USGS Science⌕ Search

SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Journal of Maps”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
USGS2012

Cross-sensor comparisons between Landsat 5 TM and IRS-P6 AWiFS and disturbance detection using integrated Landsat and AWiFS time-series images

Routine acquisition of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) data was discontinued recently and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) has an ongoing problem with the scan line corrector (SLC), thereby creating spatial gaps when covering images obtained during the process. Since temporal and spatial discontinuities of Landsat data are now imminent, it is therefore important to investigate other potential satellite data that can be used to replace Landsat data. We thus cross-compared two near-simultaneous images obtained from Landsat 5 TM and the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS)-P6 Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS), both captured on 29 May 2007 over Los Angeles, CA. TM and AWiFS reflectances were compared for the green, red, near-infrared (NIR), and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands, as well as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on manually selected polygons in homogeneous areas. All R 2 values of linear regressions were found to be higher than 0.99. The temporally invariant cluster (TIC) method was used to calculate the NDVI correlation between the TM and AWiFS images. The NDVI regression line derived from selected polygons passed through several invariant cluster centres of the TIC density maps and demonstrated that both the scene-dependent polygon regression method and TIC method can generate accurate radiometric normalization. A scene-independent normalization method was also used to normalize the AWiFS data. Image agreement assessment demonstrated that the scene-dependent normalization using homogeneous polygons provided slightly higher accuracy values than those obtained by the scene-independent method. Finally, the non-normalized and relatively normalized ‘Landsat-like’ AWiFS 2007 images were integrated into 1984 to 2010 Landsat time-series stacks (LTSS) for disturbance detection using the Vegetation Change Tracker (VCT) model. Both scene-dependent and scene-independent normalized AWiFS data sets could generate disturbance maps similar to what were generated using the LTSS data set, and their kappa coefficients were higher than 0.97. These results indicate that AWiFS can be used instead of Landsat data to detect multitemporal disturbance in the event of Landsat data discontinuity.

International Journal of Remote Sensing↗
USGS2007

Hydrological applications of Landsat imagery used in the study of the 1973 Indus River flood, Pakistan

During August and September 1973, the Indus River Valley of Pakistan experienced one of the largest floods on record, resulting in damages to homes, businesses, public works, and crops amounting to millions of rupees. Tremendous areas of lowlands were inundated along the Indus River and major tributaries. Landsat data made it possible to easily measure the extent of flooding, totaling about 20,000 km 2 within an area of about 400,000 km 2 south from the Punjab to the Arabian Sea. The Indus River data were used to continue experimentation in the development of rapid, accurate, and inexpensive optical techniques of flood mapping by satellite begun in 1973 for the Mississipi River floods. The research work on the Indus River not resulted in the development of more effective procedures for optical processing of flood data and synoptically depicting flooding, but also provided potentially valuable ancillary information concerning the hydrology of much of the Indus River Basin.

Indus River Basin↗
USGS1919

The oil fields of Allen County, Kentucky, with notes on the oil geology of adjoining counties

