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At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources
USGS2000

Reserve growth effects on estimates of oil and natural gas resources

Many scientists think that the supply of economically recoverable oil and natural gas is geologically limited. However, as recently as early 1999, we experienced a glut of oil on the world market and the lowest inflation-adjusted price of gasoline in history. What is going on? While we cannot provide a comprehensive answer to that question here, we can describe one process that significantly affects the domestic oil and gas industry, a process that also will affect the global industry at some point—reserve growth (also known as field growth).

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1998

Ground-water-quality assessment of the Central Oklahoma aquifer, Oklahoma: Results of investigations

This is a collection of five papers intended to summarize the results of an assessment of the ground-water quality of the Central Oklahoma Aquifer. The papers include a summary of investigations, the diagenetic history of Permian rocks in the aquifer, a geochemical characterization of solid-phase materials, a summary of geochemical and geohydrologic investigations of the Central Oklahoma Aquifer, and a summary on naturally occurring trace substances that contaminated many wells completed in the aquifer.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2007

The USGS national geothermal resource assessment: An update

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with the Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Program and other geothermal organizations on a three-year effort to produce an updated assessment of available geothermal resources. The new assessment will introduce significant changes in the models for geothermal energy recovery factors, estimates of reservoir volumes, and limits to temperatures and depths for electric power production. It will also include the potential impact of evolving Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology. An important focus in the assessment project is on the development of geothermal resource models consistent with the production histories and observed characteristics of exploited geothermal fields. New models for the recovery of heat from heterogeneous, fractured reservoirs provide a physically realistic basis for evaluating the production potential of both natural geothermal reservoirs and reservoirs that may be created through the application of EGS technology. Project investigators have also made substantial progress studying geothermal systems and the factors responsible for their formation through studies in the Great Basin-Modoc Plateau region, Coso, Long Valley, the Imperial Valley and central Alaska, Project personnel are also entering the supporting data and resulting analyses into geospatial databases that will be produced as part of the resource assessment.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2017

Geology and mining history of the Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines, Washington, Jefferson, and St. Francois Counties, Missouri

The Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines are located in Washington, Jefferson, and St. Francois Counties, Missouri, where barite and lead ore are present together in surficial and near-surface deposits. Lead mining in the area began in the early 1700’s and extended into the early 1900’s. Hand mining of lead in the residuum resulted in widespread pits (also called shafts or diggings), and there was some underground mining of lead in bedrock. By the 1860’s barite was recovered from the residuum by hand mining, also resulting in widespread diggings, but generally not underground mines in bedrock. Mechanized open-pit mining of the residuum for barite began in the 1920’s. Barite production slowed by the 1980’s, and there has not been any barite mining since 1998. Mechanized barite mining resulted in large mined areas and tailings ponds containing waste from barite mills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that lead is present in surface soils in Washington and Jefferson Counties at concentrations exceeding health-based screening levels. Also, elevated concentrations of barium, arsenic, and cadmium have been identified in surface soils, and lead concentrations exceeding the Federal drinking-water standard of 15 micrograms per liter have been identified in private drinking-water wells. Potential sources of these contaminants are wastes associated with barite mining, wastes associated with lead mining, or unmined natural deposits of barium, lead, and other metals. As a first step in helping EPA determine the source of soil and groundwater contamination, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the EPA, investigated the geology and mining history of the Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines. Ore minerals are barite (barium sulfate), galena (lead sulfide), cerussite (lead carbonate), anglesite (lead sulfate), sphalerite (zinc sulfide), smithsonite (zinc carbonate), and chalcopyrite (copper-iron sulfide). The Cambrian Potosi Dolomite is the most important formation for the ore deposits, followed by the Eminence Dolomite. Because galena, sphalerite, and barite are less soluble than dolomite, chemical weathering of the ore-bearing dolomite bedrock resulted in the concentration of ore minerals in the residuum. Most of the barite and lead mining was in the residuum, which averages 10 to 15 feet thick. Lead mining by French explorers may have begun in 1719 along Old Mines Creek at Cabanage de Renaudiere, which was followed shortly by the discovery of lead and the development of lead mines at Mine Renault (also called Forche a Renault Mine), Old Mines, and at other places along the Big River, Mineral Fork, and Forche a Renault Creek. Lead mining began sometime between 1775 and 1780 at Mine a Breton, the name of which was later changed to Potosi. Other mining areas were developed in the early part of the 19th century, including Fourche a Courtois (Palmer Mines), the French Diggings, and the Richwoods Mines. Zinc became a valuable resource after the Civil War, and the Valles Mines was an important supplier of zinc as well as lead, with at least some production up until the 1920’s. Lead mining declined in the early part of the 20th century as mining in the Old Lead Belt, Mine La Motte, and the Tri-State District expanded. The earliest lead mines were diggings in the residuum and were round holes (shafts) about 4 feet in diameter dug with pick and shovel about 15–20 feet deep, with drifts dug a short distance laterally from the bottom of the shafts. This mining process was repeated a short distance away until a large area was covered with pits. Some mining in bedrock began by about 1800, with shafts as deep as 170 feet and as much as several hundred feet of lateral drifts. Smelting of the lead ore to elemental lead was first done using a log furnace, which was inefficient; estimates have been made that only about 50 percent of the lead was recovered, and the remainder was lost to the ashes (slags) and to volatilization. Starting in 1798, ash furnaces were used to smelt the ashes from the log furnaces. These two furnaces were worked in tandem for many years but were gradually replaced by other furnaces, including the Scotch hearth. Estimates of lead recovery as high as 80–90 percent have been made for the Scotch hearth. By the mid-1870’s the air furnace was being used, also with estimated lead recovery as high as 80–90 percent. Zinc furnaces were built when zinc became a valuable commodity, but much of the zinc ore was shipped out of the area, either to a smelter in St. Louis, Missouri, or to other smelters. The total lead and zinc production from the Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines is estimated at 180,000 tons of lead and 60,000 tons of zinc. An estimated 97,000 tons of lead and an estimated 120,000 tons of zinc were lost during smelting. The estimated losses do not include losses at the mine site during mining and preparation for smelting, such as the loss of fine-grained galena during hand cleaning or the discarding of zinc ore before its value was known, for which no estimates are available. Hand mining for barite in the residuum was active by at least the 1860’s and peaked from 1905 to the 1930’s when several thousand people were engaged in barite mining. Hand mining (diggings) and cleaning of the ore was done in much the same way as earlier lead mining, with the additional use of a rattle box to further clean the barite. Mechanized open-pit mining of old barite diggings began in 1924 to recover barite left behind by hand mining, and washing plants were used to clean the clay from the barite. Hand mining, however, continued to thrive, and washer plants began to close temporarily in 1931; nearly all of the barite produced before 1937 was by hand mining. By the 1940’s, however, all barite mining was mechanized. Mechanized mining used shovels powered by steam, gasoline, or electricity (and by the 1950’s draglines and front-end loaders) to mine the residuum. The ore was loaded onto rail cars (and by the 1940’s, trucks) for shipment to washer plants. Clay was removed from the barite using a log washer, and a jig was used to concentrate the barite. Overflow from the log washers was waste and went to a mud (tailings) pond. The coarse jig tailings went to tailings piles or were used as railroad ballast and, later, to create roads within the mine pit. Some barite was ground, depending on its final use, and some ground barite was bleached using a hot solution of sulfuric acid to remove impurities such as iron minerals and lead sulfide (galena). An earlier bleaching process used lead-lined tanks. Large quantities of water were required for milling the barite; some was recirculated water and the remainder came from dammed streams or was pumped from wells. Tailings and wastewater were impounded behind dikes that were built across small valleys and were increased in height as necessary using washer waste and any overburden that had been stripped. In some cases, dikes were built across valleys that had already been mined for barite. The total production of barite from the Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines is estimated to have been about 13.1 million tons. Most of the barite production was from Washington County. Hand mining and processing of barite was inefficient. Estimates of barite recovery range from less than one-fourth to about one-half because pillars between the shafts in the residuum needed to be left unmined for stability. With mechanized mining, large amounts of barite were lost during the milling process. It has been estimated that about 30 percent of the barite was lost and that about two-thirds of the lost barite was fine-grained and was discharged to the tailings ponds. Some galena was lost to the tailings ponds. A 1972 inventory of tailings ponds by the Missouri Geological Survey identified 67 ponds in the Southeast Missouri Barite District (there are more than this currently documented). Results from samples from four ponds that were drilled were used to estimate that the 67 ponds contained almost 39 million tons (or cubic yards) of tailings averaging about 5 percent barite, for a potential reserve of 1.935 million tons of barite. It is not known how much lead was removed during barite mining, either by hand or mechanized mining and processing, how much lead was recovered, or how much lead went as fines to the tailing ponds or as coarse material to mine roads or was otherwise lost.

