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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Identification and distribution of the Olympic Shrew (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), Sorex rohweri Rausch et al., 2007 in Oregon and Washington, based on USNM specimens

Review of specimens of long-tailed shrews (Mammalia, Soricidae, Sorex ) from the northwestern United States in the National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Washington, DC, has revealed the presence of the Olympic Shrew, Sorex rohweri Rausch et al., 2007, in the Coastal Range west of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. This determination nearly doubles the documented distribution for this species and increases the species diversity of soricids in Oregon to eleven. Sorex rohweri is relatively uncommon, but it occurs in a variety of forest successional stages and even clear cuts, as long as there is nearby forest and trees are allowed to regenerate. All USNM specimens from Washington formerly identified as S. cinereus streatori Merriam, 1895 are instead referable to the Olympic Shrew. The distribution of S. c. streatori is thereby restricted to the Pacific coasts of British Columbia north of the lower Frasier River and south central Alaska. Our study highlights the importance of taking and preserving high-quality voucher specimens in a collection where they are readily available for re-study.

Oregon↗
USGS2018

Rediscovery of the type series of the Acadian Masked Shrew, Sorex acadicus Gilpin, 1865 (Mammalia: Soricidae), with the designation of a neotype and a reevaluation of its taxonomic status

The name Sorex acadicus Gilpin, 1865 is currently recognized as the valid name for the Nova Scotian subspecies of the masked shrew, S. cinereus Kerr, 1792 (Mammalia: Soricidae), but a holotype for the taxon was never designated, and the location of the type series has been a mystery. The authority for this species, John Bernard Gilpin, was associated with the Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, NS, but that institution has no Gilpin specimens in its possession, and I could find no record of Gilpin shrews in any other Canadian Museum. I recently discovered a series of Gilpin specimens in the Mammal Collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC (USNM), some of which may have been part of the original type series of S. acadicus , and I show that these specimens best represent Gilpin's concept of the taxon. From this series, I designate a neotype for S. acadicus . I also evaluate the distinctiveness of Nova Scotian S. c. acadicus compared with S. c. cinereus from Maine, New Brunswick, and New Hampshire and determine that S. acadicus should be considered a junior synonym of S. c. cinereus .

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washingto↗
USGS1875

Report upon United States geological surveys west of the one hundredth meridian, Volume V: Zoology

The subject of the geographical distribution and variation of our western zoölogy is one that has of late years attracted more than ordinary attention from our naturalists; and, as appropriate to the subject-matter of this volume, it is here proposed to give a brief résumé of their conclusions and generalizations, as far as they may be deemed applicable to the special natural history work of the geographical surveys west of the one hundredth meridian.

Monograph↗
USGS1970

John Wesley Powell: soldier, explorer, scientist

One hundred years ago John Wesley Powell and nine adventure-seeking companions completed the first exploration of the dangerous and almost uncharted canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers. By this trip, Powell, a 35-year old teacher of natural history, apparently unhampered by the lack of his right forearm (amputated after the Battle of Shiloh) opened up a large unknown part of continental United States and brought to a climax the era of western exploration.

General Information Product↗
USGS1874

Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories: No. 2, first Series

Now that two numbers of the Bulletin have been issued by the Survey, a word of explanation as to the object of its publication seems to be necessary. The vast amount of new material in all departments of natural history collected in the West under the auspices of the Survey, and in some instance demanding prompt publication, suggested the present form, in order that this new matter might not be too much scattered, either in the proceedings of societies, or in independent papers not easily accessible to the scientific student. The annual report will not appear until late in the summer, (July or August,) and, in consequence, the Bulletin will be issued from time to time as the necessity arises for the prompt publication of valuable matter.

Report↗
USGS1981

The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument

From 1946 until about 1956 I carried out fieldwork intermittently on the geology and artesian water supply of the Grand Junction area, Colorado, the results of which have been published. The area mapped geologically contains about 332 square miles in the west-central part of Mesa County and includes all of Colorado National Monument. During the field work several successive custodians or superintendents and several park naturalists urged that upon completion of my professional paper I prepare a brief account of the geology of the Monument in terms understandable by laymen, and which could be sold at the Visitor Center. This I was happy to do and there resulted 'The geologic story of Colorado National Monument', published by the Colorado and Black Canyon Natural History Association in cooperation with the National Park Service. This report contained colored sketches by John R. Stacy and a colored cover, but the photographs and many of the drawings were reproduced in black and white.

