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At least 1,135 records · Page 63Linked to original sources
USGS2010

A Compilation of Spatial Datasets to Support a Preliminary Assessment of Pesticides and Pesticide Use on Tribal Lands in Oklahoma

This CD-ROM contains spatial datasets that describe natural and anthropogenic features and county-level estimates of agricultural pesticide use and pesticide data for surface-water, groundwater, and biological specimens in the state of Oklahoma. County-level estimates of pesticide use were compiled from the Pesticide National Synthesis Project of the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Pesticide data for surface water, groundwater, and biological specimens were compiled from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database. These spatial datasets that describe natural and manmade features were compiled from several agencies and contain information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. Geological Survey datasets were not collected specifically for this compilation, but were previously collected for projects with various objectives. The spatial datasets were created by different agencies from sources with varied quality. As a result, features common to multiple layers may not overlay exactly. Users should check the metadata to determine proper use of these spatial datasets. These data were not checked for accuracy or completeness. If a question of accuracy or completeness arise, the user should contact the originator cited in the metadata.

Data Series↗
USGS2003

Bedrock, soil, and lichen geochemistry from Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, is a large island in northeastern Lake Superior that became a national park in 1940 and was designated as a wilderness area in 1976. The relative isolation of Isle Royale (Figure 1), 25 kilometers out in Lake Superior from the Canadian mainland, its generally harsh climate, and its status as a wilderness national park have minimized human influence on the geochemical evolution of its landscape. USGS sampling on Isle Royale began in 1996 as part of a larger project on the geology of the Midcontinent rift in the Lake Superior region and continued through 2000. Sampling began with collecting bedrock samples to characterize the geochemistry of the volcanic rocks that make up the much of the island, as well as samples representative of the minor native copper mineralization found on the island. Preliminary results from the bedrock study indicated, among other findings, that basaltic bedrock on the island had no detectable mercury, but that there was an association between native copper mineralization and trace amounts of mercury (Cannon and Woodruff, 1999). This finding and the recognition by the National Park Service that 6 of 32 inland lakes on Isle Royale have mercury levels in game fish that exceed State of Michigan acceptable levels for human consumption (Kallemeyn, 2000) resulted in renewed sampling on the island focused more on environmental issues. To evaluate atmospheric inputs of mercury and other elements to soil geochemistry, regionally distributed samples of both soils and lichens were collected as paired samples across the entire island. At each soil sample site, three epiphytic (grows in trees) lichen species, Evernia mesomorpha , Hypogymnia plysodes , and Parmelia sucata , were always collected. At some sites Cladina rangiferina , a lichen that grows on bare bedrock and soil surfaces, was also collected. The occurrence of Cladina rangiferina on the island is somewhat limited, and so this lichen species was not collected at all sites. A high density of soil samples was collected within three individual watersheds (Sargent Lake, Lake Wagejo, and Lake Richie) for a localized study that evaluated the terrestrial distribution of mercury and other elements of environmental concern. These lakes were chosen using data from Kallemeyn (2000) that showed that Sargent Lake and Lake Wagejo have high mercury in fish, whereas Lake Richie, which is similar in size to Sargent Lake, does not. As part of this study on the terrestrial contribution of mercury to lakes, long cores of lake sediments were recovered from Sargent Lake and Lake Richie using a modified Livingston piston sampler. For an ancillary study that evolved from the study on the distribution of mercury in certain watersheds, some soil samples were collected to evaluate the impact of forest fire on soil geochemistry, deliberately sampling within and outside areas on the island that burned in severe forest fires in 1936. To complete bedrock sampling on the island, rock samples from the Copper Harbor Formation, a sedimentary unit that occurs on the southeastern part of the island were collected in 1999. This report presents all the geochemical data from samples collected by the USGS during this period (Figures 1 and 2). A number of reports presenting data interpretation are in preparation

Michigan↗
USGS2009

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Chiricahua National Monument

