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USGS2020

Fate and behavior tools related to inland spill response—Workshop on the U.S. Geological Survey’s role in Federal science support

Executive Summary There is a growing body of tools available for science support for determining the fate and behavior of industrial and agricultural chemicals that are rapidly injected (“spilled”) into aquatic environments. A 2-day roundtable-style workshop was held by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Middleton, Wisconsin, in December 2017 to describe and explore existing Federal science support for spill fate and behavior tools used for inland spills, ongoing and new fate and behavior studies, and science gaps in planning and response tools as part of the USGS Midcontinent Region’s efforts to include spill response as part of its strategic plans. A total of 28 attendees representing a variety of Federal, State, and regional entities presented on programs and tools used in various aspects of spill response. Most programs and tools discussed were for spills in riverine environments but tools and applications for spills in lakes, on land surfaces, in urban storm sewer networks, and groundwater also were discussed. A primary workshop focus was to facilitate communication and increase potential for future collaboration among agencies for inland spill science support. The role and need for more USGS science support within the inland spill community was discussed. Enhanced communication is needed within the USGS and the U.S. Department of the Interior science programs, as well as within and among other agencies that do emergency planning and response. A main conclusion of the workshop was that there are untapped resources of the USGS outlined in the agency’s science strategy that could strengthen science support for fate and behavior tools in inland areas, especially in the Upper Mississippi River, Ohio River, and Great Lakes Basins where large freshwater resources overlap with dense corridors of oil and hazardous substances, with transportation networks, and with large populations centers. Fate and behavior tools are being developed quickly for inland spill response by multiple Federal agencies in partnership with local and regional entities. Applicability of these tools ranges from planning and preparedness, to the early stages of spill response for protection of human life and property, and to the application of monitoring and models to assess the long-term consequences of spills. Key findings from the workshop, with an emphasis on potential further development of USGS science support, include the following: •The national and regional response to spills occurs within an established system that must be respected by all parties involved in spill response. The USGS’s role is to support spill responders who are physically working at a spill scene, deploying booms and using other efforts to contain and recover spilled materials. •The USGS has tools that have been used throughout spill response operations, from early response to recovery and restoration. Developing a more formal role for the USGS to participate in science support for inland spills on a consistent basis is a desired outcome. This will require the USGS to improve internal and external communication and would be best accomplished by assigning one or more coordinator positions within the agency to plan and oversee USGS spill-response efforts. More involvement of the USGS on National and Regional Response Teams, especially in the realm of the Science and Technology Subcommittees, will gofar in increasing external communication and integration of fate and behavior tools. •Rapid response to spills requires modeling and mapping of plumes and associated time-of-travel estimation for a range of stream sizes across the United States. Many existing models use USGS streamgage data and the USGS National Hydrography Dataset. Nearly all existing models would benefit from updated linkages to USGS StreamStats and its soon-to-be released time-of-travel estimates,real-time velocity, stream morphology, and slope data. Integrating USGS tools with those from other agencies could be done to better serve the larger spill response community. • A problem is that existing models to rapidly predict plume extent, as well as more followup/longer-term fate and transport models, can be unknown or unavailable to spill responders. Thus, creating and strengthening linkages among USGS scientists skilled at using these tools is needed to support spill response with the on-scene responders. • Research for inland spill fate and behavior done outside of an immediate spill response can assist with spill planning and preparedness by (1) revealing sites likely to experience spills in the future (high-risk sites) and (2) understanding how a spilled substance might behave under a range of environmental conditions. However, USGS research on this topic has been scarce and subject to funding availability. Examples include the 2010 Line 6B Spill release into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan, where the USGS provided science support for a variety of fate and behavior tools for stream and impoundment environments. A long-term research site in Bemidji, Minnesota, provides important insights into transformations and longevity of spilled oil in groundwater and groundwater-surface water interactions. • Linking stream models to other components of this inland environment, including groundwater, overland flow, and karst, is needed. Stream network data can be linked to underground conduits such as storm sewers and karst groundwater systems. Stream models can also be linked with geospatial data such as that contained in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s interactive mapping tools. • The USGS is uniquely qualified to collect water-quality data during spills in the United States because of its many geographically dispersed water science centers, its knowledge and preparedness for flood measurement and documentation, and its cadre of skilled water-quality employees. Rapid-deployment gages, used for floods, could also be used for spills if they included spill-specific sensors. Coordinated expertise at USGS water and environmental science centers can be used for monitoring spill effects and for assessing risk to water quality and ecological communities. • Scientists at the USGS have proven capable of providing science coordination and technical assistance within the Incident Command Structure at the request of the lead on-scene coordinator. This external coordination, as well as internal communication within USGS Water, Hazards, and Ecosystems Mission Areas, could be improved by establishing and naming a USGS spills coordinator. Scott Morlock, Jo Ellen Hinck, and Faith Fitzpatrick are currently (2017) serving in informal coordination roles in addition to their traditional duties.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1969

Cretaceous sedimentation and tectonism in the southeastern Kaiparowits region, Utah

