Clustering of velocities in a GPS network spanning the Sierra Nevada Block, the northern Walker Lane Belt, and the Central Nevada Seismic Belt, California-Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savage, James C.; Simpson, Robert W.

2013-01-01

The deformation across the Sierra Nevada Block, the Walker Lane Belt, and the Central Nevada Seismic Belt (CNSB) between 38.5°N and 40.5°N has been analyzed by clustering GPS velocities to identify coherent blocks. Cluster analysis determines the number of clusters required and assigns the GPS stations to the proper clusters. The clusters are shown on a fault map by symbols located at the positions of the GPS stations, each symbol representing the cluster to which the velocity of that GPS station belongs. Fault systems that separate the clusters are readily identified on such a map. Four significant clusters are identified. Those clusters are strips separated by (from west to east) the Mohawk Valley-Genoa fault system, the Pyramid Lake-Wassuk fault system, and the Central Nevada Seismic Belt. The strain rates within the westernmost three clusters approximate simple right-lateral shear (~13 nstrain/a) across vertical planes roughly parallel to the cluster boundaries. Clustering does not recognize the longitudinal segmentation of the Walker Lane Belt into domains dominated by either northwesterly trending, right-lateral faults or northeasterly trending, left-lateral faults.

Earthquakes in the Classroom, Las Vegas, NV: The Nevada Educational Seismic Network (NESN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, J.; Snelson, C. M.; Zaragoza, S. A.; Smith, K.; Depolo, D.

2002-12-01

Geophysics is a term guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of the bravest high school science student. Using math to describe the earth can involve complex equations that can only be deciphered by enigmatic computer programs. But high school science students in the Las Vegas Valley have been given a unique opportunity to gather important research information while learning about geophysics, real-time data collection, and Internet communications in a less threatening environment. Three seismograph stations funded by the Department of Energy and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have been installed in three different high schools in the Clark County School District. These three stations form a triangle in the Las Vegas Valley basin covering areas where the basin depths change significantly. The geophones are buried outside and a cable connects the sensors and GPS receiver to a digitizer on a local PC. The data is transmitted continuously in real-time via Internet communications protocols to the Seismic Explorer Monitoring Network. There it is available to all schools and to researchers who will analyze the data. These short-period geophones will record small local earthquakes and larger more distant events contributing to real-time seismic network operations in southern Nevada. Students at a school site are able to see live real-time data from other school stations as well as from seismograph stations in southern Nevada, the western US, and the world. Mentored by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the teachers and students conduct simple waveform analysis to determine earthquake locations and magnitudes and operate the stations in this cooperative research effort. The goal of this partnership between secondary and university educational systems is to create a successful alliance that will benefit the research community as well as the classroom teacher and his/her students. Researchers will use the data collected from the schools in studies of the structure in the Las Vegas Valley basin and evaluation of the local seismicity. A major goal for the secondary teacher is the development of lesson plans that will use the collected data as a learning tool to help their students gain a better understanding of specific scientific concepts. Using the latest software and data communications technologies, students participating in this project will be on the cutting edge of establishing a model for urban seismic networks.

Multi-Use seismic stations offer strong deterrent to clandestine nuclear weapons testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennet, C. B.; Van der Vink, G. E.; Richards, P. G.; Adushkin, V. V.; Kopnichev, Y. F.; Geary, R.

As the United States and other nations push for the signing of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, representatives are meeting in Geneva this year to develop an International Seismic Monitoring System to verify compliance with the treaty's restrictions. In addition to the official monitoring system, regional networks developed for earthquake studies and basic research can provide a strong deterrent against clandestine testing. The recent release of information by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) on previously unannounced nuclear tests provides an opportunity to assess the ability of multi-use seismic networks to help monitor nuclear testing across the globe.Here we look at the extent to which the formerly unannounced tests were recorded and identified on the basis of publicly available seismographic data recorded by five seismic networks. The data were recorded by networks in southern Nevada and northern California at stations less than 1500 km from the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and two networks in the former Soviet Union at stations farther than 1500 km from the NTS.

Acting Administrator Lightfoot Visits Sierra Nevada Corporation

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-06

Associate administrator of NASA's Office of International and Interagency Relations Al Condes, left, acting NASA Deputy Administrator Lesa Roe, second from left, and acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, center, listen as Jude Vrazel, a senior systems engineer at Sierra Nevada Corporation, right, discusses the Vehicle Avionics Integration Lab (VAIL), Thursday, April 6, 2017 during a visit to Sierra Nevada Corporation in Louisville, Colo. Sierra Nevada Corporation, with their Dream Chaser Cargo System, was one of three companies to be awarded Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contracts designed to obtain cargo delivery services to the space station, disposal of unneeded cargo, and the return of research samples and other cargo from the station back to NASA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 139: Waste Disposal Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. No.: 0

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

Grant Evenson

2006-04-01

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 139 is located in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the Nevada Test Site, which is 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 139 is comprised of the seven corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: (1) 03-35-01, Burn Pit; (2) 04-08-02, Waste Disposal Site; (3) 04-99-01, Contaminated Surface Debris; (4) 06-19-02, Waste Disposal Site/Burn Pit; (5) 06-19-03, Waste Disposal Trenches; (6) 09-23-01, Area 9 Gravel Gertie; and (7) 09-34-01, Underground Detection Station. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluatemore » and recommend corrective action alternatives with the exception of CASs 09-23-01 and 09-34-01. Regarding these two CASs, CAS 09-23-01 is a gravel gertie where a zero-yield test was conducted with all contamination confined to below ground within the area of the structure, and CAS 09-34-01 is an underground detection station where no contaminants are present. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation (CAI) before evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate corrective action for the other five CASs where information is insufficient. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable corrective action alternatives that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on January 4, 2006, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office; Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture; and Bechtel Nevada. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 139.« less

KSC-2012-1014

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-21

BOULDER, Colo. – A Sierra Nevada Corp. team member examines the company's structural test article for the Dream Chaser spacecraft in the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology. The university is one of Sierra Nevada’s partners on the design and development of the Dream Chaser orbital crew vehicle. Dream Chaser is one of five systems NASA invested in during Commercial Crew Development Round 1 CCDev1 activities in order to aid in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations. In 2011, NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP entered into another funded Space Act Agreement with Sierra Nevada for the second round of commercial crew development CCDev2) so the company could further develop its Dream Chaser spacecraft for NASA transportation services. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

Sierra Nevada Science Review

Treesearch

Constance Millar; Amy Lind; Rowan Rowntree; Carl Skinner; Jared Verner; Bill Zielinski; Robert Ziemer

1998-01-01

In January, 1998, the Pacific Southwest Region and Pacific Southwest Research Station of the Forest Service initiated a collaborative effort to incorporate new information into planning future management of Sierra Nevada national forests. The project, known as the Sierra Nevada Framework for Conservation and Collaboration, will incorporate the latest scientific...

KSC-2012-1013

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-21

POWAY, Calif. – During NASA's Commercial Crew Development Round 1 CCDev1 activities, the rocket motor under development by Sierra Nevada Corp. for its Dream Chaser spacecraft successfully fires at the company's rocket test facility located near San Diego. NASA team members reviewed the motor's system and then watched it fire three times in one day, including one firing under vacuum ignition conditions. The tests, which simulated a complete nominal mission profile, demonstrated the multiple restart capability of Sierra Nevada's hybrid rocket. Two of the company's designed and developed hybrid rocket motors will be used as the main propulsion system on the Dream Chaser after launching aboard an Atlas V rocket. Dream Chaser is one of five systems NASA invested in during CCDev1 in order to aid in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations. In 2011, NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP entered into another funded Space Act Agreement with Sierra Nevada for the second round of commercial crew development CCDev2) so the company could further develop its Dream Chaser spacecraft for NASA transportation services. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2011-8116

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Dream Chaser spacecraft under development by Sierra Nevada of Centennial, Colo., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

Sierra Nevada Science Review. Report of the Science Review Team charged to synthesize new information of rangewide urgency to the national forests of the Sierra Nevada.

Treesearch

Constance Millar; Amy Lind; Rowan Rowntree; Carl Skinner; Jared Verner; William J. Zielinski; Robert R. Ziemer

1998-01-01

In January, 1998, the Pacific Southwest Region and Pacific Southwest Research Station of the Forest Service initiated a collaborative effort to incorporate new information into planning future management of Sierra Nevada national forests. The project, known as the Sierra Nevada Framework for Conservation and Collaboration, will incorporate the latest scientific...

Magnetotelluric Data, Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada.

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

Jackie M. Williams; Erin L. Wallin; Brian D. Rodriguez

2007-08-15

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain Corrective Action Unit (CAU) (Bechtel Nevada, 2006).more » During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat (YF) to help define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of the pre-tertiary confining units. We collected 51 magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT), stations for that research (Williams and others, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2005d, 2005e, 2005f). In early 2005 we extended that research with 26 additional MT data stations (Williams and others, 2006), located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM). The new stations extended the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat. This work was done to help refine what is known about the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal was to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU). The UCCU is comprised of late Devonian to Mississippian siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale. The UCCU underlies the Yucca Flat area and extends westward towards Shoshone Mountain, southward to Buckboard Mesa, and northward to Rainier Mesa. Late in 2005 we collected another 14 MT stations in Mid Valley and in northern Yucca Flat basin. That work was done to better determine the extent and thickness of the UCCU near the southeastern RM-SM CAU boundary with the southwestern YF CAU, and also in the northern YF CAU. The purpose of this report is to release the MT data at those 14 stations shown in figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

GPS Imaging of vertical land motion in California and Nevada: Implications for Sierra Nevada uplift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, William C.; Blewitt, Geoffrey; Kreemer, Corné

2016-10-01

We introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) Imaging, a new technique for robust estimation of the vertical velocity field of the Earth's surface, and apply it to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in the western United States. Starting with vertical position time series from Global Positioning System (GPS) stations, we first estimate vertical velocities using the MIDAS robust trend estimator, which is insensitive to undocumented steps, outliers, seasonality, and heteroscedasticity. Using the Delaunay triangulation of station locations, we then apply a weighted median spatial filter to remove velocity outliers and enhance signals common to multiple stations. Finally, we interpolate the data using weighted median estimation on a grid. The resulting velocity field is temporally and spatially robust and edges in the field remain sharp. Results from data spanning 5-20 years show that the Sierra Nevada is the most rapid and extensive uplift feature in the western United States, rising up to 2 mm/yr along most of the range. The uplift is juxtaposed against domains of subsidence attributable to groundwater withdrawal in California's Central Valley. The uplift boundary is consistently stationary, although uplift is faster over the 2011-2016 period of drought. Uplift patterns are consistent with groundwater extraction and concomitant elastic bedrock uplift, plus slower background tectonic uplift. A discontinuity in the velocity field across the southeastern edge of the Sierra Nevada reveals a contrast in lithospheric strength, suggesting a relationship between late Cenozoic uplift of the southern Sierra Nevada and evolution of the southern Walker Lane.

Yearly report, Yucca Mountain project

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

Brune, J.N.

1992-09-30

We proposed to (1) Develop our data logging and analysis equipment and techniques for analyzing seismic data from the Southern Great Basin Seismic Network (SGBSN), (2) Investigate the SGBSN data for evidence of seismicity patterns, depth distribution patterns, and correlations with geologic features (3) Repair and maintain our three broad band downhole digital seismograph stations at Nelson, nevada, Troy Canyon, Nevada, and Deep Springs, California (4) Install, operate, and log data from a super sensitive microearthquake array at Yucca Mountain (5) Analyze data from micro-earthquakes relative to seismic hazard at Yucca Mountain.

Magnetotelluric Data, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada.

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

Jackie M. Williams; Jay A. Sampson; Brian D. Rodriguez

2006-11-03

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. From 1951 to 1992, 828 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas. Most of these tests were conducted hundreds of feet above the ground-water table; however, more than 200 of the tests were near or within the water table. This underground testing was limited to specific areas ofmore » the Nevada Test Site, including Pahute Mesa, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Frenchman Flat, and Yucca Flat. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology, and its effects on ground-water flow. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain Corrective Action Unit (Bechtel Nevada, 2006). During 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from twenty-six magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) sites at the Nevada Test Site. The 2005 data stations were located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in those areas. These new stations extend the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat. This work will help refine what is known about the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU – late Devonian to Mississippian-age siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale) from the Yucca Flat area and west towards Shoshone Mountain, to Buckboard Mesa in the south, and onto Rainier Mesa in the north. Subsequent interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and a two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for the twenty-six stations shown in figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Principal facts for gravity stations in Dixie; Fairview, and Stingaree valleys, Churchill and Pershing counties, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaefer, D.H.; Thomas, J.M.; Duffrin, B.G.

1984-01-01

During March through July 1979, gravity measurements were made at 300 stations in Dixie Valley, Nevada. In December 1981, 45 additional stations were added--7 in Dixie Valley, 23 in Fairview Valley, and 15 in Stingaree Valley. Most altitudes were determined by using altimeters or topographic maps. The gravity observations were made with a Worden temperature-controlled gravimeter with an initial scale factor of 0.0965 milliGal/scale division. Principal facts for each of the 345 stations are tabulated; they consist of latitude, longitude, altitude, observed gravity, free-air anomaly, terrain correction, and Bouguer anomaly values at a bedrock density of 2.67 grams/cu cm. (Lantz-PTT)

Magnetotelluric Data, Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Jackie M.; Wallin, Erin L.; Rodriguez, Brian D.; Lindsey, Charles R.; Sampson, Jay A.

2007-01-01

Introduction The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat (YF) to help define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of the pre-Tertiary confining units. We collected 51 magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT), stations for that research. In early 2005 we extended that research with 26 additional MT data stations, located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM). The new stations extended the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat. This work was done to help refine what is known about the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal was to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU). The UCCU is comprised of late Devonian to Mississippian siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale. The UCCU underlies the Yucca Flat area and extends westward towards Shoshone Mountain, southward to Buckboard Mesa, and northward to Rainier Mesa. Late in 2005 we collected another 14 MT stations in Mid Valley and in northern Yucca Flat basin. That work was done to better determine the extent and thickness of the UCCU near the southeastern RM-SM CAU boundary with the southwestern YF CAU, and also in the northern YF CAU. The purpose of this report is to release the MT data at those 14 stations. No interpretation of the data is included here.

GPS Imaging of vertical land motion in California and Nevada: Implications for Sierra Nevada uplift

PubMed Central

Blewitt, Geoffrey; Kreemer, Corné

2016-01-01

Abstract We introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) Imaging, a new technique for robust estimation of the vertical velocity field of the Earth's surface, and apply it to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in the western United States. Starting with vertical position time series from Global Positioning System (GPS) stations, we first estimate vertical velocities using the MIDAS robust trend estimator, which is insensitive to undocumented steps, outliers, seasonality, and heteroscedasticity. Using the Delaunay triangulation of station locations, we then apply a weighted median spatial filter to remove velocity outliers and enhance signals common to multiple stations. Finally, we interpolate the data using weighted median estimation on a grid. The resulting velocity field is temporally and spatially robust and edges in the field remain sharp. Results from data spanning 5–20 years show that the Sierra Nevada is the most rapid and extensive uplift feature in the western United States, rising up to 2 mm/yr along most of the range. The uplift is juxtaposed against domains of subsidence attributable to groundwater withdrawal in California's Central Valley. The uplift boundary is consistently stationary, although uplift is faster over the 2011–2016 period of drought. Uplift patterns are consistent with groundwater extraction and concomitant elastic bedrock uplift, plus slower background tectonic uplift. A discontinuity in the velocity field across the southeastern edge of the Sierra Nevada reveals a contrast in lithospheric strength, suggesting a relationship between late Cenozoic uplift of the southern Sierra Nevada and evolution of the southern Walker Lane. PMID:27917328

GPS Imaging of vertical land motion in California and Nevada: Implications for Sierra Nevada uplift.

PubMed

Hammond, William C; Blewitt, Geoffrey; Kreemer, Corné

2016-10-01

We introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) Imaging, a new technique for robust estimation of the vertical velocity field of the Earth's surface, and apply it to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in the western United States. Starting with vertical position time series from Global Positioning System (GPS) stations, we first estimate vertical velocities using the MIDAS robust trend estimator, which is insensitive to undocumented steps, outliers, seasonality, and heteroscedasticity. Using the Delaunay triangulation of station locations, we then apply a weighted median spatial filter to remove velocity outliers and enhance signals common to multiple stations. Finally, we interpolate the data using weighted median estimation on a grid. The resulting velocity field is temporally and spatially robust and edges in the field remain sharp. Results from data spanning 5-20 years show that the Sierra Nevada is the most rapid and extensive uplift feature in the western United States, rising up to 2 mm/yr along most of the range. The uplift is juxtaposed against domains of subsidence attributable to groundwater withdrawal in California's Central Valley. The uplift boundary is consistently stationary, although uplift is faster over the 2011-2016 period of drought. Uplift patterns are consistent with groundwater extraction and concomitant elastic bedrock uplift, plus slower background tectonic uplift. A discontinuity in the velocity field across the southeastern edge of the Sierra Nevada reveals a contrast in lithospheric strength, suggesting a relationship between late Cenozoic uplift of the southern Sierra Nevada and evolution of the southern Walker Lane.

Water-Surface Elevations, Discharge, and Water-Quality Data for Selected Sites in the Warm Springs Area near Moapa, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beck, David A.; Ryan, Roslyn; Veley, Ronald J.; Harper, Donald P.; Tanko, Daron J.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Nevada Division of Water Resources, operates and maintains a surface-water monitoring network of 6 continuous-record stream-flow gaging stations and 11 partial-record stations in the Warm Springs area near Moapa, Nevada. Permanent land-surface bench marks were installed within the Warm Springs area by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the U.S. Geological Survey to determine water-surface elevations at all network monitoring sites. Vertical datum elevation and horizontal coordinates were established for all bench marks through a series of Differential Global Positioning System surveys. Optical theodolite surveys were made to transfer Differential Global Positioning System vertical datums to reference marks installed at each monitoring site. The surveys were completed in June 2004 and water-surface elevations were measured on August 17, 2004. Water-surface elevations ranged from 1,810.33 feet above North American Vertical Datum of 1988 at a stream-gaging station in the Pederson Springs area to 1,706.31 feet at a station on the Muddy River near Moapa. Discharge and water-quality data were compiled for the Warm Springs area and include data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, Nevada Division of Water Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Moapa Valley Water District, Desert Research Institute, and Converse Consultants. Historical and current hydrologic data-collection networks primarily are related to changes in land- and water-use activities in the Warm Springs area. These changes include declines in ranching and agricultural use, the exportation of water to other areas of Moapa Valley, and the creation of a national wildlife refuge. Water-surface elevations, discharge, and water-quality data compiled for the Warm Springs area will help identify (1) effects of changing vegetation within the former agricultural lands, (2) effects of restoration activities in the wildlife refuge, and (3) potential impacts of ground-water withdrawals.

KSC-2012-2891

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-20

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – During NASA's Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities for the Commercial Crew Program CCP, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC built a Simulator and Avionics Laboratory to help engineers evaluate the Dream Chaser's characteristics during the piloted phases of flight. Located at Sierra Nevada’s Space Systems facility in Louisville, Colo., it consists of a physical cockpit and integrated simulation hardware and software. The simulator is linked to the Vehicle Avionics Integration Laboratory, or VAIL, which serves as a platform for Dream Chaser avionics development, engineering testing and integration. VAIL also will also be used for verification and validation of avionics and software. Sierra Nevada is one of seven companies NASA entered into Space Act Agreements SAAs with during CCDev2 to aid in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2012-1015

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Dream Chaser spacecraft integrated with an Atlas V rocket. Dream Chaser is under development by Sierra Nevada of Centennial, Colo., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. United Launch Alliance's Atlas V also is being considered under CCDev2. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Five other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

Real-Time Data Management, IP Telemetry, Data Integration, and Data Center Operations for the Source Physics Experiment (SPE), Nevada National Security Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plank, G.; Slater, D.; Torrisi, J.; Presser, R.; Williams, M.; Smith, K. D.

2012-12-01

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL) manages time-series data and high-throughput IP telemetry for the National Center for Nuclear Security (NCNS) Source Physics Experiment (SPE), underway on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). During active-source experiments, SPE's heterogeneous systems record over 350 channels of a variety of data types including seismic, infrasound, acoustic, and electro-magnetic. During the interim periods, broadband and short period instruments record approximately 200 channels of continuous, high-sample-rate seismic data. Frequent changes in sensor and station configurations create a challenging meta-data environment. Meta-data account for complete operational histories, including sensor types, serial numbers, gains, sample rates, orientations, instrument responses, data-logger types etc. To date, these catalogue 217 stations, over 40 different sensor types, and over 1000 unique recording configurations (epochs). Facilities for processing, backup, and distribution of time-series data currently span four Linux servers, 60Tb of disk capacity, and two data centers. Bandwidth, physical security, and redundant power and cooling systems for acquisition, processing, and backup servers are provided by NSL's Reno data center. The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) System Computer Services (SCS) in Las Vegas provides similar facilities for the distribution server. NSL staff handle setup, maintenance, and security of all data management systems. SPE PIs have remote access to meta-data, raw data, and CSS3.0 compilations, via SSL-based transfers such as rsync or secure-copy, as well as shell access for data browsing and limited processing. Meta-data are continuously updated and posted on the Las Vegas distribution server as station histories are better understood and errors are corrected. Raw time series and refined CSS3.0 data compilations with standardized formats are transferred to the Las Vegas data server as available. For better data availability and station monitoring, SPE is beginning to leverage NSL's wide-area digital IP network with nine SPE stations and six Rock Valley area stations that stream continuous recordings in real time to the NSL Reno data center. These stations, in addition to eight regional legacy stations supported by National Security Technologies (NSTec), are integrated with NSL's regional monitoring network and constrain a high-quality local earthquake catalog for NNSS. The telemetered stations provide critical capabilities for SPE, and infrastructure for earthquake response on NNSS as well as southern Nevada and the Las Vegas area.

9. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 3 INTERIOR, FACING NORTHEAST ...

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

9. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 3 INTERIOR, FACING NORTHEAST - Nevada Test Site, Frenchman Flat Test Facility, Well Five Booster Stations, Intersection of 5-03 Road & Short Pole Line Road, Area 5, Frenchman Flat, Mercury, Nye County, NV

6. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 2 INTERIOR, FACING WEST ...

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

6. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 2 INTERIOR, FACING WEST - Nevada Test Site, Frenchman Flat Test Facility, Well Five Booster Stations, Intersection of 5-03 Road & Short Pole Line Road, Area 5, Frenchman Flat, Mercury, Nye County, NV

12. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 4 INTERIOR, FACING SOUTHWEST ...

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

12. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 4 INTERIOR, FACING SOUTHWEST - Nevada Test Site, Frenchman Flat Test Facility, Well Five Booster Stations, Intersection of 5-03 Road & Short Pole Line Road, Area 5, Frenchman Flat, Mercury, Nye County, NV

3. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 1 INTERIOR, FACING EAST ...

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

3. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 1 INTERIOR, FACING EAST - Nevada Test Site, Frenchman Flat Test Facility, Well Five Booster Stations, Intersection of 5-03 Road & Short Pole Line Road, Area 5, Frenchman Flat, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Space Station Cargo Contracts on This Week @NASA – January 15, 2016

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-01-15

On Jan. 14, NASA announced it has awarded three cargo contracts to ensure the critical science, research and technology demonstrations that are informing the agency’s journey to Mars are delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2019 through 2024. The agency unveiled its selection of Orbital ATK; Sierra Nevada Corporation; and SpaceX to continue building on the initial resupply partnerships with two American companies. Also, Space station spacewalk, Juno breaks distance record, New Ceres images reveal details, Space Launch System progress and NASA-developed software in self-driving cars!

13. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 4 CHLORINATOR INTERIOR, FACING NORTH ...

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

13. VIEW OF BOOSTER STATION 4 CHLORINATOR INTERIOR, FACING NORTH - Nevada Test Site, Frenchman Flat Test Facility, Well Five Booster Stations, Intersection of 5-03 Road & Short Pole Line Road, Area 5, Frenchman Flat, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Streamflow and Selected Precipitation Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, Water Years 1986-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kane, Thomas G.; Bauer, David J.; Martinez, Clair M.

1994-01-01

Streamflow and precipitation data collected at and near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, during water years 1986-90 are presented in this report. The data were collected and compiled as part of the studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, to characterize surface-water hydrology in the Yucca Mountain area. Streamflow data include daily-mean discharges and peak discharges at 5 continuous-record gaging stations, and peak discharges at 10 crest-stage, partial-record stations and 2 miscellaneous sites. Precipitation data include cumulative totals at 20 stations maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey and daily totals at 15 stations maintained by the Weather Service Nuclear Support Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Engineering evaluation of magma cooling-tower demonstration at Nevada Power Company's Sunrise Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-11-01

The Magma Cooling Tower (MCT) process utilizes a falling film heat exchanger integrated into an induced draft cooling tower to evaporate waste water. A hot water source such as return cooling water provides the energy for evaporation. Water quality control is maintained by removing potential scaling constituents to make concentrations of the waste water possible without scaling heat transfer surfaces. A pilot-scale demonstration test of the MCT process was performed from March 1979 through June 1979 at Nevada Power Company's Sunrise Station in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pilot unit extracted heat from the powerplant cooling system to evaporate cooling tower blowdown. Two water quality control methods were employed: makeup/sidestream softening and fluidized bed crystallization. The 11 week softening mode test was successful.

Principal facts for a gravity survey of the Gerlach Extension Known Geothermal Resource Area, Pershing County, Nevada

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

Peterson, D.L.; Kaufmann, H.E.

1978-01-01

During July 1977, fifty-one gravity stations were obtained in the Gerlach Extension Known Geothermal Resource Area and vicinity, northwestern Nevada. The gravity observations were made with a Worden gravimeter having a scale factor of about 0.5 milligal per division. No terrain corrections have been applied to these data. The earth tide correction was not used in drift reduction. The Geodetic Reference System 1967 formula (International Association of Geodesy, 1967) was used to compute theoretical gravity. Observed gravity is referenced to a base station in Gerlach, Nevada, having a value based on the Potsdam System of 1930. A density of 2.67more » g per cm/sup 3/ was used in computing the Bouguer anomaly.« less

Principal facts for a gravity survey of the Fly Ranch Extension Known Geothermal Resource Area, Pershing County, Nevada

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

Peterson, D.L.; Kaufmann, H.E.

1978-01-01

During July 1977, forty-four gravity stations were obtained in the Fly Ranch Extension Known Geothermal Resource Area and vicinity, northwestern Nevada. The gravity observations were made with a Worden gravimeter having a scale factor of about 0.5 milligal per division. No terrain corrections have been applied to these data. The earth tide correction was not used in drift reduction. The Geodetic Reference System 1967 formula (International Association of Geodesy, 1967) was used to compute theoretical gravity. Observed gravity is referenced to a base station in Gerlach, Nevada, having a value based on the Potsdam System of 1930 (fig. 1). Amore » density of 2.67 g per cm/sup 3/ was used in computing the Bouguer anomaly.« less

Fallon Geothermal Exploration Project, Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-01

magneto- telluric studies. LINEAMENT ANALYSIS As part of the initial phase of the Fallon Exploration Project, a composite lineament analysis of the region...Nevada. United States Geological Survey Bulletin 750, 1924, pp. 79-86. Hoover, D. B., R. M. Senterfit, and Bruce Radtke. Telluric Profile Loca- tion...Map and Telluric Data for the Salt Wells Known Geothermal Resource Area, Nevada. United States Geological Survey Open File Report 77-66F, 1977. Horton

View of Lake Mead and Las Vegas, Nevada area from Sklyab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A vertical view of the Lake Mead and Las Vegas, Nevada area as photographed from Earth orbit by one of the six lenses of the Itek-furnished S190-A Multispectral Photographic Facility Experiment aboard the Skylab space station. Lake Mead is water of the Colorado River impounded by Hoover Dam. Most of the land in the picture is Nevada, however, a part of the northwest corner of Arizona can be seen.

GPS Imaging of Sierra Nevada Uplift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W. C.; Blewitt, G.; Kreemer, C.

2015-12-01

Recent improvements in the scope and precision of GPS networks across California and Nevada have allowed for uplift of the Sierra Nevada to be observed directly. Much of the signal, in the range of 1 to 2 mm/yr, has been attributed to lithospheric scale rebound following massive groundwater withdrawal in the San Joaquin Valley in southern California, exacerbated by drought since 2011. However, natural tectonic deformation associated with long term uplift of the range may also contribute to the observed signal. We have developed new algorithms that enhance the signal of Sierra Nevada uplift and improve our ability to interpret and separate natural tectonic signals from anthropogenic contributions. We apply our new Median Interannual Difference Adjusted for Skewness (MIDAS) algorithm to the vertical times series and a inverse distance-weighted median spatial filtering and Delaunay-based interpolation to despeckle the rate map. The resulting spatially continuous vertical rate field is insensitive to outliers and steps in the GPS time series, and omits isolated features attributable to unstable stations or unrepresentative rates. The resulting vertical rate field for California and Nevada exhibits regionally coherent signals from the earthquake cycle including interseismic strain accumulation in Cascadia, postseismic relaxation of the mantle from recent large earthquakes in central Nevada and southern California, groundwater loading changes, and tectonic uplift of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges. Uplift of the Sierra Nevada extends from the Garlock Fault in the south to an indefinite boundary in the north near the latitude of Mt. Lassen to the eastern Sierra Nevada range front in Owen's Valley. The rates transition to near zero in the southern Walker Lane. The eastern boundary of uplift coincides with the highest strain rates in the western Great Basin, suggesting higher normal fault slip rates and a component of tectonic uplift of the Sierra Nevada.

10. VIEW WITHIN THE EAST OPERATING GALLERY OF WORK STATION ...

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

10. VIEW WITHIN THE EAST OPERATING GALLERY OF WORK STATION WITH MANIPULATOR ARMS. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

University of Nevada (UNLV): Las Vegas, Nevada (Data)

DOE Data Explorer

Stoffel, T.; Andreas, A.

2006-03-18

A partnership with the University of Nevada and U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to collect solar data to support future solar power generation in the United States. The measurement station monitors global horizontal, direct normal, and diffuse horizontal irradiance to define the amount of solar energy that hits this particular location. The solar measurement instrumentation is also accompanied by meteorological monitoring equipment to provide scientists with a complete picture of the solar power possibilities.

Magnetotelluric Data, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Jackie M.; Sampson, Jay A.; Rodriguez, Brian D.; Asch, Theodore H.

2006-01-01

Introduction: The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. During 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from twenty-six magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) sites at the Nevada Test Site. The 2005 data stations were located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in those areas. These new stations extend the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat. The MT data presented in this report will help refine what is known about the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre Tertiary confining units. Subsequent interpretation will include a three dimensional (3 D) character analysis and a two-dimensional (2 D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data. No interpretation of the data is included here.

Principal facts for gravity stations in the Elko, Steptoe Valley, Coyote Spring Valley, and Sheep Range areas, eastern and southern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, D.L.; Schaefer, D.H.; Frick, E.A.

1990-01-01

Principal facts for 537 gravity stations in the carbonate-rock province of eastern and southern Nevada are tabulated and presented. The gravity data were collected in support of groundwater studies in several valleys. The study areas include the Elko area, northern Steptoe Valley, Coyote Spring Valley, and the western Sheep Range area. The data for each site include values for latitude, longitude, altitude, observed gravity, free- air anomaly, terrain correction, and Bouguer anomaly (calculated at a bedrock density of 2.67 g/cu cm. (USGS)

7. VIEW OF E5 WORK STATION AND MANIPULATOR ARMS WITHIN ...

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

7. VIEW OF E-5 WORK STATION AND MANIPULATOR ARMS WITHIN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE HOT BAY. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

KSC-2011-7887

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Andy Aldrin, director of business development for United Launch Alliance (ULA), talks to media about plans to launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ULA is working to make its Atlas V rocket safe for humans for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities. Part of those plans will be to design and test an emergency detection system and crew access capabilities. ULA also is working with other aerospace system providers developing spacecraft that would launch atop the company's Atlas V rocket, such as Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada and The Boeing Co. CCP, which is based at the adjacent NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is partnering with industry to take crews to the station or other low Earth orbit destinations. Aldrin explained that the goal of ULA will be to develop a human spaceflight capability without altering rocket's proven design and successful track record. It's the freedom to develop innovative solutions such as this that CCP hopes will drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

Deep Resistivity Structure of Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallin, Erin L.; Rodriguez, Brian D.; Williams, Jackie M.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. From 1951 to 1992, 828 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas (DOE UGTA, 2003). Most of these tests were conducted hundreds of feet above the ground-water table; however, more than 200 of the tests were near, or within, the water table. This underground testing was limited to specific areas of the Nevada Test Site including Pahute Mesa, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM), Frenchman Flat, and Yucca Flat. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) (National Security Technologies, 2007). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO collected and processed data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat (YF) to help define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of the pre-Tertiary confining units. We collected 51 magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) stations for that research (Williams and others, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2005d, 2005e, and 2005f). In early 2005 we extended that research with 26 additional MT data stations (Williams and others, 2006) located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM). The new stations extended the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat, further refining what is known about the pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal was to define the extent of the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU). The UCCU is composed of late Devonian to Mississippian siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale (National Security Technologies, 2007). The UCCU underlies the Yucca Flat area and extends southwestward toward Shoshone Mountain, westward toward Buckboard Mesa, and northwestward toward Rainier Mesa. Late in 2005 we collected data at an additional 14 MT stations in Mid Valley, CP Hills, and northern Yucca Flat. That work was done to better determine the extent and thickness of the UCCU near the boundary between the southeastern RM-SM CAU and the southwestern YF CAU, and also in the northern YF CAU. The MT data have been released in a separate U.S. Geological Survey report (Williams and others, 2007). The Nevada Test Site magnetotelluric data interpretation presented in this report includes the results of detailed two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity modeling for each profile and inferences on the three-dimensional (3-D) character of the geology within the region.

Deep resistivity structure of Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asch, Theodore H.; Rodriguez, Brian D.; Sampson, Jay A.; Wallin, Erin L.; Williams, Jackie M.

2006-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office are addressing groundwater contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area project. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area adjacent to a nuclear test. Ground water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, supported by the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from 51 magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) stations at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in that area. The primary purpose was to refine the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (late Devonian - Mississippian-age siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale) in the Yucca Flat area. The MT and AMT data have been released in separate USGS Open File Reports. The Nevada Test Site magnetotelluric data interpretation presented in this report includes the results of detailed two-dimensional (2 D) resistivity modeling for each profile (including alternative interpretations) and gross inferences on the three dimensional (3 D) character of the geology beneath each station. The character, thickness, and lateral extent of the Chainman Shale and Eleana Formation that comprise the Upper Clastic Confining Unit are generally well determined in the upper 5 km. Inferences can be made regarding the presence of the Lower Clastic Confining Unit at depths below 5 km. Large fault structures such as the CP Thrust fault, the Carpetbag fault, and the Yucca fault that cross Yucca Flat are also discernable as are other smaller faults. The subsurface electrical resistivity distribution and inferred geologic structures determined by this investigation should help constrain the hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development.

8. VIEW OF E3 WORK STATION WITH MANIPULATOR ARMS IN ...

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

8. VIEW OF E-3 WORK STATION WITH MANIPULATOR ARMS IN EAST OPERATING GALLERY LOOKING INTO THE HOT BAY. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

17. Photocopy of photograph. VIEW OF WORKERS IN EAST OPERATING ...

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

17. Photocopy of photograph. VIEW OF WORKERS IN EAST OPERATING GALLERY USING MANIPULATOR ARMS AT STATION E-108. Photographer unknown, ca. 1965, original photograph and negative on file at the Remote Sensing Laboratory, Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Audio-magnetotelluric data collected in the area of Beatty, Nevada

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

Williams, J.M.

1998-11-01

In the summer of 1997, electrical geophysical data was collected north of Beatty, Nevada. Audio-magnetotellurics (AMT) was the geophysical method used to collect 16 stations along two profiles. The purpose of this data collection was to determine the depth to the alluvial basement, based upon the needs of the geologists requesting the data.

Isostatic gravity map of the Death Valley ground-water model area, Nevada and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, D.A.; Blakely, R.J.; Morin, R.L.; Mankinen, E.A.

2001-01-01

An isostatic gravity map of the Death Valley groundwater model area was prepared from over 40,0000 gravity stations as part of an interagency effort by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Department of Energy to help characterize the geology and hydrology of southwest Nevada and parts of California.

77 FR 23191 - State of Nevada; Regional Haze State and Federal Implementation Plans; BART Determination for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-18

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R9-OAR-2011-0130; FRL-9661-4] State of Nevada... Station AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Announcement of public hearing. SUMMARY... on May 3, 2012. ADDRESSES: We will hold a public hearing at Moapa Valley Empowerment High School...

KSC-2012-1308

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-21

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – During NASA's Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities for the Commercial Crew Program CCP, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC delivered the primary structure of its Dream Chaser flight test vehicle to the company’s office in Louisville, Colo. SNC engineers currently are assembling the full-scale prototype, which includes the integration of secondary structures and subsystems. This all-composite structure of the company's planned winged spacecraft, the Dream Chaser, will be used to carry out several remaining CCDev2 milestones including a captive carry flight and the first approach and landing test of the spacecraft. During the captive carry flight, a carrier aircraft will the Dream Chaser vehicle over NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. Sierra Nevada is one of seven companies NASA entered into Space Act Agreements SAAs with during CCDev2 to aid in the innovation and development of American-led commercial capabilities for crew transportation and rescue services to and from the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations. For information about CCP, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Photo credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

Identifying block structure in the Pacific Northwest, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savage, James C.; Wells, Ray E.

2015-01-01

We have identified block structure in the Pacific Northwest (west of 116°W between 38°N and 49°N) by clustering GPS stations so that the same Euler vector approximates the velocity of each station in a cluster. Given the total number k of clusters desired, the clustering procedure finds the best assignment of stations to clusters. Clustering is calculated for k= 2 to 14. In geographic space, cluster boundaries that remain relatively stable as k is increased are tentatively identified as block boundaries. That identification is reinforced if the cluster boundary coincides with a geologic feature. Boundaries identified in northern California and Nevada are the Central Nevada Seismic Belt, the west side of the Northern Walker Lane Belt, and the Bartlett Springs Fault. Three blocks cover all of Oregon and Washington. The principal block boundary there extends west-northwest along the Brothers Fault Zone, then north and northwest along the eastern boundary of Siletzia, the accreted oceanic basement of the forearc. East of this boundary is the Intermountain block, its eastern boundary undefined. A cluster boundary at Cape Blanco subdivides the forearc along the faulted southern margin of Siletzia. South of Cape Blanco the Klamath Mountains-Basin and Range block extends east to the Central Nevada Seismic Belt and south to the Sierra Nevada-Great Valley block. The Siletzia block north of Cape Blanco coincides almost exactly with the accreted Siletz terrane. The cluster boundary in the eastern Olympic Peninsula may mark permanent shortening of Siletzia against the Intermountain block.

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 41 crewmember.

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-10-06

ISS041-E-067595 (6 Oct. 2014) --- This moonlit panorama was shot recently with a wide-angle lens by an Expedition 41 crew member aboard the International Space Station, as they looked southwest from a point over Nebraska. The wide-angle lens shows a huge swath of country that stretches from Portland, Oregon (right) to Phoenix, Arizona (left). The largest string of lights is the Ogden-Salt Lake City-Provo area (lower center) in Utah. The Los Angeles and San Francisco metropolitan regions, and the cities of the central valley of California (Bakersfield to Redding) stretch across the horizon. The green airglow layer always appears in night images. Moonlight shows the red tinge of the space station?s solar arrays top left. Moonlight emphasizes the broader-scale geological zones. Nevada?s short, dark, parallel mountain ranges of the basin and range geological province (center) contrast with the expanses of flat terrain of the Colorado Plateau (left) in Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. The near-full moon even reveals the vast dry lake bed known as the Bonneville Salt Flats. The black line of the Sierra Nevada marks the edge of California?s well-lit central valley (directly below the San Francisco Bay area).

19. Photocopy of photograph. VIEW OF WORKER MANIPULATING SMALL GLASS ...

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

19. Photocopy of photograph. VIEW OF WORKER MANIPULATING SMALL GLASS OBJECTS IN THE HOT BAY WITH MANIPULATOR ARMS AT WORK STATION E-2. Photographer unknown, ca. 1969, original photograph and negative on file at the Remote Sensing Laboratory, Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Map showing depth to pre-Cenozoic basement in the Death Valley ground-water model area, Nevada and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blakely, R.J.; Ponce, D.A.

2001-01-01

A depth to basement map of the Death Valley groundwater model area was prepared using over 40,0000 gravity stations as part of an interagency effort by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Department of Energy to help characterize the geology and hydrology of southwest Nevada and parts of California.

Winter sowings produce 1-0 sugar pine planting stock in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

James L. Jenkinson; Arthur H. McCain

1993-01-01

Seed source and sowing date effects on first-year seedling growth and Fusarium root and collar rot of sugar pine were analyzed in two consecutive nursery tests at the Pacific Southwest Research Station's Institute of Forest Genetics, near Placerville in the western Sierra Nevada. The experimental design in both tests consisted of four replications of a randomized...

Fire weather and large fire potential in the northern Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Brandon M. Collins

2014-01-01

Fuels, weather, and topography all contribute to observed fire behavior. Of these, weather is not only the most dynamic factor, it is the most likely to be directly influenced by climate change. In this study 40 years of daily fire weather observations from five weather stations across the northern Sierra Nevada were analyzed to investigate potential changes or trends...

A series of low-altitude aerial radiological surveys of selected regions within Areas 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 18, and 25 at the Nevada Test Site

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

Colton, D.P.

1999-12-01

A series of low-altitude, aerial radiological surveys of selected regions within Areas 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 18,and 25 of the Nevada Test Site was conducted from December 1996 through June 1999. The surveys were conducted for the US Department of Energy by the Remote Sensing Laboratory, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and maintained and operated by Bechtel Nevada. The flights were conducted at a nominal altitude of 15 meters above ground level along a set of parallel flight lines spaced 23 meters apart. The purpose of these low-altitude surveys was to measure, map, and define the areas of americium-241more » activity. The americium contamination will be used to determine the areas of plutonium contamination. Americium-241 activity was detected within 8 of the 11 regions. The three regions where americium-241 was not detected were in the inactive Nuclear Rocket Development Station complex in Area 25, which encompassed the Test Cell A and Test Cell C reactor test stands and the Reactor Maintenance Assembly and Disassembly facility.« less

39. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTH OF A WORK STATION ...

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

39. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTH OF A WORK STATION WITH MANIPULATOR ARMS IN THE SOUTH CORRIDOR OF THE SECOND FLOOR. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

PBO Facility Construction: Basin and Range and Rocky Mountain Regions Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friesen, B.; Jenkins, F.; Kasmer, D.; Feaux, K.

2007-12-01

The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), part of the larger NSF-funded EarthScope project, will study the three- dimensional strain field resulting from active plate boundary deformation across the western United States. PBO is a large construction project involving the reconnaissance, permitting, installation, documentation, and maintenance of 875 permanent GPS stations in five years. 163 of these stations lie within the Basin and Range and Rocky Mountain Regions consisting of the states of Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. During the fourth year of the project, the Basin and Range and Rocky Mountain regions of PBO completed reconnaissance and nearly all permitting activities, and maintained a fast pace of station installations. The fall of 2006 and spring of 2007 were devoted to the construction of a large push of 50 stations, most located on Bureau of Land Management controlled public lands in Nevada. This transect is located along Highway 50 and will profile the extension of the Basin and Range province. The Yellowstone area, including surrounding National Parks and Forests was the target of summer 2007, during which time 10 remote stations with difficult logistics were installed. To date, construction is complete for 135 of 163 GPS stations.

Insights on Lithospheric Foundering from the Sierra Nevada Earthscope Project (SNEP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandt, G.; Gilbert, H.; Frassetto, A.; Owens, T.; Jones, C.

2004-12-01

Interdisciplinary studies in the southern Sierra Nevada have documented an ongoing removal of the dense residual root from beneath the southern Sierra Nevada batholith. However, many questions remain concerning the timing, spatial extent, mechanism, and consequences of this lithospheric foundering event. The Sierra Nevada Earthscope Project (SNEP) is a scientific experiment designed to investigate these questions with a 2- phase (2 year) seismic deployment of 46 broadband Flex-Array stations embedded in the existing stations of the USArray Transportable Array (TA) in the region. In the 2 phases, approximately 80 sites have been occupied from the northern edge of Kings Canyon north to Honey Lake and from the Central Valley into the Great Basin. In this presentation, we will focus on the most recent common-conversion-point (CCP) stacks of the receiver functions that provide a 3D image of lithospheric layering beneath the central and northern Sierra Nevada. Examining sequential cross-sections reveals distinctive lithospheric "reflectivity" patterns that characterize different tectonic imprints. From phase 1 data, we observed that the westernmost Basin and Range exhibits strong layering with multiple low-velocity zones in the crust and uppermost mantle and a relatively flat and strong Moho varying slowly in depth between 30 and 35 km. In the south this Basin and Range character terminates on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada; however, north of Big Pine the Basin and Range character intrudes progressively farther into the range and ends up more than 50 km west of the eastern edge of the range. The lithosphere beneath the southern high Sierra Nevada is characterized by a relatively transparent (homogeneous) crust and sharp Moho that disappears westward beneath the adjacent foothills. The crustal thickness in this area is mostly between 30-35 km with localized welts of thicker crust. The phase 1 observations imply that the removal process appears to be actively affecting the crust northward through at least the central Sierra Nevada. The phase 2 deployment provides coverage to the northern limit of the Sierra Nevada to determine the extent of the affected region and the character of the batholith where root removal may or may not have occurred.

Insights on Lithospheric Foundering from the Sierra Nevada Earthscope Project (SNEP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandt, G.; Gilbert, H.; Frassetto, A.; Owens, T.; Jones, C.

2007-12-01

Interdisciplinary studies in the southern Sierra Nevada have documented an ongoing removal of the dense residual root from beneath the southern Sierra Nevada batholith. However, many questions remain concerning the timing, spatial extent, mechanism, and consequences of this lithospheric foundering event. The Sierra Nevada Earthscope Project (SNEP) is a scientific experiment designed to investigate these questions with a 2- phase (2 year) seismic deployment of 46 broadband Flex-Array stations embedded in the existing stations of the USArray Transportable Array (TA) in the region. In the 2 phases, approximately 80 sites have been occupied from the northern edge of Kings Canyon north to Honey Lake and from the Central Valley into the Great Basin. In this presentation, we will focus on the most recent common-conversion-point (CCP) stacks of the receiver functions that provide a 3D image of lithospheric layering beneath the central and northern Sierra Nevada. Examining sequential cross-sections reveals distinctive lithospheric "reflectivity" patterns that characterize different tectonic imprints. From phase 1 data, we observed that the westernmost Basin and Range exhibits strong layering with multiple low-velocity zones in the crust and uppermost mantle and a relatively flat and strong Moho varying slowly in depth between 30 and 35 km. In the south this Basin and Range character terminates on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada; however, north of Big Pine the Basin and Range character intrudes progressively farther into the range and ends up more than 50 km west of the eastern edge of the range. The lithosphere beneath the southern high Sierra Nevada is characterized by a relatively transparent (homogeneous) crust and sharp Moho that disappears westward beneath the adjacent foothills. The crustal thickness in this area is mostly between 30-35 km with localized welts of thicker crust. The phase 1 observations imply that the removal process appears to be actively affecting the crust northward through at least the central Sierra Nevada. The phase 2 deployment provides coverage to the northern limit of the Sierra Nevada to determine the extent of the affected region and the character of the batholith where root removal may or may not have occurred.

Nuclear Propulsion in Space (1968)

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

None

Project NERVA was an acronym for Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application, a joint program of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and NASA managed by the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (SNPO) at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station in Jackass Flats, Nevada U.S.A. Between 1959 and 1972, the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office oversaw 23 reactor tests, both the program and the office ended at the end of 1972.

Nuclear Propulsion in Space (1968)

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

Project NERVA was an acronym for Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application, a joint program of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and NASA managed by the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (SNPO) at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station in Jackass Flats, Nevada U.S.A. Between 1959 and 1972, the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office oversaw 23 reactor tests, both the program and the office ended at the end of 1972.

NASA cash boost for space firms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2012-09-01

NASA has awarded 1.1bn to three US firms to design and develop the "next generation of human spaceflight capabilities". Boeing, Sierra Nevada and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), who will receive 460m, 212.5m and 440m respectively, will use the money to improve and test their systems intended to fly astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) within the next five years.

Isostatic Gravity Map of the Battle Mountain 30 x 60 Minute Quadrangle, North Central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, D.A.; Morin, R.L.

2000-01-01

Introduction Gravity investigations of the Battle Mountain 30 x 60 minute quadrangle were begun as part of an interagency effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Land Management to help characterize the geology, mineral resources, hydrology, and ecology of the Humboldt River Basin in north-central Nevada. The Battle Mountain quadrangle is located between 40?30' and 41?N. lat. and 116? and 117?W. long. This isostatic gravity map of the Battle Mountain quadrangle was prepared from data from about 1,180 gravity stations. Most of these data are publicly available on a CD-ROM of gravity data of Nevada (Ponce, 1997) and in a published report (Jewel and others, 1997). Data from about 780 gravity stations were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey since 1996; data from about 245 of these are unpublished (USGS, unpub. data, 1998). Data collected from the 400 gravity stations prior to 1996 are a subset of a gravity data compilation of the Winnemucca 1:250,000-scale quadrangle described in great detail by Wagini (1985) and Sikora (1991). This detailed information includes gravity meters used, dates of collection, sources, descriptions of base stations, plots of data, and a list of principal facts. A digital version of the entire data set for the Battle Mountain quadrangle is available on the World Wide Web at: http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/gump/gump.html

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 165: Areas 25 and 26 Dry Well and Washdown Areas, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (including Record of Technical Change Nos. 1, 2, and 3) (January 2002, Rev. 0)

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

U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 165 under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 165 consists of eight Corrective Action Sites (CASs): CAS 25-20-01, Lab Drain Dry Well; CAS 25-51-02, Dry Well; CAS 25-59-01, Septic System; CAS 26-59-01, Septic System; CAS 25-07-06, Train Decontamination Area; CAS 25-07-07, Vehicle Washdown; CAS 26-07-01, Vehicle Washdown Station; and CAS 25-47-01, Reservoir and French Drain. All eight CASsmore » are located in the Nevada Test Site, Nevada. Six of these CASs are located in Area 25 facilities and two CASs are located in Area 26 facilities. The eight CASs at CAU 165 consist of dry wells, septic systems, decontamination pads, and a reservoir. The six CASs in Area 25 are associated with the Nuclear Rocket Development Station that operated from 1958 to 1973. The two CASs in Area 26 are associated with facilities constructed for Project Pluto, a series of nuclear reactor tests conducted between 1961 to 1964 to develop a nuclear-powered ramjet engine. Based on site history, the scope of this plan will be a two-phased approach to investigate the possible presence of hazardous and/or radioactive constituents at concentrations that could potentially pose a threat to human health and the environment. The Phase I analytical program for most CASs will include volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and radionuclides. If laboratory data obtained from the Phase I investigation indicates the presence of contaminants of concern, the process will continue with a Phase II investigation to define the extent of contamination. Based on the results of Phase I sampling, the analytical program for Phase II investigation may be reduced. The results of this field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of corrective action alternatives in the corrective action decision document.« less

Cost effectiveness of the stream-gaging program in Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arteaga, F.E.

