USGS Science⌕ Search

SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Scanning”

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 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources

Rippled scour depressions on the inner continental shelf off central California

Side-scan sonar records taken during the recent Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) show elongate, shore-normal rippled depressions of low relief on the inner continental shelf off central California between Bodega Bay and Point Arena. These features extend up to 2 km from the coast into water depths of up to 65 m. The proposed mechanism for their generation is storm-generated bottom currents associated with coastal downwelling during the late fall and winter which scour the surficial fine-sand sediment and expose the coarser-sand substrate in the depressions. The zones of most intense erosion and the irregular spacing of the features may be controlled by submerged rock ledges and other prominent coastal features. The large straight-crested ripples within the depressions (heights to 40 cm; wavelengths to 1.7 m) are probably formed by large-amplitude, long-period surface waves generated by winter storms.

California↗

Fabric and its relation to sedimentologic and physical properties of near-surface sediment, Shelikof Strait and Alsek prodelta, Alaska

To investigate the possible relation between the fabric (microstructural arrangement of particles) of a fine-grained sedimentary deposit and the depositional and environmental processes of that deposit, the fabric of sediment samples from the sea floor of two different depositional settings, Shelikof Strait and the Alsek prodelta, Alaska, were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Sediment of both areas is texturally similar, consisting of a muddy sand that grades to a mud with increasing water depth. Mineralogically, both areas are characterized by a clay-size fraction dominated by illite, chlorite, and rock flour. The dominant fabric of undisturbed sediment from both study areas consists of a sand- and coarse-silt-size agranular fraction surrounded by an open matrix of clay- and fine-silt-size platelets arranged in a combination of randomly oriented flocs and many single grain contacts. The similarity of the fabric of sediment from the two study areas suggests that the fabric is not controlled by the different depositional settings but rather by the dominant clay mineralogy and sediment texture. The most noticeable alteration of the original fabric of Shelikof Strait and Alsek prodelta sediment occurs as a result of high levels of consolidation and the shearing process.

Journal of Sedimentary Petrology↗

Mineralogy and petrology of the Cretaceous- Tertiary boundary clay bed and adjacent clay-rich rocks, Raton Basin, New Mexico and Colorado.

The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary is preserved in a sequence of coal-bearing, fluvial rocks in the lower part of the Raton Formation (Late Cretaceous and Paleocene) at several sites in the east-central part of the Raton Basin. The K-T boundary occurs at the top of a kaolinitic claystone layer, commonly referred to as the "boundary clay layer," in an interval of coal and carbonaceous shale. The boundary is defined by the disappearance of certain fossil-pollen taxa. The boundary clay layer also contains shocked quartz grains and abundance anomalies of iridium, chromium, and other elements. Each of these characteristics support the hypothesis of an asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous. Small goyazite spheres were also found in the boundary clay bed; however, their origin is uncertain. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thin-section petrography have shown that the boundary clay bed exhibits unique mineralogic and petrologic characteristics not possessed by other clay-rich beds in coal-bearing rocks of the Raton Basin. The boundary clay bed is composed primarily of well-crystallized kaolinite but also contains subordinate, randomly interstratified, mixed-layer illite/smectite, both of which appear to have been formed by the alteration of vitreous material in a coal-swamp environment. The bulk mineralogy of the boundary clay bed is similar to that of other kaolinite-rich clay beds (tonsteins) that altered in coal swamps from airfall volcanic ash. The alteration process and diagenetic products of the host material in the boundary clay bed, however, differed from those of the tonsteins, resulting in a unique petrographic fabric. The boundary clay bed is characterized by an overall imbricate fabric that may reflect an original vitreous material that included shards, bubbles, and spheres. The original fallout material of the boundary clay bed first altered to "cabbage-like" microspherules, indicating a halloysite or allophane precursor, and then to well-crystallized kaolinite; the well-crystallized kaolinite is the diagenetic stable phase for these rocks at their maximum burial conditions. In comparison, the vitreous components of the tonsteins were altered directly to coarse vermicular and platey kaolinite. Alteration of the original fallout material in the boundary bed was probably rapid, leading to hydrated, disordered, fine-grained clay minerals that formed into curled spherical or tubular shapes. The factors that produced these unique fabrics in the boundary clay bed existed at all K-T sites in the Raton Basin and were much different from those that formed the coarse platey and vermicular fabrics of ordinary tonsteins. The distinctive character of the boundary clay may be due to the unique nature and chemistry of the fallout material and (or) physical or chemical conditions existing shortly after its deposition.

