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USGS2026

Working group on American Eel (WGAMEEL; outputs from 2024 meeting)

The Working Group on American Eel (WGAMEEL) met virtually three times in 2022-2024 to address the five Terms of Reference (ToRs) of its three-year term. The first two ToRs tasked WGAMEEL with listing and evaluating data on American eel landings, abundance indices, and spatial and habitat data and also to describe assessment methods used in Canada and the US. Canada-wide American eel trajectory was estimated using 12 fishery-independent datasets. Generally, longer datasets had more negative trends than shorter ones. Limiting data to the post-2000 years produced fewer negative trends that did not differ from zero, suggesting the observed declines occurred pre-2000. Spatial modelling for American eel requires knowledge and mapping that covers the breadth of habitat types occupied by the species, including freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments. In recent years there has been an expansion of online databases with data from the aquatic environment, particularly in freshwater, with estuarine and marine data less consistently documented. This report broadly compiles abiotic data series of relevance to American eel. A larger challenge for spatial modelling will be acquiring enough high quality, georeferenced biological data sets with suitable observations to assess occurrence, abundance, and trends over time in a spatial framework. The third ToR considered Indigenous Knowledge Systems for American eel. A survey reaching First Nations representatives from four Canadian provinces confirmed the cultural importance of eels in Indigenous communities, and that Indigenous knowledge possessed by the participant groups are place-based and contextual, especially regarding threats impacting eels. The final two ToRs focused on identifying stock assessment modelling approaches applicable to American and European eel, and assessing whether any of these approaches might be appropriate for American eel management moving forward. WGAMEEL evaluated the various approaches for assessing American eel or providing management advice. Two approaches that could be completed in the next few years because of their minimal data needs are index-based methods and catch-only method. A suite of approaches considered by WGAMEEL that would take more time and data were spatial or habitat models, management strategy evaluation, and spawner-per-recruit (SPR) models potentially paired with meta-population models.

ICES Scientific Reports↗

USGS2000

Water-level altitudes 2000, water-level changes 1977-2000 and 1999-2000 and compaction 1973-99 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1977 and compaction since 1973 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 2000 and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1977 to 2000 and from 1999 to 2000, a map showing extensometer site locations, and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at selected sites from 1973 to 1999. The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the two aquifers in the region are by Coplin and other (1999). The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

Texas↗

USGS2001

Water-level altitudes 2001, water-level changes 1977-2001 and 2000-2001, and compaction 1973-2000 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1977 and compaction since 1973 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 2001 (figs 1,4) and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1977 to 2001 and from 2000 to 2001 (figs 2,3,5,6), a map showing extensometer site locations (fig. 7), and graphs showing measured compaction of subserface material at selected sites from 1973 to 2000 (fig. 8). The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the two aquifers in the region are by Coplin and Santos. (2000). The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

Texas↗

USGS1998

Water-level altitudes 1998, water-level changes 1977-98 and 1997-98, and compaction 1973-97 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1977 and compaction since 1973 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 1998 and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1977 to 1998 and from 1997 to 1998, a map showing extensometer site locations, and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at selected sites from 1973 to 1997. The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the two aquifers in the region are by Kasmarek and others (1997). The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

Texas↗

USGS1999

Water-level altitudes 1999, water-level changes 1977-99 and 1998-99, and compaction 1973-98 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers: Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1977 and compaction since 1973 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 1999 and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1977 to 1999 and from 1998 to 1999, a map showing extensometer site locations, and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at selected sites from 1973 to 1998. The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the two aquifers in the region are by Coplin (1998). The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

Texas↗

USGS2018

Modeling wildfire-induced permafrost deformation in an Alaskan boreal forest using InSAR observations