1990-01-01

The stream-gaging network in Nevada was evaluated as part of a nationwide effort by the U.S. Geological Survey to define and document the most cost-effective means of furnishing streamflow information. Specifically, the study dealt with 79 streamflow gages and 2 canal-flow gages that were under the direct operation of Nevada personnel as of 1983. Cost-effective allocations of resources, including budget and operational criteria, were studied using statistical procedures known as Kalman-filtering techniques. The possibility of developing streamflow data at ungaged sites was evaluated using flow-routing and statistical regression analyses. Neither of these methods provided sufficiently accurate results to warrant their use in place of stream gaging. The 81 gaging stations were being operated in 1983 with a budget of $465,500. As a result of this study, all existing stations were determined to be necessary components of the program for the foreseeable future. At the 1983 funding level, the average standard error of streamflow records was nearly 28%. This same overall level of accuracy could have been maintained with a budget of approximately $445,000 if the funds were redistributed more equitably among the gages. The maximum budget analyzed, $1,164 ,000 would have resulted in an average standard error of 11%. The study indicates that a major source of error is lost data. If perfectly operating equipment were available, the standard error for the 1983 program and budget could have been reduced to 21%. (Thacker-USGS, WRD)

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

G. N. Doyle

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 254 is located in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), approximately 100 kilometers (km) (62 miles) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The site is located within the Reactor Maintenance, Assembly and Disassembly (R-MAD) compound and consists of Building 3126, two outdoor decontamination pads, and surrounding areas within an existing fenced area measuring approximately 50 x 37 meters (160 x 120 feet). The site was used from the early 1960s to the early 1970s as part of the Nuclear Rocket Development Station program to decontaminate test-car hardware and tooling. The site was reactivated in themore » early 1980s to decontaminate a radiologically contaminated military tank. This Closure Report (CR) describes the closure activities performed to allow un-restricted release of the R-MAD Decontamination Facility.« less

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Dream Chaser arrival at Armstron

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-25

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser spacecraft arrives by truck at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, located on Edwards Air Force Base. The spacecraft will undergo several months of testing in preparation for its approach and landing flight on the base’s 22L runway. The test series is part of a developmental space act agreement SNC has with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will help SNC validate aerodynamic properties, flight software and control system performance. The Dream Chaser is also being prepared to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract beginning in 2019. The cargo Dream Chaser will fly at least six delivery missions to and from the space station by 2024.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Dream Chaser arrival at Armstrong

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-25

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser spacecraft arrives by truck at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, located on Edwards Air Force Base. The spacecraft will undergo several months of testing in preparation for its approach and landing flight on the base’s 22L runway. The test series is part of a developmental space act agreement SNC has with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will help SNC validate aerodynamic properties, flight software and control system performance. The Dream Chaser is also being prepared to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract beginning in 2019. The cargo Dream Chaser will fly at least six delivery missions to and from the space station by 2024.

A Gap-Filling Procedure for Hydrologic Data Based on Kalman Filtering and Expectation Maximization: Application to Data from the Wireless Sensor Networks of the Sierra Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coogan, A.; Avanzi, F.; Akella, R.; Conklin, M. H.; Bales, R. C.; Glaser, S. D.

2017-12-01

Automatic meteorological and snow stations provide large amounts of information at dense temporal resolution, but data quality is often compromised by noise and missing values. We present a new gap-filling and cleaning procedure for networks of these stations based on Kalman filtering and expectation maximization. Our method utilizes a multi-sensor, regime-switching Kalman filter to learn a latent process that captures dependencies between nearby stations and handles sharp changes in snowfall rate. Since the latent process is inferred using observations across working stations in the network, it can be used to fill in large data gaps for a malfunctioning station. The procedure was tested on meteorological and snow data from Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in the American River basin of the Sierra Nevada. Data include air temperature, relative humidity, and snow depth from dense networks of 10 to 12 stations within 1 km2 swaths. Both wet and dry water years have similar data issues. Data with artificially created gaps was used to quantify the method's performance. Our multi-sensor approach performs better than a single-sensor one, especially with large data gaps, as it learns and exploits the dominant underlying processes in snowpack at each site.

Comparison of survey and photogrammetry methods to position gravity data, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

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

Ponce, D.A.; Wu, S.S.C.; Spielman, J.B.

1985-12-31

Locations of gravity stations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were determined by a survey using an electronic distance-measuring device and by a photogram-metric method. The data from both methods were compared to determine if horizontal and vertical coordinates developed from photogrammetry are sufficently accurate to position gravity data at the site. The results show that elevations from the photogrammetric data have a mean difference of 0.57 +- 0.70 m when compared with those of the surveyed data. Comparison of the horizontal control shows that the two methods agreed to within 0.01 minute. At a latitude of 45{sup 0}, an error ofmore » 0.01 minute (18 m) corresponds to a gravity anomaly error of 0.015 mGal. Bouguer gravity anomalies are most sensitive to errors in elevation, thus elevation is the determining factor for use of photogrammetric or survey methods to position gravity data. Because gravity station positions are difficult to locate on aerial photographs, photogrammetric positions are not always exactly at the gravity station; therefore, large disagreements may appear when comparing electronic and photogrammetric measurements. A mean photogrammetric elevation error of 0.57 m corresponds to a gravity anomaly error of 0.11 mGal. Errors of 0.11 mGal are too large for high-precision or detailed gravity measurements but acceptable for regional work. 1 ref. 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

6. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE EAST OF SOUTHEAST CORNER OF ...

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

6. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE EAST OF SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE HOT BAY. A LARGE MANIPULATOR ARM AND HORIZONTAL TRACKING SYSTEM IS SHOWN ABOVE SMALLER MANIPULATOR ARM WORK STATIONS. ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORK STATIONS ARE OBSERVATION WINDOWS. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

BLM Communications Use Lease to USAF to Conduct Patriot Communications Exercises in Lincoln County, Nevada. Final Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-01

pass, Mojave Desert Scrub intergrades with Basin communities and supports small components of Joshua tree, banana yucca (Y. baccata), and beavertail...Exercises in Lincoln County, Nevada 3-8 August 2008 Final EA ADA Site Location Land Type Land Cover Characteristics without flowers or seed pods was...Ackerman milkvetch (Astragalus ackermanii), Peck Station milkvetch (Astragalus eurylobus), Beatley’s phacelia (Phacelia beatleyae), wax flower (Jamesia

Operation HARDTACK. Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1959-07-01

Nevada Test Site. ditions, available equipment and material , and late criteria changes requesifd by the partici- "The Nevada tests will e held during...by visory personnel. H&N Field Engineers or the H&N Material TestsResident Engineer. The majority of material tests consisted of 3. Reports and...procurement of material and hol, date of request, date rquired, work to be equipment to be used in the test facilities pro- performed, and site or station

Principal facts for gravity stations in the Dry Valley area, west-central Nevada and east-central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanger, Elizabeth A.; Ponce, David A.

2003-01-01

In June, 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established 143 new gravity stations and 12 new rock samples in the Dry Valley area, 30 miles north of Reno, Nevada, on the California - Nevada border (see fig. 1). This study reports on gravity, magnetic, and physical property data intended for use in modeling the geometry and depth of Dry Valley for groundwater analysis. It is part of a larger study that aims to characterize the hydrologic framework of several basins in Washoe County. Dry Valley is located south of the Fort Sage Mountains and south-east of Long Valley, on USGS 7.5’ quadrangles Constantia and Seven Lakes (fig. 2). The Cretaceous granitic rocks and Tertiary volcanic rocks that bound the sediment filled basin (fig. 3) may be especially important to future modeling because of their impact on groundwater flow. The granitic and volcanic rocks of Dry Valley exhibit densities and magnetic susceptibilities higher than the overlaying sediments, and create a distinguishable pattern of gravity and magnetic anomalies that reflect these properties.

Major results of gravity and magnetic studies at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oliver, H.W.; Ponce, D.A.; Sikora, R.F.; ,

1991-01-01

About 4,000 gravity stations have been obtained at Yucca Mountain and vicinity since the beginning of radioactive-waste studies there in 1978. These data have been integrated with data from about 29,000 stations previously obtained in the surrounding region to produce a series of Bouguer and isostatic-residual-gravity maps of the Nevada Test Site and southeastern Nevada. Yucca Mountain is characterized by a WNW-dipping gravity gradient whereby residual values of -10 mGal along the east edge of Yucca Mountain decrease to about -38 mGal over Crater Flat. Using these gravity data, two-dimensional modeling predicted the depth to pre-Cenozoic rocks near the proposed repository to be about 1,220??150 m, an estimate that was subsequently confirmed by drilling to be 1,244 m. Three-dimensional modeling of the gravity low over Crater Flat indicates the thickness of Cenozoic volcanic rocks and alluvial cover to be about 3,000 m. Gravity interpretations also identified the Silent Canyon caldera before geologic mapping of Pahute Mesa and provided an estimate of the thickness of the volcanic section there of nearly 5 km.

Principal facts for gravity stations collected in 2010 from White Pine and Lincoln Counties, east-central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, Edward A.; McKee, Edwin H.

2011-01-01

Increasing demands on the Colorado River system within the arid Southwestern United States have focused attention on finding new, alternative sources of water. Particular attention is being paid to the eastern Great Basin, where important ground-water systems occur within a regionally extensive sequence of Paleozoic carbonate rocks and in the Cenozoic basin-fill deposits that occur throughout the region. Geophysical investigations to characterize the geologic framework of aquifers in eastern Nevada and western Utah began in a series of cooperative agreements between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Southern Nevada Water Authority in 2003. These studies were intended to better understand the formation of basins, define their subsurface shape and depth, and delineate structures that may impede or enhance groundwater flow. We have combined data from gravity stations established during the current study with previously available data to produce an up-to-date isostatic-gravity map of the study area, using a gravity inversion method to calculate depths to pre-Cenozoic basement rock and to estimate alluvial/volcanic fill in the valleys.

Isostatic gravity map of the Nevada Test Site and vicinity, Nevada

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

Ponce, D.A.; Harris, R.N.; Oliver, H.W.

1988-12-31

The isostatic gravity map of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and vicinity is based on about 16,000 gravity stations. Principal facts of the gravity data were listed by Harris and others (1989) and their report included descriptions of base stations, high-precision and absolute gravity stations, and data accuracy. Observed gravity values were referenced to the International Gravity Standardization Net 1971 gravity datum described by Morelli (1974) and reduced using the Geodetic Reference System 1967 formula for the normal gravity on the ellipsoid (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, 1971). Free-air, Bouguer, curvature, and terrain corrections for a standard reduction densitymore » of 2.67 g/cm{sup 3} were made to compute complete Bouguer anomalies. Terrain corrections were made to a radial distance of 166.7 km from each station using a digital elevation model and a computer procedure by Plouff (1977) and, in general, include manually estimated inner-zone terrain corrections. Finally, isostatic corrections were made using a procedure by Simpson and others (1983) based on an Airy-Heiskanen model with local compensation (Heiskanen and Moritz, 1967) with an upper-crustal density of 2.67 g/cm{sup 3}, a crustal thickness of 25 km, and a density contrast between the lower-crust and upper-mantle of 0.4 g/cm{sup 3}. Isostatic corrections help remove the effects of long-wavelength anomalies related to topography and their compensating masses and, thus, enhance short- to moderate-wavelength anomalies caused by near surface geologic features. 6 refs.« less

Nellis AFB, Nevada. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-11-01

uL3BAL CLIMATOLOGY BRANCH PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENLE OF cEILING VERSUS VISIBILITY USAFETAC FROM HOUPLY O.SERVATIONS AIR wATHER SERVICE/MAC...FREAUENCY OF 0CCUN9LNJE OF CEILING VERSUS VISIBILI3Y USAFLTAC FROM HOUPLY OoSLRVAOIONS AIR WATHER SER9ICE/MAC STATION NUM8EV: 723865 STATION NAME: NELLIS

Modeling the Spatial and Temporal Variation of Monthly and Seasonal Precipitation on the Nevada Test Site and Vicinity, 1960-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blainey, Joan B.; Webb, Robert H.; Magirl, Christopher S.

2007-01-01

The Nevada Test Site (NTS), located in the climatic transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts, has a network of precipitation gages that is unusually dense for this region. This network measures monthly and seasonal variation in a landscape with diverse topography. Precipitation data from 125 climate stations on or near the NTS were used to spatially interpolate precipitation for each month during the period of 1960 through 2006 at high spatial resolution (30 m). The data were collected at climate stations using manual and/or automated techniques. The spatial interpolation method, applied to monthly accumulations of precipitation, is based on a distance-weighted multivariate regression between the amount of precipitation and the station location and elevation. This report summarizes the temporal and spatial characteristics of the available precipitation records for the period 1960 to 2006, examines the temporal and spatial variability of precipitation during the period of record, and discusses some extremes in seasonal precipitation on the NTS.

5. Plat of Carlin Shops, 1884. Copied from Central Pacific ...

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

5. Plat of Carlin Shops, 1884. Copied from Central Pacific Railroad bound book of station plats entitled 'Station Plans, CPRR, Mill City to Ogden,' in collection of Nevada Historical Society, Reno; credit Nevada Historical Society. Caption reads, 'Sand House - Hose Carriage Ho. - Casting Shed - Tank 'h' - Coal Shed 'I' and Iron Rack - finished in Oct. 1882. Tank 'c' built Nov. 1883 - Old Tank opp. & near main track taken down Nov. '83. E.C. Pierce's boarding house built May 1884. 172' old 1' pipe laid to Boarding house May 1884. 142 ft. 1' gas pipe - 2 Globe Valves laid to Div. Sup'ts Office Sept 1884.' Engine Stores Building is shown as building k. - Southern Pacific Railroad, Carlin Shops, Foot of Sixth Street, Carlin, Elko County, NV

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Dream Chaser arrival at Armstron

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-25

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser spacecraft is removed from its delivery truck after arriving at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, located on Edwards Air Force Base. The spacecraft will undergo several months of testing in preparation for its approach and landing flight on the base’s 22L runway. The test series is part of a developmental space act agreement SNC has with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will help SNC validate aerodynamic properties, flight software and control system performance. The Dream Chaser is also being prepared to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract beginning in 2019. The cargo Dream Chaser will fly at least six delivery missions to and from the space station by 2024.

KSC-2012-3149

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-30

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – An Erickson Air-Crane helicopter lifts Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems’ Dream Chaser full-scale test vehicle to verify proper aerodynamic flight performance near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, Colo. This captive-carry test is one of several milestones the company is meeting during its partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program CCP. Data from this test will provide SNC an early opportunity to evaluate and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations in preparation for approach and landing tests scheduled for later this year. In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2012-3150

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-30

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems’ Dream Chaser full-scale test vehicle is lifted by an Erickson Air-Crane helicopter to verify proper aerodynamic flight performance near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, Colo. This captive-carry test is one of several milestones the company is meeting during its partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program CCP. Data from this test will provide SNC an early opportunity to evaluate and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations in preparation for approach and landing tests scheduled for later this year. In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

KSC-2012-3148

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-30

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems’ Dream Chaser full-scale test vehicle is lifted by an Erickson Air-Crane helicopter to verify proper aerodynamic flight performance near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, Colo. This captive-carry test is one of several milestones the company is meeting during its partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program CCP. Data from this test will provide SNC an early opportunity to evaluate and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations in preparation for approach and landing tests scheduled for later this year. In 2011, NASA selected Sierra Nevada during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Sierra Nevada Corp.

Joint maximum-likelihood magnitudes of presumed underground nuclear test explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peacock, Sheila; Douglas, Alan; Bowers, David

2017-08-01

Body-wave magnitudes (mb) of 606 seismic disturbances caused by presumed underground nuclear test explosions at specific test sites between 1964 and 1996 have been derived from station amplitudes collected by the International Seismological Centre (ISC), by a joint inversion for mb and station-specific magnitude corrections. A maximum-likelihood method was used to reduce the upward bias of network mean magnitudes caused by data censoring, where arrivals at stations that do not report arrivals are assumed to be hidden by the ambient noise at the time. Threshold noise levels at each station were derived from the ISC amplitudes using the method of Kelly and Lacoss, which fits to the observed magnitude-frequency distribution a Gutenberg-Richter exponential decay truncated at low magnitudes by an error function representing the low-magnitude threshold of the station. The joint maximum-likelihood inversion is applied to arrivals from the sites: Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan) and Novaya Zemlya, former Soviet Union; Singer (Lop Nor), China; Mururoa and Fangataufa, French Polynesia; and Nevada, USA. At sites where eight or more arrivals could be used to derive magnitudes and station terms for 25 or more explosions (Nevada, Semipalatinsk and Mururoa), the resulting magnitudes and station terms were fixed and a second inversion carried out to derive magnitudes for additional explosions with three or more arrivals. 93 more magnitudes were thus derived. During processing for station thresholds, many stations were rejected for sparsity of data, obvious errors in reported amplitude, or great departure of the reported amplitude-frequency distribution from the expected left-truncated exponential decay. Abrupt changes in monthly mean amplitude at a station apparently coincide with changes in recording equipment and/or analysis method at the station.

76 FR 30695 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board Chairs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-26

.... ADDRESSES: Aliante Station Hotel, 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89084. FOR FURTHER... Topics and Achievements, [cir] EM Headquarters Budget Update, [cir] EM Headquarters Waste Disposition...

Three-dimensional modeling of the Nevada Test Site and vicinity from teleseismic P-wave residuals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Monfort, Mary E.; Evans, John R.

1982-01-01

A teleseismic P-wave travel-time residual study is described which reveals the regional compressional-velocity structure of southern Nevada and neighboring parts of California to a depth of 280 km. During 1980, 98 teleseismic events were recorded at as many as 53 sites in this area. P-wave residuals were calculated relative to a network-wide average residual for each event and are displayed on maps of the stations for each of four event-azimuth quadrants. Fluctuations in these map-patterns of residuals with approach azimuth combined with results of linear, three-dimensional inversions of some 2887 residuals indicate the following characteristics of the velocity structure of the southern Nevada region: 1) a low-velocity body exists in the upper crust 50 km northeast of Beatty, Nevada, near the Miocene Timber Mountain-Silent Canyon caldera complex. Another highly-localized low-velocity anomaly occurs near the southwest corner of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). These two anomalies seem to be part of a low-velocity trough extending from Death Valley, California, to about 50 km north of NTS. 2) There is a high-velocity body in the mantle between 81 and 131 km deep centered about i0 km north of the edge of the Timber Mountain caldera, 3) a broad low-velocity body is delineated between 81 and 131 km deep centered about 30 km north of Las Vegas, 4) there is a monotonic increase in travel-time delays from west to east across the region, probably indicating an eastward decrease in velocity, and lower than average velocities in southeastern Nevada below 31 km, and 5) considerable complexity in three-dimensional velocity structure exists in this part of the southern Great Basin. Inversions of teleseismic P-wave travel-time residuals were also performed on data from 12 seismometers in the immediate vicinity of the Nevada Test Site to make good use of the closer station spacing i in that area. Results of these inversions show more details of the velocity structure but generally the same features as those found in the regional study.

Data network, collection, and analysis in the Diamond Valley flow system, central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knochenmus, Lari A.; Berger, David L.; Moreo, Michael T.; Smith, J. LaRue

2011-01-01

Future groundwater development and its effect on future municipal, irrigation, and alternative energy uses in the Diamond Valley flow system are of concern for officials in Eureka County, Nevada. To provide a better understanding of the groundwater resources, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Eureka County, commenced a multi-phase study of the Diamond Valley flow system in 2005. Groundwater development primarily in southern Diamond Valley has resulted in water-level declines since the 1960s ranging from less than 5 to 100 feet. Groundwater resources in the Diamond Valley flow system outside of southern Diamond Valley have been relatively undeveloped. Data collected during phase 2 of the study (2006-09) included micrometeorological data at 4 evapotranspiration stations, 3 located in natural vegetation and 1 located in an agricultural field; groundwater levels in 95 wells; water-quality constituents in aquifers and springs at 21 locations; lithologic information from 7 recently drilled wells; and geophysical logs from 3 well sites. This report describes what was accomplished during phase 2 of the study, provides the data collected, and presents the approaches to strengthen relations between evapotranspiration rates measured at micrometeorological stations and spatially distributed groundwater discharge. This report also presents the approach to improve delineation of areas of groundwater discharge and describes the current methodology used to improve the accuracy of spatially distributed groundwater discharge rates in the Diamond Valley flow system.

A Statewide Private Microwave Wide Area Network for Real-time Natural Hazard Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, M. C.; Kent, G.; Smith, K. D.; Plank, G.; Slater, D.; Torrisi, J.; Presser, R.; Straley, K.

2013-12-01

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL) at the University of Nevada, Reno, operates the Nevada Seismic Network, a collection of ground motion instruments installed throughout Nevada and California, for the purposes of detecting, locating, and notifying the public of earthquakes in the state. To perform these tasks effectively, NSL has designed and built a statewide wireless microwave wide-area network (WAN) in order to receive ground motion data in near real-time. This network consists of radio access points, backhauls, and backbone communication sites transmitting time-series, images, and datalogger diagnostics to our data center servers in Reno. This privately managed communication network greatly reduces the dependence on third-party infrastructure (e.g. commercial cellular networks), and is vital for emergency management response and system uptime. Any individual seismograph or data collection device is networked through a wireless point-to-multipoint connection to a remote access point (AP) using a low-cost radio/routerboard combination. Additional point-to-point connections from AP's to radio backhauls and/or mountaintop backbone sites allow the Data Center in Reno to communicate with and receive data directly from each datalogger. Dataloggers, radios, and routers can be configured using tablets on-site, or via desktop computers at the Data Center. Redundant mountaintop links can be added to the network and facilitate the re-routing of data (similar to a meshed network) in the event of a faulty, failing, or noisy communication site. All routers, radios, and servers, including those at the Data Center, have redundant power and can operate independently in the event of a grid power or public Internet outage. A managed server room at the Data Center processes earthquake data for notifications and acts as a data source for remote users. Consisting of about 500 hosts, and spanning hundreds of miles, this WAN provides network operators access to each router and datalogger in our seismic network not only for data collection, but also for maintenance and quality control. This has resulted in several partnerships with other agencies. In addition to our seismic station network for earthquake monitoring, we currently manage ~400 more channels of data (many running at 500 Hz) for the National Center for Nuclear Security (NCNS) Source Physics Experiments, a series of chemical explosions at the Nevada National Security Site. Some of our mountaintop stations have been experimentally equipped with near-infrared high-definition fire cameras for wildfire monitoring, and have recently recorded the Bison and Pedlar fires in northwest Nevada. Data for the Nevada EPSCor climate program also utilizes the NSL WAN. Real-time access to data for these experiments greatly reduces the effort required for data archival, quality control, and monitoring equipment failures. Future plans include increasing density of stations in urban areas such as Reno and Las Vegas, and expanding coverage to Tahoe and eastern Nevada.

Air Monitoring Network at Tonopah Test Range: Network Description, Capabilities, and Analytical Results

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

Hartwell, William T.; Daniels, Jeffrey; Nikolich, George

2012-01-01

During the period April to June 2008, at the behest of the Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO); the Desert Research Institute (DRI) constructed and deployed two portable environmental monitoring stations at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) as part of the Environmental Restoration Project Soils Activity. DRI has operated these stations since that time. A third station was deployed in the period May to September 2011. The TTR is located within the northwest corner of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), and covers an area of approximately 725.20 km2 (280 mi2). The primarymore » objective of the monitoring stations is to evaluate whether and under what conditions there is wind transport of radiological contaminants from Soils Corrective Action Units (CAUs) associated with Operation Roller Coaster on TTR. Operation Roller Coaster was a series of tests, conducted in 1963, designed to examine the stability and dispersal of plutonium in storage and transportation accidents. These tests did not result in any nuclear explosive yield. However, the tests did result in the dispersal of plutonium and contamination of surface soils in the surrounding area.« less

The 2008 Mw 6.0 Wells, Nevada Earthquake Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, K.; Depolo, D.; Torrisi, J.; Edwards, N.; Biasi, G.; Slater, D.

2008-12-01

The Mw 6.0 February 21, 2008 (06:16 AM PDT) Wells, Nevada normal faulting earthquake occurred in Town Creek Flat about 8 km northeast of the small community of Wells. A preliminary set of about 1000 aftershock relocations clearly defines a 55-60 degree southeast dipping fault plane. The structure projects to the surface along the southern end of the Snake Range, although no surface offsets have been identified. The earthquake occurred east of the Ruby Mountains and Snake Range west dipping range front faults, possibly on a northern extension of an east dipping normal fault system on the eastern side of the East Humbolt Range. The depth of the mainshock is estimated to be 10.5 km with the aftershock sequence extending to about 15 km. Typical of moderate sized Basin and Range earthquakes, the early aftershock period included several earthquakes of M > 4 and these were felt strongly by the residents of Wells. From the preliminary relocations, the source radius of the mainshock is estimated to be about 4 km, resulting in an estimated displacement of 55 to 83 cm and static stress drop of 72 to 86 bars, depending on the seismic moment estimate used. Aftershock relocations suggest a radial rupture mechanism. Fortunately, the EarthScope USArray network was operating in Nevada at the time of the event and provided unique controls on the mainshock and early aftershock locations. The earthquake occurred in an area of relatively low seismic hazard and the only permanent seismograph in the region was the U.S. National Network broadband station east of the Ruby Mountains south of Wells. The University of Utah and University of Nevada deployed locally recorded strong motion instruments in the Wells area. Also, an 8 station IP telemetered strong motion network, jointly deployed by the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Nevada Reno, provided real-time data for quick high-quality aftershock relocations and ground motion estimates. In addition, the University of Utah established several telemetered analog stations for improved aftershock locations. IP data communications was routed through the Nevada Department of Information Technology microwave communications site north of Wells. The aftershock deployment was not possible without the considerable support of a number of public and private agencies in the Wells area and the Wells community itself. Many unreinforced masonry structures in old-town Wells, dating to the early 1900's, experienced significant damage. There was also damage to homes and businesses within the community, including the local High School, but fortunately there were no serious injuries associated with the earthquake.

14. VIEW IN THE WEST OPERATING GALLERY OF POSTMORTEM CELL ...

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

14. VIEW IN THE WEST OPERATING GALLERY OF POST-MORTEM CELL WORK STATION AND MANIPULATOR ARMS. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Principal facts for a gravity survey of the Double Hot Springs Known Geothermal Resource Area, Humboldt County, Nevada

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

Peterson, D.L.; Kaufmann, H.E.

1978-01-01

During July 1977, forty-nine gravity stations were obtained in the Double Hot Springs Known Geothermal Resource Area and vicinity, northwestern Nevada. The gravity observations were made with a Worden gravimeter having a scale factor of about 0.5 milligal per division. No terrain corrections have been applied to these data. The earth tide correction was not used in drift reduction. The Geodetic Reference System 1967 formula (International Association of Geodesy, 1967) was used to compute theoretical gravity.

Meteorological data for four sites at surface-disruption features in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1985-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carman, Rita L.

1994-01-01

Surface-disruption features, or craters, resulting from underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site may increase the potential for ground-water recharge in an area that would normally produce little, if any, recharge. This report presents selected meteorological data resulting from a study of two surface-disruption features during May 1985 through June 1986. The data were collected at four adjacent sites in Yucca Flat, about 56 kilometers north of Mercury, Nevada. Three sites (one in each of two craters and one at an undisturbed site at the original land surface) were instrumented to collect meteorological data for calculating bare-soil evaporation. These data include (1) long-wave radiation, (2) short-wave radiation, (3) net radiation, (4) air temperae, and (5) soil surface temperature. Meteorological data also were collected at a weather station at an undisturbed site near the study craters. Data collected at this site include (1) air temperature, (2) relative humidity, (3) wind velocity, and (4) wind direction.

View of Lake Mead and Las Vegas, Nevada area from Sklyab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-08-01

SL3-28-059 (July-September 1973) --- A vertical view of the Lake Mead and Las Vegas, Nevada area as photographed from Earth orbit by one of the six lenses of the Itek-furnished S190-A Multispectral Photographic Facility Experiment aboard the Skylab space station. Lake Mead is water of the Colorado River impounded by Hoover Dam. Most of the land in the picture is Nevada. However, a part of the northwest corner of Arizona can be seen. Federal agencies participating with NASA on the EREP project are the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers. All EREP photography is available to the public through the Department of Interior?s Earth Resources Observations Systems Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57198. Photo credit: NASA

GPS and InSAR Observations of Active Mountain Growth Across the Sierra Nevada/Great Basin Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W. C.; Blewitt, G.; Li, Z.; Kreemer, C. W.; Plag, H.

2010-12-01

Topographic relief across the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Great Basin of the western United States is dominated by mountain ranges and valleys that are the product of active tectonic deformation. The contemporary rate of uplift of the Sierra Nevada via slip on range front faults and/or tilting of the Sierra Nevada/Great Valley microplate (SNGV) has been the subject of controversy. For example, geologic estimates of the age of the modern range topography vary by one order of magnitude, from 3 to 30 million years. With present elevations near 3 km, the more rapid of these implied rates is large enough to be detected by the most precise GPS measurements. We use GPS vertical and horizontal components, and InSAR time series analysis to address these long standing questions about the rates of Sierran uplift. The data are from western U.S. high precision GPS networks including the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory, its nucleus networks, the University of Nevada Mobile Array of GPS for Nevada Transtension, and from integrated InSAR+GPS time series analysis of ERS and ENVISAT scenes acquired between 1992 and 2010 from the GeoEarthScope and WinSAR data archives. GPS data are processed using the GIPSY OASIS II software, with ambiguities resolved, ocean tidal loading, latest GMF troposphere model and antenna calibrations applied. InSAR time series analysis results provide enhanced geographic resolution, improving our ability to locate the boundary of SNGV block-like behavior. Vertical velocities from long-running continuous stations in eastern Nevada are very similar to one another, averaging -0.1 mm/yr, with standard deviation of 0.27 mm/yr, placing an upper bound on the uncertainty in vertical rates. We find agreement between the results of InSAR time series analysis aligned to GPS and GPS line of site rates at the level of 0.35 mm/yr, placing an upper bound on the uncertainty of InSAR time series results. Because we seek to infer long-term uplift rates, applicable over millions of years, we correct the geodetic velocity field for postseismic transients from earthquakes that can cause long-wavelength distortions of the GPS velocity field. The signal of viscoelastic relaxation from historic earthquakes in Central Nevada is clearly visible in the data. We remove this transient relaxation by subtracting the predictions from a published model, although the effect on SNGV vertical motion is negligible. There is general agreement among stations on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, near the central and southern Sierra between latitude 36° and 39°, that the rates are between 0.8 and 1.6 mm/yr upward with respect to eastern Nevada. These rates are in broad agreement with normal slip rates on the range front faults along the eastern edge of the SNGV estimated using block models constrained by horizontal GPS measurements. Thus our results agree with models that call for a Sierra Nevada uplift rate near 1 mm/yr, and a younger Sierra Nevada whose age is on the order of 3 Ma.

Water supply for the Nuclear Rocket Development Station at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Nevada Test Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, Richard Arden

1972-01-01

The Nuclear Rocket Development Station, in Jackass Flats, occupies about 123 square miles in the southwestern part of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Nevada Test Site. Jackass Flats, an intermontane valley bordered by highlands on all sides except for a drainage outlet in the southwestern corner, has an average annual rainfall of 4 inches. Jackass Flats is underlain by alluvium, colluvium, and volcanic rocks of Cenozoic age and, at greater depth, by sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age. The alluvium and the colluvium lie above the saturated zone throughout nearly all of Jackass Flats. The Paleozoic sedimentary rocks contain limestone and dolomite units that are excellent water producers elsewhere ; however, these units are too deep in Jackass Flats to be economic sources of water. The only important water-producing unit known in the vicinity of the Nuclear Rocket Development Station is a welded-tuff aquifer, the Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff, which receives no significant recharge. This member contains about 500 feet of highly fractured rock underlying an area 11 miles long and 3 miles wide in western Jackass Flats. Permeability of the aquifer is derived mostly from joints and fractures; however, some permeability may be derived from gas bubbles in the upper part of the unit. Transmissivity, obtained from pumping tests, ranges from 68,000 to 488,000 gallons per day per foot. Volume of the saturated part of the aquifer is about 3.5 cubic miles, and the average specific yield probably ranges from 1 to 5 percent. The volume of ground water in storage is probably within the range of 37-187 billion gallons. This large amount of water should be sufficient to supply the needs of the Nuclear Rocket Development Station for many years. Water at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station is used for public supply, construction, test-cell coolant, exhaust cooling, and thermal shielding during nuclear reactor and engine testing, and washdown. Present (1967) average consumption of water is 520,000 gallons per day--all supplied by one well. This supply well and a standby well have a production capability of 1.6 million gallons per day--adequate for present needs. Water in the welded-tuff aquifer is of the sodium bicarbonate type. Dissolved-solids content of the water in Jackass Flats is in the general range 230 milligrams per liter in the western part to 890 milligrams per liter in the eastern part.

Operation Upshot-Knothole, Nevada Proving Grounds, March-June 1953. Project 8.5. Thermal Radiation Protection Afforded Test Animals by Fabric Assemblies

DTIC Science & Technology

1955-07-01

material. More recently its efforts have been concentrated on the development of an inanimate backing material that will simulate the time-temperature...the front and to the side of thc animals photographed. The motion photography for the 4500 ft. station was obtained by moving a total of six test... concentrated in areas adjacent to that covered by the drawstring. An example of such a burn is shown in Fig. 3.1. Seventeen pigs which were burned did

Timber Mountain Precipitation Monitoring Station

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

Lyles, Brad; McCurdy, Greg; Chapman, Jenny

2012-01-01

A precipitation monitoring station was placed on the west flank of Timber Mountain during the year 2010. It is located in an isolated highland area near the western border of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), south of Pahute Mesa. The cost of the equipment, permitting, and installation was provided by the Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI) project. Data collection, analysis, and maintenance of the station during fiscal year 2011 was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office Environmental Restoration, Soils Activity. The station is located near the western headwaters of Forty Milemore » Wash on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). Overland flows from precipitation events that occur in the Timber Mountain high elevation area cross several of the contaminated Soils project CAU (Corrective Action Unit) sites located in the Forty Mile Wash watershed. Rain-on-snow events in the early winter and spring around Timber Mountain have contributed to several significant flow events in Forty Mile Wash. The data from the new precipitation gauge at Timber Mountain will provide important information for determining runoff response to precipitation events in this area of the NNSS. Timber Mountain is also a groundwater recharge area, and estimation of recharge from precipitation was important for the EMSI project in determining groundwater flowpaths and designing effective groundwater monitoring for Yucca Mountain. Recharge estimation additionally provides benefit to the Underground Test Area Sub-project analysis of groundwater flow direction and velocity from nuclear test areas on Pahute Mesa. Additionally, this site provides data that has been used during wild fire events and provided a singular monitoring location of the extreme precipitation events during December 2010 (see data section for more details). This letter report provides a summary of the site location, equipment, and data collected in fiscal year 2011.« less

Geophysical studies in the vicinity of Blue Mountain and Pumpernickel Valley near Winnemucca, north-central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.

2012-01-01

From May 2008 to September 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected data from more than 660 gravity stations, 100 line-km of truck-towed magnetometer traverses, and 260 physical-property sites in the vicinity of Blue Mountain and Pumpernickel Valley, northern Nevada (fig. 1). Gravity, magnetic, and physical-property data were collected to study regional crustal structures as an aid to understanding the geologic framework of the Blue Mountain and Pumpernickel Valley areas, which in general, have implications for mineral- and geothermal-resource investigations throughout the Great Basin.

Gravity data of Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.

1997-01-01

Gravity data for the entire state of Nevada and adjacent parts of California, Utah, and Arizona are available on this CD-ROM. About 80,000 gravity stations were compiled primarily from the National Geophysical Data Center and the U.S. Geological Survey. Gravity data was reduced to the Geodetic Reference System of 1967 and adjusted to the Gravity Standardization Net 1971 gravity datum. Data were processed to complete Bouguer and isostatic gravity anomalies by applying standard gravity corrections including terrain and isostatic corrections. Selected principal fact references and a list of sources for data from the National Geophysical Data Center are included.

Gravity Data from Newark Valley, White Pine County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, Edward A.; McKee, Edwin H.

2007-01-01

The Newark Valley area, eastern Nevada is one of thirteen major ground-water basins investigated by the BARCAS (Basin and Range Carbonate Aquifer Study) Project. Gravity data are being used to help characterize the geophysical framework of the region. Although gravity coverage was extensive over parts of the BARCAS study area, data were sparse for a number of the valleys, including the northern part of Newark Valley. We addressed this lack of data by establishing seventy new gravity stations in and around Newark Valley. All available gravity data were then evaluated to determine their reliability, prior to calculating an isostatic residual gravity map to be used for subsequent analyses. A gravity inversion method was used to calculate depths to pre-Cenozoic basement rock and estimates of maximum alluvial/volcanic fill. The enhanced gravity coverage and the incorporation of lithologic information from several deep oil and gas wells yields a view of subsurface shape of the basin and will provide information useful for the development of hydrogeologic models for the region.

Precipitation structure in the Sierra Nevada of California during winter

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pandey, G.R.; Cayan, D.R.; Georgakakos, K.P.

1999-01-01

Influences of upper air characteristics along the coast of California upon wintertime (November-April) precipitation in the Sierra Nevada are investigated. Precipitation events in the Sierra Nevada region occur mostly during wintertime, irrespective of station location (leeside or wihdside) and elevation. Most precipitation episodes in the region are associated with moist southwesterly winds (coming from the southwest direction) and also tend to occur when the 700-mbar temperature at the upwind direction is close to -2??C. This favored wind direction and temperature signify the importance of both moisture transport and orographic lifting in augmenting precipitation in the region. By utilizing the observed dependency of the precipitation upon the upper air conditions, a linear model is formulated to quantify the precipitation observed at different sites as a function of moisture transport. The skill of the model increases with timescale of aggregation, reaching more than 50% variance explained at an aggregation period of 5-7 days. This indicates that upstream air moisture transport can be used to estimate the precipitation totals in the Sierra Nevada region. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Preliminary results on the NPE experiment

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

Cansi, Y.; Crusem, R.; Masso, J.P.

1994-12-31

Answering to an invitation of the DOE, the Laboratoire de Detection et de Geophysique du Commissariat a I`Energie Atomique (CEA/LDG) participated to the seismic measurements associated with the NPE Experiment organized by the DOE at the Nevada Test Site. Our main motivations were: to evaluate and compare the capabilities of detection and location of the two types of the so-called alpha stations which composed the Experimental International Seismic System (i.e.: the composite stations and the miniarrays) and this in a regional environnement, to calibrate these stations with a chemical blast of known energy within a given propagation structure.

Project 57 Air Monitoring Report: October 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014

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

Mizell, Steve A.; Nikolich, George; McCurdy, Greg

On April 24, 1957, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC, now the Department of Energy [DOE]) conducted the Project 57 safety experiment in western Emigrant Valley north east of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site) on lands withdrawn by the Department of Defense (DoD) for the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The test was undertaken to develop (1) a means of estimating plutonium distribution resulting from a nonnuclear detonation; (2) biomedical evaluation techniques for use in plutonium-laden environments; (3) methods of surface decontamination; and (4) instruments and field procedures for prompt estimation of alpha contaminationmore » (Shreve, 1958). Although the test did not result in the fission of nuclear materials, it did disseminate plutonium across the land surface. Following the experiment, the AEC fenced the contaminated area and returned control of the surrounding land to the DoD. Various radiological surveys have been performed in the area and in 2007, the DOE expanded the demarked contamination area by posting signs 200 to 400 feet (60 to 120 meters) outside of the original fence. Plutonium in soil is thought to attach preferentially to smaller particles. Therefore, redistribution of soil particulates by wind (dust) is the mechanism most likely to transport plutonium beyond the boundary of the Project 57 contamination area. In 2011, DRI installed two instrumentation towers to measure radiological, meteorological, and dust conditions. The monitoring activity was implemented to determine if radionuclide contamination was detectable in samples of airborne dust and characterize meteorological and environmental parameters that influence dust transport. Collected data also permits comparison of radiological conditions at the Project 57 monitoring stations to conditions observed at Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) stations around the NTTR. Biweekly samples of airborne particulates are submitted for laboratory assessment of gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity and for determination of gamma-emitting radionuclides. Annual average gross alpha values at the Project 57 monitoring stations are in the same range as the highest two values reported for the CEMP stations surrounding the NTTR. Annual average gross beta values at the Project 57 monitoring stations are slightly higher than the lowest value reported for the CEMP stations surrounding the NTTR. Gamma spectroscopy analyses on samples collected from the Project 57 stations identified only naturally occurring radionuclides. No manmade radionuclides were detected. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) indicated that the average annual radioactivity dose at the monitoring stations is higher than the dose determined at surrounding CEMP stations but approximately half of the estimated national average dose received by the general public as a result of exposure to natural sources. The TLDs at the Project 57 monitoring stations are exposed to both natural sources (terrestrial and cosmic) and radioactive releases from the Project 57 contamination area. These comparisons show that the gross alpha, gross beta, and gamma spectroscopy levels at the Project 57 monitoring stations are similar to levels observed at the CEMP stations but that the average annual dose rate is higher than at the CEMP stations. Winds in excess of approximately 15 mph begin to generate dust movement by saltation (migration of sand at the ground surface) or direct suspension in the air. Saltated sand, PM10 (inhalable) dust, and PM2.5 (fine particulate dust) exhibit an approximately exponential increase with increasing wind speed. The greatest concentrations of dust occur for winds exceeding 20 mph. During the reporting period, winds in excess of 20 mph occurred approximately 1.6 percent of the time. Preliminary assessment of individual wind events suggests that dust generation is highly variable likely because of the influence of other meteorological and environmental parameters. Although winds sufficient to generate significant amounts of dust occur at the Project 57 site, they are infrequent and of short duration. Additionally, the potential for wind transport of dust is dependent on other parameters whose influence have not yet been assessed.« less

Applications of a Next-Generation MDAC Discrimination Procedure Using Two-Dimensional Grids of Regional P/S Spectral Ratios

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

explosions (UNEs) at the Semipalatinsk Test Site and regional earthquakes recorded by station WMQ (Urumchi, China). Measurements from the grids are... Semipalatinsk , Lop Nor, Novaya Zemlya, and Nevada Test Sites (STS, LNTS, NZTS, NTS, respectively) and regional earthquakes. We used phase-specific window...stations (triangles) within 2000 km of STS and LNTS. Semipalatinsk Test Site Figure 2 shows Pn/Lg spectral ratios, corrected for site and distance

Assessing the spatial variability of mountain precipitation in California's Sierra Nevada using the Airborne Snow Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, T.; Deems, J. S.; Painter, T. H.; Dozier, J.

2016-12-01

In California's Sierra Nevada, 10 or fewer winter storms are responsible for most of the annual precipitation, which falls mostly as snow. Presently, surface stations are used to measure the dynamics of mountain precipitation. However, even in places like the Sierra Nevada—one of the most gauged regions in the world—the paucity of surface stations can lead to large errors in precipitation thereby biasing both total water year and short-term streamflow forecasts. Remotely sensed snow depth and water equivalent, at a time scale that resolves storms, might provide a novel solution to the problems of: (1) quantifying the spatial variability of mountain precipitation; and (2) assessing gridded precipitation products that are mostly based on surface station interpolation. NASA's Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO), an imaging spectrometer and LiDAR system, has measured snow in the Tuolumne River Basin in California's Sierra Nevada for the past four years, 2013-2016; and, measurements will continue. Principally, ASO monitors the progression of melt for water supply forecasting, nonetheless, a number of flights bracketed storms allowing for estimates of snow accumulation. In this study we examine a few of the ASO recorded storms to determine both the basin and subbasin orographic effect as well as the spatial patterns in total precipitation. We then compare these results to a number of gridded climate products and weather models including: Daymet, the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM), the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2), and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Finally, to put each ASO recorded storm into context, we use a climatology produced from snow pillows and the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) for 2014-2016 to examine key accumulation events, and classify storms based on their integrated water vapor flux.

CLOSURE REPORT FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION UNIT165: AREA 25 AND 26 DRY WELL AND WASH DOWN AREAS, NEVADA TEST SITE, NEVADA

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

BECHTEL NEVADA

This Closure Report (CR) documents the closure activities for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 165, Area 25 and 26 Dry Well and Washdown Areas, according to the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) of 1996. CAU 165 consists of 8 Corrective Action Sites (CASs) located in Areas 25 and 26 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The NTS is located approximately 105 kilometers (65 miles) northwest of Las Vegas, nevada. Site closure activities were performed according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP)-approved Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for CAU 165. CAU 165 consists of the following CASs: (1) CASmore » 25-07-06, Train Decontamination Area; (2) CAS 25-07-07, Vehicle Washdown; (3) CAS 25-20-01, Lab Drain Dry Well; (4) CAS 25-47-01, Reservoir and French Drain; (5) CAS 25-51-02, Drywell; (6) CAS 25-59-01, Septic System; (7) CAS 26-07-01, Vehicle Washdown Station; and (8) CAS 26-59-01, Septic System. CAU 165, Area 25 and 26 Dry Well and Washdown Areas, consists of eight CASs located in Areas 25 and 26 of the NTS. The approved closure alternatives included No Further Action, Clean Closure, and Closure in Place with Administrative Controls.« less

Geodetic Constraints on the Rigidity and Eastern Boundary of the Sierra Nevada Micro-Plate, from Mohawk Valley to Southern Walker Lane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreemer, C. W.; Hammond, W. C.; Blewitt, G.

2009-12-01

The Sierra Nevada - Great Valley (SNGV) micro-plate has long been recognized as a tectonically rigid, though mobile, entity within the Pacific - North America plate boundary zone. The motion of the SNGV relative to stable North America (and the Colorado Plateau) provides the kinematic boundary condition for, and perhaps drives, the deformation in the Basin and Range Province (BRP) and Walker Lane. In the north the motion of the SNGV is aligned with the Mohawk Valley fault zone, which could have a slip rate of over a few mm/yr. The crest of the Sierras marks the SNGV’s eastern edge, but the obliquity between orientation of this boundary and the block’s motion implies an expected increase in rangefront-normal extension from the northern to southern Walker Lane. We use new GPS data from the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) and our own semi-continuous MAGNET network to revisit the following questions: 1) Do the data still support rigidity of the SNGV?; 2) How far east does the rigidity extend and how does this relate to SNGV lithology?; 3) How does the direction of SNGV motion relate to the strike of its eastern margin and observed strain partitioning (and its along strike variation) in the Walker Lane?; and 4) How is SNGV-BRP motion accommodated between the Walker Lane and the Cascadia forearc? We analyze data from all the available continuous GPS sites in the greater SNGV region, including new data from PBO, as well as data from MAGNET. All data are processed with the GIPSY-OASIS II precise point positioning software using recently reprocessed orbits from JPL's IGS Analysis Center. The processing includes satellite and station antenna calibrations and all data have the phase ambiguities fixed using the Ambizap algorithm. Positions are estimated in our custom-made North America reference frame in which continental-scale common-mode errors are removed. Velocities and uncertainties are estimated using the CATS software in which we assuming an error model with flicker plus white noise. Many stations in the Great Valley show anomalous horizontal motions compared to the most stable stations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These motions are likely due to hydrological effects in the Great Valley, which can be seen in the significant subsidence that occurs at these stations. Consequently, there are a relatively small number of stations that should be used to constrain the SNGV rigid body rotation. We find that stations in the southernmost Sierra Nevada Mountains have a northward motion of >1 mm/yr relative to the central and northern Sierras. This could partly be explained in terms of regional post-seismic viscoelastic relaxation from recent earthquakes (e.g. Kern County 1952, Landers, 1992, Hector Mine1999), but may also reflect the region’s anomalous mantle dynamics.

Nevada Monitoring System to Assess Climate Variability and Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devitt, D. A.; Arnone, J.; Biondi, F.; Fenstermaker, L. F.; Saito, L.; Young, M.; Riddle, B.; Strachan, S. D.; Bird, B.; McCurdy, G.; Lyles, B. F.

2010-12-01

The Nevada System of Higher Education (University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Nevada Reno and the Desert Research Institute) was awarded a multiyear NSF EPSCoR grant to support infrastructure associated with regional climate change research. The overall project is comprised of 5 components: education, cyberinfrastructure, policy, climate modeling and water/ecology. The water and ecology components are using their infrastructure funding for the assessment of climate variability and change on ecosystem function and hydrologic services. A series of 10 m tall towers are under construction and are being equipped with a wide array of sensors to monitor atmospheric, soil and plant parameters over time. The towers are located within the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts in two transects; the Mojave Desert transect is located in the southern Nevada Sheep Mountain Range and the Great Basin transect is located in the east central Nevada Snake Mountain Range. The towers are centrally positioned in well-defined vegetation zones. In southern Nevada these zones are represented by the following plant species: Creosote/Bursage (Creosotebush scrub zone); Blackbrush/Joshua Tree (Blackbrush zone); Pinyon/ Juniper (pygmy conifer zone), Ponderosa Pine (montane zone) and Bristlecone Pine (subalpine zone). The Snake Mountain transect incorporates the eastern and western valleys on both sides of the mountain range. The vegetation zones are represented by: Greasewood and mixed shrub (salt desert zone); Big Sage (sagebrush zone); Pinyon/Juniper (pygmy conifer zone); White/Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine and Aspen (montane zone); and Bristlecone/Limber Pine and Engelmann Spruce (subalpine zone). We are currently in the third year of funding with a goal of having the majority of towers fully operational by winter 2010. In close collaboration with our cyberinfrastructure component team, all data acquired from the transect monitoring stations will be made available to other researchers and the public in Nevada and elsewhere, cooperating agencies and organizations, and State of Nevada land managers.

Evidence of Regional Warming during the 20th Century in Alpine and Subalpine Lakes in the Western United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porinchu, D.; Reinemann, S.; Potito, A.; Moser, K.; MacDonald, G.; Munroe, J.; Mark, B.; Box, J.

2007-12-01

Subfossil midge analyses have been used to develop high-resolution (sub-decadal) reconstructions of 20th century temperature change in the Sierra Nevada, CA with success. Expansion of this earlier work to additional sites in the western United States suggests that a widespread increase in lake water temperatures has occurred in this region during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Inference models for summer surface water temperature (SSWT) were developed combining midge abundance data from 56 lakes in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, with subfossil midge remains from the Uinta Mountains, UT. The newly merged Sierra Nevada-Uinta Mountains calibration set contains a greater diversity of chironomid assemblages and spans a wider SSWT range than the previously published Sierra Nevada calibration set. The lakes in the merged calibration set spanned elevation, depth, and SSWT temperature ranges of 900 m, 12.7 m, and 11.3 °C, respectively. A robust inference model for SSWT (3-component WA-PLS), based on 90 lakes, had a high coefficient of determination (r2jack = 0.66) and a low RMSEP (1.4 °C). The midge-based SSWT inference model was applied to subfossil chironomid remains extracted from well-dated sediment sequences recovered from alpine and subalpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada, CA, Snake Range, NV and Uinta Mountains, UT. A close correspondence exists between the chironomid-inferred temperature profiles for the 20th and 21st centuries and mean July or summer temperatures measured at nearby meteorological stations. Application of this midge-based SSWT inference model to other intact, late Quaternary sedimentary sequences found in subalpine and alpine lakes in the Great Basin will help resolve the impact of late Quaternary and recent climate change in this region, improve our understanding of regional climate and aquatic ecosystem variability, and can be used to monitor the effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and establish 'baseline' conditions against which future biotic changes can be compared.

Ground wave emergency network final operational capability: Environmental assessment for southern Nevada relay node site number RN 8W918NV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1993-03-01

The Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN) is a radio communication system designed to relay emergency messages between strategic military areas in the continental United States. The system is immune to the effects of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) energy surges caused by nuclear bursts in the ionosphere that would disrupt conventional communications equipment such as telephones and shortwave radios. A failure of such equipment would prevent timely communications among top military and civilian leaders and strategic Air Force locations and prevent U.S. assessment and retaliation during an attack. GWEN is an essential part of a defense modernization program to upgrade and improve our nation's communications system, thereby strengthening deterrence. The GWEN system consists of a network of relay nodes, receive-only stations, and input/output stations. Each relay node, such as the one proposed in southern Nevada consists of a guyed radio tower facility similar to those used by commercial AM broadcast transmitters.

Community Environmental Monitoring Program: a case study of public education and involvement in radiological monitoring.

PubMed

Shafer, David S; Hartwell, William T

2011-11-01

The public's trust in the source of information about radiation is a key element of its acceptance. The public tends to trust two groups where risk communication is concerned: (1) scientists with expertise who are viewed as acting independently; and (2) friends, family, and other close associates who are viewed as sharing the same interests and concern, even if they have less knowledge of the subject. The Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) bridges both of these groups by having members of the public help operate and communicate results of a network of 29 radiation monitoring stations around the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), formerly known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS), the principal continental location where the United States conducted nuclear tests. The CEMP stations, spread across a 160,000 km area, help provide evidence to the public that no releases of radiation of health concern are occurring from the NNSS to public receptors. The stations provide continuous measurements of gamma radiation and collect air particulate samples that are analyzed for radioactivity and meteorological measurements that aid in interpreting variations in background radiation. A public website (http://cemp.dri.edu) provides data for most instruments. Twenty-three of the 29 stations upload their data in near-real time to a public website as well as to digital readout displays at the stations, both of which are key elements in the CEMP's transparency. The remaining six stations upload their data hourly. Public stakeholders who are direct participants provide the most significant element of the CEMP. The "Community Environmental Monitors," who are residents of towns where the stations are located, are part of the chain-of-custody for the air samples, perform minor station maintenance, and most significantly in terms of trust, serve as lay experts on issues concerning the NNSS and on ionizing radiation and nuclear technologies in general. The CEMP meets nearly all of the principles for stakeholder engagement identified by the International Radiation Protection Association.

