Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Open Quaternary”

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 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
USGS1985

Reconnaissance geologic map of the Jizan Quadrangle, sheet 16/42 B, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Jizan quadrangle, bounded by lat 16°30’ and 17°00’ N. and long 42°30’ and 43°00’ E., is one of the southernmost quadrangles of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is named after Jizan, the largest city and principal port of the region, with about 30,000 inhabitants. Other significant towns and villages include Abu Arish, Al Madayah and Karbus, all linked to Jizan and adjoining quadrangles by paved roads. Most of the quadrangle is occupied by coastal plain bordering the Red Sea; one third is occupied by part of the Red Sea and the extreme northeast corner includes foothills of the Red Sea escarpment. The coastal plain, as much as 40 km wide, is covered by Quaternary surficial deposits overlying a sequence of Tertiary and Quaternary sedimentary rocks as much as 5 km thick. The only relief on the plain is provided by the Jizan salt dome, elevated about 50 m above sea level at Jizan city, and by small extinct volcanoes 100 to 150 m high near Abu Arish. The coastal plain is separated form islands, tidal mud flats and shallow lagoons. The sea is shallow, less than 200 m deep, and forms part of the shelf marginal to the main axial trough of the Red Sea. The high ground in the northeast of the quadrangle is formed by Jabal at Tirf, 452 m above sea level at its summit.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1977

Descriptions of pre-Quaternary samples, R/V Ellen B. Scripps, September 1976, Patton Ridge to Blake Knolls, California continental borderland

A sampling cruise under the joint sponsorship of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the U. S. Geological Survey was completed in early October 1976 as part of the Survey's resource and environmental studies on the California Continental Borderland. J. K. Crouch was Chief Scientist for the cruise aboard R/V ELLEN B. SCRIPPS. Samples were taken entirely by means of dart corers, and navigation for sample sites was done using the LORAC system supported by shipboard radar. Depths were corrected for sound-velocity variations in water (Matthews, 1939). In some instances, recorded depths in the table may not match bathymetric contours on published maps because of imprecise navigation on pre-1940 surveys.

California↗
USGS1999

Stratigraphic framework maps of the nearshore area of southern Long Island from Fire Island to Montauk Point, New York

The maps presented in this report (depth to Coastal Plain unconformity, Quaternary sediment thickness, paleochannel thickness, and modern sand thickness) are helpful for determining sand-resource availability for beach nourishment programs and understanding the influence that the inner-shelf framework of southern Long Island has on coastal processes and evolution. The maps showing structure of the Coastal Plain unconformity and thickness of overlying Quaternary sediment delineate the framework of the coastal region. The map showing the distribution and thickness of paleochannel fill indicates areas not suitable as sources for beach nourishment, assuming the channels contain muddy estuarine deposits. The areas between channels are Pleistocene glacial deposits and probably consist of coarse sediment that may be suitable for beach nourishment. These coarser-grained glacial deposits are the source for modern sand deposits. The modern sands have been reworked primarily from glacial deposits and a Cretaceous outcrop off Watch Hill. These reworked deposits provide well-sorted clean sand that have and will provide nourishment for southern Long Island beaches.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2017

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000 and a 22-percent population increase from 2000 to 2010 resulted in an increased demand for water in areas within the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout the basin were obtained solely from groundwater resources until December 2008, when the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) began treatment and distribution of surface water from the Rio Grande through the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. An initial network of wells was established by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque from April 1982 through September 1983 to monitor changes in groundwater levels throughout the Albuquerque Basin. In 1983, this network consisted of 6 wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water levels were measured monthly. The network currently (2017) consists of 122 wells and piezometers. (A piezometer is a specialized well open to a specific depth in the aquifer, often of small diameter and nested with other piezometers open to different depths.) The USGS, in cooperation with the ABCWUA and the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, currently (2017) measures and reports water levels from the 122 wells and piezometers in the network; this report presents water-level data collected by USGS personnel at those 122 sites through water years 2016 and 2017 (October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2017). Water levels that were collected from wells in previous water years were published in previous USGS reports.

