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USGS2013

Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Kunduz mineral district in Afghanistan: Chapter S in Local-area-enhanced, high-resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of mineral districts in Afghanistan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the areas and (2) provide useful information to private investors who are considering investment in a particular area for development of its natural resources. The set of satellite-image mosaics provided in this Data Series (DS) is one such database. Although airborne digital color-infrared imagery was acquired for parts of Afghanistan in 2006, the image data have radiometric variations that preclude their use in creating a consistent image mosaic for geologic analysis. Consequently, image mosaics were created using ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite; renamed Daichi) satellite images, whose radiometry has been well determined (Saunier, 2007a,b). This part of the DS consists of the locally enhanced ALOS image mosaics for the Kunduz mineral district, which has celestite deposits. ALOS was launched on January 24, 2006, and provides multispectral images from the AVNIR (Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer) sensor in blue (420–500 nanometer, nm), green (520–600 nm), red (610–690 nm), and near-infrared (760–890 nm) wavelength bands with an 8-bit dynamic range and a 10-meter (m) ground resolution. The satellite also provides a panchromatic band image from the PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping) sensor (520–770 nm) with the same dynamic range but a 2.5-m ground resolution. The image products in this DS incorporate copyrighted data provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (©JAXA,2007,2008,2009), but the image processing has altered the original pixel structure and all image values of the JAXA ALOS data, such that original image values cannot be recreated from this DS. As such, the DS products match JAXA criteria for value added products, which are not copyrighted, according to the ALOS end-user license agreement. The selection criteria for the satellite imagery used in our mosaics were images having (1) the highest solar-elevation angles (near summer solstice) and (2) the least cloud, cloud-shadow, and snow cover. The multispectral and panchromatic data were orthorectified with ALOS satellite ephemeris data, a process which is not as accurate as orthorectification using digital elevation models (DEMs); however, the ALOS processing center did not have a precise DEM. As a result, the multispectral and panchromatic image pairs were generally not well registered to the surface and not coregistered well enough to perform resolution enhancement on the multispectral data. For this particular area, PRISM image orthorectification was performed by the Alaska Satellite Facility, applying its photogrammetric software to PRISM stereo images with vertical control points obtained from the digital elevation database produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (Farr and others, 2007) and horizontal adjustments based on a controlled Landsat image base (Davis, 2006). The 10-m AVNIR multispectral imagery was then coregistered to the orthorectified PRISM images and individual multispectral and panchromatic images were mosaicked into single images of the entire area of interest. The image coregistration was facilitated using an automated control-point algorithm developed by the USGS that allows image coregistration to within one picture element. Before rectification, the multispectral and panchromatic images were converted to radiance values and then to relative-reflectance values using the methods described in Davis (2006). Mosaicking the multispectral or panchromatic images started with the image with the highest sun-elevation angle and the least atmospheric scattering, which was treated as the standard image. The band-reflectance values of all other multispectral or panchromatic images within the area were sequentially adjusted to that of the standard image by determining band-reflectance correspondence between overlapping images using linear least-squares analysis. The resolution of the multispectral image mosaic was then increased to that of the panchromatic image mosaic using the SPARKLE logic, which is described in Davis (2006). Each of the four-band images within the resolution-enhanced image mosaic was individually subjected to a local-area histogram stretch algorithm (described in Davis, 2007), which stretches each band’s picture element based on the digital values of all picture elements within a 500-m radius. The final databases, which are provided in this DS, are three-band, color-composite images of the local-area-enhanced, natural-color data (the blue, green, and red wavelength bands) and color-infrared data (the green, red, and near-infrared wavelength bands). All image data were initially projected and maintained in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map projection using the target area’s local zone (42 for Kunduz) and the WGS84 datum. The final image mosaics were subdivided into five overlapping tiles or quadrants because of the large size of the target area. The five image tiles (or quadrants) for the Kunduz area are provided as embedded geotiff images, which can be read and used by most geographic information system (GIS) and image-processing software. The tiff world files (tfw) are provided, even though they are generally not needed for most software to read an embedded geotiff image.

