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At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
USGS1974

Buddingtonite, ammonium feldspar, in the Phosphoria Formation, southeastern Idaho

Buddingtonite is distributed widely in the rocks of the Meade Peak Member of the Phosphoria Formation in southeastern Idaho and occurs in amounts up to about 50 percent. Most of the buddingtonite is in the middle mudstone interval of the member between two phosphate-rich intervals. The composition of the buddingtonite, in terms of a buddingtonite K-feldspar series, shows an apparent range of Bd 82 KF 18 to Bd 13 KF 87 , and compositions of Bd 72 KF 28 to Bd 50 KF 50 may be the most common. The predominant silicate mineral suite consists of buddingtonite-albite-illite. Albite is present in amounts up to about 20 percent. Buddingtonite may have developed directly from volcanic glass in the presence of abundant ammonium, derived from the decomposition of organic matter, in interstitial waters, or it may have formed at some later diagenetic stage from other products of volcanic glass alteration, such as montmorillonite or zeolites.

Idaho↗
USGS1976

Fracturing and subsidence of the land surface caused by the withdrawal of ground water in the Milford area, Utah

Fracturing and subsidence of the land surface in the Milford area of Utah have resulted from the decline of water levels due to pumping in unconsolidated deposits of Quaternary age. To the writers' knowledge, these are the first such effects of ground-water withdrawal reported in Utah. The fracturing is in an area about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 11 miles (18 km) long near Milford, in an unsaturated clay-silt zone (locally peaty at top) in the upper part of the principal ground-water reservoir. The fractures range in length from several feet to more than 100 feet (30 m), and their maximum measured depth in 1972 was 4 feet (1.2 m). Land subsidence in the Milford area is demonstrated by three lines of evidence: (1) collapse structures, (2) well casings that protrude higher above the land surface than when first placed in the borehole, and (3) lower elevations at National Ocean Survey (formerly U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey) bench marks in 1970 than in 1908. This evidence shows that land subsidence in the Milford area is of two types, each having a different origin. One type has a near-surface origin in the clay-silt zone in the upper part of the principal groundwater reservoir, and the other is in the lower artesian aquifers of the principal ground-water reservoir. The amount of observed subsidence ranges from 0.05 foot (0.015 m) at the bench mark at Read to about 6 feet (1.8 m) at collapse structures in the Hay Springs area.

Utah↗
USGS1974

Stabilities of calcite and aragonite

A revaluation of the 25° C activity-product constants of calcite ( K C ) and aragonite ( K A ) was made on the basis of the known solubilities of these phases for which the activity of total dissolved calcium was corrected for the presence of the ion pair CaHCO 3 + in the aqueous phase. The value of the dissociation constant of CaHCO 3 + was taken to be 10 -1.225±0.02 . This value, combined with values of the analytical concentrations in solutions with partial pressure P CO2 =0.97 atmosphere, leads to K C =l0 -8.52±0.04 and K A = 10 -8.36±0.04 . Based on these K values, standard free energies of formation of calcite and aragonite were calculated to be -270,144±375 and -269,926±375 calories mole -1 , (-1,130,282±1,569 and -1,129,370±1,569 joules mole -1 ), respectively. From the 25°C K values, using appropriate entropy and heat capacity data, values of K C and K A were calculated over the temperature range 0° to 200°C. Possible errors in interpretation of measured pH values and inferred P CO2 values and the bearing of these errors on calculations of K values are discussed.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1973

Permian paleogeography of the Arctic

Three large land areas were dominant in the Arctic during the Permian: Fennoscandia, central and southern Siberia (Angara), and Canada. Smaller landmasses were in China, the Seward-Chukotskiy region, northern and eastern Siberia, and near Alaska. Coal deposits and strata bearing land plants covered a large area in central Siberia; saline basins containing red beds formed in the Zechstein, Perm, and West Texas basins as the seas withdrew, generally in the later Permian. Eugeosynclinal troughs, apparently limited to the Pacific border regions, were marked by volcanism and deposition of predominantly clastic sediments in many areas. Platform and miogeosynclinal deposits, dominated by carbonate rocks, preceded saline deposition in the basins and persisted on shallow shelves adjacent to the geosynclines. The Arctic Permian marine fauna evolved in middle Permian time because of partial isolation of the Arctic areas from the southern ocean. Endemism, latitudinal temperature controls, and the effect of ocean currents explain in large part the faunal patterns in Permian seas. Post-Permian tectonic movements account for anomalies in the present positions of some rock sequences and fossils. Northeasterly drift and counterclockwise rotation of the northern landmasses are suggested. Right-lateral shear along the southern edge of Asia is supported, followed by northward movement of peninsular India.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1973

