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USGS1981

Western hemisphere strong-motion accelerograph station list, 1980

This list contains information on western hemisphere strong-motion stations that have been installed and are maintained by many different organizations. It contains information on all of those stations for which there is some data in the files of the USGS, but the list is incomplete even for stations in the United States. Since the stations being maintained are continuously changing, it is impossible to have complete information about all of the stations at any one time. The objective is to provide the community of persons who have an interest in strong-motion programs an indication of the current status of the networks in this part of the world. The USGS also maintains a computerized Strong Motion Information Retrieval System (SMIRS) which permits searching for various types of information about the strong motion stations, records, and events (Converse, 1978). In general, the information in SMIRS is more current than the information in this list. For convenience, the list has been arranged by country, north to south, alphabetically by states in the section for the United States, and then alphabetically by station name. Subsequent sections include a list by stations numbers, a cross-reference of obsolete station names, a cross-reference of station numbers as assigned by other agencies, and a cross-reference of three character designations for those that find that form of station designation useful. A list of the stations that were installed as required by a local building code or that are maintained by the owner of the facility appears in the Appendix. That list has not been updated since 1976 at which time the USGS stopped receiving information about new installations required by building codes.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1983

Estimation of nonpoint sources of phosphorus for lakes in the Puget Sound region, Washington

Control of eutrophication of lakes in watersheds undergoing development is facilitated by estimates of the amounts of phosphorus (P) that reach the lakes from areas under various types of land use. Using a mass-balance model, the writer calculated P loadings from present-day P concentrations measured in lake water and from other easily measured physical characteristics in a total of 28 lakes in drainage basins that contain only forest and residential land. The loadings from background sources (forest-land drainage and bulk precipitation) to each of the lakes were estimated by methods developed in a previous study. Differences between estimated present-day P loadings and loadings from background sources were attributed to changes in land use. The mean increase in annual P yield resulting from conversion of forest to residential land use was 7 kilograms per square kilometer, not including septic-tank system contributions. Calculated loadings from septic systems were found to correlate best with the number of near-shore dwellings around each lake in 1940. The regression equation expressing this relationship explained 36 percent of the sample variance. There was no significant correlation between estimated septic-tank system P loadings and numbers of dwellings present in 1960 or 1970. The evidence indicates that older systems might contribute more phosphorus to lakes than newer systems, and that there may be substantial time lags between septic-system installation and significant impacts on lake-water P concentrations. For lakes in basins that contain agricultural land, the P loading attributable to agriculture can be calculated as the difference between the estimated total loading and the sum of estimated loadings from all other (nonagricultural) sources. A comprehensive system for evaluating errors in all loading estimates is presented. The empirical relationships developed allow preliminary approximations of the cumulative impact that development has had on P loading and the amounts of P loading from generalized land-use categories for Puget Sound lowland lakes. In addition, the sensitivity of a lake to increased loading can be evaluated using the mass-balance model. The methods use data that are presently available for most lakes. All the estimates are most suitable for use in developing water-quality goals, setting priorities for lake studies, and designing studies of individual lakes. The suitability of the method for management of individual lakes will often be limited by relatively high levels of uncertainty, especially if the method is used to evaluate relatively small increases in P loading.

Washington↗
USGS1982

Geologic reconnaissance and geochemical sampling survey of molybdenum mineralization near Schiestler Peak, Temple Peak Quadrangle, Sublette County, Wyoming

A brief geologic reconnaissance and geochemical survey of molybdenum mineralization near Schiestler Peak, Sublette County, Wyo., indicates that molybdenite occurs in this area as disseminations and blebs in granitic or quartz monzonitic rocks intruded by felsic dikes of similar composition. Samples of stream sediments, panned concentrates from stream sediments, soils, rocks, and water were collected in the geochemical survey. Analytical results show that in reconnaissance, panned concentrates are the best of the sample types used in this study to detect molybdenum mineralization. More detailed analysis of the distribution of the molybdenum is best achieved through the collection of rock samples. Hydrothermal alteration is generally not conspicuous in the study area; however, rock samples that contain molybdenite are usually slightly enriched in silver, copper, lead, and in several instances, gold. Conversely, there appear to be negative associations between molybdenum and zinc and between molybdenum and several of the rare-earth elements. Mo concentrations in the rock samples with no visible molybdenite range from undetectable at a sensitivity of 5 parts per million (ppm) to 700 ppm. Mo content in rock samples containing visible molybdenite ranges from 10 ppm to greater than 2,000 ppm. Stream-sediment values range from undetected to 15 ppm; panned concentrates from undetected to 15 ppm; soils from undetected to 20 ppm. Analyses of the water samples indicate Mo concentrations from 0.8 parts per billion (ppb) to 4.8 ppb. As currently understood, this deposit is not extensive or continuous, but drilling to provide information on the vertical extent of mineralization may alter this opinion.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Determination and analysis of bearing capacity of calcarenites off the Florida Keys