This report is based on a reconnaissance investigation of the oil field of Allen County, Ky., which was part of a broader study of the oil and gas fields of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, on which a general report is planned. Most of the field work was done by Mr. Mather, who spent three and a half weeks in and around the county. Mr. Shaw visited Scottsville, the county seat of Allen County, a few years ago and spent a few days in that vicinity at the beginning of the recent field work, which extended from the middle of April to the middle of May, 1917 He prepared also the first draft of the report and reviewed the literature, including reports in oil and gas journals. The purpose of the field work was to investigate the geology of the county, particularly the structure or lay of the oil-bearing strata and the results of drilling to date. Structural conditions in the producing fields were determined by running level lines to the wells and correlating the data recorded in the well logs generously furnished by the operators. Traverses were made of outcrops, and observations of the dip and strike were made in different parts of the county. Lack of a topographic base map and of time and funds for making an accurate topographic survey render the results of the work somewhat incomplete, but it is hoped they will form a valuable contribution to the knowledge of the geology of this relatively little known region, for little detailed geologic work has been done heretofore within 50 miles of Scottsville. The dips are generally too low to be read by the clinometer, but in some localities unmistakable dips can be observed in extensive outcrops along creek banks and can be measured with a level or hand transit. Few of the beds of this region can be followed any considerable distance, though by means of fossils the stratigraphic position of beds outcropping many miles apart can be determined within a few feet. The black shale is the best horizon marker, but it outcrops in only a few places and is reached in only a few wells outside the oil fields. The field work thus consisted largely in observations on out- , cropping beds in different localities and in estimating the altitude of those identified, in collecting fossils for use in future detailed work, and in obtaining from oil operators data concerning the wells and their output. It included the determination of the general lay of the rocks in the county and surrounding territory and details of structure in certain areas. The rocks lie so nearly flat that without topographic data only the general dip could be made out for a large part of the area examined. A complete set of logs of wildcat wells in the region would have thrown much light on the structure and oil possibilities, but little is known of many of the earlier wells drilled in the region, especially of those altogether unsuccessful. An unsuccessful test is soon forgotten, though the data thus obtained concerning the depth at which different beds were found and the yield of porous strata, whether water, oil, or gas, is of great value to the geologist and oil prospector.

Kentucky↗
USGS2007

Lithology-derived structure classification from the joint interpretation of magnetotelluric and seismic models

Magnetotelluric and seismic methods provide complementary information about the resistivity and velocity structure of the subsurface on similar scales and resolutions. No global relation, however, exists between these parameters, and correlations are often valid for only a limited target area. Independently derived inverse models from these methods can be combined using a classification approach to map geologic structure. The method employed is based solely on the statistical correlation of physical properties in a joint parameter space and is independent of theoretical or empirical relations linking electrical and seismic parameters. Regions of high correlation (classes) between resistivity and velocity can in turn be mapped back and re-examined in depth section. The spatial distribution of these classes, and the boundaries between them, provide structural information not evident in the individual models. This method is applied to a 10 km long profile crossing the Dead Sea Transform in Jordan. Several prominent classes are identified with specific lithologies in accordance with local geology. An abrupt change in lithology across the fault, together with vertical uplift of the basement suggest the fault is sub-vertical within the upper crust. ?? 2007 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2007 RAS.

Geophysical Journal International↗
USGS1985

Three-dimensional trend mapping from wire-line logs

Mapping of lithofacies and porosities of stratigraphic units is complicated because these properties vary in three dimensions. The method of moments was proposed by Krumbein and Libby (1957) as a technique to aid in resolving this problem. Moments are easily computed from wireline logs and are simple statistics which summarize vertical variation in a log trace. Combinations of moment maps have proved useful in understanding vertical and lateral changes in lithology of sedimentary rock units. Although moments have meaning both as statistical descriptors and as mechanical properties, they also define polynomial curves which approximate lithologic changes as a function of depth. These polynomials can be fitted by least-squares methods, partitioning major trends in rock properties from finescale fluctuations. Analysis of variance yields the degree of fit of any polynomial and measures the proportion of vertical variability expressed by any moment or combination of moments. In addition, polynomial curves can be differentiated to determine depths at which pronounced expressions of facies occur and to determine the locations of boundaries between major lithologic subdivisions. Moments can be estimated at any location in an area by interpolating from log moments at control wells. A matrix algebra operation then converts moment estimates to coefficients of a polynomial function which describes a continuous curve of lithologic variation with depth. If this procedure is applied to a grid of geographic locations, the result is a model of variability in three dimensions. Resolution of the model is determined largely by number of moments used in its generation. The method is illustrated with an analysis of lithofacies in the Simpson Group of south-central Kansas; the three-dimensional model is shown as cross sections and slice maps. In this study, the gamma-ray log is used as a measure of shaliness of the unit. However, the method is general and can be applied, for example, to suites of neutron, density, or sonic logs to produce three-dimensional models of porosity in reservoir rocks. ?? 1985 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Journal of the International Association for Mathe↗
USGS2015

The current status of mapping karst areas and availability of public sinkhole-risk resources in karst terrains of the United States

