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At least 1,765 records · Page 98Linked to original sources
USGS1996

Level II scour analysis for Bridge 22 (WODSTH00180022) on Town Highway 18, crossing north Bridgewater Brook, Woodstock, Vermont

This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure WODSTH00180022 on town highway 18 crossing North Bridgewater Brook, Woodstock, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). A Level I study is included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I study provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, available from VTAOT files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and can be found in Appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain physiographic province of central Vermont. The 4.34-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the left bank is forested and the right bank is covered by shrub and brush and is adjacent to woods. The right bank of North Bridgewater Brook is parallel to town highway 18 upstream of the bridge. In the study area, North Bridgewater Brook has a sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.038 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 48 ft and an average channel depth of 7 ft. The predominant channel bed materials are gravel and cobbles (D 50 is 63.2 mm or 0.207 ft). Due to cut banks and other channel features the geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 16, 1994, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. In addition, the stream approach to the bridge has a high gradient. However, near the upstream face of the bridge the gradient shallows. Approximately 100 feet downstream of the bridge the gradient steepens again. The town highway 18 crossing of North Bridgewater Brook is a 40-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 35-foot concrete span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written commun., August 2, 1994). The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The left and right abutments are not protected by stone fill. Additional details describing conditions at the site are included in the Level II Summary and Appendices D and E. Scour depths and rock rip-rap sizes were computed using the general guidelines described in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (Richardson and others, 1993). Scour depths were calculated assuming an infinite depth of erosive material and a homogeneous particle-size distribution. The scour analysis results are presented in tables 1 and 2 and a graph of the scour depths is presented in figure 8.

Vermont↗
USGS2025

Review of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Ballard Locks model, Seattle, Washington, 2014–20

Executive Summary The Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal connect freshwater Lake Washington and saline Shilshole Bay of Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington. The locks and canal allow for ships to traverse this reach. Anadromous salmonids also migrate through, transitioning between saline and freshwater environments, and making use of a fish ladder at the locks when traveling upstream. WEST Consultants, Inc., constructed a two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water-quality model (CE-QUAL-W2) simulating flow, water temperature, and salinity for the Ballard Locks and the Lake Washington Ship Canal. An initial model was built for calendar years 2014–15, and the model was updated using a more recent and modern dataset for calendar years 2016–20. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requested that the U.S. Geological Survey review this model and its documentation to evaluate the technical aspects of its development and calibration. Findings from this review include the following: Overall, the Lake Washington Ship Canal CE-QUAL-W2 model was well-documented and constructed largely following typical model-development methods. The Lake Washington Ship Canal model was built with CE-QUAL-W2 model version 4.5, compiled and released by Portland State University in April 2021. CE-QUAL-W2 updates and improvements are regularly released with bug fixes and new features, so any model updates would benefit from the use of the most-recent software release. The model grid that represents the Lake Washington Ship Canal bathymetry was 9.2 kilometers (5.7 miles) long, matching the expected length of the waterway. The deepest model segments were near sampling site LLLW (Large Locks site) near the locks. Lake Union is reported to constitute most of the volume of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and is depicted as such in the model grid. The model includes several water outflows at Ballard Locks, including the large and small locks, a saltwater drain, a spillway, smolt flumes, and a fish ladder. Flows from the spillway, smolt flumes, and fish ladder were combined into one structure outflow in the model and assigned one withdrawal elevation from the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The smolt flume and spillway withdraw from the same elevation, but the fish ladder flow withdraws from a higher elevation in Lake Washington Ship Canal, and that flow could be separated into its own withdrawal. The model input files were created using the Coordinated Universal Time standard instead of the more typical choice of using local standard time. This is not incorrect, but sub-daily results would need to be converted to local time for science-communication purposes. The meteorological dataset had some unexpected anomalies, such as a baseline shift in the wind-speed dataset. Other nearby meteorological datasets could be used instead or used to correct the current meteorological inputs. The upstream boundary was configured with water-temperature data from a continuous monitor buoy in Lake Washington. The boundary salinity was set at 0 parts per thousand for the duration of the model simulation. A more realistic estimate of salinity at the upstream boundary could be constructed using data from the same buoy. Saline inflow at the downstream boundary of the Lake Washington Ship Canal model through lock exchanges at the large lock was included as a tributary in the model. Salinity and temperature inputs in this tributary at the large locks were set as constant values for the entire simulation. Saline inflow through the small lock was not included in the model because few data were available, and the input was likely to be small because of the smaller surface area and volume of the small lock relative to the large lock. The model did not include any flow, water temperature, or salinity inputs to the Lake Washington Ship Canal other than at the locks and at the upstream boundary. Any point sources, small tributaries, or stormwater inputs were omitted from the model. It is unclear whether this is a substantial omission relative to model results. Most model parameters were set as defaults or to reasonable values. However, the value of the WINDH parameter, the height of the wind speed measurement, was different than the height of the meteorological site. Compared to measured data, the model simulated water-surface elevations and water temperatures with reasonable accuracy. Differences in the modeled and measured salinities revealed some opportunities to improve the simulation of salinity, both baseline salinity and the salinity maxima in summer and autumn.

