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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
USGS1991

Techniques for computing discharge at four Navigation Dams on the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers in Illinois

Techniques for computing discharge are developed for Brandon Road Dam on the Des Plaines River and for Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams on the Illinois River. At Brandon Road Dam, streamflow is regulated by the operation of Tainter gates and headgates. At Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams, only Tainter gates are operated to regulate streamflow. The locks at all dams are equipped with culvert valves that are used to fill and empty the lock. The techniques facilitate determination of discharge at locations along the upper Illinois Waterway where no streamflow-gaging stations exist. The techniques are also useful for computing low flows when the water-surface slope between control structures on the river approaches zero and traditional methods of determining discharge based on slope are unsatisfactory. Two techniques can be used to compute discharge at the dams--gate ratings and tailwater ratings . A gate ratingdescribes the relation between discharge, gate opening, tailwater stage, and headwater stage. A tailwater rating describes the relation between tailwater stage and discharge. Gate ratings for Tainter gates at Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams are based on a total of 78 measurements of discharge that range from 569 to 86,400 cubic feet per second. Flood hydrographs developed from the gate ratings and Lockmaster records of gate opening and stage compare closely with streamflow records published for nearby streamflow-gaging stations. Additional measurements are needed to verify gate ratings for Tainter gates and headgates at Brandon Road Dam after the dam rehabilitation is completed. Extensive leakage past deteriorated headgates and sluice gates contributed to uncertainty in the ratings developed for this dam. A useful tailwater rating is developed for Marseilles Dam. Tailwater ratings for Dresden Island Dam and Starved Rock Dam are of limited use because of varying downstream channel-storage conditions. A tailwater rating could not be developed for Brandon Road Dam because its tailwater pool is substantially affected by the headwater pool of Dresden Island Dam.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1993

Measurement of bridge scour at the SR-32 crossing of the Sacramento River at Hamilton City, California, 1987-92

A study of the State Route 32 crossing of the Sacramento River near Hamilton City, California, is being made to determine those channel and bridge factors that contribute to scour at the site. Three types of scour data have been measured-channel bed (natural) scour, constriction (general) scour, and local (bridge-pier induced) scour. During the years 1979-93, a maximum of 3.4 ft of channel bed scour, with a mean of 1.4 ft, has been measured. Constriction scour, which may include channel bed scour, has been measured at the site nine times during the years 1987-92. The calculated amount of constriction scour ranged from 0.2 to 3.0 ft, assuming the reference is the mean bed elevation. Local scour was measured four times at the site in 1991 and 1992 and ranged from -2.1 (fill) to 11.6 ft , with the calculated amounts dependent on the bed reference elevation and method of computation used. Surveys of the channel bed near the bridge piers indicate the horizontal location of lowest bed elevation (maximum depth of scour) may vary at least 17 ft between different surveys at the same pier and most frequently is located downstream from the upstream face of the pier.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2018

Geomorphic characteristics of Tenmile Creek, Montgomery County, Maryland, 2014–16

Data collected from April 2014 through September 2016 were used to assess geomorphic characteristics and geomorphic changes over time in a selected reach of Tenmile Creek, a small rural watershed near Clarksburg, Maryland. Longitudinal profiles of the channel bed, water surface, and bank features were developed from field surveys. Changes in cross-section geometry between field surveys were documented. Grain-size distributions for the channel bed were developed from pebble counts. Continuous-record streamflow and precipitation data were also collected in the Tenmile Creek watershed and used to supplement the geomorphic analyses. The Rosgen system of stream classification was used to classify the stream channel according to morphological measurements of slope, entrenchment ratio, width-to-depth ratio, sinuosity, and median particle diameter of the channel materials. Boundary shear stress near the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging station was assessed by using hydraulic variables computed from the cross-section surveys and slope measurements derived from crest-stage gages and temporary data loggers installed along the study reach. Analysis of the longitudinal profiles indicated relatively small changes in the percentage and distribution of riffles, pools, and runs in the study reach between April 2014 and March 2015. More noticeable changes were observed during surveys conducted in March 2016 and September 2016. The channel-bed slope showed a net reduction over time from 0.0072 to 0.0040 feet per foot (ft/ft). The low-flow water-surface slope also showed a net reduction over time from 0.0065 to 0.0045 ft/ft. Net aggradation in the lower section of the study reach combined with net degradation in the upper section of the study reach contributed to the net reduction in channel-bed and water-surface slope. The large storm and resulting flood on July 30, 2016 was a major factor in observed changes in the longitudinal profiles between the March 2016 and September 2016 surveys. Comparison of data from the cross-sectional surveys indicated vertical changes in all cross sections, with more extreme changes observed between surveys in the lower section of the study reach due in part to alternating periods of net storage and transport of sand. Lateral erosion was not a major factor in the study reach, with the exception of cross section Dd, where considerable lateral erosion was documented during the study period. The flood that resulted from the large storm on July 30, 2016 was a major factor in some of the vertical changes observed in the channel bed of the study reach cross sections. Particle-size analyses of the channel bed from pebble counts indicated median particle diameters ranging from 15.5 millimeters (mm) to 23.1 mm, which is characterized as medium to coarse gravel. Sand percentages ranging from 3.4 percent to 16.4 percent of the total counts were observed over time. Net increases in storage of fine sediment in the reach were observed between April 2014 and March 2016, and a considerable reduction in storage was observed between March 2016 and September 2016. The Tenmile Creek stream channel was classified as a C4 channel, based on morphological descriptions from the Rosgen system of stream classification. The C4 classification describes a single-thread channel with a slight entrenchment ratio; a moderate to high width-to-depth ratio; moderate to high sinuosity; a water-surface slope of less than 2 percent; and a median particle diameter in the gravel range of 2 to 64 mm. The analysis of boundary shear stress indicated a range of 0.35 to 1.18 pounds per square foot for instantaneous streamflow ranging from 79 to 2,860 cubic feet per second during the study period. The relation between discharge and boundary shear stress for Tenmile Creek was compared to similar relations that were previously developed for Minebank Run, a small, urban watershed in the eastern section of the Piedmont Physiographic Province in Baltimore County, Md. that was physically restored during 2004–05. The comparison indicated a much flatter slope in the relation for Minebank Run in both its unrestored and restored conditions. This difference in the relations indicates that the erosive power in the urban watershed of Minebank Run is much more sensitive to increases in discharge magnitude than in the non-urban watershed of Tenmile Creek.

