http://pubs.usgs.gov New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey - Publications that have been added in the last 7 days. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20095093 Pope, L. M.; Mehl, H. E.; Coiner, R. L. (2009), Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5093. <br /> <br /> Because of water quantity and quality concerns within the Ozark aquifer, the State of Kansas in 2004 issued a moratorium on most new appropriations from the aquifer until results were made available from a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Kansas Water Office. The purposes of the study were to develop a regional ground-water flow model and a water-quality assessment of the Ozark aquifer in northwestern Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma (study area). In 2006 and 2007, water-quality samples were collected from 40 water-supply wells completed in the Ozark aquifer and spatially distributed throughout the study area. Samples were analyzed for physical properties, dissolved solids and major ions, nutrients, trace elements, and selected isotopes. This report presents the results of the water-quality assessment part of the cooperative study. Water-quality characteristics were evaluated relative to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards. Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations were exceeded for dissolved solids (11 wells), sulfate and chloride (2 wells each), fluoride (3 wells), iron (4 wells), and manganese (2 wells). Maximum Contaminant Levels were exceeded for turbidity (3 wells) and fluoride (1 well). The Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for lead (0 milligrams per liter) was exceeded in water from 12 wells. Analyses of isotopes in water from wells along two 60-mile long ground-water flow paths indicated that water in the Ozark aquifer was at least 60 years old but the upper age limit is uncertain. The source of recharge water for the wells along the flow paths appeared to be of meteoric origin because of isotopic similarity to the established Global Meteoric Water Line and a global precipitation relation. Additionally, analysis of hydrogen-3 (3H) and carbon-14 (14C) indicated that there was possible leakage of younger ground water into the lower part of the Ozark aquifer. Thi... 2009-07-02 SIR Scientific Investigations Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/fs/fs20093037 Klett, Timothy R.; Gautier, Donald L. (2009), Fact Sheet 2009-3037. <br /> <br /> Four geologic provinces of the Barents Sea shelf were assessed for undiscovered crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquid or condensate resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Circum-Arctic Oil and Gas Resource Appraisal. Using a geology-based methodology, the mean undiscovered, conventional, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Barents Sea Shelf are estimated to be more than 76 billion barrels of oil equivalent, which includes approximately 11 billion barrels of crude oil, 380 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 2 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. 2009-07-01 FS Fact Sheet http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20085225 Nelson, Philip H.; Trainor, Patrick K.; Finn, Thomas M. (2009), Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5225. <br /> <br /> Gas, oil, and water production data were collected from the Fuller Reservoir, Cooper Reservoir, Frenchie Draw, Cave Gulch, and Madden fields in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming. These fields produce from the Mississippian Madison Limestone, the Upper Cretaceous Cody Shale and Mesaverde Formation, and the Paleocene lower unnamed member and Shotgun Member of the Fort Union Formation. Diagrams of water and gas production from tight gas accumulations in three formations in the Madden field show that (1) water production either increased or decreased with time in all three formations, (2) increases and decreases in water production were greater in the Cody Shale than in either the Mesaverde Formation or the lower unnamed member of the Fort Union Formation, (3) the gas production rate declined more slowly in the lower part of the Fort Union Formation than in the Cody Shale or the Mesaverde Formation, (4) changes in gas and water production were not related to their initial production rates, and (5) there appears to be no relation between well location and the magnitudes or trends of gas and water production. To explain the apparent independence of gas and water production in the Cody Shale and Mesaverde Formation, a two-step scenario is proposed: gas was generated and emplaced under the compressive stress regime resulting from Laramide tectonism; then, fractures formed during a subsequent period of stress relaxation and extension. Gas is produced from the pore and fracture system near the wellbore, whereas water is produced from a larger scale system of extension fractures. The distribution of gas and water in the lower Fort Union resulted from a similar scenario, but continued generation of gas during post-Laramide extension may have allowed its more widespread distribution. 