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USGS2020

Relocated aftershocks and background seismicity in eastern Indonesia shed light on the 2018 Lombok and Palu earthquake sequences

High seismicity rates in eastern Indonesia occur due to the complex interaction of several tectonic plates which resulted in two deadly, destructive earthquake sequences that occurred in Lombok Island and the city of Palu, Sulawesi in 2018. The first sequence began in July with an M w 6.4 event near Lombok, culminating in an M w 7.0 event 8 d later. This was then followed by a nearby M w 6.9 event 12 d later. Approximately 1000 km to the northeast, a separate sequence began several weeks later near Palu where an M w 7.5 event occurred that triggered a tsunami. In this study, we present hypocentre relocations for both earthquake sequences as well as all other regional earthquakes in eastern Indonesia. The relocations were performed using a teleseismic double-difference relocation method and arrival times for P and S waves from stations at local, regional, and teleseismic distances. The catalogue and phase data were taken from the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) of Indonesia and the International Seismological Centre (ISC) for the period of April 2009 through November 2018. The relocated catalogue provides an improved view of seismicity in eastern Indonesia over the study period, sharpening locations and interpretations of seismogenic features throughout the region. In the Lombok area, the relocated earthquakes clearly show a backarc thrust to the north of the Sunda-Banda Arc transition zone. The relocated aftershocks show that the destructive M w 7.0 and M w 6.9 earthquakes of the Lombok sequence ruptured two different regions: The M w 7.0 earthquake propagated westward, whereas the M w 6.9 earthquake propagated eastward. The entire sequence of Lombok earthquakes was most likely started by the M w 6.4 event as the initial event or foreshock, which then triggered backarc thrusts on both sides. Several weeks later and far to the northeast, the M w 7.5 Palu earthquake occurred along the Palu-Koro Fault, filling a seismic gap that had not ruptured in an M w 6.0 event or larger since at least 1900. The distribution of aftershocks indicates that the northern part of the Palu-Koro Fault has lower relative seismicity rates than the southern part at shallow depths, and that off fault aftershocks are mostly located to the east of the Palu-Koro Fault.

Lombok, Palu↗

USGS2013

Snow effects on alpine vegetation in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the relationships between snow and vegetation is important for interpretation of the responses of alpine ecosystems to climate changes. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is regarded as an ideal area due to its undisturbed features with low population and relatively high snow cover. We used 500 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets during 2001–2010 to examine the snow–vegetation relationships, specifically, (1) the influence of snow melting date on vegetation green-up date and (2) the effects of snow cover duration on vegetation greenness. The results showed that the alpine vegetation responded strongly to snow phenology (i.e., snow melting date and snow cover duration) over large areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Snow melting date and vegetation green-up date were significantly correlated (p < 0.1) in 39.9% of meadow areas (accounting for 26.2% of vegetated areas) and 36.7% of steppe areas (28.1% of vegetated areas). Vegetation growth was influenced by different seasonal snow cover durations (SCDs) in different regions. Generally, the December–February and March–May SCDs played a significantly role in vegetation growth, both positively and negatively, depending on different water source regions. Snow's positive impact on vegetation was larger than the negative impact.

Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau↗

USGS2001

Coastal change analysis program implemented in Louisiana

Landsat Thematic Mapper images from 1990 to 1996 and collateral data sources were used to classify the land cover of the Mermentau River Basin (MRB) within the Chenier Plain of coastal Louisiana. Landcover classes followed the definition of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Change Analysis Program; however, classification methods had to be developed as part of this study for attainment of these national classification standards. Classification method developments were especially important when classes were spectrally inseparable, when classes were part of spatial and spectral continuums, when the spatial resolution of the sensor included more than one landcover type, and when human activities caused abnormal transitions in the landscape. Most classification problems were overcome by using one or a combination of techniques, such as separating the MRB into subregions of commonality, applying masks to specific land mixtures, and highlighting class transitions between years that were highly unlikely. Overall, 1990, 1993, and 1996 classification accuracy percentages (associated kappa statistics) were 80% (0.79), 78% (0.76), and 86% (0.84), respectively. Most classification errors were associated with confusion between managed (cultivated land) and unmanaged grassland classes; scrub shrub, grasslands and forest classes; water, unconsolidated shore and bare land classes; and especially in 1993, between water and floating vegetation classes. Combining cultivated land and grassland classes and water and floating vegetation classes into single classes accuracies for 1990, 1993, and 1996 increased to 82%, 83%, and 90%, respectively. To improve the interpretation of landcover change, three indicators of landcover class stability were formulated. Location stability was defined as the percentage of a landcover class that remained as the same class in the same location at the beginning and the end of the monitoring period. Residence stability was defined as the percent change in each class within the entire MRB during the monitoring period. Turnover was defined as the addition of other landcover classes to the target landcover class during the defined monitoring period. These indicators allowed quick assessment of the dynamic nature of landcover classes, both in reference to a spatial location and to retaining their presence throughout the MRB. Examining the landcover changes between 1990 to 1993 and 1993 to 1996, led us to five principal findings: (1) Landcover turnover is maintaining a near stable logging cycle, although the locations of grassland, scrub shrub, and forest areas involved in the cycle appeared to change. (2) Planting of seedlings is critical to maintaining cycle stability. (3) Logging activities tend to replace woody land mixed forests with woody land evergreen forests. (4) Wetland estuarine marshes are expanding slightly. (5) Wetland palustrine marshes and mature forested wetlands in the MRB are relatively stable.

Louisiana↗

USGS2024

Effects of exploitation and emigration on apparent survival of Walleye in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota

Objective In 2017, we began a 5-year mark–recapture study to estimate apparent survival of Walleye Sander vitreus and angler exploitation in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota, and inform management strategies for this fishery. The study revealed substantial downstream emigration of Walleye; therefore, we also examined the influence of emigration on apparent mortality. Methods We estimated Walleye apparent survival using the Seber parameterization of the dead recovery model. In our models, we included factors influencing voluntary fish release, as well as harvest restrictions, tagging location, and year. We used a multistate Markov model to estimate emigration in relation to Walleye total length, sex, and tagging location, as well as annual reservoir discharge. The exploitation and emigration estimates informed our interpretations of annual Walleye apparent survival. Result Apparent survival patterns were explained by an interaction between Walleye length and a minimum harvest length restriction. Apparent survival was lower during July and August, when the minimum harvest length limit was suspended, and results suggest that anglers were willing to release preferred sizes (≥508 mm) when able to harvest smaller (<381 mm) Walleye. Annual apparent survival, exploitation, and emigration estimates ranged between 15% and 47%, 8% and 25%, and 11% and 28%, respectively. Emigration was influenced by tagging location and annual discharge: increasing with proximity to Big Bend dam and during high annual flows. Although years with high exploitation or emigration corresponded to years with low apparent survival, estimates did not explain the magnitude of mortality or emigration indicated by survival models. Conclusion Our results revealed that harvest–release decisions by Walleye anglers in Lake Sharpe are primarily influenced by regulations, although exploitation was not a significant source of mortality. Annual patterns in apparent survival indicate high mortality or emigration. Continued investigations into immigration and emigration and sources of mortality of Lake Sharpe Walleye are warranted to better inform management strategies for the fishery.