The discontinuous permafrost zone is one of the world’s most sensitive areas to climate change. Alaskan boreal forest is underlain by discontinuous permafrost, and wildfires are one of the most influential agents negatively impacting the condition of permafrost in the arctic region. Using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) of Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) images, we mapped extensive permafrost degradation over interior Alaskan boreal forest in Yukon Flats, induced by the 2009 Big Creek wildfire. Our analyses showed that fire-induced permafrost degradation in the second post-fire thawing season contributed up to 20 cm of ground surface subsidence. We generated post-fire deformation time series and introduced a model that exploited the deformation time series to estimate fire-induced permafrost degradation and changes in active layer thickness. The model showed a wildfire-induced increase of up to 80 cm in active layer thickness in the second post-fire year due to pore-ice permafrost thawing. The model also showed up to 15 cm of permafrost degradation due to excess-ice thawing with little or no increase in active layer thickness. The uncertainties of the estimated change in active layer thickness and the thickness of thawed excess ice permafrost are 27.77 and 1.50 cm, respectively. Our results demonstrate that InSAR-derived deformation measurements along with physics models are capable of quantifying fire-induced permafrost degradation in Alaskan boreal forests underlain by discontinuous permafrost. Our results also have illustrated that fire-induced increase of active layer thickness and excess ice thawing contributed to ground surface subsidence.

Alaska↗

USGS1991

Morphodynamics of the Isles Dernieres barrier shoreline, Louisiana. 1984-1989

An aerial videotape mapping system was used to monitor spatial and temporal variability of the coastal morphology along the Isles Dernieres barrier shoreline. Between 1984 and 1989, nine sequential annual and post-hurricane aerial videotape surveys were flown covering periods of prolonged fair weather, hurricane impacts, and subsequent post-storm recovery. Morphologic time series were developed to depict spatial and temporal geomorphic changes along the Isles Dernieres low-profile transgressive barrier island system. The net effect of Hurricanes Danny and Juan, in 1985, was the transformation of a high relief landscape dominated by well-vegetated dunes, dune terraces, and washover terraces to one dominated by partially-vegetated washover terraces and unvegetated washover flats. In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert caused extensive geomorphic changes in the central Isles Dernieres where the low-relief, less-vegetated islands were more susceptible to storm-surge processes. Post-storm island morphodynamics were characterized by a gradual build up of the low-relief landforms to high-profile features. The greatest post-storm recovery consistently occurred in areas of greater island width and relief. In addition, the rate of post-storm recovery was controlled by the regional setting of individual islands relative to sand supply. The degree of post-storm recovery was consistently greater in areas where hurricane impact had caused greatest geomorphic change.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2014

USGS Field Activities 12BHM01, 12BHM02, 12BHM03, 12BHM04, and 12BHM05 on the West Florida Shelf, in February, April, May, June, and August 2012

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is absorbed by the ocean’s surface where it combines with seawater to form a weak, naturally occurring acid called carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3 ). Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere results in the absorption of more CO 2 by the ocean and, therefore, increases in the acidity of seawater. This process, known as ocean acidification, has the potential to elicit change in ecosystems and organisms by disrupting biological processes. For example, ocean acidification is a problem for marine organisms such as corals, foraminifera, and algae that precipitate calcium carbonate to form their skeletons and shells (Kleypas and others, 2006). The effects are related to corresponding changes in the carbonate saturation state (Ω), where Ω is the ratio of the ion concentration product (Ca 2+ x CO 3 2- ) to the stoichiometric aragonite solubility product (K*sp) (Langdon and Atkinson, 2005). Because pH and CO 3 2- are strongly interdependent through the inorganic carbon system, the decrease in pH will cause a proportionally greater decrease in CO 3 2- . Globally, ocean acidification is occurring faster than at any time in the last 300 million years (Broeker and others, 1979). Recent evidence indicates that individual oceans are responding at different rates, depending on physical and biological processes. For example in the Arctic Ocean, the rate of saturation state decrease was 2.1 percent per year between 1997 and 2010 (Robbins and others., 2013) in an area as large as Montana, largely because of increases in melt of ice, versus the average rate observed for the Pacific Ocean (0.36 percent per year) (Feely and others, 2012). Unfortunately, comparative data sets over multiyear time frames are often not available because time series baseline carbon information has not been collected in many oceans. Data are needed in subtropical latitudes where carbonate saturation states are already naturally low and fluctuate seasonally. These data will help construct a baseline for the assessment of future changes. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program project "R esponse of Florida Shelf Ecosystems to Climate Change " and in partnership with Kendra Daly, University of South Florida ( USF ), data on surface ocean carbonate chemistry were collected on five cruises along transects on the shallow inner west Florida shelf and northern Gulf of Mexico in 2012. Data from the 2011 cruises were also published (Robbins and others., 2013). The data collected allows the USGS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ), and USF scientists to map variations in ocean chemistry including carbonate saturation states along designated tracks. The USGS also partners with NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) to model air-sea flux as part of a Gulf of Mexico Carbon Synthesis project led by NASA.