Sr87/Sr86, K, Na, Rb, and Sr in some eclogites and associated basalts from California and southwestern Oregon

Six samples of group C eclogites from California and southwestern Oregon have initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratios in the range of 0.7028 to 0.7051; Rb contents from less than 1 to 53.4 ppm; and Sr contents from 147 to 270 ppm. These data and major-element compositions suggest that the eclogites were derived from basalts older than but similar in composition to those intercalated with Mesozoic cugeosynclinal sedimentary rocks in California and western Oregon. The isotopic heterogeneity of the eclogites and associated graywackes contrasts with a uniformity of Sr 87 /Sr 86 in many younger calc-alkaline volcanic rocks of the circum-Pacific province. Derivation of the younger volcanic rocks from an eclogite-blueschist melange isotopically similar to those investigated here would require isotopic homogenization or integrated partial melting over sufficient volumes so as to reduce these variations in the derived melts.

California, Oregon↗
USGS1973

Radioelement distribution in the basement complex of the Yukon-Tanana upland, Eielson deep test hole, Alaska

Uranium, thorium, and potassium contents were determined in 94 samples of drill cuttings from a 9,774-foot-deep exploratory hole drilled entirely in crystalline schists of the basement complex of the Yukon-Tanana Upland. The data indicate two distinctively different rock types and reflect differences in the calcite content of the rock. Zones of anomalously high concentrations of the radioelements probably reflect the effects of the emplacement of the nearby Eielson pluton.

Alaska↗
USGS1973

Atomic absorption spectrophotometric determination of microgram levels of Co, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soil and sediment extracts containing large amounts of Mn and Fe

An atomic absorption spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of seven metal ions in the hydroxylamine extract of soils and sediments. Mn, Fe, and Zn are directly determined in the aqueous extract upon dilution. Co, Ni, Cu, and Pb in a separate aliquot of the extract are chelated with APDC (ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) and extracted into MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone) before determination. Data are presented to show the quantitative recovery of microgram levels of Co, Ni, Cu, and Pb by APDC-MIBK chelation-extraction from synthetic solutions containing as much as 2,000 ug/ml (micrograms per milliliter) Mn or 50 ug/ml Fe. Recovery of known amounts of the metal ions from sample solutions is equally satisfactory. Reproducible results are obtained by replicate analyses of two sediment samples for the seven metals.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS2016

Evaluating lidar point densities for effective estimation of aboveground biomass

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) was recently established to provide airborne lidar data coverage on a national scale. As part of a broader research effort of the USGS to develop an effective remote sensing-based methodology for the creation of an operational biomass Essential Climate Variable (Biomass ECV) data product, we evaluated the performance of airborne lidar data at various pulse densities against Landsat 8 satellite imagery in estimating above ground biomass for forests and woodlands in a study area in east-central Arizona, U.S. High point density airborne lidar data, were randomly sampled to produce five lidar datasets with reduced densities ranging from 0.5 to 8 point(s)/m 2 , corresponding to the point density range of 3DEP to provide national lidar coverage over time. Lidar-derived aboveground biomass estimate errors showed an overall decreasing trend as lidar point density increased from 0.5 to 8 points/m 2 . Landsat 8-based aboveground biomass estimates produced errors larger than the lowest lidar point density of 0.5 point/m 2 , and therefore Landsat 8 observations alone were ineffective relative to airborne lidar for generating a Biomass ECV product, at least for the forest and woodland vegetation types of the Southwestern U.S. While a national Biomass ECV product with optimal accuracy could potentially be achieved with 3DEP data at 8 points/m 2 , our results indicate that even lower density lidar data could be sufficient to provide a national Biomass ECV product with accuracies significantly higher than that from Landsat observations alone.

International Journal of Advanced Remote Sensing a↗
USGS1976

Determination, storage, and preservation of low molecular weight hydrocarbon gases in aqueous solution

A gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector was used in conjunction with a stripping chamber and cold trap apparatus to measure microgram-per-litre quantities of low molecular weight hydrocarbon gases in water samples. Glass bottles with ground-glass stoppers were used to store the samples. Formalin was added to stop bacterial activity and preserve samples with no measurable losses for as much as 7 days.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1974

Hydrogeologic aspects of structural deformation in the northern Gulf of Mexico Basin

The first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1), launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in.July 1972, is providing valuable data for investigations of the most inaccessible and hostile regions of the Earth the Arctic and Antarctic. ERTS images and map products derived from them offer a whole new dimension in source material for multidiscipline investigations in the earth sciences. For the first time scientists can view synoptic, repetitive scenes of the polar regions in four spectral bands. Ongoing experiments funded by NASA and conducted in the U.S. Geological Survey have demonstrated the feasibility of revising coastlines on maps of Antarctica, detected gross changes in the northern limits of the three largest ice shelves in the world, and led to the discovery of uncharted mountain ranges.

