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At least 1,027 records · Page 57Linked to original sources
USGS2009

The Mono Arch, eastern Sierra region, California: Dynamic topography associated with upper-mantle upwelling?

A broad, topographic flexure localized east of and over the central and southern Sierra Nevada, herein named the Mono Arch, apparently represents crustal response to lithospheric and/or upper-mantle processes, probably dominated by mantle upwelling within the continental interior associated Pacific-North American plate-boundary deformation. This zone of flexure is identified through comparison between the topographic characteristics of the active Cascade volcanic arc and backarc regions with the analogous former arc and backarc in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Sierra Nevada. Serial topographic profiles measured normal to the modern Cascade backarc reveal an accordance of topographic lows defined by valley floors with an average minimum elevation of ???1400-1500m for over 175km to the southeast. Although the accordance drops in elevation slightly to the south, the modern Cascade backarc region is remarkably level, and is characterized by relief up to ???750m above this baseline elevation. By contrast, serial topographic profiles over the former arc and backarc transitions of the eastern Sierra region exhibit a regional anticlinal warping defined by accordant valley floors and by a late Miocene-early Pliocene erosion surface and associated deposits. The amplitude of this flexure above regionally flat baseline elevations to the east varies spatially along the length of the former Sierran arc, with a maximum of ???1000m centred over the Bridgeport Basin. The total zone of flexure is approximately 350km long N-S and 100km wide E-W, and extends from Indian Wells Valley in the south to the Sonora Pass region in the north. Previous geophysical, petrologic, and geodetic studies suggest that the Mono Arch overlies a zone of active mantle upwelling. This region also represents a zone crustal weakness formerly exploited by the middle-to-late Miocene arc and is presently the locus of seismic and volcanic activities. This seismic zone, which lies east of the Sierra Nevada block, includes the northern and central Walker Lane in Nevada and the eastern California shear zone to the south in California. Vertical patterns of surface deformation over this region are characterized by west tilting of the Sierra Nevada block and by block faulting of a late Miocene erosion surface east of the Sierra Nevada.

International Geology Review↗
USGS2025

Submarine canyon sediment transport and accumulation during sea level highstand: Interactive seasonal regimes in the head of Astoria Canyon, WA

The majority of submarine canyons on Earth today do not directly intersect littoral or fluvial sediment sources, yet these systems are rarely studied. The shelf-incised head of Astoria Canyon receives sediment from the nearby Columbia River and is subject to energetic forcing from shelf and slope processes, making it an ideal site to evaluate the modern activity of canyons in high-stand sea level conditions. This study uses in-situ data from Astoria Canyon to identify the active sediment transport processes and patterns of accumulation in temperate canyon systems that are decoupled from their sediment sources during sea level highstand. Hydrodynamic data from a benthic tripod deployment in the head of Astoria Canyon shows that sediment resuspension and transport during summer is driven by internal tides and plume-associated nonlinear internal waves. Observations of shoreward-directed currents and low shear stresses (<0.14 Pa) along with sediment trap data suggest that seasonal loading of the canyon head occurs during summer. Nearby long-term wave data show that winter storm significant wave height often exceeds 10 m, driving shear stress capable of resuspending all grain sizes present within the canyon head. Swell events are generally concurrent with downwelling flows, providing a mechanism for episodic downcanyon sediment flux. Century-scale accumulation rates evaluated from sediment cores show slow accumulation in the upper canyon head, but rates progressively increase with depth to at least 300 m. The depositional environment in Astoria Canyon continues to respond to fluvial and oceanic forcing over an annual cycle. This study indicates that canyon heads can continue to function as sites of sediment winnowing and bottom boundary layer export even with a detached, shelf-depth canyon head.

Washington↗
USGS2009

Simulations of cataclysmic outburst floods from Pleistocene Glacial Lake Missoula

Using a flow domain that we constructed from 30 m digital-elevation model data of western United States and Canada and a two-dimensional numerical model for shallow-water flow over rugged terrain, we simulated outburst floods from Pleistocene Glacial Lake Missoula. We modeled a large, but not the largest, flood, using initial lake elevation at 1250 m instead of 1285 m. Rupture of the ice dam, centered on modern Lake Pend Oreille, catastrophically floods eastern Washington and rapidly fills the broad Pasco, Yakima, and Umatilla Basins. Maximum flood stage is reached in Pasco and Yakima Basins 38 h after the dam break, whereas maximum flood stage in Umatilla Basin occurs 17 h later. Drainage of these basins through narrow Columbia gorge takes an additional 445 h. For this modeled flood, peak discharges in eastern Washington range from 10 to 20 × 10 6 m 3 /s. However, constrictions in Columbia gorge limit peak discharges to <6 × 10 6 m 3 /s and greatly extend the duration of flooding. We compare these model results with field observations of scabland distribution and high-water indicators. Our model predictions of the locations of maximum scour (product of bed shear stress and average flow velocity) match the distribution of existing scablands. We compare model peak stages to high-water indicators from the Rathdrum-Spokane valley, Walulla Gap, and along Columbia gorge. Though peak stages from this less-than-maximal flood model attain or exceed peak-stage indicators along Rathdrum-Spokane valley and along Columbia gorge, simulated peak stages near Walulla Gap are 10–40 m below observed peak-stage indicators. Despite this discrepancy, our match to field observations in most of the region indicates that additional sources of water other than Glacial Lake Missoula are not required to explain the Missoula floods.

Montana↗
USGS2007

Subaqueous geology and a filling model for Crater Lake, Oregon

Results of a detailed bathymetric survey of Crater Lake conducted in 2000, combined with previous results of submersible and dredge sampling, form the basis for a geologic map of the lake floor and a model for the filling of Crater Lake with water. The most prominent landforms beneath the surface of Crater Lake are andesite volcanoes that were active as the lake was filling with water, following caldera collapse during the climactic eruption of Mount Mazama 7700 cal. yr B.P. The Wizard Island volcano is the largest and probably was active longest, ceasing eruptions when the lake was 80 m lower than present. East of Wizard Island is the central platform volcano and related lava flow fields on the caldera floor. Merriam Cone is a symmetrical andesitic volcano that apparently was constructed subaqueously during the same period as the Wizard Island and central platform volcanoes. The youngest postcaldera volcanic feature is a small rhyodacite dome on the east flank of the Wizard Island edifice that dates from 4800 cal. yr B.P. The bathymetry also yields information on bedrock outcrops and talus/debris slopes of the caldera walls. Gravity flows transport sediment from wall sources to the deep basins of the lake. Several debris-avalanche deposits, containing blocks up to 280 m long, are present on the caldera floor and occur below major embayments in the caldera walls. Geothermal phenomena on the lake floor are bacterial mats, pools of solute-rich warm water, and fossil subaqueous hot spring deposits. Lake level is maintained by a balance between precipitation and inflow versus evaporation and leakage. High-resolution bathymetry reveals a series of up to nine drowned beaches in the upper 30 m of the lake that we propose reflect stillstands subsequent to filling of Crater Lake. A prominent wave-cut platform between 4 m depth and present lake level that commonly is up to 40 m wide suggests that the surface of Crater Lake has been at this elevation for a very long time. Lake level apparently is limited by leakage through a permeable layer in the northeast caldera wall. The deepest drowned beach approximately corresponds to the base of the permeable layer. Among a group of lake filling models, our preferred one is constrained by the drowned beaches, the permeable layer in the caldera wall, and paleoclimatic data. We used a precipitation rate 70% of modern as a limiting case. Satisfactory models require leakage to be proportional to elevation and the best fit model has a linear combination of 45% leakage proportional to elevation and 55% of leakage proportional to elevation above the base of the permeable layer. At modern precipitation rates, the lake would have taken 420 yr to fill, or a maximum of 740 yr if precipitation was 70% of the modern value. The filling model provides a chronology for prehistoric passage zones on postcaldera volcanoes that ceased erupting before the lake was filled.

