A terracing operator for physical property mapping with potential field data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cordell, L.; McCafferty, A.E.

1989-01-01

The terracing operator works iteratively on gravity or magnetic data, using the sense of the measured field's local curvature, to produce a field comprised of uniform domains separated by abrupt domain boundaries. The result is crudely proportional to a physical-property function defined in one (profile case) or two (map case) horizontal dimensions. This result can be extended to a physical-property model if its behavior in the third (vertical) dimension is defined, either arbitrarily or on the basis of the local geologic situation. The terracing algorithm is computationally fast and appropriate to use with very large digital data sets. The terracing operator was applied separately to aeromagnetic and gravity data from a 136km x 123km area in eastern Kansas. Results provide a reasonable good physical representation of both the gravity and the aeromagnetic data. Superposition of the results from the two data sets shows many areas of agreement that can be referenced to geologic features within the buried Precambrian crystalline basement. -from Authors

Quaternary gravitational morpho-genesis of Central Apennines (Italy): Insights from the Mt. Genzana case history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, C.; Bianchi-Fasani, G.; Martino, S.; Scarascia-Mugnozza, G.

2013-10-01

This paper focuses on a study aimed at defining the role of geological-structural setting and Quaternary morpho-structural evolution on the onset and development of a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation which affects the western slope of Mt. Genzana ridge (Central Apennines, Italy). This case history is particularly significant as it comprises several aspects of such gravitational processes both in general terms and with particular reference to the Apennines. In fact: i) the morpho-structural setting is representative of widespread conditions in Central Apennines; ii) the deforming slope partially evolved in a large rockslide-avalanche; iii) the deformational process provides evidence of an ongoing state of activity; iv) the rockslide-avalanche debris formed a stable natural dam, thus implying significant variations in the morphologic, hydraulic and hydrogeological setting; v) the gravitational deformation as well as the rockslide-avalanche reveal a strong structural control. The main study activities were addressed to define a detailed geological model of the gravity-driven process, by means of geological, structural, geomorphological and geomechanical surveys. As a result, a robust hypothesis about the kinematics of the process was possible, with particular reference to the identification of geological-structural constraints. The process, in fact, involves a specific section of the slope exactly where a dextral transtensional structure is present, thus implying local structural conditions that favor sliding processes: the rock mass is intensively jointed by high angle discontinuity sets and the bedding attitude is quite parallel to the slope angle. Within this frame the gravitational process can be classified as a structurally constrained translational slide, locally evolved into a rockslide-avalanche. The activation of such a deformation can be in its turn related to the Quaternary morphological evolution of the area, which was affected by a significant topographic stress increase, testified by stratigraphic and morphologic evidence.

Evaluation of SIR-A space radar for geologic interpretation: United States, Panama, Colombia, and New Guinea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macdonald, H.; Waite, W. P.; Kaupp, V. H.; Bridges, L. C.; Storm, M.

1983-01-01

Comparisons between LANDSAT MSS imagery, and aircraft and space radar imagery from different geologic environments in the United States, Panama, Colombia, and New Guinea demonstrate the interdependence of radar system geometry and terrain configuration for optimum retrieval of geologic information. Illustrations suggest that in the case of space radars (SIR-A in particular), the ability to acquire multiple look-angle/look-direction radar images of a given area is more valuable for landform mapping than further improvements in spatial resolution. Radar look-angle is concluded to be one of the most important system parameters of a space radar designed to be used for geologic reconnaissance mapping. The optimum set of system parameters must be determined for imaging different classes of landform features and tailoring the look-angle to local topography.

Chemical analyses (raw laboratory data) and locality index maps of the Confederate Gulch area, Broadwater and Meagher Counties, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1975-01-01

Analysis of the side looking airborn radar imagery of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island indicates that radar shows the topography in great detail. Since bedrock geologic features are frequently expressed in the topography the radar lends itself to geologic interpretation. The radar was studied by comparisons with field mapped geologic data first at a scale of approximately 1:125,000 and then at a scale of 1:500,000. The larger scale comparison revealed that faults, minor faults, joint sets, bedding and foliation attitudes, lithology and lithologic contacts all have a topographic expression interpretable on the imagery. Surficial geologic features were far less visible on the imagery over most of the area studied. The smaller scale comparisons revealed a pervasive, near orthogonal fracture set cutting all types and ages of rock and trending roughly N40?E and N30?W. In certain places the strike of bedding and foliation attitudes and some lithologic Contacts were visible in addition to the fractures. Fracturing in southern New England is apparently far more important than has been previously recognized. This new information, together with the visibility of many bedding and foliation attitudes and lithologic contacts, indicates the importance of radar imagery in improving the geologic interpretation of an area.

Geologic Interpretation of Data Sets Collected by Planetary Analog Geology Traverses and by Standard Geologic Field Mapping. Part 1; A Comparison Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean B.; Bleacher, Jacob F.; Evans, Cynthia A.; Feng, Wanda; Gruener, John; Hurwitz, Debra M.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Whitson, Peggy; Janoiko, Barbara

2013-01-01

Geologic maps integrate the distributions, contacts, and compositions of rock and sediment bodies as a means to interpret local to regional formative histories. Applying terrestrial mapping techniques to other planets is challenging because data is collected primarily by orbiting instruments, with infrequent, spatiallylimited in situ human and robotic exploration. Although geologic maps developed using remote data sets and limited "Apollo-style" field access likely contain inaccuracies, the magnitude, type, and occurrence of these are only marginally understood. This project evaluates the interpretative and cartographic accuracy of both field- and remote-based mapping approaches by comparing two 1:24,000 scale geologic maps of the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF), north-central Arizona. The first map is based on traditional field mapping techniques, while the second is based on remote data sets, augmented with limited field observations collected during NASA Desert Research & Technology Studies (RATS) 2010 exercises. The RATS mission used Apollo-style methods not only for pre-mission traverse planning but also to conduct geologic sampling as part of science operation tests. Cross-comparison demonstrates that the Apollo-style map identifies many of the same rock units and determines a similar broad history as the field-based map. However, field mapping techniques allow markedly improved discrimination of map units, particularly unconsolidated surficial deposits, and recognize a more complex eruptive history than was possible using Apollo-style data. Further, the distribution of unconsolidated surface units was more obvious in the remote sensing data to the field team after conducting the fieldwork. The study raises questions about the most effective approach to balancing mission costs with the rate of knowledge capture, suggesting that there is an inflection point in the "knowledge capture curve" beyond which additional resource investment yields progressively smaller gains in geologic knowledge.

Large Crater Clustering tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laura, Jason; Skinner, James A.; Hunter, Marc A.

2017-08-01

In this paper we present the Large Crater Clustering (LCC) tool set, an ArcGIS plugin that supports the quantitative approximation of a primary impact location from user-identified locations of possible secondary impact craters or the long-axes of clustered secondary craters. The identification of primary impact craters directly supports planetary geologic mapping and topical science studies where the chronostratigraphic age of some geologic units may be known, but more distant features have questionable geologic ages. Previous works (e.g., McEwen et al., 2005; Dundas and McEwen, 2007) have shown that the source of secondary impact craters can be estimated from secondary impact craters. This work adapts those methods into a statistically robust tool set. We describe the four individual tools within the LCC tool set to support: (1) processing individually digitized point observations (craters), (2) estimating the directional distribution of a clustered set of craters, back projecting the potential flight paths (crater clusters or linearly approximated catenae or lineaments), (3) intersecting projected paths, and (4) intersecting back-projected trajectories to approximate the local of potential source primary craters. We present two case studies using secondary impact features mapped in two regions of Mars. We demonstrate that the tool is able to quantitatively identify primary impacts and supports the improved qualitative interpretation of potential secondary crater flight trajectories.

Geologic Map of the Olympia Cavi Region of Mars (MTM 85200): A Summary of Tactical Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Herkenhoff, K.

2010-01-01

The 1:500K-scale geologic map of MTM 85200 - the Olympia Cavi region of Mars - has been submitted for peer review [1]. Physiographically, the quadrangle includes portions of Olympia Rupes, a set of sinuous scarps which elevate Planum Boreum 800 meters above Olympia Planum. The region includes the high-standing, spiral troughs of Boreales Scopuli, the rugged and deep depressions of Olympia Cavi, and the vast dune fields of Olympia Undae. Geologically, the mapped units and landforms reflect the recent history of repeated accumulation and degradation. The widespread occurrence of both weakly and strongly stratified units implicates the drape-like accumulation of ice, dust, and sand through climatic variations. Similarly, the occurrence of layer truncations, particularly at unit boundaries, implicates punctuated periods of both localized and regional erosion and surface deflation whereby underlying units were exhumed and their material transported and re-deposited. Herein, we focus on the iterative mapping approaches that allowed not only the accommodation of the burgeoning variety and volume of data sets, but also facilitated the efficient presentation of map information. Unit characteristics and their geologic history are detailed in past abstracts [2-3].

Lateral variations in geologic structure and tectonic setting from remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, S. S.

1983-05-01

The principal objective of this study was: (1) to assess the usefulness of remote sensing digital imagery, principally LANDSAT multispectral scanning (MSS) data, for inferring lateral variations in geologic structure and tectonic setting; and (2) to determine the extent to which these inferred variations correlate with observed variations in seismic excitation from underground nuclear explosion test sites in the Soviet Union. Soviet, French and U.S. test sites have been investigated to compare their geologic and tectonic responses as seen by LANDSAT. The characteristics of "granite' intrusive bodies exposed at Semipalatinsk (Degelen), North Africa (Hoggar), NTS (Climax stock), and an analog site in Maine (Mt. Katahdin), have been studied in detail. The tectonic stress field inferred from the tectonic release portion of seismic signatures of explosions in these three areas is compared with local and regional fracture patterns discernable from imagery. The usefulness of satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to determine geologic conditions and delineate fault (fracture) patterns is demonstrated by the analysis of SEASAT data for an area in the eastern United States. Algorithms to enhance structural boundaries and to use textures to identify rock types were developed and applied to several test sites.

The geologic setting of the Luna 16 landing site

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCauley, J.F.; Scott, D.H.

1972-01-01

The Luna 16 landing site is similar in its geologic setting to Apollos 11 and 12. All three sites are located on basaltic mare fill which occurs mostly within multi-ring basins formed by impact earlier in the moon's history. A regolith developed by impact bombardment is present at each of these sites. The regolith is composed mostly of locally derived volcanic material, but also contains exotic fine fragments that have been ballistically transported into the landing sites by large impact events which formed craters such as Langrenus and Copernicus. These exotic fragments probably consist mostly of earlier reworked multi-ring basin debris and, although not directly traceable to individual sources, they do represent a good statistical sample of the composition of most of the premare terrac regions. ?? 1972.

EarthInquiry: Using On-Line Data to Help Students Explore Fundamental Concepts in Geoscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfano, M.; Keane, C. M.; Ridky, R. W.

2002-12-01

Using local case studies to learn about earth processes increases the relevance of science instruction. Students are encouraged to think about how geological processes affect their lives and experiences. Today, with many global data sets available on-line, instructors have unprecedented opportunities to bring local data into the classroom. However, while the resources are available, using on-line data presents a particular set of challenges. Access and entry to web sites frequently change and data format can be unpredictable. Often, instructors are faced with non-functional web sites on the day, or week, that they plan to assign a given activity. The American Geological Institute, with the participation of numerous geoscience professors, has developed EarthInquiry, a series of activities that utilize the abundant real-time and archived geoscience data available on-line. These modules are developed primarily for introductory college students. EarthInquiry modules follow a structured format, beginning with familiar examples at the global and national level to introduce students to the on-line data and the EarthInquiry web site. The web site offers detailed and up-to-date instructions on how to access the data, cached copies of sample data that can be used to complete each activity in the event of a network outage, and an assessment activity that helps students determine how well they have achieved an understanding of key concepts. The EarthInquiry booklet contains a series of engaging questions that allow students to solve problems in a scientific manner. As students gain content understanding and confidence in the requisite analysis, they examine the presented material at a more local level. In one activity, students explore the recurrence interval of a local stream. In other activities, they investigate the mineral resources and earthquake histories of their state. All modules are developed with the intent of building an appropriate cognitive foundation, while complimenting the topics typically discussed in an introductory physical or environmental geology course. The project is a collaboration of the American Geological Institute and W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers.

Hypogeal geological survey in the "Grotta del Re Tiberio" natural cave (Apennines, Italy): a valid tool for reconstructing the structural setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiselli, Alice; Merazzi, Marzio; Strini, Andrea; Margutti, Roberto; Mercuriali, Michele

2011-06-01

As karst systems are natural windows to the underground, speleology, combined with geological surveys, can be useful tools for helping understand the geological evolution of karst areas. In order to enhance the reconstruction of the structural setting in a gypsum karst area (Vena del Gesso, Romagna Apennines), a detailed analysis has been carried out on hypogeal data. Structural features (faults, fractures, tectonic foliations, bedding) have been mapped in the "Grotta del Re Tiberio" cave, in the nearby gypsum quarry tunnels and open pit benches. Five fracture systems and six fault systems have been identified. The fault systems have been further analyzed through stereographic projections and geometric-kinematic evaluations in order to reconstruct the relative chronology of these structures. This analysis led to the detection of two deformation phases. The results permitted linking of the hypogeal data with the surface data both at a local and regional scale. At the local scale, fracture data collected in the underground have been compared with previous authors' surface data coming from the quarry area. The two data sets show a very good correspondence, as every underground fracture system matches with one of the surface fracture system. Moreover, in the cave, a larger number of fractures belonging to each system could be mapped. At the regional scale, the two deformation phases detected can be integrated in the structural setting of the study area, thereby enhancing the tectonic interpretation of the area ( e.g., structures belonging to a new deformation phase, not reported before, have been identified underground). The structural detailed hypogeal survey has, thus, provided very useful data, both by integrating the existing information and revealing new data not detected at the surface. In particular, some small structures ( e.g., displacement markers and short fractures) are better preserved in the hypogeal environment than on the surface where the outcropping gypsum is more exposed to dissolution and recrystallization. The hypogeal geological survey, therefore, can be considered a powerful tool for integrating the surface and log data in order to enhance the reconstruction of the deformational history and to get a three-dimensional model of the bedrock in karst areas.

3D geological modelling and geothermal mapping - the first results of the transboundary Polish - Saxon project "TransGeoTherm"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozdrój, Wiesław; Kłonowski, Maciej; Mydłowski, Adam; Ziółkowska-Kozdrój, Małgorzata; Badura, Janusz; Przybylski, Bogusław; Russ, Dorota; Zawistowski, Karol; Domańska, Urszula; Karamański, Paweł; Krentz, Ottomar; Hofmann, Karina; Riedel, Peter; Reinhardt, Silke; Bretschneider, Mario

2014-05-01

TransGeoTherm is a common project of the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute Lower Silesian Branch (Lead Partner) and the Saxon State Agency for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, co-financed by the European Union (EU) under the framework of the Operational Programme for Transboundary Co-operation Poland-Saxony 2007-2013. It started in October 2012 and will last until June 2014. The main goal of the project is to introduce and establish the use of low temperature geothermal energy as a low emission energy source in the Saxon-Polish transboundary project area. The numerous geological, hydrogeological and geothermal data have been gathered, analysed, combined and interpreted with respect to 3D numerical modelling and subsequently processed with use of the GOCAD software. The resulting geological model covers the transboundary project area exceeding 1.000 km2 and comprises around 70 units up to the depth of about 200 metres (locally deeper) below the terrain. The division of the above units has been based on their litho-stratigraphy as well as geological, hydrogeological and geothermal settings. The model includes two lignite deposits: Berzdorf deposit in Saxony-mined out and already recultivated and Radomierzyce deposit in Poland - documented but still not excavated. At the end of the modelling procedure the raster data sets of the top, bottom and thickness of every unit will be deduced from the 3D geological model with a gridsize of 25 by 25 metres. Based on the geothermal properties of the rocks and their groundwater content a specific value of geothermal conductivity will be allocated to each layer of every borehole. Thereafter for every section of a borehole, belonging to a certain unit of the 3D geological model, a weighted mean value will be calculated. Next the horizontal distribution of these values within every unit will be interpolated. This step / procedure has to be done for all units. As a result of further calculations a series of maps showing the geothermal conditions for the selected depths of 40, 70, 100 and 130 metres below the terrain will be elaborated and made available via the Internet. The prospective final users of the project results will be the local and regional authorities, inhabitants, engineers, etc. The project will provide information and data which are important for local and regional planning and development - on the one hand the maps will provide information on possibilities using locations for low temperature geothermal heating and cooling, while on the other hand they are needed to setup and dimension the geothermal installations in detail.

Localized Smart-Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundh Gulbrandsen, Mats; Mejer Hansen, Thomas; Bach, Torben; Pallesen, Tom

2014-05-01

The complex task of setting up a geological model consists not only of combining available geological information into a conceptual plausible model, but also requires consistency with availably data, e.g. geophysical data. However, in many cases the direct geological information, e.g borehole samples, are very sparse, so in order to create a geological model, the geologist needs to rely on the geophysical data. The problem is however, that the amount of geophysical data in many cases are so vast that it is practically impossible to integrate all of them in the manual interpretation process. This means that a lot of the information available from the geophysical surveys are unexploited, which is a problem, due to the fact that the resulting geological model does not fulfill its full potential and hence are less trustworthy. We suggest an approach to geological modeling that 1. allow all geophysical data to be considered when building the geological model 2. is fast 3. allow quantification of geological modeling. The method is constructed to build a statistical model, f(d,m), describing the relation between what the geologists interpret, d, and what the geologist knows, m. The para- meter m reflects any available information that can be quantified, such as geophysical data, the result of a geophysical inversion, elevation maps, etc... The parameter d reflects an actual interpretation, such as for example the depth to the base of a ground water reservoir. First we infer a statistical model f(d,m), by examining sets of actual interpretations made by a geological expert, [d1, d2, ...], and the information used to perform the interpretation; [m1, m2, ...]. This makes it possible to quantify how the geological expert performs interpolation through f(d,m). As the geological expert proceeds interpreting, the number of interpreted datapoints from which the statistical model is inferred increases, and therefore the accuracy of the statistical model increases. When a model f(d,m) successfully has been inferred, we are able to simulate how the geological expert would perform an interpretation given some external information m, through f(d|m). We will demonstrate this method applied on geological interpretation and densely sampled airborne electromagnetic data. In short, our goal is to build a statistical model describing how a geological expert performs geological interpretation given some geophysical data. We then wish to use this statistical model to perform semi automatic interpretation, everywhere where such geophysical data exist, in a manner consistent with the choices made by a geological expert. Benefits of such a statistical model are that 1. it provides a quantification of how a geological expert performs interpretation based on available diverse data 2. all available geophysical information can be used 3. it allows much faster interpretation of large data sets.

GigaPan Technology to Enhance In-Class and In-Field Learning in Community College Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villalobos, J. I.; Bentley, C.

2014-12-01

Community college students account for over 40% of all undergraduates in the United States as well as the majority of minority and non-traditional students attending undergraduate courses. Implementing innovative, cost effective, and formative pedagogies to the diverse backgrounds of students that typically enroll at a community is often a challenge. Interactive pedagogies in geology pose a unique challenge considering that students gain the most long-term knowledge when topics covered in a course are exposed to them in outdoor settings where they are allowed to explore and make connections. The ability to expose students to real world examples is challenging to many community college faculty considering that that many; lack funds or means for transportation of students, do not have administrative support on such endeavors, teach evening or night classes, or have a high percentage of students who are physically limited or have obligations to work and family. A joint collaborative between El Paso Community College (EPCC) and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has explored the usage of GigaPan technology to create multi-layered online material to minimize these issues faced by many community college faculty and students. The primary layer of the online material is GigaPans of local geological sites that highlight large-scale structures in the El Paso, Texas region that are commonly used in local field trips and lab book material. The second layer is of Macro-GigaPans of hand samples of key outcrops from the primarily GigaPans which facilitate student learning, exploration, and ability to make connections by exploring smaller scale features of the primary layer. A third layer of online material, GigaPans of thin sections of hand samples (from secondary layers), and curriculum based on the GigaPans was then created to assist students in evaluating proposed hypotheses on the primary layers' geological origin. GigaPan cirriculum was utilized in introductory geology courses as well as a capstone Geological Field Methods course at El Paso Community College.

Reply to Comments on "the Cenozoic Fold-and-Thrust Belt of Eastern Sardinia: Evidences from the Integration of Field Data With Numerically Balanced Geological Cross Section" by Arragoni et al. (2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvini, F.; Arragoni, S.; Cianfarra, P.; Maggi, M.