Louisiana, Texas↗
USGS1975

The influence of late Cenozoic stratigraphy on distribution of impoundment-related seismicity at Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona

At Lake Mead, contrasts in permeability of upper Cenozoic sediments show a better correlation with irregularly distributed impoundment-related seismicity than do contrasts in structure. An evaluation of structures developed during the late Cenozoic fails to explain the erratic distribution of seismicity. An evaluation of the late Cenozoic stratigraphy, however, shows a concentration of relatively impermeable evaporite beds and fine-grained clastic strata in the less seismic part of the lake basin; therefore, the authors conclude that a hydraulic connection between the lake water and the deep aquifer system that includes buried faults is needed in the Lake Mead area to cause the release of seismic energy. Where hydraulic connection is prevented by continuous or quasi-continuous upper Cenozoic basin-fill strata of low permeability, as in the eastern basin area, seismicity does not occur.

Arizona, Nevada↗
USGS1975

Whitlockite and apatite of surficial phosphate occurrences on Enderbury Island, Phoenix Islands, Pacific Ocean

Whitlockite and apatite are the principal phosphate minerals in the surficial deposits of Enderbury Island; monetite and brushite are present in small amounts. All are derived from the guano of sea birds. The abundance of whitlockite discovered on Enderbury, and reported in samples from Remire Island in the Indian Ocean, indicates that the mineral is probably of common occurrence in young insular phosphate deposits. The composition of whitlockite from Enderbury Island is roughly (Ca, Mg, Sr, Na) 3 (PO 4 , CO 3 ) 2 , similar to the composition indicated for other insular occurrences by the sparse data available. The variety of apatite found on the island is carbonate fluor-hydroxylapatite, low in fluorine content. Whitlockite appears to have formed directly from guano components in surficial aqueous solutions, possibly accompanied by apatite, but changes with time to apatite.

Enderbury Island, Phoenix Islands↗
USGS1978

Chemistry of Tertiary volcanic rocks in the Eldorado Mountains, Clark County, Nevada, and comparisons with rocks from some nearby areas

Chemical variations of 27 rocks that erupted from in and near the Eldorado Mountains, southern Nevada, show (1) fair to good correlation suggestive of a cogenetic suite, (2) a range of uncorrected silica values from about 48 to 74 weight percent with no strong tendency toward bimodality, (3) a calc-alkaline characteristic, and (4) a shift from early eruptions having an anomalously low level of iron enrichment to later eruptions having a more normal level of iron enrichment. Analyses of rocks not known to have been erupted from the Eldorado Mountains (for example, five analyses of the tuff of Bridge Spring and two analyses of the Fortification Basalt Member of the Muddy Creek Formation) are not anomalous when compared with the other rocks, except that iron concentration in the Fortification Basalt Member may be higher than normal. Extensive K-Ar age data provide a clear time framework for the chemical changes as well as for the structural history of the area. The inception of intense extensional tectonism about 15 million years ago was marked by an abrupt shift to more iron-rich and more typically calc-alkalic volcanic products (Mount Davis Volcanics) than those erupted earlier (Patsy Mine Volcanics), but no corresponding shift in K 2 O or total alkali contents or ratios is recognized nor is there any obvious shift toward bimodality in rocks younger than 15 million years. These data, together with data from the Oatman district of Arizona, 100 kilometers to the south-southeast, indicate that the northern part of the lower Colorado River area does not fit into the published Cenozoic patterns of volcanic and tectonic evolution of the western United States. A brief review of nearby areas indicates that they may not fit well either.

Nevada↗
USGS1978

Petrology of the Precambrian intrusive center at Lake George, southern Front Range, Colorado

The intrusive center at Lake George, at the western margin of the Pikes Peak batholith (1030 m.y.) of central Colorado, contains rocks of both the potassic and sodic differentiation trends recognized in the batholith. Finer grained variants of the Pikes Peak Granite initially formed a texturally zoned stock 8 kilometers in diameter that cut the dominant coarse-grained granite of the batholith. This granite stock (potassic trend) was later intruded by partial ring dikes of quartz syenite to fayalite granite and by a central stock of quartz syenite to syenomonzonite (sodic trend). Xenoliths of alkali gabbro, diorite porphyry, and granodiorite are included within rocks of both differentiation trends. All major rock types of the intrusive center are thought to be derivatives of alkali basaltic magma from the mantle, modified by fractional crystallization and reaction melting of crustal rocks. The geometry of the intrusive center was controlled by ring-dike/cauldron-subsidence mechanisms.

