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At least 1,117 records · Page 62Linked to original sources
USGS2026

Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field

Hydrothermal explosions are a significant geological hazard in some active volcanic systems; however, the timing and triggering mechanisms of these explosions are poorly constrained. This study applies luminescence dating techniques to hydrothermal explosion deposits in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field to constrain explosion chronologies and evaluate potential triggering mechanisms. We tested four luminescence dating techniques: K-feldspar post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR225), quartz blue light optically stimulated luminescence (BLOSL), quartz blue thermoluminescence (BTL), and quartz red thermoluminescence (RTL). The pIRIR225 and RTL protocols produce consistent age estimates that agree with independent radiocarbon ages and with the timing of the Pinedale deglaciation. This study focuses on two craters, Mary Bay, along the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake, and Pocket Basin in Lower Geyser Basin. The mean pIRIR225 ages from Mary Bay deposits (11.99 ± 0.68 ka) agree with previous radiocarbon constraints. The mean pIRIR225 results from Pocket Basin deposits (13.44 ± 1.06 ka) suggest a history of explosion following Pinedale deglaciation, followed by recent hydrothermal alteration. Luminescence dating techniques are a promising tool for reconstructing the timing of hydrothermal explosions in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, helping to constrain recurrence intervals of the largest hydrothermal systems, informing risk, and improving hazard assessments.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2001

Subglacial sediments: A regional geological template for iceflow in West Antarctica

We use aerogeophysical data to estimate the distribution of marine subglacial sediments and fault-bounded sedimentary basins beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). We find that significant ice flow occurs exclusively in regions covered by subglacial sediments. The onsets and lateral margins of ice streams coincide with the limit of marine sediments. Lateral margins are also consistently linked with fault-bounded basins. We predict that the inland migration of ice streams B and C1 towards the ice divide outside the region covered by marine or rift sediments is unlikely. The subglacial geology has the potential to modulate the dynamic evolution of the ice streams and the WAIS.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2001

Ancient drainage basin of the Tharsis region, Mars: Potential source for outflow channel systems and putative oceans or paleolakes

Paleotopographic reconstructions based on a synthesis of published geologic information and high-resolution topography, including topographic profiles, reveal the potential existence of an enormous drainage basin/aquifer system in the eastern part of the Tharsis region during the Noachian Period. Large topographic highs formed the margin of the gigantic drainage basin. Subsequently, lavas, sediments, and volatiles partly infilled the basin, resulting in an enormous and productive regional aquifer. The stacked sequences of water-bearing strata were then deformed locally and, in places, exposed by magmatic-driven uplifts, tectonic deformation, and erosion. This basin model provides a potential source of water necessary to carve the large outflow channel systems of the Tharsis and surrounding regions and to contribute to the formation of putative northern-plains ocean(s) and/or paleolakes.

Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets↗
USGS1998

The fate of geothermal arsenic in the Madison and Missouri Rivers, Montana and Wyoming

Geothermal As from Yellowstone National Park causes high As concentrations (10–370 μ g/L) in the Madison and Missouri Rivers in Montana and Wyoming. Arsenic transport is largely conservative in the upper basin as demonstrated by the near equivalence of dissolved and total-recoverable As concentrations, the constancy of As loads, and consistent ratios of concentrations of As to conservative geothermal tracers. Diurnal cycling of As between aqueous and solid phases in response to p H-induced changes in sorption equilibria causes small variations of about 10–20% in dissolved As concentrations. HCl-extractable As concentrations in river and lake sediment in the upper basin are variable depending on position relative to the As-rich headwaters and geochemical and physical processes associated with lakes. In the lower Missouri River, large quantities of suspended sediment from tributaries provide sufficient sorption sites for substantial conversion of As from the aqueous phase to the solid phase.

Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2002

The Commerce geophysical lineament and its possible relation to Mesoproterozoic igneous complexes and large earthquakes in the central Illinois Basin

New inversions of existing magnetic and gravity data lead to insights on upper crustal structures in the central Illinois basin. The results of 2D and 3D inversion techniques suggest that the source of the Commerce geophysical lineament follows the southeast boundary of a dense and magnetic, northeast-trending igneous center, named the Vincennes igneous center. Thus the Commerce geophysical lineament, defining the 5- to 10-km-wide Commerce deformation zone, appears to have influenced the structural development of the Vincennes igneous center. Overlying this igneous center is the Centralia seismic-reflection sequence, expressed as highly coherent reflectors ( McBride and Kolata, 1999 ). We suggest that the buried Vincennes igneous center is the source of inferred volcanic units of the Centralia sequence and is related to a rifted margin or a Proterozoic plate boundary. A comparison of gravity and magnetic fields over the Vincennes igneous center and the St. Francois Mountains igneous center in southeastern Missouri suggests that the associated sources in these regions are similar in composition and perhaps origin. Such a conclusion, although speculative, suggests that ∼1.47 Ga-year-old volcanic fields of high-silica rocks, with more abundant mafic components at depth, characterize basement in the regions of the Vincennes igneous center and the St. Francois Mountains. Further, we conclude that the Commerce deformation zone evolved in the Mesoproterozoic (1.1 to 1.5 Ga) as a major cratonic rheological boundary and was the focus of episodic reactivation related to varying stress regimes throughout its history. Spatial relations of the Commerce deformation zone with large Pleistocene and Holocene earthquakes suggest that the zone represents a major rheological boundary intimately related to both surface and deep structures and to the seismic hazard of the Illinois basin region. Assuming recent right-lateral slip along the Commerce deformation zone, we propose that a jog or left step in the Vincennes area leads to thrusting or a restraining bend, where associated stress accumulations may have resulted in nearby large prehistoric earthquakes and may also be the nucleation sites of future large earthquakes.

Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky↗
USGS1975

Combining estimates of low-flow characteristics of streams in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

The number of base-flow measurements needed to meet specified accuracy goals for estimating low-flow characteristics at ungaged sites can be reduced by combining an estimate based on a regression of base-flow measurements on discharges from a nearby continuous long-term gaging station with an estimate based on a regional relationship developed from regressing the low-flow characteristics on basin characteristics. The estimates should be combined by weighting each inversely with its variance from the true value. Empirically estimated values of variance of the estimated 7- day, 10-year low flow from its true value indicate that more than six or eight base-flow measurements add" little to the confidence with which such an estimate is made.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island↗
USGS2021

Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps

Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp ( Mylopharyngodon piceus ), grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ), silver carp ( Hypophthalmichthys molitrix ) and bighead carp ( Hypophthalmichthys nobilis ), are particularly concerning for native ecosystems because they occupy and disrupt a variety of food and habitat niches. In response, natural resource agencies are developing integrated pest management (IPM) plans to mitigate invasive carps. Control tools are one key component within a successful IPM program and have been a focal point for development by governmental agencies and academic researchers. For example, behavioural deterrents and barriers that block migratory pathways could limit carps range expansion into new areas, while efficient removal methods could suppress established carp populations. However, control tools are sometimes limited in practice due to uncertainty with deployment, efficacy and availability. This review provides an overview of several emerging modelling approaches and control technologies that could inform and support future invasive carp IPM programs.

Journal of Vertebrate Biology↗
USGS2025

Pre- and post-eruptive geochemical and isotopic fingerprints of rhyolites parental to volcano-sedimentary lithium brine and clay resources in the western USA & central Andes

Lithium is a high-demand, critical element used not only in lightweight rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, but also in nuclear applications and industries producing ceramics, aluminum, and medical products. It is extracted primarily from pegmatites and volcano-sedimentary brines and clays in arid, closed lacustrine or caldera basins. Lithium brines of the central Andean salars in the AltiplanoPuna Plateau contain around ~70% of the world’s lithium resources. In contrast, Clayton Valley, Nevada is the only current producer of lithium brines in the United States and accounts for ~6% of current global lithium production. Clayton Valley hosts a newly defined Li-clay resource where locally exposed rhyolite tuffs have been proposed as a lithium source. Identifying magma evolution processes and determining the importance of syn- and post-eruptive processes on the source, mobility, and distribution of lithium is an ongoing area of research. These two regions illustrate distinctive magmatic-tectonic regimes for volcano-sedimentary lithium enrichment and therefore represent ideal regions to explore the key geological processes critical to the enrichment of lithium resources.