2017-10-01

The comment by Berra et al. (2017) on the evidence of Alpine tectonics in Eastern Sardinia proposed by Arragoni et al. (2016) is based on the sedimentological interpretations of few local outcrops in a marginal portion of the study area. The Cenozoic Alpine fold-and-thrust setting, which characterizes this region, presents flat-over-flat shear planes acting along originally stratigraphic contacts, where stratigraphic continuity is obviously maintained. The ramp sectors present steeply dipping bedding attitudes, and there is no need to invoke and to force prograding clinoforms with unrealistic angles to justify them. The balanced geological cross section proposed by Arragoni et al. (2016) is fully supported by robust newly collected structural data and is compatible with the overall tectonic setting, while the interpretation proposed by Berra et al. (2017) lacks a detailed structural investigation. We believe that the partial application of the techniques available to modern geology may lead to incorrect interpretations, thus representing an obstacle for the progress of knowledge in the Earth sciences.

Geologic setting of the Snake Pit hydrothermal site: An active vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, Jeffrey A.; Brown, Jennifer R.

1988-03-01

The Snake Pit Hydrothermal Site lies on the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 23°22' N latitude, about 30 km south of the Kane Transform Intersection. Active ‘black smoker’ vents and a surrounding field of hydrothermal sediment occur at the crest of a laterally extensive neovolcanic ridge. It is one of the first active hydrothermal vent fields to be found on a slow-spreading ridge axis and despite significant differences in its geologic setting from those of the East Pacific Rise, has many similarities to its fast-spreading counterparts. Although preliminary reports have documented many interesting aspects of these vents and their surroundings, new data collected from the manned submersible ALVIN and the deep-towed ANGUS camera system define the regional tectonic setting as well as the local geologic environment of this fascinating area. The Snake Pit vents are located on a local peak of a volcanic constructional ridge at a depth of 3450 m, 700 800 m deeper than vents known from the East Pacific Rise, Galapagos, or Juan de Fuca spreading centers. The vent field is at least 600 m long and up to 200 m wide and is covered by a thick blanket of greenish to yellow-orange hydrothermal sediment. Both active and extinct vents are perched along the crests of steep-sided sulfide mounds that reach heights of over 40 m. High-temperature (350° C) fluids are vented from black smoker chimneys and low-temperature (226° C) fluids seep from sulphide domes and subordinate anhydrite constructions. Water temperatures, flow rates, fluid chemistries, and mineralization are strikingly similar to vents of faster spreading ridge crests; however, a somewhat distinct fauna inhabit the area.

Publications - GMC 344 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

, and geological relationships at the Arctic Chief (west) locality, Whitehorse Copper Belt, Yukon geological relationships at the Arctic Chief (west) locality, Whitehorse Copper Belt, Yukon Territory, Canada

Remedial Action Plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings site at Durango, Colorado: Attachment 2, Geology report. Revised final report

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

Not Available

1991-12-01

Detailed investigations of geologic, geomorphic, and seismic conditions at the Bodo Canyon disposal site were conducted. The purpose of these investigations was basic site characterization and identification of potential geologic hazards that could affect long-term site stability. Subsequent engineering studies, such as analyses of hydrologic and liquefaction hazards, used the data developed in these studies. The geomorphic analysis was employed in the design of effective erosion protection. Studies of the regional and local seismotectonic setting, which included a detailed search for possible capable faults within a 65 kilometer radius of the site, provided the basis for seismic design parameters. Themore » scope of work performed included the following: Compilation and analysis of previous published and unpublished geologic literature and maps; Review of historical and instrumental earthquake data; Review of site-specific subsurface geologic data, including lithologic and geophysical logs of exploratory boreholes advanced in the site area; Photogeologic interpretations of existing conventional aerial photographs; and, Ground reconnaissance and mapping of the site region.« less

Iterative refinement of implicit boundary models for improved geological feature reproduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Ryan; Boisvert, Jeff B.

2017-12-01

Geological domains contain non-stationary features that cannot be described by a single direction of continuity. Non-stationary estimation frameworks generate more realistic curvilinear interpretations of subsurface geometries. A radial basis function (RBF) based implicit modeling framework using domain decomposition is developed that permits introduction of locally varying orientations and magnitudes of anisotropy for boundary models to better account for the local variability of complex geological deposits. The interpolation framework is paired with a method to automatically infer the locally predominant orientations, which results in a rapid and robust iterative non-stationary boundary modeling technique that can refine locally anisotropic geological shapes automatically from the sample data. The method also permits quantification of the volumetric uncertainty associated with the boundary modeling. The methodology is demonstrated on a porphyry dataset and shows improved local geological features.

Evaluating Boy Scout Geology Education, A Pilot Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hintz, R. S.; Thomson, B.

2008-12-01

This study investigated geology knowledge acquisition by Boy Scouts through use of the Boy Scout Geology Merit Handbook. In this study, boys engaged in hands-on interactive learning following the requirements set forth in the Geology Merit Badge Handbook. The purposes of this study were to determine the amount of geology content knowledge engendered in adolescent males through the use of the Geology Merit Badge Handbook published by the Boy Scouts of America; to determine if single sex, activity oriented, free-choice learning programs can be effective in promoting knowledge development in young males; and to determine if boys participating in the Scouting program believed their participation helped them succeed in school. Members of a local Boy Scout Troop between the ages of 11 and 18 were invited to participate in a Geology Merit Badge program. Boys who did not already possess the badge were allowed to self-select participation. The boys' content knowledge of geology, rocks, and minerals was pre- and post-tested. Boys were interviewed about their school and Scouting experiences; whether they believed their Scouting experiences and work in Merit Badges contributed to their success in school. Contributing educational theories included single-sex education, informal education with free-choice learning, learning styles, hands-on activities, and the social cognitive theory concept of self-efficacy. Boys who completed this study seemed to possess a greater knowledge of geology than they obtained in school. If boys who complete the Boy Scout Geology Merit Badge receive additional geological training, their field experiences and knowledge acquired through this learning experience will be beneficial, and a basis for continued scaffolding of geologic knowledge.

Coalbed gas potential in the Pittsburgh-Huntington synclinorium, northern West Virginia

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

Patchen, D.G.; Schwietering, J.F.; Repine, T.E.

1991-03-01

The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) received a subcontract from the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology to conduct a geologic evaluation of critical production parameters for coalbed methane resources in the northern Appalachian coal basin. The study area is a northeast-southwest-trending ellipse that coincides with the axis of the Pittsburgh-Huntington Synclinorium in north central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. Coalbed gas resources there have been estimated to be 61 bcf in previous work funded by the Gas Research institute. Data used in that study were mainly core descriptions and drillers' logs from coal exploration cores. The current researchmore » will integrate data from the WVGES' coal, oil and gas, and ground water databases to more carefully determine the number and thicknesses of coals below the Pittsburgh, and their hydrologic setting. Main objectives are to determine: the number of coals present; the geographic and stratigraphic positions of the thickest coals; locations of depocenters with stacked coals; the pressure regime of the area and geologic factors contributing to it; ground-water circulation patterns; and the presence of any potentiometric anomalies. Local and regional stratigraphic and structural cross sections and lithofacies and coal occurrence maps will be made for the coal-bearing interval below the Pittsburgh coal to show the distribution, structural attitude, and depositional systems. Regional and local control of structural elements, including fractures, on gas producibility from coalbeds will be determined. Gas and water production data will be collected from two small areas of current production and mapped and compared to maps of geologic parameters. The goal is to measure the effect on production of geologic parameters in these coalbed gas fields, and determine the locations of other 'sweet spots' in these coal beds.« less

Local seismic hazard assessment in explosive volcanic settings by 3D numerical analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razzano, Roberto; Pagliaroli, Alessandro; Moscatelli, Massimiliano; Gaudiosi, Iolanda; Avalle, Alessandra; Giallini, Silvia; Marcini, Marco; Polpetta, Federica; Simionato, Maurizio; Sirianni, Pietro; Sottili, Gianluca; Vignaroli, Gianluca; Bellanova, Jessica; Calamita, Giuseppe; Perrone, Angela; Piscitelli, Sabatino

2017-04-01

This work deals with the assessment of local seismic response in the explosive volcanic settings by reconstructing the subsoil model of the Stracciacappa maar (Sabatini Volcanic District, central Italy), whose pyroclastic succession records eruptive phases ended about 0.09 Ma ago. Heterogeneous characteristics of the Stracciacappa maar (stratification, structural setting, lithotypes, and thickness variation of depositional units) make it an ideal case history for understanding mechanisms and processes leading to modifications of amplitude-frequency-duration of seismic waves generated at earthquake sources and propagating through volcanic settings. New geological map and cross sections, constrained with recently acquired geotechnical and geophysical data, illustrate the complex geometric relationships among different depositional units forming the maar. A composite interfingering between internal lacustrine sediments and epiclastic debris, sourced from the rim, fills the crater floor; a 45 meters thick continuous coring borehole was drilled in the maar with sampling of undisturbed samples. Electrical Resistivity Tomography surveys and 2D passive seismic arrays were also carried out for constraining the geological model and the velocity profile of the S-waves, respectively. Single station noise measurements were collected in order to define natural amplification frequencies. Finally, the nonlinear cyclic soil behaviour was investigated through simple shear tests on the undisturbed samples. The collected dataset was used to define the subsoil model for 3D finite difference site response numerical analyses by using FLAC 3D software (ITASCA). Moreover, 1D and 2D numerical analyses were carried out for comparison purposes. Two different scenarios were selected as input motions: a moderate magnitude (volcanic event) and a high magnitude (tectonic event). Both earthquake scenarios revealed significant ground motion amplification (up to 15 in terms of spectral acceleration at about 1 s) essentially related to 2D/3D phenomena associated to sharp lateral variations of mechanical properties within the Stracciacappa maar. Our results are relevant to face the assessment of local seismic response in similar volcanic settings in highly urbanised environments elsewhere.

Geodetic measurement of deformation in California. Ph.D. Thesis - Massachusetts Inst. of Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauber, Jeanne

1989-01-01

The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements made in the western U.S. since 1979 as part of the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project provide discrete samples of the temporal and spatial deformation field. The interpretation of the VLBI-derived rates of deformation requires an examination of geologic information and more densely sampled ground-based geodetic data. In the first two of three related studies, triangulation and trilateration data measured on two regional networks, one in the central Mojave Desert and one in the Coast Ranges east of the San Andreas fault, have been processed. At the spatial scales spanned by these local geodetic networks, auxiliary geologic and geophysical data have been utilized to examine the relation between measured incremental strain and the accommodation of strain seen in local geological structures, strain release in earthquakes, and principal stress directions inferred from in situ measurements. In a third study, the geocentric position vectors from a set of 77 VLBI experiments beginning in October 1982 have been used to estimate the tangential rate of change of station positions in the western U.S. in a North-America-Fixed reference frame.

Geological modeling of submeter scale heterogeneity and its influence on tracer transport in a fluvial aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronayne, Michael J.; Gorelick, Steven M.; Zheng, Chunmiao

2010-10-01

We developed a new model of aquifer heterogeneity to analyze data from a single-well injection-withdrawal tracer test conducted at the Macrodispersion Experiment (MADE) site on the Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi (USA). The physical heterogeneity model is a hybrid that combines 3-D lithofacies to represent submeter scale, highly connected channels within a background matrix based on a correlated multivariate Gaussian hydraulic conductivity field. The modeled aquifer architecture is informed by a variety of field data, including geologic core sampling. Geostatistical properties of this hybrid heterogeneity model are consistent with the statistics of the hydraulic conductivity data set based on extensive borehole flowmeter testing at the MADE site. The representation of detailed, small-scale geologic heterogeneity allows for explicit simulation of local preferential flow and slow advection, processes that explain the complex tracer response from the injection-withdrawal test. Based on the new heterogeneity model, advective-dispersive transport reproduces key characteristics of the observed tracer recovery curve, including a delayed concentration peak and a low-concentration tail. Importantly, our results suggest that intrafacies heterogeneity is responsible for local-scale mass transfer.

Metallic-mineral assessment of the Aban Al Ahmar quadrangle, sheet 25F, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kamilli, Robert J.; Arnold, Mark A.; Cole, James C.; Kleinkopf, M. Dean; Lee, Keenan; Miller, William R.; Raines, Gary L.; ,; ,

1990-01-01

Comprehensive detailed interdisciplinary study assesses the metallic-mineral-resource potential in the Aban Al Ahmar Quadrangle of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located in the eastern margin of the northeastern Arabian Shield, utilizing techniques of geophysics, geologic mapping, remote sensing and geochemistry. The landscape of the study area is characterized by isolated mountain groups, inselbergs, and local tracts of dissected hills separated by broad, low-relief peneplain. Topics covered include mining and exploration history; geological setting; interpretation of geophysical anomalies; limonitic hydrothermally altered and mineralized rocks; geochemical interpretation; mineral resource potential; skarn deposiits associated with intermediate igneous rocks; gold deposits; tin/tungsten skarn deposits; etc. 

Geochemical and Isotopic Estimates of Eolian Dust in Soils of the San Juan Mountains, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, C. R.; Neff, J. C.; Farmer, L.; Painter, T. H.; Landry, C.

2007-12-01

Eolian dust deposition in the San Juan Mountain Range in southern Colorado has increased 5-7 fold in the past two centuries. This dust deposition contributes an exogenous supply of biologically relevant elements such as Ca, K, Mg, and P to these alpine ecosystems in the form of fine textured mineral particulates. The deposition of eolian dust may be an underestimated factor of soil formation and soil chemistry in these alpine settings. The importance of eolian dust relative to the weathering of local bedrock likely varies across bedrock types. The San Juan Range is geologically diverse with distinct regions of Meso-proterozic crystalline granites in the Weminuche Wilderness, Mesozoic sedimentary layers near Molas Pass in the San Juan National Forest, and Tertiary volcanic geology found on Red Mountain Pass in the Uncompahgre National Forest. Principle component analysis of element chemistry shows that bedrock and soils from these sites cluster by geology. In addition, these groups are chemically distinct from eolian dust collected from snow in the San Juan Range. Several elements seem to drive the difference of dust from soils and bedrock including Ca, Sr, Cu and Cd. The purpose of this research was to estimate the relative contribution of eolian dust to alpine soil element pools in the San Juan Mountains across a range of local geologic parent material. A calculation of element mass- balance shows that Cu and Cd are enriched in the surface soils of both volcanic and sedimentary soils relative to concentrations in local bedrock. However, Ca is enriched only in volcanic soils. These observations support the notion that eolian dust contributes to soil formation and that the relative contribution of dust across the landscape varies with geology. In addition to element mass-balance estimates we utilize Sr and Nd isotope measurements of soil, bedrock, and dust to further constrain the importance of eolian dust to these alpine soils.

Laws, Place, History and the Interpretation of Earth Surface Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Jonathan

2016-04-01

The state of an Earth surface system (ESS is determined by three sets of factors: Laws, place, and history. Laws (L = L1, L2, . . . , Ln) are the n general principles, relationships, and representations applicable to any such system at any time. Place factors (P = P1, P2, . . . , Pm) are the m relevant properties or characteristics of the local or regional environment - e.g., climate, tectonic setting, geology, traits of the local biota, etc. History factors (H = H1 , H2, . . . , Hq) include the previous evolutionary pathway of the ESS, its stage of development, past disturbance, and in some contexts initial conditions. Geoscience investigation may be focused on laws (e.g., theoretical deductions, process modeling, laboratory experiments), place (e.g., regional geology or geography, soil-landscape studies), or history (e.g., paleoenvironmental studies, environmental history, historical geology or geography). Ultimately, however, all three sets of factors are necessary to fully understand and explain ESS. Beyond providing a useful checklist (analogous to the factorial models often used in pedology and ecology), the LPH framework gives us analytical traction to some difficult research problems. For example, studies of the avulsions of three southeast Texas rivers showed substantial differences in avulsion regimes and resulting alluvial morphology, despite the proximity and superficial similarity of the systems. Avulsion dynamics are governed by the same laws in all three cases [L(A) = L(B) = L(C)], and the three rivers, once part of a single system at lower sea-levels, have undergone the same sea-level, climate, and tectonic histories, as well as the same general types of anthropic impacts [H(A) ≈ H(B) ≈ H(C)]. Though the regional-scale environmental controls are similar, local details such as the location of the modern main channel relative to Pleistocene meander channels differ, and thus these place factors explain the differences between the rivers. The LPH framework can also be used to determine the source of similarities among disparate systems. A classic example is the topology of fluvial channel networks, which have similar characteristics despite a great variety in place and history factors. Since P(i) ≠ P(j), H(i) ≠ H(j), this points to L factors as the controls of the similarities. Similar trends are emerging in the study of root-rock interactions in forest regoliths, where similar phenomena occur despite variations in underlying geology, vegetation, and disturbance regimes. The LPH framework, or very similar types of reasoning, is implicit in many types of geoscience analysis. More explicit attention to the triad can help us solve or address many specific problems and remind us of the importance of all three sets of factors.

Description of water-resource-related data compiled for Reno County, south-central Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, C.V.

1993-01-01

Water-resource-related data for sites in Reno County, Kansas were compiled in cooperation with the Reno County Health Department as part of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Local Environmental Protection Program (LEPP). These data were entered into a relational data-base management system (RDBMS) to facilitate the spatial analysis required to meet the LEPP goals of developing plans for nonpoint-source management and for public- water-supply protection. The data in the RDBMS are organized into digital data sets. The data sets contain the water-resource-related data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey for 958 wells; by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for 3,936 wells; by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for 51 wells, 18 public-water-supply distribution systems, and 7 streams; by the Kansas State Board of Agriculture for 643 wells and 23 streams or surface-water impoundments; and by well-drilling contractors and the Kansas Geological Survey for 96 wells. The data in these five data sets are available from the Reno County Health Department in Hutchinson, Kansas. (USGS)

The identity of the North East of England has been shaped by the rocks beneath our feet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shields, Deborah

2017-04-01

Geology and Geography students within England learn about the earth's processes and human processes, however it is not always easy for them to see the link between them and to their own lives. The changes to the specification within A-level Geography has seen an emphasis on how processes are linked to their own lives and the local area. I am fortunate to teach both Geography and Geology and I want my students who study both subjects to appreciate the links within the subjects. I also want them to appreciate the local geology and see how it has shaped the North East of England. I have therefore, created a series of lessons to help them to explore the local geology and place identity of the North East of England. To help them to develop an understanding of how the local geology influences place identity. I have used an enquiry based approach which uses the KWL chart and a concept map for students to demonstrate their understanding. These lessons are structured using the learning cycle. The lessons are differentiated through the use of cheat sheets, different levels of hand-outs and grouping of students. The learning objectives are:- 1. Describe the Geology of the North East of England. 2. Explain at least one process which has formed local geology. 3. Define place identity. 4. Discuss the North East of England's identity. 5. Discuss how the local Geology has influenced the North East of England's identity. The North East of England's geology mainly consists of coal and limestone. There is rich industrial heritage of the North East which is based around coal mining. Therefore, coal mining has had a great impact on the identity of the North East of England. There are also a number of different SSSIs which is due to the Magnesium limestone in the area, which has helped to shape the identity of the region. There are a number of areas of outstanding natural beauty due to the local geology and this has helped to create a positive identity for the North East of England.

Site Effects, Attenuation and Signal Duration in the 1356 Basel Earthquake Area (Southern Upper Rhine Graben))

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

GRANET, M.; BOITEL, G.

2001-12-01

A field experiment has been carried out in the epicentral area of the Basel (northern Switzerland) earthquake of 18 October 1356, the largest historical earthquake in central Europe, with the aim to better characterize the spatial variability of the amplitudes of the seismic waves due to the local geology. Such site effects evaluation are needed in seismic engineering in order to establish effective building codes. In order to determine the site effects, we used a spectral ratio method, utilizing the data collected from a mobile network of 45 stations, installed from March to August 2000. As the main result, we found resonant peak amplitudes at 3, 4 and 6 Hz, which are more pronounced when the seismic stations are located on the sediments. From the same data set, attenuation laws have been calculated. They show the importance of the geometrical attenuation in this region and the influence of the local geology on the amplitude of ground velocities. Finally, we notice that the velocities are more amplified for the lower part of the observed seismic signal frequency band. The computation of relations linking the duration of the signal to the magnitude, the distance and the local geology shows a good correlation of stations characterized by long duration signals with those affected by site effects. As for ground velocities, the duration becomes also more significant at the low frequencies. Finally, we computed the quality factor QP using the spectral ratio method. Unfortunately does the limited number of available data prevent us to obtain a very detailed model. Nevertheless does QP show a very significant attenuation across the whole area, without large contrasts, and a decrease of the attenuation with increasing frequencies. To conclude, this newly collected data set from a dense array of 45 stations in this tectonically active and hazardous area shows large site effects associated with an increasing of both amplitudes and duration of the signal, especially at low frequencies.

Geologic Resource Evaluation of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Hawai'i: Geology and Coastal Landforms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richmond, Bruce M.; Gibbs, Ann E.; Cochran, Susan A.

