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At least 973 records · Page 54Linked to original sources
USGS1979

Outer continental shelf oil and gas information program; Alaska index (December 1974 - June 1979)

As part of a national goal to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, the United States is currently managing a program for leasing of OCS oil and gas resources. The areas potentially affected, consisting of 22 coastal states and Pennsylvania, can be grouped into four major areas: Alaska, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific. The Alaska Area has three lease sale areas: Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea and the Chukchi and the Beaufort Sea (see Figures I and 2). Most of the information used by both the government and industry on the hydrocarbon potential of the Alaska Area is initially acquired and compiled on a regional basis. These data are used by industry in nominating tracts for lease and in preparation of bids and by the Department of the Interior for general sale area identification, tract selection, environmental impact statements and resource evaluation. Subsequent environmental information and data analysis is directed toward defining specific sub-areas and site-specific evaluation.

Alaska↗
USGS1956

Host rocks and their alterations as related to uranium-bearing veins in the United States

This paper, dealing with the different kinds of host rocks and their alterations associated with uranium-bearing veins in the United States, is a chapter of a comprehensive report entitled , "Geology of uranium-bearing vein deposits in the United States," in preparation by George W. Walker, Frank W. Osterwald, and others. The comprehensive report will include detailed information on tectonic and structural setting, kinds of host rocks, wall-rock alteration, mineralogy, physical characteristics, processes of deposition, and concepts of origin of uraniferous veins; but, because it will not be completed until sometime in the future, some chapters of the report are being transmitted as they are finished. Part of an introductory chapter to the comprehensive report entitled, "Classification and distribution of uranium-bearing veins in the United States" (Walker and Osterwald, 1956) has already been transmitted; several of the terms used herein are defined in the introductory chapter. Data included in this chapter demonstrate that uranium-bearing veins are: 1) in rocks of nearly all textural, chemical, and mineralogic types; 2) most abundant in holocrystalline, commonly equigranular, igeneous and metamorphic rocks characterized by a moderate to high silica content and and by similar physical properties. Although some of the physiochemical properties of the host rocks are discussed in terms of favorability or nonfavoribility for uranium deposition, the principal purpose of this chapter is to establish the petroloic environment in which uranium-bearing veins have been found. Because favorability or nonfavorability of host rocks is related complexly to the chemistry of ore solutions and to methods or uranium transport and deposition, several hypothetical processes of transport and deposition have been referred to briefly; these and other hypotheses will be outlines and discussed in greater detail in a subsequent chapter. The compilation of data leading to this report and its preparation by a member of the Uranium Research and Resource Section, U.S. Geological Survey, was done on behalf of the Division of Raw Materials, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The report is based on both published and unpublished information collected principally by personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission or its predecessor organization, the Manhattan Engineer District, and to a lesser extent by staff members of other Federal or State agencies and by geologists in private industry. Information concerning foreign uranium-bearing vein deposits has been extracted almost exclusively from published reports; references to these and other data are included at appropriate places.

Trace Elements Investigations↗
USGS2018

Lactation and resource limitation affect stress responses, thyroid hormones, immune function, and antioxidant capacity of sea otters (Enhydra lutris)