Clayton Valley, Puna Plateau↗
USGS1989

Processing and attenuation of noise in deep seismic-reflection data from the Gulf of Maine

The U.S. Geological Survey deep crustal studies reflection profile across the Gulf of Maine off southeastern New England was affected by three sources of noise: side-scattered noise, multiples, and 20-Hz whale sounds. The special processing most effective in minimizing this noise consisted of a combination of frequency-wavenumber (F-K) filtering, predictive deconvolution, and spectral whitening, each applied in the shot domain (prestack). Application of the F-K filter to remove side-scatter noise in the poststack domain resulted in a much poorer quality profile. The prestack noise suppression processing techniques resulted in a reflection profile with good signal-to-noise ratios and reliable strong reflections, especially at depths equivalent to the lower crust (24-34 km). Certain geologic features, such as a buried rift basin and a crustal fault are resolved much better within the upper crust after this processing. Finite difference migration of these data using realistic velocities produced excellent results. Migration was essential to distinguish between abundant dipping and subhorizontal reflections in the lower crust as well as to show an essentially transparent upper mantle. ?? 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Marine Geophysical Research↗
USGS2025

Changes in phosphorus concentration and flux from 2011 to 2023 in major U.S. tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes

Reducing phosphorus (P) flux to the Great Lakes is critical for improving water quality and controlling eutrophication. We used 13 water years (2011–2023) of U.S. Geological Survey data from 24 major U.S. tributaries (representing 47% of the U.S. Great Lakes watershed area) to evaluate temporal changes in orthophosphate (PO 4 -P) and total P (TP) using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season. We assessed actual and flow-normalized P concentrations and fluxes. Between 2011 and 2023, P concentrations and fluxes declined in many tributaries, although the extent and significance of these declines varied. Decreases were more common and statistically likely for TP than PO 4 -P, and several high-loading watersheds had modest or non-significant changes. Flow-normalized PO 4 -P:TP flux ratios increased in over half the tributaries, suggesting that even where P reductions occurred, reductions in the more bioavailable P fraction were proportionally smaller. Actual P fluxes were strongly correlated with streamflow, and year-to-year variability in actual fluxes was, on average, three times greater than variability related to trends in flow-normalized fluxes. This underscores the role of hydrology in modulating P export and highlights how changing precipitation and runoff patterns can obscure or counteract management progress. Spring accounted for the largest share of annual P flux in most tributaries, though many showed declining spring contributions. Our basin-wide analysis reveals that while management efforts may have yielded progress in reducing TP in many watersheds, additional strategies would be needed to address PO 4 -P reductions and account for changing hydrology, especially in high-contributing watersheds.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS2002

Lower crustal deformation beneath the central Transverse Ranges, southern California: Results from the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment

We present a P wave velocity model derived from active source seismic data collected during the 1994 Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment. Our model extends previously published upper crustal velocity models to mantle depths. Our model was developed by both ray tracing through a layered model and calculating travel times through a gridded model. It includes an 8-km-thick crustal root centered beneath the surface trace of the San Andreas fault, north of the highest topography in the San Gabriel Mountains. A simple mass balance calculation suggests that ∼36 km of north-south shortening across the San Andreas fault in the central Transverse Ranges could have formed this root. If north-south compression began when the “Big Bend” in the San Andreas fault formed at ∼5 Ma, 36 km of shortening implies a north-south contraction rate of ∼7.1 mm/yr across the central Transverse Ranges. If, instead, north-south compression began when the Transverse Ranges formed at 3.4–3.9 Ma, 36 km of shortening implies a contraction rate of 9.2–10.6 mm/yr. North of the San Andreas fault, the Mojave Desert crust has a low-velocity (6.3 km/s) mid and lower crust and a 28-km-deep Moho. South of the San Andreas fault, beneath the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley basins, there is a fast (6.6–6.8 km/s), thick (10–12 km) lower crust with a 27-km-deep Moho. Farther south still, the lower crust of the Continental Borderland is fast (6.6–6.8 km/s) and thin (5 km) with a shallow (22 km deep) Moho.

