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A summary of the mineral resources of the proposed Great Bear wilderness, Flathead, Teton, and Pondera counties, Montana

The proposed Great Bear wilderness has a good potential for oil and gas (mainly gas), and a moderate potential for submarginal resources of copper and silver in a belt 25 miles (40 km) long and about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide that is partly within the study area along the western boundary. The eastern part of the area may contain small submarginal resources of coal. Sand and gravel, dimension stone, and high calcium limestone are in the area, but they occur in abundance in more accessible areas elsewhere in northwest Montana. The potential for geothermal resources is nil. A mineral survey of the proposed Great Bear wilderness was made in 1974 and 1976. The work by the U.S. Geological Survey consisted of geologic mapping, and geochemical and geophysical surveys. The U.S. Bureau of Mines made a courthouse search for mining claims, and sampled and mapped prospects.

Montana

Characterization of the Sevier/Toroweap Fault Zone in Kane County, Utah, using controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) surveys

The Sevier/Toroweap Fault Zone is a major north-south-striking fault located in northern Arizona and southwestern Utah. In partnership with the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted two geophysical controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) surveys that transected the Sevier/Toroweap Fault Zone at Clay Flat, Utah, a potential pull-apart basin, west of a site of proposed groundwater pumping to evaluate the subsurface hydrogeology. The goal of the surveys was to enhance understanding of the interconnectedness of the Navajo aquifer, the region’s primary groundwater source, across two groundwater basins to the east and west of the fault zone, Water Rights Area (WRA) 81 and WRA 85. In the Kane County, Utah, area, the Sevier/Toroweap Fault Zone consists of the Sevier section (to the north) and the northern Toroweap section (to the south). Two survey lines totaling 7 kilometers of CSAMT survey data were collected. The CSAMT survey line SV1 transected both the Sevier section and the northern Toroweap section of the fault zone; survey line SV2 transected only the Sevier section. Although offset of the Navajo Sandstone, the main component of the Navajo aquifer, by the Sevier/Toroweap Fault Zone is generally accepted as the geologic reason that the Navajo aquifer is disconnected in the study area, results of the CSAMT surveys suggest that vertical offset of the Navajo Sandstone of the Glen Canyon Group across the Sevier/Toroweap Fault Zone is insufficient to completely disconnect the aquifer in the study area. The effects of faulting on groundwater north and south of the study area, where offset of water-bearing layers may be greater, requires further study. A clearer understanding of groundwater movement across the Sevier /Toroweap Fault Zone will aid water-resource managers in making informed decisions concerning groundwater rights.

Utah

Calculated gravity anomaly produced by possible fault under line 27-48

The seismograph data from Line 27-48 of Party 47 indicates the possibility of a high angle fault win a displacement of roughly 1,000 feet under South Barrow Test Well No. 2. This fault vas discussed in E. Wiancko's report for United Geophysical Company entitled "Report of Reflection Seismograph Survey in the Barrow Area During 1948". Mr. Delta. and Mr. English recently expressed a desire to know the magnitude of the calculated gravity anomaly produced by this probable fault. Their purpose was to determine the feasibility of proving and locating this fault, if exists, by several traverses with the gravimeter. As interpreted in Wiancko's report, the fault is nearly east-west in strike and is a reverse fault with the up-thrust block on the north side. The assumptions made for the calculation of the theoretical anomaly were that the density of the basement rock was 2.7, the density of the overlying rocks was 2.2 and the fault itself was taken directly from Plate I, Drawing No. 2044, of Wiancko's report, simplified, and reduced by a factor of 2. The calculated anomaly is shown in Fig. 1. A polar chart similar to the type described on pages 153-154 of Heiland's "Geophysical Exploration" was used in computing the value of the anomaly. It was assumed that the feature is two-dimensional. Broken lines indicate values of limited accuracy. It should be mentioned here that Mr. Roland Henderson and Mr. Isidore Zietz of the Section of Geophysics of the Geological Survey carried out the calculations and plotted Fig. 1.