2009-07-01 SIR Scientific Investigations Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/ofr/ofr20091117 Langenheim, V. E.; Biehler, S.; Negrini, R.; Mickus, K.; Miller, D. M.; Miller, R. J. (2009), Open-File Report 2009-1117. <br /> <br /> Gravity and aeromagnetic data provide the underpinnings of a hydrogeologic framework for the Mojave National Preserve by estimating the thickness of Cenozoic deposits and locating inferred structural features that influence groundwater flow. An inversion of gravity data indicates that thin (<1 km) basin deposits cover much of the Preserve, except for Ivanpah Valley and the Woods Mountains volcanic center. Localized areas of Cenozoic deposits thicker than 500 m are predicted beneath parts of Lanfair Valley, Fenner Valley, near Kelso, Soda Lake, and southeast of Baker. Along the southern margin of the Mojave National Preserve, basins greater than 1 km deep are located between the Clipper and Marble Mountains, between the Marble and Bristol Mountains, and south of the Bristol Mountains near Amboy. Both density and magnetization boundaries defined by horizontal-gradient analyses coincide locally with Cenozoic faults and can be used to extend these faults beneath cover. Magnetization boundaries also highlight the structural grain within the crystalline rocks and may serve as a proxy for fracturing, an important source of permeability within the generally impermeable basement rocks, thus mapping potential groundwater pathways through and along the mountain ranges in the study area. 2009-07-01 OFR Open-File Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/pp/pp1768 Sayre, Roger; Comer, Patrick; Warner, Harumi; Cress, Jill (2009), Professional Paper 1768. <br /> <br /> A new map of standardized, mesoscale (tens to thousands of hectares) terrestrial ecosystems for the conterminous United States was developed by using a biophysical stratification approach. The ecosystems delineated in this top-down, deductive modeling effort are described in NatureServe's classification of terrestrial ecological systems of the United States. The ecosystems were mapped as physically distinct areas and were associated with known distributions of vegetation assemblages by using a standardized methodology first developed for South America. This approach follows the geoecosystems concept of R.J. Huggett and the ecosystem geography approach of R.G. Bailey. Unique physical environments were delineated through a geospatial combination of national data layers for biogeography, bioclimate, surficial materials lithology, land surface forms, and topographic moisture potential. Combining these layers resulted in a comprehensive biophysical stratification of the conterminous United States, which produced 13,482 unique biophysical areas. These were considered as fundamental units of ecosystem structure and were aggregated into 419 potential terrestrial ecosystems. The ecosystems classification effort preceded the mapping effort and involved the independent development of diagnostic criteria, descriptions, and nomenclature for describing expert-derived ecological systems. The aggregation and labeling of the mapped ecosystem structure units into the ecological systems classification was accomplished in an iterative, expert-knowledge-based process using automated rulesets for identifying ecosystems on the basis of their biophysical and biogeographic attributes. The mapped ecosystems, at a 30-meter base resolution, represent an improvement in spatial and thematic (class) resolution over existing ecoregionalizations and are useful for a variety of applications, including ecosystem services assessments, climate change impact studies, biodiversity conservation, a... 2009-06-30 PP Professional Paper http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/fs/fs20093050 U.S. Geological Survey (2009), Fact Sheet 2009-3050. <br /> <br /> The U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the groundwater resources of California each water year (October 1-September 30). These data constitute a valuable database for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. This Fact Sheet serves as an index to groundwater data for water year 2008. The 2-page report contains a map of California showing the number of wells (by county) with available water-level and water-quality data for water year 2008 (fig. 1) and instructions for obtaining this and other groundwater information contained in the databases of the U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center. From 1985 to 1993, data were published in the annual report 'Water Resources Data for California, Volume 5. Ground-Water Data'; prior to 1985, the data were published in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. 