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At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
USGS1935

Water utilization in the Snake River Basin

The purpose of this report is to describe the present utilization of the water in the Snake River Basin with special reference to irrigation and power and to present essential facts concerning possible future utilization. No detailed plan of development is suggested. An attempt has been made, however, to discuss features that should be taken into account in the formulation of a definite plan of development. On account of the size of the area involved, which is practically as large as the New England States and New York combined, and the magnitude of present development and future possibilities, considerable details have of necessity been omitted. The records of stream flow in the basin are contained in the reports on surface water supply published annually by the Geological Survey. These records are of the greatest value in connection with the present and future regulation and utilization of the basin's largest asset water.

Snake River Basin↗
USGS1998

Geohydrology of Storage Unit III and a combined flow model of the Santa Barbara and foothill ground-water basins, Santa Barbara County, California

The city of Santa Barbara pumps most of its ground water from the Santa Barbara and Foothill ground-water basins. The Santa Barbara basin is subdivided into two storage units: Storage Unit I and Storage Unit III. The Foothill basin and Storage Unit I of the Santa Barbara basin have been studied extensively and ground-water flow models have been developed for them. In this report, the geohydrology of the Santa Barbara ground- water basin is described with a special emphasis on Storage Unit III in the southwestern part of the basin. The purposes of this study were to summarize and evaluate the geohydrology of Storage Unit III and to develop an areawide model of the Santa Barbara and Foothill basins that includes the previously unmodeled Storage Unit III. Storage Unit III is in the southwestern part of the city of Santa Barbara. It is approximately 3.5 miles long and varies in width from about 2,000 feet in the southeast to 4,000 feet in the north-west. Storage Unit III is composed of the Santa Barbara Formation and overlying alluvium. The Santa Barbara Formation (the principal aquifer) consists of Pleistocene and Pliocene(?) unconsolidated marine sand, silt, and clay, and it has a maximum saturated thickness of about 160 feet. The alluvium that overlies the Santa Barbara Formation has a maximum saturated thickness of about 140 feet. The storage unit is bounded areally by faults and low-permeability deposits and is underlain by rocks of Tertiary age. The main sources of recharge to Storage Unit III are seepage from Arroyo Burro and infiltration of precipitation. Most of the recharge occurs in the northwest part of the storage unit, and ground water flows toward the southeast along the unit's long axis. Lesser amounts of recharge may occur as subsurface flow from the Hope Ranch subbasin and as upwelling from the underlying Tertiary rocks. Discharge from Storage Unit III occurs as pumpage, flow to underground drains, underflow through alluvium in the vicinity of Arroyo Burro across the Lavigia Fault, evapotranspiration, and underflow to the Pacific Ocean. The faults that bound Storage Unit III generally are considered to be effective barriers to the flow of ground water. Interbasin ground-water flow occurs where deposits of younger alluvium along stream channels cross faults. Ground-water quality in Storage Unit III deposits varies with location and depth. Upward leakage of poor-quality water from the underlying Tertiary rocks occurs in the storage unit, and such leakage can be influenced by poor well construction or by heavy localized pumping. The highest dissolved-solids concentration (4,710 milligrams per liter) in ground water resulting from this upward leakage is found in the coastal part of the storage unit. The ground-water system was modeled as two horizontal layers. In the Foothill basin and Storage Unit I the layers are separated by a confining bed. The upper layer represents the upper producing zone and the shallow zone near the coast. The lower layer represents the lower producing zone. In general, the faults in the study area were assumed to be no-flow boundaries, except for the offshore fault that forms the southeast boundary; the southeast boundary was simulated as a general-head boundary. The Storage Unit III model was combined with the preexisting Storage Unit I and Foothill basin models, using horizontal flow barriers, to form an areawide model. The areawide model was calibrated by simulating steady-state predevelopment conditions and transient conditions for 1978-92. The nonpumping steady- state simulation was used to verify that the calibrated model yielded physically reasonable results for predevelopment conditions. The calibrated areawide model calculates water levels in Storage Unit III that are within 10 feet of measured water levels at all sites of comparison. In addition, the model adequately simulates water levels in the Storage Unit I and Foothill basin areas. A total of 33,430 acre-feet of water was pumped from the study area during the simulation period. Model results indicate that 2,833 acre-feet came from storage and 5, 332 acre-feet crossed the general-head boundary from the ocean, thus indicating that seawater intrusion could occur. A sensitivity analysis indicates that, in general, the model is most sensitive to changes in transmissivity and total recharge.

