China's rare-earth industry
Pui-Kwan Tse
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1042
Introduction China's dominant position as the producer of over 95 percent of the world output of rare-earth minerals and rapid increases in the consumption of rare earths owing to the emergence of new clean-energy and defense-related technologies, combined with China's decisions to restrict exports of rare earths, have resulted in...
National Assessment of Shoreline Change; historical shoreline change along the New England and Mid-Atlantic coasts
Cheryl J. Hapke, Emily A. Himmelstoss, Meredith G. Kratzmann, Jeffrey H. List, E. Robert Thieler
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1118
Beach erosion is a chronic problem along many open-ocean shores of the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present trends and rates of shoreline movement. There is also a need for...
Bats of Ouray National Wildlife Refuge
Laura E. Ellison
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1032
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in the northeast corner of Utah along the Green River and is part of the Upper Colorado River System and the Colorado Plateau. The Colorado Plateau is home to 19 species of bats, some of which are quite rare. Of those 19 species,...
A survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees regarding constraints to connecting children with nature-Summary report to respondents
Joan M. Ratz, Rudy M. Schuster
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1025
This report provides a summary of responses to the questions included on a survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees regarding constraints to connecting children with nature. The survey was sponsored by the Division of Education Outreach at the National Conservation Training Center and conducted by the U.S. Geological...
Usage and administration manual for a geodatabase compendium of water-resources data: Rio Grande Basin from the Rio Arriba-Sandoval County line, New Mexico, to Presidio, Texas, 1889-2009
Thomas E. Burley
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1331
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, developed a geodatabase compendium (hereinafter referred to as the 'geodatabase') of available water-resources data for the reach of the Rio Grande from Rio Arriba-Sandoval County line, New Mexico, to Presidio, Texas. Since 1889, a wealth of water-resources...
Geophysical and flow-weighted natural-contaminant characterization of three water-supply wells in New Hampshire
Thomas J. Mack, Marcel Belaval, James R. Degnan, Stephen J. Roy, Joseph D. Ayotte
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1019
Three bedrock water-supply systems in New Hampshire were studied, using borehole geophysics and flow-weighted sampling techniques, to determine the sources and distribution of natural contaminants in water entering the boreholes and to assess whether borehole modifications might be used to reduce contaminant levels. Well water in more than 100 community...
Microphotographs of cyanobacteria documenting the effects of various cell-lysis techniques
Barry H. Rosen, Keith A. Loftin, Christopher E. Smith, Rachael F. Lane, Susan P. Keydel
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1289
Cyanotoxins are a group of organic compounds biosynthesized intracellularly by many species of cyanobacteria found in surface water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has listed cyanotoxins on the Safe Drinking Water Act's Contaminant Candidate List 3 for consideration for future regulation to protect public health. Cyanotoxins also pose a...
Partnership of Environmental Education and Research-A compilation of student research, 1999-2008
Mike Bradley, Patrice Armstrong, Thomas D. Byl, editor(s)
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1291
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Tennessee Water Science Center and the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University developed a Partnership in Environmental Education and Research (PEER) to support environmental research at TSU and to expand the environmental research capabilities of the USGS in Tennessee. The PEER program...
Review of the origin of the Braid Scarp near the Pebble prospect, southwestern Alaska
Peter J. Haeussler, Christopher F. Waythomas
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1028
A linear geomorphic scarp, referred to as the 'Braid Scarp,' lies about 5 kilometers north of Iliamna Lake, Alaska, and has been identified as a possible seismically active fault. We examined the geomorphology of the area and an 8.5-meter-long excavation across the scarp. We conclude that the scarp was formed...
Helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical survey data, Swedeburg and Sprague study areas, eastern Nebraska, May 2009
B. D. Smith, J.D. Abraham, J. C. Cannia, B. J. Minsley, L.B. Ball, G. V. Steele, M. Deszcz-Pan
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1288
This report is a release of digital data from a helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic survey conducted by Fugro Airborne Surveys in areas of eastern Nebraska as part of a joint hydrologic study by the Lower Platte North and Lower Platte South Natural Resources Districts, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The...
Project plan-Surficial geologic mapping and hydrogeologic framework studies in the Greater Platte River Basins (Central Great Plains) in support of ecosystem and climate change research
Margaret E. Berry, Scott C. Lundstrom, Janet L. Slate, Daniel R. Muhs, David A. Sawyer, D. Paco VanSistine
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1010
The Greater Platte River Basin area spans a central part of the Midcontinent and Great Plains from the Rocky Mountains on the west to the Missouri River on the east, and is defined to include drainage areas of the Platte, Niobrara, and Republican Rivers, the Rainwater Basin, and other adjoining...
DESI-Detection of early-season invasives (software-installation manual and user's guide version 1.0)
Raymond F. Kokaly
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1302
This report describes a software system for detecting early-season invasive plant species, such as cheatgrass. The report includes instructions for installing the software and serves as a user's guide in processing Landsat satellite remote sensing data to map the distributions of cheatgrass and other early-season invasive plants. The software was...
Water-quality in the North Santiam River Basin, Oregon— Comparison of water-quality data for water year 2007 with the preceding period of record
David R. Piatt, Matthew W. Johnston, Heather M. Bragg, Amy M. Brooks, Steven Sobieszczyk, Mark A. Uhrich
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1008
Water-quality data have been collected in the North Santiam River basin since 1998. During water year 2007, eight monitoring stations were operated throughout the basin. Streamflow data were collected at all but one of these sites. This report presents a comparison of the water-quality and streamflow data collected at each...
