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At least 1,657 records · Page 92Linked to original sources
USGS2000

A ground electromagnetic survey used to map sulfides and acid sulfate ground waters at the abandoned Cabin Branch Mine, Prince William Forest Park, northern Virginia gold-pyrite belt

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: Prince William Forest Park is situated at the northeastern end of the Virginia Gold-Pyrite belt northwest of the town of Dumfries, VA. The U. S. Marine Corps Reservation at Quantico borders the park on the west and south, and occupies part of the same watershed. Two abandoned mines are found within the park: the Cabin Branch pyrite mine, a historic source of acid mine drainage, and the Greenwood gold mine, a source of mercury contamination. Both are within the watershed of Quantico Creek (Fig.1). The Cabin Branch mine (also known as the Dumfries mine) lies about 2.4 km northwest of the town of Dumfries. It exploited a 300 meter-long, lens-shaped body of massive sulfide ore hosted by metamorphosed volcanic rocks; during its history over 200,000 tons of ore were extracted and processed locally. The site became part of the National Capitol Region of the National Park Service in 1940 and is currently managed by the National Park Service. In 1995 the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy reclaimed the Cabin Branch site. The Virginia Gold-Pyrite belt, also known as the central Virginia volcanic-plutonic belt, is host to numerous abandoned metal mines (Pavlides and others, 1982), including the Cabin Branch deposit. The belt itself extends from its northern terminus near Cabin Branch, about 50 km south of Washington, D.C., approximately 175 km to the southwest into central Virginia. It is underlain by metamorphosed volcanic and clastic (non-carbonate) sedimentary rocks, originally deposited approximately 460 million years ago during the Ordovician Period (Horton and others, 1998). Three kinds of deposits are found in the belt: volcanic-associated massive sulfide deposits, low-sulfide quartz-gold vein deposits, and gold placer deposits. The massive sulfide deposits such as Cabin Branch were historically mined for their sulfur, copper, zinc, and lead contents, but also yielded byproduct gold and silver. The environmental impact of massive sulfide deposits can be substantial. These deposits are characterized by high concentrations of heavy-metal sulfide minerals, hosted by silicate rocks. Thus, weathering of these deposits and their mine wastes has the potential to generate heavy-metal laden sulfuric acid that can have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. In addition, lead associated with solid mine wastes has the potential for human health impacts through ingestion. The heavy metals that are encountered in these deposits and are most likely to cause environmental impacts include copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, and arsenic. In addition, the weathering of pyrite releases large amounts of iron, and the acid generated attacks the country rocks and causes the release of large amounts of aluminum, which also can severely impact aquatic ecosystems. A reclamation attempt was made at the site in 1995, including construction of storm-water diversion trenches around the abandoned mine area, grading tailings away from the stream bank, addition of pulverized limestone and topsoil, and revegetation. The post-reclamation chemistry of shallow groundwaters (<3 meters deep) shows a neutral pH on the southwestern bank of the stream but pH of 4.1 to 4.5 on the northeastern bank. The dominant ions are Fe2+ and SO42- (Seal, Haffner, Meier, and Pollio, 1999) A ground electromagnetic survey was conducted over the site in 1999 as part of a wider study ( Seal, Haffner, and Meier, 1998a,b, 1999). It was hoped that a 3-D map of the soil conductivity derived from the survey could provide insight into the distribution of the mobilized sulfides present under the ground.

Virginia↗
USGS2002

Geologic cross sections showing the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn in acid-insoluble residues of Paleozoic rocks within the Doniphan/Eleven Point Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, USA

This report is a product of a U.S. Geological Survey investigation that is focused on characterizing the potential environmental impacts of lead-zinc mining within the Doniphan/Eleven Point ranger district of the Mark Twain national forest. The elemental concentrations of iron (Fe), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in acidinsoluble residues are shown for boreholes along two geologic cross sections within Doniphan/Elevan Point ranger district (Figure 1). The purpose of this report is to characterize, in a general sense, the distribution of economically and environmentally important elements within the rocks and aquifers of the Doniphan/Eleven Point ranger district

Missouri↗
USGS2004

A Forest Vegetation Database for Western Oregon

Data on forest vegetation in western Oregon were assembled for 2323 ecological survey plots. All data were from fixed-radius plots with the standardized design of the Current Vegetation Survey (CVS) initiated in the early 1990s. For each site, the database includes: 1) live tree density and basal area of common tree species, 2) total live tree density, basal area, estimated biomass, and estimated leaf area; 3) age of the oldest overstory tree examined, 4) geographic coordinates, 5) elevation, 6) interpolated climate variables, and 7) other site variables. The data are ideal for ecoregional analyses of existing vegetation.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