California↗
USGS2010

Effects of Hurricane Katrina on an incipient population of giant salvinia Salvinia molesta in the lower Pascagoula River, Mississippi

The objectives of this study were to: 1) survey the lower Pascagoula River Basin and determine the post–storm distribution and abundance of giant salvinia; 2) control any remaining giant salvinia through physical and/or chemical means; 3) determine the fate of the bio–control agents; and 4) determine if re–introduction of salvinia weevils is needed and if so, to decide where best to release them.

Mississippi↗
USGS1975

Replacement barite deposit, southern Independence Mountains, Nevada

Allochthonous Devonian chert, metaquartzite, and greenstone in the Blue Basin quadrangle,, southern Independence Mountains, Nevada, are mineralized with barite forming a deposit of possible commercial grade and size. Textural evidence indicates that the barite was deposited in the host rocks principally by replacement, to a lesser extent by a process involving displacement and expansion of the host-rock material, and to a very minor extent by fracture filling.

Nevada↗
USGS2025

Spatial mapping of dissolved methane using an in situ sensor in Puget Sound

Release of methane, as gas bubbles or in the dissolved phase, from the seafloor has been observed in coastal waters (< 200 m) and deep ocean basins (> 1000 m). Methane dissolution within the water column affects the geochemistry of the surrounding water, leading to localized oxygen loss and potential escape to the atmosphere, particularly from shallower sites. Traditional methods for detecting and quantifying dissolved methane rely on collecting discrete water samples for ship- or land-based ex situ analysis and post processing. Here, we report on the use of a reduced response time, in situ methane sensor, the Sensor for Aqueous Gases in the Environment (SAGE), for detecting and quantifying dissolved methane concentrations in a wide range of seafloor environments. During a Fall 2022 research cruise on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson in Puget Sound, SAGE was integrated onto a towed conductivity/temperature/depth rosette and deep-sea camera system with live-stream 1 Hz telemetry and used to spatially map the concentration of methane approximately 1 m above the seafloor. The site had been previously identified as an active methane plume field characterized by gas bubbles, fluid venting, and a faulted seabed. The widespread background dissolved concentration of methane measured by SAGE was 83 nM, and a range of 78–670 nM was observed throughout the survey. The results highlight the capacity of SAGE to map the spatial and temporal variability of dissolved methane concentrations in situ and to identify and localize sites of variable methane emissions from the seafloor.

Washington↗
USGS2017

Holocene vegetation and climate history of the northern Bighorn Basin, southern Montana

Records of Holocene vegetation and climate change at low elevations (<2000 m) are rare in the central Rocky Mountain region. We developed a record of Holocene vegetation and climate change from 55 14C-dated woodrat middens at two low-elevation sites (1275 to 1590 m, currently vegetated by Juniperus osteosperma woodlands, in the northern Bighorn Basin. Macrofossil and pollen analyses show that the early Holocene was cooler than today, with warming and drying in the middle Holocene. During the Holocene, boreal (Juniperus communis, J. horizontalis) and montane species (J. scopulorum) were replaced by a Great Basin species (J. osteosperma). J. osteosperma colonized the east side of the Pryor Mountains 4700 14C yr B.P. Downward movement of lower treeline indicates wetter conditions between 4400 and 2700 14C yr B.P. Increased aridity after 2700 14C yr B.P. initiated expansion of J. osteosperma from the east to west side of the Pryor Mountains. ?? 2002 University of Washington.

Quaternary Research↗
USGS2016

Introduction to the special issue on the 25 April 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha(Nepal) earthquake