Alaska

Investigations of groundwater system and simulation of regional groundwater flow for North Penn Area 7 Superfund site, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Groundwater in the vicinity of several industrial facilities in Upper Gwynedd Township and vicinity, Montgomery County, in southeast Pennsylvania has been shown to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the most common of which is the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE). The 2-square-mile area was placed on the National Priorities List as the North Penn Area 7 Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1989. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical logging, aquifer testing, and water-level monitoring, and measured streamflows in and near North Penn Area 7 from fall 2000 through fall 2006 in a technical assistance study for the USEPA to develop an understanding of the hydrogeologic framework in the area as part of the USEPA Remedial Investigation. In addition, the USGS developed a groundwater-flow computer model based on the hydrogeologic framework to simulate regional groundwater flow and to estimate directions of groundwater flow and pathways of groundwater contaminants. The study area is underlain by Triassic- and Jurassic-age sandstones and shales of the Lockatong Formation and Brunswick Group in the Mesozoic Newark Basin. Regionally, these rocks strike northeast and dip to the northwest. The sequence of rocks form a fractured-sedimentary-rock aquifer that acts as a set of confined to partially confined layers of differing permeabilities. Depth to competent bedrock typically is less than 20 ft below land surface. The aquifer layers are recharged locally by precipitation and discharge locally to streams. The general configuration of the potentiometric surface in the aquifer is similar to topography, except in areas affected by pumping. The headwaters of Wissahickon Creek are nearby, and the stream flows southwest, parallel to strike, to bisect North Penn Area 7. Groundwater is pumped in the vicinity of North Penn Area 7 for industrial use, public supply, and residential supply. Results of field investigations by USGS at the site and results from other studies support, and are consistent with, a conceptual model of a layered leaky aquifer where the dip of the beds has a strong control on hydraulic connections in the groundwater system. Connections within and (or) parallel to bedding tend to be greater than across bedding. Transmissivities of aquifer intervals isolated by packers ranged over three orders of magnitude [from about 2.8 to 2,290 square feet per day (ft 2 /d) or 0.26 to 213 square meters per day (m 2 /d)], did not appear to differ much by mapped geologic unit, but showed some relation to depth being relatively smaller in the shallowest and deepest intervals (0 to 50 ft and more than 250 ft below land surface, respectively) compared to the intermediate depth intervals (50 to 250 ft below land surface) tested. Transmissivities estimated from multiple-observation well aquifer tests ranged from about 700 to 2,300 ft 2 /d (65 to 214 m 2 /d). Results of chemical analyses of water from isolated intervals or monitoring wells open to short sections of the aquifer show vertical differences in concentrations; chloride and silica concentrations generally were greater in shallow intervals than in deeper intervals. Chloride concentrations greater than 100 milligrams per liter (mg/L), combined with distinctive chloride/bromide ratios, indicate a different source of chloride in the western part of North Penn Area 7 than elsewhere in the site. Groundwater flow at a regional scale under steady-state conditions was simulated by use of a numerical model (MODFLOW-2000) for North Penn Area 7 with different layers representing saprolite/highly weathered rock near the surface and unweathered competent bedrock. The sedimentary formations that underlie the study area were modeled using dipping model layers for intermediate and deep zones of unweathered, fractured rock. Horizontal cell model size was 100 meters (m) by 100 meters (328 ft by 328 ft), and model layer thickness ranged from 6 m (19.7 ft) representing shallow weathered rock and saprolite up to 200 m (656 ft) representing deeper dipping bedrock. The model did not include detailed structure to account for local-scale differences in