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At least 1,675 records · Page 93Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Prioritizing landscapes for longleaf pine conservation

We developed a spatially explicit model and map, as a decision support tool (DST), to aid conservation agencies creating or maintaining open pine ecosystems. The tool identified areas that are likely to provide the greatest benefit to focal bird populations based on a comprehensive landscape analysis. We used NLCD 2011, SSURGO, and SEGAP data to map the density of desired resources for open pine ecosystems and six focal species of birds and 2 reptiles within the historic range of longleaf pine east of the Mississippi River. Binary rasters were created of sites with desired characteristics such as land form, hydrology, land use and land cover, soils, potential habitat for focal species, and putative source populations of focal species. Each raster was smoothed using a kernel density estimator. Rasters were combined and scaled to map priority locations for the management of each focal species. Species’ rasters were combined and scaled to provide maps of overall priority for birds and for birds and reptiles. The spatial data can be used to identify high priority areas for conservation or to compare areas under consideration for maintenance or creation of open pine ecosystems.

Cooperator Science Series↗
USGS2011

Principal facts for gravity stations collected in 2010 from White Pine and Lincoln Counties, east-central Nevada

Increasing demands on the Colorado River system within the arid Southwestern United States have focused attention on finding new, alternative sources of water. Particular attention is being paid to the eastern Great Basin, where important ground-water systems occur within a regionally extensive sequence of Paleozoic carbonate rocks and in the Cenozoic basin-fill deposits that occur throughout the region. Geophysical investigations to characterize the geologic framework of aquifers in eastern Nevada and western Utah began in a series of cooperative agreements between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Southern Nevada Water Authority in 2003. These studies were intended to better understand the formation of basins, define their subsurface shape and depth, and delineate structures that may impede or enhance groundwater flow. We have combined data from gravity stations established during the current study with previously available data to produce an up-to-date isostatic-gravity map of the study area, using a gravity inversion method to calculate depths to pre-Cenozoic basement rock and to estimate alluvial/volcanic fill in the valleys.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

EAARL Coastal Topography-Pearl River Delta 2008: First Surface

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), St. Petersburg, FL; the University of New Orleans (UNO), Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences (PIES), New Orleans, LA; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of a portion of the Pearl River Delta in Louisiana and Mississippi, acquired March 9-11, 2008. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural resource managers. An innovative airborne Lidar instrument originally developed at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and known as the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nanometer) Lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive Lidar, a down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera, a high-resolution multi-spectral color infrared (CIR) camera, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for submeter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL platform is a twin-engine Cessna 310 aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. A single pilot, a Lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the EAARL system, and the resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of Lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight line definition, flight path plotting, Lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is used routinely to create maps that represent submerged or first surface topography. Specialized filtering algorithms have been implemented to determine the 'bare earth' under vegetation from a point cloud of last return elevations.

Data Series↗
USGS2010

Seasonal and Spatial Distribution of Freshwater Flow and Salinity in the Ten Thousand Islands Estuary, Florida, 2007-2009

The watershed of the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) estuary has been substantially altered through the construction of canals and roads for the Southern Golden Gate Estates (SGGE), Barron River Canal, and U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail). Two restoration projects designed to improve freshwater delivery to the estuary are the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, which includes the Southern Golden Gate Estates, and the Tamiami Trail Culverts Project; both are part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. To address hydrologic information needs critical for monitoring the effects of these restoration projects, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study in October 2006 to characterize freshwater outflows from the rivers, internal circulation and mixing within the estuary, and surface-water exchange between the estuary and Gulf of Mexico. The effort is conducted in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District and complemented by monitoring performed by the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Surface salinity was measured during moving boat surveys using a flow-through system that operated at planing speeds averaging 20 miles per hour. The data were logged every 10 seconds by a data recorder that simultaneously logged location information from a Global Positioning System. The major rivers, bays, and nearshore Gulf of Mexico region of the TTI area were surveyed in approximately 5 hours by two boats traversing about 200 total miles. Salinity and coordinate data were processed using inverse distance weighted interpolation to create salinity contour maps of the entire TTI region. Ten maps were created from salinity surveys performed between May 2007 and May 2009 and illustrate the dry season, transitional, and wet season salinity patterns of the estuarine rivers, inner bays, mangrove islands, and Gulf of Mexico boundary. The effects of anthropogenic activities are indicated by exceptionally low salinities associated with point discharge into the estuary from the Faka Union Canal and Barron River during the wet season. Low salinities in Faka Union Bay may cause reduced diversity and density of submerged aquatic vegetation, fish, and benthic organisms compared with neighboring Fakahatchee Bay. The Faka Union Canal System reduced the size of the watershed for the western TTI estuary, resulting in increased wet season salinities compared to those for the eastern TTI estuary, the watershed of which is composed of the relatively pristine Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. Minimal river discharge and high evaporation caused hypersaline conditions to develop throughout the entire TTI region during the dry season. The 2007-2008 drought and passage of Tropical Storm Fay on August 18-19, 2008, demonstrated the effects of seasonal rainfall on salinity patterns, with substantially higher salinities observed during the 2007 wet season compared to those for the 2008 wet season. The salinity maps, coupled with data from the monitoring stations, provide baseline information of seasonal and spatial distribution of freshwater flow and salinity in the TTI estuary, and a means of monitoring the effects of restoration in improving freshwater delivery to the estuary.

