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USGS2015

Global volcanic hazards and risk

An estimated 800 million people live within 100 km of an active volcano in 86 countries and additional overseas territories worldwide [see Chapter 4 and Appendix B]1. Volcanoes are compelling evidence that the Earth is a dynamic planet characterised by endless change and renewal. Humans have always found volcanic activity fascinating and have often chosen to live close to volcanoes, which commonly provide favourable environments for life. Volcanoes bring many benefits to society: eruptions fertilise soils; elevated topography provides good sites for infrastructure (e.g. telecommunications on elevated ground); water resources are commonly plentiful; volcano tourism can be lucrative; and volcanoes can acquire spiritual, aesthetic or religious significance. Some volcanoes are also associated with geothermal resources, making them a target for exploration and a potential energy resource. Much of the time volcanoes are not a threat because they erupt very infrequently or because communities have become resilient to frequently erupting volcanoes. However, there is an everpresent danger of a long-dormant volcano re-awakening or of volcanoes producing anomalously large or unexpected eruptions. Volcanic eruptions can cause loss of life and livelihoods in exposed communities, damage or disrupt critical infrastructure and add stress to already fragile environments. Their impacts can be both short-term, e.g. physical damage, and long-term, e.g. sustained or permanent displacement of populations. The risk from volcanic eruptions and their attendant hazards is often underestimated beyond areas within the immediate proximity of a volcano. For example, volcanic ash hazards can have effects hundreds of kilometres away from the vent and have an adverse impact on human and animal health, infrastructure, transport, agriculture and horticulture, the environment and economies. The products of volcanism and their impacts can extend beyond country borders, to be regional and even global in scale. Although known historical loss of life from volcanic eruptions (since 1600 AD about 280,000 fatalities are recorded, Auker et al. (2013)) is modest compared to other major natural hazards, volcanic eruptions can be catastrophic for exposed communities. In 1985 the town of Armero in Colombia was buried by lahars (volcanic mudflows) with more than 21,000 fatalities due to relatively small explosive eruptions at the summit of Nevado del Ruiz volcano that partially melted a glacier (Voight, 1990).

Book chapter↗

USGS1987

A Pennsylvanian-age terrestrial storm deposit: using plant fossils to characterize the history and process of sediment accumulation

A thin black shale overlying the B-coal underclay (in the Middle Pennsylvanian post-Pottsville strata of the Bernice Basin) contains a compression flora composed of large, prostrate, unidirectionally oriented lycopod trunks and randomly oriented pteridosperm stems. Analyses of modern log accumulations indicate that unidirectional trunk orientations can be produced by riverflood currents, volcanic blasts, and most high-energy windstorms. Since there are neither fluvial sediments nor ash deposits associated with the Bernice assemblage, this deposit is believed to have been formed by high-energy winds. Furthermore, this deposit is interpreted to be in situ because storm winds (and volcanic blasts) rarely have sufficient energy for the physical transport of large, intact tree trunks. The sedimentary history of the B-coal underclay can be determined from the successional changes in the species and plant part compositions (leaves, seeds, branches, trunks, etc.) of the preserved plant material. The underclay is an accretionary floodplain soil which accumulated as discrete increments during episodic floods. The sediments deposited with each flood incorporated the litter layer of the lycopod-pteridosperm forest which occupied this site. Ordinarily, the flood water would recede, and renewed root growth would destroy the primary sedimentary structures and the newly incorporated organic material. Because the bedding and forest litter are preserved in the top 5 cm of the underclay, root growth and silt deposition must have been terminated by the last flooding event. The site eventually became permanently inundated, and an organic-rich mud began to accumulate in the resulting floodplain lake. The lycopod-pteridosperm forest drowned and, at some later time, was blown down into the lake. The trunks are preserved on a single bedding plane in a 2-cm-thick, organic-rich lacustrine black shale. Continued organic accumulation in the lake resulted in the accumulation of a hypautochthonous peat which eventually was colonized by a peat-forming flora.