hydraulic properties, with the result that local-scale groundwater flow may not be well simulated. Additional detailed multi-well aquifer tests would be needed to establish the extent of interconnection between intervals at the local scale to address remediation of contamination at each source area. This regional groundwater-flow model was calibrated against measured groundwater levels (1996, 2000, and 2005) and base flow estimated from selected streamflow measurements by use of nonlinear-regression parameter-estimation algorithms to determine hydraulic conductivity and anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity, streambed hydraulic conductivity, and recharge during calibration periods. Results of the simulation using the calibrated regional model indicate that the aquifer appears to be anisotropic where hydraulic conductivity is greatest parallel to the orientation of bedding of the formations underlying the area and least in the cross-bed direction. The maximum hydraulic conductivity is aligned with the average regional strike of the formations, which is “subhorizontal” in the model because the altitudes of the beds and model cells vary in the strike, as well as dip, direction. Estimated subhorizontal hydraulic conductivities (in strike direction parallel to dipping beds) range from 0.001 to 1.67 meters per day (0.0032 to 5.5 feet per day). The ratio of minimum (dip direction) to maximum (strike direction) subhorizontal hydraulic conductivity ranges from 1/3.1 to 1/8.6, and the ratio of vertical to horizontal hydraulic conductivity ranges from 1/1 to 1/478. However, limited available field data precluded rigorous calibration of vertical anisotropy in the model. Estimated recharge rates corresponding to calibration periods in 1996, 2000, and 2005 are 150, 109, and 124 millimeters per year (5.9, 4.3, and 4.9 inches per year), respectively. The calibrated groundwater-flow model was used to simulate groundwater flow under steady-state conditions during periods of relatively high withdrawals (pumpage) (1990) and relatively low withdrawals (2000 and 2005). Groundwater-flow paths originating from recharge areas near known areas of soil contamination (sources) were simulated. Pumped industrial and production wells captured more groundwater from several of these sources during 1990 than after 1990 when pumping declined or ceased and greater amounts of contaminated groundwater moved away from North Penn Area 7 Superfund site to surrounding areas. Uncertainty in simulated groundwater-flow paths from contaminant sources and contributing areas, resulting from uncertainty in estimated hydraulic properties of the model, was illustrated through Monte Carlo simulations. The effect of uncertainty in the vertical anisotropy was not included in the Monte Carlo simulations. Contributing areas indicating the general configuration of groundwater flow towards production well MG-202 (L-22) in the study area also were simulated for the different time periods; as simulated, the flow paths do not pass through any identified contaminant source in North Penn Area 7. However, contributing areas to wells, such as MG-202, located near many pumped wells are particularly complex and, in some cases, include areas that contribute flow to streams that subsequently recharge the aquifer through stream loss. In these cases, water-quality constituents, including contaminants that are present in surface water may be drawn into the aquifer to nearby pumped wells. Results of a simulated shutdown of well MG-202 under steady-state 2005 conditions showed that the area contributing recharge for nearby production well MG-76 (L-17), when MG-202 is not pumping, shifts downstream and is similar to the area contributing recharge for MG-202 when both wells are pumping. Concentrations of constituents in groundwater samples collected in fall 2005 or spring 2006 were compared to simulated groundwater-flow paths for the year 2005 to provide a qualitative assessment of model results. The observed spatial distribution of selected constituents, including TCE, CFC-11, and CFC-113 in groundwater in 2005 and the chloride/bromide mass ratios in 2006, generally were consistent with the model results of the simulated 2005 groundwater-flow paths at North Penn Area 7, indicating the presence of several separate sources of contaminants within North Penn Area 7.

