Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Annual Report”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
USGS2015

The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center and Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers annual report for 2014

Introduction The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) Climate Science Centers (CSCs) had another exciting year in 2014. The NCCWSC moved toward focusing their science funding on several high priority areas and, along with the CSCs, gained new agency partners; contributed to various workshops, meetings, publications, student activities, and Tribal/indigenous activities; increased outreach; and more.

Pacific Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands,↗
USGS2017

U.S. Geological Survey sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2017

The sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across a large portion of the Western United States, and the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) is one of the iconic species of this ecosystem. Greater sage-grouse populations occur in 11 States and are dependent on relatively large expanses of sagebrush-dominated habitat. Sage-grouse populations have been experiencing long-term declines owing to multiple stressors, including interactions among fire, exotic plant invasions, and human land uses, which have resulted in significant loss, fragmentation, and degradation of landscapes once dominated by sagebrush. In addition to the sage-grouse, over 350 species of plants and animals are dependent on the sagebrush ecosystem. Increasing knowledge about how these species and the sagebrush ecosystem respond to these stressors and to management actions can inform and improve strategies to maintain existing areas of intact sagebrush and restore degraded landscapes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a broad research program focused on providing the science needed to inform these strate-gies and to help land and resource managers at the Federal, State, Tribal, and local levels as they work towards sustainable sage-grouse populations and restored landscapes for the broad range of uses critical to stakeholders in the Western United States. USGS science has provided a foundation for major land and resource management decisions including those that precluded the need to list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act. The USGS is continuing to build on that foundation to inform science-based decisions to help support local economies and the continued conservation, management, and restoration of the sagebrush ecosystem. This report contains descriptions of USGS sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research projects that are ongoing or were active during 2017 and is organized into five thematic areas: Fire, Invasive Species, Restoration, Sagebrush and Sage-Grouse, and Climate and Weather.

Circular↗
USGS2018

U.S. Geological Survey sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2018

The sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across a large portion of the Western United States, and the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) is one of the iconic species of this ecosystem. Greater sage-grouse populations occur in 11 States and are dependent on relatively large expanses of sagebrush-dominated habitat. Sage-grouse populations have been experiencing long-term declines owing to multiple stressors, including interactions among fire, exotic plant invasions, and human land uses, which have resulted in significant loss, fragmentation, and degradation of landscapes once dominated by sagebrush. In addition to the sage-grouse, over 350 species of plants and animals are dependent on the sagebrush ecosystem. Increasing knowledge about how these species and the sagebrush ecosystem respond to these stressors and to management actions can inform and improve strategies to maintain existing areas of intact sagebrush and restore degraded landscapes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a broad research program focused on providing the science needed to inform these strategies and to help land and resource managers at the Federal, State, Tribal, and local levels as they work towards sustainable sage-grouse populations and restored landscapes for the broad range of uses critical to stakeholders in the Western United States. USGS science has provided a foundation for major land and resource management decisions including those that precluded the need to list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act. The USGS is continuing to build on that foundation to inform science-based decisions to help support local economies and the continued conservation, management, and restoration of the sagebrush ecosystem. This report contains descriptions of USGS sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research projects that are ongoing or were active during 2018 and is organized into five thematic areas: Fire, Invasive Species, Restoration, Sagebrush, Sage-Grouse, and Other Sagebrush-Associated Species; and Climate and Weather.

Circular↗
USGS2018

U.S. Geological Survey energy and wildlife research annual report for 2018

USGS scientists provide scientific information and options that land and resource managers and private industries can use to make decisions regarding the development of energy resources while protecting the health of ecosystems. Studies focus on delivering information to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the impacts of energy infrastructure on fish and wildlife. USGS scientists are currently developing mapping tools and models that identify areas of biological strengths and weaknesses or high- and low-quality habitat and can identify opportunities for conservation—areas of high-quality habitat where energy-generating potential is low—and areas of potential risk—areas of high-quality habitat where energy-generating potential is high. These tools can assist resource managers and the industry concerning siting of energy development and selection of off-site mitigation areas. Scientific efforts, such as these, further the understanding of impacts related to energy development and create workable solutions. The three goals guiding USGS activities related to the interactions between wildlife and energy development are to understand risks by identifying when, where, and how fish and wildlife share space with energy facilities, measure direct and indirect impacts to species, and inform feasible and cost-effective solutions to minimize impacts through technological fixes, management, and mitigation.

