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At least 1,693 records · Page 94Linked to original sources
USGS2011

Land use and habitat conditions across the southwestern Wyoming sagebrush steppe: development impacts, management effectiveness and the distribution of invasive plants

For the past several years, USGS has taken a multi-faceted approach to investigating the condition and trends in sagebrush steppe ecosystems. This recent effort builds upon decades of work in semi-arid ecosystems providing a specific, applied focus on the cumulative impacts of expanding human activities across these landscapes. Here, we discuss several on-going projects contributing to these efforts: (1) mapping and monitoring the distribution and condition of shrub steppe communities with local detail at a regional scale, (2) assessing the relationships between specific, land-use features (for example, roads, transmission lines, industrial pads) and invasive plants, including their potential (environmentally defined) distribution across the region, and (3) monitoring the effects of habitat treatments on the ecosystem, including wildlife use and invasive plant abundance. This research is focused on the northern sagebrush steppe, primarily in Wyoming, but also extending into Montana, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. The study area includes a range of sagebrush types (including, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Artemisia nova) and other semi-arid shrubland types (for example, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex gardneri), impacted by extensive interface between steppe ecosystems and industrial energy activities resulting in a revealing multiple-variable analysis. We use a combination of remote sensing (AWiFS (1 Any reference to platforms, data sources, equipment, software, patented or trade-marked methods is for information purposes only. It does not represent endorsement of the U.S.D.I., U.S.G.S. or the authors), Landsat and Quickbird platforms), Geographic Information System (GIS) design and data management, and field-based, replicated sampling to generate multiple scales of data representing the distribution of shrub communities for the habitat inventory. Invasive plant sampling focused on the interaction between human infrastructure and weedy plant distributions in southwestern Wyoming, while also capturing spatial variability associated with growing conditions and management across the region. In a separate but linked study, we also sampled native and invasive composition of recent and historic habitat treatments. Here, we summarize findings of this ongoing work, highlighting patterns and relationships between vegetation (native and invasive), land cover, landform, and land-use patterns in the sagebrush steppe.

Wyoming↗
USGS2008

Use of a groundwater flow model to assess the location, extent, and hydrologic properties of faults in the Rialto-Colton Basin, California

Faults within a groundwater basin can greatly influence the direction of groundwater flow and contaminant migration. Existing steady-state and transient groundwater flow models were used to assess the location, extent, and hydrologic properties of two alternative fault configurations within the Rialto-Colton basin. Adjustments were made to the hydrologic properties of the faults and the location of the interface between the model cells that define the fault locations. The first configuration tested was the reorientation of Barrier H, a mapped fault that has been subject to various interpretations. The second configuration tested included the redefined Barrier H and a single composite of two previously unmapped faults. Steady-state and transient simulations for both alternative models produced good overall fits to the measured data and are similar to those of the existing model. However, the second alternative fault configuration better represents the available data.

California↗
USGS2011

Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise). Non-native seed dispersal

Sahara Mustard (Brassica tournefortii) is a non-native, highly invasive weed species of southwestern U.S. deserts. Sahara Mustard is a hardy species, which flourishes under many conditions including drought and in both disturbed and undisturbed habitats (West and Nabhan 2002. In B. Tellman [ed.], Invasive Plants: Their Occurrence and Possible Impact on the Central Gulf Coast of Sonora and the Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortes, pp. 91–111. University of Arizona Press, Tucson). Because of this species’ ability to thrive in these habitats, B. tournefortii has been able to propagate throughout the southwestern United States establishing itself in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. Unfortunately, naturally disturbed areas created by native species, such as the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), within these deserts could have facilitated the propagation of B. tournefortii. (Lovich 1998. In R. G. Westbrooks [ed.], Invasive Plants, Changing the Landscape of America: Fact Book, p. 77. Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds [FICMNEW], Washington, DC). However, Desert Tortoises have never been directly observed dispersing Sahara Mustard seeds. Here we present observations of two Desert Tortoises dispersing Sahara Mustard seeds at the interface between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in California.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2011

