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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS1983

Faulting arrested by control of ground-water withdrawal in Houston, Texas

More than 86 historically active faults with an aggregate length of 150 miles have been identified within and adjacent to the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. Although scarps of these faults grow gradually and without causing damaging earthquakes, historical fault offset has cost millions of dollars in damage to houses and other buildings, utilities, and highways that were built on or across the faults. The historical fault activity results from renewed movement along preexisting faults and appears to be caused principally by withdrawal of ground water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses in the Houston area. Approximately one-half of the area's water supply is obtained from local ground water. Monitoring by the US Geological Survey of heights of fault scarps indicates that many of the scarps have recently stopped increasing in height. The area where faulting has ceased coincides with the area where ground-water pumping was cut back in the mid-1970s to slow the damage caused by land subsidence along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Thus, it appears that efforts to halt land subsidence in the coastal area have provided the additional benefit of arresting damaging surface faulting. -from Authors

Texas↗
USGS1983

Mapping the earthquake hazards of the Los Angeles region.

Discusses examples of fault, shaking and ground-failure hazards taken from recent studies of the Los Angeles region. These should provide an improved basis for delineating geographic variations in local earthquake hazards. -M.Barrett

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗
USGS1982

The 1982 eruption of El Chichon volcano, southeastern Mexico

Late in the evening on March 28, El Chichon roared into life with a tremendous explosion that sent a column of ash and gases 10 miles high within an hour. There were no immediate warning signals of the eruption of El Chichon, although increased earthquake activity had been noted for months, possibly a few years, before the explosion. Sound waves from the explosion were detected by instruments 7000 miles away in Antarctica.

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗
USGS1981

Earthquakes May-June 1980.

The months were seismically active, although only one major event (7.0-7.9) occurred in an unpopulated Philippine Island. Mexico was struck by a 6.3 quake on June 9 killing at least two people. The most significant earthquake in the United States was in the Mammoth Lakes area of California. -from Author

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗
USGS1981

Increasing the availability of national mapping products.

A discussion of the means employed by the US Geological Survey to facilitate map usage, covering aspects of project Map Accessibility Program including special rolled and folded map packaging, new market testing, parks and campgrounds program, expanded map dealer program, new booklet-type State sales index and catalog and new USGS map reference code. The USGS is seen as the producer of a tremendous nation-wide inventory of topographic and related map products available in unprecedented types, formats and scales, and as endeavouring to increase access to its products. The new USGS map reference code is appended. -J.C.Stone

Information Bulletin, Western Association of Map L↗
USGS1981

The Algerian earthquake of October 10, 1980 - a preliminary report

The earthquake occurred at 1.25 pm local time and had a surface-wave magnitude of 7.3. The main event was followed by an aftershock 3 hours later with a magnitude of 6.0. The main earthquake epicenter was located 170 km from the capital, Algiers. -from Author

Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS)↗
USGS1983

Two examples of earthquake- hazard reduction in southern California.

Because California is seismically active, planners and decisionmakers must try to anticipate earthquake hazards there and, where possible, to reduce the hazards. Geologic and seismologic information provides the basis for the necessary plans and actions. Two examples of how such information is used are presented. The first involves assessing the impact of a major earthquake on critical facilities in southern California, and the second involves strengthening or removing unsafe masonry buildings in the Los Angeles area. -from Authors

California↗
USGS1976

Digital-model analysis of the effects of water-use alternatives on spring discharges Gooding and Jerome Counties, Idaho

Springs discharging from the Snake Plain aquifer contribute approximately 6,000 cubic feet per second (170 cubic metres per second) to flow in the Snake River between Milner and King Hill. Before irrigation began on the Snake River Plain north and east of the springs, total spring discharge was about 4,200 cubic feet per second (120 cubic meters per second). Increasing amounts of irrigated acreage from the early 1900's to the mid-1940's contributed more irrigation-return water to the aquifer resulting in increased discharge at the springs. Maximum discharge of about 6,800 cubic feet per second (190 cubic metres per second) occurred during the late 1940's and early 1950's. Increased use of pumped ground water for irrigation and changing irrigation practices have since resulted in a decline in spring discharge.

Idaho↗
USGS1974

A progress report on results of test drilling and ground-water investigations of the Snake Plain aquifer, southeastern Idaho: Part 3: Lake Walcott-Bonanza Lake area

Direct-current resistivity soundings and exploratory drilling suggest that the basalt of the Snake River Group is relatively thin in the area along the Snake River that is topographically suitable for pumping large quantities of ground water in exchange for surface water. The formations underlying the Snake River Group appear to have low permeability and probably would not yield large amounts of water. Previous studies have indicated that the southern edge of the Snake Plain aquifer extended to the Snake River. Data presented in this report implies that, in general, the southern boundary should, in fact, be several miles north of the river.

