Seven potential sources of water, consisting of free-flowing discharge from abandoned coal mines at six locations and one abandoned flooded underground coal mine air shaft, were sampled for chemical analysis to assess the quality of the groundwater emanating from the seven mine sources. The six free-flowing mine discharge sources were also assessed for discharge by current-meter measurements on two separate occasions. The U.S. Geological Survey assessed these seven sources to provide information to the City of Gary, West Virginia (W. Va.), and the City of Gary’s consulting engineer with groundwater-quality and flow data to allow them to assess the seven sites as potential alternate sources of water for the City of Gary to augment its existing supply.
For the six sites where discharge could be measured, discharge ranged from a minimum of 0.082 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to a maximum of 3.685 ft3/s. Of the six sites measured, only two, Harmon Branch at Thorpe, W. Va. (USGS site 372201081303501) and the abandoned public-supply water wells near Havaco, W. Va. (USGS site 372358081344601), had discharge in excess of 1.00 ft3/s. Discharge from the abandoned public supply wells was 3.685 ft3/s on September 20, 2023, and 2.888 ft3/s on October 16, 2023, and discharge from Harmon Branch at Thorpe, W. Va., was 1.049 ft3/s on September 22, 2023, and 1.038 ft3/s on October 17, 2023. Discharge in the abandoned underground mine air shaft (USGS site 372224081340901) could not be assessed, but the air shaft drains an abandoned mine that likely contains water stored in approximately 1.7 square miles (mi2) of abandoned underground coal mines in the Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam, and possibly an additional 0.9 mi2 of leakage from the overlying Pocahontas No. 4 coal seam. Discharge for the six sites measured for the study was measured during a period between September 20 and October 18, 2023, and corresponded to the 12th to the 15th percentile of flow-duration statistics for the Tug Fork downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch, W. Va. streamgage (USGS site 03212750).
Water-quality data for the seven sites sampled overall were acceptable with respect to drinking water standards. Of the 203 constituents analyzed, only a few failed to meet applicable U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards. Iron exceeded the 300 micrograms per liter (μg/L) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) at only 1 of the 7 sites (14.3 percent) sampled. Iron concentrations ranged from a minimum of less than (<) 5.00 μg/L to a maximum of 724 μg/L with a median concentration of 7.62 μg/L. Manganese exceeded the 50.0 μg/L SMCL at 2 of the 7 sites (28.6 percent) sampled. Manganese concentrations ranged from a minimum of 1.93 μg/L to a maximum of 271 μg/L with a median concentration of 4.03 μg/L. No sites sampled exceeded the arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 μg/L. Arsenic concentrations ranged from a minimum of <0.100 μg/L to a maximum of 2.35 μg/L with a median arsenic concentration of 0.200 μg/L. None of the seven sites sampled for selenium for this study exceeded the EPA MCL of 50.0 μg/L. Selenium concentrations ranged from a minimum of <0.050 μg/L to a maximum of 5.26 μg/L with a median concentration of 3.21 μg/L.
All seven sites were sampled for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), but most had concentrations below the detection limit. Of the 10 PCB compounds analyzed for the seven sites sampled, none contained detectable concentrations of PCBs or Aroclor compounds. Of the 44 SVOCs analyzed at each of the seven sites sampled, only 1 SVOC, acenaphthene, was detected, at a concentration of 0.02 μg/L. Of the 96 VOCs analyzed, from each of the seven sites sampled, only two were found at detectable concentrations. Trichloromethane was detected only at 1 of the 7 (14.3 percent) sites sampled at a concentration of 0.027 μg/L, and benzene was detected at the same site and 3 additional sites (4 of the 7 sites or 57.1 percent of the sites sampled) at concentrations of 0.028, 0.029, 0.021, and 0.035 μg/L, but none exceeded the EPA MCL for benzene of 5.00 μg/L.
Total coliform bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment, and their presence only suggests the potential for contamination by near-surface processes. Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are derived from either human or animal fecal material and can be an indicator of potential contamination by pathogenic bacteria or viruses. Total coliform bacteria were detected at all 7 sites sampled at concentrations ranging from 17.5 to greater than (>) 2,420 most probable number per 100 mL (MPN/100 mL) of sample, with a median total coliform concentration of 1,553 MPN/100 mL. Escherichia coli bacteria were detected at 4 of the 7 sites sampled at concentrations ranging from <1 to 11.9 MPN/100 mL, with a median E. coli concentration of 5.1 MPN/100 mL.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251037","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the City of Gary, West Virginia","usgsCitation":"Kozar, M.D., and Austin, S.H., 2025, Reconnaissance of potential alternate water supply sources for the City of Gary, West Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1037, 27 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251037.","productDescription":"Report: viii, 27 p.; Appendix","numberOfPages":"27","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-176784","costCenters":[{"id":37280,"text":"Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center ","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":496467,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1037/ofr20251037.pdf","text":"Report","size":"5.71 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1037 PDF"},{"id":496466,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1037/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":497789,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_118952.htm"},{"id":496471,"rank":6,"type":{"id":3,"text":"Appendix"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1037/ofr20251037_app2.csv","text":"Appendix 2","size":"222 KB","linkFileType":{"id":7,"text":"csv"},"linkHelpText":"- Water-Quality Data Collected During the Study"},{"id":496470,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1037/ofr20251037.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2025-1037 XML"},{"id":496469,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1037/images/"},{"id":496468,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251037/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1037 HTML"}],"country":"United States","state":"West Virginia","city":"Gary","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -81.616667,\n 37.433333\n ],\n [\n -81.616667,\n 37.25\n ],\n [\n -81.45,\n 37.25\n ],\n [\n -81.45,\n 37.433333\n ],\n [\n -81.616667,\n 37.433333\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
1730 East Parham Road
Richmond, Virginia 23228
This report provides an overview of the U.S. Geological Survey National Map Corps —Federal Emergency Management Agency and Oak Ridge National Laboratory pilot project in St. James Parish, Louisiana, that began in February 2024 and ended at the end of March 2024. The project used the power of The National Map Corps’ volunteer community to improve building classifications in the original Federal Emergency Management Agency’s U.S.A. Structures dataset. The report highlights the project’s completion and details the work and results achieved through a collaborative effort to enhance geospatial data quality and utility.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251052","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency","programNote":"National Geospatial Program","usgsCitation":"Dimascio, T., Matthews, G.D., and Korris, E.M., 2025, The National Map Corps—Federal Emergency Management Agency and Oak Ridge National Laboratory pilot project report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1052, 11 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251052.","productDescription":"vi, 11 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-179574","costCenters":[{"id":5047,"text":"NGTOC Denver","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":496083,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251052/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1052"},{"id":496000,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1052/ofr20251052.xml"},{"id":495999,"rank":3,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1052/images"},{"id":495984,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1052/ofr20251052.pdf","text":"Report","size":"12.7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1052"},{"id":495983,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1052/coverthb.jpg"}],"contact":"Director, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Box 25046, Mail Stop 510
Denver, Colorado 80225-0046
The Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) program, a broad partnership of State and Federal agencies administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, integrates ecosystem monitoring, research, and modeling to rehabilitate habitat and evaluate ecosystem trends over time in the Upper Mississippi River System. Hydrologic data are integral to the UMRR program because they are used in scientific research, decision-making, and restoration project planning. However, a lack of quantitative hydrologic data representing potential future conditions limits the ability to complete informative research on how future conditions may affect river ecology, achieve management goals, and design restoration projects for 50-year horizons.
The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led a series of workshops with UMRR partners to (1) prioritize needs for understanding future hydrology, (2) discuss appropriate datasets that could address these needs, and (3) develop a plan for acquiring and distributing a hydrologic dataset of potential future conditions. Agency priorities for understanding future hydrology were broad, spanning ecologic, geomorphic, resource management, and engineering disciplines, and were identified for a range of spatial (project site, navigation pool, reach, system) and temporal (daily, seasonal, annual) scales. The LOcalized Constructed Analogs-Variable Infiltration Capacity-mizuRoute hydrologic data products were identified as a potential source of off-the-shelf data to meet UMRR priority needs but warranted a robust quantitative evaluation. The final meeting in the series scoped a proposal to evaluate the LOcalized Constructed Analogs-Variable Infiltration Capacity-mizuRoute hydrologic data products for use in UMRR applications, including contingencies if the data were determined to be unreliable.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251050","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers","usgsCitation":"Van Appledorn, M., and Sawyer, L., 2025, Upper Mississippi River Restoration future hydrology meeting series: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1050, 93 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251050.","productDescription":"vii, 93 p.","numberOfPages":"106","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-144284","costCenters":[{"id":606,"text":"Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":495840,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1050/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":495844,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251050/full"},{"id":495843,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1050/images/"},{"id":495842,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1050/ofr20251050.XML"},{"id":495841,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1050/ofr20251050.pdf","text":"Report","size":"4.3 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1050"}],"country":"United States","state":"Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin","otherGeospatial":"Upper Mississippi River system","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -89.2103238355043,\n 37.043422473537504\n ],\n [\n -87.69596012242188,\n 41.69069025518516\n ],\n [\n -89.11501122546446,\n 44.87351523241463\n ],\n [\n -89.14678376857329,\n 46.12049934311611\n ],\n [\n -92.37672035941334,\n 46.134727618766064\n ],\n [\n -94.31468231391703,\n 47.910742701911886\n ],\n [\n -96.86686171848238,\n 47.08812323847167\n ],\n [\n -94.08172387608387,\n 40.82297944373079\n ],\n [\n -89.40096330837447,\n 37.051916822243555\n ],\n [\n -89.2103238355043,\n 37.043422473537504\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2630 Fanta Reed Road
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A series of workshops was held so participants from several agencies could work together to prioritize needs for understanding future hydrologic scenarios, discuss appropriate datasets that could address these needs, and develop a plan for acquiring and distributing a hydrologic dataset representing potential future conditions. Agency priorities for understanding future hydrology spanned ecologic, geomorphic, resource management, and engineering disciplines and were identified for a range of spatial (project site, navigation pool, reach, system) and temporal (daily, seasonal, annual) scales. Participants described desired characteristics of a hydrologic dataset of potential future conditions that could meet agency priority needs and developed a workflow to evaluate a readily available data product.
","publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationStatus":"PW","contributors":{"authors":[{"text":"Van Appledorn, Molly 0000-0002-8029-0014","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8029-0014","contributorId":205785,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Van Appledorn","given":"Molly","email":"","affiliations":[{"id":606,"text":"Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":949216,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":1},{"text":"Sawyer, Lucie","contributorId":345904,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Sawyer","given":"Lucie","email":"","affiliations":[{"id":590,"text":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers","active":false,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":949217,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":2}]}} ,{"id":70271481,"text":"ofr20251045 - 2025 - Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7","interactions":[{"subject":{"id":70194208,"text":"ofr20171152 - 2017 - P- and S-wave velocity models incorporating the Cascadia subduction zone for 3D earthquake ground motion simulations, Version 1.6—Update for Open-File Report 2007–1348","indexId":"ofr20171152","publicationYear":"2017","noYear":false,"title":"P- and S-wave velocity models incorporating the Cascadia subduction zone for 3D earthquake ground motion simulations, Version 1.6—Update for Open-File Report 2007–1348"},"predicate":"SUPERSEDED_BY","object":{"id":70271481,"text":"ofr20251045 - 2025 - Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7","indexId":"ofr20251045","publicationYear":"2025","noYear":false,"title":"Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7"},"id":1}],"lastModifiedDate":"2026-02-03T15:28:23.518326","indexId":"ofr20251045","displayToPublicDate":"2025-09-19T09:48:59","publicationYear":"2025","noYear":false,"publicationType":{"id":18,"text":"Report"},"publicationSubtype":{"id":5,"text":"USGS Numbered Series"},"seriesTitle":{"id":330,"text":"Open-File Report","code":"OFR","onlineIssn":"2331-1258","printIssn":"0196-1497","active":true,"publicationSubtype":{"id":5}},"seriesNumber":"2025-1045","displayTitle":"Three-Dimensional Seismic Velocity Model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with Shallow Soils and Topography, Version 1.7","title":"Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7","docAbstract":"The U.S. Geological Survey’s seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides P- and S-wave velocity (VP and VS, respectively) information from 40.2° to 50.0° N. latitude and −129.0° to −121.0° W. longitude, and is used to support a variety of research topics, including three-dimensional (3D) earthquake simulations and seismic hazard assessment in the Pacific Northwest. This report describes an update to the previous version (v) 1.6 of the 3D seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This new model (herein referred to as v1.7) contains more detailed near-surface structure for improved earthquake ground motion modeling. Updated features include the addition of a new shallow soil velocity model in the top few hundred meters and the option of adding user-specified topography. Although v1.6 of the Cascadia seismic velocity model has a minimum VS of 600 meters per second (m/s), the new model (v1.7) has a minimum VS of approximately 40 m/s. Overall, this update will allow for more accurate ground motion estimates from 3D simulations of scenario earthquakes in the Cascadia Subduction Zone region.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251045","usgsCitation":"Wirth, E.A., Grant, A.R., Stone, I.P., Stephenson, W.J., and Frankel, A.D., 2025, Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1045, 18 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251045.","productDescription":"Report: vi, 18 p.; Data Release","numberOfPages":"18","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-161899","costCenters":[{"id":237,"text":"Earthquake Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":495639,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P14HJ3IC","text":"USGS data release","description":"Wirth, E.A., Grant, A.R., Stone, I.P., Stephenson, W.J., and Frankel, A.D., 2025, Data for A 3-D Seismic Velocity Model for Cascadia with Shallow Soils & Topography, Version 1.7: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P14HJ3IC","linkHelpText":"Data for A 3-D Seismic Velocity Model for Cascadia with Shallow Soils & Topography, Version 1.7"},{"id":495638,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1045/images"},{"id":495637,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1045/ofr20251045.XML","description":"OFR 2025-1045 XML"},{"id":495636,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251045/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1045 HTML"},{"id":495635,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1045/ofr20251045.pdf","text":"Report","size":"4.4 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1045 PDF"},{"id":495634,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1045/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"Canada, United States","state":"British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington","otherGeospatial":"Cascadia Subduction Zone","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -121,\n 50\n ],\n [\n -129,\n 50\n ],\n [\n -129,\n 40.2\n ],\n [\n -121,\n 40.2\n ],\n [\n -121,\n 50\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Earthquake Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
350 N. Akron Rd.
Moffett Field, CA 94035
The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val Team continually monitors the geometric and radiometric performance of active Landsat missions and makes calibration adjustments, as needed, to maintain data quality at the highest level.
This report provides observed geometric and radiometric analysis results for Landsats 8 and 9 for quarter 1 (January–March) of 2025. All data used to compile the Cal/Val analysis results presented in this report are freely available from the U.S. Geological Survey EarthExplorer website: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251048","usgsCitation":"Haque, M.O., Hasan, M.N., Shrestha, A., Rengarajan, R., Lubke, M., Steinwand, D., Bresnahan, P., Shaw, J.L., Ruslander, K., Micijevic, E., Choate, M.J., Anderson, C., Clauson, J., Thome, K., Kaita, E., Angal, A., Levy, R., Miller, J.,\nDing, L., and Teixeira Pinto, C., 2025, ECCOE Landsat quarterly calibration and validation report—Quarter 1, 2025: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1048, 56 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251048.","productDescription":"Report: viii, 56 p.; Dataset","numberOfPages":"68","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-178690","costCenters":[{"id":222,"text":"Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":495088,"rank":5,"type":{"id":28,"text":"Dataset"},"url":"https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/","text":"USGS database","linkHelpText":"- EarthExplorer"},{"id":495089,"rank":6,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251048/full"},{"id":495087,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1048/images/"},{"id":495084,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1048/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":495086,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1048/ofr20251048.XML"},{"id":495085,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1048/ofr20251048.pdf","text":"Report","size":"5.3 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1048"}],"contact":"Director, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
47914 252nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation Center of Excellence Team assesses and calibrates Landsat remote-sensing data to ensure high-quality data products are publicly available. These data products are used to make informed decisions about natural resources and the environment. This report is part of a series of quarterly reports intended to provide updated observed geometric and radiometric analysis results for Landsats 8 and 9.
","publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationStatus":"PW","contributors":{"authors":[{"text":"Haque, Md Obaidul 0000-0002-0914-1446","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0914-1446","contributorId":290335,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Haque","given":"Md Obaidul","affiliations":[{"id":54490,"text":"KBR, Inc., under contract to USGS","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":947607,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":1},{"text":"Hasan, Nahid 0000-0002-0463-601X","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0463-601X","contributorId":292342,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Hasan","given":"Nahid","email":"","affiliations":[{"id":40546,"text":"KBR, Contractor to the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":947608,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":2},{"text":"Shrestha, Ashish 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Conservancy-World Terrestrial Ecosystems (WTEs) with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) framework. 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","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251043","programNote":"National Land Imaging Program","usgsCitation":"Sides, K.B., Naji, N., Kremer, A., Burton, D., and Sayre, R., 2025, A crosswalk of the 2015 World Terrestrial Ecosystems to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology Framework: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1043, 10 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251043.","productDescription":"Report: iv, 10 p.; 2 Appendixes","numberOfPages":"10","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-174837","costCenters":[{"id":86069,"text":"National Land Imaging","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":494756,"rank":7,"type":{"id":3,"text":"Appendix"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1043/ofr20251043_appendix.csv","text":"Appendix","size":"215 KB","linkFileType":{"id":7,"text":"csv"},"description":"OFR 2025-1043 Appendix CSV","linkHelpText":"- A Crosswalk of the U.S. Geological Survey/Esri/The Nature Conservancy World Terrestrial Ecosystems to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) Ecosystem Functional Groups in a CSV file"},{"id":494750,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1043/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":494755,"rank":6,"type":{"id":3,"text":"Appendix"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1043/ofr20251043_appendix.xlsx","text":"Appendix","size":"70.4 KB","linkFileType":{"id":3,"text":"xlsx"},"description":"OFR 2025-1043 Appendix XLSX","linkHelpText":"- A Crosswalk of the U.S. Geological Survey/Esri/The Nature Conservancy World Terrestrial Ecosystems to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) Ecosystem Functional Groups"},{"id":494754,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1043/images/"},{"id":494753,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1043/ofr20251043.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2025-1043 XML"},{"id":494752,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251043/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1043 HTML"},{"id":494751,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1043/ofr20251043.pdf","text":"Report","size":"12.6 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1043 PDF"}],"contact":"Director, National Land Imaging Program
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192
The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, is tasked by section 7002 (“Mineral Security”) of title VII (“Critical Minerals”) of the Energy Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–260, December 27, 2020, 116th Congress) with reviewing and revising the methodology used to evaluate mineral commodity supply risk and the U.S. List of Critical Minerals (LCM) no less than every 3 years. Following two previous LCM assessments, this analysis represents the latest technical input for evaluating each mineral commodity’s supply risk and determining their recommended status on the LCM. We evaluated mineral commodity supply risk using two criteria: (1) an economic effects assessment that quantified the potential effects of various trade disruption scenarios on the U.S. economy, and (2) an examination of whether the mineral commodity’s U.S. supply chain relied on a sole domestic producer that represented a single point of failure. For the first criterion, postdisruption equilibrium quantities and prices for each mineral commodity were calculated based on their price elasticities of supply and demand and the availability of excess production capacity for each yearlong foreign trade disruption scenario. Subsequently, a nonlinear optimization routine was used with detailed economic input-output tables to estimate the potential economic effects on the U.S. economy of over 1,200 scenarios for 84 mineral commodities. After accounting for the probability of each scenario’s occurrence, the overall results are presented in terms of changes in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by individual industry and the economy overall. The results, which ranged from a net decrease in U.S. GDP of nearly $4.5 billion to a net increase of $33 million, largely reflect U.S. import dependency and world production concentration. Using the Jenks natural breaks optimization method, a statistical classification technique, we categorized the mineral commodities into several classes based on this overall risk quantification. Mineral commodities with annualized probability-weighted net decreases in U.S. GDP greater than $2 million were recommended for inclusion on the LCM. If a mineral commodity did not meet the threshold for inclusion on the LCM under the first criterion, its domestic supply chain was examined under the second criterion, which recommended a mineral commodity for inclusion on the LCM if there was only a single domestic producer. Ultimately, the two criteria resulted in the recommendation of the addition of six mineral commodities (in descending risk order, potash, silicon, copper, silver, rhenium, and lead) to and the removal of two mineral commodities (arsenic and tellurium) from the LCM. By using an economic effects assessment, the results of this analysis provide a prioritization that can also be compared directly against other risk analyses and the cost of various risk mitigation strategies.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251047","usgsCitation":"Nassar, N.T., Pineault, D., Allen, S.M., McCaffrey, D.M., Padilla, A.J., Brainard, J.L., Bayani, M., Shojaeddini, E., Ryter, J.W., Lincoln, S., and Alonso, E., 2025, Methodology and technical input for the 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals— Assessing the potential effects of mineral commodity supply chain disruptions on the U.S. economy (ver. 2.0, 2026): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1047, 215 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251047.","productDescription":"Report: vi, 215 p.; Data Release","numberOfPages":"215","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-180772","costCenters":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":494012,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1047/ofr20251047.pdf","text":"Report","size":"3.17 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1047 PDF"},{"id":494011,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1047/coverthb3.jpg"},{"id":494013,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251047/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1047 HTML"},{"id":494014,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1047/ofr20251047.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2025-1047 XML"},{"id":494015,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1047/images/"},{"id":499034,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_118752.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":502425,"rank":8,"type":{"id":25,"text":"Version History"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1047/versionHist.txt","size":"3.01 KB","linkFileType":{"id":2,"text":"txt"}},{"id":494403,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P14BRF29","text":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook data for select mineral commodities referenced in “U.S. Geological Survey Methodology and Technical Input for the 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals—Assessing the Potential Effects of Mineral Commodity Supply Chain Disruptions on the U.S. Economy”"}],"edition":"Version 1.0: August 2025; Version 2.0: April 2026","contact":"Director, National Minerals Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
988 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov
","tableOfContents":"To quantify the risks associated with potential disruptions and to recommend mineral commodities for inclusion on the updated U.S. List of Critical Minerals, as required by the Energy Act of 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey developed an economic model to estimate the potential effects of foreign trade disruptions of mineral commodities on the U.S. economy. The results of the study recommend the addition of six mineral commodities (in descending risk order, potash, silicon, copper, silver, rhenium, and lead) to and the removal of two mineral commodities (arsenic and tellurium) from the List of Critical Minerals. The analysis also provides a prioritization based on the results. The economic model has several advantages over previous assessments including the ability to directly compare the results against other economic risks and the costs of initiatives aimed at reducing the risks.
","publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationStatus":"PW","contributors":{"authors":[{"text":"Nassar, Nedal T. 0000-0001-8758-9732 nnassar@usgs.gov","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8758-9732","contributorId":197864,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Nassar","given":"Nedal","email":"nnassar@usgs.gov","middleInitial":"T.","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945905,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":1},{"text":"Pineault, David 0009-0001-6801-4711","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6801-4711","contributorId":352217,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Pineault","given":"David","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945906,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":2},{"text":"Allen, Sydney M. 0000-0001-6560-3548","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6560-3548","contributorId":359608,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Allen","given":"Sydney","middleInitial":"M.","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945907,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":3},{"text":"McCaffrey, Dalton M. 0000-0002-2539-4865","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2539-4865","contributorId":298840,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"McCaffrey","given":"Dalton","middleInitial":"M.","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945908,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":4},{"text":"Padilla, Abraham J. 0000-0002-8371-533X","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8371-533X","contributorId":290608,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Padilla","given":"Abraham","email":"","middleInitial":"J.","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945909,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":5},{"text":"Brainard, Jamie L. 0000-0002-1712-0821","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1712-0821","contributorId":201465,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Brainard","given":"Jamie","middleInitial":"L.","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945910,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":6},{"text":"Bayani, Mani 0000-0003-4730-3140","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4730-3140","contributorId":359609,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Bayani","given":"Mani","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945911,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":7},{"text":"Shojaeddini, Ensieh 0000-0001-9584-6399","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9584-6399","contributorId":346849,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Shojaeddini","given":"Ensieh","email":"","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945912,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":8},{"text":"Ryter, John W. 0000-0002-0343-7553","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0343-7553","contributorId":345416,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Ryter","given":"John","middleInitial":"W.","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945913,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":9},{"text":"Lincoln, Sara 0000-0002-0162-3563","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0162-3563","contributorId":359610,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Lincoln","given":"Sara","affiliations":[{"id":85881,"text":"Contractor to the U.S. Geological Survey","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":945914,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":10},{"text":"Alonso, Elisa 0000-0002-0090-8284","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0090-8284","contributorId":223015,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Alonso","given":"Elisa","email":"","affiliations":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":945915,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":11}]}} ,{"id":70270766,"text":"ofr20251038 - 2025 - Python Hyperspectral Analysis Tool (PyHAT) user guide","interactions":[],"lastModifiedDate":"2026-02-03T15:13:26.159322","indexId":"ofr20251038","displayToPublicDate":"2025-08-22T14:59:30","publicationYear":"2025","noYear":false,"publicationType":{"id":18,"text":"Report"},"publicationSubtype":{"id":5,"text":"USGS Numbered Series"},"seriesTitle":{"id":330,"text":"Open-File Report","code":"OFR","onlineIssn":"2331-1258","printIssn":"0196-1497","active":true,"publicationSubtype":{"id":5}},"seriesNumber":"2025-1038","displayTitle":"Python Hyperspectral Analysis Tool (PyHAT) User Guide","title":"Python Hyperspectral Analysis Tool (PyHAT) user guide","docAbstract":"This report is a user guide for the 0.1.2 release of the Python Hyperspectral Analysis Tool (PyHAT) and its graphical user interface (GUI). 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U.S. Geological Survey
2255 N. Gemini Dr.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is using collaborative, interdisciplinary planning to develop data and tools needed to optimize the management of water resources and land use by resource management agencies during an ongoing, multidecadal drought in the Colorado River Basin. The USGS Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology team works to build relationships with resource management agencies and other stakeholders who can benefit from the use of USGS data and products. In 2023, the Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology team hosted a series of collaborative workshops to bring together representatives of resource management agencies and other stakeholders (any person or entity with interests in a resource or location) with USGS program managers, scientists, and multidisciplinary subject matter experts to codevelop concepts for interdisciplinary drought science and technology projects to address pressing needs related to drought in the Colorado River Basin. Workshop participants identified current and recent scientific data that could be shared through a centralized online data portal. Workshop participants also identified drought science and technology needs and developed project concepts to address those science needs. Participants categorized project concepts based on their potential to develop short-, mid-, and long-term drought science data and tools, provide for the spatial or temporal expansion of ongoing USGS science projects, and address high-priority science needs. Participants developed nine project concepts: (1) understanding shifting ecohydrologic baselines, (2) San Juan River Basin synthesis, (3) incorporating dynamic land cover into hydrologic models, (4) aridification compared to drought, (5) surface water-groundwater interactions, (6) cascading effects of drought on dust, (7) cascading effects of drought on water availability, (8) cascading effects of drought on socioeconomic factors, and (9) the value of water in the Colorado River Basin. This report provides an overview of the 2023 Codesign Workshop Series, synthesized outcomes from workshop materials and discussions, and science project concepts that emerged from the collaborative meetings that will continue to be refined into science project proposals through codevelopment processes. This report also highlights lessons learned and next steps needed to receive feedback and testing of the USGS Science Collaboration Portal, continue collaboration to develop detailed specifics and steps for short-term wins, develop interdisciplinary project proposals, and implement science planning and studies.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251041","usgsCitation":"Anderson, P.J., Godaire, J.E., Jones, D.K., Andrews, W.J., Torregrosa, A.A., Bell, M.T., Holloway, J.M., Blakowski, M.A., Hevesi, J.A., and Qi, S.L., 2025, Collaborative drought science planning in the Colorado River Basin: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1041, 32 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251041.","productDescription":"vi, 32 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-165607","costCenters":[{"id":291,"text":"Fort Collins Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":494357,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1041/ofr20251041.xml"},{"id":494378,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251041/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1041"},{"id":494325,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1041/ofr20251041.pdf","text":"Report","size":"9.41 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1041"},{"id":494356,"rank":3,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1041/images"},{"id":494324,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1041/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"Mexico, United States","state":"Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming","otherGeospatial":"Colorado River basin","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -106.23441985470737,\n 42.42360949558767\n ],\n [\n -110.0074572875208,\n 42.9273485741041\n ],\n [\n -110.88201818257588,\n 40.83215412591818\n ],\n [\n -112.09041488325958,\n 37.81270064609009\n ],\n [\n -113.86864235906498,\n 37.77076755792572\n ],\n [\n -113.94586057217214,\n 38.21912009189296\n ],\n [\n -115.10119317735365,\n 39.08121928179544\n ],\n [\n -115.47544949784407,\n 35.429353160164375\n ],\n [\n -115.29249888241867,\n 31.986896837542588\n ],\n [\n -110.42076682180414,\n 30.172954165166573\n ],\n [\n -108.95437388160886,\n 30.991312421045535\n ],\n [\n -108.56364522256465,\n 31.857948821439074\n ],\n [\n -107.84802514114666,\n 32.26017852956302\n ],\n [\n -107.22575341999277,\n 34.155285973008596\n ],\n [\n -107.68523996280838,\n 35.482296714195456\n ],\n [\n -106.46728549757393,\n 37.071939542790304\n ],\n [\n -105.6885671199549,\n 39.88037502712785\n ],\n [\n -106.23441985470737,\n 42.42360949558767\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Fort Collins Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. C
Fort Collins, CO 80526-8118
Aeromagnetic and gravity surveys of the Skaergaard intrusion in East Greenland were carried out in July–August 1971 as part of a grant to the University of Oregon Center for Volcanology to refine the models of crystallization and differentiation of the intrusion, specifically to test whether the intrusion is underlain by dense rocks of a reservoir 20 kilometers (km) thick (referred to as a “hidden zone”). The Skaergaard intrusion is a source of platinum group elements that are critical mineral resources for many technologies, and because no new data have been collected these legacy datasets remain a valuable asset. The total-intensity aeromagnetic survey was flown in early July 1971 with a proton precession magnetometer at a constant barometric altitude of 1.5 km (5,000 feet) with a nominal line spacing of 1 km. Two gravimeters were used to acquire 168 stations of which 86 were at known altitudes (mainly sea level) and 82 had altitudes measured by altimetry in late July–August 1971. Finally, a north-south ground vertical-intensity magnetic traverse was completed across the intrusion together with collection of oriented hand specimens. The hand specimens were measured for remnant magnetization and density, along with density measurements of more specimens collected by expedition geologists for other purposes.
The intrusion is composed of layered gabbro with extensive crystal fractionation that is dense and strongly reversely polarized. After terrain correction and standard Bouguer gravity reduction, the gravity anomaly dataset was corrected for all rock above sea level using the density measurements of the various zones of the intrusion and the topographic and geologic maps (variable density Bouguer gravity reduction).
A large regional gradient in the gravity anomaly data was removed using orthogonal polynomial fitting to the gridded data. The zonal volumes of rock below sea level were calculated from the dipping polygonal layer gravity model of the intrusion below sea level and combined with elliptic cross–section cylinders for the various zones above sea level to approximate the original zonal volumes of the intrusion. The residual gravity anomaly of 18–20 milligals (mGal) was only about half of the expected anomaly if a large hidden zone proposed from petrologic considerations were present, and both two-dimensional and three-dimensional models imply that the exposed series of intrusion zones explain the gravity anomaly by their down-dip extension below sea level together with a small hidden-zone volume. A three-dimensional model of the exposed rocks and their down-dip extension below sea level also can account for the aeromagnetic anomaly with little or no requirement for hidden-zone rock. The middle and upper zone units of the intrusion contain the most magnetite and account for most of the aeromagnetic anomaly.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251030","programNote":"Mineral Resources Program","usgsCitation":"Gettings, M.E., 2025, Gravity and magnetic surveys of the Skaergaard intrusion, East Greenland: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1030, 43 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251030.","productDescription":"Report: ix, 43 p.; Data Release","numberOfPages":"43","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-126792","costCenters":[{"id":312,"text":"Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":494352,"rank":6,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P91OVG7G","text":"USGS data release","description":"Gettings, M.E., and Parks, H.L., 2025, Aeromagnetic and gravity surveys of the Skaergaard intrusion in East Greenland, 1971: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P91OVG7G.","linkHelpText":"Aeromagnetic and gravity surveys of the Skaergaard intrusion in East Greenland, 1971"},{"id":494347,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1030/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":494348,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1030/ofr20251030.pdf","text":"Report","size":"6.7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1030 PDF"},{"id":494349,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251030/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1030 HTML"},{"id":494350,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1030/ofr20251030.XML","description":"OFR 2025-1030 XML"},{"id":494351,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1030/images"}],"country":"Greenland","otherGeospatial":"Skaergaard intrusion","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -32.1667,\n 68.3\n ],\n [\n -32.1677,\n 68\n ],\n [\n -31.1667,\n 68\n ],\n [\n -31.1667,\n 68.3\n ],\n [\n -32.1667,\n 68.3\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Building 19, 350 N. Akron Rd.