Hydrobiologia↗
USGS1984

Geologic evolution, sedimentation, and paleoenvironments of the Angola Basin and adjacent Walvis Ridge: Synthesis of results of Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 75

The section recovered at Site 530 (Holes 53OA and 530B) consists of eight sedimentary units and one basalt unit. The composition of the basalt recovered in Hole 53OA is distinct from typical mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) but is similar to that of Hawaiian tholeiites and basalt from the central part of Walvis Ridge. Throughout most of its history, the southern Angola Basin received large volumes of redeposited material in the form of turbidites and, most recently, debris-flow deposits. Most of this material was derived from Walvis Ridge to the south, but thickness trends of acoustic units suggest that some of the sediment was derived from the African continental margin to the east. The basal sedimentary unit (Albian to Santonian) at Site 530 contains 262 beds of black shale that are interbedded with green and red claystone. Black shale makes up less than 10% of the total section, but in two cores of early Turonian age, black shale beds compose about 50% of the section. The black shales contain up to 19% organic carbon (average of about 5%) that is mainly of autochthonous marine origin but with significant contributions from terrigenous organic matter. The origin of these more- and less-reduced interbedded lithologies with varying amounts and types of organic matter, and variable amounts of pelagic, hemipelagic, and turbiditic sediment is complex and cannot be explained by any one simple process. Many factors affecting the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters of the Angola Basin varied throughout the middle Cretaceous to produce bottom-water conditions that fluctuated between mildly oxic and oxygen-deficient, but most of the time bottom-waters and sediment-interstitial waters were sufficiently oxic to permit the accumulation of red oxidized sediment. A relatively complete sedimentary record of the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary was recovered within a sequence of mudstone and marlstone turbidites in Hole 530A. There is a significant increase in the concentration of iridium above background levels at the boundary. High concentrations of many other elements also occur within the same stratigraphic interval as the iridium anomaly. Furthermore, there is a marked decrease in CaCO3 in the Tertiary strata above the iridium anomaly which suggests that the production of shallow-water carbonate also may have been affected by whatever caused elevated concentrations of iridium and other elements. These observations are consistent with the asteroid-impact theory proposed to explain the worldwide occurrence of an iridium anomaly at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. The Cenozoic history of the Angola Basin was controlled mainly by (1) restriction of bottom-water flow from the south by Walvis Ridge; (2) development of glaciation on Antarctica; (3) opening of circulation passages in the southern oceans; (4) rapid turnover of cold, nutrient-rich waters that resulted in high productivity of diatoms; (5) influx of terrigenous sediment mainly by turbidity currents; and (6) production and preservation of carbonate sediment. The most distinctive Cenozoic event recorded in the section at Site 530 is the beginning of extensive glaciation on Anarctica and concomitant initiation of modern thermohaline bottom-water circulation that is manifested as a middle Eocene to middle Oligocene unconformity or compressed section accompanied by a drastic decrease in accumulation of CaCO3. Diatom abundances in HPC cores from Walvis Ridge (Site 532) and Angola Basin (Hole 53OB) indicate that Benguela upwelling in these areas began in the late Miocene, reached a peak in the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene, and declined thereafter. Short-term variations in sediment composition at Site 532 are manifested as cyclic variations in concentrations of clay, CaCO3, and organic carbon with average periodicities of about 30-60 k.y. The main variability that produced the cycles probably was the influx of terrigenous clastic material which diluted the CaCO3. The sediment at Site 532 also contains several percent organic carbon that is dominantly of marine origin, but with significant terrigenous components. Data from multichannel seismic, gravity, and magnetic surveys were used to define the regional stratigraphic and structural evolution of Walvis Ridge and adjacent Cape and Angola basins. Six structural provinces are recognized, four on Walvis Ridge and two additional provinces that correspond to the Cape and Angola basins. The two eastern structural provinces on Walvis Ridge are underlain by continental crust. The two western structural provinces are underlain by oceanic basement. Two main directions of faults are evident in seismic profiles, one trending N 10° and one trending N 60°. The N 60° trend corresponds to the general orientation of the northern and southern flanks of Walvis Ridge as well as to the dominant direction of fracture zones. During the first phase of separation of Africa from South America (ca. 120-130 m.y. ago), a voluminous mass of volcanics was emplaced simultaneous with the emplacement of basalt in the Parana Basin of Brazil and the Kaokoveld Region of South Africa. This period of volcanism also formed the series of seaward-dipping internal basement reflectors that are characteristic of the two structural provinces of Walvis Ridge. A system of fault blocks developed in the brittle upper part of the newly formed crust. During the second phase of rifting, which ended before late Aptian, more tilted fault blocks were created in the upper brittle stratified continental crust. Magnetic lineations in basement rocks in the Angola and Cape basins in the vicinity of Walvis Ridge are not distinct but suggest that oceanic crust began to be emplaced between 120 and 112 m.y. ago (Barremian to early Aptian). At least part of the oceanic crust of the central plateau of eastern Walvis Ridge (structural province 3) may have been emplaced before any oceanic crust formed in the adjacent basins. A ridge jump occurred during the late Aptian to early Albian in the southern part of the Angola Basin which translated the previously formed oceanic crust and its overlying evaporite deposits on the South American side. Several ridge jumps occurred on both sides of Walvis Ridge during the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary to produce a 500-km-long segment of mid-ocean ridge.

Initial Reports of the D.S.D.P.↗
USGS1997

Characterization of springflow in the north coast limestone of Puerto Rico using physical, chemical, and stable isotopic methods

The carbonate sequence of middle Tertiary age of the north coast of Puerto Rico is characterized by the presence of numerous springs in the coastal areas. In order to advance the understanding of the hydrologic role of the springs in the north coast limestone aquifer system of Puerto Rico, a 4-year study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority. As part of this study, data were collected on the chemical, physical, bacteriological, oxygen-18, and deuterium composition of water from springs in the Dorado to Rincon area, in northwestern Puerto Rico. A group of springs in the Dorado to Arecibo area was selected for more detailed monitoring. Oxygen-18 and deuterium composition was also determined for water wells and monthly rainfall composites at a series of sites in the study area. Springs are associated with all the carbonate units of the middle Tertiary sequence of the northern karst belt of Puerto Rico, except the Camuy and San Sebastian Formations. These springs mostly drain the unconfined parts of the upper and lower aquifers in the north coast limestone aquifer system. There are no first and second order springs in the north coast limestone and of those present fifth and sixth order springs are the most numerous type. Springflow at the springs measured during the study ranged from less than 0.1 to 61 cubic feet per second. Springs in the north coast limestone can also be classified by their response to rainfall. There is little or no short-term response to rainfall at springs such as Ojo de Agua in Vega Baja, Mameyes in Manati, and Mackovic in Vega Alta. These springs are known as diffuse-type springs. Other springs such as Maguayo in Dorado, Ojo de Guillo in Manati, and San Pedro in Arecibo exhibit a strong short-term response to rainfall and are known as conduit-type springs. Spring water temperature, during the study, ranged from 22.5 to 28 °C and resembled air temperature. Specific conductance ranged from 289 to about 4,000 microsiemens per centimeter, and pH ranged from 6.9 to 7.8. Calcium, sodium, bicarbonate, and chloride are the main ionic species in water from the springs sampled during the study. The main water type is calcium-bicarbonate and secondary water types are calcium-bicarbonate chloride and sodium-bicarbonate-chloride. A seasonal and short-term transient relation exists, particularly in conduit-type springs, between springflow, physical properties, and water quality. Temporal and spatial variations in the oxygen-18 and deuterium composition of modern precipitation are significantly larger than those of springs and ground water in the study area. Regional flow in the upper aquifer appears to attenuate or average the variations in isotopic composition of rainfall. There is, however, a regional gradient in the deuterium composition of water from the upper aquifer in the north coast limestone, with isotopically heavier water occurring further north. It was possible to determine the source of water contributing to springs at some sites with more detailed data collection and analysis. A drainage basin of about 10 square kilometers was delineated for the Ojo de Agua spring in Vega Baja, for a base flow of 2 cubic feet per second and an estimated subregional recharge rate of around 20 inches per year. A delineation of drainage basins for conduit-type springs in the study area such as San Pedro, Ojo de Guillo, Maguayo, and others is very difficult because the boundaries of these systems are highly responsive to changing hydraulic conditions such as rapid and short-term variations in the hydraulic head distribution as a consequence of rainfall. However, a preliminary drainage basin of about 6 square kilometers was delineated for the San Pedro spring for a base flow of 2 cubic feet per second and an estimated subregional annual recharge of 12 inches.