Data Series↗
USGS2011

Digitized generalized areas where surface-water resources likely or potentially are susceptible to groundwater withdrawals in adjacent valleys, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada

Abstract Polygons delineate generalized areas in and around Great Basin National Park where surface-water resources likely or potentially are susceptible to groundwater withdrawals in adjacent valleys. Purpose This data set was created as part of a U.S. Geological Survey study, done in cooperation with the National Park Service, to characterize surface-water resources in and around Great Basin National Park. The intended uses of this data set include, but are not limited to, natural resource modeling, mapping, and visualization applications. Source Information SIR 2006-5099, Plate 1: Generalized areas where surface-water resources likely or potentially are susceptible to ground-water withdrawals in adjacent valleys, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.

Nevada↗
USGS2013

High-water marks from tropical storm Irene for selected river reaches in northwestern Massachusetts, August 2011

A Presidential Disaster Declaration was issued for Massachusetts, with a focus on the northwestern counties, following flooding from tropical storm Irene on August 28–29, 2011. Three to 10 inches of rain fell during the storm on soils that were susceptible to flash flooding because of wet antecedent conditions. The gage height at one U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage rose nearly 20 feet in less than 4 hours because of the combination of saturated soils and intense rainfall. Eight of 16 USGS long-term streamgages in western Massachusetts set new peaks of record on August 28 or 29, 2011. To document the historic water levels of the streamflows from tropical storm Irene, the USGS identified, flagged, and surveyed 323 high-water marks in the Deerfield and Hudson- Hoosic River basins in northwestern Massachusetts. Areas targeted for high-water marks were generally upstream and downstream from structures along selected river reaches. Elevations from high-water marks can be used to confirm peak river stages or help compute peak streamflows, to calibrate hydraulic models, or to update flood-inundation and recovery maps. For areas in western Massachusetts that flooded as a result of tropical storm Irene, high-water marks surveyed for this study have helped to confirm or determine instantaneous peak river gage heights at several USGS streamgages.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2004

Archive of digital Boomer seismic reflection data collected during USGS Cruises 94CCT01 and 95CCT01, eastern Texas and western Louisiana, 1994 and 1995

In June of 1994 and August and September of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, conducted geophysical surveys of the Sabine and Calcasieu Lake areas and the Gulf of Mexico offshore eastern Texas and western Louisiana. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, observers' logbooks, GIS information, and formal FGDC metadata. In addition, a filtered and gained GIF image of each seismic profile is provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and others, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Examples of SU processing scripts and in-house (USGS) software for viewing SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided. Processed profile images, trackline maps, navigation files, and formal metadata may be viewed with a web browser. Scanned handwritten logbooks and Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs may be viewed with Adobe Reader.

