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Publications

The following list of California Water Science Center publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists.

Filter Total Items: 1734

Geochemical modeling of water-rock interactions in mining environments

Geochemical modeling is a powerful tool for evaluating geochemical processes in mining environments. Properly constrained and judiciously applied, modeling can provide valuable insights into processes controlling the release, transport, and fate of contaminants in mine drainage. This chapter contains 1) an overview of geochemical modeling, 2) discussion of the types of models and computer programs
Authors
Charles N. Alpers, D. Kirk Nordstrom

The design of sampling transects for characterizing water quality in estuaries

The high spatial variability of estuaries poses a challenge for characterizing estuarine water quality. This problem was examined by conducting monthly high-resolution transects for several water quality variables (chlorophyll a, suspended particulate matter and salinity) in San Francisco Bay (California, U.S.A.). Using these data, six different ways of choosing station locations along a transect,
Authors
A.D. Jassby, B.E. Cole, J. E. Cloern

Error evaluation of methyl bromide aerodynamic flux measurements

Methyl bromide volatilization fluxes were calculated for a tarped and a nontarped field using 2 and 4 hour sampling periods. These field measurements were averaged in 8, 12, and 24 hour increments to simulate longer sampling periods. The daily flux profiles were progressively smoothed and the cumulative volatility losses increased by 20 to 30% with each longer sampling period. Error associated wit
Authors
Michael S. Majewski

Invading species in the Eel River, California: Successes, failures, and relationships with resident species

We examined invasions of non-native fishes into the Eel River, California. At least 16 species of fish have been introduced into the drainage which originally supported 12-14 fish species. Our study was prompted by the unauthorized introduction in 1979 of Sacramento squawfish, Ptychocheilus grandis, a large predatory cyprinid. From 1986 to 1990, we conducted growth and diet studies of squaw fish,
Authors
L. R. Brown, P.B. Moyle

A new method for automated dynamic calibration of tipping-bucket rain gauges

Existing methods for dynamic calibration of tipping-bucket rain gauges (TBRs) can be time consuming and labor intensive. A new automated dynamic calibration system has been developed to calibrate TBRs with minimal effort. The system consists of a programmable pump, datalogger, digital balance, and computer. Calibration is performed in two steps: 1) pump calibration and 2) rain gauge calibration. P
Authors
M.D. Humphrey, J.D. Istok, J.Y. Lee, J.A. Hevesi, A. L. Flint

Pesticides in the San Joaquin River, California: Inputs from dormant sprayed orchards

Rainfall-induced runoff mobilized pesticides to the San Joaquin River and its tributaries during a 3.8-cm rainstorm beginning the evening of 7 February and lasting through the morning of 8 Feb. 1993. Two distinct peaks of organophosphate pesticide concentrations were measured at the mouth of the San Joaquin River. These two peaks were attributed to contrasts between the soil texture, basin size, p
Authors
Joseph L. Domagalski, N. M. Dubrovsky, C.R. Kratzer

Results of a prototype surface water network design for pesticides developed for the San Joaquin River Basin, California

A nested surface water monitoring network was designed and tested to measure variability in pesticide concentrations in the San Joaquin River and selected tributaries during the irrigation season. The network design an d sampling frequency necessary for determining the variability and distribution in pesticide concentrations were tested in a prototype study. The San Joaquin River Basin, California
Authors
Joseph L. Domagalski

Climatic/Hydrologic Oscillations since 155,000 yr B.P. at Owens Lake, California, Reflected in Abundance and Stable Isotope Composition of Sediment Carbonate

Sediment grain size, carbonate content, and stable isotopes in 70-cm-long (∼1500-yr) channel samples from Owens Lake core OL-92 record many oscillations representing climate change in the eastern Sierra Nevada region since 155,000 yr B.P. To first order, the records match well the marine δ18O record. At Owens Lake, however, the last interglaciation appears to span the entire period from 120,000 to
Authors
K.M. Menking, J. L. Bischoff, J.A. Fitzpatrick, J.W. Burdette, R. O. Rye

The effect of grain size and surface area on organic matter, lignin and carbohydrate concentration, and molecular compositions in Peru Margin sediments

A C-rich sediment sample from the Peru Margin was sorted into nine hydrodynamically-determined grain size fractions to explore the effect of grain size distribution and sediment surface area on organic matter content and composition. The neutral monomeric carbohydrate composition, lignin oxidation product yields, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen contents were determined independently for e
Authors
B.A. Bergamaschi, E. Tsamakis, R.G. Keil, T.I. Eglinton, D.B. Montlucon, J. I. Hedges

Geodetic measurements of horizontal strain near the White Wolf fault, Kern County, California, 1926-1993

The White Wolf fault, located north of the Big Bend segment of the San Andreas fault, is the NE‐SW trending, left lateral‐oblique reverse fault responsible for the Ms=7.8 1952 Kern County earthquake. We combined Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements with historical triangulation and trilateration data to determine changes in the strain rate over 7 decades (1926–1993). We reanalyzed the hist
Authors
Gerald W. Bawden, Andrea Donnellan, Louise Kellogg, John B. Rundle

Classification and Mapping of Agricultural Land for National Water-Quality Assessment

Agricultural land use is one of the most important influences on water quality at national and regional scales. Although there is great diversity in the character of agricultural land, variations follow regional patterns that are influenced by environmental setting and economics. These regional patterns can be characterized by the distribution of crops. A new approach to classifying and mapping ag
Authors
Robert J. Gilliom, Gail P. Thelin