Upper Cretaceous strata in the southeastern Kaiparowits region of south-central Utah consist of approximately 3,500 feet of interfingering sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal in the Dakota Formation (oldest), Tropic Shale, Straight Cliffs Formation, and Wahweap Formation (youngest). The formations consist of several depositional facies that can be recognized by characteristic lithologies bedding structures, and fossils; these are the alluvial plain, deltaic plain, lagoonal-paludal, barrier sandstone, and offshore marine facies. The distribution of facies clearly defines the paleogeography of the region during several cycles of marine transgression and regression. The nonmarine beds were deposited on a broad alluvial coastal plain that was bordered on the west and southwest by highlands and on the east and northeast by the Western Interior seaway. The marine beds were deposited whenever the seaway advanced into or across the region. The Dakota Formation and the lower part of the Tropic Shale were deposited in nonmarine and marine environments, while the shoreline advanced generally westward across the region. The middle and upper part of the Tropic Shale and the Tibbet Canyon and Smoky Hollow Members of the Straight Cliffs Formation were deposited in marine and nonmarine environments when the seaway had reached its greatest areal extent and began a gradual northeastward withdrawal. An unconformity at the top of the Smoky Hollow represents a period of erosion and possibly nondeposition before deposition of the John Henry Member of the Straight Cliffs. The John Henry Member grades from nonmarine in the southwest to predominantly marine in the northeast, and was deposited during two relatively minor cycles of transgression and regression. The Drip Tank Member at the top of the Straight Cliffs Formation is a widespread sandstone unit deposited mainly in fluvial environments. Some of the beds in the northeastern part of the region were probably deposited in marine waters during the final incursion of the seaway into the Kaiparowits region. The overlying Wahweap Formation was deposited in nonmarine environments. Slight but continued tectonism during Late Cretaceous time is indicated by lateral changes of facies and thickness variations that coincide at least partly with present structures. These criteria indicate that Laramide tectonism consisted of two phases. An early phase that lasted from about late Albian to late Campanian time included regional subsidence, basin downwarping, and movement on local folds and faults. A later phase that lasted from late Campanian to about late Paleocene time included regional uplift, monoclinal flexing, and probable new faulting, as well as continued basin downwarping and movement on local folds and probably on the older faults. The principal economic resource in the Kaiparowits region is bituminous or subbituminous coal in the john Henry Member. Because basin downwarping and movement on local folds occurred during deposition, the thicker and more continuous coal beds are in the ancestral synclines and tile deeper part of the structural basin. Presently indicated resources total 7.3 billion tons, but considerably larger quantities are probably present in the unexplored parts of the region. Several potential resources include ground water, titaniferous sandstone, and possibly oil and gas.

Utah↗
USGS1979

Stratigraphy and paleoenvironment of Miocene phosphatic rocks in the East San Francisco Bay region, California

A stratigraphic study of the Monterey Group in the East San Francisco Bay Region, California, indicates that a depositional basin began to subside in early to middle Miocene time. The Miocene sea transgressed from the west or southwest, and the area subsided to a possible water depth of 500 to 2,500 m. The Monterey Group within the study area is a time-transgressive sequence of six sandstone and shale formations. Stratigraphic cycles of interbedded sandstone and shale formations are related to the amount of terrigenous sediment input into the basin as well as the depositional environment. During periods of low terrigenous sedimentation, biogenetic sedimentation in the form of diatomite layers were interbedded with hemipelagic muds and thin turbidite sands. These diatom-rich sediments were probably deposited within the upper bathyal zone (180 to 500 m) and, during lithification, diagenetically altered to form siliceous shales and cherts. As terrigenous sedimentation increased, probably due to periodic uplift east of the study area, biogenetic sedimentation was masked until finer grained sediment at a lower rate of deposition reoccurred. As the basin filled and a higher energy environment prevailed; coarse-grained sediment was again deposited until a lower energy environment resumed. Three types of inorganic phosphate are present within the study area: nodular, Pelletal, and pebbles of sandy phosphatic mudstone. The nodular phosphate is associated with the siliceous shale formations and formed within diatomite layers before compaction and lithification. The other two types of phosphate are found within the sandstone formations and probably originated in a shallower, higher energy environment than the siliceous shales. Faulting was active during middle to late Miocene time. The change in stratigraphic thickness across the Mission fault is 350 m which may approximate the vertical (?) displacement along this fault. This displacement took place in middle to upper Miocene time and apparently caused erosion of the upper formations of the Monterey Group on the west side of the Mission fault before the Briones Formation was deposited in late Miocene time. Depositional thinning of the Monterey Group in the southern portion of the study area may imply that the Hayward and Calaveras faults were also active at this time.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Intrusions and intrusive complexes in an ophiolite near San Luis Obispo; a chemical and petrologic study

The San Luis Obispo ophiolite is a sequence of mafic and ultramafic rocks that lie as a thrust-like slice on top of Franciscan melange in the southern California Coast Range. The ophiolite comprises the classic Steinmann Trinity of basal serpentinized ultramafic rocks overlain sequentially by spilitized pillow lavas and cherts. The ophiolite is intruded by numerous diabasic dikes and several large intrusive complexes that contain peridotite, gabbro, diabase and felsic rocks. Field relations indicate that this ophiolite originated as a sequence of submarine volcanic flows and breccia units extruded onto an ultramafic basement. Later the volcanic and ultramafic rocks were intruded along their contact by mafic magma that crystallized as a stratiform complex of cumulate peridotite and gabbro. Next, this stratiform complex was intruded by diorite and albite-granite (trondhjemite) sills, which may have been produced by partial melting of gabbros in the upper levels of the stratiform complex. Finally all earlier units were intruded by diabasic sills and dikes that probably were late feeders for the pre-existing volcanic unit. All the ophiolite rocks underwent subsequent highly localized brecciation, under greenschist-facies conditions, in which felsic rocks were incipiently melted by frictional heating. The host rocks and intrusions were metamorphosed at low temperature and the mafic rocks were altered by Na- and Si-metasomatism. Despite this pervasive alteration, evidences of the formational stages of the ophiolite are preserved in disequilibrium mineral assemblages, primarily within mafic and ultramafic rocks of the intrusive complexes. Whole-rock analyses of the ophiolite suite indicate that alteration has obscured but not obliterated the original chemical character of the mafic rocks. The ophiolite diabases and basalts contain up to 6 weight percent Na 2 0 and 58 percent Si0 2 , in contrast to normal Si0 2 contents of 50 percent or less and Na 2 0 contents of less than 3 percent for unaltered oceanic and continental tholeiite basalts. However, the low K 2 0 contents (less than 0.8 percent) of all units in the ophiolite suite indicate that these rocks are not part of an alkalic kindred, but rather are altered tholeiites. Compositions of relict amphibole and plagioclase in the mafic rocks indicate that the ophiolite formed in a high-temperature environment and the deep seated rocks were metamorphosed under amphibolite-facies conditions. A later change in the environmental conditions allowed subsequent low-temperature (greenschist facies) metamorphism and metasomatism. The structure and chemistry of the San Luis Obispo ophiolite support the hypothesis that this body may represent a fragment of oceanic crust and mantle. The volcanic rocks and the intrusive complexes probably formed at a mid-ocean ridge, where conditions of high heat-flow provided the requisite high-temperature environment and promoted the production of mafic magmas. The change to low-temperature conditions probably was due to inception or acceleration of crustal spreading at that portion of the ridge where this ophiolite formed. The nature of brecciation in the ophiolite indicates that the low-temperature environment also was one of greater tectonic disturbance, relative to conditions at the ridge. This tectonically active environment probably corresponds to an island arc where the ophiolite-bearing plate was subducted in an adjacent trench. The absence of a high-pressure mineral assemblage in the San Luis Obispo ophiolite suggests that this segment of ocean-crust and upper mantle was not buried in a subduction zone, but rather was rafted on top of subduction melange (Franciscan Formation) into its present position.

