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At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
USGS2014

Discussion of “Runoff from rain and snow” by Arthur M. Piper

As a basis to study the discharge characteristics of the Metolius River the John Day River was used. The Deschutes Basin of which the Metolius drainage area is a part was compared to the John Day Basin. There are several factors which must be considered when comparing the two basins. Perhaps the most important point which was not stresses is the fact that although about three‐fourths of the flow of the Deschutes River rises in the western most part of the Deschutes Basin, which part was more or less exempted by Piper in his discussion of general runoff characteristics, it is less than half of the Deschutes Watershed.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Volcanic activity on Umnak and Great Sitkin Islands, 1946–1948

As part of the United States Geological Survey's volcano program in the Aleutian volcanic arc during 1946–1948, the volcanoes and thermal areas on Umnak and Great Sitkin Islands were studied. In addition to observation of the volcanoes, temperatures of fumaroles were measured and some products of the volcanic activity were collected and analyzed. After an eruption in 1945, Cone A in Okmok Caldera on northeastern Umnak Island remained relatively quiet during the period 1946–1948. The fumarole gases contained water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The incrustations associated with the sulfur dioxide fumaroles are the sulfate minerals halotrichite, gypsum, and soda alum. Temperatures of lava fumaroles at the source of the December, 1945 lava flow from Cone A dropped from an average of 320°C on July 19, 1946, to 90°C on September 5, 1946. With exception of the large central fumarole which reached red heat in 1947, the extra crater fumaroles of Cone A ranged from 96° to 98° C in temperature Cone C, another cone in Okmok Caldera was in the solfataric stage and emitted water vapor, hydrogen sulfide, and probably carbon dioxide. Incrustations associated with fumaroles on this cone consisted of sulfur, pyrite, and aragonite. The temperatures of the fumaroles ranged from 95° to 96°C and were probably kept within this narrow range partly by the heat supplied during condensation of steam. Sixteen large thermal springs emerging from the base of Cone D in Okmok Caldera had an aggregate discharge of approximately 115 cfs and gave off approximately 21,000 kcal of heat per second on September 7, 1946. Water samples of thermal springs on Umnak Island contained as high as 159 ppm of boron expressed as B 2 0 3 and a few parts per million of arsenic and antimony. Several of the thermal springs in southwestern Umnak Island were slightly superheated with respect to the boiling point of water and behaved as small geysers. As has been found elsewhere, the discharge, temperature, and composition of the emanations from a spring is modified by surface conditions of topography and drainage. Thermal springs and fumaroles on Great Sitkin Island occurred at an altitude of about 2000 ft near the head of the west fork of Big Fox Creek. All the fumaroles were at or near a temperature of 100°C. The large crater fumarole in the center of the 1945 crater dome was unapproachable. No change in the activity of Great Sitkin volcano was observed between 1946 and August 1948.

Alaska↗
USGS2014

Natural water losses in mountain drainage areas of southern California

For twenty‐five small mountain drainage areas of Southern California, natural water losses are shown to vary with basin altitude, and with estimated absorptive and retentive characteristics of the drainage areas. Among other relationships demonstrated is the increase of the annual natural water loss with increased annual precipitation to an optimum, beyond which the loss is about uniform regardless of increased precipitation.

California↗
USGS2014

Annual floods and the partial‐duration flood series

Flood data are ordinarily listed either in annual‐flood series or in a partial‐duration series. If the expectancy of a flood in the duration series ϵ is known, then the probability of that flood being an annual flood is shown to be e −ϵ . From this relationship it is possible to transform recurrence intervals in the partial duration series to those in the annual‐flood series. It is shown that for equivalent floods, the recurrence intervals in the partial‐duration series are smaller than in the annual‐flood series, but that the difference becomes inconsequential for floods greater than about five‐year recurrence interval.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Report of the Committee on Runoff, 1948–1949

Because of the widely scattered locations of the membership, no assembled meeting of the Committee was held during the year, all discussions being held by correspondence. Consideration was given to three subjects during the year: (1) standardization of terminology as related to runoff (continued from previous year), (2) deficiencies in hydrologic research, and (3) current programs of hydrologic research. With respect to terminology, the wide divergence of opinion among committee members with respect to the definition of terms fairly common in hydrologic literature emphasizes the need for more uniformity. Various authors use the same terms to describe slightly different runoff phenomena. The Committee, while unable to agree at this date on recommended definitions, urges writers to restrict their terminology so far as practicable to that previously used. Nothing is gained by inventing a new name for a phenomenon which has already been satisfactorily named by a previous writer. On the other hand, precise definitions are necessary to proper understanding, and loose usage of runoff terms only destroys their usefulness. Where any question as to the intended definition exists, it is preferable for the author to present his definition until better agreement as to the accepted definition has been reached.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

