Publications
Publications from the staff of the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Filter Total Items: 2354
Determining the source and genetic fingerprint of natural gases using noble gas geochemistry: a northern Appalachian Basin case study
Silurian and Devonian natural gas reservoirs present within New York state represent an example of unconventional gas accumulations within the northern Appalachian Basin. These unconventional energy resources, previously thought to be noneconomically viable, have come into play following advances in drilling (i.e., horizontal drilling) and extraction (i.e., hydraulic fracturing) capabilities. Ther
Authors
Andrew G. Hunt, Thomas H. Darrah, Robert J. Poreda
Quantification of aquifer properties with surface nuclear magnetic resonance in the Platte River valley, central Nebraska, using a novel inversion method
Surface nuclear magnetic resonance, a noninvasive geophysical method, measures a signal directly related to the amount of water in the subsurface. This allows for low-cost quantitative estimates of hydraulic parameters. In practice, however, additional factors influence the signal, complicating interpretation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Central Platte Natural Resources Dis
Authors
Trevor P. Irons, Christopher M. Hobza, Gregory V. Steele, Jared D. Abraham, James C. Cannia, Duane D. Woodward
Soil genesis on the island of Bermuda in the Quaternary: the importance of African dust transport and deposition
The origin of terra rossa, red or reddish-brown, clay-rich soils overlying high-purity carbonate substrates, has intrigued geologists and pedologists for decades. Terra rossa soils can form from accumulation of insoluble residues during dissolution of the host limestones, addition of volcanic ash, or addition of externally derived, long-range-transported (LRT) aeolian particles. We studied soils a
Authors
Daniel R. Muhs, James R. Budahn, Joseph M. Prospero, Gary Skipp, Stanley R. Herwitz
Helicopter electromagnetic survey of the Model Land Area, Southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida
This report describes a helicopter electromagnetic survey flown over the Model Land Area in southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, to map saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer. The survey, which is located south and east of Florida City, Florida, covers an area of 115 square kilometers with a flight-line spacing of 400 meters. A five-frequency, horizontal, coplanar bird with frequencies ra
Authors
David V. Fitterman, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Scott T. Prinos
Holocene alluvial stratigraphy and response to climate change in the Roaring River valley, Front Range, Colorado, USA
Stratigraphic analyses and radiocarbon geochronology of alluvial deposits exposed along the Roaring River, Colorado, lead to three principal conclusions: (1) the opinion that stream channels in the higher parts of the Front Range are relics of the Pleistocene and nonalluvial under the present climate, as argued in a water-rights trial USA v. Colorado, is untenable, (2) beds of clast-supported grav
Authors
Richard F. Madole
Quantitative estimation of climatic parameters from vegetation data in North America by the mutual climatic range technique
The mutual climatic range (MCR) technique is perhaps the most widely used method for estimating past climatic parameters from fossil assemblages, largely because it can be conducted on a simple list of the taxa present in an assemblage. When applied to plant macrofossil data, this unweighted approach (MCRun) will frequently identify a large range for a given climatic parameter where the species in
Authors
Katherine H. Anderson, Patrick J. Bartlein, Laura E. Strickland, Richard T. Pelltier, Robert S. Thompson, Sarah L. Shafer
Water-quality and geophysical data for three study sites within the Williston Basin and Prairie Pothole Region
This report is a data release for water geochemical sample analyses and geophysical surveys for three sites within the Williston Basin and Prairie Pothole Region of Montana and North Dakota. The data collection sites and procedures are described.
Authors
Todd M. Preston, Bruce D. Smith, Joanna N. Thamke, Tara L. Chesley-Preston
Tectonic setting of the Wooded Island earthquake swarm, eastern Washington
Magnetic anomalies provide insights into the tectonic implications of a swarm of ~1500 shallow (~1 km deep) earthquakes that occurred in 2009 on the Hanford site,Washington. Epicenters were concentrated in a 2 km2 area nearWooded Island in the Columbia River. The largest earthquake (M 3.0) had first motions consistent with slip on a northwest-striking reverse fault. The swarm was accompanied by 35
Authors
Richard J. Blakely, Brian L. Sherrod, Craig S. Weaver, Alan C. Rohay, Ray E. Wells
Podiform chromite deposits--database and grade and tonnage models
Chromite ((Mg, Fe++)(Cr, Al, Fe+++)2O4) is the only source for the metallic element chromium, which is used in the metallurgical, chemical, and refractory industries. Podiform chromite deposits are small magmatic chromite bodies formed in the ultramafic section of an ophiolite complex in the oceanic crust. These deposits have been found in midoceanic ridge, off-ridge, and suprasubduction tectonic
Authors
Dan L. Mosier, Donald A. Singer, Barry C. Moring, John P. Galloway
The Cedars ultramafic mass, Sonoma County, California
The Cedars ultramafic mass is a mantle fragment that consists of partially serpentinized spinel harzburgite and dunite. Compositional layering and a chromite lineation define a penetrative metamorphic foliation that almost certainly formed in the upper mantle. Although detailed petrofabric and mineral chemistry are presently lacking, it seems reasonable that the Cedars peridotite represents a slic
Authors
M. Clark Blake, Edgar H. Bailey, Carl M. Wentworth
A multiple-point geostatistical method for characterizing uncertainty of subsurface alluvial units and its effects on flow and transport
This report provides a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the potential application of multiple-point geostatistics for characterizing geologic heterogeneity and its effect on flow and transport simulation. The study presented in this report is the result of collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Stanford University. This collaboration focused on improving the characterization of
Authors
C. Cronkite-Ratcliff, G. A. Phelps, A. Boucher
Topographic change detection at select archeological sites in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2007-2010
Human occupation in Grand Canyon, Arizona, dates from at least 11,000 years before present to the modern era. For most of this period, the only evidence of human occupation in this iconic landscape is provided by archeological sites. Because of the dynamic nature of this environment, many archeological sites are subject to relatively rapid topographic change. Quantifying the extent, magnitude, and
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Skye C. Corbett, Helen C. Fairley, Diane L. Minasian, Robert Kayen, Timothy P. Dealy, David R. Bedford