Maryland↗
USGS2009

Prominence of ichnologically influenced macroporosity in the karst Biscayne aquifer: Stratiform "super-K" zones

A combination of cyclostratigraphic, ichnologic, and borehole geophysical analyses of continuous core holes; tracer-test analyses; and lattice Boltzmann flow simulations was used to quantify biogenic macroporosity and permeability of the Biscayne aquifer, southeastern Florida. Biogenic macroporosity largely manifests as: (1) ichnogenic macroporosity primarily related to postdepositional burrowing activity by callianassid shrimp and fossilization of components of their complex burrow systems (Ophiomorpha); and (2) biomoldic macroporosity originating from dissolution of fossil hard parts, principally mollusk shells. Ophiomorpha-dominated ichno-fabric provides the greatest contribution to hydrologic characteristics in the Biscayne aquifer in a 345 km 2 study area. Stratiform tabular-shaped units of thalassinidean-associated macroporosity are commonly confined to the lower part of upward-shallowing high-frequency cycles, throughout aggradational cycles, and, in one case, they stack vertically within the lower part of a high-frequency cycle set. Broad continuity of many of the macroporous units concentrates groundwater flow in extremely permeable passage-ways, thus making the aquifer vulnerable to long-distance transport of contaminants. Ichnogenic macroporosity represents an alternative pathway for concentrated groundwater flow that differs considerably from standard karst flow-system paradigms, which describe groundwater movement through fractures and cavernous dissolution features. Permeabilities were calculated using lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) applied to computer renderings assembled from X-ray computed tomography scans of various biogenic macroporous limestone samples. The highest simulated LBM permeabilities were about five orders of magnitude greater than standard laboratory measurements using air-permeability methods, which are limited in their application to extremely permeable macroporous rock samples. Based on their close conformance to analytical solutions for pipe flow, LBMs offer a new means of obtaining accurate permeability values for such materials. We suggest that the stratiform ichnogenic groundwater flow zones have permeabilities even more extreme (???2-5 orders of magnitude higher) than the Jurassic "super-K" zones of the giant Ghawar oil field. The flow zones of the Pleistocene Biscayne aquifer provide examples of ichnogenic macroporosity for comparative analysis of origin and evolution in other carbonate aquifers, as well as petroleum reservoirs. ?? 2008 Geological Society of America.

Geological Society of America Bulletin↗
USGS2006

Effects of roads and well pads on erosion in the Largo Canyon watershed, New Mexico, 2001-02

Largo Canyon, located in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico, is one of the longest dry washes in the world. Oil and gas production in the San Juan Basin, which began in the 1940's, required the development of an extensive network of dirt roads to service the oil and gas wells in the Navajo Reservoir area. Presently, there are about eight wells per square mile, and the density of oil and gas wells is expected to increase. Potential environmental effects on landscape stability that may result from the additional roads and well pads have not been documented. In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey began a study in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management to evaluate the effects of roads and well pads associated with oil and gas operations on the erosion potential of Bureau of Land Management lands in the Largo Canyon watershed. The effects of roads and well pads on erosion were quantified by installing sediment dams (dams) and by surveying transects across roads and well pads. Data from 26 dams were used in the analysis. Dams were installed at 43 sites: 21 on hillsides upslope from roads or pads to measure erosion from hillslopes, 11 at the downslope edges of roads to measure erosion from roads, and 11 at the downslope edges of well pads to measure erosion from well pads. Pairs of survey transects were established at nine well pads and two road locations. Sediment-accumulation data for 26 dams, recorded at 17 measurement intervals, indicate that average erosion rates at the dams significantly correlate to size of the contributing area. The average erosion rate normalized by drainage area was 0.001 foot per year below roads, 0.003 foot per year on hillslopes, and 0.011 foot per year below well pads. Results of a two-sample t-test indicate that there was no significant difference in average erosion rates for dams located on hillslopes and below roads, whereas average erosion rates were significantly greater for dams below well pads than for dams on hillslopes and dams below roads. The average erosion rates estimated from the data collected during this study most likely represent minimum erosion rates. Sediment-accumulation data for measurement intervals and for dams that were breached during 2002, resulting from the large volume of runoff generated by high-intensity storms, were not used to compute erosion rates. For this reason, the higher range of erosion rates is underrepresented and the results of this study are biased toward the lower end of the range of erosion rates. Measurements along road transects generally indicate that sediment is eroded from the top of road berms and redeposited at the base of the berms and may be transported downslope along the road. Measurements along well-pad transects generally indicate that sediment eroded from hillslopes is transported over the surface of the well pad and down the well-pad edges. Based on field observations, roads aligned parallel to topographic contours facilitate erosional processes in two ways: (1) roads cut across and collect runoff from previously established drainages and (2) roads, where they are cut into hillsides or into the land surface, provide focal points for the initiation of erosion. Roads aligned across topographic contours can serve as conduits to channel runoff but do not constitute a large percentage of the road network.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2010

