Mapping grasslands suitable for cellulosic biofuels in the Greater Platte River Basin, United States
Bruce K. Wylie, Yingxin Gu
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3126
Biofuels are an important component in the development of alternative energy supplies, which is needed to achieve national energy independence and security in the United States. The most common biofuel product today in the United States is corn-based ethanol; however, its development is limited because of concerns about global food...
Predicting sea-level rise vulnerability of terrestrial habitat and wildlife of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Michelle H. Reynolds, Paul Berkowitz, Karen N. Courtot, Crystal M. Krause
Michelle H. Reynolds, Paul Berkowitz, Karen N. Courtot, Crystal M. Krause, editor(s)
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1182
If current climate change trends continue, rising sea levels may inundate low-lying islands across the globe, placing island biodiversity at risk. Recent models predict a rise of approximately one meter (1 m) in global sea level by 2100, with larger increases possible in areas of the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Islands...
Microbial source tracking markers at three inland recreational lakes in Ohio, 2011
Donna S. Francy, Erin A. Stelzer
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1222
During the 2011 recreational season, samples were collected for E. coli and microbial source tracking (MST) marker concentrations to begin to understand potential sources of fecal contamination at three inland recreational lakes in Ohio - Buckeye, Atwood, and Tappan Lakes. The results from 32 regular samples, 4 field blanks, and...
The United States National Climate Assessment - Alaska Technical Regional Report
Carl J. Markon, Sarah F. Trainor, F. Stuart Chapin III
Carl J. Markon, Sarah F. Trainor, F. Stuart Chapin III, editor(s)
2012, Circular 1379
The Alaskan landscape is changing, both in terms of effects of human activities as a consequence of increased population, social and economic development and their effects on the local and broad landscape; and those effects that accompany naturally occurring hazards such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Some of the...
Upper Clear Creek watershed aquatic chemistry and biota surveys, 2004-5, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta County, California
Marissa L. Wulff, Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1173
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, performed a comprehensive aquatic biota survey of the upper Clear Creek watershed, Shasta County, California, during 2004-5. Data collected in this study can provide resource managers with information regarding aquatic resources, watershed degradation, and...
Construction of estimated flow- and load-duration curves for Kentucky using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)
Michael D. Unthank, Jeremy K. Newson, Tanja N. Williamson, Hugh L. Nelson
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5168
Flow- and load-duration curves were constructed from the model outputs of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) application for streams in Kentucky. The WATER application was designed to access multiple geospatial datasets to generate more than 60 years of statistically based streamflow data for Kentucky....
Cambrian–Ordovician sedimentary rocks of Alaska
Julie A. Dumoulin, Anita G. Harris
James R. Derby, S.A. Longacre, William A. Morgan, C.A. Sternbach, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, The great American carbonate bank: The geology and economic resources of the Cambrian-Ordovician Sauk megasequence of Laurentia
Cambrian-Lower Ordovician carbonate rocks that likely formed as part of the Laurentian continental margin, and may thus have been part of the Cambrian-Ordovician great American carbonate bank, occur in east-central Alaska in the Nation Arch area. These strata accumulated on the southwestern margin (present-day coordinates) of the Yukon stable block,...
A multi-metric assessment of environmental contaminant exposure and effects in an urbanized reach of the Charles River near Watertown, Massachusetts
Stephen B. Smith, Patrick J. Anderson, Paul C. Baumann, Lawrence R. DeWeese, Steven L. Goodbred, James J. Coyle, David S. Smith
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1195
The Charles River Project provided an opportunity to simultaneously deploy a combination of biomonitoring techniques routinely used by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program, the Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Project, and the Contaminant Biology Program at an urban site suspected to be contaminated with polycyclic...
