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At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources
USGS2009

Revised Comparisons of Simulated Hydrodynamics and Water Quality for Projected Demands in 2046, Pueblo Reservoir, Southeastern Colorado

Pueblo Reservoir is one of southeastern Colorado's most valuable water resources. The reservoir provides irrigation, municipal, and industrial water to various entities throughout the region. The reservoir also provides flood control, recreational activities, sport fishing, and wildlife enhancement to the region. The Southern Delivery System (SDS) project is a regional water-delivery project that has been proposed to provide a safe, reliable, and sustainable water supply through the foreseeable future (2046) for Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security, and Pueblo West. Discussions with the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey led to a cooperative agreement to simulate the hydrodynamics and water quality of Pueblo Reservoir. This work has been completed and described in a previously published report, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5056. Additionally, there was a need to make comparisons of simulated hydrodynamics and water quality for projected demands associated with the various Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) alternatives and plans by Pueblo West to discharge treated wastewater into the reservoir. Wastewater plans by Pueblo West are fully independent of the SDS project. This report compares simulated hydrodynamics and water quality for projected demands in Pueblo Reservoir resulting from changes in inflow and water quality entering the reservoir, and from changes to withdrawals from the reservoir as projected for the year 2046. Four of the seven EIS alternatives were selected for scenario simulations. The four U.S. Geological Survey simulation scenarios were the No Action scenario (EIS Alternative 1), the Downstream Diversion scenario (EIS Alternative 2), the Upstream Return-Flow scenario (EIS Alternative 4), and the Upstream Diversion scenario (EIS Alternative 7). Additionally, the results of an Existing Conditions scenario (year 2006 demand conditions) were compared to the No Action scenario (projected demands in 2046) to assess changes in water quality over time. All scenario modeling used an external nutrient-decay model to simulate degradation and assimilation of nutrients along the riverine reach upstream from Pueblo Reservoir. Reservoir modeling was conducted using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CE-QUAL-W2 two-dimensional water-quality model. Lake hydrodynamics, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, dissolved solids, dissolved ammonia, dissolved nitrate, total phosphorus, algal biomass, and total iron were simulated. Two reservoir site locations were selected for comparison. Results of simulations at site 3B were characteristic of a riverine environment in the reservoir, whereas results at site 7B (near the dam) were characteristic of the main body of the reservoir. Simulation results for the epilimnion and hypolimnion at these two sites also were evaluated and compared. The simulation results in the hypolimnion at site 7B were indicative of the water quality leaving the reservoir. Comparisons of the different scenario results were conducted to assess if substantial differences were observed between selected scenarios. Each of the scenarios was simulated for three contiguous years representing a wet, average, and dry annual hydrologic cycle (water years 2000 through 2002). Additionally, each selected simulation scenario was evaluated for differences in direct and cumulative effects on a particular scenario. Direct effects are intended to isolate the future effects of the scenarios. Cumulative effects are intended to evaluate the effects of the scenarios in conjunction with all reasonably foreseeable future activities in the study area. Comparisons between the direct- and cumulative-effects analyses indicated that there were not large differences in the results between most of the simulation scenarios, and, as such, the focus of this report was on results for the direct-effects analysis. Additionally, the differences between simulation results generally were

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1971

Hydrology of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota

An investigation of the geology and ground-water resources of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, was made at the request of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as part of the U.S. Department of Interior's program for the development of the Missouri River basin. Originally, the Reservation included all of Mellette, Todd, and Tripp Counties; most of Gregory County, and a small part of Lyman County. (See index map.) However, of the 1,500 square miles of land now owned by individual Indians or by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, nearly 95 percent is located in Mellette and Todd Counties. Accordingly, the area of this investigation (about 2,700 square miles) was restricted to these two counties.

South Dakota↗
USGS2013

Bedrock geology and outcrop fracture trends in the vicinity of the Savage Municipal Well Superfund site, Milford, New Hampshire

The Savage Municipal Well Superfund site consists of an eastward-directed plume of volatile organic compounds, principally tetrachloroethylene (PCE), in alluvium and glacial sand and gravel in the Souhegan River valley, just south of the river and about 4 kilometers west of the town of Milford, New Hampshire. Sampling of monitoring wells at the site has helped delineate the extent of the plume and has determined that some contaminant has migrated into the underlying crystalline bedrock, including bedrock north of the river within 200 meters of a nearby residential development that was constructed in 1999. Borehole geophysical logging has identified a northeast preferential trend for bedrock fractures, which may provide a pathway for the migration of contaminant under and north of the Souhegan River. The current study investigates the bedrock geologic setting for the site, including its position relative to known regional geologic structures, and compiles new strike and dip measurements of joints in exposed bedrock to determine if there are dominant trends in orientation similar to what was found in the boreholes. The site is located on the northwestern limb of a northeast-trending regional anticlinorium that is southeast of the Campbell Hill fault zone. The Campbell Hill fault zone defines the contact between granite and gneiss of the anticlinorium and granite and schist to the northwest and is locally marked by lenses of massive vein quartz, minor faults, and fracture zones that could potentially affect plume migration. The fault zone was apparently not intercepted by any of the boreholes that were drilled to delineate the contaminant plume and therefore passes to the north of the northernmost borehole in the vicinity of the new residential area. Joints measured in surface exposures indicate a strong preferred direction of strike to the north-northeast corroborating the borehole data and previous outcrop and geophysical studies. The north-northeast preferred direction matches the direction of elongation of the cone of depression formed during a pump test of the bedrock wells and could explain a potential pathway for the migration of contaminant north of the river.

