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USGS1995

Porphyry copper and other intrusion-related mineralization in Mexico

Intrusion-related copper-bearing ore deposits in Mexico span a wide-range of deposit types and geological settings and formed from the mid-Mesozoic through the Holocene. These deposits include world-class copper porphyry and skarn deposits as well as a continuum of similar skarn, porphyry, vein, and replacement deposits that contain variable quantities of molybdenum, zinc, silver, lead, iron, gold, tungsten, tin, fluorine, and beryllium. Based on a new compilation, this paper reviews data on the full spectrum of intrusion-related deposits, concentrating on copper-rich systems, and attempts to place them in a generalized geological and petrological context. In Mexico, intrusion-related mineral deposits are primarily Mesozoic to middle Tertiary in age. Three broad periods are prominent in the mineralization record: the late Mesozoic, the Laramide, and the middle Tertiary. Jurassic to Late Cretaceous calc-alkalic batholiths with sparse volcanic rocks occur along the Pacific margin mainly on eugeoclinal crust, although locally on continental crust (for example, in Sonora). Latest Cretaceous to Early Tertiary ('Laramide') calc-alkalic batholithic, subvolcanic, and volcanic centers occur in an overlapping but somewhat more easterly band that extends with diminished intensity and somewhat younger ages into the Sierra Madre Oriental. Mid-Tertiary volcanism and local intrusive centers are widely developed, with the greatest abundance of calcalkalic felsic volcanics in the Sierra Madre Occidental and more mafic middle to late Tertiary arc volcanics in the Sierra Madre del Sur in southern Mexico and as a fringe of alkalic volcanic' and sub volcanic centers in northeastern Mexico. Over 600 copper-rich intrusion-related systems can be inferred from the literature; about 100 can be documented with some confidence. Copper-rich deposits occur with both intermediate (dioritic) and felsic (granodioritic) intrusive centers and show a corresponding variety of associated metals and alteration types. Styles include porphyry-type disseminated or stockwork mineralization, skarn, breccia pipes, and pegmatites. Multiple styles commonly occur in the same district. Porphyry copper deposits are best developed in association with the Laramide intrusive centers of northern Mexico and the mid-Tertiary intrusions in southern Mexico. Other intrusion-related deposit types occur within the same magmatic framework, but they have different temporal and spatial correlations related to their igneous composition and exposure level. The continuum of intrusion-related mineralization in Mexico can be divided by geological associations, metal contents, and styles of alteration. Although more than 1,500 intrusion-associated mineral deposits are known, the scarcity of data requires a simplified approach focusing on major districts. We distinguish the following overlapping groups of deposits based on their metal contents and igneous compositions: (1) porphyry or skarn Cu(-Mo-Zn) associated with intermediate to felsic granitoids, (2) porphyry or skarn Cu (-Au-Fe) associated with intermediate intrusions, (3) greisen, skarn, or pegmatite W(-Mo) associated with intermediate to felsic granitoids, (4) replacement or skarn Zn-Pb-Ag(-Cu-F) deposits associated with felsic intrusions, (5) volcanic-hosted vein Ag-Au(-Zn-F-Sn) deposits associated with hypabyssal felsic intrusions, (6) vein ± replacement Ag-Au(-Cu-Zn-Pb) deposits associated with intermediate stocks, (7) volcanichosted Au-Ag(-Cu) systems, (8) rhyolite-related F(-Sn-Be) deposits, (9) diorite-related Fe(-Au-Cu) skarns, and (9) rhyolite-related Fe deposits. Some inferences can be drawn from examination of these patterns: • Igneous compositions vary in time and space in Mexico, but multiple compositions commonly were emplaced at different times in the same region. Temporal variations (as in Sonora) are as important as differences in province (as between Sonora and southern Mexico). • Alteration and metal differences between alkaline and sub alkaline, felsic and mafic magma suites can be partly rationalized from equilibria among igneous minerals (for example, in terms of a Al 2 O 3 vs a CaO [vs a SiO 2 ]), fluid chloride and sulfur contents, and magmatic metal contents which reflect province and process. • Exposure and preservation filter observed Mexican metallogeny. Erosion of the Mesozoic arc superstructure in the west leaves mainly tungsten-skarns, burial of the Laramide arc in central Mexico interrupts porphyry copper patterns, and minimal exhumation of mid-Tertiary intrusive centers preserves distal vein or replacement systems. • The superimposed metallogenic patterns in Mexico have parallels with metallogenic patterns in the western United States in terms of the effects of preservation, process, and province. Future work should focus on increasing the basic geological data on mineral deposits and igneous rocks. Geochronology, petrology, and geochemistry would help better define the temporal, spatial, and compositional interrelationships between tectonism, magmatism, and mineralization.