Idaho↗
USGS1973

A progress report on results of test drilling and ground-water investigations of the Snake Plain aquifer, southeastern Idaho: Part 1: Mud Lake Region, 1969-70 and Part 2: Observation Wells South of Arco and West of Aberdeen

The results of drilling test holes to depths of approximately 1,000 feet in the Mud Lake region show that a large part of the region is underlain by both sedimentary deposits and basalt flows. At some locations, predominantly sedimentary deposits were penetrated; at others, basalt flows predominated. The so-called Mud Lake-Market Lake barrier denotes a change in geology. From the vicinity of the barrier area, as described by Stearns, Crandall, and Steward (1938, p. 111), up the water-table gradient for at least a few tens of miles, the saturated geologic section consists predominantly of beds of sediments that are intercalated with numerous basalt flows. Downgradient from the barrier, sedimentary deposits are not common and practically all the water-bearing formations are basalt, at least to the depths explored so far. Thus, the barrier is a transition zone from a sedimentary-basaltic sequence to a basaltic sequence. The sedimentary-basaltic sequence forms a complex hydrologic system in which water occurs under water-table conditions in the upper few tens of feet of saturated material and under artesian conditions in the deeper material in the southwest part of the region. The well data indicate that southwest of the barrier, artesian pressures are not significant. Southwest of the barrier, few sedimentary deposits occur in the basalt section and, as described by Mundorff, Crosthwaite, and Kilburn (1964). ground water occurs in a manner typical of the Snake Plain aquifer. In several wells, artesian pressures are higher in the deeper formations than in the shallower ones, but the reverse was found in a few wells. The available data are not adequate to describe the water-bearing characteristics of the artesian aquifer nor the effects that pumping in one zone would have on adjacent zones. The water-table aquifer yields large quantities of water to irrigation wells.

Idaho↗
USGS1974

The availability of water in the Little Lost River Basin, Idaho

The Little Lost River basin, an elongated, northwest trending structurally formed intermontane valley, drains an area of about 900 square miles into a closed depression near the northwestern edge of the Snake River Plain. Runoff from snowmelt and rainfall on the Lost River Range on the west and the Lemhi Range on the east maintains the flow of the Little Lost River, and recharges the ground-water reservoir, Both mountain ranges are complexly faulted and are underlain by a variety of rocks, dominantly limestone, of Paleozoic age The principal aquifers are highly transmissive alluvial fill in the middle and upper valley and alluvial fill interfingered with basalt in the southernmost part of the valley.

Idaho↗
USGS1977

Water resources of the Weiser River basin, west-central Idaho

The study area comprises about 1,600 square miles (4,100 square kilometers) in west-central Idaho and includes the entire Weiser River basin and small areas both west and south of Weiser outside the basin. The basin is sparsely populated and the economy is chiefly agricultural.

Idaho↗
USGS1977

Earthquake history of Virginia

Virginia is a State of considerable seismic activity, although the earthquakes are rarely strong. Thirty-five shocks, intensity MM V or greater (Modified Mercalli Scale), are listed with epicenters within its borders. The locations of several of the older events are not precise; thus, the above count i subject to alteration. A detailed study of Virginia earthquakes by G. A. Bollinger and M. G. Hopper of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University listed 137 shocks (71 from 1774 to 1899, 66 from 1900 to 1970). Many of these were felt with intensities below MM V.

Virginia↗
USGS1977

Earthquake history of Texas

Seventeen earthquakes, intensity V or greater, have centered in Texas since 1882, when the first shock was reported. The strongest earthquake, a maximum intensity VIII, was in western Texas in 1931 and was felt over 1 165 000 km 2 . Three shocks in the Panhandle region in 1925, 1936, and 1943 were widely felt.

Texas↗
USGS1977

Earthquake history of Tennessee

The western part of the State was shaken strongly by the New Madrid, Mo., earthquakes of 1811-12 and by earthquakes in 1843 and 1895. The area has also experienced minor shocks. Additional activity has occurred in the eastern part of the State, near the North Carolina border. Forty shocks of intensity V (Modified Mercalli scale) or greater have been cataloged as occurring within the State. Many other earthquakes centered in bordering States have affected points in Tennessee. The following summary covers only hose shocks of intensity VI or greater.

Tennessee↗