South Dakota↗

USGS2024

Hyperspectral (VNIR-SWIR) analysis of roll front uranium host rocks and industrial minerals from Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas Coastal Plain

VNIR-SWIR (400–2500 nm) reflectance measurements were made on the surfaces of various cores, cuttings and sample splits of sedimentary rocks from the Tertiary Jackson Group, and Catahoula, Oakville and Goliad Formations. These rocks vary in composition and texture from mudstone and claystone to sandstone and are known host rocks for roll front uranium occurrences in Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas. Spectral reflectance profiles, 569 in total, were reduced to 125 representative spectral signatures, which were analyzed using the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm (MICA). MICA uses an automated continuum-removal procedure together with a least-squares linear regression to determine the fit of observed sample spectral absorption features to those of reference mineral standards in a spectral library. The reference minerals include various clay, mica, carbonate, ferric and ferrous iron minerals and their mixtures. In addition, absorption feature band-depth analysis was done to identify rock surfaces exhibiting absorption features related to uranium and zeolite minerals, which were not included in the command files used to execute MICA. Rocks from each of the four geologic units produced broadly similar spectral signatures as a result of comparable mineral compositions, but there were some notable differences. For example, Ca- and Na-montmorillonite was matched most frequently to the spectral absorption features in 2-μm (∼2000–2500 nm) wavelengths, while goethite occurred often at 1-μm (∼400–1000 nm) wavelengths. The latter is related to limonitic iron-staining in and around oxidized zones of the uranium roll front as described in previous papers. Rocks of the Jackson Group differed from those of the Catahoula, Oakville and Goliad units in that the former exhibited spectral features we interpret as being due to the presence of lignite-bearing mudstone layers. Goliad rocks exhibit spectral features related to dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, and an unidentified green clay mineral that is possibly glauconite . Jackson Group rocks also exhibit weak but well-resolved absorption features at 964 and 1157 nm related to either or both zeolite minerals clinoptilolite and heulandite. These zeolite minerals and a few spectra exhibiting hydrous silica absorption features are indicative of alteration of volcanic glass in tuffaceous mudstone and claystone layers. A few sample spectra exhibited strong absorption features at around 1135 nm related to the uranium mineral coffinite. Both the 1135 nm coffinite and 1157 nm zeolite absorption features overlap somewhat, potentially making them difficult to distinguish without additional hyperspectral field, laboratory or remote sensing data. The results of this study were compared to mixtures of minerals described for ore, gangue and alteration minerals in deposit models for sandstone-hosted uranium, sedimentary bentonite and sedimentary zeolite. Use of these spectra can help facilitate mapping of both waste materials from the legacy mining of the above commodities, as well as future exploration and resource assessment activities.

Texas↗

USGS2013

Sampling efficiency of the Moore egg collector

Quantitative studies focusing on the collection of semibuoyant fish eggs, which are associated with a pelagic broadcast-spawning reproductive strategy, are often conducted to evaluate reproductive success. Many of the fishes in this reproductive guild have suffered significant reductions in range and abundance. However, the efficiency of the sampling gear used to evaluate reproduction is often unknown and renders interpretation of the data from these studies difficult. Our objective was to assess the efficiency of a modified Moore egg collector (MEC) using field and laboratory trials. Gear efficiency was assessed by releasing a known quantity of gellan beads with a specific gravity similar to that of eggs from representatives of this reproductive guild (e.g., the Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi) into an outdoor flume and recording recaptures. We also used field trials to determine how discharge and release location influenced gear efficiency given current methodological approaches. The flume trials indicated that gear efficiency ranged between 0.0% and 9.5% (n = 57) in a simple 1.83-m-wide channel and was positively related to discharge. Efficiency in the field trials was lower, ranging between 0.0% and 3.6%, and was negatively related to bead release distance from the MEC and discharge. The flume trials indicated that the gellan beads were not distributed uniformly across the channel, although aggregation was reduced at higher discharges. This clustering of passively drifting particles should be considered when selecting placement sites for an MEC; further, the use of multiple devices may be warranted in channels with multiple areas of concentrated flow.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2003

Automated calibration of a stream solute transport model: Implications for interpretation of biogeochemical parameters