Lactation is the most energetically demanding stage of reproduction in female mammals. Increased energetic allocation toward current reproduction may result in fitness costs, although the mechanisms underlying these trade‐offs are not well understood. Trade‐offs during lactation may include reduced energetic allocation to cellular maintenance, immune response, and survival and may be influenced by resource limitation. As the smallest marine mammal, sea otters (Enhydra lutris) have the highest mass‐specific metabolic rate necessitating substantial energetic requirements for survival. To provide the increased energy needed for lactation, female sea otters significantly increase foraging effort, especially during late‐lactation. Caloric insufficiency during lactation is reflected in the high numbers of maternal deaths due to End‐Lactation Syndrome in the California subpopulation. We investigated the effects of lactation and resource limitation on maternal stress responses, metabolic regulation, immune function, and antioxidant capacity in two subspecies of wild sea otters (northern: E. l. nereis and southern: E. l. kenyoni) within the California, Washington, and Alaska subpopulations. Lactation and resource limitation were associated with reduced glucocorticoid responses to acute capture stress. Corticosterone release was lower in lactating otters. Cortisol release was lower under resource limitation and suppression during lactation was only evident under resource limitation. Lactation and resource limitation were associated with alterations in thyroid hormones. Immune responses and total antioxidant capacity were not reduced by lactation or resource limitation. Southern sea otters exhibited higher concentrations of antioxidants, immunoglobulins, and thyroid hormones than northern sea otters. These data provide evidence for allocation trade‐offs during reproduction and in response to nutrient limitation but suggest self‐maintenance of immune function and antioxidant defenses despite energetic constraints. Income‐breeding strategists may be especially vulnerable to the consequences of stress and modulation of thyroid function when food resources are insufficient to support successful reproduction and may come at a cost to survival, and thereby influence population trends.

California↗
USGS2017

Multiscale guidance and tools for implementing a landscape approach to resource management in the Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is implementing a landscape approach to resource management (hereafter, landscape approach) to more effectively work with partners and understand the effects of management decisions. A landscape approach is a set of concepts and principles used to guide resource management when multiple stakeholders are involved and goals include diverse and sustainable social, environmental, and economic outcomes. Core principles of a landscape approach include seeking meaningful participation of diverse stakeholders, considering diverse resource values in multifunctional landscapes, acknowledging the tradeoffs needed to meet diverse objectives in the context of sustainable resource management, and addressing the complexity of social and ecological processes by embracing interdisciplinarity and considering multiple and broad spatial and temporal perspectives. In chapter 1, we outline the overall goal of this report: to provide a conceptual foundation and framework for implementing a landscape approach to resource management in the BLM, focusing on the role of multiscale natural resource monitoring and assessment information. In chapter 2, we describe a landscape approach to resource management. BLM actions taken to implement a landscape approach include a major effort to compile broad-scale data on natural resource status and condition across much of the west. These broadscale data now provide a regional context for interpreting monitoring data collected at individual sites and informing decisions made for local projects. We also illustrate the utility of using multiscale data to understand potential effects of different resource management decisions, define relevant terms in landscape ecology, and identify spatial scales at which planning and management decisions may be evaluated. In chapter 3, we describe how the BLM Rapid Ecoregional Assessment program and Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring program may be integrated to provide the multiscale monitoring data needed to inform a landscape approach. We propose six core, broad-scale indicators of natural resource status and condition: the amount, spatial distribution, patch size and connectivity of ecosystems and wildlife habitats, and the pattern of existing development across the landscape. Additional supplemental broad-scale indicators may include fire return intervals, distributions of invasive species, and vulnerability of ecosystems to a changing climate. Landscape intactness is an additional derived indicator that is calculated from one or more of the core and supplemental broad-scale indicators. We then outline a process for assessing broad-scale indicators that is consistent with the overall BLM Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring process, facilitating development of a multiscale natural resource monitoring program. Finally, we describe how broad-scale indicators of natural resource status and condition may guide field monitoring implemented through the BLM Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring program and help address complex management questions. In chapter 4, we consider the specific question of assessing the ecological integrity of rangelands across the western United States. We first define ecological integrity and its relation to land health. We then suggest that a combination of six local-scale indicators collected through field sampling at individual sites and five complementary broad-scale indicators together provide information on the composition, structure, and function of rangelands. The terrestrial monitoring indicators collected at the level of individual field sites are the amount of bare ground, vegetation composition (including invasive plants and plants of management concern), vegetation height, and the proportion of the soil surface in large intercanopy gaps. The broad-scale indicators are vegetation amount, distribution, patch size, connectivity, and productivity, along with the pattern of terrestrial development. Our suggested approach to quantifying ecological integrity focuses specifically on informing management of public lands for multiple resource uses, and illustrates how existing data collected through BLM monitoring and assessment programs may be used together to provide multiscale information on land condition across broad extents. In chapter 5, we develop a method for quantifying landscape intactness and apply this method to the western United States. Our multiscale index of landscape intactness is designed to be defensible, decomposable, and easy to understand. The foundation of the multiscale index of landscape intactness is the surface disturbance footprint of anthropogenic development, including energy and urban development, roads and railroads, cultivated croplands, surface mines and quarries, and energy transmission lines and pipelines. The index represents a gradient of anthropogenic influence as represented by development summarized at two spatial scales of analysis: 2.5 and 20 kilometers. We provide several example applications of the index, illustrating how these data may inform natural resource decisions at the spatial extent of BLM field and district offices, states, ecoregions, and the western United States. We find that 19.2 percent of lands managed by the BLM across the 17 western states of the conterminous United States had the highest landscape intactness. The largest intact areas occur on public lands at high elevations or in the Great Basin. We believe the frameworks, processes, and analyses provided in this report will improve the ability of the BLM to identify and evaluate potential direct and indirect effects of management actions (such as habitat restoration and renewable energy development), and assist the BLM in further implementing a landscape approach to resource management.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2012

