The global aftershock zone
Thomas E. Parsons, Margaret Segou, Warner Marzocchi
2014, Tectonophysics (618) 1-34
The aftershock zone of each large (M ≥ 7) earthquake extends throughout the shallows of planet Earth. Most aftershocks cluster near the mainshock rupture, but earthquakes send out shivers in the form of seismic waves, and these temporary distortions are large enough to trigger other earthquakes at global range. The...
Groundwater-quality data in the Klamath Mountains study unit, 2010: results from the California GAMA Program
Timothy M. Mathany, Kenneth Belitz
2014, Data Series 803
Groundwater quality in the 8,806-square-mile Klamath Mountains (KLAM) study unit was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from October to December 2010, as part of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP). The GAMA-PBP was developed in...
Simulation of zones of contribution to wells at site GM–38, Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Bethpage, New York
Paul Misut
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5036
A three-dimensional groundwater-flow model is coupled with the particle-tracking program MODPATH to delineate zones of contribution to wells pumping from the Magothy aquifer and supplying water to a chlorinated volatile organic compound removal plant at site GM–38, Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Bethpage, New York. By use of driller’s logs,...
High-resolution geophysical data collected aboard the U.S. Geological Survey research vessel Rafael to supplement existing datasets from Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts
Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Brian D. Andrews, William W. Danforth, David S. Foster
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1020
Geophysical and geospatial data were collected in Buzzards Bay, in the shallow-water areas of Vineyard Sound, and in the nearshore areas off the eastern Elizabeth Islands and northern coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on the U.S. Geological Survey research vessel Rafael between 2007 and 2011, in a collaborative effort between...
Coalbed natural gas exploration, drilling activities, and geologic test results, 2007-2010
Arthur C. Clark
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1004
The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the North Slope Borough, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation conducted a four-year study designed to identify, define, and delineate a shallow coalbed natural gas (CBNG) resource with the potential to provide locally produced, affordable power to...
Controls on methane released through ebullition in peatlands affected by permafrost degradation
Sara J. Klapstein, Merritt R. Turetsky, A. David McGuire, Jennifer W. Harden, C.I. Czimczik, Xiaomei Xu, J. P. Chanton, James Michael Waddington
2014, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (119) 418-431
Permafrost thaw in peat plateaus leads to the flooding of surface soils and the formation of collapse scar bogs, which have the potential to be large emitters of methane (CH4) from surface peat as well as deeper, previously frozen, permafrost carbon (C). We used a network of bubble traps, permanently...
Bathymetric maps and water-quality profiles of Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs, Greenville County, South Carolina
Jimmy M. Clark, Celeste A. Journey, Doug D. Nagle, Timothy H. Lanier
2014, Scientific Investigations Map 3289
Lakes and reservoirs are the water-supply source for many communities. As such, water-resource managers that oversee these water supplies require monitoring of the quantity and quality of the resource. Monitoring information can be used to assess the basic conditions within the reservoir and to establish a reliable estimate of storage...
Backprojection of volcanic tremor
Matthew M. Haney
2014, Geophysical Research Letters (41) 1923-1928
Backprojection has become a powerful tool for imaging the rupture process of global earthquakes. We demonstrate the ability of backprojection to illuminate and track volcanic sources as well. We apply the method to the seismic network from Okmok Volcano, Alaska, at the time of an escalation in tremor during the...
Great Lakes prey fish populations: a cross-basin overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2013
Owen T. Gorman, Brian Weidel
2014, Report
The assessment of Great Lakes prey fish stocks have been conducted annually with bottom trawls since the 1970s by the Great Lakes Science Center, sometimes assisted by partner agencies. These stock assessments provide data on the status and trends of prey fish that are consumed by important commercial and recreational...
Preliminary interpretation of pre-2014 landslide deposits in the vicinity of Oso, Washington
Ralph A. Haugerud
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1065
High-resolution topographic surveys allow fairly precise mapping of landslide deposits and their relative ages. Relative ages are determined by cross-cutting relations and the amount of smoothing—more smoothed slide deposits are older—of these deposits. The Tulalip Tribes, in partnership with the Puget Sound Lidar Consortium, acquired a high-resolution lidar (light detection...
Hydrologic Drought Decision Support System (HyDroDSS)
Gregory E. Granato
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1003
The hydrologic drought decision support system (HyDroDSS) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Rhode Island Water Resources Board (RIWRB) for use in the analysis of hydrologic variables that may indicate the risk for streamflows to be below user-defined flow targets at a designated site...
Estimating flood magnitude and frequency for urban and small, rural streams in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, 2011
Toby D. Feaster, Anthony J. Gotvald, J. Curtis Weaver
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3015
Reliable estimates of the magnitude and frequency of floods are essential for the design of transportation and water-conveyance structures, flood insurance studies, and flood-plain management. Flood-frequency estimates are particularly important in densely populated urban areas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used a multistate approach to update methods for determining the...
Hydrogeologic framework and salinity distribution of the Floridan aquifer system of Broward County, Florida
Ronald S. Reese, Kevin J. Cunningham
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5029
Concerns about water-level decline and seawater intrusion in the surficial Biscayne aquifer, currently the principal source of water supply to Broward County, prompted a study to refine the hydrogeologic framework of the underlying Floridan aquifer system to evaluate its potential as an alternative source of supply. This report presents cross...