Journal of Sedimentary Petrology↗

USGS2004

A review of models and micrometeorological methods used to estimate wetland evapotranspiration

Within the past decade or so, the accuracy of evapotranspiration (ET) estimates has improved due to new and increasingly sophisticated methods. Yet despite a plethora of choices concerning methods, estimation of wetland ET remains insufficiently characterized due to the complexity of surface characteristics and the diversity of wetland types. In this review, we present models and micrometeorological methods that have been used to estimate wetland ET and discuss their suitability for particular wetland types. Hydrological, soil monitoring and lysimetric methods to determine ET are not discussed. Our review shows that, due to the variability and complexity of wetlands, there is no single approach that is the best for estimating wetland ET. Furthermore, there is no single foolproof method to obtain an accurate, independent measure of wetland ET. Because all of the methods reviewed, with the exception of eddy covariance and LIDAR, require measurements of net radiation (Rn) and soil heat flux (G), highly accurate measurements of these energy components are key to improving measurements of wetland ET. Many of the major methods used to determine ET can be applied successfully to wetlands of uniform vegetation and adequate fetch, however, certain caveats apply. For example, with accurate Rn and G data and small Bowen ratio (??) values, the Bowen ratio energy balance method can give accurate estimates of wetland ET. However, large errors in latent heat flux density can occur near sunrise and sunset when the Bowen ratio ?? ??? - 1??0. The eddy covariance method provides a direct measurement of latent heat flux density (??E) and sensible heat flux density (II), yet this method requires considerable expertise and expensive instrumentation to implement. A clear advantage of using the eddy covariance method is that ??E can be compared with Rn-G H, thereby allowing for an independent test of accuracy. The surface renewal method is inexpensive to replicate and, therefore, shows particular promise for characterizing variability in ET as a result of spatial heterogeneity. LIDAR is another method that has special utility in a heterogeneous wetland environment, because it provides an integrated value for ET from a surface. The main drawback of LIDAR is the high cost of equipment and the need for an independent ET measure to assess accuracy. If Rn and G are measured accurately, the Priestley-Taylor equation can be used successfully with site-specific calibration factors to estimate wetland ET. The 'crop' cover coefficient (Kc) method can provide accurate wetland ET estimates if calibrated for the environmental and climatic characteristics of a particular area. More complicated equations such as the Penman and Penman-Monteith equations also can be used to estimate wetland ET, but surface variability and lack of information on aerodynamic and surface resistances make use of such equations somewhat questionable. ?? 2004 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Hydrological Processes↗

USGS2017

Conservation Reserve Program mitigates grassland loss in the lesser prairie-chicken range of Kansas

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the overall occupied range of the lesser prairie-chicken ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) has declined by 84% commensurate with population trends. Much of this decline has been attributed to the loss and fragmentation of native grasslands throughout the lesser prairie-chicken range. However, quantification of changes in land cover in the distribution of the lesser prairie-chicken is lacking. Our objectives were to (1) document changes in the areal extent and connectivity of grasslands in the identified lesser prairie-chicken range in Kansas, USA, (>60% of extant lesser prairie-chicken population) from the 1950s to 2013 using remotely sensed data and (2) assess the potential of the Conservation Reserve Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture Program converting cropland to permanent cover; CRP) to mitigate grassland loss. Digital land cover maps were generated on a decadal time step through spectral classification of LANDSAT images and visual analysis of aerial photographs (1950s and 1960s). Landscape composition and configuration were assessed using FRAGSTATS to compute a variety of landscape metrics measuring changes in the amount of grassland present as well as changes in the size and configuration of grassland patches. With the exception of a single regional portion of the range, nearly all of the grassland converted to cropland in the lesser prairie-chicken range of Kansas occurred prior to the 1950s. Prior to the implementation of CRP, the amount of grassland decreased 3.6% between the 1950s and 1985 from 18,455 km 2 to 17,788 km 2 . Since 1985, the overall amount of grassland in the lesser prairie-chicken range has increased 11.9% to 19,898 km 2 due to implementation of CRP, although the area of grassland decreased between 1994 and 2013 as CRP contracts were not renewed by landowners. Since 1986 grassland in Kansas became more connected and less fragmented in response to the CRP. While the CRP has been successful in increasing grassland quantity and connectivity throughout the lesser prairie-chicken range in Kansas, offsetting loss of grassland since the 1950s, abundance and occupied range of lesser prairie-chickens has declined since the 1980s, suggesting that habitat quality is the principal factor influencing population demography of the species. Although the CRP is contributing to conservation actions for lesser prairie-chickens, efforts to improve habitat quality throughout the range of the lesser prairie-chicken are likely necessary to meet management goals. Continuation of the CRP faces an uncertain future in the face of rising commodity prices, energy development, and reduction in program scope, leaving open the possibility that these areas that have created habitat for lesser prairie-chickens could be lost.

