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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

USGS2014

Land cover trends dataset, 1973-2000

The U.S. Geological Survey Land Cover Trends Project is releasing a 1973–2000 time-series land-use/land-cover dataset for the conterminous United States. The dataset contains 5 dates of land-use/land-cover data for 2,688 sample blocks randomly selected within 84 ecological regions. The nominal dates of the land-use/land-cover maps are 1973, 1980, 1986, 1992, and 2000. The land-use/land-cover maps were classified manually from Landsat Multispectral Scanner, Thematic Mapper, and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery using a modified Anderson Level I classification scheme. The resulting land-use/land-cover data has a 60-meter resolution and the projection is set to Albers Equal-Area Conic, North American Datum of 1983. The files are labeled using a standard file naming convention that contains the number of the ecoregion, sample block, and Landsat year. The downloadable files are organized by ecoregion, and are available in the ERDAS IMAGINE TM (.img) raster file format.

Data Series↗

USGS2024

Special topic—Unoccupied aircraft systems

Introduction Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) increasingly support volcano monitoring and eruption response activities in the United States and abroad (James and others, 2020). Advances in UAS platforms and miniaturization of sensors over the past decade have expanded the use of this technology for a wide range of applications within volcanology (Jordan, 2019; James and others, 2020). UAS can greatly enhance existing ground-, aerial-, and satellite-based observation and in situ monitoring networks at volcanoes by providing new avenues for data collection in terms of access, resolution, and timing. UAS can collect data in difficult and hazardous environments, reducing risk to occupied aircraft and (or) ground crews; support the generation of dense time series of data through frequent, low-cost, high-resolution surveys; and provide real-time, on-demand measurements at volcanic systems for indicators such as gas, thermal output, and topographic change without the need to wait for contracted aerial flight services or satellite orbit intervals. During the 2018 response to the Kīlauea eruption on the Island of Hawaiʻi, UAS were used extensively and successfully to monitor, track, investigate, and (or) warn of ongoing volcanic activity (fig. L1; Neal and others, 2019). Throughout the eruption, the UAS team was able to provide data products rapidly to emergency managers for situational awareness and to scientists for quantitative hazard assessment (Diefenbach and others, 2018). Over the course of 4 months, more than 1,200 UAS missions were flown and yielded critical data that included (1) live video to emergency operations centers in Hilo and Honolulu for situational awareness; (2) gas emission rates, compositions, and concentrations; (3) repeat nadir videos over sections of the lava channel to support measurements of lava effusion rate; (4) oblique videos for hazards assessment and outreach; and (5) photogrammetry surveys to create very high-resolution topographic models and orthophoto mosaics (Diefenbach and others, 2018). In coming years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) plans to expand its fleet of UAS, associated sensors, and remote pilots to enhance volcano monitoring and response capabilities. Currently (2023), USGS operational capabilities are restricted to small class UAS (sUAS; less than [<] 55 pounds) that are limited in range, payload capacity, and flight duration. Additionally, USGS-piloted platforms are restricted to the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Aviation Services approved fleet, which includes a limited number of small and medium multi-rotor aircraft and vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing aircraft ( https://www.doi.gov/aviation/uas/fleet ). Each type of platform has advantages and disadvantages. Small rotor-wing quadcopters are fast to deploy, can be carried in a backpack, and are highly maneuverable, but are typically only equipped with a small camera and have a minimal flight range. Medium rotor-wing hexacopters can carry larger payloads (< 20 kilograms [kg]) and varied sensors, but, with the drawback of minimal flight time (<30 minutes), they typically have similar range capabilities to their smaller counterparts and are not as easily deployable. Fixed-wing platforms provide relatively long endurance (<60 minutes) and range and, with the vertical take-off and landing capabilities, can launch and land in relatively small spaces; however, they have less maneuverability and hovering capability than the rotor-wing platforms. Although the 2018 Kīlauea response showed the benefit of the current UAS fleet, all platforms have limited range [<10 kilometers (km)], such that operators must be stationed relatively close to the region of interest. To expand UAS monitoring capabilities, VHP staff have been working closely with industry partners and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop a next-generation UAS for volcano monitoring (Kern and others, 2020). This ruggedized, mid-range (>20 km), multiparametric (gas and photogrammetry) UAS has been developed to meet volcano monitoring needs, particularly at less accessible, more dangerous stratovolcanoes. It is expected in the coming years that additional UAS platforms with new and smaller sensors will expand our capabilities to meet the Nation’s volcano monitoring objectives.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2012

