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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
USGS1980

High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles collected by the R/V James M. Gilliss, cruise GS 7903-4, in the Baltimore Canyon outer continental shelf area, offshore New Jersey

High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) aboard R/V JAMES M. GILLIS (cruise GS 7903-4) from 27 June to 11 July 1979 over the Continental Slope of the Eastern United States between Lindenkohl and Hudson Canyons. These data were acquired as part of a study to determine potential geologic hazards to petroleum development of the Baltimore Canyon trough area. On this cruise, the Continental Slope between Carteret and South Toms Canyons was surveyed along lines spaced one-half nautical mile apart to study the size and distribution of mass-wasting features as a guide to assess the importance of mass-wasting processes on the Continental Slope. The seimsic-reflection profiles were placed to complement other data gathered previously by the USGS and to continue a survey grid begun in 1978 aboard the R/V COLUMBUS !SELIN, cruise CI 7807-1. Track-line distances totaled 1,555 km of 40-in3 air-gun (with wave shaper) profiles, 1, 750 km of 800-J sparker data, and 1,780 km of 3 .5-kHz data. All data are of high quality. A side-scan sonar system was operated briefly along the uppermost Continental Slope to acquire data over 70 km of ship's track. In addition, experimental profiling data were collected from a hydrophone towed at depth over the midslope on the end of the side-scan cable; the surface-towed sparker was used as a sound source. High-resolution profiles were collected by this method over 105 km of track. Navigation was by Loran-C (5-minute fix interval) and satellite. The original data may be inspected at the offices of the U.S. Geological Survey in Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543. Microfilm copies of the data from this cruise are available for purchase from the National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center (NGSDC), Boulder, Colorado 80303.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Characterization of selected bed-sediment-bound organic and inorganic contaminants and toxicity, Barnegat Bay and major tributaries, New Jersey, 2012

A study of bed-sediment toxicity and organic and inorganic contaminants was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Bed-sediment samples were collected once from 22 sites in Barnegat Bay and selected major tributaries during August–September 2012 and analyzed for toxicity and a suite of organic and inorganic contaminants by the USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sampling sites were selected to coincide with an existing water-quality monitoring network used by the NJDEP and others in order to evaluate water-quality conditions in Barnegat Bay and the surrounding watershed. Two of the 22 sites are reference sites and are within or adjacent to the study area; bed-sediment samples from reference sites allow for comparisons of results for the Barnegat Bay watershed to results from less affected settings within the region. Toxicity testing was conducted by exposing the estuarine amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus and the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca to sediments for 28 days, and the percent survival, difference in biomass, and individual dry weights were measured. Reproductive effects also were evaluated for estuarine samples. Bed-sediment samples from four sites within Barnegat Bay were subjected to a toxicity identification evaluation to determine probable causes of toxicity. Samples were analyzed for a suite of 94 currently-used pesticides, 21 legacy pesticides, 24 trace elements, 40 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as Arochlor mixtures, and 145 individual PCB congeners. Concentrations of detected compounds were compared to sediment-quality guidelines, where appropriate.

New Jersey↗
USGS2016

Flood-inundation maps for the Peckman River in the Townships of Verona, Cedar Grove, and Little Falls, and the Borough of Woodland Park, New Jersey, 2014

Digital flood-inundation maps for an approximate 7.5-mile reach of the Peckman River in New Jersey, which extends from Verona Lake Dam in the Township of Verona downstream through the Township of Cedar Grove and the Township of Little Falls to the confluence with the Passaic River in the Borough of Woodland Park, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the probable areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Peckman River at Ozone Avenue at Verona, New Jersey (station number 01389534). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ . Flood profiles were simulated for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-discharge relations at USGS streamgages on the Peckman River at Ozone Avenue at Verona, New Jersey (station number 01389534) and the Peckman River at Little Falls, New Jersey (station number 01389550). The hydraulic model was then used to compute eight water-surface profiles for flood stages at 0.5-foot (ft) intervals ranging from 3.0 ft or near bankfull to 6.5 ft, which is approximately the highest recorded water level during the period of record (1979–2014) at USGS streamgage 01389534, Peckman River at Ozone Avenue at Verona, New Jersey. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage provides emergency management personnel and residents with information, such as estimates of inundation extents, based on water stage, that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

