33 CFR 165.930 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Des Plaines River located between mile marker 286.0 (Brandon Road Lock and Dam) and mile marker 290.0... Sanitary and Ship Canal. All U.S. waters of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal between mile marker 290.0... (Main Branch) and North Branch Chicago River). (4) Chicago River (Main Branch). All U.S. waters of the...

Water-surface profiles of Raccoon River at Des Moines, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, Philip J.; Appel, David H.

1966-01-01

The Raccoon River., having a drainage area of 3,630 square miles, borders the south edge of the Des Moines downtown business district before flowing into the Des Moines River at mile 201.6. A large residential area and the city airport are separated from downtown Des Moines by the Raccoon River (fig. 1). Five highway bridges and one railroad bridge span the river between the mouth and mile 205.75, the limits of this report (fig. 1). The river is confined to a narrow channel from the mouth to the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad bridge (mile 202.6); upstream of this bridge the river is not confined and during high water spreads over a wide flood plain. Fleur Drive, a principal traffic artery to the downtown area, is the only roadway of the five that crosses this wide flood plain. It has been flooded 15 times during the period 1903, 1918-1965.

76 FR 65609 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-24

... Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal... enforcement of regulation. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will enforce a segment of the Safety Zone; Brandon Road....S. Army Corps of Engineers' dispersal barrier maintenance operations. During the enforcement period...

76 FR 23524 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-27

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago... safety zone from Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan. This proposed safety zone will cover 77.... This TIR established a 77 mile long safety zone from Brandon Road Lock to Lake Michigan in Chicago, IL...

33 CFR 165.T09-0166 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock... Areas Ninth Coast Guard District § 165.T09-0166 Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan.... waters of the Des Plaines River located between mile marker 286.0 (Brandon Road Lock and Dam) and mile...

33 CFR 165.930 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock... Guard District § 165.930 Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines... COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY REGULATED NAVIGATION...

Independent technical review and analysis of hydraulic modeling and hydrology under low-flow conditions of the Des Plaines River near Riverside, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Over, Thomas M.; Straub, Timothy D.; Hortness, Jon E.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has operated a streamgage and published daily flows for the Des Plaines River at Riverside since Oct. 1, 1943. A HEC-RAS model has been developed to estimate the effect of the removal of Hofmann Dam near the gage on low-flow elevations in the reach approximately 3 miles upstream from the dam. The Village of Riverside, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources-Office of Water Resources (IDNR-OWR), and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers-Chicago District (USACE-Chicago) are interested in verifying the performance of the HEC-RAS model for specific low-flow conditions, and obtaining an estimate of selected daily flow quantiles and other low-flow statistics for a selected period of record that best represents current hydrologic conditions. Because the USGS publishes streamflow records for the Des Plaines River system and provides unbiased analyses of flows and stream hydraulic characteristics, the USGS served as an Independent Technical Reviewer (ITR) for this study.

Chicago, Illinois as seen from STS-60

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-02-09

STS060-103-089 (3-11 Feb. 1994) --- The Chicago, Illinois area is in this northeast looking low oblique view obtained in February, 1994. Lake Michigan, a good portion covered with ice due to the very cold winter weather that has plagued this region since early December, 1993, can be seen to the east of the city. The Des Plaines river is visible traversing northeast to southwest through the center of the city. O'Hare International Airport and the Glenview Naval Air Station can be seen to the north of the Des Plaines River. Midway Airport is visible just to the south of the river. Chicago is a port of entry; a major Great Lakes port located at the junction of the St. Lawrence Seaway with the Mississippi River system; the busiest air center in the United States; and an important rail and highway transportation hub. Chicago is known for large grain mills and elevators, iron and steel works, steel fabrication plants, stockyards, meat-packing establishments, and printing and publishing houses. In the early days of settlement, the narrow watershed between Lake Michigan and the Des Plaines River (draining the Mississippi River through the Illinois River), offered an easy portage that led explorers like Father Marquette and Louis Joliet and others to the Great Central Plains. Fort Dearborn, a military post was established in 1803. By 1860, the railroad connected Chicago to the rest of the country and the city became a great mid-continent shipping and receiving center. In 1871, the city built of wood, was almost entirely destroyed by a great fire. After the fire, Chicago was built as a city of steel and stone. During the World's Colombian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893, the city became a leading architectural center. It was here during the Exposition that the skyscraper came into being. Chicago continues to lead the way in this type of architectural structure as is evidenced with the completion of the Sears Tower in 1974.

Flood-inundation maps for a nine-mile reach of the Des Plaines River from Riverwoods to Mettawa, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Soong, David T.; Sharpe, Jennifer B.

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9-mile reach of the Des Plaines River from Riverwoods to Mettawa, Illinois, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and the Villages of Lincolnshire and Riverwoods. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (gage heights) at the USGS streamgage at Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, Illinois (station no. 05528100). Current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?05528100. In addition, this streamgage is incorporated into the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/) by the National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often co-located at USGS streamgages. The NWS forecasted peak-stage information, also shown on the Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire inundation Web site, may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was then used to determine seven water-surface profiles for flood stages at roughly 1-ft intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from the 50- to 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flows. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a Geographic Information System (GIS) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (derived from Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data) in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. These maps, along with information on the Internet regarding current gage height from USGS streamgages and forecasted stream stages from the NWS, provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Simulation of hypothetical Asian carp egg and larvae development and transport in the Lockport, Brandon Road, Dresden Island, and Marseilles Pools of the Illinois Waterway by use of the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Garcia, Tatiana; Jackson, P. Ryan; Duncker, James J.

2016-04-05

As part of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting an assessment of the vulnerability of the Chicago Area Waterway System and Des Plaines River to Asian carp (specifically, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp) and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp)) spawning and recruitment. As part of this assessment, the USACE requested the help of the U.S. Geological Survey in predicting the fate and transport of Asian carp eggs hypothetically spawned at the electric dispersal barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and downstream of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River under dry weather flow and high water temperature conditions. The Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) model predicted that approximately 80 percent of silver carp eggs spawned near the electric dispersal barrier would hatch within the Lockport and Brandon Road pools (as close as 3.6 miles downstream of the barrier) and approximately 82 percent of the silver carp eggs spawned near the Brandon Road Dam would hatch in the Des Plaines River (as close as 1.6 miles downstream from the gates of Brandon Road Lock). Extension of the FluEgg model to include the fate and transport of larvae until gas bladder inflation—the point at which the larvae begin to leave the drift—suggests that eggs spawned at the electric dispersal barrier would reach the gas bladder inflation stage primarily within the Dresden Island Pool, and those spawned at the Brandon Road Dam would reach this stage primarily within the Marseilles and Starved Rock Pools.

78 FR 4071 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-18

... hazards associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electromagnetic Fields evaluation operations... Michigan has determined that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electromagnetic Fields evaluation operations...

78 FR 17099 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-20

... associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electromagnetic Fields evaluation operations. During any of... has determined that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Electromagnetic Fields evaluation operation poses...

2. STONE ARCH BRIDGE. TIMBERS ON THE UPSTREAM FACE OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. STONE ARCH BRIDGE. TIMBERS ON THE UPSTREAM FACE OF THE PIER PROTECTED THE STONEWORK FROM DAMAGE FROM ICE FLOWS, BARGES, ETC. - Lockport Historic District, Stone Arch Bridge, Spanning Des Plaines River at Ninth Street, Lockport, Will County, IL

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds in water, sediment, and biota, 1975-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, Daniel J.; Stinson, Troy W.; Crawford, J. Kent; Schmidt, Arthur R.; Colman, John A.

1998-01-01

The distribution of pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds in water, sediment, and biota in the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin was examined from 1987 through 1990 as part of the pilot National Water-Quality Assesssment Program conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Historical data for water and sediment collected from 1975 through 1986 were similar to data collected from 1987 through 1990. Some compounds were detected in concentrations that exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water-quality criteria. Results from pesticide sampling at four stations in 1988 and 1989 identified several agricultural pesticides that were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in urban areas than in agricultural areas. Results from herbicide sampling at 17 stations in the Kankakee and Iroquois River Basins in 1990 indicated that atrazine concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for drinking water during runoff periods. Results from sampling for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in water indicate that, with one exception, all stations at which more than one compound was detected were within 2 miles downstream from the nearest point source. Detections at two stations in the Chicago urban area accounted for 37 percent of the total number of detections. Concentrations of tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and 1,2-dichlorethane from stations in the Des Plaines River Basin exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for drinking water in one and two samples from the two stations in the Chicago area. Phenols and pentachlorophenols were detected most frequently in the Des Plaines River Basin where point-source discharges were common. Phenol concentrations were significantly different among the Des Plaines, Kankakee, and Fox River Basins. Phenols and pentachlorophenols never exceeded the general use and secondary contact standards. Results from a 1989 synoptic survey of semivolatile organic compounds in sediment indicate that these compounds were detected most frequently at sites in the Chicago urban area. Of the 17 stations at which 10 or more compounds were detected, 14 were located in the Des Plaines River subbasin, and 1 was on the Illinois River mainstem. As was the case with organic compounds in water, each of these sites was located within 2 miles downstream from point sources. Biota samples were collected and analyzed for organochlorines and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in 1989 and 1990. The most commonly detected compound in both years was p,p'-DDE. National Academy of Science recommendations for chlordane and dieldrin for protection of predators were exceeded in 19 and 10 samples, respectively, when the 1989 and 1990 data were combined. In the nine fish-fillet samples collected in 1989, concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fish-tissue criteria in nine fillets for p,p'-DDE and five fillets for dieldrin.

Reclamation of abandoned mined lands along th Upper Illinois Waterway using dredged material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Luik, A; Harrison, W

1982-01-01

Sediments were sampled and characterized from 28 actual or proposed maintenance-dredging locations in the Upper Illinois Waterway, that is, the Calumet-Sag Channel, the Des Plaines River downstream of its confluence with the Calumet-Sag Channel, and the Illinois River from the confluence of the Kankakee and Des Plaines rivers to Havana, Illinois. Sufficient data on chemical constituents and physical sediments were obtained to allow the classification of these sediments by currently applicable criteria of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for the identification of hazardous, persistent, and potentially hazardous wastes. By these criteria, the potential dredged materials studied were not hazardous, persistent,more » or potentially hazardous; they are a suitable topsoil/ reclamation medium. A study of problem abandoned surface-mined land sites (problem lands are defined as being acidic and/or sparsely vegetated) along the Illinois River showed that three sites were particularly well suited to the needs of the Corps of Engineers (COE) for a dredged material disposal/reclamation site. Thes sites were a pair of municipally owned sites in Morris, Illinois, and a small corporately owned site east of Ottawa, Illinois, and adjacent to the Illinois River. Other sites were also ranked as to suitability for COE involvement in their reclamation. Reclamation disposal was found to be an economically competitive alternative to near-source confined disposal for Upper Illinois Waterway dredged material.« less

75 FR 64147 - Safety Zone, Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-19

... protect the waterways, waterway users, and vessels from hazards associated with intensive fish sampling... sampling efforts will include the setting of nets throughout this portion of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The purpose of this sampling is to provide essential information in connection with efforts to...

Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Johnston Trails Project in the Downstream Corridor, Saylorville Lake, Polk County, Iowa. Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

located in the region. The Des Moines River and its immediate tributaries deeply incise the till plain, expos- ing the underlying bedrock in many...and Leah D. Rogers 1985 Interlertive Overview of Cultura Resouwves in Say/orvil/e Lake, Iowa, VoL I. Project CAR-627, Cen- ter for Archaeological

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Methods and Data from the Urban Land-Use-Gradient Study, Des Plaines and Fox River Basins, Illinois, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adolphson, Debbie L.; Arnold, Terri L.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Harris, Mitchell A.; Richards, Kevin D.; Scudder, Barbara C.; Stewart, Jana S.

2001-01-01

Physical, chemical, and biological data were collected at 46 sites in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins as part of the upper Illinois River Basin study of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The data, collected from 1999 to 2001, will be used to determine the effects of urbanization on streams in the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area. To examine the possible effects of urbanization on stream-water quality, the sampling sites were selected to represent a gradient of land use changing from agriculture into urban. Urban land use for the selected sites ranged from less than 1 percent urban to 92 percent urban. Data-collection methods are presented in the text portion of this report. Physical characteristics of the stream that were collected include descriptive and qualitative habitat and geomorphic measures. Water samples were analyzed for nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), 11 major ions, 46 wastewater indicators, pH, and specific conductance. Aquatic communities were sampled to identify and quantify populations of selected algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish. There were 72 unique fish species collected at all of the sites. The number of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa collected at all the sites ranged from 15 to 48. The data and the associated data documentation are presented on a CD-ROM included with this report.

State-discharge relations at dams on the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers in Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mades, Dean M.

1981-01-01

Stage-discharge relations were developed for the Brandon Road Dam on the Des Plainse River and the Dresden Island, Marseilles, Starved Rock, Peoria, and La Grange Dams on the Illinois River. At Brandon Road Dam, streamflow is regulated by the operation of tainter gates and headgates. Tainter gates are operated to regulate streamflow at the Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams. Peoria Dam and La Grange Dam comprise timber Chanoine wickets which are lowered to a horizontal position on the streambed when used for streamflow regulation. Both dams have concrete abutments housing butterfly valves that are also used for regulation. A total of 50 discharge measurements ranging from 49.0 to 2,450 cubic meter per second were used to determine discharge coefficients in equations expressing discharge as a function of headwater depth, tailwater depth, and gate opening. A stage-discharge relation for Chanoine wicket dams developed from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydraulic model study in 1937 and 1938 was verified with discharge measurements made downstream from the Peoria and La Grange Dams. (USGS)

Groundwater recharge and chemical evolution in the southern High Plains of Texas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryar, Alan; Mullican, William; Macko, Stephen

2001-11-01

The unconfined High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer is the largest aquifer in the USA and the primary water supply for the semiarid southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico. Analyses of water and soils northeast of Amarillo, Texas, together with data from other regional studies, indicate that processes during recharge control the composition of unconfined groundwater in the northern half of the southern High Plains. Solute and isotopic data are consistent with a sequence of episodic precipitation, concentration of solutes in upland soils by evapotranspiration, runoff, and infiltration beneath playas and ditches (modified locally by return flow of wastewater and irrigation tailwater). Plausible reactions during recharge include oxidation of organic matter, dissolution and exsolution of CO2, dissolution of CaCO3, silicate weathering, and cation exchange. Si and 14C data suggest leakage from perched aquifers to the High Plains aquifer. Plausible mass-balance models for the High Plains aquifer include scenarios of flow with leakage but not reactions, flow with reactions but not leakage, and flow with neither reactions nor leakage. Mechanisms of recharge and chemical evolution delineated in this study agree with those noted for other aquifers in the south-central and southwestern USA. Résumé. L'aquifère libre des Hautes Plaines (Ogallala) est le plus vaste aquifère des états-Unis et la ressource de base pour l'eau potable de la région semi-aride du sud des Hautes Plaines du Texas et du Nouveau-Mexique. Des analyses de l'eau et des sols prélevés au nord-est d'Amarillo (Texas), associées à des données provenant d'autres études dans cette région, indiquent que des processus intervenant au cours de l'infiltration contrôlent la composition de l'eau de la nappe libre dans la moitié septentrionale du sud des Hautes Plaines. Les données chimiques et isotopiques sont compatibles avec une séquence de précipitation épisodique, avec la reconcentration en solutés dans les sols des hautes terres par évapotranspiration, avec le ruissellement et l'infiltration dans les playas et les fossés (modifiée localement par l'écoulement en retour des eaux usées et des laisses d'irrigation). Des réactions probables intervenant au cours de la recharge sont l'oxydation de la matière organique, la dissolution et le dégazage du CO2, la dissolution du CaCO3, l'altération des silicates et l'échange de cations. Les données concernant Si et 14C laissent penser qu'il existe une drainance descendante à partir d'aquifères perchés vers l'aquifère des Hautes Plaines. Des modèles vraisemblables de bilan de matière pour l'aquifère des Hautes Plaines prennent en compte des scénarios d'écoulement avec drainance mais sans réactions, des écoulements avec réactions mais sans drainance et des écoulements sans réactions ni drainance. Les mécanismes de recharge et d'évolution chimique déterminés dans cette étude sont en accord avec ceux mis en évidence dans d'autres aquifères du centre sud et du sud-ouest des états-Unis. Resumen. El acuífero libre de High Plains (Ogallala) es el mayor de los Estados Unidos y supone la fuente principal de abastecimiento en la región semiárida del sur de High Plains (Texas) y de Nuevo México. Los análisis de agua y suelos realizados al nordeste de Amarillo (Texas), junto con los datos de otros estudios regionales, indican que los procesos que tienen lugar durante la recarga del acuífero controlan la composición de las aguas subterráneas en la mitad septentrional de los High Plains del Sur. Los datos isotópicos y hidroquímicos son coherentes con una secuencia de episodios de precipitación, concentración de solutos en la parte superior del suelo por evapotranspiración, escorrentía, e infiltración a través de 'playas' y zanjas (modificadas localmente por los flujos de retorno de aguas residuales y de excedentes de riego).

Sustainable groundwater resources, Heretaunga Plains, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, L. J.; Dravid, P. N.; Hudson, N. A.; Taylor, C. B.

The Heretaunga Plains, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, is underlain by Quaternary fluvial, estuarine-lagoonal, and marine deposits infilling a subsiding syncline. Within the depositional sequence, river-channel gravels form one of the most important aquifer systems in New Zealand. An interconnected unconfined-confined aquifer system contains groundwater recharged from the Ngaruroro River bed at the inland margin of the plain, 20km from the coast. At the coast, gravel aquifers extend to a depth of 250m. In 1994-95, 66Mm3 of high quality groundwater was ed for city and rural water supply, agriculture, industry, and horticulture. Use of groundwater, particularly for irrigation, has increased in the last 5years. Concern as to the sustainability of the groundwater resource led to a research programme (1991-96). This paper presents the results and recommends specific monitoring and research work to refine the groundwater balance, and define and maintain the sustainable yield of the aquifer system. Three critical management factors are identified. These are (1) to ensure maintenance of consistent, unimpeded groundwater recharge from the Ngaruroro River; (2) to specifically monitor groundwater levels and quality at the margins of the aquifer system, where transmissivity is <5000m2/d and summer groundwater levels indicate that ion exceeds recharge; (3) to review groundwater-quality programs to ensure that areas where contamination vulnerability is identified as being highest are covered by regular monitoring. Résumé Les plaines d'Heretaunga, dans la baie d'Hawke (Nouvelle-Zélande), sont occupées par des dépôts quaternaires fluviaux, estuariens lagunaires et marins remplissant un synclinal subsident. Dans cette séquence de dépôts, des graviers de chenaux fluviatiles forment l'un des plus importants systèmes aquifères de Nouvelle-Zélande. Un système aquifère interconnecté libre et captif contient de l'eau souterraine dont la recharge est assurée à partir du lit de la rivière Ngaruroro sur la marge intérieure de la plaine, à 20km de la côte. Sur la côte, les aquifères des graviers existent à 250m de profondeur. En 1994-95, 66hm3 d'eau souterraine d'excellente qualité ont été extraits pour l'eau potable de villes et de villages, pour l'agriculture, pour l'industrie et pour l'horticulture. L'utilisation de l'eau souterraine, en particulier pour l'irrigation, s'est accrue au cours des 5 dernières années. La prise de conscience du développement durable de la ressource en eau souterraine a conduit à un programme de recherche (1991-96). Cet article présente les résultats de ce programme et recommande les contrôles spécifiques et les travaux de recherche pour affiner le bilan d'eau souterraine, et pour définir et maintenir un rendement durable du système aquifère. Trois facteurs de gestion critique ont été identifiés. Ce sont (1) l'assurance de maintenir une recharge de la nappe conséquente et sans entrave à partir de la rivière Ngaruroro, (2) le suivi spécifique des niveaux de la nappe et de la qualité aux marges du système aquifère, où la transmissivité est inférieure à 5000 m2/j et où les niveaux de la nappe en été indiquent que les prélèvements sont supérieurs à la recharge; et (3) le ré-examen des programmes de qualité de l'eau souterraine pour s'assurer que les zones où la vulnérabilité aux contaminations est identifiée comme étant la plus élevée sont couvertes par une surveillance régulière.

Occurrence, distribution, and transport of nutrients in Eastern Iowa Rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becher, Kent D.

2001-01-01

Total nitrogen loads contributed to the Mississippi River from the Eastern Iowa Basins during 1996, 1997, and 1998 were 97,000, 120,000, and 230,000 metric tons respectively. Total phosphorus loads contributed to the Mississippi River from the Eastern Iowa Basins during 1996, 1997, and 1998 were 6,900, 4,600, and 8,800 metric tons, respectively. The highest nitrogen and phosphorus yields typically occurred in streams draining small watersheds that were dominated by a single land use and geology. Sampling sites located in drainage basins with higher row-crop percentage typically had higher nitrogen and phosphorus yields. Sites that were located in the Des Moines Lobe and the Southern Iowa Drift Plain typically had higher phosphorus yields probably due to more erodible soils and steeper slopes.

A Regional Guidebook for Applying the Hydrogeomorphic Approach to Assessing Wetland Functions of Depression Wetlands in the Upper Des Plaines River Basin

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

Wetlands and Coastal Ecology Branch; Dr. David J. Tazik, Chief, Eco- system Evaluation and Engineering Division; and Dr. Edwin A. Theriot, Direc- tor, EL...wetlands (Euliss and Mushet 1996, Azous and Horner 2001, Bhaduri et al. 1997) and nutrient loading into those wetlands. The overall LU score is...Euliss, N. H., and Mushet , D. M. (1996). “Water-level fluctuation in wetlands as a function of landscape condition in the prairie pothole region

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; results of investigations through April 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmidt, Arthur R.; Blanchard, Stephen F.

1997-01-01

A water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin (10,949 square miles) was conducted during water years 1987-91. This assessment involved interpretation of available data; 4 years of intensive data collection, including monthly sample collection at eight fixed-monitoring stations in the basin; and synoptic studies of selected water-quality constituents at many sites. The number of exceedances of water-quality criteria for chromium, copper, lead, mercury, silver, and zinc in water was essentially the same at similar stations between 1978-86 and 1987-90. For water and sediment, a large signature for many trace inorganic constituents was observed from the Chicago metropolitan area, mainly from the Des Plaines River Basin and continuing down the Illinois River. Loads of trace inorganic constituents in water were 2-13 times greater from the Chicago metropolitan area than from rural areas in the upper Illinois River Basin. Concentrations of cadmium, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc appeared to be relatively enriched in biota in the upper Illinois River Basin compared to other river basins. Biota from some urban sites were enriched with respect to several elements. For example, relatively large concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and nickel were observed in biota from sites in the Chicago River in the metropolitan area and the Calumet River. Results of pesticide sampling in 1988 and 1989 identified the pesticides bromacil, diazinon, malathion, prometon, and simazine as urban related and alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, and metribuzin as agricultural related. Phenol concentrations never exceeded general-use and secondary-contact water-quality standards of 100 and 300 micrograms per liter, respectively. Pentachlorophenol concentrations observed at the Illinois River at Marseilles, Ill., between 1981 and 1992 decreased beginning in 1987. A breakdown product of the organochlorine pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), p,p'-DDE was the most commonly detected organic compound in biota in both 1989 and 1990. In the nine fish-fillet samples collected in 1989, exceedances of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) fish tissue concentrations were noted for p,p'-DDE in all nine fillets and for dieldrin in five of the nine fillets. Nutrient concentrations in water in the study area generally were larger than concentrations typically found in natural waters. The Des Plaines River Basin contributed approximately 41 percent of the total nitrogen load to the upper Illinois River Basin, whereas the Kankakee River and Iroquois River Basins contributed about 34 and 14 percent of the total load, respectively. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations measured during a 1988 synoptic sampling exceeded State water-quality standards at 76 percent of the sampled sites. Bacteria densities greater than water-quality standards were observed at all of the fixed-monitoring stations, but densities greater than water-quality criteria and standards were observed more often at stations in the Des Plaines River Basin. Results from the analysis of changes in water quality following changes in wastewater-treatment practices indicated that current monitoring programs, although sufficient for their intended purposes, are not suitable for this type of retrospective assessment in large-scale water-quality assessments. Changes were not indicated in fish-community structure and population following changes in wastewater-treatment practices. A strong relation between the quality of the fish community and overall water-quality conditions was observed, although USEPA acute criteria for the protection of freshwater aquatic life were rarely exceeded. Analyses of fish-community data clearly showed that water quality in the urbanized parts of the study area were degraded relative to those in agricultural areas. Total chromium in streambed sediments and total recoverable sodium in water were highly correlated

29 CFR 1917.3 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

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Causes of sinks near Tucson, Arizona, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, John P.; Pool, Donald R.; Konieczki, A. D.; Carpenter, Michael C.

Land subsidence in the form of sinks has occurred on and near farmlands near Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, USA. The sinks occur in alluvial deposits along the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River, and have made farmlands dangerous and unsuitable for farming. More than 1700 sinks are confined to the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River and are grouped along two north-northwestward-trending bands that are approximately parallel to the river and other flood-plain drainages. An estimated 17,000m3 of sediment have been removed in the formation of the sinks. Thirteen trenches were dug to depths of 4-6m to characterize near-surface sediments in sink and nonsink areas. Sediments below about 2m included a large percentage of dispersive clays in sink areas. Sediments in nonsink areas contain a large component of medium- to coarse-grained, moderately to well sorted sand that probably fills a paleochannel. Electromagnetic surveys support the association of silts and clays in sink areas that are highly electrically conductive relative to sand in nonsink areas. Sinks probably are caused by the near-surface process of subsurface erosion of dispersive sediments along pre-existing cracks in predominantly silt and clay sediments. The pre-existing cracks probably result from desiccation or tension that developed during periods of water-table decline and channel incision during the past 100 years or in earlier periods. Résumé Des effondrements en forme d'entonnoir se sont produits sur et près d'exploitations agricoles de Pima (Arizona). Ces entonnoirs apparaissent dans les alluvions le long de la plaine d'inondation de la rivière Santa Cruz ; ils ont rendu ces terrains dangereux et inexploitables pour l'agriculture. Plus de 1700 entonnoirs existent dans la plaine d'inondation de la rivière Santa Cruz et sont groupés en deux bandes orientées nord-nord-ouest, approximativement parallèles à la rivière et aux autres chenaux de la plaine d'inondation. Un volume de sédiments estiméà 17,000m3 a été entraîné lors de la formation de ces entonnoirs. Treize tranchées ont été creusées à des profondeurs de 4 à 6m afin de caractériser les sédiments proches de la surface dans les zones avec et sans entonnoirs. Les sédiments situés à 2m environ sous la surface contiennent un fort pourcentage d'argile dispersée, dans les zones à entonnoirs. Dans les zones sans entonnoirs, la granulométrie des sédiments est constituée en fortes proportions de sables moyens à grossiers, moyennement à bien lités, qui remplissent probablement un ancien chenal. Des levés électromagnétiques montrent que l'association de silts et d'argiles dans les zones à entonnoirs possède une forte conductivitéélectrique, par comparaison avec les sables des zones sans entonnoirs. Les entonnoirs sont dus probablement à des processus, proches de la surface, d'érosion souterraine des sédiments constitués surtout de silts et d'argiles. Les fractures préexistantes résultent sans doute de la dessiccation ou de la tension se produisant lors des périodes d'abaissement de la nappe, liéà l'enfoncement du lit de la rivière au cours des cent dernières années ou même avant.1 Resumen Se ha detectado la formación de dolinas como resultado de la subsidencia que ha tenido lugar en las zonas agrícolas Condado de Pima, Arizona, EEUU. Estos colapsos han aparecido en depósitos aluviales a lo largo de la llanura de inundación del Río Santa Cruz y han hecho que las zonas agrícolas sean peligrosas e inadecuadas para su uso. Las más de 1700 dolinas aparecidas se agrupan a lo largo de dos bandas con dirección nor-noroeste, paralelas al río y a otros ejes de drenaje del llano. Se ha estimado un desplazamiento de 17.000metros cúbicos de sedimentos para formar estas dolinas. Se excavaron trece zanjas de entre 4 y 6metros para caracterizar los sedimentos más superficiales tanto en áreas colapsadas como no colapsadas. Por debajo de los dos metros de profundidad, los sedimentos presentan altos porcentajes de arcillas dispersivas en las zonas de dolinas. En las zonas en que no se han producido colapsos, se aprecian altos contenidos de arena de grano entre mediano y grueso, con una granulometría entre moderada y bastante uniforme, que probablemente rellenan un paleocanal. Las campañas electromagnéticas confirman la asociación entre los materiales arcillosos, eléctricamente conductivos, y la presencia de dolinas, mientras que los materiales arenosos, menos conductivos eléctricamente, se asocian a las zonas no colapsadas. Las dolinas se deben probablemente a procesos de erosión subsuperficial de los sedimentos arcillosos a lo largo de fracturas preexistentes. Estas fracturas se produjeron probablemente como resultado de la desecación del suelo en los periodos de descenso del nivel freático, en los últimos cien años.

Ground-water conditions in the Plaine de Moustiques, Haiti

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, George C.; Lemoine, Rémy C.

1949-01-01

The Plaine des Moustiques lies on the north coast of Haiti about 12 kilometers west-southwest of Port-de-Paix. During January 1949 the writers made a brief geologic study to determine the availability of ground water in the plain for irrigation. At present irrigation is practiced by diversions from the Rivière des Moustiques. However, the dry-season flow of this stream is generally inadequate for irrigation or is sufficient to cover only a small part of the Irrigable area of the plain. According to Lieurance1 there is a total of about 1,120 hectares of irrigable land in the plain.

Control-structure ratings on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lockport, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Straub, Timothy D.; Johnson, Kevin K.; Hortness, Jon E.; Duncker, James J.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago regulate flows through control structures along the Lake Michigan lakefront and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) for Lake Michigan diversion accounting, flood control, sanitary, and navigation purposes. This report documents the measurement and computation of flow through the Lockport Controlling Works (LCW) and the Lockport Powerhouse. This analysis aided in evaluation of the ratings at both structures, and the development of new ratings at the controlling works. The LCW structure consists of seven 30-feet (ft) wide sluice gates and is used to divert water from the CSSC and into the Des Plaines River. The flow regimes for the sluice gate included both free and submerged weir. Forty and 491 flow values from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations were used to develop equations describing free- and submerged-weir flow, respectively, through the sluice gates. The equations were developed for canal headwater elevations ranging from -7.0 to -10.5 ft Chicago City Datum (CCD), and tailwater (Des Plaines River at Lockport) to headwater (CSSC-LCW-Base) ratios ranging from 0.31 to 0.66. The Lockport Powerhouse structure consists of nine 9-ft wide by 14-ft high sluice gates and two 10-ft diameter turbines. Both tailwater and no-tailwater effect flow regimes occurred during nine measurements. Also, the canal headwater elevations ranged from -2.74 to -8.45 ft CCD, and the gates were configured six different ways during the measurements.

Estimation of groundwater recharge using the chloride mass-balance method, Pingtung Plain, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ting, Cheh-Shyh; Kerh, Tienfuan; Liao, Chiu-Jung

Due to rapid economic growth in the Pingtung Plain of Taiwan, the use of groundwater resources has changed dramatically. Over-pumping of the groundwater reservoir, which lowers hydraulic heads in the aquifers, is not only affecting the coastal area negatively but has serious consequences for agriculture throughout the plain. In order to determine the safe yield of the aquifer underlying the plain, a reliable estimate of groundwater recharge is desirable. In the present study, for the first time, the chloride mass-balance method is adopted to estimate groundwater recharge in the plain. Four sites in the central part were chosen to facilitate the estimations using the ion-chromatograph and Thiessen polygon-weighting methods. Based on the measured and calculated results, in all sites, including the mountain and river boundaries, recharge to the groundwater is probably 15% of the annual rainfall, excluding recharge from additional irrigation water. This information can improve the accuracy of future groundwater-simulation and management models in the plain. Résumé Du fait de la croissance économique rapide de la plaine de Pingtung à Taiwan, l'utilisation des ressources en eau souterraine s'est considérablement modifié. La surexploitation des aquifères, qui a abaissé le niveau des nappes, n'affecte pas seulement la région côtière, mais a de sérieuses répercutions sur l'agriculture dans toute la plaine. Afin de déterminer les ressources renouvelables de l'aquifère sous la plaine, une estimation précise de la recharge de la nappe est nécessaire. Dans cette étude, le taux de recharge de la nappe a d'abord été estimé au moyen d'un bilan de matière de chlorure. Quatre sites de la partie centrale ont été sélectionnés pour réaliser ces estimations, à l'aide d'un chromatographe ionique et de la méthode des polygones de Thiessen. A partir des résultats mesurés et calculés, à chaque site, et en prenant comme limites les montagnes et les rivières, la recharge de la nappe a étéévaluée à environ 15% des précipitations annuelles, sans tenir compte de la recharge par le retour d'irrigation. Ce résultat doit permettre de tester la précision de la simulation de nappe qui va être faite, ainsi que les modèles de gestion de la plaine. Resumen Debido al rápido crecimiento económico de la zona de la Llanura de Pingtung, Taiwan, el uso de los recursos de agua subterránea ha cambiado radicalmente. La sobreexplotación, con el consiguiente descenso de los niveles piezométricos en los acuíferos, no sólo afecta las áreas costeras, sino que está teniendo consecuencias importantes para la agricultura de la zona. Para determinar la extracción sostenible en el acuífero, es deseable una buena estimación de la recarga. En este estudio se adopta por primera vez el método de balance de cloruros para estimar la recarga en el llano. Se seleccionaron cuatro puntos en la parte central para facilitar las estimaciones mediante los métodos de cromatógrafo iónico y de polígonos de Thiessen. A partir de los resultados medidos y calculados en toda la zona, e incluyendo los contornos de montañas y ríos, la recarga subterránea es de cerca del 15% de la precipitación anual, excluyendo la recarga que se produce por riego adicional. Este dato permitirá mejorar la precisión de los modelos de simulación de flujo y de gestión que se realizarán en el futuro.

Techniques for computing discharge at four Navigation Dams on the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers in Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mades, Dean M.; Weiss, Linda S.; Gray, John R.

1991-01-01

Techniques for computing discharge are developed for Brandon Road Dam on the Des Plaines River and for Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams on the Illinois River. At Brandon Road Dam, streamflow is regulated by the operation of Tainter gates and headgates. At Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams, only Tainter gates are operated to regulate streamflow. The locks at all dams are equipped with culvert valves that are used to fill and empty the lock. The techniques facilitate determination of discharge at locations along the upper Illinois Waterway where no streamflow-gaging stations exist. The techniques are also useful for computing low flows when the water-surface slope between control structures on the river approaches zero and traditional methods of determining discharge based on slope are unsatisfactory. Two techniques can be used to compute discharge at the dams--gate ratings and tailwater ratings . A gate ratingdescribes the relation between discharge, gate opening, tailwater stage, and headwater stage. A tailwater rating describes the relation between tailwater stage and discharge. Gate ratings for Tainter gates at Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams are based on a total of 78 measurements of discharge that range from 569 to 86,400 cubic feet per second. Flood hydrographs developed from the gate ratings and Lockmaster records of gate opening and stage compare closely with streamflow records published for nearby streamflow-gaging stations. Additional measurements are needed to verify gate ratings for Tainter gates and headgates at Brandon Road Dam after the dam rehabilitation is completed. Extensive leakage past deteriorated headgates and sluice gates contributed to uncertainty in the ratings developed for this dam. A useful tailwater rating is developed for Marseilles Dam. Tailwater ratings for Dresden Island Dam and Starved Rock Dam are of limited use because of varying downstream channel-storage conditions. A tailwater rating could not be developed for Brandon Road Dam because its tailwater pool is substantially affected by the headwater pool of Dresden Island Dam.

Water quality assessment of the Eastern Iowa Basins: Basic water chemistry of rivers and streams, 1996-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnes, Kimberlee K.

2001-01-01

Basic water-quality differences related to physiographic differences and seasonality were evident in streams and rivers in the Eastern Iowa Basins. Of the three major landforms, water samples from sites within the Des Moines Lobe, the youngest landform in the study area, had significantly higher median concentrations of calcium (85 mg/L), magnesium (28 mg/L), sulfate (28 mg/L), fluoride (0.31 mg/L), and silica (16 mg/L). The Des Moines Lobe region is calcium magnesium bicarbonate-rich due to the Paleozoic source rocks (limestones and shales) in the bedrock. Water samples from sites within the Southern Iowa Drift Plain had higher median concentrations of sodium (12 mg/L), potassium (3.2 mg/L), and chloride (21 mg/L). Concentrations also varied according to the time of year. Grouping the data into four seasonal periods, water samples collected during the months of October, November, and December, had higher median concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and chloride, then samples collected during other quarters of the year. Water quality in the streams during this low-flow period (October through December) is representative of that in the contributing aquifers.

Geologic map and profile of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Eden, Murtaugh, Milner Butte, and Milner quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1990-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but us deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the  eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon intersects the Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges form the northern canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing and altitude. Geologic controls on wprings are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of the several that describes the geologic occurrence of the springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyone from Milner Dam to King Hill. 

Extension spatiale de la salinisation des ressources en eau et modèle conceptuel des sources salées dans la plaine des Triffa (Maroc nord-oriental)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boughriba, Mimoun; Melloul, Abderrahmane; Zarhloule, Yassine; Ouardi, Abdelillah

2006-09-01

The succession of drought years and excessive abstraction in the plain of Triffa caused deterioration in water quality and endangers future exploitation of groundwater resources. A combination of geophysical surveys, including electrical resistivity and hydrochemical data has been used to identify the geographical extension of salinization and identify its origin. Electrical conductivity measurements are used to show the history of salinization in space and time. In this paper, a first conceptual model of the brackish springs has been established. To cite this article: M. Boughriba et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Pasadena Valley and Ticeska quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1990-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snaked River underlies the most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic ricks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but is deeper than 1,000 ft in few areas. The Snake River had excavated a canyon into the nearly flat-lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon intersects the Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges from the north canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill. To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Dam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Water resources of the Yellow Medicine River Watershed, Southwestern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Novitzki, R.P.; Van Voast, Wayne A.; Jerabek, L.A.

1969-01-01

The Yellow Medicine and Minnesota Rivers are the major sources of surface water. For physiographic regions – Upland Plain, Slope, Lowland Plain, and Minnesota River Flood Plain – influence surface drainage, and the flow of ground water through the aquifers. The watershed comprises 1070 square miles, including the drainage basin of the Yellow Medicine River (665 square miles) and 405 square miles drained by small streams tributary to the Minnesota River.

A review of crust and upper mantle structure studies of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system: A major lithospheric anomaly in the western U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iyer, H.M.

1984-01-01

The Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system is one of the largest, basaltic, volcanic field in the world. Here, there is clear evidence for northeasterly progression of rhyolitic volcanism with its present position in Yellowstone. Many theories have been advanced for the origin of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone system. Yellowstone and Eastern Snake River Plain have been studied intensively using various geophysical techniques. Some sparse geophysical data are available for the Western Snake River Plain as well. Teleseismic data show the presence of a large anomalous body with low P- and S-wave velocities in the crust and upper mantle under the Yellowstone caldera. A similar body in which compressional wave velocity is lower than in the surrounding rock is present under the Eastern Snake River Plain. No data on upper mantle anomalies are available for the Western Snake River Plain. Detailed seismic refraction data for the Eastern Snake River Plain show strong lateral heterogeneities and suggest thinning of the granitic crust from below by mafic intrusion. Available data for the Western Snake River Plain also show similar thinning of the upper crust and its replacement by mafic material. The seismic refraction results in Yellowstone show no evidence of the low-velocity anomalies in the lower crust suggested by teleseismic P-delay data and interpreted as due to extensive partial melting. However, the seismic refraction models indicate lower-than-normal velocities and strong lateral inhomogeneities in the upper crust. Particularly obvious in the refraction data are two regions of very low seismic velocities near the Mallard Eake and Sour Creek resurgent domes in the Yellowstone caldera. The low-velocity body near the Sour Creek resurgent dome is intepreted as partially molten rock. Together with other geophysical and thermal data, the seismic results indicate that a sub-lithospheric thermal anomaly is responsible for the time-progressive volcanism along the Eastern Snake River Plain. However, the exact mechanism responsible for the volcanism and details of magma storage and migration are not yet fully understood. ?? 1984.

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Thousand Springs and Niagara quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1991-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snake River underlies most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic rocks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface but is deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges from the northern canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along the describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill. To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Sam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Characterization of geomorphic units in the alluvial valleys and channels of Gulf Coastal Plain rivers in Texas, with examples from the Brazos, Sabine, and Trinity Rivers, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coffman, David K.; Malstaff, Greg; Heitmuller, Franklin T.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, described and characterized examples of geomorphic units within the channels and alluvial valleys of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers using a geomorphic unit classification scale that differentiates geomorphic units on the basis of their location either outside or inside the river channel. The geomorphic properties of a river system determine the distribution and type of potential habitat both within and adjacent to the channel. This report characterizes the geomorphic units contained in the river channels and alluvial valleys of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers in the context of the River Styles framework. This report is intended to help Texas Instream Flow Program practitioners, river managers, ecologists and biologists, and others interested in the geomorphology and the physical processes of the rivers of the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain (1) gain insights into how geomorphic units develop and adjust spatially and temporally, and (2) be able to recognize common geomorphic units from the examples cataloged in this report. Recent aerial imagery (high-resolution digital orthoimagery) collected in 2008 and 2009 were inspected by using geographic information system software to identify representative examples of the types of geomorphic units that occurred in the study area. Geomorphic units outside the channels of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers are called \\"valley geomorphic units\\" in this report. Valley geomorphic units for the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers described in this report are terraces, flood plains, crevasses and crevasse splays, flood-plain depressions, tie channels, tributaries, paleochannels, anabranches, distributaries, natural levees, neck cutoffs, oxbow lakes, and constructed channels. Channel geomorphic units occur in the river channel and are subject to frequent stresses associated with flowing water and sediment transport; they adjust (change) relatively quickly in response to short-term variations in flow. Channel geomorphic units described in this report are channel banks, benches and ledges, bank failures, point bars, cross-bar channels, channel bars, exposed bedrock, pools, runs, and crossovers.

Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, Republican River Basin in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, 2002 to 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, V.L.

2016-12-29

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. More than 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer is used for irrigation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area (about 1950). The Republican River Basin is 15.9 million acres (about 25,000 square miles) and is located in northeast Colorado, northern Kansas, and southwest Nebraska. The Republican River Basin overlies the High Plains aquifer for 87 percent of the basin area. Water-level declines had begun in parts of the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin by 1964. In 2002, management practices were enacted in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District in Nebraska to comply with the Republican River Compact Final Settlement. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Middle Republican Natural Resources District, completed a study of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin from 2002 to 2015 to enable the Middle Republican Natural Resources District to assess the effect of the management practices, which were specified by the Republican River Compact Final Settlement. Water-level changes determined from this study are presented in this report.Water-level changes from 2002 to 2015 in the High Plains aquifer within the Republican River Basin, by well, ranged from a rise of 9.4 feet to a decline of 43.2 feet. The area-weighted, average water-level change from 2002 to 2015 in this part of the aquifer was a decline of 4.5 feet.

Volcanism of the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: A comparative planetary geology-guidebook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, R.; King, J. S.

1977-01-01

The Planetary Geology Field Conference on the central Snake River Plain was conceived and developed to accomplish several objectives. Primarily, field conferences are sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to draw attention to aspects of terrestrial geology that appear to be important in interpreting the origin and evolution of extraterrestrial planetary surfaces. Another aspect is to present results of recent research in a region. A final objective of this conference is to bring together investigators of diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in the Snake River Plain. The Snake River Plain appears to be similar in surface morphology to many volcanic regions on the Moon, Mars, and possibly Mercury. Therefore, the Snake River Plain, in combination with the relatively good state of preservation, the lack of forests or other heavy vegetation, and the good network of jeep trails, is an area nearly ideal for analog studies.

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Bliss, Hagerman, and Tuttle quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1990-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snake River underlies most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic rocks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but is deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat-lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill (fig. 1). To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Dam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Fluvial terraces of the Little River Valley, Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina

Treesearch

Bradley Suther; David Leigh; George Brook

2011-01-01

An optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon chronology is presented for fluvial terraces of the Little River, a tributary to the Cape Fear River that drains 880 km2 of the Sandhills Province of the upper Coastal Plain of North Carolina. This study differs from previous work in the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain in that numerical age estimates are...

Summary of the Snake River plain Regional Aquifer-System Analysis in Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, G.F.

1993-01-01

The 15,600 sq mi Snake River Plain in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon was studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis program. Quaternary basalt of the Snake River Group underlies most of the 10,800 square mile eastern plain and constitutes the most productive aquifers. Transmissivity of the upper 200 feet of the basalt aquifer commonly ranges from 100,000 to 1,000,000 square feet per day. Vertical hydraulic conductivity is several orders of magnitude lower than horizontal hydraulic conductivity and is related to the degree of jointing. Alluvial sand and gravel in the Boise River valley constitutes the most productive aquifers in the 4,800 square mile western plain. Along much of its length, the Snake River gains groundwater. Between Milner and King Hill, the river gained 4.7 million acre-ft in 1980, most as spring flow from the north side. The chemical composition of groundwater in the plain is essentially the same as that in streams and ground- water from tributary drainage basins. The use of surface water for irrigation for 100 years has caused major changes in the hydrologic system on the plain. During that time, recharge on the main part of the eastern plain increased about 70 percent, discharge about 80 percent. In 1980, about 8.9 million acre-ft of Snake River water was diverted and 2.3 million acre-ft of groundwater was pumped from 5,300 wells for irrigation.

Accounting for Consumptive Use of Lower Colorado River Water in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.; Wilson, Richard P.

1994-01-01

In the Colorado River valley between the east end of Lake Mead and the international boundary with Mexico (see figure), the river is the principal source of water for agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power generation, and recreational purposes. Water is stored in surface reservoirs and in the river aquifer---permeable sediments and sedimentary rocks that fill the lower Colorado River valley and adjacent tributary valleys. The hydraulic connection between the river and the river aquifer, overbank flow prior to building of the dams, and infiltration as the reservoirs filled allowed the sediments and sedimentary rocks to become saturated with water from the river. Ratios of isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water from wells indicate that most of the water in the river aquifer beneath the flood plain and in many places beneath the adjacent alluvial slopes originated from the river. The water table in the river aquifer extends from the river, beneath the flood plain, and under the alluvial slopes until it intersects bedrock. Precipitation in the surrounding mountains and inflow from tributary valleys also contribute small quantities of water to the river aquifer. Consumptive use of river water in the valley results from evapotranspiration by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain, pumpage from wells to meet domestic and municipal needs, and pumpage from the river for export to areas in California, Arizona, and Nevada outside of the river valley. Most crops are grown on the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the adjacent terraces has been cultivated. Crops were grown on about 70 percent of the total vegetated area in 1984. Phreatophytes---natural vegetation that obtains water from the river aquifer---covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped directly from the river and reservoirs. Most of the water used for domestic and municipal purposes is pumped from wells on the flood plain, on adjacent alluvial slopes, and in tributary valleys. River water also is delivered to Mexico in accordance with an international treaty.

Subsurface information from eight wells drilled at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, southeastern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goldstein, F.J.; Weight, W.D.

1982-01-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) covers about 890 square miles of the eastern Snake River Plain, in southeastern Idaho. The eastern Snake River Plain is a structural basin which has been filled with thin basaltic lava flows, rhyolitic deposits, and interbedded sediments. These rocks form an extensive ground-water reservoir known as the Snake River Plain aquifer. Six wells were drilled and two existing wells were deepened at the INEL from 1969 through 1974. Interpretation of data from the drilling program confirms that the subsurface is dominated by basalt flows interbedded with layers of sediment, cinders, and silicic volcanic rocks. Water levels in the wells show cyclic seasonal fluctuations of maximum water levels in winter and minimum water levels in mid-summer. Water levels in three wells near the Big Lost River respond to changes in recharge to the Snake River Plain aquifer from the Big Lost River. Measured water levels in multiple piezometers in one well indicate increasing pressure heads with depth. A marked decline in water levels in the wells since 1977 is attributed to a lack of recharge to the Snake River Plain aquifer.

Flood plain and channel dynamics of the Quinault and Queets Rivers, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connor, J. E.; Jones, M.A.; Haluska, T.L.

2003-01-01

Observations from this study and previous studies on the Queets River show that channel and flood-plain dynamics and morphology are affected by interactions between flow, sediment, and standing and entrained wood, some of which likely involve time frames similar to 200–500-year flood-plain half-lives. On the upper Quinault River and Queets River, log jams promote bar growth and consequent channel shifting, short-distance avulsions, and meander cutoffs, resulting in mobile and wide active channels. On the lower Quinault River, large portions of the channel are stable and flow within vegetated flood plains. However, locally, channel-spanning log jams have caused channel avulsions within reaches that have been subsequently mobile for several decades. In all three reaches, log jams appear to be areas of conifer germination and growth that may later further influence channel and flood-plain conditions on long time scales by forming flood-plain areas resistant to channel migration and by providing key members of future log jams. Appreciation of these processes and dynamics and associated temporal and spatial scales is necessary to formulate effective long-term approaches to managing fluvial ecosystems in forested environments.

Savannah River Region: Transition between the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains. Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zullo, V.A.; Harris, W.B.; Price, V.

1990-12-31

The focus of the this conference of Coastal Plains geologists was on the Savannah River region of Georgia and South Carolina, and particularly on the geology of the US Department of Energy`s 300 square mile Savannah River Site (SRS) in western South Carolina. Current geological studies indicate that the Mesozoic-Cenozoic section in the Savannah River region is transitional between that of the Gulf Coastal Plain to the southwest and that of the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the northeast. With the transitional aspect of the region as its theme, the first session was devoted to overviews of Cretaceous and Paleogene geologymore » in the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains. Succeeding presentations and resulting discussions dealt with more specific problems in structural, lithostratigraphic, hydrological, biostratigraphic, and cyclostratigraphic analysis, and of correlation to standard stratigraphic frameworks. For these conference proceedings, individual papers have been processed separately for the Energy Data Base.« less

River flood plains: Some observations on their formation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolman, M. Gordon; Leopold, Luna Bergere

1957-01-01

On many small rivers and most great rivers, the flood plain consists of channel and overbank deposits. The proportion of the latter is generally very small.Frequency studies indicate that the flood plains of many streams of different sizes flowing in diverse physiographic and climatic regions are subject to flooding about once a year.The uniform frequency of flooding of the flood-plain surface and the small amount of deposition observed in great floods (average 0.07 foot) support the conclusion that overbank deposition contributes only a minor part of the material constituting the flood plain. The relatively high velocities (1 to 4 fps) which can occur in overbank flows and the reduction in sediment concentration which often accompanies large floods may also help account for this. Although lateral migration of channels is important in controlling the elevation of the flood plain, rates of migration are extremely variable and alone cannot account for the uniform relation the flood-plain surface bears to the channel.Detailed studies of flood plains in Maryland and in North Carolina indicate that it is difficult to differentiate between channel and overbank deposits in a stratigraphic section alone.Because deposition on the flood plain does not continue indefinitely, the flood-plain surface can only be transformed into a terrace surface by some tectonic or climatic change which alters the regimen of the river and causes it to entrench itself below its established bed and associated flood plain. A terrace, then, is distinguished from a flood plain by the frequency with which each is overflowed.

The Upper Mississippi River System—Topobathy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Jayme M.; Hanson, Jenny L.; Sattler, Stephanie R.

2017-03-23

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), the navigable part of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, is a diverse ecosystem that contains river channels, tributaries, shallow-water wetlands, backwater lakes, and flood-plain forests. Approximately 10,000 years of geologic and hydrographic history exist within the UMRS. Because it maintains crucial wildlife and fish habitats, the dynamic ecosystems of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and its tributaries are contingent on the adjacent flood plains and water-level fluctuations of the Mississippi River. Separate data for flood-plain elevation (lidar) and riverbed elevation (bathymetry) were collected on the UMRS by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program. Using the two elevation datasets, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) developed a systemic topobathy dataset.

Water-quality sampling plan for evaluating the distribution of bigheaded carps in the Illinois Waterway

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncker, James J.; Terrio, Paul J.

2017-02-27

The two nonnative invasive bigheaded carp species (bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp H. molitrix) that were accidentally released in the 1970s have spread widely into the rivers and waterways of the Mississippi River Basin. First detected in the lower reaches of the Illinois Waterway (IWW, the combined Illinois River-Des Plaines River-Chicago Area Waterway System) in the 1990s, bighead and silver carps moved quickly upstream, approaching the Chicago Area Waterway System. The potential of substantial negative ecological and economic impact to the Great Lakes from the presence of these species is a concern. However, since 2006, the population front of bigheaded carps has remained in the vicinity of Joliet, Illinois, near river mile 278. This reach of the IWW is characterized by stark changes in habitat, water quality, and food resources as the waterway transitions from a primarily agricultural landscape to a metropolitan and industrial canal system. This report describes a 2015 plan for sampling the IWW to establish water-quality conditions that might be contributing to the apparent stalling of the population front of bigheaded carps in this reach. A detailed description of the study plan, Lagrangian-style sampling approach, selected analytes, sampling methods and protocols are provided. Hydrographs from streamflow-gaging stations show IWW conditions during the 2015 sampling runs.

Determination of the 100-year flood plain on Upper Three Runs and selected tributaries, and the Savannah River at the Savannah River site, South Carolina, 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanier, T.H.

1996-01-01

The 100-year flood plain was determined for Upper Three Runs, its tributaries, and the part of the Savannah River that borders the Savannah River Site. The results are provided in tabular and graphical formats. The 100-year flood-plain maps and flood profiles provide water-resource managers of the Savannah River Site with a technical basis for making flood-plain management decisions that could minimize future flood problems and provide a basis for designing and constructing drainage structures along roadways. A hydrologic analysis was made to estimate the 100-year recurrence- interval flow for Upper Three Runs and its tributaries. The analysis showed that the well-drained, sandy soils in the head waters of Upper Three Runs reduce the high flows in the stream; therefore, the South Carolina upper Coastal Plain regional-rural-regression equation does not apply for Upper Three Runs. Conse- quently, a relation was established for 100-year recurrence-interval flow and drainage area using streamflow data from U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations on Upper Three Runs. This relation was used to compute 100-year recurrence-interval flows at selected points along the stream. The regional regression equations were applicable for the tributaries to Upper Three Runs, because the soil types in the drainage basins of the tributaries resemble those normally occurring in upper Coastal Plain basins. This was verified by analysis of the flood-frequency data collected from U.S. Geological Survey gaging station 02197342 on Fourmile Branch. Cross sections were surveyed throughout each reach, and other pertinent data such as flow resistance and land-use were col- lected. The surveyed cross sections and computed 100-year recurrence-interval flows were used in a step-backwater model to compute the 100-year flood profile for Upper Three Runs and its tributaries. The profiles were used to delineate the 100-year flood plain on topographic maps. The Savannah River forms the southwestern border of the Savannah River Site. Data from previously published reports were used to delineate the 100-year flood plain for the Savannah River from the downstream site boundary at the mouth of Lower Three Runs at river mile 125 to the upstream site boundary at river mile 163.

The geologic story of the Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trimble, Donald E.

1980-01-01

For more than half a century after Lewis and Clark crossed the country in 1805-6, the Great Plains was the testing ground of frontier America here America grew to maturity (fig. 1). In 1805-7, explorer Zebulon Pike crossed the southcentral Great Plains, following the Arkansas River from near Great Bend, Kans., to the Rocky Mountains. In later years, Santa Fe traders, lured by the wealth of New Mexican trade, followed Pike's path as far as Bents Fort, Colo., where they turned southwestward away from the river route. Those pioneers who later crossed the plains on the Oregon Trail reached the Platte River near the place that would become Kearney, Nebr., by a nearly direct route from Independence, Mo., and followed the Platte across the central part of the Great Plains.

Meandering down to the Sea: The Wandering Ways of Rivers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslamazov, Lev

1992-01-01

Discusses the hydrodynamic reasons why a riverbed meanders through a plain. Describes how water movement at a bend in a river causes erosion and changes in the riverbed. Provides a mathematical model to explain the periodic shape of meanders of a river in a plain. (MDH)

Hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected radiochemical and chemical constituents in water, Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, 1989 through 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bartholomay, R.C.; Orr, B.R.; Liszewski, M.J.

Radiochemical and chemical wastewater discharged since 1952 to infiltration ponds and disposal wells at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has affected water quality in the Snake River Plain aquifer. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains a continuous monitoring network at the INEL to determine hydrologic trends and to delineate the movement of radiochemical and chemical wastes in the aquifer. This report presents an analysis of water-level and water-quality data collected from the Snake River Plain aquifer during 1989-91. Water in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer moves principally through fractures and interflowmore » zones in basalt, generally flows southwestward, and eventually discharges at springs along the Snake River. The aquifer is recharged principally from irrigation water, infiltration of streamflow, and ground-water inflow from adjoining mountain drainage basins. Water levels in wells throughout the INEL generally declined during 1989-91 due to drought. Detectable concentrations of radiochemical constituents in water samples from wells in the Snake River Plain aquifer at the INEL decreased or remained constant during 1989-91. Decreased concentrations are attributed to reduced rates of radioactive-waste disposal, sorption processes, radioactive decay, and changes in waste-disposal practices. Detectable concentrations of chemical constituents in water from the Snake River Plain aquifer at the INEL were variable during 1989-91. Sodium and chloride concentrations in the southern part of the INEL increased slightly during 1989-91 because of increased waste-disposal rates and a lack of recharge from the Big Lost River. Plumes of 1,1,1-trichloroethane have developed near the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant and the Radioactive Waste Management Complex as a result of waste disposal practices.« less

Regional implications of heat flow of the Snake River Plain, Northwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackwell, D. D.

1989-08-01

The Snake River Plain is a major topographic feature of the Northwestern United States. It marks the track of an upper mantle and crustal melting event that propagated across the area from southwest to northeast at a velocity of about 3.5 cm/yr. The melting event has the same energetics as a large oceanic hotspot or plume and so the area is the continental analog of an oceanic hotspot track such as the Hawaiian Island-Emperor Seamount chain. Thus, the unique features of the area reflect the response of a continental lithosphere to a very energetic hotspot. The crust is extensively modified by basalt magma emplacement into the crust and by the resulting massive rhyolite volcanism from melted crustal material, presently occurring at Yellowstone National Park. The volcanism is associated with little crustal extension. Heat flow values are high along the margins of the Eastern and Western Snake River Plains and there is abundant evidence for low-grade geothermal resources associated with regional groundwater systems. The regional heat flow pattern in the Western Snake River Plains reflects the influence of crustal-scale thermal refraction associated with the large sedimentary basin that has formed there. Heat flow values in shallow holes in the Eastern Snake River Plains are low due to the Snake River Plains aquifer, an extensive basalt aquifer where water flow rates approach 1 km/yr. Below the aquifer, conductive heat flow values are about 100 mW m -2. Deep holes in the region suggest a systematic eastward increase in heat flow in the Snake River Plains from about 75-90 mW m -2 to 90-110 mW m -2. Temperatures in the upper crust do not behave similarly because the thermal conductivity of the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary rocks in the west is lower than that in the volcanic rocks characteristic of the Eastern Snake River Plains. Extremely high heat loss values (averaging 2500 mW m -2) and upper crustal temperatures are characteristic of the Yellowstone caldera.

Study on the water resources optimal operation based on riverbed wind erosion control in West Liaohe River plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanguang, Sun; Chengzhen, Li; Baoshan, Fan

2018-06-01

Rivers are drying up most frequently in West Liaohe River plain and the bare river beds present fine sand belts on land. These sand belts, which yield a dust heavily in windy days, stress the local environment deeply as the riverbeds are eroded by wind. The optimal operation of water resources, thus, is one of the most important methods for preventing the wind erosion of riverbeds. In this paper, optimal operation model for water resources based on riverbed wind erosion control has been established, which contains objective function, constraints, and solution method. The objective function considers factors which include water volume diverted into reservoirs, river length and lower threshold of flow rate, etc. On the basis of ensuring the water requirement of each reservoir, the destruction of the vegetation in the riverbed by the frequent river flow is avoided. The multi core parallel solving method for optimal water resources operation in the West Liaohe River Plain is proposed, which the optimal solution is found by DPSA method under the POA framework and the parallel computing program is designed in Fork/Join mode. Based on the optimal operation results, the basic rules of water resources operation in the West Liaohe River Plain are summarized. Calculation results show that, on the basis of meeting the requirement of water volume of every reservoir, the frequency of reach river flow which from Taihekou to Talagan Water Diversion Project in the Xinkai River is reduced effectively. The speedup and parallel efficiency of parallel algorithm are 1.51 and 0.76 respectively, and the computing time is significantly decreased. The research results show in this paper can provide technical support for the prevention and control of riverbed wind erosion in the West Liaohe River plain.

The Effects of the Saluda Dam on the Surface-Water and Ground-Water Hydrology of the Congaree National Park Flood Plain, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conrads, Paul; Feaster, Toby D.; Harrelson, Larry G.

2008-01-01

The Congaree National Park was established '... to preserve and protect for the education, inspiration, and enjoyment of present and future generations an outstanding example of a near-virgin, southern hardwood forest situated in the Congaree River flood plain in Richland County, South Carolina' (Public Law 94-545). The resource managers at Congaree National Park are concerned about the timing, frequency, magnitude, and duration of flood-plain inundation of the Congaree River. The dynamics of the Congaree River directly affect ground-water levels in the flood plain, and the delivery of sediments and nutrients is constrained by the duration, extent, and frequency of flooding from the Congaree River. The Congaree River is the southern boundary of the Congaree National Park and is formed by the convergence of the Saluda and Broad Rivers 24 river miles upstream from the park. The streamflow of the Saluda River has been regulated since 1929 by the operation of the Saluda Dam at Lake Murray. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, Congaree National Park, studied the interaction between surface water in the Congaree River and ground water in the flood plain to determine the effect Saluda Dam operations have on water levels in the Congaree National Park flood plain. Analysis of peak flows showed the reduction in peak flows after the construction of Lake Murray was more a result of climate variability and the absence of large floods after 1930 than the operation of the Lake Murray dam. Dam operations reduced the recurrence interval of the 2-year to 100-year peak flows by 6.1 to 17.6 percent, respectively. Analysis of the daily gage height of the Congaree River showed that the dam has had the effect of lowering high gage heights (95th percentile) in the first half of the year (December to May) and raising low gage heights (5th percentile) in the second half of the year (June to November). The dam has also had the effect of increasing the 1-, 3-, 7-, 30-, and 90-day minimum gage heights by as much as 23.9 percent and decreasing the 1-, 3-, 7-, 30-, and 90-day maximum gage heights by as much as 7.2 percent. Analysis of the ground-water elevations in the Congaree National Park flood plain shows similar results as the gage-height analysis--the dam has had the effect of lowering high ground-water elevations and increasing low ground-water elevations. Overall, the operation of the dam has had a greater effect on the gage heights within the river banks than gage heights in the flood plain. This result may have a greater effect on the subsurface water levels of the surficial flood-plain aquifer than the frequency and magnitude of inundation of the flood plain.

29 CFR 1918.3 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Z87.1-2003 are available for purchase only from the American Society of Safety Engineers, 1800 East... American Society of Safety Engineers, 1800 East Oakton Street, Des Plaines, IL 60018-2187; telephone: 847... available for purchase only from the American Society of Safety Engineers, 1800 East Oakton Street, Des...

Snake River Plain FORGE Well Data for USGS-142

DOE Data Explorer

Robert Podgorney

2015-11-23

Well data for the USGS-142 well located in eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. This data collection includes lithology reports, borehole logs, and photos of rhyolite core samples. This collection of data has been assembled as part of the site characterization data used to develop the conceptual geologic model for the Snake River Plain site in Idaho, as part of phase 1 of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative. They were assembled by the Snake River Geothermal Consortium (SRGC), a team of collaborators that includes members from national laboratories, universities, industry, and federal agencies, lead by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

The Tempe volcanic province of Mars and comparisons with the Snake River Plains of Idaho

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plescia, J. B.

1981-01-01

The Tempe volcanic region of Mars, a relatively low plain of probable basaltic flood lava affinity, is shown to be comparable in many respects to features of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, including both scale and type of features observed. Superimposed upon the Tempe plain are a variety of features that appear structurally controlled, along an orientation of N60 deg E; comprising low shields, irregular hills that may be silicic domes, and possible composite cones. The Tempe/Snake River match is held to be the first in which direct comparison can be made between Martian and terrestrial geologic-geomorphic features without encountering problems of scale.

Water-balance and groundwater-flow estimation for an arid environment: San Diego region, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flint, L. E.; Flint, A. L.; Stolp, B. J.; Danskin, W. R.

2012-03-01

The coastal-plain aquifer that underlies the San Diego City metropolitan area in southern California is a groundwater resource. The understanding of the region-wide water balance and the recharge of water from the high elevation mountains to the east needs to be improved to quantify the subsurface inflows to the coastal plain in order to develop the groundwater as a long term resource. This study is intended to enhance the conceptual understanding of the water balance and related recharge processes in this arid environment by developing a regional model of the San Diego region and all watersheds adjacent or draining to the coastal plain, including the Tijuana River basin. This model was used to quantify the various components of the water balance, including semi-quantitative estimates of subsurface groundwater flow to the coastal plain. Other approaches relying on independent data were used to test or constrain the scoping estimates of recharge and runoff, including a reconnaissance-level groundwater model of the San Diego River basin, one of three main rivers draining to the coastal plain. Estimates of subsurface flow delivered to the coastal plain from the river basins ranged from 12.3 to 28.8 million m3 yr-1 from the San Diego River basin for the calibration period (1982-2009) to 48.8 million m3 yr-1 from all major river basins for the entire coastal plain for the long-term period 1940-2009. This range of scoping estimates represents the impact of climatic variability and realistically bounds the likely groundwater availability, while falling well within the variable estimates of regional recharge. However, the scarcity of physical and hydrologic data in this region hinders the exercise to narrow the range and reduce the uncertainty.

The geomorphology of the Mississippi River chenier plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Penland, S.; Suter, J.R.

1989-01-01

The chenier plain of the Mississippi River is a shore-parallel zone of alternating transgressive clastic ridges separated by progradational mudflats. The term chenier is derived from the cajun term chene for oak, the tree species that colonizes the crests of the higher ridges. The Mississippi River chenier plain stretches 200 km from Sabine Pass, Texas, to Southwest Point, Louisiana and ranges between 20 and 30 km wide, with elevations of 2-6 m. The timing and the process of formation could be re-evaluated in the light of new chronostratigraphic findings in the Mississippi River delta plain. The stratigraphic relationship between the Teche and Lafourche delta complexes and Ship Shoal offshore indicates that these delta complexes belong to different delta plains that developed at different sealevels. It appears that the Teche delta complex is associated with the late Holocene delta plain which developed 7000 to 3000 yrs B.P. when sealevel stood 5-6 m lower than present. A regional transgression occurred between approximately 3000 BP and 2500 yrs B.P., leading to the transgressive submergence of the late Holocene delta plain, producing the regional Teche shoreline. The timing of this transgression conforms to the age of the most landward ridge in the chenier plain, the Little Chenier-Little Pecan Island trend, which dates at about 2500 yrs B.P. This ridge trend was originally interpreted as representing the Teche delta complex switching event with the landward Holocene/Pleistocene contact representing the high stand shoreline. The implication of this new interpretation is that the Little Chenier-Little Pecan Island trend represents the high stand shoreline, a continuation of the Teche shoreline separating the late Holocene and Recent delta plains, and that the Holocene/Pleistocene contact represents the leading edge of the marshes transgressing onto the Prairie Terrace. Significant mudflat progradation seems to require a westerly position of the Mississippi River, but the numerous different forms and ages of cheniers do not correspond well to the timing of major delta complex switching. Progradation of the chenier plain appears to be associated with building of the Recent delta plain and not the Teche complex of the late Holocene delta plain. The occurrence of individual ridges appears to be primarily tied to delta lobe switching within the Lafourche complex and variations in sediment supply from local rivers. The recent development of the Atchafalaya delta complex to the west is the closest position of an active distributary to the chenier plain since sealevel stabilization; a new episode of rapid mudflat progradation is thus taking place. ?? 1989.

Forest resources of the south Arkansas delta

Treesearch

R.K. Winters

1939-01-01

The portion of Arkansas treated in this report is a former flood plain of Mississippi River, through which the Arkansas, the White, the Mississippi, and other rivers have cut new channels and developed a later flood plain at a lower level. The soils and topography differ accordingly on the two sites. The present flood plains, or bottoms, are generally flat; wheareas...

Nutrient and detritus transport in the Apalachicola River, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattraw, Harold C.; Elder, John F.

1984-01-01

The Apalachicola River in northwest Florida flows 172 kilometers southward from Jim Woodruff Dam near the Florida-Georgia border to Apalachicola Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The basin is composed of two 3,100-squarekilometer subbasins, the Chipola and the Apalachicola. The Apalachicola subbasin includes a 454-square-kilometer bottom-land hardwood flood plain that is relatively undeveloped. The flood plain contains more than 1,500 trees per hectare that annually produce approximately 800 metric tons of litter fall per square kilometer. Spring floods of March and April 1980 carried 35,000 metric tons of particulate organic carbon derived from litter fall into Apalachicola Bay. The estuarine food web is predominantly detrital based and represents an important commercial source of oyster, shrimp, blue crab, and various species of fish. The water budget of the Apalachicola basin is heavily dominated by streamflow. For a 1-year period in 1979-80, 28.6 cubic kilometers of water flowed past the Sumatra gage on the lower river. Eighty percent of this volume flowed into the upper river near Chattahoochee, Fla., and 11 percent was contributed by its major tributary, the Chipola River. Contributions from ground water and overland runoff were less than 10 percent. Streamflow increases downstream were accompanied by equivalent increases in nitrogen and phosphorus transport. The nutrients were released to the river by the flood-plain vegetation, but also were subject to recycling. The increase in the amount of organic carbon transport downstream was greater than streamflow increases. The flood plain is an important source of organic carbon, especially in detrital form. Several methods for measurement of detritus in the river and flood plain were developed and tested. The detritus data from the flood plain added semiquantitative evidence for transport of detritus from the flood plain to the river flow, probably accounting for most of the coarse particulate organic material carried by the river. During the 1-year period of investigation, June 3, 1979, through June 2, 1980, 2.1 ? 10 5 metric tons of organic carbon were transported from the river basin to the bay. Nitrogen and phosphorus transport during the same period amounted to 2.2 ? 10 4 and 1.7 ? 10 3 metric tons, respectively. On an areal basis, it was calculated that the flood plain contributed 70 grams of organic carbon per square meter per year, 0.4 gram of nitrogen per square meter per year, and 0.5 gram of phosphorus per square meter per year. The flood plain acts as a source of detrital carbon, but for the solutes, nutrient release is approximately balanced by nutrient retention.

Extent and frequency of floods on the Schuylkill River near Phoenixville and Pottstown, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Busch, William F.; Shaw, Lewis C.

1973-01-01

Knowledge of the frequency and extent of flooding is an important requirement for the design of all works of man bordering or encroaching on flood plains. The proper design of bridges, culverts, dams, highways, levees, reservoirs, sewage-disposal systems, waterworks and all structures on the flood plains of streams requires careful consideration of flood hazards. -1- By use of relations presented in this report, the extent, depth, and frequency of flooding can be estimated for any site along the reach of the Schuylkill River from Oaks to Pottstown. These flood data are presented so that regulatory agencies, organizations, and individuals may have a technical basis for making decisions on the use of flood-prone areas. The Delaware River Basin Commission and the U. S. Geological Survey regard this program of flood-plain-inundation studies as a positive step toward flood-damage prevention. Flood-plaininundation studies are a prerequisite to flood-plain management which may include a mixture of flood-control structures and/or land-use regulations. Both physical works and flood-plain regulations are included in the Comprehensive Plan for development of the Delaware River basin, of which the Schuylkill River is a part. Recommendations for land use, or suggestions for limitations of land use, are not made herein. Other reports on use and regulation of land in flood-prone areas are available (Dola, 1961; White, 1961; American Society of Civil Engineers Task Force on Flood Plain Regulations, 1962; and Goddard, 1963). The primary responsibility for planning for optimum land use in the flood plain and the implementation of flood-plain zoning or other regulations to achieve such optimum use rests with State, and local interests.

Chemical weathering outputs from the flood plain of the Ganga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bickle, Michael J.; Chapman, Hazel J.; Tipper, Edward; Galy, Albert; De La Rocha, Christina L.; Ahmad, Talat

2018-03-01

Transport of sediment across riverine flood plains contributes a significant but poorly constrained fraction of the total chemical weathering fluxes from rapidly eroding mountain belts which has important implications for chemical fluxes to the oceans and the impact of orogens on long term climate. We report water and bedload chemical analyses from the Ganges flood-plain, a major transit reservoir of sediment from the Himalayan orogen. Our data comprise six major southern tributaries to the Ganga, 31 additional analyses of major rivers from the Himalayan front in Nepal, 79 samples of the Ganga collected close to the mouth below the Farakka barrage every two weeks over three years and 67 water and 8 bedload samples from tributaries confined to the Ganga flood plain. The flood plain tributaries are characterised by a shallow δ18O - δD array, compared to the meteoric water line, with a low δDexcess from evaporative loss from the flood plain which is mirrored in the higher δDexcess of the mountain rivers in Nepal. The stable-isotope data confirms that the waters in the flood plain tributaries are dominantly derived from flood plain rainfall and not by redistribution of waters from the mountains. The flood plain tributaries are chemically distinct from the major Himalayan rivers. They can be divided into two groups. Tributaries from a small area around the Kosi river have 87Sr/86Sr ratios >0.75 and molar Na/Ca ratios as high as 6. Tributaries from the rest of the flood plain have 87Sr/86Sr ratios ≤0.74 and most have Na/Ca ratios <1. One sample of the Gomti river and seven small adjacent tributaries have elevated Na concentrations likely caused by dissolution of Na carbonate salts. The compositions of the carbonate and silicate components of the sediments were determined from sequential leaches of floodplain bedloads and these were used to partition the dissolved cation load between silicate and carbonate sources. The 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca ratios of the carbonate inputs were derived from the acetic-acid leach compositions and silicate Na/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr ratios derived from silicate residues from leaching. Modelling based on the 87Sr/86Sr and Sr/Ca ratios of the carbonate inputs and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the silicates indicates that the flood plain waters have lost up to 70% of their Ca (average ∼ 50%) to precipitation of secondary calcite which is abundant as a diagenetic cement in the flood plain sediments. 31% of the Sr, 8% of the Ca and 45% of the Mg are calculated to be derived from silicate minerals. Because of significant evaporative loss of water across the flood plain, and in the absence of hydrological data for flood plain tributaries, chemical weathering fluxes from the flood plain are best calculated by mass balance of the Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, SO4 and 87Sr/86Sr compositions of the inputs, comprising the flood plain tributaries, Himalayan rivers and southern rivers, with the chemical discharge in the Ganga at Farakka. The calculated fluxes from the flood plain for Na, K, Ca and Mg are within error of those estimated from changes in sediment chemistry across the flood plain (Lupker et al., 2012, Geochemica Cosmochimica Acta). Flood plain weathering supplies between 41 and 63% of the major cation and Sr fluxes and 58% of the alkalinity flux carried by the Ganga at Farakka which compares with 24% supplied by Himalayan rivers and 18% by the southern tributaries.

Snake River Plain FORGE Well Data for WO-2

DOE Data Explorer

Robert Podgorney

1991-07-29

Well data for the WO-2 well located in eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. This data collection includes lithology reports, borehole logs, temperature at depth data, neutron density and gamma data, and rock strength parameters for the WO-2 well. This collection of data has been assembled as part of the site characterization data used to develop the conceptual geologic model for the Snake River Plain site in Idaho, as part of phase 1 of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative. They were assembled by the Snake River Geothermal Consortium (SRGC), a team of collaborators that includes members from national laboratories, universities, industry, and federal agencies, lead by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

Geomorphology and bank erosion of the Matanuska River, southcentral Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curran, Janet H.; McTeague, Monica L.

2011-01-01

Bank erosion along the Matanuska River, a braided, glacial river in southcentral Alaska, has damaged or threatened houses, roadways, and public facilities for decades. Mapping of river geomorphology and bank characteristics for a 65-mile study area from the Matanuska Glacier to the river mouth provided erodibility information that was assessed along with 1949-2006 erosion to establish erosion hazard data. Braid plain margins were delineated from 1949, 1962, and 2006 orthophotographs to provide detailed measurements of erosion. Bank material and height and geomorphic features within the Matanuska River valley (primarily terraces and tributary fans) were mapped in a Geographic Information System (GIS) from orthophotographs and field observations to provide categories of erodibility and extent of the erodible corridor. The braid plain expanded 861 acres between 1949 and 2006. Erosion in the highest category ranged from 225 to 1,043 feet at reaches of bank an average of 0.5 mile long, affecting 8 percent of the banks but accounting for 64 percent of the erosion. Correlation of erosion to measurable predictor variables was limited to bank height and material. Streamflow statistics, such as peak streamflow or mean annual streamflow, were not clearly linked to erosion, which can occur during the prolonged period of summer high flows where channels are adjacent to an erodible braid plain margin. The historical braid plain, which includes vegetated braid plain bars and islands and active channels, was identified as the greatest riverine hazard area on the basis of its historical occupation. In 2006, the historical braid plain was an average of 15 years old, as determined from the estimated age of vegetation visible in orthophotographs. Bank erosion hazards at the braid plain margins can be mapped by combining bank material, bank height, and geomorphology data. Bedrock bluffs at least 10 feet high (31 percent of the braid plain margins) present no erosion hazard. At unconsolidated banks (63 percent of the braid plain margins), erosion hazards are great and the distinction in hazards between banks of varying height or geomorphology is slight.

Ice Atlas 1985 - 1986. Monongahela River, Allegheny River, Ohio River, Illinois River and Kankakee River.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

Des P/o,,nes River Grant Cut -off V 1Kankrokee Cut- off Drsdn slndCountyI Line Bordwell Isi. V _ KankakeKRiver 2 */0 7r Prairle Cr 6 0 1 M1 Survey date...2 x 10 6t 81 279 River 279 13 February 1986 275 Kankak Des P/amnes RIver Gran7 Cree Cut-off DrsenIladCount y Line Bordwell Isr. 0 1 M1 ’kornkokee A...Gat Cut - off KankakeeFiver ’e Drsdn slndCounty Line Bordwell s 1 mi 2urve date FerarM1,i Kankakee River :2.4 oCr. 󈧢 X9Kankakcee River :14 ML 0- 5𔃿

Ion Exchange Modeling of Crystalline Silicotitanate (IONSIV(R) IE-911) Column for Cesium Removal from Argentine Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hang, T.

2003-07-16

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Energy Commission of Argentina (CNEA) have a collaborative project to separate cesium/strontium from waste resulting from the production of Mo-99. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is assisting DOE on this joint project by providing technical guidance to CNEA scientists. As part of the collaboration, PNNL staff works with staff at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to run the VERSE-LC model for removal of cesium from the Mo-99 waste using the crystalline silicotitanate (CST) material (IONSIV(R) IE-911, UOP LLC, DesPlaines, IL) based on technical data provided by CNEA. This reportmore » discusses the VERSE-LC ion-exchange-column model and the predicted results of CNEA test cases.« less

Estimated ground-water use in Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, and Wilkin Counties, Minnesota, for 2030 and 2050

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winterstein, Thomas A.

