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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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USGS2021

Permafrost characterization and feature identification using public domain airborne electromagnetic data, interior Alaska

The Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data are an excellent resource for permafrost characterization. AEM data can be used for pingo identification, estimating permafrost thickness, estimating surface talik thickness, evaluating permafrost health (temperature), talik identification and more. Data examples are shown from discontinuous permafrost areas just north of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Interpretations are made from 2D and 3D resistivity models created from 1D inversions of the Goldstream Valley AEM survey data (Emond, 2018a).

Alaska↗

USGS1975

Notes on the origin of Colluma Crater, Bolivia

Colluma Crater, on the semiarid Altiplano (high plain) of western Bolivia, is an oval structure having overall dimensions of 6.7 km by 6.0 km. The structure has two almost concentric cuestaform rims (the inner rim is 3.6 km by 3.1 km) composed of poorly consolidated clastic sediments that dip outward. The center of the crater is about 80 m below the maximum height of the rims and about at the altitude of the surrounding plain. Because of the double rim, the centripetal drainage, and the absence of volcanic rocks, this structure is considered a collapsed dome. We believe it was probably formed by the doming of lower Quaternary (?) sediments by a subjacent igneous intrusion, partial retreat of the magma, collapse of the central part of the dome, erosional etching of the two rims, and partial filling of the center by detritus from the walls. Evidence for origin by impact (nickel-iron materials, shock structures, ejecta, and so forth) is lacking or was unrecognized, but this mode of origin is not rejected at this time. Geophysical surveys are recommended to determine whether the structure continues in depth and if an igneous, plug is below the crater.

Colluma Crater↗

USGS1981

Locations of geophysical instruments and survey points operated under the earthquake prediction element of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program 1981

This open-file report contains a series of maps and a list of the various geophysical monitoring sites (stations) operated by the U. S. Geological Survey and its contractors under the Earthquake Prediction Research Program. The purpose of this open file report is to provide information on type, location, frequency of measurement, and principal investigator for observations being made in California.

California↗

USGS1972

Tectonic map of Liberia based on geophysical and geological surveys

Interpretation of the results of aeromagnetic, total-gamma radioactivity, and gravity surveys combined with geologic data for Western Liberia from White and Leo (1969) and other geologic information allows the construction of a tectonic map of Liberia. The map approximately delineates the boundaries between the Liberian (ca. 2700 m.y.) province in the northwestern two-thirds of the country, the Eburnean (ca. 2000 m.y.) province in the south-eastern one-third, and the Pan-African (ca. 550 m.y.) province in the coastal area of the northwestern two-thirds of the country. Rock follation and tectonic structural features trend northeastward in the Liberian province, east-northeastward to north-northeastward in the Eburnean province, and northwestward in the Pan-African age province. Linear residual magnetic anomailes 20-80 km wide and 200-600 gammas in amplitude and following the northeast structural trend typical of the Liberian age province cross the entire country and extend into Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1998

Evaluation of geophysical logs and video surveys in boreholes adjacent to the Berkley Products Superfund Site, West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Between February 1998 and April 1998, geophysical logs were collected in nine boreholes adjacent to the Berkley Products Superfund Site, West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pa. Video surveys were conducted on four of the nine boreholes. The boreholes range in depth from 320 to 508 feet below land surface, are completed open holes, have ambient vertical flow of water, and penetrate a series of interbedded siltstone, sandstone, and conglomerate units. The purpose of collecting geophysical-log data was to help determine horizontal and vertical distribution of contaminated ground water migrating from known or suspected sources and to aid in the placement of permanent borehole packers. The primary contaminants were derived from paint waste that included pigment sludges and wash solvents. The chlorinated volatile organic compounds probably originated from the wash solvents. Caliper logs and video surveys were used to locate fractures; inflections on fluid-resistivity and fluid-temperature logs were used to locate possible water-bearing fractures. Heatpulse-flowmeter measurements were used to verify the locations of water-producing or water-receiving zones and to measure rates of flow between water-bearing fractures. Single-point-resistance and natural-gamma logs provided information on stratigraphy. After interpretation of geophysical logs, video surveys, and driller's logs, permanent multiple-packer systems were installed in each borehole to obtain depth specific water samples from one or more water-bearing fractures in each borehole.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1980

Instrument specifications and geophysical records for airborne electromagnetic survey of parts of Iron, Baraga, and Dickson Counties, Michigan

