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USGS1964

The Water Supply of El Morro National Monument

In the land of enchantment, between Gallup and Grants, N. Mex., near the Zuni Mountains, a huge sandstone bluff rises abruptly 200 feet above the plain. The Spaniards called it 'El Morro,' which means 'the headland' or 'bluff.' Around it are other mesas and canyons and stands of pinon and ponderosa pine. Other great rocks are nearby, but none are as popular as El Morro, and none have been as important to the traveler. For at El Morro there is water. In that country, water is scarce and precious. In the old days, travelers from Santa Fe would tell each other about the pool of clear, refreshing water at the base of the huge rock. This is the story of the great bluff, its water supply, and the rocks around it. In the late summer of 1849, an American lieutenant of the Topographical Engineers, James H. Simpson, accompanied infantry and artillery troops on a reconnaissance march from Santa Fe into the Navajo Country. On September 18, at the urging of one Mr. Lewis, an Indian trader, Lieutenant Simpson left the main party in order to see 'half an acre of inscriptions' upon a huge rock (fig. 1) . Although somewhat dubious, the Lieutenant had allowed himself to be persuaded by Lewis that the trip was worthwhile. Taking with him an artist named R. H. Kern, another man by the name of Bird, and Mr. Lewis as guide, he set off through miles of desert country, filled with huge red and white sandstone rocks, 'some of them looking like steamboats, and others presenting very much the appearance of facades of heavy Egyptian architecture'.

Water Supply Paper↗

USGS1979

Digital image processing system For Landsat 3

The Department of Interior (DOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have entered into a joint program to provide a digital image processing system in support of the Landsat 3 mission. NASA will provide the data reception and pre-processing facilities, while the DOI provides the production image processing system that generates film products and computer compatible tapes for users. The system procured by the DOI's U.S. Geological Survey was installed at the Earth Resources Observation System Data Center (EDC) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The EDC Digital Image Processing System (EDIPS) is capable of operating in standard or special formats. During 13 hours of operation, the system can process up to 200 five-band Multispectral Scanner (MSS) scenes and 160 Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) subscenes in the standard mode plus up to 60 scenes/subscenes in the special-order mode. The input media for the system are High Density Tapes (HDT's) generated by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). These tapes contain two types of data: those that have been radiometrically and geometrically corrected with resampling of the data to fit a known map projection, and those that have been radiometrically corrected but have not been geometrically corrected or resampled. The system can provide 185 mm (MSS) and 198 mm (RBV) black and white film products for each MSS band or RBV subscene via a high resolution laser beam recorder. The CCT's generated by the system are compatible with the HDT format, and are available either in Band Sequential (BSQ) or Band Interleaved by Line (BIL) data. This paper will present both an overview of the total NASA/DOI system and a detailed discussion of the EDC Digital Image Processing System that is installed at the USGS facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

South Dakota↗

USGS2019

Soil chemistry, and not short-term (1–2 year) deer exclusion, explains understory plant occupancy in forests affected by acid deposition

The loss of species diversity and plant community structure throughout the temperate deciduous forests of North America have often been attributed to overbrowsing by white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginanus ). Slow species recovery following removal from browsing, or reduction in deer density, has been termed a legacy effect of past deer herbivory. However, vegetation legacy effects have also coincided with changes to soil chemistry throughout the north-eastern USA. In this paper, we assess the viability of soil chemistry (i.e. pH, extractable nutrients and extractable metals) and other factors (topography, light, overstory basal area and location) as alternative explanations for a lack of vegetation recovery. We compared the relative effects of soil chemistry, site conditions and short-term (1–2 year) deer exclusion on single-species occupancy probabilities of 10 plant taxa common to oak-hickory forests in central Pennsylvania. We found detection for all modelled species was constant and high ( ⁠ p ^ "> p ^ p^ > 0.65), and occupancy probability of most taxa was best explained by at least one soil chemistry parameter. Specifically, ericaceous competing vegetation was more likely to occupy acidic (pH < 3.5), base cation-poor (K < 0.20 cmol c kg −1 ) sites, while deer-preferred plants were less likely to occur when soil manganese exceeded 0.1 cmol c kg −1 . Short-term deer exclusion did not explain occupancy of any plant taxon, and site conditions were of nominal importance. This study demonstrates the importance of soil chemistry in shaping plant community composition in the north-central Appalachians, and suggests soil as an alternative, or additional, explanation for deer vegetation legacy effects. We suggest that the reliance on phyto-indicators of deer browsing effects may overestimate the effects of browsing if those species are also limited by unfavourable soil conditions. Future research should consider study designs that address the complexity of deer forest interactions, especially in areas with complex site-vegetation histories.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS2020

