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USGS2011

Physical, chemical, and mineralogical data from surficial deposits, groundwater levels, and water composition in the area of Franklin Lake playa and Ash Meadows, California and Nevada

This report presents data and describes the methods used to determine the physical attributes, as well as the chemical and mineralogical composition of surficial deposits; groundwater levels; and water composition in the area of Franklin Lake playa and Ash Meadows, California and Nevada. The results support studies that examine (1) the interaction between groundwater and the ground surface, and the transport of solutes through the unsaturated zone; (2) the potential for the accumulation of metals and metalloids in surface crusts; (3) emission of dust from metal-rich salt crust; and (4) the effects of metal-rich dusts on human and ecosystem health. The evaporation of shallow (<3 to 4 m) groundwater in saline, arid environments commonly results in the accumulation of salt in the subsurface and (or) the formation of salt crusts at the ground surface. Ground-surface characteristics such as hardness, electrical conductivity, and mineralogy depend on the types and forms of these salt crusts. In the study area, salt crusts range from hard and bedded to soft and loose (Reynolds and others, 2009). Depending on various factors such as the depth and composition of groundwater and sediment characteristics of the unsaturated zone, salt crusts may accumulate relatively high contents of trace elements. Soft, loose salt crusts are highly vulnerable to wind erosion and transport. These vulnerable crusts, which may contain high contents of potentially toxic trace elements, can travel as atmospheric dust and affect human and ecosystem health at local to regional scales.

Nevada;California;Arizona↗

USGS2010

Spectral assessment of new ASTER SWIR surface reflectance data products for spectroscopic mapping of rocks and minerals

ASTER reflectance spectra from Cuprite, Nevada, and Mountain Pass, California, were compared to spectra of field samples and to ASTER-resampled AVIRIS reflectance data to determine spectral accuracy and spectroscopic mapping potential of two new ASTER SWIR reflectance datasets: RefL1b and AST_07XT. RefL1b is a new reflectance dataset produced for this study using ASTER Level 1B data, crosstalk correction, radiance correction factors, and concurrently acquired level 2 MODIS water vapor data. The AST_07XT data product, available from EDC and ERSDAC, incorporates crosstalk correction and non-concurrently acquired MODIS water vapor data for atmospheric correction. Spectral accuracy was determined using difference values which were compiled from ASTER band 5/6 and 9/8 ratios of AST_07XT or RefL1b data subtracted from similar ratios calculated for field sample and AVIRIS reflectance data. In addition, Spectral Analyst, a statistical program that utilizes a Spectral Feature Fitting algorithm, was used to quantitatively assess spectral accuracy of AST_07XT and RefL1b data.Spectral Analyst matched more minerals correctly and had higher scores for the RefL1b data than for AST_07XT data. The radiance correction factors used in the RefL1b data corrected a low band 5 reflectance anomaly observed in the AST_07XT and AST_07 data but also produced anomalously high band 5 reflectance in RefL1b spectra with strong band 5 absorption for minerals, such as alunite. Thus, the band 5 anomaly seen in the RefL1b data cannot be corrected using additional gain adjustments. In addition, the use of concurrent MODIS water vapor data in the atmospheric correction of the RefL1b data produced datasets that had lower band 9 reflectance anomalies than the AST_07XT data. Although assessment of spectral data suggests that RefL1b data are more consistent and spectrally more correct than AST_07XT data, the Spectral Analyst results indicate that spectral discrimination between some minerals, such as alunite and kaolinite, are still not possible unless additional spectral calibration using site specific spectral data are performed. ?? 2010.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗

USGS2016

A synthesis of terrestrial mercury in the western United States: Spatial distribution defined by land cover and plant productivity

A synthesis of published vegetation mercury (Hg) data across 11 contiguous states in the western United States showed that aboveground biomass concentrations followed the order: leaves (26 μg kg − 1 ) ~ branches (26 μg kg − 1 ) > bark (16 μg kg − 1 ) > bole wood (1 μg kg − 1 ). No spatial trends of Hg in aboveground biomass distribution were detected, which likely is due to very sparse data coverage and different sampling protocols. Vegetation data are largely lacking for important functional vegetation types such as shrubs, herbaceous species, and grasses. Soil concentrations collected from the published literature were high in the western United States, with 12% of observations exceeding 100 μg kg − 1 , reflecting a bias toward investigations in Hg-enriched sites. In contrast, soil Hg concentrations from a randomly distributed data set (1911 sampling points; Smith et al., 2013a) averaged 24 μg kg − 1 (A-horizon) and 22 μg kg − 1 (C-horizon), and only 2.6% of data exceeded 100 μg kg − 1 . Soil Hg concentrations significantly differed among land covers, following the order: forested upland > planted/cultivated > herbaceous upland/shrubland > barren soils. Concentrations in forests were on average 2.5 times higher than in barren locations. Principal component analyses showed that soil Hg concentrations were not or weakly related to modeled dry and wet Hg deposition and proximity to mining, geothermal areas, and coal-fired power plants. Soil Hg distribution also was not closely related to other trace metals, but strongly associated with organic carbon, precipitation, canopy greenness, and foliar Hg pools of overlying vegetation. These patterns indicate that soil Hg concentrations are related to atmospheric deposition and reflect an overwhelming influence of plant productivity — driven by water availability — with productive landscapes showing high soil Hg accumulation and unproductive barren soils and shrublands showing low soil Hg values. Large expanses of low-productivity, arid ecosystems across the western U.S. result in some of the lowest soil Hg concentrations observed worldwide.

