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At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
USGS2006

Analysis of the Magnitude and Frequency of Peak Discharges for the Navajo Nation in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico

Estimates of the magnitude and frequency of peak discharges are necessary for the reliable flood-hazard mapping in the Navajo Nation in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Navajo Nation requested that the U.S. Geological Survey update estimates of peak discharge magnitude for gaging stations in the region and update regional equations for estimation of peak discharge and frequency at ungaged sites. Equations were developed for estimating the magnitude of peak discharges for recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 years at ungaged sites using data collected through 1999 at 146 gaging stations, an additional 13 years of peak-discharge data since a 1997 investigation, which used gaging-station data through 1986. The equations for estimation of peak discharges at ungaged sites were developed for flood regions 8, 11, high elevation, and 6 and are delineated on the basis of the hydrologic codes from the 1997 investigation. Peak discharges for selected recurrence intervals were determined at gaging stations by fitting observed data to a log-Pearson Type III distribution with adjustments for a low-discharge threshold and a zero skew coefficient. A low-discharge threshold was applied to frequency analysis of 82 of the 146 gaging stations. This application provides an improved fit of the log-Pearson Type III frequency distribution. Use of the low-discharge threshold generally eliminated the peak discharge having a recurrence interval of less than 1.4 years in the probability-density function. Within each region, logarithms of the peak discharges for selected recurrence intervals were related to logarithms of basin and climatic characteristics using stepwise ordinary least-squares regression techniques for exploratory data analysis. Generalized least-squares regression techniques, an improved regression procedure that accounts for time and spatial sampling errors, then was applied to the same data used in the ordinary least-squares regression analyses. The average standard error of prediction for a peak discharge have a recurrence interval of 100-years for region 8 was 53 percent (average) for the 100-year flood. The average standard of prediction, which includes average sampling error and average standard error of regression, ranged from 45 to 83 percent for the 100-year flood. Estimated standard error of prediction for a hybrid method for region 11 was large in the 1997 investigation. No distinction of floods produced from a high-elevation region was presented in the 1997 investigation. Overall, the equations based on generalized least-squares regression techniques are considered to be more reliable than those in the 1997 report because of the increased length of record and improved GIS method. Techniques for transferring flood-frequency relations to ungaged sites on the same stream can be estimated at an ungaged site by a direct application of the regional regression equation or at an ungaged site on a stream that has a gaging station upstream or downstream by using the drainage-area ratio and the drainage-area exponent from the regional regression equation of the respective region.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1998

Liquefaction evidence for strong earthquakes of Holocene and latest Pleistocene ages in the states of Indiana and Illinois, USA

Sand- and gravel-filled clastic dikes of seismic liquefaction origin occur throughout much of southern Indiana and Illinois. Nearly all of these dikes originated from prehistoric earthquakes centered in the study area. In this area at least seven and probably eight strong prehistoric earthquakes have been documented as occurring during the Holocene, and at least one during the latest Pleistocene. The recognition of different earthquakes has been based mainly on timing of liquefaction in combination with the regional pattern of liquefaction effects, but some have been recognized only by geotechnical testing at sites of liquefaction. Most paleo-earthquakes presently recognized lie in Indiana, but equally as many may have occurred in Illinois. Studies in Illinois have not yet narrowly bracketed the age of clastic dikes at many sites, which sometimes causes uncertainty in defining the causative earthquake, but even in Illinois the largest paleo-earthquakes probably have been identified. Prehistoric magnitudes were probably as high as about moment magnitude M 7.5. This greatly exceeds the largest historic earthquake of M 5.5 centered in Indiana or Illinois. The strongest paleo-earthquakes struck in the vicinity of the concentration of strongest historic seismicity. Elsewhere, paleo-earthquakes on the order of M 6-7 have occurred even where there has been little or no historic seismicity. Both geologic and geotechnical methods of analysis have been essential for verification of seismic origin for the dikes and for back-calculating prehistoric magnitudes. Methods developed largely as part of this study should be of great value in unraveling the paleoseismic record elsewhere.Sand- and gravel-filled clastic dikes of seismic liquefaction origin occur throughout much of southern Indiana and Illinois. Nearly all of the dikes originated from prehistoric earthquakes. To date, both geologic and geotechnical methods of analysis have been essential for verification of seismic origin for the dikes and for back-calculating prehistoric magnitudes.