A specially designed instrument was used to determine the in situ bearing capacity at 12 sites in the carbonate sand seaward of the Florida Keys. The resulting data set not only represents unique information in such an environment, but also provided an opportunity to determine whether bearing capacity is controlled by any specific property of the calcarenites, or, conversely, whether the bearing-capacity value could be used as an index of a particular substrate characteristic. The in sltu measurements were made in several subenvironments in order to bracket the variability of sediment properties throughout the area. Samples were collected at each bearing-capacity test site and w .ere analyzed for selected geological and geotechnical properties, including texture, grain shapes, and biological constituents. No relationship was found between bearing capacity and any of the analyzed properties of the sediment. Although many salient characteristics of calcarenites exist, at the stress levels used in this study their influence is either masked owing to the complex interaction of properties that leads to a specific bearing-capacity value or, at least in these sediments, is absent.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

A hybrid structure for the storage and manipulation of very large spatial data sets

The map data input and output problem for geographic information systems is rapidly diminishing with the increasing availability of mass digitizing, direct spatial data capture and graphics hardware based on raster technology. Although a large number of efficient raster-based algorithms exist for performing a wide variety of common tasks on these data, there are a number of procedures which are more efficiently performed in vector mode or for which raster mode equivalents of current vector-based techniques have not yet been developed. This paper presents a hybrid spatial data structure, named the ?vaster' structure, which can utilize the advantages of both raster and vector structures while potentially eliminating, or greatly reducing, the need for raster-to-vector and vector-to-raster conversion. Other advantages of the vaster structure are also discussed.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1984

Assessment of ground-water contamination by coal-tar derivatives, St. Louis Park area, Minnesota