Bulletin↗
USGS1951

Exploratory drilling in the Prairie du Chien Group of the Wisconsin zinc-lead district by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1949-1950

The U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey explored the Prairie du Chien group in the main productive area of the Wisconsin zinc-lead district during 1949-50. Eight properties--Crow Branch diggings, Leix, Harris, Spitzbarth, Kennedy, James, Raisbeck and Vinegar Hill Roaster--were explored using both diamond and churn drills. Twenty holes were drilled that totaled 8,582 feet in depth. The objectives of the exploration were to determine if the Prairie du Chien and other formations below the principal ore-bearing strata (Galena, Decorah, and Platteville formations) of the district are favorable for ore deposits, and to determine the type of ore deposits, if present. Lean deposits of sphalerite, marcasite, and pyrite were found in the Prairie du Chien on five properties--Crow Branch, Leix, Harris, Spitzbarth, and Vinegar Hill Roaster-and also in the Franconia sandstone on the Leix property. In the drilled area the sulfides in the Prairie du Chien group occur in certain more brittle or soluble dolomite beds that contain cavities formed by brecciation or solution.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2025

U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward

This “U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward” (“Pollinator Science Strategy”) describes the science vision of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support management, conservation, and policy decisions on animal pollinators and their habitats. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS has a primary role in providing scientific information to natural resource managers and policymakers across the United States. This “Pollinator Science Strategy” was drafted by a team of USGS pollinator researchers and was further developed through feedback from Federal, State, Tribal, nongovernmental organizations, and industry partners. This “Pollinator Science Strategy” highlights the USGS’s role in the research to promote healthy pollinator populations and address partner information gaps so they can make more informed management decisions. By outlining the importance of USGS science in addressing the information needs of other agencies, organizations, and the public, the “Pollinator Science Strategy” reaffirms the USGS’s commitment to pollinator research and showcases our research priorities for 2025–35. With more than 300 research centers nationally, the USGS is equipped to address pollinator science across scales of complexity and geographic range. USGS pollinator science is organized according to the following five thematic areas: Assessing species ecology, distributions, and natural history requirements. Tracking species status and trends. Understanding species threats and stressors. Informing restoration and management actions. Developing novel methods for improving pollinator research, monitoring, and population outcomes that can benefit our Nation. Our pollinator information products and associated data are made widely available to the public to ensure scientific transparency and accessibility. This “Pollinator Science Strategy” concludes with several research goals that the USGS will work towards from 2025 to 2035, representing our vision for USGS science. These research goals include synthesizing and modernizing the latest information on pollinator threats, developing research that assists managers with habitat design and restoration, providing training to partners on native bee identification and monitoring design, and developing new technologies for assessing the status and trends of our nation’s pollinators.

Circular↗
USGS1968

Water resources of Wisconsin, Fox-Wolf River basin

PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purposes of this report are to (1) describe the geohydrology of the basin, (2) describe and relate the surface- and ground-water systems, (3) discuss existing and possible future water problems in the basin, and (4) to suggest means of possible solutions. The scope of the study was to interpret and relate streamflow, climatic, geologic, and ground-water information. Because of its reconnaissance nature, this report should serve as background information. More specific water information for many areas of the Fox-Wolf River basin is available at the offices of the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey in Madison. This study is part of a planned investigation of the geology and water resources of the rapidly developing Fox River valley industrial complex and municipal region extending from Green Bay to Fond du Lac. The related studies in this region cover Fond du Lac County (Newport, 1962), Outagamie County (LeRoux, 1957), Brown County (Drescher, 1953), the Green Bay area (Knowles and others, 1964; Knowles, 1964), Waupaca County (Berkstresser, 1964), Waushara County (Summers, 1965), and Winnebago County (Olcott, 1966).