Book chapter↗
USGS2013

Groundwater hydrology and estimation of horizontal groundwater flux from the Rio Grande at selected locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003-9

The Albuquerque, New Mexico, area has two principal sources of water: groundwater from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system and surface water from the San Juan-Chama Diversion Project. From 1960 to 2002, groundwater withdrawals from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system have caused water levels to decline more than 120 feet in some places within the Albuquerque area, resulting in a great deal of interest in quantifying the river-aquifer interaction associated with the Rio Grande. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a detailed characterization of the hydrogeology of the Rio Grande riparian corridor in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area to provide hydrologic data and enhance the understanding of rates of water leakage from the Rio Grande to the alluvial aquifer, groundwater flow through the aquifer, and discharge of water from the aquifer to the riverside drains. A simple conceptual model of flow indicates that the groundwater table gently slopes from the Rio Grande towards riverside drains and the outer boundaries of the inner valley. Water infiltrating from the Rio Grande initially moves vertically below the river, but, as flow spreads farther into the Rio Grande inner valley alluvial aquifer, flow becomes primarily horizontal. The slope of the water-table surface may be strongly controlled by the riverside drains and influenced by other more distal hydrologic boundary conditions, such as groundwater withdrawals by wells. Results from 35 slug tests performed in the Rio Grande inner valley alluvial aquifer during January and February 2009 indicate that hydraulic-conductivity values ranged from 5 feet per day to 160 feet per day with a median hydraulic-conductivity for all transects of 40 feet per day. Median annual horizontal hydraulic gradients in the Rio Grande inner valley alluvial aquifer ranged from 0.011 to 0.002. Groundwater fluxes through the alluvial aquifer calculated by using median slug-test results (qm slug ) and Darcy's law ranged from about 0.1 feet per day to about 0.7 feet per day. Groundwater fluxes calculated by using the Suzuki-Stallman method (qm heat ) ranged from 0.52 feet per day to 0.23 feet per day. Results from the Darcy's law and Suzuki-Stallman flux calculations were compared to discharge measured in riverside drains on both sides of the river north of the Montaño Bridge on February 26, 2009. Flow in the Corrales Riverside Drain increased by 1.4 cubic feet per second from mile 2 to mile 4, about 12 cubic feet per day per linear foot of drain. Flow in the Albuquerque Riverside Drain increased by 15 cubic feet per second between drain miles 0 and 3, about 82 cubic feet per day per linear foot of drain. The flux of water from the river to the aquifer was calculated to be 2.2 cubic feet per day per linear foot of river by using the median qm slug of 0.09 feet per day at Montaño transects west of the river. The total flux was calculated to be 6.0 cubic feet per day per linear foot of river by using the mean(qm heat of 0.24 feet per day for the Montaño transects west of the river. Assuming the Corrales Riverside Drain intercepted all of this flow, the qm slug or qm heat fluxes account for 18 to 50 percent, respectively, of the increase of flow in the drain. The flux of water from the river to the aquifer was calculated to be 15 cubic feet per day per linear foot of river by using the median qm slug of 0.30 feet per day at the Montaño transects east of the river. The flux of water from the river to the aquifer was calculated to be 17 cubic feet per day per linear foot of river by using the mean flux calculated from the Suzuki-Stallman method for the Montaño East transects of 0.34 feet per day. Assuming the Albuquerque Riverside Drain intercepted all this flow, the qm slug or (qm heat fluxes would only account for 18 to 21 percent, respectively, of the increase in flow in the drain. The comparison of these results with those of previous investigations suggests that calculated flux through the Rio Grande inner valley alluvial aquifer is strongly scale dependent and that the thickness of aquifer through which river water flows may be greater than indicated by the vertical temperature profiles.

Albuquerque, New Mexico↗
USGS2020

Wetlands in agricultural landscapes—Significant findings and recent advances from CEAP-Wetlands

The Wetlands Component of the USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP-Wetlands) is a multi-agency effort advancing science related to quantifying and interpreting effects and effectiveness of conservation practices and programs on ecosystem services provided by wetlands in agricultural landscapes. This special section originated from a symposium held at the 73rd Soil and Water Conservation Society's International Annual Conference in Albuquerque New Mexico, July 29 to August 1, 2018. The symposium was jointly organized by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Geological Survey. To facilitate CEAP-Wetlands efforts, several regional assessments were conducted across the United States. These regional assessments were designed to address science gaps hindering wetland conservation and to develop tools facilitating conservation assessments. Conservation decisions affect not just agricultural wetlands, but also the services that these complex ecosystems provide to society. Papers in this special section of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation present key findings and recent advances from several CEAP-Wetlands regional assessments and discuss the significant contributions of each assessment to an ever-increasing understanding of wetland ecosystems and their provisioning of ecosystem services. Modeling efforts using the Agricultural Policy and Environmental eXtender (APEX) and other process-based models are an integral component of CEAP-Wetlands. Results of these modeling efforts are also presented, and conservation implications are discussed.