Operation of a coal-tar distillation and wood-preserving facility in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, during 1918-72 contaminated ground water with coal-tar derivatives and inorganic chemicals. Coal-tar derivatives entered the groundwater system through three major paths: (1) Spills and drippings that percolated to the water table, (2) surface runoff and plant process water that was discharged to wetlands south of the former plant site, and (3) movement of coal tar directly into bedrock aquifers through a multiaquifer well on the site. In the drift, Platteville, and St. Peter aquifers, ground water flows laterally from west to east and vertically downward. Near the former plant site, creosote-like organic fluids have migrated vertically downward through the drift and are being partially dissolved by ground water. Ground water has preferentially mobilized low-molecular-weight compounds such as phenolic compounds, alkyl-benzenes, and naphthalene, although polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons as heavy as benzo(a)pyrene have been mobilized at low concentrations. Sorption of high-molecular-weight compounds has retarded their migration down the hydraulic gradient compared to low-molecular-weight compounds in the plume. Some simple phenolic compounds are being degraded to methane and carbon dioxide by bacteria under anaerobic conditions in the drift-PlattevilleSt. Peter aquifer system. Other low-molecular-weight aromatic compounds are apparently being degraded by aerobic bacteria at the periphery of the plume where oxygen is available. Intermediate degradation products such as volatile fatty acids are likely present, but complete conversion of the organic contaminants to innocuous inorganic substances has not been demonstrated. Near and south of 36th and Wooddale Avenues, contaminants enter the St. Peter aquifer where the Glenwood confining unit has been eroded in a buried bedrock valley. Contaminants previously entered the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer through at least one multiaquif er well (W38). Other sources of contaminants and the low concentrations of contaminants hamper delineation of the maximum areal extent of contaminants that are resistant to biologic degradation. These biorefractory compounds will probably continue to migrate down the hydraulic gradients in the drift and Platteville and St. Peter aquifers. Of particular concern with respect to the health risk to humans are the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, which are a major constituent of coal tar and are found in municipal wells near the site that are completed in the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. The Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer lies 250 to 500 feet below land surface and is relatively well protected from nearsurface sources of contamination by overlying rocks. However, the aquifer has been contaminated since at least 1932 because coal-tar derivatives have entered the aquifer through multiaquifer wells. The most significant single source of contamination in the aquifer is a well drilled on the site in 1917 (well W23) that has contained liquid coal-tar since at least 1958. The introduction, dissolution, and movement of this coal-tar in ground water has contaminated nearby municipal wells. The composition of the tar in well W23, and the ratio of concentrations of individual compounds in water from well W23 to those in municipal well SLP15, are consistent with known hydrologic, chemical, and biologic processes, and the conclusion that contaminants in well SLP15 are due primarily to contaminants introduced at well W23. Most of the major polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in the tar, although slightly soluble in water and strongly sorbed by aquifer materials, have moved greater distances at higher concentrations than have the lower-molecular-weight, more soluble compounds such as phenolic compounds and naphthalene. The latter are apparently being degraded by bacteria. The direction and rate of contaminant movement within the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer changes with time because the ground-water-flow system continually adjusts to hydraulic stresses caused by ground-water withdrawals and flow through multiaquifer wells. Contaminants can move rapidly through the Prairie du Chien-Jordan because the upper part of the aquifer is a carbonate rock having fracture and solution-channel permeability, low effective porosity, and relatively small surface area for sorption. Consequently, the concentration and composition of contaminants in water pumped from individual industrial and municipal wells completed in the aquifer fluctuate with time. Although contaminants have been in the aquifer for at least 50 years and their spatial distribution is complex, concentrations remain highest near their points of introduction through multiaquifer wells near and on the site of the former plant. Contaminants reached the Ironton-Galesville aquifer through at least two deep multiaquifer wells (W23 and W38), but the extent of contamination in this aquifer, and in the underlying Mount Simon-Hinckley aquifer, is not known.

Minnesota↗
USGS1985

Potential hydrologic effects of ground-water withdrawals from the Dakota Aquifer, southwestern Kansas

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of potential development of the Dakota aquifer on the layered aquifer system above Permian rocks in a 5,000 sq mi area of southwestern Kansas. Transmissivity of the Dakota aquifer, determined from analyses of pumping tests, ranges from 100 to 7,100 sq ft/day. Water in the Dakota aquifer is a calcium bicarbonate type water, similar to water in the High Plains aquifer, in the subcrop area. However, in areas distant from the subcrop, water in the Dakota aquifer is a sodium bicarbonate type water with dissolved solids concentrations in excess of 500 mg/L. Gradual declines in the potentiometric surface of the Dakota aquifer have occurred since the onset of pumpage in the 1960's; however, water levels in some wells have risen during the late 1970's. A digital computer model of 3-D groundwater flow was developed to simulate hydrologic conditions of a five-layer hydrologic system for 1975-82 conditions. The major components of the simulated 1975-82 water budget were well discharge from the High Plains aquifer and loss of ground water from storage in the High Plains aquifer. Although downward leakage from the High Plains aquifer in the study area represented only 18,000 acre-ft of the 1,365 ,000 acre-ft discharged from the High Plains aquifer during 1982 , it was a major source of inflow to the Dakota aquifer. Changes in storage in the Dakota aquifer in the study area during 1982 were about 5,000 acre-ft. A base-line projection was made using 1982 simulated hydraulic heads from the calibrated model and 1982 rates of pumpage from both the High Plains and the Dakota aquifers for comparison with eight additional projection simulations in which maximum pumpage from the Dakota aquifer at the end of the projections ranged from about 78,000 to 294,000 acre-ft/yr. The results from the projections indicate that: (1) pumpage from the Dakota aquifer will have a limited effect on hydraulic heads in the High Plains aquifer, (2) drawdown in the hydraulic heads in the Dakota aquifer will result in conversion of much of the Dakota aquifer to unconfined conditions, (3) change in storage will become the major water-budget component for the Dakota aquifer, (4) continuation of 1982 rates of withdrawal from the High Plains aquifer will result in dewatering of a substantial part of the aquifer in the study area. (Lantz-PTT)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1987

