Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Acoustics”

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 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
USGS2023

Large-scale variation in lakebed properties interpreted from single-beam sonar in two Laurentian Great Lakes

Acoustic seabed classification (ASC) is an important method for understanding landscape-level physical and biological patterns in the aquatic environment. Bottom habitats in the Laurentian Great Lakes are poorly mapped to date, and will require a variety of contributors and data sources to complete. We repurposed a long-term split-beam echosounder dataset gathered for purposes of fisheries assessment to estimate lakebed properties utilizing unsupervised classification of echo return data. We interpreted first echo properties representing lakebed hardness and roughness to define and map three statistically supported lakebed classes revealed through cluster analysis. Our results indicate coherent and logical class boundaries and suggest that the dataset has promise for expanded use in ASC. To improve inferences using repeated measures, future work should focus on collecting ground truth information for areas previously surveyed and on collecting concurrent ground truth information when sampling acoustic data moving forward.

Michigan, Ontario, Wisconsin↗
USGS2018

Computing under-ice discharge: A proof-of-concept using hydroacoustics and the Probability Concept

Under-ice discharge is estimated using open-water reference hydrographs; however, the ratings for ice-affected sites are generally qualified as poor. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, conducted a proof-of-concept to develop an alternative method for computing under-ice discharge using hydroacoustics and the Probability Concept. The study site was located south of Minturn, Colorado (CO), USA, and was selected because of (1) its proximity to the existing USGS streamgage 09064600 Eagle River near Minturn, CO, and (2) its ease-of-access to verify discharge using a variety of conventional methods. From late September 2014 to early March 2015, hydraulic conditions varied from open water to under ice. These temporal changes led to variations in water depth and velocity. Hydroacoustics (tethered and uplooking acoustic Doppler current profilers and acoustic Doppler velocimeters) were deployed to measure the vertical-velocity profile at a singularly important vertical of the channel-cross section. Because the velocity profile was non-standard and cannot be characterized using a Power Law or Log Law, velocity data were analyzed using the Probability Concept, which is a probabilistic formulation of the velocity distribution. The Probability Concept-derived discharge was compared to conventional methods including stage-discharge and index-velocity ratings and concurrent field measurements; each is complicated by the dynamics of ice formation, pressure influences on stage measurements, and variations in cross-sectional area due to ice formation. No particular discharge method was assigned as truth. Rather one statistical metric (Kolmogorov-Smirnov; KS), agreement plots, and concurrent measurements provided a measure of comparability between various methods. Regardless of the method employed, comparisons between each method revealed encouraging results depending on the flow conditions and the absence or presence of ice cover. For example, during lower discharges dominated by under-ice and transition (intermittent open-water and under-ice) conditions, the KS metric suggests there is not sufficient information to reject the null hypothesis and implies that the Probability Concept and index-velocity rating represent similar distributions. During high-flow, open-water conditions, the comparisons are less definitive; therefore, it is important that the appropriate analytical method and instrumentation be selected. Six conventional discharge measurements were collected concurrently with Probability Concept-derived discharges with percent differences (%) of −9.0%, −21%, −8.6%, 17.8%, 3.6%, and −2.3%. This proof-of-concept demonstrates that riverine discharges can be computed using the Probability Concept for a range of hydraulic extremes (variations in discharge, open-water and under-ice conditions) immediately after the siting phase is complete, which typically requires one day. Computing real-time discharges is particularly important at sites, where (1) new streamgages are planned, (2) river hydraulics are complex, and (3) shifts in the stage-discharge rating are needed to correct the streamflow record. Use of the Probability Concept does not preclude the need to maintain a stage-area relation. Both the Probability Concept and index-velocity rating offer water-resource managers and decision makers alternatives for computing real-time discharge for open-water and under-ice conditions.