2008-01-01

Geologic resource inventories of lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS) are important products for the parks and are designed to provide scientific information to better manage park resources. Park-specific geologic reports are used to identify geologic features and processes that are relevant to park ecosystems, evaluate the impact of human activities on geologic features and processes, identify geologic research and monitoring needs, and enhance opportunities for education and interpretation. These geologic reports are planned to provide a brief geologic history of the park and address specific geologic issues that link the park geology and the resource manager. The Kona coast National Parks of the Island of Hawai'i are intended to preserve the natural beauty of the Kona coast and protect significant ancient structures and artifacts of the native Hawaiians. Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE), Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (KAHO), and Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park (PUHO) are three Kona parks studied by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Team in cooperation with the National Park Service. This report is one of six related reports designed to provide geologic and benthic-habitat information for the three Kona parks. Each geology and coastal-landform report describes the regional geologic setting of the Hawaiian Islands, gives a general description of the geology of the Kona coast, and presents the geologic setting and issues for one of the parks. The related benthic-habitat mapping reports discuss the marine data and habitat classification scheme, and present results of the mapping program. Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (KAHO) was established in 1978 in order to preserve and protect traditional native Hawaiian culture and cultural sites. The park is the site of an ancient Hawaiian settlement, occupies 469 ha and is considered a locale of considerable cultural and historical significance. Cultural resources include fishponds, petroglyphs and a heiau (religious site). The fishponds are also recognized as exceptional birding areas and are important wetlands for migratory birds. The ocean and reef have been designated as a Marine Area Reserve, where green sea turtles commonly come ashore to rest. The park is also a valuable recreational resource, with approximately 4 km of coastline and a protective cove ideal for snorkeling and swimming. KAHO park boundaries extend beyond the mean high tide line and include the adjacent marine environment. An accompanying report for KAHO presents the results of benthic habitat mapping of the offshore waters, from the shoreline to approximately 40 m water depth. Ground-water quality and potential downslope impacts created by development around the park are of concern to Park management.

Status Report on the Geology of the Oak Ridge Reservation

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

Hatcher, R.D., Jr.

1992-01-01

This report provides an introduction to the present state of knowledge of the geology of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and a cursory introduction to the hydrogeology. A detailed reported on hydrogeology is being produced in parallel to this one. An important element of this work is the construction of a modern detailed geologic map of the ORR containing subdivisions of all mappable rock units and displaying mesoscopic structural data. Understanding the geologic framework of the ORR is essential to many current and proposed activities related to land-use planning, waste management, environmental restoration, and waste remediation. This interim report ismore » the result of cooperation between geologists in two Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) divisions, Environmental Sciences and Energy, and is a major part of one doctoral dissertation in the Department of Geological Sciences at The University of Tennessee--Knoxville. Major long-term goals of geologic investigations in the ORR are to determine what interrelationships exist between fractures systems in individual rock or tectonic units and the fluid flow regimes, to understand how regional and local geology can be used to help predict groundwater movement, and to formulate a structural-hydrologic model that for the first time would enable prediction of the movement of groundwater and other subsurface fluids in the ORR. Understanding the stratigraphic and structural framework and how it controls fluid flow at depth should be the first step in developing a model for groundwater movement. Development of a state-of-the-art geologic and geophysical framework for the ORR is therefore essential for formulating an integrated structural-hydrologic model. This report is also intended to convey the present state of knowledge of the geologic and geohydrologic framework of the ORR and vicinity and to present some of the data that establish the need for additional geologic mapping and geohydrologic studies. An additional intended use should be for guided field trips or for self-guided tours by geoscientists. This guidebook provides the following: (1) the geologic setting of the ORR in the context of the Valley and Ridge province, (2) general descriptions of the major stratigraphic units mapped on the surface or recognized in drill holes, (3) a general description of geologic structure in the Oak Ridge area, (4) a discussion of the relationship between geology and geohydrology, and (5) descriptions of localities where each major stratigraphic unit may be observed in or near the ORR. Appendices contain field trip stop descriptions and data on soils.« less

Commencement of Geoparks, Geology day and International Earth Science Olympiad, IYPE in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsukuda, Eikichi; Kodama, Kisaburo; Miyazaki, Teruki

2010-05-01

The GSJ is the main supporting organization of IYPE Japan, which is an implementation body of IYPE in Japan, serving as its secretariat. During the IYPE triennial activity, the GSJ has been supporting development of Geparks, establishment of "the Geology Day" and the Earth Science Olympiad activities with some academic societies, and has distributed geological maps with IYPE logo. The GSJ also established an outreach network "Geo-networks Tsukuba" as a local legacy of the IYPE, and has managed it with a local government, research organizations, nonprofit corporations and local media to increase geological and environmental literacy of public, especially among young people. The GSJ-AIST has also contributed internationally to IYPE by joining two international projects, OneGeology and the CCOP Book project. Geoparks in Japan are characterized by following features. The Japanese Islands and the surrounding seas are situated in the area of unique geologic features; the place where several tectonic plates meet and collide. This causes earthquakes and volcanic activities, and makes Japan one of most dynamic areas on the earth. The dynamics of the earth bring about not only geological hazards but also a lot of blessings. In August of 2009, three Geoparks, the Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Geopark, the Itoigawa Geopark and the Unzen Volcanic Area Geopark, were accepted to join the Global Geopark Network from Japan for the first time. Since its launch in 2006, the GSJ has been playing a major role in promoting Geoparks in Japan together with Geological Society of Japan. The GSJ hosts the Japan Geopark Committee (JGC) for quality evaluation, serving as the information center of Geoparks in Japan. The Geology Day of Japan (10th of May) has been set up by the academic societies for geology in Japan and GSJ in 2007. The Geology Day is expected to provide the chances for the public to enjoy field trips and excursions and to understand the importance of geo-diversity. The Day commemorates the first publication of the geological map of Japan on 10th of May in 1878. A total of fifty-nine geology-related organizations including natural museums and academic societies have joined the eighty nine events for Geology Day all over Japan in 2009. After the great success of 1st Iinternational Earth Science Olympiad(IESO) in Korea (2007), 2nd Philippines (2008) and 3rd Taiwan (2009), 6th IESO was decided to be held in Japan (2012). We also expect great success of 4th IESO in Indonesia and 5th IESO in Italy. Earth science communities in Japan including Societies, Universities, and Research Institutes take present-day environmental crisis seriously and throw strong messages to young people for saving the earth. Under such circumstances, IESO provides wonderful chances to think of the earth, to make friendships among worldwide participants and to understand each other. We, earth science communities in Japan, promise strongly to support 6th IESO in Tsukuba, Japan (2012) and then to organize this event efficiently. Through the triennial activity of IYPE we all learned the importance of international cooperation and public outreach.

Geological, Geophysical, and Stochastic Factors in Nepal's Gorkha Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargel, J. S.; Shugar, D. H.; Haritashya, U. K.; Leonard, G. J.; Fielding, E. J.; Hudnut, K. W.; Jibson, R.; Collins, B. D.

2015-12-01

On 25 April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal. Subsequently many large aftershocks shook the region, including one of magnitude 7.3. Much damage and over 4300 landslides were triggered. The landslides were mapped by a volunteer group who self organized to undertake an emergency response to the earthquake disaster. The number of landslides is fewer than expected based on total released seismic energy. This may be because of lack of a surface rupture and possibly also because of high surface-wave attenuation due to rugged surface topography or to the geological and geophysical characteristics of the upper crust. The observed landslides were primarily in the southern half of the Himalaya in areas where the steepest slopes occur and where peak ground accelerations were relatively high. The landslides are also concentrated on the tectonically downdropped block. However, the distribution is complex and varies dramatically from valley to valley. Furthermore, different types of landslides are concentrated in different geologic materials, which suggests local factors control the valley-scale attenuation or amplification of seismic waves or the way wave disturbances couple to the local geologic materials. Across the earthquake-affected zone on the regional scale, wave attenuation and also net downdrop and uplift may also explain as much about the distribution of landslides as slopes and distance from large slips on the fault. We will offer the regional distribution results and some specific case studies to illustrate a set of possible controlling factors.

Estimating the Geoelectric Field Using Precomputed EMTFs: Effect of Magnetometer Cadence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grawe, M.; Butala, M.; Makela, J. J.; Kamalabadi, F.

2017-12-01

Studies that make use of electromagnetic transfer functions (EMTFs) to calculate the surface electric field from a specified surface magnetic field often use historical magnetometer information for validation and comparison purposes. Depending on the data source, the magnetometer cadence is typically between 1 and 60 seconds. It is often implied that a 60 (and sometimes 10) second cadence is acceptable for purposes of geoelectric field calculation using a geophysical model. Here, we quantitatively assess this claim under different geological settings and using models of varying complexity (using uniform/1D/3D EMTFs) across several different space weather events. Conclusions are made about sampling rate sufficiency as a function of local geology and the spectral content of the surface magnetic field.

Comparing Outcomes from Field and Classroom Based Settings for Undergraduate Geoscience Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, M. R.; Harris, R. A.; Flores, J.

2011-12-01

Field based learning can be found in nearly every course offered in Geology at Brigham Young University. For example, in our Structural Geology course field studies substitute for labs. Students collect data their own data from several different structural settings of the Wasatch Range. Our curriculum also includes a two-week, sophomore-level field course that introduces students to interpreting field relations themselves and sets the stage for much of what they learn in their upper-division courses. Our senior-level six-week field geology course includes classical field mapping with exercises in petroleum and mineral exploration, environmental geology and geological hazards. Experiments with substituting field-based general education courses for those in traditional classroom settings indicate that student cognition, course enjoyment and recruiting of majors significantly increase in a field-based course. We offer a field-based introductory geology course (Geo 102) that is taught in seven, six-hour field trips during which students travel to localities of geologic interest to investigate a variety of fundamental geological problems. We compare the outcomes of Geo 102 with a traditional classroom-based geology course (Geo 101). For the comparison both courses are taught by the same instructor, use the same text and supplementary materials and take the same exams. The results of 7 years of reporting indicate that test scores and final grades are one-half grade point higher for Geo 102 students versus those in traditional introductory courses. Student evaluations of the course are also 0.8-1.4 points higher on a scale of 1-8, and are consistently the highest in the Department and College. Other observations include increased attendance, attention and curiosity. The later two are measured by the number of students asking questions of other students as well as the instructors, and the total number of questions asked during class time in the field versus the classroom. Normal classroom involvement includes two or three students asking nearly all of the questions, while in Geo 102 it is closer to half the class, and not the same students each time. Not only do more individuals participate in asking questions in Geo 102, but each participant asks more questions as well. Questions asked in class are generally specific to the discussion, while field questions are commonly multidisciplinary in nature. Field-based courses also encourage more students to collaborate with each other and to integrate shared observations due to the many different aspects of the geosciences present at each site. One of the most important pay-offs is the 50% increase in the number of students changing their major to geology in the field-based versus classroom-based courses. Field-based learning increases the depth of student understanding of the subjects they investigate as well as student involvement and enthusiasm in the class. The tradeoff we make for realizing significant individual and group discovery in the field is that more responsibility is placed on the student to understand the broad based geologic concepts found in the text. The field based approach allows the students to immediately apply their learning in real world applications.

Uraniferous opal, Virgin Valley, Nevada: conditions of formation and implications for uranium exploration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zielinski, R.A.

1982-01-01

Uraniferous, fluorescent opal, which occurs in tuffaceous sedimentary rocks at Virgin Valley, Nevada, records the temperature and composition of uranium-rich solutions as well as the time of uranium-silica coprecipitation. Results are integrated with previous geologic and geochronologic data for the area to produce a model for uranium mobility that may be used to explore for uranium deposits in similar geologic settings. Uraniferous opal occurs as replacements of diatomite, or silicic air-fall ash layers in tuffaceous lakebeds of the Virgin Valley Formation (Miocene) of Merriam (1907). Fission-track radiography shows uranium to be homogeneously dispersed throughout the opal structure, suggesting coprecipitation of dissolved uranium and silica gel. Fluid inclusions preserved within opal replacements of diatomite have homogenization temperatures in the epithermal range and are of low salinity. Four samples of opal from one locality all have U-Pb apparent ages which suggest uraniferous opal precipitation in late Pliocene time. These ages correspond to a period of local, normal faulting, and highangle faults may have served as vertical conduits for transport of deep, thermalized ground water to shallower levels. Lateral migration of rising solutions occurred at intersections of faults with permeable strata. Silica and some uranium were dissolved from silica-rich host strata of 5-20 ppm original uranium content and reprecipitated as the solutions cooled. The model predicts that in similar geologic settings, ore-grade concentrations of uranium will occur in permeable strata that intersect high-angle faults and that contain uranium source rocks as well as efficient reductant traps for uranium. In the absence of sufficient quantities of reductant materials, uranium will be flushed from the system or will accumulate in low-grade disseminated hosts such as uraniferous opal. ?? 1982.

Local regression type methods applied to the study of geophysics and high frequency financial data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariani, M. C.; Basu, K.

2014-09-01

In this work we applied locally weighted scatterplot smoothing techniques (Lowess/Loess) to Geophysical and high frequency financial data. We first analyze and apply this technique to the California earthquake geological data. A spatial analysis was performed to show that the estimation of the earthquake magnitude at a fixed location is very accurate up to the relative error of 0.01%. We also applied the same method to a high frequency data set arising in the financial sector and obtained similar satisfactory results. The application of this approach to the two different data sets demonstrates that the overall method is accurate and efficient, and the Lowess approach is much more desirable than the Loess method. The previous works studied the time series analysis; in this paper our local regression models perform a spatial analysis for the geophysics data providing different information. For the high frequency data, our models estimate the curve of best fit where data are dependent on time.

Hyporheic transport in headwater mountain streams is time-invariant in locations where geologic controls dominate hydrologic forcin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, A. S.; Schmadel, N.; Wondzell, S. M.; Harman, C. J.; Gooseff, M. N.; Singha, K.

2015-12-01

Transport along riparian and hyporheic flowpaths is generally believed to integrate the responses of streams and aquifers to dynamic hydrological forcing. Although it is generally expected transport along these flow paths is time-variable, such dynamic responses have seldom been demonstrated. Further, we do not understand how hydrological forcing interacts with local geologic setting (i.e., valley and streambed morphology) We conducted a series of four stream solute tracer injections in each of two watersheds with contrasting valley morphology in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, monitoring tracer concentrations in the stream and in a network of shallow wells in each watershed. Time series analyses were used to deconvolve transport along subsurface flowpaths from transport in the stream channel. We found time-invariant hyporheic transport in the narrow, bedrock-constrained valley and near large roughness elements (e.g., steps, logs) in the wider valley bottom despite order of magnitude changes in discharge, suggesting geologic controls dominate hyporheic transport in these locations. In contrast, we observed increases in mean arrival time and temporal variance with decreasing discharge at the riparian-hillslope transition, suggesting hydrological dynamics control transport in these locations. We pose several mechanisms by which dynamic hydrology and geologic setting interact that may explain the observed behavior. We interpret time-invariant transport as an indication that discharge in the surface stream is a poor predictor of exchange along the stream-hyporheic-riparian-hillslope continuum in headwater valleys. As such, models able to account for the transition from geologically-dominated processes in the near-stream subsurface to hydrologically-dominated processes near the hillslope are required to predict transport and fate in valley bottoms of headwater mountain streams.

Interpretation of aeromagnetic data in the Jameson Land Basin, central East Greenland: Structures and related mineralized systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brethes, Anaïs; Guarnieri, Pierpaolo; Rasmussen, Thorkild Maack; Bauer, Tobias Erich

2018-01-01

This paper provides a detailed interpretation of several aeromagnetic datasets over the Jameson Land Basin in central East Greenland. The interpretation is based on texture and lineament analysis of magnetic data and derivatives of these, in combination with geological field observations. Numerous faults and Cenozoic intrusions were identified and a chronological interpretation of the events responsible for the magnetic features is proposed built on crosscutting relationships and correlated with absolute ages. Lineaments identified in enhanced magnetic data are compared with structures controlling the mineralized systems occurring in the area and form the basis for the interpretations presented in this paper. Several structures associated with base metal mineralization systems that were known at a local scale are here delineated at a larger scale; allowing the identification of areas displaying favorable geological settings for mineralization. This study demonstrates the usefulness of high-resolution airborne magnetic data for detailed structural interpretation and mineral exploration in geological contexts such as the Jameson Land Basin.

Mars Structural and Stratigraphic Mapping along the Coprates Rise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, R Stephen

2009-01-01

This geologic mapping project supports a topical study of structures in east Thaumasia associated with the Coprates rise. The study examines cuesta-like features on the east flank of the Coprates rise first identified by Saunders et al. [1]. Mapping combines detailed local stratigraphy, structural geology and topography. Hogbacks and cuestas indicate erosion of tilted rock units. The extent of the erosion will be determined in the course of the mapping. The region of interest lies along the eastern margin of Thaumasia bounded by latitudes -15 and -35 and longitudes 50 to 70 W (Figure 1). Three MTM geologic quadrangles are being compiled for publication by the USGS (-20057, -25057, -30057). All existing data sources are used including THEMIS, MOC, CTX, HiRISE, MOLA and gravity, as well as higher level data available through the PDS data nodes at ASU, UA and Washington University. The extremely valuable ASU JMARS tools are used for analysis of many of the data sets. ArcGIS software has been obtained and is being learned for the map compilation.

Applicability of ERTS-1 to lineament and photogeologic mapping in Montana: Preliminary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidman, R. M.; Alt, D. D.; Flood, R. E.; Hawley, K. T.; Wackwitz, L. K.; Berg, R. B.; Johns, W. M.

1973-01-01

A lineament map prepared from a mosaic of western Montana shows about 85 lines not represented on the state geologic map, including elements of a northeast-trending set through central western Montana which merit ground truth checking and consideration in regional structural analysis. Experimental fold annotation resulted in a significant local correction to the state geologic map. Photogeologic mapping studies produced only limited success in identification of rock types, but they did result in the precise delineation of a late Cretaceous or early Tertiary volcanic field (Adel Mountain field) and the mapping of a connection between two granitic bodies shown on the state map. Imagery was used successfully to map clay pans associated with bentonite beds in gently dipping Bearpaw Shale. It is already apparent that ERTS imagery should be used to facilitate preparation of a much needed statewide tectonic map and that satellite imagery mapping, aided by ground calibration, provides and economical means to discover and correct errors in the state geologic map.

Groundwater source contamination mechanisms: Physicochemical profile clustering, risk factor analysis and multivariate modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hynds, Paul; Misstear, Bruce D.; Gill, Laurence W.; Murphy, Heather M.

2014-04-01

An integrated domestic well sampling and "susceptibility assessment" programme was undertaken in the Republic of Ireland from April 2008 to November 2010. Overall, 211 domestic wells were sampled, assessed and collated with local climate data. Based upon groundwater physicochemical profile, three clusters have been identified and characterised by source type (borehole or hand-dug well) and local geological setting. Statistical analysis indicates that cluster membership is significantly associated with the prevalence of bacteria (p = 0.001), with mean Escherichia coli presence within clusters ranging from 15.4% (Cluster-1) to 47.6% (Cluster-3). Bivariate risk factor analysis shows that on-site septic tank presence was the only risk factor significantly associated (p < 0.05) with bacterial presence within all clusters. Point agriculture adjacency was significantly associated with both borehole-related clusters. Well design criteria were associated with hand-dug wells and boreholes in areas characterised by high permeability subsoils, while local geological setting was significant for hand-dug wells and boreholes in areas dominated by low/moderate permeability subsoils. Multivariate susceptibility models were developed for all clusters, with predictive accuracies of 84% (Cluster-1) to 91% (Cluster-2) achieved. Septic tank setback was a common variable within all multivariate models, while agricultural sources were also significant, albeit to a lesser degree. Furthermore, well liner clearance was a significant factor in all models, indicating that direct surface ingress is a significant well contamination mechanism. Identification and elucidation of cluster-specific contamination mechanisms may be used to develop improved overall risk management and wellhead protection strategies, while also informing future remediation and maintenance efforts.

Complete Bouguer gravity anomaly map of the state of Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abrams, Gerda A.

1993-01-01

The Bouguer gravity anomaly map is part of a folio of maps of Colorado cosponsored by the National Mineral Resources Assessment Program (NAMRAP) and the National Geologic Mapping Program (COGEOMAP) and was produced to assist in studies of the mineral resource potential and tectonic setting of the State. Previous compilations of about 12,000 gravity stations by Behrendt and Bajwa (1974a,b) are updated by this map. The data was reduced at a 2.67 g/cm3 and the grid contoured at 3 mGal intervals. This map will aid in the mineral resource assessment by indicating buried intrusive complexes, volcanic fields, major faults and shear zones, and sedimentary basins; helping to identify concealed geologic units; and identifying localities that might be hydrothermically altered or mineralized.

GEE CREEK WILDERNESS, TENNESSEE.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Epstein, Jack B.; Gazdik, Gertrude C.