New Mexico↗
USGS1999

Digital Geologic Map of the Nevada Test Site and Vicinity, Nye, Lincoln, and Clark Counties, Nevada, and Inyo County, California

This digital geologic map of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and vicinity, as well as its accompanying digital geophysical maps, are compiled at 1:100,000 scale. The map compilation presents new polygon (geologic map unit contacts), line (fault, fold axis, metamorphic isograd, dike, and caldera wall) and point (structural attitude) vector data for the NTS and vicinity, Nye, Lincoln, and Clark Counties, Nevada, and Inyo County, California. The map area covers two 30 x 60-minute quadrangles-the Pahute Mesa quadrangle to the north and the Beatty quadrangle to the south-plus a strip of 7.5-minute quadrangles on the east side-72 quadrangles in all. In addition to the NTS, the map area includes the rest of the southwest Nevada volcanic field, part of the Walker Lane, most of the Amargosa Desert, part of the Funeral and Grapevine Mountains, some of Death Valley, and the northern Spring Mountains. This geologic map improves on previous geologic mapping of the same area (Wahl and others, 1997) by providing new and updated Quaternary and bedrock geology, new geophysical interpretations of faults beneath the basins, and improved GIS coverages. Concurrent publications to this one include a new isostatic gravity map (Ponce and others, 1999) and a new aeromagnetic map (Ponce, 1999).

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2018

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000 and a 22-percent population increase from 2000 to 2010 resulted in an increased demand for water in areas within the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout the basin were obtained solely from groundwater resources until December 2008, when the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) began treatment and distribution of surface water from the Rio Grande through the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. An initial network of wells was established by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque from April 1982 through September 1983 to monitor changes in groundwater levels throughout the Albuquerque Basin. In 1983, this network consisted of 6 wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water levels were measured monthly. As of 2018, the network consisted of 120 wells and piezometers. (A piezometer is a specialized well open to a specific depth in the aquifer, often of small diameter and nested with other piezometers open to different depths.) The USGS, in cooperation with the ABCWUA, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, and Bernalillo County, measures water levels from the 120 wells and piezometers in the network; this report, prepared in cooperation with the ABCWUA, presents water-level data collected by USGS personnel at those 120 sites through water year 2018 (October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018). Water levels that were collected from wells in previous water years were published in previous USGS reports.

New Mexico↗
USGS2020

Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2019

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000 and a 22-percent population increase from 2000 to 2010 resulted in an increased demand for water in areas within the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout the basin were obtained solely from groundwater resources until December 2008, when the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) began treatment and distribution of surface water from the Rio Grande through the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. An initial network of wells was established by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque from April 1982 through September 1983 to monitor changes in groundwater levels throughout the Albuquerque Basin. In 1983, this network consisted of 6 wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water levels were measured monthly. As of 2019, the network consisted of 120 wells and piezometers. (A piezometer is a specialized well open to a specific depth in the aquifer, often of small diameter and nested with other piezometers screened at different depths.) The USGS, in cooperation with the ABCWUA, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, and Bernalillo County, measures water levels from the 120 wells and piezometers in the network; this report, prepared in cooperation with the ABCWUA, presents water-level data collected by USGS personnel at those 120 sites through water year 2019 (October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019). Water levels that were collected from those discontinued wells in previous water years were published in previous USGS reports.

