SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Southeastern Geology”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

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

USGS1985

Effects of increased pumpage on a fractured-bedrock aquifer system in central Orange County, New York

The bedrock in central Orange County consists of highly indurated siltstone, shale, and conglomerate containing two major fault systems and extensive fracturing; it is overlain by 50 to 100 feet of till. The fracturing permits unusually high well yields. Wells tapping the bedrock yield 75 to 200 gallons per minute; those tapping bedrock in adjacent areas yield only a few tens of gallons per minute. The bedrock aquifer is recharged mainly by percolation of water from precipitation through the till. In 1983, the U.S. Geological Survey studied the hydrologic effects of increased pumpage on the fractured bedrock aquifer system near the Village of Kiryas Joel, in the Town of Monroe. Water levels were measured in several wells in the village 's two well fields from February to October 1983, and pumpage data from the same period were tabulated. Water levels responded to variations in both pumpage and precipitation. Pumping tests and water levels in the southeastern well field in 1983 had no effect on the northwestern well field. An observation well between the two fields shows about 20 feet of seasonal fluctuation from recharge and the effects of pumping at the northwestern well field. Aquifer-test data indicate a transmissivity of 900 feet squared per day and a storage coefficient of 0.0001.

New York↗

USGS2015

Measuring storm tide and high-water marks caused by Hurricane Sandy in New York: Chapter 2

In response to Hurricane Sandy, personnel from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployed a temporary network of storm-tide sensors from Virginia to Maine. During the storm, real-time water levels were available from tide gages and rapid-deployment gages (RDGs). After the storm, USGS scientists retrieved the storm-tide sensors and RDGs and surveyed high-water marks. These data demonstrate that the timing of peak storm surge relative to astronomical tide was extremely important in southeastern New York. For example, along the south shores of New York City and western Suffolk County, the peak storm surge of 6–9 ft generally coincided with the astronomical high tide, which resulted in substantial coastal flooding. In the Peconic Estuary and northern Nassau County, however, the peak storm surge of 9 ft and nearly 12 ft, respectively, nearly coincided with normal low tide, which helped spare these communities from more severe coastal flooding.

New York↗

USGS1989

Preparation of average annual runoff map of the United States, 1951-80

Average annual runoff was computed or estimated for 2,148 hydrologic cataloging units in the United States and Puerto Rico , for the period 1951-80. Runoff was computed from the recorded streamflow at 5,951 U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations. The runoff at more than 3,000 of these stations was estimated by correlation with other nearby stations to adjust for missing data. These runoff data were used to draw a map depicting the variation of runoff throughout the nation. Average annual runoff varied from less than 0.01 inch in parts of the Great Basin (Utah, parts of Nevada, Oregon, and California) to more than 240 inches in southeastern Alaska. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS2025

Completion summary for monitor wells NRF-17 and NRF-18 at the Naval Reactors Facility, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)—in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office that supports operations for the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—drilled and constructed well NRF-17 (formerly borehole USGS 151) and well NRF-18 (formerly borehole USGS 152) for stratigraphic framework analyses and water-quality monitoring at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) near the NRF, in southeastern Idaho. Borehole USGS 151 was continuously cored from about 48 to 1,070 feet (ft) below land surface (BLS); rotary drilled from approximately 1,070 to 1,720 ft BLS; and re-drilled to complete construction as a monitor well NRF-17, completed to 461 ft BLS. Borehole USGS 152 was continuously cored from approximately 19 to 1,259 ft BLS; rotary drilled from approximately 1,259 to 1,630 ft BLS; and re-drilled to complete construction as a monitor well NRF-18, completed to 450 ft BLS. Geophysical data were examined with photographed core material to record lithologic descriptions and to suggest zones where groundwater flow was anticipated. Basalt flows varied from highly fractured to dense, with high-to-low vesiculation. Well NRF-17 generally was constructed in mostly dense basalt (greater than 75 percent), and well NRF-18 was constructed in primarily fractured and (or) vesicular basalt. In well NRF-17, the well capacity is directly affected by the limited amount of fractured basalt, which serves as the primary pathway for groundwater. This effect was observed during the pumping test conducted after the well's final construction. Single-well aquifer tests were done at wells NRF-17 and NRF-18 to provide estimates of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity after final well construction and initial well development. Estimated values of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity for well NRF-17 were 8.81 feet squared per day (ft 2 /d) and 1.04×10 -2 feet per day (ft/d), respectively. Estimated values of transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity for well NRF-18 were 4.77×10 3 ft 2 /d and 5.61 ft/d, respectively. The NRF-17 pump test resulted in 19.41 ft of measured drawdown at a sustained average pumping rate of 3.3 gallons per minute (gal/min). The NRF-18 pump test resulted in 0.55 ft of measured drawdown at a sustained average pumping rate of 31.0 gal/min. Water-quality samples collected from the two wells were analyzed for cations, anions, metals, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, stable isotopes, and radionuclides. Water samples for select inorganic constituents showed concentrations consistent with signatures from tributary valley groundwater with influences from ephemeral surface-water recharge from the Big Lost River. Water-quality samples analyzed for stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen are consistent with signatures from tributary valley groundwater and surface-water recharge inputs to the aquifer. No measured water-quality results were greater than their respective maximum contaminant levels for public drinking-water supplies. Inorganic and nutrient water-quality results for well NRF-17 and well NRF-18 suggest the groundwater in this area is potentially affected by industrial wastewater disposal.