Data Series↗
USGS2004

Archive of digital boomer and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS Cruises 01RCE05 and 02RCE01 in the Lower Atchafalaya River, Mississippi River Delta, and offshore southeastern Louisiana, October 23-30, 2001, and August 18-19, 2002

In October of 2001 and August of 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted geophysical surveys of the Lower Atchafalaya River, the Mississippi River Delta, Barataria Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico south of East Timbalier Island, Louisiana. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital marine seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, observers' logbooks, GIS information, and formal FGDC metadata. In addition, a filtered and gained GIF image of each seismic profile is provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and othes, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Examples of SU processing scripts and in-house (USGS) software for viewing SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided. Processed profile images, trackline maps, navigation files, and formal metadata may be viewed with a web browser. Scanned handwritten logbooks and Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs may be viewed with Adobe Reader.

Louisiana↗
USGS1959

Geology of the State of Morelos and contiguous areas in south-central Mexico

The area described lies in south-central Mexico and embraces all but the southeastern corner and easternmost border of the State of Moreles, the second smallest State in the Mexican Republic. It includes small contiguous parts of the State of Mexico, in the northeastern corner, and of the State of Guerrero in the southwestern corner. Limiting geographic coordinates are 98 45 to 99 39 west longitude and 18 18 to 19 08 north latitude, the northern boundary being only 35 km south of Mexico City, capital of the Republic. The geological map does not cover the entire rectangle outlined, but is irregular in form and measures roughly 4150 sq. km, three-quarters of it representing two0thirds of the State of Moreles and the rest lying outside the State. The region ranges in altitude from 730 m above sea level at Iguala near the south edge of the map, to a general level of about 3000 m at the north edge, although individual peaks rise to 3900 m and Popocatepetl Volcano, a few kilometers east of the northeastern border of the map, rises to 5452 m above sea level. Annual rainfall ranges from a minimum of about 640 mm in the low country, to 1200 mm and more at altitudes above 2000 m. Most of it falls in summer between June and September. Winter frosts are rare below 1800 m. The climate is of savanna to steppe type; soils are thin and may be classified as belonging to the tachernoses group, with strong development of calcareous evaporates (caliche) at altitudes below 1800 m. The northern border of the area forms the southern half of the late Pliocene to Recent Neo-volcanic Belt of basic volcanism that crosses Mexico in the direction N. 80 W., and thus has constructional topography. The rest of the area belongs to the Balsas Basin physiographic province, which is characterized by maturely dissected terrain tributary to the large Balsas River. All but the southwestern corner of the area drains southward via the Amacuzac River into the Mexcala-Balsas River, and thence westward into the Pacific Ocean. The southwestern corner drains directly into the Balsas River via the Iguala River. Local relief is of the order of 300 to 600 m. The mature topography was partly buried by late Pliocene alluvium in the central part of the area, owing largely to local volcanism. Dissolution of limestone, dolomite, and anhydrite of the Cretaceous formations has produced sinks and poljes, some of which contain small lakes. Other karst features are also common, such as caves, caverns, underground rivers, and surficial lapies or karren. Drainage blocking by lava and polje development in late Pleistocene and Recent time produced new alluvial flats in this otherwise dissected region. The oldest rock unit in the region is the Texco schist series of late Paleozoic (?) age. It was folded, metamorphosed, foliated, intruded by dikes, and strongly eroded before the next unit, the Texco Viejo green volcanic series of Late Triassic (?) age, was deposited. Another period of metamorphism and erosion followed before the calcareous clastic sediments of the Upper Jurassic (?) Acahuizotla formation were laid down. The next unit consists of the partly phyllitic calcareous shale of the Acuitlapan formation, which is of Neocenian (?) age and rests with at least disconformity on the Acahuizotla formation. The overlying Aptian-Barresian Kochicalco formation of thin-bedded limestone appears to grade upward from the Acuitlapan formation, locally, but it seems to be unconformable elsewhere. All these units have small outcrops in the area mapped and were not studied in detail. Warping and erosion occurred before the overlying Morelos formation began to accumulate in early Albian time. The basal member is anhydrite in the eastern part of the area mapped, but limestone and dolomite were deposited elsewhere. The formation consists largely of shallow-water calcareous bank deposits, with a maximum thickness of about 900 m. Deposition ceased in early Cenomanian time and further warpi