Wisconsin↗
USGS2002

Geologic map of the Storm King Mountain quadrangle, Garfield County, Colorado

New 1:24,000-scale geologic mapping in the Storm King Mountain 7.5' quadrangle, in support of the USGS Western Colorado I-70 Corridor Cooperative Geologic Mapping Project, provides new data on the structure on the south margin of the White River uplift and the Grand Hogback and on the nature, history, and distribution of surficial geologic units. Rocks ranging from Holocene to Proterozoic in age are shown on the map. The Canyon Creek Conglomerate, a unit presently known to only occur in this quadrangle, is interpreted to have been deposited in a very steep sided local basin formed by dissolution of Pennsylvanian evaporite late in Tertiary time. At the top of the Late Cretaceous Williams Fork Formation is a unit of sandstone, siltstone, and claystone from which Late Cretaceous palynomorphs were obtained in one locality. This interval has been mapped previously as Ohio Creek Conglomerate, but it does not fit the current interpretation of the origin of the Ohio Creek. Rocks previously mapped as Frontier Sandstone and Mowry Shale are here mapped as the lower member of the Mancos Shale and contain beds equivalent to the Juana Lopez Member of the Mancos Shale in northwestern New Mexico. The Pennsylvanian Eagle Valley Formation in this quadrangle grades into Eagle Valley Evaporite as mapped by Kirkham and others (1997) in the Glenwood Springs area. The Storm King Mountain quadrangle spans the south margin of the White River uplift and crosses the Grand Hogback monocline into the Piceance basin. Nearly flat lying Mississippian through Cambrian sedimentary rocks capping the White River uplift are bent into gentle south dips and broken by faults at the edge of the uplift. South of these faults the beds dip moderately to steeply to the south and are locally overturned. These dips are interrupted by a structural terrace on which are superposed numerous gentle minor folds and faults. This terrace has an east-west extent similar to that of the Canyon Creek Conglomerate to the north. We interpret that the terrace formed by movement of Eagle Evaporite from below in response to dissolution and diapirism in the area underlain by the conglomerate. A low-angle normal fault dipping gently north near the north margin of the quadrangle may have formed also in response to diapirism and dissolution in the area of the Canyon Creek Conglomerate. Along the east edge of the quadrangle Miocene basalt flows are offset by faults along bedding planes in underlying south-dipping Cretaceous rocks, probably because of diapiric movement of evaporite into the Cattle Creek anticline (Kirkham and Widmann, 1997). Steep topography and weak rocks combine to produce a variety of geologic hazards in the quadrangle.

Miscellaneous Field Studies Map↗
USGS1955

Zinc and lead deposits of the Sinsinawa River area, Grant County, Wisconsin

A broad geologic study of the structure and ore deposits of the Wisconsin-Illinois-Iowa zinc-lead district (fig. 1) was begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1942. The main object of the present program is to delineate the areas favorable to future exploration for zinc-lead ore deposits. As part of the program the Sinsinawa River area in southeastern Grant County, Wis., was selected for a detailed geologic study. This study was made in cooperation with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2000

Water-Resources Investigations in Wisconsin, 2000

The statewide average precipitation of 36.00 inches for the 1999 water year was 4.35 inches greater than the normal annual precipitation of 31.65 inches for water years 1961-90. Average precipitation values ranged from 83 percent of normal at both the Rosholt 9 NNE weather station in north central Wisconsin and Shawano 2 SSW WWTP weather station in northeast Wisconsin to 155 percent of normal at the Solon Springs weather station in northwestern Wisconsin (from tables provided by JoAnne Kruepke, UW-Extension, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, written commun., 2000). Runoff differed for rivers throughout the State and ranged from 46 percent in east central Wisconsin to 157 percent in south central Wisconsin. Runoff was lowest (46 percent of the average annual runoff from 1989-99) for the Duck Creek near Oneida station and highest (157 percent of the average annual runoff from 1949-69, 1988-99) for the South Branch Rock River at Waupun station in south central Wisconsin. Departures of runoff in the 1999 water year as a percent of long-term average runoff in the State (determined using stations with drainage areas greater than 150 square miles and at least 20 years of record) are shown in Figure 4.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2002

