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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16785

A Visual Basic program to plot sediment grain-size data on ternary diagrams

Sedimentologic datasets are typically large and compiled into tables or databases, but pure numerical information can be difficult to understand and interpret. Thus, scientists commonly use graphical representations to reduce complexities, recognize trends and patterns in the data, and develop hypotheses. Of the graphical techniques, one of the most common methods used by sedimentologists is to pl
Authors
L. J. Poppe, A.H. Eliason

Mineral resource of the month: mica

Humans have been using mica for millennia. Mica was first mined in India about 4,000 years ago, where it was used primarily in medicines, and some Hindu physicians still incorporate biotite mica into medicines today. Early civilizations also used mica for decorations, as windows and as surfaces on which to draw or paint. Maya temples were decorated with mica pigments, which were incorporated into
Authors
J.B. Hedrick

Use of an integrated flow model to estimate ecologically relevant hydrologic characteristics at stream biomonitoring sites

We developed an integrated hydroecological model to provide a comprehensive set of hydrologic variables representing five major components of the flow regime at 856 aquatic-invertebrate monitoring sites in New Jersey. The hydroecological model simulates streamflow by routing water that moves overland and through the subsurface from atmospheric delivery to the watershed outlet. Snow accumulation an
Authors
J.G. Kennen, L. J. Kauffman, M. A. Ayers, D. M. Wolock, Susan J. Colarullo

Are we missing a mineralocorticoid in teleost fish? Effects of cortisol, deoxycorticosterone and aldosterone on osmoregulation, gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity and isoform mRNA levels in Atlantic salmon

It has long been held that cortisol, acting through a single receptor, carries out both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid actions in teleost fish. The recent finding that fish express a gene with high sequence similarity to the mammalian mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) suggests the possibility that a hormone other than cortisol carries out some mineralocorticoid functions in fish. To test for t
Authors
S. D. McCormick, A. Regish, M. F. O'Dea, J. M. Shrimpton

Temporal downscaling of decadal sediment load estimates to a daily interval for use in hindcast simulations

In this study we used hydrologic proxies to develop a daily sediment load time-series, which agrees with decadal sediment load estimates, when integrated. Hindcast simulations of bathymetric change in estuaries require daily sediment loads from major tributary rivers, to capture the episodic delivery of sediment during multi-day freshwater flow pulses. Two independent decadal sediment load estimat
Authors
N. K. Ganju, N. Knowles, D. H. Schoellhamer

Impact effects and regional tectonic insights: Backstripping the Chesapeake Bay impact structure

The Chesapeake Bay impact structure is a ca. 35.4 Ma crater located on the eastern seaboard of North America. Deposition returned to normal shortly after impact, resulting in a unique record of both impact-related and subsequent passive margin sedimentation. We use backstripping to show that the impact strongly affected sedimentation for 7 m.y. through impact-derived crustal-scale tectonics, domin
Authors
T. Hayden, M. Kominz, David S. Powars, Lucy E. Edwards, K.G. Miller, J.V. Browning, A.A. Kulpecz

Ocean forecasting in terrain-following coordinates: Formulation and skill assessment of the Regional Ocean Modeling System

Systematic improvements in algorithmic design of regional ocean circulation models have led to significant enhancement in simulation ability across a wide range of space/time scales and marine system types. As an example, we briefly review the Regional Ocean Modeling System, a member of a general class of three-dimensional, free-surface, terrain-following numerical models. Noteworthy characteristi
Authors
D.B. Haidvogel, H. Arango, W.P. Budgell, B.D. Cornuelle, E. Curchitser, Lorenzo E. Di, K. Fennel, W.R. Geyer, A.J. Hermann, L. Lanerolle, J. Levin, J.C. McWilliams, A.J. Miller, A.M. Moore, T.M. Powell, A.F. Shchepetkin, C. R. Sherwood, R. P. Signell, J.C. Warner, J. Wilkin

Storm-driven sediment transport in Massachusetts Bay

Massachusetts Bay is a semi-enclosed embayment in the western Gulf of Maine about 50 km wide and 100 km long. Bottom sediment resuspension is controlled predominately by storm-induced surface waves and transport by the tidal- and wind-driven circulation. Because the Bay is open to the northeast, winds from the northeast ('Northeasters') generate the largest surface waves and are thus the most effe
Authors
J.C. Warner, B. Butman, P.S. Dalyander

Mineral resource of the month: vermiculite

Vermiculite, a hydrated magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate mineral, has a range of uses that take advantage of its fire resistance, good insulating properties, high liquid absorption capacity, inertness and low density. Most applications for vermiculite use an exfoliated (heat-expanded) form of the mineral. In general, coarser grades of vermiculite are used as loose fill insulation and in horticultu
Authors
M.J. Potter

Estimation of groundwater and nutrient fluxes to the Neuse River estuary, North Carolina

A study was conducted between April 2004 and September 2005 to estimate groundwater and nutrient discharge to the Neuse River estuary in North Carolina. The largest groundwater fluxes were observed to occur generally within 20 m of the shoreline. Groundwater flux estimates based on seepage meter measurements ranged from 2.86??108 to 4.33??108 m3 annually and are comparable to estimates made using
Authors
T. B. Spruill, J.F. Bratton

Electromagnetic surveying of seafloor mounds in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Seafloor controlled source electromagnetic data, probing the uppermost 30 m of seafloor sediments, have been collected with a towed magnetic dipole-dipole system across two seafloor mounds at approximately 1300 m water depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico. One of these mounds was the focus of??a recent gas hydrate research drilling program. Rather than the highly resistive response expected of mas
Authors
M. Ellis, R.L. Evans, D. Hutchinson, P. Hart, J. Gardner, R. Hagen

Scientific results from Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrates Joint Industry Project Leg 1 drilling: Introduction and overview

The Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrates Joint Industry Project (JIP) is a consortium of production and service companies and some government agencies formed to address the challenges that gas hydrates pose for deepwater exploration and production. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and with scientific assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey and academic partners, the JIP has focused on s
Authors
C. Ruppel, R. Boswell, E. Jones