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National- to continental-scale governmental geophysical efforts for critical mineral mapping, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has established robust collaborations with domestic state and international geological surveys to provide geophysical and other types of earth science data that act to underpin critical mineral research efforts across the United States, Canada, and Australia. The Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (EMRI) is a national-scale collaborative effort with state geologic
Authors
Anne E. McCafferty, Chelsea Morgan Amaral, Garth E. Graham
The Mount Weld rare earth element deposit, Western Australia: A carbonatite-derived laterite
Carbonatite-hosted rare earth element (REE) deposits are the primary source of the world’s light REEs and have the potential to be a source of heavy REEs. The Mount Weld REE deposit in Western Australia is hosted in a lateritic sequence that reflects supergene enrichment of the underlying carbonatite complex. Similar to other carbonatite-related ore deposits, ore from Mount Weld displays extreme l
Authors
Philip Verplanck, Heather A. Lowers, Adam Boehlke, Jay Michael Thompson, Ganesh Bhat, Cameron Mark Mercer
Critical minerals in Climax-type magmatic-hydrothermal systems
Today’s global economy is challenged to meet the growing demand for commodities used in existing and emerging advanced technologies. Critical minerals are commodities found in a wide variety of ore deposits that are vital to the economic or national security of individual nations that are vulnerable to supply disruption. The U.S. Geological Survey is striving to advance understanding of critical m
Authors
Celestine N. Mercer, Mario A Guzman, Albert H. Hofstra, Joshua Mark Rosera
James Tributary summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985-2021
The James Tributary Summary outlines change over time for a suite of monitored tidal water quality parameters and associated potential drivers of those trends for the period 1985 – 2021 and provides a brief description of the current state of knowledge explaining these observed changes. Water quality parameters described include surface (above pycnocline) total nitrogen (TN), surface total phospho
Authors
Breck Maura Sullivan, Kaylyn Gootman, Alex Gunnerson, Cindy Johnson, Chris A. Mason, Elgin Perry, Gopal Bhatt, Jennifer L. Keisman, James S. Webber, Jon Harcum, Mike Lane, Olivia Devereux, Qian Zhang, Rebecca Murphy, Renee Karrh, Tom Butler, Vanessa Van Note, Zhaoying Wei
Increasing ocean wave energy observed in Earth’s seismic wavefield since the late 20th century
Ocean waves excite continuous globally observable seismic signals. We use data from 52 globally distributed seismographs to analyze the vertical component primary microseism wavefield at 14–20 s period between the late 1980s and August 2022. This signal is principally composed of Rayleigh waves generated by ocean wave seafloor tractions at less than several hundred meters depth, and is thus a prox
Authors
Richard C. Aster, Adam T. Ringler, Robert E. Anthony, Thomas A. Lee
Spatially interactive modeling of land change identifies location-specific adaptations most likely to lower future flood risk
Impacts of sea level rise will last for centuries; therefore, flood risk modeling must transition from identifying risky locations to assessing how populations can best cope. We present the first spatially interactive (i.e., what happens at one location affects another) land change model (FUTURES 3.0) that can probabilistically predict urban growth while simulating human migration and other respon
Authors
Georgina M. Sanchez, Anna Petrasova, Megan M. Skrip, Elyssa Collins, Margaret A. Lawrimore, John B. Vogler, Adam Terando, Jelena Vukomanovic, Helena Mitasova, Ross K. Meentemeyer
Importance of understanding bottom-up control when characterizing geothermal systems
Methods designed to identify favorable areas for geothermal resources have traditionally been focused on near-surface information, namely data that can be compiled into a 2D map. However, these methods fail to account for the third dimension: depth. As a result, they do not incorporate deep crustal and mantle features like heat sources. Geophysical methods with multi-scale capabilities, such as ma
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Paul A. Bedrosian
Geophysical logging For hydrogeology
Geophysical logging is the measurement and analysis of electrical, acoustic, nuclear, and other physical properties in a borehole using wireline or direct push technology. Geophysical logging is one of the primary methods of collecting subsurface information for hydrogeologic investigations. Groundwater scientists and engineers should have a basic understanding of borehole geophysics and how it is
Authors
John H. Williams, Frederick L. Paillet
Exploring centennial barrier-inlet evolution: Insights from undeveloped and developed phases at Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey
This study aims to identify the natural processes and the subsequent responses to coastal engineering and development on the alongshore evolution of the IB-BI-LBI inlet-barrier system. The primary focus will be the quantification of barrier island and inlet sediment partitioning at decadal to centennial timescales, from 1839-1941. We analyze historical alongshore evolution and track coastal engine
Authors
Shane Nichols-O'Neill, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis
Vital sign monitoring is good medicine for parks
Nearly 70 years ago a young ranger naturalist working in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Frederick B. Turner, became fascinated with the abundance of frogs next to his cabin at “Soldier Creek” (known as Lodge Creek today). This interest blossomed into Turner’s PhD research and his publication in 1960 about the local population of Columbia spotted frogs (shown to right) became a classic for herpet
Authors
Andrew M. Ray, David P. Thoma, Kristin L. Legg, Robert H. Diehl, Adam Sepulveda, Mike Tercek, Robert Al-Chokhachy
Reconstructing the geomorphic evolution and sediment budget history of a dynamic barrier island: Anclote Key, Florida
Decadal to centennial variations in sediment availability are a primary driver of coastal change within barrier systems. Models help explore how barrier morphology relates to past changes in magnitude of sediment availability, but this requires insights and validation from field efforts. In this study, we investigate the progradation of Anclote Key via its morphostratigraphy, a presently dynamic b
Authors
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie Bernier, Arnell S. Forde, Shannon A. Mahan
The Arctic Rivers Project: Using an equitable co-production framework for integrating meaningful community engagement and science to understand climate impacts
As the Arctic and its rivers continue to warm, a better understanding of the possible future impacts on people would benefit from close partnership with Indigenous communities and scientists from diverse fields of study. We present efforts by the Arctic Rivers Project to conduct community-engaged research to increase collective understanding of the historical and potential future impacts of climat
Authors
Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Alestine Andre, Victoria Buschman, Dylan Blaskey, Cassandra M. Brooks, Yifan Cheng, Evelynn Combs, Karen Cozzetto, Serena Fitka, Joshua C. Koch, Aine Lawlor, Elizabeth Moses, Emily Murray, Edda A. Mutter, Andrew Newman, Charles Prince, Patricia Salmon, Jenessa Tlen, Ryan C. Toohey, Michael L. Williams, Keith Musselman