Hydrologic conditions and terrestrial laser scanning of post-firedebris flows in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, U.S.A
K. M. Schmidt, M. N. Hanshaw, J. F. Howle, J. W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, J. D. Stock, W. Bawdeng
2011, Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment 583-593
To investigate rainfall-runoff conditions that generate post-wildfire debris flows, we instrumented and surveyed steep, small watersheds along the tectonically active front of the San Gabriel Mountains, California. Fortuitously, we recorded runoff-generated debris-flows triggered by one spatially restricted convective event with 28 mm of rainfall falling over 62 minutes. Our rain...
Endogenous contributions to egg protein formation in lesser scaup Aythya affinis
Kyle A. Cutting, Keith A. Hobson, Jay J. Rotella, Jeffrey M. Warren, Susan E. Wainwright-de la Cruz, John Y. Takekawa
2011, Journal of Avian Biology (42) 505-513
Lesser scaup Aythya affinis populations have declined throughout the North American continent for the last three decades. It has been hypothesized that the loss and degradation of staging habitats has resulted in reduced female body condition on the breeding grounds and a concomitant decline in productivity. We explored the importance...
An empirical method to forecast the effect of storm intensity on shallow landslide abundance
Jonathan D. Stock, Dino Bellugi
2011, Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment 1013-1022
We hypothesize that the number of shallow landslides a storm triggers in a landscape increases with rainfall intensity, duration and the number of unstable model cells for a given shallow landslide susceptibility model of that landscape. For selected areas in California, USA, we use digital maps of historic shallow landslides...
Simulation of the effects of groundwater withdrawals on water-level altitudes in the Sparta aquifer in the Bayou Meto-Grand Prairie area of eastern Arkansas, 2007-37
Brian R. Clark, Drew A. Westerman, D. Todd Fugitt
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5215
A groundwater-flow model of the Mississippi embayment was used to evaluate changes in water-level altitudes before (scenario 1) and after (scenario 2) the addition of wells that simulate potential future pumping from the Sparta aquifer in the Bayou Meto-Grand Prairie area of eastern Arkansas for the 30-year period from 2007...
USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3148
Extreme storms, sea-level rise, and the health of marine communities are some of the major societal and environmental issues impacting our Nation's marine and coastal realm. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in St. Petersburg, Fla., investigates processes related to these ecosystems and the societal implications of natural hazards and resource...
Stopover ecology of a migratory ungulate
Hall Sawyer, Matthew J. Kauffman
2011, Journal of Animal Ecology (80) 1078-1087
1. Birds that migrate long distances use stopover sites to optimize fuel loads and complete migration as quickly as possible. Stopover use has been predicted to facilitate a time-minimization strategy in land migrants as well, but empirical tests have been lacking, and alternative migration strategies have not been considered. 2....
Analysis of the deconstruction of Dyke Marsh, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Virginia-Progression, geologic and manmade causes, and effective restoration scenarios
Ronald J. Litwin, Joseph P. Smoot, Milan J. Pavich, Helaine W. Markewich, Erik Oberg, Ben Helwig, Brent Steury, Vincent L. Santucci, Nancy J. Durika, Nancy B. Rybicki, Katharina M. Engelhardt, Geoffrey Sanders, Stacey Verardo, Andrew J. Elmore, Joseph Gilmer
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1269
This report is a synthesis of the latest findings from an ongoing study of Dyke Marsh, an eroding freshwater tidal wetland that is scheduled for federal restoration. Its purpose is to provide an accurate and up-to-date temporal and geological framework for the marsh, of which most is new information (plus...
Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2010 Mexico and vicinity
Susan Rhea, Richard L. Dart, Antonio H. Villasenor, Gavin P. Hayes, Arthur C. Tarr, Kevin P. Furlong, Harley M. Benz
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1083-F
Mexico, located in one of the world's most seismically active regions, lies on three large tectonic plates: the North American plate, Pacific plate, and Cocos plate. The relative motion of these tectonic plates causes frequent earthquakes and active volcanism and mountain building. Mexico's most seismically active region is in southern...
Digital Mapping Techniques '09-workshop proceedings, Morgantown, West Virginia, May 10-13, 2009
David R. Soller
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1335
The Digital Mapping Techniques '09 (DMT'09) workshop was attended by 90 technical experts from 42 agencies, universities, and private companies, including representatives from 24 State geological surveys. This workshop, the thirteenth in the annual series, was hosted by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, May 10-13, 2009, on the...
Microbial mineralization of dichloroethene and vinyl chloride under hypoxic conditions
Paul M. Bradley, Francis H. Chapelle
2011, Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation (31) 39-49
Mineralization of 14C-radiolabled vinyl chloride ([1,2-14C] VC) and cis-dichloroethene ([1,2-14C] cis-DCE) under hypoxic (initial dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations about 0.1 mg/L) and nominally anoxic (DO minimum detection limit = 0.01 mg/L) was examined in chloroethene-exposed sediments from two groundwater and two surface water sites. The results show significant VC and...
Reinterpreting the importance of oxygen-based biodegradation in chloroethene-contaminated groundwater
Paul M. Bradley
2011, Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation (31) 50-55
Chlororespiration is common in shallow aquifer systems under conditions nominally identified as anoxic. Consequently, chlororespiration is a key component of remediation at many chloroethene-contaminated sites. In some instances, limited accumulation of reductive dechlorination daughter products is interpreted as evidence that natural attenuation is not adequate for site remediation. This conclusion...