The hydrologic processes of advection, dispersion, and transient storage are the primary physical mechanisms affecting solute transport in streams. The estimation of parameters for a conservative solute transport model is an essential step to characterize transient storage and other physical features that cannot be directly measured, and often is a preliminary step in the study of reactive solutes. Our study used inverse modeling to estimate parameters of the transient storage model OTIS (One dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage). Observations from a tracer injection experiment performed on Uvas Creek, California, USA, are used to illustrate the application of automated solute transport model calibration to conservative and nonconservative stream solute transport. A computer code for universal inverse modeling (UCODE) is used for the calibrations. Results of this procedure are compared with a previous study that used a trial-and-error parameter estimation approach. The results demonstrated 1) importance of the proper estimation of discharge and lateral inflow within the stream system; 2) that although the fit of the observations is not much better when transient storage is invoked, a more randomly distributed set of residuals resulted (suggesting non-systematic error), indicating that transient storage is occurring; 3) that inclusion of transient storage for a reactive solute (Sr2+) provided a better fit to the observations, highlighting the importance of robust model parameterization; and 4) that applying an automated calibration inverse modeling estimation approach resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the model results and the limitation of input data.

Journal of the North American Benthological Societ↗

USGS2000

On the modified Mercalli intensities and magnitudes of the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes

We reexamine original felt reports from the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes and determine revised isoseismal maps for the three principal mainshocks. In many cases we interpret lower values than those assigned by earlier studies. In some cases the revisions result from an interpretation of original felt reports with an appreciation for site response issues. Additionally, earlier studies had assigned modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) values of V-VII to a substantial number of reports that we conclude do not describe damage commensurate with intensities this high. We investigate several approaches to contouring the MMI values using both analytical and subjective methods. For the first mainshock on 02∶15 LT December 16, 1811, our preferred contouring yields M ω7.2–7.3 using the area-moment regressions of Johnston [1996]. For the 08∶00 LT on January 23, 1812, and 03∶45 LT on February 7, 1812, mainshocks, we obtain M ω7.0 and M ω7.4–7.5, respectively. Our magnitude for the February mainshock is consistent with the established geometry of the Reelfoot fault, which all evidence suggests to have been the causative structure for this event. We note that the inference of lower magnitudes for the New Madrid events implies that site response plays a significant role in controlling seismic hazard at alluvial sites in the central and eastern United States. We also note that our results suggest that thrusting may have been the dominant mechanism of faulting associated with the 1811–1812 sequence.

Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee↗

USGS2026

Toxoplasma gondii: Challenges and perspectives in interpreting longitudinal seroprevalence data for a chronic parasitic infection

Toxoplasma gondii —the causative agent of toxoplasmosis—is a zoonotic pathogen of warm-blooded hosts. Infection causes mild-to-severe symptoms, including lethargy, fever, muscle pain, abortion, ocular disease, and encephalitis. Toxoplasma affects many vertebrate species, although felids are the only known definitive hosts. Seroprevalence in wildlife is often assessed using cross-sectional data, but few studies have tracked individual-level infections through time. We present a 4-yr dataset from white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) with repeated sampling of individuals that highlights challenges associated with assigning serostatus to individuals. Using a modified agglutination test, we observed seroconversion from seronegative to seropositive within individuals, as expected. Although toxoplasmosis is known to be a chronic disease, we also found reversion from seropositive to seronegative. Accurate assignment of serostatus is necessary for evaluating effects of infection on behavioral and physiologic outcomes. However, longitudinal data from individuals whose titers oscillate around the positive threshold present novel challenges. Therefore, we discuss the implications for assigning serostatus for chronic toxoplasmosis infection for three proposed approaches: 1) ever positive, always positive; 2) negative until positive and then always positive; and 3) status by sampling period. Clarifying which approach is used to assign serostatus when analyzing longitudinal T. gondii data may enable more meaningful comparisons across systems and studies.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2002