Inner shelf morphologic controls on the dynamics of the beach and bar system, Fire Island, New York

The mechanism of sediment exchange between offshore sand ridges and the beach at Fire Island, New York is largely unknown. However, recent evidence from repeat nearshore bathymetry surveys, coupled with the complex but consistent bar morphology and patterns of shoreline change demonstrate that there is a feedback occurring between the regional geologic framework and modern processes. Analysis of bathymetric survey data provides direct confirmation that the offshore ridges are connected to the shoreface and are spatially persistent. The fixed nature of the nearshore morphology is further supported by time series camera data that indicate persistent bars with breaks that re-form in the same locations. A long-term time series of shoreline change shows distinct zones of erosion and accretion that are pervasive over time scales greater than a half-century, and their length-scales are similar to the spacing of the offshore ridge-trough system. The first-order geologic framework is responsible for the existence and locations of the ridges and troughs, which then influence the morphodynamics of the beach and bar system.

New York↗

USGS1998

Digital representation of a map showing the thickness and character of Quaternary sediments in the glaciated United States east of the Rocky Mountains

This CD-ROM contains vector-based digital geologic maps of the surficial deposits in parts of 23 states where continental glaciation occurred during the Quaternary. These maps, at 1:1,000,000-scale, include the texture of the surface sediments and the total thickness of Quaternary sediments. Map compilation was based on about 850 sources of information. These maps are also published in paper form, as U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous investigations Series Map I-1970-A, B, C, and D.

Data Series↗

USGS1995

Propagation and composition of the flood wave on the upper Mississippi River, 1993

During spring and summer 1993, record flooding inundated much of the upper Mississippi River Basin. The magnitude of the damages-in terms of property, disrupted business, and personal trauma was unmatched by any other flood disaster in United States history. Property damage alone is expected to exceed $10 billion. Damaged highways and submerged roads disrupted overland transportation throughout the flooded region. The Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers were closed to navigation before, during, and after the flooding. Millions of acres of productive farmland remained under water for weeks during the growing season. Rills and gullies in many tilled fields are the result of the severe erosion that occurred throughout the Midwestern United States farmbelt. The hydrologic effects of extended rainfall throughout the upper Midwestern United States were severe and widespread. The banks and channels of many rivers were severely eroded, and sediment was deposited over large areas of the basin's flood plain. Record flows submerged many areas that had not been affected by previous floods. Industrial and agricultural areas were inundated, which caused concern about the transport and fate of industrial chemicals, sewage effluent, and agricultural chemicals in the floodwaters. The extent and duration of the flooding caused numerous levees to fail. One failed levee on the Raccoon River in Des Moines, Iowa, led to flooding of the city's water treatment plant. As a result, the city was without drinking water for 19 days. As the Nation's principal water-science agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to provide an immediate assessment of some of the hydrological effects of the 1993 flood. The USGS maintains a hydrologic data network and conducts extensive water-resources investigations nationwide. Long-term data from this network and information on local and regional hydrology provide the basis for identifying and documenting the effects of the flooding . During the flood, the USGS provided continuous streamflow and related information to the National Weather Service (NWS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and many State and local agencies as part of its role to provide basic information on the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources at thousands of locations across the United States. The NWS has used the data in forecasting floods and issuing flood warnings. The data have been used by the Corps of Engineers to operate water diversions, dams, locks, and levees. The FEMA and many State and local emergency management agencies have used USGS hydrologic data and NWS forecasts as part of the basis of their local flood-response activities. In addition, USGS hydrologists are conducting a series of investigations to document the effects of the flooding and to improve understanding of the related processes. The major initial findings from these studies will be reported in this Circular series as results become available. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1120, Floods in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993, consists of individually published chapters that will document the effects of the 1993 flooding. The series includes data and findings on the magnitude and frequency of peak discharges; precipitation; water-quality characteristics, including nutrients and man-made contaminants; transport of sediment; assessment of sediment deposited on flood plains; effects of inundation on ground-water quality; flood-discharge volume; effects of reservoir storage on flood peaks; stream-channel scour at selected bridges; extent of floodplain inundation; and documentation of geomorphologic changes.

