorphic rocks of pre-Late Cretaceous age. The batholith is remarkable for its chilled borders, associated porphyry plugs, and intrusive breccias. The main body of the batholith consists largely of labradorite granodiorite. Part of the northeast side of the batholith is bordered by a complex more than half a mile thick of chilled rocks of Hart Lake that consists of separately injected, contrasting layers of porphyry. At lower levels these are an early, outer layer of dacite; a younger, inner layer of dacite and labradorite-by-townite andesite; and a middle, still younger layer of autobreccia compositionally similar to the inner layer. Contacts between layers are complex and consist at lower levels of intermixed zones, suggesting that at these levels the early rocks were still molten when injected by the later rocks. At higher levels the younger rocks split into separate dikes, and contacts between younger and older rocks are sharp, suggesting that at these levels the older rocks had solidified before they were intruded by the younger rocks. The border complex is thought to have been cooled largely by expanding gases which were released from the batholith and which escaped to the surface through this zone. The contact between the labradorite granodiorite and the inner layer is gradational locally, but in most places the granodiorite intrudes the inner layer, and the contact is sharp. Where the middle and inner layers of the complex are absent, the contact of granodiorite and dacite of the outer layer is gradational. Porphyry plugs which puncture the adjacent metamorphic rocks, although more siliceous than the rocks of the complex, consist largely of dacite and are petrographically indistinguishable from dacite of the complex. Intrusive breccias are of two types: one consists of rounded fragments of batholithic rocks in a “marble cake” mixture of calcic quartz diorite and white quartz monzonite and is confined to the core of the batholith; the other consists of fragments of batholithic rocks and gneiss in a matrix of varying proportions of igneous and finely comminuted materials and is confined to the porphyry plugs and gneiss. This second type seems to have been injected explosively, probably accompanying “second boiling” of the labradorite granodiorite. Plagioclases range from high- to low-temperature varieties. The transitional and high-temperature plagioclases are confined to the deuterically least-altered parts of the chilled margins. The low-temperature plagioclase occurs in the batholithic core and the complex of Hart Lake, and is thought to have inverted from an original high-temperature form because of long-continued existence at elevated, although subsolidus, temperatures, or because of the action of volatile constituents, or both. The batholith seems to have made room for itself by lifting its roof, and the complex of Hart Lake developed along the upfaulted eastern side.

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USGS1969

The Geologic Story of Mount Rainier

Ice-clad Mount Rainier, towering over the landscape of western Washington, ranks with Fuji-yama in Japan, Popocatepeti in Mexico, and Vesuvius in Italy among the great volcanoes of the world. At Mount Rainier, as at other inactive volcanoes, the ever-present possibility of renewed eruptions gives viewers a sense of anticipation, excitement, and apprehension not equaled by most other mountains. Even so, many of us cannot imagine the cataclysmic scale of the eruptions that were responsible for building the giant cone which now stands in silence. We accept the volcano as if it had always been there, and we appreciate only the beauty of its stark expanses of rock and ice, its flower-strewn alpine meadows, and its bordering evergreen forests. Mount Rainier owes its scenic beauty to many features. The broad cone spreads out on top of a major mountain range - the Cascades. The volcano rises about 7,000 feet above its 7,000-foot foundation, and stands in solitary splendor - the highest peak in the entire Cascade Range. Its rocky ice-mantled slopes above timberline contrast with the dense green forests and give Mount Rainier the appearance of an arctic island in a temperate sea, an island so large that you can see its full size and shape only from the air. The mountain is highly photogenic because of the contrasts it offers among bare rock, snowfields, blue sky, and the incomparable flower fields that color its lower slopes, shadows cast by the multitude of cliffs, ridges, canyons, and pinnacles change constantly from sunrise to sunset, endlessly varying the texture and mood of the mountain. The face of the mountain also varies from day to day as its broad snowfields melt during the summer. The melting of these frozen reservoirs makes Mount Rainier a natural resource in a practical as well as in an esthetic sense, for it ensures steady flows of water for hydroelectric power in the region, regardless of season. Seen from the Puget Sound country to the west, Mount Rainier has an unreal quality - its white summit, nearly 3 miles high, seems to float among the clouds. We share with the populace of the entire lowland a thrill as we watch skyward the evening's setting sun reddens the volcano's western snowfields. When you approach the mountain in its lovely setting, you may find something that appeals especially to you - the scenery, the wildlife, the glaciers, or the wildflowers. Or you may feel challenged to climb to the summit. Mount Rainier and its neighboring mountains have a special allure for a geologist because he visualizes the event - some ordinary, some truly spectacular - that made the present landscape. Such is the fascination of geology. A geologist becomes trained to see 'in his mind's eye' geologic events of thousands or even millions of years ago. And, most remarkable, he can 'see' these events by studying rocks in a cliff or roadcut, or perhaps by examining earthy material that looks like common soil beneath pastureland many miles away from the volcano. Our key to understanding the geology of Mount Rainier is that each geologic event can be reconstructed - or imagined - from the rocks formed at the time of the event. With this principle as our guide, we will review the geologic ancestry of this majestic volcano and learn what is behind its scenery.

