Persistent organic pollutants in the blood of free-ranging sea otters (Enhydra lutris ssp.) in Alaska and California
David A. Jessup, Christine K. Johnson, James A. Estes, Daphne Carlson-Bremer, Walter M. Jarman, Stacey Reese, Erin Dodd, M. Tim Tinker, Michael H. Ziccardi
2010, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (46) 1214-1233
As part of tagging and ecologic research efforts in 1997 and 1998, apparently healthy sea otters of four age-sex classes in six locations in Alaska and three in California were sampled for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other chemicals of ecologic or environmental concern (COECs). Published techniques for the detection...
Historical seismograms for unravelling a mysterious earthquake: The 1907 Sumatra Earthquake
Hiroo Kanamori, Luis Rivera, W.H.K. Lee
2010, Geophysical Journal International (183) 358-374
History of instrumental seismology is short. Seismograms are available only for a little more than 100 years; high-quality seismograms are available only for the last 50 years and the seismological database is very limited in time. To extend the database, seismograms of old events are of vital importance. Many unusual...
Creative use of pilot points to address site and regional scale heterogeneity in a variable-density model
Alyssa M. Dausman, John Doherty, Christian D. Langevin
2010, Book, PEST Conference 2009 Proceedings
Pilot points for parameter estimation were creatively used to address heterogeneity at both the well field and regional scales in a variable-density groundwater flow and solute transport model designed to test multiple hypotheses for upward migration of fresh effluent injected into a highly transmissive saline carbonate aquifer. Two sets of...
Determination of biologically significant hydrologic condition metrics in urbanizing watersheds: an empirical analysis over a range of environmental settings
Jeffrey J. Steuer, Krista A. Stensvold, Mark B. Gregory
2010, Hydrobiologia (654) 27-55
We investigated the relations among 83 hydrologic condition metrics (HCMs) and changes in algal, invertebrate, and fish communities in five metropolitan areas across the continental United States. We used a statistical approach that employed Spearman correlation and regression tree analysis to identify five HCMs that are strongly associated with observed...
Chemical and textural controls on phosphorus mobility in drylands of southeastern Utah
Susan E. Buckingham, Jason Neff, Behan Titiz-Maybach, Richard L. Reynolds
2010, Biogeochemistry (100) 105-120
We investigated several forms of phosphorus (P) in dryland soils to examine the chemical and textural controls on P stabilization on a diverse set of substrates. We examined three P fractions including labile, moderately labile, and occluded as determined by a modified Hedley fractionation technique. The P fractions were compared...
To burn or not to burn Oriental bittersweet: A fire manager’s conundrum
Noel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Krystal Frohnapple, Dan Morford, Neal Mulconrey
2010, Report
This is the second progress report detailing the research about Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and fire which has been ongoing for two years. We highlight the further results from three components of the study: 1) Susceptibility of different habitats to invasion of Oriental bittersweet, 2) The impact of fire on...
Using selective drainage methods to hydrologically-condition and hydrologically-enforce lidar-derived surface flow
Sandra K. Poppenga, Bruce Worstell, Jason M. Stoker, Susan Greenlee
2010, Conference Paper, Remote sensing and hydrology
The methods to extract surface flow from coarse elevation data are well documented; however, the methods to extract surface flow from high-resolution, high-vertical accuracy digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) are less documented, but yet more complex. As lidar data are increasingly used to generate...
Pollen-based continental climate reconstructions at 6 and 21 ka: A global synthesis
P. J. Bartlein, S. P. Harrison, Sandra Brewer, S. Connor, B.A.S. Davis, K. Gajewski, J. Guiot, T. I. Harrison-Prentice, A. Henderson, O. Peyron, I. C. Prentice, M. Scholze, H. Seppa, B. Shuman, S. Sugita, R.S. Thompson, A.E. Viau, J. Williams, H. Wu
2010, Climate Dynamics (37) 775-802
Subfossil pollen and plant macrofossil data derived from 14C-dated sediment profiles can provide quantitative information on glacial and interglacial climates. The data allow climate variables related to growing-season warmth, winter cold, and plant-available moisture to be reconstructed. Continental-scale reconstructions have been made for the mid-Holocene (MH, around 6 ka) and Last Glacial...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the northern San Joaquin Basin, 2005: California GAMA Priority Basin Project
George L. V Bennett V, Miranda S. Fram, Kenneth Belitz, Bryant C. Jurgens
2010, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5175
Groundwater quality in the 2,079 square mile Northern San Joaquin Basin (Northern San Joaquin) study unit was investigated from December 2004 through February 2005 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project was developed in response to...