New Hampshire↗
USGS2008

Geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Big Bend National Park, Texas

Big Bend National Park (BBNP), Tex., covers 801,163 acres (3,242 km 2 ) and was established in 1944 through a transfer of land from the State of Texas to the United States. The park is located along a 118-mile (190-km) stretch of the Rio Grande at the United States-Mexico border. The park is in the Chihuahuan Desert, an ecosystem with high mountain ranges and basin environments containing a wide variety of native plants and animals, including more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56 species of reptiles, and 75 species of mammals. In addition, the geology of BBNP, which varies widely from high mountains to broad open lowland basins, also enhances the beauty of the park. For example, the park contains the Chisos Mountains, which are dominantly composed of thick outcrops of Tertiary extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks that reach an altitude of 7,832 ft (2,387 m) and are considered the southernmost mountain range in the United States. Geologic features in BBNP provide opportunities to study the formation of mineral deposits and their environmental effects; the origin and formation of sedimentary and igneous rocks; Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic fossils; and surface and ground water resources. Mineral deposits in and around BBNP contain commodities such as mercury (Hg), uranium (U), and fluorine (F), but of these, the only significant mining has been for Hg. Because of the biological and geological diversity of BBNP, more than 350,000 tourists visit the park each year. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been investigating a number of broad and diverse geologic, geochemical, and geophysical topics in BBNP to provide fundamental information needed by the National Park Service (NPS) to address resource management goals in this park. Scientists from the USGS Mineral Resources and National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Programs have been working cooperatively with the NPS and several universities on several research studies within BBNP. Because the last geologic map of the entire BBNP was published in the 1960s, one of the primary goals of the USGS is to provide a new geologic map of BBNP at a scale 1:100,000; this work is ongoing among the USGS, NPS, the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, and university scientists. This USGS Circular summarizes eight studies funded and primarily carried out by the USGS, but it is not intended to be a comprehensive reference of work conducted in BBNP. This Circular describes topical research of the recently completed interdisciplinary USGS project, which has provided information leading to a more complete understanding of the following topics in BBNP: Tectonic and geologic history (Chapters 1, 2, and 3), Age and formation processes of a skarn mineral deposit (Chapter 4), Geoenvironmental effects of abandoned mercury mines (Chapter 5), Age, source, and geochemistry of surface and subsurface water resources (Chapter 6), Isotopic tracing of food sources of bears (Chapter 7), and Geophysical characteristics of surface and subsurface geology (Chapter 8). Additional information and the geochemical and geophysical data of the USGS studies in BBNP are available on line at http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/projects/big_bend/index.html.

Texas↗
USGS2015

Seismic-hazard maps for the conterminous United States, 2014

The maps presented here provide an update to the 2008 data contained in U.S Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3195 ( http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3195/ ).Probabilistic seismic-hazard maps were prepared for the conterminous United States for 2014 portraying peak horizontal acceleration and horizontal spectral response acceleration for 0.2- and 1.0-second periods with probabilities of exceedance of 10 percent in 50 years and 2 percent in 50 years. All of the maps were prepared by combining the hazard derived from spatially smoothed historical seismicity with the hazard from fault-specific sources. The acceleration values contoured are the random horizontal component. The reference site condition is firm rock, defined as having an average shear-wave velocity of 760 m/s in the top 30 meters corresponding to the boundary between NEHRP (National Earthquake Hazards Reduction program) site classes B and C. This data set represents the results of calculations of hazard curves for a grid of points with a spacing of 0.05 degrees in latitude and longitude. The grid of points was contoured to produce the final representation of the seismic hazard. These maps are intended to summarize the available quantitative information about seismic ground motion hazard for the conterminous United States from geologic and geophysical sources.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS1989

The hydrogeologic framework and a reconnaissance of ground-water quality in the Piedmont Province of North Carolina, with a design for future study

The U.S. Geological Survey is investigating the relation of ground- water quality and land use in the regolith and fractured rock ground-water system of the North Carolina Piedmont. The initial phase of this study provides a description of the ground-water flow system and a review of available ground-water data and formulates hypotheses that guide the design of a water-quality monitoring network for study of selected areas. In the Piedmont, the solid igneous and metamorphic bedrock grades upward into unweathered fractured rock that is covered by a transition zone of highly-fractured, partially weathered rock, clay-rich saprolite, and the soil. The fractured bedrock, transition zone, saprolite, and soil make up a complex flow system. A review of available ground-water quality data shows a lack of information about organic compounds and trace metals and changes in ground- water quality with depth. Land use, soils, and geology significantly influence ground-water quality. The hypotheses that need to be tested in the next study phase are: (1) that ground-water contamination can be related to land use, and (2) that the transition zone between bedrock and regolith serves as a primary transmitter of contaminants. Monitoring of basins containing industrial, urban, residential, and agricultural land uses in future studies will help define the relation of ground-water quality to land use. Water quality at different depths in the flow system and in streams during base flow needs to be identified.