Kunduz Mineral District↗
USGS2013

Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Herat mineral district in Afghanistan: Chapter T in Local-area-enhanced, high-resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of mineral districts in Afghanistan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the areas and (2) provide useful information to private investors who are considering investment in a particular area for development of its natural resources. The set of satellite-image mosaics provided in this Data Series (DS) is one such database. Although airborne digital color-infrared imagery was acquired for parts of Afghanistan in 2006, the image data have radiometric variations that preclude their use in creating a consistent image mosaic for geologic analysis. Consequently, image mosaics were created using ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite; renamed Daichi) satellite images, whose radiometry has been well determined (Saunier, 2007a,b). This part of the DS consists of the locally enhanced ALOS image mosaics for the Herat mineral district, which has barium and limestone deposits. ALOS was launched on January 24, 2006, and provides multispectral images from the AVNIR (Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer) sensor in blue (420–500 nanometer, nm), green (520–600 nm), red (610–690 nm), and near-infrared (760–890 nm) wavelength bands with an 8-bit dynamic range and a 10-meter (m) ground resolution. The satellite also provides a panchromatic band image from the PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping) sensor (520–770 nm) with the same dynamic range but a 2.5-m ground resolution. The image products in this DS incorporate copyrighted data provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (©JAXA,2007,2008,2009), but the image processing has altered the original pixel structure and all image values of the JAXA ALOS data, such that original image values cannot be recreated from this DS. As such, the DS products match JAXA criteria for value added products, which are not copyrighted, according to the ALOS end-user license agreement. The selection criteria for the satellite imagery used in our mosaics were images having (1) the highest solar-elevation angles (near summer solstice) and (2) the least cloud, cloud-shadow, and snow cover. The multispectral and panchromatic data were orthorectified with ALOS satellite ephemeris data, a process which is not as accurate as orthorectification using digital elevation models (DEMs); however, the ALOS processing center did not have a precise DEM. As a result, the multispectral and panchromatic image pairs were generally not well registered to the surface and not coregistered well enough to perform resolution enhancement on the multispectral data. For this particular area, PRISM image orthorectification was performed by the Alaska Satellite Facility, applying its photogrammetric software to PRISM stereo images with vertical control points obtained from the digital elevation database produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (Farr and others, 2007) and horizontal adjustments based on a controlled Landsat image base (Davis, 2006). The 10-m AVNIR multispectral imagery was then coregistered to the orthorectified PRISM images and individual multispectral and panchromatic images were mosaicked into single images of the entire area of interest. The image coregistration was facilitated using an automated control-point algorithm developed by the USGS that allows image coregistration to within one picture element. Before rectification, the multispectral and panchromatic images were converted to radiance values and then to relative-reflectance values using the methods described in Davis (2006). Mosaicking the multispectral or panchromatic images started with the image with the highest sun-elevation angle and the least atmospheric scattering, which was treated as the standard image. The band-reflectance values of all other multispectral or panchromatic images within the area were sequentially adjusted to that of the standard image by determining band-reflectance correspondence between overlapping images using linear least-squares analysis. The resolution of the multispectral image mosaic was then increased to that of the panchromatic image mosaic using the SPARKLE logic, which is described in Davis (2006). Each of the four-band images within the resolution-enhanced image mosaic was individually subjected to a local-area histogram stretch algorithm (described in Davis, 2007), which stretches each band's picture element based on the digital values of all picture elements within a 1,000-m radius. The final databases, which are provided in this DS, are three-band, color-composite images of the local-area-enhanced, natural-color data (the blue, green, and red wavelength bands) and color-infrared data (the green, red, and near-infrared wavelength bands). All image data were initially projected and maintained in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map projection using the target area's local zone (41 for Herat) and the WGS84 datum. The final image mosaics were subdivided into eight overlapping tiles or quadrants because of the large size of the target area. The eight image tiles (or quadrants) for the Herat area are provided as embedded geotiff images, which can be read and used by most geographic information system (GIS) and image-processing software. The tiff world files (tfw) are provided, even though they are generally not needed for most software to read an embedded geotiff image. Within the Herat study area, one subarea was designated for detailed field investigations (that is, the Barium-Limestone subarea); this subarea was extracted from the area's image mosaic and is provided as separate embedded geotiff images.

