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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
USGS1995

Reconnaissance of ground-water quality in the North Platte Natural Resources District, western Nebraska, June-July 1991

One-hundred twenty wells completed in unconfined Quaternary alluvial, Ogallala, Arikaree, Brule fractured, sand and confined Chadron and undifferentiated Cretaceous water-bearing units were sampled in June and July 1991 to characterize the quality of ground water in the study area. More than 75 percent of the water samples had nitrate and nitrite as nitrogen concentrations equal to or less than 6.0 milligrams per liter. Samples from six wells completed in Quaternary alluvial and Brule fractured water-bearing units exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 milligrams per liter nitrate and nitrite as nitrogen. Water from several wells completed in Quaternary alluvial and the Brule water-bearing units had detectable concentrations of alachlor, atrazine, deethylatrazine, or prometon. Major element concentrations in water from 44 wells indicated that the water-bearing units had distinct chemistry. Water from unconfined water- bearing units generally was a calcium bicarbonate type and water from the confined water-bearing units generally was a sodium bicarbonate type. Measurements of pH and concentrations of dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, fluoride, arsenic, beryllium, manganese, adjusted gross alpha activities, radon, and uranium in ground water exceeded final or proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Levels or Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1976

Discovery of natural resources

Mankind will continue to need ores of more or less the types and grades used today to supply its needs for new mineral raw materials, at least until fusion or some other relatively cheap, inexhaustible energy source is developed. Most deposits being mined today were exposed at the surface or found by relatively simple geophysical or other prospecting techniques, but many of these will be depleted in the foreseeable future. The discovery of deeper or less obvious deposits to replace them will require the conjunction of science and technology to deduce the laws that governed the concentration of elements into ores and to detect and evaluate the evidence of their whereabouts. Great theoretical advances are being made to explain the origins of ore deposits and understand the general reasons for their localization. These advances have unquestionable value for exploration. Even a large deposit is, however, very small, and, with few exceptions, it was formed under conditions that have long since ceased to exist. The explorationist must suppress a great deal of "noise" to read and interpret correctly the "signals" that can define targets and guide the drilling required to find it. Is enough being done to ensure the long-term availability of mineral raw materials? The answer is probably no, in view of the expanding consumption and the difficulty of finding new deposits, but ingenuity, persistence, and continued development of new methods and tools to add to those already at hand should put off the day of "doing without" for many years. The possibility of resource exhaustion, especially in view of the long and increasing lead time needed to carry out basic field and laboratory studies in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry and to synthesize and analyze the information gained from them counsels against any letting down of our guard, however (17). Research and exploration by government, academia, and industry must be supported and encouraged; we cannot wait until an eleventh hour to mount a "crash program.".

Science↗
USGS2012

What are plants doing and when? Using plant phenology to facilitate sustainable natural resources management

Climate change models for the northern Rocky Mountains predict changes in temperature and water availability that in turn will alter vegetation. Changes include timing of plant life-history events, or phenology, such as green-up, flowering and senescence, and shifts in species composition. Moreover, climate changes may favor different species, such as nonnative, annual grasses over native species. Changes in vegetation could make forage for ungulates, sage-grouse, and livestock available earlier in the growing season, but shifts in species composition and phenology may also result in earlier senescence (die-off or dormancy) and reduced overall forage production.

Wyoming↗
USGS2008

Some guidelines for helping natural resources adapt to climate change

The changes occurring in mountain regions are an epitome of climate change. The dramatic shrinkage of major glaciers over the past century – and especially in the last 30 years – is one of several iconic images that have come to symbolize climate change. Climate creates the context for ecosystems, and climate variables strongly influence the structure, composition, and processes that characterize distinct ecosystems. Climate change, therefore, is having direct and indirect effects on species attributes, ecological interactions, and ecosystem processes. Because changes in the climate system will continue regardless of emissions mitigation, management strategies to enhance the resilience of ecosystems will become increasingly important. It is essential that management responses to climate change proceed using the best available science despite uncertainties associated with the future path of climate change, the response of ecosystems to climate effects, and the effects of management. Given these uncertainties, management adaptation will require flexibility to reflect our growing understanding of climate change impacts and management effectiveness.

IHDP Update↗