Grain-size distribution and selected major and trace element concentrations in bed-sediment cores from the Lower Granite Reservoir and Snake and Clearwater Rivers, eastern Washington and northern Idaho, 2010
Christopher L. Braun, Jennifer T. Wilson, Peter C. Van Metre, Rhonda J. Weakland, Ryan L. Fosness, Marshall L. Williams
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5219
Lower Granite Dam impounds the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, forming Lower Granite Reservoir. Since 1975, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dredged sediment from the Lower Granite Reservoir and the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in eastern Washington and northern Idaho to keep navigation...
Groundwater geochemical and selected volatile organic compound data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June 2011
Raegan L. Huffman, L.M. Frans
2012, Data Series 731
Previous investigations indicate that concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds are substantial in groundwater beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. Phytoremediation combined with ongoing natural attenuation processes was the preferred remedy selected by the U.S. Navy, as specified in the...
Feeding response of sport fish after electrical immobilization, chemical sedation, or both
Jeffery R. Meinertz, Kim T. Fredricks, Ryan D. Ambrose, Leanna M. Jackan, Jeremy K. Wise
2012, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (32) 679-686
Fishery managers frequently capture wild fish for a variety of fishery management activities. Though some activities can be accomplished without immobilizing the fish, others are accomplished more readily, humanely, and safely (for both the handler and the fish) when fish are immobilized by physical (e.g., electrical immobilization) or chemical sedation....
Hydrology of the unsaturated zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada
Gary D. LeCain, John S. Stuckless
2012, Book chapter, Hydrology and geochemistry of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Southern Nevada and California
The unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain was investigated as a possible site for the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository. Scientific investigations included infiltration studies, matrix properties testing, borehole testing and monitoring, underground excavation and testing, and the development of conceptual and numerical models of the hydrologic processes at Yucca...
River turbidity and sediment loads during dam removal
Jonathan A. Warrick, Jeffrey J. Duda, Christopher S. Magirl, Chris A. Curran
2012, Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union (93) 425-426
Dam decommissioning has become an important means for removing unsafe or obsolete dams and for restoring natural fluvial processes, including discharge regimes, sediment transport, and ecosystem connectivity [Doyle et al., 2003]. The largest dam-removal project in history began in September 2011 on the Elwha River of Washington State (Figure 1a)....
The effects of wildfire on the sediment yield of a coastal California watershed
J.A. Warrick, J.A. Hatten, G.B. Pasternack, A.B. Gray, M.A. Goni, R. A. Wheatcroft
2012, Geological Society of America Bulletin
The occurrence of two wildfires separated by 31 yr in the chaparral-dominated Arroyo Seco watershed (293 km) of California provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of wildfire on suspended-sediment yield. Here, we compile discharge and suspended-sediment sampling data from before and after the fires and show that the...
Computing daily mean streamflow at ungaged locations in Iowa by using the Flow Anywhere and Flow Duration Curve Transfer statistical methods
S. Mike Linhart, Jon F. Nania, Curtis L. Sanders Jr., Stacey A. Archfield
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5232
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains approximately 148 real-time streamgages in Iowa for which daily mean streamflow information is available, but daily mean streamflow data commonly are needed at locations where no streamgages are present. Therefore, the USGS conducted a study as part of a larger project in cooperation with...
Development of invertebrate community indexes of stream quality for the islands of Maui and Oahu, Hawaii
Reuben H. Wolff
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5055
In 2009-10 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected physical habitat information and benthic macroinvertebrates at 40 wadeable sites on 25 perennial streams on the Island of Maui, Hawaiʻi, to evaluate the relations between the macroinvertebrate assemblages and environmental characteristics and to develop a multimetric invertebrate community index (ICI) that could...
Streamflow depletion by wells--Understanding and managing the effects of groundwater pumping on streamflow
Paul M. Barlow, Stanley A. Leake
2012, Circular 1376
Groundwater is an important source of water for many human needs, including public supply, agriculture, and industry. With the development of any natural resource, however, adverse consequences may be associated with its use. One of the primary concerns related to the development of groundwater resources is the effect of groundwater...