Plume-driven plumbing and crustal formation in Iceland

Through combination of surface wave and body wave constraints we derive a three-dimensional (3-D) crustal S velocity model and Moho map for Iceland. It reveals a vast plumbing system feeding mantle plume melt into upper crustal magma chambers where crustal formation takes place. The method is based on the partitioned waveform inversion to which we add additional observations. Love waves from six local events recorded on the HOTSPOT- SIL networks are fitted, S n travel times from the same events measured, previous observations of crustal thickness are added, and all three sets of constraints simultaneously inverted for our 3-D model. In the upper crust (0–15 km) an elongated low-velocity region extends along the length of the Northern, Eastern and Western Neovolcanic Zones. The lowest velocities (−7%) are found at 5–10 km below the two most active volcanic complexes: Hekla and Bárdarbunga-Grímsvötn. In the lower crust (>15 km) the low-velocity region can be represented as a vertical cylinder beneath central Iceland. The low-velocity structure is interpreted as the thermal halo of pipe work which connects the region of melt generation in the uppermost mantle beneath central Iceland to active volcanoes along the neovolcanic zones. Crustal thickness in Iceland varies from 15–20 km beneath the Reykjanes Peninsula, Krafla and the extinct Snæfellsnes rift zone, to 46 km beneath central Iceland. The average crustal thickness is 29 km. The variations in thickness can be explained in terms of the temporal variation in plume productivity over the last ∼20 Myr, the Snæfellsnes rift zone being active during a minimum in plume productivity. Variations in crustal thickness do not depart significantly from an isostatically predicted crustal thickness. The best fit linear isostatic relation implies an average density jump of 4% across the Moho. Rare earth element inversions of basalt compositions on Iceland suggest a melt thickness (i.e., crustal thickness) of 15–20 km, given passive upwelling. The observed crustal thickness of up to 46 km implies active fluxing of source material through the melt zone by the mantle plume at up to 3 times the passive rate.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗

USGS1996

Equatorial origin for Lower Jurassic radiolarian chert in the Franciscan Complex, San Rafael Mountains, southern California

Lower Jurassic radiolarian chert sampled at two localities in the San Rafael Mountains of southern California (∼20 km north of Santa Barbara) contains four components of remanent magnetization. Components A , B ′, and B are inferred to represent uplift, Miocene volcanism, and subduction/accretion overprint magnetizations, respectively. The fourth component ( C ), isolated between 580° and 680°C, shows a magnetic polarity stratigraphy and is interpreted as a primary magnetization acquired by the chert during, or soon after, deposition. Both sequences are late Pliensbachian to middle Toarcian in age, and an average paleolatitude calculated from all tilt-corrected C components is 1° ± 3° north or south. This result is consistent with deposition of the cherts beneath the equatorial zone of high biologic productivity and is similar to initial paleolatitudes determined for chert blocks in northern California and Mexico. This result supports our model, in which deep-water Franciscan-type cherts were deposited on the Farallon plate as it moved eastward beneath the equatorial productivity high, were accreted to the continental margin at low paleolatitudes, and were subsequently distributed northward by strike-slip faulting associated with movements of the Kula, Farallon, and Pacific plates. Upper Cretaceous turbidites of the Cachuma Formation were sampled at Agua Caliente Canyon to determine a constraining paleolatitude for accretion of the Jurassic chert sequences. These apparently unaltered rocks, however, were found to be completely overprinted by the A component of magnetization. Similar in situ directions and demagnetization behaviors observed in samples of other Upper Cretaceous turbidite sequences in southern and Baja California imply that these rocks might also give unreliable results.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗

USGS2020

Maximum entropy derived statistics of sound speed structure in a fine-grained sediment inferred from sparse broadband acoustic measurements on the New England continental shelf