The data presented herein is from an airborne electromagnetic INPUT* survey conducted by Geoterrex Limited of Canada for the U.S. Geological Survey. The survey area is located in the central part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, within parts of Iron, Baraga, and Dickinson Counties. The general area covered is between 46°00' and 46°30' latitude and 88°00' and 88°30' longitude (fig. 1). The INPUT survey was flown as part of a U.S. Geological Survey CUSMAP (Conterminous United States Mineral Appraisal Program) project focusing on the Iron River 2° quadrangle. The survey was flown in order to provide geophysical information which will aid in an integrated geological assessment of mineral potentials of this part of the Iron River 2° quadrangle. The flight line spacing was chosen to maximize the areal coverage without a loss of resolution of major lithologic and structural features. East-west flight lines were flown 400 feet above ground at 1/2 mile intervals. Aerial photos were used for navigation, and the flight path was recorded on continuous-strip film. A continuously recording total field ground magnetic station was used to monitor variations in the Earth's magnetic field. One north-south line was flown to provide a tie for the magnetic data, which was recorded simultaneously with the electromagnetic data by a sensor mounted in the tail of the aircraft. This report is one of two open-file reports. The map in the other report Heran and Smith (1980) shows locations of the fiducial points, the flight lines, preliminary locations of anomalies and conductive zones; all plotted on an air photomosaic. The latitude and longitude ticks marked on this map are only approximate due to distortion in air photos used to recover the flight line position. This map is preliminary and is not to be considered a final interpretation. The present report contains a description of the instrument specifications, a copy of the ground station magnetic data, and a record of the electromagnetic and magnetic data, with reference to the digital data of the flight records. The purpose of two reports is to make the analog and magnetic records available separate from the anomaly map. The following sections on the general description of the INPUT system are abridged from a typical interpretation report prepared by Geoterrex Limited of Ottawa, Canada for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Michigan↗

USGS2012

Shipboard surveys track magnetic sources in marine sediments--geophysical studies of the Stono and North Edisto Inlets near Charleston, South Carolina

Magnetic field data are traditionally used to analyze igneous and metamorphic rocks, but recent efforts have shown that magnetic sources within sediments may be detectable, suggesting new applications for high-resolution magnetic field surveys. Candidates for sedimentary sources include heavy mineral sand concentrations rich in magnetite or hematite, alteration-induced glauconite, or biogenic magnetite. Magnetic field surveys can be used to map the distributions of such sources with much denser and more widespread coverage than possible by sampling. These data can then provide constraints on the composition history of local sediments. Mapping such sediments requires the sensor to be relatively close to the source, and filtering approaches may be needed to distinguish signals from both system noise and deeper basement features. Marine geophysical surveys conducted in July, 2010, over the Stono and North Edisto River inlets and their riverine inputs south of Charleston, South Carolina, showed 10- to 40-m-wide, 1- to 6-nT magnetic anomalies associated with shallow, sand-covered seabed. These anomalies are distinct from system noise but are too narrow to represent basement features. The anomalies are present mostly in shallow areas where river sediments originating from upland areas enter the inlets. Surface grab samples from the North Edisto River contain trace amounts of heavy mineral sediments including hematite, maghemite, ilmenite, and magnetite, as well as garnet, epidote, zircon, and rutile. Previous stream sediment analyses show enhanced titanium over much of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The combined data suggest that the anomalies are generated by titanium- and iron-rich heavy mineral sands ultimately originating from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces, which are then reworked and concentrated by tidal currents.

South Carolina↗

USGS2025

Drone-based radiometric surveys provide high-resolution mine waste characterization

Airborne radiometric surveys use passive geophysical techniques to characterize geochemical variations at or near earth’s surface. These methods have been used for a variety of mapping applications, including mineral resource evaluation. However, detailed characterization of smaller geologic targets, including mine waste features, requires flying at lower altitudes and with tighter line spacing than is feasible with traditional aircraft. Here, a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS) equipped with a radiometric sensor was used to acquire high-resolution gamma-spectrometry over small mine waste features and a low-grade stockpile in southwestern New Mexico. The sUAS radiometric system mapped local variability within each survey area and revealed ~2–10 m wide zones where radioelements K, Th, and U may be elevated 2–10× the surrounding material. Additionally, the sUAS radiometric data revealed radioelement variability across survey sites, which correlated reasonably well with variability seen in geochemical samples at each survey site, even though samples collected from individual sites showed high local variability. The sUAS data characterized local heterogeneity within mine waste and other small geologic targets at scales of a few meters to tens of meters, which is not possible with traditional crewed aircraft, and with continuity of coverage that is not possible with ground surveys, thus filling a key gap in geophysical survey spatial resolution.

New Mexico↗

USGS1985