Sylvatic plague vaccine and management of prairie dogs
Tonie E. Rocke
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3087
Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin (UW), have developed a sylvatic plague vaccine that shows great promise in protecting prairie dogs against plague (Mencher and others, 2004; Rocke and others, 2010). Four species of prairie dogs reside in...
Mauna Loa--history, hazards and risk of living with the world's largest volcano
Frank A. Trusdell
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3104
Mauna Loa on the Island Hawaiʻi is the world’s largest volcano. People residing on its flanks face many hazards that come with living on or near an active volcano, including lava flows, explosive eruptions, volcanic smog, damaging earthquakes, and local tsunami (giant seawaves). The County of Hawaiʻi (Island of Hawaiʻi)...
Flood inundation map library, Fort Kent, Maine
Pamela J. Lombard
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3119
Severe flooding occurred in northern Maine from April 28 to May 1, 2008, and damage was extensive in the town of Fort Kent (Lombard, 2010). Aroostook County was declared a Federal disaster area on May 9, 2008. The extent of flooding on both the Fish and St. John Rivers during...
Groundwater quality in the Coastal Los Angeles Basin, California
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3096
The Coastal Los Angeles Basin study unit is approximately 860 square miles and consists of the Santa Monica, Hollywood, West Coast, Central, and Orange County Coastal Plain groundwater basins (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). The basins are bounded in part by faults, including the Newport-Inglewood fault zone, and are...
Using genetic research to inform imperiled and invasive species management
Margaret E. Hunter, Rachel J. Pawlitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3017
The long-term viability of species and populations is related to their potential to migrate, reproduce, and adapt to environmental changes. In the southeast United States, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are providing resource managers with genetic information to improve the long-term survival and sustainability of the Nation's aquatic species. Research...
U.S. Department of the Interior South Central Climate Science Center
Allison A. Shipp
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3082
On September 14, 2009, the Secretary of the Interior signed a Secretarial Order (No. 3289) entitled, "Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America's Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources." The Order effectively established the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Climate Science Centers (CSCs) for the purpose...
A climate trend analysis of Mali
Christopher C. Funk, Jim Rowland, Alkhalil Adoum, Gary Eilerts, Libby White
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3105
This brief report, drawing from a multi-year effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), identifies modest declines in rainfall, accompanied by increases in air temperatures. These analyses are based on quality-controlled station observations. Conclusions: * Summer rains have remained relatively steady...
Streamflow of 2011 - Water Year Summary
Xiaodong Jian, David M. Wolock, Harry F. Lins, Steve Brady
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3085
The maps and graph in this summary describe streamflow conditions for water year 2011 (October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2011) in the context of the 82-year period from 1930 through 2011, unless otherwise noted. The illustrations are based on observed data from the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Streamflow...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Central Burma Basin and the Irrawaddy-Andaman and Indo-Burman Geologic Provinces, Myanmar
Craig J. Wandrey, Christopher J. Schenk, Timothy R. Klett, Michael E. Brownfield, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Richard M. Pollastro, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3107
The Irrawaddy-Andaman and Indo-Burman Geologic Provinces were recently assessed for undiscovered technically recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) World Oil and Gas Assessment. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimated mean volumes of 2.3 billion barrels of oil,...
Assessment of potential additions to conventional oil and gas resources in discovered fields of the United States from reserve growth, 2012
U.S. Geological Survey Reserve Growth Assessment Team
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3108
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated volumes of technically recoverable, conventional petroleum resources that have the potential to be added to reserves from reserve growth in 70 discovered oil and gas accumulations of the United States, excluding Federal offshore areas. The mean estimated volumes are 32 billion barrels of crude oil,...
Effects of brush management on the hydrologic budget and water quality in and adjacent to Honey Creek State Natural Area, Comal County, Texas, 2001--10
J. Ryan Banta, Richard N. Slattery
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3097
Woody vegetation, including ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei), has encroached on some areas in central Texas that were historically oak grassland savannah. Encroachment of woody vegetation is generally attributed to overgrazing and fire suppression. Removing the ashe juniper and allowing native grasses to reestablish in the area as a brush management...
USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for north Texas
Christopher J. Churchill, Stanley Baldys
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3077
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for north Texas provides early detection and monitoring of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) by using a holistic suite of detection methods. The program is designed to assess zebra mussel occurrence, distribution, and densities in north Texas waters by using four approaches:...