Engineering Geology↗
USGS2020

Sediment lithology and borehole erosion testing, American and Sacramento Rivers, California

Executive Summary A field investigation intended to measure the potential for erosion of sediments beside the American and Sacramento Rivers near Sacramento, California, is described. The study featured two primary components: (1) drilling and soil sampling to reveal lithology, down to depths matching the local river thalweg, where possible, and (2) borehole erosion tests (BETs) as described by Briaud and others (2017) at many of the same locations. The latter test involved drilling a vertical hole, measuring its diameter profile, inserting a hollow drilling rod to almost the bottom of the hole, and pumping fluid through the drilling rod at a known discharge for a chosen time interval. The hole was then resurveyed to establish an erosion rate (change in borehole radius divided by duration of flow event) as a function of depth, and the test was repeated. This test was performed with water as the erosive fluid at 12 locations, with 1 test repeated with drilling mud. Lithology holes were drilled at these same locations and an additional five locations. Drilling operations took place on river left and river right on the American River and river left (left bank, when looking downstream) on the Sacramento River. The drilling to acquire sediment samples and reveal lithology involved the use of a mobile drilling rig equipped with a 6-inch (in.) auger, a 140-pound pneumatic hammer to drive split spoon and Calmod samplers, and a piston to push Shelby tube samplers to obtain samples of clayey material. Blow count (hammer blows per 6-in. sampler advance) was recorded while sampling, and the process was logged using standard U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento District procedures. Sediment samples were identified and described in the field per ASTM D2488 and then delivered to a USACE laboratory and to Texas A&M University for additional laboratory analysis. The BETs were performed with the same drilling rig that performed the drilling for definition of lithology. In most instances, tests were limited to regions above the water table, to avoid slumping of the borehole and heaving sands pushing into the hole. Most of the tests featured sediments that were primarily silty sand or sandy silt. The testing procedure involved comparing borehole profiles before and after passing an assumed constant discharge through a drilling rod to the bottom of the drilled hole. Discharge and water losses were logged during the testing procedure, and water losses into the walls of the drilled hole were typically less than 5 percent of the introduced volume. For the tests performed with water, the coefficient of variation of the discharge ranged from 4.5 to 28 percent, with a mean of 13 percent, but the mean discharge appeared to be reasonably steady over the typical test duration of 10–30 minutes. It was thus assumed that discharge was constant and water losses during the tests were neglected. Coefficients of variation of the discharge for the three tests performed with drilling mud were much higher (20–50 percent), but erosion rates were much smaller. Resolution of the borehole caliper-reported diameter was 0.1 in. and several of the tests lasted for 10 minutes. With boreholes measured twice, before and after each test, and averaged, these numbers correspond to an apparent erosion rate (radius change divided by test duration) of 0.3 inches per hour (in/hr), which is a theoretical lower bound on what could be measured with this approach and equipment. In practice, 0.5 in/hr appears to be a more realistic lower bound on the detectable erosion rate, based on inspection of computed changes and erosion rates. Three flow speeds (5, 8, and 12 feet per second; ft/s) were targeted for the tests. Because of equipment limitations, it was not possible in the field to reach an average of 12 ft/s throughout any given borehole, although much higher flow speeds were reached locally in some cases. Most tests featured at least two different flow rates, and the borehole was typically surveyed at least twice for each condition, to allow averaging to reduce the influence of random diameter measurement errors. Errors arising from out-of-round boreholes appeared to be uncommon. Briaud and others (2017) recommend stepped increases in the flow rate during a borehole test. This approach was taken during initial testing but proved to be problematic. The drilled hole would be enlarged by the first (smaller) discharge, and then it would be difficult to reach the desired higher flow speed because of the larger annulus between the drilled hole and the drilling rod that supplied the water for testing. This was largely solved by starting with a high discharge and, in many cases, maintaining it for subsequent tests with the average flow speed decreasing as the hole enlarged. Several different measures of erosion rate were computed and investigated by comparison to