Marginal probability distributions for parameters representing an effective sound-speed structure of a fine-grained sediment are inferred from a data ensemble maximum entropy method that utilizes a sparse spatially distributed set of received pressure time series resulting from multiple explosive sources in a shallow-water ocean environment possessing significant spatial variability of the seabed. A remote sensing seabed acoustics experiment undertaken in March 2017 off the New England Shelf was designed so that multiple independent analyses could infer the statistical properties of the seabed. The current analysis incorporates the measured horizontal variability from interpretations of a subbottom profiling survey of the experimental area. An idealized range- and azimuth-dependent parameterization of the seabed is derived from identification of horizons within the seabed that define multiple sediment layers. A sparse set of explosive charges were deployed on circular tracks with radii of about 2, 4, and 6.5 km with an acoustic array at the center to correlate a set of random measurements to physical acoustic processes that characterize the seabed. The mean values of a surface sound speed ratio and a linear sound speed gradient for the fine-grained sediment layer derived from 12 data samples processed in the 25–275-Hz band provide an estimate of the effective sound-speed structure in a 130-km $^2$ area. The inferred sediment sound speed values are evaluated by predicting measured time series data not used in the statistical inference, and are also compared to historical measurements. Finally, the low-frequency maximum entropy estimate of the sediment sound speed along with physical measurements derived from piston core measurements are utilized to estimate the sediment grain bulk modulus. predictions made by the viscous grain shearing model.

Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhod↗

USGS2013

Sediment source analysis in the Linganore Creek watershed, Maryland, USA, using the sediment fingerprinting approach: 2008 to 2010

Purpose: Fine-grained sediment is an important pollutant in streams and estuaries, including the Chesapeake Bay in the USA. The objective of this study was to determine the sources of fine-grained sediment using the sediment fingerprinting approach in the Linganore Creek watershed, a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Materials and methods: The sediment fingerprinting approach was used in the agricultural and forested, 147-km 2 Linganore Creek watershed, Maryland from 1 August 2008 to 31 December 2010 to determine the relative percentage contribution from different potential sources of fine-grained sediment. Fine-grained suspended sediment samples (<63 μm) were collected during storm events in Linganore Creek using an automatic sampler and manual isokinetic samplers. Source samples were collected from 40 stream bank sites, 24 agricultural (cropland and pasture) sites, and 19 forested sites. Suspended sediment and source samples were analyzed for elements and stable isotopes. Results and discussion: Results of sediment fingerprinting for 194 samples collected in 36 separate storm events indicate that stream banks contributed 53% of the annual fine-grained suspended sediment load, agriculture contributed 44%, and forests contributed 3%. Peak flows and sediment loads of the storms correlate to stream bank erosion. The highest peak flows occurred in the winter and, along with freeze–thaw activity, contributed to winter months showing the highest rate of stream bank erosion. Peak flow was negatively correlated to sediment sources from agricultural lands which had the greatest contribution in non-winter months. Caution should be observed when trying to interpret the relation between sediment sources and individual storms using the sediment fingerprinting approach. Because the sediment fingerprinting results from individual storms may not include the temporal aspects of the sourced sediment, sediment that is in storage from previous events, remobilized and sampled during the current event, will reflect previous storm characteristics. Stream bank sediment is delivered directly to the channel during an event, whereas the delivery of upland sediment to the stream is lower due to storage on hillslopes and/or in channels, sediment from stream banks are more likely to be related to the characteristics of the sampled storm event. Conclusions: Stream banks and agricultural lands are both important sources of fine-grained sediment in the Linganore Creek watershed. Peak flows and sediment loads for the 36 storms show a significant relation to sediment sources from stream bank erosion. Attempting to link upland sediment sources to flow and seasonal characteristics is difficult since much of the upland sediment eroded in an event goes into storage. By averaging sediment sources over several storms, it may be possible to determine not only the sediment sources that are directly contributed during the current event but also sediment from previous events that was in storage and remobilized.