North Carolina↗
USGS2015

Southern Salish Sea Habitat Map Series: Admiralty Inlet

In 2010 the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 initiated the Puget Sound Scientific Studies and Technical Investigations Assistance Program, designed to support research in support of implementing the Puget Sound Action Agenda. The Action Agenda was created in response to Puget Sound having been designated as one of 28 estuaries of national significance under section 320 of the U.S. Clean Water Act, and its overall goal is to restore the Puget Sound Estuary's environment by 2020. The Southern Salish Sea Mapping Project was funded by the Assistance Program request for proposals process, which also supports a large number of coastal-zone- and ocean-management issues. The issues include the recommendations of the Marine Protected Areas Work Group to the Washington State Legislature (Van Cleve and others, 2009), which endorses a Puget Sound and coast-wide marine conservation needs assessment, gap analysis of existing Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and recommendations for action. This publication is the first of four U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigation Maps that make up the Southern Salish Sea Mapping Project. The remaining three map blocks to be published in the future, located south of Admiralty Inlet, are shown in figure 1. Puget Sound is a deep, fjord-type estuary covering an area of 2,330 km 2 in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States (fig. 1). It is connected to the ocean by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a turbulent passage approximately 160 km in length and 22 km wide at its west end, expanding to over 40 km wide at its east end (Thomson, 1994). During the Pleistocene, the area was occupied several times by lobes of continental ice, resulting in a complex basin-fill of glacial and interglacial deposits that are locally as thick as 1100 m (Johnson and others, 2001). The last glaciation, called the Fraser glaciation, began after 28,800±740 14 C yr B.P. when ice started a slow expansion (Clague, 1981). At peak advance the westward Juan de Fuca lobe reached the edge of the continental shelf through the Juan de Fuca Strait shortly before 14,460±200 14 C yr B.P. (Herzer and Bornhold, 1982). The southward Puget lobe advanced to its terminal position in Puget Sound by around 14,150 14 C yr B.P. (Porter and Swanson, 1998). Ice retreated from its maximum to northern Whidbey Island by 13,650±350 14 C yr B.P. (Dethier and others, 1995). Retreating glaciers resulted in a thick sequence of ice-contact, glacial-marine sediment, and early post-glacial sediments (Linden and Schurrer, 1988). These deposits have experienced the effects of a marine transgression followed by regression, resulting in a sea-level several tens of meters lower than the present day (Linden and Schurrer, 1988). A second transgression brought sea level to about the present level by around 5,470±120 14 C yr B.P. (Clague and others, 1982) establishing the present oceanographic and geologic environment Puget Sound is separated into four interconnected basins; Whidbey, Central (Main), Hood Canal, and South (Thomson, 1994). The Whidbey, Central, and Hood Canal basins are the three main branches of the Puget Sound estuary and are separated from the Strait of Juan de Fuca by a double sill at Admiralty Inlet. The Admiralty Inlet map area includes the Inlet and a portion of the Whidbey Basin (fig. 1). The shallower South Basin is separated by a sill at Tacoma Narrows and is highly branched with numerous finger inlets. Flow within Puget Sound is dominated by tidal currents of as much as 1 m/s at Admiralty Inlet, reducing to approximately 0.5 m/s in the Central Basin (Lavelle and others, 1988). The lack of silt and clay-sized sediments in the Admiralty Inlet map area is likely a result of the strong currents (see Ground-Truth Studies for the Admiralty Inlet Map Area, sheet 3). The subtidal component of flow reaches approximately 0.1 m/s and is driven by density gradients arising from the contrast in salty ocean water at the entrance and freshwater inputs from stream flow (Lavelle and others, 1988). The total freshwater input to Puget Sound is approximately 3.4 x 10 6 m 3 /day, primarily from the Skagit River (Cannon, 1983). The subtidal circulation mostly consists of a two-layered flow in the basins with fresher water exiting at the surface and saltier water entering at depth (Ebbesmeyer and Cannon, 2001). In general, surface waters flow north and deeper waters flow south; variations arise from wind effects that can drive a surface current in the same direction as the wind, and a baroclinic response in the lower layer to about 100-m depth (Matsuura and Cannon, 1997). Oceanographic properties are influenced by temporal forcing parameters such as reduced stream flow during the 2000-01 drought that increased surface salinity and decreased differences between surface and bottom waters (Newton and others, 2003). On offshore seismic-reflection profiles, Pleistocene strata (excluding latest Pleistocene glacial and post-glacial deposits) form a distinct seismic unit, bounded below by pre-Tertiary or Tertiary basement and above by typically flat-lying latest Pleistocene to Holocene deposits that fill in erosional or depositional relief (Johnson and others, 2001). Cores from central Puget Sound have accumulation rates that range from 85 to 1200 mg/cm 2 /yr, or 0.12 to 2.4 cm/yr; the highest accumulation rates are near the southern end of central Puget Sound (Carpenter and others, 1985). Carpenter and others (1985) un-weighted arithmetic mean of accumulation rates for central Puget Sound deeper stations is 480±340 (± one standard deviation) mg/cm 2 /yr. Lavelle and others (1985) also found rates as high as 1200 mg/cm 2 /yr over the past approximately 70 years in cores in the Central Basin off of and north and south of Elliott Bay. Puget Sound basin rates are comparable to rates in midshelf silt deposits on the Washington coast north of the Columbia River (Nittrouer and others, 1979). The deep subtidal (in other words, below SCUBA depths) habitats of Puget Sound are relatively poorly known. A few subtidal surveys exist for several habitat types from the 1960s and 1970s (reviewed in Dethier, 1990), using grab and box core data. The Dethier (1990) review divides habitat up into Coast and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) substrate, water column energy, and depth zones but does not attempt to map these habitats, rather it is an inventory of habitats found in the area and the flora and fauna associated with each habitat. The approach of the Southern Salish Sea Mapping project is to create highly detailed seafloor maps through collection, integration, interpretation, and visualization of swath sonar data (the undersea equivalent of satellite remote-sensing data in terrestrial mapping), acoustic backscatter, seafloor video, seafloor photography, and bottom-sediment sampling data. This approach is based in part on methods presented and data collection and product needs identified at the Washington State Seafloor Mapping Workshop (Washington State Seafloor Mapping Workshop Steering Committee, 2008), attended by coastal and marine managers and scientists. The map products display seafloor geomorphology and substrate, and identify potential marine benthic habitats. It is emphasized that the more interpretive habitat and geology maps rely on the integration of multiple, new high-resolution datasets and that mapping at small scales would not be possible without such data. Oceanographic current and wave data is not included in this analysis, however, the accompanying geographic information system (GIS) data set is designed and intended to be combined with oceanographic and biologic data sets assembled by others in the future and some of the GIS data has already been incorporated in the unpublished Nature Conservancy Benthic Habitats of Puget Sound database. This publication includes four map sheets, explanatory text, and a descriptive pamphlet. Each map sheet is published as a portable document format (PDF) file. ESRI ArcGIS compatible geotiffs (for example, bathymetry) and shapefiles (for example video observation points) will be available for download in the data catalog associated with this publication (Cochrane, 2015). An ArcGIS Project File with the symbology used to generate the map sheets is also provided. For those who do not own the full suite of ESRI GIS and mapping software, the data can be read using ESRI ArcReader, a free viewer that is available at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/index.html .