2007-01-01

The estimated recharge to the Buffalo aquifer, Otter Tail surficial aquifer, and Pelican River sand-plain aquifer is 3,707, 51,000, and 4,900–8,900 Mgal/yr, respectively. The range of the estimated 2050 ground-water withdrawals from the Buffalo, Otter Tail surficial, and Pelican River sand-plain aquifers is 1,234–1,776 Mgal/yr from the Buffalo aquifer, 11,728–14,820 Mgal/yr from the Otter Tail surficial aquifer, and 3,385–4,298 Mgal/yr from the Pelican River sand-plain aquifer.

Wetland hydrology and tree distribution of the Apalachicola River flood plain, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leitman, H.M.; Sohm, J.E.; Franklin, M.A.

1982-01-01

The Apalachicola River is part of a 50,800-square-kilometer drainage basin in northwest Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. The river is formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers at Jim Woodruff Dam and flows 171 kilometers to Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Its flood plain supports 450 square kilometers of bottom-land hardwood and tupelco-cypress forests. The most common trees, constituting 62 percent of the total basal area, were five wet-site species; water tupelo, Ogeeche tupelo, baldcypress, Carolina ash, and swamp tupelo. Other common species were sweetgum, overcup oak, planertree, green ash, water hickory, sugarberry, and diamond-leaf oak. Five forest types were defined based on species predominance by basal area. Biomass increased downstream and was greatest in forests growing on permanently saturated soils. Water and tree relations varied with river location because range in water-level fluctuation and topographic relief in the flood plain diminished downstream. Heights of natural riverbank levees and size and distribution of breaks in levees had a major controlling effect on flood-plain hydrology. Depth of water, duration of inundation and saturation, and river location, but not water velocity, were very highly correlated with forest types. (USGS)

Enhanced Geothermal System Potential for Sites on the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert K Podgorney; Thomas R. Wood; Travis L McLing

2013-09-01

The Snake River volcanic province overlies a thermal anomaly that extends deep into the mantle and represents one of the highest heat flow provinces in North America (Blackwell and Richards, 2004). This makes the Snake River Plain (SRP) one of the most under-developed and potentially highest producing geothermal districts in the United States. Elevated heat flow is typically highest along the margins of the topographic SRP and lowest along the axis of the plain, where thermal gradients are suppressed by the Snake River aquifer. Beneath this aquifer, however, thermal gradients rise again and may tap even higher heat flows associatedmore » with the intrusion of mafic magmas into the mid-crustal sill complex (e.g., Blackwell, 1989).« less

Snake River Plain FORGE Well Data for INEL-1

DOE Data Explorer

Robert Podgorney

1979-03-01

Well data for the INEL-1 well located in eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. This data collection includes caliper logs, lithology reports, borehole logs, temperature at depth data, neutron density and gamma data, full color logs, fracture analysis, photos, and rock strength parameters for the INEL-1 well. This collection of data has been assembled as part of the site characterization data used to develop the conceptual geologic model for the Snake River Plain site in Idaho, as part of phase 1 of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative. They were assembled by the Snake River Geothermal Consortium (SRGC), a team of collaborators that includes members from national laboratories, universities, industry, and federal agencies, lead by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

Evolution of the Lian River coastal basin in response to Quaternary marine transgressions in Southeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yongjie; Zheng, Zhuo; Chen, Cong; Wang, Mengyuan; Chen, Bishan

2018-04-01

The coastal basin deposit in the Lian River plain is among the thickest Quaternary sequences along the southeastern coast of China. The clastic sediment accumulated in a variety of environmental settings including fluvial, channel, estuary/coastal and marine conditions. Detailed investigation of lithofacies, grain-size distributions, magnetic susceptibility, microfossils and chronology of marine core CN01, compared with regional cores, and combined with offshore seismic reflection profiles, has allowed us to correlate the spatial stratigraphy in the inner and outer plain and the seismic units. Grain size distribution analysis of core CN-01 through compositional data analysis and multivariate statistics were applied to clastic sedimentary facies and sedimentary cycles. Results show that these methods are able to derive a robust proxy information for the depositional environment of the Lian River plain. We have also been able to reconstruct deltaic evolution in response to marine transgressions. On the basis of dating results and chronostratigraphy, the estimated age of the onset of deposition in the Lian River coastal plain was more than 260 kyr BP. Three transgressive sedimentary cycles revealed in many regional cores support this age model. Detailed lithological and microfossil studies confirm that three marine (M3, M2 and M1) and three terrestrial (T3, T2 and T1) units can be distinguished. Spatial correlation between the inner plain, outer plain (typical cores characterized by marine transgression cycles) and offshore seismic reflectors reveals coherent sedimentary sequences. Two major boundaries (unconformity and erosion surfaces) can be recognized in the seismic profiles, and these correspond to weathered reddish and/or variegated clay in the study core, suggesting that Quaternary sediment changes on the Lian River plain were largely controlled by sea-level variations and coastline shift during glacial/interglacial cycles.

Recent sedimentation and surface-water flow patterns on the flood plain of the North Fork Forked Deer River, Dyer County, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfe, W.J.; Diehl, T.H.

1993-01-01

Sedimentation in the 19th and 20th centuries has had a major effect on surface-water drainage conditions along a 7-mile section of the North, Fork Forked Deer River flood plain, Dyer County, Tenn. During the century prior to 1930, 5 to 12 feet of sediment were deposited over much of the flood plain, resulting in channel obstruction and widespread flooding. The estimated bankfull capacity of the natural channel before it was channelized in 19 16 was comparable to the base flow of the river during the 1980's. Ditching of the river between 191i6 and 1;9,21 was followed by reductions in sedimentation rates over parts of the flood plain. However, the effects of sedimentation have persisted. Occlusions along the natural channel of the river have divided this stream reach into a series of sloughs. These sloughs continue to fill with sediment and are surrounded by ponds that have expanded since 1941. Degradation of the North Fork Forked Deer ditch may eventually reduce ponding over much of the flood plain. Active incision of headcuts in both banks of the ditch is enhancing the drainage of widespread ponded areas. These headcuts likely will have limited effect on drainage of most tributaries. The highest recent sedimentation rates, in places more than 0.2 foot per year, are concentrated near the flood-plain margin along tributary streams. In conjunction with beaver dams and debris, ongoing sedimentation has blocked flow in several tributaries, posing a flood hazard to agricultural land near the flood-plain margin. The occluded tributaries likely will continue to overflow unless they are periodically dredged or their sediment loads are reduced.

Method to identify wells that yield water that will be replaced by water from the Colorado River downstream from Laguna Dam in Arizona and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.; Wilson, Richard P.; Carpenter, Michael C.; Fink, James B.

2000-01-01

Accounting for the use of Colorado River water is required by the U.S. Supreme Court decree, 1964, Arizona v. California. Water pumped from wells on the flood plain and from certain wells on alluvial slopes outside the flood plain is presumed to be river water and is accounted for as Colorado River water. The accounting-surface method developed for the area upstream from Laguna Dam was modified for use downstream from Laguna Dam to identify wells outside the flood plain of the lower Colorado River that yield water that will be replaced by water from the river. Use of the same method provides a uniform criterion of identification for all users pumping water from wells by determining if the static water-level elevation in the well is above or below the elevation of the accounting surface. Wells that have a static water-level elevation equal to or below the accounting surface are presumed to yield water that will be replaced by water from the Colorado River. Wells that have a static water-level elevation above the accounting surface are presumed to yield river water stored above river level. The method is based on the concept of a river aquifer and an accounting surface within the river aquifer. The river aquifer consists of permeable sediments and sedimentary rocks that are hydraulically connected to the Colorado River so that water can move between the river and the aquifer in response to withdrawal of water from the aquifer or differences in water-level elevations between the river and the aquifer. The subsurface limit of the river aquifer is the nearly impermeable bedrock of the bottom and sides of the basins that underlie the Yuma area and adjacent valleys. The accounting surface represents the elevation and slope of the unconfined static water table in the river aquifer outside the flood plain of the Colorado River that would exist if the river were the only source of water to the river aquifer. The accounting surface was generated by using water-surface profiles of the Colorado River from Laguna Dam to about the downstream limit of perennial flow at Morelos Dam. The accounting surface extends outward from the edges of the flood plain to the subsurface boundary of the river aquifer. Maps at a scale of 1:100,000 show the extent of the river aquifer and elevation of the accounting surface downstream from Laguna Dam in Arizona and California.

New Chronologies of Dune Activation Extracted from the Central Great Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W. C.; Halfen, A. F.

2011-12-01

Recent investigations of dunefield activation histories in the Great Plains of North America have documented many long-duration, spatially-extensive, Holocene droughts. These "megadroughts" have been documented mostly in the larger dunefields of the Great Plains, e.g., the Nebraska Sand Hills, making it difficult for researchers to characterize these events region-wide. Several studies being conducted by the authors aim to extract a better spatial and temporal representation of megadroughts across the region by investigating smaller, less known dunefields of the Central Great Plains. Thus far, these studies have yielded new activation histories from three dunefields, the Kansas River, Hutchinson, and Arkansas Valley dunefields, which together span the precipitation gradient from eastern Kansas to eastern Colorado. While each of these dunefields have a unique history, collectively their activation chronologies yield new and important information on Holocene megadrought activity in the Great Plains, which may have been more spatially diverse and complex than previously thought. The Kansas River dunefield mantles a remnant high terrace of the lower Kansas River valley in the east-Central Great Plains and is one of the most easterly dunefields in the Great Plains. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages indicate dune activation last occurred ~36-31 ka, i.e., during MIS 3 between Heinrich Events 4 and 3 and was coincidental with loess deposition (Gillman Canyon Formation). The Kansas River dunefield also shows some evidence of minor activation during the middle Holocene, however this activity was likely limited to erosion of the dune surface and not full activation. About 200 km southwest of the Kansas River dunefield is the Hutchinson dunefield (HD), located immediately northeast of the Big Bend of the Arkansas River. OSL ages document dunefield-wide activity in the HD between ~1200 and 120 years ago, with peaks of activity centered after the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA) at ~1000 years ago and the Little Ice Age (LIA) at ~300 years ago. Lastly, 100 km west of the HD is the Arkansas Valley dunefield (AVD), which, like the HD, shows dunefield-wide activity from ~1000 until the 1930s. Also similar to the HD is the increased dune activity in the AVD following the MCA and LIA. These dunefields provide a new, rich history of dune activity and megadroughts within the Great Plains. It was once thought that Great Plains dunefields were only a Holocene feature, though our data from the Kansas River dunefield suggests that this assumption should be re-evaluated. In addition, our spatially dense chronologies from the HD and ARV have provided new insights into the character of Great Plains Holocene megadroughts. For example, our data, together with that published from other Great Plains dunefields, suggests that megadrought activity following the MCA was region-wide, while that which followed the LIA was more geographically restricted to the Central Great Plains.

Remote sensing, planform, and facies analysis of the Plain of Tineh, Egypt for the remains of the defunct Pelusiac River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintanar, Jessica; Khan, Shuhab D.; Fathy, Mohamed S.; Zalat, Abdel-Fattah A.

2013-11-01

The Pelusiac Branch was a distributary river in the Nile Delta that splits off from the main trunk of the Nile River as it flowed toward the Mediterranean. At approximately 25 A.D., it was chocked by sand and silt deposits from prograding beach accretion processes. The lower course of the river and its bifurcation point from the trunk of the Nile have been hypothesized based on ancient texts and maps, as well as previous research, but results have been inconsistent. Previous studies partly mapped the lower course of the Pelusiac River in the Plain of Tineh, east of the Suez Canal, but rapid urbanization related to the inauguration of the Peace Canal mega-irrigation project has covered any trace of the linear feature reported by these previous studies. The present study used multispectral remote sensing data of GeoEYE-1 and Landsat-TM to locate and accurately map the course of the defunct Pelusiac River within the Plain of Tineh. Remote sensing analysis identified a linear feature that is 135 m wide at its maximum and approximately 13 km long. It extends from the Pelusium ruins to the Suez Canal, just north of the Peace Canal. This remotely located linear feature corresponds to the path of the Pelusiac River during Roman times. Planform geomorphology was applied to determine the hydrological regime and paleodischarge of the river prior to becoming defunct. Planform analysis derived a bankfull paleodischarge value of ~ 5700 m3 s- 1 and an average discharge of 650 m3 s- 1, using the reach average for the interpreted Pelusiac River. The derived values show a river distributary similar in discharge to the modern dammed Damietta river. Field work completed in April of 2012 derived four sedimentary lithofacies of the upper formation on the plain that included pro-delta, delta-front and delta-plain depositional environments. Diatom and fossil mollusk samples were also identified that support coastal beach and lagoonal environments of deposition. Measured section columns and a shoreline parallel transect were also constructed to portray the paleogeography of the Mediterranean coastline in the Plain of Tineh at ~ 25 A.D. and indicate that the sampled study area is the downdrift margin of an asymmetric delta with barrier lagoon systems.

Wetland hydrology and tree distribution of the Apalachicola River flood plain, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leitman, Helen M.; Sohm, James E.; Franklin, Marvin A.

1984-01-01

The Apalachicola River in northwest Florida is part of a three-State drainage basin encompassing 50,800 km 2 in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The river is formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers at Jim Woodruff Dam from which it flows 171 km to Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Its average annual discharge at Chattahoochee, Fla., is 690 m3/s (1958-80) with annual high flows averaging nearly 3,000 m3/s. Its flood plain supports 450 km 2 of bottom-land hardwood and tupelo-cypress forests. The Apalachicola River Quality Assessment focuses on the hydrology and productivity of the flood-plain forest. The purpose of this part of the assessment is to address river and flood-plain hydrology, flood-plain tree species and forest types, and water and tree relations. Seasonal stage fluctuations in the upper river are three times greater than in the lower river. Analysis of long-term streamflow record revealed that 1958-79 average annual and monthly flows and flow durations were significantly greater than those of 1929-57, probably because of climatic changes. However, stage durations for the later period were equal to or less than those of the earlier period. Height of natural riverbank levees and the size and distribution of breaks in the levees have a major controlling effect on flood-plain hydrology. Thirty-two kilometers upstream of the bay, a flood-plain stream called the Brothers River was commonly under tidal influence during times of low flow in the 1980 water year. At the same distance upstream of the bay, the Apalachicola River was not under tidal influence during the 1980 water year. Of the 47 species of trees sampled, the five most common were wet-site species constituting 62 percent of the total basal area. In order of abundance, they were water tupelo, Ogeechee tupelo, baldcypress, Carolina ash, and swamp tupelo. Other common species were sweetgum, overcup oak, planertree, green ash, water hickory, sugarberry, and diamond-leaf oak. Five forest types were defined on the basis of species predominance by basal area. Biomass increased downstream and was greatest in forests growing on permanently saturated soils. Depth of water, duration of inundation and saturation, and water-level fluctuation, but not water velocity, were highly correlated with forest types. Most forest types dominated by tupelo and bald-cypress grew on permanently saturated soils that were inundated by flood waters 50 to 90 percent of the time, or an average of 75 to 225 consecutive days during the growing season from 1958 to 1980. Most forest types dominated by other species grew in areas that were saturated or inundated 5 to 25 percent of the time, or an average of 5 to 40 consecutive days during the growing season from 1958 to 1980. Water and tree relations varied with river location because range in water-level fluctuation and topographic relief in the flood plain diminished downstream.

Method to identify wells that yield water that will be replaced by Colorado River water in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Richard P.; Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

1994-01-01

Accounting for the use of Colorado River water is required by the U.S. Supreme Court decree, 1964, Arizona v. California. Water pumped from wells on the flood plain and from certain wells on alluvial slopes outside the flood plain is presumed to be river water and is accounted for as Colorado River water. A method was developed to identify wells outside the f1ood plain of the lower Colorado River that yield water that will be replaced by water from the river. The method provides a uniform criterion of identification for all users pumping water from wells. Wells that have a static water-level elevation equal to or below the accounting surface are presumed to yield water that will be replaced by water from the river. Wells that have a static water-level elevation above the accounting surface are presumed to yield water that will be replaced by water from precipitation and inflow from tributary valleys. The method is based on the concept of a river aquifer and an accounting surface within the river aquifer. The river aquifer consists of permeable, partly saturated sediments and sedimentary rocks that are hydraulically connected to the Colorado River so that water can move between the river and the aquifer in response to withdrawal of water from the aquifer or differences in water-level elevations between the river and the aquifer. The accounting surface represents the elevation and slope of the unconfined static water table in the river aquifer outside the flood plain and reservoirs that would exist if the river were the only source of water to the river aquifer. Maps at a scale of 1:100,000 show the extent and elevation of the accounting surface from the area surrounding Lake Mead to Laguna Dam near Yuma, Arizona.

Rate estimates for lateral bedrock erosion based on radiocarbon ages, Duck River, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brakenridge, G.R.

Rates of bedrock erosion in ingrown meandering rivers can be inferred from the location of buried relict flood-plain and river-bank surfaces, associated paleosols, and radiocarbon dates. Two independent methods are used to evaluate the long-term rates of limestone bedrock erosion by the Duck River. Radiocarbon dates on samples retrieved from buried Holocene flood-plain and bank surfaces indicate lateral migration of the river bank at average rates of 0.6-1.9 m/100 yr. Such rates agree with lateral bedrock cliff erosion rates of 0.5-1.4 m/100 yr, as determined from a comparison of late Pleistocene and modern bedrock cliff and terrace scarp positions. Thesemore » results show that lateral bedrock erosion by this river could have occurred coevally with flood-plain and terrace formation and that the resulting evolution of valley meander bends carved into bedrock is similar in many respects to that of channel meanders cut into alluvium. 11 references, 5 figures.« less

Irrigated acreage and other land uses on the Snake River Plain, Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, Gerald F.; Goodell, S.A.

1986-01-01

Prompted by the need for a current, accurate, and repeatable delineation of irrigated acreage on the Snake River Plain, the U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative agreement with the Idaho Department of Water Resources Image Analysis Facility and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to delineate 1980 land use form Landsat data. Irrigated acreage data were needed as input to groundwater flow models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in a study of the regional aquifer system underlying the Snake River Plain. Single-date digital multispectral scanner data analyzed to delineate land-use classes. Source of irrigation water (surface water, ground water, and combined) was determined from county maps of 1975 water-related land use, data from previous investigations, and field checking. Surface-water diversions for irrigation on the Snake River Plain began in the 1840's. With the stimulus of Federal aid authorized by the Desert Land Act, Carey Act, and Reclamation Act, irrigated area increased rapidly in the early 1900's. By 1929, 2.2 million acres were irrigated. Ground water became and important source of irrigation water after World War II. In 1980, about 3.1 million acres of the Snake River Plain were irrigate: 2.0 million acres with surface water, 1.0 million with ground water, and 0.1 million with combined surface and ground water. About 5.2 million acres (half of the plain) are undeveloped rangeland, 1.0 million acres (one-tenth) are classified as barren. The remaining land is a mixture of dryland agriculture, water bodies, wetland, forests, and urban areas.

Mississippi River delta plain, Louisiana coast, and inner shelf Holocene geologic framework, processes, and resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, S. Jeffress; Kulp, Mark; Penland, Shea; Kindinger, Jack L.; Flocks, James G.; Buster, Noreen A.; Holmes, Charles W.

2009-01-01

Extending nearly 400 km from Sabine Pass on the Texas-Louisiana border east to the Chandeleur Islands, the Louisiana coastal zone (Fig. 11.1) along the north-central Gulf of Mexico is the southern terminus of the largest drainage basin in North America (>3.3 million km2), which includes the Mississippi River delta plain where approximately 6.2 million kilograms per year of sediment is delivered to the Gulf of Mexico (Coleman 1988). The Mississippi River, active since at least Late Jurassic time (Mann and Thomas 1968), is the main distributary channel of this drainage system and during the Holocene has constructed one of the largest delta plains in the world, larger than 30,000 km2 (Coleman and Prior 1980; Coleman 1981; Coleman et al. 1998). The subsurface geology and geomorphology of the Louisiana coastal zone reffects a complex history of regional tectonic events and fluvial, deltaic, and marine sedimentary processes affected by large sea-level fluctuations. Despite the complex geology of the north-central Gulf basin, a long history of engineering studies and Scientific research investigations (see table 11.1) has led to substantial knowledge of the geologic framework and evolution of the delta plain region (see also Bird et al., chapter 1 in this volume). Mississippi River delta plain, Louisiana coast, and inner shelf Holocene geologic framework, processes, and resources. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262802561_Mississippi_River_delta_plain_Louisiana_coast_and_inner_shelf_Holocene_geologic_framework_processes_and_resources [accessed Sep 13, 2017].

Accounting System for Water Use by Vegetation in the Lower Colorado River Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

1992-01-01

The Colorado River is the principal source of water in the valley of the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and the international boundary with Mexico (fig. 1). Agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power genera-tion, and recreation are the primary uses of river water in the valley. Most of the consumptive use of water from the river occurs downstream from Davis Dam, where water is diverted to irrigate crops along the river or is exported to interior regions of California and Arizona. Most of the agricultural areas are on the alluvium of the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the alluvial terraces has been cultivated. River water is consumed mainly by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain. Crops were grown on 70.3 percent of the vegetated area classified by using 1984 digital image satellite data. Phreatophytes, natural vege-tation that obtain water from the alluvial aquifer, covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped from the river. In some areas, water is pumped from wells completed in the alluvial aquifer, which is hydraulically connected to the river.

Surface Water Qualit: Revisiting Nitrate Concentrations in the Des Moines River: 1945 and 1976-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

McIsaac, G.F.; Libra, R.D.

2003-01-01

Recent compilations of historical and contemporary riverine nitrate (NO3) concentrations indicate that concentrations in many rivers in the north-central USA increased during the second half of the 20th century. The Des Moines River near Des Moines, Iowa, however, was reported to have had similar NO3 concentrations in 1945 and the 1980s, in spite of substantially greater N input to the watershed during the latter period. The objective of this study was to reconsider the comparison of historical and contemporary NO3 concentrations in the Des Moines River near Des Moines in light of the following: (i) possible errors in the historical data used, (ii) variations in methods of sample collection, (iii) variations in location of sampling, and (iv) additional data collected since 1990. We discovered that an earlier study had compared the flow-weighted average concentration in 1945 to arithmetic annual average concentrations in the 1980s. The intertemporal comparison also appeared to be influenced by differences in sample collection methods and locations used at different times. Depending on the model used and the estimated effects of composite sample collection, the 1945 arithmetic average NO3 concentration was between 44 and 57% of the expected mean value at a similar water yield during 1976-2001. The flow-weighted average NO3 concentration for 1945 was between 54 and 73% of the expected mean value at a similar water yield during 1976-2001. The difference between NO3 concentrations in 1945 and the contemporary period are larger than previously reported for the Des Moines River.

Using Braid Plain Ecology and Geomorphology to Inform Bank Erosion Management along a Braided River, Matanuska River, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curran, J. H.; McTeague, M. L.

2010-12-01

Braided rivers are inherently dynamic but quantifying the nature and implications of this dynamism can contribute to more comprehensive understanding of these systems and management of the river corridor. Bank erosion along the glacial, braided Matanuska River in southcentral Alaska has challenged generations of officials and generated a host of proposed solutions such as riprapped banks, dikes, gravel mining, and trenching. Increasingly, assessment of the technical feasibility of these methods has been accompanied by consideration of ecological factors and nonstructural solutions. The Matanuska River is braided over 85 percent of its course and clearwater side channels in abandoned braid plain areas provide as much as 90 percent of the spawning habitat in the basin for chum and sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus keta and O. nerka). An assessment of braid plain vegetation, bank erosion rates, effects of a large flood, and distribution of clearwater side channels establishes a scientific basis for ecological and geomorphological considerations and recently helped guide development of a management plan for the river corridor. A historical analysis of braid plain features, marginal positions, and vegetation patterns from 1949, 1962, and 2006 orthophotographs showed that the 2006 braid plain was 43 percent vegetated and had an average age of 16 years. Only about 4 percent of the braid plain contained vegetated islands and over 60 percent of these were young and sparsely vegetated, implying that a suite of active channels migrated frequently across the braid plain and that vegetation did not appreciably limit channel movement. Rates of erosion to the braid plain margins averaged 0.3 m/yr from 1949 to 2006 but erosion was localized, with 64 percent of the erosion at only 8 percent of the banks. Cumulative bank change was twice as great along banks consisting of Holocene fluvial deposits (fans and terraces) identified during Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping than on other features. River-long erosion rates were twice as great for 1949-62 than for 1962-2006, despite a flood with a less than 0.002 percent exceedance probability in 1971 and slightly higher average peak flood magnitudes in the latter period. Of the 20 areas with erosion greater than 70 m from 1949-2006, only 9 were eroded in both periods and only one had detectable erosion in the sub-period from 2004 to 2006. This disconnect of erosion with flooding and the variable timing of historical erosion suggests that erosion was sporadic and more related to the presence of the river against the bank and bank erodibility than to more readily monitored variables. Clearwater side channels were frequently reworked in the braid plain but the cumulative length of channels appeared to be stable within the historical time period. This dynamic nature implies that the aquatic ecosystems have evolved within a high disturbance regime.

Effects of flood control and other reservoir operations on the water quality of the lower Roanoke River, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, Ana Maria

2012-01-01

The Roanoke River is an important natural resource for North Carolina, Virginia, and the Nation. Flood plains of the lower Roanoke River, which extend from Roanoke Rapids Dam to Batchelor Bay near Albemarle Sound, support a large and diverse population of nesting birds, waterfowl, freshwater and anadromous fish, and other wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. The flow regime of the lower Roanoke River is affected by a number of factors, including flood-management operations at the upstream John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir. A three-dimensional, numerical water-quality model was developed to explore links between upstream flows and downstream water quality, specifically in-stream dissolved-oxygen dynamics. Calibration of the hydrodynamics and dissolved-oxygen concentrations emphasized the effect that flood-plain drainage has on water and oxygen levels, especially at locations more than 40 kilometers away from the Roanoke Rapids Dam. Model hydrodynamics were calibrated at three locations on the lower Roanoke River, yielding coefficients of determination between 0.5 and 0.9. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations were calibrated at the same sites, and coefficients of determination ranged between 0.6 and 0.8. The model has been used to quantify relations among river flow, flood-plain water level, and in-stream dissolved-oxygen concentrations in support of management of operations of the John H. Kerr Dam, which affects overall flows in the lower Roanoke River. Scenarios have been developed to mitigate the negative effects that timing, duration, and extent of flood-plain inundation may have on vegetation, wildlife, and fisheries in the lower Roanoke River corridor. Under specific scenarios, the model predicted that mean dissolved-oxygen concentrations could be increased by 15 percent by flow-release schedules that minimize the drainage of anoxic flood-plain waters. The model provides a tool for water-quality managers that can help identify options that improve water quality and protect the aquatic habitat of the Roanoke River.

America's First Government Documentary Films as Teaching Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrickson, Kenneth E.

1991-01-01

Reviews two documentaries produced by the U.S. government: "The Plow That Broke the Plains" (1936) and "The River" (1937). The first examines soil erosion in the Great Plains; the second considers Mississippi River usage. Narrates storylines and explains initial film criticism. Highlights the films' effectiveness for teaching…

Hydrology, geomorphology, and vegetation of Coastal Plain rivers in the southeastern United States

Treesearch

Cliff R. Hupp

2000-01-01

Rivers of the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States are characteristically low-gradient meandering systems that develop broad floodplains subjected to frequent and prolonged flooding. These floodplains support a relatively unique forested wetland (Bottomland Hardwoods), which have received considerable ecological study, but distinctly less hydrogeomorphic...

Coal depositional models in some Tertiary and Cretaceous coal fields in the U.S. Western Interior

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, R.M.

1979-01-01

Detailed stratigraphic and sedimentological studies of the Tertiary Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, and the Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone in the Wasatch Plateau, Utah, indicate that the depositional environments of coal played a major role in controlling coal thickness, lateral continuity, potential minability, and type of floor and roof rocks. The potentially minable, thick coal beds of the Tongue River Member were primarily formed in long-lived floodbasin backswamps of upper alluvial plain environment. Avulsion of meandering fluvial channels contributed to the erratic lateral extent of coals in this environment. Laterally extensive coals formed in floodbasin backswamps of a lower alluvial plain environment; however, interruption by overbank and crevasse-splay sedimentation produced highly split and merging coal beds. Lacustrine sedimentation common to the lower alluvial plain, similar to the lake-covered lower alluvial valley of the Atchafalaya River Basin, is related to a high-constructive delta. In contrast to these alluvial coals are the deltaic coal deposits of the Blackhawk Formation. The formation consists of three coal populations: upper delta plain, lower delta plain, and 'back-barrier'. Coals of the lower delta plain are thick and laterally extensive, in contrast to those of the upper delta plain and 'back-barrier', which contain abundant, very thin and laterally discontinuous carbonaceous shale partings. The reworking of the delta-front sediments of the Star Point Sandstone suggests that the Blackhawk-Star Point delta was a high-destructive system. ?? 1979.

Summary of the Snake River plain Regional Aquifer-System Analysis in Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, G.F.

1996-01-01

Regional aquifers underlying the 15,600-square-mile Snake River Plain in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon was studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis program. The largest and most productive aquifers in the Snake River Plain are composed of Quaternary basalt of the Snake River Group, which underlies most of the 10,8000-square-mile eastern plain. Aquifer tests and simulation indicate that transmissivity of the upper 200 feet of the basalt aquifer in the eastern plain commonly ranges from about 100,000 to 1,000,000 feet squared per day. However, transmissivity of the total aquifer thickness may be as much as 10 million feet squared per day. Specific yield of the upper 200 feet of the aquifer ranges from about 0.01 to 0.20. Average horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the upper 200 feet of the basalt aquifer ranges from less than 100 to 9,000 feet per day. Values may be one to several orders of magnitude higher in parts in individual flows, such as flow tops. Vertical hydraulic conductivity is probably several orders of magnitude lower than horizontal hydraulic conductivity and is generally related to the number of joints. Pillow lava in ancestral Snake River channels has the highest hydraulic conductivity of all rock types. Hydraulic conductivity of the basalt decreases with depth because of secondary filling of voids with calcite and silica. An estimated 80 to 120 million acre-feet of water is believed to be stored in the upper 200 feet of the basalt aquifer in the eastern plain. The most productive aquifers in the 4,800-square-mile western plain are alluvial sand and gravel in the Boise River valley. Although aquifer tests indicate that transmissivity of alluvium in the Boise River valley ranges from 5,000 to 160,000 feet squared per day, simulation suggests that average transmissivity of the upper 500 feet is generally less than 20,000 feet squared per day. Vertically averaged horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the upper 500 feet of alluvium ranges from about 4 to 40 feet per day; higher values can be expected in individual sand and gravel zones. Vertical hydraulic conductivity is considerably lower because of the presence of clay layers. Hydraulic heads measured in piezometers, interpreted from diagrams showing ground-water flow and equipotential lines and estimated by computer simulation, demonstrate that water movement is three dimensional through the rock framework. Natural recharge takes place along the margins of the plain where head decreases with depth; discharge takes place near some reaches of the Snake River and the Boise River where head increases with depth. Geothermal water in rhyolitic rocks in the western plain and western part of the eastern plain has higher hydraulic head than the overlying cold water. Geothermal water, therefore, moves upward and merges into the cold-water system. Basin water-budget analyses indicate that the volume of cold water. Carbon-14 age determinations, which indicate that residence time of geothermal water is 17,700 to 20,300 years, plus or minus 4,000 years, imply slow movement of water through the geothermal system. Along much of its length, the Snake River gains large quantities of ground water. On the eastern plain, the river gained about 1.9 million acre-feet of water between Blackfoot and Neeley, Idaho, in 1980. Between Milner and King Hill, Idaho, the river gained 4.7 million acre-feet, mostly as spring flow from the north side. Upstream from Blackfoot and in the vicinity of Lake Walcott, the rover loses flow to ground water during parts or all of the year. On the western plain, river gains from ground water are small relative to those on the eastern plain; most are from seepage. Streams in tributary drainage basins supply calcium/bicarbonate type and calcium/magnesium/bicarbonate type water to the plain. Water type is a reflection of the chemical composition of rocks in the drainage basin, Concentrations of dissolved solids are smallest, about 50 milligrams per liter, in streams such as the Boise River that drain areas of granitic rocks; concentrations are greatest, about 400 milligrams per liter, in streams such as the Owyhee and Raft Rivers that drain area of sedimentary rocks. Water chemistry reflects the interaction of surface water and ground water. The chemical composition of ground water in the plain is essentially the same as that in streamflow and groundwater discharge from tributary drainage basins. Tributary drainage basins supplied 85 percent of the ground-water recharge in the eastern plain during 1980 and a nearly equivalent percentage of the solute load in ground water; human activities and dissolution of minerals supplied the other solutes. Dissolved-solids concentrations in ground water were generally less than 400 milligrams per liter. Water from the lower geothermal system is chemically different from water from the upper cold-water system. Geothermal water typically has greater concentrations of sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride, fluoride, silica, arsenic, boron, and lithium and smaller concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen. Difference are attributed to ion exchange as geothermal moves through the rock framework. Irrigation, mostly on the Snake River Plain, accounted for about 96 percent of consumptive water use in Idaho during 1980. The use of surface water for irrigation for more than 100 years has caused major changes in the hydrologic system on the plain. Construction of dams, reservoirs, and diversifications effected planned changes in the surface-water system but resulted in largely unplanned changes in the ground-water system. During those years of irrigation, annual recharge in the main part of the eastern plain increased to about 6.7 million acre-feet in 1980, or by about 70 percent. Most of the increase was from percolation of surface water diverted for irrigation. From preirrigation to 1952, groundwater storage increased about 24 million acre-feet, and storage decreased from 1952 to 1964 and from 1976 to 1980 because of below-normal precipitation and increased withdrawals of ground water for irrigation. Annual ground-water discharge increased to about 7.1 million acre-feet in 1980, or about 80 percent since the start of irrigation. About 10 percent of the 1980 total discharge was ground-water pumpage. About 3.1 million acres, or almost one-third of the plain, was irrigated during 1980: 2.0 million acres with surface water, 1.0 million acres with ground water, and 0.1 million acres with combined surface and ground water. About 8.9 million acre-feet of Snake River water was diverted for irrigation during 1980 and 2.3 million acre-feet of ground water was pumped from 5,300 wells. Most irrigation wells on the eastern plain are open to basalt. About two-thirds of them yield more than 1,500 gallons per minute with a reported maximum of 7,240 gallons per minute; drawdown is less than 20 feet in two-thirds of the wells. Most irrigation wells on the western plain are open to sedimentary rocks. About one-third of them yield more than 1,00 gallons per minute with a reported maximum of 3,850 gallons per minute; drawndown is less than 20 feet in about one-fifth of the wells. The major instream use of water on the Snake River Plain is hydroelectric power generation. Fifty-two million acre-feet of water generated 2.6 million megawatthours of electricity during 1980. Digital computer ground-water flows models of the eastern and western plain reasonably simulated regional changes in water levels and ground-water discharges from 1880 (preirrigation) to 1980. Model results support the concept of three-dimensional flow and the hypotheses of no underflow between the eastern and western plain. Simulation of the regional aquifer system in the eastern plain indicates that is 1980 hydrologic conditions, including pumpage, were to remain the same for another 30 years, moderate declines in ground-water levels and decreases in spring discharges would continue. Increased ground-water pumpage to irrigate an additional 1 million acres could cause ground-water levels to decline a few tens of feet in the central part of the plain and could cause corresponding decreases in ground-water discharge. A combination of actions such as increased ground-water pumpage and decreased use of surface water for irrigation (resulting in reduced recharge) would accentuate the changes.

Dramatic undercutting of piedmont rivers after the 2008 Wenchuan Ms 8.0 Earthquake

PubMed Central

Fan, Niannian; Nie, Ruihua; Wang, Qiang; Liu, Xingnian

2016-01-01

Changes in river channel erosion or deposition affect the geomorphic evolution, aquatic ecosystems, and river regulation strategies. Fluvial processes are determined by the flow, sediment and boundary conditions, and it has long been expected that increasing sediment supply will induce aggradation. Here, based on thorough field surveys, we show the unexpected undercutting of the piedmont rivers influenced by the 2008 Wenchuan (Ms 8.0) Earthquake. The rivers flow from the Longmen Mountain with significant topographic relief to the flat Chengdu plain. In the upstreams, sediment supply increased because of the landslides triggered by the earthquake, causing deposition in the upstream mountain reaches. However, the downstream plain reaches suffered undercutting instead of deposition, and among those rivers, Shiting River was the most seriously affected, with the largest undercutting depth exceeding 20 m. The reasons for this unexpected undercutting are proposed herein and relate to both natural and anthropogenic causes. In addition, we also demonstrate, at least for certain conditions, such as rivers flowing from large-gradient mountain regions to low-gradient plain regions, that upstream sediment pulses may induce aggradation in upstream and degradation in downstream, causing the longitudinal profile to steepen to accommodate the increasing sediment flux. PMID:27857220

Knife River: Early Village Life on the Plains. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalf, Fay

This document, from the lesson plan series, "Teaching with Historic Places," examines the Native Americans who lived on the plains along the Knife River in what is now North Dakota. Following an introductory section, the document sets out student objectives, teaching activities, readings, and illustrations. The teaching activity…

Water and beverage consumption among children aged 4-13 years in France: analyses of INCA 2 (Étude Individuelle Nationale des Consommations Alimentaires 2006-2007) data.

PubMed

Vieux, Florent; Maillot, Matthieu; Constant, Florence; Drewnowski, Adam

2016-09-01

To examine the consumption of plain water among children in France and compare total water intakes with guidelines issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Nationally representative data were used to assess food, beverage and water consumption by sex, age group (4-8 years, 9-13 years), income-to-poverty ratio, eating occasion and location. Beverages were classified into nine groups: water (tap or bottled), milk, 100 % fruit juice, sodas, fruit drinks, hot beverages, sports drinks and flavoured waters. Total water volume in relation to energy intake (litres/kcal) was also examined. INCA 2 study (Étude Individuelle Nationale des Consommations Alimentaires 2006-2007). French children (n 835) aged 4-13 years. Total water intakes were accounted for by plain water (34 %), beverages (26 %) and food moisture (40 %). Plain water could be tap (18 %) or bottled (16 %). Older children drank more plain water than did younger children and boys drank more plain water than did girls. No socio-economic gradient for plain water consumption was observed. About 90 % of children did not meet the EFSA water intake recommendations. The daily water shortfall ranged from 367 to 594 ml/d. Water-to-energy ratio was 0·75-0·77 litres/1000 kcal (4184 kJ). Children drank milk at breakfast and plain water during lunch and dinner. Caloric beverages provided 10 % of dietary energy; consumption patterns varied by eating location. Total water intakes among young children in France were below EFSA-recommended levels. Analyses of beverage consumption patterns by eating occasion and location can help identify ways to increase water consumption among children.

Geothermal alteration of basaltic core from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sant, Christopher J.

The Snake River Plain is located in the southern part of the state of Idaho. The eastern plain, on which this study focuses, is a trail of volcanics from the Yellowstone hotspot. Three exploratory geothermal wells were drilled on the Snake River Plain. This project analyzes basaltic core from the first well at Kimama, north of Burley, Idaho. The objectives of this project are to establish zones of geothermal alteration and analyze the potential for geothermal power production using sub-aquifer resources on the axial volcanic zone of the Snake River Plain. Thirty samples from 1,912 m of core were sampled and analyzed for clay content and composition using X-ray diffraction. Observations from core samples and geophysical logs are also used to establish alteration zones. Mineralogical data, geophysical log data and physical characteristics of the core suggest that the base of the Snake River Plain aquifer at the axial zone is located 960 m below the surface, much deeper than previously suspected. Swelling smectite clay clogs pore spaces and reduces porosity and permeability to create a natural base to the aquifer. Increased temperatures favor the formation of smectite clay and other secondary minerals to the bottom of the hole. Below 960 m the core shows signs of alteration including color change, formation of clay, and filling of other secondary minerals in vesicles and fractured zones of the core. The smectite clay observed is Fe-rich clay that is authigenic in some places. Geothermal power generation may be feasible using a low temperature hot water geothermal system if thermal fluids can be attained near the bottom of the Kimama well.

Abrasion-set limits on Himalayan gravel flux.

PubMed

Dingle, Elizabeth H; Attal, Mikaël; Sinclair, Hugh D

2017-04-26

Rivers sourced in the Himalayan mountain range carry some of the largest sediment loads on the planet, yet coarse gravel in these rivers vanishes within approximately 10-40 kilometres on entering the Ganga Plain (the part of the North Indian River Plain containing the Ganges River). Understanding the fate of gravel is important for forecasting the response of rivers to large influxes of sediment triggered by earthquakes or storms. Rapid increase in gravel flux and subsequent channel bed aggradation (that is, sediment deposition by a river) following the 1999 Chi-Chi and 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes reduced channel capacity and increased flood inundation. Here we present an analysis of fan geometry, sediment grain size and lithology in the Ganga Basin. We find that the gravel fluxes from rivers draining the central Himalayan mountains, with upstream catchment areas ranging from about 350 to 50,000 square kilometres, are comparable. Our results show that abrasion of gravel during fluvial transport can explain this observation; most of the gravel sourced more than 100 kilometres upstream is converted into sand by the time it reaches the Ganga Plain. These findings indicate that earthquake-induced sediment pulses sourced from the Greater Himalayas, such as that following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, are unlikely to drive increased gravel aggradation at the mountain front. Instead, we suggest that the sediment influx should result in an elevated sand flux, leading to distinct patterns of aggradation and flood risk in the densely populated, low-relief Ganga Plain.

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; project description

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mades, D.M.

1987-01-01

In 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey began a National Water-Quality Assessment program to (1) provide nationally consistent descriptions of the current status of water quality for a large, diverse, and geographically distributed part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources; (2) define, where possible, trends in water quality; and (3) identify and describe the relations of both status and trends in water quality to natural factors and the history of land use and land- and waste-management activities. The program is presently in a pilot phase that will test and modify, as necessary, concepts and approaches in preparation for possible full implementation of the program in the future. The upper Illinois River basin is one of four basins selected to test the concepts and approaches of the surface-water-quality element of the national program. The basin drains 10,949 square miles of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Three principal tributaries are the Kankakee and Des Plaines Rivers that join to form the Illinois River and the Fox River. Land use is predominantly agricultural; about 75 percent of the basin is cultivated primarily for production of corn and soybeans. About 13 percent of the basin is urban area, most of which is located in the Chicago metropolitan area. The population of the basin is about 7 million. About 6 million people live in the Des Plaines River basin. Many water-quality issues in the upper Illinois River basin are related to sediment, nutrients, potentially toxic inorganic and organic constituents, and to water-management practices. Occurrence of sediment and the chemical constituents in the rivers and lakes within the basin has the potential to adversely affect the water's suitability for aquatic life, recreation, or, through the consumption of fish, human health. The upper Illinois River basin project consists of five major activities. The first activity--analysis of existing information and preparation of a report that describes recent water-quality conditions and trends--is currently underway. The second activity--fixed-station water-quality sampling at eight stations--began in April 1987 and will last at least 3 years. Water-quality data collected at these stations will be used to determine the frequency of occurrence of constituent concentrations, their annual and seasonal loads, and time trends in concentrations for a selected number of constituents. The third activity will be synoptic water-quality studies. Each study will involve sampling many sites at specific flow conditions and for selected water-quality constituents. Information gained from these studies will supplement informa tion gained from fixed-station sampling. A synoptic study of streambed sediments is tentatively planned for the summer of 1987 to describe the occurrence and distribution of trace elements in the basin. The fourth activity will consist of one or more topical subbasin or river-reach studies. The purpose of such studies is to better define certain water-quality conditions in specific areas and gain an understanding of the processes affecting the observed conditions. The fifth activity is the preparation of reports that will describe results from each of the first four activities. Quality assurance and coordination are being provided at both the national and pilot-project levels. A technical quality-assurance plan that addresses all aspects of sample collection, analysis, and reporting is being prepared at the national level. This plan will be appended as needed at the pilot-project level. A National Coordinating Work Group that functions under the auspices of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data and the Advisory Committee on Water Data for Public Use has been established at the national level. A local liaison committee consisting of representatives from Federal, State, and local agencies has been established to enhance communication and to ensure that the scientific information produced by the

Cairo, Egypt/Nile River viewed from STS-66 Atlantis

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-11-14

This close-up view of the intensively cultivated Nile River flood plain near Cairo presents a sharp color contrast to the virtually non-vegetated, sandy desert, located to the west of the vegetated area. Some rectangular cultivated field patterns, as well as circular center pivot irrigation patterns, can be observed northwest of the Nile River flood plain. The world famous Giza Pyramids are located near the center of this photography (see highly reflective sand surfaces).

Plan of study for the regional aquifer-system analysis of the Snake River plain, Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, Gerald F.

1981-01-01

The 15,600-square-mile Snake River Plain is largely in southern Idaho and includes one of the Nation 's major regional aquifers. A comprehensive investigation of the area 's ground-water resources will be made as part of the U.S. Geological Survey 's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) program. Basaltic and sedimentary rocks in the Snake River Plain yield large quantities of water that are vital to the area 's agricultural economy. Basaltic rocks predominate in the eastern Snake River Plain and have especially high water-yielding capabilities. Surface water, largely from the Snake River, is extensively used for irrigation and is a major source of recharge to the ground-water system. Springs issuing from basaltic rocks that form the Snake River Canyon wall near Twin Falls are the major points of ground-water discharge. Increased use of ground water for irrigation is causing concern as to the effect of large-scale withdrawals on spring flow. Ground-water flow models will be used to improve understanding of the hydrologic system, and, if feasible, to aid in evaluating management alternatives. Ground-water quality will be defined and geochemical techniques used to determine the effects of water-rock reactions on water quality. Several reports are planned on different phases of the project, concluding with a summary report. (USGS)

Hydrogeology and ground-water/surface water interactions in the Des Moines River valley, southwestern Minnesota, 1997-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cowdery, Timothy K.

2005-01-01

Long-term withdrawals of water for public supplies may cause a net decrease in ground-water discharge to surface water. Water that does not evaporate, or that is not exported, is discharged to the Des Moines River but with changed water quality. Because ground-water and surface-water qualities in the study area are similar, the ground-water discharge probably has little effect on river water quality.

Insights into the Quaternary tectonics of the Yellowstone hotspot from a terrace record along the Hoback and Snake rivers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bufe, A.; Pederson, J. L.; Tuzlak, D.

2016-12-01

One of Earth's largest active supervolcanos and one of the most dynamically deforming areas in North America is located above the Yellowstone mantle plume. A pulse of dynamically supported uplift and extension of the upper crust has been moving northeastward as the North American plate migrated across the hotspot. This pules of uplift is complicated by subsidence of the Snake River Plain in the wake of the plume, due to a combination of crustal loading by intrusive and extrusive magmas, and by densification of igneous and volcanic rocks. Understanding the geodynamics as well as the seismic hazard of this region relies on studying the distribution and timing of active uplift, subsidence, and faulting across timescales. Here, we present preliminary results from a study of river terraces along the Hoback and upper Snake rivers that flow from the flanks of the Yellowstone plateau into the subsiding Snake River Plain. Combining terrace surveys with optically stimulated luminescence ages, we calculate incision rates of 0.1 - 0.3 mm/y along the deeply incised canyons of the Hoback and Snake rivers upstream of Alpine, WY. Rather than steadily decreasing away from the Yellowstone plume-head, the pattern of incision rates seems to be mostly affected by the distribution of normal faults - including the Alpine section of the Grand Valley Fault that has been reported to be inactive throughout the Quaternary. Downstream of Alpine and approaching the Snake River Plain, late Quaternary fill-terraces show much slower incision rates which might be consistent with a broad flexure of the region toward the subsiding Snake River Plain. Future studies of the Snake and Hoback rivers and additional streams around the Yellowstone hotspot will further illuminate the pattern of late Quaternary uplift in the region.

Numerical Simulation of Ground-Water Salinization in the Arkansas River Corridor, Southwest Kansas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittemore, D. O.; Perkins, S.; Tsou, M.; McElwee, C. D.; Zhan, X.; Young, D. P.

2001-12-01

The salinity of ground water in the High Plains aquifer underlying the upper Arkansas River corridor in southwest Kansas has greatly increased during the last few decades. The source of the salinization is infiltration of Arkansas River water along the river channel and in areas irrigated with diverted river water. The saline river water is derived from southeastern Colorado where consumptive losses of water in irrigation systems substantially concentrate dissolved solids in the residual water. Before development of surface- and ground-water resources, the Arkansas River gained flow along nearly all of its length in southwest Kansas. Since the 1970's, ground-water levels have declined in the High Plains aquifer from consumptive use of ground water. The water-level declines have now changed the river to a generally losing rather than gaining system. We simulated ground-water flow in the aquifers underlying 126 miles of the river corridor using MODFLOW integrated with the GIS software ArcView (Tsou and Whittemore, 2001). There are two layers in the model, one for the Quaternary alluvial aquifer and the other for the underlying High Plains aquifer. We prepared a simulation for circa 1940 that represented conditions prior to substantial ground-water development, and simulations for 40 years into the future that were based on holding constant either average water use or average ground-water levels for the 1990's. Streamflows along the river computed from the model results illustrated the flow gains from ground-water discharge for circa 1940 and losses during the 1990's. We modeled the movement of salinity as particle tracks generated by MODPATH based on the MODFLOW solutions. The results indicate that during the next 40 years, saline water will move a substantial distance in the High Plains aquifer on the south side of the central portion of the river valley. The differences between the circa 1940 and 1990's simulations fit the observed data that show large increases in the dissolved solids of ground waters in the High Plains aquifer in portions of the river corridor. The modeling indicates that management of water use in the aquifers on a large scale would be necessary to achieve significant changes in the rate and direction of saline water migration over a time scale of decades. >http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/Hydro/UARC/index.html

Monitoring and analysis of combined sewer overflows, Riverside and Evanston, Illinois, 1997-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waite, Andrew M.; Hornewer, Nancy J.; Johnson, Gary P.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collected and analyzed flow data in combined sewer systems in Riverside and Evanston, northeastern Illinois, from March 1997 to December 1999. Continuous 2- and 5-minute stage and velocity data were collected during surcharged and nonsurcharged conditions at 12 locations. Mass balances were calculated to determine the volume of water flowing through the tide-gate openings to the Des Plaines River and the North Shore Channel and to determine the volume of water flowing past the sluice gate to the deep tunnel. The sewer systems consist of circular pipes ranging in diameter from 0.83 feet to 10.0 feet, elliptical siphon pipes, ledges, and tide and sluice gates. Pipes were constructed of either brick and mortar or concrete, and ranged from having smooth surfaces to rough, pitted and crumbling surfaces. One pipe was noticeably affected by water infiltration from saturated ground. During data analysis, many assumptions were necessary because of the complexity of the flow data and sewer-system configurations. These assumptions included estimating the volume of water entering an interceptor sewer at the ''Gage Street pipe'' at Riverside, the effect of infiltration on the ''brick pipe'' at Riverside, and the minimum velocity required for the meter to make an accurate velocity determination. Other factors affecting the analysis of flow data included possible non-instrumented sources of inflow, and backwater conditions in some pipes, which could have caused error in the data analysis. Variations of these assumptions potentially could cause appreciable changes to the final massbalance calculations. Mass-balance analysis at Riverside indicated a total inflow volume into chamber 3 of approximately 721,000 cubic feet (ft3) during April 22-26, 1999. Outflow volume to the Des Plaines River at Riverside through the tide gate was approximately 132,000 ft3; outflow volume to the deep tunnel through the sluice gate was approximately 267,000 ft3. The mass-balance analysis at Evanston indicated a total inflow volume into chamber 3 of approximately 5,970,000 ft3 during April 21-26, 1999. The outflow volume to the North Shore Channel through the tide gates at Evanston was approximately 2,920,000 ft3; outflow volume to the deep tunnel through the sluice gates was approximately 3,050,000 ft3.

Estimating SGD flux in the Pingtung Plain coastal area by using Radon and Radium isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li Chang, Yao; Chieh Su, Chih

2015-04-01

In the past two decades, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been recognized as an important pathway to transport material into coastal area. Our study area is located at Pingtung Plain which is the second largest plain in Taiwan with three major rivers, including Gaoping, Donggang and Linbian Rivers, flow through the plain. The Gaoping River, which has the largest drainage area, flows throughout the central part of the plain. The Pingtung Plain composed by four aquifers in different depths (0, 50, 100, and 200 m) and each layer extends to coastal area. Groundwater is an important water resource for local agriculture and aquaculture. However, the long-term over-pumping induced subsidence problem makes salinization at some coastal area. Some previous studies pointed out the SGD accounts for 80% or more of the mass of freshwater in Fangshan coast, depends on salinity and stable isotopes research. In this study, the radioactive tracers, Radon (222Rn, T1/2=3.8 d) and short-lived Ra isotopes (223Ra, T1/2=11.4 d & 224Ra, T1/2=3.6 d) are used in tracing SGD off the Pingtung Plain. During 2013 to 2014, the terrestrial water samples were collected from Gaoping, Donggang, Linbian Rivers and springs in different seasons. We also conducted two coastal waters cruises by using R/V Ocean Researcher 3 (OR3-1768 and 1799 cruises in May and September 2014). Continuous 222Rn was measured by RAD7 equipped with RAD-AQUA system and large volume (20 L) seawater samples were collected by CTD/Rosette water sampler with Niskin sterile bottles. Water samples were flow through Mn-fiber (flow rate < 1 LPM) to concentrate the Ra isotopes, and counted via RaDeCC system. In spatial variation, our result shows the excess 224Ra in the downstream of Gaoping River (2.39 dpm 100L-1) is higher than upstream (1.09 dpm 100L-1). It indicates the groundwater input may play an important role at the downstream of Gaoping River. For temporal variation, excess 224Ra in the Gaoping River are higher in wet season (May-August) than dry season (Nov-Feb). Furthermore, in some drainage area which groundwater recharged by shallow aquifer, the 222Rn and excess 224Ra will diluted by large rainfall in August. The analysis results from coastal waters shows the activities of radium isotopes in surface water are higher than bottom water. Compare with the data collected from Pingtung Plain, the radon and radium isotopes activities are also higher in wet season (OR3-1799 in Sep 2014). The highest excess 224Ra value (2.90 dpm 100L-1) is located at the offshore of Linbian River and it is much higher than the value in the Linbian River (0.54 dpm 100L-1, salinity 0.2) which collected in August 2014.

Hydrogeologic features of the alluvial deposits in the Nowood River drainage area, Bighorn Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, M.E.; Head, William J.

1979-01-01

In the Nowood River drainage area, Wyoming, the principal deposits comprising the alluvial aquifer include the flood-plain and younger (generally undissected) alluvial-fan deposits and a unique boulder-fan gravel. Other deposits mapped, but virtually nonwater yielding, are the older (dissected) alluvial-fan, pediment, and terrace deposits. Terraces are capped by gravel and form levels at 30-40, 45-100, 120-150, 200-260, and 280-330 feet above the Nowood River. The thickness of the alluvial aquifer indicated from the sparse well-log data and 42 surface resistivity measurements is between 25 and 50 feet along the Nowood River and more than 60 feet along Tensleep and Paint Rock Creeks. The resistivity measurements indicate a buried bedrock ridge below the boulder-fan gravel between Paint Rock and Medicine Lodge Creeks and a buried channel filled by alluvium along Tensleep Creek. Well yields from the alluvial aquifer are estimated to be low. The most favorable areas for ground-water development are from the flood-plain alluvium along Tensleep Creek and from the boulder-fan gravel and adjoining flood-plain alluvium along Paint Rock and Medicine Creeks. Along the Nowood River the flood-plain alluvium, although its yields are small, has the best potential for ground-water development. (Kosco-USGS)

Mid-Holocene hydrology change in the south Taihu area of the Yangtze delta plain, China, and its relationship to the development of Neolithic cultures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, T.; Ryves, D.; Wang, Z.; Lewis, J.

2017-12-01

During the middle Holocene, the hydrological environments in the Taihu Plain, Yangtze Delta, China, varied tremendously under the influence of sea-level and climate change. Simultaneously, several Neolithic cultures, such as, the Majiabang, Songze, and Liangzhu culture, developed in this region. Basing on AMS14C dating, diatom identification, measurements of C-N elements and their stable isotopes of sediments from core DTX4 and DTX10, obtained in the East Tiaoxi Plain, south Taihu plain, we discussed the influence of hydrology changes on the development of Neolithic cultures. The results revealed that the East Tiaoxi River plain was in an estuary (the Palaeo-Taihu Estuary) condition at 7500 cal. yr BP, undergoing elevated in-fill in response to rapid sea-level rise. After 7500 cal. yr BP, low salinity conditions occurred, likely influenced by the Yangtze freshwater evidenced by constant occurrence of Aulacoseira granulata, which implied Yangtze runoff discharged along the channel of Palaeo-incised Taihu valley into the Hangzhou Bay during the middle Holocene. Sea-water penetration interrupted after 7000 cal. yr BP caused by an abrupt sea-level rise. During 6500-5600 cal. yr BP, sea-water retreated gradually, corresponding to the infilling of Palaeo-Taihu Estuary. Combing records from previously studied cores in the Taihu plain, stable freshwater condition (or dry land) established in most area of the Taihu plain after 5600 cal. yr BP due to the closure of the Palaeo-Taihu Estuary. We speculate that the low-salinity marsh started at about 7500-7000 cal. yr BP probably attracted the early Majiabang people to live around the Palaeo-Taihu Estuary. The sea water penetration between 7000-6500 cal. yr BP matches the left of the late Majiabang and the early-middle Songze people lived in the east of the Palaeo-Taihu Estuary, to the north and east of the Taihu Plain. The context of stable freshwater condition (or dry land) in the East Tiaoxi River plain promoted the continuous expansion of the Liangzhu culture (5500 - 4500 cal. yr BP) in the southern Yangtze Delta Plain, by forcing rivers originated from the west uplands and the Yangtze River discharge into the Taihu Plain, supplying sufficient freshwater for rice farming expansion, and by protecting the Taihu Plain from sea-water penetration from the Hangzhou Bay.

Application of remote sensing data to land use and land cover assessment in the Tubarao River coastal plain, Santa Catarina, Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

By means of aerial photography and MSS-LANDSAT data a land use/land cover classification was applied to the Tubarao River coastal plain. The following classes were identified: coal related areas, permanently flooded wetlands, periodically flooded wetlands, agricultural lands, bare soils, water bodies, urban areas, forestlands.

Influences of Relative Sea-Level Rise and Mississippi River Delta Plain Evolution on the Holocene Middle Amite River, Southeastern Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Autin, W.J.

1993-01-01

The Holocene geomorphic history of southeastern Louisiana's middle Amite River is recorded in the stratigraphy of three alloformations, identified in decreasing age as the Watson (WAT), Denham Springs (DS), and Magnolia Bridge (MAG). The WAT meander belt formed by at least 9000 yr B.P., when sea level was lower and the Amite River was tributary to a larger ancestral drainage basin. The DS became an active meander belt by at least 3000 yr B.P., in response to relative sea-level rise and eastward progradation of the Mississippi River delta plain. The MAG developed its meander belt, in part, during the European settlement of the drainage basin, and is now attempting to adjust to modern anthropogenic influences. Geomorphic influences on the middle Amite River floodplain have temporal and spatial components that induce regional- and local-scale effects. Regional extrinsic influences caused meander belt avulsion that produced alloformations. However, local influences produced intrinsic geomorphic thresholds that modified channel morphology within a meander belt but did not induce alloformation development. Base-level influences of the relative sea-level rise and the Mississippi River delta plain were so dominant that the effects of possible climate change were not recognized in the Holocene Amite River system.

Study on ecological regulation of coastal plain sluice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Wengong; Geng, Bing; Yu, Huanfei; Yu, Hongbo

2018-02-01

Coastal plains are densely populated and economically developed, therefore their importance is self-evident. However, there are some problems related with water in coastal plains, such as low flood control capacity and severe water pollution. Due to complicated river network hydrodynamic force, changeable flow direction and uncertain flood concentration and propagation mechanism, it is rather difficult to use sluice scheduling to realize flood control and tackle water pollution. On the base of the measured hydrological data during once-in-a-century Fitow typhoon in 2013 in Yuyao city, by typical analysis, theoretical analysis and process simulation, some key technologies were researched systematically including plain river network sluice ecological scheduling, “one tide” flood control and drainage scheduling and ecological running water scheduling. In the end, single factor health diagnostic evaluation, unit hydrograph of plain water level and evening tide scheduling were put forward.

Late Cenozoic fluvial successions in northern and western India: an overview and synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, R.; Kumar, R.; Sinha, S.; Tandon, S. K.; Gibling, M. R.

2007-11-01

Late Cenozoic fluvial successions are widespread in India. They include the deposits of the Siwalik basin which represent the accumulations of the ancient river systems of the Himalayan foreland basin. Palaeomagnetic studies reveal that fluvial architecture and styles of deposition were controlled by Himalayan tectonics as well as by major climatic fluctuations during the long (∼13 Ma) span of formation. The Indo-Gangetic plains form the world's most extensive Quaternary alluvial plains, and display spatially variable controls on sedimentation: Himalayan tectonics in the frontal parts, climate in the middle reaches, and eustasy in the lower reaches close to the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. Climatic effects were mediated by strong fluctuations in the SW Indian Monsoon, and Himalayan rivers occupy deep valleys in the western Ganga plains where stream power is high, cut in part during early Holocene monsoon intensification; the broad interfluves record the simultaneous aggradation of plains-fed rivers since ∼100 ka. The eastward increase in precipitation across the Ganga Plains results in rivers with low stream power and a very high sediment flux, resulting in an aggradational mode and little incision. The river deposits of semi-arid to arid western India form important archives of Quaternary climate change through their intercalation with the eolian deposits of the Thar Desert. Although the synthesis documents strong variability-both spatial and temporal-in fluvial stratigraphy, climatic events such as the decline in precipitation during the Last Glacial Maximum and monsoon intensification in the early Holocene have influenced fluvial dynamics throughout the region.

Direct connectivity between upstream and downstream promotes rapid response of lower coastal-plain rivers to land-use change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattheus, Christopher R.; Rodriguez, Antonio B.; McKee, Brent A.

2009-10-01

Low-relief fluvial systems that originate in the lower coastal plain and discharge into estuaries are common along passive margins. These watersheds are thought to be disconnected from their termini by floodplains, which buffer the sediment-routing system by sequestration. Here, we present a detailed study of the Newport River, a typical lower coastal-plain system, which reveals high connectivity between watershed and delta. Connectivity is measured as the time lag between initiation of a silviculture operation, which increased landscape erosion, and when the sediment appeared at the bay-head delta. The time lag, measured from aerial photographs and sedimentation rates calculated from 210Pb- and 137Cs-activities in cores from the watershed and delta, is <3 years. Most lower coastal-plain rivers are steeper and have less floodplain accommodation available for storage than their larger counterparts that originate landward of the fall line, which promotes higher connectivity between upstream and downstream.

Integrating channel form and processes in the Gangetic plains rivers: Implications for geomorphic diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, N. G.; Sinha, R.

2018-02-01

Geomorphic diversity at a variety of spatial and temporal scales has been studied in the western Ganga plains (WGP), India, to isolate the dominating factors at each scale that have the potential to cause major geomorphic change. The Ganga River and its major tributaries draining the WGP have been investigated in terms of longitudinal, cross-sectional, and planform morphology to assess the influence of potential controls such as climate, geology, topography, land use, hydrology, and sediment transport. These data were then compared with those from the rivers draining the eastern Ganga plains (EGP) to understand the geomorphic diversity across the Ganga plains and the causal factors. Our investigations suggest that in-channel geomorphic diversity over decadal scale in rivers with low width-to-depth (W/D) ratio is caused by periodic incision/aggradation, but it is driven by channel avulsion in rivers characterized by high W/D ratio. Similarly, planform (reach-scale) parameters such as sinuosity and braid-channel-ratio are influenced by intrinsic factors such as changes in hydrological conditions and morphodynamics (cutoffs, small-scale avulsion) that are in turn impacted by natural and human-induced factors. Finally, we have isolated the climatic and hydrologic effects on the longitudinal profile concavity of alluvial trunk channels in tectonically stable and unstable landscapes. We demonstrate that the rivers flowing through a tectonically stable landscape are graded in nature where higher discharge tends to create more concave longitudinal profiles compared to those in tectonically unstable landscape at 103-year scale.

Hydrology and ecology of the Apalachicola River, Florida : a summary of the river quality assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elder, John F.; Flagg, Sherron D.; Mattraw, Harold C.

1988-01-01

During 1979-81, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a large-scale study of the Apalachicola River in northwest Florida, the largest and one of the most economically important rivers in the State. Termed the Apalachicola River Quality Assessment, the study emphasized interrelations among hydrodynamics, the flood-plain forest, and the nutrient-detritus flow through the river system to the estuary. This report summarizes major findings of the study. Data on accumulation of toxic substances in sediments and benthic organisms in the river were also collected. Because of the multiple uses of the Apalachicola River system, there are many difficult management decisions. The river is a waterway for shipping; hence there is an economic incentive for modification to facilitate movement of barge traffic. Such modifications include the proposed construction of dams, levees, bend easings, and training dikes; ditching and draining in the flood plain; and dredging and snagging in the river channel. The river is also recognized as an important supplier of detritus, nutrients, and freshwater to the Apalachicola Bay, which maintains an economically important shellfish industry. The importance of this input to the bay creates an incentive to keep the river basin in a natural state. Other values, such as timber harvesting, recreation, sport hunting, nature appreciation, and wildlife habitat, add even more to the difficulty of selecting management strategies. Water and nutrient budgets based on data collected during the river assessment study indicate the relative importance of various inputs and outflows in the system. Waterflow is controlled primarily by rainfall in upstream watersheds and is not greatly affected by local precipitation, ground-water exchanges, or evapotranspiration in the basin. On an annual basis, the total nutrient inflow to the system is nearly equal in quantity to total outflow, but there is a difference between inflow and outflow in the chemical and physical forms in which the nutrients are carried. The flood plain tends to be a net importer of soluble inorganic nutrients and a net exporter of particulate organic material. Analysis of long-term records shows that dam construction in the upstream watersheds and at the Apalachicola headwaters has had little effect on the total annual waterflow but has probably suppressed low-flow extremes. Other effects include riverbed degradation and channelization which have to do with alteration of the habitat for aquatic biota and changes in flood-plain vegetation. Whatever management decisions are made should take into account the impact on the natural flooding cycle. Flooding is crucial to the present flood-plain plant community and to the production, decomposition, and transport of organic material from that community. Permanent, substantial changes in the natural flooding cycle would be likely to induce concomitant changes in the flood-plain environment and in the nutrient and detritus yield to the estuary.

Probability of detecting atrazine/desethyl-atrazine and elevated concentrations of nitrate plus nitrate as nitrogen in ground water in the Idaho part of the western Snake River Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donato, Mary M.

2000-01-01

As ground water continues to provide an ever-growing proportion of Idaho?s drinking water, concerns about the quality of that resource are increasing. Pesticides (most commonly, atrazine/desethyl-atrazine, hereafter referred to as atrazine) and nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (hereafter referred to as nitrate) have been detected in many aquifers in the State. To provide a sound hydrogeologic basis for atrazine and nitrate management in southern Idaho—the largest region of land and water use in the State—the U.S. Geological Survey produced maps showing the probability of detecting these contaminants in ground water in the upper Snake River Basin (published in a 1998 report) and the western Snake River Plain (published in this report). The atrazine probability map for the western Snake River Plain was constructed by overlaying ground-water quality data with hydrogeologic and anthropogenic data in a geographic information system (GIS). A data set was produced in which each well had corresponding information on land use, geology, precipitation, soil characteristics, regional depth to ground water, well depth, water level, and atrazine use. These data were analyzed by logistic regression using a statistical software package. Several preliminary multivariate models were developed and those that best predicted the detection of atrazine were selected. The multivariate models then were entered into a GIS and the probability maps were produced. Land use, precipitation, soil hydrologic group, and well depth were significantly correlated with atrazine detections in the western Snake River Plain. These variables also were important in the 1998 probability study of the upper Snake River Basin. The effectiveness of the probability models for atrazine might be improved if more detailed data were available for atrazine application. A preliminary atrazine probability map for the entire Snake River Plain in Idaho, based on a data set representing that region, also was produced. In areas where this map overlaps the 1998 map of the upper Snake River Basin, the two maps show broadly similar probabilities of detecting atrazine. Logistic regression also was used to develop a preliminary statistical model that predicts the probability of detecting elevated nitrate in the western Snake River Plain. A nitrate probability map was produced from this model. Results showed that elevated nitrate concentrations were correlated with land use, soil organic content, well depth, and water level. Detailed information on nitrate input, specifically fertilizer application, might have improved the effectiveness of this model.

Extent and frequency of floods on Delaware River in vicinity of Belvidere, New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farlekas, George M.

1966-01-01

A stream overflowing its banks is a natural phenomenon. This natural phenomenon of flooding has occurred on the Delaware River in the past and will occur in the future. T' o resulting inundation of large areas can cause property damage, business losses and possible loss of life, and may result in emergency costs for protection, rescue, and salvage work. For optimum development of the river valley consistent with the flood risk, an evaluation of flood conditions is necessary. Basic data and the interpretation of the data on the regimen of the streams, particularly the magnitude of floods to be expected, the frequency of their occurrence, and the areas inundated, are essential for planning and development of flood-prone areas.This report presents information relative to the extent, depth, and frequency of floods on the Delaware River and its tributaries in the vicinity of Belvidere, N.J. Flooding on the tributaries detailed in the report pertains only to the effect of backwater from the Delaware River. Data are presented for several past floods with emphasis given to the floods of August 19, 1955 and May 24, 1942. In addition, information is given for a hypothetical flood based on the flood of August 19, 1955 modified by completed (since 1955) and planned flood-control works.By use of relations presented in this report the extent, depth, and frequency of flooding can be estimated for any site along the reach of the Delaware River under study. Flood data and the evaluation of the data are presented so that local and regional agencies, organizations, and individuals may have a technical basis for making decisions on the use of flood-prone areas. The Delaware River Basin Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey regard this program of flood-plain inundation studies as a positive step toward flood-damage prevention. Flood-plain inundation studies, when followed by appropriate land-use regulations, are a valuable and economical supplement to physical works for flood control, such as dams and levees. Both physical works and flood-plain regulations are included in the comprehensive plans for development of the Delaware River basin.Recommendations for land use, or suggestions for limitations of land use, are not made herein. Other reports on recommended general use and regulation of land in flood-prone areas are available (Dola, 1961; White, 1961; American Society of Civil Engineers Task Force on Flood Plain Regulations, 1962; and Goddard, 1963). The primary responsibility for planning for the optimum land use in the flood plain and the implementation of flood-plain zoning or other regulations to achieve such optimum use rest with the state and local interests. The preparation of this report was undertaken after consultation with representatives of the Lehigh-Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania, Joint Planning Commission and the Warren County, New Jersey, Regional Planning Board and after both had demonstrated their need for flood-plain information and their willingness to consider flood-plain regulations.

A new interpretation of deformation rates in the Snake River Plain and adjacent basin and range regions based on GPS measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.J. Payne; R. McCaffrey; R.W. King

2012-04-01

We evaluate horizontal Global Positioning System (GPS) velocities together with geologic, volcanic, and seismic data to interpret extension, shear, and contraction within the Snake River Plain and the Northern Basin and Range Province, U.S.A. We estimate horizontal surface velocities using GPS data collected at 385 sites from 1994 to 2009 and present an updated velocity field within the Stable North American Reference Frame (SNARF). Our results show an ENE-oriented extensional strain rate of 5.9 {+-} 0.7 x 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1} in the Centennial Tectonic belt and an E-oriented extensional strain rate of 6.2 {+-} 0.3 x 10{sup -9} yr{supmore » -1} in the Intermountain Seismic belt combined with the northern Great Basin. These extensional strain rates contrast with the regional north-south contraction of -2.6 {+-} 1.1 x 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1} calculated in the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau over a 125 x 650 km region. Tests that include dike-opening reveal that rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones does not occur in the Snake River Plain at present. This slow internal deformation in the Snake River Plain is in contrast to the rapidly-extending adjacent Basin and Range provinces and implies shear along boundaries of the Snake River Plain. We estimate right-lateral shear with slip rates of 0.5-1.5 mm/yr along the northwestern boundary adjacent to the Centennial Tectonic belt and left-lateral oblique extension with slip rates of <0.5 to 1.7 mm/yr along the southeastern boundary adjacent to the Intermountain Seismic belt. The fastest lateral shearing occurs near the Yellowstone Plateau where strike-slip focal mechanisms and faults with observed strike-slip components of motion are documented. The regional GPS velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic belt, Idaho batholith, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and central Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is driven by extension to the south in the Great Basin and not localized extension in the Basin and Range or Yellowstone hotspot volcanism. We propose that the GPS velocity field reflects the regional deformation pattern since at least 15-12 Ma, with clockwise rotation over the Northern Basin and Range Province consistent with Basin and Range extension initiating 16 Ma. The region modified by hotspot volcanism has a low-strain rate. If we assume the low rate of deformation is reflected in the length of time between eruptions on the order of 10{sup 4} to >10{sup 6} yrs, the low-strain field in the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau would extend through the Quaternary.« less

Occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, Cherokee County, Kansas, 2009--11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, Kyle E.

2013-01-01

Historical mining activity in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), located in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma, has resulted in a substantial ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment. To provide some of the information needed to support remediation efforts in the Cherokee County, Kansas, superfund site, a 4-year study was begun in 2009 by the U.S. Geological Survey that was requested and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A combination of surficial-soil sampling and coring was used to investigate the occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the flood plains of the Spring River and several tributaries within the superfund site. Lead- and zinc-contaminated flood plains are a concern, in part, because they represent a long-term source of contamination to the fluvial environment. Lead and zinc contamination was assessed with reference to probable-effect concentrations (PECs), which represent the concentrations above which adverse aquatic biological effects are likely to occur. The general PECs for lead and zinc were 128 and 459 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. The TSMD-specific PECs for lead and zinc were 150 and 2,083 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. Typically, surficial soils in the Spring River flood plain had lead and zinc concentrations that were less than the general PECs. Lead and zinc concentrations in the surficial-soil samples were variable with distance downstream and with distance from the Spring River channel, and the largest lead and zinc concentrations usually were located near the channel. Lead and zinc concentrations larger than the general or TSMD-specific PECs, or both, were infrequent at depth in the Spring River flood plain. When present, such contamination typically was confined to the upper 2 feet of the core and frequently was confined to the upper 6 inches. Tributaries with few or no lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin—Brush Creek, Cow Creek, and Shawnee Creek—generally had flood-plain lead and zinc concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) that were substantially less than the general PECs. Tributaries with extensive lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin—Shoal Creek, Short Creek, Spring Branch, Tar Creek, Turkey Creek, and Willow Creek—had flood-plain lead concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) that frequently or typically exceeded the general and TSMD-specific PECs. Likewise, the tributaries with extensive lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin had flood-plain zinc concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) that frequently or typically exceeded the general PEC. With the exception of Shoal and Willow Creeks, zinc concentrations typically exceeded the TSMD-specific PEC. The largest flood-plain lead and zinc concentrations (surficial soil, 6- and 12-inch depth) were measured for Short and Tar Creeks. Lead and zinc concentrations in the surficial-soil samples collected from the tributary flood plains varied longitudinally in relation to sources of mining-contaminated sediment in the basins. Lead and zinc concentrations also varied with distance from the channel; however, no consistent spatial trend was evident. For the surficial-soil samples collected from the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, both the coarse (larger than 63 micrometers) and fine particles (less than 63 micrometers) contained substantial lead and zinc concentrations.

Flood-plain areas of the Mississippi River, mile 866.8 to mile 888.0, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlson, George H.; Gue, Lowell C.

1980-01-01

Profiles of the regional flood, 500-year flood, and flood-protection elevation have been developed for a 21-mile reach of the Mississippi River. Areas flooded by the regional flood and by the 500-year flood were delineated by photogrammetric mapping techniques and are shown on seven large-scale map sheets. Over 1,300 acres of flood plain are included in the cities of Anoka, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Dayton, Ramsey and Elk River, and in unincorporated areas of Wright County. The flood-outline maps and flood profiles comprise data needed by local units of government to adopt, enforce, and administer flood-plain management regulations along the Mississippi River throughout the study reach. Streamflow data from two gaging stations provided the basis for definition of the regional and 500-year floods. Cross-section data obtained at 83 locations were used to develop a digital computer model of the river. Flood elevation and discharge data from the 1965 flood provided a basis for adjusting the computer model. Information relating the history of floods, formation of ice jams, and duration of flood elevations at Anoka and at Elk River are included.

High-resolution hydro- and geo-stratigraphy at Atlantic Coastal Plain drillhole CR-622 (Strat 8)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wrege, B.M.; Isely, J.J.

2009-01-01

We interpret borehole geophysical logs in conjunction with lithology developed from continuous core to produce high-resolution hydro- and geo-stratigraphic profiles for the drillhole CR-622 (Strat 8) in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina. The resulting hydrologic and stratigraphic columns show a generalized relation between hydrologic and geologic units. Fresh-water aquifers encountered are the surficial, Yorktown, Pungo River and Castle Hayne. Geologic units present are of the middle and upper Tertiary and Quaternary periods, these are the Castle Hayne (Eocene), Pungo River (Miocene), Yorktown (Pliocene), James City and Flanner Beach (Pleistocene), and the topsoil (Holocene). The River Bend Formation (Oligocene) is missing as a distinct unit between the Pungo River Formation and the Castle Hayne Formation. The confining unit underlying the Yorktown Aquifer corresponds to the Yorktown Geologic Unit. The remaining hydrologic units and geologic units are hydrologically transitional and non-coincident. The lower Pungo River Formation serves as the confining unit for the Castle Hayne Aquifer, rather than the River Bend Aquifer, and separates the Pungo River Aquifer from the upper Castle Hayne Aquifer. All geologic formations were bound by unconformities. All aquifers were confined by the anticipated hydrologic units. We conclude that CR-622 (Strat 8) represents a normal sequence in the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

PAHs and PCBs deposited in surficial sediments along a rural to urban transect in a mid-Atlantic coastal river basin (USA).

PubMed

Foster, Gregory D; Cui, Vickie

2008-10-01

PAHs and PCBs were measured in river sediments along a 226 km longitudinal transect that spanned rural to urban land use settings through Valley and Ridge, Piedmont Plateau and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces in the Potomac River basin (mid-Atlantic USA). A gradient in PAH concentrations was found in river bed sediments along the upstream transect in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers that correlated with population densities in the nearby sub-basins. Sediment PAH concentrations halved per each approximately 40 km of transect distance upstream (i.e., the half-concentration distance) from the urban center (Washington, DC) of the Potomac River basin in direct proportion to population density. The PAH molecular composition was consistent across all geologic provinces, revealing a dominant pyrogenic source. Fluoranthene to perylene ratios served as useful markers for urban inputs, with a ratio > 2.4 observed in sediments near urban structures such as roadways, bridges and sewer outfalls. PCBs in sediments were not well correlated with population densities along the river basin transect, but the highest concentrations were found in the urban Coastal Plain region near Washington, DC and in the Shenandoah River near a known industrial Superfund site. PAHs were moderately correlated with sediment total organic carbon (TOC) in the Shenandoah River and Coastal Plain Potomac River regions, but TOC was poorly correlated with PCB concentrations throughout the entire basin. Although both PAHs and PCBs are widely recognized as urban-derived contaminants, their concentration profiles and geochemistry in river sediments were uniquely different throughout the upper Potomac River basin.