Washington↗
USGS2003

ERF1_2 -- Enhanced River Reach File 2.0

The digital segmented network based on watershed boundaries, ERF1_2, includes enhancements to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's River Reach File 1 (RF1) (USEPA, 1996; DeWald and others, 1985) to support national and regional-scale surface water-quality modeling. Alexander and others (1999) developed ERF1, which assessed the hydrologic integrity of the digital reach traces and calculated the mean water time-of-travel in river reaches and reservoirs. ERF1_2 serves as the foundation for SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions (of nutrient transport) on Watershed) modeling. Within the context of a Geographic Information System, SPARROW estimates the proportion of watersheds in the conterminous U.S. with outflow concentrations of several nutrients, including total nitrogen and total phosphorus, (Smith, R.A., Schwarz, G.E., and Alexander, R.B., 1997). This version of the network expands on ERF1 (Version 1.2; Alexander, et al., 1999) and includes the incremental and total drainage area derived from 1-kilometer (km) elevation data for North America. Previous estimates of the water time-of-travel were recomputed for reaches with water-quality monitoring sites that included two reaches. The mean flow and velocity estimates for these split reaches are based on previous estimation methods (Alexander et al., 1999) and are unchanged in ERF1_2. Drainage area calculations provide data used to estimate the contribution of a given nutrient to the outflow. Data estimates depend on the accuracy of node connectivity. Reaches split at water-quality or pesticide-monitoring sites indicate the source point for estimating the contribution and transport of nutrients and their loads throughout the watersheds. The ERF1_2 coverage extends the earlier drainage area founded on the 1-kilometer data for North America (Verdin, 1996; Verdin and Jenson, 1996). A 1-kilometer raster grid of ERF1_2 projected to Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area, NAD 27 Datum (Snyder, 1987), was merged with the HYDRO1K flow direction data set (Verdin and Jenson, 1996) to generate a DEM-based watershed grid, ERF1_2WS_LG. The watershed boundaries are maintained in a raster (grid cell) format as well as a vector (polygon) format for subsequent model analysis. Both the coverage, ERF1_2, and the grid, ERF1_2WS_LG, are available at: URL:http://water.usgs.gov/lookup/getspatial?erf1_2

Open-File Report↗
USGS2003

The New Albany Shale petroleum system, Illinois basin - Data and map image archive from the material-balance assessment

The data files and explanations presented in this report were used to generate published material-balance approach estimates of amounts of petroleum 1) expelled from a source rock, and the sum of 2) petroleum discovered in-place plus that lost due to 3) secondary migration within, or leakage or erosion from a petroleum system. This study includes assessment of cumulative production, known petroleum volume, and original oil in place for hydrocarbons that were generated from the New Albany Shale source rocks. More than 4.00 billion barrels of oil (BBO) have been produced from Pennsylvanian-, Mississippian-, Devonian-, and Silurian-age reservoirs in the New Albany Shale petroleum system. Known petroleum volume is 4.16 BBO; the average recovery factor is 103.9% of the current cumulative production. Known petroleum volume of oil is 36.22% of the total original oil in place of 11.45 BBO. More than 140.4 BBO have been generated from the Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian New Albany Shale in the Illinois Basin. Approximately 86.29 billion barrels of oil that was trapped south of the Cottage Grove fault system were lost by erosion of reservoir intervals. The remaining 54.15 BBO are 21% of the hydrocarbons that were generated in the basin and are accounted for using production data. Included in this publication are 2D maps that show the distribution of production for different formations versus the Rock-Eval pyrolysis hydrogen-indices (HI) contours, and 3D images that show the close association between burial depth and HI values.The primary vertical migration pathway of oil and gas was through faults and fractures into overlying reservoir strata. About 66% of the produced oil is located within the generative basin, which is outlined by an HI contour of 400. The remaining production is concentrated within 30 miles (50 km) outside the 400 HI contour. The generative basin is subdivided by contours of progressively lower hydrogen indices that represent increased levels of thermal maturity and generative capacity of New Albany Shale source rocks. The generative basin was also divided into seven oil-migration catchments. The catchments were determined using a surface-flow hydrologic model with contoured HI values as input to the model.

Illinois, Indiana↗
USGS2019

Offshore shallow structure and sediment distribution, Punta Gorda to Point Arena, Northern California

This publication consists of two map sheets that display shallow geologic structure, along with sediment distribution and thickness, for an approximately 150-km-long offshore section of the northern California coast between Punta Gorda and Point Arena. Each map sheet includes three maps at scales of either 1:100,000 or 1:200,000, and together the sheets include 30 figures that contain representative high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles. The maps and seismic-reflection surveys cover most of the continental shelf in this region. In addition, the maps show the locations of the shelf break and the 3-nautical-mile limit of California’s State Waters. The seismic-reflection data, which are the primary dataset used to develop the maps, were collected to support the California Seafloor Mapping Program, U.S. Geological Survey Offshore Geologic Hazards projects, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Ocean Explorer program. In addition to the two map sheets, this publication includes geographic information system data files of faults, sediment thicknesses, and depths-to-base of sediment The map area includes the northernmost section of the right-lateral San Andreas Fault, which extends offshore from Point Arena in the south to Point Delgada in the north. The San Andreas Fault is the primary structure in the widely distributed plate boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Sierra Nevada–Great Valley Microplate, with estimates of cumulative right slip of as much as up to 450 km. South of Point Delgada, fault-related transtension has resulted in development of the Noyo Basin. North of Point Delgada, the San Andreas Fault transitions into a complex contractional zone in and (or) south of the King Range, including a possible nearshore fault that may connect with the Mattole Canyon Fault. Quaternary sediments and bedrock underlie the shelf. On the seismic-reflection profiles, we digitally traced the thickness and depth of the uppermost seismic-stratigraphic unit, which is a focus of this publication. The upper contact of this unit is the seafloor; the lower contact is a transgressive surface of erosion, a commonly angular, wave-cut unconformity characterized by an upward change to lower amplitude, more diffuse reflections. On the basis of this lower contact, this stratigraphic unit is inferred to have been deposited on the shelf in the last about 21,000 years during the sea-level rise that followed the last major lowstand and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Maps in this publication show both the thickness of this upper sediment unit and the depth to the base of the sediment unit. Within the map region, five different “domains” of post-LGM shelf sediment are delineated on the basis of sediment thickness and coastal geomorphology. Maximum sediment thickness (as much as 67 m) is found in the northern part of the region, along the steep south flank of the King Range. Minimum sediment thickness (areas of exposed bedrock) is found on fault-bounded uplifts, which include Tolo bank and Punta Gorda bank. Mean sediment thickness for the entire shelf in the map area between Punta Gorda and Point Arena is 8.9 m, and total sediment volume is 12,824×10 6 m 3 .