Journal of Sedimentary Petrology↗

Surface area of vermiculite with nitrogen and carbon dioxide as adsorbates

Surface-area studies were made on several homoionic vermiculites with both nitrogen and carbon dioxide as adsorbates. These studies show that only very slight penetration occurs between individual vermiculite platelets. This is in contrast to an earlier investigation of montmorillonite where it was found that the degree of penetration between layers is quite high, particularly for carbon dioxide, and is governed by the size and charge of the interlayer cation. The inability of these adsorbates to penetrate substantially between vermiculite platelets is due primarily to this mineral's high surface-charge density. The extent of penetration of nitrogen and carbon dioxide at the edges of vermiculite platelets, though slight, is influenced by the coordinated water retained within the sample at a given degassing temperature. Forces between layers are weakened with increasing water content, which permits slightly greater penetration by adsorbate gases. Thus, the surface area of vermiculite, as determined by gas adsorption, is larger than the calculated external surface area based upon particle size and shape considerations. In addition, "extra" surface is provided by the lifting and scrolling of terminal platelets. These morphological features are shown in scanning electron micrographs of a naturally occuring vermiculite.

Clays and Clay Minerals↗

Interlamellar adsorption of carbon dioxide by smectites

The adsorption of CO 2 at low temperature (∼ −70°C) on thin films of homoionic smectites was studied by X-ray diffraction and by i.r. absorption. An increase in the d 001 spacings of these clay films upon adsorption of CO 2 was observed. In addition, a dichroic effect was readily discernible by comparing the i.r. spectra at two different orientations of the smectite films; i.e. with the film normal and tilted 35° with respect to the i.r. beam. The CO 2 stretching vibration at 2350 cm −1 was used for the i.r. study. These observations conclusively show that CO 2 intercalates the smectite structure rather than being adsorbed only in pores between clay tactoids—the limiting process proposed by other investigators. Adsorption isotherm data from earlier surface area studies are re-examined here through application of the Dubinin equation. Again, intercalation is demonstrated by convergence of the plotted experimental data for smectites containing large monovalent interlayer cations toward a pore volume that is near the calculated theoretical value for a monolayer of intercalated CO 2 . Scanning electron photomicrographs of Li- and Cs- smectites provide additional evidence that aggregation differences are not responsible for the large observed difference in BET surface areas obtained for these smectites with CO 2 as the adsorbate. At low magnification, visual differences in macro-aggregates are apparent, but at high magnification no significant differences are observed in the micro-structure of individual aggregates where the major amount of gas adsorption really occurs.

