System characterization report on Resourcesat-2 Advanced Wide Field Sensor
Shankar N. Ramaseri Chandra, Minsu Kim, Jon Christopherson, Gregory L. Stensaas, Cody Anderson
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1030-G
Executive SummaryThis report addresses system characterization of the Indian Space Research Organisation Resourcesat-2 Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence in 2021. These reports present...
Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19, with comparisons to the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana
Natalie A. Houston, Grady P. Ball, Amy E. Galanter, Joshua F. Valder, Ryan R. McShane, Joanna N. Thamke, Jeremy S. McDowell
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3053
The Permian Basin, in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico is one of the largest conventional oil and gas reservoirs in the United States and is becoming one of the world’s largest continuous oil and gas (COG) reservoirs. Advances in technology have enabled oil and gas to be...
Assessment of runoff volume reduction associated with soil amendments added to portions of highway median-strip catchments in Ohio, 2018–20
Matthew T. Whitehead, G. F. Koltun
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5114
The U.S. Geological Survey installed 10 rain gages and 12 calibrated H-flumes to measure rainfall and runoff volumes at 10 locations in Ohio Department of Transportation highway median-strip catchments. Data were collected to facilitate comparisons of rainfall and runoff volumes at study sites before and after stormwater best management practices...
Riverscape-scale modeling of fundamentally suitable habitat for mussel assemblages in an Ozark River system, Missouri
K. Keymanesh, Amanda E. Rosenberger, G. Lindner, Kristen L. Bouska, Stephen E. McMurray
2021, Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation (24) 43-58
Identifying the physical habitat characteristics associated with riverine freshwater mussel assemblages is challenging but crucial for understanding the causes of mussel declines. The occurrence of mussels in multispecies beds suggests that common physical factors influence or limit their occurrence. Fine-scale geomorphic and hydraulic factors (e.g., scour, bed stability) are predictive...
Geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of the White River Formation, Lance Formation, and Fox Hills Sandstone, northern greater Denver Basin, southeastern Laramie County, Wyoming
Timothy T. Bartos, Devin L. Galloway, Laura L. Hallberg, Marieke Dechesne, Sharon F. Diehl, Seth L. Davidson
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5020
In cooperation with the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, the U.S. Geological Survey studied the geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of Cenozoic and Upper Cretaceous strata at a location in southeastern Laramie County within the Wyoming part of the Cheyenne Basin, the northern subbasin of the greater Denver Basin. The study aimed...
Diagenetic barite-pyrite-wurtzite formation and redox signatures in Triassic mudstone, Brooks Range, northern Alaska
John F. Slack, Ryan J. McAleer, Wayne (Pat) Shanks, Julie A. Dumoulin
2021, Chemical Geology (585)
Mineralogical and geochemical studies of interbedded black and gray mudstones in the Triassic part of the Triassic-Jurassic Otuk Formation (northern Alaska) document locally abundant barite and pyrite plus diverse redox signatures. These strata, deposited in an outer shelf setting at paleolatitudes of ~45 to 60°N, show widespread sedimentological evidence for...
Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Anthony M. Pagano, George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas
2021, Ecosphere (12)
Animals responding to habitat loss and fragmentation may increase their home ranges to offset declines in localized resources or they may decrease their home ranges and switch to alternative resources. In many regions of the Arctic, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) exhibit some of the largest home ranges of any quadrupedal...
Quantifying non-thermal silicate weathering using Ge/Si and Si isotopes in rivers draining the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, USA
Francois Gaspard, Sophie Opfergelt, Catherine Hirst, Shaul Hurwitz, R. Blaine McCleskey, Petra Zahajska, Daniel J. Conley, Pierre Delmelle
2021, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (22)
In active volcanic regions, high-temperature chemical reactions in the hydrothermal system consume CO2 sourced from magma or from the deep crust, whereas reactions with silicates at shallow depths mainly consume atmospheric CO2. Numerous studies have quantified the load of dissolved solids in rivers that drain volcanic regions to...
Effects of culvert construction on streams and macroinvertebrate communities at selected sites in the East Gulf Coastal Plain of Alabama, 2010–19
Aaron L. Pugh, Amy C. Gill
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5096
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Transportation, evaluated the role of culvert construction in altering streams and habitats of benthic macroinvertebrate communities at selected study sites in the northern East Gulf Coastal Plain of Alabama during 2011–19. Analysis included examinations of changes in stream channel...
