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USGS2004

Report on the May-June 2002 Englebright Lake deep coring campaign

This report describes the May-June 2002 Englebright Lake coring project. Englebright Lake is a 14- km-long reservoir on the Yuba River of northern California, impounded by Englebright Dam, which was completed in 1940. The sediments were cored to assess the current conditions in the reservoir as part of the California Bay-Delta Authority?s Upper Yuba River Studies Program. Sediment was collected using both hydraulic-piston and rotational coring equipment mounted on a floating drilling platform. Thirty boreholes were attempted at 7 sites spaced along the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. Complete sedimentary sections were recovered from 20 boreholes at 6 sites. In total, 335 m of sediment was cored, with 86% average recovery. The core sections (each up to 1.5 m long) were processed using a standard set of laboratory techniques, including geophysical logging of physical properties, splitting, visual descriptions, digital photography, and initial subsampling. This report presents the results of these analyses in a series of stratigraphic columns. Using the observed stratigraphy as a guide, several series of subsamples were collected for various sedimentologic, geochemical, and geochronological analyses. The results of laboratory analyses of most of these subsamples will be presented in future reports and articles.

California↗

USGS2020

EMD Gas Hydrates Committee annual report

Global research on the potential commercial viability of gas extraction from gas hydrates is continuing, predominantly in Asia and in the United States, where recent efforts have focused on the exploration and characterization of gas hydrate petroleum systems and conducting controlled production tests of gas hydrate deposits hosted in mostly sand-rich reservoir systems. In 2017, gas hydrate production testing was conducted in marine settings in the offshore of Japan and China. An additional test was conducted in the Shenhu region of the South China Sea in 2020 to further evaluate the effectiveness of various well completion technologies to produce gas from gas hydrates. Late in 2018, a research partnership led by the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation established a new Alaska North Slope test site for an extended gas hydrate production pilot with the completion of a stratigraphic test well. With the successful completion of the Prudhoe Bay Unit Hydrate-01 stratigraphic test well, planning is now underway for drilling of three additional wells at the Alaska test site, which will include a geoscience data well and two production test wells. In 2019, the Government of India released the results of one of the most comprehensive gas hydrate scientific drilling investigations ever undertaken, the leadership of the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 02 reported on the discovery of several significant gas hydrate accumulations that were considered suitable for future gas hydrate production testing. In September of 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey released a new assessment of the technically recoverable gas hydrate resources on the Alaska North Slope. In 2018, the University of Texas at Austin released a comprehensive report describing the operational and initial technical results of the UT-GOM2-1 Hydrate Pressure Coring Expedition, which drilled and partially cored two wells in Green Canyon Block 955 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The results of these recently complete gas hydrate geologic and production studies have been further reviewed in this AAPG-EMD Gas Hydrate Committee report.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Physiography, climate, land use, and demographics

The Williston Basin has been a leading domestic oil and gas producing region. As energy demands have increased, so has energy development. A group of 13 Federal agencies and Tribal groups formed the Bakken Federal Executive Group to address common challenges associated with energy development, with a focus on understanding the cumulative environmental challenges attributed to oil and gas development throughout the basin. To better understand the natural resources in the Williston Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, began work to synthesize existing information on science topics that will support management decisions related to energy development. This report is a compilation of information regarding the natural setting, energy development history, demographics, and related investigations related to energy development in the Williston Basin of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Completed and ongoing investigations include the topical areas of unconventional oil and gas assessments, water quality, water availability, air quality, effects on human health, and ecological effects.

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota↗

USGS1986

Data on the distribution and abundance of submersed aquatic vegetation in the tidal Potomac River, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, 1985

This report summarizes data on the distribution and abundance of submersed aquatic vegetation collected in the tidal Potomac River during 1985. Plant species were identified and dry weight determined for selected sites. Information on competition between Hydrilla verticillata and other species was measured. Water-quality characteristics measured include temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and transparency as indicated by Secchi depth. A map was made of the distribution of submersed aquatic vegetation based on transect samples and a complete shoreline survey. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1992