Analytical resource assessment method for continuous (unconventional) oil and gas accumulations - The "ACCESS" Method

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) periodically assesses petroleum resources of areas within the United States and the world. The purpose of this report is to explain the development of an analytic probabilistic method and spreadsheet software system called Analytic Cell-Based Continuous Energy Spreadsheet System (ACCESS). The ACCESS method is based upon mathematical equations derived from probability theory. The ACCESS spreadsheet can be used to calculate estimates of the undeveloped oil, gas, and NGL (natural gas liquids) resources in a continuous-type assessment unit. An assessment unit is a mappable volume of rock in a total petroleum system. In this report, the geologic assessment model is defined first, the analytic probabilistic method is described second, and the spreadsheet ACCESS is described third. In this revised version of Open-File Report 00-044 , the text has been updated to reflect modifications that were made to the ACCESS program. Two versions of the program are added as appendixes.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2026

Geospatial assessment of agrivoltaic opportunities and land use requirements in Nigeria

Agrivoltaics, the co-location of agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure, can deliver co-benefits like reduced plant drought stress and improved yields of shade-tolerant crops, particularly in water-scarce regions. Despite growing global interest, the technical potential and opportunities for agrivoltaics remain poorly understood in many regions facing both food and energy insecurity, such as sub-Saharan Africa. Here we provide a spatial assessment of agrivoltaic opportunities in Nigeria by integrating cropland distribution, solar resources, and water stress. We find that northern states—where cropland is abundant and water-stressed, solar irradiance is high, and electricity access remains low—offer the greatest potential for agrivoltaic systems to generate co-benefits. In contrast, the humid forest regions of southern Nigeria exhibit lower suitability, with sparse cropland and weaker solar potential. We also estimate that northern states could fully meet their projected 2050 solar energy targets by allocating less than 1% of existing cropland to agrivoltaics, whereas southern states would require much larger fractions (5.9–18.9%). Notably, in the northern state of Kano, the country’s most populous, allocating 0.6–1.8% of cropland would be sufficient to meet mid-century solar energy projections. Collectively, our findings highlight priority regions where agrivoltaics could most effectively strengthen food-energy security linkages and support equitable energy transition in Nigeria.

Scientific Reports↗
USGS2023

Application of a catch multiple survey analysis for Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus in the Delaware Bay