Washington↗
USGS2017

Hydrogeology, groundwater flow, and groundwater quality of an abandoned underground coal-mine aquifer, Elkhorn Area, West Virginia

The Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam in southern West Virginia has been extensively mined by underground methods since the 1880’s. An extensive network of abandoned mine entries in the Pocahontas No. 3 has since filled with good-quality water, which is pumped from wells or springs discharging from mine portals (adits), and used as a source of water for public supplies. This report presents results of a three-year investigation of the geology, hydrology, geochemistry, and groundwater flow processes within abandoned underground coal mines used as a source of water for public supply in the Elkhorn area, McDowell County, West Virginia. This study focused on large (> 500 gallon per minute) discharges from the abandoned mines used as public supplies near Elkhorn, West Virginia. Median recharge calculated from base-flow recession of streamflow at Johns Knob Branch and 12 other streamflow gaging stations in McDowell County was 9.1 inches per year. Using drainage area versus mean streamflow relationships from mined and unmined watersheds in McDowell County, the subsurface area along dip of the Pocahontas No. 3 coal-mine aquifer contributing flow to the Turkey Gap mine discharge was determined to be 7.62 square miles (mi2), almost 10 times larger than the 0.81 mi2 surface watershed. Results of this investigation indicate that groundwater flows down dip beneath surface drainage divides from areas up to six miles east in the adjacent Bluestone River watershed. A conceptual model was developed that consisted of a stacked sequence of perched aquifers, controlled by stress-relief and subsidence fractures, overlying a highly permeable abandoned underground coal-mine aquifer, capable of substantial interbasin transfer of water. Groundwater-flow directions are controlled by the dip of the Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam, the geometry of abandoned mine workings, and location of unmined barriers within that seam, rather than surface topography. Seven boreholes were drilled to intersect abandoned mine workings in the Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam and underlying strata in various structural settings of the Turkey Gap and adjacent down-dip mines. Geophysical logging and aquifer testing were conducted on the boreholes to locate the coal- mine aquifers, characterize fracture geometry, and define permeable zones within strata overlying and underlying the Pocahontas No. 3 coal-mine aquifer. Water levels were measured monthly in the wells and showed a relatively static phreatic zone within subsided strata a few feet above the top of or within the Pocahontas No. 3 coal-mine aquifer (PC3MA). A groundwater-flow model was developed to verify and refine the conceptual understanding of groundwater flow and to develop groundwater budgets for the study area. The model consisted of four layers to represent overburden strata, the Pocahontas No. 3 coal-mine aquifer, underlying fractured rock, and fractured rock below regional drainage. Simulation of flow in the flooded abandoned mine entries using highly conductive layers or zones within the model, was unable to realistically simulate interbasin transfer of water. Therefore it was necessary to represent the coal-mine aquifer as an internal boundary condition rather than a contrast in aquifer properties. By representing the coal-mine aquifer with a series of drain nodes and optimizing input parameters with parameter estimation software, model errors were reduced dramatically and discharges for Elkhorn Creek, Johns Knob Branch, and other tributaries were more accurately simulated. Flow in the Elkhorn Creek and Johns Knob Branch watersheds is dependent on interbasin transfer of water, primarily from up dip areas of abandoned mine workings in the Pocahontas No. 3 coal-mine aquifer within the Bluestone River watershed to the east. For the 38th, 70th, and 87th percentile flow duration of streams in the region, mean measured groundwater discharge was estimated to be 1.30, 0.47, and 0.39 cubic feet per square mile (ft3/s/mi2

West Virginia↗
USGS2005

Steam injection pilot study in a contaminated fractured limestone (Maine, USA): Modeling and analysis of borehole radar reflection data

Steam-enhanced remediation (SER) has been successfully used to remove DNAPL and LNAPL contaminants in porous media. Between August and November 2002, SER was tested in fractured limestone at the former Loring Air Force Base, in Maine, USA. During the SER investigation, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a series of borehole radar surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of radar methods for monitoring the movement of steam and heat through the fractured limestone. The data were collected before steam injection, 10 days after the beginning of injection, and at the end of injection. In this paper, reflection-mode borehole radar data from wells JBW-7816 and JBW-7817A are presented and discussed. Theoretical modeling was performed to predict the variation of fracture reflectivity owed to heating, to show displacement of water and to assess the effect of SER at the site. Analysis of the radar profile data indicates some variations resulting from heating (increase of continuity of reflectors, attenuation of deeper reflections) but no substantial variation of traveltimes. Spectral content analysis of several individual reflections surrounding the boreholes was used to investigate the replacement of water by steam in the fractures. Observed decrease in radar reflectivity was too small to be explained by a replacement of water by steam, except for two high-amplitude reflectors, which disappeared near the end of the injection; moreover, no change of polarity, consistent with steam replacing water, was observed. The decrease of amplitude was greater for reflectors near well JBW-7817A and is explained by a greater heating around this well.