Puerto Rico↗
USGS2009

The glacial/deglacial history of sedimentation in Bear Lake, Utah and Idaho

Bear Lake, in northeastern Utah and southern Idaho, lies in a large valley formed by an active half-graben. Bear River, the largest river in the Great Basin, enters Bear Lake Valley ???15 km north of the lake. Two 4-m-long cores provide a lake sediment record extending back ???26 cal k.y. The penetrated section can be divided into a lower unit composed of quartz-rich clastic sediments and an upper unit composed largely of endogenic carbonate. Data from modern fluvial sediments provide the basis for interpreting changes in provenance of detrital material in the lake cores. Sediments from small streams draining elevated topography on the east and west sides of the lake are characterized by abundant dolomite, high magnetic susceptibility (MS) related to eolian magnetite, and low values of hard isothermal remanent magnetization (HIRM, indicative of hematite content). In contrast, sediments from the headwaters of the Bear River in the Uinta Mountains lack carbonate and have high HIRM and low MS. Sediments from lower reaches of the Bear River contain calcite but little dolomite and have low values of MS and HIRM. These contrasts in catchment properties allow interpretation of the following sequence from variations in properties of the lake sediment: (1) ca. 26 cal ka-onset of glaciation; (2) ca. 26-20 cal ka-quasicyclical, millennial-scale variations in the concentrations of hematite-rich glacial fl our derived from the Uinta Mountains, and dolomite- and magnetite-rich material derived from the local Bear Lake catchment (reflecting variations in glacial extent); (3) ca. 20-19 cal ka-maximum content of glacial fl our; (4) ca. 19-17 cal ka-constant content of Bear River sediment but declining content of glacial fl our from the Uinta Mountains; (5) ca. 17-15.5 cal ka-decline in Bear River sediment and increase in content of sediment from the local catchment; and (6) ca. 15.5-14.5 cal ka-increase in content of endogenic calcite at the expense of detrital material. The onset of glaciation indicated in the Bear Lake record postdates the initial rise of Lake Bonneville and roughly corresponds to the Stansbury shoreline. The lake record indicates that maximum glaciation occurred as Lake Bonneville reached its maximum extent ca. 20 cal ka and that deglaciation was under way while Lake Bonneville remained at its peak. The transition from siliciclastic to carbonate sedimentation probably indicates increasingly evaporative conditions and may coincide with the climatically driven fall of Lake Bonneville from the Provo shoreline. Although lake levels fluctuated during the Younger Dryas, the Bear Lake record for this period is more consistent with drier conditions, rather than cooler, moister conditions interpreted from many studies from western North America. Copyright ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

Special Paper of the Geological Society of America↗
USGS2021

Complex sedimentary processes in large coastal embayments and their potential for coastal morphological and paleo tropical cyclone studies: A case study from Choctawhatchee Bay Western Florida, U.S.A

Storminess and sea-level can both have a significant impact on landforms in cyclone-prone coastal regions, although much of our understanding comes from short-timescale modern observations. This study aims to understand the variability of sediment transport and deposition in the Choctawhatchee Bay/Santa Rosa Island in the northern Gulf of Mexico, establishing the dominant sediment transport processes and morphological response of the barrier system to long-term variations in storminess and rising sea-levels. Here, we study the spatial and temporal changes in physicochemical properties of the sedimentary record of Choctawhatchee Bay to examine the character and fidelity of records of storm impacts spanning the Holocene. Proxies for marine and terrestrial conditions in the cores situated closer to the present barrier (proximal) show that sedimentation in coastal areas and marine influence of the bay during the last ~8000 yrs. were mainly determined by barrier response to the Holocene transgression and changes in storminess. In contrast, sedimentation close to the landward shore was governed by terrigenous input. The correlation of grain size and terrigenous proxies with regional hurricane records indicates that hinterland erosion by the rainfall during hurricane events is likely the dominant terrigenous sediment transport mechanism in areas close to the landward shore of the bay. These results suggest that sediment archives in large coastal deposition environments are equally suitable for sea level and cyclone modulated coastal morphological studies and paleo tropical cyclone studies, depending on the location, selected with an understanding of sedimentation processes in the vicinity.

Florida↗
USGS1976

Sedimentary depositional environments of uranium and petroleum host rocks of the Jackson Group, south Texas

Determination of depositional environments in rocks of the Jackson Group of late Eocene age aids in the exploration for uranium and petroleum in south Texas. During deposition of the Jackson Group, conditions were similar to those existing along the modern Gulf Coast of Texas except for a less arid climate and a greater supply of volcanic sediment. Sedimentary depositional environments recognized in both the modern coast and the Jackson rocks, in order from sea toward land, are: shoreface, beach, lagoon and bay, and paludal. Sediment deposited in these environments in places is interbedded with or transected by fluvial sediment. Both uranium and petroleum are found in the shoreface, beach, and fluvial facies. These facies are characterized by permeable well-sorted sandstone, which is commonly overlain and underlain by less permeable mudstone. A typical vertical sequence in ascending order through a unit containing a beach sandstone facies is (1) lagoonal or paludal clay stone and siltstone, (2) crossbedded fine-grained beach sandstone which contains Ophiomorpha burrows and, which, in places, is locally interbedded with lacustrine or lagoonal mudstone, (3) weakly laminated beach sandstone which contains root impressions at the top and Ophiomorpha , and (4) lagoonal or paludal claystone and siltstone. Gulfward, the beach sandstone apparently grades into highly burrowed, generally finer grained, more poorly sorted, less porous shoreface rocks. The beach facies may include barrier island beaches and mainland beaches, some of which were probably cheniers. Beach facies sandstone units extend many miles along the depositional strike, which nearly parallels the present outcrop strike, but extend only a mile or two (2-3 km) normal to the depositional strike into the subsurface. Recognition of the various facies in outcrops and drill holes is necessary for determination of true stratigraphic relations and for aid in exploration for beach and fluvial sandstone favorable for uranium and petroleum accumulations.