New Jersey↗
USGS1982

3.5-kHz Data Collected in the Wilmington Canyon Area During 1980, Endeavor Cruise 80-EN-056

During 1980, geophysical data were collected seaward of New Jersey in the vicinity of Wilmington Canyon on three cruises, GYRE 80-G-7B, GYRE 80-G-BB, and ENDEAVOR 80-EN-056 (discussed here). The objectives of these surveys of the Continental Slope and upper Rise, including Wilmington Canyon and the adjacent margin, were to extend existing geophysical coverage to the south of Wilmington Canyon and to provide detailed geologic and geophysical data on the poss.ible origin and evolution of submarine canyons and on sediment transport and other processes within the canyon domain. The geology of this area near Wilmington Canyon was discussed by McGregor, Stubblefield, and others and Stubblefield and others. On ENDEAVOR Cruise 80-EN-056, during October 9-10, 1980, a series of 3.5-kHz profiles was collected. The objective of acquiring these data was to supplement data from GYRE 80-G-7B so that a bathymetric map based on 1-km-spaced grid of data could be constructed. The 3.5-k.Hz system consisted of a hull-mounted transducer and a signal correlator. Ship's speed during the survey was 10 knots (18 km/hr). Data were recorded on a strip chart at a 1-second sweep rate. Navigational control for the cruise was based on Loran C. All times given on the data and navigation plots are in Greenwich mean time (GMT or Z). The quality of the records is very good, although time marks had to be added manually. Maximum subbottom penetration was approximately 100 m. Original records may be viewed at the u.s. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA 02543. Microfilms of the data and 1:40,000 scale trackcharts can be purchased only from the National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestr.ial Data Center, NOAA/EDIS/NGSDC, Code D621, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado, 80303 (303-497-6338).

Open-File Report↗
USGS2020

Regional hydrostratigraphic framework of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of perfluoroalkyl substances contamination of groundwater and surface water

A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, to describe the regional hydrostratigraphy of shallow aquifers and confining units underlying Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of contamination of groundwater and surface water by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) potentially originating from JBMDL sources. The aquifers studied are two that crop out within JBMDL boundaries—the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and the Vincentown aquifer—and another aquifer near JBMDL that does not crop out at land surface—the Piney Point aquifer. The unconfined portion of the Vincentown aquifer and portions of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system that overlie the unconfined portion of the Vincentown aquifer are consolidated into, and described as, a single, separate unconfined aquifer system. Regionally extensive clay subunits that potentially create semiconfined hydrologic conditions within the mostly unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system also are identified. Two confining units were studied—the Manasquan-Shark River confining unit underlying the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, which includes the basal confining sediment in the Kirkwood Formation, and the Navesink-Hornerstown confining unit underlying the Vincentown aquifer. The hydrostratigraphic units are defined using available borehole geophysical logs, lithologic logs, and (or) drillers’ logs from 131 wells and are presented in a series of 8 aquifer structure maps and 12 cross sections. The framework positions JBMDL into a regional hydrostratigraphic structure for which higher-resolution delineation of the shallow aquifers can be constructed to determine potential pathways of PFAS contamination in groundwater to off-site drinking water wells in areas adjacent to JBMDL.

New Jersey↗
USGS2010

Relation of water quality to land use in the drainage basins of six tributaries to the lower Delaware River, New Jersey, 2002-07

