Digital archive of drilling mud weight pressures and wellbore temperatures from 49 regional cross sections of 967 well logs in Louisiana and Texas, onshore Gulf of Mexico basin
Lauri A. Burke, Scott A. Kinney, Temidayo B. Kola-Kehinde
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1266
This document provides the digital archive of in-situ temperature and drilling mud weight pressure data that were compiled from several historical sources. The data coverage includes the states of Texas and Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico basin. Data are also provided graphically, for both Texas and Louisiana, as plots...
Compilation of watershed models for tributaries to the Great Lakes, United States, as of 2010, and identification of watersheds for future modeling for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
William F. Coon, Elizabeth A. Murphy, David T. Soong, Jennifer B. Sharpe
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1202
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) during 2009–10, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) compiled a list of existing watershed models that had been created for tributaries within the United States that drain to the Great Lakes. Established Federal programs that are overseen by the National Oceanic and...
Summaries of important areas for mineral investment and production opportunities of nonfuel minerals in Afghanistan
Stephen G. Peters, Trude King, Thomas J. Mack, Michael P. Chornack
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1204
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) entered into an agreement with the Afghanistan Geological Survey to study and assess the fuel and nonfuel mineral resources of Afghanistan from October 2009 to September 2011 so that these resources...
Undiscovered petroleum resources for the Woodford Shale and Thirteen Finger Limestone-Atoka Shale assessment units, Anadarko Basin
Debra K. Higley
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1242
In 2010 the U.S. Geological Survey assessed undiscovered oil and gas resources for the Anadarko Basin Province of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The assessment included three continuous (unconventional) assessment units (AU). Mean undiscovered resources for the (1) Devonian Woodford Shale Gas AU are about 16 trillion cubic feet of...
Evolution of overpressured and underpressured oil and gas reservoirs, Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas
Phillip H. Nelson, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1245
Departures of resistivity logs from a normal compaction gradient indicate that overpressure previously extended north of the present-day overpressured zone. These indicators of paleopressure, which are strongest in the deep basin, are mapped to the Kansas-Oklahoma border in shales of Desmoinesian age. The broad area of paleopressure has contracted to...
Range-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome
Kari E. Veblen, David A. Pyke, Christopher A. Jones, Michael L. Casazza, Timothy J. Assal, Melissa A. Farinha
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1263
Domestic livestock grazing occurs in virtually all sagebrush habitats and is a prominent disturbance factor. By affecting habitat condition and trend, grazing influences the resources required by, and thus, the distribution and abundance of sagebrush-obligate wildlife species (for example, sage-grouse Centrocercus spp.). Yet, the risks that livestock grazing may pose...
Ni-Co laterite deposits
Erin E. Marsh, Eric D. Anderson
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1259
Nickel-cobalt (Ni-Co) laterite deposits are an important source of nickel (Ni). Currently, there is a decline in magmatic Ni-bearing sulfide lode deposit resources. New efforts to develop an alternative source of Ni, particularly with improved metallurgy processes, make the Ni-Co laterites an important exploration target in anticipation of the future...
Probability and volume of potential postwildfire debris flows in the 2011 Indian Gulch burn area, near Golden, Colorado
Barbara C. Ruddy
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1248
This report presents an assessment of the debris-flow hazards from drainage basins burned in 2011 by the Indian Gulch wildfire near Golden, Colorado. Empirical models derived from statistical evaluation of data collected from recently burned drainage basins throughout the intermountain western United States were used to estimate the probability of...
Carbonatite and alkaline intrusion-related rare earth element deposits–A deposit model
Philip L. Verplanck, Bradley S. Van Gosen
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1256
The rare earth elements are not as rare in nature as their name implies, but economic deposits with these elements are not common and few deposits have been large producers. In the past 25 years, demand for rare earth elements has increased dramatically because of their wide and diverse use...
Estimates of electricity requirements for the recovery of mineral commodities, with examples applied to sub-Saharan Africa
Donald I. Bleiwas
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1253
To produce materials from mine to market it is necessary to overcome obstacles that include the force of gravity, the strength of molecular bonds, and technological inefficiencies. These challenges are met by the application of energy to accomplish the work that includes the direct use of electricity, fossil fuel, and...
Deposit model for volcanogenic uranium deposits
George N. Breit, Susan M. Hall
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1255
Volcanism is a major contributor to the formation of important uranium deposits both close to centers of eruption and more distal as a result of deposition of ash with leachable uranium. Hydrothermal fluids that are driven by magmatic heat proximal to some volcanic centers directly form some deposits. These fluids...
Technique for estimation of streamflow statistics in mineral areas of interest in Afghanistan
Scott A. Olson, Thomas J. Mack
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1176
A technique for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged stream sites in areas of mineral interest in Afghanistan using drainage-area-ratio relations of historical streamflow data was developed and is documented in this report. The technique can be used to estimate the following streamflow statistics at ungaged sites: (1) 7-day low flow...
Sampling large landscapes with small-scale stratification-User's Manual
Jonathan Bart
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1247
This manual explains procedures for partitioning a large landscape into plots, assigning the plots to strata, and selecting plots in each stratum to be surveyed. These steps are referred to as the "sampling large landscapes (SLL) process." We assume that users of the manual have a moderate knowledge of ArcGIS...