Texas↗
USGS2002

Accumulation rate and mixing of shelf sediments in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The distribution of excess 210Pb in 31 sediment cores was used to determine modern (last 100 yr) mass accumulation rates and the depth of sediment mixing on the continental shelf between Pacifica and Monterey, California, USA. Apparent mass accumulation rates average 0.27 g cm-2 yr-1 and range from 0.42 g cm-2 yr-1 to 0.12 g cm-2 yr-1. Accumulation rates were highest at mid-shelf water depths (60-100 m) adjacent to major rivers and near the head of the Ascension submarine canyon. Cores from water depths of less than 65 m had low, uniform 210Pb activity profiles and sandy textures. The uppermost 5-13 cm of 15 cores had uniform 210Pb activity profiles above a region of steadily decreasing 210Pb activity. This phenomenon was attributed to sediment mixing. The thickness of this upper layer of uniform 210Pb activity decreased southward from 13 cm, west of Pacifica, to less than 5 cm, near Monterey Canyon. This southward decrease may be attributed to shallower bioturbation in the southern study area. Integrated excess 210Pb activities were generally higher where sedimentation rates were high. They were also higher with increasing distance from major rivers. Thus, sedimentation rate alone does not explain the distribution of integrated excess 210Pb in this study area. Excess 210Pb in the seafloor is controlled by other factors such as sediment texture, the atmospheric deposition rate of 210Pb, and the residence time of sediment particles in the water column. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Marine Geology↗
USGS1979

Investigations needed to stimulate the development of Jordan's mineral resources

The level of living that any society can attain is a direct function of the use it makes of all kinds of raw materials (soil, water, metals, nonmetals, etc.), all kinds of energy (both animate and inanimate), and all kinds of human ingenuity; and is an inverse function of the size of the population that must share the collective product. The relation between raw materials, energy and ingenuity is such that use of a large amount of one may offset the need for large amounts of others. The most vital raw materials are water, soil, and construction materials, for these are needed in large quantities and are hard to import. Metals, chemicals, and inanimate energy are necessary for industrialization. The more of these minerals a nation possess, the better, but not nation can hope to be self-sufficient in all of the m and therefore must trade for some essential materials. Jordan’s natural resources have been little explored. The grantitc-metamorphic terrane in the southeastern part of the Kingdom could contain deposits of tungsten, rare earths, feldspar, mica, fluorite etc. and the sedimentary terrane over much of the rest of the county is favorable for the occurrence of oil. Even if none of these minerals is found, however, Jordan’s other mineral resource, if fully explored and developed in the light of modern technology, will support a far higher level of living than her people now enjoy. Very likely she can increase her rainfall by about 10 percent by cloud seeding, and she undeveloped supplies in both surface and ground water that are sufficient to nearly double her usable water supply. Even if she does not have oil or have it in large quantities, she can buy it cheaply from neighboring counties, and in addition has undeveloped sources of hydroelectric power, large reserves of bituminous limestone, large reserves of nuclear power as uranium in phosphate rock, and can use solar and wind power for special purposes. Her large supplies of construction, fertilizer, and other chemical raw materials will not only satisfy her own needs, but will yield both raw materials and some manufactured products for export. And she has valuable resource of touristic interest in the form of incomparable scenery, antiquities, and holy places, which, if properly advertised, could well become her largest single source of foreign currency. Revenues obtained from this source and from the export of agricultural products, nonmetallic minerals, and mineral products should support foreign oil purchase of oil, machinery, and other products not mined or produced internally. Full development of Jordan’s economic potential will take years to achieve and involves many complex activities. One of the most essential is one that can be pressed in the early years, namely the gathering of facts and basic data concerning the character, extent, and distribution of her resources, and the uses that can be made of them. Without each fundamental data or the understanding of their meaning or the ways to use and apply them, costly developmental projects and similar efforts to raise the level of living are likely to have limited success at best. Basic data and mineral resources are best gathered and published by permanent government agencies, for private organizations and individual cannot afford to take the risks involved in gathering data that may not have an immediate economic return; and even if private parties do collect such data they are not likely to make them general available. Of the activities needed in the field of mineral resources, some are already underway as the established function of government agencies. No bureau however, seems to have responsibility for making geologic maps and for gathering data on such things as steam flow, composition and properties of minerals and rocks, or for investigating the uses to which Jordan’s minerals might be put. To satisfy these needs, a Geological Survey and a Bureau of Mineral Industries should be formed and placed in operation as quickly as possible. The task of collecting and interpreting basic data or mineral resources must be done largely by Jordanians, for only in this way will Jordan acquire the technical competence needed to use the information. Few Jordanians have enough training or experience to work independently in these fields now, however, so help from outside technicians would be necessary over an initial training period of several years. But the number of outside technicians should never exceed the number of Jordanian technicians, and for this reason, neither organization could have a staff of more than a few people during the early years of operation.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1950