Kansas↗

USGS2007

A framework for assessing the sustainability of monitored natural attenuation

The sustainability of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) over time depends upon (1) the presence of chemical/biochemical processes that transform wastes to innocuous byproducts, and (2) the availability of energy to drive these processes to completion. The presence or absence of contaminant-transforming chemical/biochemical processes can be determined by observing contaminant mass loss over time and space (mass balance). The energy available to drive these processes to completion can be assessed by measuring the pool of metabolizable organic carbon available in a system, and by tracing the flow of this energy to available electron acceptors (energy balance). For the special case of chlorinated ethenes in ground-water systems, for which a variety of contaminant-transforming biochemical processes exist, natural attenuation is sustainable when the pool of bioavailable organic carbon is large relative to the carbon flux needed to drive biodegradation to completion. These principles are illustrated by assessing the sustainability of MNA at a chlorinated ethene-contaminated site in Kings Bay, Georgia. Approximately 1,000 kilograms of perchloroethene (PCE) was released to a municipal landfill in the 1978-1980 timeframe, and the resulting plume of chlorinated ethenes migrated toward a nearby housing development. A numerical model, built using the sequential electron acceptor model code (SEAM3D), was used to quantify mass and energy balance in this system. The model considered the dissolution of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) as the source of the PCE, and was designed to trace energy flow from dissolved organic carbon to available electron acceptors in the sequence oxygen > chlorinated ethenes > ferric iron > sulfate > carbon dioxide. The model was constrained by (1) comparing simulated and measured rates of ground-water flow, (2) reproducing the observed distribution of electron-accepting processes in the aquifer, (3) comparing observed and measured concentrations of chlorinated ethenes, and (4) reproducing the observed production and subsequent dilution of dissolved chloride, a final degradation product of chloroethene biodegradation. Simulations using the constrained model indicated that an average flux of 5 milligrams per liter per day of organic carbon (CH2O) per model cell (25 square meters) is required to support the short-term sustainability of MNA. Because this flux is small relative to the pool of renewable organic carbon (about 4.7 x 107 milligrams [mg] per model cell) present in the soil zone and non-renewable carbon (about 6.9 x 108 mg per model cell) in an organic-rich sediment layer overlying the aquifer, the long-term sustainability of MNA is similarly large. This study illustrates that the short- and long-term sustainability of MNA can be assessed by: 1. Estimating the time required for contaminants to dissolve/disperse/degrade under ambient hydrologic conditions (time of remediation). 2. Quantifying the organic carbon flux to the system needed to consume competing electron acceptors (oxygen) and direct electron flow toward chloroethene degradation (short-term sustainability). 3. Comparing the required flux of organic carbon to the pool of renewable and non-renewable organic carbon given the estimated time of remediation (long-term sustainability). These are general principles that can be used to assess the sustainability of MNA in any hydrologic system.