Science of the Total Environment↗

USGS2025

Speleothem evidence for Late Miocene extreme Arctic amplification – An analogue for near-future anthropogenic climate change?

The Miocene provides an excellent climatic analogue for near-future runaway anthropogenic warming, with atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and global average temperatures similar to those projected for the coming century under extreme-emissions scenarios. However, the magnitude of Miocene Arctic warming remains unclear due to the scarcity of reliable proxy data. Here we use stable oxygen isotope and trace element analyses, alongside clumped isotope and fluid inclusion palaeothermometry of speleothems to reconstruct palaeo-environmental conditions near the Siberian Arctic coast during the Tortonian (8.68 ± 0.09 Ma ). Stable oxygen isotope records suggest warmer-than-present temperatures. This is supported by temperature estimates based on clumped isotopes and fluid inclusions giving mean annual air temperatures between + 6.6 and + 11.1 °C , compared with − 12.3 °C today. Trace elements records reveal a highly seasonal hydrological environment. Our estimate of > 18 °C of Arctic warming supports the wider consensus of a warmer-than-present Miocene and provides a rare palaeo-analogue for future Arctic amplification under high-emissions scenarios. The reconstructed increase in mean surface temperature far exceeds temperatures projected in fully coupled global climate models, even under extreme-emissions scenarios. Given that climate models have consistently underestimated the extent of recent Arctic amplification, our proxy data suggest Arctic warming may exceed current projections.

Lena River delta↗

USGS2018

Groundwater modeling

The state of the science and practice in groundwater modeling brings to mind highly sophisticated computer models that are running in parallel on many multi-processor machines. These models are expected to incorporate many different processes of both saturated and unsaturated groundwater flow and transport and possibly the media to which it connects, like surface waters and the atmosphere. We are increasingly aware we cannot study groundwater flow in isolation if we are to make useful predictions of, for instance, the impacts of climate change on the groundwater regime. We have come a long way. Today we are no longer limited to equations for flow toward a well, perhaps near an infinitely long straight canal (method of images), to sandbox models in the laboratory, or to simple steady state models of flow in a single aquifer. We now have computer models that solve groundwater flow and transport in multi-aquifer settings under transient conditions and with a user-friendly graphical user interface that allows widespread use. Additionally, multi-media models are now leaving the research environment and becoming available to mainstream consultants. So in that sense the science of groundwater modeling has matured. The practice of groundwater modeling, however, has also matured. We have come to realize that model output, being a necessary simplification of an unknowably complex natural world, has inherent limitations. That is, a model of reality is not reality itself. There is uncertainty associated with all facets of our model—parameterization, aquifer geometry and discretization, boundary conditions, and future hydrologic drivers such as future pumping regimes and climates. Today a model is now more appropriately seen as a tool that provides a quantitative framework to make supportable forecasts rather than an oracle that gives us all the answers. In this chapter we set out to briefly review the state of the science and practice in modeling. In doing so, we augment existing assessments from the journal Groundwater (e.g., Hunt and Zheng 2012; Langevin and Panday 2012; Molz 2017a,b; White 2017), specifically in terms of modeling approach. An effective modeling approach is critical. If a modeler does not decompose the societal problem correctly, the model will not be fit-for-purpose, no matter how sophisticated the code’s capabilities. Moreover, capabilities of codes will be ever improving; good modeling practices have a timelessness that is more robust. How best to decompose the problem and provide models that are accepted? We lay out here some approaches for today’s applied groundwater modeling. Specifically, we suggest: (1) a step-wise modeling process; (2) including a two-dimensional areal model within this process; (3) keeping abreast of industry standards; and (4) ways to increase acceptance of the models we produce.