Subsidence from sinkhole collapse is a common occurrence in areas underlain by water-soluble rocks such as carbonate and evaporite rocks, typical of karst terrain. Almost all 50 States within the United States (excluding Delaware and Rhode Island) have karst areas, with sinkhole damage highest in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. A conservative estimate of losses to all types of ground subsidence was $125 million per year in 1997. This estimate may now be low, as review of cost reports from the last 15 years indicates that the cost of karst collapses in the United States averages more than $300 million per year. Knowing when a catastrophic event will occur is not possible; however, understanding where such occurrences are likely is possible. The US Geological Survey has developed and maintains national-scale maps of karst areas and areas prone to sinkhole formation. Several States provide additional resources for their citizens; Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania maintain databases of sinkholes or karst features, with Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio providing sinkhole reporting mechanisms for the public.

Hydrogeology Journal↗
USGS2024

Constraining mean landslide occurrence rates for non-temporal landslide inventories using high-resolution elevation data

Constraining landslide occurrence rates can help to generate landslide hazard models that predict the spatial and temporal occurrence of landslides. However, most landslide inventories do not include any temporal data due to the difficulties of dating landslide deposits. Here we introduce a method for estimating the mean landslide occurrence rate of deep-seated rotational and translational slides derived solely from high-resolution (≤3 m) elevation data and globally available estimates of the diffusion coefficient for sediment flux. The method applies a linear diffusion model to the roughest landslide deposits until they reach a representative non-landslide roughness distribution. This estimates the time for a landslide deposit to be unrecognizable in high-resolution digital elevation data, which we term the mean lifetime of the landslide. Using the mean lifetime and number of landslides within an area of interest, we can estimate the mean occurrence rate of landslides over that domain. We validate this approach using a comprehensive temporal inventory of landslides in western Oregon created using age-roughness curves that are calibrated with high-resolution elevation data and radiocarbon data. We find good agreement between our diffusion method and the existing age-roughness-derived estimates, producing mean lifetimes of 4500 and 5200 years (4% difference), respectively. Hazard maps produced using the two methodologies generally agree, with the maximum differences in landslide probability reaching 0.1. Due to the relative abundance of high-resolution elevation data compared with age-dated landslides, our method could help constrain landslide occurrence rates in areas previously considered unfeasible.

Oregon↗
USGS2009

An automated imagery orthorectification pilot

Automated orthorectification of raw image products is now possible based on the comprehensive metadata collected by Global Positioning Systems and Inertial Measurement Unit technology aboard aircraft and satellite digital imaging systems, and based on emerging pattern-matching and automated image-to-image and control point selection capabilities in many advanced image processing systems. Automated orthorectification of standard aerial photography is also possible if a camera calibration report and sufficient metadata is available. Orthorectification of historical imagery, for which only limited metadata was available, was also attempted and found to require some user input, creating a semi-automated process that still has significant potential to reduce processing time and expense for the conversion of archival historical imagery into geospatially enabled, digital formats, facilitating preservation and utilization of a vast archive of historical imagery. Over 90 percent of the frames of historical aerial photos used in this experiment were successfully orthorectified to the accuracy of the USGS 100K base map series utilized for the geospatial reference of the archive. The accuracy standard for the 100K series maps is approximately 167 feet (51 meters). The main problems associated with orthorectification failure were cloud cover, shadow and historical landscape change which confused automated image-to-image matching processes. Further research is recommended to optimize automated orthorectification methods and enable broad operational use, especially as related to historical imagery archives.

