Publications
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The USGS/OFDA Volcano Disaster Assistance Program
An erupting volcano is one of nature's truly spectacular sights. From a distance, or perhaps through the cameras of the news media, we often observe roiling mushroom clouds of ash or flows of incandescent lava issuing from the volcano's throat. If, however, you happen to live near that erupting volcano, your life or livelihood may be endangered and your property at risk of destruction a spectacle
Authors
J.W. Ewert, C.D. Miller
Volcano hazards in the Mount Adams region, Washington
No abstract available.
Authors
W. E. Scott, R. M. Iverson, J.W. Vallance, Wes Hildreth
Seismic maps foster landmark legislation
When a powerful earthquake strikes an urban region, damage concentrates not only near the quake's source. Damage can also occur many miles from the source in areas of soft ground. In recent years, scientists have developed ways to identify and map these areas of high seismic hazard. This advance has spurred pioneering legislation to reduce earthquake losses in areas of greatest hazard.
Authors
Roger D. Borcherdt, Robert B. Brown, Robert A. Page, Carl M. Wentworth, James W. Hendley
Utah braces for the future
Almost 75 percent of Utah's population lives near the Wasatch Fault. Earth scientists have shown that this fault has repeatedly experienced strong earthquakes of magnitude 7 or larger and will continue to do so in the future. Efforts to increase public awareness of earthquake hazards in Utah have resulted in residents and community leaders taking actions that will save lives and reduce damage in f
Authors
Michael N. Machette, William M. Brown
Averting Surprises in the Pacific Northwest
No abstract available.
Authors
Brian F. Atwater, Thomas S. Yelin, Craig S. Weaver, James W. Hendley
Frequent outburst floods from South Tahoma Glacier, Mount Rainier, USA: Relation to debris flows, meteorological origin, and implications for subglacial hydrology
Destructive debris flows occur frequently at glacierized Mount Rainier volcano, Washington, U.S.A. Twenty-three such flows have occurred in the Tahoma Creek valley since 1967. Hydrologic and geomorphic evidence indicate that all or nearly all of these flows began as outburst floods from South Tahoma Glacier. Flood waters are stored subglacially. The volume of stored water discharged during a typic
Authors
J. S. Walder, C. L. Driedger
Giant blocks in the South Kona landslide, Hawaii
A large field of blocky sea-floor hills, up to 10 km long and 500 m high, are gigantic slide blocks derived from the west flank of Mauna Loa volcano on the island of Hawaii. These megablocks are embedded in the toe of the South Kona landslide, which extends ∼80 km seaward from the present coastline to depths of nearly 5 km. A 10–15-km-wide belt of numerous, smaller, 1–3-km-long slide blocks separa
Authors
J. G. Moore, W.B. Bryan, M.H. Beeson, W. R. Normark
Fluid-inclusion evidence for past temperature fluctuations in the Kilauea East Rift Zone geothermal area, Hawaii
Heating and freezing data were obtained for fluid inclusions in hydrothermal quartz, calcite, and anhydrite from several depths in three scientific observation holes drilled along the lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii. Compositions of the inclusion fluids range from dilute meteoric water to highly modified sea water concentrated by boiling. Comparison of measured drill-hole temperatu
Authors
Keith E. Bargar, Terry E.C. Keith, Frank A. Trusdell
San Andreas fault zone drilling project: scientific objectives and technological challenges
We are leading a new international initiative to conduct scientific drilling within the San Andreas fault zone at depths of up to 10 km. This project is motivated by the need to understand the physical and chemical processes operating within the fault zone and to answer fundamental questions about earthquake generation along major plate-boundary faults. Through a comprehensive program of coring, f
Authors
S.H. Hickman, L.W. Younker, M.D. Zoback
Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of waters from fumaroles at Kilauea summit, Hawaii
Condensate samples were collected in 1992 from a high-temperature (300° C) fumarole on the floor of the Halemaumau Pit Crater at Kilauea. The emergence about two years earlier of such a hot fumarole was unprecedented at such a central location at Kilauea. The condensates have hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions which indicate that the waters emitted by the fumarole are composed largely of me
Authors
T. K. Hinkley, J. E. Quick, R. T. Gregory, T.M. Gerlach
Rapid deformation of the south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
The south flank of Kilauea volcano has experienced two large [magnitude (M) 7.2 and M 6.1] earthquakes in the past two decades. Global Positioning System measurements conducted between 1990 and 1993 reveal seaward displacements of Kilauea's central south flank at rates of up to about 10 centimeters per year. In contrast, the northern side of the volcano and the distal ends of the south flank did n
Authors
S. Owen, P. Segall, Jeffrey T. Freymueller, Asta Miklius, R. Denlinger, T. Arnadottir, M. Sako, R. Burgmann
Thermodynamics of gas and steam-blast eruptions
Eruptions of gas or steam and non-juvenile debris are common in volcanic and hydrothermal areas. From reports of non-juvenile eruptions or eruptive sequences world-wide, at least three types (or end-members) can be identified: (1) those involving rock and liquid water initially at boiling-point temperatures (‘boiling-point eruptions’); (2) those powered by gas (primarily water vapor) at initial te
Authors
L.G. Mastin