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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Luminescence ages and new interpretations of the timing and deposition of Quaternary sediments at Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming

Natural Trap Cave, located in the Big Horn Mountains of north-central Wyoming, has a history of trapping and preserving a range of North American fauna that plummeted into the deep vertical entrance. These animal remains were buried and preserved within sediments of the main chamber and, in turn, have helped elucidate the procession of faunal dynamics during the latest glacial cycle. The cave location, south of the Laurentide and Cordilleran Ice Sheets, and proximal to Yellowstone, is at an ideal geographical juncture to provide insights to ecological changes in North America. The sediments that the animals are buried in inform us about transport and deposition both inside and outside of the cave that relate to catchment dynamics. We report on a series of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages derived from samples obtained within the cave during excavation work in 2014 and in 2018. We also examine chronology produced by argon, tephrochronology, fission track, and luminescence techniques that have been used for understanding the infilling of the cave. The cave sediment ages and in situ measured gamma spectroscopy as measured in this study helped resolve an improved chronological age model when combined with previous data. The suite of OSL ages is interpreted through the stratigraphic relationships (and vertebrates contained within) which requires the use of an adequate age model; we use either the central age model or minimum age model where appropriate and with justification. Lowest sediments are dated to ∼150 ka with a hiatus at ∼130 to 52 ka. Above this, sediment deposition and entrainment of paleontological materials are representative of Pleistocene and early Holocene times, between 37 ± 6 ka and 7.6 ± 0.5 ka. The stratigraphic architecture suggests that deposition of materials into the cave is episodic and rapid, followed by quiescent periods where hydrologic scour, heavy overland flow , or possibly a cryo-hydrologic process may have altered unit relationships. Thus, the complementary geochronometers and the characteristics of quartz versus feldspar luminescence signals improve temporal interpretations of these complex deposits. This adapted understanding of mixing also sets the stage for future work with the aim to improve our understanding of ages and sources for ash units within these cave deposits. The three ash units recognized in the cave may represent an in-situ reworking of the same ash or may be representative of previously undocumented eruptions from the Yellowstone Caldera.

Wyoming

Water isotope systematics: Improving our palaeoclimate interpretations

The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, measured in a variety of archives, are widely used proxies in Quaternary Science. Understanding the processes that control δ18O change have long been a focus of research (e.g. Shackleton and Opdyke, 1973; Talbot, 1990 ; Leng, 2006). Both the dynamics of water isotope cycling and the appropriate interpretation of geological water-isotope proxy time series remain subjects of active research and debate. It is clear that achieving a complete understanding of the isotope systematics for any given archive type, and ideally each individual archive, is vital if these palaeo-data are to be used to their full potential, including comparison with climate model experiments of the past. Combining information from modern monitoring and process studies, climate models, and proxy data is crucial for improving our statistical constraints on reconstructions of past climate variability. As climate models increasingly incorporate stable water isotope physics, this common language should aid quantitative comparisons between proxy data and climate model output. Water-isotope palaeoclimate data provide crucial metrics for validating GCMs, whereas GCMs provide a tool for exploring the climate variability dominating signals in the proxy data. Several of the studies in this set of papers highlight how collaborations between palaeoclimate experimentalists and modelers may serve to expand the usefulness of palaeoclimate data for climate prediction in future work. This collection of papers follows the session on Water Isotope Systematics held at the 2013 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Papers in that session, the breadth of which are represented here, discussed such issues as; understanding sub-GNIP scale (Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation, (IAEA/WMO, 2006)) variability in isotopes in precipitation from different regions, detailed examination of the transfer of isotope signals from precipitation to geological archives, and the implications of advances in understanding in these areas for the interpretation of palaeo records and proxy data – climate model comparison. Here, we briefly review these areas of research, and discuss challenges for the water isotope community in improving our ability to partition climate vs. auxiliary signals in palaeoclimate data.

