Fault trace mapping and surface-fault-rupture special study zone delineation of the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah and Idaho
Greg N. McDonald, Emily J. Kleber, Adam I. Hiscock, S. Bennett, Steve D. Bowman
2020, Report, Report of Investigation 280
The Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) is a 220-mile-long (350-km) fault zone divided into 10 structural segments extending from southeastern Idaho to central Utah. The central five segments of the WFZ underlie the densely populated Wasatch Front region, where the majority of Utah’s population and economy are proximal to the fault...
Hatchling emergence ecology of Ouachita map turtles (Graptemys ouachitensis) on the lower Wisconsin River, Wisconsin, USA
Gregory A Geller, Gary S Casper, Brian J. Halstead
2020, Chelonian Conservation and Biology (19) 217-235
Despite its biological importance in shaping both individual fitness and population structure, much remains to be learned about the hatchling emergence ecology of most freshwater turtles. Here, we provide some of the first details on these early life stages for the Ouachita map turtle (Graptemys...
Machine learning for natural resource assessment: An application to the blind geothermal systems of Nevada
Stephen C. Brown, Mark F. Coolbaugh, Jacob DeAngelo, James E. Faulds, Michael Fehler, Chen Gu, John H. Queen, Sven Treitel, Connor M. Smith, Eli Mlawsky
2020, Conference Paper, Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
A study is underway to apply machine learning methods to evaluate natural resource potential. In particular, we are considering the search for blind geothermal systems in Nevada. Beginning with the data and experience from the previous Nevada play fairway analysis project, we are building models in TensorFlow/Keras and gaining experience...
New operational national satellite burned area product
Todd Hawbaker, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Gail L. Schmidt, Yen-Ju G. Beal, Joshua J. Picotte, Joshua Takacs, Jeff T. Falgout, John L. Dwyer
2020, Report
Introduction Lack of consistent spatial and temporal fire information with relevant spatial resolution hinders land management and broad-scale assessments of fire activity, especially in the eastern United States and the Great Plains where fi re is important ecologically and culturally. Remote sensing can be used to monitor fi re activity, augment...
Dispersal of hatchling Ouachita map turtles (Graptemys ouachitensis) from natural nests on the lower Wisconsin River, Wisconsin, USA
Gregory A Geller, Gary S Casper, Brian J. Halstead
2020, Chelonian Conservation and Biology (19) 236-245
Despite its importance to individual fitness and population dynamics, the dispersal behaviors of most neonate freshwater turtles after nest emergence are poorly known. We studied the initial dispersal tendencies of neonate Ouachita map turtles (Graptemys ouachitensis) exiting natural nests during 2015–2017 along the Wisconsin River,...
Vapor-bubble growth in olivine-hosted melt inclusions
Daniel J. Rasmussen, Terry Plank, Paul J. Wallace, Megan Newcombe, Jacob B. Lowenstern
2020, American Mineralogist (105) 1898-1919
Melt inclusions record the depth of magmatic processes, magma degassing paths, and volatile budgets of magmas. Extracting this information is a major challenge. It requires determining melt volatile contents at the time of entrapment when working with melt inclusions that have suffered post-entrapment modifications. Several processes decrease internal melt inclusion...
Assessment of methods for soil monitoring in the Adirondack region of New York
Gregory B. Lawrence, Michael R. Antidormi
2020, Report
Repeated sampling to detect changes in forest soils was rarely used before 1990, but the value of soil monitoring in understanding environmental change is becoming well established. The growing number of resampling studies has shown that sampling designs and procedures must be adapted to the objectives of the monitoring...
Geologic map of the Butte City 7.5' Quadrangle, Butte County, Idaho
Samuel Levi Helmuth, Evan Martin, Mary K. V. Hodges, Duane E. Champion
2020, Report
The geologic map of the Butte City 7.5’ quadrangle is based on mapping summarized in the 1:100,000 scale map of the Idaho National Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Map I-2330, by Kuntz and others, 1994. New surficial geologic mapping was completed by National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) interns,...
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Connecticut, through use of structured decision making
Laurel E. Low, Hilary A. Neckles, James E. Lyons, Jessica L. Nagel, Susan C. Adamowicz, Toni Mikula, Kristina Vagos, Richard Potvin
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1139
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...
Procedures and best practices for trigonometric leveling in the U.S. Geological Survey
Michael L. Noll, Paul H. Rydlund Jr.
2020, Techniques and Methods 11-D3
With the advent of highly precise total stations and modern surveying instrumentation, trigonometric leveling has become a compelling alternative to conventional leveling methods for establishing vertical-control networks and for perpetuating a datum to field sites. Previous studies of trigonometric-leveling measurement uncertainty proclaim that first-, second-, and third-order accuracies may be...
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) home range, movement and forays revealed by GPS-tracking
R.V. Blakley, R.B. Siegel, Elisabeth B. Webb, C.P. Dillingham, M. Tracy Johnson, D.C. Kesler
2020, Journal of Raptor Research (54) 388-401
The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is an apex predator occurring across North America and Eurasia. The species has received considerable conservation focus in late-seral conifer forests of western North America, where its habitat has been substantially reduced and altered by timber harvest and is increasingly...
