The rare-earth elements: Vital to modern technologies and lifestyles
Bradley S. Van Gosen, Philip L. Verplanck, Keith R. Long, Joseph Gambogi, Robert R. Seal II
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3078
Until recently, the rare-earth elements (REEs) were familiar to a relatively small number of people, such as chemists, geologists, specialized materials scientists, and engineers. In the 21st century, the REEs have gained visibility through many media outlets because of (1) the public has recognized the critical, specialized properties that REEs...
Mapping traditional place names along the Koyukuk River: Koyukuk, Huslia, and Hughes, Western Interior Alaska
Sarah E. McCloskey, Benjamin M. Jones
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3105
Koyukon Athabascan peoples have settled along the Koyukuk River in Western Interior Alaska for thousands of years using the surrounding landscape for subsistence and cultural resources. However, recent changes in climate, technology, resource availability, and way of life have affected land-use patterns in the region, as well as use of...
Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2010
Nancy L. Barber
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3109
About 355,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was withdrawn for use in the United States during 2010, a decline of 13 percent from 2005 and a substantial change from the level of about 400,000 Mgal/d reported from 1985 to 2005. Withdrawals for 2010 were lower than withdrawals estimated...
Changing Arctic ecosystems: resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic
David D. Gustine, Layne G. Adams, Mary E. Whalen, John M. Pearce
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3103
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative strives to inform key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information and forecasts for current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. Over the past 5 years, a focal area for the USGS CAE initiative has...
Microbial water quality during the northern migration of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) at the central Platte River, Nebraska
Matthew T. Moser
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3094
The central Platte River is an important resource in Nebraska. Its water flows among multiple channels and supports numerous beneficial uses such as drinking water, irrigation for agriculture, groundwater recharge, and recreational activities. The central Platte River valley is an important stopover for migratory waterfowl and cranes, such as the...
Effects of wastewater effluent discharge on stream quality in Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas
Jennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3100
Contaminants from point and other urban sources affect stream quality in Indian Creek, which is one of the most urban drainage basins in Johnson County, Kansas. The Johnson County Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin and Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facilities discharge to Indian Creek. Data collected by the U.S. Geological...
The National Map hydrography data stewardship: what is it and why is it important?
Dave Arnold
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3084
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) were designed and populated by a large consortium of agencies involved in hydrography across the United States. The effort was led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)....
Assessment of potential shale-oil and shale-gas resources in Silurian shales of Jordan, 2014
Christopher J. Schenk, Janet K. Pitman, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Tracey J. Mercier, Philip H. Nelson, Michael E. Brownfield, Mark J. Pawlewicz, Craig J. Wandrey
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3082
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 11 million barrels of potential shale-oil and 320 billion cubic feet of shale-gas resources in Silurian shales of Jordan....
The 3D Elevation Program: Summary for New Jersey
William J. Carswell Jr.
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3091
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of New Jersey, elevation data are critical for water supply and quality, flood risk management, natural resources conservation, agriculture and precision farming, infrastructure...
Using science to strengthen our Nation's resilience to tomorrow's challenges: understanding and preparing for coastal impacts
Dale L. Simmons, Matthew E. Andersen, Teresa A. Dean, Michael J. Focazio, John W. Fulton, John W. Haines, Mason Jr., Ann B. Tihansky, John A. Young
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3062
Hurricane Sandy caused unprecedented damage across some of the most densely populated coastal areas of the northeastern United States. The costly, landscape-altering destruction left in the wake of this storm is a stark reminder of our Nation’s need to become more resilient as we inevitably face future coastal hazards. As our...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Illinois
William J. Carswell Jr.
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3086
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Illinois, elevation data are critical for flood risk management, water supply and quality, infrastructure and construction management, agriculture and precision farming, and...
Changing Arctic ecosystems: ecology of loons in a changing Arctic
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Mary E. Whalen, John M. Pearce
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3093
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative informs key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a changing climate. From 2010 to 2014, a key study area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal...
Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese
Paul L. Flint, Mary E. Whalen, John M. Pearce
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3088
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strives to inform resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. A key area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Arizona
William J. Carswell Jr.
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3085
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Arizona, elevation data are critical for infrastructure and construction management, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, geologic resource assessment and hazard mitigation,...
Groundwater quality in the Klamath Mountains, California
George L. V Bennett V, Miranda S. Fram
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3031
Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to...
Progress toward a safer future since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Thomas M. Brocher, Robert A. Page, Peter H. Stauffer, James W. Hendley II
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3092
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake interrupted several decades of seismic tranquility in the San Francisco Bay Area. It caused damage throughout the region and was a wakeup call to prepare for potentially even more damaging future quakes. Since 1989, the work of the U.S. Geological Survey and many other organizations...
Science for the stewardship of the groundwater resources of Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Jeffrey R. Barbaro, John P. Masterson, Denis R. LeBlanc
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3067
Groundwater is the sole source of drinking water and a major source of freshwater for domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Groundwater discharged from aquifers also supports freshwater pond and stream ecosystems and coastal wetlands. Six hydraulically distinct groundwater-flow systems (lenses) have been delineated on Cape Cod....
ShakeAlert—An earthquake early warning system for the United States west coast
Erin R. Burkett, Douglas D. Given, Lucile M. Jones
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3083
Earthquake early warning systems use earthquake science and the technology of monitoring systems to alert devices and people when shaking waves generated by an earthquake are expected to arrive at their location. The seconds to minutes of advance warning can allow people and systems to take actions to protect life...
Manganese: it turns iron into steel (and does so much more)
William F. Cannon
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3087
Manganese is a common ferrous metal with atomic weight of 25 and the chemical symbol Mn. It constitutes roughly 0.1 percent of the Earth’s crust, making it the 12th most abundant element. Its early uses were limited largely to pigments and oxidants in chemical processes and experiments, but the significance...
Water resources of Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Lawrence B. Prakken, Vincent E. White, John K. Lovelace
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3040
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Sabine 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. Information on the availability,...
SAHM:VisTrails (Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling for VisTrails): training course
Tracy Holcombe
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3007
VisTrails is an open-source management and scientific workflow system designed to integrate the best of both scientific workflow and scientific visualization systems. Developers can extend the functionality of the VisTrails system by creating custom modules for bundled VisTrails packages. The Invasive Species Science Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)...
Water resources of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
Lawrence B. Prakken, John K. Lovelace, Dan J. Tomaszewski, Jason M. Griffith
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3039
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in West Feliciana 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. Information on the...
Water resources of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Lawrence B. Prakken, Vincent E. White
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3044
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Caldwell 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. Information on the availability,...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Georgia
William J. Carswell Jr.
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3058
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Georgia, elevation data are critical for infrastructure and construction management, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, agriculture and precision farming, forest resources...
California's restless giant: The Long Valley Caldera
David P. Hill, Roy A. Bailey, James W. Hendley II, Peter H. Stauffer, Mae Marcaida
2014, Fact Sheet 2014-3056
Scientists have monitored geologic unrest in the Long Valley, California, area since 1980. In that year, following a swarm of strong earthquakes, they discovered that the central part of the Long Valley Caldera had begun actively rising. Unrest in the area persists today. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) continues to...