Colorado↗
USGS2009

Occurrence of gas hydrate in Oligocene Frio sand: Alaminos Canyon Block 818: Northern Gulf of Mexico

A unique set of high-quality downhole shallow subsurface well log data combined with industry standard 3D seismic data from the Alaminos Canyon area has enabled the first detailed description of a concentrated gas hydrate accumulation within sand in the Gulf of Mexico. The gas hydrate occurs within very fine grained, immature volcaniclastic sands of the Oligocene Frio sand. Analysis of well data acquired from the Alaminos Canyon Block 818 #1 ("Tigershark") well shows a total gas hydrate occurrence 13??m thick, with inferred gas hydrate saturation as high as 80% of sediment pore space. Average porosity in the reservoir is estimated from log data at approximately 42%. Permeability in the absence of gas hydrates, as revealed from the analysis of core samples retrieved from the well, ranges from 600 to 1500 millidarcies. The 3-D seismic data reveals a strong reflector consistent with significant increase in acoustic velocities that correlates with the top of the gas-hydrate-bearing sand. This reflector extends across an area of approximately 0.8??km 2 and delineates the minimal probable extent of the gas hydrate accumulation. The base of the inferred gas-hydrate zone also correlates well with a very strong seismic reflector that indicates transition into units of significantly reduced acoustic velocity. Seismic inversion analyses indicate uniformly high gas-hydrate saturations throughout the region where the Frio sand exists within the gas hydrate stability zone. Numerical modeling of the potential production of natural gas from the interpreted accumulation indicates serious challenges for depressurization-based production in settings with strong potential pressure support from extensive underlying aquifers.

Marine and Petroleum Geology↗
USGS2012

Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II logging-while-drilling data acquisition and analysis

One of the objectives of the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II (GOM JIP Leg II) was the collection of a comprehensive suite of logging-while-drilling (LWD) data within gas-hydrate-bearing sand reservoirs in order to make accurate estimates of the concentration of gas hydrates under various geologic conditions and to understand the geologic controls on the occurrence of gas hydrate at each of the sites drilled during this expedition. The LWD sensors just above the drill bit provided important information on the nature of the sediments and the occurrence of gas hydrate. There has been significant advancements in the use of downhole well-logging tools to acquire detailed information on the occurrence of gas hydrate in nature: From using electrical resistivity and acoustic logs to identify gas hydrate occurrences in wells to where wireline and advanced logging-while-drilling tools are routinely used to examine the petrophysical nature of gas hydrate reservoirs and the distribution and concentration of gas hydrates within various complex reservoir systems. Recent integrated sediment coring and well-log studies have confirmed that electrical resistivity and acoustic velocity data can yield accurate gas hydrate saturations in sediment grain supported (isotropic) systems such as sand reservoirs, but more advanced log analysis models are required to characterize gas hydrate in fractured (anisotropic) reservoir systems. In support of the GOM JIP Leg II effort, well-log data montages have been compiled and presented in this report which includes downhole logs obtained from all seven wells drilled during this expedition with a focus on identifying and characterizing the potential gas-hydrate-bearing sedimentary section in each of the wells. Also presented and reviewed in this report are the gas-hydrate saturation and sediment porosity logs for each of the wells as calculated from available downhole well logs.

Gulf Of Mexico↗
USGS2003

Sediment-starved sand ridges on a mixed carbonate/siliciclastic inner shelf off west-central Florida

