Variability of distributions of well-scale estimated ultimate recovery for continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources in the United States
U.S. Geological Survey Oil and Gas Assessment Team
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1118
Since 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey has completed assessments of continuous (unconventional) resources in the United States based on geologic studies and analysis of well-production data. This publication uses those 132 continuous oil and gas assessments to show the variability of well productivity within and among the 132 areas. The...
Relative azimuth inversion by way of damped maximum correlation estimates
A. T. Ringler, J.D. Edwards, C. R. Hutt, F. Shelly
2012, Computers & Geosciences (43) 1-6
Horizontal seismic data are utilized in a large number of Earth studies. Such work depends on the published orientations of the sensitive axes of seismic sensors relative to true North. These orientations can be estimated using a number of different techniques: SensOrLoc (Sensitivity, Orientation and Location), comparison to synthetics (Ekstrom...
Spatially telescoping measurements for improved characterization of groundwater-surface water interactions
Colin Kikuchi, Ty P.A. Ferre, Jeffery M. Welker
2012, Journal of Hydrology (446-447) 1-12
The suite of measurement methods available to characterize fluxes between groundwater and surface water is rapidly growing. However, there are few studies that examine approaches to design of field investigations that include multiple methods. We propose that performing field measurements in a spatially telescoping sequence improves measurement flexibility and accounts...
Species differentiation on a dynamic landscape: shifts in metapopulation genetic structure using the chronology of the Hawaiian Archipelago
George K. Roderick, Peter Croucher, Amy G. Vandergast, Rosemary G. Gillespie
2012, Evolutionary Biology (39) 192-206
Species formation during adaptive radiation often occurs in the context of a changing environment. The establishment and arrangement of populations, in space and time, sets up ecological and genetic processes that dictate the rate and pattern of differentiation. Here, we focus on how a dynamic habitat can affect genetic structure,...
Sulfur dioxide emission rates from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, 2007-2010
T. Elias, A. J. Sutton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1107
Kīlauea Volcano has one of the longest running volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate databases on record. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from Kīlauea Volcano were first measured by Stoiber and Malone (1975) and have been measured on a regular basis since 1979 (Elias and Sutton, 2007, and references within). Compilations...
Comparison of stream invertebrate response models for bioassessment metric
Ian R. Waite, Jonathan G. Kennen, Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, Kimberly A. Jones, James L. Orlando
2012, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (48) 570-583
We aggregated invertebrate data from various sources to assemble data for modeling in two ecoregions in Oregon and one in California. Our goal was to compare the performance of models developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques with models developed using three relatively new techniques: classification and regression trees (CART),...
Reconstruction of past methane availability in an Arctic Alaska wetland indicates climate influenced methane release during the past ~12,000 years
Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Pohlman, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Peter Langdon, Miriam Jones, Katey M. Walter Anthony, Kevin W. Becker, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Marcus Elvert
2012, Journal of Paleolimnology (48) 27-42
Atmospheric contributions of methane from Arctic wetlands during the Holocene are dynamic and linked to climate oscillations. However, long-term records linking climate variability to methane availability in Arctic wetlands are lacking. We present a multi-proxy ~12,000 year paleoecological reconstruction of intermittent methane availability from a radiocarbon-dated sediment core (LQ-West) taken...
Geophysical study of the San Juan Mountains batholith complex, southwestern Colorado
Benjamin J. Drenth, G. Randy Keller, Ren A. Thompson
2012, Geosphere (8) 669-684
One of the largest and most pronounced gravity lows over North America is over the rugged San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado (USA). The mountain range is coincident with the San Juan volcanic field (SJVF), the largest erosional remnant of a widespread mid-Cenozoic volcanic field that spanned much of the...
Spatial aspects of building and population exposure data and their implications for global earthquake exposure modeling
F. Dell’Acqua, P. Gamba, K. Jaiswal
2012, Natural Hazards
This paper discusses spatial aspects of the global exposure dataset and mapping needs for earthquake risk assessment. We discuss this in the context of development of a Global Exposure Database for the Global Earthquake Model (GED4GEM), which requires compilation of a multi-scale inventory of assets at risk, for example, buildings,...
Knowledge gained from video-monitoring grassland passerine nests
Pamela J. Pietz, D. A. Granfors, Christine A. Ribic
Christine A. Ribic, Frank R. Thompson III, Pamela J. Pietz, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds
In the mid-1990s, researchers began using miniature cameras to videotape activities at cryptic passerine nests in grasslands.In subsequent years, use of these video surveillance systems spread dramatically, leading to major strides in our knowledge of nest predation and nesting ecology of many species.Studies using video nest surveillance have helped...
A Markov chain analysis of the movements of juvenile salmonids in the forebay of McNary Dam, Washington and Oregon, 2006-09
Noah S. Adams, Tyson W. Hatton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1119
Passage and survival data for yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead were collected at McNary Dam between 2006 and 2009. These data have provided critical information for resource managers to implement structural and operational changes designed to improve the survival of juvenile salmonids as they migrate past the...
Guidelines for collecting and maintaining archives for genetic monitoring
Jennifer A. Jackson, Linda Laikre, C. Scott Baker, Katherine C. Kendall, The Genetic Monitoring Working Group
2012, Conservation Genetics Resources (4) 527-536
Rapid advances in molecular genetic techniques and the statistical analysis of genetic data have revolutionized the way that populations of animals, plants and microorganisms can be monitored. Genetic monitoring is the practice of using molecular genetic markers to track changes in the abundance, diversity or distribution of populations, species or...
