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At least 1,405 records · Page 78Linked to original sources
USGS2011

Adapting to climate change at Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park

Climate change presents a major challenge to natural resource managers both because of the magnitude of potential effects of climate change on ecosystem structure, processes, and function, and because of the uncertainty associated with those potential ecological effects. Concrete ways to adapt to climate change are needed to help natural resource managers take the first steps to incorporate climate change into management and take advantage of opportunities to counteract the negative effects of climate change. We began a climate change adaptation case study at Olympic National Forest (ONF) in partnership with Olympic National Park (ONP) to determine how to adapt management of federal lands on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, to climate change. The case study began in the summer of 2008 and continued for 1½ years. The case study process involved science-based sensitivity assessments, review of management activities and constraints, and adaptation workshops in each of four focus areas (hydrology and roads, fish, vegetation, and wildlife). The process produced adaptation options for ONF and ONP, and illustrated the utility of place-based vulnerability assessment and science-management workshops in adapting to climate change. The case study process provides an example for other national forests, national parks, and natural resource agencies of how federal land management units can collaborate in the initial stages of climate change adaptation. Many of the ideas generated through this process can potentially be applied in other locations and in other agencies

Washington↗
USGS1989

International strategic minerals inventory summary report; natural graphite

Natural graphite is a crystalline mineral of pure carbon which normally occurs in the form of platelet-shaped crystals. It has important properties, such as chemical inertness, low thermal expansion, and lubricity, that make it almost irreplaceable for certain uses such as refractories and steelmaking. Graphite ore types are crystalline (flake and lump} or 'amorphous' (cryptocrystalline}. Refractory applications use the largest total amount of natural graphite, while the most important use of crystalline graphite is in crucibles for handling molten metals. All graphite deposits being mined today are found in the following metamorphic environments: (1) contact metamorphosed coal generally is a source of amorphous graphite; (2)disseminated crystalline flake graphite comes from syngenetic metasediments; and (3) crystalline lump graphite is found in epigenetic veins in high-grade metamorphic regions. Graphite may also occur as a trace mineral in ultrabasic rocks and pegmatites, but these are economically insignificant. The world's identified economically exploitable resources of crystalline graphite in major deposits are estimated to be about 9.7 million metric tons of concentrate. In-place resources of amorphous graphite are about 11.5 million metric tons. Of these, less than 2 percent of the crystalline ore and less than 1 percent of the amorphous ore are in western industrial countries. World mining production of natural graphite rose from 347,000 metric tons in 1973 to 659,000 metric tons in 1986, while the proportion produced by central economy countries increased from about 50 percent for the period from 1973 to 1978 to more than 64 percent in 1979 to 1986. It is estimated that crystalline flake graphite accounts for at least 180,000 metric tons of total annual world mining production of natural graphite, and amorphous graphite makes up the rest.

Circular↗
USGS2011

USGS Emergency Response Resources

Every day, emergency responders are confronted with worldwide natural and manmade disasters, including earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, tsunami, volcanoes, wildfires, terrorist attacks, and accidental oil spills.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is ready to coordinate the provisioning and deployment of USGS staff, equipment, geospatial data, products, and services in support of national emergency response requirements.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1995

Ground-water quality in northeastern St. Joseph County, Indiana

This report describes the ground-water quality of a 220-square-mile area in northeastern St. Joseph County, Indiana. Ground-water samples were collected from 30 monitoring wells at 20 sites during May 1992; the wells were screened in either a shallow or a deep sand and gravel aquifer. Samples were analyzed for general water-quality properties, nutrients, major ions, trace elements, industrial organic compounds, and pesticides. In general, the ground water is a slightly basic, very hard calcium bicarbonate water with a median dissolved-solids concentration of 310 milligrams per liter. The only constituent to exceed a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level in the water samples was nitrate (which was exceeded in water samples from two wells). Concentrations of methylene-blue-active substances (detergent additives), chloride, and nitrate plus nitrite in the shallow aquifer were significantly higher (at the 0.05 probability level) than in the deep aquifer. The higher concentrations of these constituents in the shallow aquifer may be attributable to human activities. Concentrations of silica, ammonia, arsenic, antimony, barium, iron, and manganese in the deep aquifer were significantly higher than in the shallow aquifer; with the exception of ammonia, most or all of these constituents are probably from natural sources. No industrial organic compounds were detected in the water samples. Four pesticides - alachlor, carbofuran, metolachlor, and triazines - were detected in water samples; the highest pesticide concentration in a water sample was 1.0 microgram per liter of alachlor.