California↗
USGS1990

Chemical and physical characteristics of coal and carbonaceous shale samples from the Salt Range coal field, Punjab Province, Pakistan

Sixty coal and carbonaceous shale samples collected from the Paleocene Patala Formation in the Salt Range coal field, Punjab Province, Pakistan, were analyzed to examine the relationships between coal bed chemical and physical characteristics and depositional environments. Results of proximate and ultimate analyses, reported on an as received basis, indicate that coal beds have an average ash yield of 24.23 percent, average sulfur content of 5.32 percent, average pyritic sulfur content of 4.07 percent, and average calorific value of 8943 Btu (4972 kcal/kg). Thirty five coal samples, analyzed on a whole coal, dry basis for selected trace elements and oxides, have anomalously high average concentrations of Ti, at O.3& percent; Zr, at 382 ppm; and Se, at 11.4 ppm, compared to world wide averages for these elements in coal. Some positive correlation coefficients, significant at a 0.01 level, are those between total sulfur and As, pyritic sulfur and As, total sulfur and sample location, organic sulfur and Se, calorific value (Btu) and sample location, and coal bed thickness and Se. Calorific values -for the samples, calculated on a moist, mineral matter free basis, indicate that the apparent rank of the coal is high volatile C bituminous. Variations observed in the chemical and physical characteristics of the coal beds may be related to depositional environments. Total ash yields and concentrations of Se and organic sulfur increase toward more landward depositional environments and may be related to an increase of fluvial influence on peat deposition. Variations in pyritic sulfur concentrations may be related to post-peat pyrite filled burrows commonly observed in the upper part of the coal bed. The thickest coal beds that have the lowest ash content, and highest calorific values, formed from peats deposited in back barrier, tidal flat environments of the central and western parts of the coal field. The reasons for correlations between Se and coal bed thickness and Se and ash content are not clear and may be a product of averaging.

Punjab Province↗
USGS2005

Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Palisades, Lower Comanche, and Arroyo Grande areas of the Colorado River Corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona

This report analyzes various depositional environments in three archaeologically significant areas of the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon. Archaeological features are built on and buried by fluvial, aeolian, and locally derived sediment, representing a complex interaction between geologic and cultural history. These analyses provide a basis for determining the potential influence of Glen Canyon Dam operations on selected archaeological sites and thus for guiding dam operations in order to facilitate preservation of cultural resources. This report presents initial results of a joint effort between geologists and archaeologists to evaluate the significance of various depositional processes and environments in the prehistoric formation and modern preservation of archaeological sites along the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon National Park. Stratigraphic investigations of the Palisades, Lower Comanche, and Arroyo Grande areas of Grand Canyon yield detailed information regarding the sedimentary history at these locations. Reconstruction of past depositional settings is critical to a thorough understanding of the geomorphic and stratigraphic evolution of these three archaeologically significant areas. This examination of past sedimentary environments allows the relative significance of fluvial, aeolian, debris-fan, and slope-wash sedimentary deposits to be identified at each site. In general the proportion of fluvial sediment (number and thickness of flood deposits) is shown to decrease away from the river, and locally derived sediment becomes more significant. Flood sequences often occur as 'couplets' that contain a fluvial deposit overlain by an interflood unit that reflects reworking of fluvial sediment at the land surface by wind and local runoff. Archaeological features are built on and buried by sediment of various depositional environments, implying a complex interaction between geologic and cultural history. Such field analysis, which combines geological and archaeological information and techniques, can provide a basis for future determination of the effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations on selected areas of the river corridor. This knowledge is essential to the development of preservation strategies for cultural resources in Grand Canyon.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2007

Relation of Lake-Floor Characteristics to the Distribution of Variable Leaf Water-Milfoil in Moultonborough Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, 2005

Geophysical, water, and sediment surveys were done to characterize the effects of surficial geology, water and sediment chemistry, and surficial-sediment composition on the distribution of variable leaf water-milfoil in Moultonborough Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Geophysical surveys were conducted in a 180-square-kilometer area, and water-quality and sediment samples were collected from 24 sites in the survey area during July 2005. Swath-bathymetric data revealed that Moultonborough Bay ranged in depth from less than 1 meter (m) to about 15 m and contained three embayments. Seismic-reflection profiles revealed erosion of the underlying bedrock and subsequent deposition of glaciolacustrine and Holocene lacustrine sediments within the survey area. Sediment thickness ranged from 5 m along the shoreward margins to more than 15 m in the embayments. Data from sidescan sonar, surficial-sediment samples, bottom photographs, and video revealed three distinct lake-floor environments: rocky nearshore, mixed nearshore, and muddy basin. Rocky nearshore environments were found in shallow water (less than 5 m deep) and contained sediments ranging from coarse silt to very coarse sand. Mixed nearshore environments also were found in shallow water and contained sediments ranging from silt to coarse sand with different densities of aquatic vegetation. Muddy basin environments contained the finest-grained sediments, ranging from fine to medium silt, and were in the deepest waters of the bay. Acoustic Ground Discrimination Systems (AGDS) survey data revealed that 86 percent of the littoral zone (the area along the margins of the bay and islands that extends from 0 to 4.3 m in water depth) contained submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in varying densities: approximately 36 percent contained SAV bottom cover of 25 percent or less, 43 percent contained SAV bottom cover of more than 25 and less than 75 percent, and approximately 7 percent contained SAV bottom cover of more than 75 percent. SAV included variable leaf water-milfoil, native milfoil, bassweed, pipewort, and other species, which were predominantly found near shoreward margins and at depths ranging from less than 1 to 4 m. AGDS data were used in a Geographic Information System to generate an interpolated map that distinguished variable leaf water-milfoil from other SAV. Furthermore, these data were used to isolate areas susceptible to variable leaf water-milfoil growth. Approximately 21 percent of the littoral zone contained dense beds (more than 59 percent bottom cover) of variable leaf water-milfoil, and an additional 44 percent was determined to be susceptible to variable leaf water-milfoil infestation. Depths differed significantly between sites with variable leaf water-milfoil and sites with other SAV (p = 0.04). Variable leaf water-milfoil was found at depths that ranged from 1 to 4 m, and other SAV had a depth range of 1 to 2 m. Although variable leaf water-milfoil was observed at greater depths than other SAV, it was not observed below the photic zone. Analysis of constituent concentrations from the water column, interstitial pore water, and sediment showed little correlation with the presence of variable leaf water-milfoil, with two exceptions. Iron concentrations were significantly lower at variable leaf water-milfoil sites than at other sampling sites (p = 0.04). Similarly, the percentage of total organic carbon also was significantly lower at the variable leaf water-milfoil sites than at other sampling sites (p = 0.04). Surficial-sediment-grain size had the greatest correlation to the presence of variable leaf water-milfoil. Variable leaf water-milfoil was predominantly growing in areas of coarse sand (median grain-size 0.62 millimeters). Surficial-sediment-grain size was also correlated with total ammonia plus organic nitrogen (Rho = 0.47; p = 0.02) and with total phosphorus (Rho = 0.44; p = 0.05) concentrations in interstitial pore-water samples.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2022