Objective This paper applies a catch multiple survey analysis (CMSA) to Atlantic horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus in the Delaware Bay to generate robust population estimates for harvest management. Currently, horseshoe crabs along the U.S. Atlantic coast are harvested as bait for other fisheries and collected for their blood, which is used in a biomedical industry. The Delaware Bay is home to the largest population of horseshoe crabs and is a significant stopover for shorebirds to rebuild energy by consuming horseshoe crab eggs prior to completing their northward migration. To address this interrelationship, the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework has been used since 2013 to ensure that horseshoe crab harvest within the region takes into account the forage needs of migratory birds. Since its inception, the ARM Framework has used a single trawl survey's swept area-based population estimates of horseshoe crab relative abundance and a theoretical population model developed primarily from literature-derived values. With more data collected in the region in recent years and other sources of mortality that can now be quantified, a catch survey model can provide horseshoe crab population estimates going forward. Methods A CMSA was used to estimate male and female horseshoe crab population size for 2003–2021 using all quantifiable sources of mortality and three fishery-independent indices of abundance. Result The CMSA results indicated that adult abundance of male and female horseshoe crabs was stable from 2003 to 2013 and then began to increase through 2017, a result that is consistent with stock rebuilding following a period of harvest restrictions as recommended by the ARM Framework. Population estimates were lower in recent years but remained above the levels estimated before implementation of the ARM Framework. In 2021, the CMSA estimated that there were over 6 million mature females and nearly 16 million mature male horseshoe crabs in the region. Conclusion The CMSA provides the best and most comprehensive population estimates of horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay and will improve modeling efforts within the ARM Framework going forward.

Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey↗
USGS2001

Geology, coal quality, and resources of the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, north-central Armenia

The Antaramut-Kurta-Dzoragukh (AKD) coal deposit is a previously unrecognized coal field in north-central Armenia. Coal has been known to exist in the general vicinity since the turn of the century, but coal was thought to be restricted to a small (1 km2) area only near the village of Antaramut. However, through detailed field work and exploratory drilling, this coal deposit has been expanded to at least 20 km2, and thus renamed the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, for the three villages that the coal field encompasses. The entire coal-bearing horizon, a series of tuffaceous sandstones, siltstones, and claystones, is approximately 50 m thick. The AKD coal field contains two coal beds, each greater than 1 m thick, and numerous small rider beds, with a total resource of approximately 31,000,000 metric tonnes. The coals are late Eocene in age, high volatile bituminous in rank, relatively high in ash yield (approximately 40%, as-determined basis) and moderate in sulfur content (approximately 3%, as-determined basis). The two coal beds (No. 1 and No. 2), on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis, have high calorific values of 32.6 MJ/kg (7796 cal/g) and 36.0 MJ/kg (8599 cal/g), respectively. Coal is one of the few indigenous fossil fuel resources occurring in Armenia and thus, the AKD coal field could potentially provide fuel for heating and possibly energy generation in the Armenian energy budget. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS2010

Evaluation of 11 equations for determining evaporation for a small lake in the North Central United States

Eleven equations for calculating evaporation were compared with evaporation determined by the energy budget method for Williams Lake, Minnesota. Data were obtained from instruments on a raft, on land near the lake, and at a weather station 60 km south of the lake. The comparisons were based on monthly values for the open-water periods of 5 years, a total of 22 months. A modified DeBruin-Keijman, Priestley-Taylor, and a modified Penman equation resulted in monthly evaporation values that agreed most closely with energy budget values. To use these equations, net radiation, air temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity need to be measured near the lake. In addition, thermal surveys need to be made to determine change in heat stored in the lake. If data from distant climate stations are the only data available, and they include solar radiation, the Jensen-Haise and Makkink equations resulted in monthly evaporation values that agreed reasonably well with energy budget values.