Techniques for estimating peak-flow frequency relations for North Dakota streams

This report presents techniques for estimating peak-flow frequency relations for North Dakota streams. In addition, a generalized skew coefficient analysis was completed for North Dakota to test the validity of using the generalized skew coefficient map in Bulletin 17B of the Hydrology Subcommittee of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data, 1982, "Guidelines for Determining Flood Flow Frequency." The analysis indicates that the generalized skew coefficient map in Bulletin 17B provides accurate estimates of generalized skew coefficient values for natural-flow streams in North Dakota. Peak-flow records through 1988 for 192 continuous- and partial-record streamflow gaging stations that had 10 or more years of record were used in a generalized least-squares regression analysis that relates peak flows for selected recurrence intervals to selected basin characteristics. Peak-flow equations were developed for recurrence intervals of 2, 10, 15, 25, 50, 100, and 500 years for three hydrologic regions in North Dakota. The peak-flow equations are applicable to natural-flow streams that have drainage areas of less than or equal to 1,000 square miles. The standard error of estimate for the three hydrologic regions ranges from 60 to 70 percent for the 100-year peak-flow equations. Methods are presented for transferring peak-flow data from gaging stations to ungaged sites on the same stream and for determining peak flows for ungaged sites on ungaged streams. Peak-flow relations, weighted estimates of peak flow, and selected basin characteristics are tabulated for the 192 gaging stations used in the generalized skew coefficient and regression analyses. Peak-flow relations also are provided for 63 additional gaging stations that were not used in the generalized skew coefficient and regression analyses. These 63 gaging stations generally represent streams that are significantly controlled by regulation and those that have drainage areas greater than 1,000 square miles.

North Dakota↗

USGS2012

Use of the continuous slope-area method to estimate runoff in a network of ephemeral channels, southeast Arizona, USA

The continuous slope-area (CSA) method is an innovative gaging method for indirect computation of complete-event discharge hydrographs that can be applied when direct measurement methods are unsafe, impractical, or impossible to apply. This paper reports on use of the method to produce event-specific discharge hydrographs in a network of sand-bedded ephemeral stream channels in southeast Arizona, USA, for water year 2008. The method provided satisfactory discharge estimates for flows that span channel banks, and for moderate to large flows, with about 10–16% uncertainty, respectively for total flow volume and peak flow, as compared to results obtained with an alternate method. Our results also suggest that the CSA method may be useful for estimating runoff of small flows, and during recessions, but with increased uncertainty.

Arizona↗

USGS2008

Reply to comments by Mastalerz, V. on "Shallow gasoff the Rhône prodelta, Gulf of Lions" Marine Geology 234 (215-231)

We really appreciate the interest and comments regarding our manuscript. We hope we address all the lingering issues in this reply. This also gives us the opportunity of publishing an update on our dataset that will complete the original manuscript (see Table 1 ). We have followed the author pattern in our answers: 1-Gas sampling procedure, 2-Reported gas concentrations results, 3-General remarks, 4-Conclusions.

Marine Geology↗

USGS2010

Pancreatitis in wild zinc-poisoned waterfowl

Four waterfowl were collected in the TriState Mining District (Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, USA), an area known to be contaminated with lead, cadmium and zinc (Zn). They were part of a larger group of 20 waterfowl collected to determine the exposure of birds to metal contamination at the site. The four waterfowl (three Branta canadensis, one Anas platyrhynchos) had mild to severe degenerative abnormalities of the exocrine pancreas, as well as tissue (pancreas, liver) concentrations of Zn that were considered toxic. The mildest condition was characterized by generalized atrophy of exocrine cells that exhibited cytoplasmic vacuoles and a relative lack of zymogen. The most severe condition was characterized by acini with distended lumens and hyperplastic exocrine tissue that completely lacked zymogen; these acini were widely separated by immature fibrous tissue. Because the lesions were nearly identical to the lesions reported in chickens and captive waterfowl that had been poisoned with ingested Zn, and because the concentrations of Zn in the pancreas and liver of the four birds were consistent with the concentrations measured in Zn-poisoned birds, we concluded that these waterfowl were poisoned by Zn. This may be the first reported case of zinc poisoning in free-ranging wild birds poisoned by environmental Zn.

Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma↗

USGS2009

History of the recommended atomic-weight values from 1882 to 1997: A comparision of differences from current values to the estimated uncertainties of earlier values

International commissions and national committees for atomic weights (mean relative atomic masses) have recommended regularly updated, best values for these atomic weights as applicable to terrestrial sources of the chemical elements. Presented here is a historically complete listing starting with the values in F. W. Clarke's 1882 recalculation, followed by the recommended values in the annual reports of the American Chemical Society's Atomic Weights Commission. From 1903, an International Commission published such reports and its values (scaled to an atomic weight of 16 for oxygen) are here used in preference to those of national committees of Britain, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.S.A. We have, however, made scaling adjustments from Ar(16O) to Ar(12C) where not negligible. From 1920, this International Commission constituted itself under the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Since then, IUPAC has published reports (mostly biennially) listing the recommended atomic weights, which are reproduced here. Since 1979, these values have been called the "standard atomic weights" and, since 1969, all values have been published, with their estimated uncertainties. Few of the earlier values were published with uncertainties. Nevertheless, we assessed such uncertainties on the basis of our understanding of the likely contemporary judgement of the values' reliability. While neglecting remaining uncertainties of 1997 values, we derive "differences" and a retrospective index of reliability of atomic-weight values in relation to assessments of uncertainties at the time of their publication. A striking improvement in reliability appears to have been achieved since the commissions have imposed upon themselves the rule of recording estimated uncertainties from all recognized sources of error.

Pure and Applied Chemistry↗

USGS2000

Redescription of Crepidostomum opeongoensis Caira, 1985 (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) from fish hosts Hiodon alosoides and Hiodon tergisus (Osteichthyes: Hiodontidae)

Crepidostomum opeongoensis Caira, 1985 (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) is redescribed from fish hosts Hiodon alosoides and Hiodon tergisus in southern Manitoba. The redescription adds details regarding the surface morphology and reproductive structures of the parasite not described previously. These include the characteristic tegumental papillae around the oral opening, paired papillae on the ventral and dorsal surfaces of the body, and tegumental bosses on the dorsal surface of the fore-body. Crepidostomum opeongoensis co-occurred with its hypothesized sister species , Crepidostomum illinoiense, in all host individuals harboring the former, and both species are characteristic of hiodontids. The association of C. opeongoensis with hiodontids and the absence of hiodontids in Lake Opeongo where C. opeongoensis was originally reported indicate that the Algonquin Park region may have had hiodontids in the past and that the life cycle may be completed at present without the original fish host.

Manitoba, Ontario↗

USGS2019

Eviction notice: Observation of a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) usurping an active Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Nest

Although nest usurpation is common in some species and orders of birds, usurpation has rarely been reported for Sterninae. We observed a Sterna hirundo (Common Tern) egg in an active Sternula antillarum (Least Tern) nest with a complete clutch in a mixed-species Sterninae colony in Chesapeake Bay, MD, in May 2018. Based on observations from a game camera following usurpation, Common Terns incubated the mixed-species clutch, with no further parental care provided by the usurped Least Tern. The clutch never hatched, as the Common Terns abandoned the nest prior to the hatching. While we suspect that Common Terns usurped the Least Tern nest, alternative scenarios may explain how the Common Tern egg was documented in a Least Tern nest.

Maryland↗

USGS1972

Principal facts for gravity stations in the area north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Observed gravity values, station location, terrain corrections, and Bouguer gravity data are provided in tabular form for approximately 610 gravity observations in northern Arizona. These data were used in preparation of - - Popenoe, Peter, 1968, Complete Bouguer gravity anomaly map of the area north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file report.

Arizona↗

USGS1890

A classed and annotated bibliography of fossil insects

The present work is an extension to date of a bibliography published in 1882. It has, however, been altered in a few details, and, besides being fuller, differs from that in being a classed list, the works and essays which cover the entire field (which embraces not only insects proper, but also myriapods and arachnids) being placed first, followed by the more special memoirs grouped first by times, next by classes orders, etc., the classification employed in my Systematic Review of Fossil Insects, being used as a convenient basis. This will also form the basis of the Index to Known Fossil Insects, forming a later complementary bulletin. The occasion for the publication of both of these at this time is the completion of the first extended account of the American Tertiary insects given in Vol XIII of the Hayden series of geological reports, by which the numbers of the European and American insects bear for the first time some sort of proper relation to each other, at least in the lower groups. This makes an immediate "account of stock," to employ a commercial term, desirable.

