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At least 901 records · Page 50Linked to original sources
USGS1995

Quality of water and chemistry of bottom sediment in the Rillito Creek basin, Tucson, Arizona, 1992-93

Physical and chemical data were collected from four surface-water sites, six ground-water sites, and two bottom-sediment sites during 1992-93. Specific conductance, hardness, alkalinity, and dissolved- solids concentrations generally were higher in ground water than in surface water. The median concentrations of dissolved major ions, with the exception of potassium, were higher in ground water than in surface water. In surface water and ground water, calcium was the dominant cation, and bicarbonate was the dominant anion. Concentrations of dissolved nitrite and nitrite plus nitrate in surface water and ground water did not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant levels of 1 and 10 milligrams per liter for drinking water, respectively. Ammonium plus organic nitrogen in bottom sediment was detected at the highest concentration of any nitrogen species. Median values for most of the dissolved trace elements in surface water and ground water were below the detection levels. Dissolved trace elements in surface water and ground water did not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant levels for drinking water. Trace-element concentrations in bottom sediment were similar to trace-element concentrations reported for soils of the western conterminous United States. Several organochlorine pesticides and priority pollutants were detected in surface-water and bottom-sediment samples; however, they did not exceed water-quality standards. Pesticides or priority pollutants were not detected in ground-water samples.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2003

The behavior of U- and Th-series nuclides in groundwater

Groundwater has long been an active area of research driven by its importance both as a societal resource and as a component in the global hydrological cycle. Key issues in groundwater research include inferring rates of transport of chemical constituents, determining the ages of groundwater, and tracing water masses using chemical fingerprints. While information on the trace elements pertinent to these topics can be obtained from aquifer tests using experimentally introduced tracers, and from laboratory experiments on aquifer materials, these studies are necessarily limited in time and space. Regional studies of aquifers can focus on greater scales and time periods, but must contend with greater complexities and variations. In this regard, the isotopic systematics of the naturally occurring radionuclides in the U- and Th- decay series have been invaluable in investigating aquifer behavior of U, Th, and Ra. These nuclides are present in all groundwaters and are each represented by several isotopes with very different half-lives, so that processes occurring over a range of time-scales can be studied (Table 1 ⇓ ). Within the host aquifer minerals, the radionuclides in each decay series are generally expected to be in secular equilibrium and so have equal activities (see Bourdon et al. 2003 ). In contrast, these nuclides exhibit strong relative fractionations within the surrounding groundwaters that reflect contrasting behavior during release into the water and during interaction with the surrounding host aquifer rocks. Radionuclide data can be used, within the framework of models of the processes involved, to obtain quantitative assessments of radionuclide release from aquifer rocks and groundwater migration rates. The isotopic variations that are generated also have the potential for providing fingerprints for groundwaters from specific aquifer environments, and have even been explored as a means for calculating groundwater ages.

Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry↗
USGS2006

Organic Compounds and Trace Elements in Fish Tissue and Bed Sediment in the Delaware River Basin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware, 1998-2000

As part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program activities in the Delaware River Basin (DELR), samples of fish tissue from 21 sites and samples of bed sediment from 35 sites were analyzed for a suite of organic compounds and trace elements. The sampling sites, within subbasins ranging in size from 11 to 600 square miles, were selected to represent 5 main land-use categories in the DELR -forest, low-agricultural, agricultural, urban, and mixed use. Samples of both fish tissue and bed sediment were also collected from 4 'large-river' sites that represented drainage areas ranging from 1,300 to 6,800 square miles, areas in which the land is used for a variety of purposes. One or more of the organochlorine compounds-DDT and chlordane metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (total PCBs), and dieldrin- were detected frequently in samples collected over a wide geographic area. One or more of these compounds were detected in fish-tissue samples from 92 percent of the sites and in bed-sediment samples from 82 percent of the sites. Concentrations of total DDT, total chlordanes, total PCBs, and dieldrin in whole white suckers and in bed sediment were significantly related to urban/industrial basin characteristics, such as percentage of urban land use and population density. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)-total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), total phthalates, and phenols- were detected frequently in bed-sediment samples. All three types of SVOCs were detected in samples from at least one site in each land-use category. The highest detection rates and concentrations typically were in samples from sites in the urban and mixed land-use categories, as well as from the large-river sites. Concentrations of total PAHs and total phthalates in bed-sediment samples were found to be statistically related to percentages of urban land use and to population density in the drainage areas represented by the sampling sites. The samples of fish tissue and bed sediment collected throughout the DELR were analyzed for a large suite of trace elements, but results of the analyses for eight elements-arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, mercury, and zinc- that are considered contaminants of concern are described in this report. One or more of the eight trace elements were detected in samples from every fish tissue and bed-sediment sampling site, and all of the trace elements were detected in samples from 97 percent of the bed-sediment sites. The concentrations of organic compounds and trace elements in the DELR samples were compared to applicable guidelines for the protection of wildlife and other biological organisms. Concentrations of total DDT, total chlordanes, total PCBs, and dieldrin in fish-tissue samples from 14 sites exceeded one or more of the Wildlife Protective Guidelines established by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Concentrations of one or more organic compounds in samples from 16 bed-sediment sites exceeded the Threshold Effects Concentrations (TEC) of the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines, and concentrations of one or more of the eight trace elements in samples from 38 bed-sediment sites exceeded the TEC. (The TEC is the concentration below which adverse biological effects in freshwater ecosystems are expected to be rare.) Concentrations of organic compounds in samples from some bed-sediment sites exceeded the Canadian Probable Effects Concentrations (PEC), and concentrations of trace elements in samples from 18 sites exceeded the PEC. (The PEC is the concentration above which adverse effects to biological organisms are expected to occur frequently). Concentrations of organic compounds and trace elements in samples from the DELR were compared to similar data from other NAWQA study units in the northeastern United States and also data from the Mobile River (Alabama) Basin and the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basin study units. Median concentrations of to