P.O. Box 158
Moffett Field, CA 94035
In 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published Circular 1490 titled, “Integrated Science for the Study of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment: A Strategic Science Vision for the U.S. Geological Survey” (Tokranov and others, 2021). Circular 1490 was created to be a resource for USGS scientists prioritizing and planning research related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and to be a guide for developing partnerships with other scientists, State and Federal agencies, and stakeholders engaged in PFAS research and management and mitigation of the environmental and human-health effects of PFAS. This USGS PFAS Strategic Science Vision document was intended to be the foundation for a “living strategic vision,” periodically providing updates on the state of USGS PFAS research, emerging PFAS data gaps and needs, and progress on interagency and stakeholder PFAS partnerships and priorities. To meet this objective, the USGS planned to host an Interagency and Stakeholder PFAS Workshop every 2–3 years.
During September 10–12, 2024, the USGS hosted the first Interagency and Stakeholder PFAS Workshop in Reston, Virginia. The Workshop brought together experts from other Federal agencies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense [Air Force, Army]), State agencies (Washington Fish and Wildlife, Virginia Department of Transportation), and academia (Harvard University, University of Maryland) to address key challenges relating to the measurement and modeling of PFAS and the implications for environmental health. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions centered around six pivotal topics related to PFAS: (1) sampling protocols, methods and interpretation; (2) environmental sources, source apportionment, and occurrence; (3) environmental fate and transport; (4) human and wildlife exposure routes and risk; (5) bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification; and (6) ecotoxicology and effects. Each topic had three breakout sessions.
A recurrent theme of workshop discussions was how data on a nationwide scale for PFAS occurrence in various environmental matrices, including air, water, food crops, biota, soil, and streambed sediment could help to advance scientific understanding. Participants noted significant geospatial data gaps, particularly in the midwestern and southern United States and the Pacific Northwest. PFAS data collection tends to be more robust along the eastern seaboard and in California.
Participants stressed how enhancing the integration of large and small datasets across various agencies could help to support national scale understanding of PFAS. To address these gaps, attendees suggested leveraging datasets from Federal entities like the USGS and the U.S. Department of Defense, State agencies, and municipal utility services to develop predictive contaminant detection and transport models. Improved coordination between water quality programs and USGS research could help to facilitate access to valuable data, leading to comprehensive databases that inform PFAS point (wastewater treatment plants and landfills) and nonpoint (runoff from land, atmospheric deposition, food packaging) sources, environmental transport mechanisms, environmental detection and concentrations, potential exposure routes, and health effects on different biota, including humans. A specific request was made to develop a map demarking the depth of modern (1953 or later) groundwater, which is susceptible to surface-derived anthropogenic (that is, human-made) contamination, based on tritium-age dating. Emphasis was placed on incorporation of hydrology, groundwater flow paths, groundwater–surface water interactions, and landscape factors in predictive statistical models as a step to improve contaminant source identification and tracking.
Molecular fingerprinting approaches garnered attention as techniques to link specific PFAS mixtures detected in a sample to environmental sources and levels in biota (Dávila-Santiago and others, 2022). Integrating data from abiotic (that is, water, soil, and air) and biotic (that is, living organisms) systems identified as a research opportunity. For example, understanding the composition of soils and sediments, which include a mixture of mineral, plant, and animal components, could advance understanding of exposure pathways.
The discussions highlighted opportunities to explore and understand the potential redistribution and biotic exposures of PFAS from biosolid and wastewater treatment plant effluent land application practices, in addition to atmospheric releases and discharges from landfill and wastewater treatment plants. Participants identified research gaps surrounding how these sources may contribute to contamination and may affect surrounding ecosystems, including a better definition of anthropogenic background concentrations.
Moving forward, the collection of co-occurrence data was noted as a means to improve understanding of complex mixtures and to leverage companion modeling efforts focused on areas with high and low contamination levels to identify areas of concern and unaffected resources. Participants emphasized how centralized USGS databases and the establishment of sample-metadata archives can help to ensure that samples are preserved and accessible for future research.
In conclusion, the workshop participants identified opportunities to bridge data gaps and improve measurement techniques, modeling frameworks, databases, and communication, to enhance the understanding of PFAS and their effects on environmental and human health. Upon completion of the workshop, participants indicated an interest in developing strategic data collection, modeling, and analytical approaches to address these challenges.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251044","programNote":"Environmental Health Program","usgsCitation":"Iwanowicz, D.D., Beisner, K.R., Bradley, P.M., Bright, P.R., Brown, J.B., Churchill, C.J., Gordon, S.E., Karouna, N.K., Kolpin, D.W., Lambert, R.B., Pulster, E.L., Shively, R.S., Smalling, K., Steevens, J.A., and Tokranov, A.K., 2025, Insights and strategic opportunities from the USGS 2024 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Interagency Workshop—Addendum I of Circular 1490: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1044, 10 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251044.","productDescription":"iii, 10 p.","numberOfPages":"10","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-177608","costCenters":[{"id":506,"text":"Office of the AD Ecosystems","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":493438,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1044/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":493439,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1044/ofr20251044.pdf","text":"Report","size":"2.64 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1044 PDF"},{"id":493440,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251044/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1044 HTML"},{"id":493442,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1044/images/"},{"id":493441,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1044/ofr20251044.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2025-1044 XML"}],"contact":"Director, Ecosystems Mission Area
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, Virginia 20192
The Obed River is the last undammed river in Tennessee. The Obed Wild and Scenic River is managed by the National Park Service and covers a protected area of the Obed River headwaters (including four contributing tributaries). The Obed Wild and Scenic River supports a unique ecosystem with eight federally listed species. The National Park Service is responsible for preserving the baseline free-flowing condition of the river and associated outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs). Previous studies have been mostly project-based with differing methods, thus complicating efforts to quantify long-term changes in environmental conditions. This report presents a science plan summarizing (1) ORV conditions, (2) recent results of a decision-support hydrologic model for OBRI, and (3) possible future research priorities. The decision-support model was created to model streamflow conditions and changes in the ORVs since park establishment in 1976 and during three additional time periods. Established baseline conditions could help with management of ORVs not dependent on streamflow.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251035","issn":"2331-1258","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service","programNote":"Water Availability and Use Science Program","usgsCitation":"Crowley-Ornelas, E.R., Schapansky, R., Blount, T., and Nicholas, N.S., 2025, Decision-support modeling and research priorities for establishing baseline conditions for outstandingly remarkable values, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Tennessee: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1035, 18 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251035.","productDescription":"viii, 18 p.","numberOfPages":"30","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-160489","costCenters":[{"id":24708,"text":"Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":493199,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251035/full","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1035 HTML"},{"id":493198,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1035/ofr20251035.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2025-1035 XML"},{"id":493197,"rank":3,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1035/ofr20251035.pdf","size":"1.35 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1035"},{"id":493200,"rank":2,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1035/images"},{"id":493196,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1035/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"Tennessee","otherGeospatial":"Obed Wild and Scenic River","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -84.95125744767695,\n 36.150994941624745\n ],\n [\n -84.95125744767695,\n 36.049079144332424\n ],\n [\n -84.64800767968804,\n 36.049079144332424\n ],\n [\n -84.64800767968804,\n 36.150994941624745\n ],\n [\n -84.95125744767695,\n 36.150994941624745\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
640 Grassmere Park, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37211
Contact Us- USGS Publications Warehouse
","tableOfContents":"This study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides estimates of the change in sand storage in bed sediments from the 1980s to 2010s in the San Francisco Bay area, California. The study is part of a larger project called “Research to Understand Impacts of Bay Sand Mining on Sand Transport in San Francisco Bay and the Outer Coast” that has the goal of providing information for the California Coastal Conservancy to inform decision making regarding sand mining activities. Information from this study will contribute to the sand budget for the San Francisco Bay system by accounting for sand made available by erosion of bay sediment and sequestered by deposition in the bay.
Sediment budgets for estuaries typically account for change in sediment storage in the bed without discriminating for sediment size. However, the physics of mud and sand erosion, deposition, and transport differ. Sediment budgets that treat mud and sand separately give a more complete understanding of the system, including how human activities related to sediment size, such as sand mining, affect the system. We used bathymetric change analysis in combination with a three-dimensional model to generate estimates of net change in sand storage within the San Francisco Bay floor. We document sediment volume change from a 1980s bathymetric surface to a 2010s bathymetric surface, in combination with information on the sand content of the bed sediment derived from sediment cores and surface samples from six different sediment studies, to estimate the net change in sand volume in the bed of San Francisco Bay. This analysis includes areas heavily affected by human activities (such as sand mining, dredging, and sediment disposal) as well as regions more representative of natural transport processes.
