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At least 1,027 records · Page 57Linked to original sources
USGS2004

Coral reef complexes at an atypical windward platform margin: Late Quaternary, southeast Florida

Major coral reef complexes rim many modern and ancient carbonate platforms. Their role in margin evolution is not fully understood, particularly when they border a margin atypical of the classic model. Classic windward margins are steeply inclined. The windward margin of southeast Florida is distinct with a very low-gradient slope and a shelf edge ringed with 30-m-high Quaternary outlier reefs on a shallow upper-slope terrace. A newly developed synthesis of temporally well-constrained geologic events is used with surface and subsurface seismic-reflection contours to construct morphogenetic models of four discontinuous reef-complex sequences. The models show uneven subsurface topography, upward and landward buildups, and a previously unreported, rapid, Holocene progradation. The terms backstepped reef-complex margin, backfilled prograded margin, and coalesced reef-complex margin are proposed for sections exhibiting suitable signatures in the stratigraphic record. The models have significant implications for interpretation of ancient analogues. The Florida record chronicles four kinds of geologic events. (1) Thirteen transgressions high enough for marine deposition occurred between ca. 325 ka and the present. Six gave rise to stratigraphically successive coral reef complexes between ca. 185 and ca. 77.8 ka. The seventh reef ecosystem is Holocene. (2) Two primary coral reef architectures built the outer shelf and margin, producing respective ridge-and-swale and reef-and-trough geometries of very different scales. (3) Massive outlier reefs developed on an upper-slope terrace between ca. 106.5 and ca. 80 ka and are inferred to contain corals that would date to highstands at ca. 140 and 125 ka. (4) Sea level remained below elevation of the shelf between ca. 77.8 and ca. 9.6 ka. ?? 2004 Geological Society of America.

Geological Society of America Bulletin↗
USGS1975

Index of Mariner 9 Albedo mapping pictures of Mars

This photoindex shows locations of the Mariner 9 pictures that are the primary source materials for the albedo marking, overlays in the U.S. Geological Survey's "Atlas of Mars." All pictures were taken by the "A" camera. The individual pictures were selected to provide complete coverage of the planet at the smallest scales possible with a minimum of overlap. They thus provide the most compact data set attainable. Most of the pictures used were from sequences designed by the Mariner 9 imaging team for computing a planetwide control net. Because they did not provide complete coverage, they were supplemented with global-scale pictures taken late in the Mariner 9 mission, and, where the latter were not available, with pictures taken primarily for topographic and geologic mapping. For a listing of topographic and geologic mapping pictures, see "Index of Mariner 9 Mapping Pictures of Mars" (1975). The pictures on this plot have been specially processed in the computer to remove density variations across the frame caused by sun elevation. The hatched area in the north polar region was covered with frost or snow when pictures, were taken. Albedo information is therefore not available from Mariner 9 in that area. The frame outlines were drawn according to spacecraft tracking information and have been verified by matching picture images with known locations of surface features. Parts of some pictures are degraded by foreshortening and poor illumination, so outlines show useful image area only, not necessarily frame edges. Each frame is identified by a number assigned by a clock on the Mariner 9 spacecraft. This number, or "DAS" time (for Data Automation Subsystem), indicates the number of 1.2 second intervals between the time the spaecraft was launched and the time the picture was taken. Owing to the varying times at which this number was recorded by ground receiving stations, the same picture may be identified in various tabulations by numbers differing by up to eight units in the last digit. The designation "M 25M 3PIA" is an abbreviation for "Mars 1:25,000,000, third edition base, phowindex of albedo mapping pictures."