1984-01-01

On the basis of geologic, geochemical, and mine and prospect surveys, it was determined that the Gee Creek Wilderness, Tennessee has little promise for the occurrence of mineral resources. Iron ore was formerly mined, but the deposits are small, have a high phosphorous content, and are inaccessible. Shale, suitable for brick or lightweight aggregate, and sandstone, which could be utilized for crushed stone or sand, are found in the area, but are also found in areas closer to potential markets. The geologic setting precludes the presence of oil and gas resources in the surface rocks, but the possibility of finding natural gas at depth below the rocks exposed in the area cannot be discounted. Geophysical exploration would be necessary to define the local structure in rocks at depth to properly evaluate the potential of the area for gas.

Isostatic gravity map of Yukon Flats, east-central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morin, Robert L.

2002-01-01

The gravity data used to make this map were collected between 1959 and 1984. The data were collected by automobile, aircraft, and watercraft. Most of the data were collected as part of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) regional gravity data collection project. Some of the data were collected as part of other USGS local projects. One data set was collected by the NGS (National Geodetic Survey). This map ranges from 65° to 68° N latitude and 141° to 152° W longitude. The names of the 12 1:250,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle maps that make up this map are labeled on the map. The western edge of the map is 1 degree of longitude east of the edge of the three most western quadrangles.

Use of sediment-trace element geochemical models for the identification of local fluvial baseline concentrations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horowitz, A.J.; Elrick, K.A.; Demas, C.R.; Demcheck, D.K.

1991-01-01

Studies have demonstrated the utility of fluvial bed sediment chemical data in assesing local water-quality conditions. However, establishing local background trace element levels can be difficult. Reference to published average concentrations or the use of dated cores are often of little use in small areas of diverse local petrology, geology, land use, or hydrology. An alternative approach entails the construction of a series of sediment-trace element predictive models based on data from environmentally diverse but unaffected areas. Predicted values could provide a measure of local background concentrations and comparison with actual measured concentrations could identify elevated trace elements and affected sites. Such a model set was developed from surface bed sediments collected nationwide in the United States. Tests of the models in a small Louisiana basin indicated that they could be used to establish local trace element background levels, but required recalibration to account for local geochemical conditions outside the range of samples used to generate the nationwide models.

Mapping Planetary Volcanic Deposits: Identifying Vents and Distinguishing between Effects of Eruption Conditions and Local Storage and Release on Flow Field Morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bleacher, J. E.; Eppler, D. B.; Skinner, J. A.; Evans, C. A.; Feng, W.; Gruener, J. E.; Hurwitz, D. M.; Whitson, P.; Janoiko, B.

2014-01-01

Terrestrial geologic mapping techniques are regularly used for "photogeologic" mapping of other planets, but these approaches are complicated by the diverse type, areal coverage, and spatial resolution of available data sets. When available, spatially-limited in-situ human and/or robotic surface observations can sometimes introduce a level of detail that is difficult to integrate with regional or global interpretations. To assess best practices for utilizing observations acquired from orbit and on the surface, our team conducted a comparative study of geologic mapping and interpretation techniques. We compared maps generated for the same area in the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF) in northern Arizona using 1) data collected for reconnaissance before and during the 2010 Desert Research And Technology Studies campaign, and 2) during a traditional, terrestrial field geology study. The operations, related results, and direct mapping comparisons are discussed in companion LPSC abstracts. Here we present new geologic interpretations for a volcanic cone and related lava flows as derived from all approaches involved in this study. Mapping results indicate a need for caution when interpreting past eruption conditions on other planetary surfaces from orbital data alone.

Mapping Planetary Volcanic Deposits: Identifying Vents and Distingushing between Effects of Eruption Conditions and Local Lava Storage and Release on Flow Field Morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bleacher, J. E.; Eppler, D. B.; Skinner, J. A.; Evans, C. A.; Feng, W.; Gruener, J. E.; Hurwitz, D. M.; Whitson, P.; Janoiko, B.

2014-01-01

Terrestrial geologic mapping techniques are regularly used for "photogeologic" mapping of other planets, but these approaches are complicated by the diverse type, areal coverage, and spatial resolution of available data sets. When available, spatially-limited in-situ human and/or robotic surface observations can sometimes introduce a level of detail that is difficult to integrate with regional or global interpretations. To assess best practices for utilizing observations acquired from orbit and on the surface, our team conducted a comparative study of geologic mapping and interpretation techniques. We compared maps generated for the same area in the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF) in northern Arizona using 1) data collected for reconnaissance before and during the 2010 Desert Research And Technology Studies campaign, and 2) during a traditional, terrestrial field geology study. The operations, related results, and direct mapping comparisons are discussed in companion LPSC abstracts [1-3]. Here we present new geologic interpretations for a volcanic cone and related lava flows as derived from all approaches involved in this study. Mapping results indicate a need for caution when interpreting past eruption conditions on other planetary surfaces from orbital data alone.

High performance computing to support multiscale representation of hydrography for the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanislawski, Larry V.; Liu, Yan; Buttenfield, Barbara P.; Survila, Kornelijus; Wendel, Jeffrey; Okok, Abdurraouf

2016-01-01

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) for the United States furnishes a comprehensive set of vector features representing the surface-waters in the country (U.S. Geological Survey 2000). The high-resolution (HR) layer of the NHD is largely comprised of hydrographic features originally derived from 1:24,000-scale (24K) U.S. Topographic maps. However, in recent years (2009 to present) densified hydrographic feature content, from sources as large as 1:2,400, have been incorporated into some watersheds of the HR NHD within the conterminous United States to better support the needs of various local and state organizations. As such, the HR NHD is a multiresolution dataset with obvious data density variations because of scale changes. In addition, data density variations exist within the HR NHD that are particularly evident in the surface-water flow network (NHD flowlines) because of natural variations of local geographic conditions; and also because of unintentional compilation inconsistencies due to variations in data collection standards and climate conditions over the many years of 24K hydrographic data collection (US Geological Survey 1955).

Groundwater arsenic contamination affecting different geologic domains in India--a review: influence of geological setting, fluvial geomorphology and Quaternary stratigraphy.

PubMed

Acharyya, Subhrangsu K; Shah, Babar A

2007-10-01

Arsenic contamination in groundwater is pervasive within lowland organic-rich Bengal Delta and narrow entrenched channels in the Middle Ganga floodplains. Local areas of Damodar fan-delta and isolated areas within the Dongargarh Proterozoic rift-zone in central India are also contaminated. In this rift-zone, arsenic is enriched in felsic magmatic rocks and weathered rocks and soils from local areas are enriched further in arsenic and iron. Late Quaternary stratigraphy, geomorphology and sedimentation have influenced groundwater arsenic contamination in alluvium that aggraded during the Holocene sea-level rise. No specific source of arsenic could be identified, although Himalaya is the main provenance for the Ganga floodplain and the Bengal Delta. Gondwana coal seams and other Peninsular Indian rocks might be sources for arsenic in the Damodar fan-delta. As-bearing pyrite or any As-mineral is nearly absent in the aquifer sediments. Arsenic mainly occurs adsorbed on hydrated-iron-oxide (HFO), which coat sediment grains and minerals. Arsenic and iron are released to groundwater by bio-mediated reductive dissolution of HFO with corresponding oxidation of organic matter.

The fault pattern in the northern Negev and southern Coastal Plain of Israel and its hydrogeological implications for groundwater flow in the Judea Group aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberger, G.; Rosenthal, E.

1994-03-01

On the basis of a broadly expanding data base, the hydrogeological properties of the Judea Group sequence in the northern Negev and southern Coastal Plain of Israel have been reassessed. The updated subsurface model is based on data derived from water- and oil-wells and on recent large-scale geophysical investigations. A new regional pattern of the reassessed geological through the subsurface of the study area has been revealed. In view of the reassessed geological and hydrological subsurface setting, it appears that the Judea Group aquifer should not be regarded as one continuous and undisturbed hydrological unit; owing to the occurrence of regional faults, its subaquifers are locally interconnected. These subaquifers, which contain mainly high-quality water, are juxtaposed, as a result of faulting, against Kurnub Group sandstones containing brackish paleowater. The latter Group is faulted against late Jurassic formations containing highly saline groundwater. In the Beer Sheva area, the Judea Group aquifer is vertically displaced against the Senonian and Eocene Mt. Scopus and Avdat Groups, which also contain brackish and saline water. In the southern Coastal Plain, major faults locally dissect also the Pleistocene Kurkar Group, facilitating inflow of Mg-rich groundwater deriving from Judea Group dolomites. The new geological evidence and its hydrogeological implications provide new solutions for previously unexplained salinization phenomena.

Integration of 3D geological modeling and gravity surveys for geothermal prospection in an Alpine region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guglielmetti, L.; Comina, C.; Abdelfettah, Y.; Schill, E.; Mandrone, G.

2013-11-01

Thermal sources are common manifestations of geothermal energy resources in Alpine regions. The up-flow of the fluid is well-known to be often linked to cross-cutting fault zones providing a significant volume of fractures. Since conventional exploration methods are challenging in such areas of high topography and complicated logistics, 3D geological modeling based on structural investigation becomes a useful tool for assessing the overall geology of the investigated sites. Geological modeling alone is, however, less effective if not integrated with deep subsurface investigations that could provide a first order information on geological boundaries and an imaging of geological structures. With this aim, in the present paper the combined use of 3D geological modeling and gravity surveys for geothermal prospection of a hydrothermal area in the western Alps was carried out on two sites located in the Argentera Massif (NW Italy). The geothermal activity of the area is revealed by thermal anomalies with surface evidences, such as hot springs, at temperatures up to 70 °C. Integration of gravity measurements and 3D modeling investigates the potential of this approach in the context of geothermal exploration in Alpine regions where a very complex geological and structural setting is expected. The approach used in the present work is based on the comparison between the observed gravity and the gravity effect of the 3D geological models, in order to enhance local effects related to the geothermal system. It is shown that a correct integration of 3D modeling and detailed geophysical survey could allow a better characterization of geological structures involved in geothermal fluids circulation. Particularly, gravity inversions have successfully delineated the continuity in depth of low density structures, such as faults and fractured bands observed at the surface, and have been of great help in improving the overall geological model.

Progress on geoenvironmental models for selected mineral deposit types, edited by R. R. Seal, II and N. K. Foley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seal, Robert R.; Foley, Nora K.

2002-01-01

Since the beginning of economic geology as a subdiscipline of the geological sciences, economic geologists have tended to classify mineral deposits on the basis of geological, mineralogical, and geochemical criteria, in efforts to systematize our understanding of mineral deposits as an aid to exploration. These efforts have led to classifications based on commodity, geologic setting (Cox and Singer, 1986), inferred temperatures and pressures of ore formation (Lindgren, 1933), and genetic setting (Park and MacDiarmid, 1975; Jensen and Bateman, 1979). None of these classification schemes is mutually exclusive; instead, there is considerable overlap among all of these classifications. A natural outcome of efforts to classify mineral deposits is the development of “mineral deposit models.” A mineral deposit model is a systematically arranged body of information that describes some or all of the essential characteristics of a selected group of mineral deposits; it presents a concept within which essential attributes may be distinguished and from which extraneous, coincidental features may be recognized and excluded (Barton, 1993). Barton (1993) noted that the grouping of deposits on the basis of common characteristics forms the basis for a classification, but the specification of the characteristics required for belonging to the group is the basis for a model. Models range from purely descriptive to genetic. A genetic model is superior to a descriptive model because it provides a basis to distinguish essential from extraneous attributes, and it has flexibility to accommodate variability in sources, processes, and local controls. In general, a descriptive model is a necessary prerequisite to a genetic model.

Geospatial drivers of the groundwater δ18O isoscape in a temperate maritime climate (Republic of Ireland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regan, S.; Goodhue, R.; Naughton, O.; Hynds, P.

2017-11-01

In recent years, the concept of ;isoscapes; has been used to describe spatiotemporal stable isotope distributions within natural environments including groundwater systems at multiple scales. This study presents an updated groundwater δ18O isoscape for the Republic of Ireland and describes the climatic and geological drivers influencing 18O composition. In all, 142 geographically and geologically representative groundwater installations were sampled and analysed, in addition to 35 samples from six nested boreholes. Geospatially, Irish groundwater exhibits high δ18O values in southern and western coastal regions, becoming progressively depleted inland before reaching lowest measured values along the eastern coast, equating to a national groundwater δ18O profile range of approximately 3‰. Groundwater δ18O composition is primarily driven by location with respect to orographically influenced rainfall deposition and annual precipitation volume, with a bias towards winter recharge. Results also demonstrate that local/regional (hydro)geological setting exerts a secondary influence on δ18O composition via infiltration and recharge mechanisms. ;Flashy; groundwater systems (e.g. karst limestones) are more likely to exhibit seasonal groundwater δ18O patterns, whereas low productivity systems with high residence times (e.g. granites), tend to display a dampened composition to groundwater recharge and exhibit more temporally constant δ18O values. The derived δ18O isoscape enhances current understanding of what is a geologically distinct groundwater setting, whilst also potentially serving as a δ18O ;sentinel; for continental Europe, with respect to both groundwater and precipitation, due to Ireland's geographic location.

Sediment-Hosted Zinc-Lead Deposits of the World - Database and Grade and Tonnage Models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singer, Donald A.; Berger, Vladimir I.; Moring, Barry C.

2009-01-01

This report provides information on sediment-hosted zinc-lead mineral deposits based on the geologic settings that are observed on regional geologic maps. The foundation of mineral-deposit models is information about known deposits. The purpose of this publication is to make this kind of information available in digital form for sediment-hosted zinc-lead deposits. Mineral-deposit models are important in exploration planning and quantitative resource assessments: Grades and tonnages among deposit types are significantly different, and many types occur in different geologic settings that can be identified from geologic maps. Mineral-deposit models are the keystone in combining the diverse geoscience information on geology, mineral occurrences, geophysics, and geochemistry used in resource assessments and mineral exploration. Too few thoroughly explored mineral deposits are available in most local areas for reliable identification of the important geoscience variables, or for robust estimation of undiscovered deposits - thus, we need mineral-deposit models. Globally based deposit models allow recognition of important features because the global models demonstrate how common different features are. Well-designed and -constructed deposit models allow geologists to know from observed geologic environments the possible mineral-deposit types that might exist, and allow economists to determine the possible economic viability of these resources in the region. Thus, mineral-deposit models play the central role in transforming geoscience information to a form useful to policy makers. This publication contains a computer file of information on sediment-hosted zinc-lead deposits from around the world. It also presents new grade and tonnage models for nine types of these deposits and a file allowing locations of all deposits to be plotted in Google Earth. The data are presented in FileMaker Pro, Excel and text files to make the information available to as many as possible. The value of this information and any derived analyses depends critically on the consistent manner of data gathering. For this reason, we first discuss the rules applied in this compilation. Next, the fields of the data file are considered. Finally, we provide new grade and tonnage models that are, for the most part, based on a classification of deposits using observable geologic units from regional-scaled maps.

Measuring novices' field mapping abilities using an in-class exercise based on expert task analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulkins, J. L.

2010-12-01

We are interested in developing a model of expert-like behavior for improving the teaching methods of undergraduate field geology. Our aim is to assist students in mastering the process of field mapping more efficiently and effectively and to improve their ability to think creatively in the field. To examine expert-mapping behavior, a cognitive task analysis was conducted with expert geologic mappers in an attempt to define the process of geologic mapping (i.e. to understand how experts carry out geological mapping). The task analysis indicates that expert mappers have a wealth of geologic scenarios at their disposal that they compare against examples seen in the field, experiences that most undergraduate mappers will not have had. While presenting students with many geological examples in class may increase their understanding of geologic processes, novices still struggle when presented with a novel field situation. Based on the task analysis, a short (45-minute) paper-map-based exercise was designed and tested with 14 pairs of 3rd year geology students. The exercise asks students to generate probable geologic models based on a series of four (4) data sets. Each data set represents a day’s worth of data; after the first “day,” new sheets simply include current and previously collected data (e.g. “Day 2” data set includes data from “Day 1” plus the new “Day 2” data). As the geologic complexity increases, students must adapt, reject or generate new geologic models in order to fit the growing data set. Preliminary results of the exercise indicate that students who produced more probable geologic models, and produced higher ratios of probable to improbable models, tended to go on to do better on the mapping exercises at the 3rd year field school. These results suggest that those students with more cognitively available geologic models may be more able to use these models in field settings than those who are unable to draw on these models for whatever reason. Giving students practice at generating geologic models to explain data may be useful in preparing our students for field mapping exercises.

Observation of the geology and geomorphology of the 1999 Marsokhod test site

USGS Publications Warehouse

De Hon, R. A.; Barlow, N.G.; Reagan, M.K.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Foster, C.T.; Gulick, V.C.; Crumpler, L.S.; Aubele, J.C.; Chapman, M.G.; Tanaka, K.L.

2001-01-01

The Marsokhod rover returned data from six stations that were used to decipher the geomorphology and geology of a region not previously visited by members of the geomorphology field team. Satellite images and simulated descent images provided information about the regional setting. The landing zone was on an alluvial apron flanking a mountain block to the west and a playa surface to the east. Rover color images, infrared spectra analysis of the mountains, and the apron surface provided insight into the rock composition of the nearby mountains. From the return data the geomorphology team interpreted the region to consist of compressionally deformed, ancient marine sediments and igneous rocks exposed by more recent extensional tectonics. Unconsolidated alluvial materials blanket the lower flanks of the mountains. An ancient shoreline cut into alluvial material marks a high stand of water during a past, wetter climate period. Playa sediments floor a present-day, seasonally, dry lake. Observations made by the rover using panoramic and close-up (hand specimens-scale) image data and color scene data confirmed the presence of boulders, cobbles, and fines of various provinces. Rover traverses to sites identified as geologically distinct, such as fan, channel, shoreline, and playa, provided useful clues to the geologic interpretations. Analysis of local rocks was given context only through comparison with distant geologic features. These results demonstrated the importance of a multifaceted approach to site interpretation through comparison of interpretations derived by differing geologic techniques. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

Geologic Map of the Snegurochka Planitia Quadrangle (V-1): Implications for the Volcanic History of the North Polar Region of Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurwitz, D. M.; Head, J. W.

2010-01-01

Geologic mapping of Snegurochka Planitia (V-1) reveals a complex stratigraphy of tectonic and volcanic features that can provide insight into the geologic history of Venus and Archean Earth [1,2], including 1) episodes of both localized crustal uplift and mantle downwelling, 2) shifts from local to regional volcanic activity, and 3) a shift back to local volcanic activity. We present our interpretations of the volcanic history of the region surrounding the north pole of Venus and explore how analysis of new data support our interpretations

Chapter B: Regional Geologic Setting of Late Cenozoic Lacustrine Diatomite Deposits, Great Basin and Surrounding Region: Overview and Plans for Investigation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, Alan R.

2003-01-01

Freshwater diatomite deposits are present in all of the Western United States, including the Great Basin and surrounding regions. These deposits are important domestic sources of diatomite, and a better understanding of their formation and geologic settings may aid diatomite exploration and land-use management. Diatomite deposits in the Great Basin are the products of two stages: (1) formation in Late Cenozoic lacustrine basins and (2) preservation after formation. Processes that favored long-lived diatom activity and diatomite formation range in decreasing scale from global to local. The most important global process was climate, which became increasingly cool and dry from 15 Ma to the present. Regional processes included tectonic setting and volcanism, which varied considerably both spatially and temporally in the Great Basin region. Local processes included basin formation, sedimentation, hydrology, and rates of processes, including diatom growth and accumulation; basin morphology and nutrient and silica sources were important for robust activity of different diatom genera. Only optimum combinations of these processes led to the formation of large diatomite deposits, and less than optimum combinations resulted in lakebeds that contained little to no diatomite. Postdepositional processes can destroy, conceal, or preserve a diatomite deposit. These processes, which most commonly are local in scale, include uplift, with related erosion and changes in hydrology; burial beneath sedimentary deposits or volcanic flows and tuffs; and alteration during diagenesis and hydrothermal activity. Some sedimentary basins that may have contained diatomite deposits have largely been destroyed or significantly modified, whereas others, such as those in western Nevada, have been sufficiently preserved along with their contained diatomite deposits. Future research on freshwater diatomite deposits in the Western United States and Great Basin region should concentrate on the regional and local processes that led to the formation and preservation of the deposits. Major questions that need to be answered include (1) why were some basins favorable for diatomite formation, whereas others were not; (2) what post-depositional conditions are needed for diatomite preservation; and (3) what were the optimum process combinations that led to the formation and preservation of economic diatomite deposits?

Living the Volcano: A First-Year Study Abroad Experience to Santorini, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, L. A.; Miller, M.; Scarnati, B.

