Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Research Report”

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 1,315 records · Page 73Linked to original sources
USGS2026

Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 6

This report, volume 6 in the “Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States” report series, showcases the migrations of 23 ungulate herds in the Western United States. The report series is produced by the Corridor Mapping Team (CMT). Led by the U.S. Geological Survey, the CMT is a collaboration among 11 State agencies, as well as regional and Federal partners, and an expanding number of Tribal wildlife agencies. The CMT was initiated in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3362, which was signed in 2018 and provided Federal support to expand existing research efforts to study ungulate populations and conserve their migrations throughout the Western United States. Including this volume, the report series has detailed the migrations of 237 unique ungulate herds throughout the Western United States and continues to serve as a valuable resource to guide local and regional management, policy, and on-the-ground work necessary to maintain intact and functional ungulate migrations. This report highlights several guiding principles of the CMT that facilitate collaboration among the diverse set of partners and contribute to the program’s continued successes. Notably, raw global positioning system data are not shared among participating agencies and the U.S. Geological Survey, delineating migration corridors and seasonal ranges relies on empirical data, the CMT provides flexible approaches to participating State and Tribal partners, and regular CMT meetings create a framework for open communication among agency partners that supports transboundary mapping of migrations. The 237 ungulate migrations that have been included in the report series are an expanding inventory, which can help maintain ungulate migrations in perpetuity.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nev↗
USGS2016

Groundwater science relevant to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement: A status report

When the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) was signed in 1972 by the Governments of Canada and the United States (the “Parties”) (Environment Canada, 2013a), groundwater was not recognized as important to the water quality of the Lakes. At that time, groundwater and surface water were still considered as two separate systems, with almost no appreciation for their interaction. When the GLWQA was revised in 1978 (US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), 2012), groundwater contamination, such as that reported at legacy industrial sites such as those at Love Canal near the Niagara River, was squarely in the news. Consequently, the potential impacts of contaminated groundwater from such sites on Great Lakes water quality became a concern (Beck, 1979), and Annex 16 was added to the agreement, to address “pollution from contaminated groundwater” (Francis, 1989). However, no formal process for reporting under this annex was provided. The GLWQA Protocol in 1987 modified Annex 16 and called for progress reports beginning in 1988 (USEPA, 1988). The Protocol in 2012 provided a new Annex 8 to address groundwater more holistically (Environment 2 Canada, 2013b). Annex 8 (Environment Canada, 2013b) commits the Parties to coordinate groundwater science and management actions; as a first step, to “publish a report on the relevant and available groundwater science” by February 2015 (this report); and to “identify priorities for science activities and actions for groundwater management, protection, and remediation…” The broader mandate of Annex 8 is to (1) “identify groundwater impacts on the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Waters of the Great Lakes;” (2) “analyze contaminants, including nutrients in groundwater, derived from both point and non-point sources impacting the Waters of the Great Lakes;” (3) “assess information gaps and science needs related to groundwater to protect the quality of the Waters of the Great Lakes;” and (4) “analyze other factors, such as climate change, that individually or cumulatively affect groundwater’s impact on the quality of the Waters of the Great Lakes.” A binational Annex 8 Subcommittee was formed to lead efforts to fulfill the mandate of this annex (members listed on p. i of this report). In turn, this subcommittee has recruited a task team to prepare this report (listed as authors of each chapter). This report addresses all of the above four objectives, based on a compilation of the “relevant and available groundwater science.” Specifically, the second objective (to “analyze contaminants”) is addressed by incorporating information obtained in ongoing monitoring and research activities conducted by the Parties, and by various other members of the Great Lakes Executive Committee.