Marine benthic habitat mapping of Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, with an evaluation of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard III
Luke D. Trusel, Guy R. Cochrane, Lisa L. Etherington, Ross D. Powell, Larry A. Mayer
2010, Scientific Investigations Map 3122
Seafloor geology and potential benthic habitats were mapped in Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, using multibeam sonar, ground-truth information, and geological interpretations. Muir Inlet is a recently deglaciated fjord that is under the influence of glacial and paraglacial marine processes. High glacially derived sediment and meltwater...
Streamflow, suspended-sediment, and soil-erosion data from Kaulana and Hakioawa watersheds, Kaho'olawe, Hawai'i, 2006 to 2010
Scot K. Izuka, Lyman L. Abbott
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1182
Various events over the last two centuries have destroyed the vegetation and caused rapid soil erosion on large areas of the small, arid, windy tropical shield-volcano island of Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i. These activities were largely halted in the 1990s, and efforts have been made to restore the island's vegetation in order...
Description of extreme-wave deposits on the northern coast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
Steven G. Watt, Bruce E. Jaffe, Robert A. Morton, Bruce M. Richmond, Guy Gelfencaum
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1180
To develop a better understanding of the origins of extreme-wave deposits and to help assess the potential risk of future overwash events, a field mapping survey was conducted in November 2006 on the northern coast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Deposits were mapped and analyzed to help develop a systematic sedimentological...
PAGER--Rapid assessment of an earthquakes impact
D.J. Wald, K. Jaiswal, K. D. Marano, D. Bausch, M. Hearne
2010, Fact Sheet 2010-3036
PAGER (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) is an automated system that produces content concerning the impact of significant earthquakes around the world, informing emergency responders, government and aid agencies, and the media of the scope of the potential disaster. PAGER rapidly assesses earthquake impacts by comparing the population...
Assessing survival of Mid-Columbia River released juvenile salmonids at McNary Dam, Washington, 2008-09
Scott D. Evans, Christopher E. Walker, Scott J. Brewer, Noah S. Adams
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1237
Few studies have evaluated survival of juvenile salmon over long river reaches in the Columbia River and information regarding the survival of sockeye salmon at lower Columbia River dams is lacking. To address these information gaps, the U.S. Geological Survey was contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
Stratiform chromite deposit model
Ruth F. Schulte, Ryan D. Taylor, Nadine M. Piatak, Robert R. Seal II
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1232
Stratiform chromite deposits are of great economic importance, yet their origin and evolution remain highly debated. Layered igneous intrusions such as the Bushveld, Great Dyke, Kemi, and Stillwater Complexes, provide opportunities for studying magmatic differentiation processes and assimilation within the crust, as well as related ore-deposit formation. Chromite-rich seams within...
Co-Cu-Au deposits in metasedimentary rocks-A preliminary report
J. F. Slack, J. D. Causey, R. G. Eppinger, J. E. Gray, C. A. Johnson, K.I. Lund, K. J. Schulz
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1212
A compilation of data on global Co-Cu-Au deposits in metasedimentary rocks refines previous descriptive models for their occurrence and provides important information for mineral resource assessments and exploration programs. This compilation forms the basis for a new classification of such deposits, which is speculative at this early stage of research....
U.S. Geological Survey Rewarding Environment Culture Study, 2002
Janis C. Nash, Carol A. Paradise-Tornow, Vicki K. Gray, Sarah P. Griffin-Bemis, Pamela R. Agnew, Nicole M. Bouchet
2010, Open-File Report 2006-1192
In its 2001 review of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Research Council (NRC, p. 126) cautioned that ?high-quality personnel are essential for developing high-quality science information? and urged the USGS to ?devote substantial efforts to recruiting and retaining excellent staff.? Recognizing the importance of the NRC recommendation, the USGS...
Permeability profiles in granular aquifers using flowmeters in direct-push wells
D. Paradis, R. Lefebvre, R. H. Morin, E. Gloaguen
2010, Ground Water (49) 534-547
Numerical hydrogeological models should ideally be based on the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity (K), a property rarely defined on the basis of sufficient data due to the lack of efficient characterization methods. Electromagnetic borehole flowmeter measurements during pumping in uncased wells can effectively provide a continuous vertical distribution of K in...