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation↗
USGS2026

Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park

Introduction In September 2021, National Park Service staff, U.S. Geological Survey scientists, and an international team of researchers revealed evidence in the form of human footprints at White Sands National Park, New Mexico, that showed people were present in North America between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago. This time was during the Last Glacial Maximum, when large ice sheets covered much of the continent. The results stunned the scientific community and sparked a global debate. The story of how the discoveries were made, how they upended traditional thought, and how they “rewrote the book” on the earliest phases of North American prehistory is a classic example of the process of science.

New Mexico↗
USGS2000

Use of air-pressurized slug tests to estimate hydraulic conductivity at selected piezometers completed in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system, Albuquerque area, New Mexico

The City of Albuquerque Public Works Department, Water Resources Management (City), is interested in quantifying aquifer hydraulic properties in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area to better understand and manage water resources in the Middle Rio Grande Basin. In 1998, the City and the U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative program to determine hydraulic properties of aquifer material adjacent to screened intervals of piezometers in the Albuquerque area. Investigators conducted slug tests from March 8 through April 8, 1999, to estimate hydraulic conductivity of aquifer material adjacent to the screened intervals of 25 piezometers from 11 nested- piezometer sites in the Albuquerque area. At 20 of the piezometers, slug-test responses were typical; at 2 piezometers, tests were prematurely terminated because the tests were taking too long to complete; and at 3 piezometers, test responses were oscillatory. Methods used to estimate hydraulic conductivity were the Bouwer and Rice method or the Cooper, Bredehoeft, and Papadopulos method for most tests; the Shapiro and Greene method for prematurely terminated tests; and the van der Kamp method for oscillatory tests. Hydraulic-conductivity estimates ranged from about 0.15 to 92 feet per day. In general, the smaller estimated values are associated with fine-grained aquifer materials and the larger estimated hydraulic-conductivity values are associated with coarse- grained aquifer materials adjacent to the screened intervals of the piezometers. Hydraulic-conductivity estimates ranged from 0.15 to 8.2 feet per day for aquifer materials adjacent to the screened intervals at 12 piezometers and from 12 to 41 feet per day for aquifer materials adjacent to the screened intervals at 10 piezometers. Hydraulic-conductivity estimates at four piezometers were greater than 41 feet per day.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

Geologic and hydrologic characterization and evaluation of the Basin and Range Province relative to the disposal of high-level radioactive waste: Part I, Introduction and guidelines

The U.S. Geological Survey's program for geologic and hydrologic evaluation of physiographic provinces to identify areas potentially suitable for locating repository sites for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes was announced to the Governors of the eight States in the Basin and Range Province on May 5, 1981. Representatives of Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, were invited to cooperate with the Federal Government in the evaluation process. Each Governor was requested to nominate an Earth scientist to represent the State in a province working group composed of State and U.S. Geological Survey representatives. This report, Part I of a three-part report, provides the background, introduction and scope of the study. This part also includes a discussion of geologic and hydrologic guidelines that will be used in the evaluation process and illustrates geohydrologic environments and the effect of individual factors in providing multiple natural barriers to radionuclide migration. Part II is a reconnaissance characterization of the geologic and hydrologic factors to be used in the initial screening of the Basin and Range Province. Part III will be the initial evaluation of the Province and will identify regions that appear suitable for further study. The plan for study of the Province includes a stepwise screening process by which successively smaller land units are considered in increasing detail. Each step involves characterization of the geology and hydrology and selection of subunits for more intensive characterization. Selection of subunits for further study is by evaluation of geologic and hydrologic conditions following a set of guidelines. By representation on the Province Working Group, the States participate in a consultation and review role in: (1) Establishing geologic and hydrologic guidelines, and (2) characterizing and evaluating the Province. The States also participate in compilation of geologic and hydrologic data used in characterizing the Province. The current (1983) needs for a high-level radioactive waste repository include: (1) Disposal in a mined repository; (2) retrievability of the waste for as much as 50 years; and (3) confidence of isolation of the waste from the accessible environment. Isolation of the waste needs to be assured using geologic and hydrologic conditions that: (1) Minimize risk of inadvertent future intrusions by man; (2) minimize the possibility of disturbance by processes that would expose the waste or increase its mobility; and (3) provide a system of natural barriers to the migration of waste by ground water. The guidelines adopted by the Province Working Group are designed to provide a standard with which these conditions can be compared. The guidelines can be grouped into four principal categories: (1) Potential host media, (2) ground-water conditions, (3) tectonic conditions, and. (4) occurrence of natural resources. Ideally the host medium constitutes the first natural barrier to migration of radionculides. The host medium ideally should be a rock type that prevents or retards dissolution and transport of radionuclides. Rocks in both the saturated and unsaturated zones may have desirable characteristics for host media. Rocks-other than the host-in the ground-water flow path from the repository ideally should be major barriers to radionuclide migration. Confining beds of low permeability might be present to retard the rate of flow between more permeable beds. Additionally, sorption of radionuclides by materials such as clays and zeolites in the flow path can further retard the flow of radionuclides by several orders of magnitude. Tectonic conditions in an area should not present a probable cause for exhumation or increased mobility of radioactive waste. Natural resources are a factor for consideration because of the problem of future human intrusion and exposure to radioactivity in the quest for minerals, oil, gas, water, and geothermal resources. The ultimate evaluation of the suitability of a geohydrologic environment for developing a mined repository needs to assess all geologic and hydrologic characteristics and their interaction in providing confidence that a geohydrologic environment will effectively isolate radionuclides from human access. Several hypothetical settings with typical geohydrologic conditions in the Basin and Range Province are used to illustrate the effect of multiple barriers in the isolation of radionuclides.

Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Or↗
USGS2014

Earth‐tides shown by fluctuations of water‐levels in wells in New Mexico and Iowa

It is quite generally known that ocean‐tides produce fluctuations of the water‐level in wells of the artesian type located close to the seashore by periodically changing the external load on the aquifer [see 1 of “References” at end of paper]. Fluctuations of ground‐water as a result of earth‐tides, however, are not generally known although they were observed and studied in a flooded coal‐mine in Europe [2] as early as 1879, and later 1905 to 1912 in wells in South Africa [3]. The phenomena of earth‐tides first came to the attention of the writer in March, 1938, when studying fluctuations of the water‐level In an artesian well near Carlsbad, New Mexico, recorded on charts of a water‐stage recorder, which had an approximately semidiurnal period. Because of the distance from the ocean, about 500 miles, and the altitude of the water‐bearing formation, about 2700 feet, it appeared that the fluctuations could not be the result of ocean‐tides. Neither did it appear they could be the result of other natural phenomena such as changing air‐pressure or changes in water‐level of a nearby lake and river. There was no pumpage from the aquifer, so the fluctuations of the water could not be caused by pumping. T. M. Cramer, Resident Manager of the United States Potash Company at Carlsbad, New Mexico, suggested that the fluctuations must be the result of some lunar attraction. Further study of the fluctuation was made by Dr. C. V. Theis, of the United States Geological Survey, and the writer, whereby the effect of changing air‐pressure was eliminated by correcting the water‐levels to an assumed constant atmospheric pressure. In this study it was demonstrated after applying the barometric correction that the remaining fluctuations were fairly regular and progressed with the transit of the Moon. It was also demonstrated that the fluctuations were of the greatest amplitude during the period of new Moon. Further work by W. E. Hale, of the United States Geological Survey, and the writer, has shown that the fluctuations were much more regular and of greater amplitude during the periods of new and full Moon than during the first and third quarters. It was, therefore, concluded that they are related to true earth‐tides. A preliminary note was published in the Transactions of the American Geophysical Union for 1938 [4].

New Mexico↗
USGS2008

Precipitation, Ground-water Hydrology, and Recharge Along the Eastern Slopes of the Sandia Mountains, Bernalillo County, New Mexico

