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At least 1,387 records · Page 77Linked to original sources
USGS1976

Shallow sedimentary framework of Georges Bank

Two thousand nine hundred kilometers of minisparker data were collected on Georges Bank by the United States Geological Survey during October of 1975. Several sedimentary features have been observed in the data, The bank is recognized as a compound feature resulting from erosion of Tertiary coastal-plain strata followed by deposition of an extensive sediment wedge on the western flank of the cuesta. Marine planation (probably Late Pleistocene) truncated this bank morphology producing an erosion surface roughly paralleling the present sea floor. The truncated bank surface is blanketed by a veneer of complex Late Pleistocene drift which masks underlying features and is being reworked by modern processes. Present bank morphology is inferred-to be arather recent development. A proper understanding of the significance of complex bank sediments with respect to the potential geologic hazards of drilling or placement of bottom. supported structures necessitates a more detailed seismic reflection program, in conjunction with geotechnical analysis of core-samples.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1971

Tertiary limestone aquifer system in the southeastern states

The hydrogeologic history of the Tertiary limestone system of the Southeastern States is reconstructed, especially as it relates to circulation of ground water and the development of solution cavities. The development of these solution cavities resembles in many respects the development of cavities in carbonates of the Knox Group of Tennessee during Middle Ordovician time, the cavities in the Knox having since been filled with collapse breccia that has been recemented. Some general principles of the circulation of water in limestone terranes and the related development of solution openings are reviewed so that a generic basis for comparison can be made of the modern southeast carbonate setting with the Ordovician carbonate setting in Tennessee.The major requirements for solutional development as cavities--(1) presence of highly soluble material, (2) a fracture system or some other form of incipient permeability, (3) water undersaturated with respect to soluble rocks, such as recharge from precipitation, and (4) hydraulic gradient--are found in the Tertiary limestone terrane of the southeast; much of the limestone has been elevated above sea level as a homoclinal seaward-dipping unit. Such a broad homoclinal setting, which also existed in the Knox at the close of early Ordovician time, facilitates extensive solutional development in the upper part of the zone of saturation. Circulation of water great enough to form a significant cavern network requires concentrated discharge areas, commonly as entrenched permanent streams or near-shore springs and seepage. This condition prevails where the Tertiary limestone is fairly close to land surface.Reconstruction of the geologic and hydrogeologic history of a carbonate region generally reveals the extent of early solution and karst development in relation to current karstification. Caverns, partly filled in some cases with loose or poorly cemented rock fragments that have fallen from cavern roofs, give evidence of karstification that is either current or that probably developed since the last marine inundation of the carbonate terrane. On the other hand, filling of caverns with overlying rock debris and reconstituting the debris into breccia are conditions that require evaluation of paleohydrology.

Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South C↗
USGS2012

Connectivity of tropical marine ecosystems--An overview of interdisciplinary research to understand biodiversity and trophic relationships in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico contain marine reserves and protected areas that encompass a variety of tropical ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Reserves and protected areas are established for a variety of reasons, such as preserving nursery habitats and biodiversity, or reducing anthropogenic effects associated with pollution and land use. Questions remain regarding the effectiveness of these designated areas in preserving and protecting spatially connected habitats and associated fishes and invertebrates. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of Florida, and Arkansas State University are collaborating on interdisciplinary research in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to examine the biodiversity and trophic dynamics of fishes and invertebrates residing in connected mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs to discern the effectiveness of current marine reserves and protected areas for conserving reef resources.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2014

Character, distribution, and ecological significance of storm wave-induced scour in Rhode Island Sound, USA

