Delineation of areas contributing groundwater and travel times to receiving waters in Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties, New York
Paul E. Misut, Nicole A. Casamassina, Donald A. Walter
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5047
To assist resource managers and planners in developing informed strategies to address nitrogen loading to coastal water bodies of Long Island, New York, the U.S. Geological Survey and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation initiated a program to delineate areas contributing groundwater to coastal water bodies by assembling a...
Dynamic selection of exposure time for turbulent flow measurements
Jose M. Diaz Lozada, Carlos M. Garcia, Graciela Scacchi, Kevin Oberg
2021, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering (147) 1-11
The selection of optimum sampling configurations to measure the aspects of turbulent flow of water depends on the variable being measured, the applied measurement technique, the degree of environmental noise, and flow characteristics in and near the sampling location. This work presents a method to dynamically select the exposure time...
The role of neutral and adaptive genomic variation in population diversification and speciation in two ground squirrel species of conservation concern
Soraia Barbosa, Kimberly R. Andrews, Amanda R. Goldberg, Digpal S. Gour, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Courtney J. Conway, Lisette P. Waits
2021, Molecular Ecology (30) 4673-4694
Understanding the neutral (demographic) and adaptive processes leading to the differentiation of species and populations is a critical component of evolutionary and conservation biology. In this context, recently diverged taxa represent a unique opportunity to study the process of genetic differentiation. Northern and southern Idaho ground squirrels (Urocitellus brunneus—NIDGS, and U. endemicus—SIDGS,...
The impact of COVID-19 on freshwater fisheries fieldwork and data collection
E. E Tracy, Chad N. Teal, Steven J. Ingram, Christopher J. Jenney, Joshua D. Grant, Scott A. Bonar
2021, Fisheries Magazine (46) 505-511
COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of society including freshwater fisheries fieldwork. Our study quantified the effects of the pandemic on fisheries fieldwork in the United States. We administered a survey to fisheries chiefs in all 50 states to assess the pandemic’s impact on fisheries fieldwork. Of the 37 participants,...
Geophysical constraints on the crustal architecture of the transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane, western Nevada, USA
Richard W. Briggs, William J. Stephenson, J.H. McBride, Jackson K. Odum, Nadine G. Reitman, Ryan D. Gold
2021, JGR Solid Earth (126)
The Walker Lane is a zone of distributed transtension where normal faults are overprinted by strike-slip motion. We use two newly-acquired high-resolution seismic reflection profiles and a reprocessed Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) deep crustal reflection profile to assess the subsurface geometry of the Holocene-active, transtensional Warm Springs Valley...
Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow in Columbia County, Wisconsin
Madeline Gotkowitz, Andrew T. Leaf, Steven M. Sellwood
2021, Report
This report describes the regional hydrogeology and groundwater resources of Columbia County, Wisconsin, and documents a regional groundwater flow model developed for the county. Regional hydrostratigraphic units include the unlithified aquifer, the upper bedrock aquifer, and the Elk Mound aquifer. The unlithified aquifer consists of deposits that range in composition from...
Formation of miarolitic-class, segregation-type pegmatites in the Taishanmiao batholith, China: The role of pressure fluctuations and volatile exsolution during pegmatite formation in a closed, isochoric system
Yabin Yuan, Lowell Moore, Ryan J. McAleer, Shunda Yuan, Hegen Ouyang, Harvey E. Belkin, Jingwen Mao, Matthew D. Sublett, Robert J. Bodnar
2021, American Mineralogist (106) 1559-1573
The Taishanmiao granitic batholith, located in the Eastern Qinling Orogen in Henan Province, China, contains numerous small (mostly tens of centimeters in maximum dimension) bodies exhibiting textures and mineralogy characteristics of simple quartz and alkali feldspar pegmatites. Analysis of melt inclusions (MI) and fluid inclusions (FI) in pegmatitic quartz, combined...
Conceptual and numerical groundwater flow model of the Cedar River alluvial aquifer system with simulation of drought stress on groundwater availability near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for 2011 through 2013
Adel E. Haj, Wonsook S. Ha, Lance R. Gruhn, Emilia L. Bristow, Amy M. Gahala, Joshua F. Valder, Carole D. Johnson, Eric A. White, Shelby P. Sterner
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5065
Between July 2011 and February 2013, the City of Cedar Rapids observed water level declines in their horizontal collector wells approaching 11 meters. As a result, pumping from these production wells had to be halted, and questions were raised about the reliability of the alluvial aquifer under future drought conditions....
Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey
Guy M. Foster, Lindsey R. King, John D. Jastram, John K. Joiner, Brian A. Pellerin, Jennifer L. Graham, Thomas J. Williams
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1009
The challenges associated with field measurements of turbidity are well known and result primarily from differences in reported values that depend on instrument design and the resulting need for reporting units that are specific to those designs. A critical challenge for making comparable turbidity measurements is the selection and use...
U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Forum—Summary of remaining data and science needs and next steps
Leon M. Carl, Jon Hortness, Russell M. Strach
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1096
A U.S. Geological Survey-led assessment of data gaps and science needs across the Great Lakes ecosystem indicated the following:• Expanded data collection or monitoring would provide basic ecosystem, social, and public health data to manage the Great Lakes system and to develop and test models and decision support tools.• New...
Intelligent monitoring system for real-time geologic storage, optimization, and reservoir management
J. Ole Kaven
2021, Technical Report DOE-USGS-FE0026517-1
The objective of the subtask was to develop a near-real-time monitoring system for seismic data at the Decatur, IL, geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) site and specifically include fiber-optic cable derived distributed acoustic signal (DAS) data in the process. Owing to the large volumes of data, we opted to utilize existing...
Accuracy of flowmeters measuring horizontal flow in fractured-rock simulators
E. Randall Bayless
2021, Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation (41) 50-61
Laboratory evaluations of flowmeter response to flow in fractured-rock simulators are needed to improve understanding of data collected in field settings. The ability of flowmeters to accurately measure the velocity and direction of water flowing between parallel plates was used as a surrogate for instrument response...
Using the California Waterfowl Tracker to assess proximity of waterfowl to commercial poultry in the Central Valley of California
Sarai Acosta, Todd Kelman, Shane Feirer, Elliott Matchett, Jaclyn A. Smolinsky, Maurice E. Pitesky, Jeffrey J. Buler
2021, Avian Diseases (65) 483-492
Migratory waterfowl are the primary reservoir of avian influenza viruses (AIV) which can be spread to commercial poultry. Surveillance efforts that track the location and abundance of wild waterfowl and link those data to inform assessments of risk and sampling for AIV currently do not exist. To assist surveillance and...
Machine learning can assign geologic basin to produced water samples using major ion geochemistry
Jenna L. Shelton, Aaron M. Jubb, Samuel Saxe, Emil D. Attanasi, Alexei Milkov, Mark A Engle, Philip A. Freeman, Christopher Shaffer, Madalyn S. Blondes
2021, Natural Resources Research (30) 4147-4163
Understanding the geochemistry of waters produced during petroleum extraction is essential to informing the best treatment and reuse options, which can potentially be optimized for a given geologic basin. Here, we used the US Geological Survey’s National Produced Waters Geochemical Database (PWGD) to determine if major ion chemistry could be...
Clays are not created equal: How clay mineral type affects soil parameterization
Peter Lehmann, Ben Leshchinsky, Surya Gupta, Benjamin B. Mirus, Samuel Bickel, Ning Lu, Dani Or
2021, Geophysical Research Letters (48)
Clay minerals dominate the soil colloidal fraction and its specific surface area. Differences among clay mineral types significantly influence their effects on soil hydrological and mechanical behavior. Presently, the soil clay content is used to parameterize soil hydraulic and mechanical properties (SHMP) for land surface models while...
The Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program from 1997 to 2017: Results, analyses, and lessons learned
Jacoby Carter, Darren Johnson, Jeff Boundy, William Vermillion
2021, PLoS ONE (16)
To determine trends in either frog distribution or abundance in the State of Louisiana, we reviewed and analyzed frog call data from the Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program (LAMP). The data were collected between 1997 and 2017 using North American Amphibian Monitoring Program protocols. Louisiana was divided...