Geology and paleontology of the Santa Maria district, California

Stratigraphy, paleontology, and geologic history.-A basement' consisting of igneous rocks of the Jurassic(?) Franciscan formation and sediments of the Upper Jurassic Knoxville formation, and formations of Tertiary and Quaternary age are exposed in the Santa Maria district. The outcrop section, exclusive of the Franciscan, has a maximum thickness of about 10,000 feet, the subsurface section about 27,000 feet. At no locality, however, is either outcrop or subsurface section as thick as the total maxima for the formations. The outcrop Franciscan is made up of altered basalt, gabbro (generally- greatly altered), and minor areas of peridotite and serpentine. The marine Knoxville formation, consisting of shale, thin-bedded calcareous sandstone, and conglomerate, was deposited on the igneous rocks of the Franciscan. It has an outcrop thickness of about 500 feet and a known subsurface thickness of at least 1,250 feet. Aucella cf. A. piochii, which occurs in both outcrop and subsurface sections, suggests late Jurassic age. The Franciscan and Knoxville were probably uplifted during Taliaferro's Diablan orogeny at the close of the Jurassic and formed a land area that presumably endured during early Cretaceous and perhaps during much of late Cretaceous time. If sediments were laid down while 10,000 feet of Upper Cretaceous were deposited in the adjoining San Rafael Mountains, they were eroded following uplift at the close of the Cretaceous, when Reed and Hollister's San Rafael uplift was formed. The district is inferred to have been part of a Franciscan and Knoxville land area at the south border of the San Rafael uplift during all of early Tertiary time. The known history of the district as part of a Tertiary basin began in the early Miocene(?), possibly a little earlier or possibly 3: little later, when the nonmarine sediments of the early Miocene(?) Lospe formation were deposited. The Lospe formation has a maximum thickness of 2, 700 feet, and is made up of coarse-grained reddish sandstone and conglomerate, and greenish sandstone, gypsiferous siltstone, and mudstone. White tuff is a minor but conspicuous constituent. The Lospe formation overlies the Knoxville, or&middot; overlaps it and rests on the Franciscan. The first known Tertiary invasion of the sea took place immediately thereafter in early middle Miocene time, and from then on until approximately the end of the Pliocene the sea occupied continuously at least most of the region. The extent of the Miocene basin is not certainly known, but it was part of an extensive&middot; basin that has been designated the Santa Barbara embayment. The early middle Miocene Point Sal formation is the earliest marine Tertiary formation. It has an outcrop thickness of as much as 1,500 feet and a maximum subsurface thickness of 3,600 feet, and consists of siltstone, mudstone, and thin beds of sandstone. The Point Sal formation overlies the Lospe formation without marked discontinuity, or overlaps it and rests on Knoxville or Franciscan. It contains a large foraminiferal fauna representing the Siphogenerina hughesi zone, or the lower part of Kleinpell's Relizian stage. The Monterey shale overlies the Point Sal formation without noticeable discontinuity, or overlaps all the older sedimentary formations and rests on the Franciscan. It has a maximum outcrop thickness of 2,100 feet, but is as much as 5,000 feet thick in some subsurface sections. The Monterey is divided into three mapped members. The lower member is characterized by phosphatic shale and somewhat porcelaneous shale; the middle member by chert and cherty shale; and the upper member by porcelaneous shale, or by both porcelaneous shale and diatomaceous strata. The lower member contains Foraminifera representing the upper part of Kleinpell's Relizian stage and all of his Luisian stage, the middle member a few species indicating the lower part of his Mohnian stage, and the upper member a fauna representing the upper part of the Bolivina hughesi zone, at the top of the Mohnian, and in part a younger unnamed faunal division; that is, the Monterey is of late middle and late Miocene age. The diverse stratigraphic relations of the Lospe and Point Sal formations and Monterey shale along the borders of the Franciscan rocks forming Point Sal Ridge are inferred to be the result of repeated movements during Miocene time in the area of basement rocks west of the district, presumably extending westward beyond the present coast. Toward the close of the Miocene, low ridges appeared on the floor of the sea, ridges that grew during Pliocene time and were destined to become anticlines. At the same time deformation took place in the northeastern part of the district, and elsewhere on some anticlines, or on other structural highs bounded by faults. In those areas the Sisquoc formation overlies the Monterey shale with marked discordance; elsewhere there is no discordance. Two facies of the Sisquoc formation are mapped: a marginal sandstone facies, designated the Tinaquaic sandstone member, and a basin facies. The Tinaquaic sandstone member is 1,400 feet thick and contains megafossils of middle Pliocene age (also early Pliocene just east of the mapped area). It is unconformable on the Monterey. The basin facies, at least 3,000 feet thick in outcrop sections and 5,000 in some subsurface sections, consists of diatomaceous mudstone, other types of diatomaceous &middot;strata, somewhat porcelaneous mudstone, and porcelaneous shale-deposits that are ordinarily characteristic of the Monterey shale. Even in areas where the two formations are lithologically indistinguishable and conformable, a field basis for differentiating them has been established. The basin facies of the Sisquoc conformably overlies the Monter.ey in outcrop sections, but in some subsurface sections the formations are unconformable, and on the north limb of the Santa Maria Valley syncline the basin facies of the Sisquoc overlaps the Monterey onto the basement, thus forming the overlap trap for the oil in the Monterey in the Santa Maria Valley field. The lower and middle parts of the basin facies contain Foraminifera of the Bolivina obliqua zone. Kleinpell assigned that zone to the lower part of his late upper Miocene Delmontian stage. Assignment to the upper Delmontian, however, appears to be preferable. The upper few hundred feet of the basin facies contain Foraminifera similar to those in the overlying Foxen mudstone and megafossils of middle Pliocene affinities. The basin facies is therefore considered late upper Miocene to middle Pliocene. The submarine ridges were growing during Pilocene time. The Foxen mudstone is missing on them and in the northeastern part of the district. On the north limb of the Santa Maria Valley syncline, the Foxen overlaps the Sisquoc formation and rests on the basement. In the basins between the submarine ridges, the mudstone, siltstone, and fine-grained sandstone of the Foxen (800 feet thick in outcrop sections and as much as 2, 750 in subsurface sections) overlie conformably the Sisquoc formation. In some of the areas where the Foxen is missing as a lithologic unit, it appears to be represented by condensed deposits of phosphatic pellets, mapped with the underlying or overlying Formation, depending on the matrix, or by a condensed section of fine-grained sand, mapped with lithologically indistinguishable sand in the basal part of the overlying formation. Though foraminifera are abundant in the Foxen mudstone, relatively few species are represented. Those from the lower part of the formation may be of middle Pliocene age. Megafossils from the upper part of the Foxen are considered late Pliocene. The formation is therefore assigned to the middle(?) and upper Pliocene. Movements during Pliocene time in the basement area west of Point Sal Ridge are indicated by the occurrence in the western Casmalia Hills of coarse detritus from the Monterey in the upper part of the Sisquoc formation and in the Foxen mudstone. During late Pliocene time, when the Careaga sandstone was deposited, the Pliocene sea had its greatest extent. The region then flooded may be referred to as the Santa Maria basin. Throughout most of the district two mapped members of the Careaga sandstone are differentiated: the Cebada fine-grained member, which has a maximum outcrop thickness of 1,000 feet, and the Graciosa coarse-grained member, 50 to 425 feet thick. Mild deformation continued during the late Pliocene. The Cebada fine-grained member is missing on the embryonic anticlines, where it is overlapped by the Graciosa coarse-grained member. Both members of the Careaga sandstone contain a large megafauna. The nonmarine Paso Robles formation conformably overlies the Careaga sandstone. The Paso Robles consists chiefly of sand and gravel, but clay, marl, and limestone are the most characteristic constituents. The maximum outcrop thickness is 2,000 feet, the estimated maximum subsurface thickness 4,500 feet. The Paso Robles fresh-water fauna is meager, consisting of a few species similar to living forms. The formation is currently assigned to the interval including late Pliocene and early Pleistocene(?). The age assignment late Pliocene(?) and early Pleistocene, however, may be preferable for the Santa Maria district. Then followed the only period of strong general deformation in the known Tertiary and Pleistocene history of the district. The present structural features of the district were formed at that time, and the submarine ridges appeared as fully formed anticlines. Dating of the deformation is uncertain, because of uncertainty concerning the age of the Paso Robles formation. It is, however, without much doubt of the same age as the welldated strong middle Pleistocene deformation in the Ventura basin. Terrace deposits, laid down on both wave-cut and stream-cut platforms, are rather arbitrarily assigned to the late Pleistocene. The oldest and most extensive terrace deposits, not more than 100 feet thick, are designated the Orcutt sand. The Orcutt sand itself is tilted as much as 12&deg; on the limbs of anticlines and is faulted on the north limb of the Graciosa anticline, indicating renewed growth of the anticlines, presumably in late Pleistocene time. Terrace deposits apparently younger than the Orcutt sand are arched in a low anticline west of lower Foxen Canyon. Structure.-Santa Maria Valley is the boundary between two structural provinces. To the north, valleys and hills are either synclines or anticlines. To the south, on the contrary, major valleys coincide generally with major synclines, and the hills are anticlinal. Santa Maria Valley itself is a syncline. Unlike valleys farther south in the district, however, it lies athwart an older uplift. Also unlike most of the valleys farther south, the axis of the syncline is not in the middle of the valley, but is far to the south near the bordering hills. Indeed, in the western Casmalia Hills, the anticline in the bordering hills is overturned and overrides the axis of the syncline. The major structural features of the district have a general west-northwestward trend parallel to the trend of the basin. Minor westward-trending and northward-trending folds and faults, however, extend across the trend of the major features. The district includes areas of wide, open folds and also areas of narrow, closely spaced, and steeply tilted folds, as well as some major overturned anticlines, most of the latter overturned northward. The closely spaced folds coincide almost invariably with outcrops of the Monterey shale and Point Sal formation. Physiography.-The surface on which the terrace deposits, designated the Orcutt sand, were deposited is extensive but is locally deformed, and only remnants are preserved. Toward the coast it changes from a stream-cut surface to a wave-cut surface. In the coastal area three main marine terraces are recognized: the high terrace (altitude about 800 feet), the intermediate terrace (altitude about 600 feet), and the low terrace (altitude 50 to 125 feet). An indurated layer is present at or near the surface at many localities scattered throughout the district. It is suggested that the indurated layer is an ancient hardpan, the incomplete skeleton of a former soil profile developed on a former surface of less relief than the present surface. Sand dunes extend inland from the coast at the north and south borders of the mapped area. They are classified under three age groups: old, intermediate, and modern. The old dunes, which have a protective cover of natural vegetation and are now inactive, are far more extensive than those of the other two groups. They cover many square miles on a terrace bordering Santa Maria Valley, and extend 20 miles inland. It has not been determined whether their inactivity is due to a cutting off of the supply of sand, or to a climatic change. Occurrence of oil.--Oil has been produced in the Santa Maria district since 1901, the total production to the end of 1947 being 269,657,000 barrels. Throughout the district most of the oil is heavy. Seven producing fields are located in the mapped area. In order of discovery from oldest to youngest the fields are as follows: Orcutt, Lompoc, West Cat Canyon, East Cat Canyon, Casmalia, Gato Ridge, and Santa Maria Valley. The Santa Maria Valley field is the largest in both area and productive capacity. It is the largest overlap field in coastal California, and one of the last major fields found in the State up to 1947. The Las Flores (Monterey) pool is transforming the West Cat Canyon field into one of the major fields of the district. The Monterey shale is the chief oil-bearing formation, and the principal reservoir in the Monterey consists of fractured chert and cherty shale. Sand in the Sisquoc formation is the sole reservoir in the minor East Cat Canyon field and in the Pliocene pool of the West Cat Canyon field. The Point Sal formation yields some oil in the southeastern part of the Santa Maria Valley field (the only part of that field where the formation is present) and a recent well in the Casmalia field is producing a small amount of relatively light oil from the Point Sal. The Lospe formation is also productive in a recent well in the Casmalia field. The Knoxville formation is productive in three areas in the northern part of the Santa Maria Valley field. The Point Sal formation offers the greatest promise for deeper-zone production. The Lospe and Knoxville formations can no longer be ignored in areas where younger marine formations overlap against them. Oil possibilities in undeveloped areas.--Two matters weigh heavily in prospecting in the Santa Maria district: the degree of fracturing of chert and cherty shale in the Monterey shale, and the gravity of the oil. Other things being equal, the productivity of the Monterey varies directly with the amount of fracturing. Very heavy oil, too heavy to produce commercially under present conditions, has befln found ii the Monterey in the northeastern part of the district, where five discoveries (one east of the mapped area) have been made in recent years. Among areas of possible interest, three appear to be favorable for prospecting on the basis of surface geology: an area east of Foxen Canyon, where oil may be trapped in the basal part of the Tinaquaic sandstone member of the Sisquoc formation by westward overlap of successively higher Tinaquaic strata onto the Monterey shale; an area so1tth of the I ... ions Head fault, where oil may be trapped by the fault; and the offshore extension of the north border of Point Sal Ridge, where oil may possibly be trapped in the Monterey by overlap of the Sisquoc formation.