California↗
USGS2003

A bibliography of Klamath Mountains geology, California and Oregon, listing authors from Aalto to Zucca for the years 1849 to Mid-2003

This bibliography of Klamath Mountains geology was begun, although not in a systematic or comprehensive way, when, in 1953, I was assigned the task of preparing a report on the geology and mineral resources of the drainage basins of the Trinity, Klamath, and Eel Rivers in northwestern California. During the following 40 or more years, I maintained an active interest in the Klamath Mountains region and continued to collect bibliographic references to the various reports and maps of Klamath geology that came to my attention. When I retired in 1989 and became a Geologist Emeritus with the Geological Survey, I had a large amount of bibliographic material in my files. Believing that a comprehensive bibliography of a region is a valuable research tool, I have expended substantial effort to make this bibliography of the Klamath Mountains as complete as is reasonably feasible. My aim was to include all published reports and maps that pertain primarily to the Klamath Mountains, as well as all pertinent doctoral and master's theses. In addition, I included reports in which the Klamath Mountains are of significance but not the primary focus; these latter kinds are mostly reports that correlate the Klamath terranes with those of other provinces, that compare the genesis of Klamath rocks with those elsewhere, or that include the Klamath Mountains in a continental framework. Reports describing the geology of the overlap sequences such as the Great Valley sequence, Hornbrook Formation, and Tertiary sediments and volcanics are included where those rocks lie within the limits of the Klamath Mountains province, but are only selectively included where the overlap sequences are mainly peripheral to the province. The alphabetical part of the bibliography consists of approximately 1700 entries. The list of primary references probably is virtually complete through 1994 and includes some 1995 references. The earliest reference is to James Dwight Dana in 1849. In order to restrict the size of the topical part of the bibliography to reasonable limits, each reference is listed under only one subject although many references may be applicable to two or more subjects. Titles in the topical section are abbreviated to conserve space and still retain identity. The bibliography was compiled from a variety of sources. Some of the references have not been checked against the original publications for accuracy. Caveat emptor! I would appreciate being informed of any errors or ommissions in order that a corrected and updated version of the bibliography may be prepared. I thank Nancy Blair for assistance in verifying some of the references, and thank Mary Donato and Robert Brown for helpful suggestions regarding the topical part of the bibliography. Since the first version of this bibliography was released in 1995, the total number of entries has increased from approximately 1700 to 1937, which indicates a continued high interest in the geology of the Klamath Mountains province. The total number of entries includes 73 Ph.D. theses and 123 Masters theses representing 26 universities.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1977

Atlantic Margin Coring Project 1976: Preliminary Report on Shipboard and Some Laboratory Geotechnical data

This report presents reduced shipboard geotechnical data collected during the 1976 Atlantic Margin Coring Project; results of laboratory tests of specific gravity, water content, bulk density, and Atterberg limits; and sedimentation-compression e log p curves showing consolidation. A description of the procedures used at sea and in the laboratory and a short preliminary summary of the shipboard results also is included. The involvement of Marine Geotechnical Laboratory (MGL), Lehigh University, personnel in the 1976 Atlantic Margin Coring Project can be divided into two phases. In Phase One, the Lehigh nuclear-transmission densitometer was rebuilt to process cores at sea more rapidly than previously had been done in the laboratory, the equipment was assembled and tested aboard the Glomar Conception, and at-sea geotechnical measurements were made during the duration of the cruise. Data sheets were prepared for both unopened core sections (Appendix III) and split-core samples (Appendix IV). Completed data forms are on file at the MGL and at the Geological Survey in Woods Hole. Phase Two included reduction of the shipboard data, testing of all geotechnical samples taken from cores split aboard the ship, and certain other analytical work ashore utilizing the geotechnical measurements. Water content and weight/volume bulk density tests were performed at the MGL. Specific gravity and Atterberg limit tests and certain calculations were performed by Geological Survey personnel at the Corpus Christi, Texas, laboratory. During Phase One, 37 unopened, 1.5-m-long core sections were selected by Lehigh personnel for subsequent static and dynamic triaxial and consol­idation testing ashore. The disposition of these cores is controlled by Geological Survey Project personnel; they are not further discussed in this report. A depth convention has been adopted in this report for the convenience of labeling core sections and analyzing the data. Each 9.2-m-long (30 ft) core liner had a maximum penetration depth referenced to the water-sediment interface; these data are given in Hathaway, et al. (1976). Each 9.2-m-long core liner was cut into six or fewer sections, each 1.5 m (5 ft) in length, aboard the ship. To the maximum penetration depth, 0.2 m was subtracted to obtain the depth at the bottom of the first 1.5 m section above the core catcher. To obtain values at the bottom of the remaining 1.5 m sections, an additional 1.5 m was added for each section. The depth of the bottom of each core section was used for all values obtained using the nuclear densitometer. Tests within core sections and samples collected from core sections were assigned depths based on the location of the test or sample within the core section. It should be clearly recognized that all depths within a 9.2-m-long core are estimates of the true depth, which cannot be uniquely calculated because of the uncertainty of the relationship of sediment contained within the core liner to true in situ depths. This report is considered to be preliminary because the author has not had access to the final lithologic logs or paleontological results, upon which a more accurate description of geotechnical results could be based. It would be inappropriate to comment on geological hazards until this information is made available.

