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Research about Nye County, Nevada

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Nye County, Nevada.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2020

Emerging and historical contaminants detected in desert rodents collected near a low‐level radioactive waste site

In an effort to determine contaminant presence, concentrations, and movement from a low‐level radioactive waste (LLRW) burial disposal site to ecosystems in the surrounding area, a study was developed to assess concentrations of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and tritium. To complete this assessment small mammals, vegetation, soil, and insect samples were collected from areas within and adjacent to the Beatty, Nevada, LLRW site and from a reference area located approximately 3 km south of the LLRW site. Samples underwent analysis via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, or scintillation spectroscopy depending on the analyte of interest. Small mammal tissues showed maximum concentrations of over 1700 ng/g for PFAS, 1600 ng/g for PCBs, and 10 000 Bq/kg for tritium. The primary contaminants found in soil samples were PCBs, with maximum concentrations exceeding 25 ng/g. Trace amounts of PFAS were also detected in soils and insects. Only qualitative data were obtained from vegetation samples because of the complex matrix of the dominant plant species (creosote bush; Larrea tridentata [Sessé & Moc. ex DC.] Coville). Overall, these data indicate the presence of various anthropogenic contaminants in the ecosystem surrounding the LLRW area, but additional analyses are necessary to confirm the sources and migration pathways of PFAS and PCBs in this hyperarid environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;00:1–8. © 2020 SETAC

Nevada↗
USGS2019

Spatial fingerprinting of biogenic and anthropogenic volatile organic compounds in an arid unsaturated zone

Subsurface volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can pose risks to human and environmental health and mediate biological processes. VOCs have both anthropogenic and biogenic origins, but the relative importance of these sources has not been explored in subsurface environments. This study synthesizes 17 years of VOC data from the Amargosa Desert Research Site (ADRS) with the goal of improving understanding of spatial and temporal variations that distinguish sources of VOCs from a landfill and surrounding ambient sources including biogenic VOCs (bVOCs). Gas samples were collected from 1999 to 2016 from an array of shallow sample points (0.5 m and 1.5 m depth) and from vertical profiles at three deep boreholes, two (109 m deep) near the border of a waste facility (33 and 100 m distant), and one (29 m deep) in a remote area 3 km to the south. Samples were analyzed for target VOCs and a subset was analyzed for non-target VOCs to enumerate a greater variety of potential bVOCs. Principal components analysis of the target and non-target VOCs provided an assessment of spatial variability of VOCs originating from the landfill site and from ambient sources. Ambient VOCs occurred at all sample sites over a range of depths and most were consistent with biogenic origins, indicating, for the first time, presence of bVOCs in the deep unsaturated zone. Because some VOCs have both anthropogenic and biogenic sources, discrimination of sources can be important for estimating the extent and migration of anthropogenic plumes in arid unsaturated zones.

Nevada↗
USGS2018

Hydrogeologic applications for historical records and images from rock samples collected at the Nevada National Security Site and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada - A supplement to Data Series 297

Rock samples have been collected, analyzed, and interpreted from drilling and mining operations at the Nevada National Security Site for over one-half of a century. Records containing geologic and hydrologic analyses and interpretations have been compiled into a series of databases. Rock samples have been photographed and thin sections scanned. Records and images are preserved and available for public viewing and downloading at the U.S. Geological Survey ScienceBase, Mercury Core Library and Data Center Web site at https://www.sciencebase.gov/mercury/ and documented in U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 297. Example applications of these data and images are provided in this report.