The spatial and temporal distribution of recharge to carbonate and clastic aquifers along the eastern slopes of the Sandia Mountains was investigated by using precipitation, water-level, dissolved chloride, and specific-conductance data. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bernalillo County Public Works Division, conducted a study to assess ground-water conditions and provide technical data that could be used as a basis for management and future planning of eastern Bernalillo County water resources. The intent of the investigation was to improve the current understanding of subsurface mechanisms controlling recharge dynamics in a geologically complex aquifer system. In the Sandia Mountains, precipitation events are generally limited to snowfalls in winter months and monsoon rainfall in late summer. Monthly meteorological data from weather stations in the study area indicate that monsoon rainfall during July and August constitutes close to one-third of annual precipitation totals. Following precipitation and snowmelt events, daily ground-water level data show low-amplitude, long-duration peaks in hydrographs of wells north and west of the Tijeras Fault. Hydrographs of monthly and biannual water-level data from across the study area show seasonal variation and water-level fluctuations in excess of 30 ft during a period of below-average precipitation. Water level observations in 67 percent of wells showing drought-induced water-level declines rebounded to at or near predrought conditions within 6 months of return to normal climate conditions. Cross-correlation of annual hydrologic data shows aquifer response to periods of monsoon recharge to persist from 1 to 6 months following events. The lag time between precipitation input and response of water levels or solute concentrations was largest near the Tijeras and Gutierrez Faults. These results indicate regional faults hydrologically isolate the Tijeras Graben from groundwater recharge originating at high elevations along the eastern slopes of the Sandia Mountains. Recharge rates calculated by using the chloride-mass-balance method for five springs located at the base of the Sandia Mountains ranged from 1 to 23 percent of annual precipitation.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1995

Ground Water Atlas of the United States: Segment 2, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah

This chapter of the Ground Water Atlas of the United States describes the aquifers in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. These four States, which comprise Segment 2 of this Atlas, are located in the Southwestern United States and extend from the rolling grasslands of the Great Plains on the east across the Rocky Mountains and Continental Divide to the desert basins of the Southwest. The 425,000-square-mile area ranges in altitude from about 14,400 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to about 100 feet near the lower Colorado River in southwestern Arizona. All the ground water in Segment 2 ultimately is derived from infiltration of precipitation, which varies considerably with the altitude and topography of the area. The Great Plains Physiographic Province of the Central United States extends into eastern Colorado and New Mexico (fig. 1), where flat to rolling prairie (fig. 2) with scattered hills and bluffs gradually rises westward to 5,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level and abruptly gives way to the frontal ranges of the Rocky Mountains in the Southern Rocky Mountain and Basin and Range Physiographic Provinces. West of the frontal ranges in Colorado and northern New Mexico are additional and higher mountain ranges generally oriented north-south but with many spurs and extensions oriented in other directions. The many ranges of the Rocky Mountains are separated by valleys and high mountain parks (fig. 3). Colorado contains about three-fourths of the Nation's land area above 10,000 feet and has 53 mountain peaks higher than 14,000 feet. Most of these high peaks are located near the Continental Divide (fig. 1), which extends approximately north-south through central Colorado and western New Mexico. The altitude of the divide decreases in southern New Mexico to less than 4,500 feet in a few areas. Farther westward, the mountains are less prevalent and are interspersed with broad structural basins. These basins and the broad valleys of the middle Colorado River and its tributaries form the irregular intermontane topography of the Colorado Plateaus Physiographic Province (fig. 4). Plateaus and high mesas are formed where the surface has been dissected by rugged canyons carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries (fig. 5). The largest of these canyons-the Grand Canyon-extends about 220 miles southwestward from the mouth of the Little Colorado River in Arizona and ranges from 4 to 18 miles in width and from 2,700 to 5,700 feet in depth below the rim. Small mountain ranges and intervening broad desert valleys of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province are prevalent to the west and south of the Colorado Plateaus in western Utah, southern Arizona, and southern New Mexico (fig. 1). These mountain ranges generally protrude 3,000 to 6,000 feet above the surrounding valley floor (fig. 6) and commonly extend from 20 to 50 miles in a north or northwesterly direction. Small parts of the Middle Rocky Mountains and Wyoming Basin Physiographic Provinces extend into northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah (fig. 1). The topography, geology, and hydrology of the two areas are described in Chapter 1 of this Atlas. Four of the Nation's major river systems have headwaters in the mountainous areas of Segment 2. The South Platte River of the Missouri River system drains the eastern slope of northern Colorado; the Arkansas River and its tributary, the Canadian River, drain southeastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico; the Rio Grande and its tributary, the Pecos River, drain south-central Colorado and central New Mexico; and the Colorado River and its tributaries drain Arizona, eastern Utah, Northwestern New Mexico, and western Colorado (fig. 1). Western Utah is drained by numerous streams that terminate in local desert basins, the Great Salt Lake, or other local lakes and reservoirs. Because the Great Salt Lake lies in the Great Basin, which is the largest closed basin in North America, it has no outlet to the sea. The salinity of the lake water is about 20 percent or about 6 times the salinity of seawater. Most of Segment 2 is sparsely populated. The average population density of counties is less than 8 persons per square mile in about 65 percent of the four-State area (fig. 7). Population densities range from less than 0.5 person per square mile in a few rural counties to more than 4 ,000 persons per square mile in populous urban areas. The 1990 population of the four States was about 10 million; almost 70 percent of this population was in Arizona and Colorado. Most land in Segment 2 is undeveloped forest grassland, or desert shrubland, much of which is used for livestock grazing. Land used for production of commercial crops primarily is in eastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah↗
USGS1969