Bulletin↗

USGS2012

Comparison of 2008-2009 water years and historical water-quality data, upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River Basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, U.S. Forest Service, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River Basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of sites: (1) sites that are considered long term and (2) sites that are considered rotational. Data from the long-term sites assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational sites assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and address local and short-term concerns. Biannual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for stakeholder discussions regarding the location and purpose of water-quality monitoring sites in the upper Gunnison River Basin. This report compares and summarizes the data collected during water years 2008 and 2009 to the historical data available at these sites. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network sites. The remainder of the report is organized around the data collected at individual sites. Data collected during water years 2008 and 2009 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. A seasonal Kendall test for trend analysis is completed when there is sufficient data (typically >5 years) at the station. Data were collected following USGS protocols.

Colorado↗

USGS1890

Lake Bonneville

This volume is a contribution to the later physical history of the Great Basin. As a geographic province the Great Basin is characterized by a dry climate, changes of drainage, volcanic eruption, and crustal displacement. Lake Bonneville, the special theme of the volume, was a phenomenon of climate and drainage, but its complete history includes an account of contemporaneous eruption and displacement.

Utah↗

USGS2009

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismic data, January to December 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) summary presents seismic data gathered during the year. The seismic summary is offered without interpretation as a source of preliminary data and is complete in that most data for events of M greater than 1.5 are included. All latitude and longitude references in this report are stated in Old Hawaiian Datum. The HVO summaries have been published in various forms since 1956. Summaries prior to 1974 were issued quarterly, but cost, convenience of preparation and distribution, and the large quantities of data necessitated an annual publication, beginning with Summary 74 for the year 1974. Beginning in 2004, summaries are simply identified by the year, rather than by summary number. Summaries originally issued as administrative reports were republished in 2007 as Open-File Reports. All the summaries since 1956 are listed at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/ (last accessed 09/21/2009). In January 1986, HVO adopted CUSP (California Institute of Technology USGS Seismic Processing). Summary 86 includes a description of the seismic instrumentation, calibration, and processing used in recent years. The present summary includes background information about the seismic network to provide the end user an understanding of the processing parameters and how the data were gathered. A report by Klein and Koyanagi (1980) tabulates instrumentation, calibration, and recording history of each seismic station in the network. It is designed as a reference for users of seismograms and phase data and includes and augments the information in the station table in this summary. Figures 11-14 are maps showing computer-located hypocenters. The maps were generated using the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/, last accessed 09/21/2009) in place of traditional Qplot maps.

Hawaii↗

USGS2018

Streamflow and selenium loads during synoptic sampling of the Gunnison River and its tributaries near Delta, Colorado, November 2015

In response to the need for more information about selenium (Se) sources and transport, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, completed a study that characterized Se loads in a reach of the Gunnison River between Delta and Grand Junction, Colo. This report identifies where possible dissolved Se loading is occurring in a study reach in the Lower Gunnison River Basin between Delta and Grand Junction on November 19, 2015. The combined Se loads from the Gunnison River at Delta (site 3) and the Uncompahgre River at Delta (site 4) were about 95 percent of the load at the furthest downstream main-stem sample location at the Gunnison River below Roubideau Creek near Delta (site 20) (31.6 and 33.4 pounds per day, respectively), indicating that about 5 percent of the total load (1.8 pounds) was potentially contributed from diffuse groundwater inflow. Main-stem streamflow accounting during November 2015 in a downstream direction was not supportive of substantial net gains or losses in the main-stem water balance. The cumulative load from measured tributary inflows downstream from the Uncompahgre River confluence only amounted to 1.2 pounds of the main-stem loads (1.8 pounds gain) from site 4 to the end of the synoptic reach at site 20. The remaining 33 percent (about 0.6 pounds) of Se load increase was not accounted for by known tributary inflow. Yet, the small changes in the streamflow mass balance in the same reach does not strongly support a net inflow explanation for the apparent gain in load. Based on the results of the loading and streamflow analysis, when errors in the loading estimates are considered, there is no conclusive evidence of an appreciable amount of Se load that is unaccounted for in the study reach of the Gunnison River as was originally hypothesized. Differences determined from comparisons of cumulative tributary loads and Gunnison River main-stem loads for this study are within error estimates of the main-stem loads.