Multibeam bathymetry, collected during NOAA hydrographic surveys in 2008 and 2009, is coupled with USGS data from sampling and photographic stations to map the seabed morphology and composition of Rhode Island Sound along the US Atlantic coast, and to provide information on sediment transport and benthic habitats. Patchworks of scour depressions cover large areas on seaward-facing slopes and bathymetric highs in the sound. These depressions average 0.5-0.8 m deep and occur in water depths reaching as much as 42 m. They have relatively steep well-defined sides and coarser-grained floors, and vary strongly in shape, size, and configuration. Some individual scour depressions have apparently expanded to combine with adjacent depressions, forming larger eroded areas that commonly contain outliers of the original seafloor sediments. Where cobbles and scattered boulders are present on the depression floors, the muddy Holocene sands have been completely removed and the winnowed relict Pleistocene deposits exposed. Low tidal-current velocities and the lack of obstacle marks suggest that bidirectional tidal currents alone are not capable of forming these features. These depressions are formed and maintained under high-energy shelf conditions owing to repetitive cyclic loading imposed by high-amplitude, long-period, storm-driven waves that reduce the effective shear strength of the sediment, cause resuspension, and expose the suspended sediments to erosion by wind-driven and tidal currents. Because epifauna dominate on gravel floors of the depressions and infauna are prevalent in the finer-grained Holocene deposits, it is concluded that the resultant close juxtaposition of silty sand-, sand-, and gravel-dependent communities promotes regional faunal complexity. These findings expand on earlier interpretations, documenting how storm wave-induced scour produces sorted bedforms that control much of the benthic geologic and biologic diversity in Rhode Island Sound.

Rhode Island↗
USGS2002

Comparison of the Eastern and Western Kentucky coal fields (Pennsylvanian), USA-why are coal distribution patterns and sulfur contents so different in these coal fields?

More than 130 Mt of Pennsylvanian coal is produced annually from two coal fields in Kentucky. The Western Kentucky Coal Field occurs in part of the Illinois Basin, an intercratonic basin, and the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field occurs in the Central Appalachian Basin, a foreland basin. The basins are only separated by 140 km, but mined western Kentucky coal beds exhibit significantly higher sulfur values than eastern Kentucky coals. Higher-sulfur coal beds in western Kentucky have generally been inferred to be caused by more marine influences than for eastern Kentucky coals. Comparison of strata in the two coal fields shows that more strata and more coal beds accumulated in the Eastern than Western Kentucky Coal Field in the Early and Middle Pennsylvanian, inferred to represent greater generation of tectonic accommodation in the foreland basin. Eastern Kentucky coal beds exhibit a greater tendency toward splitting and occurring in zones than time-equivalent western Kentucky coal beds, which is also inferred to represent foreland accommodation influences, overprinted by autogenic sedimentation effects. Western Kentucky coal beds exhibit higher sulfur values than their eastern counterparts, but western Kentucky coals occurring in Langsettian through Bolsovian strata can be low in sulfur content. Eastern Kentucky coal beds may increase in sulfur content beneath marine zones, but generally are still lower in sulfur than mined Western Kentucky coal beds, indicating that controls other than purely marine influences must have influenced coal quality. The bulk of production in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field is from Duckmantian and Bolsovian coal beds, whereas production in the Western Kentucky Coal Field is from Westphalian D coals. Langsettian through Bolsovian paleoclimates in eastern Kentucky were favorable for peat doming, so numerous low-sulfur coals accumulated. These coals tend to occur in zones and are prone to lateral splitting because of foreland tectonic and sedimentation influences. In contrast, Westphalian D coal beds of western Kentucky accumulated during low differential tectonic accommodation, and therefore tend to be widespread and uniform in characteristics, but exhibit higher sulfur values because they accumulated in seasonally drier paleoclimates that were unfavorable for peat doming. Hence, basin analyses indicate that many differences between the mined coals of Kentucky's two coal fields are related to temporal changes in paleoclimate and tectonic accommodation, rather than solely being a function of marine influences. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS2006

Fish-assemblage variation between geologically defined regions and across a longitudinal gradient in the Monkey River Basin, Belize

