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At least 1,009 records · Page 56Linked to original sources
USGS1965

The water story in Central Iowa

"The general welfare of the people of the state of Iowa requires that the water resources of the state be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable." This can be achieved only by a knowledge and understanding of the water resources - their use, their source, their quality, their availability, and the demands place upon them. To provide such knowledge and understanding, the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the Iowa Geological Survey produced this report on the utilization and availability of water in central Iowa. This report contains information on the past, present, and future statues of central Iowa;s water; information that can be used by the regional developer, the resource planner and manager, and other informed persons whose opinions and sound judgements are required in making decisions toward efficient development, management, use, and conservation of water. It gives an over-all view of the area's water resources and is aimed at guiding the people of central Iowa to the best available sources of water.

Iowa↗
USGS2002

Water quality monitoring and data collection in the Mississippi sound

The United States Geological Survey and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources are collecting data on the quality of the water in the Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico, and streamflow data for its tributaries. The U.S. Geological Survey is collecting continuous water -level data , continuous and discrete water -temperature data , continuous and discrete specific-conductance data , as well as chloride and salinity samples at two locations in the Mississippi Sound and three Corps of Engineers tidal gages. Continuous-discharge data are also being collected at two additional stations on tributaries. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources collects water samples at 169 locations in the Gulf of Mexico. Between 1800 and 2000 samples are collected annually which are analyzed for turbidity and fecal coliform bacteria. The continuous data are made available real-time through the internet and are being used in conjunction with streamflow data , weather data , and sampling data for the monitoring and management of the oyster reefs, the shrimp fishery and other marine species and their habitats.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2003

Guidelines for long-term monitoring protocols

Monitoring protocols are detailed study plans that explain how data are to be collected, managed, analyzed, and reported, and are a key component of quality assurance for natural resource monitoring programs. Protocols are necessary to ensure that changes detected by monitoring actually are occurring in nature and not simply a result of measurements taken by different people or in slightly different ways. We developed and present here guidelines for the recommended content and format of monitoring protocols. The National Park Service and United States Geological Survey have adopted these guidelines to assist scientists developing protocols for more than 270 national park units.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS1967

Field Methods for the Study of Slope and Fluvial Processes

In Belgium during the summer of 1966 the Commission on Slopes and the Commission on Applied Geomorphology of the International Geographical Union sponsored a joint symposium, with field excursions, and meetings of the two commissions. As a result of the conference and associated discussions, the participants expressed the view that it would be a contribution to scientific work relating to the subject area if the Commission on Applied Geomorphology could prepare a small manual describling the methods of field investigation being used by research scientists throughout the world in the study of various aspects of &lope development and fluvial processes. The Commission then assumed this responsibility and asked as many persons as were known to be. working on this subject to contribute whatever they wished in the way of descriptions of methods being employed. The purpose of the present manual is to show the variety of study methods now in use, to describe from the experience gained the limitations and advantages of different techniques, and to give pertinent detail which might be useful to other investigators. Some details that would be useful to know are not included in scientific publications, but in a manual on methods the details of how best t6 use a method has a place. Various persons have learned certain things which cannot be done, as well as some methods that are successful. It is our hope that comparison of methods tried will give the reader suggestions as to how a particular method might best be applied to his own circumstance. The manual does not purport to include methods used by all workers. In particular, it does not interfere with a more systematic treatment of the subject (1) or with various papers already published in the present journal. In fact we are sure that there are pertinent research methods that we do not know of and the Commission would be glad to receive additions and other ideas from those who find they have something to contribute. Also, the manual describes the methods in brief form. If further details are desired we urge that individual scientists correspond with their colleagues whose contributions are included in this little volume. The Commission thanks all contributors to this manual and hopes that their contributions have been included in a satisfactory way. The Commission also thanks Dr. Luna B. Leopold of the United States Geological Survey, who at our request assumed the task of collecting the contributions, editing them and compiling the present work.

