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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
USGS1971

Water resources data for Idaho, water year 1970; Part 1, Surface water records

Surface-water records for the 1970 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of Idaho are given in this report and their locations shown in figures 2 and 3. Records for a few selected gaging stations in bordering States also are included. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of W. L. Burnham, district chief, Water Resources Division. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in Idaho were contained in Parts 10, 12, and 13 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports is limited; they are designed primarily for rapid release of data shortly after the end of the water year to meet local needs. The discharge and reservoir-storage records are also being published at 5-year intervals in a Geological Survey water-supply paper series entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." These papers which show daily discharge and storage figures are compiled on the same geographical areas used for the annual series published through September 30, 1960. The daily records for 1961-65 are compiled in Water-Supply Papers 1927 (Part 10), 1933 (Part 12), and 1934 (Part 13).

Idaho↗
USGS1961

Surface water records of New Mexico, water year 1961

The surface-water records for the 1961 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of New Mexico are given in this report. For convenience there are also included for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey, under the direction of W. L. Heckler, district engineer, Surface Water Branch. This report marks the beginning of a new method of presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U. S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there has been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in New Mexico were contained in Parts 7, 8, and 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data will be released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply paper at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided. The records for New Mexico will be published in water-supply papers covering Part 7 for stations in the Lower Mississippi River drainage, Part 8 for Western Gulf of Mexico drainage, and Part 9 for Colorado River drainage. For 1960 water year, the WSP Numbers for these parts were 1711, 1712, 1713 respectively. A compilation of records for these parts through 1950 water year is contained in WSP Nos. 1311, 1312, 1313 respectively; a 1951-60 compilation is currently being prepared, and WSP Nos. will be 1731, 1732, 1733.

New Mexico↗
USGS1962

Surface water records of New Mexico, water year 1962

The surface-water records for the 1962 water year for gaging stations, partial- record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of New Mexico are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey, under the direction of W. L. Heckler, district engineer, Surface Water Branch. This report is the second in a series presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U. S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in New Mexico were contained in Parts 7, 8, and 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data will be released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Dis-tribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided. The records for New Mexico will be published in water-supply papers covering Part 7 for stations in the Lower Mississippi River drainage, Part 8 for Western Gulf of Mexico drainage, and Part 9 for Colorado River drainage. For 1960 water year, the WSP Numbers for these parts were 1711, 1712, 1713 respectively. A compilation of records for these parts through 1950 water year is contained in WSP Nos. 1311, 1312, 1313 respectively; a 1951-60 compilation series will have WSP Nos. 1731, 1732, 1733.

New Mexico↗
USGS1963

Surface water records of New Mexico, water year 1963

The surface-water records for the 1963 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of New Mexico are given in this report. For convenience there are also included. records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey, under the direction of W. L. Heckler, district engineer, Surface Water Branch. This report is the third in a series presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U. S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States. ff Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in New Mexico were contained in Parts 7, 8, and 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data will be released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5- year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided. The records for New Mexico will be published in water-supply papers covering Part 7 for stations in the Lower Mississippi River drainage, Part 8 for Western Gulf of Mexico drainage, and Part 9 for Colorado River drainage. For 1960 water year, the WSP Numbers for these parts were 1711, 1712, 1713 respectively. A compilation of records for these parts through 1950 water year is contained in WSP Nos. 1311, 1312, 1313 respectively; a 1951-60 compilation series will have WSP Nos. 1731, 1732, 1733.

New Mexico↗
USGS1973

Water resources data for West Virginia, water year 1972

Water resources data for the 1972 water year for West Virginia including records of streamflow or reservoir storage at gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites, and records of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface water, are given in this report. In Part 1, records are included for 126 gaging stations of which 119 are streamflow discharge stations, 1 is stage only streamflow station, and 6 are reservoir or lake stations; also included are records for 7 low-flow partial record stations, 42 crest-stage partial-record stations, and 12 miscellaneous sites. Locations of gaging stations are shown in Figure 1. In Part 2, data on the quality of surface water (chemical, temperature, and sediment) were collected from designated sampling sites at predetermined intervals, such as once daily, weekly, monthly, or less frequently, and at some sites data were recorded on punched paper tape at 15-, 30-, or 60-minute intervals. Records are given for 30 sampling stations of which 18 are continuous record stations, and 12 are partial-record stations. Locations of water-quality stations are shown in Figure 1. A few pertinent stations (not included above) in bordering States are also included in this report. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of Edwin E. Harris, district chief. These data represent that portion of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in West Virginia. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Water-quality records beginning with the 1964 water year have been similarly released either in separate reports or in conjunction with streamflow records. These reports are for limited distribution and are designed primarily for rapid release of data shortly after the end of the water year. Records of discharge and stage of streams, and contents and stage of lakes and reservoirs are published in a series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled, "Surface Water. Supply of the United States." Through September 30, 1960, these water-supply papers were in an annual series and since then are in a 5-year series. Records of chemical quality, water temperatures, and suspended sediment have been published since 1941 in an annual series of water-supply papers entitled, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States." More information is given under the headings "Publications" on pages 15 and 20.

