Viscous relaxation of Oort and Edgeworth craters on Pluto: Possible indicators of an epoch of early high heat flow
W. B. McKinnon, Michael T. Bland, K. Singer, P. M. Schenk, S. Robbins
2023, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (128)
Impact craters, with their well-defined initial shapes, have proven useful as heat flow probes of a number of icy bodies, provided characteristics of viscous relaxation can be identified. For Pluto's numerous craters, such identifications are hampered/complicated by infilling and erosion by mobile volatile ices, but not in...
Tracking carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Volcanic Arc
Taryn Lopez, Tobias P. Fischer, Terry Plank, Alberto Malinverno, Andrea Rizzo, Daniel J. Rasmussen, Elizabeth Cottrell, Cynthia Werner, Christoph Kern, Deborah Bergfeld, Tehnuka Ilanko, Janine L. Andrys, Katherine A. Kelley
2023, Science Advances (9)
Subduction transports volatiles between Earth’s mantle, crust, and atmosphere, ultimately creating a habitable Earth. We use isotopes to track carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Arc. We find substantial along-strike variations in the isotopic composition of volcanic gases, explained by different recycling efficiencies of subducting carbon to the...
Selenium hazards in the Salton Sea environment—Summary of current knowledge to inform future wetland management
Michael R. Rosen, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Krishangi D. Groover, Isa Woo, Sarah A. Roberts, Melanie J. Davis, Cristiana Y. Antonino
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5042
Quaternary marine and continental shales in the western United States are sources of selenium that can be loaded into the aquatic environment through mining, agricultural, and energy production processes. The mobilization of selenium from shales through agricultural irrigation has been recognized since the 1930s; however, discovery of deformities in birds...
Distribution of rare earth and other critical elements in lignites from the Eocene Jackson Group, Texas
James C. Hower, Peter D. Warwick, Bridget R. Scanlon, Robert C. Reedy, Tristan M. Childress
2023, International Journal of Coal Geology (275)
Coal is increasingly evaluated as a source of rare earth elements (REEs) in the United States to address the overreliance on imported REEs. The objective of this study was to assess the distribution of REEs in lignites from selected mining areas in the Texas...
Biotic and abiotic factors shaping bat activity in Maryland soybean fields
Lauren D. Maynard, W. Mark Ford, John D. Parker, Susan R. Whitehead
2023, Ecosphere (14)
Bats are important pest control agents in agriculture. Yet, the underlying fine-scale biotic and abiotic mechanisms that drive their foraging behaviors and responses to insect outbreaks are unclear. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) can attract both invertebrate and vertebrate natural enemies that use the chemical plant cues to locate insect prey....
Masting is uncommon in trees that depend on mutualist dispersers in the context of global climate and fertility gradients
Tong Qiu, Marie-Claire Aravena Acuna, Davide Ascoli, Yves Bergeron, Michal Mogdziewicz, Thomas Biovin, Raul Bonal, Thomas Caignard, Maxime Cailleret, Rafael Calama, Sergio Donoso Calderon, J. Julio Camarero, Chia-Hua Chang-Yang, Jerome Chave, Francesco Chianucci, Benoit Courbaud, Andrea Cutini, Adrian Das, Nicolas Delpierre, Sylvain Delzon, Michael Dietze, Laurent Dormont, Josep Maria Espelta, Timothy J. Fahey, William Farfar-Rios, Jerry F. Franklin, Catherine A. Gehring, Gregory S. Gilbert, Georg Gratzner, Cathryn H. Greenberg, Arthur Guignabert, Qinfeng Guo, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Arndt Hampe, Qingmin Han, Jan Holik, Kazuhiko Hoshizaki, Ines Ibanez, Jill F. Johnstone, Valentin Journé, Thomas Kitzberger, Jean Knops, Georges Kunstler, Hiroko Kurokawa, Jonathan G. A. Lageard, Jalene M. LaMontagne, Francois Lefevre, Theodor Leininger, Jean-Marc Limousin, James A. Lutz, Diana Macias, Anders Marell, Eliot J. B. McIntire, Christopher Moore, Emily V. Moran, Renzo Motta, Jonathan A. Myers, Thomas A. Nagel, Shoji Naoe, Mohoko Noguchi, Michio Oguro, Robert Parmenter, Ignacio M. Perez-Ramos, Lukasz Piechnik, Tomasz Podforski, John Poulsen, Miranda D. Redmond, Chad Reid, Kyle C. Rodman, Fransisco Rodrigues-Sanchez, Pavel Samonil, Javier Sanguinetto, Lane Scher, Barbara Seget, Shubhi Sharma, Mitsue Shibata, Miles Silman, Michael A. Steele, Nathan L. Stephenson, Jacob N. Straub, Samantha Sutton, Jennifer J. Swenson, Margaret Swift, Peter A. Thomas, Maria Uriarte, Giorgio Vacchiano, Amy V. Whipple, Thomas G. Whitham, Andreas Wion, Joseph Wright, Kai Zhu, Jess Zimmermann, Magdalena Zywiec, James S. Clark
2023, Nature Plants (9) 1044-1056
The benefits of masting (volatile, quasi-synchronous seed production at lagged intervals) include satiation of seed predators, but these benefits come with a cost to mutualist pollen and seed dispersers. If the evolution of masting represents a balance between these benefits and costs, we expect mast avoidance...