Florida↗

USGS2012

Geologic map of the Snegurochka Planitia quadrangle (V-1), Venus

The Snegurochka Planitia region is a predominantly low-lying terrain that covers the north polar region of Venus, extending from lat 75° N. to 90° N. and from long 0° E. to 360° E. The plains associated with Snegurochka Planitia abut the highlands of Metis Mons to the south from approximately long 240° E. to 300° E. (V–6) and the highlands of Ishtar Terra to the south from approximately long 300° E. to 60° E. (Lakshmi Planum, V–7; Fortuna Tessera, V–2). The plains of Louhi Planitia also lie within the V–1 region and form the northern border with the highlands of Tethus Regio from approximately long 60° E. to 120° E. (V–3 Meskhent Tessera) and with the lowlands of both Atalanta Planitia (V–4) and the nearby deformed region containing a series of ridged belts (V–5, Pandrosos Dorsa) from approximately long 120° E. to 240° E. The plains generally lie between +500 m and -500 m of the mean planetary radius (MPR) of 6051.8 km, with the highest terrain in the region, the northernmost extent of Ishtar Terra (Itzpapalotl Tessera, lat 75° N., long ~315° E.), rising more than 6.4 km above MPR.

Scientific Investigations Map↗

USGS1986

Maps showing mines and prospects in the Southern Massanutten Roadless Area, Page and Rockingham counties, Virginia

The Southern Massanutten Roadless Area contains about 11,800 acres in the George Washington National Forest in the Valley and Ridge physiographic province of west-central Virginia. The area, which is 13 mi long and 1 to 2 mi wide, is in Page and Rockingham Counties on the eastern side of the Shenandoah Valley, between the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River. The north end is 11 mi southwest of Luray and the south end is 7 mi east of Harrisonburg (fig. 1). The roadless area is characterized by a series of long sandstone ridges collectively called Massanutten Mountain. Ridge crests are 1,100 to 1,900 ft above the Shenandoah Valley floor, and are composed principally of resistant Massanutten Sandstone, which is overlain by thin shales and limestones bearing iron mineralization. The Martinsburg Shale and several limestones rock units underlie the Massanutten Sandstone (Brent, 1960, pl. 1.; Allen, 1967, pl. 1). The entire sequence has been folded into a synclinorium (Brent, 1960, p. 81). Although many of these strata have been mined in the Shenandoah Valley, production of mineral commodities from within the roadless area has been minimal (fig. 1).

Virginia↗

USGS2022

Spaceborne InSAR mapping of landslides and subsidence in rapidly deglaciating terrain, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and vicinity, Alaska and British Columbia

The Glacier Bay area in southeastern Alaska and British Columbia, encompassing Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, has experienced rapid glacier retreat since the end of the Little Ice Age in the mid-1800s. The impact that rapid deglaciation has had on the slope stability of valley walls and on the sedimentation of fans and deltas adjacent to fjords and inlets is an ongoing research topic. Using 3-year (2018–2020) Sentinel-1 datasets, and an automated time-series persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PSInSAR) processing method, we detected landslides or delta subsidence at 27 sites within a vast 180 × 180 km remote region encompassing Glacier Bay proper. Most of the sites that we identified had not been previously identified. We categorized the hazard source areas that we identified into three general types:1) slow-moving landslides on steep rocky slopes not near (> 2 km away from) present-day glacier termini (e.g., Tidal Inlet landslide), 2) slow-moving landslides directly adjacent to (< 2 km away from), and associated with glacier thinning and retreat, and 3) subsidence of glacial outwash fan deltas. In categories 1 and 2, we observed 22 landslides moving at velocities ranging from 0.5 to 4 cm/yr. In category 3, we detected five fan deltas subsiding at velocities ranging from 0.5 to 6 cm/yr. Within our measurement error, these velocities were consistent during the monitoring period. Because acceleration was not observed, the issuance of warnings of imminent rapid failure is not warranted, however, continued remote monitoring is warranted. Our interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) results could be combined with other data sets including field observations, subaerial and submarine landslide inventories, bedrock fabric mapping from newly available light detection and ranging (lidar) data, and geologic maps to produce an inherent susceptibility map for landslides in bedrock and fan deltas. This map could be used to forecast susceptibility for both earthquake and climatically induced landslides.