Colorado↗
USGS1977

Possibility of triggering earthquakes by injection of radioactive wastes in shale at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn.

Most investigators generally agree that the conditions for producing earthquakes by fluid injection through wells and by reservoir construction are (1) the presence of an underlying rock that is stressed to the verge of fracturing by tectonic stresses and (or) is on the brink of sliding on pre-existing fault planes, (2) the presence of potentially active faults(s), and (3) an increase of pore pressure in the rock caused by fluid injection or seepage from reservoir (s), which is probably the triggering force. The mechanism of disposal of radioactive wastes in shale by grout injection and hydraulic fracturing, which has been used at ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn.) is different from injection of fluid. The injected grout is in its liquid phase only during the injection period and, it is to be hoped, is confined in the hydraulically induced bedding-plane fractures. The grout is then allowed to solidify under pressure after termination of the injection, and, after solidification, it becomes an integral part of the shale. Significant characteristics of the disposal method and the site are as follows: (1) Because of the low permeability of shale and high viscosity of the injection grout, pore pressure in the rock, beyond the region of induced fractures, does not increase due to the injections; the injected grout enters newly formed bedding-plane fractures, (2) the injection site is free of local faults and of major interconnected joints and fractures; accordingly, injected grout in its liquid state is expected to be confined principally in the induced nearly horizontal bedding-plane fractures, and (3) due to low tensile strength along shale bedding planes, the energy needed to induce bedding-plane fractures is small; experiments made at ORNL indicate that the energy released during hydraulic fracturing in shale is so small that seismic signals generated by grout injections cannot be differentiated from ambient ground vibrations. In view of the fact 'that an increase of pore pressure in rock (the triggering force) and association with potentially active fault (s) do not occur at the proposed site at ORNL and that the disposal method does not produce an increase in pore pressure, it can reasonably be concluded that neither the method nor the site has the characteristics for triggering earthquakes during and after grout injections.

Tennessee↗
USGS1977

Measuring total antimony in geothermal waters by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A flame atomic absorption procedure utilizing an electrodeless discharge lamp is described for determining total solute antimony in silica-rich geothermal waters. Following NaNO 2 oxidation of Sb +3 , SbCl 5 is extracted from 6 N HCl solution by using MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone) ; silica in the organic layer is removed by centrifugation. The analytical detection limit for antimony is about 6 micrograms per liter in the original sample; the coefficient of variation is 4 percent at the 250 μ g/L Sb level. Comparable total antimony levels were found in sample splits which had been either filtered and acidified (to pH less than 1.5) with HNO 3 or left untreated at the time of sample collection.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS2024

Second guessing the maximum likelihood estimator values for bat surveys

T The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows acoustical surveys and automated identification software to determine the presence of the endangered northern long-eared bat ( Myotis septentrionalis ) and Indiana bat ( Myotis sodalis ). Analytical software is required to assess presence probability on a site-night basis using a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) that accounts for interspecific bat misclassification rates. The current standard for occupancy is a returned MLE P-value < 0.05 at the nightly level irrespective of the number of files identified as either northern long-eared bats or Indiana bats. These MLE P-values can vary based on presence of other bat species with similar calls and the relative proportions of all species recorded. Accordingly, there is concern that with few nightly northern long-eared bat or Indiana bat recordings or the presence of large numbers of high-frequency bats, false-negative findings from a swamping effect could result. Using data collected in 2020–2021 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set nationwide acoustic monitoring guidelines, we examined the relationship of returned software MLE P-values from 4873 site-nights of acoustic detector data relative to nightly counts of northern long-eared bats and Indiana bats, overall counts of other high-frequency bats, and habitat cover type. For both northern long-eared bats and Indiana bats, nights with one or more echolocation pass files identified as either species but above the MLE P-value threshold largely occurred where nightly counts of the target species was <15 and their proportion to the count of high-frequency bat species was low. We followed this analysis with a simulation using a known call library and observed similar patterns. Accordingly, with few nightly cholocation passes, post-hoc visual assessment following automated software identification easily could be undertaken. Evidence of swamping by other high-frequency species causing positive file identification creating false-negative or false-positives of northern long-eared bats and Indiana bats was not apparent at nightly counts of either species > 10.

Alabama, Arkansas, Illinoise, Indiana, Kentucky, M↗