Atlantic Ocean↗
USGS1994

Selected data on characteristics of glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers, Midwestern Basin and Arches region

In 1988, the Geological Survey (USGS) began study to examine the hydrogeologic framework, ground-water-flow systems, water chemistry, and withdrawal response of aquifers in glacial deposits and carbonate rock in the Midwestern Basins and Arches Region in western Ohio and eastern Indiana. As part of this study, data from pumped-well tests and instantaneous-rechange tests (slug tests) of wells completed in the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers were compiled from reports and information on file with State agencies, environmental consulting firms, drilling firms, municipalities, universities, and the USGS. The data, from 73 counties in Ohio and Indiana, were entered into a computerized data base in a spreadsheet format and subsequently into a geographic information system (GIS). Aquifer-characteristics data from this compilation include the results of 105 pumped-well tests and 39 slug tests in wells completed in glacial deposits, 174 pumped-well tests in wells completed in the carbonate-rock aquifer, and 4 slug tests in wells completed in limestones and shales of Ordovician age. Transmissivities from the pumped-well tests in wells completed in glacial till and glacial-deposit aquifers (sands and gravels) range from 1.54 to 69,700 feet squared per day. Storage coefficients or specific yields range from 0.00002 to 0.38 at these wells. Horizontal-hydraulic conductivities from the slug tests in wells completed in glacial-deposit aquifers range from 0.33 to 1,000 feet per day. Transmissivities from the pumped-well tests in wells completed in the carbonate-rock aquifer range from 70 to 52,000 feet squared per day. Storage coefficient or specific yields at these wells range from 0.00001 to 0.05. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities from the slug tests in wells completed in limestones and shales of Ordovician age range from 0.0016 to 12 feet per day. These data are summarized in tables and figures within this report. The collection and compilation of selected aquifer-characteristic data for the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers within the Midwestern Basin and Arches Region of Shaver (1985) are an essential part of the Midwestern Basins and Arches Regional Aquifer-Systems Analysis (Midwestern Basins and Arches RASA) project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Specifically, the data are needed to help describe ground-water flow in the regional aquifer system, which isone of the objectives of the Midwestern Basins and Arches RASA project (Bugliosi, 1990). To meet this objective, the Midwestern Basins and Arches RASA began subprojects in the Ohio and Indiana offices of the USGS to collect and compile available aquifer-characteristics data from aquifer tests of the glacial-deposit and carbonate-rock aquifers. The data were not reanalyzed to verify accuracy because of time constraints and insufficient data in many cases.

Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia↗
USGS1997

Digital data sets that describe aquifer characteristics of the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer in east-central Oklahoma

Nonproprietary format files This diskette contains digitized aquifer boundaries and maps of hydraulic conductivity, recharge, and ground-water level elevation contours for the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer in east-central Oklahoma. The Vamoosa-Ada aquifer is an important source of water that underlies about 2,320-square miles of parts of Osage, Pawnee, Payne, Creek, Lincoln, Okfuskee, and Seminole Counties. Approximately 75 percent of the water withdrawn from the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer is for municipal use. Rural domestic use and water for stock animals account for most of the remaining water withdrawn. The Vamoosa-Ada aquifer is defined in a ground-water report as consisting principally of the rocks of the Late Pennsylvanian-age Vamoosa Formation and overlying Ada Group. The Vamoosa-Ada aquifer consists of a complex sequence of fine- to very fine-grained sandstone, siltstone, shale, and conglomerate interbedded with very thin limestones. The water-yielding capabilities of the aquifer are generally controlled by lateral and vertical distribution of the sandstone beds and their physical characteristics. The Vamoosa-Ada aquifer is unconfined where it outcrops in about an 1,700-square-mile area. Most of the lines in the aquifer boundary, hydraulic conductivity, and recharge data sets were extracted from published digital surficial geology data sets based on a scale of 1:250,000, and represent geologic contacts. Some of lines in the data sets were interpolated in areas where the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer is overlain by alluvial and terrace deposits near streams and rivers. These data sets include only the outcrop area of the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer and where the aquifer is overlain by alluvial and terrace deposits. The hydraulic conductivity value and recharge rate are from a ground-water report about the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer. The water-level elevation contours were digitized from a mylar map, at a scale of 1:250,000, used to publish a plate in a ground-water report about the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer. The water-level elevation contours in this data set extend west of the aquifer outcrop area to areas where Vanoss Group rocks overlie the Ada Group. The data set also includes a water-level elevation contour for a terrace deposit east of the aquifer outcrop near the North Canadian River.

Oklahoma↗
USGS1981

Arctic summary report: Outer Continental Shelf and onshore oil and gas activities and impacts in the Arctic : a summmary report, October 1981

