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At least 1,369 records · Page 76Linked to original sources

USGS2012

Re–Os geochronology of the lacustrine Green River Formation: Insights into direct depositional dating of lacustrine successions, Re–Os systematics and paleocontinental weathering

Lacustrine sedimentary successions provide exceptionally high-resolution records of continental geological processes, responding to tectonic, climatic and magmatic influences. These successions are therefore essential for correlating geological and climatic phenomena across continents and furthermore the globe. Producing accurate geochronological frameworks within lacustrine strata is challenging because the stratigraphy is often bereft of biostratigraphy and directly dateable tuff horizons. The rhenium–osmium (Re–Os) geochronometer is a well-established tool for determining precise and accurate depositional ages of marine organic-rich rocks. Lake systems with stratified water columns are predisposed to the preservation of organic-rich rocks and thus should permit direct Re–Os geochronology of lacustrine strata. We present Re–Os systematics from one of the world's best documented lacustrine systems, the Eocene Green River Formation, providing accurate Re–Os depositional dates that are supported by Ar–Ar and U–Pb ages of intercalated tuff horizons. Precision of the Green River Formation Re–Os dates is controlled by the variation in initial 187 Os/ 188 Os and the range of 187 Re/ 188 Os ratios, as also documented in marine systems. Controls on uptake and fractionation of Re and Os are considered to relate mainly to depositional setting and the type of organic matter deposited, with the need to further understand the chelating precursors of Re and Os in organic matter highlighted. In addition to geochronology, the Re–Os data records the 187Os/188Os composition of lake water (1.41–1.54) at the time of deposition, giving an insight into continental runoff derived from weathering of the geological hinterland of the Green River Formation. Such insights enable us to evaluate fluctuations in continental climatic, tectonic and magmatic processes and provide the ability for chemostratigraphic correlation combined with direct depositional dates. Furthermore, initial 187Os/188Os values can be used as a diagnostic tool to distinguish between lacustrine and marine depositional settings when compared to known oceanic 187 Os/ 188 Os values.

Colorado;Utah;Wyoming↗

USGS2014

Quaternary geology of the Boston area: Glacial events from Lake Charles to Lake Aberjona

The multiple-glacial and glaciomarine Quaternary history of the Boston, Massachusetts area has been known generally since the earliest studies of the then newly recognized glacial deposits described by Prof. Louis Agassiz in the late1840’s and fossil marine shells in the drift in the 1850’s. Attention then turned to possible glacial erosional effects on the preglacial bedrock physiography, as related to rock units and structure, and to the challenges of defining useful physical and lithic characteristics of the drift by Prof. W.O. Crosby and others, 1880-1900. The problems of deducing the relative stratigraphic order among such small, fossil-barren surficial sedimentary deposits, and extending knowledge gained from studies of postulated ancient glacial lakes to a regional understanding of the history of many lakes during the retreat of the ice sheet required field work and use of geologic maps. With the advent of modern topographic maps in the 1880’s, the early period of discovery included field studies of glacial lake deposits in local river basins in the Boston region, basins that drain northward, thereby creating glacial lake basins dammed by the ice margin as it retreated to the north. Guided by M.I.T. and Harvard professors W.O. Crosby, N.S. Shaler, J.B. Woodworth, W.M. Davis, and others in the 1880-1920 period, the first Quaternary glacial stratigraphers were students (e.g. Crosby and Grabau, 1896, Clapp, 1905, Fuller 1905, Goldthwaite 1906, Grabau, 1906, Taylor, Tight).

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island↗

USGS2002

Topography and geologic characteristics of aeolian grooves in the south polar layered deposits of Mars

The topographic and geologic characteristics of grooves and groove-like features in the south polar layered deposits near the Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2 landing sites are evaluated using Mariner 9 images and their derived photoclinometry, normalized using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. Although both Mariner 9 and Viking images of the south polar layered deposits were available at the time of this study, Mariner 9 images of the grooves were selected because they were generally of higher resolution than Viking images. The dimensions and slopes of the grooves, together with orientations that nearly match the strongest winds predicted in the Martian Global Circulation Model and directions inferred from other wind indicators, suggest that they formed by aeolian scour of an easily erodible surface. Most grooves are symmetric and V-shaped in transverse profile, inconsistent with an origin involving extensional brittle deformation. Although the grooves strike along slopes and terraces of the south polar layered deposits, the variable depths and lack of terracing within the grooves themselves indicate that any stratigraphy in the uppermost 100 m of the polar layered deposits is composed of layers of similar, and relatively low, resistance. The grooves do not represent landing hazards at the scale of the Mariner 9 images (72-86 m/pixel) and therefore probably would not have affected Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2, had they successfully reached the surface.