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 261: Area 25 Test Cell A Leachfield System, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

T. M. Fitzmaurice

2001-04-01

The purpose of this Closure Report (CR) is to provide documentation of the completed corrective action at the Test Cell A Leachfield System and to provide data confirming the corrective action. The Test Cell A Leachfield System is identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) of 1996 as Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 261. Remediation of CAU 261 is required under the FFACO (1996). CAU 261 is located in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) which is approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada (Figure 1). CAU 261 consists of two Corrective Actionmore » Sites (CASS): CAS 25-05-01, Leachfield; and CAS 25-05-07, Acid Waste Leach Pit (AWLP) (Figures 2 and 3). Test Cell A was operated during the 1960s and 1970s to support the Nuclear Rocket Development Station. Various operations within Building 3124 at Test Cell A resulted in liquid waste releases to the Leachfield and the AWLP. The following existing site conditions were reported in the Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD) (U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office [DOE/NV], 1999): Soil in the leachfield was found to exceed the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) Action Level for petroleum hydrocarbons, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) preliminary remediation goals for semi volatile organic compounds, and background concentrations for strontium-90; Soil below the sewer pipe and approximately 4.5 meters (m) (15 feet [ft]) downstream of the initial outfall was found to exceed background concentrations for cesium-137 and strontium-90; Sludge in the leachfield septic tank was found to exceed the NDEP Action Level for petroleum hydrocarbons and to contain americium-241, cesium-137, uranium-234, uranium-238, potassium-40, and strontium-90; No constituents of concern (COC) were identified at the AWLP. The NDEP-approved CADD (DOWNV, 1999) recommended Corrective Action Alternative 2, ''Closure of the Septic Tank and Distribution Box, Partial Excavation, and Administrative Controls.'' The corrective action was performed following the NDEP-approved Corrective Action Plan (CAP) (DOE/NV, 2000).« less

Gravity survey and depth to bedrock in Carson Valley, Nevada-California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maurer, D.K.

1985-01-01

Gravity data were obtained from 460 stations in Carson Valley, Nevada and California. The data have been interpreted to obtain a map of approximate depth to bedrock for use in a ground-water model of the valley. This map delineates the shape of the alluvium-filled basin and shows that the maximum depth to bedrock exceeds 5,000 feet, on the west side of the valley. A north-south trending offset in the bedrock surface shows that the Carson-Valley/Pine-Nut-Mountain block has not been tilted to the west as a simple unit, but is comprised of several smaller blocks. (USGS)

Tonopah, Nevada, Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-21

i AL CLMATCL.,.Y T CPSYCHROMETRIC SUMMARY 2 1-ap WET BULB TEAPERATURE DEPRESSIO . F 0’ 1 I 2 3.4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1- 1?2 3 4 5- 16 17 10 19 20 22 21 24...FEB STATION STATION SAW AS$ MOST% *PAGE 7 ?VO-2300 miwas 1. S. T. T.WIT RULE TEMPERATURE DEPRESSIOal (F)TA TOTAL o I -A 7.8a I o. V011-1 6 3 OA i

Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO) for Yucca Flat Air Strip, Mercury, Nevada. Parts A-F

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-28

FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) 03133 YUCCA FLAT AIR STRIP NV 6-77 SEF STATION STATION KANE TSARS NONIN ALL WF&THEk 1200...92.8 92.8 929 92.# 92.2 92.! 92. 92*, 92.6T 9*81 93.,* ~ 9. 3 3 393.3. 93. 9393. 93.22 93 9 9393 93󈨡 93.2 93.21 93.4 93.5 W 94.9 95.09a 9590 9. 51 51

David LoVullo | NREL

Science.gov Websites

, NREL Technical Report (2017) Energy Assessment Toolkits, NREL Technical Report (2017) Solid-State Lighting Replacement and Maintenance of Lighting Design Goals, NREL Technical Report (2017) Nevada National Security Site 23 Solar and Storage Assessment, NREL Technical Report (2016) Tiller Ranger Station Net Zero

75 FR 45109 - Kern River Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-02

... the Dry Lake Compressor Station located in Clark County, Nevada; Six mainline valves; and Three pig \\2\\ launcher and two pig receiver facilities. \\2\\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry a...

Geothermal GIS coverage of the Great Basin, USA: Defining regional controls and favorable exploration terrains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coolbaugh, M.F.; Sawatzky, D.L.; Oppliger, G.L.; Minor, T.B.; Raines, G.L.; Shevenell, L.; Blewitt, G.; Louie, J.N.

2003-01-01

A geographic information system (GIS) of geothermal resources, built last year for the state of Nevada, is being expanded to cover the Great Basin, USA. Data from that GIS is being made available to industry, other researchers, and the public via a web site at the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, Reno, Nevada. That web site features a search engine, supports ArcExplorer?? for on-line map construction, and provides downloadable data layers in several formats. Though data collection continues, preliminary analysis has begun. Contour maps of geothermal temperatures, constructed using geothermometer temperatures calculated from a Great Basin geochemical database compiled by the Geo-Heat Center, reveal distinctive trends and patterns. As expected, magmatic-type and extensional-type geothermal systems have profoundly different associations, with magmatic-type systems following major tectonic boundaries, and extensional-type systems associating with regionally high heat flow, thin crust, active faulting, and high extensional strain rates. As described by earlier researchers, including Rowen and Wetlaufer (1981) and Koenig and McNitt (1983), high-temperature (> 100??C) geothermal systems appear to follow regional northeast trends, most conspicuously including the Humboldt structural zone in Nevada, the "Black Rock-Alvord Desert" trend in Oregon and Nevada, and the "Newcastle-Roosevelt" trend in Utah and Nevada. Weights-of-evidence analyses confirm a preference of high-temperature geothermal systems for young northeast-trending faults, but the distribution of geothermal systems correlates even better with high rates of crustal extension, as measured from global positioning system (GPS) stations in Nevada. A predictive map of geothermal potential based only on areas of high extensional strain rates and high heat flux does an excellent job of regionally predicting the location of most known geothermal systems in Nevada, and may prove useful in identifying blind systems.

Online Resource for Earth-Observing Satellite Sensor Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCorkel, J.; Czapla-Myers, J.; Thome, K.; Wenny, B.

2015-01-01

The Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) at Railroad Valley Playa, Nevada is being developed by the University of Arizona to enable improved accuracy and consistency for airborne and satellite sensor calibration. Primary instrumentation at the site consists of ground-viewing radiometers, a sun photometer, and a meteorological station. Measurements made by these instruments are used to calculate surface reflectance, atmospheric properties and a prediction for top-of-atmosphere reflectance and radiance. This work will leverage research for RadCaTS, and describe the requirements for an online database, associated data formats and quality control, and processing levels.

Addendum to the Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 403: Second Gas Station, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Grant Evenson

This document constitutes an addendum to the Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 403: Second Gas Station, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, September 1998 as described in the document Supplemental Investigation Report for FFACO Use Restrictions, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (SIR) dated November 2008. The SIR document was approved by NDEP on December 5, 2008. The approval of the SIR document constituted approval of each of the recommended UR removals. In conformance with the SIR document, this addendum consists of: • This page that refers the reader to the SIR document for additional information • The cover, title, and signature pagesmore » of the SIR document • The NDEP approval letter • The corresponding section of the SIR document This addendum provides the documentation justifying the cancellation of the UR for CAS 03-02-004-0360, Underground Storage Tanks. This UR was established as part of a Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) corrective action and is based on the presence of contaminants at concentrations greater than the action levels established at the time of the initial investigation (FFACO, 1996). Since this UR was established, practices and procedures relating to the implementation of risk-based corrective actions (RBCA) have changed. Therefore, this UR was reevaluated against the current RBCA criteria as defined in the Industrial Sites Project Establishment of Final Action Levels (NNSA/NSO, 2006). This re-evaluation consisted of comparing the original data (used to define the need for the UR) to risk-based final action levels (FALs) developed using the current Industrial Sites RBCA process. The re-evaluation resulted in a recommendation to remove the UR because contamination is not present at the site above the risk-based FALs. Requirements for inspecting and maintaining this UR will be canceled, and the postings and signage at this site will be removed. Fencing and posting may be present at this site that are unrelated to the FFACO UR such as for radiological control purposes as required by the NV/YMP Radiological Control Manual (NNSA/NSO, 2004). This modification will not affect or modify any non-FFACO requirements for fencing, posting, or monitoring at this site.« less

Techniques for estimating monthly mean streamflow at gaged sites and monthly streamflow duration characteristics at ungaged sites in central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, G.W.; Bohman, L.R.

1996-01-01

Techniques for estimating monthly mean streamflow at gaged sites and monthly streamflow duration characteristics at ungaged sites in central Nevada were developed using streamflow records at six gaged sites and basin physical and climatic characteristics. Streamflow data at gaged sites were related by regression techniques to concurrent flows at nearby gaging stations so that monthly mean streamflows for periods of missing or no record can be estimated for gaged sites in central Nevada. The standard error of estimate for relations at these sites ranged from 12 to 196 percent. Also, monthly streamflow data for selected percent exceedence levels were used in regression analyses with basin and climatic variables to determine relations for ungaged basins for annual and monthly percent exceedence levels. Analyses indicate that the drainage area and percent of drainage area at altitudes greater than 10,000 feet are the most significant variables. For the annual percent exceedence, the standard error of estimate of the relations for ungaged sites ranged from 51 to 96 percent and standard error of prediction for ungaged sites ranged from 96 to 249 percent. For the monthly percent exceedence values, the standard error of estimate of the relations ranged from 31 to 168 percent, and the standard error of prediction ranged from 115 to 3,124 percent. Reliability and limitations of the estimating methods are described.

75 FR 10174 - Source-Specific Federal Implementation Plan for Navajo Generating Station; Navajo Nation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

... Reclamation, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Arizona Public Service, the Nevada Power... over any normal 6 minute period, excluding condensed water vapour, and 40% opacity, averaged over 6 minutes, during absorber upset transition periods. The final opacity standard excludes uncombined water...

The study of ozone variations in the Las Vegas metropolitan area using remote sensing information and ground observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xian, G.; Crane, M.

2006-01-01

Urban development in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, has grown rapidly in the past fifty years. Associated with this growth has been a change in landscape from natural cover types to developed urban land mixed with planned vegetation canopy throughout in the metropolitan area. Air quality in the Las Vegas Valley has been affected by increases in anthropogenic emissions and concentrations of carbon monoxide, ozone, and criteria pollutants of particular matter. Ozone concentration in the region is generally influenced by synoptic and mesoscale meteorological conditions, as well as regional transport of pollutants from the western side of Las Vegas. Local influences from ground-level nitrogen oxide emissions and vegetation canopy coverage also affect ozone concentration. Multi-year observational data collected by a network of local air monitoring stations in Clark County, Nevada, indicate that ozone maximums develop in May and June, while minimums exist primarily from November to February. Ozone concentrations are high on the west and northwest sides of the valley. A nighttime ozone reduction in the urban area characterizes the heterogeneous features of spatial distribution for average ozone levels in the Las Vegas urban area. The urban vegetation canopy has a locally positive effect by reducing ozone in urban areas. Decreased ozone levels associated with increased urban development density suggests that the highest ozone concentrations are associated with medium- to low-density urban development in Las Vegas.

Solar Weather Ice Monitoring Station (SWIMS). A low cost, extreme/harsh environment, solar powered, autonomous sensor data gathering and transmission system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetty, S.; Field, L. A.

2013-12-01

The Arctic ocean's continuing decrease of summer-time ice is related to rapidly diminishing multi-year ice due to the effects of climate change. Ice911 Research aims to develop environmentally respectful materials that when deployed will increase the albedo, enhancing the formation and/preservation of multi-year ice. Small scale deployments using various materials have been done in Canada, California's Sierra Nevada Mountains and a pond in Minnesota to test the albedo performance and environmental characteristics of these materials. SWIMS is a sophisticated autonomous sensor system being developed to measure the albedo, weather, water temperature and other environmental parameters. The system (SWIMS) employs low cost, high accuracy/precision sensors, high resolution cameras, and an extreme environment command and data handling computer system using satellite and terrestrial wireless communication. The entire system is solar powered with redundant battery backup on a floating buoy platform engineered for low temperature (-40C) and high wind conditions. The system also incorporates tilt sensors, sonar based ice thickness sensors and a weather station. To keep the costs low, each SWIMS unit measures incoming and reflected radiation from the four quadrants around the buoy. This allows data from four sets of sensors, cameras, weather station, water temperature probe to be collected and transmitted by a single on-board solar powered computer. This presentation covers the technical, logistical and cost challenges in designing, developing and deploying these stations in remote, extreme environments. Image captured by camera #3 of setting sun on the SWIMS station One of the images captured by SWIMS Camera #4

KSC-2013-3522

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This graphic depicts the patriotic endeavor of NASA's three Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, partners. The Boeing Company of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, of Louisville, Colo., and Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, of Hawthorne, Calif., are working under the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative and Certification Products Contract, or CPC, phase to develop spaceflight capabilities that eventually could provide launch services to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. soil. Shown along the bottom, from left, are: Boeing's integrated CST-100 spacecraft and United Launch Alliance, or ULA, Atlas V rocket SNC's integrated Dream Chaser spacecraft and Atlas V and SpaceX's integrated Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket. In the center are artist depictions of company spacecraft in orbit. At the top is NASA's destination for crew transportation in low-Earth orbit, the International Space Station. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA

The 2011 Hawthorne, Nevada, Earthquake Sequence; Shallow Normal Faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, K. D.; Johnson, C.; Davies, J. A.; Agbaje, T.; Knezevic Antonijevic, S.; Kent, G.

2011-12-01

An energetic sequence of shallow earthquakes that began in early March 2011 in western Nevada, near the community of Hawthorne, has slowly decreased in intensity through mid-2011. To date about 1300 reviewed earthquake locations have been compiled; we have computed moment tensors for the larger earthquakes and have developed a set of high-precision locations for all reviewed events. The sequence to date has included over 50 earthquakes ML 3 and larger with the largest at Mw 4.6. Three 6-channel portable stations configured with broadband sensors and accelerometers were installed by April 20. Data from the portable instruments is telemetered through NSL's microwave backbone to Reno where it is integrated with regional network data for real-time notifications, ShakeMaps, and routine event analysis. The data is provided in real-time to NEIC, CISN and the IRIS DMC. The sequence is located in a remote area about 15-20 km southwest of Hawthorne in the footwall block of the Wassuk Range fault system. An initial concern was that the sequence might be associated with volcanic processes due to the proximity of late Quaternary volcanic flows; there have been no volcanic signatures observed in near source seismograms. An additional concern, as the sequence has proceeded, was a clear progression eastward toward the Wassuk Range front fault. The east dipping range bounding fault is capable of M 7+ events, and poses a significant hazard to the community of Hawthorne and local military facilities. The Hawthorne Army Depot is an ordinance storage facility and the nation's storage site for surplus mercury. The sequence is within what has been termed the 'Mina Deflection' of the Central Walker Lane Belt. Faulting along the Whiskey Flat section of the Wassuk front fault would be primarily down-to-the-east, with an E-W extension direction; moment tensors for the 2011 earthquake show a range of extension directions from E-W to NW-SE, suggesting a possible dextral component to the Wassuk Range front fault at this latitude. At least two faults have been imaged within the sequence; these structures are at shallow depth (3-6 km), strike NE, and dip ~NW. Prior to temporary station installation event depths were poorly constrained, with the nearest network station 25 km from the source area. Early sequence moment tensor solutions show depths are on the order of 2-6 km and locations using the near source stations also confirm the shallow depths of the Hawthorne sequence. S-P times of 0.5 sec and less have been observed on a near-source station, illustrating extremely shallow source depths for some events. Along with the 2011 Hawthorne activity, very shallow depths in Nevada have been observed from near source stations in the 2008 west Reno earthquake sequence (primarily strike-slip faulting; main shock Mw 5.0) and the 1993 Rock Valley sequence in southern NNSS (strike-slip faulting; main shock Mw 4.0). These shallow sequences tend to include high rates of low magnitude earthquakes continuing over several months duration.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Southern Nevada : A TPCB Peer Exchange

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This report highlights key recommendations and noteworthy practices identified at Transit-Oriented Development in Southern Nevada Peer Exchange held on December 2-3, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event was sponsored by the Transportation Plan...

Selected hydrologic data for the Beaver Dam Wash area, Washington County, Utah, Lincoln County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona, 1991-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enright, Michael

1996-01-01

The hydrologic data in this report were collected in Beaver Dam Wash and adjacent areas of Washington County, Utah, Lincoln County, Nevada, andMohave County, Arizona, from 1991 to 1995; some historical data from as far back as 1932 are included for comparative purposes. The data include records of about 100 wells, drillers' and geologic logs of selected wells, and results of chemical analyses of water from wells, springs, and surface-water sites. Discharge, water temperature, and specific-conductance measurements are reported for 33 surface-water and spring sites. Daily mean discharge data are reported for two U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations on Beaver Dam Wash (1992-95). The data were collected as part of a study done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources; the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Thickness and geometry of Cenozoic deposits in California Wash area, Nevada, based on gravity and seismic-reflection data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Miller, J.J.; Page, W.R.; Grow, J.A.

2001-01-01

Gravity and seismic-reflection data provide insights into the subsurface stratigraphy and structure of the California Wash area of southern Nevada. This area is part of the Lower Colorado flow system and stratigraphic and structural data are important inputs into developing the hydrogeologic framework. These data indicate that the basin beneath California Wash reaches depths of 2-3 km. The eastern margin of the basin coincides with a system of young (Quaternary and late Tertiary) faults, although both seismic and gravity data indicate that the major basin-bounding fault is 2-3 km west of the mapped young faults. Dry Lake Valley, the adjacent valley to the west, is characterized by thinner basin fill. The basin configuration beneath both California Wash and Dry Lake Valleys based on the inversion of gravity data is unconstrained because of the lack of gravity stations north of 36030?. Broad aeromagnetic anomalies beneath pre-Cenozoic basement in the Muddy Mountains and Arrow Canyon Range reflect Precambrian basement at depths of ~ 5 km. These rocks are probably barriers to ground-water flow,except where fractured.

Geophysical Data from Spring Valley to Delamar Valley, East-Central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, Edward A.; Roberts, Carter W.; McKee, Edwin H.; Chuchel, Bruce A.; Morin, Robert L.

2007-01-01

Cenozoic basins in eastern Nevada and western Utah constitute major ground-water recharge areas in the eastern part of the Great Basin and these were investigated to characterize the geologic framework of the region. Prior to these investigations, regional gravity coverage was variable over the region, adequate in some areas and very sparse in others. Cooperative studies described herein have established 1,447 new gravity stations in the region, providing a detailed description of density variations in the middle to upper crust. All previously available gravity data for the study area were evaluated to determine their reliability, prior to combining with our recent results and calculating an up-to-date isostatic residual gravity map of the area. A gravity inversion method was used to calculate depths to pre-Cenozoic basement rock and estimates of maximum alluvial/volcanic fill in the major valleys of the study area. The enhanced gravity coverage and the incorporation of lithologic information from several deep oil and gas wells yields a much improved view of subsurface shapes of these basins and provides insights useful for the development of hydrogeologic models for the region.

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Sierra Nevada Space Systems' Dre

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-05

Director of Advanced Programs, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Jim Voss talks during a press conference with Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft in the background on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is under development with support from NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program to provide crew transportation to and from low Earth orbit. NASA is helping private companies develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Sierra Nevada Space Systems' Dre

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-05

Sierra Nevada Space Systems chairman Mark Sirangello talks during a press conference with Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft in the background on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is under development with support from NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program to provide crew transportation to and from low Earth orbit. NASA is helping private companies develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

31. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE EAST OF THE FIRST FLOOR ...

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

31. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE EAST OF THE FIRST FLOOR SOUTH CORRIDOR AND VIEWING GALLERY TO THE DISASSEMBLY BAY AND POST-MORTEM CELLS. VIEWING STATIONS ARE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CORRIDOR. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

33. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ROOM 135, A ...

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

33. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ROOM 135, A FIRST FLOOR CORRIDOR AND VIEWING GALLERY NEXT TO THE POST-MORTEM CELLS. VIEWING AND WORK STATIONS ARE ON THE WEST WALL. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

38. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SECOND FLOOR ...

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

38. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DISASSEMBLY BAY. VIEWING AND WORK STATIONS ARE ALONG THE NORTH WALL OF THE CORRIDOR. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF C2-C10 VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ABOVE A SIERRA NEVADA PONDEROSA PINE PLANTATION

EPA Science Inventory

A fully automated GC-FID system was designed and built to measure ambient concentrations of C2-C10 volatile organic compounds, including many oxygenated compounds, without using liquid cryogen. It was deployed at Blodgett Forest Research Station in Georgetown, CA USA, 38 deg 53' ...

77 FR 21896 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Nevada; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... proposed approval, including specific comments on NDEP's modeling and cost analysis of the RGGS BART Determination for NO X . See Modeling for the Reid Gardner Generating Station: Visibility Impacts in Class I... independent modeling analysis to evaluate the incremental visibility improvement attributable to the NO X...

Audiomagnetotelluric data from Spring, Cave, and Coyote Spring Valleys, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPhee, Darcy K.; Chuchel, Bruce A.; Pellerin, Louise

2006-01-01

Audiomagnetotelluric (AMT) data along four profiles in Spring, Cave, and Coyote Spring Valleys are presented here. The AMT method is used to estimate the electrical resistivity of the earth over depth ranges of a few meters to greater than one kilometer. This method is a valuable tool for revealing subsurface structure and stratigraphy within the Basin and Range of eastern Nevada, therefore helping to define the geohydrologic framework in this region. We collected AMT data using the Geometrics StrataGem EH4 system, a four-channel, natural and controlled- source tensor system recording in the range of 10 to 92,000 Hz. To augment the low signal in the natural field, an unpolarized transmitter comprised of two horizontal-magnetic dipoles was used from 1,000 to 70,000 Hz. Profiles were 1.4 - 12.6 km in length with station spacing of 100-400 m. Data were recorded with the electrical (E) field parallel to and perpendicular to the regional geologic strike direction. Station locations and sounding curves, showing apparent resistivity, phase data, and coherency data, are presented here.

Air Monitoring Network at Tonopah Test Range: Network Description and Capabilities

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

Jeffrey Tappen; George Nikolich; Ken Giles

2010-05-18

During the period April to June 2008, at the behest of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO); the Desert Research Institute (DRI) constructed and deployed two portable environmental monitoring stations at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) as part of the Environmental Restoration Project Soils Sub-Project. The TTR is located within the boundaries of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) near the northern edge, and covers an area of approximately 725.20 km2 (179,200 acres). The primary objective of the monitoring stations is to evaluate whether and under what conditions there is windmore » transport of radiological contaminants from one of the three Soil Sub-Project Corrective Action Units (CAUs) associated with Operation Roller Coaster on TTR. Operation Roller Coaster was a series of tests, conducted in 1963, designed to examine the stability and dispersal of plutonium in storage and transportation accidents. These tests did not result in any nuclear explosive yield. However, the tests did result in the dispersal of plutonium and contamination of surface soils in the surrounding area.« less

NNSS Soils Monitoring: Plutonium Valley (CAU 366) FY2013 and FY2014

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

Miller, Julianne J.; Nikolich, George; Mizell, Steve

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is conducting a field assessment of the potential for contaminated soil transport from the Plutonium Valley Contamination Area (CA) as a result of wind transport and storm runoff in support of Nevada Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) efforts to complete regulatory closure of the contamination areas. The DRI work is intended to confirm the likely mechanism(s) of transport and determine the meteorological conditions that might cause movement of contaminated soils. Emphasis is given to collecting sediment transported by channelized storm runoff at the Plutonium Valley investigation sites. These data will inform closure plans that are beingmore » developed, which will facilitate appropriate closure design and postclosure monitoring. Desert Research Institute installed two meteorological monitoring stations south (station number 1) and north (station number 2) of the Plutonium Valley CA and a runoff sediment sampling station within the CA in 2011. Temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, barometric pressure, soil temperature, and airborne particulate concentration are collected at both meteorological stations. The maximum, minimum, and average or total (as appropriate) for each of these parameters is recorded for each 10-minute interval. The sediment sampling station includes an automatically activated ISCO sampling pump with collection bottles for suspended sediment, which is activated when sufficient flow is present in the channel, and passive traps for bedload material that is transported down the channel during runoff events. This report presents data collected from these stations during FY2013 and FY2014.« less

Commercial Crew Development Program Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Richard W.

2011-01-01

NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program is designed to stimulate efforts within the private sector that will aid in the development and demonstration of safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities. With the goal of delivery cargo and eventually crew to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS) the program is designed to foster the development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles in the commercial sector. Through Space Act Agreements (SAAs) in 2011 NASA provided $50M of funding to four partners; Blue Origin, The Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and SpaceX. Additional, NASA has signed two unfunded SAAs with ATK and United Space Alliance. This paper will give a brief summary of these SAAs. Additionally, a brief overview will be provided of the released version of the Commercial Crew Development Program plans and requirements documents.

Corrective Action Plan for Corrective Action Unit 262: Area 25 Septic Systems and Underground Discharge Point, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

K. B. Campbell

This Corrective Action Plan (CAP) provides selected corrective action alternatives and proposes the closure methodology for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 262, Area 25 Septic Systems and Underground Discharge Point. CAU 262 is identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) of 1996. Remediation of CAU 262 is required under the FFACO. CAU 262 is located in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), approximately 100 kilometers (km) (62 miles [mi]) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The nine Corrective Action Sites (CASs) within CAU 262 are located in the Nuclear Rocket Development Station complex. Individual CASs are locatedmore » in the vicinity of the Reactor Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly (R-MAD); Engine Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly (E-MAD); and Test Cell C compounds. CAU 262 includes the following CASs as provided in the FFACO (1996); CAS 25-02-06, Underground Storage Tank; CAS 25-04-06, Septic Systems A and B; CAS 25-04-07, Septic System; CAS 25-05-03, Leachfield; CAS 25-05-05, Leachfield; CAS 25-05-06, Leachfield; CAS 25-05-08, Radioactive Leachfield; CAS 25-05-12, Leachfield; and CAS 25-51-01, Dry Well. Figures 2, 3, and 4 show the locations of the R-MAD, the E-MAD, and the Test Cell C CASs, respectively. The facilities within CAU 262 supported nuclear rocket reactor engine testing. Activities associated with the program were performed between 1958 and 1973. However, several other projects used the facilities after 1973. A significant quantity of radioactive and sanitary waste was produced during routine operations. Most of the radioactive waste was managed by disposal in the posted leachfields. Sanitary wastes were disposed in sanitary leachfields. Septic tanks, present at sanitary leachfields (i.e., CAS 25-02-06,2504-06 [Septic Systems A and B], 25-04-07, 25-05-05,25-05-12) allowed solids to settle out of suspension prior to entering the leachfield. Posted leachfields do not contain septic tanks. All CASs located in CAU 262 are inactive or abandoned. However, some leachfields may still receive liquids from runoff during storm events. Results from the 2000-2001 site characterization activities conducted by International Technology (IT) Corporation, Las Vegas Office are documented in the Corrective Action Investigation Report for Corrective Action Unit 262: Area 25 Septic Systems and Underground Discharge Point, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. This document is located in Appendix A of the Corrective Action Decision Document for CAU 262. Area 25 Septic Systems and Underground Discharge Point, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. (DOE/NV, 2001).« less

Evaluating lake stratification and temporal trends by using near-continuous water-quality data from automated profiling systems for water years 2005-09, Lake Mead, Arizona and Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Veley, Ronald J.; Moran, Michael J.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service and Southern Nevada Water Authority, collected near-continuous depth-dependent water-quality data at Lake Mead, Arizona and Nevada, as part of a multi-agency monitoring network maintained to provide resource managers with basic data and to gain a better understanding of the hydrodynamics of the lake. Water-quality data-collection stations on Lake Mead were located in shallow water (less than 20 meters) at Las Vegas Bay (Site 3) and Overton Arm, and in deep water (greater than 20 meters) near Sentinel Island and at Virgin and Temple Basins. At each station, near-continual depth-dependent water-quality data were collected from October 2004 through September 2009. The data were collected by using automatic profiling systems equipped with multiparameter water-quality sondes. The sondes had sensors for temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and depth. Data were collected every 6 hours at 2-meter depth intervals (for shallow-water stations) or 5-meter depth intervals (for deep-water stations) beginning at 1 meter below water surface. Data were analyzed to determine water-quality conditions related to stratification of the lake and temporal trends in water-quality parameters. Three water-quality parameters were the main focus of these analyses: temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen. Statistical temporal-trend analyses were performed for a single depth at shallow-water stations [Las Vegas Bay (Site 3) and Overton Arm] and for thermally-stratified lake layers at deep-water stations (Sentinel Island and Virgin Basin). The limited period of data collection at the Temple Basin station prevented the application of statistical trend analysis. During the summer months, thermal stratification was not observed at shallow-water stations, nor were major maxima or minima observed for specific-conductance or dissolved-oxygen profiles. A clearly-defined thermocline and well-defined maxima and minima in specific-conductance and dissolved-oxygen profiles were observed at deep-water stations during the summer months. Specific-conductance maxima were likely the result of inflow of water from either the Las Vegas Wash or Muddy/Virgin Rivers or both, while the minima were likely the result of inflow of water from the Colorado River. Maxima and minima for dissolved oxygen were likely the result of primary productivity blooms and their subsequent decay. Temporal-trend analyses indicated that specific conductance decreased at all stations over the period of record, except for Las Vegas Bay (Site 3), where specific conductance increased. Temperature also decreased over the period of record at deep-water stations for certain lake layers. Decreasing temperature and specific conductance at deep-water stations is the result of decreasing values in these parameters in water coming from the Colorado River. Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), however, could play a role in trends of decreasing specific conductance through incorporation of calcite in their shells. Trends of decreasing turbidity and pH at deep-water stations support the hypothesis that quagga mussels could be having an effect on the physical properties and water chemistry of Lake Mead. Unlike other stations, Las Vegas Bay (Site 3) had increasing specific conductance and is interpreted as the result of lowering lake levels decreasing the volume of lake water available for mixing and dilution of the high-conductance water coming from Las Vegas Wash. Dissolved oxygen increased over the period of record in some lake layers at the deep-water stations. Increasing dissolved oxygen at deep-water stations is believed to result, in part, from a reduction of phosphorus entering Lake Mead and the concomitant reduction of biological oxygen demand.

Solar storm effects during Saint Patrick's Days in 2013 and 2015 on the Schumann resonances measured by the ELF station at Sierra Nevada (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salinas, A.; Toledo-Redondo, S.; Navarro, E. A.; Fornieles-Callejón, J.; Portí, J. A.

2016-12-01

The effects of solar storms occurring during the days 17 to 19 March 2013 and 2015, St. Patrick's Day intervals, on Schumann resonances (SRs) have been studied. To do this, the experimental data recorded by the Juan Antonio Morente extremely low frequency station located at Sierra Nevada, Spain, have been processed in order to obtain hourly averaged information on the first three resonance modes. Results are compared with monthly averages of the SR data for each hour to detect deviations from the regular behavior. Evidence of significant changes in the peak amplitudes and frequencies of the SRs have been identified in the station's measurements and related to the coronal mass ejection impact in the magnetosphere, detected by in situ plasma measurements onboard spacecraft in the solar wind. However, the complicated nature of the Schumann resonances, dependent on multiple variables and subject to multiple unavoidable interferences (e.g., lightning or human radio sources), in conjunction with the complex magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere coupling processes, makes it difficult to conclude that the observed deviations are exclusively due to the solar events mentioned. Results extracted from only two solar events cannot be considered as conclusive, and therefore, independent comparison with results reported by other research would seem advisable in future works on this subject.

Detecting Noisy Events Using Waveform Cross-Correlation at Superarrays of Seismic Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Seggern, D. H.; Tibuleac, I. M.

2007-12-01

Cross-correlation using master events, followed by stacking of the correlation series, has been shown to dramatically improve detection thresholds of small-to-medium seismic arrays. With the goal of lowering the detection threshold, determining relative magnitudes or moments, and characterizing sources by empirical Green's functions, we extend the cross-correlation methodology to include "superarrays" of seismic stations. The superarray concept naturally brings further benefits over conventional arrays and single-stations due to the fact that many distances and azimuths can be sampled. This extension is straightforward given the ease with which regional or global data from various stations or arrays can be currently accessed and combined into a single database. We demonstrate the capability of superarrays to detect and analyze events which lie below the detection threshold. This is aided by applying an F-statistic detector to the superarray cross-correlation stack and its components. Our first example illustrates the use of a superarray consisting of the Southern Great Basin Digital Seismic Network, a small-aperture array (NVAR) in Mina, Nevada and the Earthscope Transportable Array to detect events in California-Nevada areas. In our second example, we use a combination of small-to-medium arrays and single stations to study the rupture of the great Sumatra earthquake of 26 December 2004 and to detect its early aftershocks. The location and times of "detected" events are confirmed using a frequency- wavenumber method at the small-to-medium arrays. We propose that ad hoc superarrays can be used in many studies where conventional approaches previously used only single arrays or groups of single stations. The availability of near-real-time data from many networks and of archived data from, for instance, IRIS makes possible the easy assembly of superarrays. Furthermore, the continued improvement of seismic data availability and the continued growth in the number of world-wide seismic sensors will increasingly make superarrays an attractive choice for many studies.

Geologic setting of the proposed Fallon FORGE Site, Nevada: Suitability for EGS research and development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faulds, James E.; Blankenship, Douglas; Hinz, Nicholas H.; Sabin, Andrew; Nordquist, Josh; Hickman, Stephen H.; Glen, Jonathan; Kennedy, Mack; Siler, Drew; Robinson-Tait, Ann; Williams, Colin F.; Drakos, Peter; Calvin, Wendy M.

2015-01-01

The proposed Fallon FORGE site lies within and adjacent to the Naval Air Station Fallon (NASF) directly southeast of the town of Fallon, Nevada, within the large basin of the Carson Sink in west-central Nevada. The site is located on two parcels that include land owned by the NASF and leased and owned by Ormat Nevada, Inc. The Carson Sink in the vicinity of the Fallon site is covered by Quaternary deposits, including alluvial fan, eolian, and lacustrine sediments. Four wells penetrate the entire Neogene section and bottom in Mesozoic basement. Late Miocene to Quaternary basin-fill sediments are 0.5 to >1 km thick and overlie Oligocene-Miocene volcanic and lesser sedimentary rocks. The volcanic section is 0.5 to 1.0 km thick and dominated by Miocene mafic lavas. The Neogene section rests nonconformably on heterogeneous Mesozoic basement, which consists of Triassic-Jurassic metamorphic rocks intruded by Cretaceous granitic plutons. The structural framework is dominated by a gently west-tilted half graben cut by moderately to steeply dipping N- to NNEstriking normal faults that dip both east and west. Quaternary faults have not been observed within the proposed FORGE site. Fallon was selected for a potential FORGE site due to its extensional tectonic setting, abundance of available data, existing infrastructure, and documented temperatures, permeability, and lithologic composition of potential reservoirs that fall within the ranges specified by DOE for FORGE. Since the early 1970s, more than 45 wells have been drilled for geothermal exploration within the area. Four exploration wells within the FORGE site are available for use in the project. Several additional wells are available for monitoring outside the central FORGE site within the NASF and Ormat lease area, including numerous temperature gradient holes. There is an existing, ten-station micro-seismic earthquake (MEQ) array that has been collecting data since 2001; the MEQ array can be expanded to encompass the entire Fallon project. The well data indicate that a sizeable area (~4.5 km2 ) has adequate temperatures in crystalline basement but lacks sufficient permeability within the proposed FORGE site. There are two possible, competent target formations in Mesozoic basement for stimulation in the FORGE project area: 1) Jurassic felsic metavolcanic rocks/and or metaquartzite; and 2) Cretaceous granitic intrusions. These units make up at least 3 km3 in the project area and have target temperatures of ~175-215o C. The abundant well data and detailed geophysical surveys (e.g., gravity, MT, and seismic reflection) provide significant subsurface control for the site and will permit development of a detailed 3D model. The documented temperatures, low permeability, and basement lithologies, as well as abundant available data facilitate development of a site dedicated to testing and improving new EGS technologies and techniques, thus making Fallon an ideal candidate for FORGE.

35. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTHWEST OF ROOM 152, A ...

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

35. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTHWEST OF ROOM 152, A FIRST FLOOR CORRIDOR AND VIEWING GALLERY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE POST-MORTEM CELLS. VIEWING AND WORK STATIONS ARE IN THE EAST WALL. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Forest biomass diversion in the Sierra Nevada: Energy, economics and emissions

Treesearch

Bruce Springsteen; Thomas Christofk; Robert A. York; Tad Mason; Stephen Baker; Emily Lincoln; Bruce Hartsough; Takuyuki Yoshioka

2015-01-01

As an alternative to open pile burning, use of forest wastes from fuel hazard reduction projects at Blodgett Forest Research Station for electricity production was shown to produce energy and emission benefits: energy (diesel fuel) expended for processing and transport was 2.5% of the biomass fuel (energy equivalent); based on measurements from a large pile...

Geothermal Resource Evaluation at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

20 4. Mainside Topographic Map Showing Warm Wells and Thermal Gradient H oles... Oligocene and early Miocene periods. These troughs were sites of intense hyohtic to andesitic volcanism and coeval faulting. The orientation and age...volcanic sequence, (2) intervolcanic sediments in the volcanic sequence. (3) a fractured reservoir within uwderlying Mio- Oligocene acid tuffs and

Nutrient Cycling in Managed and Unmanaged Oak Woodland-Grass Ecosystems

Treesearch

Randy Dahlgren; Michael J. Singer

1991-01-01

The influence of oak trees and grazing on nutrient cycling in oak woodland-grass ecosystems was examined at the Sierra Foothill Range Field Station in the northern-Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Nutrient concentrations in ecosystem waterflows (precipitation, canopy throughfall, and soil solutions) were monitored in a non-managed natural area and in an adjacent...

Climate and Floristic Variation in Great Basin Mountain Ranges (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charlet, D. A.; Leary, P.

2010-12-01

Exponential human population growth in Clark County, Nevada, in the last few decades raised concern regarding the impact this growth would have on the biota of the surrounding Mojave Desert. The situation demanded that studies be conducted to understand the relationship between the biota and its environment. These studies required detailed vegetation information, with greater accuracy than provided by earlier efforts. We became involved in several projects concerning the vegetation of Clark County that had similar missions, but covered different areas. We coordinated data collection so that a single, cohesive data set was prepared to meet everyone’s needs. To add value to all of the projects, we ensured that data would be collected in the same way so all projects benefitted by being tied into all the other projects. After these projects were underway, the Nevada System of Higher Education was awarded an NSF EPSCoR grant (Nevada Infrastructure for Climate Change Science, Education, and Outreach). The grant funds two series of meteorological stations along long elevation gradients crossing several life zones. One set of five monitoring stations is in the Sheep Range, about 40 miles north of Las Vegas. The other set of seven stations are in the Snake Range about 260 miles north of Las Vegas. Meteorological sites were selected to be near the middle of currently recognized vegetation zones that correspond to Merriam’s Life Zones. The meteorological stations occur in typical communities in each of the zones, from 2930 ft in the Las Vegas Valley to more than 11,000 ft in the Snake Range. The stations are outfitted to monitor local meteorological conditions, soil moisture, and other physical parameters important to plants. We are using the data we are collecting to provide a baseline survey of biodiversity for the group. To date, more than 2300 vegetation samples were taken in the vicinities of these climate monitoring transects. Directly associated with the stations are 316 in the Snake Range transect, and 425 along the Sheep Range transect. Near the Sheep Range lies the Spring Mountains where 769 samples were obtained. More than 30,000 geo-referenced photographs document the sites, and nearly 1000 vascular plant taxa have been encountered and their distributions documented. Recently completed soil maps, the PRISM precipitation model, and 10m Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the study areas exist. As a result, many environmental conditions can be explored with multivariate statistical methods. Preliminary results indicate that different kinds of physical data may be appropriate only at certain scales. Most useful for fine-scale investigations on mountains appears to be measures of irradiance at the solstices and equinox derived from the 10m DEM. Past climate in Nevada is readily evident on its landscapes, featuring glacial, periglacial and pluvial features. Pollen and remains left by woodrats provide vegetation records dating up to 40,000 years before present. The vegetation work described here provides a snapshot of biodiversity at fine scale of several mountain ranges. Efforts of the physical scientists and physiologists now, and repeat visits to the sample sites of this study later, will help us track the processes and manifestations of landscape change as responses to climate.

77 FR 46516 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Including a Programmatic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

... Groundwater Development Project, Nevada AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project (SNWA Project), and by this notice is announcing the... Drive, Las Vegas Libraries in Nevada: Nevada State Library, 100 N. Stewart St., Carson City White Pine...

Nevada gaming: revenues and taxes (1945-95).

PubMed

DePolo, R; Pingle, M

1997-01-01

In 1931, Nevada legalized casino gambling, an act which allowed its "gaming industry" to develop. Because many jurisdictions outside Nevada are now embracing legalized gambling as a path to a brighter economic future and because this proliferation presents Nevada with new challenges and opportunities, it is a good time to review the Nevada experience. Here, the focus is on gaming revenues and gaming tax collections during the 1945-95 period. We find that the growth rate of Nevada's gaming industry has slowed over time, with the relative importance of gaming in the Nevada economy peaking in the late 1970's. The Nevada economy has since been gradually diversifying, something which will increasingly pressure Nevadans to look for government revenue sources other than gaming if current levels of government services are to be maintained.

Ten Years of Change in Sierran Stringer Meadows: An Evaluation of Range Condition Models

Treesearch

Barbara H. Allen

1989-01-01

Grazed Sierra Nevada stringer meadow systems were sampled on Blodgett Forest Research Station in northern California between 1977 and 1987 to determine cattle use, and to examine changes in production and species composition over time. Utilization of meadow species averaged 61 percent over the 10 years, but use increased to more than 80 percent utilization after 1985....

34. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTH OF ROOMS 143 AND ...

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

34. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTH OF ROOMS 143 AND 150, A FIRST FLOOR CORRIDOR AND VIEWING GALLERY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE POST-MORTEM CELLS. VIEWING AND WORK STATIONS ARE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WALLS. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

36. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SECOND FLOOR ...

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

36. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DISASSEMBLY BAY. A VIEWING AND WORK STATION AND ENTRANCE TO THE CONTROL ROOM ARE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Great Basin Research and Management Project: Restoring and maintaining riparian ecosystem integrity

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers

2000-01-01

The Great Basin Research and Management Project was initiated in 1994 by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station’s Ecology, Paleoecology, and Restoration of Great Basin Watersheds Project to address the problems of stream incision and riparian ecosystem degradation in central Nevada. It is a highly interdisciplinary project that is being conducted in...

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Sierra Nevada Space Systems

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-05

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver speaks at Sierra Nevada Space Systems, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, in Louisville, Colo. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is under development with support from NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program to provide crew transportation to and from low Earth orbit. NASA is helping private companies develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Audiomagnetotelluric Data and Two-Dimensional Models from Spring, Snake, and Three Lakes Valleys, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPhee, Darcy K.; Chuchel, Bruce A.; Pellerin, Louise

2007-01-01

Audiomagnetotelluric (AMT) data along thirteen profiles in Spring, Snake, and Three Lakes Valleys, and the corresponding two-dimensional (2-D) inverse models, are presented. The AMT method is a valuable tool for estimating the electrical resistivity of the Earth over depth ranges of a few meters to roughly one kilometer. It is important for revealing subsurface structure and stratigraphy within the Basin and Range province of eastern Nevada that can be used to define the geohydrologic framework of the region. We collected AMT data using the Geometrics StrataGem EH4 system. Profiles were 1.2 to 4.6 km in length with station spacing of 100-400 m. Data were recorded in a coordinate system parallel to and perpendicular to the assumed regional geologic strike direction. We show station locations, sounding curves of apparent resistivity, phase, and coherency, and 2-D models. The 2-D inverse models are computed from the transverse electric (TE), transverse magnetic (TM), and TE+TM mode data using the conjugate gradient, finite-difference method of Rodi and Mackie (2001). Preliminary interpretation of these models defines the structural framework of the basins and the resistivity contrasts between alluvial basin-fill, volcanic units, and carbonate/clastic rocks.

Flood on the Virgin River, January 1989, in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlson, D.D.; Meyer, D.F.

1995-01-01

The impoundment of water in Quail Creek Reservoir in Utah began in April 1985. The drainage area for the reservoir is 78.4 square miles, including Quail Creek and Leeds Creek watersheds. Water also is diverted from the Virgin River above Hurricane, Utah, to supplement the filing of the reservoir. A dike, which is one of the structures impounding water in Quail Creek Reservoir, failed on January 1, 1989. This failure resulted in the release of about 25,000 acre-feet of water into the Virgin River near Hurricane, Utah. Flooding occurred along the Virgin River flood plain in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. The previous maximum discharge of record was exceeded at three U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, and the flood discharges exceeded the theoretical 100-year flood discharges. Peak discharge estimates ranged from 60,000 to 66,000 cubic feet per second at the three streamflow-gaging stations. Damage to roads, bridges, agricultural land, livestock, irrigation structures, businesses, and residences totaled more than $12 million. The greatest damage was to agricultural and public-works facilities. Washington County, which is in southwestern Utah, was declared a disaster area by President George Bush.

Tomography of Pg and Sg Across the Western United States Using USArray Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steck, L.; Phillips, W. S.; Begnaud, M. L.; Stead, R.

2009-12-01

In this paper we explore the use of Pg and Sg for determining crustal structure in the western United States. Seismic data used in the study come from USArray, along with local and regional networks in the region. To invert the travel times for velocity structure we use the LSQR algorithm assuming a great circle arc path between source and receiver. First difference smoothing is used to regularize the model and we calculate station and event terms. For Pg we have about 160,000 arrivals from 30,000 events reporting at 1500 stations. If we trim data based on an epicentral ground truth level of 25 km or better, we have 53000 arrivals, 5000 events and 1300 stations. Data density is such that grids of 0.5 deg or better are possible. Velocity results show good correlation with tectonic provinces. We find fast velocities beneath the Snake River Plain, coastal Washington State, and for the coast ranges of California south of Point Reyes. Low velocities are observed on the border between Idaho and Montana, and in the Basin and Range of eastern Nevada, southeastern California, and southern Arizona. For Sg we have 48,813 arrivals for 13,548 events at 1052 stations, not filtering by ground truth level. Excellent coverage allows grids to 0.5 deg or lower. Prominent features of this model include high velocities in the Snake River Plain, Colorado Plateau, and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Low velocities are found in Southern California, the Basin and Range, and the Columbia Plateau. Root-mean-square residual reductions are 34% for Pg and 41% for Sg.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 25 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-28

ISS025-E-005259 (28 Sept. 2010) --- Pyramid Lake in Nevada is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 25 crew member on the International Space Station (ISS). Pyramid Lake, located in western Nevada near the California border, is a remnant of the ancient and much larger Lake Lahontan. According to scientists, Lake Lahontan formed during the last Ice Age when the regional climate of Nevada was significantly cooler and wetter than today—abundant precipitation and low rates of evaporation led to the formation of numerous lakes that began to coalesce as they overfilled their original basins. Pyramid Lake and the nearby now-dry Lake Winnemucca are two of seven lakes that formed Lake Lahontan. At its highest water level, during the late Pleistocene Epoch (approximately 15,000 years ago), Lake Lahontan covered much of western Nevada and extended into California, according to scientists. The deepest part of Lake Lahontan survives today as the perennial Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake is well known to geologists because of the spectacular tufa—calcium carbonate—deposits found here; the lake takes its name from one such pyramid-shaped deposit. Tufa is a rock formed by precipitation of calcium carbonate from spring water, lake water, or a combination of the two. Over time, these deposits can develop a wide variety of forms including mounds, towers, sheets, reefs and coatings on other rocks. These may then be exposed when the water level drops due to changes in regional climate, diversion of water for human use, or both (Mono Lake in California for example). This photograph also captures sunglint—light reflected off of a water surface back towards the observer on the space station—on the northern and southeastern ends of the lake. Two large spiral whorls are visible in sunglint at the northern end of the lake; these likely trace surface wind patterns disturbing the water surface that cause localized variations in the amount of light reflected back to the ISS.

KSC-2012-1012

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable poster of the aerospace companies NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) entered into Space Act Agreements with during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in 2011 in order to mature the design and development of crew transportation systems with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. CCDev2 companies are Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1009

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable banner of the aerospace companies NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) entered into Space Act Agreements with during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in 2011 in order to mature the design and development of crew transportation systems with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. CCDev2 companies are Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

75 FR 7291 - Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council Meetings, Nevada

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-18

...., Elko, Nevada; June 17 and 18 at the Eureka Opera House, 31 S. Main St., Eureka, Nevada; and September...; September 30 (Ely)--minerals, grazing, energy, and sustainable development Managers' reports of field office...

Earth observations taken by the Expedition 12 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-11-15

ISS012-E-11144 (11 Dec. 2005) --- Sierra Nevada, Spain is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 12 crew member on the International Space Station. According to scientists, the Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera of southern Spain, was formed during the Alpine Orogeny (or mountain-building event) that also formed the European Alps to the east and the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Sierra as observed today formed during the Tertiary Period (65 to 1.8 million years ago) during collision of the African and Eurasian continental plates. The former Tethys Sea also closed during this time period, the scientists say, and the Mediterranean Sea is the largest surviving remnant basin of the ancient Tethys. The Sierra Nevada in the Granada province of Spain is perhaps the southernmost skiing location in all of Europe. Veleta Peak, at an elevation of 3,398 meters above sea level, is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. The rapid transition from lofty ski runs to Mediterranean beaches within a few hours’ drive has made the Sierra Nevada region popular for both outdoor and urban tourism. This photograph depicts the Veleta Peak region of the range and illustrates the sharp contrast between the snow capped mountains, adjacent dry lowlands to the west and north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Sierra Nevada Space Systems

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-05

Sierra Nevada Space Systems chairman Mark Sirangello talks to NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, in Louisville, Colo. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is under development with support from NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program to provide crew transportation to and from low Earth orbit. NASA is helping private companies develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Nevada Underserved Science Education Program

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

Nicole Rourke; Jason Marcks

2004-07-06

Nevada Underserved Science Education Program (NUSEP) is a project to examine the effect of implementing new and innovative Earth and space science education curriculum in Nevada schools. The project provided professional development opportunities and educational materials for teachers participating in the program.

Earth Observations

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-09

ISS024-E-014071 (9 Sept. 2010) --- This striking panoramic view of the southwestern USA and Pacific Ocean is an oblique image photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member looking outwards at an angle from the International Space Station (ISS). While most unmanned orbital satellites view Earth from a nadir perspective?in other words, collecting data with a ?straight down? viewing geometry?crew members onboard the space station can acquire imagery at a wide range of viewing angles using handheld digital cameras. The ISS nadir point (the point on Earth?s surface directly below the spacecraft) was located in northwestern Arizona, approximately 260 kilometers to the east-southeast, when this image was taken. The image includes parts of the States of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California together with a small segment of the Baja California, Mexico coastline at center left. Several landmarks and physiographic features are readily visible. The Las Vegas, NV metropolitan area appears as a gray region adjacent to the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range (both covered by white clouds). The Grand Canyon, located on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona, is visible (lower left) to the east of Las Vegas with the blue waters of Lake Mead in between. The image also includes the Mojave Desert, stretching north from the Salton Sea (left) to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The Sierra Nevada range is roughly 640 kilometers long (north-south) and forms the boundary between the Central Valley of California and the adjacent Basin and Range. The Basin and Range is so called due to the pattern of long linear valleys separated by parallel linear mountain ranges ? this landscape, formed by extension and thinning of Earth?s crust, is particularly visible at right.

GPS Imaging suggests links between climate, magmatism, seismicity, and tectonics in the Sierra Nevada-Long Valley Caldera-Walker Lane system, western United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W. C.; Blewitt, G.; Kreemer, C.; Smith, K.