Mortality and cholinesterase inhibition in butterflies following aerial naled applications for mosquito control on the National Key Deer Refuge

Natural resource managers are concerned about the impacts of aerial ultra-low volume spray (ULV) of insecticides for mosquito control (i.e., mosquito adulticides) and seek science-driven management recommendations that reduce risk but allow vector control for nearby human populations. Managers at the National Key Deer Refuge (Florida Keys, FL) are concerned for ULV effects upon conservation efforts for imperiled butterflies (Florida leafwing [ Anaea troglodyta floridalis ] and Bartram’s hairstreak [ Strymon acis bartrami ] butterflies). No-spray zones were designated for protection of those butterflies, but their effectiveness for mitigation is unclear. To address this uncertainty, cholinesterase activity (ChE) and mortality were monitored for caged butterflies gulf fritillary [ Agraulis vanilla ] and great southern white [ Ascia monuste ]) deployed on the Refuge during three aerial ULV applications of the insecticide naled. Residue samplers also were deployed to estimate butterfly exposure. Spray efficacy against mosquitoes was assessed by deploying caged mosquitoes at the same locations as the butterflies. Average naled residue levels on filter paper samplers in the target area (1882–2898 µg/m 2 ) was significantly greater than in the no-spray zone (9–1562 µg/m 2 ). Differences between the no-spray zone and target area for butterfly mortality and ChE were inconsistent. Average mortality was significantly lower, and average ChE was significantly higher in the no-spray zone for larvae of one species but not for larvae of the other species. Mosquito mortality did not differ significantly between the two areas. Data from the present study reflect the inconsistent effectiveness of no-spray zones on the Refuge using standard methods employed at the time by the vector control agency in the Florida Keys and possibly by other vector control agencies in similar coastal environments. Furthermore, these findings helped to guide the design and to improve the conservation value of future no-spray zone delineations while allowing for treatment in areas where mosquito control is necessary for vector-borne disease reduction.

Florida↗

USGS2023

Hydrogeology, land-surface subsidence, and documentation of the Gulf Coast Land Subsidence and Groundwater-Flow (GULF) model, southeast Texas, 1897–2018