New Mexico↗
USGS2021

Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2020

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000 and a 22-percent population increase from 2000 to 2010 resulted in an increased demand for water in areas within the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout the basin were obtained solely from groundwater resources until December 2008, when the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) began treatment and distribution of surface water from the Rio Grande through the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. An initial network of wells was established by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque from April 1982 through September 1983 to monitor changes in groundwater levels throughout the Albuquerque Basin. In 1983, this network consisted of 6 wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water levels were measured monthly. As of 2020, the network consisted of 120 wells and piezometers. A piezometer is a specialized well open to a specific depth in the aquifer, often of small diameter and nested with other piezometers screened at different depths. The USGS, in cooperation with the ABCWUA, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, and Bernalillo County, measures water levels from the wells and piezometers in the network; this report, prepared in cooperation with the ABCWUA, presents water-level data collected by USGS personnel at the sites through water year 2020 (October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020). Water levels that were collected from discontinued wells in previous water years were published in previous USGS reports.

New Mexico↗
USGS2016

Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2015

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. Drinking-water supplies throughout the basin were obtained solely from groundwater resources until December 2008, when the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) began treatment and distribution of surface water from the Rio Grande through the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000 and a 22-percent population increase from 2000 to 2010 may have resulted in an increased demand for water in areas within the basin. An initial network of wells was established by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque from April 1982 through September 1983 to monitor changes in groundwater levels throughout the Albuquerque Basin. In 1983, this network consisted of 6 wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water levels were measured monthly. The network currently (2015) consists of 124 wells and piezometers. (A piezometer is a specialized well open to a specific depth in the aquifer, often of small diameter and nested with other piezometers open to different depths.) The USGS, in cooperation with the ABCWUA, currently (2015) measures and reports water levels from the 124 wells and piezometers in the network; this report presents water-level data collected by USGS personnel at those 124 sites through water year 2015 (October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015).

New Mexico↗
USGS2011

A tunnel runs through it — An inside view of the Tualatin Mountains, Oregon

The Tualatin Mountains form a northwest-striking ridge about 350 m high that separates Portland, Oregon, from the cities of the Tualatin Valley to the west. Known informally as the Portland Hills, the ridge is a late Cenozoic anticline, bounded by reverse faults that dip toward the anticlinal axis. The anticline is a broad, open fold consisting chiefly of Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group, with remnants of Miocene-Pliocene Troutdale Formation and Pleistocene basalt of the Boring Volcanic Field on the flanks of the anticline. Anticlinal structures similar to the Tualatin Mountains are characteristic of the northern Willamette Valley, where the structures accommodate margin-parallel shortening of the Cascadia fore arc. Global Positioning System (GPS) results indicate that the shortening is due to the northward motion of Oregon at several millimeters per year with respect to stable North America. Some of the uplifts may contain active faults, but the structures are poorly exposed and are overlain by thick Pleistocene loess and Missoula flood deposits. Between 1993 and 1998, construction of the 3-mile-long (4500-m-long) TriMet MAX Light Rail tunnel through the Tualatin Mountains provided an unusual opportunity to investigate the geological structure and history of the Tualatin Mountains. This report is a collaborative effort among the tunnel geologists and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to document the geologic story and quantify late Cenozoic and Quaternary deformation rates of the Tualatin Mountains.

Oregon↗
USGS2013

Geochemistry of soils from the San Rafael Valley, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

This study was conducted to determine whether surficial geochemical methods can be used to identify subsurface mineraldeposits covered by alluvium derived from surrounding areas. The geochemical investigation focused on an anomalous geo-physical magnetic high located in the San Rafael Valley in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The magnetic high, inferred to be asso-ciated with a buried granite intrusion, occurs beneath Quaternary alluvial and terrace deposits. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 10 to 30 centimeters below land surface along transects that traverse the inferred granite. The samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and by the partial-leach Mobile Metal Ion™ method. Principal component and factor analyses showed a strong correlation between the soils and source rocks hosting base-metal replacement deposits in the Harshaw and Patagonia Mining Districts. Factor analysis also indicated areas of high metal concentrations associated with the Meadow Valley Flat. Although no definitive geochemical signature was identified for the inferred granite, concentrations otungsten and iron in the surrounding area were slightly elevated.

