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At least 1,117 records · Page 62Linked to original sources

The accuracy of selected land use and land cover maps at scales of 1:250,000 and 1:100,000

Land use and land cover maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey are found to meet or exceed the established standard of accuracy. When analyzed using a point sampling technique and binomial probability theory, several maps, illustrative of those produced for different parts of the country, were found to meet or exceed accuracies of 85 percent. Those maps tested were Tampa, Fla., Portland, Me., Charleston, W. Va., and Greeley, Colo., published at a scale of 1:250,000, and Atlanta, Ga., and Seattle and Tacoma, Wash., published at a scale of 1:100,000. For each map, the values were determined by calculating the ratio of the total number of points correctly interpreted to the total number of points sampled. Six of the seven maps tested have accuracies of 85 percent or better at the 95-percent lower confidence limit. When the sample data for predominant categories (those sampled with a significant number of points) were grouped together for all maps, accuracies of those predominant categories met the 85-percent accuracy criterion, with one exception. One category, Residential, had less than 85-percent accuracy at the 95-percent lower confidence limit. Nearly all residential land sampled was mapped correctly, but some areas of other land uses were mapped incorrectly as Residential.

Circular↗

Map and database of Quaternary faults and folds in Colombia and its offshore regions

As part of the International Lithosphere Program’s “World Map of Major Active Faults,” the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is assisting in the compilation of a series of digital maps of Quaternary faults and folds in Western Hemisphere countries. The maps show the locations, ages, and activity rates of major earthquake-related features such as faults and fault-related folds. They are accompanied by databases that describe these features and document current information on their activity in the Quaternary. Top date, the project has published fault and fold maps for Costa Rica (Montero and others, 1998), Panama (Cowan and others, 1998), Venezuela (Audemard and others, 2000), Bolovia/Chile (Lavenu, and others, 2000), and Argentina (Costa and others, 2000). The project is a key part of the Global Seismic Hazards Assessment Program (ILP Project II-0) for the International Decade for Natural Hazard Disaster Reduction.

Open-File Report↗

Denali image map

The Denali National Park and Preserve 1:250,000-scale image map has been prepared and published as part of the US Geological Survey's (USGS) continuing research to improve image mapping techniques. Nine multispectral scanner (MSS) images were geometrically corrected, digitally mosaicked, and enhanced at the National Mapping Division's (NMD) EROS Data Center (EDC). This process involves ground control and digital resampling to the Universal Tranverse Mercator (UTM) projection. This paper specifically discusses the preparation of the digital mosaic and the production peculiarities associated with the Denali National Park and Preserve image map.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

Under an agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense's National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is now distributing elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The SRTM is a joint project between NASA and NIMA to map the Earth's land surface in three dimensions at a level of detail unprecedented for such a large area. Flown aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour February 11-22, 2000, the SRTM successfully collected data over 80 percent of the Earth's land surface, for most of the area between 60? N. and 56? S. latitude. The SRTM hardware included the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR) systems that had flown twice previously on other space shuttle missions. The SRTM data were collected specifically with a technique known as interferometry that allows image data from dual radar antennas to be processed for the extraction of ground heights.

Fact Sheet↗

Unmanned aerial systems capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology provides a rapid and low-cost solution for mapping coastal environments and assessing short- and long-term changes. The interdisciplinary nature of the data collected and the breadth of applications make UAS technology applicable to multiple scientific investigations. The Aerial Imaging and Mapping (AIM) group at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center provides UAS services to scientists to advance the science mission of the Coastal-Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Scientists at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center use UASs to acquire imagery of coastal and wetland environments, which is then used to produce detailed topographic and visual reflectance datasets. UAS technology supports the work of geologists, engineers, physical scientists, geographers, and geochemists who study coastal erosion, sediment transport, storm impacts, habitats, biomass, and marsh stability.

Fact Sheet↗

An experimental ground-magnetic and VLF-EM traverse over a buried paleochannel near Salisbury, Maryland

Since, 1963, the Maryland Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey have been engaged in a study of the Pleistocene Series beneath a 230 square kilometer area around Salisbury, Maryland. (Hansen, 1966; Weigle, 1972; Zohdy and others, 1974, p.56) North of Salisbury a deep Pleistocene paleochannel was discovered; this channel was carved into an erosional plain at the top of the Miocene deposit, was filled and blanketed subsequently with deposits (mostly sand and gravel) of Pleistocene age. The channel is a prolific source of ground water, and has been outlined for a least 15 kilometers by means of power-augering and gamma-logging. A geophysical survey using ground magnetics and VLF-EM was made over the channel in an attempt to see if a more efficient method than augering could be developed to map the paleochannel at depth; the survey traverse was made over one of the better defined parts of the paleochannel (see figure 1.) where airborne magnetics and VLF studies could easily be done as a potential follow-up. We hoped to be able to map resistivity changes between aquifer and aquiclude facies with the VLF-EM, and perhaps identify other facies changes in black-sand concentrations with ground magnetics. The data is presented in Table 1 and plotted in figure 2. The traverse extended from north to south, with station spacing of 100 meters, for an over all length of 4.5 kilometers.

