Publications
Publications from the staff of the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Filter Total Items: 2354
Multiscale geophysical imaging of the critical zone
Details of Earth's shallow subsurface—a key component of the critical zone (CZ)—are largely obscured because making direct observations with sufficient density to capture natural characteristic spatial variability in physical properties is difficult. Yet this inaccessible region of the CZ is fundamental to processes that support ecosystems, society, and the environment. Geophysical methods provide
Authors
Andy Parsekian, Kamini Singha, Burke J. Minsley, W. Steven Holbrook, Lee Slater
Lapland longspur mortality at an oil well drilling rig site, Laramie County, Wyoming
Two hundred fifty-one Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) carcasses were recovered around an oil well drilling rig in Laramie County, Wyoming, USA, on December 13–14, 2010, apparent victims of a winter storm and “light entrapment” from the lights on the drilling rig during foggy conditions. We found Lapland longspur carcasses distributed around the drilling rig from 33 m to 171 m. Investigator
Authors
Pedro Ramirez, Kimberly K. Dickerson, Jim Lindstrom, Carol U. Meteyer, Scott Darrah
Obtaining valid geologic models from 3-D resistivity inversion of magnetotelluric data at Pahute Mesa, Nevada
We summarize the results of a three-dimensional (3-D) resistivity inversion simulation that we conducted with the intent of characterizing the subsurface 3-D distribution of volcanic composite units of Pahute Mesa, Nevada, without any a priori information on the actual 3-D distribution of the known subsurface geology. The 3-D methodology involved using a 3-D geologic model based on drillhole data
Authors
Brian D. Rodriguez, Donald S. Sweetkind
Metal Mixture Modeling Evaluation project: 2. Comparison of four modeling approaches
As part of the Metal Mixture Modeling Evaluation (MMME) project, models were developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan), the U.S. Geological Survey (USA), HDR⎪HydroQual, Inc. (USA), and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UK) to address the effects of metal mixtures on biological responses of aquatic organisms. A comparison of the 4 models, as they
Authors
Kevin J. Farley, Joe Meyer, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Karl DeSchamphelaere, Yuichi Iwasaki, Colin Janssen, Masashi Kamo, Steve Lofts, Christopher A. Mebane, Wataru Naito, Adam C. Ryan, Robert C. Santore, Edward Tipping
Basement domain map of the conterminous United States and Alaska
The basement-domain map is a compilation of basement domains in the conterminous United States and Alaska designed to be used at 1:5,000,000-scale, particularly as a base layer for national-scale mineral resource assessments. Seventy-seven basement domains are represented as eighty-three polygons on the map. The domains are based on interpretations of basement composition, origin, and architecture
Authors
Karen Lund, Stephen E. Box, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Carma A. San Juan, Richard J. Blakely, Richard W. Saltus, Eric D. Anderson, Ed DeWitt
Environmental assessment of water, sediment, and biota collected from the Bear Creek watershed, Colusa County, California
The Cache Creek watershed lies within California's North Coast Range, an area with abundant geologic sources of mercury (Hg) and a long history of Hg contamination (Rytuba, 2000). Bear Creek, Cache Creek, and the North Fork of Cache Creek are the major streams of the Cache Creek watershed, encompassing 2978 km2. The Cache Creek watershed contains soils naturally enriched in Hg as well as natural s
Authors
James J. Rytuba, Roger L. Hothem, Brianne E. Brussee, Daniel Goldstein, Jason T. May
Quantification of colloidal and aqueous element transfer in soils: The dual-phase mass balance model
Mass balance models have become standard tools for characterizing element gains and losses and volumetric change during weathering and soil development. However, they rely on the assumption of complete immobility for an index element such as Ti or Zr. Here we describe a dual-phase mass balance model that eliminates the need for an assumption of immobility and in the process quantifies the contribu
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Aaron Thompson, Oliver A. Chadwick
Detrital zircon U-Pb reconnaissance of the Franciscan subduction complex in northwestern California
In northwestern California, the Franciscan subduction complex has been subdivided into seven major tectonostratigraphic units. We report U-Pb ages of ≈2400 detrital zircon grains from 26 sandstone samples from 5 of these units. Here, we tabulate each unit's interpreted predominant sediment source areas and depositional age range, ordered from the oldest to the youngest unit. (1) Yolla Bolly terran
Authors
Trevor Dimitru, W. Gary Ernst, Jeremy K. Hourigan, Robert J. McLaughlin
Magnetotelluric data collected to characterize aquifers in the San Luis Basin, New Mexico
The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a series of multidisciplinary studies of the San Luis Basin as part of the Geologic Framework of Rio Grande Basins project. Detailed geologic mapping, high-resolution airborne magnetic surveys, gravity surveys, magnetotelluric surveys, and hydrologic and lithologic data are being used to better understand the aquifers in the San Luis Basin. This report desc
Authors
Chad E. Ailes, Brian D. Rodriguez
Steep spatial gradients of volcanic and marine sulfur in Hawaiian rainfall and ecosystems
Sulfur, a nutrient required by terrestrial ecosystems, is likely to be regulated by atmospheric processes in well-drained, upland settings because of its low concentration in most bedrock and generally poor retention by inorganic reactions within soils. Environmental controls on sulfur sources in unpolluted ecosystems have seldom been investigated in detail, even though the possibility of sulfur l
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Oliver A. Chadwick, Carol Kendall, Michael J. Pribil
Geologic map of the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
The Patagonia Mountains contain two large porphyry Cu-Mo systems each with separate associated hypogene and supergene zones, two high-grade Cu-Mo breccia pipes, one large epithermal Ag-Pb-Zn-Mn deposit, and numerous additional areas of base- and precious-metal mineralization all zoned around a Laramide-age composite batholith of intermediate composition. Compilations and new work by Vikre and othe
Authors
Frederick Graybeal, Lorre A. Moyer, Peter G. Vikre, Pamela Dunlap, John C. Wallis
Book review: Michael Dentith and Stephen T. Mudge: Geophysics for the mineral exploration geoscientist
No abstract available.
Authors
Eric D. Anderson