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2015

Geochemical, modal, and geochronologic data for 1.4 Ga A-type granitoid intrusions of the conterminous United States

Introduction The purpose of this report is to present available geochemical, modal, and geochronologic data for approximately 1.4 billion year (Ga) A-type granitoid intrusions of the United States and to make those data available to ongoing petrogenetic investigations of these rocks. A-type granites, as originally defined by Loiselle and Wones (1979), are iron-enriched granitoids (synonymous with the ferroan granitoids of Frost and Frost, 2011) that occur in an anorogenic, within-continent setting. Relative to other granitic rocks, A-type granites have high FeO*/(FeO*+MgO), high K 2 O and K 2 O/Na 2 O, are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, and are enriched in incompatible trace elements. Loiselle and Wones (1979) further suggested that A-type granites are relatively anhydrous. Anderson (1983) provides an early compilation of data for the products of 1.4 Ga magmatism in North America and notes the spatial and temporal association of a trio of rock types, which includes gabbro to anorthosite, intermediate composition mangerite, and granitic rapakivi rocks. In North America, the majority of known A-type intrusions were emplaced between 1.5 and 1.3 Ga and are predominantly of the granitic variety (Anderson, 1983). This report addresses the broadly Mesoproterozoic-age granitic rocks of the conterminous United States. Constituents of this group of intrusive rocks were defined using a variety of spatial, compositional, and geochronologic metrics. Thomas and others (2012) provided an updated synthesis, largely based on new isotopic and geochronologic data (for example, Fisher and others, 2010), for the large-scale geologic and tectonic evolution of the eastern United States. Their findings suggest that the basement rocks of the central and southern Appalachian region are allochthonous relative to the remainder of Laurentia and were accreted along the Grenville front between 1.25 and 1.0 Ga. Accordingly, Mesoproterozoic rocks east of the Grenville front and south of the approximate latitude of New York City do not represent North American magmatism. Consequently, geochemical, modal, and geochronologic data for these rocks are not included in the compilation described herein. Further, the structural styles and compositions of granitoid rocks east of the Grenville front, mostly highly deformed gneissic rocks, are dissimilar to those characteristic of the A-type granitoid rocks described herein. A variety of compositional and age information further characterizes the 1.4 Ga A-type granitoid rocks in the conterminous United States. Most samples included in this compilation have felsic compositions, although some extend to intermediate compositions. SiO2 contents range from 56 to almost 78 weight percent, and median and mean SiO2 contents are 72.0 and 71.1 weight percent, respectively. The majority of these rocks for which modal data are available are composed of monzogranite (Streckeisen, 1976), although the dataset also contains many samples composed of granodiorite and syenogranite. A smaller group of the granitoid rocks in this dataset are composed of quartz monzodiorite and quartz monzonite, and a very small subset of samples is composed of alkali-feldspar granite, tonalite, alkali-feldspar quartz syenite, and quartz syenite (fig. 1). Many of the 1.4 Ga granitoid rocks are further characterized by medium- to coarse-grain size and are also conspicuously porphyritic; alkali feldspar phenocrysts or megacrysts (2–10 cm), often with rapakivi overgrowths, are a common feature of many of these rocks (Anderson, 1983; Anderson and Bender, 1989; Anderson and Cullers, 1978; Condie and Budding, 1979). The age of A-type magmatism in North America ranges from about 1.8 to 1.0 Ga, although Anderson (1983) suggests that more than 70 percent (by volume) of A-type magmatism in this region occurred between 1.49 and 1.41 Ga. In the conterminous United States, ages of A-type granitoid rocks are restricted to the period between about 1.49 and 1.33 Ga (Anderson, 1983; Bauer and Pollock, 1993; Bickford and Mose, 1975; Bickford, Harrower, and others, 1981; Bickford and others, 1989; Dewane and Van Schmus, 2007; Hoppe and others, 1983; Peterman and Hedge, 1968; Van Schmus and Bickford, 1981; Van Schmus and others, 1975). Using these recognition criteria, we identified A-type granitoid intrusions of the conterminous United States; for those intrusions, we compiled available geochemical, modal, isotopic (Sr and Nd) and geochronologic data for inclusion in the databases described herein. The significance of 1.4 Ga granitoid rocks relative to the geologic evolution of the conterminous United States remains unclear, despite Anderson’s (1983) compilation and synthesis of compositional data pertinent to these rocks. The large-volume magmatic events indicated by these rocks, as well as their broad geographic distribution, tectonic significance, and association with mineral deposits, underscore their importance. The broad distribution of these rocks, from the northern mid-continent to the southwestern United States (in New Mexico, Arizona, California, and southernmost Nevada), throughout the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico and Colorado (and sporadically in southern Wyoming and central Idaho), and beneath much of the Plains region (as indicated by drilling), has led to the large-scale tectonic and magmatic processes responsible for genesis of the associated magmas being actively studied. In addition, Kisvarsanyi (1972) suggests that iron-copper deposits in the St. Francois Mountains of southeastern Missouri are petrogenetically associated with 1.4 Ga A-type granitoids that occur in that region. Similarly, Dall’Agnol and others (2012) summarize important global associations between A-type granitoid rocks and a variety of important ore deposit types, particularly tin, high-field-strength elements (Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta), rare-earth elements, and iron oxide-copper-gold deposits. Consequently, the need to better understand relations between A-type granitoid rocks, tectonic setting, and magma petrogenesis, as well as their genetic associations with important types of ore deposits, suggests that developing a definitive geochemical, modal, and geochronologic database for these rocks in the conterminous United States is of considerable value.