California↗
USGS1963

Surficial geology and soils of the Elmira-Williamsport region, New York and Pennsylvania, with a section on forest regions and great soil groups

The Elmira-Williamsport region, lying south of the Finger Lakes in central New York and northern Pennsylvania, is part of the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province. A small segment of the Valley and Ridge province is included near the south border. In 1953 and 1954, the authors, a geologist and a soil scientist, made a reconnaissance of about 5,000 square miles extending southward from the Finger Lakes, N.Y., to Williamsport, Pa., and eastward from Wellsboro, Pa., to Towanda, Pa. Glacial drift of Wisconsin age, covering the central and most of the northern parts of the region, belongs to the Olean substage of MacClintock and Apfel. This drift is thin and patchy, is composed of the relatively soft sandstones, siltstone, shales, and conglomerates of the plateaus, commonly has a low calcium carbonate content, and is deeply leached. Mantling its surface are extensive rubbly colluvial deposits. No conspicuous terminal moraine marks the relatively straight border of Olean drift. The Valley Heads moraine of Fairchild near the south ends of the Finger Lakes is composed of relatively thick drift containing a considerable amount of somewhat resistant sedimentary and crystalline rocks. Commonly this drift has a relatively high carbonate content and is leached to only shallow depths. The Valley Heads drift is younger than Olean, but its precise age is undetermined. The age of the Olean is perhaps between Sangamon and Farmdale, on the basis of, in part, a carbon-14 date from peat at Otto, N.Y. All differences in soil development on these two Wisconsin drifts are clearly related to the lithology of the parent material or the drainage, rather than to weathering differing in kind or in duration. The authors believe that the soils are relatively young, are in equilibrium with the present environment, and contain few, if any, features acquired during past weathering intervals. The effect of tree throw on soil profiles and the presence of soils on slopes clearly indicate that soils form rapidly. Sols Bruns Acides are the most extensive great soil group occurring throughout the region. Podzols and Gray-Brown Podzolic soils are also widespread, and on long, smooth slopes Low Humic-Gley soils are common. Organic soils are of small extent. South of the Wisconsin drift border, the surficial mantle consists chiefly of alluvial, colluvial, or residual deposits of Wisconsin or of Recent age, but there are many small isolated patches of older, strongly weathered materials of pre-Wisconsin age. Although such older materials are commonly overlain or mixed with less weathered mantle, the yellowish-red color, characteristic of the strongly weathered material, is generally not masked. Some of the older material is drift, presumed to be of Illionian age, that was probably strongly weathered to a considerable depth in Sangamon time and has been greatly eroded since the last interglacial period. No clear-cut exposure of Wisconsin drift resting on older drift or other strongly weathered mantle has been found. The old drift and the other strongly weathered materials apparently acquired their present red color in pre-Wisconsin time. Where exposed at the surface, such strongly weathered mantle is the parent material of modern Red-Yellow Podzolic soils. Sols Bruns Acides and Gray-Brown Podzolic soils, developed on slightly weathered parent materials, are found adjacent to these red soils. This suggests that these Red-Yellow Podzolic soils probably developed from strongly weathered parent materials. No buried soils were found nor were any soils recognized as relics from pre-Wisconsin time. Comparison of a map of the great soil groups with a map of the vegetation of the region, prepared by John C. Goodlett, does not reveal a close relation. Laboratory analyses of samples collected furnish data on textural, mineralogical, and chemical changes caused by weathering and soil formation. The results indicate that the amount of chemical weathering which the Wisconsin drift has undergone is slight. The Red-Yellow Podzolic soils on strongly weathered pre-Wisconsin drift have B2 horizons that have a finer texture than the A2 or C horizons. The parent materials of these soils seem to be strongly weathered because of the high chromas, reddish hues, friable condition of most rock fragments, relatively high kaolinite content, and presence of gibbsite in the clay fraction. Measurements at numerous localities show that the depth of leaching increases with decreasing carbonate content and is not a criterion of the age of the drift. Pebble counts of gravels also show that the depth of leaching of gravel is related to its limestone content. The location of the gravel deposits is probably due primarily to the presence of pebbles of resistant rock rather than to ice wastage involving abundant glacial melt water. The region is in the Susquehanna drainage basin except for its north fringe, which drains to Lake Ontario. Most of the region is a dissected plateau ranging in altitude from 700 to 2,500 feet and underlain by gently folded sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age. Much of the region slopes moderately or steeply; the most extensive areas of gently sloping land are 011 the uplands. In the northern part are several straight and deep valleys the southern extension of the Finger Lakes basins separated by uplands with several low cuestas that face north. Similarly, some streams such as the Canisteo, Cohocton, and Chemung Rivers, and the part of the Susquehanna River that is in New York, trend at right angles to the Finger Lakes, flowing in valleys that parallel the regional strike of the bedrock. The Olean drift border is marked by a change from drift containing very few rounded or striated rock fragments to a mantle containing only angular rock fragments and traces of red, strongly weathered materials. A reconstruction of the surface of the ice sheet, at its maximum extent shows an inferred slope of its distal margin ranging from 100 to 500 feet per mile

New York, Pennsylvania↗
USGS2023

High-precision ID-TIMS U-Pb geochronology of perovskite (CaTiO3) from the Ice River Complex, southeastern British Columbia