Refining sources of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Back River watershed, Baltimore, Maryland, 2018–2020

Older urban landscapes present unique and complex stressors to urban streams and their habitats through the introduction of legacy and emerging toxic contaminants. Contaminant sources are often associated with various developed land uses such as older residential areas, active and former industrial sites, contaminated sites, and effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plant discharges. These landscapes have a history of legacy contaminant use such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) resulting in impacts to sediment and water in these complex environments. Despite the ban of PCBs in new commercial use in 1979, PCB contamination is still widespread in the environment, with many fish consumption advisories throughout the Chesapeake Bay region based on elevated PCBs. Several watersheds in the Baltimore region have mandated reductions in PCBs per total maximum daily loads in tidal waters of the watersheds in order to promote compliance with water quality standards. Some of these mandated reductions (for example, regulated watershed runoff) specified in the total maximum daily loads are the responsibility of the local jurisdictions as part of their phase 1 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System municipal separate storm sewer system permit. In cooperation with the Baltimore City Department of Public Works and Maryland Department of the Environment, the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Maryland, Baltimore County conducted a study from 2018 to 2020 to refine the sources of PCBs from the City of Baltimore into Back River and to use the results to improve the conceptual site model of PCBs in the Back River watershed. PCB concentrations in the water column of the nontidal streams in Back River watershed are relatively consistent throughout both tributaries, with greater concentrations detected in samples collected from Moores Run but greater loads estimated in samples collected from Herring Run. PCB concentrations measured in the bed sediments and analysis of the flux between sediment porewater (hereafter porewater) and surface water within the tributaries suggest that there are no stationary legacy sources within the stream channels. The bulk of PCB mass entering the system from these nontidal tributaries appears to be introduced primarily during storm events. While only one storm event was sampled and concentrations were quantified only in Herring Run, solids captured during the storm were characterized by increases in PCB mass and overall suspended solids concentrations. Although the bioavailability of the PCB-associated sediment is unknown, this mechanism appears to warrant additional attention to better understand how concentrations vary under different storm conditions and temporally. The importance of contaminated stormwater in loading to Herring Run is further supported by the PCB concentrations in storm drain sediments collected near the tributary, which were present in higher concentrations and were characterized by different homolog signatures compared to that in bed sediments. The observations in the tributaries differed from PCB concentrations and sediment characteristics downstream from the City of Baltimore boundary, in the upper tidal area of the main stem of Back River, particularly at the passive sampler locations BRT–1 and BRT–3. This depositional environment is characterized by higher organic content in sediments and higher concentrations of PCBs in porewater, which result in the possible flux of contaminants from sediment to the water column. This flux is generally opposite of that observed in the nontidal tributaries and the farthest upstream tidal site (BRT–2) and may be a result of the possible settling of sediment particles introduced via suspended solids in stormwater. Despite an observed considerable reduction in overall PCB mass loading to and from the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant (BRWWTP) (and similar reductions observed in biosolids) compared to the estimates previously reported from 2015, effluent from the BRWWTP continues to be a primary source of PCBs to Back River. The current study confirmed the likeliness of fat, oil, and grease deposits within the miles of sewer pipe as a source of PCBs to the BRWWTP influent. The differences between PCB concentrations in fat, oil, and grease deposits found in pipes (during replacement) compared to that of the BRWWTP suggest that legacy deposits may contain higher PCB concentrations and may act as a source of PCBs to passing sewage, eventually entering the BRWWTP. Variation in freely dissolved concentrations in the sewer system was apparent through the analysis of PCBs in the primary pump stations using passive sampling, with the largest contribution to the influent attributed to a single pump station and associated piping. The contribution of PCBs to Herring Run and Moores Run via sanitary sewer overflows compared to the BRWWTP effluent is negligible, similar to reports from another large urban wastewater treatment plant. Therefore, decreased occurrence of sanitary sewer overflows is not expected to largely decrease PCB loads. Results of this study suggest that targeted, sediment-capture best management practices in Back River watershed could be an effective way to reduce PCB mass loading assuming that deposited contaminated sediments are effectively isolated. Recent studies of some common urban best management practices such as bioretention have shown removal of PCBs within the stormwater control structures. In addition, appropriately timed street sweeping practices with appropriate collection equipment may be an effective way to reduce contaminants such as PCBs from road runoff sources. Reductions in concentrations and mass loading within the sewer system measured in this study compared to that estimated 5 years prior reflect the possible success of ongoing gray infrastructure management actions. Reductions may be attributable to enhanced nutrient reduction upgrades to the BRWWTP and extensive capital improvements and maintenance to the sewer system. This study employed a combined sampling approach and a variety of sampling methods to include low-density polyethylene passive samplers, high-volume water samples, and grab samples of both water and sediment to characterize the PCB inputs to Herring Run, Moores Run, and Back River. Incorporating the passive samplers provided a time-weighted average of the freely dissolved concentration in the surface water, porewater, WWTP influent and effluent, and pump station influent over the deployment period with picogram per liter detection limits. A similar monitoring approach from this study could be implemented within other subwatersheds or municipal separate storm sewer system jurisdictions to assist in refining primary sources of PCBs in order to inform appropriate mitigation approaches.