California↗
USGS2015

Volcanic ash hazards and aviation risk: Chapter 4

The risks to safe and efficient air travel from volcanic-ash hazards are well documented and widely recognized. Under the aegis of the International Civil Aviation Organization, globally coordinated mitigation procedures are in place to report explosive eruptions, detect airborne ash clouds and forecast their expected movement, and issue specialized messages to warn aircraft away from hazardous airspace. This mitigation framework is based on the integration of scientific and technical capabilities worldwide in volcanology, meteorology, and atmospheric physics and chemistry. The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, which led to a nearly week-long shutdown of air travel into and out of Europe, has prompted the aviation industry, regulators, and scientists to work more closely together to improve how hazardous airspace is defined and communicated. Volcanic ash will continue to threaten aviation and scientific research will continue to influence the risk-mitigation framework.

Book chapter↗
USGS2023

Deep root activity overprints weathering of petrogenic organic carbon in shale

The oxidation of organic carbon in sedimentary bedrock (petrogenic OC, OC p e t r o "> petro ) is increasingly recognized as a potential source of CO 2 to the atmosphere. Recent studies provide evidence for the mobilization and oxidation of OC p e t r o "> petro in sedimentary bedrock during rock weathering. However, the mechanisms and rates remain uncertain, particularly where overlying soils and vegetation drive contemporaneous oxidation of recently fixed organic carbon. Here, we quantify OC p e t r o "> petro weathering across a 16 m shale depth profile in a steep, rapidly eroding forested hillslope in the Northern California Coast Ranges. We report solid and gas phase radiocarbon and stable isotope analyses of samples extracted from specialized in-situ samplers, and a supporting laboratory incubation experiment of the shale regolith. OC p e t r o "> petro is removed from the weathered bedrock at a rate of approximately 0.12 gC/m 3 yr, which is orders of magnitude lower than the rate of OC p e t r o "> petro oxidation we achieved in the laboratory with crushed samples (557.1 gC/m 3 /yr). This disparity occurs despite high O 2 ( g ) "> 2(g) content across the depth profile, indicating that physical accessibility of OC p e t r o "> petro can regulate oxidative weathering. There is no direct radiocarbon evidence of OC p e t r o "> petro oxidation in CO 2 ( g ) "> 2(g) across the upper 13 m of the weathering profile during both wet and dry seasons. Instead, vadose zone CO 2 ( g ) "> 2(g) production at the site is dominated by respiration of recently fixed carbon associated with deep rooting. OC p e t r o "> petro is clearly mobilized across the vadose zone during weathering in this rapidly eroding, oxygen-rich, biologically dynamic hillslope, but at rates far below what can be measured given the contribution of root-derived CO 2 ( g ) "> 2(g) .

California↗
USGS1999

Comparative analysis of multisensor satellite monitoring of Arctic sea-ice

This report represents comparative analysis of nearly coincident Russian OKEAN-01 polar orbiting satellite data, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery. OKEAN-01 ice concentration algorithms utilize active and passive microwave measurements and a linear mixture model for measured values of the brightness temperature and the radar backscatter. SSM/I and AVHRR ice concentrations were computed with NASA Team algorithm and visible and thermal-infrared wavelength AVHRR data, accordingly

Book↗
USGS1971

Population ecology of the great blue heron with special reference to western Oregon

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) begin nesting in western Oregon about 1 month earlier than reported from the Philadelphia region and about 2 months earlier than reported from Southern Alberta. The number of young fledged per nesting pair in Oregon was 2.04 in 1970 which was nearly identical to the 1.91 believed necessary to maintain a stable population in the northern United States. The level of p,p'DDE reported from two eggs in Oregon was within the same range as that reported from 40 eggs in Alberta. Although some thin-shelled eggs were being laid in Alberta, the observed production was believed sufficient for maintaining a stable population. Production rates reported from a heronry in central California suggested that the population there was also remaining fairly stable.