Linkages between geology and fish assemblages have been inferred in many regions throughout the world, but no studies have yet investigated whether fish assemblages differ across geologies in Mesoamerica. The goals of our study were to: 1) compare physicochemical conditions and fish-assemblage structure across 2 geologic types in headwaters of the Monkey River Basin, Belize, and 2) describe basin-scale patterns in fish community composition and structure for the benefit of conservation efforts. We censused headwater-pool fishes by direct observation, and assessed habitat size, structure, and water chemistry to compare habitat and fish richness, diversity, evenness, and density between streams in the variably metamorphosed sedimentary geologic type typical of 80% of Belize’s Maya Mountains (the Santa Rosa Group), and an anomalous extrusive geologic formation in the same area (the Bladen Volcanic Member). We also collected species-presence data from 20 sites throughout the basin for analyses of compositional patterns from the headwaters to the top of the estuary. Thirty-nine fish species in 21 families were observed. Poeciliids were numerically dominant, making up 39% of individuals captured, followed by characins (25%), and cichlids (20%). Cichlidae was the most species-rich family (7 spp.), followed by Poeciliidae (6 spp.). Habitat size and water chemistry differed strongly between geologic types, but habitat diversity did not. Major fish-assemblage differences also were not obvious between geologies, despite a marked difference in the presence of the aquatic macrophyte, Marathrum oxycarpum (Podostemaceae), which covered 37% of the stream bottom in high-nutrient streams draining the Santa Rosa Group, and did not occur in the low-P streams draining the Bladen Volcanic Member. Correlation analyses suggested that distance from the sea and amount of cover within pools are important to fish-assemblage structure, but that differing abiotic factors may influence assemblage structure within each geologic type. The fauna showed weak compositional zonation into 3 groups (headwaters, coastal plain, and nearshore). Nearly 20% of the fish species collected have migratory life cycles (including Joturus pichardi , Agonostomus monticola , and Gobiomorus dormitor ) that use freshwater and marine habitats. Some of these species probably rely on a natural flow regime and longitudinal connectivity for reproduction and dispersal of young, and natural flow regime and longitudinal connectivity are important factors for maintenance of functional linkages between the uplands and the coast in the ridge-to-reef corridor where the Monkey River is located. Therefore, we suggest that the viability of migratory fish populations may be a good biological indicator of upland-to-estuary connectivity important both to fishes and coastal ecosystem function. We recommend follow-up studies to substantiate the relative strengths of relationships between community structure and abiotic factors in contrasting geologies and to examine potential bottom−up responses of stream biota to the higher nutrient levels that were observed in stream waters draining the Santa Rosa Group geologic type.

Journal of the North American Benthological Societ↗
USGS2013

Conservation and Ecology of Marine Forage Fishes--Proceedings of a Research Symposium, September 2012

Locally and globally, there is growing recognition of the critical roles that herring, smelt, sand lance, eulachon, and other forage fishes play in marine ecosystems. Scientific and resource management entities throughout the Salish Sea, agree that extensive information gaps exist, both in basic biological knowledge and parameters critical to fishery management. Communication and collaboration among researchers also is inadequate. Building on the interest and enthusiasm generated by recent forage fish workshops and symposia around the region, the 2012 Research Symposium on the Conservation and Ecology of Marine Forage Fishes was designed to elucidate practical recommendations for science and policy needs and actions, and spur further collaboration in support for the precautionary management of forage fish. This dynamic and productive event was a joint venture of the Northwest Straits Commission Forage Fish Program, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and The Puget Sound Partnership. The symposium was held on September 12–14, 2012, at the University of Washington, Friday Harbor Laboratories campus. Sixty scientists, graduate students, and fisheries policy experts convened; showcasing ongoing research, conservation, and management efforts targeting forage fish from regional and national perspectives. The primary objectives of this event were to: (1) review current research and management related to marine forage fish species; and (2) identify priority science and policy needs and actions for Washington, British Columbia, and the entire West Coast. Given the diversity of knowledge, interests, and disciplines surrounding forage fish on both sides of the international border, the organizing committee made a concerted effort to contact many additional experts who, although unable to attend, provided valuable insights and ideas to the symposium structure and discussions. The value of the symposium format was highlighted in the closing remarks delivered by Joseph Gaydos, SeaDoc Society and Chair of the Puget Sound Science Panel. Dr. Gaydos’ presentation referenced the 2011 paper by Murray Rudd in the journal Conservation Biology , “How research-prioritization exercises affect conservation policy.” The paper points out that policy makers and funding agencies are more likely to gain a full understanding of issues when they are presented with research findings from an aligned research program. That is, compared to unaligned research strategies, where work is not based on identified research priorities.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2003

