Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Journal of Basin Research”

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 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
USGS2008

Relative age of interior layered deposits in southwest Candor Chasma based on high-resolution structural mapping

High‐resolution topography generated from stereo HiRISE (High‐Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) imagery reveals the meter‐scale structure of interior layered deposits (ILD) in southwest Candor Chasma. This study seeks to determine the age of the local ILD relative to any normal faults that can be attributed to chasma formation. The study area is located near the contact of these ILD and the wall rock and is in an area where chasma‐forming normal faults have been proposed. We find that while normal faults are found in the study area, these faults are not sufficiently large nor appropriately located or oriented to accommodate the roughly northeast‐southwest extension that is required for normal faults that can be attributed to chasma formation. Additionally, bedding exposed in the local ILD generally dips toward the center of Candor Chasma, consistent with sediment deposition in a preexisting basin. Further, pit craters of Tithonia Catena, presumed to predate or be contemporaneous with the formation of west Candor Chasma, do not cut into the ILD within the study area. These independent lines of evidence support a postchasma age for the ILD exposed within the study area. Chasma‐related normal faults may exist within these ILD at depth but are not exposed at the surface. Approximately 2 km of conformable stratigraphy is exposed in the study area, and therefore at least several kilometers of the local ILD were deposited subsequent to any chasma‐related normal faulting that may have occurred in this part of Candor Chasma.

Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets↗
USGS2021

Perfluoroalkyl substances in plasma of smallmouth bass from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu is an economically important sportfish and within the Chesapeake Bay watershed has experienced a high prevalence of external lesions, infectious disease, mortality events, reproductive endocrine disruption and population declines. To date, no clear or consistent associations with contaminants measured in fish tissue or surface water have been found. Therefore, plasma samples from two sites in the Potomac River and two in the Susquehanna River drainage basins, differing in land-use characteristics, were utilized to determine if perfluoroalkyl substances were present. Four compounds, perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), were detected in every fish. Two additional compounds, perfluorooctane sulphonamide (PFOSA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), were less commonly detected at lower concentrations, depending on the site. Concentrations of PFOS (up to 574 ng/mL) were the highest detected and varied significantly among sites. No seasonal differences (spring versus fall) in plasma concentrations were observed. Concentrations of PFOS were not significantly different between the sexes. However, PFUnA and PFDoA concentrations were higher in males than females. Both agricultural and developed land-use appeared to be associated with exposure. Further research is needed to determine if these compounds could be affecting the health of smallmouth bass and identify sources.

New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia↗
USGS2024

Predicting Lake Huron Dreissena spp. spatial distribution patterns from environmental characteristics

Invasive dreissenid mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis ) have altered Great Lakes ecosystems through a multitude of effects on benthic habitats, food web structure, and nutrient cycling. This study explores whether spatially continuous geographic data of environmental factors can be utilized to predict Dreissena spp. spatial distributions on a lake-wide scale. Categorical variables were also assessed for significant relationships with Dreissena spp. biomass. Point observations from the 2017 Lake Huron benthic survey under the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) were utilized for in situ measurements of dreissenid presence and biomass at 119 sites across Lake Huron. Basin, bathymetric zone, and tributary influence were found to have statistically significant relationships to dreissenid biomass. A boosted regression tree (BRT) model (ROC score 0.707) was developed to spatially predict dreissenid presence probability across Lake Huron from six environmental explanatory variables: April, May, and October chlorophyll, June dissolved organic carbon, January bottom temperature, and May bottom temperature. The importance of food availability and bottom temperature illuminated relationships between dreissenid mussels and periods of benthic-pelagic mixing in the spring and fall seasons. Future models could be improved through advancements in survey technology for improved geographic characterization of mussel habitat characteristics and environmental constraints.