2017-12-01

The Walker Lane is a region of complex active crustal transtension in the western Great Basin of the western United States, accommodating about 20% of the 50 mm/yr relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates. The Long Valley caldera lies in the central Walker Lane in eastern California, adjacent to the eastern boundary of the Sierra Nevada/Great Valley microplate, and experiences intermittent inflation, uplift, and volcanic unrest from the magma chamber that resides at middle crustal depths. Normal and transform faults accommodating regional tectonic transtension pass by and through the caldera, complicating the interpretation of the GPS-measured strain rate field, estimates of fault slip rates, and seismic hazard. Several dozen continuously recording GPS stations measure strain and uplift in the area with mm precision. They observe that the most recent episode of uplift at Long Valley began in mid-2011, continuing until late 2016, raising the surface by 100 mm in 6 years. The timing of the initiation of uplift coincides with the beginning of severe drought in California. Furthermore, the timing of a recent pause in uplift coincides with the very wet 2016-2017 winter, which saw approximately double normal snow pack. In prior studies, we showed that the timing of changes in geodetically measured uplift rate of the Sierra Nevada coincides with the timing of drought conditions in California, suggesting a link between hydrological loading and Sierra Nevada elevation. Here we take the analysis three steps further to show that changes in Sierra Nevada uplift rate coincide in time with 1) enhanced inflation at the Long Valley caldera, 2) shifts in the patterns and rates of horizontal tensor strain rate, and 3) seismicity patterns in the central Walker Lane. We use GPS solutions from the Nevada Geodetic Laboratory and the new GPS Imaging technique to produce robust animations of the time variable strain and uplift fields. The goals of this work are to document links between climate, Sierra Nevada uplift rates, response of the magmatic system, and seismicity in the Central Walker Lane, and to explore the physical mechanisms that may be behind these correlations.

32. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTH OF THE FIRST FLOOR ...

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

32. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE NORTH OF THE FIRST FLOOR EAST CORRIDOR AND VIEWING GALLERY TO THE DISASSEMBLY BAY. A VIEWING AND WORK STATION FOR THE EAST SIDE OF THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE DISASSEMBLY BAY IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR. - Nevada Test Site, Reactor Maintenance Assembly & Dissassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Junction of Roads F & G, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Ground Wave Emergency Network Final Operational Capability. Environmental Assessment for Northeastern Nevada Relay Node. Site No. RN 8W922NV

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-16

enhancing system availability and ensuring that vital communications will be maintained. 1-1 c~o~ - MCDRMIT. NEADA.OREGN & DAHO 197 Ný 1-2, 2.0 ALTERNATIVES...detected, an explosion inside the shelter would be extremely unlikely due 2-7 to the high flash point of diesel fuel. If a tank at the GWEN station

An aerosol optical depth climatology for NOAA's national surface radiation budget network (SURFRAD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustine, John A.; Hodges, Gary B.; Dutton, Ellsworth G.; Michalsky, Joseph J.; Cornwall, Christopher R.

2008-06-01

A series of algorithms developed to process spectral solar measurements for aerosol optical depth (AOD) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) national surface radiation budget network (SURFRAD) is summarized, and decadal results are presented. AOD is a measure of the extinction of the Sun's beam due to aerosols. Daily files of AOD for five spectral measurements in the visible and near-infrared have been produced for 1997-2006. Comparisons of SURFRAD daily AOD averages to NASA's Aerosol Robotic Network product at two of the stations were generally good. An AOD climatology for each SURFRAD station is presented as an annual time series of composite monthly means that represents a typical intra-annual AOD variation. Results are similar to previous U.S. climatologies in that the highest AOD magnitude and greatest variability occur in summer, the lowest AOD levels are in winter, and geographically, the highest-magnitude AOD is in the eastern United States. Springtime Asian dust intrusions show up as a secondary maximum at the western stations. A time series of nationwide annual means shows that 500-nm AOD has decreased over the United States by about 0.02 AOD units over the 10-year period. However, this decline is not statistically significant nor geographically consistent within the country. The eastern U.S. stations and westernmost station at Desert Rock, Nevada, show decreasing AOD, whereas the other two western stations show an increase that is attributed to an upsurge in wildfire activity in the last half of the decade.

Using machine learning to predict snow water equivalent in the Sierra Nevada USA and Afghanistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bair, N.; Rittger, K.; Dozier, J.

2017-12-01

In many mountain regions, snowmelt provides most of the runoff. Ranges such as the Sierra Nevada USA benefit from hundreds of manual and automated snow measurement stations as well as basin-wide snow water equavalent (SWE) estimates from new platforms like the Airborne Snow Observatory. Thus, we have been able to use the Sierra Nevada as a testbed to validate an approach called SWE reconstruction, where the snowpack is built-up in reverse using downscaled energy balance forcings. Our past work has shown that SWE reconstruction produces some of the most accurate basin-wide SWE estimates, comparable in accuracy to a snow pillow/course interpolation, but requires no in situ measurements, which is its main advantage. The disadvantages are that reconstruction cannot be used for a forecast and is only valid during the ablation period. To address these shortcomings, we have used machine learning trained on reconstructed SWE in the Sierra Nevada and Afghanistan, where there are no accessible snowpack measurements. Predictors are physiographic and remotely-sensed variables, including brightness temperatures from a new enhanced resolution passive microwave dataset. Two machine learning techniques—bagged regression trees and feed-forward neural networks—were used. Results show little bias on average and < 100 mm RMSE. For both areas, daily SWE climatology and fractional snow-covered area were the most important predictors. As expected, the passive microwave brigthness temperatures showed some predictive power in Afghanistan, with its almost nonexistent tree cover, but no predictive power in the Sierra Nevada, with its extensive canopy-covered snowpack. In the Sierra, we also explored how our machine learning approach performed outside of the training period, i.e. the ablation period.

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Sierra Nevada Space Systems' Dre

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-05

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver talks during a press conference with Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft in the background on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is under development with support from NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program to provide crew transportation to and from low Earth orbit. NASA is helping private companies develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Sierra Nevada Space Systems' Dre

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-02-05

Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is seen as NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver talks during a press conference on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft is under development with support from NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program to provide crew transportation to and from low Earth orbit. NASA is helping private companies develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A ground-water-quality monitoring program for Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nowlin, Jon O.

1986-01-01

A program was designed for the systematic monitoring of ground-water quality in Nevada. Basic hydrologic and water-quality principles are discussed in the formulation of a rational approach to developing a statewide monitoring program. A review of ground-water monitoring efforts in Nevada through 1977 indicates that few requirements for an effective statewide program are being met. A suggested program has been developed that consists of five major elements: (1) A Background-Quality Network to assess the existing water quality in Nevada aquifers, (2) a Contamination Source Inventory of known or potential threats to ground-water quality, (3) Surveillance Networks to monitor ground-water quality in selected hydrographic areas, (4) Intensive Surveys of individual instances of known or potential ground-water contamination, and (5) Ground-Water Data File to manage data generated by the other monitoring elements. Two indices have been developed to help assign rational priorities for monitoring ground water in the 255 hydrographic areas of Nevada: (1) A Hydrographic-Area Priority Index for surveillance monitoring, and (2) A Development-Potential Index for background monitoring of areas with little or no current development. Requirements for efficient management of data from ground-water monitoring are discussed and the three major systems containing Nevada ground-water data are reviewed. More than 11,000 chemical analyses of ground water have been acquired from existing systems and incorporated into a prototype data base.

KSC-2011-8117

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Dragon capsule under development by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

KSC-2012-1826

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-30

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim checks out the Dragon spacecraft under development by Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., for the agency's Commercial Crew Program. In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

KSC-2011-8114

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the CST-100 under development by The Boeing Co. of Houston for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Boeing during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: The Boeing Co.

KSC-2011-8115

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Space Vehicle under development by Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA selected Blue Origin during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Blue Origin

NASA Public Affairs and NUANCE Lab News Conference at Reno-Stead Airport.

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-19

News Conference following the test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. The UTM Reno Press Conference on Oct. 19, 2016. (Left to Right) Parimal Kopardekar, NASA Ames Senior Engineer for Air Transportation Systems gave an overview of UTM; Maril Mora, President / CEO of the Reno -Tahoe Airport Authority welcomes NASA and Partners; Tom Wilczek, Aerospace and Defence industry representative and Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development; Mark Baker, Director of Business Development, Nevada Institute of Autonomous Systems; Manos Maragakis, Dean of the College of Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno.

Precipitation estimation in mountainous terrain using multivariate geostatistics. Part II: isohyetal maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hevesi, Joseph A.; Flint, Alan L.; Istok, Jonathan D.

1992-01-01

Values of average annual precipitation (AAP) may be important for hydrologic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear-waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Reliable measurements of AAP are sparse in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, and estimates of AAP were needed for an isohyetal mapping over a 2600-square-mile watershed containing Yucca Mountain. Estimates were obtained with a multivariate geostatistical model developed using AAP and elevation data from a network of 42 precipitation stations in southern Nevada and southeastern California. An additional 1531 elevations were obtained to improve estimation accuracy. Isohyets representing estimates obtained using univariate geostatistics (kriging) defined a smooth and continuous surface. Isohyets representing estimates obtained using multivariate geostatistics (cokriging) defined an irregular surface that more accurately represented expected local orographic influences on AAP. Cokriging results included a maximum estimate within the study area of 335 mm at an elevation of 7400 ft, an average estimate of 157 mm for the study area, and an average estimate of 172 mm at eight locations in the vicinity of the potential repository site. Kriging estimates tended to be lower in comparison because the increased AAP expected for remote mountainous topography was not adequately represented by the available sample. Regression results between cokriging estimates and elevation were similar to regression results between measured AAP and elevation. The position of the cokriging 250-mm isohyet relative to the boundaries of pinyon pine and juniper woodlands provided indirect evidence of improved estimation accuracy because the cokriging result agreed well with investigations by others concerning the relationship between elevation, vegetation, and climate in the Great Basin. Calculated estimation variances were also mapped and compared to evaluate improvements in estimation accuracy. Cokriging estimation variances were reduced by an average of 54% relative to kriging variances within the study area. Cokriging reduced estimation variances at the potential repository site by 55% relative to kriging. The usefulness of an existing network of stations for measuring AAP within the study area was evaluated using cokriging variances, and twenty additional stations were located for the purpose of improving the accuracy of future isohyetal mappings. Using the expanded network of stations, the maximum cokriging estimation variance within the study area was reduced by 78% relative to the existing network, and the average estimation variance was reduced by 52%.

Two-dimensional magnetotelluric model of deep resistivity structure in the Bodie-Aurora district of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sampson, Jay A.

2006-01-01

Introduction: Magnetotelluric data were acquired during October 2001 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of a study to examine the structural nature of basins in the transition zone between the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and the Basin and Range province of Nevada. Magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical studies assist the mapping of geologic structure and the inference of lithologic packages that are concealed beneath the Earth's surface. The Basin and Range province has a complicated geologic history, which includes extension and compression of the Earth's crust to form the basins and ranges that blanket much of Nevada. The basins and ranges in the vicinity of this study trend northeastward and are bounded by steeply dipping strike slip faults. Interestingly, deep east-west magnetic trends occur in the aeromagnetic data of this study area indicating that the northeast-trending basins and ranges represent only thin-skinned deformation at the surface with an underlying east-west structure. To investigate this issue, MT data were acquired at seven stations in eastern California, 20 km east of Mono Lake. The purpose of this report is to present a two-dimensional apparent resistivity model of the MT data acquired for this study.

State of Nevada Telecommunications Study. Assembly Concurrent Resolution 68.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada State Dept. of General Services, Carson City.

This document offers the results of a study of Nevada's telecommunications requirements, based on a comprehensive survey of existing networks associated with state and local governments, school districts, and the university system. It reports that Nevada can accrue benefits from telecommunications in the areas of education, economic development,…

Study of the dispersal of radioactive aerosols over California

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

Rainey, C.T.; Heslep, J.M.; Washburn, C.L.

Air samplers were set up in nineteen localities throughout the state during the period of the Nevada tests. Cooperation in operating the samplers was secured from local Health Departments, and Stations of the US Weather Bureau, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and the Plant Quarantine Service. The samplers were operated continuously from October 6 to December 5, 1951, except for a short period between the two test series in November.

Earth observation taken by the Expedition 35 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-23

ISS035-E-027434 (23 April 2013) --- One of the Expedition 35 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station recorded this widespread image covering parts of Mexico, California and Nevada: Grand Canyon to Lake Mead and Las Vegas area (lower right corner), and westward to include the Gulf of California (beneath the docked Russian vehicle at upper left), the Salton Sea, Los Angeles Basin, and Great Valley.

mb Bias and Regional Magnitude and Yield

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

established bias at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) relative to Semipalatinsk is well reproduced, which is important for moving forward. To avoid the...variations are averaged out. To monitor individual test sites during the testing era, test site corrections were obtained by various means, most notably...across broad areas where earthquakes occur. The station-based technique retains near- site effects that the event-based technique does not, thus, resolving

Audiomagnetotelluric Data and Preliminary Two-Dimensional Models from Spring, Dry Lake, and Delamar Valleys, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPhee, Darcy K.; Chuchel, Bruce A.; Pellerin, Louise

2008-01-01

This report presents audiomagnetotelluric (AMT) data along fourteen profiles in Spring, Delamar, and Dry Lake Valleys, and the corresponding preliminary two-dimensional (2-D) inverse models. The AMT method is a valuable tool for estimating the electrical resistivity of the Earth over depth ranges from a few meters to less than one kilometer, and it is important for revealing subsurface structure and stratigraphy within the Basin and Range province of eastern Nevada, which can be used to define the geohydrologic framework of the region. We collected AMT data by using the Geometrics StrataGem EH4 system. Profiles were 0.7 - 3.2 km in length with station spacing of 50-400 m. Data were recorded in a coordinate system parallel to and perpendicular to the regional geologic-strike direction with Z positive down. We show AMT station locations, sounding curves of apparent resistivity, phase, and coherency, and 2-D models of subsurface resistivity along the profiles. The 2-D inverse models are computed from the transverse electric (TE), transverse magnetic (TM), and TE+TM mode data by using a conjugate gradient, finite-difference method. Preliminary interpretation of the 2-D models defines the structural framework of the basins and the resistivity contrasts between alluvial basin-fill, volcanic units, and carbonate basement rocks.

Investigation of an Unusually Shallow Earthquake Sequence in Mogul, NV from a Discrimination Perspective (Postprint): Annual Report 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-09

the ML>1.0 Mogul, Nevada earthquakes located by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory; mining explosions (ML>2.0) and crustal earthquakes (ML>2.5) in...1.0 Mogul, Nevada earthquakes located by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory; mining explosions (ML>2.0) and crustal earthquakes (ML>2.5) in the in...distinguish between very shallow crustal earthquakes and underground nuclear explosions are not well developed, significantly because such well-instrumented

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 375: Area 30 Buggy Unit Craters, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

Patrick Matthews

2010-03-01

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 375 is located in Areas 25 and 30 of the Nevada Test Site, which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 375 comprises the two corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: • 25-23-22, Contaminated Soils Site • 30-45-01, U-30a, b, c, d, e Craters Existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination present at the CAU 375 CASs is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives (CAAs). This document details an investigation plan that will provide for the gathering of sufficient information to evaluate and recommend CAAs. Correctivemore » Action Site 25-23-22 is composed of the releases associated with nuclear rocket testing at Test Cell A (TCA). Test Cell A was used to test and develop nuclear rocket motors as part of the Nuclear Rocket Development Station from its construction in 1958 until 1966, when rocket testing began being conducted at Test Cell C. The rocket motors were built with an unshielded nuclear reactor that produced as much as 1,100 kilowatts (at full power) to heat liquid hydrogen to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, at which time the expanded gases were focused out a nozzle to produce thrust. The fuel rods in the reactor were not clad and were designed to release fission fragments to the atmosphere, but due to vibrations and loss of cooling during some operational tests, fuel fragments in excess of planned releases became entrained in the exhaust and spread in the immediate surrounding area. Cleanup efforts have been undertaken at times to collect the fuel rod fragments and other contamination. Previous environmental investigations in the TCA area have resulted in the creation of a number of use restrictions. The industrial area of TCA is encompassed by a fence and is currently posted as a radioactive material area. Corrective Action Site 30-45-01 (releases associated with the Buggy Plowshare test) is located in Area 30 on Chukar Mesa. It was a Plowshare test where five nuclear devices were buried 140 feet (ft) deep in a row at 150-ft intervals. These devices were detonated on March 12, 1968, to produce a trench 254 ft wide, 865 ft long, and 70 ft deep. The mesa where the test was conducted is surrounded on three sides by ravines, and the entire end of the mesa is fenced and posted as a contamination area. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend CAAs. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable CAAs that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on December 2, 2009, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 375.« less

A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, David W.; Moreo, Michael T.; Garcia, C. Amanda; Halford, Keith J.; Fenelon, Joseph M.

2017-08-29

This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters) water table. The U.S. Geological Survey operated two ET stations on Rainier Mesa from 2002 to 2005 at sites characterized by pinyon-juniper and scrub-brush vegetative cover. Precipitation and ET data were corrected to remove measurement biases and gap-filled to develop continuous datasets. Net infiltration (percolation below the root zone) and changes in root-zone water storage were estimated using a monthly water-balance model.Site-scale water-budget results indicate that the heavily-fractured welded-tuff bedrock underlying thin (<40 centimeters) topsoil is a critical water source for vegetation during dry periods. Annual precipitation during the study period ranged from fourth lowest (182 millimeters [mm]) to second highest (708 mm) on record (record = 55 years). Annual ET exceeded precipitation during dry years, indicating that the fractured-bedrock reservoir capacity is sufficient to meet atmospheric-evaporative demands and to sustain vegetation through extended dry periods. Net infiltration (82 mm) was simulated during the wet year after the reservoir was rapidly filled to capacity. These results support previous conclusions that preferential fracture flow was induced, resulting in an episodic recharge pulse that was detected in nearby monitoring wells. The occurrence of net infiltration only during the wet year is consistent with detections of water-level rises in nearby monitoring wells that occur only following wet years.

Development of a Nevada Statewide Database for Safety Analyst Software

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-02

Safety Analyst is a software package developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and twenty-seven participating state and local agencies including the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). The software package implemented many of the...

The Basques of Nevada: An Integrated Social Studies Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gronert, June C.; Starrett, Gloria M.

The social studies unit about Basque people in Nevada integrates activities in history, geography, math, and political science for grades one through seven. Goals are to instill knowledge of Basque culture and influence in Nevada, encourage attitudes of cooperation and responsibility, and develop skills in research and group interaction. A major…

Biogeochemistry of a soil catena in the eastern Sierra Nevada Range, NV

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As a field/lab project, students in the Soil Biogeochemistry class of the University of Nevada, Reno described and characterized five pedons at Little Valley, NV, at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada. Developed largely from granite, the catena encompassed five pedons, which from high to low elev...

University of Nevada System Planning Report: 1987-1991. Future Directions for Nevada's Colleges and Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ. System, Reno.

Goals and priorities of the University of Nevada System for 1987-1991 are presented, with attention to growth projections, campus academic and budget priorities, capital construction needs, economic development, strengthening higher education in the state, and data collection. In addition to the System's goals, academic priorities are described…

Crustal Deformation of the Central Walker Lane from GPS velocities: Block Rotations and Slip Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bormann, J. M.; Hammond, W. C.; Kreemer, C. W.; Blewitt, G.; Wesnousky, S. G.

2010-12-01

The Walker Lane is a complex zone of active intracontinental transtension between the Sierra Nevada/Great Valley (SNGV) microplate and the Basin and Range in the western United States. Collectively, this ~100 km wide zone accommodates ~20% of the Pacific-North American relative plate motion. The Central Walker Lane (CWL) extends from the southern boundary of the Mina Deflection (~38.0°N) to the latitude of Lake Tahoe (~39.5°N) and encompasses the transition from Basin and Range style faulting in the east to the stable block motion of the SNGV microplate in the West. We combine GPS data from the Mobile Array of GPS for Nevada Transtension (MAGNET, http://geodesy.unr.edu/networks) with continuous observations from the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory to solve for rates of crustal deformation in the CWL through a block modeling approach. The GPS coordinate time series are derived in this region as part of a 7000-station global network solution using the latest JPL reanalysis of GPS orbits, and the latest antenna models for stations and satellites. The data were processed by precise point positioning using JPL's GIPSY OASIS II software followed by our custom Ambizap3 software, to produce a globally-consistent, ambiguity-resolved network solution. GPS time series in the western United States are rotated into a North America-fixed reference frame and are spatially filtered with respect to the secular motions of reference stations that demonstrate long-term secular stability. In the study region, we use 130 GPS velocities that are corrected for viscoelastic postseismic relaxation following 19th and 20th century earthquakes in the Central Nevada Seismic Belt to constrain rates of long-term fault slip and block rotation. The spatial density and precision of our velocity field (average station spacing of ~20 km with uncertainties well below 1 mm/yr) allow us to compare geodetically estimated slip rates with geologic observations as well as address specific questions about how shear is transferred from the Southern Walker Lane through the Mina Deflection and evaluate along-strike variation of the slip rate on the Sierra Nevada range front fault. Preliminary results confirm a pattern of deformation consistent with geological observations. Deformation zones are characterized by 1) left-lateral slip on east-northeast trending faults and clockwise block rotations in the Mina Deflection, 2) right-lateral slip on northwest trending faults along the eastern margin of the CWL, 3) east-west extension along north trending faults in the western portion of the CWL with right lateral slip increasing toward the SNGV microplate boundary, 4) clockwise rotation of blocks in the Carson Domain, and 5) northwest directed extension in the Basin and Range. Estimates of fault slip rates along the eastern boundary of the SNGV block find that slip is oblique with preliminary rates ranging between 0.4-0.8(±0.1) mm/yr horizontal extension and 0.9-1.5(±0.1) mm/yr right lateral.

Investigating palygorskite's role in the development of mesothelioma in southern Nevada: Insights into fiber-induced carcinogenicity.

PubMed

Larson, David; Powers, Amy; Ambrosi, Jean-Paul; Tanji, Mika; Napolitano, Andrea; Flores, Erin G; Baumann, Francine; Pellegrini, Laura; Jennings, Cormac J; Buck, Brenda J; McLaurin, Brett T; Merkler, Doug; Robinson, Cleo; Morris, Paul; Dogan, Meral; Dogan, A Umran; Pass, Harvey I; Pastorino, Sandra; Carbone, Michele; Yang, Haining

2016-01-01

Similar to asbestos fibers, nonregulated mineral fibers can cause malignant mesothelioma (MM). Recently, increased proportions of women and young individuals with MM were identified in southern Nevada, suggesting that environmental exposure to carcinogenic fibers was causing the development of MM. Palygorskite, a fibrous silicate mineral with a history of possible carcinogenicity, is abundant in southern Nevada. In this study, our aim was to determine whether palygorskite was contributing to the development of MM in southern Nevada. While palygorskite, in vitro, displayed some cytotoxicity toward primary human mesothelial (HM) cells and reduced their viability, the effects were roughly half of those observed when using similar amounts of crocidolite asbestos. No Balb/c (0/19) or MexTAg (0/18) mice injected with palygorskite developed MM, while 3/16 Balb/c and 13/14 MexTAg mice injected with crocidolite did. Lack of MM development was associated with a decreased acute inflammatory response, as injection of palygorskite resulted in lower percentages of macrophages (p = .006) and neutrophils (p = .02) in the peritoneal cavity 3 d after exposure compared to injection of crocidolite. Additionally, compared to mice injected with crocidolite, palygorskite-injected mice had lower percentages of M2 (tumor-promoting) macrophages (p = .008) in their peritoneal cavities when exposed to fiber for several weeks. Our study indicates that palygorskite found in the environment in southern Nevada does not cause MM in mice, seemingly because palygorskite, in vivo, fails to elicit inflammation that is associated with MM development. Therefore, palygorskite is not a likely contributor to the MM cases observed in southern Nevada.

Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada

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

J. Englebrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2008-08-01

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Beatty, Sarcobatus Flats, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d).more » The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada

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

J. Englebrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2008-08-01

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pahranagat NWR, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d). The trailermore » is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada

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

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2009-04-02

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pahranagat NWR, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d). The trailermore » is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

DOE/NV/26383-LTR2008-01 Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada

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

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2009-04-02

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Beatty, Sarcobatus Flats, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d).more » The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Principal facts for gravity profiles collected near the Osgood Mountains and the Slumbering Hills, north-central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grauch, V.J.; Kucks, Robert P.

1997-01-01

This report presents principal facts for gravity stations collected along profiles near the Osgood Mountains and Slumbering Hills, north- central Nevada. These include (1) data collected near the Osgood Mountains by U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel in the years 1989, 1990, and 1993; and (2) data released to the USGS by Battle Mountain Gold (now Battle Mountain Exploration) that were collected in 1989 near the Osgood Mountains and the Slumbering Hills. The digital data, text of this report (figures in separate files) can be downloaded via 'anonymous ftp' from a USGS system named greenwood.cr.usgs.gov (136.177.21.122). The files are located in a directory named /pub/open-file-reports/ofr-97-0085 and are described in an ASCII file named readme.txt. This information is also contained below in Table 1.

Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Tonopah Airport, Nye County, Nevada

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

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2009-04-02

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Tonopah Airport, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and the Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al.,more » 2007a-d). The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Tonopah Airport, Nye County, Nevada

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

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D Campbell

2008-08-01

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Tonopah Airport, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and the Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al.,more » 2007a-d). The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Summary geochemical maps, Hoover Wilderness and adjacent study area, Mono and Tuolumne counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chaffee, M.A.; Hill, R.H.; Sutley, S.J.

1984-01-01

The Hoover Wilderness and the adjacent Hoover Extension (East), Hoover Extension (West), and Cherry Creek A Roadless Areas (the adjacent study area) encompass approximately 153,900 acres (241 mi2; 623 km2) in the Inyo, Stanislaus, and Toiyabe Naitonal Forests, Mono and Tuolumne Counties, Calif. These two areas lie along and mostly east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada, along the north and east sides of Yosemite National Park. Elevations vary from a high of 12,446 ft (3,793 m) on the crest of the Sierra Nevada to a low of about 6,500 ft (1,981 m) near the Bridgeport Ranger Station. Access to the Hoover Wilderness and adjacent study area is by U.S. Highway 395, California State Highways 108 (Sonora Pass) and 120 (Tioga Pass), and by other paved and graded roads that lead off of these U.S. and State highways.

Crustal Deformation Across the Basin and Range Province, Western United States, Measured with the Global Positioning System, 1992-2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W. C.; Thatcher, W.

2002-12-01

The Basin and Range province of the western United States lies east of the Sierra Nevada mountains and accommodates roughly 25% of the motion between the North American and Pacific Plates in this region. It is experiencing both active extension and dextral shear, whose orientation is consistent with relative plate motion, suggesting that the province is an important part of the overall plate boundary system. We present results from recent measurement of Basin and Range crustal motion using the Global Positioning System (GPS). As of September 2002, ten years of deformation will have been observed with GPS measurements in 1992,1996, 1998 and 2002. The 800 km long east-to-west line of campaign-style geodetic benchmarks extends from east of the Wasatch fault zone in Utah to west of the Genoa fault zone and Lake Tahoe in California's Northern Sierra Nevada mountains, primarily along Interstate Highway 50. In all there are velocities at 91 GPS sites, nearly double the number previously presented (Thatcher et al. [1999]), all of which will be measured in September 2002. Incorporating this new data is expected to reduce the uncertainty in earlier measurements that show the motion of the Sierra Nevada block with respect to non-deforming North America to be accommodated by right lateral shear and extensional deformation in Nevada and Utah. Velocity variation of about 9 mm/yr is concentrated in the western one-third of the network, with a lesser amount (roughly 3 mm/yr) localized to the easternmost edge of the network, in the vicinity of the Wasatch fault zone. Recent densification of the GPS network across these two zones will also improve the spatial resolution of the deformation in these regions. The greatest rate of present-day deformation occurs near the ruptures of the Fairview Peak and Rainbow Mountain earthquakes in the Central Nevada Seismic Zone, extending west past the Genoa fault into the Sierra Nevada. This strain rate pattern is correlated with the concentration of historic faulting and seismicity in the western half of Nevada and eastern California, but is less well correlated with the relatively broad distribution of faults with Holocene and late Quaternary age. To process the data we use the GIPSY/OASIS II and Quasi-Observation Combination Analysis (Dong et al. [1998]) software packages and incorporate data from continuously recording GPS stations in California and Nevada.

A Sampling of U.S. Naval Humanitarian Operations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-01

from the evacuation services to survivors of a Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Fallon, volcano eruption on Miyako Island, Nevada, and from the San...February 1974 aircraft from Midway to Hawaii for treatment. On 13 February 1974, TAK-241 Private Francis X. McCraw rescued six Philippine Sea, September...Pacific, July 1989 Western Atlantic, January 1990 DD-965 Kinkaid and Coast Guard While on a training flight on 25 forces from Hawaii rescued a

Estimation of Uncertainties of Full Moment Tensors

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-06

Nevada Test Site (tab. 1 of Ford et al., 2009). Figure 1 shows the three regions and the stations used within the moment tensor inversions . For the...and additional bandpass filtering, were applied during the moment tensor inversions . We use high-frequency P waves for the Uturuncu and NTS events...reliable when we align the P waves on the observed P arrival time. 3.2 Methods Seismic moment tensor inversion requires specifying a misfit function

Maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems in southern Nevada [Chapter 7] (Executive Summary)

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; Burton K. Pendleton; Donald W. Sada; Steven M. Ostoja; Matthew L. Brooks

2013-01-01

Resource managers in southern Nevada are faced with the challenge of determining appropriate goals and objectives and developing viable approaches for maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems in the face of rapid socio-ecological and environmental change. Many of southern Nevada’s ecosystems are being subjected to anthropogenic stressors that span global,...

Stability and change in minerotrophic peatlands, Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada

Treesearch

James W. Bartolome; Don C. Erman; Charles F. Schwara

1990-01-01

Minerotrophic peatlands or fens in California's Sierra Nevada are small wet meadows surrounded by mixed conifer forest. The dynamics of vegetation change at the meadow edge and the ages and development of fens were investigated, in the Sagehen Creek Basin near Truckee, California, through the use of radiocarbon dating of peat, pollen studies, examination of...

KSC-2011-7886

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media learn about the plans Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has to take NASA astronauts to the International Space Station at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX is working to make its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule safe for humans for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities. SpaceX already is developing these systems under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) Program to take supplies to the space station. Scott Henderson, director of SpaceX mission assurance, explained that the company is drafting designs to make the Dragon capsule crew-capable with life support systems while meeting CCP's safety requirements. One such option under discussion is a launch abort system that would push astronauts away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency, which is different than traditional pull systems. It's the freedom to develop innovative solutions such as this that CCP hopes will drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before. CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, partnered with seven aerospace companies to mature launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-7885

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media learn about the plans Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has to take NASA astronauts to the International Space Station at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX is working to make its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule safe for humans for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities. SpaceX already is developing these systems under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) Program to take supplies to the space station. Scott Henderson, director of SpaceX mission assurance, explained that the company is drafting designs to make the Dragon capsule crew-capable with life support systems while meeting CCP's safety requirements. One such option under discussion is a launch abort system that would push astronauts away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency, which is different than traditional pull systems. It's the freedom to develop innovative solutions such as this that CCP hopes will drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before. CCP, which is based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, partnered with seven aerospace companies to mature launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

Dissolved-solids contribution to the Colorado River from public lands in southeastern Nevada, through September 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Westenburg, C.L.

1995-01-01

The Bureau of Land Management administers about 9,300 square miles of public lands in southeastern Nevada that are part of the Colorado River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, began a 5-year program in October 1988 to assess the contribution of dissolved solids to the fiver from those lands. About 6,200 square miles of public lands are in the Muddy River subbasin in Nevada. The estimated average dissolved-solids load contributed to the Colorado River from those lands was 28,000 tons per year from October 1988 through September 1993. Subsurface flow contributed about 86 percent (24,000 tons per year) of that load. About 730 square miles of public lands in the Las Vegas Wash subbasin contribute dissolved-solids load to the Colorado River. (About 120 square miles of public lands do not contribute to the river.) The estimated average dissolved-solids load contributed to the river from those lands was about 1,300 tons per year from October 1988 through September 1993. Subsurface flow contributed almost all of that load. About 1,100 square miles of public lands are in the Virgin River subbasin in Nevada. The estimated average dissolved- solids load contributed to the Colorado River from Nevada public lands in the subbasin was 8,700 tons per year. Subsurface flow contributed almost the entire load. About 1,200 square miles of Nevada public lands are in ephemeral tributaries that drain direcfly to the Colorado River or its impoundments (Lake Mead and Lake Mobave). The estimated average dissolved-solids load contributed to the river from those lands was 50 tons per year from surface runoff; however, the dissolved-solids load contributed by subsurface flow was not estimated. From October 1992 to September 1993, the Colorado River carried about 6,600,000 tons of dissolved solids past a streamflow gaging station 0.3 mile downstream from Hoover Dam. In contrast, surface runoff and subsurface flow contribute an estimated average dissolved-solids load of 38,000 tons per year from public lands in southeastern Nevada to the Colorado River. Land-management practices probably would not substantially reduce this contribution.

KSC-2012-1823

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Human Spacecraft being considered for NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP. In 2011, NASA and Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercialcrew Image credit: Excalibur Almaz Inc.

Biological and ecological science for Nevada—The Silver State

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2017-10-04

Nevada is rich in minerals, energy, rangelands, mountains, deserts, lakes, fish, and wildlife. Many enterprises critical to Nevada's economy are based on natural resources including solar energy, livestock production, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation. Nevada is a national leader in both geothermal and solar utility-scale energy production, and invested more than $1.2 million in 2016 in solar development alone. Agriculture, primarily livestock production, generates more than half a billion dollars annually, and wildlife watching, hunting, and fishing contribute more than $1 billion to Nevada's economy annually.

Development of a Dynamic Traffic Assignment Model for Northern Nevada

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

The objective of this research is to build and calibrate a DTA model for Northern Nevada (RenoSparks Area) based on the network profile and travel demand information updated to date. The critical procedures include development of consistent and readi...

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 139: Waste Disposal Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

NSTec Environmental Restoration

2009-07-31

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 139 is identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) as 'Waste Disposal Sites' and consists of the following seven Corrective Action Sites (CASs), located in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the Nevada Test Site: CAS 03-35-01, Burn Pit; CAS 04-08-02, Waste Disposal Site; CAS 04-99-01, Contaminated Surface Debris; CAS 06-19-02, Waste Disposal Site/Burn Pit; CAS 06-19-03, Waste Disposal Trenches; CAS 09-23-01, Area 9 Gravel Gertie; and CAS 09-34-01, Underground Detection Station. Closure activities were conducted from December 2008 to April 2009 according to the FFACO (1996, as amended February 2008) andmore » the Corrective Action Plan for CAU 139 (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, 2007b). The corrective action alternatives included No Further Action, Clean Closure, and Closure in Place with Administrative Controls. Closure activities are summarized. CAU 139, 'Waste Disposal Sites,' consists of seven CASs in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the NTS. The closure alternatives included No Further Action, Clean Closure, and Closure in Place with Administrative Controls. This CR provides a summary of completed closure activities, documentation of waste disposal, and confirmation that remediation goals were met. The following site closure activities were performed at CAU 139 as documented in this CR: (1) At CAS 03-35-01, Burn Pit, soil and debris were removed and disposed as LLW, and debris was removed and disposed as sanitary waste. (2) At CAS 04-08-02, Waste Disposal Site, an administrative UR was implemented. No postings or post-closure monitoring are required. (3) At CAS 04-99-01, Contaminated Surface Debris, soil and debris were removed and disposed as LLW, and debris was removed and disposed as sanitary waste. (4) At CAS 06-19-02, Waste Disposal Site/Burn Pit, no work was performed. (5) At CAS 06-19-03, Waste Disposal Trenches, a native soil cover was installed, and a UR was implemented. (6) At CAS 09-23-01, Area 9 Gravel Gertie, a UR was implemented. (7) At CAS 09-34-01, Underground Detection Station, no work was performed.« less

A density management diagram for even-aged Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer stands

Treesearch

James N. Long; John D. Shaw

2012-01-01

We have developed a density management diagram (DMD) for even-aged mixed-conifer stands in the Sierra Nevada Mountains using forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data. Analysis plots were drawn from FIA plots in California, southern Oregon, and western Nevada which included those conifer species associated with the mixed-conifer forest type. A total of 204 plots met the...

The Birth of a New Vocational-Technical Center. National Vocational-Technical Facility Planning Conference (Las Vegas, Nevada, May, 1967).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnsworth, Clayton

The principal of the Southern Nevada Vocational-Technical Center at Las Vegas, Nevada, briefly outlines its development and function. The facility cost approximately 3 million dollars and was built on 390 acres of land purchased from the Federal government. The PERT method was used in planning. Instructional facilities, including those for auto…

Fire rehabilitation decisions at landscape scales: utilizing state-and-transition models developed through disturbance response grouping of ecological sites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recognizing the utility of ecological sites and the associated state-and-transition model (STM) for decision support, the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada partnered with Nevada NRCS and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) in 2009 with the goal of creating a team that could (1) expedite developme...

Use of Regional Climate Model Output for Hydrologic Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hay, L. E.; Clark, M. P.; Wilby, R. L.; Gutowski, W. J.; Leavesley, G. H.; Pan, Z.; Arritt, R. W.; Takle, E. S.

2001-12-01

Daily precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature time series from a Regional Climate Model (RegCM2) were used as input to a distributed hydrologic model for a rainfall-dominated basin (Alapaha River at Statenville, Georgia) and three snowmelt-dominated basins (Animas River at Durango, Colorado; East Fork of the Carson River near Gardnerville, Nevada; and Cle Elum River near Roslyn, Washington). For comparison purposes, spatially averaged daily data sets of precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature were developed from measured data. These datasets included precipitation and temperature data for all stations that are located within the area of the RegCM2 model output used for each basin, but excluded station data used to calibrate the hydrologic model. Both the RegCM2 output and station data capture the gross aspects of the seasonal cycles of precipitation and temperature. However, in all four basins, the RegCM2- and station-based simulations of runoff show little skill on a daily basis (Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) values ranging from 0.05-0.37 for RegCM2 and -0.08-0.65 for station). When the precipitation and temperature biases are corrected in the RegCM2 output and station data sets (Bias-RegCM2 and Bias-station, respectively) the accuracy of the daily runoff simulations improve dramatically for the snowmelt-dominated basins. In the rainfall-dominated basin, runoff simulations based on the Bias-RegCM2 output show no skill (NS value of 0.09) whereas Bias-All simulated runoff improves (NS value improved from -0.08 to 0.72). These results indicate that the resolution of the RegCM2 output is appropriate for basin-scale modeling, but RegCM2 model output does not contain the day-to-day variability needed for basin-scale modeling in rainfall-dominated basins. Future work is warranted to identify the causes for systematic biases in RegCM2 simulations, develop methods to remove the biases, and improve RegCM2 simulations of daily variability in local climate.

The 2008 Wells, Nevada Earthquake Sequence: Application of Subspace Detection and Multiple Event Relocation Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nealy, J. L.; Benz, H.; Hayes, G. P.; Bergman, E.; Barnhart, W. D.

2016-12-01

On February 21, 2008 at 14:16:02 (UTC), Wells, Nevada experienced a Mw 6.0 earthquake, the largest earthquake in the state within the past 50 years. Here, we re-analyze in detail the spatiotemporal variations of the foreshock and aftershock sequence and compare the distribution of seismicity to a recent slip model based on inversion of InSAR observations. A catalog of earthquakes for the time period of February 1, 2008 through August 31, 2008 was derived from a combination of arrival time picks using a kurtosis detector (primarily P arrival times), subspace detector (primarily S arrival times), associating the combined pick dataset, and applying multiple event relocation techniques using the 19 closest USArray Transportable Array stations, permanent regional seismic monitoring stations in Nevada and Utah, and temporary stations deployed for an aftershock study. We were able to detect several thousand earthquakes in the months following the mainshock as well as several foreshocks in the days leading up to the event. We reviewed the picks for the largest 986 earthquakes and relocated them using the Hypocentroidal Decomposition (HD) method. The HD technique provides both relative locations for the individual earthquakes and an absolute location for the earthquake cluster, resulting in absolute locations of the events in the cluster having minimal bias from unknown Earth structure. A subset of these "calibrated" earthquake locations that spanned the duration of the sequence and had small uncertainties in location were used as prior constraints within a second relocation effort using the entire dataset and the Bayesloc approach. Accurate locations (to within 2 km) were obtained using Bayesloc for 1,952 of the 2,157 events associated over the seven-month period of the study. The final catalog of earthquake hypocenters indicates that the aftershocks extend for about 20 km along the strike of the ruptured fault. The aftershocks occur primarily updip and along the southwestern edge of the zone of maximum slip as modeled by seismic waveform inversion (Dreger et al., 2011) and by InSAR. The aftershock locations illuminate areas of post-mainshock strain increase and their depths are consistent with InSAR imaging, which showed that the Wells earthquake was a buried source with no observable near-surface offset.

A Method for Snow Reanalysis: The Sierra Nevada (USA) Example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Girotto, Manuela; Margulis, Steven; Cortes, Gonzalo; Durand, Michael

2017-01-01

This work presents a state-of-the art methodology for constructing snow water equivalent (SWE) reanalysis. The method is comprised of two main components: (1) a coupled land surface model and snow depletion curve model, which is used to generate an ensemble of predictions of SWE and snow cover area for a given set of (uncertain) inputs, and (2) a reanalysis step, which updates estimation variables to be consistent with the satellite observed depletion of the fractional snow cover time series. This method was applied over the Sierra Nevada (USA) based on the assimilation of remotely sensed fractional snow covered area data from the Landsat 5-8 record (1985-2016). The verified dataset (based on a comparison with over 9000 station years of in situ data) exhibited mean and root-mean-square errors less than 3 and 13 cm, respectively, and correlation greater than 0.95 compared with in situ SWE observations. The method (fully Bayesian), resolution (daily, 90-meter), temporal extent (31 years), and accuracy provide a unique dataset for investigating snow processes. This presentation illustrates how the reanalysis dataset was used to provide a basic accounting of the stored snowpack water in the Sierra Nevada over the last 31 years and ultimately improve real-time streamflow predictions.

Upper mantle anisotropic attenuation of the Sierra Nevada and surroundings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardino, M. J.; Jones, C. H.; Monsalve, G.

2016-12-01

We investigate the contribution of anelasticity in the generation of seismic velocity variations within the upper mantle of the Sierra Nevada and surrounding regions through teleseismic shear-wave attenuation. Given that anelastic effects are most sensitive to temperature and hydration and less to composition and small degrees of partial melt, we aim constrain the thermal structure beneath this region and identify locations where elevated upper mantle temperatures dominate. We also investigate the dependence of shear-wave attenuation on direction by accounting for seismic anisotropy in our measurements. S-wave t* values are determined from teleseismic S- and SKS- phases recorded on permanent and temporary deployments within the California region with particular focus on the Sierra Nevada Earthscope Project (SNEP) and the Sierran Paradox Experiment (SPE) stations. S-waveforms are rotated into the Sierran SFast, N75°E, and SSlow, N15°W, components. Following the method of Stachnik et al., (2004), S-wave spectra for each event are jointly inverted for a single seismic moment, M0k, and corner frequency, fck, for each event, and separate t* for each ray path. The resulting t*Fast and t*Slow measurements are then inverted for three-dimensional variations in (1/QFast) and (1/QSlow). Results are compared with previous magnetotelluric, surface heat flow, and body-wave velocity inversion studies.

Lg attenuation, frequency dependence and relative site response of the western United States as revealed by the EarthScope Transportable Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallegos, Andrea; Ranasinghe, Nishath; Ni, James; Sandvol, Eric

2017-06-01

Lg attenuation of the western United States is estimated using regional waveforms recorded by EarthScope's Transportable Array, the Berkeley Digital Seismograph Network and the Caltech Regional Seismic Network. Lg attenuation is determined using the two-station method (TSM). 292 events ranging from magnitude 4 to 6.5 in a time range for the years between 2005 and 2010 are used. We have tomographically mapped variations in effective Lg Q at narrow bands with central frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 Hz. The relative site responses of individual stations are determined using a reverse TSM at these central frequencies. Both the two-station and reverse TSMs have the advantage of effectively removing site and source effects without requiring a priori models while mapping lateral heterogeneities in the crust. Regions of high attenuation are found along the Snake River Plain, along the northern California-Oregon border, throughout the Basin and Range, Walker Lane, Wasatch Fault and the Rio Grande Rift. Regions of low attenuation are found in the Colorado Plateau, Rocky Mountains, central Nevada and the Columbia Plateau. Overall, Lg Q was found to have a power-law frequency dependence, with an increase in central frequency resulting in an increase in Q. Relative site responses were found to vary strongly with local geology. Hard rock areas such as the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Snake River Plain show a consistent pattern of negative site response (i.e. deamplification), while areas with a higher degree of sediments, such as the grabens of the Basin and Range, show positive site response (i.e. amplification). Finally, site responses were found to vary with frequency, becoming less variable and more pronounced as frequency increases.

Discrimination of nuclear explosions and earthquakes from teleseismic distances with a local network of short period seismic stations using artificial neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiira, Timo

1996-10-01

Seismic discrimination capability of artificial neural networks (ANNs) was studied using earthquakes and nuclear explosions from teleseismic distances. The events were selected from two areas, which were analyzed separately. First, 23 nuclear explosions from Semipalatinsk and Lop Nor test sites were compared with 46 earthquakes from adjacent areas. Second, 39 explosions from Nevada test site were compared with 27 earthquakes from close-by areas. The basic discriminants were complexity, spectral ratio and third moment of frequency. The spectral discriminants were computed in five different ways to obtain all the information embedded in the signals, some of which were relatively weak. The discriminants were computed using data from six short period stations in Central and southern Finland. The spectral contents of the signals of both classes varied considerably between the stations. The 66 discriminants were formed into 65 optimum subsets of different sizes by using stepwise linear regression. A type of ANN called multilayer perceptron (MLP) was applied to each of the subsets. As a comparison the classification was repeated using linear discrimination analysis (LDA). Since the number of events was small the testing was made with the leave-one-out method. The ANN gave significantly better results than LDA. As a final tool for discrimination a combination of the ten neural nets with the best performance were used. All events from Central Asia were clearly discriminated and over 90% of the events from Nevada region were confidently discriminated. The better performance of ANNs was attributed to its ability to form complex decision regions between the groups and to its highly non-linear nature.

Nevada Infrastructure for Climate Change Science, Education, and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dana, G. L.; Piechota, T. C.; Lancaster, N.; Mensing, S. A.

2009-12-01

The Nevada system of Higher Education, including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Nevada, Reno, the Desert Research Institute, and Nevada State College have begun a five year research and infrastructure building program, funded by the National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) with the vision “to create a statewide interdisciplinary program and virtual climate change center that will stimulate transformative research, education, and outreach on the effects of regional climate change on ecosystem resources (especially water) and support use of this knowledge by policy makers and stakeholders.” Six major strategies are proposed: 1) Develop a capability to model climate change and its effects at a regional and sub-regional scales to evaluate different future scenarios and strategies (Climate Modeling Component) 2) Develop data collection, modeling, and visualization infrastructure to determine and analyze effects on ecosystems and disturbance regimes (Ecological Change Component) 3) Develop data collection, modeling, and visualization infrastructure to better quantify and model changes in water balance and resources under climate change (Water Resources Component) 4) Develop data collection and modeling infrastructure to assess effects on human systems, responses to institutional and societal aspects, and enhance policy making and outreach to communities and stakeholders (Policy, Decision-Making, and Outreach Component) 5) Develop a data portal and software to support interdisciplinary research via integration of data from observational networks and modeling (Cyberinfrastructure Component) and 6) Develop educational infrastructure to train students at all levels and provide public outreach in climate change issues (Education Component). As part of the new infrastructure, two observational transects will be established across Great Basin Ranges, one in southern Nevada in the Spring Mountains, and the second to be located in the Snake Range of eastern Nevada which will reach bristlecone pine stands. Climatic, hydrologic and ecological data from these transects will be downloaded into high capacity data storage units and made available to researchers through creation of the Nevada climate change portal. Our research will aim to answer two interdisciplinary science questions: 1) How will climate change affect water resources and linked ecosystem resources and human systems? And 2) How will climate change affect disturbance regimes (e.g., wildland fires, invasive species, insect outbreaks, droughts) and linked systems?

Underground Test Area Quality Assurance Project Plan Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Irene Farnham

This Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) provides the overall quality assurance (QA) program requirements and general quality practices to be applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) Sub-Project (hereafter the Sub-Project) activities. The requirements in this QAPP are consistent with DOE Order 414.1C, Quality Assurance (DOE, 2005); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (EPA, 2002); and EPA Guidance on the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Environmental Models (EPA, 2009). The QAPP Revision 0 supersedes DOE--341, Underground Test Area Quality Assurancemore » Project Plan, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 4.« less

Floods of November-December 1950 in western Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wells, J.V.B.

1954-01-01

Record-breaking floods in the Walker, Carson, and Truckee River basins during November and December 1950 resulted from a rapid sequence of storms and unseasonably high temperatures that melted most of the early snow cover. During the period November 13 to December 8, 1950, total precipitation ranged from about 5 inches at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in Nevada to about 30 inches at the crest in California, near the California-Nevada State line. About half of this total occurred during the period November 16-21. The resulting floods were the greatest in more than 50 years of record. The highest discharge occurred on Truckee River where the greatest damage potential exists?in the urban area of Reno and Sparks. Notable rates of discharge were 19,900 cfs, or 36.1 cfs per square mile, from 551 square miles in Truckee River at Reno, Nev.; 7,010 cfs, or 212 cfs per square mile, from 33 square miles in Little Truckee River near Hobart Mills, Calif.; and 3,570 cfs, or 119 cfs per square mile, from 30 square miles in East Fork Carson River near Markleeville, Calif. The estimate of damages compiled by the Corps of Engineers total $4,360,000 for the area; $1,982,000 of this was for Reno. Two deaths were reported. The American Red Cross assisted about 200 persons, at an expenditure of about $7,500. Federal aid for city and county rehabilitation in Nevada totaled $75,000. This report contains records of stage and discharge at 20 gaging stations and contents of 2 reservoirs, and a summary of peak discharges at 23 points within or adjacent to the flood area. The report contains also a discussion of the storms and floods, a section on meteorology prepared by the Weather Bureau, and a brief discussion of previous floods.

MX Siting Investigation Gravity Survey - Ralston Valley, Nevada.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-20

Center (DMAHTC), headquartered in Cheyenne. Wyoming. DMAHTC reduces the data to Simple Bouguer Anomaly (see Section A1.4, Appendix Al.0). The Defense...LIST OF DRAWINGS Drawing Number 1 Complete Bouguer Anomaly Contours In Pocket at 2 Depth to Rock - Interpreted from End of Report Gravity Data iv, I I...REDUCTION DMAHTC obtained the basic observations for the new stations and reduced them to Simple Bouguer Anomalies (SBA) as described in Appendix A1.0

Beatty Wind Monitoring Project

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

Hurt, Rick

2009-06-01

The UNLV Center for Energy Research (CER) and Valley Electric Association (VEA) worked with Kitty Shubert of the Beatty Economic Redevelopment Corporation (BERC) to install two wind monitoring stations outside the town of Beatty, Nevada. The following is a description of the two sites. The information for a proposed third site is also shown. The sites were selected from previous work by the BERC and Idaho National Laboratory. The equipment was provided by the BERC and installed by researchers from the UNLV CER.

Use of Thermal Data to Estimate Infiltration in Pagany Wash Associated with the winter of 1997-1998 El Nino Precipitation, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

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

G.D. LeCain; N. lu; M. Kurzmack

Temperature and air-pressure monitoring in a vertical borehole located in Pagany Wash, a normally dry stream-carved channel northeast of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, indicated that the annual temperature wave was measurable to a depth of 11.1 m. Temperature depressions were measured at depths of 3.1, 6.1, 9.2, and 11.1 m below ground surface. The temperature depressions were interpreted to be the result of infiltration associated with the 1997-1998 El Nino precipitation. A pressure differential, of approximately 2 kiloPascals, between stations located 11.1 and 24.5 m below ground surface was interpreted to be the result of compressed air ahead of the wettingmore » front. The pressure differences between stations indicated that the wetting front migrated deeper than 35.2 m and that the Yucca Mountain Tuff retarded the downward movement of the wetting front. An analytical method indicated that the infiltration flux through the Pagany Wash alluvium due to the 1997-1998 El Nino precipitation was approximately 940 mm. A one-dimensional numerical model indicated that the infiltration flux was approximately 1000 mm. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the potential temperature decrease due to conduction was minimal and that cooler surface temperatures could not account for the measured subsurface temperature depressions.« less

Ground Water Atlas of the United States: Segment 1, California, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Planert, Michael; Williams, John S.

