Gravity Data from Dry Lake and Delamar Valleys, east-central Nevada
Edward A. Mankinen, Bruce A. Chuchel, Barry C. Moring
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1299
Cenozoic basins in eastern Nevada and western Utah constitute major ground-water recharge areas in the eastern part of the Great Basin, and our continuing studies are intended to characterize the geologic framework of the region. Prior to these investigations, regional gravity coverage was variable over the region, adequate in some...
Procedures for Collecting and Processing Aquatic Invertebrates and Fish for Analysis of Mercury as Part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program
Barbara C. Scudder, Lia C. Chasar, L. Rod DeWeese, Mark E. Brigham, Dennis A. Wentz, William G. Brumbaugh
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1208
Mercury studies conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program have included nationwide reconnaissance samplings of hundreds of stream sites, as well as detailed, process-oriented research at selected sites. These reconnaissance and detailed studies are intended to provide a better understanding of methylmercury bioaccumulation in...
Mormon cricket control in Utah's west desert - Evaluation of impacts of the pesticide Diflubenzuron on nontarget arthropod communities
Tim B. Graham, Anne M.D. Brasher, Rebecca N. Close
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1305
Grasshopper and Mormon cricket (Orthoptera) populations periodically build to extremely high numbers and can cause significant economic damage in rangelands and agricultural fields of the Great Plains and Intermountain West. A variety of insecticides have been applied to control population outbreaks, with recent efforts directed at minimizing impacts to nontarget...
Audiomagnetotelluric data and preliminary two-dimensional models from Spring, Dry Lake, and Delamar Valleys, Nevada
Darcy McPhee, Bruce A. Chuchel, Louise Pellerin
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1301
This report presents audiomagnetotelluric (AMT) data along fourteen profiles in Spring, Delamar, and Dry Lake Valleys, and the corresponding preliminary two-dimensional (2-D) inverse models. The AMT method is a valuable tool for estimating the electrical resistivity of the Earth over depth ranges from a few meters to less than one...
A Bernoulli Formulation of the Land-Use Portfolio Model
Richard A. Champion
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1310
Decision making for natural-hazards mitigation can be sketched as knowledge available in advance (a priori), knowledge available later (a posteriori), and how consequences of the mitigation decision might be viewed once future outcomes are known. Two outcomes - mitigating for a hazard event that will occur, and not mitigating for...
Applying the land use portfolio model to estimate natural-hazard loss and risk — A hypothetical demonstration for Ventura County, California
Laura B. Dinitz
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1309
With costs of natural disasters skyrocketing and populations increasingly settling in areas vulnerable to natural hazards, society is challenged to better allocate its limited risk-reduction resources. In 2000, Congress passed the Disaster Mitigation Act, amending the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief...
Description of Existing Data for Integrated Landscape Monitoring in the Puget Sound Basin, Washington
Danielle P. Aiello, Alicia A. Torregrosa, Allyson L. Jason, Tracy L. Fuentes, Edward G. Josberger
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1308
This report summarizes existing geospatial data and monitoring programs for the Puget Sound Basin in northwestern Washington. This information was assembled as a preliminary data-development task for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Puget Sound Integrated Landscape Monitoring (PSILM) pilot project. The PSILM project seeks to support natural resource decision-making by...
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Breeding Site and Territory Summary - 2007
Scott L. Durst, Mark K. Sogge, Shay D. Stump, Hira A. Walker, Barbara E. Kus, Susan J. Sferra
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1303
The Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus; hereafter references to willow flycatcher and flycatcher refer to E.t. extimus, except where specifically noted) is an endangered bird that breeds only in dense riparian habitats in parts of six Southwestern states (Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, extreme southern Nevada, southern Utah, and...
Major- and trace-element concentrations in soils from northern California: Results from the Geochemical Landscapes Project pilot study
Jean M. Morrison, Martin B. Goldhaber, JoAnn M. Holloway, David B. Smith
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1306
In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), and the Mexican Geological Survey (Servicio Geologico Mexicano, or SGM) initiated pilot studies in preparation for a soil geochemical survey of North America called the Geochemical Landscapes Project. The purpose of this project is to provide...
Procedures for collecting and processing streambed sediment and pore water for analysis of mercury as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program
Michelle A. Lutz, Mark E. Brigham, Mark Marvin-DiPasquale
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1279
Mercury (Hg) contamination is an issue of national concern, affecting both wildlife and human health. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, in association with the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program and the USGS National Research Program, has initiated two levels of studies to investigate Hg contamination...
Instrumentation Guidelines for the Advanced National Seismic System
Siting Installation Working Group on Instrumentation Installation, and Site Metadata of the Advanced National Seismic System Technical Integration Committee
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1262
This document provides guidelines for the seismic-monitoring instrumentation used by long-term earthquake-monitoring stations that will sense ground motion, digitize and store the resulting signals in a local data acquisition unit, and optionally transmit these digital data. These guidelines are derived from specifications and requirements for data needed to address the...
GIS Representation of Coal-Bearing Areas in Africa
Matthew D. Merrill, Susan J. Tewalt
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1258
The African continent contains approximately 5 percent of the world's proven recoverable reserves of coal (World Energy Council, 2007). Energy consumption in Africa is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.3 percent from 2004 through 2030, while average consumption in first-world nations is expected to rise at 1.4...
Protocol for monitoring metals in Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri: Version 1.0
Christopher J. Schmitt, William G. Brumbaugh, John M. Besser, Jo Ellen Hinck, David E. Bowles, Lloyd W. Morrison, Michael H. Williams
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1269
The National Park Service is developing a monitoring plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southeastern Missouri. Because of concerns about the release of lead, zinc, and other metals from lead-zinc mining to streams, the monitoring plan will include mining-related metals. After considering a variety of alternatives, the plan...