Miscellaneous Field Studies Map↗
USGS1983

Reassessment of the rates at which oil from natural sources enters the marine environment

Previous estimates of the world-wide input of oil to the marine environment by natural seeps ranged from 0??2 to 6??0 million (metric) tonnes per year with a 'best estimate' of 0??6 million tonnes per year. Based on considerations of the availability of oil for seepage from the world's known and assumed oil resources, we believe that the world-wide natural oil seepage over geological time should be revised to about 0??2 million tonnes per year with a range upward or downward of a factor of ten leading to estimates between 0??02 and 2 million tonnes per year. Our estimate of the amount of oil eroding from the land and being transported to the oceans is about 0??05 million tonnes per year with an order of magnitude uncertainty. Therefore, while the uncertainties are large, we estimate that the total amount of oil entering the marine environment by natural, geological processes, is about 0??25 million tonnes per year, and the estimate may range from about 0??025 to 2??5 million tonnes per year. This rate applies over geological time, but episodic fluctuations in the input of oil to the marine environment may cause the rate to exceed this range in any one year.Previous estimates of the world-wide input of oil to the marine environment by natural seeps ranged from 0. 2 to 6. 0 million (metric) tonnes per year with a 'best estimate' of 0. 6 million tons per year. Based on considerations of the availability of oil for seepage from the world's known and assumed oil resources, the world-wide natural oil seepage over geological time should be revised to about 0. 2 million tons per year with a range upward or downward of a factor of ten leading to estimates between 0. 02 and 2 million tons per year. It is estimated that the amount of oil eroding from the land and being transported to the oceans is about 0. 05 million tons per year with an order of magnitude uncertainty. Therefore, the total amount of oil entering the marine environment by natural, geological processes, is about 0. 25 million tons per year, and the estimate may range from about 0. 025 to 2. 5 million tons per year. Refs.

Marine Environmental Research↗
USGS2000

Northeastern Gulf of Mexico Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Program: Coastal Characterization: an overview and update

The U.S. Geological Surveys Biological Resources Division (BRD) mission is to provide leadership in gathering, analyzing, and disseminating biological information as support for sound management of the Nation's natural resources. Since becoming operational in October of 1996 through the transfer of programs from various bureaus within the Department of the Interior, the BRD, in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local partners, has begun research, inventory and monitoring, information sharing, and technology transfer. Through these activities, the BRD is fostering an understanding of biological systems and their benefits to society, and providing the essential scientific support and technical assistance required for management and policy decisions. The role of BRD' s National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) in Lafayette, Louisiana, with project offices in Baton Rouge, LA and Gulf Breeze, FL, is to provide leadership in research and development related to the Nation's natural resources for the Southeast. The research focuses on wetlands ecology, animal ecology, and the development and application of spatial analysis techniques for natural resource related studies. Current geographic information system (GIS) technologies in use at NWRC are designed to provide natural resource managers with the on-line data and computerized techniques necessary to make informed decisions. Major GIS activities at NWRC include: compilation and analysis of digital databases for monitoring of natural resources; integration and transfer of databases with existing digital databases from various sources into a comprehensive GIS; and development of multifunctional decision support systems for natural resource managers using these data. NWRC is also an active participant in the National Information Infrastructure (NIT), in particular the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBTI), which will facilitate the dissemination of research results and other knowledge and information gained from these efforts. This summary and the three summaries that follow provides an overview and update of a four year study entitled, Northeastern Gulf of Mexico Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Program: Coastal Characterization.

Minerals Management Service↗
USGS1964

Geology and ground-water resources of the Jordan Valley, Utah

The Jordan Valley occupies about 400 square miles in the central part of Salt Lake County in north-central Utah. Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, is in the northeastern part of the valley. The valley is at the eastern margin of the Basin and range physiographic province, and it is bounded on the northeast, east, south, and west by mountain ranges. The valley is drained by the Jordan River which enters through a water gap in the mountains to the south, flows north, and empties into the Great Salt Lake, which forms the northwestern border of the valley.