Establishing the foundation for the global observing system for marine life
Erin V. Satterthwaite, Nicholas J. Bax, Patricia Miloslavich, Lavenia Ratnarajah, Gabrielle Canonico, Daniel Dunn, Samantha E. Simmons, Roxanne J. Carini, Karen Evans, Valerie Allain, Ward Appeltans, Sonia Batten, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Anthony T. F. Bernard, R. Sky Bristol, Abigail Benson, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Leopoldo Cavaleri Gerhardinger, Sanae Chiba, Tammy E. Davies, J. Emmett Duffy, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Astrid J. Hsu, Alexandra C. Kraberg, Raphael M. Kudela, Dan Lear, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Todd D. O’Brien, David Obura, Pieter Provoost, Sara Pruckner, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Elizabeth R. Selig, Olav Sigurd Kjesbu, Craig Starger, Rick D. Stuart-Smith, Marjo Vierros, John S. Waller, Lauren V. Weatherdon, Tristan Wellman, Anna Zivian
2021, Frontiers in Marine Science (8)
Maintaining healthy, productive ecosystems in the face of pervasive and accelerating human impacts including climate change requires globally coordinated and sustained observations of marine biodiversity. Global coordination is predicated on an understanding of the scope and capacity of existing monitoring programs, and the extent to which they use standardized, interoperable...
Lagged wetland CH4 flux response in a historically wet year
Jessica Turner, Ankur R. Desai, Jonathan Thom, Kimberly Wickland
2021, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (126)
While a stimulating effect of plant primary productivity on soil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has been well documented, links between gross primary productivity (GPP) and wetland methane (CH4) emissions are less well investigated. Determination of the influence of primary productivity on wetland CH4 emissions (FCH4) is complicated by...
How will baseflow respond to climate change in the Upper Colorado River Basin?
Olivia L. Miller, Matthew P. Miller, Patrick C. Longley, Jay R. Alder, Lindsay A. Bearup, Tom Pruitt, Daniel K. Jones, Annie L. Putman, Christine Rumsey, Tim S. McKinney
2021, Geophysical Research Letters (48)
Baseflow is critical to sustaining streamflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Therefore, effective water resources management requires estimates of baseflow response to climatic changes. This study provides the first estimates of projected baseflow changes from historical (1984 – 2012) to thirty-year periods centered around 2030, 2050,...
Surface-water/groundwater boundaries affect seasonal PFAS concentrations and PFAA precursor transformations
Andrea K. Tokranov, Denis R. LeBlanc, Heidi M. Pickard, Bridger J. Ruyle, Larry B. Barber, Robert B. Hull, Elsie M. Sunderland, Chad D. Vecitis
2021, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts (23) 1893-1905
Elevated concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking-water supplies are a major concern for human health. It is therefore essential to understand factors that affect PFAS concentrations in surface water and groundwater and the transformation of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors that degrade into terminal compounds. Surface-water/groundwater exchange can...
Detection and measurement of land-surface deformation, Pajaro Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, California, 2015–18
Justin T. Brandt, Marisa M. Earll, Michelle Sneed, Wesley R. Henson
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1101
Land-surface deformation (subsidence) caused by groundwater withdrawal is identified as an undesirable result in the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s Basin Management Plan and California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. In Pajaro Valley, groundwater provides nearly 90 percent of the total water supply. To aid the development of sustainable groundwater management...
Hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the Cedar River alluvial aquifer, Linn County, Iowa, 1990–2019
Stephen J. Kalkhoff
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5110
Alluvial aquifers in Iowa have more wells with nitrate exceeding drinking-water standards than other aquifers; are susceptible to contamination by organic contaminants; and have high concentrations of naturally occurring iron and manganese in depositional areas that contain abundant organic matter. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of...
Hydrology and water quality of the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carolina, and implications for hydrologic-management goals and strategies
Gary K. Speiran, Frederic C. Wurster
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5100
The Great Dismal Swamp is a peat wetland in the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Timber harvesting and the construction of ditches to drain the swamp and facilitate the harvesting are collectively implicated in changes that altered the wetland forests, caused subsidence and decomposition of the...