Pennsylvania

The US Geological Survey’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)—Providing framework geologic, geophysical, and elevation data to the nation’s critical mineral-bearing regions

New detailed mapping of the geologic resources of the Nation has the potential to significantly close the gap in the essential data needed to fuel a modern era of economic development and technological innovation, while at the same time dramatically enhancing our understanding of the fundamental way geology impacts everyday life, from the domestic critical mineral resources that are necessary for modern technology and the economy, to domestic energy and water resources, geologic hazards, agriculture, and other pressing needs. The U.S. Geological Survey established the Earth Resources Mapping Initiative (Earth MRI) to address the shortfall in geologic, geophysical, and elevation data with sufficient detail to support evaluation of regions in the United States that have potential to host critical mineral resources. The new effort is a collaboration with the Association of American State Geologists, who are providing new detailed geologic maps and making available online archived data and information related to critical mineral resources. The geophysical and lidar surveys are being contracted through industry specialists to assure that high-quality data are available to the public. This article provides an overview of the Earth MRI effort with discussions on the initial geophysical surveys funded for areas that have known potential for rare earth element resources. Subsequent projects are being designed to address areas that may host other critical mineral resources.

Fast Times

Archive of digital boomer and CHIRP seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 08LCA03 in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, May 2008

In May of 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical surveys in Lake Panasoffkee, located in central Florida, as part of the USGS Lakes and Coastal Aquifers (LCA) study. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer and Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIRP)* seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Filtered and gained (a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles and geospatially corrected interactive profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. *Due to poor data acquisition conditions associated with the lake bottom sediments, only two CHIRP tracklines were collected during this field activity. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and others, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Example SU processing scripts and USGS software for viewing the SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are provided. The USGS Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) - St. Petersburg assigns a unique identifier to each cruise or field activity. For example, 08LCA03 tells us the data were collected in 2008 for the Lakes and Coastal Aquifers (LCA) study and the data were collected during the third field activity for that study in that calendar year. Refer to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/definition/activity.html for a detailed description of the method used to assign the field activity ID. The naming convention used for each seismic line is as follows: yye##a, where 'yy' are the last two digits of the year in which the data were collected, 'e' is a 1-letter abbreviation for the equipment type (for example, b for boomer and c for CHIRP), '##' is a 2-digit number representing a specific track, and 'a' is a letter representing the section of a line if recording was prematurely terminated or rerun for quality or acquisition problems. The boomer plate is an acoustic energy source that consists of capacitors charged to a high voltage and discharged through a transducer in the water. The transducer is towed on a sled floating on the water surface and, when discharged, emits a short acoustic pulse, or shot, which propagates through the water, sediment column, or rock beneath. The acoustic energy is reflected at density boundaries (such as the seafloor, sediment, or rock layers beneath the seafloor), detected by the receiver, and recorded by a PC-based seismic acquisition system. This process is repeated at timed intervals (for example, 0.5 s) and recorded for specific intervals of time (for example, 100 ms). In this way, a two-dimensional (2-D) vertical profile of the shallow geologic structure beneath the ship track is produced. Figure 1 displays the boomer acquisition geometry. The EdgeTech SB-424 CHIRP system used for this survey has a vertical resolution of 4 - 8 cm, a penetration depth that is usually less than 2 m beneath the seafloor, and uses a signal of continuously varying frequency. The towfish is a sound source and receiver, which is typically towed 2 - 5 m above the seafloor. The acoustic energy is reflected at density boundaries (such as the seafloor or sediment layers beneath the seafloor), detected by a receiver, and recorded by a PC-based seismic acquisition system. This process is repeated at timed intervals (for example, 0.125 s) and recorded for specific intervals of time (for example, 50 ms); the resulting profile is a two-dimensional vertical image of the shallow geologic structure beneath the ship track. Figure 2 displays the acquisition geometry for the CHIRP system. Refer to table 1 for a summary of acquisition parameters and table 2 for trackline statistics.

Florida

Feasibility study for an airborne geophysical survey of the Republic of Liberia

A feasibility study for an airborne geophysical survey of the Republic of Liberia indicates that airborne magnetometer and airborne scintillation detector surveys would be useful 1) in providing support for the current geologic mapping program, 2) as a guide in locating concentrations of economic minerals, and 3) delimiting the extent of known mineral deposits. Preliminary study of earlier airborne magnetometer surveys covering several iron ore localities shows that future geophysical surveys should be flown at a slightly closer flight-line spacing, and that the iron ore localities are characterized by anomalies interpreted as being produced by rocks having a strong anomalous remanent magnetization. In areas of the United States and Canada underlain by crystalline rock types similar to those found in Liberia, airborne geophysical surveys have been successful in locating additional buried economic mineral deposits, in extending known economic mineral deposits, and in contributing useful information to geologic mapping programs, especially in areas overlain by thick glacial deposits or by weathered rock. Some problems regarding the availability of accurate base maps for Liberia, combined with the inherent complex relationships that exist between a rock's geological properties and its magnetization, are briefly reviewed. The importance of obtaining a meaningful geologic interpretation of the geophysical data and coordinating the geophysical survey with the geological mapping program is stressed. Specifications and tolerances for the proposed airborne magnetometer and scintillometer survey of the Republic of Liberia are outlined.