On April 25, 2015, a moment magnitude (M w ) 7.8 earthquake struck central Nepal, breaking a section of the broader Himalayan Front that had been largely quiescent in moderate-to-large earthquakes for much of the modern seismological era. Ground shaking associated with the event resulted in a broad distribution of triggered avalanches and landslides. The ensuing aftershock sequence was punctuated by a Mw 7.3 event 17 days after the mainshock. The combined effects of these earthquakes and secondary hazards have led to the Gorkha earthquake becoming the worst natural disaster in Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake, causing close to 9000 deaths and severely injuring over 21,000 people ( OCHA, 2015 ). Despite the devastating effects of this earthquake, the convergent margin that hosted it is thought to be capable of much larger ruptures—perhaps as large as Mw 9 ( Feldl and Bilham, 2006 ). The 2015 Gorkha rupture lies just to the west of the 1934 M 8.0–8.4 event ( Sapkota et al., 2013; Bollinger et al., 2014 ). Unlike the 1934 event, which has been documented in paleoseismic trenches along the Himalayan Front (e.g., Sapkota et al., 2013 ), and other large ruptures along the arc (e.g., Lavé et al., 2005; Kumar et al., 2006 ), the 2015 event did not rupture to the surface (e.g., Galetzka et al., 2015 ). As a result, some researchers have suggested that the Gorkha earthquake was not as large, or as damaging, as might have been expected based on our (albeit limited) understanding of historic earthquakes, seismic hazard and risk (e.g., Bilham, 2015; Hough, 2015 ). Important questions surrounding the earthquake and its regional setting thus arise. What were the detailed characteristics of the rupture and the aftershock sequence, and what is the relationship between mainshock slip and subsequent seismicity? Why did this event not rupture to the surface? Was damage less than should have been expected; and if so, why? What role did path effects, such as basin amplification, play? Do details of the earthquake sequence allow us to better understand regional seismotectonics, and in turn, future risk? Discussion of these and other issues has been ongoing since the earthquake; a large body of literature already exists that characterizes details of the earthquake sequence and its effects. This special issue attempts to gather a wide variety of detailed studies that wholly characterize this event to a degree that has not yet been possible. The studies herein provide an improved understanding of the Gorkha earthquake, its impact on the region, and its place in the broader seismotectonic history of the Himalayan Front.

Gorkha↗
USGS2021

Identification of seasonal streamflow regimes and streamflow drivers for daily and peak flows in Alaska

Alaska is among northern high‐latitude regions where accelerated climate change is expected to impact streamflow properties, including seasonality and primary flow drivers. Evaluating changes to streamflow, including flood characteristics, across this large and diverse environment can be improved by identifying the distribution and influence of flow drivers. Using metrics of mean monthly streamflow data from 253 streamgages, seasonal flow regimes were clustered to guide identification of seasonal‐flow drivers and form hydrologic groups for identification of peak‐flow populations. Nine seasonally distinct subclasses described variability within three classes dominated by (mostly fall) rainfall, (spring) snowmelt, and (summer) high‐elevation melt. The most glacierized basins exclusively grouped into high‐elevation melt subclasses, and less glacierized basins sometimes exhibited seasonal patterns aligned with rainfall‐ and snowmelt‐dominated regimes. Peak‐flow populations varied by subclass from dominant rainfall or dominant snowmelt to mixed rainfall‐snowmelt or mixed rainfall, snowmelt, and high‐elevation melt. Within subclasses, rainfall generated higher mean peak flows (relative to mean annual flow) than snowmelt or high‐elevation melt. Seasonal flow regimes showed clear but complex associations with basin characteristics, primarily elevation and winter temperature, and with geographic location. These dependencies provided elevation‐based analogies for changes associated with warming and insights for seasonal flow regime prediction and hydrologic region delineation. These results provide a spatially comprehensive perspective on seasonal streamflow drivers across Alaska from historical data and serve as an important historical basis for analysis.

Alaska↗
USGS2012

Use of weather types to disaggregate general circulation model predictions

General circulation models (GCMs) simulate climatic conditions with a grid cell resolution on the order of 100,000 km 2 . This resolution is inadequate to assess the effects of climatic change on water resources at a regional scale. A method has been developed that uses weather-type analysis as a tool to spatially disaggregate GCM predictions to make them useful for water resource studies. The method has been applied to the Delaware River basin to predict the effects of doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide on precipitation patterns in the region. An application of the technique to the Delaware River basin indicates that future climatic conditions will show minimal changes in weather-type frequency, implying that air circulation patterns will remain unchanged. Results of this study indicate that changes in regional precipitation patterns under a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide will be a result of within-type changes in weather characteristics.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