Analysis of low flows and selected methods for estimating low-flow characteristics at partial-record and ungaged stream sites in western Washington
Christopher A. Curran, Ken Eng, Christopher P. Konrad
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5078
A regional low-flow survey of small, perennial streams in western Washington was initiated by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC), NWIFC-member tribes, and Point-No-Point Treaty Council in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey in 2007 and repeated by the tribes during the low-flow seasons of 2008–09. Low-flow measurements at 63...
Distribution and condition of young-of-year Lost River and shortnose suckers in the Williamson River Delta restoration project and Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2008-10--Final Report
Summer M. Burdick, David A. Hewitt
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1098
The Nature Conservancy undertook restoration of the Williamson River Delta Preserve with a primary goal "to restore and maintain the diversity of habitats that are essential to the endangered [Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris)] while, at the same time, minimizing disturbance and adverse impacts" (David...
Relations between winter climatic variables and April streamflows in New England and implications for summer streamflows
Glenn A. Hodgkins, Robert W. Dudley, Luther Schalk
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5092
A period of much below normal streamflow in southern New England during April 2012 raised concerns that a long-term period of drought could evolve through late spring and summer, leading to potential water availability issues. To understand better the relations between winter climatic variables and April streamflows, April streamflows from...
Transient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008
James B. Paces, Peggy E. Elliott, Joseph M. Fenelon, Randell J. Laczniak, Michael T. Moreo
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5023
Nuclear testing and support activities at the Nevada National Security Site have required large amounts of water for construction, public consumption, drilling, fire protection, hydraulic and nuclear testing, and dust control. To supply this demand, approximately 20,000 million gallons of water have been pumped from 23 wells completed in 19...
The structure of Mediterranean rocky reef ecosystems across environmental and human gradients, and conservation implications
Enric Sala, Enric Ballesteros, Panagiotis Dendrinos, Antonio Di Franco, Francesco Ferretti, David Foley, Simonetta Fraschetti, Alan M. Friedlander, Joaquim Garrabou, Harun Guclusoy, Paolo Guidetti, Benjamin S. Halpern, Bernat Hereu, Alexandros A. Karamanlidis, Zafer Kizilkaya, Enrique Macpherson, Luisa Mangialajo, Simone Mariani, Fiorenza Micheli, Antonio Pais, Kristin Riser, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Marta Sales, Kimberly A. Selkoe, Rick Starr, Fiona Tomas, Mikel Zabala
2012, PLoS ONE (7) 1-13
Historical exploitation of the Mediterranean Sea and the absence of rigorous baselines makes it difficult to evaluate the current health of the marine ecosystems and the efficacy of conservation actions at the ecosystem level. Here we establish the first current baseline and gradient of ecosystem structure of nearshore rocky reefs...
Beryllium--important for national defense
M.A. Boland
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3056
Beryllium is one of the lightest and stiffest metals, but there was little industrial demand for it until the 1930s and 1940s when the aerospace, defense, and nuclear sectors began using beryllium and its compounds. Beryllium is now classified by the U.S. Department of Defense as a strategic and critical...
Well network installation and hydrogeologic data collection, Assateague Island National Seashore, Worcester County, Maryland, 2010
William S.L. Banks, John P. Masterson, Carole D. Johnson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5079
The U.S. Geological Survey, as part of its Climate and Land Use Change Research and Development Program, is conducting a multi-year investigation to assess potential impacts on the natural resources of Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland that may result from changes in the hydrologic system in response to projected sea-level...
Fuel treatment impacts on estimated wildfire carbon loss from forests in Montana, Oregon, California, and Arizona
Scott L. Stephens, Ralph E.J. Boerner, Jason J. Maghaddas, Emily E.Y. Maghaddas, Brandon M. Collins, Christopher B. Dow, Carl Edminster, Carl E. Fiedler, Danny L. Fry, Bruce R. Hartsough, Jon E. Keeley, Eric E. Knapp, James D. McIver, Carl N. Skinner, Andrew P. Youngblood
2012, Ecosphere (3)
Using forests to sequester carbon in response to anthropogenically induced climate change is being considered across the globe. A recent U.S. executive order mandated that all federal agencies account for sequestration and emissions of greenhouse gases, highlighting the importance of understanding how forest carbon stocks are influenced by wildfire....