Quaternary Science Reviews

Improving the effectiveness of ecological site descriptions: General state-and-transition models and the Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT)

State-and-transition models (STMs) are useful tools for management, but they can be difficult to use and have limited content. STMs created for groups of related ecological sites could simplify and improve their utility. The amount of information linked to models can be increased using tables that communicate management interpretations and important within-group variability. We created a new web-based information system (the Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool) to house STMs, associated tabular information, and other ecological site data and descriptors. Fewer, more informative, better organized, and easily accessible STMs should increase the accessibility of science information.

Rangelands

Methylmercury exposure in wildlife: A review of the ecological and physiological processes affecting contaminant concentrations and their interpretation

Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) can result in detrimental health effects in wildlife. With advances in ecological indicators and analytical techniques for measurement of MeHg in a variety of tissues, numerous processes have been identified that can influence MeHg concentrations in wildlife. This review presents a synthesis of theoretical principals and applied information for measuring MeHg exposure and interpreting MeHg concentrations in wildlife. Mercury concentrations in wildlife are the net result of ecological processes influencing dietary exposure combined with physiological processes that regulate assimilation, transformation, and elimination. Therefore, consideration of both physiological and ecological processes should be integrated when formulating biomonitoring strategies. Ecological indicators, particularly stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, compound-specific stable isotopes, and fatty acids, can be effective tools to evaluate dietary MeHg exposure. Animal species differ in their physiological capacity for MeHg elimination, and animal tissues can be inert or physiologically active, act as sites of storage, transformation, or excretion of MeHg, and vary in the timing of MeHg exposure they represent. Biological influences such as age, sex, maternal transfer, and growth or fasting are also relevant for interpretation of tissue MeHg concentrations. Wildlife tissues that represent current or near-term bioaccumulation and in which MeHg is the predominant mercury species (such as blood and eggs) are most effective for biomonitoring ecosystems and understanding landscape drivers of MeHg exposure. Further research is suggested to critically evaluate the use of keratinized external tissues to measure MeHg bioaccumulation, particularly for less-well studied wildlife such as reptiles and terrestrial mammals. Suggested methods are provided to effectively use wildlife for quantifying patterns and drivers of MeHg bioaccumulation over time and space, as well as for assessing the potential risk and toxicological effects of MeHg on wildlife.

Science of the Total Environment

Interpretation of concentration‐discharge patterns in acid‐neutralizing capacity during storm flow in three small, forested catchments in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Episodic concentration‐discharge ( c‐Q ) plots are a popular tool for interpreting the hydrochemical response of small, forested catchments. Application of the method involves assuming an underlying conceptual model of runoff processes and comparing observed c‐Q looping patterns with those predicted by the model. We analyzed and interpreted c‐Q plots of acid‐neutralizing capacity (ANC) for 133 storms collected over a 7‐year period from three catchments in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Because of their underlying lithologies the catchments represent a gradient in both hydrologic and geochemical behavior, ranging from a flashy, acidic, poorly buffered catchment to a moderate, neutral, well‐buffered catchment. The relative frequency of observed anticlockwise c‐Q loops in each catchment decreased along this gradient. Discriminant function analysis indicated that prestorm base flow ANC was an important predictor of loop rotation direction; however, the strength of the predictive relationship decreased along the same gradient. The trends were consistent with several equally plausible three‐component mixing models. Uncertainty regarding end‐member timing and relative volume and possible time variation in end‐member concentrations were key factors precluding identification of a unique model. The inconclusive results obtained on this large data set suggest that identification of underlying runoff mechanisms on the basis of a small number of c‐Q plots without additional supporting evidence is likely to be misleading.

Virginia

A spatiotemporal interrogation of hydrologic drought model performance for machine learning model interpretability