Bromus tectorum expansion and biodiversity loss on the Snake River Plain, southern Idaho, USA

Treesearch

N. L. Shaw; V. A. Saab; S. B. Monsen; T. D. Rich

1999-01-01

The Snake River Plain forms a 6 million ha arc-shaped depression across southern Idaho. Basalt flows, fresh water sediments, loess and volcanic deposits cover its surface. Elevation increases eastward from 650 to 2,150 m altitude. Climate is semi-arid with annual precipitation ranging from 150 to 400 mm, arriving primarily in winter and spring. Native shrub steppe...

Response surfaces of vulnerability to climate change: The Colorado River Basin, the High Plains, and California

Treesearch

Romano Foti; Jorge A. Ramirez; Thomas C. Brown

2014-01-01

We quantify the vulnerability of water supply to shortage for the Colorado River Basin and basins of the High Plains and California and assess the sensitivity of their water supply system to future changes in the statistical variability of supply and demand. We do so for current conditions and future socio-economic scenarios within a probabilistic framework that...

Deformation Rates in the Snake River Plain and Adjacent Basin and Range Regions Based on GPS Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, S. J.; McCaffrey, R.; King, R. W.; Kattenhorn, S. A.

2012-12-01

We estimate horizontal velocities for 405 sites using Global Positioning System (GPS) phase data collected from 1994 to 2010 within the Northern Basin and Range Province, U.S.A. The velocities reveal a slowly-deforming region within the Snake River Plain in Idaho and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau in Oregon separated from the actively extending adjacent Basin and Range regions by shear. Our results show a NE-oriented extensional strain rate of 5.6 ± 0.7 nanostrain/yr in the Centennial Tectonic Belt and an ~E-oriented extensional strain rate of 3.5 ± 0.2 nanostrain/yr in the Great Basin. These extensional rates contrast with the very low strain rate within the 125 km x 650 km region of the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau which is not distinguishable from zero (-0.1 ± 0.4 x nanostrain/yr). Inversions of Snake River Plain velocities with dike-opening models indicate that rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones, as previously hypothesized, is not currently occurring. GPS data also disclose that rapid extension in the surrounding regions adjacent to the slowly-deforming region of the Snake River Plain drives shear between them. We estimate right-lateral shear with slip rates of 0.3-1.5 mm/yr along the northwestern boundary adjacent to the Centennial Tectonic Belt and left-lateral oblique extension with slip rates of 0.5-1.5 mm/yr along the southeastern boundary adjacent to the Intermountain Seismic Belt. The fastest lateral shearing evident in the GPS occurs near the Yellowstone Plateau where earthquakes with right-lateral strike-slip focal mechanisms are within a NE-trending zone of seismicity. The regional velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic Belt, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and eastern Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is not locally driven by Yellowstone hotspot volcanism, but instead by extension to the south across the Wasatch fault possibly due to gravitational collapse and by shear in the Walker Lane belt resulting from Pacific - Northern America relative plate motion.

Nitrogen dynamics in the tidal freshwater Potomac River, Maryland and Virginia, water years 1979-81

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shultz, David J.

1989-01-01

On an annual basis, river-supplied nitrate is the predominant form of nitrogen supplied to the tidal Potomac River from external sources. Much of the nitrate is associated with high flows that have rapid transit times through the tidal river. The Blue Plains Sewage-Treatment Plant (STP) at Washington, D.C., is the greatest source of all nitrogen species during low-flow periods. Prior to the fall of 1980, ammonia concentrations in depth-integrated, composited water samples were greatest (more than 1.00 mg/L (milligram per liter) as nitrogen) during summer periods near Alexandria, Va., because of loading from the nearby Blue Plains STP and reduced river discharge. After the fall of 1980, initiation of advanced wastewater treatment at the Blue Plains STP reduced ammonia loading to the river by 90 percent and increased nitrate loading by a similar percentage. As a result, concentrations of ammonia during the 1981 low-flow period were less than 0.20 mg/L as nitrogen at Alexandria, while nitrate concentrations were greater than 1.50 mg/L as nitrogen. Concentrations of ammonia and nitrate at Alexandria were shown to be reasonably predictable by use of a simple dilution model that considers only loading from Chain Bridge and the Blue Plains STP. This apparently is the result of the short residence time through the Chain Bridge-to-Alexandria section of the tidal Potomac River, which precludes significant biological alterations. In marked contrast, the residence times of water parcels in the tidal Potomac River from Alexandria to Quantico, Va., are much greater because of the geometry of the reach. Biological nitrogen-cycle transformation processes affect nitrogen-species concentrations to a greater extent in this reach, especially during summer low-flow periods. Mass-balance calculations that separate changes in transport mass from biological transformations indicatethat the tidal Potomac River was a net sink for all the nitrogen constituents during the 1980 and 1981 summer low-flow periods. However, during the 1980-81 winter period, some ammonia and nitrate was transported out of the tidal Potomac River into the transition zone. Despite the reduced availability of ammonia, nitrogen-15 uptake studies showed that phytoplankton preferred ammonia to nitrate unless ammonia concentrations were less than 0.10 mg/L as nitrogen. Nitrification-rate studies during 1981 using a carbon-14 uptake technique indicate that rates did not vary with sample location, except for one sample from the head of the tidal river, where the rates were much higher. The numbers of Nitrobacter bacteria were highest in samples from near the Blue Plains STP and were greater than the numbers of Nitrosomonas bacteria. The predominance of Nitrobacter bacteria seemed to be associated with advanced wastewater treatment at the Blue Plains STP. Before advanced wastewater treatment, Nitrosomonas were numerically predominant and had the largest numbers near the Blue Plains STP. These results could be due to (1) loading of nitrifying bacteria in the Blue Plains sewage effluent that had been inhibited from further growth by an inhibitory substance or (2) the method used to measure nitrification rates, which measured only the ammonia oxidation stage; it is not possible to reject either mechanism on the basis of the data available. Process models were used in conjunction with mass-balance determinations and individual process studies to estimate rates of processes that were not directly measured. It is estimated that denitrification removed 10 times as much nitrate from the water column during the summer of 1981 as during the summer of 1980. Sedimentation of particulate nitrogen is estimated to be the largest sink for nitrogen from the water column and was approximately equal to the external annual loading of all nitrogen constituents on a daily basis. In summer, when river flows usually are low, the tidal Potomac River appears to be a partially closed system rather tha

Crustal deformation of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain volcano-tectonic system-Campaign and continuous GPS observations, 1987-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puskas, C.M.; Smith, R.B.; Meertens, Charles M.; Chang, W. L.

2007-01-01

The Yellowstone-Snake River Plain tectonomagmatic province resulted from Late Tertiary volcanism in western North America, producing three large, caldera-forming eruptions at the Yellowstone Plateau in the last 2 Myr. To understand the kinematics and geodynamics of this volcanic system, the University of Utah conducted seven GPS campaigns at 140 sites between 1987 and 2003 and installed a network of 15 permanent stations. GPS deployments focused on the Yellowstone caldera, the Hebgen Lake and Teton faults, and the eastern Snake River Plain. The GPS data revealed periods of uplift and subsidence of the Yellowstone caldera at rates up to 15 mm/yr. From 1987 to 1995, the caldera subsided and contracted, implying volume loss. From 1995 to 2000, deformation shifted to inflation and extension northwest of the caldera. From 2000 to 2003, uplift continued to the northwest while caldera subsidence was renewed. The GPS observations also revealed extension across the Hebgen Lake fault and fault-normal contraction across the Teton fault. Deformation rates of the Yellowstone caldera and Hebgen Lake fault were converted to equivalent total moment rates, which exceeded historic seismic moment release and late Quaternary fault slip-derived moment release by an order of magnitude. The Yellowstone caldera deformation trends were superimposed on regional southwest extension of the Yellowstone Plateau at up to 4.3 ± 0.2 mm/yr, while the eastern Snake River Plain moved southwest as a slower rate at 2.1 ± 0.2 mm/yr. This southwest extension of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain system merged into east-west extension of the Basin-Range province. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Constraints on mantle melt geometries from body wave attenuation in the Salton Trough and Snake River Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrnes, J. S.; Bezada, M.

2017-12-01

Melt can be retained in the mantle at triple junctions between grain boundaries, be spread in thin films along two-grain boundaries, or be organized by shear into elongate melt-rich bands. Which of these geometries is most prevalent is unknown. This ambiguity makes the interpretation of anomalous seismic velocities and quality factors difficult, since different geometries would result in different mechanical effects. Here, we compare observations of seismic attenuation beneath the Salton Trough and the Snake River Plain; two regions where the presence of melt has been inferred. The results suggest that seismic attenuation is diagnostic of melt geometry. We measure the relative attenuation of P waves from deep focus earthquakes using a time-domain method. Even though the two regions are underlain by comparably strong low-velocity anomalies, their attenuation signature is very different. The upper mantle beneath the Salton Trough is sufficiently attenuating that the presence of melt must lower Qp, while attenuation beneath the Snake River Plain is not anomalous with respect to surrounding regions. These seemingly contradictory results can be reconciled if different melt geometries characterize each region. SKS splitting from the Salton Trough suggests that melt is organized into melt-rich bands, while this is not the case for the Snake River Plain. We infer that beneath the Snake River Plain melt is retained at triple junctions between grain boundaries, a geometry that is not predicted to cause seismic attenuation. More elongate geometries beneath the Salton Trough may cause seismic attenuation via the melt-squirt mechanism. In light of these results, we conclude that prior observations of low seismic velocities with somewhat high quality factors beneath the East Pacific Rise and Southern California suggest that melt does not organize into elongate bands across much of the asthenosphere.

Modeling Storm Water Runoff and Soil Interflow in a Managed Forest, Upper Coastal Plain of the Southeast US.

Treesearch

T.J. Callahan; J.D. Cook; Mark D. Coleman; Devendra M. Amatya; Carl C. Trettin

2004-01-01

The Forest Service-Savannah River is conducting a hectare-scale monitoring and modeling study on forest productivity in a Short Rotation Woody Crop plantation at the Savannah River Site, which is on Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Detailed surveys, i.e., topography, soils, vegetation, and dainage network, of small (2-5 ha) plots have been completed in a 2 square...

Geomorphology and flood-plain vegetation of the Sprague and lower Sycan Rivers, Klamath Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connor, James E.; McDowell, Patricia F.; Lind, Pollyanna; Rasmussen, Christine G.; Keith, Mackenzie K.

2015-01-01

Despite these effects of human disturbances, many of the fundamental physical processes forming the Sprague River fluvial systems over the last several thousand years still function. In particular, flows are unregulated, sediment transport processes are active, and overbank flooding allows for floodplain deposition and erosion. Therefore, restoration of many of the native physical conditions and processes is possible without substantial physical manipulation of current conditions for much of the Sprague River study area. An exception is the South Fork Sprague River, where historical trends are not likely to reverse until it attains a more natural channel and flood-plain geometry and the channel aggrades to the extent that overbank flow becomes common.

Geomorphology of the lower Copper River, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, T.P.

1996-01-01

The Copper River, located in southcentral Alaska, drains an area of more than 24,000 square miles. About 30 miles above its mouth, this large river enters Miles Lake, a proglacial lake formed by the retreat of Miles Glacier. Downstream from the outlet of Miles Lake, the Copper River flows past the face of Childs Glacier before it enters a large, broad, alluvial flood plain. The Copper River Highway traverses this flood plain and in 1996, 11 bridges were located along this section of the highway. These bridges cross parts or all of the Copper River and in recent years, some of these bridges have sustained serious damage due to the changing course of the Copper River. Although the annual mean discharge of the lower Copper River is 57,400 cubic feet per second, most of the flow occurs during the summer months from snowmelt, rainfall, and glacial melt. Approximately every six years, an outburst flood from Van Cleve Lake, a glacier-dammed lake formed by Miles Glacier, releases approximately 1 million acre-feet of water into the Copper River. At the peak outflow rate from Van Cleve Lake, the flow of the Copper River will increase an additional 140,000 and 190,000 cubic feet per second. Bedload sampling and continuous seismic reflection were used to show that Miles Lake traps virtually all the bedload being transported by the Copper River as it enters the lake from the north. The reservoir-like effect of Miles Lake results in the armoring of the channel of the Copper River downstream from Miles Lakes, past Childs Glacier, until it reaches the alluvial flood plain. At this point, bedload transport begins again. The lower Copper River transports 69 million tons per year of suspended sediment, approximately the same quantity as the Yukon River, which drains an area of more than 300,000 square miles. By correlating concurrent flows from a long-term streamflow- gaging station on the Copper River with a short-term streamflow-gaging station at the outlet of Miles Lake, long-term flow characteristics of the lower Copper River were synthesized. Historical discharge and cross-section data indicate that as late as 1970, most of the flow of the lower Copper River was through the first three bridges of the Copper River Highway as it begins to traverse the alluvial flood plain. In the mid 1980's, a percentage of the flow had shifted away from these three bridges and in 1995, only 51 percent of the flow of the Copper River passed through them. Eight different years of aerial photography of the lower Copper River were analyzed using Geographical Information System techniques. This analysis indicated that no major channel changes were caused by the 1964 earthquake. A flood in 1981 that had a recurrence interval of more than 100 years caused significant channel changes in the lower Copper River. A probability analysis of the lower Copper River indicated stable areas and the long-term locations of channels. By knowing the number of times a particular area has been occupied by water and the last year an area was occupied by water, areas of instability can be located. A Markov analysis of the lower Copper River indicated that the tendency of the flood plain is to remain in its current state. Large floods of the magnitude of the 1981 event are believed to be the cause of major changes in the lower Copper River.

Geomorphology of the lower Copper River, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, Timothy P.

1997-01-01

The Copper River, located in southcentral Alaska, drains an area of more than 24,000 square miles. About 30 miles above its mouth, this large river enters Miles Lake, a proglacial lake formed by the retreat of Miles Glacier. Downstream from the outlet of Miles Lake, the Copper River flows past the face of Childs Glacier before it enters a large, broad, alluvial flood plain. The Copper River Highway traverses this flood plain and in 1995, 11 bridges were located along this section of the highway. These bridges cross parts of the Copper River and in recent years, some of these bridges have sustained serious damage due to the changing course of the Copper River. Although the annual mean discharge of the lower Copper River is 57,400 cubic feet per second, most of the flow occurs during the summer months from snowmelt, rainfall, and glacial melt. Approximately every six years, an outburst flood from Van Cleve Lake, a glacier-dammed lake formed by Miles Glacier, releases approximately 1 million acre-feet of water into the Copper River. When the outflow rate from Van Cleve Lake reaches it peak, the flow of the Copper River will increase between 150,000 to 190,000 cubic feet per second. Data collected by bedload sampling and continuous seismic reflection indicated that Miles Lake traps virtually all the bedload being transported by the Copper River as it enters the lake from the north. The reservoir-like effect of Miles Lake results in the armoring of the channel of the Copper River downstream from Miles Lake, past Childs Glacier, until it reaches the alluvial flood plain. At this point, bedload transport begins again. The lower Copper River transports 69 million tons per year of suspended sediment, approximately the same quantity as the Yukon River, which drains an area of more than 300,000 square miles. By correlating concurrent flows from a long-term streamflow-gaging station on the Copper River with a short-term streamflow-gaging station at the outlet of Miles Lake, long-term flow characteristics of the lower Copper River were synthesized. Historical discharge and cross-section data indicate that as late as 1970, most of the flow of the lower Copper River was through the first three bridges of the Copper River Highway as it begins to traverse the alluvial flood plain. In the mid 1980's, a percentage of the flow had shifted away from these three bridges and in 1995, only 51 percent of the flow of the Copper River passed through them. Eight different years of aerial photography of the lower Copper River were analyzed using Geographical Information System techniques. This analysis indicated that no major channel changes were caused by the 1964 earthquake. However, a flood in 1981 that had a recurrence interval of more than 100 years caused significant channel changes in the lower Copper River. A probability analysis of the lower Copper River indicated stable areas and the long-term locations of channels. By knowing the number of times a particular area has been occupied by water and the last year an area was occupied by water, areas of instability can be located. A Markov analysis of the lower Copper River indicated that the tendency of the flood plain is to remain in its current state. Large floods of the magnitude of the 1981 event are believed to be the cause of major changes in the lower Copper River.

Relations Among River Stage, Rainfall, Ground-Water Levels, and Stage at Two Missouri River Flood-Plain Wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, Brian P.

2001-01-01

The source of water is important to the ecological function of Missouri River flood-plain wetlands. There are four potential sources of water to flood-plain wetlands: direct flow from the river channel during high river stage, ground-water movement into the wetlands in response to river-stage changes and aquifer recharge, direct precipitation, and runoff from surrounding uplands. Concurrent measurements of river stage, rainfall, ground-water level, and wetland stage were compared for two Missouri River flood-plain wetlands located near Rocheport, Missouri, to characterize the spatial and temporal relations between river stage, rainfall, ground-water levels and wetland stage, determine the source of water to each wetland, and compare measured and estimated stage and ground-water levels at each site. The two sites chosen for this study were wetland NC-5, a non-connected, 50 feet deep scour constantly filled with water, formed during the flood of 1993, and wetland TC-1, a shallow, temporary wetland intermittently filled with water. Because these two wetlands bracket a range of wetland types of the Missouri River flood plain, the responses of other Missouri River wetlands to changes in river stage, rainfall, and runoff should be similar to the responses exhibited by wetlands NC-5 and TC-1. For wetlands deep enough to intersect the ground-water table in the alluvial aquifer, such as wetland NC-5, the ground-water response factor can estimate flood-plain wetland stage changes in response to known river-stage changes. Measured maximum stage and ground-water-level changes at NC-5 fall within the range of estimated changes using the ground-water response factor. Measured maximum ground-water-level changes at TC-1 are similar to, but consistently greater than the estimated values, and are most likely the result of alluvial deposits with higher than average hydraulic conductivity located between wetland TC-1 and the Missouri River. Similarity between ground-water level and stage hydrography at wetland NC-5 indicate that ground-water-level fluctuations caused by river-stage changes control the stage of wetland NC-5. A 2-day lag time exists between river-stage changes and ground water and stage changes at wetland NC-5. The lack of a measurable response of wetland NC-5 stage to rainfall indicate that rainfall is not a large source of water to wetland NC-5. Stage in wetland TC-1 only increased at high river stage in June and July 1999, and from runoff caused by local rainfall during the winter. The 2-day lag time between peak stages at wetland TC-1 and peak Missouri River stages compared to the 1-day lag time between Missouri River stage and ground-water peaks at wetland TC-1 indicates ground-water flow does not directly affect wetland stage at TC-1, but surface-water flow does affect wetland stage at TC-1 during high river stage. Comparing wetland TC-1 stage to potential water sources indicates the most likely explanation for the rise in stage at wetland TC-1 is surface runoff supplied via seepage through the levees and upward flow of ground water through alluvial deposits of higher hydraulic conductivity during high river stage. The rate of decrease in wetland TC-1 stage was limited by the rate at which ground-water level decreased. Stage response to rainfall at wetland TC-1 during the winter months and no response to greater rainfall amounts during spring and summer months indicate that evapotranspiration may limit the affect of rainfall on stage at wetland TC-1 during the growing season.

ECALS: loading studies interim report July 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klymus, Katy E.; Richter, Catherine A.; Chapman, Duane C.; Paukert, Craig P.

2013-01-01

Since the initial detection of Asian carp moving up the Mississippi Basin, the potential for invasion of the Great Lakes by Silver Carp and Bighead Carp has been a major concern to stakeholders. To combat this problem, sampling for environmental DNA (eDNA) is used to monitor the waterways near Lake Michigan. This monitoring area includes the Chicago Area Waterways System (CAWS) and the Des Plaines River. By sampling waters that may be inhabited by Asian carp, the extraction and amplification of carp DNA from the collected cellular debris is possible. This technique has been successfully used in several other contexts (Ficetola et al., 2008; Foote et al., 2008) and is believed to be a highly sensitive method for species detection (Dejean et al., 2012). Compared to traditional methods for surveying aquatic invasive species (fishing, rotenone application, and electrofishing), the increased sensitivity of this method could be a valuable asset. Early detection could lead to a more rapid response to the threat of a Great Lakes invasion by Asian carp.

Characterizing groundwater/surface-water interactions in the interior of Jianghan Plain, central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Yao; Ma, Teng; Deng, Yamin; Shen, Shuai; Lu, Zongjie

2018-06-01

Quantifying groundwater/surface-water interactions is essential for managing water resources and revealing contaminant fate. There has been little concern on the exchange between streams and aquifers through an extensive aquitard thus far. In this study, hydrogeologic calculation and tritium modeling were jointly applied to characterize such interactions through an extensive aquitard in the interior of Jianghan Plain, an alluvial plain of Yangtze River, China. One groundwater simulation suggested that the lateral distance of influence from the river was about 1,000 m; vertical flow in the aquitard followed by lateral flow in the aquifer contributed significantly more ( 90%) to the aquifer head change near the river than lateral bank storage in the aquitard followed by infiltration. The hydrogeologic calculation produced vertical fluxes of the order 0.01 m/day both near and farther from the river, suggesting that similar shorter-lived (half-monthly) vertical fluxes occur between the river and aquitard near the river, and between the surface end members and aquitard farther from the river. Tritium simulation based on the OTIS model produced an average groundwater residence time of about 15 years near the river and a resulting vertical flux of the order 0.001 m/day. Another tritium simulation based on a dispersion model produced a vertical flux of the order 0.0001 m/day away from the river, coupled with an average residence time of around 90 years. These results suggest an order of magnitude difference for the longer-lived (decadal) vertical fluxes between surface waters and the aquifer near and away from the river.

Characterizing groundwater/surface-water interactions in the interior of Jianghan Plain, central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Yao; Ma, Teng; Deng, Yamin; Shen, Shuai; Lu, Zongjie

2018-01-01

Quantifying groundwater/surface-water interactions is essential for managing water resources and revealing contaminant fate. There has been little concern on the exchange between streams and aquifers through an extensive aquitard thus far. In this study, hydrogeologic calculation and tritium modeling were jointly applied to characterize such interactions through an extensive aquitard in the interior of Jianghan Plain, an alluvial plain of Yangtze River, China. One groundwater simulation suggested that the lateral distance of influence from the river was about 1,000 m; vertical flow in the aquitard followed by lateral flow in the aquifer contributed significantly more ( 90%) to the aquifer head change near the river than lateral bank storage in the aquitard followed by infiltration. The hydrogeologic calculation produced vertical fluxes of the order 0.01 m/day both near and farther from the river, suggesting that similar shorter-lived (half-monthly) vertical fluxes occur between the river and aquitard near the river, and between the surface end members and aquitard farther from the river. Tritium simulation based on the OTIS model produced an average groundwater residence time of about 15 years near the river and a resulting vertical flux of the order 0.001 m/day. Another tritium simulation based on a dispersion model produced a vertical flux of the order 0.0001 m/day away from the river, coupled with an average residence time of around 90 years. These results suggest an order of magnitude difference for the longer-lived (decadal) vertical fluxes between surface waters and the aquifer near and away from the river.

Monitoring of stage and velocity, for computation of discharge in the Summit Conduit near Summit, Illinois, 2010-2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Kevin K.; Goodwin, Greg E.

2013-01-01

Lake Michigan diversion accounting is the process used by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to quantify the amount of water that is diverted from the Lake Michigan watershed into the Illinois and Mississippi River Basins. A network of streamgages within the Chicago area waterway system monitor tributary river flows and the major river flow on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont as one of the instrumental tools used for Lake Michigan diversion accounting. The mean annual discharges recorded by these streamgages are used as additions or deductions to the mean annual discharge recorded by the main stream gaging station currently used in the Lake Michigan diversion accounting process, which is the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois (station number 05536890). A new stream gaging station, Summit Conduit near Summit, Illinois (station number 414757087490401), was installed on September 23, 2010, for the purpose of monitoring stage, velocity, and discharge through the Summit Conduit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in accordance with Lake Michigan diversion accounting. Summit Conduit conveys flow from a small part of the lower Des Plaines River watershed underneath the Des Plaines River directly into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Because the Summit Conduit discharges into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal upstream from the stream gaging station at Lemont, Illinois, but does not contain flow diverted from the Lake Michigan watershed, it is considered a flow deduction to the discharge measured by the Lemont stream gaging station in the Lake Michigan diversion accounting process. This report offers a technical summary of the techniques and methods used for the collection and computation of the stage, velocity, and discharge data at the Summit Conduit near Summit, Illinois stream gaging station for the 2011 and 2012 Water Years. The stream gaging station Summit Conduit near Summit, Illinois (station number 414757087490401) is an example of a nonstandard stream gage. Traditional methods of equating stage to discharge historically were not effective. Examples of the nonstandard conditions include the converging tributary flows directly upstream of the gage; the trash rack and walkway near the opening of the conduit introducing turbulence and occasionally entraining air bubbles into the flow; debris within the conduit creating conditions of variable backwater and the constant influx of smaller debris that escapes the trash rack and catches or settles in the conduit and on the equipment. An acoustic Doppler velocity meter was installed to measure stage and velocity to compute discharge. The stage is used to calculate area based the stage-area rating. The index-velocity from the acoustic Doppler velocity meter is applied to the velocity-velocity rating and the product of the two rated values is a rated discharge by the index-velocity method. Nonstandard site conditions prevalent at the Summit Conduit stream gaging station generally are overcome through the index-velocity method. Despite the difficulties in gaging and measurements, improvements continue to be made in data collection, transmission, and measurements. Efforts to improve the site and to improve the ratings continue to improve the quality and quantity of the data available for Lake Michigan diversion accounting.

Backwater at bridges and densely wooded flood plains, west fork Amite River near Liberty, Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colson, B.E.; Ming, C.O.; Arcement, George J.

1979-01-01

Floodflow data that will provide a base for evaluating digital models relating to open-channel flow were obtained at 22 sites on streams in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Thirty-five floods were measured. Analysis of the data indicated methods currently in use would be inaccurate where densely vegetated flood plains are crossed by highway embankments and single-opening bridges. This atlas presents flood information at the site on West Fork Amite River near Liberty, MS. Water depths , velocities, and discharges through bridge openings on West Fork Amite River near Liberty, MS for floods of December 6, 1971 , and March 25, 1973, are shown, together with peak water-surface elevations along embankments and along cross sections. Manning 's roughness coefficient values in different parts of the flood plain are shown on maps, and flood-frequency relations are shown on a graph. (USGS).

The quality of our Nation's waters: groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain basin-fill and basaltic-rock aquifers and the Hawaiian volcanic-rock aquifers, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii, 1993-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rupert, Michael G.; Hunt, Charles D.; Skinner, Kenneth D.; Frans, Lonna M.; Mahler, Barbara J.

2015-01-01

The Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Hawaii are large volcanic areas in the western United States and mid-Pacific ocean that contain extensive regional aquifers of a hard, gray, volcanic rock called basalt. Residents of the Columbia Plateau, the Snake River Plain, and the island of Oahu depend on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. Although the depth to the water table can be several hundred feet, the groundwater is highly vulnerable to contamination because the permeable sediments and rocks allow contaminants to move readily down to the water table. Intense agricultural and urban activities occur above the drinking-water supply and are increasing in some areas. Contaminants, such as nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds, associated with agricultural and urban activities, have adversely affected groundwater quality.

Project plan-Surficial geologic mapping and hydrogeologic framework studies in the Greater Platte River Basins (Central Great Plains) in support of ecosystem and climate change research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berry, Margaret E.; Lundstrom, Scott C.; Slate, Janet L.; Muhs, Daniel R.; Sawyer, David A.; VanSistine, D. Paco

2011-01-01

The Greater Platte River Basin area spans a central part of the Midcontinent and Great Plains from the Rocky Mountains on the west to the Missouri River on the east, and is defined to include drainage areas of the Platte, Niobrara, and Republican Rivers, the Rainwater Basin, and other adjoining areas overlying the northern High Plains aquifer. The Greater Platte River Basin contains abundant surficial deposits that were sensitive to, or are reflective of, the climate under which they formed: deposits from multiple glaciations in the mountain headwaters of the North and South Platte Rivers and from continental ice sheets in eastern Nebraska; fluvial terraces (ranging from Tertiary to Holocene in age) along the rivers and streams; vast areas of eolian sand in the Nebraska Sand Hills and other dune fields (recording multiple episodes of dune activity); thick sequences of windblown silt (loess); and sediment deposited in numerous lakes and wetlands. In addition, the Greater Platte River Basin overlies and contributes surface water to the High Plains aquifer, a nationally important groundwater system that underlies parts of eight states and sustains one of the major agricultural areas of the United States. The area also provides critical nesting habitat for birds such as plovers and terns, and roosting habitat for cranes and other migratory birds that travel through the Central Flyway of North America. This broad area, containing fragile ecosystems that could be further threatened by changes in climate and land use, has been identified by the USGS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a region where intensive collaborative research could lead to a better understanding of climate change and what might be done to adapt to or mitigate its adverse effects to ecosystems and to humans. The need for robust data on the geologic framework of ecosystems in the Greater Platte River Basin has been acknowledged in proceedings from the 2008 Climate Change Workshop and in draft reports by researchers developing a multidisciplinary science plan for the Greater Platte River Basin.

Suspended-sediment and fresh-water discharges in the Ob and Yenisey rivers, 1960-1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meade, R.H.; Bobrovitskaya, N.N.; Babkin, V.I.

2000-01-01

Of the world's great rivers, the Ob and Yenisey rank among the largest suppliers of fresh water and among the smallest suppliers of suspended sediment to the coastal ocean. Sediment in the middle reaches of the rivers is mobilized from bordering terraces and exchanged between channels and flood plains. Sediment in the lower reaches of these great rivers is deposited and stored (permanently, on a millennial time scale) in flood plains. Sediment discharges, already small under natural conditions, are diminished further by large manmade reservoirs that trap significant proportions of the moving solids. The long winter freeze and sudden spring breakup impose a peakedness in seasonal water runoff and sediment discharge that contrasts markedly with that in rivers of the tropics and more temperate climates. Very little sediment from the Ob and Yenisey rivers is being transported to the open waters of the Arctic Ocean under present conditions.

Potentiometric-surface map of water in the Judith River Formation in the Northern Great Plains area of Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levings, Gary W.

1982-01-01

The potentiometric surface of the Judith River Formation is mapped at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The map is one of a series produced as part of a regional study of aquifers of Cenozoic and Mesozoic age in the northern Great Plains of Montana. The contour interval is 200 feet. Water in the Judith River Formation occurs under water-table and artesian conditions. The direction of regional ground-water movement is from west to east. Water is discharged from the Judith River Formation to the Milk River from near Havre, Montana, to Malta and to the Missouri River south of the Bearpaw and Little Rocky Mountains. The average discharge from 236 wells is about 10 gallons per minute, and the specific capacity of 186 wells averages 0.66 gallon per minute per foot of drawdown. (USGS)

Historic changes in fish assemblage structure in midwestern nonwadeable rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parks, Timothy P.; Quist, Michael C.; Pierce, Clay L.

2014-01-01

Historical change in fish assemblage structure was evaluated in the mainstems of the Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar, Wapsipinicon, and Maquoketa rivers, in Iowa. Fish occurrence data were compared in each river between historical and recent time periods to characterize temporal changes among 126 species distributions and assess spatiotemporal patterns in faunal similarity. A resampling procedure was used to estimate species occurrences in rivers during each assessment period and changes in species occurrence were summarized. Spatiotemporal shifts in species composition were analyzed at the river and river section scale using cluster analysis, pairwise Jaccard's dissimilarities, and analysis of multivariate beta dispersion. The majority of species exhibited either increases or declines in distribution in all rivers with the exception of several “unknown” or inconclusive trends exhibited by species in the Maquoketa River. Cluster analysis identified temporal patterns of similarity among fish assemblages in the Des Moines, Cedar, and Iowa rivers within the historical and recent assessment period indicating a significant change in species composition. Prominent declines of backwater species with phytophilic spawning strategies contributed to assemblage changes occurring across river systems.

Water resources of the Two Rivers Watershed, Northwestern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maclay, R.W.; Winter, Thomas C.; Pike, G.M.

1967-01-01

It lies in parts of Kittson and Roseau counties and includes the drainage basins of the Two Rivers and Joe River. The flat lake plain which extends 15 to 20 miles east of the Red River of the North is extensively cultivated for small grains and sugar beets. The gently undulating till plain is cultivated largely for small grains and hay. The areas not under cultivation support a forest of poplar with some maple and oak. Oak is the predominate tree on the sandy ridges. The large peat areas are covered with brush and marsh grasslands. Outdoor recreational facilities in the watershed consist principally of the Lake Bronson Park, water-fowl hunting in the extensive marshlands, and deer and small game hunting in the forested areas.

Extent and frequency of inundation of Schuylkill River flood plain from Conshohocken to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alter, A.T.

1966-01-01

Information on flood conditions plays an important part in the development and use of river valleys. This report presents maps, profiles, and flood-frequency relations developed from past flood experience on the Schuylkill River from Conshohocken to Philadelphia, Pa. The maps and profiles are used to define the areal extent and depth of flooding of the August 24, 1933, and August 19, 1955, floods. The flood of October 4, 1869, which is the greatest flood known on the lower Schuylkill River, is presented on the flood profile and on the ten cross sections. The area inundated by the 1869 flood is not defined because insufficient data are available and because hydrologic and hydraulic conditions have undoubtedly changed to such an extent that such a definition would have little present significance. The basic flood data were prepared to aid individuals, organizations, and governmental agencies in making sound decisions for the safe and economical development of the lower Schuylkill River valley. Recommendations for land use, or suggestions for limitations of land use, are not made in this report.The responsibility for planning for the optimum land use in the flood plain and the implementation of flood-plain regulations to achieve such optimum use rests with the State and local interests. The preparation of this report was undertaken after consultation with representatives of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Montgomery County Planning Commission who expressed the need for flood-plain information and their willingness to consider floodplain regulations.The area covered by this report extends downstream along the Schuylkill River from Plymouth Dam in Conshohocken to the mouth of Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia. Flooding along Wissahickon Creek is not included in the report. The reach studied extends from 13.0 miles to 21.0 miles upstream from the river mouth. All river distances used in the report are river miles upstream from the mouth of the Schuylkill River as used by the Corps of Engineer, U.S. Army and by the U.S. Geological Survey (Bogart, 1960, p. 194). For the convenience of users a tabulation of river miles of selected points upstream from the mouth of the Schuylkill River is included at the end of this report (table 1).

Cultural Resources Survey for the Lake Darling-Souris River Project, North Dakota (1982).

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-13

order, of the Sentinel Butte, Tongue River, and Cannonball Formations of the Fort Union Group of the Tertiary System, and the Hell Creek and Fox Hills...epoch domi- nated by a general cultural pattern. Unfortunately, American archaeologists have chosen to mix and match their terms for cultural periods...period as defined by Antevs (1955), the Middle Plains Archaic which matched the early Middle Prehistoric Period of Mulloy, the Late Plains Archaic which

Hydrology, vegetation, and soils of four north Florida River flood plains with an evaluation of state and federal wetland determinations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Light, H.M.; Darst, M.R.; MacLaughlin, M.T.; Sprecher, S.W.

1993-01-01

A study of hydrologic conditions, vegetation, and soils was made in wetland forests of four north Florida streams from 1987 to 1990. The study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation to support State and Federal efforts to improve wetland delineation methodology in flood plains. Plant communities and soils were described and related to topographic position and long-term hydrologic conditions at 10 study plots located on 4 streams. Detailed appendixes give average duration, frequency, and depth of flooding; canopy, subcanopy, and ground-cover vegetation; and taxonomic classification, series, and profile descriptions of soils for each plot. Topographic relief, range in stage, and depth of flooding were greatest on the alluvial flood plain of the Ochlockonee River, the largest of the four streams. Soils were silty in the lower elevations of the flood plain, and tree communities were distinctly different in each topographic zone. The Aucilla River flood plain was dominated by levees and terraces with very few depressions or low backwater areas. Oaks dominated the canopy of both lower and upper terraces of the Aucilla flood plain. Telogia Creek is a blackwater stream that is a major tributary of the Ochlockonee River. Its low, wet flood plain was dominated by Wyssa ogeche (Ogeechee tupelo) trees, had soils with mucky horizons, and was inundated by frequent floods of very short duration. The St. Marks River, a spring-fed stream with high base flow, had the least topographic relief and lowest range in stage of the four streams. St. Marks soils had a higher clay content than the other streams, and limestone bedrock was relatively close to the surface. Wetland determinations of the study plots based on State and Federal regulatory criteria were evaluated. Most State and Federal wetland determinations are based primarily on vegetation and soil characteristics because hydrologic records are usually not available. In this study, plots were located near long-term gaging stations, thus wetland determinations based on plant and soil characteristics could be evaluated at sites where long-term hydrologic conditions were known. Inconsistencies among hydrology, vegetation, and soil determinations were greatest on levee communities of the Ochlockonee and Aucilla River flood plains. Duration of average annual longest flood was almost 2 weeks for both plots. The wetland species list currently used (1991) by the State lacks many ground-cover species common to forested flood plains of north Florida rivers. There were 102 ground-cover species considered upland plants by the State that were present on the nine annually flooded plots of this study. Among them were 34 species that grew in areas continuously flooded for an average of 5 weeks or more each year. Common flood-plain species considered upland plants by the State were: Hypoxis leptocarpa (yellow star-grass), and two woody vines, Brunnichia ovata (ladies' eardrops) and Campsis radicans (trumpet-creeper), which were common in areas flooded continuously for 6 to 9 weeks a year; Sebastiania fruticosa (Sebastian-bush), Chasmanthium laxum (spikegrass), and Panicum dichotomum (panic grass), which typically grew in areas flooded an average of 2 to 3 weeks or more per year; Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine) and Toxicodendron radicans (poison-ivy), usually occurring in areas flooded an average of 1 to 2 weeks a year; and Quercus virginiana (live oak) present most often in areas flooded approximately 1 week a year. Federal wetland regulations (1989) limited wetland jurisdiction to only those areas that are inundated or saturated during the growing season. However, year-round hydrologic records were chosen in this report to describe the influence of hydrology on vegetation, because saturation, inundation, or flowing water can have a variety of both beneficial and adverse effects on flood-plain vegetation at any time of the

Cooper River Rediversion Project. Lake Moultrie and Santee River, South Carolina. Intake and Tailrace Canals.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

0 COM’PLE’t 01 No N’-tcRO~TATIC. ŘLAD F.0Uv4DATlON4 PRevuRr- + L. *I. .;Appko/%C-NH 5. oo *PS f~ ;:.. .~0NlION -FULL 14’lC7, AULIC . WILAD . 7A IL W...Data 3 1 HYDROLOGY Basin Description 4 l Topography 6 2 Stream Characteristics 7 2 Climate 8 2 Precipitation 9 2 Storms of Record 10 3 Runoff and...swampy areas as they reach the Coastal Plain. Slopes of the rivers in the Coastal Plain Province average about 0.6 foot per mile. 6. Climate . The Santee

An Integrated Geophysical and Tectonic Study of the Structure and Evolution of the Crust in the Snake River Plain Region, Pacific Northwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, G. R.; Khatiwada, M.

2016-12-01

The Snake River Plain region in the Pacific Northwest of North America has been the target of a number of recent studies that have revealed further complexities in its structure and tectonic evolution. Based on surface morphology and Late Cenozoic volcanic activity, the Snake River Plain consists of an eastern and western arm (ESRP and WSRP) that are similar in many respects but also quite different in other respects. Thus, its origin, evolution, structural complexities, the role of extension and magmatism in its formation, and the tectonic drivers are still subjects of debate. Numerous seismic studies have specifically focused on the structure of the ESRP and Yellowstone area. However, crustal-scale studies of the WSRP are limited. We added new gravity data to the existing coverage in the WSRP region and undertook a regional, integrated analysis approach that included magnetic, seismic reflection and refraction profiling, receiver function results, geological and geospatial data, and interpreted well logs. Our integrated geophysical modeling focused on the structure of the WSRP. We generated two crustal models across it at locations where the most existing geophysical and geological constraints were available. We observed both differences and similarities in the structure of the WSRP and ESRP. Although, the shallow crustal structures are different, a mid-crustal mafic intrusion is a major source of the high gravity anomaly values. Within the context of recent studies in the surrounding region, the intersection of the two arms of the Snake River Plain emerges as a major element of a complex tectonic intersection that includes the High Lava Plains of eastern Oregon, the Northern Nevada Rift, a southwestern extension of the ESRP into northern Nevada, as well as, faulting and volcanism extending northwestward to connect with the Columbia River Basalts region.

Slab-controlled Tectonomagmatism of the Pacific Northwest: A Holistic view of Columbia River, High Lava Plains, and Snake River Plain/Yellowstone Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, D. E.; Fouch, M. J.; Long, M. D.; Druken, K. A.; Wagner, L. S.; Chen, C.; Carlson, R. W.

2012-12-01

We interpret post-20 Ma tectonomagmatism across the U.S. Pacific Northwest in the context of subduction related processes. While mantle plume models have long enjoyed favor as an explanation for the post 20-Ma magmatism in the region, conceptually their support has hinged almost entirely on two major features: (1) Steens/Columbia River flood basalt volcanism (plume head); and (2) The Snake River Plain/Yellowstone hotspot track (plume tail). Recent work, synthesized in this presentation, suggests that these features are more plausibly the result of mantle dynamical processes driven by southerly truncation of the Farallon/Juan de Fuca subduction zone and slab detachment along the evolving margin of western North America (Long et al., 2012; James et al., 2011). Plate reconstructions indicate that shortening of the subduction zone by the northward migration of the Mendocino triple junction resulted in a significant increase in the rate of trench retreat and slab rollback ca 20 Ma. Both numerical modeling and physical tank experiments in turn predict large-scale mantle upwelling and flow around the southern edge of the rapidly retreating slab, consistent both with the observed Steens/Columbia River flood volcanism and with the strong E-W mantle fabric observed beneath the region of the High Lava Plains of central and eastern Oregon. The High Lava Plains and Snake River Plain time-progressive volcanism began concurrently about 12 Ma, but along highly divergent tracks and characterized by strikingly different upper mantle structure. Crustal and upper mantle structure beneath the High Lava Plains exhibits evidence typical of regional extension; i.e. thin crust, flat and sharp Moho, and an uppermost mantle with low velocities but otherwise largely devoid of significant vertical structure. In contrast, the Snake River Plain exhibits ultra-low mantle velocities to depths of about 180 km along the length of the hotspot track. Seismic images of the upper mantle in the depth range 300-600 km show that a northern segment of the orphaned Farallon plate lies sub-horizontally in the mantle transition zone parallel to and along the length of the SRP. The images also provide evidence for present-day upwelling from the deep upper mantle around the northern edge of the remnant slab beneath SRP as well as around its leading tip beneath Yellowstone. These results, coupled with petrologic and geochemical constraints, provide compelling support for a subduction model that accounts for virtually all post-20 Ma Cenozoic volcanism and structural deformation in the Cascadian back arc. James, D.E., Fouch, M.J., Carlson, R.W., Roth, J.B., 2011. Slab fragmentation, edge flow, and the origin of the Yellowstone hotspot track. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 311, 124-135. Long, M.D., Till, C.B., Druken, K.A., Carlson, R.W., Wagner, L.S., Fouch, M.J., James, D.E., Grove, T.L., Schmerr, N., Kincaid, C., 2012. Mantle dynamics beneath the Pacific Northwest and generation of voluminous back-arc volcanism. G-cubed in press.

Production and decomposition of forest litter fall on the Apalachicola River flood plain, Florida: Chapter B, Apalachicola River quality assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elder, John F.; Cairns, Duncan J.

1982-01-01

Measurements of litter fall (leaves and other particulate organic material) and leaf decomposition were made on the bottom-land hardwood swamp of the Apalachicola River flood plain in 1979-80. Litter fall was collected monthly from nets located in 16 study plots. The plots represented five forest types in the swamp and levee areas of the Apalachicola River flood plain. Forty-three species of trees, vines, and other plants contributed to the total litter fall, but more than 90 percent of the leaf material originated from 12 species. Nonleaf material made up 42 percent of the total litter fall. Average litter fall was determined to be 800 grams per square meter per year, resulting in an annual deposition of 3.6 ? 105 metric tons of organic material in the 454-square-kilometer flood plain. The levee communities have less tree biomass but greater tree diversity than do swamp communities. The levee vegetation, containing less tree biomass, produces slightly more litter fall per unit of ground surface area than does the swamp vegetation. The swamps are dominated by three genera: tupelo (Nyssa), cypress (Taxodium) and ash (Fraxinus). These genera account for more than 50 percent of the total leaf fall in the flood plain, but they are the least productive, on a weight-perbiomass basis, of any of the 12 major leaf producers. Decomposition rates of leaves from five common floodplain tree species were measured using a standard leaf-bag technique. Leaf decomposition was highly species dependent. Tupelo (Nyssa spp.) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) leaves decomposed completely in 6 months when flooded by river water. Leaves of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) and diamond-leaf oak (Quercus laurifolia) were much more resistant. Water hickory (Carya aquatica) leaves showed intermediate decomposition rates. Decomposition of all species was greatly reduced in dry environments. Carbon and biomass loss rates from the leaves were nearly linear over a 6-month period, but nitrogen and phosphorus leaching was nearly complete within 1 month. Much of the organic substance may be recycled in the forest ecosystem, but annual flooding of the river provides an important mechanism for mobilization of the litter-fall products.

Microbial communities in the deep subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krumholz, Lee R.

The diversity of microbial populations and microbial communities within the earth's subsurface is summarized in this review. Scientists are currently exploring the subsurface and addressing questions of microbial diversity, the interactions among microorganisms, and mechanisms for maintenance of subsurface microbial communities. Heterotrophic anaerobic microbial communities exist in relatively permeable sandstone or sandy sediments, located adjacent to organic-rich deposits. These microorganisms appear to be maintained by the consumption of organic compounds derived from adjacent deposits. Sources of organic material serving as electron donors include lignite-rich Eocene sediments beneath the Texas coastal plain, organic-rich Cretaceous shales from the southwestern US, as well as Cretaceous clays containing organic materials and fermentative bacteria from the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Additionally, highly diverse microbial communities occur in regions where a source of organic matter is not apparent but where igneous rock is present. Examples include the basalt-rich subsurface of the Columbia River valley and the granitic subsurface regions of Sweden and Canada. These subsurface microbial communities appear to be maintained by the action of lithotrophic bacteria growing on H2 that is chemically generated within the subsurface. Other deep-dwelling microbial communities exist within the deep sediments of oceans. These systems often rely on anaerobic metabolism and sulfate reduction. Microbial colonization extends to the depths below which high temperatures limit the ability of microbes to survive. Energy sources for the organisms living in the oceanic subsurface may originate as oceanic sedimentary deposits. In this review, each of these microbial communities is discussed in detail with specific reference to their energy sources, their observed growth patterns, and their diverse composition. This information is critical to develop further understanding of subsurface geochemical processes and to develop new approaches to subsurface remediation. Résumé La diversité des populations et des communautés microbiennes dans le sol et le sous-sol est présentée dans cet article. Les chercheurs s'interrogent fréquemment sur la diversité microbienne du sous-sol, sur les interactions entre organismes et sur les mécanismes qui permettent le maintien des communautés microbiennes souterraines. Il existe des communautés microbiennes anérobies hétérotrophes dans des grès ou dans des sédiments sableux relativement perméables, à proximité de dépôts riches en matières organiques. Ces micro-organismes semblent se maintenir grâce à la consommation de composés organiques provenant des dépôts organiques voisins. Les sources de matériel organique jouant le rôle de donneur d'électrons sont constituées par des sédiments éocènes riches en lignite situés sous la plaine littorale du Texas, les schistes riches en matières organiques du Crétacé du sud-ouest des États-Unis, ainsi que les argiles contenant des matériaux organiques et des bactéries de fermentation de la plaine littorale atlantique. En outre, il existe des communautés fortement diversifiées dans des régions où aucune source de matière organique n'existe, mais où sont présentes des roches ignées. Le sous-sol riche en basalte de la vallée de la Columbia au Canada et les régions granitiques de Suède en sont des exemples. Ces communautés microbiennes souterraines semblent se maintenir par l'action de bactéries lithotrophes se développant grâce à l'hydrogène qui est produit par réactions chimiques dans le sous-sol. Il existe d'autres communautés microbiennes de profondeur dans les sédiments profonds des océans. Ces systèmes sont souvent associés à un métabolisme anérobie et à une réduction des sulfates. La colonisation microbienne s'étend jusqu'à des profondeurs où les températures élevées limitent leur capacité de survie. Les sources d'énergie pour ces organismes vivant dans les fonds des océans peuvent être les dépôts sédimentaires océaniques. Dans cette revue, chacune des communautés microbiennes est discutée en détail en se référant spécifiquement à leurs sources d'énergie, au schéma observé de leur développement et à leur composition diversifiée. Cette information est donnée de façon critique dans le but d'améliorer la compréhension des processus géochimiques intervenant dans le sous-sol et de développer de nouvelles approches pour la dépollution souterraine. Resumen En este artículo se resume la diversidad de las poblaciones y comunidades microbianas en el subsuelo. A partir de exploraciones realizadas en el subsuelo, los científicos se están cuestionando en la actualidad aspectos relativos a la diversidad microbiana, las interacciones entre los distintos microorganismos y los mecanismos para el mantenimiento de las comunidades de microbios. Se ha comprobado la presencia de comunidades microbianas anaerobias y heterótrofas en areniscas relativamente permeables y en sedimentos arenosos ubicados cerca de depósitos ricos en materia orgánica, de la cual se alimentan. Algunas fuentes de material orgánico, que actúan como donantes de electrones, son: sedimentos del Eoceno ricos en lignito, bajo la planicie costera de Texas; pizarras del Cretácico ricas en materia orgánica, al sudoeste del país y arcillas cretácicas con materia orgánica y bacterias fermentativas, en la llanura Atlántica. También existen comunidades microbianas de gran diversidad en rocas ígneas, aunque la fuente de materia orgánica no es tan evidente. Algunos ejemplos son la subsuperficie del valle del Río Columbia, rico en basaltos, y las regiones graníticas de Suecia y Canadá. Estas comunidades microbianas subsuperficiales se mantienen por la acción de bacterias litotrópicas, que crecen en ambiente de H2, generado en la subsuperficie. También existen comunidades microbianas a gran profundidad, como por ejemplo en los sedimentos oceánicos. Estos sistemas subsisten con un metabolismo anaerobio en un ambiente sulfato-reductor. La colonización microbiana se extiende hasta profundidades tales que las altas temperaturas limitan su supervivencia. Las fuentes de energía para estos organismos pueden ser los depósitos sedimentarios oceánicos. En este artículo se discute cada una de estas comunidades en detalle, en particular sus fuentes de energía, su esquema de crecimiento y la diversidad de su composición. Esta información es de gran interés para permitir un mayor entendimiento de los procesos geoquímicos en profundidad y para desarrollar nuevos métodos de rehabilitación.

Ground-Water Resources of the Lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in Parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia-Subarea 4 of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basins

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

Counties, Ga . Evaluation of ground- water-development potential in the virtually untapped Intermediate system has questionable reliability due to the...Alabama, Florida, and Georgia into 4 districts: Fall Line Hills, Dougherty Plain, Tifton Upland, and Gulf Coastal Lowlands. Physiographic descriptions...approximately with the boundary between the Tifton Uplands and the Dough- erty Plain districts and the Gulf Coastal Lowlands district occupies the

Plan for Engineering and Design. Des Moines Recreational River and Greenbelt, Des Moines River, Iowa.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

investigations and site preservation Continuous hiking/biking path from Hwy. 20 to Hwy. 92 Soil erosion structures Access roads Skating pond Beach area on...Group Camp Cabins and Dormitories x Dining Hall x Infirmaries x Amphitheaters x x Caretaker Quarters x Outdoor Cooking x x Beaches x x Docks x x Tent pads...x x Swimming Beaches x x Visitor Center x2/ x Nature Center x Historical Centers x Archeological Centers x Environmental-Education Centers x Lodges

Soil characteristics of the vadose zone in the flood plain of the Tarim River

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Overflow from rivers plays an important role in ecological conservation. The desert-oasis ecotone in the Tarim River Basin of Northwest China, for example, relies upon overflow from the river to support a diversity of soil, vegetation, and wildlife. There is, however, limited information on soil tex...

Simulations of Flooding on Pea River and Whitewater Creek in the Vicinity of the Proposed Elba Bypass at Elba, Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hedgecock, T. Scott

2003-01-01

A two-dimensional finite-element surface-water model was used to study the effects of proposed modifications to the State Highway 203 corridor (proposed Elba Bypass/relocated U.S. Highway 84) on water-surface elevations and flow distributions during flooding in the Pea River and Whitewater Creek Basins at Elba, Coffee County, Alabama. Flooding was first simulated for the March 17, 1990, flood, using the 1990 flood-plain conditions to calibrate the model to match measured data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the flood. After model calibration, the effects of flooding were simulated for four scenarios: (1) floods having the 50- and 100-year recurrence intervals for the existing flood-plain, bridge, highway, and levee conditions; (2) floods having the 50- and 100-year recurrence intervals for the existing flood-plain and levee conditions with the State Highway 203 embankment and bridge removed; (3) floods having the 50- and 100-year recurrence intervals for the existing flood-plain, bridge, and highway conditions with proposed modifications (elevating) to the levee; and (4) floods having the 50- and 100-year recurrence intervals for the proposed conditions reflecting the Elba Bypass and modified levee. The simulation of floodflow for the Pea River and Whitewater Creek flood of March 17, 1990, in the study reach compared closely to flood profile data obtained after the flood. The flood of March 17, 1990, had an estimated peak discharge of 58,000 cubic feet per second at the gage (just below the confluence) and was estimated to be between a 50-year and 100-year flood event. The estimated peak discharge for Pea River and Whitewater Creek was 40,000 and 42,000 cubic feet per second, respectively. Simulation of floodflows for the 50-year flood (51,400 cubic feet per second) at the gage for existing flood-plain, bridge, highway, and levee conditions indicated that about 31 percent of the peak flow was conveyed by the State Highway 203 bridge over Whitewater Creek, approximately 12 percent overtopped the State Highway 203 embankment, and about 57 percent was conveyed by the Pea River flood plain east of State Highway 125. For this simulation, flow from Pea River (2,380 cubic feet per second) overtopped State Highway 125 and crossed over into the Whitewater Creek flood plain north of State Highway 203, creating one common flood plain. The water-surface elevation estimated at the downstream side of the State Highway 203 bridge crossing Whitewater Creek was 202.82 feet. The girders for both the State Highway 203 and U.S. Highway 84 bridges were partially submerged, but U.S. Highway 84 was not overtopped. For the 100-year flood (63,500 cubic feet per second) at the gage, the simulation indicated that about 25 percent of the peak flow was conveyed by the State Highway 203 bridge over Whitewater Creek, approximately 24 percent overtopped the State Highway 203 embankment, and about 51 percent was conveyed by the Pea River flood plain east of State Highway 125. The existing levee adjacent to Whitewater Creek was overtopped by a flow of 3,200 cubic feet per second during the 100-year flood. For this simulation, flow from Pea River (6,710 cubic feet per second) overtopped State Highway 125 and crossed over into the Whitewater Creek flood plain north of State Highway 203. The water-surface elevation estimated at the downstream side of the State Highway 203 bridge crossing Whitewater Creek was 205.60 feet. The girders for both the State Highway 203 and U.S. Highway 84 bridges were partially submerged, and the west end of the U.S. Highway 84 bridge was overtopped. Simulation of floodflows for the 50-year flood at the gage for existing flood-plain and levee conditions, but with the State Highway 203 embankment and bridge removed, yielded a lower water-surface elevation (202.90 feet) upstream of this bridge than that computed for the existing conditions. For the 100-year flood, the simulation indi

Waterborne Transportation Lines of the United States, 1989. Annual Revision

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-14

AMERICAN HEAVY LIFT SHIPPING 15355 VANTAGE PKWY. W. CO. SUITE 200 HOUSTON TX 77032 03! AMERICAN MARITIME TRANSPORT 0 .. so 2011 1 120 WHITE PLAINS ROAD...TRAIL I I ROUTE 5, BOX 1067 BREAUX BRIOGE LA 70517 32! C t 8ROAT CO., INC. I ATTN: SIDNEY COMAPDELLE I P. 0. ROY 155 ! DES ALLEMANDS LA 70030 32! C 9 C...ORLEANS LA 70112 321 CANDIES, OTTO, INC. ATTN: GERRY HERVIEU P. 0. BOX 25 I DES ALLEMANDS LA 70030 32! CANDY CANE 11. INC. 6007 HIGHWAY 90 EAST * P.O

Reconstructing the paleo-topography and paleo-environmental features of the Sarno River plain (Italy) before the AD 79 eruption of Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, Sebastian; Märker, Michael

2010-05-01

SSP1.4 Understanding mixed siliciclastic-volcaniclastic depositional systems and their relationships with geodynamics or GD2.3/CL4.14/GM5.8/MPRG22/SSP3.5 Reconstruction of ancient continents: Dating and characterization of paleosurfaces Reconstructing the paleo-topography and paleo-environmental features of the Sarno River plain (Italy) before the AD 79 eruption of Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex Sebastian Vogel[1] & Michael Märker[1] [1] Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities c/o University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 19-23, D-72070 Tübingen, Germany. Within the geoarchaeological research project "Reconstruction of the Ancient Cultural Landscape of the Sarno River Plain" undertaken by the German Archaeological Institute in cooperation with the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities/University of Tübingen a methodology was developed to model the spatial dispersion of volcanic deposits of Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex since its Plinian eruption AD 79. Eventually, this was done to reconstruct the paleo-topography and paleo-environment of the Sarno River plain before the eruption AD 79. We collected, localized and digitized more than 1,800 core drillings to gain a representative network of stratigraphical information covering the entire plain. Besides other stratigraphical data including the characteristics of the pre-AD 79 stratum, the depth to the pre-AD 79 paleo-surface was identified from the available drilling documentation. Instead of applying a simple interpolation of the drilling data, we reconstructed the pre-AD 79 paleo-surface with a sophisticated geostatistical methodology using a machine based learning approach based on classification and regression trees. We hypothesize that the present-day topography reflects the ancient topography, because the eruption of AD 79 coated the ancient topography, leaving ancient physiographic elements of the Sarno River plain still recognizable in the present-day topography. Therefore, a high resolution, present-day digital elevation model (DEM) was generated. A detailed terrain analysis yielded 15 different primary and secondary topographic indices of the present-day DEM. Then, a classification and regression model was generated combining the present-day topographic indices to predict the depth of the pre-AD 79 surface. This model was calibrated with the measured depth of the pre-AD 79 surface from the drilling data. To gain a pre-AD 79 digital elevation model (DEM) the modeled depth of the pre-AD 79 surface was subtracted from the present-day DEM. To reconstruct some paleo-environmental features, such as the paleo-coast and the paleo-river network and its flood plain, the modeled pre-AD 79 DEM was compared with the classified characteristic of the pre-AD 79 stratum, identified from the drilling documentation. It is the first time that the paleo-topography and paleo-environmental features of the Sarno River basin were systematically reconstructed using a detailed database of input variables and sophisticated data mining technologies. Keywords: Sarno River Basin, Roman paleo-topography, paleo-environment, stratigraphical core drillings, Classification and Regression Trees

78 FR 25481 - Investigations Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-01

............ 03/25/13 03/12/13 (Company). 82591 CIBA Vision (State/One-Stop) Des Plaines, IL........ 03/25/13 03... Processing (State/One-Stop). 82593 Matheson Tri-Gas (Workers).. Newark, CA 03/26/13 03/14/13 82594 BioTec...

A Novel Selective Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction Method for Versatile Determination of Copper in Sediment Samples by ICP-OES.

PubMed

Bağda, Esra; Altundağ, Huseyin; Tüzen, Mustafa; Soylak, Mustafa

2017-08-01

In the present study, a simple, mono step deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction was developed for selective extraction of copper from sediment samples. The optimization of all experimental parameters, e.g. DES type, sample/DES ratio, contact time and temperature were performed with using BCR-280 R (lake sediment certified reference material). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were found as 1.2 and 3.97 µg L -1 , respectively. The RSD of the procedure was 7.5%. The proposed extraction method was applied to river and lake sediments sampled from Serpincik, Çeltek, Kızılırmak (Fadl and Tecer region of the river), Sivas-Turkey.

Historical and contemporary imagery to assess ecosystem change on the Arctic coastal plain of northern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tape, Ken D.; Pearce, John M.; Walworth, Dennis; Meixell, Brandt W.; Fondell, Tom F.; Gustine, David D.; Flint, Paul L.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Ward, David H.

2014-01-01

In this report, we describe and make available a set of 61 georectified aerial images of the Arctic Coastal Plain (taken from 1948 to 2010) that were obtained by the USGS to inform research objectives of the USGS CAE Initiative. Here, we describe the origins, metadata, and public availability of these images that were obtained within four main study areas on the Arctic Coastal Plain: Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, Chipp River, the Colville River Delta, and locations along the Dalton Highway Corridor between the Brooks Range and Deadhorse. We also provide general descriptions of observable changes to the geomorphology of landscapes that are apparent by comparing historical and contemporary images. These landscape changes include altered river corridors, lake drying, coastal erosion, and new vegetation communities. All original and georectified images and metadata are available through the USGS Alaska Science Center Portal (search under ‘Project Name’ using title of this report) or by contacting ascweb@usgs.gov.

Analysis of shallow-groundwater dynamic responses to water supply change in the Haihe River plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z.; Lin, W.; Pengfei, L.

2015-05-01

When the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is completed, the water supply pattern of the Haihe River plain in North China will change significantly due to the replenishment of water sources and groundwater-exploitation control. The water-cycle-simulation model - MODCYCLE, has been used in simulating the groundwater dynamic balance for 2001-2010. Then different schemes of water supply in 2020 and 2030 were set up to quantitatively simulate the shallow-groundwater dynamic responses in the future. The results show that the total shallow-groundwater recharge is mainly raised by the increases in precipitation infiltration and surface-water irrigation infiltration. Meanwhile, the decrease of groundwater withdrawal contributes to reduce the total discharge. The recharge-discharge structure of local groundwater was still in a negative balance but improved gradually. The shallow-groundwater level in most parts was still falling before 2030, but more slowly. This study can benefit the rational exploitation of water resources in the Haihe River plain.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Payne, S. J.; Bruhn, D. F.; Hodges, J. M.

During 2012, the Idaho National Laboratory Seismic Monitoring Program evaluated 17,329 independent triggers that included earthquakes from around the world, the western United States, and local region of the Snake River Plain. Seismologists located 1,460 earthquakes and man-made blasts within and near the 161-km (or 100-mile) radius of the Idaho National Laboratory. Of these earthquakes, 16 had small-to-moderate size magnitudes (M) from 3.0 to 3.6. Within the 161-km radius, the majority of 695 earthquakes (M < 3.6) occurred in the active regions of the Basin and Range Provinces adjacent to the eastern Snake River Plain. Only 11 microearthquakes occurred withinmore » the Snake River Plain, four of which occurred in Craters of the Moon National Monument. The earthquakes had magnitudes from 1.0 to 1.7 and occurred at deep depths (11-24 km). Two events with magnitudes less than 1.0 occurred within the Idaho National Laboratory boundaries and had depths less than 10 km.« less

Do distributaries in a delta plain resemble an ideal estuary? Results from theKapuas Delta,Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoitink, T.; Kastner, K.; Vermeulen, B.; Geertsema, T.; Nining, S. N.

2017-12-01

Coastal lowland plains under mixed fluvial-tidal influence can form complex channel networks, where distributaries blend the characteristics of mouth bar channels, avulsion channels and tidal creeks. These networks are shaped by the interplay of river flow and tides. Our goal is to increase the general understanding of physical processes in the fluvial-tidal transition. Here we present first results of an extensive field survey of the Kapuas river and give insight into the along channel trends of cross section geometry and bed material grain size. main distributary and slightly increases in downstream direction (Fig. 2c).The Kapuas river is a large tropical river in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Discharge ranges between 10^3 m^3/s in the wet and 10^4 m^3/s in the dry season. The Kapuas consists of one main distributary from which three smaller distributaries branch off along the alluvial plain (Fig. 1a). Tides are mainly diurnal, with an average spring range of 1.5m at the mouth.Figure 1: Map of the Kapuas river delta plain Between 2013 and 2015 we surveyed the Kapuas from the sea to upstream km 300. Bankfull river width was extracted from Landsat images. Bathymetry was surveyed with a single beam each sounder. Bed material was sampled with a van Veen grabber. The geometry of the Kapuas river deviates from that of an idealized estuary, as it does not converge to an equilibirum width and depth. Such a break in scaling was previously found in the Mahakam Delta by Sassi et al. 2012, which suggests this may be a general characteristic in the fluvial to tidal transition. There is no simple relation between bed material grain size and channel geometry. The particular geometry of the Kapuas also leads to particular hydrodynamics in the fluvial-tidal transition. Thus the draw-down curve during high flow and backwater curve at flow are much less pronounced in the Kapuas, and tides propagate far up the river. At the moment we investigate the consequences for river discharge-tide interaction. In particular we focus on propagation of the tide depending on the river discharge as well as consequences for delta morphology.

River-corridor habitat dynamics, Lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.

2010-01-01

Intensive management of the Missouri River for navigation, flood control, and power generation has resulted in substantial physical changes to the river corridor. Historically, the Missouri River was characterized by a shifting, multithread channel and abundant unvegetated sandbars. The shifting channel provided a wide variety of hydraulic environments and large areas of connected and unconnected off-channel water bodies.Beginning in the early 1800s and continuing to the present, the channel of the Lower Missouri River (downstream from Sioux City, Iowa) has been trained into a fast, deep, single-thread channel to stabilize banks and maintain commercial navigation. Wing dikes now concentrate the flow, and revetments and levees keep the channel in place and disconnect it from the flood plain. In addition, reservoir regulation of the Missouri River upstream of Yankton, South Dakota, has substantially changed the annual hydrograph, sediment loads, temperature regime, and nutrient budgets.While changes to the Missouri River have resulted in broad social and economic benefits, they have also been associated with loss of river-corridor habitats and diminished populations of native fish and wildlife species. Today, Missouri River stakeholders are seeking ways to restore some natural ecosystem benefits of the Lower Missouri River without compromising traditional economic uses of the river and flood plain.

Sediment records of Yellow River channel migration and Holocene environmental evolution of the Hetao Plain, northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jingzhong; Wu, Jinglu; Pan, Baotian; Jia, Hongjuan; Li, Xiao; Wei, Hao

2018-05-01

The origin and evolution of lakes in the Hetao Plain, northern China, were influenced by climate variation, channel migration, and human activity. We analyzed a suite of sediment cores from the region to investigate Yellow River channel migration and environmental change in this region over the Holocene. Short sediment cores show that environmental indicators changed markedly around CE 1850, a time that corresponds to flood events, when large amounts of river water accumulated in the western part of the Hetao Plain, giving rise to abundant small lakes. Multiple sediment variables (environmental proxies) from two long cores collected in the Tushenze Paleolake area show that sediments deposited between 12.0 and 9.0 cal ka BP were yellow clay, indicative of fluvial deposition and channel migration. From 9.0 to 7.5 cal ka BP, sand was deposited, reflecting a desert environment. From 7.5 to 2.2 cal ka BP, however, the sediments were blue-gray clay that represents lacustrine facies of Lake Tushenze, which owes its origin to an increase in strength of the East Asian monsoon. At about 2.2 cal ka BP, the north branch of the Yellow River was flooded, and the Tushenze Paleolake developed further. Around 2.0 cal ka BP, the paleolake shrank and eolian sedimentation was recorded. The analyzed sediment records are consistent with the written history from the region, which documents channel migration and environmental changes in the Hetao Plain over the Holocene.

Neotectonic Activity from the Upper Reaches of the Arabian Gulf and Possibilities of New Oil Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sissakian, V. K.; Abdul Ahad, A. D.; Al-Ansari, N.; Knutsson, S.

2018-03-01

Upper reaches of the Arabian Gulf consist of different types of fine sediments including the vast Mesopotamia Plain sediments, tidal flat sediments and estuarine sabkha sediments. The height of the plain starts from zero meter and increases northwards to three meters with extremely gentle gradient. The vast plain to the north of the Arabian Gulf is drained by Shat Al-Arab (Shat means river in Iraqi slang language) and Khor Al-Zubair (Khor means estuary). The former drains the extreme eastern part of the plain; whereas, the latter drains the western part. Shat Al-Arab is the resultant of confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers near Al-Qurna town; about 160 km north of the Arabian Gulf mouth at Al-Fao town; whereas, the length of Khor Al-Zubair is about 50 km; as measured from Um Qasir Harbor. The drainage system around Khor Al-Zubair is extremely fine dendritic; whereas around Shat Al-Arab is almost parallel running from both sides of the river towards the river; almost perpendicularly. The fine dendritic drainage around Khor Al-Zubair shows clear recent erosional activity, beside water divides, abandoned irrigation channels and dislocated irrigational channels and estuarine distributaries; all are good indication for a Neotectonic activity in the region. These may indicate the presence of subsurface anticlines, which may represent oil fields; since tens of subsurface anticlines occur in near surroundings, which are oil fields.

Anabranching rivers on the Northern Plains of arid central Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tooth, Stephen; Nanson, Gerald C.

1999-09-01

Anabranching rivers are a widespread feature of the Northern Plains in the Alice Springs region of central Australia but their unusual characteristics previously have not been described. On the Northern Plains, anabranching occurs on rivers transporting bedloads of coarse sand and gravel and is characterised by channels of variable size and shape which occur within a broader, typically well-defined, channel-train. Channels are separated by channel-train ridges—narrow, flow-aligned, vegetated features—or by wider islands. Ridges and islands are either depositional features (formed in situ by accretionary processes) or erosional features (formed by excision from once-continuous areas of floodplain). Vegetation plays a key role in the initiation, survival and growth of depositional forms through its influence on flow, sediment transport and ridge and island stability. Anabranching is also related to the influence of tributaries, for some large rivers alternate from single-thread to anabranching along their length in response to tributary inputs of water and sediment. Tributary inputs occur during flow events that are either independent from, or in concert with, floods in the trunk channel. Ridges and islands form in association with tributaries as a result of various hydrological, depositional and erosional processes, including irrigation of enhanced numbers of in-channel trees and resulting lee-side sediment accretion, floodplain scour, and the formation and maintenance of deferred-junction tributaries. The change from single-thread to anabranching downstream of tributary junctions occurs in the absence of any significant change in channel gradient or degree of channel confinement. On the Northern Plains, anabranching appears to be a stable river pattern that helps to maintain the throughput of relatively coarse sediment in low-gradient (typically 0.0005-0.002) channels characterised by an abundance of within-channel vegetation and subject to declining downstream discharges.

Backcasting the decline of a vulnerable Great Plains reproductive ecotype: identifying threats and conservation priorities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Worthington, Thomas A.; Brewer, Shannon K.; Grabowski, Timothy B.; Mueller, Julia

2014-01-01

Conservation efforts for threatened or endangered species are challenging because the multi-scale factors that relate to their decline or inhibit their recovery are often unknown. To further exacerbate matters, the perceptions associated with the mechanisms of species decline are often viewed myopically rather than across the entire species range. We used over 80 years of fish presence data collected from the Great Plains and associated ecoregions of the United States, to investigate the relative influence of changing environmental factors on the historic and current truncated distributions of the Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi. Arkansas River shiner represent a threatened reproductive ecotype considered especially well adapted to the harsh environmental extremes of the Great Plains. Historic (n = 163 records) and current (n = 47 records) species distribution models were constructed using a vector-based approach in MaxEnt by splitting the available data at a time when Arkansas River shiner dramatically declined. Discharge and stream order were significant predictors in both models; however, the shape of the relationship between the predictors and species presence varied between time periods. Drift distance (river fragment length available for ichthyoplankton downstream drift before meeting a barrier) was a more important predictor in the current model and indicated river segments 375–780 km had the highest probability of species presence. Performance for the historic and current models was high (area under the curve; AUC > 0.95); however, forecasting and backcasting to alternative time periods suggested less predictive power. Our results identify fragments that could be considered refuges for endemic plains fish species and we highlight significant environmental factors (e.g., discharge) that could be manipulated to aid recovery.

Combining Landform Thematic Layer and Object-Oriented Image Analysis to Map the Surface Features of Mountainous Flood Plain Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, H.-K.; Lin, M.-L.; Huang, W.-C.

2012-04-01

The Typhoon Morakot on August 2009 brought more than 2,000 mm of cumulative rainfall in southern Taiwan, the extreme rainfall event caused serious damage to the Kaoping River basin. The losses were mostly blamed on the landslides along sides of the river, and shifting of the watercourse even led to the failure of roads and bridges, as well as flooding and levees damage happened around the villages on flood bank and terraces. Alluvial fans resulted from debris flow of stream feeders blocked the main watercourse and debris dam was even formed and collapsed. These disasters have highlighted the importance of identification and map the watercourse alteration, surface features of flood plain area and artificial structures soon after the catastrophic typhoon event for natural hazard mitigation. Interpretation of remote sensing images is an efficient approach to acquire spatial information for vast areas, therefore making it suitable for the differentiation of terrain and objects near the vast flood plain areas in a short term. The object-oriented image analysis program (Definiens Developer 7.0) and multi-band high resolution satellite images (QuickBird, DigitalGlobe) was utilized to interpret the flood plain features from Liouguei to Baolai of the the Kaoping River basin after Typhoon Morakot. Object-oriented image interpretation is the process of using homogenized image blocks as elements instead of pixels for different shapes, textures and the mutual relationships of adjacent elements, as well as categorized conditions and rules for semi-artificial interpretation of surface features. Digital terrain models (DTM) are also employed along with the above process to produce layers with specific "landform thematic layers". These layers are especially helpful in differentiating some confusing categories in the spectrum analysis with improved accuracy, such as landslides and riverbeds, as well as terraces, riverbanks, which are of significant engineering importance in disaster mitigation. In this study, an automatic and fast image interpretation process for eight surface features including main channel, secondary channel, sandbar, flood plain, river terrace, alluvial fan, landslide, and the nearby artificial structures in the mountainous flood plain is proposed. Images along timelines can even be compared in order to differentiate historical events such as village inundations, failure of roads, bridges and levees, as well as alternation of watercourse, and therefore can be used as references for safety evaluation of engineering structures near rivers, disaster prevention and mitigation, and even future land-use planning. Keywords: Flood plain area, Remote sensing, Object-oriented, Surface feature interpretation, Terrain analysis, Thematic layer, Typhoon Morakot

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site: Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Park Service (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC. National Register of Historic Places.

This guide provides history and social studies teachers, at all grade levels, with information and activities about the American Indians of the Northern Plains who lived in the area of the Knife River where it enters the Missouri River. Located in what is now North Dakota, this area is the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. The…

Babocomari River Riparian Protection Project

Treesearch

Dan Robinett; Linda Kennedy

2013-01-01

The Babocomari River is a major tributary of the San Pedro River in Santa Cruz and Cochise counties, Arizona. This 140,000 acre catchment includes rolling grasslands on the Sonoita plain, oak woodlands in the Canelo Hills and the pine-oak forests of the northwestern Huachuca Mountains. The Babocomari River runs for 22 miles from its headwaters near Sonoita at 5000 feet...

75 FR 43537 - Mortgagee Review Board: Administrative Actions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-26

...., Fountain Valley, CA. 469. Ironwood Lending, Inc., Phoenix, AZ. 470. IVC Mortgage Group, Inc., Des Plaines..., connected, or had authorization from HUD for its Web site. 3. Americare Investment Group, Inc. d/b/a Premier... Notice of Administrative Action to Americare Investment Group, Inc. (Americare) permanently withdrawing...

76 FR 67631 - Airworthiness Directives; Cirrus Design Corporation Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

... Ave., Des Plaines, Illinois 60018; phone: (847) 294-7870; fax: (847) 294-7834; email: michael.downs... covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals. We do not control... number airplanes, certificated in any category: (1) Group 1 Airplanes: Cirrus Design Corporation Model...

Mobile Ideas. 1980 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library Administrator's Council of Northern Illinois, Des Plaines.

This booklet includes a brief history of the Northern Illinois Bookmobile Group, as well as national and regional notes on bookmobile activities, programs, publicity, summer reading clubs, and bookmobile maintenance. Findings of a 1978 bookmobile survey conducted by the Des Plaines Public Library are summarized, providing data on 31 bookmobile…

Characteristics of soil C:N ratio and δ13C in wheat-maize cropping system of the North China Plain and influences of the Yellow River.

PubMed

Shi, Huijin; Wang, Xiujun; Xu, Minggang; Zhang, Haibo; Luo, Yongming

2017-12-04

To better understand the characteristics of soil organic matter (SOM) in the North China Plain, we evaluate the large scale variations of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio and stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ 13 C) in SOC over 0-100 cm. To assess the influence of the Yellow River, 31 sites are selected from the wheat-maize double cropping system, and grouped into two: 10 sites near and 21 sites far from the river. Our data show that mean soil C:N ratio is low (7.6-9.9) across the region, and not affected by the Yellow River. However, SOC and TN are significantly (P < 0.05) lower in subsoil near the Yellow River (2.0 and 0.2-0.3 g kg -1 for SOC and TN) than far away (3.1 and 0.4 g kg -1 ); δ 13 C is significantly more negative below 60 cm near the river (-23.3 to -22.6‰) than far away (-21.8 to -21.4‰). We estimate that the contributions of wheat and maize to SOC are 61.3-68.1% and 31.9-38.8%, respectively. Our analyses indicate that the overall low levels of SOC in the North China Plain may be associated with the low soil C:N ratio and less clay content. The hydrological processes may also partly be responsible, particularly for those near the Yellow River.

Flood-plain and channel aggradation of selected bridge sites in the Iowa and Skunk River basins, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eash, D.A.

1996-01-01

Flood-plain and channel-aggradation rates were estimated at 10 bridge sites on the Iowa River upstream of Coralville Lake and at two bridge sites in the central part of the Skunk River Basin. Four measurement methods were used to quantify aggradation rates: (1) a dendrogeomorphic method that used tree-age data and sediment-deposition depths, (2) a bridge-opening cross-section method that compared historic and recent cross sections of bridge openings, (3) a stage-discharge rating-curve method that compared historic and recent stages for the 5-year flood discharge and the average discharge, and (4) nine sediment pads that were installed on the Iowa River flood plain at three bridge sites in the vicinity of Marshalltown. The sediment pads were installed prior to overbank flooding in 1993. Sediments deposited on the pads as a result of the 1993 flood ranged in depth from 0.004 to 2.95 feet. Measurement periods used to estimate average aggradation rates ranged from 1 to 98 years and varied among methods and sites. The highest aggradation rates calculated for the Iowa River Basin using the dendrogeomorphic and rating- curve measurement methods were for the State Highway 14 crossing at Marshalltown, where these highest rates were 0.045 and 0.124 feet per year, respectively. The highest aggradation rates calculated for the Skunk River Basin were for the U.S. Highway 63 crossing of the South Skunk River near Oskaloosa, where these highest rates were 0.051 and 0.298 feet per year, respectively.

