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At least 1,081 records · Page 60Linked to original sources

Dead giveaway: Rising mortality rates suggest effectiveness of Lake Erie grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) response

Grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) are large, invasive fish that threaten Lake Erie’s economy and ecosystem. Incidental catches of grass carp have occurred since the 1980s in Lake Erie, while multi-day removal events were carried out in 2014 and 2017. To mitigate ecosystem impacts, a large-scale, multi-agency response to remove as many grass carp as possible from the Lake Erie basin (“strike teams”) began in 2018 and has increased every year. To date, total annual removals of fish has been the primary measure of progress; however, total annual removals do not indicate how efforts are affecting the grass carp population. Population vital rates, such as mortality rate, can indicate population demographic changes and may provide an alternative approach to measure how removals have impacted the grass carp population. We estimated annual mortality rates using 553 grass carp, representing 82.9 % of all grass carp removed in the Lake Erie basin, using a hierarchical catch-curve model and catch-at-age data from 2014 to 2022. Annual average mortality rates were initially low (4.3 %) and increased between 2017 and 2022 with the highest mortality (13.6 %) observed in 2021. Positive correlations between mortality and the number of fish harvested per year suggest that removals may be driving increases in the grass carp mortality rate. This increase in mortality rate shows promise for controlling the spread of grass carp within the Lake Erie ecosystem. This research supports the needs of fishery managers to better understand grass carp population dynamics and the adaptive management framework identified in the Lake Erie Grass Carp Adaptive Response Strategy.

Lake Erie↗

U.S. Geological Survey unconventional petroleum systems research in south Mississippi: Observations on burial history and thermal maturity in the Cretaceous

Shale hydrocarbon ‘resource’ plays have revolutionized the United States energy mix over the last 5 years. These plays are diverse in lithology and age but share the common feature of occurring in ‘tight’ formations which require hydraulic (hydro-) fracturing for economic flow rates. In general, economic success requires an organic-rich reservoir with a quartz- or carbonate-rich mineralogy that responds to artificial stimulation by fracturing. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is tasked with estimating the quantity and quality of undiscovered hydrocarbons reservoired in shales. In support of that mission, we began an investigation of unconventional petroleum systems in the southern part of the Mississippi Salt Basin in 2012, building on earlier reconnaissance work that identified this area as potentially prospective for ‘shale’ gas (Enomoto et al., 2012). While our recent studies (Valentine et al., 2014a; Hackley et al., 2014) have suggested poor ‘shale’ gas prospectivity (due to low organic content, low porosity, high clay content, and significant depth), at least for the Aptian section, they also have generated a wealth of new information about thermal maturity in the Cretaceous of south Mississippi. In addition, our work to-date has set the stage for future USGS evaluation of unconventional hydrocarbons reservoired in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS). Here, we summarize recent USGS thermal maturity studies in the south Mississippi Salt Basin.

Mississippi↗

Effects of nearshore recharge on groundwater interactions with a lake in mantled karst terrain

The recharge and discharge of groundwater were investigated for a lake basin in the mantled karst terrain of central Florida to determine the relative importance of transient groundwater inflow to the lake water budget. Variably saturated groundwater flow modeling simulated water table responses observed beneath two hillsides radiating outward from the groundwater flow‐through lake. Modeling results indicated that transient water table mounding and groundwater flow reversals in the nearshore region following large daily rainfall events generated most of the net groundwater inflow to the lake. Simulated daily groundwater inflow was greatest following water table mounding near the lake, not following subsequent peaks in the water level of upper basin wells. Transient mounding generated net groundwater inflow to the lake, that is, groundwater inflow in excess of the outflow occurring through the deeper lake bottom. The timing of the modeled net groundwater inflow agreed with an independent lake water budget; however, the quantity was considerably less than the budget‐derived value.

