Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Hydrological Data”

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

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

At least 1,225 records · Page 68Linked to original sources
USGS2019

Monitoring the Riverine Pulse: Applying high-frequency nitrate data to advance integrative understanding of biogeochemical and hydrological processes

Widespread deployment of sensors that measure river nitrate (NO3-) concentrations has led to many recent publications in water resources journals including review papers focused on data quality assurance, improved load calculations, and better nutrient management. The principal objective of this paper is to review and synthesize studies of high-frequency NO3- data that have aimed to improve understanding of the hydrologic and biogeochemical processes underlying episodic, diel, and long-term stream NO3- dynamics. Investigations have provided unprecedented detail on hysteresis and flushing patterns during high flow, seasonal variation during baseflow, and responses to multi-year climate variation. Analyses of high-frequency data have led to notable advances in understanding how climate variation affects spatial and temporal NO3- patterns, especially dry-wet cycles and antecedent moisture. Further advances have been limited by few investigations that include high-frequency measurements outside the channel and the short duration of many records. High-frequency data for multiple constituents have provided new insight to the relative roles of hydrology and biogeochemistry as highlighted by studies of the roles of autotrophic uptake, denitrification, riparian evapotranspiration, and temperature-driven changes in viscosity as drivers of diel patterns. Comparisons of short-duration high-frequency data with long-duration low frequency data have described similarities and differences in concentration – discharge patterns and highlighted the role of legacy stores. Investigators have applied innovative analysis approaches not previously possible with low-frequency or temporally-irregular data. Future availability of long-duration high-frequency data will provide new insight to processes, resulting in improved conceptual models and a deeper understanding of the role of climate variation.

WIREs Water↗
USGS2004

Anthropogenic and natural variation in ridge and slough pollen assemblages

We present pollen evidence documenting the response of sawgrass ridge and slough systems of the Florida Everglades to hydrologic changes during the last 3,500 years. Sediment cores and surface samples were collected in three transects across sawgrass ridges and sloughs in Water Conservation Area 3A to determine the age of the features, long-term variability in plant community composition, stability of sawgrass ridge and slough size, and their response to 20th century changes in hydrology. Statistically significant differences in abundance of Cladium pollen in surface samples collected throughout the system allow differentiation of these communities in the sedimentary pollen record. Analysis of pollen in cores from the three transects indicates that the general distribution of ridges and sloughs has remained distinct through time. There is evidence the vegetation has responded to past global-scale climate events, such as the Medieval Warm Period, as well as the 20th century anthropogenic alterations to the natural hydrology. The ridge community is more responsive and susceptible to perturbations in hydrology than the slough community. In contrast, the slough plant community is more stable and less likely to demonstrate long-term changes after perturbations to hydrology. Regardless, these data indicate that the ridge and slough landscape is resilient to changes in hydrology and posses the potential to return to a natural state with the return of natural hydrologic conditions.

Florida↗
USGS2011

Simulating daily water temperatures of the Klamath River under dam removal and climate change scenarios

A one-dimensional daily averaged water temperature model was used to simulate Klamath River temperatures for two management alternatives under historical climate conditions and six future climate scenarios. The analysis was conducted for the Secretarial Determination on removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. In 2012, the Secretary of the Interior will determine if dam removal and implementation of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) (Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, 2010) will advance restoration of salmonid fisheries and is in the public interest. If the Secretary decides dam removal is appropriate, then the four dams are scheduled for removal in 2020. Water temperature simulations were conducted to compare the effect of two management alternatives: the no-action alternative where dams remain in place, and the action alternative where dam removal occurs in 2020 along with habitat restoration. Each management alternative was simulated under historical climate conditions (1961-2010) and six 50-year (2012-2061) climate scenarios. The model selected for the study, River Basin Model-10 (RBM10), was used to simulate water temperatures over a 253-mile reach of the Klamath River located in south-central Oregon and northern California. RBM10 uses a simple equilibrium flow model, assuming discharge in each river segment on each day is transmitted downstream instantaneously. The model uses a heat budget formulation to quantify heat flux at the air-water interface. Inputs for the heat budget were calculated from daily-mean meteorological data, including net shortwave solar radiation, net longwave atmospheric radiation, air temperature, wind speed, vapor pressure, and a psychrometric constant needed to calculate the Bowen ratio. The modeling domain was divided into nine reaches ranging in length from 10.8 to 42.4 miles, which were calibrated and validated separately with measured water temperature data collected irregularly from 1961 to 2010. Calibration root mean square errors of observed versus simulated water temperatures for the nine reaches ranged from 0.8 to 1.5 degrees C. Mean absolute errors ranged from 0.6 to 1.2 degrees C. For model validation, a k-fold cross-validation technique was used. Validation root mean square error and mean absolute error for the nine reaches ranged from 0.8 to 1.4 degrees C and 0.8 to 1.2 degrees C, respectively. Input data for the six future climate scenarios (2012-2061) were derived from historical hydrological and meteorological data and simulated meteorological output from five Global Circulation Models. Total Maximum Daily Loads or other regulatory processes that might reduce future water temperatures were not included in the simulations. Under the current climate conditions scenario, impacts of dam removal on water temperatures were greatest near Iron Gate Dam (near Yreka, California) and were attenuated in the lower reaches of the Klamath River. May and October simulated mean water temperatures increased and decreased by approximately 1-2 degrees C and 2-4 degrees C, respectively, downstream of Iron Gate Dam after dam removal. Dam removal also resulted in an earlier annual temperature cycle shift of 18 days, 5 days, and 2 days, near Iron Gate Dam, Scott River, and Trinity River, respectively. Although the magnitude of precipitation and air temperature change predicted by the five Global Circulation Models varied, all five models resulted in progressive incremental increases in water temperatures with each decade from 2012 to 2061. However, dam removal under KBRA appeared to delay the effects of climate change to some extent near Iron Gate Dam. With dam removal under KBRA, annual-mean water temperatures exceeded the 49-year historical mean temperature beginning in 2045; whereas with dams, annual-mean temperatures exceeded the historical mean beginning in 2025. Potential changes in seasonal water temperatures resulting from dam removal, with or without future climat