Book chapter↗

USGS2013

The landfall and inland penetration of a flood-producing atmospheric river in Arizona. Part I: observed synoptic-scale, orographic, and hydrometeorological characteristics

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are a dominant mechanism for generating intense wintertime precipitation along the U.S. West Coast. While studies over the past 10 years have explored the impact of ARs in, and west of, California’s Sierra Nevada and the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Mountains, their influence on the weather across the intermountain west remains an open question. This study utilizes gridded atmospheric datasets, satellite imagery, rawinsonde soundings, a 449-MHz wind profiler and global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and operational hydrometeorological observing networks to explore the dynamics and inland impacts of a landfalling, flood-producing AR across Arizona in January 2010. Plan-view, cross-section, and back-trajectory analyses quantify the synoptic and mesoscale forcing that led to widespread precipitation across the state. The analyses show that a strong AR formed in the lower midlatitudes over the northeastern Pacific Ocean via frontogenetic processes and sea surface latent-heat fluxes but without tapping into the adjacent tropical water vapor reservoir to the south. The wind profiler, GPS, and rawinsonde observations document strong orographic forcing in a moist neutral environment within the AR that led to extreme, orographically enhanced precipitation. The AR was oriented nearly orthogonal to the Mogollon Rim, a major escarpment crossing much of central Arizona, and was positioned between the high mountain ranges of northern Mexico. High melting levels during the heaviest precipitation contributed to region-wide flooding, while the high-altitude snowpack increased substantially. The characteristics of the AR that impacted Arizona in January 2010, and the resulting heavy orographic precipitation, are comparable to those of landfalling ARs and their impacts along the west coasts of midlatitude continents.

Arizona↗

USGS2000

Mercury in Long Island Sound sediments

Mercury (Hg) concentrations were measured in 394 surface and core samples from Long Island Sound (LIS). The surface sediment Hg concentration data show a wide spread, ranging from <50 ppb Hg in eastern LIS to >600 ppb Hg in westernmost LIS. Part of the observed range is related to variations in the bottom sedimentary environments, with higher Hg concentrations in the muddy depositional areas of central and western LIS. A strong residual trend of higher Hg values to the west remains when the data are normalized to grain size. Relationships between a tracer for sewage effluents (C. perfringens) and Hg concentrations indicate that between 0-50 % of the Hg is derived from sewage sources for most samples from the western and central basins. A higher percentage of sewage-derived Hg is found in samples from the westernmost section of LIS and in some local spots near urban centers. The remainder of the Hg is carried into the Sound with contaminated sediments from the watersheds and a small fraction enters the Sound as in situ atmospheric deposition. The Hg-depth profiles of several cores have well-defined contamination profiles that extend to pre-industrial background values. These data indicate that the Hg levels in the Sound have increased by a factor of 5-6 over the last few centuries, but Hg levels in LIS sediments have declined in modern times by up to 30 %. The concentrations of C. perfringens increased exponentially in the top core sections which had declining Hg concentrations, suggesting a recent decline in Hg fluxes that are unrelated to sewage effluents. The observed spatial and historical trends show Hg fluxes to LIS from sewage effluents, contaminated sediment input from the Connecticut River, point source inputs of strongly contaminated sediment from the Housatonic River, variations in the abundance of Hg carrier phases such as TOC and Fe, and focusing of sediment-bound Hg in association with westward sediment transport within the Sound.

Connecticut;New York↗

USGS2023

Selenium hazards in the Salton Sea environment—Summary of current knowledge to inform future wetland management