Maps of runoff in the northeastern region and the southern Blue Ridge Province of the United States during selected periods in 1983-85

Maps of annual runoff for two regions in the eastern United States were prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey for the Direct/Delayed Response Project being conducted by the U.S. EPA. These maps show annual runoff during water year 1984 in the northeastern region and in the Southern Blue Ridge Province. Runoff from the northeastern region during the 1984 water yr ranged from 12 to 55 in.; this was 25 to 55% > average runoff for the 1951-80 period. Runoff from the Southern Blue Ridge Province during the 1984 water year ranged from 14 to 60 in.; this was 10 to 30% > the average runoff for the 1951-80 period. A split sample analysis of the data for New York was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the runoff mapping procedure used in this report. A runoff map was prepared using one-half of the data base. The map was then used to estimate runoff at the gaging stations that were not used to develop the map. The values estimated from the split-sample map were found to differ from the actual recorded values by 9.9%. The runoff maps are most accurate in areas with a relatively large concentration of gaging stations and little topographic variability. Conversely, the maps are least accurate in areas with few gaging stations and high topographic variability. Based on these criteria, those parts of the maps covering Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, are the most reliable. The least reliable parts of the maps are those along the North Carolina-Tennessee border and in parts of Maine.

Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Ha↗
USGS1987

Arsenic data for streams in the uppper Missouri River Basin, Montana and Wyoming

Although large concentrations of arsenic originating from geothermal sources within Yellowstone National Park have been known to be present in the Madison River for many years, systematic monitoring throughout the upper Missouri River basin had not been done. Therefore, a monitoring network consisting of 24 stations was established for the purpose of measuring arsenic concentrations and determining arsenic discharge. Included were 5 sites on mainstems of the Madison and Missouri Rivers and 19 sites on major and some minor tributaries from Yellowstone National Park to Canyon Ferry Lake. Fifteen of the 24 stations were sampled 12 times from November 1985 to October 1986. The remaining stations were sampled twice during the year, at high flow and at low flow. Total recoverable arsenic discharge (loading) in pounds per day was calculated for each sample by multiplying total recoverable arsenic concentration by water discharge (obtained at time of sample collection) and a conversion factor. This report presents data resulting from the monitoring program. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1990

Cartographic projection procedures for the UNIX environment; a user's manual

A tutorial description of the general usage of the cartographic projection program proj (release 3) along with speci c cartographic parameters and illustrations of the ap- proximately 70 cartographic projections supported by the program is presented. The program is designed as a standard Unix lter utility to be employed with other pro- grams in the generation of maps and charts and, in many cases, used in map digitizing applications. Tables and shell scripts are also provided for conversion of State Plane Coordinate Systems to and from geographic coordinates.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1993

Diazinon concentrations in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and San Francisco Bay, California, February 1993

The distribution and possible biological effects of a dormant spray pesticide, diazinon, were examined by measuring pesticide concentrations and estimating toxicity using bioassays at a series of sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. Pulses of diazinon were observed in early February 1993 in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers after heavy rains, with elevated concentrations measured for a few days to weeks at a time. The pulse of diazinon in the Sacramento River was followed from Sacramento through Suisun Bay, the eastward embayment of San Francisco Bay. In the central delta, well-defined pulses of diazinon were not observed at the Old and Middle River sites; instead, the concentrations steadily increased throughout February. Ceriodaphnia dubia mortality was 100% in water samples collected for 12 consecutive days (February 8-19) from the San Joaquin River at Vernalis. The bioassay mortality corresponded with the peak diazinon concentrations. Conversely, no toxicity was observed in water collected before or after peaks of diazinon concentration. Other pesticides present also could contribute to the toxicity.