2014-12-01

Over the last decade, enrollment in Northern Arizona University's (NAU) Geologic Disasters (GLG112) class has grown to its current 840 students in 7 sections per semester (4% of NAU enrollment). Given this large audience composed of >50% freshmen, the course curriculum was re-designed in 2012 using standards set by NAU's First Year Learning Initiative (FYLI), which seeks to increase academic success early in college. FYLI pedagogical principles include active-learning, frequent feedback, low-stakes assessments, and increased guidance from professors & peer teaching assistants (PTAs). As a result of the successes measured in FYLI courses, we launched a FYLI study abroad experience in 2014. We posed the question, "How can an early-career study abroad experience further develop the attitudes, skills, & behaviors necessary for success?" The pioneering program was NAU in Greece: The Cataclysmic Eruption of Santorini Volcano. Enrollment was limited to freshman & sophomore students who have taken GLG112 (or equivalent). The 3-week program took 9 students, 1 PTA, & 1 faculty member to Santorini (via Athens, 2 days). A detailed itinerary addressed a set of disciplinary & non-disciplinary learning outcomes. Student learning about Santorini volcano and the tectonic setting & hazards of the Aegean Sea occurred on the go - on ferries & private boat trips and during hiking, snorkeling, and swimming. Classroom time was limited to 1 hr/day and frequent assessments were employed. Student products included a geologic field notebook, travel journal, and 3 blog posts pertaining to geologic hazards & life on Santorini. Geologic disasters are ideal topics for early career study abroad experiences because the curriculum is place-based. Student learning benefits immensely from interacting with the land & local populations, whose lives are affected daily by the dangers of living in such geologically hazardous environments. The needs of early career students are unique, however, and must be addressed while planning. Planning should consider (1) location & lodging choices, (2) number of places visited, (3) group travel, (4) behavioral standards, (5) methods of early and frequent feedback, (6) timing, number, & style of assessments and writing assignments, and (7) multi-tiered instructional methods.

A geological and morphological description of Lakshmi planum

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

Pronin, A.A.; Kadnichanskii, S.A.; Kotel'nikov, V.A.

A morphological description is presented of Lakshmi Planum and its setting, which are a single structure. It is assumed that a mechanism for lifting matter from the planet's interior and spreading it horizontally, which was accompanied by deformation of folding and/or by the formation of tectonic slivers, is the basis for the formation of structure. This allows one to speak of Lakshmi as a local center of radial spreading. The structural scales indicate the participation of asthenospheric flows in its formation.

Geologic and Fossil Locality Maps of the West-Central Part of the Howard Pass Quadrangle and Part of the Adjacent Misheguk Mountain Quadrangle, Western Brooks Range, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dover, James H.; Tailleur, Irvin L.; Dumoulin, Julie A.

2004-01-01

The map depicts the field distribution and contact relations between stratigraphic units, the tectonic relations between major stratigraphic sequences, and the detailed internal structure of these sequences. The stratigraphic sequences formed in a variety of continental margin depositional environments, and subsequently underwent a complexde formational history of imbricate thrust faulting and folding. A compilation of micro and macro fossil identifications is included in this data set.

Local-scale stratigraphy of grooved terrain on Ganymede

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murchie, Scott L.; Head, James W.; Helfenstein, Paul; Plescia, Jeffrey B.

1987-01-01

The surface of the Jovian satellite, Ganymede, is divided into two main units, dark terrain cut by arcuate and subradial furrows, and light terrain consisting largely of areas with pervasive U-shaped grooves. The grooved terrain may be subdivided on the basis of pervasive morphology of groove domains into four terrain types: (1) elongate bands of parallel grooves (groove lanes); (2) polygonal domains of parallel grooves (grooved polygons); (3) polygonal domains of two orthogonal groove sets (reticulate terrain); and (4) polygons having two to several complexly cross-cutting groove sets (complex grooved terrain). Reticulate terrain is frequently dark and not extensively resurfaced, and grades to a more hummocky terrain type. The other three grooved terrain types have almost universally been resurfaced by light material during their emplacement. The sequence of events during grooved terrain emplacement has been investigated. An attempt is made to integrate observed geologic and tectonic patterns to better constrain the relative ages and styles of emplacement of grooved terrain types. A revised model of grooved terrain emplacement is proposed and is tested using detailed geologic mapping and measurement of crater density.

Structural controls on a geothermal system in the Tarutung Basin, north central Sumatra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nukman, Mochamad; Moeck, Inga

2013-09-01

The Sumatra Fault System provides a unique geologic setting to evaluate the influence of structural controls on geothermal activity. Whereas most of the geothermal systems in Indonesia are controlled by volcanic activity, geothermal systems at the Sumatra Fault System might be controlled by faults and fractures. Exploration strategies for these geothermal systems need to be verified because the typical pattern of heat source and alteration clays are missing so that conventional exploration with magnetotelluric surveys might not provide sufficient data to delineate favorable settings for drilling. We present field geological, structural and geomorphological evidence combined with mapping of geothermal manifestations to allow constraints between fault dynamics and geothermal activity in the Tarutung Basin in north central Sumatra. Our results indicate that the fault pattern in the Tarutung Basin is generated by a compressional stress direction acting at a high angle to the right-lateral Sumatra Fault System. NW-SE striking normal faults possibly related to negative flower structures and NNW-SSE to NNE-SSW oriented dilative Riedel shears are preferential fluid pathways whereas ENE-WSW striking faults act as barriers in this system. The dominant of geothermal manifestations at the eastern part of the basin indicates local extension due to clockwise block rotation in the Sumatra Fault System. Our results support the effort to integrate detailed field geological surveys to refined exploration strategies even in tropical areas where outcrops are limited.

Geologic Map and Map Database of the Oakland Metropolitan Area, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graymer, R.W.

2000-01-01

Introduction This report contains a new geologic map at 1:50,000 scale, derived from a set of geologic map databases containing information at a resolution associated with 1:24,000 scale, and a new description of geologic map units and structural relationships in the mapped area. The map database represents the integration of previously published reports and new geologic mapping and field checking by the author (see Sources of Data index map on the map sheet or the Arc-Info coverage pi-so and the textfile pi-so.txt). The descriptive text (below) contains new ideas about the Hayward fault and other faults in the East Bay fault system, as well as new ideas about the geologic units and their relations. These new data are released in digital form in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Project Impact in Oakland. The goal of Project Impact is to use geologic information in land-use and emergency services planning to reduce the losses occurring during earthquakes, landslides, and other hazardous geologic events. The USGS, California Division of Mines and Geology, FEMA, California Office of Emergency Services, and City of Oakland participated in the cooperative project. The geologic data in this report were provided in pre-release form to other Project Impact scientists, and served as one of the basic data layers for the analysis of hazard related to earthquake shaking, liquifaction, earthquake induced landsliding, and rainfall induced landsliding. The publication of these data provides an opportunity for regional planners, local, state, and federal agencies, teachers, consultants, and others outside Project Impact who are interested in geologic data to have the new data long before a traditional paper map could be published. Because the database contains information about both the bedrock and surficial deposits, it has practical applications in the study of groundwater and engineering of hillside materials, as well as the study of geologic hazards and the academic research on the geologic history and development of the region.

About Us - Director's Office | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

, state, federal, and private agencies; seeks out and encourages cooperative geologic programs of value to local, state, federal, and private agencies; seeking out and encouraging cooperative geologic programs

Earthquake-induced liquefaction features in the coastal setting of South Carolina and in the fluvial setting of the New Madrid seismic zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Obermeier, S.F.; Jacobson, R.B.; Smoot, J.P.; Weems, R.E.; Gohn, G.S.; Monroe, J.E.; Powars, D.S.

1990-01-01

Many types of liquefaction-related features (sand blows, fissures, lateral spreads, dikes, and sills) have been induced by earthquakes in coastal South Carolina and in the New Madrid seismic zone in the Central United States. In addition, abundant features of unknown and nonseismic origin are present. Geologic criteria for interpreting an earthquake origin in these areas are illustrated in practical applications; these criteria can be used to determine the origin of liquefaction features in many other geographic and geologic settings. In both coastal South Carolina and the New Madrid seismic zone, the earthquake-induced liquefaction features generally originated in clean sand deposits that contain no or few intercalated silt or clay-rich strata. The local geologic setting is a major influence on both development and surface expression of sand blows. Major factors controlling sand-blow formation include the thickness and physical properties of the deposits above the source sands, and these relationships are illustrated by comparing sand blows found in coastal South Carolina (in marine deposits) with sand blows found in the New Madrid seismic zone (in fluvial deposits). In coastal South Carolina, the surface stratum is typically a thin (about 1 m) soil that is weakly cemented with humate, and the sand blows are expressed as craters surrounded by a thin sheet of sand; in the New Madrid seismic zone the surface stratum generally is a clay-rich deposit ranging in thickness from 2 to 10 m, in which case sand blows characteristically are expressed as sand mounded above the original ground surface. Recognition of the various features described in this paper, and identification of the most probable origin for each, provides a set of important tools for understanding paleoseismicity in areas such as the Central and Eastern United States where faults are not exposed for study and strong seismic activity is infrequent.

Geologic controls on regional and local erosion rates of three northern Gulf of Mexico barrier-island systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twitchell, David C.; Flocks, James G.; Pendleton, Elizabeth; Baldwin, Wayne E.

2013-01-01

The stratigraphy of sections of three barrier island systems in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Apalachicola, Mississippi, and Chandeleur) have been mapped using geophysical and coring techniques to assess the influence of geologic variations in barrier lithosomes and adjoining inner shelf deposits on long-term rates of shoreline change at regional and local scales. Regional scale was addressed by comparing average geologic characteristics of the three areas with mean shoreline-change rates for each area. Regionally, differences in sand volume contained within the part of the barrier lithosome above sea level, sand volume on the inner shelf, and to a lesser extent, sediment grain size correlate with shoreline change rates. Larger sand volumes and coarser grain sizes are found where erosion rates are lower. Local scale was addressed by comparing alongshore variations in barrier island and inner shelf geology with alongshore variations in shoreline change. Locally, long-term shoreline change rates are highest directly shoreward of paleovalleys exposed on the inner shelf. While geology is not the sole explanation for observed differences in shoreline change along these three coastal regions, it is a significant contributor to change variability.

Fundamental Problems of Lunar Research, Technical Solutions, and Priority Lunar Regions for Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, M. A.; Basilevsky, A. T.; Bricheva, S. S.; Guseva, E. N.; Demidov, N. E.; Zakharova, M.; Krasil'nikov, S. S.

2017-11-01

In this article, we discuss four fundamental scientific problems of lunar research: (1) lunar chronology, (2) the internal structure of the Moon, (3) the lunar polar regions, and (4) lunar volcanism. After formulating the scientific problems and their components, we proceed to outlining a list of technical solutions and priority lunar regions for research. Solving the listed problems requires investigations on the lunar surface using lunar rovers, which can deliver a set of analytical equipment to places where geological conditions are known from a detailed analysis of orbital information. The most critical research methods, which can answer some of the key questions, are analysis of local geological conditions from panoramic photographs, determination of the chemical, isotopic, and mineral composition of the soil, and deep seismic sounding. A preliminary list is given of lunar regions with high scientific priority.

Bedrock geologic map of the Spring Valley, West Plains, and parts of the Piedmont and Poplar Bluff 30'x60' quadrangles, Missouri, including the upper Current River and Eleven Point River drainage basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weary, David J.; Harrison, Richard W.; Orndorff, Randall C.; Weems, Robert E.; Schindler, J. Stephen; Repetski, John E.; Pierce, Herbert A.

2015-01-01

Potentially economic mineral resources are present in the subsurface in the map area. Exploration drill-hole data indicate that anomalously high concentrations of base-metal sulfides locally occur within the Cambrian Bonneterre Formation. The geologic setting of these anomalous concentrations is similar to that found in the Viburnum Trend, part of the largest lead-mining district in the world. The southernmost part of the Viburnum Trend extends into the northern part of the map area and is exploited by the Sweetwater Mine. Undeveloped and potentially economic occurrences of base metals are known also beneath Blair Creek, a tributary to the Current River in the north-central part of the map area.

The Colorado School of Mines Nevada geothermal study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, G. V.; Grose, L. T.; Crewpson, R. A.

1974-01-01

Geothermal systems in the Basin and Range Province of the western United States probably differ in many respects from geothermal systems already discovered in other parts of the world because of the unique tectonic setting. To investigate this, a study of the geothermal occurrences at Fly Ranch, approximately 100 miles north of Reno, Nevada, has been undertaken. Ample evidence for a geothermal system exists in this area, including the surface expression of heat flow in the form of hot springs, an extensive area of low electrical resistivity, and a high level of seismicity along faults bounding the thermal area. However, geophysical and geological studies have not yet provided evidence for a local heat source at depth. Additional detailed geophysical and geological studies, as well as drilling, must be completed before the geothermal system can be described fully.

Life of the Aquifer: Improving Earth Science Education for Teachers and Students in High Schools of Under-represented Groups on the North Carolina Coastal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farley, M. B.; Phillips, P. L.; McBroom, R.

2007-12-01

Life of the Aquifer is a program to improve Earth Science education in local public high schools. Geologic awareness among the local population is low because southeastern N.C. are on the Coastal Plain where rocks are not visible. This has made instruction in Earth Science, now required in North Carolina high schools, difficult. Our approach is to use groundwater, source of local public water, as a theme to organize instruction in geology. More than 70% of the student population in Robeson County, a rural low-wealth area, is from groups under- represented in the geosciences (46% Native American and 31% African American). Linking basic concepts in geology to groundwater is a way to show how geology is real and affects society. Our project engages teachers and students in active inquiry of the functioning of local aquifers from recharge to groundwater production. Although data on water levels in the Black Creek aquifer have been collected, there has been little formal investigation because serious problems with groundwater have not been noted to date. Nonetheless, the hydraulic head of Black Creek Aquifer wells has been declining. We started by improving skills of local Earth Science teachers, because most have had no formal education in geology. The teachers attended workshops on basic geology, groundwater, and exercises based on local groundwater data. The workshops also included field trips to outcrops exposing the local aquifer, 100 km away in South Carolina. We also showed teachers how each topic addresses Competency Goals in the Standard Course of Study. By using our instructional modules, the teachers assist their students to develop spatial reasoning skills by analyzing maps. Student geologic knowledge is increased by learning how the components of a groundwater system form as a result of geologic processes and collecting data from the Internet on changes in groundwater systems over time. Our remaining implementation activity is installation of wells to sample the surficial water table on the grounds of each participating school. When this is completed, students will be able to do their own monitoring of fluctuations in the water table as it responds to high frequency drivers such as variation in rainfall. The project builds knowledge about groundwater to educate students, teachers and the community before irreversible problems can arise with this important environmental resource.

Preserving Our Homeland: A Collaboration to Connect Science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Mashpee Wampanoag Youth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, B.; Fordham, M.; Lopes-Pocknett, R.; Wyman, K.; Stringer, C.; Green, G.; Tobey, Q.; Rassman, J.; Mills, E., Jr.

2014-12-01

Over the past three years, we have developed and implemented a collaborative summer science program for Mashpee Wampanoag youth that engages tribal elders, parents, educators, and local scientists to connect tribal youth with the ecology and geology of their traditional homelands. This collaboration, called Native Youth in Science: Preserving our Homeland (POH), involves the Mashpee Wampanoag Education and Natural Resource Departments, an experienced team of tribal elders and scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey's Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, U.S. Forest Service, and NOAA National Marine Fisheries. The team has developed and implemented a curriculum that stresses the ancestral relationships of Wampanoag people to their land. Through hands-on activities at locations of cultural significance, our efforts focus on presenting topics in environmental science from both western science and Wampanoag perspectives to 5th-8th grade students from the Wampanoag Tribe. Overarching themes focus on local land use history and its impact on traditional food sources such as shellfish and herring. Lessons typically address hydrology, water quality, fish and shellfish biology, botany, and local geology. To present these topics, scientists are paired with Wampanoag Tribe culture keepers to develop lessons that present science topics side-by-side with cultural knowledge. The primary goals of POH are to (a) connect and reinforce science concepts learned in conventional school settings for tribal youth; (b) demonstrate the use of science as a tool for understanding and preserving the ecosystems and homelands of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; and (c) how indigenous traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and western science complement each other. In the long-term, this program begins to prepare tribal students for more advanced programs supporting their pursuit of higher education.

Geologic Map of the Snegurochka Planitia Quadrangle (V-1): Implications for Tectonic and Volcanic History of the North Polar Region of Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurwitz, D. M.; Head, J. W.

2009-01-01

Geologic mapping of Snegurochka Planitia (V-1) reveals a complex stratigraphy of tectonic and volcanic features that can provide insight into the geologic history of Venus and Archean Earth [1,2], including 1) episodes of both localized crustal uplift and mantle downwelling, 2) shifts from local to regional volcanic activity, and 3) a shift back to local volcanic activity. We present our progress in mapping the spatial and stratigraphic relationships of material units and our initial interpretations of the tectonic and volcanic history of the region surrounding the north pole of Venus

A geologic atlas of TIMS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Elsa

1986-01-01

In the three years since the first data were taken, it was well demonstrated that the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), properly used, can be a most valuable tool for the geologist. Compilation of the TIMS data into a geological atlas was felt to be useful. Several data sets were extensively studied to establish TIMS as a geologic tool and to explore the optimum enhancement techniques. It was found that a decorrelation stretch of bands 1, 3, and 5 enhance the data to a form that is very useful and this enhancement will be used in the geologic atlas along with an accompanying geologic map and description. Many data sets are well published and familiar to TIMS users, but there are some sets that, for lack of time and funds, were not thoroughly studied or published. A short description of these least studied sets of data is presented. The images presented along with the many previously studied and published TIMS images constitute an enormously useful set of information for the geologist in the 8 to 10 micron range.

Modeling of a historical earthquake in Erzincan, Turkey (Ms 7.8, in 1939) using regional seismological information obtained from a recent event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimzadeh, Shaghayegh; Askan, Aysegul

2018-04-01

Located within a basin structure, at the conjunction of North East Anatolian, North Anatolian and Ovacik Faults, Erzincan city center (Turkey) is one of the most hazardous regions in the world. Combination of the seismotectonic and geological settings of the region has resulted in series of significant seismic activities including the 1939 (Ms 7.8) as well as the 1992 (Mw = 6.6) earthquakes. The devastative 1939 earthquake occurred in the pre-instrumental era in the region with no available local seismograms. Thus, a limited number of studies exist on that earthquake. However, the 1992 event, despite the sparse local network at that time, has been studied extensively. This study aims to simulate the 1939 Erzincan earthquake using available regional seismic and geological parameters. Despite several uncertainties involved, such an effort to quantitatively model the 1939 earthquake is promising, given the historical reports of extensive damage and fatalities in the area. The results of this study are expressed in terms of anticipated acceleration time histories at certain locations, spatial distribution of selected ground motion parameters and felt intensity maps in the region. Simulated motions are first compared against empirical ground motion prediction equations derived with both local and global datasets. Next, anticipated intensity maps of the 1939 earthquake are obtained using local correlations between peak ground motion parameters and felt intensity values. Comparisons of the estimated intensity distributions with the corresponding observed intensities indicate a reasonable modeling of the 1939 earthquake.

The Current Observation and Challenges of Tourism Development in Batur Global Geopark Area, Bali Province, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosyidie, A.; Sagala, S.; Syahbid, M. M.; Sasongko, M. A.

2018-05-01

Geopark is a designated physical landscape with a geological heritage value. It is one of the approaches to combine both conservation and sustainable economic development. Geopark aims to attract tourists that ultimately bring impacts to the development, especially to the local governments and communities. The first global geopark in Indonesia, which is recognized by UNESCO, is Batur Geopark. Batur Geopark is in Kintamani, Bangli District, Bali Province. The main purpose of Batur Global Geopark development is to balance between the geology, environment, social-culture, economic, and conservation. Creating geoparks as tourism destination would achieve not only scientific and natural resource preservation, but also the development of tourism. Since Geopark is considered as a new concept in Indonesia, the main question is: does geopark indeed boost tourism? If so, how significant is it compared to other tourism in a particular area, such as Bali? What are the challenges faced in the development of geopark? Having the above questions, this study selects Batur Geopark as a case study and assesses to what extent Batur Geopark contributes to the tourism development in Bangli District and Bali Province. A framework to do this assessment is set up using geopark criteria developed by UNESCO as well as trend analysis since the establishment of Batur Geopark in 2012. To get a comprehensive picture, we conducted a field survey in Batur Geopark and asked questions to the local community, local champions, businessmen, tourism actors, local government agencies and scholars in tourism development, and we also explored the potential and the challenges of the tourism development of Batur Global Geopark. The findings indicate that developing Geopark as ecotourism is a complicated issue. Geopark is seen in various and different perspectives by different actors. While the aim of geopark is to trigger tourism development, some contra-geopark and tourism activities exist, such as sand mining that makes environmental and infrastructure problems. Other activities include farming that does not fit well with the geopark aims. To address the challenges in the development of geopark, a number of activities should be considered, as follows: (i) Socialization and awareness raising on the importance of conservation in the area’s geological heritage, (ii) Batur Global Geopark needs improvement, thus it creates sense of pride of local community toward their region, (iii) Creation of local enterprises, new jobs and high-quality training courses to support the economy. Meanwhile, the development of Batur Global Geopark should be coordinated with all stakeholders from local communities, local entrepreneur, local non-governmental organization and local government.