Missouri↗
USGS2019

Life history, genetics, range expansion and new frontiers of the lionfish (Pterois volitans, Perciformes: Pteroidae) in Latin America

Pterois volitans (lionfish) is a midsize predatory fish commonly found in waters of the western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The species was first documented in Dania Beach, Florida (northwestern Caribbean) in 1985. Since that time the species has expanded its range rapidly to the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Since its introduction P. volitans has changed community structure and biodiversity of Caribbean reef communities and other coastal tropical ecosystems. Continuous introductions (accidental or intentional), limited natural predators, naïve-range prey behavior, high predation rates on competitors, continuous reproduction, and an extended period of larval dispersal have been the keys for successful invasion and rapid range extension of P. volitans . This invasion has become so severe that it has been recognized as one of the world’s top conservation issues. Here, we review the life history, behavior, and historical and contemporary genetic patterns that facilitate expansion and the colonization process. A greater understanding of lionfish biology, ecology, and the changes related to its present condition as a super-invader could improve current and future management strategies and new detection and response methodologies. We also examine new invasion frontiers that this species has the potential to colonize such as the eastern Pacific. This information will provide managers, the scientific community, and the civil society better tools for eradication, control and management of future invasions of this and other invasive species.

Caribbean Sea, Latin America↗
USGS2010

Logs and Geologic Data from a Paleoseismic Investigation of the Susitna Glacier fault, Central Alaska Range, Alaska

This report contains field and laboratory data from a paleoseismic study of the Susitna Glacier fault, Alaska. The initial M 7.2 subevent of the November 3, 2002, M 7.9 Denali fault earthquake sequence produced a 48-km-long set of complex fault scarps, folds, and aligned landslides on the previously unknown, north-dipping Susitna Glacier thrust fault along the southern margin of the Alaska Range in central Alaska. Most of the 2002 folds and fault scarps are 1-3 m high, implying dip-slip thrust offsets (assuming a near-surface fault dip of approximately 20 degrees)of 3-5 m. Locally, some of the 2002 ruptures were superimposed on preexisting scarps that have as much as 5-10 m of vertical separation and are evidence of previous surface-rupturing earthquakes on the Susitna Glacier fault. In 2003-2005, we focused follow-up studies on several of the large scarps at the 'Wet fan' site in the central part of the 2002 rupture to determine the pre-2002 history of large surface-rupturing earthquakes on the fault. We chose this site for several reasons: (1) the presence of pre-2002 thrust- and normal-fault scarps on a gently sloping, post-glacial alluvial fan; (2) nearby natural exposures of underlying fan sediments revealed fine-grained fluvial silts with peat layers and volcanic ash beds useful for chronological control; and (3) a lack of permafrost to a depth of more than 1 m. Our studies included detailed mapping, fault-scarp profiling, and logging of three hand-excavated trenches. We were forced to restrict our excavations to 1- to 2-m-high splay faults and folds because the primary 2002 ruptures mostly were superimposed on such large scarps that it was impossible to hand dig through the hanging wall to expose the fault plane. Additional complications are the pervasive effects of cryogenic processes (mainly solifluction) that can mask or mimic tectonic deformation. The purpose of this report is to present photomosaics, trench logs, scarp profiles, and fault slip, radiocarbon, tephrochronologic, and unit description data obtained during this investigation. We do not attempt to use the data presented herein to construct a paleoseismic history of the Susitna Glacier fault; that history will be the subject of a future report. When completed, our results will be used to compare the Susitna Glacier fault paleoseismic record with results of similar studies on the nearby Denali fault to determine if the simultaneous rupture of these two faults during the 2002 Denali fault earthquake sequence is typical or atypical of their long-term interaction.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS1999