Water Resources Research↗

Age of volcanism, intrusion, and mineralization in the Thomas Range, Keg Mountain, and Desert Mountain, western Utah

Twenty-six new age determinations by the fission-track method establish a chronology for volcanism, intrusion, and mineralization in the Thomas Range, Keg Mountain, and Desert Mountain, in western Utah. The fission-track ages confirm D. R. Shawe's three-fold classification of igneous rocks. The oldest group of rocks consists of flows, agglomerates, and some ash-flow tuffs that were deposited 38-39 m.y. ago. The middle group contains widespread rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs that originated from local volcanic centers 30-32 m.y. ago. A dike emplaced along the probable ring-fracture zone of the Keg caldera about 31 m.y. ago indicates that caldera collapse occurred soon after eruption of ash-flow tuffs. Rocks believed to belong-to the middle group also were intruded by the quartz monzonite of Desert Mountain 27-30 m.y. ago. Little or no igneous activity took place within the next 20 m.y., during which time the region was strongly broken by Basin-and-Range faulting. Rhyolites of the youngest group were extruded 8-10 m.y. ago in the Keg Mountain area and 6-7 m.y. ago in the Thomas Range. The beryllium-fluorite mineralization at Spor Mountain occurred after the rhyolitic volcanism in the Thomas Range.

Utah↗

Origin of two clay-mineral facies of the Potomac Group (Cretaceous) in the Middle Atlantic States

Sedimentary clay that crops out in the coastal plains of New Jersey, Delaware, the part of Maryland north and east of Washington, B.C., and the northeast half of Washington, D.C., in the nonmarine Cretaceous Potomac Group is predominantly kaolinite and illite. In contrast, in part of southeastern Maryland, the southwest half of Washington, D.C., and most of eastern Virginia, Potomac Group clay is predominantly montmorillonite. Kaolinite and illite were probably derived by intense acid weathering of metamorphic and granitic rocks to the west during the Cretaceous and were deposited in a well-drained basin. Montmorillonite was most likely produced by deep weathering of a mainly granitic source. Poor drainage and alkaline surface- and ground-water conditions probably accompanied the production, transportation, deposition, and burial of the montmorillonite. Kaolinization of the montmorillonite is taking place now at the surface in northern Virginia.

Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virg↗

Selenium in the Kootenai River Basin, Montana and Idaho, United States, and British Columbia, Canada

Selenium entering the 90-mile long transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir (also called Lake Koocanusa) in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northwestern Montana, United States, has been measured at concentrations above State and Federal water-quality and aquatic life standards. The reservoir is within the international Kootenai (or “Kootenay” in Canada) drainage basin, which contains critical habitat for native fish species and is impounded by Libby Dam 16 miles upstream from Libby, Montana. Since 1984, selenium concentrations have ranged from below detection to greater than 8 micrograms per liter in the Elk River, measured 2.2 miles above its discharge into Koocanusa Reservoir at a British Columbia environmental monitoring station (site 0200016). Selenium is a required micro-nutrient, but elevated concentrations in water bioaccumulate in egg-laying fish and birds, causing various sublethal effects and death. One possible source of selenium in the Kootenai River Basin is the excavation of bedrock in the Elk River Valley to access coal seams for metallurgical steelmaking and coal production. Five open-pit coal mines are operating in this region of southeastern British Columbia that produce about 21 million tons of metallurgical coal annually. Site-specific selenium standards were established for the reservoir in 2020 following collaborative work by the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, the Lake Koocanusa Monitoring and Research Working Group, and the Selenium Technical Subcommittee. The standards of 0.8 microgram per liter for dissolved selenium in the water column and 15.1 milligrams per kilogram dry weight for fish egg (ovary) tissue (in addition to the muscle and wholebody standards) were adopted into Montana State law in 2020 and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2021.