Journal of Remote Sensing↗
USGS2013

Geologic evidence for onshore sediment transport from the inner continental shelf: Fire Island, New York

Sediment budget analyses along the south shore of Fire Island, New York, have been conducted and debated in the scientific and coastal engineering literature for decades. It is well documented that a primary component of sediment transport in this system is directed alongshore from E to W, but discrepancies in volumetric sediment budget calculations remain. An additional quantity of sand, averaging about 200,000 m 3 /y is required to explain the growth of the western segment of the barrier island, a prograding spit. Littoral sediment derived from updrift erosion of the coast, addition of beach nourishment fill, and onshore transport of inner continental shelf, shoreface sediments, or both have all been proposed as potential sources of the additional sediment needed to balance the sediment budget deficit. Analysis of high-resolution seafloor mapping data collected in 2011, including seismic reflection profiles and inteferometric sonar acoustic backscatter and swath bathymetry; comparison with seafloor mapping data collected in 1996–1997; and shoreline change analysis from 1933 to 2011 support previous suggestions that the inner-shelf Holocene sedimentary deposit is a likely source to resolve this sediment budget discrepancy.

New York↗
USGS1975

Relations between thermal, photographic, and topographic linears and mapped and measured structures in a Precambrian terrane in Colorado

Comparison of orientation of faults, foliations, and joints, observed during geologic mapping in Colorado, with thermal, photographic, and topographic linears shows that topographic linears are statistically useful indicators of mappable faults and fractures, photographic linears are less useful, and thermal linears, believed to represent zones of moisture concentration, are parallel to faults, foliations, and, a statistically minor, but more open joint set.

Colorado↗
USGS2021

Ten years of volcanic activity at Mt Etna: High-resolution mapping and accurate quantification of the morphological changes by Pleiades and Lidar data

The topography of Mt. Etna, Italy, is subjected to continuous modifications depending on intensity and magnitude of eruptions that frequently occur at the volcano summit and flanks. In order to make high-resolution maps of morphological changes and accurately calculate the overall volume of the erupted products (e.g., lava flows, tephra fall out, scoriae cones) in ten years, we have compared the altimetry models of Mt. Etna derived from 2005 Airborne Laser Scanning data and 2015 Pleiades stereo satellite imagery. Both models cover a common area of 400 km 2 with spatial resolution of 2 m and comparable vertical accuracy (RMSE < 0.8 m). The results show that the area most affected by the erupted products is the mid-upper portion of the volcano with an altitude ranging from 1300 m to more than 3300 m a.s.l., value reached at the summit of the North East crater. In particular, this portion changes dramatically in the eastern sector due to the birth and growth of the New South-East Crater, the invasion of dozens of lava flows in the Valle del Bove, and the formation of the 2014 scoriae cones and lava field at the base of the North-East Crater. The total volume of products erupted in the investigated period results in 284.3±15.8 x 10 6 m 3 with a yearly average volume of 28.4 x 10 6 m 3 /y comparable with the previous decades. In addition, the products emitted by the 2014 sub-terminal eruption are mapped and quantified including, for the first time, the volume of the 2014 scoriae cones generated on the eastern flank of North-East Crater This study demonstrates how a rigorous comparison between digital elevation models derived from different remote sensing techniques produce high accurate mapping and quantifications of morphological changes applicable for worldwide active volcanoes. This allows to quantify volumes and areas of erupted products reducing the error estimations, a crucial point to provide precise data often used as key parameters for many volcanic hazard studies.

Mt. Etna, Sicily↗
USGS2008

Using satellite-based rainfall estimates for streamflow modelling: Bagmati Basin

In this study, we have described a hydrologic modelling system that uses satellite-based rainfall estimates and weather forecast data for the Bagmati River Basin of Nepal. The hydrologic model described is the US Geological Survey (USGS) Geospatial Stream Flow Model (GeoSFM). The GeoSFM is a spatially semidistributed, physically based hydrologic model. We have used the GeoSFM to estimate the streamflow of the Bagmati Basin at Pandhera Dovan hydrometric station. To determine the hydrologic connectivity, we have used the USGS Hydro1k DEM dataset. The model was forced by daily estimates of rainfall and evapotranspiration derived from weather model data. The rainfall estimates used for the modelling are those produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Centre and observed at ground rain gauge stations. The model parameters were estimated from globally available soil and land cover datasets &ndash; the Digital Soil Map of the World by FAO and the USGS Global Land Cover dataset. The model predicted the daily streamflow at Pandhera Dovan gauging station. The comparison of the simulated and observed flows at Pandhera Dovan showed that the GeoSFM model performed well in simulating the flows of the Bagmati Basin.