Volcanogenic Sulfur on Earth and Io: Composition and Spectroscopy

The causes of Io's variegated surface, especially the roles of sulfur, and the geochemical history of sulfur compounds on Io are not well understood. Suspecting that minor impurities in sulfur might be important, we have investigated the major and trace element chemistry and spectroscopic reflectance of natural sulfur from a variety of terrestrial volcanic-hydrothermal environments. Evidence suggests that Io may be substantially coated with impure sulfur. On Earth, a few tenths of a percent to a few percent of chalcophile trace elements (e.g., As and Se) comonly occur in sulfur and appear to stabilize material of yellow, brown, orange, and red hues, which may persist even at low temperatures. Percentage levels of chalcophile impurities are reasonably expected to occur on Io in vapor sublimate deposits and flows derived from such deposits. Such impurities join a host of other mechanisms that might explain Io's reds and yellows. Two-tenths to two percent opaque crystalline impurities, particularly pyrite (FeS2), commonly produces green, gray, and black volcanic sulfur on Earth and might explain areas of Io having deposits of these colors. Pyrite produces a broad absorption near 1 ??m that gradually diminishes out to 1.6 ??m - similar but not identical to the spectrum of Io seen in Galileo NIMS data. Percentage amounts of carbonaceous impurities and tens of percent SiO2 (as silicates) also strongly affect the spectral properties of Earth's sulfur. Io's broad absorption between 0.52 and 0.64 ??m remains unexplained by these data but could be due to sodium sulfides, as suggested previously by others, or to As, Se, or other impurities. These impurities and others, such as P and Cl (which could exist on Io's surface in amounts over 1% that of sulfur), greatly alter the molecular structure of molten and solid sulfur. Minor impurities could impact Io's geology, such as the morphology of sulfur lava flows and the ability of sulfur to sustain high relief. We have not found any natural sulfur containing significant Na beyond that attributable to silicate inclusions. In sum, the unique physical-chemical properties of S-rich systems and the strong affinity of certain elements for S may have broad implications for the appearance, spectroscopic interpretation, and geologic processes of Io. Identification of impurities in sulfur may be helpful in tracing the geochemical evolution of surface deposits on Io. Perhaps foretelling of new areas of investigation, Cl has recently been reported in the Io torus (M. Kueppers and N. M. Schneider 1999, Eos Trans.80, 5207), suggesting the presence on Io of either salts, such as halite, or sulfur chlorides. Further evidence of minor iogenic impurities should be sought in Io's neutral cloud and plasma torus as well as in further scrutiny of Io's reflectance spectra. ?? 1999 Academic Press.