upper Mississippi River basin↗

USGS2021

Evaluating natural experiments in ecology: Using synthetic controls in assessments of remotely sensed land treatments

Many important ecological phenomena occur on large spatial scales and/or are unplanned and thus do not easily fit within analytical frameworks that rely on randomization, replication, and interspersed a priori controls for statistical comparison. Analyses of such large‐scale, natural experiments are common in the health and econometrics literature, where techniques have been developed to derive insight from large, noisy observational data sets. Here, we apply a technique from this literature, synthetic control, to assess landscape change with remote sensing data. The basic data requirements for synthetic control include (1) a discrete set of treated and untreated units, (2) a known date of treatment intervention, and (3) time series response data that include both pre‐ and post‐treatment outcomes for all units. Synthetic control generates a response metric for treated units relative to a no‐action alternative based on prior relationships between treated and unexposed groups. Using simulations and a case study involving a large‐scale brush‐clearing management event, we show how synthetic control can intuitively infer treatment effect sizes from satellite data, even in the presence of confounding noise from climate anomalies, long‐term vegetation dynamics, or sensor errors. We find that accuracy depends on the number and quality of potential control units, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate control populations. Although we consider the synthetic control approach in the context of natural experiments with remote sensing data, we expect the methodology to have wider utility in ecology, particularly for systems with large, complex, and poorly replicated experimental units.

Ecological Applications↗

USGS2020

Characterizing land surface phenology and exotic annual grasses in dryland ecosystems using Landsat and Sentinel-2 data in harmony

Invasive annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), have proliferated in dryland ecosystems of the western United States, promoting increased fire activity and reduced biodiversity that can be detrimental to socio-environmental systems. Monitoring exotic annual grass cover and dynamics over large areas requires the use of remote sensing that can support early detection and rapid response initiatives. However, few studies have leveraged remote sensing technologies and computing frameworks capable of providing rangeland managers with maps of exotic annual grass cover at relatively high spatiotemporal resolutions and near real-time latencies. Here, we developed a system for automated mapping of invasive annual grass (%) cover using in situ observations, harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) data, maps of biophysical variables, and machine learning techniques. A robust and automated cloud, cloud shadow, water, and snow/ice masking procedure (mean overall accuracy >81%) was implemented using time-series outlier detection and data mining techniques prior to spatiotemporal interpolation of HLS data via regression tree models (r = 0.94; mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.02). Weekly, cloud-free normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) image composites (2016–2018) were used to construct a suite of spectral and phenological metrics (e.g., start and end of season dates), consistent with information derived from Moderate Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. These metrics were incorporated into a data mining framework that accurately (r = 0.83; MAE = 11) modeled and mapped exotic annual grass (%) cover throughout dryland ecosystems in the western United States at a native, 30-m spatial resolution. Our results show that inclusion of weekly HLS time-series data and derived indicators improves our ability to map exotic annual grass cover, as compared to distribution models that use MODIS products or monthly, seasonal, or annual HLS composites as primary inputs. This research fills a critical gap in our ability to effectively assess, manage, and monitor drylands by providing a framework that allows for an accurate and timely depiction of land surface phenology and exotic annual grass cover at spatial and temporal resolutions that are meaningful to local resource managers.

California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon↗

USGS2000

Stratigraphic framework of Lower and Upper Cretaceous rocks in central and eastern Montana

This study shows the lithology, thickness, distribution, and correlation of Lower and Upper Cretaceous rocks in central and eastern Montana. The described stratigraphic units range from the Aptian Kootenai Formation (oldest) to the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation (youngest). An included text report describes the units, and most formations or members are also represented by isopach maps. Structure contour maps of three horizons are also included. Correlations across the study area are shown on a series of cross sections. All text and illustrations are included as Adobe PDF files.