Icarus↗

USGS2018

History and dynamics of the Greater Yellowstone Glacial System during the last two glaciations

The Greater Yellowstone Glacial System (GYGS) covered about 20,000 km2 at its maximum Pleistocene extent. The initiation, culmination, and ultimate decay of the GYGS involved complex interactions between several coalescent ice masses flowing from glacial source areas adjoining and including the Yellowstone Plateau. Here, we present an updated review of the history and dynamics of the GYGS during the penultimate (Bull Lake) and last (Pinedale) glaciations, drawing upon an integration of glacial-geologic mapping with >130 cosmogenic 10Be and 3He exposure ages. Bull Lake glacial deposits in greater Yellowstone are dated to ca. 150–140 ka and correlate with marine isotope stage 6. The Bull Lake glaciation extended well beyond the Pinedale along the southern and western GYGS margins, but Pinedale glaciers overrode Bull Lake ice limits on the north and east sides. The northeastward shift of the center of ice mass from Bull Lake to Pinedale time may be explained by uplift on the leading edge of the Yellowstone hotspot and subsidence on the trailing margin. In early Pinedale time (∼22–18 ka), ice buildup culminated in the high terrain of the Beartooth Uplift and High Absaroka Range. Glaciers from these source regions flowed onto the northeastern margin of the Yellowstone Plateau and advanced to terminal moraines beyond Clarks Fork Canyon and in Jackson Hole. By middle Pinedale time (∼18–16 ka), the Yellowstone Plateau ice cap surface had risen above the equilibrium-line altitude, stimulating orographic glacial buildup nourished by storms funneled eastward through the Snake River Plain. The plateau ice cap eventually thickened to >1000 m and joined glaciers from the Beartooth Uplift and Gallatin Range to form the northern Yellowstone outlet glacier. Terrain east and downwind of the ice cap crest was placed in a precipitation shadow, resulting in glacial recession in these regions. During the late Pinedale (∼16–13 ka), the plateau ice cap prograded southwestward toward the direction of moisture supply, leading to advances along the southern and western margins of the GYGS. Northern sectors of the plateau ice cap were nearly stagnant at this time. The Yellowstone region experienced widespread deglaciation ca. 15–14 ka in response to warming climate. Unloading of the ∼1 km-thick plateau ice cap and consequent release of pressure on the magmatic system beneath Yellowstone was not accompanied by volcanism, indicating that the magma chamber was not primed to erupt via decompression during the last deglaciation.

Idaho, Montana Wyoming↗

USGS1970

New evidence for a Pliocene marine embayment along the lower Colorado River area, California and Arizona

Marine foraminiferal, marine to fresh-water molluscan, and brackish- to fresh-water ostracode faunas occur in a thick section of limestone, silt, and clay of the Bouse Formation along the Colorado River from Parker to Yuma in an area now isolated from the sea. Faunas in the Parker-Blythe-Cibola area are limited in number of species but are remarkably persistent through the formation. The presence of marine Foraminifera, including Globigerina sp., is considered evidence that the area was continuously connected with the ocean. Several thousand feet of similar sediments are found in the subsurface near Yuma and contain faunas which at shallow depths are similar to those to the north, but at greater depths contain bathyal assemblages with an abundance of globigerinids, which indicate a post-Miocene age for the section, and oceanic conditions. It is likely that this marine embayment extended into the Imperial Valley, where the Imperial Formation of probable Pliocene age also contains marine faunas. Evidence presented here strongly indicates a large long-lasting Pliocene marine embayment along the lower Colorado River, connected with the Imperial Valley.