The predictive accuracy of regional hydrologic models often varies across both time and space. Interpreting relationships between watershed characteristics, hydrologic regimes, and model performance can reveal potential areas for model improvement. In this study, we use machine learning to assess model performance of a regional hydrologic model to forecast the occurrence of streamflow drought. We demonstrate our methodology using a regional long short-term memory (LSTM) deep learning model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and data from 384 streamgages across the Colorado River Basin region. Performance was assessed by clustering catchments using: (a) physical and climatological catchment attributes, and (b) streamflow drought signatures time series. We examined the association of USGS LSTM model error measures with clusters generated by both approaches to interpret meaningful spatial and temporal information about LSTM model performance. Clustering static catchment attributes identified elevation, degree of streamflow regulation, baseflow contribution, catchment aridity, and drainage area as the most influential attributes to model performance. Clustering gages by their drought signatures revealed that catchments with significant seasonal peak runoff between January and June generally exhibited better model performance. Additionally, a Random Forest classifier was trained to successfully predict LSTM model performance (F1 score of 0.72) based on physical and climatological catchment attributes. Low degree of flow regulation was identified as a key indicator of better LSTM model performance. These findings point to the opportunities for improving the USGS LSTM model performance in future hydrologic drought prediction efforts across regional and CONUS scales.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nev

CrustCheck: A conceptual framework for interpreting biocrust trait–function relationships in drylands

Introduction Biocrusts are increasingly recognized for their contribution to soil stability, hydrology, nutrient cycling, and energy balance in drylands, yet practical field methods for assessing functional roles are limited. Existing approaches typically rely on cover estimates, taxonomic identification, or laboratory analyses, providing little insight into functional variation among biocrust types. To address this gap, we developed CrustCheck, a literature-derived conceptual framework that synthesizes potential relationships between easily observable biocrust traits and key ecological functions. The framework provides a foundation for future empirical validation of these relationships. Objectives We aimed to: (1) identify visual characteristics of biocrusts potentially associated with key ecological functions, and (2) synthesize these relationships into a literature-derived conceptual framework for comparative interpretation of potential biocrust contributions to landscape function. Methods We conducted a structured review of global literature on biocrusts' contribution to landscape function, drawing on multiple databases, targeted journals, and identifying relevant scientific publications from reference lists. We screened sources for information on relationships between visual traits and metrics of landscape function, synthesized relationships thematically, and used them to develop a multi-trait, function-oriented conceptual framework to inform further testing of these hypotheses in the field. Results Our review revealed that visual traits such as thickness/height, patchiness, cover, and surface roughness emerged as potential indicators of surface stability, hydrological function, and nutrient accumulation. Community composition was also frequently associated with these functions, while color reflected energy balance and carbon fixation potential. Conclusions Literature reveals that visual traits of biocrusts may serve as proxies for landscape function. CrustCheck is presented here as a conceptual synthesis framework intended to support interpretation of potential trait–function relationships rather than as a quantitatively validated predictive tool.

Restoration Ecology

Structural geologic interpretations from radar imagery

Certain structural geologic features may be more readily recognized on sidelooking airborne radar (SLAR) images than on conventional aerial photographs, other remote sensor imagery, or by ground observations. SLAR systems look obliquely to one or both sides and their images resemble aerial photographs taken at low sun angle with the sun directly behind the camera. They differ from air photos in geometry, resolution, and information content. Radar operates at much lower frequencies than the human eye, camera, or infrared sensors, and thus "sees" differently. The lower frequency enables it to penetrate most clouds and some precipitation, haze, dust, and some vegetation. Radar provides its own illumination, which can be closely controlled in intensity and frequency. It is narrow band, or essentially monochromatic. Low relief and subdued features are accentuated when viewed from the proper direction. Runs over the same area in significantly different directions (more than 45° from each other), show that images taken in one direction may emphasize features that are not emphasized on those taken in the other direction; optimum direction is determined by those features which need to be emphasized for study purposes. Lineaments interpreted as faults stand out on radar imagery of central and western Nevada; folded sedimentary rocks cut by faults can be clearly seen on radar imagery of northern Alabama. In these areas, certain structural and stratigraphic features are more pronounced on radar images than on conventional photographs; thus radar imagery materially aids structural interpretation.