Maine↗
USGS1996

Hydrogeologic framework of the diabase aquifer at the Boarhead Farms Superfund site, Bridgeton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The hydrogeologic investigation at the Boarhead Farms Superfund site was done to characterize the framework of the diabase aquifer underlying the site. The primary water-producing fracture system is less than 30 feet below land surface. Water-bearing fractures were not found deeper than 50 feet below land surface. The overburden soil is thin and ranges from 4 to 14 feet thick. The overburden soil acts as a confining unit for the underlying bedrock aquifer. Weathered bedrock consisting of broken diabase ranged from 2 to 15 feet thick, and in some areas, fractures in the weathered bedrock zone were filled with clay. Due to the clay-rich overburden soil and the thick, clay filled weathered bedrock zone, little ground-water storage is available to supply the shallow fracture systems. The diabase aquifer is low yielding with low transmissivities. Five of 15 boreholes drilled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's investigation produced no water. Estimates of transmisivity calculated from analyses of open-hole constant-discharge tests in five boreholes ranged from 3.1 to 100 square feet per day. Estimated discharge rates for these exists between boreholes. The fracture system is limited in areal extent. Dewatering of fractures supplying water to boreholes occurred during open-hole constant-discharge tests of three boreholes.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1955

Water requirements of selected industries

The early industries in America generally were established when and where demands for the products of industry arose. Most of the early industries were so located that their increasing requirements for transportation, raw materials, market, labor, and water supply could be satisfied economically. Many of these original plant locations have continued as modern industrial centers and their output has increased manyfold in meeting the demands of our growing Nation. The recent and current industrial expansion and the trend toward the growth of chemical industries, many Of which are heavy users of water, has resulted in a tremendous increase in the total withdrawal of water for industrial use as well as a large increase in the per capita use of water. This increase in industrial water requirement has strained the capacity of the developed water supplies in many areas, and in some instances the adequacy of the potential water supplies is questionable. The Geological Survey is engaged in preparing and publishing a series of reports describing the developed and undeveloped water resources of many important industrial areas. This work was started initially at the request of the National Securities Resources Board as a means to insure that water supplies are adequate for our rapidly expanding industrial development. Although many factors contribute to establishing the feasibility or even the limits of future industrial development, the one relating to available water supply is extremely important. A knowledge of the water requirements of various industries is valuable therefore in planning the logical development in any area where water supply is a critical factor. Thus far very little suitable information on the water requirements of our major industries is available for general planning. An inventory of unit water-use values in industry therefore would be generally helpful and also might tend to stimulate water-conservation methods. To obtain such information, investigations

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2015

Geologic and geophysical maps of the El Casco 7.5′ quadrangle, Riverside County, southern California, with accompanying geologic-map database

Introduction Earth materials and structures in the El Casco quadrangle provide considerable information about the late Cenozoic geologic evolution of southern California’s Inland Empire region (fig. 2). Important structural and stratigraphic elements include (1) modern traces of the right-lateral San Jacinto Fault zone, (2) older traces of the San Jacinto Fault zone, and (3) sedimentary materials and geologic structures that formed during the last eight million years or so and that record interactions within the San Andreas Fault system. These materials, and the structures that deform them, provide a geologic context 3 for investigations of groundwater recharge and subsurface flow (Waring, 1919; Burnham and Dutcher, 1960; Bloyd, 1971; Rewis and others, 2006). This geologic database of the El Casco 7.5′ quadrangle was prepared by the Basins and Landscape Co-Evolution Project (BALANCE), a regional geologic-mapping project sponsored jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Geological Survey. The database was developed as a contribution to the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program’s National Geologic Map Database, and provides a general geologic setting of the El Casco quadrangle. The database and map provide information about earth materials and geologic structures, including faults and folds that have developed in the quadrangle due to complexities in the San Andreas Fault system. Geologic information contained in the El Casco database is general-purpose data applicable to land-related investigations in the earth and biological sciences. The term “general-purpose” means that all geologic-feature classes have minimal information content adequate to characterize their general geologic characteristics and to interpret their general geologic history. However, no single feature class has enough information to definitively characterize its properties and origin. For this reason the database cannot be used for site-specific geologic evaluations, although it can be used to plan and guide investigations at the site-specific level.