Petrified Forest National Park Invasive Plant Species Survey and Mapping; 2002-2005

We conducted a survey for invasive nonnative plant species at Petrified Forest National Park from 2002 through 2005. The survey employed a unique sampling design consisting of a grid of consecutive one-hectare cells as the sampling units. Our use of predetermined sampling units allowed all observations to be referenced to a fixed area with geographic coordinates that easily transferred to a geographic information system. Our field team surveyed 2,730 sampling units in three select areas for at least 1 year and 879 sampling units for 4 years. During this period we identified 40 different invasive plant species; more than half the invasive plants (22 species) were annual forbs and grasses. Four invasive plant species occurred in 25 percent or more of all sampling units observed in one or more years: Bromus tectorum, Erodium cicutarium, Salsola tragus, and Sisymbrium altissimum. Salsola tragus was the most abundant species in all years and occurred in more than 55 percent of all sampling units surveyed each year.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

Emergency assessment of postwildfire debris-flow hazards for the 2011 Motor Fire, Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests, California

This report presents an emergency assessment of potential debris-flow hazards from basins burned by the 2011 Motor fire in the Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests, Calif. Statistical-empirical models are used to estimate the probability and volume of debris flows that may be produced from burned drainage basins as a function of different measures of basin burned extent, gradient, and soil physical properties, and in response to a 30-minute-duration, 10-year-recurrence rainstorm. Debris-flow probability and volume estimates are then combined to form a relative hazard ranking for each basin. This assessment provides critical information for issuing warnings, locating and designing mitigation measures, and planning evacuation timing and routes within the first two years following the fire.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2012

Future scenarios of land-use and land-cover change in the United States--the Marine West Coast Forests Ecoregion

Detecting, quantifying, and projecting historical and future changes in land use and land cover (LULC) has emerged as a core research area for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Changes in LULC are important drivers of changes to biogeochemical cycles, the exchange of energy between the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, biodiversity, water quality, and climate change. To quantify the rates of recent historical LULC change, the USGS Land Cover Trends project recently completed a unique ecoregion-based assessment of late 20th century LULC change for the western United States. To characterize present LULC, the USGS and partners have created the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) for the years 1992, 2001, and 2006. Both Land Cover Trends and NLCD projects continue to evolve in an effort to better characterize historical and present LULC conditions and are the foundation of the data presented in this report. Projecting future changes in LULC requires an understanding of the rates and patterns of change, the major driving forces, and the socioeconomic and biophysical determinants and capacities of regions. The data presented in this report is the result of an effort by USGS scientists to downscale the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) to ecoregions of the conterminous United States as part of the USGS Biological Carbon Sequestration Assessment. The USGS biological carbon assessment was mandated by Section 712 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. As part of the legislative mandate, the USGS is required to publish a methodology describing, in detail, the approach to be used for the assessment. The development of future LULC scenarios is described in chapter 3.2 and appendix A. Spatial modeling is described in chapter 3.3.2 and appendix B and in Sohl and others (2011). In this report, we briefly summarize the major components and methods used to downscale IPCC-SRES scenarios to ecoregions of the conterminous United States, followed by a description of the Marine West Coast Forests Ecoregion, and lastly a description of the data being published as part of this report.

California;Oregon;Washington↗
USGS2013

Emergency assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards for the 2013 Rim Fire, Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park, California

Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. In this report, empirical models are used to predict the probability and magnitude of debris-flow occurrence in response to a 10-year rainstorm for the 2013 Rim fire in Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest, California. Overall, the models predict a relatively high probability (60–80 percent) of debris flow for 28 of the 1,238 drainage basins in the burn area in response to a 10-year recurrence interval design storm. Predictions of debris-flow volume suggest that debris flows may entrain a significant volume of material, with 901 of the 1,238 basins identified as having potential debris-flow volumes greater than 10,000 cubic meters. These results of the relative combined hazard analysis suggest there is a moderate likelihood of significant debris-flow hazard within and downstream of the burn area for nearby populations, infrastructure, wildlife, and water resources. Given these findings, we recommend that residents, emergency managers, and public works departments pay close attention to weather forecasts and National-Weather-Service-issued Debris Flow and Flash Flood Outlooks, Watches and Warnings and that residents adhere to any evacuation orders.

California↗
USGS2017

Soil data for a thermokarst bog and the surrounding permafrost plateau forest, located at Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Site, Interior Alaska

Peatlands play an important role in boreal ecosystems, storing a large amount of soil organic carbon. In northern ecosystems, collapse-scar bogs (also known as thermokarst bogs) often form as the result of ground subsidence following permafrost thaw. To examine how ecosystem carbon balance changes with the loss of permafrost, we measured carbon and nitrogen storage within a thermokarst bog and the surrounding forest, which continues to have permafrost. These sites are a part of the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site and are located within Interior Alaska. Here, we report on methods used for core collection analysis as well as the cores’ physical, chemical, and descriptive properties.