British Columbia, Idaho, Montana↗

Catastrophic erosion of Hellas basin rim on Mars induced by magmatic intrusion into volatile-rich rocks

Malea and Hesperia Plana form large sectors of the rim of Hellas basin that display partly eroded volcanic shields and plains. These regions have topographic profiles that appear to be several hundred meters lower than those of adjacent rim sectors and lack prominent massifs of remnant basement that would be expected to stand above the lava plains. We interpret that before the volcanic edifices were constructed, these regions were denuded by an early stage of voluminous sill intrusion into friable, volatile-rich impact breccia. Magma-volatile interactions may have resulted in catastrophic generation of debris flows deposited into the adjacent basin, particularly if CO 2 were involved. Later, lavas covered the eroded terrain; in turn, the lavas were eroded locally by volatile interactions. Across Mars, huge channel systems, erosional features in volcanic terranes, and vast layered deposits may be due to magma-volatile interactions.

Geophysical Research Letters↗

The crustal structure from the Altai Mountains to the Altyn Tagh fault, northwest China

[1] We present a new crustal section across northwest China based on a seismic refraction profile and geologic mapping. The 1100‐km‐long section crosses the southern margin of the Chinese Altai Mountains, Junggar Accretional Belt and eastern Junggar basin, easternmost Tianshan Mountains, and easternmost Tarim basin. The crustal velocity structure and Poisson's ratio (σ), which provide a constraint on crustal composition, were determined from P and S wave data. Despite the complex geology, the crustal thickness along the entire profile is nearly uniform at 50 km. The thickest crust (56 km) occurs at the northern end of the profile beneath the Altai Mountains and the thinnest (46 km) crust is beneath the Junggar basin. Beneath surficial sediments, the crust is found to have three layers with P wave velocities ( V p ) of 6.0–6.3, 6.3–6.6, and 6.9–7.0 km/s, respectively. The southern half of the profile, including the eastern Tianshan Mountains and eastern margin of the Tarim basin, shows low P wave velocities and σ = 0.25 to a depth of 30 km, which suggests a quartz‐rich, granitic upper crustal composition. The northern half of the profile below the Altai Mountains and Junggar Accretional Belt has a higher Poisson's ratio of σ = 0.26–0.27 to a depth of 30 km, indicative of an intermediate crustal composition. The entire 1100‐km‐long profile is underlain by a 15–30 km thick high velocity (6.9–7.0 km/s; σ = 0.26–0.28) lower‐crustal layer that we interpret to have a bulk composition of mafic granulite. At the southern end of the profile, a 5‐km‐thick midcrustal low‐velocity layer ( V p = 5.9 km/s, σ = 0.25) underlies the Tianshan and the region to the south, and may be indicative of a near‐horizontal detachment interface. P n velocities are ∼7.7–7.8 km/s between the Tianshan and the Junggar basin, and ∼7.9–8.0 km/s below the Altai Mountains and eastern margin of the Tarim basin. We interpret the consistent three‐layer stratification of the crust to indicate that the crust has undergone partial melting and differentiation after Paleozoic terrane accretion. The thickness (50 km) of the crust appears to be related to compression resulting from the Indo‐Asian collision.

Altai Mountains↗

The Sculptured Hills of the Taurus Highlands: Implications for the relative age of Serenitatis, basin chronologies and the cratering history of the Moon

New images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera show the distribution and geological relations of the Sculptured Hills, a geological unit widespread in the highlands between the Serenitatis and Crisium basins. The Sculptured Hills shows knobby, undulating, radially textured, and plains-like morphologies and in many places is indistinguishable from the similarly knobby Alpes Formation, a facies of ejecta from the Imbrium basin. The new LROC image data show that the Sculptured Hills in the Taurus highlands is Imbrium ejecta and not directly related to the formation of the Serenitatis basin. This occurrence and the geological relations of this unit suggests that the Apollo 17 impact melts may not be not samples of the Serenitatis basin-forming impact, leaving their provenance undetermined and origin unexplained. If the Apollo 17 melt rocks are Serenitatis impact melt, up to half of the basin and large crater population of the Moon was created within a 30 Ma interval around 3.8 Ga in a global impact "cataclysm." Either interpretation significantly changes our view of the impact process and history of the Earth-Moon system. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets↗

Temporal variability in nitrate – discharge relationships in large rivers as revealed by high frequency data