Canadian Field-Naturalist↗
USGS1995

Coal resources in environmentally-sensitive lands under federal management

This report presents estimates of coal-bearing acreage and coal tonnage in environmentally-sensitive areas. The analysis was conducted to provide data for rulemaking by the Federal Office of Surface Mining (Watson and others, 1995). The rulemaking clarifies conditions under which coal can be mined in environmentally-sensitive areas. The area of the U.S. is about 2.3 billion acres. Contained within that acreage are certain environmentally-sensitive and unique areas (including parks, forests, and various other Federal land preserves). These areas are afforded special protection under Federal and State law. Altogether these protected areas occupy about 400 million acres. This report assesses coal acreage and coal tonnage in these protected Federal land preserves. Results are presented in the form of 8 map-displays prepared using GIS methods at a national scale. Tables and charts that accompany each map provide estimates of the total acreage in Federal land preserve units that overlap or fall within coal fields, coal-bearing acreage in each unit, and coal tonnage in each unit. Summary charts, compiled from the maps, indicate that about 8% of the Nation's coal reserves are located within environmentally-sensitive Federal land preserves.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1997

Water quality variability in San Francisco Bay, Some gGeneral lessons from 1996 sampling: 1996 annual report, San Francisco estuary regional monitoring program for trace substances

This report describes the results from the 1996 Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (RMP). It is the fourth Annual Report from the RMP which began in 1993 and attempts to synthesize the most obvious data patterns from the last four years. This report includes data from Base Program monitoring activities, as well as results of Pilot and Special Studies conducted or completed in 1996. Additionally, several articles contributed by RMP investigators and others, are included. These articles provide perspective and insight on important contaminant issues identified by the RMP. This summary addresses which kinds of pollutants measured by the RMP appear to be at levels that warrant concern, what kinds of trends may be discerned, and which stations have consistently shown elevated contaminant levels. The goals or general objectives of the RMP are: 1. To obtain high quality baseline data describing the concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic trace elements and organic contaminants in the water and sediment of the San Francisco Estuary. 2. To determine seasonal and annual trends in chemical and biological water quality in the San Francisco Estuary. 3. To continue to develop a data set that can be used to determine long-term trends in the concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic trace elements and organic contaminants in the water and sediments of the San Francisco Estuary. 4. To determine whether water quality and sediment quality in the Estuary at large are in compliance with objectives established by the Basin Plan (the regulatory planning document used by the Regional Water Quality Control Board). 5. To provide a database on water and sediment quality in the Estuary which is compatible with data being developed in other ongoing studies, including wasteload allocation studies and model development, sediment quality objectives development, in-bay studies of dredged material disposal, Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) water quality studies, primary productivity studies, local effects biomonitoring programs, and state and federal mussel watch programs.

California↗
USGS1983

Oxygen and strontium isotopic studies of basaltic lavas from the Snake River plain, Idaho