Paleoclimates: Understanding climate change past and present

The field of paleoclimatology relies on physical, chemical, and biological proxies of past climate changes that have been preserved in natural archives such as glacial ice, tree rings, sediments, corals, and speleothems. Paleoclimate archives obtained through field investigations, ocean sediment coring expeditions, ice sheet coring programs, and other projects allow scientists to reconstruct climate change over much of earth's history. When combined with computer model simulations, paleoclimatic reconstructions are used to test hypotheses about the causes of climatic change, such as greenhouse gases, solar variability, earth's orbital variations, and hydrological, oceanic, and tectonic processes. This book is a comprehensive, state-of-the art synthesis of paleoclimate research covering all geological timescales, emphasizing topics that shed light on modern trends in the earth's climate. Thomas M. Cronin discusses recent discoveries about past periods of global warmth, changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, abrupt climate and sea-level change, natural temperature variability, and other topics directly relevant to controversies over the causes and impacts of climate change. This text is geared toward advanced undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in geology, geography, biology, glaciology, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, and climate modeling, fields that contribute to paleoclimatology. This volume can also serve as a reference for those requiring a general background on natural climate variability.

Book↗
USGS2013

Aspects of embryonic and larval development in bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

As bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp H. molitrix (the bigheaded carps) are poised to enter the Laurentian Great Lakes and potentially damage the region’s economically important fishery, information on developmental rates and behaviors of carps is critical to assessing their ability to establish sustainable populations within the Great Lakes basin. In laboratory experiments, the embryonic and larval developmental rates, size, and behaviors of bigheaded carp were tracked at two temperature treatments, one “cold” and one “warm”. Developmental rates were computed using previously described stages of development and the cumulative thermal unit method. Both species have similar thermal requirements, with a minimum developmental temperature for embryonic stages of 12.1° C for silver carp and 12.9° C for bighead carp, and 13.3° C for silver carp larval stages and 13.4° C for bighead carp larval stages. Egg size differed among species and temperature treatments, as egg size was larger in bighead carp, and “warm" temperature treatments. The larvae started robust upwards vertical swimming immediately after hatching, interspersed with intervals of sinking. Vertical swimming tubes were used to measure water column distribution, and ascent and descent rates of vertically swimming fish. Water column distribution and ascent and descent rates changed with ontogeny. Water column distribution also showed some diel periodicity. Developmental rates, size, and behaviors contribute to the drift distance needed to fulfill the early life history requirements of bigheaded carps and can be used in conjunction with transport information to assess invasibility of a river.

PLoS ONE↗
USGS2005

Evaluation of Measurements Collected with Multi-Parameter Continuous Water-Quality Monitors in Selected Illinois Streams, 2001-03

Eight streams, representing a wide range of environmental and water-quality conditions across Illinois, were monitored from July 2001 to October 2003 for five water-quality parameters as part of a pilot study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Continuous recording multi-parameter water-quality monitors were installed to collect data on water temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentrations, specific conductivity, pH, and turbidity. The monitors were near USGS streamflow-gaging stations where stage and streamflow are continuously recorded. During the study period, the data collected for these five parameters generally met the data-quality objectives established by the USGS and IEPA at all eight stations. A similar pilot study during this period for measurement of chlorophyll concentrations failed to achieve the data-quality objectives. Of all the sensors used, the temperature sensors provided the most accurate and reliable measurements (generally within ?5 percent of a calibrated thermometer reading). Signal adjustments and calibration of all other sensors are dependent upon an accurate and precise temperature measurement. The dissolved-oxygen sensors were the next most reliable during the study and were responsive to changing conditions and accurate at all eight stations. Specific conductivity was the third most accurate and reliable measurement collected from the multi-parameter monitors. Specific conductivity at the eight stations varied widely-from less than 40 microsiemens (?S) at Rayse Creek near Waltonville to greater than 3,500 ?S at Salt Creek at Western Springs. In individual streams, specific conductivity often changed quickly (greater than 25 percent in less than 3 hours) and the sensors generally provided good to excellent record of these variations at all stations. The widest range of specific-conductivity measurements was in Salt Creek at Western Springs in the Greater Chicago metropolitan area. Unlike temperature, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductivity that have been typically measured over a wide range of historical streamflow conditions in many streams, there are few historical turbidity data and the full range of turbidity values is not well known for many streams. Because proposed regional criteria for turbidity in regional streams are based on upper 25th percentiles of concentration in reference streams, accurate determination of the distribution of turbidity in monitored streams is important. Digital data from all five sensors were recorded within each of the eight sondes deployed in the streams and in automated data recorders in the nearby streamflow-gaging houses at each station. The data recorded on each sonde were retrieved to a field laptop computer at each station visit. The feasibility of transmitting these data in near-real time to a central processing point for dissemination on the World-Wide Web was tested successfully. Data collected at all eight stations indicate that a number of factors affect the dissolved-oxygen concentration in the streams and rivers monitored. These factors include: temperature, biological activity, nutrient runoff, and weather (storm runoff). During brief periods usually in late summer, dissolved-oxygen concentrations in half or more of the eight streams and rivers monitored were below the 5 milligrams per liter minimum established by the Illinois Pollution Control Board to protect aquatic life. Because the streams monitored represent a wide range in water-quality and environmental conditions, including diffuse (non-point) runoff and wastewater-effluent contributions, this result indicates that deleterious low dissolved-oxygen concentrations during late summer may be widespread in Illinois streams.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1991