Maryland↗
USGS2003

Occurrence and Distribution of Pesticides in the St. Lucie River Watershed, South-Central Florida, 2000-01, Based on Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Screening

The St. Lucie River watershed is a valuable estuarine ecosystem and resource in south-central Florida. The watershed has undergone extensive changes over the last century because of anthropogenic activities. These activities have resulted in a complex urban and agricultural drainage network that facilitates the transport of contaminants, including pesticides, to the primary canals and then to the estuary. Historical data indicate that aquatic life criteria for selected pesticides have been exceeded. To address this concern, a reconnaissance was conducted to assess the occurrence and distribution of selected pesticides within the St. Lucie River watershed. Numerous water samples were collected from 37 sites among various land-use categories (urban/built-up, citrus, cropland/pastureland, and inte-grated). Samples were collected at inflow points to primary canals (C-23, C-24, and C-44) and at control structures along these canals from October 2000 to September 2001. Samples were screened for four pesticide classes (triazines, chloroacetanilides, chlorophenoxy compounds, and organophosphates) by using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) screening. A temporal distribution of pesticides within the watershed was made based on samples collected at the integrated sites during different rainfall events between October 2000 and September 2001. Triazines were detected in 32 percent of the samples collected at the integrated sites. Chloroacetanilides were detected in 60 percent of the samples collected at the integrated sites, with most detections occurring at one site. Chlorophenoxy compounds were detected in 17 percent of the samples collected at the integrated sites. Organophosphates were detected in only one sample. A spatial distribution and range of concentration of pesticides at the 37 sampling sites in the watershed were determined among land-use categories. Triazine concentrations ranged from highest to lowest in the citrus, urban/built-up, and integrated areas, respectively. The highest median triazine concentration was found in the cropland/pastureland area. Chloroacetanilide concentra-tions ranged from highest to lowest in the citrus, integrated, urban/built-up, and cropland/pastureland areas, respectively. Chlorophenoxy compound concentrations ranged from highest to lowest in the urban/built-up, integrated, citrus, and cropland/pastureland areas, respectively. The maximum concentrations of triazines, chloroacetanilides, and chlorophenoxy compounds were 0.63, 1.0, and 14 micrograms per liter, respectively. Organophosphate was detected once at an integrated site at a concentration of 0.20 microgram per liter. Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has no aquatic life guidelines for atrazine and metolachlor. However, assuming that all triazine and metolachlor concentrations from ELISA and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses were the result of atrazine and metolachlor detections, no concentrations exceeded the Canadian aquatic life guidelines for atrazine and metolachlor. One organophosphate detection (0.2 microgram per liter) did exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life guideline for chlorpyrifos. The deethylatrazine/atrazine ratio (DAR) is an important indicator of atrazine transport in the environment. The DAR ranged from 0.25 to 0.33, indicating that postapplication runoff was the most likely source of atrazine to the environment at the time of sampling. Deisopropylatrazine is a metabolite of atrazine and structurally similar compounds, such as simazine and cyanazine. The deisopropylatrazine/deethylatrazine ratio (D2R) is an indicator of nonpoint sources of deisopropylatrazine to the environment. The ratio ranged from 1 to 3 in this study, indicating simazine was an important source of deisopropylatrazine to the environment at the time of sampling, as opposed to atrazine alone. Confirmation analyses by GC/MS for triazines detected by ELISA indicated the presence of atrazine, simazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine. Metolachlor, however, or any of the pesticides for which the ELISA test is cross reactive (acetochlor, butachlor, propachlor, or alachlor) were not detected by GC/MS analysis. The chloroacetanilide detections may be the result of antibody cross reactivity with two metolachlor metabolites; namely, metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid (ESA) and metolachlor oxanilic acid (OA). Metalaxyl, a fungicide also used in the watershed, cross reacts with metolachlor antibodies at low concentrations. Quality assurance efforts included the collection of duplicate samples and equipment blanks for every 10 and 20 environmental samples collected, respectively. All equipment blank test results showed concentrations below the method detection limit (MDL) for triazines, chlorophenoxy compounds, and organophosphates. Chloroacetanilide concentrations ranged from the method detection limit of 0.05 to 0.07 microgram per liter. Further results indicated statistically significant differences between triazines by ELISA and atrazine by GC/MS when ELISA results are converted to the MDL. There was, however, no statistically significant difference between triazines determined by ELISA and atrazine determined by GC/MS when ELISA results were converted to one-half the MDL.

Florida↗
USGS2017

Climatic-change implications from long-term (1823-1994) ice records for the Laurentian Great Lakes

Long-term ice records (1823-1994) from six sites in different parts of the Laurentian Great Lakes region were used to show the type and general timing of climatic changes throughout the region. The general timing of both freeze-up and ice loss varies and is driven by local air temperatures, adjacent water bodies and mixing, and site morphometry. Grand Traverse Bay and Buffalo Harbor represent deeper-water environments affected by mixing of off-shore waters; Chequamegon Bay, Memnominee, Lake Mendota, and Toronto Harbor represent relatively shallow-water, protected environments. Freeze-up dates gradually become later and ice-loss dates gradually earlier from the start of records to the 1890s in both environments, marking the end of the 'Little Ice Age.' After this, freeze-up dates remained relatively constant suggesting little change in early-winter air temperatures during the 20th century. Ice-loss dates at Grand Traverse Bay and Buffalo Harbor (but not at the other sites) became earlier during the 1940s and 1970s and became later during the 1960s. The global warming of the 1980s was marked by a trend toward earlier ice-loss dates in both environments.