High-resolution side-scan mosaics, sediment analyses, and physical process data have revealed that the mixed carbonate/siliciclastic, inner shelf of west-central Florida supports a highly complex field of active sand ridges mantled by a hierarchy of bedforms. The sand ridges, mostly oriented obliquely to the shoreline trend, extend from 2 km to over 25 km offshore. They show many similarities to their well-known counterparts situated along the US Atlantic margin in that both increase in relief with increasing water depth, both are oriented obliquely to the coast, and both respond to modern shelf dynamics. There are significant differences in that the sand ridges on the west-central Florida shelf are smaller in all dimensions, have a relatively high carbonate content, and are separated by exposed rock surfaces. They are also shoreface-detached and are sediment-starved, thus stunting their development. Morphological details are highly distinctive and apparent in side-scan imagery due to the high acoustic contrast. The seafloor is active and not a relict system as indicated by: (1) relatively young AMS 14C dates (< 1600 yr BP) from forams in the shallow subsurface (1.6 meters below seafloor), (2) apparent shifts in sharply distinctive grayscale boundaries seen in time-series side-scan mosaics, (3) maintenance of these sharp acoustic boundaries and development of small bedforms in an area of constant and extensive bioturbation, (4) sediment textural asymmetry indicative of selective transport across bedform topography, (5) morphological asymmetry of sand ridges and 2D dunes, and (6) current-meter data indicating that the critical threshold velocity for sediment transport is frequently exceeded. Although larger sand ridges are found along other portions of the west-central Florida inner shelf, these smaller sand ridges are best developed seaward of a major coastal headland, suggesting some genetic relationship. The headland may focus and accelerate the N-S reversing currents. An elevated rock terrace extending from the headland supports these ridges in a shallower water environment than the surrounding shelf, allowing them to be more easily influenced by currents and surface gravity waves. Tidal currents, storm-generated flows, and seasonally developed flows are shore-parallel and oriented obliquely to the NW-SE trending ridges, indicating that they have developed as described by the Huthnance model. Although inner shelf sand ridges have been extensively examined elsewhere, this study is the first to describe them in a low-energy, sediment-starved, dominantly mixed siliciclastic/carbonate sedimentary environment situated on a former limestone platform. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Florida↗
USGS2022

Scientific results of the Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well Program, Western Prudhoe Bay Unit, Alaska North Slope

The United States Department of Energy, the MH21-S Research Consortium of Japan, and the United States Geological Survey are collaborating to enable gas hydrate scientific drilling and extended-duration reservoir response testing on the Alaska North Slope. To feasibly execute such a test, a location is required that is accessible from existing roads and gravel pads and that can be occupied without disrupting ongoing industry operations. A review of potential locations meeting these criteria determined the likely occurrence of gas hydrate in two fine-grained marginal-marine sands of Tertiary age in the vicinity of the inactive “Kuparuk State 7-11-12” exploration pad in the western Prudhoe Bay Unit (PBU). Existing well and seismic data for that site were insufficient to preclude the potential for free gas occurrence within the deeper (and most prospective) target sand. Therefore, with support from the PBU Working Interest Owners, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and Petrotechnical Resources Alaska, the Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well (STW) was drilled in December 2018 to confirm the suitability of the site for future gas hydrate scientific testing. The Hydrate-01 well was successfully drilled to −3290 ft (1003 m) subsea vertical depth at a bottom hole location of approximately 900 ft (∼275 m) east of the surface location. The drilling program featured acquisition of a full suite of logging while drilling data, the collection of side-wall pressure cores, and the installation of distributed temperature and distributed acoustic sensor fiber-optic cables. The log data acquired confirmed the occurrence of gas hydrate at high saturation in two target sands. Integrated evaluation of log and sidewall core data provide petrophysical and geomechanical property information that allow for potential reservoir response to depressurization to be simulated. The deeper “B1 sand” is deemed to be most favorable for reservoir response testing as a result of confirmed gas hydrate occurrence in sediments of high intrinsic permeability, location within 100 ft (30 m) of the base of gas hydrate stability, and minimal risk for direct communication with permeable water-bearing (hydrate-free) zones. The shallower “D1 sand” provides a secondary target that is differentiated by colder in situ temperatures and the interpreted direct hydraulic communication to a lower section of non-hydrate-bearing, water-saturated sand. The Hydrate-01 log data also confirm the occurrence of at least one sub-seismic fault in close proximity to the B1 sand reservoir. To better image the distribution of the gas-hydrate-bearing reservoir sections and associated faults, a three-dimensional (3D) vertical seismic profile was conducted in early 2019 using the distributed acoustic sensors installed as part of the Hydrate-01 STW completion. Detailed two-dimensional (2D) and 3D geologic models have been constructed to enable numerical simulations to inform the planning for potential future scientific tests of reservoir response to depressurization at the site.