California↗
USGS2006

Response to memorandum by Rowley and Dixon regarding U.S. Geological Survey report titled "Characterization of Surface-Water Resources in the Great Basin National Park Area and Their Susceptibility to Ground-Water Withdrawals in Adjacent Valleys, White Pine County, Nevada"

Applications pending for permanent permits to pump large quantities of ground water in Spring and Snake Valleys adjacent to Great Basin National Park (the Park) prompted the National Park Service to request a study by the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate the susceptibility of the Park's surface-water resources to pumping. The result of this study was published as U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5099 'Characterization of Surface-Water Resources in the Great Basin National Park Area and Their Susceptibility to Ground-Water Withdrawals in Adjacent Valleys, White Pine County, Nevada,' by P.E. Elliott, D.A. Beck, and D.E. Prudic. That report identified areas within the Park where surface-water resources are susceptible to ground-water pumping; results from the study showed that three streams and several springs near the eastern edge of the Park were susceptible. However, most of the Park's surface-water resources likely would not be affected by pumping because of either low-permeability rocks or because ground water is sufficiently deep as to not be directly in contact with the streambeds. A memorandum sent by Peter D. Rowley and Gary L. Dixon, Consulting Geologists, to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) on June 29, 2006 was critical of the report. The memorandum by Rowley and Dixon was made available to the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the public during the Nevada State Engineer's 'Evidentiary Exchange' process for the recent hearing on applications for ground-water permits by SNWA in Spring Valley adjacent to Great Basin National Park. The U.S. Geological Survey was asked by the National Park Service to assess the validity of the concerns and comments contained in the Rowley and Dixon memorandum. An Administrative Letter Report responding to Rowley and Dixon's concerns and comments was released to the National Park Service on October 30, 2006. The National Park Service subsequently requested that the contents with three minor changes to the Administrative Letter Report be released to the public. The first paragraph was revised to better explain how the memorandum was brought to the attention of the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey and the purpose of the Administrative Letter Report. The second and third changes were minor word changes to the end of the first sentence at the top of page 11 and in the Summary statement, respectively. The Administrative Letter Report with these minor changes is reproduced herein. Lastly, the National Park Service asked me to explain the difference between potentially and likely susceptible areas used in the report. Admittedly, the report did not clearly explain their usage. Potentially susceptible areas were used in the report to identify areas where (1) ground water interacts with water in the creeks but the connection between permeable rocks in the mountains with the basin fill is uncertain or where (2) ground-water interaction with water in the creeks is less certain but permeable rocks are connected with basin fill. Likely susceptible areas were used to identify areas in the mountains and valleys where ground-water interacts with water in the creeks or discharges as springs and permeable rocks are connected with basin fill. Likely susceptible areas are, therefore, more vulnerable to ground-water pumping.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1998

Diatom paleoecology Pass Key core 37, Everglades National Park, Florida Bay

During the 20th century, there have been large-scale anthropogenic modifications to the South Florida ecosystem. The effects of these changes on Florida Bay and its biological communities are currently of political and scientific interest. This study is part of a larger effort to reconstruct the history of environmental changes in the bay, using paleoecological techniques. We are using diatom indicators preserved in Florida Bay sediments to infer long-term water quality, productivity, nutrient, and salinity changes. We are also obtaining information concerning the natural variability of the ecosystem. Diatoms are microscopic algae, the remains of which are generally well preserved in sediments, and their distributions are closely linked to water quality. Diatoms were extracted from a 70-cm sediment core collected from the Pass Key mudbank of Florida Bay by the U.S. Geological Survey. Between 300-500 diatom valves from each of 15 core samples were identified and counted. Estimates of absolute abundance, species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and centric:pennate ratios were calculated for each sample that was counted. Information on the ecology of the diatom species is presented, and changes in diatom community composition are evaluated. Samples contained an average of four million diatom valves per gram of sediment. Major changes in the diatom community are evident down core. These include increases in the percent abundance of marine diatoms in the time period represented by the core, probably the result of increasing salinity at Pass Key. Benthic diatoms become less abundant in the top half of the core. This may be related to a number of factors including the die-off of sea grass beds or increased turbidity of the water column. Once the chronology of the Pass Key core 37 is established, these down-core changes can be related to historical events and compared with other indicators in the sedimentary record that are currently being investigated by U.S Geological Survey researchers. This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2015

Water-quality conditions and suspended-sediment transport in the Wilson and Trask Rivers, northwestern Oregon, water years 2012–14

In October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey began investigating and monitoring water-quality conditions and suspended-sediment transport in the Wilson and Trask Rivers, northwestern Oregon. Water temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen were measured every 15–30 minutes in both streams using real-time instream water-quality monitors. In conjunction with the monitoring effort, suspended-sediment samples were collected and analyzed to model the amount of suspended sediment being transported by each river. Over the course of the 3-year study, which ended in September 2014, nearly 600,000 tons (t) of suspended-sediment material entered Tillamook Bay from these two tributaries. Each year of the study, the Wilson River transported between 80,300 and 240,000 t of suspended sediment, while the Trask River contributed between 28,200 and 69,900 t. The suspended-sediment loads observed during the study were relatively small because streamflow conditions were routinely lower than normal between October 2011 and September 2014. Only one storm had a recurrence interval between a 2- and 5-year event. Every other storm produced streamflows equivalent to what would be classified as a 1- or 2-year event. Because most sediment moves during high flows, the lack of heavy rainfall and elevated streamflows muted any high sediment loads. Along with assessing suspended-sediment transport, the U.S. Geological Survey also monitored instream water quality. This monitoring was used to track instream conditions and relate them to water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and sedimentation issues for the Wilson and Trask Rivers. Stream temperatures in the Wilson and Trask Rivers exceeded the temperature standard for cold-water habitat. Water temperatures at both streams exceeded the standard for more than 30 percent of the year, as stream temperatures increased above the seasonal 13 degrees Celsius (°C) (seasonal core cold-water habitat) and 16 °C (salmon and steelhead [ Oncorhynchus mykiss ] spawning) thresholds. Conversely, dissolved oxygen concentrations rarely decreased to less than the absolute water-quality criterion of 8 milligrams per liter for cold-water streams. Results from this study will provide resource managers insight into the seasonality of water-quality conditions and the extent of suspended-sediment transport in the Wilson and Trask Rivers. The data are useful for establishing a baseline and for maintaining best-use land management practices and possibly for aiding in prioritization of restoration actions for both rivers and their respective watersheds.