Great Lakes↗
USGS2023

Spatio-temporal variability in the strength, directionality, and relative importance of climate on occupancy and population densities in a philopatric mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps)

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely employed to evaluate species–environment relationships. However, when extrapolated over broad spatial scales or through time, these models decline in their predictive ability due to variation in how species respond to their environment. Many models assume species–environment relationships remain constant over space and time, hindering their ability to accurately forecast distributions. Therefore, there is growing recognition that models could be improved by accounting for spatio-temporal nonstationarity – a phenomenon wherein the factors governing ecological processes change over space or time. Here, we investigated nonstationarity in American pika ( Ochotona princeps ) relationships with climatic variables in the Rocky Mountains (USA). We first compared broad-scale differences in pika–climate patterns for occupancy and population density across the Southern, Central, and Northern Rockies. Next, we investigated within-ecoregion variation across four mountain ranges nested within the Northern Rockies. Lastly, we tested whether species–climate relationships changed over time within the Central Rockies ecoregion. Across all analyses, we found varying levels of nonstationarity among the climate metrics for both occupancy and density. Although we found general congruence in temperature metrics, which consistently had negative coefficients, and moisture metrics (e.g., relative humidity), which had positive coefficients, nonstationarity was greatest for summer and winter precipitation over both space and time. These results suggest that interpretations from one ecoregion should not be applied to other regions universally – especially when using precipitation metrics. The within-ecoregion analysis found much greater variation in the strength-of-relationship coefficients among the four mountain ranges, relative to the inter-regional analysis, possibly attributable to smaller sample sizes per mountain range. Lastly, the importance of several variables shifted through time from significant to insignificant in the temporal analysis. Our results collectively reveal the overall complexity underlying species–environment relationships. With rapidly shifting conditions globally, this work adds to the growing body of literature highlighting how issues of spatio-temporal nonstationarity can limit the accuracy, transferability, and reliability of models and that interpretations will likely be most robust at local to regional scales. Diagnosing, describing, and incorporating nonstationarity of species–climate relationships into models over space and time could serve as a pivotal step in creating more informative models.

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution↗
USGS2023

Fish life-history traits predict abundance-occupancy patterns in artificial lakes

Life-history traits of a species have been postulated as a factor in abundance and occupancy patterns. Understanding how traits contribute to the ubiquity and rarity of taxa can facilitate the development of effective conservation policy by establishing a connection between species requirements and resource. The goal was to evaluate fish assemblages in artificial lakes for evidence of the abundance-occupancy patterns reported in natural environments and, if evident, to explore if observed patterns of abundance and occupancy could be attributed to species traits. Fish abundance and occupancy were estimated over 1990–2018 in 22 artificial lakes impounded within the Tennessee River basin, USA. Consistent with reports for many other taxonomic groups in natural environments, there was a positive association amidst 114 fish species between abundance and occupancy in artificial lakes ( R 2 = 0.78). This result indicates that the fish assemblages that develop in these anthropized environments follow the fundamental abundance-occupancy patterns uncovered in natural environments, despite assemblages having been disfigured by the dramatic rearrangement of habitats brought by impoundment. Moreover, a redundancy analysis focusing mostly on reproductive and habitat traits adequately predicted abundance-occupancy patterns of fish assemblages in artificial lakes ( R 2 = 0.69). Species abundance-occupancy is influenced by the interplay between life-history traits and habitat availability, even in artificial lakes, and by extension, possibly other artificial ecosystems.

Alabame, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Car↗
USGS2022

Undeveloped and developed phases in the centennial evolution of a barrier-marsh-lagoon system: The case of Long Beach Island, New Jersey

Barrier islands and their associated backbarrier environments protect mainland population centers and infrastructure from storm impacts, support biodiversity, and provide long-term carbon storage, among other ecosystem services. Despite their socio-economic and ecological importance, the response of coupled barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise is poorly understood. Undeveloped barrier-marsh-lagoon systems typically respond to sea-level rise through the process of landward migration, driven by storm overwash and landward mainland marsh expansion. Such response, however, can be affected by human development and engineering activities such as lagoon dredging and shoreline stabilization. To better understand the difference in the response between developed and undeveloped barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise, we perform a local morphologic analysis that describes the evolution of Long Beach Island (LBI), New Jersey, over the last 182 years. We find that between 1840 and 1934 the LBI system experienced landward migration of all five boundaries, including 171 meters of shoreline retreat. Between the 1920s and 1950s, however, there was a significant shift in system behavior that coincided with the onset of groin construction, which was enhanced by beach nourishment and lagoon dredging practices. From 1934 to 2022 the LBI system experienced ~22 meters of shoreline progradation and a rapid decline in marsh platform extent. Additionally, we extend a morphodynamic model to describe the evolution of the system in terms of five geomorphic boundaries: the ocean shoreline and backbarrier-marsh interface, the seaward and landward lagoon-marsh boundaries, and the landward limit of the inland marsh. We couple this numerical modeling effort with the map analysis during the undeveloped phase of LBI evolution, between 1840 and 1934. Despite its simplicity, the modeling framework can describe the average cross-shore evolution of the barrier-marsh-lagoon system during this period without accounting for human landscape modifications, supporting the premise that natural processes were the key drivers of morphological change. Overall, these results suggest that anthropogenic effects have played a major role in the evolution of LBI over the past century by altering overwash fluxes and marsh-lagoon geometry; this is likely the case for other barrier-marsh-lagoon environments around the world.

New Jersey↗
USGS2019

A preliminary assessment of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in the Upper Delaware River National Parks

Hyperspectral remote sensing of submerged aquatic vegetation is a complex and difficult process that is affected by unique constraints on the energy flow profile near and below the water surface. In addition, shallow, winding, lotic systems, such as the Upper Delaware River, present additional remote sensing problems in the form of specular reflectance, variable depth and constituents in the water column and sometimes extremely weak signal strength due to absorption and scattering in the water column that can be statistically overwhelmed by the reflectance from upland vegetation in any individual image scene. Here we test hyperspectral imagery from the Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP), Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Recon (ARCHER) system in the scenic waters of two National Parks on the Upper Delaware River. A number of unique image processing problems were encountered, including specular reflectance from winding lotic systems, variable depth and flow dynamics of the riverine environment, and disproportionate signal strength from surface reflectance in this riverine environment. This were solved by applying a specular reflectance removal algorithm, applying field data collections to classification results and masking upland vegetation so as to not statistically overwhelm the weak reflectance signal from surface and near-surface water. Much was learned about conducting imaging spectroscopy in such difficult conditions. Significant results include successful mapping of SAV presenece/absence, advantages of upland masking of the reflectance signal, and a numkber of processing approaches that are unique to this environment. In this paper we summarize our results and identify unique issues that must be addressed in this environment