Some current themes in physical hydrology of the land-atmosphere interface

Certain themes arise repeatedly in current literature dealing with the physical hydrology of the interface between the atmosphere and the continents. Papers contributed to the 1991 International Association of Hydrological Sciences Symposium on Hydrological Interactions between Atmosphere, Soil and Vegetation echo these themes, which are discussed in this paper. The land-atmosphere interface is the region where atmosphere, soil, and vegetation have mutual physical contact, and a description of exchanges of matter or energy among these domains must often consider the physical properties and states of the entire system. A difficult family of problems is associated with the reconciliation of the wide range of spatial scales that arise in the course of observational, theoretical, and modeling activities. These scales are determined by some of the physical elements of the interface, by patterns of natural variability of the physical composition of the interface, by the dynamics of the processes at the interface, and by methods of measurement and computation. Global environmental problems are seen by many hydrologists as a major driving force for development of the science. The challenge for hydrologists will be to respond to this force as scientists rather than problem-solvers.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2012

On the use of wave parameterizations and a storm impact scaling model in National Weather Service Coastal Flood and decision support operations

National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) are responsible for issuing coastal flood watches, warnings, advisories, and local statements to alert decision makers and the general public when rising water levels may lead to coastal impacts such as inundation, erosion, and wave battery. Both extratropical and tropical cyclones can generate the prerequisite rise in water level to set the stage for a coastal impact event. Forecasters use a variety of tools including computer model guidance and local studies to help predict the potential severity of coastal flooding. However, a key missing component has been the incorporation of the effects of waves in the prediction of total water level and the associated coastal impacts. Several recent studies have demonstrated the importance of incorporating wave action into the NWS coastal flood program. To follow up on these studies, this paper looks at the potential of applying recently developed empirical parameterizations of wave setup, swash, and runup to the NWS forecast process. Additionally, the wave parameterizations are incorporated into a storm impact scaling model that compares extreme water levels to beach elevation data to determine the mode of coastal change at predetermined “hotspots” of interest. Specifically, the storm impact model compares the approximate storm-induced still water level, which includes contributions from tides, storm surge, and wave setup, to dune crest elevation to determine inundation potential. The model also compares the combined effects of tides, storm surge, and the 2 % exceedance level for vertical wave runup (including both wave setup and swash) to dune toe and crest elevations to determine if erosion and/or ocean overwash may occur. The wave parameterizations and storm impact model are applied to two cases in 2009 that led to significant coastal impacts and unique forecast challenges in North Carolina: the extratropical “Nor'Ida” event during 11-14 November and the large swell event from distant Hurricane Bill on 22 August. The coastal impacts associated with Nor'Ida were due to the combined effects of surge, tide, and wave processes and led to an estimated 5.8 million dollars in damage. While the impacts from Hurricane Bill were not as severe as Nor'Ida, they were mainly associated with wave processes. Thus, this event exemplifies the importance of incorporating waves into the total water level and coastal impact prediction process. These examples set the stage for potential future applications including adaption to the more complex topography along the New England coast.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2004

Generalized estimates from streamflow data of annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge rates for drainage basins in New Hampshire

This report presents regression equations to estimate generalized annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge rates in drainage basins in New Hampshire. The ultimate source of water for a ground-water withdrawal is aquifer recharge from a combination of precipitation on the aquifer, ground-water flow from upland basin areas, and infiltration from streambeds to the aquifer. An assessment of ground-water availability in a basin requires that recharge rates be estimated under `normal' conditions and under assumed drought conditions. Recharge equations were developed by analyzing streamflow, basin characteristics, and precipitation at 55 unregulated continuous record stream-gaging stations in New Hampshire and in adjacent states. In the initial step, streamflow records were analyzed to estimate a series of annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge components of streamflow in each drainage basin evaluated in this study. Regression equations were then developed relating the series of annual and seasonal ground-water-recharge values to the corresponding series of annual and seasonal precipitation values as determined at the centroid of each drainage basin. This resulted in one equation for each of the 55 basins for each of the four seasonal periods and the annual period, or a total of 275 regression equations. Average annual and seasonal precipitation data for 1961-90 were then used to compute a set of normalized ground-water-recharge values that reflected the long-term average annual and seasonal variations (normalized) and mean recharge characteristics of each drainage basin. Ordinary-least-squares regression was applied in the process of selecting 10 out of 93 possible basin and climatic characteristics for further testing in the development of the equations for computing the generalized estimate of annual and seasonal ground-water recharge based on the set of normalized recharge values. Generalized-least-squares regression was used for the final parameter estimation and error evaluation. The following basin and climatic characteristics were found to be statistically significant predictors for at least one of the dependent variables: average annual, summer, and spring precipitation as determined at U.S. Geological Survey stream-gaging stations; average annual basin-centroid precipitation; average mean annual basin temperature; average minimum winter basin temperature; percent coniferous forest in a basin; percent mixed coniferous and deciduous forest in a basin; average fall basin-centroid precipitation; and average annual snowcover. These 10 basin and climatic characteristics were selected because they were statistically significant based on several statistical parameters that evaluated which combination of characteristics contributed the most to the predictive accuracy of the regression-equation models. A geographic information system is required to measure the values of the predictor variables for the equations developed in the study. The average annual normalized ground-water recharge was 21.0 in. This value was determined by generalized-least-squares (GLS) regression analysis for all of the basins used in the normalized ground-water recharge analysis for precipitation from 1961-90. The average winter (January 1-March 15) ground-water recharge was 4.3 in., average spring (March 16-May 31) ground-water recharge was 9.0 in., average summer (June 1-October 31) ground-water recharge was 4.0 in., and average fall (November 1-December 31) ground-water recharge was 3.6 in. Normalized ground-water recharge ranged annually from 12.3 to 31.8 in., for winter from 2.30 to 7.82 in., for spring from 5.16 to 13.7 in., for summer from 1.45 to 10.2 in., and for fall from 2.21 to 6.06 in.