West Virginia↗
USGS2023

Landsat 9 geometric commissioning calibration updates and system performance assessment

Starting with launch of Landsat 7 (L7) on 15 April 1999, the USGS Landsat Image Assessment System (IAS) has been performing calibration and characterization operations for over 20 years on the Landsat spacecrafts and their associated payloads. With the launch of Landsat 9 (L9) on 27 September 2021, that spacecraft and its payloads, the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) and Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 (TIRS-2), were added to the existing suite of missions supported by the IAS. This paper discusses the geometric characterizations, calibrations, and performance analyses conducted during the commissioning period of the L9 spacecraft and its instruments. During this time frame the following calibration refinements were performed; (1) alignment between the OLI-2 and TIRS-2 instruments and the spacecraft attitude control system, (2) within-instrument band alignment, (3) instrument-to-instrument alignment. These refinements, carried out during commissioning and discussed in this paper, were performed to provide an on-orbit update to the pre-launch calibration parameters that were determined through Ground System Element (GSE) testing and Thermal Vacuum Testing (TVAC) for the two instruments and the L9 spacecraft. The commissioning period calibration update captures the effects of launch shift and zero-G release, and typically represents the largest changes that are made to the on-orbit geometric calibration parameters during the mission. The geometric calibration parameter updates performed during commissioning were done prior to releasing any L9 products to the user community. This commissioning period also represents the time frame during which focus is more strictly placed on the spacecraft and instrument performance, ensuring that system and instrument requirements are met, as contrasted with the post commissioning time frame when a greater focus is placed on the products generated, their behavior and their impact on the user community. Along with the calibration updates discussed in this paper key geometric performance requirements with respect to geodetic accuracy, geometric accuracy, and swath width are presented, demonstrating that the geometric performance of the L9 spacecraft and its’ instruments with respect to these key performance requirements are being met. Within the paper it will be shown that the absolute geodetic accuracy is met for OLI-2 and TIRS-2 with a margin of approximately 79% and 65% respectively while the geometric accuracy is met for OLI-2 and TIRS-2 with a margin of approximately 68% and 43% respectively.

Remote Sensing↗
USGS2023

Operational aspects of Landsat 8 and 9 geometry

Landsat 9 (L9) was launched on 27 September 2021. This spacecraft contained two instruments, the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) and Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 (TIRS-2), that allow for a continuation of the Landsat program and the mission to acquire multi-spectral observations of the globe on a moderate scale. Following a period of commissioning, during which time the spacecraft and instruments were initialized and set up for operations, with the initial calibration performed, the mission moved to an operational mode This operational mode involved the same cadence and methods that were performed for the Landsat 8 (L8) spacecraft and the two instruments onboard, the Operational Land Imager-1 (OLI-1) and Thermal Infrared Sensor-1 (TIRS-1), with respect to calibration, characterization, and validation. This paper discusses the geometric operational aspects of the L9 instruments during the first year of the mission and post-commissioning, and compares these same geometric activities performed for L8 during the same time frame. During this time, optical axes of the two sensors, OLI-1 and OLI-2, were adjusted to stay aligned with the spacecraft’s Attitude Control System (ACS), and the TIRS-1 and TIRS-2 instruments were adjusted to stay aligned with the OLI-1 and OLI-2 instruments, respectively. In this paper, the L9 operational adjustments are compared to the same operational aspects of L8 during this same time frame. The comparisons shown in this paper will demonstrate that both instruments aboard L8 and L9 performed very similar geometric qualities while fully meeting the expected requirements. This paper describes the geometric differences between the L9 imagery that was made available to the public prior to the reprocessing campaign that was performed using the new calibration updates to the sensor and to ACS and TIRS-to-OLI alignment parameters. This reprocessing campaign of L9 products involved data acquired from the launch of the spacecraft up to early 2023.