Circular↗

USGS2014

Stitching the western Piedmont of Virginia: Early Paleozoic tectonic history of the Ellisville Pluton and the Potomac and Chopawamsic Terranes

The theme of the 2014 Virginia Geological Field Conference is the tectonic development, economic geology, and seismicity of the western Piedmont of Louisa County, Virginia. It is timely for the conference to turn its attention here, for during the past decade these aspects of western Piedmont geology have garnered the renewed attention of researchers. In terms of regional tectonics, it has been hypothesized that the major structure in the region, the Chopawamsic fault system, represents the most significant boundary in the Appalachian orogen, the main Iapetan suture (Hibbard et al., 2014). Economically, recent elevated market values of metals— particularly that of gold—has spurred reconsideration of the economic geology of the western Piedmont. Finally, the August 23, 2011, M5.8 earthquake, with its epicenter in our field area, startled the North American east coast and has revived awareness of the seismic potential of the region. This renewed interest in the geology of the western Piedmont of north-central Virginia has led to new detailed bedrock mapping, detailed surficial mapping, high-resolution UPb TIMS zircon geochronology, U-Pb LA-ICPMS detrital zircon geochronology, radiogenic isotope geochemistry, major/minor/REE geochemistry, and geophysical studies (e.g. Bailey et al., 2005, 2008; Bailey and Owens, 2012: Berti et al., 2012; Burton et al., 2014; Burton, in progress; Harrison, 2012; Horton et al., 2010, in press; Hughes, 2010, 2014; Hughes et al., 2013a, 2013b, 2014, in press a, in press b; Malenda, in progress; Owens et al., 2013; Spears and Gilmer 2012; Spears et al. 2013, Terblanche, 2013; Terblanche and Nance, 2012). A host of institutions have taken part in the research, including North Carolina State University, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Tech, Lehigh University, and the College of William and Mary. Many of these investigations remain active. The majority of the data presented herein is the product of research conducted from 2010 to 2014 by geologists at North Carolina State University. This field trip guide is intended to complement a Geological Society of America field guide (Hughes et al., 2014) that covers the western Piedmont geology along strike to the northeast in the vicinity of Fredericksburg. Geologic mapping and geochronologic and geochemical sampling were coordinated between these two areas as part of a study funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the USGS EDMAP program. Some of the stops in this guide have previously been written up in past field guides (Hughes, 2010; Burton et al., 2014) and are reused here because of their ease of access for large groups and because of new data that update the context and our understanding of the outcrops.

Virginia↗

USGS2006

Local infrasound observations of large ash explosions at Augustine Volcano, Alaska, during January 11–28, 2006

We present and interpret acoustic waveforms associated with a sequence of large explosion events that occurred during the initial stages of the 2006 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska. During January 11–28, 2006, 13 large explosion events created ash-rich plumes that reached up to 14 km a.s.l., and generated atmospheric pressure waves that were recorded on scale by a microphone located at a distance of 3.2 km from the active vent. The variety of recorded waveforms included sharp N-shaped waves with durations of a few seconds, impulsive signals followed by complex codas, and extended signals with emergent character and durations up to minutes. Peak amplitudes varied between 14 and 105 Pa; inferred acoustic energies ranged between 2×10 8 and 4×10 9 J. A simple N-shaped short-duration signal recorded on January 11, 2006 was associated with the vent-opening blast that marked the beginning of the explosive eruption sequence. During the following days, waveforms with impulsive onsets and extended codas accompanied the eruptive activity, which was characterized by explosion events that generated large ash clouds and pyroclastic flows along the flanks of the volcano. Continuous acoustic waveforms that lacked a clear onset were more common during this period. On January 28, 2006, the occurrence of four large explosion events marked the end of this explosive eruption phase at Augustine Volcano. After a transitional period of about two days, characterized by many small discrete bursts, the eruption changed into a stage of more sustained and less explosive activity accompanied by the renewed growth of a summit lava dome.