Idaho↗

USGS1996

Hydrogeology and analysis of ground-water-flow system, Sagamore Marsh area, southeastern Massachusetts

A study of the hydrogeology and an analysis of the ground-water-flow system near Sagamore Marsh, southeastern Massachusetts, was undertaken to improve the understanding of the current (1994 95) hydrogeologic conditions near the marsh and how the ground-water system might respond to proposed changes in the tidal-stage regime of streams that flood and drain the marsh. Sagamore Marsh is in a coastal area that is bounded to the east by Cape Cod Bay and to the south by the Cape Cod Canal. The regional geology is characterized by deltaic and glaciolacustrine sediments. The sediments consist of gravel, sand, silt, and clay and are part of the Plymouth-Carver regional aquifer system. The glacial sediments are hounded laterally by marine sand, silt, and clay along the coast. The principal aquifer in the area consists of fine to coarse glacial sand and is locally confined by fine-grained glaciolacustrine deposits consisting of silt and sandy clay and fine-grained salt-marsh sediments consisting of peat and clay. The aquifer is underlain by finer grained glaciolacustrine sediments in upland areas and by marine clay along the coast. Shallow ground water discharges primarily along the edge of the marsh, whereas deeper ground water flows beneath the marsh and discharges to Cape Cod Bay. Tidal pulses originating from Cape Cod Bay and from tidal channels in the marsh are rapidly attenuated in the subsurface. Tidal ranges in Cape Cod Bay and in the tidal channels were on the order of 9 and 1.5 feet, respectively, whereas tidal ranges in the ground-water levels were less than 0.2 foot. Tidal pulses measured in the water table beneath a barrier beach between the marsh and Cape Cod Bay were more in phase with tidal pulses from Cape Cod Bay than with tidal pulses from the tidal channels in Sagamore Marsh, whereas tidal pulses in the regional aquifer were more in phase with tidal pulses from the tidal channels. A 5-day aquifer test at a public-supply well adjacent to the marsh gave a transmissivity of the regional aquifer of 9,300 to 10,900 feet squared per day and a hydraulic conductivity of 181 to 213 feet per day, assuming a saturated thickness of the aquifer of 51.3 feet. The regional aquifer became unconfined near the pumped well during the test. The ratio of tidal ranges in the tidal channel to the ranges in the underlying aquifer at two sites (the lower and upper marsh) indicated aquifer diffusivities for the marsh sediments of 380 and 170 feet squared per day; these values correspond to hydraulic conductivities of 2.5 x 10 -3 and 1.7 x 10 -3 feet per day, respectively. The maximum distances from the tidal channel at the lower and upper marsh sites where tidal ranges would exceed 0.01 foot, as calculated from aquifer diffusivities and current (1995) tidal ranges in the tidal channels, were 24.4 and 26.7 feet, respectively. The maximum distances from the tidal channel where tidal pulses in the ground water would exceed 0.01 foot, using potential increased tidal stages resulting from proposed tidal-stage modifications and predicted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, were 37.1 and 42.0 feet, respectively. A numerical model of the marsh and surrounding aquifer system indicated that the contributing area for the supply well adjacent to the marsh, for current (1994) pumping conditions, extends toward Great Herring Pond, about 2 miles northwest (upgradient) of the well, and does not extend beneath the marsh. The model also indicates that the predicted increases in tidal stages in the marsh will have a negligible effect on local ground-water levels.