Overall, the sediment bed of San Francisco Bay is losing sand. Across the total area surveyed in San Francisco Bay, including areas affected by natural processes, oyster shell beds, and human activities, a net loss of about 17 million cubic meters (Mm3) of sand from the sediment bed occurred from the 1980s to 2010s, at a rate of about 0.8 Mm3 per year. For the period of this study, sand loss from bed level changes in permitted sand-lease mining areas (about 11 Mm3) accounts for about two-thirds of the total sand loss throughout the study area. It is important to consider potential uncertainty bounds when interpreting these findings. A key part of the report is an assessment of the uncertainties in our estimates of sand volumes. We estimate that variability in modeled sand content values of Bay floor sediments could result in an uncertainty of approximately 25 percent of the net sand volume change. Even larger uncertainty amounts may be associated with uncertainty in the systematic errors in the bathymetric surveys. Further refining estimates of uncertainty in bathymetric change is important in guiding the use of this study. The results presented here can fill a critical gap that may enable the creation of the first comprehensive sand budget of San Francisco Bay.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251022","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the San Francisco Estuary Institute","usgsCitation":"Fregoso, T.A., Jaffe, B.E., Foxgrover, A.C., Woodrow, D.L., Kharrazi, B., and Orzech, K., 2025, Contributions of erosion, deposition, and human activities to a change in sand storage in the bed of San Francisco Bay, California, 1980s to 2010s: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1022, 30 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251022.","productDescription":"Report: vii, 30 p.; 4 Data Releases","numberOfPages":"30","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-154253","costCenters":[{"id":520,"text":"Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":492954,"rank":9,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/F7XG9PB0","text":"USGS data release","description":"Woodrow, D.L., Chin, J.L., Wong, F.L., Fregoso, T.A., Jaffe, B.E., 2017, Gravity cores from San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait, San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7XG9PB0.","linkHelpText":"Gravity cores from San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait, San Francisco Bay, California"},{"id":492953,"rank":8,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P9BDEB3K","text":"USGS data release","description":"Takesue, R.K., McGann, M.L., Lorenson, T.D., and Watt, J.T., 2021, Geophysical properties, geochronologic, and geochemical data of sediment cores collected from San Pablo Bay, California, October 17–20, 2016: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9BDEB3K.","linkHelpText":"Geophysical properties, geochronologic, and geochemical data of sediment cores collected from San Pablo Bay, California, October 17–20, 2016"},{"id":492950,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image 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The use of wetlands to support native fish research and conservation efforts in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California is a growing priority. The purpose of our study was to examine the physiochemical and biological characteristics of select managed ponds in the Delta to determine if they would be suitable habitats for research involving the conservation of delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). We studied 10 managed ponds distributed across the central part of the Delta situated on Bacon Island and Bouldin Island in San Joaquin County, and Holland Tract and Webb Tract islands in Contra Costa County. The managed ponds had a diversity of physical habitat configurations and were not directly connected to waterways surrounding the islands and, therefore, not affected by tides. We studied the managed ponds from approximately November 2021 to December 2023 to assess water quality, zooplankton, fish, and pesticide metrics. Water levels in the managed ponds were managed to varying degrees and were mostly independent of climate-driven wet-dry seasonality. Water quality conditions varied among ponds and were independent of geographic location. Overall, mean monthly chlorophyll a concentration ranged from 15 to 57 (mean=30) micrograms per liter (μg/L), dissolved oxygen concentration ranged from 4 to 9 (mean=7) milligrams per liter (mg/L), pH was 8, salinity was 1 practical salinity units (PSU), specific conductance ranged from 1,202 to 1,839 (mean=1,471) microsiemens per centimeter (μS/cm), and turbidity ranged from 13 to 24 (mean=19) Formazin Nephelometric Units (FNU). Water temperature thresholds that contribute to stress (21 degrees Celsius [°C]) and mortality (28 °C) of delta smelt were often exceeded during summer and fall, though vertical stratification contributed to lower bottom temperatures in the deepest managed ponds, which could potentially provide thermal refugia for delta smelt so long as dissolved oxygen concentrations are suitable. Zooplankton populations were broadly similar among managed ponds and included calanoid and cyclopoid copepods that would be suitable prey for delta smelt. Overall average total zooplankton biomass, as measured with a Schindler-Patalas trap, was 0.6 μg/L (min=0, max=63.6) and peaked during spring at more than 4 μg/L. Fish populations highly varied among the managed ponds with potential predators of delta smelt such as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) present in several of the managed ponds; predator distribution among ponds seemed to have been driven primarily by deliberate stocking to facilitate local fisheries. Measured pesticide concentrations were below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Aquatic Life Benchmarks except for exceedances of three compounds (diuron [herbicide], clothianidin [insecticide], and deltamethrin [pyrethroid insecticide]) in samples collected from ponds on Bouldin Island and Webb Tract. Overall, most managed ponds seemed suitable to support delta smelt, though physical control of potential predators and summer temperature might be needed. The results provide guidance on how to engineer and manage new managed ponds to support research and conservation efforts for delta smelt and other native fishes.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251040","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with Metropolitan Water District and State Water Contractors","usgsCitation":"Feyrer, F.V., Acuña, S., Buxton, J.M., Enos, E.R., Hladik, M.L., Orlando, J., and Young, M.J., 2025, Environmental characteristics of select managed ponds in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta—Implications\nfor native fish conservation and research: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1040, 35 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251040.","productDescription":"Report: viii, 35 p.; Data Release","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-168544","costCenters":[{"id":154,"text":"California Water Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":492747,"rank":6,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1040/ofr20251040.XML"},{"id":492746,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1040/images"},{"id":492745,"rank":4,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P97GLG5I","text":"USGS data release","description":"USGS data release","linkHelpText":"Water quality and biological data from ponds on islands of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta"},{"id":492744,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251040/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1040"},{"id":492743,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1040/ofr20251040.pdf","text":"Report","size":"2.7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1040"},{"id":492742,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1040/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"California","county":"Contra Costa County, San Joaquin County","otherGeospatial":"Bacon Island, Bouldin Island, Holland Tract Island, Webb Tract Island","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -121.6667,\n 38.133333\n ],\n [\n -121.6667,\n 37.933333\n ],\n [\n -121.45,\n 37.933333\n ],\n [\n -121.45,\n 38.133333\n ],\n [\n -121.6667,\n 38.133333\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, California Water Science Center
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Invasive carps, specifically silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (H. nobilis), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), have proliferated in the Mississippi River Basin owing to escapes from aquaculture facilities and intentional releases. In the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 Sec. 509, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with the Tennessee Valley Authority and other relevant agencies with deterrent projects to implement as many as 10 deterrent projects intended to manage and prevent the spread of invasive carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland River subbasins. The WRDA was amended in 2022 to include that at least one location must be situated on the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway. This report documents a structured decision-making process that engaged State and Federal agencies to evaluate alternative deterrent site sequences at specified lock and dam complexes on the Tennessee River, Cumberland River, and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway. State and Federal agencies participated in a series of virtual and face-to-face meetings to structure the problem, expand the models used in previous decision analyses for the Tennessee River, and define management objectives. Potential deterrent sites were restricted to the downstream locations on the Tennessee River (n=3), Cumberland River (n=2), and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (n=10). Only considering 15 sites allowed all feasible deterrent site combinations and sequences to be evaluated. Invasive carp relative abundance was projected for the Tennessee River, Cumberland River, and Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway management units for 20 years using a simulation model. The deterrent site sequences were ranked based on the system-level invasive carp relative abundance and distribution in year 20. The unique downstream expansion of invasive carp through the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway was important to the interest group, but downstream movement rates were unknown; therefore, several downstream movement rates were evaluated, and the outcomes were used to rank deterrent site sequences. Additionally, the analysis incorporated two scenarios involving the retention and removal of an experimental deterrent at Barkley Lock on the Cumberland River. The results of the deterrent site sequences varied among downstream movement rates, with Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway deterrent locations installed earlier in highly ranked sequences with increasing downstream movement rates. This analysis was time-limited owing to agency needs and represents Phase 1 of this project. Phase 2 expands Phase 1 to address additional uncertainties and more holistic management objectives and strategies.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251039","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service","usgsCitation":"Colvin, M.E., Aldridge, C.A., Jackson, N., and Post van der Burg, M., 2025, Evaluating deterrent locations and sequence in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway to minimize invasive carp occupancy and abundance: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1039, 27 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251039.","productDescription":"vii, 27 p.","numberOfPages":"40","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-171324","costCenters":[{"id":192,"text":"Columbia Environmental Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true},{"id":480,"text":"Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":492704,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251039/full"},{"id":492703,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1039/images/"},{"id":492702,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1039/ofr20251039.XML"},{"id":492701,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1039/ofr20251039.pdf","text":"Report","size":"4.1 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2-25–1039"},{"id":492700,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1039/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia","otherGeospatial":"Cumberland River, Tennessee River, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -88.25835232816404,\n 30.40221322680152\n ],\n [\n -87.74112738454285,\n 30.53409733966683\n ],\n [\n -86.28197353514268,\n 33.17664867905761\n ],\n [\n -84.58539276715948,\n 35.11174136013369\n ],\n [\n -84.00529754650283,\n 34.7785832881593\n ],\n [\n -83.35182994181118,\n 34.28883621944685\n ],\n [\n -83.19236665540257,\n 35.041055997522406\n ],\n [\n -80.2096850872316,\n 36.78640735388454\n ],\n [\n -80.86738805566942,\n 37.257953522126016\n ],\n [\n -82.13281736640333,\n 37.06950836241309\n ],\n [\n -83.02442148961904,\n 37.262219027957244\n ],\n [\n -83.54138832596139,\n 37.46692711167633\n ],\n [\n -84.33015340933808,\n 37.60749767579556\n ],\n [\n -85.06533697843895,\n 37.036511430167636\n ],\n [\n -85.5677502361562,\n 36.45362253430034\n ],\n [\n -85.87920757818353,\n 36.383379347391596\n ],\n [\n -86.6325463621631,\n 37.379506944709526\n ],\n [\n -87.72434869310914,\n 37.50907115621132\n ],\n [\n -88.41107734207077,\n 37.2244083095801\n ],\n [\n -88.42057356609506,\n 37.02794489656113\n ],\n [\n -89.00288659023786,\n 37.183779269350126\n ],\n [\n -88.75606773049479,\n 35.10788131292719\n ],\n [\n -89.05545157713219,\n 34.33758222980704\n ],\n [\n -88.86237269918561,\n 33.56728314668689\n ],\n [\n -88.61821473605681,\n 32.488997215417314\n ],\n [\n -88.31062051861113,\n 31.90405945387107\n ],\n [\n -88.25835232816404,\n 30.40221322680152\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Columbia Environmental Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
4200 New Haven Road
Columbia, MO 65201
Invasive silver carp are spreading upstream in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. This report details a collaborative effort among State and Federal agencies to evaluate potential sites for invasive carp deterrent projects along the Tennessee River, Cumberland River, and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway. The findings highlight that project implementation timing could significantly impact their success, especially with increasing downstream movement rates of invasive carp.
","publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationStatus":"PW","contributors":{"authors":[{"text":"Colvin, Michael E. 0000-0002-6581-4764","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6581-4764","contributorId":331490,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Colvin","given":"Michael","email":"","middleInitial":"E.","affiliations":[{"id":192,"text":"Columbia Environmental Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":943664,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":1},{"text":"Aldridge, Caleb A.","contributorId":358407,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Aldridge","given":"Caleb A.","affiliations":[{"id":6987,"text":"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Sevice","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":943665,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":2},{"text":"Jackson, Neal","contributorId":203382,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Jackson","given":"Neal","email":"","affiliations":[{"id":36188,"text":"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":943666,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":3},{"text":"Post van der Burg, Max 0000-0002-3943-4194","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3943-4194","contributorId":219400,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Post van der Burg","given":"Max","affiliations":[{"id":480,"text":"Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"preferred":true,"id":943667,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":4}]}} ,{"id":70268814,"text":"ofr20251034 - 2025 - Preparation and analysis methods for fish tissue collected from Lake Koocanusa, Montana","interactions":[],"lastModifiedDate":"2026-02-03T14:19:50.914046","indexId":"ofr20251034","displayToPublicDate":"2025-07-08T12:33:51","publicationYear":"2025","noYear":false,"publicationType":{"id":18,"text":"Report"},"publicationSubtype":{"id":5,"text":"USGS Numbered Series"},"seriesTitle":{"id":330,"text":"Open-File Report","code":"OFR","onlineIssn":"2331-1258","printIssn":"0196-1497","active":true,"publicationSubtype":{"id":5}},"seriesNumber":"2025-1034","displayTitle":"Preparation and Analysis Methods for Fish Tissue Collected from Lake Koocanusa, Montana","title":"Preparation and analysis methods for fish tissue collected from Lake Koocanusa, Montana","docAbstract":"Lake Koocanusa, a reservoir, receives mine wastes from metallurgical coal mines in the Elk River Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Selenium and other elements discharged by the mines into the waters of the United States can pose unknown risks to aquatic life. The U.S. Geological Survey Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center can collaborate with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and other State and Federal agencies to design studies and to collect fish tissues to help fill this knowledge gap. This report describes the processes, techniques, and methods used to collect and analyze fish tissue collected from Lake Koocanusa; and procedures used to review and manage data, including quality assurance and quality control procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center and supporting analytical laboratories. These fish tissue collections began in 2021.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251034","usgsCitation":"Schmidt, T.S., Bussell, A.M., Moloney, M.A., Dunnigan, J.L., Selch, T.M., Brandt, J.E., Stricker, C.A., Stewart, A.R., Kocen, V.A., Cleveland, D., Blazer, V.S., Janssen, S.E., Ogorek, J.M., Dunn, M., McBride, T.L., Adams, K.B., Colman, B.P., Young, M., and Christensen, J., 2025, Preparation and analysis methods for fish tissue collected from Lake Koocanusa, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1034, 16 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251034.","productDescription":"vii, 16 p.","numberOfPages":"28","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-153220","costCenters":[{"id":685,"text":"Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center","active":false,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":491708,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251034/full"},{"id":491707,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1034/images/"},{"id":491706,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1034/ofr20251034.XML"},{"id":491705,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1034/ofr20251034.pdf","text":"Report","size":"2.8 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025–1034"},{"id":491704,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1034/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"Montana","otherGeospatial":"Lake Koocanusa","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -117.29104936748958,\n 50.23265651730222\n ],\n [\n -117.29104936748958,\n 48.55695721902586\n ],\n [\n -114.96658880253837,\n 48.55695721902586\n ],\n [\n -114.96658880253837,\n 50.23265651730222\n ],\n [\n -117.29104936748958,\n 50.23265651730222\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
3162 Bozeman Avenue
Helena, MT 59601
The purpose of this Wake Atoll Vessel Movement Biosecurity Program Efficacy document is to provide the United States Air Force (USAF) with an unbiased review of the current (2015; hereafter referred to as the 2015 Biosecurity Plan) biosecurity plan for the military base Wake Island Airfield (WIA) on Wake Atoll (hereafter Wake). Periodic reviews are an integral step for evaluating plan efficacy and updating plans with new information for improving plan effectiveness. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acted as an external expert to provide the first unbiased assessment of the program and observe how it was being implemented. The USAF 2015 Wake Island Biosecurity Management Plan goes beyond sea vessel and container biosecurity; however, those aspects were not included in this evaluation.
