The Laramide Caborca orogenic gold belt of northwestern Sonora, Mexico; white mica 40Ar/39Ar geochronology from gold-rich quartz veins
Aldo Izaguirre, Michael J. Kunk, Alexander Iriondo, Ryan J. McAleer, Juan Antonio Caballero-Martinez, Enrique Espinosa-Aramburu
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1008
Introduction This report contains reduced 40Ar/39Ar geochronological data from 63 hydrothermal white mica samples separated from orogenic gold-rich quartz veins in the Laramide Caborca orogenic gold belt (COGB) of northwestern Sonora, Mexico. The main objective of this report is to present the sample locations, 40Ar/39Ar experimental methodology, and 40Ar/39Ar isotopic data....
Upper Cretaceous and Lower Jurassic strata in shallow cores on the Chukchi Shelf, Arctic Alaska
David W. Houseknecht, William H. Craddock, Richard O. Lease
Julie A. Dumoulin, editor(s)
2016, Professional Paper 1814-C
Shallow cores collected in the 1980s on the Chukchi Shelf of western Arctic Alaska sampled pre-Cenozoic strata whose presence, age, and character are poorly known across the region. Five cores from the Herald Arch foreland contain Cenomanian to Coniacian strata, as documented by biostratigraphy, geochronology, and thermochronology. Shallow seismic reflection...
Modified method for estimating petroleum source-rock potential using wireline logs, with application to the Kingak Shale, Alaska North Slope
William A. Rouse, David W. Houseknecht
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5001
In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey completed an assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in three source rocks of the Alaska North Slope, including the lower part of the Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Kingak Shale. In order to identify organic shale potential in the absence of a...
American woodcock migratory connectivity as indicated by hydrogen isotopes
Daniel S. Sullins, Warren C. Conway, David A. Haukos, Keith A. Hobson, Leonard I Wassenaar, Christopher E. Comer, I-Kuai Hung
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 510-526
To identify factors contributing to the long-term decline of American woodcock, a holistic understanding of range-wide population connectivity throughout the annual cycle is needed. We used band recovery data and isotopic composition of primary (P1) and secondary (S13) feathers to estimate population sources and connectivity among natal, early fall, and...
Water balance monitoring for two bioretention gardens in Omaha, Nebraska, 2011–14
Kellan R. Strauch, David L. Rus, Kent E. Holm
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5188
Bioretention gardens are used to help mitigate stormwater runoff in urban settings in an attempt to restore the hydrologic response of the developed land to a natural predevelopment response in which more water is infiltrated rather than routed directly to urban drainage networks. To better understand the performance of bioretention...
Life history of the vulnerable endemic crayfish Cambarus (Erebicambarus) maculatus Hobbs and Pflieger, 1988 (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae) in Missouri, USA
Robert J. DiStefano, Jacob T. Westhoff, Catlin W. Ames, Amanda E. Rosenberger
2016, Journal of Crustacean Biology (36) 615-627
The vulnerable freckled crayfish, Cambarus maculatus Hobbs and Pflieger, 1988, is endemic to only one drainage in eastern Missouri, USA, which is impacted by heavy metals mining and adjacent to a rapidly-expanding urban area. We studied populations of C. maculatus in...
Colored dissolved organic matter in shallow estuaries: relationships between carbon sources and light attenuation
W.K. Oestreich, Neil K. Ganju, John W. Pohlman, Steven E. Suttles
2016, Biogeosciences (13) 583-595
Light availability is of primary importance to the ecological function of shallow estuaries. For example, benthic primary production by submerged aquatic vegetation is contingent upon light penetration to the seabed. A major component that attenuates light in estuaries is colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). CDOM is often measured via...
Differences in impacts of Hurricane Sandy on freshwater swamps on the Delmarva Peninsula, Mid−Atlantic Coast, USA
Beth A. Middleton
2016, Ecological Engineering (87) 62-70
Hurricane wind and surge may have different influences on the subsequent composition of forests. During Hurricane Sandy, while damaging winds were highest near landfall in New Jersey, inundation occurred along the entire eastern seaboard from Georgia to Maine. In this study, a comparison of damage from salinity intrusion vs. wind/surge...