Geochemistry and hydrodynamics of the Paradox Basin region, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico

The Paradox Basin region is approximately bounded by the south flank of the Uinta Basin to the north, the Uncompahgre uplift and San Juan Mountains to the east, the Four Corners structural platform to the southeast, the north rim of the Black Mesa Basin and the Grand Canyon to the south and southwest, and the Wasatch Plateau and Hurricane fault system to the west. Some of these geologic features are areas of ground-water recharge or discharge whereas others such as the Four Corners platform do not directly influence fluid movement. The aquifer systems studied were: (1) Mississippian rocks; (2) Pinkerton Trail Limestone of Wengerd and Strickland, 1954; (3) Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation; (4) Honaker Trail Formation of Wengerd and Matheny, 1958; (5) Permian rocks. Recharge in the Paradox Basin occurs on the west flank of the San Juan Mountains and along the west side of the Uncompahgre uplift. The direction of ground-water movement in each analyzed unit is principally southwest-ward toward the topographically low outcrop areas along the Colorado River in Arizona. However, at any point in the basin, flow may be in some other direction owing to the influence of intrabasin recharge areas or local obstructions to flow, such as faults or dikes. A series of potentiometric surface maps was prepared for the five systems studied. Material used in construction of the maps included outcrop altitudes of springs and streams, drill-stem tests, water-well records, and an electric analog model of the entire basin. Many structurally and topographically high areas within the basin are above the regional potentiometric surface; recharge in these areas will drain rapidly off the high areas and adjust to the regional water level. With a few exceptions, most wells in formations above the Pennsylvanian contain fresh (< 1,000 mg/l T.D.S. 2 ) to moderately saline (< 10,000 mg/l T.D.S.) water. In only a few cases are true brines (> 35,000 mg/l T.D.S.) reported. Most water samples from strata below the Permian are brines of the sodium chloride type but with large amounts of calcium sulfate or calcium chloride type water commonly occurring. Because evaporite facies occur in the Paradox Member, this unit has brines with as much as 400,000 mg/l dissolved solids content. Previous analysis of the San Juan Basin has indicated the presence of an osmotic membrane system. The highly permeable Jurassic formations were postulated to be the outflow side of the membrane. It is also possible that the Upper Paleozoic units with known brines and with an otherwise inexplicably high potentiometric surface in the Four Corners area of New Mexico could be the outflow receptors of the San Juan membrane system.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah↗
USGS2011

Selected investigations and statistical summary of surface-water quality in the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama, north-central New Mexico, during water years 1985-2007

The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) is supplementing the municipal water supply for Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the surrounding area with water diverted from the Rio Grande. The distribution of surface water for municipal supply has raised questions about the quality of water in the Rio Grande and the possibility of contaminants in the water. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with ABCWUA, has compiled existing water-quality data collected on the Rio Grande and its main tributary, the Rio Chama, by various Federal and State agencies to provide a comprehensive overview of water quality in the Rio Grande basin upstream from Albuquerque. This report describes selected water-quality investigations conducted by various Federal and State agencies and 2007 USGS surface-water-quality investigations and data-collection activities and presents a statistical summary of selected water-quality data collected on the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama in central and northern New Mexico

Data Series↗
USGS2004

Editors' message: Hydrogeology Journal in 2003

Hydrogeology Journal appeared in six issues containing a total of 710 pages and 48 major articles, including 31 Papers and 14 Reports, as well as some Technical Notes and Book Reviews. The number of submitted manuscripts continues to increase. The final issue of 2003 also contained the annual volume index. Hydrogeology Journal ( HJ ) is an international forum for hydrogeology and related disciplines and authors in 2003 were from about 28 countries. Articles advanced hydrogeologic science and described hydrogeologic systems in many regions worldwide. These articles focused on a variety of general topics and on studies of hydrogeology in 24 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, and U.S.A. The Guest Editor of the 2003 HJ theme issue on “Hydromechanics in Geology and Geotechnics”, Ove Stephansson, assembled a valuable collection of technical reviews and research papers from eminent authors on important aspects of the subject area.

