Beryllium--important for national defense
M.A. Boland
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3056
Beryllium is one of the lightest and stiffest metals, but there was little industrial demand for it until the 1930s and 1940s when the aerospace, defense, and nuclear sectors began using beryllium and its compounds. Beryllium is now classified by the U.S. Department of Defense as a strategic and critical...
Landsat's international partners
Raymond A. Byrnes
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3055
Since the launch of the first Landsat satellite 40 years ago, International Cooperators (ICs) have formed a key strategic alliance with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to not only engage in Landsat data downlink services but also to enable a foundation for scientific and technical collaboration. The map below shows the...
Landsat: a global land imaging program
Raymond A. Byrnes
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3057
Landsat satellites have continuously acquired space-based images of the Earth's land surface, coastal shallows, and coral reefs across four decades. The Landsat Program, a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was established to routinely gather land imagery from space. In...
Climatic changes and effect on wild sheep habitat
Edwin L. Pfeifer, Wayne Heimer, Gretchen Roffler, Raul Valdez, Megan Gahl
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3060
Wild sheep are sensitive to environmental change and may be an effective indicator species of climate change in arctic and high mountain ecosystems. To understand the effects of climatic changes on Dall sheep habitat, U.S. Geological Survey scientists have been studying selected areas in Alaska since 2007. The research focus...
Water quality studied in areas of unconventional oil and gas development, including areas where hydraulic fracturing techniques are used, in the United States
David D. Susong, Tanya J. Gallegos, Gretchen P. Oelsner
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3049
Domestic oil and gas production and clean water are critical for economic growth, public health, and national security of the United States. As domestic oil and gas production increases in new areas and old fields are enhanced, there is increasing public concern about the effects of energy production on surface-water...
Assessment of remaining recoverable oil in selected major oil fields of the San Joaquin Basin, California
Marilyn E. Tennyson, Troy A. Cook, Ronald R. Charpentier, Donald L. Gautier, Timothy R. Klett, Mahendra K. Verma, Robert T. Ryder, Emil Attanasi, P.A. Freeman, Phoung A. Le
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3050
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an estimate of volumes of technically recoverable, conventional oil that could eventually be added to reserves in nine selected major oil fields in the San Joaquin Basin in central California. The mean total volume of potential oil reserves that might be added in...
Studying ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean
Lisa Robbins
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3058
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Ice Breaker Healey and its United Nations Convention Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) cruises has produced new synoptic data from samples collected in the Arctic Ocean and insights into the patterns and extent of ocean acidification. This framework of...
Assessment of remaining recoverable oil in selected major oil fields of the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico
Marilyn E. Tennyson, Troy A. Cook, Ronald R. Charpentier, Donald L. Gautier, Timothy R. Klett, Mahendra K. Verma, Robert T. Ryder, Emil Attanasi, P.A. Freeman, Phoung A. Le
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3051
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an estimate of technically recoverable, conventional oil in selected oil fields in the Permian Basin in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The mean total volume of potential additional oil resources that might be added using improved oil-recovery technologies was estimated to be...
Assessment of potential additions to conventional oil and gas resources of the world (outside the United States) from reserve growth, 2012
Timothy R. Klett, Troy A. Cook, Ronald R. Charpentier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Emil Attanasi, Phil A. Freeman, Robert T. Ryder, Donald L. Gautier, Mahendra K. Verma, Phuong A. Le, Christopher J. Schenk
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3052
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated volumes of technically recoverable, conventional petroleum resources resulting from reserve growth for discovered fields outside the United States that have reported in-place oil and gas volumes of 500 million barrels of oil equivalent or greater. The mean volumes were estimated at 665 billion barrels of...
An estimate of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the world, 2012
Christopher J. Schenk
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3042
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 565 billion barrels of conventional oil and 5,606 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered conventional natural gas in 171 priority geologic provinces of the world, exclusive of the United States....