Arizona, California↗

USGS2004

Migration and rearing histories of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) determined by ion microprobe Sr isotope and Sr/Ca transects of otoliths

Strontium isotope and Sr/Ca ratios measured in situ by ion microprobe along radial transects of otoliths of juvenile chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) vary between watersheds with contrasting geology. Otoliths from ocean-type chinook from Skagit River estuary, Washington, had prehatch regions with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of ~0.709, suggesting a maternally inherited marine signature, extensive fresh water growth zones with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios similar to those of the Skagit River at ~0.705, and marine-like 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios near their edges. Otoliths from stream-type chinook from central Idaho had prehatch 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios ≥0.711, indicating that a maternal marine Sr isotopic signature is not preserved after the ~1000- to 1400-km migration from the Pacific Ocean. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in the outer portions of otoliths from these Idaho juveniles were similar to those of their respective streams (~0.7080.722). For Skagit juveniles, fresh water growth was marked by small decreases in otolith Sr/Ca, with increases in Sr/Ca corresponding to increases in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr with migration into salt water. Otoliths of Idaho fish had Sr/Ca radial variation patterns that record seasonal fluctuation in ambient water Sr/Ca ratios. The ion microprobe's ability to measure both 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and Sr/Ca ratios of otoliths at high spatial resolution in situ provides a new tool for studies of fish rearing and migration.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2022

High-resolution marine seismic imaging of the Seattle fault zone: Near surface insights into fault zone geometry, Quaternary deformation, and long-term evolution

The Seattle fault zone (SFZ) is a north‐directed thrust fault system that underlies the greater Seattle metropolitan area. Evidence of past land level changes, landslides, liquefaction, and a local tsunami indicate that this 70‐km‐long fault system can host up to M 7–7.5 earthquakes. Both the geometry and earthquake recurrence of the SFZ are debated and surveys of the shallow subsurface have not yet been incorporated into deeper crustal‐scale structural interpretations, especially where the SFZ cuts across marine portions of the Puget Lowland. Here we use a new high‐resolution marine seismic reflection dataset to image fault‐related deformation in Quaternary sediments and Tertiary bedrock throughout Puget Sound and Lake Washington. We use this perspective of shallow geology as a link between existing crustal‐scale geophysical insights into fault geometry at depth and paleoseismological observations of faulting at the surface and propose a refined structural model for the SFZ. We interpret that our new seismic reflection data in the Rich Passage area of Puget Sound images evidence of an inactive, south‐dipping strand of the SFZ, which is overprinted by Quaternary folding and slip along north‐dipping backthrusts within the hanging wall of a blind, south‐dipping fault located 6 km farther north. To explain these results, we propose that the SFZ is a normal sequence fault propagation fold that has stepped northward through time, and we show the plausibility of this model through trishear forward modeling. Growth strata and faulting imaged in Quaternary sediments in Lake Washington and Rich Passage are consistent with the spatial distribution of folding and backthrusting that occurred during an M 7–7.5 earthquake in A.D. 900–930, corroborating existing evidence that the SFZ has been active throughout the Quaternary.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2010

Groundwater availability study for Guam; goals, approach, products, and schedule of activities

An expected significant population increase on Guam has raised concern about the sustainability of groundwater resources. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the University of Guam's Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) and with funding from the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), is conducting a 3.5-year study to advance understanding of regional groundwater dynamics in the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, provide a new estimate of groundwater recharge, and develop a numerical groundwater flow and transport model for northern Guam. Results of the study, including two USGS reports and a well database, will provide more reliable evaluations of the potential effects of groundwater production and help guide sustainable management of this critical resource.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2002

RV Ocean Surveyor Cruise O1-02-GM; bathymetry and acoustic backscatter of selected areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, northwestern Gulf of Mexico; June 8, through June 28, 2002; Iberia, LA to Iberia, LA

Following the publication of high-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) images and data of the Flower Gardens area of the northwest Gulf of Mexico outer continental shelf (Gardner et al., 1998), the Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) have been interested in additional MBES data in the area. A coalition of FGBNMS, MMS, and the US Geological Survey (USGS) was formed to map additional areas of interest in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico in 2002. The areas were chosen by personnel of the FGBNMS and the choice of MBES was made by the USGS. MMS and FGBNMS funded the mapping and the USGS organized the ship and multibeam systems through a Cooperative Agreement between the USGS and the University of New Brunswick. The University of New Brunswick (UNB) contracted the RV Ocean Surveyor and the EM1000 MBES system from C&C Technologies, Inc., Lafayette, LA. C&C personnel oversaw data collection whereas UNB personnel conducted the cruise and processed all the data. USGS personnel were responsible for the overall cruise including the final data processing and digital map products.