Minnesota↗
USGS2025

Evapotranspiration terminology and definitions

Evapotranspiration (ET), the combined process of evaporation from soil and plant surfaces and transpiration from plant tissue, plays a pivotal role in the global water and energy balance. Accurately quantifying ET at various spatial scales is important for diverse applications, including irrigation and natural resource management. While efforts to standardize ET methodology have progressed over the last few decades, some confusion and disagreements in terminology persist among communities of researchers and practitioners involved in the measurement, estimation, and simulation of ET. This technical note addresses the historical evolution and standardization of ET terminology, aiming to reduce and mitigate disparities in definitions and usage by advocating for standardized definitions and emphasizing the adoption of reference ET ( ET ref ) terminology to promote consistency and accuracy and to avoid ambiguity. This document provides comprehensive definitions of key terms, including crop (i.e., vegetation cover) coefficients, consumptive use (CU), actual crop evapotranspiration ( ET a ), and ET ref variants for short (grass, ET o ) and tall (alfalfa, ET r ) reference crops. Practical discussion on several relevant topics is given: (1) single and dual crop coefficient approaches, (2) applications to nonagricultural vegetation, (3) recommended subscripts for terms, (4) practical guidelines and considerations for ET ref calculation, (5) encouragement to replace “potential ET” terminology with better terms, (6) clarification on maximum ET ( ET max ) and maximum crop coefficient ( K c max ) terms, (7) ET products derived from remote sensing, (8) a brief description of the role of ET in water rights, and (9) a figure illustrating the use of the terms defined herein. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of consistent terminology for effective communication among researchers and end-users, which will facilitate the adoption of standardized ET methods and technologies. This technical note was created by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI), Evapotranspiration in Irrigation and Hydrology Committee, with input and endorsement from other relevant organizations in the United States and internationally. This note serves as a comprehensive reference guide for ET practitioners and researchers.

Irrigation and Drainage Engineering↗
USGS2013

Mapping, monitoring, and modeling Western Gateway Community landscape dynamics

Federal public lands in the western United States are becoming increasingly surrounded by Gateway Communities. These communities are undergoing landscape change due to population growth, economic growth, and the resulting land-use development. Socioeconomic, demographic, and land-use changes in Gateway Communities are often perceived as threats to Federal land resources, natural amenities, cultural resources, and recreational opportunities. However, land-surface disturbances on Federal public lands, such as conventional and alternative energy development (which impact surrounding Gateway Communities), are also environmental and societal issues that Federal land and adjacent regional community planners need to consider in their long-range land-use planning.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1982

Analytical method codes and descriptions for well and outcrop samples: Eastern Gas Shales Project data system

The United States Geological Survey and Petroleum Information Corporation (PI) of Denver have created a large computerized file of sample data for the Eastern Gas Shales Project (EGSP) as a responsibility to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), Morgantown, West Virginia. The EGSP was initiated in 1976 by METC to investigate gas resources in Devonian shales found in the Appalachian basin. An objective of the EGSP is to accumulate a data base characterizing these shale units which can be used to assess future development of the gas resource. More than 30 government and industry participants served as contractors and contributed data from their research.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Coalbed natural gas exploration, drilling activities, and geologic test results, 2007-2010

The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the North Slope Borough, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation conducted a four-year study designed to identify, define, and delineate a shallow coalbed natural gas (CBNG) resource with the potential to provide locally produced, affordable power to the community of Wainwright, Alaska. From 2007 through 2010, drilling and testing activities conducted at three sites in or near Wainwright, identified and evaluated an approximately 7.5-ft-thick, laterally continuous coalbed that contained significant quantities of CBNG. This coalbed, subsequently named the Wainwright coalbed, was penetrated at depths ranging from 1,167 ft to 1,300 ft below land surface. Core samples were collected from the Wainwright coalbed at all three drill locations and desorbed-gas measurements were taken from seventeen 1-ft-thick sections of the core. These measurements indicate that the Wainwright coalbed contains enough CBNG to serve as a long-term energy supply for the community. Although attempts to produce viable quantities of CBNG from the Wainwright coalbed proved unsuccessful, it seems likely that with proper well-field design and by utilizing currently available drilling and reservoir stimulation techniques, this CBNG resource could be developed as a long-term economically viable energy source for Wainwright.

Alaska↗
USGS2006

Petroleum system modeling capabilities for use in oil and gas resource assessments