Executive Summary As a part of the Texas Water Development Board groundwater availability modeling program, the U.S. Geological Survey developed the Gulf Coast Land Subsidence and Groundwater-Flow model (hereinafter, the “GULF model”) and ensemble to simulate groundwater flow and land-surface subsidence in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system (the study area) in Texas from predevelopment (1897) through 2018. Since the publication of a previous groundwater model for the greater Houston area in 2012, there have been changes to the distribution of groundwater withdrawals and advances in modeling tools. To reflect these changes and to simulate more recent conditions, the GULF model was developed in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston and Fort Bend Subsidence Districts to provide an updated Groundwater Availability Model. Since the early 1900s, most of the groundwater withdrawals in the study area have been from three of the hydrogeologic units that compose the Gulf Coast aquifer system—the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and, more recently, from the Catahoula confining unit. Withdrawals from these hydrogeologic units are used for municipal supply, commercial and industrial use, and irrigation purposes. Withdrawals of large quantities of groundwater in the greater Houston area have caused widespread groundwater-level declines in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers of more than 300 feet (ft). Early development of the aquifer system, which began before 1900, resulted in nearly 50 percent of the eventual historical groundwater-level minimums having been reached as early as 1946 in some areas. These groundwater-level declines led to more than 9 ft of land-surface subsidence—historically in central and southeastern Harris County and Galveston County, but more recently in northern, northwestern, and western Harris County, Montgomery County, and northern Fort Bend County—from depressurization and compaction of clay and silt layers interbedded in the aquifer sediments. In a generalized conceptual model of the Gulf Coast aquifer system, water enters the groundwater system in topographically high outcrops of the hydrogeologic units in the northwestern part of the aquifer system. Groundwater that does not discharge to streams flows to intermediate and deep zones of the aquifer system southeastward of the outcrop areas where it is discharged by wells and by upward leakage in topographically low areas near the coast. The uppermost parts of the aquifer system, which include outcrop areas, are under water-table (unconfined) conditions where the groundwater is not confined under pressure. As depth increases in the aquifer system and interbedded clay and silt layers accumulate, water-table conditions evolve into confined conditions where the groundwater is under pressure. Groundwater flow and land-surface subsidence in the GULF model and ensemble were simulated by using MODFLOW 6 with the Skeletal Storage, Compaction, and Subsidence package. The model consists of six layers, one for each of the five hydrogeologic units in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system and a surficial top layer that includes part of each hydrogeologic unit. Transient groundwater flow was simulated during 1897–2018 by using a combination of multiyear, annual, and monthly stress periods. An initial steady-state stress period was configured to represent predevelopment mean annual inflows and outflows. The subsidence package used in the GULF model and ensemble uses a head-based subsidence formulation that simulates the delayed drainage response from clay and silt sediment to changes in groundwater levels. The GULF model and ensemble were history matched to groundwater-level observations at selected wells, land-surface subsidence at benchmarks, aquifer compaction at borehole extensometers, and vertical displacement from Global Positioning System stations. A Bayesian framework was used to represent uncertainty in modeled parameters and simulated outputs of interest. History matching and uncertainty quantification were performed by using a Monte Carlo approach enabled through iterative ensemble smoother software to produce an ensemble of models fit to historical data. The iterative ensemble smoother substantially reduced the computational demand of parameter estimation by approximating the first-order relation between model inputs and outputs, thereby allowing 183,207 adjustable parameters to be used for history matching at a relatively low computational and time cost. The history-matched parameter values are within the ranges of previously published values and agree with the current understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of parameter uncertainty for the Gulf Coast aquifer system. A good agreement between the observed (or estimated) and simulated groundwater levels, land-surface subsidence, compaction, and vertical displacement was obtained across the modeled area based on qualitative and quantitative comparisons. Ensemble mean annual groundwater-flow rates to the Chicot, Evangeline, Jasper aquifers and Catahoula confining unit were 0.0–0.49 inch (in.), 0.09–0.33 in., 0.01–0.07 in., and 0.01–0.05 in., respectively. GULF model mean annual groundwater-flow rates to the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and Catahoula confining unit were 0.31 in., 0.19 in., 0.03 in., and 0.03 in., respectively. The GULF-model-simulated recharge to the outcrop area was the largest inflow (75 percent), and recharge to other areas was 25 percent of the model inflow. The simulated outflows included (1) net surface-water/groundwater exchange with study area streams (50 percent), (2) groundwater use (49 percent), and (3) net surface-water/groundwater exchange with the Gulf of Mexico (1 percent). The sum of the simulated values of the outflows (1,041,973 acre-feet per year [acre-ft/yr]) and the elastic expansion of the fine-grained sediment and numerical solver error (339 acre-ft/yr) minus the inflows (654,172 acre-ft/yr) represents the reduction of storage from the Gulf Coast aquifer system (388,140 acre-ft/yr). Most of the storage depletion is caused by the long-term groundwater-level declines that have resulted primarily in inelastic compaction. The GULF model was used to estimate Jasper aquifer compaction at selected benchmarks in Montgomery County and northern Harris County, which are the primary locations of Jasper aquifer groundwater use. Simulated Jasper aquifer compaction in northern Harris County was between 0.2 and 0.5 ft, or between about 5 and 16 percent of simulated subsidence at the benchmark locations. Simulated Jasper aquifer compaction in Montgomery County was between 0.8 and 1.2 ft, or between about 33 and 57 percent of simulated subsidence at the benchmark locations.