Alaska↗
USGS2018

Evaluation of the Radar Stage Sensor manufactured by Forest Technology Systems—Results of laboratory and field testing

Two identical Radar Stage Sensors from Forest Technology Systems were evaluated to determine if they are suitable for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic data collection. The sensors were evaluated in laboratory conditions to evaluate the distance accuracy of the sensor over the manufacturer’s specified operating temperatures and distance to water ranges. Laboratory results were compared to the manufacturer’s accuracy specification of ±0.007 foot (ft) and the USGS Office of Surface Water (OSW) policy requirement that water-level sensors have a measurement uncertainty of no more than 0.01 ft or 0.20 percent of the indicated reading. Both of the sensors tested were within the OSW policy requirement in both laboratory tests and within the manufacturer’s specification in the distance to water test over tested distances from 3 to 15 ft. In the temperature chamber test, both sensors were within the manufacturer’s specification for more than 90 percent of the data points collected over a temperature range of –40 to +60 degrees Celsius at a fixed distance of 8 ft. One sensor was subjected to an SDI-12 communication test, which it passed. A field test was conducted on one sensor at a USGS field site near Landon, Mississippi, from February 5 to March 29, 2016. Water-level measurements made by the radar during the field test were in agreement with those made by the Sutron Accubar Constant Flow Bubble Gauge. Upon the manufacturer’s release of updated firmware version 1.09, additional SDI-12 and temperature testing was performed to evaluate added SDI-12 functions and verify that performance was unaffected by the update. At this time, an Axiom data logger is required to perform a firmware update on this sensor. The data confirmed the results of the original test. Based on the test results, the Radar Stage Sensor is a suitable choice for USGS hydrologic data collection.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2020

Western purple martin (Progne subis arboricola) occurrence on the Siuslaw National Forest, Summer 2019

The western subspecies of the purple martin ( Progne subis arboricola ) is currently listed as a “critically” sensitive species in four ecoregions of western Oregon: Coast Range, Klamath Mountains, West Cascades, and Willamette Valley (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2019). Importantly distinct from the abundant and widespread eastern subspecies ( Progne subis subis ), the western subspecies is of particular concern to Federal forest managers. Whereas the eastern subspecies is almost entirely dependent on artificial human-provided housing, the western subspecies continues to rely on natural cavities for nesting habitat (Bettinger, 2003). Accurate estimates of the regional abundance of the western purple martin are difficult to obtain; the most recent statewide census for Oregon, conducted in 2005, estimated the population at 1,100 pairs (Western Purple Martin Working Group, 2010). Several factors, including a small population size, loss of breeding habitat, and reductions in the number of suitable nesting sites have put populations of the western purple martin at risk throughout much of the Pacific Northwest region (Rockwell, 2019).

Oregon↗
USGS1976

A reconnaissance of the effects of a forest fire on water quality in Kings Canyon National Park, California

Following two adjacent forest fires in the Roaring River drainage basin, Kings Canyon National Park, a sampling program was undertaken from May to July 1974 to ascertain water-quality changes resulting from the fires. Field measurements included alkalinity, pH, specific conductance, temperature, and discharge. Water samples were analyzed in the laboratory for major dissolved chemical constituents, selected plant nutrients, trace metals, suspended sediment, total organic carbon, and seston. Periphytic algae and benthic invertebrate samples were collected. A noticeable increase in the concentration of nitrogen was found in Roaring River immediately downstream from the Moraine Creek fire. The increase in the concentration of inorganic nitrogen compounds, however, was not great enough to pose a serious threat to the aquatic ecosystem. High total organic nitrogen concentrations may have been due, in part, to factors other than the effect of fire. The results of other water-quality measurements were typical of dilute Sierra Nevada streams and indicate that Roaring River was not adversely affected by the fires.

California↗
USGS1979

Data on ground-water resources of the Spring Mountains area, Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada

This report lists data on ground-water levels for 16 wells and discharge for 18 springs in the Spring Mountain area of the Tolyabe National Forest. Water levels in wells ranged from 325 to 519 feet below land surface. The highest spring discharge listed is 107 gallons per minute. In addition, data on the chemical quality of the water from selected wells and springs are listed.