Circular↗
USGS2019

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2017 annual report

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) monitors volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone magmatic system, conducts research into magmatic processes occurring beneath Yellowstone Caldera, and issues timely warnings and guidance related to potential future geologic hazards. This report summarizes the activities and findings of YVO during the year 2017, focusing on the Yellowstone magmatic system. The most noteworthy event of the year was the Maple Creek earthquake swarm of June–September, about 15 kilometers north-northwest of West Yellowstone, Montana. Over 2,400 earthquakes were located, including a felt magnitude 4.4 earthquake on June 15. Deformation was mostly consistent throughout the year, with uplift of the Norris Geyser Basin area and subsidence of the caldera, both at rates of a few centimeters per year. The only significant interruption in this pattern was an ~2-week period of subsidence at Norris Geyser Basin in early December, after which deformation returned to uplift. Field work in 2017, conducted under research permits granted by the National Park Service, included routine maintenance visits to seismic and geodetic stations as well as deployment of a semipermanent Global Positioning System network during the summer months, installation of Multi-GAS and eddy covariance systems for tracking gas emissions at the Solfatara Plateau thermal area, deployment of a nodal seismic array in Upper Geyser Basin, and collection of gas and water samples from Boundary Creek on the western side of Yellowstone National Park.

Wyoming↗
USGS2019

U.S. Geological Survey energy and wildlife research annual report for 2019

Access to affordable and reliable energy remains a critical need for people and the economy. To satisfy society’s demand for energy, the United States is expanding access to vast natural resources to produce electricity as well as petroleum and natural gas products. Development of our Nation’s energy resources, however, often conflicts directly with the equally vast fish and wildlife resources, which contribute billions of dollars to the economy through harvest, recreation, and services to humans and agriculture. The effects of energy development on living resources include fragmentation of populations, degradation or loss of habitat, and mortality of birds, bats, fish, and other wildlife interacting with energy generation facilities. Thus, an expanding energy infrastructure results in new requirements for land and ocean conversion for project siting and operational decisions to minimize risk to fish and wildlife resources. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists partner with more than 150 Federal, State, and local government agencies; Tribal nations; academic institutions; and nongovernmental organizations to deliver timely and relevant information on pressing resource management issues. This report summarizes ongoing USGS research projects and publications related to the impacts of energy development on fish and wildlife resources, tools to assess those impacts, and solutions to avoid or minimize risk. This information helps decision makers balance development with stewardship of the Nation’s fish and wildlife heritage.

Circular↗
USGS2021

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2019 annual report

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) monitors volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone magmatic system, conducts research into magmatic processes occurring beneath Yellowstone Caldera, and issues timely warnings and guidance related to potential future geologic hazards. This report summarizes the activities and findings of YVO during the year 2019, focusing on the Yellowstone volcanic system. Highlights of YVO research and related activities during 2019 included deploying a portable seismic array near Steamboat Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin that recorded signals from seven major water eruptions; deploying a semipermanent Global Positioning System array; surveying soil carbon dioxide flux and temperature and operating an eddy covariance system to make continuous measurements; collecting and analyzing water samples from Shoshone Geyser Basin, the outlets of Shoshone and Lewis Lakes, Cinder Pool in Norris Geyser Basin, and several locations along Obsidian Creek; exploring and documenting a new thermal area near Tern Lake that was discovered in 2018; measuring specific conductance along major rivers to determine the chloride flux and total heat output of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system; conducting an inventory of hydrothermal features in Norris Geyser Basin and Upper Geyser Basin as part of a park-wide project that began in 2018; and sampling of tree rings and silica sinter deposits in the Upper Geyser Basin to better understand hydrothermal activity over time. Continuing the pattern that started in 2018, Steamboat Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, erupted 48 times in 2019—a new record for a calendar year! Overall, however, noteworthy geyser activity in Yellowstone National Park was much reduced relative to the previous year. Thermal features on Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin had returned to their normal activity styles after Ear Spring’s September 2018 eruption and did not show any significant changes in 2019. Giant Geyser, also in the Upper Geyser Basin, did not experience any eruptions after March 2019. Seismicity was reduced relative to previous years, and deformation of Norris Geyser Basin, which started as uplift in 2015 and paused in late 2018, shifted to subsidence in late 2019. Overall subsidence of the caldera floor, ongoing since late 2015 or early 2016, continued at rates of a few centimeters (1–2 inches) per year.