Alaska↗
USGS2024

3-D geological modeling for numerical flow simulation studies of gas hydrate reservoirs at the Kuparuk State 7-11-12 Pad in the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope

Accurate reservoir evaluation requires reliable three-dimensional (3-D) geological models. This study conducted 3-D geological modeling for numerical flow simulation of the B1 sand gas hydrate reservoir at the Kuparuk State 7-11-12 pad, Prudhoe Bay Unit, Alaska North Slope. The model integrates well logs, core, and seismic data to address spatial heterogeneity in geological structures and reservoir properties. Two modeling types were performed: structural framework modeling and petrophysical property modeling. For structural framework modeling, seismic data and well log markers were used to reproduce subsurface structures characterized by a normal fault system. A volume-based modeling algorithm and stair-step gridding were applied. The resulting 3-D model comprised 2,640,000 grid cells across 264 layers, including seven fault grids. For petrophysical property modeling, total porosity was initially modeled using sequential Gaussian simulation with collocated cokriging. To reproduce the upward coarsening of the B1 sand, upscaled log-derived total porosity and a 3-D trend depicting total porosity variation were used as primary and secondary data, respectively. Gas hydrate saturation distribution was modeled similarly, with secondary data from estimated porosity distribution and seismic-derived acoustic impedance map enhancing accuracy. Results indicate higher gas hydrate saturation in the upper part of the B1 sand and areas with higher acoustic impedance. Intrinsic permeability was modeled from the total porosity and clay-bound water volume, and effective permeability was derived from the gas hydrate saturation and intrinsic permeability distributions based on the “Tokyo model”. Effective permeability distributions were influenced by the total porosity, gas hydrate saturation, and intrinsic permeability. Within the same layer, higher gas hydrate saturation leads to decreased effective permeability. In total, 100 sets of multiple scenarios were prepared, providing input data for dynamic flow simulations to evaluate the effects of lateral heterogeneity in reservoir properties and the hydraulic characteristics of faults on production behavior for preassessment before the long-term production test.

Alaska↗
USGS2000

Recent tectonics of the Blanco Ridge, eastern blanco transform fault zone

Bathymetric, hydro-acoustic, seismic, submersible, and gravity data are used to investigate the active tectonics of the eastern Blanco Transform Fault Zone (BTFZ). The eastern BTFZ is dominated by the ∼150 km long transform-parallel Blanco Ridge (BR) which is a right-lateral strike-slip fault bordered to the east and west by the Gorda and Cascadia Depressions. Acoustic locations, fault-parameter information, and slip vector estimates of 43 earthquakes ( M w ≥3.8) that occurred along the eastern BTFZ over the last 5 years reveal that the Blanco Ridge is a high-angle right-lateral strike-slip fault, with a small component of dip-slip motion, where the Juan de Fuca plate is the hanging wall relative to the Pacific plate. Furthermore, the Cascadia and Gorda basins are undergoing normal faulting with extension predominantly oblique to the transform trend. Seafloor submersible observations agree with previous hypotheses that the active transform fault trace is the elongate basin that runs the length of the BR summit. Brecciated and undeformed basalt, diabase, and gabbro samples were collected at the four submersible survey sites along the Blanco Ridge. These petrologic samples indicate the Blanco Ridge is composed of an ocean crustal sequence that has been uplifted and highly fractured. The petrologic samples also appear to show an increase in elevation of the crustal section from east to west along the Blanco Ridge, with gabbros exposed at a shallower depth farther west along the southern (Pacific plate side) BR ridge flank. Further supporting evidence for BR uplift exists in the seismic reflection profiles across the BR showing uplift of turbidite sequences along the north and south ridge base, and gravity and magnetics profiles that indicate possible basement uplift and a low-density zone centered on the ridge's Pacific plate side. The BR formation mechanism preferred here is first, uplift achieved partially through strike-slip motion (with a small dip-slip component). Second, seawater penetration along the fault into the lower crust upper mantle, which then enhanced formation and intrusion of a mantle-derived serpentinized-peridotite diapir into the shallow ocean crust, causing further uplift along the fault.