Louisiana↗

USGS2002

Multibeam mapping of selected areas of the outer continental shelf, northwestern Gulf of Mexico: Data, images, and GIS

Following the publication of high-resolution (5-meter spatial resolution) multibeam echosounder (MBES) images of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary area of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (Gardner et al., 1998), the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) have been interested in additional MBES data in the area. A coalition of FGBNMS, MMS, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was formed to map additional areas of interest in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (fig. 1) in 2002. FGBNMS chose the survey areas, and the USGS chose the MBES. MMS and FGBNMS funded the mapping, and the USGS organized the ship and multibeam systems through a cooperative agreement between the USGS and the University of New Brunswick. The objective of the cruise was to map 12 regions of interest to MMS and the FGBNMS, including Alderdice, Sonnier, Geyer, Bright, Rankin (1 and 2), Jakkula, McNeil, Bouma, McGrail, Rezak, and Sidner Banks.

Gulf Of Mexico↗

USGS1952

Preliminary report on the Passamaquoddy bedrock survey, July-August, 1951

In order to understand the results of the Passamaquoddy bedrock survey and the details of the method of obtaining them, it is desirable to have, in outline, a general idea of the methods and their application. In this part of the report a general account of the operation will be developed. The details will be found in subsequent parts of the report. At this point a statement of the general objective and some mention of the plans for reaching it are in order. The purpose of the Passamaquoddy survey was to determine the submarine geology in certain areas of Passamaquoddy and Cobscook Bays--the sea-bottom topography, the bedrock topography, the thickness of sediment overlying the bedrock beneath the sea, and the type of sediment. The information is needed for the planning of major engineering structures that may be built in the area. It developed in planning the study that detailed surveys could be limited to several areas where dams may be located. To determine bottom or bedrock topography, elevations of each were determined by sonic methods at a number of closely spaced locations (about 400 feet apart), evenly distributed on range lines 1,000 or 800 feet apart, in each of eight areas. Contour lines were then drawn to produce the desired topographic maps. Sonic soundings are necessarily referred to the existing water surface. To ascertain specific elevations in an area of large tidal variations is a complex problem. The details are discussed in the section on Vertical Control by Charles E. Knox (part 8). The basic datum is mean low water as determined by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Equally important is the accurate positioning horizontally of each sounding location or fix. All such positioning was by the use of the standard three point fix procedure, using sextants. A net of shore points tied to the first-order control net of the Coast and Geodetic Survey was set up for this purpose, and all positions were thus accurately located. These problems are discussed in a section on Horizontal Control by Norman Duckworth (part 7). The general planning was done in conferences held in May 1951 at the Boston office of the Corps of Engineers, and in Eastport, Maine, after a brief reconnaissance of the area. A detailed account of the conferences is given in a memorandum by Herman J. Kropper of the New England Division, Corps of Engineers, reproduced in this report as part 4. Detailed survey procedures were developed on May 18, 1951, at a conference attended by P. J. A. Scott and Norman Duckworth of the Corps of Engineers and W. O. Smith of the Geological Survey. In order to make the necessary geophysical interpretation of the sound records, adequate geologic control had to be established. A preliminary field study of the geology was made by G. G. Parker of the Geological Survey during the period May 15-17, 1951. Subsequently Dr. T. E. Upson of the Geological Survey made the detailed geologic study required for the project. Two sonar units were used for the survey. One was a low-frequency high-power sonar unit developed by the Edo Corp. to meet specifications established by the Geological Survey. It was used to collect the bulk of the bedrock and bottom data. The other, of higher frequency and lower power, was manufactured by Bludworth Marine, Inc., end was required for adequate determination of water depths in shoal areas. The Edo equipment is described by Dr. Charles E. Mongan, Jr., in part 6 of this report.

Maine↗

USGS1973

Pliocene marine fossils in the Paso Robles Formation, California

Marine invertebrates from the Paso Robles Formation recently discovered near Atascadero, Calif., indicate that the basal part of this chiefly nonmarine deposit is of provincial early Pliocene age. Heretofore the lack of direct fossil or radiometric evidence of the age of the Paso Robles has made it a difficult unit to place in the late Cenozoic history of the Coast Ranges. The assemblage is dominated by Ostrea vespertina and by Nettastomella rostrata , a rock-boring bivalve; its mode of preservation indicates that the fossils are in place and have not been recycled from older marine formations. This occurrence suggests that during the early Pliocene a seaway connected the present southern Salinas Valley area with the northern part of the Santa Maria basin; the fossils occur about halfway between the southernmost exposures of the Pancho Rico Formation near San Miguel and fossiliferous strata east of Pismo Beach, both marine units of early Pliocene age.

