Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010
Russell F. Dubiel, Peter D. Warwick, Sharon Swanson, Lauri Burke, Laura Biewick, Ronald R. Charpentier, James L. Coleman Jr., Troy A. Cook, Kris Dennen, Colin A. Doolan, Catherine Enomoto, Paul C. Hackley, Alexander W. Karlsen, Timothy R. Klett, Scott A. Kinney, Michael D. Lewan, Matthew D. Merrill, Krystal Pearson, Ofori N. Pearson, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Elizabeth L. Rowan, Christopher J. Schenk, Brett Valentine
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 147.4 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, 2.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, and 2.96 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast....
Zinc-The key to preventing corrosion
S.J. Kropschot, Jeff L. Doebrich
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3016
Centuries before it was identified as an element, zinc was used to make brass (an alloy of zinc and copper) and for medicinal purposes. Metallic zinc and zinc oxide were produced in India sometime between the 11th and 14th centuries and in China in the 17th century, although the discovery...
Avian conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region, Northern Great Plains-Understanding the links between climate, ecosystem processes, wetland management, and bird communities
S. K. Skagen, Cynthia Melcher
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3030
Chloride control and monitoring program in the Wichita River Basin, Texas, 1996–2009
M. M. Haynie, G. F. Burke, Stanley Baldys
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3018
Water resources of the Wichita River Basin in north-central Texas are vital to the water users in Wichita Falls, Tex., and surrounding areas. The Wichita River Basin includes three major forks of the Wichita River upstream from Lake Kemp, approximately 50 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, Tex. The main stem...
The concept of geologic carbon sequestration
Douglas W. Duncan, Eric A. Morrissey
2011, Fact Sheet 2010-3122
Inventory and protection of salt marshes from risks of sea-level rise at Acadia National Park, Maine
Robert W. Dudley, Martha G. Nielsen
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3015
Recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) climate studies in the northeastern United States have shown substantial evidence of climate-related changes during the last 100 years, including earlier snowmelt runoff, decreasing occurrence of river ice, and decreasing winter snowpack. These studies related to climate change are being expanded to include investigation of...
Pesticides in Wyoming's rivers, 2006-10
Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3011
In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey completed a study in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture to determine the occurrence of pesticides in four major rivers within the Bighorn and North Platte River Basins in Wyoming. Surface-water samples were collected at five sites during three different times of the...
Assessing groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system
John P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Jack Monti Jr., Mark R. Nardi
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3019
The U.S. Geological Survey's Groundwater Resources Program is conducting an assessment of groundwater availability throughout the United States to gain a better understanding of the status of the Nation's groundwater resources and how changes in land use, water use, and climate may affect those resources. The goal of this National...
Biochar for soil fertility and natural carbon sequestration
C.E. Rostad, D.W. Rutherford
2011, Fact Sheet 2010-3117
Biochar is charcoal (similar to chars generated by forest fires) that is made for incorporation into soils to increase soil fertility while providing natural carbon sequestration. The incorporation of biochar into soils can preserve and enrich soils and also slow the rate at which climate change is affecting our planet....
Organic compounds in White River water used for public supply near Indianapolis, Indiana, 2002-05
Tim Lathrop, Dan Moran
2011, Fact Sheet 2010-3120
The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) characterized the occurrence of 277 organic compounds in source water (stream water collected before treatment) and finished water (treated water before distribution) from the White River North treatment plant, one of several community water systems that use the...
Breccia-pipe uranium mining in northern Arizona: Estimate of resources and assessment of historical effects
Donald J. Bills, Kristin M. Brown, Andrea E. Alpine, James K. Otton, Bradley S. Van Gosen, Jo Ellen Hinck, Fred D. Tillman
2011, Fact Sheet 2010-3050
About 1 million acres of Federal land in the Grand Canyon region of Arizona were temporarily withdrawn from new mining claims in July 2009 by the Secretary of the Interior because of concern that increased uranium mining could have negative impacts on the land, water, people, and wildlife. During a...
Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios
Zhi-Liang Zhu, Sarah Stackpoole
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3007
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) requires the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop a methodology and conduct an assessment of carbon storage, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas (GHG) fluxes in the Nation's ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and published the methodology (U.S....
Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat, polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and environmental health
B.J. Mahler, P. C. Van Metre
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3010
Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have identified coal-tar-based sealcoat-the black, viscous liquid sprayed or painted on asphalt pavement such as parking lots-as a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in urban areas for large parts of the Nation. Several PAHs are suspected human carcinogens and are...