Texas↗

USGS2009

Combined use of frequency‐domain electromagnetic and electrical resistivity surveys to delineate the freshwater/saltwater interface near saline lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills, Nebraska, USA

We investigate the use of frequency‐domain electromagnetic (FDEM) and electrical resistivity (ER) surveys for rapid and detailed characterization of the direction of lake‐aquifer fluxes and the configuration of salt plumes generated from saline lakes. This methodology was developed and applied at several lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills, Nebraska, in an area with both freshwater and saline lakes hydraulically connected to the freshwater surficial aquifer. The FDEM survey was conducted by mounting the instrument on a fiberglass cart towed by an all‐terrain vehicle. The towed FDEM surveys covered about 25 km per day and served as a reconnaissance method for choosing locations for the more quantitative and detailed ER surveys. Around the saline lakes, areas with high electrical conductivity are consistent with the regional direction of ground‐water flow. Lower electrical conductivity was measured around the freshwater lakes with anomalies correlating to a paleovalley axis inferred from previous studies. The efficacy of this geophysical approach is attributed to: (1) significant contrast in electrical conductivity between freshwater and saltwater, (2) near‐surface location of the freshwater/saltwater interface, (3) minimal cultural interference, and (4) relative homogeneity of the aquifer materials.

Nebraska↗

USGS1969

Duck viral enteritis (duck plague) in North American Waterfowl

Duck Viral Enteritis (DVE) was first recognized in North America in January 1967, when an outbreak occurred in a commercial flock of white Pekin ducks in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York (Leibovitz and Hwang, 1968b). Originally described as a disease of domestic ducks in the Netherlands, DVE has since been reported from India and Belgium. it is also believed to have occurred in China and France (Jansen, 1968). This paper briefly reviews the status of DVE among wild waterfowl in North America and describes some of the characteristic lesions associated with this disease. The paper also mentions some of the work which has been undertaken to learn more about the status of DVE in North America.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2005

Sources of acid and metals from the weathering of the Dinero waste pile, Lake Fork watershed, Leadville, Colorado

Two trenches were dug into the south Dinero mine-waste pile near Leadville, Colorado, to study the weathering of rock fragments and the mineralogic sources of metal contaminants in the surrounding wetland and Lake Fork Watershed. Water seeping from the base of the south Dinero waste-rock pile was pH 2.9, whereas leachate from a composite sample of the rock waste was pH 3.3. The waste pile was mostly devoid of vegetation, open to infiltration of precipitation, and saturated at the base because of placement in the wetland. The south mine-waste pile is composed of poorly sorted material, ranging from boulder-size to fine-grained rock fragments. The trenches showed both matrix-supported and clast-supported zones, with faint horizontal color banding, suggesting zonation of Fe oxides. Secondary minerals such as jarosite and gypsum occurred throughout the depth of the trenches. Infiltration of water and transport of dissolved material through the pile is evidenced by optically continuous secondary mineral deposits that fill or line voids. Iron-sulfate material exhibits microlaminations with shrinkage cracking and preferential dissolution of microlayers that evidence drying and wetting events. In addition to fluids, submicron-sized to very fine-grained particles such as jarosite are transported through channel ways in the pile. Rock fragments are coated with a mixture of clay, jarosite, and manganese oxides. Dissolution of minerals is a primary source of metals. Skeletal remnants of grains, outlined by Fe-oxide minerals, are common. Potassium jarosite is the most abundant jarosite phase, but Pb-and Ag-bearing jarosite are common. Grain-sized clusters of jarosite suggest that entire sulfide grains were replaced by very fine-grained jarosite crystals. The waste piles were removed from the wetland and reclaimed upslope in 2003. This was an opportunity to test methods to identify sources of acid and metals and metal transport processes within a waste pile. A series of entrapment ponds, lined with limestone rip rap, was created where the mine waste was once situated. A flooded adit discharges low-pH metal-bearing waters into the ponds. A white (Zn, Mn)-sulfate precipitate was observed in 2003 around the edges of the most distal pond.

Colorado↗

USGS1997

Gray Fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) ecology and management

The gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) is a petite member of the family Canidae in the order Carnivora with a long muzzle and pointed ears (Samuel and Nelson 1982). The coat of the gray fox is silver gray across the back with significant amounts of rufus along the sides. This characteristic is often confused by people who see the flash of red and assume that the fox is a red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ). The gray fox has a black tipped tail with a dorsal black stripe that differentiates this species from the kit fox (Vulpes macrotis). The red fox has a white tipped tail. The gray fox weighs between 3-5 kg, occasionally to 7 kg. TL 800-1125, T 275-443, HF 100-150. (Jameson and Peeters 1988).