Herat↗
USGS2013

Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Ghunday-Achin mineral district in Afghanistan, in Davis, P.A, compiler, Local-area-enhanced, high-resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of mineral districts in Afghanistan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the areas and (2) provide useful information to private investors who are considering investment in a particular area for development of its natural resources. The set of satellite-image mosaics provided in this Data Series (DS) is one such database. Although airborne digital color-infrared imagery was acquired for parts of Afghanistan in 2006, the image data have radiometric variations that preclude their use in creating a consistent image mosaic for geologic analysis. Consequently, image mosaics were created using ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite; renamed Daichi) satellite images, whose radiometry has been well determined (Saunier, 2007a,b). This part of the DS consists of the locally enhanced ALOS image mosaics for the Ghunday-Achin mineral district, which has magnesite and talc deposits. ALOS was launched on January 24, 2006, and provides multispectral images from the AVNIR (Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer) sensor in blue (420–500 nanometer, nm), green (520–600 nm), red (610–690 nm), and near-infrared (760–890 nm) wavelength bands with an 8-bit dynamic range and a 10-meter (m) ground resolution. The satellite also provides a panchromatic band image from the PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping) sensor (520–770 nm) with the same dynamic range but a 2.5-m ground resolution. The image products in this DS incorporate copyrighted data provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (©JAXA,2008,2009), but the image processing has altered the original pixel structure and all image values of the JAXA ALOS data, such that original image values cannot be recreated from this DS. As such, the DS products match JAXA criteria for value added products, which are not copyrighted, according to the ALOS end-user license agreement. The selection criteria for the satellite imagery used in our mosaics were images having (1) the highest solar-elevation angles (near summer solstice) and (2) the least cloud, cloud-shadow, and snow cover. The multispectral and panchromatic data were orthorectified with ALOS satellite ephemeris data, a process which is not as accurate as orthorectification using digital elevation models (DEMs); however, the ALOS processing center did not have a precise DEM. As a result, the multispectral and panchromatic image pairs were generally not well registered to the surface and not coregistered well enough to perform resolution enhancement on the multispectral data. For this particular area, PRISM image orthorectification was performed by the Alaska Satellite Facility, applying its photogrammetric software to PRISM stereo images with vertical control points obtained from the digital elevation database produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (Farr and others, 2007) and horizontal adjustments based on a controlled Landsat image base (Davis, 2006). The 10-m AVNIR multispectral imagery was then coregistered to the orthorectified PRISM images and individual multispectral and panchromatic images were mosaicked into single images of the entire area of interest. The image coregistration was facilitated using an automated control-point algorithm developed by the USGS that allows image coregistration to within one picture element. Before rectification, the multispectral and panchromatic images were converted to radiance values and then to relative-reflectance values using the methods described in Davis (2006). Mosaicking the multispectral or panchromatic images started with the image with the highest sun-elevation angle and the least atmospheric scattering, which was treated as the standard image. The band-reflectance values of all other multispectral or panchromatic images within the area were sequentially adjusted to that of the standard image by determining band-reflectance correspondence between overlapping images using linear least-squares analysis. The resolution of the multispectral image mosaic was then increased to that of the panchromatic image mosaic using the SPARKLE logic, which is described in Davis (2006). Each of the four-band images within the resolution-enhanced image mosaic was individually subjected to a local-area histogram stretch algorithm (described in Davis, 2007), which stretches each band’s picture element based on the digital values of all picture elements within a 500-m radius. The final databases, which are provided in this DS, are three-band, color-composite images of the local-area-enhanced, natural-color data (the blue, green, and red wavelength bands) and color-infrared data (the green, red, and near-infrared wavelength bands). All image data were initially projected and maintained in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map projection using the target area’s local zone (42 for Ghunday-Achin) and the WGS84 datum. The final image mosaics were subdivided into six overlapping tiles or quadrants because of the large size of the target area. The six image tiles (or quadrants) for the Ghunday-Achin area are provided as embedded geotiff images, which can be read and used by most geographic information system (GIS) and image-processing software. The tiff world files (tfw) are provided, even though they are generally not needed for most software to read an embedded geotiff image. Within the Ghunday-Achin study area, two subareas were designated for detailed field investigations (that is, the Achin-Magnesite and Ghunday-Mamahel subareas); these subareas were extracted from the area’s image mosaic and are provided as separate embedded geotiff images.

Data Series↗
USGS2013

Local-area-enhanced, 2.5-meter resolution natural-color and color-infrared satellite-image mosaics of the Nuristan mineral district in Afghanistan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, prepared databases for mineral-resource target areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of the databases is to (1) provide useful data to ground-survey crews for use in performing detailed assessments of the areas and (2) provide useful information to private investors who are considering investment in a particular area for development of its natural resources. The set of satellite-image mosaics provided in this Data Series (DS) is one such database. Although airborne digital color-infrared imagery was acquired for parts of Afghanistan in 2006, the image data have radiometric variations that preclude their use in creating a consistent image mosaic for geologic analysis. Consequently, image mosaics were created using ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite; renamed Daichi) satellite images, whose radiometry has been well determined (Saunier, 2007a,b). This part of the DS consists of the locally enhanced ALOS image mosaics for the Nuristan mineral district, which has gem, lithium, and cesium deposits. ALOS was launched on January 24, 2006, and provides multispectral images from the AVNIR (Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer) sensor in blue (420–500 nanometer, nm), green (520–600 nm), red (610–690 nm), and near-infrared (760–890 nm) wavelength bands with an 8-bit dynamic range and a 10-meter (m) ground resolution. The satellite also provides a panchromatic band image from the PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping) sensor (520–770 nm) with the same dynamic range but a 2.5-m ground resolution. The image products in this DS incorporate copyrighted data provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (©JAXA,2008,2009), but the image processing has altered the original pixel structure and all image values of the JAXA ALOS data, such that original image values cannot be recreated from this DS. As such, the DS products match JAXA criteria for value added products, which are not copyrighted, according to the ALOS end-user license agreement. The selection criteria for the satellite imagery used in our mosaics were images having (1) the highest solar-elevation angles (near summer solstice) and (2) the least cloud, cloud-shadow, and snow cover. The multispectral and panchromatic data were orthorectified with ALOS satellite ephemeris data, a process which is not as accurate as orthorectification using digital elevation models (DEMs); however, the ALOS processing center did not have a precise DEM. As a result, the multispectral and panchromatic image pairs were generally not well registered to the surface and not coregistered well enough to perform resolution enhancement on the multispectral data. For this particular area, PRISM image orthorectification was performed by the Alaska Satellite Facility, applying its photogrammetric software to PRISM stereo images with vertical control points obtained from the digital elevation database produced by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (Farr and others, 2007) and horizontal adjustments based on a controlled Landsat image base (Davis, 2006). The 10-m AVNIR multispectral imagery was then coregistered to the orthorectified PRISM images and individual multispectral and panchromatic images were mosaicked into single images of the entire area of interest. The image coregistration was facilitated using an automated control-point algorithm developed by the USGS that allows image coregistration to within one picture element. Before rectification, the multispectral and panchromatic images were converted to radiance values and then to relative-reflectance values using the methods described in Davis (2006). Mosaicking the multispectral or panchromatic images started with the image with the highest sun-elevation angle and the least atmospheric scattering, which was treated as the standard image. The band-reflectance values of all other multispectral or panchromatic images within the area were sequentially adjusted to that of the standard image by determining band-reflectance correspondence between overlapping images using linear least-squares analysis. All available panchromatic images for this area had significant cloud and snow cover that precluded their use for resolution enhancement of the multispectral image data. Each of the four-band images within the 10-m image mosaic was individually subjected to a local-area histogram stretch algorithm (described in Davis, 2007), which stretches each band’s picture element based on the digital values of all picture elements within a 500-m radius. The final databases, which are provided in this DS, are three-band, color-composite images of the local-area-enhanced, natural-color data (the blue, green, and red wavelength bands) and color-infrared data (the green, red, and near-infrared wavelength bands). All image data were initially projected and maintained in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map projection using the target area’s local zone (42 for Nuristan) and the WGS84 datum. The final image mosaics for the Nuristan area are provided as embedded geotiff images, which can be read and used by most geographic information system (GIS) and image-processing software. The tiff world files (tfw) are provided, even though they are generally not needed for most software to read an embedded geotiff image.