California↗
USGS1994

Stability of submerged slopes on the flanks of the Hawaiian Islands, a simplified approach

Undersea transmission lines and shoreline AC-DC conversion stations and near-shore transmission lines are being considered as part of a system for transporting energy between the Hawaiian Islands. These facilities will need to be designed so that they will not be damaged or destroyed by coastal or undersea landslides. Advanced site surveys and engineering design of these facilities will require detailed site specific analyses, including sediment sampling and laboratory testing of samples, in situ testing of sediment and rock, detailed charting of bathymetry, and two- or three-dimensional numerical analyses of the factors of safety of the slopes against failure from the various possible loading mechanisms. An intermediate approximate approach can be followed that involves gravity and piston cores, laboratory testing and the application of simplified models to determine a seismic angle of repose for actual sediment in the vicinity of the planned facility. An even simpler and more approximate approach involves predictions of angles of repose using classification of the sediment along a proposed route as either a coarse volcaniclastic sand, a calcareous ooze, or a muddy terrigenous sediment. The steepest slope that such a sediment can maintain is the static angle of repose. Sediment may be found on slopes as steep as these, but it must be considered metastable and liable to fail in the event of any disturbance, storm or earthquake. The seismic angle of repose likely governs most slopes on the Hawaiian Ridge. This declivity corresponds to the response of the slope to a continuing seismic environment. As a long history of earthquakes affects the slopes, they gradually flatten to this level. Slopes that exceed or roughly equal this value can be considered at risk to fail during future earthquakes. Seismic and static angles of repose for three sediment types are tabulated in this report.

Hawaii↗
USGS1995

Geochemistry of sediments from coastal marshes of Louisiana

As a part of the U.S. Geological Survey Global Change and Climate History Program we have been studying the biogeochemistry of coastal marshes in Terrebonne Basin, Louisiana. Louisiana has about 40 percent of the coastal wetlands in the conterminous U.S. and it is losing wetlands at one of the highest rates in the U.S. with the conversion of about 65 km2/yr of marsh to open water (Britsch and Dunbar, 1993). The losses have been attributed to human and natural causes including saltwater intrusion through man-made canals, reduced sediment input, and regional subsidence. The net effect of these influences is to change the salinity of interior marshes in a fashion similar to a eustatic sea level rise. We are studying the cycling of carbon, sulfur, and other elements in sediments, waters, and marsh macrophytes in fresh, intermediate/brackish, and saltwater marshes in order to better understand how sea level rise, one aspect of global change, will influence and in turn be influenced by cycling of these elements. By characterizing the critical biogeochemical processes and the recent past environments in these rapidly changing marshes, we can improve predictions of future changes and interpretations of the historic geologic record in similar environments. In this report we describe our coastal marsh study sites in Louisiana, the types of samples collected, the collection methods, the chemical analysis methods, and selected chemical analysis results. Also included are summaries of the project quality control results. The raw chemical analysis results are provided in this report without interpretation. Interpretations will be provided in subsequent reports.

Louisiana↗
USGS1995

Geohydrology of the Flints Pond Aquifer, Hollis, New Hampshire

Flints pond has been subjected to accelerated eutrophication as a result of watershed development (building of new homes and conversion of summer cottages into permanent homes) since the 1930's. Ground-water flow is the primary recharge and discharge mechanism for Flints Pond. The saturated thickness, transmissive properties, and altitude of the water table were determined by use of surface geophysics, test drilling, and aquifer-test data. Information on the geohydrology of the adjacent Flints Pond aquifer can be used in developing a water and nutrient budget for the pond-aquifer system. Ground-penetrating-radar surveys were done over more than 4 miles of the study area and on Flints Pond. Three distinct reflection signatures were commonly identifiable on the radar profiles: (1) thin, relatively flat-lying, continuous reflectors that represent fine-grained lacustrine sediment; (2) subparallel to hummocky and chaotic, coarse-grained reflectors that possibly represent coarse-grained ice-contact deposits or deltaic sediments in a lacustrine environment; and (3) sharply diffracted, fine-grained, chaotic reflectors that represent till and (or) till over bedrock. The saturated thickness of the aquifer exceeds 90 feet in the northern end of the study area and averages 30 to 50 feet in the southern and eastern parts. The saturated thickness of the western part is generally less than 10 feet. Test borings were completed at 19 sites and 13 wells (6 of which were nested pairs) were installed in various lithologic units. A water-table map, constructed from data collected in November 1994, represents average water-table conditions in the aquifer. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities calculated from single-well aquifer test data for stratified drift range from 2.8 to 226 feet per day. Hydraulic conductivities were quantitatively correlated with the reflector signatures produced with ground-penetrating radar so that transmissivities could be inferred for areas where well data were unavailable but where ground- penetrating-radar surveys were done. A saturated- thickness and transmissivity map for the aquifer shows that transmissivities exceeds 3,000 feet squared per day in the southern and east-central parts of the aquifer. Transmissivity ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 feet squared per day in the northern part of the aquifer and is generally less than 1,000 feet squared per day in the western part.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Isopachs of Quaternary deposits, Fremont 1- by 2- degree Quadrangle and part of Omaha Quadrangle, Nebraska, digitized from a published 1:250,000-scale geologic map