Marine Geophysical Research↗
USGS1999

No spreading across the southern Juan de Fuca ridge axial cleft during 1994-1996

Direct-path acoustic measurements between seafloor transponders observed no significant extension (−10±14 mm/yr) from August 1994 to September 1996 at the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge (44°40′ N and 130°20′ W). The acoustic path for the measurement is a 691-m baseline straddling the axial cleft, which bounds the Pacific and Juan de Fuca plates. Given an expected full-spreading rate of 56 mm/yr, these data suggest that extension across this plate boundary occurs episodically within the narrow (∼ 1 km) region of the axial valley floor, and that active deformation is occurring between the axial cleft and the plate interior. A cleft-parallel 714-m baseline located 300 m to the west of the cleft on the Pacific plate monitored system performance and, as expected, observed no motion (+5±7 mm/yr) between the 1994 and 1996 surveys.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2010

Infrasonic harmonic tremor and degassing bursts from Halema'uma'u Crater, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

The formation, evolution, collapse, and subsequent resurrection of a vent within Halema'uma'u Crater, Kilauea Volcano, produced energetic and varied degassing signals recorded by a nearby infrasound array between 2008 and early 2009. After 25 years of quiescence, a vent-clearing explosive burst on 19 March 2008 produced a clear, complex acoustic signal. Near-continuous harmonic infrasonic tremor followed this burst until 4 December 2008, when a period of decreased degassing occurred. The tremor spectra suggest volume oscillation and reverberation of a shallow gas-filled cavity beneath the vent. The dominant tremor peak can be sustained through Helmholtz oscillations of the cavity, while the secondary tremor peak and overtones are interpreted assuming acoustic resonance. The dominant tremor frequency matches the oscillation frequency of the gas emanating from the vent observed by video. Tremor spectra and power are also correlated with cavity geometry and dynamics, with the cavity depth estimated at ~219 m and volume ~3 x 10 6 m 3 in November 2008. Over 21 varied degassing bursts were observed with extended burst durations and frequency content consistent with a transient release of gas exciting the cavity into resonance. Correlation of infrasound with seismicity suggests an open system connecting the atmosphere to the seismic excitation process at depth. Numerous degassing bursts produced very long period (0.03-0.1 Hz) infrasound, the first recorded at Kilauea, indicative of long-duration atmospheric accelerations. Kilauea infrasound appears controlled by the exsolution of gas from the magma, and the interaction of this gas with the conduits and cavities confining it.

Hawai'i↗
USGS2020

Estimating bedload from suspended load and water discharge in sand bed rivers

Estimates of fluvial sediment discharge from in situ instruments are an important component of large‐scale sediment budgets that track long‐term geomorphic change. Suspended sediment load can be reliably estimated using acoustic or physical sampling techniques; however, bedload is difficult to measure directly and can consequently be one of the largest sources of uncertainty in estimates of total load. We propose a physically informed predictive empirical model for bedload sand flux as a function of variables that are measured using existing acoustic or physical sampling techniques. This model depends on the assumption that concentration and grain size in suspension are in equilibrium with reach‐averaged boundary conditions. Bayesian inference is used to fit model parameters to data from eight sand‐bed rivers and to simulate bedload flux over the available gage record at one site on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. We find that the cumulative bedload flux during the 9 year period from 2008 to 2016 was 5% of the cumulative suspended sand load; however, instantaneous bedload flux ranged from as little as 1% of instantaneous suspended sand load to as much as 75% of instantaneous suspended sand load due to fluctuations in flow strength and sediment supply. Changes in bedload flux at a constant discharge are indicative of short‐term sediment supply enrichment and depletion. Long‐term average bedload flux cannot be expected to remain constant in the future as the river adjusts to changes in sediment runoff and the dam‐regulated discharge regime.