Due to the amount of Federal and State oil and gas activity in the Arctic subregion and the need for comprehensive planning, State and local officials requested coverage of all oil and gas activity in the area. The first lease sale of offshore lands in the Beaufort Sea was held by the State of Alaska in 1969. The leasing process for oil and gas exploration on the Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) began in April 1976 with the first Federal lease sale in the subregion (Joint Federal/State Beaufort Sea Lease Sale) held in 1979. This sale was held jointly by the Department of the Interior and the State of Alaska because of conflicting jurisdictional claims to certain tracts in the sale area. The jurisdictional dispute will be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court, but a decision is not expected for several years. The joint sale was held on December 11, 1979. However, bids on the Federal tracts were not accepted until July 1980 because of litigation. Of the 117 tracts offered, 86 were leased as a result of the sale. Of these 86 tracts, 24 are federally managed and 62 are State-managed. Two exploration plans have been submitted for the federally managed joint lease sale (Sale BF) area. Both plans call for building a gravel island and exploratory drilling of several tracts, but no drilling permits have yet been filed. Three exploratory wells have been drilled on or into State-managed tracts. These include one well drilled directionally into Tract 75, one into Tract 76, and one well drilled from Challenge Island, a natural barrier island. Additional exploratory wells are planned for the 1981-82 drilling season on State-managed tracts. The next OCS sale in the Beaufort Sea, Lease Sale 71, is proposed for September 1982. The first two sales in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska are being planned for December 1981 and the late spring or early summer of 1982 and will involve a total of 2 million acres (809,200 hectares). In anticipation of future leasing, plans for geophysical surveys in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are also being formulated. Four State lease sales have been held in the Arctic, in addition to the Joint Federal/State Lease Sale. These onshore sales have resulted in the leasing of lands on which a number of commercial discoveries have been made, including the discovery of the largest hydrocarbon accumulation in North America at Prudhoe Bay. Exploration, development, and production are continuing on these State lands. The State of Alaska has plans for three future lease sales in the Arctic to be held in the spring of 1982 and 1983 and the fall of 1984. Leasing and exploration are also under way on Arctic Slope Regional Corporation lands. Transportation systems in the Arctic have been developed to accommodate production on State lands. Some of the production from OCS tracts, as well as other Arctic lands, may be handled by the existing Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. However, a number of additional transportation strategies are being considered, including the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, additional oil pipelines, and tanker transport. The pace of oil and gas production in the Arctic will depend in part on the number and type of transportation modes available. The support bases at Prudhoe Bay are expected to be used to some extent for future activities on the OCS. However, expanded and new facilities will also be required, depending on the location of discoveries on the OCS and on other Arctic lands. The impacts resulting from OCS activities in the Arctic will be particularly important because of their contribution to the regionwide and cumulative impacts arising from Federal onshore, State, and regional corporation oil and gas exploration, development, and production in the Arctic.

Alaska↗
USGS1939

Geological report on water conditions at Platt National Park, Oklahoma

Platt National Park, located in southern Oklahoma, containing 842 acres, was established by Acts of Congress in 1902, 1904, and 1906. The reason for the setting aside of this area was the presence in the area of some 30 'mineral' springs, the water from which contains sulphur, bromide, salt, and other minerals, which are believed to possess medicinal qualities. For many generations the sulphur springs of the Chickasaw Nation had been known for their reputed healing qualities. It had long been the custom for families to come from considerable distances on horseback and in wagons and camp near the springs, in order to drink the water. In course of time a primitive town, known as Sulphur Springs, grew up near a group of springs known since as Pavilion Springs at the mouth of Sulphur Creek, now known as Travertine Creek. This town was still in existence at the time of my first visit to the locality in July, 1901. At this time, in company with Joseph A. Taff, of the United States Geological Survey, I spent a week riding over the country making a preliminary survey looking toward the setting aside of the area for a National Park. After the establishment of the National Park, the old town of Sulphur Springs was abandoned, and when the present boundaries of the park had been established the present town of Sulphur, now county seat of Murray County, grew up. In July 1906, on request of Superintendent Joseph F. Swords, I visited the park and made an examination of the various springs and submitted a report, dated August 15, 1906, to Secretary of the Interior E.A. Hitchcock. Copies of this report are on file in the Regional Office and at Platt National Park. In this report I set forth the approximate amount of flow of the various springs, the character of the water in each, and the conditions of the springs as of that date. I also made certain recommendations regarding proposed improvements of each spring. In this report I say: 'In the town of Sulphur, four wells have been drilled to a depth of between 450 and 500 feet in which artesian water has been secured. These wells are said to flow 200,000 gallons each per day.' I also say: 'From a study of the log of one of these wells, it appears that the artesian water is derived from the upper part of the Simpson sandstone. It is very probable that the water of the springs is derived from the same source.' This early was recognized the relation between the water from the mineral springs and that from the artesian wells. As the years have passed, other wells have been drilled in the town of Sulphur, chiefly to supply water for mineral baths and for swimming pools, so that to date more than 30 wells have been drilled. The exact number is not known. The custom has usually been to turn the wells loose and permit them to flow at full capacity, although some of the wells have been 'valved in' and the flow reduced. An estimate furnished me by the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce in 1937, referred to later in this report, indicated that at that time 16 wells were flowing approximately 28,800,000 gallons of water per day, practically all of which ran to waste. For many years geologists in Oklahoma and elsewhere have watched this unrestricted waste of water from the artesian wells at Sulphur with growing concern. Remembering the history of other artesian basins throughout the world, these geologists believed that in all probability it was only a question of time until the water in the Sulphur artesian basin would begin to fail. On two different occasions the State Geologist of Oklahoma, bearing these conditions in mind, has prepared and had introduced into the State Legislature a bill which, if enacted into law, would have regulated the flow of water in artesian wells throughout the State. Both bills died in committee. Partly on account of the drought of the past three years, the matter has been brought to a head. In September 1938, Buffalo and Antelope Springs at the hea

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Test and calibration of the Seismic Research Observatory