System characterization report on Resourcesat-2 Linear Imaging Self Scanning-3 (LISS–3) sensor
Shankar N. Ramaseri Chandra, Jon Christopherson, Cody Anderson, Gregory L. Stensaas, Minsu Kim
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1030-H
Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of the Indian Space Research Organisation Resourcesat-2 Linear Imaging Self Scanning-3 (LISS–3) sensor and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence in 2021. These reports...
Influence of redox gradients on nitrate transport from the landscape to groundwater and streams
Anthony J. Tesoriero, Laurel E. Stratton, Matthew P. Miller
2021, Science of the Total Environment (800) 1-12
Increases in nitrogen applications to the land surface since the 1950s have led to a cascade of negative environmental impacts, including degradation of drinking water supplies, nutrient enrichment of aquatic ecosystems and contributions to global climate change. In this study, groundwater, streambed porewater, and stream sampling were used to establish...
Assessing specific-capacity data and short-term aquifer testing to estimate hydraulic properties in alluvial aquifers of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA
Connor P. Newman, Zachary D. Kisfalusi, Michael J. Holmberg
2021, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (38) 1-20
Study Region: Rocky Mountains, United StatesStudy Focus: Groundwater-flow modeling requires estimates of hydraulic properties, namely hydraulic conductivity. Hydraulic conductivity values commonly vary over orders of magnitudes however and estimation may require extensive field campaigns applying slug or pumping tests. As an alternative, specific-capacity tests can be used to estimate hydraulic...
Managed aquifer recharge suitability—Regional screening and case studies in Jordan and Lebanon
Daniel J. Goode, editor(s)
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1089
The U.S. Geological Survey, at the request of the U.S. Agency for International Development, led a 5-year regional project to develop and apply methods for water availability and suitability mapping for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) in the Middle East and North Africa region. A regional model of surface runoff for...
Stable isotope and geochemical characterization of nutrient sources and surface water near a confined animal feeding operation in the Big Creek watershed of northwest Arkansas
Kelly Sokolosky, Phillip D. Hays
Eve L. Kuniansky, Lawrence E. Spangler, editor(s)
2021, Conference Paper, U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Proceedings, October 19–20, 2021
A concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) established in Newton County, Arkansas, near Big Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo National River, raised concern about potential degradation of water quality in the karst watershed. In this study, isotopic tools were combined with standard geochemical approaches to characterize nutrient sources and dynamics...
Manganese in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern USA—Modeling regional occurrence with pH, redox, and machine learning
Leslie A. DeSimone, Katherine Marie Ransom
2021, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (37)
Study region: The study was conducted in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern USA, an important water supply in a densely populated region.Study focus: Manganese (Mn), an emerging health concern and common nuisance contaminant in drinking water, is mapped and modeled using the XGBoost machine learning method, predictions...
Hierarchical clustering for paired watershed experiments: Case study in southeastern Arizona, U.S.A.
Roy E. Petrakis, Laura M. Norman, Kurt Vaughn, Richard Pritzlaff, Caleb Weaver, Audrey J Rader, H. Ronald Pulliam
2021, Water (13)
Watershed studies are often onerous due to a lack of data available to portray baseline conditions with which to compare results of monitoring environmental effects. A paired-watershed approach is often adopted to simulate baseline conditions in an adjacent watershed that can be comparable but assumes there is...
Are Cisco and Lake Whitefish competitors? An analysis of historical fisheries in Michigan waters of the Upper Laurentian Great Lakes
Benjamin J. Rook, Michael J. Hansen, Charles R. Bronte
2021, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (12) 524-539
Historically, Cisco Coregonus artedi and Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis were abundant throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes, but overharvest, habitat degradation, and interactions with exotic species caused most populations to collapse by the mid-1900s. Strict commercial fishery regulations and improved environmental and ecological conditions allowed Cisco to partially recover only...
U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Proceedings, October 19–20, 2021
Eve L. Kuniansky, Lawrence E. Spangler, editor(s)
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5019
Karst hydrogeologic systems represent challenging and unique conditions to scientists attempting to study groundwater flow and contaminant transport. Karst terrains are characterized by distinct and beautiful landscapes, caverns, and springs, and many of the exceptional karst areas are designated as national or state parks. The range and complexity of landforms...