Distribution of chlorinated volatile organic compounds and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater and surface water at the former Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey, 2018
Alex R. Fiore, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Timothy P. Wilson
2023, Open-File Report 2023-1022
Groundwater wells and surface-water storm sewers contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) site in West Trenton, New Jersey were sampled in 2018 as part of the Navy’s long-term monitoring program. Trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cisDCE), and vinyl...
Groundwater availability, geochemistry, and flow pathways to public-supply wells in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and bedrock aquifers, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina, 2015–2019
Bruce G. Campbell, James E. Landmeyer
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2022-5036
Between 2015 and 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) studied concerns related to projected increases in demand for groundwater, in collaboration with municipal water providers and county managers within the study area, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina. A three-dimensional (3D), numerical groundwater-flow model of the Atlantic...
Water quality at Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the potential effects of hydrocarbon extraction
Benjamin S. Linhoff, Kimberly R. Beisner, Andrew G. Hunt, Zachary M. Shephard
2023, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (47)
Study regionChaco Culture National Historical Park (CCNHP) is in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A. Its only water supply is in Gallup Sandstone aquifer, stratigraphically surrounded by layers long targeted for oil and natural gas extraction.Study focusTo assess groundwater flow direction, age,...
Weak degassing from remote Alaska volcanoes characterized with a new airborne Imaging DOAS instrument and a suite of in situ sensors
Christoph Kern, Peter J. Kelly
2023, Frontiers in Earth Science (11)
Gas emissions from volcanoes occur when volatile species exsolve from magmatic and hydrothermal systems and make their way to the surface. Measurements of emitted gases therefore provide insights into volcanic processes. On 16 July 2021, we made airborne measurements of weak gas plumes emitted from four remote Alaska volcanoes: Iliamna...
Completion summary for Borehole TAN-2336 at Test Area North, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Brian V. Twining, Kerri C. Treinen, Allison R. Trcka
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5020
In 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed borehole TAN-2336 for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory in southeastern Idaho. Borehole TAN-2336 initially was cored from the depths...
Algal amendment enhances biogenic methane production from coals of different thermal maturity
George A. Platt, Katherine J. Davis, Hannah D. Schweitzer, Heidi J. Smith, Matthew W. Fields, Elliott P. Barnhart, Robin Gerlach
2023, Frontiers in Microbiology (14)
The addition of small amounts of algal biomass to stimulate methane production in coal seams is a promising low carbon renewable coalbed methane enhancement technique. However, little is known about how the addition of algal biomass amendment affects methane production from coals of different thermal maturity. Here, we show...
Sierra Nevada amphibians demonstrate stable occupancy despite precipitation volatility in the early 21st Century
Brian J. Halstead, Patrick M. Kleeman, Jonathan P. Rose, Gary M. Fellers
2023, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (10)
Climate can have a strong influence on species distributions, and amphibians with different life histories might be affected by annual variability in precipitation in different ways. The Sierra Nevada of California, United States, experienced some of the driest and wettest years on record in the early 21st Century, with...
Groundwater quality near the Montebello Oil Field, Los Angeles County, California
Jennifer S. Stanton, Michael Land, Matthew K. Landon, David H. Shimabukuro, Peter B. McMahon, Tracy A. Davis, Andrew G. Hunt, Theron A. Sowers
2023, Scientific Investigations Report 2022-5128
Groundwater quality and potential sources and migration pathways of chemical constituents associated with hydrocarbon-bearing formations were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the California State Water Resources Control Board Oil and Gas Regional Monitoring Program (RMP). Groundwater samples were collected as part of the RMP from 21 preexisting wells...
Groundwater quality in the Mohawk and western New York River Basins, New York, 2016
Devin L. Gaige, Tia-Marie Scott, James E. Reddy, Meaghan R. Keefe
2023, Open-File Report 2022-1021
Water samples were collected from July through December 2016 from 9 production wells and 13 domestic wells in the Mohawk River Basin, and from 17 production wells and 17 domestic wells in the western New York River Basins. The samples were collected and processed by using standard U.S. Geological Survey...
Decompression and degassing, repressurization, and regassing during cyclic eruptions at Guagua Pichincha volcano, Ecuador, 1999–2001
Heather M. Wright, Raffaello Cioni, Katharine V. Cashman, Patricia Mothes, Mauro Rosi
2023, Bulletin of Volcanology (85)
In 1999–2001, Guagua Pichincha volcano, Ecuador, produced a series of cyclic explosive and effusive eruptions. Rock samples, including dense blocks and pumiceous clasts collected during the eruption sequence, and ballistic bombs later collected from the crater floor, provide information about magma storage, ascent, decompression, degassing, repressurization, and regassing prior to...