Conference Paper↗

USGS2023

Critical minerals: Germanium and cobalt in the Bornite deposit, southwestern Brooks Range, Alaska

Increasing demand for Ge and Co has led to a renewed interest and focus on advancing our understanding of the occurrence, distribution, and sequestration of these critical elements in known ore deposits. A workflow using a variety of analytical techniques and co-registered datasets has been developed and was applied to the carbonate hosted Bornite Cu-Co (Zn,-Ge) deposit in Alaska, where a new orebody (“the South Reef”) was discovered in 2011. The South Reef is host to substantial amounts of high-grade Cu, Co, and appreciable Zn, but also contains localised elevated concentrations of Ge. We describe the mineralogy and paragenesis of the South Reef based on detailed optical petrography, scanning electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-based automated mineralogy, and mapping μ-X-ray fluorescence analysis. Germanium was found to exist in renierite, white mica, illite, galena and feldspars within the South Reef. Cobalt was found to occur in cobaltiferous pyrite, carrollite, and cobaltite.

Alaska↗

USGS1974

Species and age composition of trap net catches in Lake Oahe, South Dakota, 1963-67

Twenty-seven fish species were captured in Lake Oahe with trap nets in 1963-67. The catch was dominated by eight species in order of abundance: black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), carp (Cyprinus carpio), river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), and goldeye (Hiodon alosoides). Catch per unit of effort did not reflect changes in abundance of some of the species because of variation in environmental conditions. Frequency and strength of postimpoundment year classes were considered the best indicators of the ability of a species to adapt to reservoir conditions. Northern pike (Esox lucius), carp, smallmouth buffalo, and bigmouth buffalo established strong year classes in the early years of impoundment (1952-62), when previously unflooded terrain was inundated as the reservoir filled. The infrequency of abundant postimpoundment year classes and the limitations caused by spawning habitat requirements indicated that the abundance of these species will decline. Goldeye, channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), white bass (Morone chrysops), white crappie, black crappie, sauger (Stizostedion canadense), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and freshwater drum which do not require inundated vegetation for spawning had better reproductive success after 1962 than before.

Technical Paper↗

USGS2013

A quantitative X-ray diffraction inventory of the tephra and volcanic glass inputs into the Holocene marine sediment archives off Iceland: A contribution to V.A.S.T.

This paper re-evaluates how well quantitative x-ray diffraction (qXRD) can be used as an exploratory method of the weight percentage (wt%) of volcaniclastic sediment, and to identify tephra events in marine cores. In the widely used RockJock v6 software programme, qXRD tephra and glass standards include the rhyodacite White River tephra (Alaska), a rhyolitic tephra (Hekla-4) and the basaltic Saksunarvatn tephra. Experiments of adding known wt% of tephra to felsic bedrock samples indicated that additions ≥10 wt% are accurately detected, but reliable estimates of lesser amounts are masked by amorphous material produced by milling. Volcaniclastic inputs range between 20 and 50 wt%. Primary tephra events are identified as peaks in residual qXRD glass wt% from fourth-order polynomial fits. In cores where tephras have been identified by shard counts in the > 150 µm fraction, there is a positive correlation (validation) with peaks in the wt% glass estimated by qXRD. Geochemistry of tephra shards confirms the presence of several Hekla-sourced tephras in cores B997-317PC1 and -319PC2 on the northern Iceland shelf. In core B997-338 (north-west Iceland), there are two rhyolitic tephras separated by ca. 100 cm with uncorrected radiocarbon dates on articulated shells of around 13 000 yr B.P. These tephras may be correlatives of the Borrobol and Penifiler tephras found in Scotland. The number of Holocene tephra events per 1000 yr was estimated from qXRD on 16 cores and showed a bimodal distribution with an increased number of events in both the late and early Holocene.