Concentrations and loads of water-quality constituents in six streams in the lower Delaware River Basin of New Jersey were determined in a multi-year study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Two streams receive water from relatively undeveloped basins, two from largely agricultural basins, and two from heavily urbanized basins. Each stream was monitored during eight storms and at least eight times during base flow during 2002-07. Sampling was conducted during base flow before each storm, when stage was first observed to rise, and several times during the rising limb of the hydrographs. Agricultural and urban land use has resulted in statistically significant increases in loads of nitrogen and phosphorus species relative to loads in undeveloped basins. For example, during the growing season, median storm flow concentrations of total nitrogen in the two streams in agricultural areas were 6,290 and 1,760 mg/L, compared to 988 and 823 mg/L for streams in urban areas, and 719 and 333 mg/L in undeveloped areas. Although nutrient concentrations and loads were clearly related to land useurban, agricultural, and undeveloped within the drainage basins, other basin characteristics were found to be important. Residual nutrients entrapped in lake sediments from streams that received effluent from recently removed sewage-treatment plants are hypothesized to be the cause of extremely high levels of nutrient loads to one urban stream, whereas another urban stream with similar land-use percentages (but without the legacy of sewage-treatment plants) had much lower levels of nutrients. One of the two agricultural streams studied had higher nutrient loads than the other, especially for total phosphorous and organic nitrogen. This difference appears to be related to the presence (or absence) of livestock (cattle).

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2013

Hurricane Irene and associated floods of August 27-30, 2011, in New Jersey

Intense rainfall from Hurricane Irene during August 27–30, 2011, inundated streams throughout New Jersey resulting in peak streamflows exceeding the 100-year recurrence interval at many streamgages and causing heavy property and road damage. The rain event affected the entire State. Some notably affected areas were the Passaic and Hackensack River Basins in northeastern New Jersey with new peaks of record at 10 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations on streams such as the Hackensack River, Ramapo River, Rockaway River, and Green Pond Brook. In the Atlantic Coastal Basin, new peaks of record were recorded at 6 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations, 2 of which were on the Manasquan River, 1 on Toms River, 1 on the Mullica River, 1 on the North Branch Metedeconk River, and 1 on the West Branch Wading River. Several tributaries to the Delaware River, such as the Pequest River, Flat Brook, and Assunpink Creek, also experienced major flooding with new peaks of record at nine continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documented peak streamflows and water-surface elevations at 125 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations, 27 crest-stage partial-record stations, and peak water-surface elevations at 24 continuous-record tide gages within the State of New Jersey. With rainfall totals averaging more than 10 inches throughout the State, peak-of-record flood elevations and streamflows occurred at 32 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations. Flood-frequency recurrence-intervals were recomputed for 80 gages with 20 or more years of record; 25 crest-stage gages ranged from 25 years to greater than 500 years for the peak-of-record floods. The maximum peak streamflow per square mile ranged from 20 to 759 cubic feet per second per square mile. The August 27–30, 2011, flood peaks rank as the peaks of record for 32 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations with a period of record of 23 to 100 years, as the second highest peaks for 21 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations with a period of record of 21 to 114 years, and the third highest peaks of record for 11 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations with a period of record of 43 to 96 years. Several gages have documented peaks dating back to 1903. About 1 million people across the State were evacuated, and every county was eventually declared a Federal disaster area. Property damage in New Jersey was estimated to be $1 billion. Governor Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency for New Jersey on August 31, 2011. After assessment of the damage by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Obama declared all 21 counties major disaster areas in the State of New Jersey on August 31, 2011.

New Jersey↗
USGS2014

Occurrence of pesticides in groundwater and sediments and mineralogy of sediments and grain coatings underlying the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Upper Deerfield, New Jersey, 2007