California↗

USGS2016

The Chuar Petroleum System, Arizona and Utah

The Neoproterozoic Chuar Group consists of marine mudstone, sandstone and dolomitic strata divided into the Galeros and Kwagunt Formations, and is exposed only in the eastern Grand Canyon, Arizona. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the late 1980s identified strata within the group to be possible petroleum source rocks, and in particular the Walcott Member of the Kwagunt Formation. Industry interest in a Chuar oil play led to several exploratory wells drilled in the 1990s in southern Utah and northern Arizona to test the overlying Cambrian Tapeats Sandstone reservoir, and confirm the existence of the Chuar in subcrop. USGS geochemical analyses of Tapeats oil shows in two wells have been tentatively correlated to Chuar bitumen extracts. Distribution of the Chuar in the subsurface is poorly constrained with only five well penetrations, but recently published gravity/aeromagnetic interpretations provide further insight into the Chuar subcrop distribution. The Chuar petroleum system was reexamined as part of the USGS Paradox Basin resource assessment in 2011. A map was constructed to delineate the Chuar petroleum system that encompasses the projected Chuar source rock distribution and all oil shows in the Tapeats Sandstone, assuming that the Chuar is the most likely source for such oil shows. Two hypothetical plays were recognized but not assessed: (1) a conventional play with a Chuar source and Tapeats reservoir, and (2) an unconventional play with a Chuar source and reservoir. The conventional play has been discouraging because most surface structures have been tested by drilling with minimal petroleum shows, and there is some evidence that petroleum may have been flushed by CO2 from Tertiary volcanism. The unconventional play is untested and remains promising even though the subcrop distribution of source facies within the Chuar Group is largely unknown.

Book chapter↗

USGS1990

Evolution of the Tertiary La Honda basin, central California

Tertiary strata of the La Honda basin are exposed in the Santa Cruz Mountains along the central California coast south of San Francisco. The basin fill has a composite thickness of more than 14,500 m and consists of sedimentary and volcanic rocks that in places rest on granitic basement rocks of the Salinia terrane. Paleogene strata are mainly turbidite sandstone and hemipelagic mudstone that accumulated in deep-sea fan and basin plain environments at lower bathyal to abyssal depths. Neogene rocks are mainly shallow-marine shelf sandstone and upper to middle bathyal siliceous mudstone. Both Paleogene and Neogene strata exhibit rapid lateral variations in thickness and facies, several local and regional unconformities, numerous folds, and ubiquitous faults. The complicated geology and geologic history of the La Honda basin reflect the fact that, throughout its history, the basin has been located at or near the tectonically active plate boundary between the North American continent and various oceanic plates of the Pacific basin. The La Honda basin originated during the Paleocene, perhaps during an episode of wrench tectonism associated with oblique subduction and arrival of the Salinia terrane. Major restructuring of the basin during the Oligocene-including uplift and erosion of the basin margins, movement along the Zayante-Vergeles fault, and deposition of two sand-rich deep-sea fans–apparently resulted from the approach of the Farallon-Pacific spreading ridge and its collision with the California continental margin. During the late Oligocene and early Miocene, widespread volcanism and marine transgression accompanied an episode of regional transtension along the San Andreas fault system. Deposition of shallow-marine sandstones and deeper-water siliceous mudstones occurred during much of the Miocene and Pliocene but was interrupted at least three times by brief episodes of uplift and erosion associated with transpressional wrench tectonism along the San Andreas fault. Marine deposition ended and uplift of the modern Santa Cruz Mountains began during the late Pliocene in response to the most-recent episode of regional transpression. Five small oil fields in the La Honda basin have produced a total of 1.7 million barrels of oil and 300 million cubic feet of gas, mostly from reservoirs in Eocene turbidite sandstone and Miocene limestone.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2021

NASA's surface biology and geology designated observable: A perspective on surface imaging algorithms