Data Series↗
USGS2001

2000 Multibeam sonar survey of Crater Lake, Oregon - Data, GIS, images, and movies

In the summer of 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project in cooperation with the National Park Service, and the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire used a state-of-the-art multibeam sonar system to collect high-resolution bathymetry and calibrated, co-registered acoustic backscatter to support both biological and geological research in the Crater Lake area. This interactive CD-ROM contains the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data, along with an ESRI ArcExplorer project (and software), images, and movies.

Oregon↗
USGS1993

National geophysical data grids; gamma-ray, gravity, magnetic, and topographic data for the conterminous United States

Overview and installation Note: the information on this site was copied from an optical medium publication. Although all data and software published on this CD-ROM have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and related materials and/or the functioning of the software. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of this data, software, or related materials. This CD-ROM has been produced in accordance with the ISO 9660 CD- ROM Standard and is therefore capable of being read on any computing platform that has appropriate CD-ROM driver software installed. However, the access software used on the disc currently executes only under DOS on IBM or compatible personal computers. OVERVIEW This CD-ROM contains gridded geophysical data, images generated from the data, software for displaying and analyzing the images, software for processing potential-field (gravity and magnetic) geophysical data, and documentation files that describe the data and software. The gridded data include gamma-ray data (uranium, thorium, and potassium channels), Bouguer gravity data, isostatic residual gravity data, aeromagnetic anomalies, topography, and topography with bathymetry. These data are available in ASCII format under the ASCII directory. This publication contains only data from the conterminous United States. The images on this CD-ROM include graytone and color images of each gridded data set, color shaded-relief images of the potential-field and topographic data, color composite images of the gamma-ray data, and color composite images of potential-field data painted on shaded and edge-enhanced topography. These images are 8-bit data and can be imported for viewing by many different software packages, but the color display tables are only designed for DOS computers and displays. The display and analysis software includes the ability to register images with geographic and geologic overlays, generate three-color composite images for display on a super VGA video system, generate perspective view images, and analyze images in five dimensions. The potential-field software on this CD-ROM can be used to extract subsets of the geophysical data, process them, and display them as images or contour maps. The software can also be used to generate gridded data from point data, generate profiles from grids, and generate geological models from gridded or profile data. This software is written in FORTRAN and, with minor modifications, can be adapted to a variety of computer systems. The documentation files reside under the directory DOSMENU\DOCFILES and are named with a suffix of DOC. This directory also contains a WordPerfect 5.1 file (CDROM.WPS) that contains all of the documentation. This CD-ROM is released in the Digital Data Series of CD-ROM's produced by the U.S. Geological Survey. This new publication series is intended to improve distribution of important earth science information to the public. The disc contains the results of work performed by the U.S. Geological Survey. INSTALLATION If you have not already done so, run the INSTALL program by making the CD-ROM drive the active drive and typing INSTALL followed by pressing the key. Follow the instructions printed on the screen. When the INSTALL program is finished, it will invoke the national geophysics (NATGP) menu program, and you will see a menu of your options. If you have previously run the INSTALL program and you have added C:\ to the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, run the menu program directly by typing NATGP followed by pressing the key. If C:\ is not in your search path, you will have to type C:\NATGP followed by pressing the key. A menu of your options will appear on the screen.