1995-01-01

California and Nevada compose Segment 1 of the Ground Water Atlas of the United States. Segment 1 is a region of pronounced physiographic and climatic contrasts. From the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada of northern California, where precipitation is abundant, to the Great Basin in Nevada and the deserts of southern California, which have the most arid environments in the United States, few regions exhibit such a diversity of topography or environment. Since the discovery of gold in the mid-1800's, California has experienced a population, industrial, and agricultural boom unrivaled by that of any other State. Water needs in California are very large, and the State leads the United States in agricultural and municipal water use. The demand for water exceeds the natural water supply in many agricultural and nearly all urban areas. As a result, water is impounded by reservoirs in areas of surplus and transported to areas of scarcity by an extensive network of aqueducts. Unlike California, which has a relative abundance of water, development in Nevada has been limited by a scarcity of recoverable freshwater. The Truckee, the Carson, the Walker, the Humboldt, and the Colorado Rivers are the only perennial streams of significance in the State. The individual basin-fill aquifers, which together compose the largest known ground-water reserves, receive little annual recharge and are easily depleted. Nevada is sparsely populated, except for the Las Vegas, the Reno-Sparks, and the Carson City areas, which rely heavily on imported water for public supplies. Although important to the economy of Nevada, agriculture has not been developed to the same degree as in California due, in large part, to a scarcity of water. Some additional ground-water development might be possible in Nevada through prudent management of the basin-fill aquifers and increased utilization of ground water in the little-developed carbonate-rock aquifers that underlie the eastern one-half of the State. The potential problem of withdrawals in excess of natural recharge, however, will require careful management of ground-water withdrawals.

Development and Calibration of Regional Dynamic Traffic Assignment Models for the Estimation of Traffic Performance Measures in Nevada

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-01

This project covered the development and calibration of a Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) model and explained the procedures, constraints, and considerations for usage of this model for the Reno-Sparks area roadway network in Northern Nevada. A lite...

KSC-2011-8113

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of the Liberty Launch Vehicle under development by Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA and ATK entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Alliant Techsystems Inc.

NASA astronaut Rex Walheim checks out the Dragon spacecraft und

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-30

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim checks out the Dragon spacecraft under development by Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., for the agency's Commercial Crew Program. In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

KSC-2012-1825

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-30

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- NASA astronauts and industry experts are monitored while they check out the crew accommodations in the Dragon spacecraft under development by Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., for the agency's Commercial Crew Program. In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

Updraft Model for Development of Autonomous Soaring Uninhabited Air Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Michael J.

2006-01-01

Large birds and glider pilots commonly use updrafts caused by convection in the lower atmosphere to extend flight duration, increase cross-country speed, improve range, or simply to conserve energy. Uninhabited air vehicles may also have the ability to exploit updrafts to improve performance. An updraft model was developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) to investigate the use of convective lift for uninhabited air vehicles in desert regions. Balloon and surface measurements obtained at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Surface Radiation station (Desert Rock, Nevada) enabled the model development. The data were used to create a statistical representation of the convective velocity scale, w*, and the convective mixing-layer thickness, zi. These parameters were then used to determine updraft size, vertical velocity profile, spacing, and maximum height. This paper gives a complete description of the updraft model and its derivation. Computer code for running the model is also given in conjunction with a check case for model verification.

Truckee Meadows (Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Area) Nevada: Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-01

of Art and the Community Concert Association. 6. Education. Washoe County is served by 42 elementary schools , 9 middle schools (grades 6 through 8...Cultural Opportunities. Cultural opportunities have expanded since formation of the Sierra Nevada Arts Foundation. Organized in 1971, the foundation...serves as the headquarters for development and promotion of the arts . Cultural groups associated with the foundation include the Sierra Nevada Museum

Fractures in outcrops in the vicinity of drill hole USW G-4. Yucca Mountain, Nevada; data analysis and compilation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barton, Christopher C.; Page, William R.; Morgan, Terrance L.

1989-01-01

Fractures on outcrops in the vicinity of drill hole USW G-4, Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were studied in order to contribute to characterization of fractures for hydrologjc, geomechanical, and tectonic modeling of the Yucca Mountain block and to characterize fractures prior to the excavation of a proposed exploratory shaft located near USW G-4. Yucca Mountain is a prospective site for the construction of an underground repository for high-level nuclear waste.Measurements were taken and recorded on 5,000 fractures at 50 outcrop stations primarily in the upper lithophysal unit of the Tiva Canyon Member of the Miocene Paintbrush Tuff. Fracture orientation and surface roughness were recorded for each fracture. Additionally, notes were taken on fracture abutting, crossing, and offsetting relations, swarming, curvature, brecciation, slickensides, and fracture fillings. Frequency distributions of orientation and roughness were plotted and analyzed. Fractures with low roughness coefficients (0-4) group tightly into two sets based on orientation. We conclude that such fractures are cooling joints and that all other fractures are tectonic. The development of small-scale fractures adjacent, subparallel, and possibly related to the Ghost Dance fault has been addressed in a preliminary way based on data collected in this study. Such sympathetic fractures are abundant in the upper cliff unit but not in the upper lithophysal unit.

MX Siting Investigation, Gravity Survey - Delamar Valley, Nevada.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-20

reduces the data to Simple Bouguer Anomaly (see Section A1.4, Appendix A1.0). The Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center (DMAAC), St. Louis, Missouri...DRAWINGS Drawing Number 1 Complete Bouguer Anomaly Contours 2 Depth to Rock -Interpreted from In Pocket at Gravity Data End of Report iv E-TR-33-DM...ErtPX E-TR-3 3-DM 6 2.0 GRAVITY DATA REDUCTION DMAHTC/GSS obtained the basic observations for the new stations and reduced them to Simple Bouguer

Empirical Observations of Earthquake-Explosion Discrimination Using P/S Ratios and Implications for the Sources of Explosion S-Waves

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

stations at test sites around the world (e.g., Nevada, Lop Nor, Novaya Zemlya, Semipalatinsk , India, Pakistan, and North Korea). We show this pattern...regional P/S amplitudes tended to be dominated by frequencies around 1 Hz. As shown in Figure 2 at a number of major nuclear test sites , these...Figure 2. Bandpass filtered 1-2 Hz seismograms of earthquake (red) and explosion (blue) pairs at nuclear test sites show little consistent

Regional Amplitude-Distance Relations, Discrimination and Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-13

amplitudes from eight NTS explosions along a profile to Ordway, Colorado . A short spread of instru- ments was set out at 28 locations along the profile so...34Itver. geiK u el it i I, -1L it Iiiie r exii.Siifs arid] recorded at 31 locationis 1wtwevn tie Nevada test site (IN’S) and Ordwa%, Colorado , are diuused...The nIme of recording stations crosses the eastern part of thle Basin and Range province, the Colorado plateaus, and the southern Rocky Mountains

Symposium on Engineering With Nuclear Explosives January 14-16, 1970, Las Vegas, Nevada. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1970-05-01

from the earth and moon mining systems near exhaustion and says: The recent discovery of coal (black, fossilized plant remains ) in a number of places...fuel for our central power stations can further reduce the amount of pollutants that are put into the atmosphere by fossil fuels. Technology can help...degree, what still remains to be accomplished, so I will not attempt to go into detail here. However, I would like to take a few minutes to summarize

Obtaining valid geologic models from 3-D resistivity inversion of magnetotelluric data at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodriguez, Brian D.; Sweetkind, Donald S.

2015-01-01

The 3-D inversion was generally able to reproduce the gross resistivity structure of the “known” model, but the simulated conductive volcanic composite unit horizons were often too shallow when compared to the “known” model. Additionally, the chosen computation parameters such as station spacing appear to have resulted in computational artifacts that are difficult to interpret but could potentially be removed with further refinements of the 3-D resistivity inversion modeling technique.

Earth Observation

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-07-29

ISS032-E-010487 (29 July 2012) --- Walker Lake, Nevada is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 32 crew member on the International Space Station. According to scientists, the Pleistocene landscape of western Nevada approximately 15,000 years ago was one of narrow mountain ranges and numerous interconnected lakes that together formed the extensive glacial Lake Lahontan. Scientists believe drying and warming of the regional climate since the last Ice Age led to the disappearance of the glaciers feeding meltwater to Lake Lahontan, and eventual disappearance of the lake itself. Today, few remnants of Lahontan remain; most of its arms have become dry enclosed basins known as playas. This photograph highlights Walker Lake, one of only two remnant lakes that contain water throughout the year (Pyramid Lake in Nevada is the other). The lake is located in an enclosed basin bounded by the Wassuk Range to the west and the Gillis Range to the east. It is fed by the Walker River flowing from the north. The current dimensions of the lake are approximately 21 kilometers north-south by 9 kilometers east-west. Shoreline deposits at higher elevations than the current lake level form concentric bands that are just visible in the image (bottom center) ? these record varying lake levels in the geologic past. The nearest town is Hawthorne, Nevada to the southeast. To the southwest the highest peak of the Wassuk Range, Mount Grant (elevation 3,496 meters above sea level), dominates the skyline. Green agricultural fields, primarily alfalfa, located to the west of the Wassuk Range (lower right) provide a striking contrast to the surrounding Great Basin desert. These fields are irrigated using water from the nearby East Fork of the Walker River (right, just visible alongside the fields).

Addendum to the Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 321: Area 22 Weather Station Fuel Storage Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Lynn Kidman

This document constitutes an addendum to the August 2001, Corrective Action Decision Document / Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 321: Area 22 Weather Station Fuel Storage as described in the document Recommendations and Justifications for Modifications for Use Restrictions Established under the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (UR Modification document) dated February 2008. The UR Modification document was approved by NDEP on February 26, 2008. The approval of the UR Modification document constituted approval of each of the recommended UR modifications. In conformance with the UR Modificationmore » document, this addendum consists of: • This cover page that refers the reader to the UR Modification document for additional information • The cover and signature pages of the UR Modification document • The NDEP approval letter • The corresponding section of the UR Modification document This addendum provides the documentation justifying the cancellation of the UR for CAS 22-99-05, Fuel Storage Area. This UR was established as part of a Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) corrective action and is based on the presence of contaminants at concentrations greater than the action levels established at the time of the initial investigation (FFACO, 1996; as amended August 2006). Since this UR was established, practices and procedures relating to the implementation of risk-based corrective actions (RBCA) have changed. Therefore, this UR was re-evaluated against the current RBCA criteria as defined in the Industrial Sites Project Establishment of Final Action Levels (NNSA/NSO, 2006c). This re-evaluation consisted of comparing the original data (used to define the need for the UR) to risk-based final action levels (FALs) developed using the current Industrial Sites RBCA process. The re-evaluation resulted in a recommendation to remove the UR because contamination is not present at the site above the risk-based FALs. Requirements for inspecting and maintaining this UR will be canceled, and the postings and signage at this site will be removed. Fencing and posting may be present at this site that are unrelated to the FFACO UR such as for radiological control purposes as required by the NV/YMP Radiological Control Manual (NNSA/NSO, 2004f). This modification will not affect or modify any non-FFACO requirements for fencing, posting, or monitoring at this site.« less

Nevada Applied Ecology Group publications. [Bibliography of radioecological studies at NTS with special reference to plutonium

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

White, M.G.; Pfuderer, H.A.

This bibliography serves as a guide to the environmental studies sponsored by the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) at the Department of Energy Nevada Test Site nuclear weapons complex. The NAEG is part of the Nevada Operations Office of the United States Department of Energy. The references included in the bibliography reflect the interests of the NAEG (e.g., hazard evaluation of the nuclear safety-shot sites). The objectives of the NAEG plutonium studies at the Nevada Test Site were defined as follows: (1) delineate locations of contamination; (2) determine concentrations in ecosystem components; (3) quantify rates of movements among ecosystem components;more » (4) evaluate radiological hazards of plutonium; (5) identify areas which need to be cleaned up or treated; and (6) develop techniques for cleanup or treatment.« less

Preliminary gravity inversion model of Frenchman Flat Basin, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, Geoffrey A.; Graham, Scott E.

2002-01-01

The depth of the basin beneath Frenchman Flat is estimated using a gravity inversion method. Gamma-gamma density logs from two wells in Frenchman Flat constrained the density profiles used to create the gravity inversion model. Three initial models were considered using data from one well, then a final model is proposed based on new information from the second well. The preferred model indicates that a northeast-trending oval-shaped basin underlies Frenchman Flat at least 2,100 m deep, with a maximum depth of 2,400 m at its northeast end. No major horst and graben structures are predicted. Sensitivity analysis of the model indicates that each parameter contributes the same magnitude change to the model, up to 30 meters change in depth for a 1% change in density, but some parameters affect a broader area of the basin. The horizontal resolution of the model was determined by examining the spacing between data stations, and was set to 500 square meters.

Estimation of streamflow for selected sites on the Carson and Truckee rivers in California and Nevada, 1944-80

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blodgett, J.C.; Oltmann, R.N.; Poeschel, K.R.

1984-01-01

Daily mean and monthly discharges were estimated for 10 sites on the Carson and Truckee Rivers for periods of incomplete records and for tributary sites affected by reservoir regulation. On the basis of the hydrologic characteristics, stream-flow data for a water year were grouped by month or season for subsequent regression analysis. In most cases, simple linear regressions adequately defined a relation of streamflow between gaging stations, but in some instances a nonlinear relation for several months of the water year was derived. Statistical data are presented to indicate the reliability of the estimated streamflow data. Records of discharges including historical and estimated data for the gaging stations for the water years 1944-80 are presented. (USGS)

MMI attenuation and historical earthquakes in the basin and range province of western North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bakun, W.H.

2006-01-01

Earthquakes in central Nevada (1932-1959) were used to develop a modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) attenuation model for estimating moment magnitude M for earthquakes in the Basin and Range province of interior western North America. M is 7.4-7.5 for the 26 March 1872 Owens Valley, California, earthquake, in agreement with Beanland and Clark's (1994) M 7.6 that was estimated from geologic field observations. M is 7.5 for the 3 May 1887 Sonora, Mexico, earthquake, in agreement with Natali and Sbar's (1982) M 7.4 and Suter's (2006) M 7.5, both estimated from geologic field observations. MMI at sites in California for earthquakes in the Nevada Basin and Range apparently are not much affected by the Sierra Nevada except at sites near the Sierra Nevada where MMI is reduced. This reduction in MMI is consistent with a shadow zone produced by the root of the Sierra Nevada. In contrast, MMI assignments for earthquakes located in the eastern Sierra Nevada near the west margin of the Basin and Range are greater than predicted at sites in California. These higher MMI values may result from critical reflections due to layering near the base of the Sierra Nevada.

Study to develop improved spacecraft snow survey methods using Skylab/EREP data. [Sierra Nevada Mts., Wasatch Range, central Arizona, and Mississippi and Missouri River basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, J. C. (Principal Investigator); Smallwood, M. D.; Cogan, J. L.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Of the four black and white S190A camera stations, snowcover is best defined in the two visible spectral bands, due in part to their better resolution. The overall extent of the snow can be mapped more precisely, and the snow within shadow areas is better defined in the visible bands. Of the two S190A color products, the aerial color photography is the better. Because of the contrast in color between snow and snow-free terrain and the better resolution, this product is concluded to be the best overall of the six camera stations for detecting and mapping snow. Overlapping frames permit stereo viewing, which aids in distinguishing clouds from the underlying snow. Because of the greater spatial resolution of the S190B earth terrain camera, areal snow extent can be mapped in greater detail than from the S190A photographs. The snow line elevation measured from the S190A and S190B photographs is reasonable compared to the meager ground truth data available.

The effects of climate change on the demand for municipal water for residential landscaping in Southern Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchigriaeva, E.; Lott, C.; Rollins, K.

2013-12-01

We analyze urban residential water demand for Southern Nevada as a part of the Nevada Infrastructure for Climate Change Science, Education, and Outreach project. The Nevada Climate Change project is a statewide interdisciplinary program which has launched joint research, education, and outreach on the effects of regional climate change on ecosystem services in Nevada with a particular focus on water resources. We estimate a random effect multiple regression model of urban residential water demand in order to better understand how residential water use is impacted by weather conditions and landscape characteristics and ultimately to inform predictions of urban water demand. The project develops a methodology of unification for several datasets from various sources including the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD), the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), Clark County Assessor, and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) resulting in a sample of 3,671,983 observations for 62,237 households with uninterrupted water use history for Las Vegas urban residents for the period from February 2007 to December 2011. The presented results (i) are significantly robust and in accordance with the economics theories, (ii) support basic empirical knowledge of weather and surface influence on water outdoor consumption, (iii) suggest quantitative measurements for predicting future water use due to climate/temperature changes as well as landscape redesign practices, and (iv) provide quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of the existing water conservation programs by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). The further study of conservation programs and analysis of interactions between surfaces and weather using the developed approach looks promising.

Moho Structure of the Central Sierra Nevada From an EarthScope Flex Array Deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdick, S.; Zandt, G.; Gilbert, H.; Jones, C.; Owens, T.

2005-12-01

Findings from the southern Sierra Nevada (south of 37 degrees north) show that the crustal thickness in the southern Sierra Nevada range does not obey an Airy isostasy model. Receiver function data show that the crustal thickness generally increases across the range from the high eastern peaks to the low western foothills, and the Moho discontinuity disappears beneath parts of the western foothills. This disappearance of the Moho has been attributed to the entrainment of the crust into the mantle by the convective removal of the southern batholithic root during the past 3-4 M yrs (Zandt et al., Nature, 2004). Other possible causes of Moho disappearance include a very gradational, or even inverted, impedance contrast due to lower crustal or upper mantle wavespeed anomalies. During the summer of 2005, the Sierra Nevada Earthscope Project (SNEP) has deployed an Earthscope flex array of over forty broadband seismometers with 25 km spacing, designed to constrain lithospheric structure of the central Sierra Nevada between the latitudes of approximately 37 to 38 degrees north. We will report on a receiver function study to better define the boundaries of the Moho "hole" to the north. Initial receiver functions from the first stations deployed mainly on the western and eastern flanks of the range show a northward continuation of both the "hole" under the western margin and a high amplitude Moho under the eastern flank of the range. This new observation suggests either the Moho disappearance is unrelated to the convective removal of the southern root or that root removal has affected the Sierra Nevada significantly farther north than suggested by presently available volcanic and xenolith evidence. Receiver functions collected from SNEP data will be processed into move-out corrected depth stacks in order to present a more complete map of Moho depth and amplitude beneath the region. To quantify the range of impedance contrasts capable of producing the observed variability in Moho amplitude, observed receiver function arrivals will be compared to synthetic examples calculated for a range of lower crustal and upper mantle wavespeeds. In conjunction with other studies these results should lead to a better understanding of the scale and processes associated with a young lithospheric foundering event.

Professional Development Models: A Comparison of Duration and Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, David T.; Cannon, John R.

The purpose of this research was to explore two professional development models, Nevada Operation Physical Science (a three-weekend course) and Nevada Operation Chemistry (a two-week intensive course with a follow-up session in the fall), to see if there was any impact on learning and to determine the ideal length of the workshops as measured by…

Focus on Success: An Explanatory Embedded Multiple-Case Study on How Youth Successfully Navigate Workforce Development Programs in Southern Nevada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villalobos, Ricardo

2017-01-01

This explanatory qualitative study investigated the perspectives of participant's and practitioner's perceived barriers to success and the necessary navigational expertise for overcoming the identified barriers. This multiple-case study research design examined three WIA out-of-school youth workforce development programs in Southern Nevada, with…

Development of a design basis tornado and structural design criteria for the Nevada Test Site, Nevada. Final report

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

McDonald, J.R.; Minor, J.E.; Mehta, K.C.

1975-06-01

In order to evaluate the ability of critical facilities at the Nevada Test Site to withstand the possible damaging effects of extreme winds and tornadoes, parameters for the effects of tornadoes and extreme winds and structural design criteria for the design and evaluation of structures were developed. The meteorological investigations conducted are summarized, and techniques used for developing the combined tornado and extreme wind risk model are discussed. The guidelines for structural design include methods for calculating pressure distributions on walls and roofs of structures and methods for accommodating impact loads from wind-driven missiles. Calculations for determining the design loadsmore » for an example structure are included. (LCL)« less

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 374: Area 20 Schooner Unit Crater Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Patrick Matthews

Corrective Action Unit 374 is located in Areas 18 and 20 of the Nevada Test Site, which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 374 comprises the five corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: • 18-22-05, Drum • 18-22-06, Drums (20) • 18-22-08, Drum • 18-23-01, Danny Boy Contamination Area • 20-45-03, U-20u Crater (Schooner) These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives (CAAs). Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating CAAsmore » and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable CAAs that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on October 20, 2009, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 374.« less

THE NEVADA GEOSPATIAL DATA BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The Nevada Geospatial Data Browser was developed by the Landscape Ecology Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Las Vegas, NV) with the assistance and collaboration of the University of Idaho (Moscow, ID) and Lockheed-Martin Environmental Services (Las Vegas, NV).

NEVADA GEOSPATICAL DATA BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The Nevada Geospatial Data Browser was developed by the Landscape Ecology Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Las Vegas, NV) with the assistance and collaboration of the University of Idaho (Moscow, ID) and Lockheed-Martin Environmental Services Office (Las Vegas,...

78 FR 33101 - Notice of Public Meetings: Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council, Nevada

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-03

...: Elko District Office, 3900 E. Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada. Ely District Office, 702 North Industrial Way... and gas development on public lands. September 12 (Ely)--overview of draft sub-regional Greater Sage...

NASA Public Affairs and NUANCE Lab News Conference at Reno-Stead Airport.

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-19

News Conference following the test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. Mark Baker, Director of Business Development, Nevada Institute of Autonomous Systems.

Earth Obsersation taken by the Expedition 11 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-06-27

ISS011-E-09680 (27 June 2005) --- Searles Lake, California is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 11 crewmember on the International Space Station. Searles Lake is known for the abundance of rare elements and evaporite minerals, such as trona, hanksite, and halite formed within its sediments. These minerals dissolve in water or very humid environments. According to NASA scientists who are studying the Space Station photography, during the Pleistocene Epoch (beginning approximately two million years ago), Searles Lake was one of a chain of lakes fed by streamflow from the Sierra Nevada to the west. Lake levels rose and fell dependant on glacial outwash from the Sierra Nevada as climates shifted. Successive layers of sediment were deposited as lake levels fluctuated, preserving an important record of regional climate change. The lakes gradually dried up completely as climatic conditions became hotter and drier (as today), forming a string of enclosed basins with no outlets (playas). This photograph depicts the Searles Lake playa (characterized by white surface mineral deposits) bounded by the Argus and Slate Mountains. The width of the playa is approximately 10 kilometers. The center of the image is dominated by mining operations that extract sodium- and potassium-rich minerals (primarily borax and salt) for industrial use. Minerals are primarily in naturally-occurring brines that are pumped to the surface and evaporated to crystallize the minerals. A large evaporation pond (black) is visible in the center of the image. Further processing concentrates the minerals and removes excess water.

Geodetic Constraints on Fault Slip Rates and Seismic Hazard in the Greater Las Vegas Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W. C.; Kreemer, C.; Blewitt, G.; Broermann, J.; Bennett, R. A.

2014-12-01

We address fundamental questions about how contemporary tectonic deformation of the crust in the southern Great Basin occurs in the region around Las Vegas (LV) Nevada, western Arizona and eastern California. This area lies in the intersection of the eastern Walker Lane Belt, southern Great Basin and western Colorado Plateau (CP), sharing features of transtensional and extensional deformation associated with Pacific/North America relative motion. We use GPS data collected from 48 stations of the MAGNET semi-continuous network and 77 stations from continuous networks including BARGEN and EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory. MAGNET stations have been observed for a minimum of 7 years, while most continuous stations have longer records. From these data we estimate the velocity of crustal motion for all stations with respect to the stable North America reference frame NA12. To correct for transients from recent large earthquakes including the 1999 Hector Mine and 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah events we use models of co- and post-seismic deformation, subtracting the predicted motions from the time series before estimating interseismic stain rates. We find approximately 2 mm/yr of relative motion distributed over 200 km centered on Las Vegas, with a mean strain accumulation rate of 10 × 10-9 yr-1, with lower rates of predominantly extensional strain to the east and higher rates of predominantly shear deformation to the west. The mean strain rate is lower than that of the western Walker Lane but about twice that of eastern Nevada where e.g., the Wells, NV MW 6.0 earthquake occurred in 2008. From this new velocity field we generated a horizontal tensor strain rate map and a crustal block motion model to portray the transition of active strain from the CP into the Walker Lane. For faults in the Las Vegas Valley, including the Eglington Fault and Frenchman Mountain Fault, the observed velocity gradients and model results are consistent with normal slip rates of 0.2 mm/yr, which are typical for the region. The Stateline Fault system experiences dextral slip of at least 0.4 mm/yr while normal faults south of LV collectively accommodate 0.9 mm/yr of east-west extension across a zone ~150 km wide. We see no evidence for concentrations of deformation or isolated rigid microplates within this zone.

Relative abundance and distribution of fishes and crayfish at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, 2007-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scoppettone, G. Gary; Rissler, Peter; Johnson, Danielle; Hereford, Mark

2011-01-01

This study provides baseline data of native and non-native fish populations in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Nye County, Nevada, that can serve as a gauge in native fish enhancement efforts. In support of Carson Slough restoration, comprehensive surveys of Ash Meadows NWR fishes were conducted seasonally from fall 2007 through summer 2008. A total of 853 sampling stations were created using Geographic Information Systems and National Agricultural Imagery Program. In four seasons of sampling, Amargosa pupfish (genus Cyprinodon) was captured at 388 of 659 stations. The number of captured Amargosa pupfish ranged from 5,815 (winter 2008) to 8,346 (summer 2008). The greatest success in capturing Amargosa pupfish was in warm water spring-pools with temperature greater than 25 degrees C, headwaters of warm water spring systems, and shallow (depths less than 10 centimeters) grassy marshes. In four seasons of sampling, Ash Meadows speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus nevadesis) was captured at 96 of 659 stations. The number of captured Ash Meadows speckled dace ranged from 1,009 (summer 2008) to 1,552 (winter 2008). The greatest success in capturing Ash Meadows speckled dace was in cool water spring-pools with temperature less than 20 degrees C and in the high flowing water outflows. Among 659 sampling stations within the range of Amargosa pupfish, red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) was collected at 458 stations, western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) at 374 stations, and sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) at 128 stations. School Springs was restored during the course of this study. Prior to restoration of School Springs, maximum Warm Springs Amargosa pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis) captured from the six springs of the Warm Springs Complex was 765 (fall 2007). In four seasons of sampling, Warm Springs Amargosa pupfish were captured at 85 of 177 stations. The greatest success in capturing Warm Springs Amargosa pupfish when co-occurring with red swamp crayfish and western mosquitofish was in water with temperature greater than 26 degrees C near the springhead, and in shallow (depths less than 10 centimeters) grassy marshes. Among 177 sampling stations within the range of Warm Springs Amargosa pupfish, red swamp crayfish were collected at 96 stations and western mosquitofish were collected at 49 stations. Removal of convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) from Fairbanks Spring was followed by a substantial increase in Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes) captures from 910 pre-removal to 3,056 post-removal. Red swamp crayfish was continually removed from Bradford 1 Spring, which seemed to cause an increase in the speckled dace population. Restoration of Kings Pool and Jackrabbit Springs promoted the success of native fishes with the greatest densities in restored reaches. Ongoing restoration of Carson Slough and its tributaries, as well as control and elimination of invasive species, is expected to increase abundance and distribution of Ash Meadows' native fish populations. Further analysis of data from this study will help determine the habitat characteristic(s) that promote native species and curtail non-native species.

A Leadership Development Plan for Implementation of 4-Year Degree Programs at Community Colleges within the University and Community College System of Nevada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Chemene

2005-01-01

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to develop a blueprint for community college leaders within the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) who want to develop 4-year degree programs at their individual institutions. Many of these leaders were not aware of what is involved in preparing a community college to undertake…

NASA Public Affairs and NUANCE Lab News Conference at Reno-Stead Airport.

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-19

News Conference following the test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. Tom Wilczek, Aerospace and Defence industry representative and Nevada Govenor's Office of Economic Development.

THE NEVADA GEOSPATIAL DATA BROWSER

EPA Science Inventory

The Landscape Ecology Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Las Vegas, NV) has developed the Nevada Geospatial Data Browser, a spatial data archive to centralize and distribute the geospatial data used to create the land cover, vertebrate habitat models, and land o...

Comparison of geologically-averaged paleomagnetic and "instantaneous" GPS rotation data in the West-Central Walker Lane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farner, M. J.; Pluhar, C. J.; Carlson, C. W.

2011-12-01

The Walker Lane belt is a highly tectonically active region of dextral shear in western North America. Situated between the margins of the Sierra Nevada microplate and the Basin and Range extension, it extends northward from the Garlock Fault into portions of Southern Oregon. The Walker Lane is characterized by dextral shear accommodated by strike slip faults and left-stepping normal faults (Unruh et al, 2003). Faulting in the Walker Lane accounts for approximately 25% of the relative motion between the North American and Pacific Plates (Reheis and Dixon 1996). The study spans a region where the Sierra Nevada microplate has shed fault-bounded blocks from its eastern margin into the central Walker Lane during the Neogene. These blocks have behaved somewhat independently of one another and the Sierra Nevada as evidenced by spatially-variable magnitudes of vertical-axis rotation. This blurs the boundary of definition between microplate and fault block. One of the key questions regarding Walker Lane deformation is what is the role of rotation with respect to fault blocks and at what rate(s) does rotation occur. The software package SSPX (Cardozo and Allmendinger 2009) is used to examine previously published geodetic data to derive rotation rates in the west-central Walker Lane. A rate of 1.70° ± 0.24°/Ma is determined for Bridgeport Valley, CA based upon strain inversion of the locally-sparse GPS station data in SSPX. This rate is consistent with paleomagnetically-determined rotation rates for ~9.4 Ma members of the Stanislaus Group around Bridgeport Valley, adjacent to the Mina Deflection (e.g. King et al, 2007 and our data). However there are several shortcomings to using currently available GPS data for this purpose. GPS station spacing in many places does not provide spatial resolution of rotation comparable to the paleomagnetic dataset, which in turn limits our ability to examine small lithospheric fault blocks geodetically. The paleomagnetic data shows rotation variations on the scale of <5 km. Thus, due to GPS station spacing, our strain inversion reveals a spatially-averaged rotation for a larger given area and is not able to detect small lithospheric blocks or groups of blocks with anomalously large rotation rates of 7°/Ma or higher. An alternative hypothesis is that rotation rate is variable with time and that large rotations occurred and have slowed or stopped.

Shorthair meadows in the high Sierra Nevada...an hypothesis of their development

Treesearch

Raymond D. Ratliff

1973-01-01

Bands of shorthair meadow are found around lakes in the high Sierra Nevada of California. A hypothesis, based on observations in the Kings Canyon National Park, to explain the development of these meadows is offered: Boulders form the foundation upon which American-laurel, Sierra bilberry, and moss combine to produce thick mats. The lower layers of the mats are...

A History of the Clark County Library District: Its Founding and Growth in Southern Nevada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guy, Jewel

This paper describes the development from 1963 to 1986 of the Clark County (Nevada) Library District, which includes the rapidly growing urban area of Las Vegas. It notes that, besides responding successfully to a population growth of 330% over two decades, the system was also able to fulfill its original goal of developing local libraries that…

KSC-2012-1016

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of an Almaz capsule, the basis of Excalibur Almaz Inc.'s Human Spacecraft design. In 2011, NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP and the Houston-based company entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems ATK, Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Excalibur Almaz Limited

KSC-2011-8118

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is an artist's conception of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket being considered for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). In 2011, NASA and ULA of Englewood, Colo., entered into an unfunded Space Act Agreement during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: United Launch Alliance

A province-scale block model of Walker Lane and western Basin and Range crustal deformation constrained by GPS observations (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W. C.; Bormann, J.; Blewitt, G.; Kreemer, C.

2013-12-01

The Walker Lane in the western Great Basin of the western United States is an 800 km long and 100 km wide zone of active intracontinental transtension that absorbs ~10 mm/yr, about 20% of the Pacific/North America plate boundary relative motion. Lying west of the Sierra Nevada/Great Valley microplate (SNGV) and adjoining the Basin and Range Province to the east, deformation is predominantly shear strain overprinted with a minor component of extension. The Walker Lane responds with faulting, block rotations, structural step-overs, and has distinct and varying partitioned domains of shear and extension. Resolving these complex deformation patterns requires a long term observation strategy with a dense network of GPS stations (spacing ~20 km). The University of Nevada, Reno operates the 373 station Mobile Array of GPS for Nevada transtension (MAGNET) semi-continuous network that supplements coverage by other networks such as EarthScope's Plate Boundary Observatory, which alone has insufficient density to resolve the deformation patterns. Uniform processing of data from these GPS mega-networks provides a synoptic view and new insights into the kinematics and mechanics of Walker Lane tectonics. We present velocities for thousands of stations with time series between 3 to 17 years in duration aligned to our new GPS-based North America fixed reference frame NA12. The velocity field shows a rate budget across the southern Walker Lane of ~10 mm/yr, decreasing northward to ~7 mm/yr at the latitude of the Mohawk Valley and Pyramid Lake. We model the data with a new block model that estimates rotations and slip rates of known active faults between the Mojave Desert and northern Nevada and northeast California. The density of active faults in the region requires including a relatively large number of blocks in the model to accurately estimate deformation patterns. With 49 blocks, our the model captures structural detail not represented in previous province-scale models, and improves our ability to compare results to geologic fault slip rates. Modeling the kinematics on this scale has the advantages of 1) reducing the impact of poorly constrained boundaries on small geographically limited models, 2) consistent modeling of rotations across major structural step-overs near the Mina deflection and Carson domain, 3) tracking the kinematics of the south-to-north varying budget of Walker Lane deformation by solving for extension in the Basin and Range to the east, and 4) using a contiguous SNGV as a uniform western kinematic boundary condition. We compare contemporary deformation to geologic slip rates and longer term rotation rates estimated from rock paleomagnetism. GPS-derived block rotation rates are somewhat dependent on model regularization, but are generally within 1° per million years, and tend to be slower than published paleomagnetic rotations rates. GPS data, together with neotectonic and rock paleomagnetism studies provide evidence that the relative importance of Walker Lane block rotations and fault slip continues to evolve, giving way to a more through-going system with slower rotation rates and higher slip rates on individual faults.

A study of ground motion attenuation in the Southern Great Basin, Nevada-California, using several techniques for estimates of Qs , log A 0, and coda Q

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, A. M.; Harmsen, S. C.; Herrmann, R. B.; Meremonte, M. E.

1987-04-01

As a first step in the assessment of the earthquake hazard in the southern Great Basin of Nevada-California, this study evaluates the attenuation of peak vertical ground motions using a number of different regression models applied to unfiltered and band-pass-filtered ground motion data. These data are concentrated in the distance range 10-250 km. The regression models include parameters to account for geometric spreading, anelastic attenuation with a power law frequency dependence, source size, and station site effects. We find that the data are most consistent with an essentially frequency-independent Q and a geometric spreading coefficient less than 1.0. Regressions are also performed on vertical component peak amplitudes reexpressed as pseudo-Wood-Anderson peak amplitude estimates (PWA), permitting comparison with earlier work that used Wood-Anderson (WA) data from California. Both of these results show that Q values in this region are high relative to California, having values in the range 700-900 over the frequency band 1-10 Hz. Comparison of ML magnitudes from stations BRK and PAS for earthquakes in the southern Great Basin shows that these two stations report magnitudes with differences that are distance dependent. This bias suggests that the Richter log A0 curve appropriate to California is too steep for earthquakes occurring in southern Nevada, a result implicitly supporting our finding that Q values are higher than those in California. The PWA attenuation functions derived from our data also indicate that local magnitudes reported by California observatories for earthquakes in this region may be overestimated by as much as 0.8 magnitude units in some cases. Both of these results will have an effect on the assessment of the earthquake hazard in this region. The robustness of our regression technique to extract the correct geometric spreading coefficient n and anelastic attenuation Q is tested by applying the technique to simulated data computed with given n and Q values. Using a stochastic modeling technique, we generate suites of seismograms for the distance range 10-200 km and for both WA and short-period vertical component seismometers. Regressions on the peak amplitudes from these records show that our regression model extracts values of n and Q approximately equal to the input values for either low-Q California attenuation or high-Q southern Nevada attenuation. Regressions on stochastically modeled WA and PWA amplitudes also provides a method of evaluating differences in magnitudes from WA and PWA amplitudes due to recording instrument response characteristics alone. These results indicate a difference between MLWA and MLPWA equal to 0.15 magnitude units, which we term the residual instrument correction. In contrast to the peak amplitude results, coda Q determinations using the single scatterer theory indicate that Qc values are dependent on source type and are proportional to ƒp, where p = 0.8 to 1.0. This result suggests that a difference exists between attenuation mechanisms for direct waves and backscattered waves in this region.

Fallon, Nevada FORGE Seismic Reflection Profiles

DOE Data Explorer

Blankenship, Doug; Faulds, James; Queen, John; Fortuna, Mark

2018-02-01

Newly reprocessed Naval Air Station Fallon (1994) seismic lines: pre-stack depth migrations, with interpretations to support the Fallon FORGE (Phase 2B) 3D Geologic model. Data along seven profiles (>100 km of total profile length) through and adjacent to the Fallon site were re-processed. The most up-to-date, industry-tested seismic processing techniques were utilized to improve the signal strength and coherency in the sedimentary, volcanic, and Mesozoic crystalline basement sections, in conjunction with fault diffractions in order to improve the identification and definition of faults within the study area.

F-100A on lakebed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1955-01-01

North American F-100A (52-5778) Super Sabre is parked on the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, 1955. This photo shows the large tail on the F-100A. When the basic research was completed on this F-100A another program was assigned. On March 5, 1957 two aeronautical engineers and a test pilot from NACA High-Speed Flight Station took the airplane to participate in a Gunnery Operations program at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. When the program was completed the aircraft returned for other assignments to NACA, at Edwards, California.

Seismic Data for Evaluation of Ground Motion Hazards in Las Vegas in Support of Test Site Readiness Ground Motion

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

Rodgers, A

2008-01-16

In this report we describe the data sets used to evaluate ground motion hazards in Las Vegas from nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. This analysis is presented in Rodgers et al. (2005, 2006) and includes 13 nuclear explosions recorded at the John Blume and Associates network, the Little Skull Mountain earthquake and a temporary deployment of broadband station in Las Vegas. The data are available in SAC format on CD-ROM as an appendix to this report.

Determining the Computer Literacy Levels of Vocational Teachers in Southern Nevada and Developing a Computer In-Service Program for Vocational Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomeroy, James L.

A study was conducted to achieve the following objectives: (1) to determine the computer skills level of the vocational teachers in Southern Nevada; (2) to design a computer literacy inservice program targeting the specific instructional needs of vocational teachers with deficient skills; (3) to develop a plan for evaluating the inservice training…

Investigations into early rift development and geothermal resources in the Pyramid Lake fault zone, Western Nevada

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

Eisses, A.; Kell, A.; Kent, G.

A. K. Eisses, A. M. Kell, G. Kent, N. W. Driscoll, R. E. Karlin, R. L. Baskin, J. N. Louie, S. Pullammanappallil, 2010, Investigations into early rift development and geothermal resources in the Pyramid Lake fault zone, Western Nevada: Abstract T33C-2278 presented at 2010 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 13-17 Dec.

Are precipitation-based intensity-duration-frequency curves appropriate for cost effective and resilient infrastructure design in snow-dominated regions? Next-generation curves with inclusion of rain-on-snow events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, H.; Sun, N.; Wigmosta, M. S.; Hou, Z.

2017-12-01

There is a renewed focus on the design of infrastructure resilient to extreme hydrometeorological events. While precipitation-based intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are commonly used as part of infrastructure design, a large percentage of peak runoff events in the snow-dominated regions are caused by snowmelt, particularly during rain-on-snow (ROS) events. In this study, we examined next-generation IDF (NG-IDF) curves with inclusion of snowmelt and ROS events to improve infrastructure design in snow-dominated regions. We compared NG-IDF curves to standard precipitation-based IDF curves for estimates of extreme events at 377 Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations across the western United States with at least 30 years of high quality record. We found 38% of the stations were subject to under-design, many with significant underestimation of 100-year extreme events, where the precipitation-based IDF curves can underestimate water potentially available for runoff by as much as 121% due to snowmelt and ROS events. The regions with the greatest potential for under-design were in the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, and the Middle and Southern Rockies. We also found the potential for over-design at 27% of the stations, primarily in the Middle Rockies and Arizona mountains. These results demonstrate the need to consider snow processes in development of IDF curves for engineering design procedures in snow-dominated regions.

KSC-2012-4585

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, processing facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announced new milestones in the nation’s commercial space initiatives. Bolden announced that SpaceX has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4584

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, processing facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announced new milestones in the nation’s commercial space initiatives. Bolden announced that SpaceX has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4586

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, processing facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announced new milestones in the nation’s commercial space initiatives. Bolden announced that SpaceX has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-7882

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Ed Mango, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), updates media on the progress of Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in which seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft systems designed to take astronauts to the International Space Station. The goal of the program is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-7881

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Ed Mango, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), updates media on the progress of Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in which seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft systems designed to take astronauts to the International Space Station. The goal of the program is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial Photo credit: Jim Grossmann

Geophysical Studies in the Vicinity of the Warner Mountains and Surprise Valley, Northeast California, Northwest Nevada, and Southern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.; Glen, Jonathan M.G.; Egger, Anne E.; Bouligand, Claire; Watt, Janet T.; Morin, Robert L.

2009-01-01

From May 2006 to August 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected 793 gravity stations, about 102 line-kilometers of truck-towed and ground magnetometer data, and about 325 physical-property measurements in northeastern California, northwestern Nevada, and southern Oregon. Gravity, magnetic, and physical-property data were collected to study regional crustal structures and geology as an aid to understanding the geologic framework of the Surprise Valley geothermal area and, in general, geothermal systems throughout the Great Basin. The Warner Mountains and Surprise Valley mark the transition from the extended Basin and Range province to the unextended Modoc Plateau. This transition zone, in the northwestern corner of the Basin and Range, is relatively diffuse compared to other, more distinct boundaries, such as the Wasatch front in Utah and the eastern Sierran range front. In addition, this transition zone is the site of a geothermal system with potential for development, and previous studies have revealed a complex structural setting consisting of several obliquely oriented fault sets. As a result, this region has been the subject of several recent geological and geophysical investigations. The gravity and magnetic data presented here support and supplement those studies, and although the study area is composed predominantly of Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Modoc Plateau rocks, the physical properties of these and others rocks create a distinguishable pattern of gravity and magnetic anomalies that can be used to infer subsurface geologic structure.

Reclamation and the Red Man: Relationships on the Truckee-Carson Project, Nevada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townley, John M.

1978-01-01

Four years after selection of the Western Nevada area for development as a federally-administered reclamation project, and but a single full season of farming, the Indian situation had assumed problem proportions to the Reclamation Service and the Truckee-Carson Project. (NQ)

Health. Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Las Vegas. Coll. of Education.

This document is one of ten curriculum guides developed by the Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma (CBAHSD) Project. This curriculum guide on health is divided into ten topics. The topics included are Nutrition, Reproduction, Menstruation, Contraception, Alcohol Abuse, Tobacco, Immunization, Disease, Accident Prevention, and…

Hydrologic Source Term Processes and Models for the Clearwater and Wineskin Tests, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site

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

Carle, Steven F.

2011-05-04

This report describes the development, processes, and results of a hydrologic source term (HST) model for the CLEARWATER (U12q) and WINESKIN (U12r) tests located on Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada (Figure 1.1). Of the 61 underground tests (involving 62 unique detonations) conducted on Rainier Mesa (Area 12) between 1957 and 1992 (USDOE, 2015), the CLEARWATER and WINESKIN tests present many unique features that warrant a separate HST modeling effort from other Rainier Mesa tests.

KSC-2012-1828

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-09

CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hot-fires a launch abort engine for The Boeing Co., which is developing its CST-100 spacecraft for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Under its fixed-price contract with Boeing, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is combining its Attitude Control Propulsion System thrusters from heritage spaceflight programs, Bantam abort engine design and storable propellant engineering capabilities. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing of Houston during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

KSC-2012-1829

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-09

CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hot-fires a launch abort engine for The Boeing Co., which is developing its CST-100 spacecraft for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Under its fixed-price contract with Boeing, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is combining its Attitude Control Propulsion System thrusters from heritage spaceflight programs, Bantam abort engine design and storable propellant engineering capabilities. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing of Houston during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

KSC-2012-1827

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-09

CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hot-fires a launch abort engine for The Boeing Co., which is developing its CST-100 spacecraft for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Under its fixed-price contract with Boeing, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is combining its Attitude Control Propulsion System thrusters from heritage spaceflight programs, Bantam abort engine design and storable propellant engineering capabilities. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing of Houston during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Blue Origin, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

2010 Annual Summary Report for the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Management Sites at the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

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

NSTec Environmental Management

2011-03-01

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office performed an annual review of the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) Performance Assessments (PAs) and Composite Analyses (CAs) in fiscal year (FY) 2010. This annual summary report presents data and conclusions from the FY 2010 review, and determines the adequacy of the PAs and CAs. Operational factors (e.g., waste forms and containers, facility design, and waste receipts), closure plans, monitoring results, and research and development (R&D) activities were reviewed to determine the adequacy of the PAs. Likewise, the environmental restoration activities at themore » Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (formerly the Nevada Test Site) relevant to the sources of residual radioactive material that are considered in the CAs, the land-use planning, and the results of the environmental monitoring and R&D activities were reviewed to determine the adequacy of the CAs.« less

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 34 crewmember

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-28

ISS034-E-035548 (28 Jan. 2013) --- A nighttime view of the Reno, Nevada metropolitan area is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 34 crew member on the International Space Station. Known as ?the biggest little city in the world?, the city of Reno is located in Truckee Meadows along the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada near the California border. It forms part of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area?the largest such area in northern Nevada, and the second largest in the state after Las Vegas. Lake Tahoe, a major destination for skiing and other outdoor recreational activities, is located less than 50 kilometers to the southwest of the Reno-Sparks metro area. The relatively isolated nature of the metropolitan area within the surrounding terrain is highlighted in this nighttime image. The major industrial and commercial areas of both Reno and Sparks are brightly lit at center. The major street grid is visible as orange linear features adjacent to the industrial/commercial areas. Residential areas appear dark in contrast. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (center) is visible as a dark, dagger-shaped region in the southeast quarter of the metropolitan area. At the time this photograph was taken, the moon was in a waning gibbous phase (98 percent of a full moon). Moonlight provided enough illumination of the ground surface such that the topography, accentuated by snow cover, surrounding the Reno-Sparks area is clearly visible (upper right, lower right) following color enhancement.

Investigating the Seismicity and Stress Field of the Truckee -- Lake Tahoe Region, California -- Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seaman, Tyler

The Lake Tahoe basin is located in a transtensional environment defined by east-dipping range--bounding normal faults, northeast--trending sinistral, and northwest-trending dextral strike-slip faults in the northern Walker Lane deformation belt. This region accommodates as much as 10 mm/yr of dextral shear between the Sierra Nevada and Basin and Range proper, or about 20% of Pacific-North American plate motion. There is abundant seismicity north of Lake Tahoe through the Truckee, California region as opposed to a lack of seismicity associated with the primary normal faults in the Tahoe basin (i.e., West Tahoe fault). This seismicity study is focused on the structural transition zone from north-striking east-dipping Sierran Range bounding normal faults into the northern Walker Lane right-lateral strike-slip domain. Relocations of earthquakes between 2000-2013 are performed by initially applying HYPOINVERSE mean sea level datum and station corrections to produce higher confidence absolute locations as input to HYPODD. HYPODD applies both phase and cross-correlation times for a final set of 'best' event relocations. Relocations of events in the upper brittle crust clearly align along well-imaged, often intersecting, high-angle structures of limited lateral extent. In addition, the local stress field is modeled from 679 manually determined short-period focal mechanism solutions, between 2000 and 2013, located within a fairly dense local seismic network. Short-period focal mechanisms were developed with the HASH algorithm and moment tensor solutions using long-period surface waves and the MTINV code. Resulting solutions show a 9:1 ratio of strike-slip to normal mechanisms in the transition zone study area. Stress inversions using the application SATSI (USGS Spatial And Temporal Stress Inversion) generally show a T-axis oriented primarily E-W that also rotates about 30 degrees counterclockwise, from a WNW-ESE trend to ENE-WSW, moving west to east across the California--Nevada border just north of Lake Tahoe. Focal mechanism and stress inversion results, based on the variance of the P-axis orientation, reveal a strike-slip dominated region directly north of Lake Tahoe that abruptly transitions northeastward to a transtentional regime along the Sierra front (i.e., in the hanging wall regime of the Sierran block). The majority of earthquakes used in the relocation and stress analysis occurs within a time period that includes unusual upper mantle/lower-crustal (˜30 km depth) dike injection events: 1) 2003 North Lake Tahoe and 2) 2011-2012 Sierra Valley, CA, that we interpret to be rift-related processes along the eastern Sierra Nevada microplate. Earthquake relocations for events shallower than about 18 km depth (the seismogenic depth determined in this study in the north Lake Tahoe area) cluster along high-angle fault structures, primarily in the footwall of the Sierra Nevada block. This new analysis isolates areas of distinctly strike-slip versus transtensional stress regimes, based on the variability of the P-axis plunge, that straddle the Sierra Nevada--Great Basin transition zone at the latitude of Lake Tahoe.

Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 567: Miscellaneous Soil Sites - Nevada National Security Site, Nevada

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

Matthews, Patrick

2014-12-01

This Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report presents information supporting the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 567: Miscellaneous Soil Sites, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada. The purpose of this Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report is to provide justification and documentation supporting the recommendation that no further corrective action is needed for CAU 567 based on the implementation of the corrective actions. The corrective actions implemented at CAU 567 were developed based on an evaluation of analytical data from the CAI, the assumed presence of COCs at specific locations, and the detailed and comparative analysis of the CAAs. The CAAs weremore » selected on technical merit focusing on performance, reliability, feasibility, safety, and cost. The implemented corrective actions meet all requirements for the technical components evaluated. The CAAs meet all applicable federal and state regulations for closure of the site. Based on the implementation of these corrective actions, the DOE, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office provides the following recommendations: • No further corrective actions are necessary for CAU 567. • The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection issue a Notice of Completion to the DOE, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office for closure of CAU 567. • CAU 567 be moved from Appendix III to Appendix IV of the FFACO.« less

American Government. Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Las Vegas. Coll. of Education.

This document is one of ten curriculum guides developed by the Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma (CBAHSD) Project. This curriculum guide on American government is divided into fourteen topics. The topics included are: definition of "State"; left to right political spectrum; Dictatorship vs. Democracy; Capitalism,…

Hydrologic impacts of climate change and urbanization in Las Vegas Wash Watershed, Nevada

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, a cell-based model for the Las Vegas Wash (LVW) Watershed in Clark County, Nevada, was developed by combining the traditional hydrologic modeling methods (Thornthwaite’s water balance model and the Soil Conservation Survey’s Curve Number method) with the pixel-base...

An overview of the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership science and research synthesis: Chapter 1 in The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership science and research synthesis: science to support land management in southern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brooks, Matthew L.; Turner, Kent; Raish, Carol B.; Ostoja, Steven M.