Data Series↗
USGS2019

Groundwater and surface-water resources near Red Fleet Reservoir, Uintah County, Utah

Red Fleet Reservoir in Uintah County, Utah, is an approximately 26,000 acre-foot (acre-ft) on-channel reservoir in the Big Brush Creek drainage on the south slopes of the Uinta Mountains. It is operated primarily for irrigation needs while providing a supplemental drinking-water supply to the Vernal, Utah area. Red Fleet Reservoir, which was operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Uintah Water Conservancy District through 2015, began storing water in May 1980. The reservoir is on southward dipping Mesozoic lithologies ranging from Jurassic to Cretaceous in age. The Nugget and Frontier Sandstone aquifers are the targeted units in this investigation, which is to characterize groundwater conditions that exist in each sandstone aquifer and how they interact with Red Fleet Reservoir. Groundwater levels were measured in six wells and one spring in the Nugget Sandstone and the Frontier Sandstone aquifers. Water levels in the Nugget Sandstone aquifer were 35–70 feet above the maximum stage of Red Fleet Reservoir on the west and east banks. Water levels in the Frontier Sandstone aquifer were 15–30 feet below the observed stage of Red Fleet Reservoir on the west bank during the study period. A water budget was calculated for Red Fleet Reservoir between May 1980 and December 2015. During this period, 1,050,000 acre-ft of water from Big Brush Creek discharged into the reservoir, while 993,000 acre-ft of water was released downstream of Red Fleet Dam. Total evaporation from May 1980 through December 2015 was about 52,000 acre-ft, while total precipitation over the same period was about 12,000 acre-ft. From May 1980 through December 2015, the total pumped volume of water from the Tyzack Pump Station, at the base of Red Fleet Dam, was about 42,000 acre-ft. Total groundwater discharge to Red Fleet Reservoir from 1980 through 2015 was about 40,000 acre-ft. Water was sampled from four wells and from the inflow arm of Red Fleet Reservoir, and analyzed for major-ion chemistry, select trace metals, nutrients, and environmental tracers. Water sampled from the Nugget Sandstone aquifer yielded good-quality water with dissolved-solids concentrations of less than 200 milligram per liter, and no trace elements above the Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards. Water sampled from the Frontier Sandstone aquifer yielded poor-quality water with dissolved-solids concentrations of about 2,150 milligrams per liter with trace elements approaching drinking-water standards for arsenic. Dissolved noble gases used to identify recharge elevations and temperatures for groundwater indicate that water in the Nugget Sandstone aquifer likely recharged at a high altitude and low temperature, and not locally because of interaction with Red Fleet Reservoir. The Frontier Sandstone aquifer is likely recharged at low elevation and at temperatures similar to those observed at Red Fleet Reservoir.

Utah↗
USGS2004

Effects of Abandoned Coal-Mine Drainage on Streamflow and Water Quality in the Mahanoy Creek Basin, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland Counties, Pennsylvania, 2001

This report assesses the contaminant loading, effects to receiving streams, and possible remedial alternatives for abandoned mine drainage (AMD) within the Mahanoy Creek Basin in east-central Pennsylvania. The Mahanoy Creek Basin encompasses an area of 157 square miles (407 square kilometers) including approximately 42 square miles (109 square kilometers) underlain by the Western Middle Anthracite Field. As a result of more than 150 years of anthracite mining in the basin, ground water, surface water, and streambed sediments have been adversely affected. Leakage from streams to underground mines and elevated concentrations (above background levels) of acidity, metals, and sulfate in the AMD from flooded underground mines and (or) unreclaimed culm (waste rock) degrade the aquatic ecosystem and impair uses of the main stem of Mahanoy Creek from its headwaters to its mouth on the Susquehanna River. Various tributaries also are affected, including North Mahanoy Creek, Waste House Run, Shenandoah Creek, Zerbe Run, and two unnamed tributaries locally called Big Mine Run and Big Run. The Little Mahanoy Creek and Schwaben Creek are the only major tributaries not affected by mining. To assess the current hydrological and chemical characteristics of the AMD and its effect on receiving streams, and to identify possible remedial alternatives, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study in 2001, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Schuylkill Conservation District. Aquatic ecological surveys were conducted by the USGS at five stream sites during low base-flow conditions in October 2001. Twenty species of fish were identified in Schwaben Creek near Red Cross, which drains an unmined area of 22.7 square miles (58.8 square kilometers) in the lower part of the Mahanoy Creek Basin. In contrast, 14 species of fish were identified in Mahanoy Creek near its mouth at Kneass, below Schwaben Creek. The diversity and abundance of fish species in Mahanoy Creek decreased progressively upstream from 13 species at Gowen City to only 2 species each at Ashland and Girardville. White sucker (Catostomus commersoni), a pollution-tolerant species, was present at each of the surveyed reaches. The presence of fish at Girardville was unexpected because of the poor water quality and iron-encrusted streambed at this location. Generally, macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance at these sites were diminished compared to Schwaben Creek and other tributaries draining unmined basins, consistent with the observed quality of streamwater and streambed sediment. Data on the flow rate and chemistry for 35 AMD sources and 31 stream sites throughout the Mahanoy Creek Basin were collected by the USGS during high base-flow conditions in March 2001 and low base-flow conditions in August 2001. A majority of the base-flow streamwater samples met water-quality standards for pH (6.0 to 9.0); however, few samples downstream from AMD sources met criteria for acidity less than alkalinity (net alkalinity = 20 milligrams per liter as CaCO3) and concentrations of dissolved iron (0.3 milligram per liter) and total manganese (1.0 milligram per liter). Iron, aluminum, and various trace elements including cobalt, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc, were present in many streamwater samples at concentrations at which continuous exposure can not be tolerated by aquatic organisms without an unacceptable effect. Furthermore, concentrations of sulfate, iron, manganese, aluminum, and (or) beryllium in some samples exceeded drinking-water standards. Other trace elements, including antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, selenium, silver, and thallium, did not exceed water-quality criteria for protection of aquatic organisms or human health. Nevertheless, when considered together, concentrations of iron, manganese, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc in a majority of the streambed sediment samples from Mahanoy Creek and