The 2017–2027 National Academies' Decadal Survey, Thriving on Our Changing Planet , recommended Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) as a “Designated Targeted Observable” (DO). The SBG DO is based on the need for capabilities to acquire global, high spatial resolution, visible to shortwave infrared (VSWIR; 380–2500 nm; ~30 m pixel resolution) hyperspectral (imaging spectroscopy) and multispectral midwave and thermal infrared (MWIR: 3–5 μm; TIR: 8–12 μm; ~60 m pixel resolution) measurements with sub-monthly temporal revisits over terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal marine habitats. To address the various mission design needs, an SBG Algorithms Working Group of multidisciplinary researchers has been formed to review and evaluate the algorithms applicable to the SBG DO across a wide range of Earth science disciplines, including terrestrial and aquatic ecology, atmospheric science, geology, and hydrology. Here, we summarize current state-of-the-practice VSWIR and TIR algorithms that use airborne or orbital spectral imaging observations to address the SBG DO priorities identified by the Decadal Survey: (i) terrestrial vegetation physiology, functional traits, and health; (ii) inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems physiology, functional traits, and health; (iii) snow and ice accumulation, melting, and albedo; (iv) active surface composition (eruptions, landslides, evolving landscapes, hazard risks); (v) effects of changing land use on surface energy, water, momentum, and carbon fluxes; and (vi) managing agriculture, natural habitats, water use/quality, and urban development. We review existing algorithms in the following categories: snow/ice, aquatic environments, geology, and terrestrial vegetation, and summarize the community-state-of-practice in each category. This effort synthesizes the findings of more than 130 scientists.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗

USGS2024

Palaeontological signatures of the Anthropocene are distinct from those of previous epochs

The “Great Acceleration” beginning in the mid-20th century provides the causal mechanism of the Anthropocene, which has been proposed as a new epoch of geological time beginning in 1952 CE. Here we identify key parameters and their diagnostic palaeontological signals of the Anthropocene, including the rapid breakdown of discrete biogeographical ranges for marine and terrestrial species, rapid changes to ecologies resulting from climate change and ecological degradation, the spread of exotic foodstuffs beyond their ecological range, and the accumulation of reconfigured forest materials such as medium density fibreboard (MDF) all being symptoms of the Great Acceleration. We show: 1) how Anthropocene successions in North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Europe, and Asia can be correlated using palaeontological signatures of highly invasive species and changes to ecologies that demonstrate the growing interconnectivity of human systems; 2) how the unique depositional settings of landfills may concentrate the remains of organisms far beyond their geographical range of environmental tolerance; and 3) how a range of settings may preserve a long-lived, unique palaeontological record within post-mid-20th century deposits. Collectively these changes provide a global palaeontological signature that is distinct from all past records of deep-time biotic change, including those of the Holocene.

Earth Science Reviews↗

USGS2004

Assessing subglacial processes from diatom fragmentation patterns

Reconstructing the size and glacial style of past ice-sheet advances requires interpreting complex glacial sedimentary facies. We use diatoms, a major component of Antarctic continental shelf deposits, to infer the physical conditions under which these deposits were emplaced. The degree of diatom fragmentation and the presence of diatoms of varying stratigraphic age in glacial sediments provide means to qualitatively gauge glacial mixing and transport. Here we report an experimentally calibrated index of diatom fragmentation that provides a simple but objective method of assessing the degree of subshearing imparted on marine glacial sedimentary deposits. By using a ring-shear device to subject diatomaceous sediment to stresses comparable to those beneath the Ross ice streams, we quantitatively assess patterns of diatom comminution resulting from compaction and from progressive shear stress. Elongate pennate diatoms are found to break disproportionately to discoid centric diatoms when subjected to shear stress; thus, a simple ratio of unbroken centric to pennate diatoms provides a reliable gauge of past shearing. Comparison of ring-shear results with a suite of previously analyzed sediments that represent a variety of glacial, glacial-marine, and hemipelagic settings of the Ross Sea and subglacial Ross Embayment demonstrates that this index can be employed for estimating relative subglacial stresses in this setting. ?? 2004 Geological Society of America.

Geology↗

USGS2007

Quantitative remote sensing study indicates doubling of coastal erosion rate in past 50 yr along a segment of the Arctic coast of Alaska

A new quantitative coastal land gained-and-lost method uses image analysis of topographic maps and Landsat thematic mapper short-wave infrared data to document accelerated coastal land loss and thermokarst lake expansion and drainage. The data span 1955-2005 along the Beaufort Sea coast north of Teshekpuk Lake in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Some areas have undergone as much as 0.9 km of coastal erosion in the past 50 yr. Land loss attributed to coastal erosion more than doubled, from 0.48 km2 yr-1 during 1955-1985 to 1.08 km2 yr-1 during 1985-2005. Coastal erosion has breached thermokarst lakes, causing initial draining of the lakes followed by marine floodng. Although inland thermokarst lakes show some uniform expansion, lakes breached by coastal erosion display lake expansion several orders of magnitude greater than inland lakes. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America.

Geology↗