Revue de Géomorphologie Dynamique↗
USGS2010

Climate change lessons from a warm world

In the early 1970’s to early 1980’s Soviet climatologists were making comparisons to past intervals of warmth in the geologic record and suggesting that these intervals could be possible analogs for 21st century “greenhouse” conditions. Some saw regional warming as a benefit to the Soviet Union and made comments along the lines of “Set fire to the coal mines!” These sentiments were alarming to some, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) leadership thought they could provide a more quantitative analysis of the data the Soviets were using for the most recent of these warm intervals, the Early Pliocene.

Transactions of the Leicester Literary & Philosoph↗
USGS2008

Investigating gas hydrate as a factor in accretionary margin frontal ridge slope failures and cold seep biogeochemistry

During August 2008, a research expedition (2008-007-PGC) was carried out offshore Vancouver Island on the northern Cascadia Margin (Figure 1) to study the role of gas hydrate in slope stability and cold seep biogeochemistry. The cruise was organized by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) as part of the Earth Science Sector, Natural Gas Hydrate Program, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). This international collaboration included McGill University, University of Victoria, the U.S. Geological Survey, Florida State University, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Fire in the Ice: NETL Methane Hydrate Newsletter↗
USGS1992

Remote sensing studies of the geomorphology of Surtsey, 1987-1991

The volcanic island of Surtsey, formed by explosive submarine and effusive subaerial eruptions between November 1963 and June 1967, consists of a complex combination of primary and redeposited tephra and alkaline olivine basalt lava flows in a 2.5 km 2 area (Thorarinsson, 1967; Thorarinsson et al., 1964; Fridriksson, 1975). During the past 24 years, wave and wind erosion of this subaerial mid-ocean ridge (MOR) vent complex have modified Surtsey's coastal morphology, including the deposition of a 0.5 km-long northern peninsula ( ness ) composed of tephra and rounded lava fragments derived from the southern half of the island. Detailed geomorphologic and sedimentologic mapping of the various surface units now present on Surtsey has been accomplished throughout the history of the evolving island, most recently by Calles et al. (1980) and Ingolfsson (1980). On the basis of these studies, an effort to quantify the topographic characteristics of the primary geomorphic units on the island was initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1987. The objective has been to directly measure the microtopographic properties of the widest range of surface types possible, with special emphasis on the pristine or dynamic types. While large-scale topographic maps of Surtsey were prepared in 1968 and 1975 (Norrman, 1980; Norrman and Erlingsson, 1991; Calles et al, 1980), and geodetic leveling surveys have been carried out (Moore, 1980), there have been no recent attempts to geodetically determine the local topography of the island. Because of the rapid rates of geomorphic processes, such as erosion and deposition, on a small, geologically isolated volcanic island such as Surtsey, it is desirable to determine the meter-scale topographic character of its surface units and landforms, and later a remeasurement of the same surfaces to further quantify volumetric change, subsidence, and process rates. In addition, precise measurements of sub-meter-scale topography of pristine geologic surfaces provides necessary data for the investigation of whether various geologic processes demonstrate fractal or self-affine behavior at a range of length-scales within the interval 0.1 in to 1 km. Thus Surtsey offers a unique opportunity to apply new remote sensing techniques to the measurement of the evolving surface "roughness" characteristics of pristine geologic surfaces within an historically well-monitored environment.

Surtsey Research Progress Report↗
USGS2011

I3N risk assessment and pathway analysis: Tools for the prevention of biological invasions

Information on invasive alien species from published and unpublished accounts and databases is usually scattered in locations and formats that are not easily accessible. Customized informatics tools for collecting and organizing invasive species information can help resource managers better control biological invasions. The Invasives Information Network (I3N) of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network has created a distributed network of databases of invasive species profiles, subject matter experts, projects, and datasets hosted and published online by natural resource institutions throughout the Americas. Invasive species information is documented and published online in a standard format that can be searched by the public. Profiles and occurrence information on invaders can be documented using the I3N Database on Invasive Alien Species, published online using an easy-to-use template, and exchanged in standard formats. The I3N Risk Assessment and Pathway Analysis tools are designed to be used in conjunction with I3N Databases to assist decision-makers in setting priorities for containment. All these tools are freely available online at http://i3n.iabin.net. Coordinated by the United States Geological Survey National Biological Information Infrastructure, this network serves as an example of successful capacity building and regional collaboration on an issue of global significance.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2001