Arizona↗
USGS2021

Fitting jet noise similarity spectra to volcano infrasound data

Infrasound (low-frequency acoustic waves) has proven useful to detect and characterize subaerial volcanic activity, but understanding the infrasonic source during sustained eruptions is still an area of active research. Preliminary comparison between acoustic eruption spectra and the jet noise similarity spectra suggests that volcanoes can produce an infrasonic form of jet noise from turbulence. The jet noise similarity spectra, empirically derived from audible laboratory jets, consist of two noise sources: large-scale turbulence (LST) and fine-scale turbulence (FST). We fit the similarity spectra quantitatively to eruptions of Mount St. Helens in 2005, Tungurahua in 2006, and Kīlauea in 2018 using nonlinear least squares fitting. By fitting over a wide infrasonic frequency band (0.05–10 Hz) and restricting the peak frequency above 0.15 Hz, we observe a better fit during times of eruption versus non-eruptive background noise. Fitting smaller overlapping frequency bands highlights changes in the fit of LST and FST spectra, which aligns with observed changes in eruption dynamics. Our results indicate that future quantitative spectral fitting of eruption data will help identify changes in eruption source parameters such as velocity, jet diameter, and ash content which are critical for effective hazard monitoring and response.

Earth and Space Science↗
USGS2022

Synthetic evaluation of infrasonic multipole waveform inversion

Acoustic source inversions estimate the mass flow rate of volcanic explosions or yield of chemical explosions and provide insight into potential source directionality. However, the limitations of applying these methods to complex sources and their ability to resolve a stable solution have not been investigated in detail. We perform synthetic infrasound waveform inversions that use 3-D Green’s functions for a variety of idealized and realistic deployment scenarios using both a flat plane and Yasur volcano, Vanuatu as examples. We investigate the ability of various scenarios to retrieve the input source functions and relative amplitudes for monopole and multipole (monopole and dipole) inversions. Infrasound waveform inversions appear to be a robust method to quantify mass flow rates from simple sources (monopole) using deployments of infrasound sensors placed around a source, but care should be taken when analyzing and interpreting results from more complex acoustic sources (multipole) that have significant directional components. In the examples we consider the solution is stable for monopole inversions with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than five and the dipole component is small. For most scenarios investigated, the vertical dipole component of the multipole explosion source is poorly constrained and can impact the ability to recover the other source term components. Because multipole inversions are ill-posed for many deployments, a low residual does not necessarily mean the proper source vector has been recovered. Synthetic studies can help investigate the limitations and place bounds on information that may be missing using monopole and multipole inversions for potentially directional sources.

Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth↗
USGS2006

Strides made in understanding Antarctic stratigraphy and Cenozoic glacial history

It is known that the Antarctic ice sheet greatly affected global climate, sea‐level, ocean circulation, and Southern Hemisphere biota during Cenozoic times, but until recently, how remained largely a mystery. Because few Cenozoic rocks are exposed on the Antarctic continent, the only way to investigate the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet was through isotopic studies on distant deep‐ocean sediments. The success of these studies was limited—isotopic studies and low‐latitude sea level variation yielded different glacial ice volumes. To take study of Cenozoic Antarctic glaciations and their effects a step further, the Antarctic Offshore Acoustic Stratigraphy project (ANTOSTRAT) assembled a contingent of geoscientists from over 100 institutions in 32 countries. Since 1989, they have compiled and analyzed offshore acoustic and geologic data from the Antarctic continental margin, amassing over 150,000 km of multichannel seismic reflection data, tens of thousands of kilometers of single‐channel, high‐resolution seismic data, and over 1000 cores.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS1996

Detection of and response to a probable volcanogenic T-wave event swarm on the western Blanco Transform Fault Zone