Lake Huron↗
USGS2017

Responses of invasive silver and bighead carp to a carbon dioxide barrier in outdoor ponds

Resource managers need for effective methods to prevent the movement of silver ( Hypophthalmichthys molitrix ) and bighead carp ( H. nobilis ) from the Mississippi River basin into the Laurentian Great Lakes. In this study, we evaluated dissolved carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as a barrier and deterrent to silver (278 ± 30.5 mm) and bighead (212 ± 7.7 mm) carp movement in continuous-flow outdoor ponds. As a barrier, CO 2 significantly reduced upstream movement but was not 100% effective at blocking fish passage. As a deterrent, we observed a significant shift away from areas of high CO 2 relative to normal movement before and after injection. Carbon dioxide concentrations varied across the pond during injection and reached maximum concentrations of 74.5±1.9 mg/L CO 2 ; 29 532 – 41 393 µatm at the site of injection during three independent trials. We conclude that CO 2 altered silver and bighead carp movement in outdoor ponds and recommend further research to determine barrier effectiveness during field applications.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗
USGS1995

Do toxic substances pose a threat to rehabilitation of lake trout in the Great Lakes? A review of the literature

Toxic substances have been suspected of being one of the causes of Great Lakes lake trout reproductive failure. Because toxic substances are present in the Great Lakes basin, managers should be aware of the role of contaminants in preventing lake trout rehabilitation. This paper summarizes studies which have sought to establish a relation between toxic substances and lake trout mortality or morbidity, and offers recommendations for future research and management. The review suggests that exposure to toxic substances has the possibility of affecting the species' rehabilitation. A variety of toxic substances, specifically organochlorine compounds, concentrated in lake trout eggs, fry, and the environment, have affected the hatching success of lake trout in the laboratory, but the strength of the relation between toxic substances and lake trout mortality and morbidity in the field remains unclear. In order to clarify this relation, more information is needed on lake trout physiology, biochemistry, behavior, and genetics. An interdisciplinary workshop should be convened to evaluate existing evidence by epidemiological methods, to set priorities for further research, and to develop management strategies.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS2026

Network-wide assessment of soil water content calibration and sensitivity to biomass proxies using cosmic-ray neutron sensing in the Roaring Fork Basin, Colorado

Soil water content (SWC) is a key state variable of the climate system but is often uncertain in water balance monitoring, especially in alpine environments. SWC measurements can be challenging in alpine environments due to the topography and rocky soils. In 2022, the US Geological Survey's Next Generation Water Observing System Program began research to evaluate water balance monitoring technologies, including cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNS). This work evaluated the uncertainty resulting from network-wide calibration of CRNS for SWC monitoring in an alpine watershed and investigated the stability of the calibration parameters across space and time, focusing on potential influence of biomass dynamics. Fifteen stations with moderated and unmoderated (bare) CRNS were deployed and made operational within the Roaring Fork Basin in west-central Colorado. The root mean squared error of the network-wide calibration using the moderated CRNS was 0.042 or 0.047 cm 3 cm −3 , depending on the calibration equation used. Relative SWC dynamics from CRNS were correlated with the in situ probes with a correlation coefficient of 0.91 or 0.87 (depending on calibration equation). We did not find significant relationships between the calibration parameters and stationary site-specific variables. However, the calibration parameters derived from in situ probe SWC dynamics varied over time and were correlated with biomass proxies of cumulative growing degree-day, cumulative growing season index, and bare neutron counts. Future use of the CRNS network can leverage the reliable relative SWC data from network-wide calibration for watershed modeling and continue to research sensitivity of bare neutron measurements to biomass dynamics.

Colorado↗
USGS2026

Can a physics-based fire behavior model predict burn severity and post-fire debris flow hazard?

Post-wildfire flooding and debris flows pose a threat to ecosystems and infrastructure. As the frequency and size of severe wildfires increase, there is a growing need for predictive debris flow hazard modeling in unburned but fire-prone landscapes. However, no crosswalks have been established between physics-based models of fire behavior and the remotely sensed burn severity inputs needed for debris flow modeling. Here, we explore this connection by creating a large ensemble of fire behavior simulations using QUIC-Fire – a fast-running three-dimensional fire model – in basins across five major-disaster wildfires in California and Washington. We then conducted generalized linear mixed modeling (GLMM) and Random Forest modeling to identify QUIC-Fire outputs that best predicted remotely sensed burn severity. We found that the selected linear predictors exhibited weak and unintuitive relationships with soil burn severity and differenced Normalized Burn Ratio. Moreover, model evaluations of GLMMs and Random Forests showed they were poorly predictive of both metrics of remotely sensed burn severity. This suggests that there are barriers to integrating QUIC-Fire into a wildfire-hazards modeling framework, which could include mismatches in scale between fire models and remotely sensing, or simplifications of weather data and fire initiation. Further research is needed to establish connections between the fire physics outputs of QUIC-Fire and post-fire effects to vegetation and soils that are essential for evaluating debris flow hazard.