Abstracts of the annual Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting, June 18-19, 2001, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The annual Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting serves two purposes. In addition to giving mappers the opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences, victories, and problems with others, presentations are reviewed by the Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GeMS) to provide input to the Planetary Geology and Geophysics Mapping Program review panel’s consideration of new proposals and progress reports that include mapping tasks. Funded mappers bring both oral presentation materials (slides or viewgraphs) and map products to post for review by GeMS and fellow mappers. Additionally, the annual meetings typically feature optional field trips offering earth analogs and parallels to planetary mapping problems. The 2001 Mappers Meeting, June 18-19, was convened by Tim Parker, Dave Senske, and Ken Tanaka and was hosted by Larry Crumpler and Jayne Aubele of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Oral presentations were given in the Museum’s Honeywell Auditorium, and maps were posted in the Sandia Room. In addition to active mappers, guests included local science teachers who had successfully competed for the right to attend and listen to the reports. It was a unique pleasure for mappers to have the opportunity to interact with and provide information to teachers responding so enthusiastically to the meeting presentation. On Sunday, June 17, Larry and Jayne conducted an optional pre-meeting field trip. The flanks of Rio Grande Rift, east and west of Albuquerque and Valles Caldera north of town presented tectonic, volcanic, and sedimentary examples of the Rift and adjoining areas analogous to observed features on Mars and Venus. The arid but volcanically and tectonically active environment of New Mexico’s rift valley enables focus on features that appear morphologically young and spectacular in satellite images and digital relief models. The theme of the trip was to see what, at orbiter resolution, "obvious" geologic features look like at lander (outcrop) scales. Trips to the top of the rift-flanking mountains (Sandia Peak, 10,600 ft) and the Valles Caldera, as well as various active spring deposits highlighted the day. After welcoming remarks from the host, Larry Crumpler, opening remarks by Tim Parker and Dave Senske and a report on mapping program status by Ken Tanaka, the mappers’ oral presentations began the morning of June 18, with a session on Venus Geologic Mapping. The afternoon continued with an exciting USGS Planetary GIS on the Web (PIGWAD) demonstration and ended with an open discussion of issues in planetary mapping. Posted maps of Venus quadrangles were viewed during the morning break. Tuesday’s Mars Geologic Mapping session began with a pep talk from Tim Parker encouraging mapping community input to the MER landing site selection committee and continued with Steve Saunders describing the potential contribution of Odyssey Mission data to the geologic mapping of Mars. A Mars map poster session was held during the morning break, and the meeting was adjourned mid-afternoon. After the mappers meeting on Tuesday, attendants were treated to a "Field trip to Mars." The Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico houses an outstanding collection of meteorites, including those that have been identified as originating from Mars. The Institute tour featured examples of most of the different lithologies exhibited by martian meteorites identified to date, as well as some of the analytical tests (scanning electron microscope) they are conducting on specimens from ALH84001. Wednesday, June 20, featured an optional post-meeting field trip to see a travertine quarry and nearby sites of travertine deposition, the Very Large Array near Socorro, and other volcanic features within the Rio Grande Rift.

New Mexico↗
USGS2006

Geologic map of the Colonial Beach South 7.5-minute quadrangle, Virginia

The Open-File Report includes a geologic map with cross section, and composite stratigraphic section of the Tertiary stratigraphy and of the Quaternary stratigraphy. The Tertiary map units are presented and interpreted for erodability and derived surficial deposits. The map area contains the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. The map facilitates the interpretation of the natural history of the Park including processes such as bog (wetlands) formation and coastal erosion. Two cores of Holocene estuarine deposits are sited on the map. They present the transition from terrestrial to estuarine depositional environments.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2008

Paleontologic Database for the Guadalupe Peak 1:100,000 Quadrangle: A Prototype for the National Paleontologic Database, Paleodata

This report is a compilation of most of the known fossil locality data from Guadalupe Peak 1:100,000 quadrangle, West Texas. The data represent several major collection efforts over the past century by the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, and the U.S. Geological Survey. This dataset is not meant to be all inclusive but instead is an attempt to pull together the vast amount of paleontologic data originally collected by Girty (1908) and King (1948), much of which is unpublished and (or) poorly located. The author visited most of the major fossil collection sites to collect for conodonts on a ten-year program funded by the Smithsonian Institution for collaborative research with Richard E. Grant. Guadalupe Mountains National Park occupies the northern part of the quadrangle, and the Park Service has been very helpful over the years in compiling the data and relocating the collection sites. This dataset serves as the prototype for the National Paleontologic Database, part of the National Geologic Map Database Project. The database is intended to be indexed to 1:100,000 quadrangles of the U.S. The minimum number of fields and information within those fields is shown in the report.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2012