Maryland↗

Sharing our data—An overview of current (2016) USGS policies and practices for publishing data on ScienceBase and an example interactive mapping application

This report provides an overview of current (2016) U.S. Geological Survey policies and practices related to publishing data on ScienceBase, and an example interactive mapping application to display those data. ScienceBase is an integrated data sharing platform managed by the U.S. Geological Survey. This report describes resources that U.S. Geological Survey Scientists can use for writing data management plans, formatting data, and creating metadata, as well as for data and metadata review, uploading data and metadata to ScienceBase, and sharing metadata through the U.S. Geological Survey Science Data Catalog. Because data publishing policies and practices are evolving, scientists should consult the resources cited in this paper for definitive policy information. An example is provided where, using the content of a published ScienceBase data release that is associated with an interpretive product, a simple user interface is constructed to demonstrate how the open source capabilities of the R programming language and environment can interact with the properties and objects of the ScienceBase item and be used to generate interactive maps.

Open-File Report↗

Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1992

This catalog is a list of (1) books and maps 1 that were published during 1992, and (2) articles by U.S. Geological Survey personnel in non-U.S. Geological Survey journals and books that came to our attention in 1992; it supplements the permanent catalogs "Publications of the Geological Survey, 1879-1961", "Publications of the Geological Survey, 1962-1970", and "Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1971 through 1981.

Publications of the US Geological Survey↗

Distributional patterns of arsenic concentrations in contaminant plumes offer clues to the source of arsenic in groundwater at landfills

The distributional pattern of dissolved arsenic concentrations from landfill plumes can provide clues to the source of arsenic contamination. Under simple idealized conditions, arsenic concentrations along flow paths in aquifers proximal to a landfill will decrease under anthropogenic sources but potentially increase under in situ sources. This paper presents several conceptual distributional patterns of arsenic in groundwater based on the arsenic source under idealized conditions. An example of advanced subsurface mapping of dissolved arsenic with geophysical surveys, chemical monitoring, and redox fingerprinting is presented for a landfill site in New Hampshire with a complex flow pattern. Tools to assist in the mapping of arsenic in groundwater ultimately provide information on the source of contamination. Once an understanding of the arsenic contamination is achieved, appropriate remedial strategies can then be formulated.

Remediation Journal↗

Flood-inundation maps for Indian Creek and Tomahawk Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, 2014

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6.4-mile upper reach of Indian Creek from College Boulevard to the confluence with Tomahawk Creek, a 3.9-mile reach of Tomahawk Creek from 127th Street to the confluence with Indian Creek, and a 1.9-mile lower reach of Indian Creek from the confluence with Tomahawk Creek to just beyond the Kansas/Missouri border at State Line Road in Johnson County, Kansas, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the city of Overland Park, Kansas. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the U.S. Geological Survey Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ , depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgages on Indian Creek at Overland Park, Kansas; Indian Creek at State Line Road, Leawood, Kansas; and Tomahawk Creek near Overland Park, Kansas. Near real time stages at these streamgages may be obtained on the Web from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/ , which also forecasts flood hydrographs at these sites. Flood profiles were computed for the stream reaches by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated for each reach by using the most current stage-discharge relations at the streamgages. The hydraulic models were then used to determine 15 water-surface profiles for Indian Creek at Overland Park, Kansas; 17 water-surface profiles for Indian Creek at State Line Road, Leawood, Kansas; and 14 water-surface profiles for Tomahawk Creek near Overland Park, Kansas, for flood stages at 1-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from bankfull to the next interval above the 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flood level (500-year recurrence interval). The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined in a geographic information system with a digital elevation model derived from light detection and ranging data (having a 0.429-foot vertical and 0.228-foot horizontal accuracy) to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps, along with Web information regarding current stage from the U.S. Geological Survey streamgages and forecasted high-flow stages from the National Weather Service, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations, road closures, and postflood recovery efforts.

Kansas↗

Analyses of rocks and stream sediments of the Superstition Wilderness, Arizona

The geochemical investigation of the Superstition Wilderness, Maricopa, Pinal and Gila Counties, Arizona, consisted of the collection and analyses of 2269 samples. This included 1231 rocks and 1038 stream sediments. All samples were prepared and analyzed on location during two separate field seasons (fall of 1975 and 1976) by mobile laboratories of the U.S. Geological Survey. Sample localities and analytical results are listed in this report. Samples lie within the following U.S.G.S. topographic quadrangles: Goldfield, Mormon Flat Dam, Weavers Needle, Horse Mesa Dam, Iron Mountain, Pinyon Mountain, Haunted Canyon, and Two Bar Mountain. Locations for all samples are in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, the X coordinate is the northing value, which ranges from 3,693,000 m to 3,720,000 m and the Y coordinate is the casting value, which ranges from 453,500 m to 500,000 m. Because of limitations of the computer program, the initial digit of the northing numbers has been dropped. Data of rocks are listed on Table 1 and stream sediments on Table 2. The analytical and geologic data were entered into a computer storage system (RASS II) by S. K. McDanal and retrievals were handled by T. M. Billings and George VanTrump. Geochemical sampling was carried out during geologic mapping by a U.S. Geological Survey field party consisting of D. W. Peterson, D. L. Gaskill, M. L. Sorenson, and W. E. Yeend, assisted by Kerwin Stark, N. H. Suneson, and G. D. Johnpeer. Analytical support was given by R. N. Babcock and D. G. Murrey.

Arizona↗