Quaternary marine and continental shales in the western United States are sources of selenium that can be loaded into the aquatic environment through mining, agricultural, and energy production processes. The mobilization of selenium from shales through agricultural irrigation has been recognized since the 1930s; however, discovery of deformities in birds and other wildlife using agricultural habitats during the 1980s spurred studies to determine the extent and effects of the contamination. Through these early studies, researchers determined that biota in the Salton Sea drainage basin was at risk from legacy selenium contamination in the Colorado River watershed. The Salton Sea and its surrounding managed and unmanaged wetlands provide vital inland habitat and trophic support for diverse assemblages of resident and migratory wildlife, and understanding regional selenium hazards for these trust species is a priority for many Federal and State agencies. The modern Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked saline lake in Riverside and Imperial Counties (not shown) of California that is sustained by irrigation return and perennial river inflow. Changes in water transfer agreements under the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) have resulted in reduced irrigation flow, declining lake levels, and the evolution of unmanaged wetlands in areas where drains and rivers no longer reach the Salton Sea. These wetlands provide additional habitat for some species of concern, but their potential to increase selenium hazards for trust species is largely unknown. From the 1980s to 2020, efforts to document selenium contamination and effects throughout the region have resulted in a considerable amount of selenium data from the Salton Sea and its surrounding drainage basin; however, no long-term (greater than 20 years), consistent sampling program has been established, and all data have been collected by different entities using a variety of protocols and analytical techniques. This lack of coordination has been previously documented in regional management plans and has led to difficulty in reliably assessing selenium hazards in the Salton Sea environment. This report provides a summary of the available disparate selenium information collected from water, sediment, and biota in the Salton Sea region since the 1980s and to identify data gaps that need to be filled to understand the potential effects of selenium on species of concern, including federally endangered desert pupfish ( Cyprinodon macularius ) and Yuma Ridgway’s Rail ( Rallus obsoletus yumanensis; formerly Yuma Clapper Rail, Rallus longirostris yumanensis ). Available data from the Salton Sea drainage basin show that water from the Colorado River has the lowest selenium concentration of all surface water sources. All other surface water flowing into the Salton Sea has elevated selenium concentrations due to evaporation and evapotranspiration that occurs in agricultural fields and associated water delivery infrastructure or leaching of selenium from irrigated farmland soils. The Salton Sea has lower selenium concentrations because of various biogeochemical processes that recycle selenium into the sediment or volatilize it to the atmosphere; however, these mechanisms are not well defined, and it is not clear if selenium cycling will change in response to possible changes in the oxidation state of the Salton Sea bottom waters as water levels decline. Agricultural drains have the highest average selenium concentrations, but few drains have been sampled since changes in irrigation practices have occurred (due to the 2003 QSA). Groundwater selenium concentrations are variable; some wells south of the Salton Sea have selenium concentrations as high as 300 micrograms per liter (µg/L), whereas selenium concentrations are below detection in other wells. Groundwater and surface-water geothermal discharge zones around the margins of the Salton Sea and in unmanaged wetlands have not been studied in detail, and published selenium measurements are not available for these surface features. Selenium concentrations in the sediment of the Salton Sea drainage basin are highest in wetland particulate organic matter and the Salton Sea lakebed, indicating that removal of selenium from the water to the sediment has been a primary mechanism for keeping selenium concentrations low in the water column. Sediment selenium concentrations in wetlands are lower than in the Salton Sea but higher than inflowing drains and rivers, indicating the lentic wetland sites also may be important sinks for selenium because of biogeochemical processes. Sediment selenium data have not been collected in agricultural drains since changes in irrigation practices occurred (due to the 2003 QSA), and it is unknown if selenium sequestration from the water column has changed in these systems. We divided biological data into broad taxonomic categories, including primary producers, invertebrates, herpetofauna, mammals, fishes, and birds to facilitate evaluation of selenium concentrations and spatiotemporal trends observed in the Salton Sea. Overall, selenium concentrations were substantially greater in algae samples compared to all vascular plant samples combined. Median selenium concentrations in several invertebrate taxa (Chironomidae, Formicidae, Corixidae, Corbiculidae and Nereididae, and Decapoda) exceeded the maximum suggested dietary threshold of 3.0–4.0 micrograms per gram (µg/g) dry weight (dw) for predators consuming invertebrates in aquatic food webs. The greatest number of samples were collected from fish, and selenium distributions among species and locations showed that the range for most samples was lower than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selenium criterion for aquatic life (8.5 µg/g dw whole body, 11.3 µg/g dw fillets). The median selenium concentrations for whole body fish were below the selenium criterion in most locations, except for bairdiella ( Bairdiella icistia ) from the Salton Sea and irrigation drains, a few individual tilapia spp. (family Cichlidae, including genera Tilapia, Oreochromis , and their hybrids) from the river and river outlets, and several western mosquitofish ( Gambusia affinis ) and sailfin molly ( Poecilia latipinna ) from irrigation drain outlets. For avian samples combined among years and locations, median selenium concentrations in livers from all families except waders and Ibis (family Threskiornithidae) were higher than levels expected to cause selenium toxicosis (10–20 µg/g dw), and all median egg concentrations were above or near 6.0 μg/g dw, which is a conservative threshold value for reproductive impairment. Most knowledge gaps we identified for water, sediment, and biota were interrelated, and the use of integrated approaches to address knowledge gaps can provide greater insight into the drivers behind selenium hazards. Integrated water, sediment, and biota studies could help identify cost-effective management solutions that serve multiple purposes. A comprehensive analysis of the hydrology, biogeochemistry, and food-web processes in wetlands and other habitats can inform predictive models to identify drivers of selenium bioavailability, uptake from the environment and subsequent trophic transfer, ultimately forming the basis for experimental habitat management manipulations to minimize selenium hazards to wildlife. Furthermore, a comprehensive, long-term sampling and analytical laboratory plan would enable comparison of data among different entities that are sampling at the Salton Sea. Such efforts are well suited to help fill knowledge gaps that preclude understanding of selenium hazards and future management options for biota using Salton Sea habitats, including newly formed wetlands throughout the region. All data compiled for this report are available in two U.S. Geological Survey data releases: Groover and others (2022) for water and sediment samples and De La Cruz and others (2022) for biological samples. The data releases include all publicly available data for selenium concentrations in water, sediment, and biological samples collected in and around the Salton Sea, including the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. The data releases also include previously unpublished data.