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2007

Estimation of Sediment Sources Using Selected Chemical Tracers in the Perry Lake and Lake Wabaunsee Basins, Northeast Kansas

In Kansas and nationally, stream and lake sediment is a primary concern as related to several important issues including water quality and reservoir water-storage capacity. The ability to achieve meaningful decreases in sediment loads to reservoirs requires a determination of the relative importance of sediment sources within the contributing basins. To investigate sources of sediment within the Perry Lake and Lake Wabaunsee Basins of northeast Kansas, representative samples of channel-bank sources, surface-soil sources (cropland and grassland), and reservoir bottom sediment were collected, analyzed, and compared. Subbasins sampled within the Perry Lake Basin included Atchison County Lake, Banner Creek Reservoir, Gregg Creek, Mission Lake, and Walnut Creek. The samples were sieved to isolate the less than 63-micron fraction (that is, the silt and clay) and analyzed for selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), organic and total carbon, 25 trace elements, and the radionuclide cesium-137 (137Cs). To determine which of the 30 constituents provided the best ability to discriminate between channel-bank and surface-soil sources in the two basins, four selection criteria were used. To be selected, it was required that the candidate constituent (1) was detectable, (2) had concentrations or activities that varied substantially and consistently between the sources, (3) had concentration or activity ranges that did not overlap between the sources, and (4) had concentration or activity differences between the sources that were statistically significant. On the basis of the four selection criteria, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total organic carbon (TOC), and 137Cs were selected. Of the four selected constituents, 137Cs likely is the most reliable indicator of sediment source because it is known to be conservative in the environment. Trace elements were not selected because concentrations in the channel-bank and surface-soil sources generally were similar or did not vary in a consistent manner. To further account for differences in particle-size composition between the sources and the reservoir bottom sediment prior to the sediment-source estimations, constituent ratio and clay-normalization techniques were used. Computed ratios included the ratio of TOC to TN, TOC to TP, and TN to TP. Constituent concentrations (TN, TP, TOC) and activities (137Cs) were normalized by dividing by the percentage of clay. Thus, the sediment-source estimations involved the use of seven sediment-source indicators (that is, three constituent ratios and the clay-normalized concentration or activity for four constituents). Sediment-source estimation for each reservoir was based on a comparison between the reservoir bottom sediment and the end member channel-bank and surface-soil sources. Within the Perry Lake Basin, the seven-indicator consensus indicated that both channel-bank and surface-soil sources were important contributors of the sediment deposited in Atchison County Lake and Banner Creek Reservoir, whereas channel-bank sources were the dominant source of sediment for Mission Lake. On the sole basis of 137Cs activity, surface-soil sources contributed the most sediment to Atchison County Lake, and channel-bank sources contributed the most sediment to Banner Creek Reservoir and Mission Lake. For Perry Lake, both the seven-indicator consensus and 137Cs indicated that channel-bank sources were dominant and that channel-bank sources increased in importance with distance downstream in the Perry Lake Basin. For Lake Wabaunsee, the seven-indicator consensus and 137Cs indicated that both channel-bank and surface-soil sources were important. Given that the relative contribution of sediment from channel-bank and surface-soil sources can vary within and between basins and over time, basin-specific strategies for sediment management and monitoring are appropriate.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2016

ChemCam activities and discoveries during the nominal mission of the Mars Science Laboratory in Gale crater, Mars

At Gale crater, Mars, ChemCam acquired its first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) target on Sol 13 of the landed portion of the mission (a Sol is a Mars day). Up to Sol 800, more than 188 000 LIBS spectra were acquired on more than 5800 points distributed over about 650 individual targets. We present a comprehensive review of ChemCam scientific accomplishments during that period, together with a focus on the lessons learned from the first use of LIBS in space. For data processing, we describe new tools that had to be developed to account for the uniqueness of Mars data. With regard to chemistry, we present a summary of the composition range measured on Mars for major-element oxides (SiO 2 , TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , FeO T , MgO, CaO, Na 2 O, K 2 O) based on various multivariate models, with associated precisions. ChemCam also observed H, and the non-metallic elements C, O, P, and S, which are usually difficult to quantify with LIBS. F and Cl are observed through their molecular lines. We discuss the most relevant LIBS lines for detection of minor and trace elements (Li, Rb, Sr, Ba, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Zn). These results were obtained thanks to comprehensive ground reference datasets, which are set to mimic the expected mineralogy and chemistry on Mars. With regard to the first use of LIBS in space, we analyze and quantify, often for the first time, each of the advantages of using stand-off LIBS in space: no sample preparation, analysis within its petrological context, dust removal, sub-millimeter scale investigation, multi-point analysis, the ability to carry out statistical surveys and whole-rock analyses, and rapid data acquisition. We conclude with a discussion of ChemCam performance to survey the geochemistry of Mars, and its valuable support of decisions about selecting where and whether to make observations with more time and resource-intensive tools in the rover's instrument suite. In the end, we present a bird's-eye view of the many scientific results: discovery of felsic Noachian crust, first observation of hydrated soil, discovery of manganese-rich coatings and fracture fills indicating strong oxidation potential in Mars' early atmosphere, characterization of soils by grain size, and wide scale mapping of sedimentary strata, conglomerates, and diagenetic materials.

