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Impact damage to dinocysts from the Late Eocene Chesapeake Bay event

The Chesapeake Bay impact structure, formed by a comet or meteorite that struck the Virginia continental shelf about 35.5 million years ago, is the focus of an extensive coring project by the U.S. Geological Survey and its cooperators. Organic-walled dinocysts recovered from impact-generated deposits in a deep core inside the 85-90 km-wide crater include welded organic clumps and fused, partially
Authors
Lucy E. Edwards, David S. Powars

Ecosystem history of southern and central Biscayne Bay: Summary report on sediment core analyses

During the last century, the environs of Biscayne Bay have been greatly affected by anthropogenic alteration through urbanization of the Miami/Dade County area. The sources, timing, delivery, and quality of freshwater flow into the Bay have been changed by construction of a complex canal system that controls movement of water throughout south Florida. Changes in shoreline and sub-aquatic vegetatio
Authors
G. Lynn Wingard, Thomas M. Cronin, G. S. Dwyer, S. E. Ishman, D. A. Willard, C. W. Holmes, C.E. Bernhardt, C.P. Williams, M. E. Marot, J.B. Murray, R.G. Stamm, J.H. Murray, C. Budet

Evaporite tectonism in the lower Roaring Fork River valley, west-central Colorado

Evaporite tectonism in the lower Roaring Fork River valley in west-central Colorado has caused regional subsidence of a differentially downdropped area in the southern part of the Carbondale collapse center during the late Cenozoic. A prominent topographic depression coincides with this collapse area, and drainage patterns within the collapse area contrast sharply with those outside of it. Miocene
Authors
R. M. Kirkham, Randall K. Streufert, Michael J. Kunk, James R. Budahn, Mark R. Hudson, William J. Perry

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Chesapeake Bay – The role of science in environmental restoration

The Chesapeake Bay is the Nation's largest estuary and historically supported one of the most productive fisheries in the world. In addition to supporting aquatic communities and wildlife, the bay's watershed serves the economic and recreational needs of 15 million people. The fertile soils of the watershed support significant agricultural production. Unfortunately, the commercial, economic, and r
Authors
Roger A. Barlow, John W. Brakebill, John F. Bratton, Vicki S. Blazer, John Karl Bohlke, Owen P. Bricker, Steve M. Colman, Thomas M. Cronin, Cliff R. Hupp, Janet R. Keough, Jurate M. Landwehr, Michael J. Langland, Wayne L. Newell, Matthew Perry, Scott W. Phillips, Steve D. Preston, Nancy B. Rybicki, Nancy S. Simon, Debra A. Willard

Correlation of late Cenozoic basaltic lava flows in the Carbondale and Eagle collapse centers in west-central Colorado based on geochemical, isotopic, age, and petrographic data

Major-, minor-, and trace-element abundance data on 220, late Cenozoic, basaltic rocks in and around the Carbondale and Eagle collapse centers in west-central Colorado are combined with isotopic, age, and petrographic data to correlate lava flows and establish the timing and minimum areal extent of collapse events associated with removal of Pennsylvanian evaporite. On the basis of these data, 46 d
Authors
James R. Budahn, D. M. Unruh, Michael J. Kunk, Frank M. Byers, R. M. Kirkham, R. K. Streufert

Tertiary cooling and tectonic history of the White River uplift, Gore Range, and western Front Range, central Colorado: Evidence from fission-track and 39Ar/ 40Ar ages

Apatite fission-track (AFT) data from Proterozoic and Paleozoic rocks in the mountains of north central Colorado (White River Uplift, Gore Range, and western Front Range) record significant cooling that began with uplift and erosion related to the Laramide Orogeny and continued through the Tertiary to Pliocene time. The mountains immediately flanking the Blue River half graben (Williams Fork Mount
Authors
C.W. Naeser, Bruce Bryant, Michael J. Kunk, Karl S. Kellogg, R.A. Donelick, W. J. Perry

40Ar/39Ar ages of late Cenozoic volcanic rocks within and around the Carbondale and Eagle collapse centers, Colorado: Constraints on the timing of evaporite-related collapse and incision of the Colorado River

40Ar/ 39Ar dating results of 133 samples from 84 late Cenozoic volcanic rocks provide emplacement ages that constrain the timing of evaporite collapse and the incision rates of the Colorado River. Our samples are from areas in west-central Colorado, both within and outside of the Carbondale and Eagle collapse centers. Significant pulses of volcanic activity occurred in the intervals from 24 to 22,
Authors
Michael J. Kunk, James R. Budahn, D. M. Unruh, Josette O. Stanley, R. M. Kirkham, Bruce Bryant, R. B. Scott, David J. Lidke, R. K. Streufert

Eagle collapse center: Interpretation of evidence for late Cenozoic evaporite-related deformation in the Eagle River basin, Colorado

Evaporite tectonism resulted in deformation and collapse over an area of ~2500 km2 that is referred to as the Eagle collapse center. The collapse center includes much of the Eagle and Colorado River drainage basins between Vail, Dotsero, and McCoy, Colorado. The volume loss of evaporitic rocks by dissolution in the collapse center is estimated to be nearly 1700 km33 . Before ca. 10 Ma, Miocene bas
Authors
David J. Lidke, Mark R. Hudson, R. B. Scott, Ralph R. Shroba, Michael J. Kunk, W. J. Perry, R. M. Kirkham, James R. Budahn, R. K. Streufert, J.O. Stanley, B.L. Widmann

Structural and tectonic setting of the Charleston, South Carolina, region: Evidence from the Tertiary stratigraphic record

Eleven upper Eocene through Pliocene stratigraphic units occur in the subsurface of the region surrounding Charleston, South Carolina. These units contain a wealth of information concerning the long-term tectonic and structural setting of that area. These stratigraphic units have a mosaic pattern of distribution, rather than a simple layered pattern, because deposition, erosion, and tectonic warpi
Authors
R. E. Weems, W.C. Lewis

Stream piracy in the Black Hills: A geomorphology lab exercise

The Black Hills of South Dakota exhibits many fine examples of stream piracy that are very suitable for teaching geomorphology lab exercises. This lab goes beyond standard topographic map interpretation by using geologic maps, well logs, gravel provenance and other types of data to teach students about stream piracy. Using a step-by-step method in which the lab exercises ramp up in difficulty, stu
Authors
Brent J. Zaprowski, Edward B. Evenson, Jack B. Epstein