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At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
USGS2009

Aeromagnetic and Aeroradiometric Data for the Conterminous United States and Alaska from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program of the U.S. Department of Energy

The National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program was initiated in 1973 with a primary goal of identifying uranium resources in the United States. The airborne program's main purpose was to collect radiometric data of the conterminous United States and Alaska. Magnetic data were also collected. After the program ended, most of the data were given to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). All areas were flown at about 400 feet above ground, the optimum height for collecting radiometric data, and the line spacing varied from 3 to 6 mile intervals. A few selected quadrangles or parts of quadrangles were flown at 1- or 2-mile line spacing. About forty smaller areas were targeted and flown at 0.25-mile to 1 mile line spacing.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2019

Contaminant baselines and sediment provenance along the Puget Sound Energy Transport Corridor, 2015

The transport of coal and oil can result in contaminated soil, water, and organisms from unintended releases. Trains carrying coal and crude oil regularly pass through Puget Sound, Washington, and an increase in the number of coal and oil trains is expected in the future. This study characterized levels of potentially toxic contaminants in sediment in September 2015: arsenic, metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at four sites with fine-grained sediment (Chuckanut Bay, Padilla Bay, Snohomish River Delta, Nisqually River Delta) adjacent to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) rail line in the Puget Sound region. Arsenic (As) and metals levels were compared to those measured at a fifth site, urban Saltwater State Park, which was expected to show contaminants associated with urbanization but not rail transport of coal and oil because it is not adjacent to the BNSF rail line. Knowledge about current properties of soil and sediment is essential for quantifying impacts of spills and other releases, and for setting remediation or restoration targets. For the sampling effort and timing of this study, all five sites had fine sediment contents of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) below minimal effects levels. Pb and Zn appeared to be urban sourced. Median As, chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) levels were in the range where adverse biological effects would possibly occur; however, Cr and Ni were geologically sourced and unlikely to be bioavailable to organisms. As, Cu, and antimony (Sb) levels were highly correlated, an association that is characteristic of legacy smelting operations; however, total sediment contents of these three elements, along with Hg and As/Sb ratios, were near natural levels and could indicate river-borne inputs. Median total PAH concentrations were highest at Snohomish River Delta, but were below minimal effects levels at all sites. Diagnostic PAH ratios were indicative of PAHs sourced from petroleum combustion and coal/biomass burning, rather than from spilled petroleum or coal. Rare earth element patterns were distinct among watersheds with Cascade volcanoes, granitic rocks, or non-volcanic sediments, making them promising sediment provenance indicators. Knowledge about sediment sources and contaminant distributions could provide unique insights about sediment-bound contaminant sourcing, delivery, and dispersal in nearshore regions.

Washington↗
USGS2019

Seismic hazard assessment at the Fallon, Nevada, Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy site

Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technology aims to engineer a productive geothermal reservoir in regions of hot, but low permeability, rocks. In any EGS operation, the rock mass requires stimulation by high pressure injection of fluids, which has the potential to induce seismicity. To address the seismic hazard specifically, a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) is often required and is generally part of an induced seismicity mitigation plan (ISMP). A specific PSHA for the proposed Fallon, Nev., FORGE site is outlined below that relies solely on hypothetical stimulation scenarios and analog sites to assess the hazard of induced seismicity in the absence of local microseismicity. Partially due to the lack of existing seismicity at the site and partially to arrive at conservative estimates of the hazard, the PSHA is calculated for a range of b-values. Results indicate that the conservative estimates of seismic hazard at locations having significant, sensitive infrastructure near the proposed site are very low.

Nevada↗