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry↗
USGS1986

Chemical effects of highway runoff on the surficial aquifer, Broward County, Florida

In many areas of Broward County, swales are commonly designed to accept stormwater runoff from highways. Two sites adjacent to heavily traveled highways were studied to determine if stormwater percolating through unsaturated sand underlying the swales may affect the quality of water in the Biscayne aquifer. Concentrations of selected chemicals common in highway runoff were measured in swale stormwater, in the unsaturated-zone percolate, and in the surficial aquifer during 12 storms, May through November 1983. Analyses of the unsaturated lithologic material at the two sites and one control site were also made to indicate the extent of vertical attenuation of selected chemical constituents. Results of trace metal nutrient analyses indicated that there is no obvious water-quality effect on the surficial aquifer caused by highway runoff. In general, the data collected for dissolved trace metals indicated slight concentrations in stormwater samples with subsurface water samples usually indicating decreases in concentration below about 0.5 to 1 ft of unsaturated material. For most trace metals, the apparent decreases with depth were statistically significant based on nonparametric analysis of variance. Concentrations of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, however, were somewhat homogeneous and were not inferred to be significantly different with depth. Water hardness as calcium carbonate at both sites indicated a significant difference with depth because of calcium carbonate solution, but the effect of percolate hardness on the shallow groundwater was negligible because of regional mixing. The analyses of lithologic material at the two test sites indicated significant near-surface accumulation of some trace elements. For example, in the first foot below land surface, concentrations of iron, lead, and zinc were detected in the 1 to 7 mg/kg range, with concentrations decreasing sharply at lower depths. This near-surface accumulation was not indicated in the lithologic material at the control site. (Author 's abstract)

Florida↗
USGS1997

Water quality variability in San Francisco Bay, Some gGeneral lessons from 1996 sampling: 1996 annual report, San Francisco estuary regional monitoring program for trace substances

This report describes the results from the 1996 Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (RMP). It is the fourth Annual Report from the RMP which began in 1993 and attempts to synthesize the most obvious data patterns from the last four years. This report includes data from Base Program monitoring activities, as well as results of Pilot and Special Studies conducted or completed in 1996. Additionally, several articles contributed by RMP investigators and others, are included. These articles provide perspective and insight on important contaminant issues identified by the RMP. This summary addresses which kinds of pollutants measured by the RMP appear to be at levels that warrant concern, what kinds of trends may be discerned, and which stations have consistently shown elevated contaminant levels. The goals or general objectives of the RMP are: 1. To obtain high quality baseline data describing the concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic trace elements and organic contaminants in the water and sediment of the San Francisco Estuary. 2. To determine seasonal and annual trends in chemical and biological water quality in the San Francisco Estuary. 3. To continue to develop a data set that can be used to determine long-term trends in the concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic trace elements and organic contaminants in the water and sediments of the San Francisco Estuary. 4. To determine whether water quality and sediment quality in the Estuary at large are in compliance with objectives established by the Basin Plan (the regulatory planning document used by the Regional Water Quality Control Board). 5. To provide a database on water and sediment quality in the Estuary which is compatible with data being developed in other ongoing studies, including wasteload allocation studies and model development, sediment quality objectives development, in-bay studies of dredged material disposal, Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) water quality studies, primary productivity studies, local effects biomonitoring programs, and state and federal mussel watch programs.

California↗
USGS2010

Sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability, John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 1964-2009

A combination of available bathymetric-survey information, bottom-sediment coring, and historical streamgage information was used to investigate sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability for John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas. Ongoing sedimentation is reducing the ability of the reservoir to serve several purposes including flood control, water supply, and recreation. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited between 1964 and 2009 in the conservation pool of the reservoir was 1.46 billion cubic feet and 55.8 billion pounds, respectively. The estimated sediment volume occupied about 41 percent of the conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the reservoir. Water-storage capacity in the conservation pool has been lost to sedimentation at a rate of about 1 percent annually. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1964 in the conservation pool of the reservoir was estimated to be 1.24 billion pounds per year. Mean annual net sediment yield from the reservoir basin was estimated to be 411,000 pounds per square mile per year Information from sediment cores shows that throughout the history of John Redmond Reservoir, total nitrogen concentrations in the deposited sediment generally were uniform indicating consistent nitrogen inputs to the reservoir. Total phosphorus concentrations in the deposited sediment were more variable than total nitrogen indicating the possibility of changing phosphorus inputs to the reservoir. As the principal limiting factor for primary production in most freshwater environments, phosphorus is of particular importance because increased inputs can contribute to accelerated reservoir eutrophication and the production of algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. The mean annual net loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of the reservoir were estimated to be 2,350,000 pounds per year and 1,030,000 pounds per year, respectively. The estimated mean annual net yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from the reservoir basin were 779 pounds per square mile per year and 342 pounds per square mile per year, respectively. Trace element concentrations in the bottom sediment of John Redmond Reservoir generally were uniform over time. As is typical for eastern Kansas reservoirs, arsenic, chromium, and nickel concentrations typically exceeded the threshold-effects guidelines, which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects occasionally occur. Trace element concentrations did not exceed the probable-effects guidelines (available for eight trace elements), which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects usually or frequently occur. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or were detected at concentrations that were less than the threshold-effects guidelines. Stream channel banks, compared to channel beds, likely are a more important source of sediment to John Redmond Reservoir from the upstream basin. Other sediment sources include surface-soil erosion in the basin and shoreline erosion in the reservoir.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2014