Oregon↗
USGS1981

First manned submersible dives on the East Pacific Rise at 21°N (project RITA): general results

A submersible study has been conducted in February–March 1978 at the axis of the East Pacific Rise near 21°N. The expedition CYAMEX, the first submersible program to be conducted on the East Pacific Rise, is part of the French-American-Mexican project RITA (Rivera-Tamayo), a 3-year study devoted to detailed geological and geophysical investigations of the East Pacific Rise Crest. On the basis of the 15 dives made by CYANA in the axial area of the Rise, a morphological and tectonic zonation can be established for this moderately-fast spreading center. A narrow, 0.6 to 1.2 km wide zone of extrusion (zone 1), dominated by young lava flows, is flanked by a highly fissured and faulted zone of extension (zone 2) with a width of 1 to 2 km. Further out, zone 3 is dominated by outward tilted blocks bounded by inward-facing fault scarps. Active or recent faults extend up to 12 km from the axis of extrusion of the East Pacific Rise. This represents the first determination from direct field evidence of the width of active tectonism associated with an accreting plate boundary. Massive sulfide deposits, made principally of zinc, copper and iron, were found close to the axis of the Rise. Other signs of the intense hydrothermal activity included the discovery of benthic fauna of gian size similar to that found at the axis of the Galapagos Rift. We emphasize the cyclic character of the volcanicity. The main characteristics of the geology of this segment of the East Pacific Rise can be explained by the thermal structure at depth below this moderately-fast spreading center. The geological observations are compatible with the existence of a shallow magma reservoir centered at the axis of the Rise with a half-width of the order of 10 km.

Marine Geophysical Research↗
USGS1982

Evaulation of remote sensing, geological and geophysical data for south-central New York and northern Pennsylvania

A study was made of the relationship between lineaments observed on Landsat satellite images and the geologic framework of a portion of the Allegheny Plateau of south-central New York and northern Pennsylvania. The area is underlain by a relatively thick sequence of salt and other evaporites in the Silurian Salina Group and is a potential site for deep-storage of solid nuclear waste. A combination of remote sensing techniques, detailed geologic mapping and geophysical investigations were applied to the problem. Because of the premature termination of the Department of Energy contract, only a portion of the total work was completed. The completed portion of the project included 1) digital contrast enhancement of several Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images, 2) analysis of lineament patterns from a Landsat MSS-7 mosaic, 3) field mapping of bedrock joint patterns, 4) compilation and analysis of surface and subsurface structure and isopach maps, 5) collection and digital analysis of aeromagnetic data for southern New York, 6) compilation and analysis of aeromagnetic and gravity data for much of New York and Pennsylvania, and 7) analysis of seismic reflection survey lines for selected portions of New York and Pennsylvania. We identified eight major lineaments or lineament zones and studied them in detail. They typically represent linear alignments of the most conspicuous or prominent physiographic features observable on Landsat images. The Cortland-Ithaca, Watkins Glen-Tanghannock, Seneca Lake-Elmira, Painted Post-Blossburg and Endicott-Syracuse conspicuous lineaments include the Corning-Bath, Van Etten-Towanda, Van Etten-Candor and Van Etten-Odessa lineaments. In addition, a major fault system--the West Danby fault zone--was further defined by geologic and geophysical investigations during our study; the fault zone was not recognizable on satellite images. The lineaments and lineament zones were categorized by their azimuthal trends. Those with a northerly orientation (e.g. Van Etten-Towanda, Seneca Lake-Elmira, Painted Post-Blossburg and Endicott-Syracuse) are most common. Northeasterly lineaments (e.g. Cortland-Ithaca and Watkins Glen-Taughannock) also are common. The Corning-Bath and Van Etten-Odessa lineaments have a northwesterly orientation and the Van Etten-Candor lineament is the sole representative of the east-west direction. The West Danby fault system also trends east-west. All the lineaments or lineament zones studied appear to be related, in one fashion or another, to structural disturbances, because changes in the structural attitude of beds or thickness of rocks commonly occur along their extent. The changes in many instances occur on multiple stratigraphic horizons and in a manner suggestive of several different styles of tectonism, leading to the conclusion that the lineaments and lineament zones have been periodically reactivated during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras. Aeromagnetic data commonly show a parallel alignment of contours juxtaposed or on line with lineaments and lineament zones, suggesting that these physiographic alignments owe their origin to features within the crystalline basement. Pre-Alleghanian faulting and depositional patterns show that the study area was affected by basement-controlled adjustments along and in the same direction as most of the lineaments and lineament zones. Actual displacements cannot be proven for all of the lineaments or lineament zones, but changes in dip of the rocks across these features suggest either basement hingelines or small displacement faulting which cannot be resolved by the present data. These displacements occurred in at least Middle-Late Ordovician, Middle-Late Silurian and the Early-Middle Devonian times. The major northeast trending lineament zones (Cortland-Ithaca and Watkins Glen-Taughannock) correspond in orientation and lie along the northeastward projection of the Rome Trough, a postulated Paleozoic aulacogen. Results of