Maryl↗

USGS2010

Organic petrology of subbituminous carbonaceous shale samples from Chalāw, Kabul Province, Afghanistan: Considerations for paleoenvironment and energy resource potential

Neogene (?) subbituminous carbonaceous shale deposits from Chalāw, Afghanistan, were investigated through organic petrology techniques and standard coal analyses to determine paleoenvironment and potential for resource utilization. The Chalāw deposit, approximately 30 km southeast of Kabul, currently is exploited for brick making and domestic heating and cooking. Three multiple-bench channel samples of the mined bed at Chalāw were collected and evaluated. The presence of significant huminite (ranging from 0.2 to 59.0 vol.%, mineral-inclusive basis) is suggestive of a terrestrial lignin-rich precursor plant material. Measured reflectance values of 0.38–0.55% indicate subbituminous rank. This rank suggests burial depths of approximately 1500 m and maximum temperatures of approximately 50 °C. Structured liptinite macerals generally are absent except for some fluorescing morphologies interpreted to be poorly-preserved root cork suberinite. Sponge spicule bioliths including gemmoscleres and megascleres are common. These petrographic observations, in addition to high mineral matter content (33 to > 95 vol.%), medium to high sulfur content (2.1–11.5 wt.%, dry basis; db), and the presence of common gastropod? shell fragments and an aragonite-needle chalk bed are consistent with, but not directly indicative of, a marginal marine or estuarine mangrove depositional environment. However, additional data are necessary to confirm this hypothesis and deposition in a freshwater environment cannot be ruled out at this time. Commercial-scale development and utilization of the Chalāw deposit as a thermal fuel resource may be possible using a fluidized bed combustion system which could accept the low-quality mine product currently produced. Samples examined herein contain high-ash yield (45–90 wt.%, db), high total moisture content (17–39 wt.%), low calorific value (980–6860 Btu/lb, m,mmf), and have poor agglomerating properties (FSI = 0), consistent with fuels utilized in fluidized bed combustors. However, delineation of the extent of the deposit through field investigation will be necessary to make a quantified resource estimate for mine planning.

Kabul Province↗

USGS2013

The role of vermetid gastropods in the development of the Florida Middle Ground, northeast Gulf of Mexico

The Florida Middle Ground is a complex of north to northwest trending ridges that lie approximately 180 km northwest of Tampa Bay, Florida. The irregular ridges appear on the otherwise gently sloping West Florida shelf and exhibit between 10-15 m of relief. Modern studies interpret the ridges as remnants of a Holocene coral-reef buildup that today provide a hard substrate for growth of a variety of benthic organisms including hydrocorals, scleractinians, alcyonarians, and algae. Recent rotary coring reveals that the core of the eastern ridge of the Florida Middle Ground complex consists of unconsolidated marine calcareous muddy sand that is capped by a boundstone composed primarily of the sessile vermetid gastropod Petaloconchus sp., and overlays a weathered, fossiliferous limestone. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon ages (uncalibrated) on the 3.6-m thick vermetid worm rock indicate that it developed during a sea-level stillstand in the early Holocene (8,225 ±30-8,910 ± 25 yr B.P.). Our observations suggest that the Florida Middle Ground is a remnant of a series of shore parallel bars that formed in the early Holocene and were capped by a 3.6-m thick unit of vermetid gastropods. During a rapid sea-level rise that began ~8,000 yr B.P. the vermetids growth ceased and the worm rock preserved the ridges structure. Diver observations document that the edges of the ridges are currently being eroded and undermined by biological activity and current action, leading to calving of large capstone blocks.

Florida↗

USGS2024

Evaluating water-quality trends in agricultural watersheds prioritized for management-practice implementation