Icarus↗
USGS2019

Overview of spirit microscopic imager results

This paper provides an overview of Mars Exploration Rover Spirit Microscopic Imager (MI) operations and the calibration, processing, and analysis of MI data. The focus of this overview is on the last five Earth years (2005–2010) of Spirit 's mission in Gusev crater, supplementing the previous overview of the first 450 sols of the Spirit MI investigation. Updates to radiometric calibration using in‐flight data and improvements in high‐level processing are summarized. Released data products are described, and a table of MI observations, including target/feature names and associated data sets, is appended. The MI observed natural and disturbed exposures of rocks and soils as well as magnets and other rover hardware. These hand‐lens‐scale observations have provided key constraints on interpretations of the formation and geologic history of features, rocks, and soils examined by Spirit . MI images complement observations by other Spirit instruments, and together show that impact and volcanic processes have dominated the origin and evolution of the rocks in Gusev crater, with aqueous activity indicated by the presence of silica‐rich rocks and sulfate‐rich soils. The textures of some of the silica‐rich rocks are similar to terrestrial hot spring deposits, and observations of subsurface cemented layers indicate recent aqueous mobilization of sulfates in places. Wind action has recently modified soils and abraded many of the rocks imaged by the MI, as observed at other Mars landing sites.

Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets↗
USGS2002

On the origin of brucellosis in bison of Yellowstone National Park: a review

Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus occurs in the free-ranging bison ( Bison bison ) of Yellowstone and Wood Buffalo National Parks and in elk ( Cervus elaphus ) of the Greater Yellowstone Area. As a result of nationwide bovine brucellosis eradication programs, states and provinces proximate to the national parks are considered free of bovine brucellosis. Thus, increased attention has been focused on the wildlife within these areas as potential reservoirs for transmission to cattle. Because the national parks are mandated as natural areas, the question has been raised as to whether Brucella abortus is endogenous or exogenous to bison, particularly for Yellowstone National Park. We synthesized diverse lines of inquiry, including the evolutionary history of both bison and Brucella , wild animals as Brucella hosts, biochemical and genetic information, behavioral characteristics of host and organism, and area history to develop an evaluation of the question for the National Park Service. All lines of inquiry indicated that the organism was introduced to North America with cattle, and that the introduction into the Yellowstone bison probably was directly from cattle shortly before 1917. Fistulous withers of horses was a less likely possibility. Elk on winter feedgrounds south of Yellowstone National Park apparently acquired the disease directly from cattle. Bison presently using Grand Teton National Park probably acquired brucellosis from feedground elk.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2013

Roles of patch characteristics, drought frequency, and restoration in long-term trends of a widespread amphibian

Despite the high profile of amphibian declines and the increasing threat of drought and fragmentation to aquatic ecosystems, few studies have examined long-term rates of change for a single species across a large geographic area. We analyzed growth in annual egg-mass counts of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) across the northwestern United States, an area encompassing 3 genetic clades. On the basis of data collected by multiple partners from 98 water bodies between 1991 and 2011, we used state-space and linear-regression models to measure effects of patch characteristics, frequency of summer drought, and wetland restoration on population growth. Abundance increased in the 2 clades with greatest decline history, but declined where populations are considered most secure. Population growth was negatively associated with temporary hydroperiods and landscape modification (measured by the human footprint index), but was similar in modified and natural water bodies. The effect of drought was mediated by the size of the water body: populations in large water bodies maintained positive growth despite drought, whereas drought magnified declines in small water bodies. Rapid growth in restored wetlands in areas of historical population declines provided strong evidence of successful management. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining large areas of habitat and underscore the greater vulnerability of small areas of habitat to environmental stochasticity. Similar long-term growth rates in modified and natural water bodies and rapid, positive responses to restoration suggest pond construction and other forms of management can effectively increase population growth. These tools are likely to become increasingly important to mitigate effects of increased drought expected from global climate change.