Geochemistry of groundwater in the Beaver and Camas Creek drainage basins, eastern Idaho

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, is studying the fate and transport of waste solutes in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in eastern Idaho. This effort requires an understanding of the natural and anthropogenic geochemistry of groundwater at the INL and of the important physical and chemical processes controlling the geochemistry. In this study, the USGS applied geochemical modeling to investigate the geochemistry of groundwater in the Beaver and Camas Creek drainage basins, which provide groundwater recharge to the ESRP aquifer underlying the northeastern part of the INL. Data used in this study include petrology and mineralogy from 2 sediment and 3 rock samples, and water-quality analyses from 4 surface-water and 18 groundwater samples. The mineralogy of the sediment and rock samples was analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and the mineralogy and petrology of the rock samples were examined in thin sections. The water samples were analyzed for field parameters, major ions, silica, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, trace elements, tritium, and the stable isotope ratios of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. Groundwater geochemistry was influenced by reactions with rocks of the geologic terranes—carbonate rocks, rhyolite, basalt, evaporite deposits, and sediment comprised of all of these rocks. Agricultural practices near and south of Dubois and application of road anti-icing liquids on U.S. Interstate Highway 15 were likely sources of nitrate, chloride, calcium, and magnesium to groundwater. Groundwater geochemistry was successfully modeled in the alluvial aquifer in Camas Meadows and the ESRP fractured basalt aquifer using the geochemical modeling code PHREEQC. The primary geochemical processes appear to be precipitation or dissolution of calcite and dissolution of silicate minerals. Dissolution of evaporite minerals, associated with Pleistocene Lake Terreton, is an important contributor of solutes in the Mud Lake-Dubois area. Oxidation-reduction reactions are important influences on the chemistry of groundwater at Camas Meadows and the Camas National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, mixing of different groundwaters or surface water with groundwater appears to be an important physical process influencing groundwater geochemistry in much of the study area, and evaporation may be an important physical process influencing the groundwater geochemistry of the Camas National Wildlife Refuge. The mass-balance modeling results from this study provide an explanation of the natural geochemistry of groundwater in the ESRP aquifer northeast of the INL, and thus provide a starting point for evaluating the natural and anthropogenic geochemistry of groundwater at the INL.

Idaho↗
USGS2005

Water quality of streams in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, 1970-2001

Data for the Red River of the North (Red River) Basin in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota were analyzed to determine whether the water quality of streams in the basin is adequate to meet future needs. For the Red River at Emerson, Manitoba, site, pH values, water temperatures, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations generally were within the criteria established for the protection of aquatic life. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 245 to 1,100 milligrams per liter. Maximum sulfate and chloride concentrations were near, but did not exceed, the established secondary maximum contaminant level. The trace elements considered potentially harmful generally were at concentrations that were less than the established guidelines, standards, and criteria. The concentrations of lead that were detected may have occurred as a result of sample contamination. For the Red River upstream from Emerson, Manitoba, sites, pH and other field values rarely exceeded the criteria established for the protection of aquatic life. Many constituent concentrations for the Red River below Fargo, N. site exceeded water-quality guidelines, standards, and criteria. However, the trace-element exceedances could be natural or could be related to pollution or sample contamination. Many of the tributaries in the western part of the Red River Basin had median specific-conductance values that were greater than 1,000 microsiemens per centimeter. Sulfate concentrations occasionally exceeded the established drinking-water standard. Median arsenic concentrations were 6 micrograms per liter or less, and maximum concentrations rarely exceeded the 10-microgram-per-liter drinking-water standard that is scheduled to take effect in 2006. The small concentrations of lead, mercury, and selenium that occasionally were detected may have been a result of sample contamination or other factors. The tributaries in the eastern part of the Red River Basin had median specific-conductance values that were less than 1,000 microsiemens per centimeter. Concentrations of pesticides that were detected and that had regulatory limits were less than the cited water-quality guidelines, standards, and criteria. Concentrations of compounds that were detected generally were less than the sediment- quality standards and criteria. The data considered in this report generally provide a good baseline from which to evaluate changes in water-quality conditions. However, because many of the trace elements detected, including lead and mercury, may have been the result of sample contamination, additional data are needed to confirm that trace-element concentrations generally are low. Concentrations of major ions, including sulfate, and specific conductance may continue to approach drinking-water standards during periods of low flow because the streams, particularly those in the western part of the basin, are sustained mostly by ground-water discharge that generally has large dissolved-solids concentrations.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2021