Uranium‑lead perovskite in situ geochronology has become a cornerstone technique for determining the emplacement timing of alkaline, ultrapotassic, and silica-undersaturated igneous rocks, kimberlites, and carbonatites. Accurate in situ dates are dependent on the availability of matrix matched mineral reference materials which themselves are chemically well characterized and dated accurately to the highest possible precision. When dating perovskite to high precision, such as by isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS), appropriately accounting and correcting for the quantity and isotopic composition of Pb incorporated into the crystal upon crystallization (Pb i ) is a large source of uncertainty and potential inaccuracy. Unfortunately, although ultra-high precision perovskite dates are attainable with modern mass spectrometry techniques, the accuracy of applied Pb i compositions, which can be a considerable percentage of total Pb in a crystal, has not kept pace, resulting in percent level inaccuracy on precisely measured isotopic ratios. In an effort to characterize the age and initial Pb isotopic composition of a readily available, relatively pure perovskite endmember (93–98%) which will be useful as a matrix matched age reference material for in situ U-Pb geochronology, we date crystals isolated from three samples from the Ice River Complex (samples 81IR6, I90.3, and I92.30) by ID-TIMS and evaluate their suitability as known-age reference materials. We directly determine the isotopic composition of Pb i in each sample by ID-TIMS measurement of cogenetic low 238 U/ 204 Pb (μ < 500) phlogopite, apatite, and/or clinopyroxene. Using these initial common Pb isotopic compositions, which are significantly more radiogenic than those predicted by age appropriate Pb evolution models, we obtain ultra-precise weighted-mean 206 Pb/ 238 U perovskite dates of 355.83 ± 0.14, 355.04 ± 0.15, and 357.34 ± 0.12 Ma on the three Ice River samples, respectively. These dates are consistent with the relative emplacement ages previously established for units in the Ice River layered ultramafic series based on field relationships. They also demonstrate the feasibility of attaining accurate perovskite dates in instances when maximum precision is critical by utilizing ID-TIMS analysis of cogenetic low uranium phases for direct measurement of Pb i .

British Columbia↗
USGS2006

Rates of evapotranspiration, recharge from precipitation beneath selected areas of native vegetation, and streamflow gain and loss in Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California

Rapid growth and development in Carson Valley is causing concern over the continued availability of water resources to sustain such growth into the future. A study to address concerns over water resources and to update estimates of water-budget components in Carson Valley was begun in 2003 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Douglas County, Nevada. This report summarizes micrometeorologic, soil-chloride, and streambed-temperature data collected in Carson Valley from April 2003 through November 2004. Using these data, estimates of rates of discharge by evapotranspiration (ET), rates of recharge from precipitation in areas of native vegetation on the eastern and northern sides of the valley, and rates of recharge and discharge from streamflow infiltration and seepage on the valley floor were calculated. These rates can be used to develop updated water budgets for Carson Valley and to evaluate potential effects of land- and water-use changes on the valley's water budget. Data from eight ET stations provided estimates of annual ET during water year 2004, the sixth consecutive year of a drought with average or below average precipitation since 1999. Estimated annual ET from flood-irrigated alfalfa where the water table was from 3 to 6 feet below land surface was 3.1 feet. A similar amount of ET, 3.0 feet, was estimated from flood-irrigated alfalfa where the water table was about 40 feet below land surface. Estimated annual ET from flood-irrigated pasture ranged from 2.8 to 3.2 feet where the water table ranged from 2 to 5 feet below land surface, and was 4.4 feet where the water table was within 2 feet from land surface. Annual ET estimated from nonirrigated pasture was 1.7 feet. Annual ET estimated from native vegetation was 1.9 feet from stands of rabbitbrush and greasewood near the northern end of the valley, and 1.5 feet from stands of native bitterbrush and sagebrush covering alluvial fans along the western side of the valley. Uncertainty in most ET estimates is about 12 percent, but ranged from +30 and +50 percent to -20 and -40 percent for nonirrigated pasture and native bitterbrush and sagebrush. Estimated rates for water year 2004 likely are less than those during years of average, or above average precipitation when the water table would be closer to land surface. Test holes drilled in areas of native vegetation on the northern and eastern sides of Carson Valley had high concentrations of soil chloride at depths ranging from 4 to 18 feet below land surface at six locations on the eastern side of the valley. The high chloride concentrations indicate that modern-day precipitation at the six locations does not percolate deeper than the root zone of native vegetation. Estimates of the time required to accumulate the measured amount of chloride to depths of about 30 feet below land surface at the six test holes ranged from about 3,000 to 12,000 years. Low concentrations of soil chloride in two test holes on the northern end of Carson Valley and in a test hole on the eastern side of Fish Spring Flat indicate that a small amount of recharge from modern-day precipitation is taking place. Estimated annual recharge from precipitation at the two locations was 0.03 and 0.04 foot on the northern end of the valley and 0.02 foot on the eastern side of Fish Spring Flat. Uncertainty in the estimated recharge rates was about ?0.01 foot. Estimates of the time required to accumulate the measured amount of chloride to depths of about 30 feet below land surface at the three test holes ranged from about 100 to 700 years. The two test holes near the northern end of the valley are in gravel and eolian sand deposits and recharge from precipitation may be taking place at similar rates in other areas with gravel and eolian sand deposits. Based on results from other test holes, recharge at the rate estimated for the test hole on the eastern side of Fish Spring Flat is not likely applicable to a large area. Data from 37 site

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2004

Hydrogeologic characteristics of four public drinking-water supply springs in northern Arkansas

In October 2000, a study was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Health to determine the hydrogeologic characteristics, including the extent of the recharge areas, for Hughes Spring, Stark Spring, Evening Shade Spring, and Roaring Spring, which are used for public-water supply in northern Arkansas. Information pertaining to each spring can be used to enable development of effective management plans to protect these water resources and public health. An integrated approach to determine the ground-water characteristics and the extent of the local recharge areas of the four springs incorporated tools and methods of hydrology, structural geology, geomorphology, geophysics, and geochemistry. Analyses of discharge, temperature, and water quality were completed to describe ground-water flow characteristics, source-water characteristics, and connectivity of the ground-water system with surface runoff. Water-level contour maps were constructed to determine ground-water flow directions and ground-water tracer tests were conducted to determine the extent of the recharge areas and ground-water flow velocities. Hughes Spring supplies water for the city of Marshall, Arkansas, and the surrounding area. The mean annual discharge for Hughes Spring was 2.9 and 5.2 cubic feet per second for water years 2001 and 2002, respectively. Recharge to the spring occurs mainly from the Boone Formation (Springfield Plateau aquifer). Ground-water tracer tests indicate the recharge area for Hughes Spring generally coincides with the surface drainage area (15.8 square miles) and that Hughes Spring is connected directly to the surface flow in Brush Creek. The geochemistry of Hughes Spring demonstrated variations with flow conditions and the influence of surface-runoff in the recharge area. Calcite saturation indices, total dissolved solids concentrations, and hardness demonstrate noticeable differences with flow conditions reflecting the reduced residence time and interaction of water with the source rock within the ground-water system at higher discharges for Hughes Spring. Concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria also demonstrated a substantial increase during high-flow conditions, suggesting that a non-point source of bacteria possibly from livestock may enter the system. Conversely, nutrient concentrations did not vary with flow and were similar to concentrations reported for undeveloped sites in the Springfield Plateau and Ozark aquifers in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. Deuterium and oxygen-18 data show that the Hughes Spring discharge is representative of direct precipitation and not influenced by water enriched in oxygen-18 through evaporation. Discharge data show that Hughes Spring is dominated by conduit type ground-water flow, but a considerable component of diffuse flow also exists in the ground-water system. Carbon-13 data indicate a substantial component of the recharge water interacts with the surface material (soil and regolith) in the recharge area before entering the ground-water system for Hughes Spring. Tritium data for Hughes Spring indicate that the discharge water is a mixture of recent recharge and sub-modern water (recharged prior to 1952). Stark Spring supplies water for the city of Cushman, Arkansas, and the surrounding area. 2 Hydrogeologic Characteristics of Four Public Drinking-Water Supply Springs in Northern Arkansas The mean annual discharge for Stark Spring was 0.5 and 1.5 cubic feet per second for water years 2001 and 2002, respectively. The discharge and water-quality data show the ground-water system for Stark Spring is dominated by rapid recharge from surface runoff and mainly consists of a conduit- type flow system with little diffuse-type flow. Analyses of discharge data show that the estimated recharge area (0.79 square mile) is larger than the surface drainage area (0.34 square mile). Ground-water tracer tests and the outcrop of the