Utah↗
USGS1972

Chryse region, Viking Mars 1975 landing site 3, semicontrolled mosaic

This semicontrolled mosaic is made with computer enhanced Mariner 9 pictures, transformed to a Mercator projection. Frames were individually scaled for a best fit to the Transverse Mercator projection. Computer processing was performed by the Image Processing Laboratory (IPL) of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology. Processing included contrast enhancement and high-pass filtering which accentuates topographic features while subduing albedo variations. Photographic reproductions of the images were generated from the IPL digital magnetic tapes and mosaicked by the U.S. Geological Survey. Horizontal placement of pictures is controlled by Mariner 9 tracking data, and may differ from the newly defined martian coordinate system by as much as 60 km.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2021

A characterization of deep-sea coral and sponge communities along the California and Oregon coast using a remotely operated vehicle on the EXPRESS 2018 expedition

Deep-sea coral and sponge (DSCS) communities serve as essential fish habitats (EFH) by providing shelter and nursery habitat, increasing diversity, and increasing prey availability (Freese and Wing, 2003; Bright, 2007; Baillon et al., 2012; Henderson et al., 2020). Threats to these long-lived, fragile organisms from bottom contact fishing gear, potential offshore renewable energy development, and ocean warming and acidification have increased the need for DSCS research along the U.S. West Coast (Gomez et al., 2018; Salgado et al., 2018; Yoklavich, et al., 2018; Gugliotti et al., 2019). The focus of these studies has varied from species distribution and abundance (Yoklavich and Love, 2005; Tissot et al., 2006) to developing and validating predictive distribution models (Huff et al., 2013; Rooper et al., 2017; Kreidler, 2020) to finding medicinal uses for corals and sponges (Essack et al., 2011; Shrestha et al., 2018). Due to the vast area of unexplored seafloor within the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ; 200 nautical miles off the coast) and the technological requirements and expanse of deep-sea research, there is still much to learn about the distributions and biology of DSCS. This information is critical to resource managers for effective conservation and management of DSCS habitats. Protections are provided by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) designation of groundfish EFH conservation areas (EFHCA) and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA). Areas designated as EFHCA are closed to bottom trawl fishing to protect and preserve seafloor habitats. Recently the PFMC adopted Amendment 28 to the Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (GFMP; Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2019) which modified EFHCAs by closing new areas identified as vulnerable and reopening areas deemed not vulnerable. The NMSA prohibits bottom disturbance from certain activities within areas designated as national marine sanctuaries, such as oil and gas exploration or extraction, cable laying, and other forms of seabed alteration or construction that disturb benthic communities. NOAA’s Deep-Sea Coral and Research Technology Program (DSCRTP) began a 4-yr funding initiative for the U.S. West Coast in 2017. The goals of the West Coast Deep-Sea Coral Initiative (WCDSCI) were to: 1) gather baseline information on areas subject to fishing regulation changes prior to the implementation of Amendment 28; 2) improve our understanding of known DSCS bycatch “hot spots”; and 3) explore and assess DSCS resources within NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries with emphasis on areas of sanctuary resource protection and management concerns. During the first year of the program, a research cruise was developed to survey the West Coast from Oregon to California studying the DSCS ecosystems in priority areas. The 31-day expedition (9 Oct – 8 Nov, 2018) was launched from the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, beginning in Newport, OR and ending in San Diego, CA. The science team assembled for this cruise were members of the EXpanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems (EXPRESS) campaign, which brings together researchers from federal and nonfederal institutions to collaborate on scientific expeditions targeting the deepwater areas off California, Oregon, and Washington. EXPRESS supports researchers leveraging funding, resources, personnel, and expertise to accomplish more science than would have been possible by a single entity alone. The 2018 coastwide expedition included research partners from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) and Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), National Ocean Service (Channel Islands, Cordell Bank, Greater Farallones, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Research objectives for the cruise were to: 1) Collect DSCS baseline information at 10 of the EFHCA sites undergoing protection modifications by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. 2) Collect DSCS and fish data at previously unexplored sites within West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries. 3) Revisit a subset of previously surveyed sites to document if changes in DCSC have occurred over time. 4) Collect information to validate BOEM supported cross-shelf habitat suitability models for DSCS. 5) Collect samples to help in identifying (and understanding) West Coast DSCS and expand use of new technologies (ROV, AUV, and environmental DNA [eDNA]). 6) Collect water samples for coastwide eDNA, nutrient, and carbon chemistry studies.

