Groundwater quality in the Delaware and St. Lawrence River Basins, New York, 2010
Elizabeth A. Nystrom
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1320
Water samples were collected from 10 production and domestic wells in the Delaware River Basin in New York and from 20 production and domestic wells in the St. Lawrence River Basin in New York from August through November 2010 to characterize groundwater quality in the basins. The samples were collected...
Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) investigation
Kenneth S. Edgett, R. Aileen Yingst, Michael A. Ravine, Michael A. Caplinger, Justin N. Maki, F. Tony Ghaemi, Jacob A. Schaffner, James F. Bell III, Laurence J. Edwards, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Ezat Heydari, Linda C. Kah, Mark T. Lemmon, Michelle E. Minitti, Timothy S. Olson, Timothy J. Parker, Scott K. Rowland, Juergen Schieber, Robert J. Sullivan, Dawn Y. Sumner, Peter C. Thomas, Elsa H. Jensen, John J. Simmonds, Aaron J. Sengstacken, Reg G. Wilson, Walter Goetz
2012, Space Science Reviews (170) 259-317
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) investigation will use a 2-megapixel color camera with a focusable macro lens aboard the rover, Curiosity, to investigate the stratigraphy and grain-scale texture, structure, mineralogy, and morphology of geologic materials in northwestern Gale crater. Of particular interest is the stratigraphic...
The Spar Lake strata-Bound Cu-Ag deposit formed across a mixing zone between trapped natural gas and metals-bearing brine
Timothy S. Hayes, Gary P. Landis, Joseph F. Whelan, Robert O. Rye, Richard J. Moscati
2012, Economic Geology (107) 1223-1249
Ore formation at the Spar Lake red bed-associated strata-bound Cu deposit took place across a mixing and reaction zone between a hot oxidized metals-transporting brine and a reservoir of “sour” (H2S-bearing) natural gas trapped in the host sandstones. Fluid inclusion volatile analyses have very high CH4 concentrations (≥1 mol %...
Ore genesis constraints on the Idaho Cobalt Belt from fluid inclusion gas, noble gas isotope, and ion ratio analyses
Albert H. Hofstra, Gary P. Landis
2012, Economic Geology (107) 1189-1205
The Idaho cobalt belt is a 60-km-long alignment of deposits composed of cobaltite, Co pyrite, chalcopyrite, and gold with anomalous Nb, Y, Be, and rare-earth elements (REEs) in a quartz-biotite-tourmaline gangue hosted in Mesoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Lemhi Group. It is the largest cobalt resource in the United States...
Mercury cycling in terrestrial watersheds
James B. Shanley, Kevin Bishop
Michael S. Banks, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Mercury in the environment: Pattern and process
This chapter discusses mercury cycling in the terrestrial landscape, including inputs from the atmosphere, accumulation in soils and vegetation, outputs in streamflow and volatilization, and effects of land disturbance. Mercury mobility in the terrestrial landscape is strongly controlled by organic matter. About 90% of the atmospheric mercury input is retained...
Concentrations, loads, and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls, Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary, eastern Massachusetts
Robert F. Breault
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5004
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to contaminate the Neponset River, which flows through parts of Boston, Massachusetts, and empties into the Neponset River Estuary, an important fish-spawning area. The river is dammed and impassable to fish. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game,...
On the contribution of reconstruction labor wages and material prices to demand surge
Anna H. Olsen, Keith A. Porter
2011, SESM 11-1
Demand surge is understood to be a socio-economic phenomenon of large-scale natural disasters, most commonly explained by higher repair costs (after a large- versus small-scale disaster) resulting from higher material prices and labor wages. This study tests this explanation by developing quantitative models for the cost change of sets, or...
Applications of Groundwater Helium
Justin T. Kulongoski, David R. Hilton
2011, Book chapter, Handbook of Environmental Isotop Geochemistry, Volume 1
Helium abundance and isotope variations have widespread application in groundwater-related studies. This stems from the inert nature of this noble gas and the fact that its two isotopes ? helium-3 and helium-4 ? have distinct origins and vary widely in different terrestrial reservoirs. These attributes allow He concentrations and 3He/4He...
Interlaboratory comparison of measurements of acid-volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted nickel in spiked sediments
William G. Brumbaugh, Chad R. Hammerschmidt, Luciana Zanella, Emily Rogevich, Gregory Salata, Radoslaw Puchalka
2011, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (30) 1306-1309
An interlaboratory comparison of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted nickel (SEM_Ni) measurements of sediments was conducted among five independent laboratories. Relative standard deviations for the seven test samples ranged from 5.6 to 71% (mean = 25%) for AVS and from 5.5 to 15% (mean = 10%) for SEM_Ni. These results are in stark...
Geophysical, stratigraphic, and flow-zone logs of selected wells in Cayuga County, New York, 2001–2011
David A.V. Eckhardt, John Williams, J. Alton Anderson
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1319
Geophysical logs were collected and analyzed along with bedrock core samples and bedrock outcrops to define the bedrock stratigraphy and flow zones penetrated by 93 monitor and water-supply wells in Cayuga County, New York. The work was completed from 2001 through 2011 as part of an investigation of volatile-organic compound...