Evaluation of the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) seismic method to determine sediment thickness in the vicinity of the South Well Field, Franklin County, OH

The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) seismic method involves analyzing measurements of ambient seismic noise in three dimensions to determine the fundamental site resonance frequency. Resonance is excited by the interaction of surface waves (Rayleigh and Love) and body waves (vertically incident shear) with the high-contrast aconstic impedance boundary at the bedrock-sediment interface. Measurements were made to determine the method's utility for estimating thickness of unconsolidated glacial sediments at 18 locations at the South Well Field, Franklin County, OH, and at six locations in Pickaway County where sediment thickness was already known. Measurements also were made near a high-capacity production well (with pumping on and off) and near a highway and a limestone quarry to examine changes in resonance frequencies over a 20-hour period. Although the regression relation for resonance frequency and sediment thickness had a relatively low [r.sup.2] (0.322), estimates of sediment thickness were, on average, within 14 percent of known thicknesses. Resonance frequencies for pumping on and pumping off were identical, although the amplitude of the peak was nearly double under pumping conditions. Resonance frequency for the 20-hour period did not change, but the amplitude of the peak changed considerably, with a maximum amplitude in the early afternoon and minimum in the very early morning hours. Clay layers within unconsolidated sediments may influence resonance frequency and the resulting regression equation, resulting in underestimation of sediment thickness; however, despite this and other complicating factors, hydrogeologists should consider this method when thickness data are needed for unconsolidated sediments.

Ohio↗
USGS2001

The role of native birds and other wildlife on the emergence of zoonotic diseases

Wildlife can be an important source of transmission of infectious disease to humans. One potential transmission route involves hunting and fishing, both common activities in the United States and worldwide. For example, during 1996, approximately 11 million Americans, about 40 percent of the total population 16 years of age and older, took part in some recreational activity relating to wildlife and fish. Another potential route of infection focuses on urban and suburban environments. These locations are of special concern because of their increasing role as wildlife habitat, the greater interface between humans and wildlife that takes place within those environments, the paucity of knowledge about disease in those wildlife populations, and the general lack of orderly management for wildlife within those environments. In the wild, several trends are contributing to the growing importance of zoonotic diseases. First, the spectrum of infectious diseases affecting wildlife today is greater than at any time during the previous century. Second, the occurrence of infectious diseases has changed, from sporadic, self-limiting outbreaks that generally resulted in minor losses to frequently occurring events that generally result in major losses of wildlife. Third, disease emergence has occurred on a worldwide scale in a broad spectrum of wildlife species and habitats. Given the scope of the problem, current disease surveillance efforts are inadequate. Few state wildlife agencies allocate personnel and resources to address wildlife disease, despite their statutory responsibility for managing nonmigratory wildlife. Some state agencies provide minimal support for regional programs based at universities. At the federal level, the primary surveillance effort is conducted by the National Wildlife Health Center, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Outside of government, some veterinary schools, agriculture diagnostic laboratories, and other programs provide additional information on animal diseases, primarily by examining carcasses of dead wildlife submitted for analysis, and individual university-based researchers carry out a variety of studies. Typically, information about the occurrence of disease in free-ranging wildlife is derived from surveys and mortality events in areas where wildlife observations by agencies and the public are frequent enough to detect their occurrence before carcasses are removed by scavengers and predatory animals. The result is that disease occurrence is grossly underreported, heavily biased toward mortality events, and biased toward species of special concern and interest, such as game and endangered species. Therefore, the available information should be viewed as the “proverbial tip of the iceberg” relative to disease activity within wildlife populations.

National Academy of Science.↗
USGS1982

Photogrammetry of the Viking-Lander imagery.