Nevada↗
USGS2017

Groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, flow of water in unsaturated soil, and stable isotope water sourcing in areas of sparse vegetation, Amargosa Desert, Nye County, Nevada

This report documents methodology and results of a study to evaluate groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration (GWET) in sparsely vegetated areas of Amargosa Desert and improve understanding of hydrologic-continuum processes controlling groundwater discharge. Evapotranspiration and GWET rates were computed and characterized at three sites over 2 years using a combination of micrometeorological, unsaturated zone, and stable-isotope measurements. One site (Amargosa Flat Shallow [AFS]) was in a sparse and isolated area of saltgrass ( Distichlis spicata ) where the depth to groundwater was 3.8 meters (m). The second site (Amargosa Flat Deep [AFD]) was in a sparse cover of predominantly shadscale ( Atriplex confertifolia ) where the depth to groundwater was 5.3 m. The third site (Amargosa Desert Research Site [ADRS]), selected as a control site where GWET is assumed to be zero, was located in sparse vegetation dominated by creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata ) where the depth to groundwater was 110 m. Results indicated that capillary rise brought groundwater to within 0.9 m (at AFS) and 3 m (at AFD) of land surface, and that GWET rates were largely controlled by the slow but relatively persistent upward flow of water through the unsaturated zone in response to atmospheric-evaporative demands. Greater GWET at AFS (50 ± 20 millimeters per year [mm/yr]) than at AFD (16 ± 15 mm/yr) corresponded with its shallower depth to the capillary fringe and constantly higher soil-water content. The stable-isotope dataset for hydrogen (δ 2 H) and oxygen (δ 18 O) illustrated a broad range of plant-water-uptake scenarios. The AFS saltgrass and AFD shadscale responded to changing environmental conditions and their opportunistic water use included the time- and depth-variable uptake of unsaturated-zone water derived from a combination of groundwater and precipitation. These results can be used to estimate GWET in other areas of Amargosa Desert where hydrologic conditions are similar.

Nevada↗
USGS2017

Steady state fractionation of heavy noble gas isotopes in a deep unsaturated zone

To explore steady state fractionation processes in the unsaturated zone (UZ), we measured argon, krypton, and xenon isotope ratios throughout a ∼110 m deep UZ at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Amargosa Desert Research Site (ADRS) in Nevada, USA. Prior work has suggested that gravitational settling should create a nearly linear increase in heavy-to-light isotope ratios toward the bottom of stagnant air columns in porous media. Our high-precision measurements revealed a binary mixture between (1) expected steady state isotopic compositions and (2) unfractionated atmospheric air. We hypothesize that the presence of an unsealed pipe connecting the surface to the water table allowed for direct inflow of surface air in response to extensive UZ gas sampling prior to our first (2015) measurements. Observed isotopic resettling in deep UZ samples collected a year later, after sealing the pipe, supports this interpretation. Data and modeling each suggest that the strong influence of gravitational settling and weaker influences of thermal diffusion and fluxes of CO 2 and water vapor accurately describe steady state isotopic fractionation of argon, krypton, and xenon within the UZ. The data confirm that heavy noble gas isotopes are sensitive indicators of UZ depth. Based on this finding, we outline a potential inverse approach to quantify past water table depths from noble gas isotope measurements in paleogroundwater, after accounting for fractionation during dissolution of UZ air and bubbles.

Nevada↗
USGS2014

Geochronology and correlation of Tertiary volcanic and intrusive rocks in part of the southern Toquima Range, Nye County, Nevada