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, ↗
USGS2014

Strategic conservation planning for the Eastern North Carolina/Southeastern Virginia Strategic Habitat Conservation Team

The Eastern North Carolina/Southeastern Virginia Strategic Habitat Conservation Team (ENCSEVA) is a partnership among local federal agencies and programs with a mission to apply Strategic Habitat Conservation to accomplish priority landscape-level conservation within its geographic region. ENCSEVA seeks to further landscape-scale conservation through collaboration with local partners. To accomplish this mission, ENCSEVA is developing a comprehensive Strategic Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) to provide guidance for its members, partners, and collaborators by establishing mutual conservation goals, objectives, strategies, and metrics to gauge the success of conservation efforts. Identifying common goals allows the ENCSEVA team to develop strategies that leverage joint resources and are more likely to achieve desired impacts across the landscape. The Plan will also provide an approach for ENCSEVA to meet applied research needs (identify knowledge gaps), foster adaptive management principles, identify conservation priorities, prioritize threats (including potential impacts of climate change), and identify the required capacity to implement strategies to create more resilient landscapes. ENCSEVA seeks to support the overarching goals of the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC) and to provide scientific and technical support for conservation at landscape scales as well as inform the management of natural resources in response to shifts in climate, habitat fragmentation and loss, and other landscape-level challenges (South Atlantic LCC 2012). The ENCSEVA ecoregion encompasses the northern third of the SALCC geography and offers a unique opportunity to apply landscape conservation at multiple scales through the guidance of local conservation and natural resource management efforts and by reporting metrics that reflect the effectiveness of those efforts (Figure 1). The Environmental Decision Analysis Team, housed within the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at North Carolina State University, is assisting the ENCSEVA team in developing a scientifically sound basis for the Plan though the elicitation of expert knowledge and the organization of that knowledge using the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation. The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation is a framework that is well suited to incorporating decision-making tools such as Structured Decision Making and provides a multi-step process to conceptually organize conservation projects in a manner that enhances the rigor and transparency of expert and knowledge-based plans. It helps define explicit pathways from 2 planned conservation activities and ultimate impact, as well as indicators to measure success (Stem et al. 2005). Specifically, the framework identifies conservation targets, key ecological attributes, threats, and associated indicators to monitor responses given the implementation of a conservation action (Conservation Measures Partnership 2007). This report serves to provide a scientific foundation for the Plan by summarizing the expert opinion of wildlife biologists, ecologists, hydrologists, researchers, natural resource managers, and conservation practitioners regarding five environments (wetlands, riverine systems, estuaries, uplands, and barrier islands) within the ENCSEVA geography. Specifically, this report describes (1) the approach to elicit expert knowledge meant to support the strategic plan, (2) how this knowledge can inform collaborative conservation planning, and (3) a summary of opportunities available for the ENCSEVA team to address threats and impacts associated with climate change within the ecoregion.

Technical Bulletin↗
USGS2021

Contrasting patterns of demography and population viability among gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations at the species’ northern range edge

Population viability analyses are useful tools to predict abundance and extinction risk for imperiled species. In southeastern North America, the federally threatened gopher tortoise ( Gopherus polyphemus ) is a keystone species in the diverse and imperiled longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) ecosystem, and researchers have suggested that tortoise populations are declining and characterized by high extinction risk. We report results from a 30-year demographic study of gopher tortoises in southern Alabama (1991–2020), where 3 populations have been stable and 3 others have declined. To better understand the demographic vital rates associated with stable and declining tortoise populations, we used a multi-state hierarchical mark-recapture model to estimate sex- and stage-specific patterns of demographic vital rates at each population. We then built a predictive population model to project population dynamics and evaluate extinction risk in a population viability context. Population structure did not change significantly in stable populations, but juveniles became less abundant in declining populations over 30 years. Apparent survival varied by age, sex, and site; adults had higher survival than juveniles, but female survival was substantially lower in declining populations than in stable ones. Using simulations, we predicted that stable populations with high female survival would persist over the next 100 years but sites with lower female survival would decline, become male-biased, and be at high risk of extirpation. Stable populations were most sensitive to changes in apparent survival of adult females. Because local populations varied greatly in vital rates, our analysis improves upon previous demographic models for northern populations of gopher tortoises by accounting for population-level variation in demographic patterns and, counter to previous model predictions, suggests that small tortoise populations can persist when habitat is managed effectively. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