We used several methods for a quality assurance evaluation of the 2015 sea vessel and shipping container biosecurity program specified in the Biosecurity Plan. Our evaluation included real-time observations in Hawai`i and at Wake. We surveyed cargo staging areas and empty shipping containers before supply shipment and the containers, barge, and marina at Wake after shipment. We used various detection tools and techniques (for example, visual encounter surveys, glue boards, chew cards, camera traps, and so on). We carried out an insect mortality experiment trial using one of the required shipping container biosecurity tools (dichlorvos impregnated pest strips). We also included a table-top review of documentation (largely the 2015 Biosecurity Plan) with respect to our observations to provide an assessment of how well the Biosecurity Plan protocols were carried out and how well they serve their intended purpose.
We observed biosecurity concerns in each focal area and stage of cargo handling (before and after barge movement) across all surveys of containers, flat racks, break bulk, warehouses, and dock areas. Using visual inspections, we recorded biosecurity concerns for every empty container we inspected before it was to be stuffed with cargo. Most containers had structural integrity issues (such as holes and damaged floorboards) and sanitation concerns, including live animals and plant matter or seeds. About one third of the containers had mold and a few had wet floorboards or standing water. We detected live animals on the break bulk, and flat racks were in poor condition. Next, we inspected cargo staging areas and noted extensive permeability of the building where cargo was staged for the 2018 resupply shipment and the building that had typically been used. We included the adjacent dock area used for staging break bulk, shipping containers and mooring the barge. We detected more than 5,000 individuals of 105 species. We also detected seeds in each location and scattered vegetation in the dock area, including growing in from the area outside separated by a chain link fence.
During surveys at Wake, we observed that 100 percent of the shipping containers, including all containers sent with required biosecurity tools, had live animals. The barge had only one unsecured snap trap for intercepting rodents aboard, we saw areas with fairly deep layers of dirt (or soil; we did not examine it to determine its properties), and there was plant matter with seed heads on the barge gangway that could easily be transported onto the barge. There was also only one snap trap station that was improperly placed on the dock. We also observed piled wood and vegetation nearby that could provide refuge to potential stowaway animals escaping.
Combined, surveys of the containers, staging areas, barges, and receiving area in Hawai`i and at Wake resulted in detection of more than 9,000 individuals of 131 animal species; nearly 4,000 individuals of 62 species were detected in surveys of containers once they had arrived at Wake. None of the species identified are known to be native to Wake. Our preliminary risk analysis of all species detected included eight species that we scored as high risk of potentially negative effects to biodiversity, infrastructure, or human health should they arrive at Wake and become established. Six of these species were only recorded using tools not clearly required by the Biosecurity Plan or being used to implement the plan.
We observed that the required biosecurity tools intended to intercept animals in the cargo staging area did not target the suite nor number of species present. Our analysis also indicated the required biosecurity tools intended to intercept animals in shipping containers were inadequate to handle the volume of organisms that were in the containers. The insect mortality trial experiment showed the pest strips were highly effective for only one of the three species tested, leaving uncertainty about how effective they are across the suite of potential species stowing away in cargo and containers.
Base Operating Support (BOS) did not carry out all Biosecurity Plan actions, but we also noted the document uses terminology such as “recommendation” as opposed to “requirement” which may lead contractors to consider those actions as optional. However, USAF provided evidence of BOS training and follow up; this included detailed identification of specific requirements for some of the biosecurity actions that we did not observe being carried out.
The 2015 Biosecurity Plan contains critical and useful components that seem to be well carried out. However, we also saw discrepancies, weaknesses, or both across methods and protocols currently used for Wake Atoll biosecurity. We observed shortcomings at each stage of our survey as well as in the plan as written, and we suggest general modifications to the Biosecurity Plan for consideration to potentially strengthen biosecurity overall.
Prevention is the most efficient and cost-effective biosecurity measure. Based on our findings, we see possible solutions to improve existing preventative biosecurity efforts and reduce potential incursion at Wake. These potential solutions include creating and implementing the following:
Management of invasive species enhances capability to protect human health and the environment as well as to advance mission accomplishment. Biosecurity plans are an integral component for addressing invasive species. Periodic evaluation of the efficacy of these plans is useful for identifying elements that are working well and for illuminating those that can be improved. Evaluations encourage consideration of new tools and adaptation of processes to achieve better outcomes and accommodate potential future threats more efficiently and more cost effectively.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251026","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force","programNote":"Ecosystems Mission Area—Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program","usgsCitation":"Hathaway, S.A., Molden, J.C., Peck, R., Rex, K.R., Brehme, C.S., Black, T., and Fisher, R.N., 2025, Wake Atoll vessel movement biosecurity program efficacy: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1026, 130 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251026","productDescription":"x, 130 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-155305","costCenters":[{"id":651,"text":"Western Ecological Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":491323,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1026/ofr20251026.pdf","text":"Report","size":"22.9 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1026"},{"id":491324,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251026/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1026"},{"id":491326,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1026/ofr20251026.XML"},{"id":491325,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1026/images"},{"id":491322,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1026/coverthb.jpg"}],"otherGeospatial":"Wake Atoll","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n 166.58609930546095,\n 19.335566334904826\n ],\n [\n 166.58609930546095,\n 19.259871066135005\n ],\n [\n 166.6712110656557,\n 19.259871066135005\n ],\n [\n 166.6712110656557,\n 19.335566334904826\n ],\n [\n 166.58609930546095,\n 19.335566334904826\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Western Ecological Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
3020 State University Drive East
Sacramento, California 95819
The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence Landsat Cal/Val Team continually monitors the geometric and radiometric performance of active Landsat missions and makes calibration adjustments, as needed, to maintain data quality at the highest level.
This report provides observed geometric and radiometric analysis results for Landsats 8 and 9 for quarter 4 (October–December) of 2024. All data used to compile the Cal/Val analysis results presented in this report are freely available from the U.S. Geological Survey EarthExplorer website: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251036","usgsCitation":"Haque, M.O., Hasan, M.N., Shrestha, A., Rengarajan, R., Lubke, M., Steinwand, D., Bresnahan, P., Shaw, J.L., Ruslander, K., Micijevic, E., Choate, M.J., Anderson, C., Clauson, J., Thome, K., Kaita, E., Levy, R., Miller, J., Ding, L., and Teixeira Pinto, C., 2025, ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report—Quarter 4, 2024: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1036, 56 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251036.","productDescription":"Report: viii, 56 p.; Dataset","numberOfPages":"68","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-175052","costCenters":[{"id":222,"text":"Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":491624,"rank":6,"type":{"id":28,"text":"Dataset"},"url":"https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/","text":"USGS database","linkHelpText":"- EarthExplorer"},{"id":491621,"rank":5,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251036/full"},{"id":491620,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1036/images/"},{"id":491619,"rank":3,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1036/ofr20251036.XML"},{"id":491618,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1036/ofr20251036.pdf","text":"Report","size":"5.2 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025–1036"},{"id":491617,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1036/coverthb.jpg"}],"contact":"Director, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
47914 252nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
Tungsten appears on the 2018 and 2022 U.S. Geological Survey critical mineral lists in part because of a very high global production concentration in China, which produces almost 83 percent of the world’s mined tungsten. Using known parameters and values from other tungsten mining operations, we created hypothetical scenarios in which three tungsten deposits in Uzbekistan are considered for development. Our results show that all three deposits are likely to be economically viable to develop under 2024 market conditions. If the three studied tungsten deposits were put into production, Uzbekistan could become the third-leading tungsten-producing country in the world and increase world output of tungsten by 2.7 percent. Putting these tungsten deposits in Uzbekistan into production could slightly reduce the tungsten global market concentration, therefore reducing the supply disruption potential for tungsten.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251032","usgsCitation":"Safirova, E., Golovko, Y., and Dulabova, N., 2025, Analysis of the potential effects of Uzbekistan’s mineral endowment on the critical mineral supply of tungsten: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 1032, 14 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251032.","productDescription":"v, 14 p.","numberOfPages":"14","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-169634","costCenters":[{"id":432,"text":"National Minerals Information Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":491157,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1032/images/"},{"id":491156,"rank":4,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1032/ofr20251032.XML","linkFileType":{"id":8,"text":"xml"},"description":"OFR 2025-1032 XML"},{"id":491155,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251032/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1032 HTML"},{"id":491154,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1032/ofr20251032.pdf","text":"Report","size":"840 KB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1032 PDF"},{"id":491153,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1032/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"Uzbekistan","geographicExtents":"{\"type\":\"FeatureCollection\",\"features\":[{\"type\":\"Feature\",\"geometry\":{\"type\":\"Polygon\",\"coordinates\":[[[66.51861,37.36278],[66.54615,37.97468],[65.216,38.4027],[64.17022,38.89241],[63.51801,39.36326],[62.37426,40.05389],[61.88271,41.08486],[61.54718,41.26637],[60.46595,41.22033],[60.08334,41.42515],[59.97642,42.22308],[58.62901,42.75155],[57.78653,42.17055],[56.93222,41.82603],[57.09639,41.32231],[55.96819,41.30864],[55.92892,44.99586],[58.50313,45.5868],[58.68999,45.50001],[60.23997,44.78404],[61.05832,44.40582],[62.0133,43.50448],[63.18579,43.65007],[64.90082,43.72808],[66.09801,42.99766],[66.02339,41.99465],[66.51065,41.98764],[66.71405,41.16844],[67.98586,41.13599],[68.2599,40.66232],[68.63248,40.66868],[69.07003,41.38424],[70.38896,42.08131],[70.96231,42.26615],[71.25925,42.16771],[70.42002,41.52],[71.15786,41.14359],[71.87011,41.3929],[73.05542,40.86603],[71.77488,40.14584],[71.0142,40.24437],[70.60141,40.21853],[70.45816,40.49649],[70.66662,40.96021],[69.32949,40.72782],[69.01163,40.08616],[68.53642,39.53345],[67.70143,39.58048],[67.44222,39.14014],[68.17603,38.90155],[68.39203,38.15703],[67.83,37.14499],[67.07578,37.35614],[66.51861,37.36278]]]},\"properties\":{\"name\":\"Uzbekistan\"}}]}","contact":"Director, National Minerals Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
988 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov
","tableOfContents":"Tungsten is a critical mineral used in many everyday products, from light bulbs to electronics and medical equipment. In 2024, China was the leading tungsten mining country, producing about 83 percent of all tungsten in the world. Uzbekistan has known tungsten deposits, so we investigated potential effects on the world supply of tungsten if three of those tungsten deposits were developed and produced tungsten and other minerals. Using market conditions from 2024 in our models, we determined that these tungsten deposits could be mined profitably. Our results suggest that if these deposits are developed, Uzbekistan could become the third-leading tungsten producer in the world, increasing global tungsten supply by 2.7 percent. Development of these tungsten deposits could help prevent possible shortages of tungsten.
","publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationStatus":"PW","contributors":{"authors":[{"text":"Safirova, Elena 0000-0001-7121-3917 esafirova@usgs.gov","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7121-3917","contributorId":182020,"corporation":false,"usgs":true,"family":"Safirova","given":"Elena","email":"esafirova@usgs.gov","affiliations":[],"preferred":true,"id":941085,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":1},{"text":"Golovko, Yelena","contributorId":357290,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Golovko","given":"Yelena","affiliations":[{"id":85400,"text":"Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of the Republic of Uzbekistan","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":941086,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":2},{"text":"Dulabova, Nafisa","contributorId":351211,"corporation":false,"usgs":false,"family":"Dulabova","given":"Nafisa","affiliations":[{"id":83936,"text":"Ministry of Mining, Industry, and Geology of the Rebublic of Uzbekistan","active":true,"usgs":false}],"preferred":false,"id":941087,"contributorType":{"id":1,"text":"Authors"},"rank":3}]}} ,{"id":70268444,"text":"ofr20251027 - 2025 - Grand Canyon River Alert System—Implementing an emergency alert system for wilderness recreation","interactions":[],"lastModifiedDate":"2025-06-26T15:27:39.55361","indexId":"ofr20251027","displayToPublicDate":"2025-06-25T09:50:06","publicationYear":"2025","noYear":false,"publicationType":{"id":18,"text":"Report"},"publicationSubtype":{"id":5,"text":"USGS Numbered Series"},"seriesTitle":{"id":330,"text":"Open-File Report","code":"OFR","onlineIssn":"2331-1258","printIssn":"0196-1497","active":true,"publicationSubtype":{"id":5}},"seriesNumber":"2025-1027","displayTitle":"Grand Canyon River Alert System—Implementing an Emergency Alert System for Wilderness Recreation","title":"Grand Canyon River Alert System—Implementing an emergency alert system for wilderness recreation","docAbstract":"The Grand Canyon River Alert System (GCRAS) provides government-issued emergency alerts to wilderness recreationalists in the Grand Canyon, who are often outside the bounds of cellular signal reception. GCRAS is a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center), National Weather Service, Coconino County Emergency Management, and National Park Service. Technological advances in satellite communications have improved satellite signal availability in remote areas and increased the reliability of satellite communications using personal devices such as commercially available satellite messaging devices. These advancements have presented an opportunity to create a novel emergency alert system designed primarily for backcountry visitors to provide improved communications for periods of increased risk and potentially dangerous situations in the backcountry. GCRAS is designed specifically for the distinctive needs of satellite messaging devices and features reduced character count messages, short-code signup capability, and the ability to unsubscribe at any time. After a positive test of the system in March 2024, the system went live to the public and has been used more than two dozen times in 2024 to inform boaters and hikers of hazards (such as debris flows and flash floods) in the Grand Canyon. Satellite signal availability and device response time varies based on location and service provider, but initial testing showed messages arriving within 2–10 minutes. Although GCRAS was developed specifically for the Grand Canyon, the GCRAS framework could be applied to other wilderness areas. It can be used by emergency management authorities, land-management agencies, search and rescue units, and those concerned with public safety to help increase communication with people visiting or living in areas that are outside the signal of more traditional emergency-notification methods, such as cellular, wireless emergency alerts, and sirens.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251027","usgsCitation":"Thomas, J.E., Gushue, T.M., Byerley, E., and Grams, P., 2025, Grand Canyon River Alert System—Implementing an emergency alert system for wilderness recreation: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1027, 9 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251027.","productDescription":"vi, 9 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-166852","costCenters":[{"id":568,"text":"Southwest Biological Science Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":491300,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1027/images"},{"id":491297,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1027/coverthb.jpg"},{"id":491301,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1027/ofr20251027.XML"},{"id":491299,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251027/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1027"},{"id":491298,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1027/ofr20251027.pdf","text":"Report","size":"24.9 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1027"}],"country":"United States","state":"Arizona","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -114.05083740896649,\n 36.823773492081415\n ],\n [\n -114.05083740896649,\n 35.58732870070932\n ],\n [\n -111.53233878502289,\n 35.58732870070932\n ],\n [\n -111.53233878502289,\n 36.823773492081415\n ],\n [\n -114.05083740896649,\n 36.823773492081415\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Southwest Biological Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
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The report focuses on the screening of previously published concentration data associated with 12 elements of concern (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, manganese, lead, selenium, uranium, and zinc) measured in stream surface waters of three hydrologic basins (Delaware River Basin, Illinois River Basin, and the Upper Colorado River Basin). The purpose of this analysis is to determine what subsets of the original dataset (containing more than 1,500,000 observations) may be most suitable for each of two types of modeling efforts. The first type of modeling envisions a machine learning approach to determine which geospatial attributes are most significant in describing the spatial distribution of elemental concentrations within a basin. The second type of modeling envisions a stepwise regression approach to develop multivariable models that can be used to determine high resolution time-series estimates of elemental concentrations or loads at discrete U.S. Geological Survey real-time stream surface water sites. These site-specific temporal models are based on continuous measurements of available discharge and (or) in situ sensor data (temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and (or) fluorescent dissolved organic matter) as the explanatory variables. The data screening for both model types considered historical trends in analytical methods and detection quantitation limits, the extent of censored data, data density, and environmental relevance with respect to three U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality thresholds (drinking water guidelines, human health criteria, and aquatic life criteria). The result of this analysis was the production of a final list of potential models deemed suitable for further development based upon the data exclusion (or inclusion) scheme developed herein for each model type. In both cases, the final models included mostly the three crustal elements (iron, manganese, and aluminum) that are found at comparatively high concentrations in surface water, whereas most of the more pernicious elements were excluded from the final model lists owing to various data limitations. The one exception to this was arsenic, for which the existing data were sufficient at three U.S. Geological Survey real-time sites for potential further development of time-series models.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251033","programNote":"Water Quality Program","usgsCitation":"Marvin-DiPasquale, M.C., McCleskey, R.B., Sullivan, S.L., Root, J.C., Seawolf, S.M., Ransom, K.M., Wherry, S.A., Kakouros, E., and Baesman, S., 2025, Select elements of concern in surface water of three hydrologic basins (Delaware River, Illinois River, and Upper Colorado River)—Data screening for the development of spatial and temporal models: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1033, 25 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251033.","productDescription":"Report: v, 25 p.; 2 Data Releases","numberOfPages":"25","onlineOnly":"Y","additionalOnlineFiles":"N","ipdsId":"IP-151463","costCenters":[{"id":37277,"text":"WMA - Earth System Processes 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Oregon Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
601 SW 2nd Ave, Suite 1950
Portland, OR 97204
The range of the endangered black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) is divided into the North Central California region, the Central California region, the Southern California Mainland region, the Channel Islands region, and the Baja California region by the National Marine Fisheries Service for management purposes. San Nicolas Island is one of eight subregions of the Channel Islands region. The black abalone recovery plan establishes five demographic criteria for the possible delisting or downlisting of the species. The U.S. Geological Survey monitors nine long-term intertidal black abalone sites at San Nicolas Island, California, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which owns the island. This report uses data collected between 2013 and 2022 and the delisting criteria to analyze and describe the density, recruitment, size structure, and population trends at the nine U.S. Geological Survey monitoring sites at San Nicolas Island.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251015","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Navy","programNote":"Ecosystems Mission Area—Land Management Research Program and Species Management Research Program","usgsCitation":"Kenner, M.C., and Yee, J.L., 2025, Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) population density, recruitment, size structure, and population growth at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California, 2013–22: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1015, 10 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251015.","productDescription":"vi, 10 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-174146","costCenters":[{"id":651,"text":"Western Ecological Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":490728,"rank":4,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251014","text":"Open-File Report 2025-1014","description":"OFR 2025-1014","linkHelpText":"- Black abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2022 annual report"},{"id":486255,"rank":6,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1015/ofr20251015.XML"},{"id":486254,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1015/images"},{"id":486253,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251015/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1015"},{"id":486252,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1015/ofr20251015.pdf","text":"Report","size":"1.5 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1015"},{"id":486251,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1015/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"California","otherGeospatial":"Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -119.41565036125932,\n 33.22855822061233\n ],\n [\n -119.4322978602211,\n 33.233849792002204\n ],\n [\n -119.46292925831023,\n 33.2600242059834\n ],\n [\n -119.53051810409356,\n 33.29036557133239\n ],\n [\n -119.58545485066676,\n 33.281459107969354\n ],\n [\n -119.57180390151814,\n 33.25000088849947\n ],\n [\n -119.54217135336674,\n 33.228836776039614\n ],\n [\n -119.47857790733391,\n 33.21379600415082\n ],\n [\n -119.45160895901617,\n 33.21379600415082\n ],\n [\n -119.41565036125932,\n 33.22855822061233\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Western Ecological Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
3020 State University Drive East
Sacramento, California 95819
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors a suite of intertidal black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) sites at San Nicolas Island, California, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which owns the island. The nine rocky intertidal sites were established in 1980 to study the potential effect of translocated southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) on the intertidal black abalone population at San Nicolas Island. The sites were monitored, typically annually or biennially, from 1981 to 1997. Monitoring resumed in 2001 and has been completed annually thereafter. Since 2018, the monitoring has been carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center. The study sites became particularly important from a management perspective after a virulent disease decimated black abalone populations throughout southern California beginning in the mid-1980s. The disease, withering syndrome, was first observed on San Nicolas Island in 1992, and during the next few years, withering syndrome reduced the black abalone population on San Nicolas Island by more than 99 percent. The black abalone was subsequently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2009.