We have solved the problem of photogrammetric mapping from the Viking Lander photography in two ways: 1) by converting the azimuth and elevation scanning imagery to the equivalent of a frame picture by means of computerized rectification; and 2) by interfacing a high-speed, general-purpose computer to the AS-11A analytical plotter so that all computations of corrections can be performed in real time during the process of model orientation and map compilation. Examples are presented of photographs and maps of Earth and Mars. -from Authors

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗
USGS1981

Pb210 geochronology and trace metal concentrations of sediments from Upper Klamath Lake and Lake Euwana, Oregon.

Rates of sedimentation calculated from analyses of 210 Pb activities in cores from two shallow lakes whose mean depths are 2.4m, Upper Klamath Lake and Lake Euwana (Klamath County, Oregon), indicate that they are filling at approximately 3.0mm/yr. Average sedimentation rates for compaction-corrected cores range from 0.9mm/yr to 8.5mm/yr or from 0.03g/cm 2 /yr to 0.48g/cm 2 /yr, respectively. Plots of excess 210 Pb activity versus depth show a mixing layer due to biological activity and other physical mixing that ranges in thickness from 5-20cm, and that is found below the sediment-water interface at all coring locations. Trace metal analyses performed to establish baseline levels of selected elements show very low concentrations of all metals measured in cores from Upper Klamath Lake (Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Pb, Mn and Zn) when compared with concentrations of these metals found in other North American lacustrine environments.-Authors

Oregon↗
USGS1985

Solid state recording current meter conversion

The authors describe the conversion of an Endeco-174 current meter to a solid-state recording current meter. A removable solid-state module was designed to fit in the space originally occupied by an 8-track tape cartridge. The module contains a CPU and 128 kilobytes of nonvolatile CMOS memory. The solid-state module communicates with any terminal or computer using an RS-232C interface at 4800 baud rate. A primary consideration for conversion was to keep modifications of the current meter to a minimum. The communication protocol was designed to emulate the Endeco tape translation unit, thus the need for a translation unit was eliminated and the original data reduction programs can be used without any modification. After conversion, the data recording section of the current meter contains no moving parts; the storage capacity of the module is equivalent to that of the original tape cartridge.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1988

Knowledge-based GIS techniques applied to geological engineering

A knowledge-based geographic information system (KBGIS) approach which requires development of a rule base for both GIS processing and for the geological engineering application has been implemented. The rule bases are implemented in the Goldworks expert system development shell interfaced to the Earth Resources Data Analysis System (ERDAS) raster-based GIS for input and output. GIS analysis procedures including recoding, intersection, and union are controlled by the rule base, and the geological engineering map product is generted by the expert system. The KBGIS has been used to generate a geological engineering map of Creve Coeur, Missouri.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗
USGS1986

Interpretation of broad-band seismograms from central Aleutian earthquakes.

Broad-band Graefenberg (GRF) array data from 11 moderate-size shallow-depth earthquakes in the central Aleutians have been used to study the effects of focal depth and structure across the arc on observed waveforms. The theoretical results, primarily phase arrival times, suggest that arc structure is responsible for many of the complicated features seen on vertical-component summation seismograms simulated with different instrument responses from the broad-band array data. Except for one trench event, all the earthquakes studied occurred along the plate interface zone, had similar thrust focal mechanisms, and differed only in depth. As a result, the effects of depth phases on observed GRF waveforms across the arc were found to be systematically related to the increase in focal depth along the shallow-dipping seismic zone. -from Authors

Annales Geophysicae, Series B↗
USGS1988

HELIOTHERMAL LAKE MODEL OF BORATE DEPOSITION IN THE MIOCENE FURNACE CREEK FORMATION, DEATH VALLEY REGION, CALIFORNIA.

