Storm-induced inner-continental shelf circulation and sediment transport: Long Bay, South Carolina
John C. Warner, Brandy N. Armstrong, Charlene S. Sylvester, George Voulgaris, Tim Nelson, William C. Schwab, Jane F. Denny
2012, Continental Shelf Research (42) 51-63
Long Bay is a sediment-starved, arcuate embayment located along the US East Coast connecting both South and North Carolina. In this region the rates and pathways of sediment transport are important because they determine the availability of sediments for beach nourishment, seafloor habitat, and navigation. The impact of storms...
Quantification of aquifer properties with surface nuclear magnetic resonance in the Platte River valley, central Nebraska, using a novel inversion method
Trevor P. Irons, Christopher M. Hobza, Gregory V. Steele, Jared D. Abraham, James C. Cannia, Duane D. Woodward
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5189
Surface nuclear magnetic resonance, a noninvasive geophysical method, measures a signal directly related to the amount of water in the subsurface. This allows for low-cost quantitative estimates of hydraulic parameters. In practice, however, additional factors influence the signal, complicating interpretation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Central Platte...
Methods of practice and guidelines for using survey-grade global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to establish vertical datum in the United States Geological Survey
Paul H. Rydlund Jr., Brenda K. Densmore
2012, Techniques and Methods 11-D1
Geodetic surveys have evolved through the years to the use of survey-grade (centimeter level) global positioning to perpetuate and post-process vertical datum. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) uses Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) technology to monitor natural hazards, ensure geospatial control for climate and land use change, and gather data...
Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Haji-Gak mineral district in Afghanistan: Chapter C in Local-area-enhanced, high-resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of mineral districts in Afghanistan
Philip A. Davis, Laura E. Cagney, Scott A. Arko, Michelle L. Harbin
2012, Data Series 709-C
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the...
Use of expert judgment elicitation to estimate seismic vulnerability of selected building types
K. S. Jaiswal, W. Aspinall, D. Perkins, D. Wald, K.A. Porter
2012, Book, Proceedings of the 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Lisbon, Portugal, 24-28 Sep 2012
Pooling engineering input on earthquake building vulnerability through an expert judgment elicitation process requires careful deliberation. This article provides an overview of expert judgment procedures including the Delphi approach and the Cooke performance-based method to estimate the seismic vulnerability of a building category....
Sylvatic plague vaccine: A new tool for conservation of threatened and endangered species?
Rachel C. Abbott, Jorge E. Osorio, Christine M. Bunck, Tonie E. Rocke
2012, EcoHealth (9) 243-250
Plague, a disease caused by Yersinia pestis introduced into North America about 100 years ago, is devastating to prairie dogs and the highly endangered black-footed ferret. Current attempts to control plague in these species have historically relied on insecticidal dusting of prairie dog burrows to kill the fleas that spread...
Soil genesis on the island of Bermuda in the Quaternary: the importance of African dust transport and deposition
Daniel R. Muhs, James R. Budahn, Joseph M. Prospero, Gary Skipp, Stanley R. Herwitz
2012, Journal of Geophysical Research (117)
The origin of terra rossa, red or reddish-brown, clay-rich soils overlying high-purity carbonate substrates, has intrigued geologists and pedologists for decades. Terra rossa soils can form from accumulation of insoluble residues during dissolution of the host limestones, addition of volcanic ash, or addition of externally derived, long-range-transported (LRT) aeolian particles....
Comparison of no-purge and pumped sampling methods for monitoring concentrations of ordnance-related compounds in groundwater, Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2009-2010
Jennifer G. Savoie, Denis R. LeBlanc
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5084
Field tests were conducted near the Impact Area at Camp Edwards on the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to determine the utility of no-purge groundwater sampling for monitoring concentrations of ordnance-related explosive compounds and perchlorate in the sand and gravel aquifer. The no-purge methods included (1) a diffusion sampler...
Geologic map of the Snegurochka Planitia quadrangle (V-1), Venus
Debra M. Hurwitz, James W. Head
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3178
The Snegurochka Planitia region is a predominantly low-lying terrain that covers the north polar region of Venus, extending from lat 75° N. to 90° N. and from long 0° E. to 360° E. The plains associated with Snegurochka Planitia abut the highlands of Metis Mons to the south from approximately...
Coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave simulations of a storm event over the Gulf of Lion and Balearic Sea
Lionel Renault, Jacopo Chiggiato, John C. Warner, Marta Gomez, Guillermo Vizoso, Joaquin Tintore
2012, Journal of Geophysical Research (117)
The coastal areas of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea are one of the most challenging places for ocean forecasting. This region is exposed to severe storms events that are of short duration. During these events, significant air-sea interactions, strong winds and large sea-state can have catastrophic consequences in the coastal areas....
Water-level altitudes 2012 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2011 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas
Mark C. Kasmarek, Michaela R. Johnson, Jason K. Ramage
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3230
Most of the subsidence in the Houston–Galveston region, Texas, has occurred as a direct result of groundwater withdrawals for municipal supply, commercial and industrial use, and irrigation that depressured and dewatered the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers and caused compaction of the clay layers of the aquifer sediments. This report—prepared by...
Geologic map of the MTM 85200 quadrangle, Olympia Rupes region of Mars
James A. Skinner, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3197
The north polar region of Mars is dominated by Planum Boreum, a roughly circular, domical plateau that rises >2,500 m above the surrounding lowland. Planum Boreum is >1,500 km in diameter, contains deep, curvilinear troughs and chasmata, isolated cavi, and marginal scarps and slopes. The north polar plateau is surrounded...