The subject of this report is the 2022 survey of the sites and the status of the measured population of black abalone in comparison to long-term patterns (based on data collected since 1981) at San Nicolas Island. Between the years 2000 and 2022, the total monitored black abalone population on the island has grown from roughly 200 to more than 2,000, approximately a ten-fold increase following the disease-related decline. Since it was first consistently measured in 2005, the distance between adjacent black abalone has decreased substantially from approximately 50 centimeters to less than 15 centimeters, indicating that black abalone are sufficiently close together at several of the sites to reproduce successfully. The total black abalone count in 2022 was 2,156, which was 7.9 percent lower than the total count in 2020 but 6.6 percent higher than in 2021. There were increases and decreases among the sites and transects within each site in 2022, but six of the nine sites had higher counts than in the previous year. The 2022 count is one of the highest since 1993, second only to the 2020 count. In 2022, the annual recruitment rate, defined as the percentage of measured black abalone with a shell length of 3 centimeters or less, was the second highest recorded, only slightly less than in 2017.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251014","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Navy","programNote":"Ecosystems Mission Area—Land Management Research Program and Species Management Research Program","usgsCitation":"Kenner, M.C., and Yee, J.L., 2025, Black abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2022 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1014, 34 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251014.","productDescription":"viii, 34 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-159889","costCenters":[{"id":651,"text":"Western Ecological Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":490412,"rank":5,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1014/images"},{"id":491626,"rank":3,"type":{"id":22,"text":"Related Work"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251015","text":"Open-File Report 2025-1015","description":"OFR 2025-1015","linkHelpText":"- Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) population density, recruitment, size structure, and population growth at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California, 2013–22"},{"id":490413,"rank":6,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1014/ofr20251014.XML"},{"id":490410,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1014/ofr20251014.pdf","text":"Report","size":"4 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1014"},{"id":490411,"rank":4,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251014/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1014"},{"id":490409,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1014/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"California","otherGeospatial":"Naval Base, Ventura County, San Nicolas Island","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -119.41565036125932,\n 33.22855822061233\n ],\n [\n -119.4322978602211,\n 33.233849792002204\n ],\n [\n -119.46292925831023,\n 33.2600242059834\n ],\n [\n -119.53051810409356,\n 33.29036557133239\n ],\n [\n -119.58545485066676,\n 33.281459107969354\n ],\n [\n -119.57180390151814,\n 33.25000088849947\n ],\n [\n -119.54217135336674,\n 33.228836776039614\n ],\n [\n -119.47857790733391,\n 33.21379600415082\n ],\n [\n -119.45160895901617,\n 33.21379600415082\n ],\n [\n -119.41565036125932,\n 33.22855822061233\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Western Ecological Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
3020 State University Drive East
Sacramento, California 95819
The purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with an annual summary of the distribution, abundance, and breeding activity of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus; flycatcher) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP or “Base”). Surveys for the flycatcher were conducted on Base between May 8 and July 24, 2024. All of MCBCP’s historically occupied riparian habitat (core survey area) was surveyed for flycatchers in 2024. None of the non-core survey areas were surveyed in 2024.
Three transient Willow Flycatchers of unknown subspecies were observed on two of the five drainages surveyed in 2024, the Santa Margarita River and San Mateo Creek. No Willow Flycatchers were detected at Fallbrook, Las Flores, or Pilgrim Creeks. Transients in 2024 occurred in riparian scrub habitat, dominated by mule fat (Baccharis salicifolia). Exotic vegetation, primarily poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), was present in all flycatcher locations. None of the transient flycatchers were banded.
In 2024, the resident Southwestern Willow Flycatcher population on Base consisted of one unpaired female occupying one territory in the Air Station breeding area along the Santa Margarita River. No territorial males were observed in 2024. The resident flycatcher territory was located in mixed willow riparian habitat, dominated by arroyo or red willow (Salix lasiolepis or S. laevigata). The female flycatcher was originally banded as a nestling in 2020 at MCBCP, making her 4 years old in 2024.
The resident female flycatcher returned to the same breeding area and territory she occupied in 2023. Nesting was initiated in late May and continued into early August. Three nesting attempts were documented; all were unsuccessful as a result of depredation and presumed infertile eggs. No instances of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism were observed. The flycatcher nests were placed in two native plants, sandbar willow (S. exigua) and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).
Two measures were initiated in recent years to attract and retain breeding flycatchers on MCBCP: a conspecific attraction playback study (initiated in 2018) and an artificial seep study (initiated in 2019); both were repeated annually through 2024. The one resident flycatcher (female) detected in 2024 occupied a territory near an automated playback unit, and nested 5 meters from an artificial seep output.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston, VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251023","collaboration":"Prepared in cooperation with Assistant Chief of Staff, Environmental Security, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton","programNote":"Ecosystems Mission Area—Species Management Research Program","usgsCitation":"Howell, S.L., and Kus, B.E., 2025, Distribution, abundance, and breeding activities of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2024 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File\nReport 2025–1023, 26 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251023.","productDescription":"vi, 26 p.","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-175198","costCenters":[{"id":651,"text":"Western Ecological Research Center","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":490243,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1023/ofr20251023.XML"},{"id":490242,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1023/images"},{"id":490241,"rank":3,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251023/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1023"},{"id":490240,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1023/ofr20251023.pdf","text":"Report","size":"8.7 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1023"},{"id":490239,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1023/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"California","otherGeospatial":"Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -117.58338003323524,\n 33.45345643512407\n ],\n [\n -117.60222726717006,\n 33.386233650795276\n ],\n [\n -117.48331835489097,\n 33.30585564997955\n ],\n [\n -117.39614054579035,\n 33.19810587550057\n ],\n [\n -117.26283920032485,\n 33.29512730850755\n ],\n [\n -117.24244991997723,\n 33.33051403790782\n ],\n [\n -117.23302630300994,\n 33.410559433022755\n ],\n [\n -117.4911309974352,\n 33.508615342567545\n ],\n [\n -117.58338003323524,\n 33.45345643512407\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Western Ecological Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
3020 State University Drive East
Sacramento, California 95819
This report reflects our knowledge regarding the widespread landslide activity associated with Hurricane Helene observed during the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) mission assignment to North Carolina in October 2024. The material in this report was originally prepared for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under mission assignment DR-4827-NC. The data and commentary in this report are reflective of a report provided to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on October 18, 2024, as well as information provided in briefings at the Buncombe County Emergency Operations Center. The report has been modified for public dissemination.
This assessment was based on systematic visual examination and mapping of landslide locations from aerial and satellite imagery, visual and photographic observations from low-level helicopter overflights and conversations with local landslide experts from the North Carolina Geological Survey and Appalachian Landslide Consultants PLLC, and more than 50 years of combined landslide hazard professional experience of the mission-assigned field team. No systematic field investigations were done by the USGS.
While responding to the event, the USGS did not identify any landslides that posed an immediate major threat to recovery personnel in parts of nine counties in North Carolina (Avery, Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Watauga, and Yancey); however, threats from renewed landslide activity may remain heightened in localized areas for months or even years. Known areas of the most abundant landslide occurrence include Bat Cave, Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Fairview, steep areas in Asheville, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The USGS shared detailed locations of known landslides with the Emergency Operations Centers. The thousands of landslide scars on hillsides and landslide deposits on flatter ground may present some threat to recovery activities. Soil and rocks will continue to erode from newly exposed landslide scars and may pose a threat to people and infrastructure who are immediately nearby. In general, the steeper and taller the landslide scar, the greater the potential threat. This threat is heightened during periods of rainfall and increases with the duration and intensity of rainstorms. Very heavy rainfall, or repeated rainfall events during short periods, could also initiate new landslides on steep slopes. Excavation of landslide deposits, particularly excavation of those deposits directly adjacent to steep slopes, may also pose a threat to nearby people and equipment.
An interagency collaborative mapping effort led by the USGS that informed this assessment identified 1,155 landslide locations by the October 2024 briefings, but that number increased to 2,217 in a final reviewed version of the locations published in January 2025. Locations were mapped from satellite imagery, fixed-wing and helicopter surveys, media and social media, and field reports in the 3 weeks following the passage of the remnants of Hurricane Helene. USGS products outlined in this report are publicly available and include geotagged photographs from aerial reconnaissance, hazard models, an interactive view of mapped landslide locations, and landslide safety and education resources.
","language":"English","publisher":"U.S. Geological Survey","publisherLocation":"Reston VA","doi":"10.3133/ofr20251028","programNote":"Landslide Hazards Program","usgsCitation":"Allstadt, K.E., McBride, S.K., Godt, J.W., Slaughter, S.L., Baxstrom, K.W., Sobieszczyk, S., and Stull, A., 2025, Preliminary field report of landslide hazards following Hurricane Helene: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2025–1028, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20251028.","productDescription":"Report vi, 15 p.; Data Release","onlineOnly":"Y","ipdsId":"IP-175853","costCenters":[{"id":78941,"text":"Geologic Hazards Science Center - Landslides / Earthquake Geology","active":true,"usgs":true}],"links":[{"id":494134,"rank":7,"type":{"id":36,"text":"NGMDB Index Page"},"url":"https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_118637.htm","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"}},{"id":490259,"rank":6,"type":{"id":39,"text":"HTML Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20251028/full","text":"Report","linkFileType":{"id":5,"text":"html"},"description":"OFR 2025-1028"},{"id":488392,"rank":5,"type":{"id":31,"text":"Publication XML"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1028/ofr20251028.xml"},{"id":488391,"rank":4,"type":{"id":34,"text":"Image Folder"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1028/images"},{"id":486657,"rank":3,"type":{"id":30,"text":"Data Release"},"url":"https://doi.org/10.5066/P1C5W3PQ","text":"USGS data release","description":"USGS data release for OFR 2025-1028","linkHelpText":"Oblique Aerial Photographs from October 13 and 17, 2024, of Landslides and Flooding Caused by Hurricane Helene (ver 1.1, March 2025)"},{"id":486656,"rank":2,"type":{"id":11,"text":"Document"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1028/ofr20251028.pdf","text":"Report","size":"7.42 MB","linkFileType":{"id":1,"text":"pdf"},"description":"OFR 2025-1028"},{"id":486655,"rank":1,"type":{"id":24,"text":"Thumbnail"},"url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2025/1028/coverthb.jpg"}],"country":"United States","state":"North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia","geographicExtents":"{\n \"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\n \"features\": [\n {\n \"type\": \"Feature\",\n \"properties\": {},\n \"geometry\": {\n \"coordinates\": [\n [\n [\n -81,\n 36.667\n ],\n [\n -83.25,\n 36.667\n ],\n [\n -83.25,\n 35\n ],\n [\n -81,\n 35\n ],\n [\n -81,\n 36.667\n ]\n ]\n ],\n \"type\": \"Polygon\"\n }\n }\n ]\n}","contact":"Director, Geologic Hazards Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Box 25046, Mail Stop 966
Denver, CO 80225