Water and sediment samples were collected from June through October 2007 from seven plots at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Upper Deerfield, New Jersey, and analyzed for a suite of pesticides (including fungicides) and other physical and chemical parameters (including sediment mineralogy) by the U.S. Geological Survey. Plots were selected for inclusion in this study on the basis of the crops grown and the pesticides used. Forty-one pesticides were detected in 14 water samples; these include 5 fungicides, 13 herbicides, 1 insecticide, and 22 pesticide degradates. The following pesticides and pesticide degradates were detected in 50 percent or more of the groundwater samples: 1-amide-4-hydroxy-chorothalonil, alachlor sulfonic acid, metolachlor oxanilic acid, metolachlor sulfonic acid, metalaxyl, and simazine. Dissolved-pesticide concentrations ranged from below their instrumental limit of detection to 36 micrograms per liter (for metolachlor sulfonic acid, a degradate of the herbicide metolachlor). The total number of pesticides found in groundwater samples ranged from 0 to 29. Fourteen pesticides were detected in sediment samples from continuous cores collected within each of the seven sampled plots; these include 4 fungicides, 2 herbicides, and 7 pesticide degradates. Pesticide concentrations in sediment samples ranged from below their instrumental limit of detection to 34.2 nanograms per gram (for azoxystrobin). The total number of pesticides found in sediment samples ranged from 0 to 8. Quantitative whole-rock and grain-coating mineralogy of sediment samples were determined by x-ray diffraction. Whole-rock analysis indicated that sediments were predominantly composed of quartz. The materials coating the quartz grains were removed to allow quantification of the trace mineral phases present.

New Jersey↗
USGS2006

Flood of July 12-13, 2004, Burlington and Camden Counties, South-Central New Jersey

Intense rainfall inundated south-central New Jersey on July 12-13, 2004, causing major flooding with heavy property, road, and bridge damage in Burlington and Camden Counties. Forty-five dams were topped or damaged, or failed completely. The affected areas were in the Rancocas Creek, Cooper River, and Pennsauken Creek Basins. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documented peak stream elevations and flows at 56 selected sites within the affected area. With rainfall totals averaging more than 6 inches throughout the three basins, peak-of-record flood elevations and streamflows occurred at all but one USGS stream gage, where the previous record was tied. Flood-frequency recurrence-intervals ranged from 30 to greater than 100 years and maximum streamflow per square mile ranged from 13.9 to 263 cubic feet per second per square mile (ft3/s/mi2). Peak streamflow at USGS stream gages surrounding the affected basins are associated with considerably lower recurrence intervals and demonstrate the limited extent of the flood. A high tide of about 1 foot above monthly mean high tide did not contribute to high-water conditions. Low ground-water levels prior to the rainfall helped to mitigate flooding in the affected basins. Compared with historical floods in the Rancocas Creek Basin during 1938-40, the July 2004 flood had greater streamflow, but lower stream elevations. Property damage from the event was estimated at $50 million. Governor James E. McGreevy declared a State of Emergency in Burlington and Camden Counties on July 13, 2004. After assessment of the damage by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), President George W. Bush declared Burlington and Camden Counties disaster areas on July 16, 2004.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2001

Effects of Pumping on Ground-Water Flow Near Water-Supply Wells in the Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy Aquifer, Pennsauken Township, Camden County, New Jersey

Since the 1970's, hexavalent chromium has been detected in concentrations as great as 1.0 milligram per liter in wells at the Puchack well field operated by the Camden City Department of Utilities, Water Division (Water Department), forcing the Water Department to progressively remove five of its six wells from service between 1975 and 1988. The wells in the Puchack well field range in depth from 140 to 220 feet and are screened in the Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer. The Water Department has continued to pump Puchack Well 1 to maintain a hydraulic gradient toward the well field in an attempt to limit contaminant migration. In late 1997, concerns about treating the water withdrawn from Puchack Well 1 led water managers to consider temporarily discontinuing the pumping. In the spring of 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, began a preliminary assessment of the potential effects of temporarily removing Puchack Well 1 from service. Water levels in the Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer were measured during both pumping and nonpumping conditions to determine the direction and velocity of ground-water flow and the results were compared. Data collected in late March and early April 1998 indicate the presence of a ground-water divide between the Puchack well field and the Morris and Delair well fields when Puchack Well 1 was being pumped. A similar divide also was present when the well was not being pumped. The position and persistence of this divide limits the probability that contaminants in the vicinity of the Puchack well field will reach the Delair and Morris well fields during either pumping condition. Another divide southeast of Puchack Well 1 while the well was being pumped was no longer evident when the pumping was stopped and water levels had recovered. Under non-pumping conditions, ground water between Puchack Well 1 and this divide could begin to migrate toward other large pumping centers to the southeast. The average linear ground-water velocity along an arbitrarily selected southeast-trending flow path was estimated to be from 221 to 332 feet per year. This estimate indicates that any contaminated ground water that may be present within the area influenced by pumping at Puchack Well 1 may begin to move toward the pumping centers less than 2 miles to the southeast if Puchack Well 1 is either temporarily or permanently removed from service.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2016