Evaluating geothermal and hydrogeologic controls on regional groundwater temperature distribution
Erick R. Burns, Steven E. Ingebritsen, Michael Manga, Colin F. Williams
2016, Water Resources Research (52) 1328-1344
A one-dimensional (1-D) analytic solution is developed for heat transport through an aquifer system where the vertical temperature profile in the aquifer is nearly uniform. The general anisotropic form of the viscous heat generation term is developed for use in groundwater flow simulations. The 1-D solution is extended to more...
Geochemistry of formation waters from the Wolfcamp and “Cline” shales: Insights into brine origin, reservoir connectivity, and fluid flow in the Permian Basin, USA
Mark A. Engle, Francisco R. Reyes, Matthew S. Varonka, William H. Orem, Ma Lin, Adam J. Ianno, Tiffani M. Westphal, Pei Xu, Kenneth C. Carroll
2016, Chemical Geology (425) 76-92
Despite being one of the most important oil producing provinces in the United States, information on basinal hydrogeology and fluid flow in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is lacking. The source and geochemistry of brines from the basin were investigated (Ordovician- to...
Evaluating detection and monitoring tools for incipient and relictual non-native ungulate populations
Seth W. Judge, Steve C. Hess, Jonathan K.J. Faford, Dexter Pacheco, Christina R. Leopold, Colleen Cole, Veronica Deguzman
2016, Technical Report HCSU-069
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) encompasses 1,308 km2 on Hawai‘i Island. The park harbors endemic plants and animals which are threatened by a variety of invasive species. Introduced ungulates have caused sharp declines of numerous endemic species and have converted ecosystems to novel grazing systems in many cases. Local ranchers...
Will it rise or will it fall? Managing the complex effects of urbanization on base flow
Aditi Bhaskar, Leah Beesley, Matthew J. Burns, T. D. Fletcher, Perrine Hamel, Carolyn Oldham, Allison H. Roy
2016, Freshwater Science (35) 293-310
Sustaining natural levels of base flow is critical to maintaining ecological function as stream catchments are urbanized. Research shows a variable response of stream base flow to urbanization, with base flow or water tables rising in some locations, falling in others, or elsewhere remaining constant. The variable baseflow response is...
Compilation of VS30 Data for the United States
Alan Yong, Eric M. Thompson, David J. Wald, Keith L. Knudsen, Jack K. Odum, William J. Stephenson, Scott Haefner
2016, Data Series 978
VS30, the time-averaged shear-wave velocity (VS) to a depth of 30 meters, is a key index adopted by the earthquake engineering community to account for seismic site conditions. VS30 is typically based on geophysical measurements of VS derived from invasive and noninvasive techniques at sites of interest. Owing to cost considerations, as well as...
Late Paleocene glyptosaur (Reptilia: Anguidae) osteoderms from South Carolina, USA
David J. Cicimurri, James L. Knight, Jean Self-Trail, Sandy M. Ebersole
2016, Journal of Paleontology (90) 147-153
Heavily tuberculated glyptosaur osteoderms were collected in an active limestone quarry in northern Berkeley County, South Carolina. The osteoderms are part of a highly diverse late Paleocene vertebrate assemblage that consists of marine, terrestrial, fluvial, and/or brackish water taxa, including chondrichthyan and osteichthyan fish, turtles (chelonioid, trionychid, pelomedusid, emydid), crocodilians,...
Apatite fission-track evidence for regional exhumation in the subtropical Eocene, block faulting, and localized fluid flow in east-central Alaska
Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, Charles R. Bacon, Paul B. O'Sullivan, Warren C. Day
2016, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (53) 260-280
The origin and antiquity of the subdued topography of the Yukon–Tanana Upland (YTU), the physiographic province between the Denali and Tintina faults, are unresolved questions in the geologic history of interior Alaska and adjacent Yukon. We present apatite fission-track (AFT) results for 33 samples from the 2300 km2 western Fortymile...
Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus): Spreading by fire
Noel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Ralph Grundel
2016, Forest Ecology and Management (364) 183-194
In many forest ecosystems, fire is critical in maintaining indigenous plant communities, but can either promote or arrest the spread of invasive species depending on their regeneration niche and resprouting ability. We examined the effects of cutting and burning treatments on the vegetative response (cover, stem density) and root resources...