California↗

USGS2012

Air-water oxygen exchange in a large whitewater river

Air–water gas exchange governs fluxes of gas into and out of aquatic ecosystems. Knowing this flux is necessary to calculate gas budgets (i.e., O 2 ) to estimate whole‐ecosystem metabolism and basin‐scale carbon budgets. Empirical data on rates of gas exchange for streams, estuaries, and oceans are readily available. However, there are few data from large rivers and no data from whitewater rapids. We measured gas transfer velocity in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, as decline in O 2 saturation deficit, 7 times in a 28‐km segment spanning 7 rapids. The O 2 saturation deficit exists because of hypolimnetic discharge from Glen Canyon Dam, located 25 km upriver from Lees Ferry. Gas transfer velocity ( k 600 ) increased with slope of the immediate reach. k 600 was < 10 cm h − 1 in flat reaches, while k 600 for the steepest rapid ranged 3600–7700 cm h − 1 , an extremely high value of k 600 . Using the rate of gas exchange per unit length of water surface elevation ( K drop , m − 1 ), segment‐integrated k 600 varied between 74 and 101 cm h − 1 . Using K drop we scaled k 600 to the remainder of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. At the scale corresponding to the segment length where 80% of the O 2 exchanged with the atmosphere (mean length = 26.1 km), k 600 varied 4.5‐fold between 56 and 272 cm h − 1 with a mean of 113 cm h − 1 . Gas transfer velocity for the Colorado River was higher than those from other aquatic ecosystems because of large rapids. Our approach of scaling k 600 based on K drop allows comparing gas transfer velocity across rivers with spatially heterogeneous morphology.

Arizona↗

USGS2016

Assessing the role of climate and resource management on groundwater dependent ecosystem changes in arid environments with the Landsat archive

Groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) rely on near-surface groundwater. These systems are receiving more attention with rising air temperature, prolonged drought, and where groundwater pumping captures natural groundwater discharge for anthropogenic use. Phreatophyte shrublands, meadows, and riparian areas are GDEs that provide critical habitat for many sensitive species, especially in arid and semi-arid environments. While GDEs are vital for ecosystem services and function, their long-term (i.e. ~ 30 years) spatial and temporal variability is poorly understood with respect to local and regional scale climate, groundwater, and rangeland management. In this work, we compute time series of NDVI derived from sensors of the Landsat TM, ETM +, and OLI lineage for assessing GDEs in a variety of land and water management contexts. Changes in vegetation vigor based on climate, groundwater availability, and land management in arid landscapes are detectable with Landsat. However, the effective quantification of these ecosystem changes can be undermined if changes in spectral bandwidths between different Landsat sensors introduce biases in derived vegetation indices, and if climate, and land and water management histories are not well understood. The objective of this work is to 1) use the Landsat 8 under-fly dataset to quantify differences in spectral reflectance and NDVI between Landsat 7 ETM + and Landsat 8 OLI for a range of vegetation communities in arid and semiarid regions of the southwestern United States, and 2) demonstrate the value of 30-year historical vegetation index and climate datasets for assessing GDEs. Specific study areas were chosen to represent a range of GDEs and environmental conditions important for three scenarios: baseline monitoring of vegetation and climate, riparian restoration, and groundwater level changes. Google's Earth Engine cloud computing and environmental monitoring platform is used to rapidly access and analyze the Landsat archive along with downscaled North American Land Data Assimilation System gridded meteorological data, which are used for both atmospheric correction and correlation analysis. Results from the cross-sensor comparison indicate a benefit from the application of a consistent atmospheric correction method, and that NDVI derived from Landsat 7 and 8 are very similar within the study area. Results from continuous Landsat time series analysis clearly illustrate that there are strong correlations between changes in vegetation vigor, precipitation, evaporative demand, depth to groundwater, and riparian restoration. Trends in summer NDVI associated with riparian restoration and groundwater level changes were found to be statistically significant, and interannual summer NDVI was found to be moderately correlated to interannual water-year precipitation for baseline study sites. Results clearly highlight the complementary relationship between water-year PPT, NDVI, and evaporative demand, and are consistent with regional vegetation index and complementary relationship studies. This work is supporting land and water managers for evaluation of GDEs with respect to climate, groundwater, and resource management.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗

