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Research about West Virginia

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including West Virginia.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Seismicity map of the State of West Virginia

The earthquake data shown on this map and listed in table 1 are a list of earthquakes that were originally used in preparing the Seismic Risk Studies in the United States in the United States (Algermissen, 1969) which have been recompiled and updated through 1977. These data have been reexamined which resulted in some revisions of epicenters and intensities as well as assignment of intensities to earthquakes that previously had none assigned. Intensity values were updated from new and additional data sources that were not available at the time of original compilation. Some epicenters were relocated on the basis of new information. The data shown in table 1 are estimates of the most accurate 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 are incomplete in many instances, especially for ones that occurred before seismic instruments were in univeral usage.

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Maps showing coal resources of the Crumpler quadrangle, Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties, West Virginia

Coal Geology The Crumpler quadrangle lies in the Appalachian Plateaus province, with the coal bearing Pocahontas and New River Formations of Pennsylvanian age having a gentle dip toward the northwest. Coal bed maps were prepared (figures 1-7) and resources were estimated (table 1) for seven of the many coal beds in the Crumpler quadrangle (Stricker, 1980, lists the names of the various coal beds in the quadrangle) following methods established by U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey, 1976. All of these coal beds crop out at the surface in the quadrangle, have a maximum thickness thickness of over-burden of less than 300 meters, and have been mined at the surface, or under-ground, or both. Resource estimates were not calculated for other coal beds in the Pocahontas and New River Formations, either because of insufficient data of because of the beds are too thin. Figure 8 is a generalized stratigraphic column of the coal-bearing sequence in the Crumpler quadrangle showing thickness and relative positions of the various coal beds. The Crumpler quadrangle originally contained about 498 million metric tons of coal. Approximately 326 million metric tons have been mined, or lost in mining, leaving remaining resources of 172 million metric tons. Analyses of the mined coal beds in the Crumpler and adjacent quadrangle show the coal is medium - to low volatile bituminous (most are low volatile bituminous), containing 14-27 percent volatile matter (with an arithmetic mean of 18 percent), 2.1-22.4 percent ash (with an arithmetic mean of 7 percent), and 0.5-1.8 percent total sulfur (with an arithmetic mean of 0.8 percent). Heating values range from 6,380 to 8,610 Kcal/kg on an as-received basis. Trace element and major and minor oxide composition, of both whole coal and laboratory ash, for 59 samples within or near the quadrangle were obtained from USCHEM (Geochemical Data File or National Coal Resources Data System), (Kozey and others, 1980.) Neither elements of environmental concern such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium nor potentially valuable elements such as germanium, uranium and thorium were found in significant amounts in the coal.

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Technique for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods in West Virginia

A technique is presented to provide a method of estimating the magnitude of peak discharges of T-year frequencies for unregulated, virtually natural streams in West Virginia. Multiple regression techniques were used to develop the relation between peak discharges and drainage area. Data collected at 170 stream gaging sites were used in the analyses. Analyses indicated that the best estimating equations could be derived by dividing the state into three regions, Regions 1 and 2 covering the Ohio River basin in West Virginia and Region 3 covering the Potomac River basin in West Virginia. The method is applicable for drainage areas between 0.3 and 2,000 square miles. Graphs are provided to estimate the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year flood peaks for drainage areas between 1 and 1,000 square miles. Peak discharges for drainage areas less than 1 or greater than 1,000 square miles can be estimated using the appropriate equations provided on each graph.

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Hydrologic data for runoff studies on small drainage areas, West Virginia Department of Highways Research Project 16

Station listings, basin and flow characteristics tables, and annual maximum discharges are presented for stations in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia that were used to develop flood-frequency relations for West Virginia. Also presented are figures showing approximate station location and areal coverage for both longterm and short-term stations that were used in the frequency analysis.

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Water resources data for West Virginia, water year 1979

Water resources data for the 1979 water year for West Virginia consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and springs; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels in wells. This report contains discharge records for 117 gaging stations; stage only records for 8 gaging stations; stage and contents for 7 lakes and reservoirs; contents for 1 reservoir; change in contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 92 gaging stations; and water levels for 34 observation wells. Also included are 2 crest-stage partial-record stations, and 1 low-flow partial record station. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data collections program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in West Virginia.