Massachusetts↗

USGS2002

Geologic map of the Eagle Quadrangle, Eagle County, Colorado

The Eagle quadrangle covers an area that straddles the Eagle River and Interstate 70 (I-70) and it includes the town of Eagle, Colo., which is located in the southwestern part of the quadrangle, just south of I-70 and the Eagle River, about 37 km west of Vail, Colo. The map area is part of the I-70 urban corridor, which is experiencing rapid and escalating urban growth. Geologic mapping along this corridor is needed for ongoing land-use planning. A variety of rocks and deposits characterize the map area and areas nearby. Sedimentary rocks present in the map area range in age from Pennsylvanian rocks, which were deposited in the ancestral Eagle basin during the formation of the ancestral Rocky Mountains, to Late Cretaceous rocks that were deposited just prior to the formation of the present Rocky Mountains. The Pennsylvanian rocks in the map area include a thick sequence of evaporitic rocks (Eagle Valley Evaporite). These evaporitic rocks are commonly complexly folded throughout the southern part of the quadrangle where they are exposed. In general, in the central and northern parts of the quadrangle, the sedimentary rocks overlying the evaporite dip gently to moderately northward. Consequently, the youngest sedimentary rocks (Late Cretaceous rocks) are exposed dipping gently to the north in the northern part of the quadrangle; landslide complexes are widespread along the northerly dipping, dip slopes in shaly rocks of the Cretaceous sequence in the northeastern part of the map area. During the Early Miocene, basaltic volcanism formed extensive basaltic flows that mantled the previously deformed and eroded sedimentary rocks. Erosional remnants of the basaltic flows are preserved in the southeastern, west-central, and north-central parts of the map area. Some of these basaltic flows are faulted and downdropped in a manner that suggests they were downdropped in areas where large volumes of the underlying evaporitic rocks were removed from the subsurface, beneath the basaltic rocks, by dissolution or flowage of the evaporite in the subsurface. Quaternary and late Tertiary(?) surficial deposits in the map area consist mainly of Quaternary alluvium and colluvium, late and middle Pleistocene terrace gravels of the Eagle River, Miocene(?) gravel remnants of the ancestral Eagle River and its tributaries, and Pleistocene to recent mass movement deposits that include landslides and debris flows. Potential geologic hazards in the map area include landslides, debris flows, rockfalls, local flooding, ground subsidence, and expansive and corrosive soils.

Colorado↗

USGS1975

Geology and water availability of Cullman County, Alabama

The Pottsville Formation of Pennsylvanian age underlies most of Cullaman County in northern Alabama. It consists mostly of interbedded sandstones and shales that dip southward about 40 feet per mile. The Bangor Limestone of Mississippian age underlies the Pottsville and crops out in a few valleys along the northern boundary of the county. The principal source of ground water in the county is the Pottsville Formation. Sandstones of the Pottsville Formation underlying low topographic areas will yield as Much as 200 gpm (gallons per minute) to individual wells 200 feet deep or less in the southeastern part of the the county and 25-100 gpm in other parts. Those underlying high topographic areas generally yield less than 5 gpm. The average flow of streams in and adjoining Cullman County is about 1,500 mgd (million gallons per day) which includes about 780 mgd that originates in the county. Discharge from ground-water storage is small, and most streams cease to flow during extended dry periods. Sipsey Fork and Mulberry Fork are the only streams in and adjoining Cullman County that have median annual 7-day low flows that exceed 2 mgd.

Alabama↗

USGS1996

Diatom constraints on the position of the Antarctic Polar Front in the middle part of the Pliocene

The relative percentages of diatom taxa in 5 deep-sea cores (DSDP 266, ODP 699A, ODP 747A, ODP 751 A, and Eltanin Core 50-28) from the Southern Ocean are determined for an interval centered on 3.1 to 2.9 Ma in the middle part of the Pliocene. This climatically warm interval, which is being studied by the PRISM Project of the U.S. Geological Survey, coincides with a proposed interval of major deglaciation of East Antarctica. The maximum southerly position of the Antarctic Polar Front between 3.1 and 3.0 Ma is inferred from these diatom studies, the presence of calcareous nannofossils in the sediments, and sedimentologic and micropaleontologic information from the literature. It is suggested that the Antarctic Polar Front may have migrated by as much as 6 ° of latitude further to the south in the southeastern Atlantic and Indian Oceans during this Pliocene warm interval but probably lay close to its present day position in the southwest Atlantic and Drake Passage. Summer sea surface temperatures are inferred to have been no more than 3 °–4 °C warmer than present at latitudes between 55 ° and 60 °S.