Dye Tracer Tests to Determine Time-of-Travel in Iowa Streams, 1990-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Daniel E.

2009-01-01

Dye-tracing tests have been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Water Science Center to determine the time-of-travel in selected Iowa streams from 1990-2006. Time-of-travel data are tabulated for 309 miles of stream reaches in four Iowa drainage basins: the Des Moines, Raccoon, Cedar, and Turkey Rivers. Time-of-travel was estimated in the Des Moines River, Fourmile Creek, North Raccoon River, Raccoon River, Cedar River, and Roberts Creek. Estimation of time-of-travel is important for environmental studies and in determining fate of agricultural constituents and chemical movement through a waterway. The stream reaches range in length from slightly more than 5 miles on Fourmile Creek, to more than 137 miles on the North Raccoon River. The travel times during the dye-tracer tests ranged from 7.5 hours on Fourmile Creek to as long as 200 hours on Roberts Creek; velocities ranged from less than 4.50 feet per minute on Roberts Creek to more than 113 feet per minute on the Cedar River.

River Incision and Knickpoints on the Flank of the Yellowstone Hotspot — Alpine Canyon of the Snake River, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuzlak, D.; Pederson, J. L.

2015-12-01

Understanding patterns of deformation and testing geophysical models in the dynamic region of the Yellowstone Hotspot requires Quaternary-scale records of incision and uplift, which are currently absent. This study examines fluvial terraces and longitudinal-profile metrics along Alpine Canyon of the Snake River, WY. Because the Snake is the only regional river crossing from the uplifting Yellowstone Plateau and flowing into the subsiding Eastern Snake River Plain, it provides an opportunity to investigate both ends of the phenomenon. Field observations through Alpine Canyon indicate that Pleistocene incision rates in this region are relatively high for the interior western U.S., that the river switches between bedrock and alluvial forms, and that incision/uplift is not uniform. Two endmembers of regional deformation may be tested: 1) the arch of high topography surrounding Yellowstone is uplifting and terraces converge downstream as incision rates decrease towards the Snake River Plain, or 2) baselevel fall originates at the subsiding Snake River Plain and terraces diverge as incision rates increase downstream. Datasets include surficial mapping, rock strength measurements, surveying of the longitudinal profile and terraces using RTK-GPS, optically stimulated luminescence dating of fluvial-terrace deposits, and investigation of drainages through ksn and χ analyses. Initial results indicate that there are four primary terrace deposits along the canyon, three of which are timed with glacial epochs. Considering the relative heights of terrace straths and preliminary ages, incision rates are indeed relatively high. There is a major knickzone covering the last 15 km of the canyon that is also reflected in tributary profiles and is consistent with a wave of incision propagating upstream, favoring the second endmember of active baselevel fall downstream.

Effects of proposed highway embankment modifications on water-surface elevations in the lower Pearl River flood plain near Slidell, Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilbert, J.J.; Schuck-Kolben, R. E.

1987-01-01

Major flooding in the lower Pearl River basin in recent years has caused extensive damage to homes and highways in the area. In 1980 and 1983, Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 190 were overtopped. In 1983, the Interstate Highway 10 crossing was seriously damaged by the flood. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Highways, used a two-dimensional finite-element surface-water flow model to evaluate the effects the proposed embankment modifications at Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 90 on the water-surface elevations in the lower Pearl River flood plain near Slidell, Louisiana. The proposed modifications that were considered for the 1983 flood are: (1) Removal of all highway embankments, the natural condition, (2) extension of the West Pearl River bridge by 1,000 feet at U.S. Highway 90, (3) construction of a new 250-foot bridge opening in the U.S. Highways 190 and 90, west of the intersection of the highways. The proposed highway bridge modifications also incorporated lowering of ground-surface elevations under the new bridges to sea level. The modification that provided the largest reduction in backwater, about 35 percent, was a new bridge in Interstate Highway 10. The modification of the West Pearl River bridge at U.S. Highway 90 and replacement of the bridge in U.S. Highway 190 provide about a 25% reduction in backwater each. For the other modification conditions that required structural modifications, maximum backwater computed on the west side of the flood plain ranges from 0.0 to 0.8 foot and on the east side from 0.0 to 0.6 foot. Results show that although backwater is greater on the west side of the flood plain than on the east side, upstream of highway embankments, backwater decreases more rapidly in the upstream direction on the west side of the flood plain than on the east side. Analysis of the proposed modifications indicates that backwater would still occur on the east and west sides of the flood plain, but values would be less than those computed with highway embankments in place. (Author 's abstract)

Decadal changes in channel morphology of a freely meandering river—Powder River, Montana, 1975–2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, John A.; Meade, Robert H.

2018-03-19

Few studies exist on the long-term geomorphic effects of floods. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was able to begin such a study after a 50-year recurrence interval flood in 1978 because 20 channel cross sections along a 100-kilometer reach of river were established in 1975 and 1977 as part of a study for a proposed dam on Powder River in southeastern Montana. These cross-section measurements (data for each channel cross section are available at the USGS ScienceBase website) have been repeated about 30 times during four decades (1975–2016) and provide a unique dataset for understanding long-term changes in channel morphology caused by an extreme flood and a spectrum of annual floods.Changes in channel morphology of a 100-kilometer reach of Powder River are documented in a series of narratives for each channel cross section that include a time series of photographs as a record of these changes. The primary change during the first decade (1975–85) was the rapid vertical growth of a new inset flood plain within the flood-widened channel. Changes during the second decade (1985–95) were characterized by slower growth of the flood plain, and the effects of ice-jam floods typical of a northward-flowing river. Changes during the third decade (1995–2005) showed little vertical growth of the inset flood plain, which had reached a height that limited overbank deposition. And changes during the final decade (2005–16) covered in this report showed that, because the new inset flood plain had reached a limiting height, the effects of the large annual flood of 2008 (largest flood since 1978) were relatively small compared to smaller floods in previous decades. Throughout these four decades, the riparian vegetation, which interacts with the river, has undergone a gradual but substantial change that may have lasting effects on the channel morphology.

Geochemical signature of provenance, tectonics and chemical weathering in the Quaternary flood plain sediments of the Hindon River, Gangetic plain, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, M. E. A.; Wani, H.; Mondal, Bulbul

2012-09-01

The Ganga basin in the Himalayan foreland is a part of the world's largest area of modern alluvial sedimentation. Flood plain sediments of the Hindon River of the Gangetic plain have been analyzed for sediment texture, major and trace elements including rare earth elements (REEs). The results have been used to characterize the source rock composition and to understand the intensity of chemical weathering, tectonics and their interplay in the Hindon flood plain. The sediments of the Hindon flood plain dominantly consist of sand sized particles with little silt and clay. The geochemistry of the Hindon sediments has been compared to the Siwalik mudstone of the Siwalik Group (Siwaliks). The Siwalik sedimentary rocks like sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates are the known source rocks for the Hindon flood plain sediments. Mudstone geochemistry has been considered best to represent the source rock characteristics. The UCC (Upper Continental Crust) normalized major and trace elements of the Hindon flood plain sediments are very similar to the Siwalik mudstone except for Th and Cr. Furthermore, the average chondrite normalized REE pattern of the Hindon flood plain sediments is similar to the Siwalik mudstone. Textural immaturity, K/Rb ratios and the average CIA (Chemical Index of Alteration) and PIA (Plagioclase Index of Alteration) values of the Hindon flood plain sediments indicate that the sediments have not been affected by chemical weathering. Our study suggests that the active tectonics of the Himalayas and monsoon climate enhances only physical erosion of the source rocks (Siwaliks) rather than the chemical alteration. These factors help the Hindon sediments to retain their parental and tectonic signature even after recycling.

River conservation and terrestrial mammals: key ecological processes

Treesearch

Thomas A. Hanley

2008-01-01

Key ecological processes affecting interactions between rivers and terrestrial mammals are identified and explained, using flood plains of Alaska as examples of relatively pristine systems. Both coastal (southeast Alaska) and interior Alaska examples are used. Coastal Alaskan rivers tend to be relatively short, flashy, rain-driven systems, whereas interior Alaska...

Radiometric and paleomagnetic evidence for the Emperor reversed polarity event at 0.46 ± 0.05 M.Y. in basalt lava flows from the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Champion, Duane E.; Dalrymple, G. Brent; Kuntz, Mel A.

1981-01-01

K-Ar and paleomagnetic data from cores through a sequence of basalt flows in the eastern Snake River Plain provide evidence for a brief (0.005 to 0.01 m.y.) reversal of the geomagnetic field 0.46 ± 0.05 m.y. ago. This reversed polarity event has also been found in sea-floor magnetic anomalies and in sediment cores and is probably the Emperor event of Ryan [1972].

Agriculture on the Chaco Plain, Paraguay, South America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

This view of extensive agriculture on the Chaco Plain, Paraguay, (22.5S, 60.5W) depicts the fertility of the soils between the Andes Mountains and the Paraguay - Parana Rivers in the northwestern Paraguay. The Gran Chaco Plain is flat landscape built up by sediments. Frontier settlements like Marsical Estigarribia, seen in the image, are dominated by agriculture along the stream courses that abound in the area.

Geohydrologic framework of the Snake River plain regional aquifer system, Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitehead, R.L.

1992-01-01

Across most of the plain, Quaternary basalt aquifers overlie aquifers in the Tertiary Idavada Volcanics and Banbury Basalt of the Idaho Group. The older volcanic rocks are typically much less transmissive than the Quaternary basalt. Faults and frac- tures are permeable zones for water storage and conduits for water movement. In places near the margins of the plain, the Idavada Volcanics contains important geothermal aquifers.

The Morphologic Evolution of the Amazon Coastal Plain, Cabo Norte, Amapa, Brazil: The Need for Integrated Investigation on the Internal Continental Shelf.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silveira, O.; Santos, V. F.; Takiyama, L. R.

2007-05-01

The north brazilian coastal region is submitted to the conjunction of three major forcing: 1) Atmospheric, related to the wind and precipitation regimen and controlling the climatic seasonality and the local rivers hydrology; 2) Oceanic, result of the general oceanic circulation (North Equatorial Current-NEC) and it modulation with the atmospheric forcing (North Brazilian Coastal Current reflection), and 3) Amazonic, which is a result of the sedimentary transport from Amazon river, being itself under the influence of the atmospheric and oceanic forcing. Their main characteristic are the proper periodicities and also variabilities expressed according multiples and differentiated scales of time and space, determining the structure and functioning of the coastal space, giving to the Amazon coast line a considerable environmental instability. The Amapa Coastal Plain shows important part of this environmental instability. Semidiurnal macro tides, strong currents and tidal bores acts over a low gradient coastal plain which evolutionary process are intrinsically related with tectonic and geological settings. Two main areas can be distinguished in this scenario. The first one is the Amapa Lakes Region, developed over meanders of ancient drainages building a mosaic of low relief forms, with varied shapes, linked throughout communication channels. Two lacustrine belts showing alignments with the main tectonic traces were recognized beginning at the internal limit of the coastal plain, flowing southeast through the Tabaco Creek until reach the Araguari River. In it way it conform the Occidental and Meridional Belts represented by shallow lakes, totally dependent of Tartarugal River discharge and surrounded by enormous areas of peat highly sensitive to fire during the regional low discharge. Light blue clays, peat and a package of tidal deposits with fluidization structures were recognized close to Araguari River, suggesting deposition during high sea level. The second area refers to the coastal zone between the Amapa Grande River and Araguari River, including Maraca Island and the Oriental lacustrine Belt. Westward the island, at least three paleolevels of clays with roots in life position suggests regressive/transgressive events. Extraordinaty paleodrainage network beginnig at the continent and recognized at the insular portion suggests links with the paleochannels found at the continental shelf. The Oriental Belt of lakes is located close to the coastline, at Cabo Norte. It main feature is a mud lump approximately 10 Km ratio, well recognized at the remote sensing. It shows similar evolutionary processes with Araguari River, dating from XIX century, when this river had two mouths defined by the Carpori Island. The reasons of the deactivation are still unknowed, but, this rapid morphological evolution indicates short time colmatation processes that can be linked to tectonic regional processes. On the other hand, the Cabo Norte feature consolidation may impose changes in the sedimentation processes yielding space reduction over the coastal plain accumulation, diminishing of the solid and liquid fluvial discharge and promoting the availability of the local sediment transport over the littoral. The investigation of these processes requires an integrated coastal plain-continental shelf morphological study applying adequate techniques for modification studies and dating ages over short geological time frame, in century scale level.

The river Ganga of northern India: an appraisal of its geomorphic and ecological changes.

PubMed

Sarkar, S K; Bhattacharya, A; Bhattacharya, B

2003-01-01

The Ganga is the most important perennial river originating from Gangotri in the snow-bound Himalayas about 3,900 m above mean sea level. Gorging a distance of about 220 km in the Himalayas, it enters the plain at Hardwar and after meandering and braiding over a distance of about 2,525 km through the Indo-Gangetic plains, ultimately joins the Bay of Bengal. The course of this river has been changed due to: (i) subsurface geotectonic movement leading to change in slope of the deltaic plain and subsidence of the Bengal basin; (ii) changing pattern of water discharge with time; (iii) variations in sediment load. The environment of Ganga basin is also deteriorating with time due to severe natural episodes of periodic floods and storms as well as anthropogenic factors such as population growth, deforestation, agricultural activities, urbanisation, fertiliser and fossil fuel consumption and construction activities such as dams and bridges. All these have inconceivable adverse impacts on the health and natural regeneration capacity of the river basin. The presence of micropollutants in water and sediments of this river turns the system into being unsustainable to the biota. The present study synthesises the available information on the changes of its geological, geomorphological and ecological aspects and suggests some remedial measures to be adopted now and in future.

Exchanges of sediment between the flood plain and channel of the Amazon River in Brazil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunne, T.; Mertes, L.A.K.; Meade, R.H.; Richey, J.E.; Forsberg, B.R.

1998-01-01

Sediment transport through the Brazilian sector of the Amazon River valley, a distance of 2010 km, involves exchanges between the channel and the flood plain that in each direction exceed the annual flux of sediment out of the river at O??bidos (???1200 Mt yr-1). The exchanges occur through bank erosion, bar deposition, settling from diffuse overbank flow, and sedimentation in flood-plain channels. We estimated the magnitude of these exchanges for each of 10 reaches of the valley, and combined them with calculations of sediment transport into and out of the reaches based on sediment sampling and flow records to define a sediment budget for each reach. Residuals in the sediment budget of a reach include errors of estimation and erosion or deposition within the channel. The annual supply of sediment entering the channel from bank erosion was estimated to average 1570 Mt yr-1 (1.3 ?? the O??bidos flux) and the amount transferred from channel transport to the bars (380 Mt yr-1) and the flood plain (460 Mt yr-1 in channelized flow; 1230 Mt yr-1 in diffuse overbank flow) totaled 2070 Mt yr-1 (1.7 ?? the O??bidos flux). Thus, deposition on the bars and flood plain exceeded bank erosion by 500 Mt yr-1 over a 10-16 yr period. Sampling and calculation of sediment loads in the channel indicate a net accumulation in the valley floor of approximately 200 Mt yr-1 over 16 yr, crudely validating the process-based calculations of the sediment budget, which in turn illuminate the physical controls on each exchange process. Another 300-400 Mt yr-1 are deposited in a delta plain downstream of O??bidos. The components of the sediment budget reflect hydrologie characteristics of the valley floor and geomorphic characteristics of the channel and flood plain, which in turn are influenced by tectonic features of the Amazon structural trough.

Water-quality assessment of the eastern Iowa basins : selected pesticides and pesticide degradates in streams, 1996-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schnoebelen, Douglas J.; Kalkhoff, Stephen J.; Becher, Kent D.; Thurman, E.M.

2003-01-01

Concentrations of pesticides varied by land-form region. Atrazine and cyanazine and their degradates were present in significantly greater concentrations in streams of the Southern Iowa Drift Plain than streams of either the Des Moines Lobe or the Iowan Surface.

77 FR 3585 - Airworthiness Directives; Cirrus Design Corporation Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

..., O'Hare Lake Office Center, 2300 East Devon Ave., Des Plaines, Illinois 60018; phone: (847) 294-7870... under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals. We do not control warranty...: (1) Group 1 Airplanes: Cirrus Design Corporation Model SR22T airplanes, serial numbers 0001 through...

77 FR 729 - Airworthiness Directives; Enstrom Helicopter Corporation Helicopters

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-06

... subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. DATES: This AD becomes effective January 23, 2012. The Director... Program Manager, FAA, Chicago Aircraft Certification Office, 2300 East Devon Avenue, Room 107, Des Plaines... the circuit breaker to trip before any significant loss of control occurs. After the trim actuator...

Pervasive hydrologic effects on freshwater mussels and riparian trees in southeastern floodplain ecosystems

Treesearch

Andrew L. Rypel; Wendell R. Haag; Robert H. Findlay

2009-01-01

We present long-term growth trends for 13 freshwater mussel species from two unregulated rivers and one regulated river in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. We also collected baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) tree cores adjacent to mussel collection sites in one river and directly compared tree and mussel chronologies in this river. To extend our analysis...

THE GAPS BETWEEN AN INTEGRATED UNDERSTANDING OF CHANNELIZATION, HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY VERSUS HOLISTIC FUTURE MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE WILLAMETTE RIVER, OREGON

EPA Science Inventory

Over the last 150 years the main channel of the Willamette River has been drastically altered by human activity. It has changed from a generally meandering and anastamosing river with extensive reaches of broad, active and connected flood plain features to a river with 13 major ...

Late Holocene evolution of a coupled, mud-dominated delta plain-chenier plain system, coastal Louisiana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hijma, Marc P.; Shen, Zhixiong; Törnqvist, Torbjörn E.; Mauz, Barbara

2017-11-01

Major deltas and their adjacent coastal plains are commonly linked by means of coast-parallel fluxes of water, sediment, and nutrients. Observations of the evolution of these interlinked systems over centennial to millennial timescales are essential to understand the interaction between point sources of sediment discharge (i.e. deltaic distributaries) and adjacent coastal plains across large spatial (i.e. hundreds of kilometres) scales. This information is needed to constrain future generations of numerical models to predict coastal evolution in relation to climate change and other human activities. Here we examine the coastal plain (Chenier Plain, CP) adjacent to the Mississippi River delta, one of the world's largest deltas. We use a refined chronology based on 22 new optically stimulated luminescence and 22 new radiocarbon ages to test the hypothesis that cyclic Mississippi subdelta shifting has influenced the evolution of the adjacent CP. We show that over the past 3 kyr, accumulation rates in the CP were generally 0-1 Mt yr-1. However, between 1.2 and 0.5 ka, when the Mississippi River shifted to a position more proximal to the CP, these rates increased to 2.9 ±1.1 Mt yr-1 or 0.5-1.5 % of the total sediment load of the Mississippi River. We conclude that CP evolution during the past 3 kyr was partly a direct consequence of shifting subdeltas, in addition to changing regional sediment sources and modest rates of relative sea-level (RSL) rise. The RSL history of the CP during this time period was constrained by new limiting data points from the base of overwash deposits associated with the cheniers. These findings have implications for Mississippi River sediment diversions that are currently being planned to restore portions of this vulnerable coast. Only if such diversions are located in the western portion of the Mississippi Delta plain could they potentially contribute to sustaining the CP shoreline. Our findings highlight the importance of a better understanding of mud-dominated shorelines that are often associated with major deltas, in light of the enormous investments in coastal management and restoration that will likely be made around the globe, now and especially later during this century.

SELECTING LEAST-DISTURBED SURVEY SITES FOR GREAT PLAINS STREAMS AND RIVERS

EPA Science Inventory

True reference condition probably does not exist for streams in highly utilized regions such as the Great Plains. Selecting least-disturbed sites for large regions is confounded by the association between human uses and natural gradients, and by multiple kinds of disturbance. U...

Water-surface elevations and channel characteristics for a selected reach of the Applegate River, Jackson County, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, David Dell; Alexander, Clyde W.

1970-01-01

In land-use planning for the Applegate River and its flood plain, consideration should be given to (1) preservation of the recreational attributes of the area, (2) allowance for optimum development of the flood plain's natural resources, and (3) protection of the rights of private landowners. Major factors that influence evaluation of the above considerations are the elevations and characteristics of floods. Heretofore, such flood data for the Applegate River have been inadequate to evaluate the flood potential or to use as a basis for delineating reasonable land-use zones. Therefore, at the request of Jackson County, this study was made to provide flood elevations, water-surface profiles, and channel characteristics (geometry and slope) for a reach of the Applegate River from the Jackson-Josephine County line upstream to the Applegate damsite (fig. 1). A similar study was previously made for reaches of adjacent Rogue River and Elk Creek (Harris, 1970).

Nomenclature of regional hydrogeologic units of the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, J.A.; Renken, R.A.

1988-01-01

Clastic sediments of the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system can be divided into four regional aquifers separated by three regional confining units. The four regional aquifers have been named for major rivers that cut across their outcrop areas and expose the aquifer materials. From youngest to oldest, the aquifers are called the Chickasawhay River, Pearl River, Chattahoochee River, and Black Warrior River aquifers, and the regional confining units separating them are given the same name as the aquifer they overlie. Most of the regional hydrogeologic units are subdivided within each of the four States that comprise the study area. Correlation of regional units is good with hydrogeologic units delineated by a similar regional study to the west and southwest. Because of complexity created by a major geologic structure to the northeast of the study area and dramatic facies change from clastic to carbonate strata to the southeast, correlation of regional hydrogeologic units is poor in these directions. (Author 's abstract)

Environmental changes in the central Po Plain (northern Italy) due to fluvial modifications and anthropogenic activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchetti, Mauro

2002-05-01

The fluvial environment of the central Po Plain, the largest plain in Italy, is discussed in this paper. Bounded by the mountain chains of the Alps and the Apennines, this plain is a link between the Mediterranean environment and the cultural and continental influences of both western and eastern Europe. In the past decades, economic development has been responsible for many changes in the fluvial environment of the area. This paper discusses the changes in fluvial dynamics that started from Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene due to distinct climatic changes. The discussion is based on geomorphological, pedological, and archaeological evidences and radiocarbon dating. In the northern foothills, Late Pleistocene palaeochannels indicate several cases of underfit streams among the northern tributaries of the River Po. On the other hand, on the southern side of the Po Plain, no geomorphological evidence of similar discharge reduction has been found. Here, stratigraphic sections, together with archaeological remains buried under the fluvial deposits, show a reduction in the size of fluvial sediments after the 10th millennium BC. During the Holocene, fluvial sedimentation became finer, and was characterised by minor fluctuations in the rate of deposition, probably related to short and less intense climatic fluctuations. Given the high rate of population growth and the development of human activities since the Neolithic Age, human influence on fluvial dynamics, especially since the Roman Age, prevailed over other factors (i.e., climate, tectonics, vegetation, etc.). During the Holocene, the most important changes in the Po Plain were not modifications in water discharge but in sediment. From the 1st to 3rd Century AD, land grants to war veterans caused almost complete deforestation, generalised soil erosion, and maximum progradation of the River Po delta. At present, land abandonment in the mountainous region has led to reafforestation. Artificial channel control in the mountain sector of the basins and in-channel gravel extraction (now illegal but very intense in the 1960s and 1970s) are causing erosion along the rivers and along large sectors of the Adriatic coast. These changes are comparable with those occurring in basins of other Mediterranean rivers.

Tamarisk and river restoration along the San Pedro and Gila Rivers

Treesearch

Juliet Stromberg; Sharon Lite; Charles Paradzick

2005-01-01

The abundance of tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima and related species) along the San Pedro and Gila River flood plains varies with differences in stream flow regimes. Tamarisk abundance, relative to Fremont cottonwood and Goodding willow, is greater at sites with more intermittent stream flows and deeper and more fluctuating ground-water levels....

Erosional history of the Appalachians as recordeed in detrital zircon fission-track ages and lithic detritus in Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naeser, C.W.; Naeser, N.D.; Edwards, Lucy E.; Weems, Robert E.; Southworth, C. Scott; Newell, Wayne L.

2016-01-01

Comparison of fission-track (FT) ages of detrital zircons recovered from Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments to FT ages of zircons from bedrock in source terranes in the Appalachians provides a key to understanding the provenance of the sediments and, in turn, the erosional and depositional history of the Atlantic passive margin.In Appalachian source terranes, the oldest zircon fission-track (ZFT) ages from bedrock in the western Appalachians (defined for this paper as the Appalachian Plateau, Valley and Ridge, and far western Blue Ridge) are notably older than the oldest ages from bedrock in the eastern Appalachians (Piedmont and main part of the Blue Ridge). The age difference is seen both in ZFT sample ages and in individual zircon grain ages and reflects differences in the thermotectonic history of the rocks. In the east, ZFT data indicate that the rocks cooled from temperatures high enough to partially or totally reset ZFT ages during the Paleozoic and (or) Mesozoic. The majority of the rocks are interpreted to have cooled through the ZFT closure temperature (∼235 °C) at various times during the late Paleozoic Alleghanian orogeny. In contrast, most of the rocks sampled in the western Appalachians have never been heated to temperatures high enough to totally reset their ZFT ages. Reflecting their contrasting thermotectonic histories, nearly 80 percent of the sampled western rocks yield one or more zircon grains with very old FT ages, in excess of 800 Ma; zircon grains yielding FT ages this old have not been found in rocks in the Piedmont and main part of the Blue Ridge. The ZFT data suggest that the asymmetry of zircon ages of exposed bedrock in the eastern and western Appalachians was in evidence by no later than the Early Cretaceous and probably by the Late Triassic.Detrital zircon suites from sands collected in the Atlantic Coastal Plain provide a record of detritus eroded from source terranes in the Appalachians during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. In Virginia and Maryland, sands of Early Cretaceous through late early Oligocene age do not yield any old zircons comparable in age to the old zircons found in bedrock in the western Appalachians. Very old zircons yielding FT ages >800 Ma are only encountered in Coastal Plain sands of middle early Miocene and younger age.Miocene and younger fluvial-deltaic deposits associated with the major mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain rivers that now head in the western Appalachians (the Hudson, Delaware, Susquehanna, Potomac, James, and Roanoke) contain abundant clasts of fossiliferous chert and quartzite and other distinctive rock types derived from Paleozoic rocks of the western Appalachians. These distinctive clasts have not been reported in older Coastal Plain sediments.The ZFT and lithic detritus data indicate that the drainage divide for one or more east-flowing mid-Atlantic rivers migrated west into the western Appalachians, and the river(s) began transporting western Appalachian detritus to the Atlantic Coastal Plain, sometime between the late early Oligocene and middle early Miocene. By no later than late middle Miocene most if not all of the major rivers that now head west of the Blue Ridge were transporting western Appalachian detritus to the Coastal Plain. Prior to the drainage divide migrating into the western Appalachians, the ZFT data are consistent with the dominant source of Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments being detritus from the Piedmont and main part of the Blue Ridge, with possible input from distant volcanic sources.The ZFT data suggest that the rapid increase in the rate of siliciclastic sediment accumulation in middle Atlantic margin offshore basins that peaked in the middle Miocene and produced almost 30 percent of the total volume of post-rift siliciclastic sediments in the offshore basins began in the early Miocene when Atlantic river(s) gained access to the relatively easily eroded Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of the western Appalachians.

77 FR 26825 - Iowa River Railroad, Inc.-Abandonment Exemption-in Marshall and Hardin Counties, IA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-07

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 1072X] Iowa River Railroad, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Marshall and Hardin Counties, IA On April 17, 2012, Iowa River... Street, Des Moines, IA 50312. Replies to the petition are due on or before May 29, 2012. Persons seeking...

A field trip guide to the petrology of Quaternary volcanism on the Yellowstone Plateau

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vazquez, Jorge A.; Stelten, Mark; Bindeman, Ilya N.; Cooper, Kari

2017-12-19

The Yellowstone Plateau is one of the largest manifestations of silicic volcanism on Earth, and marks the youngest focus of magmatism associated with the Yellowstone Hot Spot. The earliest products of Yellowstone Hot Spot volcanism are from ~17 million years ago, but may be as old as ~32 Ma, and include contemporaneous eruption of voluminous mafic and silicic magmas, which are mostly located in the region of northwestern Nevada and southeastern Oregon. Since 17 Ma, the main locus of Yellowstone Hot Spot volcanism has migrated northeastward producing numerous silicic caldera complexes that generally remain active for ~2–4 million years, with the present-day focus being the Yellowstone Plateau. Northeastward migration of volcanism associated with the Yellowstone Hot Spot resulted in the formation of the Snake River Plain, a low relief physiographic feature extending ~750 kilometers from northern Nevada to eastern Idaho. Most of the silicic volcanic centers along the Snake River Plain have been inundated by younger basalt volcanism, but many of their ignimbrites and lava flows are exposed in the extended regions at the margins of the Snake River Plain. 

Subsidence driving forces in large Delta Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grall, C.; Steckler, M. S.

2017-12-01

Recent studies show large variability in subsidence rates among large delta plains that directly impact coastal management of these highly vulnerable environments. Observations show both significant spatial variation in subsidence across each delta, as well as large differences in magnitude between different deltas. This variability raises the question of what are the driving forces that control subsidence in large delta plains that this study aims to address. Subsidence and sediment compaction is studied in 4 end-member large Delta Plains: the Ganges-Brahmaputra, the Mekong, the Mississippi and the Nile. Those large delta plains drastically contrast in subsidence rates (from values to several mm/yr to several cm/yr), in the nature of the sediment (notably in clay and organic matter content), and in the volume of sediment supplied by the large rivers that feed those coastal environments. The volume of sediment deposited in each delta plain during the Holocene is estimated and the compaction of the underlying sedimentary column is computed by using a backstripping approach. Sediment compaction behaviors are defined accordingly to the observed clay, silt and organic contents, and the rate of subsidence associated with compaction is determined. Results suggest that about 2/3 of observed Holocene subsidence may be associated with the mechanical and chemical compaction of the underlying sedimentary column due to the load of sediment deposited. The compaction appears to be significantly higher in delta plains characterized by a high sediment input and a high organic matter and clay content. Thus, the observed subsidence rates in the (muddy) Mekong delta appear to be one order of magnitude higher than other delta plains. In contrast, subsidence rates are modest in the Ganges-Brahmaputra, the Mississippi and the Nile delta plains, except away from the major rivers where deposits are muddier.

Role of neotectonics and climate in development of the Holocene geomorphology and soils of the Gangetic Plains between the Ramganga and Rapti rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Pankaj; Parkash, B.; Sehgal, J. L.; Kumar, Sudhir

1994-12-01

Fifteen soil-geomorphic units have been delineated from the Gangetic Plains between the Ramganga and Rapti rivers. They were identified by remote sensing and field checks. On the basis of degree of profile development, their soils are grouped into five members (QGH1 to QGH5, QGH5 being the oldest) of a soil chrono-association. Tentative ages assigned to QGH1 to QGH5 are <500, > 500, > 2500, 8000 and 13,5000 yr B.P., respectively. From the early Holocene to about 6500 yr. B.P. a cold, arid to semi-arid climate prevailed and pedogenic calcrete developed over large areas in the Gangetic Plains. Later, a warm and humid climate and improved drainage resulted in complete removal of calcrete from soil profiles in some areas or its dissolution and re-precipitation in lower horizons in other areas. Neotectonics seems to have played a significant role in the evolution of the geomorphology and soils of the area. It determined areas of active sedimentation, pedogenesis and erosion (in upland regions). It led to tilting and sagging of large blocks resulting in shifting and increase in sinuosity of the rivers. Tectonic slopes/faults determined the courses of large rivers.

Impact of permafrost development on groundwater flow patterns: a numerical study considering freezing cycles on a two-dimensional vertical cut through a generic river-plain system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grenier, Christophe; Régnier, Damien; Mouche, Emmanuel; Benabderrahmane, Hakim; Costard, François; Davy, Philippe

2013-02-01

The impact of glaciation cycles on groundwater flow was studied within the framework of nuclear waste storage in underground geological formations. The eastern section of the Paris Basin (a layered aquifer with impervious/pervious alternations) in France was considered for the last 120 ka. Cold periods corresponded with arid climates. The issue of talik development below water bodies was addressed. These unfrozen zones can maintain open pathways for aquifer recharge. Transient thermal evolution was simulated on a small-scale generic unit of the landscape including a "river" and "plain". Coupled thermo-hydraulic modeling and simplified conductive heat transfer were considered for a broad range of scenarios. The results showed that when considering the current limited river dimensions and purely conductive heat transfer, taliks are expected to close within a few centuries. However, including coupled advection for flows from the river to the plain (probably pertinent for the eastern Paris Basin aquifer recharge zones) strongly delays talik closure (millennium scale). The impact on regional underground flows is expected to vary from a complete stop of recharge to a reduced recharge, corresponding to the talik zones. Consequences for future modeling approaches of the Paris Basin are discussed.

Floods in the Raccoon River basin, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heinitz, Albert J.

1980-01-01

Evaluation of flood hazards, and the planning, design, and operation of various facilities on flood plains requires information on floods. This report provides information on flood stages and discharges, flood magnitude and frequency, bench mark data, and flood profiles for the Raccoon River and some of its tributaries. Ir covers the Raccoon River, the North Raccoon River to the northern boundary of Sac County and the lower reaches of the Middle and South Raccoon Rivers.

Influences of spatial scale and soil permeability on relationships between land cover and baseflow stream nutrient concentrations

EPA Science Inventory

The Little Miami River (LMR) basin, dominated by agriculture, contains two geologically-distinct regions; a glaciated northern till plain with soils three times more permeable than a southern, pre-Wisconsinan drift plain. The influences of two landscape measures, percent row crop...

Tectonic Tilting and Reorganization of an Aluvial Fan to a Dendritic, Erosional River Network: the Example of the Ogallala Gravels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, S.; McCoy, S. W.; Beeson, H. W.

2016-12-01

Deposition of the Mio-Pliocene Ogallala gravels in the foreland of the Rocky Mountains represents a great natural experiment in landscape evolution. Starting about 20 million years ago the flux of sediment shed off the Rocky Mountains increased, likely in response to dynamic uplift of the Rockies and tilting of the High Plains. This event shifted the high plains from a state of erosion to deposition. The flux of sediment formed huge alluvial megafans, burying the pre-existing river network and effectively "repaving" the western High Plains. Today we are witnessing the re-establishment of a new river network that is dissecting, capturing and eroding these sediment fans. By mapping the modern drainage basins and noting the channel gradient with respect to the normalized length parameter, χ, we identify two types of basins in the high plains. The remnants of the alluvial megafans are drained by long narrow basins with low normalized steepness and nearly no concavity, reflecting little incision since formation. In contrast, the fan remnants are surrounded by basins with a dendritic structure and efficient water and sediment routing, resulting in low values of chi and correspondingly low elevation. The boundary between these two basin types is commonly an erosional escarpment, demonstrating that the trellis basins are consuming the fan deposits by lateral divide migration and successive river capture. We present scaling arguments that show that lateral escarpment advance is nearly an order of magnitude faster than the upstream (knickpoint) propagation of channel entrenchment. This process of landscape evolution has important implications for water in the high plains. Deprived of an efficient channel network, fan surfaces remain uneroded, preserving the Ogallala sediments, and the poorly-drained, poorly integrated surface retains ephemeral water for wetland habitat and aquifer recharge, illustrating how the surface hydrology reflects landscape evolution on million year timescales.

Anticipated sediment delivery to the lower Elwha River during and following dam removal: Chapter 2 in Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington--biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Czuba, Christiana R.; Randle, Timothy J.; Bountry, Jennifer A.; Magirl, Christopher S.; Czuba, Jonathan A.; Curran, Christopher A.; Konrad, Christopher P.; Duda, Jeffrey J.; Warrick, Jonathan A.; Magirl, Christopher S.

2011-01-01

During and after the planned incremental removal of two large, century-old concrete dams between 2011 and 2014, the sediment-transport regime in the lower Elwha River of western Washington will initially spike above background levels and then return to pre-dam conditions some years after complete dam removal. Measurements indicate the upper reaches of the steep-gradient Elwha River, draining the northeast section of the Olympic Mountains, carries between an estimated 120,000 and 290,000 cubic meters of sediment annually. This large load has deposited an estimated 19 million cubic meters of sediment within the two reservoirs formed by the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams. It is anticipated that from 7 to 8 million cubic meters of this trapped sediment will mobilize and transport downstream during and after dam decommissioning, restoring the downstream sections of the sediment-starved river and nearshore marine environments. Downstream transport of sediment from the dam sites will have significant effects on channel morphology, water quality, and aquatic habitat during and after dam removal. Sediment concentrations are expected to be between 200 and 1,000 milligrams per liter during and just after dam removal and could rise to as much as 50,000 milligrams per liter during high flows. Downstream sedimentation in the river channel and flood plain will be potentially large, particularly in the lower Elwha River, an alluvial reach with a wide flood plain. Overall aggradation could be as much as one to several meters. Not all reservoir sediment, however, will be released to the river. Some material will remain on hill slopes and flood plains within the drained reservoirs in quantities that will depend on the hydrology, precipitation, and mechanics of the incising channel. Eventually, vegetation will stabilize this remaining reservoir sediment, and the overall sediment load in the restored river will return to pre-dam levels.

Hydrogeologic Framework and Occurrence and Movement of Ground Water in the Upper Humboldt River Basin, Northeastern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plume, Russell W.

2009-01-01

The upper Humboldt River basin encompasses 4,364 square miles in northeastern Nevada, and it comprises the headwaters area of the Humboldt River. Nearly all flow of the river originates in this area. The upper Humboldt River basin consists of several structural basins, in places greater than 5,000 feet deep, in which basin-fill deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age and volcanic rocks of Tertiary age have accumulated. The bedrock of each structural basin and adjacent mountains is composed of carbonate and clastic sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age and crystalline rocks of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic age. The permeability of bedrock generally is very low except for carbonate rocks, which can be very permeable where circulating ground water has widened fractures through geologic time. The principal aquifers in the upper Humboldt River basin occur within the water-bearing strata of the extensive older basin-fill deposits and the thinner, younger basin-fill deposits that underlie stream flood plains. Ground water in these aquifers moves from recharge areas along mountain fronts to discharge areas along stream flood plains, the largest of which is the Humboldt River flood plain. The river gains flow from ground-water seepage to its channel from a few miles west of Wells, Nevada, to the west boundary of the study area. Water levels in the upper Humboldt River basin fluctuate annually in response to the spring snowmelt and to the distribution of streamflow diverted for irrigation of crops and meadows. Water levels also have responded to extended periods (several years) of above or below average precipitation. As a result of infiltration from the South Fork Reservoir during the past 20 years, ground-water levels in basin-fill deposits have risen over an area as much as one mile beyond the reservoir and possibly even farther away in Paleozoic bedrock.

Concentrations of selected metals in Quaternary-age fluvial deposits along the lower Cheyenne and middle Belle Fourche Rivers, western South Dakota, 2009-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamm, John F.; Hoogestraat, Galen K.

2012-01-01

The headwaters of the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers drain the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, an area that has been affected by mining and ore-milling operations since the discovery of gold in 1875. A tributary to the Belle Fourche River is Whitewood Creek, which drains the area of the Homestake Mine, a gold mine that operated from 1876 to 2001. Tailings discharged into Whitewood Creek contained arsenopyrite, an arsenic-rich variety of pyrite associated with gold ore, and mercury used as an amalgam during the gold-extraction process. Approximately 18 percent of the tailings that were discharged remain in fluvial deposits on the flood plain along Whitewood Creek, and approximately 25 percent remain in fluvial deposits on the flood plain along the Belle Fourche River, downstream from Whitewood Creek. In 1983, a 29-kilometer (18-mile) reach of Whitewood Creek and the adjacent flood plain was included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, commonly referred to as a "Superfund site." Listing of this reach of Whitewood Creek was primarily in response to arsenic toxicity of fluvial deposits on the flood plain. Lands along the lower Cheyenne River were transferred to adjoining States and Tribes in response to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1999. An amendment in 2000 to WRDA required a study of sediment contamination of the Cheyenne River. In response to the WRDA amendment, the U.S. Geological Survey completed field sampling of reference sites (not affected by mine-tailing disposal) along the lower Belle Fourche and lower Cheyenne Rivers. Reference sites were located on stream terraces that were elevated well above historical stream stages to ensure no contamination from historical mining activity. Sampling of potentially contaminated sites was performed on transects of the active flood plain and adjacent terraces that could potentially be inundated during high-flow events. Sampling began in 2009 and was completed in 2010. A total of 74 geochemical samples were collected from fluvial deposits at reference sites, and 473 samples were collected from potentially contaminated sites. Sediment samples collected were analyzed for 23 metals, including arsenic and mercury. Sequential replicate, split duplicate, and field quality-control samples were analyzed for quality assurance of data-collection methods. The metal concentrations in sediment samples and location information are presented in this report in electronic format (Microsoft Excel), along with non-parametric summary statistics of those data. Cross-sectional topography is graphed with arsenic and mercury concentrations on transects at the potentially contaminated sites. The mean arsenic concentration in reference sediment samples was 8 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), compared to 250, 650, and 76 mg/kg for potentially contaminated sediment samples at the surface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, the subsurface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, and the surface of the lower Cheyenne River site, respectively. The mean mercury concentration in reference sediment samples was 16 micrograms per kilogram (μg/kg), compared to 130, 370, and 71 μg/kg for potentially contaminated sediment samples at the surface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, the subsurface of the middle Belle Fourche River site, and the surface of the lower Cheyenne River site, respectively.

Fluvial responses to tectonics and climate change during the Late Weichselian in the eastern part of the Pannonian Basin (Hungary)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nádor, Annamária; Thamó-Bozsó, Edit; Magyari, Árpád; Babinszki, Edit

2007-11-01

Fine-grained sandy-silty channel-belt and floodplain deposits of the Berettyó-Körös Rivers, a main eastern transverse tributary system of the modern Tisza River in the eastern part of the Pannonian Basin, were deposited during the Late Pleistocene under net subsiding conditions. The palaeo-drainage network pattern of a 2500 km 2 large part of the alluvial plain was reconstructed based on interpretation of airborne photographs and analysis of 18th century topographic maps, which show the natural river patterns that predate the introduction of river regulation schemes. The investigation showed that a large meandering river system, with two main channel belts surrounding a floodbasin, entered the alluvial plain from the northeast, and a braided river entered the alluvial plain from the southeast. Detailed sedimentary logs of seven continuous corings and several sand and clay-pit sections were used to characterize different alluvial units. Optical luminescence dating (OSL) of 25 quartz samples and four 14C datings showed that the sediments are of Late Pleniglacial to Late Glacial age. Transport directions inferred from heavy mineral analyses combined with the OSL ages strongly suggest that the large meandering system represents the palaeo-Tisza River, which supposedly flowed along the northeast-southwest striking Érmellék depression during the Late Pleniglacial. The braided river can be regarded as a precursor to the Fekete and Fehér-Körös Rivers, which entered the alluvial plain from the southeast during the Late Glacial. The interpretation of seismic profiles, field measurements of neotectonic activity, and variations in thickness of sediments along the studied profile revealed that river development was largely controlled by subsidence along the Érmellék depression until 14 to 16 ky, and by uplift of the southeastern part of the catchment area. The studied fluvial successions also document the response of the palaeo-Tisza and Körös system to the climate changes of the Weichselian Late Pleniglacial-Late Glacial period. Much of the sand from the meandering zones was deposited during the Bølling-Allerød and Ságvár-Lascaux interstadials, whereas some dated sand units from the braided zone represent the Older and Younger Dryas. The error ranges of OSL dates, which often exceed the duration of Weichselian substages and subdivisions, prevented an unambiguous correlation of the studied sections with the millennial-scale climate changes of the last 25 ky. Meandering and braided river activity coexisted under different climate conditions, whereas locations of the main channel belts are related to subsidence anomalies. The results of our study thus clearly indicate that tectonics was the primary control on river development.

Floods in the English River basin, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heinitz, A.J.; Riddle, D.E.

1981-01-01

Information describing floods is essential for proper planning, design, and operation of bridges and other structures on or over streams and their flood plains. This report provides information on flood stages and discharges, flood magnitude and frequency, bench mark data, and flood profiles for the English River and some of its tributaries. It covers the English River, the North English River to near Guernsey, the south Eaglish River to Barnes City and the lower reaches of the Biddle English and Deep Rivers

Mountain Home Well - Photos

DOE Data Explorer

Shervais, John

2012-01-11

The Snake River Plain (SRP), Idaho, hosts potential geothermal resources due to elevated groundwater temperatures associated with the thermal anomaly Yellowstone-Snake River hotspot. Project HOTSPOT has coordinated international institutions and organizations to understand subsurface stratigraphy and assess geothermal potential. Over 5.9km of core were drilled from three boreholes within the SRP in an attempt to acquire continuous core documenting the volcanic and sedimentary record of the hotspot: (1) Kimama, (2) Kimberly, and (3) Mountain Home. The Mountain Home drill hole is located along the western plain and documents older basalts overlain by sediment. Data submitted by project collaborator Doug Schmitt, University of Alberta

Restoration of the Mississippi Delta: Lessons from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, John W.; Boesch, Donald F.; Clairain, Ellis J.; Kemp, G. Paul; Laska, Shirley B.; Mitsch, William J.; Orth, Kenneth; Mashriqui, Hassan; Reed, Denise J.; Shabman, Leonard; Simenstad, Charles A.; Streever, Bill J.; Twilley, Robert R.; Watson, Chester C.; Wells, John T.; Whigham, Dennis F.

2007-03-01

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita showed the vulnerability of coastal communities and how human activities that caused deterioration of the Mississippi Deltaic Plain (MDP) exacerbated this vulnerability. The MDP formed by dynamic interactions between river and coast at various temporal and spatial scales, and human activity has reduced these interactions at all scales. Restoration efforts aim to re-establish this dynamic interaction, with emphasis on reconnecting the river to the deltaic plain. Science must guide MDP restoration, which will provide insights into delta restoration elsewhere and generally into coasts facing climate change in times of resource scarcity.

75 FR 340 - Approval for Expansion of Subzone 22F, Abbott Molecular, Inc. (Pharmaceutical and Molecular...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-05

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [Order No. 1654] Approval for Expansion of Subzone 22F, Abbott Molecular, Inc. (Pharmaceutical and Molecular Diagnostic Products), Chicago, IL, Area... manufacturing authority on behalf of Abbott Molecular, Inc., within FTZ 22F in Des Plaines and Elk Grove Village...

49 CFR 192.7 - What documents are incorporated by reference partly or wholly in this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., NW., Washington, DC 20005. C. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor...-5990. E. Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry, Inc. (MSS), 127 Park.... I. Gas Technology Institute (GTI), 1700 South Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018. (2...

49 CFR 192.7 - What documents are incorporated by reference partly or wholly in this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., NW., Washington, DC 20005. C. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor...-5990. E. Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry, Inc. (MSS), 127 Park.... I. Gas Technology Institute (GTI), 1700 South Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018. (2...

78 FR 31976 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-Members of SGIP 2...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

...; CSA Group, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA; Greater Sudbury Hydro Inc., Sudbury, Ontario, CANADA; Lockheed...; NovaTech LLC, Quakertown, PA; Quadlogic Controls Corp., Long Island City, NY; Kyocera..., Arlington, VA; Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, IL; HD-PLC Alliance, Fukuoka, JAPAN; TeMix Inc., Los...

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Volcanology and Tectonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Reports from the session, "Mars Volcanology and Tectonics" include:Martian Shield Volcanoes; Estimating the Rheology of Basaltic Lava Flows; A Model for Variable Levee Formation Rates in an Active Lava Flow; Deflections in Lava Flow Directions Relative to Topography in the Tharsis Region: Indicators of Post-Flow Tectonic Motion; Fractal Variation with Changing Line Length: A Potential Problem for Planetary Lava Flow Identification; Burfellshraun:A Terrestrial Analogue to Recent Volcanism on Mars; Lava Domes of the Arcadia Region of Mars; Comparison of Plains Volcanism in the Tempe Terra Region of Mars to the Eastern Snake River Plains, Idaho with Implications for Geochemical Constraints; Vent Geology of Low-Shield Volcanoes from the Central Snake River Plain, Idaho: Lessons for Mars and the Moon; Field and Geochemical Study of Table Legs Butte and Quaking Aspen Butte, Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: An Analog to the Morphology of Small Shield Volcanoes on Mars; Variability in Morphology and Thermophysical Properties of Pitted Cones in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae; A Volcano Composed of Light-colored Layered Deposits on the Floor of Valles Marineris; Analysis of Alba Patera Flows: A Comparison of Similarities and Differences Geomorphologic Studies of a Very Long Lava Flow in Tharsis, Mars; Radar Backscatter Characteristics of Basaltic Flow Fields: Results for Mauna Ulu, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii;and Preliminary Lava Tube-fed Flow Abundance Mapping on Olympus Mons.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. J. Payne; J. M. Hodges; R. G. Berg

During 2011, the Idaho National Laboratory Seismic Monitoring Program evaluated 21,928 independent triggers that included earthquakes from around the world, the western United States, and local region of the Snake River Plain. Seismologists located 2,063 earthquakes and man-made blasts within and near the 161-km (or 100-mile) radius of the Idaho National Laboratory. Of these events, 16 were small-to-moderate size earthquakes ranging in magnitude (M) from 3.0 to 4.4. Within the 161-km radius, the majority of 941 earthquakes (M < 4.4) occurred in the active regions of the Basin and Range Province with only six microearthquakes occurring in the Snake Rivermore » Plain. In the northern and southeastern Basin and Range, eight earthquake swarms occurred and included over 325 events. Five of the Snake River Plain earthquakes were located within and near the northern and southern ends of the Great Rift volcanic rift zone. All have anomalously deep focal depths (16 to 38 km) and waveforms indicative of fluid movement at mid- and lower-crustal levels and are a continuation of activity observed at Craters of the Moon National Monument since 2007. Since 1972, the Idaho National Laboratory has recorded 55 small-magnitude microearthquakes (M = 2.2) within the eastern Snake River Plain and 25 deep microearthquakes (M = 2.3) in the vicinity of Craters of the Moon National Monument.« less

General Reevaluation Report for Flood Control Project: Raccoon River and Walnut Creek, West Des Moines-Des Moines, Iowa with Final Supplement Number 1 to the Final Environmental Impact Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-01

to the FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT D T C EIECTE SMAR 1 41990 US Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District JULY 1989 S03� 1601...SUPPLEMENT NO. 1 TO THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT NTIS z ITIC Av’, < , r Dist JULY 1989 TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTORS Primary study team personnel who are...AND COMMENTS 45 SECTION 6 - RECOMMENDATIONS 46 List of Tables No. Title Page 1 Impacts of Levee on Raccoon River Profiles 20 2 Impacts of Levee on

Behavior of medically-derived 131I in the tidal Potomac River.

PubMed

Rose, Paula S; Smith, Joseph P; Cochran, J Kirk; Aller, Robert C; Swanson, R Lawrence

2013-05-01

Iodine-131 (t1/2=8.04 d) is administered to patients for treatment of thyroid disorders, excreted by patients and discharged to surface waters via sewage effluent. Radionuclides generally behave like their stable analogs; therefore, medically-derived (131)I is useful as a transport-reaction tracer of anthropogenic inputs and the aquatic biogeochemistry of iodine. Iodine-131 was measured in Potomac River water and sediments in the vicinity of the Blue Plains Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), Washington, DC, USA. Concentrations measured in sewage effluent from Blue Plains WPCP and in the Potomac River suggest a relatively continuous source of this radionuclide. The range of (131)I concentrations detected in surface water was 0.076±0.006 to 6.07±0.07 Bq L(-1). Iodine-131 concentrations in sediments ranged from 1.3±0.8 to 117±2 Bq kg(-1) dry weight. Partitioning in the sewage effluent from Blue Plains and in surface waters indicated that (131)I is associated with colloidal and particulate organic material. The behavior of medically-derived (131)I in the Potomac River is consistent with the nutrient-like behavior of natural iodine in aquatic environments. After discharge to the river via sewage effluent, it is incorporated into biogenic particulate material and deposited in sediments. Solid phase sediment profiles of (131)I indicated rapid mixing or sedimentation of particulate debris and diagenetic remineralization and recycling on short time scales. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

National Transportation Safety Board Pipeline Special Investigation Report: Evaluation of Pipeline Failures During Flooding and of Spill Response Actions, San Jacinto River Near Houston Texas, October 1994

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-09-06

In mid-October 1994, major flooding occurred in the San Jacinto River flood plain near Houston, Texas. Due to the flooding, 8 pipelines ruptured and many others were undermined. Ignition of petroleum and petroleum products released into the river res...

Potential endocrine disrupting organic chemicals in treated municipal wastewater and river water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, L.B.; Brown, G.K.; Zaugg, S.D.

2000-01-01

Select endocrine disrupting organic chemicals were measured in treated wastewater from Chicago, IL, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, Detroit, MI, and Milwaukee, WI, and in the Des Plaines, Illinois, and Minnesota Rivers during the fall of 1997 and the spring of 1998. Emphasis was given to alkylphenolpolyethoxylate (APEO) derived compounds, although 17-??-estradiol, bisphenol A, caffeine, total organic carbon, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and other compounds also were measured. Contaminants were isolated by continuous liquid-liquid extraction (CLLE) with methylene chloride and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in full scan and selected ion monitoring modes. The extracts were derivatized to form the methyl esters of alkylphenolethoxycarboxylates (APEC), and EDTA was isolated by evaporation and derivatized to form the tetrapropyl ester. The mass spectra of nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) compounds are complex and show variations among the different ethoxylate and carboxylate homologs, reflecting variations in the ethylene oxide chain length. Recoveries for target compounds and surrogate standards ranged from 20-130%, with relative standard deviations of 9.9-53%. Detection limits for the various compounds ranged from 0.06-0.35 ??g/L. Analysis of the wastewater effluents detected a number of compounds including NP, NPEO, OP, OPEO, NPEC, caffeine, and EDTA at concentrations ranging from <1-439 ??g/L, with EDTA and NPEC being most abundant. There was variability in compound distributions and concentrations between the various sewage treatment plants, indicating differences in treatment type and influent composition. Several wastewater-derived compounds were detected in the river samples, with EDTA and NPEC persisting for considerable distance downstream from wastewater discharges, and NP and NPEO being attenuated more rapidly.

LOOP marine and estuarine monitoring program, 1978-95 : volume 3 : physical hydrography.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The complex region of interest is associated with the Mississippi River deltaic plain. The estuarine portion (Barataria Basin) has resulted from the subsidence of abandoned river distributaries and associated marsh; the offshore region is strongly in...

Backcasting the decline of a vulnerable Great Plains reproductive ecotype: identifying threats and conservation priorities.

PubMed

Worthington, Thomas A; Brewer, Shannon K; Grabowski, Timothy B; Mueller, Julia

2014-01-01

Conservation efforts for threatened or endangered species are challenging because the multi-scale factors that relate to their decline or inhibit their recovery are often unknown. To further exacerbate matters, the perceptions associated with the mechanisms of species decline are often viewed myopically rather than across the entire species range. We used over 80 years of fish presence data collected from the Great Plains and associated ecoregions of the United States, to investigate the relative influence of changing environmental factors on the historic and current truncated distributions of the Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi. Arkansas River shiner represent a threatened reproductive ecotype considered especially well adapted to the harsh environmental extremes of the Great Plains. Historic (n = 163 records) and current (n = 47 records) species distribution models were constructed using a vector-based approach in MaxEnt by splitting the available data at a time when Arkansas River shiner dramatically declined. Discharge and stream order were significant predictors in both models; however, the shape of the relationship between the predictors and species presence varied between time periods. Drift distance (river fragment length available for ichthyoplankton downstream drift before meeting a barrier) was a more important predictor in the current model and indicated river segments 375-780 km had the highest probability of species presence. Performance for the historic and current models was high (area under the curve; AUC > 0.95); however, forecasting and backcasting to alternative time periods suggested less predictive power. Our results identify fragments that could be considered refuges for endemic plains fish species and we highlight significant environmental factors (e.g., discharge) that could be manipulated to aid recovery. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.

Plains Culture Area. Native American Curriculum Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Cathy; Fernandes, Roger

One in a series of Native American instructional materials, this booklet introduces elementary students to the tribes of the plains culture area, extending from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River and from Texas to Canada. Written in simple language, the booklet begins with a brief description of the region--its extreme climate and the…

Evidence of Active Dune Sand on the Great Plains in the 19th Century from Accounts of Early Explorers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhs, Daniel R.; Holliday, Vance T.

1995-03-01

Eolian sand is extensive over the Great Plains of North America, but is at present mostly stabilized by vegetation. Accounts published by early explorers, however, indicate that at least parts of dune fields in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas were active in the 19th century. Based on an index of dune mobility and a regional tree-ring record, the probable causes for these periods of greater eolian activity are droughts, accompanied by higher temperatures, which greatly lowered the precipitation-to-evapotranspiration ratio and diminished the cover of stabilizing vegetation. In addition, observations by several explorers, and previous historical studies, indicate that rivers upwind of Great Plains dune fields had shallow, braided, sandy channels, as well as intermittent flow in the 19th century. Wide, braided, sandy rivers that were frequently dry would have increased sand supplies to active dune fields. We conclude that dune fields in the Great Plains are extremely sensitive to climate change and that the potential for reactivation of stabilized dunes in the future is high, with or without greenhouse warming.

Aqueous geochemistry and diagenesis in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Warren W.; Low, Walton H.

1986-01-01

Water budget and isotopic analyses of water in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system confirm that most, if not all, of the water is local meteoric in origin. Solute mass-balance arguments suggest that ∼5 × 109 moles of calcite and 2.6 × 109 moles of silica are precipitated annually in the aquifer. Isotopic evaluations of calcite and petrographic observation of silica support the low-temperature origin of these deposits. Approximately 2.8 × 109 moles of chloride, 4.5 × 109 moles of sodium, 1.4 × 109 moles of sulfate, and 2 × 109 moles of magnesium are removed annually from the aquifer framework by solution. Proposed weathering reactions are shown to be consistent with mass balance, carbon isotopes, observed mineralogy, and chemical thermodynamics. Large quantities of sodium, chloride, and sulfate are being removed from the system relative to their abundances in the rock. Sedimentary interbeds, which are estimated to compose <10% of the aquifer volume, may yield as much as 20% of the solutes generated within the aquifer. Weathering rate of the aquifer framework of the eastern Snake River Plain is 14 (Mg/km2)/yr or less than half the average of the North American continent. This contrasts with the rate for the eastern Snake River basin, 34 (Mg/km2)/yr, which is almost identical to the average for the North American continent. Identification and quantification of reactions controlling solute concentrations in ground water in the eastern plain indicate that the aquifer is not an “inert bathtub” that simply stores and transmits water and solutes but is undergoing active diagenesis and is both a source and sink for solutes.

Reevalution of background iodine-129 concentrations in water from the Snake River Plain Aquifer, Idaho, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cecil, L. DeWayne; Hall, L. Flint; Green, Jaromy R.

2003-01-01

Background concentrations of iodine-129 (129I, half-life = 15.7 million years) resulting from natural production in the earth?s atmosphere, in situ production in the earth by spontaneous fission of uranium-238(238U), and fallout from nuclear weapons tests conducted in the 1950s and 1960s were reevaluated on the basis of 52 analyses of ground- and surface-water samples collected from the eastern Snake River Plain in southeastern Idaho. The background concentration estimated using the results of a subset of 30 ground-water samples analyzed in this reevaluation is 5.4 attocuries per liter (aCi/L; 1 aCi = 10-18 curies) and the 95-percent nonparametric confidence interval is 5.2 to 10.0 aCi/L. In a previous study, a background 129I concentration was estimated on the basis of analyses of water samples from 16 sites on or tributary to the eastern Snake River Plain. At the 99-percent confidence level, background concentrations of 129I in that study were less than or equal to 8.2 aCi/L. During 1993?94, 34 water samples from 32 additional sites were analyzed for 129I to better establish the background concentrations in surface and ground water from the eastern Snake River Plain that is presumed to be unaffected by wastedisposal practices at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Surface water contained larger 129I concentrations than water from springs and wells contained. Because surface water is more likely to be affected by anthropogenic fallout and evapotranspiration, background 129I concentrations were estimated in the current research using the laboratory results of ground-water samples that were assumed to be unaffected by INEEL disposal practices.

Relationship of fluviodeltaic facies to coal deposition in the lower Fort Union formation (Palaeocene), south-western North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belt, Edward S.; Flores, Romeo M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Conway, Kevin M.; Johnson, Kirk R.; Waskowitz, Robert S.; Rahmani, R.A.; Flores, Romeo M.

1984-01-01

Facies analysis of the Ludlow and Tongue River Members of the Palaeocene Fort Union Formation provides an understanding of the relationship between fluviodeltaic environments and associated coal deposition in the south-western Williston Basin. The Ludlow Member consists of high-constructive delta facies that interfinger with brackish-water tongues of the Cannonball Member of the Fort Union Formation. The lower part of the Ludlow Member was deposited on a lower delta plain that consisted of interdistributary crevasse and subdelta lobes. The upper part of the Ludlow Member was deposited in meander belts of the upper delta plain. The delta plain facies of the Ludlow Member is overlain by alluvial plain facies consisting of swamp, crevasse-lobe, lacustrine, and trunk meander belt deposits of the Tongue River Member. The Ludlow delta is believed to have been fed by fluvial systems that probably flowed from the Powder River Basin to the Williston Basin undeterred by the Cedar Creek Anticline. However, the evidence indicates that the Cedar Creek Anticline was prominent enough, during early Tongue River Member deposition, to cause the obstruction of the regional fluvial system flowing from the SW, and the formation of local drainage.The Ludlow Member contains 18 coal beds in the area studied, of which the T-Cross and Yule coals are as thick as 4 m (12 ft). Abandoned delta lobes served as platforms where coals formed, which in turn, were drowned by mainly fresh water and subordinate brackish water. Repetition of deltaic sedimentation, abandonment, and occupation by swamp led to preservation of the T-Cross and Oyster coals in areas as extensive as 260 km2 (< 100 miles2).

The use of stable isotope to evaluate water mixing and water use by flood plain trees along the Garonne valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lambs, L.; Loubiat, M.; Richardson, W.

2003-01-01

Before the confluence of the Tarn, the Garonne valley was the driest area in the entire south-west of France, due to the relatively low rainfall and low summer discharge of the Garonne River and its tributaries. The natural abundance of the stable isotope of oxygen (18O) and ionic charge of surface and ground water were used to estimate the water source for the Garonne River and phreatic subsurface water. We also measured these constituents in the sap of trees at several flood plain sites to better understand the source of water used by these trees. 18O signatures and conductivity in the Garonne River indicated that the predominance of water was from high altitude surface runoff from the Pyrenees Mountains. Tributary inputs had little effect on isotopic identity, but had a small effect on the conductivity. The isotopic signature and ionic conductivity of river water (??18O: -9.1??? to -9.0???, conductivity: 217-410??S/cm) was distinctly different from groundwater (??18O: -7.1??? to -6.6???, conductivity: 600-900??S/cm). Isotopic signatures from the sap of trees on the flood plain showed that the water source was shallow subsurface water (1m). Trees at both locations maintained sap with ionic charges much greater (2.3-3.7x) than that of source water. The combined use of 18O signatures and ionic conductivity appears to be a potent tool to determine water sources on geographic scales, and source and use patterns by trees at the local forest scale. These analyses also show promise for better understanding of the effects of anthropogenic land-use and water-use changes on flood plain forest dynamics.

Amélioration des performances du procédé de soudage TIG sur un acier au carbone et un alliage d'aluminium par dépôt de silice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sire, Stéphane; Marya, Surendar

This Note presents ways to improve the weld penetration potential of TIG process by optimising silica application around the joints in a plain carbon steel and an aluminium alloy 5086. Whereas for plain carbon steels, full coverage of joint improves penetration, the presence of a blank zone around the joint in the flux coating on aluminium 5086 using AC-TIG seems to be the best solution for cosmetic and deep welds. To cite this article: S. Sire, S. Marya, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 83-89.

BIOCHEM-ORCHESTRA: a tool for evaluating chemical speciation and ecotoxicological impacts of heavy metals on river flood plain systems.

PubMed

Vink, J P M; Meeussen, J C L

2007-08-01

The chemical speciation model BIOCHEM was extended with ecotoxicological transfer functions for uptake of metals (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) by plants and soil invertebrates. It was coupled to the object-oriented framework ORCHESTRA to achieve a flexible and dynamic decision support system (DSS) to analyse natural or anthropogenic changes that occur in river systems. The DSS uses the chemical characteristics of soils and sediments as input, and calculates speciation and subsequent uptake by biota at various scenarios. Biotic transfer functions were field-validated, and actual hydrological conditions were derived from long-term monitoring data. The DSS was tested for several scenarios that occur in the Meuse catchment areas, such as flooding and sedimentation of riverine sediments on flood plains. Risks are expressed in terms of changes in chemical mobility, and uptake by flood plain key species (flora and fauna).

Sources and fate of nitrate in the Illinois River Basin, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panno, S.V.; Kelly, W.R.; Hackley, Keith C.; Hwang, H.-H.; Martinsek, A.T.

2008-01-01

We conducted a two-year investigation into the sources and fate of nitrate (NO3-) in the Illinois River from the Chicago area to the river's confluence with the Mississippi River. Samples from waterways in the Chicago area (Des Plaines River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal) had relatively high concentrations of nitrogen (N) species and NO3- isotopic compositions indicative of treated wastewater (TWW). Downstream of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, NO3- in tributaries discharging to the Illinois River primarily comes from tiles draining row crops. Nitrate isotopic signatures from these tributaries as well as drain tiles were indicative of synthetic fertilizer and/or soil organic matter (SOM) at various stages of denitrification. Nitrate-N concentrations generally decreased in the Illinois River with distance from the Chicago area primarily due to dilution. The decrease in NO3-N concentrations was especially conspicuous during the summer, when there is minimal discharge from drain tiles and NO3-N concentrations in the tributaries were low. In August 2005, when conditions were very dry, NO3-N concentrations decreased from 7.4 mg/L in the Chicago area to less than 1 mg/L near where the Illinois River discharges to the Mississippi River. The isotopic composition of NO3- in water samples from the Illinois River were a mixture of three end members: (1) fertilizer and/or SOM in drain tile water, typically showing the least amount of denitrification, (2) fertilizer and/or SOM in deeper ground water, showing the highest degree of denitrification, and (3) TWW. There was seasonal variability, depending on the volume of water flowing in the Illinois River. During high flow periods, river water samples plotted closest to those of tile drain samples; during low flow periods, a greater influence of TWW was observed in the isotopic composition. A subset of summer samples from the Chicago waterways had isotopic values plotting near and within the domain that characterizes manure and sewage. Nitrate in the Chicago area is primarily derived from TWW, with its isotopic signature evident downstream at least as far as Pekin during most of the year and all the way to the Mississippi River during periods of low flow. Denitrification occurs predominantly in groundwater between and away from drain tiles, although there is evidence that in-stream denitrification and/or biological uptake of NO3- occurs in the Peoria Lake reach of the Illinois River, at least during periods of low flow in the summer. We calculated that the river was losing about half of its NO3-N load in Peoria Lake in August 2005 (a period of very low flow), at a rate of about 7500 kg/day.

Megadroughts and late Holocene dune activation at the eastern margin of the Great Plains, north-central Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, P. R.; Arbogast, A. F.; Johnson, W. C.; Joeckel, R. M.; Young, A. R.

2010-01-01

Optical and radiocarbon dating indicates that alluvium underlying dunes near Abilene was deposited at or before ˜45 ka, and that the overlying dunes were active at ˜1.1-0.5 ka. Geochemical data indicate that the Abilene dune sand is immature and was derived from the underlying Pleistocene alluvium, and not from Holocene age Smoky Hill River deposits. These findings suggest that dune activation was a response to increased aridity and local reduction in vegetation cover as opposed to changes in sediment availability from nearby rivers. The time interval of dune activation at Abilene overlaps Medieval Warm Period megadroughts, similar to the larger and more westerly dune fields on the Great Plains, including the Nebraska Sand Hills and the Great Bend Sand Prairie. The activation of smaller dune fields such as the Abilene dunes near the more humid eastern margin of the Great Plains shows the geographic extent and severity of paleodrought events. Unlike the Duncan dunes, another plains-marginal dune field, however, the Abilene dunes show no evidence for multiple drought events during the Holocene. This difference in dune activity, if it is not a result of sampling or preservation bias, indicates variations in the extent and severity of older drought events at the eastern margin of the Great Plains.

Groundwater mixing and mineralization processes in a mountain-oasis-desert basin, northwest China: hydrogeochemistry and environmental tracer indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Bin; Jin, Menggui; Liang, Xing; Li, Jing

2018-02-01

Hydrogeochemistry and environmental tracers (2H, 18O, 87Sr/86Sr) in precipitation, river and reservoir water, and groundwater have been used to determine groundwater recharge sources, and to identify mixing characteristics and mineralization processes in the Manas River Basin (MRB), which is a typical mountain-oasis-desert ecosystem in arid northwest China. The oasis component is artificial (irrigation). Groundwater with enriched stable isotope content originates from local precipitation and surface-water leakage in the piedmont alluvial-oasis plain. Groundwater with more depleted isotopes in the north oasis plain and desert is recharged by lateral flow from the adjacent mountains, for which recharge is associated with high altitude and/or paleo-water infiltrating during a period of much colder climate. Little evaporation and isotope exchange between groundwater and rock and soil minerals occurred in the mountain, piedmont and oasis plain. Groundwater δ2H and δ18O values show more homogeneous values along the groundwater flow direction and with well depths, indicating inter-aquifer mixing processes. A regional contrast of groundwater allows the 87Sr/86Sr ratios and δ18O values to be useful in a combination with Cl, Na, Mg, Ca and Sr concentrations to distinguish the groundwater mixing characteristics. Two main processes are identified: groundwater lateral-flow mixing and river leakage in the piedmont alluvial-oasis plain, and vertical mixing in the north oasis plain and the desert. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios and selected ion ratios reveal that carbonate dissolution and mixing with silicate from the southern mountain area are primarily controlling the strontium isotope hydrogeochemistry.

Influence of hydrological, biogeochemical and temperature transients on subsurface carbon fluxes in a flood plain environment

DOE PAGES

Arora, Bhavna; Spycher, Nicolas F.; Steefel, Carl I.; ...

2016-02-12

Flood plains play a potentially important role in the global carbon cycle. The accumulation of organic matter in flood plains often induces the formation of chemically reduced groundwater and sediments along riverbanks. In this study, our objective is to evaluate the cumulative impact of such reduced zones, water table fluctuations, and temperature gradients on subsurface carbon fluxes in a flood plain at Rifle, Colorado located along the Colorado River. 2-D coupled variably-saturated, non-isothermal flow and biogeochemical reactive transport modeling was applied to improve our understanding of the abiotic and microbially mediated reactions controlling carbon dynamics at the Rifle site. Modelmore » simulations considering only abiotic reactions (thus ignoring microbial reactions) underestimated CO 2 partial pressures observed in the unsaturated zone and severely underestimated inorganic (and overestimated organic) carbon fluxes to the river compared to simulations with biotic pathways. Both model simulations and field observations highlighted the need to include microbial contributions from chemolithoautotrophic processes (e.g., Fe +2 and S -2 oxidation) to match locally-observed high CO 2 concentrations above reduced zones. Observed seasonal variations in CO 2 concentrations in the unsaturated zone could not be reproduced without incorporating temperature gradients in the simulations. Incorporating temperature fluctuations resulted in an increase in the annual groundwater carbon fluxes to the river by 170 % to 3.3 g m -2 d -1, while including water table variations resulted in an overall decrease in the simulated fluxes. We thus conclude that spatial microbial and redox zonation as well as temporal fluctuations of temperature and water table depth contribute significantly to subsurface carbon fluxes in flood plains and need to be represented appropriately in model simulations.« less

Influence of hydrological, biogeochemical and temperature transients on subsurface carbon fluxes in a flood plain environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arora, Bhavna; Spycher, Nicolas F.; Steefel, Carl I.

2016-02-01

Flood plains play a potentially important role in the global carbon cycle. The accumulation of organic matter in flood plains often induces the formation of chemically reduced groundwater and sediments along riverbanks. In this study, our objective is to evaluate the cumulative impact of such reduced zones, water table fluctuations, and temperature gradients on subsurface carbon fluxes in a flood plain at Rifle, Colorado located along the Colorado River. 2-D coupled variably-saturated, non-isothermal flow and biogeochemical reactive transport modeling was applied to improve our understanding of the abiotic and microbially mediated reactions controlling carbon dynamics at the Rifle site. Modelmore » simulations considering only abiotic reactions (thus ignoring microbial reactions) underestimated CO2 partial pressures observed in the unsaturated zone and severely underestimated inorganic (and overestimated organic) carbon fluxes to the river compared to simulations with biotic pathways. Both model simulations and field observations highlighted the need to include microbial contributions from chemolithoautotrophic processes (e.g., Fe?2 and S-2 oxidation) to match locally-observed high CO2 concentrations above reduced zones. Observed seasonal variations in CO2 concentrations in the unsaturated zone could not be reproduced without incorporating temperature gradients in the simulations. Incorporating temperature fluctuations resulted in an increase in the annual groundwater carbon fluxes to the river by 170 % to 3.3 g m-2 d-1, while including water table variations resulted in an overall decrease in the simulated fluxes. We conclude that spatial microbial and redox zonation as well as temporal fluctuations of temperature and water table depth contribute significantly to subsurface carbon fluxes in flood plains and need to be represented appropriately in model simulations.« less

Occurrence of floods and the role of climate during the twentieth century (Calabria, Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrucci, Olga; Polemio, Maurizio

2010-05-01

In region as Calabria (Southern Italy), characterized by mountainous morphology, the areas suitable for agriculture and urban development are represented by narrow river and coastal plains. The human utilization of these areas is often hard fought with rivers and flowing waters; floods cause periodically damage to agricultural activities, roads, rural settlements and, sometimes, to people. The morphological setting of the region is dominated by the presence of a main river network made up of ephemeral streams widely observed in southern Italy, are locally called fiumara. They show river beds that in plain sector are often larger than one kilometer, completely dry for almost the entire summer season and affected, during the winter, by severe flash floods characterized by huge sediment load. Because the migration of river channel through the wide river bed, discharge data are unavailable. A wide archive containing data on historical floods occurred through the past two centuries and the defensive works carried out to cope with flood damage in Calabria has been recently upgraded by using data coming from the Ministry of Public Works. In the present work, for a study area located in the northernmost province of Calabria, the historical series of floods which have occurred since 1800 has been collected. Damage caused by the different flood events have been compared to both rainfall data (if available) and data concerning defensive work construction. The aim is to assess if and (for what fiumara of the study area) works carried out in the past obtained the effect of reducing damage caused by flash floods. Results of the analysis can represent a useful tool to correctly drive the future development of the main plain of the study area.

Shoals and valley plugs in the Hatchie River watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diehl, Timothy H.

2000-01-01

Agricultural land use and gully erosion have historically contributed more sediment to the streams of the Hatchie River watershed than those streams can carry. In 1970, the main sedimentation problem in the watershed occurred in the tributary flood plains. This problem motivated channelization projects (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1970). By the mid-1980's, concern had shifted to sedimentation in the Hatchie River itself where channelized tributaries were understood to contribute much of the sediment. The Soil Conservation Service [Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) since 1996] estimated that 640,000 tons of bedload (sand) accumulates in the Hatchie River each year and identified roughly the eastern two-thirds of the watershed, where loess is thin or absent, as the main source of sand (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1986a). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the West Tennessee River Basin Authority (WTRBA), conducted a study of sediment accumulation in the Hatchie River and its tributaries. This report identifies the types of tributaries and evaluates sediment, shoal formation, and valley-plug problems. The results presented here may contribute to a better understanding of similar problems in West Tennessee and the rest of the southeastern coastal plain. This information also will help the WTRBA manage sedimentation and erosion problems in the Hatchie River watershed.The source of the Mississippi section of the Hatchie River is in the sand hills southwest of Corinth, Mississippi (fig. 1). This section of the Hatchie River flows northward in an artificial drainage canal, gathering water from tributary streams that also are channelized. The drainage canal ends 2 miles south of the Tennessee State line. The Tennessee section of the Hatchie River winds north and west in a meandering natural channel to the Mississippi River. Although most of the Hatchie River tributaries are also drainage canals, the river's main stem has kept most of its natural character. The Hatchie River flows through a wide valley bottom occupied mostly by riverine wetland. Historically, the valley bottom has supported hardwood forests. Since publication of the first Hatchie River report (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1970), the channel of the river has become shallower, and flooding has increased (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1986b). These wetter conditions inhibit growth of hardwoods and lead to premature hardwood mortality. The NRCS has predicted that despite efforts to control erosion in the uplands, most of the valley-bottom forest will die. '...swamping may be so prevalent as to change most of the Hatchie River Basin flood plain into a marsh condition, with the only remnants of the present bottomland hardwood timber remaining. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1986b) Loss of channel depth has been concentrated in short reaches near tributary mouths. At the mouths of Richland, Porters, Clover, and Muddy Creeks, navigation has become difficult for recreational users (Johnny Carlin, West Tennessee River Basin Authority, oral commun., 1998).As the low-gradient alluvial system of the Hatchie River accumulates sediment, another common outcome has been the formation of valley plugs, areas where 'channels are filled with sediment, and all the additional bedload brought downstream is then spread out over the flood plain until a new channel has been formed' (Happ, 1975). Valley plugs typically form where the slope of a sand-laden tributary decreases downstream, or where the tributary joins its parent stream (Happ and others, 1940; Diehl, 1994, 1997; Smith and Diehl, 2000).

Influence of riparian and watershed alterations on sandbars in a Great Plains river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, Jeffrey M.; Paukert, Craig P.; Daniels, M.L.

2014-01-01

Anthropogenic alterations have caused sandbar habitats in rivers and the biota dependent on them to decline. Restoring large river sandbars may be needed as these habitats are important components of river ecosystems and provide essential habitat to terrestrial and aquatic organisms. We quantified factors within the riparian zone of the Kansas River, USA, and within its tributaries that influenced sandbar size and density using aerial photographs and land use/land cover (LULC) data. We developed, a priori, 16 linear regression models focused on LULC at the local, adjacent upstream river bend, and the segment (18–44 km upstream) scales and used an information theoretic approach to determine what alterations best predicted the size and density of sandbars. Variation in sandbar density was best explained by the LULC within contributing tributaries at the segment scale, which indicated reduced sandbar density with increased forest cover within tributary watersheds. Similarly, LULC within contributing tributary watersheds at the segment scale best explained variation in sandbar size. These models indicated that sandbar size increased with agriculture and forest and decreased with urban cover within tributary watersheds. Our findings suggest that sediment supply and delivery from upstream tributary watersheds may be influential on sandbars within the Kansas River and that preserving natural grassland and reducing woody encroachment within tributary watersheds in Great Plains rivers may help improve sediment delivery to help restore natural river function.