Data Series↗
USGS1997

Trends in acetochlor concentrations in surface waters of the White River Basin, Indiana, 1994–96

Corn herbicides are used extensively in the White River Basin and account for about 70 percent of the total agricultural pesticide use in the basin. Acetochlor, a corn herbicide registered for use in 1994, is expected to reduce the total amount of corn herbicides used because of its broad-spectrum weed control and low use rates. Acetochlor is considered to be a probable human carcinogen, and its continued registration is contingent on concentrations in surface and ground water not exceeding target levels. During 1994, acetochlor was detected in only trace concentrations near the mouth of the White River and not at all in a small stream (93-square-mile drainage) in the northern part of the basin. By 1996, peak concentrations were about 2 and 3 micrograms per liter near the mouth of the White River and in the small stream, respectively. The estimated annual average concentration of acetochlor near the mouth of the White River in 1996 was 0.15 micrograms per liter, well below the 2 micrograms per liter criterion for surface-water supplied community-water systems.

Indiana↗
USGS1996

Few volatile organic compounds detected in rivers and ground water in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin

VOC’s are carbon-containing chemicals that readily evaporate at normal air temperature and pressure. They are contained in many commercial products such as gasoline, paints, adhesives, solvents, wood preservatives, dry-cleaning agents, pesticides, cosmetics, correction fluid, and refrigerants. Approximately 15 million pounds of VOC’s were released to the atmosphere in the focused study area (fig. 1) in 1992 by facilities registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Millions of additional pounds of VOC’s are emitted to the atmosphere and to land and water by smaller unregistered users of these compounds in the focused study area.

Minnesota, Wisconsin↗
USGS1995

Occurrence of the gasoline additive MTBE in shallow ground water in urban and agricultural areas

Methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) is a volatile organic compound (VOC) derived from natural gas that is added to gasoline either seasonally or year round in many parts of the United States to increase the octane level and to reduce carbon monoxide and ozone levels in the air. In 1993, production of MTBE ranked second among all organic chemicals manufactured in the United States. Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tentatively classifies MTBE as a possible human carcinogen. Health complaints related to MTBE in the air were first reported in Fairbanks, Alaska in November 1992 when about 200 residents reported problems such as headaches, dizziness, eye irritation, burning of the nose and throat, disorientation, and nausea. Similar health complaints have been registered in Anchorage, Alaska; Missoula, Montana; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and New Jersey. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, concentrations of 60 VOCs were measured in samples from 211 shallow wells in 8 urban areas and 524 shallow wells in 20 agricultural areas. Chloroform and MTBE were the two most frequently detected VOCs. MTBE was detected in 27 percent of the urban wells and 1.3 percent of the agricultural wells. Concentrations ranged from less than the detection level of 0.2 μg/L (micrograms per liter) to as high as 23,000 μg/L. When detected, the median concentration of MTBE was 0.6 μg/L. MTBE was most frequently detected in shallow ground water in Denver, Colorado and urban areas in New England. In Denver, 79 percent of the samples from shallow urban wells had detectable concentrations of MTBE and in New England, 37 percent of the samples from urban wells had detectable concentrations. Only 3 percent of the wells sampled in urban areas had concentrations of MTBE that exceeded 20 μg/L, which is the estimated lower limit of the EPA draft drinking water health advisory level. Contaminant concentrations below the health advisory are not expected to cause any adverse effects over a lifetime of exposure. MTBE is on the EPA’s Drinking Water Priority List, which means it is a possible candidate for future regulation.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2004

Information Resources Management

The Information Resources Management (IRM) Team, in the Geographic Information Office (GIO) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), manages compliance with information mandates defined by Public Law, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (specifically Circular A- 130), the National Archives and Records Administration, the Department of the Interior (DOl), and other official sources. The team uses a variety of mechanisms to fulfill USGS IRM requirements from coordination through USGS-wide teams, to topical training sessions, to one-on-one communications with individual USGS programs. In addition, the team serves as a bureau contact for Federal Register notices and as the group contact for USGS Federal Advisory Committees. Currently, an IRM employee-awareness training course is being developed, in coordination with the DOl, that will provide an overview of IRM requirements. Below is a list of some of the Federal mandates for which the IRM team ensures USGS compliance.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2014

The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and tsunamis: A modern perspective and enduring legacies

The magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake that struck south-central Alaska at 5:36 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 1964, is the largest recorded earthquake in U.S. history and the second-largest earthquake recorded with modern instruments. The earthquake was felt throughout most of mainland Alaska, as far west as Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands some 480 miles away, and at Seattle, Washington, more than 1,200 miles to the southeast of the fault rupture, where the Space Needle swayed perceptibly. The earthquake caused rivers, lakes, and other waterways to slosh as far away as the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Water-level recorders in 47 states—the entire Nation except for Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island— registered the earthquake. It was so large that it caused the entire Earth to ring like a bell: vibrations that were among the first of their kind ever recorded by modern instruments. The Great Alaska Earthquake spawned thousands of lesser aftershocks and hundreds of damaging landslides, submarine slumps, and other ground failures. Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, located west of the fault rupture, sustained heavy property damage. Tsunamis produced by the earthquake resulted in deaths and damage as far away as Oregon and California. Altogether the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis caused 129 fatalities and an estimated $2.3 billion in property losses (in 2013 dollars). Most of the population of Alaska and its major transportation routes, ports, and infrastructure lie near the eastern segment of the Aleutian Trench that ruptured in the 1964 earthquake. Although the Great Alaska Earthquake was tragic because of the loss of life and property, it provided a wealth of data about subductionzone earthquakes and the hazards they pose. The leap in scientific understanding that followed the 1964 earthquake has led to major breakthroughs in earth science research worldwide over the past half century. This fact sheet commemorates Great Alaska Earthquake and examines the advances in knowledge and technology that have helped to improve earthquake preparation and response both in Alaska and around the world.

Alaska↗
USGS2014

Birds of a feather

Greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasiunus , hereafter sage-grouse) are broadly distributed, occupy a diversity of sagebrush habitats, and face multiple threats. As a result of these threats, sage-grouse populations are declining and are now absent from almost one-half of their estimated range prior to Euro-American settlement. The risks to sage-grouse are significant enough to merit candidate status for this species for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (Federal Register Notice, March 5, 2010). According to this decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010, population and habitat fragmentation coupled with lack of regulatory mechanisms warranted listing, although implementation of actions has been precluded by other priorities. Candidate status for listing under the Endangered Species Act and possible regulatory action in the near future provide strong motivation to better understand the dynamics of sage-grouse populations and their habitat requirements. The general approach currently taken by managers focuses on maintaining or enhancing sage-grouse populations across their distribution in regions containing the highest densities of breeding birds and their important seasonal habitats, also known as priority areas for conservation (PACs). The rationale behind this approach is that it permits limited resources to be applied in regions that have the greatest potential to benefit the largest proportion of sage-grouse. Development and other forms of land use can then proceed under standard regulations in areas outside PACs. Implementation of this approach requires detailed information about habitat, connections among sage-grouse populations, and approaches to restore and maintain sagebrush. These are important topics of study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and its research partners.

California;Idaho;Nevada;Oregon;Utah;Washington↗
USGS2003

Geologic map of the Buckeystown quadrangle, Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland, and Loudoun County, Virginia

The Buckeystown quadrangle is underlain mostly by rocks of the western Piedmont province and a portion of the eastern Blue Ridge province. The western Piedmont province is underlain by Late Proterozoic(?) and Lower Cambrian(?) metasedimentary rocks of the Westminster terrane, Lower and Middle Cambrian metasedimentary rocks and Upper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician carbonate rocks of the Frederick Valley synclinorium, Upper Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Mesozoic Culpeper basin, and Early Jurassic dikes; Lower Cambrian metasedimentary rocks underlie the Blue Ridge province. Within the western Piedmont, Lower Cambrian(?) metasedimentary rocks of the Sugarloaf Mountain anticlinorium are interpreted to be exposed in a tectonic window (A.A. Drake, Jr., U.S. Geological Survey, oral commun., 1989; Horton and others, 1989; Rankin and others, 1989) through the complexly deformed allochthonous rocks of the Westminster terrane (Muller and others, 1989). The undated rocks of the Westminster terrane are interpreted to be rise-slope deep-water deposits of the Iapetus Ocean that were transported westward onto the Laurentian margin (ancestral North America) along the Martic thrust fault during the Ordovician Taconic orogeny (Horton and others, 1989). Continental margin strata, which underlie the Sugarloaf Mountain anticlinorium and continental margin-slope strata which underlie the Frederick Valley synclinorium, are here correlated with the Lower Cambrian Chilhowee Group and overlying carbonate rocks on the limbs of the Blue Ridge-South Mountain anticlinorium to the west. The relation of the Sugarloaf Mountain Quartzite (Jonas and Stose, 1938b) to surrounding rocks is controversial (Scotford, 1951; Stose and Stose, 1951; Thomas, 1952). The Martic thrust fault (Jonas, 1924, 1927; Knopf and Jonas, 1929) and the interpretation that the Sugarloaf Mountain anticlinorium (Scotford, 1951; Thomas, 1952) is a tectonic window through the Martic thrust sheet (A.A. Drake, Jr., U.S. Geological Survey, oral commun., 1989) further complicate the stratigraphic correlation of these rocks. Upper Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Culpeper basin consist of westward-dipping conglomerate, sandstone, and siltstone. These rocks, as well as intrusive Early Jurassic diabase dikes, accumulated during an early Mesozoic rifting event that resulted in the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Contractional faults of Paleozoic orogenesis and extensional faults related to Mesozoic rifting indicate a complex tectonic history for this region. Cenozoic deposits, which overlie the bedrock, include high- and low-level alluvial terraces, residual gravel, colluvium, and alluvium. Terrace deposits of the ancestral Potomac River and the Monocacy River are as much as 183 ft and 140 ft, respectively, above the present river levels. Isolated residual gravel deposits that form in place from the weathering of the Upper Cambrian Frederick Formation superficially resemble terrace deposits. Colluvium of quartzite boulders is concentrated in hillslope depressions on Sugarloaf Mountain, and fanlike aprons of colluvial quartz pebbles cover the Triassic rocks on the west side of the Culpeper basin. Alluvium was mapped along the Potomac and Monocacy Rivers and all their tributaries. Altitude ranges from 200 ft along the Potomac River to 1,282 ft on the crest of Sugarloaf Mountain. The map area includes the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, and the Monocacy Natural Resources Area. Sugarloaf Mountain is a registered natural landmark. Parts of the Buckeystown quadrangle were mapped by Jonas and Stose (1938a, scale 1:62,500), Scotford (1951, scale 1:12,500), Thomas (1952, scale 1:25,000), Cloos and Cook (1953, 1:62,500), Reinhardt (1974, scale 1:62,500), Froelich 1975, scale 1:62,500), and Lee (1979, scale 1:24,000). The map area is subdivided into five domains. Allochthonous rocks of the Westminster terrane are thrust onto rocks of the Frederick Valley synclinorium. Within the Westminster terrane of Muller and others (1989), the Sugarloaf Mountain Quartzite and Urbana Formation underlie the parautochthonous Sugarloaf Mountain anticlinorium. The Lower and Middle Cambrian Araby Formation and Upper Cambrian Frederick Formation crop out on the east limb of the Frederick Valley synclinorium. The Frederick Formation and Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician Grove Formation lie in the trough of the Frederick Valley synclinorium. Lower Cambrian Harpers, Antietam, and Tomstown Formations crop out on the east limb of the Blue Ridge-South Mountain anticlinorium in the extreme northwest corner of the map. The Blue Ridge-South Mountain anticlinorium is separated from the Frederick Valley synclinorium by Upper Triassic sedimentary rocks in the Culpeper basin half graben.