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USGS1969

Analysis of a 24-Year photographic record of Nisqually glacier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

A systematic coverage of Nisqually Glacier by photographs taken from a network of stations on the ground was begun in 1942 to explore the value and limitations of such photographs as an aid in glacier study. Principles developed may be of value elsewhere, especially for the program 'Measurement of Glacier Variations on a World-Wide Basis' of the International Hydrological Decade. Nisqually Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park, Wash., covers 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers) (1961) and extends from an altitude of about 14,300 feet (4,400 meters) near the top of Mount Rainier down to 4,700 feet (1,400 meters), in a horizontal distance of 4.1 miles (6.6 kilometers). Analyses were made of the annual photographs taken by the writer for 24 years from about 20 stations. A number of pictures taken sporadically from 1884 to 1941 by others were also available for use in the study. Where possible, the results obtained from photographs were compared with those from the available engineering surveys. Such detailed analysis of an extensive photographic coverage of a single glacier may be unique. Photographs illustrating the retreat and advance of the glacier's west ice margin in a reach extending for about a mile (1.6 kilometers) downstream from Wilson Glacier show that, by 1965, most of the ice thickness lost in that area between 1890 and 1944 had been recovered. Withering of the stagnant valley tongue down glacier from the nunatak is portrayed, as is its spectacular reactivation in the 1960's by a vigorous advance of fresh ice. Some of the visible characteristics of advancing and receding termini are noted. Annual values of the glacier's surface slope (5 to 10 degrees) at a cross profile were measured on photographs with respect to a projected vertical line identifiable in each picture. The results were found to average about 2 degrees less than those obtained from the 5-year topographic maps, but they are thought to be a little more accurate owing to lack of a sufficiently small contour interval on the maps for this special purpose. Year-to-year variations in the surface slope and other characteristics from place to place along the glacier are portrayed by pictures to a degree not economically attainable by any other means. Annual changes in the glacier's thickness at two locations were determined from photographs and found to agree well with the results of stadia surveys. A summary of conclusions reached in regard to other data or features of the glacier that were illustrated by annual photographs follows: 1. Toward the end of the ablation season, position of the annual snowline ranged between altitudes of about 5,800 and 7,300 feet (1,750 and 2,250 meters). The altitude limits within which firn was observed on the glacier were about 6,000 and 7,300 feet (1,850 and 2,250 meters). 2. Sources from which debris reaches the glacier are evident. 3. Medial moraines and other persistent patterns sometimes overlooked in the field are more noticeable in photographs. Ice-cored moraines and patterns of multiple lateral moraines are visible. 4. The extent, severity, and nature of crevassing in an area reflect the dynamic condition of the glacier at that location. 5. Erosion has caused certain bedrock areas or features on canyon walls to become unrecognizable within less than 15 years. 6. Effects of the 1932 and 1955 outburst floods on the stream channel and trees for a mile (1.6 kilometers) or so below the glacier are shown in comparison with ordinary, lesser floods. Visible effects include degradation, widening and changes in configuration of the channel, formation of small terraces, removal of vegetation from the flood plain, and the deposition of huge boulders on the stream banks and flood plain. Some photographic procedures recommended for use in a program of this type are described in the section on "Recommended Photographic Procedures."

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USGS1968

Water resources of King County, Washington

Although the total supply of water in King County is large, water problems are inevitable because of the large and rapidly expanding population. The county contains a third of the 3 million people in Washington, most of the population being concentrated in the Seattle metropolitan area. King County includes parts of two major physiographic features: the western area is part of the Puget Sound Lowland, and the eastern area is part of the Cascade Range. In these two areas, the terrain, weather, and natural resources (including water) contrast markedly. Average annual precipitation in the county is about 80 inches, ranging from about 30 inches near Puget Sound to more than 150 inches in parts of the Cascades. Annual evapotranspiration is estimated to range from 15 to 24 inches. Average annual runoff ranges from about 15 inches in the lowlands to more than 100 inches in the mountains. Most of the streamflow is in the major basins of the county--the Green-Duwamish, Lake Washington, and Snoqualmie basins. The largest of these is the Snoqualmie River basin (693 square miles), where average annual runoff during the period 1931-60 was about 79 inches. During the same period, annual runoff in the Lake Washington basin ( 607 square miles) averaged about 32 inches, and in the Green-Duwamish River basin (483 square miles), about 46 inches. Seasonal runoff is generally characterized by several high-flow periods in the winter, medium flows in the spring, and sustained low flows in the summer and fall. When floods occur in the county they come almost exclusively between October and March. The threat of flood damage is greatest on the flood plaits of the larger rivers, but in the Green-Duwamish Valley the threat was greatly reduced with the completion of Howard A. Hanson Dam in 1962. In the Snoqualmie River basin, where no such dam exists, the potential damage from a major flood increases each year as additional land is developed in the Snoqualmie Valley. Only moderate amounts of sediment are transported by most streams in the county, except during short periods of heavy rain in the winter. The temperature and chemical quality of surface waters are well suited to the requirements of fisheries and for municipal, industrial, and domestic supplies. Little treatment is needed for most uses of surface water, except where the water is subject to pollution. Most recoverable ground water in the county occurs in the Puget Sound Lowland, where great volumes of unconsolidated sedimentary deposits were left by the continental glaciers of the Pleistocene Epoch. Bedrock, most of which is in the Cascade Range, contains very little ground water. Numerous springs, largely undeveloped, occur in several parts of the county. Most of the ground water is of good to excellent quality except for excessive iron, which in some places may require treatment of the water before it is suitable for domestic or industrial use. Excluding water used for hydroelectric-power, recreation, and fisheries, more than 80 percent of the water used in the county is provided by municipal-supply systems. Each of the major river basins includes municipal watersheds that provide large supplies of excellent water. By the 1980's, more than 90 percent of the county's population will probably be served by the Seattle municipal supply. With full development, Seattle's water system would have a capacity sufficient to supply more than 2 million people with 300 gallons per person per day. Most industrial and commercial establishments in the county obtain water from public supply systems. The most serious water problem in the county at present (1965) is the threat of pollution in the densely populated areas. The immediate threat in the Seattle area is being reduced by the sewage-treatment program of the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, which will eliminate the discharge of waste into Lake Washington. Expected increases in population and industry will introduce new problems that will require additional planning to assure adequate water quality for fisheries, recreation, and other uses.