Extensive volcanic and intrusive igneous activity, partly localized along regional structural zones, characterized the southern Toquima Range, Nevada, in the late Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene. The general chronology of igneous activity has been defined previously. This major episode of Tertiary magmatism began with emplacement of a variety of intrusive rocks, followed by formation of nine major calderas and associated with voluminous extrusive and additional intrusive activity. Emplacement of volcanic eruptive and collapse megabreccias accompanied formation of some calderas. Penecontemporaneous volcanism in central Nevada resulted in deposition of distally derived outflow facies ash-flow tuff units that are interleaved in the Toquima Range with proximally derived ash-flow tuffs. Eruption of the Northumberland Tuff in the north part of the southern Toquima Range and collapse of the Northumberland caldera occurred about 32.3 million years ago. The poorly defined Corcoran Canyon caldera farther to the southeast formed following eruption of the tuff of Corcoran Canyon about 27.2 million years ago. The Big Ten Peak caldera in the south part of the southern Toquima Range Tertiary volcanic complex formed about 27 million years ago during eruption of the tuff of Big Ten Peak and associated air-fall tuffs. The inferred Ryecroft Canyon caldera formed in the south end of the Monitor Valley adjacent to the southern Toquima Range and just north of the Big Ten Peak caldera in response to eruption of the tuff of Ryecroft Canyon about 27 million years ago, and the Moores Creek caldera just south of the Northumberland caldera developed at about the same time. Eruption of the tuff of Mount Jefferson about 26.8 million years ago was accompanied by collapse of the Mount Jefferson caldera in the central part of the southern Toquima Range. An inferred caldera, mostly buried beneath alluvium of Big Smoky Valley southwest of the Mount Jefferson caldera, formed about 26.5 million years ago with eruption of the tuff of Round Mountain. The Manhattan caldera south of the Mount Jefferson caldera and northwest of the Big Ten Peak caldera formed in association with eruption of a series of tuffs, principally the Round Rock Formation, mostly ash-flow tuff, about 24.4 million years ago. Extensive 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of about 60 samples that represent many of the Tertiary extrusive and intrusive rocks in the southern Toquima Range provides precise ages that refine the chronology of previously dated units. New geochronologic data indicate that the petrogenetically related Corcoran Canyon, Ryecroft Canyon, and Mount Jefferson calderas formed during a period of about 560,000 years. Electron microprobe analyses of phenocrysts from 20 samples of six dated units underscore inferred petrogenetic relations among some of these units. In particular, compositions of augite, hornblende, and biotite in tuffs erupted from the Corcoran Canyon, Ryecroft Canyon, and Mount Jefferson calderas are similar, which suggests that magmas represented by these tuffs have similar petrogenetic histories. The unique occurrence of hypersthene in Isom-type tuff confirms its derivation from a source beyond the southern Toquima Range.

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USGS2012

Micrometeorological, evapotranspiration, and soil-moisture data at the Amargosa Desert Research site in Nye County near Beatty, Nevada, 2006-11

This report describes micrometeorological, evapotranspiration, and soil-moisture data collected since 2006 at the Amargosa Desert Research Site adjacent to a low-level radio-active waste and hazardous chemical waste facility near Beatty, Nevada. Micrometeorological data include precipitation, solar radiation, net radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, saturated and ambient vapor pressure, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, near-surface soil temperature, soil-heat flux, and soil-water content. Evapotranspiration (ET) data include latent-heat flux, sensible-heat flux, net radiation, soil-heat flux, soil temperature, air temperature, vapor pressure, and other principal energy-budget data. Soil-moisture data include periodic measurements of volumetric water-content at experimental sites that represent vegetated native soil, devegetated native soil, and simulated waste disposal trenches - maximum measurement depths range from 5.25 to 29.25 meters. All data are compiled in electronic spreadsheets that are included with this report.

Nevada↗
USGS2012

Relative abundance and distribution of fishes and crayfish at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, 2010-11