This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive inventory of vascular plants and vertebrates at Chiricahua National Monument (NM) in Arizona. This project was part of a larger effort to inventory vascular plants and vertebrates in eight National Park Service units in the Sonoran Desert Network of parks in Arizona and New Mexico. In 2002, 2003, and 2004 we surveyed for plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Chiricahua NM to document the presence of species within the boundaries of the monument. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field methods, these inventories can serve as the first step in a biological monitoring program for the monument. This report is also the first summary of previous research from the monument and therefore it provides an important overview of survey efforts to date. We used data from our inventory and previous research to compile complete species lists for the monument and to assess inventory completeness. We recorded a total of 424 species, including 37 not previously found at the monument (Table 1). We found 10 species of non-native plants and one non-native mammal. Most non-native plants were found along the western boundary of the monument. Based on a review of our inventory and past research at the monument, there have been a total of 1,137 species of plants and vertebrates found at the monument. We believe the inventories of vascular plants and vertebrates are nearly complete and that the monument has one of the most complete inventories of any unit in the Sonoran Desert Network. The mammal community at the monument had the highest species richness (69 species) and the amphibian and reptile community was among the lowest species richness (33 species) of any park in the Sonoran Desert Network. Species richness of the plant and bird communities was intermediate. Among the important determinants of species richness for all groups is the geographic location of the monument at the intergrades between the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts with influences from the Great Plains and Madrean ecological provinces. The diversity of plants results from a wide variety of soil types and aspects (from cool, moist canyons to semi-desert grasslands to pine forests). In turn, the vertebrate communities respond to this diversity of vegetation, topography, and microsites. For example, for each taxonomic group we found that some species were only associated with a single community type, most often the riparian areas or semi-desert grasslands. The area of highest species richness for most groups was the western-most portion of Bonita Canyon. The low species richness observed in the amphibian and reptile community was likely because the monument is at the elevational edge of the more species-rich semi-desert grasslands. This report includes management implications from our work and suggestions for how the monument staff might better maintain or enhance the unique biological resources of the monument. We suggest additional inventory, monitoring, and research studies and we identify components of our effort that could be improved upon, either through the application of new techniques (e.g., establishment of vegetation monitoring plots) or by extending the temporal and/or spatial scope of our work.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

Dynamically downscaled climate simulations over North America: Methods, evaluation, and supporting documentation for users

We have completed an array of high-resolution simulations of present and future climate over Western North America (WNA) and Eastern North America (ENA) by dynamically downscaling global climate simulations using a regional climate model, RegCM3. The simulations are intended to provide long time series of internally consistent surface and atmospheric variables for use in climate-related research. In addition to providing high-resolution weather and climate data for the past, present, and future, we have developed an integrated data flow and methodology for processing, summarizing, viewing, and delivering the climate datasets to a wide range of potential users. Our simulations were run over 50- and 15-kilometer model grids in an attempt to capture more of the climatic detail associated with processes such as topographic forcing than can be captured by general circulation models (GCMs). The simulations were run using output from four GCMs. All simulations span the present (for example, 1968-1999), common periods of the future (2040-2069), and two simulations continuously cover 2010-2099. The trace gas concentrations in our simulations were the same as those of the GCMs: the IPCC 20th century time series for 1968-1999 and the A2 time series for simulations of the future. We demonstrate that RegCM3 is capable of producing present day annual and seasonal climatologies of air temperature and precipitation that are in good agreement with observations. Important features of the high-resolution climatology of temperature, precipitation, snow water equivalent (SWE), and soil moisture are consistently reproduced in all model runs over WNA and ENA. The simulations provide a potential range of future climate change for selected decades and display common patterns of the direction and magnitude of changes. As expected, there are some model to model differences that limit interpretability and give rise to uncertainties. Here, we provide background information about the GCMs and the RegCM3, a basic evaluation of the model output and examples of simulated future climate. We also provide information needed to access the web applications for visualizing and downloading the data, and give complete metadata that describe the variables in the datasets.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1973