lithological profiles. The vertically averaged erosion rate for each hole was computed, but this result does not reveal vertical variability of erodibility; and the mean flow speed within the hole is not a good representation of the speed when attempting to determine a relationship between erosion rate and flow speed. Instead, for each 6-inch layer within the hole, vertically averaged erosion rates and local flow speeds were computed and plotted. Where possible, the soil type for each layer was identified. For later laboratory analysis, project protocol dictated collection of Shelby tube samples whenever clay was encountered. Plots of erosion rate versus flow speed displayed scatter that indicate that several other factors influence the erosion potential of the soil. Blow count was not a good predictor variable; it is better correlated with soil type than erodibility. Soils were classified as sand, silt, or clay, depending on which soil type dominated within a sample. In general, those classified as sand and silt did not reveal clear patterns allowing erosion rate to be computed directly from flow speed, but the test results define the range and bounds on the erosion rate. Results for clay were slightly clearer with the erosion rate increasing with flow speed, once a threshold had been reached. In this case, the erosion rate appeared to change near a speed of 7 ft/s; above this threshold, erosion rates jumped from less than 2 in/hr to greater than 3 in/hr. Even for soils with similar classifications, large differences in erodibility were observed between sites and in different layers within an individual hole. One potential means of dealing with this problem would be to perform more tests at each site to allow establishment of relationships between flow speed and erodibility for individual layers within a borehole. The maximum number of tests performed at a site in this study was four, but in some cases, results are available for only one or two flow events. Comparison of data to a set of Erosion Function Apparatus tests that provide better resolution of the vertical variation in the erosion rate versus flow speed relationship would allow further investigation of this idea. It was hypothesized that drilling mud could expand the utility of the test in soft sands by reducing the likelihood of slumping that would be interpreted as erosion. The one test that was performed with drilling mud indicated that it greatly reduced the erosion rate of the soils encountered. It yielded very different results from the test performed at the same site with water. Erosion rate is often expressed as a function of shear stress applied to a soil. In order to compute shear stress on the walls of the drilled hole, one must assume a form for the relationship between flow speed and shear stress and select a friction factor that is often estimated empirically from head loss, observed water-surface profiles, surface roughness, or other data not available in this report. One methodology for computing shear stress from flow speed is discussed in this report, but the test results have been presented in terms of erosion rate versus flow speed to avoid assuming values that are not verifiable via the field data collected in this study. Erosion rate was computed from directly measured values (sequential borehole profiles) and flow speed was computed directly from measured quantities (discharge and borehole geometry). The BET has seen limited application, primarily in clayey soils, whereas most of the soils encountered in this study were primarily sand or silt. The objective of the BET is to determine the erodibility of in situ soil below the ground or riverbed surface. The BET is simple in principle and has the advantage of revealing erodibility of in situ sediments below the ground or riverbed surface; it appears to be very useful in clayey soils, based on previously published work, but is more difficult to apply in sandy soils where slumping and water losses within the hole during testing are more likely to occur. The BET did reveal a large variation in the results both laterally and vertically, even for the same soil-type classification. It is thus recommended that the results be applied considering these spatial variations rather than attempting to universally assign an erosion-rate relationship to a particular soil type. Results have been provided showing the results by site and by sediment classification (sand, silt, and clay), to allow either approach. Where possible, it is important to rely on site-specific results because the erosion-rate relationship for a given soil type varied by site. Data collected during this project have been made publicly available online via the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sciencebase database. The measured borehole profiles, discharge, lithology log sheets, and photos are available in the data release that accompanies this report (see Work and Livsey (2019) in the “Selected References” section for the appropriate link).