Journal of Flood Risk Management↗
USGS2018

Rapid discovery of SNPs differentiating hatchery steelhead trout from ESA-listed natural-origin steelhead trout using a 57K SNP array

Natural-origin steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)) in the Pacific Northwest, USA, are threatened by a number of factors including habitat destruction, disease, decline in marine survival, and a potential erosion of genetic viability due to introgression from hatchery strains. Our major goal was to use a recently developed SNP array containing ∼57 000 SNPs to identify a subset of SNPs that differentiate hatchery and natural-origin populations. We analyzed 35 765 polymorphic SNPs in nine populations of steelhead trout sampled from Puget Sound, Washington, USA. We then conducted two outlier tests and found 360 loci that were candidates for divergent selection between hatchery and natural-origin populations (mean F CT = 0.29, maximum = 0.65) and 595 SNPs that were candidates for selection among natural-origin populations (mean F ST = 0.25, maximum = 0.51). Comparisons with a linkage map revealed that two chromosomes (Omy05 and Omy25) contained significantly more outliers than other chromosomes, suggesting that regions on Omy05 and Omy25 may be of adaptive significance. Our results highlight several advantages of the 57 000 SNP array as a tool for population and conservation genomics studies.

British Columbia, Washington↗
USGS2019

Analysis and visualization of coastal ocean model data in the cloud

The traditional flow of coastal ocean model data is from High Performance Computing (HPC) centers to the local desktop, or to a file server where just the data needed can be extracted via services such as OPeNDAP. Analysis and visualization is then conducted using local hardware and software. This requires moving large amounts of data across the internet as well as acquiring and maintaining local hardware, software and support personnel. Further, as data sets increase in size, the traditional workflow may not be scalable. Alternatively, recent advances make it possible to move data from HPC to the Cloud and perform interactive, scalable, data-proximate analysis and visualization, with simply a web browser user interface. We use the framework advanced by the NSF-funded Pangeo project, a free, open-source Python system which provides multi-user login via JupyterHub and parallel analysis via Dask, both running in Docker containers orchestrated by Kubernetes. Data is stored in the Zarr format, a Cloud-friendly ndarray format that allows performant extraction of data by anyone without relying on data services like OPeNDAP. Interactive visual exploration of data on massive model grids is made possible by new tools in the Python PyViz ecosystem, which can render maps at screen resolution, dynamically updating on pan and zoom operations. Two example are given: (1) calculating the maximum water level at each grid cell from a 53GB, 720 time step, 9 million node triangular mesh ADCIRC simulation of Hurricane Ike; (2) creating a dashboard for visualizing data from the curvilinear orthogonal COAWST/ROMS forecast model.

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering↗
USGS2001

Some suggested future directions of quantitative resource assessments

Future quantitative assessments will be expected to estimate quantities, values, and locations of undiscovered mineral resources in a form that conveys both economic viability and uncertainty associated with the resources. Historically, declining metal prices point to the need for larger deposits over time. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the greatest opportunity for reducing uncertainty in assessments lies in lowering uncertainty associated with tonnage estimates. Of all errors possible in assessments, those affecting tonnage estimates are by far the most important. Selecting the correct deposit model is the most important way of controlling errors because the dominance of tonnage-deposit models are the best known predictor of tonnage. Much of the surface is covered with apparently barren rocks and sediments in many large regions. Because many exposed mineral deposits are believed to have been found, a prime concern is the presence of possible mineralized rock under cover. Assessments of areas with resources under cover must rely on extrapolation from surrounding areas, new geologic maps of rocks under cover, or analogy with other well-explored areas that can be considered training tracts. Cover has a profound effect on uncertainty and on methods and procedures of assessments because geology is seldom known and geophysical methods typically have attenuated responses. Many earlier assessment methods were based on relationships of geochemical and geophysical variables to deposits learned from deposits exposed on the surface-these will need to be relearned based on covered deposits. Mineral-deposit models are important in quantitative resource assessments for two reasons: (1) grades and tonnages of most deposit types are significantly different, and (2) deposit types are present in different geologic settings that can be identified from geologic maps. Mineral-deposit models are the keystone in combining the diverse geoscience information on geology, mineral occurrences, geophysics, and geochemistry used in resource assessments and mineral exploration. Grade and tonnage models and development of quantitative descriptive, economic, and deposit density models will help reduce the uncertainty of these new assessments.