Polar Research↗

USGS2001

Use of the USDA Forest Service Geographic Information System for determining cover type use by white-tailed deer

Cover type use by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus dacotensis) in the central Black Hills of South Dakota was compared to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service digital data using a Geographic Information System (GIS). Cover types were determined from observations of radiocollared deer and random locations and from corresponding point locations in the Forest Service digital data. Cover type information was collected at 3,145 white-tailed deer locations and 1,044 random locations. On winter range, cover types determined from observations of radiocollared deer included pine (Pinus ponderosa), pine-deciduous, aspen (Populus tremuloides), aspen-coniferous, burned pine, and meadows; cover types determined from Forest Service data included pine, aspen, grasslands, and private land. On summer range, cover types determined from observations of radiocollared deer included pine, pine-deciduous, aspen, aspen-coniferous, white spruce (Picea glauca), white spruce-deciduous, and meadows; cover types determined from Forest Service digital map data included pine, aspen, grasslands, and private land. Cover types used by white-tailed deer compared to the Forest Service data resulted in 42% agreement on summer range and 62% agreement on winter range. On winter and summer range, Forest Service data tended to overestimate ponderosa pine and aspen habitats used by white-tailed deer, while failing to account for mixed (secondary) cover types. To improve the accuracy of habitat management decisions relative to white-tailed deer, the Forest Service GIS would be strengthened if mixed (secondary) cover type classifications were included in the database.

South Dakota, Wyoming↗

USGS2020

A Lagrangian particle-tracking approach to modelling larval drift in rivers

The migration of larval fish from spawning to rearing habitat in rivers is not well understood. This paper describes a methodology to predict larval drift using a Lagrangian particle-tracking (LPT) model with passive and active behavioural components loosely coupled to a quasi-three-dimensional hydraulic model. In the absence of measured larval drift, a heuristic approach is presented for the larval drift of two species of interest, white sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus ) and burbot ( Lota lota ), in the Kootenai River, Idaho. Previous studies found that many fish species prefer certain vertical zones within the water column; sturgeon tend to be found near the bottom and burbot close to the water surface. Limiting the vertical movement of larvae is incorporated into the active component of the LPT model. The results illustrate a pattern of drift where secondary flow in meander bends and other zones of flow curvature redistributes particles toward the outside of the bend for surface drifters and toward the inside of the bend for bottom drifters. This pattern periodically reinforces the intersection of drifting larvae with channel margins in meander bends. In the absence of measured larval drift data, the model provides a tool for hypothesis testing and a guide to both field and laboratory experiments to further define the role of active behaviour in drifting larvae.

Idaho↗

USGS2017

Multiscale hyperspectral imaging of the Orange Hill Porphyry Copper Deposit, Alaska, USA, with laboratory-, field-, and aircraft-based imaging spectrometers

In the past decade, use of hyperspectral imaging (imaging spectroscopy) for mineral exploration and mining operations has been increasing at different spatial scales. In this paper, we focus on recent trends in applying imaging spectrometer data to: 1) airborne imaging of high latitude deposits, 2) field-based imaging of outcrops, and 3) laboratory-level imaging of geologic samples. Comparing mineral information derived from imaging spectrometer data acquired at these three scales in Alaska in areas of exposed porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposits, Orange Hill and Bond Creek, we find notable consistency in identifications of spectrally predominant minerals, including white mica, chlorite, clays, and gypsum. Variations in the wavelength position of white mica 2200 nm Al-OH absorption seen at the airborne level are echoed by finerscale field and laboratory imaging, with wavelength positions spanning the 2199 to 2207 nm range. The longerwavelength micas associated with porphyry formation are more phengitic in composition, and thus distinct from mica in plutonic and volcanic arc rocks not affected by magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. The hillside imagery, collected on a cloudy day that would have precluded aircraft survey, gave comparable result to airborne and laboratory data, indicating field-based imaging spectroscopy can be a feasible alternative to airborne survey for accessible targets. Direct spectral observation of molybdenite in rocks collected from the Orange Hill deposit demonstratesthat additional important mineral information can be revealed with laboratory level imaging spectroscopy that is difficult to obtain in coarser scale data, commonly due to low areal extent of target minerals. The spatial association of the clinochlore + white mica and long wavelength white mica spectral classes to multi-element Cu-Mo-Au anomalies from geochemical analyses of rocks and sediments support a causative relationship with magmatic-hydrothermal alteration. Mineral maps from the airborne data were used to guide field sampling that found additional CuMo-Au mineralized areas, which were previously unknown or unreported. The results from this study provide support for utilization of imaging spectroscopy for assisting mineral exploration in other portions of the state of Alaska as well as other areas at high latitudes. Imaging spectroscopy has the potential to provide targeting information for follow-up sampling and investigations, potentially reducing subsequent exploration costs.