Summary: Petroleum resource assessments are among the most highly visible and frequently cited scientific products of the U.S. Geological Survey. The assessments integrate diverse and extensive information on the geologic, geochemical, and petroleum production histories of provinces and regions of the United States and the World. Petroleum systems modeling incorporates these geoscience data in ways that strengthen the assessment process and results are presented visually and numerically. The purpose of this report is to outline the requirements, advantages, and limitations of one-dimensional (1-D), two-dimensional (2-D), and three-dimensional (3-D) petroleum systems modeling that can be applied to the assessment of oil and gas resources. Primary focus is on the application of the Integrated Exploration Systems (IES) PetroMod? software because of familiarity with that program as well as the emphasis by the USGS Energy Program on standardizing to one modeling application. The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) is used to demonstrate the use of the PetroMod? software. Petroleum systems modeling quantitatively extends the 'total petroleum systems' (TPS) concept (Magoon and Dow, 1994; Magoon and Schmoker, 2000) that is employed in USGS resource assessments. Modeling allows integration of state-of-the-art analysis techniques, and provides the means to test and refine understanding of oil and gas generation, migration, and accumulation. Results of modeling are presented visually, numerically, and statistically, which enhances interpretation of the processes that affect TPSs through time. Modeling also provides a framework for the input and processing of many kinds of data essential in resource assessment, including (1) petroleum system elements such as reservoir, seal, and source rock intervals; (2) timing of depositional, hiatus, and erosional events and their influences on petroleum systems; (3) incorporation of vertical and lateral distribution and lithologies of strata that compose the petroleum systems; and (4) calculations of pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) histories. As digital data on petroleum systems continue to expand, the models can integrate these data into USGS resource assessments by building and displaying, through time, areas of petroleum generation, migration pathways, accumulations, and relative contributions of source rocks to the hydrocarbon components. IES PetroMod? 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D models are integrated such that each uses the same variables for petroleum systems modeling. 1-D burial history models are point locations, mainly wells. Maps and cross-sections model geologic information in two dimensions and can incorporate direct input of 2-D seismic data and interpretations using various formats. Both 1-D and 2-D models use data essential for assessments and, following data compilation, they can be completed in hours and retested in minutes. Such models should be built early in the geologic assessment process, inasmuch as they incorporate the petroleum system elements of reservoir, source, and seal rock intervals with associated lithologies and depositional and erosional ages. The models can be used to delineate the petroleum systems. A number of 1-D and 2-D models can be constructed across a geologic province and used by the assessment geologists as a 3-D framework of processes that control petroleum generation, migration, and accumulation. The primary limitation of these models is that they only represent generation, migration, and accumulation in two dimensions. 3-D models are generally built at reservoir to basin scales. They provide a much more detailed and realistic representation of petroleum systems than 1-D or 2-D models because they portray more fully the temporal and physical relations among (1) burial history; (2) lithologies and associated changes through burial in porosity, permeability, and compaction; (3) hydrodynamic effects; and (4) other parameters that influence petroleum gen

