Review of rare earth element concentrations in oil shales of the Eocene Green River Formation
Justin E. Birdwell
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1016
Concentrations of the lanthanide series or rare earth elements and yttrium were determined for lacustrine oil shale samples from the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of Colorado and the Uinta Basin of Utah. Unprocessed oil shale, post-pyrolysis (spent) shale, and leached shale samples were examined to determine...
Water chemistry and electrical conductivity database for rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Laura E. Clor, R. Blaine McCleskey, Mark A. Huebner, Jacob B. Lowenstern, Henry P. Heasler, Dan L. Mahony, Tim Maloney, William C. Evans
2012, Data Series 632
Chloride flux has been used to estimate heat flow in volcanic environments since the method was developed in New Zealand by Ellis and Wilson (1955). The method can be applied effectively at Yellowstone, because nearly all of the water discharged from its thermal features enters one of four major rivers...
Spatial and temporal diet patterns of subadult and small adult striped bass in Massachusetts estuaries: Data, a synthesis, and trends across scales
K.H. Ferry, Martha E. Mather
2012, Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science (4) 30-45
Subadult and small adult (375–475 mm total length) striped bass Morone saxatilis are abundant and represent an important component of the recovered U.S. Atlantic coast stocks. However, little is known about these large aggregations of striped bass during their annual foraging migrations to New England. A quantitative understanding of trends...
Quality of major ion and total dissolved solids data from groundwater sampled by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 1992–2010
Eliza L. Gross, Bruce D. Lindsey, Michael G. Rupert
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5153
Proper interpretation of water quality requires consideration of the effects that contamination bias and sampling variability might have on measured analyte concentrations. The effect of contamination bias and sampling variability on major ion and total dissolved solids data in water samples collected in 48 of the 52 National Water-Quality Assessment...
Diversity and distribution of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the South Platte River Basin, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, 1873-2010
Robert E. Zuellig, Brian D. Heinold, Boris C. Kondratieff, David E. Ruiter
2012, Data Series 606
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado), compiled collection record data to document the historical and present-day occurrence of mayfly, stonefly, and caddisfly species in the South Platte River Basin. Data were compiled from records collected between...
Preliminary assessment of channel stability and bed-material transport in the Rogue River basin, southwestern Oregon
Krista L. Jones, Jim E. O'Connor, Mackenzie K. Keith, Joseph F. Mangano, J. Rose Wallick
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1280
This report summarizes a preliminary assessment of bed-material transport, vertical and lateral channel changes, and existing datasets for the Rogue River basin, which encompasses 13,390 square kilometers (km2) along the southwestern Oregon coast. This study, conducted to inform permitting decisions regarding instream gravel mining, revealed that:The Rogue River in its...
Social values for ecosystem services (SolVES): Documentation and user manual, version 2.0
Benson C. Sherrouse, Darius J. Semmens
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1023
In response to the need for incorporating quantified and spatially explicit measures of social values into ecosystem services assessments, the Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center (RMGSC), in collaboration with Colorado State University, developed a geographic information system (GIS) application, Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES). With version 2.0 (SolVES 2.0),...
Genetic diversity of a newly established population of golden eagles on the Channel Islands, California
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Timothy J. Coonan, Brian C. Latta, George K. Sage, Sandra L. Talbot
2012, Biological Conservation (146) 116-122
Gene flow can have profound effects on the genetic diversity of a founding population depending on the number and relationship among colonizers and the duration of the colonization event. Here we used data from nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA control region loci to assess genetic diversity in golden eagles of...
Multi-scale remote sensing sagebrush characterization with regression trees over Wyoming, USA: laying a foundation for monitoring
Collin G. Homer, Cameron L. Aldridge, Debra K. Meyer, Spencer J. Schell
2012, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (14) 233-244
agebrush ecosystems in North America have experienced extensive degradation since European settlement. Further degradation continues from exotic invasive plants, altered fire frequency, intensive grazing practices, oil and gas development, and climate change – adding urgency to the need for ecosystem-wide understanding. Remote sensing is often identified as a key information...
Using assemblage data in ecological indicators: A comparison and evaluation of commonly available statistical tools
Joseph M. Smith, Martha E. Mather
2012, Ecological Indicators (13) 253-262
Ecological indicators are science-based tools used to assess how human activities have impacted environmental resources. For monitoring and environmental assessment, existing species assemblage data can be used to make these comparisons through time or across sites. An impediment to using assemblage data, however, is that these data are complex and...
Utilizing multichannel electrical resistivity methods to examine the dynamics of the fresh water–seawater interface in two Hawaiian groundwater systems
Natasha T. Dimova, Peter W. Swarzenski, Henrieta Dulaiova, Craig R. Glenn
2012, Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans (117)
Multichannel electrical resistivity (ER) measurements were conducted at two contrasting coastal sites in Hawaii to obtain new information on the spatial scales and dynamics of the fresh water–seawater interface and rates of coastal groundwater exchange. At Kiholo Bay (located on the dry, Kona side of the Big Island) and at...
Long-term creep rates on the Hayward Fault: Evidence for controls on the size and frequency of large earthquakes
James J. Lienkaemper, Forrest S. McFarland, Robert W. Simpson, Roger G. Bilham, David A. Ponce, John Boatwright, S. John Caskey
2012, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (102) 31-41
The Hayward fault (HF) in California exhibits large (Mw 6.5–7.1) earthquakes with short recurrence times (161±65 yr), probably kept short by a 26%–78% aseismic release rate (including postseismic). Its interseismic release rate varies locally over time, as we infer from many decades of surface creep data. Earliest estimates of creep...