Many agricultural watersheds rely on the voluntary use of management practices (MPs) to reduce nonpoint source nutrient and sediment loads; however, the water-quality effects of MPs are uncertain. We interpreted water-quality responses from as early as 1985 through 2020 in three agricultural Chesapeake Bay watersheds that were prioritized for MP implementation, namely, the Smith Creek (Virginia), Upper Chester River (Maryland), and Conewago Creek (Pennsylvania) watersheds. We synthesized patterns in MPs, climate, land use, and nutrient inputs to better understand factors affecting nutrient and sediment loads. Relations between MPs and expected water-quality improvements were not consistently identifiable. The number of MPs increased in all watersheds since the early 2010s, but most monitored nutrient and sediment loads did not decrease. Nutrient and sediment loads increased or remained stable in Smith Creek and the Upper Chester River. Sediment loads and some nutrient loads decreased in Conewago Creek. In Smith Creek, a 36-year time-series model suggests that changes in manure affected flow-normalized total nitrogen loads. We hypothesize that increases in nutrient applications may overshadow some expected MP effects. MPs might have stemmed further water-quality degradation, but improvements in nutrient loads may rely on reducing manure and fertilizer applications. Our results highlight the importance of assessing MP performance with long-term monitoring-based studies.

Journal of the American Water Resources Assocation↗

USGS1978

Porphyry copper exploration model for northern Sonora, Mexico

The regional tectonic pattern of the porphyry copper province of northern Sonora, Mexico, is similar to, but more complex than, the Colorado mineral belt. Four northeast-trending shear zones, spaced at 30- to 50-kilometer intervals from Hermosillo, Mexico, north to Nogales, Mexico, are interpreted from analysis of lineament data from Landsat-1 images. From comparison with other areas, these zones are believed to have Precambrian ancestry. North-northwest-trending lineaments, which commonly occur along range fronts, are interpreted to be the principal basin and range faults. North-south- and west-northwest-trending lineaments are believed to be related to lesser faults and fractures. Areas of hydrothermal alteration have been mapped on a regional scale by use of digital image-processing techniques. These altered areas occur on the flanks of the northeast-trending shear zones, generally near intersections with north-northwest-trending lineaments. This tectonic framework with associated alteration is similar to patterns in the Colorado Plateau, the porphyry copper province of Arizona, and central Mexico and is supported by relationships found in limited local mapping. The pattern of northeast-trending shear zones and north-northwest-trending faults in northern Sonora closely resembles the tectonic framework of the Colorado mineral belt. The younger sedimentary and volcanic cover, however, has not been eroded in Sonora as it has been in the Colorado mineral belt. This comparison with the Colorado mineral belt suggests that mineral deposits are most likely to be found in altered areas where a northeast-trending shear zone is intersected by north-northwest-trending faults. Seven areas with these characteristics have been defined in Sonora and are being evaluated by means of regional geophysical and geochemical data.

Sonora↗

USGS2016

Interpreting the role of pH on stable isotopes in large benthic foraminifera

Large benthic foraminifera (LBF) are prolific producers of calcium carbonate sediments in shallow, tropical environments that are being influenced by ocean acidification (OA). Two LBF species, Amphistegina gibbosa (Order Rotaliida) with low-Mg calcite tests and Archaias angulatus (Order Miliolida) with high-Mg calcite tests, were studied to assess the effects of pH 7.6 on oxygen and carbon isotopic fractionation between test calcite and ambient seawater. The δ 18 O and δ 13 C values of terminal chambers and of whole adult tests of both species after 6 weeks were not significantly different between pH treatments of 8.0 and 7.6. However, tests of juveniles produced during the 6-week treatments showed significant differences between δ 18 O and δ 13 C values from control (pH 8.0) when compared with the treatment (pH 7.6) for both species. Although each individual's growth was photographed and measured, difficulty in distinguishing and manually extracting newly precipitated calcite from adult specimens likely confounded any differences in isotopic signals. However, juvenile specimens that resulted from asexual reproduction that occurred during the experiments did not contain old carbonate that could confound the new isotopic signals. These data reveal a potential bias in the design of OA experiments if only adults are used to investigate changes in test chemistries. Furthermore, the results reaffirm that different calcification mechanisms in these two foraminiferal orders control the fractionation of stable isotopes in the tests and will reflect decreasing pH in seawater somewhat differently. .

ICES Journal of Marine Science↗