New Hampshire↗
USGS1993

Reconnaissance data for selected herbicides, two atrazine metabolities, and nitrate in surface water of the Midwestern United States, 1989-90

Water-quality data were collected from 147 rivers and streams during 1989-90 to assess selected preemergent herbicides, two atrazine metabolites, and nitrate in 10 Midwestern States. This report includes a description of the sampling design, data collection techniques, laboratory and analytical methods, and a compilation of constituent concentrations and quality-assurance data. All water samples were collected by depth-integrating techniques at three to five locations across the wetted perimeter of each stream. Sites were sampled three times in l989--before application of herbi- cides, during the first major runoff after appli- cation of herbicides, and in the fall during a low-flow period when ground water contributed to most of the streamflow. About 50 sites were selected by a stratified random procedure and resampled for both pre- and post-application herbicide concen- trations in 1990 to verify the 1989 results. Laboratory analyses consisted of both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The data are useful in studying herbicide transport, in comparison of the spatial distribution of the post-application concentrations of 11 herbicides and 2 atrazine metabolites (deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine) in streams and rivers at a regional scale. It is also useful in examination of annual persistence of herbicides and two metabolites in surface water, and in the assessment of atrazine metabolites as indicators of surface- and ground- water interaction. The reconnaissance data are contained in this report and are also available on computer diskette from the U.S. Geological Survey in Lawrence, Kansas.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Modeled sulfate concentrations in North Dakota streams, 1993-2008, based on spatial basin characteristics

Sulfate concentration data collected from North Dakota streams during recent (1993–2008) years indicates generally higher sulfate concentrations across much of the State compared to concentrations during earlier years. The higher sulfate concentrations have been attributed in other studies to wetter climatic conditions, associated increases in contributing drainage areas, and rising water tables. The State’s current (2013) stream classification system, which includes a standard for 30-day average sulfate concentration, is based on earlier data and thus may not reflect natural conditions for more recent years. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health and the North Dakota State Water Commission, completed a study to evaluate the relation of maximum seasonal (30-day moving average) sulfate concentrations during 1993–2008 to characteristics of the contributing basins to model expected naturally-occurring sulfate concentrations in North Dakota streams. Sulfate concentration data for 75 stream sampling sites in North Dakota were analyzed for this study. A spatial analysis was conducted with digital data using a Geographic Information System to obtain selected basin characteristics, which were in turn used as explanatory variables in a regression analysis to model the maximum seasonal (30-day moving average) sulfate concentration. Characteristics used in the regression analysis included mean annual precipitation, mean percent soil clay content, and mean percent saturation overland flow. Modeled sulfate concentrations generally were highest (greater than 750 milligrams per liter) in basins in western North Dakota and lowest (less than 250 milligrams per liter) in basins in the upper Sheyenne River and upper James River. Area-weighted means for the basin characteristics also were computed for 10-digit and 8-digit hydrologic units for streams in North Dakota and modeled sulfate concentrations were computed from the characteristics. The resulting distribution of modeled sulfate concentrations was similar to the distribution of estimates for the 12-digit hydrologic units, but less variable because the basin characteristics were averaged over larger areas.

North Dakota↗
USGS2025

Phase 1 technical implementation plan for the expansion of the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system to Alaska