Stratigraphic revision of the Cooper Group and the Chandler and Edisto Formations in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina
Robert E. Weems, Barry Albright, Laurel M. Bybell, David J. Cicimurri, Lucy E. Edwards, W. Burleigh Harris, William C. Lewis, Jason E. Osborne, Albert E. Sanders, Jean Self-Trail
2016, South Carolina Geology (49) 1-24
No abstract available. ...
Volatile-organic molecular characterization of shale-oil produced water from the Permian Basin
Naima A. Khan, Mark A. Engle, Barry Dungan, F. Omar Holguin, Pei Xu, Kenneth C. Carroll
2016, Chemosphere (148) 126-136
Growth in unconventional oil and gas has spurred concerns on environmental impact and interest in beneficial uses of produced water (PW), especially in arid regions such as the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. tight-oil producer. To evaluate environmental impact, treatment, and reuse potential, there is a need to characterize the...
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, M. J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M. Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake R. Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan E. Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. McCallum, Joseph R. Mendelson III, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C. LeAnn White
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1233
The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander...
Hydrogeological framework, numerical simulation of groundwater flow, and effects of projected water use and drought for the Beaver-North Canadian River alluvial aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma
Derek W. Ryter, Jessica S. Correll
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5183
This report describes a study of the hydrology, hydrogeological framework, numerical groundwater-flow models, and results of simulations of the effects of water use and drought for the Beaver-North Canadian River alluvial aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma. The purpose of the study was to provide analyses, including estimating equal-proportionate-share (EPS) groundwater-pumping rates and...
Identify potential lock treatment options to prevent movement of aquatic invasive species through the Chicago Area Waterways System (CAWS)
Terrance D. Hubert, Michael A. Boogaard, Kim T. Fredricks
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1001
Introduction The Illinois River is a primary tributary of the Mississippi River, connecting with the Mississippi at Grafton, Illinois. The headwaters of the river are at the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee Rivers in eastern Grundy County, Illinois. Approximately 273 miles long, it runs through the heart of Illinois...
Water-magma interaction and plume processes in the 2008 Okmok eruption, Alaska
Joel A. Unema, Michael H. Ort, Jessica D Larsen, Christina A. Neal, Janet R. Schaefer
2016, Geological Society of America Bulletin (128) 792-806
Eruptions of similar explosivity can have divergent effects on the surroundings due to differences in the behavior of the tephra in the eruption column and atmosphere. Okmok volcano, located on Umnak Island in the eastern Aleutian Islands, erupted explosively between 12 July and 19 August 2008. The basaltic andesitic eruption...
Geostatistical analysis of tritium, groundwater age and other noble gas derived parameters in California
A. Visser, J. E. Moran, D. Hillegonds, M. Singleton, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz, B. Esser
2016, Water Research (91) 314-330
Key characteristics of California groundwater systems related to aquifer vulnerability, sustainability, recharge locations and mechanisms, and anthropogenic impact on recharge are revealed in a spatial geostatistical analysis of a unique data set of tritium, noble gases and other isotopic analyses unprecedented in size at nearly 4000 samples.The correlation...
Long-term changes in sediment and nutrient delivery from Conowingo Dam to Chesapeake Bay: Effects of reservoir sedimentation
Qian Zhang, Robert M. Hirsch, William P. Ball
2016, Environmental Science & Technology (50) 1877-1886
Reduction of suspended sediment (SS), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen is an important focus for Chesapeake Bay watershed management. The Susquehanna River, the bay’s largest tributary, has drawn attention because SS loads from behind Conowingo Dam (near the river’s mouth) have been rising dramatically. To better understand these changes,...
Seismic velocity structure of the crust and shallow mantle of the Central and Eastern United States by seismic surface wave imaging
Frederick Pollitz, Walter D. Mooney
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 118-126
Seismic surface waves from the Transportable Array of EarthScope's USArray are used to estimate phase velocity structure of 18 to 125 s Rayleigh waves, then inverted to obtain three-dimensional crust and upper mantle structure of the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS) down to ∼200 km. The obtained lithosphere structure confirms previously...