Arizona↗
USGS2011

Sea-level history of the past two interglacial periods: New evidence from U-series dating of reef corals from south Florida

As a future warm-climate analog, much attention has been directed to studies of the Last Interglacial period or marine isotope substage (MIS) 5.5, which occurred ∼120,000 years ago. Nevertheless, there are still uncertainties with respect to its duration, warmth and magnitude of sea-level rise. Here we present new data from tectonically stable peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys that provide estimates of the timing and magnitude of sea-level rise during the Last Interglacial period. The Last Interglacial high sea stand in south Florida is recorded by the Key Largo Limestone, a fossil reef complex, and the Miami Limestone, an oolitic marine sediment. Thirty-five new, high-precision, uranium-series ages of fossil corals from the Key Largo Limestone indicate that sea level was significantly above present for at least 9000 years during the Last Interglacial period, and possibly longer. Ooids from the Miami Limestone show open-system histories with respect to U-series dating, but show a clear linear trend toward an age of ∼120 ka, correlating this unit with the Last Interglacial corals of the Key Largo Limestone. Older fossil reefs at three localities in the Florida Keys have ages of ∼200 ka and probably correlate to MIS 7. These reefs imply sea level near or slightly above present during the penultimate interglacial period. Elevation measurements of both the Key Largo Limestone and the Miami Limestone indicate that local (relative) sea level was at least 6.6 m, and possibly as much as 8.3 m higher than present during the Last Interglacial period.

Florida↗
USGS2017

Late Stage 5 Glacio-isostatic Sea in the St. Lawrence Valley, Canada and United States

Although post-glacial marine sediments of late Wisconsinan and early Holocene age are common in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, remnants of older Pleistocene marine sediments are scarce. A fossiliferous marine clay that predates the classical Wisconsinan was recently discovered in the St. Lawrence Valley. A dominantly estuarine environment is inferred from the geochemistry of the shells (??18O = -7.1) and from benthic foraminifer and ostracode assemblages. The clay indicates a marine invasion (Cartier Sea) shallower and probably shorter than that during the upper late Wisconsinan Champlain Sea episode (12,000-9,500 yr B.P.). The pollen content shows that regional vegetation during the marine episode began as open tundra, then became a Betula and Alnus crispa forest, reached a climatic optimum with Quercus, Corylus, and Abies, and concluded as a Pinus/Picea boreal forest. A corrected infrared stimulated luminescence age of 98,000 ?? 9000 yr is compatible with the epimerization ratio of shells. The Cartier Sea resulted from a post-glacial glacio-isostatic marine invasion in the St. Lawrence lowlands. It probably occurred during late stage 5 and is tentatively assigned to the transition of oxygen isotope substages 5b/5a. This marine episode dates to stage 5 of the preceding continental glacier which extended to middle latitudes in NE America. ?? 1996 University of Washington.

Quaternary Research↗
USGS1994

Neogene and Quaternary foraminifera and paleoenvironments of a corehole from Horn Island, Mississippi

The only semipermanent surface water available on the Southern High Plains plateau of Texas and New Mexico is contained in saline lakes and in the playa lakes that form in shallow depressions, called playa basins, following heavy rainfall. The playas generally are accepted as the main source of recharge to the underlying High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer of the region, and they constitute the major wildlife habitat on the Southern High Plains. Their use as water sources, holding ponds, and waste-disposal sites by agricultural and industrial operations may potentially lead to ground-water contamination and habitat degradation. Therefore, playa lakes will play an essential role in the collection of surface-water quality and ecological data for the Southern High Plains study unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment program of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2003

Geology of Badlands National Park: A preliminary report

Badlands National Park is host to perhaps the most scenic geology and landscape features in the Western Interior region of the United States. Ongoing erosion that forms the "badlands" exposes ancient sedimentary strata of Late Cretaceous through Oligocene age. Quaternary erosional and depositional processes are responsible for most of the modern landscape features in the park and surrounding region. This report provides a basic overview of the park geology The discussions presented within include both well-established concepts and theories and new, preliminary data and interpretations. Much emphasis is placed on presenting information about the oldest and least studied rocks in the park (particularly the Late Cretaceous and earliest Tertiary deposits that underlie the White River beds throughout the park region). Rock formations and selected fossils they contain are described. Faults, folds, unconformities, and other geologic structures in the North Unit of the park are illustrated, including features associated with the Sage Creek anticline and fault system.