Petroleum system and production characteristics of the Muddy (J) Sandstone (Lower Cretaceous) Wattenberg continuous gas field, Denver basin, Colorado

Wattenberg field is a continuous-type gas accumulation. Estimated ultimate recovery from current wells is 1.27 tcf of gas from the Lower Cretaceous Muddy (J) Sandstone. Mean gas resources that have the potential to be added to these reserves in the next 30 yr are 1.09 tcf; this will be primarily through infill drilling to recover a greater percentage of gas in place and to drain areas that are isolated because of geologic compartmentalization. Greatest gas production from the Muddy (J) Sandstone in Wattenberg field occurs (1) from within the most permeable and thickest intervals of Fort Collins Member delta-front and nearshore-marine sandstones, (2) to a lesser extent from the Horsetooth Member valley-fill channel sandstones, (3) in association with a large thermal anomaly that is delineated by measured temperatures in wells and by vitrinite reflectance contours of 0.9% and greater, (4) in proximity to the bounding Mowry, Graneros, and Skull Creek shales that are the hydrocarbon source rocks and reservoir seals, and (5) between the Lafayette and Longmont right-lateral wrench fault zones (WFZs) with secondary faults that act as conduits in areas of the field. The axis of greatest gas production is north 25 to 35 degrees northeast, which parallels the basin axis. Recurrent movement along five right-lateral WFZs that crosscut Wattenberg field shifted the Denver basin axis to the northeast and influenced depositional and erosional patterns of the reservoir and seal intervals. Levels of thermal maturity within the Wattenberg field are anomalously high compared to other areas of the Denver basin. The Wattenberg field thermal anomaly may be due to upward movement of fluids along faults associated with probable igneous intrusions. Areas of anomalous high heat flow within the field correlate with an increased and variable gas-oil ratio. Debra Higley has 5 years experience in uranium exploration and 20 years as a petroleum geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Her research interests include and integrate reservoir characterization, thermal maturation studies, and petroleum resource assessment in basins in North and South America. She received a B.S. degree in geology from Mesa State College (Colorado) and an M.S. degree in geochemistry and Ph.D. in geology from the Colorado School of Mines.Dave Cox is vice president of Reservoir Engineering for Questa Engineering in Golden, Colorado. He has 25 years experience in the oil and gas industry, primarily in reservoir engineering and property evaluations, and has analyzed reservoirs in 31 states of the United States and 19 other countries. He is an expert in coalbed methane, tight gas reservoirs, and enhanced oil recovery. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in petroleum engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Robert Weimer has taught courses in stratigraphy, regional and field geology, and energy resource exploration and development for 43 years. He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Wyoming and his Ph.D. from Stanford University. He has been a visiting professor at universities in Calgary, Canada; Adelaide, Australia; and Bandung, Indonesia. He is currently professor emeritus, Colorado School of Mines. Weimer has been honored for teaching excellence, blending basic and applied research, national and international continuing education, and service to scientific societies and to state and national boards.