Planetary Interactive GIS-on-the-Web Analyzable Database (PIGWAD)

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Flagstaff, Arizona is producing a Web-based, user-friendly interface that integrates powerful Geographic Information Systems (GIS) statistical and spatial relational tools for analyses of planetary datasets. The interface, known as “Planetary Interactive GIS-on-the-Web Analyzable Database” (PIGWAD), provides database support for the research and academic planetary science communities, particularly for geologic mapping and other surface-related investigations.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2019

Overview of future USGS Gulf of Mexico buoyant storage assessment project

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a member of a U.S. Department of Energy-funded partnership headed by the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology that is working to assess the feasibility of offshore geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage in the Gulf of Mexico. The role of the USGS is to assess the buoyant geologic CO2 storage resource of the western half of the offshore Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Buoyant CO2 storage is the CO2 held in place by a top and lateral seal (either a sealing formation or a sealing fault), that creates a column of CO2 in communication across pore space in a geologic reservoir. This assessment will be similar to the USGS assessment of onshore buoyant geologic CO2 storage [1] and will employ a modified version of existing USGS methodology [2] to assess the buoyant CO2 storage capacity in the GoM.

Gulf of Mexico↗
USGS2018

Describing the distribution and productivity of biota along a nearshore to offshore gradient

The Lake Michigan Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) proposed adding nutrients (phosphorus) to its “pollutant of concern” list in 2002, given that excessive nutrients were causing impairments in nearshore waters. Since that time, scientists have highlighted the “shunting” of nutrients to the nearshore (Hecky et al. 2004), owing to the ability of invasive dreissenid mussels to capture some portion of allochthonous phosphorus that enters the lake through tributaries. These changes are believed to increase productivity in the nearshore, reflected in increased benthic and pelagic primary production and nuisance Cladophora (Auer et al. 2010). Whether increases in primary productivity lead to concomitant increases for secondary (by zooplankton) and tertiary (by fish) production remains largely untested. Hence, understanding the distribution and abundance of nutrients and biota (e.g., zooplankton, fish) across a nearshore to offshore gradient was identified as a Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) priority in 2015. Increased understanding of the Lake Michigan nearshore will also facilitate the development of a Nearshore Strategy by the LAMP, which is called for in the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Working collaboratively with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States Geological Survey (USGS) described the distribution of nutrients and biota across nearshore to offshore transects in 2015 (see Appendix 1). At each transect, we sampled the food web at three sites with differing bottom depths: 18 m, 46 m, and 91-110 m. We purposefully chose transects near tributaries of varying total phosphorus (TP) input (see Figure 1, Dolan and Chapra 2012): three transects that were not associated with any large tributary where total phosphorus would be loaded (Waukegan IL, Frankfort MI, Sturgeon Bay WI), three transects adjacent to tributaries presumed to be relatively low loaders of TP (Pere Marquette MI, Root WI, Muskegon MI), and three transects adjacent to tributaries presumed to be relatively high loaders of TP (St. Joseph MI, Kalamazoo MI, Manitowoc WI). USGS estimated chlorophyll concentrations, zooplankton, Mysis , larval fish, and juvenile and adult fish seasonally (April/May, July, October/November) at eight of these transects (all but Muskegon).

Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin↗
USGS2020

A comparison of groundwater sampling technologies, including passive diffusion sampling, for radionuclide contamination