Alabama↗
USGS2006

Airborne microorganisms in the African desert dust corridor over the mid-Atlantic ridge, Ocean Drilling Program, Leg 209

The objective of this study was to enhance our understanding of the fate and trans-Atlantic transport of dustborne microorganisms from Northern Africa to the Caribbean and Americas, and more specifically to determine if culturable populations could be detected at a mid-ocean site, closer to the source of dust relative to land-based Caribbean sites, during the early summer months of May and June. Between the dates of 22 May and 30 June 2003, daily air samples were collected and evaluated for the presence of culturable bacterial and fungal colony-forming units (CFU). Here we report a statistically significant correlation between daily atmospheric CFU counts at a mid-ocean research site (???15??N, 45??W) and daily desert dust concentrations as determined by the U.S. Navy's Naval Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) Global Aerosol Model (Honrath et al. (2004). Journal of Geophysical Research, 109; Johnson et al. (2003). Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 17, 1063; Reid et al. (2004). Geophysical Research Letters, 31; Schollaert, Yoder, Westphal, & O'Reilly (2003). Journal of Geophysical Research, 108, 3191). ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006.

Aerobiologia↗
USGS2017

HERA: A dynamic web application for visualizing community exposure to flood hazards based on storm and sea level rise scenarios

The Hazard Exposure Reporting and Analytics (HERA) dynamic web application was created to provide a platform that makes research on community exposure to coastal-flooding hazards influenced by sea level rise accessible to planners, decision makers, and the public in a manner that is both easy to use and easily accessible. HERA allows users to (a) choose flood-hazard scenarios based on sea level rise and storm assumptions, (b) appreciate the modeling uncertainty behind a chosen hazard zone, (c) select one or several communities to examine exposure, (d) select the category of population or societal asset, and (e) choose how to look at results. The application is designed to highlight comparisons between (a) varying levels of sea level rise and coastal storms, (b) communities, (c) societal asset categories, and (d) spatial scales. Through a combination of spatial and graphical visualizations, HERA aims to help individuals and organizations to craft more informed mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate-driven coastal hazards. This paper summarizes the technologies used to maximize the user experience, in terms of interface design, visualization approaches, and data processing.

Computers & Geosciences↗
USGS2017

Signals of impending change

Society has an increasing awareness that there are finite limits to what we can expect the planet to absorb and still provide goods and services at current rates 1 . Both historical reconstructions and contemporary events continue to remind us that ecological regime changes are often abrupt rather than gradual. This reality motivates researchers who seek to discover leading indicators for impending ecosystem change. Berdugo et al . 2 report an important advance in our ability to anticipate the conversion of arid lands from self-organized, self-maintaining and productive ecosystems, to a state characterized by disorganization and low functionality. Such conversions have important implications for our understanding of ‘desertification’ — which is a shift from arid to desert-like conditions. Theoretical studies have suggested that patterns in the patchiness of vegetation might indicate how close a system is to making an abrupt change to desert-like conditions 3 , 4 , 5 . Empirical studies, however, have tended to show instead that simply the total cover of vegetation, rather than its arrangement, often foretells the state of the system 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 . Berdugo et al . 2 combine these competing ideas into one integrated perspective. They show how major environmental drivers, such as aridity, influence both vegetation cover and patchiness, as well as where self-organizing, stabilizing forces in the vegetation are likely to be found.

Nature Ecology & Evolution↗
USGS2013

An alternative to soil taxonomy for describing key soil characteristics

We are pleased to see the letter by Schimel and Chadwick (Front Ecol Environ 2013; 11[8]: 405–06), highlighting the importance of soil characterization in ecological and biogeochemical research and explaining the value of soil taxonomy, and we agree with the authors that reporting soil taxonomic classification would greatly increase the interpretive value of many studies. However, in our extensive work with land managers and scientists, we have found that taxonomic classifications are not particularly useful because they are poorly understood. For those unfamiliar with soil taxonomy, deconstructing the meaning of a classification is not a simple task. Furthermore, because the US system of soil taxonomy is not applied universally, its utility as a means for effectively describing soil characteristics to readers in other countries is limited. Finally, and most importantly, even at the finest level of soil classification there are often large within-taxa variations in critical properties that can determine ecosystem responses to drivers such as climate and land-use change.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗
USGS2000