Mars cartography: the 1:5,000,000 map series

This catalog illustrates the 1:5,000,000 series of Mars base maps being compiled as part of the Mariner 9 scientific data reduction effort. This effort is sponsored by four different Centers within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration: 1) The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 2) The Langley Research Center, 3) NASA Headquarters, and 4) The Planetology Programs Office at NASA Headquarters. The catalog will be updated periodically as new materials become available, and will eventually be expanded to include cartographic products at scales of 1:1, 000, 000 and 1:250,000. Detailed discussions of the many aspects of Mars cartography are given in papers listed in the bibliography. Only brief notes are given here to aid the reader's understanding of existing products. Data returned by Mariner 9 spacecraft permit detailed mapping of landforms with dimensions as small as 1 to 3 km over the entire surface of Mars. A few special areas can be mapped to show landforms with dimensions as small as 100 m. Prior to the use of spacecraft television, telescopic views of the planet resolved only light and dark markings having dimensions greater than 100 km. Topographic features as such have not been identified telescopically. It was not until the flights of Mariners 4, 6, and 7 that Martian surface topography was revealed. High resolution pictures taken by these spacecraft covered only 20% of theplanet. By chance, the areas photographed by these spacecraftconsisted mostly of cratered terrain and no data were obtained thatsuggested the presence of the spectacular volcanoes and canyonsrevealed by the first time by Mariner 9. Mariner 9 covered at least 70% of the surface of Mars with pictures resolving features 1 to 2 km in size and the remainder with pictures resolving features about 3 km in size. These pictures, therefore, are now the definitive sources of data for the cartography of Mars and, because of their completeness, are not likely to be surpassed in this decade or perhaps this century.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Appraisal of water in bedrock aquifers, northern Cascade County, Montana

Suburban residential expansion of the city of Great Falls has resulted in an increased demand on water supplies from bedrock aquifers in northern Cascade County. The unconsolidated deposits aquifer of Quaternary age, including alluvium and glacial lake deposits, also is an important source of water in the area. Water levels in the Madison-Swift aquifer and all overlying aquifers, including the Quaternary deposits aquifer, reflect unconfined (water-table) conditions in the Great Falls vicinity. This interconnected hydrologic system is the result of breaching of the major anticlinal structure, by ancestral and present day erosion of drainage channels by the Missouri River and its tributaries. Significant vertical inter-aquifer mixing of water, as well as surface water/groundwater interchange, probably occurs in the central part of the study area. Characterization of the chemical composition of water in individual aquifers based on samples from wells in this area probably is unreliable because of this mixing. Quality of water from two wells in the Madison-Swift aquifer near Giant Springs is similar to water from the springs. Water from these three samples is less mineralized than most groundwater in the study area; dissolved solids concentrations for the three samples range from 516 to 550 mg/L. The quality of water varies among aquifers and throughout the study area. The ranges of dissolved solids concentrations determined by chemical analysis are Madison-Swift aquifer, about 520 to 1,570 mg/L; Morrison Formation, 908 to 1 ,480 mg/L; Kootenai Formation, 558 to 1,550 mg/L; Colorado Group , 2,690 and 2,740 mg/L (two samples); and unconsolidated Quaternary deposits, 383 to 2,060 mg/L. The chemical quality of water from the Colorado Group in the western one-third of the area generally is more mineralized than water from aquifers in the rest of the area. Specific conductance of water from eight wells completed in the Colorado Group averages 4,440 micromhos at 25 C. (Author 's abstract)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1985

Data on the distribution and abundance of submersed aquatic vegetation in the tidal Potomac River and transition zone of the Potomac Estuary, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, 1983-1984

Data on the distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation were collected in the tidal Potomac River and transition zone of the Potomac Estuary during 1983 and 1984. Plant species were identifed on transects. Water-quality characteristics measured include temperature, specific conductance, and Secchi depth. Maps were made of the distribution of individual species based on transect samples and a complete shoreline survey. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1992