Simulated changes in salinity in the York and Chickahominy Rivers from projected sea-level rise in Chesapeake Bay
Karen C. Rice, Mark Bennett, Jian Shen
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1191
As a result of climate change and variability, sea level is rising throughout the world, but the rate along the east coast of the United States is higher than the global mean rate. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Newport News, Virginia, conducted a study to...
Developing an institutional framework to incorporate ecosystem services into decision making-Proceedings of a workshop
Dianna Hogan, Greg Arthaud, David Brookshire, Tom Gunther, Stephanie Pincetl, Carl Shapiro, Bea Van Horne
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1221
The routine and effective incorporation of ecosystem services information into resource management decisions requires a careful consideration of the value of goods and services provided by natural systems. A multidisciplinary workshop was held in October 2008 on "Developing an Institutional Framework to Incorporate Ecosystem Services into Decision Making." This report...
Simulating daily water temperatures of the Klamath River under dam removal and climate change scenarios
Russell W. Perry, John C. Risley, Scott J. Brewer, Edward C. Jones, Dennis W. Rondorf
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1243
A one-dimensional daily averaged water temperature model was used to simulate Klamath River temperatures for two management alternatives under historical climate conditions and six future climate scenarios. The analysis was conducted for the Secretarial Determination on removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. In 2012, the Secretary of...
CRevolution 2—Origin and evolution of the Colorado River system, workshop abstracts
L. Sue Beard, Karl E. Karlstrom, Richard A. Young, George H. Billingsley, editor(s)
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1210
A 2010 Colorado River symposium, held in Flagstaff, Arizona, involved 70 participants who engaged in intense debate about the origin and evolution of the Colorado River system. This symposium, built upon two previous decadal scientific meetings, focused on forging scientific consensus, where possible, while articulating continued controversies regarding the Cenozoic...
Aqueous geochemical data from the analysis of stream-water samples collected in June and August 2008—Taylor Mountains 1:250,000- and Dillingham D-4 1:63,360-scale quadrangles, Alaska
Bronwen Wang, Victoria Owens, Elizabeth Bailey, Greg Lee
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1100
We report on the chemical analysis of water samples collected from the Taylor Mountains 1:250,000- and Dillingham D-4 1:63,360-scale quadrangles, Alaska. Reported parameters include pH, conductivity, water temperature, major cation and anion concentrations, and trace-element concentrations. We collected the samples as part of a multiyear U.S. Geological Survey project entitled...
The future of rare earth elements—will these high-tech industry elements continue in short supply?
Keith R. Long
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1189
* REE will continue to find increasing use due to their unique properties. * There is a realistic possibility around 2015-2016 of sufficient REE capacity to meet demand under conditions of healthy price competition. * REE supplies will be tight and prices high for a few years. * There is...
Four studies on effects of environmental factors on the quality of National Atmospheric Deposition Program measurements
Gregory A. Wetherbee, Natalie E. Latysh, Christopher M.B. Lehmann, Mark F. Rhodes
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1170
Selected aspects of National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) protocols are evaluated in four studies. Meteorological conditions have minor impacts on the error in NADP/NTN sampling. Efficiency of frozen precipitation sample collection is lower than for liquid precipitation samples. Variability of NTN measurements is higher for relatively...
Liquefaction hazard for the region of Evansville, Indiana
Jennifer S. Haase, Yoon S. Choi, Robert L. Nowack, Chris H. Cramer, Oliver S. Boyd, Robert A. Bauer
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1203
We calculated liquefaction potential index for a grid of sites in the Evansville, Indiana area for two scenario earthquakes-a magnitude 7.7 in the New Madrid seismic zone and a M6.8 in the Wabash Valley seismic zone. For the latter event, peak ground accelerations range from 0.13 gravity to 0.81 gravity,...
An inventory and monitoring plan for a Sonoran Desert ecosystem; Barry M. Goldwater Range-West
Miguel L. Villarreal, Charles van Riper III, Robert E. Lovich, Robert L. Palmer, Travis Nauman, Sarah E. Studd, Sam Drake, Abigail S. Rosenberg, Jim Malusa, Ronald L. Pearce
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1232
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma manages the Barry M. Goldwater Range-West, which encompasses approximately 2,800 square kilometers of Sonoran Desert habitat in southwestern Arizona. The Barry M. Goldwater Range is a major U.S. military installation designed as an air combat training location for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air...
An analysis of spatial relation predicates in U.S. Geological Survey feature definitions
Holly K. Caro, Dalia E. Varanka
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1235
The Semantic Web uses a data model called a triple, which consists of a subject -predicate - object structure. When represented as triples, geospatial data require a spatial relation term to serve as the predicate linking two spatial features. This document summarizes the approaches and procedures used during the identification...
Site-specific seismic-hazard maps and deaggregation in the western United States using the NGA models for ground-motion prediction
Stephen Harmsen
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1218
The 2008 National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project (NSHMP) update for the conterminous United States employs several new ground-motion prediction equations which include modern empirical models of linear and nonlinear site response to local and regional earthquakes. The recent availability of attenuation functions incorporating site conditions via Vs30 values permits the...
Effectiveness of post-fire seeding at the Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Land Ecology Reserve, Washington
Troy A. Wirth, David A. Pyke
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1241
In August 2007, the Milepost 17 and Wautoma fires burned a combined total of 77,349 acres (31,302 hectares) of the Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Land Ecology Reserve (ALE), part of the Hanford Reach National Monument administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Mid-Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. In 2009, the USFWS...