Alaska↗

USGS1998

Consumption of materials in the United States, 1900-1995

The flows of nonfood and nonfuel materials through the economy have significant impact on our lives and the world around us. Growing populations and economies demand more goods, services, and infrastructure. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the types of materials consumed in the United States have significantly changed. In 1900, on a per-weight basis, almost half of the materials consumed were from renewable resources, such as wood, fibers, and agricultural products, the rest being derived from nonrenewable resources. By 1995, the consumption of renewable resources had declined dramatically, to only 8% of total consumption. During this century, the quantity of materials consumed has grown, from 161 million metric tons in 1900 to 2.8 billion metric tons by 1995, an equivalent of 10 metric tons per person per year. Of all the materials consumed during this century, more than half were consumed in the last 25 years. This paper examines the general historical shifts in materials consumption and presents an analysis of different measurements of materials use and the significance of their trends.

Annual Review of Energy and the Environment↗

USGS2023

Assessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022

The idea of mining the Moon, once purely science-fiction, is now on the verge of becoming reality. Taking advantage of the resources on the Moon is part of the plans of many nations and some enterprising commercial entities; demonstrating in-situ (in place) resource utilization near the lunar south pole is an explicit goal of the United States’ Artemis program. Economic extraction and sustainable management of these resources require understanding the nature, quantity, and quality of each resource. This publication aims to provide a relatively simple, but technically rigorous, assessment of the status of lunar resource exploration in 2022. Building on the experience of the U.S. Geological Survey in conducting resource assessments for Earth, we propose a general methodology for quantitative lunar resources assessments. Lunar resources can be categorized as energy, mineral, and water and classified with respect to their certainty and their recoverability. The portion of the technically recoverable resource that can be converted to a commodity within budgetary and other mission constraints can be classified as a “reserve.” For energy resources, solar energy is known to be especially abundant along some high ridges near the lunar poles and the technology to exploit it is mature. Mineral resources, largely in the form of loose rock powder that covers the surface of the Moon, are also widely accessible in large quantities. Many different technologies to convert this material into useful commodities (such as landing pads and oxygen) are currently being developed and are likely to be available for industrial-scale application within 30 years. Water ice almost certainly exists in the polar regions of the Moon but there are fundamental unanswered questions about when and how the ice formed—leaving us without knowledge of the form, quantity, quality, and distribution of lunar ice. Until rover missions bring new ground truth data, lunar ice will remain a highly speculative resource that may be both limited and non-renewable.

Circular↗

USGS2008

Seismicity associated with renewed dome building at Mount St. Helens, 2004-2005

The reawakening of Mount St. Helens after 17 years and 11 months of slumber was heralded by a swarm of shallow (depth <2 km) volcano-tectonic earthquakes on September 23, 2004. After an initial decline on September 25, seismicity rapidly intensified; by September 29, M d >2 earthquakes were occurring at a rate of ~1 per minute. A gradual transition from volcano-tectonic to hybrid and low-frequency events occurred along with this intensification, a characteristic of many precursory swarms at Mount St. Helens before dome-building eruptions in the 1980s. The first explosion occurred October 1, 2004, 8.5 days after the first earthquakes, and was followed by three other explosions over the next four days. Seismicity declined after each explosion and after two energetic noneruptive tremor episodes on October 2 and 3. Following the last explosion of this series, on October 5, seismicity declined significantly. Over the next ten days seismicity was dominated by several event families; by October 16, spacing between events had become so regular that we dubbed the earthquakes “drumbeats.” Through the end of 2005 seismicity was dominated by these drumbeats, although occasional larger earthquakes ( M d 2.0-3.4) dominated seismic energy release. Over time there were significant variations in drumbeat size, spacing, and spectra that correlated with changes in the style of extrusion at the surface. Changes in drumbeat character did not correspond to variations in magma flux at the conduit, indicating that drumbeat size and spacing may be more a function of the mechanics of extrusion than of the extrusion rate.