Open-File Report↗
USGS2025

USGS—An Unparalleled Scientific Asset

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers information critical to powering our economy, managing our natural resources, and keeping Americans safe and healthy. 1 Mapping the Nation $21B Geologic maps save users an estimated 15% in annual costs: a value of between $14B and $21B. $25.6B in annual value to users of imagery from Landsat satellites, which were codeveloped by NASA and the USGS and operated through their lifespans by the USGS. $13.5B in annual benefits is generated by the USGS's 3D Elevation Program. Securing America’s Energy Independence 44% USGS-identified undiscovered geothermal energy is equal to 44% of current U.S. electricity generation. 29.4B barrels of oil and 391.6 trillion cubic feet of gas in recoverable resources are available on U.S. public lands based on USGS assessments. Protecting Americans’ Health and Safety $424B in recent wildland fire damages highlight the need for USGS fire science, which supports efforts to protect communities and reduce risk. USGS earthquake, volcano, landslide, and coastal hazard monitoring and information save lives and minimize costs; for example, $2.8M can be saved because of USGS enhanced information about a Mauna Loa eruption. $4.5B is the estimated cost of annual flooding. Through a network of over 11,885 streamgages, the USGS supports public safety and enables forecasts, early warning systems, and management actions that protect lives and property. Supporting National Security $3.1B The USGS identified a $3.1B risk to the American economy if China restricts gallium imports. This is one example underscoring the importance of the USGS mapping critical minerals, investigating supply chains, and producing the Nation’s critical minerals list. Enhancing Our Lands and Waters $21B in estimated annual costs results from invasive species. The USGS’s invasive species research informs approaches used to reduce their effects on agriculture, water infrastructure, disease transmission, fisheries, and outdoor recreation. USGS innovations support early warnings for harmful algal blooms—over $2M in yearly benefits are provided to Kansas alone. $45B USGS science informs the management of big game (such as deer and elk). The big-game hunting industry contributes $45B to the U.S. economy. Fostering American Prosperity $4.1T Mineral commodities are necessary for the $4.1T in value added to the GDP by major industries that consume processed mineral materials and employ 1 million workers. Because of this, USGS data on mineral supply, demand, and trade are highly valued. 45,000 metric tons Rare earths power the growing technology economy, including cell phones, electric vehicles, and medical devices. For over 70 years, USGS work has supported the discovery of rare earth resources in California’s Mountain Pass area, which produced 45,000 metric tons of rare earth concentrates in 2024—over 11% of the global supply. Guarding American Food Security $70.2B USGS science informs early warning systems and management strategies to mitigate disease outbreaks in agriculture—critical research on highly pathogenic avian influenza, for example, helps safeguard the $70B value in poultry and egg production. $11.8B USGS groundwater tools are vital for agriculture; for example, in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 65% of farming relies on groundwater to support its $11.8B annual industry. 1 Values throughout are given in billions (B), millions (M), and trillions (T) of U.S. dollars. GDP is “Gross Domestic Product.” Percentages are shown as %.

General Information Product↗
USGS1986

Minerals, lands, and geology for the common defence and general welfare, Volume 3, 1904-1939 : A history of geology in relation to the development of public-land, federal-science, and mapping policies and the development of mineral resources in the United States from the 25th to the 60th year of the U.S. Geological Survey

Mrs. Rabbitt's third volume covers the years 1904 to 1939, from the beginning of the conservation movement under Theodore Roosevelt to the beginning of World War II. From a national perspective, these were years of great development and change in the use of energy, trouble in the coal industry, and a great expansion in the oil industry. They were also years in which the public perceived for the first time that the Nation's mineral resources are not infinite, and the mineral industry realized its dependence on international trade. In these years, water became an increasingly valuable commodity, and the need for a national mapping program became abundantly evident. These were also the years when the Federal Government for the most part practiced stringent economy in funding science, but State and municipal agencies increasingly sought the services of the Survey's topographic and water specialists to aid in the solution of local problems. The balance maintained between fundamental and practical research during the first 25 years was more than once upset during the next 25 years, but the successful struggle to maintain a significant level of research laid the groundwork for the tremendous expansion in the Survey in the subsequent years.

Book↗
USGS2006

Comparing protein and energy status of winter-fed white-tailed deer

Although nutritional status in response to controlled feeding trials has been extensively studied in captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), there remains a considerable gap in understanding the influence of variable supplemental feeding protocols on free-ranging deer. Consequently, across the northern portion of the white-tailed deer range, numerous property managers are investing substantial resources into winter supplemental-feeding programs without adequate tools to assess the nutritional status of their populations. We studied the influence of a supplemental winter feeding gradient on the protein and energy status of free-ranging white-tailed deer in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. We collected blood and fecal samples from 31 captured fawns across 3 sites that varied considerably in the frequency, quantity, and method of supplemental feed distribution. To facilitate population-wide comparisons, we collected fresh fecal samples off the snow at each of the 3 sites with supplemental feeding and 1 reference site where no feeding occurred. Results indicated that the method of feed distribution, in addition to quantity and frequency, can affect the nutritional status of deer. The least intensively fed population showed considerable overlap in diet quality with the unfed population in a principal components ordination, despite the substantial time and financial resources invested in the feeding program. Data from fecal samples generally denoted a gradient in diet quality and digestibility that corresponded with the availability of supplements. Our results further demonstrated that fecal nitrogen and fecal fiber, indices of dietary protein and digestibility, can be estimated using regressions of fecal pellet mass, enabling a rapid qualitative assessment of diet quality.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