California↗
USGS2014

Analysis of floods, including the tropical storm Irene inundation, of the Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, Bridgewater, and Killington and of Reservoir Brook in Bridgewater and Plymouth, Vermont

Digital flood-inundation maps were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District for a 25-mile reach of the Ottauquechee River and a 2-mile reach of Reservoir Brook in Vermont. The reach of the Ottauquechee River that was studied extends from River Road Bridge in Killington, Vt., to the Taftsville Dam in the village of Taftsville, in the town of Woodstock, Vt., and the reach of Reservoir Brook extends from a location downstream from the Woodward Reservoir in Plymouth, Vt., to its confluence with the Ottauquechee River in Bridgewater, Vt. The inundation maps depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to the 1-percent annual exceedance probability (AEP) flood (also referred to as the 100-year flood) and the peak of the tropical storm Irene flood of August 28, 2011, which was greater than the 0.2-percent AEP flood (also referred to as the 500-year flood), as referenced to the USGS Ottauquechee River near West Bridgewater, Vt. streamgage (station 01150900). In addition to the two digital flood inundation maps, flood profiles were created that depict the study reach flood elevation of tropical storm Irene of August 2011 and the 10-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent AEP floods, also known as the 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year floods, respectively. The 10-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent AEP flood discharges were determined using annual peak flow data from the USGS Ottauquechee River near West Bridgewater, Vt. streamgage (station 01150900). Flood profiles were computed for the Ottauquechee River and Reservoir Brook by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using documented high-water marks of the peak of the tropical storm Irene flood of August 2011 as well as stage discharge data as determined for USGS Ottauquechee River near West Bridgewater, Vt. streamgage (station 01150900). The simulated water-surface profiles were combined with a digital elevation model within a geographic information system to delineate the areas flooded during tropical storm Irene and for the 1-percent AEP water-surface profile. The digital elevation model data were derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data obtained for a 3,281-foot (1,000-meter) corridor along the Ottauquechee River study reach and were augmented with 33-foot (10- meter) contour interval data in the modeled flood-inundation areas outside the lidar corridor. The 33-foot (10-meter) contour interval USGS 15-minute quadrangle topographic digital raster graphics map used to augment lidar data was produced at a scale of 1:24,000. The digital flood inundation maps and flood profiles along with information regarding current stage from USGS streamgages on the Internet provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Vermont↗
USGS2021

Profiling lunar dust dissolution in aqueous environments: The design concept

Published studies and internal NASA reports indicate that when native lunar dust is suspended in an aqueous solution a variety of metal and other ions are released. This release has implications for future lunar missions, ranging from effects on mission hardware, effects on life support systems, possible direct effects on human health, and effects on research experiments such as plant growth experiments, space biology experiments and any activities that may involve the use of water sourced from the lunar poles. Furthermore, such contaminants could become concentrated or chemically altered to a more hazardous form during a variety of lunar mission activities, including everything from space suit cleaning to lunar industrial materials extraction. The exact profile of the release of ions from lunar dust and the nature of the partially dissolved particles has not been explored. Any model of this dissolution must be based on an understanding of the unique micromorphology of lunar dust, including its glassy nature, agglutinate features, high surface area and the presence of small deposits of elemental iron (nanophase iron) located near the surface of the grain particles. Dust has a very high surface area available for interaction with water. For this reason, on first exposure to water, an immediate pulsed release of ions could occur, with more prolonged release taking place over months or years. The few studies that have been conducted previously have been limited in both the time scales examined and in the selection of ions that were measured. The proposed investigation is a comprehensive materials science investigation, using the most modern analytical tools to catalogue all metals given off from lunar dust in various aqueous solutions and their time profiles of release from the very short term to the very long term. The product of the proposed study will be a comprehensive database determined from NASA curated samples collected from the Apollo landing sites that can be applied to research in both living systems and non-living systems on the moon. The methods developed in the proposed study will also establish standards for analysis of lunar dust samples returned from future manned missions (Artemis and others) and future robotic missions. The knowledge gained from this basic materials science investigation will have broad impact on the design of engineered human safety and health systems.