Quality of volatile organic compound data from groundwater and surface water for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, October 1996–December 2008
David A. Bender, John S. Zogorski, David K. Mueller, Donna L. Rose, Jeffrey D. Martin, Cassandra K. Brenner
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5204
This report describes the quality of volatile organic compound (VOC) data collected from October 1996 to December 2008 from groundwater and surface-water sites for the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The VOC data described were collected for three NAWQA site types: (1) domestic and public-supply wells, (2)...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the San Diego Drainages Hydrogeologic Province, 2004: California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Michael T. Wright, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5154
Groundwater quality in the approximately 3,900-square-mile (mi2) San Diego Drainages Hydrogeologic Province (hereinafter San Diego) study unit was investigated from May through July 2004 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in southwestern California in the...
Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination—Edwards aquifer near San Antonio, Texas
Martha L. Jagucki, MaryLynn Musgrove, Richard J. Lindgren, Lynne Fahlquist, Sandra M. Eberts
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3142
This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well field in San Antonio, Texas. The well field consists of six production wells that tap the Edwards aquifer. Typically, one or two wells are pumped at a time, yielding an average total of 20-21 million gallons per...
Groundwater geochemical and selected volatile organic compound data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June 2009
R.L. Huffman, R.S. Dinicola
2011, Data Series 644
Previous investigations indicate that natural attenuation and biodegradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are substantial in groundwater beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU 1), Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. Phytoremediation combined with ongoing natural attenuation processes was the preferred remedy selected by the...
Source-water susceptibility assessment in Texas—Approach and methodology
Randy L. Ulery, John E. Meyer, Robert W. Andren, Jeremy K. Newson
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5197
Public water systems provide potable water for the public's use. The Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1996 required States to prepare a source-water susceptibility assessment (SWSA) for each public water system (PWS). States were required to determine the source of water for each PWS, the origin of any...
Relating nutrient and herbicide fate with landscape features and characteristics of 15 subwatersheds in the Choptank River watershed
W. Dean Hively, Cathleen J. Hapeman, Laura L. McConnell, Thomas R. Fisher, Clifford P. Rice, Gregory W. McCarty, Ali M. Sadeghi, David R. Whitall, Peter M. Downey, Gabriela T. Nino de Guzman, Krystyna Bialek-Kalinski, Megan W. Lang, Anne B. Gustafson, Adrienne J. Sutton, Kerry A. Sefton, Jennifer A. Harman Fetcho
2011, Science of the Total Environment (409) 3866-3878
Excess nutrients and agrochemicals from non-point sources contribute to water quality impairment in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and their loading rates are related to land use, agricultural practices, hydrology, and pollutant fate and transport processes. In this study, monthly baseflow stream samples from 15 agricultural subwatersheds of the Choptank River...
Groundwater conditions and studies in the Augusta–Richmond County area, Georgia, 2008–2009
Gerard Gonthier, Stephen J. Lawrence, Michael F. Peck, O. Gary Holloway
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5188
Groundwater studies and monitoring efforts conducted during 2008–2009, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Water Program with the City of Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia, provided data for the effective management of local water resources. During 2008–2009 the USGS completed: (1) installation of three monitoring wells and...
Hydrogeology, chemical characteristics, and water sources and pathways in the zone of contribution of a public-supply well in San Antonio, Texas
MaryLynn Musgrove, Lynne Fahlquist, Gregory P. Stanton, Natalie A. Houston, Richard J. Lindgren
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5146
In 2001, the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a series of studies on the transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants (TANC) to public-supply wells (PSWs). The main goal of the TANC project was to better understand the source, transport, and receptor factors that control...
Assessment of Hyporheic Zone, Flood-Plain, Soil-Gas, Soil, and Surface-Water Contamination at the McCoys Creek Chemical Training Area, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010
Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1267
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, Georgia, assessed the hyporheic zone, flood plain, soil gas, soil, and surface water for contaminants at the McCoys Creek Chemical Training Area...
Probability of detecting perchlorate under natural conditions in deep groundwater in California and the Southwestern United States
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Environmental Science & Technology (45) 1271-1277
We use data from 1626 groundwater samples collected in California, primarily from public drinking water supply wells, to investigate the distribution of perchlorate in deep groundwater under natural conditions. The wells were sampled for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Priority Basin Project. We develop a logistic regression model...
Assessment of hyporheic zone, flood-plain, soil-gas, soil, and surface-water contamination at the Old Incinerator Area, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010
Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1201
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, Georgia, assessed the hyporheic zone, flood plain, soil gas, soil, and surface-water for contaminants at the Old Incinerator Area at Fort Gordon,...
Assessment of groundwater, soil-gas, and soil contamination at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010
Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Fred Falls, Andral W. Caldwell, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2011, Open-File Report 2011-1200
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, Georgia, assessed the groundwater, soil gas, and soil for contaminants at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility (VATF) at Fort Gordon, from October...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, 2007-California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Carmen A. Burton, Joseph Montrella, Matthew K. Landon, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5052
Groundwater quality in the approximately 460-square-mile Santa Clara River Valley study unit was investigated from April through June 2007 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Basins, 2005-California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5058
Groundwater quality in the approximately 1,000 square mile (2,590 km2) Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Basins (MS) study unit was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in central California in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and...
Occurrence and concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in groundwater used for public drinking-water supply in California
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Science of the Total Environment (409) 3409-3417
Pharmaceutical compounds were detected at low concentrations in 2.3% of 1231 samples of groundwater (median depth to top of screened interval in wells = 61 m) used for public drinking-water supply in California. Samples were collected statewide for the California State Water Resources Control Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program....
