USGS research on Florida's isolated freshwater wetlands
Arturo E. Torres, Kim H. Haag, Terrie M. Lee, Patricia A. Metz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3094
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has studied wetland hydrology and its effects on wetland health and ecology in Florida since the 1990s. USGS wetland studies in Florida and other parts of the Nation provide resource managers with tools to assess current conditions and regional trends in wetland resources. Wetland...
Earthquakes in Hawai‘i—an underappreciated but serious hazard
Paul G. Okubo, Jennifer S. Nakata
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3013
The State of Hawaii has a history of damaging earthquakes. Earthquakes in the State are primarily the result of active volcanism and related geologic processes. It is not a question of "if" a devastating quake will strike Hawai‘i but rather "when." Tsunamis generated by both distant and local quakes are...
Groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, California
Carmen A. Burton, Matthew K. Landon, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3055
The Santa Clara River Valley (SCRV) study unit is located in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, and is bounded by the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Topatopa, and Santa Ynez Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The 460-square-mile study unit includes eight groundwater basins: Ojai Valley, Upper Ojai Valley, Ventura River...
Groundwater quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley groundwater basins, California
Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3089
The Monterey-Salinas study unit is nearly 1,000 square miles and consists of the Santa Cruz Purisima Formation Highlands, Felton Area, Scotts Valley, Soquel Valley, West Santa Cruz Terrace, Salinas Valley, Pajaro Valley, and Carmel Valley groundwater basins (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Kulongski and Belitz, 2011). These basins were...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of Libya and Tunisia, 2010
Katherine J. Whidden, Michael Lewan, Christopher J. Schenk, Rondald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3105
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 3.97 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, 38.5 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, and 1.47 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in two provinces of North Africa....
Land-cover change research at the U.S. Geological Survey-assessing our nation's dynamic land surface
Tamara S. Wilson
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3080
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an unprecedented, 27-year assessment of land-use and land-cover change for the conterminous United States. For the period 1973 to 2000, scientists generated estimates of change in major types of land use and land cover, such as development, mining, agriculture, forest, grasslands, and wetlands....
Molecular genetics at the Fort Collins Science Center
S.J. Oyler-McCance, P.D. Stevens
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3091
The Fort Collins Science Center operates a molecular genetic and systematics research facility (FORT Molecular Ecology Laboratory) that uses molecular genetic tools to provide genetic information needed to inform natural resource management decisions. For many wildlife species, the data generated have become increasingly important in the development of their long-term...
Sediment load from major rivers into Puget Sound and its adjacent waters
Jonathan A. Czuba, Christopher S. Magirl, Christiana R. Czuba, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher A. Curran, Andrew S. Gendaszek, Richard S. Dinicola
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3083
Each year, an estimated load of 6.5 million tons of sediment is transported by rivers to Puget Sound and its adjacent waters—enough to cover a football field to the height of six Space Needles. This estimated load is highly uncertain because sediment studies and available sediment-load data are sparse...
Assessment of potential shale gas and shale oil resources of the Norte Basin, Uruguay, 2011
Christopher J. Schenk, Mark A. Kirschbaum, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Donald L. Gautier, Richard M. Pollastro, Jean N. Weaver, Michael Brownfield
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3100
Using a performance-based geological assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean volumes of 13.4 trillion cubic feet of potential technically recoverable shale gas and 0.5 billion barrels of technically recoverable shale oil resources in the Norte Basin of Uruguay....
Elwha River dam removal-Rebirth of a river
Jeffrey J. Duda, Jonathan A. Warrick, Christopher S. Magirl
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3097
After years of planning for the largest project of its kind, the Department of the Interior will begin removal of two dams on the Elwha River, Washington, in September 2011. For nearly 100 years, the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams have disrupted natural processes, trapping sediment in the reservoirs and...
Water Resources of Caddo Parish
Lawrence B. Prakken, Jason M. Griffith
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3086
In 2005, about 72.9 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, including about 7.70 Mgal/d from groundwater sources and 65.2 Mgal/d from surface-water sources. Public-supply use accounted for about 71 percent, and power generation accounted for about 19 percent of the total water withdrawn....
Trace metals related to historical iron smelting at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Berks and Chester Counties, Pennsylvania
Ronald A. Sloto
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3101
Iron ore containing elevated concentrations of trace metals was smelted at Hopewell Furnace during its 113 years of operation (1771-1883). The ore used at Hopewell Furnace was obtained from iron mines within 5 miles of the furnace. The iron-ore deposits were formed about 200 million years ago and contain abundant...