Acta Astronautica↗
USGS2000

Regional interdisciplinary paleoflood approach to assess extreme flood potential

In the past decade, there has been a growing interest of dam safety officials to incorporate a risk‐based analysis for design‐flood hydrology. Extreme or rare floods, with probabilities in the range of about 10 −3 to 10 −7 chance of occurrence per year, are of continuing interest to the hydrologic and engineering communities for purposes of planning and design of structures such as dams [ National Research Council , 1988]. The National Research Council stresses that as much information as possible about floods needs to be used for evaluation of the risk and consequences of any decision. A regional interdisciplinary paleoflood approach was developed to assist dam safety officials and floodplain managers in their assessments of the risk of large floods. The interdisciplinary components included documenting maximum paleofloods and a regional analyses of contemporary extreme rainfall and flood data to complement a site‐specific probable maximum precipitation study [ Tomlinson and Solak , 1997]. The cost‐effective approach, which can be used in many other hydrometeorologic settings, was applied to Elkhead Reservoir in Elkhead Creek (531 km 2 ) in northwestern Colorado; the regional study area was 10,900 km 2 . Paleoflood data using bouldery flood deposits and noninundation surfaces for 88 streams were used to document maximum flood discharges that have occurred during the Holocene. Several relative dating methods were used to determine the age of paleoflood deposits and noninundation surfaces. No evidence of substantial flooding was found in the study area. The maximum paleoflood of 135 m 3 s −1 for Elkhead Creek is about 13% of the site‐specific probable maximum flood of 1020 m 3 s −1 . Flood‐frequency relations using the expected moments algorithm, which better incorporates paleoflood data, were developed to assess the risk of extreme floods. Envelope curves encompassing maximum rainfall (181 sites) and floods (218 sites) were developed for northwestern Colorado to help define maximum contemporary and Holocene flooding in Elkhead Creek and in a regional frequency context. Study results for Elkhead Reservoir were accepted by the Colorado State Engineer for dam safety certification.

Water Resources Research↗
USGS1988

Simulation technique for modeling flow on floodplains and in coastal wetlands

The system design is premised on a proven, areal two-dimensional, finite-difference flow/transport model which is supported by an operational set of computer programs for input data management and model output interpretation. The purposes of the project are (1) to demonstrate the utility of the model for providing useful highway design information, (2) to develop guidelines and procedures for using the simulation system for evaluation, analysis, and optimal design of highway crossings of floodplain and coastal wetland areas, and (3) to identify improvements which can be effected in the simulation system to better serve the needs of highway design engineers. Two case study model implementations, being conducted to demonstrate the simulation system and modeling procedure, are presented and discussed briefly.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1978

Strong-motion earthquake accelerograms digitization and analysis

This is the third of a series of reports planned to include the results of digitization and routine analyses of strong-motion earthquake accelerograms published by the U.S. Geological Survey. Serving as a model for this effort is the collection of data reports published by the Earthquake Engineering Research Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology during the years 1969 - 1975 and covering the significant records of the period from 133 up to the San Fernando earthquake of February 9, 1971. Earlier reports in the present series have covered the significant records of 1971 subsequent to San Fernando (Open file report No. 76-609) and Peru records from 1951 to 1974 (Open file report No. 77-587). The present report includes a selection of 1972 records.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2001

Apparent chlorofluorocarbon age of ground water of the shallow aquifer system, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Yorktown, Virginia

Apparent ages of ground water are useful in the analysis of various components of flow systems, and results of this analysis can be incorporated into investigations of potential pathways of contaminant transport. This report presents the results of a study in 1997 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Base Civil Engineer, Environmental Directorate, to describe the apparent age of ground water of the shallow aquifer system at the Station. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), tritium ( 3 H), dissolved gases, stable isotopes, and water-quality field properties were measured in samples from 14 wells and 16 springs on the Station in March 1997. Nitrogen-argon recharge temperatures range from 5.9°C to 17.3°C with a median temperature of 10.9°C, which indicates that ground-water recharge predominantly occurs in the cold months of the year. Concentrations of excess air vary depending upon geohydrologic setting (recharge and discharge areas). Apparent ground-water ages using a CFC-based dating technique range from 1 to 48 years with a median age of 10 years. The oldest apparent CFC ages occur in the upper parts of the Yorktown-Eastover aquifer, whereas the youngest apparent ages occur in the Columbia aquifer and the upper parts of the discharge area setting, especially springs. The vertical distribution of apparent CFC ages indicates that groundwater movement between aquifers is somewhat retarded by the leaky confining units, but the elapsed time is relatively short (generally less than 35 years), as evidenced by the presence of CFCs at depth. The identification of binary mixtures by CFC-based dating indicates that convergence of flow lines occurs not only at the actual point of discharge, but also in the subsurface. The CFC-based recharge dates are consistent with expected 3 H concentrations measured in the water samples from the Station. The concentration of 3H in ground water ranges from below the USGS laboratory minimum reporting limit of 0.3 to 15.9 tritium units (TU) with a median value of 10.8 TU. Water-quality field properties are highly variable for ground water with apparent CFC ages less than 15 years because of geochemical processes within local flow systems. Ground water with apparent CFC ages greater than 15 years represents more stable conditions in subregional flow systems. The range of apparent CFC ages is slightly greater than the ranges in time of travel of ground water calculated for shallow wells (less than 60- feet deep) from flow-path analysis. Calculated travel times to springs can be up to two orders of magnitude greater than the CFC-based apparent ages. Reasonable assumptions of values for hydraulic parameters can result in substantial overestimates for time of travel to springs. Recharge rates computed from apparent CFC ages range from 0.29 to 0.89 feet per year (ft/ yr) with an average value of 0.54 ft/yr. The analysis of apparent CFC ages in conjunction with geohydrologic data indicates that young water (less than 50 years) is present at depth (nearly 120 feet) and that both local and subregional flow systems occur in the shallow aquifer system at the Station. The addition of the dimension of time to the three-dimensional framework of Brockman and others (1997) will benefit current (2001) and future remediation activities by providing estimates of advective transport rates and how these rates vary depending upon geohydrologic setting and position within the ground-water-flow system. Estimated ground-water apparent ages and recharge rates can be used as calibration criteria in simulations of ground-water flow on the Station to refine and constrain future ground-water-flow models of the shallow aquifer system.