The Seismic Research Observatory (SRO) network is generating an important new data base for seismological research. The SRO systems have extended both the range and resolution of seismic measurements beyond the limits of conventional seismographs and the data are recorded in digital format making it convenient to automate processing and analysis. The SRO network now comprises 12 stations and one additional station will be installed. The data produced by the SRO network, and other digital systems being installed to supplement the SRO network, will be collected by the U.S. Geological Survey's Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, organized into network-day tapes, and made available to research organizations throughout the world. The network-day tapes are particularly unique and useful data files as they will contain not only seismic data but all of the information needed by an analyst to interpret the data, including station constants and calibration and other instrumental parameters. Hoffman (in preperation) describe these tapes and the format used in their compilation. The global digital data base for seismology is still relatively limited in terms of both geographical and temporal coverage. For this reason there is a tendency, perhaps, to stretch the applicability of the available data beyond the intended purposes. The danger in this is compounded by the fact that computer processing and analysis often can be done without even looking at the waveforms, and it is done with deceptively high computational precision that belies the basic accuracy of the measurements. The day may be passing when seismologists have a hands-on familiarity with the data acquisition systems, but clearly it is as important as ever that they have a knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of the instruments. The primary objective of the SRO network was to lower the threshold of event detection in the long-period band. This was achieved by using a newly-developed borehole seismometer that is capable of resolving both vertical and horizontal components of earth background noise at the quietest sites on earth. Another objective was to accommodate a large range of signla amplitudes. This was achieved by using an advanced digital recording systems which provides at least 110 dB of separation between system noise levels and clipping levels in the principal bands of interest. The broadband capability was not an initial program requirement and is not being fully utilized at present, but it adds significantly to the research potential of the network. The SRO systems have proven to be reliable in operation and the general quality of the data is excellent. Every seismograph has functional limits of accuracy, and the SRO system is no exception. The chief purpose of this report is to define these limits for the SRO system and provide the most accurate calibration data currently available. At the same time we will describe the testing program in sufficient detail so that the data user can make his own judgments regarding the effectiveness and accuracy of the tests. This report is not a final statement; further work is needed in some areas to completely define the SRO system, in some cases purely for academic reasons. Refinements in calibration will appear on the network-day tapes as the new data become available.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1996

Level II scour analysis for Bridge 42 (RANDVT00120042) on State Highway 12, crossing Third Branch White River, Randolph, Vermont

This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure RANDVT00120042 on State Highway 12 crossing the Third Branch White River, Randolph, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). A Level I study is included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I study provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge available from VTAOT files was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and can be found in Appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain physiographic division of central Vermont in the town of Randolph. The 61.9-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural drainage basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the left and right banks have moderate tree cover with residential and commercial buildings on the overbank areas. In the study area, the Third Branch White River has a sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.013 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 133 ft and an average channel depth of 5 ft. The predominant channel bed material is gravel with a median grain size ( D 50 ) of 49.6 mm (0.163 ft). Bank material is sand and gravel (D 50 is 3.08 mm or 0.010 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I site visits on July 8, 1994 and December 13, 1994, indicated that the reach has experienced vertical degradation. A drop structure has been constructed downstream of the bridge to prevent further degradation. In addition to the degradation of the stream bed, there is local pier scour at the bridge site as well. At the nose of the pier in the main channel, the bed is approximately three feet below the mean thalweg and two feet below the bottom of the pier footing. The State Highway 12 crossing of the Third Branch White Riveris a 220-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of four concrete spans. The maximum span length is 57 ft. (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written commun., July 29, 1994). The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments and three concrete piers. The toe of the left abutment is at the channel edge. The toe of the right abutment is set back on the right over-bank. The roadway centerline on the structure has a slight horizontal curve; however, the main channel is skewed approximately 5 degrees to the bridge. Additional details describing conditions at the site are included in the Level II Summary and Appendices D and E. Scour depths and rock rip-rap sizes were computed using the general guidelines described in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (Richardson and others, 1993). Scour depths were calculated assuming an infinite depth of erosive material and a homogeneous particle-size distribution. The scour analysis results are presented in tables 1 and 2 and a graph of the scour depths is presented in figure 8.

Vermont↗
USGS2011

Tectonic and metallogenic model for northeast Asia

This document describes the digital files in this report that contains a tectonic and metallogenic model for Northeast Asia. The report also contains background materials. This tectonic and metallogenic model and other materials on this report are derived from (1) an extensive USGS Professional Paper, 1765, on the metallogenesis and tectonics of Northeast Asia that is available on the Internet at http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1765/; and (2) the Russian Far East parts of an extensive USGS Professional Paper, 1697, on the metallogenesis and tectonics of the Russian Far East, Alaska, and the Canadian Cordillera that is available on the Internet at http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/pp1697/. The major purpose of the tectonic and metallogenic model is to provide, in movie format, a colorful summary of the complex geology, tectonics, and metallogenesis of the region. To accomplish this goal four steps were taken: (1) 13 time-stage diagrams, from the late Neoproterozoic (850 Ma) through the present (0 Ma), were adapted, generalized, and transformed into color static time-stage diagrams; (2) the 13 time-stage diagrams were placed in a computer morphing program to produce the model; (3) the model was examined and each diagram was successively adapted to preceding and subsequent diagrams to match the size and surface expression of major geologic units; and (4) the final version of the model was produced in successive iterations of steps 2 and 3. The tectonic and metallogenic model and associated materials in this report are derived from a project on the major mineral deposits, metallogenesis, and tectonics of the Northeast Asia and from a preceding project on the metallogenesis and tectonics of the Russian Far East, Alaska, and the Canadian Cordillera. Both projects provide critical information on bedrock geology and geophysics, tectonics, major metalliferous mineral resources, metallogenic patterns, and crustal origin and evolution of mineralizing systems for this region. The major scientific goals and benefits of the projects are to: (1) provide a comprehensive international data base on the mineral resources of the region that is the first extensive knowledge available in English; (2) provide major new interpretations of the origin and crustal evolution of mineralizing systems and their host rocks, thereby enabling enhanced, broad-scale tectonic reconstructions and interpretations; and (3) promote trade and scientific and technical exchanges between North America and eastern Asia.