California, Oregon↗
USGS2005

Geology and insolation-driven climatic history of Amazonian north polar materials on Mars

Mariner 9 and Viking spacecraft images revealed that the polar regions of Mars, like those of Earth, record the planet's climate history. However, fundamental uncertainties regarding the materials, features, ages and processes constituting the geologic record remained. Recently acquired Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data and Mars Orbiter Camera high-resolution images from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft and moderately high-resolution Thermal Emission Imaging System visible images from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft permit more comprehensive geologic and climatic analyses. Here I map and show the history of geologic materials and features in the north polar region that span the Amazonian period (???3.0 Gyr ago to present). Erosion and redeposition of putative circumpolar mud volcano deposits (formed by eruption of liquefied, fine-grained material) led to the formation of an Early Amazonian polar plateau consisting of dark layered materials. Crater ejecta superposed on pedestals indicate that a thin mantle was present during most of the Amazonian, suggesting generally higher obliquity and insolation conditions at the poles than at present. Brighter polar layered deposits rest unconformably on the dark layers and formed mainly during lower obliquity over the past 4-5 Myr (ref. 20). Finally, the uppermost layers post-date the latest downtrend in obliquity <20,000 years ago. ?? 2005 Nature Publishing Group.

Nature↗
USGS2007

Archival policies and collections database for the Woods Hole Science Center's marine sediment samples

The Woods Hole Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been an active member of the Woods Hole research community, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, for over 40 years. In that time there have been many projects that involved the collection of sediment samples conducted by USGS scientists and technicians for the research and study of seabed environments and processes. These samples were collected at sea or near shore and then brought back to the Woods Hole Science Center (WHSC) for analysis. While at the center, samples are stored in ambient temperature, refrigerated and freezing conditions ranging from +2º Celsius to -18º Celsius, depending on the best mode of preparation for the study being conducted or the duration of storage planned for the samples. Recently, storage methods and available storage space have become a major concern at the WHSC. The core and sediment archive program described herein has been initiated to set standards for the management, methods, and duration of sample storage. A need has arisen to maintain organizational consistency and define storage protocol. This handbook serves as a reference and guide to all parties interested in using and accessing the WHSC's sample archive and also defines all the steps necessary to construct and maintain an organized collection of geological samples. It answers many questions as to the way in which the archive functions.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2007

The Marine Realms Information Bank family of digital libraries: access to free online information for coastal and marine science

Searching the World Wide Web for reliable information about specific topics or locations can be frustrating: too many hits, too little relevance. A well-designed digital library, offering a carefully selected collection of online resources, is an attractive alternative to web search engines. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides three digital libraries for coastal and marine science to serve the needs of a diverse audience--scientists, public servants, educators, and the public.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1998

Cruise report for a seismic investigation of gas hydrates in the Mississippi Canyon region, northern Gulf of Mexico: Cruise M1-98-GM