An occurrence of saline ground water on Guadalcanal

G uadalcanal Island is largely mountainous, but on the north side there is a coastal plain about 40 mi long which averages eight miles in width and stands a about 15 ft above sea level. This plain is composed of the coalesced deltas of several large rivers. Most of the military installations of World War II were located on this plain near its western end. Wells drilled for water supply disclosed a body of saline ground water between the Lunga and Nalimbu Rivers. The saline water probably is ocean water that was incorporated into the sediments as the coastal plain was built. The location and shape of the body of salt water appears to be controlled largely by the permeability of the material.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Discussion of “The relation of geology to dry weather stream flow in Ohio”

The concepts presented in this paper are of great value to the ground‐water hydrologist. They indicate one way to analyze and conveniently use the vast accumulation of stream‐flow records collected by governmental agencies as a tool for geophysical reconnaisance. To be usable as a method of geophysical prospecting for ground water, stream‐flow records must first be transformed into flow‐duration curves. Then, by means of the 90 per cent index, chosen by Cross, or other, more suitable indices, the ground‐water storage characteristics of the surficial deposits of drainage basins can readily be determined. Where there is good indication of extensive groundwater storage, it is probable that large supplies of ground water can be developed for use.

Ohio↗
USGS2014

Activity of Paricutin Volcano from July 1 to December 31, 1949

The activity of Parícutin Volcano, State of Michoacan, Mexico, during the second half of 1949 is represented diagrammatically in Figures 1, 2, and 3. An explanatory discussion of these diagrams of eruptive characteristics and a description of the lettered noise types shown on them appeared in an earlier report on this Volcano [Wilcox, 1947], to which the reader is referred. Photographs of two common types of eruptive activity are shown as Figures 4 and 5, and a map outlining the monthly advance of lava during the period covered is given as Figure 6. Altitudes of different points on Paricutin cone are listed in Table 1, and weather data are summarized in Table 3.

Michoacan↗
USGS2014

Report of the Committee on Runoff, 1949–1950

The Weather Bureau activities in the runoff field during the 1949–1950 year centered largely around its flood and water supply forecasting activities. A new River Forecast Center was inaugurated at Portland, Oregon in January, 1950 to provide service for the Columbia River Basin and adjacent coastal areas. The first custom‐made model of the electronic flood routing machine has been delivered and is being tested to determine its electrical and operating characteristics. A large portion of the Bureau's investigations during the year were aimed at developing to the fullest all possible applications of existing techniques but considerable effort was devoted to the problem of developing new methods for short‐range forecasting of runoff from melting snow. A technique has been developed which appears to satisfy the requirements but it has not yet been adequately tested. Water supply forecasting activities were continued and the number of forecast points increased to about 300. The Cooperative Snow Investigations, with the Corps of Engineers, continued during the year.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Discussion of “Annual floods and the partial duration flood series”

The writer is interested in finding from this paper a similar idea which he had in mind when engaging in a statistical study of hydrologic data, a part of the Highway Drainage Research Project being carried out in the Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Illinois. However, a complete presentation of the study will be reserved for future publications, and only fragments of thought are discussed here. In treating hydrologic data for the study of their frequency of recurrence, two phases of study are generally met. One is the frequency of recurrence for the observed distributions, and the other is the corresponding frequency of recurrence for the theoretical distributions of best‐fit. The former is usually required for the purpose of plotting observed data, and hence is called the “plotting positions,” a term used by Foster [1934, p. 1217]. The latter is treated by the mathematical theory of probability, and generally serves as a theoretical interpretation of the observed phenomena.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Discussion of “pedological relations of infiltration phenomena”

Smith provides an illuminating consideration of infiltration through soil in relation to the structure and texture of the soil its moisture content, and the variation of infiltration for A, B, and C soil zones. The organic nature of soil might also be stressed. Rotting rootlets provide passageways for water in addition to physical structure and texture. The impression is gained that mechanical treatment, such as plowing and harrowing, general decreases the infiltration capacity of soil, through destruction of surface structure, and fragmentation. This appears true of the soil in the physical sense. Equally true, in a plowed soil, may be the formation of puddling colloids after a rain, through the breaking of natural granules into fragments. However, the surface infiltration is increased by plowing and harrowing through the turnover of the sod layer composed of grasses and weeds. Smith does not consider the sod layer as a soil zone, yet it is the first barrier that precipitation must pass before it enters the structural crevices and textural pores of the soil. Although a dense sod layer usually does not increase runoff because of its retentive nature, it increases interception, and hence evaporation, so unless the sod is economic, the water is lost anyway.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Rainfall frequency: An aspect of climatic variation

Analyses which have been made in the past have shown no significant trend in annual values of rainfall during the period of rainfall records in the southwestern United States. In the present study, frequency of daily rains of various sizes are analyzed for four long-record stations in New Mexico. It is shown that the frequency of rains smaller than 0.50 inch in a day progressively increased from 1850 to about 1930. Opposite trends in different size classes tended to partially compensate one another in such a way that trends do not appear in the annual rainfall totals. Frequency of rains of various sizes comprising wet years and dry are compared. Some effects of changes in rainfall frequency on vegetation and erosion are discussed.