Executive Summary The conference report accompanying the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 117–103) for the U.S. Department of the Interior and related agencies directed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to “work with the State of Alaska to develop an implementation plan to be completed within two years in order to put ShakeAlert/Earthquake Early Warning in Alaska” (p. 29). Congress included $1 million in the FY 2022 appropriation to conduct this effort. The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, along with partner organizations, has developed the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) system for the West Coast, which currently operates in California, Oregon, and Washington. The purpose of the system and its alert delivery partners is to reduce the impact of earthquakes and save lives and property by delivering ShakeAlert-powered alerts that are transmitted to the public via mass notification technologies, and by providing more detailed data streams to institutional users and commercial service providers to trigger automated, user-specific, protective actions. ShakeAlert was designed in such a way that it could be expanded to other U.S. regions with high earthquake risk, after the build-out of seismic and geodetic networks to support ShakeAlert in a specified region is completed and the necessary funding is secured for long-term operation and maintenance. When an earthquake occurs, seismic waves radiate from the rupturing fault like waves on a pond. It is these waves that people feel as earthquake shaking and that can cause damage to structures. Using networks of ground-motion sensors and sophisticated computer algorithms, ShakeAlert can detect an earthquake seconds after it begins, calculate its location and magnitude, and estimate the resulting intensity of shaking. Early warnings of impending shaking are then sent to people and systems that may experience damaging shaking, allowing them to take appropriate protective actions. Depending on the user’s distance from the earthquake, alerts may be delivered before, during, or after the arrival of strong shaking. There will almost always be a region near the earthquake epicenter where alerts arrive after damaging shaking has begun. The ShakeAlert system updates its ground-motion estimates as an earthquake grows larger. In response to the FY 2022 congressional direction, the USGS worked with the State of Alaska to devise this implementation plan for ShakeAlert expansion to Alaska. The USGS engaged with the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS). A cooperative agreement was awarded to the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) for their contributions to the plan and their work coordinating with other networks in Alaska. The USGS engaged with the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission (ASHSC) throughout the process. The USGS also held a series of Alaska stakeholder engagements. The process of developing the implementation plan was facilitated by contracted staff from Corner Alliance, which is a government consulting firm. This implementation plan describes the details and estimates the costs for a Phase 1 expansion of the ShakeAlert system to Alaska. A geographically limited Phase 1 goal was chosen that covers the highest risk and most populated areas of Alaska. The areas proposed encompass the State’s main population centers and 90 percent of the State’s population. This Phase 1 design is considered very challenging and ambitious from the viewpoint of network operators. The lessons learned if this plan is implemented could be used to consider subsequent phases to expand EEW beyond Phase 1 in Alaska in the future. ShakeAlert is built on the foundation of the sensor networks and data processing infrastructure of the USGS-led Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS). This implementation plan calls for a total of 450 high-quality, real-time EEW-capable ANSS seismic stations in Alaska: 270 new stations, 160 upgraded stations, and 20 existing stations. These seismic station numbers are based on a station spacing of 10 kilometers (km) in urban areas, 20 km in seismic source areas that endanger population centers, and 40 km in other areas. The associated costs also include support for some EEW-capable global navigation satellite system (GNSS) stations, with a focus on improving warnings for large subduction zone earthquakes. For effective EEW, ShakeAlert requires low-latency, high-availability, robust telemetry links to deliver continuous, real-time data from field stations to the data centers. The Alaska data processing hardware infrastructure would follow the general design for fail-safe operation that is used for the ShakeAlert system on the West Coast. The ShakeAlert architecture uses two independent layers: the production layer for earthquake processing and the alert layer to make alerting decisions and serve alerts to users. This implementation plan includes two geographically separated data centers in Alaska, each with two fully independent production and alert layers using the same system design developed for the West Coast. As of March 2024, the ShakeAlert system is at version 3.0.1, with more advanced versions in the development and testing pipeline. ShakeAlert originally used two algorithms to determine the location and magnitude of earthquakes using seismic data. A third algorithm that can calculate very large magnitudes of very large earthquakes with geodetic data was added in March 2024. ShakeAlert publishes several data and alert products to meet the needs of different users. All messages include the location of the earthquake, either as a point or a line, and its magnitude. Ground-shaking estimates are published in two forms, as ground-motion contours and a map grid. Providing adequate warning time for strong shaking (the “target threshold”) requires sending alerts at a threshold lower than that strong shaking level (the “alert threshold”). The thresholds for public alerting in Alaska would be a joint USGS and State decision. To have the greatest benefit, ShakeAlert-powered alerts would be delivered to institutional users and individuals by all practical pathways. The USGS alert layer can support thousands of institutional users and alert redistributors, but the USGS does not have the mission nor the infrastructure and expertise to perform mass notifications to the public or implement automatic actions for end users of the alerts. To meet this need, ShakeAlert recruits private sector “technology enablers” that have the necessary expertise to develop end-user implementations using EEW alerts with the goal of stimulating an EEW industry. Earthquake early warning alerts are useless if people do not know how to respond to them. Although the alert messages include instructions about what to do (drop, cover, and hold on), alerts are more effective if people have been trained in advance. Messages about ShakeAlert’s capabilities, limitations, and benefits could be integrated with existing earthquake education programs, including State-run programs. Therefore, ShakeAlert would coordinate with both public and private partners and stakeholders through various partnerships and agreements to accomplish consistent and ongoing public earthquake hazard education. The estimated capital cost of completing the computing infrastructure and sensor networks for the Phase 1 ShakeAlert expansion to Alaska is approximately $66 million in 2024 dollars. The annual operation and maintenance cost of the completed system is estimated to be $12 million per year in 2024 dollars when fully built out.