Open-File Report↗
USGS2013

Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Nuristan mineral district in Afghanistan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the areas and (2) provide useful information to private investors who are considering investment in a particular area for development of its natural resources. The set of satellite-image mosaics provided in this Data Series (DS) is one such database. Although airborne digital color-infrared imagery was acquired for parts of Afghanistan in 2006, the image data have radiometric variations that preclude their use in creating a consistent image mosaic for geologic analysis. Consequently, image mosaics were created using ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite; renamed Daichi) satellite images, whose radiometry has been well determined (Saunier, 2007a,b). This part of the DS consists of the locally enhanced ALOS image mosaics for the Nuristan mineral district, which has gem, lithium, and cesium deposits. ALOS was launched on January 24, 2006, and provides multispectral images from the AVNIR (Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer) sensor in blue (420–500 nanometer, nm), green (520–600 nm), red (610–690 nm), and near-infrared (760–890 nm) wavelength bands with an 8-bit dynamic range and a 10-meter (m) ground resolution. The satellite also provides a panchromatic band image from the PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping) sensor (520–770 nm) with the same dynamic range but a 2.5-m ground resolution. The image products in this DS incorporate copyrighted data provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (©JAXA,2008,2009), but the image processing has altered the original pixel structure and all image values of the JAXA ALOS data, such that original image values cannot be recreated from this DS. As such, the DS products match JAXA criteria for value added products, which are not copyrighted, according to the ALOS end-user license agreement. The selection criteria for the satellite imagery used in our mosaics were images having (1) the highest solar-elevation angles (near summer solstice) and (2) the least cloud, cloud-shadow, and snow cover. The multispectral and panchromatic data were orthorectified with ALOS satellite ephemeris data, a process which is not as accurate as orthorectification using digital elevation models (DEMs); however, the ALOS processing center did not have a precise DEM. As a result, the multispectral and panchromatic image pairs were generally not well registered to the surface and not coregistered well enough to perform resolution enhancement on the multispectral data. For this particular area, PRISM image orthorectification was performed by the Alaska Satellite Facility, applying its photogrammetric software to PRISM stereo images with vertical control points obtained from the digital elevation database produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (Farr and others, 2007) and horizontal adjustments based on a controlled Landsat image base (Davis, 2006). The 10-m AVNIR multispectral imagery was then coregistered to the orthorectified PRISM images and individual multispectral and panchromatic images were mosaicked into single images of the entire area of interest. The image coregistration was facilitated using an automated control-point algorithm developed by the USGS that allows image coregistration to within one picture element. Before rectification, the multispectral and panchromatic images were converted to radiance values and then to relative-reflectance values using the methods described in Davis (2006). Mosaicking the multispectral or panchromatic images started with the image with the highest sun-elevation angle and the least atmospheric scattering, which was treated as the standard image. The band-reflectance values of all other multispectral or panchromatic images within the area were sequentially adjusted to that of the standard image by determining band-reflectance correspondence between overlapping images using linear least-squares analysis. All available panchromatic images for this area had significant cloud and snow cover that precluded their use for resolution enhancement of the multispectral image data. Each of the four-band images within the 10-m image mosaic was individually subjected to a local-area histogram stretch algorithm (described in Davis, 2007), which stretches each band’s picture element based on the digital values of all picture elements within a 500-m radius. The final databases, which are provided in this DS, are three-band, color-composite images of the local-area-enhanced, natural-color data (the blue, green, and red wavelength bands) and color-infrared data (the green, red, and near-infrared wavelength bands). All image data were initially projected and maintained in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map projection using the target area’s local zone (42 for Nuristan) and the WGS84 datum. The final image mosaics for the Nuristan area are provided as embedded geotiff images, which can be read and used by most geographic information system (GIS) and image-processing software. The tiff world files (tfw) are provided, even though they are generally not needed for most software to read an embedded geotiff image.