The Snake Creek-Williams Canyon pluton of the southern Snake Range crops out over an area of about 30 km2, about 60 km southeast of Ely, Nev. This Jurassic intrusion displays large and systematic chemical and mineralogical zonation over a horizontal distance of 5 km. Major-element variations compare closely with Dalyls average andesite-dacite-rhyolite over an SiO2 range of 63 to 76 percent. For various reasons it was originally thought that assimilation played a dominant role in development of the Snake Creek-Williams Canyon pluton. However, based on modeling of more recently obtained trace element and isotopic data, we have concluded that the zonation is the result of in-situ fractional crystallization, with little assimilation at the level of crystallization. This report summarizes data available for each of the mineral species present in the zoned intrusion. Special attention has been paid to trends We present oxygen and strontium isotopic data for olivine tholeiites, evolved (that is, differentiated and (or) contaminated) lavas, rhyolites, and crustal- derived xenoliths from the Snake River Plain. These data show that the olivine tholeiites are fairly uniform in d80 (5.1 to 6.2) and 87Sr/86Sr (0.7056 to 0.7076) and reveal no correlation between these ratios. The tholeiites are considered representative of mantle-derived magmas that have not interacted significantly with crustal material or meteoric water. The evolved lavas display a wider range in d 80 (5.6 to 7.6) and 87Sr/86Sr (0.708 to 0.717) with positive correlations between these ratios in some suites but not in others. Crustal xenoliths have high and variable 8?Sr/86Sr (0.715 to 0.830) and d80 values that vary widely (6.7 to 9.2) and are a few permil greater than d80 values of the Snake River basalts. Thus, isotopic data for the evolved lavas are permissive of small degrees of contamination by crustal rocks similar to the most d80-depleted xenoliths. The d80 enrichments in some evolved lavas also are consistent with crystal fractionation processes and do not necessarily require bulk interaction with crustal rocks. Enrichment in d80 but not in 87Sr/86Sr in one suite of evolved lavas suggests that crustal contamination may not be essential to the petrogenesis of those lavas. Other suites of evolved lavas display large variations in 87Sr/86Sr that reflect at least some selective contamination with 87St. Bulk solid/liquid oxygen-isotope fractionation factors (a's) calculated for the evolved lavas from Craters of the Moon National Monument are comparatively large. These a's are dependent upon the nature and proportions of phases removed by crystal fractionation; basaltic lava a's differ from latitic lava a?s in accordance with different phenocryst assemblages in these rocks. Snake River Plain rhyolites are isotopically distinct from both the analyzed crustal xenoliths and olivine tholeiites. Their origin remains poorly understood, but crustal or sub-crustal sources may be viable. In the first case, they must be derived by anatexis of material distinct from the analyzed crustal xenoliths. In the second case, they must be derived from material unlike the source for tholeiites. No cogenetic relation with the tholeiites seems likely on the basis of available data. that might relate to the variation in the chemical petrology of the pluton.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

Fast forward modeling of Titan's infrared spectra to invert VIMS/Cassini hyperspectral images

The surface of Titan, the largest icy moon of Saturn, is veiled by a very thick and hazy atmosphere. The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn since July 2004, conduct an intensive survey of Titan with the objective to understand the complex nature of the atmosphere and surface of the mysterious moon and the way they interact. Accurate radiative transfer modeling is necessary to analyze Titan's infrared spectra, but are often very computer resources demanding. As Cassini has gathered hitherto millions of spectra of Titan and will still observe it until at least 2010, we report here on the development of a new rapid, simple and versatile radiative transfer model specially designed to invert VIMS datacubes. ?? 2009 IEEE.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1956

Engineering geology of the Nenana-Rex area, Alaska

A geological examination of the Nenana-Rex area, Alaska, was made during August, 1954 by a Geological Survey party consisting of Reuben Kachadoorian, geologist, and Lloyd Plafker, field assistant. The area examined lies in parts of the Fairbanks A-4, A-5, B-4, B-5, C-4 and C-5 quadrangles (fig. 1). A preliminary highway route and the Alaska Railroad cross the area mapped. The preliminary highway route, surveyed in the summer of by the Alaska Road Commission, is a segment of a proposed road from Fairbanks to McKinley Park (pl. 1). The area was mapped with special emphasis placed upon geologic factors that would affect construction of the new highway. This report is a result of the studies along the highway and railroad routes, and describes only those areas that are of immediate importance in planning and construction of the highway (pl. 1).