Remote Sensing↗
USGS2015

Discussion and Review of “Seismology of the Oso-Steelhead landslide” by Hibert, Stark, and Ekstrom

In this study, Hibert et al. use the seismic waves generated by the disastrous 22 March 2014 landslide near Oso, Washington to investigate the dynamics of the event by combining long-period source inversions and short period analysis. Overall the paper is concise and well written and takes an innovative approach by integrating both high- and low-frequency seismic data together in the interpretation. It also demonstrates the useful prospect of resolving a trajectory of the center of mass of the landslide from a few traces of noisy seismic data. However, the main point of discussion that I would like to address stems from differences between the findings by Hibert et al. and the findings of a recently published multidisciplinary paper on the Oso landslide (Iverson et al., 2015). I am a co-author on the paper and performed the seismic analysis, which was similar to that of Hibert et al., yet the interpretation of how the event unfolded differs significantly between the two papers. In my opinion, this stems largely from a difference in information, some of which Hibert et al. unfortunately did not have access to prior to submission because it was just published in Iverson et al. (2015). However, differences also seem to stem from technical details of the methods and data used. Typically, such details are only of interest to seismologists, but in this case they make a substantial difference in understanding how the event unfolded and how it became so disastrous. For that reason, they are worthy of discussion here. The crux of the difference lies in two points 1) Iverson et al. (2015) found a multi-stage initiation of the main event, while Hibert et al. did not and 2) Iverson et al. (2015) found the second high-frequency event to be from a significantly smaller debris fall whereas Hibert et al. estimate it to be a substantial mass. I detail these two points below, then follow with an additional comment regarding the trajectory estimation made by Hibert et al. and some minor comments.

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences↗
USGS1987

I. Thermal evolution of Ganymede and implications for surface features. II. Magnetohydrodynamic constraints on deep zonal flow in the giant planets. III. A fast finite-element algorithm for two-dimensional photoclinometry