Broad accommodation of rift-related extension recorded by dyke intrusion in Saudi Arabia
John S. Pallister, Wendy A. McCausland, Sigurjon Jonsson, Zhong Lu, Hani M. Zahran, Salah El Hadidy, Abdallah Aburukbah, Ian C.F. Stewart, Paul R. Lundgren, Randall A. White, Mohammed R. H. Moufti
2010, Nature Geoscience (3) 705-712
The extensive harrat lava province of Arabia formed during the past 30 million years in response to Red Sea rifting and mantle upwelling. The area was regarded as seismically quiet, but between April and June 2009 a swarm of more than 30,000 earthquakes struck one of...
Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Mesozoic (Jurassic and Cretaceous) rocks of the onshore and state waters of the Gulf of Mexico Region, U.S.A
Russell F. Dubiel, Peter D. Warwick, Laura R Biewick, Lauri A. Burke, James L. Coleman, Kristin O. Dennen, Colin A. Doolan, Catherine B. Enomoto, Paul C. Hackley, Alexander W. Karlsen, Matthew D. Merrill, Krystal M. Pearson, Ofori N. Pearson, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Elisabeth L. Rowan, Sharon M. Swanson, Brett J. Valentine
2010, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions (60) 207-216
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in the final phase of the most recent assessment of the undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coastal plain and state waters. Ongoing geologic, geochemical, and petrophysical framework studies have defined the total petroleum systems and assessment...
Approach, passage, and survival of juvenile salmonids at Little Goose Dam, Washington: Post-construction evaluation of a temporary spillway weir, 2009
J.W. Beeman, A.C. Braatz, H.C. Hansel, S.D. Fielding, P.V. Haner, G.S. Hansen, D.J. Shurtleff, J.M. Sprando, D.W. Rondorf
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1224
This report describes a study of dam passage and survival of radio-tagged juvenile salmonids after installation of a temporary spillway weir (TSW) at Little Goose Dam, Washington, in 2009. The purpose of the study was to document fish passage and survival when the dam was operated with the TSW in...
Development and analysis of a meteorological database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois
Thomas M. Over, Thomas H. Price, Audrey L. Ishii
2010, Open-File Report 2010-1220
A database of hourly values of air temperature, dewpoint temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation from January 1, 1948, to September 30, 2003, primarily using data collected at the Argonne National Laboratory station, was developed for use in continuous-time hydrologic modeling in northeastern Illinois. Missing and apparently erroneous data values...
The quality of our nation's waters: Nutrients in the nation's streams and groundwater, 1992-2004
Neil M. Dubrovsky, Karen R. Burow, Gregory M. Clark, JoAnn M. Gronberg, Pixie A. Hamilton, Kerie J. Hitt, David K. Mueller, Mark D. Munn, Bernard T. Nolan, Larry J. Puckett, Michael G. Rupert, Terry M. Short, Norman E. Spahr, Lori A. Sprague, William G. Wilber
2010, Circular 1350
National Findings and Their ImplicationsAlthough the use of artificial fertilizer has supported increasing food production to meet the needs of a growing population, increases in nutrient loadings from agricultural and, to a lesser extent, urban sources have resulted in nutrient concentrations in many streams and parts of aquifers that exceed...
Bathymetry and absorptivity of Titan's Ontario Lacus
A. G. Hayes, A.S. Wolf, O. Aharonson, H. Zebker, R. Lorenz, R. L. Kirk, P. Paillou, J. Lunine, L. Wye, P. Callahan, S. Wall, C. Elachi
2010, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (115)
Ontario Lacus is the largest and best characterized lake in Titan's south polar region. In June and July 2009, the Cassini RADAR acquired its first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of the area. Together with closest approach altimetry acquired in December 2008, these observations provide a unique opportunity to...
Estimates of groundwater age from till and carbonate bedrock hydrogeologic units at Jefferson Proving Ground, Southeastern Indiana, 2007-08
Paul M. Buszka, David C. Lampe, Amanda L. Egler
2010, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5178
During 2007-08, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army, conducted a study to evaluate the relative age of groundwater in Pre-Wisconsinan till and underlying shallow and deep carbonate bedrock units in and near an area at Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG), southeastern Indiana, which was...