Virginia↗
USGS2012

Understanding beach health throughout the Great Lakes -- continuing research

The overall mission of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Beach Health Initiative is to provide science-based information and methods that will allow beach managers to more accurately make beach closure and advisory decisions, understand the sources and physical processes affecting beach contaminants, and understand how science-based information can be used to mitigate and restore beaches and protect the public. The USGS, in collaboration with many Federal, State, and local agencies and universities, has conducted research on beach-health issues in the Great Lakes Region for more than a decade. The work consists of four science elements that align with the initiative's mission: real-time assessments of water quality; coastal processes; pathogens and source tracking; and data analysis, interpretation, and communication. The ongoing or completed research for each of these elements is described in this fact sheet.

Wisconsin;New York;Michigan;Ohio;Indiana↗
USGS1999

Estimation of near-surface shear-wave velocity by inversion of Rayleigh waves

The shear‐wave ( S -wave) velocity of near‐surface materials (soil, rocks, pavement) and its effect on seismic‐wave propagation are of fundamental interest in many groundwater, engineering, and environmental studies. Rayleigh‐wave phase velocity of a layered‐earth model is a function of frequency and four groups of earth properties: P -wave velocity, S -wave velocity, density, and thickness of layers. Analysis of the Jacobian matrix provides a measure of dispersion‐curve sensitivity to earth properties. S -wave velocities are the dominant influence on a dispersion curve in a high‐frequency range (>5 Hz) followed by layer thickness. An iterative solution technique to the weighted equation proved very effective in the high‐frequency range when using the Levenberg‐Marquardt and singular‐value decomposition techniques. Convergence of the weighted solution is guaranteed through selection of the damping factor using the Levenberg‐Marquardt method. Synthetic examples demonstrated calculation efficiency and stability of inverse procedures. We verify our method using borehole S -wave velocity measurements.

Geophysics↗
USGS2025

Regional hydraulic geometry characteristics of stream channels in the Boston Mountains in Arkansas