Indiana↗
USGS2021

Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2019

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a network of monitoring stations on streams and springs throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network (AWQMN). During water year 2019 (October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019), water-quality data were collected at 73 stations: 71 AWQMN and alternate AWQMN stations, and 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Monitoring Program stations. Among the stations in this report, four stations have data presented from additional sampling performed in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Summaries of the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, Escherichia coli bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and selected pesticides are presented. Most of the stations have been classified based on the physiographic province or primary land use in the watershed monitored by the station. Some stations have been classified based on the unique hydrologic characteristics of the waterbodies (springs, large rivers) they monitor. A summary of hydrologic conditions including peak streamflows, monthly mean streamflows, and 7-day low flows also are presented for representative streamflow-gaging stations in the State.

Missouri↗
USGS2000

3-D image of urban areas and mountains of the northern Front Range, Colorado

Over the past 30 years, communities in the Northern Front Range of Colorado have experienced tremendous growth rivaling or surpassing that in other parts of the United States. This growth has challenged businesses as well as city, county, State, and Federal planners to meet the increasing demands for natural resources necessary for growth. Such resources include construction aggregate (stone, sand, and gravel), water, oil, and natural gas. The Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project (FRIRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in the process of studying these resources, and this publication is the first in a series (USGS Geologic Investigations Series I-2750) that deals with resources in the northern Front Range urban corridor.

Colorado↗
USGS2010

The U.S.Geological Survey Energy Resources Program

Energy resources are an essential component of modern society. Adequate, reliable, and affordable energy supplies obtained using environmentally sustainable practices underpin economic prosperity, environmental quality and human health, and political stability. National and global demands for all forms of energy are forecast to increase significantly over the next several decades. Throughout its history, our Nation has faced important, often controversial, decisions regarding the competing uses of public lands, the supply of energy to sustain development and enable growth, and environmental stewardship. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program (ERP) provides information to address these challenges by supporting scientific investigations of energy resources, such as research on the geology, geochemistry, and geophysics of oil, gas, coal, heavy oil and natural bitumen, oil shale, uranium, and geothermal resources, emerging resources such as gas hydrates, and research on the effects associated with energy resource occurrence, production, and (or) utilization. The results from these investigations provide impartial, robust scientific information about energy resources and support the U.S. Department of the Interior's (DOI's) mission of protecting and responsibly managing the Nation's natural resources. Primary consumers of ERP information and products include the DOI land- and resource-management Bureaus; other Federal, State, and local agencies; the U.S. Congress and the Administration; nongovernmental organizations; the energy industry; academia; international organizations; and the general public.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2017

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Lena-Vilyui Basin Province, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Lena-Vilyui Basin Province, north of the Arctic Circle, as part of the Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal program. The province is in the Russian Federation and is situated between the Verkhoyansk fold-and-thrust belt and the Siberian craton. The one assessment unit (AU) defined for this study—the Northern Priverkhoyansk Foredeep AU—was assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources. The estimated mean volumes of undiscovered resources for the Northern Priverkhoyansk Foredeep in the Lena-Vilyui Basin Province are ~400 million barrels of crude oil, 1.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 40 million barrels of natural-gas liquids, practically all (99.49 percent) of which is north of the Arctic Circle.

Lena-Vilyui Basin Province↗
USGS2022

Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2020

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, monitors stations designed for the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network, a collection of stations that monitor streams and springs in Missouri. During water year 2020 (October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020), the U.S. Geological Survey collected water-quality data at 72 stations: 70 Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring stations and 2 U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Network stations. Among the stations in this report, four stations have data from additional sampling completed in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Water-quality analyses are provided for dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature, suspended solids, suspended sediment, Escherichia coli bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved and total recoverable lead and zinc, and selected pesticide compounds. Monitoring stations have been classified based on the physiographic province or primary land use in the watershed or based on the unique hydrologic characteristics of the waterbodies (springs, large rivers) monitored. A summary of hydrologic conditions including peak streamflows, monthly mean streamflows, and 7-day low flows also are provided for representative streamgages in the State.