Wyoming↗
USGS2021

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2018 annual report

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) monitors volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone magmatic system, conducts research into magmatic processes occurring beneath Yellowstone Caldera, and issues timely warnings and guidance related to potential future geologic hazards. This report summarizes the activities and findings of YVO during the year 2018, focusing on the Yellowstone magmatic system. The most noteworthy seismic activity of the year was a February swarm of hundreds of earthquakes in the same area as the 2017 Maple Creek earthquake swarm. The February 2018 activity is viewed as a continuation of the 2017 swarm. Ground deformation trends were mostly unchanged throughout the year, with uplift of the Norris Geyser Basin area and subsidence of the caldera. Field work in 2018, conducted under research permits granted by the National Park Service, included routine maintenance visits to seismic and geodetic stations as well as deployment of a semipermanent Global Positioning System network during the summer months; installation of an eddy covariance system for tracking carbon dioxide emissions and heat flux near Norris Geyser Basin; deployment of nodal seismic arrays on Geyser Hill, near Steamboat Geyser, and around Yellowstone Lake; and collection of water and gas samples from the Bechler River area in the southwest part of Yellowstone National Park. In addition, examination of satellite thermal imagery resulted in the discovery of a new thermal area on the east side of the Sour Creek resurgent dome, near west Tern Lake. This thermal area appears to have started forming in the early 2000s; before then it was an area of healthy forest. The year might best be remembered, however, for some extraordinary geyser and hot spring activity, specifically at Steamboat Geyser and Ear Spring.

Wyoming↗
USGS2021

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2020 annual report

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) monitors volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone magmatic system, conducts research into magmatic processes occurring beneath Yellowstone Caldera, and issues timely warnings and guidance related to potential future geologic hazards. This report summarizes the activities and findings of YVO during the year 2020, focusing on the Yellowstone volcanic system. Highlights of YVO research and related activities during 2020 include an active-source seismic experiment to image the top of Yellowstone’s magma reservoir; semipermanent Global Positioning System array deployment, including a new site near Mary Mountain; studies of hydrothermal activity in the southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park; numerous geological studies, including characterization of hydrothermal explosion craters, updating existing maps, and refining the ages of Yellowstone volcanic units; investigation of a dormant period at Old Faithful Geyser that may be related to regional drought 800–650 years ago, and development of a publicly available online map interface. Steamboat Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, continued the pattern of frequent eruptions that began in 2018 with 48 water eruptions in 2020, matching the record for a calendar year that was set in 2019. Giantess Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin, erupted for the first time in 6 years in August 2020 and experienced a second eruption in September. Patterns of both seismicity and deformation in 2020 were similar to those in 2019. Deformation patterns during 2020 showed trends that were similar to previous years. Overall subsidence of the caldera floor, ongoing since late 2015 or early 2016, continued at rates of a few centimeters (1–2 inches) per year, and minor subsidence of Norris Geyser Basin that began in 2018 slowed during 2020 and stopped by the end of the year. Throughout 2020, the aviation color code for Yellowstone Caldera remained at “green” and the volcano alert level remained at “normal.”

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2022

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) monitors volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone magmatic system, carries out research into magmatic processes occurring beneath Yellowstone Caldera, and issues timely warnings and guidance related to potential future geologic hazards. This report summarizes the activities and findings of YVO during the year 2021, focusing on the Yellowstone volcanic system. Highlights of YVO research and related activities during 2021 include deployments of seismometers in Norris Geyser Basin and Upper Geyser Basin to investigate geyser plumbing systems, semipermanent Global Positioning System array deployment from May to October, geological studies of post-glacial hydrothermal activity, refining the ages of Yellowstone volcanic units and updating existing maps of geologic deposits, installation of a new continuous gas monitoring station near Mud Volcano, sampling of thermal waters around Yellowstone National Park to monitor water chemistry over space and time, and assessment of thermal output based on satellite imagery and chloride flux in rivers. Steamboat Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, continued the pattern of frequent eruptions that began in 2018 with 20 water eruptions in 2021—a significant decrease from the 48 eruptions that occurred in both 2019 and 2020. Total seismicity—2,773 located earthquakes—was elevated compared to the 1,722 earthquakes located in 2020, but not significantly outside the historical average of about 1,500–2,500 earthquakes per year. Overall subsidence of the caldera floor, ongoing since late 2015 or early 2016, continued at rates of a few centimeters (1–2 inches) per year, whereas deformation in the Norris Geyser Basin area was below detection levels. Satellite deformation measurements indicate the possibility of slight uplift amounting to about 1 centimeter (less than 1 inch) along the north caldera rim, south of Norris Geyser Basin. The deformation is similar to that which occurred in the late 1990s. Throughout 2021, the aviation color code for Yellowstone Caldera remained at “green” and the volcano alert level remained at “normal.”

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