Land-use and land-cover scenarios and spatial modeling at the regional scale
Terry L. Sohl, Benjamin M. Sleeter
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3091
Land-use and land-cover (LULC) change has altered a large part of the earth's surface. Scenarios of potential future LULC change are required in order to better manage potential impacts on biodiversity, carbon fluxes, climate change, hydrology, and many other ecological processes. The U.S. Geological Survey is analyzing potential future LULC...
The U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative-2011 Annual Update
M.J. Adams, E. Muths, E.H.C. Grant, David A. Miller, J.H. Waddle, L.C. Ball
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3090
Welcome to the inaugural issue of ARMI's Annual Update. This update provides highlights and significant milestones of this innovative program. ARMI is uniquely qualified to provide research and monitoring results that are scalable from local to national levels, and are useful to resource managers. ARMI has produced nearly 400 peer-reviewed...
Water Resources of Beauregard Parish
Lawrence B. Prakken, Jason M. Griffith, Robert B. Fendick Jr.
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3065
In 2005, about 30.6 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was withdrawn in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, including about 30.4 Mgal/d from groundwater sources and 0.1 Mgal/d from surface water sources. Industrial use, primarily for wood products, accounted for about 72 percent (22.0 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn. Other...
Integrated monitoring of ecological conditions in wetland-upland landscapes
Alisa Gallant, Walt Sadinski
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3103
Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Managing lands to maximize ecosystem services requires information that distinguishes change caused by local actions from broader-scale shifts in climate, land use, and other forms of global change. Satellite and airborne sensors collect valuable data...
Assessment of undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, 2012
Christopher J. Schenk, Michael E. Brownfield, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Jean N. Weaver
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3069
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 19 billion barrels of oil and 83 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas resources in 10 geologic provinces of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize....
Hydrologic conditions in Georgia, 2010
Andrew E. Knaak, Paul D. Ankcorn, Michael F. Peck
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3101
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Georgia Water Science Center (GaWSC) maintains a long-term hydrologic monitoring network of more than 320 real-time streamgages, including 10 real-time lake-level monitoring stations and 63 real-time water-quality monitors. Additionally, the GaWSC operates more than 180 groundwater wells, 41 of which are real-time. One of...
Potential for technically recoverable unconventional gas and oil resources in the Polish-Ukrainian Foredeep, Poland, 2012
Donald L. Gautier, Janet K. Pitman, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Christopher J. Schenk
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3102
Using a performance-based geological assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean volumes of 1,345 billion cubic feet of potentially technically recoverable gas and 168 million barrels of technically recoverable oil and natural gas liquids in Ordovician and Silurian age shales in the Polish- Ukrainian Foredeep basin of Poland....
Helping safeguard Veterans Affairs' hospital buildings by advanced earthquake monitoring
Erol Kalkan, Krishna Banga, Hasan S. Ulusoy, Jon Peter B. Fletcher, William S. Leith, James L. Blair
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3094
In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Strong Motion Project of the U.S. Geological Survey has recently installed sophisticated seismic systems that will monitor the structural integrity of hospital buildings during earthquake shaking. The new systems have been installed at more than 20 VA medical...
Groundwater quality in the Upper Santa Ana Watershed study unit, California
Robert Kent, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3037
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...
Wildfire effects on source-water quality--Lessons from Fourmile Canyon fire, Colorado, and implications for drinking-water treatment
Jeffrey H. Writer, Sheila F. Murphy
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3095
Forested watersheds provide high-quality source water for many communities in the western United States. These watersheds are vulnerable to wildfires, and wildfire size, fire severity, and length of fire season have increased since the middle 1980s (Westerling and others, 2006). Burned watersheds are prone to increased flooding and erosion, which...
The U.S. Geological Survey's TRIGA® reactor
Timothy M. DeBey, Brycen R. Roy, Sally R. Brady
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3093
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates a low-enriched uranium-fueled, pool-type reactor located at the Federal Center in Denver, Colorado. The mission of the Geological Survey TRIGA® Reactor (GSTR) is to support USGS science by providing information on geologic, plant, and animal specimens to advance methods and techniques unique to nuclear...
National hydrography dataset--linear referencing
Jeffrey Simley, Ariel Doumbouya
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3068
Geospatial data normally have a certain set of standard attributes, such as an identification number, the type of feature, and name of the feature. These standard attributes are typically embedded into the default attribute table, which is directly linked to the geospatial features. However, it is impractical to embed too...
White-nose syndrome in bats: U.S. Geological Survey updates
Gail Moede Rogall, Michelle Verant
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3076
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a devastating disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats since it first appeared in New York in 2007 and has spread at an alarming rate from the northeastern to the central United States and Canada. The disease is named for the white fungus Geomyces destructans...