Alabama;Nevada

Radiogenic heat production of contrasting magma series: Bearing on interpretation of heat flow

Variation in radiogenic heat production of rocks of diverse magma series (representative of calcic, calc-alkalic, alkali-calcic, and alkalic petrographic provinces on a worldwide basis) is better correlated with some form of magmatic differentiation index, rather than simply with potassium content alone as commonly supposed. The “lime-alkali” (Peacock) index generally gives the best correlation of the various indices tested. Plots of heat production for igneous suites versus indices of differentiation (“heat production trends”) demonstrate systematic correlations of heat productivity as functions of fractionation trends and/or spatial-temporal associations. In general, heat production trends of calcic suites tend to indicate lower radiogenic heat productivity than those of more alkalic suites for a given silica or potassium content. Because many recent measurements of heat flow in plutons can be linearly related to heat production of surface rocks, these “heat production trends” have important bearing on the interpretation of crustal heat flow. Our data suggest possible alternative interpretations of the heat production-heat flow pattern for the Sierra Nevada which differ from that in Lachen-bruch's (1968) preliminary geothermal model.

GSA Bulletin

Guide for interpreting and reporting luminescence dating results

The development and application of luminescence dating and dosimetry techniques have grown exponentially in the last several decades. Luminescence methods provide age control for a broad range of geological and archaeological contexts and can characterize mineral and glass properties linked to geologic origin, Earth-surface processes, and past exposure to light, heat, and ionizing radiation. The applicable age range for luminescence methods spans the last 500,000 years or more, which covers the period of modern human evolution, and provides context for rates and magnitudes of geological processes, hazards, and climate change. Given the growth in applications and publications of luminescence data, there is a need for unified, community-driven guidance regarding the publication and interpretation of luminescence results. This paper presents a guide to the essential information necessary for publishing and archiving luminescence ages as well as supporting data that is transportable and expandable for different research objectives and publication outlets. We outline the information needed for the interpretation of luminescence data sets, including data associated with equivalent dose, dose rate, age models, and stratigraphic context. A brief review of the fundamentals of luminescence techniques and applications, including guidance on sample collection and insight into laboratory processing and analysis steps, is presented to provide context for publishing and data archiving.

GSA Bulletin

Nonlesions, misdiagnoses, missed diagnoses, and other interpretive challenges in fish histopathology studies: a guide for investigators, authors, reviewers, and readers

Differentiating salient histopathologic changes from normal anatomic features or tissue artifacts can be decidedly challenging, especially for the novice fish pathologist. As a consequence, findings of questionable accuracy may be reported inadvertently, and the potential negative impacts of publishing inaccurate histopathologic interpretations are not always fully appreciated. The objectives of this article are to illustrate a number of specific morphologic findings in commonly examined fish tissues (e.g., gills, liver, kidney, and gonads) that are frequently either misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, and to address related issues involving the interpretation of histopathologic data. To enhance the utility of this article as a guide, photomicrographs of normal and abnormal specimens are presented. General recommendations for generating and publishing results from histopathology studies are additionally provided. It is hoped that the furnished information will be a useful resource for manuscript generation, by helping authors, reviewers, and readers to critically assess fish histopathologic data.

Toxicologic Pathology

Some interpretations of sequential bid pricing strategies

This note provides an alternative interpretation for sequential bid pricing strategies as initially formulated by Kortanek, Soden, and Sodaro [Kortanek, K. O., J. V. Soden, D. Sodabo. 1973. Profit analysis and sequential bid pricing models. Management Sci. 20 (3, November) 396–417. In particular, bid prices obtained from the sequential model are shown to result from a condition which incorporates the failure rate function as a means of including probable actions of competing firms. A reformulation of the bidder's criterion function in the context of utility theory is also discussed and shown to result in bidding strategies which may also be interpreted in the proposed fashion.

Management Science

Lithofacies analysis of colluvial sediments - an aid in interpreting the recent history of Quaternary normal faults in the Basin and Range Province, western United States

Inferring the frequency and magnitude of past earthquakes from the stratigraphy in exposures of normal-faulted sediments is difficult because colluvial lithofacies assemblages adjacent to faults are complex. Similarities in facies assemblages adjacent to young fault scarps in arid to semiarid areas, such as the Basin and Range province, allow lithofacies to be grouped into two genetic architectural elements: debris and wash elements. Upper and lower facies associations can commonly be recognized within each element. A lithofacies code scheme, similar to those used in the analysis of fluvial and glacial lithofacies sequences, provides a concise way of illustrating lithofacies relations in fault exposures. The source lithology of colluvial lithofacies is shown in the code, and soil-horizon symbols can be included. The architecture of lithofacies assemblages near fault scarps in semiarid areas is explained by a model of colluvial sedimentation in response to a single surface faulting event. Analysis of lithofacies assemblages exposed in three trenches across normal faults in the eastern Basin and Range shows how the model can be used to interpret fault histories. Similar facies analysis methods may be useful in interpreting colluvial sequences formed by non-tectonic processes.