Groundwater recharge in Wisconsin— Annual estimates for 1970–99 using streamflow data
Warren A. Gebert, John F. Walker, Randall J. Hunt
2011, Fact Sheet 2009-3092
The groundwater component of streamflow is important because it is indicative of the sustained flow of a stream during dry periods, is often of better quality, and has a smaller range of temperatures, than surface contributions to streamflow. All three of these characteristics are important to the health of aquatic...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Devonian Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin Province
James L. Coleman Jr., Robert C. Milici, Troy A. Cook, Ronald R. Charpentier, Mark Kirshbaum, Timothy R. Klett, Richard M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Schenk
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3092
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated a mean undiscovered natural gas resource of 84,198 billion cubic feet and a mean undiscovered natural gas liquids resource of 3,379 million barrels in the Devonian Marcellus Shale within the Appalachian Basin Province. All this resource occurs in...
Improving strategies to assess competitive effects of barred owls on northern spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest
J. David Wiens, Anne Weekes
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3096
A scientific study has determined that survey methods designed for spotted owls do not always detect barred owls that are actually present in spotted owl habitat. The researchers suggest that strategies to address potential interactions between spotted owls and barred owls will require carefully designed surveys that account for response...
An experiment to control nonnative fish in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona
Coggins Jr., Michael D. Yard
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3093
The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is an endangered native fish found only in the Colorado River Basin. In Grand Canyon, most humpback chub are found in the Little Colorado River and its confluence with the Colorado River. For decades, however, nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta),...
Annual peak streamflow and ancillary data for small watersheds in central and western Texas
Glenn R. Harwell, William H. Asquith
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3082
Estimates of annual peak-streamflow frequency are needed for flood-plain management, assessment of flood risk, and design of structures, such as roads, bridges, culverts, dams, and levees. Regional regression equations have been developed and are used extensively to estimate annual peak-streamflow frequency for ungaged sites in natural (unregulated and rural or...
Occurrence, distribution, and concentrations of selected contaminants in streambed- and suspended-sediment samples collected in Bexar County, Texas, 2007-09
Jennifer T. Wilson
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3090
High concentrations of sediment-associated contaminants are typically associated with urban areas such as San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County, the seventh most populous city in the United States. U.S. Geological Survey personnel periodically collected surficial streambed-sediment samples during 2007-09 and collected suspended-sediment samples from selected streams after storms during 2008...
From ridge to reef—linking erosion and changing watersheds to impacts on the coral reef ecosystems of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean
Jonathan D. Stock, Susan A. Cochran, Michael E. Field, James D. Jacobi, Gordon Tribble
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3049
Coral reef ecosystems are threatened by unprecedented watershed changes in the United States and worldwide. These ecosystems sustain fishing and tourism industries essential to the economic survival of many communities. Sediment, nutrients, and pollutants from watersheds are increasingly transported to coastal waters, where these contaminants damage corals. Although pollution from...
Delivering climate science for the nation's fish, wildlife, and ecosystems: The U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center
T. Douglas Beard Jr.
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3057
Changes to the Earth's climate-temperature, precipitation, and other important aspects of climate-pose significant challenges to our Nation's natural resources now and will continue to do so. Managers of land, water, and living resources need to understand the impacts of climate change-which will exacerbate ongoing stresses such as habitat fragmentation and...
Cobalt: for strength and color
Maeve A. Boland, S.J. Kropschot
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3081
Cobalt is a shiny, gray, brittle metal that is best known for creating an intense blue color in glass and paints. It is frequently used in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries and to create alloys that maintain their strength at high temperatures. It is also one of the essential trace...
Geographic science for public and Tribal lands management
Alicia A. Torregrosa
James W. Hendley, editor(s)
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3059
There are more than 650 million acres of U.S. public and Tribal lands, most found west of the Mississippi River. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Geographic Science Center are working to increase the scientific information available for natural resource decision making, while continuing productive collaborations with Federal land...
Changes in water levels and storage in the High Plains Aquifer, predevelopment to 2009
V. L. McGuire
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3069
The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States - Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The area overlying the High Plains aquifer is one of the primary agricultural regions in the Nation. Water-level declines began in parts...
Kilauea— An explosive volcano in Hawai‘i
Donald A. Swanson, Dick Fiske, Tim Rose, Bruce F. Houghton, Larry Mastin
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3064
Kīlauea Volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i, though best known for its frequent quiet eruptions of lava flows, has erupted explosively many times in its history - most recently in 2011. At least six such eruptions in the past 1,500 years sent ash into the jet stream, at the cruising...
Mapping perennial vegetation cover in the Mojave Desert
Cynthia S.A. Wallace
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3077
Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Geographic Science Center have recently created a regional map of perennial vegetation cover for the Mojave Desert. The scientists used existing field data collected for a variety of previous studies and satellite data available for free through USGS archives to create a calibrated...