Open-File Report↗
USGS2021

Developing climate resilience in aridlands using rock detention structures as green infrastructure

The potential of ecological restoration and green infrastructure has been long suggested in the literature as adaptation strategies for a changing climate, with an emphasis on revegetation and, more recently, carbon sequestration and stormwater management. Tree planting and “natural” stormwater detention structures such as bioswales, stormwater detention basins, and sediment traps are popular approaches. However, the experimental verification of performance for these investments is scarce and does not address rock detention structures specifically. This 3-year study investigates the infiltration, peak flow mitigation, and microclimate performance of a natural wash stormwater retention installation using one-rock dams in an urban park in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Field data collected during the study do not depict change in the hydrogeomorphology. However, hydrologic modeling, using data collected from the field, portrays decreases in peak flows and increases in infiltration at the treated sites. Additionally, we observe a lengthening of microclimate cooling effects following rainfall events, as compared with the untreated sites. In this urban arid land setting, the prospect that rock detention structures themselves could reduce warming or heat effects is promising.

Arizona↗
USGS1997

Ground-water hydrology and water quality of Irwin Basin at Fort Irwin National Training Center, California

Geohydrologic data were collected from Irwin Basin at Fort Irwin National Training Center in the Mojave Desert of southern California by the U.S. Geological Survey during 199296 to deter mine the quantity and quality of ground water available in this basin. In addition to data collected from existing wells and test holes, 17 monitoring sites were constructed in Irwin Basin to provide data on subsurface geology, ground-water levels, and ground-water quality. Eleven of these sites were multiple-well monitoring sites that were constructed to provide depth-dependent geohydrologic data in the aquifer system. The aquifer system of Irwin Basin, defined on the basis of hydrologic data collected from wells in Irwin Basin, consists of an upper and a lower aquifer. A 1994 water-table contour map shows that a cone of depression beneath Irwin Basin well field has developed as a result of ground-water development. Water-quality samples collected from Irwin Basin wells to determine potential sources of ground-water degradation indicate that water in three areas in the basin contains high nitrate and dissolved-solids concentrations. The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen indicate that present-day precipitation is not a major source of recharge in this basin. Tritium and carbon-14 data indicate that most of the basin was recharged before 1953 and that this water may be more than 14,000 years old.

Calfornia↗
USGS2020

Evaluation of hydrologic impact of an irrigation curtailment program in the Upper Klamath Lake Basin using Landsat satellite data

Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) is the source of the Klamath river that flows through southern Oregon and northern California. The UKL basin is home to two endangered species and provides water for 81,000+ ha (200,000+ acres) of irrigation on the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) Klamath Project located downstream of the UKL basin. Irrigated agriculture also occurs along the tributaries to UKL. During 2013–2016, water right calls resulted in various levels of curtailment of irrigation diversions from the tributaries to UKL. However, information on the extent of curtailment, how much irrigation water was saved, and its impact on the UKL is unknown. In this study, we combined Landsat-based actual evapotranspiration (ETa) data obtained from the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model with gridded precipitation and USGS station discharge data to evaluate the hydrologic impact of the curtailment program. Analysis was performed for five base years (2004, 2006, 2008-2010) and four target years (2013-2016) over irrigated areas above UKL. Our results indicated that the impact of the curtailment program over the June to September time-period was highest during 2013 and declined in each of the following years. The total on-field water savings were approximately 60 hm3 in 2013 and 2014, 44 hm3 in 2015, and 32 hm3 in 2016. The instream water flow change or extra water available (EWA) were found at 92, 68, 45, and 26 hm3 respectively for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Most water savings came from pasture and wetlands. Alfalfa showed the most decline in water use among grain crops. The resulting EWA from the curtailment contributed to a maximum of 19% of the lake inflows and 50% of the lake volume. This study presents the use of Landsat-based ETa and other remote sensing datasets for evaluating water-related impacts of the irrigation curtailment program.

Upper Klamath Lake Basin↗
USGS1988

Models, data available, and data requirements for estimating the effects of injecting saltwater into disposal wells in the greater Altamont-Bluebell oil and gas field, northern Uinta Basin, Utah

Permits for disposing of salty oil-production water have been issued for 19 wells in the Greater Altamont-Bluebell field. During 1986 more than 500 million gallons of production water were injected into the Duchesne River, Uinta, and Green River Formations through 18 of these wells. The physical and chemical effects of injecting this water into aquifers containing potable water are poorly understood. Interfingering and the structural configuration of these formations add complexity to the description of the geometry and hydrogeology of the ground-water system. A preliminary assessment of the problem indicates that numerical modeling may offer a method of determining the effects of injection. Modeling possibilities include variable-density, three-dimensional flow, sectionaltransport, and areal-transport models. Data needed to develop these models can be derived from a synthesis of geologic, hydrologic, and hydrochemical data already available in the files of State and Federal agencies, oil companies, and private companies. Results from each modeling phase would contribute information for implementing the following phase. The result will be a better understanding of how water moves naturally through the groundwater system, the extent of alterations of both vertical and horizontal flow near the disposal wells, and an overall concept of the effects of deep injection on near-surface aquifers.

Utah↗
USGS2013

Characterization and conceptualization of groundwater flow systems

This chapter discusses some of the fundamental concepts, data needs and approaches that aid in developing a general understanding of a groundwater system. Principles of the hydrological cycle are reviewed; the processes of recharge and discharge in aquifer systems; types of geological, hydrological and hydraulic data needed to describe the hydrogeological framework of an aquifer system; factors affecting the distribution of recharge to aquifers; and uses of groundwater chemistry, geochemical modelling, environmental tracers and age interpretations in groundwater studies. Together, these concepts and observations aid in developing a conceptualization of groundwater flow systems and provide input to the development of numerical models of a flow system. Conceptualization of the geology, hydrology, geochemistry, and hydrogeological and hydrochemical framework can be quite useful in planning, study design, guiding sampling campaigns, acquisition of new data and, ultimately, developing numerical models capable of assessing a wide variety of societal issues — for example, sustainability of groundwater resources in response to real or planned withdrawals from the system, CO 2 sequestration or other waste isolation issues (such as nuclear waste disposal).

Book chapter↗
USGS1984

Description and evaluation of the information transfer workshop series "Coal hydrology in Virginia"

A series of workshops was conducted in September, 1982, by staff of the Virginia Office, Mid-Atlantic District of the U.S.-Geological Survey for the benefit of coal operators, consultants, and resource managers in the coal-producing area of southwest Virginia. The purpose of the workshop series was to present hydrologic information and data by the U.S. Geological Survey collected during four years of study of the. coal hydrology of Virginia. The workshop series was held one day a week for three weeks at two locations within southwest Virginia in order to reduce travel time and overnight travel costs for participants. Results of an independently conducted questionnaire indicate the series was a success. The report summarizes the workshop preparation, organization, and presentation, and gives general conclusions and suggestions for those interested in conducting workshops.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2023

Guidance for parameterizing post-fire hydrologic models with in situ infiltration measurements