Clays and Clay Minerals↗

Phosphates in some Missouri refractory clays

This paper describes in detail phosphate minerals occurring in refractory clays of Missouri and their effect on the refractory degree of the clays. The minerals identified include carbonate-fluorapatite (francolite), crandallite, goyazite, wavellite, variscite and strengite. It is emphasized that these phosphates occur only in local isolated concentrations, and not generally in Missouri refractory clays. The Missouri fireclay region comprises 2 districts, northern and southern, separated by the Missouri River. In this region, clay constitutes a major part of the Lower Pennsylvanian Cheltenham Formation. The original Cheltenham mud was an argillic residue derived from leaching and dissolution of pre-Pennsylvanian carbonates. The mud accumulated on a karstic erosion surface truncating the pre-Cheltenham rocks. Fireclays of the northern district consist mainly of poorly ordered kaolinite, with variable but minor amounts of illite, chlorite and fine-grained detrital quartz. Clays of the southern district were subjected to extreme leaching that produced well-ordered kaolinite flint clays. Local desilication formed pockets of diaspore, or more commonly, kaolinite, with oolite-like nubs or burls of diaspore (“burley”" clay). The phosphate-bearing materials have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectral analysis (SEM-EDS) and chemical analysis. Calcian goyazite was identified in a sample of diaspore, and francolite in a sample of flint clay. A veinlet of wavellite occurs in flint clay at one locality, and a veinlet of variscite-strengite at another locality. The Missouri flint-clay-hosted francolite could not have formed in the same manner as marine francolite. The evidence suggests that the Cheltenham francolite precipitated from ion complexes in pore water, nearly simultaneously with crystallization of kaolinite flint clay from an alumina-silica gel. Calcian goyazite is an early diagenetic addition to its diaspore host. The wavellite and variscite-strengite veinlets are secondary, precipitated from ion complexes in ground water percolating along cracks in the flint clay. The flint clay host of the variscite-strengite veinlet contains strontian crandallite. All of the phosphates contain significant amounts of strontium. The source of P, Ca and Sr was the marine carbonates. Dissolution of these carbonates produced the argillic residue that became the primordial Cheltenham paludal mud, which ultimately altered to fireclay. Preliminary firing tests show that the presence of phosphates lowers fusion temperature. However, it is not clear whether poor refractoriness is due to the presence of phosphates, per se, or to Ca, Sr and other alkaline elements present in the phosphates.

Clays and Clay Minerals↗

The role of clay minerals in the preservation of organic matter in sediments of Qinghai Lake, NW China

The role of saline lake sediments in preserving organic matter has long been recognized. In order to further understand the preservation mechanisms, the role of clay minerals was studied. Three sediment cores, 25, 57, and 500 cm long, were collected from Qinghai Lake, NW China, and dissected into multiple subsamples. Multiple techniques were employed, including density fractionation, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), total organic carbon (TOC) and carbon compound analyses, and surface area determination. The sediments were oxic near the water-sediment interface, but became anoxic at depth. The clay mineral content was as much as 36.8%, consisting mostly of illite, chlorite, and halloysite. The TEM observations revealed that organic matter occurred primarily as organic matter-clay mineral aggregates. The TOC and clay mineral abundances are greatest in the mid-density fraction, with a positive correlation between the TOC and mineral surface area. The TOC of the bulk sediments ranges from 1 to 3% with the non-hydrocarbon fraction being predominant, followed by bitumen, saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbons, and chloroform-soluble bitumen. The bimodal distribution of carbon compounds of the saturated hydrocarbon fraction suggests that organic matter in the sediments was derived from two sources: terrestrial plants and microorganisms/algae. Depthrelated systematic changes in the distribution patterns of the carbon compounds suggest that the oxidizing conditions and microbial abundance near the water-sediment interface promote degradation of labile organic matter, probably in adsorbed form. The reducing conditions and small microbial biomass deeper in the sediments favor preservation of organic matter, because of the less labile nature of organic matter, probably occurring within clay mineral-organic matter aggregates that are inaccessible to microorganisms. These results have important implications for our understanding of mechanisms of organic matter preservation in saline lake sediments.

Qinghai Lake↗

Photogrammetry with surface-based images

Stereoscopic pictures returned by surface-based imaging systems can be used to reconstruct the topography of landing sites on Mars and other planets. Large surface relief with respect to distance and the large scale variation inherent in surface-based pictures produce problems in stereoscopic measurement very different from those presented by high altitude photography. Optical-mechanical scanning systems, or facsimile cameras, facilitate accurate reconstruction of landing site topography because of the linearity of system photometric response and the accuracy with which image geometry can be measured.