Completion summary for borehole USGS 136 near the Advanced Test Reactor Complex, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Brian V. Twining, Roy C. Bartholomay, Mary K.V. Hodges
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5230
In 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, cored and completed borehole USGS 136 for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory. The borehole was initially cored to a depth of 1,048...
The shallow-water fish assemblage of Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica: Structure and patterns in an isolated, predator-dominated ecosystem
Alan M. Friedlander, Brian J. Zgliczynski, Enric Ballesteros, Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, Allan Bolanos, Enric Sala
2012, Revista de Biología Tropical: International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation (60) 321-338
Fishes at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, were surveyed as part of a larger scientific expedition to the area in September 2009. The average total biomass of nearshore fishes was 7.8 tonnes per ha, among the largest observed in the tropics, with apex predators such as sharks, jacks,...
MiniSipper: A new in situ water sampler for high-resolution, long-duration acid mine drainage monitoring
Thomas P. Chapin, Andrew S. Todd
2012, Science of the Total Environment (439) 343-353
Abandoned hard-rock mines can be a significant source of acid mine drainage (AMD) and toxic metal pollution to watersheds. In Colorado, USA, abandoned mines are often located in remote, high elevation areas that are snowbound for 7–8 months of the year. The difficulty in accessing these remote sites, especially during...
Free tropospheric transport of microorganisms from Asia to North America
D. Smith, Dan Jaffe, Michele Birmele, Dale W. Griffin, Andrew Schuerger, J. Hee, Michael Roberts
2012, Microbial Ecology (64) 973-985
Microorganisms are abundant in the troposphere and can be transported vast distances on prevailing winds. This study measures the abundance and diversity of airborne bacteria and fungi sampled at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (located 2.7 km above sea level in North America) where incoming free tropospheric air routinely arrives from...
Using geochemistry to identify the source of groundwater to Montezuma Well, a natural spring in Central Arizona, USA: Part 2
Raymond H. Johnson, Ed DeWitt, Laurie Wirt, Andrew H. Manning, Andrew G. Hunt
2012, Environmental Earth Sciences (67) 1837-1853
Montezuma Well is a unique natural spring located in a sinkhole surrounded by travertine. Montezuma Well is managed by the National Park Service, and groundwater development in the area is a potential threat to the water source for Montezuma Well. This research was undertaken to better understand the sources of...
Landslides and sediment budgets in four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico: Chapter F in Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
Matthew C. Larsen
Sheila F. Murphy, Robert F. Stallard, editor(s)
2012, Professional Paper 1789-F
The low-latitude regions of the Earth are undergoing profound, rapid landscape change as forests are converted to agriculture to support growing population. Understanding the effects of these land-use changes requires analysis of watershed-scale geomorphic processes to better inform and manage this usually disorganized process. The investigation of hillslope erosion and...
Weathering processes in the Rio Icacos and Rio Mameyes watersheds in Eastern Puerto Rico: Chapter I in Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
Heather L. Buss, Arthur F. White
Sheila F. Murphy, Robert F. Stallard, editor(s)
2012, Professional Paper 1789-I
Streams draining watersheds of the two dominant lithologies (quartz diorite and volcaniclastic rock) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of eastern Puerto Rico have very high fluxes of bedrock weathering products. The Río Blanco quartz diorite in the Icacos watershed and the Fajardo volcaniclastic rocks in the Mameyes watershed have some...
Physiography, geology, and land cover of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico: Chapter A in Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
Sheila F. Murphy, Robert F. Stallard, Matthew C. Larsen, William A. Gould
Sheila F. Murphy, editor(s)
2012, Professional Paper 1789-A
Four watersheds with differing geology and land cover in eastern Puerto Rico have been studied on a long-term basis by the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate water, energy, and biogeochemical budgets. These watersheds are typical of tropical, island-arc settings found in many parts of the world. Two watersheds are located...