Alaska, British Columbia↗

USGS2013

Database for the geologic map of Newberry Volcano, Deschutes, Klamath, and Lake Counties, Oregon

Newberry Volcano, one of the largest Quaternary volcanoes in the conterminous United States, is a broad shield-shaped volcano measuring 60 km north-south by 30 km east-west with a maximum elevation of more than 2 km. Newberry Volcano is the product of deposits from thousands of eruptions, including at least 25 in the past approximately 12,000 years (Holocene Epoch). Newberry Volcano has erupted as recently as 1,300 years ago, but isotopic ages indicate that the volcano began its growth as early as 0.6 million years ago. Such a long eruptive history and recent activity suggest that Newberry Volcano is likely to erupt in the future. This geologic map database of Newberry Volcano distinguishes rocks and deposits based on their composition, age, and lithology.

Oregon↗

USGS2012

Mapping ground surface deformation using temporarily coherent point SAR interferometry: Application to Los Angeles Basin

Multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is an effective tool to detect long-term seismotectonic motions by reducing the atmospheric artifacts, thereby providing more precise deformation signal. The commonly used approaches such as persistent scatterer InSAR (PSInSAR) and small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithms need to resolve the phase ambiguities in interferogram stacks either by searching a predefined solution space or by sparse phase unwrapping methods; however the efficiency and the success of phase unwrapping cannot be guaranteed. We present here an alternative approach – temporarily coherent point (TCP) InSAR (TCPInSAR) – to estimate the long term deformation rate without the need of phase unwrapping. The proposed approach has a series of innovations including TCP identification, TCP network and TCP least squares estimator. We apply the proposed method to the Los Angeles Basin in southern California where structurally active faults are believed capable of generating damaging earthquakes. The analysis is based on 55 interferograms from 32 ERS-1/2 images acquired during Oct. 1995 and Dec. 2000. To evaluate the performance of TCPInSAR on a small set of observations, a test with half of interferometric pairs is also performed. The retrieved TCPInSAR measurements have been validated by a comparison with GPS observations from Southern California Integrated GPS Network. Our result presents a similar deformation pattern as shown in past InSAR studies but with a smaller average standard deviation (4.6 mm) compared with GPS observations, indicating that TCPInSAR is a promising alternative for efficiently mapping ground deformation even from a relatively smaller set of interferograms.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗

USGS2006

Inferences about winter temperatures and summer rains from the late Quaternary record of C 4 perennial grasses and C 3 desert shrubs in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Late Quaternary histories of two North American desert biomes—C 4 grasslands and C 3 shrublands—are poorly known despite their sensitivity and potential value in reconstructing summer rains and winter temperatures. Plant macrofossil assemblages from packrat midden series in the northern Chihuahuan Desert show that C 4 grasses and annuals typical of desert grassland persisted near their present northern limits throughout the last glacial-interglacial cycle. By contrast, key C 3 desert shrubs appeared somewhat abruptly after 5000cal.yrBP. Bioclimatic envelopes for select C 4 and C 3 species are mapped to interpret the glacial-interglacial persistence of desert grassland and the mid-to-late Holocene expansion of desert shrublands. The envelopes suggest relatively warm Pleistocene temperatures with moist summers allowed for persistence of C 4 grasses, whereas winters were probably too cold (or too wet) for C 3 desert shrubs. Contrary to climate model results, core processes associated with the North American Monsoon and moisture transport to the northern Chihuahuan Desert remained intact throughout the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Mid-latitude effects, however, truncated midsummer (July-August) moisture transport north of 35° N. The sudden expansion of desert shrublands after 5000cal.yrBP may be a threshold response to warmer winters associated with increasing boreal winter insolation, and enhanced El Niño-Southern Oscillation variability.