Impact of water overstock on groundwater quality of the Bassee plain area (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourcy, L.; Pettenati, M.; Baran, N.; Durand, P. Y.

2009-04-01

The project, inspired by the structural flood plain management measures of the Rhine River, consists in the temporal removal of a maximum amount of water from the Seine River in order to leave priority to the water from the River Yonne. Yonne River and the Seine are presenting their maximum water flow usually at a same time. The space located between Bray-sur-Seine and Montereau-Fault-Yonne corresponding to the La Bassée plain (agricultural area of 23 km2) is well adapted to this project of temporary and artificial flood. The objective of the project financed by the Institution Interdépartementale des barrages Réservoirs du Bassin de la Seine (IIBRBS), the BRGM, the Seine-Normandie Water Agency, the European Communauty through the Interreg IIIB SAND project is the evaluation, at a local scale, of the impact on groundwater quality of the temporal Seine water storage. Indeed, the water over storage i) changes hydraulic conditions and therefore modify water and pollutants transfers through the unsaturated and saturated zones and ii) bring at soil surface a water (Seine River) potentially containing contaminants that may move to groundwater and consequently changed physico-chemicals conditions (redox) of groundwater. The estimation of the vulnerability of groundwater to changes and loads needs hydraulic and geochemical modelling of transfer through the unsaturated zone as well as the study of pollutants fate in static conditions. Retention properties of some metals (Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn) in soils and materials of the unsaturated zone by chemical processes were performed determining adsorption coefficient (Kd) by laboratory experiments. These experiments are showing that nickel mobility is lower in the argillous layers than in the sandy part of the unsaturated zone. Ni mobility is controlled by iron hydroxides and precipitation of other secondary minerals. Its complexation on organic ligands increases its mobility in soils. Copper concentration is influenced by CaCO3 presence and soluble organic ligands. Zinc is strongly adsorbed on the solid matrix at all tested soils. At basic condition, such as normally encountered at the Bassée floodplain, chromium adsorption is very low or null. Based on these results, batch modelling (without transport) were carried out for Cu and Ni. That confirms that nickel adsorption is controlled by iron hydroxides in porous media. For copper, the main processes controlling adsorption is organic ligands complexation that increases the mobility of this element in the soils. To complement the information acquired on metal comportment in the unsaturated zone and because pesticides were detected in soils and groundwater, laboratory experiments were performed using glyphosate alone and combining this pesticide with the tested heavy metals. The tests are highlighting the strong relationships between metals and pesticides. For the 5 soils used glyphosate adsorption is increased when metals are added to the solution. At the opposite, the experiences for the evaluation of the impact of the increase of glyphosate on the quantity of metals adsorbed (Cu, Ni, Ni) were not conclusive. The geochemical calculation code PHREEQC was used to model reactive transfer of solutes in a 1 D saturated column. Results obtained indicate that some contaminants (nickel) are mainly retained at the iron hydroxides surfaces even at very high concentration. Stability of metal depends then on the maintaining of oxic conditions in the porous media. After adsorption, nickel concentrations in soils remains well under average natural concentrations. Results of the project allowed the risk evaluation of a groundwater contamination by the Seine River during overstock episodes. During derivation of the Seine River into the Bassée floodplain, infiltration of water and solutes in the unsaturated zones will be done quickly. Some metals (Zn, Ni, Cu), and the glyphosate, will stay in the first centimetres of the soils due to their intrinsic properties. Even if a change of the physico-chemical conditions (mainly redox, organic matter contents) of the Bassée floodplain has very little probability to occur, this change may lead to very important changes in the comportment of heavy metals and pesticides. Other elements (Cr and other anionic metals) are not retained in the shallow soil horizons and, as water, will infiltrate very quickly in the unsaturated zone during inundation phases. Persistence time, estimated by modelling, of dissolved elements in the unsaturated zone is few years. The results showed that the probability of groundwater contamination due to overstock episodes is very low to null but consequences may be important. This assessment obliges to consider the installation of a water quality monitoring program for the control of the Seine River upstream the alluvial plain about 5 days before filling up the retention basins and up to the end of the replenishment procedure.

Ecology of tidal freshwater forests in coastal deltaic Louisiana and northeastern South Carolina: Chapter 9

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conner, William H.; Krauss, Ken W.; Doyle, Thomas W.

2007-01-01

Tidal freshwater swamps in the southeastern United States are subjected to tidal hydroperiods ranging in amplitude from microtidal (<0.1 m) to mesotidal (2-4 m), both having different susceptibilities to anthropogenic change. Small alterations in flood patterns, for example, can switch historically microtidal swamps to permanently flooded forests, scrub-shrub stands, marsh, or open water but are less likely to convert mesotidal swamps. Changes to hydrological patterns tend to be more noticeable in Louisiana than do those in South Carolina.The majority of Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests are found in the Mississippi River deltaic plain region. Coastal wetland forests in the deltaic plain have been shaped by the sediments, water, and energy of the Mississippi River and its major distributaries. Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] L.C. Rich.) and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) are the primary tree species in the coastal swamp forests of Louisiana. Sites where these species grow usually hold water for most of the year; however, some of the more seaward sites were historically microtidal, especially where baldcypress currently dominates. In many other locations, baldcypress and water tupelo typically grow in more or less pure stands or as mixtures of the two with common associates such as black willow (Salix nigra Marsh.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), water locust (Gleditsia aquatic Marsh.), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata Walt.), water hickory (Carya aquatica [Michx. f.] Nutt.), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), pumpkin ash (F. profunda Bush.), and redbay (Persea borbonia [L.] Sprengel) (Brown and Montz 1986).The South Carolina coastal plain occupies about two-thirds of the state and rises gently to 150 m from the Atlantic Ocean up to the Piedmont plateau. Many rivers can be found in the Coastal Plain with swamps near the coast that extend inland along the rivers. Strongly tidal freshwater forests occur along the lower reaches of redwater rivers (Santee, Great Pee Dee, and Savannah) that arise in the mountains and along the numerous blackwater rivers (Ashepoo, Combahee, Cooper, and Waccamaw) that arise in the coastal regions. Most of the tidal freshwater forests were converted to tidal rice fields in the 1700s (Porcher 1995). Canopy members of the present day forests include baldcypress, water tupelo, swamp tupelo (N. biflora Walt.), red maple, and Carolina ash (Fraxinus caroliniana Miller). Subcanopy and shrub species include Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica L.), dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor (Jacquin) Pers.), coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana Michx.), redbay, and water-elm (Planera aquatica Gmel.).

The Savannah River Site: site description, land use, and management history

Treesearch

David L. White; Karen F. Gaines

2000-01-01

The 78,000-ha Savannah River Site, which is located in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina along the Savannah River, was established as a nuclear production facility in 1951 by the Atomic Energy Commission. The site's physical and vegetative characteristics, land use history, and the impacts of management and operations are described. Aboriginal and early...

Modeling nitrate-nitrogen load reduction strategies for the des moines river, iowa using SWAT

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, K.E.; Wolter, C.F.

2009-01-01

The Des Moines River that drains a watershed of 16,175 km2 in portions of Iowa and Minnesota is impaired for nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) due to concentrations that exceed regulatory limits for public water supplies. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to model streamflow and nitrate loads and evaluate a suite of basin-wide changes and targeting configurations to potentially reduce nitrate loads in the river. The SWAT model comprised 173 subbasins and 2,516 hydrologic response units and included point and nonpoint nitrogen sources. The model was calibrated for an 11-year period and three basin-wide and four targeting strategies were evaluated. Results indicated that nonpoint sources accounted for 95% of the total nitrate export. Reduction in fertilizer applications from 170 to 50 kg/ha achieved the 38% reduction in nitrate loads, exceeding the 34% reduction required. In terms of targeting, the most efficient load reductions occurred when fertilizer applications were reduced in subbasins nearest the watershed outlet. The greatest load reduction for the area of land treated was associated with reducing loads from 55 subbasins with the highest nitrate loads, achieving a 14% reduction in nitrate loads achieved by reducing applications on 30% of the land area. SWAT model results provide much needed guidance on how to begin implementing load reduction strategies most efficiently in the Des Moines River watershed. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Kimberly Well - Photos

DOE Data Explorer

Shervais, John

2011-06-16

The Snake River Plain (SRP), Idaho, hosts potential geothermal resources due to elevated groundwater temperatures associated with the thermal anomaly Yellowstone-Snake River hotspot. Project HOTSPOT has coordinated international institutions and organizations to understand subsurface stratigraphy and assess geothermal potential. Over 5.9km of core were drilled from three boreholes within the SRP in an attempt to acquire continuous core documenting the volcanic and sedimentary record of the hotspot: (1) Kimama, (2) Kimberly, and (3) Mountain Home. The Kimberly drill hole was selected to document continuous volcanism when analysed in conjunction with the Kimama and is located near the margin of the plain. Data submitted by project collaborator Doug Schmitt, University of Alberta

Vegetation in the Flood Plain Adjacent to the Mississippi River between Cairo, Illinois, and St. Paul, Minnesota, and in the Flood Plain of the Illinois River between Grafton, Illinois, and Chicago, and the Possible Impacts That Will Result from the Construction of L & D 26 and the Associated Increase in Barge Traffic,

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-20

americana), green ash (Fraxinus lanceolata), pecan (Carya illinoensis), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), and red mulberry (Morus rubra). Also...cottonwood (Populus deltoides), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), box elder (Acer negundo), and green ash (Frax- inus lanceolata). There is a rather sparse...Amer- ican elm (Ulmus americana), slippery elm (U. rubra), box elder (Acer negundo), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) green ash (Fraxinus lanceo- lata

Groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Oahu basaltic-rock and basin-fill aquifers in the Northwestern United States and Hawaii, 1992-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frans, Lonna M.; Rupert, Michael G.; Hunt, Charles D.; Skinner, Kenneth D.

2012-01-01

Oahu and the Columbia Plateau had some of the highest percentages of soil fumigant detections in groundwater in the United States. Soil fumigants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used as pesticides, which are applied to soils to reduce populations of plant parasitic nematodes (harmful rootworms), weeds, fungal pathogens, and other soil-borne microorganisms. They are used in Oahu and the Columbia Plateau on crops such as pineapple and potatoes. All three areas (Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Oahu) had fumigant concentrations exceeding human-health benchmarks for drinking water.

Mountain Home Well - Borehole Geophysics Database

DOE Data Explorer

Shervais, John

2012-11-11

The Snake River Plain (SRP), Idaho, hosts potential geothermal resources due to elevated groundwater temperatures associated with the thermal anomaly Yellowstone-Snake River hotspot. Project HOTSPOT has coordinated international institutions and organizations to understand subsurface stratigraphy and assess geothermal potential. Over 5.9km of core were drilled from three boreholes within the SRP in an attempt to acquire continuous core documenting the volcanic and sedimentary record of the hotspot: (1) Kimama, (2) Kimberly, and (3) Mountain Home. The Mountain Home drill hole is located along the western plain and documents older basalts overlain by sediment. Data submitted by project collaborator Doug Schmitt, University of Alberta

Kimberly Well - Borehole Geophysics Database

DOE Data Explorer

Shervais, John

2011-07-04

The Snake River Plain (SRP), Idaho, hosts potential geothermal resources due to elevated groundwater temperatures associated with the thermal anomaly Yellowstone-Snake River hotspot. Project HOTSPOT has coordinated international institutions and organizations to understand subsurface stratigraphy and assess geothermal potential. Over 5.9km of core were drilled from three boreholes within the SRP in an attempt to acquire continuous core documenting the volcanic and sedimentary record of the hotspot: (1) Kimama, (2) Kimberly, and (3) Mountain Home. The Kimberly drill hole was selected to document continuous volcanism when analysed in conjunction with the Kimama and is located near the margin of the plain. Data submitted by project collaborator Doug Schmitt, University of Alberta

Subsidence Monitoring in Seville (S Spain) Using Multi-Temporal InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Armenteros, Antonio M.; Ruiz-Constan, Ana; Lamas-Fernandez, Francisco; Galindo-Zaldivar, Jesus; Sousa, Joaquim J.; Sanz de Galdeano, Carlos; Delgado, Manuel J.; Pedrera-Parias, Antonio; Martos-Rosillo, Sergio; Gil, Antonio J.; Caro-Cuenca, Miguel; Hanssen, Ramon F.

2016-08-01

Seville, with a metropolitan population of about 1.5 million, is the capital and largest city of Andalusia (S Spain). It is the 30th most populous municipality in the European Union and contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Seville harbour, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain. The city is located on the plain of the Guadalquivir River. Using Multi-Temporal InSAR with ERS-1/2 and Envisat data a subsidence behavior is detected in the period 1992-2010. The geometry of the subsiding areas suggests that it should be conditioned by the fluvial dynamics of the Guadalquivir River and its tributaries. Facies distribution along the fluvial system (paleochannels, flood plains...), with different grain size and matrix proportion, may explain the relative subsidence between the different sectors.

Comprehensive planning and the dragon to slay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leopold, Luna Bergere

1965-01-01

Several years ago I was in India as consultant to that government concerning a flood-control project on the Kosi River in the State of Bihar. The Kosi originates near Mount Everest and emerges from the Himalayas to flow southward for nearly a hundred miles across the Ganges plain. It is a braided river with an ill-defined channel consisting of many distributaries wandering around myriad islands in an unsystematic way. Owing to the fact that the Kosi has moved laterally across its low-angle fan about 75 miles in a hundred years it has progressively devastated by flooding large areas of agricultural land.The Indian government has chosen as the most practical way to alleviate the flood damage, the construction of levees separated by a distance of about nine miles and confining the river through most of the course of its plain.

In Situ Production of Chlorine-36 in the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer, Idaho: Implications for Describing Ground-Water Contamination Near a Nuclear Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. D. Cecil; L. L. Knobel; J. R. Green

2000-06-01

The purpose of this report is to describe the calculated contribution to ground water of natural, in situ produced 36Cl in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and to compare these concentrations in ground water with measured concentrations near a nuclear facility in southeastern Idaho. The scope focused on isotopic and chemical analyses and associated 36Cl in situ production calculations on 25 whole-rock samples from 6 major water-bearing rock types present in the eastern Snake River Plain. The rock types investigated were basalt, rhyolite, limestone, dolomite, shale, and quartzite. Determining the contribution of in situ production to 36Cl inventories inmore » ground water facilitated the identification of the source for this radionuclide in environmental samples. On the basis of calculations reported here, in situ production of 36Cl was determined to be insignificant compared to concentrations measured in ground water near buried and injected nuclear waste at the INEEL. Maximum estimated 36Cl concentrations in ground water from in situ production are on the same order of magnitude as natural concentrations in meteoric water.« less

Dendroclimatic potential of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) from the Northern Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edmonson, Jesse; Friedman, Jonathan; Meko, David; Touchan, Ramzi; Scott, Julian; Edmonson, Alan

2014-01-01

A new 368-year tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1643–2010) has been developed in western North Dakota using plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) growing on the relatively undisturbed floodplain of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We document many slow-growing living trees between 150–370 years old that contradict the common understanding that cottonwoods grow fast and die young. In this northern location, cottonwood produces distinct annual rings with dramatic interannual variability that strongly crossdate. The detrended tree-ring chronology is significantly positively correlated with local growing season precipitation and soil moisture conditions (r  =  0.69). This time series shows periods of prolonged low radial tree growth during the known droughts of the instrumental record (e.g. 1931–1939 and 1980–1981) and also during prehistory (e.g. 1816–1823 and 1856–1865) when other paleoclimate studies have documented droughts in this region. Tree rings of cottonwood will be a useful tool to help reconstruct climate, streamflow, and the floodplain history of the Little Missouri River and other northern river systems.

A Concept for a Long Term Hydrologic Observatory in the South Platte River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, J. A.

2004-12-01

The intersection between: (1) the Rocky Mountains and developments occurring in high altitude fragile environments; (2) the metropolitan areas emerging at the interface of the mountains and the plains; (3) the irrigation occurring along rivers as they break from the mountains and snake across the Great Plains; and (4) the grasslands and the dryland farming that covers the vast amount of the Great Plains, represents a dynamic, complex, highly integrated ecosystem, stretching from Montana and North Dakota to New Mexico and Texas. This swath of land, and the rivers that cross it (headwaters of the Missouri , the Yellowstone, the North Platte , the South Platte, the Arkansas , the Cimarron, the Red and the Pecos Rivers ), represent a significant percentage of the landmass of the United States. Within this large area, besides tremendous increases in population in metropolitan areas, there are new energy developments, old hard rock mining concerns, new recreation developments, irrigation farms selling water to meet urban demands, new in-stream flow programs, struggling rural areas, and continued "mining" of ground water. The corresponding impacts are creating endangered and threatened species conflicts which require new knowledge to fully understand the measures needed to mitigate harmful ecosystem conditions. Within the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains interface, water is limiting and land is plentiful, presenting natural resource managers with a number of unique problems which demand a scale of integrated science not achieved in the past. For example, water is imported into a number of the streams flowing east from the Rocky Mountains. Nitrogen is deposited in pristine watersheds that rise up high in the Rocky Mountains. Cities capture spring runoff in reservoirs to use at a steady rate over the entire year, putting water into river systems normally moving low flows in the winter. Irrigation of both urban landscapes and farm fields may be at a scale that impacts climate patterns in the region. Government programs, to help manage natural resources in the region, have fractured jurisdiction over the area. With a detailed integration of data sets the South Platte Hydrologic Observatory will address the above water issues, which are representative of many of the scientific hydrologic issues facing the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains interface watersheds, advancing the science of hydrology and producing sound science findings to assist natural resource decision making in the region.

Estimated predevelopment discharge to streams from the High Plains Aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas, and northwestern Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luckey, R.R.; Becker, M.F.

1998-01-01

A study of the High Plains aquifer in Okla homa was initiated in 1996 to: (1) provide the information needed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to manage the quantity of water produced from the aquifer; and (2) provide base line water-chemistry data. The approach used to meet the first objective is to develop a digital ground-water flow model. The model will be cali brated, in part, by comparing simulated and esti mated predevelopment discharge from the aquifer to streams and cross-boundary flow. This report presents the estimated predevelopment discharge to streams from the High Plains aquifer. Streamflow data were the primary source of information used to estimate predevelopment dis charge from the High Plains aquifer. Data from 30 streamflow stations between the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers were considered in the analysis, and winter low-flow frequencies for 7-, 14-, and 30-day periods were determined for 25 stations. The 14-day low flow with a recurrence interval of 2 years was the primary value used to estimate pre development discharge from the aquifer. The streams that drain the eastern part of the High Plains aquifer in Kansas (generally east of 99.5 longitude) are estimated to have had large predevelopment discharge from the aquifer, and most of them received discharge from near their headwaters. For streams with more than one streamflow gage, the upper perennial reaches appeared to have gained more discharge from the aquifer than the lower reaches. The total predevel opment discharge from the aquifer in this area to several streams is estimated to have been about 312 cubic feet per second, not including discharge that probably went directly to the Arkansas River. The Cimarron River and its tributaries are estimated to have gained about 78 cubic feet per second, but nearly one-half that amount was lost in the lower reaches of the river. The cause of the loss in the lower reaches is unknown. The Beaver River and its tributaries are estimated to have gained a net of about 10 cubic feet per second above Wolf Creek with the upper reaches gaining more than the lower reaches. Wolf Creek is estimated to have gained 30 cubic feet per second over its total length.

Quaternary Aquifer of the North China Plain-assessing and achieving groundwater resource sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Stephen; Garduno, Hector; Evans, Richard; Olson, Doug; Tian, Yuan; Zhang, Weizhen; Han, Zaisheng

The Quaternary Aquifer of the North China Plain is one of the world's largest aquifer systems and supports an enormous exploitation of groundwater, which has reaped large socio-economic benefits in terms of grain production, farming employment and rural poverty alleviation, together with urban and industrial water-supply provision. Both population and economic activity have grown markedly in the past 25 years. Much of this has been heavily dependent upon groundwater resource development, which has encountered increasing difficulties in recent years primarily as a result of aquifer depletion and related phenomena. This paper focuses upon the hydrogeologic and socio-economic diagnosis of these groundwater resource issues, and identifies strategies to improve groundwater resource sustainability. L'aquifère Quaternaire de la Plaine du Nord de la Chine est l'un des plus grands systèmes aquifères du monde; il permet une exploitation énorme d'eau souterraine, qui a permis des très importants bénéfices socio-économiques en terme de production de céréales, d'emplois ruraux et de réduction de la pauvreté rurale, en même temps que l'approvisionnement en eau potable et pour l'industrie. La population comme l'activité économique ont remarquablement augmenté au cours de ces 25 dernières années. Elles ont été sous la forte dépendance du développement de la ressource en eau souterraine, qui a rencontré des difficultés croissantes ces dernières années, du fait du rabattement de l'aquifère et des phénomènes associés. Cet article est consacré aux diagnostiques hydrogéologique et socio-économique des retombées de cette ressource en eau souterraine; il identifie les stratégies pour améliorer la pérennité des ressources en eau souterraine. El acuífero cuaternario de la Llanura Septentrional de China es uno de los mayores sistemas acuíferos del mundo y soporta una enorme explotación de su agua subterránea, las cuales han originado grandes beneficios socioeconómicos en términos de producción de grano, empleo en agricultura y mitigación de la pobreza rural, además de proveer agua para abastecimiento urbano e industria. Tanto la población como la actividad económica han crecido mucho en los últimos 25 años con una gran dependencia de las aguas subterráneas, que ha encontrado dificultades recientes por la explotación intensiva del acuífero y fenómenos relacionados. Este artículo se centra en la diagnosis hidrogeológica y socioeconómica de los problemas relacionados con las aguas subterráneas e identifica estrategias para mejorar la sustentabilidad de este recurco.

INFILTRATION OF ATRAZINE AND METABOLOTES FROM A STREAM TO AN ALLUVIAL AQUIFER

EPA Science Inventory

The infiltration of atrazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine from Walnut Creek, a tributary stream, to the alluvial valley aquifer along the South Skunk River in central Iowa occurred where the stream transects the river's flood plain. A preliminary estimate indicated t...

Evolution of radioactive dose rates in fresh sediment deposits along coastal rivers draining Fukushima contamination plume

PubMed Central

Evrard, Olivier; Chartin, Caroline; Onda, Yuichi; Patin, Jeremy; Lepage, Hugo; Lefèvre, Irène; Ayrault, Sophie; Ottlé, Catherine; Bonté, Philippe

2013-01-01

Measurement of radioactive dose rates in fine sediment that has recently deposited on channel bed-sand provides a solution to address the lack of continuous river monitoring in Fukushima Prefecture after Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident. We show that coastal rivers of Eastern Fukushima Prefecture were rapidly supplied with sediment contaminated by radionuclides originating from inland mountain ranges, and that this contaminated material was partly exported by typhoons to the coastal plains as soon as by November 2011. This export was amplified during snowmelt and typhoons in 2012. In 2013, contamination levels measured in sediment found in the upper parts of the catchments were almost systematically lower than the ones measured in nearby soils, whereas their contamination was higher in the coastal plains. We thereby suggest that storage of contaminated sediment in reservoirs and in coastal sections of the river channels now represents the most crucial issue. PMID:24165695

The Belterra Clay: The Last Terrestrial Connection Between the Brazilian Shield and the Guiana Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, K.

2016-12-01

The Belterra Clay is a sedimentary deposit that covers much of the eastern Amazon Basin in Brazil. It is notable in forming a very flat plain that occurs on both sides of the Amazon River, the Tapajos River, the Xingu River, and many smaller, tributary rivers east of 56° 32' W. The origin of the Belterra Clay is very controversial, with proponents of both allochthonous and autochthonous means of formation. There is little agreement as to its age. The fact that it occurs on both sides of the Amazon River indicates that its origin predates the formation of the modern Amazon River system, the timing of origin of which is itself highly controversial, with age estimates given for the river system formation that extend from the late Miocene, or 10 mya, to the late Pleistocene. From the time of origin of the Belterra Clay deposit until the modern Amazon River evolved, it formed an unbroken, terrestrial connection between the Brazilian Shield to the south and the Guiana Shield to the north, as well as east-west connections across what are today major river valleys, such as the Tapajos River and Xingu River. The formation and later severing of this once unbroken plain are predicted to have had major impacts on the distribution and evolutionary pathways of biotas inhabiting the region as once disparate communities were joined and later separated once again. Molecular clock ages for sister taxa north and south of the Amazon River have the potential of dating the time of formation of the Amazon River.

Sediment-Basalt Architecture, Pliocene and Pleistocene Eastern and Central Snake River Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helm-Clark, C. M.; Link, P. K.

2006-12-01

This presentation is a synthesis of known stratigraphic studies of the Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene basalts and interbedded sedimentary beds on the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP). This information is important for understanding the post-caldera tectonic evolution of the ESRP, especially for tracking patterns of volcanic eruption and changes in topography. Geophysical surveys and existing well logs indicate the depth of the basalt sequence is usually 2 km or less, even near the axis of the Plain. An alteration horizon, the product of high heat-flow in the wake of the Yellowstone hot spot, moderated by cold-water recharge in the thick and highly-transmissive Snake River Aquifer, has variable depth. The surface and near-surface of the lava fields are mainly basalts less than a half a million years old, from Island Park to Twin Falls/Shoshone. Near the junction of the Eastern and Western Snake River Plains, these youngest late Pleistocene basalts, many less than 100,000 years old, overlie early Pleistocene basalts more than a million and a half years old. Most basalt flows have been erupted from NW-trending volcanic rift zones like the Great Rift of Idaho or from the Axial Volcanic High (AVH). The AVH is a constructional axial ridge formed by multiple volcanic vents, small shield volcanoes and rhyolitic domes which run the length of the ESRP. A combination of previous and new stratigraphic and geochronology studies, including U-Pb detrital-zircon geochronology on sediments, reveals several lake sequences, formed by the damming of rivers. These tend to be thickest in upstream, valley-mouth, and Plain-marginal locations where the rivers were trapped. The lake beds generally pinch out toward the AVH. The most notable of these are the Mid-Pleistocene Raft Formation, the Late Pleistocene American Falls Lake Beds, at least two mid-Pleistocene sequences of ponded sediment from the Big Lost River at its egress onto the ESRP, and a 2.5 to 1.6 Ma sequence in the Big Lost Trough (BLT). Argon-argon dating of intercalated basalts demonstrates that the Big Lost River was trapped in the BLT starting about ~2Ma. Egress was blocked by the AVH to the southeast and by constructional volcanic rift zones to the southwest. Channel deposits of the ancestral Big Lost River are present in well logs, with one 20 m thick sequence traceable to the southwest under the Craters of the Moon National Monument (COM) between 1430 and 1380 m MSL. Other lake sequences in the ESRP subsurface include two mid-Pleistocene 30 to 50m thick sequences of clayey sediments in the BLT, near the southeast corner of the Idaho National Laboratory at ~250 to ~300 m depths. Two other fine-grained sediment sequences of unknown age are found at similar depths south of COM. Lake Terreton and its predecessors can be traced from Howe to Menan in the northeastern ESRP. Fluvial sediments here are coarse-grained gravels and sands of the Snake River, exposed near Blackfoot and logged in many well logs. Other notable fluvial sediments include the southwest-trending channel deposits and the two previously-mentioned clay sequences south of COM may prove to be parts of a paleo-Big Lost River that flowed to the southwest before 2 Ma.

Inverted Meandering Rivers at a Possible Future Mars Landing Site

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-11-27

This image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft contains interesting examples of crosscutting, sinuous and straight ridges. The ridge in the lower left of the image (orange) has gradual bends and well-defined positive relief, while the ridge in the upper right (blue) exhibits a degree of high sinuosity. Both ridges may be ancient river deposits. In the southern part of the image, there are also possible cut bank and point bar deposition scars (green), but these do not possess visible positive relief. Although lacking relief, the sinuosity of these scars implies an ancient, mature, and low-gradient meandering river. The upper right ridge exhibits a sinuous geometry with positive relief reminiscent of a mature meandering river. Cementation of by underground fluids may have given the river deposits a higher resistance to erosion compared to the surrounding flood plain. Subsequent weathering removed the deposits in the flood plain, leaving behind the river channel positive relief. Offsets of the lower left ridge along possible fault scarps (red) suggest that the area was cut by faults either during or after deposition of the river deposits. There also appears to be a less pronounced fault at the terminus of the upper right ridge. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20160

Chapter 16 - conservation and use of coastal wetland forests in Louisiana

Treesearch

Stephen P. Faulkner; Jim L. Chambers; William H. Conner; Richard F. Keim; John W. Day; Emile S. Gardiner; Melinda S. Hughes; Sammy L. King; Kenneth W. McLeod; Craig A. Miller; J. Andrew Nyman; Gary P. Shaffer

2007-01-01

The natural ecosystems of coastal Louisiana reflect the underlying geomorphic processes responsible for their formation. The majority of Louisiana's wetland forests are found in the lower reaches of the Mississipp Alluvial Valley and the Deltaic Plain. The sediments, water, and energy of the Mississippi River have shaped the Deltaic Plain as natural deltas have...

Changing hydrology under a changing climate for a Coastal Plain Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Analysis of climate data from the Little River Experimental Watershed near Tifton, Georgia, in the South Atlantic Coastal Plain of the U.S.A. indicate air temperatures will increase (0.15 to 0.41°C decade-1) along with a slight increase in total annual precipitation in the 21st century. The greates...

Contrasting Holocene sedimentary geologies of lower Daly River, northern Australia, and lower Sepik-Ramu, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappell, John

1993-03-01

The estuarine plain of the macrotidal Daly River, in monsoonal northern Australia, is underlain by extensive mid-Holocene mangrove swamp sediments which accumulated during the last stages of Post-glacial sea-level rise. Sediment yield from the catchment is too low to account for the volume which accumulated during sea-level rise, and onshore transport is invoked. This is supported by radiocarbon ages and facies analysis of the transgressive sediment tract beneath the maximum flooding surface (MFS), and of the tract of vertical sedimentation which extends from the MFS to the surface of estuarine/fluvial transition (the EFT). The EFT occurred about 5000 to 6000 BP throughout the estuarine plain. A contrasting situation exists in the lowland Holocene basin of the microtidal Sepik and Ramu rivers in Papua New Guinea, which derive sediment from highly tectonic catchments. A tectonic basin, which was a shallow brackish inland sea after Post-glacial transgression, is separated by a low divide from a deltaic plain. Progradation of the deltaic plain commenced about 3500 BP after regressive sedimentation eclipsed the inland sea in the tectonic basin. Contrasting organic facies, mangrove in the Daly and freshwater swamp deposits in the Sepik-Ramu, highlight differences between facies models of the two systems. Differences between fluvio-tidal regimes are reflected by the EFT, which is synchronous in the Daly and diachronous in the Sepik-Ramu, and possibly by the MFS which is diachronous in the Daly and may be synchronous in the Sepik-Ramu.

Project Hotspot: Temporal Compositional Variation in Basalts of the Kimama Core and Implications for Magma Source Evolution, Snake River Scientific Drilling Project, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, K. E.; Shervais, J. W.; Champion, D.; Duncan, R. A.; Christiansen, E. H.

2012-12-01

Project Hotspot produced continuous core from three drill sites in the Snake River plain, including 1912 m of core from the Kimama drill site on the axis of the plain. Ongoing major and trace element chemical characterization of the Kimama core and new 40Ar/39Ar and paleomagnetic age data demonstrate temporal variations in the evolution of Snake River Plain volcanism. Cyclic fluctuations in magma chemistry identify over a hundred chemically distinct basalt flow groups (comprising 550 individual lava flows) within 54 periods of volcanic activity, separated by hiatuses of decades to many millennia. From a surface age of 700 ka to a bottom-hole age of 6.5 Ma, the Kimama core records the presence of several nearly coeval but compositionally different lava flows, ranging from highly evolved lavas to non-evolved tholeiites. Determining whether Kimama lavas are genetically unrelated or extreme differentiates of a single magma batch relies upon a combination of detailed chemostratigraphy and absolute and relative age data. Age and geochemical data introduce new ideas on the role of multiple magma sources and/or differentiation processes in the development of central Snake River Plain volcanic systems. The relatively short gestation of evolved liquids is demonstrated throughout the Kimama core, with evidence for cyclic fractionation of mafic lavas at depths of 318 m, 350 m, 547 m, and 1078 m. Here, highly evolved lava flows (FeOT 16.0-18.4 wt %; TiO2 3.43-4.62 wt %) are stratigraphically bounded by more primitive tholeiitic basalts (FeOT 9.9-14.8 wt%; TiO2 1.22-3.56 wt%) within the same inclination range, suggesting that cyclic fractionation is a regular feature of shield volcano development on the central Snake River Plain. Between 1.60 ± 0.13 Ma (453.5 m depth) and 1.54 ± 0.15 Ma (320.0 m depth), Kimama lavas ranged in composition from primitive tholeiite (FeOT 11.7 wt %; TiO2 1.76 wt %) to evolved basalt (FeOT 16.0 wt %; TiO2 4.00 wt %). At depths of 1119 m and 1138 m, evolved lava flows (FeOT 17.2 and 17.0 wt %; TiO2 4.20 and 4.09 wt %, respectively) of negative polarity are stratigraphically bounded by more primitive tholeittic lava flows (FeOT 13.6 and 14.5 wt %; TiO2 2.92 and 3.24 wt %, respectively) of positive polarity, a chronological transition that may represent many millennia and magma source variability. Kimama core stratigraphy as well as paleomagnetic, and radiometric age data demonstrate that mafic volcanism on the central Snake River Plain has been relatively continuous for the last 6.5 Ma. The compositional variability in Kimama basalts introduces broader implications for the timing of cyclic fractionation processes and the development of regional magma sources.

RED SHINER INVASION OF THE UPPER COOSA RIVER SYSTEM: DYNAMICS AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

EPA Science Inventory

The red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) has been widely introduced across 11 states outside its native range, presumably through bait-bucket and aquarium releases. Its native range includes Great Plain and Central Lowland tributaries of the Mississippi River and western Coastal Pla...

U-Th-Ra variations in Himalayan river sediments (Gandak river, India): Weathering fractionation and/or grain-size sorting?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosia, Clio; Chabaux, François; Pelt, Eric; France-Lanord, Christian; Morin, Guillaume; Lavé, Jérôme; Stille, Peter

2016-11-01

Understanding the origin of U-Th-Ra variations in the Ganga river sediments is a prerequisite for correctly using U-series nuclides to constrain the sediment transport times in Himalayan rivers. For this purpose, U, Th, and Ra concentrations, along with 238U-234U-230Th-226Ra radioactive disequilibria, were analyzed in bank, bedload and suspended sediments from the Gandak river, one of the main tributaries of the Ganga river. The data confirm that U and Th budgets of the Himalayan sediments are significantly influenced by minor resistant minerals, such as zircon, garnet and Ti-bearing minerals, the dissolution of which required the use of a high-pressure acid digestion process. Most importantly, the results indicate that the variations in (238U/232Th) and (230Th/232Th) activity ratios and 238U-234U-230Th-226Ra disequilibria in sediments along the river alluvial plain mainly reflect modifications in the mineralogical and grain-size compositions rather than the degree of weathering during transport. The (238U/232Th) and (230Th/232Th) activity ratios in the bank and bed sediments are related to variations in the minor primary minerals strongly enriched in U and Th (i.e., zircon, REE-bearing minerals and Ti-bearing minerals), whereas the activity ratios in the suspended load are related to variations in the proportions of clay, Fe-oxyhydroxides and the silt-sand fraction, which contains U- and Th-bearing minor minerals. The data also indicate that 238U-234U-230Th-226Ra disequilibria are strongly influenced by secondary mineral phases: the 230Th budget is likely mainly controlled by Fe-oxyhydroxides, and the 226Ra budget is likely mainly controlled by clay minerals. Therefore, the variations in the 238U-234U-230Th-232Th system in the sediments of the Gandak river cannot simply be interpreted as the result of fractionation due to chemical transformation of the bulk sediment during its transport within the alluvial plain and/or the result of radioactive decay. Consequently, they cannot be used to infer long sediment transport times within the Gandak plain (10-100 ka), as previously proposed. Such analytical and interpretative artifacts are certainly not specific to the present study on the Gandak basin. These issues will certainly be encountered anytime this technique is applied to alluvial systems in which the U and Th budgets of the sediments are influenced by ;heavy; minerals that can be sorted during the transport of sediments within the plain.

Geomorphology and river dynamics of the lower Copper River, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, Timothy P.; Conaway, Jeffrey S.

2009-01-01

Located in south-central Alaska, the Copper River drains an area of more than 24,000 square miles. The average annual flow of the river near its mouth is 63,600 cubic feet per second, but is highly variable between winter and summer. In the winter, flow averages approximately 11,700 cubic feet per second, and in the summer, due to snowmelt, rainfall, and glacial melt, flow averages approximately 113,000 cubic feet per second, an order of magnitude higher. About 15 miles upstream of its mouth, the Copper River flows past the face of Childs Glacier and enters a large, broad, delta. The Copper River Highway traverses this flood plain, and in 2008, 11 bridges were located along this section of the highway. The bridges cross several parts of the Copper River and in recent years, the changing course of the river has seriously damaged some of the bridges.Analysis of aerial photography from 1991, 1996, 2002, 2006, and 2007 indicates the eastward migration of a channel of the Copper River that has resulted in damage to the Copper River Highway near Mile 43.5. Migration of another channel in the flood plain has resulted in damage to the approach of Bridge 339. As a verification of channel change, flow measurements were made at bridges along the Copper River Highway in 2005–07. Analysis of the flow measurements indicate that the total flow of the Copper River has shifted from approximately 50 percent passing through the bridges at Mile 27, near the western edge of the flood plain, and 50 percent passing through the bridges at Mile 36–37 to approximately 5 percent passing through the bridges at Mile 27 and 95 percent through the bridges at Mile 36–37 during average flow periods.The U.S. Geological Survey’s Multi-Dimensional Surface-Water Modeling System was used to simulate water-surface elevation and velocity, and to compute bed shear stress at two areas where the Copper River is affecting the Copper River Highway. After calibration, the model was used to examine the effects that betterments, such as guide banks or bridge extensions, would have on flow conditions and to provide sound conceptual information that could help decide if a proposed betterment will work or determine potential problems that need to be addressed for a particular betterment. The ability of the model to simulate these hydraulic conditions was constrained by the accuracy and level of channel geometry detail, which is constantly changing in the lower Copper River.

The Jordan River: Source of Life and Source of Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

potential conflict begin almost where the Jordan River itself begins – at it headwaters in Lebanon, in the northwest quadrant of the Jordan River...essentially focuses attention on the tension between Israel and Syria, in the northeast quadrant of the Jordan River basin. This is an area where mainly...34 Foreign Policy, no. 54 (1984): 3-26. 23 Arnold Hottinger, “Wasser als Konfliktstoff: Eine Existenzfrage für Staaten des Nahen Ostens,” Europa

Development of a channel classification to evaluate potential for cottonwood restoration, lower segments of the Middle Missouri River, South Dakota and Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.; Elliott, Caroline M.; Huhmann, Brittany L.

2010-01-01

This report documents development of a spatially explicit river and flood-plain classification to evaluate potential for cottonwood restoration along the Sharpe and Fort Randall segments of the Middle Missouri River. This project involved evaluating existing topographic, water-surface elevation, and soils data to determine if they were sufficient to create a classification similar to the Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) developed by Jacobson and others (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5256) and developing a geomorphically based classification to apply to evaluating restoration potential.Existing topographic, water-surface elevation, and soils data for the Middle Missouri River were not sufficient to replicate the LCPI. The 1/3-arc-second National Elevation Dataset delineated most of the topographic complexity and produced cumulative frequency distributions similar to a high-resolution 5-meter topographic dataset developed for the Lower Missouri River. However, lack of bathymetry in the National Elevation Dataset produces a potentially critical bias in evaluation of frequently flooded surfaces close to the river. High-resolution soils data alone were insufficient to replace the information content of the LCPI. In test reaches in the Lower Missouri River, soil drainage classes from the Soil Survey Geographic Database database correctly classified 0.8–98.9 percent of the flood-plain area at or below the 5-year return interval flood stage depending on state of channel incision; on average for river miles 423–811, soil drainage class correctly classified only 30.2 percent of the flood-plain area at or below the 5-year return interval flood stage. Lack of congruence between soil characteristics and present-day hydrology results from relatively rapid incision and aggradation of segments of the Missouri River resulting from impoundments and engineering. The most sparsely available data in the Middle Missouri River were water-surface elevations. Whereas hydraulically modeled water-surface elevations were available at 1.6-kilometer intervals in the Lower Missouri River, water-surface elevations in the Middle Missouri River had to be interpolated between streamflow-gaging stations spaced 3–116 kilometers. Lack of high-resolution water-surface elevation data precludes development of LCPI-like classification maps.An hierarchical river classification framework is proposed to provide structure for a multiscale river classification. The segment-scale classification presented in this report is deductive and based on presumed effects of dams, significant tributaries, and geological (and engineered) channel constraints. An inductive reach-scale classification, nested within the segment scale, is based on multivariate statistical clustering of geomorphic data collected at 500-meter intervals along the river. Cluster-based classifications delineate reaches of the river with similar channel and flood-plain geomorphology, and presumably, similar geomorphic and hydrologic processes. The dominant variables in the clustering process were channel width (Fort Randall) and valley width (Sharpe), followed by braiding index (both segments).Clusters with multithread and highly sinuous channels are likely to be associated with dynamic channel migration and deposition of fresh, bare sediment conducive to natural cottonwood germination. However, restoration potential within these reaches is likely to be mitigated by interaction of cottonwood life stages with the highly altered flow regime.

Simulating Multi-Scale Mercury Fate and Transport in a Coastal Plain Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Mercury is the toxicant responsible for the largest number of fish advisories across the United States, with 1.1 million river miles under advisory. The processes governing fate, transport, and transformation of mercury in streams and rivers are not well understood, in large part...

Ground-water availability from surficial aquifers in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reppe, Thomas H.C.

2005-01-01

On the basis of data and methods presented to evaluate ground-water availability, the Otter Tail and Pineland Sands surficial aquifers and Pelican River sand-plain aquifer have the greatest potential for additional development of ground-water resources in the study area.

Geomorphology and soil survey

Treesearch

Laura A. Murray; Bob Eppinette; John H. Thorp

2000-01-01

The Coosawhatchie River, through erosion and downcutting, carved a fluvial valley through the Wicomico and Pamlico marine terraces during the late Pleistocene-Holocene period. The floodplain is relatively small and immature compared to the major river systems of the South Carolina Lower Coastal Plain. Consequently, the classic geomorphic features of a larger fluvial...

Pinus glabra Walt. Spruce Pine

Treesearch

Susan V. Kossuth; J.L. Michael

1991-01-01

Spruce pine (Pinus glabra), also called cedar pine, Walter pine, or bottom white pine, is a medium-sized tree that grows in limited numbers in swamps, river valleys, on hummocks, and along river banks of the southern Coastal Plain. Its wood is brittle, close-grained, nondurable, and is of limited commercial importance.

Timber resources of the Kuskokwim flood plain and adjacent upland.

Treesearch

Karl M. Hegg; Harold. Sieverding

1979-01-01

The first intensive forest inventory of the Kuskokwim River flood plains and adjacent uplands was conducted in 1967. A commercial forest area of 252.5 thousand acres (102.2 thousand hectares) was identified with a growing-stock volume of 343.0 million cubic feet (9.7 million cubic meters). A noncommercial stratum was also examined that had substantial standing volume...

Abstracts for the Planetary Geology Field Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, R. (Editor); Black, D.

1977-01-01

The conference was to foster a better understanding of the volcanic history of the planets through the presentation of papers and through field trips to areas on the basalt plains of Idaho that appear to be analogous to some planetary surfaces. Papers include discussions of the volcanic geology of the Snake River Plain, general volcanic geology, and aspects of volcanism on the terrestrial planets.

Hydrology and digital simulation of the regional aquifer system, eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garabedian, S.P.

1992-01-01

The transient model was used to simulate aquifer changes from 1981 to 2010 in response to three hypothetical development alternatives: (1) Continuation of 1980 hydrologic conditions, (2) increased pumpage, and (3) increased recharge. Simulation of continued 1980 hydrologic conditions for 30 years indicated that head declines of 2 to 8 feet might be expected in the central part of the plain. The magnitude of simulated head declines was con- sistent with head declines measured during the 1980 water year. Larger declines were calculated along model boundaries, but these changes may have resulted from underestimation of tribu- tary drainage-basin underflow and inadequate aquifer definition. Simulation of increased ground-water pumpage (an additional 2,400 cubic feet per second) for 30 years indicated head declines of 10 to 50 feet in the central part of the plain. These relatively large head declines were accompanied by increased simulated river leakage of 50 percent and decreased spring discharge of 20 percent. The effect of increased recharge (800 cubic feet per sec- ond) for 30 years was a rise in simulated heads of 0 to 5 feet in the central part of the plain.

Multiconfiguration electromagnetic induction survey for paleochannel internal structure imaging: a case study in the alluvial plain of the River Seine, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rejiba, Fayçal; Schamper, Cyril; Chevalier, Antoine; Deleplancque, Benoit; Hovhannissian, Gaghik; Thiesson, Julien; Weill, Pierre

2018-01-01

The La Bassée floodplain area is a large groundwater reservoir controlling most of the water exchanged between local aquifers and hydrographic networks within the Seine River basin (France). Preferential flows depend essentially on the heterogeneity of alluvial plain infilling, whose characteristics are strongly influenced by the presence of mud plugs (paleomeander clayey infilling). These mud plugs strongly contrast with the coarse sand material that composes most of the alluvial plain, and can create permeability barriers to groundwater flows. A detailed knowledge of the global and internal geometry of such paleomeanders can thus lead to a comprehensive understanding of the long-term hydrogeological processes of the alluvial plain. A geophysical survey based on the use of electromagnetic induction was performed on a wide paleomeander, situated close to the city of Nogent-sur-Seine in France. In the present study we assess the advantages of combining several spatial offsets, together with both vertical and horizontal dipole orientations (six apparent conductivities), thereby mapping not only the spatial distribution of the paleomeander derived from lidar data but also its vertical extent and internal variability.

Optimizing groundwater development strategies by genetic algorithm: a case study for balancing the needs for agricultural irrigation and environmental protection in northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jianfeng; Zheng, Li; Liu, Depeng

2007-11-01

Gaoqing Plain is a major agriculture center of Shandong Province in northern China. Over the last 30 years, the diversion of Yellow River water for intensive irrigation in Gaoqing Plain has led to elevation of the water table and increased evaporation, and subsequently, a dramatic increase in salt content in soil and rapid degradation of crop productivity. Optimal strategies have been explored, that will balance the need to extract sufficient groundwater for irrigation (to ease the pressure on diverting Yellow River water) with the need to improve the local environment by appropriately lowering the water table. Two simulation-optimization models have been formulated and a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to search for the optimal groundwater development strategies in Gaoqing Plain, while keeping the adverse environmental impacts in check. Compared with the trial-and-error approach of previous studies, the optimization results demonstrate that using an optimization model coupled with a GA search is both effective and efficient. The optimal solutions identified by the GA will provide Gaoqing Plain with the blueprints for developing sustainable groundwater abstraction plans to support local economic development and improve its environmental quality.

Misssissippi River and St. Louis, MO

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-06-22

SL2-81-189 (22 June 1973) --- The well defined meanderings of the Mississippi River, just to the south of St. Louis, MO (38.5N, 90.5W) can easily be seen as curved lines and loops roughly paralleling the present river in this view showing the former water channels. The vegetated bluffs on either side of the river define the limits of the meanders where the rich river flood plain offers some of the most fertile land for agriculture although flooding remains a constant threat. Photo credit: NASA

Geohydrologic units of the Gulf Coastal Plain in Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, J.C.; Broom, M.E.; Bush, W.V.

1985-01-01

This report describes geohydrologic units of the Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary and Quaternary Systems and of the Paleozoic Era in the Gulf Coastal Plain in Arkansas. Structure contour maps on top of the Paleozoic rocks, Trinity Group, Tokio Formation, Nacatoch Sand, Midway Group, Wilcox Group, Carrizo Sand, Cane River Formation. Sparta Sand, and the Memphis Sand are included. Thickness maps of the Wilcox Group, Carrizo Sand, Cane River Formation, Sparta Sand, and the Memphis Sand and maps showing lines of equal dissolved-solids concentrations of the Nacatoch Sand, Wilcox Group, Carrizo Sand, Cane River Formation, and Sparta Sand are also included. The dissolved-solids maps are at about a 1:2 million scale. All other maps are at a 1:1 million scale. Brief descriptions of the geohydrologic units mentioned above and of the Cook Mountain and Cockfield Formations and the Jackson Group are also included. (USGS)

Digital geospatial presentation of geoelectrical and geotechnical data for the lower American River and flood plain, east Sacramento, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ball, Lyndsay B.; Burton, Bethany L.; Powers, Michael H.; Asch, Theodore H.

2015-01-01

To characterize the extent and thickness of lithologic units that may have differing scour potential, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has performed several geoelectrical surveys of the lower American River channel and flood plain between Cal Expo and the Rio Americano High School in east Sacramento, California. Additional geotechnical data have been collected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors. Data resulting from these surveys have been compiled into similar database formats and converted to uniform geospatial datums and projections. These data have been visualized in a digital three-dimensional framework project that can be viewed using freely available software. These data facilitate a comprehensive analysis of the resistivity structure underlying the lower American River corridor and assist in levee system management.

Sediment discharge into a subsiding Louisiana deltaic estuary through a Mississippi River diversion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snedden, G.A.; Cable, J.E.; Swarzenski, C.; Swenson, E.

2007-01-01

Wetlands of the Mississippi River deltaic plain in southeast Louisiana have been hydrologically isolated from the Mississippi River by containment levees for nearly a century. The ensuing lack of fluvial sediment inputs, combined with natural submergence processes, has contributed to high coastal land loss rates. Controlled river diversions have since been constructed to reconnect the marshes of the deltaic plain with the river. This study examines the impact of a pulsed diversion management plan on sediment discharge into the Breton Sound estuary, in which duplicate 185 m3 s-1-diversions lasting two weeks each were conducted in the spring of 2002 and 2003. Sediment delivery during each pulse was highly variable (11,300-43,800 metric tons), and was greatest during rising limbs of Mississippi River flood events. Overland flow, a necessary transport mechanism for river sediments to reach the subsiding backmarsh regions, was induced only when diversion discharge exceeded 100 m3 s-1. These results indicate that timing and magnitude of diversion events are both important factors governing marsh sediment deposition in the receiving basins of river diversions. Though the diversion serves as the primary source of river sediments to the estuary, the inputs observed here were several orders of magnitude less than historical sediment discharge through crevasses and uncontrolled diversions in the region, and are insufficient to offset present rates of relative sea level rise. ?? 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

More than one way to stretch: A tectonic model for extension along the plume track of the Yellowstone hotspot and adjacent Basin and Range Province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; Thompson, G.A.; Smith, R.P.

1998-01-01

The eastern Snake River Plain of southern Idaho poses a paradoxical problem because it is nearly aseismic and unfaulted although it appears to be actively extending in a SW-NE direction continuously with the adjacent block-faulted Basin and Range Province. The plain represents the 100-km-wide track of the Yellowstone hotspot during the last ???16-17 m.y., and its crust has been heavily intruded by mafic magma, some of which has erupted to the surface as extensive basalt flows. Outside the plain's distinct topographic boundaries is a transition zone 30-100 km wide that has variable expression of normal faulting and magmatic activity as compared with the surrounding Basin and Range Province. Many models for the evolution of the Snake River Plain have as an integral component the suggestion that the crust of the plain became strong enough through basaltic intrusion to resist extensional deformation. However, both the boundaries of the plain and its transition zone lack any evidence of zones of strike slip or other accommodation that would allow the plain to remain intact while the Basin and Range Province extended around it; instead, the plain is coupled to its surroundings and extending with them. We estimate strain rates for the northern Basin and Range Province from various lines of evidence and show that these strains would far exceed the elastic limit of any rocks coupled to the Basin and Range; thus, if the plain is extending along with its surroundings, as the geologic evidence indicates, it must be doing so by a nearly aseismic process. Evidence of the process is provided by volcanic rift zones, indicators of subsurface dikes, which trend across the plain perpendicular to its axis. We suggest that variable magmatic strain accommodation, by emplacement and inflation of dikes perpendicular to the least principal stress in the elastic crust, allows the crust of the plain to extend nearly aseismically. Dike injection releases accumulated elastic strain but generates only the small earthquakes associated with dike propagation. The rate of dike emplacement required to accommodate the estimated longitudinal strain rate of the plain is roughly a composite width of 10 m every 1000 years for the geologically youngest and most active part of the plain. The locus of most rapid intrusion and strain has migrated toward Yellowstone and is now in the northeastern 100-150 km of the plain. Reduced magmatic input in the transition zone of the plain causes the transitional expression of seismicity and faulting there.

Distribution and transport of polychlorinated biphenyls in Little Lake Butte des Morts, Fox River, Wisconsin, April 1987-October 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

House, L.B.

1995-01-01

The mass of PCB's transported from the lake in streamflow during 1987-88 was calculated to be 110 kilograms annually. The PCB's transport rate decreased 50 percent from 1987 to 1988, for the period April through September. Transport of PCB's was greatest during April and May of each year. The average flux rate of PCB's into the water column from the bottom sediment in the lake was estimated to be 1.2 milligrams per square meter per day. The PCB's load seems to increase at river discharges greater than 212 cubic meters per second. This increase in PCB's load might be caused by resuspension of PCB's-contaminated bottom-sediment deposits. There was little variation in PCB's load at flows less than 170 cubic meters per second. The bottom sediments are a continuing source of PCB's to Little Lake Butte des Morts and the lower Fox River.

Stratigraphy of the unsaturated zone and the Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, S.R.; Liszewski, M.J.

1997-08-01

The unsaturated zone and the Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) are made up of at least 178 basalt-flow groups, 103 sedimentary interbeds, 6 andesite-flow groups, and 4 rhyolite domes. Stratigraphic units identified in 333 wells in this 890-mile{sup 2} area include 121 basalt-flow groups, 102 sedimentary interbeds, 6 andesite-flow groups, and 1 rhyolite dome. Stratigraphic units were identified and correlated using the data from numerous outcrops and 26 continuous cores and 328 natural-gamma logs available in December 1993. Basalt flows make up about 85% of the volume of deposits underlying the area.

Red River of the North Reconnaissance Report: Sand Hill River Subbasin.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

Reservation. As the river traverses the beach ridge area, the width of the floodplain narrows markedly to a distance of no more than a quarter mile...studies are needed to determine its relative abundance and distribution. The Canadian toad and great plains toad , both recorded from the subbasin, are of...Beltrami and straightening and enlargement of the Sand Hill River and Sand Hill Ditch channel starting about 13 miles above the mouth to a point about six

Comparison among the microbial communities in the lake, lake wetland, and estuary sediments of a plain river network.

PubMed

Huang, Wei; Chen, Xing; Wang, Kun; Chen, Junyi; Zheng, Binghui; Jiang, Xia

2018-06-10

Sediment microbial communities from plain river networks exert different effects on pollutant transformation and migration in lake basins. In this study, we examined millions of Illumina reads (16S rRNA gene amplicons) to compare lake, lake wetland, and estuary bacterial communities through a technically consistent approach. Results showed that bacterial communities in the sampled lake sediments had the highest alpha-diversity (Group B), than in sampled lake wetland sediments and estuary sediments. Proteobacteria was the most abundant (more than 30%) phyla in all the sediments. The lake sediments had more Nitrospirae (1.63%-11.75%) and Acidobacteria (3.46%-10.21%) than the lake wetland and estuary sediments, and estuary sediments had a greater abundance of the phylum Firmicutes (mean of 22.30%). Statistical analysis (LEfSe) revealed that lake wetland sediments contained greater abundances of the class Anaerolineaceae, orders Xanthomonadales, Pseudomonadales, and genera Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter. The lake sediments had a distinct community of diverse primary producers, such as phylum Acidobacteria, order Ignavibacteriales, and families Nitrospiraceae, Hydrogenophilaceae. Total phosphorus and organic matter were the main factors influencing the bacterial communities in sediments from several parts of the lake wetland and river estuary (p < .05). The novel insights into basin pollution control in plain river networks may be obtained from microbial distribution in sediments from different basin regions. © 2018 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SIR-B image of Montreal from STS 41-G

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

False-color image showing Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was acquired by the Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) during STS 41-G. The St. lawrence River dominates the right portion of the photo. Several bridges cossing the river are visible. Pink and blue areas are generally buildings or pavement. Light green areas regions of natural vegetation; darker green areas are generally cultivated regions. A race track like structure is apparent at top left. The Riviere des Milles Illes and the Riviere des Prairies (left and right, respectively), join to form a U-shaped waterway at the center of the image. The large elliptical green-centered feature west of the St. Lawrence is Mt. Royal.

Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on floodplain forests of the Pearl River: Chapter 6A in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faulkner, Stephen; Barrow, Wylie; Couvillion, Brady R.; Conner, William; Randall, Lori; Baldwin, Michael

2007-01-01

Floodplain forests are an important habitat for Neotropical migratory birds. Hurricane Katrina passed through the Pearl River flood plain shortly after making landfall. Field measurements on historical plots and remotely sensed data were used to assess the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the structure of floodplain forests of the Pearl River.

Numerical Demonstration of Massive Sediment Transport and Cs Recontamination by River Flooding in Fukushima Costal Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machida, Masahiko; Yamada, Susumu; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Okumura, Masahiko; Kitamura, Akihiro

2014-05-01

Radioactive Cs recontamination brought about by deposition of silt and clay on river beds has been a central issue of environmental recovery problems in Fukushima prefecture after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident. In fact, the river-side sediment monitored by using remote controlled helicopters and direct sampling measurements has been confirmed to be highly contaminated compared to the other areas, which just naturally decay. Such contamination transportation is especially remarkable in a few rivers in coastal areas of Fukushima prefecture, because their water and sediment are supplied from the highly contaminated area along the northwest direction from FDNPPs. Thus, we numerically study the sediment transportation in rivers by using 2D river simulation framework named iRIC developed by Shimizu et al. Consequently, we find that flood brought about by typhoon is mainly required for the massive transport and the sediment deposition in the flood plain is efficiently promoted by plants naturally grown on the plain. In this presentation, we reveal when and where the sediment deposition occurs in the event of floods through direct numerical simulations. We believe that the results are suggestive for the next planning issue related with decontamination in highly-contaminated evacuated districts.

Flood-plain study of the Upper Iowa River in the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Daniel E.; Eash, David A.

2008-01-01

The city of Decorah, Iowa, has experienced severe flooding from the Upper Iowa River resulting in property damage to homes and businesses. Streamflow data from two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations, the Upper Iowa River at Decorah, Iowa (station number 05387500), located upstream from the College Drive bridge; and the Upper Iowa River near Decorah, Iowa (station number 05388000), at the Clay Hill Road bridge (locally known as the Freeport bridge) were used in the study. The three largest floods on the Upper Iowa River at Decorah occurred in 1941, 1961, and 1993, for which the estimated peak discharges were 27,200 cubic feet per second (ft3/s), 20,200 ft3/s, and 20,500 ft3/s, respectively. Flood-discharge information can be obtained from the World Wide Web at URL (uniform resource locator) http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/. In response to the need to provide the City of Decorah and other flood-plain managers with an assessment of the risks of flooding to properties and facilities along an 8.5-mile (mi) reach of the Upper Iowa River, the USGS, in cooperation with the City of Decorah, initiated a study to map 100- and 500-year flood-prone areas.

The Evolution of Riparian Landscape Elements Following Upstream Regulation and Depletion on the Rio Grande

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everitt, B. L.

2006-12-01

In 1915 closure of Elephant Butte Dam in central New Mexico profoundly altered the hydrologic regime of the Rio Grande for 560 km downstream, and set in motion a cascade of interwoven geomorphic, biological, and cultural responses. Geomorphic response included shrinking of the width and depth of the channel, and an increase in sinuosity. Cultural responses included artificial channel modification on 320 km of the river within the boundaries of the original irrigation project, beginning in 1933. The pre-dam river and its flood plain consisted of a mosaic of geomorphic elements that formed a functional riverine landscape, and founded a diverse habitat for the plants, animals, and people that lived there. A preliminary comparison of the modern river with pre-dam topographic mapping permits identification of individual landscape elements, including overflow land (flood plain) both cultivated and uncultivated, with oxbows and back-swamps. The pre-dam channel included a low water thread and un-vegetated flood bars. From pre-dam description and photographs we can assume the usual complement of pools and riffles, point bars and undercut banks. Until dredged in the 1970s, the unmodified reach retained the entire suite of landscape elements, although in somewhat different proportions from the pre-dam river, and remained a functional riparian system. Channel sinuosity increased from 1.45 in 1910 to 1.7 in 1970, thus riverbank habitat increased by 1.17%. In 1970 undercut banks still provided protection for fish, and point bars generated by lateral migration still provided seed beds for pioneer species. The smaller shallower channel raised groundwater beneath the flood plain and retarded flood waves, creating a generally more mesic environment, although the river occasionally dries up, as it did prior to 1915. In contrast, an impoverished suite of landscape elements characterizes the channelized reach. Lateral stability precludes point bars and undercut banks. Bounding levees separate the channel from its former flood plain. All areas are impacted by heavy machinery during periodic channel maintenance. I conclude that the environmental degradation caused by artificial channel modification has far outweighed any generated by upstream hydrologic control.

Field and Geochemical Study of Table Legs Butte and Quaking Aspen Butte, Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: An Analog to the Morphology of Small Shield Volcanoes on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, S. M.; Hughes, S. S.; Sakimoto, S. E. H.; Gregg, T. K. P.

2004-01-01

Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data allows insight to Martian features in great detail, revealing numerous small shields in the Tempe region, consisting of low profiles and a prominent summit caps . Terrestrial examples of this shield morphology are found on the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), Idaho. This plains-style volcanism [2] allows an analog to Martian volcanism based on topographic manifestations of volcanic processes . Recent studies link the slope and morphology of Martian volcanoes to eruptive process and style . The ESRP, a 400km long, 100km wide depression, is host to hundreds of tholeiitic basalt shields, which have low-profiles built up over short eruptive periods of a few months or years . Many of these smaller scale shields (basal diameters rarely exceed 5km) display morphology similar to the volcanoes in the Tempe region of Mars . Morphological variations within these tholeiitic shields are beautifully illustrated in their profiles.

Comparison of Cottonwood Dendrochronology and Optically Stimulated Luminescence Geochronometers Along a High Plains Meandering River, Powder River, Montana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasse, T. R.; Schook, D. M.

2017-12-01

Geochronometers at centennial scales can aid our understanding of process rates in fluvial geomorphology. Plains cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides ssp. Monilifera) in the high plains of the United States are known to germinate on freshly created deposits such as point bars adjacent to rivers. As the trees mature they may be partially buried (up to a few meters) by additional flood deposits. Cottonwood age gives a minimum age estimate of the stratigraphic surface where the tree germinated and a maximum age estimate for overlying sediments, providing quantitative data on rates of river migration and sediment accumulation. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) of sand grains can be used to estimate the time since the sand grains were last exposed to sunlight, also giving a minimum age estimate of sediment burial. Both methods have disadvantages: Browsing, partial burial, and other damage to young cottonwoods can increase the time required for the tree to reach a height where it can be sampled with a tree corer, making the germination point a few years to a few decades older than the measured tree age; fluvial OSL samples can have inherited age (when the OSL age is older than the burial age) if the sediment was not completely bleached prior to burial. We collected OSL samples at 8 eroding banks of the Powder River Montana, and tree cores at breast height (±1.2 m) from cottonwood trees growing on the floodplain adjacent to the OSL sample locations. Using the Minimum Age Model (MAM) we found that OSL ages appear to be 500 to 1,000 years older than the adjacent cottonwood trees which range in age (at breast height) from 60 to 185 years. Three explanations for this apparent anomaly in ages are explored. Samples for OSL could be below a stratigraphic unconformity relative to the cottonwood germination elevation. Shallow samples for OSL could be affected by anthropogenic mixing of sediments due to plowing and leveling of hay fields. The OSL samples could have significant inherited ages due to partial bleaching during sediment transport in this high plains river with high suspended sediment loads. The dendrochronology of the adjacent cottonwood trees then offers an independent measurement of the inherited age of the OSL samples.

Drought evolution characteristics and precipitation intensity changes during alternating dry-wet changes in the Huang-Huai-Hai River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, D. H.; Wu, D.; Huang, R.; Wang, L. N.; Yang, G. Y.

2013-03-01

According to the Chinese climate divisions and the Huang-Huai-Hai River basin digital elevation map, the basin is divided into seven sub-regions by means of cluster analysis of the basin meteorological stations using the self-organizing map (SOM) neural network method. Based on the daily precipitation data of 171 stations for the years 1961-2011, the drought frequency changes with different magnitudes are analyzed and the number of consecutive days without precipitation is used to identify the drought magnitudes. The first precipitation intensity after a drought period is analyzed with the Pearson-III frequency curve, then the relationship between rainfall intensity and different drought magnitudes is observed, as are the drought frequency changes for different years. The results of the study indicated the following: (1) the occurrence frequency of different drought level shows an overall increasing trend; there is no clear interdecadal change shown, but the spatial difference is significant. The occurrence frequencies of severe and extraordinary drought are higher on the North China Plain, Hetao Plains in Ningxia-Inner Mongolia, as well as on the Inner Mongolia and the Loess Plateaus, and in the Fen-Wei Valley basin. (2) As the drought level increases, the probability of extraordinary rainstorm becomes lower, and the frequency of occurrence of spatial changes in different precipitation intensities vary. In the areas surrounding Bo Sea, the Shandong Peninsula and the Huai River downstream, as the drought level increases, the occurrence frequency of different precipitation intensities first shows a decreasing trend, which becomes an increasing trend when extraordinary drought occurs. In the middle and upper reaches of the Huai River basin, on the Hai River basin piedmont plain and Hetao Plains in Ningxia-Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and Loess Plateaus, and in the Fen-Wei Valley basin, the probability of the different precipitation intensities shows an overall decreasing trend. The mountains with high attitude and Tibetan Plateau are located at high altitudes where the variation of different precipitation intensities with the increase in drought level is relatively complex. (3) As the drought frequency increases, areas I, II and V which are located on the coastal and in the river basin are vulnerable to extreme precipitation processes; areas III, IV, VI and VII are located in the inland area where heavier precipitation is not likely to occur.

Late Pleistocene environments of the western Noatak basin, northwestern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elias, S.A.; Hamilton, T.D.; Edwards, M.E.; Beget, J.E.; Krumhardt, A.P.; Lavoie, C.

1999-01-01

Glacial Lake Noatak formed repeatedly during middle and late Pleistocene time as expanding glaciers from the DeLong Mountains blocked the Noatak River valley. Downcutting by the Noatak River has exposed thick sediment successions in bluffs up to 86 m high. Two river bluffs, Nk-26 and Nk-29A, contain correlative organic-rich flood-plain deposits that were formed during and after deposition of the Old Crow tephra at about the transition between oxygen isotope stage 6 and oxygen isotope stage 5, at the beginning of the last interglaciation. Both bluffs also contain older interglacial or interstadial flood-plain deposits of uncertain age. Pollen and beetle remains were recovered from the older and younger flood-plain deposits at each bluff. Pollen from the younger flood-plain deposits suggests tundra vegetation with local dominance of sedge. Juniperus abundances were locally high, especially around the time of Old Crow tephra deposition. Mutual climatic range (MCR) estimates from the insect fossil assemblages suggest that mean summer temperatures (Tmax) near the time of Old Crow tephra deposition were about 2 ??C colder than modern; mean winter temperatures were very similar to those of today. A younger sample from the same interglacial deposit yielded a Tmax estimate of 2 ??C warmer than modern, signaling interglacial warming. Pollen from the older interglacial deposit at Nk-29A suggests mesic tundra, with boreal forest more distant than it is today. MCR analysis of a possibly correlative older interglacial deposit at Nk-26 suggests a Tmax about 2 ??C below present.

[Growth analysis on modules of Cynodon dactylon clones in Yili River Valley Plain of Xinjiang].

PubMed

Zhao, Yu; Janar; Li, Hai-Yan; Liu, Ying; Yang, Yun-Fei

2009-04-01

By the method of randomly digging up whole ramet tuft while maintaining natural integrity, large samples of Cynodon dactylon clones were collected from a grape orchard abandoned for 2 years without any management in the Yili River Valley Plain of Xinjiang, aimed to quantitatively analyze the growth patterns of their modules. The results showed that the average ramet number of test 30 clones reached 272.6 +/- 186. 6, among which, vegetative ramets occupied 82.3%, being 4.3 times higher than reproductive ones. The total biomass of the clones was 45.4 +/- 40.0 g, in which, rhizomes accounted for 54.4%, while the vegetative ramets, stolons, and reproductive ramets occupied 21.0%, 14.8%, and 9.4% of the total, respectively. The accumulative length of rhizomes and stolons reached 5.1 + 4.7 m and 3.3 +/- 3.4 m, while the bud number on stolons and rhizomes was 291.5 +/- 246.8 and 78.8 +/- 87.4, respectively. The bud number on stolons and rhizomes was positively correlated to the quantitative characters of vegetative ramets, reproductive ramets, stolons, and rhizomes (P < 0.01), indicating that in Yili River Valley Plain, C. dactylon clone could achieve and maintain its continuous renovation via rhizome buds.

Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cannon, Cody; Wood, Thomas; Neupane, Ghanashyam

2014-10-01

The Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is an area of high regional heat flux due the movement of the North American Plate over the Yellowstone Hotspot beginning ca.16 Ma. Temperature gradients between 45-60 °C/km (up to double the global average) have been calculated from deep wells that penetrate the upper aquifer system (Blackwell 1989). Despite the high geothermal potential, thermal signatures from hot springs and wells are effectively masked by the rapid flow of cold groundwater through the highly permeable basalts of the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer (ESRPA) (up to 500+ m thick). This preliminary study is part ofmore » an effort to more accurately predict temperatures of the ESRP deep thermal reservoir while accounting for the effects of the prolific cold water aquifer system above. This study combines the use of traditional geothermometry, mixing models, and a multicomponent equilibrium geothermometry (MEG) tool to investigate the geothermal potential of the ESRP. In March, 2014, a collaborative team including members of the University of Idaho, the Idaho National Laboratory, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collected 14 thermal water samples from and adjacent to the Eastern Snake River Plain. The preliminary results of chemical analyses and geothermometry applied to these samples are presented herein.« less

Evaluation of a pumping test of the Snake River Plain aquifer using axial-flow numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Gary S.; Frederick, David B.; Cosgrove, Donna M.

2002-06-01

The Snake River Plain aquifer in southeast Idaho is hosted in a thick sequence of layered basalts and interbedded sediments. The degree to which the layering impedes vertical flow has not been well understood, yet is a feature that may exert a substantial control on the movement of contaminants. An axial-flow numerical model, RADFLOW, was calibrated to pumping test data collected by a straddle-packer system deployed at 23 depth intervals in four observation wells to evaluate conceptual models and estimate properties of the Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. A delayed water-table response observed in intervals beneath a sediment interbed was best reproduced with a three-layer simulation. The results demonstrate the hydraulic significance of this interbed as a semi-confining layer. Vertical hydraulic conductivity of the sediment interbed was estimated to be about three orders of magnitude less than vertical hydraulic conductivity of the lower basalt and upper basalt units. The numerical model was capable of representing aquifer conceptual models that could not be represented with any single analytical technique. The model proved to be a useful tool for evaluating alternative conceptual models and estimating aquifer properties in this application.

Geostatistical analysis of regional hydraulic conductivity variations in the Snake River Plain aquifer, eastern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welhan, J.A.; Reed, M.F.

1997-01-01

The regional spatial correlation structure of bulk horizontal hydraulic conductivity (Kb) estimated from published transmissivity data from 79 open boreholes in the fractured basalt aquifer of the eastern Snake River Plain was analyzed with geostatistical methods. The two-dimensional spatial correlation structure of In Kb shows a pronounced 4:1 range anisotropy, with a maximum correlation range in the north-northwest- south-southeast direction of about 6 km. The maximum variogram range of In Kb is similar to the mean length of flow groups exposed at the surface. The In Kb range anisotropy is similar to the mean width/length ratio of late Quaternary and Holocene basalt lava flows and the orientations of the major volcanic structural features on the eastern Snake River Plain. The similarity between In Kb correlation scales and basalt flow dimensions and between basalt flow orientations and correlation range anisotropy suggests that the spatial distribution of zones of high hydraulic conductivity may be controlled by the lateral dimensions, spatial distribution, and interconnection between highly permeable zones which are known to occur between lava flows within flow groups. If hydraulic conductivity and lithology are eventually shown to be cross correlative in this geologic setting, it may be possible to stochastically simulate hydraulic conductivity distributions, which are conditional on a knowledge of volcanic stratigraphy.

Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Snake River Plain Aquifer Sediments at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perkins, Kim S.

2008-01-01

Sediments are believed to comprise as much as 50 percent of the Snake River Plain aquifer thickness in some locations within the Idaho National Laboratory. However, the hydraulic properties of these deep sediments have not been well characterized and they are not represented explicitly in the current conceptual model of subregional scale ground-water flow. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the nature of the sedimentary material within the aquifer and to test the applicability of a site-specific property-transfer model developed for the sedimentary interbeds of the unsaturated zone. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) was measured for 10 core samples from sedimentary interbeds within the Snake River Plain aquifer and also estimated using the property-transfer model. The property-transfer model for predicting Ksat was previously developed using a multiple linear-regression technique with bulk physical-property measurements (bulk density [pbulk], the median particle diameter, and the uniformity coefficient) as the explanatory variables. The model systematically underestimates Ksat,typically by about a factor of 10, which likely is due to higher bulk-density values for the aquifer samples compared to the samples from the unsaturated zone upon which the model was developed. Linear relations between the logarithm of Ksat and pbulk also were explored for comparison.

Seismic Investigation of the Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laske, Gabi; Lindner, Fabian; Walter, Fabian; Krage, Manuel

2017-04-01

Glacier de la Plaine Morte is a plateau glacier along the border between Valais and Berne cantons. It covers a narrow elevation range and is extremely vulnerable to climate change. During snow melt, it feeds three marginal lakes that have experienced sudden subglacial drainage in recent years, thereby causing flooding in the Simme Valley below. Of greatest concern is Lac des Faverges at the southeastern end of the glacier that has drained near the end of July in recent years, with flood levels reaching capacity of flood control systems downstream. The lake levels are carefully monitored but precise prediction has not yet been achieved. In the search for precursory ice fracturing to the lake drainage to improve forecast, four seismic arrays comprised of five short-period borehole seismometers provided by Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zürich as well as fifteen 3-component geophones from the Geophysical Instrument Pool Potsdam (GIPP) collected continuous seismic data for about seven weeks during the summer of 2016. We present initial results on discharge dynamics as well as changing noise levels and seismicity before, during and after the drainage of Lac des Faverges. Compared to previous recent years, the 2016 drainage of Lac des Faverges occurred unusually late on August 28. With an aperture between 100 and 200 m, the small arrays recorded many hundred ice quakes per day. A majority of the events exhibits clearly dispersed, high-frequency Rayleigh waves at about 10 Hz and higher. A wide distribution of events allows us to study azimuthal anisotropy and its relationship with the orientation of glacial crevasses.

GEOCHEMISTRY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NITROGEN TRANSPORT AT A CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION IN A COASTAL PLAIN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NUTRIENT LOADING IN THE NEUSE RIVER BASIN, NORTH CAROLINA, 1999-2002

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical, geologic, hydrologic, and age-dating information collected between 1999 and 2002 were used to examine the transport of contaminants, primarily nitrogen, in ground water and the pathways to surface water in a coastal plain setting in North Carolina. Data were collected f...

Long term acroecosystem research in the Southern Plains

Treesearch

Jean L. Steiner; Patrick J. Starks; Jurgen Garbrecht; Daniel Moriasi; Paul Bartholomew; Jim Neel; Kenneth E. Turner; Brian Northup

2016-01-01

The Southern Plains (SP) site of the Long Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network is headquartered at the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory (GRL) in El Reno, Oklahoma. The GRL was established in 1948. A long-term watershed and climate research program was established in the Little Washita River Experimental Watershed (LWREW) in 1961 and in the Fort Cobb...

Presence and absence of bats across habitat scales in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina

Treesearch

W. Mark Ford; Jennifer M. Menzel; Michael A. Menzel; John W. Edwards; John C. Kilgo

2006-01-01

During 2001, we used active acoustical sampling (Anabat II) to survey foraging habitat relationships of bats on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Using an a priori information-theoretic approach, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine presence of individual bat species relative to a suite of microhabitat, stand,...

Research and absence of bats across habitat scales in the upper coastal plain of South Carolina

Treesearch

W. Mark Ford; Jennifer M. Menzel; Michael A. Menzel; John W. Edwards; John C. Kilgo

2006-01-01

During 2001, we used active acoustical sampling (Anabat 11) to survey foraging habitat relationships of bats on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Using an a priori information-theoretic approach, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine presence of individual bat species relative to a suite of microhabitat, stand,...

Assessment of sediments in the riverine impoundments of national wildlife refuges in the Souris River Basin, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tangen, Brian A.; Laubhan, Murray K.; Gleason, Robert A.

2014-01-01

Accelerated sedimentation of reservoirs and riverine impoundments is a major concern throughout the United States. Sediments not only fill impoundments and reduce their effective life span, but they can reduce water quality by increasing turbidity and introducing harmful chemical constituents such as heavy metals, toxic elements, and nutrients. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges in the north-central part of the United States have documented high amounts of sediment accretion in some wetlands that could negatively affect important aquatic habitats for migratory birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife. Therefore, information pertaining to sediment accumulation in refuge impoundments potentially is important to guide conservation planning, including future management actions of individual impoundments. Lands comprising Des Lacs, Upper Souris, and J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuges, collectively known as the Souris River Basin refuges, encompass reaches of the Des Lacs and Souris Rivers of northwestern North Dakota. The riverine impoundments of the Souris River Basin refuges are vulnerable to sedimentation because of the construction of in-stream dams that interrupt and slow river flows and because of post-European settlement land-use changes that have increased the potential for soil erosion and transport to rivers. Information regarding sediments does not exist for these refuges, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel have expressed interest in assessing refuge impoundments to support refuge management decisions. Sediment cores and surface sediment samples were collected from impoundments within Des Lacs, Upper Souris, and J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuges during 2004–05. Cores were used to estimate sediment accretion rates using radioisotope (cesium-137 [137Cs], lead-210 [210Pb]) dating techniques. Sediment cores and surface samples were analyzed for a suite of elements and agrichemicals, respectively. Examination of core characteristics along the depth profile suggests that there has been regular sediment mixing and removal, as well as non-uniform sediment deposition with time. Estimated mean accretion rates based on the three methods of determination (two time markers for 137Cs, 210Pb) ranged from 0.22–0.35 centimeters per year, and approximately 70 percent of cores had less 137Cs than expected. Concentrations of sediment-associated elements generally were within reported reference ranges, and all agrichemicals analyzed were below detection limits. Results suggest that there does not appear to be widespread sediment accumulation in impoundments of the Souris River Basin refuges. In addition, there were no identifiable patterns among sedimentation rates from the upstream (Des Lacs, Upper Souris) to the downstream (J. Clark Salyer) refuges. There were, however, apparent upstream to downstream patterns of increased concentrations of some elements (for example, aluminum, boron, and vanadium) that may warrant further exploration. Future related monitoring and research efforts should focus on areas with high potential for sediment accumulation, such as upstream areas adjacent to dams, to identify potential sediment problems before they become too severe. Further, assessments of suspended sediments transported in the Des Lacs and Souris Rivers would augment interpretation of sedimentation data by identifying potential sediment sources and areas with the greatest potential for accumulation.