During June 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Mississippi Marine Minerals Technology Center (MMTC) conducted a 12-day cruise in the Mississippi Canyon region of the Gulf of Mexico (Fig. 1). The R/V Tommy Munro, owned by the Marine Research Institute of the University of Southern Mississippi, was chartered for the cruise. The general objective was to acquire very high resolution seismic-reflection data across of the upper and middle continental slope (200-1200-m water depths) to study the acoustic character, distribution and potential effects of gas hydrates within the shallow subsurface, extending from the sea floor down to the base of the gas-hydrate stability zone. The Gulf of Mexico is well known for hydrocarbon resources that include petroleum and related gases. Areas of the Gulf that lie in waters deeper than about 250 m potentially have conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, near-surface gas content, etc.) that are right for the shallow-subsurface formation of the ice-like substance (gas and water) known as gas hydrate (Kvenvolden, 1993). Gas hydrates have previously been sampled in sea-floor cores and observed as massive mounds in several parts of the northern Gulf, including the Mississippi Canyon region (e.g., Anderson et al., 1992). Extensive seismic data have been recorded in the Gulf, in support of commercial drilling efforts, but few very high resolution data exist in the public domain to aid in gas-hydrate studies. Studies of long-term interest include those on the resource potential of gas hydrates, the geologic hazards associated with dissociation and formation of hydrates, and the impact, if any, of gas-hydrate dissociation on atmospheric warming (i.e., via release of methane, a "greenhouse" gas). Several very high resolution seismic systems (surface-towed, deep-towed, and sea-floor) were used during the cruise to test the feasibility of using such data for detailed structural (geometric) and stratigraphic (physical property) analyses based on the acoustic data. The cruise was conducted in two regions, on opposite flanks of the Mississippi Canyon, where gas hydrates are known and suspected from prior coring and seismic operations (e.g., Neurauter and Bryant, 1989). The regions are also characterized by thick surficial, relatively young (Pleistocene and younger) sediments. Swath-bathymetry data (Fig. 2) show extensive sea-floor faults, piercement features, and slumps—features whose development could potentially be related to gas hydrates. The specific objectives of the cruise were (a) to image the gas-hydrate stability zone across the continental margin to document bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) and changes in geometry of the hydrate stability zone; (b) to image known hydrate features (with several seismic systems) to estimate physical properties for hydrate and non-hydrate areas; (c) to outline the shallow structures of the hydrate stability zone to ascertain their potential effects on the formation/distribution of hydrates and on stability of the sea floor; and (d) to estimate, if possible, the amounts of hydrates present in the shallow sub surface. During the cruise about 850 km of multichannel and single-channel seismic data were recorded. Seismic measurements at nine ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) stations were recorded for several of the multichannel tracklines (see Fig. 3 in report). The following report describes the field operations and equipment systems employed, gives two examples of ship-board seismic records, and outlines a few preliminary results.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1978

Distribution and relations of 4- to 10-km-diameter craters to global geologic units of Mars

By correlating the 1:25,000,000 geologic map of Mars of Scott and Carr (1977) with 4- to 10-km-diameter crater density data from Mariner 9 images, the average crater density for 23 of the equatorial geologic-geomorphic units on Mars was computed. The correlation of these two data sets was accomplished by digitizing both the crater density data and geologic map at the same scale and by comparing them in a computer. This technique assigns the crater density value found in the corresponding location on the geologic data set to a discrete computer file assigned each of the 23 geologic units. By averaging the crater density values accumulated in each file, an “average” crater density for each geologic unit was obtained. Condit believes these average crater density values are accurate indicators of the relative age of the geologic units considered. The statistical validity of these average values is strongest for the geologic units of the largest areal extent. The relative ages as obtained from the average crater density values for the seven largest geologic units, from youngest to oldest, are: Tharsis volcanic material, 21 ± 4 craters/10 6 km 2 ; smooth plains material, 57 ± 14 craters/10 6 km 2 ; rolling plains material, 66 ± 16 craters/10 6 km 2 ; plains materials, 80 ± 17 craters/10 6 km 2 ; ridged plains material, 128 ± 25 craters/10 6 km 2 ; hilly and cratered material, 137 ± 38 craters/10 6 km 2 ; and cratered plateau material, 138 ± 27 craters/10 6 km 2 .