Heliothermal lakes are density-stratified with shallow submerged margins surrounding areally restricted deep pool(s) containing a dense brine overlain by a much less dense brine. The reflective brine interface allows solar energy to be trapped in the dense brine which may warm to over 90 degree C. Carbonate precipitated from the dense brine is the typical sediment produced in warm deep pool. Miocene borate deposits of the Death Valley region are typically contained within areally limited carbonate-rich pods that interfinger with a finely interlaminated (varve-like) mudstone and limestone. Primary borates there are predominately either Na-Ca borates or Ca-borates. This bimodal evaporite assemblage suggests that brine chemistries and (or) crystallization paths varied significantly in temporally and spatially related portions of this apparently continuous lacustrine deposit.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1991

Spatial Data Transfer Standard and efforts to develop a federal Profile for Vector Data

The ongoing efforts to create a more accessible and user friendly Spatial Data Transfer Standard include the development of a Profile for Vector Data and the development of a library of public domain software tools to support the encoding and decoding process. A profile is, in effect, a limited subset of the standard. The best way to use the standard is to first define a profile containing a limited number of the standard's options and then to design encoding/decoding software around those options. Limiting the standard's optionality will make it easier to develop encoding/decoding software. The success of any standard depends upon acceptance by the user community. Accordingly, the development of a library of software tools is being coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey. When complete, the library will assist users in interfacing with the standard. The software tools will include the capability to encode and decode specific vector data formats into and out of the standard's Vector Profile. With the formal National Institute of Standards and Technology review of the standard coming to a close on July 10, 1991, the likelihood that the standard will be approved as a Federal Information Processing Standard in early 1992 is high. Having such a standard in place is a great/step forward and will allow users to transfer digital spatial data sets in a variety of formats between dissimilar computer systems. The standard's conformance requirements must be understood by all Federal agencies distributing or using spatial data.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1991

Techniques and strategies for data integration in mineral resource assessment

The Geologic and the National Mapping divisions of the U.S. Geological Survey have been involved formally in cooperative research and development of computer-based geographic information systems (GISs) applied to mineral-resource assessment objectives since 1982. Experience in the Conterminous United States Mineral Assessment Program (CUSMAP) projects including the Rolla, Missouri; Dillon, Montana; Butte, Montana; and Tonopah, Nevada 1?? ?? 2?? quadrangles, has resulted in the definition of processing requirements for geographically and mineral-resource data that are common to these studies. The diverse formats of data sets collected and compiled for regional mineral-resource assessments necessitate capabilities for digitally encoding and entering data into appropriate tabular, vector, and raster subsystems of the GIS. Although many of the required data sets are either available or can be provided in a digital format suitable for direct entry, their utility is largely dependent on the original intent and consequent preprocessing of the data. In this respect, special care must be taken to ensure the digital data type, encoding, and format will meet assessment objectives. Data processing within the GIS is directed primarily toward the development and application of models that can be used to describe spatially geological, geophysical, and geochemical environments either known or inferred to be associated with specific types of mineral deposits. Consequently, capabilities to analyze spatially, aggregate, and display relations between data sets are principal processing requirements. To facilitate the development of these models within the GIS, interfaces must be developed among vector-, raster-, and tabular-based processing subsystems to reformat resident data sets for comparative analyses and multivariate display of relations.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1991

Characteristics of low-slope streams that affect O2 transfer rates

Multiple-regression techniques were used to derive the reaeration coefficients estimating equation for low sloped streams: K2 = 3.83 MBAS-0.41 SL0.20 H-0.76, where K2 is the reaeration coefficient in base e units per day; MBAS is the methylene blue active substances concentration in milligrams per liter; SL is the water-surface slope in foot per foot; and H is the mean-flow depth in feet. Fourteen hydraulic, physical, and water-quality characteristics were regressed against 29 measured-reaeration coefficients for low-sloped (water surface slopes less than 0.002 foot per foot) streams in Massachusetts and New York. Reaeration coefficients measured from May 1985 to October 1988 ranged from 0.2 to 11.0 base e units per day for 29 low-sloped tracer studies. Concentration of methylene blue active substances is significant because it is thought to be an indicator of concentration of surfactants which could change the surface tension at the air-water interface.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1996

Palaeozoic nonmarine firmground ichnofaunas: evidence from the permian of the Paganzo basin