Marine Micropaleontology↗

USGS2001

Geologic Maps of the Dardanus Sulcus (Jg-6), Misharu (Jg-10), Nabu (Jg-11), and Namtar (Jg-14) Quadrangles of Ganymede

Ganymede is the largest (~5,200 km diameter) of the Jovian satellites. Surficial features on Ganymede, as recorded by the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft (Smith and others, 1979a; 1979b), indicate a complex history of crustal formation. Several episodes of crustal modification led to the formation of curvilinear systems of furrows in dark terrain, the emplacement of light materials, and the creation of grooves in light terrain. Prior to exploration of the Jovian system by spacecraft, Earth-based observations established that the surface of Ganymede is dominated by water ice with various admixtures of fine silicate (rock) material (Pilcher and others, 1972; Sill and Clark, 1982). No agreement yet exists as to the amount of water in the near surface material; early estimates based on spectral reflectance data suggested that half the surface was covered by nearly pure water ice, whereas later studies by Clark (1981) indicated that up to 95% of the surface could be water ice and still be consistent with spectroscopic data. The Pioneer encounters with the Jovian system in 1973 and 1974 confirmed that Ganymede was made up of patches of light and dark terrain but did not have the spatial resolution needed to determine the percent cover of water ice, or geologic relations of surface materials. Not until the Voyager encounters was the surface seen with sufficient detail to enable geologic mapping. On the basis of albedo contrasts, surface morphology, crater density, and superposition relations, geologic mapping was done using principles and techniques that have been applied to the Earth, Moon, and other terrestrial planets (Wilhelms, 1972). Considerable uncertainty exists in applying such methods to bodies having icy crusts, as the internal processes that produce their surface configurations are poorly understood, and the resolution of the Voyager images is barely sufficient to show the detail required to interpret structural and stratigraphic relations. With the exception of the extreme southeastern portion of the Namtar quadrangle (Jg- 14), all images used for mapping were taken by Voyager 1. At the time of encounter, the eastern portion of the Misharu (Jg–10) and Namtar quadrangles were near the terminator, making it difficult to distinguish albedo variations best seen at high sun angles. The western quadrangles were imaged at resolutions of 2–5 km/pixel (Batson and others, 1980) from an oblique angle, so albedo variations can be seen, but topography and morphology are not well expressed in the images.