Maryland, Virginia↗
USGS2003

Geologic map of the Mount Trumbull 30' X 60' quadrangle, Mohave and Coconino Counties, northwestern Arizona

The geologic map of the Mount Trumbull 30' x 60' quadrangle is a cooperative product of the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management that provides geologic map coverage and regional geologic information for visitor services and resource management of Grand Canyon National Park, Lake Mead Recreational Area, and Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument, Arizona. This map is a compilation of previous and new geologic mapping that encompasses the Mount Trumbull 30' x 60' quadrangle of Arizona. This digital database, a compilation of previous and new geologic mapping, contains geologic data used to produce the 100,000-scale Geologic Map of the Mount Trumbull 30' x 60' Quadrangle, Mohave and Coconino Counties, Northwestern Arizona. The geologic features that were mapped as part of this project include: geologic contacts and faults, bedrock and surficial geologic units, structural data, fold axes, karst features, mines, and volcanic features. This map was produced using 1:24,000-scale 1976 infrared aerial photographs followed by extensive field checking. Volcanic rocks were mapped as separate units when identified on aerial photographs as mappable and distinctly separate units associated with one or more pyroclastic cones and flows. Many of the Quaternary alluvial deposits that have similar lithology but different geomorphic characteristics were mapped almost entirely by photogeologic methods. Stratigraphic position and amount of erosional degradation were used to determine relative ages of alluvial deposits having similar lithologies. Each map unit and structure was investigated in detail in the field to ensure accuracy of description. Punch-registered mylar sheets were scanned at the Flagstaff Field Center using an Optronics 5040 raster scanner at a resolution of 50 microns (508 dpi). The scans were output in .rle format, converted to .rlc, and then converted to ARC/INFO grids. A tic file was created in geographic coordinates and projected into the base map projection (Polyconic) using a central meridian of -113.500. The tic file was used to transform the grid into Universal Transverse Mercator projection. The linework was vectorized using gridline. Scanned lines were edited interactively in ArcEdit. Polygons were attributed in ArcEdit and all artifacts and scanning errors visible at 1:100,000 were removed. Point data were digitized onscreen. Due to the discovery of digital and geologic errors on the original files, the ARC/INFO coverages were converted to a personal geodatabase and corrected in ArcMap. The feature classes which define the geologic units, lines and polygons, are topologically related and maintained in the geodatabase by a set of validation rules. The internal database structure and feature attributes were then modified to match other geologic map databases being created for the Grand Canyon region. Faults were edited with the downthrown block, if known, on the 'right side' of the line. The 'right' and 'left' sides of a line are determined from 'starting' at the line's 'from node' and moving to the line's end or 'to node'.

