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Research about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2020

Seasonal drivers of chemical and hydrological patterns in roadside infiltration-based green infrastructure

Infiltration-based green infrastructure has become a popular means of reducing stormwater hazards in urban areas. However, the long-term effects of green infrastructure on the geochemistry of roadside environments are poorly defined, particularly given the considerable roadside legacy metal contamination from historic industrial activity and vehicle emissions (e.g., Pb). Most current research on green infrastructure geochemistry is restricted to time periods of less than a year or limited sets of chemical species. This further limits our understanding of systems that evolve over time and are subject to seasonal variability. Between 2016 and 2018, two infiltration trenches in Pittsburgh, PA, were monitored to determine infiltration rates and dissolved nutrient and metal content. The trench water was analyzed to characterize seasonal patterns in both trench function and chemistry. Shifting patterns in infiltration rate and geochemical activity show trends corresponding with seasonal changes. Trench function is dependent on the local water table, with the highest infiltration rates occurring when evapotranspiration is active and groundwater elevation is low. Two seasonal chemical patterns were identified. The first is driven by road salt application in the winter and interaction of the salt pulse increase Pb and Cu concentrations. The second is driven by the formation of summer reducing environments that increase dissolved Fe and Mn. These findings suggest that chemical and hydrological activity in infiltration-based green infrastructure varies seasonally and may remobilize legacy contamination.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2015

Continuous monitoring of meteorological conditions and movement of a deep-seated, persistently moving rockslide along Interstate Route 79 near Pittsburgh

A large inventory of landslides exists for Allegheny County, Pa., and historical movement of many of these has resulted in considerable damage to property, roads, and infrastructure. Along Interstate Route 79, a subset of the landslide inventory includes deep-seated rockslides, two of which reactivated during construction of the highway in the late 1960s (Gray and others, 2011). Following the initial movement of the rockslides, slope-stability investigations were conducted (Hamel, 1969; Hamel and Flint, 1969), and measures were taken to reduce their impacts to the highway, but movement of at least one of the rockslides persists even today. Long-term continuous monitoring of such landslides provides critical data used to assess how the state of activity and velocity of movement (when the landslide is active) change with rainfall and snowmelt. Currently, we are continuously monitoring meteorological conditions and movement of a rockslide along the northbound side of Interstate Route 79 in Aleppo, Pa. (Figure 1). The project is intended to extend over many years (approximately 5 to 10) in order to collect sufficient data to assess how extreme storms, prolonged wet periods, and melting of the snowpack affect the landslide. The rockslide is an ideal location for such long-term monitoring because the land is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and movement is not directly impacting the highway; therefore no stabilization measures are necessary in the short term.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1972

Status of flood-plain mapping, greater Pittsburgh region, Pennsylvania, 1972

Flood plains that have a history of inundation or have a reasonable probability of being flooded, of course, need adequate attention in land-use planning, management, and development programs. Flood-plain maps and flood-plain-information reports are means of identifying these critical areas for special consideration.

Pennsylvania↗