Estimating contributions of nitrate and herbicides from groundwater to headwater streams, northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, USA
Scott Ator, Judith M. Denver
2012, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (48) 1075-1090
Groundwater transport often complicates understanding of surface-water contamination. We estimated the regional flux of nitrate and selected herbicides from groundwater to nontidal headwater streams of the Atlantic Coastal Plain (New Jersey through North Carolina) based on late-winter or spring base-flow samples from 174 streams. Sampled streams were selected randomly, and...
Disparate stakeholder management: the case of elk and bison feeding in southern Greater Yellowstone
Lynne Koontz, Dana Hoag, Don DeLong
2012, Society & Natural Resources: An International Journal (26)
For resource decisions to make the most possible progress toward achieving agency mandates, managers must work with stakeholders and may need to at least partially accommodate some of their key underlying interests. To accommodate stakeholder interests, while also substantively working toward fulfilling legal mandates, managers must understand the sociopolitical factors...
Assessment of soil-gas contamination at building 310 underground storage tank area, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2010-2011
Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1136
Soil gas was assessed for contaminants in the building 310 underground storage tank area adjacent to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, from October 2010 to September 2011. The assessment, which also included the detection of organic compounds in soil gas, provides environmental contamination data...
Movement of water infiltrated from a recharge basin to wells
David R. O'Leary, John A. Izbicki, Jean E. Moran, Tanya Meeth, Brandon Nakagawa, Loren Metzger, Chris Bonds, Michael J. Singleton
2012, Ground Water (50) 242-255
Local surface water and stormflow were infiltrated intermittently from a 40-ha basin between September 2003 and September 2007 to determine the feasibility of recharging alluvial aquifers pumped for public supply, near Stockton, California. Infiltration of water produced a pressure response that propagated through unconsolidated alluvial-fan deposits to 125 m below...
Relying on fin erosion to identify hatchery-reared brown trout in a Tennessee river
Jonathan R. Meerbeek, Phillip William Bettoli
2012, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (32) 922-928
Hatchery-induced fin erosion can be used to identify recently stocked catchable-size brown trout Salmo trutta during annual surveys to qualitatively estimate contributions to a fishery. However, little is known about the longevity of this mark and its effectiveness as a short-term (≤ 1 year) mass-marking technique. We evaluated hatchery-induced pectoral...
Economic analysis of the proposed rule to prevent arrival of new genetic strains of the rust fungus Puccinia psidii in Hawai'i.
Kimberly Burnett, Sean D’Evelyn, Lloyd Loope, Christopher A. Wada
2012, Technical Report 177
Since its first documented introduction to Hawai‘i in 2005, the rust fungus P. psidii has already severely damaged Syzygium jambos (Indian rose apple) trees and the federally endangered Eugenia koolauensis (nioi). Fortunately, the particular strain has yet to cause serious damage to ‘ōhi‘a, which comprises roughly 80% of the state’s...
Analysis of trends in selected streamflow statistics for the Concho River Basin, Texas, 1916-2009
Dana L. Barbie, Loren L. Wehmeyer, Jayne E. May
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5193
The Concho River Basin is part of the upper Colorado River Basin in west-central Texas. Monotonic trends in streamflow statistics during various time intervals from 1916-2009 were analyzed to determine whether substantial changes in selected streamflow statistics have occurred within the Concho River Basin. Two types of U.S. Geological Survey...
A benthic-macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity and assessment of conditions in selected streams in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1998-2009
Andrew G. Reif
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5116
The Stream Conditions of Chester County Biological Monitoring Network (Network) was established by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Chester County Water Resources Authority in 1969. Chester County encompasses 760 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania and has a rapidly expanding population. Land-use change has occurred in response to this continual...
Measurement and simulation of evapotranspiration at a wetland site in the New Jersey Pinelands
David M. Sumner, Robert S. Nicholson, Kenneth L. Clark
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5118
Evapotranspiration (ET) was monitored above a wetland forest canopy dominated by pitch-pine in the New Jersey Pinelands during November 10, 2004-February 20, 2007, using an eddy-covariance method. Twelve-month ET totals ranged from 786 to 821 millimeters (mm). Minimum and maximum ET rates occurred during December-February and in July, respectively. Relations...
Flood inundation map library, Fort Kent, Maine
Pamela J. Lombard
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3119
Severe flooding occurred in northern Maine from April 28 to May 1, 2008, and damage was extensive in the town of Fort Kent (Lombard, 2010). Aroostook County was declared a Federal disaster area on May 9, 2008. The extent of flooding on both the Fish and St. John Rivers during...
Mauna Loa--history, hazards and risk of living with the world's largest volcano
Frank A. Trusdell
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3104
Mauna Loa on the Island Hawaiʻi is the world’s largest volcano. People residing on its flanks face many hazards that come with living on or near an active volcano, including lava flows, explosive eruptions, volcanic smog, damaging earthquakes, and local tsunami (giant seawaves). The County of Hawaiʻi (Island of Hawaiʻi)...
Sylvatic plague vaccine and management of prairie dogs
Tonie E. Rocke
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3087
Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin (UW), have developed a sylvatic plague vaccine that shows great promise in protecting prairie dogs against plague (Mencher and others, 2004; Rocke and others, 2010). Four species of prairie dogs reside in...
Yellowstone bison genetics: let us move forward
Natalie D. Halbert, Peter J.P. Gogan, Philip W. Hedrick, Jacquelyn M. Wahl, James N. Derr
2012, Journal of Heredity (103) 754-755
White and Wallen (2012) disagree with the conclusions and suggestions made in our recent assessment of population structure among Yellowstone National Park (YNP) bison based on 46 autosomal microsatellite loci in 661 animals (Halbert et al. 2012). First, they suggest that "the existing genetic substructure (that we observed) was artificially...