Alaska↗
USGS2020

Precipitation runoff modeling system (PRMS) as part of an integrated hydrologic model for the Osage Nation, northeastern Oklahoma, 1915–2014

Executive Summary The Osage Nation lacks a comprehensive tribal water plan to describe the quality and quantity of water resources in the Osage Nation, a 2,304-square-mile (mi 2 ) area of rolling pastures, tallgrass prairie, and mixed woodlands in northeastern Oklahoma. A tribal water plan can be used to help manage the sustainable development of surface and groundwater resources, thereby helping to provide a better future for the Osage Nation and their neighbors, while preserving water resources for the benefit of the surrounding environment and future generations. To help meet these goals and contribute to increased knowledge of the quantity and quality of water resources and the hydrologic processes and factors affecting those resources, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Osage Nation began studies to evaluate the surface-water and groundwater resources of the Osage Nation. An important component of these studies is the development and application of numerical models to improve quantification and understanding of the hydrologic system. These models are needed to estimate and quantify the effects of historical and potential future water resource development for the Osage Nation. This report describes the development and application of a precipitation-runoff model, the Osage Nation watershed model (ONWM). The ONWM is needed as a component of the Osage Nation integrated hydrologic model (ONIHM). At the time of this study, the ONIHM was being developed using the USGS computer software MODFLOW-One Water Hydrologic Flow Model (MODFLOW-OWHM). The intended use of the ONIHM is to simulate all surface-water and groundwater components of the hydrologic system for a 2,905-mi 2 study area centered on the Osage Nation. The ONWM was developed using the USGS Precipitation Runoff Modeling System, version 4 (PRMS-IV) computer software, also referred to as PRMS in this report, for an 8,343-mi 2 study area in northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, centered on and including the areas of the Osage Nation and the ONIHM. The ONWM is to be used as part of the ONIHM to provide a direct coupling with spatially and temporally varying daily climate conditions affecting the ONIHM study area. As an integral part of the ONIHM, the ONWM (1) simulates the inflow boundary conditions from tributary basins in the region outside and surrounding the ONIHM area; (2) provides estimates of spatially and temporally distributed precipitation, air temperature, potential evapotranspiration (PET), actual evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture, recharge, and streamflow in the ONIHM area; and (3) provides a preliminary water budget for the ONIHM area and the surrounding region, including tributary drainage basins outside of and next to the ONIHM. The specific objectives of this study were to use the ONWM to (1) provide a systematic inventory of the historical distribution of water inflows from precipitation (rain or snow) falling on the land surface and flowing through the surface-water network, (2) provide a historical context of the variability and spatial and temporal distribution of these waters, and (3) provide estimates of water inflows and potential observations to the ONIHM. The application of the ONWM as a component of the ONIHM is needed for planned simulations using the ONIHM to improve the understanding of the hydrologic system and to develop a fully comprehensive water budget, including the use and movement of water across the landscape, in the surface-water network, and in groundwater aquifers under historical and potential future conditions.

Oklahoma↗
USGS1938

Floods of Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, January-February 1937, with a section on the Flood deposits of the Ohio River, January-February 1937

In January and February 1937 the Ohio and mid-Mississippi Rivers experienced floods which, over reaches many hundreds of miles in length, exceeded all previously recorded stages. When measured by the loss of life and property, extent of damage, and general disruption of human activities, these floods constituted a major catastrophe. The floods were caused by a succession of heavy rainstorms that began late in December 1936 and continued nearly to the end of the following January. Although the storms covered a considerable part of the lower Mississippi River Basin and almost the entire Ohio River Basin, the center of heaviest precipitation was in the middle and lower portions of the Ohio River Valley. The total storm period can be subdivided into several individual storms, which were more or less clearly demarked by short intervening periods of little or no precipitation. Although the individual storm periods were the same or nearly the same over wide areas, their subdivisions were somewhat different in the most widely separated parts of the affected areas, with intermediate gradations in the intervening areas. The heaviest rainfall--that of January 20 to 25--was centered in the lower Ohio Valley, and, falling as it did upon a region with soil saturated and waterways already running full, it had the effect of producing extreme floods. The small quantity of snow on the ground over the higher eastern parts of the area at the beginning of the storm period disappeared in a short time. Some of the precipitation occurred in the form of snow, but this snow and the associated cold weather were much less significant in their influence on the floods than in the misery and discomfort they caused to ill-sheltered flood refugees and flood-bound people. Sequence and time of the storms were such that in the upper and smaller tributary basins the associated flood rises tended to clear to a notable degree before the-next flood rises came; hence many of these tributaries were at no time in extreme flood. In the lower reaches of the largest tributaries, and especially on the middle and lower reaches of the Ohio River, there were extreme and almost continuously increasing accumulations of run-off, which culminated in the region of Louisville, Ky., in stages 10 or 11 feet higher than any previously known. The precipitation was heaviest in the Ohio River Basin, and the flood in the Mississippi River, like other notable floods of the past, was caused largely by the extraordinary contributions from the Ohio River. The river stages exceeded those previously recorded for the lower 700 miles on the Ohio River and for 250 miles .on the Mississippi River below the Ohio. At Cairo, Ill., at the mouth Of the Ohio River, the river stage was higher for a period of 19 days, from January 24 to February 11, than at any previous time on record. The height above previous flood stages diminished materially as the flood progressed down the Mississippi. The mean precipitation ever the Ohio River Basin during the storm period was. 12.85 inches. The snow on the ground at the beginning of the period is estimated to have been equivalent to a mean depth of 0.10 inch of water over the basin. Out of the total precipitation 8.9 inches appeared as flood flow. On January 26 the computed volume of water in the stream channels of the Ohio River Basin was 56,000,000 acre-feet, equivalent to a depth of 5.1 inches over the drainage basin. The maximum discharge of the Ohio River at its mouth was 1,880,000 second-feet on February 1. On February 2, the day of the crest stage at the mouth of the Ohio, the computed volume of water on the surface channel system was equivalent to a depth of 3.7 inches over the drainage basin, of which 2.4 inches was in the 337-mile reach of the Ohio River between Louisville, Ky., and the mouth. This water-supply paper presents records of stage and discharge for the period including the floods at about 250 measurement stations, records of stage and discharge for the period including the floods at about 250 measurement stations, records of storage in many reservoirs, a summary of peak discharges with comparative data for other floods at about 470 measurement points, and tables showing crest stages along an aggregate length of stream channel for 5,000 miles. The report also includes basic information in regard to the weather associated with the floods, results of detailed studies of the rainfall and run-off, analyses of the volume of flood waters'in the surface channel systems during the progress of the floods, and many other kinds of flood information. Following the main flood report is a brief report entitled "Flood" deposits of the Ohio River, January-February 1937, a study of sedimentation." An abstract of that report is presented on page 693.