The work is divided into three independent papers: PAPER I: Thermal evolution models are presented for Ganymede, assuming a mostly differentiated initial state of a water ocean overlying a rock layer. The only heat sources are assumed to be primordial heat (provided by accretion) and the long-lived radiogenic heat sources in the rock component. As Ganymede cools, the ocean thins, and two ice layers develop, one above composed of ice I, and the other below composed of high-pressure polymorphs of ice. Subsolidus convection proceeds separately in each ice layer, its transport of heat calculated using a simple parameterized convection scheme and the most recent data on ice rheology. The model requires that the average entropy of the deep ice layer exceed that of the ice I layer. If the residual ocean separating these layers becomes thin enough, then a Rayleigh-Taylor-like ("diapiric") instability may ensue, driven by the greater entropy of the deeper ice and merging the two ice mantles into a single convective layer. This instability is not predicted by linear analysis but occurs for plausible finite amplitude perturbations associated with large Rayleigh number convection. The resulting warm ice diapirs may lead to a dramatic "heat pulse" at the surface and to fracturing of the lithosphere, and may be directly or indirectly responsible for resurfacing and grooved terrain formation on Ganymede. The timing of this event depends rather sensitively on poorly known rheological parameters but could be consistent with chronologies deduced from estimated cratering rates. Irrespective of the occurrence or importance of the heat pulse, we find that lithospheric fracturing requires rapid stress loading (on a timescale ≾ 10 4 ) years). Such a timescale can be realized by warm ice diapirism, but not directly by gradual global expansion. In the absence of any quantitative and self-consistent model for the resurfacing of Ganymede by liquid water, we favor resurfacing by warm ice flows,which we demonstrate to be physically possible, a plausible consequence of our models, compatible with existing observations, and a hypothesis testable by Galileo. We discuss core formation as an alternative driver for resurfacing, and conclude that it is less attractive. We also consider anew the puzzle of why Callisto differs so greatly from Ganymede, offering several possible explanations. The models presented do not provide a compelling explanation for all aspects of Ganymedean geological evolution, since we have identified several potential problems, most notably the apparently extended period of grooved terrain formation (several hundred million years), which is difficult to reconcile with the heat pulse phenomenon. PAPER II: The observed zonal flows of the giant planets will, if they penetrate below the visible atmosphere, interact significantly with the planetary magnetic field outside the metalized core. The appropriate measure of this interaction is the Chandrasekhar number Q = ( H 2 )/(4πρνα 2 λ) (where H = radial component of the magnetic field, ν = eddy viscosity, λ = magnetic diffusivity, α -1 = lengthscale on which λ varies); at depths where Q ≳ 1 the velocity will be forced to oscillate on a small lengthscale or decay to zero. We estimate the conductivity due to semiconduction in H 2 (Jupiter, Saturn) and ionization in H 2 O (Uranus, Neptune) as a function of depth; the value λ ≃ 10 10 cm 2 s -1 needed for Q = 1 is readily obtained well outside the metallic core (where λ ≃ 10 2 cm 2 s -1 ). These assertions are quantified by a simple model of the equatorial zonal jet in which the flow is assumed uniform on cylinders concentric with the spin axis, and the viscous and magnetic torques on each cylinder are balanced. We solve this "Taylor constraint" simultaneously with the dynamo equation to obtain the velocity and magnetic field in the equatorial plane. With this model we reproduce the widely differing jet widths of Jupiter and Saturn (though not the flow at very high or low latitudes) using ν = 2500 cm 2 s -1 , consistent with the requirement that viscous dissipation not exceed the specific luminosity. A model Uranian jet consistent with the limited Voyager data can also be constructed, with appropriately smaller ν, but only if one assumes a two-layer interior. We tentatively predict a wide Neptunian jet. For Saturn (but not Jupiter or Uranus) the model has a large magnetic Reynolds number where Q = 1 and hence exhibits substantial axisymmetrization of the field in the equatorial plane . This effect may or may not persist at higher latitudes. The one-dimensional model presented is only a first step. Variation of the velocity and magnetic field parallel to the spin axis must be modeled in order to answer several important questions, including: 1) What is the behavior of flows at high latitudes, whose Taylor cylinders are interrupted by the region with Q ≳ 1? 2) To what extent is differential rotation in the envelope responsible for the spin-axisymmetry of Saturn's magnetic field? PAPER III: It is shown that the problem of two-dimensional photoclinometry (PC) -- the reconstruction of a surface z ( x , y ) from a brightness image B( x , y ) -- may be formulated in a natural way in terms of finite elements. The resulting system of equations is underdetermined as a consequence of the lack of boundary conditions for z , but a unique solution may be chosen by minimizing a function S expressing the "roughness" of the surface. An efficient PC algorithm based on this formulation is presented, requiring ~ 10.66 (four-byte) memory locations and ~10 4 floating multiplications/additions per pixel, and incorporating: 1) Minimization of the roughness by the penalty method, which yields the smallest set of equations. 2) Iterative solution of the nonlinear equations by Newton's method. 3) Solution of the linearized equations by an inner iterative cycle of successive over-relaxation, which takes advantage of the extreme sparseness of the system. 4) Multigridding, in which the solutions to the smaller problems obtained by reducing the resolution are used recursively to greatly speed convergence at the higher resolutions, and 5) A rapid noniterative initial estimate of z obtained by exploiting the special symmetry of the equations obtained in the first linearization. The algorithm is extensively demonstrated on 200 by 200 pixel synthetic "images" generated from digital topographic data for northern Utah over a range of phase angles. Rms error in the solution is ~ 22 m, out of ~ 660 m total relief. The error is dominated by "stripes" with the same azimuth as the light source, resulting from use of the roughness criterion in lieu of boundary conditions; the rms error along profiles parallel to the stripes is only ~ 2-8 m, depending on the phase angle. Satisfactory solutions are obtained even in the presence of quantization error, noise, and moderate blur in the image. Applications of the PC algorithm to both remote sensing and photomicrography are sketched; a photoclinometric map of a low-relief Precambrian era fossil is presented as an example of the latter. Prospects for dealing with photometrically inhomogeneous surfaces, and an extension of the method to the analysis of side-looking radar data ("radarclinometry") are also discussed.