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania↗
USGS2005

Sediment-hosted lead-zinc deposits: A global perspective

Sediment-hosted Pb-Zn deposits contain the world’s greatest lead and zinc resources and dominate worldproduction of these metals. They are a diverse group of ore deposits hosted by a wide variety of carbonate andsiliciclastic rocks that have no obvious genetic association with igneous activity. A range of ore-forming processes in a variety of geologic and tectonic environments created these deposits over at least two billion years of Earth history. The metals were precipitated by basinal brines in synsedimentary and early diagenetic to low-grade metamorphic environments. The deposits display a broad range of relationships to enclosing host rocks that includes stratiform, strata-bound, and discordant ores. These ores are divided into two broad subtypes: Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) and sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX). Despite the “exhalative” component inherent in the term “SEDEX,” in this manuscript, direct evidence of an exhalite in the ore or alteration component is not essential for a deposit to be classified as SEDEX. The presence of laminated sulfides parallel to bedding is assumed to be permissive evidence for exhalative ores. The distinction between some SEDEX and MVT deposits can be quite subjective because some SEDEX ores replaced carbonate, whereas some MVT deposits formed in an early diagenetic environment and display laminated ore textures. Geologic and resource information are presented for 248 deposits that provide a framework to describe and compare these deposits. Nine of the 10 largest sediment-hosted Pb-Zn deposits are SEDEX. Of the deposits that contain at least 2.5 million metric tons (Mt), there are 35 SEDEX (excluding Broken Hill-type) deposits and 15 MVT (excluding Irish-type) deposits. Despite the skewed distribution of the deposit size, the two deposits types have an excellent correlation between total tonnage and tonnage of contained metal (Pb + Zn), with a fairly consistent ratio of about 10/1, regardless of the size of the deposit or district. Zinc grades are approximately the same for both, whereas Pb and Ag grades are about 25 percent greater for SEDEX deposits. The largest difference between SEDEX and MVT deposits is their Cu content. Three times as many SEDEX deposits have reported Cu contents, and the median Cu value of SEDEX deposits is nearly double that of MVT deposits. Furthermore, grade-tonnage values for MVT deposits compared to a subset of SEDEX deposits hosted in carbonate rocks are virtually indistinguishable. The distribution of MVT deposits through geologic time shows that they are mainly a Phanerozoic phenomenon. The ages of SEDEX deposits are grouped into two major groups, one in the Proterozoic and another in the Phanerozoic. MVT deposits dominantly formed in platform carbonate sequences typically located within extensional zones inboard of orogenic belts, whereas SEDEX deposits formed in intracontinental or failed rifts, and rifted continental margins. The ages of MVT ores are generally tens of millions of years younger than their host rocks; however, a few are close (<~5 m.y.) to the age of their host rocks. In the absence of direct dates for SEDEX deposits, their age of formation is generally constrained by relationships to sedimentary or diagenetic features in the rocks. These studies suggest that deposition of SEDEX ores was coeval with sedimentation or early diagenesis, whereas some deposits formed at least 20 m.y. after sedimentation. Fluid inclusion, isotopic studies, and deposit modeling suggest that MVT and SEDEX deposits formed from basin brines with similar temperatures of mainly 90° to 200°C and 10 to 30 wt percent NaCl equiv. Lead isotope compositions for MVT and SEDEX deposits show that Pb was mainly derived from a variety of crustal sources. Lead isotope compositions do not provide criteria that distinguish MVT from SEDEX subtypes. However, sulfur isotope compositions for sphalerite and galena show an apparent difference. SEDEX and MVT sulfur isotope compositions extend over a large range; however, most data for SEDEX ores have mainly positive isotopic compositions from 0 to 20 per mil. Isotopic values for MVT ores extend over a wider range and include more data with negative isotopic values. Given that there are relatively small differences between the metal character of MVT and SEDEX deposits and the fluids that deposited them, perhaps the most significant difference between these deposits is their de-positional environment, which is determined by their respective tectonic settings. The contrasting tectonic setting also dictates the fundamental deposit attributes that generally set them apart, such as host-rock lithology, deposit morphology, and ore textures. Brief discussions are also presented on two controversial sets of deposits: Broken Hill-type deposits and a subset of deposits in the MVT group located in the Irish Midlands, considered by some authors to be a distinct ore type (Irish type). There are no significant differences in grade tonnage values between MVT deposits and the subset that is described as Irish type. Most features of the Irish deposits are not distinct from the family of MVT deposits; however, the age of mineralization that is the same as or close to the age of the host rocks and the anomalously high fluid inclusion temperatures (up to 250°C) stand out as distinctly different from typical MVT ores. The dominance of bacteriogenic sulfur in the Irish ores commonly ascribed as uniquely Irish type is in fact no different from several MVT deposits or districts. A comparison of SEDEX and Broken Hill-type deposits shows that the latter deposits contain significantly higher contents of Ag and Pb relative to SEDEX deposits. In terms of median values, Broken Hill-type deposits are almost three times more enriched in Ag and one and a half times more enriched in Pb compared to other SEDEX deposits. Metamorphism is a characteristic feature but not a prerequisite for inclusion in the Broken Hill-type category, and known Broken Hill-type examples appear to occur in Paleo- to Mesoprotero-zoic terranes. Broken Hill-type deposits remain an enigmatic grouping; however, there is sufficient evidence to support their inclusion as a separate category of SEDEX deposits.