Borehole analysis, single-well aquifer testing, and water quality for the Burnpit well, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore National Memorial (hereafter referred to as “the memorial”), in western South Dakota, is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS) and includes 1,278 acres of land in the east-central part of the Black Hills. An ongoing challenge for NPS managers at the memorial is providing water from sustainable and reliable sources for operations, staff, and the increasing number of visitors. In 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and NPS completed a hydrological study of the Burnpit well (well 5), a 580-foot-deep open hole groundwater well completed in metamorphic (crystalline) rock at the memorial. The purpose of this study was to estimate the geological and hydraulic properties of the aquifer supplying the well and to determine the water quality of the groundwater from the well. The study provides NPS staff and managers background information for assessing future uses for the well. Methods for data collection and analysis for the study included borehole and video camera analysis in 2020, aquifer testing by the NPS in 2009 and the USGS in 2020, and water-quality sampling in 2020. Borehole camera video generally matched the lithology recorded in the well log. Fractures recorded in the well log and observed with the borehole camera, including more than 20 less prominent fractures and rough sidewall areas, indicated a fractured aquifer. The fractures are the primary conduits for groundwater flow through the rock and into the well. Transmissivity was estimated for the upper and lower water-level drawdown zones at the Burnpit well with data from the NPS and USGS using the Theis and Cooper-Jacob methods. Transmissivity for the NPS test using the Theis method was 9.0 and 11 feet squared per day (ft 2 /d) for the upper and lower drawdown zones, respectively. Using the Cooper-Jacob method, the transmissivity was 22 and 14 ft 2 /d for the upper and lower drawdown zones of the aquifer, respectively. Transmissivity estimates from data from the USGS test were similar. The Theis method, applied to the upper and lower drawdown zones of the aquifer, produced transmissivity estimates of 7.7 and 10 ft 2 /d, and the Cooper-Jacob method produced estimates of 9.7 and 12 ft 2 /d, respectively. Storativity (specific yield) estimated using the Theis method for the NPS aquifer-test data was 0.85 and 0.92 for the upper and lower drawdown zones of the aquifer, respectively. The Cooper-Jacob method applied to the NPS aquifer-test data produced storativity estimates of 0.11 and 0.50 for the upper and lower drawdown zones, respectively. The Theis method applied to the USGS aquifer-test data estimated storativity values of 0.77 and 1.0 for the upper and lower drawdown zones, respectively. The Cooper-Jacob method estimated storativity of 0.50 and 0.60 for the upper and lower drawdown zones of the USGS aquifer test, respectively. The estimated storativity values from the NPS and USGS aquifer tests for the upper and lower drawdown zones were higher than expected for limestones and schists. The hypothetical equilibrium drawdown for the Burnpit well was estimated after the NPS test in 2009 at no more, and possibly less, than 35 gallons per minute. The NPS noted that the sustainable yield likely was overestimated because the water level did not stabilize during the NPS aquifer test. The specific capacity for the NPS aquifer test in 2009 was 0.16 gallon per minute per foot ([gal/min]/ft) of drawdown at 3 hours, and the specific capacity for the USGS aquifer test in 2020 was 0.13 (gal/min)/ft of drawdown at 3 hours. The rate of water-level recovery after pumping ceased was 0.017 and 0.013 (gal/min)/ft for the NPS and USGS aquifer tests, respectively. The water-level recovery rate was nearly an order of magnitude less than the specific capacity estimated during pumping, indicating that water levels in the Burnpit well may not recover quickly enough during pumping to provide for a continuous source of water. Water-quality samples were collected at the Burnpit well on June 24 and July 23, 2020, and analyzed for field-measured properties, major ions, metals, nutrients, and perchlorate. Iron, zinc, and lithium concentrations for unfiltered samples in the well were at least three times greater than the mean filtered sample concentrations reported for crystalline aquifers in the Black Hills. Manganese concentrations were less than the mean concentration for crystalline aquifers but exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) secondary drinking-water standards. The iron concentration from the June 24 sample was about 11 times greater than the EPA secondary drinking-water standards and mean concentrations from crystalline aquifers in the Black Hills. Arsenic concentrations in Burnpit well samples collected in 2020 were greater than the EPA primary drinking-water standard and the mean concentration for crystalline aquifers in the Black Hills. Arsenic occurs naturally in the rock of crystalline aquifers, and concentrations from samples in the Black Hills commonly exceed the EPA primary drinking-water standard of 10 micrograms per liter. High concentrations of arsenic, iron, and manganese metals in the Burnpit well make groundwater from the well in its natural state unusable as a drinking-water source, and water treatment would be necessary to reduce the trace element concentrations to less than the EPA primary and secondary drinking-water standards. However, if the memorial has immediate nonpotable water requirements, such as for construction and fire suppression, groundwater from the Burnpit well could provide water without causing additional stress to current (2021) drinking-water sources.

South Dakota↗
USGS2001

An estimate of chemical loads from ground water to the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Canal, northwestern Indiana

Chemical loads from ground water to the Grand Calumet River and the Indiana Harbor Canal in northwestern Indiana were estimated to aid in determining the total maximum daily load. Data from two previous studies, completed in 1987 and 1993, were used to compute loads. The first study included a ground-water-flow model. Results from this model were used to determine ground-water fluxes to eight distinct reaches of the Grand Calumet River and the Indiana Harbor Canal at assumed horizontal hydraulic conductivities of 50 and 100 feet per day. In addition, water quality data collected during the first study and a second study that further described the quality of water from wells screened in the Calumet aquifer, were used with the ground-water fluxes to compute estimates of chemical loads for selected constituents contributing to the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Canal. Constituents included trace elements, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and selected general chemistry properties. Total dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, and dissolved ammonia as nitrogen had the largest estimated loads to the Grand Calumet River and the Indiana Harbor Canal for any river reach. The estimated loads for total dissolved solids ranged from 239 to 12,800 kilograms per day. Dissolved iron had the largest estimated load for the trace elements and exceeded 1 kilogram per day for all river reaches for which data were available. The majority of ground-water concentrations for polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were reported as less than the method reporting limit, resulting in small computed loads to the river and canal.