Montana↗

USGS2008

Mangrove forest distributions and dynamics in Madagascar (1975-2005)

Mangrove forests of Madagascar are declining, albeit at a much slower rate than the global average. The forests are declining due to conversion to other land uses and forest degradation. However, accurate and reliable information on their present distribution and their rates, causes, and consequences of change have not been available. Earlier studies used remotely sensed data to map and, in some cases, to monitor mangrove forests at a local scale. Nonetheless, a comprehensive national assessment and synthesis was lacking. We interpreted time-series satellite data of 1975, 1990, 2000, and 2005 using a hybrid supervised and unsupervised classification approach. Landsat data were geometrically corrected to an accuracy of ?? one-half pixel, an accuracy necessary for change analysis. We used a postclassification change detection approach. Our results showed that Madagascar lost 7% of mangrove forests from 1975 to 2005, to a present extent of ???2,797 km2. Deforestation rates and causes varied both spatially and temporally. The forests increased by 5.6% (212 km2) from 1975 to 1990, decreased by 14.3% (455 km 2) from 1990 to 2000, and decreased by 2.6% (73 km2) from 2000 to 2005. Similarly, major changes occurred in Bombekota Bay, Mahajamba Bay, the coast of Ambanja, the Tsiribihina River, and Cap St Vincent. The main factors responsible for mangrove deforestation include conversion to agriculture (35%), logging (16%), conversion to aquaculture (3%), and urban development (1%). ?? 2008 by MDPI.

Sensors↗

USGS2011

Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2010

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designs and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During the 2010 water year (October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010), data were collected at 75 stations-72 Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network stations, 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Quality Accounting Network stations, and 1 spring sampled in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, fecal coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and select pesticide compound summaries are presented for 72 of these stations. The stations primarily have been classified into groups corresponding to the physiography of the State, primary land use, or unique station types. In addition, a summary of hydrologic conditions in the State including peak discharges, monthly mean discharges, and 7-day low flow is presented.

Data Series↗

USGS2012

Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During the 2011 water year (October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2011), data were collected at 75 stations—72 Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network stations, 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Quality Accounting Network stations, and 1 spring sampled in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, fecal coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and select pesticide compound summaries are presented for 72 of these stations. The stations primarily have been classified into groups corresponding to the physiography of the State, primary land use, or unique station types. In addition, a summary of hydrologic conditions in the State including peak discharges, monthly mean discharges, and 7-day low flow is presented.

Missouri↗

USGS2016

Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2015

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams and springs throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During water year 2015 (October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015), data were collected at 74 stations—72 Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network stations and 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Quality Assessment Network stations. Dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, Escherichia coli bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and select pesticide compound summaries are presented for 71 of these stations. The stations primarily have been classified into groups corresponding to the physiography of the State, primary land use, or unique station types. In addition, a summary of hydrologic conditions in the State including peak streamflows, monthly mean streamflows, and 7-day low flows is presented.

Missouri↗

USGS2018

Quality of surface water in Missouri, Water Year 2016

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams and springs throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During water year 2016 (October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2016), data presented in this report were collected at 71 stations: 69 Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network stations and 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Quality Assessment Network stations. Among the 71 stations in this report, 4 stations have data presented for additional cooperative efforts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, Escherichia coli bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and select pesticide compound summaries are presented for these 71 stations. The stations primarily have been classified into groups corresponding to the physiography of the State, primary land use, or unique station types. In addition, a summary of hydrologic conditions in the State including peak streamflows, monthly mean streamflows, and 7-day low flows is presented.

Missouri↗

USGS2014

Map of assessed coalbed-gas resources in the United States, 2014

This report presents a digital map of coalbed-gas resource assessments in the United States as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Assessment of Oil and Gas Project. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS quantitatively estimated potential volumes of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas resources within coalbed-gas assessment units (AUs). This is the third digital map product in a series of USGS unconventional oil and gas resource maps. The map plate included in this report can be printed in hardcopy form or downloaded in a Geographic Information System (GIS) data package, including an ArcGIS ArcMap document (.mxd), geodatabase (.gdb), and published map file (.pmf). In addition, the publication access table contains hyperlinks to current USGS coalbed-gas assessment publications and web pages.