Stratigraphic cross section of measured sections and drill holes of the Neslen Formation and adjacent formations, Book Cliffs Area, Colorado and Utah

This study updates a stratigraphic cross section published as plate 2 in Kirschbaum and Hettinger (2004) Digital Data Series 69-G ( http://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-069/dds-069-g/ ). The datum is a marine/tidal ravinement surface within the Cozzette Sandstone Member of the Iles Formation and the Thompson Canyon Sandstone and Sulphur Canyon Sandstone Beds of the Neslen Formation. One of the cores shown was included on the original cross section, and new core descriptions have been added to the upper part of the cored interval. A new core description (S178) is included in this report. Cores are stored in the U.S. Geological Survey Core Research Facility at the Denver Federal Center, Colorado. The following information has also been added to help define the stratigraphic framework: 1) At least five claystones interpreted as altered volcanic ashes have been identified and may give future workers a correlation tool within the largely continental section. 2) Thickness and general geometry of the Sego Sandstone, Buck Tongue of the Mancos Shale, and Castlegate Sandstone have been added to provide additional stratigraphic context. 3) The geometry in the Sego Sandstone, Buck Tongue of the Mancos Shale, and Castlegate Sandstone has been added to provide additional stratigraphic context. 4) Ammonite collections are from Gill and Hail. The zone of Didymoceras nebrascense projected into the East Salt Wash area is based on correlation of the flooding surface at the base of the Cozzette Member to this point as shown in Kirschbaum and Hettinger. 5) A leaf locality of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is shown in its approximate stratigraphic position near Thompson Canyon. 6) A dinosaur locality of the Natural History Museum of Utah is shown in the Horse Canyon area measured section at the stratigraphic position where it was extracted.

Utah, Colorado↗
USGS2013

Survey of bats on Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, December 2011-April 2012

Bats are diverse and abundant in many ecosystems worldwide. They perform important ecosystem functions, particularly by consuming large quantities of insects (Cleveland and others, 2006; Jones and others, 2009; Kuhn and others, 2011). The importance of bats to biodiversity and to ecosystem integrity has been overlooked in many regions, largely because the challenges of detecting and studying these small, nocturnal mammals have rendered a paucity of information on matters as basic as species distribution and natural history attributes. Recently, concern for bats has arisen in response to recognition of large-scale threats, such as white-nosed syndrome (WNS; Turner and others, 2009; Frick and others, 2010) and mortality at wind energy facilities (Arnett and others, 2008), factors that are causing unprecedented population declines of bats (Boyles and others, 2011). WNS is a fungal disease that has killed more than 1 million cave-hibernating bats in eastern North America since being discovered in New York State in 2006 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2012). WNS has spread rapidly from northeastern U.S., and as of August 2012 has been confirmed as far west as eastern Missouri(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013). Given the rapid spread of WNS, there is concern that the disease may soon affect western bat populations. Hibernating bats are particularly vulnerable to the effects of WNS (Blehert and others, 2009). Refuges in eastern Washington, including the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex (MCRNWRC) and Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, support many potential hibernacula. Sixteen species of bats potentially occur on these refuges, including one federally listed species of concern (Townsend’s big-eared bat [Corynorhinus townsendii]; see table 1 for scientific names of bats), and 12 species that are of conservation concern in Washington and Oregon (table 1). However, little is known about bats on these refuges because few surveys have been done, and none have been done during winter. Refuge biologists are lacking even the most basic information, such as species presence, and location and status of hibernacula. In order to assess vulnerability and develop a strategy for management of WNS, refuge managers need to know where bats are hibernating, and which species are using each hibernaculum. The goal of this project was to provide information on the status of wintering bats to refuge biologists and managers in order to support decision-making that might minimize the threat of WNS in western bat populations. We conducted surveys of bat activity in winter and early spring as an initial step toward identifying bat species that may be over-wintering and locating potential hibernacula on these refuges. Our specific objectives were to identify bat species using the refuges, to identify areas of resident bat activity in autumn, winter, and early spring using acoustic bat detectors, and to try new methods for quick surveys of bat activity.

Oregon;Washington↗