A geologic map showing the isopachs of Quaternary deposits in the Fremont and part of the Omaha, Nebraska, 1- by 2-degree quadrangles was published at a scale of 1:250,000 in 1975 (Burchett and others, 1975). This report describes the conversion of Quaternary thickness data into a digital geographic data set. A film separation of the published isopachs was scan-digitized and processed to produce digital geographic data. Geographic feature attributes and data-set documentation also are included in the digital data set. The digital data set are formatted for distribution with accordance with the Spatial Data Transfer Standard approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1996

Review of Seismic Hazard Issues Associated with Auburn Dam Project, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California

Summary -- The U.S. Geological Survey was requested by the U.S. Department of the Interior to review the design values and the issue of reservoir-induced seismicity for a concrete gravity dam near the site of the previously-proposed Auburn Dam in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, central California. The dam is being planned as a flood-control-only dam with the possibility of conversion to a permanent water-storage facility. As a basis for planning studies the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is using the same design values approved by the Secretary of the Interior in 1979 for the original Auburn Dam. These values were a maximum displacement of 9 inches on a fault intersecting the dam foundation, a maximum earthquake at the site of magnitude 6.5, a peak horizontal acceleration of 0.64 g, and a peak vertical acceleration of 0.39 g. In light of geological and seismological investigations conducted in the western Sierran foothills since 1979 and advances in the understanding of how earthquakes are caused and how faults behave, we have developed the following conclusions and recommendations: Maximum Displacement. Neither the pre-1979 nor the recent observations of faults in the Sierran foothills precisely define the maximum displacement per event on a fault intersecting the dam foundation. Available field data and our current understanding of surface faulting indicate a range of values for the maximum displacement. This may require the consideration of a design value larger than 9 inches. We recommend reevaluation of the design displacement using current seismic hazard methods that incorporate uncertainty into the estimate of this design value. Maximum Earthquake Magnitude. There are no data to indicate that a significant change is necessary in the use of an M 6.5 maximum earthquake to estimate design ground motions at the dam site. However, there is a basis for estimating a range of maximum magnitudes using recent field information and new statistical fault relations. We recommend reevaluating the maximum earthquake magnitude using current seismic hazard methodology. Design Ground Motions. A large number of strong-motion records have been acquired and significant advances in understanding of ground motion have been achieved since the original evaluations. The design value for peak horizontal acceleration (0.64 g) is larger than the median of one recent study and smaller than the median value of another. The value for peak vertical acceleration (0.39 g) is somewhat smaller than median values of two recent studies. We recommend a reevaluation of the design ground motions that takes into account new ground motion data with particular attention to rock sites at small source distances. Reservoir-Induced Seismicity. The potential for reservoir-induced seismicity must be considered for the Auburn Darn project. A reservoir-induced earthquake is not expected to be larger than the maximum naturally occurring earthquake. However, the probability of an earthquake may be enhanced by reservoir impoundment. A flood-control-only project may involve a lower probability of significant induced seismicity than a multipurpose water-storage dam. There is a need to better understand and quantify the likelihood of this hazard. A methodology should be developed to quantify the potential for reservoir induced seismicity using seismicity data from the Sierran foothills, new worldwide observations of induced and triggered seismicity, and current understanding of the earthquake process. Reevaluation of Design Parameters. The reevaluation of the maximum displacement, maximum magnitude earthquake, and design ground motions can be made using available field observations from the Sierran foothills, updated statistical relations for faulting and ground motions, and current computational seismic hazard methodologies that incorporate uncertainty into the analysis. The reevaluation does not require significant new geological field studies.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1996