Colorado↗
USGS1954

Stratigraphy of parts of De Soto and Hardee Counties, Florida

The late Cenozoic stratigraphy of part of central Florida immediately south of the land-pebble phosphate district was studies in detail to determine the southern limit of the economically important Bone Valley formation and its relations with marine rocks of late Miocene and Pliocene age in south-central Florida. In addition a reconnaissance type appraisal of the phosphate and uranium resources of this area was desired. The upper Tertiary and Quaternary rocks were mapped, and the economic geology was studied in a general manner. The Hawthorn formation of middle Miocene age, is the oldest rock Exposed. Undifferentiated phosphatic sand and clay may be composed of the Bone Valley formation, of late Miocene to Pliocene age; a combination of Bone Valley formation and residuum of weathered Hawthorn formation; or Hawthorn residuum alone. The Bone Valley formation and residuum of Hawthorn formation appear almost identical in cuttings from auger drilling in this area. It was not feasible nor practical to map these two units separately. The undifferentiated phosphatic sand and clay interfingers with a marine sand of late Miocene age, The Caloosahatchee marl of Pliocene age, is present in the southeast corner of the area investigated. It is apparent that the undifferentiated phosphatic sand and clay was undergoing subaerial erosion and reworking during deposition or the Caloosahatchee marl. Stratified sand and clayey sand containing scattered thin lenses of fresh-water limestone and marl of Pleistocene age are either floodplain deposits or subaerial topset beds of a delta made by the Pleistocene Peace River. Sediments of Recent age are local stream deposits. Bars and shoals in the Peace River south of Brownville, De Soto County, contain appreciable tonnages of low grade "river-pebble" phosphate. The phosphate and uranium content of the undifferentiated phosphatic sand and clay in Hardee County is too low to be of economic significance.

Florida↗
USGS2019

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

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

Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS1970

Geology of the north end of the Ruby Range, southwestern Montana

This study consists of two parts: stratigraphy and sedimentation, and structure of rocks in the northern one-third of the Ruby Range of southwestern Montana. Detailed studies of Cambrian marine dolomite rocks in the Red Lion Formation and in the upper part of the Pilgrim Limestone resulted in their division into distinct rock units, termed lithofacies. These lithofacies contain features suggestive of subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal environments similar to those presently forming in the Persian Gulf. Stromatolltic structures occurring in the uppermost part of the Red Lion Formation are similar to those presently forming in Shark Bay, Australia. The Ruby Range within the map area is broken into a series of northwest-plunging basement (Precambrian metamorphic rock) blocks, differentially uplifted during the Cretaceous-Tertiary orogenic period. These blocks are bordered by upthrust faults, which are nearly vertical in their lower segments and are .low-angle in their uppermost parts. Asymmetrical folds in Paleozoic sedimentary rocks formed in response to the differential uplift of the blocks; thus they too plunge to the northwest. Displaced masses of rock border the range on the three sides within the map area and are interpreted as gravity-slide features resulting from uplift of the range. Normal faulting began blocking out the present range margins by Oligocene time.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2012

Spatial distribution of landslides triggered from the 2007 Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan Earthquake

Understanding the spatial distribution of earthquake-induced landslides from specific earthquakes provides an opportunity to recognize what to expect from future events. The July 16, 2007 M w 6.6 (M JMA 6.8) Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan earthquake triggered hundreds of landslides in the area surrounding the coastal city of Kashiwazaki and provides one such opportunity to evaluate the impacts of an offshore, magnitude 6 + earthquake on a steep coastal region. As part of a larger effort to document all forms of geotechnical damage from this earthquake, we performed landslide inventory mapping throughout the epicentral area and analyzed the resulting data for spatial, seismic-motion, and geologic correlations to describe the pattern of landsliding. Coupled with examination of a third-party, aerial-photo-based landslide inventory, our analyses reveal several areas of high landslide concentration that are not readily explained by either traditional epicentral and fault–plane-distance metrics or by recorded and inferred ground-motions. Whereas average landslide concentrations averaged less than 1 landslide per square kilometer (LS/km 2 ), some areas reached up to 2 LS/km 2 in the Nishiyama Hills to the northeast of Kashiwazaki and between 2 and 11 LS/km 2 in coastal areas to the north and south of the city. Correlation with seismometer-based and monument overturning back-calculated ground motions suggests that a minimum peak ground acceleration (PGA) of approximately 0.2 g was necessary for landsliding throughout the region, but does not explain the subregional areas of high landslide concentration. However, analysis of topographic slope and the distribution of generally weak, dip-slope, geologic units does sufficiently explain why, on a sub-regional scale, high landslide concentrations occurred where they did. These include: (1) an inland region of steep, dip-slope, anticlinal sedimentary strata with associated fold belt compression and uplift of the anticline and (2) coastal areas with generally weaker, weathered outcrop lithology and steeper slopes resulting from active marine and terrestrial cliff processes. The results offer lessons for understanding the effects of earthquakes on both regional and subregional scales with regard to the spatial distribution of landsliding.