Documentation and hydrologic analysis of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, October 29–30, 2012

In 2012, a late season tropical depression developed into a tropical storm and later a hurricane. The hurricane, named “Hurricane Sandy,” gained strength to a Category 3 storm on October 25, 2012, and underwent several transitions on its approach to the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern coast of the United States. By October 28, 2012, Hurricane Sandy had strengthened into the largest hurricane ever recorded in the North Atlantic and was tracking parallel to the east coast of United States, heading toward New Jersey. On October 29, 2012, the storm turned west-northwest and made landfall near Atlantic City, N.J. The high winds and wind-driven storm surge caused massive damage along the entire coastline of New Jersey. Millions of people were left without power or communication networks. Many homes were completely destroyed. Sand dunes were eroded, and the barrier island at Mantoloking was breached, connecting the ocean with Barnegat Bay. Several days before the storm made landfall in New Jersey, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) made a decision to deploy a temporary network of storm-tide sensors and barometric pressure sensors from Virginia to Maine to supplement the existing USGS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) networks of permanent tide monitoring stations. After the storm made landfall, the USGS conducted a sensor data recovery and high-water-mark collection campaign in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Peak storm-tide elevations documented at USGS tide gages, tidal crest-stage gages, temporary storm sensor locations, and high-water-mark sites indicate the area from southern Monmouth County, N.J., north through Raritan Bay, N.J., had the highest peak storm-tide elevations during this storm. The USGS tide gages at Raritan River at South Amboy and Raritan Bay at Keansburg, part of the New Jersey Tide Telemetry System, each recorded peak storm-tide elevations of greater than 13 feet (ft)—more than 5 ft higher than the previously recorded period-of-record maximum. A comparison of peak storm-tide elevations to preliminary FEMA Coastal Flood Insurance Study flood elevations indicated that these areas experienced the highest recurrence intervals along the coast of New Jersey. Analysis showed peak storm-tide elevations exceeded the 100-year FEMA flood elevations in many parts of Middlesex, Union, Essex, Hudson, and Bergen Counties, and peak storm-tide elevations at many locations in Monmouth County exceeded the 500-year recurrence interval. A level 1 HAZUS (HAZards United States) analysis was done for the counties in New Jersey affected by flooding to estimate total building stock losses. The aggregated total building stock losses estimated by HAZUS for New Jersey, on the basis of the final inundation verified by USGS high-water marks, was almost $19 billion. A comparison of Hurricane Sandy with historic coastal storms showed that peak storm-tide elevations associated with Hurricane Sandy exceeded most of the previously documented elevations associated with the storms of December 1992, March 1962, September 1960, and September 1944 at many coastal communities in New Jersey. This scientific investigation report was prepared in cooperation with FEMA to document flood processes and flood damages resulting from this storm and to assist in future flood mitigation actions in New Jersey.

New Jersey↗
USGS2015

Flood-Inundation maps for the Hohokus Brook in Waldwick Borough, Ho-Ho-Kus Borough, and the Village of Ridgewood, New Jersey, 2014

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6-mile reach of the Hohokus Brook in New Jersey from White's Lake Dam in Waldwick Borough, through Ho-Ho-Kus Borough to Grove Street in the Village of Ridgewood were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The flood inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation , depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Hohokus Brook at Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey (station number 01391000). Stage data at this streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=01391000 or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=hohn4&wfo=okx . Flood profiles were simulated for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Hohokus Brook at Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, streamgage (station number 01391000). The hydraulic model was then used to compute 12 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 0.5-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 2.5 ft, the NWS “action stage” or near bankfull, to 8.0 ft, which exceeds the stage that corresponds to the maximum recorded peak flow (7.32 ft) and is the extent of the current stage-discharge relation for the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system 3-meter (9.84 ft) digital elevation model [derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data] to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps along with information on the Internet regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