Geochemical data from groundwater at the proposed Dewey Burdock uranium in-situ recovery mine, Edgemont, South Dakota
Raymond H. Johnson
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1070
This report releases groundwater geochemistry data from samples that were collected in June 2011 at the Dewey Burdock proposed uranium in-situ recovery site near Edgemont, South Dakota. The sampling and analytical methods are summarized, and all of the data, including quality assurance/quality control information are provided in data tables....
The systematic geologic mapping program and a quadrangle-by-quadrangle analysis of time-stratigraphic relations within oil shale-bearing rocks of the Piceance Basin, western Colorado
Ronald C. Johnson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5041
During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the U.S. Geological Survey mapped the entire area underlain by oil shale of the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado. The Piceance Basin contains the largest known oil shale deposit in the world, with an estimated 1.53 trillion barrels...
National wildlife refuge visitor survey 2010/2011: Individual refuge results
Natalie R. Sexton, Alia M. Dietsch, Andrew W. Don Carlos, Lynne M. Koontz, Adam N. Solomon, Holly M. Miller
2012, Data Series 643
The National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System), established in 1903 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), is the leading network of protected lands and waters in the world dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife and their habitats. There are 556 national wildlife refuges and 38...
W phase source inversion for moderate to large earthquakes (1990-2010)
Zacharie Duputel, Luis Rivera, Hiroo Kanamori, Gavin P. Hayes
2012, Geophysical Journal International (189) 1125-1147
Rapid characterization of the earthquake source and of its effects is a growing field of interest. Until recently, it still took several hours to determine the first-order attributes of a great earthquake (e.g. Mw≥ 7.5), even in a well-instrumented region. The main limiting factors were data saturation, the interference of...
Stable isotopes to detect food-conditioned bears and to evaluate human-bear management
John B. Hopkins III, Paul L. Koch, Charles C. Schwartz, Jake M. Ferguson, Schuyler S. Greenleaf, Steven T. Kalinowski
2012, Journal of Wildlife Management (76) 703-713
We used genetic and stable isotope analysis of hair from free-ranging black bears (Ursus americanus) in Yosemite National Park, California, USA to: 1) identify bears that consume human food, 2) estimate the diets of these bears, and 3) evaluate the Yosemite human–bear management program. Specifically, we analyzed the isotopic composition...
Logs and data from trenches across and near the Green Valley Fault at the Mason Road site, Fairfield, Solano County, California, 2006-2009
James J. Lienkaemper, Robert R. Sickler, Shannon Mahan, Johnathan Brown, Liam M. Reidy, Mindy A. Kimball
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1011
The primary purpose of this report is to provide drafted field logs of exploratory trenches excavated across the Green Valley Fault in 2007 and 2009 that show evidence for four surface rupturing earthquakes in the past one thousand years. The site location and site detail are shown on sheet 1....
Use of real-time monitoring to predict concentrations of select constituents in the Menomonee River drainage basin, Southeast Wisconsin, 2008-9
Austin K. Baldwin, David J. Graczyk, Dale M. Robertson, David A. Saad, Christopher Magruder
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5064
The Menomonee River drainage basin in southeast Wisconsin is undergoing changes that may affect water quality. Several rehabilitation and flood-management projects are underway, including removal of concrete channels and the construction of floodwater retention basins. The city of Waukesha may begin discharging treated wastewater into Underwood Creek, thus approximately doubling...
National wildlife refuge visitor survey results: 2010/2011
Natalie R. Sexton, Alia M. Dietsch, Andrew W. Don Carolos, Holly M. Miller, Lynne M. Koontz, Adam N. Solomon
2012, Data Series 685
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a national survey of visitors regarding their experiences on national wildlife refuges. The survey was conducted to better understand visitor needs and experiences and to design programs and facilities that respond to those needs. The...