Nevada↗
USGS1979

Possible reestablishment of sawtimber production following mining in the Osceola National Forest, an analysis of the state-of-the-art, February 9, 1978

There is a good possibility that sawtimber production could be reestablished on the Osceola National Forest. Engineering technology that is coming on-line should allow the establishment of land/water relationships that meet the requirements of desired tree species. Information available on soil-plant relationships indicate an absence of phytotoxic materials in various mining wastes and that good tree growth is possible.

Florida↗
USGS1979

The concentration and mobility of elements in subalpine forest soils in Colorado and Idaho

Leaching studies of subalpine forest soils collected at seven sites in Colorado and Idaho show that copper, cobalt, chromium, magnesium, barium, tin, strontium, and yttrium are highly mobile elements in these soils; that zirconium, lanthanum, nickel, and scandium are moderately mobile; and that titanium is rather immobile. Furthermore, the results of the studies indicate that elements are most highly concentrated in the ash of the mull (02) horizon. In these soils, the mull horizon is a more favorable zone for the accumulation of metals and other elements than are the mineral (A,B,C) soil horizons.

Colorado, Idaho↗
USGS1981

Water resources of Prince William Forest Park, Virginia

Prince William Forest Park is in the southern part of Prince William County, Va. Its natural beauty and nearness to Washington, D.C. have made it one of the most popular recreation areas in northern Virginia. To help the National Park Service plan the development of new facilities and effectively manage its total resources, the U.S. Geological Survey made a hydrologic study of the park from October 1972 to November 1975. The overall objective of the Survey 's study was to evalute the quantity and quality of the park 's water resources. Available information was compiled and analyzed, and new data on streamflow, ground-water levels, and the chemical quality of water were collected. Test wells were drilled and aquifer tests made at the sites of wells to evaluate the occurrence and availability of ground water. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1981

Quantitative geomorphology of drainage basins in Sumter National Forest, South Carolina

This report describes a computer program, written in Basic, that facilitates quantitative analysis of drainage basins and channel networks. The program was used to inventory 2,000 small watersheds in Sumter National Forest, South Carolina during 1980 and 1981. Drainage basins and stream segments were delineated in color on mylar overlays over U.S. Geological Survey 1:24 ,000-scale maps. Drainage basin characteristics were quantified and stored on eight-inch diskettes. The program can produce printouts and plots that summarize geomorphic data for each watershed. The program is adaptable to other locations. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1981

An archeological sample survey in the Cache Creek-Little Granite Creek area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, western Wyoming

Archeological Services of Laramie, Wyoming, undertook a Class II archeological reconnaissance of a large tract of land in a proposed wilderness area in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The findings were to be submitted for inclusion in an Environmental Impact Statement being assembled by Land Management Services of Jackson, Wyoming. The study area is being considered for possible drilling sites in the near future. The project area lies on the southwest slope of the Gros Ventre Mountain Range in the Cache Creek-Little Granite Creek area in Teton County, north-western Wyoming. A total of 16 prehistoric sites and isolated finds were recorded within or immediately adjacent to the study area boundaries. The total surface area covered amounted to 1857 acres (or 5.7%) of the 32,580 acres included in the study. An intensive surface evaluation was completed of all staked projects (well locations and access roads) in the survey area. Exploratory or evaluative testing is recommended for the Getty Reserve well location and in one area on the NCRA well access route. Some form of further evaluation is recommended at thirteen other localities. Fieldwork was conducted during September, 1980, by archeologists from Archeological Services. Subsequent analysis included the application of a model of site predictability based on the statistical analysis of environmental factors, such as slope, aspect, vegetation, soils, fauna and proximity to water.

Wyoming↗
USGS1981

Engineering geology investigation, Little Granite Creek road corridor, Teton National Forest, Teton County, Wyoming

This report summarizes the results of an engineering geology investigation for the proposed Little Granite Creek Road Corridor access to the Getty drill site. The purpose of the investigation was to provide geologic data so that the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey can jointly draft an Environmental Impact Statement. The location of the proposed road corridor is shown on Fig. 1. The general geologic conditions within the corridor are described and their anticipated impacts on the proposed road are discussed. The data and conclusions presented in this report are suitable for evaluating general impacts; however, additional detailed studies will be required for final design purposes. The geologic conditions in the proposed road corridor were evaluated by reviewing published regional geologic maps, a field reconnaissance, and interpretation of aerial photographs. The largest scale geologic map available for the area is the 1:24,000, Geologic Map of the Bull Creek Quadrangle, Schroeder (1976). In early October, 1980, a field reconnaissance was made by Doug Stack and Ralph Mock of Chen and Associates, Inc. along the proposed road alignment. In addition, colored aerial photography at a scale of 1:15840 was available for our investigation.

Wyoming↗