New Jersey↗
USGS1983

U.S. Geological Survey program of offshore resource and geoenvironmental studies, Atlantic-Gulf of Mexico region, from September 1, 1976, to December 31, 1978

Mineral and energy resources of the continental margins of the United States arc important to the Nation's commodity independence and to its balance of payments. These resources are being studied along the continental margins of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico in keeping with the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey to survey the geologic structures, mineral resources, and products of the national domain.'(Organic Act of 1879). An essential corollary to these resource studies is the study of potential geologic hazards that may be associated with offshore resource exploration and exploitation. In cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Geological Survey, through its Atlantic-Gulf of Mexico Marine Geology Program, carries out extensive research to evaluate hazards from sediment mobility, shallow gas, and slumping and to acquire information on the distribution and concentration of trace metals and biogenic and petroleum-derived hydrocarbons in sea-floor sediments. All these studies arc providing needed background information, including information on pollutant dispersal, on the nearshore, estuarine, and lacustrine areas that may be near pipeline and nuclear powerplant sites. Users of these data include the Congress, many Federal agencies, the coastal States, private industry, academia, and the concerned public. The results of the regional structural, stratigraphic, and resource studies carried out under the Atlantic-Gulf of Mexico Marine Geology Program have been used by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management to select areas for future leasing and to aid in the evaluation of tracts nominated for leasing. Resource studies have concentrated mostly on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf frontier areas. Geologic detailing of five major basins along the U.S. Atlantic margin, where sediments are as much as 14 km thick, have been revealed by 25,000 km of 24-and 48-channel common-depth-point seismic data, 187,000 km of acromagnetic data, and 39,000 km of gravity data, plus 10,000 samples and logs obtained from U.S. Geological Survey and industry drilling (for example, coreholes of the Atlantic Slope Program, Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Sampling, Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Tests, and the Atlantic Margin Coring Program). A sedimentary section of Jurassic and Cretaceous age grades from terrigenous clastic rocks nearshore to carbonate rocks offshore; this section is part of an extensive buried bank-platform complex that could contain large reserves of natural gas and oil. The volume of sediment deposited offshore far exceeds the volume deposited onshore where extensive accumulations of oil, gas, and minerals have been found. Commercial exploratory drilling offshore thus far has been limited to the Baltimore Canyon Trough area off New Jersey, where at least two holes have found gas; leasing has taken place in the Southeast Georgia Embayment, where drilling was scheduled to begin in 1979, and is imminent in the Georges Bank area off New England. In addition, hydrogeologic and hydrochemical data obtained from the drilling studies have delineated freshwater-bearing submarine extensions of land aquifers that are important coastal ground-water resources. Hazards in the Georges Bank area include sand mobility associated with strong currents and storm-driven waves; high concentrations of suspended sediment in the water column that, when mixed with spilled oil, may sink to the bottom; and slumping along the upper slope. In the Baltimore Canyon, high sediment mobility accompanies major winter storms, and slumped material may cover as much as 20 percent of the upper slope. Potentially unstable slope areas are being studied in great detail to provide data on timing, triggering mechanisms, and rates of sediment movement. In the Southeast Georgia Embayment and Blake Plateau Basin, strong Gulf Stream flow poses a major problem to all offshore operations. In the Gulf o

Circular↗
USGS2025

Statistical streamflow comparison of current and historical 30-year periods for selected streams in New Jersey