Method development for a short-term 7-day toxicity test with unionid mussels
Ning Wang, James L. Kunz, Douglas K. Hardesty, Jeffery A. Steevens, Teresa J. Norberg-King, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. Bauer, Tom Augspurger, Suzanne Dunn, David Martinez, M. Christopher Barnhart, Jordan Murray, Marcus Bowersox, John F. Roberts, Robert B. Bringolf, Robert Ratajczak, Serena Ciparis, W. Gregory Cope, Sean B. Buczek, Daniel Farrar, Lauren May, Mailee Garton, Patricia L. Gillis, James Bennett, Joseph Salerno, Brian Hester, Richard Lockwood, Christopher Tarr, Dennis McIntyre, Jonathan Wardell
2021, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (40) 3392-3409
The US Environmental Protection Agency's short-term freshwater effluent test methods include a fish (Pimephales promelas), a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and a green alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata). There is a recognized need for additional taxa to accompany the three standard species for effluent testing. An appropriate additional taxon...
Surface-water and groundwater interactions in the Big Lost River, south-central Idaho
Taylor J. Dudunake, Lauren M. Zinsser
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5078-B
The Big Lost River of south-central Idaho interacts with the underlying aquifer by gaining and losing streamflow throughout various areas in the Big Lost River Valley. Surface-water and groundwater resources are used throughout the valley to sustain domestic, agricultural, and livestock needs. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the...
Demographic risk assessment for a harvested species threatened by climate change: Polar bears in the Chukchi Sea
Eric V. Regehr, Michael C. Runge, Andrew L. Von Duyke, Ryan R. Wilson, Lori Polasek, Karyn D. Rode, Nathan J. Hostetter, Sarah J. Converse
2021, Ecological Applications (31)
Climate change threatens global biodiversity. Many species vulnerable to climate change are important to humans for nutritional, cultural, and economic reasons. Polar bears Ursus maritimus are threatened by sea-ice loss and represent a subsistence resource for Indigenous people. We applied a novel population modeling-management framework that is based on species life history...
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Maine, through use of structured decision making
Hilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Kathleen M. O’Brien, Bri Benvenuti, Ryan Kleinert
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1080
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total benefit achieved and balances...
National assessment of helium resources within known natural gas reservoirs
Sean T. Brennan, Jennifer L. Rivera, Brian A. Varela, Andy J. Park
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5085
Using available data, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that 306 billion cubic feet of recoverable helium is presently within the known geologic natural gas reservoirs of the United States....
Development of a groundwater-simulation model in the Los Angeles Coastal Plain, Los Angeles County, California
Scott Paulinski, editor(s)
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5088
Executive SummaryThe Los Angeles Coastal Plain (LACP) covers about 580 square miles and is the largest coastal plain of semiarid southern California. The LACP is heavily developed with mostly residential, commercial, and industrial land uses that rely heavily on groundwater for water supply. In 2010, the LACP was home to...
The Mount Hood fault zone, active faulting at the crest of the dynamic Cascade Range, north-central Oregon, USA
Ian Madin, Ashley R. Streig, Scott E.K. Bennett
2021, Book chapter, From Terranes to Terrains: Geologic Field Guides on the Construction and Destruction of the Pacific Northwest
The Mount Hood fault zone is a N-trending, ~55-km-long zone of active faulting along the western margin of the Hood River graben in north-central Oregon. The Mount Hood fault zone occurs along the crest of the Cascade Range and consists of multiple active fault segments. It is presently unclear how...
Late Cenozoic tephrochronology of the Mount Diablo area within the evolving plate-tectonic boundary zone of northern California
Andrei Sarna-Wojcicki, Raymond Sullivan, Alan L. Deino, Laura Walkup, J. Ross Wagner, Elmira Wan
2021, GSA Memoirs (217) 393-441
We present a tephrochronologic/chronostratigraphic database for the Mount Diablo area and greater San Francisco Bay region that provides a spatial and temporal framework for geologic studies in the region, including stratigraphy, paleogeography,...
Assessing potential groundwater-level declines from future withdrawals in the Hualapai Valley, northwestern Arizona
Jacob E. Knight, Bruce Gungle, Jeffrey R. Kennedy
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5077
A numerical groundwater flow model of the Hualapai Valley Basin in northwestern Arizona was developed to assist water-resource managers in understanding the potential effects of projected groundwater withdrawals on groundwater levels in the basin. The Hualapai Valley Hydrologic Model (HVHM) simulates the hydrologic system for the years 1935 through 2219,...