Many stream-channel infrastructure, habitat enhancement, and restoration projects are undertaken on streams throughout Arkansas by Federal, State, and local agencies as well as by private organizations and businesses with limited data on local geomorphology and streamflow conditions. Equations that relate drainage area above stable stream reaches to the basin characteristics, bankfull streamflow, and the associated channel dimensions can be used to estimate stream conditions. These equations, along with streambed material particle information, provide information that can be used to improve stream-channel projects. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District, completed a study to develop these equations for streams in the Boston Mountains in Arkansas. Fourteen U.S. Geological Survey streamgages and stream reaches located in the Boston Mountains were selected for analysis. Geomorphic parameters of streams, including the mean bankfull channel dimensions (cross-sectional area, top width, mean depth, and streamflow), and the contributing drainage areas were investigated. Streambed materials were collected at eight of these sites to develop descriptive statistics of the streambed particle-size distributions and percentages of substrate type. Stream reaches at each study site were classified to Rosgen level II stream type based on the averages of stream-channel metrics collected from site cross sections and profiles. Of the 14 selected Boston Mountain stream reaches, 7 were classified as B-type streams, and 7 were classified as C-type streams. For these streams, the significant differences in measured parameters between stream types were that the B-type streams had greater depth, hydraulic radii, and bar D50 and D85 particle sizes, while C-type streams had greater watershed slopes. Streambed material particle size decreased with mean drainage basin elevation and decreased with increasing entrenchment ratios. Bar sediment size exhibited decreasing size with increasing sinuosity. Regional hydraulic geometry curves were constructed for the streams in the Boston Mountains by plotting measured bankfull geometry dimensions from stable reaches and the associated bankfull streamflow against the contributing drainage area.

Arkansas, Oklahoma↗
USGS2024

Utilization of stochastic ground motion simulations for scenario-based performance assessment of geo-structures

Probabilistic seismic performance assessments of engineered structures can be highly sensitive to the seismic input excitation and its variability. In the present study, the scenario-based performance assessment recommended by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P-58 guidelines is adopted to estimate seismic fragility of concrete dams for various seismic hazard scenarios. Due to the scarcity of recorded ground motions and thereby their poor representation of uncertainties, stochastic ground motion simulation methods are utilized to obtain the required input excitations. Moreover, to understand the uncertainty in ground motion simulation models, two broadband stochastic simulation models are used to generate input excitations representing six seismic hazard scenarios defined by earthquake magnitude, source-to-site distance, and soil conditions. Optimal intensity measure parameters for each scenario are identified using a systematic procedure that considers criteria such as efficiency, practicality, proficiency, sufficiency, and hazard compatibility. Fragility curves and surfaces are derived using the cloud analysis technique, taking into account various damage measures and limit state functions. The study finds that the derived fragility curves are particularly sensitive to the selection of earthquake scenarios, the choice of records, and the methods used to calculate fragility curves, with less sensitivity observed to different engineering demand parameters. Given this sensitivity, particularly to ground motion selection, the study highlights the necessity of incorporating both model-to-model variability (epistemic uncertainty) and record-to-record variability (aleatory uncertainty), alongside the established material and modeling uncertainties, in the probabilistic seismic assessment.

Reliability Engineering and System Safety (RESS)↗
USGS2014

The possibility of electrical stratification in the Earth as disclosed by surface‐measurements of currents and potentials

Early application of electricity to the ground was of interest particularly to telegraphy especially when it was first commercially applied. There was available at that time the Newtonian analysis of sources and sinks in a semi‐infinite medium which could be applied directly to ground‐contacts. Experiments conducted at that time showed that, while the electrical ground‐resistivity was a factor, it was under engineering control. In computing the resistance of a ground‐contact, Kennelly [see 1 of “References” at end of paper] equated the conducting surface buried in the ground to that of a hemisphere in a medium having a uniform resistivity, and the values so secured were within the safe limits of operation of telegraph‐ and cable‐lines. Later Ollendorf [2] gave a very much more detailed solution of a large number of different types of ground‐contacts for which was computed the current‐ and potential‐distribution in the ground immediately around the ground‐electrode. Wenner [3] also gave a classical solution for the measurement of ground‐resistivity by using separate current‐ and potential‐contacts to the ground which was good practice for measuring the resistivity of metal conductors.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2008

Low-Level detections of halogenated volatile organic compounds in groundwater: Use in vulnerability assessments