Colorado↗

USGS2022

Evaluation of salinity and nutrient conditions in the Heart River Basin, North Dakota, 1970–2020

The Heart River Basin is predominantly an agricultural basin in western North Dakota and is approximately 3,350 square miles. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Grant County Soil Conservation District, completed a study to assess spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in the Heart River Basin. The purpose of this report is to describe the methods and results of a study to evaluate salinity and nutrients in the Heart River Basin in western North Dakota. Water-quality and streamflow data used in the study were compiled from 1970 to 2020 using the National Water Quality Monitoring Council Water Quality Portal and National Water Information System. Changes in streamflow characteristics were investigated at three sites from 1970 to 2020, and changes in water quality were investigated at four sites from 1974 to 2019. Streamflow analysis indicated decreasing streamflow from 1970 until the late 1990s followed by increasing streamflow through 2020, with the largest increase in the 7-day minimum streamflow or base flow. For the historical water-quality trend period (1974–2019), total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, chloride, and sodium adsorption ratio concentrations have increased since the mid-1970s through 2019. Potassium concentrations during the historical period remained mostly constant with some small fluctuations. Calcium and magnesium concentrations increased since the mid-1970s at all sites, except for a decrease at one site between 1974 and 1999. During the recent trend period (1999–2019), increasing concentrations in total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and sodium adsorption ratios were observed across the Heart River Basin. The magnitude of the increases was smaller at tributary sites compared to main-stem sites. During the recent period, potassium was mostly constant, although small (−0.9 milligram per liter or less) decreases on tributaries and minor (1.3 milligrams per liter) increases on the main-stem sites were detected. Unlike dissolved ion concentrations, significant increases in nutrient concentrations were not detected from 1999 to 2019, but nitrate plus nitrite concentrations most likely decreased upstream from Lake Tschida. Inverse modeling for period 1 (1974–99) in model zone 1 (Heart River reach from site 5 to site 6) had eight reasonable models that indicated the clay mineral-water interactions and dissolution of evaporites control the geochemistry. Results of the inverse modeling for period 2 (1999–2019) in model zone 1 also had eight reasonable models that indicated that the dissolution of evaporites was the major geochemical control. Results of the geochemical modeling for period 1 (1974–99) in model zone 2 (Heart River and Sweetbriar Creek reach from sites 20 and 21 to site 22) produced seven reasonable models, and the geochemical control of the system was the dissolution of sulfate evaporite minerals. Geochemical modeling results for period 2 (1999–2019) in model zone 2 produced 11 reasonable models and was also controlled by the dissolution of sulfate evaporite minerals. Differences between the two model zones indicated that geology controls some of the water-quality changes in the Heart River Basin. Loads were estimated for total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride and total phosphorus. Annual loads estimated for the Heart River from 2013 through 2020 at the Heart River site upstream from Lake Tschida (site 5) and near Mandan (site 22) were generally greatest in 2014 and least in 2016 for total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride. Most of the annual loads of total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride are delivered in March through July in the Heart River at these sites and are likely from snowmelt and spring and summer rains. The mean annual yields of total dissolved solids and sodium from 2013 to 2020 generally were largest in Big Muddy Creek (site 18), whereas yields of sulfate and chloride were largest at Sweetbriar Creek (site 21) compared to the other selected sites in the Heart River Basin. Larger yields of total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride at sites located on Big Muddy Creek and Sweet Briar Creek in the lower Heart River Basin were likely a result of differences in geology and soils upstream from the selected sites. A mass balance of total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride was estimated for the lower Heart River Basin, specifically the reach below Lake Tschida to Mandan (site 7 to site 22). Intervening flow was the largest contributor to the dissolved ion loads in the lower Heart River Basin and is an important part of understanding the transport of dissolved ions in the basin. The intervening load can include groundwater discharge, irrigation return flow, local runoff, and input from smaller ephemeral tributaries. Tributaries in the lower Heart River Basin contributed portions of the total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium, and chloride loads at the Heart River near Mandan (site 22) that generally were proportional to the streamflow contributions. Annual loads for total phosphorus between 2013 and 2020 at the Heart River site upstream from Lake Tschida (site 5) and near Mandan (site 22) generally were largest in 2019 and smallest in 2016. Most of the total phosphorus loads for main-stem sites 5 and 22 were transported in March, April, and June, likely from snowmelt and early summer rains. The mean annual yields of total phosphorus for 2013–20 were largest on the main-stem site upstream from Lake Tschida (site 5) and Sweetbriar Creek (site 21), whereas the smallest yields were in Big Muddy Creek (site 18). Much of the phosphorus that enters Lake Tschida from the upper basin does not get transported downstream to the lower basin, and much of the phosphorus in the lower basin was attributed to intervening flow.

North Dakota↗