IMAP↗

USGS2004

Chester County ground-water atlas, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Chester County encompasses 760 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania. Groundwater-quality studies have been conducted in the county over several decades to address specific hydrologic issues. This report compiles and describes water-quality data collected during studies conducted mostly after 1990 and summarizes the data in a county-wide perspective. In this report, water-quality constituents are described in regard to what they are, why the constituents are important, and where constituent concentrations vary relative to geology or land use. Water-quality constituents are grouped into logical units to aid presentation: water-quality constituents measured in the field (pH, alkalinity, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen), common ions, metals, radionuclides, bacteria, nutrients, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Water-quality constituents measured in the field, common ions (except chloride), metals, and radionuclides are discussed relative to geology. Bacteria, nutrients, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds are discussed relative to land use. If the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or Chester County Health Department has drinking water standards for a constituent, the standards are included. Tables and maps are included to assist Chester County residents in understanding the water-quality constituents and their distribution in the county. Ground water in Chester County generally is of good quality and is mostly acidic except in the carbonate rocks and serpentinite, where it is neutral to strongly basic. Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are major constituents of these rocks. Both compounds have high solubility, and, as such, both are major contributors to elevated pH, alkalinity, specific conductance, and the common ions. Elevated pH and alkalinity in carbonate rocks and serpentinite can indicate a potential for scaling in water heaters and household plumbing. Low pH and low alkalinity in the schist, quartzite, and gneiss rocks can indicate a potential for corrosive water. The only constituent measured in the field that has a USEPA Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) is pH. The SMCL for pH is 6.5-8.5; 64 percent of samples analyzed for pH were acidic (below pH 6.5). Only 1 percent of samples were basic (above pH 8.5). Of the common ions, the USEPA has SMCLs for chloride, sulfate, and total dissolved solids. The USEPA has a SMCL and a Primary Maximum Contaminant Level (PMCL) for fluoride. Chloride is more closely related to land use than geology. In Chester County, chloride exceeded the SMCL (250 mg/L) only in 5 percent of the services (commercial services, community services, and military) land-use areas. No samples analyzed for sulfate exceeded the SMCL (250 mg/L). Only 3 percent of samples analyzed for total dissolved solids exceeded the SMCL (500 milligrams per liter) (mg/L). No samples analyzed for fluoride equaled or exceeded the SMCL (2.0 mg/L) or PMCL (4.0 mg/L). Iron concentrations exceeded the USEPA SMCL in 11 percent of samples and were highest in schist (14 percent) and gneiss (13 percent). Manganese concentrations exceeded the SMCL in 19 percent of samples and were highest in quartzite and schist (both 28 percent). Lead and arsenic were present in low concentrations: the highest concentrations of lead occurred in water from quartzite (8 percent exceeded the USEPA Action Level), and arsenic was detected mostly in Triassic sedimentary rocks (9 percent exceeded the USEPA PMCL). The highest concentrations of copper occurred more frequently in quartzite rocks, and to a lesser extent were evenly distributed between ground water in gneiss, schist, and Triassic sedimentary rocks. Elevated concentrations of radon-222 and the combined radium-226/radium-228 radionuclides were common in water from quartzite and schist. Gross alpha and gross beta particle activities were elevated in water from quartzite and carbonate rocks. In contrast, elevated concentrations of uranium primarily were measured in water from Triassic sedimentary and carbonate rocks. Despite a sampling bias towards agricultural land use, only two samples indicated the presence of fecal coliforms. Samples analyzed for nutrients generally exhibited low concentrations, but about 11 percent of samples collected for nitrate exceeded the USEPA PMCL. Only one nitrite sample (less than 1 percent) exceeded the respective USEPA PMCL. Approximately 190 samples were collected for each of the three pesticides in this report: lindane, dieldrin, and diazinon. Sampling was biased towards agricultural, low-medium density residential, and wooded land uses. Approximately 95 percent of samples for each pesticide were below minimum reporting levels (MRL). Only lindane has a USEPA PMCL, and only one sample exceeded the standard. Results for dieldrin and diazinon were similar, except results for two diazinon samples where concentrations were 57.0 and 490 micrograms per liter (μg/L). Volatile organic compounds in this report were analyzed in water from 198 samples. Sampling was biased towards agricultural, low-medium density residential, and wooded land uses. Two percent of samples analyzed for trichloroethylene and less than 1 percent of samples analyzed for tetrachloroethylene exceeded their respective USEPA PMCLs (each 5.0 μg/L). No samples analyzed for 1,1,1-trichloroethane exceeded the USEPA PMCL (200 μg/L). No samples analyzed for methyl tert-butyl ether exceeded the USEPA Drinking Water Advisory (20μg/L).

Open-File Report↗

USGS1979

Records of selected wells, springs, and test holes, in the Royal, upper Presumpscot, and upper Saco River basins in Maine

The area discussed in this report includes about 1200 square miles in southwestern Maine. Location of the area is shown on the cover, and a sketch map identifying the topographic quadrangles for the study area is given in figure 1. The northern boundary of the area is the divide between the Androscoggin River drainage basin on the north and the Saco, Presumpscot, and Royal River drainage basins on the south. The western boundary is the Maine-New Hampshire State line, and the southwestern boundary is the Little Ossipee River. The southeastern boundary is the mid-latitude of the Gray and Freeport 15-minute topographic quadrangles. The greatest part of the area is in Cumberland and Oxford Counties, a smaller area is in York County, and a small fraction is in Androscoggin County. Included are parts or all of 15 towns in Cumberland County, 15 towns in Oxford County, 5 towns in York County, and 2 towns in Androscoggin County. The report contains geologic and hydrologic data collected as part of an investigation of the surficial geology and ground-water resources made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Maine Public Utilities Commission. These data are made available for use in planning the development of natural resources. An interpretive report containing maps of surficial geology and ground-water availability and related geologic and hydrologic information will be published in the Survey's Water-Resources Investigations series.