Occurrence of selected contaminants in water, fish tissue, and streambed sediments in central Nebraska, 1992-95

Surface and ground water in Nebraska may contain contaminants resulting from human activities. For purposes of this publication, a contaminant is any element or compound whose presence may affect the water's suitability for certain uses. For example, herbicide concentrations may exceeed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Health Advisory Levels (HAL) for drinking water or trace-element concentrations may exceed guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. In general, the contaminats discussed in this report enter the aquatic system through nonpoint-source runoff from agricultural lands that dominate the Nebraska landscape. However,because this assessment was conducted as part of a larger, national program, a screening for contaminants with non-agricultural origins was included. The measurement of water quality involves a variety of steps, each contributing unique information while also aggregating to an overall assessment. One aspect of water-quality assesment is to describe the occurrence and distribution of contaminants. Some contaminants may be hundreds or thousands of times more concentrated in the tissues of aquatic organisms or in fine sediments than they are in the water. As a result, fish tissue and streambed sediments are well suited for the detection of certain contaminants. For example, pesticides used in the United States prior to the early 1970's, such as DDT, may have degraded into more stable but still toxic compounds that are highly concentrated in fish tissues. Conversely, other contaminants are not concentrated in sediments or tissues but are readily detected in water samples. Organonitrogen herbicides (such as atrazine), the most commonly used herbicides in Nebraska, are examples of water-soluble contaminants. Several sampling strategies were used to address specific questions. Some sites were sampled repeatedly through time and during all hydrologic conditions, whereas others were sampled only once to determine presence of contaminants. Because a strong relation between concentration and streamflow often exists for contaminants originating from nonpoint sources, streams typically were sampled near gaging stations that monitor streamflow.

Nebraska↗
USGS1998

Acid-neutralizing potential of minerals in intrusive rocks of the Boulder batholith in northern Jefferson County, Montana

Experimental studies show that fresh granitic rocks of the Boulder batholith in the Boulder River headwaters near Basin, Montana have significant acid-neutralizing potential and are capable of neutralizing acidic water derived from metal-mining related wastes or mine workings. Laboratory studies show that in addition to the acidneutralizing potential (ANP) of minor amounts of calcite in these rocks, biotite, tremolite, and feldspars will contribute significantly to long-term ANP. We produced 0.45 micrometer-filtered acidic (pH = 2.95) leachate for use in these ANP experiments by exposing metal-mining related wastes to deionized water in a waste:leachate ratio of 1:20. We then exposed these leachates to finely-ground and sized fractions of batholith rocks, and some of their mineral fractions for extended and repeated periods, for which results are reported here. The intent was to understand what reactions of metal-rich acidic water and fresh igneous rocks would produce. The reactions between the acidic leachates and the bulk rocks and mineral fractions are complex. Factors such as precipitation of phases like Fe-hydroxides and Alhydroxides and the balance between dissolved cations and anions that are sulfate dominated complicate analysis of the results. Research by others of acid neutralization by biotite and tremolite attributed a rise in pH to proton (H+) adsorption in sites vacated by K, Mg, and Ca. Destruction of the silicate framework and liberation of associated structural hydroxyl ions may contribute to ANP. Studies by others have indicated that the conversion of biotite to a vermiculite-type structure by removal of K at a pH of 4 consumes about six protons for every mole of biotite, but at a pH of 3 there is pronounced dissolution of the tetrahedral lattice. The ANP of fresh granitic rocks is much higher than anticipated. The three bulk Boulder igneous rock samples studied have minimum ANP equivalent to about 10-14 weight percent calcite. This ANP is in addition to that provided by the 0.36-1.4 weight percent calcite present in these samples. The total rock ANP is thus equivalent to that of many sedimentary rocks that are generally believed to be among the most efficient for attenuation of acidic waters. The long-term ANP contributed by biotite, tremolite, feldspars, and possibly unidentified minerals in these rocks, as well as calcite, are all important with regard to their natural remediation of degraded water quality originating from Fe-sulfide rich mineral deposits and the associated mine wastes and acid-mine drainage water.

Montana↗