Washington↗

USGS2021

The 2018 reawakening and eruption dynamics of Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser

Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park’s Norris Geyser Basin began a prolific sequence of eruptions in March 2018 after 34 y of sporadic activity. We analyze a wide range of datasets to explore triggering mechanisms for Steamboat’s reactivation and controls on eruption intervals and height. Prior to Steamboat’s renewed activity, Norris Geyser Basin experienced uplift, a slight increase in radiant temperature, and increased regional seismicity, which may indicate that magmatic processes promoted reactivation. However, because the geothermal reservoir temperature did not change, no other dormant geysers became active, and previous periods with greater seismic moment release did not reawaken Steamboat, the reason for reactivation remains ambiguous. Eruption intervals since 2018 (3.16 to 35.45 d) modulate seasonally, with shorter intervals in the summer. Abnormally long intervals coincide with weakening of a shallow seismic source in the geyser basin’s hydrothermal system. We find no relation between interval and erupted volume, implying unsteady heat and mass discharge. Finally, using data from geysers worldwide, we find a correlation between eruption height and inferred depth to the shallow reservoir supplying water to eruptions. Steamboat is taller because water is stored deeper there than at other geysers, and, hence, more energy is available to power the eruptions.

Wyoming↗

USGS2023

Dynamics of the December 2020 ash-poor plume formed by lava-water interaction at the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

On 20 December 2020, after more than 2 years of quiescence at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, renewed volcanic activity in the summit crater caused boiling of the water lake over a period of ∼90 min. The resulting water-rich, electrified plume rose to 11–13 km above sea level, which is among the highest plumes on record for Kīlauea. Although conventional models would infer a high mass flux from explosive magma-water interaction, the plume was not associated with an infrasound signal indicative of “explosive” activity, nor did it produce a measurable ash-fall deposit. We use multisensor data to characterize lava-water interaction and plume generation during this opening phase of the 2020–21 eruption. Satellite, weather radar, and eyewitness observations revealed that the plume was rich in water vapor and hydrometeors but transported less ash than expected from its maximum height. Volcanic lightning flashes detected by ground-based cameras were confined to freezing altitudes of the upper cloud, suggesting that the ice formation drove the electrification of this plume. The low acoustic energy from lava-water interaction points to a weakly explosive style of hydrovolcanism. Heat transfer calculations show that the lava to water heat flux was sufficient to boil the lake within 90 min. Limited mixing of lava and water inhibited major steam explosions and fine fragmentation. Results from one-dimensional plume modeling suggest that the models may underpredict plume height due to overestimation of crosswind air-entrainment. Our findings shed light on an unusual style of volcanism in which weakly explosive lava-water interaction generated an outsized plume.

Hawaii↗

USGS1999

Hydrolysis of tert-butyl formate: Kinetics, products, and implications for the environmental impact of methyl tert-butyl ether

Asessing the environmental fate of methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) has become a subject of renewed interest because of the large quantities of this compound that are being used as an oxygenated additive in gasoline. Various studies on the fate of MTBE have shown that it can be degraded to tert -butyl formate (TBF), particularly in the atmosphere. Although it is generally recognized that TBF is subject to hydrolysis, the kinetics and products of this reaction under environmentally relevant conditions have not been described previously. In this study, we determined the kinetics of TBF hydrolysis as a function of pH and temperature. Over the pH range of 5 to 7, the neutral hydrolysis pathway predominates, with k N = (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10 −6 /s. Outside this range, strong pH effects were observed because of acidic and basic hydrolyses, from which we determined that k A = (2.7 ± 0.5) × 10 −3 /(M·s) and k B = 1.7 ± 0.3/(M·s). Buffered and unbuffered systems gave the same hydrolysis rates for a given pH, indicating that buffer catalysis was not significant under the conditions tested. The activation energies corresponding to k N , k A , and k B were determined to be 78 ± 5, 59 ± 4, and 88 ±11 kJ/mol, respectively. In all experiments, tert -butyl alcohol was found at concentrations corresponding to stoichiometric formation from TBF. Based on our kinetics data, the expected half-life for hydrolysis of TBF at pH = 2 and 4°C (as per some standard preservation protocols for water sampling) is 6 h. At neutral pH and 22°C, the estimated half-life is 5 d, and at pH = 11 and 22°C, the value is only 8 min.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS1973