2009-06-30 FS Fact Sheet http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/pp/pp1766 Faunt, Claudia C. (editor) (2009), Professional Paper 1766. <br /> <br /> California's Central Valley covers about 20,000 square miles and is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. More than 250 different crops are grown in the Central Valley with an estimated value of $17 billion per year. This irrigated agriculture relies heavily on surface-water diversions and groundwater pumpage. Approximately one-sixth of the Nation's irrigated land is in the Central Valley, and about one-fifth of the Nation's groundwater demand is supplied from its aquifers. The Central Valley also is rapidly becoming an important area for California's expanding urban population. Since 1980, the population of the Central Valley has nearly doubled from 2 million to 3.8 million people. The Census Bureau projects that the Central Valley's population will increase to 6 million people by 2020. This surge in population has increased the competition for water resources within the Central Valley and statewide, which likely will be exacerbated by anticipated reductions in deliveries of Colorado River water to southern California. In response to this competition for water, a number of water-related issues have gained prominence: conservation of agricultural land, conjunctive use, artificial recharge, hydrologic implications of land-use change, and effects of climate variability. To provide information to stakeholders addressing these issues, the USGS Groundwater Resources Program made a detailed assessment of groundwater availability of the Central Valley aquifer system, that includes: (1) the present status of groundwater resources; (2) how these resources have changed over time; and (3) tools to assess system responses to stresses from future human uses and climate variability and change. This effort builds on previous investigations, such as the USGS Central Valley Regional Aquifer System and Analysis (CV-RASA) project and several other groundwater studies in the Valley completed by Federal, State and local agencies at differing scales. The pr... 2009-06-30 PP Professional Paper http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20095143 Sumioka, S. S.; Dinicola, R. S. (2009), Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5143. <br /> <br /> An investigation into groundwater/surface-water interactions in four tributary subbasins of the Okanogan River determined that streamflows and shallow groundwater levels beneath the streams varied seasonally and by location. Streamflows measured in June 2008 indicated net losses of streamflow along 10 of 17 reaches, and hydraulic gradients measured between streams and shallow groundwater indicated potential recharge of surface water to groundwater at 11 of 21 measurement sites. In September 2008, net losses of streamflow were indicated along 9 of 17 reaches, and potential recharge of surface water to groundwater was indicated at 18 of 21 measurement sites. The greatest losses of streamflow occurred near the confluences with the Okanogan River, likely due to the presence of thick layers of unconsolidated deposits in the flood plain of the Okanogan River. Based on available geologic information compiled from drillers' logs, a surficial geologic map, and streamflow records, the extensive and thick deposits of unconsolidated material in the Tunk and Bonaparte Creek subbasins are factors in sustaining the almost perennial streamflow in those creeks. The less extensive and generally thinner unconsolidated deposits in the Tonasket and Antoine subbasins are contributing factors to the occasional extended periods of zero flow (a dry stream channel) in those creeks. Even though groundwater withdrawals would affect streamflows, relatively low precipitation in the area, along with limited groundwater storage capacity and the presence of permeable, unconsolidated deposits underlying the stream channels, would likely lead to loss of surface water to the groundwater system without any withdrawals. 2009-06-30 SIR Scientific Investigations Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20095137 Bradley, Paul M. (2009), Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5137. <br /> <br /> A series of carbon-14 (14C) radiotracer-based microcosm experiments was conducted to assess the mechanisms and products of degradation of cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) in streambed sediments at the U.S. Department of Energy, Kansas City Plant in Kansas City, Missouri. The focus of the investigation was the potential for biotic and abiotic cis-DCE and VC degradation in surficial and underlying hyporheic sediment from the Blue River and its tributaries, Indian Creek and Boone Creek. Substantial degradation of [1,2-14C] cis-DCE and [1,2-14C] VC to 14C-carbon dioxide (14CO2) was observed in all viable surficial sediment microcosms prepared under oxic conditions. No significant accumulation of reductive dechlorination products was observed under these oxic incubation conditions. The results indicate that microbial mineralization processes involving direct oxidation or co-metabolic oxidation are the primary mechanisms of cis-DCE and VC biodegradation in oxic stream sediment at the Kansas City Plant. Substantial mineralization of [1,2-14C] VC also was observed in all viable surficial sediment microcosms incubated in the absence of detectable oxygen (dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 25 micrograms per liter). In general, the accumulation of mineralization products (14CO2 and 14C-methane [14CH4]) predominated with only trace-level detection of the reductive dechlorination product, 14C-ethene. In contrast, microbial degradation of [1,2-14C] cis-DCE by reductive dechlorination or mineralization was not significant in the absence of detectable oxygen. The potential for [1,2-14C] VC biodegradation also was significant in sediments from the deeper hyporheic zones under oxic conditions and in the absence of detectable oxygen. In this study, microbial degradation of [1,2-14C] cis-DCE was not significant in hyporheic sediment treatments under either oxygen condition. Taken together, the results indicate that microbial mineralization process... 