Indiana↗
USGS2011

Young (<7 Ma) gold deposits and active geothermal systems of the Great Basin: Enigmas, questions, and exploration potential

Young gold systems in the Great Basin (£ 7 Ma), though not as well studied as their older counterparts, comprise a rapidly growing and in some ways controversial group. The gold inventory for these systems has more than doubled in the last 5 years from roughly 370 tonnes (12 Moz) to 890 tonnes (29 Moz). Although these deposits are characterized by low grades, tonnages can be high and stripping ratios low, and they have been mined profitably, as exemplified by Florida Canyon and Hycroft. Active geothermal systems in the Great Basin also comprise a rapidly growing group, as evidenced by a number of recent discoveries of geothermal groundwater and a more than 50% increase in electricity production capacity from these systems in the last 5 years. Many young gold deposits are closely associated with active geothermal systems, suggesting that gold deposits may be forming today in the Great Basin. Measured or estimated geothermal reservoir temperatures commonly approach or exceed 200∞C, and other characteristics and processes (advanced argillic caps, hydrothermal eruption breccias) of these young deposits resemble those of nearby Tertiary precious metal deposits. Nonetheless, many young gold systems, especially in Nevada, are not associated with coeval igneous rocks. Similarly, almost all electricity-grade geothermal systems in Nevada are not associated with Quaternary silicic volcanic rocks, and have lower temperature gradients, lower 3He/4He ratios, and lower dissolved trace element concentrations than most magmatic-heated geothermal systems elsewhere in the world. The increasing economic significance of young gold deposits and active geothermal systems justifies more research to better understand their origins, particularly because in some aspects they remain enigmatic and controversial. Are young gold deposits in Nevada truly amagmatic, or have they received metal and fluid contributions from magmas deeper within the crust? Has gold in these deposits been remobilized from older gold mineralization? Current research is investigating these and other questions to improve our genetic understanding of these young gold systems, which in turn can lead to improved exploration targeting. The recent rapid growth in resources for both young gold deposits and geothermal systems underscores their underdeveloped exploration potential. Even though many young gold deposits exhibit relatively shallow hot-springs-style mineralization, their young age may preclude exposure by erosion. Uplift along active normal faults has exposed some deposits (e.g., Florida Canyon, Dixie Comstock, Wind Mountain), but in other areas, such as the Walker Lane, where strike-slip faulting is prevalent, the opportunities for exposure can be limited. Many active geothermal systems are also concealed below the surface in that hot springs or steam vents may be absent above areas of thermal groundwater. With sources of energy to support mine production becoming more problematic, the potential advantages of simultaneously exploring for young gold deposits and spatially associated geothermal systems are becoming more apparent. Exploration methods recently proven effective in geothermal exploration that can be adapted to gold exploration include temperature surveys, hyperspectral remote sensing, geophysical surveys, water analyses, and detailed mapping of geothermal-related features and related fault systems.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2017

Characterization of the quality of water, bed sediment, and fish in Mittry Lake, Arizona, 2014–15

Water, bed-sediment, and fish sampling was conducted in Mittry Lake, Arizona, in 2014–15 to establish current water-quality conditions of the lake. The parameters of temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentration, specific conductance, and alkalinity were measured in the field. Water samples were collected and analyzed for dissolved major ions, dissolved trace elements, dissolved nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved pesticides, bacteria, and suspended-sediment concentrations. Bed-sediment and fish samples were analyzed for trace elements, halogenated compounds, total mercury, and methylmercury. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant levels in drinking water were exceeded for sulfate, chloride, and manganese in the water samples. Trace-element concentrations were relatively similar between the inlet, middle, and outlet locations. Concentrations for nutrients in all water samples were below the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s water-quality standards for aquatic and wildlife uses, and all bacteria levels were below the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s recommended recreational water-quality criteria. Three out of 81 pesticides were detected in the water samples. Trace-element concentrations in bed sediment were relatively consistent between the inlet, middle, and outlet locations. Lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc concentrations, however, decreased from the inlet to outlet locations. Concentrations for lead, nickel, and zinc in some bed-sediment samples exceeded consensus-based sediment-quality guidelines probable effect concentrations. Eleven out of 61 halogenated compounds were detected in bed sediment at the inlet location, whereas three were detected at the middle location, and five were detected at the outlet location. No methylmercury was detected in bed sediment. Total mercury was detected in bed sediment at concentrations below the consensus-based sediment-quality guidelines probable effect concentration. Sixteen trace elements were detected in at least one of the fish-tissue samples, and trace-element concentrations were relatively consistent between the three fish-tissue samples. Seven halogenated compounds were detected in at least one of the whole-body fish samples; four to five compounds were detected in each fish. One fish-tissue sample exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency human health consumption criteria for methylmercury.

Texas↗
USGS1977

Stable isotopes in mineralogy

Stable isotope fractionations between minerals are functions of the fundamental vibrational frequencies of the minerals and therefore bear on several topics of mineralogical interest. Isotopic compositions of the elements H, C, O, Si, and S can now be determined routinely in almost any mineral. A summary has been made of both published and new results of laboratory investigations, analyses of natural materials, and theoretical considerations which bear on the importance of temperature, pressure, chemical composition and crystal structure to the isotopic properties of minerals. It is shown that stable isotope studies can sometimes provide evidence for elucidating details of crystal structure and can be a powerful tool for use in tracing the reaction paths of mineralogical reactions. ?? 1977 Springer-Verlag.

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals↗