Engineering Geology↗
USGS1979

Late Cenozoic uplift of the southwestern Colorado Plateau and adjacent lower Colorado River region

Rocks deposited near sea level under marine, estuarine, and lacustrine conditions, and located along the course of the lower Colorado River from the mouth of the Grand Canyon as far as the Mexican border, have been displaced to present positions as high as 880 m a.s.l. and as low as 1600 m b.s.l. The rocks include the marine and estuarine Bouse Formation and the lacustrine or marine Hualapai Limestone Member of the Muddy Creek Formation. A profile joining spot elevations that represent the highest erosional remnants of these rocks preserved at any one locality gives an approximation (in most cases a minimum value) for the uplift or downdropping of the region relative to sea level since about 5.5 m.y. ago, the K/Ar age of the most widespread and critical unit. The profile shows that most of the lower Colorado region has risen at least 550 m through broad and rather uniform upwarping and at an average rate of about 100 m/m.y. In addition to these 550 m, the nearby Colorado Plateau has risen by discrete movement along Wheeler fault, which is parallel to and about 8 km west of the plateau's edge, to a total uplift of at least 880 m, at a rate that may be as high as 160 m/m.y. Before warping and faulting, the top of the plateau was about 1100 m above the fill of adjacent basins; the top of this fill probably was at or a little below sea level. The profile shows two major south-facing rises in slope. The bigger one, near Yuma, occurs where the profile intersects the northwest-trending San Andreas-Salton trough system of faults; it is interpreted as rifting resulting from transcurrent movement along the faults. At the Mexican border, the base of the Bouse Formation is 1600 m b.s.l., which corresponds to a rate of subsidence since the beginning of Bouse time that may be as high as 290 m/.m.y. The top of the Bouse is at 1000 m b.s.l., corresponding to a rate of subsidence of about 180 m/m.y. In this area, the “older marine sedimentary rocks” of Olmsted et al., (1973) occur as much as 2100 m b.s.l. These rocks are evidence for marine invasion and deformation that predate the Bouse Formation. The second rise in slope occurs at the intersection with a regional northwest-trending lineament that separates widely different geologic terranes and is associated with extensive Miocene volcanism. This lineament may represent an old transform fault similar in geologic function to the present San Andreas system.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada↗
USGS1989

The Uranium-trend dating method: Principles and application for southern California marine terrace deposits

Uranium-trend dating is an open-system method for age estimation of Quaternary sediments, using disequilibrium in the 238U234U230Th decay series. The technique has been applied to alluvium, colluvium, loess, till, and marine sediments. In this study we tested the U-trend dating method on calcareous marine terrace deposits from the Palos Verdes Hills and San Nicolas Island, California. Independent age estimates indicate that terraces in these areas range from ???80 ka to greater than 1.0 Ma. Two low terraces on San Nicolas Island yielded U-trend plots that have a clustered array of points and the ages of these deposits are indeterminate or highly suspect. Middle Pleistocene terraces and one early Pleistocene terrace on San Nicolas Island and all terraces on the Palos Verdes Hills gave reasonably linear U-trend plots and estimated ages that are stratigraphically consistent and in agreement with independent age estimates. We conclude that many marine terrace deposits are suitable for U-trend dating, but U-trend plots must be carefully evaluated and U-trend ages should be consistent with independent geologic control. ?? 1989.