Thesis↗
USGS1983

[Book review] Waterfowl ecology and management: Selected readings

This book is a compilation of papers from the extensive and varied published literature on the ecology and management of waterfowl. The 125 technical papers reprinted in this book are arranged in eight major sections and are from 21 journals, government reports, several books, and proceedings of symposia and annual conferences. The most frequent sources of papers are The Journal of Wildlife Management, The Auk, Transactions North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, and Wildfowl. These readings span the period from 1937 through 1981. A majority of the technical papers was published during the sixties and seventies, reflecting the expansion of waterfowl research during that period. The front cover and the introductory page of each section are illustrated with black-and-white drawings of North American waterfowl by D. R. Barrick.

The Auk↗
USGS2000

The current status of amphibian and reptile ecotoxicological research

The extent of research conducted on the effects of contaminants on reptiles and amphibians has been scant compared to that of other vertebrate classes including fishes, birds and mammals. In a review of literature from 1972 until 1998 we found that only about 2.7% of the papers published on ecotoxicology in vertebrates concerned amphibians and 1.4% for reptiles. Most studies on amphibian ecotoxicology were on metals, pesticides, and acid deposition. For reptiles the greatest frequency of papers included metals, organochlorines, and others. In proportion to the taxonomic importance, far more papers were written on turtles than on other reptile orders. Most of the papers dealt with residues and very few dealt with effects of contaminant exposure.

Book chapter↗
USGS1987

Longevity records of North American birds: Coerebinae through Estrildidae

This is the fourth paper of a 4-part series detailing the longevity records of marked North American birds. The previous three papers can be found in the Journal of Field Ornithology, Volumes 53 and 54. Prio to this series only one definitive paper ( Kennard 1975) had been written on North American taxa. Records for 84 taxa are included in this paper. Thirty are birds older than those listed by Kennard. Thirty-nine are new records and 9 are those listed in Kennard.

Journal of Field Ornithology↗
USGS1986

This week?s Citation Classic: 'Stickel, L. F. A comparison of certain methods of measuring ranges of small mammals. J. Mammalogy 35: 1-15, 1954.'

During my first employment as a junior biologist conducting food habits analyses at the Patuxent Research Refuge (now Patuxent Wildlife Research Center) of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the first station director, Arnold L. Nelson, gave each staff biologist the opportunity to spend a little time conducting field studies on the 2,600-acre research area. These studies were to help in ecological evaluation of the area, but also, no doubt, functioned as a morale builder for biologists daily engaged in difficult, demanding and confining laboratory work. I undertook to measure the population density of small mammals in different habitats. The state-of-the-art methods recommended to me and prevalent in the literature worried me, especially after preliminary field work. Reading the classic, paper by W.H. Burt [Terrioriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J. Mammalogy 24:346-352, 1943] was a turning point for me in seeing that knowledge of home-range size was the key to measuring population density. My first papers employed these concepts in field evaluations. However, they could give-only limited attention to the question of how home ranges could be measured. Furthermore, the importance of knowledge of the home range to habitat evaluation and to understanding animal behavior was becoming increasingly apparent. Advocacy of many different methods of measuring home ranges appeared in the literature. It did not seem possible to evaluate them objectively. It occurred to me that artificial populations could be used to help in understanding the mechanisms of measuring home ranges. The effects of random trap-visiting, bias toward central traps, trap-spacing, range shape, and other factors could be considered. So grids of traps were inked onto oversize graph paper, and simulated ranges were cut from plastic to be tossed as randomly as possible on the trap-grids. It was a slow, laborious job. Analysis showed that random captures in artificial populations produced patterns that were similar in many ways to those observed in field studies; the necessity of appropriate trap-spacing in relation to range size became obvious. Some commonly used methods of expressing range size proved to be clearly superior to others. However, the artificial populations could not fully simulate actual populations, where use patterns changed as conditions changed and the ?boundaries? of ranges tended to shift continuously or with time. Progress was made, but problems remained. I suspect that the reasons the paper has been cited frequently rest on the continuing interest in home-range behavior and the continuing difficulty in field evaluations, despite the many advances in observational methodology. The sophisticated techniques that became possible with the use of computers [R.I. Jennrich and F.B. Turner. Measurement of non-circular home range. J. Theor. Biol 23:227-237, 1969] also presented new possibilities for analysis and understanding of home-range characteristics and created a resurgence of interest in home-range behavior and its biological significance.