Introduction Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR) was established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (with the assistance of The Nature Conservancy) in 1984 to protect one of the highest concentrations of endemic flora and fauna in North America (Pister, 1985; Sada, 1990). Prior to federal acquisition, Ash Meadows had been anthropogenically altered, and non-native species had been introduced to the detriment of native species; reports and published literature document the negative effects to the Ash Meadows flora and fauna (Deacon and others, 1964; U.S. Department of the Interior, 1971; Landye, 1973; Pister, 1974; Soltz and Naiman, 1978; Taylor, 1980; Williams and others, 1985; Williams and Sada, 1985; Baugh and others, 1986; Hershler and Sada, 1987; Knight and Clemmer, 1987; Sada, 1990; Deacon and Williams, 1991; Scoppettone and others, 2005; Kennedy and others, 2006). Such activities led to the extinction of the endemic Ash Meadows poolfish ( Empetrichthyes merriami ) (Miller, 1961; Soltz and Naiman, 1978), and subsequently the federal government listed three local endemic fish as endangered pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1989)—Warm springs pupfish ( Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis ), Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish ( Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes ), and Ash Meadows speckled dace ( Rhinichthys osculus nevadensis ). Public ownership of a large portion of Ash Meadows provided the opportunity to restore the landscape to some semblance of its historical condition. Elimination of invasive aquatic species may be more difficult than landscape restoration, and their persistence can cause additional native fish decline or extirpation (Taylor and others, 1984; Moyle and others, 1986; Miller and others, 1989; Minckley and Deacon, 1991; Olden and Poff, 2005). Chemical treatment to remove invasive fishes is often unsuccessful (Meffe, 1983; Rinne and Turner, 1991; Meronek and others, 1996). In Ash Meadows, there has been some success in chemical eradication of localized populations of largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) and black bullhead ( Ameiurus melas ) (St. George, 1998, 1999; Weissenfluh, 2008b), as well as convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) and sailfin molly ( Poecilia latipinna ) (Weissenfluh,2008a). However, there has been less success in removing western mosquitofish ( Gambusia affinis ) from Ash Meadows’s larger spring systems, and sailfin molly maintains strongholds in several spring systems (Scoppettone and others, 2011b). Perhaps the more destructive invasive species are two invertebrates: red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) and red-rim melania ( Melanoides tuberculata ). Following the appearance of red swamp crayfish within the Warm Springs Complex, Warm Springs pupfish was believed to be extirpated from one spring system (St. George, 2000) and near extirpation in two others (Darrick Weissenfluh, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, oral commun., 2008, 2011). Crayfish also were demonstrated to greatly suppress the Bradford Springs population of Ash Meadows speckled dace population (McShane and others, 2004). Red-rim melania is known to displace native snail populations (Mitchell and others, 2007), and has been implicated as an agent of extinction of native Ash Meadows spring-snails (Donald Sada, Desert Research Institute, oral commun., 2011). Both invasive invertebrates are difficult to control or eradicate (Mitchell and others, 2007; Freeman and others, 2010). Habitat restoration that favors native species can help control non-native species (McShane and others, 2004; Scoppettone and others, 2005; Kennedy and others, 2006). Restoration of Carson Slough and its tributaries present an opportunity to promote habitat types that favor native species over non-natives. Historically, the majority of Ash Meadows spring systems were tributaries to Carson Slough. In 2007 and 2008, a survey of Ash Meadows spring systems was conducted to generate baseline information on the distribution of fishes throughout AMNWR (Scoppettone and others, 2011b). In this study, we conducted a follow-up survey with emphasis on upper Carson Slough. This permitted us to gauge the early effects of spring system restoration on fish populations and to generate further baseline data relevant to future restoration efforts.