Little is known about temporal variability in nitrate concentration responses to changes in discharge on intraannual time scales in large rivers. To investigate this knowledge gap, we used a six‐year data set of daily surface water nitrate concentration and discharge averaged from near‐continuous monitoring at U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations on the Connecticut, Potomac, and Mississippi Rivers, three large rivers that contribute substantial nutrient pollution to important estuaries. Interannually, a comparison of nitrate concentration‐discharge (c‐Q) relationships between a traditional discrete grab sample data set and the near‐continuous data set revealed differing c‐Q slopes, which suggests that sample frequency can impact how we ultimately characterize hydrologic systems. Intraannually, we conducted correlation analyses over 30‐day windows to isolate the strength and direction of monthly c‐Q relationships. Monthly c‐Q slopes in the Potomac were positive (enrichment/mobilization response) in summer and fall and negative (dilution response) and weakly chemostatic (nonsignificant near‐zero c‐Q slope) in winter and spring, respectively. The Connecticut displayed a dilution response year‐round, except summer when it was weakly chemostatic. Mississippi c‐Q slopes were weakly chemostatic in all seasons and showed inconsistent responses to discharge fluctuations. The c‐Q dynamics in the Potomac and Connecticut were correlated ( R > 0.3) to river temperature, flow percentile, and calendar day. Minimal correlation in the Mississippi suggests that the large basin area coupled with spatiotemporally variable anthropogenic forcings from substantial land use development created stochastic short‐term c‐Q relationships. Additional work using high‐frequency sensors across large river networks can improve our understanding of spatial source input dynamics in these natural‐human coupled systems.

Water Resources Research↗

Discharge rates of fluid and heat by thermal springs of the Cascade Range, Washington, Oregon, and northern California

Fluid and heat discharge rates of thermal springs of the Cascade Range have been determined using the chloride inventory method. Discharge rates of thermal spring groups range from 1 to 120 L s −1 . Most of the fluid (50%) and heat (61%) are discharged from two hot spring groups in northern Oregon. Total discharge from thermal springs in the Cascade Range of California, Oregon, and Washington is about 340 Ls −1 , which corresponds to about 8.2×10 4 kJ s −1 of heat. This does not include hot springs developed on the flanks of Mount St. Helens after the 1980 eruption. The Cascade Range consists of geologically and technically distinct segments; rates of convective heat discharge by the thermal springs in these segments correlate with volcanic rock extrusion rates for the last 2 m. y. In Oregon and Washington, many streams without known thermal or mineral springs in their drainage basins also were sampled for chloride and sodium to detect chemical anomalies that might be associated with previously unknown thermal or mineral waters. Only three chloride anomalies not associated with known thermal or mineral springs were identified in the streams of the Cascade Range.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗

Fishery picture changing in Lake Erie: pollution a major factor, survey shows

The objectives of these cruises of the research vessel Musky II in 1965 and 1966 were: To determine changes in the fish population and environmental conditions in recent years; to determine if the geographic and depth distributions of certain species of fish in the summer differed from that in the autumn; and, to obtain much-needed information on the selectivity of experimental gill nets, particularly for the fresh-water drum (sheepshead) and the walleye. In general, the kinds of fishes, and the geographic and depth distribution of the catches in the eastern basin in June, 1966 did not differ greatly from those in September of the preceding year. The numbers of some fishes, however, had changed- the so-called trash fish were more abundant and the more desirable commercial species were less numerous than in 1965. Yellow perch was by far the most abundant species in the catches. Other fishes taken frequently included white suckers, stonecats, white bass, smelt, and walleyes. Sizeable populations of small-mouth bass and fresh-water drum were also found.