Data Series↗
USGS2021

Characterization of groundwater recharge and flow in California's San Joaquin Valley from InSAR-observed surface deformation

Surface deformation in California's Central Valley (CV) has long been linked to changes in groundwater storage. Recent advances in remote sensing have enabled the mapping of CV deformation and associated changes in groundwater resources at increasingly higher spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we use interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) from the Sentinel‐1 missions, augmented by continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) positioning, to characterize the surface deformation of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV, southern two‐thirds of the CV) for consecutive dry (2016) and wet (2017) water years. We separate trends and seasonal oscillations in deformation time series and interpret them in the context of surface and groundwater hydrology. We find that subsidence rates in 2016 (mean −42.0 mm/yr; peak −345 mm/yr) are twice that in 2017 (mean −20.4 mm/yr; peak −177 mm/yr), consistent with increased groundwater pumping in 2016 to offset the loss of surface‐water deliveries. Locations of greatest subsidence migrated outwards from the valley axis in the wetter 2017 water year, possibly reflecting a surplus of surface‐water supplies in the lowest portions of the SJV. Patterns in the amplitude of seasonal deformation and the timing of peak seasonal uplift reveal entry points and potential pathways for groundwater recharge into the SJV and subsequent groundwater flow within the aquifer. This study provides novel insight into the SJV aquifer system that can be used to constrain groundwater flow and subsidence models, which has relevance to groundwater management in the context of California's 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

California↗
USGS2005

Quaternary geomorphology and modern coastal development in response to an inherent geologic framework: An example from Charleston, South Carolina

Coastal landscapes evolve over wide-ranging spatial and temporal scales in response to physical and biological processes that interact with a wide range of variables. To develop better predictive models for these dynamic areas, we must understand the influence of these variables on coastal morphologies and ultimately how they influence coastal processes. This study defines the influence of geologic framework variability on a classic mixed-energy coastline, and establishes four categorical scales of spatial and temporal influence on the coastal system. The near-surface, geologic framework was delineated using high-resolution seismic profiles, shallow vibracores, detailed geomorphic maps, historical shorelines, aerial photographs, and existing studies, and compared to the long- and short-term development of two coastal compartments near Charleston, South Carolina. Although it is clear that the imprint of a mixed-energy tidal and wave signal (basin-scale) dictates formation of drumstick barriers and that immediate responses to wave climate are dramatic, island size, position, and longer-term dynamics are influenced by a series of inherent, complex near-surface stratigraphic geometries. Major near-surface Tertiary geometries influence inlet placement and drainage development (island-scale) through multiple interglacial cycles and overall channel morphology (local-scale). During the modern marine transgression, the halo of ebb-tidal deltas greatly influence inlet region dynamics, while truncated beach ridges and exposed, differentially erodable Cenozoic deposits in the active system influence historical shoreline dynamics and active shoreface morphologies (block-scale). This study concludes that the mixed-energy imprint of wave and tide theories dominates general coastal morphology, but that underlying stratigraphic influences on the coast provide site-specific, long-standing imprints on coastal evolution.

Journal of Coastal Research↗
USGS1901

Twenty-First Annual report of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 1899-1900: Part VII - Texas

Area treated. —The Black and Grand prairies of Texas and southern Indian Territory comprise about 50,000 square miles (see Pl. LXV, in pocket)—an area equal to that of fifty of the quadrangles mapped and described by the United States Geological Survey in its Geologic Atlas of the United States. The accompanying general geologic map (Pl. LXVI, in pocket) is a condensed presentation of the geology usually shown on that number of atlas sheets as published in folio form. Most of these quadrangles have been studied by the writer and his former assistants. Sources of data. —An entirely satisfactory presentation of these results is still impossible by reason of the lack of adequate maps. The topographic maps of the United States Geological Survey, which cover 24 of the 50 units of area, were made in the earlier years of the Survey and with a contour interval insufficient for the expression of the geology. For the remaining portion of the area it was necessary to use as a base the Land Office maps of the State of Texas. The conclusions herein presented, often condensed in a short paragraph, are founded upon a large amount of paleontologic, stratigraphic, and topographic data. The results, so far as they refer to the Black and Grand prairies, are the outcome of studies made by the writer since 1882, sometimes independently, sometimes with the assistance of the United States Geological Survey, and during two years in connection with the Texas Geological Survey. In times past he has been assisted in this work by his former students, C. C. McCulloch, now captain, U. S. A.; Messrs. Wilson T. Davidson and L. T. Dashiel; Mr. Joseph A. Taff, now of the United States Geological Survey; Dr. J. W. Stone, Mr. N. F. Drake, and Mr. G. H. Ragsdale. Inasmuch as the details which these gentlemem worked out were problems of the writer's suggestion, he has incorporated them into this paper, and here acknowledges indebtedness therefor. Upon the writer's retirement from the Texas Survey, Mr. Taff continued the work of mapping the region. He published two reports, which have been freely used and which have been of great assistance in the preparation of this paper. Importance of paleontology. —In addition to the collection of the data which appear in the text and illustrations, much paleontologic research has been necessary in order to classify the formations. Paleontology is the most reliable guide in determining the position of any bed in the geologic series with a view to ascertaining the depth, from any particular portion of the surface, of the underground waters in the Cretaceous regions of Texas. If a few species of fossils, such as can be found in any locality, be sent to one familiar with the sequence of the beds, he can predict within a few feet the depth below the surface of any particular water-bearing stratum in the series. It was a labor of years to disentangle the preexisting confusion concerning the occurrence and succession of these fossils and their bearings upon the determination and definition of the strata. Their further consideration has been left to Mr. T. W. Stanton, who, it is presumed, will make final publication of the descriptions and the scientific results. This is not a final and complete report. Detailed field work is desirable in many localities. Chemical analyses of water and illustrations of typical scenery should be more complete, but these were not obtainable with the means and time at the writer's disposal. When appreciation of geologic investigation shall have been awakened in Texas and the region under discussion shall have been studied more closely by resident students, in the manner now common in other parts of the United States, the data here presented will be largely increased and refined, and the conclusions will doubtless be correspondingly amended and rectified.