National Uranium Resource Evaluation. Volume 1. Summary of the geology and uranium potential of Precambrian conglomerates in southeastern Wyoming

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

Karlstrom, K.E.; Houston, R.S.; Flurkey, A.J.

1981-02-01

A series of uranium-, thorium-, and gold-bearing conglomerates in Late Archean and Early Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks have been discovered in southern Wyoming. The mineral deposits were found by applying the time and strata bound model for the origin of uranium-bearing quartz-pebble conglomerates to favorable rock types within a geologic terrane known from prior regional mapping. No mineral deposits have been discovered that are of current (1981) economic interest, but preliminary resource estimates indicate that over 3418 tons of uranium and over 1996 tons of thorium are present in the Medicine Bow Mountains and that over 440 tons of uranium andmore » 6350 tons of thorium are present in Sierra Madre. Sampling has been inadequate to determine gold resources. High grade uranium deposits have not been detected by work to date but local beds of uranium-bearing conglomerate contain as much as 1380 ppM uranium over a thickness of 0.65 meters. This project has involved geologic mapping at scales from 1/6000 to 1/50,000 detailed sampling, and the evaluation of 48 diamond drill holes, but the area is too large to fully establish the economic potential with the present information. This first volume summarizes the geologic setting and geologic and geochemical characteristics of the uranium-bearing conglomerates. Volume 2 contains supporting geochemical data, lithologic logs from 48 drill holes in Precambrian rocks, and drill site geologic maps and cross-sections from most of the holes. Volume 3 is a geostatistical resource estimate of uranium and thorium in quartz-pebble conglomerates.« less

Geology of the Yucca Mountain region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, J.S.; O'Leary, Dennis W.

2006-01-01

Yucca Mountain has been proposed as the site for the nation's first geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. This chapter provides the geologic framework for the Yucca Mountain region. The regional geologic units range in age from late Precambrian through Holocene, and these are described briefly. Yucca Mountain is composed dominantly of pyroclastic units that range in age from 11.4 to 15.2 Ma. The proposed repository would be constructed within the Topopah Spring Tuff, which is the lower of two major zoned and welded ash-flow tuffs within the Paintbrush Group. The two welded tuffs are separated by the partly to nonwelded Pah Canyon Tuff and Yucca Mountain Tuff, which together figure prominently in the hydrology of the unsaturated zone. The Quaternary deposits are primarily alluvial sediments with minor basaltic cinder cones and flows. Both have been studied extensively because of their importance in predicting the long-term performance of the proposed repository. Basaltic volcanism began ca. 10 Ma and continued as recently as ca. 80 ka with the eruption of cones and flows at Lathrop Wells, ???10 km south-southwest of Yucca Mountain. Geologic structure in the Yucca Mountain region is complex. During the latest Paleozoic and Mesozoic, strong compressional forces caused tight folding and thrust faulting. The present regional setting is one of extension, and normal faulting has been active from the Miocene through to the present. There are three major local tectonic domains: (1) Basin and Range, (2) Walker Lane, and (3) Inyo-Mono. Each domain has an effect on the stability of Yucca Mountain. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Acting Locally, Thinking Globally: One Geology?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Ian

2010-02-01

Geological survey organizations around the world are responsible for geological data for their own countries, but until recently those data had never been made accessible worldwide. This raised the question of whether we really do have a holistic understanding of the geology of our planet—one geology. OneGeology (http://www.onegeology.org) is a global venture created to increase the accessibility of geological map data and make them available on the Web. Geological survey organizations from 113 countries are currently participating in ¬OneGeology, and to date more than 40 of those organizations are serving geological data to a dedicated Web map portal (see Figure 1).

ERTS-A data as a teaching and research tool in the Department of Geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grybeck, D. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The ERTS-1 materials continue to be used in a number of courses including Geology of Alaska, Economic Geology, and Structural Geology. In addition, specific talks about the ERTS-1 material were given at a seminar at the Geophysical Institute, to the Geology Department, to numerous individuals, and were extensively used in a popularized talk on the Geology of Alaska to the local Historical Society.

Use of Library Readings to Augment Conventional Geology Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nold, John Lloyd

1989-01-01

Examples of sets of questions on library readings designed to lead students into articles and emphasize important information and associated literature are presented for introductory geology courses, historical geology, structural geology, mineralogy, and petrology. (Author/CW)

Using geologic maps and seismic refraction in pavement-deflection analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-10-01

The researchers examined the relationship between three data types -- geologic maps, pavement deflection, and seismic refraction data -- from diverse geologic settings to determine whether geologic maps and seismic data might be used to interpret def...

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Nebraska, fiscal years 1993-94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sojka, A. M.; Fitzpatrick, D.J.

1994-01-01

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Nebraska consist principally of hydro- logic data collection and local, areal, or state- wide interpretive studies. These programs are funded by cooperative agreements with State and local agencies, transfer of funds from other Federal agencies, and direct Federal funds. The data and results of the investigations are published or released either by the U.S. Geological Survey or by cooperating agencies. This report describes the hydrologic data-collection programs and local or areal hydrologic investigations in Nebraska during fiscal yars 1993 and 1994 and provides a list of reports released by the Nebraska District during 1985-93.

A proposed new framework for valorization of geoheritage in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahl, Rolv; Bergengren, Anna; Heldal, Tom

2015-04-01

The geological history of Norway is a complex one, . The exploitation of geological resources of different kinds has always provided the backbone of the Norwegian community. Nevertheless, the perception of geology and the geological processes that created the landscape is little appreciated, compared to bio-diversity and cultural heritage. Some geological localities play an important role in our perception and scientific understanding of the landscape. Other localities are, or could be, important tourist destinations. Other localities can in turn be important for geoscience education on all levels, whereas other plays a major role in the understanding of geodiversity and geoheritage and should be protected as natural monuments. A database based on old registrations has been compiled and a web mapping server is recently launched based on old and new registrations. However, no systematical classification and identification of important sites has been done for the last thirty years. We are now calling for a crowdsourcing process in the geological community in order to validate and valorize the registrations, as well as defining new points and areas of interest. Furthermore, we are developing a valorization system for these localities. The framework for this system is based on studies from inventories in other countries, as well as suggestions from ProGeo. The aim is to raise awareness of important sites, and how they are treated and utilized for scientific, or educational purposes, as tourist destinations or heritage sites. Our presentation will focus on the development of the framework and its implications.

Recruiting a Diverse Set of Future Geoscientists through Outreach to Middle and High School Students and Teachers in Miami, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitman, D.; Hickey-Vargas, R.; Draper, G.; Rego, R.; Gebelein, J.

2014-12-01

Florida International University (FIU), the State University of Florida in Miami is a large enrollment, federally recognized Minority Serving Institution with over 70% of the undergraduate population coming from groups underrepresented in the geoscience workforce. Recruiting local students into the geosciences is challenging because geology is not well integrated into the local school curriculum, the geology is poorly exposed in the low-relief south Florida region and many first generation college students are reluctant to enter unfamiliar fields. We describe and present preliminary findings from Growing Community Roots for the Geosciences in Miami, FL, a 2-year, NSF funded project run by the Department of Earth and Environment at FIU which aims to inform students enrolled in the local middle and high schools to educational and career opportunities in the geosciences. The project takes a multi-faceted approach which includes direct outreach through social media platforms and school visits, a 1-week workshop for middle school teachers and a 2-week summer camp aimed at high school students. An outreach team of undergraduate geoscience majors were recruited to build and maintain informational resources on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google Plus and to accompany FIU faculty on visits to local middle schools and high schools. Both the teacher workshop and the summer camp included lectures on geoscience careers, fundamental concepts of solid earth and atmospheric science, hands on exercises with earth materials, fossils and microscopy, exercises with Google Earth imagery and GIS, and field trips to local geological sites and government facilities. Participants were surveyed at the beginning of the programs on their general educational background in math and science and their general attitudes of and interest in geoscience careers. Post program surveys showed significant increases in the comfort of teaching topics in geoscience among teachers and an increased interest in majoring in geoscience among students. On the final day of the programs, participants were queried on better ways of interesting high school to major in geoscience. Suggestions included visits by faculty and college students to high schools and using social media to promote events and activities.

Geologic map and digital database of the Conejo Well 7.5 minute quadrangle, Riverside County, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Robert E.

2001-01-01

This data set maps and describes the geology of the Conejo Well 7.5 minute quadrangle, Riverside County, southern California. The quadrangle, situated in Joshua Tree National Park in the eastern Transverse Ranges physiographic and structural province, encompasses part of the northern Eagle Mountains and part of the south flank of Pinto Basin. It is underlain by a basement terrane comprising Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic plutonic rocks, and Mesozoic and Mesozoic or Cenozoic hypabyssal dikes. The basement terrane is capped by a widespread Tertiary erosion surface preserved in remnants in the Eagle Mountains and buried beneath Cenozoic deposits in Pinto Basin. Locally, Miocene basalt overlies the erosion surface. A sequence of at least three Quaternary pediments is planed into the north piedmont of the Eagle Mountains, each in turn overlain by successively younger residual and alluvial deposits. The Tertiary erosion surface is deformed and broken by north-northwest-trending, high-angle, dip-slip faults in the Eagle Mountains and an east-west trending system of high-angle dip- and left-slip faults. In and adjacent to the Conejo Well quadrangle, faults of the northwest-trending set displace Miocene sedimentary rocks and basalt deposited on the Tertiary erosion surface and Pliocene and (or) Pleistocene deposits that accumulated on the oldest pediment. Faults of this system appear to be overlain by Pleistocene deposits that accumulated on younger pediments. East-west trending faults are younger than and perhaps in part coeval with faults of the northwest-trending set. The Conejo Well database was created using ARCVIEW and ARC/INFO, which are geographical information system (GIS) software products of Envronmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). The database consists of the following items: (1) a map coverage showing faults and geologic contacts and units, (2) a separate coverage showing dikes, (3) a coverage showing structural data, (4) a point coverage containing line ornamentation, and (5) a scanned topographic base at a scale of 1:24,000. The coverages include attribute tables for geologic units (polygons and regions), contacts (arcs), and site-specific data (points). The database, accompanied by a pamphlet file and this metadata file, also includes the following graphic and text products: (1) A portable document file (.pdf) containing a navigable graphic of the geologic map on a 1:24,000 topographic base. The map is accompanied by a marginal explanation consisting of a Description of Map and Database Units (DMU), a Correlation of Map and Database Units (CMU), and a key to point-and line-symbols. (2) Separate .pdf files of the DMU and CMU, individually. (3) A PostScript graphic-file containing the geologic map on a 1:24,000 topographic base accompanied by the marginal explanation. (4) A pamphlet that describes the database and how to access it. Within the database, geologic contacts , faults, and dikes are represented as lines (arcs), geologic units as polygons and regions, and site-specific data as points. Polygon, arc, and point attribute tables (.pat, .aat, and .pat, respectively) uniquely identify each geologic datum and link it to other tables (.rel) that provide more detailed geologic information.

DIGITAL GEOLOGIC MAP OF SHERMAN QUADRANGLE, NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS (CD-ROM)

EPA Science Inventory

This compact disc contains digital data sets of the surficial geology and geologic faults for the 1:250,000-scale Sherman quadrangle, North Central Texas, and can be used to make geologic maps, and determine approximate areas and locations of various geologic units. The source d...

Overview of environmental and hydrogeologic conditions at Dillingham, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palcsak, Betty B.; Dorava, Joseph M.

1994-01-01

The remote city of Dillingham is at the northern end of Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska. The hydrology of the area is strongly affected by the mild maritime climate and local geologic conditions. Dillingham residents obtain drinking water from both deep and shallow aquifers composed of gravels and sands and separated by layers of clay underlying the community. Alternative sources of drinking water are limited to the development of new wells because surface-water sources are of inadequate quantity or quality or are located at too great a distance from the population. The Federal Aviation Administration owns or operates airway support facilities in Dillingham and wishes to consider the severity of contamination and the current environmental setting when they evaluate options for compliance with environmental regulations at their facilities. This report describes the climate. vegetation, geology, soils, ground-water and surface-water hydrology, and flood potential of the areas surrounding the Federal Aviation Administration facilities near Dillingham.

Seismic probabilistic tsunami hazard: from regional to local analysis and use of geological and historical observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonini, R.; Lorito, S.; Orefice, S.; Graziani, L.; Brizuela, B.; Smedile, A.; Volpe, M.; Romano, F.; De Martini, P. M.; Maramai, A.; Selva, J.; Piatanesi, A.; Pantosti, D.

2016-12-01

Site-specific probabilistic tsunami hazard analyses demand very high computational efforts that are often reduced by introducing approximations on tsunami sources and/or tsunami modeling. On one hand, the large variability of source parameters implies the definition of a huge number of potential tsunami scenarios, whose omission could easily lead to important bias in the analysis. On the other hand, detailed inundation maps computed by tsunami numerical simulations require very long running time. When tsunami effects are calculated at regional scale, a common practice is to propagate tsunami waves in deep waters (up to 50-100 m depth) neglecting non-linear effects and using coarse bathymetric meshes. Then, maximum wave heights on the coast are empirically extrapolated, saving a significant amount of computational time. However, moving to local scale, such assumptions drop out and tsunami modeling would require much greater computational resources. In this work, we perform a local Seismic Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis (SPTHA) for the 50 km long coastal segment between Augusta and Siracusa, a touristic and commercial area placed along the South-Eastern Sicily coast, Italy. The procedure consists in using the outcomes of a regional SPTHA as input for a two-step filtering method to select and substantially reduce the number of scenarios contributing to the specific target area. These selected scenarios are modeled using high resolution topo-bathymetry for producing detailed inundation maps. Results are presented as probabilistic hazard curves and maps, with the goal of analyze, compare and highlight the different results provided by regional and local hazard assessments. Moreover, the analysis is enriched by the use of local observed tsunami data, both geological and historical. Indeed, tsunami data-sets available for the selected target areas are particularly rich with respect to the scarce and heterogeneous data-sets usually available elsewhere. Therefore, they can represent valuable benchmarks for testing and strengthening the results of such kind of studies. The work is funded by the Italian Flagship Project RITMARE, the two EC FP7 projects ASTARTE (Grant agreement 603839) and STREST (Grant agreement 603389), and the INGV-DPC Agreement.

Characterization of Groundwater Quality Based on Regional Geologic Setting in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Physiographic Provinces, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Stephen L.; Chapman, Melinda J.; Harned, Douglas A.

2009-01-01

A compilation of groundwater-quality data collected as part of two U.S. Geological Survey studies provides a basis for understanding the ambient geochemistry related to geologic setting in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Physiographic Provinces (hereafter referred to as Piedmont and Mountains Provinces) of North Carolina. Although the geology is complex, a grouping of the sampled wells into assemblages of geologic units described as 'geozones' provides a basis for comparison across the region. Analyses of these two data sets provide a description of water-quality conditions in bedrock aquifers of the Piedmont and Mountains Provinces of North Carolina. Analyzed data were collected between 1997 and 2008 from a network of 79 wells representing 8 regional geozones distributed throughout the Piedmont and Mountains Provinces. This area has experienced high rates of population growth and an increased demand for water resources. Groundwater was used by about 34 percent of the population in the 65 counties of this region in 2005. An improved understanding of the quality and quantity of available groundwater resources is needed to plan effectively for future growth and development. The use of regional geologic setting to characterize groundwater-quality conditions in the Piedmont and Mountains Provinces is the focus of this investigation. Data evaluation included an examination of selected properties and the ionic composition of groundwater in the geozones. No major differences in overall ionic chemistry of groundwater among the geozones were evident with the data examined. Variability in the cationic and anionic composition of groundwater within a particular geozone appeared to reflect local differences in lithologic setting, hydrologic and geochemical conditions, and(or) land-use effects. The most common exceedances of the drinking-water criteria (in accordance with Federal and State water-quality standards) occurred for radon, pH, manganese, iron, and zinc. Radon had the most exceedances, with groundwater from 61 of the 69 sampled wells having activities higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed maximum contaminant level of 300 picocuries per liter. Overall, the Milton and the Raleigh and Charlotte geozones had the greatest number, eight each, of water-quality properties or constituents that exceeded applicable drinking-water criteria in at least one well. The Eastern Blue Ridge and Felsic intrusive geozones each had seven properties or constituents that exceeded criteria, and the Carolina slate geozone had six. Based on limited data, initial results of statistical comparison tests identified statistically significant differences in concentrations of some groundwater constituents among the geozones. Statistically significant differences in median values of specific conductance and median concentrations of calcium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, silica, ammonia, aluminum, antimony, cadmium, and uranium were identified between one or more geozone pairs. Overall, the groundwater constituents appear to be influenced most significantly by the Inner Piedmont, Carolina slate, and Felsic intrusive geozones. The study data indicate that grouping and evaluating analytical data on the basis of regional geozone setting can be useful for characterizing water-quality conditions in bedrock aquifers of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces of North Carolina.

Geologic map of the Sunnymead 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Douglas M.; Matti, Jonathan C.

2001-01-01

a. This Readme; includes in Appendix I, data contained in sun_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced 1:24,000-scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Geologic Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation-name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous. Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand. In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f. Even though this is an Open-File Report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Evidence of Hierarchy in the Complex Fractured System of Geropotamos (Crete, Greece), as Extracted from Transient Electromagnetic Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallianatos, Filippos; Kouli, Maria; Kalisperi, Despina

2018-03-01

The essential goals of this paper are to test the transient electromagnetic (TEM) response in a fractured geological complex medium and to better understand the physics introduced by associating a roughness parameter β to the geological formation. An anomalous fractional diffusion approach is incorporated to describe the electromagnetic induction in rough multi-scaled geological structures. The multi-scaling characteristics of Geropotamos basin in Crete are revealed through the analysis of transient step-off response of an EM loop antenna. The semi-empirical parameters derived from late-time TEM measurements are correlated with the multi-scale heterogeneities of the medium. Certain interesting properties of the late-time slope γ(β) and the power law of near surface resistivity distribution, as extracted from TEM inversion for different depth, are presented. The analysis of the parameter γ(β) which scales the induced voltage in the loop in the late stage of the electromagnetic response leads to a different view of the EM geophysical data interpretation. We show that it is strongly correlated with areas of high fracture density within the geological formations of the Geropotamos area. For that reason, it is proposed as a local multi-scaling empirical index. The results of this paper suggest that anomalous diffusion could be a viable physical mechanism for the fractal transport of charge carriers, explaining observed late-time TEM responses across a variety of natural geological settings.

Distribution of indoor radon concentrations in Pennsylvania, 1990-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gross, Eliza L.

2013-01-01

Median indoor radon concentrations aggregated according to geologic units and hydrogeologic settings are useful for drawing general conclusions about the occurrence of indoor radon in specific geologic units and hydrogeologic settings, but the associated data and maps have limitations. The aggregated indoor radon data have testing and spatial accuracy limitations due to lack of available information regarding testing conditions and the imprecision of geocoded test locations. In addition, the associated data describing geologic units and hydrogeologic settings have spatial and interpretation accuracy limitations, which are a result of using statewide data to define conditions at test locations and geologic data that represent a broad interpretation of geologic units across the State. As a result, indoor air radon concentration distributions are not proposed for use in predicting individual concentrations at specific sites nor for use as a decision-making tool for property owners to decide whether to test for indoor radon concentrations at specific property locations.

Geologic map and digital database of the Porcupine Wash 7.5 minute Quadrangle, Riverside County, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Robert E.

2001-01-01

This data set maps and describes the geology of the Porcupine Wash 7.5 minute quadrangle, Riverside County, southern California. The quadrangle, situated in Joshua Tree National Park in the eastern Transverse Ranges physiographic and structural province, encompasses parts of the Hexie Mountains, Cottonwood Mountains, northern Eagle Mountains, and south flank of Pinto Basin. It is underlain by a basement terrane comprising Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic plutonic rocks, and Mesozoic and Mesozoic or Cenozoic hypabyssal dikes. The basement terrane is capped by a widespread Tertiary erosion surface preserved in remnants in the Eagle and Cottonwood Mountains and buried beneath Cenozoic deposits in Pinto Basin. Locally, Miocene basalt overlies the erosion surface. A sequence of at least three Quaternary pediments is planed into the north piedmont of the Eagle and Hexie Mountains, each in turn overlain by successively younger residual and alluvial deposits. The Tertiary erosion surface is deformed and broken by north-northwest-trending, high-angle, dip-slip faults and an east-west trending system of high-angle dip- and left-slip faults. East-west trending faults are younger than and perhaps in part coeval with faults of the northwest-trending set. The Porcupine Wash database was created using ARCVIEW and ARC/INFO, which are geographical information system (GIS) software products of Envronmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). The database consists of the following items: (1) a map coverage showing faults and geologic contacts and units, (2) a separate coverage showing dikes, (3) a coverage showing structural data, (4) a scanned topographic base at a scale of 1:24,000, and (5) attribute tables for geologic units (polygons and regions), contacts (arcs), and site-specific data (points). The database, accompanied by a pamphlet file and this metadata file, also includes the following graphic and text products: (1) A portable document file (.pdf) containing a navigable graphic of the geologic map on a 1:24,000 topographic base. The map is accompanied by a marginal explanation consisting of a Description of Map and Database Units (DMU), a Correlation of Map and Database Units (CMU), and a key to point-and line-symbols. (2) Separate .pdf files of the DMU and CMU, individually. (3) A PostScript graphic-file containing the geologic map on a 1:24,000 topographic base accompanied by the marginal explanation. (4) A pamphlet that describes the database and how to access it. Within the database, geologic contacts , faults, and dikes are represented as lines (arcs), geologic units as polygons and regions, and site-specific data as points. Polygon, arc, and point attribute tables (.pat, .aat, and .pat, respectively) uniquely identify each geologic datum and link it to other tables (.rel) that provide more detailed geologic information.