Open-File Report

Investigation of the potential for concealed base-metal mineralization at the Drenchwater Creek Zn-Pb-Ag occurrence, northern Alaska, using geology, reconnaissance geochemistry, and airborne electromagnetic geophysics

In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and State of Alaska cooperated on an investigation of the mineral potential of a southern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, Howard Pass quadrangle, to provide background information for future land-use decisions. The investigation incorporated an airborne electromagnetic (EM) survey covering 1,500 mi 2 (~3,900 km 2 ), including flight lines directly over the Drenchwater Creek sediment-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag occurrence, the largest known base-metal occurrence in the survey area. Samples from the mineralized outcrop and rubblecrop contain metal concentrations that can exceed 11 percent Zn+Pb, with appreciable amounts of Ag. Soil samples with anomalous Pb concentrations are distributed near the sulfide-bearing outcrops and along a >2.5 km zone comprising mudstone, shale, and volcanic rocks of the Kuna Formation. No drilling has taken place at the Drenchwater occurrence, so alternative data sources (for example, geophysics) are especially important in assessing possible indicators of mineralization. Data from the 2005 electromagnetic survey define the geophysical character of the rocks at Drenchwater and, in combination with geological and surface-geochemical data, can aid in assessing the possible shallow (up to about 50 m), subsurface lateral extent of base-metal sulfide accumulations at Drenchwater. A distinct >3-km-long electromagnetic conductive zone (observed in apparent resistivity maps) coincides with, and extends further westward than, mineralized shale outcrops and soils anomalously high in Pb concentrations within the Kuna Formation; this conductive zone may indicate sulfide-rich rock. Models of electrical resistivity with depth, generated from inversion of electromagnetic data, which provide alongflight-line conductivity-depth profiles to between 25 and 50 m below ground surface, show that the shallow subsurface conductive zone occurs in areas of known mineralized outcrops and thins to the east. Broader, more conductive rock along the western ~1 km of the geophysical anomaly does not reach ground surface. These data suggest that the Drenchwater deposit is more extensive than previously thought. The application of inversion modeling also was applied to another smaller geochemical anomaly in the Twistem Creek area. The results are inconclusive, but they suggest that there may be a local conductive zone, possibly due to sulfides.

Professional Paper

Goat paddock cryptoexplosion crater, Western Australia

Goat Paddock, a crater slightly over 5 km in diameter (18??20??? S, 126??40???E), lies at the north edge of the King Leopold Range/Mueller Range junction in the Kimberley district, Western Australia (Fig. 1). It was noted as a geological anomaly in 1964 during regional mapping by the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics and the Geological Survey of Western Australia. The possibility of its being a meteorite impact crater has been discussed1, although this suggestion was subsequently ignored2. Two holes were drilled by a mining corporation in 1972 to test whether kimberlite underlay the structure. Here we report the findings of five days of reconnaissance in August 1979 which established that Goat Paddock is a cryptoexplosion crater containing shocked rocks and an unusually well exposed set of structural features. ?? 1980 Nature Publishing Group.