Conservation Biology↗
USGS2006

Geology of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, New Jersey-Pennsylvania

Many of the parks within the National Park System owe their uniqueness to their geologic framework. Their scenery is the result of diverse natural processes acting upon a variety of rocks that were deposited in varied environments in the geologic past. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA) contains a rich geologic and cultural history within its 68,714 acre boundary. Following the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Delaware River has cut a magnificent gorge through Kit-tantinny Mountain, the Delaware Water Gap, to which all other gaps in the Appalachian Mountains have been compared. Proximity to many institutions of learning in this densely populated area of the northeastern United States (Fig. 1 ) makes DEWA an ideal locality to study the geology of this part of the Appalachian Mountains. This one-day field trip comprises two stops within the gap itself and will include discussion on stratigraphy, structure, geomorphology, and glacial geology. The first stop will be at the bottom of the gap in Pennsylvania to look at the magnificent exposures in the cleft on the New Jersey side. This will be followed by a traverse to the top of Mount Tammany along a popular trail, where we will compare the geology across the river in Pennsylvania. Much of the information presented in this guidebook is summarized from Epstein (2001a , 2001b , 2001c ) and Epstein and Lyttle (2001) .

New Jersey, Pennsylvania↗
USGS1985

The effects of catastrophic ecosystem disturbance: the residual mammals at Mount St. Helens

Individuals that survive the direct effects of community- or ecosystem-level disturbances, i.e., "residuals", can have major roles in determining the rate and pathway of subsequent secondary succession. The explosive eruption of the Mount St. Helens volcano on 19 May 1980 resulted in severe damage to a cast array of animal and plant populations (Edwards and Schwartz, 1981; MacMahon, 1982; Hayward et al., 1982). We apply the term "catastrophic" to this event because of its intensity and the large area (>600 km 2 ) over which successional processes were initiated. We present here the results of surveys for mammals, particularly small mammals (excluding bats), conducted in the Mount St. Helens region during the 40 months following the eruption. Our purpose was to elucidate any patterns in species representation that might exist along a gradient of disturbance "intensity", and thus document which species could potentially influence early plant successional patterns there. We infer whether individuals captured were more likely to have been residuals (or their descendants), or immigrants from areas less affected by the eruption, from consideration of the time span between the eruption and the capture date, the trapping location, and life history data. We also make inferences concerning the animal-environment relationships that led to our survey results, and thereby address the question of the likelihood of other types of disturbance, either natural or anthropogenic, producing similar results. Data concerning survival of Thomomys talpoides , the northern pocket gopher, have been presented elsewhere (Andersen, 1982). Initial results from our studies of the relationships among residual small mammals and plant population dynamics are detailed in MacMahon and Warner (1984), Allen et al. (1984) and Andersen and MacMahon (in press).

Washington↗
USGS1995

USGS global change research

The Earth's global environment--its interrelated climate, land, oceans, fresh water, atmospheric and ecological systems-has changed continually throughout Earth history. Human activities are having ever-increasing effects on these systems. Sustaining our environment as population and demands for resources increase requires a sound understanding of the causes and cycles of natural change and the effects of human activities on the Earth's environmental systems. The U.S. Global Change Research Program was authorized by Congress in 1989 to provide the scientific understanding necessary to develop national and international policies concerning global environmental issues, particularly global climate change. The program addresses questions such as: what factors determine global climate; have humans already begun to change the global climate; will the climate of the future be very different; what will be the effects of climate change; and how much confidence do we have in our predictions? Through understanding, we can improve our capability to predict change, reduce the adverse effects of human activities, and plan strategies for adapting to natural and human-induced environmental change.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2007

Synthesis of age data and chronology for Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay cores collected for ecosystem history of South Florida’s estuaries project