Hydrogeology Journal↗
USGS2025

U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network in the Upper Colorado River Basin—Recording the hydrologic history of the Western United States

Introduction Water supply in the Western United States is an essential resource, and the collection of accurate and timely water information is fundamental to effectively managing water resources in the region. Efforts to document the hydrology in the Colorado River Basin are vital to life in the Western United States. These efforts began as far back as the initial John Wesley Powell exploration of the Colorado River and its tributaries in the summer of 1869. Shortly after, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was created in 1879, and the first USGS systematic measurement of streamflow began at the first streamgage, 08279500 Rio Grande at Embudo, New Mexico, in 1889. During its 146-year existence, the USGS has served the citizens of the United States in many roles, notably through long-standing stewardship in water science. For example, the USGS has collected hydrologic information at strategic locations within the Western United States to support water resource management, flood forecasting and response, interbasin water transfers, hydropower generation, municipal and agricultural water supplies, food security, recreation, habitat preservation, international treaty obligations and river compact compliance, and the operation of major water-storage projects, including Lake Powell and Lake Mead bordering Utah and Arizona, and Nevada and Arizona, respectively.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS2014

USGS reservoir and lake gage network: Elevation and volumetric contents data, and their uses

In December of 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) marked the 125th anniversary of the installation of its first official water level and streamflow gage, on the Rio Grande at Embudo, New Mexico. The gage was installed because it was recognized that water data were important to expanding irrigation needs. The USGS is a federal agency that provides nationally consistent and unbiased surface-water elevation and streamflow data at more than 10,000 gaging locations in the United States, about 330 of which are lakes and reservoirs (referred to hereafter as lakes) (Figure 1). The job of quantifying water resources, whether lakes, streams, or aquifers, is fundamental to proper water management and conservation of resources.

Lakeline↗
USGS2009

Methods for Estimating Water Withdrawals for Mining in the United States, 2005

The mining water-use category includes groundwater and surface water that is withdrawn and used for nonfuels and fuels mining. Nonfuels mining includes the extraction of ores, stone, sand, and gravel. Fuels mining includes the extraction of coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Water is used for mineral extraction, quarrying, milling, and other operations directly associated with mining activities. For petroleum and natural gas extraction, water often is injected for secondary oil or gas recovery. Estimates of water withdrawals for mining are needed for water planning and management. This report documents methods used to estimate withdrawals of fresh and saline groundwater and surface water for mining during 2005 for each county and county equivalent in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Fresh and saline groundwater and surface-water withdrawals during 2005 for nonfuels- and coal-mining operations in each county or county equivalent in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were estimated. Fresh and saline groundwater withdrawals for oil and gas operations in counties of six states also were estimated. Water withdrawals for nonfuels and coal mining were estimated by using mine-production data and water-use coefficients. Production data for nonfuels mining included the mine location and weight (in metric tons) of crude ore, rock, or mineral produced at each mine in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands during 2004. Production data for coal mining included the weight, in metric tons, of coal produced in each county or county equivalent during 2004. Water-use coefficients for mined commodities were compiled from various sources including published reports and written communications from U.S. Geological Survey National Water-use Information Program (NWUIP) personnel in several states. Water withdrawals for oil and gas extraction were estimated for six States including California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming, by using data from State agencies that regulate oil and gas extraction. Total water withdrawals for mining in a county were estimated by summing estimated water withdrawals for nonfuels mining, coal mining, and oil and gas extraction. The results of this study were distributed to NWUIP personnel in each State during 2007. NWUIP personnel were required to submit estimated withdrawals for numerous categories of use in their States to a national compilation team for inclusion in a national report describing water use in the United States during 2005. NWUIP personnel had the option of submitting the estimates determined by using the methods described in this report, a modified version of these estimates, or their own set of estimates or reported data. Estimated withdrawals resulting from the methods described in this report may not be included in the national report; therefore the estimates are not presented herein in order to avoid potential inconsistencies with the national report. Water-use coefficients for specific minerals also are not presented to avoid potential disclosure of confidential production data provided by mining operations to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1997

Evaluation of the potential for debris and hyperconcentrated flows in Capulin Canyon as a result of the 1996 Dome fire, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

The Dome fire of April 1996 burned 6684 ha in Bandelier National Monument and the adjacent Sante Fe National Forest. The potential for significant debris- and hyperconcentrated-flow activity in Capulin Canyon is evaluated through 1) a systematic consideration of geologic and geomorphic factors that characterize the condition of the hillslope materials and channels following the fire, 2) examination of sedimentologic evidence for past debris-flow activity in the canyon, and 3) evaluation of the response of the watershed through the 1996 summer monsoon season. The lack of accumulations of dry-ravel material on the hillslopes or in channels, the absence of a continuous hydrophobic layer, the relatively intact condition of the riparian vegetation and of the fibrous root mat on the hillslopes, and the lack of evidence of widespread past debris- and hyperconcentrated-flow activity, even with evidence of past fires, indicate a low potential for debris-flow activity in Capulin Canyon. In addition, thunderstorms during the summer monsoon of 1996 resulted in abundant surface overland flow on the hillslopes which transported low-density pumice, charcoal, ash and some mineral soil downslope as small-scale and non-erosive debris flows. In some places cobble- and boulder-sized material was moved short distances. A moderate potential for debris- and hyperconcentrated-flow activity is identified for the two major tributary canyons to Capulin Canyon based on evidence of both summer of 1996 and possible historic significant debris-flow activity.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2005