Vegetation, Soil, and Flooding Relationships in a Blackwater Floodplain Forest

Treesearch

Sammy L. King; David Gartner; Mark H. Eisenbies

2003-01-01

Hydroperiod is considered the primary determinant of plant species distribution in temperate floodplain forests, but most studies have focused on alluvial (sediment-laden) river systems. Few studies have evaluated plant community relationships in blackwater river systems of the South Atlantic Coastal Plain of North America. In this study. we characterized the soils....

Red River of the North Reconnaissance Report: Red Lake River.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

cuckoo flower, Jack-in-the-pulpit, dwarf bladderwort, smallwood orchid, and northern bur-reed. The rare plants growing in the dry plains and hills area... Norman , OK. I99 .4 j 99 Appendix A FLOODPLAIN DELINEATION i / * _ Appendix A FLOODPLAIN DELINEATION Prior to this study, no attempt was made to

Neogene Fallout Tuffs from the Yellowstone Hotspot in the Columbia Plateau Region, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, USA

PubMed Central

Nash, Barbara P.; Perkins, Michael E.

2012-01-01

Sedimentary sequences in the Columbia Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest ranging in age from 16–4 Ma contain fallout tuffs whose origins lie in volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in northwestern Nevada, eastern Oregon and the Snake River Plain in Idaho. Silicic volcanism began in the region contemporaneously with early eruptions of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), and the abundance of widespread fallout tuffs provides the opportunity to establish a tephrostratigrahic framework for the region. Sedimentary basins with volcaniclastic deposits also contain diverse assemblages of fauna and flora that were preserved during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, including Sucker Creek, Mascall, Latah, Virgin Valley and Trout Creek. Correlation of ashfall units establish that the lower Bully Creek Formation in eastern Oregon is contemporaneous with the Virgin Valley Formation, the Sucker Creek Formation, Oregon and Idaho, Trout Creek Formation, Oregon, and the Latah Formation in the Clearwater Embayment in Washington and Idaho. In addition, it can be established that the Trout Creek flora are younger than the Mascall and Latah flora. A tentative correlation of a fallout tuff from the Clarkia fossil beds, Idaho, with a pumice bed in the Bully Creek Formation places the remarkably well preserved Clarkia flora assemblage between the Mascall and Trout Creek flora. Large-volume supereruptions that originated between 11.8 and 10.1 Ma from the Bruneau-Jarbidge and Twin Falls volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in the central Snake River Plain deposited voluminous fallout tuffs in the Ellensberg Formation which forms sedimentary interbeds in the CRBG. These occurrences extend the known distribution of these fallout tuffs 500 km to the northwest of their source in the Snake River Plain. Heretofore, the distal products of these large eruptions had only been recognized to the east of their sources in the High Plains of Nebraska and Kansas. PMID:23071494

Neogene fallout tuffs from the Yellowstone hotspot in the Columbia Plateau region, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, USA.

PubMed

Nash, Barbara P; Perkins, Michael E

2012-01-01

Sedimentary sequences in the Columbia Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest ranging in age from 16-4 Ma contain fallout tuffs whose origins lie in volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in northwestern Nevada, eastern Oregon and the Snake River Plain in Idaho. Silicic volcanism began in the region contemporaneously with early eruptions of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), and the abundance of widespread fallout tuffs provides the opportunity to establish a tephrostratigrahic framework for the region. Sedimentary basins with volcaniclastic deposits also contain diverse assemblages of fauna and flora that were preserved during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, including Sucker Creek, Mascall, Latah, Virgin Valley and Trout Creek. Correlation of ashfall units establish that the lower Bully Creek Formation in eastern Oregon is contemporaneous with the Virgin Valley Formation, the Sucker Creek Formation, Oregon and Idaho, Trout Creek Formation, Oregon, and the Latah Formation in the Clearwater Embayment in Washington and Idaho. In addition, it can be established that the Trout Creek flora are younger than the Mascall and Latah flora. A tentative correlation of a fallout tuff from the Clarkia fossil beds, Idaho, with a pumice bed in the Bully Creek Formation places the remarkably well preserved Clarkia flora assemblage between the Mascall and Trout Creek flora. Large-volume supereruptions that originated between 11.8 and 10.1 Ma from the Bruneau-Jarbidge and Twin Falls volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in the central Snake River Plain deposited voluminous fallout tuffs in the Ellensberg Formation which forms sedimentary interbeds in the CRBG. These occurrences extend the known distribution of these fallout tuffs 500 km to the northwest of their source in the Snake River Plain. Heretofore, the distal products of these large eruptions had only been recognized to the east of their sources in the High Plains of Nebraska and Kansas.

Iodine-129 in the Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, 1990-91

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mann, L.J.; Beasley, T.M.

1994-01-01

From 1953 to 1990, an estimated 0.56 to 1.18 curies of iodine-129 were contained in wastewater generated by the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The waste- water was discharged directly to the Snake River Plain aquifer through a deep disposal well prior to February 1984 and through unlined disposal ponds in 1984-90. The wastewater did not contain measurable concentrations of iodine-129 in 1989-90. Samples were collected from 51 wells that obtain water from the Snake River Plain aquifer and 1 well that obtains water from a perched ground-water zone. The samples were analyzed for iodine-129 using an accelerator mass spectrometer which is two to six orders of magnitude more sensitive than neutron- activation methods. Therefore, iodine-129 was detectable in samples from a larger number of wells distributed over a larger area than previously was possible. Ground-water flow velocities calculated using iodine-129 data are estimated to be at least 6 feet per day. These velocities compare favorably with those of 4 to 10 feet per day calculated from tritium data and tracer studies at wells down- gradient from the ICPP. In 1990-91, concentrations of iodine-129 in water samples from wells that obtain water from the Snake River Plain aquifer ranged from less than 0.0000006+0.0000002 to 3.82.+0.19 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). The mean concentration in water from 18 wells was 0.81+0.19 pCi/L as compared with 1.30+0.26 pCi/L in 1986. The decrease in the iodine-l29 concentrations from 1986 to 1990-91 chiefly was the result of a decrease in the amount of iodine-129 disposed of annually, and changes in disposal techniques.

Preliminary assessment of recent deposition related to a crevasse splay on the Mississippi River delta: Implications for coastal restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferina, N.F.; Flocks, J.G.; Kingdinger, Jack L.; Miner, M.D.; Motti, J. P.; Chadwick, Paul C.; Johnston, James B.

2005-01-01

Historically, the Mississippi River has replenished sediment across the lower deltaic plain, abating land loss. However, flood-control structures along the river now restrict this natural process and divert sediment from the modern delta offshore to the shelf break, thereby removing it from the coastal system. Localized crevasse splays, however, can deposit significant amounts of sediment in a short span of time.Satellite imagery and field investigations, including eight sediment vibracores, have identified a recent crevasse splay originating from Brant Bayou within the Delta National Wildlife Refuge on the lower Mississippi River delta. The splay deposits are estimated to be as much as 3 m thick and are located stratigraphically above shallow interdistributary-bay deposits. In addition, the deposits exhibit physical characteristics similar to those of large scale prograded deltas. The Bayou Brant crevasse splay began forming in 1978 and has built approximately 3.7 km2 of land. Coastal planners hope to utilize on this natural process of sediment dispersion to create new land within the deltaic plain.

Eco-environmental problems and effective utilization of water resources in the Kashi Plain, western Terim Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Nian-Feng; Tang, Jie; Han, Feng-Xiang

2001-02-01

Since ancient times, water resources, mainly from melting snow in the high mountains, have nourished a large area of an oasis in the Kashi Plain in the western Terim Basin, China. In the last half-century, however, the rapid growth of population and the overexploitation of water, soil, and biological resources have led to drought, salinization, and desertification in the area, and consequently have hindered the development of sustainable agriculture. In this study, groundwater reservoirs with sustainable water supplies equivalent to 44.65×108 m3/year were identified, which has made it possible to implement several projects in the area to improve the ecological and agricultural environment. Three strategies are proposed for the integrated development and management of both surface-water and groundwater resources in the area. Résumé. Depuis des temps anciens, les ressources en eaux, provenant surtout de la fonte des neiges en montagne, ont alimenté une large part d'une oasis de la plaine de Kashi, dans le bassin occidental de Terim (Chine). Au cours des derniers cinquante ans, toutefois, l'accroissement rapide de la population et la surexploitation de l'eau, des sols et des ressources biologiques ont provoqué la sécheresse, la salinisation et la désertification de la région cela a eu pour conséquence d'entraver le développement d'une agriculture durable. Cette étude identifie les réserves en eau souterraine, susceptibles de fournir durablement 44,65×108 m3/an, ce qui a permis de réaliser plusieurs projets dans cette région pour améliorer l'environnement écologique et agricole. Trois stratégies sont proposées pour le développement intégré et la gestion simultanée des ressources en eau de surface et en eau souterraine de cette région. Resumen. Los recursos hídricos, procedentes fundamentalmente del deshielo en alta montaña, han nutrido desde tiempo inmemorial una gran área de un oasis situado en las llanuras de Kashi, en la cuenca occidental de Terim (China). Sin embargo, en la última mitad de siglo, el rápido aumento de población y la sobreexplotación de los recursos hídricos, pedológicos y biológicos han producido la sequía, salinización y desertificación en la zona, y, por consiguiente, han obstaculizado el desarrollo de una agricultura sostenible. En este estudio, se identificaron reservorios de agua subterránea con unos recursos equivalentes a 44,65×108 m3/a, hecho que ha permitido establecer varios proyectos en el área para mejorar el medio ambiente ecológico y agrícola. Se proponen tres estrategias para el desarrollo integrado y la gestión en la zona, tanto de los recursos superficiales como de los subterráneos.

Geology and ground-water features of salt springs, seeps, and plains in the Arkansas and Red River basins of western Oklahoma and adjacent parts of Kansas and Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, P.E.

1963-01-01

The salt springs, seeps, and plains described in this report are in the Arkansas and Red River basins in western Oklahoma and adjacent areas in Kansas and Texas. The springs and seeps contribute significantly to the generally poor water quality of the rivers by bringing salt (HaCI) to the surface at an estimated daily rate of more than 8,000 tons. The region investigated is characterized by low hills and rolling plains. Many of the rivers are eroded 100 feet or more below the .surrounding upland surface and in places the valleys are bordered by steep bluffs. The alluvial plains of the major rivers are wide and the river channels are shallow and unstable. The flow of many surface streams is intermittent, especially in the western part of the area. All the natural salt-contributing areas studied are within the outcrop area of rocks of Permian age. The Permian rocks, commonly termed red beds, are composed principally of red and gray gypsiferous shale, siltstone, sandstone, gypsum, anhydrite, and dolomite. Many of the formations contain halite in the subsurface. The halite occurs mostly as discontinuous lenses in shale, although some of the thicker, more massive beds are extensive. It underlies the entire region studied at depths ranging from about 30 feet to more than 2,000 feet. The salt and associated strata show evidence of extensive removal of salt through solution by ground water. Although the salt generally occurs in relatively impervious shale small joints and fractures ,allow the passage of small quantities of water which dissolves the salt. Salt water occurs in the report area at depths ranging from less than 100 feet to more than 1,000 feet. Salt water occurs both as meteoric and connate, but the water emerging as salt springs is meteoric. Tritium analyses show that the age of the water from several springs is less than 20 years. The salt springs, seeps, and plains are confined to 13 local areas. The flow of the springs and seeps is small, but the chloride concentration in the water ranges from a few hundred parts per million to about 190,000 ppm. The wide range of concentration is believed to be due, in part, to differential dilution by fresh water. Alluvium in the vicinity of the salt springs remains saturated with salt water and evaporation from the alluvial surface causes the formation of a salt crust during dry weather. Those areas appear as salt plains that range in size from less than an acre to as much as 60 square miles. The rocks exposed at the surface in the vicinity of the salt springs are permeable enough to allow the infiltration of some precipitation. Under certain geologic and hydrologic conditions ground water percolates down and through salt-bearing rocks where it dissolves the .salt. Hydrostatic pressure of ground water at higher elevations forces the salt water to emerge as salt springs at lower elevations.

Late Quaternary Compression Revealed By Surface Faults At The Western Margin of Corsica Basin (corse, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fellin, M. G.; Picotti, V.; Zattin, M.

Corsica is a continental block located between the Ligurian-Balearic and the North Tyrrhenian Seas (Corsica basin). Recent studies indicate that from Eocene to Pliocene the structural evolution of Corsica was controlled by extensional tectonics which prob- ably continued till Holocene (Jolivet et al., 1998). New field data have been collected in the the Marana plain (Eastern Corsica), which is a subsiding area covered by allu- vial deposits. These deposits have been dated as late Quaternary by Conchon (1978) through outcrop analyses, wells, paleosoils and weathering rinds. The master fault, separating the Marana plain from the mountain range to the west, shows an extensional tectonics and a later compressional reactivation. The river network in the Marana plain area is characterized by incised meanders formed at the intersection between the rivers and the master fault. This feature is related to a river profile convexity and not to a lithological change of the bedrock. Therefore the incised meanders may be due to a recent activity of the master fault. Reverse faults cutting Wuermian deposits of the Marana plain have been observed for the first time and they indicate a late Quaternary NW-SE directed compression. This regime is in good agreement with the present day compressional stress field determined on the basis of earthquakes focal mechanism in the Ligurian Sea (Baroux et al., 2001) and it may be responsible for the reactivation of the master fault of the Marana plain. Conchon O., 1978: Quaternary studies in Corsica (France). Quaternary Research, v. 9, pp. 41-53. Jolivet L. et al., 1998: Midcrustal shear zones in postorogenic extension: ex- ample from the North Tyrrhenian Sea. J. Geoph. Res., v. 103 (B6), pp.12,123-12,160. Baroux E. et al., 2001: Analyses of the stress field in southern France from earthquakes focal mechanisms. Geophys. J. Int., v. 145, pp. 336-348.

Groundwater and climate change: a sensitivity analysis for the Grand Forks aquifer, southern British Columbia, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, D. M.; Mackie, D. C.; Wei, M.

The Grand Forks aquifer, located in south-central British Columbia, Canada was used as a case study area for modeling the sensitivity of an aquifer to changes in recharge and river stage consistent with projected climate-change scenarios for the region. Results suggest that variations in recharge to the aquifer under the different climate-change scenarios, modeled under steady-state conditions, have a much smaller impact on the groundwater system than changes in river-stage elevation of the Kettle and Granby Rivers, which flow through the valley. All simulations showed relatively small changes in the overall configuration of the water table and general direction of groundwater flow. High-recharge and low-recharge simulations resulted in approximately a +0.05 m increase and a -0.025 m decrease, respectively, in water-table elevations throughout the aquifer. Simulated changes in river-stage elevation, to reflect higher-than-peak-flow levels (by 20 and 50%), resulted in average changes in the water-table elevation of 2.72 and 3.45 m, respectively. Simulated changes in river-stage elevation, to reflect lower-than-baseflow levels (by 20 and 50%), resulted in average changes in the water-table elevation of -0.48 and -2.10 m, respectively. Current observed water-table elevations in the valley are consistent with an average river-stage elevation (between current baseflow and peak-flow stages). L'aquifère de Grand Forks, situé en Colombie britannique (Canada), a été utilisé comme zone d'étude pour modéliser la sensibilité d'un aquifère à des modifications de la recharge et du niveau de la rivière, correspondant à des scénarios envisagés de changement climatique dans cette région. Les résultats font apparaître que les variations de recharge de l'aquifère pour différents scénarios de changement climatique, modélisées pour des conditions de régime permanent, ont un impact sur le système aquifère beaucoup plus faible que les changements du niveau des rivières Kettle et Granby, qui coulent dans la vallée. Toutes les simulations ont montré des différences relativement faibles dans la configuration d'ensemble de la nappe et dans la direction générale des écoulements. Des simulations de conditions de recharge forte et de recharge faible produisent respectivement une remontée de 0,05 m et un abaissement de 0,025 m, approximativement, des cotes de la nappe pour l'ensemble de l'aquifère. Des changements simulés de la cote du niveau de la rivière, pour refléter des niveaux plus hauts que ceux des pics de crues (de 20 et de 50%), produisent respectivement des remontées de la nappe de 2,72 et 3,45 m en moyenne. Des changements simulés de l'altitude du niveau de la rivière, pour refléter des niveaux plus bas que ceux de basses eaux (de 20 et de 50%), produisent respectivement des abaissements de la nappe de 0,48 et 2,10 m en moyenne. Les altitudes courantes observées de la nappe dans la vallée sont cohérentes avec une cote moyenne du niveau de la rivière (entre les niveaux courants de basses eaux et de crues). El acuífero de los Grand Forks, situado al sur de la Columbia Británica central (Canadá) ha sido utilizado como lugar de estudio para modelar la sensibilidad de un acuífero a los cambios en la recarga y el caudal de los ríos de acuerdo con escenarios previstos de cambio climático en la región. Los resultados sugieren que las variaciones en la recarga al acuífero bajo los diversos escenarios, que han sido modelados en régimen estacionario, tienen un impacto mucho menor en las aguas subterráneas que los cambios en el caudal de los ríos Kettle y Granby, que discurren por el valle. Todas las simulaciones muestran diferencias relativamente pequeñas en la configuración regional de los niveles freáticos y en la dirección general del flujo subterráneo. Las simulaciones de recarga elevada y baja causan un incremento de 0,05 m y un decremento de 0,025 m, respectivamente, en los niveles del acuífero. Los cambios de la elevación del río, simulados para reflejar niveles de flujo mayores que los valores pico (en un 20% y un 50%) resultan en cambios medios de los niveles del acuífero de 2,72 m y 3,45 m, respectivamente. Los cambios simulados en la elevación del río para flujos inferiores al caudal de base (en un 20% y en un 50%) provocan descensos en los niveles de 0,48 y 2,10 m, respectivamente. Los niveles actuales del acuífero en el valle son coherentes con una elevación media del nivel en el río (entre el caudal de base actual y los picos de caudal).

Geomorphology and Landscape Evolution Model for the natural and human-impacted regions of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C.; Goodbred, S. L.; Wallace Auerbach, L.; Ahmed, K.; Paola, C.; Reitz, M. D.; Pickering, J.

2013-12-01

The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta (GBMD) in south Asia is generally considered a tide-dominated system, but much of the subaerial delta plain is geomorphically similar to river-dominated systems such as the Mississippi River delta, with a well-developed distributary network separated by low-lying, organic-rich interdistributary basins. By contrast, the lower GBMD is dominated by tidal processes and comprises a 100-km wide coastal plain with dense, interconnected tidal channels that are amalgamated to the seaward edge of the river-dominated portion of the delta. These distinct river- and tide-dominated geomorphic regions are simultaneously sustained by the enormous sediment load of the GBM rivers and its efficient dispersal via the distributary channel network and onshore advection by tides. Together these processes have resulted in the ability of the GBMD to keep pace with sea-level rise throughout the Holocene, with comparatively little shoreline transgression. However, topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) highlight low-lying regions of the delta that are located at the interface of the river- and tide-dominated portions of the delta, where the transport energy of small distributaries and the upper tidal zone go to zero. As a result, these are the most sediment-starved regions of the delta and those most at risk to flooding by the summer monsoon and storm surges. Compounding the slow rates of sedimentation and high local organic content, these regions have been strongly affected by the construction of embankments (polders) that artificially de-water the soils and accelerate organic decomposition during the dry season, and further starve the land surface of sediment. Here, we present an integrated conceptual model for the geomorphic evolution of the GBMD that incorporates river- and tide-dominated regions in conjunction with channel-avulsion processes and delta-lobe construction. Each of these is also overprinted by tectonic deformation and human-landscape modifications. A key goal of this model is to explain the wide-scale distribution of coarse-grained river-borne sediment (predominantly sand) that forms the underlying architecture of the GBMD, with only localized preservation of fine-grained (silt and clay) deposits. Finally, analysis of the channel networks in the tidal delta plain reveal that constructed embankments have significantly decreased the density of naturally functioning tidal channels, inducing locally rapid bank migration and affiliated changes in sinuosity. These rapid landscape changes suggest that there has been a resultant change in hydrodynamics of the tidal delta plain following widespread construction of the embankments. With concern to assess landscape vulnerabilities to environmental change and renewed efforts to rehabilitate and stabilize the embankments, this information is needed to support the successful outcome of coastal defense initiatives.

Drainage-basis-scale geomorphic analysis to determine refernce conditions for ecologic restoration-Kissimmee River, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warne, A.G.; Toth, L.A.; White, W.A.

2000-01-01

Major controls on the retention, distribution, and discharge of surface water in the historic (precanal) Kissimmee drainage basin and river were investigated to determine reference conditions for ecosystem restoration. Precanal Kissimmee drainage-basin hydrology was largely controlled by landforms derived from relict, coastal ridge, lagoon, and shallow-shelf features; widespread carbonate solution depressions; and a poorly developed fluvial drainage network. Prior to channelization for flood control, the Kissimmee River was a very low gradient, moderately meandering river that flowed from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee through the lower drainage basin. We infer that during normal wet seasons, river discharge rapidly exceeded Lake Okeechobee outflow capacity, and excess surface water backed up into the low-gradient Kissimmee River. This backwater effect induced bankfull and peak discharge early in the flood cycle and transformed the flood plain into a shallow aquatic system with both lacustrine and riverine characteristics. The large volumes of surface water retained in the lakes and wetlands of the upper basin maintained overbank flow conditions for several months after peak discharge. Analysis indicates that most of the geomorphic work on the channel and flood plain occurred during the frequently recurring extended periods of overbank discharge and that discharge volume may have been significant in determining channel dimensions. Comparison of hydrogeomorphic relationships with other river systems identified links between geomorphology and hydrology of the precanal Kissimmee River. However, drainage-basin and hydraulic geometry models derived solely from general populations of river systems may produce spurious reference conditions for restoration design criteria.

Preliminary geological interpretation and lithologic log of the exploratory geothermal test well (INEL-1), Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doherty, David J.; McBroome, Lisa Ann; Kuntz, Mel A.

1979-01-01

A 10,365 ft (3,159 m) geothermal test well was drilled in the spring of 1979 at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: The majority of rock types encountered in the borehole are of volcanic origin. An upper section above 2,445 ft (745 m) consists of basaltic lava flows and interbedded .sediments of alluvial, lacustrine, and volcanic origin. A lower section below 2,445 ft (745 m) consists exclusively of rhyolitic welded ash-flow tuffs, air-fall ash deposits, nonwelded ash-flow ruffs, and volcaniclastic sediments. The lithology and thickness of the rhyolitic rocks suggest that they are part of an intracaldera fill.

Chlorine-36 in the Snake River Plain Aquifer at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; origin and implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beasley, T.M.; Cecil, L.D.; Sharma, P.; Kubik, P.W.; Fehn, U.; Mann, L.J.; Gove, H.E.

1993-01-01

Between 1952 and 1984, low-level radioactive waste was introduced directly into the Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Idaho Falls, Idaho. These wastes were generated, principally, at the nuclear fuel reprocessing facility on the site. Our measurements of 36C1 in monitoring and production well waters, downgradient from disposal wells and seepage ponds, found easily detectable, nonhazardous concentrations of this radionuclide from the point of injection to the INEL southern site boundary. Comparisons are made between 3H and 36Cl concentrations in aquifer water and the advantages of 36C1 as a tracer of subsurface-water dynamics at the site are discussed.

Mesures in situ par infiltrométrie des propriétés hydrodynamiques des sols de Mnasra (Maroc)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamoh, Karim; Maslouhi, Abdellatif

2004-04-01

The aim of this work is the field hydraulic characterisation of Mnasra soils in northern Morocco, which represents an essential step to study the hydraulic and chemical transports through the vadose zone. We have used a tension infiltrometer associated with a transient axisymmetric infiltration method to determine the hydraulic conductivity, which reduces the duration of measurements. This allows us to characterise a large area with many measurements. Parameters of the characteristic functions K( h) and θ( h) are estimated for six different soils belonging to two geomorphologically different domains: a sandy zone and an alluvial plain. To cite this article: K. Tamoh, A. Maslouhi, C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).

An Archaeological Survey: Shoreline of Lake Darling and Proposed Burlington Dam. Flood Control Project Area, Upper Souris River, North Dakota

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-01

glacial melt waters. The valley north of the confluence of the Des Lacs River is incised to an average depth of 48 meters (Lemke 1960:7). Average stream...near New Town, North Dakota, We did view a catlinite tablet incised with an anthropomorphic stick figure. This specimen came from 32RV411. There has been...collected from the site includes: 1) Two Knife River flint bifaces 2) One Aquamarine incised trade bead 3) Two flakes: one of Knife River flint one of agate

Regional controls on geomorphology, hydrology, and ecosystem integrity in the Orinoco Delta, Venezuela

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warne, A.G.; Meade, R.H.; White, W.A.; Guevara, E.H.; Gibeaut, J.; Smyth, R.C.; Aslan, A.; Tremblay, T.

2002-01-01

Interacting river discharge, tidal oscillation, and tropical rainfall across the 22,000 km2 Orinoco delta plain support diverse fresh and brackish water ecosystems. To develop environmental baseline information for this largely unpopulated region, we evaluate major coastal plain, shallow marine, and river systems of northeastern South America, which serves to identify principal sources and controls of water and sediment flow into, through, and out of the Orinoco Delta. The regional analysis includes a summary of the geology, hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics, and geomorphic characteristics of the Orinoco drainage basin, river, and delta system. Because the Amazon River is a major source of sediment deposited along the Orinoco coast, we summarize Amazon water and sediment input to the northeastern South American littoral zone. We investigate sediment dynamics and geomorphology of the Guiana coast, where marine processes and Holocene history are similar to the Orinoco coast. Major factors controlling Orinoco Delta water and sediment dynamics include the pronounced annual flood discharge; the uneven distribution of water and sediment discharge across the delta plain; discharge of large volumes of water with low sediment concentrations through the Rio Grande and Araguao distributaries; water and sediment dynamics associated with the Guayana littoral current along the northeastern South American coast; inflow of large volumes of Amazon sediment to the Orinoco coast; development of a fresh water plume seaward of Boca Grande; disruption of the Guayana Current by Trinidad, Boca de Serpientes, and Gulf of Paria; and the constriction at Boca de Serpientes. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Flood of April 1975 at Williamston, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knutilla, R.L.; Swallow, L.A.

1975-01-01

On April 18 between 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. the city of Williamston experienced an intense rain storm that caused the Red Cedar River and the many small streams in the area to overflow their banks and resulted in the most devastating flood since at least 1904. Local officials estimated a loss of \\$775,000 in property damage. Damage from flooding by the Red Cedar River was caused primarily by inundation, rather than by water moving at high velocity, as is common when many streams are flooded. During the flood of April 1975 many basements were flooded as well as the lower floors of some homes in the flood plain. Additional damage occurred in places when sewers backed up and flooded basements, and when ground water seeped through basement walls and floors—situations that affected many homes including those that were well outside of the flood plain.During the time of flooding the U.S. Geological Survey obtained aerial photography and data on a streamflow to document the disaster. This report shows on a photomosaic base map the extent of flooding along the Red Cedar River at Williamston, during the flood. It also presents data obtained at stream-gaging stations near Williamston, as well as the results of peak-flow discharge measurements made on the Red Cedar River at Michigan State Highway M-52 east of the city. Information on the magnitude of the flood can guide in making decisions pertaining to the use of flood-plains in the area. It is one of a series of reports on the April 1975 flood in the Lansing metropolitan area.

A brief history and summary of the effects of river engineering and dams on the Mississippi River system and delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, Jason S.; Wilson, Richard C.; Green, W. Reed

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Forecast Mekong project is providing technical assistance and information to aid management decisions and build science capacity of institutions in the Mekong River Basin. A component of this effort is to produce a synthesis of the effects of dams and other engineering structures on large-river hydrology, sediment transport, geomorphology, ecology, water quality, and deltaic systems. The Mississippi River Basin (MRB) of the United States was used as the backdrop and context for this synthesis because it is a continental scale river system with a total annual water discharge proportional to the Mekong River, has been highly engineered over the past two centuries, and the effects of engineering have been widely studied and documented by scientists and engineers. The MRB is controlled and regulated by dams and river-engineering structures. These modifications have resulted in multiple benefits including navigation, flood control, hydropower, bank stabilization, and recreation. Dams and other river-engineering structures in the MRB have afforded the United States substantial socioeconomic benefits; however, these benefits also have transformed the hydrologic, sediment transport, geomorphic, water-quality, and ecologic characteristics of the river and its delta. Large dams on the middle Missouri River have substantially reduced the magnitude of peak floods, increased base discharges, and reduced the overall variability of intraannual discharges. The extensive system of levees and wing dikes throughout the MRB, although providing protection from intermediate magnitude floods, have reduced overall channel capacity and increased flood stage by up to 4 meters for higher magnitude floods. Prior to major river engineering, the estimated average annual sediment yield of the Mississippi River Basin was approximately 400 million metric tons. The construction of large main-channel reservoirs on the Missouri and Arkansas Rivers, sedimentation in dike fields, and protection of channel banks by revetments throughout the basin, have reduced the overall sediment yield of the MRB by more than 60 percent. The primary alterations to channel morphology by dams and other engineering projects have been (1) channel simplification and reduced dynamism; (2) lowering of channel-bed elevation; and (3) disconnection of the river channel from the flood plain, except during extreme flood events. Freshwater discharge from the Mississippi River and its associated sediment and nutrient loads strongly influence the physical and biological components in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Ninety percent of the nitrogen load reaching the Gulf of Mexico is from nonpoint sources with about 60 percent coming from fertilizer and mineralized soil nitrogen. Much of the phosphorus is from animal manure from pasture and rangelands followed by fertilizer applied to corn and soybeans. Increased nutrient enrichment in the northern Gulf of Mexico has resulted in the degradation of water quality as more phytoplankton grow, which increases turbidity and depletes oxygen in the lower depths creating what is known as the "dead zone." In 2002, the dead zone was 22,000 square kilometers (km2), an area similar to the size of the State of Massachusetts. Changes in the flow regime from engineered structures have had direct and indirect effects on the fish communities. The navigation pools in the upper Mississippi River have aged, and these overwintering habitats, which were created when the pools filled, have declined as sedimentation reduces water depth. Reproduction of paddlefish may have been adversely affected by dams, which impede access to suitable spawning habitats. Fishes that inhabit swift-current habitats in the unimpounded lower Mississippi River have not declined as much as in the upper Mississippi River. The decline of the pallid sturgeon may be attributable to channelization of the Missouri River above St. Louis, Missouri. The Missouri River supports a rich fish community and remains relatively intact. Nevertheless, the widespread and long history of human intervention in river discharge has contributed to the declines of about 25 percent of the species. The Mississippi River Delta Plain is built from six delta complexes composed of a massive area of coastal wetlands that support the largest commercial fishery in the conterminous United States. Since the early 20th century, approximately 4,900 km2 of coastal lands have been lost in Louisiana. One of the primary mechanisms of wetland loss on the Plaquemines-Balize complex is believed to be the disconnection of the river distributary network from the delta plain by the massive system of levees on the delta top, which prevent overbank flooding and replenishment of the delta top by sediment and nutrient deliveries. Efforts by Federal and State agencies to conserve and restore the Mississippi River Delta Plain began over three decades ago and have accelerated over the past decade. Regardless of these efforts, however, land losses are expected to continue because the reduced upstream sediment supplies are not sufficient to keep up with the projected depositional space being created by the combined forces of delta plain subsidence and global sea-level rise.

A detached eddy simulation model for the study of lateral separation zones along a large canyon-bound river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, Laura V.; Schmeeckle, Mark W.; Grams, Paul E.

2017-01-01

Lateral flow separation occurs in rivers where banks exhibit strong curvature. In canyon-bound rivers, lateral recirculation zones are the principal storage of fine-sediment deposits. A parallelized, three-dimensional, turbulence-resolving model was developed to study the flow structures along lateral separation zones located in two pools along the Colorado River in Marble Canyon. The model employs the detached eddy simulation (DES) technique, which resolves turbulence structures larger than the grid spacing in the interior of the flow. The DES-3D model is validated using Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler flow measurements taken during the 2008 controlled flood release from Glen Canyon Dam. A point-to-point validation using a number of skill metrics, often employed in hydrological research, is proposed here for fluvial modeling. The validation results show predictive capabilities of the DES model. The model reproduces the pattern and magnitude of the velocity in the lateral recirculation zone, including the size and position of the primary and secondary eddy cells, and return current. The lateral recirculation zone is open, having continuous import of fluid upstream of the point of reattachment and export by the recirculation return current downstream of the point of separation. Differences in magnitude and direction of near-bed and near-surface velocity vectors are found, resulting in an inward vertical spiral. Interaction between the recirculation return current and the main flow is dynamic, with large temporal changes in flow direction and magnitude. Turbulence structures with a predominately vertical axis of vorticity are observed in the shear layer becoming three-dimensional without preferred orientation downstream.

Regional Sediment Budget of the Columbia River Littoral Cell, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buijsman, Maarten C.; Sherwood, C.R.; Gibbs, A.E.; Gelfenbaum, G.; Kaminsky, G.M.; Ruggiero, P.; Franklin, J.

2002-01-01

Summary -- In this Open-File Report we present calculations of changes in bathymetric and topographic volumes for the Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and Columbia River entrances and the adjacent coasts of North Beach, Grayland Plains, Long Beach, and Clatsop Plains for four intervals: pre-jetty - 1920s (Interval 1), 1920s - 1950s (Interval 2), 1950s - 1990s (Interval 3), and 1920s 1990s (Interval 4). This analysis is part of the Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study (SWCES), the goals of which are to understand and predict the morphologic behavior of the Columbia River littoral cell on a management scale of tens of kilometers and decades. We obtain topographic Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data from a joint project by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) and bathymetric data from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), USGS, and the DOE. Shoreline data are digitized from T-Sheets and aerial photographs from the USC&GS and National Ocean Service (NOS). Instead of uncritically adjusting each survey to NAVD88, a common vertical land-based datum, we adjust some surveys to produce optimal results according to the following criteria. First, we minimize offsets in overlapping surveys within the same era, and second, we minimize bathymetric changes (relative to the 1990s) in deep water, where we assume minimal change has taken place. We grid bathymetric and topographic datasets using kriging and triangulation algorithms, calculate bathymetric-change surfaces for each interval, and calculate volume changes within polygons that are overlaid on the bathymetric-change surfaces. We find similar morphologic changes near the entrances to Grays Harbor and the Columbia River following jetty construction between 1898 and 1916 at the Grays Harbor entrance and between 1885 and 1913 at the Columbia River entrance. The inlets and inner deltas eroded and the outer deltas moved offshore and accreted. The adjacent coasts experienced accretion over alongshore distances of tens of kilometers. North of the Grays Harbor entrance along North Beach and north of the Columbia River entrance along Long Beach the shoreface and the beach-dune complex mainly prograded, whereas south of the Grays Harbor entrance along Grayland Plains and south of the Columbia River entrance along Clatsop Plains the beach-dune complex above -10 m NAVD88 prograded and the shoreface between approximately -30 m and -10 m NAVD88 eroded. In the decades following jetty construction, the rates of erosion and accretion at the entrances decreased and the centers of deposition along the adjacent coasts moved away from the entrances. The rates of change have decreased, suggesting the systems are approaching dynamic equilibrium. Exceptions to this behaviour are the accretion of the beach-dune complex of Long Beach, the erosion of Cape Shoalwater, and the northward migration of the Willapa Bay ebb-tidal delta during all intervals. The net shoreline advance of Long Beach increases from 0.28 m/yr in pre-jetty conditions to 3.78 m/yr during Interval 4. The erosion of Cape Shoalwater and the northward migration of the Willapa Bay ebb-tidal delta are related to the northern migration of the Willapa Bay North Channel. Volume changes at the Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and Columbia River entrances and the Columbia River estuary are balanced against losses and gains due to littoral transport and sand supply from the Columbia River. Based on these sediment balances, we infer the following pathways: sand that eroded from the inlets and inner deltas at the Grays Harbor and Columbia River entrances moved offshore and northward to accrete the outer deltas and the beaches to the north; sand from the south flank of the Grays Harbor delta and shelf along Grayland Plains moved onshore to accrete th

A new species of dusky salamander (Amphibia: Plethodontidae: Desmognathus) from the Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States and a redescription of D. auriculatus

PubMed

Means, D Bruce; Lamb, Jennifer Y; Bernardo, Joseph

2017-05-10

The Coastal Plain of the southeastern U. S. is one of the planet's top biodiversity hotspots and yet many taxa have not been adequately studied. The plethodontid salamander, Desmognathus auriculatus, was originally thought to occur from east Texas to Virginia, a range spanning dozens of interfluves and large river systems. Beamer and Lamb (2008) found five independent mitochondrial lineages of what has been called D. auriculatus in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, but did not examine the extensive distribution of D. auriculatus in the Gulf Coastal Plain. We present morphological and molecular genetic data distinguishing two evolutionarily independent and distantly related lineages that are currently subsumed under the taxon D. auriculatus in the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain. We describe one of these as a new species, Desmognathus valentinei sp. nov., and assign the second one to D. auriculatus which we formally redescribe.

Flood information for flood-plain planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bue, Conrad D.

1967-01-01

Floods are natural and normal phenomena. They are catastrophic simply because man occupies the flood plain, the highwater channel of a river. Man occupies flood plains because it is convenient and profitable to do so, but he must purchase his occupancy at a price-either sustain flood damage, or provide flood-control facilities. Although large sums of money have been, and are being, spent for flood control, flood damage continues to mount. However, neither complete flood control nor abandonment of the flood plain is practicable. Flood plains are a valuable resource and will continue to be occupied, but the nature and degree of occupancy should be compatible with the risk involved and with the degree of protection that is practicable to provide. It is primarily to meet the needs for defining the risk that the flood-inundation maps of the U.S. Geological Survey are prepared.

Flood control problems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leopold, Luna Bergere; Maddock, Thomas

1955-01-01

Throughout the world, alluvial soils are among the most fertile and easiest cultivated. Alluvial valleys are routes for transportation either by water or by road and railroad. Rivers are sources of water, a necessity of life. But these river valleys and alluvial deposits, which have so many desirable characteristics and which have increased so greatly in population, are periodically occupied by the river in performing its task of removing the excess of precipitation from the land area and carrying away the products of erosion.How a river behaves and how the river flood plain appears depend on the relationships between water and sediment combined with the existing topography. Thus rivers and their alluvial deposits provide an endless variety of forms which are shaped, to a large extent, by the river flow during periods of rapid removal of debris and of excessive rainfall. The mechanics of river formation are such, however, that the highest discharges are not contained within a limited channel. How much water a channel will carry depends upon the frequency of occurrence of a flow. Low flows, which occur very frequently, are not important in channel formation. Neither are the infrequent discharges of very great magnitude which, although powerful, do not occur often enough to shape the channel. Channel characteristics, are dependent on those discharges of moderate size which combine power with frequency of occurrence to modify the channel from. In the highest discharges of a stream, water rises above the confines of its banks and flows over the flood plain.It must be considered, therefore, that floods are natural phenomena which are characteristic of all rivers. They perform a vital function in the maintenance of river forms and out of bank flow may be expected with a reasonable degree of regularity.

Distribution of Trichloroethylene and Geologic Controls on Contaminant Pathways near the Royal River, McKin Superfund Site Area, Gray, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyford, Forest P.; Flight, L.E.; Stone, Janet Radway; Clifford, Scott

1999-01-01

Vapor-diffusion samplers were used in the autumn of 1997 to determine the lateral extent and distribution of concentrations of a trichloroethylene (TCE) plume in the ground-water discharge area near the McKin Superfund Site, Gray, Maine. Analyses of vapor in the samplers identified a plume about 800 feet wide entering the river near Boiling Springs, an area of ground-water discharge on the flood plain of the Royal River. The highest observed concentration of TCE in vapor was in an area of sand boils on the western bank of the river and about 200 feet downstream from Boiling Springs. Previous studies showed that most of the TCE load in the river originated in the area of the sand boils. In general, highest concentrations were observed on the western side of the river on the upgradient side of the plume, but TCE also was detected at numerous locations in the center and eastern bank of the river. The TCE plume discharges to the river where fine-grained glaciomarine sediments of the Presumpscot Formation are absent and where coarse-grained facies of buried glaciomarine fan deposits provide a pathway for ground-water flow. Based on results of analyses of vapor-diffusion samples and other previous studies, the plume appears to pass under and beyond the river near Boiling Springs and along the river for about 300 feet downstream from the sand boils. A coarse-grained, organic-rich layer at the base of the alluvial flood plain sediments is confined by overlying fine-grained alluvial sediments and may provide a conduit for ground-water leaking upward from buried glaciomarine fan deposits.

The 1965 Mississippi River flood in Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwob, Harlan H.; Myers, Richard E.

1965-01-01

Flood data compiled for the part of the River along the eastern border include flood discharges, flood elevations, and the frequency of floods of varying magnitudes. They also include the daily or more frequent stage and discharge data for both the Mississippi River and the downstream gaging stations on Iowa tributaries for the period March-May 1965. Sufficient data are presented to permit studied for preparation of plans for protective works and plans for zoning or for flood plain regulation.

Sampling Design and Procedures for Fixed Surface-Water Sites in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain Study Unit, 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

Station number Station drainage area (km2) Land resource province Land-use description Fixed-site type Altamaha River near Everett City, Ga . 02226160...Creek near Tallahassee, Fla. 02326838 27 SCP suburban indicator Little River near Ty Ty, Ga . 02317797 334 SCP agriculture (mixed row crops) indicator...Middle Prong St. Marys River near Taylor, Fla. 02229000 324 CFW silviculture indicator Tucsawhatchee Creek near Hawkinsville, Ga . 02215100 422 SCP

Pawcatuck River and Narragansett Bay Drainage Basins. Water and Related Land Resources Study. Blackstone River Watershed.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

stretch: The Berkeley Industrial Park at Martin Street with 80 acres in the flood plain, the Owens - Corning Fiberglas Company at Ashton, and the...River, Ashton, RI 8/2Z/55 Owens Corning Fiberglas Plant lower right. Lonsdale Area, Cumnberland, RI 8/22/55 Al4 * raw Old Slater Mill, Cumberland, RI...area, the Owens - Corning Fiberglas Corporation industrial concern may be subject to damages. The industry has implemented nonstructural floodproofing

Geomorphological Investigation of the Atchafalaya Basin, Area West, Atchafalaya Delta, and Terrebonne Marsh. Volume 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

creating the recent alluvial valley and deltaic plain of southeastern Louisiana . Each time the Mississippi River has built a major delta lobe seaward...exposure during lowered sea level, relatively high bulk density , and low water content. Entrenchment of the ancestral Mississippi River into the...down to Houma, Louisiana . The exact time interval of Teche occupation by the Red River is not known, but it ended sometime between early and middle

Surface-ground water interactions and hydrogeochemical evolution in a fluvio-deltaic setting: The case study of the Pinios River delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matiatos, Ioannis; Paraskevopoulou, Vasiliki; Lazogiannis, Konstantinos; Botsou, Fotini; Dassenakis, Manos; Ghionis, George; Alexopoulos, John D.; Poulos, Serafim E.

2018-06-01

River deltas sustain important ecosystems with rich biodiversity and large biomass, as well as human populations via the availability of water and food sources. Anthropogenic activities, such as urbanization, tourism and agriculture, may pose threats to river deltas. The knowledge of the factors controlling the regional water quality regime in these areas is important for planning sustainable use and management of the water resources. Here, hydrochemical methods and multivariate statistical techniques were combined to investigate the shallow aquifer of the Pinios River (Thessaly) deltaic plain with respect to water quality, hydrogeochemical evolution and interactions between groundwater and surface water bodies. Water quality assessment indicated that most of the river and groundwater samples fully comply with the criteria set by the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC). The river is recharged mainly from springs of the Tempi valley and the shallow aquifer, and to a lesser degree from precipitation, throughout the year. The hydrogeochemical characteristics indicated a cation (Ca, Mg, and Na) bicarbonate water type, which evolves to calcium-chloride, sodium-bicarbonate and sodium-chloride water type, in the northern part of the delta. Calcite and dolomite dissolution determined the major ion chemistry, but other processes, such as silicate weathering and cation exchange reactions, also contributed. In the northern part of the plain, the interaction with the deeper aquifer enriched the shallow aquifer with Na and Cl ions. Principal Component Analysis showed that five components (PCs) explain 77% of the total variance of water quality parameters; these are: (1) salinity; (2) water-silicate rocks interaction; (3) hardness due to calcite dissolution, and cation exchange processes; (4) nitrogen pollution; and (5) non-N-related artificial fertilizers. This study demonstrated that the variation of water hydrochemistry in the deltaic plain could be attributed to natural and anthropogenic processes. The interpretation of the PCA results dictated the parameters used for the development of a modified Water Quality Index (WQI), to provide a more comprehensive spatial representation of the water quality of the river delta.

[Variation characteristics of runoff coefficient of Taizi River basin in 1967-2006].

PubMed

Deng, Jun-Li; Zhang, Yong-Fang; Wang, An-Zhi; Guan, De-Xin; Jin, Chang-Jie; Wu, Jia-Bing

2011-06-01

Based on the daily precipitation and runoff data of six main embranchments (Haicheng River, Nansha River, Beisha River, Lanhe River, Xihe River, and Taizi River south embranchment) of Taizi River basin in 1967-2006, this paper analyzed the variation trend of runoff coefficient of the embranchments as well as the relationship between this variation trend and precipitation. In 1967-2006, the Taizi River south embranchment located in alpine hilly area had the largest mean annual runoff coefficient, while the Haicheng River located in plain area had the relatively small one. The annual runoff coefficient of the embranchments except Nansha River showed a decreasing trend, being more apparent for Taizi River south embranchment and Lanhe River. All the embranchments except Xihe River had an obvious abrupt change in the annual runoff coefficient, and the beginning year of the abrupt change differed with embranchment. Annual precipitation had significant effects on the annual runoff coefficient.

Water-resources appraisal of the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lawrence, S.J.

1989-01-01

The water resources within the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation consist of streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater stored in alluvium and glacial outwash deposits. Streamflow may cease during dry periods and during the winter. Lakes and ponds within the reservation are found predominantly within an internally drained basin. Dissolved-solids concentrations in the lakes generally range from 500 to 10,000 mg/L. Dissolved-solids concentrations in the streams generally ranging from 500 to 1 ,000 mg/L. However, nutrient concentrations tend to be larger than natural background levels in both lakes and streams and indicate unidentified sources of nutrients that effect the quality of water. Major development of surface-water resources is hindered by the lack of storage capacity within the numerous lakes, the lack of sustained streamflow, and the lack of suitable sites for construction or reservoirs. Water within the Coteau des Prairies, a glacial upland, occurs in outwash deposits. The sand and gravel deposits in the Coteau may be as thick as 70 ft. The quality of water from these aquifers generally is suitable for most uses, with calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate the dominant ions. Water in sand and gravel deposits within the Red River and Minnesota River lowlands tends to have larger concentrations of dissolved solids than the sand and gravel deposits in the Coteau des Prairies. The quality of water in these deposits tends to be more mineralized than water in the sand and gravel deposits in the Coteau des Prairies. The regional flow of groundwater generally is to the east towards the Minnesota and Red River basins and west in the Coteau des Prairies. (USGS)

Dujiangyan: Could the ancient hydraulic engineering be a sustainable solution for Mississippi River diversions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. J.

2016-02-01

Dujiangyan, also known as the Dujiangyan Project, is a hydraulic engineering complex built more than 2260 years ago on the Mingjiang River near Chengdu in China's Sichuan Province. The complex splits the river into two channels, a so-called "inner river" (Leijiang) and an "outer river" (Waijiang) that carry variable water volumes and sediment loads under different river flow conditions. The inner river and its numerous distributary canals are primarily man-made for irrigation over the past 2000 years, while the outer river is the natural channel and flows southward before entering into the Yangtze River. Under normal flow, 60% of the Mingjiang River goes into the inner river for irrigating nearly 1 million hectares of agricultural land on the Chengdu plain. During floods, however, less than 40% of the Mingjiang River flows into the inner river. Under both flow conditions, about 80% of the riverine sediments is carried by the outer river and continues downstream. This hydrology is achieved through a weir work complex that comprises three major components: a V-shaped bypass dike in the center of the Mingjiang River (the Yuzui Bypass Dike, see photo below), a sediment diversion canal in the inner river below the bypass dike (the Feishayan Floodgate), and a flow control in the inner river below the sediment diversion canal (the Baopingkou Diversion Passage). Together with ancillary embankments, these structures have not only ensured a regular supply of silt-reduced water to the fertile Chengdu plain, but have provided great benefits in flood control, sediment transport, and water resources regulation over the past two thousand years. The design of this ancient hydraulic complex ingeniously conforms to the natural environment while incorporating many sophisticated techniques, reflecting the concept that humankind is an integral part of nature. As we are urgently seeking solutions today to save the sinking Mississippi River Delta, examination of the ancient engineering marvel may offer insights into sustainable practices in river engineering of the lower Mississippi under climate change and sea level rise. This paper will introduce the Dujiangyan Project and will discuss possibilities of applying Dujiangyan's fundamental concept for sediment diversions in the Lower Mississippi River.

Coal Liquids: Manufacture and Properties. A Review.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

a conventional furnace with flue gas desulfurization ; however, its use as a boiler fuel is not economical at present. Research continues on...J.B., "The Shell Flue Gas Desulfurization Process," Universal Oil Products Process Division, Universal Oil Products, Inc., Des Plaines, IL, presented...in 1980, H-Coal and EDS process, gasification obstacles. 187. Salmeczi, J.G., " Flue Gas Desulfurization by the ThiosorbicC Process," Dravo Time Company

Causes of sinks near Tucson, Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffmann, J.P.; Pool, D.R.; Konieczki, A.D.; Carpenter, M.C.

1998-01-01

Land subsidence in the form of sinks has occurred on and near farmlands near Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, USA. The sinks occur in alluvial deposits along the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River, and have made farmlands dangerous and unsuitable for farming. More than 1700 sinks are confined to the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River and are grouped along two north-northwestward-trending bands that are approximately parallel to the river and other flood-plain drainages. An estimated 17,000 m3 of sediment have been removed in the formation of the sinks. Thirteen trenches were dug to depths of 4-6 m to characterize near-surface sediments in sink and nonsink areas. Sediments below about 2 m included a large percentage of dispersive clays in sink areas. Sediments in nonsink areas contain a large component of medium- to coarse-grained, moderately to well sorted sand that probably fills a paleochannel. Electromagnetic surveys support the association of silts and clays in sink areas that are highly electrically conductive relative to sand in nonsink areas. Sinks probably are caused by the near-surface process of subsurface erosion of dispersive sediments along pre-existing cracks in predominantly silt and clay sediments. The pre-existing cracks probably result from desiccation or tension that developed during periods of water-table decline and channel incision during the past 100 years or in earlier periods.

Synchrony of Piping Plover breeding populations in the U.S. Northern Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roche, Erin A.; Shaffer, Terry L.; Dovichin, Colin M.; Sherfy, Mark H.; Anteau, Michael J.; Wiltermuth, Mark T.

2016-01-01

Local populations that fluctuate synchronously are at a greater risk of extinction than those that do not. The closer the geographic proximity of populations, the more prone they are to synchronizing. Shorebird species select habitat broadly, and many breed across regions with diverse nesting habitat types. Under these conditions, nearby populations may experience conditions sufficiently different to prevent population synchrony, despite dispersal. In the U.S. Northern Great Plains, the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), federally listed as Threatened, is a migratory shorebird species that nests on the shorelines of rivers, reservoirs, and alkaline lakes. We assessed the degree to which local plover breeding population abundances were correlated (population synchrony), changed over time (population stability), and were influenced by environmental factors such as available habitat, precipitation, and within-season reservoir level rise. We found that the abundances of breeding populations nesting in riverine and reservoir habitats were the most synchronous, while populations nesting in alkaline lake habitats exhibited the greatest stability. Changes in local breeding population abundances were not explained by a single factor across habitat types. However, the abundances of local populations nesting in alkaline lake and river shoreline habitats were positively correlated with changes in nesting habitat availability. Our results suggest that dispersal among populations nesting in either river or reservoir and alkaline lake shoreline habitat may have an overall stabilizing effect on the persistence of the Great Plains Piping Plover metapopulation.

Kinematics of the Snake River Plain and Centennial Shear Zone, Idaho, from GPS and earthquatte data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, Suzette J.

New horizontal Global Positioning System (GPS) velocities at 405 sites using GPS phase data collected from 1994 to 2010 along with earthquakes, faults, and volcanic features reveal how contemporary strain is accommodated in the Northern Basin and Range Province. The 1994-2010 velocity field has observable gradients arising from both rotation and strain. Kinematic interpretations are guided by using a block-model approach and inverting velocities, earthquake slip vector azimuths, and dike-opening rates to simultaneously solve for angular velocities of the blocks and uniform horizontal strain rate tensors within selected blocks. The Northern Basin and Range block model has thirteen blocks representing tectonic provinces based on knowledge of geology, seismicity, volcanism, active tectonic faults, and regions with differences in observed velocities. Ten variations of the thirteen blocks are tested to assess the statistical significance of boundaries for tectonic provinces, motions along those boundaries, and estimates of long-term deformation within the provinces. From these tests, a preferred model with seven tectonic provinces is determined by applying a maximum confidence level of ≥99% probability to F-distribution tests between two models to indicate one model with added boundaries has a better fit to the data over a second model. The preferred model is varied to test hypotheses of post-seismic viscoelastic relaxation, significance of dikes in accommodating extension, and bookshelf faulting in accommodating shear. Six variations of the preferred model indicate time-varying components due to viscoelastic relaxation from the 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana and 1983 Borah Peak, Idaho earthquakes have either ceased as of 2002 or are too small to be evident in the observed velocities. Inversions with dike-opening models indicate that the previously hypothesized rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones to keep pace with normal faulting is not currently occurring in the Snake River Plain. Alternatively, the preferred model reveals a low deforming region (-0.1 +/- 0.4 x 10-9 yr -1, which is not discernable from zero) covering 125 km x 650 km within the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau that is separated from the actively extending adjacent Basin and Range regions by narrow belts of localized shear. Velocities reveal rapid extension occurs to the north of the Snake River Plain in the Centennial Tectonic Belt (5.6 +/- 0.7 x 10 -9 yr-1) and to the south in the Intermountain Seismic Belt and Great Basin (3.5 +/- 0.2 x 10-9 yr-1). The "Centennial Shear Zone" is a NE-trending zone of up to 1.5 mm yr -1 of right-lateral shear and is the result of rapid extension in the Centennial Tectonic Belt adjacent to the low deforming region of the Snake River Plain. Variations of the preferred model that test the hypothesis of bookshelf faulting demonstrate shear does not drive Basin and Range extension in the Centennial Tectonic Belt. Instead, the velocity gradient across the Centennial Shear Zone indicates that shear is distributed and deformation is due to strike-slip faulting, distributed simple shear, regional-scale rotation, or any combination of these. Near the fastest rates of right-lateral slip, focal mechanisms are observed with strike-slip components of motion consistent with right-lateral shear. Here also, the segment boundary between two E-trending Basin and Range faults, which are oriented subparallel to the NE-trending shear zone, provides supporting Holocene to mid-Pleistocene geologic evidence for accommodation of right-lateral shear in the Centennial Shear Zone. The southernmost ends of NW-trending Basin and Range faults in the Centennial Tectonic Belt at their juncture with the eastern Snake River Plain could accommodate right-lateral shear through components of left-lateral oblique slip. Right-lateral shear may be accommodated by components of strike-slip motion on multiple NE-trending faults since geologic evidence does not support slip along one continuous NE-trending fault along the boundary between the eastern Snake River Plain and Centennial Tectonic Belt. Regional velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic Belt, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and eastern Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is driven by extension to the south in the Great Basin and not by Yellowstone hotspot volcanism or from localized extension in the Centennial Tectonic Belt. The velocity field may reveal long-term motions of the Northern Basin and Range Province. GPS-derived clockwise rotation rates are consistent with paleomagnetic rotation rates in 15--12 Ma basalts in eastern Oregon and in Eocene volcanic rocks (˜48 Ma) within the Centennial Tectonic Belt.

The Pliocene Citronelle Formation of the Gulf Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matson, George Charlton

1916-01-01

In the spring of 1910 the writer, working under the direction of T. Wayland Vaughan, geologist in charge of Coastal Plain investigations, undertook a study of the later Tertiary formations of the Gulf Coastal Plain. According to the plans outlined before the work was begun, the beds that had formerly been grouped under the names Lafayette formation and Grand Gulf formation were to be studied with a view to their possible separation into more satisfactory stratigraphic units that might be correlated with other formations which, on the basis of their fossils, had been assigned to their proper positions in the geologic time scale. The original plan included a study of the post-Vicksburgian Tertiary deposits from western Florida to Mississippi River and correlations with formations previously recognized in Florida, southern Alabama, and Louisiana. This plan was subsequently modified to extend the investigation as far west as Sabine River. The field work was interrupted and the office work was delayed by calls for geologic work in other areas, so that the preparation of the reports could not be begun until the spring of 1914.

Fluvial development of the Nete valley during the Late Weichselian and early Holocene: new data from a cross-section south of Kasterlee (NE-Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beerten, Koen; Van Nieuland, Jasper; Vandenberghe, Dimitri; Deforce, Koen; Rogiers, Bart

2014-05-01

The Late Quaternary geomorphology and stratigraphy of the fluvial deposits in the Kleine Nete valley is poorly documented, apart from the classic paper by Munaut and Paulissen (1973) on the palaeo-ecology of this river valley. A good description of the fluvial development within this catchment over longer timescales would help to understand palaeohydrological conditions, as it may give insight into changes in river bed elevation and palaeo-channel morphology. As such, existing hydrological models can be tested for conditions that are different than today, by unlocking the palaeohydrological archive. During road construction works, a cross-section through the Kleine Nete alluvium could be observed, directly (tens of meters) south of the present river course and underneath an abandoned channel that is traceable on historical maps and still visible in the landscape today. The river's alluvium is very thin - the sediment thickness usually does not exceed 2-3 m - while the composition is monotonous, either sand or peat with at a thin loamy layer at the top. Different fluvial facies, including horizontally laminated and cross-bedded sands, channel-fill sands, in-situ (?) peat layers, reworked peat mixed with sand, and loamy alluvium were encountered and sampled for grain-size analysis, palynological analysis and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The preliminary results show that vertical aggradation took place during the late Pleniglacial (between ca. 20-16 ka) over a large area (probably by a braided river). This aggradation phase was followed by incision and the development of confined channels that subsequently were filled with basal peat and channel sands during the Late Glacial (ca. 15-12 ka) and the early Holocene (ca. 11 ka). The different dimensions of the observed channels (cross-section and river bed elevation), in comparison with those of the present-day river, suggest that large parts of the alluvial plain were experiencing different hydrological conditions during the Late Glacial and early Holocene than today. We conclude that despite the non-continuous nature of the sedimentary archive in the investigated profile, relevant information with respect to the palaeohydrological evolution of the Nete catchment could be obtained. Reference Munaut, A.V., Paulissen, E., 1973. Evolution et paléo-écologie de la vallée de la Petite Nèthe au cours du post-Würm (Belgique). Extrait des Annales de la Société Géologique de Belgique 96, 301-346.

Effect of agriculture on water quality of Lake Biwa tributaries, Japan.

PubMed

Nakano, Takanori; Tayasu, Ichiro; Yamada, Yoshihiro; Hosono, Takahiro; Igeta, Akitake; Hyodo, Fujio; Ando, Atsushi; Saitoh, Yu; Tanaka, Takuya; Wada, Eitaro; Yachi, Shigeo

2008-01-15

We investigated the effects of natural environments and human activity on Lake Biwa, central Japan. We determined the concentrations of 19 elements and the compositions of stable S and Sr isotopes in the main tributaries of the lake and compared them with the corresponding values obtained from the lake water during the circulation period. Results of a principal component analysis indicated that the components dissolved in the lower reaches of the tributaries can be divided into group 1 (HCO(3), SO(4), NO(3), Ca, Mg, Sr) and group 2 components (Cl, Br, Na, K, Ba, Rb, Cs). The concentrations of group 1 components were high in the rivers of the southern area, which is urbanized and densely populated, and the eastern area, which consists of plains where agriculture predominates, compared with the rivers of the northern and western areas, which are mostly mountainous and sparsely populated. The concentrations of group 2 components tended to be high in the river water of industrial areas. The delta(34)S values of SO(4) in the river water converged to 0+/-2 per thousand as the SO(4) concentration increased and, excluding the areas where limestone is extensively distributed, as the HCO(3) concentration increased. In particular, both the delta(34)S values (0+/-2 per thousand) and the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios (0.7117+/-0.0005) fell within narrow ranges in the small and medium rivers of the eastern plain area, where rice is widely grown. These values agreed respectively with the delta(34)S values of the fertilizers used in the Lake Biwa basin and the soil-exchangeable (87)Sr/(86)Sr in the eastern plain. The characteristics of water quality in the small and medium rivers of the eastern area can be explained by a model in which sulfuric, nitric, and bicarbonic acids generated by the decomposition of agricultural fertilizer and paddy rice selectively leached out alkaline-earth elements adsorbed on the soil and sediments of the plain or dissolved calcium carbonate enriched with Mg and Sr. Compared with tributary waters, the lake water was depleted in NO(3), owing to denitrification, and in Mn, owing to mineralization, which occur under the redox condition of bottom sediments. Excluding NO(3) and Mn, the compositions of both the dissolved elements and the Sr and S isotopes in the water of Lake Biwa can be approximately reproduced by simple mixing of the tributary water, indicating that these components provide effective indices for evaluating the relationship between the waters of the lake and its tributaries.

Flood Hazard Assessment of the coastal lowland in the Kujukuri Plain of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, using GIS and multicriteria decision analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

CHEN, Huali; Tokunaga, Tomochika; Ito, Yuka; Sawamukai, Marie

2014-05-01

Floods, the most common natural disaster in the world, cause serious loss of life and economic damage. Flood is one of the disasters in the coastal lowland along the Kujukuri Plain, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Many natural and human activities have changed the surface environment of the Plain. These include agricultural development, urban and industrial development, change of the drainage patterns of the land surface, deposition and/or erosion of the river valleys, and so on. In addition, wide spread occurrence of land subsidence has been caused by the abstraction of natural gas dissolved in groundwater. The locations of the groundwater extraction include nearby the coast, and it may increase the flood risk. Hence, it is very important to evaluate flood hazard by taking into account the temporal change of land elevation caused by land subsidence, and to develop hazard maps for protecting surface environment and land-use planning. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides methodology and techniques for analyzing complex decision problems, which often involve incommensurable data or criteria. Also, Geographical Information System (GIS) is the powerful tool since it manages large amount of spatial data involved in MCDA. The purpose of this study is to present a flood hazard model using MCDA techniques with GIS support in a region where primary data are scare. The model incorporates six parameters: river system, topography, land-use, flood control project, passing flood from coast, and precipitation. Main data sources used are 10 meter resolution topography data, airborne laser scanning data, leveling data, Landsat-TM data, two 1:30,000 scale river watershed map, and precipitation data from precipitation observation stations around the study area. River system map was created by merging the river order, the line density, and the river sink point density layers. Land-use data were derived from Landsat-TM images. A final hazard map for 2004, as an example, was obtained using an algorithm that combines factors in weighted linear combinations. The assignment of the weight/rank values and their analysis were realized by the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. This study is the preliminary work to investigate the flood hazard at the Kujukuri Plain. Flood hazard map of the other years will be analyzed to investigate the temporal change of the flood hazard area, and more data will be collected and added to improve the assessment.

Rangers, Mounties, and the Subjugation of Indigenous Peoples, 1870-1885

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graybill, Andrew R.

2004-01-01

During the 1840s and 1850s, more than 300,000 traders and overland emigrants followed the Platte and Arkansas rivers westward across the Central Plains, the winter habitat of the bison. By the mid-1870s indigenous peoples at both ends of the grasslands, in places such as the Texas Panhandle and the upper Missouri River valley, fiercely defended…

The Flashing Sword of Vengeance: The Force-Oriented Counterattack from a Historical Perspective with Implications for the AirLand Battle and Combat Aviation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-02

39 C. The Battle of Rossbach .............................. 40 D. The Chir River Defense .............................. 41 E...outnumbered them ten to one. Of his de- fense on the Chir River, General Balck, commanding the 11th Panzer Division, ex- plained: The Russian attack...8217 -,’ -’ . _ ’. ’ % - * ," .,, * e ,’. .r. , ’ -.’ s - During the 17-day defense of the Chir River in December of 1942, General

General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement for the Blanchard River, Ottawa, Ohio Flood Protection Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

Black locust Black willow Honey locust Mulberry Slippery elm Box elder Cottonwood Multiflora rose Green ash Hackberry The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...flows in the Blanchard River at Ottawa. The Perry Street bridge was removed in 1951 and replaced by a new bridge at Elm Street that is less restrictive...flood plain. The present tree growth commonly consists of a second growth of spe- cies of elm , maple, and oak. All of the Blanchard River basin lies

Holocene evolution of the merrimack embayment, northern massachusetts, interperted from shallow seismic stratigraphy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, C.J.; FitzGerald, D.M.; Barnhardt, W.A.

2007-01-01

Recent multi-beam, backscatter, and bottom sediment data demonstrate that a large sand sheet was formed in the inner shelf by the reworking of the Merrimack River lowstand delta and braid plain (12 kya) during the Holocene transgression. Seismic data reveal the presence of widespread channel cut-and-fill structures landward of the delta suggesting that much of the sand sheet consists of braided stream deposits. These features map into several sets of cut-and-fill structures, indicating the avulsion of the primary river channels, which creates the lobes of the paleo-delta. Truncations of these, cut-and-fill structures suggest that the braid plain deposits were probably reworked during the Holocene transgression and may have contributed sand to developing barriers that presently border the Merrimack Embayment.

Groundwater-quality data from the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer, Jerome and Gooding Counties, south-central Idaho, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skinner, Kenneth D.

2018-05-11

Groundwater-quality samples and water-level data were collected from 36 wells in the Jerome/Gooding County area of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer during June 2017. The wells included 30 wells sampled for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment project, plus an additional 6 wells were selected to increase spatial distribution. The data provide water managers with the ability for an improved understanding of groundwater quality and flow directions in the area. Groundwater-quality samples were analyzed for nutrients, major ions, trace elements, and stable isotopes of water. Quality-assurance and quality-control measures consisted of multiple blank samples and a sequential replicate sample. All data are available online at the USGS National Water Information System.

Geology and hydrology of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alverson, Douglas C.

1965-01-01

The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation includes an area of 970 square miles in north-central Montana. At its north edge is the Milk River valley, which is underlain by Recent alluvium of the Milk River, glacial deposits, and alluvial deposits of the preglacial Missouri River, which carved and occupied this valley before the Pleistocene Epoch. Rising gently to the south is an undulating glaciated plain broken only by three small syenite porphyry intrusions. Underlying the glacial till of the plain are Upper Cretaceous shale and sandstone of the Bearpaw and Judith River Formations. At the south end of the reservation, 40 miles from the Milk River, an intrusion of syenite porphyry in Tertiary time uplifted, tilted, and exposed the succession of sedimentary rocks overlying the Precambrian metamorphic basement. The sedimentary rocks include 1,000 feet of sandstone and shale of Cambrian age; 2,000 feet of limestone and dolomite of Ordovician, Devonian, and Mississippian age; 400 feet of shale and limestone of Jurassic age; and 3,500 feet of sandstone, siltstone, and shale of Cretaceous age. Extensive gravel terraces of Tertiary and Quaternary age bevel the upturned bedrock formations exposed around the Little Rocky Mountains. Ground water under water-table conditions is obtained at present from alluvium, glaciofluvial deposits, and the Judith River Formation. The water table ranges in depth from a few feet beneath the surface in the Milk River valley alluvium to more than 100 feet deep in the Judith River Formation. Yields to wells are generally low but adequate for domestic and stock-watering use. Quality of the water ranges from highly mineralized and unusable to excellent; many wells in the Milk River valley have been abandoned because of the alkalinity of their water. Potential sources of additional ground-water supplies are the alluvial gravel of creeks issuing from the Little Rocky Mountains and some extensive areas of terrace gravel. The uplift and tilting of the sedimentary sequence around the Little Rocky Mountains and the minor intrusions in the central plain have created artesian conditions within aquifers. Wells obtain artesian water from sandstone aquifers in the Judith River, Eagle, and Kootenai Formations. Other potential aquifers, near their outcrop areas, are the Ellis Group and the Mission Canyon Limestone. Most wells that flow at the surface have small yields, but discharges of as much as 150 gallons per minute have been noted. Quality of artesian water ranges from poor to good. Well depths range from less than 50 to more than 300 feet.

Multiple-Purpose Project. Osage River Basin, Big Bull Creek, Kansas. Hillsdale Lake Operation and Maintenance Manual. Appendix V. Embankment Criteria and Performance Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

and Mississippi Rivers; provide storage for Increasing low - water flows for the Improvement of water supply, abatement of pollution, and improvement...des Cygnes, Osage and Lower Missourl River. Hillsdale Lake will have storage for sediment, low -flow supplementation, water supply, and flood control...will furnish a water supply withdrawal of 32 cubic feet per second on a 2 percent chance dependability and low flow supplementation of 13 cubic feet

Stratigraphy of the Mesaverde Group in the central and eastern greater Green River basin, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roehler, Henry W.

1990-01-01

This paper establishes a stratigraphic framework for the Mesaverde Group, nearly 5,000 ft thick, in the central and eastern greater Green River basin based on data from measured outcrop sections and drill holes. Stratigraphic correlations are supported by ammonite zonation. No new stratigraphic names are introduced, and no nomenclature problems are discussed. Five long measured sections through the Mesaverde Group are described. The lower part of the Mesaverde Group, comprising the Rock Springs, Blair, Haystack Mountains, Allen Ridge, and Iles Formations, was deposited during a major eastward regression of the interior Cretaceous seaway of North America during the late Santonian and early Campanian. This regression was followed by regional uplift of the central Rocky Mountain area during the middle Campanian. The regional uplift was accompanied by widespread nondeposition and erosion, which, in turn, were followed by deposition of the Ericson and Pine Ridge Sandstones. The upper part of the Mesaverde Group, comprising the Almond and Williams Fork Formations, was deposited during a major westward transgression of the interior seaway in the early Maestrichtian. The major marine transgressions and regressions of the interior seaway were caused by eustatic changes of sea level, whereas intervening periods of nondeposition and erosion resulted from tectonism in the Sevier orogenic belt west of the study area. Formations of the Mesaverde Group are composed of sediments deposited in a landward-seaward progression of alluvial-plain, floodplain, coastal-plain, barrier-plain, tidal-flat, delta-plain, marine-shoreline, and marine-shelf and slope depositional environments. Each of these depositional environments is represented by specific lithofacies, sedimentary structures, and fossils, which are characteristic of depositional settings determined by water salinity, water depth, sedimentary and diagenetic processes, and the nature of sediment source terranes. The Mesaverde Group was deposited mainly along the western margins of the interior Cretaceous seaway as marine shorelines that trended north to northeast across the study area. Arcuate deltas, which formed at the mouths of major rivers along these shorelines, spread eastward onto shallow marine shelves. Embayed shoreline areas between the deltas were the sites of barrier-island and tidal-flat deposition. Alluvial-plain, flood-plain, and coastal-plain environments were present inland. The marine shorelines were tidally influenced and wave dominated, and shoreline deposits were mostly thick, linear sheets of quartzose sandstone. Deposition was largely controlled by the emergence or submergence of shoreline areas. Stillstands occurred close to local transgressions and regressions, depending on rates of sedimentation and subsidence.

La tectonique active de la région nord-algérienne

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yelles-Chaouche, AbdelKrim; Boudiaf, Azzedine; Djellit, Hamou; Bracene, Rabah

2006-01-01

En Algérie, la tectonique active est localisée dans la région nord du pays, essentiellement dans le Tell. Dans cette région, frontière entre les plaques Africaine et Eurasiatique, la déformation tectonique est l'expression de la convergence actuelle des ces deux plaques et se traduit par la fermeture progressive des bassins néogènes et par la poursuite de l'édification de la chaîne. Le long de la marge, la déformation s'exprime dans la partie de la plaine abyssale proche du continent, par le plissement de la couverture plio-quaternaire. Au niveau de la pente et sur le plateau continental, la sismicité est générée par des accidents qui se prolongent parfois à terre. Cette tectonique littorale active est à l'origine de la surrection de la côte, comme cela fut le cas lors du dernier séisme de Boumerdes du 21 mai 2003, où le soulèvement cosismique a été estimé en moyenne à 0,50 m. À terre, la sismicité s'exprime surtout le long des bordures des bassins néogènes qui longent la côte. Ces bassins se déforment en donnant des structures plicatives (synclinaux, anticlinaux) et parfois cassantes (pli-failles, failles inverses, chevauchements) orientées NE-SW à NNE-SSW. Ces dernières sont le plus souvent à l'origine des violents tremblements de terre que connaît l'Algérie. Plus au sud, la sismicité s'exprime, tout le long du Tell, le long des faisceaux de plis de direction NE-SW. Actuellement, dans les régions des Hauts Plateaux et la région de l'Atlas saharien, l'activité sismique est faible. Pour citer cet article : A. Yelles-Chaouche et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).

Propagation and composition of the flood wave on the upper Mississippi River, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, John A.

1995-01-01

During spring and summer 1993, record flooding inundated much of the upper Mississippi River Basin. The magnitude of the damages-in terms of property, disrupted business, and personal trauma was unmatched by any other flood disaster in United States history. Property damage alone is expected to exceed $10 billion. Damaged highways and submerged roads disrupted overland transportation throughout the flooded region. The Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers were closed to navigation before, during, and after the flooding. Millions of acres of productive farmland remained under water for weeks during the growing season. Rills and gullies in many tilled fields are the result of the severe erosion that occurred throughout the Midwestern United States farmbelt. The hydrologic effects of extended rainfall throughout the upper Midwestern United States were severe and widespread. The banks and channels of many rivers were severely eroded, and sediment was deposited over large areas of the basin's flood plain. Record flows submerged many areas that had not been affected by previous floods. Industrial and agricultural areas were inundated, which caused concern about the transport and fate of industrial chemicals, sewage effluent, and agricultural chemicals in the floodwaters. The extent and duration of the flooding caused numerous levees to fail. One failed levee on the Raccoon River in Des Moines, Iowa, led to flooding of the city's water treatment plant. As a result, the city was without drinking water for 19 days.As the Nation's principal water-science agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to provide an immediate assessment of some of the hydrological effects of the 1993 flood. The USGS maintains a hydrologic data network and conducts extensive water-resources investigations nationwide. Long-term data from this network and information on local and regional hydrology provide the basis for identifying and documenting the effects of the flooding . During the flood, the USGS provided continuous streamflow and related information to the National Weather Service (NWS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and many State and local agencies as part of its role to provide basic information on the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources at thousands of locations across the United States. The NWS has used the data in forecasting floods and issuing flood warnings. The data have been used by the Corps of Engineers to operate water diversions, dams, locks, and levees. The FEMA and many State and local emergency management agencies have used USGS hydrologic data and NWS forecasts as part of the basis of their local flood-response activities. In addition, USGS hydrologists are conducting a series of investigations to document the effects of the flooding and to improve understanding of the related processes. The major initial findings from these studies will be reported in this Circular series as results become available.U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1120, Floods in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, 1993, consists of individually published chapters that will document the effects of the 1993 flooding. The series includes data and findings on the magnitude and frequency of peak discharges; precipitation; water-quality characteristics, including nutrients and man-made contaminants; transport of sediment; assessment of sediment deposited on flood plains; effects of inundation on ground-water quality; flood-discharge volume; effects of reservoir storage on flood peaks; stream-channel scour at selected bridges; extent of floodplain inundation; and documentation of geomorphologic changes.

Hydrogeologic setting and potential for denitrification in ground water, coastal plain of southern Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krantz, David E.; Powars, David S.

2000-01-01

The types and distribution of Coastal Plain sediments in the Patuxent River Basin may contribute to relatively low concentrations of nitrate (typically less than 1 milligram per liter) in stream base flow because of the chemical reduction of dissolved nitrate (denitrification) in ground water. Water chemistry data from synoptic stream base-flow surveys in the Patuxent River Basin show higher dissolved nitrate concentrations in the Piedmont than in the Coastal Plain section of the watershed. Stream base flow reflects closely the chemistry of ground water discharging from the surficial (unconfined) aquifer to the stream. Because land use in the sampled subbasins is virtually the same in each section, differences in the physical and geochemical characteristics of the surficial aquifer may explain the observed differences in water chemistry. One possible cause of lower nitrate concentrations in the Coastal Plain is denitrification within marine sediments that contain chemically reduced compounds. During denitrification, the oxygen atoms on the nitrate (N03-) molecule are transferred to a reduced compound and N gas is produced. Organic carbon and ferrous iron (Fe2+), derived from the dissolution of minerals such as pyrite (FeS2) and glauconite (an iron aluminosilicate clay), can act as reducing substrates; these reduced chemical species are common in the marine and estuarine deposits in Southern Maryland. The spatial distribution of geologic units and their lithology (sediment type) has been used to create a map of the potential for denitrification of ground water in the surficial aquifer of the Coastal Plain in Southern Maryland.

Reconstruction of Mid-Holocene sedimentary environments in the central part of the Thessaloniki Plain (Greece), based on microfaunal identification, magnetic susceptibility and grain-size analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghilardi, Matthieu; Kunesch, Stéphane; Styllas, Mixalis; Fouache, Eric

2008-05-01

The study aims to estimate the relative contributions of the two drainage basins of the Aliakmon and Axios rivers which, since the Mid-Holocene, have been responsible for building the largest deltaic area in Greece. Sediments from five cores located in the central part of the Thessaloniki Plain have been studied for their environmental changes using paleontological and sedimentological methods. Chronostratigraphical evidence was obtained from 14C AMS dating of marine shells, peat and organic sediment samples. During the Holocene marine transgression, this large coastal plain was a shallow marine bay reaching approx. 35 km inland circa the 4th millennium BC, from which the sea subsequently regressed to the east. Around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, strong fluvial deposition of Aliakmon, to the east, and of Axios, to the north, occurred and was responsible of a gradual change to lagoonal and limnic environmental conditions. Around the 5th Century BC, a freshwater lake occupied the westernmost part of the plain. Microfaunal identification, together with magnetic susceptibility measurements, and grain-size analysis reveal three main environments of sediment deposition that reflect combinations of both concentrated and dispersed sources of magnetic/source minerals. Using remote sensing and a combination of spectral bands (LANDSAT TM imagery), we identify former fluvial levees and a freshwater lake, and give a spatial interpretation of the rivers' influences in building this deltaic complex. The mechanisms of edification of the plain as well as the roles played by Aliakmon and Axios sedimentation are described.