Alaska↗
USGS1972

Geohydrologic summary of the Pearl River basin, Mississippi and Louisiana

Fresh water in abundance is contained in large artesian reservoirs in sand and gravel deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary ages in the Pearl River basin, a watershed of 8,760 square miles. Shallow, water-table reservoirs occur in Quarternary deposits (Pleistocene and Holocene) that blanket most of the uplands in .the southern half of the basin and that are present in smaller upland areas and along streams elsewhere. The shallow reservoirs contribute substantially to dry-weather flow of the Strong River and Bogue Chitto and of Holiday, Lower Little, Silver, and Whitesand Creeks, among others. About 3 billion acre-feet of ground water is in storage in the fresh-water section, which extends from the surface to depths ranging from about sea level in the extreme northern part of the basin to more than 3,000 feet below sea level in the southern part of the basin. Variations in low flow for different parts of the river basin are closely related to geologic terrane and occurrence of ground water. The upland terrace belt that crosses the south-central part of the basin is underlain by permeable sand and gravel deposits and yields more than 0.20 cubic feet per second per square mile of drainage area to streamflow, whereas the northern part of the basin, underlain by clay, marl, and fine to medium sand, yields less than 0.05 cubic feet per second per square mile of drainage area (based on 7-day Q2 minimum flow computed from records). Overall, the potential surface-water supplies are large. Because water is available at shallow depths, most of the deeper aquifers have not been developed anywhere in the basin. At many places in the south, seven or more aquifers could be developed either by tapping one sand in each well or by screening two or more sands in a single well. Well fields each capable, of producing several million gallons of water a day are feasible nearly anywhere in the Pearl River basin. Water in nearly all the aquifers is of good to excellent quality and requires little or no treatment for most uses. The water is a soft, sodium bicarbonate type and therefore has a low to moderate dissolved-solids content. Mineral content increases generally downdip in an aquifer. Excessive iron, common in shallow aquifers, is objectionable for some water uses. Water from the streams, except in salty tidal reaches, is less mineralized than ground water; in 10 sites the median dissolved-solids content in streamflow was 50 milligrams per liter or less. Moderately intensive ground-water development has been made in the Bogalusa area, Louisiana; at the Mississippi Test Facility, Hancock County, Miss. ; and in the Jackson area, Mississippi. Wells with pumping rates of 500 to 1,000 gallons per minute each are common throughout the Pearl River basin, and some deep wells flow more than 3,000 gallons per minute in the coastal lowland areas. Probably 20 million gallons per day of artesian water flows uncontrolled from wells in the southern part of the basin. Ground-water levels, except in the higher altitudes, are within 60 feet of the surface, and flowing wells are common in the valleys and in the coastal Pine Meadows. Decline of water level is a problem in only a few small areas. Saline water as a resource is available for development from aquifers and streams near the coast and from aquifers at considerable depth in most of the Pearl River basin. Pollution is a problem in oil fields and in reaches of some streams below sewage and other waste-disposal points. The basin estuary contains water of variable quality but has potential for certain water-use developments that will require special planning and management.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2020

Fault trace mapping and surface-fault-rupture special study zone delineation of the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah and Idaho

The Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) is a 220-mile-long (350-km) fault zone divided into 10 structural segments extending from southeastern Idaho to central Utah. The central five segments of the WFZ underlie the densely populated Wasatch Front region, where the majority of Utah’s population and economy are proximal to the fault zone. The West Valley fault zone (WVFZ) is an antithetic structure related to the WFZ and runs through the Salt Lake Valley. Communities on or adjacent to the WFZ are at risk of earthquake damage, due to their proximity to the fault zones. During 2016–2018, the Utah Geological Survey and a U.S. Geological Survey collaborator performed updated fault mapping of 39 7.5' quadrangles along the WFZ using recently acquired high-resolution topographic data derived from airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data. Previous geologic mapping, paleoseismic investigations, historical aerial photography, and field investigations were also used to identify and map surface fault traces and infer fault locations. Special study zones were delineated around fault traces to facilitate understanding of the surface-rupturing hazard and associated risk. Defining these special study zones encourages the creation and implementation of municipal and county geologic-hazard ordinances dealing with hazardous faults. We identified potential paleoseismic investigation sites where fault scarps appear relatively pristine, are located in geologically favorable settings, and where additional earthquake timing data would be beneficial to the continued earthquake research of the WFZ. The fault geometries, attributes, and special study zones were published in the online Utah Geologic Hazards Portal simultaneously with this Report of Investigation (RI). This report contains supplementary material describing the data and methods used to perform the mapping and in locating potential paleoseismic investigation sites in the study area. This work is critical to raise awareness of earthquake hazards in areas of Utah experiencing rapid growth.

Idaho, Utah↗