Geological heritage diversity in the Faiyum Oasis (Egypt): A comprehensive assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallam, Emad S.; Fathy, Esraa E.; Ruban, Dmitry A.; Ponedelnik, Alena A.; Yashalova, Natalia N.

2018-04-01

The Faiyum Oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt is famous for its palaeontological localities (Cenozoic whales, primates, etc.) of global importance, but its geological heritage has been not studied in the modern theoretical frame. The new investigation based on the field studies and the literature review permits comprehensive assessment of the geological heritage diversity in this oasis. For this purposes, unique geological features are inventoried with establishment of their geological essence, rank, relative abundance, and intrinsic diversity. As a result, the existence of ten geological heritage types in the Faiyum Oasis is found. These include palaeontological, palaeogeographical, geomorphological, stratigraphical, sedimentary (merged with mineralogical), hydrological coupled with geochemical, igneous, and economical types. From them, the palaeontological and palaeogeographical types are ranked globally, and the geomorphological and hydrological types are ranked nationally. The other types are either of regional (provincial) or local importance. Some hills and cliffs can serve as viewpoint sites for observation of the local geological landscape. The relative abundance and the intrinsic diversity of the unique geological features vary between low and high. Generally, the concentration of this geological heritage in the Faiyum Oasis permits recognition of the geodiversity hotspot that requires conservation and use for tourism purposes. The protected areas located in the oasis and the existing tourism programs do not offer geoconservation and geotourism activities for the entire hotspot. The possible solution of this problem would be creation of a large geopark similar in its design to the Jeju Island Geopark in South Korea. There are important premises for geotourism development in the Faiyum Oasis and its combination with the archaeological and industrial tourism. Nature conservation failures in this geopark should be avoided; some recommendations are given on the basis of the review of conservation failures in geoparks of the other countries.

Preliminary map of peak horizontal ground acceleration for the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake of January 17, 1995, Japan - Description of Mapped Data Sets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borcherdt, R.D.; Mark, R.K.

1995-01-01

The Hanshin-Awaji earthquake (also known as the Hyogo-ken Nanbu and the Great Hanshin earthquake) provided an unprecedented set of measurements of strong ground shaking. The measurements constitute the most comprehensive set of strong- motion recordings yet obtained for sites underlain by soft soil deposits of Holocene age within a few kilometers of the crustal rupture zone. The recordings, obtained on or near many important structures, provide an important new empirical data set for evaluating input ground motion levels and site amplification factors for codes and site-specific design procedures world wide. This report describes the data used to prepare a preliminary map summarizing the strong motion data in relation to seismicity and underlying geology (Wentworth, Borcherdt, and Mark., 1995; Figure 1, hereafter referred to as Figure 1/I). The map shows station locations, peak acceleration values, and generalized acceleration contours superimposed on pertinent seismicity and the geologic map of Japan. The map (Figure 1/I) indicates a zone of high acceleration with ground motions throughout the zone greater than 400 gal and locally greater than 800 gal. This zone encompasses the area of most intense damage mapped as JMA intensity level 7, which extends through Kobe City. The zone of most intense damage is parallel, but displaced slightly from the surface projection of the crustal rupture zone implied by aftershock locations. The zone is underlain by soft-soil deposits of Holocene age.

A global earthquake discrimination scheme to optimize ground-motion prediction equation selection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, Daniel; Wald, David J.; Hearne, Michael

2012-01-01

We present a new automatic earthquake discrimination procedure to determine in near-real time the tectonic regime and seismotectonic domain of an earthquake, its most likely source type, and the corresponding ground-motion prediction equation (GMPE) class to be used in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global ShakeMap system. This method makes use of the Flinn–Engdahl regionalization scheme, seismotectonic information (plate boundaries, global geology, seismicity catalogs, and regional and local studies), and the source parameters available from the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in the minutes following an earthquake to give the best estimation of the setting and mechanism of the event. Depending on the tectonic setting, additional criteria based on hypocentral depth, style of faulting, and regional seismicity may be applied. For subduction zones, these criteria include the use of focal mechanism information and detailed interface models to discriminate among outer-rise, upper-plate, interface, and intraslab seismicity. The scheme is validated against a large database of recent historical earthquakes. Though developed to assess GMPE selection in Global ShakeMap operations, we anticipate a variety of uses for this strategy, from real-time processing systems to any analysis involving tectonic classification of sources from seismic catalogs.

User guide for luminescence sampling in archaeological and geological contexts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Michelle S.; Gray, Harrison J.; Johnson, Jack A.; Rittenour, Tammy M.; Feathers, James K.; Mahan, Shannon

2015-01-01

Luminescence dating provides a direct age estimate of the time of last exposure of quartz or feldspar minerals to light or heat and has been successfully applied to deposits, rock surfaces, and fired materials in a number of archaeological and geological settings. Sampling strategies are diverse and can be customized depending on local circumstances, although all sediment samples need to include a light-safe sample and material for dose-rate determination. The accuracy and precision of luminescence dating results are directly related to the type and quality of the material sampled and sample collection methods in the field. Selection of target material for dating should include considerations of adequacy of resetting of the luminescence signal (optical and thermal bleaching), the ability to characterize the radioactive environment surrounding the sample (dose rate), and the lack of evidence for post-depositional mixing (bioturbation in soils and sediment). Sample strategies for collection of samples from sedimentary settings and fired materials are discussed. This paper should be used as a guide for luminescence sampling and is meant to provide essential background information on how to properly collect samples and on the types of materials suitable for luminescence dating.

Connecting Indigenous Stories with Geology: Inquiry-Based Learning in a Middle Years Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Damian; King, Donna; Kidman, Gillian

2012-01-01

One way to integrate indigenous perspectives in junior science is through links between indigenous stories of the local area and science concepts. Using local indigenous stories about landforms, a teacher of Year 8 students designed a unit on geology that catered for the diverse student population in his class. This paper reports on the…

A Leadership Model for University Geology Department Teacher Inservice Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheldon, Daniel S.; And Others

1983-01-01

Provides geology departments and science educators with a leadership model for developing earth science inservice programs. Model emphasizes cooperation/coordination among departments, science educators, and curriculum specialists at local/intermediate/state levels. Includes rationale for inservice programs and geology department involvement in…

Geological control of flow in the Institute and Möller Ice Streams, West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, T. A.; Ferraccioli, F.; Ross, N.; Corr, H.; Bingham, R. G.; Rippin, D. M.; Le Brocq, A.; Siegert, M. J.

2012-12-01

The conditions at the base of an ice sheet influence its flow, and reflect the ongoing interaction between moving ice and the underlying geology. Critical influences on ice flow include subglacial topography, bed lithology, and geothermal heat flux. These factors are influenced either directly by local geology, or by the regional tectonic setting. Geophysical methods have been used in many parts of Antarctica, such as the Siple Coast, to reveal the role subglacial geology plays in influencing ice flow. Until recently, however, the Institute and Möller Ice Streams, which drain ~20% of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Weddell Sea, were only covered by sparse airborne radar (~50 km line spacing), and reconnaissance aeromagnetic data, limiting our understanding of the geological template for this sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Here we present our geological interpretation of the first integrated aerogeophysical survey over the catchments of the Institute and Möller Ice Streams, which collected ~25,000 km of new aerogeophysical data during the 2010/11 field season. These new airborne radar, magnetic and gravity data reveals both the subglacial topography, and the subglacial geology. Our maps show the fastest flowing coastal part of the Institute Ice Stream crosses a sedimentary basin underlain by thinned continental crust. Further inland two distinct ice flow provinces are recognised: the Pagano Ice Flow Province, which follows the newly identified, ~75 km wide, sinistral strike-slip Pagano Fault Zone at the boundary between East and West Antarctica; and the Ellsworth Ice Flow Province, which is controlled by the Permo-Triassic structural grain of folded Middle Cambrian-Permian meta-sediments, and Jurassic granitic rocks which form significant subglacial highlands. Our new data highlight the importance of understanding subglacial geology when explaining the complex pattern of ice flow observed in the ice sheet interior.

U.S. Department of Energy's site screening, site selection, and initial characterization for storage of CO2 in deep geological formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodosta, T.D.; Litynski, J.T.; Plasynski, S.I.; Hickman, S.; Frailey, S.; Myer, L.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead Federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. As part of its mission to facilitate technology transfer and develop guidelines from lessons learned, DOE is developing a series of best practice manuals (BPMs) for carbon capture and storage (CCS). The "Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization for Storage of CO2 in Deep Geological Formations" BPM is a compilation of best practices and includes flowchart diagrams illustrating the general decision making process for Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization. The BPM integrates the knowledge gained from various programmatic efforts, with particular emphasis on the Characterization Phase through pilot-scale CO2 injection testing of the Validation Phase of the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative. Key geologic and surface elements that suitable candidate storage sites should possess are identified, along with example Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization protocols for large-scale geologic storage projects located across diverse geologic and regional settings. This manual has been written as a working document, establishing a framework and methodology for proper site selection for CO2 geologic storage. This will be useful for future CO2 emitters, transporters, and storage providers. It will also be of use in informing local, regional, state, and national governmental agencies of best practices in proper sequestration site selection. Furthermore, it will educate the inquisitive general public on options and processes for geologic CO2 storage. In addition to providing best practices, the manual presents a geologic storage resource and capacity classification system. The system provides a "standard" to communicate storage and capacity estimates, uncertainty and project development risk, data guidelines and analyses for adequate site characterization, and guidelines for reporting estimates within the classification based on each project's status. 

How to Make a Virtual Landscape with Outcrops for Use in Geoscience Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houghton, J.; Gordon, C.; Craven, B.; Robinson, A.; Lloyd, G. E. E.; Morgan, D. J.

2016-12-01

We are using screen-based virtual reality landscapes to augment the teaching of basic geological field skills and to enhance 3D visualisation skills. Here we focus on the processes of creating these landscapes, both imagined and real, in the Unity 3D game engine. The virtual landscapes are terrains with embedded data for mapping exercises, or draped geological maps for understanding the 3D interaction of the geology with the topography. The nature of the landscapes built depends on the learning outcomes of the intended teaching exercise. For example, a simple model of two hills and a valley over which to drape a series of different geological maps can be used to enhance the understanding of the 3D interaction of the geology with the topography. A more complex topography reflecting the underlying geology can be used for geological mapping exercises. The process starts with a contour image or DEM, which needs to be converted into RAW files to be imported into Unity. Within Unity itself, there are a series of steps needed to create a world around the terrain (the setting of cameras, lighting, skyboxes etc) before the terrain can be painted with vegetation and populated with assets or before a splatmap of the geology can be added. We discuss how additional features such as a GPS unit or compass can be included. We are also working to create landscapes based on real localities, both in response to the demand for greater realism and to support students unable to access the field due to health or mobility issues. This includes adding 3D photogrammetric images of outcrops into the worlds. This process uses the open source/freeware tools VisualSFM and MeshLab to create files suitable to be imported into Unity. This project is a collaboration between the University of Leeds and Leeds College of Art, UK, and all our virtual landscapes are freely available online at www.see.leeds.ac.uk/virtual-landscapes/.

Structural geology of the proposed site area for a high-level radioactive waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Potter, C.J.; Day, W.C.; Sweetkind, D.S.; Dickerson, R.P.

2004-01-01

Geologic mapping and fracture studies have documented the fundamental patterns of joints and faults in the thick sequence of rhyolite tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed site of an underground repository for high-level radioactive waste. The largest structures are north-striking, block-bounding normal faults (with a subordinate left-lateral component) that divide the mountain into numerous 1-4-km-wide panels of gently east-dipping strata. Block-bounding faults, which underwent Quaternary movement as well as earlier Neogene movement, are linked by dominantly northwest-striking relay faults, especially in the more extended southern part of Yucca Mountain. Intrablock faults are commonly short and discontinuous, except those on the more intensely deformed margins of the blocks. Lithologic properties of the local tuff stratigraphy strongly control the mesoscale fracture network, and locally the fracture network has a strong influence on the nature of intrablock faulting. The least faulted part of Yucca Mountain is the north-central part, the site of the proposed repository. Although bounded by complex normal-fault systems, the 4-km-wide central block contains only sparse intrablock faults. Locally intense jointing appears to be strata-bound. The complexity of deformation and the magnitude of extension increase in all directions away from the proposed repository volume, especially in the southern part of the mountain where the intensity of deformation and the amount of vertical-axis rotation increase markedly. Block-bounding faults were active at Yucca Mountain during and after eruption of the 12.8-12.7 Ma Paintbrush Group, and significant motion on these faults postdated the 11.6 Ma Rainier Mesa Tuff. Diminished fault activity continued into Quaternary time. Roughly half of the stratal tilting in the site area occurred after 11.6 Ma, probably synchronous with the main pulse of vertical-axis rotation, which occurred between 11.6 and 11.45 Ma. Studies of sequential formation of tectonic joints, in the context of regional paleostress studies, indicate that north- and northwest-striking joint sets formed coevally with the main faulting episode during regional east-northeast-west-southwest extension and that a prominent northeast-striking joint set formed later, probably after 9 Ma. These structural analyses contribute to the understanding of several important issues at Yucca Mountain, including potential hydrologic pathways, seismic hazards, and fault-displacement hazards. ?? 2004 Geological Society of America.

ERTS-A data as a teaching and research tool in the Department of Geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grybeck, D. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 prints have been used extensively in a geology of Alaska class to give a basic framework of the geology of the state. In addition, they have been intermittantly used in such diverse classes as: (1) Economic Geology (e.g. the Sn-bearing granites of the Seward Peninsula are particularly noticeable due to their wide contact metamorphic aureoles.) (2) A canned geology of Alaska lecture which has been given to two different introductory geology courses. (3) Structural Geology (e.g. the Fairweather and Denali faults are striking obvious). It was found most convenient for larger classes to prepare 35mm slides of the ERTS-1 prints that are used in conjunction with slides of the topographic and geologic maps at about the same scale. Thus the emphasis has been in integration of the ERTS-1 material into existing courses. As such, the ERTS-1 data has provided a unique and striking viewpoint that never fails to initiate favorable comment. In addition, prints have been examined by numerous researchers to develop a regional, integrated overview of such varied topics as regional geology to a background for local geologic mapping to studies of ore deposits and to the definition of a formation to be studied in detail at its type locality.

Apollo 16 site geology and impact melts - Implications for the geologic history of the lunar highlands

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

Spudis, P.D.

1984-11-15

The geology of the Apollo 16 site is reconsidered on the basis of data from photogeology, geochemical remote sensing, and lunar samples. The site possesses an upper surface of anorthositic gabbro and related rocks. Mafic components were deposited as basin ejecta. The events involved in its geological evolution were the Nectaris impact and the Imbrium impact. The role of large, local craters in the history of the region was to serve as topographic depressions to accumulate basin ejecta. The most abundant melt composition at Apollo 16 is an aluminous variety of LKFM basalt supplied by the Nectaris impact as ejectedmore » basin impact melt. The mafic LKFM melt may have been supplied by the Imbrium impact. More aluminous melt groups are probably derived from local, small craters. The remainder of the deposits in the region are composed of anorthositic clastic debris derived from the Nectaris basin, the local crustal substrate, and Imbrium and other basins.« less

A locally adaptive kernel regression method for facies delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernàndez-Garcia, D.; Barahona-Palomo, M.; Henri, C. V.; Sanchez-Vila, X.

2015-12-01

Facies delineation is defined as the separation of geological units with distinct intrinsic characteristics (grain size, hydraulic conductivity, mineralogical composition). A major challenge in this area stems from the fact that only a few scattered pieces of hydrogeological information are available to delineate geological facies. Several methods to delineate facies are available in the literature, ranging from those based only on existing hard data, to those including secondary data or external knowledge about sedimentological patterns. This paper describes a methodology to use kernel regression methods as an effective tool for facies delineation. The method uses both the spatial and the actual sampled values to produce, for each individual hard data point, a locally adaptive steering kernel function, self-adjusting the principal directions of the local anisotropic kernels to the direction of highest local spatial correlation. The method is shown to outperform the nearest neighbor classification method in a number of synthetic aquifers whenever the available number of hard data is small and randomly distributed in space. In the case of exhaustive sampling, the steering kernel regression method converges to the true solution. Simulations ran in a suite of synthetic examples are used to explore the selection of kernel parameters in typical field settings. It is shown that, in practice, a rule of thumb can be used to obtain suboptimal results. The performance of the method is demonstrated to significantly improve when external information regarding facies proportions is incorporated. Remarkably, the method allows for a reasonable reconstruction of the facies connectivity patterns, shown in terms of breakthrough curves performance.

Debates—Stochastic subsurface hydrology from theory to practice: A geologic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fogg, Graham E.; Zhang, Yong

2016-12-01

A geologic perspective on stochastic subsurface hydrology offers insights on representativeness of prominent field experiments and their general relevance to other hydrogeologic settings. Although the gains in understanding afforded by some 30 years of research in stochastic hydrogeology have been important and even essential, adoption of the technologies and insights by practitioners has been limited, due in part to a lack of geologic context in both the field and theoretical studies. In general, unintentional, biased sampling of hydraulic conductivity (K) using mainly hydrologic, well-based methods has resulted in the tacit assumption by many in the community that the subsurface is much less heterogeneous than in reality. Origins of the bias range from perspectives that are limited by scale and the separation of disciplines (geology, soils, aquifer hydrology, groundwater hydraulics, etc.). Consequences include a misfit between stochastic hydrogeology research results and the needs of, for example, practitioners who are dealing with local plume site cleanup that is often severely hampered by very low velocities in the very aquitard facies that are commonly overlooked or missing from low-variance stochastic models or theories. We suggest that answers to many of the problems exposed by stochastic hydrogeology research can be found through greater geologic integration into the analyses, including the recognition of not only the nearly ubiquitously high variances of K but also the strong tendency for the good connectivity of the high-K facies when spatially persistent geologic unconformities are absent. We further suggest that although such integration may appear to make the contaminant transport problem more complex, expensive and intractable, it may in fact lead to greater simplification and more reliable, less expensive site characterizations and models.

Teaching Tectonics to Undergraduates with Web GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasio, D. J.; Bodzin, A.; Sahagian, D. L.; Rutzmoser, S.

2013-12-01

Geospatial reasoning skills provide a means for manipulating, interpreting, and explaining structured information and are involved in higher-order cognitive processes that include problem solving and decision-making. Appropriately designed tools, technologies, and curriculum can support spatial learning. We present Web-based visualization and analysis tools developed with Javascript APIs to enhance tectonic curricula while promoting geospatial thinking and scientific inquiry. The Web GIS interface integrates graphics, multimedia, and animations that allow users to explore and discover geospatial patterns that are not easily recognized. Features include a swipe tool that enables users to see underneath layers, query tools useful in exploration of earthquake and volcano data sets, a subduction and elevation profile tool which facilitates visualization between map and cross-sectional views, drafting tools, a location function, and interactive image dragging functionality on the Web GIS. The Web GIS platform is independent and can be implemented on tablets or computers. The GIS tool set enables learners to view, manipulate, and analyze rich data sets from local to global scales, including such data as geology, population, heat flow, land cover, seismic hazards, fault zones, continental boundaries, and elevation using two- and three- dimensional visualization and analytical software. Coverages which allow users to explore plate boundaries and global heat flow processes aided learning in a Lehigh University Earth and environmental science Structural Geology and Tectonics class and are freely available on the Web.

The U.S. Geological Survey Federal-State cooperative water-resources program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilbert, Bruce K.; Buchanan, Thomas J.