Geology and mineral resources of central Antioquia Department (Zone IIA), Colombia

This report summarizes the geology of an area of some 6000 square kilometers in the northern part of the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. The area, in north-central Department of Antioquia, was mapped between 1964 and 1968 as part of the Inventario Minero Nacional (IMN) project. Mineral resources are summarized within a larger area, designated as subzone ILK of IMN Zone If, which comprises almost 22,000 sq. kin, including the area mapped geologically by IMN and additional areas mapped by other agencies. The oldest formation is a micaceous paragneiss of early Paleozoic or possibly late Precambrian age. A thick geosynclinal sedimentary series accumulated during the Paleozoic Era and became regionally metamorphosed to greenschist (locally amphibolite) facies during the Permian or early Triassic; these schists and gneisses are designated collectively as the Valdivia Group. The Permian(?) orogenic episode included intrusion of concordant syntectonic plutons, mostly of tonalitic composition. Rocks of unequivocal Triassic or Jurassic age are not recognized. The Cretaceous is well represented by both igneous and sedimentary assemblages. Eugeosynclinal alpine ophiolites comprising submarine basalt flows and numerous intrusions of gabbro and serpentinite are prominent in the Lower Cretaceous, together with flysch composed of marine shale and lesser sandstone and conglomerate. The Upper Cretaceous is represented along the west border of the mapped area by submarine basalt flows and pyroclastic rocks, locally Interbedded with fine-grained clastic sedimentary beds, and lenses of dark laminated chert, at least part of which is radiolarian. The Late Cretaceous was marked by an orogenic event that profoundly folded and faulted all rocks and in the Central Cordillera caused low-grade metamorphism, the overprint of which is hardly observable in pre-Cretaceous rocks elsewhere. The Late Cretaceous orogeny culminated with discordant intrusion of the epizonal tonalitic Antioquian batholith. Displacement along the great Romeral wrench fault may have begun in the Cretaceous. Plutonism continued into the Cenozoic, exemplified by the hornblende-diorite Sabanalarga pluton. Intermontane basins were filled with molasse derived from the erosion of adjacent highlands; Tertiary sedimentation in marshy areas included organic carboniferous matter subsequently converted to lignite or subbituminous coal. The Sabanalarga fault system originated in the Late Tertiary; intermittent displacement continued on the older wrench faults such as the Romeral. Epeirogenic uplift, which probably began in the Pliocene and continued through the Pleistocene and Holocene, brought on renewed erosion which has sculptured the mountains into their present form. Mineral resources in subzone IIA are varied but not of outstanding importance. Gold and silver mining, significant in past centuries, is minor today. Ferruginous laterite on serpentinite once considered as a potential source of iron ore is not economically exploitable. IMN has explored nickeliferous laterite at the extreme northwest corner of subzone IIA; this is a potential resource, exploitable only after exhaustion of the larger and richer nickel laterite deposit at Cerro Matoso, farther to the north and outside the boundaries of Zone If. Known deposits of mercury, chromium, manganese, and copper are small, with limited economic potential. Nonmetallic resources include raw materials for cement, including portland cement. Saprolite clay is widely used in making common red brick and tile, still a dominant construction material in all but the most modern multistory buildings. Aggregate materials are varied and abundant. Kaolin of good quality near La Union is important as a ceramic raw mineral filler. Tertiary subbituminous coal beds are an important energy resource in western subzone IIA, and have a good potential for greater development. Deposits of sodic feldspar, talc, decorative stone, and silica a

Open-File Report↗

USGS2012

The potential effects of sodium bicarbonate, a major constituent from coalbed natural gas production, on aquatic life