Journal of Sedimentary Petrology

Making phase-picking neural networks more consistent and interpretable

Improving the interpretability of phase‐picking neural networks remains an important task to facilitate their deployment to routine, real‐time seismic monitoring. The popular phase‐picking neural networks published in the literature lack interpretability because their output prediction scores do not necessarily correspond with the reliability of phase picks and can even be highly inconsistent depending on how we window the waveform data. Here, we show that systematically shifting the waveforms during training and using an antialiasing filter within the neural network architecture can substantially improve the consistency of the output prediction scores and can even make them scale with the signal‐to‐noise ratios of the waveforms. We demonstrate the improvements by applying these approaches to a commonly used phase‐picking neural network architecture and using waveform data from the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence.

The Seismic Record

Interpreting the earthquake source of the Wabash Valley seismic zone (Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky) from seismic-reflection, gravity, and magnetic-intensity data

Reprocessing of seismic-reflection data reveals new images of upper- to middle-crustal structures beneath the Wabash Valley seismic zone, located north of the New Madrid seismic zone within the seismically active southern Illinois basin. Four intersecting deep seismic profiles (243 km total) indicate an anomalous, 5–10-km-wide zone of dipping reflections and diffractions below the western flank of the Wabash Valley fault system (WVFS). The zone corresponds in places to gently arched regions of Paleozoic strata. The reflector zone can be interpreted as a result of either (or a combination of) magmatic intrusion or structural deformation. The area encompassing the reflection profiles has experienced several moderate magnitude (3.0 ≤ m bLg ≤ 5.5) earthquakes during the past 50 years, defining the central part of the Wabash Valley seismic zone. The hypocenter of the largest 20th-century earthquake in the central USA midcontinent (9 November 1968, m bLg 5.5) corresponds to the most prominent zone of dipping middle-crustal reflections, just west of the WVFS. Both the focal mechanism (moderately dipping reverse fault) and the expected rupture zone size (∼2.9 km fault length) of this earthquake are consistent with the orientation and size of observed reflectors. Dipping reflector patterns in the Precambrian crust are not collinear with fault surfaces updip in the Paleozoic sedimentary section. This indicates that shallow Paleozoic structures are effectively “decoupled” from deeper, possibly seismogenic structure, which suggests that understanding Paleozoic structure is not the key to understanding the earthquake source. The complex dipping crustal reflectivity beneath the WVFS is typical of Paleozoic continental convergent zones observed elsewhere ( e.g. , Appalachian orogen) and thus may suggest a preserved Proterozoic suture, possibly associated with the distal Grenville orogeny or an older event. Although magnetic intensity, Bouguer gravity, and seismic-reflection data present different means of understanding the deep geology of the area, their integration aids in limiting the number of admissible interpretations. The reflection profiles indicate a variable zone of anomalous crustal structure, including the dipping reflector zone, along a trend of northeast-trending gravity and magnetic highs locally defining the Commerce geophysical lineament (CGL), which is a suspected source of seismic hazard in the central USA midcontinent. Three-dimensional inverse modeling of the residual isostatic gravity anomaly values indicates that the upper part of the dipping reflector zone beneath the CGL lies near an important density boundary in the upper Precambrian crust. The results of our study suggest that the seismogenic source just north of the New Madrid seismic zone consists, in part, of a pre-existing fabric of blind thrusts localized along pre-existing igneous intrusions, locally coincident with the CGL. This suggests that the CGL may be seismogenic in places and thus a potential seismic hazard. The variation in the expression of the CGL using reflection and potential-field data sets is probably partly related to the differing geologic features by which it is expressed, but would be also consistent with its reactivation numerous times under varying stress regimes.

Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky

Ambiguous taxa: Effects on the characterization and interpretation of invertebrate assemblages

Damaged and immature specimens often result in macroinvertebrate data that contain ambiguous parent-child pairs (i.e., abundances associated with multiple related levels of the taxonomic hierarchy such as Baetis pluto and the associated ambiguous parent Baetis sp.). The choice of method used to resolve ambiguous parent-child pairs may have a very large effect on the characterization of invertebrate assemblages and the interpretation of responses to environmental change because very large proportions of taxa richness (73-78%) and abundance (79-91%) can be associated with ambiguous parents. To address this issue, we examined 16 variations of 4 basic methods for resolving ambiguous taxa: RPKC (remove parent, keep child), MCWP (merge child with parent), RPMC (remove parent or merge child with parent depending on their abundances), and DPAC (distribute parents among children). The choice of method strongly affected assemblage structure, assemblage characteristics (e.g., metrics), and the ability to detect responses along environmental (urbanization) gradients. All methods except MCWP produced acceptable results when used consistently within a study. However, the assemblage characteristics (e.g., values of assemblage metrics) differed widely depending on the method used, and data should not be combined unless the methods used to resolve ambiguous taxa are well documented and are known to be comparable. The suitability of the methods was evaluated and compared on the basis of 13 criteria that considered conservation of taxa richness and abundance, consistency among samples, methods, and studies, and effects on the interpretation of the data. Methods RPMC and DPAC had the highest suitability scores regardless of whether ambiguous taxa were resolved for each sample separately or for a group of samples. Method MCWP gave consistently poor results. Methods MCWP and DPAC approximate the use of family-level identifications and operational taxonomic units (OTU), respectively. Our results suggest that restricting identifications to the family level is not a good method of resolving ambiguous taxa, whereas generating OTUs works well provided that documentation issues are addressed. ?? 2007 by The North American Benthological Society.

Journal of the North American Benthological Societ

Blood analyses of wolf pups and their ecological and metabolic interpretation

Blood samples were obtained from 32 wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups live-trapped over a three-year period in northern Minnesota. The results of 21 laboratory analyses of hematology and blood chemistry are tabulated and analyzed in terms of study area, age, sex, and year of collection. Mean values are compared to those reported for dogs in the same age group. The numerous differences between dog and wolf pups are interpreted in terms of nutritional levels and dietary composition with the suggestion that the wolves are not achieving their full growth potential. Individual abnormal test results are tabulated and possible interpretations are suggested. Abnormal results were observed in 13 animals including 10 of 11 animals sampled in 1972. The results in the 1972 animals indicated a poorer nutrition. This preponderance of abnormal test results in pups from 1972 is correlated with ecological studies on this wolf population indicating decreased survival. The potential value of such long-term integrated field and laboratory studies for providing a more complete understanding of changes in the dynamics of natural populations in terms of the responses of individual animals is demonstrated.

Minnesota

Maps showing aeromagnetic survey and geologic interpretation of the Chignik and Sutwik Island quadrangles, Alaska

An aeromagnetic survey over part of the Chignik and Sutwik Island quadrangles, on the southern Alaska Peninsula, was flown in 1977 as part of the Alaska mineral resource assessment program (AMRAP). Maps at scales 1:250,000 and 1:63,360 have been released on open-file (U.s. Geological Survey, 1978a, 1978b). This report includes the aeromagnetic map superimposed on the topographic base (sheet 1) and an interpretation map superimposed on the topographic and simplified geologic base (sheet 2). This discussion provides an interpretation of the aeromagnetic data with respect to regional geology, occurrence of ore deposits and prospects, and potential oil and gas resources. The survey was flown along northwest-southeast lines, spaced about 1.6 km apart, at a nominal elevation of about 300 m above the land surface. A proton-precession magnetometer was used for the survey, and the resulting digital data were computer contoured at intervals of 10 and 50 gammas (sheet 1). The International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) of 1965, updated to 1977, was removed from the total field data.

Alaska