California, Washington↗
USGS2018

Diet of burbot and implications for sampling

Burbot (Lota lota) are an apex piscivore that were illegally introduced to the Green River drainage, Wyoming, raising concerns for the conservation and management of fishes throughout the basin. However, relatively little is known about the diet of non-native burbot. The objectives of this research were to characterize diet composition of burbot and identify differences in diet composition as a function of sampling gear. Diet composition was characterized using frequency of occurrence, percent by number, and percent by weight to identify the importance of each prey type to burbot. Diet composition was compared across gears to identify the relationship between gear and diet. Fishes were present in the stomach contents of nearly all burbot sampled and composed 62–100 percent of the stomach contents of burbot greater than 300 mm. Prey diversity was greatest in diets of burbot sampled with small-mesh hoop nets. Results from the current study provide important information on the diet of non-native burbot and highlight the potential influence of gear on diet studies.

Wyoming↗
USGS1976

An infiltration index useful in estimating low-flow characteristics of drainage basin

Regionalization of low flows using basin characteristics has not produced satisfactory results because the effect of geology has not been included. In the Susquehanna River basin, ground-water discharge from the regolith is the primary source of low flows. This paper describes the development of an infiltration index, which, by characterizing the regolith, provides improved estimates of low-flow characteristics. The index is based on a simple numerical weighting of relative infiltration capacities. By including this index, the standard errors of estimate of the derived relations were reduced by a minimum of 11 percent and a maximum of 66 percent. Results obtained indicate that the infitration index developed in this analysis might be used successfully in other regions of country for investigations of this type. In addition using this index, drainage area and mean annual precipitation were also found to be significant in estimating low flows.

New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland↗
USGS1995

Evolution of tholeiitic diabase sheet systems in the eastern United States: examples from the Culpeper Basin, Virginia-Maryland, and the Gettysburg Basin, Pennsylvania

High-TiO2, quartz-normative (HTQ) tholeiite sheets of Early Jurassic age have intruded mainly Late Triassic sedimentary rocks in several early Mesozoic basins in the eastern US. Field observations, petrographic study, geochemical analyses and stable isotope data from three HTQ sheet systems were used to develop a general model of magmatic differentiation and magmatic-hydrothermal interaction for HTQ sheets. The three sheet systems have remarkably similar major-oxide and trace-element compositions. Cumulus and evolved diabase in comagmatic sheets separated by tens of kilometers are related by igneous differentiation. Differentiated diabase in all three sheets have petrographic and geochemical signatures and fluid inclusions indicating hydrothermal alteration beginning near magmatic temperatures and continuing to relatively low temperatures. Sulfur and oxygen isotope data are consistent with a magmatic origin for the hydrothermal fluid. -from Authors

Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia↗
USGS2015

Stock-specific advection of larval walleye ( Sander vitreus ) in western Lake Erie: Implications for larval growth, mixing, and stock discrimination

Physical processes can generate spatiotemporal heterogeneity in habitat quality for fish and also influence the overlap of pre-recruit individuals (e.g., larvae) with high-quality habitat through hydrodynamic advection. In turn, individuals from different stocks that are produced in different spawning locations or at different times may experience dissimilar habitat conditions, which can underlie within- and among-stock variability in larval growth and survival. While such physically-mediated variation has been shown to be important in driving intra- and inter-annual patterns in recruitment in marine ecosystems, its role in governing larval advection, growth, survival, and recruitment has received less attention in large lake ecosystems such as the Laurentian Great Lakes. Herein, we used a hydrodynamic model linked to a larval walleye ( Sander vitreus ) individual-based model to explore how the timing and location of larval walleye emergence from several spawning sites in western Lake Erie (Maumee, Sandusky, and Detroit rivers; Ohio reef complex) can influence advection pathways and mixing among these local spawning populations (stocks), and how spatiotemporal variation in thermal habitat can influence stock-specific larval growth. While basin-wide advection patterns were fairly similar during 2011 and 2012, smaller scale advection patterns and the degree of stock mixing varied both within and between years. Additionally, differences in larval growth were evident among stocks and among cohorts within stocks which were attributed to spatiotemporal differences in water temperature. Using these findings, we discuss the value of linked physical–biological models for understanding the recruitment process and addressing fisheries management problems in the world's Great Lakes.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS2019