Maine↗

USGS1994

Isotopic composition of Pb in ore deposits of the Betic Cordillera, Spain; origin and relationship to other European deposits

The Betic Cordillera in southern Spain is a complex Alpine fold belt that resulted from the Cretaceous through Cenozoic collision of Africa with Europe. The region is illustrative of one of the characteristics of the Alpine-Mediterranean orogen: the occurrence over a limited area of mineral deposits with a wide variety of host rocks, mineralization ages, and styles. The metamorphic basement in the Betic zone is characterized by a nappe structure of superimposed tectonostratigraphic units and consists of lower Paleozoic to Lower Triassic clastic metasedimentary rocks. This is overlain by Middle to Upper Triassic platform carbonate rocks with abundant strata-bound F-Pb-Zn-(Ba) deposits (e.g., Sierra de Gador, Sierra Alhamilla). Cretaceous to Paleogene subduction-related compression in southeastern Spain was followed by Miocene postcollisional extension and resulted in the formation of the Almeria-Cartagena volcanic belt and widespread hydrothermal activity and associated polymetallic mineralization. Typical Miocene hydrothermal deposits include volcanic-hosted Au (e.g., Rodalquilar) and Ag-rich base metal (e.g., Cabo de Gata, Mazarron) deposits as well as complex polymetallic veins, mantos, and irregular replacement bodies which are hosted by Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamorphic rocks and Neogene sedimentary and volcanic rocks (e.g., Cartagena, Sierra Almagrera, Sierra del Aguilon, Loma de Bas).Lead isotope compositions were measured on sulfide samples from nine ore districts and from representative fresh samples of volcanic and basement rock types of the region. The results have been used to evaluate ore-forming processes in southeastern Spain with emphasis on the sources of metals. During a Late Triassic mineralizing event, Pb was leached from Paleozoic clastic metasedimentary rocks and incorporated in galena in strata-bound F-Pb-Zn-(Ba) deposits ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.332 + or - 12, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.672 + or - 12, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 38.523 + or - 46). The second episode of mineralization was essentially contemporaneous (late Miocene) throughout the region and did not involve remobilization of less radiogenic Triassic ore Pb. Lead isotope data indicate a dominantly Paleozoic metasedimentary source for polymetallic vein- and manto-type deposits that formed by hydrothermal circulation through the Betic basement, driven by Miocene intrusions ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.747 + or - 20, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.685 + or - 9, 208 /Pb/ 204 Pb = 39.026 + or - 37). Lead in Au-(Cu-Te-Sn) ores is isotopically indistinguishable from that of the calc-alkalic volcanic host ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.860 + or - 9, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.686 + or - 8, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 38.940 + or - 27). In contrast, the Pb in volcanic-hosted Pb-Zn-Cu-(Ag-Au) veins was derived from Paleozoic metamorphic and Miocene volcanic rocks ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.786 + or - 5, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.686 + or - 2, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 38.967 + or - 9).A comparison of the Pb isotope data from southeastern Spain with published data from selected Pb-Zn deposits in southern Europe (including Les Malines, L'Argentiere, and the Alpine, Iglesiente-Sulcis, and Montagne Noire districts) indicates the importance of a metasedimentary basement as a common source of ore Pb.

Economic Geology↗

USGS2005

Variability of differences between two approaches for determining ground-water discharge and pumpage, including effects of time trends, Lower Arkansas River Basin, southeastern Colorado, 1998-2002