Texas↗
USGS1995

Water-level altitudes 1995 and water-level changes 1990-95 and 1994-95 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Fort Bend County and adjacent areas, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts altitudes of water levels and water-level changes since 1990 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in Fort Bend Subsidence District, presents the approximate altitude of water levels (figs. 1, 4), January-February 1995, and approximate changes in water levels (figs. 2, 3, 5, 6), 1990-95 and 1994-95, in each of the aquifers. The most recent previously published water-level altitude maps for the aquifers are by Locke (1993), and the most recent previously published water-level change maps for the aquifers are by Coplin and Santos (1994). The earliest water-level altitude maps and the earliest water-level change maps for the Chicot aquifer are by Wesselman (1972). The first maps of water-level altitudes and water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers are by Locke (1990).

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Subsidence (2004-2009) in and near lakebeds of the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins, southwest Mojave Desert, California

Subsidence, in the vicinity of dry lakebeds, within the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins of the southwest Mojave Desert has been measured by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). The investigation has focused on determining the location, extent, and magnitude of changes in land-surface elevation. In addition, the relation of changes in land-surface elevation to changes in groundwater levels and lithology was explored. This report is the third in a series of reports investigating land-surface elevation changes in the Mojave and Morongo Groundwater Basins, California. The first report, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4015 by Sneed and others (2003), describes historical subsidence and groundwater-level changes in the southwest Mojave Desert from 1969 to 1999. The second report, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 07-5097, an online interactive report and map, by Sneed and Brandt (2007), describes subsidence and groundwater-level changes in the southwest Mojave Desert from 1999 to 2004. The purpose of this report is to document an updated assessment of subsidence in these lakebeds and selected neighboring areas from 2004 to 2009 as measured by InSAR methods. In addition, continuous Global Positioning System (GPS)(2005-10), groundwater level (1951-2010), and lithologic data, if available, were used to characterize compaction mechanisms in these areas. The USGS California Water Science Center’s interactive website for the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins was created to centralize information pertaining to land subsidence and water levels and to allow readers to access available data and related reports online. An interactive map of land subsidence and water levels in the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins displays InSAR interferograms, subsidence areas, subsidence contours, hydrographs, well information, and water-level contours. Background information, including a basic description of the mechanics of land subsidence and InSAR, as well as a description of the study area, is presented within the Mojave Water Resources Interactive Map and report.