The role of landscape features and density dependence in growth and fledging rates of Piping Plovers in North Dakota, USA
Michael J. Anteau, Mark T. Wiltermuth, Mark H. Sherfy, Terry L. Shaffer, Aaron T. Pearse
2014, BioOne (116) 195-204
For species with precocial young, survival from hatching to fledging is a key factor influencing recruitment. Furthermore, growth rates of precocial chicks are an indicator of forage quality and habitat suitability of brood-rearing areas. We examined how growth and fledging rates of Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) chicks were influenced...
Monitoring fine-sediment volume in the Colorado River ecosystem, Arizona: construction and analysis of digital elevation models
Matt Kaplinski, Joseph E. Hazel Jr., Paul E. Grams, Philip A. Davis
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1052
Digital elevation models (DEMs) of eleven 2–5 kilometer reaches of the Colorado River ecosystem (CRE) in Grand Canyon were constructed from repeat bathymetric and topographic surveys collected between August 2000 and December 2004. The DEMs will be used by researchers to study the effects of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) operations...
Acute and chronic sensitivity of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to cadmium, copper, lead, or zinc in laboratory water-only exposures
Christopher G. Ingersoll, Ning Contributions by Wang, Robin D. Calfee, Erinn Beahan, William G. Brumbaugh, Rebecca A. Dorman, Doug K. Hardesty, James L. Kunz, Edward E. Little, Christopher A. Mebane, Holly J. Puglis
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5204
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) are experiencing poor recruitment in the trans boundary reach of the upper Columbia River in eastern Washington State. Limited toxicity data indicated that early life stages of white sturgeon are sensitive to metals. In acute 4-day (d) exposures with larval white sturgeon, previous studies have reported...
The 1946 Unimak Tsunami Earthquake Area: revised tectonic structure in reprocessed seismic images and a suspect near field tsunami source
John J. Miller, Roland E. von Huene, Holly F. Ryan
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1024
In 1946 at Unimak Pass, Alaska, a tsunami destroyed the lighthouse at Scotch Cap, Unimak Island, took 159 lives on the Hawaiian Islands, damaged island coastal facilities across the south Pacific, and destroyed a hut in Antarctica. The tsunami magnitude of 9.3 is comparable to the magnitude 9.1 tsunami that...
Characterization of the Marcellus Shale based on computer-assisted correlation of wireline logs in Virginia and West Virginia
Catherine B. Enomoto, Ricardo A. Olea, James L. Coleman Jr.
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5131
The Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian basin extends from central Ohio on the west to eastern New York on the east, and from north-central New York on the north to northern Tennessee on the south. Its thickness ranges from 0 feet (ft) where it pinches out to the...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Montana
William J. Carswell Jr.
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3022
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Montana, elevation data are critical for flood risk management, infrastructure and construction management, agriculture and precision farming, geologic resource assessment and hazard...
Petrophysical properties, mineralogy, fractures, and flow tests in 25 deep boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada
Philip H. Nelson, Joyce E. Kibler
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1023
As part of a site investigation for the disposal of radioactive waste, numerous boreholes were drilled into a sequence of Miocene pyroclastic flows and related deposits at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report contains displays of data from 25 boreholes drilled during 1979–1984, relatively early in the site investigation program. Geophysical...
Digital orthoimagery base specification V1.0
Philip P. Rufe
2014, Techniques and Methods 11-B5
The resolution requirement for orthoimagery in support of the The National Map of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is 1 meter. However, as the Office of Management and Budget A-16 designated Federal agency responsible for base orthoimagery, the USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) has developed this base specification to include...
Lower Cody Shale (Niobrara equivalent) in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana: thickness, distribution, and source rock potential
Thomas M. Finn
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5138
The lower shaly member of the Cody Shale in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana is Coniacian to Santonian in age and is equivalent to the upper part of the Carlile Shale and basal part of the Niobrara Formation in the Powder River Basin to the east. The lower Cody...
Land cover and topography affect the land transformation caused by wind facilities
Jay E. Diffendorfer, Roger W. Compton
2014, PLoS ONE (9)
Land transformation (ha of surface disturbance/MW) associated with wind facilities shows wide variation in its reported values. In addition, no studies have attempted to explain the variation across facilities. We digitized land transformation at 39 wind facilities using high resolution aerial imagery. We then modeled the effects of turbine size,...
1DTempPro: analyzing temperature profiles for groundwater/surface-water exchange
Emily B. Voytek, Anja Drenkelfuss, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, Richard Healy, John W. Lane Jr., Dale D. Werkema
2014, Ground Water (52) 298-302
A new computer program, 1DTempPro, is presented for the analysis of vertical one-dimensional (1D) temperature profiles under saturated flow conditions. 1DTempPro is a graphical user interface to the U.S. Geological Survey code Variably Saturated 2-Dimensional Heat Transport (VS2DH), which numerically solves the flow and heat-transport equations. Pre- and postprocessor features...
Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi-scale habitat models: implications for sage-grouse in the Great Basin
Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Steven E. Hanser, Matthew L. Brooks, Jeanne C. Chambers, James B. Grace, Kevin C. Knutson, David A. Pyke, Justin L. Welty
2014, Ecosphere (5)
A recurrent challenge in the conservation of wide-ranging, imperiled species is understanding which habitats to protect and whether we are capable of restoring degraded landscapes. For Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in the western United States, we approached this problem by developing multi-scale empirical models of...