Accounting System for Water Use by Vegetation in the Lower Colorado River Valley

The Colorado River is the principal source of water in the valley of the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and the international boundary with Mexico (fig. 1). Agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power genera-tion, and recreation are the primary uses of river water in the valley. Most of the consumptive use of water from the river occurs downstream from Davis Dam, where water is diverted to irrigate crops along the river or is exported to interior regions of California and Arizona. Most of the agricultural areas are on the alluvium of the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the alluvial terraces has been cultivated. River water is consumed mainly by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain. Crops were grown on 70.3 percent of the vegetated area classified by using 1984 digital image satellite data. Phreatophytes, natural vege-tation that obtain water from the alluvial aquifer, covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped from the river. In some areas, water is pumped from wells completed in the alluvial aquifer, which is hydraulically connected to the river.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Stratigraphic cross sections of the Niobrara Interval of the Upper Cretaceous Cody Shale in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana

The Bighorn Basin is one of many structural and sedimentary basins that formed in the Rocky Mountain foreland during the Laramide orogeny. The basin is nearly 180 miles long, 100 miles wide, and encompasses about 10,400 square miles in northern Wyoming and southern Montana. The basin is bounded by major basement uplifts that include the Pryor uplift on the northeast, the Beartooth uplift on the northwest, the Bighorn uplift on the east, and the Owl Creek uplift on the south. The northern margin includes a zone of faulting and folding referred to as the Nye-Bowler lineament. The western margin is formed by volcanic rocks of the Absaroka Range. Many important conventional oil and gas fields producing from reservoirs ranging in age from Cambrian through Tertiary have been discovered in this basin. In addition, an extensive unconventional overpressured basin-centered gas accumulation may be present in Cretaceous strata in the deeper parts of the basin. It has long been suggested that various Upper Cretaceous marine shales, including the Cody Shale, are the principal hydrocarbon source rocks for many of these accumulations. With recent advances and success in horizontal drilling and multistage fracture stimulation, there has been an increase in exploration and completion of wells in these marine shales in other Rocky Mountain Laramide basins that were traditionally thought of only as hydrocarbon source rocks. The stratigraphic cross sections presented in this report were constructed as part of a project carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey to characterize and evaluate the undiscovered continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources of the Niobrara interval in the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Cody Shale in the Bighorn Basin. These cross sections were constructed using borehole geophysical logs from wells drilled for oil and gas exploration and production. The stratigraphic interval extends from the upper part of the Frontier Formation to the middle part of the Cody Shale. The datum is the base of the “chalk kick” marker bed, a distinctive resistivity peak or zone in the lower part of the Cody Shale. A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential log was used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and correlate units. Marine molluscan index fossils collected from nearby outcrop sections were projected into the subsurface to help determine the relative ages of the strata and aid in correlation.

Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2009

Quality characteristics of ground water in the Ozark aquifer of northwestern Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma, 2006-07