California↗
USGS2025

Using imaging spectroscopy and elevation in machine learning to estimate soil salinity in intermittently tidal wetlands

Coastal soil salinization patterns are changing due to drought, sea level rise (SLR), and changing freshwater inflow. These changes are expected to impact coastal wetland plant health and ecosystem function, such as changes to biomass and productivity. These impacts have led to greater interest in how we monitor soil salinization across spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing is a promising tool for estimating soil salinity at the spatial scales required for decision making by land managers. However, the development of a remote sensing estimation approach for wetland soil salinity must account for two factors: (1) the high spatial and temporal heterogeneity of coastal wetlands and (2) the fact that soil salinity is the result of multiple historical land use, hydrological, and geomorphic processes. In spring 2022, a combined airborne-field campaign, known as SHIFT, collected a weekly time series of airborne visible to shortwave infrared (VSWIR) image spectroscopy data. This dataset provides a unique opportunity to assess the application of fine spatial (5 m) and temporal (weekly) resolution VSWIR data to estimate root zone soil salinity; when combined with environmental variables such as elevation, these data can account for some of these factors. In this study, we utilized VSWIR and elevation datasets in a random forest regression to predict and map soil salinity in an intermittently tidal estuary, Devereux Slough, located in Santa Barbara County, California. The final model combined spectral indices with elevation to better capture soil salinity dynamics despite lower correlation ( r = 0.85) than solely using elevation ( r = 0.92). This research demonstrates the utility of remote sensing datasets, namely, elevation and the modified Anthocyanin Reflectance Index (mARI), for predicting root zone soil salinity in intermittently tidal coastal wetlands. These findings are an important step in advancing coastal remote sensing by creating a gridded salinity dataset that can be used for salinity monitoring and other coastal applications, such as modeling change in vegetation communities or ecosystems facing the impacts of climatic variability and change.

California↗
USGS1993

The Hatu gold anomaly, Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region, China - testing the hypothesis of aeolian transport of gold

In 1987, a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration was initiated to evaluate the origin of the Hatu gold anomaly. The anomaly is located in the Hatu mining district in the northwest corner of Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. The climate is semiarid to arid and wind erosion predominates. A regional soil survey of the Hatu district, based on samples collected on a 200 by 500 m grid and composited prior to chemical analysis to a density of one sample per square km, delineated a series of south-southeast-trending Au anomalies. Anomalous Au values range from 5 ppb to more than 700 ppb. The Hatu anomaly, the most prominent of these anomalies, is more than 30 km long and about 5 km wide. The mining town of Hatu and the economic gold deposits of Qiqu 1 and Qiqu 2 are at the northern end of this anomaly. The axis of the Hatu anomaly cuts across mapped structure and stratigraphy in the district, but is parallel to the prevailing wind direction. This observation led to the hypothesis that the Hatu anomaly is the result of acolian dispersion of gold from the vicinity of Qiqu 1 and Qiqu 2. The alternative interpretation, that the anomalies reflected additional primary gold occurrences, was not consistent with existing information on the known occurrences and the geology.

Journal of Geochemical Exploration↗
USGS2006

Evolution of fracture and fault-controlled fluid pathways in carbonates of the Albanides fold-thrust belt

The process of fracture and fault formation in carbonates of the Albanides fold-thrust belt has been systematically documented using hierarchical development of structural elements from hand sample, outcrop, and geologic-map scales. The function of fractures and faults in fluid migration was elucidated using calcite cement and bitumen in these structures as a paleoflow indicator. Two prefolding pressure-solution and vein assemblages were identified: an overburden assemblage and a remote tectonic stress assemblage. Sheared layer-parallel pressure-solution surfaces of the overburden assemblage define mechanical layers. Shearing of mechanical layers associated with folding resulted in the formation of a series of folding assemblage fractures at different orientations, depending on the slip direction of individual mechanical layers. Prefolding- and folding-related fracture assemblages together formed fragmentation zones in mechanical layers and are the sites of incipient fault localization. Further deformation along these sites was accommodated by rotation and translation of fragmented rock, which formed breccia and facilitated fault offset across multiple mechanical layers. Strike-slip faults formed by this process are organized in two sets in an apparent conjugate pattern. Calcite cement and bitumen that accumulated along fractures and faults are evidence of localized fluid flow along fault zones. By systematic identification of fractures and faults, their evolution, and their fluid and bitumen contents, along with subsurface core and well-log data, we identify northeast-southwest-trending strike-slip faults and the associated structures as dominant fluid pathways in the Albanides fold-thrust belt. Copyright ?? 2006. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulle↗