Meniscate striated traces are recorded from Permian fluvial deposits of the La Colina Formation (Paganzo Group) at Los Colorados de Patqui??a (La Rioja Province). These structures are characterized by their remarkable well developed striations, oblique to the margins of unbranched and unwalled traces. Taxonomic assessment of these structures must await clarification of the actual nature of the ichnogenus Scoyenia and its relationship with Taenidium. They are interpreted as arthropod feeding structures (fodinichnia). Meniscate striated traces characterize firm substrates and crosscut a softground ichnofauna ascribed to the Scoyenia ichnofacies. Trace makers probably colonized the desiccated margins of a floodplain water body. A review of the ichnologic record of nonmarine firmgrounds shows the widespread establishment of trace fossils in cohesive sediments during the Mesozoic and only an incipient development during the Palaeozoic. The Palaeozoic examples undoubtely ascribed to invertebrates are known from the Permian and seem to record the displacement of organisms in the interface of a firm substrate, rather than burrowing activities within the cohesive sediment.

Ameghiniana↗
USGS1993

Three-dimensional simulations of ground motions in sedimentary basins

This report describes work being done at the U.S. Geological Survey on 3-D simulations of earthquake ground motions in sedimentary basins. The ultimate goal of this research is to predict strong ground motions in sedimentary basins for expected large earthquakes. This report emphasizes the inadequacy of using flat-layered models for synthesizing ground motions in sedimentary basins. 2-D and 3-D simulations have demonstrated how the slope of the alluvium-bedrock interface can trap S-waves in the basins, producing prolonged surface wave trains. These large surface waves are not generated in 1-D flat layered models, which underestimate the duration and peak amplitude of shaking. We present results of 3-D simulations for the San Bernardino and Santa Clara valleys, California, for earthquakes on the San Andreas fault.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1993

General implicit representation of hydraulic structures in numerical flow models

Effects of hydraulic structures (such as culverts, bridge openings, or gates) can be simulated in numerical surface-water-flow models. Generally the scale and dimension of the numerical model is insufficient to model flow through the structure directly. However, if for a particular hydraulic structure a unique relation exists among headwater elevation, tailwater elevation, and discharge through the structure, the effect of the structure can be introduced by enforcing the unique three-parameter relation among three dependent model variables: water-surface elevations immediately upstream and downstream of the structure and discharge through the structure. The three-parameter relation might be implemented through an equation or sets of equations specific to each particular structure. The technique described is more general, viewing the locus of points satisfying any unique three-parameter relation as a surface. The surface is described by a set of points with coordinates corresponding to the three parameters. Values and gradients required for implicit implementation of the unique three-parameter relation in a numerical flow model are interpolated from the surface. The technique described provides a general interface between numerical flow models and effects of any hydraulic structure characterized by a unique three-parameter relation.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1996

Near bottom velocity measurements in San Francisco Bay, California

The ability to accurately measure long-term time-series of tidal currents in bays and estuaries is critical in estuarine hydrodynamic studies. Accurate measurements of tidal currents near the air-water interface and in the bottom boundary layer remain difficult in spite of the significant advances in technology for measuring tidal currents which have been achieved in recent years. One of the objectives of this study is to demonstrate that turbulent mean velocity distribution within the bottom boundary layer can be determined accurately by using a broad-band acoustic Doppler current profiler (BB-ADCP). A suite of instruments, including two BB-ADCPs and four electromagnetic (EM) current meters was deployed in San Francisco Bay, California in an investigation of resuspension and transport of sediment during March 1995. The velocity measurements obtained in the bottom boundary layer by BB-ADCP were highly coherent (r2>0.94) with the velocity measurements obtained by EM current meters. During early March 1995, both BB-ADCPs and EM current meters recorded a very unusual flow event. Agreement among independent measurements by these instruments in describing such an atypical hydrodynamic occurrence further validates the velocity measurements obtained by BB-ADCP in the bottom boundary layer.

Conference Paper↗