Because of water quantity and quality concerns within the Ozark aquifer, the State of Kansas in 2004 issued a moratorium on most new appropriations from the aquifer until results were made available from a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Kansas Water Office. The purposes of the study were to develop a regional ground-water flow model and a water-quality assessment of the Ozark aquifer in northwestern Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma (study area). In 2006 and 2007, water-quality samples were collected from 40 water-supply wells completed in the Ozark aquifer and spatially distributed throughout the study area. Samples were analyzed for physical properties, dissolved solids and major ions, nutrients, trace elements, and selected isotopes. This report presents the results of the water-quality assessment part of the cooperative study. Water-quality characteristics were evaluated relative to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards. Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations were exceeded for dissolved solids (11 wells), sulfate and chloride (2 wells each), fluoride (3 wells), iron (4 wells), and manganese (2 wells). Maximum Contaminant Levels were exceeded for turbidity (3 wells) and fluoride (1 well). The Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for lead (0 milligrams per liter) was exceeded in water from 12 wells. Analyses of isotopes in water from wells along two 60-mile long ground-water flow paths indicated that water in the Ozark aquifer was at least 60 years old but the upper age limit is uncertain. The source of recharge water for the wells along the flow paths appeared to be of meteoric origin because of isotopic similarity to the established Global Meteoric Water Line and a global precipitation relation. Additionally, analysis of hydrogen-3 (3H) and carbon-14 (14C) indicated that there was possible leakage of younger ground water into the lower part of the Ozark aquifer. This may be caused by cracks or fissures in the confining unit that separates the upper and lower parts of the aquifer, poorly constructed or abandoned wells, or historic mining activities. Analyses of major ions in water from wells along the flow paths indicated a transition from freshwater in the east to saline water in the west. Generally, ground water along flow paths evolved from a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type to a sodium calcium bicarbonate or a sodium calcium chloride bicarbonate type as water moved from recharge areas in Missouri into Kansas. Much of this evolution occurred within the last 20 to 25 miles of the flow paths along a water-quality transition zone near the Kansas-Missouri State line and west. The water quality of the Kansas part of the Ozark aquifer is degraded compared to the Missouri part. Geophysical and well-bore flow information and depth-dependent water-quality samples were collected from a large-capacity (1,900-2,300 gallons per minute) municipal-supply well to evaluate vertical ground-water flow accretion and variability in water-quality characteristics at different levels. Although the 1,050-foot deep supply well had 500 feet of borehole open to the Ozark aquifer, 77 percent of ground-water flow entering the borehole came from two 20-foot thick rock layers above the 1,000-foot level. For the most part, water-quality characteristics changed little from the deepest sample to the well-head sample, and upwelling of saline water from deeper geologic formations below the well was not evident. However, more saline water may be present below the bottom of the well.

Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma↗
USGS2024

Use of continuous water-quality time-series data to compute total phosphorus concentrations and loads for the Missouri River at St. Joseph and Hermann, Missouri, 2007–22

In support of Missouri’s Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, which was created to reduce the nutrient contamination of Missouri’s waterways from point and nonpoint sources, total phosphorus concentrations and loads were computed for the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Missouri, streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey station 06818000) and the Missouri River at Hermann, Mo., streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey station 06934500) for October 2007 to September 2022 using surrogate models and continuous turbidity sensor data. To obtain a more complete total phosphorus record for the study period, LOAD ESTimator (LOADEST) regression models using flow were used when turbidity sensor data were unavailable to estimate daily total phosphorus loads. This report presents the methods and results for the computed total phosphorus concentrations, loads, and yields for the two study sites on the Missouri River. With continued data collection and ongoing model evaluation and maintenance, the surrogate models may be useful into the future for computing total phosphorus concentrations and loads. Daily mean total phosphorus concentrations calculated using a surrogate model at the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Mo., streamgage during the 15-year study period (water years 2008 through 2022) ranged from 0.104 to 4.56 milligrams per liter (mg/L; median of 0.272 mg/L), and computed total phosphorus daily loads (with gaps in the daily record filled using the LOADEST regression model) ranged from 5.19 to 1,760 tons per day (tons/d; median of 36.5 tons/d). Annual loads ranged from 9,570 tons in water year 2022 to 50,500 tons in water year 2019. The total load for the study period was 437,000 tons. For the Missouri River at Hermann, Mo., streamgage during the same 15-year study period, daily mean total phosphorus concentrations, calculated using surrogate models applied to low and high turbidity values, ranged from 0.183 to 1.97 mg/L (median of 0.319 mg/L), and computed total phosphorus daily loads (with gaps in the daily record filled using the LOADEST regression model) ranged from 12.7 to 1,970 tons/d (median of 76.8 tons/d). Annual loads ranged from 22,600 tons in water year 2022 to 101,000 tons in water year 2019. The total load for the study period was 833,000 tons, which is nearly twice that at the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Mo., streamgage.

Missouri↗