Missouri↗
USGS2017

A reservoir morphology database for the conterminous United States

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership, combined multiple national databases to create one comprehensive national reservoir database and to calculate new morphological metrics for 3,828 reservoirs. These new metrics include, but are not limited to, shoreline development index, index of basin permanence, development of volume, and other descriptive metrics based on established morphometric formulas. The new database also contains modeled chemical and physical metrics. Because of the nature of the existing databases used to compile the Reservoir Morphology Database and the inherent missing data, some metrics were not populated. One comprehensive database will assist water-resource managers in their understanding of local reservoir morphology and water chemistry characteristics throughout the continental United States.

Data Series↗
USGS2001

Assessment of microbiological contamination of the Jacks Fork within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri—phase I

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR), the Nation's first scenic riverway, was created by an Act of Congress (Public Law 88-492) on August 24, 1964, for "the purpose of conserving and interpreting unique scenic and other natural values and objects of historic interest, including preservation of parts of the Current River and the Jacks Fork River in Missouri as free-flowing streams, preservation of springs and caves, management of wildlife, and provisions for use and enjoyment of the outdoor recreation resources thereof by the people of the United States" (National Park Service, 1981). The primary natural resources protected by the park are 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. About 1.5 million people visit the ONSR annually to take advantage of excellent recreational opportunities, including canoeing, johnboating, swimming, fishing, tubing, camping, hiking, caving, horseback riding, and hunting.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2025

Assessing streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to guide conservation and restoration activities

Freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are home to numerous aquatic organisms (like fish, amphibians, mussels, and insects) and provide drinking water and recreational opportunities to people living in or visiting the watershed. Land-use changes, such as urban development and increased activities in certain agricultural sectors, have degraded water quality and altered conditions in these streams, thereby affecting their health and function. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with Federal, State, and local partners to develop modeled assessments of stream health in freshwater streams and rivers within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The USGS compiled large datasets for multiple stream health indicators, including instream stressors (salinity, water temperature, physical habitat, and streambank erosion) and living resources (macroinvertebrates and fish communities; fig. 1). These datasets were used by USGS scientists to develop models to predict stream health conditions across the entire region, including areas with little or no monitoring data. Collectively, these stream health assessments provide critical information to natural resource managers who implement restoration and conservation activities in the region.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed↗
USGS1976

Nature . . . an environmental yardstick

To one who has spent his professional career in geologic science, conservation always has had special meaning. In the measurements so necessary to his work the geologist develops an integrity in the use of numbers and in the qualifications attending the validity of numbers. Scientific analysis of geologic events and sequence develops a keen sense of what is coincidental, correlative, and consequential. The geologist applies his science in evaluating hazards to man as natural catastrophes and/or benefits to man such as earth materials that form the resource base of his society. But more than these the geologist has acquired a deep appreciation for the planet as a whole, its inner structure, its landscape, and the living things that abound.

Information and Technology Report↗
USGS2008

Hydrologic modeling strategy for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Africa

The government of Mauritania is interested in how to maintain hydrologic balance to ensure a long-term stable water supply for minerals-related, domestic, and other purposes. Because of the many complicating and competing natural and anthropogenic factors, hydrologists will perform quantitative analysis with specific objectives and relevant computer models in mind. Whereas various computer models are available for studying water-resource priorities, the success of these models to provide reliable predictions largely depends on adequacy of the model-calibration process. Predictive analysis helps us evaluate the accuracy and uncertainty associated with simulated dependent variables of our calibrated model. In this report, the hydrologic modeling process is reviewed and a strategy summarized for future Mauritanian hydrologic modeling studies.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1977

Ground-water data for Michigan, 1976

The purpose of this report is to make available the records of water levels in principal aquifers of the State through 1976 and to compile related data, such as records of ground-water pumpage. Also included in the report are data on municipal, public, and industrial water-supply facilities. Records of water levels in areas of heavy pumpage and in areas where changes are principally due to natural influences are illustrated or tabulated to allow comparison between these types of water-level fluctuations. Water levels and related data provide a record for the evaluation of available ground-water supplies. The long-term records serve as a framework to which short-term records may be related. This report is written for persons, municipalities, industries, institutions, consultants, drillers, and hydrologists interested in the groundwater resources of the State.