Arizona↗
USGS2002

Digital soils survey map of the Patagonia Mountains, Arizona

The ‘Soil Survey of Santa Cruz and Parts of Cochise and Pima Counties, Arizona,' a product of the USDA’s Soil Conservation Service and the Forest Service in cooperation with the Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station, released in 1979, was created according to the site conditions in 1971, when soil scientists identified soils types on aerial photographs. The scale at which these maps were published is 1:20,000. These soil maps were automated for incorporation into the hydrologic modeling within a GIS. The aerial photos onto which the soils units were drawn had not been orthoganalized, and contained distortion. A total of 15 maps composed the study area. These maps were scanned into TIFF format using an 8-bit black and white drum scanner at 100 dpi. The images were imported into ERDAS IMAGINE and the white borders were removed through subset decollaring processes. Five CD-ROM’s containing Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quads (DOQQ’s) were used to register and rectify the scanned soils maps. Polygonal data was then attributed according to the datasets.

Arizona↗
USGS2004

Compilation of Data to Support Development of a Pesticide Management Plan by the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Charles Mix County, South Dakota

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working with the Yankton Sioux Tribe to develop a pesticide management plan to reduce potential for contamination of ground water that may result from the use of registered pesticides. The purpose of this study was to compile technical information to support development of a pesticide management plan by the Yankton Sioux Tribe for the area within the Yankton Sioux Reservation, Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Five pesticides (alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, and simazine) were selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the management plan approach because they had been identified as probable or possible human carcinogens and they often had been associated with ground-water contamination in many areas and at high concentrations. This report provides a compilation of data to support development of a pesticide management plan. Available data sets are summarized in the text of this report, and actual data sets are provided in one Compact Disk?Read-Only Memory that is included with the report. The compact disk contains data sets pertinent to the development of a pesticide management plan. Pesticide use for the study area is described using information from state and national databases. Within South Dakota, pesticides commonly are applied to corn and soybean crops, which are the primary row crops grown in the study area. Water-quality analyses for pesticides are summarized for several surface-water sites. Pesticide concentrations in most samples were found to be below minimum reporting levels. Topographic data are presented in the form of 30-meter digital elevation model grids and delineation of drainage basins. Geohydrologic data are provided for the surficial deposits and the bedrock units. A high-resolution (30-by-30 meters) land-cover and land-use database is provided and summarized in a tabular format. More than 91 percent of the study area is used for row crops, pasture, or hay, and almost 6 percent of the study area is covered by water or wetlands. Average monthly and yearly precipitation data are summarized in a tabular format. Irrigation information associated with permitted and licensed diversion points is provided. A composite of aerial photographs of Charles Mix County is provided. This report also describes and summarizes the data sets and files, and how the data are relevant to development of a pesticide management plan.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2004

Predicted seafloor facies of Central Santa Monica Bay, California

Summary -- Mapping surficial seafloor facies (sand, silt, muddy sand, rock, etc.) should be the first step in marine geological studies and is crucial when modeling sediment processes, pollution transport, deciphering tectonics, and defining benthic habitats. This report outlines an empirical technique that predicts the distribution of seafloor facies for a large area offshore Los Angeles, CA using high-resolution bathymetry and co-registered, calibrated backscatter from multibeam echosounders (MBES) correlated to ground-truth sediment samples. The technique uses a series of procedures that involve supervised classification and a hierarchical decision tree classification that are now available in advanced image-analysis software packages. Derivative variance images of both bathymetry and acoustic backscatter are calculated from the MBES data and then used in a hierarchical decision-tree framework to classify the MBES data into areas of rock, gravelly muddy sand, muddy sand, and mud. A quantitative accuracy assessment on the classification results is performed using ground-truth sediment samples. The predicted facies map is also ground-truthed using seafloor photographs and high-resolution sub-bottom seismic-reflection profiles. This Open-File Report contains the predicted seafloor facies map as a georeferenced TIFF image along with the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data used in the study as well as an explanation of the empirical classification process.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2004

Los Angeles and San Diego Margin High-Resolution Multibeam Bathymetry and Backscatter Data

Summary -- The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire and the University of New Brunswick mapped the nearshore regions off Los Angeles and San Diego, California using multibeam echosounders. Multibeam bathymetry and co-registered, corrected acoustic backscatter were collected in water depths ranging from about 3 to 900 m offshore Los Angeles and in water depths ranging from about 17 to 1230 m offshore San Diego. Continuous, 16-m spatial resolution, GIS ready format data of the entire Los Angeles Margin and San Diego Margin are available online as separate USGS Open-File Reports. For ongoing research, the USGS has processed sub-regions within these datasets at finer resolutions. The resolution of each sub-region was determined by the density of soundings within the region. This Open-File Report contains the finer resolution multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data that the USGS, Western Region, Coastal and Marine Geology Team has processed into GIS ready formats as of April 2004. The data are available in ArcInfo GRID and XYZ formats. See the Los Angeles or San Diego maps for the sub-region locations. These datasets in their present form were not originally intended for publication. The bathymetry and backscatter have data-collection and processing artifacts. These data are being made public to fulfill a Freedom of Information Act request. Care must be taken not to confuse artifacts with real seafloor morphology and acoustic backscatter.

Open-File Report↗