Current Contents / Agriculture, Biology & Environm↗
USGS1987

Community models for wildlife impact assessment: a review of concepts and approaches

The first two sections of this paper are concerned with defining and bounding communities, and describing those attributes of the community that are quantifiable and suitable for wildlife impact assessment purposes. Prior to the development or use of a community model, it is important to have a clear understanding of the concept of a community and a knowledge of the types of community attributes that can serve as outputs for the development of models. Clearly defined, unambiguous model outputs are essential for three reasons: (1) to ensure that the measured community attributes relate to the wildlife resource objectives of the study; (2) to allow testing of the outputs in experimental studies, to determine accuracy, and to allow for improvements based on such testing; and (3) to enable others to clearly understand the community attribute that has been measured. The third section of this paper described input variables that may be used to predict various community attributes. These input variables do not include direct measures of wildlife populations. Most impact assessments involve projects that result in drastic changes in habitat, such as changes in land use, vegetation, or available area. Therefore, the model input variables described in this section deal primarily with habitat related features. Several existing community models are described in the fourth section of this paper. A general description of each model is provided, including the nature of the input variables and the model output. The logic and assumptions of each model are discussed, along with data requirements needed to use the model. The fifth section provides guidance on the selection and development of community models. Identification of the community attribute that is of concern will determine the type of model most suitable for a particular application. This section provides guidelines on selected an existing model, as well as a discussion of the major steps to be followed in modifying an existing model or developing a new model. Considerations associated with the use of community models with the Habitat Evaluation Procedures are also discussed. The final section of the paper summarizes major findings of interest to field biologists and provides recommendations concerning the implementation of selected concepts in wildlife community analyses.

Report↗
USGS2008

Environmental presence and persistence of pharmaceuticals: An overview

Emerging contaminants (ECs) in the environment – that is, chemicals with domestic, municipal, industrial, or agricultural sources that are not commonly monitored but may have the potential for adverse environmental effects – is a rapidly growing field of research. The use of “emerging” is not intended to infer that the presence of these compounds in the environment is new. These chemicals have been released into the environment as long as they have been in production or, in the case of hormones and other endogenous compounds, since the rise of animal life. What is emerging is the interest by the scientific and lay communities in the presence of these chemicals in the environment, the analytical capabilities required for detection, and the subtle effects that very small concentrations of these chemicals appear to have on aquatic biota. In December 2006, Environmental Science & Technology devoted an entire special issue (volume 40, number 23) to the topic of ECs, illustrating the increased interest in the subject. Within the EGs, one particular class that has seen a substantial increase in research over the past 10 years is pharmaceuticals and personal-care products (PPCPs). This increased research interest can be demonstrated by several means, including requests for proposals from funding agencies, but the clearest indication of a focused effort to understand the introduction, transformation, and potential health and environmental effects of PPCPs and ECs, in general, is the number of published reports. This increase can be shown by examining six environmental journals that regularly publish PPCP-related papers – Chemosphere , Environmental Science & Technology , Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry , Science of the Total Environment , Water Research , and Water Science and Technology . In 1998 there were 22 papers published on pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, or drugs in these 6 journals; by 2006, this number increased sixfold to 132 papers (Figure 1.1). This growth can be attributed to a number of factors. The presence of pharmaceuticals in surface-water samples from Europe and the United States was documented in several sentinel papers. These ground-breaking works encouraged other scientists to examine the rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs in their regions for such chemicals. In addition, the intense public attention paid to news reports on the environmental detections of these chemicals and possible effects of aquatic life has made this issue visible to the wastewater-treatment, drinking-water treatment, and regulatory communities. This has driven the funding bodies associated with these communities to fund studies or request proposals that address the presence, fate, and effects of PPCPs in aquatic systems. The release of the first comprehensive reconnaissance of pharmaceuticals and other wastewater contaminants in the United States provides an example of the intense media interest in this topic. Within 6 days on online publication of this study, 72 newspapers across the United States had published articles describing the results, either locally written or based on international media syndicate reports. There also was substantial concurrent coverage by local and national radio and television outlets, including the Cable News Network, ABC World News Tonight , and National Public Radio. A substantial fraction of these news stories may be attributable to press releases and media briefings prior to publication. However, the interest by television and print journalists in reporting the results of a peer-reviewed journal article to the general public was motivated by the recognition that describing the presence of PPCPs in water supplies would be of interest to the public. To better convey the results of the study published by Koplin et al. to the public, a separate general-interest fact sheet was published to summarize the important points of the study. Because PPCPs are commonly and widely used by individuals, there is likely a preexisting, personal identification with these compounds that does not occur for the wide range of other organic and inorganic contaminants whose presence in the environment has previously been described. This greater public “name recognition” makes itself known through the media to the regulatory and technical community and has prompted interest in sponsoring research that defines the composition and concentrations of PPCPs in potential sources and their fate and effects following relase into the environment. Independent of the drivers that potentially fuel the interest in studies of PPCPs, it is clear that PPCP research has grown beyond surface-water studies to examine issues such as: • Presence in other matrices, such as groundwater, landfill leachates, sediments, and biosolids. • Environmental transport and fate in surface water, groundwater, and soils amended with reclaimed water or biosolids. • PPCP source elucidation, such as wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and aquaculture. • Removal during wastewater and drinking-water treatment. • Effects on aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, and human health. The chapters in this book provide an extensive examination of current environmental pharmaceutical research and are divided into three sections: “Occurrence and Analysis of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment,” “Environment Fate and Transformations of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals,” and “treatment of Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water and Wastewater.” The purpose of this introductory overview chapter is to outline current (2004-2006) knowledge about the presence and concentration of PPCPs as described in the published literature. Previous reviews should be consulted for discussions on pre-2004 publications. Those reviews will provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction to the topic of PPCPs in the environment. This chapter describes the sources of PPCPs and other organic contaminants often associated with human wastewater into the environment, the range of concentrations present in various environmental compartments, and the potential routes of removal/sequestration. An overview of the sources and fate of veterinary pharmaceuticals will be discussed in Chapter 5, “Fate and Transport of Veterinary Medicines in the Soil Environment.”