In the mid-1990s, the Colorado Division of Water Resources (CDWR) adopted rules governing measurement of tributary ground-water pumpage for the Arkansas River Basin. The rules allowed ground-water pumpage to be determined using one of two approaches?power conversion coefficient (PCC) or totalizing flowmeters (TFM). In addition, the rules allowed a PCC to be applied to the electrical power usage up to 4 years in the future to estimate ground-water pumpage. As a result of concerns about potential errors in applying the PCC approach forward in time, a study was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with CDWR and Colorado Water Conservation Board, to evaluate the variability in differences in pumpage between the two approaches, including the effects of time trends. This report compared measured ground-water pumpage using TFMs to computed ground-water pumpage using PCCs by developing statistical models of relations between explanatory variables, such as site, time, and pumping water level, and dependent variables, which are based on discharge, PCC, and pumpage. When differences in pumpage (diffP) were computed using PCC measurements and power consumption for the same year (1998-2002), the median diffP, depending on the year, ranged from +0.1 to -2.9 percent; the median diffP for the entire period was -1.5 percent. However, when diffP was computed using PCC measurements applied to the next year's power consumption, the median diffP was -0.3 percent; and when PCC measurements were applied 2, 3, or 4 years into the future, median diffPs were +1.8 percent for a 2-year forward lag and +5.3 percent for a 4-year forward lag, indicating that pumpage computed with the PCC approach, as generally applied under the ground-water pumpage measurement rules by CDWR, tended to overestimate pumpage as compared to pumpage using TFMs when PCC measurement was applied to future years of measured power consumption. Analyses were done to better understand the causes of the time trend; an estimate of the overall trend with time (uncorrected for pumping water-level changes) yielded a trend of about 2.2 percent per lag year for diffP. A separate analysis that incorporated a surface-water diversion term in the statistical model rendered the time-trend term insignificant, indicating that the time trend in the models served as a surrogate for other variables, some of which reflect underlying hydrologic conditions. A more precise explanation of the potential causes of the time trend was not obtained with the available data. However, the model results with the surface-water diversion term indicate that much of the trend of 2.2 percent per lag year in diffP resulted from applying a PCC to estimate pumpage under hydrologic conditions different from those under which the PCC was measured. Although there is no evidence to conclude that the upward time trend determined in the data for this 5-year period would hold in the future, historical static ground-water levels in the study area generally have exhibited small variations over multidecadal time scales. Therefore, the approximately 2 percent per lag year trend determined in these data is expected to be a reasonable guideline for estimating potential errors in the PCC approach resulting from temporally varying hydrologic conditions between time of PCC measurement and pumpage estimation. Comparisons also were made between total, or aggregated, pumpage for a network of wells as computed by the PCC approach and the TFM approach. For 100 wells and a lag of 4 years between PCC measurement and pumpage estimation, there was a 95-percent probability that the difference between total network pumpage measured by the PCC approach and that measured using a TFM would be between 5.2 and 14.4 percent. These estimates were based on a bias of 2.2 percent per lag year estimated for the period 1998-2002 during which hydrologic conditions were known to have changed. Using the same assumptions, the estimated d

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2017

Riverine discharges to Chesapeake Bay: Analysis of long-term (1927–2014) records and implications for future flows in the Chesapeake Bay basin

The Chesapeake Bay (CB) basin is under a total maximum daily load (TMDL) mandate to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the bay. Identifying shifts in the hydro-climatic regime may help explain observed trends in water quality. To identify potential shifts, hydrologic data (1927–2014) for 27 watersheds in the CB basin were analyzed to determine the relationships among long-term precipitation and stream discharge trends. The amount, frequency, and intensity of precipitation increased from 1910 to 1996 in the eastern U.S., with the observed increases greater in the northeastern U.S. than the southeastern U.S. The CB watershed spans the north-to-south gradient in precipitation increases, and hydrologic differences have been observed in watersheds north relative to watersheds south of the Pennsylvania—Maryland (PA-MD) border. Time series of monthly mean precipitation data specific to each of 27 watersheds were derived from the Precipitation-elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) dataset, and monthly mean stream-discharge data were obtained from U.S. Geological Survey streamgage records. All annual precipitation trend slopes in the 18 watersheds north of the PA-MD border were greater than or equal to those of the nine south of that border. The magnitude of the trend slopes for 1927–2014 in both precipitation and discharge decreased in a north-to-south pattern. Distributions of the monthly precipitation and discharge datasets were assembled into percentiles for each year for each watershed. Multivariate correlation of precipitation and discharge within percentiles among the groups of northern and southern watersheds indicated only weak associations. Regional-scale average behaviors of trends in the distribution of precipitation and discharge annual percentiles differed between the northern and southern watersheds. In general, the linkage between precipitation and discharge was weak, with the linkage weaker in the northern watersheds compared to those in the south. On the basis of simple linear regression, 26 of the 27 watersheds are projected to have higher annual mean discharge in 2025, the target date for implementation of the TMDL for the CB basin.