2013-01-01

Maintaining and restoring the diverse ecosystems and resources that occur in southern Nevada in the face of rapid socio-economic and ecological change presents numerous challenged to Federal land managers. Rapid population growth since the 1980s, the land uses associated with that growth, and the interactions of those uses with the generally dry and highly variable climate result in numerous stresses to ecosystems, species, and cultural resource. In addition, climate models predict that the rate of temperature increase and, thus, changes in ecological processes, will be highest for ecosystems like the Mojave Desert. The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP; http:www.SNAP.gov) was established in 1999 to address common issues pertaining to public lands in southern Nevada. Partners include the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and USDA Forest Service and they work with each other, the local community, and other partners. SNAP agencies manage more than seven million acres of public lands in southern Nevada (95% of the land area). Federal land includes two national recreation areas, two national conservation area, four national wildlife refuges, 18 congressionally designated wilderness areas, five wilderness study areas, and 22 areas of critical environmental concern. The partnership's activities are mainly centered in Southern Nevada's Clark County (fig. 1.1), but lands managed by SNAP partner agencies also include portions of Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Mohave County, Arizona, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and USDA Forest Service-managed lands in Lincoln and Nye Counties, Nevada, and all lands and activities managed by the Southern Nevada District Office of the Bureau of Land Management. These lands encompass nine distinct ecosystem types (fig. 1.2), support multiple species of management concern an 17 listed species, and are rich in cultural and historic resource. This introductory executive summary discusses the Science and Research Strategy developed by the SNAP agencies, the Science and Research Report, and need for science-based management in southern Nevada.

Rapid Regional Centroid Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, S.; Zhan, Z.; Luo, Y.; Ni, S.; Chen, Y.; Helmberger, D. V.

2009-12-01

The 2008 Wells Nevada Earthquake was recorded by 164 broadband USArray stations within a distance of 550km (5 degrees) with all azimuths uniformly sampled. To establish the source parameters, we applied the Cut and Paste (CAP) code to all the stations to obtain a mechanism (strike/dip/rake=35/41/-85) at a depth of 9km and Mw=5.9. Surface wave shifts range from -8s to 8s which are in good agreement with ambient seismic noise (ASN) predictions. Here we use this data set to test the accuracy of the number of stations needed to obtain adequate solutions (position of the compressional and tension axis) for mechanism. The stations were chosen at random where combinations of Pnl and surface waves were used to establish mechanism and depth. If the event is bracketed by two stations, we obtain an accurate magnitude with good solutions about 80% of the trials. Complete solutions from four stations or Pnl from 10 stations prove reliable in nearly all situations. We also explore the use of this dataset in locating the event using a combination of surface wave travel times and/or the full waveform inversion (CAPloc) that uses the CAP shifts to refine locations. If the mechanism is known (fixed) only a few stations is needed to locate an event to within 5km if date is available at less than 150km. In contrast, surface wave travel times (calibrated to within one second) produce amazing accurate locations with only 6 stations reasonably distributed. It appears this approach is easily automated as suggested by Scrivner and Helmberger (1995) who discussed travel times of Pnl and surface waves and the evolving of source accuracy as the various phases arrive.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 560: Septic Systems, Nevada Test Site, Nevada with ROTC1, Revision 0

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

Grant Evenson

2008-05-01

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 560 is located in Areas 3 and 6 of the Nevada Test Site, which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 560 is comprised of the seven corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: • 03-51-01, Leach Pit • 06-04-02, Septic Tank • 06-05-03, Leach Pit • 06-05-04, Leach Bed • 06-59-03, Building CP-400 Septic System • 06-59-04, Office Trailer Complex Sewage Pond • 06-59-05, Control Point Septic System These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend correctivemore » action alternatives. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable corrective action alternatives that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on January 22, 2008, by representatives from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office; Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture; and National Security Technologies, LLC. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 560.« less

Corrective Action Decision Document for Corrective Action Unit 204: Storage Bunkers, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. No. 0

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

Robert Boehlecke

2004-04-01

The six bunkers included in CAU 204 were primarily used to monitor atmospheric testing or store munitions. The ''Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) for Corrective Action Unit 204: Storage Bunkers, Nevada Test Site, Nevada'' (NNSA/NV, 2002a) provides information relating to the history, planning, and scope of the investigation; therefore, it will not be repeated in this CADD. This CADD identifies potential corrective action alternatives and provides a rationale for the selection of a recommended corrective action alternative for each CAS within CAU 204. The evaluation of corrective action alternatives is based on process knowledge and the results of investigative activitiesmore » conducted in accordance with the CAIP (NNSA/NV, 2002a) that was approved prior to the start of the Corrective Action Investigation (CAI). Record of Technical Change (ROTC) No. 1 to the CAIP (approval pending) documents changes to the preliminary action levels (PALs) agreed to by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and DOE, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). This ROTC specifically discusses the radiological PALs and their application to the findings of the CAU 204 corrective action investigation. The scope of this CADD consists of the following: (1) Develop corrective action objectives; (2) Identify corrective action alternative screening criteria; (3) Develop corrective action alternatives; (4) Perform detailed and comparative evaluations of corrective action alternatives in relation to corrective action objectives and screening criteria; and (5) Recommend and justify a preferred corrective action alternative for each CAS within CAU 204.« less

Evaporation from Lake Mead, Arizona and Nevada, 1997-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Westenburg, Craig L.; DeMeo, Guy A.; Tanko, Daron J.

2006-01-01

Lake Mead is one of a series of large Colorado River reservoirs operated and maintained by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Colorado River system of reservoirs and diversions is an important source of water for millions of people in seven Western States and Mexico. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, conducted a study from 1997 to 1999 to estimate evaporation from Lake Mead. For this study, micrometeorological and hydrologic data were collected continually from instrumented platforms deployed at four locations on the lake, open-water areas of Boulder Basin, Virgin Basin, and Overton Arm and a protected cove in Boulder Basin. Data collected at the platforms were used to estimate Lake Mead evaporation by solving an energy-budget equation. The average annual evaporation rate at open-water stations from January 1998 to December 1999 was 7.5 feet. Because the spatial variation of monthly and annual evaporation rates was minimal for the open-water stations, a single open-water station in Boulder Basin would provide data that are adequate to estimate evaporation from Lake Mead.

Regional variations in upper mantle compressional velocities beneath southern California 1. Post-shock temperatures: Their experimental determination, calculation, and implications, 2.. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raikes, S. A.

1978-01-01

The compressional velocity within the upper mantle beneath Southern California is investigated through observations of the dependence of teleseismic P-delays at all stations of the array on the distance and azimuth to the event. The variation of residuals with azimuth was found to be as large as 1.3 sec at a single station; the delays were stable as a function of time, and no evidence was found for temporal velocity variations related to seismic activity in the area. These delays were used in the construction of models for the upper mantle P-velocity structure to depths of 150 km, both by ray tracing and inversion techniques. The models exhibit considerable lateral heterogeneity including a region of low velocity beneath the Imperial Valley, and regions of increased velocity beneath the Sierra Nevada and much of the Transverse Ranges. The development is described of a technique for the experimental determination of post-shock temperatures, and its application to several metals and silicates shocked to pressures in the range 5 to 30 GPa. The technique utilizes an infra-red radiation detector to determine the brightness temperature of the free surface of the sample after the shock wave has passed through it.

Extended Community: An Oral History of the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP), 1989 - 2003

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

Susan DeSilva

2004-07-01

Studying the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) provides a unique opportunity to trace a concept created by two nuclear industry originators from inception, as it transitioned through several stewardship agencies, to management by a non-profit organization. This transition is informed not only by changes over two decades in the views of the general populace toward nuclear testing but also by changing political climates and public policies. Several parallel histories accompanied the development of the CEMP: an administrative history, an environmental history, and a history of changing public perception of not only nuclear testing, but other activities involving radiation such asmore » waste transportation, as well. Although vital, those histories will be provided only as background to the subject of this study, the oral histories gathered in this project. The oral histories collected open a window into the nuclear testing history of Nevada and Utah that has not heretofore been opened. The nuclear industry has generated a great deal of positive and negative reaction since its inception. The CEMP emerged with specific objectives. It was designed to provide information to potential downwind communities and counter negative perceptions by creating more community involvement and education about the testing. The current objectives of the program are to: (1) Manage and maintain the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) offsite monitoring program including 26 radiation and environmental monitoring stations with associated equipment. Provide air sample collection and analysis, radiological and meteorological data collection, interpretation and reporting. (2) Facilitate independent operation of radiological monitoring stations and data verification by private citizens living in communities in proximity to the Nevada Test Site (NTS). (3) Hire and initiate training of local citizens to serve as Community Environmental Monitors (CEMs) in designated communities. (4) Provide relevant training by qualified instructors to the CEMs as necessary. (5) Assist and manage CEMs in accomplishing their duties, and ensure that contracts and paychecks are issued on schedule. (6) Provide CEMs and Emeriti monthly materials to facilitate public awareness. This project explores how those objectives evolved over time with changes in the nuclear testing program. How similar are today's objectives to those originally established for the program? Do those objectives reflect a changing political landscape as well as changes in testing needs? Those questions and more will be addressed as we follow the program from its inception, through earlier versions administered first by the Public Health Service (PHS), then by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the current administrator, the Desert Research Institute (DRI).« less

Seismic character of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Sierra Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frassetto, A.; Gilbert, H.; Zandt, G.; Owens, T. J.; Jones, C.

2008-12-01

Recent geophysical studies of the Southern Sierra Nevada suggest that the removal of a gravitationally unstable, eclogitic residue links to recent volcanism and uplift in the Eastern Sierra. The Sierra Nevada EarthScope Project (SNEP) investigates the extent of this process beneath Central and Northern Sierra Nevada. We present receiver functions, which provide estimates of crustal thickness and Vp/Vs and image the response of the crust and upper mantle to lithospheric removal. For completeness this study combines data from the 2005-2007 SNEP broadband experiment, EarthScope's BigFoot Array, regional backbone stations, and earlier PASSCAL deployments. We analyze transects of teleseismic receiver functions generated using a common-conversion-point stacking algorithm. These identify a narrow, "bright" conversion from the Moho at depths of ~25-35 km along the crest of the Eastern Sierra and adjacent Basin and Range northward to the Cascade Arc. Trade-off analysis using the primary conversion and reverberations shows a high Vp/Vs (~1.9) throughout the Eastern Sierra, which may relate to partial melt present in the lower crust. To the west the crust-mantle boundary vanishes beneath the western foothills. However, low frequency receiver functions do image the crust-mantle boundary exceeding 50 km depth along the foothills to the west and south of Yosemite National Park. Unusually deep, intraplate earthquakes (Ryan et al., this session) occur in the center of this region. The frequency dependence of the Moho conversion implies a gradational increase from crust to mantle wavespeeds over a significant depth interval. The transition from a sharp to gradational Moho probably relates to the change from a delaminated granitic crust to crust with an intact, dense, eclogitic residue. The spatial correlation and focal mechanisms of the deep earthquakes suggest that a segment of this still intact residue is currently delaminating.

Ground-water flow and simulated effects of development in Paradise Valley, a basin tributary to the Humboldt River in Humboldt County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Herman, M.E.

1996-01-01

A computer model was used to characterize ground-water flow in Paradise Valley, Nevada, and to evaluate probable long-term effects of five hypothetical development scenarios. One finding of the study is that concentrating pumping at the south end of Paradise Valley may increase underflow from the adjacent Humboldt River valley, and might affect flow in the river.

Mojave Desert, California

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-06-22

SL2-03-126 (June 1973) --- A color infrared photograph of the Los Angeles County and Kern County area, taken from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit during its first manned Skylab mission. The Mojave Desert occupies the northeast one-fourth of the photograph. Lake Isabella in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is the v-shaped body of water. The San Gabriel Mountains extend across the southern part of the picture. At lower center is the intersection of the San Andreas and Garlock faults. The San Joaquin Valley is in the center at the left edge. (The picture should be held with the heavy cloud cover at lower right corner so that north will be at top.) This picture was exposed by one of the six lenses of the Itek-furnished S190-A Multispectral Photographic Facility experiment in the Multiple Docking Adapter of the Skylab space station. Type 2443 film was used. Photo credit: NASA

Environmental Education. Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Las Vegas. Coll. of Education.

This document is one of ten curriculum guides developed by the Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma (CBAHSD) Project. This curriculum guide on environmental education is divided into seven topics. The topics included are Human Carrying Capacity (The Ability to Foresee and Forestall), Human Population Growth, The Atmosphere, The…

Life Science. Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Las Vegas. Coll. of Education.

This document is one of ten curriculum guides developed by the Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma (CBAHSD) Project. This curriculum guide on life science is divided into twelve topics. The topics included are Life Process, Cells, Levels of Organization, Organ Systems, Food and Oxygen-Photosynthesis, Cycles, Energy, Resources, Cell…

Back to the Basics: Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada--Spatial Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handley, Lawrence R.; Lockwood, Catherine M.; Handley, Nathan

2006-01-01

"Back to the Basics: South Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada" continues the series of exercises on teaching foundational map reading and spatial differentiation skills. It is the third published exercise from the Back to the Basics series developed by the Wetland Education through Maps and Aerial Photography (WETMAAP) Program. The current…

A Program in Agricultural Education in Nevada Based on Off-Farm Agricultural Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Howard Harward

To investigate the further development of agricultural education in Nevada in light of current and future opportunities for employment in off-farm agricultural occupations, personal interviews were conducted with 363 agricultural firms and 30 agricultural agencies. Data were summarized for the 148 companies where some employees needed agricultural…

Achieving a nexus of science, management, and policy in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Peter A. Stine; Dennis D. Murphy

2004-01-01

The policies and strategies that guide the use and management of lands in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion depend on objective scientific information. In recent years, the region has attracted increasing attention from visitors, developers, environmentalists, businesses, scientists, and politicians as well as local residents, resource managers, and research groups. And the...

Airborne SAR determination of relative ages of Walker Valley moraines, eastern Sierra Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, A.; Isacks, B.; Bloom, A.; Fielding, E.; Mcmurry, D.

1991-01-01

A regional study of the distribution and elevations of Pleistocene moraines in the Andes requires a method of determining relative age from space. One of our primary objectives is to establish the relative chronology of major climatic events responsible for glaciation in the Andes and other regions that are difficult to access on the ground and where suitable material for absolute age determination is lacking. The sensitivity of radar to surface roughness makes it possible to develop a remotely-based relative dating technique for landforms for which surface age and roughness can be correlated. We are developing such a technique with Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) imagery of the eastern Sierra Nevada where independent evidence is available for the ages and physical characteristics of moraines. The Sierra Nevada moraines are similar in form and environmental setting to Andean moraines that we have targeted for study during the pending Shuttle Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) mission. SAR imagery is used to differentiate the ages of five moraine sequences of Walker Valley in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Other aspects of this investigation are briefly discussed.

Corrective Action Decision Document for Corrective Action Unit 340: Pesticide Release sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

DOE /NV

This Corrective Action Decision Document has been prepared for Corrective Action Unit 340, the NTS Pesticide Release Sites, in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order of 1996 (FFACO, 1996). Corrective Action Unit 340 is located at the Nevada Test Site, Nevada, and is comprised of the following Corrective Action Sites: 23-21-01, Area 23 Quonset Hut 800 Pesticide Release Ditch; 23-18-03, Area 23 Skid Huts Pesticide Storage; and 15-18-02, Area 15 Quonset Hut 15-11 Pesticide Storage. The purpose of this Corrective Action Decision Document is to identify and provide a rationale for the selection of a recommended correctivemore » action alternative for each Corrective Action Site. The scope of this Corrective Action Decision Document consists of the following tasks: Develop corrective action objectives; Identify corrective action alternative screening criteria; Develop corrective action alternatives; Perform detailed and comparative evaluations of the corrective action alternatives in relation to the corrective action objectives and screening criteria; and Recommend and justify a preferred corrective action alternative for each Corrective Action Site.« less

Hydrogeology and potential for ground-water development, carbonate-rock aquifers in southern Nevada and southeastern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burbey, T.J.

1997-01-01

Seventeen hydrographic areas in southern Nevada were assessed for the ground-water development potential of the underlying carbonate-rock aquifers on the basis of geologic and hydrologic information developed as part of the Nevada Carbonate Aquifers Study and information compiled from previous investigations. All selected areas lie within a miogeoclinal belt where thick accumulations of carbonate rock followed by major episodes of compression and extension have greatly modified the region. Most of the selected hydrographic areas lie within the less extended terranes; however, several areas, or parts of areas, lie within severely extended terranes where carbonate rocks have been greatly thinned, or where deformed blocks of carbonate rock are discontinuous and isolated from surrounding carbonate rock aquifers. Three principal criteria were used to assess the development potential of each selected hydrographic area. These quantitative criteria are: (1) depth to water, (2) depth to and thickness of carbonate rocks, and (3) water quality. Other site-specific factors, such as accessibility and potential effects of ground-water development, are also discussed. Results suggest that sites with high potential for development may be scarce in southern Nevada. Many areas described as favorable on the basis of the three quantitative criteria were deemed unfavorable on the basis of possible short- and long-term effects associated with development and on the amount of available data used to make the assessment. The most favorable sites may be in more severely extended terranes, where development of isolated blocks (of carbonate-rock aquifer material) would be less likely to affect neighboring areas.

United States Geological Survey, programs in Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been collecting and interpreting natural-resources data in Nevada for more than 100 years. This long-term commitment enables planners to manage better the resources of a State noted for paradoxes. Although Nevada is one of the most sparsely populated States in the Nation, it has the fastest growing population (fig. 1). Although 90 percent of the land is rural, it is the fourth most urban State. Nevada is the most arid State and relies heavily on water resources. Historically, mining and agriculture have formed the basis of the economy; now tourism and urban development also have become important. The USGS works with more than 40 local, State, and other Federal agencies in Nevada to provide natural-resources information for immediate and long-term decisions.Subjects included in this fact sheet:Low-Level Radioactive-Waste DisposalMining and Water in the Humboldt BasinAquifer Systems in the Great BasinWater Allocation in Truckee and Carson BasinsNational Water-Quality Assessment ProgramMinerals Assessment for Land ManagementIrrigation DrainageGround-Water Movement at Nevada Test SiteOil and Gas ResourcesNational Mapping ProgramDigital Mapping and Aerial PhotographyCollection of Hydrologlc DataGeologic MappingEarthquake HazardsAssessing Mineral Resources of the SubsurfaceEarth Observation DataCooperative Programs

Nevada Infrastructure for Climate Change Science, Education, and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dana, G. L.; Lancaster, N.; Mensing, S. A.; Piechota, T.

2008-12-01

The Great Basin is characterized by complex basin and range topography, arid to semiarid climate, and a history of sensitivity to climate change. Mountain areas comprise about 10% of the landscape, yet are the areas of highest precipitation and generate 85% of groundwater recharge and most surface runoff. These characteristics provide an ideal natural laboratory to study the effects of climate change. The Nevada system of Higher Education, including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Nevada, Reno, the Desert Research Institute, and Nevada State College have begun a five year research and infrastructure building program, funded by the National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) with the vision "to create a statewide interdisciplinary program and virtual climate change center that will stimulate transformative research, education, and outreach on the effects of regional climate change on ecosystem resources (especially water) and support use of this knowledge by policy makers and stakeholders." Six major strategies are proposed to develop infrastructure needs and attain our vision: 1) Develop a capability to model climate change at a regional and sub-regional scale(Climate Modeling Component) 2) Analyze effects on ecosystems and disturbance regimes (Ecological Change Component) 3) Quantify and model changes in water balance and resources under climate change (Water Resources Component) 4) Assess effects on human systems and enhance policy making and outreach to communities and stakeholders (Policy, Decision-Making, and Outreach Component) 5) Develop a data portal and software to support interdisciplinary research via integration of data from observational networks and modeling (Cyberinfrastructure Component) and 6) Train teachers and students at all levels and provide public outreach in climate change issues (Education Component). Two new climate observational transects will be established across Great Basin Ranges, one anticipated on a mountain range in southern Nevada and the second to be located in north-central Nevada. Climatic, hydrologic and ecological data from these transects will be downloaded into high capacity data storage units and made available to researchers through creation of the Nevada climate change portal. Our research will aim to answer two interdisciplinary science questions key to understanding the effects of future climate change on Great Basin mountain ecosystems and the potential management strategies for responding to these changes: 1) How will climate change affect water resources and linked ecosystem resources and human systems? And 2) How will climate change affect disturbance regimes (e.g., wildland fires, invasive species, insect outbreaks, droughts) and linked systems? Infrastructure developed through this project will provide new interdisciplinary capability to detect, analyze, and model effects of regional climate change in mountainous regions of the west and provide a major contribution to existing climate change research and monitoring networks.

July 15, 2003 Request for the Administrator to Object to Nevada Power Company Harry Allen Station's Operating Permit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE, Nevada Proving Grounds, March-June 1953. Project 6.12. Determination of Height of Burst and Ground Zero

DTIC Science & Technology

1955-05-01

6.2.1 Seismic Height of Burst Determination 6l 6.2.2 Long Range Yield Determination 6l 6.2.3 Lead Sulphide Cells 6l | • APPENDIX A SURVEY...located at M 96 in the vicinity of Array 3* The original metro station was moved to vicinity Camp Mercury Sewage Disposal Plant for Shots 9 and 10. The...JWiRE COMMUNICATION =r=^^l .QBAWIELS ., I foi* 50—ftfejP - -70 CAMP DESERT MICROPHONE 40- 15" (CAMP --’ MERCURY -60 MICROPHONE ARRAY NO I

SNC’s Dream Chaser Achieves Successful Free Flight at NASA Armstrong

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-17

Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser® spacecraft underwent a successful free-flight test on November 11, 2017 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The test verified and validated the performance of the Dream Chaser in the critical final approach and landing phase of flight, meeting expected models for a future return from the International Space Station. The full-scale Dream Chaser test vehicle was lifted to 12,400 feet altitude by a 234-UT Chinook helicopter, released and flew a pre-planned flight path ending with a successful autonomous landing.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-07-04

ISS017-E-010310 (4 July 2008) --- The Piute fire in California is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 17 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Piute fire, burning south of Lake Isabella in the Sequoia National Forest in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, is one of the more than 300 wildfires burning across the state of California. The fire started June 28 just north of Twin Oaks, California, and has burned nearly 14,000 acres so far. Current estimates by fire officials suggest the fire may not be brought under control for another two weeks.

Deployment Area Selection and Land Withdrawal/Acquisition. Chapter 3. M-X/MPS (M-X/Multiple Protective Shelter). Volume 2. Affected Environment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-02

hydrologic cycle 3-16 3.2.2.1-2 Generalized valley cross section showing basin and range geology 3-19 3.2.2.1-3 Regional groundwater flow in the Great Basin ...vicinity of the Texas/New Mexico study area 3-280 Ix ••,. -%- .7 . ... -., *No. Page 3.3.2.1-3 Major drainage basins and stream gauging stations 3...water-bearing characteristics of hydrogeologic units in the Great Basin 3-20 *3.2.2.1-3 Water availability for Nevada/Utah M-X-affected * valleys 3-29

KSC-2012-4601

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4606

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4600

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, right, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4607

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4602

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4605

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4604

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4603

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Florida President Frank DiBello, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, and Boeing's Vice President and General Manager of Space Exploration John Elbon address the media inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3, or OPF-3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bolden took a few dozen media on a road show tour of the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to show the progress being made for future government and commercial space endeavors that will begin from Florida's Space Coast. Boeing is leasing OPF-3 through an agreement with Space Florida for the manufacturing and assembly of its CST-100 spacecraft, which is under development in collaboration with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During his tour, Bolden announced that Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Insights from the Source Physics Experiments on P/S Amplitude Ratio Methods of Identifying Explosions in a Background of Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, W. R.; Ford, S. R.; Xu, H.; Pasyanos, M. E.; Pyle, M. L.; Matzel, E.; Mellors, R. J.; Hauk, T. F.

2012-12-01

It is well established empirically that regional distance (200-1600 km) amplitude ratios of seismic P-to-S waves at sufficiently high frequencies (~>2 Hz) can identify explosions among a background of natural earthquakes. However the physical basis for the generation of explosion S-waves, and therefore the predictability of this P/S technique as a function of event properties such as size, depth, geology and path, remains incompletely understood. A goal of the Source Physics Experiments (SPE) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site (NTS)) is to improve our physical understanding of the mechanisms of explosion S-wave generation and advance our ability to numerically model and predict them. Current models of explosion P/S values suggest they are frequency dependent with poor performance below the source corner frequencies and good performance above. This leads to expectations that small magnitude explosions might require much higher frequencies (>10 Hz) to identify them. Interestingly the 1-ton chemical source physics explosions SPE2 and SPE3 appear to discriminate well from background earthquakes in the frequency band 6-8 Hz, where P and S signals are visible at the NVAR array located near Mina, NV about 200 km away. NVAR is a primary seismic station in the International Monitoring System (IMS), part of the Comprehensive nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The NVAR broadband element NV31 is co-located with the LLNL station MNV that recorded many NTS nuclear tests, allowing the comparison. We find the small SPE explosions in granite have similar Pn/Lg values at 6-8 Hz as the past nuclear tests mainly in softer rocks. We are currently examining a number of other stations in addition to NVAR, including the dedicated SPE stations that recorded the SPE explosions at much closer distances with very high sample rates, in order to better understand the observed frequency dependence as compared with the model predictions. We plan to use these observations to improve our explosion models and our ability to understand and predict where P/S methods of identifying explosions work and any circumstances where they may not. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Oak management by county jurisdictions in the central Sierra Nevada, California

Treesearch

Richard R. Harris; Susan D. Kocher

2002-01-01

We evaluated county planning policies and procedures to determine what protection is provided to oak woodlands during the land development process. We selected three Sierra Nevada counties to do a pilot assessment: El Dorado, Placer and Madera. The assessment methodology included three components: 1) analysis of county plans, policies, guidelines, and ordinances to...

Using epiphytic macrolichen communities for biomonitoring ammonia in forests of the greater Sierra Nevada, California

Treesearch

Sarah Jovan; Bruce Mccune

2006-01-01

Chronic, excessive nitrogen deposition is potentially an important ecological threat to forests of the greater Sierra Nevada in California. We developed a model for ammonia bioindication, a major nitrogen pollutant in the region, using epiphytic macrolichens. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling to extract gradients in lichen community composition from surveys...

NASA Public Affairs and NUANCE Lab News Conference at Reno-Stead Airport.

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-19

News Conference following the test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. Parimal Kopardekar, NASA Ames Senior Engineer for Ait Transportation Systems gave an overview of UTM (Left). Tom Wilczek, Aerospace and Defence industry representative and Nevada Govenor's Office of Economic Development (Right).

75 FR 1408 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Lincoln County Land Act Groundwater...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... County Land Act Groundwater Development and Utility Right-of-Way Project, Nevada AGENCY: Bureau of Land... the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Lincoln County Land Act Groundwater... appeal should also be filed with: Project Manager, Nevada Groundwater Projects Office, Bureau of Land...

Statistical Data and Narrative. End of Project Report, 1968-1971, Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western Nevada Regional Education Center, Lovelock.

In 1968, the Nevada State Department of Education initiated the establishment of 2 ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) Title III supplementary centers to aid rural Nevada schools in educational planning. The stated mission of the centers was to assist member school districts in developing new and/or improved educational programs as a…

Using a Genetic Algorithm to Model Broadband Regional Waveforms for Crustal Structure in the Western United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhattacharyya, Joydeep; Sheehan, Anne F.; Tiampo, Kristy; Rundle, John

1999-01-01

In this study, we analyze regional seismograms to obtain the crustal structure in the eastern Great Basin and western Colorado plateau. Adopting a for- ward-modeling approach, we develop a genetic algorithm (GA) based parameter search technique to constrain the one-dimensional crustal structure in these regions. The data are broadband three-component seismograms recorded at the 1994-95 IRIS PASSCAL Colorado Plateau to Great Basin experiment (CPGB) stations and supplemented by data from U.S. National Seismic Network (USNSN) stations in Utah and Nevada. We use the southwestern Wyoming mine collapse event (M(sub b) = 5.2) that occurred on 3 February 1995 as the seismic source. We model the regional seismograms using a four-layer crustal model with constant layer parameters. Timing of teleseismic receiver functions at CPGB stations are added as an additional constraint in the modeling. GA allows us to efficiently search the model space. A carefully chosen fitness function and a windowing scheme are added to the algorithm to prevent search stagnation. The technique is tested with synthetic data, both with and without random Gaussian noise added to it. Several separate model searches are carried out to estimate the variability of the model parameters. The average Colorado plateau crustal structure is characterized by a 40-km-thick crust with velocity increases at depths of about 10 and 25 km and a fast lower crust while the Great Basin has approximately 35- km-thick crust and a 2.9-km-thick sedimentary layer.

Next-Generation Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curves for Hydrologic Design in Snow-Dominated Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Hongxiang; Sun, Ning; Wigmosta, Mark; Skaggs, Richard; Hou, Zhangshuan; Leung, Ruby

2018-02-01

There is a renewed focus on the design of infrastructure resilient to extreme hydrometeorological events. While precipitation-based intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are commonly used as part of infrastructure design, a large percentage of peak runoff events in snow-dominated regions are caused by snowmelt, particularly during rain-on-snow (ROS) events. In these regions, precipitation-based IDF curves may lead to substantial overestimation/underestimation of design basis events and subsequent overdesign/underdesign of infrastructure. To overcome this deficiency, we proposed next-generation IDF (NG-IDF) curves, which characterize the actual water reaching the land surface. We compared NG-IDF curves to standard precipitation-based IDF curves for estimates of extreme events at 376 Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations across the western United States that each had at least 30 years of high-quality records. We found standard precipitation-based IDF curves at 45% of the stations were subject to underdesign, many with significant underestimation of 100 year extreme events, for which the precipitation-based IDF curves can underestimate water potentially available for runoff by as much as 125% due to snowmelt and ROS events. The regions with the greatest potential for underdesign were in the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Middle and Southern Rockies. We also found the potential for overdesign at 20% of the stations, primarily in the Middle Rockies and Arizona mountains. These results demonstrate the need to consider snow processes in the development of IDF curves, and they suggest use of the more robust NG-IDF curves for hydrologic design in snow-dominated environments.

A Geothermal GIS for Nevada: Defining Regional Controls and Favorable Exploration Terrains for Extensional Geothermal Systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coolbaugh, M.F.; Taranik, J.V.; Raines, G.L.; Shevenell, L.A.; Sawatzky, D.L.; Bedell, R.; Minor, T.B.

2002-01-01

Spatial analysis with a GIS was used to evaluate geothermal systems in Nevada using digital maps of geology, heat flow, young faults, young volcanism, depth to groundwater, groundwater geochemistry, earthquakes, and gravity. High-temperature (>160??C) extensional geothermal systems are preferentially associated with northeast-striking late Pleistocene and younger faults, caused by crustal extension, which in most of Nevada is currently oriented northwesterly (as measured by GPS). The distribution of sparse young (160??C) geothermal systems in Nevada are more likely to occur in areas where the groundwater table is shallow (<30m). Undiscovered geothermal systems may occur where groundwater levels are deeper and hot springs do not issue at the surface. A logistic regression exploration model was developed for geothermal systems, using young faults, young volcanics, positive gravity anomalies, and earthquakes to predict areas where deeper groundwater tables are most likely to conceal geothermal systems.

Community radiation monitoring program. Annual report, October 1, 1992--September 30, 1993

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

Cooper, E.N.

1994-08-01

The Community Radiation Monitoring Program (CRMP) is a cooperative effort between the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Desert Research Institute (DRI), a division of the University and Community College System of Nevada, and the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory of the University of Utah (UUNEL). The thirteenth year of this program began in the fall of 1992, and the work continues as an integral part of the DOE--sponsored long-term offsite radiological monitoring effort that has been conducted by EPA and its predecessors since the inception of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Themore » CRMP began by enhancing and centralizing environmental monitoring and sampling equipment at 15 communities in the then-existing EPA monitoring network around the NTS, and has since expanded to 19 locations in Nevada, Utah, and California. The primary objectives of this program are still to increase the understanding by the people who live in the area surrounding the NTS of the activities for which DOE is responsible, to enhance the performance of radiological sampling and monitoring, and to inform all concerned of the results of these efforts. One of the primary methods used to improve the communication link with the people in the potentially impacted area has been the hiring and training of local citizens as Station Managers and program representatives in those selected communities in the offsite area. These mangers, active science teachers wherever possible, have succeeded through their training, experience, community standing, and effort in becoming a very visible, able, and valuable asset in this link.« less

Summary Report for the Environmental Protection Agency MERL/FRMAC Mission Alignment Exercise held at the Environmental Protection Agency Facility on June 24-26 2014

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

Allen, Mark B.; Shanks, Sonoya Toyoko; Fournier, Sean Donovan

From June 24th thru June 26th 2014, members of the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC), FRMAC Fly Away Laboratory, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) participated in a joint nuclear incident emergency response/round robin exercise at the EPA facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The purpose of this exercise was to strengthen the interoperability relationship between the FRMAC Fly Away Laboratory (FAL) and the EPA Mobile Environmental Radiation Laboratory (MERL) stationed in Las Vegas, Nevada. The exercise was designed to allow for immediate delivery of pre-staged, spiked samples to the EPA MERL and the FAL for sample preparation andmore » radiological analysis. Upon completion of laboratory analysis, data was reviewed and submitted back to the FRMAC via an electronic data deliverable (EDD). In order to conduct a laboratory inter-comparison study, samples were then traded between the two laboratories and re-counted. As part of the exercise, an evaluation was conducted to identify gaps and potential areas for improvements for FRMAC, FAL and EPA operations. Additionally, noteworthy practices and potential future areas of interoperability opportunities between the FRMAC, FAL and EPA were acknowledged. The exercise also provided a unique opportunity for FRMAC personnel to observe EPA sample receipt and sample preparation processes and to gain familiarity with the MERL laboratory instrumentation and radiation detection capabilities. The areas for potential improvements and interoperability from this exercise will be critical for developing a more efficient, integrated response for future interactions between the FRMAC and EPA MERL assets.« less

Trench Logs and Scarp Data from an Investigation of the Steens Fault Zone, Bog Hot Valley and Pueblo Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Personius, Stephen F.; Crone, Anthony J.; Machette, Michael N.; Kyung, Jai Bok; Cisneros, Hector; Lidke, David J.; Mahan, Shannon

2006-01-01

Introduction: This report contains field and laboratory data from a study of the Steens fault zone near Denio, Nev. The 200-km-long Steens fault zone forms the longest, most topographically prominent fault-bounded escarpment in the Basin and Range of southern Oregon and northern Nevada. The down-to-the-east normal fault is marked by Holocene fault scarps along nearly half its length, including the southern one-third of the fault from the vicinity of Pueblo Mountain in southern Oregon to the southern margin of Bog Hot Valley (BHV) southwest of Denio, Nev. We studied this section of the fault to better constrain late Quaternary slip rates, which we hope to compare to deformation rates derived from a recently established geodetic network in the region (Hammond and Thatcher, 2005). We excavated a trench in May 2003 across one of a series of right-stepping fault scarps that extend south from the southern end of the Pueblo Mountains and traverse the floor of Bog Hot Valley, about 4 km south of Nevada State Highway 140. This site was chosen because of the presence of well-preserved fault scarps, their development on lacustrine deposits thought to be suitable for luminescence dating, and the proximity of two geodetic stations that straddle the fault zone. We excavated a second trench in the southern BHV, but the fault zone in this trench collapsed during excavation and thus no information about fault history was documented from this site. We also excavated a soil pit on a lacustrine barrier bar in the southern Pueblo Valley (PV) to better constrain the age of lacustrine deposits exposed in the trench. The purpose of this report is to present photomosaics and trench logs, scarp profiles and slip data, soils data, luminescence and radiocarbon ages, and unit descriptions obtained during this investigation. We do not attempt to use the data presented herein to construct a paleoseismic history of this part of the Steens fault zone; that history will be the subject of a future report.

KSC-2012-2646

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Twitter page of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program CCP buzzes with activity as program manager, Ed Mango, hosts a virtual conversation, called a Tweet Chat, with followers from around the world. Those who follow www.twitter.com/commercial_crew had an hour-long opportunity to ask Mango questions about NASA’s efforts to get astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station aboard American rockets and spacecraft. Mango stuck to the social networking service's 140 character limit and answered dozens of questions. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under the program’s second round of development, called Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2), including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Gianni Woods

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 414: Clean Slate III Plutonium Dispersion (TTR) Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Revision 1

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

Matthews, Patrick

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 414 is located on the Tonopah Test Range, which is approximately 130 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, and approximately 40 miles southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. The CAU 414 site consists of the release of radionuclides to the surface and shallow subsurface from the conduct of the Clean Slate III (CSIII) storage–transportation test conducted on June 9, 1963. CAU 414 includes one corrective action site (CAS), TA-23-03CS (Pu Contaminated Soil). The known releases at CAU 414 are the result of the atmospheric dispersal of contamination from the 1963 CSIII test. The CSIII test was a nonnuclearmore » detonation of a nuclear device located inside a reinforced concrete bunker covered with 8 feet of soil. This test dispersed radionuclides, primarily uranium and plutonium, on the ground surface. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 414 will be evaluated based on information collected from a corrective action investigation (CAI). The investigation is based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on June 7, 2016, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; the U.S. Air Force; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective action alternatives for CAU 414.« less

Developing and managing sustainable forest ecosystems for spotted owls in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

J. Verner; K.S. McKelvey

1994-01-01

Studies of the California spotted owl have revealed significant selection for habitats with large, old trees; relatively high basal areas of snags; and relatively high biomass in large, downed logs. Based on planning documents for national forests in the Sierra Nevada, we projected declining amounts of older-forest attributes. Region 5 has adopted measures to retain...

Post-Closure Report for Closed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Units, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada: For Calendar Year 2016, Revision 0

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

Matthews, Patrick

This report covers the reporting period calendar year 2016 and the fourth quarter of 2015 (October 2015 through December 2016). This change to the reporting periods (i.e., fiscal to calendar) is to gain efficiencies during report development and to better align with other environmental report schedules.

Maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems in southern Nevada [Chapter 7

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; Burton K. Pendleton; Donald W. Sada; Steven M. Ostoja; Matthew L. Brooks

2013-01-01

Managers in southern Nevada are challenged with determining appropriate goals and objectives and developing viable approaches for maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems in a time of rapid socio-ecological and environmental change. Sustainable or “healthy” ecosystems supply clean air, water and habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals. As described in...

Explosion Source Model Development in Support of Seismic Monitoring Technologies: Apparent Explosion Moment and Prospects for Moment-Based Yield Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

and R. G. Warren (1994). A geophysical-geological transect of the Silent Canyon  caldera complex, Pahute Mesa, Nevada, J. Geophys. Res. 99: 4323–4339...Velocity structure of Silent Canyon caldera , Nevada Test Site, Bull.  Seismol. Soc. Am. 77: 597–613. 2010 Monitoring Research Review: Ground-Based

Snowmelt sensitivity to warmer temperatures: a field-validated model analysis, southern Sierra Nevada, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musselman, K. N.; Molotch, N. P.; Margulis, S. A.

2014-12-01

We present model simulations of climate change impacts on snowmelt processes over a 1600 km2 area in the southern Sierra Nevada, including western Sequoia National Park. The domain spans a 3600 m elevation gradient and ecosystems ranging from semi-arid grasslands to giant sequoia groves to alpine tundra. Three reference years were evaluated: a moderately dry snow season (23% below average SWE), an average snow season (7% above average SWE), and a moderately wet snow season (54% above average SWE). The Alpine3D model was run for the reference years and results were evaluated against data from a multi-scale measurement campaign that included repeated manual snow courses and basin-scale snow surveys, dozens of automated snow depth sensors, and automated SWE stations. Compared to automated measurements, the model represented the date of snow disappearance within two days. Compared to manual measurements, model SWE RMSE values for the average and wet snow seasons were highly correlated (R2=0.89 and R2=0.73) with the distance of SWE measurements from the nearest precipitation gauge used to force the model; no significant correlation was found with elevation. The results suggest that Alpine3D is highly accurate during the melt season and that precipitation uncertainty may critically limit snow model accuracy. The air temperature measured at 19 regional stations for the three reference years was modified by +1°C to +6°C to simulate the impact of warmer temperatures on snowmelt dynamics over the 3600 m elevation gradient. For all years, progressively warmer temperatures caused the seasonal SWE centroid to shift earlier and higher in elevation. At forested middle elevations, 70 - 80% of the present-day snowpack volume is lost in a +2°C scenario; 30 - 40% of that change is a result of precipitation phase shift and the remainder is due to enhanced melt. At all elevations, spring and fall snowpack was most sensitive to warmer temperatures; mid-winter sensitivity was least for elevations >3100 m. Interestingly, the dominant effect of warmer temperatures on snowmelt was a reduction in daily melt rates. The drier year was most sensitive to temperature changes with a greater decrease in the number of days with high melt rates. The results offer insight into the sensitivity of snowmelt processes to warmer temperatures in the Sierra Nevada.

Site characterization plan: Yucca Mountain Site, Nevada Research and Development Area, Nevada: Volume 8, Part B: Chapter 8, Sections 8.3.5 through 8.3.5.20

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

NONE

1988-12-01

This site characterization plan (SCP) has been developed for the candidate repository site at Yucca Mountain in the State of Nevada. The SCP includes a description of the Yucca Mountain site (Chapters 1-5), a conceptual design for the repository (Chapter 6), a description of the packaging to be used for the waste to be emplaced in the repository (Chapter 7), and a description of the planned site characterization activities (Chapter 8). The schedules and milestones presented in Sections 8.3 and 8.5 of the SCP were developed to be consistent with the June 1988 draft Amendment to the DOE`s Mission Planmore » for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program. The five month delay in the scheduled start of exploratory shaft construction that was announced recently is not reflected in these schedules. 68 figs., 102 tabs.« less

Monitoring Potential Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in Shallow Ephemeral Channels: FY2017

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

Mizell, Steve A.; Campbell, Scott A.; McCurdy, Greg

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is conducting a field assessment of the potential for contaminated soil to be transported from the Smoky Site Contamination Area (CA) as a result of storm runoff. This activity supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Nevada Program (EM-NV) efforts to establish post-closure monitoring plans for the Smoky Site Soils Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 550. The work is intended to confirm the likely mechanism of transport and determine the meteorological conditions that might cause the movement of contaminated soils, as well as determine the particle size fraction that is most closely associated with transportedmore » radionuclide-contaminated soils. These data will facilitate the design of the appropriate post-closure monitoring program. In 2011, DRI installed a meteorological monitoring station on the west side of the Smoky Site CA and a hydrologic (runoff) monitoring station within the CA, near the east side. Air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, barometric pressure, soil temperature, and soil water content are collected at the meteorological station. The maximum, minimum, and average or total values (as appropriate) for each of these parameters are recorded for each 10-minute interval. The maximum, minimum, and average water depth in the flume installed at the hydrology station are also recorded for every 10-minute interval. This report presents data collected from these stations during fiscal year (FY) 2017.« less

UCM Meteor and Fireball Research group: Results 2012--2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocaña, F.; Sánchez de Miguel, A.; Zamorano, J.; Izquierdo, J.; Pascual, S.; Palos, M. F.; Oré, S.; Rodríguez-Coira, G.; Zamora, S.; Lorenzo, C.; San Juan, R.; Muñoz-Ibáñez, B.; Vázquez, C.; Alonso-Moragón, A.; Gallego, J.; Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M.; Madiedo, J. M.

2015-05-01

Most of the activity of the group is based on the Fireball Detection Station located at the Observatorio UCM, a system consisting of 6 high-sensitivity videocameras covering the whole sky with wide-angle lenses during nighttime. Another 15 cameras have been placed by the researchers between 10 and 200 km away from Madrid for multiple station observations. It works as a node in the SPanish Meteor and Fireball Network (SPMN), a network of similar stations covering the atmosphere over Spain. Besides the continuous monitoring, the group has worked on the recording and analysis of some meteor showers. Most of the attention was focused on the Draconids 2011 campaign at Observatorio de Sierra Nevada (Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M., Madiedo, J. M., Williams, I. P., et al. 2013, MNRAS, 433, 560; Ocaña, F., Palos, M. F., Zamorano, J., et al. 2013, Proceedings of the International Meteor Conference, 31st IMC, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, 2012, 70), and the 2012 Geminids balloon-borne mission over Spain (Sánchez de Miguel, A., Ocaña, F., Madiedo, J. M., et al. 2013, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 44, 2202). The products of the station have been used for undergraduate thesis projects at the Physics Faculty (Ocaña, F., 2011, UCM e-prints, 13292) and other undergraduate projects. In 2013 the station received new equipment thanks to the Certamen Arquímedes award, complementing the detection with spectroscopic and frame-integrating devices.

Development and testing for physical security robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, Daniel M.; Nguyen, Chinh; Everett, H. R.; Frederick, Brian

2005-05-01

The Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS) provides physical security for Department of Defense bases and depots using autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to patrol the site while operating payloads for intruder detection and assessment, barrier assessment, and product assessment. MDARS is in the System Development and Demonstration acquisition phase and is currently undergoing developmental testing including an Early User Appraisal (EUA) at the Hawthorne Army Depot, Nevada-the world's largest army depot. The Multiple Resource Host Architecture (MRHA) allows the human guard force to command and control several MDARS platforms simultaneously. The MRHA graphically displays video, map, and status for each resource using wireless digital communications for integrated data, video, and audio. Events are prioritized and the user is prompted with audio alerts and text instructions for alarms and warnings. The MRHA also interfaces to remote resources to automate legacy physical devices such as fence gate controls, garage doors, and remote power on/off capability for the MDARS patrol units. This paper provides an overview and history of the MDARS program and control station software with details on the installation and operation at Hawthorne Army Depot, including discussions on scenarios for EUA excursions. Special attention is given to the MDARS technical development strategy for spiral evolutions.

KSC-2012-1210

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-08

MCGREGOR, Texas -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completes a full-duration, full-thrust firing of its new SuperDraco engine prototype at the company’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. The firing was in preparation for the ninth milestone to be completed under SpaceX's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). SpaceX is working with CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) in order to mature the design and development of its Dragon spacecraft with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. Eight SuperDracos would be built into the sidewalls of the Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch or ascent. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp. and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1208

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-08

MCGREGOR, Texas -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completes a full-duration, full-thrust firing of its new SuperDraco engine prototype at the company’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. The firing was in preparation for the ninth milestone to be completed under SpaceX's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). SpaceX is working with CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) in order to mature the design and development of its Dragon spacecraft with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. Eight SuperDracos would be built into the sidewalls of the Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch or ascent. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp. and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1209

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-08

MCGREGOR, Texas -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completes a full-duration, full-thrust firing of its new SuperDraco engine prototype at the company’s Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. The firing was in preparation for the ninth milestone to be completed under SpaceX's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). SpaceX is working with CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) in order to mature the design and development of its Dragon spacecraft with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. Eight SuperDracos would be built into the sidewalls of the Dragon capsule to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch or ascent. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Blue Origin, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp. and United Launch Alliance (ULA). For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

KSC-2012-1824

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-30

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- NASA astronauts and industry experts check out the crew accommodations in the Dragon spacecraft under development by Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., for the agency's Commercial Crew Program. On top, from left, are NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team Lead Dustin Gohmert, NASA astronauts Tony Antonelli and Lee Archambault, and SpaceX Mission Operations Engineer Laura Crabtree. On bottom, from left, are SpaceX Thermal Engineer Brenda Hernandez and NASA astronauts Rex Walheim and Tim Kopra. In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

Shah-Kan-Daw: Anthropogenic simplification of semi-arid vegetation structure

Treesearch

David A. Charlet

2008-01-01

Semi-arid shrublands and woodlands of Nevada are changing in the face of many daunting challenges. I compare Nevada to Iran to understand these challenges better, because Iran and Nevada have similar climate, geology, physiography, and latitude. Floristically, Iran and Nevada share many dominant genera, and many of Nevada?s troubling invasive species are native to Iran...

Algal-Based Renewable Energy for Nevada

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

Fritsen, Christian

2017-03-31

To help in the overall evaluation of the potential for growing algal biomass in high productivity systems, we conducted a study that evaluated water from geothermal sources and cultivated mixed consortia from hot springs in Nevada, we evaluated their growth at moderately high varying temperatures and then evaluated potential manipulations that could possibly increase their biomass and oleaginous production. Studies were conducted at scales ranging from the laboratory benchtop to raceways in field settings. Mixed consortia were readily grown at all scales and growth could be maintained in Nevada year round. Moderate productivities were attained even during the shoulder seasons-more » where temperature control was maintained by hot water and seasonally cold temperatures when there was still plentiful solar radiation. The results enhance the prospects for economic feasibility of developing algal based industries in areas with geothermal energy or even other large alternative sources of heat that are not being used for other purposes. The public may benefit from such development as a means for economic development as well as development of industries for alternative energy and products that do not rely on fossil fuels.« less

Ambient Noise Tomography In The Great Valley, California Near The Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fletcher, J. B.; Seats, K.; Lawrence, J. F.; Erdem, J.

2013-12-01

We use ambient noise tomography to develop a shear-wave velocity model of the Great Valley centered on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, which is located just west of Stockton, CA. The 3-D model is needed for ground motion simulations resulting from Delta and Bay area earthquakes to better estimate the seismic hazard for sites in the Delta. We analyze ground motion data from a 24-station network consisting of up to 14 USGS stations, 5 Berkeley Digital Seismic Net (BDSN) stations, and 5 Transportable Array (TA) stations that were deployed in 2006 and 2007. Ground motions are measured using broadband seismometers with a broad frequency response from about 0.016 to 20 Hz or greater. Seismograms are Fourier transformed in 1 hour overlapping segments and coherencies (normalized cross correlations) between stations are computed. Coherencies are stacked for a minimum of 8 months in 2006 to over 17 months starting in January 2012. Time series, transformed from coherencies that are filtered in narrow bands centered at periods from about 4.5s to 20s are used to determine the group velocity dispersion curves between pairs of stations. A velocity model is imaged for each period. Smoothing is applied. We considered block sizes ranging from 0.05° to 0.10° and obtained the best resolution at 0.08° (8.9 km). Checkerboard tests show that the full set of stations yields adequate resolution throughout the Delta. We image an irregular low-velocity structure (-0.1 to -0.2 km/s below average of 1.55 km/s at 5.5s period) that is roughly coincident with the Delta, but extends about 40 km to the north at short periods (4s to 10s). At longer periods, the low-velocity structure shrinks in area as the periods increase (up to 18.5s) and the center shifts about 20 km to the north. Also, at longer periods, higher velocities form a 130 km wide band on the eastern margin of the study area presumably indicating basement velocities of the western edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the asymmetry of the Great Valley. The low-velocity structure roughly corresponds to the Delta depocenter that formed in the Tertiary with the partial uplift of the Coast Ranges.

Precipitation estimation in mountainous terrain using multivariate geostatistics. Part I: structural analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hevesi, Joseph A.; Istok, Jonathan D.; Flint, Alan L.

1992-01-01

Values of average annual precipitation (AAP) are desired for hydrologic studies within a watershed containing Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential site for a high-level nuclear-waste repository. Reliable values of AAP are not yet available for most areas within this watershed because of a sparsity of precipitation measurements and the need to obtain measurements over a sufficient length of time. To estimate AAP over the entire watershed, historical precipitation data and station elevations were obtained from a network of 62 stations in southern Nevada and southeastern California. Multivariate geostatistics (cokriging) was selected as an estimation method because of a significant (p = 0.05) correlation of r = .75 between the natural log of AAP and station elevation. A sample direct variogram for the transformed variable, TAAP = ln [(AAP) 1000], was fitted with an isotropic, spherical model defined by a small nugget value of 5000, a range of 190 000 ft, and a sill value equal to the sample variance of 163 151. Elevations for 1531 additional locations were obtained from topographic maps to improve the accuracy of cokriged estimates. A sample direct variogram for elevation was fitted with an isotropic model consisting of a nugget value of 5500 and three nested transition structures: a Gaussian structure with a range of 61 000 ft, a spherical structure with a range of 70 000 ft, and a quasi-stationary, linear structure. The use of an isotropic, stationary model for elevation was considered valid within a sliding-neighborhood radius of 120 000 ft. The problem of fitting a positive-definite, nonlinear model of coregionalization to an inconsistent sample cross variogram for TAAP and elevation was solved by a modified use of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. A selected cross-variogram model consisted of two nested structures: a Gaussian structure with a range of 61 000 ft and a spherical structure with a range of 190 000 ft. Cross validation was used for model selection and for comparing the geostatistical model with six alternate estimation methods. Multivariate geostatistics provided the best cross-validation results.

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

Ford, Sean R.; Walter, William R.