Applied Optics↗

A natural experiment on the condition-dependence of achromatic plumage reflectance in black-capped chickadees

Honest advertisement models posit that only individuals in good health can produce and/or maintain ornamental traits. Even though disease has profound effects on condition, few studies have experimentally tested its effects on trait expression and even fewer have identified a mechanistic basis for these effects. Recent evidence suggests that black and white, but not grey, plumage colors of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are sexually selected. We therefore hypothesized that birds afflicted with avian keratin disorder, a condition that affects the beak and other keratinized tissues, would show reduced expression of black and white, but not grey, color. UV-vis spectrometry of black-capped chickadees affected and unaffected by avian keratin disorder revealed spectral differences between them consistent with this hypothesis. To elucidate the mechanistic bases of these differences, we used scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and a feather cleaning experiment. SEM showed extreme feather soiling in affected birds, and EDX revealed that this was most likely from external sources. Experimentally cleaning the feathers increased color expression of ornamental feathers of affected, but not unaffected, birds. These data provide strong evidence that black and white color is an honest indicator in chickadees, and that variation in feather dirtiness, likely due to differences in preening behavior is a mechanism for this association.

PLoS ONE↗

An integrated approach to the Taxonomic identification of prehistoric shell ornaments

Shell beads appear to have been one of the earliest examples of personal adornments. Marine shells identified far from the shore evidence long-distance transport and imply networks of exchange and negotiation. However, worked beads lose taxonomic clues to identification, and this may be compounded by taphonomic alteration. Consequently, the significance of this key early artefact may be underestimated. We report the use of bulk amino acid composition of the stable intra-crystalline proteins preserved in shell biominerals and the application of pattern recognition methods to a large dataset (777 samples) to demonstrate that taxonomic identification can be achieved at genus level. Amino acid analyses are fast (<2 hours per sample) and micro-destructive (sample size <2 mg). Their integration with non-destructive techniques provides a valuable and affordable tool, which can be used by archaeologists and museum curators to gain insight into early exploitation of natural resources by humans. Here we combine amino acid analyses, macro- and microstructural observations (by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy) and Raman spectroscopy to try to identify the raw material used for beads discovered at the Early Bronze Age site of Great Cornard (UK). Our results show that at least two shell taxa were used and we hypothesise that these were sourced locally.

PLoS ONE↗

Evaluating Three-Dimensional Elevation Program lidar consistency and accuracy at scale using cloud-native, open-source methods

The U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional elevation program (3DEP) has significantly expanded national lidar coverage, necessitating scalable, reproducible methods for assessing data quality across diverse terrains and acquisition conditions. This study introduces a cloud-native, open-source workflow designed to evaluate the geometric accuracy and consistency of 3DEP lidar data sets at a national scale. Leveraging tools such as the Point Data Abstraction Library, Open3D, and Amazon Web Services infrastructure, the workflow integrates global navigation satellite system‐surveyed ground control points and terrestrial laser scanning data to validate airborne lidar collections. Two case studies demonstrate the application of this process. In Puerto Rico, the process identified vertical biases and inconsistencies in vegetated areas, while in Iowa and Arizona, the process confirmed high vertical accuracy with minimal bias. The results underscore the effectiveness of combining cloud computing with open-source tools to perform large-scale lidar data quality assessments. This process offers a reproducible, efficient solution for nationwide validation of 3DEP data sets, supporting enhanced decision-making in geospatial applications.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗

Photogrammetric analysis of the Mars Global Surveyor mapping data

This paper studies the photogrammetric mapping properties and capabilities of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mapping data. Starting from the raw MGS data, we decompress the MOC narrow angle images, extract, and calculate their exterior orientation from the SPICE kernels, and calculate the 3D coordinates of MOLA footprints from MOLA PEDR files. A new approach is proposed that registers a MOLA profile to stereo MOC images over the same area with robust and faster convergence. Intersection is conducted to determine the 3D positions of image points measured on MOC stereo pairs. It is shown that there is a nearly constant uncertainty of one MOLA ground spacing distance (approximately 325 m) along the flight direction in MOC and MOLA registration. This is caused by the uncertainties in SPICE kernels, MOLA points, and the determination of time tags for MOC scan lines, which possibly constitutes the dominant error source for the registration. Intersection calculation reaches an optimal balance by distributing the uncertainty evenly in the two images of a stereo pair. As for the photogrammetric mapping capabilities, an uncertainty of 180.8 m in planimetric distance and 30.8 m in elevation difference is estimated. A number of numerical and graphic results over three of the selected candidate landing sites for the Mars Exploration Rover mission are presented for analysis and illustration.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗

Evaluating a small footprint, waveform-resolving lidar over coastal vegetation communities

NASA’s Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532 nm) lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor records the time history of the return waveform within a small footprint (20 cm diameter) for each laser pulse, enabling characterization of vegetation canopy structure and “bare earth” topography under a variety of vegetation types. A collection of individual waveforms combined within a synthesized large footprint was used to define three metrics: canopy height (CH), canopy reflection ratio (CRR), and height of median energy (HOME). Bare Earth Elevation (BEE) metric was derived using the individual small-footprint waveforms. All four metrics were tested for reproducibility, which resulted in an average of 95 percent correspondence within two standard deviations of the mean. CH and BEE values were also tested for accuracy using ground-truth data. The results presented in this paper show that combining several individual small-footprint laser pulses to define a composite “large-footprint” waveform is a possible method to depict the vertical structure of a vegetation canopy .

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗

Large area scene selection interface (LASSI): Methodology of selecting landsat imagery for The Global Land Survey 2005

The Global Land Survey (GLS) 2005 is a cloud-free, orthorec-tified collection of Landsat imagery acquired during the 2004 to 2007 epoch intended to support global land-cover and ecological monitoring. Due to the numerous complexities in selecting imagery for the GLS2005, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sponsored the development of an automated scene selection tool, the Large Area Scene Selection Interface (LASSI), to aid in the selection of imagery for this data set. This innovative approach to scene selection applied a user-defined weighting system to various scene parameters: image cloud cover, image vegetation greenness, choice of sensor, and the ability of the Landsat-7 Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off pair to completely fill image gaps, among others. The parameters considered in scene selection were weighted according to their relative importance to the data set, along with the algorithm’s sensitivity to that weight. This paper describes the methodology and analysis that established the parameter weighting strategy, as well as the post-screening processes used in selecting the optimal data set for GLS2005.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 389 preliminary report: Hawaiian drowned reefs

Our understanding of the mechanisms controlling eustatic sea level and global climate changes has been hampered by a lack of appropriate fossil coral records over the last 500 ky, particularly into and out of the glacial periods. This problem was addressed by International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 389 by drilling a unique succession of Hawaiian drowned coral reefs now at 110–1300 meters below sea level (mbsl). The four objectives are to investigate (1) the timing, rate, and amplitude of sea level variability to examine cryosphere and geophysical processes, including the assessment of abrupt sea level change events; (2) the processes that determine changes in mean and high-frequency (seasonal–interannual) climate variability from times with different boundary conditions (e.g., ice sheet size, p CO 2 , and solar forcing); (3) the response of coral reef systems to abrupt sea level and climate changes; and (4) the variation through space and time of the subsidence and the volcanic evolution of the island. To achieve these objectives, 35 holes at 16 sites ranging 131.9–1241.8 mbsl were drilled during the expedition. A total of 425 m of core was recovered, comprising reef (83%) and volcanic (17%) material. Average core recoveries were 66%, with numerous intervals characterized by very well preserved mixtures of coralgal and microbialite frameworks with recoveries >90%. Some science-critical shallow sites were not drilled due to a failure to secure permits to operate in Hawaiian state waters. Furthermore, apart from one site the target penetration depths were not achieved. Preliminary radiometric dates indicate that the recovered reef deposits are from 488 to 13 ka in age. The Onshore Science Party took place in February 2024. Cores were CT and hyperspectral scanned and described. Standard measurements were made, and samples were taken for postcruise research. Preliminary assessment of the age and quality of the reef and basalt cores suggest that many of the expedition objectives will be met.