USGS2012

Resource and hazard implications of gas hydrates in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Results of the 2009 Joint Industry Project Leg II Drilling Expedition

In the 1970's, Russian scientists were the first to suggest that gas hydrates, a crystalline solid of water and natural gas, and a historical curiosity to physical chemists, should occur in abundance in the natural environment. Since this early start, the scientific foundation has been built for the realization that gas hydrates are a global phenomenon, occurring in permafrost regions of the arctic and in deep water portions of most continental margins worldwide. Recent field testing programs in the Arctic (Dallimore et al., 2008; Yamamoto and Dallimore, 2008) have indicated that natural gas can be produced from gas hydrate accumulations, particularly when housed in sand-rich sediments, with existing conventional oil and gas production technology (Collett et al., 2008) and preparations are now being made for the first marine field production tests (Masuda et al., 2009). Beyond a future energy resource, gas hydrates in some settings may represent a geohazard. Other studies also indicate that methane released to the atmosphere from destabilized gas hydrates may have contributed to global climate change in the past.

Northern Gulf Of Mexico↗

USGS2004

Sidescan sonar imagery and surficial geologic interpretation of the sea floor off Branford, Connecticut

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP), Figure 1 - Map of Study Areahas produced detailed geologic maps of the sea floor in Long Island Sound, a major East Coast estuary surrounded by the most densely populated region of the United States. These studies have built upon cooperative research between the USGS and the State of Connecticut that was initiated in 1982. The current phase of this research program is directed toward studies of sea-floor sediment distribution, processes that control sediment distribution, nearshore environmental concerns, and the relation of benthic community structures to the sea-floor geology. Anthropogenic wastes, toxic chemicals, and changes in land-use patterns resulting from residential, commercial, and recreational development have stressed the environment of the Sound, causing degradation and potential loss of benthic habitats (Koppelman and others, 1976; Long Island Sound Study, 1994). Detailed maps of the sea floor are needed to help evaluate the extent of adverse impacts and to help wisely manage resources in the future. Therefore, in a continuing effort to better understand Long Island Sound, we are constructing and interpreting sidescan sonar mosaics (complete-coverage acoustic images of the sea floor) within specific areas of special interest (Poppe and Polloni, 1998). The mosaic presented herein, which was produced during survey H11043 by NOAA 's Atlantic Hydrographic Branch, covers approximately 41.1 km 2 of the sea floor in north-central Long Island Sound off Branford, Connecticut. Shell bed provides shelter for juvenille skate.The mosaic and its interpretation serve many purposes, including: (1) defining the geological variability of the sea floor, which is one of the primary controls of benthic habitat diversity; (2) improving our understanding of the processes that control the distribution and transport of bottom sediments and the distribution of benthic habitats and associated infaunal community structures; and (3) providing a detailed framework for future research, monitoring, and management activities. The sidescan sonar mosaic also serves as a base map for subsequent sedimentological, geochemical, and biological observations, because precise information on environmental setting is important for selection of sampling sites and for appropriate interpretation of point measurements.

Connecticut↗

USGS2000

Importance of the Mississippi River Basin for investigating agricultural–chemical contamination of the hydrologic cycle

This special issue is devoted to recent and ongoing research relating to the fate and transport of agricultural chemicals in the Mississippi River Basin by the US Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology (Toxics) Program. The Mississippi River Basin drains approximately 3 200 000 km 2 representing 41% of the United States. This is the largest river in the United States and the third largest in the world. The Mississippi River discharges an average of 19 920 m 3 /s of water into the Gulf of Mexico. The river is an extensively used resource, supplying drinking water to 70 cities in the United States. The Mississippi River Basin has undergone dramatic land use and cultural changes over the last 150 years. Approximately 70 million people now live within the basin, representing approximately 27% of the nation's population. This basin has also become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world in terms of both crops and livestock grown. Approximately 65% of the nation's harvested cropland is grown in this basin, with more than 100 000 metric tons (t) of pesticides and approximately 6 500 000 t of commercial nitrogen fertilizers applied to cropland within the basin annually. The drainage of more than 20 000 000 ha within the basin has been enhanced by means of tile lines and ditches to lower the water table to make the cropland more productive. While removing the water from the soil as intended, this practice also leads to more rapid transport of contaminants to the river, and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, the extensive chemical use in the Mississippi River Basin has led to the transport of pesticides and nitrate into the region’s streams, aquifers, and atmosphere. An estimated 1 000 000 t of nitrate-N is transported from the Mississippi River Basin into the Gulf of Mexico annually. The peak annual load of herbicides to the Gulf of Mexico has been documented at 1920 t. The fundamental goal of the papers presented in this volume is to provide a scientific basis for decisions necessary to promote sound and efficient agricultural practices and protect the quality of the nation's water resources.