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USGS1968

Ground-water resources of Island County with a section on quality of the ground water

The population of Island County has grown from 6,700 in 1940 to about 22,000 in 1964, causing a corresponding increase in the demand for water. Ground water is the only significant source of water within the county. Average annual precipitation ranges from less than 20 to more than 40 inches, and is the only recharge to the ground-water body.

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USGS1967

Pre-Olympia Pleistocene stratigraphy and chronology in the central Puget Lowland, Washington

Drifts of two pre-Olympia glaciations separated by nonglacial sediments are widespread in the central Puget Lowland of western Washington. The Double Bluff Drift (older) and Possession Drift represent advances of the Puget lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet more than 40,000 years ago. The nonglacial Whidbey Formation between the drifts was formed in streams and lakes. During its deposition, climate was initially cool and moist, as inferred from pollen in peat beds, but subsequently it became much like that of the present in the lowland. The Possession Drift is tentatively correlated with glacial deposits of Salmon Springs age in the southern part of the lowland. The Whidbey Formation may correlate with nonglacial deposits between two Salmon Springs Drifts or with the Puyallup Formation.

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USGS1967

Volcanic hazards at Mount Rainier, Washington

Mount Rainier is a large stratovolcano of andesitic rock in the Cascade Range of western Washington. Although the volcano as it now stands was almost completely formed before the last major glaciation, geologic formations record a variety of events that have occurred at the volcano in postglacial time. Repetition of some of these events today without warning would result in property damage and loss of life on a catastrophic scale. It is appropriate, therefore, to examine the extent, frequency, and apparent origin of these phenomena and to attempt to predict the effects on man of similar events in the future. The present report was prompted by a contrast that we noted during a study of surficial geologic deposits in Mount Rainier National Park, between the present tranquil landscape adjacent to the volcano and the violent events that shaped parts of that same landscape in the recent past. Natural catastrophes that have geologic causes - such as eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and floods - all too often are disastrous primarily because man has not understood and made allowance for the geologic environment he occupies. Assessment of the potential hazards of a volcanic environment is especially difficult, for prediction of the time and kind of volcanic activity is still an imperfect art, even at active volcanoes whose behavior has been closely observed for many years. Qualified predictions, however, can be used to plan ways in which hazards to life and property can be minimized. The prediction of eruptions is handicapped because volcanism results from conditions far beneath the surface of the earth, where the causative factors cannot be seen and, for the most part, cannot be measured. Consequently, long-range predictions at Mount Rainier can be based only on the past behavior of the volcano, as revealed by study of the deposits that resulted from previous eruptions. Predictions of this sort, of course, cannot be specific as to time and locale of future events, and clearly are valid only if the past behavior is, as we believe, a reliable guide. The purpose of this report is to infer the events recorded by certain postglacial deposits at Mount Rainier and to suggest what bearing similar events in the future might have on land use within and near the park. In addition, table 2 (page 22) gives possible warning signs of an impending eruption. We want to increase man's understanding of a possibly hazardous geologic environment around Mount Rainier volcano, yet we do not wish to imply for certain that the hazards described are either immediate or inevitable. However, we do believe that hazards exist, that some caution is warranted, and that some major hazards can be avoided by judicious planning. Most of the events with which we are concerned are sporadic phenomena that have resulted directly or indirectly from volcanic eruptions. Although no eruptions (other than steam emission) of the volcano in historic time are unequivocally known (Hopson and others, 1962), pyroclastic (air-laid) deposits of pumice and rock debris attest to repeated, widely spaced eruptions during the 10,000 years or so of postglacial time. In addition, the constituents of some debris flows indicate an origin during eruptions of molten rock; other debris flows, because of their large size and constituents, are believed to have been caused by steam explosions. Some debris flows, however, are not related to volcanism at all.

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