210 Pb, 14 C, and pollen biostratigraphic data have been compiled and synthesized to develop age models for cores collected from Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay. These cores are being used to interpret the ecosystem history of south Florida’s estuaries by examining the physical, chemical, and biological record preserved within the cores. The beginning of the 20th century, which marks an important turning point for the natural vs. anthropogenically influenced ecosystem, has been identified based on at least two data points in ten cores. 210 Pb data alone are presented for an additional 38 cores. Age models for older sediments have been developed for seven cores. Comparison of pre-1900 and post-1900 records allows researchers to compare natural ecosystem changes to anthropogenic change. General patterns of sedimentation rates in Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay emerge from the data. Mid-bay mudbanks in both bays show more rapid rates of sedimentation, fewer signs of sediment disruption, and more internal consistency of sediments than cores located closer to shore. Nearshore cores indicate slower average rates of sedimentation, more disruption in the sedimentary sequences, and more indications of “old” carbon effects. Cores in close proximity to each other generally show very similar patterns of deposition, which indicates support for the age models.

Southern Florida↗
USGS2012

Preliminary surficial geologic map of the Newberry Springs 30' x 60' quadrangle, California

The Newberry Springs 30' x 60' quadrangle is located in the central Mojave Desert of southern California. It is split approximately into northern and southern halves by I-40, with the city of Barstow at its western edge and the town of Ludlow near its eastern edge. The map area spans lat 34°30 to 35° N. to long -116 °to -117° W. and covers over 1,000 km 2 . We integrate the results of surficial geologic mapping conducted during 2002-2005 with compilations of previous surficial mapping and bedrock geologic mapping. Quaternary units are subdivided in detail on the map to distinguish variations in age, process of formation, pedogenesis, lithology, and spatial interdependency, whereas pre-Quaternary bedrock units are grouped into generalized assemblages that emphasize their attributes as hillslope-forming materials and sources of parent material for the Quaternary units. The spatial information in this publication is presented in two forms: a spatial database and a geologic map. The geologic map is a view (the display of an extracted subset of the database at a given time) of the spatial database; it highlights key aspects of the database and necessarily does not show all of the data contained therein. The database contains detailed information about Quaternary geologic unit composition, authorship, and notes regarding geologic units, faults, contacts, and local vegetation. The amount of information contained in the database is too large to show on a single map, so a restricted subset of the information was chosen to summarize the overall nature of the geology. Refer to the database for additional information. Accompanying the spatial data are the map documentation and spatial metadata. The map documentation (this document) describes the geologic setting and history of the Newberry Springs map sheet, summarizes the age and physical character of each map unit, and describes principal faults and folds. The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata provides detailed information about the digital files and file structure of the spatial data.

California↗
USGS2014

Preface

Arsenic is perhaps history’s favorite poison, often termed the “King of Poisons” and the “Poison of Kings” and thought to be the demise of fiction’s most famous ill-fated lovers. The toxic nature of arsenic has been known for millennia with the mineral realgar (AsS), originally named “arsenikon” by Theophrastus in 300 B.C.E. meaning literally “potent.” For centuries it has been used as rat poison and as an important component of bactericides and wood preservatives. Arsenic is believed to be the cause of death to Napoleon Bonaparte who was exposed to wallpaper colored green from aceto-arsenite of copper (Aldersey-Williams 2011). The use of arsenic as a poison has been featured widely in literature, film, theatre, and television. Its use as a pesticide made it well known in the nineteenth century and it was exploited by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes novel The Golden Pince-Nez (Conan-Doyle 1903). The dark comedy Arsenic and Old Lace is a prime example of arsenic in popular culture, being first a play but becoming famous as a movie.

Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry↗
USGS2014

Carbonate rocks of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Their correlation and paleogeographic significance

Paleozoic carbonate strata deposited in shallow platform to off-platform settings occur across the Seward Peninsula and range from unmetamorphosed Ordovician–Devonian(?) rocks of the York succession in the west to highly deformed and metamorphosed Cambrian–Devonian units of the Nome Complex in the east. Faunal and lithologic correlations indicate that early Paleozoic strata in the two areas formed as part of a single carbonate platform. The York succession makes up part of the York terrane and consists of Ordovician, lesser Silurian, and limited, possibly Devonian rocks. Shallow-water facies predominate, but subordinate graptolitic shale and calcareous turbidites accumulated in deeper water, intraplatform basin environments, chiefly during the Middle Ordovician. Lower Ordovician strata are mainly lime mudstone and peloid-intraclast grainstone deposited in a deepening upward regime; noncarbonate detritus is abundant in lower parts of the section. Upper Ordovician and Silurian rocks include carbonate mudstone, skeletal wackestone, and coral-stromatoporoid biostromes that are commonly dolomitic and accumulated in warm, shallow to very shallow settings with locally restricted circulation. The rest of the York terrane is mainly Ordovician and older, variously deformed and metamorphosed carbonate and siliciclastic rocks intruded by early Cambrian (and younger?) metagabbros. Older (Neoproterozoic–Cambrian) parts of these units are chiefly turbidites and may have been basement for the carbonate platform facies of the York succession; younger, shallow- and deep-water strata likely represent previously unrecognized parts of the York succession and its offshore equivalents. Intensely deformed and altered Mississippian carbonate strata crop out in a small area at the western edge of the terrane. Metacarbonate rocks form all or part of several units within the blueschist- and greenschist-facies Nome Complex. The Layered sequence includes mafic meta¬igneous rocks and associated calcareous metaturbidites of Ordovician age as well as shallow-water Silurian dolostones. Scattered metacarbonate rocks are chiefly Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian dolostones that formed in shallow, warm-water settings with locally restricted circulation and marbles of less constrained Paleozoic age. Carbonate metaturbidites occur on the northeast and southeast coasts and yield mainly Silurian and lesser Ordovician and Devonian conodonts; the northern succession also includes debris flows with meter-scale clasts and an argillite interval with Late Ordovician graptolites and lenses of radiolarian chert. Mafic igneous rocks at least partly of Early Devonian age are common in the southern succession. Carbonate rocks on Seward Peninsula experienced a range of deformational and thermal histories equivalent to those documented in the Brooks Range. Conodont color alteration indices (CAIs) from Seward Peninsula, like those from the Brooks Range, define distinct thermal provinces that likely reflect structural burial. Penetratively deformed high-pressure metamorphic rocks of the Nome Complex (CAIs ≥5) correspond to rocks of the Schist belt in the southern Brooks Range; both record subduction during early stages of the Jurassic–Cretaceous Brooks Range orogeny. Weakly metamorphosed to unmetamorphosed strata of the York terrane (CAIs mainly 2–5), like Brooks Range rocks in the Central belt and structural allochthons to the north, experienced moderate to shallow burial during the main phase of the Brooks Range orogeny. The nature of the contact between the York terrane and the Nome Complex is uncertain; it may be a thrust fault, an extensional surface, or a thrust fault later reactivated as an extensional fault. Lithofacies and biofacies data indicate that, in spite of their divergent Mesozoic histories, rocks of the York terrane and protoliths of the Nome Complex formed as part of the same lower Paleozoic carbonate platform. Stratigraphies in both

GSA Special Papers↗
USGS2017

Behavioral flexibility as a mechanism for coping with climate change

Of the primary responses to contemporary climate change – “move, adapt, acclimate, or die” – that are available to organisms, “acclimate” may be effectively achieved through behavioral modification. Behavioral flexibility allows animals to rapidly cope with changing environmental conditions, and behavior represents an important component of a species’ adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. However, there is currently a lack of knowledge about the limits or constraints on behavioral responses to changing conditions. Here, we characterize the contexts in which organisms respond to climate variability through behavior. First, we quantify patterns in behavioral responses across taxa with respect to timescales, climatic stimuli, life-history traits, and ecology. Next, we identify existing knowledge gaps, research biases, and other challenges. Finally, we discuss how conservation practitioners and resource managers can incorporate an improved understanding of behavioral flexibility into natural resource management and policy decisions.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