2009-06-30 SIR Scientific Investigations Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20085240 Lindsey, Bruce D.; Berndt, Marian P.; Katz, Brian G.; Ardis, Ann F.; Skach, Kenneth A. (2009), Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5240. <br /> <br /> Carbonate aquifers are an important source of water in the United States; however, these aquifers can be particularly susceptible to contamination from the land surface. The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program collected samples from wells and springs in 12 carbonate aquifers across the country during 1993-2005; water-quality results for 1,042 samples were available to assess the factors affecting ground-water quality. These aquifers represent a wide range of climate, land-use types, degrees of confinement, and other characteristics that were compared and evaluated to assess the effect of those factors on water quality. Differences and similarities among the aquifers were also identified. Samples were analyzed for major ions, radon, nutrients, 47 pesticides, and 54 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Geochemical analysis helped to identify dominant processes that may contribute to the differences in aquifer susceptibility to anthropogenic contamination. Differences in concentrations of dissolved oxygen and dissolved organic carbon and in ground-water age were directly related to the occurrence of anthropogenic contaminants. Other geochemical indicators, such as mineral saturation indexes and calcium-magnesium molar ratio, were used to infer residence time, an indirect indicator of potential for anthropogenic contamination. Radon exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 300 picocuries per liter in 423 of 735 wells sampled, of which 309 were drinking-water wells. In general, land use, oxidation-reduction (redox) status, and degree of aquifer confinement were the most important factors affecting the occurrence of anthropogenic contaminants. Although none of these factors individually accounts for all the variation in water quality among the aquifers, a combination of these characteristics accounts for the majority of the variation. Unconfined carbonate aquifers that had high p... 2009-06-27 SIR Scientific Investigations Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/ofr/ofr20091114 Presser, Theresa S.; Luoma, Samuel N. (2009), Open-File Report 2009-1114. <br /> <br /> The San Diego Creek watershed and Newport Bay in southern California are contaminated with selenium (Se) as a result of groundwater associated with urban development overlying a historical wetland, the Swamp of the Frogs. The primary Se source is drainage from surrounding seleniferous marine sedimentary formations. An ecosystem-scale model was employed as a tool to assist development of a site-specific Se objective for the region. The model visualizes outcomes of different exposure scenarios in terms of bioaccumulation in predators using partitioning coefficients, trophic transfer factors, and site-specific data for food-web inhabitants and particulate phases. Predicted Se concentrations agreed well with field observations, validating the use of the model as realistic tool for testing exposure scenarios. Using the fish tissue and bird egg guidelines suggested by regulatory agencies, allowable water concentrations were determined for different conditions and locations in the watershed and the bay. The model thus facilitated development of a site-specific Se objective that was locally relevant and provided a basis for step-by-step implementation of source control. 2009-06-27 OFR Open-File Report http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/gip/gip90 Slate, Janet (2009), General Information Publication 90. <br /> <br /> To download other USGS materials related to Ride The Rockies, go to http://www.cr.usgs.gov/rtr/index.html 2009-06-27 GIP General Information Publication http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/fs/fs20093041 McMahon, P. B.; Cowdery, T. K.; Chapelle, F. H.; Jurgens, B. C. (2009), Fact Sheet 2009-3041. <br /> <br /> Reduction/oxidation (redox) processes affect the quality of groundwater in all aquifer systems. Redox processes can alternately mobilize or immobilize potentially toxic metals associated with naturally occurring aquifer materials, contribute to the degradation or preservation of anthropogenic contami-nants, and generate undesirable byproducts, such as dissolved manganese (Mn2+), ferrous iron (Fe2+), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and methane (CH4). Determining the kinds of redox processes that occur in an aquifer system, documenting their spatial distribution, and understanding how they affect concentrations of natural or anthropogenic contaminants are central to assessing and predicting the chemical quality of groundwater. This Fact Sheet extends the analysis of U.S. Geological Survey authors to additional principal aquifer systems by applying a framework developed by the USGS to a larger set of water-quality data from the USGS national water databases. For a detailed explanation, see the 'Introduction' in the Fact Sheet. 