Book chapter↗
USGS2007

Debris flow hazards mitigation--Mechanics, prediction, and assessment

These proceedings contain papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment held in Chengdu, China, September 10-13, 2007. The papers cover a wide range of topics on debris-flow science and engineering, including the factors triggering debris flows, geomorphic effects, mechanics of debris flows (e.g., rheology, fluvial mechanisms, erosion and deposition processes), numerical modeling, various debris-flow experiments, landslide-induced debris flows, assessment of debris-flow hazards and risk, field observations and measurements, monitoring and alert systems, structural and non-structural countermeasures against debris-flow hazards and case studies. The papers reflect the latest devel-opments and advances in debris-flow research. Several studies discuss the development and appli-cation of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies in debris-flow hazard/risk assessment. Timely topics presented in a few papers also include the development of new or innovative techniques for debris-flow monitoring and alert systems, especially an infra-sound acoustic sensor for detecting debris flows. Many case studies illustrate a wide variety of debris-flow hazards and related phenomena as well as their hazardous effects on human activities and settlements.

Chendgu↗
USGS2014

Mineral Resource of the Month: Talc

When people think of talc, they often think of talcum and baby powder. However, these uses of talc are minor compared to its use in industrial manufacturing. The leading use of talc in the United States is in the production of ceramics, where it is a source of magnesium oxide, serves as a flux to reduce firing temperatures, and improves thermal shock characteristics of the final product. Worldwide, the major use of talc is as a paper constituent, where it fills the interstices between cellulose paper fibers, reduces paper transparency, improves ink receptivity, and absorbs undesirable tree sap residues that can generate blemishes in the paper.