U.S. Geological Survey Library classification system

The U.S. Geological Survey Library classification system has been designed for earth science libraries. It is a tool for assigning call numbers to earth science and allied pure science materials in order to collect these materials into related subject groups on the library shelves and arrange them alphabetically by author and title. The classification can be used as a retrieval system to access materials through the subject and geographic numbers. The classification scheme has been developed over the years since 1904 to meet the ever-changing needs of increased specialization and the development of new areas of research in the earth sciences. The system contains seven schedules: Subject schedule Geological survey schedule Earth science periodical schedule Government document periodical schedule General science periodical schedule Earth science map schedule Geographic schedule Introduction provides detailed instructions on the construction of call numbers for works falling into the framework of the classification schedules. The tables following the introduction can be quickly accessed through the use of the newly expanded subject index. The purpose of this publication is to provide the earth science community with a classification and retrieval system for earth science materials, to offer sufficient explanation of its structure and use, and to enable library staff and clientele to classify or access research materials in a library collection.

Bulletin↗
USGS1992

U.S. Geological Survey Library classification system

The U.S. Geological Survey library classification system has been designed for an earth science library. It is a tool for assigning classification numbers to earth science and allied pure science library materials in order to collect these materials into related subject groups on the library shelves and arrange them alphabetically by author and title. It can also be used as a retrieval system to access these materials through the subject and visible geographic classification numbers. The classification scheme has been developed over the years since 1904 to meet the ever-changing needs of increased specialization and new areas of study in the earth sciences. This system contains seven schedules: Subject schedule Geological survey schedule Earth science periodical schedule Government documents periodical schedule General science periodical schedule Earth science maps schedule Geographic schedule A geographic number, from the geographic schedule, is distinguished from other numbers in the system in that it is always enclosed in parentheses; for example, (200) is the geographic number for the United States. The geographic number is used in conjunction with the six other previously listed schedules, and it represents slightly different nuances of meanings, in respect to geographic locale, for each schedule. When used with a subject number, the geographic number indicates the country, state, province, or region in which the research was made. The subject number, 203, geology, when combined with the geographic number, (200), for example 203(200), is the classification number for library materials on the geology of the United States. The geographic number, combined with the capital letter G, for example, G(211), is the classification number for an earth science periodical issued by a geological association or university geology department in the State of Maine. When the letter S is combined with a geographic number, for example, S(276), it represents a general science periodical for a university or association in California. When the letter P is combined with a geographic number, for example, P(200), it represents a governmental periodical issued by the United States Federal Government. Geographic numbers standing alone represent classification numbers for the publications of geological surveys; for example, (200) represents publications of the U.S. Geological Survey. Map call numbers have a geographic number preceded by the capital letter M, followed by an abbreviated subject number. For example: M(200)2 where: M = Map (200) = Geographic region of the United States 2 = Abbreviation for the subject number 203— geology. The introduction, which follows this abstract, provides detailed procedures on the construction of complete call numbers for works falling into the framework of the aforesaid classification schedules. The tables following the introduction can be quickly accessed through the use of the newly expanded subject index. The purpose of this publication is to provide the earth science community with a classification and retrieval system for earth science materials, to provide sufficient explanation of its structure and use, and to enable library staff and clientele to classify or access research materials in a library collection.

Bulletin↗
USGS1976

The Alaskan Mineral Resource Assessment Program: Background information to accompany folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Tanacross quadrangle, Alaska

The Tanacross quadrangle, consisting of 17,400 km 2 (6,700 mi 2) in east-central Alaska, was investigated by an interdisciplinary research team for the purpose of assessing the mineral resource potential of the quadrangle. This report provides the background information for a folio of maps on the geology, geophysics, reconnaissance geochemistry, Landsat imagery, and mineral resource evaluation of the quadrangle. Revisions to the previously published geologic map of the Tanacross quadrangle, 18 new potassium-argon ages, and a comprehensive bibliography are also included.