Seismic waveform correlation offers the prospect of greatly reducing event detection thresholds when compared with more conventional processing methods. Correlation is applicable for seismic events that in some sense repeat, that is they have very similar waveforms. A number of recent studies have shown that correlated seismic signals may form a significant fraction of seismicity at regional distances. For the particular case of multiple nuclear explosions at the same test site, regional distance correlation also allows very precise relative location measurements and could offer the potential to lower thresholds when multiple events exist. Using the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Internationalmore » Monitoring System (IMS) seismic array at Matsushiro, Japan (MJAR), Gibbons and Ringdal (2012) were able to create a multichannel correlation detector with a very low false alarm rate and a threshold below magnitude 3.0. They did this using the 2006 or 2009 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear explosion as a template to search through a data stream from the same station to find a match via waveform correlation. In this paper, we extend the work of Gibbons and Ringdal (2012) and measure the correlation detection threshold at several other IMS arrays. We use this to address three main points. First, we show the IMS array station at Mina, Nevada (NVAR), which is closest to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), is able to detect a chemical explosion that is well under 1 ton with the right template. Second, we examine the two IMS arrays closest to the North Korean (DPRK) test site (at Ussuriysk, Russian Federation [USRK] and Wonju, Republic of Korea [KSRS]) to show that similarly low thresholds are possible when the right templates exist. We also extend the work of Schaff et al. (2012) and measure the correlation detection threshold at the nearest Global Seismic Network (GSN) three-component station (MDJ) at Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, China, from the New China Digital Seismograph Network (IC). To conclude, we use these results to explore the recent claim by Zhang and Wen (2015) that the DPRK conducted “…a low-yield nuclear test…” on 12 May 2010.« less

Strain pattern represented by scarps formed during the earthquakes of October 2, 1915, Pleasant Valley, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, R.E.

1979-01-01

The pattern of scarps developed during the earthquakes of October 2, 1915, in Pleasant Valley, Nevada, may have formed as a result of a modern stress system acting on a set of fractures produced by an earlier stress system which was oriented differently. Four major scarps developed in a right-stepping, en-echelon pattern suggestive of left-lateral slip across the zone and an extension axis oriented approximately S85??W. The trend of the zone is N25??E. However, the orientation of simple dip-slip on most segments trending approximately N20-40?? E and a right-lateral component of displacement on several N- and NW-trending segments of the scarps indicate that the axis of regional extension was oriented between N50?? and 70?? W, normal to the zone. The cumulative length of the scarps is 60 km, average vertical displacement 2 m, and the maximum vertical displacement near the Pearce School site 5.8 m. Almost everywhere the 1915 scarps formed along an older scarp line, and in some places older scarps represent multiple previous events. The most recent displacement event prior to 1915 is interpreted to have occurred more than 6600 years ago, but possibly less than 20,000 years ago. Some faults expressed by older scarps that trend northwest were not reactivated in 1915, possibly because they are oriented at a low angle with respect to the axis of modern regional extension. The 1915 event occurred in an area of overlap of three regional fault trends oriented northwest, north, and northeast and referred to, respectively, as the Oregon-Nevada, Northwest Nevada, and Midas-Battle Moutain trends. Each of these trends may have developed at a different time; the Oregon-Nevada trend was possibly the earliest and developed in Late Miocene time (Stewart et al. 1975). Segments of the 1915 scarps are parallel to each of these trends, suggesting influence by older sets of fractures. ?? 1979.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 371: Johnnie Boy Crater and Pin Stripe Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Patrick Matthews

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 371 is located in Areas 11 and 18 of the Nevada Test Site, which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 371 is comprised of the two corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: • 11-23-05, Pin Stripe Contamination Area • 18-45-01, U-18j-2 Crater (Johnnie Boy) These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate correctivemore » action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable corrective action alternatives that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on November 19, 2008, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office; Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture; and National Security Technologies, LLC. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 371. Appendix A provides a detailed discussion of the DQO methodology and the DQOs specific to each CAS. The scope of the corrective action investigation for CAU 371 includes the following activities: • Move surface debris and/or materials, as needed, to facilitate sampling. • Conduct radiological surveys. • Measure in situ external dose rates using thermoluminescent dosimeters or other dose measurement devices. • Collect and submit environmental samples for laboratory analysis to determine internal dose rates. • Combine internal and external dose rates to determine whether total dose rates exceed final action levels (FALs). • Collect and submit environmental samples for laboratory analysis to determine whether chemical contaminants are present at concentrations exceeding FALs. • If contamination exceeds FALs, define the extent of the contamination exceeding FALs. • Investigate waste to determine whether potential source material is present. This Corrective Action Investigation Plan has been developed in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order that was agreed to by the State of Nevada; U.S. Department of Energy; and U.S. Department of Defense. Under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, this Corrective Action Investigation Plan will be submitted to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for approval. Fieldwork will be conducted following approval of the plan.« less

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-09-17

ISS013-E-81687 (17 Sept. 2006) --- A forest fire in southern California is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. The day fire started in Los Padres National Forest north of Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 2006. Easterly winds on Sept. 17 blew the smoke west out to sea, and this wind shift was observed by station crewmembers. The forested mountains north of Los Angeles appear dark green, the smoke a dusky gray. Dense farmland at the south end of California's central valley is framed by the forested Sierra Nevada mountain range. White patches near the center of the view are dry lakes of the Mojave Desert, one of which acts as a landing site for the space shuttle. The dark irregular shape at image right is part of the space station. Death Valley and Las Vegas are visible at image right. The extent of the day fire smoke plume can be gauged from the gray urban region of greater Los Angeles (center) which stretches along 50 miles of coastline. The plume obscures the northern Channel Islands, but the southern Channel Islands are silhouetted against the ocean.

KSC-2012-4583

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, processing facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Scott Thurston, partner integration office manager with the Commercial Crew Program, talks to the media prior to an announcement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden about new milestones in the nation’s commercial space initiatives. Bolden announced that SpaceX has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. SpaceX is scheduled to launch the first of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the space station from Cape Canaveral this October, under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Program. Bolden also announced NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corp. has conducted its first milestone under the agency’s recently announced Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiative. The milestone, a program implementation plan review, marks an important first step in Sierra Nevada’s efforts to develop a crew transportation system with its Dream Chaser spacecraft. Through NASA’s commercial space initiatives and programs, the agency is providing investments to stimulate the American commercial space industry. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

PAST CLIMATES, FORESTS, AND DISTURBANCES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA: UNDERSTANDING THE PAST TO MANAGE FOR THE FUTURE

Treesearch

William F. Laudenslayer; Carl N. Skinner

1995-01-01

The forests of the Sierra Nevada have been altered for millennia by climate, natural disturbances, and more recently by the activities of humans. Management of these forests and their resources as ecosystems to meet diverse objectives, requires an understanding of the conditions under which existing forests developed and how they have changed through time. Recently...

Individualized Learning through Computerized Modular Scheduling, Second Report of Scheduling Project at Virgin Valley High School, Mesquite, Nevada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, Blaine W.

In 1963 Stanford University selected Virgin Valley High School in southern Nevada as one of four pilot schools to use computerized modular scheduling. Schedules for 165 students and assignments for 14 teachers were developed at the Stanford University Computer Computation Center using 30-minute modules with a total of 80 modules per week. After…

Meta-analysis of California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) territory occupancy in the Sierra Nevada: habitat associations and their implications for forest management

Treesearch

Douglas J. Tempel; John J. Keane; R. J. Gutierrez; Jared D. Wolfe; Gavin M. Jones; Alexander Koltunov; Carlos M. Ramirez; William J. Berigan; Claire V. Gallagher; Thomas E. Munton; Paula A. Shaklee; Sheila A. Whitmore; M. Zachariah Peery

2016-01-01

We assessed the occupancy dynamics of 275 California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) territories in 4 study areas in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA, from 1993 to 2011. We used Landsat data to develop maps of canopy cover for each study area, which we then used to quantify annual territory-specific habitat...

Analysis of impacts of urban land use and land cover on air quality in the Las Vegas region using remote sensing information and ground observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xian, G.

2007-01-01

Urban development in the Las Vegas Valley of Nevada (USA) has expanded rapidly over the past 50 years. The air quality in the valley has suffered owing to increases from anthropogenic emissions of carbon monoxide, ozone and criteria pollutants of particular matter. Air quality observations show that pollutant concentrations have apparent heterogeneous characteristics in the urban area. Quantified urban land use and land cover information derived from satellite remote sensing data indicate an apparent local influence of urban development density on air pollutant distributions. Multi‐year observational data collected by a network of local air monitoring stations specify that ozone maximums develop in the May and June timeframe, whereas minimum concentrations generally occur from November to February. The fine particulate matter maximum occurs in July. Ozone concentrations are highest on the west and northwest sides of the valley. Night‐time ozone reduction contributes to the heterogeneous features of the spatial distribution for average ozone levels in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Decreased ozone levels associated with increased urban development density suggest that the highest ozone and lowest nitrogen oxides concentrations are associated with medium to low density urban development in Las Vegas.

Tragedy into policy: a quantitative study of nurses' attitudes toward patient advocacy activities.

PubMed

Black, Lisa M

2011-06-01

In 2007 and 2008, 115 patients were found to be either certainly or presumptively infected with the hepatitis C virus through the reuse of contaminated medication vials at two southern Nevada endoscopy clinics. A subsequent joint investigation by federal and state agencies found multiple breaches of infection control protocols. There was also strong anecdotal evidence that among clinic staff, unsafe patient care conditions often went unreported because of a general fear of retaliation. At the request of the Nevada legislature's Legislative Committee on Health Care, a study was conducted to examine Nevada RNs' experiences with workplace attitudes toward patient advocacy activities. This article presents the study findings and reviews how one public health tragedy led to the creation of effective health care policy. A study questionnaire was developed and tested for reliability and validity. Questionnaires were then sent to an initial sample of 1,725 Nevada RNs, representing 10% of all RNs in the Nevada State Board of Nursing database with active licenses and current Nevada addresses. The response rate was modest at 33% (564 respondents). Of those who responded, 34% indicated that they'd been aware of a patient care condition that could have caused harm to a patient, yet hadn't reported it. The most common reasons given for nonreporting included fears of workplace retaliation (44%) and a belief that nothing would come of reports that were made (38%). The study findings underscore the need for a shift in organizational culture toward one that encourages clear and open communication when patient safety may be in jeopardy. These findings were ultimately used to support the passage of whistleblower protection legislation in Nevada. Las Vegas hepatitis C outbreak, patient advocacy, whistleblower.

Earth observation taken by the Expedition 29 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-16

ISS029-E-042846 (16 Nov. 2011) --- Parts of the U.S. and Mexico are seen in this image photographed by one of the Expedition 29 crew members from the International Space Station as it flew above the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 16, 2011. The Salton Sea is in the center of the frame, with the Gulf of Cortez, Mexico's Baja California and the Colorado River in the upper right quadrant. The Los Angeles Basin and Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands are at the bottom center edge of the image. Lake Mead and the Las Vegas area of Nevada even made it into the frame in the upper left quadrant.

Operation BUSTER. Project 8.2. Air Weather Service Participation in Operation BUSTER

DTIC Science & Technology

1951-12-31

Nearest precipitation, acattered ahoware 55u milea to Northeast* HnOHT OROöND ZEROt U, l53 »li ft MSL. HEIQHT OP BÜRSTi 5,311«U ft MSL FRESSÖRE...17 270 27 63 MERCURY WEATHER STATION AEC TEST SITE US VEGAS, N’EVADA •*IND DATA SHEET PATE 22 Octob«r 1951 BEATTY, NEVADA TD /E 220e Z...WIND DATA SHEET TOROPAH, HET/ADA TD - ^ 0300 Z 330P 3£HäE (knots) 15 350 16 010 15 030 13 130 12 050 16 050 29 050 31 060 30 060 30 070 37

Principal facts for gravity stations and physical property measurements in the Lake Mead 30' by 60' quadrangle, Nevada and Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Davidson, J.G.; Anderson, M.L.; Blank, H.R.

1999-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected 811 gravity stations on the Lake Mead 30' by 60' quadrangle from October, 1997 to September, 1999. These data were collected in support of geologic mapping of the Lake Mead quadrangle. In addition to these new data, gravity stations were compiled from a number of sources. These stations were reprocessed according to the reduction method described below and used for the new data. Density and magnetic susceptibility measurements were also performed on more than 250 rock samples. The Lake Mead quadrangle ranges from 360 to 360 30' north latitude and from 114° to 115° west longitude. It spans most of Lake Mead (see index map, below), the largest manmade lake in the United States, and includes most of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Its geology is very complex; Mesozoic thrust faults are exposed in the Muddy Mountains, Precambrian crystalline basement rocks are exhumed in tilted fault blocks near Gold Butte, extensive Tertiary volcanism is evident in the Black Mountains, and strike-slip faults of the right-lateral Las Vegas Valley shear zone and the left-lateral Lake Mead fault system meet near the Gale Hills. These gravity data and physical property measurements will aid in the 3-dimensional characterization of structure and stratigraphy in the quadrangle as part of the Las Vegas Urban Corridor mapping project.

Hydrologic Response and Watershed Sensitivity to Climate Warming in California's Sierra Nevada

PubMed Central

Null, Sarah E.; Viers, Joshua H.; Mount, Jeffrey F.

2010-01-01

This study focuses on the differential hydrologic response of individual watersheds to climate warming within the Sierra Nevada mountain region of California. We describe climate warming models for 15 west-slope Sierra Nevada watersheds in California under unimpaired conditions using WEAP21, a weekly one-dimensional rainfall-runoff model. Incremental climate warming alternatives increase air temperature uniformly by 2°, 4°, and 6°C, but leave other climatic variables unchanged from observed values. Results are analyzed for changes in mean annual flow, peak runoff timing, and duration of low flow conditions to highlight which watersheds are most resilient to climate warming within a region, and how individual watersheds may be affected by changes to runoff quantity and timing. Results are compared with current water resources development and ecosystem services in each watershed to gain insight into how regional climate warming may affect water supply, hydropower generation, and montane ecosystems. Overall, watersheds in the northern Sierra Nevada are most vulnerable to decreased mean annual flow, southern-central watersheds are most susceptible to runoff timing changes, and the central portion of the range is most affected by longer periods with low flow conditions. Modeling results suggest the American and Mokelumne Rivers are most vulnerable to all three metrics, and the Kern River is the most resilient, in part from the high elevations of the watershed. Our research seeks to bridge information gaps between climate change modeling and regional management planning, helping to incorporate climate change into the development of regional adaptation strategies for Sierra Nevada watersheds. PMID:20368984

Exterior view of the ISS taken during a session of EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-12

ISS028-E-016225 (12 July 2011) --- Components of the International Space Station, though moving along at 17,500 miles per hour, appear to hover above the Pacific Ocean just off the California coast. Ten cosmonauts and astronauts were working together when this photo was taken -- four of them as STS-135 visitors from the docked space shuttle Atlantis and six as members of the Expedition 28 crew. The Cupola, near center of frame, is attached to Node 3 or Tranquility. A Russian Soyuz and a Russian Progress spacecraft are parked at the station, left side of frame. While much of the coast is obscured by clouds, just inland from left to right, one can see the agriculture of the San Joaquin Valley, the southern Sierra Nevada, the Los Angeles Basin (center), the Mojave Desert, coastal mountains of southern California, the Salton Sea, the Imperial Valley, and the mouth of the Colorado River on the extreme right edge.

Ground wave emergency network environmental assessment for northwestern Colorado relay node site number RN 8C924CO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1993-02-01

The Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN) is a radio communication system designed to relay emergency messages between strategic military areas in the continental United States. The system is immune to the effects of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) energy surges caused by nuclear bursts in the ionosphere that would disrupt conventional communications equipment such as telephones and shortwave radios. A failure of such equipment would prevent timely communications among top military and civilian leaders and strategic Air Force locations and prevent U.S. assessment and retaliation during an attack. GWEN is an essential part of a defense modernization program to upgrade and improve our nation's communications system, thereby strengthening deterrence. The GWEN system consists of a network of relay nodes, receive-only stations, and input/output stations. Each relay node, such as the one proposed in southern Nevada consists of a guyed radio tower facility similar to those used by commercial AM broadcast transmitters.

SNC's Dream Chaser Arrives at NASA Armstrong

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-08

This 58-second video shows Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) delivering its Dream Chaser spacecraft on Jan. 25, 2017, to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, located on Edwards Air Force Base. The spacecraft will undergo several months of testing at the Center in preparation for its approach and landing flight on the base's runway. The test series is part of a developmental space act agreement SNC has with NASA’s HYPERLINK Commercial Crew Program. The upcoming test campaign will help SNC validate the aerodynamic properties, flight software and control system performance of the Dream Chaser. The Dream Chaser is also being prepared to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) contract beginning in 2019. The data that SNC gathers from this test campaign will help influence and inform the final design of the cargo Dream Chaser, which will fly at least six cargo delivery missions to and from the Space Station by 2024.

Is the Isabella anomaly a fossil slab or the foundered lithospheric root of the Sierra Nevada batholith?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoots, C. R.; Schmandt, B.; Clayton, R. W.; Hansen, S. M.; Dougherty, S. L.

2015-12-01

The Isabella Anomaly is a volume of relatively high seismic velocity upper mantle beneath the southern Great Valley in California. We deployed ~45 broadband seismometers in central California to test two main hypotheses for the origin of the Isabella Anomaly. One suggests that the Isabella Anomaly is the foundered lithospheric root of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith, which delaminated on account of eclogite-rich composition and translated westward as it began to sink into the asthenosphere. The other hypothesis suggests that the Isabella Anomaly is a fossil slab fragment attached to the Monterey microplate that lies offshore of central California and thus it is mechanically coupled to the Pacific plate. Prior seismic imaging with ~70 km station spacing cannot resolve the landward termination of Monterey microplate lithosphere beneath coastal California or where/if the Isabella Anomaly is attached to North America lithosphere beneath the Great Valley. The new temporary broadband array consists of 40 broadband seismometers with ~7 km spacing extending from the central California coast to the western Sierra Nevada batholith, plus some outliers to fill gaps in the regional network coverage. The temporary array was initially deployed in early 2014 and will continue to record until October 2015 so the complete data are not yet available. Preliminary Ps scattered wave images show an abrupt ~6 km increase in Moho depth eastward across the San Andreas fault, a strong positive impedance contrast that dips westward from ~7-25 km beneath Great Valley, and a sharp Moho with a slight westward dip beneath the western edge of the Sierra Nevada batholith. Apparently low impedance contrast characterizes the Moho beneath the eastern Great Valley and foothills, consistent with near mantle velocities in the lower crust. Processing of the cumulative data that will be available in October 2015 and incorporation of new tomography models into scattered wave imaging are needed before assessing the significance of potential uppermost mantle interfaces that may represent edges of the Isabella Anomaly. Results from Ps and Sp scattered wave imaging, ambient noise surface wave tomography, teleseismic body-wave tomography, and teleseismic shear wave splitting will be presented.

Estimating contribution of wildland fires to ambient ozone levels in National Parks in the Sierra Nevada, California

Treesearch

Haiganoush K. Preisler; Shiyuan (Sharon) Zhong; Annie Esperanza; Timothy J. Brown; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Leland Tarnay

2010-01-01

Data from four continuous ozone and weather monitoring sites operated by the National Park Service in Sierra Nevada, California, are used to develop an ozone forecasting model and to estimate the contribution of wildland fires on ambient ozone levels. The analyses of weather and ozone data pointed to the transport of ozone precursors from the Central Valley as an...

Site index curves for young-growth California white fir on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

K. Leroy Dolph

1987-01-01

Site index curves for young-growth California white fir were developed by using stem analysis data from 77 dominant and codominant trees growing in mixed-coniferstands on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Site index reference age is 50 years at breast height. A family of 11 curves is presented for site index estimation. For more precise estimates, the site index...

Potential climatic refugia in semi-arid, temperate mountains: plant and arthropod assemblages associated with rock glaciers, talus slopes, and their forefield wetlands, Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Treesearch

Constance I. Millar; Robert D. Westfall; Angela Evenden; Jeffrey G. Holmquist; Jutta Schmidt-Gengenbach; Rebecca S. Franklin; Jan Nachlinger; Diane L. Delany

2015-01-01

Unique thermal and hydrologic regimes of rock-glacier and periglacial talus environments support little-studied mountain ecosystems. We report the first studies of vascular plant and arthropod diversity for these habitats in the central Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Surfaces of active rock glaciers develop scattered islands of soil that provide habitat for vegetation...

White Pine Co. Public School System Biomass Conversion Heating Project

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

Paul Johnson

The White Pine County School District and the Nevada Division of Forestry agreed to develop a pilot project for Nevada using wood chips to heat the David E. Norman Elementary School in Ely, Nevada. Consideration of the project was triggered by a ''Fuels for Schools'' grant that was brought to the attention of the School District. The biomass project that was part of a district-wide energy retrofit, called for the installation of a biomass heating system for the school, while the current fuel oil system remained as back-up. Woody biomass from forest fuel reduction programs will be the main sourcemore » of fuel. The heating system as planned and completed consists of a biomass steam boiler, storage facility, and an area for unloading and handling equipment necessary to deliver and load fuel. This was the first project of it's kind in Nevada. The purpose of the DOE funded project was to accomplish the following goals: (1) Fuel Efficiency: Purchase and install a fuel efficient biomass heating system. (2) Demonstration Project: Demonstrate the project and gather data to assist with further research and development of biomass technology; and (3) Education: Educate the White Pine community and others about biomass and other non-fossil fuels.« less

Gravity, magnetic, and physical property data in the Smoke Creek Desert area, northwest Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilden, Janet E.; Ponce, David A.; Glen, Jonathan M.G.; Chuchel, Bruce A.; Tushman, Kira; Duvall, Alison

2006-01-01

The Smoke Creek Desert, located approximately 100 km (60 mi) north of Reno near the California-Nevada border, is a large basin situated along the northernmost parts of the Walker Lane Belt (Stewart, 1988), a physiographic province defined by northwest-striking topographic features and strike-slip faulting. Because geologic framework studies play an important role in understanding the hydrology of the Smoke Creek Desert, a geologic and geophysical effort was begun to help determine basin geometry, infer structural features, and estimate depth to Pre-Cenozoic rocks, or basement. In May and June of 2004, and June of 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected 587 new gravity stations, more than 160 line-kilometers (100 line-miles) of truck-towed magnetometer data, and 111 rock property samples in the Smoke Creek Desert and vicinity in northwest Nevada, as part of an effort to characterize its hydrogeologic framework. In the Smoke Creek Desert area, gravity highs occur over rocks of the Skedaddle Mountains, Fox Range, Granite Range, and over portions of Tertiary volcanic rocks in the Buffalo Hills. These gravity highs likely reflect basement rocks, either exposed at the surface or buried at shallow depths. The southern Smoke Creek Desert corresponds to a 25-mGal isostatic gravity low, which corresponds with a basin depth of approximately 2 km. Magnetic highs are likely due to granitic, andesitic, and metavolcanic rocks, whereas magnetic lows are probably associated with less magnetic gneiss and metasedimentary rocks in the region. Three distinctive patterns of magnetic anomalies occur throughout the Smoke Creek Desert and Squaw Creek Valley, likely reflecting three different geological and structural settings.

Is Snowmelt Initiation Independent of Elevation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundquist, J. D.; Dettinger, M. D.; Cayan, D. R.

2002-12-01

Recent studies (Peterson et al, Dettinger and Cayan) have shown that the Western rivers routinely monitored by the USGS all rise together each spring, suggesting an organized signal of snowmelt initiation across the region. These are all large basins (over 100 km2), spanning similar ranges of aspect and elevation. However, within a given basin, should we expect the spring pulse of snowmelt to occur at the same time in a 470 km2 basin gauged at 1200 m as in a 2 km2 glacial cirque gauged at 3200 m? Should streamflow from a north-facing cirque rise and peak at the same time as that from a south-facing cirque? Data from sub-basins of the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers within Yosemite National Park, from small lake basins throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and from CDWR snow pillow stations throughout the central Sierra Nevada suggest that the answer to both of these questions is yes. Elevation and aspect exert strong influences on air temperature and solar radiation, which are important factors in controlling snowmelt. Why, then, does melt appear uniform across the Sierra Nevada each spring? Do air temperature and solar radiation differ less than previously supposed? Do snowpack properties create some kind of buffer or limit on melt rates that make small-scale meteorological differences less important? If initial melt rates are uniform throughout the basin, why do high-altitude, north-facing cirques retain their snow-cover the longest? Do they start out with more snow, or do the dominant factors influencing melt rates and supply change as the season progresses? This study uses the available data to examine these hypotheses.

78 FR 72139 - Nevada Gold Corp.; Order of Suspension of Trading

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [File No. 500-1 ] Nevada Gold Corp.; Order of Suspension of... current and accurate information concerning the securities of Nevada Gold Corp. (``Nevada Gold'') because of questions regarding the accuracy of assertions by Nevada Gold, and by others, to investors in...

Next-Generation Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curves for Hydrologic Design in Snow-Dominated Environments

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

Yan, Hongxiang; Sun, Ning; Wigmosta, Mark

There is a renewed focus on the design of infrastructure resilient to extreme hydrometeorological events. While precipitation-based intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are commonly used as part of infrastructure design, a large percentage of peak runoff events in snow-dominated regions are caused by snowmelt, particularly during rain-on-snow (ROS) events. In these regions, precipitation-based IDF curves may lead to substantial over-/under-estimation of design basis events and subsequent over-/under-design of infrastructure. To overcome this deficiency, we proposed next-generation IDF (NG-IDF) curves, which characterize the actual water reaching the land surface. We compared NG-IDF curves to standard precipitation-based IDF curves for estimates of extreme eventsmore » at 376 Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations across the western United States that each had at least 30 years of high-quality records. We found standard precipitation-based IDF curves at 45% of the stations were subject to under-design, many with significant under-estimation of 100-year extreme events, for which the precipitation-based IDF curves can underestimate water potentially available for runoff by as much as 125% due to snowmelt and ROS events. The regions with the greatest potential for under-design were in the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Middle and Southern Rockies. We also found the potential for over-design at 20% of the stations, primarily in the Middle Rockies and Arizona mountains. These results demonstrate the need to consider snow processes in the development of IDF curves, and they suggest use of the more robust NG-IDF curves for hydrologic design in snow-dominated environments.« less

Reference manual for data base on Nevada water-rights permits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cartier, K.D.; Bauer, E.M.; Farnham, J.L.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey and Nevada Division of Water Resources have cooperatively developed and implemented a data-base system for managing water-rights permit information for the State of Nevada. The Water-Rights Permit data base is part of an integrated system of computer data bases using the Ingres Relational Data-Base Manage-ment System, which allows efficient storage and access to water information from the State Engineer's office. The data base contains a main table, three ancillary tables, and five lookup tables, as well as a menu-driven system for entering, updating, and reporting on the data. This reference guide outlines the general functions of the system and provides a brief description of data tables and data-entry screens.

New geothermal site identification and qualification. Final report

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

Not Available

2004-04-01

This study identifies remaining undeveloped geothermal resources in California and western Nevada, and it estimates the development costs of each. It has relied on public-domain information and such additional data as geothermal developers have chosen to make available. Reserve estimation has been performed by volumetric analysis with a probabilistic approach to uncertain input parameters. Incremental geothermal reserves in the California/Nevada study area have a minimum value of 2,800 grosss MW and a most-likely value of 4,300 gross MW. For the state of California alone, these values are 2,000 and 3,000 gross MW, respectively. These estimates may be conservative to themore » extent that they do not take into account resources about which little or no public-domain information is available. The average capital cost of incremental generation capacity is estimated to average $3,100/kW for the California/Nevada study area, and $2,950/kW for the state of California alone. These cost estimates include exploration, confirmation drilling, development drilling, plant construction, and transmission-line costs. For the purposes of this study, a capital cost of $2,400/kW is considered competitive with other renewable resources. The amount of incremental geothermal capacity available at or below $2,400/kW is about 1,700 gross MW for the California/Nevada study area, and the same amount (within 50-MW rounding) for the state of California alone. The capital cost estimates are only approximate, because each developer would bring its own experience, bias, and opportunities to the development process. Nonetheless, the overall costs per project estimated in this study are believed to be reasonable.« less

75 FR 4582 - Filing of Plats of Survey; Nevada

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-28

... 4500011812; TAS: 14X1109] Filing of Plats of Survey; Nevada AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior... local government officials of the filing of Plats of Survey in Nevada. DATES: Effective Dates: Filing is... Survey of the following described lands was officially filed at the Nevada State Office, Reno, Nevada, on...

76 FR 14986 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the One Nevada Transmission Line (ON Line...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... at the following locations: --University of Nevada-Reno, Getchell Library, Government Publication Dept., Reno, Nevada; --Washoe County Library, 301 South Center Street, Reno, Nevada; --White Pine County Library, 950 Campton Street, Ely, Nevada; --Nye County Library, 167 S. Central Street, Tonopah...

75 FR 57493 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology & Ethnic Studies, University of Nevada...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-21

..., Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; South Fork Band (Constituent Band... of Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; South Fork Band (Constituent... Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; South Fork Band; Summit Lake...

Active crustal deformation across the Basin and Range province, western United States, measured with the Global Positioning System, 1992-2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, W.; Thatcher, W.

2003-04-01

The Basin and Range province of the western United States is a region of active tectonic extension and dextral shear, accommodating roughly 25% of the motion between non-deforming North America (NA) and the Pacific Plate (PA). The orientation of dextral shear is consistent with that of NA/PA relative plate motion, suggesting that this high elevation interior province is an important part of the plate boundary system. We present an analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected from 1992 to 2002. An 800 km long network of campaign-style geodetic benchmarks extends from east of the Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) in central Utah to west of the Genoa fault zone and Lake Tahoe in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains. From the new data collected in September 2002 and from data collected in 1992, 1996, and 1998, velocities have been estimated at 92 GPS sites, nearly double the number previously presented by Thatcher et al. [1999]. This new data reduces the uncertainty in site velocities and increases the spatial detail compared to earlier results, and now allows resolution of distinct domains in the tensor strain rate field. To process the data we use the GIPSY/OASIS and Quasi-Observation Combination Analysis (Dong et al. [1998]) software packages and incorporate data from continuously recording GPS stations in California and Nevada. The results show that most of the approximately 12 mm/yr of Sierra Nevada block motion is accommodated by right lateral shear and extensional deformation concentrated in the westernmost 200 km of Nevada, in the vicinity of the Walker Lane (WL). A lesser amount of velocity variation (roughly 3 mm/yr) is localized at the easternmost edge of the network, in the vicinity of the Wasatch Fault Zone (WFZ). Estimates of tensor strain rates show transitions in the style of deformation. Near the WFZ only uniaxial, roughly east-west extension can be resolved. Between longitude -112 and -117.5 no deformation is resolvable. Near longitude -118, in the vicinity of the historic ruptures of the Fairview Peak, Dixie Valley, and Rainbow Mountain earthquakes in the Central Nevada Seismic Zone, the deformation is mostly uniaxial extension oriented roughly NW/SE, in agreement with the roughly NE/SW strike of the normal faults. At the WL between longitude -118.5 and -119.5, deformation is best characterized by right lateral simple shear, which transitions westward to a blend of right lateral shear and uniaxial extension at the westernmost end of our network.

Modeling of high‐frequency seismic‐wave scattering and propagation using radiative transfer theory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zeng, Yuehua

2017-01-01

This is a study of the nonisotropic scattering process based on radiative transfer theory and its application to the observation of the M 4.3 aftershock recording of the 2008 Wells earthquake sequence in Nevada. Given a wide range of recording distances from 29 to 320 km, the data provide a unique opportunity to discriminate scattering models based on their distance‐dependent behaviors. First, we develop a stable numerical procedure to simulate nonisotropic scattering waves based on the 3D nonisotropic scattering theory proposed by Sato (1995). By applying the simulation method to the inversion of M 4.3 Wells aftershock recordings, we find that a nonisotropic scattering model, dominated by forward scattering, provides the best fit to the observed high‐frequency direct S waves and S‐wave coda velocity envelopes. The scattering process is governed by a Gaussian autocorrelation function, suggesting a Gaussian random heterogeneous structure for the Nevada crust. The model successfully explains the common decay of seismic coda independent of source–station locations as a result of energy leaking from multiple strong forward scattering, instead of backscattering governed by the diffusion solution at large lapse times. The model also explains the pulse‐broadening effect in the high‐frequency direct and early arriving S waves, as other studies have found, and could be very important to applications of high‐frequency wave simulation in which scattering has a strong effect. We also find that regardless of its physical implications, the isotropic scattering model provides the same effective scattering coefficient and intrinsic attenuation estimates as the forward scattering model, suggesting that the isotropic scattering model is still a viable tool for the study of seismic scattering and intrinsic attenuation coefficients in the Earth.

The diffuse seismicity of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, the Perijá Range, and south of the La Guajira peninsula, Colombia and Venezuela: Result of the convergence between Caribbean plate and the South American margin during the Late Neogene?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chicangana, G.; Pedraza, P.; Mora-paez, H.; Ordonez Aristizabal, C. O.; Vargas-Jimenez, C. A.; Kammer, A.

2012-12-01

A diffuse low deep microseismicity located overall between the Guajira peninsula and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) was registered with the recent installation (2008 to Present) of three seismological stations in northeastern Colombia by the Colombian Seismological Network (RSNC), but mainly with the Uribia station in (the) central region of La Guajira peninsula, The microseismicity is characterized by a great population of events with 1.2 < Ml < 3.0. and few events of 3.0 < Ml < 4.0 that sporadically occur. The poor number of seismological stations in this region of Colombia impedes to locate the origin of the local seismicity; however, this seismic activity is associated to the tectonic activity of the Oca fault because with the GPS displacement analysis, neotectonics evidence found in faults traces associated to the Oca fault and the historical earthquake that affected the Colombian city of Santa Marta in 1834, lead us to conclude this. This is a big cortical fault that sets the limit between La Guajira peninsula and the SNSM. Its cortical characteristics were verified from geological data together with gravimetric and seismic exploration. The SNSM limits toward the southeast with the Cesar - Ranchería basin, and this basin in turn limits with the Perijá Range that is localized in the Colombia - Venezuela border. The SNSM, Cesar - Ranchería basin and Perijá Range limit toward the southwest with the Bucaramanga - Santa Marta fault (BSMF), the Oca fault toward the north, and Perijá - El Tigre fault toward the southeast defining a pyramidal orogenic complex. Using remote sensing images data with geological and regional geophysical information, we proposed that this orogenic complex was originated as a result of the Panama arc with the northwestern South America accretion. The final adjustment of the Caribbean plate (CP) between North America and South America during the Late Neogene produced the big cortical faults systems activation like Oca - Moron - El Pilar in Colombia and Venezuela toward the south of the Caribbean Plate (CP), and Motegua - Walton - Enriquillo - Plantain Garden toward the north of the CP. This situation was originated of a new subduction development of the Nazca - Cocos plates toward the south and the west of the Panama arc; when this happened, the evolution of the Present - day configuration of the Nazca plate and Galapagos Spreading Center started. From the Early Pliocene, the BSMF and the Oca fault were reactivated: the BSMF, with a left lateral movement, and the Oca fault with a right lateral movement. This last mobility produces the cortical diffuse seismicity that we are showing here.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 562: Waste Systems Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Alfred Wickline

2009-04-01

Corrective Action Unit 562 is located in Areas 2, 23, and 25 of the Nevada Test Site, which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 562 is comprised of the 13 corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: • 02-26-11, Lead Shot • 02-44-02, Paint Spills and French Drain • 02-59-01, Septic System • 02-60-01, Concrete Drain • 02-60-02, French Drain • 02-60-03, Steam Cleaning Drain • 02-60-04, French Drain • 02-60-05, French Drain • 02-60-06, French Drain • 02-60-07, French Drain • 23-60-01, Mud Trap Drain and Outfall • 23-99-06, Grease Trap • 25-60-04, Buildingmore » 3123 Outfalls These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable corrective action alternatives that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on December 11, 2008, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office; Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture; and National Security Technologies, LLC. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 562. Appendix A provides a detailed discussion of the DQO methodology and the DQOs specific to each CAS. The scope of the corrective action investigation for CAU 562 includes the following activities: • Move surface debris and/or materials, as needed, to facilitate sampling. • Conduct radiological surveys. • Perform field screening. • Collect and submit environmental samples for laboratory analysis to determine the nature and extent of any contamination released by each CAS. • Collect samples of source material to determine the potential for a release. • Collect samples of potential remediation wastes. • Collect quality control samples. This Corrective Action Investigation Plan has been developed in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order that was agreed to by the State of Nevada; DOE, Environmental Management; U.S. Department of Defense; and DOE, Legacy Management (FFACO, 1996; as amended February 2008). Under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, this Corrective Action Investigation Plan will be submitted to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for approval. Fieldwork will be conducted following approval of the plan.« less

76 FR 19003 - Land Disposal Restrictions: Nevada and California; Site Specific Treatment Variances for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-06

... both a site-specific treatment variance to U.S. Ecology Nevada (USEN) located in Beatty, Nevada and... site-specific treatment variance to U.S. Ecology Nevada (USEN) located in Beatty, Nevada and withdraw... section of this document. II. Does this action apply to me? This proposal applies only to U. S. Ecology...

Concentrating Solar Power Projects - Nevada Solar One | Concentrating Solar

Science.gov Websites

Power | NREL Nevada Solar One This page provides information on Nevada Solar One, a configuration. Acciona Energy's Nevada Solar One is the third largest CSP plant in the world and the first plant roads. Project Overview Project Name: Nevada Solar One (NSO) Country: United States Location: Boulder

Annual Proceedings of Selected Research and Development Papers Presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (39th, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2016). Volume 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonson, Michael, Ed.

2016-01-01

For the thirty-ninth time, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two volumes.…

Exploratory Study to Determine the Feasibility of a Comprehensive Program for the Development of Special Education Services for Emotionally Disturbed Children in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmberg, Gerald R.

Group conferences, individual study groups, personal visitations, and communication by the principal investigator were utilized to determine the availability and suitability of services for emotionally disturbed children in the four-state area o f Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada which has a low incidence of population in vast territorial…

Detailed Geophysical Fault Characterization in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asch, Theodore H.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; Burton, Bethany L.; Wallin, Erin L.

2009-01-01

Yucca Flat is a topographic and structural basin in the northeastern part of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nye County, Nevada. Between the years 1951 and 1992, 659 underground nuclear tests took place in Yucca Flat; most were conducted in large, vertical excavations that penetrated alluvium and the underlying Cenozoic volcanic rocks. Radioactive and other potential chemical contaminants at the NTS are the subject of a long-term program of investigation and remediation by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office, under its Environmental Restoration Program. As part of the program, the DOE seeks to assess the extent of contamination and to evaluate the potential risks to humans and the environment from byproducts of weapons testing. To accomplish this objective, the DOE Environmental Restoration Program is constructing and calibrating a ground-water flow model to predict hydrologic flow in Yucca Flat as part of an effort to quantify the subsurface hydrology of the Nevada Test Site. A necessary part of calibrating and evaluating a model of the flow system is an understanding of the location and characteristics of faults that may influence ground-water flow. In addition, knowledge of fault-zone architecture and physical properties is a fundamental component of the containment of the contamination from underground nuclear tests, should such testing ever resume at the Nevada Test Site. The goal of the present investigation is to develop a detailed understanding of the geometry and physical properties of fault zones in Yucca Flat. This study was designed to investigate faults in greater detail and to characterize fault geometry, the presence of fault splays, and the fault-zone width. Integrated geological and geophysical studies have been designed and implemented to work toward this goal. This report describes the geophysical surveys conducted near two drill holes in Yucca Flat, the data analyses performed, and the integrated interpretations developed from the suite of geophysical methodologies utilized in this investigation. Data collection for this activity started in the spring of 2005 and continued into 2006. A suite of electrical geophysical surveys were run in combination with ground magnetic surveys; these surveys resulted in high-resolution subsurface data that portray subsurface fault geometry at the two sites and have identified structures not readily apparent from surface geologic mapping, potential field geophysical data, or surface effects fracture maps.

Clean Air Act Permitting in Nevada

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information on Clean Air Act permitting in Nevada in Nevada and EPA's oversight. Clean Air Act permitting in Nevada is the shared responsibility of one state and two local agencies, along with EPA Region 9.

Perceived risk, stigma, and potential economic impacts of a high-level nuclear waste repository in Nevada

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

Slovic, P.; Layman, M.; Kraus, N.N.

1989-07-01

This paper describes a program of research designed to assess the potential impacts of a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, upon tourism, retirement and job-related migration, and business development in Las Vegas and the state. Adverse economic impacts may be expected to result from two related social processes. One has to do with perceptions of risk and socially amplified reactions to ``unfortunate events`` associated with the repository (major and minor accidents, discoveries of radiation releases, evidence of mismanagement, attempts to sabotage or disrupt the facility, etc.). The second process that may trigger significant adverse impacts is thatmore » of stigmatization. The conceptual underpinnings of risk perception, social amplification, and stigmatization are discussed in this paper and empirical data are presented to demonstrate how nuclear images associated with Las Vegas and the State of Nevada might trigger adverse effects on tourism, migration, and business development.« less

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 413: Clean Slate II Plutonium Dispersion (TTR) Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Revision 1

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

Matthews, Patrick; Burmeister, Mark; Gallo, Patricia

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 413 is located on the Tonopah Test Range, which is approximately 130 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, and approximately 40 miles southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. The CAU 413 site consists of the release of radionuclides to the surface and shallow subsurface from the conduct of the Clean Slate II (CSII) storage–transportation test conducted on May 31, 1963. CAU 413 includes one corrective action site (CAS), TA-23-02CS (Pu Contaminated Soil). The known releases at CAU 413 are the result of the atmospheric deposition of contamination from the 1963 CSII test. The CSII test was a non-nuclearmore » detonation of a nuclear device located inside a reinforced concrete bunker covered with 2 feet of soil. This test dispersed radionuclides, primarily plutonium, on the ground surface. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 413 will be evaluated based on information collected from a corrective action investigation (CAI). The investigation is based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on June 17, 2015, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; the U.S. Air Force; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 413. The CAI will include radiological surveys, geophysical surveys, collection and analyses of soil samples, and assessment of investigation results. The collection of soil samples will be accomplished using both probabilistic and judgmental sampling approaches. To facilitate site investigation and the evaluation of DQO decisions, the releases at CAU 413 have been divided into seven study groups.« less

Preliminary model of the pre-Tertiary basement rocks beneath Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, based on analysis of gravity and magnetic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, Geoffrey A.; McKee, Edwin H.; Sweetkind, D.; Langenheim, V.E.

2000-01-01

The Environmental Restoration Program of the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, was developed to investigate the possible consequences to the environment of 40 years of nuclear testing on the Nevada Test Site. The majority of the tests were detonated underground, introducing contaminants into the ground-water system (Laczniak and others, 1996). An understanding of the ground-water flow paths is necessary to evaluate the extent of ground-water contamination. This report provides information specific to Yucca Flat on the Nevada Test Site. Critical to understanding the ground-water flow beneath Yucca Flat is an understanding of the subsurface geology, particularly the structure and distribution of the pre-Tertiary rocks, which comprise both the major regional aquifer and aquitard sequences (Winograd and Thordarson, 1975; Laczniak and others, 1996). Because the pre-Tertiary rocks are not exposed at the surface of Yucca Flat their distribution must be determined through well logs and less direct geophysical methods such as potential field studies. In previous studies (Phelps and others, 1999; Phelps and Mckee, 1999) developed a model of the basement surface of the Paleozoic rocks beneath Yucca Flat and a series of normal faults that create topographic relief on the basement surface. In this study the basement rocks and structure of Yucca Flat are examined in more detail using the basement gravity anomaly derived from the isostatic gravity inversion model of Phelps and others (1999) and high-resolution magnetic data, as part of an effort to gain a better understanding of the Paleozoic rocks beneath Yucca Flat in support of groundwater modeling.

76 FR 18921 - Land Disposal Restrictions: Nevada and California; Site Specific Treatment Variances for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-06

... final actions to both issue a site- specific treatment variance to U.S. Ecology Nevada (USEN) in Beatty... me? This action applies only to U.S. Ecology Nevada located in Beatty, Nevada and to Chemical Waste... This Variance A. U.S. Ecology Nevada Petition B. What Type and How Much Waste Will be Subject to This...

Selected Educational and Social Statistics, Nevada and National. Form C.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowe, Kevin

Selected statistics on health and education in Nevada are presented, mainly for the 1988 and 1989 school years. Some facts are provided about students, teachers, and classrooms in Nevada. The total enrollment in Nevada schools in 1989 was 176,464, which represents an increase by 5% from 168,353 in 1988. Enrollment in Nevada grew at the fastest…

Geology and mineral resources of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Oregon and Nevada), the Southeastern Oregon and North-Central Nevada, and the Southern Idaho and Northern Nevada (and Utah) Sagebrush Focal Areas: Chapter B in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vikre, Peter G.; Benson, Mary Ellen; Bleiwas, Donald I.; Colgan, Joseph P.; Cossette, Pamela M.; DeAngelo, Jacob; Dicken, Connie L.; Drake, Ronald M.; du Bray, Edward A.; Fernette, Gregory L.; Glen, Jonathan M.G.; Haacke, Jon E.; Hall, Susan M.; Hofstra, Albert H.; John, David A.; Ludington, Stephen; Mihalasky, Mark J.; Rytuba, James J.; Shaffer, Brian N.; Stillings, Lisa L.; Wallis, John C.; Williams, Colin F.; Yager, Douglas B.; Zürcher, Lukas

2016-10-04

SummaryThe U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed to withdraw approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands from mineral entry (subject to valid existing rights) from 12 million acres of lands defined as Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming (for further discussion on the lands involved see Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089–A). The purpose of the proposed action is to protect the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and its habitat from potential adverse effects of locatable mineral exploration and mining. The U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project was initiated in November 2015 and supported by the Bureau of Land Management to (1) assess locatable mineral-resource potential and (2) to describe leasable and salable mineral resources for the seven SFAs and Nevada additions.This chapter summarizes the current status of locatable, leasable, and salable mineral commodities and assesses the potential of selected locatable minerals in lands proposed for withdrawal that span the Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah borders. In this report, the four study areas evaluated were (1) the Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex SFA in Washoe County, Nevada, and Harney and Lake Counties, Oregon; (2) the Southeastern Oregon and North-Central Nevada SFA in Humboldt County, Nevada, and Harney and Malheur Counties, Oregon; (3) the Southern Idaho and Northern Nevada SFA in Cassia, Owyhee, and Twin Falls Counties, Idaho, Elko County, Nevada, and Box Elder County, Utah; and (4) the Nevada additions in Humboldt and Elko Counties, Nevada.

KSC-2012-2689

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-02

DELAMAR DRY LAKE BED, Nev. – An Erickson Sky Crane helicopter releases The Boeing Company's CST-100 crew capsule over the Delamar Dry Lake Bed near Alamo, Nev., where it floated to a smooth landing beneath its parachute system. This is the second parachute test that Boeing performed under its partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP. The first showed the parachute system’s deployment scheme worked and that it could be re-packed and re-used for this second test. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Boeing

KSC-2012-2647

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP, Ed Mango, hosts a virtual conversation, called a Tweet Chat, with Twitter followers from around the world. Those who follow www.twitter.com/commercial_crew had an hour-long opportunity to ask Mango questions about NASA’s efforts to get astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station aboard American rockets and spacecraft. Mango stuck to the social networking service's 140 character limit and answered dozens of questions. At left, is Brittani Sims, a member of the CCP team. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under the program’s second round of development, called Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2), including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-2645

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP, Ed Mango, hosts a virtual conversation, called a Tweet Chat, with Twitter followers from around the world. Those who follow www.twitter.com/commercial_crew had an hour-long opportunity to ask Mango questions about NASA’s efforts to get astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station aboard American rockets and spacecraft. Mango stuck to the social networking service's 140 character limit and answered dozens of questions. At left, is Brittani Sims, a member of the CCP team. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under the program’s second round of development, called Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2), including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: NASA/Gianni Woods

KSC-2012-2690

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-02

DELAMAR DRY LAKE BED, Nev. – The Boeing Company's CST-100 crew capsule floats to a smooth landing beneath three main parachutes over the Delamar Dry Lake Bed near Alamo, Nev. This is the second parachute test that Boeing performed under its partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP. The first showed the parachute system’s deployment scheme worked and that it could be re-packed and re-used for this second test. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Boeing

KSC-2012-2691

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-02

DELAMAR DRY LAKE BED, Nev. – The Boeing Company's CST-100 crew capsule floats to a smooth landing beneath three main parachutes over the Delamar Dry Lake Bed near Alamo, Nev. This is the second parachute test that Boeing performed under its partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP. The first showed the parachute system’s deployment scheme worked and that it could be re-packed and re-used for this second test. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Boeing

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

Alfred J. Karns

This report summarizes the waste minimization efforts undertaken by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO), during CY06. This report was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit (No. NEV HW0021) and as clarified in a letter dated April 21, 1995, from Paul Liebendorfer of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to Donald Elle of the DOE, Nevada Operations Office. The NNSA/NSO Pollution Prevention (P2) Program establishes a process to reduce the volume andmore » toxicity of waste generated by the NNSA/NSO and ensures that proposed methods of treatment, storage, and/or disposal of waste minimize potential threats to human health and the environment. The following information provides an overview of the P2 Program, major P2 accomplishments during the reporting year, a comparison of the current year waste generation to prior years, and a description of efforts undertaken during the year to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated by the NNSA/NSO.« less

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

NSTec Environmental Management

This report summarizes the waste minimization efforts undertaken by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO), during calendar year (CY) 2007. This report was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit (number NEV HW0021), and as clarified in a letter dated April 21, 1995, from Paul Liebendorfer of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to Donald Elle of the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office. The NNSA/NSO Pollution Prevention (P2) Program establishes a process tomore » reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated by the NNSA/NSO and ensures that proposed methods of treatment, storage, and/or disposal of waste minimize potential threats to human health and the environment. The following information provides an overview of the P2 Program, major P2 accomplishments during the reporting year, a comparison of the current year waste generation to prior years, and a description of efforts undertaken during the year to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated by the NNSA/NSO.« less

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

NSTec Environmental Restoration

This report summarizes the waste minimization efforts undertaken by National Security Technologies, LLC, for the U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO), during calendar year 2009. This report was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Nevada Test Site Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit (No. NEV HW0021), and as clarified in a letter dated April 21, 1995, from Paul Liebendorfer of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to Donald Elle of the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office. The NNSA/NSO Pollution Prevention (P2) Program establishes a process to reduce the volumemore » and toxicity of waste generated by NNSA/NSO activities and ensures that proposed methods of treatment, storage, and/or disposal of waste minimize potential threats to human health and the environment. The following information provides an overview of the P2 Program, major P2 accomplishments during the reporting year, a comparison of the current year waste generation to prior years, and a description of efforts undertaken during the year to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated by NNSA/NSO.« less

The Emerging Role of Regional Service Centers: Proceedings of the National Conference of NFIRE, The National Federation for the Improvement of Rural Education (2nd, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 30 - February 1, 1974).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Las Cruces, NM.

The National Federation for the Improvement of Rural Education (NFIRE) Conference on the Emerging Role of Regional Service Centers (RESA), a gathering of educational leaders from 19 States, was held in January 1974 (Las Vegas, Nevada). It examined alternatives and resolved issues related to the development, organization, and operation of RESA's…

Nuclear event time histories and computed site transfer functions for locations in the Los Angeles region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rogers, A.M.; Covington, P.A.; Park, R.B.; Borcherdt, R.D.; Perkins, D.M.

1980-01-01

This report presents a collection of Nevada Test Site (NTS) nuclear explosion recordings obtained at sites in the greater Los Angeles, Calif., region. The report includes ground velocity time histories, as well as, derived site transfer functions. These data have been collected as part of a study to evaluate the validity of using low-level ground motions to predict the frequency-dependent response of a site during an earthquake. For this study 19 nuclear events were recorded at 98 separate locations. Some of these sites have recorded more than one of the nuclear explosions, and, consequently, there are a total of 159, three-component station records. The location of all the recording sites are shown in figures 1–5, the station coordinates and abbreviations are given in table 1. The station addresses are listed in table 2, and the nuclear explosions that were recorded are listed in table 3. The recording sites were chosen on the basis of three criteria: (1) that the underlying geological conditions were representative of conditions over significant areas of the region, (2) that the site was the location of a strong-motion recording of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, or (3) that more complete geographical coverage was required in that location.

Influence of Complex Terrain on Wind Fields in the Mojave Desert, Southwestern US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clow, G. D.; Reynolds, R. L.; Urban, F. E.; Bogle, R.; Vogel, J. M.