Science of the Total Environment↗

USGS2022

Sedimentary geochemistry of deepwater slope deposits in southern Lake Tanganyika (East Africa): Effects of upwelling and minor lake level oscillations

Lake Tanganyika ranks among the most valuable modern analogs for understanding depositional processes of carbonaceous sediments in ancient tropical rifts. Prior research on Lake Tanganyika has emphasized the importance of bottom-water anoxia, depositional processes (hemipelagic settling versus gravity flows), and large-scale (100s of meters) lake level change on the quality of sedimentary organic matter content. Here, facies analysis and numerous organic geochemical tools (elemental, carbon isotope, and programmed pyrolysis) were applied to a radiocarbon-dated core from southern Lake Tanganyika to investigate the accumulation of carbonaceous sediments in a deepwater slope environment influenced by high-frequency climatic fluctuations accompanied by only minor (10s of meters) lake level changes. Considerable variability in lithofacies and geochemistry characterizes the ∼ 1030-year-long core record, chiefly driven by climate-mediated changes to the lake's upwelling system. Laminated diatom oozes and sapropels with mean total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and hydrogen indices of 6.9 wt.% and 385 mg hydrocarbon/g TOC, respectively, characterize sediments deposited during periods of strong upwelling and variable water levels. Silty sediments deposited via gravity-flow processes were likewise rich in organic matter, likely due to preservation-enhancing bottom-water anoxia. Dilution by reworked tephra was the chief constraint on organic enrichment at the study site. Data from this study reveal that oscillations in atmospheric and limnological processes in the absence of major shoreline movements can result in geochemically diverse deepwater slope sediments, which have implications for improving depositional models of petroliferous continental rift basins.

Journal of Sedimentary Research↗

USGS2019

Inorganic nitrogen wet deposition gradients in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area and Colorado Front Range – Preliminary implications for Rocky Mountain National Park and interpolated deposition maps

For the first time in the 40-year history of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network (NADP/NTN), a unique urban-to-rural transect of wet deposition monitoring stations were operated as part of the NTN in 2017 to quantify reactive inorganic nitrogen wet deposition for adjacent urban and rural, montane regions. The transect of NADP stations (sites) was used to collect continuous precipitation depth and weekly wet-deposition samples in the Denver – Boulder, Colorado urban corridor. Gradients in reactive inorganic nitrogen (Nr) concentrations and wet deposition were identified along the transect, which included Rocky Mountain National Park. Back trajectory modeling and stable isotopes suggested contribution of agricultural ammonia (NH3) to urban Nr wet deposition in Denver, but apportionment of wet-deposited Nr to agricultural versus urban mobile sources was not possible for this study. The results demonstrate the importance of multiple monitoring sites across an urban area in defining fine-scale geographic patterns in atmospheric deposition and its sources. Data from new sites located within 50 km of the urban area demonstrate that the urban influence doesn't extend as far as the Inverse Distance Weighting would have suggested without such empirical monitoring data. It is important to determine the radius of influence of urban emissions and associated deposition on the interpolated deposition raster, which is constrained by a paucity of monitoring sites east of Denver.

Colorado↗

USGS2016

An interface for simulating radiative transfer in and around volcanic plumes with the Monte Carlo radiative transfer model McArtim

This report describes two software tools that, when used as front ends for the three-dimensional backward Monte Carlo atmospheric-radiative-transfer model (RTM) McArtim, facilitate the generation of lookup tables of volcanic-plume optical-transmittance characteristics in the ultraviolet/visible-spectral region. In particular, the differential optical depth and derivatives thereof (that is, weighting functions), with regard to a change in SO 2 column density or aerosol optical thickness, can be simulated for a specific measurement geometry and a representative range of plume conditions. These tables are required for the retrieval of SO 2 column density in volcanic plumes, using the simulated radiative-transfer/differential optical-absorption spectroscopic (SRT-DOAS) approach outlined by Kern and others (2012). This report, together with the software tools published online, is intended to make this sophisticated SRT-DOAS technique available to volcanologists and gas geochemists in an operational environment, without the need for an indepth treatment of the underlying principles or the low-level interface of the RTM McArtim.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2003

Concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and inorganic constituents in ambient surface soils, Chicago, Illinois: 2001-02