Open-File Report↗
USGS1978

Tin and related elements in sediments and beach sands from Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey

Sixty samples of sediments from stream beds, outwash plains, and beaches were collected in Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey by Fred L. Klinger, U.S. Bureau of Mines, as part of the field work undertaken by the National Geographic-Smithsonian Pyrotechnological Expedition of 1968. Facilities for the analysis of the samples for tin and other metals were not immediately available, but in 1973 arrangements were made for analyses to be made on a time-permitting basis in the U.S. Geological Survey. The original purpose in collecting the samples was to determine whether tin was present in amounts indicative of sources for tin ores used in antiquity for the manufacture of bronze. The results of the analyses not only permitted an evaluation of the potential for tin in the localities sampled, but also afforded chemical and mineralogical data that were interpretable in the context of regional potential for other elements of current industrial use. These include gold, base metals, ferro-alloy metals, beryllium, rare earths, and barium. The original 60 samples of sand were sieved to make three size fraction (>0.707 mm, <O.707->O.177 mm, and <0.177 mm) for spectrographic and chemical analysis. Splits of these fractions were used for replicate analyses to permit evaluation of the precision of the analytical procedures. Further splitting of the <0.707->0.177 mm sand gave fractions from each sample that were separated in bromoform. Concentrates from the heavy-liquid separations were divided magnetically into six parts from most magnetic to least magnetic. These concentrates were analyzed spectrographically. The precision of the spectrographic analyses is well within the limits of precision expected from semiquantitative procedures. Such precision allows semiquantitative spectrographic procedures to be used with confidence as a valuable tool for reconnaissance investigations in which multi-element analyses are necessary. The analyses of the various fractions of sediments and sediment concentrates indicate the sample media in which an element was most likely to occur. Tin exhibited no preferential concentration into any particular medium. However, many elements with which tin is associated, and other elements of industrial use, do concentrate into one or more of the sample media. This indication of a preferred medium permits interpretation of the analyses as to the best sample medium for a particular element in the environment of western Asia. Cassiterite and/or tin were detected in many samples from Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, but in most of the samples the tin was present in normal crustal abundance. Sixteen samples, including seven from Afghanistan, eight from Iran, and one from Turkey contain unusually large amounts of tin. The most notable areas of anomalous tin are near Mirzaka, Qala-i-Asad, and Shah Agha in Afghanistan; near Meshed, Shir Kuh, Natanz, Nodus, and Talmesi in Iran; and on the shore of the Balck Sea just west of Trabzon in Turkey. Even in these localities the tin appears to be a minor element associated with other ores. The most common association of tin is with copper at known mineralized areas. This relation may have historical significance in the context of the development of bronze. The results of the analyses provided geochemical data on the distribution of other elements of industrial use and clearly identified nine of the ten known mineral deposits represented by the samples. The known metallization at the reported deposits may be only a part of more complex groups of metals. In Afghanistan an array of anomalous elements at the known gold placers around Mirzaka and along the Anguri River signals the presence of complex ore deposits. These elements are silver, arsenic, gold, bismuth, cadmium, copper, mercury, indium, molybdenum, lead, antimony, tin, thallium, tungsten, and zinc. They may indicate a Carlin-type gold deposit in which the wall-rocks are enriched in micron-sized particles of gold. Other localities in Afghanistan signalled by the results of the analyses to be anomalous and to merit further geochemical exploration are: (1) a reach of the Panjshir River for beryllium, lead, zinc, chromium and nickel; (2) the area near Bamian for beryllium; (3) the Siakhak village area for gold and copper; (4) around Qala-i-Asad and Shah Agha for lead, zinc, gold, and tungsten. Some attention to the distribution of monazite around Siakhak, Shahjui, Qala-i-Asad, and Shah Agha is justified to determine if this ore mineral for the rare earths and thorium is enriched over its normally expectable trace as an accessory mineral in granitic rocks, pelitic schists, and gneisses. In Iran, the pluton of granodiorite porphyry near Sar Cheshmeh, an area where a huge porphyry copper deposit was being investigated by the Geological Survey of Iran when the present samples were collected in 1968, shows as a strong geochemical anomaly for copper and molybdenum. The granitic area near Meshed is geochemically enriched persistently in beryllium, tin, and barium, and locally in gold, lanthanum, niobium, yttrium, and other elements. This area deserves a thorough regional geochemical survey for beryl and nonberyl sources of beryllium, for fluorite, and for the ores of niobium, tin, barium, the rare earths, and thorium. Other localities in Iran that merit geochemical exploration on the basis of these data are: ;1) the areas between Tabas and Deyhuk, east of Naiband, and south of Naiband for barium and zinc; (2) a locality about midway between Kerman and Sirdjan for barium, lanthanum, strontium, and zinc; (4) the Meskani copper mine area for mercury, lead, and nickel as well as copper; (5) the Talmesi copper mine area for such other elements as barium, cobalt, mercury, strontium, and zinc; (6) a small pluton of granodiorite north of Natanz for tungsten and base metals; (7) the vicinity of Zendjan for auriferous polymetallic sufide deposits; (8) gold in the gorge 15 km east of Miyaneh; and (9) the area near Nodus for gold, base metals, molybdenum, and niobium, and possibly uranium. The Harsit River basin in Turkey appears to be a suitable target for geochemical exploration for gold and low-temperature hydrothermal deposits of base metals, barium, and mercury.

Open-File Report↗