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2008

Bioassay for estimating the biogenic methane-generating potential of coal samples

Generation of secondary biogenic methane in coal beds is likely controlled by a combination of factors such as the bioavailability of coal carbon, the presence of a microbial community to convert coal carbon to methane, and an environment supporting microbial growth and methanogenesis. A set of treatments and controls was developed to bioassay the bioavailability of coal for conversion to methane under defined laboratory conditions. Treatments included adding a well-characterized consortium of bacteria and methanogens (enriched from modern wetland sediments) and providing conditions to support endemic microbial activity. The contribution of desorbed methane in the bioassays was determined in treatments with bromoethane sulfonic acid, an inhibitor of microbial methanogenesis. The bioassay compared 16 subbituminous coal samples collected from beds in Texas (TX), Wyoming (WY), and Alaska (AK), and two bituminous coal samples from Pennsylvania (PA). New biogenic methane was observed in several samples of subbituminous coal with the microbial consortium added, but endemic activity was less commonly observed. The highest methane generation [80 µmol methane/g coal (56 scf/ton or 1.75 cm 3 /g)] was from a south TX coal sample that was collected from a non-gas-producing well. Subbituminous coals from the Powder River Basin, WY and North Slope Borough, AK contained more sorbed (original) methane than the TX coal sample and generated 0–23 µmol/g (up to 16 scf/ton or 0.5 cm 3 /g) new biogenic methane in the bioassay. Standard indicators of thermal maturity such as burial depth, nitrogen content, and calorific value did not explain differences in biogenic methane among subbituminous coal samples. No original methane was observed in two bituminous samples from PA, nor was any new methane generated in bioassays of these samples. The bioassay offers a new tool for assessing the potential of coal for biogenic methane generation, and provides a platform for studying the mechanisms involved in this economically important activity.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS2014

Water movement through the unsaturated zone of the High Plains Aquifer in the Central Platte Natural Resources District, Nebraska, 2008-12

Uncertainty about the effects of land use and climate on water movement in the unsaturated zone and on groundwater recharge rates can lead to uncertainty in water budgets used for groundwater-flow models. To better understand these effects, a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Central Platte Natural Resources District was initiated in 2007 to determine field-based estimates of recharge rates in selected land-use areas of the Central Platte Natural Resources District in Nebraska. Measured total water potential and unsaturated-zone profiles of tritium, chloride, nitrate as nitrogen, and bromide, along with groundwater-age dates, were used to evaluate water movement in the unsaturated zone and groundwater recharge rates in the central Platte River study area. Eight study sites represented an east-west precipitation contrast across the study area—four beneath groundwater-irrigated cropland (sites 2, 5, and 6 were irrigated corn and site 7 was irrigated alfalfa/corn rotation), three beneath rangeland (sites 1, 4, and 8), and one beneath nonirrigated cropland, or dryland (site 3). Measurements of transient vertical gradients in total water potential indicated that periodic wetting fronts reached greater mean maximum depths beneath the irrigated sites than beneath the rangeland sites, in part, because of the presence of greater and constant antecedent moisture. Beneath the rangeland sites, greater temporal variation in antecedent moisture and total water potential existed and was, in part, likely a result of local precipitation and evapotranspiration. Moreover, greater variability was noticed in the total water potential profiles beneath the western sites than the corresponding eastern sites, which was attributed to less mean annual precipitation in the west. The depth of the peak post-bomb tritium concentration or the interface between the pre-bomb/post-bomb tritium, along with a tritium mass balance, within sampled soil profiles were used to estimate water fluxes in the unsaturated zone at three of the eight study sites: site 2 (irrigated), site 3 (dryland), and site 8 (rangeland). Estimates for recharge were about 68 millimeters per year [(mm/yr), post-bomb peak], 133 to 159 mm/yr (tritium interface), and 137 mm/yr (mass balance) at site 2 (irrigated); about 63 mm/yr (tritium interface) and 12 mm/yr (mass balance) at site 3 (dryland); and about 53 mm/yr (tritium interface) and 10 mm/yr (mass balance) at site 8 (rangeland). Recharge values from the mass balance at site 2 were more than an order of magnitude greater than recharge values at site 3, suggesting irrigation is an important control on water movement through the unsaturated zone. For the remaining five sites, the post-bomb tritium had flushed through the system and recharge was considered modern (within 10 years of sampling). The chloride mass-balance method was used to determine water fluxes below the root zone (less than 2 meters below land surface) at the rangeland sites: sites 1, 4, and 8. At these rangeland sites, water fluxes ranged from 1.8 to 96 mm/yr at site 1, 1.1 to 9.6 mm/yr at site 4, and 1.1 to 68 mm/yr at site 8, with mean rates of 21, 4.3, and 13 mm/yr, respectively. Site 1 had a greater mean water flux, which was consistent with the greater precipitation in the east than at site 8 in the west. Chloride mass balance was not calculated at the irrigated and dryland sites because of uncertainty about additional sources of chloride. Concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen in pore water in the unsaturated zone were larger beneath the irrigated and dryland (agricultural) sites compared with the rangeland sites. The larger concentrations at the agricultural sites are consistent with the application of nitrogen fertilizer at the agricultural sites and no substantial accumulation at the rangeland sites. The shape of the nitrate as nitrogen and chloride concentration profiles at site 1 (rangeland) indicate a reasonably larger and more consistent water flux in the UZ than beneath the other two rangeland sites (sites 4 or 8). Excluding site 7, the general shape of the nitrate as nitrogen profiles was similar beneath the agricultural sites and supports the estimates of water movement and recharge rates determined from the tritium and chloride methods. Movement of bromide through the unsaturated zone indicated greater water fluxes are found beneath irrigated lands than beneath rangeland. Bromide profiles in the unsaturated zone, determined from center of mass and peak displacement methods, document water fluxes ranged from 58 to 394 mm/yr beneath irrigated sites and 9 to 201 mm/yr beneath rangeland sites. Water-flux estimates from the potassium bromide tests at most sites did not represent overall recharge rates because the bromide remained primarily in the root zone. Apparent groundwater age was used to determine the groundwater residence time at the eight sites and to estimate recharge rates. Groundwater ages in the study area ranged from old water (defined here as groundwater that was recharged more than 50 years ago) to modern (defined here as groundwater that has recharged within the past 10 years). Groundwater ages indicated that the shallow monitoring wells generally had younger residence times, whereas the deeper monitoring wells generally had the older residence times. Groundwater dates from the shallowest monitoring wells were used to determine recharge rates at the water table. These rates generally were similar to recharge rates determined from tritium and chloride mass-balance methods. Groundwater recharge rates generally increased with well depth, and the deeper monitoring wells likely do not represent local recharge conditions but recharge from a regional flow system that receives recharge from distant sources. Overall, these data generally indicate that water movement within the unsaturated zone primarily is affected by spatial contrasts in mean annual precipitation and by the land use or land cover. The eight unsaturated-zone sites each generated unique, valuable datasets that likely will improve the understanding of water movement and recharge rates in the central Platte River valley.

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