Three experimental high-flow releases from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona— Effects on the downstream Colorado River ecosystem
Theodore S. Melis, Paul E. Grams, Theodore A. Kennedy, Barbara E. Ralston, Christopher T. Robinson, John C. Schmidt, Lara M. Schmit, Richard A. Valdez, Scott Wright
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3012
Three high-flow experiments (HFEs) were conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior at Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, in March 1996, November 2004, and March 2008. Also known as artificial or controlled floods, these scheduled releases of water above the dam's powerplant capacity were designed to mimic pre-dam seasonal flooding...
Understanding risk and resilience to natural hazards
Nathan Wood
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3008
Natural hazards threaten the safety and economic wellbeing of communities. These hazards include sudden-onset hazards, such as earthquakes, and slowly emerging, chronic hazards, such as those associated with climate change. To help public officials, emergency and other managers, the business community, and at-risk individuals reduce the risks posed by such...
The effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations on early life stages of rainbow trout in the Colorado River
Josh Korman, Theodore S. Melis
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3002
The Lees Ferry reach of the Colorado River-a 16-mile segment from Glen Canyon Dam to the confluence with the Paria River-supports an important recreational rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery. In Grand Canyon, nonnative rainbow trout prey on and compete for habitat and food with native fish, such as the endangered...
Effects of climate change and land use on water resources in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Jayne Belnap, K. Campbell
2011, Fact Sheet 2010-3123
The health of the Colorado River watershed is critical to the socioeconomic and ecosystem well-being of the Southwestern United States. Water in springs, streams, and rivers supports a range of aquatic and riparian ecosystems that contain many endangered species. Terrestrial habitats support a wide array of plants and wildlife. In...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Anadarko Basin Province of Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Colorado, 2010
D.K. Higley, S.B. Gaswirth, M.M. Abbott, Ronald R. Charpentier, T. A. Cook, G.S. Ellis, N.J. Gianoutsos, J. R. Hatch, T. R. Klett, Philip H. Nelson, M. J. Pawlewicz, O.N. Pearson, R. M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Schenk
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3003
The U.S. Geological Survey, using a geoscience-based assessment methodology, estimated mean technically-recoverable undiscovered continuous and conventional resources that total 495 million barrels of oil, 27.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 410 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the Anadarko Basin Province; this assessment includes the Las Animas...
Scanning and georeferencing historical USGS quadrangles
Larry R. Davis, G.J. Allord
2011, Fact Sheet 2011-3009
The USGS Historical Quadrangle Scanning Project (HQSP) is scanning all scales and all editions of approximately 250,000 topographic maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since the inception of the topographic mapping program in 1884. This scanning will provide a comprehensive digital repository of USGS topographic maps, available to...
Upper Colorado River Basin Climate Effects Network
Jayne Belnap, Donald Campbell, Jeff Kershner
2011, Fact Sheet 2010-3092
The Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) Climate Effects Network (CEN) is a science team established to provide information to assist land managers in future decision making processes by providing a better understanding of how future climate change, land use, invasive species, altered fire cycles, human systems, and the interactions among...
Streamflow of 2009--Water year summary
Jian Xiaodong, David M. Wolock, Harry F. Lins, Steve Brady
2010, Fact Sheet 2010-3058
The maps and graph in this summary describe streamflow conditions for water-year 2009 (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009) in the context of the 80-year period 1930-2009, unless otherwise noted. The illustrations are based on observed data from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Streamflow Information Program. The period 1930-2009...
Coral calcification in a changing ocean
Ilsa B. Kuffner
2010, Fact Sheet 2010-3098
Animals and plants that live in the ocean form skeletons and other hard parts by combining calcium ions and carbonate ions to create calcium carbonate. This process is called calcification. In tropical and subtropical oceans, the calcification of corals and other organisms creates reefs that protect islands, produce beautiful white-sand...
Detailed seafloor habitat mapping to enhance marine-resource management
David G. Zawada, Kristen M. Hart
2010, Fact Sheet 2010-3090
Pictures of the seafloor capture important information about the sediments, exposed geologic features, submerged aquatic vegetation, and animals found in a given habitat. With the emergence of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a favored tactic for preserving coral reef resources, knowledge of essential habitat components is paramount to designing effective...
Outdoor water use and water conservation opportunities in Virginia Beach, Virginia
John R. Eggleston
2010, Fact Sheet 2010-3007
How much water do you use to water your lawn, wash your car, or fill your swimming pool? Your answers to these questions have important implications for water supplies in the City of Virginia Beach. To help find the answers, the City cooperated with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and...
Extreme drought to extreme floods: summary of hydrologic conditions in Georgia, 2009
Andrew E. Knaak, Timothy K. Pojunas, Michael F. Peck
2010, Fact Sheet 2010-3101
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Georgia Water Science Center (WSC) maintains a long-term hydrologic monitoring network of more than 317 real-time streamgages, more than 180 groundwater wells of which 31 are real-time, and 10 lake-level monitoring stations. One of the many benefits of data collected from this monitoring network...