Michigan↗
USGS2006

Development of a Precipitation-Runoff Model to Simulate Unregulated Streamflow in the Salmon Creek Basin, Okanogan County, Washington

Surface water has been diverted from the Salmon Creek Basin for irrigation purposes since the early 1900s, when the Bureau of Reclamation built the Okanogan Project. Spring snowmelt runoff is stored in two reservoirs, Conconully Reservoir and Salmon Lake Reservoir, and gradually released during the growing season. As a result of the out-of-basin streamflow diversions, the lower 4.3 miles of Salmon Creek typically has been a dry creek bed for almost 100 years, except during the spring snowmelt season during years of high runoff. To continue meeting the water needs of irrigators but also leave water in lower Salmon Creek for fish passage and to help restore the natural ecosystem, changes are being considered in how the Okanogan Project is operated. This report documents development of a precipitation-runoff model for the Salmon Creek Basin that can be used to simulate daily unregulated streamflows. The precipitation-runoff model is a component of a Decision Support System (DSS) that includes a water-operations model the Bureau of Reclamation plans to develop to study the water resources of the Salmon Creek Basin. The DSS will be similar to the DSS that the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey developed previously for the Yakima River Basin in central southern Washington. The precipitation-runoff model was calibrated for water years 1950-89 and tested for water years 1990-96. The model was used to simulate daily streamflows that were aggregated on a monthly basis and calibrated against historical monthly streamflows for Salmon Creek at Conconully Dam. Additional calibration data were provided by the snowpack water-equivalent record for a SNOTEL station in the basin. Model input time series of daily precipitation and minimum and maximum air temperatures were based on data from climate stations in the study area. Historical records of unregulated streamflow for Salmon Creek at Conconully Dam do not exist for water years 1950-96. Instead, estimates of historical monthly mean unregulated streamflow based on reservoir outflows and storage changes were used as a surrogate for the missing data and to calibrate and test the model. The estimated unregulated streamflows were corrected for evaporative losses from Conconully Reservoir (about 1 ft3/s) and ground-water losses from the basin (about 2 ft3/s). The total of the corrections was about 9 percent of the mean uncorrected streamflow of 32.2 ft3/s (23,300 acre-ft/yr) for water years 1949-96. For the calibration period, the basinwide mean annual evapotranspiration was simulated to be 19.1 inches, or about 83 percent of the mean annual precipitation of 23.1 inches. Model calibration and testing indicated that the daily streamflows simulated using the precipitation-runoff model should be used only to analyze historical and forecasted annual mean and April-July mean streamflows for Salmon Creek at Conconully Dam. Because of the paucity of model input data and uncertainty in the estimated unregulated streamflows, the model is not adequately calibrated and tested to estimate monthly mean streamflows for individual months, such as during low-flow periods, or for shorter periods such as during peak flows. No data were available to test the accuracy of simulated streamflows for lower Salmon Creek. As a result, simulated streamflows for lower Salmon Creek should be used with caution. For the calibration period (water years 1950-89), both the simulated mean annual streamflow and the simulated mean April-July streamflow compared well with the estimated uncorrected unregulated streamflow (UUS) and corrected unregulated streamflow (CUS). The simulated mean annual streamflow exceeded UUS by 5.9 percent and was less than CUS by 2.7 percent. Similarly, the simulated mean April-July streamflow exceeded UUS by 1.8 percent and was less than CUS by 3.1 percent. However, streamflow was significantly undersimulated during the low-flow, baseflow-dominated months of November through F

Scientific Investigations Report↗