Sediment trapping and carbon sequestration in floodplains of the lower Atchafalaya Basin, LA: Allochthonous vs. autochthonous carbon sources

Recent studies suggest that about 2 Pg of organic C is stored on floodplains worldwide. The present study indicates the Atchafalaya River, fifth largest river in the United States in terms of discharge, traps 30 mm/y of sediment on average within its floodplain, which is the highest average non‐episodic rate of fluvial deposition on the U.S. Coastal Plain. We installed sediment sampling stations at 23 sites, normally in transect, in the Atchafalaya Basin; these sites represent the range of hydrogeomorphic conditions on the floodplain based on hydrologic connectivity with the river main stem. The rate of sedimentation translates into about 12.5 Tg/y and includes 694 Mg/y of organic C. Highest sedimentation rates are associated with areas of high connectivity to channels and prograding deltaic processes. The δ 13 C content suggests that 35% of deposited C is derived from river‐suspended sediment compared to litterfall in the Basin. Thus, much of the organic C sequestered is allochthonous material. However, isolated interior sites with limited connectivity to the channel may generate and sequester large amounts of autochthonous C. The substantial trapping of both auto‐ and allochthonous C (392 Mg/y) make this freshwater‐forested floodplain critical in storage of material before reaching the coastal delta and estuary. This C deposition rate (340 g C m ‐2 y ‐1 ) exceeds all other rates reported in recent Blue Carbon and Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetland studies. Atchafalaya C sequestration occurs in/near areas with tidal influence and like other coastal systems is an important site for trapping mineral and organic sediment and in global C cycling.

Louisiana↗
USGS2025

Integrating acoustic telemetry research into management: successes and challenges in the Laurentian Great Lakes

In the Laurentian Great Lakes, the application of acoustic telemetry to track fish movements has evolved into an important part of multijurisdictional management. Nevertheless, barriers remain in translating telemetry research into management or conservation actions. Here, we synthesize acoustic telemetry literature within the Great Lakes basin to explore factors that have contributed to successes and failures of integrating research with the needs of decision-making processes. Collaboration between researchers and managers, facilitated by consistent opportunities for stakeholder engagement, stood out as one of the most effective means of integration. For example, 79% (95 of 127) of articles published (up to 2023) included co-authorship by both government and academic organizations. Case studies on lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ), walleye ( Sander vitreus ), and sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) further highlight how telemetry has informed management through collaborative engagement among researchers, stakeholders, and managers, as well as ongoing challenges. By exploring facets of acoustic telemetry research and connections to conservation and fisheries concerns, we identify pathways to reduce knowledge–action gaps widely applicable within and outside of the Great Lakes.

Laurentian Great Lakes↗
USGS1973

Effect of septic-tank wastes on quality of water, Ipswich and Shawsheen River basins, Massachusetts

Many housing projects in the metropolitan area of Boston are beyond the reach of municipal sewer systems. Waste water disposed of through septic-tank or cesspool systems percolates to ground-water reservoirs and eventually reaches the streams. The dissolved-solids load in the streams receiving septic-tank effluent is increased by an amount that can be predicted from the housing density. In the study area, highway deicing salts are the only materials other than septic-tank discharge that contribute to water-quality degradation. The effect of these salts on the relationship with housing density is eliminated by subtracting the specific conductance due to sodium chloride from the measured specific conductance of a water sample. The difference is called residual conductance and is proportional to the dissolved-solids content minus the concentration of sodium chloride.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2012

Small-scale lacustrine drifts in Lake Champlain, Vermont

High resolution CHIRP (Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse) seismic profiles reveal the presence of two lacustrine sediment drifts located in Lake Champlain's Juniper Deep. Both drifts are positive features composed of highly laminated sediments. Drift B sits on a basement high while Drift A is built on a trough-filling acoustically-transparent sediment unit inferred to be a mass-transport event. These drifts are oriented approximately north–south and are parallel to a steep ridge along the eastern shore of the basin. Drift A, located at the bottom of a structural trough, is classified as a confined, elongate drift that transitions northward to become a system of upslope asymmetric mudwaves. Drift B is perched atop a structural high to the west of Drift A and is classified as a detached elongate drift. Bottom current depositional control was investigated using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) located across Drift A. Sediment cores were taken at the crest and at the edges of the Drift A and were dated. Drift source, deposition, and evolution show that these drifts are formed by a water column shear with the highest deposition occurring along its crest and western flank and began developing circa 8700–8800 year BP.