Book chapter↗
USGS2011

Structural and functional effects of herbicides on non-target organisms in aquatic ecosystems with an emphasis on atrazine

Herbicide use has increased dramatically around the world over the past 6 decades (Gianessi and Reigner, 2007). Few herbicides were in use in the 1950s. However, by 2001 approximately 1.14 billion kilograms of herbicides were applied globally for the control of undesireable vegetation in agricultural, silvicultural, lawncare, aquacultural, and irrigation/recreational water management activities (Kiely et al., 2004). Twenty-eight percent of the total mass of herbicides is applied in the United States, with the remaining 72 percent being applied elsewhere around the globe (Kiely et al., 2004). Herbicides represent 36% of global pesticide use, followed by insecticides (25%), fungicides (10%) and other chemical classes (Kiely et al., 2004). Agricultural production accounts for approximately 90% of herbicide use in the U.S. (Kiely et al., 2004). Gianessi and Reigner (2007) indicated that herbicides are routinely used on more than 90% of the area designated for large commercial crops including corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets, peanuts, and rice. Increased farm mechanization, technological advancements in production of inexpensive sources of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer (e.g., anhydrous ammonia), and conversion of forest, grassland, and wetland habitats to cropland has led to a tremendous increase in global food production over the past half-century. Herbicides have augmented advances in large-scale agricultural systems and have largely replaced mechanical and hand-weeding control mechanisms (Gianessi and Reigner, 2007). The wide-spread use of herbicides in agriculture has resulted in frequent chemical detections in surface and groundwaters (Gilliom, 2007). The majority of herbicides used are highly water soluble and are therefore prone to runoff from terrestrial environments. In additon, spray drift and atmospheric deposition can contribute to herbicide contamination of aquatic environments. Lastly, selected herbicides are deliberately applied to aquatic environments for controlling nuisance aquatic vegetation. Although aquatic herbicide exposure has been widely documented, these exposures are not necessarily related to adverse non-target ecological effects on natural communities in aquatic environments. This chapter evaluates the potential for effects of herbicides on the structure and function of aquatic envrionments at the population, community, and ecosystem levels of biological organization. In this manuscript I examine several critical aspects of the subject matter area: primary herbicides in use and chemical modes of action; the regulatory process used for registration and risk assessment of herbicides; data regarding non-target risks and the relative sensitivity of aquatic plants, inveretebrates, and fish to herbicides; and emerging areas of science regarding the potential for endocrine-disrupting effects of herbicides on aquatic vertebrates. Much of the focus of this paper is on atrazine due to the extensive database which exists regarding its fate and effects.

Book chapter↗
USGS2018

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the Nation, almost one-fifth the size of the combined lower 48 United States, and is rich in natural capital resources. Alaska is often identified as being on the front lines of climate change since it is warming faster than any other state and faces a myriad of issues associated with a changing climate. The cost of infrastructure damage from a warming climate is projected to be very large, potentially ranging from $110 to $270 million per year, assuming timely repair and maintenance. Although climate change does and will continue to dramatically transform the climate and environment of the Arctic, proactive adaptation in Alaska has the potential to reduce costs associated with these impacts. This includes the dissemination of several tools, such as guidebooks to support adaptation planning, some of which focus on Indigenous communities. While many opportunities exist with a changing climate, economic prospects are not well captured in the literature at this time. As the climate continues to warm, there is likely to be a nearly sea ice-free Arctic during the summer by mid-century. Ocean acidification is an emerging global problem that will intensify with continued carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions and negatively affects organisms. Climate change will likely affect management actions and economic drivers, including fisheries, in complex ways. The use of multiple alternative models to appropriately characterize uncertainty in future fisheries biomass trajectories and harvests could help manage these challenges. As temperature and precipitation increase across the Alaska landscape, physical and biological changes are also occurring throughout Alaska’s terrestrial ecosystems. Degradation of permafrost is expected to continue, with associated impacts to infrastructure, river and stream discharge, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat. Longer sea ice-free seasons, higher ground temperatures, and relative sea level rise are expected to exacerbate flooding and accelerate erosion in many regions, leading to the loss of terrestrial habitat in the future and in some cases requiring entire communities or portions of communities to relocate to safer terrain. The influence of climate change on human health in Alaska can be traced to three sources: direct exposures, indirect effects, and social or psychological disruption. Each of these will have different manifestations for Alaskans when compared to residents elsewhere in the United States. Climate change exerts indirect effects on human health in Alaska through changes to water, air, and soil and through ecosystem changes affecting disease ecology and food security, especially in rural communities. Alaska’s rural communities are predominantly inhabited by Indigenous peoples who may be disproportionately vulnerable to socioeconomic and environmental change; however, they also have rich cultural traditions of resilience and adaptation. The impacts of climate change will likely affect all aspects of Alaska Native societies, from nutrition, infrastructure, economics, and health consequences to language, education, and the communities themselves. The profound and diverse climate-driven changes in Alaska’s physical environment and ecosystems generate economic impacts through their effects on environmental services. These services include positive benefits directly from ecosystems (for example, food, water, and other resources), as well as services provided directly from the physical environment (for example, temperature moderation, stable ground for supporting infrastructure, and smooth surface for overland transportation). Some of these effects are relatively assured and in some cases are already occurring. Other impacts are highly uncertain, due to their dependence on the structure of global and regional economies and future human alterations to the environment decades into the future, but they could be large. In Alaska, a range of adaptations to changing climate and related environmental conditions are underway and others have been proposed as potential actions, including measures to reduce vulnerability and risk, as well as more systemic institutional transformation.

Report↗
USGS1984

Characterization and geochemistry of Devonian oil shale North Alabama - South Central Tennessee

Based on the physical and chemical data obtained to date, the Devonian oil shale rock of north Alabama and south-central Tennessee appears to offer an attractive potential for future resource development. The shale rock appears to have formed in a restrictive marine environment which provided opportunity for the accumulation of marine organic matter to form sufficient kerogen. The shale contains approximately 18% to 22% organic matter which is primarily kerogen. The kerogen has a relatively high H:C ratio indicative of an alginite and/or exinite source (Type 1 and Type II kerogen) and a high proportion of alkane and saturated ring hydrocarbons. However, a few samples have low H:C ratio values and are interpreted to have been formed in a shallow water oxidizing environment. Also, there is a possibility that these low H:C values may represent mixtures of terrestrial and marine organic material suggesting lateral facies changes of the rock from marine to near shore depositional environments. Trace metal values for both the whole rock and the shale oil fraction indicate a generally high V:Ni ratio, also indicative of a marine environment. Other trace metal values are in good agreement with data from other Devonian shales. Throughout the north Alabama and south-central Tennessee study area, the average oil yield from the shale is 13.9 gallon per ton. The highest oil yield values were obtained from the middle and upper parts of the shale sequence. Based on the crude oil composition diagram (11), the Alabama-Tennessee shale oil is classified as a aromatic-intermediate oil Estimated reserves of inplace shale oil resources in the principal study area, under less than 200 feet of overburden, exceeds 12.5 billion barrels.

Conference Paper↗