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Water resources data for West Virginia, water year 1979. Appendix - coal areas

Water resources data for the 1979 water year for coal regions of West Virginia consist of records of discharge and water quality of streams, wells, mines, and abandoned mine shafts; and water levels in wells and abandoned mine shafts. Section 1 consists of data obtained for the statewide Coal Hydrology Monitoring project and includes discharge and water-quality data collected during two sampling periods at 361 sites. Section 2 consists of data obtained for the Mining Effects Research project in five small basins in southwestern West Virginia during the period February 1976 to January 1980 and includes records of water quality for 53 stream sampling sites, 52 well sampling sites, 31 mine-discharge sampling sites, and 2 mine-shaft sampling sites; and water levels in 6 wells and 2 mine shafts.

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Water resources data for West Virginia, water year 1978

Water resources data for the 1978 water year for West Virginia consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and springs; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels in wells. This report contains discharge records for 118 gaging stations; stage only records for 3 gaging stations; stage and contents for 7 lakes and reservoirs; contents for 1 reservoir; change in contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 47 gaging stations; and water levels for 31 observation wells. Also included are 3 crest-stage partial-record stations, and 4 low-flow partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data collections program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in West Virginia.

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Land use statistics for West Virginia, Part I

The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey and the United States Geological Survey have completed a cooperative program to provide land-use and land-cover maps and data for the State. This program begins to satisfy a longstanding need for a consistent level of detail, standardization in categorization, and scale of compilation for land-use and land-cover maps and data. The statistical information contained in this Bulletin provides land-use acreage tabulations for the first 20 counties that have been completed. Statistics are being compiled for the remaining counties and will be published shortly. This information has been derived from the recently completed Land-Use Map of West Virginia (on open file at the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey - Environmental Section). In addition to land-use acreage, we have also included land-use percent. All statistics throughout this Bulletin are in the same format for ease of comparison.

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Mineral resources of the Cranberry Wilderness Study Area, Pocahontas and Webster counties, West Virginia

Cranberry Wilderness Study Area comprises 14,702 ha in the Monongahela National Forest, Pocahontas and Webster Counties, east-central West Virginia. The area is in the Yew Mountains of the Appalachian Plateaus and is at the eastern edge of the central Appalachian coal fields. Cranberry Glades, a peatland of botanical interest lies at the southern end of the study area. All surface rights in the area are held by the U. S. Forest Service; nearly 90 percent of the mineral rights are privately-owned or subordinate to the surface rights.

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Analyses and description of geochemical samples, Cranberry Wilderness Study Area, Pocahontas and Webster counties, West Virginia

Semiquantitative spectrographic and other analyses on 104 stream sediment and 100 rock and mineral samples are reported here in detail. Location for all samples are in universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. Brief descriptions of rock and mineral samples are included. Rocks analyzed include sandstone and shale; two samples of pyrite from sandstone are included. No obviously anomalous values related to mineralized rock are present in the data.

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Water resources data for West Virginia, water year 1977

Water resources data for the 1977 water year for West Virginia consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and springs; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels in wells. This report contains discharge records for 129 gaging stations; stage only records for 2 gaging stations; stage and contents for 7 lakes and reservoirs; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 43 gaging stations; and water levels for 36 observation wells. Also included are 35 crest-stage partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data collections program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in West Virginia.

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Mineral resource appraisal of the New River Gorge, Fayette, Raleigh, and Summers counties, West Virginia

The New River Gorge study area contains 440 square kilometers of a strikingly scenic part of the Appalachian coal field of southcentral West Virginia in Fayette, Raleigh, and Summers Counties. Coal resources of 66 million tons occur in 12 coal beds in the area of the proposed Wild and Scenic River, and coal resources of 151 million tons are present in 13 coal beds in the larger area of the proposed National Park. Coal is produced at one underground mine and several strip mines in or near the study area. The entire New River Gorge area has a potential for natural gas resources, but gas is being currently produced only in the northern part. Oil, however, is unlikely to be found within or near the study area. The extensive resources of sandstone for construction and high-silica rock and shale for common brick are not considered to be economically important in the Gorge area. Resources of other nonmetallic materials including limestone and fire clay are small or nonexistent. Resources of metallic minerals are not known in the study area.

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Drainage areas of the Guyandotte River basin, West Virginia

This report, prepared in cooperation with the West Virginia Office of Federal-State Relations (now the Office of Economic and Community Development), lists in tabular form 435 drainage areas for basins within the Guyandotte River basin of West Virginia. Drainage areas are compiled for sites at the mouths of all streams having drainage areas of approximately five square miles or greater, for sites at U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations (past and present), and for other miscellaneous sites. Drainage areas are summed in a downstream direction to provide areas for main channel sites. The site or reference point of each basin can be located by stream miles measured upstream from the mouth of each stream, by county, by quadrangle, and by latitude and longitude.

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