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas↗

USGS1981

Preliminary map showing recently active breaks along the Maacama Fault zone between Hopland and Laytonville, Mendocino County, California

The southernmost 15 km of this map is a product of a study that began in 1975 as part of a study of recency of faulting in coastal California (Ziony and others, 1974; Buchanan-Banks and others, 1978; Pampeyan , 1979). In February 1975, after being shown evidence of recent faulting in the vicinity of Ukiah by E. C. Winterhalder, Principal Engineering Geologist for Harding - Lawson Associates, Pampeyan extended the study area northward to the vicinity of Willits . After the Willits earthquake of November 22, 1977 (Simon and others, 1978; Warren and others, 1979), field investigations in the epicentral area revealed a series of distressed pavements, curbs, and sidewalks all showing right-lateral offset (Harsh and others, 1978; 1981). These features traverse the city of Willits and define a line coincident with a photolineament extending southeastward from Willits. Subsequently, additional sites of distressed pavements discovered both east and north of Ukiah alone; other lineaments of the photogeologic study verified the existence of tectonic creep in the Maacama fault zone.

California↗

USGS1962

Paleozoic seas of central Idaho

Some recent paleogeographic maps indicate that central Idaho was part of a major geosyncline throughout Paleozoic time. This concept, apparently based on thick marine accumulations far apart on the margins of the region, is inconsistent with field data. Within the area of the Idaho batholith, Permian(?) volcanic rocks rest either on batholithic rocks or on the Belt Series. The Belt Series rocks have furnished the xenoliths in the batholith. To the west upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata are invaded. Along the eastern margin, south of lat. 45°, thick Paleozoic strata are intruded by the batholith. These locally exceed 30,000 feet in thickness and thin eastward. They have many variations. Those close to the batholith, especially those high in the sequence, are regarded as of near-shore origin. The Paleozoic strata in southeastern Idaho , more than 17,000 feet thick, are broadly similar except that Cambrian strata there are thicker and more widespread. The part of central Idaho north of the vicinity of lat. 45° has no known Paleozoic strata. Northern Idaho has only a few outcrops of beds of Cambrian age. The differences in thickness and character between Paleozoic strata in south- central and southeastern Idaho and those in western Montana and Wyoming (less than 7500 feet thick) suggest a hinge line near the eastern boundary between Idaho and Montana with a shelf to the east and a trough to the west. In south- central Idaho this trough had a maximum width of 90 miles and a western shore roughly at the east margin of the batholith. This trough wedged out northward a little beyond lat. 45°. Thus the area of the present Idaho batholith has been a positive block since Precambrian time, comparable to but apparently of longer duration than the geanticline in northern Nevada. Any invasion of the positive block in Idaho by marine waters during the Paleozoic was local and brief, except perhaps along the western border. Uncertain correlations within the area of the batholith leave open the possibility of some deposition there early in Paleozoic time.

Idaho↗

USGS2008

Areas of historical oil and gas exploration and production in the United States

This report contains maps and associated spatial data showing historical oil and gas exploration and production in the United States. Because of the proprietary nature of many oil and gas well databases, the United States was divided into cells one-quarter square mile and the production status of all wells in a given cell was aggregated. Base-map reference data are included, using the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Map, the USGS and American Geological Institute (AGI) Global GIS, and a World Shaded Relief map service from the ESRI Geography Network. A hardcopy map was created to synthesize recorded exploration data from 1859, when the first oil well was drilled in the U.S., to 2005. In addition to the hardcopy map product, the data have been refined and made more accessible through the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The cell data are included in a GIS database constructed for spatial analysis via the USGS Internet Map Service or by importing the data into GIS software such as ArcGIS. The USGS internet map service provides a number of useful and sophisticated geoprocessing and cartographic functions via an internet browser. Also included is a video clip of U.S. oil and gas exploration and production through time.

Data Series↗

USGS2013

Hydrographs showing groundwater levels for selected wells in the Puyallup River watershed and vicinity, Pierce and King Counties, Washington

Hydrographs of groundwater levels for selected wells in and adjacent to the Puyallup River watershed in Pierce and King Counties, Washington, are presented using an interactive Web-based map of the study area to illustrate changes in groundwater levels on a monthly and seasonal basis. The interactive map displays well locations that link to the hydrographs, which in turn link to the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, Groundwater Site Inventory System.

Washington↗