Data Series↗

USGS2016

Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming

Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The need for this assessment arose from the decision by the Secretary of the Interior to pursue the protection of large tracts of contiguous habitat for the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) in the Western United States. One component of the Department of the Interior plan to protect the habitat areas includes withdrawing selected lands from future exploration and development of mineral and energy resources, including copper, gold, silver, rare earth elements, and other commodities used in the U.S. economy. The assessment evaluates the potential for locatable minerals such as gold, copper, and lithium and describes the nature and occurrence of leaseable and salable minerals for seven Sagebrush Focal Areas and additional lands in Nevada (“Nevada additions”) delineated by BLM. Supporting data are available in a series of USGS data releases describing mineral occurrences (the USGS Mineral Deposit Database or “USMIN”), oil and gas production and well status, previous mineral-resource assessments that covered parts of the areas studied, and a compilation of mineral-use cases based on data provided by BLM, as well as results of the locatable mineral-resource assessment in a geographic information system. The present assessment of mineral-resource potential will contribute to a better understanding of the economic and environmental trade-offs that would result from closing approximately 1 0 million acres of Federal lands to mineral entry.

Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming↗

USGS2023

Arizona Groundwater Explorer: Interactive maps for evaluating the historical and current groundwater conditions in wells in Arizona, USA

Groundwater is an important water source in Arizona, accounting for about 41% of water use in this mostly arid-to-semiarid state in the southwestern United States, and the availability of groundwater resources in the state is a concern. To provide accessible information from depth-to-groundwater data, a series of web-based interactive maps were developed, called the Arizona Groundwater Explorer (AGEx). Scripts were written to harmonize and synthesize groundwater datasets from the two largest publicly available sources, subset these data to address different groundwater availability questions, and display the results in online, interactive maps. The combined dataset contained 1,820,122 depth-to-groundwater measurements from 1891 through 2022 from 41,918 wells in Arizona. Data views are provided for 20 topics, including recent (2020 or later) depth to groundwater (4,569 wells), historical (pre-1950) depth to groundwater (4,287 wells), wells with long-term (≥50 years) records (1,183 wells), wells with recent groundwater level decline (277 wells), wells with recent groundwater level rise (120 wells), and linear trends in groundwater levels over ten 10-year periods (number of wells ranging from 341 in 1978–1987 to 1,208 in 2003–2012), among others. With ongoing drought in the region resulting in declining surface-water supplies in Arizona, groundwater may play an even larger role in satisfying water needs in the state. The AGEx series of maps provides a nonspecialist audience with an improved understanding of historical, current, and changes in groundwater levels in Arizona.

Arizona↗

USGS2018

Hydrogeologic framework for characterization and occurrence of confined and unconfined aquifers in quaternary sediments in the glaciated conterminous United States—A digital map compilation and database

The U.S. Geological Survey has created a hydrogeologic framework for Quaternary sediments in glaciated areas of the conterminous United States that categorizes, maps, and characterizes the glacial sediments at and beneath the land surface. The hydrogeologic framework divides the glaciated United States into 17 distinct hydrogeologic terranes using a geologic approach based on previous mapping, and was characterized using the Glacial Environments and Surficial Sediments geodatabase compiled from the Quaternary Atlas of the United States map series, the Surficial Materials Map of the United States, and several Integrated Geologic Map Databases for the United States; a groundwater use database compiled from public-supply, water-well data; and a lithologic database compiled from State-managed well records and geologic logs. This framework is to be used to assess the occurrence and characteristics of confined and unconfined glacial aquifers, their distribution and extent, and their potential intrinsic susceptibility and vulnerability.

Data Series↗

USGS2014

Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2012

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams and springs throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During the 2012 water year (October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012), data were collected at 81 stations—73 Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network stations, 6 alternate Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network stations, and 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Quality Accounting Network stations. Dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, fecal coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and select pesticide compound summaries are presented for 78 of these stations. The stations primarily have been classified into groups corresponding to the physiography of the State, primary land use, or unique station types. In addition, a summary of hydrologic conditions in the State including peak discharges, monthly mean discharges, and 7-day low flow is presented.

Missouri↗