Hawaii↗

Methods for assessing the impacts of ultraviolet-B radiation on aquatic invertebrates

A standard methodology for assessing the impacts of simulated solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) on aquatic invertebrates was established. A solar simulator was used to expose a variety of aquatic invertebrates to different levels of UV-B. The simulator was calibrated as close as possible to match local ambient solar radiation measured in and out of water with a scanning spectroradiometer. A series of repeated exposures were conducted to determine the effects of UV-B on two species of Ceriodaphnia . Survivorship of C. reticulata declined with increasing UV-B with 100% mortality occurring after four daily 5 hr exposures to a UV-B irradiance that was 14% of ambient sunlight (40.8/μW/cm 2 ) and 70% mortality for C. dubia after seven days of an exposure to 5% of ambient (14.5μW/cm 2 ). Significant reductions in fertility (#young/adult) was observed in both low and high light adapted individuals with low light individuals appearing to be more sensitive. This methodology allowed us to make comparisons to natural conditions in aquatic habitats and to make risk assessments for individual species.

ASTM Special Technical Publication↗

Development of Raman spectroscopy as a thermal maturity proxy in unconventional resource assessment

The objective of this study was to correlate shale hydrous pyrolysis with thermal maturity measurements based on solid bitumen reflectance (BRo) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Raman microscopy (RM) at WellDog. In semi-blind Phase I, BRo values of the initial set of 8 samples were withheld prior to RM analysis. As reported previously, a strong correlation was observed between BRo and Raman parameters. For Phase-II, BRo values for the second set of 8 samples were shared before RM. Observations from Phase-II are reported here as well as the ability of RM to correctly order the semi-blind Phase I samples. Immature shale samples from the Bakken (Phase-I) and Duvernay (Phase-II) formations were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis for 72 hours at temperatures from 280°C to 360°C. Rock residues from both series were mounted and polished (ASTM D2797) for analysis of BRo (ASTM D7708) and confocal laser-scanning Raman microscopy. For RM, multiple hyperspectral maps were collected from each sample, resulting in tens of thousands of spectra per sample. Map areas were ~5,000 μm2, with a spectrum collected from every square micrometer. The organic carbon G- (Graphitic-) and D- (Disordered) bands in each Raman spectrum were fit algorithmically to a multi-peak model, yielding a number of diagnostic parameters that correlate with changes occurring in samples as a result of thermal maturation and pyrolysis. Parameters extracted from analysis of Raman spectra were plotted against the previously determined BRo values to determine which Raman parameters best correlate with thermal maturity. Plotting two of the sample-averaged anonymized spectral parameters versus BRo in the Bakken series indicated an exponential trend with strong correlations (R2>0.8) as reported at URTeC in 2017 (MS-2671253). Similar strong relationships occurred in the Duvernay samples with respect to increasing maturity when using Partial Least-Squares analysis.

Conference Paper↗

The U.S. Geological Survey mapping and cartographic database activities, 2006-2010

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began systematic topographic mapping of the United States in the 1880s, beginning with scales of 1:250,000 and 1:125,000 in support of geological mapping. Responding to the need for higher resolution and more detail, the 1:62,500-scale, 15-minute, topographic map series was begun in the beginning of the 20th century. Finally, in the 1950s the USGS adopted the 1:24,000-scale, 7.5-minute topographic map series to portray even more detail, completing the coverage of the conterminous 48 states of the United States with this series in 1992. In 2001, the USGS developed the vision and concept of The National Map , a topographic database for the 21st century and the source for a new generation of topographic maps (http://nationalmap.gov/). In 2008, the initial production of those maps began with a 1:24,000-scale digital product. In a separate, but related project, the USGS began scanning the existing inventory of historical topographic maps at all scales to accompany the new topographic maps. The USGS also had developed a digital database of The National Atlas of the United States . The digital version of Atlas is now Web-available and supports a mapping engine for small scale maps of the United States and North America. These three efforts define topographic mapping activities of the USGS during the last few years and are discussed below.

Cartography and Geographic Information Science↗