Survey of hydrologic models and hydrologic data needs for tracking flow in the Rio Grande, north-central New Mexico, 2010
Anne Tillery, Jack R. Eggleston
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5207
The six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos have prior and paramount rights to deliveries of water from the Rio Grande for their use. When the pueblos or the Bureau of Indian Affairs Designated Engineer identifies a need for additional flow on the Rio Grande, the Designated Engineer is tasked with deciding...
Mineral Commodity Summaries 2012
2012, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2012
Each chapter of the 2012 edition of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS) includes information on events, trends, and issues for each mineral commodity as well as discussions and tabular presentations on domestic industry structure, Government programs, tariffs, 5-year salient statistics, and world production and resources. The...
A caveat regarding diatom-inferred nitrogen concentrations in oligotrophic lakes
Heather A. Arnett, Jasmine E. Saros, M. Alisa Mast
2012, Journal of Paleolimnology (47) 277-291
Atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (Nr) has enriched oligotrophic lakes with nitrogen (N) in many regions of the world and elicited dramatic changes in diatom community structure. The lakewater concentrations of nitrate that cause these community changes remain unclear, raising interest in the development of diatom-based transfer functions to infer...
Ocean-atmosphere dynamics during Hurricane Ida and Nor'Ida: An application of the coupled ocean-;atmosphere–wave–sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system
Maitane Olabarrieta, John C. Warner, Brandy N. Armstrong, Joseph B. Zambon, Ruoying He
2012, Ocean Modelling (43-44) 112-137
The coupled ocean–atmosphere–wave–sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system was used to investigate atmosphere–ocean–wave interactions in November 2009 during Hurricane Ida and its subsequent evolution to Nor'Ida, which was one of the most costly storm systems of the past two decades. One interesting aspect of this event is that it included two...
GloVis
Treva R. Houska, A.P. Johnson
2012, General Information Product 137
The Global Visualization Viewer (GloVis) trifold provides basic information for online access to a subset of satellite and aerial photography collections from the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center archive. The GloVis (http://glovis.usgs.gov/) browser-based utility allows users to search and download National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP),...
Description and validation of an automated methodology for mapping mineralogy, vegetation, and hydrothermal alteration type from ASTER satellite imagery with examples from the San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Barnaby W. Rockwell
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3190
The efficacy of airborne spectroscopic, or "hyperspectral," remote sensing for geoenvironmental watershed evaluations and deposit-scale mapping of exposed mineral deposits has been demonstrated. However, the acquisition, processing, and analysis of such airborne data at regional and national scales can be time and cost prohibitive. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and...
Selected water-quality data from the Cedar River and Cedar Rapids well fields, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2006-10
Gregory R. Littin
2012, Data Series 657
The Cedar River alluvial aquifer is the primary source of municipal water in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. Municipal wells are completed in the alluvial aquifer approximately 40 to 80 feet below land surface. The City of Cedar Rapids and the U.S. Geological Survey have been conducting a cooperative study...
Construction diagrams, geophysical logs, and lithologic descriptions for boreholes USGS 103, 105, 108, 131, 135, NRF-15, and NRF-16, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Mary K.V. Hodges, Stephanie M. Orr, Katherine E. Potter, Tynan LeMaitre
2012, Data Series 660
This report, prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, summarizes construction, geophysical, and lithologic data collected from about 4,509 feet of core from seven boreholes deepened or drilled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Project Office, from 2006 to 2009 at the INL. USGS...
A comparison of consumptive-use estimates derived from the simplified surface energy balance approach and indirect reporting methods
Molly A. Maupin, Gabriel B. Senay, Joan F. Kenny, Mark E. Savoca
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5005
Recent advances in remote-sensing technology and Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) methods can provide accurate and repeatable estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) when used with satellite observations of irrigated lands. Estimates of ET are generally considered equivalent to consumptive use (CU) because they represent the part of applied irrigation water that...
Using existing data to estimate aquifer properties, Great Lakes Region, USA
Robert A. Darner, Rodney A. Sheets
2012, Ground Water (50)
To determine specific storage and porosity, areally limited and time-consuming aquifer tests are frequently done. Hydrogeologic studies often do not have the resources to collect such data and rely on existing data sources for aquifer properties. An alternative tool for determining these aquifer properties is the analysis of earth tides....
Preliminary investigations of the winter ecology of Long-billed Curlews in coastal Texas
Marc C. Woodin, Mary Kay Skoruppa, Jeremy W. Edwardson, Jane E. Austin
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1312
Since the early 1900s, the distribution of the Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) has contracted dramatically in the eastern one-half of its historic range. The species has been designated as a "Bird of Conservation Concern" and focal species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a species of concern by several...
Shallow coal exploration drill-hole data--Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas
Brett J. Valentine, Kristin O. Dennen
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1261
Coal exploration drill-hole data from over 24,000 wells in 10 States are discussed by State in the chapters of this report, and the data are provided in an accompanying spreadsheet. The drill holes were drilled between 1962 and 1984 by Phillips Coal Company, a division of Phillips Petroleum Company (Phillips)....
User's guide for mapIMG 3--Map image re-projection software package
Michael P. Finn, David M. Mattli
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1306
Version 0.0 (1995), Dan Steinwand, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)/Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center (EDC)--Version 0.0 was a command line version for UNIX that required four arguments: the input metadata, the output metadata, the input data file, and the output destination path. Version 1.0 (2003), Stephen Posch and Michael...