New Mexico↗
USGS2014

Tide‐producing forces and artesian pressures

Data are presented to show the relationship of changes in gravity and fluctuations in artesian pressure, and atmospheric pressure, as shown by simultaneous measurements. Computed tide‐producing forces are also shown. The curves are generally conformable.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Magnetic anomalies at high altitudes

To investigate the effect of anomalies in the Earth's magnetic field at high altitudes , aeromagnetic maps of two representative areas showing isanomalic curves for total intensity are projected to levels of 10 and 20 miles above the surface of a plane Earth. The projections are accomplished by numerical computations and by use of a magnetic ‐field projecting machine at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. It is found that anomalies of 500 gammas near the surface of the Earth, in merging into neighboring anomalies , may produce effects of 100 gammas or more at an altitude of 20 miles.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Nitrate in the ground water of Texas

Ground water in many parts of Texas contains nitrate in excess of 20 ppm (parts per million) as NO 3 . About 3,000 of the 20,000 nitrate determinations made of water from wells in Texas showed more than 20 ppm of nitrate . The public water supplies of 27 Texas towns and cities contained more than 50 ppm of nitrate . Recent medical research indicates that methemoglobinemia or infant cyanosis (“blue babies”) may be caused by nitrate in water used in formula mixtures. Most of the high nitrate in ground water is found in wells less than 200 ft deep and mainly in water from late Tertiary and Quaternary formations; however, high nitrate was found in water from all kinds of rocks of all ages. The presence of high nitrate in ground water appears to be unrelated to rainfall, geography, or cultivation. A hypothesis of bacterial origin of the high nitrate is supported by strong evidence but is weakened by the presence of the correspondingly high content of associated salts. The disappearance of nitrate at depth presents additional problems.

Texas↗
USGS2014

Report of the Committee on Ground Water, 1949–1950

The present report concludes the duties of the above Committee , and the Chairman takes this opportunity to thank the members and others for their splendid cooperation during the triennium ended June 30, 1950. Another in the series of reports on hydrology and physiography of limestone terranes, by A. C. Swinnerton, is given as an Appendix to this report .

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Discussion of “a comparison of several heat and mass transfer networks of interest in water conservation”

The use of electrical networks to describe heat‐ and mass‐transfer problems is an interesting concept and undoubtedly will be of considerable value in future water‐loss investigations, provided the processes involved can be represented, electrically, with sufficient accuracy. Although it is true that errors in measurement of water‐surface temperature may arise when there are steep gradients in the fluid, such a temperature profile will not be associated with high evaporation rates, as implied by Poppendiek and Tribus. High evaporation is associated with appreciable wind and a resultant stirring or mixing of the upper part of the fluid. Hence the possibility of making large errors in water‐surface temperature measurements during periods of high evaporation rates are minimized. The results of the first three months of operation at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma City, Okla. [Anderson, Anderson, and Marciano, 1950] indicate that any error in evaporation computed from either the mass‐transfer or the energy‐budget equations due to errors in the measurement of the water‐surface temperature are insignificant when total evaporation over a 24‐hour period is considered.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2014

Report of the Committee on Land Erosion, 1950–1951

Activities of the Committee on Land Erosion, since the present Committee was appointed in September, 1950, have been confined mainly to correspondence among members as a means of becoming better acquainted and of deciding on a suitable program for consideration of the Committee Erosion being such a far-flung and complex phenomenon defies any small group to consider all of its many facets. It is obvious, therefore, that greatest practical results would be obtained if Committee activities were confined in the main to those investigations in which members are currently engaged. Colman and Sinclair state that one of their chief current interests is the study of possibilities for decreasing creep on steep mountain slopes in Southern California. They have reason to believe that a considerable part (the precise amount being unknown) of the debris issuing from the canyons starts its way to channels as dry sliding or other type of soil movement that takes place during the dry seasons although the actual damage occurs during wet periods. Initially they hope to obtain more information on channel accumulations and to learn more about where the material comes from and how and when it moves to the channel. With this information they expect to be in a better position to study means of decreasing debris movement. The importance of debris movement into the densely populated valleys of Southern California is of such an order that additional planning along these lines can be well justified.

California↗