Nevada↗
USGS2012

Transient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008

Nuclear testing and support activities at the Nevada National Security Site have required large amounts of water for construction, public consumption, drilling, fire protection, hydraulic and nuclear testing, and dust control. To supply this demand, approximately 20,000 million gallons of water have been pumped from 23 wells completed in 19 boreholes located across the Nevada National Security Site starting as early as the 1950s. As a consequence of more or less continuous pumping from many of these wells for periods as long as 58 years, transient groundwater flow conditions have been created in the aquifers that supplied the water. To evaluate whether long-term pumping caused changes in water compositions over time, available chemical analyses of water samples from these 19 boreholes were compiled, screened, and evaluated for variability including statistically significant temporal trends that can be compared to records of groundwater pumping. Data used in this report have been extracted from a large database (Geochem08, revision 3.0, released in September 2008) containing geochemical and isotopic information created and maintained by primary contractors to the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office. Data extracted from this source were compiled for the entire period of record, converted to uniform reporting units, and screened to eliminate analyses of poor or unknown quality, as well as clearly spurious values. The resulting data are included in accompanying spreadsheets that give values for (1) pH and specific conductance, (2) major ion concentrations, (3) trace element concentrations and environmental isotope ratios, and (4) mean, median, and variance estimates for major ion concentrations. The resulting data vary widely in quality and time-series density. An effort has been made to establish reasonable ranges of analytical uncertainty expected for each analyte and eliminate analyses that are obvious outliers. Analysis of chemical trends in this report primarily rely on specific conductance measurements and major ion concentrations, data considered to be the most accurate and reliable over the entire time span of investigation. The analysis uses parametric and non-parametric evaluations to provide a statistical basis for trend identification. Trace element and isotope data are examined for consistency, but typically are too inaccurate or infrequent to provide a reliable long term basis for trend evaluation. Groundwater withdrawal records compiled in a companion report are included graphically in this report to allow qualitative comparisons between water quality and pumping history. Data for each supply well include (1) a borehole description and summary of pumping history, (2) a description of water-quality parameters, (3) an evaluation of temporal variations of specific conductance and major ion concentrations, and (4) an examination of supporting information from trace element and isotope data. A range of responses are observed for individual supply wells that likely include the effects of both aquifer dynamics and changing borehole conditions. Data from most wells show little or no evidence for temporal variation in water-quality parameters indicating that aquifers at the Nevada National Security Site are capable of producing large volumes of compositionally uniform water over many years of pumping. A smaller number of wells show evidence of transient changes. Wells that have ceased pumping commonly show compositions that shift toward lower concentrations in subsequent bailed samples, which indicates that more dilute water entered the well over time due to either leakage of meteoric water into the well casing or more wide-spread recharge into the shallow phreatic zone. Wells that show systematic changes in water compositions during episodes of pumping commonly have multiple open intervals whose contributions to water in the well may change over time due to hydraulic conditions or well dynamics.

Nevada↗
USGS2010

Database of groundwater levels and hydrograph descriptions for the Nevada Test Site area, Nye County, Nevada

A database containing water levels measured from wells in and near areas of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site since 1941 was developed. The database provides information for each well including well construction, borehole lithology, units contributing water to the well, and general site remarks. Water-level information provided in the database includes measurement source, status, method, accuracy, and specific water-level remarks. Additionally, the database provides hydrograph narratives that document the water-level history and describe and interpret the water-level hydrograph for each well. Water levels in the database were quality assured and analyzed. Multiple conditions were assigned to each water‑level measurement to describe the hydrologic conditions at the time of measurement. General quality, temporal variability, regional significance, and hydrologic conditions are attributed to each water-level measurement.

Nevada↗
USGS2009

Mineral-resource assessment of northern Nye County, Nevada— A progress report

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG), which is a part of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), have completed the first year of data collection and analysis in preparation for a new mineral- and energy-resource assessment of northern Nye County, Nevada. This report provides information about work completed before October 1, 2009. Existing data are being compiled, including geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and mineral-deposit information. Field studies are underway, which are primarily designed to address issues raised during the review of existing information. In addition, new geochemical studies are in progress, including reanalyzing existing stream-sediment samples with modern methods, and analyzing metalliferous black shales.

Nevada↗
USGS2008

Portable chamber measurements of evapotranspiration at the Amargosa Desert Research Site near Beatty, Nye County, Nevada, 2003-06

Portable chamber measurements of evapotranspiration (ET) were made at the U.S. Geological Survey's Amargosa Desert Research Site in southern Nevada to help quantify component- and landscape-scale contributions to ET in an arid environment. Evapotranspiration data were collected approximately every 3 months from 2003 to 2006. Chamber measurements of ET were partitioned into bare-soil evaporation and mixed-species transpiration components. The component-scale ET fluxes from native shrubs typically surpassed those from bare soil by as much as a factor of four. Component-scale ET fluxes were extrapolated to landscape-scale ET using a one-layer, multi-component canopy model. Landscape-scale ET fluxes predominantly were controlled by bare-soil evaporation. Bare soil covered 94 percent of the landscape on average and contributed about 70 percent of the landscape-scale vapor flux. Creosote bush, an evergreen shrub, accounted for about 90 percent of transpiration on average due to its dominance across the landscape (80 percent of the 6 percent shrub cover) and evergreen character.