The production water from coalbed natural gas (CBNG) extraction contains many constituents. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established aquatic life criteria for some of these constituents, and it is therefore possible to evaluate their risk to aquatic life. However, of the major ions associated with produced waters, chloride is the only one with an established aquatic life criterion (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1988). The focus of this research was NaHCO 3 , a compound that is a major constituent of coalbed natural gas produced waters in the Tongue and Powder River Basins. This project included laboratory experiments, field in situ experiments, a field mixing zone study, and a fishery presence/absence assessment. Though this investigation focuses on the Tongue and Powder River Basins, the information is applicable to other watersheds where sodium bicarbonate is a principle component of product water either from CBNG or from traditional or unconventional oil and gas development. These data can also be used to separate effects of saline discharges from those potentially posed by other constituents. Finally, this research effort and the additional collaboration with USGS Water Resources and Mapping, Bureau of Land Management, US Environmental Protection Agency, State of Montana, State of Wyoming, Montana State University, University of Wyoming, and others as part of a Powder River Aquatic Task Group, can be used as a model for successful approaches to studying landscapes with energy development. The laboratory acute toxicity experiments were completed with a suite of organisms, including 7 species of fish, 5 species of invertebrates, and 1 amphibian species. Experiments performed on these multiple species resulted in LC50s that ranged from 1,120 to greater than (>) 8,000 milligrams sodium bicarbonate per liter (mg NaHCO 3 /L) (also defined as 769 to >8,000 milligrams bicarbonate per liter (mg HCO 3 -/L) or total alkalinity expressed as 608 to >4,181 milligrams calcium carbonate per liter (mg CaCO 3 /L)) that varied across species and lifestage within a species. The age at which fish were exposed to NaHCO 3 significantly affected the severity of toxic responses for some organisms. The chronic toxicity of NaHCO 3 was defined in experiments that lasted from 7—60 days post-hatch. For these experiments, sublethal effects such as growth and reproduction, in addition to significant reductions in survival were included in the final determination of effects. Chronic toxicity was observed at concentrations that ranged from 450 to 800mg NaHCO 3 /L (also defined as 430 to 657 mg HCO 3 -/L or total alkalinity expressed as 354 to 539 mg CaCO 3 /L) and the specific concentration depended on the sensitivity of the four species of invertebrates and fish exposed. Sublethal investigations during chronic studies revealed percent decrease in the activity of sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na/K ATPase, an enzyme involved in ionoregulation) and the age of the fish at the onset of the decrease may affect the ability of fathead minnow to survive exposures to NaHCO 3 . A database of toxicity evaluations of NaHCO 3 on aquatic life has been constructed. Using these data, sample acute and chronic criteria of 459 and 381 mg NaHCO 3 /L, respectively, can be calculated for the protection of aquatic life. The final derivation and implementation of such criteria is, of course, left to the discretion of the concerned management agencies. A combination of in situ experiments, static-renewal experiments performed simultaneously with in situ experiments, and static renewal experiments performed with site water in the laboratory, demonstrated that untreated coalbed natural gas (CBNG) product water from the Tongue and Powder River Basins reduces survival of fathead minnow and pallid sturgeon. More precisely, the survival of early-lifestage fathead minnow, especially those less than 6-days post hatch (dph), likely is reduced significantly in the field when concentrations of NaHCO 3 rise above 1,500 mg/L. However, age was not a factor for pallid sturgeon and they were sensitive to product water regardless of age. Treatment with the Higgins Loop™ technology and dilution of untreated water increased survival in the laboratory. Both of these situations reduced ammonia in addition to the concentrations of NaHCO 3 . These experiments addressed the acute toxicity of effluent waters being added to the main stem rivers, but did not address issues related to the volumes of water that may be added to the watershed. Mixing zones of the three outfalls studied ranged from approximately 800—1,200 m below the confluence and the areas within these mixing zones with acutely lethal concentrations of NaHCO 3 (as defined by the presence of concentrated dye) are limited. The areas with concentrations of NaHCO 3 more than the concentrations likely to cause significant mortality, and more than the calculated sample water-quality criteria in the Tongue and Powder River Basins appear to be limited to tributaries and parts of mixing zones with considerable additions of untreated effluent.

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