Simulation of ground-water flow in the basin-fill aquifer of the Tularosa Basin, south-central New Mexico, predevelopment through 2040

The hydrology of the basin-fill aquifer in the Tularosa Basin was evaluated through construction and calibration of steady-state and transient three-dimensional ground-water-flow simulations. Simulations were made using the U.S. Geological Survey finite-difference modular ground-water-flow computer software MODFLOW-96. The transient simulation covered 1948-2040. Both steady-state and transient simulations were calibrated by matching simulation output to available ground-water-level measurements. The root-mean-square error of the steady-state calibration in the well-calibrated area of the ground-water-flow simulation was 6.3 meters, and root-mean-square errors of individual transient-calibration points ranged from 0.8 to 17.0 meters. The areal distribution of water-level measurements used in the steady-state and transient calibrations restricts the well-calibrated area of the model to the eastern side of the Tularosa Basin. Water levels in the La Luz Creek subbasin area were underestimated by both the steady-state and transient models, suggesting that the hydrology of this area is not well represented in the model. About 143,000 cubic meters per day of recharge is estimated to enter the basin-fill aquifer from subbasins that rim the Tularosa Basin. The estimated recharge is about 4-5 percent of total precipitation in most subbasins. Approximately 88 percent of total recharge left the basin-fill aquifer as evapotranspiration under predevelopment conditions. Water levels were simulated for 1948, 1995, and 2040 under scenarios of zero and maximum return flows. Estimated return flows from municipalities were calculated on the basis of data in the Tularosa Basin Regional Water Plan for 2000-2040. Agricultural return flows were estimated primarily on the basis of ground-water-withdrawal, ground-water-depletion, surface-water-withdrawal, and surface-water-depletion data for the Tularosa Basin. The ground-water-flow simulation was sensitive to the return-flow scenario in the agricultural area near Tularosa and decreasingly sensitive to the south. Declines in simulated water levels near Tularosa between 1948 and 1995 were as large as 30 meters under the zero return-flow scenario and 15 meters under the maximum return-flow scenario. Declines in simulated water levels between 1995 and 2040 were as large as 25 meters under the zero return-flow scenario and 15 meters under the maximum return-flow scenario. Comparison of water levels measured near Tularosa in 1991 and water levels simulated under the maximum return-flow scenario for 1991 suggests that declines in simulated water levels near Tularosa may be overestimated under the zero return-flow scenario. Declines in simulated water levels near the City of Alamogordo well field between 1948 and 1995 were as large as 15 meters under the zero return-flow scenario and 10 meters under the maximum return-flow scenario. Simulated declines in water levels between 1995 and 2040 were nearly 15 meters under both return-flow scenarios assuming that all projected increases in withdrawal came from existing City of Alamogordo public-supply wells and all withdrawal from the wells came from the basin-fill aquifer. Declines in simulated water levels near the Holloman Air Force Base well fields between 1948 and 1995 and between 1995 and 2040 were less than 5 meters under both the zero and maximum return-flow scenarios. In 1995 under the zero return-flow scenario, an estimated 56,000 cubic meters of water per day was removed from aquifer storage. Of the approximately 199,000 cubic meters of water per day that left the aquifer under 1995 conditions, 40 percent left the basin-fill aquifer as ground-water withdrawal, 51 percent as evapotranspiration, 7 percent by interbasin ground-water flow into the Hueco Bolson, and 2 percent by flow into creeks and springs. Generalized directions of ground-water flow were simulated for 1948, 1995, and 2040 for much of the eastern part of the Tularosa Basin. Localized

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2024

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2023 annual report

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) monitors volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone magmatic system, carries out research into magmatic processes occurring beneath Yellowstone caldera, and issues timely warnings and guidance related to potential future geologic hazards. YVO is a collaborative consortium that includes the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, University of Utah, University of Wyoming, Montana State University, EarthScope Consortium, Wyoming State Geological Survey, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, and Idaho Geological Survey. The USGS component of YVO also has the operational responsibility for monitoring volcanic activity in the Intermountain West of the United States, including Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.

Wyoming↗