Alaska↗

USGS2004

Computing and software

The reality is that the statistical methods used for analysis of data depend upon the availability of software. Analysis of marked animal data is no different than the rest of the statistical field. The methods used for analysis are those that are available in reliable software packages. Thus, the critical importance of having reliable, up–to–date software available to biologists is obvious. Statisticians have continued to develop more robust models, ever expanding the suite of potential analysis methods available. But without software to implement these newer methods, they will languish in the abstract, and not be applied to the problems deserving them. In the Computers and Software Session, two new software packages are described, a comparison of implementation of methods for the estimation of nest survival is provided, and a more speculative paper about how the next generation of software might be structured is presented. Rotella et al. (2004) compare nest survival estimation with different software packages: SAS logistic regression, SAS non–linear mixed models, and Program MARK. Nests are assumed to be visited at various, possibly infrequent, intervals. All of the approaches described compute nest survival with the same likelihood, and require that the age of the nest is known to account for nests that eventually hatch. However, each approach offers advantages and disadvantages, explored by Rotella et al. (2004). Efford et al. (2004) present a new software package called DENSITY. The package computes population abundance and density from trapping arrays and other detection methods with a new and unique approach. DENSITY represents the first major addition to the analysis of trapping arrays in 20 years. Barker & White (2004) discuss how existing software such as Program MARK require that each new model’s likelihood must be programmed specifically for that model. They wishfully think that future software might allow the user to combine pieces of likelihood functions together to generate estimates. The idea is interesting, and maybe some bright young statistician can work out the specifics to implement the procedure. Choquet et al. (2004) describe MSURGE, a software package that implements the multistate capture–recapture models. The unique feature of MSURGE is that the design matrix is constructed with an interpreted language called GEMACO. Because MSURGE is limited to just multistate models, the special requirements of these likelihoods can be provided. The software and methods presented in these papers gives biologists and wildlife managers an expanding range of possibilities for data analysis. Although ease–of–use is generally getting better, it does not replace the need for understanding of the requirements and structure of the models being computed. The internet provides access to many free software packages as well as user–discussion groups to share knowledge and ideas. (A starting point for wildlife–related applications is (http://www.phidot.org).

Animal Biodiversity and Conservation↗

USGS2011

Perceptions of fish habitat conditions in Oklahoma tailwater fisheries: a survey of fisheries managers

While the downstream effects of dams on fish habitat have long been recognized, broad-scale assessments of tailwater fish habitat have rarely been conducted. In this paper, I report on the status of tailwater fisheries in Oklahoma as determined through a web-based survey of fisheries biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation conducted in July 2010. Respondents addressed 38 tailwaters, encompassing all major areas of the state. The majority of fish species comprising these fisheries included blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), followed by white bass (Morone chrysops), channel catfish (I. punctatus) and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris). Most respondents indicated no or low concerns with fish habitat in tailwaters under their management supervision; only two tailwaters (Tenkiller Ferry and Fort Gibson) had the majority of concerns with fish habitat identified as high to moderately high. Principal components analysis and subsequent correlation analysis showed that tailwaters that scored high for issues related to shoreline erosion, change in water depth, flow fluctuations, and flow timing were associated with dams with large maximum discharge ability. No other factors related to fish habitat condition in tailwaters were found. In Oklahoma, dams with maximum discharge of at least 6,767.5 m3 sec–1 were more likely to have flow-related fish habitat concerns in the tailwater.

Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fis↗

USGS2001

Geochemical landscapes of the conterminous United States — New map presentations for 22 elements

Geochemical maps of the conterminous United States have been prepared for seven major elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and Ti) and 15 trace elements (As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Hg, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, V, Y, Zn, and Zr). The maps are based on an ultra low-density geochemical survey consisting of 1,323 samples of soils and other surficial materials collected from approximately 1960-1975. The data were published by Boerngen and Shacklette (1981) and black-and-white point-symbol geochemical maps were published by Shacklette and Boerngen (1984). The data have been reprocessed using weighted-median and Bootstrap procedures for interpolation and smoothing.

Conterminous United States↗