Diqiu Kexue - Zhongguo Dizhi Daxue Xuebao/Earth Sc↗
USGS2015

Cokriging of compositional balances including a dimension reduction and retrieval of original units

Compositional data constitutes a special class of quantitative measurements involving parts of a whole. The sample space has an algebraic-geometric structure different from that of real-valued data. A subcomposition is a subset of all possible parts. When compositional data values include geographical locations, they are also regionalized variables. In the Earth sciences, geochemical analyses are a common form of regionalized compositional data. Ordinarily, there are measurements only at data locations. Geostatistics has proven to be the standard for spatial estimation of regionalized variables but, in general, the compositional character of the geochemical data has been ignored. This paper presents in detail an application of cokriging for the modelling of compositional data using a method that is consistent with the compositional character of the data. The uncertainty is evaluated by a Monte Carlo procedure. The method is illustrated for the contents of arsenic and iron in groundwaters in Bangladesh, which have the peculiarity of being measured in milligrams per litre, units for which the sum of all parts does not add to a constant. Practical results include maps of estimates of the geochemical elements in the original concentration units, as well as measures of uncertainty, such as the probability that the concentration may exceed a given threshold. Results indicate that probabilities of exceedance in previous studies of the same data are too low.

Journal of the Southern African Institute of Minin↗
USGS1998

Professionals in environmental education: Helping kids learn about forestry

A K--8 school in a suburb of St. Paul has formed a partnership with natural resource professionals to create a school forest for environmental education in the field. The university and agency professionals worked with students to teach them the skills necessary to map and inventory their school grounds. Students then used the inventory data to develop a school forest plan. Over the past four years students have been implementing their plans for both field and classroom work and cross-curricular activities. With the program entering its fifth year, we can advise others looking for similar opportunities.

Journal of Forestry↗
USGS2007

Spectral element modelling of fault-plane reflections arising from fluid pressure distributions

The presence of fault-plane reflections in seismic images, besides indicating the locations of faults, offers a possible source of information on the properties of these poorly understood zones. To better understand the physical mechanism giving rise to fault-plane reflections in compacting sedimentary basins, we numerically model the full elastic wavefield via the spectral element method (SEM) for several different fault models. Using well log data from the South Eugene Island field, offshore Louisiana, we derive empirical relationships between the elastic parameters (e.g. P-wave velocity and density) and the effective-stress along both normal compaction and unloading paths. These empirical relationships guide the numerical modelling and allow the investigation of how differences in fluid pressure modify the elastic wavefield. We choose to simulate the elastic wave equation via SEM since irregular model geometries can be accommodated and slip boundary conditions at an interface, such as a fault or fracture, are implemented naturally. The method we employ for including a slip interface retains the desirable qualities of SEM in that it is explicit in time and, therefore, does not require the inversion of a large matrix. We performa complete numerical study by forward modelling seismic shot gathers over a faulted earth model using SEM followed by seismic processing of the simulated data. With this procedure, we construct post-stack time-migrated images of the kind that are routinely interpreted in the seismic exploration industry. We dip filter the seismic images to highlight the fault-plane reflections prior to making amplitude maps along the fault plane. With these amplitude maps, we compare the reflectivity from the different fault models to diagnose which physical mechanism contributes most to observed fault reflectivity. To lend physical meaning to the properties of a locally weak fault zone characterized as a slip interface, we propose an equivalent-layer model under the assumption of weak scattering. This allows us to use the empirical relationships between density, velocity and effective stress from the South Eugene Island field to relate a slip interface to an amount of excess pore-pressure in a fault zone. ?? 2007 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2007 RAS.

Geophysical Journal International↗