Quaternary International↗
USGS2021

Evidence of glacial activity during MIS 4 in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA

The Ziegler Reservoir fossil site near Snowmass Village, Colorado, provides a rare opportunity to examine environmental conditions in the Rocky Mountains during marine isotope stage (MIS) 4 (71–57 ka). Although recognized as a global-scale cold event, MIS 4 is typically absent from Rocky Mountain glacial chronologies because the geologic evidence was covered or destroyed during the subsequent, and more extensive, MIS 2 (Pinedale; 29–14 ka) glaciation. Ziegler Reservoir lies beyond the Pinedale glacial extent, which allowed for the preservation of a long-lived sequence of eolian sediments deposited in a lacustrine environment that spans from late MIS 6 (ca. 140 ka) through early MIS 3 (ca. 55 ka). Sediments dating to MIS 4 exhibit a significant increase in clay-sized particles, suggesting that the source areas, most likely nearby glacio-fluvial deposits, were enriched with fine-grained material at that time. We hypothesize that the elevated clay content was the result of rock flour production by nearby valley glaciers that were active in the Rocky Mountains during MIS 4. The results of our study illustrate how recognizing indirect evidence of glacial activity can result in a more complete record of past climate conditions than what could be achieved by the study of moraines alone.

Colorado↗
USGS2012

Quality of water and bottom material in Breckenridge Reservoir, Virginia, September 2008 through August 2009

Breckenridge Reservoir is located within the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, which is in the Potomac River basin and the Piedmont Physiographic Province of northern Virginia. Because it serves as the principal water supply for the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, an assessment of the water-quality of Breckenridge Reservoir was initiated. Water samples were collected and physical properties were measured by the U.S. Geological Survey at three sites in Breckenridge Reservoir, and physical properties were measured at six additional reservoir sites from September 2008 through August 2009. Water samples were also collected and physical properties were measured in each of the three major tributaries to Breckenridge Reservoir: North Branch Chopawamsic Creek, Middle Branch Chopawamsic Creek, and South Branch Chopawamsic Creek. One site on each tributary was sampled at least five times during the study. Monthly profiles were conducted for water temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentrations, specific conductance, pH, and turbidity measured at 2-foot intervals throughout the water column of the reservoir. These profiles were conducted at nine sites in the reservoir, and data values were measured at these sites from the water surface to the bottom of the reservoir. These profiles were conducted along three cross sections and were used to define the characteristics of the entire water column of the reservoir. The analytical results of reservoir and tributary samples collected and physical properties measured during this study were compared to ambient water-quality standards of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia State Water Control Board. Water temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentration, specific conductance, pH, and turbidity measured in Breckenridge Reservoir generally indicated a lack of stratification in the water column of the reservoir throughout the study period. This is unlike most other reservoirs in the region and may be influenced by the reservoir's relatively short length and the aerators that operate in the reservoir near the spillway. In general, the water-quality of Breckenridge Reservoir is similar to other reservoirs in the region, and the measurements made during this study indicate that the reservoir is healthy and is not in violation of published State Water Control Board ambient water-quality standards. Water samples at three reservoir sites were analyzed for 53 pesticides, but only atrazine was found to be above the laboratory minimum reporting level. Atrazine concentrations of 0.008 and 0.010 microgram per liter near the surface and bottom of the reservoir, respectively, were found at all three sampling locations. Bottom-material samples were collected for analysis of trace elements at all three reservoir sampling sites. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in bottom material were similar to those analyzed in other reservoirs in the region. However, most other constituents that were collected from Breckenridge Reservoir, especially iron and lead, showed much higher concentrations than the other reservoirs. During the course of the study, increased turbidity and Escherichia coli bacteria counts were observed during or after periods of increased tributary discharge, and Secchi-disk depths decreased during those same periods. These streamflow and water-quality indicators suggest a close relationship between Breckenridge Reservoir and its tributaries.