Geochemistry of Central Snake River Plain Basalts From Camas Prairie to Glenns Ferry, Southern Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vetter, S. K.; Johnston, S. A.; Shervais, J.; Hanan, B.

2006-12-01

The Snake River Plain (SRP) of southern Idaho represents the track of a hot-spot (mantle plume) which links voluminous flood basalts of the Miocene Columbia River province to Quaternary volcanic centers at Island Park and Yellowstone. However, much of the volcanism associated with this province either lies off the main volcanic trend or differs in age from the postulated plume passage. The Camas Prairie and the Mount Bennett Hills lie north of the Snake River-Yellowstone plume track, near the intersection of the eastern and western Snake River Plain trends. Young basalt flows cap highlands overlooking the Snake River near King Hill, but farther north in the Mount Bennett Hills and Camas Prairie these young lava flows are juxtaposed against older basalts along a series of WNW trending normal faults. These older basalt flows rest directly on rhyolite of the Mount Bennett Hills, making them the oldest basalts known in outcrop in this area. The older basalts in the Mount Bennett Hills include at least six major flows with a total thickness of 110 m. Although they have been strongly dissected by erosion, they still cover an outcrop area of 300 km2 . Eighty samples were collected as part of our petrologic survey of basaltic volcanism in the central Snake River Plain. These samples were studied petrographically and analyzed for their major elements, trace elements, and REE. The basalts consist of plagioclase and olivine microphenocrysts set in a groundmass of olivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, oxides and interstitial glass. The majority of samples have Mg# ranging from 50- 59. However there are samples that are more evolved as indicated by Mg# ranging from less than 50 to 29. The high Mg# samples have the following chemical ranges: TiO2 0.87 - 2.6 wt.%; FeO 9.95 - 13.7 wt.%; Nb 8 to 23 ppm; Zr 111 to 243 ppm; Ni 81 to 151 ppm; La 10.9 to 26.9 ppm. The more evolved samples have TiO2 1.4 3.93 wt.%; FeO 9.7 16.8 wt%; Nb 11 to 40 ppm; Zr 110 to 500 ppm; Ni 4 to 85 ppm; La 67 to 97 ppm. All magmas exhibit the typical SRP LREE enrichment. The high Mg# samples have La = 35 to 85x chondrite and Lu = 14 to 25x chondrite. The evolved samples have La = 200 to 300x chondrite and Lu = 30 to 40x chondrite. The high Mg# basalts resemble older off-axis basalts of the Boise River Group [Vetter and Shervais, 1992, JGR]. Rayleigh fractionation modeling of incompatible elements shows >80% olivine and plagioclase fractionation is needed to create the evolved magmas from the high Mg# basalts. Presents of these older basalts north of the main SRP trend maybe associated with the tilt of the plume as imaged by seismic tomography.

Link between Indian monsoon rainfall and physical erosion in the Himalayan system during the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joussain, Ronan; Liu, Zhifei; Colin, Christophe; Duchamp-Alphonse, Stéphanie; Yu, Zhaojie; Moréno, Eva; Fournier, Léa.; Zaragosi, Sébastien; Dapoigny, Arnaud; Meynadier, Laure; Bassinot, Franck

2017-09-01

Mineralogical and geochemical analyses conducted on cores located on the active channel-levee system of the northern Bengal Fan are used to establish changes in the weathering pattern and the sediment transport of the Himalayan system, and evaluate the effect of Indian summer monsoon rainfall during the Holocene. Our data indicate that during the Holocene, sediments from the northern Bengal Fan originate mainly from the G-B river system without any significant changes in the relative contribution of these rivers. From 9.8 to around 6 ka, relatively low smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratios and relatively high K/Si* ratios indicate high physical denudation rates of the Himalayan highlands together with a rapid transfer of the detrital material to the Bengal Fan. The period between 9.2 and 7 ka is associated to lower values of K/Si* and corresponds to the maximum of Indian monsoon rainfall which indicates a more important chemical weathering material that rapidly transits by the G-B river system without a long storage in the Indo-Gangetic plain. From 6.0 ka to present day, higher smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio and lower K/Si* ratio document a gradual increase of sediments originated from the Indo-Gangetic plain, characterized by higher degree of chemical weathering. During the last 2.5 ka, the drastic increase in the smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio could be associated to enhanced alteration of the plain soils due to anthropogenic activity. The comparison of mineralogical and geochemical data with previous reconstructions of the Indian monsoon dynamic indicates a rapid response of erosion and sediment transfer of the G-B river system to changes of monsoon rainfall intensity.

Identification of American shad spawning sites and habitat use in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, Julianne E.; Hightower, Joseph E.

2011-01-01

We examined spawning site selection and habitat use by American shad Alosa sapidissima in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina, to inform future management in this flow-regulated river. American shad eggs were collected in plankton tows, and the origin (spawning site) of each egg was estimated; relocations of radio-tagged adults on spawning grounds illustrated habitat use and movement in relation to changes in water discharge rates. Most spawning was estimated to occur in the Piedmont physiographic region within a 25-river-kilometer (rkm) section just below the lowermost dam in the system; however, some spawning also occurred downstream in the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region has a higher gradient and is predicted to have slightly higher current velocities and shallower depths, on average, than the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region is dominated by large substrates (e.g., boulders and gravel), whereas the Coastal Plain is dominated by sand. Sampling at night (the primary spawning period) resulted in the collection of young eggs (≤1.5 h old) that more precisely identified the spawning sites. In the Piedmont region, most radio-tagged American shad remained in discrete areas (average linear range = 3.6 rkm) during the spawning season and generally occupied water velocities between 0.20 and 0.69 m/s, depths between 1.0 and 2.9 m, and substrates dominated by boulder or bedrock and gravel. Tagged adults made only small-scale movements with changes in water discharge rates. Our results demonstrate that the upstream extent of migration and an area of concentrated spawning occur just below the lowermost dam. If upstream areas have similar habitat, facilitating upstream access for American shad could increase the spawning habitat available and increase the population's size.

Efficient Retention of Mud for Land Building on the Mississippi Delta Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, C. R.; Shen, Z.; Tornqvist, T. E.; Marshak, J.; White, C. D.

2016-02-01

Levee breaching and crevasse splay deposition are fundamental drivers of floodplain and delta plain aggradation in lowland river systems, but questions persist as to whether floodplains and delta plains are faithful recorders of riverine sediment load. In the Mississippi River Delta, where land preservation strategies depend on the sediment delivery capability of human-made, managed crevasse splays, this gap in understanding is also a major management concern. Here we present data characterizing the deposit of the Attakapas Crevasse Splay, which was active in the Lafourche Subdelta of the Mississippi River Delta approximately 1100 to 600 years ago. At the time of its inception the splay was 100 river kilometers from the shoreline, and discharged into a mature cypress swamp. We use LiDAR data and 132 cores (up to 13 m deep and described at 10 cm intervals for sediment texture and organic matter) to develop a three-dimensional model of the crevasse splay deposit. Our model is sufficient to measure the sedimentary composition and volume of the entire deposit, and to resolve the channel bodies preserved within it. We demonstrate that the Attakapas Crevasse Splay deposit is dominated by mud, with only 5-8% of its mass consisting of sand. The sand fraction preserved in the splay is very similar to the sand fraction in suspension in the upper 5 to 10 meters of the modern Mississippi River, suggesting that the splay was a highly efficient trap for material that escaped the confines of the trunk channel. Accretion rates in the splay of 1-4 cm/yr persisted over centennial timescales, and sediment retention rates were between 70 and 100%. We attribute the extremely high sediment retention rate to the splay's protected inland location and its densely vegetated environment, and we note the contrast with lower sediment retention rates (20 to 30% according to various studies, although these estimates may be too low) estimated in settings on the open coast such as the Wax Lake Delta.

Dolines on ultramafic rocks : the case of the Southern Grande Terre of New Caledonia (SW Pacific)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeanpert, J.; Genthon, P.; Join, J. L.; Vendé-Leclerc, M.; Maurizot, P.; Sérino, J.

2014-12-01

New Caledonia (SW Pacific) presents an exceptional outcrop density of ultramafic rocks on nearly 1/3 of its territory. As result of tropical weathering and dissolution of the silicates that constitute the peridotites, extensive evidences of chemical weathering are observed (dolines, enlarged fractures, epikarst). In particular the South of the Grande Terre, called « Plaine des lacs » presents a landscape but also hydraulic behaviour similar to karstic aquifers, with numerous dolines generally observed as ponds. A morphometric study of these depressions is proposed based on field observations and on automatic mapping from the DEM obtained with LIDAR technology. From SIG calculations followed by manual cleaning, a 8601 dataset of dolines is defined on a 128 km2 area, whose area varies from 1 m2 to 2 km2 area. A statistical analysis is applied on the morphometric parameters of dolines and other factors as amount of precipitation or the distance to characteristic mophologic features (ridges, rivers). Fractal and alignment analysis are presented to detect the potential relationship between dolines, the phenomena involved in their formation and evolution. The role of chemical weathering, and of mechanical erosion are discussed as well as the condition required for doline formation. A comparison with limestone karsitification is drawn.

Babylon, Iraq

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-10-05

NASA Terra spacecraft captured this image north of the present town of Al Hillal, Iraq, in the fertile plain between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, where the site of the legendary city of Babylon lies.

Constraining rates and trends of historical wetland loss, Mississippi River Delta Plain, south-central Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernier, Julie C.; Morton, Robert A.; Barras, John A.

2006-01-01

The timing, magnitude, and rate of wetland loss were described for five wetland-loss hotspots in the Terrebonne Basin of the Mississippi River delta plain. Land and water areas were mapped for 34 dates between 1956 and 2004 from historical National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) datasets, aerial photographs, and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite images. Since 1956, the emergent land area at the five study areas in south-central Louisiana has decreased by about 50%. Comparison of the water-area curve derived from the 29 TM images with water-level records from the nearby Grand Isle, Louisiana tide gauge (NOS #8761724) clearly shows that changes in land and water areas fluctuate in response to variations in regional water levels. The magnitude of water-area fluctuations decreased from the 1980s to the 1990s as former areas of wet marsh within and immediately adjacent to the wetland-loss hotspots became permanently submerged. The most rapid wetland loss occurred during the late 1960s and 1970s. Peak wetland-loss rates during this period were two to four times greater than both the pre-1970s background rates and the most recent wetland-loss rates. These results provide constraints on predicting future delta-plain wetland losses and identify Landsat TM imagery as an important source for analyzing land- and water-area changes across the entire delta plain.

Migration of the Pee Dee River system inferred from ancestral paleochannels underlying the South Carolina Grand Strand and Long Bay inner shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldwin, W.E.; Morton, R.A.; Putney, T.R.; Katuna, M.P.; Harris, M.S.; Gayes, P.T.; Driscoll, N.W.; Denny, J.F.; Schwab, W.C.

2006-01-01

Several generations of the ancestral Pee Dee River system have been mapped beneath the South Carolina Grand Strand coastline and adjacent Long Bay inner shelf. Deep boreholes onshore and high-resolution seismic-reflection data offshore allow for reconstruction of these paleochannels, which formed during glacial lowstands, when the Pee Dee River system incised subaerially exposed coastal-plain and continental-shelf strata. Paleochannel groups, representing different generations of the system, decrease in age to the southwest, where the modern Pee Dee River merges with several coastal-plain tributaries at Winyah Bay, the southern terminus of Long Bay. Positions of the successive generational groups record a regional, southwestward migration of the river system that may have initiated during the late Pliocene. The migration was primarily driven by barrier-island deposition, resulting from the interaction of fluvial and shoreline processes during eustatic highstands. Structurally driven, subsurface paleotopography associated with the Mid-Carolina Platform High has also indirectly assisted in forcing this migration. These results provide a better understanding of the evolution of the region and help explain the lack of mobile sediment on the Long Bay inner shelf. Migration of the river system caused a profound change in sediment supply during the late Pleistocene. The abundant fluvial source that once fed sand-rich barrier islands was cut off and replaced with a limited source, supplied by erosion and reworking of former coastal deposits exposed at the shore and on the inner shelf.

Modeling groundwater/surface-water interactions in an Alpine valley (the Aosta Plain, NW Italy): the effect of groundwater abstraction on surface-water resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefania, Gennaro A.; Rotiroti, Marco; Fumagalli, Letizia; Simonetto, Fulvio; Capodaglio, Pietro; Zanotti, Chiara; Bonomi, Tullia

2018-02-01

A groundwater flow model of the Alpine valley aquifer in the Aosta Plain (NW Italy) showed that well pumping can induce river streamflow depletions as a function of well location. Analysis of the water budget showed that ˜80% of the water pumped during 2 years by a selected well in the downstream area comes from the baseflow of the main river discharge. Alluvial aquifers hosted in Alpine valleys fall within a particular hydrogeological context where groundwater/surface-water relationships change from upstream to downstream as well as seasonally. A transient groundwater model using MODFLOW2005 and the Streamflow-Routing (SFR2) Package is here presented, aimed at investigating water exchanges between the main regional river (Dora Baltea River, a left-hand tributary of the Po River), its tributaries and the underlying shallow aquifer, which is affected by seasonal oscillations. The three-dimensional distribution of the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer was obtained by means of a specific coding system within the database TANGRAM. Both head and flux targets were used to perform the model calibration using PEST. Results showed that the fluctuations of the water table play an important role in groundwater/surface-water interconnections. In upstream areas, groundwater is recharged by water leaking through the riverbed and the well abstraction component of the water budget changes as a function of the hydraulic conditions of the aquifer. In downstream areas, groundwater is drained by the river and most of the water pumped by wells comes from the base flow component of the river discharge.

A network model to help land managers predict and prevent spread of invasive plants from roads to river systems in Alaska

Treesearch

Matthew J. Macander; Tricia L. Wurtz

2007-01-01

Alaska has relatively few invasive plants, and most of them are found only along the state's limited road system. Melilotus alba, or sweetclover, is one of the most widely distributed invasives in the state. Melilotus has recently moved from roadsides to the flood plains of at least three glacial rivers. We developed a network...

A review of fire effects on vegetation and soils in the Great Basin Region: response and ecological site characteristics

Treesearch

Richard F. Miller; Jeanne C. Chambers; David A. Pyke; Fred B. Pierson; C. Jason. Williams

2013-01-01

This review synthesizes the state of knowledge on fire effects on vegetation and soils in semi-arid ecosystems in the Great Basin Region, including the central and northern Great Basin and Range, Columbia River Basin, and the Snake River Plain. We summarize available literature related to: (1) the effects of environmental gradients, ecological site, and vegetation...

Discovering buried channels of the Yamuna in alluvial plains of NW India using geophysical investigations: implications for major drainage reorganization during Late Quaternary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, D.; Khan, I.; Sinha, R.

2016-12-01

Climatic changes and active tectonic movements in the northwestern plains of India during the Late Quaternary have led to the migration and abandonment of drainage systems and formation of a large number of palaeochannels. It has been postulated by previous workers that the Yamuna was flowing along the present-day dry palaeochannels of Ghaggar-Hakra riverbed >120 Ka ago and was relocated to its current position only during the Late Quaternary. However, till date, no conclusive evidence has been provided as to when and why the Yamuna avulsion occurred. This study aims to establish sub-surface existence of buried channels of paleo-Yamuna as possible courses of the paleo-Ghaggar river. Geo-electric studies using vertical electrical resistivity soundings (1D-VES), multi electrode electrical resistivity tomography (2D-ERT) and multi probe well log surveys have been carried out in one of the paleochannels of the Yamuna to map the large-scale geometry and architecture of the palaeochannel system in the subsurface. The main objective is to reconstruct the shallow subsurface stratigraphy and alluvial architecture of the interfluve between the modern Yamuna and Sutlej Rivers, in particular the linkage of the paleocourses of the Yamuna River to the drainage network of the northwestern alluvial plains. The geophysical signatures recorded as VES on two transects trending NW-SE in Karnal and Kaithal districts of Haryana at 9 and 13 locations respectively along with continuous ERT reveals the presence of subsurface fine to coarse sand bodies (20 to 30m thick) interbedded with silty clay layers that are laterally stacked. The occurrence of thick and wide subsurface sand bodies in the subsurface implies that these are the deposits of a large river system and suggests that the Yamuna was connected to the paleo-Ghaggar River as hypothesized by earlier workers based on remote sensing techniques. However, detailed sedimentological and chronological constraints are required to establish such links to unravel the stratigraphic manifestation of the buried channels, their sediment provenance and paleoclimatic conditions during the period when these river systems were active.

Water resources of the Utica-Rome area, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halberg, Henry N.; Hunt, O.P.; Pauszek, F.H.

1963-01-01

The Utica-Rome area is along the Mohawk River and New York State Erie (Barge) Canal about midway between Lake Ontario and Albany. It encompasses about 390 square miles centered around the industrial cities of Utica and Rome. The Mohawk River, its tributary West Canada Creek, and a system of reservoirs and diversions to maintain the flow in the barge-canal system, assure an ample water supply for the foreseeable needs of the area. The water from these sources is generally of good chemical quality requiring little treatment, although that from the Mohawk River is only fair and may require some treatment for sensitive industrial processes. Additional surface water is available from smaller streams in the area, particularly Oriskany and Sauquoit Creeks, but the water from these sources is hard, and has a dissolved-solids content of more than 250 ppm (parts per million). Ground water is available in moderate quantities from unconsolidated sand and gravel deposits in the river valleys and buried bedrock channels, and in small quantities from bedrock formations and less permeable unconsolidated deposits. The quality of water from sand and gravel, and bedrock ranges from good to poor. However, where necessary, the quality can be improved with treatment. The Mohawk River is the source of the largest quantity of water in the area. The flow of the stream below Delta Dam equals or exceeds 108 mgd (million gallons per day) 90 percent of the time, and at Little Falls it equals or exceeds 560 mgd 90 percent of the time. The flow between these two points is increased by additions from Oriskany, Sauquoit, and West Canada Creeks and from many smaller tributary streams. The flow is also increased by diversions from outside the area, from the Black and Chenango Rivers and West Canada Creek for improvement of navigation in the Erie (Barge) Canal, and from West Canada and East Branch Fish Creeks for the public supplies of Utica and Rome. Much of the public-supply water eventually reaches the river by way of sewerage and industrial waste-disposal systems. The total diversion from these sources averages more than 92 mgd. An estimated 18.5 mgd is withdrawn from the Mohawk River by industry, mostly for nonconsumptive uses. Floods in the Utica-Rome area are not a frequent problem owing to the use of regulatory measures. The major streams fluctuate through a narrow range in stage and generally only a narrow strip along the streams is subject to flooding. Water-bearing sand and gravel deposits in the major river valleys are the principal sources of ground water, especially where they are recharged by infiltration from streams. The most important potential source is the deposit of sand and gravel underlying the extensive plain adjacent to the Mohawk River between Delta Reservoir and Rome. Maximum sustained yields from these deposits are not known; but moderate quantities of water, 300 gpm (gallons per minute) or less from a single well, can probably be obtained from some parts of the sand plain area, particularly in the vicinity of a buried bedrock channel that extends southwestward from Delta Reservoir. Similar quantities of ground water probably can be withdrawn from some parts of the flood plain of the Mohawk River between Rome and Frankfort and from the sand and gravel deposits filling the valley of Ninemile Creek below Holland Patent. The deposits underlying the flood plain of the Mohawk River generally are fine grained but in places contain interstratified beds of coarser sand and gravel. The most productive part of the flood plain is at the east end near Frankfort. The deposits in Ninemile Creek valley also are generally fine grained; but where they are sufficiently thick, as over a buried bedrock valley southwest of Floyd, moderate quantities of water may be obtained. Small to moderate quantities of water (150 gpm or less from a single well) can be obtained from sand and gravel deposits in the bottoms of Oriskany and Sauquoit Creek vall

Spatial characterization of dissolved trace elements and heavy metals in the upper Han River (China) using multivariate statistical techniques.

PubMed

Li, Siyue; Zhang, Quanfa

2010-04-15

A data matrix (4032 observations), obtained during a 2-year monitoring period (2005-2006) from 42 sites in the upper Han River is subjected to various multivariate statistical techniques including cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA), correlation analysis and analysis of variance to determine the spatial characterization of dissolved trace elements and heavy metals. Our results indicate that waters in the upper Han River are primarily polluted by Al, As, Cd, Pb, Sb and Se, and the potential pollutants include Ba, Cr, Hg, Mn and Ni. Spatial distribution of trace metals indicates the polluted sections mainly concentrate in the Danjiang, Danjiangkou Reservoir catchment and Hanzhong Plain, and the most contaminated river is in the Hanzhong Plain. Q-model clustering depends on geographical location of sampling sites and groups the 42 sampling sites into four clusters, i.e., Danjiang, Danjiangkou Reservoir region (lower catchment), upper catchment and one river in headwaters pertaining to water quality. The headwaters, Danjiang and lower catchment, and upper catchment correspond to very high polluted, moderate polluted and relatively low polluted regions, respectively. Additionally, PCA/FA and correlation analysis demonstrates that Al, Cd, Mn, Ni, Fe, Si and Sr are controlled by natural sources, whereas the other metals appear to be primarily controlled by anthropogenic origins though geogenic source contributing to them. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inundation and salinity impacts to above- and belowground productivity in Spartina patens and Spartina alterniflora in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain: implications for using river diversions as restoration tools

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snedden, Gregg A.; Cretini, Kari Foster; Patton, Brett

2015-01-01

Inundation and salinity directly affect plant productivity and processes that regulate vertical accretion in coastal wetlands, and are expected to increase as sea level continues to rise. In the Mississippi River deltaic plain, river diversions, which are being implemented as ecosystem restoration tools, can also strongly increase inundation in coastal wetlands. We used an in situ mesocosm approach to examine how varying salinity (two levels) and inundation rates (six levels) influenced end-of-season above- and belowground biomass of Spartina patens and Spartina alterniflora during the growing season (March–October) in 2011. Above- and belowground biomass was highest in both species at higher elevations when inundation was minimal, and decreased exponentially with decreased elevation and increased flood duration. This negative biomass response to flooding was more pronounced in S. patens than in S. alterniflora, and S. patens also showed stronger biomass reductions at higher salinities. This salinity effect was absent for belowground biomass in S. alterniflora. These findings suggest that even subtle increases in sea level may lead to substantial reductions in productivity and organic accretion, and also illustrate the importance of considering the inundation tolerance of co-dominant species in receiving areas when utilizing river diversions for delta restoration.

Sources and mass fluxes of the main contaminants in a heavily polluted and modified river of the North China Plain.

PubMed

Li, Wenzan; Li, Xuyong; Su, Jingjun; Zhao, Hongtao

2014-04-01

Many rivers in China and other newly industrialized countries have suffered from severe degradation of water quality in the context of rapid economic growth. An accounting method was developed to investigate the source and mass fluxes of the main contaminants in the Ziya River, a severely polluted and heavily modified river in a semiarid area of the North China Plain, where chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N) were the most important indicators of pollution. The results showed that the urban sewage with high concentration of COD and NH4-N dominated the streams, contributing to 80.7 % of the streamflow, 92.2 % of COD, and 94.5 % of NH4-N. The concentrations of COD and NH4-N in streams varied from 24.0-195.0 to 5.8-43.8 mg/L, respectively. Mass fluxes of COD and NH4-N of all pathways were quantified. Much of the polluted water was diverted to irrigation, and some eventually flowed into the Bohai Sea. Installation of adequate wastewater treatment facilities and making strict discharge standards can help improve the water quality. Our findings imply that a simple accounting method provides an extremely well-documented example for load estimation and can be useful for intervention strategies in heavily polluted and modified rivers in newly industrialized countries.

Provenance of aeolian sands in the Hetao Plain, northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xingchen; Cai, Maotang; Ye, Peisheng; Ye, Mengni; Li, Chenglu; Wu, Hang; Lu, Jing; Wang, Tao; Zhao, Zhirong; Luzhou, Yangfan; Liu, Chao

2018-06-01

Patches of aeolian sand are distributed throughout the Hetao Plain, which pose threats to farming and agriculture. Identification of the provenance of the aeolian sands may help with efforts to alleviate ecological stress in Inner Mongolia and in the paleoenvironmental interpretation of sandy sequences. This study uses geochemical data to determine the provenance of aeolian sands from the Hetao Plain. Provenance discrimination diagrams revealed that the aeolian sands were mainly derived from mixed source felsic granites and granodiorites, which have undergone weak sedimentary recycling. The chemical index of alteration and A-CN-K data indicated that the aeolian sediments were transported over a short distance. Comparison of trace element and rare earth element (REE) ratios of the aeolian sands with rock samples from potential source areas has revealed that aeolian sand deposits in the Hetao Plain were mainly derived from Sertengshan and Yellow River sediments. The Langshan and Ordos Plateau may represent additional sand sources for the Hetao Plain.

Changes in sinuosities of the rivers at geological structural lines in the Pannonian Basin - Mosaics to the neotectonic image of the region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrovszki, Judit

2010-05-01

In the central, flat area of the Pannonian Basin, there are just few topographic features for neotectonic investigations. However, a lot of meandering rivers flow here, and it is possible to reconstruct their natural, pre-regulation planforms. Using the map sheets of the Second Military Survey of the Habsburg Empire (mid-19th century; Timár et al., 2006), I digitized the meandering rivers on this area. Sinuosities at different sample section lengths were computed in a GIS environment, providing so-called 'sinuosity-spectra' (van Balen et al., 2008) for each point of the analyzed channels. The channel sinuosity of this river systems are analyzed in order to draw conclusions on the neotectonic activity of the Great Hungarian Plain and the other flat areas of the Pannonian Basin. Several points of sinuosity change were identified. To prove, that these are of neotectonic origin, seismic sections crossing the study area, were also analyzed as well as the geodinamical map of the area (Horváth et al., 2006). High sinuosity variations (low to high or high to low), spatially correlated to linear features identified in seismic survey sections, indicating their neotectonic activity (after Ouchi, 1985). We can see two significante sinuosity changes on the Hron/Garam River (Slovakia), one at Tekov and the one at Kéménd. There are faults on the neotectonic map at these points, crossing the river - they are the possible causes of the increasing of the sinuosity. The vertical activity of these structural lines is verified by the sinuosity changes. At the Maros/Mureş River (Romania/Hungary), a significant sinuosity change can also be identified near to the town of Aiud, where the phenomene is just the opposite like in the Hron/Garam river. There is a fault on the neotectonic map crossing the river. Upstream of the river has higher sinuosity values, and after crossing the fault, it decresed. Here also the fault caused the sinuosity changing, so this fault is also an active one. However, there are more case studies, concerning the rivers of the Pannonian Basin, such as the Tisza River (Timár, 2003), the Körös system (Petrovszki and Timár, 2010), the creeks of the Little Hungarian Plain (Zámolyi et al., 2010) and the downstream part of the Danube (Petrovszki, 2010), providing a broader overview of the river-confirmed neotectonic activity of the region. Horváth, F., Bada, G., Windhoffer, G., Csontos, L., Dombrádi, E., Dövényi, P., Fodor, L., Grenerczy, Gy., Síkhegyi, F., Szafián, P., Székely, B., Timár, G., Tóth, L., Tóth, T. (2006): A Pannon-medence jelenkori geodinamikájának atlasza: Euro-konform térképsorozat és magyarázó. Magyar Geofizika 47(4), 133-137. Ouchi, S. (1985): Response of alluvial rivers to slow active tectonic movement. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 96, 504-515. Petrovszki, J. (2010): Sinuosity calculations of the Danube River between Paks (Hungary) and Beograd (Serbia). Geophysical Research Abstracts. Vol. 12, EGU2010-4571 Petrovszki, J., Timár, G. (2010): Channel sinuosity of the Körös River system, Hungary/Romania, as possible indicator of the neotectonic activity. Geomorphology, in press, DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.11.009. Timár, G. (2003): Controls on channel sinuosity changes: a case study of the Tisza River, the Great Hungarian Plain. Quaternary Sci. Rev. 22, 2199-2207. Timár, G., Molnár, G., Székely, B., Biszak, S., Varga, J., Jankó, A. (2006): Digitized maps of the Habsburg Empire - The map sheets of the second military survey and their georeferenced version. Arcanum, Budapest, 59 p. van Balen, R. T., Kasse, C., Moor, J. (2008): Impact of groundwater flow on meandering; example from the Geul river, the Netherlands. Earth Surf. Process. and Landf. 33(13), 2010-2028. Zámolyi, A., Székely, B., Draganits, E., Timár, G. (2010): Neotectonic control on river sinuosity at the western margin of the Little Hungarian Plain. Geomorph., in press, DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.06.028

The use of LANDSAT imagery in relation to air survey imagery for terrain analysis in northwest Queensland, Australia, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, M. M.; Owen-Jones, E. S. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Distinctive spectral signatures discriminated areas underlain by distinctive lithological/stratigraphical units where bedrock either outcrops or is relatively near to surface in the Lady Annie-Mt. Gordon fault zone, the Mary Kathleen, and Dugald River-Naraku areas. Spectral signatures associated with discrete plant communities distinguished different types of superficial deposits over the Cloncurry Plains. Distinctive spectral signatures also revealed the presence and nature of concealed bedrock beneath cover of residuum and superficial deposits where this is relatively thin in the Cloncurry Plains. Major faults were clearly displayed in areas of outcropping and near surface bedrock. Sets of lineaments with preferred orientations were identified in the Lady Annie and Dugald River areas. Known base metal deposits occur along these features.

Sedimentation along the Eastern Chenier Plain Coast: Down Drift Impact of a Delta Complex Shift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huh, Oscar K.; Walker, Nan D.; Moeller, Christopher

2001-01-01

The Mississippi River Chenier Plain is a shore parallel landform (down-drift from the Atchafalaya distributary of the Mississippi River) consisting of an alternating series of transgressive sand-shell ridges and regressive, progradational mudflats. The late 1940s shift of 1/3 of the flow of the Mississippi to the newly developing Atchafalaya delta complex to the west has resulted in injection of the river waters and suspended sediment into the westward flowing currents of the coastal current system. This has reactivated the dormant processes of mud accumulation along this coast. These environmental circumstances have provided the opportunity to: (1) investigate the depositional processes of the prograding, fine grained, mud flat facies of the open Chenier main coast and (2) to test the hypothesis that the impacts of the frequent cold front passages of fall, winter and spring exceed those of the occasional and more localized hurricane in shaping the coast and powering the dominant sedimentary processes. We conducted field investigations with the benefit of multi - scale, time series environmental surveillance by remote sensing systems, including airborne and satellite sensors. These systems provided invaluable new information on areal geomorphic patterns and the behavior of the coastal waters. This is a classic case of weather impacting inner shelf waters and sediments and causing the development of a new landform. It is clear that mud flats of the eastern chenier plain are prograding seaward, as well as progressively growing in a westerly direction.

Development of a regional groundwater flow model for the area of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCarthy, J.M.; Arnett, R.C.; Neupauer, R.M.

This report documents a study conducted to develop a regional groundwater flow model for the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer in the area of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The model was developed to support Waste Area Group 10, Operable Unit 10-04 groundwater flow and transport studies. The products of this study are this report and a set of computational tools designed to numerically model the regional groundwater flow in the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. The objective of developing the current model was to create a tool for defining the regional groundwater flow at the INEL. The model wasmore » developed to (a) support future transport modeling for WAG 10-04 by providing the regional groundwater flow information needed for the WAG 10-04 risk assessment, (b) define the regional groundwater flow setting for modeling groundwater contaminant transport at the scale of the individual WAGs, (c) provide a tool for improving the understanding of the groundwater flow system below the INEL, and (d) consolidate the existing regional groundwater modeling information into one usable model. The current model is appropriate for defining the regional flow setting for flow submodels as well as hypothesis testing to better understand the regional groundwater flow in the area of the INEL. The scale of the submodels must be chosen based on accuracy required for the study.« less

Correlation between river slope and meandering variability (obtained by DGPS data) and morphotectonics for two Andean tributaries of the Amazon river: the case of Beni (Bolivia) and Napo (Ecuador-Peru) rivers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourrel, L.; Darrozes, J.; Guyot, J.; Christophoul, F.; Bondoux, F.

2007-05-01

The Beni river drains a catchment area of 282 000 km2 of which 40 percent are located in the Cordillera of the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, and the rest in the Amazonian plain : the studied reaches runs from Guanay (Andean Piedmont) to Riberalta (junction with Madre de Dios river) that represents a distance by the river of 1055 km. The Napo river starts in the Ecuadorian Andes and leaves Ecuador in Nuevo Rocafuerte (27 400 km2) and enters in Peru until its junction with the Amazon river : the studied section runs from Misahualli (Andean Piedmont) to this junction, that represents a distance by the river of 995 km. The GPS data were acquired using a mobile GPS embarked on a boat and 4 fixed bases located along the Beni river, 6 along the Napo river and the two rivers profile calculated from post-treated differential GPS solutions. For the Beni river, two sectors were identified: - the upstream sector (~230 km) between Guanay (414 m) and 50 km downstream Rurrenabaque (245 m) is located in Andean Piedmont, which consists in a series of thrusts associated with anticlines and synclines (the subandean zone), and presents slope values range between 135 cm/km and 10 cm/km and an average index of sinuosity (IS) of 1.29, - the downstream sector (~ 820 km) which runs in Amazonian plain (until Riberalta -165 m-), is characterized by an average slope of 8 cm/km and an average IS of 2.06 (this sector is much more homogeneous and the Beni river shows a meandering channel). For the Napo River, three sectors were identified: - the first sector (~140 km) between Misahualli (401 m) and Coca (265 m), is located in Andean Piedmont (subandean zone) and presents slope values range between 170 cm/km and 30 cm/km and an average IS of 1.6, - the second sector (~250 km) between Coca (when the Napo river enters in the Amazonian plain) and Nuevo Rocafuerte (190 m), presents slope values range between 30 cm/km and 20 cm/km and an average IS of 1.2, and a convex-up shape profile corresponding to the preserved part of the Pastaza-Napo Megafan, not yet affected by headwater erosion, - the third sector (~600 km) between Nuevo Rocafuerte and the confluence with the Amazon river (101 m), where the Napo river flows through the quaternary deposits of the Pastaza-Napo Megafan, presents slope values ranging from 20 to 10 cm/km and an average IS of 1.2, and is characterized by a more classical concave-up shape profile. Our main results established using DGPS data (an important difference between the slope and IS averages of the Napo and the Beni rivers in their Amazonian part, respectively ~20 cm/km and ~8 cm/km, ie a ratio ~2.5, 1.2 and 2.06, ie a ratio ~0.6) bring an additional explanation to the results obtained by the preceding authors, with balance methods, and confirm respectively the erosion and the sedimentation behaviour of the Napo and the Beni rivers.

Sediment transport and deposition in the lower Missouri River during the 2011 flood

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, Jason S.; Jacobson, Robert B.; Rus, David L.

2013-01-01

Floodwater in the Missouri River in 2011 originated in upper-basin regions and tributaries, and then travelled through a series of large flood-control reservoirs, setting records for total runoff volume entering all six Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. The flooding lasted as long as 3 months. The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) examined sediment transport and deposition in the lower Missouri River in 2011 to investigate how the geography of floodwater sources, in particular the decanting effects of the Missouri River main-stem reservoir system, coupled with the longitudinal characteristics of civil infrastructure and valley-bottom topography, affected sediment transport and deposition in this large, regulated river system. During the flood conditions in 2011, the USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, monitored suspended-sediment transport at six primary streamgages along the length of the lower Missouri River. Measured suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) in the lower Missouri River varied from approximately 150 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 2,000 mg/L from January 1 to September 30, 2011. Median SSC increased in the downstream direction from 355 mg/L at Sioux City, Iowa, to 490 mg/L at Hermann, Missouri. The highest SSCs were measured downstream from Omaha, Nebraska, in late February when snowmelt runoff from tributaries, which were draining zones of high-sediment production, was entering the lower Missouri River, and releases of water at Gavins Point Dam were small. The combination of dilute releases of water at Gavins Point Dam and low streamflows in lower Missouri River tributaries caused sustained lowering of SSC at all streamgages from early July through late August. Suspended-sediment ranged from 5 percent washload (PW; percent silt and clay) to as much as 98 percent in the lower Missouri River from January 1 to September 30, 2011. Median PW increased in the downstream direction from 24 percent at Sioux City, Iowa, to 78 percent at Hermann, Missouri. Measurements made in early January, when SSC was low, indicate that suspended sediment mostly was composed of bed material, but by mid-February, runoff from the plains caused PW to increase at most streamgages. Total suspended-sediment discharge (SSD) during water year 2011 at the selected streamgages in the lower Missouri River ranged from approximately 29 to 64 million tons. Total estimated SSD had the lowest exceedance frequencies in the reaches between Gavins Point Dam and Nebraska City, Nebraska, but exceedance frequencies increased substantially downstream. In 2011, total SSD with low exceedance frequencies were reported at Sioux City, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska, and Nebraska City, Nebraska, despite moderate-to-high exceedance frequencies for annual average SSC, indicating that the duration of high-magnitude flooding was the primary driver of total SSD. Comparison of median SSC for samples from water year 2011 with samples in the 20 years prior indicated that median SSC for high-action streamflows (streamflows likely to produce a stage exceeding the National Weather Service’s “action stage”) in 2011 were lower than those typical for high-action streamflows. Multiple-comparison analysis indicated that median SSC values for low-action streamflows (streamflows likely to produce stages lower than the National Weather Service’s “action stage”) and high-action streamflows sampled in 2011 at 4 of 6 streamgages were not significantly distinguishable from median SSC values for low-action streamflows in the previous 20 years. Longitudinal comparison of streamflow and SSD exceedance frequencies for 2011 with corresponding frequencies for 2008 and 1993 indicated the important role of tributary contributions to total SSD in the lower Missouri River. In 1993 and 2008, tributaries were the primary source of floodwater in the lower Missouri River, which resulted in a 20-fold increase in total SSD from Sioux City, Iowa, to Hermann, Missouri. In 2011, releases at Gavins Point Dam were the primary source of floodwater in the lower Missouri River, and total SSD at Hermann, Missouri, was only twice that estimated for Sioux City, Iowa. Sand deposition was estimated using analysis of multispectral satellite imagery collected in October and November 2011. Distributions of sand in the flood plain of the lower Missouri River also were quantified in relation to distance from the banks of the main channel for seven discrete river segments bounded by Gavins Point Dam and selected downstream tributaries. The areal extent of overbank flooding and flood-plain sand deposits increased downstream from Sioux City, Iowa to a broad peak near Rulo, Nebraska, and then decreased to levels near the lower limit of quantification downstream from Kansas City, Missouri. Most of the flood plain inundation and sediment-deposition damage to agricultural fields was observed between river miles 480 and 700, where 2011 peak streamflows had low exceedance frequencies, and the lower Missouri River channel was less incised or had aggraded recently. As channel capacity increased in the downstream direction, the relative magnitude of the flood decreased downstream, and overbank flooding was less extensive. In the constricted reaches, flood-plain sand deposits mainly were observed in association with levee breaks.

Modeling Flood Plain Hydrology and Forest Productivity of Congaree Swamp, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, Thomas W.

2009-01-01

An ecological field and modeling study was conducted to examine the flood relations of backswamp forests and park trails of the flood plain portion of Congaree National Park, S.C. Continuous water level gages were distributed across the length and width of the flood plain portion - referred to as 'Congaree Swamp' - to facilitate understanding of the lag and peak flood coupling with stage of the Congaree River. A severe and prolonged drought at study start in 2001 extended into late 2002 before backswamp zones circulated floodwaters. Water levels were monitored at 10 gaging stations over a 4-year period from 2002 to 2006. Historical water level stage and discharge data from the Congaree River were digitized from published sources and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) archives to obtain long-term daily averages for an upstream gage at Columbia, S.C., dating back to 1892. Elevation of ground surface was surveyed for all park trails, water level gages, and additional circuits of roads and boundaries. Rectified elevation data were interpolated into a digital elevation model of the park trail system. Regression models were applied to establish time lags and stage relations between gages at Columbia, S.C., and gages in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the river and backswamp within the park. Flood relations among backswamp gages exhibited different retention and recession behavior between flood plain reaches with greater hydroperiod in the lower reach than those in the upper and middle reaches of the Congaree Swamp. A flood plain inundation model was developed from gage relations to predict critical river stages and potential inundation of hiking trails on a real-time basis and to forecast the 24-hour flood In addition, tree-ring analysis was used to evaluate the effects of flood events and flooding history on forest resources at Congaree National Park. Tree cores were collected from populations of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), baldcypress (Taxodium distichum), water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), green ash (Fraxinus pennslyvanica), laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii), and sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis) within Congaree Swamp in highand low-elevation sites characteristic of shorter and longer flood duration and related to upriver flood controls and dam operation. Ring counts and dating indicated that all loblolly pine trees and nearly all baldcypress collections in this study are postsettlement recruits and old-growth cohorts, dating from 100 to 300 years in age. Most hardwood species and trees cored for age analysis were less than 100 years old, demonstrating robust growth and high site quality. Growth chronologies of loblolly pine and baldcypress exhibited positive and negative inflections over the last century that corresponded with climate history and residual effects of Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Stemwood production on average was less for trees and species on sites with longer flood retention and hydroperiod affected more by groundwater seepage and site elevation than river floods. Water level data provided evidence that stream regulation and operations of the Saluda Dam (post-1934) have actually increased the average daily water stage in the Congaree River. There was no difference in tree growth response by species or hydrogeomorphic setting to predam and postdam flood conditions and river stage. Climate-growth analysis showed that long-term growth variation is controlled more by spring/ summer temperatures in loblolly pine and by spring/summer precipitation in baldcypress than flooding history.

Geophysical logs and water-quality data collected for boreholes Kimama-1A and -1B, and a Kimama water supply well near Kimama, southern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twining, Brian V.; Bartholomay, Roy C.

2011-01-01

In September 2010, a research consortium led by scientists from Utah State University began drilling the first of three continuously cored boreholes on the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho. The goals of this effort, the Snake River Scientific Drilling Project, are to study the interaction between the Earth's crust and mantle, to identify potential geothermal energy sources, and to track the evolution of the Yellowstone hotspot on the Snake River Plain. The first borehole, located near Kimama, Idaho, is about 50 miles southwest of the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory. Because geohydrologic data are scarce for that area of the central Snake River Plain, the Kimama borehole, completed in January 2011, provided a unique opportunity to collect geophysical and water-chemistry data from the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system, downgradient of the laboratory. Therefore, in conjunction with the Snake River Scientific Drilling Project, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey's Idaho National Laboratory Project Office conducted geophysical logging and collected water samples at the Kimama site. Wireline geophysical logs were collected for the diverging borehole, Kimama-1A and -1B, from land surface to 976 and 2,498 feet below land surface (BLS), respectively. Water samples were collected from Kimama-1A at depths near 460 and 830 feet BLS, and from the Kimama Water Supply (KWS) well located about 75 feet away. Geophysical log data included a composite of natural gamma, neutron, gamma-gamma dual density, and gyroscopic analysis for boreholes Kimama-1A and -1B. Geophysical logs depicted eight sediment layers (excluding surficial sediment) ranging from 4 to 60 feet in thickness. About 155 individual basalt flows were identified, ranging from less than 3 feet to more than 175 feet in thickness (averaging 15 feet) for borehole Kimama-1B (0 to 2,498 feet BLS). Sediment and basalt contacts were selected based on geophysical traces and were confirmed with visual inspection of core photographs. Temperature logs from the water table surface (about 260 feet BLS) to the bottom of borehole Kimama-1B (2,498 feet BLS) were nearly isothermal, ranging from about 62 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Gyroscopic data revealed that borehole Kimama-1B begins to separate from borehole Kimama-1A near a depth of 676 feet BLS. Drillhole azimuth and horizontal deviation at total logged depth for boreholes Kimama-1A and -1B were 172.6 and 188.3 degrees and 25.9 and 82.0 feet, respectively. Water samples were collected and analyzed for common ions; selected trace elements; nutrients; isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon; and selected radionuclides. One set of water samples was collected from the KWS well and the two other sample sets were collected from borehole Kimama-1A near 460 and 830 feet BLS. With one exception, data for all three zones sampled near Kimama generally indicated that the water chemistry was similar. The exception was found in the deepest zone in borehole Kimama-1A (830 feet BLS) where concentrations probably were affected by the drilling mud. A comparison of the inorganic, organic, and stable chemistry data between the KWS well and the 460-foot zone in borehole Kimama-1A indicated similar chemistry of the aquifer water, except for some variability with nitrate plus nitrite, orthophosphate, iron, zinc, and carbon-14. Radionuclide concentrations were either less than reporting levels or at background levels for the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer.

Floods of April 1952 in the Missouri River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wells, J.V.B.

1955-01-01

The floods of April 1952 in the Milk River basin, along the Missouri River from the mouth of the Little Missouri River to the mouth of the Kansas River, and for scattered tributaries of the Missouri River in North and South Dakota were the greatest ever observed. The damage amounted to an estimated $179 million. The outstanding featur6 of the floods was the extraordinary peak discharge generated in the Missouri River at and downstream from Bismarck, N. Dak., on April 6 when a large ice jam upstream from the city was suddenly released. Inflow from flooding tributaries maintained the peak discharge at approximately the same magnitude in the transit of the flood across South Dakota; downstream from Yankton, S. Dak., attenuation of the peak discharge was continuous because of natural storage in the wide flood plains. The outstanding characteristic of floods in the Milk River basin was their duration--the flood crested at Havre, Mont., on April 3 and at Nashua, Mont.. on April 18. The floods were caused by an abnormally heavy accumulation of snow that was converted into runoff in a few days of very warm weather at the end of March. The heaviest water content of the snow pack at breakup was in a narrow arc extending through Aberdeen, S. Dak., Pierre, S. Dak.. and northwestward toward the southwest corner of North Dakota. The water content in part of this concentrated cover exceeded 6 inches. The winter of 1951-52, which followed a wet cold fall that made the ground impervious, was one of the most severe ever experienced in South Dakota and northern Montana. Depths of snow and low temperatures combined to produce, at the end of March, one of the heaviest snow covers in the history of the Great Plains. The Missouri River ice was intact upstream from Chamberlain, S. Dak., at the end of March, and the breakup of the ice with inflow of local runoff was one of the spectacular features of the flood. Runoff from the Yellowstone River combining with the flood pouring from the Little Missouri River caused the Missouri River to crest at an all-time high at Elbowoods, N. Dak., on April 4. As this crest moved downstream to Bismarck, its intensity was increased by the alternate storing and release of ice jams plus the inflow from the Knife River. The crest discharge of 500,000 cfs came at Bismarck at 6 p. m. on April 6. following a very sharp rise from 80,000 cfs at 11 a.m. Overflow occurred along the Missouri River from Elbowoods to the mouth with high damage to cities. farmland, and installations located in the flood plain. Cleanup and repair operations following the flood continued for many weeks. Few of the flooded farms produced a crop during 1952. This report presents detailed records of stage and discharge for the flood period on the Missouri River and tributaries from Fort Peck. Mont., to the mouth. Information on damages and river stages collected by other agencies is also presented.

River meander modeling of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lant, Jeremiah G.; Boldt, Justin A.

2018-01-16

Natural river channels continually evolve and change shape over time. As a result, channel evolution or migration can cause problems for bridge structures that are fixed in the flood plain. A once-stable bridge structure that was uninfluenced by a river’s shape could be encroached upon by a migrating river channel. The potential effect of the actively meandering Wabash River on the Interstate 64 Bridge at the border with Indiana near Grayville, Illinois, was studied using a river migration model called RVR Meander. RVR Meander is a toolbox that can be used to model river channel meander migration with physically based bank erosion methods. This study assesses the Wabash River meandering processes through predictive modeling of natural meandering over the next 100 years, climate change effects through increased river flows, and bank protection measures near the Interstate 64 Bridge.

Distinguishing and correlating deposits from large ignimbrite eruptions using paleomagnetism: The Cougar Point Tuffs (mid-Miocene), southern Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, David R.; Coe, Robert S.; Brown, Ethan; Branney, Michael; Reichow, Marc; Knott, Thomas; Storey, Michael; Bonnichsen, Bill

2016-09-01

In this paper, we present paleomagnetic, geochemical, mineralogical, and geochronologic evidence for correlation of the mid-Miocene Cougar Point Tuff (CPT) in southwest Snake River Plain (SRP) of Idaho. The new stratigraphy presented here significantly reduces the frequency and increases the scale of known SRP ignimbrite eruptions. The CPT section exposed at the Black Rock Escarpment along the Bruneau River has been correlated eastward to the Brown's Bench escarpment (six common eruption units) and Cassia Mountains (three common eruption units) regions of southern Idaho. The CPT records an unusual pattern of geomagnetic field directions that provides the basis for robust stratigraphic correlations. Paleomagnetic characterization of eruption units based on geomagnetic field variation has a resolution on the order of a few centuries, providing a strong test of whether two deposits could have been emplaced from the same eruption or from temporally separate events. To obtain reliable paleomagnetic directions, the anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence was measured to correct for magnetic anisotropy, and an efficient new method was used to remove gyroremanence acquired during alternating field demagnetization.

Geologic Map of the Scott City 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Scott and Cape Girardeau Counties, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harrison, Richard W.; Palmer, James R.; Hoffman, David; Vaughn, James D.; Repetski, John E.; Frederiksen, Norman O.; Forman, Steven L.

2002-01-01

The Scott City quadrangle is located at the northern end of the Mississippi embayment (fig. 1). The quadrangle contains parts of three physiographic features: the abandoned channel of the ancestral Mississippi River, the Benton Hills, and the flood plain of the ancestral Ohio River and modern Mississippi River. These features are largely the manifestation of the Quaternary evolution of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the chronology and analysis of which has been discussed by Fisk (1944), Saucier (1968, 1974, 1994), Guccione and others (1990), Madole and others (1991), Autin and others (1991), Porter and Guccione (1994), and Blum and others (1995a,b).

Evaluation of the flood hydrology in the Colorado Front Range using precipitation, streamflow, and paleoflood data for the Big Thompson River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jarrett, R.D.; Costa, J.E.

1988-01-01

A multidisciplinary study of precipitation and streamflow data and paleohydrologic studies of channel features was made to analyze the flood hydrology of foothill and mountain streams in the Front Range of Colorado, with emphasis on the Big Thompson River basin, because conventional hydrologic analyses do not adequately characterize the flood hydrology. In the foothills of Colorado, annual floodflows are derived from snowmelt at high elevations in the mountain regions, from rainfall at low elevation in the plains or plateau regions, or from a combination of rain falling on snow or mixed population hydrology. Above approximately 7,500 ft, snowmelt dominates; rain does not contribute to the flood potential. Regional flood-frequency relations were developed and compared with conventional flood-estimating technique results, including an evaluation of the magnitude and frequency of the probable maximum flood. Evaluation of streamflow data and paleoflood investigations provide an alternative for evaluating flood hydrology and the safety of dams. The study indicates the need for additional data collection and research to understand the complexities of the flood hydrology in mountainous regions, especially its effects on flood-plain management and the design of structures in the flood plain. (USGS)

General Crook and Counterinsurgency Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-06-01

the Yellowstone River was declared as “unceded Indian Territory” where the Sioux and Cheyenne could reside, but the white settlers were excluded.3...the Yellowstone and Tongue Rivers. The designated column commanders Crook, Terry, and Gibbon were to move their columns towards the center of the area...brutal winter months on the northern plains. Crook reorganized his command at Fort Fetterman. First he renamed his command the Big Horn and Yellowstone

Report on Survey Investigation Flood Control and Allied Purposes Along Those Streams That Flow Through Camden County, New Jersey into Delaware River.

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-06-01

Recreation Water pollution Delaware River Sewage disposal N Navi ation ABSTRACT ( R ,..-,- "war .04 ,, 09e -, Identifby block numb.,) The problems of water...characteristics ....... ..... . ...... 2 Land use and development .. ....... . . , 3 Water supply ................. .* 8 Sewage disposal...AND SURROUNDING AREA . . . * * 19 8 SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT ON NORTH BRANCH PENNSAKEN CREEK FLOOD PLAIN ...... . . 21 9 DEBRIS IN POCACK CREEK

Simulating Multi-Scale Fate and Transport of Mercury from Atmospheric Deposition to Receiving Surface Waters Across and Through the Terrestrial Landscape in a Coastal Plain Watershed (McTier Creek, SC)

EPA Science Inventory

Mercury (Hg) is the toxicant responsible for the largest number of fish advisories across the United States, with 1.1 million river miles under advisory. The processes governing fate and transport of Hg in streams and rivers are not well understood, in large part, because these s...

Chapter 4: The dynamic environmental history of southwest willow flycatcher habitat: A survey of changing riparian conditions through time

Treesearch

Richard D. Periman; Jeffrey F. Kelly

2000-01-01

The extent of riparian habitat in the southwestern United States during the past 100 years appears to have been reduced by modern land development, urban expansion, and a general increase in human populations (Finch 1996; Shaw and Finch 1996). Thousands of acres of river flood plain along the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers have been cleared for agriculture,...

Creating a fuels baseline and establishing fire frequency relationships to develop a landscape management strategy at the Savannah River Site

Treesearch

Bernard R. Parresol; Dan Shea; Roger Ottmar

2006-01-01

The Savannah River Site is a Department of Energy Nuclear Defense Facility and a National Environmental Research Park located in the upper coastal plain of South Carolina. Prescribed burning is conducted on 15,000 to 20,000 ac annually. We modified standard forest inventory methods to incorporate a complete assessment of fuel components on 622 plots, assessing coarse...

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 16 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-07

ISS016-E-021564 (7 Jan. 2008) --- Paris, France is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 16 crewmember on the International Space Station. A crisp, clear winter day over France provided a detailed view of the city of Paris. This image shows the recognizable street pattern of the city - and some of the world's most notable landmarks - along the Seine River. One of the main avenues radiating like spokes from the Arc de Triomphe (lower right) is the Avenue des Champs-Elysees running southeast to the Garden of Tuileries (Jardin des Tuileries). The garden -- recognizable by its light green color relative to the surrounding built materials -- was originally commissioned by Catherine de Medici in 1559, and is now bounded by the Place de la Concorde to the northeast and the Louvre museum along the Seine River at the southeast end. Other, similarly colored parks and greenspaces are visible throughout the image. Farther south on the Seine is the Ile de la Cite, location of the famous Notre Dame cathedral. Perhaps most prominent is the characteristic "A" profile of the Eiffel Tower west of the Jardin des Tuileries, highlighted by morning sunlight.

Summer Harvest in Saratov, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-07-31

These images from NASA Terra satellite were captured on May 31 and July 18, 2002 and show Russia Saratov Oblast province, located in the southeastern portion of the East-European plain, in the Lower Volga River Valley.

Télédétection par satellite et SIG pour l'analyse des déplacements des chenaux dans le delta actif de la Rivière Jaune en ChineTeledetección satelitária y SIG para analizar cambios en el desplazamiento de causes en el delta activo del Río Amarillo, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaojun; Damen, Michiel C. J.; van Zuidam, Robert A.

Channel migration in deltaic lowlands tends to be complicated by marine processes and intensified cultural practices. Understanding the ways in which river channels have migrated through time is critical to tackling many geomorphologic and river management problems. Because of large magnitude and rapid rates of change, special surveillance systems are needed to efficiently measure and monitor channel migration. This study presents an application of geographic information technologies for the study of channel migration in the active Yellow River Delta, China. The main source of data was a series of time-sequential Landsat images spanning a period of approximately 19 years. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to support modernized channel position mapping and measurement. The spatio-temporal changes of river banks and channel centerlines were systematically examined, and an attempt was made to relate these computational results with appropriate natural and human processes affecting the delta. This study demonstrates the utility of satellite remote sensing integrated with a GIS in investigating channel migration.

East China plains: a "basin" of ozone pollution.

PubMed

Zhao, Chun; Wang, Yuhang; Zeng, Tao

2009-03-15

Economic growth and associated pollution emissions in China are concentrated over three connected plains to the east In this work, we analyze an episode of highly elevated ozone over East China on June 9-14, 2004, using a 3-D chemical transport model. During this episode, the East China plains were under a high-pressure system, which suppressed the ventilation of pollutants from the boundary layer. Simulated ozone concentrations over a major fraction of East China reached high levels, all the way down to the Pearl River Delta region in the southern border. The convergence of pollutant emissions and population over the vast stretch of the geographically flat plains of East China makes the region susceptible to high-ozone exposure. During this episode, the high-03 region extended over an area >1 million km2, which hosts a population of >800 million people. Model results indicate that controlling anthropogenic NOx emissions effectively reduces the area with high-ozone exposure.

Surface-water/ground-water interaction along reaches of the Snake River and Henrys Fork, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hortness, Jon E.; Vidmar, Peter

2005-01-01

Declining water levels in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and decreases in spring discharges from the aquifer to the Snake River have spurred studies to improve understanding of the surface-water/ground-water interaction on the plain. This study was done to estimate streamflow gains and losses along specific reaches of the Snake River and Henrys Fork and to compare changes in gain and loss estimates to changes in ground-water levels over time. Data collected during this study will be used to enhance the conceptual model of the hydrologic system and to refine computer models of ground-water flow and surface-water/ground-water interactions. Estimates of streamflow gains and losses along specific subreaches of the Snake River and Henrys Fork, based on the results of five seepage studies completed during 2001?02, varied greatly across the study area, ranging from a loss estimate of 606 ft3/s in a subreach of the upper Snake River near Heise to a gain estimate of 3,450 ft3/s in a subreach of the Snake River that includes Thousand Springs. Some variations over time also were apparent in specific subreaches. Surface spring flow accounted for much of the inflow to subreaches having large gain estimates. Several subreaches alternately gained and lost streamflow during the study. Changes in estimates of streamflow gains and losses along some of the subreaches were compared with changes in water levels, measured at three different times during 2001?02, in adjacent wells. In some instances, a strong relation between changes in estimates of gains or losses and changes in ground-water levels was apparent.

Health risk assessment of fluoride in drinking water from Anhui Province in China.

PubMed

Gao, Hong-jian; Jin, You-qian; Wei, Jun-ling

2013-05-01

This study analyzes the concentrations and health risks of fluoride in 249 drinking water samples collected from different regions of Anhui Province in China. Results indicated that fluoride content in drinking water ranged from 0.12 to 1.94 mg L(-1) (mean = 0.57 mg L(-1)) in the following order: Huaibei plain region > Jianghuai hill region ≈ Dabieshan mountainous region > plain along the Yangtze River region > southern Anhui mountainous region. The fluoride contents were less than 0.50 mg L(-1) in 66.66 % of the drinking water samples, 0.51-1.0 mg L(-1) in 23.29 %, and higher than 1.0 mg L(-1) in 12.04 %. The fluoride levels in some samples were lower than the recommended values for controlling dental caries (0.50-1.0 mg L(-1)). The total fluoride intake from drinking water was between 0.14 and 2.33 mg per day in different regions of the province, supposing an individual consumes 1.2 L of water per day. Therefore, measures should be taken to increase fluoride intake in the Jianghuai hill region, Dabieshan mountainous region, plain along the Yangtze River, and southern Anhui mountainous region to control dental caries. On the other hand, the fluoride levels must be reduced in the Huaibei plain region to decrease endemic fluorosis. The results serve as crucial guidelines for managing fluoride safety in drinking water and controlling endemic fluorosis in different regions of Anhui Province.

Anthropogenic disruption to the seismic driving of beach ridge formation: The Sendai coast, Japan.

PubMed

Goff, James; Knight, Jasper; Sugawara, Daisuke; Terry, James P

2016-02-15

The expected geomorphic after-effects of the Mw 9.0 Tōhoku-oki earthquake of 11 March 2011 (eastern Japan) are summarized by a schematic model of seismic driving, which details seismogenic disturbances to sediment systems that affect the rate or timing of sediment delivery to coastlines over timescales of 10(2)-10(4)years. The immediate physical environmental responses to this high-magnitude earthquake included a large tsunami and extensive region-wide slope failures. Normally, slope failures within mountain catchments would have significant impacts on Japan's river and coastal geomorphology in the coming decades with, for example, a new beach ridge expected to form within 20-100 years on the Sendai Plain. However, human activity has significantly modified the rate and timing of geomorphic processes of the region, which will have impacts on likely geomorphic responses to seismic driving. For example, the rivers draining into Sendai Bay have been dammed, providing sediment traps that will efficiently capture bedload and much suspended sediment in transit through the river system. Instead of the expected ~1 km of coastal progradation and formation of a ~3m high beach ridge prior to the next large tsunami, it is likely that progradation of the Sendai Plain will continue to slow or even cease as a result of damming of river systems and capture of river sediments behind dams. The resulting reduction of fluvial sediment delivery to the coast due to modification of rivers inadvertently makes seawalls and other engineered coastal structures even more necessary than they would be otherwise. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How High Do Sandbars Grow?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, J. S.; McElroy, B. J.

2015-12-01

Bar forms in wide sandy rivers store sediment, control channel hydraulics, and are fundamental units of riverine ecosystems. Bar form height is often used as a measure of channel depth in ancient fluvial deposits and is also a crucially important measure of habitat quality in modern rivers. In the Great Plains of North America, priority bird species use emergent bars to nest, and sandbar heights are a direct predictor of flood hazard for bird nests. Our current understanding of controls on bar height are limited to few datasets and ad hoc observations from specific settings. We here examine a new dataset of bar heights and explore models of bar growth. We present bar a height dataset from the Platte and Niobrara Rivers in Nebraska, and an unchannelized reach of the Missouri River along the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Bar height data are normalized by flow frequency, and we examine parsimonious statistical models between expected controls (depth, stage, discharge, flow duration, work etc.) and maximum bar heights. From this we generate empirical-statistical models of maximum bar height for wide, sand-bedded rivers in the Great Plains of the United States and rivers of similar morphology elsewhere. Migration of bar forms is driven by downstream slip-face additions of sediment sourced from their stoss sides, but bars also sequester sediment and grow vertically and longitudinally. We explore our empirical data with a geometric-kinematic model of bar growth driven by sediment transport from smaller-scale bedforms. Our goal is to understand physical limitations on bar growth and geometry, with implications for interpreting the rock record and predicting physically-driven riverine habitat variables.

Variability of pesticides and nitrates concentrations along a river transect: chemical and isotopic evidence of groundwater - surface water interconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baran, Nicole; Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle; Saplairoles, Maritxu

2015-04-01

Groundwater quality is increasingly monitored in Europe where various levels of nitrate and pesticide and/or metabolite contamination have been demonstrated (Loos et al., 2010, Stuart et al., 2012). The Groundwater Daughter Directive (2006/118/EC) to Water Framework Directive (WFD) particularly requires measures to prevent or limit inputs of pollutants into groundwater and compliance with good chemical status criteria (based on EU standards of nitrate and pesticides). The WFD mentioned the need to protect groundwater but also to have a particular regard to its impact and interrelationship with associated surface waters and directly dependent terrestrial Ecosystems. The Ariège river basin (SW France - 538 km²) is an alluvial plain under high agricultural pressure leading to a contamination of the aquifer by several pesticides and metabolites (Amalric et al., 2013). The Crieu is an allochtone river, crossing the plain (~ 10 km length) before joining the Ariège River. The Crieu is often dry in its middle section suggesting water leakage from surface water towards groundwater. At the opposite, the permanent flow observed downstream suggests an input of groundwater into surface water. In May 2014, while the Crieu flow was continuous through the plain, 7 river samples were collected and analyzed for pesticides, major ions, strontium concentration and isotopes. In situ measurements of electric conductivity were also performed as well as flow gauging. Two groundwaters close to the river were also sampled. The flow gauging measurements show a decreasing river discharge in the central area of the Crieu River, suggesting surface water leakage towards groundwater. Nevertheless, the electric conductivity increases along the river flow as well as some pesticides and nitrates concentrations. This chemical evolution of the river water is thus inconsistent with a simple water infiltration and another source of dissolved solutes is required to explain the increased of concentration. Finally, downstream the quantified pesticides were different from those observed in the upper part of the Crieu but similar to those observed in groundwater. Sr isotopes together with major elements and Sr concentrations allow to identify 3 distinct end-members to explain the river quality evolution : 1) surface water, 2) groundwater and 3) sub-surface water. On this basis, we first demonstrate that the contribution of the different end-members to the river flow is highly variable from upstream to downstream. Secondly, we evidence water exchanges between the river and the groundwater compartment and vice-versa. The combination of the isotopic and geochemical approaches was essential to understand the complex relations and exchanges between surface and ground-waters occurring in few kilometers along the Crieu River. This understanding allows the comprehension of spatial variability of surface water quality. This is of primary importance when to help water managers to select relevant sampling points to be monitored in the framework of the WFD. Amalric L., et al. (2013). International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 93: 1660-1675 Loos R. et al. (2010). Water Research, 44: 4115-4126 Stuart M. et al. (2012). Science of the Total Environment, 416: 1-21.

Analysis of alternative modifications for reducing backwater at the Interstate Highway 10 crossing of the Pearl River near Slidell, Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiche, Gregg J.; Gilbert, J.J.; Froehlich, David C.; Lee, Jonathan K.

1988-01-01

In April 1979 and April 1980, major flooding along the lower Pearl River caused extensive damage to homes located on the flood plain in the Slidell, Louisiana, area. In response to questions about causes of these floods and means of mitigating future floods, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Highways, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, used a two-dimensional finite-element surface-water flow-modeling system to study the effect of four alternative modifications for improving the hydraulic characteristics of the Interstate Highway 10 crossing of the flood plain near Slidell. The analysis used the model's capability to simulate changes in flood-plain topography, flood-plain vegetative cover, and highway-embankment geometry. Compared with the existing highway crossing, the four alternative modifications reduce backwater and average velocities through bridge openings for a flood of the magnitude of the 1980 flood. The four alternatives also eliminate roadway overtopping during such a flood. For the four modifications, maximum backwater on the west side of the flood plain ranges from 0.3 to 1.1 feet and on the east side from 0.3 to 0.7 foot. Results of the alternative-model simulations show that backwater is greater on the west side of the flood plain than on the east side, but upstream from Interstate Highway 10 backwater decreases more rapidly in the upstream direction on the west side of the flood plain than on the east side. Downstream from Interstate Highway 10, modeling of the four alternatives indicates that backwater and drawdown still occur on the east and west sides of the flood plain, respectively, but are less than the values computed for the April 1980 flood with Interstate Highway 10 in place. In addition to other highway-crossing modifications, alternatives 2 and 3 include simulation of a new 2,000-foot bridge opening, and ,alternative 4 includes simulation of a 1,000-foot bridge opening. The new bridge conveys 25, 23, and 21 percent of the total computed discharge in alternatives 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The average velocity through the new bridge is 2.0, 1.9, and 3.4 feet per second for alternatives 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

Preliminary map showing freshwater heads for the Red River Formation, Bighorn Dolomite, and equivalent rocks of Ordovician age in the Northern Great Plains of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, W. Roger; Strausz, S.A.

1980-01-01

A map showing freshwater heads for the Ordovician Red River Formation, Bighorn Dolomite, and equivalent rocks has been prepared as part of a study to determine the water-resources potential of the Mississippian Madison Limestone and associated rocks in the Northern Great Plains of Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. Most of the data used to prepare the map are from drill-stem tests of exploration and development wells drilled by the petroleum industry from 1964 to 1978. A short explanation describes the seven categories of reliability used to evaluate the drill-stem-test data and identifies several factors that might explain the apparent anomalous highs and lows on the potentiometric surface. The map is at a scale of 1:1,000 ,000 and the potentiometric contour interval is 100 feet. (USGS)

An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and perched groundwater zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, emphasis 2012-15

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartholomay, Roy C.; Maimer, Neil V.; Rattray, Gordon W.; Fisher, Jason C.

2017-04-10

Since 1952, wastewater discharged to in ltration ponds (also called percolation ponds) and disposal wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has affected water quality in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer and perched groundwater zones underlying the INL. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains groundwater-monitoring networks at the INL to determine hydrologic trends and to delineate the movement of radiochemical and chemical wastes in the aquifer and in perched groundwater zones. This report presents an analysis of water-level and water-quality data collected from the ESRP aquifer, multilevel monitoring system (MLMS) wells in the ESRP aquifer, and perched groundwater wells in the USGS groundwater monitoring networks during 2012-15.

Water-surface elevations and channel characteristics for selected reaches of the Rogue River and Elk Creek, Jackson and Josephine Counties, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, D.D.

1970-01-01

The central Rogue River valley, because of its mild climate, fertile soil, scenic attractions, and sport-fishery resource, has great potential for future population growth and industrial development. As the population grows and the area develops, zoning becomes necessary to assure the most beneficial use of the land, especially of the flood plains. To establish land-use zones on the flood plains, the area subject to inundation and elevation of floods must be considered. Areas flooded during the December 1964 flood and the approximate limits of the 1861 flood in Jackson and Josephine Counties are shown in two interim reports (Corps of Engineers, 1965); however, there are no published flood-elevation profiles to use as a basis for establishing meaningful land-use-zone boundaries or for delineating inundated areas of other floods.

Geologic controls on the formation and evolution of quaternary coastal deposits of the northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, S.J.; Penland, S.; Sallenger, A.H.; McBride, R.A.; Kindlinger, J.L.

1991-01-01

A study of the barrier islands and wetlands in the deltaic plain of Louisiana is presented. Its purpose was to document rapid changes and to learn more about the processes responsible and the geologic framework within which they operate. It included systematic collection and analysis of precision nearshore hydrographic data, high resolution seismic profiles, surface sediment samples, continuous vibracores, digital shoreline plots, records of storm overwash events, and analysis of tide gage records to quantify the rise in relative sea level. Results from these studies demonstrate that deltaic progradation, river channel switching, and subsequent rapid erosion accompanying the marine transgression are regular and predictable events along the Mississippi River delta plain and will likely continue in the future. Mitigation measures, such as shoreline nourishment and barrier restoration, that mimic the natural processes may slow the land loss.

Vegetation, substrate and hydrology in floating marshes in the Mississippi river delta plain wetlands, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sasser, C.E.; Gosselink, J.G.; Swenson, E.M.; Swarzenski, C.M.; Leibowitz, N.C.

1996-01-01

In the 1940s extensive floating marshes (locally called 'flotant') were reported and mapped in coastal wetlands of the Mississippi River Delta Plain. These floating marshes included large areas of Panicum hemitomon-dominated freshwater marshes, and Spartina patens/Scirpus olneyi brackish marshes. Today these marshes appear to be quite different in extent and type. We describe five floating habitats and one non-floating, quaking habitat based on differences in buoyancy dynamics (timing and degree of floating), substrate characteristics, and dominant vegetation. All floating marshes have low bulk density, organic substrates. Nearly all are fresh marshes. Panicum hemitomon floating marshes presently occur within the general regions that were reported in the 1940's by O'Neil, but are reduced in extent. Some of the former Panicum hemitomon marshes have been replaced by seasonally or variably floating marshes dominated, or co-dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia or Eleocharis baldwinii. ?? 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

On the relationship between age of lava flows and radar backscattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blom, R. G.; Cooley, P.; Schenck, L. R.

1986-01-01

The observation that older lava flows have lower backscatter in radar images is assessed with multiwavelength/polarization scatterometer data with incidence angles from 15 to 50 deg. Backscatter decreases over time because surface roughness decreases due to infilling with dust and mechanical weathering of the rocks. Pahoehoe lavas in the Snake River Plain with ages of 2.1, 7,4, and 12.0 K yr are best separated with 2.25 cm wavelength data. Blocky obsidian flows at Medicine Lake Highland and Newberry Volcano with ages of 0.9, 1.1 and 1.4 K yr are best separated with 6.3 cm wavelength data. Two Pleistocene flows at the Snake River Plain are best separated with 19.0 cm wavelength data. Incidence angles from 20 to 35 deg are best. These data indicate it may be possible to separate lava flows into eruptive periods using calibrated multiwavelength radar backscatter data.

Status of native stream fishes within selected protected areas of Niobrara River in western Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spurgeon, Jonathan J.; Stasiak, Richard H.; Cunningham, George R.; Pope, Kevin L.; Pegg, Mark A.

2014-01-01

Lotic systems within the Great Plains are characterized by highly fluctuating conditions through both space and time. Fishes inhabiting these systems have adopted specific life-history strategies to survive in such environments; however, anthropogenic disturbance to prairie streams has resulted in declines and extirpation of many native stream fishes. Terrestrial protected areas (i.e., parks and reserves) are designated to support native flora and fauna and, it is assumed, to provide protection to native fishes. We assessed the presence and relative abundance of stream fish populations within protected areas along the Niobrara River in western Nebraska based on data collected during 1979, 1989, 2008, and 2011. The spatial extent of protection, landscape changes resulting in degraded physiochemical parameters, and introduced species may reduce the effectiveness of these terrestrial protected areas in protecting native fishes in Great Plains stream environments.

[Community structure and seasonal change of soil micro-arthropodes in the Lower Reaches of Liaohe River Plain under different land utilization].

PubMed

Ke, Xin; Liang, Wenju; Yu, Wantai; Xie, Rongdong; Weng, Chaolian; Yang, Yiming; Yin, Wenying

2004-04-01

The data on the soil micro-arthropodes under four land utilization types (fallow, forest, upland field and paddy) in the Lower Reaches of Liaohe River Plain were collected in a period from October 2000 to October 2001. Using the community parameters of population density, group richness, diversity index and evenness, the community structure and its seasonal changes were described. There were 12 groups of soil micro-arthropodes in this region, and of the groups, Collembola and Acarina were dominant, and Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were often seen in fallow, forest and upland field, while Collembola, Acarina and Diptera were dominant in paddy. Both land utilization and seasonal change influenced the population density, group richness and diversity index of soil micro-arthropodes. The vertical distribution in both density and group number of arthropods in soil was in the order of surface > middle > bottom.

Digital-model analysis of the effects of water-use alternatives on spring discharges Gooding and Jerome Counties, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moreland, Joe A.

1976-01-01

Springs discharging from the Snake Plain aquifer contribute approximately 6,000 cubic feet per second (170 cubic metres per second) to flow in the Snake River between Milner and King Hill. Before irrigation began on the Snake River Plain north and east of the springs, total spring discharge was about 4,200 cubic feet per second (120 cubic meters per second). Increasing amounts of irrigated acreage from the early 1900's to the mid-1940's contributed more irrigation-return water to the aquifer resulting in increased discharge at the springs. Maximum discharge of about 6,800 cubic feet per second (190 cubic metres per second) occurred during the late 1940's and early 1950's. Increased use of pumped ground water for irrigation and changing irrigation practices have since resulted in a decline in spring discharge.

A summary of the U.S. Geological Survey 1999 resource assessment of selected coal zones in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains region, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, M.S.; Nichols, D.J.

2002-01-01

In 1999, 1,100 million short tons of coal were produced in the United States, 38 percent from the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains region. This coal has low ash content, and sulfur content is in compliance with Clean Air Act standards (U.S. Statutes at Large, 1990).The National Coal Resource Assessment for this region includes geologic, stratigraphic, palynologic, and geochemical studies and resource calculations for 18 major coal zones in the Powder River, Williston, Green River, Hanna, and Carbon Basins. Calculated resources are 660,000 million short tons. Results of the study are available in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625?A (Fort Union Coal Assess-ment Team, 1999) and Open-File Report 99-376 (Flores and others, 1999) in CD-ROM format.

Quantifying the dilution of the radiocesium contamination in Fukushima coastal river sediment (2011-2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evrard, Olivier; Laceby, J. Patrick; Onda, Yuichi; Wakiyama, Yoshifumi; Jaegler, Hugo; Lefèvre, Irène

2016-10-01

Fallout from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident resulted in a 3000-km2 radioactive contamination plume. Here, we model the progressive dilution of the radiocesium contamination in 327 sediment samples from two neighboring catchments with different timing of soil decontamination. Overall, we demonstrate that there has been a ~90% decrease of the contribution of upstream contaminated soils to sediment transiting the coastal plains between 2012 (median - M - contribution of 73%, mean absolute deviation - MAD - of 27%) and 2015 (M 9%, MAD 6%). The occurrence of typhoons and the progress of decontamination in different tributaries of the Niida River resulted in temporary increases in local contamination. However, the much lower contribution of upstream contaminated soils to coastal plain sediment in November 2015 demonstrates that the source of the easily erodible, contaminated material has potentially been removed by decontamination, diluted by subsoils, or eroded and transported to the Pacific Ocean.

The evolution of the New Jersey Pine Plains.

PubMed

Ledig, F Thomas; Hom, John L; Smouse, Peter E

2013-04-01

Fire in the New Jersey Pine Plains has selectively maintained a dwarf growth form of pitch pine (Pinus rigida), which is distinct from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens and has several other inherited adaptations that enable it to survive in an environment dominated by fire. Pitch pine progeny from two Pine Plains sites, the West and East Pine Plains, were grown in common garden environments with progeny from two Pine Barrens stands, Batsto and Great Egg Harbor River. The tests were replicated in five locations: in New Jersey, Connecticut, two sites in Massachusetts, and Korea. One of the tests was monitored for up to 36 yr. Progeny of Pine Plains origin were, in general, shorter, more crooked, precocious, bore more cones, had a higher frequency of serotinous cones, and had a higher frequency of stem cones than did Pine Barrens progeny, wherever they were grown. The Pine Plains is an ecotype that has evolved in response to disturbance. The several characters that distinguish it from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens are inherited. The dwarf stature and crooked form not only enable the ecotype to persist in an environment of frequent fires but also increase its flammability.

5. Historic American Buildings Survey Taken from drawing sheet, SHEET ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. Historic American Buildings Survey Taken from drawing sheet, SHEET #21, Showing the house as restored since Survey. (Dormer windows omitted as not authentic) - Samuel des Marest House, River Road, New Milford, Bergen County, NJ

Field-trip guide to Columbia River flood basalts, associated rhyolites, and diverse post-plume volcanism in eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferns, Mark L.; Streck, Martin J.; McClaughry, Jason D.