Vermont↗
USGS2013

Diel variation in summer habitat use, feeding periodicity, and diet of subyearling Atlantic salmon in the Salmon River Basin, New York

The habitat use, diet composition, and feeding periodicity of subyearling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was examined during both day and night periods during summer in tributaries of Lake Ontario. The amount of cover used was the major habitat variable that differed between day and night periods in both streams. At night subyearling Atlantic salmon were associated with significantly less cover than during the day. Principal Component Analysis showed that habitat selection of subyearling Atlantic salmon was more pronounced during the day in both streams and that salmon in Orwell Brook exhibited more diel variability in habitat use than salmon in Trout Brook. Subyearling salmon fed primarily from the benthic substrate on baetids, chironomids, and leptocerids. There was a substantial amount of diel variation in diet composition with peak feeding occurring from 0400 h to 0800 h on July 21–22, 2008.

New York↗
USGS2003

Coals of the Brazil Formation (Pennsylvanian) in Indiana: Observations of correlation inconsistencies and their implications

The coals of the upper part of the Mansfield, Brazil, and the lower part of the Staunton Formations (Atokan and Desmoinesian, Pennsylvanian) in Indiana (Illinois Basin) are characteristically thin and discontinuous. As a result, problems with correlation and identification of the seams have persisted for both researchers and industry. These discrepancies affect coal exploration, mine planning, and subsequently coal-fired utilities. This study presents exploration and operational examples demonstrating some of the correlation problems associated with the coals of the Brazil Formation, and the Upper Block and Lower Block, in particular, and the surrounding upper part of the Mansfield Formation and lower part of the Staunton Formations. Based on exploration boreholes, mine scale observations, and coal quality and petrographic data, this study suggests that (1) the coal mapped as the Upper Block Coal Member of Clay County may, in fact, be the same seam as the Lower Block Coal Member of Daviess County; and (2) the Lower Block coal of Clay County is not present south of the Switz City area of central Greene County, IN. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS2001

Upper crustal structure in Puget Lowland, Washington: Results from the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound

A new three-dimensional (3-D) model shows seismic velocities beneath the Puget Lowland to a depth of 11 km. The model is based on a tomographic inversion of nearly one million first-arrival travel times recorded during the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound (SHIPS), allowing higher-resolution mapping of subsurface structures than previously possible. The model allows us to refine the subsurface geometry of previously proposed faults (e.g., Seattle, Hood Canal, southern Whidbey Island, and Devils Mountain fault zones) as well as to identify structures (Tacoma, Lofall, and Sequim fault zones) that warrant additional study. The largest and most important of these newly identified structures lies along the northern boundary of the Tacoma basin; we informally refer to this structure here as the Tacoma fault zone. Although tomography cannot provide information on the recency of motion on any structure, Holocene earthquake activity on the Tacoma fault zone is suggested by seismicity along it and paleoseismic evidence for abrupt uplift of tidal marsh deposits to its north. The tomography reveals four large, west to northwest trending low-velocity basins (Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, and Port Townsend) separated by regions of higher velocity ridges that are coincident with fault-bounded uplifts of Eocene Crescent Formation basalt and pre-Tertiary basement. The shapes of the basins and uplifts are similar to those observed in gravity data; gravity anomalies calculated from the 3-D tomography model are in close agreement with the observed anomalies. In velocity cross sections the Tacoma and Seattle basins are asymmetric: the basin floor dips gently toward a steep boundary with the adjacent high-velocity uplift, locally with a velocity "overhang" that suggests a basin vergent thrust fault boundary. Crustal fault zones grow from minor folds into much larger structures along strike. Inferred structural relief across the Tacoma fault zone increases by several kilometers westward along the fault zone to Lynch Cove, where we interpret it as a zone of south vergent faulting overthrusting Tacoma basin. In contrast, structural relief along the Seattle fault zone decreases west of Seattle, which we interpret as evidence that the N-S directed compression is being accommodated by slip transfer between the Seattle and Tacoma fault zones. Together, the Tacoma and Seattle fault zones raise the Seattle uplift, one of a series of east-west trending, pop-up structures underlying Puget Lowland from the Black Hills to the San Juan Islands.

Washington↗