Concentrations of halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined by gas chromatography (GC) with an electron-capture detector (GC-ECD) and by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in 109 groundwater samples from five study areas in the United States. In each case, the untreated water sample was used for drinking-water purposes or was from a monitoring well in an area near a drinking-water source. The minimum detection levels (MDLs) for 25 VOCs that were identified in GC-ECD chromatograms, typically, were two to more than four orders of magnitude below the GC-MS MDLs. At least six halogenated VOCs were detected in all of the water samples analyzed by GC-ECD, although one or more VOCs were detected in only 43% of the water samples analyzed by GC-MS. In nearly all of the samples, VOC concentrations were very low and presented no known health risk. Most of the low-level VOC detections indicated post-1940s recharge, or mixtures of recharge that contained a fraction of post-1940s water. Concentrations of selected halogenated VOCs in groundwater from natural and anthropogenic atmospheric sources were estimated and used to recognize water samples that are being impacted by nonatmospheric sources. A classification is presented to perform vulnerability assessments at the scale of individual wells using the number of halogenated VOC detections and total dissolved VOC concentrations in samples of untreated drinking water. The low-level VOC detections are useful in vulnerability assessments, particularly for samples in which no VOCs are detected by GC-MS analysis.

Journal of Hydrologic Engineering↗
USGS2022

Undeveloped and developed phases in the centennial evolution of a barrier-marsh-lagoon system: The case of Long Beach Island, New Jersey

Barrier islands and their associated backbarrier environments protect mainland population centers and infrastructure from storm impacts, support biodiversity, and provide long-term carbon storage, among other ecosystem services. Despite their socio-economic and ecological importance, the response of coupled barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise is poorly understood. Undeveloped barrier-marsh-lagoon systems typically respond to sea-level rise through the process of landward migration, driven by storm overwash and landward mainland marsh expansion. Such response, however, can be affected by human development and engineering activities such as lagoon dredging and shoreline stabilization. To better understand the difference in the response between developed and undeveloped barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise, we perform a local morphologic analysis that describes the evolution of Long Beach Island (LBI), New Jersey, over the last 182 years. We find that between 1840 and 1934 the LBI system experienced landward migration of all five boundaries, including 171 meters of shoreline retreat. Between the 1920s and 1950s, however, there was a significant shift in system behavior that coincided with the onset of groin construction, which was enhanced by beach nourishment and lagoon dredging practices. From 1934 to 2022 the LBI system experienced ~22 meters of shoreline progradation and a rapid decline in marsh platform extent. Additionally, we extend a morphodynamic model to describe the evolution of the system in terms of five geomorphic boundaries: the ocean shoreline and backbarrier-marsh interface, the seaward and landward lagoon-marsh boundaries, and the landward limit of the inland marsh. We couple this numerical modeling effort with the map analysis during the undeveloped phase of LBI evolution, between 1840 and 1934. Despite its simplicity, the modeling framework can describe the average cross-shore evolution of the barrier-marsh-lagoon system during this period without accounting for human landscape modifications, supporting the premise that natural processes were the key drivers of morphological change. Overall, these results suggest that anthropogenic effects have played a major role in the evolution of LBI over the past century by altering overwash fluxes and marsh-lagoon geometry; this is likely the case for other barrier-marsh-lagoon environments around the world.

New Jersey↗
USGS2016

Toppling analysis of the Echo Cliffs precariously balanced rock

Toppling analysis of a precariously balanced rock (PBR) can provide insight into the nature of ground motion that has not occurred at that location in the past and, by extension, can constrain peak ground motions for use in engineering design. Earlier approaches have targeted 2D models of the rock or modeled the rock–pedestal contact using spring‐damper assemblies that require recalibration for each rock. Here, a method to model PBRs in 3D is presented through a case study of the Echo Cliffs PBR. The 3D model is created from a point cloud of the rock, the pedestal, and their interface, obtained using terrestrial laser scanning. The dynamic response of the model under earthquake excitation is simulated using a rigid‐body dynamics algorithm. The veracity of this approach is demonstrated through comparisons against data from shake‐table experiments. Fragility maps for toppling probability of the Echo Cliffs PBR as a function of various ground‐motion parameters, rock–pedestal interface friction coefficient, and excitation direction are presented. These fragility maps indicate that the toppling probability of this rock is low (less than 0.2) for peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV) lower than 3 m/s 2 and 0.75 m/s, respectively, suggesting that the ground‐motion intensities at this location from earthquakes on nearby faults have most probably not exceeded the above‐mentioned PGA and PGV during the age of the PBR. Additionally, the fragility maps generated from this methodology can also be directly coupled with existing probabilistic frameworks to obtain direct constraints on unexceeded ground motion at a PBR’s location.

California↗