Summit, Colorado↗
USGS2013

Evaluation of the groundwater flow model for southern Utah and Goshen Valleys, Utah, updated to conditions through 2011, with new projections and groundwater management simulations

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Southern Utah Valley Municipal Water Association, updated an existing USGS model of southern Utah and Goshen Valleys for hydrologic and climatic conditions from 1991 to 2011 and used the model for projection and groundwater management simulations. All model files used in the transient model were updated to be compatible with MODFLOW-2005 and with the additional stress periods. The well and recharge files had the most extensive changes. Discharge to pumping wells in southern Utah and Goshen Valleys was estimated and simulated on an annual basis from 1991 to 2011. Recharge estimates for 1991 to 2011 were included in the updated model by using precipitation, streamflow, canal diversions, and irrigation groundwater withdrawals for each year. The model was evaluated to determine how well it simulates groundwater conditions during recent increased withdrawals and drought, and to determine if the model is adequate for use in future planning. In southern Utah Valley, the magnitude and direction of annual water-level fluctuation simulated by the updated model reasonably match measured water-level changes, but they do not simulate as much decline as was measured in some locations from 2000 to 2002. Both the rapid increase in groundwater withdrawals and the total groundwater withdrawals in southern Utah Valley during this period exceed the variations and magnitudes simulated during the 1949 to 1990 calibration period. It is possible that hydraulic properties may be locally incorrect or that changes, such as land use or irrigation diversions, occurred that are not simulated. In the northern part of Goshen Valley, simulated water-level changes reasonably match measured changes. Farther south, however, simulated declines are much less than measured declines. Land-use changes indicate that groundwater withdrawals in Goshen Valley are possibly greater than estimated and simulated. It is also possible that irrigation methods, amount of diversions, or other factors have changed that are not simulated or that aquifer properties are incorrectly simulated. The model can be used for projections about the effects of future groundwater withdrawals and managed aquifer recharge in southern Utah Valley, but rapid changes in withdrawals and increasing withdrawals dramatically may reduce the accuracy of the predicted water-level and groundwater-budget changes. The model should not be used for projections in Goshen Valley until additional withdrawal and discharge data are collected and the model is recalibrated if necessary. Model projections indicate large drawdowns of up to 400 feet and complete cessation of natural discharge in some areas with potential future increases in water use. Simulated managed aquifer recharge counteracts those effects. Groundwater management examples indicate that drawdown could be less, and discharge at selected springs could be greater, with optimized groundwater withdrawals and managed aquifer recharge than without optimization. Recalibration to more recent stresses and seasonal stress periods, and collection of new withdrawal, stream, land-use, and discharge data could improve the model fit to water-level changes and the accuracy of predictions.

Utah↗
USGS2019

Offshore shallow structure and sediment distribution, Point Sur to Point Arguello, central California

This publication consists of three map sheets that display shallow geologic structure, along with sediment distribution and thickness, for an about 225-km-long offshore section of the central California coast between Point Sur and Point Arguello. Each map sheet includes three maps, at scales of either 1:150,000 or 1:200,000, as well as a set of figures that contain representative high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles. The maps and seismic-reflection surveys cover most of the continental shelf in this region. In addition, the maps show the locations of the shelf break and the 3-nautical-mile limit of California’s State Waters. The seismic-reflection data, which are the primary dataset used to develop the maps, were collected to support the California Seafloor Mapping Program and U.S. Geological Survey Offshore Geologic Hazards projects. In addition to the three map sheets, this publication includes geographic information system data files of interpreted faults, folds, sediment thicknesses, and depths-to-base of sediment. The faults and folds shown on the maps have been locally simplified as appropriate for the map scales. The right-lateral San Gregorio–Hosgri Fault (SGHF) is the most significant structure in the map area. On a regional scale, the SGHF is part of a 400-km-long, right-lateral fault system that extends northwestward from Point Arguello to the area offshore of San Francisco, where it merges with the San Andreas Fault. From north to south in this part of central California, the SGHF lies offshore between the south flank of Point Sur and the north flank of Point Piedras Blancas, then comes onshore at Point Piedras Blancas, before heading offshore again between the south flank of Point Piedras Blancas and Point Arguello. Cumulative fault offset along the SGHF is as much as 150 to 160 km, decreasing to the south by transferring slip on to northwest-striking faults that converge with the SGHF both onland and offshore from the east. In the map area, the offshore-converging faults include the Los Osos Fault, the Shoreline–Point Buchon Fault, the Casmalia Fault, and the Lions Head Fault. Quaternary sediments and bedrock underlie the shelf. On the seismic-reflection profiles, we divide Quaternary shelf sediments into two units. Characterizing the younger, upper unit is a focus of this publication. This unit is inferred to have been deposited on the shelf in the last about 21,000 years during the sea-level rise that followed the last major lowstand and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This upper unit overlies a transgressive surface of erosion, a commonly angular, wave-cut unconformity, and is generally characterized by low-amplitude, continuous to moderately continuous, diffuse, subparallel, generally flat reflections. Maps in this publication show both the thickness of this upper sediment unit and the depth to the base of the sediment unit. Within the map region, 11 different “domains” of post-LGM shelf sediment are delineated on the basis of sediment thickness and coastal geomorphology. Maximum sediment thickness is in the southern part of the region, offshore of the mouths of the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Rivers. Minimum sediment thickness is found offshore of prominent rocky points, including Point Buchon and Piedras Blancas. Mean sediment thickness for the entire shelf in the map area between Point Sur and Point Arguello is 12.2 m, and total sediment volume is 24.7 million cubic meters.