A Markov chain analysis of the movements of juvenile salmonids, including sockeye salmon, in the forebay of McNary Dam, Washington and Oregon, 2006-09
Noah S. Adams, Tyson W. Hatton
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1120
Passage and survival data were collected at McNary Dam between 2006 and 2009. These data have provided critical information for resource managers to implement structural and operational changes designed to improve the survival of juvenile salmonids as they migrate past the dam. Much of the valuable information collected at McNary...
How to catch a parasite: Parasite Niche Modeler (PaNic) meets Fishbase
Giovanni Strona, Kevin D. Lafferty
2012, Ecography (35) 481-486
Parasite Niche Modeler (PaNic) is a free online software tool that suggests potential hosts for fish parasites. For a particular parasite species from the major helminth groups (Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Monogenea, Nematoda, Trematoda), PaNic takes data from known hosts (maximum body length, growth rate, life span, age at first maturity, trophic...
Modeling radium distribution in coastal aquifers during sea level changes: The Dead Sea case
Yael Kiro, Yoseph Yechieli, Clifford I. Voss, Abraham Starinsky, Yishai Weinstein
2012, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (88) 237-254
We present a new approach to studying the behavior of radium isotopes in a coastal aquifer. In order to simulate radium isotope distributions in the dynamic flow field of the Dead Sea aquifer, a multi-species density dependent flow model (SUTRA-MS) was used. Field data show that the activity of 226Ra...
Mapping socio-environmentally vulnerable populations access and exposure to ecosystem services at the U.S.-Mexico borderlands
Laura M. Norman, Miguel L. Villarreal, Francisco Lara-Valencia, Yongping Yuan, Wenming Nie, Sylvia Wilson, Gladys Amaya, Rachel Sleeter
2012, Applied Geography (34) 413-424
Socio-environmental vulnerable populations are often unrepresented in land-use planning yet have great potential for loss when exposed to changes in ecosystem services. Administrative boundaries, cultural differences, and language barriers increase the disassociation between land-use management and marginalized populations living in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. This paper describes the development of a...
Representation of regional urban development conditions using a watershed-based gradient study design
Silvia Terziotti, Gerard McMahon, Amanda H. Bell
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5070
As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program, the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems (EUSE) have been intensively investigated in nine metropolitan areas in the United States, including Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas;...
Reconnaissance of land-use sources of pesticides in drinking water, McKenzie River, Oregon
Valerie J. Kelly, Chauncey W. Anderson, Karl Morgenstern
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5091
The Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) provides water and electricity to the City of Eugene, Oregon, from the McKenzie River. In the spring of 2002, EWEB initiated a pesticide monitoring program in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey as part of their Drinking Water Source Protection Plan. Approximately twice...
Sound data management as a foundation for natural resources management and science
Thomas E. Burley
2012, Fact Sheet 2011-3038
Effective decision making is closely related to the quality and completeness of available data and information. Data management helps to ensure data quality in any discipline and supports decision making. Managing data as a long-term scientific asset helps to ensure that data will be usable beyond the original intended application....
Assessment of soil-gas contamination at three former fuel-dispensing sites, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2010—2011
Andral W. Caldwell, W. Fred Falls, Wladmir B. Guimaraes, W. Hagan Ratliff, John B. Wellborn, James Landmeyer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1082
Soil gas was assessed for contaminants at three former fuel-dispensing sites at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from October 2010 to September 2011. The assessment included delineation of organic contaminants using soil-gas samplers collected from the former fuel-dispensing sites at 8th Street, Chamberlain Avenue, and 12th Street. This assessment was conducted to...
Introduction to geospatial semantics and technology workshop handbook
Dalia E. Varanka
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1109
The workshop is a tutorial on introductory geospatial semantics with hands-on exercises using standard Web browsers. The workshop is divided into two sections, general semantics on the Web and specific examples of geospatial semantics using data from The National Map of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Open Ontology Repository....
Monitoring of stream restoration habitat on the main stem of the Methow River, Washington, during the pre-treatment phase (October 2008-May 2012) with a progress report for activities from March 2011 to November 2011
Wesley T. Tibbits, Kyle D. Martens, Patrick J. Connolly
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1108
Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) received a request from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to provide monitoring and an evaluation of the effectiveness of habitat actions that Reclamation plans to implement in the Upper Columbia River basin, which includes the Methow River. This monitoring and evaluation program...
Invertebrate response to changes in streamflow hydraulics in two urban areas in the United States
Rodney R. Knight, Thomas F. Cuffney
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5035
Stream hydrology is foundational to aquatic ecosystems and has been shown to be a structuring element for fish and invertebrates. The relations among urbanization, hydraulics, and invertebrate communities were investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment Program by using measures of stream hydraulics in two areas of the...
Dissolved oxygen analysis, TMDL model comparison, and particulate matter shunting—Preliminary results from three model scenarios for the Klamath River upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Annett B. Sullivan, Stewart A. Rounds, Michael L. Deas, I. Ertugrul Sogutlugil
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1101
Efforts are underway to identify actions that would improve water quality in the Link River to Keno Dam reach of the Upper Klamath River in south-central Oregon. To provide further insight into water-quality improvement options, three scenarios were developed, run, and analyzed using previously calibrated CE-QUAL-W2 hydrodynamic and water-quality models....
Prioritizing pesticide compounds for analytical methods development
Julia E. Norman, Kathryn Kuivila, Lisa H. Nowell
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5045
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a periodic need to re-evaluate pesticide compounds in terms of priorities for inclusion in monitoring and studies and, thus, must also assess the current analytical capabilities for pesticide detection. To meet this need, a strategy has been developed to prioritize pesticides and degradates for...