Selected trace elements in the Sacramento River, California: Occurrence and distribution
Howard E. Taylor, Ronald C. Antweiler, David A. Roth, Peter D. Dileanis, Charles N. Alpers
2012, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (62) 557-569
The impact of trace elements from the Iron Mountain Superfund site on the Sacramento River and selected tributaries is examined. The concentration and distribution of many trace elements—including aluminum, arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, cobalt, chromium, cesium, copper, dysprosium, erbium, europium, iron, gadolinium, holmium, potassium, lanthanum, lithium, lutetium,...
Evaluation of geophysical techniques for the detection of paleochannels in the Oakland area of eastern Nebraska as part of the Eastern Nebraska Water Resource Assessment
Jared D. Abraham, Paul A. Bedrosian, Theodore H. Asch, Lyndsay B. Ball, James C. Cannia, Jeffery D. Phillips, Susan Lackey
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5228
Over the winter and spring of 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a general assessment of the capabilities of several geophysical tools to delineate buried paleochannel aquifers in the glacial terrain of eastern Nebraska. Mapping these paleochannels is an important objective for the Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment group. Previous...
National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards--Gulf of Mexico
Hilary F. Stockdon, Kara S. Doran, David M. Thompson, Kristin L. Sopkin, Nathaniel G. Plant, Asbury H. Sallenger Jr.
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1084
Sandy beaches provide a natural barrier between the ocean and inland communities, ecosystems, and resources. However, these dynamic environments move and change in response to winds, waves, and currents. During a hurricane, these changes can be large and sometimes catastrophic. High waves and storm surge act together to erode beaches...
Microbial mineralization of cis-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride as a component of natural attenuation of chloroethene contaminants under conditions identified in the field as anoxic
Paul M. Bradley
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5032
Chlororespiration is a key component of remediation at many chloroethene-contaminated sites. In some instances, limited accumulation of reductive dechlorination daughter products may suggest that natural attenuation is not adequate for site remediation. This conclusion is justified when evidence for parent compound (tetrachloroethene, PCE, or trichloroethene, TCE) degradation is lacking. For...
Water-quality assessment of the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system in the northern Midwest, United States
John T. Wilson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5229
This report provides a regional assessment of groundwater quality of the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system, based primarily on raw water samples collected by the NAWQA Program during 1995 through 2007. The NAWQA Program has published findings in local study-unit reports encompassing parts of the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system. Data collected from the...
Archive of digital boomer seismic reflection data collected offshore northeast Florida during USGS cruise 02FGS01, October 2002
Janice A. Subino, Arnell S. Forde, Shawn V. Dadisman, Dana S. Wiese, Karynna Calderon
2012, Data Series 653
This Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other...
Stable isotope evidence for glacial lake drainage through the St. Lawrence Estuary, eastern Canada, ~13.1-12.9 ka
T. M. Cronin, J.A. Rayburn, J.-P. Guilbault, R. Thunell, D.A. Franzi
2012, Quaternary International (260) 55-65
Postglacial varved and rhythmically-laminated clays deposited during the transition from glacial Lake Vermont (LV) to the Champlain Sea (CS) record hydrological changes in the Champlain-St. Lawrence Valley (CSLV) at the onset of the Younger Dryas ∼13.1–12.9 ka linked to glacial lake drainage events. Oxygen isotope (δ18O) records of three species...
Limitations and potential of satellite imagery to monitor environmental response to coastal flooding
Elijah W. Ramsey III, Dirk Werle, Yukihiro Suzuoki, Amina Rangoonwala, Zhong Lu
2012, Journal of Coastal Research (28) 457-476
Storm-surge flooding and marsh response throughout the coastal wetlands of Louisiana were mapped using several types of remote sensing data collected before and after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. These included synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data obtained from the (1) C-band advance SAR (ASAR) aboard the Environmental Satellite, (2)...
Sunspot random walk and 22-year variation
Jeffrey J. Love, E. Joshua Rigler
2012, Geophysical Research Letters (39)
We examine two stochastic models for consistency with observed long-term secular trends in sunspot number and a faint, but semi-persistent, 22-yr signal: (1) a null hypothesis, a simple one-parameter random-walk model of sunspot-number cycle-to-cycle change, and, (2) an alternative hypothesis, a two-parameter random-walk model with an imposed 22-yr alternating amplitude....