Quality of groundwater used for domestic drinking-water supply in the Coachella Valley, 2020
Andrew L. Soldavini, Jennifer S. Harkness, Zeno F. Levy, Miranda S. Fram
2023, Open-File Report 2022-1122
Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water in the Coachella Valley in the desert region of southern California. Although most people in Coachella Valley are served by public drinking-water systems, about 20,000 people rely on private domestic or small-system wells (referred to herein as domestic wells). Recently, the U.S....
Bottled water contaminant exposures and potential human effects
Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Nicola Evans, Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick, Carrie E. Givens, Stephanie E. Gordon, James L. Gray, Emily M. Green, Dale W. Griffin, Michelle L. Hladik, Leslie K. Kanagy, John T. Lisle, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Elizabeth Medlock-Kakaley, Ana Navas-Acien, David A. Roth, Paul F. South, Christopher P. Weis
2023, Environment International (171)
Bottled water (BW) consumption in the United States and globally has increased amidst heightened concern about environmental contaminant exposures and health risks in drinking water supplies, despite a paucity of directly comparable, environmentally-relevant contaminant exposure data for BW. This study provides insight into exposures and cumulative risks to...
Spatial and temporal variations in phosphorus loads in the Illinois River Basin, Illinois USA
Gregory F. McIsaac, Timothy O. Hodson, Momvcilo Markus, Rabin Bhattarai, Daniel Chulgi Kim
2023, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (59) 523-538
Total phosphorus (TP) loads in many rivers in the north-central United States have increased, including the Illinois River at Valley City, Illinois, USA, which increased 39% from the periods 1989–1996 to 2015–2019 despite efforts to reduce loads from point and nonpoint sources. Here, we quantify long-term...
Groundwater-level altitudes and groundwater-flow direction and nature and extent of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds at Petro-Chemical Systems, Inc. (Turtle Bayou), Superfund site, Liberty County, Texas, 2020
Christopher L. Braun, Kent D. Becher
2022, Scientific Investigations Report 2022-5104
The Petro-Chemical Systems, Inc. (Turtle Bayou), Superfund site is 15 miles southeast of Liberty, Texas, in Liberty County. Improper disposal of waste oils led to contamination of soil and groundwater at the site. In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey collected water-quality samples from 11...
A case of Te-rich low-sulfidation epithermal Au-Ag deposits in a calc-alkaline magmatic arc, NE China
Shen Gao, Albert H. Hofstra, K. Qin, H. Xue
2022, Ore Geology Reviews (151)
Tellurium-bearing low-sulfidation epithermal Au-Ag deposits are significant producers of gold, silver, and potentially strategic elements if mineral processing methods are optimized for recovery. Although these deposits are generally related to alkaline magmatism, our study documents an unusual occurrence of Te-rich low-sulfidation epithermal systems in the North Heilongjiang Belt in...
Improving gas-derived parameterization of groundwater using free phase gas measurements
Robert J Agnew, Andrew G. Hunt, Todd Halihan
2022, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (8) 2682-2693
Dissolved atmogenic gasses in groundwater provide significant information about recharge conditions, flowpath, and age. Free phase gas in aquifers is largely ignored in these analyses and there is a lack of quantitative analysis for gas flux mechanisms. Many related fields encountering multiphase flow acknowledge that the presence of bubbles...
Evaluation of sample preservation methods for analysis of selected volatile organic compounds in groundwater at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Kerri C. Treinen, Roy C. Bartholomay
2022, Scientific Investigations Report 2022-5076
During 2020, water samples were collected from 25 wells completed in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and from 1 well completed in perched groundwater above the aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory to determine the effect of different sample-preservation methods on the laboratory determinations of concentrations of volatile...
Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Water resources
Timothy T. Bartos, Steven K. Sando, Todd M. Preston, Gregory C. Delzer, Robert F. Lundgren, Rochelle A. Nustad, Rodney R. Caldwell, Zell E. Peterman, Bruce D. Smith, Kathleen M. Macek-Rowland, David A. Bender, Jill D. Frankforter, Joel M. Galloway
2022, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5070-C
The Williston Basin has been a leading oil and gas producing area for more than 50 years. While oil production initially peaked within the Williston Basin in the mid-1980s, production rapidly increased in the mid-2000s, largely because of improved horizontal (directional) drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods. In 2012, energy development...
Using surrogate insects in acid bioassays for development of new controls for Varroa destructor (Arachnida: Varroidae)
Julia Vieira, Casey L. Johnson, Elizabeth M. Varkonyi, Howard Ginsberg, Kassie Picard, Mattew Kiesewetter, Steven R. Alm
2022, Journal of Economic Entomology (115) 1417-1422
Resistance to traditional synthetic compounds by Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman and shortcomings of the organic acid class of acaracides commonly used in varroa management requires continual development of new controls. V. destructor, however, are difficult to obtain for use in control bioassays because they are obligate parasites that cannot be easily...