Using traditional high-flow purge methods for long-term water quality monitoring of deep groundwater wells can be expensive, affect contaminant migration, and produce excessive volumes of discharge water that can be difficult to manage. The use of low-flow pumping methods and depth discrete bailers (DDBs) can reduce the cost of sampling deep groundwater wells. In general, using different pumping methods to obtain reproducible and representative groundwater can be challenging. Passive diffusion samplers (PDSs) have successfully been used in long-term monitoring for volatile organic compounds, major ions, and trace-elements, but application has been limited for stable and radioactive isotopes. Beginning in 2018, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted three sampling events to test the ability of PDSs and DDBs to obtain reproducible and representative groundwater samples. The sampled well is completed in a regional, permeable carbonate aquifer and is one in a set of wells that have historically been used for tritium tracer testing. All samples were obtained at 180 m (590 ft) below land surface (bls) in a 13.97 cm (5.5 inch) uncased well that has a total depth of 202 m (662 ft) bls. The first sampling event deployed a regenerated cellulose dialysis membrane (RCDM) PDS for 14 days with deionized water as the blank. The second sampling event deployed a RCDM for 27 days also with deionized water as the blank. The third sampling event deployed a Dual Membrane (DM) PDS for 65 days using a blank of tritium-dead carbonate water. The DM PDS was used to assess the effect of longer-term deployment on tritium concentrations and address whether or not the PDSs reached equilibrium with ambient groundwater. The day after each of the three passive samplers were retrieved a DDB was used to obtain discrete non-integrated groundwater samples. For each DDB sampling day, the bailer was lowered into the well 10 consecutive times to determine if the water chemistry changed from the first to the last bailed sample. Quality assurance samples including blanks and duplicates were obtained during all three sampling events. All blank waters had tritium concentrations less than 21±33 pCi/L. Major ion (e.g. calcium, chloride, sodium, and sulfate) results were compared between all samples obtained with RCDM and DDB. Major ion concentrations showed a coefficient of variation of less than 6% between all RCDM and DDB samples; however, the coefficient of variation between the different deployment times and the two different methods for trace-element concentrations was much larger, particularly for manganese (82%), lead (41%), and zinc (33%). Stable isotope values were compared between the RCDM and DDB samples. The DDB sample results all fell within analytical uncertainty and were considered representative of the formation groundwater. The stable isotope values from the RCDM samples indicated that a longer deployment time was necessary to gain equilibrium and to obtain representative groundwater samples. Tritium results from groundwater samples obtained from the RCDM, DM, and DDB indicate that groundwaters obtained with PDSs produced tritium concentrations 2 to 3 times higher (between 1,426 and 3,060±87 pCi/L) than groundwaters obtained with a DDB (479 to 1,219±51 pCi/L). The longer the passive diffusion samplers were deployed, the higher the tritium concentration, suggesting that equilibrium with tritium was not reached within a 27-day deployment. DDB samples showed tritium results declining from the first to the last bailed sample for all three sampling events. This research suggests that tritium results from groundwater samples obtained from PDSs are more reproducible than samples obtained from DDBs. Also, PDSs likely do not accumulate isotopes of water but rather equilibrate with the ambient groundwater. On the other hand, both PDSs and DDBs were able to provide representative groundwater samples for major ions and have the potential to produce.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2020