Alaska↗
USGS1983

The Alaska Mineral Resource Assessment Program: Background information to accompany folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Ambler River quadrangle, Alaska

The Ambler River quadrangle, consisting of 14,290 km2 (5,520 mi2) in northwest Alaska, was investigated by an interdisciplinary research team for the purpose of assessing the mineral resource potential of the quadrangle. This report provides background information for a folio of maps on the geology, reconnaissance geochemistry, aeromagnetics, Landsat imagery, and mineral resource evaluation of the quadrangle. A summary of the geologic history, radiometric dates, and fossil localities and a comprehensive bibliography are also included. The quadrangle contains jade reserves, now being mined, and potentially significant resources of copper, zinc, lead, and silver.

Alaska↗
USGS2011

Geophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical data from the Pebble Cu-Au-Mo porphyry deposit area, southwest Alaska: Contributions to assessment techniques for concealed mineral resources

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey began a multidisciplinary study in southwest Alaska to investigate the setting and detectability of mineral deposits in concealed volcanic and glacial terranes. The study area hosts the world-class Pebble porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit, and through collaboration with the Pebble Limited Partnership, a range of geophysical and geochemical investigations was carried out in proximity to the deposit. The deposit is almost entirely concealed by tundra, glacial deposits, and post-mineralization volcanic rocks. The discovery of mineral resources beneath cover is becoming more important because most of the mineral resources at the surface have already been discovered. Research is needed to identify ways in which to assess for concealed mineral resources. This report presents the uninterpreted geophysical measurements and geochemical and mineralogical analytical data from samples collected during the summer field seasons from 2007 to 2010, and makes the data available in a single Geographic Information System (GIS) database.

Alaska↗
USGS2003

Coastal erosion and wetland change in Louisiana: selected USGS products

This Digital Data Series (DDS) report is primarily a selection of USGS science products that were previously published as paper atlases and maps but are no longer available in their original form. We have made an attempt to preserve the paper atlases by having them scanned in an efficient compressed digital format that provides a print-on-demand as well as a programmed viewing capability of the original material. We included additional materials bearing on aspects to enhance the scientific understanding of coastal erosion and wetland loss in Louisiana. In addition, this report contains multimedia-based publications including photographs, a 48-minute video, and map tools to allow the user to experience the many scientifically based research activities that are in progress along the coast of Louisiana.

Data Series↗
USGS2005

Streamflow trends in the United States...from the National Streamflow Information Program

This Fact Sheet is one in a series that highlights information or recent research findings from the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). The investigations and scientific results reported in this series require a nationally consistent streamgaging network with stable long-term monitoring sites and a rigorous program of data quality assurance, management, archiving, and synthesis. NSIP produces multi-purpose, unbiased surface water information that is readily accessible to all.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2005

Changes in streamflow timing in the western United States in recent decades

This Fact Sheet is one in a series that highlights information or recent research findings from the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). The investigations and scientific results reported in this series require a nationally consistent streamgaging network with stable long-term monitoring sites and a rigorous program of data quality assurance, management, archiving, and synthesis. NSIP produces multi-purpose, unbiased surface water information that is readily accessible to all.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2005

Changes in streamflow timing in New England during the 20th century... from the National Streamflow Information Program

This Fact Sheet is one in a series that highlights information or recent research findings from the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). The investigations and scientific results reported in this series require a nationally consistent streamgaging network with stable long-term monitoring sites and a rigorous program of data quality assurance, management, archiving, and synthesis. NSIP produces multi-purpose, unbiased surface water information that is readily accessible to all.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, ↗
USGS2005

Trends in the water budget of the Mississippi River basin, 1949-1997

This Fact Sheet is one in a series that highlights information or recent research findings from the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). The investigations and scientific results reported in this series require a nationally consistent streamgaging network with stable long-term monitoring sites and a rigorous program of data quality assurance, management, archiving, and synthesis. NSIP produces multi-purpose, unbiased surface water information that is readily accessible to all.

Fact Sheet↗