Nevada↗
USGS2007

Digitally available interval-specific rock-sample data compiled from historical records, Nevada National Security Site and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada

Between 1951 and 1992, 828 underground tests were conducted on the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada. Prior to and following these nuclear tests, holes were drilled and mined to collect rock samples. These samples are organized and stored by depth of borehole or drift at the U.S. Geological Survey Core Library and Data Center at Mercury, Nevada, on the Nevada National Security Site. From these rock samples, rock properties were analyzed and interpreted and compiled into project files and in published reports that are maintained at the Core Library and at the U.S. Geological Survey office in Henderson, Nevada. These rock-sample data include lithologic descriptions, physical and mechanical properties, and fracture characteristics. Hydraulic properties also were compiled from holes completed in the water table. Rock samples are irreplaceable because pre-test, in-place conditions cannot be recreated and samples can not be recollected from the many holes destroyed by testing. Documenting these data in a published report will ensure availability for future investigators.

Nevada↗
USGS2007

Selected micrometeorological, soil-moisture, and evapotranspiration data at Amargosa Desert Research Site in Nye County near Beatty, Nevada, 2001-05

Selected micrometeorological and soil-moisture data were collected at the Amargosa Desert Research Site adjacent to a low-level radio-active waste and hazardous chemical waste facility near Beatty, Nevada, 2001-05. Evapotranspiration data were collected from February 2002 through the end of December 2005. Data were col-lected in support of ongoing research to improve the understanding of hydrologic and contaminant-transport processes in arid environments. Micrometeorological data include solar radiation, net radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, saturated and ambient vapor pressure, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, precipitation, near-surface soil temperature, soil-heat flux and soil-water content. All micrometeorological data were collected using a 10-second sampling interval by data loggers that output daily and hourly mean values. Daily maximum and minimum values are based on hourly mean values. Precipitation data output includes daily and hourly totals. Selected soil-moisture profiles at depth include periodic measurements of soil volumetric water-content measurements at nine neutron-probe access tubes to depths ranging from 5.25 to 29.25 meters. Evapotranspiration data include measurement of daily evapotranspiration and 15-minute fluxes of the four principal energy budget components of latent-heat flux, sensible-heat flux, soil-heat flux, and net radiation. Other data collected and used in equations to determine evapotranspiration include temperature and water content of soil, temperature and vapor pressure of air, and covariance values. Evapotranspiration and flux estimates during 15-minute intervals were calculated at a 0.1-second execution interval using the eddy covariance method. Data files included in this report contain the complete micrometeorological, soil-moisture, and evapotranspiration field data sets. These data files are presented in tabular Excel spreadsheet format. This report highlights selected data contained in the computer generated data files using figures, tables, and brief discussions. Instrumentation used for data collection also is described. Water-content profiles are shown to demonstrate variability of water content with depth. Time-series data are plotted to illustrate temporal variations in micrometeorological, soil-water content, and evapotranspiration data.

Nevada↗
USGS2006

Database of ground-water levels in the vicinity of Rainier Mesa, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1957-2005

More than 1,200 water-level measurements from 1957 to 2005 in the Rainier Mesa area of the Nevada Test Site were quality assured and analyzed. Water levels were measured from 50 discrete intervals within 18 boreholes and from 4 tunnel sites. An interpretive database was constructed that describes water-level conditions for each water level measured in the Rainier Mesa area. Multiple attributes were assigned to each water-level measurement in the database to describe the hydrologic conditions at the time of measurement. General quality, temporal variability, regional significance, and hydrologic conditions are attributed for each water-level measurement. The database also includes hydrograph narratives that describe the water-level history of each well.

Nevada↗