Chesapeake Bay Basin↗

USGS2008

Flood of April 2007 in New Hampshire

During April 16-18, 2007, central and southeastern New Hampshire experienced severe flooding as a result of up to 7 inches of rainfall from a storm that stalled off the New England coast. As a result of the flooding, a Presidential Disaster Declaration was issued on April 27, 2007. On that day, disaster declarations were announced for Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford Counties. On May 10, 2007, Belknap County was added to the disaster declaration. Following the flooding, the U.S. Geological Survey, in a cooperative investigation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, determined the peak stages, peak discharges, and recurrence-interval estimates of the April 2007 flood at 57 streamgages and 4 ungaged sites in and adjacent to the counties named in the disaster declaration. Data from flood-insurance studies published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency also were compiled for each streamgage site for comparison purposes. The peak discharges during the April 2007 flood were the highest ever recorded at five long-term (more than 10 years of record) streamgage sites on the New Hampshire-Salmon Falls River at Milton, Cocheco River near Rochester, Oyster River near Durham, Contoocook River at Peterborough, and South Branch Piscataquog River near Goffstown. In addition, peak discharges equaled or exceeded a 100-year recurrence interval at 10 streamgages and a 50-year recurrence interval at 16 streamgages. The most severe flooding occurred in Rockingham, Strafford, Merrimack, and Hillsborough Counties.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2021

Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19, with comparisons to the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana

The Permian Basin, in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico is one of the largest conventional oil and gas reservoirs in the United States and is becoming one of the world’s largest continuous oil and gas (COG) reservoirs. Advances in technology have enabled oil and gas to be extracted from reservoirs that historically were developed using conventional, or vertical, well drilling techniques. Conventional oil and gas reservoirs have discrete deposits that are well defined and are typically trapped by an overlying geologic formation or caprock, whereas COG reservoirs contain deposits that are distributed evenly throughout the geologic formation, typically have much lower permeability (the capacity of a porous rock to transmit a fluid) than the conventional deposits, and require specialized horizontal extraction techniques. The methods to extract the oil from the two different reservoirs require differing amounts of water, and the horizontal extraction methods typically require substantially more water. In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey started a topical study to quantify water used during COG development. The Permian Basin, which contains both types of reservoirs (continuous and conventional), was the second basin in the United States in the U.S. Geological Survey’s topical study to quantify water used during COG development.

Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas↗

USGS1995

Physical characteristics of stream subbasins in the upper Minnesota River basin, west-central Minnesota, northeastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota

Data that describe the physical characteristics of stream subbasins upstream from selected points on streams in the Upper Minnesota River Basin, located in west-central Minnesota, north-eastern South Dakota, and southeastern North Dakota, are presented in this report. The physical characteristics are the drainage area of the subbasin, the percentage area of the subbasin covered only by lakes, the percentage area of the subbasin covered by both laker and wetlands, the main-channel length, and the main-channel slope. The points on the stream include outlets of subbasins of at least 5 square miles, outlets of sewage treatment plants, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey low-flow, highflow, and continuous-record gaging stations.

Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota↗

USGS1979

Geologic map of the Cebrenia quadrangle of Mars

Most of the Cebrenia quadrangle (lat 30˚ to 65˚ N., long 180˚ to 240˚ W.) is in the circumpolar plains of Mars. Craters from an early episode of intense bombardment have been largely obliterated by later volcanism, tectonism, erosion, and sedimentation by wind and water, and by circumpolar glacial and periglacial processes. South of 47˚ N. the plains are dissected by numerous channels, most of which drained off a broad volcanic upland near the southern border of the quadrangle. The impressive Elysium volcanoes cap the crest of this upland; their northernmost member, Hecates Tholus, lies within the Cebrenia quadrangle. The southeastern part of the Cebrenia quadrangle is dominated by the Phlegra Montes, which may be the only purely tectonic mountain range on Mars. It seems to have been formed by block faulting; there is no evidence that impact of volcanic processes played a role. An ancient pediment appears to have been uplifted by normal faults to form a north- to north-northeast-trending mountain range 1,400 km long, as much as 250 km wide, and more than 1 km high. Its foothills are partly covered by later volcanic and eolian deposits.

IMAP↗