Nature

Multiscale hyperspectral imaging of hydrothermal alteration in Yellowstone National Park, USA

Imaging spectroscopy (hyperspectral imaging) data have mainly been used to map surface materials covering relatively small areas from airborne sensors over the past 20+ years. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey Integrated hyperspectral, geophysical and geochemical studies of Yellowstone National Park hydrothermal systems project, we have collected multiscale imaging spectrometer data including borehole core, field, and airborne data. These data give us the unique opportunity to map subsurface and surface alteration of shallow epithermal systems at scales ranging from microns to meters per pixel. Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), Corescan HCI-3, HySpex VNIR-1800 and SWIR-384 imaging spectrometers, and a Riegl VZ-2000i terrestrial lidar system were used in this study. Maps utilizing spectral analysis of multiscale hyperspectral data indicate the presence of mineral assemblages consistent with epithermal deposits. Minerals such as alunite, hydrated silica, and kaolinite typically form in steam-heated cap systems and can be found in core and AVIRIS data. At depth, higher temperature fluids that are less acidic produce mixed-layer kaolinite with clay/muscovite and then montmorillonite and muscovite towards the bottom of the borehole. This transition can be seen in AVIRIS and field data at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and in borehole Corescan data at Y-12 Norris-Ii R874. Instrument specifications, collection parameters, and setup for data acquisition will be discussed as well as mapping software and preliminary results.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Holocene fault reactivation in the eastern Cascades, Washington

Significant uncertainty remains concerning how and where crustal shortening occurs throughout the eastern Cascade Range in Washington State. Using light detection and ranging (lidar) imagery, we identified an ∼ 5 ‐ km ‐ long "> ∼5‐km‐long lineament in Swakane canyon near Wenatchee, roughly coincident with a strand of the Entiat fault. Topographic profiles across the lineament reveal a southwest‐side‐up break in slope, with an average of 2–3 m of vertical separation of the hillslope surface. We consider a range of possible origins for this feature, including differential erosion across a fault‐line scarp, slope failure (sackung or landslide), and surface deformation across an active fault strand. Based on trenching, radiocarbon and luminescence dating, and ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) across the lineament, we conclude that warped saprolite observed in the shallow subsurface is most consistent with southwest‐side‐up folding caused by blind reverse faulting at depth. Following this reasoning, dating of overlying colluvial deposits suggests that at least one Holocene earthquake occurred on this strand of the southern Entiat fault, with an approximate vertical separation of ≥ 1    m "> m ≥1 m . GPR reveals up to 4 m of cumulative vertical separation of the saprolite, suggesting a history of multiple earthquakes on the structure. Taken in context with other potential fault‐related lineaments along the Entiat fault, our interpretation of Holocene earthquakes in Swakane canyon could suggest reactivation of longer sections of the Entiat fault, as well as of other bedrock faults in the eastern Cascades. Although active erosion and slow strain rates lead to a subdued geomorphic expression of recent deformation, we conclude that the reactivated Entiat fault represents a seismogenic structure that should be considered in regional seismic hazard analyses. The difficulty of recognizing low‐slip‐rate structures in forested and mountainous terrain underscores the importance of additional lidar surveys and geological and geophysical studies for fully understanding seismic hazard in regions with infrequent but potentially large earthquakes.

Washington

Archive of digital boomer seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 04SGI01 in the Withlacoochee River of West-Central Florida, March 2004

In March of 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical survey in the Withlacoochee River of west-central Florida. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, GIS information, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, observer's logbook, and FGDC metadata. Filtered and gained digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansion of all acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and others, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Example SU processing scripts and USGS software for viewing the SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided.

Florida

Archive of digital CHIRP seismic reflection data collected during USGS cruise 06SCC01 offshore of Isles Dernieres, Louisiana, June 2006

In June of 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical survey offshore of Isles Dernieres, Louisiana. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital CHIRP seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, GIS information, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, observer's logbook, and formal FGDC metadata. Gained digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and others, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic UNIX (SU). Example SU processing scripts and USGS software for viewing the SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided.

Louisiana

Archive of digital CHIRP seismic reflection data collected during USGS Cruise 06SCC03 offshore of Cheniere Caminada, Louisiana, July 2006

In July of 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical survey offshore of Cheniere Caminada, Louisiana. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital CHIRP seismic reflection data, trackline maps, navigation files, GIS information, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, observer's logbook, and formal FGDC metadata. Gained digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry and others, 1975) and may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU). Example SU processing scripts and USGS software for viewing the SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992) are also provided.