USGS Hydro-Climatic Data Network 2009 (HCDN-2009)
Harry F. Lins
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3047
The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Hydro-Climatic Data Network (HCDN) is a subset of all USGS streamgages for which the streamflow primarily reflects prevailing meteorological conditions for specified years. These stations were screened to exclude sites where human activities, such as artificial diversions, storage, and other activities in the drainage basin...
A climate trend analysis of Ethiopia
Christopher C. Funk, Jim Rowland, Gary Eilerts, Emebet Kebebe, Nigist Biru, Libby White, Gideon Galu
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3053
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), examines recent trends in March-June, June-September, and March-September rainfall and temperature, identifying significant reductions in rainfall and increases in temperature over time in many areas of Ethiopia....
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the South Africa Coastal Province, Africa
Michael E. Brownfield, Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Troy A. Cook, Richard M. Pollastro
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3030
The South Africa Coastal Province along the South Africa coast recently was 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 2.13...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of four East Africa Geologic Provinces
Michael E. Brownfield, Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Troy A. Cook, Richard M. Pollastro, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3039
Four geologic provinces along the east coast of Africa recently were 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 27.6 billion...
Groundwater quality in the Central Sierra Nevada, California
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3010
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...
Groundwater quality in the Tahoe and Martis Basins, California
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2011-3143
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...
Groundwater quality in the Southern Sierra Nevada, California
Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3011
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...
DOI Climate Science Centers--Regional science to address management priorities
Robin O'Malley
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3048
Our Nation's lands, waters, and ecosystems and the living and cultural resources they contain face myriad challenges from invasive species, the effects of changing land and water use, habitat fragmentation and degradation, and other influences. These challenges are compounded by increasing influences from a changing climate—higher temperatures, increasing droughts, floods,...
Real-time seismic monitoring of instrumented hospital buildings
Erol Kalkan, Jon Peter B. Fletcher, William S. Leith, William S. McCarthy, Krishna Banga
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3028
In collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S. Geological Survey's National Strong Motion Project has recently installed sophisticated seismic monitoring systems to monitor the structural health of two hospital buildings at the Memphis VA Medical Center in Tennessee. The monitoring systems in the Bed Tower and Spinal...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of Papua-New Guinea, Eastern Indonesia, and East Timor, 2011
Christopher J. Schenk, Michael E. Brownfield, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3029
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 5.8 billion barrels of oil and 115 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in five geologic provinces in the areas of Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and East Timor....
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Paradox Basin Province, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, 2011
Katherine J. Whidden
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3031
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 560 million barrels of undiscovered oil, 12,701 billion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, and 490 million barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Paradox Basin of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona....
Famous building stones of our Nation's capital
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3044
The buildings of our Nation's Capital are constructed with rocks from quarries located throughout the United States and many distant lands. The earliest Government buildings, however, were constructed with stones from nearby sources because it was too difficult and expensive to move heavy materials such as stone any great distance...
Calculating weighted estimates of peak streamflow statistics
Timothy A. Cohn, Charles Berenbrock, Julie E. Kiang, Mason Jr.
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3038
According to the Federal guidelines for flood-frequency estimation, the uncertainty of peak streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent annual exceedance probability (AEP) flow at a streamgage, can be reduced by combining the at-site estimate with the regional regression estimate to obtain a weighted estimate of the flow statistic. The procedure...
The Cottonwood Lake study area, a long-term wetland ecosystem monitoring site
David M. Mushet, Ned H. Euliss Jr.
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3040
The Cottonwood Lake study area is one of only three long-term wetland ecosystem monitoring sites in the prairie pothole region of North America; the other two are Orchid Meadows in South Dakota and St. Denis in Saskatchewan. Of the three, Cottonwood Lake has, by far, the longest continuous data-collection record....
Groundwater quality in the San Fernando--San Gabriel groundwater basins, California
Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Fact Sheet 2011-3139
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...