2009-12-01

The complex terrain of southern California has important effects on the winds in this dust-producing region. We use the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) to investigate the influences of rugged topography on the wind field in the Mojave Desert at a variety of scales. For this study, the WRF model was used in a retrospective mode over the time period 2000-to-present, with horizontal resolutions as fine as 1-km in specific areas of interest (i.e., known dust-source areas). At a regional scale, the juxtaposition of California's Central Valley with the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range often generates a band of strong winds extending eastward from the southern end of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains across the Mojave Desert and into Arizona. At finer scales, WRF-derived winds within this band reveal terrain deflection, focusing, channeling, and rapid direction change over short distances. These effects are important for assessing the capacity of wind to produce dust at potential dust-source areas during specific events, and for determining dust-transport pathways. Comparison of the WRF results during strong wind events with data from meteorological stations having dust emission instruments (saltation sensors and/or wind-triggered time-lapse cameras) help elucidate landscape conditions that influence dust emission and patterns of dust transport.

Corrective action investigation plan for Corrective Action Unit 340, Pesticide Release Sites, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

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

NONE

This Correction Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) has been developed in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) that was agreed to by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV); the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP); and the US Department of Defense. As required by the FFACO (1996), this document provides or references all of the specific information for planning investigation activities associated with three Corrective Action Sites (CASs) located at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). These CASs are collectively known as Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 340, Pesticide Release Sites. According to themore » FFACO, CASs are sites that may require corrective action(s) and may include solid waste management units or individual disposal or release sites. These sites are CAS 23-21-01, Area 23 Quonset Hut 800 (Q800) Pesticide Release Ditch; CAS 23-18-03, Area 23 Skid Huts Pesticide Storage; and CAS 15-18-02, Area 15 Quonset Hut 15-11 Pesticide Storage (Q15-11). The purpose of this CAIP for CAU 340 is to direct and guide the investigation for the evaluation of the nature and extent of pesticides, herbicides, and other contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) that were stored, mixed, and/or disposed of at each of the CASs.« less

Aligning the NWEA RIT Scale with the Nevada Criterion Referenced Assessment and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronin, John; Bowe, Branin

2004-01-01

Each year, Nevada students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 7 participate in testing as part of the Nevada assessment program. Students in grades 3 and 5 take the Nevada Criterion Referenced Assessment (Nevada CRT) while students in grades 4 and 7 take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for…

The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Science and Research Synthesis: Science to support land management in Southern Nevada

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; Matthew L. Brooks; Burton K. Pendleton; Carol B. Raish

2013-01-01

This synthesis provides information related to the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) Science and Research Strategy Goal 1 - to restore, sustain and enhance southern Nevada’s ecosystems - and Goal 2 - to provide for responsible use of southern Nevada’s lands in a manner that preserves heritage resources and promotes an understanding of human interaction with the...

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 541: Small Boy Nevada National Security Site and Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada with ROTC 1

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

Matthews, Patrick

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 541 is co-located on the boundary of Area 5 of the Nevada National Security Site and Range 65C of the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. CAU 541 is a grouping of sites where there has been a suspected release of contamination associated with nuclear testing. This document describes the planned investigation of CAU 541, which comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs): 05-23-04, Atmospheric Tests (6) - BFa Site; 05-45-03, Atmospheric Test Site - Small Boy. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature andmore » extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives (CAAs). Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable CAAs that will be presented in the investigation report. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on April 1, 2014, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; U.S. Air Force; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 541. The site investigation process also will be conducted in accordance with the Soils Activity Quality Assurance Plan, which establishes requirements, technical planning, and general quality practices to be applied to this activity. The potential contamination sources associated with CASs 05-23-04 and 05-45-03 are from nuclear testing activities conducted at the Atmospheric Tests (6) - BFa Site and Atmospheric Test Site - Small Boy sites. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 541 will be evaluated based on information collected from field investigations. Radiological contamination will be evaluated based on a comparison of the total effective dose at sample locations to the dose-based final action level. The total effective dose will be calculated as the total of separate estimates of internal and external dose. Results from the analysis of soil samples will be used to calculate internal radiological dose. Thermoluminescent dosimeters placed at the center of each sample location will be used to measure external radiological dose. Appendix A provides a detailed discussion of the DQO methodology and the DQOs specific to each CAS.« less

STS-111 Flight Day 7 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

On Flight Day 7 of STS-111 (Space Shuttle Endeavour crew includes: Kenneth Cockrell, Commander; Paul Lockhart, Pilot; Franklin Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialist; Philippe Perrin, Mission Specialist; International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 5 crew includes Valery Korzun, Commander; Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer; Sergei Treschev, Flight Engineer; ISS Expedition 4 crew includes: Yury Onufrienko, Commander; Daniel Bursch, Flight Engineer; Carl Walz, Flight Engineer), this video opens with answers to questions asked by the public via e-mail about the altitude of the space station, the length of its orbit, how astronauts differentiate between up and down in the microgravity environment, and whether they hear wind noise during the shuttle's reentry. In video footage shot from inside the Quest airlock, Perrin is shown exiting the station to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) with Chang-Diaz. Chang-Diaz is shown, in helmet mounted camera footage, attaching cable protection booties to a fish-stringer device with multiple hooks, and Perrin is seen loosening bolts that hold the replacement unit accomodation in launch position atop the Mobile Base System (MBS). Perrin then mounts a camera atop the mast of the MBS. During this EVA, the astronauts installed the MBS on the Mobile Transporter (MT) to support the Canadarm 2 robotic arm. A camera in the Endeavour's payload bay provides footage of the Pacific Ocean, the Baja Peninsula, and Midwestern United States. Plumes from wildfires in Nevada, Idaho, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and Montana are visible. The station continues over the Great Lakes and the Eastern Provinces of Canada.

STS-111 Flight Day 7 Highlights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-06-01

On Flight Day 7 of STS-111 (Space Shuttle Endeavour crew includes: Kenneth Cockrell, Commander; Paul Lockhart, Pilot; Franklin Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialist; Philippe Perrin, Mission Specialist; International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 5 crew includes Valery Korzun, Commander; Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer; Sergei Treschev, Flight Engineer; ISS Expedition 4 crew includes: Yury Onufrienko, Commander; Daniel Bursch, Flight Engineer; Carl Walz, Flight Engineer), this video opens with answers to questions asked by the public via e-mail about the altitude of the space station, the length of its orbit, how astronauts differentiate between up and down in the microgravity environment, and whether they hear wind noise during the shuttle's reentry. In video footage shot from inside the Quest airlock, Perrin is shown exiting the station to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA) with Chang-Diaz. Chang-Diaz is shown, in helmet mounted camera footage, attaching cable protection booties to a fish-stringer device with multiple hooks, and Perrin is seen loosening bolts that hold the replacement unit accomodation in launch position atop the Mobile Base System (MBS). Perrin then mounts a camera atop the mast of the MBS. During this EVA, the astronauts installed the MBS on the Mobile Transporter (MT) to support the Canadarm 2 robotic arm. A camera in the Endeavour's payload bay provides footage of the Pacific Ocean, the Baja Peninsula, and Midwestern United States. Plumes from wildfires in Nevada, Idaho, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and Montana are visible. The station continues over the Great Lakes and the Eastern Provinces of Canada.

NASA astronauts and industry experts check out the crew accommod

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-30

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- NASA astronauts and industry experts check out the crew accommodations in the Dragon spacecraft under development by Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., for the agency's Commercial Crew Program. On top, from left, are NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team Lead Dustin Gohmert, NASA astronauts Tony Antonelli and Lee Archambault, and SpaceX Mission Operations Engineer Laura Crabtree. On bottom, from left, are SpaceX Thermal Engineer Brenda Hernandez and NASA astronauts Rex Walheim and Tim Kopra. In 2011, NASA selected SpaceX during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, The Boeing Co., Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Space Exploration Technologies

The Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Science and Research Synthesis: Science to support land management in Southern Nevada - Executive Summary

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; Matthew L. Brooks; Burton K. Pendleton; Carol B. Raish

2013-01-01

This synthesis provides information related to the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) Science and Research Strategy Goal 1 - to restore, sustain and enhance southern Nevada’s ecosystems - and Goal 2 - to provide for responsible use of southern Nevada’s lands in a manner that preserves heritage resources and promotes an understanding of human interaction with the...

Nevada Science Content Standards for Grades 2, 3, 5, 8 and 12 and Indicators of Progress for Kindergarten and Grades 1, 4, 6 and 7 [and] Performance Level Descriptors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada State Dept. of Education, Carson City.

The Nevada Science Standards represent a common core for curriculum throughout Nevada's schools. The Nevada Science Standards are intended to provide Nevada students with a rich, thorough, and varied science education to prepare them for the challenges, discoveries, and demands of life in the 21st century. The two main sections of the document…

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 224: Decon Pad and Septic Systems Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. No.: 0, with ROTC 1 and 2

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

David A. Strand

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains project-specific information including facility descriptions, environmental sample collection objectives, and criteria for conducting site investigation activities at Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 224: Decon Pad and Septic Systems, Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nevada. This CAIP has been developed in accordance with the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' (FFACO) (1996) that was agreed to by the State of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The NTS is approximately 65 miles (mi) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada (Figure 1-1). Corrective Action Unit 224 is comprised of themore » nine Corrective Action Sites (CASs) listed below: 02-04-01, Septic Tank (Buried); 03-05-01, Leachfield; 05-04-01, Septic Tanks (4)/Discharge Area; 06-03-01, Sewage Lagoons (3); 06-05-01, Leachfield; 06-17-04, Decon Pad and Wastewater Catch; 06-23-01, Decon Pad Discharge Piping; 11-04-01, Sewage Lagoon; and 23-05-02, Leachfield. Corrective Action Sites 06-05-01, 06-23-01, and 23-05-02 were identified in the 1991 Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co., Inc. (REECo) inventory (1991). The remaining sites were identified during review of various historical documents. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation (CAI) prior to evaluating and selecting a corrective action alternative for each CAS. The CAI will include field inspections, radiological and geological surveys, and sample collection. Data will also be obtained to support investigation-derived waste (IDW) disposal and potential future waste management decisions.« less

Fluid Management Plan for Corrective Action Unit 447: Project Shoal Area, Subsurface, Nevada, Rev. No.: 1

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

Findlay, Rick

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) initiated the Offsites Project to characterize the risk posed to human health and the environment as a result of testing at formerly used nuclear sites in Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, Nevada, and New Mexico. The scope of this Fluid Management Plan (FMP) is to support the subsurface investigation at the Project Shoal Area (PSA) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 447, Shoal - Subsurface, Nevada, in accordance with the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' (FFACO) (1996). Corrective Action Unit 447 is located in the Sand Spring Range, southmore » of Highway 50, about 39 miles southeast of Fallon, Nevada. (Figure 1-1). This FMP will be used at the PSA in lieu of an individual discharge permit for each well or a general water pollution control permit for management of all fluids produced during the drilling, construction, development, testing, experimentation, and/or sampling of wells conducted by the Offsites Project. The FMP provides guidance for the management of fluids generated during investigation activities and provides the standards by which fluids may be discharged on site. Although the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), Bureau of Federal Facilities (BoFF) is not a signatory to this FMP, it is involved in the negotiation of the contents of this plan and approves the conditions contained within. The major elements of this FMP include: (1) establishment of a well-site operations strategy; (2) site design/layout; (3) monitoring of contamination indicators (monitoring program); (4) sump characterization (sump sampling program); (5) fluid management decision criteria and fluid disposition; and (6) reporting requirements.« less

Fluid Management Plan for Corrective Action Unit 447: Project Shoal Area, Subsurface, Nevada, Rev. No.: 1 with ROTC 1 and Errata Sheet

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

Tim Echelard

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) initiated the Offsites Project to characterize the risk posed to human health and the environment as a result of testing at formerly used nuclear sites in Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, Nevada, and New Mexico. The scope of this Fluid Management Plan (FMP) is to support the subsurface investigation at the Project Shoal Area (PSA) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 447, Shoal-Subsurface, Nevada, in accordance with the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' (FFACO) (1996). Corrective Action Unit 447 is located in the Sand Spring Range, south of Highwaymore » 50, about 39 miles southeast of Fallon, Nevada. (Figure 1-1). This FMP will be used at the PSA in lieu of an individual discharge permit for each well or a general water pollution control permit for management of all fluids produced during the drilling, construction, development, testing, experimentation, and/or sampling of wells conducted by the Offsites Project. The FMP provides guidance for the management of fluids generated during investigation activities and provides the standards by which fluids may be discharged on site. Although the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), Bureau of Federal Facilities (BoFF) is not a signatory to this FMP, it is involved in the negotiation of the contents of this plan and approves the conditions contained within. The major elements of this FMP include: (1) establishment of a well-site operations strategy; (2) site design/layout; (3) monitoring of contamination indicators (monitoring program); (4) sump characterization (sump sampling program); (5) fluid management decision criteria and fluid disposition; and (6) reporting requirements.« less

A hybrid orographic plus statistical model for downscaling daily precipitation in Northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pandey, G.R.; Cayan, D.R.; Dettinger, M.D.; Georgakakos, K.P.

2000-01-01

A hybrid (physical-statistical) scheme is developed to resolve the finescale distribution of daily precipitation over complex terrain. The scheme generates precipitation by combining information from the upper-air conditions and from sparsely distributed station measurements; thus, it proceeds in two steps. First, an initial estimate of the precipitation is made using a simplified orographic precipitation model. It is a steady-state, multilayer, and two-dimensional model following the concepts of Rhea. The model is driven by the 2.5?? ?? 2.5?? gridded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Centers for Environmental Prediction upper-air profiles, and its parameters are tuned using the observed precipitation structure of the region. Precipitation is generated assuming a forced lifting of the air parcels as they cross the mountain barrier following a straight trajectory. Second, the precipitation is adjusted using errors between derived precipitation and observations from nearby sites. The study area covers the northern half of California, including coastal mountains, central valley, and the Sierra Nevada. The model is run for a 5-km rendition of terrain for days of January-March over the period of 1988-95. A jackknife analysis demonstrates the validity of the approach. The spatial and temporal distributions of the simulated precipitation field agree well with the observed precipitation. Further, a mapping of model performance indices (correlation coefficients, model bias, root-mean-square error, and threat scores) from an array of stations from the region indicates that the model performs satisfactorily in resolving daily precipitation at 5-km resolution.

Imaging lithosphere structures using long period surface waves from ambient noise: a case study in western USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.

2013-12-01

Since the emerging of ambient noise tomography in 2005, it has become a well-established method and been applied all over the world to imaging crustal and uppermost mantle structures because of its exclusive capability to extract short period surface waves. Most studies of ambient noise tomography performed so far use surface waves at periods shorter than 40/50 sec. There are a few studies of long period surface wave tomography from ambient noise (longer than 50 sec) in continental and global scales. To our knowledge, almost no tomography studies have been performed using long period surface waves (~50-200 sec) from ambient noise in regional scales with an aperture of several hundred kilometres. In this study, we demonstrate the capability of using long period surface waves from ambient noise in regional surface wave tomography by showing a case study of western USA using the USArray Transportable component (TA). We select about 150 TA stations located in a region including northern California, northern Nevada and Oregon as the 'base' stations and about 200 stations from Global Seismographic Network (GSN) and The International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) as the 'remote' stations. We perform monthly cross-correlations of continuous ambient noise data recorded in 2006-2008 between the 'base' stations and the 'remote' stations and then use a stacking method based on instantaneous phase coherence to stack the monthly cross-correlations to obtain the final cross-correlations. The results show that high signal-to-noise ratio long period Raleigh waves are obtained between the 'base' stations and 'remote' stations located several thousand or even more than ten thousand kilometres away from the 'base' stations. By treating each of the 'remote' station as a 'virtual' teleseismic earthquake and measuring surface wave phases at the 'base' stations, we generate phase velocity maps at 50-200 sec periods in the regions covered by the 'base' stations using an array-based two-plane-wave tomography method. To evaluate the reliability of the resulting phase velocity maps, we compare them with published phase velocity maps using the same tomography method but based on teleseismic data. The comparison shows that long period surface wave phase velocity maps based 'virtual' events from ambient noise and those based on natural earthquakes are very similar with differences within the range of uncertainties. The similarity of phase velocity maps justifies the application of long period surface waves from ambient noise in regional lithosphere imaging. The successful extraction of long period surface waves between station pairs with distances as long as several thousand or ten thousand kilometres can link seismic arrays located in different continents, such as CEArray in China and USArray in USA. With the rapid developments of large scale seismic arrays in different continents, those inter-continental surface waves from ambient noise can be incorporated in both regional- and global-scale surface wave tomography to significantly increase the path coverage in both lateral and azimuthal senses, which is essential to improving imaging of high resolution heterogeneities and azimuthal anisotropy, especially at regions with gaps of azimuthal distributions of earthquakes.

Estimates of bridge scour at two sites on the Virgin River, southeastern Nevada, using a sediment-transport model and historical geomorphic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hilmes, M.M.; Vaill, J.E.

1997-01-01

A bridge-scour study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Nevada Department of Transportation, began in April 1996 to evaluate the Mesquite, Nevada, and Riverside, Nevada, bridges on the lower Virgin River using a sediment-transport model and historical geomorphic data. The BRIdge Stream Tube model for Alluvial River Simulation (BRI-STARS) was used to estimate bridge scour. The model was first calibrated using data for the Virgin River flood of March 12, 1995. Surveyed channel-geometry data were available at 11 cross sections for dates before and after the March 1995 flood to allow for evaluation of the model results. The model estimated the thalweg altitude within plus or minus 1 meter at 10 of the 11 cross sections. The calibrated model then was used to estimate the contraction, channel, pier, and total scour for synthesized hydrographs for 100- and 500-year floods at the two bridge sites. The estimated maximum total scour at the Mesquite bridge was 1.30 meters for the 100-year flood and 1.32 meters for the 500-year flood. The maximum total scour at the Riverside bridge was 1.90 meters for the 100-year flood and 2.01 meters for the 500-year flood. General scour was evaluated using stage-discharge relations at nearby streamflow-gaging stations, 1993-95 channel-geometry data, and channel-geometry data for the 100- and 500-year floods. On the basis of stage and discharge at the Littlefield, Arizona, gaging station, no long-term trend in aggradation or degradation was found. However, several cycles of aggradation and degradation had occurred during the period of record; the difference between the highest and lowest stage was 0.87 meter for a chosen low-flow discharge of 5.66 cubic meters per second for 1929-95. The value of 0.87 meter is probably the best estimate of general scour. The cross sections had an average scour depth of 0.07 meter between 1993 and 1994 and 0.16 meter between 1994 and 1995. The model simulated little general scour for the 100- and 500-year floods at the cross sections and did not give a good estimate of general scour, probably because the duration (days) of the floods used in the model was relatively short when compared with the duration (months or years) of geomorphic processes that influence long-term aggradation or degradation. Historical geomorphic changes of the Virgin River at the bridge sites and the causes of those changes were documented using aerial photographs from 1938-95 and other historical information. The Virgin River has become narrower and more sinuous through time, the vegetation on the flood plain has increased, and the channel has shifted laterally many times. The processes associated with these channel changes were found to be long-term changes in precipitation and streamflow; the duration, magnitude, and timing of floods; sediment-transport characteristics; channel avulsion; changes in density of vegetation; and anthropogenic influences.

Status of the Sierra Nevada: the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erman, Don C.; ,

1997-01-01

The Sierra Nevada ecosystem project was requested by Congress in the Conference Report for Interior and related Agencies 1993 Appropriation Act, which authorized funds for a scientific review of the remaining old growth in the national forests of the Sierra Nevada in California, and for a study of the entire Sierra Nevada ecosystem by an independent panel of scientists, with expertise in diverse areas related to this issue. This CD-ROM is a digital version of the set of reports titled 'Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, final report to Congress' published in paper form by the Centers for Water and Wildland Resources of the University of California, Davis.

40 CFR 52.1477 - Nevada air pollution emergency plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Nevada air pollution emergency plan. 52.1477 Section 52.1477 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Nevada § 52.1477 Nevada air...

40 CFR 52.1477 - Nevada air pollution emergency plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Nevada air pollution emergency plan. 52.1477 Section 52.1477 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Nevada § 52.1477 Nevada air...

40 CFR 52.1477 - Nevada air pollution emergency plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Nevada air pollution emergency plan. 52.1477 Section 52.1477 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Nevada § 52.1477 Nevada air...

Hydrologic Setting and Conceptual Hydrologic Model of the Walker River Basin, West-Central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopes, Thomas J.; Allander, Kip K.

2009-01-01

The Walker River is the main source of inflow to Walker Lake, a closed-basin lake in west-central Nevada. Between 1882 and 2008, agricultural diversions resulted in a lake-level decline of more than 150 feet and storage loss of 7,400,000 acre-ft. Evaporative concentration increased dissolved solids from 2,500 to 17,000 milligrams per liter. The increase in salinity threatens the survival of the Lahontan cutthroat trout, a native species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This report describes the hydrologic setting of the Walker River basin and a conceptual hydrologic model of the relations among streams, groundwater, and Walker Lake with emphasis on the lower Walker River basin from Wabuska to Hawthorne, Nevada. The Walker River basin is about 3,950 square miles and straddles the California-Nevada border. Most streamflow originates as snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada. Spring runoff from the Sierra Nevada typically reaches its peak during late May to early June with as much as 2,800 cubic feet per second in the Walker River near Wabuska. Typically, 3 to 4 consecutive years of below average streamflow are followed by 1 or 2 years of average or above average streamflow. Mountain ranges are comprised of consolidated rocks with low hydraulic conductivities, but consolidated rocks transmit water where fractured. Unconsolidated sediments include fluvial deposits along the active channel of the Walker River, valley floors, alluvial slopes, and a playa. Sand and gravel deposited by the Walker River likely are discontinuous strata throughout the valley floor. Thick clay strata likely were deposited in Pleistocene Lake Lahontan and are horizontally continuous, except where strata have been eroded by the Walker River. At Walker Lake, sediments mostly are clay interbedded with alluvial slope, fluvial, and deltaic deposits along the lake margins. Coarse sediments form a multilayered, confined-aquifer system that could extend several miles from the shoreline. Depth to bedrock in the lower Walker River basin ranges from about 900 to 2,000 feet. The average hydraulic conductivity of the alluvial aquifer in the lower Walker River basin is 10-30 feet per day, except where comprised of fluvial sediments. Fluvial sediments along the Walker River have an average hydraulic conductivity of 70 feet per day. Subsurface flow was estimated to be 2,700 acre-feet per year through Double Spring. Subsurface discharge to Walker Lake was estimated to be 4,400 acre-feet per year from the south and 10,400 acre-feet per year from the north. Groundwater levels and groundwater storage have declined steadily in most of Smith and Mason Valleys since 1960. Groundwater levels around Schurz, Nevada, have changed little during the past 50 years. In the Whisky Flat area south of Hawthorne, Nevada, agricultural and municipal pumpage has lowered groundwater levels since 1956. The water-level decline in Walker Lake since 1882 has caused the surrounding alluvial aquifer to drain and groundwater levels to decline. The Wabuska streamflow-gaging station in northern Mason Valley demarcates the upper and lower Walker River basin. The hydrology of the lower Walker River basin is considerably different than the upper basin. The upper basin consists of valleys separated by consolidated-rock mountains. The alluvial aquifer in each valley thins or pinches out at the downstream end, forcing most groundwater to discharge along the river near where the river is gaged. The lower Walker River basin is one surface-water/groundwater system of losing and gaining reaches from Wabuska to Walker Lake, which makes determining stream losses and the direction and amount of subsurface flow difficult. Isotopic data indicate surface water and groundwater in the lower Walker River basin are from two sources of precipitation that have evaporated. The Walker River, groundwater along the Wassuk Range, and Walker Lake plot along one evaporation line. Groundwater along th

International Monitoring System Correlation Detection at the North Korean Nuclear Test Site at Punggye-ri with Insights from the Source Physics Experiment

DOE PAGES

Ford, Sean R.; Walter, William R.

2015-05-06

Seismic waveform correlation offers the prospect of greatly reducing event detection thresholds when compared with more conventional processing methods. Correlation is applicable for seismic events that in some sense repeat, that is they have very similar waveforms. A number of recent studies have shown that correlated seismic signals may form a significant fraction of seismicity at regional distances. For the particular case of multiple nuclear explosions at the same test site, regional distance correlation also allows very precise relative location measurements and could offer the potential to lower thresholds when multiple events exist. Using the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Internationalmore » Monitoring System (IMS) seismic array at Matsushiro, Japan (MJAR), Gibbons and Ringdal (2012) were able to create a multichannel correlation detector with a very low false alarm rate and a threshold below magnitude 3.0. They did this using the 2006 or 2009 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear explosion as a template to search through a data stream from the same station to find a match via waveform correlation. In this paper, we extend the work of Gibbons and Ringdal (2012) and measure the correlation detection threshold at several other IMS arrays. We use this to address three main points. First, we show the IMS array station at Mina, Nevada (NVAR), which is closest to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), is able to detect a chemical explosion that is well under 1 ton with the right template. Second, we examine the two IMS arrays closest to the North Korean (DPRK) test site (at Ussuriysk, Russian Federation [USRK] and Wonju, Republic of Korea [KSRS]) to show that similarly low thresholds are possible when the right templates exist. We also extend the work of Schaff et al. (2012) and measure the correlation detection threshold at the nearest Global Seismic Network (GSN) three-component station (MDJ) at Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, China, from the New China Digital Seismograph Network (IC). To conclude, we use these results to explore the recent claim by Zhang and Wen (2015) that the DPRK conducted “…a low-yield nuclear test…” on 12 May 2010.« less

Hygroscopic growth study in the framework of EARLINET during the SLOPE I campaign: synergy of remote sensing and in situ instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteban Bedoya-Velásquez, Andrés; Navas-Guzmán, Francisco; José Granados-Muñoz, María; Titos, Gloria; Román, Roberto; Andrés Casquero-Vera, Juan; Ortiz-Amezcua, Pablo; Benavent-Oltra, Jose Antonio; de Arruda Moreira, Gregori; Montilla-Rosero, Elena; Hoyos, Carlos David; Artiñano, Begoña; Coz, Esther; José Olmo-Reyes, Francisco; Alados-Arboledas, Lucas; Guerrero-Rascado, Juan Luis

2018-05-01

This study focuses on the analysis of aerosol hygroscopic growth during the Sierra Nevada Lidar AerOsol Profiling Experiment (SLOPE I) campaign by using the synergy of active and passive remote sensors at the ACTRIS Granada station and in situ instrumentation at a mountain station (Sierra Nevada, SNS). To this end, a methodology based on simultaneous measurements of aerosol profiles from an EARLINET multi-wavelength Raman lidar (RL) and relative humidity (RH) profiles obtained from a multi-instrumental approach is used. This approach is based on the combination of calibrated water vapor mixing ratio (r) profiles from RL and continuous temperature profiles from a microwave radiometer (MWR) for obtaining RH profiles with a reasonable vertical and temporal resolution. This methodology is validated against the traditional one that uses RH from co-located radiosounding (RS) measurements, obtaining differences in the hygroscopic growth parameter (γ) lower than 5 % between the methodology based on RS and the one presented here. Additionally, during the SLOPE I campaign the remote sensing methodology used for aerosol hygroscopic growth studies has been checked against Mie calculations of aerosol hygroscopic growth using in situ measurements of particle number size distribution and submicron chemical composition measured at SNS. The hygroscopic case observed during SLOPE I showed an increase in the particle backscatter coefficient at 355 and 532 nm with relative humidity (RH ranged between 78 and 98 %), but also a decrease in the backscatter-related Ångström exponent (AE) and particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR), indicating that the particles became larger and more spherical due to hygroscopic processes. Vertical and horizontal wind analysis is performed by means of a co-located Doppler lidar system, in order to evaluate the horizontal and vertical dynamics of the air masses. Finally, the Hänel parameterization is applied to experimental data for both stations, and we found good agreement on γ measured with remote sensing (γ532 = 0.48 ± 0.01 and γ355 = 0.40 ± 0.01) with respect to the values calculated using Mie theory (γ532 = 0.53 ± 0.02 and γ355 = 0.45 ± 0.02), with relative differences between measurements and simulations lower than 9 % at 532 nm and 11 % at 355 nm.

REGIONAL SEISMIC AMPLITUDE MODELING AND TOMOGRAPHY FOR EARTHQUAKE-EXPLOSION DISCRIMINATION

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

Walter, W R; Pasyanos, M E; Matzel, E

2008-07-08

We continue exploring methodologies to improve earthquake-explosion discrimination using regional amplitude ratios such as P/S in a variety of frequency bands. Empirically we demonstrate that such ratios separate explosions from earthquakes using closely located pairs of earthquakes and explosions recorded on common, publicly available stations at test sites around the world (e.g. Nevada, Novaya Zemlya, Semipalatinsk, Lop Nor, India, Pakistan, and North Korea). We are also examining if there is any relationship between the observed P/S and the point source variability revealed by longer period full waveform modeling (e. g. Ford et al 2008). For example, regional waveform modeling showsmore » strong tectonic release from the May 1998 India test, in contrast with very little tectonic release in the October 2006 North Korea test, but the P/S discrimination behavior appears similar in both events using the limited regional data available. While regional amplitude ratios such as P/S can separate events in close proximity, it is also empirically well known that path effects can greatly distort observed amplitudes and make earthquakes appear very explosion-like. Previously we have shown that the MDAC (Magnitude Distance Amplitude Correction, Walter and Taylor, 2001) technique can account for simple 1-D attenuation and geometrical spreading corrections, as well as magnitude and site effects. However in some regions 1-D path corrections are a poor approximation and we need to develop 2-D path corrections. Here we demonstrate a new 2-D attenuation tomography technique using the MDAC earthquake source model applied to a set of events and stations in both the Middle East and the Yellow Sea Korean Peninsula regions. We believe this new 2-D MDAC tomography has the potential to greatly improve earthquake-explosion discrimination, particularly in tectonically complex regions such as the Middle East. Monitoring the world for potential nuclear explosions requires characterizing seismic events and discriminating between natural and man-made seismic events, such as earthquakes and mining activities, and nuclear weapons testing. We continue developing, testing, and refining size-, distance-, and location-based regional seismic amplitude corrections to facilitate the comparison of all events that are recorded at a particular seismic station. These corrections, calibrated for each station, reduce amplitude measurement scatter and improve discrimination performance. We test the methods on well-known (ground truth) datasets in the U.S. and then apply them to the uncalibrated stations in Eurasia, Africa, and other regions of interest to improve underground nuclear test monitoring capability.« less

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

Bechtel Nevada

The Ecological Monitoring and Compliance program, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, monitors the ecosystem of the Nevada Test Site and ensures compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to Nevada Test Site biota. This report summarizes the program's activities conducted by Bechtel Nevada during fiscal year 2003.

75 FR 9428 - Filing of Plats of Survey; Nevada

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-02

...; MO 4500012336; TAS: 14X1109] Filing of Plats of Survey; Nevada AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management... and local government officials of the filing of Plats of Survey in Nevada. DATES: Effective Dates... of Survey of the following described lands will be officially filed at the Nevada State Office, Reno...

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC)

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

NNSA /NSO Waste Management Project

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC). The NTSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and LLW Mixed Waste (MW) for disposal.

Nevada's Children: Selected Educational and Social Statistics. Nevada and National.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horner, Mary P., Comp.

This statistical report describes the successes and shortcomings of education in Nevada and compares some statistics concerning education in Nevada to national norms. The report, which provides a comprehensive array of information helpful to policy makers and citizens, is divided into three sections. The first section presents statistics about…

Nevada Kids Count Data Book, 1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Paula R.

This Kids Count report provides information on statewide trends affecting children and families in Nevada. The report is comprised of eight sections: an overview; Nevada's demographic profile; key facts regarding children in the state; Nevada's comparison to the rest of the United States; trends in the state; indicators of child well-being;…

2007-08 Diversity Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada System of Higher Education, 2009

2009-01-01

The changing composition of Nevada's population in the next twenty years will have many ramifications for NSHE (Nevada System of Higher Education) institutions, particularly in terms of the recruitment and retention of minority students and faculty. According to the Nevada State Demographer, minority groups in Nevada will continue to grow at a…

Industrial Sites - An Approach to Closure

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

The Environmental Management (EM) Program at the Nevada Site Office was created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to address the environmental legacy of contamination resulting from more than 50 years of nuclear weapons research, production and testing. The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NSO) is responsible for remediating portions of the Nevada National Security Site (formerly the Nevada Test Site) and the Tonopah Test Range, which is within the Nevada Test and Training Range.

Commercial geophysical well logs from the USW G-1 drill hole, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muller, D.C.; Kibler, J.E.

1983-01-01

Drill hole USW G-1 was drilled at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, as part of the ongoing exploration program for the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations. Contract geophysical well logs run at USW G-1 show only limited stratigraphic correlations, but correlate reasonably well with the welding of the ash-flow and ash-fall tuffs. Rocks in the upper part of the section have highly variable physical properties, but are more uniform and predictably lower in the section.

A directional model of tropospheric horizontal gradients in Global Positioning System and its application for particular weather scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masoumi, Salim; McClusky, Simon; Koulali, Achraf; Tregoning, Paul

2017-04-01

Improper modeling of horizontal tropospheric gradients in GPS analysis induces errors in estimated parameters, with the largest impact on heights and tropospheric zenith delays. The conventional two-axis tilted plane model of horizontal gradients fails to provide an accurate representation of tropospheric gradients under weather conditions with asymmetric horizontal changes of refractivity. A new parametrization of tropospheric gradients whereby an arbitrary number of gradients are estimated as discrete directional wedges is shown via simulations to significantly improve the accuracy of recovered tropospheric zenith delays in asymmetric gradient scenarios. In a case study of an extreme rain event that occurred in September 2002 in southern France, the new directional parametrization is able to isolate the strong gradients in particular azimuths around the GPS stations consistent with the "V" shape spatial pattern of the observed precipitation. In another study of a network of GPS stations in the Sierra Nevada region where highly asymmetric tropospheric gradients are known to exist, the new directional model significantly improves the repeatabilities of the stations in asymmetric gradient situations while causing slightly degraded repeatabilities for the stations in normal symmetric gradient conditions. The average improvement over the entire network is ˜31%, while the improvement for one of the worst affected sites P631 is ˜49% (from 8.5 mm to 4.3 mm) in terms of weighted root-mean-square (WRMS) error and ˜82% (from -1.1 to -0.2) in terms of skewness. At the same station, the use of the directional model changes the estimates of zenith wet delay by 15 mm (˜25%).

Methodology and results of calculating central California surface temperature trends: Evidence of human-induced climate change?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christy, J.R.; Norris, W.B.; Redmond, K.; Gallo, K.P.

2006-01-01

A procedure is described to construct time series of regional surface temperatures and is then applied to interior central California stations to test the hypothesis that century-scale trend differences between irrigated and nonirrigated regions may be identified. The procedure requires documentation of every point in time at which a discontinuity in a station record may have occurred through (a) the examination of metadata forms (e.g., station moves) and (b) simple statistical tests. From this "homogeneous segments" of temperature records for each station are defined. Biases are determined for each segment relative to all others through a method employing mathematical graph theory. The debiased segments are then merged, forming a complete regional time series. Time series of daily maximum and minimum temperatures for stations in the irrigated San Joaquin Valley (Valley) and nearby nonirrigated Sierra Nevada (Sierra) were generated for 1910-2003. Results show that twentieth-century Valley minimum temperatures are warming at a highly significant rate in all seasons, being greatest in summer and fall (> +0.25??C decade-1). The Valley trend of annual mean temperatures is +0.07?? ?? 0.07??C decade-1. Sierra summer and fall minimum temperatures appear to be cooling, but at a less significant rate, while the trend of annual mean Sierra temperatures is an unremarkable -0.02?? ?? 0.10??C decade-1. A working hypothesis is that the relative positive trends in Valley minus Sierra minima (>0.4??C decade-1 for summer and fall) are related to the altered surface environment brought about by the growth of irrigated agriculture, essentially changing a high-albedo desert into a darker, moister, vegetated plain. ?? 2006 American Meteorological Society.

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

Friesen, H.N.

This summary document presents results in a broad context; it is not limited to findings of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group. This book is organized to present the findings of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group and correlative programs in accordance with the originally stated objectives of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group. This plan, in essence, traces plutonium from its injection into the environment to movement in the ecosystem to development of cleanup techniques. Information on other radionuclides was also obtained and will be presented briefly. Chapter 1 presents a brief description of the ecological setting of the Test Range Complex.more » The results of investigations for plutonium distribution are presented in Chapter 2 for the area surrounding the Test Range Complex and in Chapter 3 for on-site locations. Chapters 4 and 5 present the results of investigations concerned with concentrations and movement, respectively, of plutonium in the ecosystem of the Test Range Complex, and Chapter 6 summarizes the potential hazard from this plutonium. Development of techniques for cleanup and treatment is presented in Chapter 7, and the inventory of radionuclides other than plutonium is presented briefly in Chapter 8.« less

Taxing & Spending in the Silver State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Public Affairs Review, 1979

1979-01-01

This issue of the "Nevada Public Affairs Review" focused primarily on the politics of state taxing and spending in Nevada. The articles present several aspects of this topic, including a comparison of taxation in Nevada with that in other states, an analysis of the growth of the gaming industry in Nevada, an argument for removing…

Guidance and Counseling Personnel and Programs in Nevada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Reno. Research and Educational Planning Center.

Data were collected on guidance and counseling programs and guidance personnel in Nevada schools. Questionnaires were mailed to all 309 practicing school counselors in Nevada; the response rate was 72%. Guidance counselors in Nevada were primarily female, Caucasian, and middle-aged. Mean number of years as a counselor was 9 years, and most…

Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project

Treesearch

C. I. Millar

1996-01-01

Sierra Nevada Ecosystems. The Sierra Nevada evokes images particular to each individual's experience of the range. These images take on the quality of immutability, and we expect to find the range basically unchanged from one year to the next. The Sierra Nevada, however, including its rocky foundations and the plants and animals that inhabit it, changes...

77 FR 50660 - Limited Approval and Disapproval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Nevada; Clark County...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-22

... Approval and Disapproval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Nevada; Clark County; Stationary Source... Clark County, Nevada. DATES: Any comments on this proposal must arrive by September 7, 2012. ADDRESSES... regulations submitted for approval into the Clark County portion of the Nevada State Implementation Plan (SIP...

77 FR 50622 - Land Disposal Restrictions: Site-Specific Treatment Variance for Hazardous Selenium-Bearing Waste...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-22

... Restrictions: Site-Specific Treatment Variance for Hazardous Selenium-Bearing Waste Treated by U.S. Ecology... program, to U.S. Ecology Nevada in Beatty, Nevada for the treatment of a hazardous selenium- bearing waste.... Ecology Nevada located in Beatty, Nevada. B. Table of Contents I. Background [[Page 50623

Nevada's Children, 1996. Selected Educational and Social Statistics--Nevada and National.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horner, Mary P., Comp.

This report presents selected 1996 educational and social statistics that provide information about the status of children in Nevada. State statistics are in some cases compared to national statistics. The first part presents facts about education in Nevada with regard to student characteristics, enrollment, racial and ethnic populations, high…

Relationship of epithermal gold deposits to large-scale fractures in northern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, D.A.; Glen, J.M.G.

2002-01-01

Geophysical maps of northern Nevada reveal at least three and possibly six large-scale arcuate features, one of which corresponds to the northern Nevada rift that possibly extends more than 1,000 km from the Oregon- Idaho border to southern Nevada. These features may reflect deep discontinuities within the earth's crust, possibly related to the impact of the Yellowstone hot spot. Because mid-Miocene epithermal gold deposits have been shown to correlate with the northern Nevada rift, we investigate the association of other epithermal gold deposits to other similar arcuate features in northern Nevada. Mid-Miocene and younger epithermal gold- silver deposits also occur along two prominent aeromagnetic anomalies west of the northern Nevada rift. Here, we speculate that mid-Miocene deposits formed along deep fractures in association with mid-Miocene rift- related magmatism and that younger deposits preferentially followed these preexisting features. Statistical analysis of the proximity of epithermal gold deposits to these features suggests that epithermal gold deposits in northern Nevada are spatially associated with large-scale crustal features interpreted from geophysical data.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 127: Areas 25 and 26 Storage Tanks, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (Rev. No.: 0, August 2002)

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

NNSA /NV

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Offices's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 127 under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 127 is located on the Nevada Test Site approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. This CAU is comprised of 12 Corrective Action Sites (CASs) located at Test Cell C; the Engine Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly (E-MAD) Facility; the X-Tunnel in Area 25; the Pluto Disassembly Facility; themore » Pluto Check Station; and the Port Gaston Training Facility in Area 26. These CASs include: CAS 25-01-05, Aboveground Storage Tank (AST); CAS 25-02-02, Underground Storage Tank (UST); CAS 25-23-11, Contaminated Materials; CAS 25-12-01, Boiler; CAS 25-01-06, AST; CAS 25-01-07, AST; CAS 25-02-13, UST; CAS 26- 01-01, Filter Tank (Rad) and Piping; CAS 26-01-02, Filter Tank (Rad); CAS 26-99-01, Radioactively Contaminated Filters; CAS 26-02-01, UST; CAS 26-23-01, Contaminated Liquids Spreader. Based on site history, process knowledge, and previous field efforts, contaminants of potential concern for CAU 127 include radionuclides, metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Additionally, beryllium may be present at some locations. The sources of potential releases are varied, but releases of contaminated liquids may have occurred and may have migrated into and impacted soil below and surrounding storage vessels at some of the CASs. Also, at several CASs, asbestos-containing materials may be present on the aboveground structures and may be friable. Exposure pathways are limited to ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact (adsorption) of soils/sediments or liquids, or inhalation of contaminants by site workers due to disturbance of contaminated materials. Future land-use scenarios limit subsequent uses of the CASs to various nonresidential (i.e., industrial) activities. Field activities will consist of radiological walkover and screening surveys, and field-screening and collecting of both tank content and soil samples, and further sample testing as appropriate. A two-step data quality objective strategy will be followed: (1) Phase I will be to collect environmental samples for laboratory analysis to confirm the presence or absence of contaminants at concentrations exceeding preliminary action levels; and (2) Phase II will be to collect additional environmental samples for laboratory analysis to determine the extent of contamination identified in Phase I. The results of this field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of corrective action alternatives in the corrective action decision document.« less

LLNL Location and Detection Research

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

Myers, S C; Harris, D B; Anderson, M L

2003-07-16

We present two LLNL research projects in the topical areas of location and detection. The first project assesses epicenter accuracy using a multiple-event location algorithm, and the second project employs waveform subspace Correlation to detect and identify events at Fennoscandian mines. Accurately located seismic events are the bases of location calibration. A well-characterized set of calibration events enables new Earth model development, empirical calibration, and validation of models. In a recent study, Bondar et al. (2003) develop network coverage criteria for assessing the accuracy of event locations that are determined using single-event, linearized inversion methods. These criteria are conservative andmore » are meant for application to large bulletins where emphasis is on catalog completeness and any given event location may be improved through detailed analysis or application of advanced algorithms. Relative event location techniques are touted as advancements that may improve absolute location accuracy by (1) ensuring an internally consistent dataset, (2) constraining a subset of events to known locations, and (3) taking advantage of station and event correlation structure. Here we present the preliminary phase of this work in which we use Nevada Test Site (NTS) nuclear explosions, with known locations, to test the effect of travel-time model accuracy on relative location accuracy. Like previous studies, we find that the reference velocity-model and relative-location accuracy are highly correlated. We also find that metrics based on travel-time residual of relocated events are not a reliable for assessing either velocity-model or relative-location accuracy. In the topical area of detection, we develop specialized correlation (subspace) detectors for the principal mines surrounding the ARCES station located in the European Arctic. Our objective is to provide efficient screens for explosions occurring in the mines of the Kola Peninsula (Kovdor, Zapolyarny, Olenogorsk, Khibiny) and the major iron mines of northern Sweden (Malmberget, Kiruna). In excess of 90% of the events detected by the ARCES station are mining explosions, and a significant fraction are from these northern mining groups. The primary challenge in developing waveform correlation detectors is the degree of variation in the source time histories of the shots, which can result in poor correlation among events even in close proximity. Our approach to solving this problem is to use lagged subspace correlation detectors, which offer some prospect of compensating for variation and uncertainty in source time functions.« less

Legislators' beliefs on tobacco control policies in Nevada.

PubMed

York, Nancy L; Pritsos, Chris A; Gutierrez, Antonio P

2012-02-01

The purpose of this study was to identify Nevada legislators' views on comprehensive smoke-free (SF) policy development. The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act (NCIAA) is a weak law that prohibits smoking in most indoor public places, excluding stand-alone bars and casino gaming areas. Nevada's state senators and assembly members were contacted to participate in the study. A literature review guided modifications of an instrument previously used to measure county-level officials' policy views in Kentucky. Descriptive statistics were conducted for selected variables, while independent t tests and one-way analysis of variance were used to examine differences between various groups. 23 of 63 legislators participated. Even though the majority of officials recognized smoking as a health hazard and nicotine as addictive, there was not overwhelming support for strengthening the NCIAA, raising cigarette excise taxes or providing cessation benefits to citizens. Officials believed that the NCIAA was having a negative economic impact on smaller gaming businesses, but not on the casino industry. Democrats were more likely than Republicans to agree that raising the excise tax by $1 is important for needed state revenues. 63% of legislators believed that they would be persuaded to strengthen the NCIAA regardless of its financial impact on small businesses, if their constituents supported such a move. No other state relies on gaming revenues as much as Nevada. Given that legislators are strongly influenced by their constituents' views, policy advocates need to establish grassroots support for strengthening the current NCIAA and also tobacco control laws in general.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 528: Polychlorinated Biphenyls Contamination, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. 0

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

U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 528, Polychlorinated Biphenyls Contamination (PCBs), Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nevada, under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Located in the southwestern portion of Area 25 on the NTS in Jackass Flats (adjacent to Test Cell C [TCC]), CAU 528 consists of Corrective Action Site 25-27-03, Polychlorinated Biphenyls Surface Contamination. Test Cell C was built to support the Nuclear Rocket Development Stationmore » (operational between 1959 and 1973) activities including conducting ground tests and static firings of nuclear engine reactors. Although CAU 528 was not considered as a direct potential source of PCBs and petroleum contamination, two potential sources of contamination have nevertheless been identified from an unknown source in concentrations that could potentially pose an unacceptable risk to human health and/or the environment. This CAU's close proximity to TCC prompted Shaw to collect surface soil samples, which have indicated the presence of PCBs extending throughout the area to the north, east, south, and even to the edge of the western boundary. Based on this information, more extensive field investigation activities are being planned, the results of which are to be used to support a defensible evaluation of corrective action alternatives in the corrective action decision document.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Central Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Central Yucca Flat, Profile 1, as shown in figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, North Central Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for north central Yucca Flat, Profile 7, as shown in Figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Northern Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site Nevada

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

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T. H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Frenchman Flat Profile 3, as shown in Figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Across Quartzite Ridge, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT soundings across Quartzite Ridge, Profiles 5, 6a, and 6b, as shown in Figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Southern Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Southern Yucca Flat, Profile 4, as shown in Figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Northern Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Profile 2, (fig. 1), located in the northern Yucca Flat area. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Water Resources of the Basin and Range Carbonate-Rock Aquifer System, White Pine County, Nevada, and Adjacent Areas in Nevada and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welch, Alan H.; Bright, Daniel J.; Knochenmus, Lari A.

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION This report summarizes results of a water-resources study for White Pine County, Nevada, and adjacent areas in east-central Nevada and western Utah. The Basin and Range carbonate-rock aquifer system (BARCAS) study was initiated in December 2004 through Federal legislation (Section 301(e) of the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004; PL108-424) directing the Secretary of the Interior to complete a water-resources study through the U.S. Geological Survey, Desert Research Institute, and State of Utah. The study was designed as a regional water-resource assessment, with particular emphasis on summarizing the hydrogeologic framework and hydrologic processes that influence ground-water resources. The study area includes 13 hydrographic areas that cover most of White Pine County; in this report however, results for the northern and central parts of Little Smoky Valley were combined and presented as one hydrographic area. Hydrographic areas are the basic geographic units used by the State of Nevada and Utah and local agencies for water-resource planning and management, and are commonly defined on the basis of surface-water drainage areas. Hydrographic areas were further divided into subbasins that are separated by areas where bedrock is at or near the land surface. Subbasins are the subdivisions used in this study for estimating recharge, discharge, and water budget. Hydrographic areas are the subdivision used for reporting summed and tabulated subbasin estimates.

Water Resources of the Basin and Range Carbonate-Rock Aquifer System, White Pine County, Nevada, and Adjacent Areas in Nevada and Utah - Draft Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welch, Alan H.; Bright, Daniel J.

2007-01-01

Summary of Major Findings This report summarizes results of a water-resources study for White Pine County, Nevada, and adjacent areas in east-central Nevada and western Utah. The Basin and Range carbonate-rock aquifer system (BARCAS) study was initiated in December 2004 through Federal legislation (Section 131 of the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004) directing the Secretary of the Interior to complete a water-resources study through the U.S. Geological Survey, Desert Research Institute, and State of Utah. The study was designed as a regional water-resource assessment, with particular emphasis on summarizing the hydrogeologic framework and hydrologic processes that influence ground-water resources. The study area includes 13 hydrographic areas that cover most of White Pine County; in this report however, results for the northern and central parts of Little Smoky Valley were combined and presented as one hydrographic area. Hydrographic areas are the basic geographic units used by the State of Nevada and Utah and local agencies for water-resource planning and management, and are commonly defined on the basis of surface-water drainage areas. Hydrographic areas were further divided into subbasins that are separated by areas where bedrock is at or near the land surface. Subbasins represent subdivisions used in this study for estimating recharge, discharge, and water budget. Hydrographic areas represent the subdivision used for reporting summed and tabulated subbasin estimates.

Evaluating the utility of detrital thermochronometric studies: detrital laser ablation (U-Th)/He dating and conventional bedrock zircon (U-Th)/He analyses from the eastern Sierra Nevada, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horne, A.; Hodges, K. V.; Van Soest, M. C.

2016-12-01

Recent applications of the newly developed `laser ablation double dating' (LADD) technique, an integrated laser microprobe U/Pb and (U-Th)/He dating method, have showcased the potential utility of LADD for detrital thermochronologic studies. However, detrital thermochronologic techniques rely on confidence that detrital data adequately represent the full range of bedrock cooling ages within a catchment. To test this primary assumption, we compare (U-Th)/He zircon ages from age-elevation transects to LADD (U-Th)/He zircon ages from modern fluvial detritus collected at the range front in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California. Terminated by a normal fault escarpment, the small, steep catchments along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada batholith are apropos locations for comparing the ability of detrital data to deduce the exhumation history of a source terrain with standard age-elevation transects. Additionally, the exhumation of the Sierra Nevada batholith is also intriguing, as past evaluations of the post-emplacement exhumation history of the range have yielded discrepant results. Thus far, analyses from the southern extent of the eastern Sierra Nevada show narrow ranges of cooling ages consistent with simple, relatively rapid exhumation. Ongoing analyses will expand the dataset such that we can fully compare bedrock and detrital age ranges as well as characterize the exhumation history of the range with a thermochronometer that has not been used to date the batholith.

Energy Engineering Analysis Program, limited energy study of steam distribution systems, Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot, Hawthorne, Nevada

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

NONE

1995-12-31

This report summarizes all work of the Limited Energy Study of Steam Distribution Systems, Energy Engineering Analysis Program, Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot (HWAAD), Nevada. The project is authorized under Contract No. DACA05-92-C-0155 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, California. The purpose of this limited energy study is to evaluate steam distribution and condensate collection systems in both the Industrial Area and Ordnance Area of HWAAD to develop a set of replacement actions that will reduce energy consumption and operating costs. These efforts consist of corrections and revisions to previously submitted funding requests. Amended DD Forms 1391 andmore » supporting documentation are prepared for: (1) Project 40667, Modernize Steam Distribution System, Industrial Area, and (2) Project 42166, Modernize Ordnance Area Steam Distribution, Ordnance Area. HWAAD is located next to Highway 95 near the center of Nevada`s border with California, about 130 miles southeast of Reno. The elevation is about 4,100 feet. The location is depicted on Figure 1-1. A number of facilities covering over 140,000 acres constitute HWAAD; however, this study was limited to the Industrial and Ordnance Areas.« less