2009-06-27 FS Fact Sheet http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/gip/gip57 Dartnell, Peter; Gibbons, Helen (2007), General Information Publication 57. <br /> <br /> The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the California Coastal Conservancy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, mapped the floor of south San Francisco Bay and adjoining land using single-beam sonar and airborne lidar (light detection and ranging). To learn more, visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2007/2987/. View eastward. Elevations in mapped area color coded: purple (approx 15 m below sea level) to red-orange (approx 90 m above sea level). South San Francisco Bay is very shallow, with a mean water depth of 2.7 m (8.9 ft). Trapezoidal depression near San Mateo Bridge is where sediment has been extracted for use in cement production and as bay fill. Land from USGS digital orthophotographs (DOQs) overlaid on USGS digital elevation models (DEMs). Distance across bottom of image approx 11 km (7 mi); vertical exaggeration 1.5X. 2009-06-27 GIP General Information Publication http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/tm/tm3C4 Rasmussen, Patrick P.; Gray, John R.; Glysson, G. Douglas; Ziegler, Andrew C. (2009), Techniques and Methods 3-C4. <br /> <br /> In-stream continuous turbidity and streamflow data, calibrated with measured suspended-sediment concentration data, can be used to compute a time series of suspended-sediment concentration and load at a stream site. Development of a simple linear (ordinary least squares) regression model for computing suspended-sediment concentrations from instantaneous turbidity data is the first step in the computation process. If the model standard percentage error (MSPE) of the simple linear regression model meets a minimum criterion, this model should be used to compute a time series of suspended-sediment concentrations. Otherwise, a multiple linear regression model using paired instantaneous turbidity and streamflow data is developed and compared to the simple regression model. If the inclusion of the streamflow variable proves to be statistically significant and the uncertainty associated with the multiple regression model results in an improvement over that for the simple linear model, the turbidity-streamflow multiple linear regression model should be used to compute a suspended-sediment concentration time series. The computed concentration time series is subsequently used with its paired streamflow time series to compute suspended-sediment loads by standard U.S. Geological Survey techniques. Once an acceptable regression model is developed, it can be used to compute suspended-sediment concentration beyond the period of record used in model development with proper ongoing collection and analysis of calibration samples. Regression models to compute suspended-sediment concentrations are generally site specific and should never be considered static, but they represent a set period in a continually dynamic system in which additional data will help verify any change in sediment load, type, and source. 2009-06-26 TM Techniques and Methods http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20095089 Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William J.; Juckem, Paul F. (2009), Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5089. <br /> <br /> Whitefish Lake, which is officially named Bardon Lake, is an oligotrophic, soft-water seepage lake in northwestern Wisconsin, and classified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an Outstanding Resource Water. Ongoing monitoring of the lake demonstrated that its water quality began to degrade (increased phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations) around 2002 following a period of high water level. To provide a better understanding of what caused the degradation in water quality, and provide information to better understand the lake and protect it from future degradation, the U.S. Geological Survey did a detailed study from 2004 to 2008. The goals of the study were to describe the past and present water quality of the lake, quantify water and phosphorus budgets for the lake, simulate the potential effects of changes in phosphorus inputs on the lake's water quality, analyze changes in the water level in the lake since 1900, and relate the importance of changes in climate and changes in anthropogenic (human-induced) factors in the watershed to the water quality of the lake. Since 1998, total phosphorus concentrations increased from near the 0.005-milligrams per liter (mg/L) detection limit to about 0.010 mg/L in 2006, and then decreased slightly in 2007-08. During this time, chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi depths remained relatively stable at about 1.5 micrograms per liter (ug/L) and 26 feet, respectively. Whitefish Lake is typically classified as oligotrophic. Because the productivity in Whitefish Lake is limited by phosphorus, phosphorus budgets were constructed for the lake. Because it was believed that much of its phosphorus comes from the atmosphere, phosphorus deposition was measured in this study. Phosphorus input from the atmosphere was greater than computed based on previously reported wetfall phosphorus concentrations. The concentrations and deposition rates can be used to estimate atmospheric loading in future lake studies. The a... 2009-06-26 SIR Scientific Investigations Report