SEARCH · USGS Science
Results for “Newsletter”
Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Using gravity to map faults and basins in the Mojave Desert, California
No abstract available.
Quantifying microplastics in Indiana’s Lake Michigan watershed and submerged aquatic vegetation
Environmental breakdown of plastics produces synthetic microfibers, a class of microplastics that are most prevalent in surface waters. A main source of these pollutants is wastewater treatment plants which discharge into surface waters, including those that flow into Lake Michigan. Microplastics can settle into aquatic sediment or exist for lengths of time in the swash zone of the lakes; they can be ingested by organisms or concentrated in algae or other lake plankton, among other possibilities. As part of a larger Great Lakes study of the growth and senescence of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), the loads of synthetic microfibers in the SAV have been determined from Lake Michigan samples collected during the summer months of 2018, 2019 and 2020, and from various samples collected in the watershed and along the shoreline in Northwest Indiana. In order to effectively address microplastics pollution, a complete understanding of the distribution and fate of these pollutants is needed; this project is working toward that goal.
The US Geological Survey’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)—Providing framework geologic, geophysical, and elevation data to the nation’s critical mineral-bearing regions
New detailed mapping of the geologic resources of the Nation has the potential to significantly close the gap in the essential data needed to fuel a modern era of economic development and technological innovation, while at the same time dramatically enhancing our understanding of the fundamental way geology impacts everyday life, from the domestic critical mineral resources that are necessary for modern technology and the economy, to domestic energy and water resources, geologic hazards, agriculture, and other pressing needs. The U.S. Geological Survey established the Earth Resources Mapping Initiative (Earth MRI) to address the shortfall in geologic, geophysical, and elevation data with sufficient detail to support evaluation of regions in the United States that have potential to host critical mineral resources. The new effort is a collaboration with the Association of American State Geologists, who are providing new detailed geologic maps and making available online archived data and information related to critical mineral resources. The geophysical and lidar surveys are being contracted through industry specialists to assure that high-quality data are available to the public. This article provides an overview of the Earth MRI effort with discussions on the initial geophysical surveys funded for areas that have known potential for rare earth element resources. Subsequent projects are being designed to address areas that may host other critical mineral resources.
Electrical conductivity of pure CO2 hydrate and CH4 hydrate: Role of the guest molecule
To conclude a series of DOE-sponsored laboratory experiments in which our team measured electrical conductivity of methane hydrate-bearing samples, we investigated electrical conductivity of CO2 hydrate for direct comparison with methane hydrate. Their surprisingly distinct signatures could aid in the monitoring of CO2 in certain deep marine environments. To the best of our knowledge these are the first reported conductivity measurements on pure, polycrystalline CO2 hydrate.
The role of the U.S. Geological Survey in monitoring North Dakota’s environmental conditions
No abstract available.
A primer of fishery studies in Grand Canyon: The nonnative fish removal story
Globally, rivers have become the most altered of ecosystems, chiefly due to pollution, water withdrawals, and dams that have modified their former function, and led to large and unforeseen impacts, particularly for fish populations. Extensive research is directed at studying impacts of dams because they sever migration routes and change the physical template (flow, temperature, and sediment and organic loads), and by extension, influence vital rates of fish populations such as growth, survival, movement and recruitment. Prior to introduction of nonnative fishes and network of dams, the humpback chub (Gila cypha, chub) was broadly distributed throughout the Colorado River (mainstem). Since then, chub have declined over their entire historical range and are now restricted to six populations, a factor that led to it being Federally listed as an endangered species. The largest of these chub populations is found in Grand Canyon and is isolated from other upstream populations by Glen Canyon Dam (Dam). Over 90% of this population resides within the Little Colorado River (LCR) and mainstem in regions adjacent to the confluence. The remainder is broadly distributed in small aggregations throughout the ecosystem. Cold water temperatures from the Dam has largely impeded the growth and spawning of chub in the mainstem. Luckily, chub spawn and rear young successfully in the seasonally warm and saline waters of the LCR, though survival of some juveniles (< 200 mm total length) that disperse into the mainstem varies among years.
Wave-driven flood-forecasting on reef-lined coasts early warning system (WaveFoRCE)
Increasing the resilience of coastal communities while decreasing the risk to them are key to the continued inhabitance and sustainability of these areas. Low-lying coral reef-lined islands are experiencing storm wave-driven flood events that currently strike with little to no warning. These events are occurring more frequently and with increasing severity. There is a need along the world’s coral reef-lined coasts for a tool that can forecast the timing and severity of wave-driven flooding events. Without this tool, coastal communities are vulnerable to: loss of life from drowning • loss of, and damage to, property and infrastructure • decreasing viability of communities via loss of, and damage to crops, fishing (via decreased water quality and wave-damaged reefs), and freshwater resources • reduction of livable land due to increased erosion and salt intrusion. The currently available tools were developed for sandy shorelines and do not accurately predict wave-driven flooding on reef-lined coasts, leaving inhabitants without accurate and timely warnings. In addition, the flood models that do exist for reef-lined coasts have only been implemented on a small number of areas throughout the world because running these models is costly and requires a high level of computing power. Using these existing models and techniques to generate high-resolution forecasts for wave-driven flooding for all reef-lined coasts would cost approximately US$1 billion. To remedy this issue, an international team associated with the GEO Blue Planet initiative is working to develop a wave-driven flood-forecasting early-warning system (EWS) for coral reef-lined coasts known as WaveFoRCE. The system aims to provide all nations and people living on a coral reef-lined coast anywhere in the world with an up to 7.5-day forecast of storm wave-driven flood events.