Wildfire can alter soil-hydraulic properties, often resulting in an increased prevalence of infiltration-excess overland flow and greater potential for debris-flow hazards. Mini disk tension infiltrometers (MDIs) can be used to estimate soil hydraulic properties, such as field-saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K fs ) and wetting front potential ( H f ), and their spatial variability following wildfire. However, the small (point-scale) footprint of MDI measurements makes it challenging to use these data to parameterize hydrologic models at the hillslope and watershed scales where hydrologic hazards, such as debris flows, initiate. Here, we designed numerical experiments to estimate spatially constant or watershed-scale effective hydrologic parameters (EHPs) that approximate the response of spatially variable hydrologic parameters with distributions derived from MDI measurements at five sites in the southwestern United States. We found that it is possible to define EHPs for both K fs and H f based on the MDI measurements that lead to reasonable approximations of run-off hydrographs at the outlets of small watersheds (<1 km 2 ). We found that watershed EHPs are functions of rainfall characteristics, although they are most sensitive to rainfall intensity and relatively less sensitive to the temporal distribution of rainfall. EHPs are lower than the arithmetic mean of the MDI measurements and are better approximated by the median or geometric mean of the MDI measurements, particularly for storms with recurrence intervals of approximately 1 year or less that commonly initiate post-fire debris flows. This work demonstrated that using the proposed upscaling method to estimate watershed-scale EHPs, as opposed to approximating EHPs based on the arithmetic mean of the MDI measurements, improved the ability of a hydrologic model to identify storms that are likely to produce debris flows. Results improved our ability to link point-scale MDI measurements and watershed-scale EHPs in post-fire settings and helped guide our ability to use MDI data to parameterize post-fire hydrologic models.

Arizona, New Mexico↗
USGS1996

Hydrogeology of the surficial aquifer system in Southwest Florida

Restoration and management of the south Florida ecosystem will be guided by hydrologic models that simulate water flowing through the wetlands and shallow subsurface aquifers beneath them. The restoration of the ecosystem is, essentially, the restoration of the natural hydrologic system. As surface water is re-diverted from manmade canals to its more natural state as overland flow, several changes are predicted to occur. First, because water flowing over land moves more slowly than in canals, overland flow should remain in the wetland ecosystem for a longer period each year. Second, as the flowing water spreads out over the wetlands, recharge to the shallow aquifers should increase as more of that water infiltrates into the ground. The U.S. Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will use hydrologic models to anticipate the consequences of these proposed restoration plans. This research program is designed to provide essential subsurface data to improve hydrologic models for land and water managers in southwest Florida where subsurface information is lacking. Obtaining hydrogeological data requires core drilling, corehole testing, and rock and sediment analysis.

Florida↗
USGS2000

Digital data sets for map products produced as part of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, western South Dakota

This compact disk contains digital data produced as part of the 1:100,000-scale map products for the Black Hills Hydrology Study conducted in western South Dakota. The digital data include 28 individual Geographic Information System (GIS) data sets: data sets for the hydrogeologic unit map including all mapped hydrogeologic units within the study area (1 data set) and major geologic structure including anticlines and synclines (1 data set); data sets for potentiometric maps including the potentiometric contours for the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers (5 data sets), wells used as control points for each aquifer (5 data sets), and springs used as control points for the potentiometric contours (1 data set); and data sets for the structure-contour maps including the structure contours for the top of each formation that contains major aquifers (5 data sets), wells and tests holes used as control points for each formation (5 data sets), and surficial deposits (alluvium and terrace deposits) that directly overlie each of the major aquifer outcrops (5 data sets). These data sets were used to produce the maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1984

Cost effectiveness of the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging program in Illinois

Data uses and funding sources were identified for 138 continuous-record discharge-gaging stations currently (1983) operated as part of the stream-gaging program in Illinois. Streamflow data from five of those stations are used only for regional hydrology studies. Most streamflow data are used for defining regional hydrology, defining rainfall-runoff relations, flood forecasting, regulating navigation systems, and water-quality sampling. Based on the evaluations of data use and of alternative methods for determining streamflow in place of stream gaging, no stations in the 1983 stream-gaging program should be deactivated. The current budget (in 1983 dollars) for operating the 138-station program is $768,000 per year. The average standard error of instantaneous discharge for the current practice for visiting the gaging stations is 36.5 percent. Missing stage record accounts for one-third of the 36.5 percent average standard error. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1985

Water resources activities in Louisiana district, fiscal year 1985

Water resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Louisiana consist of collecting water resources data and conducting interpretive hydrologic investigations and research. The water resources data and the results of the interpretive investigations are published or released by either the USGS or by cooperating agencies. The USGS water resources activities in Louisiana for the 1985 fiscal year (October 1, 1984 to September 30, 1985) are described, including data collection and dissemination, water resources appraisals (interpretive studies) and research. (Lantz-PTT)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1993