Bedrock geologic map of the Springfield 7.5- x 15-minute quadrangle, Windsor County, Vermont, and Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Gregory J. Walsh, Peter M. Valley, Thomas R. Armstrong, Nicholas M. Ratcliffe, Arthur J. Merschat, Beau J. Gentry
2020, Scientific Investigations Map 3462
The bedrock geology of the 7.5- by 15-minute Springfield quadrangle consists of highly deformed and metamorphosed Mesoproterozoic through Devonian metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks. In the west, Mesoproterozoic gneisses of the Mount Holly Complex are the oldest rocks and form the eastern side of the Chester dome. The Moretown slice structurally...
Hydrogeology and groundwater geochemistry of till confining units and confined aquifers in glacial deposits near Litchfield, Cromwell, Akeley, and Olivia, Minnesota, 2014–18
Jared J. Trost, Anna-Turi Maher, William W. Simpkins, Alyssa N. Witt, James R. Stark, Justin Blum, Andrew M. Berg
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5127
Confined (or buried) aquifers of glacial origin overlain by till confining units provide drinking water to hundreds of thousands of Minnesota residents. The sustainability of these groundwater resources is not well understood because hydraulic properties of till that control vertical groundwater fluxes (leakage) to underlying aquifers are largely unknown. The...
A probabilistic assessment of tephra-fall hazards at Hanford, Washington, from a future eruption of Mount St. Helens
Larry G. Mastin, Alexa R. Van Eaton, Hans F. Schwaiger
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1133
Hanford, Washington (USA) is the construction site of a multi-billion-dollar high-level nuclear waste treatment facility. This site lies 200 kilometers (km) east of Mount St. Helens (MSH), the most active volcano in the contiguous United States. Tephra from a future MSH eruption could pose a hazard to the air intake...
New Mexico and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3060
New Mexico relies on observations from the Landsat series of satellites operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Data from Landsat also assist New Mexico in managing its precious water resources for agriculture, recreation, and industrial and community consumption. Landsat supports a variety of public and private sector decisions across New...
Water resources of Red River Parish, Louisiana
Angela L. Robinson, Vincent E. White
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3053
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Red River Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about...
Water resources of Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Angela L. Robinson, Vincent E. White
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3052
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about 13.03...
Optimization assessment of a groundwater-level observation network in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico
Andre B. Ritchie, Jeff D. Pepin
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5007
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA), measures groundwater levels continuously (hourly) and discretely (semiannually and annually) at a network of wells and piezometers (hereafter called the observation network) within the Middle Rio Grande Basin in central New Mexico. Groundwater levels that...
Bathymetric map, surface area, and capacity of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, northeastern Oklahoma, 2019
Shelby L. Hunter, A.R. Trevisan, Jennifer Villa, Kevin A. Smith
2020, Scientific Investigations Map 3467
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Grand River Dam Authority, completed a high-resolution multibeam bathymetric survey to compute a new area and capacity table for Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in northeastern Oklahoma. Area and capacity tables identify the relation between the elevation of the water surface...
Building loss in WUI disasters: Evaluating the core components of the wildland-urban interface definition
Michael D. Caggiano, Todd Hawbaker, Benjamin Gannon, Chad Hoffman
2020, Fire (3)
Accurate maps of the wildland–urban interface (WUI) are critical for the development of effective land management policies, conducting risk assessments, and the mitigation of wildfire risk. Most WUI maps identify areas at risk from wildfire by overlaying coarse-scale housing data with land cover or vegetation data. However,...
Geologic map and borehole stratigraphy of Hinkley Valley and vicinity, San Bernardino County, California
David M. Miller, Victoria E. Langenheim, Elizabeth K. Haddon
2020, Scientific Investigations Map 3458
Hinkley Valley, in the central to western Mojave Desert of southeastern California, has a long historical record owing to its position as a crossroads for rail and road traffic and its position adjacent to the Mojave River. Subflow in the Mojave River provided groundwater recharge that maintained water consumption and...
Permafrost mapping with electrical resistivity tomography in two wetland systems north of the Tanana River, Interior Alaska
Christopher H. Conaway, Cordell Johnson, Thomas Lorenson, Merritt R. Turetsky, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Mark Waldrop, Peter W. Swarzenski
2020, Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics (2) 199-209
Surface-based 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys were used to characterize permafrost distribution at wetland sites on the alluvial plain north of the Tanana River, 20 km southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska, in June and September 2014. The sites were part of an ecologically-sensitive research area characterizing biogeochemical response of this...
Simulation of groundwater flow in the regional aquifer system on Long Island, New York, for pumping and recharge conditions in 2005–15
Donald A. Walter, John P. Masterson, Jason S. Finkelstein, Monti, Paul E. Misut, Michael N. Fienen
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5091
A three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed for the aquifer system of Long Island, New York, to evaluate (1) responses of the hydrologic system to changes in natural and anthropogenic hydraulic stresses, (2) the subsurface distribution of groundwater age, and (3) the regional-scale distribution of groundwater travel times and the source...
Geomorphic survey of North Fork Eagle Creek, New Mexico, 2018
Alexander P. Graziano
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1121
About one-quarter of the water supply for the Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, is from groundwater pumped from wells located along North Fork Eagle Creek in the National Forest System lands of the Lincoln National Forest near Alto, New Mexico. Because of concerns regarding the effects of groundwater pumping on...
Density dependence and adult survival drive the dynamics in two high elevation amphibian populations
Amanda M. Kissel, Simone Tenan, Erin L. Muths
2020, Diversity (12)
Amphibian conservation has progressed from the identification of declines to mitigation, but efforts are hampered by the lack of nuanced information about the effects of environmental characteristics and stressors on mechanistic processes of population regulation. Challenges include a paucity of long-term data and scant information about the relative roles of...