As the population of New Jersey increases, supplying adequate drinking water to meet demand remains a high priority. To better understand potential streamflow trends over time, the U.S. Geological Survey completed a study comparing low flows at continuous- and partial-record streamgages in New Jersey between a historical period (1950–79) and a current period (1990–2019). Fourteen statistics (one median for each of the twelve monthly minimum 1-day flows, minimum 7-day average streamflow with a 10-year recurrence interval, and median of the daily mean flows for the month of September) were calculated to evaluate how streamflow conditions may differ between the two time periods. Percent change was also calculated to better understand the magnitude of difference between the periods at individual streamgages. A Paired Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was implemented to test for a change in distribution between the two time periods for each statistic of interest. Results indicated that the median of the minimum 1-day flows for the months of January, February, June, September, and December and the median of the daily mean flows for the month of September had a statistically significant difference in distribution between the time periods for continuous-record streamgages. None of the statistics had a statistically significant difference in distribution for the partial-record streamgages. The largest percent changes between time periods occurred in the northern part of the state, above the Fall Line. Precipitation, land cover, and water use changes were assessed to contribute to the understanding of these differences between time periods. The median of the minimum 1-day flows for the months of January and December generally increased across the state, whereas the median of the minimum 1-day flows for the months of May and September generally decreased throughout the state.

New Jersey↗
USGS2014

Flood-inundation maps for the Saddle River in Ho-Ho-Kus Borough, the Village of Ridgewood, and Paramus Borough, New Jersey, 2013

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5.4-mile reach of the Saddle River in New Jersey from Hollywood Avenue in Ho-Ho-Kus Borough downstream through the Village of Ridgewood and Paramus Borough to the confluence with Hohokus Brook in the Village of Ridgewood were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ , depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Saddle River at Ridgewood, New Jersey (station 01390500). Current conditions for estimating near real-time areas of inundation using USGS streamgage information may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=01390500 or at the National Weather Services (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) at http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=okx&gage=rwdn4 . In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation (March 11, 2011) at the USGS streamgage 01390500, Saddle River at Ridgewood, New Jersey. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 10 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum, North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), and ranging from 5 ft, the NWS “action and minor flood stage”, to 14 ft, which is the maximum extent of the stage-discharge rating and 0.6 ft higher than the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system 3-meter (9.84-ft) digital elevation model derived from Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) data in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps along with information on the Internet regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage provides emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

New Jersey↗
USGS2009

Modeling cape- and ridge-associated marine sand deposits: A focus on the U.S. Atlantic Continental Shelf

Cape- and ridge-associated marine sand deposits, which accumulate on storm-dominated continental shelves that are undergoing Holocene marine transgression, are particularly notable in a segment of the U.S. Atlantic Continental Shelf that extends southward from the east tip of Long Island, N.Y., and eastward from Cape May at the south end of the New Jersey shoreline. These sand deposits commonly contain sand suitable for shore protection in the form of beach nourishment. Increasing demand for marine sand raises questions about both short- and long-term potential supply and the sustainability of beach nourishment with the prospects of accelerating sea-level rise and increasing storm activity. To address these important issues, quantitative assessments of the volume of marine sand resources are needed. Currently, the U.S. Geological Survey is undertaking these assessments through its national Marine Aggregates and Resources Program (URL http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/aggregates/). In this chapter, we present a hypothetical example of a quantitative assessment of cape-and ridge-associated marine sand deposits in the study area, using proven tools of mineral-resource assessment. Applying these tools requires new models that summarize essential data on the quantity and quality of these deposits. Two representative types of model are descriptive models, which consist of a narrative that allows for a consistent recognition of cape-and ridge-associated marine sand deposits, and quantitative models, which consist of empirical statistical distributions that describe significant deposit characteristics, such as volume and grain-size distribution. Variables of the marine sand deposits considered for quantitative modeling in this study include area, thickness, mean grain size, grain sorting, volume, proportion of sand-dominated facies, and spatial density, of which spatial density is particularly helpful in estimating the number of undiscovered deposits within an assessment area. A Monte Carlo simulation that combines the volume of sand-dominated-facies models with estimates of the hypothetical probable number of undiscovered deposits provides a probabilistic approach to estimating marine sand resources within parts of the U.S. Atlantic Continental Shelf and other comparable marine shelves worldwide.