Programming PHREEQC calculations with C++ and Python a comparative study
Scott R. Charlton, David L. Parkhurst, Mike Muller
2011, Conference Paper, Proceedings for MODFLOW and More 2011: Integrated Hydrologic Modeling
The new IPhreeqc module provides an application programming interface (API) to facilitate coupling of other codes with the U.S. Geological Survey geochemical model PHREEQC. Traditionally, loose coupling of PHREEQC with other applications required methods to create PHREEQC input files, start external PHREEQC processes, and process PHREEQC output files. IPhreeqc eliminates...
Salinity tolerance of non-native suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae: Pterygoplichthys) in south-eastern Mexico: Implications for invasion and dispersal
Krista A. Capps, Leo G. Nico, Manuel Mendoza-Carranza, Wendi Arevalo-Frias, Andrew J. Ropicki, Sebastian A. Heilpern, Rocio Rodiles-Hernandez
2011, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (21) 528-540
1. Salinity tolerance is one of several important physiological attributes that determine invasion success and the pattern of dispersal of introduced aquatic organisms. Introduced freshwater fishes able to tolerate elevated salinities have the potential to invade and exploit brackish-water (mixohaline) environments and use estuaries and coastal waters as 'bridges' for...
Selected approaches to estimate water-budget components of the High Plains, 1940 through 1949 and 2000 through 2009
Jennifer S. Stanton, Sharon L. Qi, Derek W. Ryter, Sarah E. Falk, Natalie A. Houston, Steven M. Peterson, Stephen M. Westenbroek, Scott C. Christenson
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5183
The High Plains aquifer, underlying almost 112 million acres in the central United States, is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation. It is the primary water supply for drinking water, irrigation, animal production, and industry in the region. Expansion of irrigated agriculture throughout the past 60 years has...
Groundwater availability of the Mississippi embayment
Brian R. Clark, Rheannon M. Hart, Jason J. Gurdak
2011, Professional Paper 1785
Groundwater is an important resource for agricultural and municipal uses in the Mississippi embayment. Arkansas ranks first in the Nation for rice and third for cotton production, with both crops dependent on groundwater as a major source of irrigation requirements. Multiple municipalities rely on the groundwater resources to provide water...
A new tool to assess groundwater resources in the Mississippi embayment
Brian R. Clark, David A. Freiwald
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3115
What is the Mississippi Embayment? The Mississippi embayment study area encompasses approximately 78,000 square miles in eight States and includes large parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and smaller areas of Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri (fig. 1). The Mississippi embayment is essentially a basin that slopes toward the...
Hydraulic characteristics of low-impact development practices in northeastern Ohio, 2008–2010
Robert A. Darner, Denise H. Dumouchelle
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5165
Low-impact development (LID) is an approach to managing stormwater as near to its source as possible; this is accomplished by minimizing impervious surfaces and promoting more natural infiltration and evapotranspiration than is typically associated with developed areas. Two newly constructed LID sites in northeastern Ohio were studied to document their...
Species accounts for the Alamosa/Monte Vista/Baca National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Laura E. Ellison
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1285
As part of an interagency agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Alamosa/Monte Vista/Baca National Wildlife Refuge Complex requested help with the synthesis of scientific information for 10 focal species and their habitat requirements in response to common Refuge management activities...
Hydrogeologic settings and groundwater-flow simulations for regional investigations of the transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants to public-supply wells—Investigations begun in 2004
Sandra M. Eberts
2011, Professional Paper 1737-B
A study of the Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants to public-supply wells (TANC study) was begun in 2001 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The study was designed to shed light on factors that affect the vulnerability of groundwater and, more specifically, water...
A Bayesian network to predict vulnerability to sea-level rise: data report
Benjamin T. Gutierrez, Nathaniel G. Plant, E. Robert Thieler
2011, Data Series 601
During the 21st century, sea-level rise is projected to have a wide range of effects on coastal environments, development, and infrastructure. Consequently, there has been an increased focus on developing modeling or other analytical approaches to evaluate potential impacts to inform coastal management. This report provides the data that were...
A bibliography of literature pertaining to plague (Yersinia pestis)
Laura E. Ellison, Megan K. Eberhardt Frank
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1293
Plague is an acute and often fatal zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis mainly cycles between small mammals and their fleas; however, it has the potential to infect humans and frequently causes fatalities if left untreated. It is often considered a disease of the past; however,...
A data-input program (MFI2005) for the U.S. Geological Survey modular groundwater model (MODFLOW-2005) and parameter estimation program (UCODE_2005)
Arien W. Harbaugh
2011, Open-File Report 2010-1057
The MFI2005 data-input (entry) program was developed for use with the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater model, MODFLOW-2005. MFI2005 runs on personal computers and is designed to be easy to use; data are entered interactively through a series of display screens. MFI2005 supports parameter estimation using the UCODE_2005...
National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center project accomplishments: highlights
Sally Holl
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3135
The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) has invested more than $20M since 2008 to put cutting-edge climate science research in the hands of resource managers across the Nation. With NCCWSC support, more than 25 cooperative research initiatives led by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers and technical staff...
Seepage investigations of the Clackamas River, Oregon
Karl K. Lee
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5191
Analysis of streamflow measurements and continuous records of streamflow provided insight into interaction of the groundwater system with the Clackamas River in northwestern Oregon. This report assesses gains and losses of the Clackamas River based on streamflow measurements made during previous hydrologic studies, decades of continuous streamflow data, and a...
Popular myths about flooding in Western Washington
Joseph L. Jones
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3146
Floods are the most destructive natural hazard in the Nation, causing more deaths and financial loss in the 20th century than any other natural disaster. The most significant 20 riverine floods of the 20th century for which data are available have killed more than 1,843 people and caused more than...