Earth↗
USGS2018

Drain tiles and groundwater resources: Understanding the relations

Executive Summary Drainage for agricultural production over the past 150 years has been an integral component of human-driven change to Minnesota’s rural landscapes. Benefits of drainage Historically, poorly drained soils across much of the State would often remain saturated or flooded after spring snowmelt, preventing timely farm operations such as tilling and planting crops (Arneman, 1963). Installation of agricultural drainage, both surface ditches and subsurface drainage, accelerated transport of water off farm fields and imparted producers higher crop yields (Beauchamp, 1987; Stoner and others, 1993). Agricultural drainage offered many other benefits such as preventing crop drown out, aerating the soil profile for improved plant growth, limiting surface runoff and soil erosion, and allowing farmers better access to croplands (Fausey and others, 1987). Without agricultural drainage on much of Minnesota’s croplands, it would have been difficult to realize high enough crop yields to remain economically viable. Environmental concerns While drainage of Minnesota croplands provided the benefits mentioned above, several environmental concerns result. These include wetland loss, degradation of downstream water quality, and reduced [potential for] recharge. Early agricultural drainage efforts (pre-20th century) led to the disappearance of much of Minnesota’s natural wetlands. Increased focus on preventing or mitigating wetland loss over the last 50 years has helped curtail further losses, even as agricultural drainage proceeds. Prior to establishment of Minnesota statehood, wetlands accounted for more than 10 million acres in Minnesota, including prairie wetlands, peatlands, and forest wetlands that comprised approximately 19 percent of the total land area (Palmer, 1915; King, 1980). In 2018, only half of Minnesota’s pre-settlement wetlands remain, mostly in parts of the State that have not experienced widespread drainage, such as northern Minnesota. Water-quality monitoring has shown that agricultural drainage, in particular the practice of subsurface drainage, provides a direct flow path for nutrient (nitrogen and soluble phosphorus) losses to surface water resources. The negative consequences of agricultural drainage on surface water quality are well documented (for example, Dinnes and others, 2002; Kladivko and others, 2004; Richards and others, 2008; Rozemeijer and others, 2010; Schottler and others, 2013). Agricultural basins with a high percentage of agricultural drainage have been implicated as part of the cause of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia zone due to excessive nitrogen export (Goolsby and Battaglin, 2001; Randall and Mulla, 2001). The connection of hydrological effects of agricultural subsurface drainage on groundwater recharge and aquifers, on the other hand, has not been well-established. Agricultural subsurface drainage intercepts infiltrating water below croplands and directly discharges the water to nearby surface waters. However, the size of the water balance shift from drained water that would have evapotranspired or run off the land to drained water that would recharge underlying aquifers has been poorly characterized (Schuh, 2008). Drain Tiles and Groundwater Given the poor accounting of subsurface drainage effects on groundwater resources, the Minnesota Ground Water Association (MGWA) deemed it imperative that we document these effects so that groundwater resources in agricultural regions with substantial drainage can be effectively managed. This white paper documents the relations of drain tiles and groundwater resources and discusses the historical significance of agricultural drainage practices, the recognized positive benefits and potential negative consequences of agricultural drainage practices, and the gaps in understanding of the connections between agricultural drainage and groundwater resources. The major messages emerged from the findings of this white paper are: Complex history. Minnesota has a long history of agricultural drainage, spanning over 150 years. Agricultural drainage, and the eventual widespread usage of subsurface drainage, can be separated into at least four distinct periods of time: (a) early drainage to get water off the land, pre-20th century; (b) the boom and bust era (1900-1945); (c) postwar resurgence of subsurface drainage and early conservation efforts (1945-1960); and, (d) emergence of the environmental movement (1960 to present). The State’s regulatory framework that both allowed for drainage and controlled its usage during these periods is complicated and has been governed by a patchwork of both State and Federal statutes. Drainage Provinces. This white paper advances the concept of tile drainage provinces to aid in the discussion of regional differences in subsurface drainage and its overall effect on groundwater resources. Built upon the concept of groundwater provinces (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2001), three distinct tile drainage provinces were conceptualized: (1) the Southeastern Province; (2) the SouthCentral Province; and, (3) the Western Province. The distinct geology and the soils that developed in these regions have implications for each region’s subsurface drainage density and the potential implications for groundwater. Knowledge gaps. Several critical knowledge gaps are identified in this paper, creating opportunities for further research to improve our understanding for better managed water resources: Extent of drainage is unknown. Direct estimates of the extent of subsurface drainage do not exist in Minnesota. However, several indirect methods have been utilized to estimate subsurface drainage, from the field-scale to countylevel through the use of geographic information system (GIS) analysis and aerial photography. Based on a 2012 U.S. Geological Survey estimate of subsurface drainage extent (Nakagaki and Wieczorek, 2016), about 21% of the land area in Minnesota has some density of subsurface drainage. Effect of drainage on underlying aquifers is unknown. A basic understanding of unconfined and confined aquifers and their recharge is necessary to connect any hydrological effects from agricultural drainage to groundwater. The basic goal of subsurface drainage to efficiently drain saturated soils clearly alters the water balance in croplands. However, its overall effect on groundwater resources has been poorly characterized, and is in large part determined by the geology below drained areas and the arrangement of underlying aquifers. Water balance shifts. An improved understanding of historical water balance shifts from pre- to post-drainage periods is necessary to understand long-term implications on net groundwater recharge. Also, more direct field-scale studies and indirect modeling studies are needed to characterize water budgets for fields with subsurface drainage.

Minnesota↗