Conservationist↗

Drainage areas of Iowa streams

The drainage area of a stream at a specified location ordinarily may be defined as that area, measured in a horizontal plane, which is enclosed by a topographic divide such that direct surface runoff from precipitation would drain by gravity into the river basin above the specified point. One of the most important factors in the hydrologic computation for the design of structures on or over watercourses is the drainage area upstream from the point under consideration. Other hydrologic studies such as low-flow, flood-frequency analyses, rainfall-runoff correlations, stream density, and area-distance make use of this factor as a basic premise for computation. In order that the drainage-area information of the interior streams of Iowa be of uniform accuracy and available to all users of these data, this report has been compiled, and the drainage areas of all streams in excess of 5 square mies are listed. For the larger streams, drainage areas have been determined at numerous intermediate points. As a result of this report much basic background material has been compiled that will he useful in future hydrologic studies of drainage basin characteristics. This publication is limited to the presentation of the drainage-area data for the interior streams of the State. The methods of application of these data to the study of streamflow characteristics, and the design of related structures are properly the function of the design engineer and are not discussed herein.

Iowa↗

An ecosystem services framework for multidisciplinary research in the Colorado River headwaters

A rapidly spreading Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic is killing lodgepole pine forest in the Rocky Mountains, causing landscape change on a massive scale. Approximately 1.5 million acres of lodgepoledominated forest is already dead or dying in Colorado, the infestation is still spreading rapidly, and it is expected that in excess of 90 percent of all lodgepole forest will ultimately be killed. Drought conditions combined with dramatically reduced foliar moisture content due to stress or mortality from Mountain Pine Beetle have combined to elevate the probability of large fires throughout the Colorado River headwaters. Large numbers of homes in the wildland-urban interface, an extensive water supply infrastructure, and a local economy driven largely by recreational tourism make the potential costs associated with such a fire very large. Any assessment of fire risk for strategic planning of pre-fire management actions must consider these and a host of other important socioeconomic benefits derived from the Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest ecosystem. This paper presents a plan to focus U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) multidisciplinary fire/beetle-related research in the Colorado River headwaters within a framework that integrates a wide variety of discipline-specific research to assess and value the full range of ecosystem services provided by the Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest ecosystem. Baseline, unburned conditions will be compared with a hypothetical, fully burned scenario to (a) identify where services would be most severely impacted, and (b) quantify potential economic losses. Collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service will further yield a distributed model of fire probability that can be used in combination with the ecosystem service valuation to develop comprehensive, distributed maps of fire risk in the Upper Colorado River Basin. These maps will be intended for use by stakeholders as a strategic planning tool for pre-fire management activities and can be updated and improved adaptively on an annual basis as tree mortality, climatic conditions, and management actions unfold.

Conference Paper↗

Targets set to reduce Lake Erie algae

In February 2016, the Great Lakes Executive Committee, which oversees the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between the U.S. and Canada, approved phosphorus loading targets for Lake Erie to reduce the size of harmful algal blooms (HABs), reduce the presence of the low oxygen zone in the central basin, and protect nearshore water quality. The targets are set with respect to the nutrient loads calculated for 2008. To reduce the impacts of HABs on Lake Erie a target was set of a 40 percent reduction in total and soluble reactive phosphorus loads in the spring from two Canadian rivers and several Michigan and Ohio rivers, especially the Maumee River (https://binational.net/2016/02/22/ finalptargets-ciblesfinalesdep/). States and the province of Ontario are already developing Domestic Action Plans to accomplish the reductions and scientists are developing research and monitoring plans to assess progress.

Report↗

Drought prediction and water availability: A report on the 2022 ​​USGS-NIDIS National Listening Session Series

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) conducted a series of four Listening Sessions in 2022 – each with a different application or topical focus – to seek input on priorities and needs related to predicting water availability changes under drought conditions at national and regional scales. This input was gathered to help inform the USGS Drought Program, regional and national drought efforts at NIDIS, and other national drought efforts. The series started with a February 2022 kick-off that introduced the series of Listening Sessions being held from March through September 2022. This kickoff also provided an overview of the USGS Drought Program’s work to characterize hydrological (e.g., streamflow and groundwater) drought, drought variability, drivers, and trends over the past century. Participants in these Listening Sessions included diverse stakeholder representation and perspectives. The first of the four Listening Sessions focused on streamflow (March 3, 2022), and included a short introduction to the USGS national streamflow drought research, the properties of a national drought prediction system, as well as presentations by other agencies on different drought prediction and forecasting efforts. The second session focused on groundwater (May 5, 2022), and included presentations on groundwater drought, sustainable groundwater management, and improving our understanding of soil moisture, groundwater, and surface water drought. The third session focused on water use (July 14, 2022), and included a discussion of the different drought types, as well as an introduction to several key projects, including the USGS Upper Colorado River Basin Study, the Ogallala Data Directory project, and a multi-agency drought prediction partnership in Oklahoma. The fourth and final Listening Session focused on water availability prediction for ecosystems (September 8, 2022), and included presentations on the development of a national capacity for eco-hydrological and drought science, building climate resilience, and actionable ecodrought resources.