Activities of the Water Resources Division in Arizona, 1986-91

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Arizona consist of collecting water- resources data and conducting interpretive hydrologic investigations and research. The water- resources data and the results of the interpretive investigations and research are published or released by the U.S. Geological Survey or by cooperating agencies. The report describes the data-collection activities and water-resources investigations in Arizona for fiscal years 1986-91 (October 1, 1985, to September 30, 1991). The report includes a brief description of the origin of the U.S. Geological Survey, the basic mission of the Water Resources Division, organization of the Arizona District, sources of funding, and a summary of water conditions in Arizona. Information is given for each project and includes the objective, approach, progress and results, and plans for the following year. The report also includes a list of publications prepared by the Arizona District, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, that were published from 1984 to 1991.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2023

The incredible HALK: borrowing data for age assignment

Understanding age and growth are important for fisheries science and management; however, age data are not routinely collected for many populations. We propose and test a method of borrowing age–length data across increasingly broader spatiotemporal levels to create a hierarchical age–length key (HALK). We assessed this method by comparing growth and mortality metrics to those estimated from lake–year age–length keys ages using seven common freshwater fish species across the upper Midwestern United States. Levels used for data borrowing began most specifically by borrowing within lake across time and increased in breadth to include data within the Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 10 watershed, HUC8 watershed, Level III Ecoregion, and finally a species-wide data ALK using all available data with our study for a species. Median deviation in mean length of age-3 fish was within 1 cm for the most specific HALK levels, and median deviation in total annual mortality was close to 0 for most species when borrowing occurred within HUC10 and HUC8 watersheds. Percent error in growth curves increased with data borrowing, but plateaued—or even decreased—for some species when data borrowing expanded across spatial levels. We present the HALK as a method for gaining age information about a fishery when age data are unavailable.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Sout↗
USGS2020

Observations of an extreme atmospheric river storm with a diverse sensor network

Observational networks enhance real‐time situational awareness for emergency and water resource management during extreme weather events. We present examples of how a diverse, multitiered observational network in California provided insights into hydrometeorological processes and impacts during a 3‐day atmospheric river storm centered on 14 February 2019. This network, which has been developed over the past two decades, aims to improve understanding and mitigation of effects from extreme storms influencing water resources and natural hazards. We combine atmospheric reanalysis output and additional observations to show how the network allows: (1) the validation of record cool season precipitable water observations over southern California; (2) the identification of phenomena that produce natural hazards and present difficulties for short‐term weather forecast models, such as extreme precipitation amounts and snow level variability; (3) the use of soil moisture data to improve hydrologic model forecast skill in northern California's Russian River basin; and (4) the combination of meteorological data with seismic observations to identify when a large avalanche occurred on Mount Shasta. This case study highlights the value of investments in diverse observational assets and the importance of continued support and synthesis of these networks to characterize climatological context and advance understanding of processes modulating extreme weather.

California↗
USGS1999

Occurrence and behavior of the herbicide Prometon in the hydrologic system

Prometon, a triazine herbicide, is used for total vegetation control on industrial sites, on noncrop areas on farms, in and under asphalt, and to a small extent by homeowners. Prometon has often been detected in surface water and groundwater in studies reported in the literature, but its presence is seldom discussed, partly because of its infrequent inclusion on lists of herbicides used in either agricultural or urban areas. In recent large-scale studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, prometon has been the most commonly detected herbicide in surface water and groundwater in urban areas and the third and fourth most commonly detected herbicide in groundwater and surface water, respectively, in agricultural areas. It also has been detected in rain. The frequent detection of prometon in the environment is discussed in relation to its use practices and predicted environmental behavior. Prometon is compared to atrazine, a structurally similar agricultural triazine herbicide that is one of the most studied and most commonly detected herbicides found in the hydrologic environment. The environmental data presented here demonstrate the wide-scale occurrence of prometon in all components of the hydrologic system, particularly in the surface water and groundwater of urban areas.Prometon, a triazine herbicide, is used for total vegetation control on industrial sites, on noncrop areas on farms, in and under asphalt, and to a small extent by homeowners. Prometon has often been detected in surface water and groundwater in studies reported in the literature, but its presence is seldom discussed, partly because of its infrequent inclusion on lists of herbicides used in either agricultural or urban areas. In recent large-scale studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, prometon has been the most commonly detected herbicide in surface water and groundwater in urban areas and the third and fourth most commonly detected herbicide in groundwater and surface water, respectively, in agricultural areas. It also has been detected in rain. The frequent detection of prometon in the environment is discussed in relation to its use practices and predicted environmental behavior. Prometon is compared to atrazine, a structurally similar agricultural triazine herbicide that is one of the most studied and most commonly detected herbicides found in the hydrologic environment. The environmental data presented here demonstrate the wide-scale occurrence of prometon in all components of the hydrologic system, particularly in the surface water and groundwater of urban areas.

Environmental Science & Technology↗