U.S. Geological Survey Near Real-Time Dst Index
J.L. Gannon, J.J. Love, P.A. Friberg, D.C. Stewart, S.W. Lisowski
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1030
The operational version of the United States Geological Survey one-minute Dst index (a global geomagnetic disturbance-intensity index for scientific studies and definition of space-weather effects) uses either four- or three-station input (including Honolulu, Hawaii; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Hermanus, South Africa; and Kakioka, Japan; or Honolulu, San Juan and Guam)...
Analysis of change in marsh types of coastal Louisiana, 1978-2001
Robert G. Linscombe, Stephen B. Hartley
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1282
Scientists and geographers have provided multiple datasets and maps to document temporal changes in vegetation types and land-water relationships in coastal Louisiana. Although these maps provide useful historical information, technological limitations prevented these and other mapping efforts from providing sufficiently detailed calculations of areal changes and shifts in habitat coverage....
Population and business exposure to twenty scenario earthquakes in the State of Washington
Nathan Wood, Jamie Ratliff
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1016
This report documents the results of an initial analysis of population and business exposure to scenario earthquakes in Washington. This analysis was conducted to support the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pacific Northwest Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP) and an ongoing collaboration between the State of Washington Emergency Management Division (WEMD) and...
Detecting Cheatgrass on the Colorado Plateau using Landsat data: A tutorial for the DESI software
Raymond F. Kokaly
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1327
Invasive plant species disrupt native ecosystems and cause economic harm to public lands. In this report, an example of applying the Detection of Early Season Invasives software to mapping cheatgrass infestations is given. A discussion of each step of the DESI process is given, including selection of Landsat images. Tutorial...
Biological dimensions of tern management-a case study of the least tern in Sonora, Mexico, and a comparative analysis of reproductive investment in terns
Alyssa Rosemartin, Charles van Riper III
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1085
Least terns (Sternula antillarum) are threatened by rapid human development on the northern coast of Sonora, Mexico. Terns are bellwethers for changes along the world's coastlines, as their coastal breeding habitat is vulnerable to flooding and development. We conducted targeted ground and aerial surveys for least tern colonies along 160...
Documentation for a web site to serve ULF-EM (Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic) data to the public
Danny A. Neumann, Selwyn McPherson, Simon L. Klemperer, Jonathan M. G. Glen, Darcy McPhee, Karl Kappler
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1321
The Stanford Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic (ULF-EM) Monitoring Project is recording naturally varying electromagnetic signals adjacent to active earthquake faults, in an attempt to establish whether there is any variation in these signals associated with earthquakes. Our project is collaborative between Stanford University, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and UC Berkeley....
USGS global change science strategy: A framework for understanding and responding to climate and land-use change
Virginia R. Burkett, Ione L. Taylor, Jayne Belnap, Thomas M. Cronin, Michael D. Dettinger, Eldrich L. Frazier, John W. Haines, David A. Kirtland, Thomas R. Loveland, Paul C.D. Milly, Robin O'Malley, Robert S. Thompson
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1033
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global Change Science Strategy expands on the Climate Variability and Change science component of the USGS 2007 Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges: USGS Science in the Coming Decade” (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007). Here we embrace the broad definition of global change provided in the U.S....
Evaluation of the genetic distinctiveness of Greater Sage-grouse in the Bi-State Planning Area
Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Michael L. Casazza
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1006
The purpose of this study was to further characterize a distinct population of Greater Sage-grouse: the population located along the border between Nevada and California (Bi-State Planning Area) and centered around the Mono Basin. This population was previously determined to be genetically distinct from other Greater Sage-grouse populations across their...
Aqueous geochemical data from the analysis of stream-water samples collected in June and July 2006 — Taylor Mountains 1:250,000-scale quadrangle, Alaska
Bronwen Wang, Seth Mueller, Sarah Stetson, Elizabeth Bailey, Greg Lee
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1011
We report on the chemical analysis of water samples collected from the Taylor Mountains 1:250,000-scale quadrangle, Alaska. Parameters for which data are reported include pH, conductivity, water temperature, major cation and anion concentrations, trace-element concentrations, and dissolved organic-carbon concentrations. Samples were collected as part of a multiyear U.S. Geological Survey...
The effects of sediment and mercury mobilization in the South Yuba River and Humbug Creek confluence area, Nevada County, California: Concentrations, speciation and environmental fate - Part 2: Laboratory Experiments
Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, Jennifer L. Agee, Eangelos Kakouros, Le H. Kieu, Jacob A. Fleck, Charles N. Alpers
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1325-B
No abstract available....
Elevation of the March - April 2010 flood high water in selected river reaches in central and eastern Massachusetts
Phillip J. Zarriello, Gardner C. Bent
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1315
A series of widespread, large, low-pressure systems in southern New England in late February through late March 2010 resulted in record, or near record, rainfall and runoff. The total rainfall in the region during this period ranged from about 17 to 25 inches, which coupled with seasonal low evaporation, resulted...
Non-native fish control below Glen Canyon Dam - Report from a structured decision-making project
Michael C. Runge, Ellen Bean, David Smith, Sonja Kokos
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1012
This report describes the results of a structured decision-making project by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide substantive input to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for use in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment concerning control of non-native fish below Glen Canyon Dam. A forum was created to allow the...