Louisiana

Archive of Digital Boomer Sub-bottom Data Collected During USGS Field Activities 97LCA01, 97LCA02, and 97LCA03, West-Central and East Coast Florida, February through July 1997

From February through July of 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical surveys of several Florida water bodies as part of the USGS Lakes and Coastal Aquifers (LCA) study. These areas include Lakes Dosson, Halfmoon and Round in west-central Florida and Sebastian Inlet and Indian River Lagoon on the east coast of the State. Field activity 97LCA01 was conducted in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), and field activities 97LCA02 and 97LCA03 were conducted in cooperation with the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital boomer sub-bottom data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, observer's logbook, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Filtered and gained (showing a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansions of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report.

Data Series

Maps showing mineral resource potential of the Virgin Mountains Instant Study Area, Clark County, Nevada

The Virgin Mountains Instant Study Area contains about 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) in southeastern Nevada. In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (P.L. 94-579), the U.S. Bureau of Mines examined mines, prospects, and mineralized zones, and the U.S. Geological Survey made regional geologic, geophysical, and geochemical investigations. Tungsten and sheet mica have been produced from the study area, and oil and gas lease applications have been filed on 20,300 acres (8,200 ha). Sixteen mining claims are presently held.

Nevada

Archive of Boomer and Chirp Seismic Reflection Data Collected During USGS Cruise 01RCE02, Southern Louisiana, April and May 2001

In April and May of 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical study of the Mississippi River Delta, Atchafalaya River Delta, and Shell Island Pass in southern Louisiana. This study was part of a larger USGS River Contaminant Evaluation (RCE) Project. This disc serves as an archive of unprocessed digital seismic reflection data, trackline navigation files, shotpoint navigation maps, observers' logbooks, GIS information, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. In addition, a filtered and gained digital GIF-formatted image of each seismic profile is provided. For your convenience, a list of acronyms and abbreviations frequently used in this report has also been provided. This DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) document is readable on any computing platform that has standard DVD driver software installed. Documentation on this DVD was produced using Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) utilized by the World Wide Web (WWW) and allows the user to access the information by using a web browser (i.e. Netscape or Internet Explorer). To access the information contained on this disc, open the file 'index.htm' located at the top level of the disc using your web browser. This report also contains WWW links to USGS collaborators and other agencies. These links are only accessible if access to the internet is available while viewing the DVD. The archived boomer and chirp seismic reflection data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y format (Barry et al., 1975) and may be downloaded for processing with public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU), currently located at http://www.cwp.mines.edu/cwpcodes. Examples of SU processing scripts are provided in the boom.tar and chirp.tar files located in the SU subfolder of the SOFTWARE folder located at the top level of this DVD. In-house (USGS) DOS and Microsoft Windows compatible software for viewing SEG-Y headers - DUMPSEGY.EXE (Zilhman, 1992) - is provided in the USGS subfolder of the SOFTWARE folder. Processed profile images, shotpoint navigation maps, logbooks, and formal metadata may be viewed with your web browser.

Open-File Report

Continuous resistivity profiling and seismic-reflection data collected in 2006 from the Potomac River Estuary, Virginia and Maryland

In 2006 the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a geophysical survey on the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River Estuary in order to test hypotheses about groundwater flow under and into Chesapeake Bay. Resource managers are concerned about nutrients that are entering the estuary via submarine groundwater discharge and are contributing to eutrophication. The research carried out as part of this study was designed to help refine nutrient budgets for Chesapeake Bay by characterizing submarine groundwater flow and groundwater discharge beneath part of the bay?s mainstem and a major tributary, the Potomac River Estuary. The data collected indicate that plumes of reduced-salinity groundwater are commonly present along the shorelines of Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River Estuary. Data also show that buried paleochannels generally do not serve as conduits for flow of groundwater from land to underneath the bay and estuary but rather may focus discharge of reduced-salinity water along their flanks, and provide routes for migration of saltwater into the sediments.

Open-File Report