The East Blanco Depression (EBD), a pull-apart basin within the western Blanco Transform Fault Zone (BTFZ), was the site of an intense earthquake T-wave swarm that began at 1317Z on January 9, 1994. Although technically generated earthquakes occur frequently along the BTFZ, this swarm was unusual in that it was preceded and accompanied by periodic, low-frequency, long-duration acoustic signals, that originated from near the swarm epicenters. These tremor-like signals were very similar in character to acoustic energy produced by a shallow-submarine eruption near Socorro Island, a seamount several hundred km west of Baja, California. The ∼69 earthquakes and ∼400 tremor-like events at the EBD occurred sporadically, with two periods of peak activity occurring between January 5–16 and 27–31. The swarm-like character of the earthquakes and the similarity of the tremor activity to the Socorro eruption indicated that the EBD was undergoing an intrusion or eruption episode. On January 27, six CTD/rosette casts were conducted at the site. Water samples from two of the stations yielded anomalous ³He concentrations, with maxima at ∼2800 m depth over the main basin. In June 1994 two camera tows within the basin yielded evidence of pillow-lava volcanism and hydrothermal deposits, but no conclusive evidence of a recent seafloor eruption. In September 1994, deployments of the U.S. Navy's Advanced Tethered Vehicle resulted in the discovery of an active hydrothermal mound on the flanks of a pillow-lava volcano. The hydrothermal mound consists of Fe-rich hydrothermal precipitate and bacterial mats. Temperatures to 60°C were measured 30 cm below the surface. This is the first discovery of active hydrothermal vents along an oceanic fracture zone. Although no conclusive evidence of volcanic activity associated with the T-wave event swarm was found during these response efforts, the EBD has been the site of recent seafloor eruptions.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS1991

Quasi-static fault growth and shear fracture energy in granite

The failure process in a brittle granite sample can be stabilized by controlling axial stress to maintain a constant rate of acoustic emission. As a result, the post-failure stress curve can be followed quasistatically, extending to hours the fault growth process which normally would occur violently in a fraction of a second. Using a procedure originally developed to locate earthquakes, acoustic emission arrival-time data are inverted to obtain three-dimensional locations of microseisms. These locations provide a detailed view of fracture nucleation and growth.

Nature↗
USGS2018

An underwater observation dataset for fish classification and fishery assessment

Using Dual-Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON), fishery acoustic observation data was collected from the Ocqueoc River, a tributary of Lake Huron in northern Michigan, USA. Data were collected March through July 2013 and 2016 and included the identification, via technology or expert analysis, of eight fish species as they passed through the DIDSON’s field of view. A set of short DIDSON clips containing identified fish was curated. Additionally, two other datasets were created that include visualizations of the acoustic data and longer DIDSON clips. These datasets could complement future research characterizing the abundance and behavior of valued fishes such as walleye ( Sander vitreus ) or white sucker ( Catostomus commersonii ) or invasive fishes such as sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) or European carp ( Cyprinus carpio ). Given the abundance of DIDSON data and the fact that a portion of it is labeled, these data could aid in the creation of machine learning tools from DIDSON data, particularly for invasive sea lamprey which are amply represented and a destructive invader of the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Scientific Data↗
USGS2021

Dynamic selection of exposure time for turbulent flow measurements

The selection of optimum sampling configurations to measure the aspects of turbulent flow of water depends on the variable being measured, the applied measurement technique, the degree of environmental noise, and flow characteristics in and near the sampling location. This work presents a method to dynamically select the exposure time (SET) during the flow-velocity measurement at each sampling location on the basis of the moving block bootstrap (MBB) technique. The MBB enables near real-time estimation of the confidence intervals and, subsequently, the COV for turbulence parameters. The dynamic SET method has been tested in this work using time series of synthetic turbulent flow-velocity signals. This method was implemented using actual flow-velocity signals recorded with acoustic Doppler velocity (ADVs) instruments and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). The results obtained from the implementation of the dynamic SET method show that the sampling time to achieve a defined uncertainty threshold is not the same for different turbulence parameters. Consequently, using the dynamic SET method, the exposure time can be optimized to obtain the turbulence parameters with the required uncertainty level. The dynamic SET method can be implemented in the instrument’s data logger to dynamically select the exposure time during flow measurements for a given uncertainty of the required turbulence parameter.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering↗