Assessment of methods for soil monitoring in the Adirondack region of New York

Repeated sampling to detect changes in forest soils was rarely used before 1990, but the value of soil monitoring in understanding environmental change is becoming well established. The growing number of resampling studies has shown that sampling designs and procedures must be adapted to the objectives of the monitoring program and the soils being monitored. In the Adirondack region, current priorities include the response of soils to large increases, and more recently, large decreases in acidic deposition, and changes driven by trending climate such as altered pools of soil organic carbon, as well as other unforeseen factors that will occur in the future. To improve methods and assess the feasibility of long-term soil monitoring in the Adirondack region, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a pilot project to evaluate a new sampling method for characterizing soils on a watershed basis. Results obtained with this new approach, referred to as the ADK sampling method, was compared to methods used in previous sampling conducted in 2004 as part of the Western Adirondack Stream Survey (WASS), and also to previous high-replication pit sampling in the North and South Tributary watersheds of Buck Creek (North Buck and South Buck). The number of sampling locations and spatial distribution of sampling points within watersheds differed among the methods, although pit excavation was used to obtain samples in all cases. In addition, this investigation evaluated the use of small diameter corers as a means to measure forest floor mass with greater accuracy and precision than commonly used methods such as pit excavation. Sufficient statistical power to detect ecologically relevant changes in upper profile horizons (Oe, Oa and upper 10 cm of the B) were achieved with the ADK sampling method that utilized 18 pit excavations per watershed. The sampling locations were organized within each watershed into three study areas (six sampling locations per study area) that represented the primary types of landscape within the watershed. Sampling at 18 locations per watershed was found to be nearly as effective at detecting changes as sampling at 28 locations per watershed. Numerous significant changes (P < 0.10) were detected with both 18 and 28 sampling locations at sampling intervals of 12 to 16 years. The relationship between soil data obtained with the ADK method and stream chemistry at the base of the watershed suggested that this approach adequately characterized soil variability within the watershed for the purpose of studying soil-stream linkages. Significant changes in upper B horizon calcium (P < 0.10) and Oa horizon aluminum (P < 0.01) were detected when the data from the four WASS watersheds were combined with the two Buck Creek watersheds, which suggested that there would be value in resampling other WASS watersheds previously sampled in 2004 to support a regional assessment. Study results support small diameter cores as a useful method to monitor changes in the organic matter mass of the forest floor. This method showed high reproducibility in repeated sampling tests and lower spatial variability in sample data than traditional approaches when compared on a watershed basis. Soil coring is also faster and requires less equipment than pit excavation methods, which makes it more conducive to sampling over large areas. However, organic matter mass of the forest floor determined by coring was consistently less than the values obtained by the ADK sampling method that used pit sampling and vertical horizon measurements, and also literature values of a previous Adirondack study that utilized pit sampling in which the entire horizon was collected over a measured area. However, a high correlation (R2 = 0.87) occurred between organic matter content (expressed as Mg ha-1) determined by coring and the ADK sampling method. Differing methods with regard to where sample could be collected, and how organic matter was collected for chemical analysis were the likely reasons for differences in quantification of forest floor organic mass. Collection of forest floor cores in conjunction with the ADK method is recommended to provide improved sensitivity in detecting changes in the forest floor in proximity of where full analyses of the soil profile are being done. This duel sampling approach represents an optimized method for measuring and understanding how Adirondack soils will change in the future.

New York↗
USGS2021

Risk-informed levee erosion countermeasure site selection and design in the Sacramento area part 1: Soil sampling, testing, and data processing

USACE partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, United States Geological Survey, and Texas A&M University to evaluate the erodibility of the river banks and levees to inform probabilistic numerical simulations using the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM). This paper discusses the measurement of the intrinsic erosion and geotechnical properties of the soil for improved BSTEM results and is the first of two parts. Sampling and testing were conducted at select sites to obtain the soil stratigraphy and collect samples for estimation of engineering properties. Soil erodibility was measured using the Erosion Function Apparatus test, the Borehole Erosion Test, the Pocket Erodometer Test, and the mini-Jet Erosion Test. Critical evaluation of previously existing datasets and the collection of these new datasets helped to provide better definition of the range in erosion parameters for improved probabilistic erosion estimates using BSTEM for risk-informed levee erosion countermeasure site selection and design.

California↗
USGS2021

Risk-informed levee erosion countermeasure site selection and design in the Sacramento area part 2: Probabilistic numerical simulation of bank erosion

USACE partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, United States Geological Survey, and Texas A&M University to evaluate the erodibility of the river banks and levees to inform probabilistic numerical simulations using the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM). This paper, the second of two parts, addresses processing the collected data to inform inputs for probabilistic bank erosion estimates in BSTEM. Measuring the intrinsic soil properties for BSTEM is discussed in part one. Soil critical shear stress and soil erodibility coefficients were calibrated by Unified Soil Classification soil type to observed erosion on the American River. Adjustments were made in the probability density functions for these parameters to reflect field-measured variability and carry forward the reduction in error achieved during calibration. The resulting calibrated values were tested at additional sites, validating the resulting critical shear stress and soil erodibility coefficient values and probability density functions for more robust probabilistic bank erosion estimates using BSTEM.

California↗
USGS2021

Genetics as a tool for conservation and management of West Indian manatee populations in Brazil

A study conducted by the National Center for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Mammals (CMA), United States Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, and partner researchers found that the marine Antillean manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus ) has low genetic diversity in regions where there are territorial interfaces with the Amazonian manatee ( Trichechus inunguis ). The study was published as an article in the journal, Frontiers in Marine Science.

Sirenews↗