PFReports: A program for systematic checking of annual peaks in NWISWeb
Karen R. Ryberg
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1284
The accuracy, characterization, and completeness of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) peak-flow data drive the determination of flood-frequency estimates that are used daily to design water and transportation infrastructure, delineate flood-plain boundaries, and regulate development and utilization of lands throughout the Nation and are essential to understanding the implications of...
GIS Representation of Coal-Bearing Areas in North, Central, and South America
Susan J. Tewalt, Scott A. Kinney, Matthew D. Merrill
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1257
Worldwide coal consumption and international coal trade are projected to increase in the next several decades (Energy Information Administration, 2007). A search of existing literature indicates that in the Western Hemisphere, coal resources are known to occur in about 30 countries. The need exists to be able to depict these...
Source, Distribution, and Management of Arsenic in Water from Wells, Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, California
John A. Izbicki, Christina L. Stamos, Loren F. Metzger, Keith J. Halford, Thomas R. Kulp, George L. Bennett V
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1272
Between 1974 and 2001 water from as many as one-third of wells in the Eastern San Joaquin Ground Water Subbasin, about 80 miles east of San Francisco, had arsenic concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/L). Water...
Simulation of streamflow and selected water-quality constituents through a model of the Onondaga Lake Basin, Onondaga County, New York — A guide to model application
William F. Coon
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1188
A computer model of hydrologic and water-quality processes of the Onondaga Lake basin in Onondaga County, N.Y., was developed during 2003-07 to assist water-resources managers in making basin-wide management decisions that could affect peak flows and the water quality of tributaries to Onondaga Lake. The model was developed with the...
Geographical Overview of the Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir, China - Geologic Hazards and Environmental Impacts
Lynn M. Highland
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1241
The Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir on the Yangtze River, China, has been an ambitious and controversial project. The dam, the largest in the world as of 2008, will provide hydropower, help to manage flood conditions, and increase the navigability of the Yangtze River. However, this massive project has displaced...
Determination of diphacinone in sea water, vertebrates, invertebrates, and bait pellet formulations following aerial broadcast on Mokapu Island, Molokai, Hawai'i
Robert W. Gale, Michael Tanner, Carl E. Orazio
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1285
This report presents the results of a study to determine diphacinone concentrations in samples of sea water and in fillet samples of fish and in limpets from the ocean adjacent to Mokapu Island and from reference samples from Molokai, Hawai'i; concentrations of the active ingredient (diphacinone) were also determined in...
Water-quality data for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in ground water and in untreated drinking water sources in the United States, 2000-01
Kimberlee K. Barnes, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael J. Focazio, Edward T. Furlong, Michael T. Meyer, Steven D. Zaugg, Sheridan K. Haack, Larry B. Barber, E. Michael Thurman
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1293
This report presents water-quality data from two nationwide studies on the occurrence and distribution of organic wastewater contaminants. These data are part of the continuing effort of the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program to collect baseline information on the environmental occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants. In...
Elevation Derivatives for Mojave Desert Tortoise Habitat
Cynthia S.A. Wallace, Leila Gass
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1283
This report describes the methods used to derive various elevation-derivative grids that were inputted to the Mojave Desert Tortoise Habitat model (L. Gass and others, unpub. data). These grids, which capture information on surface roughness and topographic characteristics, are a subset of the environmental datasets evaluated for the tortoise habitat...
Potential effects of a scenario earthquake on the economy of southern California: Baseline county-level migration characteristics and trends 1995-2000 and 2001-2010
Benson C. Sherrouse, D. J. Hester
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1212
The Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP) is a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and various partners from the public and private sectors and academia, meant to improve Southern California's resiliency to natural hazards. In support of the MHDP objectives, the ShakeOut Scenario was developed. It describes a magnitude 7.8...
Year 3 summary report: Baseline selenium monitoring of agricultural drains operated by the Imperial Irrigation District in the Salton Sea Basin
Michael K. Saiki, Barbara A. Martin, Thomas W. May
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1271
This report summarizes findings from the third year of a 4-year-long field investigation to document selected baseline environmental conditions in 29 agricultural drains and ponds operated by the Imperial Irrigation District along the southern border of the Salton Sea. Routine water quality and fish species were measured at roughly quarterly...
40Ar/39Ar Data for White Mica, Biotite, and K-Feldspar Samples from Low-Grade Metamorphic Rocks in the Westminster Terrane and Adjacent Rocks, Maryland
Michael J. Kunk, Ryan J. McAleer
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1281
This report contains reduced 40Ar/39Ar data of white mica and K-feldspar mineral separates and matrix of a whole rock phyllite, all from low-grade metamorphic rocks of the Westminster terrane and adjacent strata in central Maryland. This report presents these data in a preliminary form, but in more detail than can...
Regional Geochemical Results from Analyses of Stream-Water, Stream-Sediment, Soil, Soil-Water, Bedrock, and Vegetation Samples, Tangle Lakes District, Alaska
Bronwen Wang, L. P. Gough, R. B. Wanty, G. K. Lee, James Vohden, J.M. O’Neill, L.J. Kerin
2008, Open-File Report 2008-1260
We report chemical analyses of stream-water, stream-sediment, soil, soil-water, bedrock, and vegetation samples collected from the headwaters of the Delta River (Tangle Lakes District, Mount Hayes 1:250,000-scale quadrangle) in east-central Alaska for the period June 20-25, 2006. Additionally, we present mineralogic analyses of stream sediment, concentrated by panning. The study...