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are ubiquitous in ambient surface soils in the city of Chicago, Illinois. PAH concentrations in samples collected in June 2001 and January 2002 were typically in the following order from highest to lowest: fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, phenanthrene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, and anthracene. Naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, and fluorene were consistently at the lowest concentrations in each sample. Concentrations of the PAH compounds showed variable correlation. Concentrations of PAH compounds with higher molecular weights typically show a higher degree of correlation with other PAH compounds of higher molecular weight, whereas PAH compounds with lower molecular weights tended to show a lower degree of correlation with all other PAH compounds. These differences indicate that high and low molecular-weight PAHs behave differentl y once released into the environment. Concentrations of individual PAH compounds in soils typically varied by at least three orders of magnitude across the city and varied by more than an order of magnitude over a distance of about 1,000 feet. Concentrations of a given PAH in ambient surface soils are affected by a variety of site-specific factors, and may be affected by proximity to industrial areas. Concentrations of a given PAH in ambient surface soils did not appear to be affected the organic carbon content of the soil, proximity to non-industrial land use, or proximity to a roadway. The concentration of the different PAH compounds in ambient surface soils appears to be affected by the propensity for the PAH compound to be in the vapor or particulate phase in the atmosphere. Lower molecular-weight PAH compounds, which are primarily in the vapor phase in the atmosphere, were detected in lower concentrations in the surface soils. Higher molecular-weight PAH compounds, which are present primarily in the particulate phase in the atmosphere, tended to be in higher concentrations in the surface soils. The apparent effect of the PAH phase in the atmosphere on the concentration of a PAH in ambient surface soils indicates that atmospheric settling of particulate matter is an important source of the PAH compounds in ambient surface soils in Chicago. The distribution of PAH compounds within the city was complex. Comparatively high concentrations were detected near Lake Michigan in the northern part of the city, in much of the western part of the city, and in isolated areas in the southern part of the city. Concentrations were lower in much of the northwestern, south-central, southwestern, and far southern parts of the city. The arithmetic mean concentration of arsenic, mercury, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, zinc, and selenium was from 2 to 6 times higher in ambient surface soils in the city of Chicago than in soils from surrounding agricultural areas. The arithmetic mean concentration of lead in Chicago soils was about 20 times higher. Concentrations of calcium and magnesium above those of surrounding agricultural areas appear to be related to the effects of dolomite bedrock on the chemical composition of the soil. Elevated concentrations of the remaining elements listed above indicate a potential anthropogenic source(s) of these elements in Chicago soils.

Illinois↗

USGS2017

Satellite-based water use dynamics using historical Landsat data (1984–2014) in the southwestern United States

Remote sensing-based field-scale evapotranspiration (ET) maps are useful for characterizing water use patterns and assessing crop performance. The relative impact of climate variability and water management decisions are better studied and quantified using historical data that are derived using a set of consistent datasets and methodology. Historical (1984–2014) Landsat-based ET maps were generated for major irrigation districts in California, i.e., Palo Verde and eight other sub-basins in parts of the middle and lower Central Valley. A total of 3396 Landsat images were processed using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model that integrates weather and remotely sensed images to estimate monthly and annual ET within the study sites over the 31 years. Model output evaluation and validation using gridded-flux data and water balance ET approaches indicated relatively good correspondence (R 2 up to 0.88, root mean square error as low as 14 mm/month) between SSEBop ET and validation datasets. In a pairwise comparison, annual variability of agro-hydrologic parameters of actual evapotranspiration ( ET a ), land surface temperature ( T s ), and runoff ( Q ) were found to be more variable than their corresponding climatic counterparts of atmospheric water demand ( ET o ), air temperature ( T a ), and precipitation ( P ), revealing process differences between regional climatic drivers and localized agro-hydrologic responses. However, only T a showed a consistent increase (up to 1.2 K) over study sites during the 31 years, whereas other climate variables such as ET o and P showed a generally neutral trend. This study demonstrates a useful application of “Big Data” science where large volumes of historical Landsat and weather datasets were used to quantify and understand the relative importance of water management and climate variability in crop water use dynamics in regards to the linkages among water management decisions, hydrologic processes and economic transactions. Irrigation district-wide ET a estimates were used to compute historical crop water use volumes and monetary equivalents of water savings for the Palo Verde Irrigation District (PVID). During the peak crop fallowing year in PVID, the water saved reached a maximum of ~ 107,200 acre-feet in 2011 with an estimated monetary payout value of $20.5 million. A significant decreasing trend in actual ET despite an increasing atmospheric demand in PVID highlights the role of management decisions in affecting local hydrologic processes. This study has importance for planning water resource allocation, managing water rights, sustaining agricultural production, and quantifying impacts of climate and land use/land cover changes on water resources. With increased computational efficiency, similar studies can be conducted in other parts of the world to help policy and decision makers understand and quantify various aspects of water resources management.

Arizona, California↗