Atlantic Continental Shelf↗
USGS2003

Photographs of the Sea floor Offshore of New York and New Jersey

This DVD-ROM contains photographs of the sea floor and sediment texture data collected as part of studies carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the New York Bight (Figure 1a (PDF format)). The studies were designed to map the sea floor (Butman, 1998, URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs133-98/) and to develop an understanding of the transport and long-term fate of sediments and associated contaminants in the region (Mecray and others, 1999, URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs114-99/). The data were collected on four research cruises carried out between 1996 and 2000 (Appendix I). The images and texture data were collected to provide direct observations of the sea floor geology and to aid in the interpretation of backscatter intensity data obtained from sidescan sonar and multibeam surveys of the sea floor. Preliminary descriptions of the sea floor geology in this region may be found in Schwab and others (2000, URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of00-295/; 2003), Butman and others (1998, URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of98-616/.), and Butman and others (2002, URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of00-503/). Schwab and others (2000 URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of00-295/; 2003) have identified 11 geologic units in New York Bight (Figure 2 (PDF format)). These units identify areas of active sediment transport, extensive anthropogenic influence on the sea floor, and various geologic units. Butman and others (2003) and Harris and others (in press) present the results of a moored array experiment carried out in the Hudson Shelf Valley to investigate the transport of sediments during winter. Summaries of these and other studies may be found at USGS studies in the New York Bight (URL: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/newyork/). This DVD-ROM contains digital images of bottom still photographs, images digitized from videos, sediment grain-size analysis results, and short QuickTime movies from video transects. The data are presented in tabular form and in an ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, URL: http://www.esri.com) ArcView project where the image and sample locations may be viewed superimposed on maps showing side-scan sonar and/or multibeam backscatter intensity and bottom topography.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2016

Estimated use of water in the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 2010

The Delaware River Basin (DRB) was selected as a Focus Area Study in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the USGS National Water Census. The National Water Census is a USGS research program that focuses on national water availability and use and then develops new water accounting tools and assesses water availability at both the regional and national scales. One of the water management needs that the DRB study addressed, and that was identified by stakeholder groups from the DRB, was to improve the integration of state water use and water-supply data and to provide the compiled water use information to basin users. This water use information was also used in the hydrologic modeling and ecological components of the study. Instream and offstream water use was calculated for 2010 for the DRB based on information received from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Water withdrawal, interbasin transfers, return flow, and hydroelectric power generation release data were compiled for 11 categories by hydrologic subregion, basin, subbasin, and subwatershed. Data availability varied by state. Site-specific data were used whenever possible to calculate public supply, irrigation (golf courses, nurseries, sod farms, and crops), aquaculture, self-supplied industrial, commercial, mining, thermoelectric, and hydroelectric power withdrawals. Where site-specific data were not available, primarily for crop irrigation, livestock, and domestic use, various techniques were used to estimate water withdrawals. Total water withdrawals in the Delaware River Basin were calculated to be about 7,130 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) in 2010. Calculations of withdrawals by source indicate that freshwater withdrawals were about 4,130 Mgal/d (58 percent of the total) and the remaining 3,000 Mgal/d (42 percent) were from saline water. Total surface-water withdrawals were calculated to be 6,590 Mgal/d, or 92 percent of the total; about 54 percent (3,590 Mgal/d) of surface water withdrawn was freshwater. Total groundwater withdrawals were calculated to be 545 Mgal/d (8 percent of the total), all of which was freshwater. During 2010, calculated withdrawals by category, in decreasing order, were: thermoelectric power, 4,910 Mgal/d; public supply, 1,490 Mgal/d; self-supplied industrial, 350 Mgal/d; irrigation, 175 Mgal/d; self-supplied domestic, 117 Mgal/d; mining, 41.3 Mgal/d; aquaculture, 19.3 Mgal/d; livestock, 6.72 Mgal/d, and commercial, 5.89 Mgal/d. The amount of instream use for hydroelectric power generation purposes in 2010 was reported to be 273 Mgal/d for the Wallenpaupack Plant and 127 Mgal/d for the Mongaup River system. Total return flows in the DRB were 2,960 Mgal/d in 2010. Although municipal wastewater-treatment plants accounted for 539 (97 percent) of the return-flow sites, they accounted for about 70 percent of the total return flows in the DRB. There was limited information on return flows from thermoelectric power.

Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania↗