California↗
USGS2017

Potential effects of existing and proposed groundwater withdrawals on water levels and natural groundwater discharge in Snake Valley and surrounding areas, Utah and Nevada

Several U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) agencies are concerned about the cumulative effects of groundwater development on groundwater resources managed by, and other groundwater resources of interest to, these agencies in Snake Valley and surrounding areas. The new water uses that potentially concern the DOI agencies include 12 water-right applications filed in 2005, totaling approximately 8,864 acre-feet per year. To date, only one of these applications has been approved and partially developed. In addition, the DOI agencies are interested in the potential effects of three new water-right applications (UT 18-756, UT 18-758, and UT 18-759) and one water-right change application (UT a40687), which were the subject of a water-right hearing on April 19, 2016. This report presents a hydrogeologic analysis of areas in and around Snake Valley to assess potential effects of existing and future groundwater development on groundwater resources, specifically groundwater discharge sites, of interest to the DOI agencies. A previously developed steady-state numerical groundwater-flow model was modified to transient conditions with respect to well withdrawals and used to quantify drawdown and capture (withdrawals that result in depletion) of natural discharge from existing and proposed groundwater withdrawals. The original steady-state model simulates and was calibrated to 2009 conditions. To investigate the potential effects of existing and proposed groundwater withdrawals on the groundwater resources of interest to the DOI agencies, 10 withdrawal scenarios were simulated. All scenarios were simulated for periods of 5, 10, 15, 30, 55, and 105 years from the start of 2010; additionally, all scenarios were simulated to a new steady state to determine the ultimate long-term effects of the withdrawals. Capture maps were also constructed as part of this analysis. The simulations used to develop the capture maps test the response of the system, specifically the reduction of natural discharge, to future stresses at a point in the area represented by the model. In this way, these maps can be used as a tool to determine the source of water to, and potential effects at specific areas from, future well withdrawals. Downward trends in water levels measured in wells indicate that existing groundwater withdrawals in Snake Valley are affecting water levels. The numerical model simulates similar downward trends in water levels; simulated drawdowns in the model, however, are generally less than observed water-level declines. At the groundwater discharge sites of interest to the DOI agencies, simulated drawdowns from existing well withdrawals (projected into the future) range from 0 to about 50 feet. Following the addition of the proposed withdrawals, simulated drawdowns at some sites increase by 25 feet. Simulated drawdown resulting from the proposed withdrawals began in as few as 5 years after 2014 at several of the sites. At the groundwater discharge sites of interest to the DOI agencies, simulated capture of natural discharge resulting from the existing withdrawals ranged from 0 to 87 percent. Following the addition of the proposed withdrawals, simulated capture at several of the sites reached 100 percent, indicating that groundwater discharge at that site would cease. Simulated capture following the addition of the proposed withdrawals increased in as few as 5 years after 2014 at several of the sites.

Nevada, Utah↗
USGS2014

Potential effects of existing and proposed groundwater withdrawals on water levels and natural groundwater discharge in Snake Valley, Juab and Millard Counties, Utah, White Pine County, Nevada, and surrounding areas in Utah and Nevada

Applications have been filed for several water-right changes and new water rights, with total withdrawals of about 1,800 acre-feet per year, in Snake Valley near Eskdale and Partoun, Utah. The Bureau of Land Management has identified 11 sites where the Bureau of Land Management holds water rights and 7 other springs of interest that could be affected by these proposed groundwater withdrawals. This report presents a hydrogeologic analysis of areas within Snake Valley to assess the potential effects on Bureau of Land Management water rights and other springs of interest resulting from existing and proposed groundwater withdrawals. A previously developed numerical groundwater-flow model was used to quantify potential groundwater drawdown and the capture, or groundwater withdrawals that results in depletion, of natural discharge resulting from existing and proposed groundwater withdrawals within Snake Valley. Existing groundwater withdrawals were simulated for a 50-year period prior to adding the newly proposed withdrawals to bring the model from pre-development conditions to the start of 2014. After this initial 50-year period, existing withdrawals, additional proposed withdrawals, and consequent effects were simulated for periods of 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. Downward trends in water levels measured in wells indicate that the existing groundwater withdrawals in Snake Valley are affecting water levels. The numerical model simulated similar downward trends in water levels. The largest simulated drawdowns caused by existing groundwater withdrawals ranged between 10 and 26 feet and were near the centers of the agricultural areas by Callao, Eskdale, Baker, Garrison, and along the Utah-Nevada state line in southern Snake Valley. The largest simulated water-level declines were at the Bureau of Land Management water-rights sites near Eskdale, Utah, where simulated drawdowns ranged between 2 and 8 feet at the start of 2014. These results were consistent with, but lower than, observations from several wells monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey that indicated water-level declines of 6 to 18 feet near the Eskdale area since the mid-1970s and 1980s. The model cells where the simulated capture of natural groundwater discharge resulting from the existing withdrawals was greatest were those containing Kane Spring, Caine Spring, and Unnamed Spring 5, where existing groundwater withdrawals capture 13 to 29 percent of the total simulated natural discharge in these cells. Simulated drawdown and simulated capture of natural groundwater discharge resulting from the proposed withdrawals started in as few as 5 years at seven of the sites. After 100 years, four sites showed simulated drawdowns ranging between 1 and 2 feet; eight sites showed simulated drawdowns ranging between 0.1 and 0.9 feet; and five sites showed no simulated drawdown resulting from the proposed withdrawals. The largest amounts of simulated capture of natural groundwater discharge resulting from the proposed withdrawals after 100 years were in the model cells containing Coyote Spring, Kane Spring, and Caine Spring, which had capture amounts ranging between 5.5 and 9.1 percent of the total simulated natural discharge in these cells.

Nevada, Utah↗