Icarus↗
USGS2009

Mississippi River delta plain, Louisiana coast, and inner shelf Holocene geologic framework, processes, and resources

Extending nearly 400 km from Sabine Pass on the Texas-Louisiana border east to the Chandeleur Islands, the Louisiana coastal zone (Fig. 11.1) along the north-central Gulf of Mexico is the southern terminus of the largest drainage basin in North America (>3.3 million km2), which includes the Mississippi River delta plain where approximately 6.2 million kilograms per year of sediment is delivered to the Gulf of Mexico (Coleman 1988). The Mississippi River, active since at least Late Jurassic time (Mann and Thomas 1968), is the main distributary channel of this drainage system and during the Holocene has constructed one of the largest delta plains in the world, larger than 30,000 km2 (Coleman and Prior 1980; Coleman 1981; Coleman et al. 1998). The subsurface geology and geomorphology of the Louisiana coastal zone reffects a complex history of regional tectonic events and fluvial, deltaic, and marine sedimentary processes affected by large sea-level fluctuations. Despite the complex geology of the north-central Gulf basin, a long history of engineering studies and Scientific research investigations (see table 11.1) has led to substantial knowledge of the geologic framework and evolution of the delta plain region (see also Bird et al., chapter 1 in this volume). Mississippi River delta plain, Louisiana coast, and inner shelf Holocene geologic framework, processes, and resources . Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262802561_Mississippi_River_delta_plain_Louisiana_coast_and_inner_shelf_Holocene_geologic_framework_processes_and_resources [accessed Sep 13, 2017].

Louisiana, Mississippi↗
USGS1994

Geologic map of the MTM-15147 quadrangle, Mangala Valles region of Mars

The map area is in the Mangala - M e mnonia region (fig. 1), which contains remarkably diverse geologic features and terrain types. Studies of the Mariner 9 images revealed the wide range of ages of the major rock units in this region ; age assignments wer e based on the density of impact craters preserved on the various surfaces ( Mutch and others, 1976, p. 56-60; Scott and Carr , 1978; Mut c h and Morris, 1979). The region includes ancient cratered highlands, more sparsely cratered smooth plains, young volcanic plains, and the Mangala Valles channel system. The sinuosity of the streamlined l an dforms within the Man g ala Valles, combined with braided channels evident throughout the lower reaches of the valley system, were recognized as indicators that he Mangala area was subject to substantial erosion by a flowing fluid, most likely water (Milton, 1973; Baker and Milton, 1974; Sharp and Malin , 1975). Recent global mapping based on the Viking Orbiter images (Scott and Tanaka , 1986 ) has refined the relative ages of many rock units on Mars, but it has modified only slightl y the basic interpretations of features in the Mangala- Memnonia region.

IMAP↗
USGS1995

Map of Mars showing channels and possible paleolake basins

The significance of water in the geologic evolution of Mars was strikingly revealed by Mariner and Viking spacecraft images. Theoretical and conceptual models of the Martian climate through time range from a brief, early, warm, and wet period followed by protracted desertification to episodic oceans that inundated the northern lowland plains and produced temperate climatic regimes.

IMAP↗
USGS1977

Map showing free-air gravity anomalies in the southern Beaufort Sea

Free-air gravity anomaly data used in this compilation were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey; the University of Connecticut Institute of Marine Sciences; and the Earth Physics Branch, Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources, Canada. Bathymetric contours are based primarily upon water-depth data (uncorrected) collected together with the gravity data. Water depths were reported every half hour (approximately every 5.5 km) along USGS tracklines and interpolated to 10 minute intervals. Where no new bathymetric data were available, depth contours were taken from U.S. Hydrographic Office charts 6782 and 6785. Geographic features were taken from the same charts.

Alaska↗
USGS2001

Continental shelf GIS for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

A marine sanctuary is an environment where the interests of science and society meet. Sanctuary managers need access to the best scientific data available that describe the environment and environmental processes in sanctuaries. Seafloor mapping and sampling in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary have revealed new details about the geology, morphology, and active geologic processes of this region. Data from sidescan sonar, multibeam sonar bathymetry, physical samples, and instrument moorings, are consolidated with new and existing maps in a geographic information system (GIS). The GIS provides researchers and policymakers a view of the relationship among data sets to assist science studies and to help with economic and social policy-making decisions regarding this protected environment.

California↗