South Dakota↗
USGS2001

Thickness and geometry of Cenozoic deposits in California Wash area, Nevada, based on gravity and seismic-reflection data

Gravity and seismic-reflection data provide insights into the subsurface stratigraphy and structure of the California Wash area of southern Nevada. This area is part of the Lower Colorado flow system and stratigraphic and structural data are important inputs into developing the hydrogeologic framework. These data indicate that the basin beneath California Wash reaches depths of 2-3 km. The eastern margin of the basin coincides with a system of young (Quaternary and late Tertiary) faults, although both seismic and gravity data indicate that the major basin-bounding fault is 2-3 km west of the mapped young faults. Dry Lake Valley, the adjacent valley to the west, is characterized by thinner basin fill. The basin configuration beneath both California Wash and Dry Lake Valleys based on the inversion of gravity data is unconstrained because of the lack of gravity stations north of 36030?. Broad aeromagnetic anomalies beneath pre-Cenozoic basement in the Muddy Mountains and Arrow Canyon Range reflect Precambrian basement at depths of ~ 5 km. These rocks are probably barriers to ground-water flow,except where fractured.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2006

High-resolution chirp seismic reflection data acquired from the Cap de Creus shelf and canyon area, Gulf of Lions, Spain in 2004

Seismic reflection data were collected from the Cap de Creus shelf and canyon in the southwest portion of the Gulf of Lions in October 2004. The data were acquired using the U.S. Geological Survey`s (USGS) high-resolution Edgetech CHIRP 512i seismic reflection system aboard the R/V Oceanus. Data from the shipboard 3.5 kHz echosounder were also collected but are not presented here. The seismic reflection data were collected as part of EuroSTRATAFORM funded by the Office of Naval Research. In October 2004, more than 200 km of high resolution seismic reflection data were collected in water depths ranging 30 m - 600 m. All data were recorded with a Delph Seismic PC-based digital recording system and processed with Delph Seismic software. Processed sections were georeferenced into tiff images for digital archive, processing and display. Penetration ranged 20-80 m. The data feature high quality vertical cross-section imagery of numerous sequences of Quaternary seismic stratigraphy. The report includes trackline maps showing the location of the data, as well as both digital data files (SEG-Y) and images of all of the profiles. The data are of high quality and provide new information on the location and thickness of sediment deposits overlying a major erosion surface on the Cap de Creus shelf; they also provide new insight into sediment processes on the walls and in the channel of Cap de Creus Canyon. These data are under study by researchers at the US Geological Survey, the University of Barcelona, and Texas A and M University. Copies of the data are available to all researchers.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1960

Thickness, character, and structure of upper Permian evaporites in part of Eddy County, New Mexico

Between Project Gnome site and the International Minerals and Chemical. Corporation's plant site, in central eastern Eddy County, N. Mex., unconsolidated deposits of Quaternary age and redbeds of Triassic age attain a thickness of about 700 feet, and rest unconformably on evaporites of late Permian age. The upper Permiau evaporites are 3,000 to 3,800 feet thick, and they are divided, in descending order, into the Rustler, Salado, and Castile formations. The Rustler is largely gypsum rock, the Salado is dominantly halite rock, and the Castile contains both anhydrite rock and halite rock. The salt and anhydrite beds of the Salado and Castile are intruded by narrow dikes of alkalic rock along which the evaporites are little altered. The sedimentary rocks have a generally southeastward regional dip, but locally are warped in gentle folds of low amplitude and fairly small lateral dimensions.

Open-File Report↗