Report↗

Characterization of nutrient, organic carbon, and sediment loads and concentrations from the Mississippi River into the northern Gulf of Mexico

We synthesize and update the science supporting the Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force 2001) with a focus on the spatial and temporal discharge and patterns of nutrient and organic carbon delivery to the northern Gulf of Mexico, including data through 2006. The discharge of the Mississippi River watershed over 200 years varies but is not demonstrably increasing or decreasing. About 30% of the Mississippi River was shunted westward to form the Atchafalaya River, which redistributed water and nutrient loads on the shelf. Data on nitrogen concentrations from the early 1900s demonstrate that the seasonal and annual concentrations in the lower river have increased considerably since then, including a higher spring loading, following the increase in fertilizer applications after World War II . The loading of total nitrogen (TN) fell from 1990 to 2006, but the loading of total phosphorus (TP) has risen slightly, resulting in a decline in the TN:TP ratios. The present TN:TP ratios hover around an average indicative of potential nitrogen limitation on phytoplankton growth, or balanced growth limitation, but not phosphorus limitation. The dissolved nitrogen:dissolved silicate ratios are near the Redfield ratio indicative of growth limitations on diatoms. Although nutrient concentrations are relatively high compared to those in many other large rivers, the water quality in the Mississippi River is not unique in that nutrient loads can be described by a variety of land-use models. There is no net removal of nitrogen from water flowing through the Atchafalaya basin, but the concentrations of TP and suspended sediments are lower at the exit point (Morgan City, Louisiana) than in the water entering the Atchafalaya basin. The removal of nutrients entering offshore waters through diversion of river water into wetlands is presently less than 1% of the total loadings going directly offshore, and would be less than 8% if the 10,093 km 2 of coastal wetlands were successfully engineered for that purpose. Wetland loss is an insignificant contribution to the carbon loading offshore, compared to in situ marine production. The science-based conclusions in the Action Plan about nutrient loads and sources to the hypoxic zone off Louisiana are sustained by research and monitoring occurring in the subsequent 10 years.

Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River↗

Spatial and temporal variations in phosphorus loads in the Illinois River Basin, Illinois USA

Total phosphorus (TP) loads in many rivers in the north-central United States have increased, including the Illinois River at Valley City, Illinois, USA, which increased 39% from the periods 1989–1996 to 2015–2019 despite efforts to reduce loads from point and nonpoint sources. Here, we quantify long-term variations in phosphorus (P) loads in the Illinois River and its tributaries and identify factors that may be causing the variations. We calculated river loads of dissolved (DP) and particulate P (PP), total and volatile suspended solids (TSS and VSS), and other potentially related constituents at 41 locations. DP loads generally increased and PP and TSS loads generally decreased from 1989–1996 to 2015–2019. During 1989–1996, P accumulated in the lower basin between Marseilles and Valley City (excluding monitored tributaries). This portion of the basin is very flat and accumulates sediment. During 2015–2019, this section shifted from being a net sink to being a net source of P, accounting for 78% of the increased TP load at Valley City. We present evidence supporting several mechanisms that could have caused this shift: increased DP and chloride loads, reduced sulfate and nitrate concentrations influencing ionic strength and redox potential in the sediments, and increased VSS loads at Valley City possibly indicating greater algal production and contributing to hypoxia in lower river sediments. Additional research is needed to quantify the relative importance of these mechanisms.

Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin↗