Virginia↗
USGS2018

Mercury methylation and bioaccumulation in Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington

The U.S. Geological Survey evaluated the transformation of mercury to bioavailable methylmercury in Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, and assessed the effect of the transformation processes on the mercury burden in marine organisms and sediment. In August 2008, samples of sediment, water, and biota from six sites in Sinclair Inlet and three bays representative of Puget Sound embayments were collected. The extensive sediment sampling included analysis of methylmercury in sediment and porewater, estimates of methylation production potential, and analyses of ancillary constituents associated with organic carbon and reduction-oxidation (redox) conditions to assist in interpreting the mercury results. Analyses of methylmercury in water overlying incubated cores provided an estimate of the release of methylmercury to the water column. Collection of samples for mercury species in the aqueous, particulate (suspended solids), and biological phases, and for ancillary carbon and nitrogen constituents in surface water, continued, on about a monthly schedule, at four stations through August 2009. In February, June, and August 2009, seasonal sediment samples were collected at 20 stations distributed between greater Sinclair Inlet and Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Bremerton, Washington, to examine geographical and seasonal patterns of mercury biogeochemistry of sediment in Sinclair Inlet. At six of these seasonal sediment stations, porewater was collected and triplicate core incubation experiments were done. Median sediment-methylmercury concentrations were not statistically different between the representative bays and Sinclair Inlet. The percentage of sediment methylmercury (relative to total mercury) was actually lower in the Sinclair Inlet sites compared with the representative bays, reflecting the higher sediment total mercury concentration for the Sinclair Inlet stations compared with the representative bays. Likewise, median sediment methylmercury concentrations were not statistically different between the greater Sinclair Inlet stations and the Bremerton naval complex stations; whereas the percentage of sediment methylmercury to total mercury was lower in the Bremerton naval complex due to higher sediment total mercury concentrations than the greater Sinclair Inlet stations. The biogeochemical characteristics of each station, measured by redox, organic carbon, and the seasonal availability of nutrients controlled methylmercury biogeochemistry. Mercury methylation production potential was a function of temperature, concentration of total mercury in sediment, and the percentage of ferrous iron (relative to total measured iron) across all sites. Methylmercury porewater concentrations were best described by using concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and reduction-oxidation conditions. Likewise, the variable fluxes of methylmercury from incubated cores were best described using dissolved organic carbon and reduction-oxidation conditions. Sinclair Inlet exhibited the classic Puget Sound biological cycle, with spring and autumn phytoplankton blooms resulting in depletion of nitrate, orthophosphate, and silicate in the surface water. Although variable in timing between 2008 and 2009, a strong corresponding seasonal trend of increased availability, incorporation, and bioaccumulation of methylmercury into the food web of Sinclair Inlet occurred during the early spring and summer growing season.

Washington↗
USGS2009

Paleoenvironmental recovery from the Chesapeake Bay bolide impact: The benthic foraminiferal record

The late Eocene Chesapeake Bay bolide impact transformed its offshore target site from an outer neritic, mid-shelf seafloor into a bathyal crater basin. To obtain a depositional record from one of the deepest parts of this basin, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drilled a 1.76-km-deep core hole near Eyreville, Virginia. The Eyreville core and eight previously cored boreholes contain a rarely obtainable record of marine deposition and microfossil assemblages that characterize the transition from synimpact to postimpact paleoenvironments inside and near a submarine impact crater. I used depositional style and benthic foraminiferal assemblages to recognize a four-step transitional succession, with emphasis on the Eyreville core. Step 1 is represented by small-scale, silt-rich turbidites, devoid of indigenous microfossils, which lie directly above the crater-filling Exmore breccia. Step 2 is represented by very thin, parallel, silt and clay laminae, which accumulated on a relatively tranquil and stagnant seafloor. This stagnation created a dead zone, which excluded seafloor biota, and it lasted ~3-5 ka. Step 3 is an interval of marine clay deposition, accompanied by a burst of microfaunal activity, as a species-rich pioneer community of benthic foraminifera repopulated the impact site. The presence of a diagnostic suite of agglutinated foraminifera during step 3 indicates that paleoenvironmental stress related to the impact lasted from ~9 ka to 400 ka at different locations inside the crater. During step 4, the agglutinated assemblage disappeared, and an equilibrium foraminiferal community developed that contained nearly 100% calcareous species. In contrast to intracrater localities, core sites outside and near the crater rim show neither evidence of the agglutinated assemblage, nor other indications of long-term biotic disruption from the bolide impact.

Chesapeake Bay↗