Genetics as a tool for conservation and management of West Indian manatee populations in Brazil
A study conducted by the National Center for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Mammals (CMA), United States Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, and partner researchers found that the marine Antillean manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus ) has low genetic diversity in regions where there are territorial interfaces with the Amazonian manatee ( Trichechus inunguis ). The study was published as an article in the journal, Frontiers in Marine Science.
Toward an effective global green economy: The Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI)
Global population growth, economic development and the accelerating pace of technological innovation are driving increased demand for non-fuel mineral commodities that are vital for emerging and low-carbon technologies. Examples of such commodities include cobalt and graphite for rechargeable batteries, tellurium in thin-film solar photovoltaics and rare earth elements (REE) in permanent magnets, electronics and medical technologies. These commodities are known as critical elements and/or minerals (collectively referred to as critical minerals), with the term critical used to define not only their importance for new technologies, but also their demand and vulnerability to supply disruption. The demand for critical minerals is likely to continue to grow, but supply is not assured. Therefore, national strategies in Australia, Canada, United States and elsewhere (e.g. Europe: Wittenberg et al. 2021) are being developed to encourage exploration and production, including resolving the geological processes responsible for their enrichrichment into viable ore deposits. In 2019, Geoscience Australia (GA), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) formed the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI) to undertake research to develop a better understanding of critical mineral resources in known deposits, determine the geological controls on critical mineral distribution for deposits currently producing by-products, and identify new sources of supply through mineral prospectivity mapping and resource assessment.
Advancements in analytical approaches improve whitebark pine monitoring results
Long-term monitoring programs track the status and trends of species in increasingly vulnerable environments. These monitoring results provide critical information for evaluating, understanding, and managing natural resources. To accurately interpret if and how conditions may be changing for select ecological indicators, it is essential that monitoring programs adopt methods to ensure exceptional data quality. To do this and remain relevant, practitioners need to be flexible and willing to embrace a degree of adaptivity in their protocols. They must periodically re-evaluate their statistical methods and field data collection techniques to provide contemporary, significant, and applicable inferences.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water-Use Data and Research (WUDR) program overview and status as of October 22, 2020
The USGS Water-Use Data and Research Program (WUDR) is an appropriated program that began in Federal fiscal year 2015 and is authorized under the SECURE Water Act (Sec. 9508 (c)). WUDR provides financial assistance through cooperative agreements to State water resource agencies. The WUDR Program has two main goals: To improve the availability, quality, compatibility, and delivery of water-use data that are collected and/or estimated by States to support national water-use assessments; and To integrate the water-use data into USGS databases in electronic or machine-readable formats.
Research in the refuge constraints to restoring diverse forest ecosystems at Hakalau
No abstract available.
A multiscale approach to understanding migratory land bird habitat use of functional stopover habitat types and management efforts
It is hard to believe that many of the small “backyard birds” people see during spring and autumn can make migratory journeys that span thousands of kilometers. In fact, over two-thirds of all land birds (i.e., those not associated with aquatic habitats) and over half of the migratory species in North America move long distances to areas in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. Some have argued that long-distance migrants experience the best of two worlds by virtue of their migratory strategy: increased reproductive success by breeding in food-rich, competitor-poor temperate areas and increased survival by wintering in warmer tropical areas. However, traveling long distances across areas that vary physiographically comes with considerable risks, and the mortality associated with long-distance migration may be substantial, especially among young, inexperienced birds making the journey for the first time. Although many migratory land birds are capable of making spectacular, nonstop flights over geographic barriers, including the Sahara Desert, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico, few actually fly nonstop from their point of origin to their final destination. Rather, they make periodic stops lasting a few hours to a few days before resuming migration. The place where a migratory bird pauses for some length of time between migratory flights is called a stopover site. For birds crossing the Gulf of Mexico that must contend with a 13 to 32 hour nonstop flight, the habitats along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast provide the last possible stopover before autumn migrants make a nonstop flight south and the first possible landfall for birds returning north in the spring.
Climate change and other factors influencing the saguaro cactus
The saguaro cacti ( Carnegiea gigantea [Engelm.] Britton & Rose) is one of the world’s most iconic plants and a symbol of the desert Southwest. It is the namesake of Saguaro National Park, which was created (initially as a national monument) in 1933 to study, interpret, and protect the “giant cactus” and other unique Sonoran Desert species. Research on saguaros over the past century has revealed much about the plant’s growth, reproduction, population dynamics, and use by people and wildlife. Young saguaros grow very slowly, not reaching reproductive age until they are 35–65 years old. They produce white flowers that open at night during April through June, followed by large red fruits that are consumed by many desert animals. The saguaro fruit is also a traditional food source for the Tohono O’odham people, and the harvest of the saguaro fruit is a very important part of their culture (Bruhn 1971). Mature saguaros produce thousands of seeds each year, but establishment is episodic in that seedlings survive only during favorable periods with several consecutive years of cooler, wetter weather (Steenbergh and Lowe 1977).