Ohio River, Mississippi River↗
USGS1939

Floods in the Canadian and Pecos River basins of New Mexico, May and June 1937

In May and June floods occurred in the Canadian and Pecos River Basins of New Mexico that were unusually high and in many places were record breaking. The floods were caused by heavy rains that occurred over the eastern part of the State from May 23 to June 4 in a series of intense and intermittent storms. During these storms of the cloudburst type as much as 12 inches of rain fell in the 13-day period, and a fall of 7 inches in 2 hours and 40 minutes was reported from the vicinity of Clayton. Heavy rains also fell in the mountainous region west of Roswell, amounting to as much as l0 inches at some places. Much of the region that had excessive rainfall is relatively flat and has no well-defined drainage system. From these areas there was very little run-off and practically no water was contributed to the major streams. Hail fell at many places in eastern New Mexico, causing damage to crops, livestock, and other property. Hail fell somewhere in the Canadian and Pecos River Basins almost every day during the storm period, but the duration of the fall was generally short. The largest hailstones were reported from Clayton, where one stone measured 8 inches in circumference and weighed 9 ounces; at Centerville, where reports state that some stones were 9 to 10 inches in circumference; and near Roswell, where it was reported that six stones would fill a gallon bucket. The Canadian River flood reached a peak at Logan of 110,000 second-feet, which has been exceeded in this century only by the floods of 1904, 1909, and 1914. The total run-off at Logan for the flood period has been computed as 653,800 acre-feet. At Santa Rosa the Pecos River reached a maximum discharge of 88,200 second-feet, which is greater than any previously recorded. This flood was partly stored in the Alamogordo Reservoir; the peak below the reservoir was only 25,200 second-feet. The Pecos River flood at Roswell reached a maximum discharge of more than 80,000 second-feet. This water came mostly from tributaries that have .their sources in the mountainous area west of Roswell. The Cienaga del Macho, ordinarily a small dry creek, discharged about 49,800 second-feet at its peak. The Rio Hondo experienced several flood peaks, the largest at Roswell probably being near 20,000 second-feet. Berrendo Creek, which enters the Rio Hondo near Roswell, had a computed peak discharge of 37,700 second-feet. Roswell was subjected to several floods that inundated large areas of the town. Considerable damage was done by the water, which covered nearly all the area occupied by the town. Lake McMillan, an artificial reservoir on the Pecos River about 12 miles above Carlsbad, was put to a severe strain by the large quantity of water passing through it, but no serious damage resulted. The capacity of the lake at spillway level is about 39,000 acre-feet, but at the peak of the flood the lake held about 86,000 acre-feet. The total quantity of water passing through the lake during the flood period was more than 440,000 acre-feet. This report presents data pertinent to the floods of May and June 1937, including results of peak discharge determinations made at about 14 miscellaneous places, records of peak stages and discharges and of mean daily discharges during the flood period at 23 regular river-measurement stations, records of rainfall at about 190 places, an isohyetal map showing rainfall over the entire State and two isohyetal maps showing rainfall over the Canadian and Pecos River Basins, and a discussion of the weather conditions during the flood period, including an upper-air wind and pressure chart of the United States for May 28, 1937. In addition to the information listed above the report includes a summary of records of past floods at all places in New Mexico at which authentic records were available.

New Mexico↗
USGS2012

Probabilistic estimates of surface coseismic slip and afterslip for Hayward fault earthquakes

We examine the partition of long‐term geologic slip on the Hayward fault into interseismic creep, coseismic slip, and afterslip. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we compute expected coseismic slip and afterslip at three alinement array sites for Hayward fault earthquakes with nominal moment magnitudes ranging from about 6.5 to 7.1. We consider how interseismic creep might affect the coseismic slip distribution as well as the variability in locations of large and small slip patches and the magnitude of an earthquake for a given rupture area. We calibrate the estimates to be consistent with the ratio of interseismic creep rate at the alinement array sites to the geologic slip rate for the Hayward fault. We find that the coseismic slip at the surface is expected to comprise only a small fraction of the long‐term geologic slip. The median values of coseismic slip are less than 0.2 m in nearly all cases as a result of the influence of interseismic creep and afterslip. However, afterslip makes a substantial contribution to the long‐term geologic slip and may be responsible for up to 0.5–1.5 m (median plus one standard deviation [S.D.]) of additional slip following an earthquake rupture. Thus, utility and transportation infrastructure could be severely impacted by afterslip in the hours and days following a large earthquake on the Hayward fault that generated little coseismic slip. Inherent spatial variability in earthquake slip combined with the uncertainty in how interseismic creep affects coseismic slip results in large uncertainties in these slip estimates.

California↗