2017-08-09

The Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) is the youngest and best preserved continental flood basalt province on Earth, linked in space and time with a compositionally diverse succession of volcanic rocks that partially record the apparent emergence and passage of the Yellowstone plume head through eastern Oregon during the late Cenozoic. This compositionally diverse suite of volcanic rocks are considered part of the La Grande-Owyhee eruptive axis (LOEA), an approximately 300-kilometer-long (185 mile), north-northwest-trending, middle Miocene to Pliocene volcanic belt located along the eastern margin of the Columbia River flood basalt province. Volcanic rocks erupted from and preserved within the LOEA form an important regional stratigraphic link between the (1) flood basalt-dominated Columbia Plateau on the north, (2) bimodal basalt-rhyolite vent complexes of the Owyhee Plateau on the south, (3) bimodal basalt-rhyolite and time-transgressive rhyolitic volcanic fields of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone Plateau, and (4) the High Lava Plains of central Oregon.This field-trip guide describes a 4-day geologic excursion that will explore the stratigraphic and geochemical relationships among mafic rocks of the Columbia River Basalt Group and coeval and compositionally diverse volcanic rocks associated with the early “Yellowstone track” and High Lava Plains in eastern Oregon. Beginning in Portland, the Day 1 log traverses the Columbia River gorge eastward to Baker City, focusing on prominent outcrops that reveal a distal succession of laterally extensive, large-volume tholeiitic flood lavas of the Grande Ronde, Wanapum, and Saddle Mountains Basalt formations of the CRBG. These “great flows” are typical of the well-studied flood basalt-dominated Columbia Plateau, where interbedded silicic and calc-alkaline lavas are conspicuously absent. The latter part of Day 1 will highlight exposures of middle to late Miocene silicic ash-flow tuffs, rhyolite domes, and calc-alkaline lava flows overlying the CRBG across the northern and central parts of the LOEA. The Day 2 field route migrates to southern parts of the LOEA, where rocks of the CRBG are associated in space and time with lesser known and more complex silicic volcanic stratigraphy associated with middle Miocene, large-volume, bimodal basalt-rhyolite vent complexes. Key stops will provide a broad overview of the structure and stratigraphy of the middle Miocene Mahogany Mountain caldera and middle to late Miocene calc-alkaline lavas of the Owyhee basalt. Stops on Day 3 will progress westward from the eastern margin of the LOEA, examining a transition linking the Columbia River Basalt-Yellowstone province with a northwestward-younging magmatic trend of silicic volcanism that underlies the High Lava Plains of eastern Oregon. Initial field stops on Day 3 will examine key outcrops demonstrating the intercalated nature of middle Miocene tholeiitic CRBG flood basalts, prominent ash-flow tuffs, and “Snake River-type” large-volume rhyolite lava flows exposed along the Malheur River. Subsequent stops on Day 3 will focus upon the volcanic stratigraphy northeast of the town of Burns, which includes regional middle to late Miocene ash-flow tuffs, and lava flows assigned to the Strawberry Volcanics. The return route to Portland on Day 4 traverses across the western axis of the Blue Mountains, highlighting exposures of the widespread, middle Miocene Dinner Creek Tuff and aspects of Picture Gorge Basalt flows and northwest-trending feeder dikes situated in the central part of the CRBG province.

Identifying the hydrochemical characteristics of rivers and groundwater by multivariate statistical analysis in the Sanjiang Plain, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yingjie; Tang, Changyuan; Song, Xianfang; Liu, Changming; Zhang, Yinghua

2016-06-01

Two multivariate statistical technologies, factor analysis (FA) and discriminant analysis (DA), are applied to study the river and groundwater hydrochemistry and its controlling processes in the Sanjiang Plain of the northeast China. Factor analysis identifies five factors which account for 79.65 % of the total variance in the dataset. Four factors bearing specific meanings as the river and groundwater hydrochemistry controlling processes are divided into two groups, the "natural hydrochemistry evolution" group and the "pollution" group. The "natural hydrochemistry evolution" group includes the salinity factor (factor 1) caused by rock weathering and the residence time factor (factor 2) reflecting the groundwater traveling time. The "pollution" group represents the groundwater quality deterioration due to geogenic pollution caused by elevated Fe and Mn (factor 3) and elevated nitrate (NO3 -) introduced by human activities such as agriculture exploitations (factor 5). The hydrochemical difference and hydraulic connection among rivers (surface water, SW), shallow groundwater (SG) and deep groundwater (DG) group are evaluated by the factor scores obtained from FA and DA (Fisher's method). It is showed that the river water is characterized as low salinity and slight pollution, and the shallow groundwater has the highest salinity and severe pollution. The SW is well separated from SG and DG by Fisher's discriminant function, but the SG and DG can not be well separated showing their hydrochemical similarities, and emphasize hydraulic connections between SG and DG.

Effects of temperature, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids on survival and development rate of larval Arkansas River Shiner

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Julia S.; Grabowski, Timothy B.; Brewer, Shannon K.; Worthington, Thomas A.

2017-01-01

Decreases in the abundance and diversity of stream fishes in the North American Great Plains have been attributed to habitat fragmentation, altered hydrological and temperature regimes, and elevated levels of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Pelagic-broadcast spawning cyprinids, such as the Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi, may be particularly vulnerable to these changing conditions because of their reproductive strategy. Our objectives were to assess the effects of temperature, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids on the developmental and survival rates of Arkansas River Shiner larvae. Results suggest temperature had the greatest influence on the developmental rate of Arkansas River Shiner larvae. However, embryos exposed to the higher levels of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids reached developmental stages earlier than counterparts at equivalent temperatures. Although this rapid development may be beneficial in fragmented waters, our data suggest it may be associated with lower survival rates. Furthermore, those embryos incubating at high temperatures, or in high levels of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids resulted in less viable embryos and larvae than those incubating in all other temperature, total dissolved solid, and total suspended solid treatment groups. As the Great Plains ecoregion continues to change, these results may assist in understanding reasons for past extirpations and future extirpation threats as well as predict stream reaches capable of sustaining Arkansas River Shiners and other species with similar early life-history strategies.

American River Watershed Investigation, California. Volume 8. Appendix T

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

American River in 1988. This model was developed for establishing new flood plain information for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for flood...PERTINENT CORRESPONDENCE B PLAN FORMULATION C ECONOMICS D WATER SUPPLY NEEDS E LAND USE Volume 2 F CULTURAL AND PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES G SECTION 404...that the information provided in the Response to Comments Appendix will not be nearly as thorough as the discussions that are presented in the report

Topographic data of selected areas along the Alabama River near Montgomery, Alabama, collected using mobile terrestrial light detection and ranging (T-LiDAR) technology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimbrow, D.R.

2014-01-01

Topographic data at selected areas within the Alabama River flood plain near Montgomery, Alabama, were collected using a truck-mounted mobile terrestrial light detection and ranging system. These data were collected for inclusion in a flood inundation model developed by the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama. Data are presented as ArcGIS point shapefiles with the extension .shp.

American River Watershed Investigation, California. Reconnaisance Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

studies, and (4) identification of a non-federal sponsor for the feasibility study. The primary study area included the lower American River between Nimbus...FEMA), is r’esponsible for administering the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).. A basic goal of the NFIP is the identification of flood plain...RESERVO]R - RE:QUIRED FLOOD COVfIROL SPACI (1,000 ac--ft) Level of Protection Total Flood Folsom Flood New Upstream (Return Period - Storage Storage 2

The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the War in Vietnam, 1960-1968. Part 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

then expressed Iris belief that the proposed 20,000-man increase in the South Vietnamese military "could significantly affect the margin in the...plan ... [for] the Plaine des Jarres." They also wanted to know what weapons the Laotians required to take the crossroads.’ iri The reply from Admiral...Ambassador Nolting disagreed with Iris two colleagues. He argued that despite his faults, President Diem was the only "feasible alternative" and that the

Occurrence and distribution of pesticides in streams of the Eastern Iowa Basins, 1996-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schnoebelen, Douglas J.; Kalkhoff, Stephen J.; Becher, Kent D.

2001-01-01

Occurrence of pesticide compounds varied by landform region. The triazine herbicides, atrazine and cyanazine and their degradates were present in significantly greater concentrations in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain (predominantly loess soils) than either the Des Moines Lobe or the Iowan Surface (predominantly till soils). Less atrazine and cyanazine are applied to till soils because of pH and organic carbon content. Alachlor, metolachlor, and acetochlor have often been used to offset triazine pesticide reductions in area with till soils.

Floods, floodplains, delta plains — A satellite imaging approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syvitski, James P. M.; Overeem, Irina; Brakenridge, G. Robert; Hannon, Mark

2012-08-01

Thirty-three lowland floodplains and their associated delta plains are characterized with data from three remote sensing systems (AMSR-E, SRTM and MODIS). These data provide new quantitative information to characterize Late Quaternary floodplain landscapes and their penchant for flooding over the last decade. Daily proxy records for discharge since 2002 and for each of the 33 river systems can be derived with novel Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) methods. A descriptive framework based on analysis of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data is used to capture the major landscape-scale floodplain elements or zones: 1) container valleys with their long and narrow pathways of largely sediment transit and bypass, 2) floodplain depressions that act as loci for frequent flooding and sediment storage, 3) zones of nodal avulsions common to many continental scale rivers, and often located seaward of container valleys, and 4) coastal floodplains and delta plains that offer both sediment bypass and storage but under the influence of marine processes. The SRTM data allow mapping of smaller-scale architectural elements in unprecedented systematic manner. Floodplain depressions were found to play a major role, which may largely be overlooked in conceptual floodplain models. Lastly, MODIS data (independently and combined with AMSR-E) allows the tracking of flood hydrographs and pathways and sedimentation patterns on a near-daily timescale worldwide. These remote-sensing data show that 85% of the studied major river systems experienced extensive flooding in the last decade. A new quantitative paradigm of floodplain processes, honoring the frequency and extent of floods, can be develop by careful analysis of these new remotely sensed data.

Crustal Deformation in the Eastern Snake River Plain and Yellowstone Plateau Observed by SAR Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aly, M. H.; Hughes, S. S.; Rodgers, D. W.; Glenn, N. F.; Thackray, G. D.

2007-12-01

The Snake River Plain-Yellowstone tectono-volcanic province was created when North America migrated over a fixed hotspot in the mantle. Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) has been applied in this study to address the recent tectono-volcanic activity in the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) and the southwestern part of Yellowstone Plateau. InSAR results show that crustal deformation across the tectono-volcanic province is episodic. An episode of uplift (about 1 cm/yr) along the ESRP axial volcanic zone, directly southwest of Island Park, has been detected from a time-series of independent differential interferograms created for the 1993-2000 period. Episodes of subsidence (1 cm/yr) during 1997-2000 and uplift (3 cm/yr) during 2004-2006 have been also detected in the active Yellowstone caldera, just northeast of Island Park. The detected interferometric signals indicate that deformation across the axial volcanic zone near Island Park is inversely linked to deformation in the active Yellowstone caldera. One explanation is that the inverse motions reflect a flexure response of the ESRP crust to magma chamber activity beneath the active caldera, although other interpretations are possible. The time-series of differential interferograms shows that no regional deformation has occurred across the central part of ESRP during the periods of observations, but local surface displacements of 1-3 cm magnitude have been detected in the adjacent Basin-Range province. Differential surface movements of varying rates have been also detected along Centennial, Madison, and Hebgen faults between 1993 and 2006.

Glacial and nonglacial sediment contributions to Wisconsin episode loess in the Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grimley, D.A.

2000-01-01

The relative contributions of various glacial and nonglacial sediments to Wisconsin Episode loess units along the lower Illinois and central Mississippi Valleys are estimated on the basis of a comparison of magnetic susceptibility and silt and clay mineralogy. A mathematical method of source area calculation, using four compositional parameters, was guided by current knowledge of the regional glacial history. On the basis of this technique, the Roxana Silt, along the Illinois and Mississippi River Valleys, is composed of significant Superior lobe sediment (35%-40%) as well as Wadena or Des Moines lobe sediment (about 35%). This can account for its high magnetic susceptibility, feldspar content, kaolinite content, and pink hue. Lower Peoria Silt contains about 25%-35% Lake Michigan lobe sediment with reduced contributions of the other sources. After the Mississippi River's diversion (20.4 ka), the supply of Superior, Des Moines, and Wadena lobe sediment was cut off from the Illinois Valley in favor of Lake Michigan lobe sediment (75%- 80% contribution). This major source area shift accounts for higher dolomite and illite contents and a more yellow hue in approximately the upper two-thirds of Peoria Silt in the study area. In loess south of St. Louis, less pronounced compositional shifts occur because Superior lobe sediment was not cut off and because Des Moines lobe, Wadena lobe, and Missouri River sediments, having more intermediate composition, compose 40%-50% of the loess, thereby diluting other source area changes. Nonglacial sediment, from fluvial and periglacial sources, is estimated to compose 10%-40% of loess in both regions.

A detached eddy simulation model for the study of lateral separation zones along a large canyon-bound river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alvarez, Laura V.; Schmeeckle, Mark W.; Grams, Paul E.

2017-01-01

Lateral flow separation occurs in rivers where banks exhibit strong curvature. In canyon-boundrivers, lateral recirculation zones are the principal storage of fine-sediment deposits. A parallelized,three-dimensional, turbulence-resolving model was developed to study the flow structures along lateralseparation zones located in two pools along the Colorado River in Marble Canyon. The model employs thedetached eddy simulation (DES) technique, which resolves turbulence structures larger than the grid spacingin the interior of the flow. The DES-3D model is validated using Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler flowmeasurements taken during the 2008 controlled flood release from Glen Canyon Dam. A point-to-pointvalidation using a number of skill metrics, often employed in hydrological research, is proposed here forfluvial modeling. The validation results show predictive capabilities of the DES model. The model reproducesthe pattern and magnitude of the velocity in the lateral recirculation zone, including the size and position ofthe primary and secondary eddy cells, and return current. The lateral recirculation zone is open, havingcontinuous import of fluid upstream of the point of reattachment and export by the recirculation returncurrent downstream of the point of separation. Differences in magnitude and direction of near-bed andnear-surface velocity vectors are found, resulting in an inward vertical spiral. Interaction between therecirculation return current and the main flow is dynamic, with large temporal changes in flow direction andmagnitude. Turbulence structures with a predominately vertical axis of vorticity are observed in the shearlayer becoming three-dimensional without preferred orientation downstream.

Quantification of fish habitat in selected reaches of the Marmaton and Marais des Cygnes Rivers, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heimann, David C.; Richards, Joseph M.; Brewer, Shannon K.; Norman, Richard D.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation, undertook a study to quantify fish habitat by using relations between streamflow and the spatial and temporal distributions of fish habitat at five sites in the Marmaton and Marais des Cygnes Rivers in western Missouri. Twenty-six fish habitat categories were selected for nine species under varying seasonal (spring, summer, and fall), diel (summer day and night), and life-stage (spawning, juvenile, and adult) conditions. Physical habitat characteristics were determined for each category using depth, velocity, and channel substrate criteria. Continuous streamflow data were then combined with the habitat-streamflow relations to compile a habitat time series for each habitat category at each site. Fish habitat categories were assessed as to their vulnerability to habitat alteration based on critical life stages (spawning and juvenile rearing periods) and susceptibility to habitat limitations from dewatering or high flows. Species categories representing critical life stages with physical habitat limitations represent likely bottlenecks in fish populations. Categories with potential bottlenecks can serve as indicator categories and aid managers when determining the flows necessary for maintaining these habitats under altered flow regimes. The relation between the area of each habitat category and streamflow differed greatly between category, season, and stream reach. No single flow maximized selected habitat area for all categories or even for all species/category within a particular season at a site. However, some similarities were noted among habitat characteristics, including the streamflow range for which habitat availability is maximized and the range of streamflows for which a habitat category area is available at the Marmaton River sites. A monthly habitat time series was created for all 26 habitat categories at two Marmaton River sites. A daily habitat time series was created at three Marais des Cygnes River sites for two periods: 1941 through 1963 (pre-regulation) and 1982 through 2003 (post-regulation). The habitat category with the highest median area in spring was paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) with normalized areas of up to 2,000 square meters per 100 meters of stream channel. Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) habitat area generally was the category area most available in summer and fall. Differences in daily selected habitat area time series between pre- and post-regulation time periods varied by species/category and by site. For instance, whereas there was a decline in the distribution of spring spawning habitat for suckermouth minnow (Phenacobius mirabilis) and slenderhead darter (Percina phoxocephala) from pre- to post-regulation periods at all three sites, the 25 to 75 percentile habitat area substantially increased for paddlefish under post-regulation conditions. Potential habitat area for most species was maximized at the Marmaton River sites at flows of about 1 to 10 cubic meters per second, whereas median monthly streamflows ranged from less than 1 to 20 cubic meters per second depending on site and season. Paddlefish habitat was available beginning at higher flows than other categories (4 to 7 cubic meters per second) and also maximized at higher flows (greater than 50 to 100 cubic meters per second). Selected potential habitat area was maximized for most species at the Marais des Cygnes River sites at flows of about 1 to 50 cubic meters per second, whereas median monthly streamflows ranged from 4 to 55 cubic meters per second depending on site and season. The range of streamflows for which selected habitat area was available in summer and fall was substantially less at the channelized Marais des Cygnes River site when compared to the non-channelized sites, and, therefore, the susceptibility of categories to high-flow habitat limitations was greater at this site. The channelized reach was more unifor

Role of ground water in geomorphology, geology, and paleoclimate of the Southern High Plains, USA.

PubMed

Wood, Warren W

2002-01-01

Study of ground water in the Southern High Plains is central to an understanding of the geomorphology, deposition of economic minerals, and climate change record in the area. Ground water has controlled the course of the Canadian and Pecos rivers that isolated the Southern High Plains from the Great Plains and has contributed significantly to the continuing retreat of the westward escarpment. Evaporative and dissolution processes are responsible for current plateau topography and the development of the signature 20,000 small playa basins and 40 to 50 large saline lake basins in the area. In conjunction with eolian processes, ground water transport controls the mineralogy of commercially valuable mineral deposits and sets up the distribution of fine efflorescent salts that adversely affect water quality. As the water table rises and retreats, lunette and tufa formation provides valuable paleoclimate data for the Southern High Plains. In all these cases, an understanding of ground water processes contributes valuable information to a broad range of geological topics, well beyond traditional interest in water supply and environmental issues.

16. DETAIL VIEW OF BRIDGE DECK DURING DEMOLITION, SHOWING EXTRADOSAL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

16. DETAIL VIEW OF BRIDGE DECK DURING DEMOLITION, SHOWING EXTRADOSAL REINFORCING BARS OF PATENTED THACHER TYPE, AND PLAIN TRANSVERSE BARS CONNECTING EXTRADOSAL AND INTRADOSAL REINFORCEMENTS - Sanderson Avenue Bridge, Sanderson Avenue spanning Lackawanna River, Scranton, Lackawanna County, PA

Hourly statistical noise levels : expanded east coast plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-08-05

Hourly noise levels were recorded for Scotch Plains, NJ, Denville, NJ, Kearny, NJ, Long Valley, NJ, Colts Neck, NJ, River Edge, NJ, Woodbridge, NJ, North Brunswick, NJ and Mendham, NJ between June 25, 1991 through July 2, 1991.

Final Environmental Assessment for Construction and Operation of the Edgemeade Readiness Center and Tactical Unmanned Aerial System Storage and Maintenance Facility Idaho Army National Guard Elmore County, Idaho

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Edgemeade Readiness Center are public lands managed by the BLM. These areas are primarily composed of undeveloped basalt plains dominated by 4.0 Affected...areas where new buildings would be constructed. 4.10.2 Existing Conditions Basaltic formations in the general vicinity are in abundance. The Snake...River has cut down through many of these formations leaving basalt plains and terraces several hundred feet above the valley floor. Subsequently

Spatial Scaling of Floods in Atlantic Coastal Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plank, C.

2013-12-01

Climate and land use changes are altering global, regional and local hydrologic cycles. As a result, past events may not accurately represent the events that will occur in the future. Methods for hydrologic prediction, both statistical and deterministic, require adequate data for calibration. Streamflow gauges tend to be located on large rivers. As a result, statistical flood frequency analysis, which relies on gauge data, is biased towards large watersheds. Conversely, the complexity of parameterizing watershed processes in deterministic hydrological models limits these to small watersheds. Spatial scaling relationships between drainage basin area and discharge can be used to bridge these two methodologies and provide new approaches to hydrologic prediction. The relationship of discharge (Q) to drainage basin area (A) can be expressed as a power function: Q = αAθ. This study compares scaling exponents (θ) and coefficients (α) for floods of varying magnitude across a selection of major Atlantic Coast watersheds. Comparisons are made by normalizing flood discharges to a reference area bankfull discharge for each watershed. These watersheds capture the geologic and geomorphic transitions along the Atlantic Coast from narrow bedrock-dominated river valleys to wide coastal plain watersheds. Additionally, there is a range of hydrometeorological events that cause major floods in these basins including tropical storms, thunderstorm systems and winter-spring storms. The mix of flood-producing events changes along a gradient as well, with tropical storms and hurricanes increasing in dominance from north to south as a significant cause of major floods. Scaling exponents and coefficients were determined for both flood quantile estimates (e.g. 1.5-, 10-, 100-year floods) and selected hydrometeorological events (e.g. hurricanes, summer thunderstorms, winter-spring storms). Initial results indicate that southern coastal plain watersheds have lower scaling exponents (θ) than northern watersheds. However, the relative magnitudes of 100-year and other large floods are higher in the coastal plain rivers. In the transition zone between northern and southern watersheds, basins like the Potomac in the Mid-Atlantic region have similar scaling exponents as northern river basins, but relative flood magnitudes comparable to the southern coastal plain watersheds. These differences reflect variations in both geologic/geomorphic and climatic settings. Understanding these variations are important to appropriately using these relationships to improve flood risk models and analyses.

Preliminary report on the ground-water resources of the Klamath River basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newcomb, Reuben Clair; Hart, D.H.

1958-01-01

The Klamath River basin, including the adjacent Lost River basin, includes about 5,500 square miles of plateaus, mountain-slopes and valley plains in south-central Oregon. The valley plains range in altitude from about 4,100 feet in the south to more than 4,500 feet at the northern end; the mountain and plateau lands rise to an average altitude of 6,000 feet at the drainage divide, some peaks rising above 9,000 feet. The western quarter of the basin is on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range and the remainder consists of plateaus, mountains, and valleys of the basin-and-range type. The rocks of the Klamath River basin range in age from Recent to Mesozoic. At the southwest side of the basin in Oregon, pre-Tertiary metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks, which form extensive areas farther west, are overlain by sedimentary rocks of Eocene age and volcanic rocks of Eocene and Oligocene age. These early Tertiary rocks dip east toward the central part of the Klamath River basin. The complex volcanic rocks of high Cascades include three units: the lowest unit consists of a sequence of basaltic lava flows about 800 feet thick; the medial unit is composed of volcanic-sedimentary and sedimentary rocksthe Yonna formation200 to 2,000 feet thick; the uppermost unit is a sequence of basaltic lava flows commonly about 200 feet thick. These rocks dip east from the Cascade Range and are the main bedrock formations beneath most of the basin. Extensive pumice deposits, which emanated from ancestral Mount Mazama, cover large areas in the northwestern part of the basin. The basin has an overall synclinal structure open to the south at the California boundary where it continues as the Klamath Lake basin in California. The older rocks dip into the basin in monoclinal fashion from the adjoining drainage basins. The rocks are broken along rudely rectangular nets of closely spaced normal faults, the most prominent set of which trends northwest. The network of fault displacements includes two main grabens, the Klamath and the Langell, which were downthrown approximately 50 and 1,000 feet, respectively. The average annual precipitation varies with the altitude, the higher parts of the Cascade Range getting more than 60 inches, and the semiarid valley plains receive as little as 13 inches in some places. Most precipitation occurs in the winter. The principal tributaries, Williamson and Sprague Rivers, rise near the higher parts of the eastern rim of the basin, flow through narrow valley plains to the western part, and discharge into Upper Klamath Lake. Wood River and associated creeks also empty into Upper Klamath Lake after draining southward along along the eastern foot of the Cascade Range. The Klamath River receives the outflow from Upper Klamath Lake, via Link River and Lake Ewauna, and flows southwestward through Keno Gap and hance through a youthful canyon, to its lower valley in California. The ground water occurs largely in an unconfined, or water-table, condition, though areas of local confinement are present. The regional water table is graded to a base level about equal to that of the major drainage on the valley plains. The slop of the water table, where water is confined, or the piezometric surface is downstream at about the same grade as that of the surface drainage in each of the larger valleys, and ground-water divides occur between the upper parts of adjacent major valleys. The principal water-bearing units are the lower lava rocks and upper lava rocks of the volcanic rocks of high Cascades, the pumice of Quaternary age, and the alluvium. In places layers of coarse fragmental material in the Yonna formation (Newcomb, 1958) also transmit water. The water-bearing units, especially the breccia layers of the lava rocks and the pumice, yield large amounts of water to wells and provide natural discharge outlets for the ground water. The spring outflows to the Williamson and Wood Rivers-Crooked Creek drainage, mea

A Comparative Analysis of Hydrologic Response to Climate Change in Developed and Undeveloped Watersheds on the New Jersey Coastal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daraio, J. A.

2014-12-01

Climate change is projected to have an impact on precipitation patterns across the Mid-Atlantic with the likelihood of an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation events. A greater proportion of total annual precipitation could fall in larger events with the potential to impact flooding, storm water infrastructure, and water supply. The watersheds of the coastal plain of New Jersey draining to the Atlantic and Delaware Bay have mild slopes are underlain by very sandy soils. These areas serve as sources of recharge to the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which is an important water supply for the region. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) was used to simulate the potential impacts of climate change on stream flow and groundwater recharge in two watersheds located within the New Jersey coastal plain. The Batsto River watershed includes parts of the Pinelands Reserve with relatively little development in some its headwater areas, primarily small towns and agricultural land use. The Maurice River watershed includes several urbanized areas along with some agricultural land, but population is expecting to increase within the next 10-20 years. The Maurice River basin is outside the Pinelands Reserve but has significant area that contains Pine Barrens. Models were calibrated using observed stream flow from USGS gages and gridded meteorological data from 1995-2002 and validated with observed data from 2002-2005. The calibrated models were forced using an ensemble of three bias-corrected downscaled climate projections (CMIP5, NOAA NCEP, and ECHAM) to assess and compare the potential response of these two watersheds. All meteorological data were obtained online from the GeoData Portal. Preliminary results indicate that climate change is likely to have a greater impact on stream flow in the developed Maurice River basin than in the undeveloped Batsto River basin. More detailed analyses of stream flow and the potential impacts on groundwater recharge are ongoing. These models will serve as the basis of further research that will examine the potential impacts of land-use change and climate change on stream flow, stream temperature, and groundwater recharge.

Paleovalley systems: Insights from Quaternary analogs and experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blum, M.; Martin, J.; Milliken, K.; Garvin, M.

2013-01-01

Ancient fluvial valley systems are long recognized as important features in the stratigraphic record, but emerged as a specific focus of attention with publication of first-generation sequence-stratigraphic concepts. This paper reviews current understanding of paleovalley systems from the perspective of Quaternary analogs and experimental studies. Paleovalley systems can include distinct mixed bedrock-alluvial, coastal-plain, and cross-shelf segments. Mixed bedrock-alluvial segments are long-lived, cut across bedrock of significantly older age, and have an overall degradational architecture. By contrast, coastal-plain and cross-shelf segments are non-equilibrium responses to high-frequency cycles of relative sea-level change: most coastal-plain and cross-shelf segments form as a geometric response to relative sea-level fall, as river systems cut through coastal-plain and inner shelf clinothems, and extend basinward to track the shoreline. After incision and cross-shelf extension, lateral channel migration and contemporaneous channel-belt deposition creates a valley-scale feature. Coastal-plain and cross-shelf paleovalley widths are set by the number of channel-belt sandbodies deposited during this time. Paleovalley systems play a key role in source-to-sink sediment routing. Early views included the model of incision and complete sediment bypass in response to relative sea-level fall. However, this model does not stand up to empirical, theoretical, or experimental scrutiny. Instead, there is a complex dynamic between incision, deposition, and sediment export from an evolving valley: periods of incision correspond with sediment export minima, whereas periods of lateral migration and channel-belt construction result in increased flux to the river mouth. Sediment export from evolving valleys, and merging of drainages during cross-shelf transit, play key roles in sediment transfer to the shelf-margin and genetically-linked slope to basin-floor systems. Connection between the river mouth and the shelf margin likely occurs for different periods of time depending on gradient of the river and shelf, as well as amplitude of high-frequency sea-level changes. Late Quaternary analogs and experimental studies provide an alternative sequence-stratigraphic interpretation for paleovalley systems. In coastal-plain paleovalleys, basal valley-fill surfaces meet criteria for an unconformity and a classically-defined sequence boundary: however, this surface is mostly everywhere of the same age as overlying fluvial deposits, and does not correspond to a long period of incision and sediment bypass. In cross-shelf paleovalleys, the basal contact between fluvial and deltaic or shoreface deposits is commonly interpreted as a sequence boundary, but is not an unconformity characterized by incision and sediment bypass. Instead, this surface is a facies contact that separates genetically-related fluvial and deltaic strata: the surface that correlates to the basal valley-fill surface within the coastal-plain paleovalley dips below cross-shelf prograding deltaic and/or shoreface strata, which are fed by deposition within the evolving valley itself, and should be the downlap surface. Many issues deserve attention in the future. We have stressed understanding the inherent scales and physical processes that operate during the formation and evolution of paleovalley systems. We also suggest the relative roles of allogenic forcing vs. autogenic dynamics, and the potential significance of high-frequency isostatic adjustments should be topics for future discussion.

Soft sediment deformation associated with the East Patna Fault south of the Ganga River, northern India: Influence of the Himalayan tectonics on the southern Ganga plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Aditya K.; Pati, Pitambar; Sharma, Vijay

2017-08-01

The geomorphic, tectonic and seismic aspects of the Ganga plain have been studied by several workers in the recent decades. However, the northern part of this tectonically active plain has been the prime focus in most of the studies. The region to the south of the Ganga River requires necessary attention, especially, regarding the seismic activities. The region lying immediately south of the Outer Himalayas (i.e. the Ganga plain) responds to the stress regime of the Himalayan Frontal Thrust Zone by movement along the existing basement faults (extending from the Indian Peninsula) and creating new surface faults within the sediment cover as well. As a result, several earthquakes have been recorded along these basement faults, such as the great earthquakes of 1934 and 1988 associated with the East Patna Fault. Large zones of ground failure and liquefaction in north Bihar (close to the Himalayan front), have been recorded associated with these earthquakes. The present study reports the soft sediment deformation structures from the south Bihar associated with the prehistoric earthquakes near the East Patna Fault for the first time. The seismites have been observed in the riverine sand bed of the Dardha River close to the East Patna Fault. Several types of liquefaction-induced deformation structures such as pillar and pocket structure, thixotropic wedge, liquefaction cusps and other water escape structures have been identified. The location of the observed seismites within the deformed zone of the East Patna Fault clearly indicates their formation due to activities along this fault. However, the distance of the liquefaction site from the recorded epicenters suggests its dissociation with the recorded earthquakes so far and hence possibly relates to any prehistoric seismic event. The occurrence of the earthquakes of a magnitude capable of forming liquefaction structure in the southern Ganga plain indicates the transfer of stress regime far from the Himalayan front into the peninsular region through these basement faults. Northward extension of the East Patna Fault coincides with the region of the Himalayan front, which corresponds to a less slip potential. Therefore, an association of frequent earthquakes in this region indicates strain release along the East Patna Fault.

Mitigation bank promotes research on restoring Coastal Plain depression wetlands (South Carolina).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barton, Christopher D.; DeSteven, Diane; Kilgo, John C.

Barton, Christopher, D., Diane DeSteven and John C. Kilgo. 2004. Mitigation bank promotes research on restoring Coastal Plain depression wetlands (South Carolina). Ecol. Rest. 22(4):291-292. Abstract: Carolina bays and smaller depression wetlands support diverse plant communities and provide critical habitat for semi-aquatic fauna throughout the Coastal Plain region of the southeastern United States. Historically, many depression wetlands were altered or destroyed by surface ditching, drainage, and agricultural or silviculture uses. These important habitats are now at further risk of alteration and loss following a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2001 restricting federal regulation of isolated wetlands. Thus, there is increasedmore » attention towards protecting intact sites and developing methods to restore others. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 312-mi2 (800-km2) Savannah River Site (SRS) in west-central South Carolina includes about 350 Carolina bays and bay-like wetland depressions, of which about two-thirds were degraded or destroyed prior to federal acquisition of the land. Although some of the altered wetlands have recovered naturally, others still have active active drainage ditches and contain successional forests typical of drained sites. In 1997, DOE established a wetland mitigation bank to compensate for unavoidable wetland impacts on the SRS. This effort provided an opportunity fir a systematic research program to investigate wetland restoration techniques and ecological responses. Consequently, research and management staffs from the USDA Forest Service, Westinghouse Savannah River Corporation, the Savannah River Technology Center, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) and several universities developed a collaborative project to restore degraded depression wetlands on the SRS. The mitigation project seeks cost-effective methods to restore the hydrology and vegetation typical of natural depression wetlands, and so enhance habitats for wetland-dependent wildlife. We present a brief summary of this project and the research studies now underway.« less

National water quality assessment of the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit; water withdrawals and treated wastewater discharges, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, R.L.; Fanning, J.L.

1996-01-01

The Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit covers nearly 62,600 square miles along the southeastern United States coast in Georgia and Florida. In 1990, the estimated population of the study unit was 9.3 million, and included all or part of the cities of Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and St. Petersburg. Estimated freshwater withdrawn in the study unit in 1990 was nearly 5,075 million gallons per day. Ground-water accounted for more than 57 percent of the water withdrawn during 1990 and the Floridan aquifer system provided nearly 91 percent of the total ground-water withdrawn. Surface-water accounted for nearly 43 percent of the water withdrawn in the study unit in 1990 with large amounts of withdrawals from the Altamaha River, Hillsborough River, the Ocmulgee River, the Oconee River, the St. Johns River, and the Suwannee River. Water withdrawn for public supply in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit in 1990 totaled 1,139 million gallons per day, of which 83 percent was ground water and 17 percent was surface water. Self-supplied domestic withdrawals in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit in 1990 totaled nearly 230 million gallons per day. Ground water supplied over 80 percent of the study units population for drining water purposes; nearly 5.8 million people were served by public supply and 1.8 million people were served by self-supplied systems. Water withdrawn for self-supplied domestic use in Georgia and Florida is derived almost exclusively from ground water, primarily because this source can provide the quantity and quality of water needed for drinking purposes. Nearly 1.7 million people served by public supply utilized surface water for their drinking water needs. Water withdrawn for self-supplied commercial-industrial uses in the study unit in 1990 totaled 862 million gallons per day, of which 93 percent was ground water and 7 percent was surface water. Water withdrawn for agriculture purposes in the study unit in 1990 totaled 1,293 million gallons per day, of which 69 percent was ground water and 31 percent was surface water. An estimated 1.254 millon acres were irrigated within the study unit during 1990. Water withdrawn for thermoelectric power generation in the study unit in 1990 totaled 1,552 million gallons per day, of which 99 percent was surface water and 1 percent was ground water. An additional 6,919 million gallons per day of saline surface water were withdrawn for thermoelectric power generation in 1990, solely for cooling purposes. Treated wastewater discharged within the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit totaled nearly 1,187 million gallons per day in 1990. Of the total water discharged, 58 percent was discharged directly into surface water and the remaining 42 percent was discharged to ground water (through drain fields, injection wells, percolation ponds or spray fields). Domestic wastewater facilities discharged in the study unit totaled nearly 789 million gallons per day, industrial wastewater facilities discharged 213 million gallons per day, and releases from septic tanks was estimated at 185 million gallons per day. More than 1.3 million septic tanks were estimated in use within the study unit in 1990.

Relation between flows and dissolved oxygen in the Roanoke River between Roanoke Rapids Dam and Jamesville, North Carolina, 2005-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wehmeyer, Loren L.; Wagner, Chad R.

2011-01-01

The relation between dam releases and dissolved-oxygen concentration, saturation and deficit, downstream from Roanoke Rapids Dam in North Carolina was evaluated from 2005 to 2009. Dissolved-oxygen data collected at four water-quality monitoring stations downstream from Roanoke Rapids Dam were used to determine if any statistical relations or discernible quantitative or qualitative patterns linked Roanoke River in-stream dissolved-oxygen levels to hydropower peaking at Roanoke Rapids Dam. Unregulated tributaries that inundate and drain portions of the Roanoke River flood plain are crucial in relation to in-stream dissolved oxygen. Hydropower peaking from 2005 to 2009 both inundated and drained portions of the flood plain independently of large storms. The effects of these changes in flow on dissolved-oxygen dynamics are difficult to isolate, however, because of (1) the variable travel time for water to move down the 112-mile reach of the Roanoke River from Roanoke Rapids Dam to Jamesville, North Carolina, and (2) the range of in-situ conditions, particularly inundation history and water temperature, in the flood plain. Statistical testing was conducted on the travel-time-adjusted hourly data measured at each of the four water-quality stations between May and November 2005-2009 when the weekly mean flow was 5,000-12,000 cubic feet per second (a range when Roanoke Rapids Dam operations likely affect tributary and flood-plain water levels). Results of this statistical testing indicate that at the 99-percent confidence interval dissolved-oxygen levels downstream from Roanoke Rapids Dam were lower during peaking weeks than during non-peaking weeks in three of the five years and higher in one of the five years; no data were available for weeks with peaking in 2007. For the four years of statistically significant differences in dissolved oxygen between peaking and non-peaking weeks, three of the years had statistically signficant differences in water temperature. Years with higher water temperature during peaking had lower dissolved oxygen during peaking. Only 2009 had no constistent statistically significant water-temperature difference at all sites, and dissolved-oxygen levels downstream from Roanoke Rapids Dam during peaking weeks that year were lower than during non-peaking weeks. Between 2005 and 2009, daily mean dissolved-oxygen concentrations below the State standard occurred during only 1 of the 17 (6 percent) peaking weeks, with no occurrence of instantaneous dissolved-oxygen concentrations below the State standard. This occurrence was during a 9-day period in July 2005 when the daily maximum air temperatures approached or exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the draining of the flood plains from peaking operations was followed by consecutive days of low flows.

Snake River Plain FORGE Site Characterization Data

DOE Data Explorer

Moos, Danial; Barton, Colleen A.

2016-04-18

The site characterization data used to develop the conceptual geologic model for the Snake River Plain site in Idaho, as part of phase 1 of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative. This collection includes data on seismic events, groundwater, geomechanical models, gravity surveys, magnetics, resistivity, magnetotellurics (MT), rock physics, stress, the geologic setting, and supporting documentation, including several papers. Also included are 3D models (Petrel and Jewelsuite) of the proposed site. Data for wells INEL-1, WO-2, and USGS-142 have been included as links to separate data collections. These data have been assembled by the Snake River Geothermal Consortium (SRGC), a team of collaborators that includes members from national laboratories, universities, industry, and federal agencies, lead by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Other contributors include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CEAS), the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University, University of Wyoming, University of Oklahoma, Energy and Geoscience Institute-University of Utah, US Geothermal, Baker Hughes Campbell Scientific Inc., Chena Power, US Geological Survey (USGS), Idaho Department of Water Resources, Idaho Geological Survey, and Mink GeoHydro.

Two dimensional modelling of flood flows and suspended sediment transport: the case of Brenta River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Alpaos, L.; Martini, P.; Carniello, L.

2003-04-01

The paper deals with numerical modelling of flood waves and suspended sediment in plain river basins. The two dimensional depth integrated momentum and continuity equations, modified to take into account of the bottom irregularities that strongly affect the hydrodynamic and the continuity in partially dry areas (for example, during the first stages of a plain flooding and in tidal flows), are solved with a standard Galerkin finite element method using a semi-implicit numerical scheme and considering the role both of the small channel network and the regulation dispositive on the flooding wave propagation. Transport of suspended sediment and bed evolution are coupled with the flood propagation through the convection-dispersion equation and the Exner's equation. Results of a real case study are presented in which the effects of extreme flood of Brenta River (Italy) are examinated. The flooded areas (urban and rural areas) are identified and a mitigation solution based on a diversion channel flowing into Venice Lagoon is proposed. We show that this solution strongly reduces the flood risk in the downstream areas and can provide an important sediment source to the Venice Lagoon. Finally, preliminary results of the sediment dispersion in the Venice Lagoon are presented.

The origin of groundwater in Zhangye Basin, northwestern China, using isotopic signature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jiansheng; Liu, Xiaoyan; Sun, Xiaoxu; Su, Zhiguo; Yong, Bin

2014-03-01

Zhangye Basin, in arid northwestern China, has recently been repeatedly flooded by rising groundwater. Isotope signatures of sampled waters gained insight into the recharge source of the groundwater. The summer Heihe River water and most of the spring water in Zhangye and Yongchang basins plotted above the global meteoric water line (GMWL) on the δ18O-δD plot. The spring water had R/Ra ratio >1, low TDS and high tritium, which indicates origin from Qilian Mountain glacier meltwater. The groundwater of Qilian Mountains was transported to the Hexi Corridor (in which Zhangye Basin is located) through underground fault zones. Additionally, some of the groundwater in the alluvial plain, and all spring water surrounding Zhangye Basin, plotted below the GMWL on the δ18O-δD plot along an evaporation line, and had R/Ra ratio < 1 and high TDS. It is proposed that the Tibetan rivers or lakes source the Hexi Corridor groundwater through either the NE-trending or NW-trending buried fault zones. The isotopic signatures presented as part of this study rule out the conventional viewpoint that groundwater of the Zhangye Basin was recharged by local precipitation and infiltration of Heihe River water on the alluvial plain.

River of Sand

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-21

A dominant driver of surface processes on Mars today is aeolian (wind) activity. In many cases, sediment from this activity is trapped in low-lying areas, such as craters. Aeolian features in the form of dunes and ripples can occur in many places on Mars depending upon regional wind regimes. The Cerberus Fossae are a series of discontinuous fissures along dusty plains in the southeastern region of Elysium Planitia. This rift zone is thought to be the result of combined volcano-tectonic processes. Dark sediment has accumulated in areas along the floor of these fissures as well as inactive ripple-like aeolian bedforms known as "transverse aeolian ridges" (TAR). Viewed through HiRISE infrared color, the basaltic sand lining the fissures' floor stands out as deep blue against the light-toned dust covering the region. This, along with the linearity of the fissures and the wave-like appearance of the TAR, give the viewer an impression of a river cutting through the Martian plains. However, this river of sand does not appear to be flowing. Analyses of annual monitoring images of this region have not detected aeolian activity in the form of ripple migration thus far. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21063

Simulating mercury and methyl mercury stream concentrations at multiple scales in a wetland influenced coastal plain watershed (McTier Creek, SC, USA)

Treesearch

Chris Knightes; G.M. Davis; H.E. Golden; P.A. Conrads; P.M. Bradley; C.A. Journey

2016-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is the toxicant responsible for the most fish advisories across the United States, with 1.1 million river miles under advisory. The processes governing fate, transport, and transformation of mercury in streams and rivers are not well understood, in large part, because these systems are intimately linked with their surrounding watersheds and are often...

Redwood River at Marshall, Minnesota; Feasibility Report for Flood Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

which extend to these wooded areas are slowly being lost to expanding residential and other development. Public land use along the flood plain consists...located south- west of the community as shown on plate 1, and three city parks as shown on plate 2. Some walking trails are found in the river wood ...and wetland areas within the City of Marshall for ecological , diversity, and aesthetic purposes during the period 1980 to 2030. A detailed discussion

Cultural Resources Overview of the Proposed Black Cypress and Marshall Reservoirs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-21

effects that the Red River raft had on alluviation and flood plain sites in the study area. The results of these studies should be incorporated into the...northwest Louisiana parish . The basin consists of the watersheds of three major streams which are called bayous in their lower sections and creeks in...Jefferson became the westernmost and northernmost port which was easily accessible from the Red River (White 1964:54). The growth of Jefferson as a ?ort

Taking the measure of a landscape: Comparing a simulated and natural landscape in the Virginia Coastal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Alan D.; Tierney, Heather E.

2012-01-01

A landform evolution model is used to investigate the historical evolution of a fluvial landscape along the Potomac River in Virginia, USA. The landscape has developed on three terraces whose ages span 3.5 Ma. The simulation model specifies the temporal evolution of base level control by the river as having a high-frequency component of the response of the Potomac River to sea level fluctuations superimposed on a long-term epeirogenic uplift. The wave-cut benches are assumed to form instantaneously during sea level highstands. The region is underlain by relatively soft coastal plain sediments with high intrinsic erodibility. The survival of portions of these terrace surfaces, up to 3.5 Ma, is attributable to a protective cover of vegetation. The vegetation influence is parameterized as a critical shear stress to fluvial erosion whose magnitude decreases with increasing contributing area. The simulation model replicates the general pattern of dissection of the natural landscape, with decreasing degrees of dissection of the younger terrace surfaces. Channel incision and relief increase in headwater areas are most pronounced during the relatively brief periods of river lowstands. Imposition of the wave-cut terraces onto the simulated landscape triggers a strong incisional response. By qualitative and quantitative measures the model replicates, in a general way, the landform evolution and present morphology of the target region.

Hydrologic information for land-use planning; Fairbanks vicinity, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Gordon L.

1978-01-01

The flood plain on the Chena and Tanana Rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska, has abundant water in rivers and in an unconfined alluvial aquifer. The principal source of ground water is the Tanana River, from which ground water flows northwesterly to the Chena River. Transmissivity of the aquifer commonly exceed 100 ,000 sq ft. The shallow water table (less than 15 ft below land surface), high hydraulic conductivity of the sediments and cold soil give the flood plain a high susceptibility to pollution by onsite sewerage systems. The Environmental Protection Agency recommended maximum concentrations for drinking water may be exceeded in surface water for manganese and bacteria and in ground water for iron, manganese, and bacteria. Residents of the uplands obtain water principally from a widely-distributed fractured schist aquifer. The aquifer is recharged by local infiltration of precipitation and is drained by springs on the lower slopes and by ground-water flow to alluvial aquifers of the valleys. The annual base flow from basins in the uplands ranged from 3,000 to 100,000 gallons per acre; the smallest base flows occur in basins nearest the city of Fairbanks. The thick silt cover and great depth to the water table give much of the uplands a low susceptibility to pollution by onsite sewage disposal. Ground water is locally high in nitrate, arsenic, iron , and manganese. (Woodard-USGS)

Suspended sediment chemistry from large Himalayan Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipper, E.; Bickle, M.; Bohlin, M.; Andermann, C.

2016-12-01

Recent work has demonstrated that weathering in areas with the highest physical erosion rates are the most sensitive to climatic feedback parameters (both rainfall and temperature) because they are not limited by a supply of material. The Himalayan region is central to this work because of 1) the high erosion rates, 2) high monsoonal rainfall, and 3) high temperatures in the Ganges plain in front of the main range, where much of the weathering takes place. The material that is weathered in the Ganges plain is delivered as sediment from the mountain front. Therefore, detailed understanding of the chemistry of the sediment leaving the high mountains is essential. Interest has been renewed not least because of the magnitude 7.8 (25/4/15) and 7.3 (12/5/2015) earthquakes in Nepal in 2015 which triggered thousands of landslides, likely causing major perturbations to sediment and chemical loads carried by the local Himalayan rivers. We collected both sediment and water samples in 2015 and 2016 in a transect across Nepal, including depth profiles of suspended sediment in the Narayani, Kosi and Karnali Rivers. The Narayani and Kosi rivers which drain the earthquake-hit area carry > 40% of the total bicarbonate flux input to the Ganges from the Himalayan mountains. Here we present our initial findings on the chemistry of the sediment from the 2015 and 2016 field seasons and compare it to published data sets.

Predicting geomorphically-induced flood risk for the Nepalese Terai communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dingle, Elizabeth; Creed, Maggie; Attal, Mikael; Sinclair, Hugh; Mudd, Simon; Borthwick, Alistair; Dugar, Sumit; Brown, Sarah

2017-04-01

Rivers sourced from the Himalaya irrigate the Indo-Gangetic Plain via major river networks that support 10% of the global population. However, many of these rivers are also the source of devastating floods. During the 2014 Karnali River floods in west Nepal, the Karnali rose to around 16 m at Chisapani (where it enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain), 1 m higher than the previous record in 1983; the return interval for this event was estimated to be 1000 years. Flood risk may currently be underestimated in this region, primarily because changes to the channel bed are not included when identifying areas at risk of flooding from events of varying recurrence intervals. Our observations in the field, corroborated by satellite imagery, show that river beds are highly mobile and constantly evolve through each monsoon. Increased bed levels due to sediment aggradation decreases the capacity of the river, increasing significantly the risk of devastating flood events; we refer to these as 'geomorphically-induced floods'. Major, short-lived episodes of sediment accumulation in channels are caused by stochastic variability in sediment flux generated by storms, earthquakes and glacial outburst floods from upstream parts of the catchment. Here, we generate a field-calibrated, geomorphic flood risk model for varying upstream scenarios, and predict changing flood risk for the Karnali River. A numerical model is used to carry out a sensitivity analysis of changes in channel geometry (particularly aggradation or degradation) based on realistic flood scenarios. In these scenarios, water and sediment discharge are varied within a range of plausible values, up to extreme sediment and water fluxes caused by widespread landsliding and/or intense monsoon precipitation based on existing records. The results of this sensitivity analysis will be used to inform flood hazard maps of the Karnali River floodplain and assess the vulnerability of the populations in the region.

Equilibrium and Disequilibrium of River Basins: Effects on Stream Captures in Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DA Silva, L. M.

2015-12-01

Landscapes are mainly driven by river processes that control the dynamic reorganization of networks. Discovering and identifying whether river basins are in geometric equilibrium or disequilibrium requires an analysis of water divides, channels that shift laterally or expand upstream and river captures. Issues specifically discussed include the variation of drainage area change and erosion rates of the basins. In southeastern Brazil there are two main escarpments with extensive geomorphic surfaces: Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira Mountains. These landscapes are constituted of Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic rocks, presenting steep escarpments with low-elevation coastal plains and higher elevation interior plateaus. To identify whether river basins and river profiles are in equilibrium or disequilibrium in Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira Mountains, we used the proxy (χ), evaluating the effect of drainage area change and erosion rates. We selected basins that drain both sides of these two main escarpments (oceanic and continental sides) and have denudation rates derived from pre-existing cosmogenic isotopes data (Rio de Janeiro, Paraná and Minas Gerais). Despite being an ancient and tectonically stable landscape, part of the coastal plain of Serra do Mar Mountain in Rio de Janeiro and Paraná is in geometric disequilibrium, with water divides moving in the direction of higher χ values. To achieve equilibrium, some basins located in the continental side are retracting and disappearing, losing area to the coastal basins. On the contrary, there are some adjacent sub-basins that are close to equilibrium, without strong contrasts in χ values. The same pattern was observed in Serra da Mantiqueira (Minas Gerais state), with stream captures and river network reorganization in its main rivers. The initial results suggest a strong contrast between erosion rates in the continental and the oceanic portions of the escarpments.

Implication of climate change on urban drainage systems of Chicago and Mainstream and DesPlaines (MS/DP) Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, H.; Schmidt, A.; Garcia, M. H.; Oberg, N.

2016-12-01

The impact of changing climate patterns and rainfall extremes on sewer system and river basin has been brought to attention to the researchers worldwide. In 1972, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) adopted the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) to address combined sewer overflow (CSO) pollution and flooding problems in the Chicago land area. The hydrosystem laboratory in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a series of numerical models accordingly to analyze the complex hydraulic behavior of the as-built TARP system. Due to the interconnected nature of City of Chicago sewer network and MS/DP TARP system, a tightly coupled hydrological and hydraulic model MetroFlow was developed to facilitate such analysis by integrating previous developed models. This study utilized MetroFlow to predict the hydrologic/hydraulic response of the system for a set of pre-determined design and historical storm events. Accordingly, combined sewer overflows (CSO) of Chicago combined sewer system and MS/DP TARP system were evaluated under current and future weather scenarios. The total CSOs from TARP system can be considered as urban point pollution source to the surrounding receiving bodies, hence the potential impact of climate change on CSO fluxes is essential reference to wastewater infrastructure design and operations of the hydraulic regulating structures under storm events to mitigate predicted risks.

Landscape Character of Pongkor Mining Ecotourism Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusumoarto, A.; Gunawan, A.; Machfud; Hikmat, A.

2017-10-01

Pongkor Mining Ecotourism Area has a diverse landscape character as a potential landscape resources for the development of ecotourism destination. This area is part of the Mount of Botol Resort, Halimun Salak National Park (HSNP). This area also has a fairly high biodiversity. This study aims to identify and analysis the category of landscape character in the Pongkor Mining Ecotourism Area for the development of ecotourism destination. This study used a descriptive approach through field surveys and interviews, was carried out through two steps : 1) identify the landscape character, and 2) analysis of the landscape character. The results showed that in areas set aside for ecotourism destination in Pongkor Mining, landscape character category scattered forests, tailing ponds, river, plain, and the built environment. The Category of landscape character most dominant scattered in the area is forest, here is the river, plain, tailing ponds, the built environment, and plain. The landscape character in a natural environment most preferred for ecotourism activities. The landscape character that spread in the natural environment and the built environment is a potential that must be protected and modified such as elimination of incongruous element, accentuation of natural form, alteration of the natural form, intensification and enhanced visual quality intensively to be developed as a ecotourism destination area.

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the East Coast Mesozoic basins of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge Thrust Belt, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and New England Provinces, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milici, Robert C.; Coleman, James L.; Rowan, Elisabeth L.; Cook, Troy A.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Kirschbaum, Mark A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pollastro, Richard M.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

During the early opening of the Atlantic Ocean in the Mesozoic Era, numerous extensional basins formed along the eastern margin of the North American continent from Florida northward to New England and parts of adjacent Canada. The basins extend generally from the offshore Atlantic continental margin westward beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the Appalachian Mountains. Using a geology-based assessment method, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean undiscovered natural gas resource of 3,860 billion cubic feet and a mean undiscovered natural gas liquids resource of 135 million barrels in continuous accumulations within five of the East Coast Mesozoic basins: the Deep River, Dan River-Danville, and Richmond basins, which are within the Piedmont Province of North Carolina and Virginia; the Taylorsville basin, which is almost entirely within the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province of Virginia and Maryland; and the southern part of the Newark basin (herein referred to as the South Newark basin), which is within the Blue Ridge Thrust Belt Province of New Jersey. The provinces, which contain these extensional basins, extend across parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Cultural Resources Investigations, Cross Basin Channel Realignments, Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

of the currently-planned Old Atchafalaya River Area. On Upper Grand River, opposite the mouth of Bayou Pigeon (Figure 13), Moore reported another mound...might have been buried by the large amount of recent sedimentation. To illustrate this point, Kniffen referred to the mound "opposite Bayou Pigeon " (16...Lake Natchez Ridge Shell Ridge Unknown Prelistoric * 16 IV 15 Mound at Bayou Pigeon Mound Unknown Prehistoric * 16 IV 156 Alabama-Bayou Des Ourses Mound

Field and laboratory data describing physical and chemical characteristics of metal-contaminated flood-plain deposits downstream from Lead, west-central South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marron, D.C.

1988-01-01

Samples from metal-contaminated flood-plain sediments at 9 sites downstream from Lead, in west-central South Dakota, were collected during the summers of 1985-87 to characterize aspects of the sedimentology, chemistry, and geometry of a deposit that resulted from the discharge of a large volume of mining wastes into a river system. Field and laboratory data include stratigraphic descriptions, chemical contents and grain-size distributions of samples, and surveyed flood-plain positions of samples. This report describes sampling-site locations, and methods of sample collection and preservation, and subsequent laboratory analysis. Field and laboratory data are presented in 4 figures and 11 tables in the ' Supplemental Data ' section at the back of the report. (USGS)

75 FR 68662 - Environmental Impact Statement: St. Louis County, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-08

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Environmental Impact Statement: St... Hanley Road southeastward to River Des Peres Boulevard and Lansdowne Avenue in St. Louis County, Missouri...: Mr. John Hicks, Transportation Development Analyst, St. Louis County Department of Highways and...

Dynamic field testing of the Route 58 Meherrin River bridge.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

Dynamic response has long been recognized as one of the significant factors affecting the service life and safety of bridge structures, and considerable research, both analytical and experimental, has been devoted to this area of behavior. In the des...

Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) breeding distribution and ecology: implications for population-level studies and the evaluation of alternative management strategies on large, regulated rivers

PubMed Central

Lott, Casey A; Wiley, Robert L; Fischer, Richard A; Hartfield, Paul D; Scott, J Michael

2013-01-01

Interior Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) (ILT) are colonial, fish-eating birds that breed within active channels of large sand bed rivers of the Great Plains and in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Multipurpose dams, irrigation structures, and engineered navigation systems have been present on these rivers for many decades. Despite severe alteration of channels and flow regimes, regulation era floods have remained effective at maintaining bare sandbar nesting habitat on many river segments and ILT populations have been stable or expanding since they were listed as endangered in 1985. We used ILT breeding colony locations from 2002 to 2012 and dispersal information to identify 16 populations and 48 subpopulations. More than 90% of ILT and >83% of river km with suitable nesting habitat occur within the two largest populations. However, replicate populations remain throughout the entire historical, geophysical, and ecological range of ILT. Rapid colonization of anthropogenic habitats in areas that were not historically occupied suggests metapopulation dynamics. The highest likelihood of demographic connectivity among ILT populations occurs across the Southern Plains and the Lower Mississippi River, which may be demographically connected with Least Tern populations on the Gulf Coast. Paired ecological and bird population models are needed to test whether previously articulated threats limit ILT population growth and to determine if management intervention is necessary and where. Given current knowledge, the largest sources of model uncertainty will be: (1) uncertainty in relationships between high flow events and subsequent sandbar characteristics and (2) uncertainty regarding the frequency of dispersal among population subunits. We recommend research strategies to reduce these uncertainties. PMID:24223295

Quantifying water and energy budgets and the impacts of climatic and human factors in the Haihe River Basin, China: 1. Model and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Ying; Shen, Yanjun

2015-09-01

We have developed an operational model to simulate water and energy fluxes in the Haihe River Basin (231,800 km2 in size) for the past 28 years. This model is capable of estimating water and energy fluxes of irrigated croplands and heterogeneous grids. The model was validated using actual evapotranspiration (ETa) measured by an eddy covariance system, measured soil moisture in croplands, groundwater level measurements over the piedmont plain and runoff observations in a mountainous catchment. A long-term time series of water and energy balance components were then simulated at a daily time step by integrating remotely sensed information and meteorological data to examine the spatial and temporal distribution and changes in water and energy fluxes in the basin over the past 28 years. The results show that net radiation (Rn) in the mountainous regions is generally higher than that in the plain regions. ETa in the plain regions is higher than that in the mountainous regions mostly because of higher air temperature and larger areas of irrigated farmland. Higher sensible heat flux (H) and lower ETa in the urban areas are possibly due to less vegetation cover, an impervious surface, rapid drainage, and the heat island effect of cities. During the study period, a water deficit continuously occurred in the plain regions because of extensive pumping of groundwater for irrigation to meet the crop water requirements. Irrigation has led to significant groundwater depletion, which poses a substantial challenge to the sustainability of water resources in this basin.

Reconstructing the Geomorphological Evolution of the Plain of Xanthos (SW Turkey) during the Holocene : a Geoarchaeological Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ecochard, E.; Fouache, E.; Kuzucuoǧlu, C.; Carcaud, N.; Ekmekçi, M.; Ulusoy, I.; Robert, V.; Çiner, A.; Des Courtils, J.

2009-04-01

In the Hellenistic period, according to Strabo, Xanthos and Letoon were very important cities and major holy places in Lycia, a peninsula in southwestern contemporary Turkey. An archaeological study of the sites of Xanthos and Letoon cannot assume that the environment in which they are located did not change since the arrival of the first settlers in the seventh century BC. The rise of the sea level in the last 15,000 years and the subsequent Holocene alluviation has a strong impact on the landscape. The river Esen Çayı meandered in the valley leaving alluvial deposits, and the slopes were eroded. The geography of the valley of the river Esen Çayı during the Lycian and Hellenistic periods, i.e. during the 1st millennium BC, yet remains significantly unknown. What was the landscape around the Letoon shrine like? Where were the river channels? What was the progradation stage of the deltaic plain? To what extent did the slope mobility determine the location of settlements and ancient roads? To answer these questions, geomorphological dynamics at work throughout the Holocene must be reconstructed. In this communication, preliminary results from the analysis of cores and geophysical profiles, both performed during and after four field work seasons in the plain, are compared with the historical, archaeological and literary data, and a first reconstruction of the changing landscape is proposed. The sedimentary records indicate that a marine bay was gradually closed by the development of coastal sand deposits, prompting the development of a lagoonal system. As lagoons and wetlands have long been dominant in the plain, both sites probably developed in this type of landscape. In front of the Letoon site, a channel of the river Esen Çayı has been identified. It probably allowed for a direct connection by boat between the holy place and the sea downstream, and with the city of Xanthos upstream. This channel was probably responsible of the gradual sinking of the sanctuary below the alluvial deposits. The study of the morphology of the valley reveals the high mobility of landscapes in time and space. The mobility of slopes and rivers forced men to carefully choose the location of their settlements, which they often settled on rocky promontories isolated from slopes. The roads were probably established on the right bank of the river, where the slopes are less steep. The mobility of the landscape was also exploited with a symbolic aim: the Letoon shrine was installed in a hostile environment of wetlands in the middle of the floodplain, as a challenge to the laws of nature. Not only did the ancient societies adapt themselves to environmental constraints, but they also participated in the production of landscapes, with pragmatic and symbolic aims.

Origin and character of loesslike silt in unglaciated south-central Yakutia, Siberia, U.S.S.R.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pewe, Troy Lewis; Journaux, Andre

1983-01-01

Loesslike silt mantles upland terraces and low plateaus throughout unglaciated south-central Yakutia but is thickest along the south side of the lower Aldan River valley and the east side of the Lena River valley. The silt is probably loess deposited during glacial advances by winds blowing southward from the Verkhoyansk Range and eastward across the broad vegetation-free flood plain of the braided Lena River. The well-sorted uniform tan silt is well displayed along the Aldan and Lena Rivers; the thickest exposure measured, more than 60 m, is on the Tyungyulyu Terrace on the east side of the Lena River. On the west side of the valley, it is 10-25 m thick but thins rapidly to a featheredge west of Yakutsk. Almost all scarps along the south side of the Aldan River are capped by 10-35 m of silt. The texture and mineral composition of the loess like silt are uniform throughout south-central Yakutia, whether it overlies limestone, poorly consolidated sandstone, alluvium, and glacial outwash. All silt samples examined contained a high percentage of quartz and feldspar. The silt stands in sheer cliffs and is massive, with little or no stratification. The origin of the loesslike silt has been ascribed to disintegration in place of country rock by a marine, estuarine, lacustrine, fluvial, residual, or eolian source, or to a combination of these processes. The marine and estuarine hypotheses have never had strong support, but the lacustrine, fluvial, and residual hypotheses have been advanced by many Soviet workers. The most widely accepted explanation of the origin of the upland silt is that it is a combination of lacustrine and alluvial deposits formed on great flood plains and marshy plains. This origin is unlikely, however, because there are no shorelines, wave-cut beaches, deltas, mudcracks, or ripple marks. Neither distinct stratification nor an appreciable amount of clay exists in the silt. Moreover, there is no definite upper boundary to the deposits, as would be expected of lacustrine deposits. The loesslike silt has also been described as a residual deposit formed by the breakdown, by freezing and thawing, of the underlying rocks. The silt bears no chemical, mineralogic, or textural relation to the underlying strata, however, and it is too thick to represent only breakdown of rocks in place. The widespread mantle of uniform loesslike silt is here considered to be windblown, derived from glacial outwash in braided streams and on broad plains, because: (1) it occurs as a surficial mantle; (2) it is lithologically independent of the underlying material; (3) it is stratified indistinctly or not at all, except in retransported material; (4) it is associated with sand dunes; (5) it contains fossils of land animals; (6) its sorting and texture are similar to that of loess and windblown dust from many places elsewhere in the world; (7) its grains are angular and relatively unweathered.

River sinuosity changes as indicators of the possible neotectonic activity - a case study on the Danube River between Paks (Hungary) and Beograd (Serbia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrovszki, Judit

2010-05-01

The meandering, pre-regulation river planforms of the Danube River, between Paks (Hungary) and Beograd (Serbia) was digitized from the map sheets of the Second Military Survey of the Habsburg Empire (Timár et al., 2006). These maps were surveyed before or simultaneously with the river control works, so it is possible to follow the natural riverbeds, the natural changing of the meandering structure. The sinuosity values were calculated with different window sizes, and displayed in a spectrum-like diagram (sinuosity spectra; after van Balen et al., 2008). The channel sinuosity of this river is analyzed in order to draw conclusions on the neotectonic activity of the western part of the Great Hungarian Plain. Several points of sinuosity change were identified. To prove that these are of neotectonic origin, a neotectonic map and seismic sections crossing the study area, were also analyzed. Significant sinuosity changes (low to high or high to low), spatially correlated to linear features identified in seismic survey sections or in tectonic maps (Horváth et al., 2006), indicate their neotectonic activity (Ouchi, 1985; Timár, 2003; Zámolyi et al., 2010). Upstream of the Hungarian-Serbian border, the Duna (Danube) has anabranching planform, the Baracskai-Duna is the main anabranch. There is a fault on the neotectonic map, crossing both rivers, and cause the decreasing of the sinuosity. The vertical activity of the structural line, which is more or less parallel to the international border, is verified by the sinuosity change. The direction of the change (from high to low sinuosity values) correlates with the normal fault character, shown on the map. Another significant sinuosity change occurs downstream of the Drava River confluence. The explanation of this change can be of two kinds. First, there is a known tectonic feature along the Drava River, with dextral faulting. The sinuosity increase could indicate a small active vertical component of this structural line. However, another possible explanation is based on the significant sediment load of the tributary, that is naturally decreases the river sinuosity. Horváth, F., Bada, G., Windhoffer, G., Csontos, L., Dombrádi, E., Dövényi, P., Fodor, L., Grenerczy, Gy., Síkhegyi, F., Szafián, P., Székely, B., Timár, G., Tóth, L., Tóth, T. (2006): A Pannon-medence jelenkori geodinamikájának atlasza: Euro-konform térképsorozat és magyarázó. Magyar Geofizika 47(4), 133-137. Ouchi, S. (1985): Response of alluvial rivers to slow active tectonic movement. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 96, 504-515. Timár, G. (2003): Controls on channel sinuosity changes: a case study of the Tisza River, the Great Hungarian Plain. Quaternary Sci. Rev. 22, 2199-2207. Timár, G., Molnár, G., Székely, B., Biszak, S., Varga, J., Jankó, A. (2006): Digitized maps of the Habsburg Empire - The map sheets of the second military survey and their georeferenced version. Arcanum, Budapest, 59 p. van Balen, R. T., Kasse, C., Moor, J. (2008): Impact of groundwater flow on meandering; example from the Geul river, the Netherlands. Earth Surf. Process. and Landf. 33(13), 2010-2028. Zámolyi, A., Székely, B., Draganits, E., Timár, G. (2010): Neotectonic control on river sinuosity at the western margin of the Little Hungarian Plain. Geomorph., in press, DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.06.028

Stream-sediment geochemistry in mining-impacted streams : sediment mobilized by floods in the Coeur d'Alene-Spokane River system, Idaho and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Box, Stephen E.; Bookstrom, Arthur A.; Ikramuddin, Mohammed

2005-01-01

Environmental problems associated with the dispersion of metal-enriched sediment into the Coeur d'Alene-Spokane River system downstream from the Coeur d'Alene Mining District in northern Idaho have been a cause of litigation since 1903, 18 years after the initiation of mining for lead, zinc, and silver. Although direct dumping of waste materials into the river by active mining operations stopped in 1968, metal-enriched sediment continues to be mobilized during times of high runoff and deposited on valley flood plains and in Coeur d'Alene Lake (Horowitz and others, 1993). To gauge the geographic and temporal variations in the metal contents of flood sediment and to provide constraints on the sources and processes responsible for those variations, we collected samples of suspended sediment and overbank deposits during and after four high-flow events in 1995, 1996, and 1997 in the Coeur d'Alene-Spokane River system with estimated recurrence intervals ranging from 2 to 100 years. Suspended sediment enriched in lead, zinc, silver, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, and copper was detected over a distance of more than 130 mi (the downstream extent of sampling) downstream of the mining district. Strong correlations of all these elements in suspended sediment with each other and with iron and manganese are apparent when samples are grouped by reach (tributaries to the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, the main stem of the Coeur d'Alene River, and the Spokane River). Elemental correlations with iron and manganese, along with observations by scanning electron microscopy, indicate that most of the trace metals are associated with Fe and Mn oxyhydroxide compounds. Changes in elemental correlations by reach suggest that the sources of metal-enriched sediment change along the length of the drainage. Metal contents of suspended sediment generally increase through the mining district along the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, decrease below the confluence of the North and South Forks, and then increase again downstream of the gradient flattening below Cataldo. Metal contents of suspended sediment in the Spokane River below Coeur d'Alene Lake were comparable to those of suspended sediment in the main stem of the Coeur d'Alene River above the lake during the 1997 spring runoff, but with somewhat higher Zn contents. Daily suspended-sediment loads were about 100 times larger in the 1996 flood (50-100-year recurrence interval) than in the smaller 1997 floods (2-5-year recurrence intervals). Significant differences in metal ratios and contents are also apparent between the two flood types. The predominant source of suspended sediment in the larger 1996 flood was previously deposited, metal-enriched flood-plain sediment, identified by its Zn/Pb ratio less than 1. Suspended sediment in the smaller 1997 floods had metal ratios distinct from those of the flood-plain deposits and was primarily derived from metal-enriched sediment stored within the stream channel, identified by a Zn/Pb ratio greater than 1. Sediment deposited during overbank flooding on the immediate streambank or natural levee of the river typically consists of sandy material with metal ratios and contents similar to those of the sandy streambed sediment in the adjacent river reach. Samples of overbank deposits in backlevee marshes collected after the 1996 flood have metal ratios similar to those of peak-flow suspended sediment in the same river reach, but generally lower metal contents.

Simulation of groundwater and surface-water resources of the Santa Rosa Plain watershed, Sonoma County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woolfenden, Linda R.; Nishikawa, Tracy

2014-01-01

Water managers in the Santa Rosa Plain face the challenge of meeting increasing water demand with a combination of Russian River water, which has uncertainties in its future availability; local groundwater resources; and ongoing and expanding recycled water and water from other conservation programs. To address this challenge, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Sonoma County Water Agency, the cities of Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and Sebastopol, the town of Windsor, the California American Water Company, and the County of Sonoma, undertook development of a fully coupled groundwater and surface-water model to better understand and to help manage the hydrologic resources in the Santa Rosa Plain watershed. The purpose of this report is to (1) describe the construction and calibration of the fully coupled groundwater and surface-water flow model for the Santa Rosa Plain watershed, referred to as the Santa Rosa Plain hydrologic model; (2) present results from simulation of the Santa Rosa Plain hydrologic model, including water budgets, recharge distributions, streamflow, and the effect of pumping on water-budget components; and (3) present the results from using the model to evaluate the potential hydrologic effects of climate change and variability without pumpage for water years 2011-99 and with projected pumpage for water years 2011-40.

Forcing, properties, structure, and antecedent synoptic climatology of the Snake River Plain Convergence Zone of eastern Idaho: Analyses of observations and numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andretta, Thomas A.

The Snake River Plain Convergence Zone (SPCZ) is a convergent shear zone generated by synoptic-scale post cold-frontal winds in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) interacting with the complex topography of eastern Idaho. The SPCZ produces clouds and occasional precipitation over time scales of 6--12 hours in a significant area of mesoscale dimensions (10--50 x 10 3 km2). This meso-beta-scale feature also contributes to the precipitation climatology in a semi-arid plain. The SPCZ is climatologically linked to the passage of synoptic-scale cold fronts and typically occurs in the fall and winter months with the highest frequencies in October, November, and January. The Snake River Plain of eastern Idaho is covered by a dense surface mesonetwork of towers with sensible weather measurements, single Doppler weather radar, regional soundings, and operational model sources. The ability of numerical weather prediction models to simulate the SPCZ depends on several factors: the accuracy of the large scale flow upstream of the zone, terrain resolution, grid scale, boundary layer parameterizations of stability, cumulus parameterizations, and microphysics schemes. This dissertation explores several of these issues with the aforementioned observations and with the Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research WRF (WRF-ARW) model simulations of selected SPCZ events. This dissertation first explains the conceptual models of the flow patterns related to the genesis of the SPCZ in light of other well-documented topographically-generated zones. The study then explores the links between the theoretical models and observations of the SPCZ in several episodes. With this foundation, the dissertation then tests several hypotheses relating to the horizontal and vertical zone structure, topographic sensitivity on the zone structure, and boundary layer evolution of the zone through the use of high resolution nested grid numerical simulations. The SPCZ consists of windward and leeward flow regimes in Idaho which form under low Froude number (stable blocked flow) in a post cold-frontal environment. The SPCZ is a weak baroclinic feature. The formation of the zone is independent of the vertical wind shear in the middle to upper troposphere. With a grid scale of 4 km, the WRF-ARW model adequately reproduces the post cold-frontal environment, windward and leeward convergence zones, relative vertical vorticity belts, and precipitation bands in several SPCZ cases. The vertical structure of the SPCZ reveals upright reflectivity towers with circulations that tilt slightly with height into the colder air aloft. Topographic sensitivity analyses of the SPCZ indicate that the terrain-driven circulations and resulting snow bands are more defined at the finer terrain scales. The ambient horizontal wind shear in the tributary valleys of the Central Mountains creates potential vorticity (PV) banners. The PV banner maintenance and strength are directly tied to the terrain resolution. An environment of convective instability sometimes occurs as a layer of air is lifted along the gentle elevation rise of the eastern Magic Valley and lower plain. An environment of inertial instability forms within the anticyclonic (negative) vorticity belts in the upper plain. Potential symmetric instability (PSI) may be released in a moist environment near the vorticity banners. The planetary boundary layer perturbed by the SPCZ inside the Snake River Plain is characterized by a deeper mixed layer with stronger vertical motions relative to a PBL in a sheltered valley outside the plain. Finally, a 10-year antecedent synoptic climatology of 78 SPCZ events reveals two pattern types: Type N (wet and warm) and Type S (dry and cold). The 40° N parallel divides these two synoptic patterns.

Distribution, persistence, and hydrologic characteristics of salmon spawning habitats in clearwater side channels of the Matanuska River, southcentral Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curran, Janet H.; McTeague, Monica L.; Burril, Sean E.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

2011-01-01

Turbid, glacially influenced rivers are often considered to be poor salmon spawning and rearing habitats and, consequently, little is known about salmon habitats that do occur within rivers of this type. To better understand salmon spawning habitats in the Matanuska River of southcentral Alaska, the distribution and characteristics of clearwater side-channel spawning habitats were determined and compared to spawning habitats in tributaries. More than 100 kilometers of clearwater side channels within the braided mainstem of the Matanuska River were mapped for 2006 from aerial images and ground-based surveys. In reaches selected for historical analysis, side channel locations shifted appreciably between 1949 and 2006, but the relative abundance of clearwater side channels was fairly stable during the same period. Geospatial analysis of side channel distribution shows side channels typically positioned along abandoned bars at the braid plain margin rather than on bars between mainstem channels, and shows a strong correlation of channel abundance with braid plain width. Physical and geomorphic characteristics of the channel and chemical character of the water measured at 19 side channel sites, 6 tributary sites, 4 spring sites, and 5 mainstem channel sites showed conditions suitable for salmon spawning in side channels and tributaries, and a correlation of side channel characteristics with the respective tributary or groundwater source water. Autumn-through-spring monitoring of intergravel water temperatures adjacent to salmon redds (nests) in three side channels and two tributaries indicate adequate accumulated thermal units for incubation and emergence of salmon in side channels and relatively low accumulated thermal units in tributaries.

Two Late Pleistocene climate-driven incision/aggradation rhythms in the middle Dnieper River basin, west-central Russian Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panin, Andrei; Adamiec, Grzegorz; Buylaert, Jan-Pieter; Matlakhova, Ekaterina; Moska, Piotr; Novenko, Elena

2017-06-01

In valleys of the River Seim and its tributaries in the middle Dnieper basin (west-central Russian Plain), two low terraces (T1, 10-16 m, and T0, 5-7 m above the river) and a floodplain (2-4 m) with characteristic large and small palaeochannels exist. A range of field and laboratory techniques was applied and ∼30 new numerical ages (OSL and 14C dates) were obtained to establish a chronology of incision and aggradation events that resulted in the current valley morphology. Two full incision/aggradation rhythms and one additional aggradation phase from the previous rhythm were recognized in the Late Pleistocene - Holocene climate cycle. The following events were detected. (1) Late MIS 5 - early MIS 4: aggradation of Terrace T1 following the deep incision at the end of MIS 6. (2) Late MIS 4 (40-30 ka): incision into Terrace T1 below the present-day river, formation of the main scarp in the bottom of the valley between Terrace T1 and Terrace T0/Floodplain levels. (3) MIS 2: aggradation of Terrace T0, lateral migrations of a shallow braided channel located few meters above the present-day river since ∼25 ka through the LGM. (4) 18-13 ka: incision into Terrace T0 below the modern river. Multiple-thread channels concentrated in a single flow that at some places formed large meanders. In the period 15-13 ka, high floods that rose above the present-day floods left large levees and overbank loams on Terrace T0. (5) Younger Dryas - Holocene transition: aggradation up to the modern channel level, transformation of large Late Glacial to small Holocene meanders. The established incision/aggradation rhythms are believed to be manifested over the Central Russian Plain outside the influence of ice sheets in the north and base level changes in the south. The two-phase deepening of the valley occurred in the last quarter of the last glacial epoch but can not be attributed directly to the glacial-interglacial transition. Both the detected incision events correspond to relatively warm climate phases - late MIS 3, post-LGM warming including the Bølling-Allerød interstadial. Anomalously large size of the preserved river palaeochannels prove that the post-LGM incision phase was induced by a climatically forced large increase of water runoff. Considerable increase of water discharges is considered the most probably cause for the late MIS 4 incision phase also. Therefore river incision seems to have been governed rather by changing water runoff that oscillated in phase shift with the thermal regime.

Archaeological Survey Along the Obion River: Cultural Resources Survey and Testing Below Sharon and Sidonia, Obion, Weakley, and Gibson Counties, Western Tennessee

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-22

in some areas, especially those near Reelfoot Lake . In amny, the water table remains at or near the surface the entire summer. In others, it drops as...114) has documented early historic vugetational communities around Reelfoot Lake , immediately to the west. In brief, higher, interriverine areas were... Reelfoot Lake . N Away from the river, comparatively few major centers, or sites of any kind, have been reported in the interior Western Coastal Plain

Cultural Resources Survey of Mile 306.3 to 293.4-R on the Mississippi River, Concordia, Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana Parishes, Louisiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

from Cairo, Illinois to an arbitrary location upstream of the Gulf of Mexico where the delta plain originates . Specifically, the proposed project area...dominated by sediment of Mississippi River alluvial origin . In the northern part of Pointe Coupee Parish, the sediment deposited by the Red or Arkansas...North America. Domesticated cultigens, pottery making, and mound building are recognized as characteristics that suggest increased populations, social

Pawcatuck River and Narragansett Bay Drainage Basins. Water and Related Land Resources Study. Blackstone River Watershed. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

immediately within the flood plain; the Owens - Corning Fiberglass Company at Ashton; and the Berkshire-Hathaway Mill Complex at Albion. Within the remaining...this reach, three of which have been built since 1955. Recurring damages to the Owens - Corning Fiberglas Co. amount to over $900,000 at current price...the Corps are as follow: 26 March 1968 -- Plant Manager, Owens - Corning Corp., Ashton, Rhode Island reported a total loss of $100,000 in damages after a

An Archaeological Survey of Selected Portions of the Lower and Middle Sheyenne River Basin in North Dakota

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

along the .beaches of glacial Lake Agassiz in Manitoba (Saylor 1975). The Plano Culture followed and was partially contemporaneous 4 with the Folsom...Culture in parts of the northern Plains. However, no Plano -like artifacts have been recovered in the Sheyenne River basin, and they are not abundant in...vertical incisions on the neck. The boss protrudes from the exterior *" surface and is 5.7 mm deep and 5.7 mm in diameter. The vertical incisions , made