1981-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Federal-State Cooperative Water Resources Program is a partnership between the Geological Survey and State and local agencies for the collection of the hydrologic information needed for the continuing determination and evaluation of the quantity, quality, and use of the Nation 's water resources. The Cooperative Program has served the Nation for more than 80 years, and in 1981 more than 800 State and local agencies have cooperative programs with the Geological Survey with total funding over $80 million. The process of project selection in the Cooperative Water Resources Program is a mutual effort in which Geological Survey represents national interests, including the needs of other Federal agencies, and the cooperator represents State and local interests. The result is a balanced program that involves careful evaluation of needs, priorities, and resources. The cost sharing ratio of 50-50 is examined and determined to be the best ratio to effectively assess the Nation 's water resources. The Cooperative Program is and has been relevant to the problems of the day. Much of the current technology in ground-water management, ground-water quality, and flood-plain management--to name a few--was developed as part of the Cooperative Program. (USGS)

Ground Water Atlas of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2000-01-01

PrefaceThe Ground Water Atlas of the United States presents a comprehensive summary of the Nation's ground-water resources and is a basic reference for the location, geography, geology, and hydrologic characteristics of the major aquifers in the Nation. The information was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies during the course of many years of study. Results of the Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program, a systematic study of the Nation's major aquifers by the U.S. Geological Survey, were used as a major, but not exclusive, source of information of the Atlas. The Atlas, which is designed in a graphical format that is supported by descriptive discussions, includes 13 chapters, each representing areas that collectively cover the 50 States and Puerto Rico, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each chapter of the Atlas presents and describes hydrogeologic and hydrologic conditions for the major aquifers in each regional area. The scale of the Atlas does not allow portrayal of minor features of the geology or hydrology of each aquifer presented, nor does it include detailed discussion of minor aquifers. Those readers who seek detailed local information for the aquifers will find extensive lists of references at the end of each chapter. The introductory chapter in this volume presents an overview of ground-water conditions Nationwide and gives an example of an aquifer in each of six hydrogeologic settings.

Geohydrology of the valley-fill aquifer in the Bath area, Lower Cohocton River, Steuben County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pagano, Timothy S.; Terry, D.B.; Shaw, M.L.; Ingram, A.W.

1984-01-01

The Bath valley-fill aquifer, southern New York, composed of outwash, ice-contact, and ice-disintegration sand and gravel, is highly productive and is in many areas in hydraulic contact with the Cohocton River. Potential well yields range 50 to more than 1,000 gallons per minute. Most of the aquifer is under shallow water-table conditions and vulnerable to surface contamination. Thickness ranges from 20 to 40 feet. Buried aquifers are present locally. The aquifer system underlies an area containing only a few small communities and therefore is not heavily pumped. Geohydrologic data are compiled on six maps at 1:24,000 scale and on a sheet of geologic sections. The maps depict surficial geology, soil-infiltration capacity, potentiometric surface, aquifer thickness, well yields, and land use. This map report set is one in a series of four that depict selected aquifers in Wester New York. It supplements a series that is being done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with State agencies. The maps are based largely on published reports, data filled in several State agencies, and some additional field data collection. (USGS)

Assessment of Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Health Problems in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Khalequzzaman, Md.; Faruque, Fazlay S.; Mitra, Amal K.

2005-01-01

Excessive amounts of arsenic (As) in the groundwater in Bangladesh and neighboring states in India are a major public health problem. About 30% of the private wells in Bangladesh exhibit high concentrations of arsenic. Over half the country, 269 out of 464 administrative units, is affected. Similar problems exist in many other parts of the world, including the Unites States. This paper presents an assessment of the health hazards caused by arsenic contamination in the drinking water in Bangladesh. Four competing hypotheses, each addressing the sources, reaction mechanisms, pathways, and sinks of arsenic in groundwater, were analyzed in the context of the geologic history and land-use practices in the Bengal Basin. None of the hypotheses alone can explain the observed variability in arsenic concentration in time and space; each appears to have some validity on a local scale. Thus, it is likely that several bio-geochemical processes are active among the region’s various geologic environments, and that each contributes to the mobilization and release of arsenic. Additional research efforts will be needed to understand the relationships between underlying biogeochemical factors and the mechanisms for arsenic release in various geologic settings. PMID:16705819

Mapping spatial variation in rock properties in relationship to scale-dependent structure using spectral curvature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, S. A.; Wynn, T. J.

2000-08-01

Maps of the three-dimensional geometry of geologic surfaces show that structural curvature commonly varies with scale of observation: This fact can be viewed as superposition of structures at different wavelengths. Rock properties such as fracture density and orientation reflect the contribution of superimposed structures. For this reason, characterization of geologic surfaces is fundamentally different from purely geometrical characterization, for which local description of surface properties is sufficient. We show that measured curvature decays according to a power law with increasing size of measurement window, so short-wavelength curvatures do not obscure long-wavelength curvatures in the same data set. This property can be taken advantage of in a simple technique for automatically mapping multiwavelength curvatures. At each point on a surface, curvature is measured at a range of wavelengths. This curvature spectrum can be analyzed in map view or collapsed into a single value at each point in space. The results indicate that complex geologic surfaces can be characterized without any prior knowledge of structural wavelengths and orientation. The method should prove useful in applications requiring knowledge of spatial variation in rock properties from remotely sensed data, such as exploration for hydrocarbon reservoirs or nuclear waste repositories.

The Earth's Gravity and Its Geological Significance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, A. H.

1980-01-01

Discussed is the earth's gravity and its geological significance. Variations of gravity around the earth can be produced by a great variety of possible distributions of density within the earth. Topics discussed include isostasy, local structures, geological exploration, change of gravity in time, and gravity on the moon and planets. (DS)

40 CFR 146.62 - Minimum criteria for siting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... structural and stratigraphic geology, the hydrogeology, and the seismicity of the region; (2) An analysis of the local geology and hydrogeology of the well site, including, at a minimum, detailed information...) A determination that the geology of the area can be described confidently and that limits of waste...

40 CFR 146.62 - Minimum criteria for siting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... structural and stratigraphic geology, the hydrogeology, and the seismicity of the region; (2) An analysis of the local geology and hydrogeology of the well site, including, at a minimum, detailed information...) A determination that the geology of the area can be described confidently and that limits of waste...

40 CFR 146.62 - Minimum criteria for siting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... structural and stratigraphic geology, the hydrogeology, and the seismicity of the region; (2) An analysis of the local geology and hydrogeology of the well site, including, at a minimum, detailed information...) A determination that the geology of the area can be described confidently and that limits of waste...

Geoinformatics and Data Fusion in the Southwestern Utah Mineral Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiesel, T.; Enright, R.

2012-12-01

Data Fusion is a technique in remote sensing that combines separate geophysical data sets from different platforms to yield the maximum information of each set. Data fusion was employed on multiple sources of data for the purposes of investigating an area of the Utah Mineral Belt known as the San Francisco Mining District. In the past many mineral deposits were expressed in or on the immediate surface and therefore relatively easy to locate. More modern methods of investigation look for evidence beyond the visible spectrum to find patterns that predict the presence of deeply buried mineral deposits. The methods used in this study employed measurements of reflectivity or emissivity features in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for different materials, elevation data collected from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and indirect measurement of the magnetic or mass properties of deposits. The measurements were collected by various spaceborne remote sensing instruments like Landsat TM, ASTER and Hyperion and ground-based statewide geophysical surveys. ASTER's shortwave infrared bands, that have been calibrated to surface reflectance using the atmospheric correction tool FLAASH, can be used to identify products of hydrothermal alteration like kaolinite, alunite, limonite and pyrophyllite using image spectroscopy. The thermal infrared bands once calibrated to emissivity can be used to differentiate between felsic, mafic and carbonate rock units for the purposes of lithologic mapping. To validate results from the extracted spectral profiles existing geological reports were used for ground truth data. Measurements of electromagnetic spectra can only reveal the composition of surface features. Gravimetric and magnetic information were utilized to reveal subsurface features. Using Bouguer anomaly data provided by the USGS an interpreted geological cross section can be created that indicates the shape of local igneous intrusions and the depth of sedimentary basins. By comparing the digital elevation model with a satellite photo of the area a major high angle fault system was identified that had not been clearly evaluated in previous geologic mapping. For the investigation of the Frisco Mining District, gravity and magnetic data was fused to help differentiate igneous and sedimentary rocks that might have the same density. Data fusion allows for a more thorough analysis rather than viewing each data set separately with the accompanying improvement in ability to understand the complex geology of an area and can be applied to any remote sensing data set regardless of the type of instrument used.

Bedrock geologic and structural map through the western Candor Colles region of Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Okubo, Chris H.

2014-01-01

The structure and geology of the layered deposits in the Candor Colles region corresponding to units Avfs, Avme, and Hvl of Witbeck and others (1991) are reevaluated in this 1:18,000-scale map. The objectives herein are to gather high-resolution structural measurements to (1) refine the previous unit boundaries in this area established by Witbeck and others (1991), (2) revise the local stratigraphy where necessary, (3) characterize bed forms to help constrain depositional processes, and (4) determine the styles and extent of deformation to better inform reconstructions of the local post-depositional geologic history.

From the Brasserie to the Classroom: The Chaîne Des Puys - Limagne Fault Unesco World Heritage Project, Scientists and Non-Scientists Communicating Geoheritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Wyk de Vries, B.; Olive-Garcia, C.

2014-12-01

Geoheritage is an effective way of transferring scientific knowledge to non-peer audiences of all types. We present our experience of the Chaîne des Puys and Limagne fault UNESCO World heritage project, which shows how geoheritage can be a very successful communication tool, especially as it draws in the non-peers into the geological process at many levels. First and foremost is the local level, as no geoheritage project can be successful without local participation. Few geological localities on Earth are now devoid of human influence or habitation, and thus those who live and work on sites are the necessary first stage custodians. This means that locals must gain some understanding of their geology in order to appreciate their heritage. As such people tend to have a close relationship with their land, this is often half way done: local land use, customs are often easily integrated with geological knowledge. Once this link exists, communicating ideas that can be useful for management or for dealing with hazards is easier. Sometimes more tricky is communication to visitors, tourists and politicians who do not have such as close link to the landscape. Here, the educational strategy has to be different, with a need for them to learn what the landscape is and how it is managed, and lived in. During the development of the World Heritage Chaîne des Puys and Limagne Fault project the project team has been composed of geoscientists actively working on the area, agronomists local administration (such as natural park and local government members), and landscape specialists. Each has engaged in communication at different levels channelled either through personal contacts, or through more formal means, such as exhibitions, talks, and websites. Scientists have become communicators, and non-peers have begun to see the landscape though a geolologist eyes. A Geological landscape has begun to emerge in the popular perception.

[Fluoride in drinking water in Cuba and its association with geological and geographical variables].

PubMed

Luna, Liliam Cuéllar; Melián, Maricel García

2003-11-01

To determine the association between different concentrations of the fluoride ion in drinking water and some geological and geographical variables in Cuba, by using a geographic information system. From November 1998 to October 1999 we studied the fluoride concentration in the sources of drinking water for 753 Cuban localities that had at least 1 000 inhabitants. For the information analysis we utilized the MapInfo Professional version 5.5 geographic information system, using the overlaying method. The study variables were the concentration of the fluoride ion in the water sources, the geological characteristics of the area, the alignments (geological characteristics that were found together), the types of water sources, and whether an area was a plain or mountainous. The results were grouped by locality and municipality. In 83.1% of the localities, the water samples were collected from wells and springs, and the remaining 16.9% came from dams and rivers. Of the 753 localities studied, 675 of them (89.6%) had low or medium fluoride concentrations (under 0.7 mg/L). The eastern region of the country was the one most affected by high fluoride concentrations in the waters, followed by the central region of the country. The majority of the localities with high natural fluoride concentrations were in areas located on Cretaceous volcanic arc rocks. The presence of fluoride in the drinking waters was related to the alignments with the earth's crust, in rock complexes of volcanic-sedimentary origin and of intrusive origin and also in carbonate rocks. However, the highest fluoride concentrations generally coincided with rock complexes of volcanic-sedimentary origin and of intrusive origin. All the localities with high fluoride concentrations in the water were associated with wells. The fluoride concentration is low or medium in the drinking water sources for 89.6% of the Cuban localities with at least 1 000 inhabitants. Geological and geographical characteristics can help identify areas with optimal or high concentrations of the fluoride ion in the drinking water.

Science-practice nexus for landslide surveying: technical training for local government units in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, A. L.; Hespiantoro, S.; Dyar, D.; Balzer, D.; Kuhn, D.; Torizin, J.; Fuchs, M.; Kastl, S.; Anhorn, J.

2017-02-01

The Indonesian archipelago is prone to various geological hazards on an almost day to day basis. In order to mitigate disaster risk and reduce losses, the government uses its unique setup of ministerial training institutions. The Centre for Development of Human Resources in Geology, Mineral and Coal offers different level of technical training to local governments in order to provide them with the necessary means to understand geological hazards, mitigate risks, and hence close the gap between local and national governments. One key factor has been the continuous incorporation of new scientific knowledge into their training curricula. The paper presents benefits and challenges of this science-practice nexus using the standardised landslide survey as one example where mobile technology has been introduced to the training just recently.

Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 12 landing site: Part A: Geology of the Apollo 12 Landing Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shoemaker, E.M.; Batson, R.M.; Bean, A.L.; Conrad, C.; Dahlem, D.H.; Goddard, E.N.; Hait, M.H.; Larson, K.B.; Schaber, G.G.; Schleicher, D.L.; Sutton, R.L.; Swann, G.A.; Waters, A.C.

1970-01-01

This report provides a preliminary description of the geologic setting of the lunar samples returned fromt he Apollo 12 mission. A more complete interpretation of the geology of the site will be prepared after thorough analysis of the data.

Geological Investigation and analysis in response to Earthquake Induced Landslide in West Sumatra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karnawati, D.; Wilopo, W.; Salahudin, S.; Sudarno, I.; Burton, P.

2009-12-01

Substantial socio-economical loss occurred in response to the September 30. 2009 West Sumatra Earthquake with magnitude of 7.6. Damage of houses and engineered structures mostly occurred at the low land of alluvium sediments due to the ground amplification, whilst at the high land of mountain slopes several villages were buried by massive debris of rocks and soils. It was recorded that 1115 people died due to this disasters. Series of geological investigation was carried out by Geological Engineering Department of Gadjah Mada University, with the purpose to support the rehabilitation program. Based on this preliminary investigation it was identified that most of the house and engineered structural damages at the alluvial deposits mainly due to by the poor quality of such houses and engineered structures, which poorly resist the ground amplification, instead of due to the control of geological conditions. On the other hand, the existence and distribution of structural geology (faults and joints) at the mountaineous regions are significant in controlling the distribution of landslides, with the types of rock falls, debris flows and debris falls. Despite the landslide susceptibility mapping conducted by Geological Survey of Indonesia, more detailed investigation is required to be carried out in the region surrounding Maninjau Lake, in order to provide safer places for village relocation. Accordingly Gadjah Mada University in collaboration with the local university (Andalas University) as well as with the local Government of Agam Regency and the Geological Survey of Indonesia, serve the mission for conducting rather more detailed geological and landslide investigation. It is also crucial that the investigation (survey and mapping) on the social perception and expectation of local people living in this landslide susceptible area should also be carried out, to support the mitigation effort of any future potential earthquake induced landslides.

10 CFR 960.4-2-7 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... activity within the geologic setting during the Quaternary Period. (2) Historical earthquakes within the... isolation. (3) Indications, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, that either the frequency of occurrence or the magnitude of earthquakes within the geologic setting may...

10 CFR 960.5-2-11 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of active faulting within the geologic setting. (2) Historical earthquakes or past man-induced... design limits. (3) Evidence, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, (e.g., faults) within the geologic setting, that the magnitude of earthquakes at the site during...

10 CFR 960.4-2-7 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... activity within the geologic setting during the Quaternary Period. (2) Historical earthquakes within the... isolation. (3) Indications, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, that either the frequency of occurrence or the magnitude of earthquakes within the geologic setting may...

10 CFR 960.4-2-7 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... activity within the geologic setting during the Quaternary Period. (2) Historical earthquakes within the... isolation. (3) Indications, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, that either the frequency of occurrence or the magnitude of earthquakes within the geologic setting may...

10 CFR 960.5-2-11 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of active faulting within the geologic setting. (2) Historical earthquakes or past man-induced... design limits. (3) Evidence, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, (e.g., faults) within the geologic setting, that the magnitude of earthquakes at the site during...

10 CFR 960.4-2-7 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... activity within the geologic setting during the Quaternary Period. (2) Historical earthquakes within the... isolation. (3) Indications, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, that either the frequency of occurrence or the magnitude of earthquakes within the geologic setting may...

10 CFR 960.5-2-11 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of active faulting within the geologic setting. (2) Historical earthquakes or past man-induced... design limits. (3) Evidence, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, (e.g., faults) within the geologic setting, that the magnitude of earthquakes at the site during...

10 CFR 960.5-2-11 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of active faulting within the geologic setting. (2) Historical earthquakes or past man-induced... design limits. (3) Evidence, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, (e.g., faults) within the geologic setting, that the magnitude of earthquakes at the site during...

10 CFR 960.5-2-11 - Tectonics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... of active faulting within the geologic setting. (2) Historical earthquakes or past man-induced... design limits. (3) Evidence, based on correlations of earthquakes with tectonic processes and features, (e.g., faults) within the geologic setting, that the magnitude of earthquakes at the site during...

Geologic map of the Riverside East 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Douglas M.; Cox, Brett F.

2001-01-01

a. This Readme; includes in Appendix I, data contained in rse_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced 1:24,000-scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Geologic Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation-name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous. Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand. In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f. Even though this is an Open-File Report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Geologic map of the Corona North 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Douglas M.; Gray, C.H.; Bovard, Kelly R.; Dawson, Michael

2002-01-01

a. This Readme; includes in Appendix I, data contained in crn_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced precise 1:24,000- scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Geologic Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous. Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand. In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f. Even though this is an Open-File Report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Geologic map of the Corona South 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside and Orange counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, C.H.; Morton, Douglas M.; Weber, F. Harold; Digital preparation by Bovard, Kelly R.; O'Brien, Timothy

2002-01-01

a. A Readme file; includes in Appendix I, data contained in crs_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced 1:24,000-scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Geologic Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation-name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous. Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand. In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f. Even though this is an Open-File Report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Geologic map of the Steele Peak 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Douglas M.; digital preparation by Alvarez, Rachel M.; Diep, Van M.

2001-01-01

a. This Readme; includes in Appendix I, data contained in stp_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced 1:24,000-scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Geologic Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation-name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous. Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand. In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f. Even though this is an Open-File Report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Geologic map of the Riverside West 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Douglas M.; Cox, Brett F.

2001-01-01

a. This Readme; includes in Appendix I, data contained in rsw_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced 1:24,000-scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Geologic Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation-name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous. Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand. In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f.Even though this is an Open-File Report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Global stratigraphy of Venus: Analysis of a random sample of thirty-six test areas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basilevsky, Alexander T.; Head, James W., III

1995-01-01

The age relations between 36 impact craters with dark paraboloids and other geologic units and structures at these localities have been studied through photogeologic analysis of Magellan SAR images of the surface of Venus. Geologic settings in all 36 sites, about 1000 x 1000 km each, could be characterized using only 10 different terrain units and six types of structures. Mapping of such units and structures in 36 randomly distributed large regions shows evidence for a distinctive regional and global stratigraphic and geologic sequence. On the basis of this sequence we have developed a model that illustrates several major themes in the history of Venus. Most of the history of Venus (that of its first 80% or so) is not preserved in the surface geomorphological record. The major deformation associated with tessera formation in the period sometime between 0.5-1.0 b.y. ago (Ivanov and Basilevsky, 1993) is the earliest event detected. Our stratigraphic analyses suggest that following tessera formation, extensive volcanic flooding resurfaced at least 85% of the planet in the form of the presently-ridged and fractured plains. Several lines of evidence favor a high flux in the post-tessera period but we have no independent evidence for the absolute duration of ridged plains emplacement. During this time, the net state of stress in the lithosphere apparently changed from extensional to compressional, first in the form of extensive ridge belt development, followed by the formation of extensive wrinkle ridges on the flow units. Subsequently, there occurred local emplacement of smooth and lobate plains units which are presently essentially undeformed. The major events in the latest 10% of the presently preserved history of Venus are continued rifting and some associated volcanism, and the redistribution of eolian material largely derived from impact crater deposits. Detailed geologic mapping and stratigraphic synthesis are necessary to test this sequence and to address many of the outstanding problems raised by this analysis.

Preliminary surficial geologic map of the Newberry Springs 30' x 60' quadrangle, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, G.A.; Bedford, D.R.; Lidke, D.J.; Miller, D.M.; Schmidt, K.M.

2012-01-01

The Newberry Springs 30' x 60' quadrangle is located in the central Mojave Desert of southern California. It is split approximately into northern and southern halves by I-40, with the city of Barstow at its western edge and the town of Ludlow near its eastern edge. The map area spans lat 34°30 to 35° N. to long -116 °to -117° W. and covers over 1,000 km2. We integrate the results of surficial geologic mapping conducted during 2002-2005 with compilations of previous surficial mapping and bedrock geologic mapping. Quaternary units are subdivided in detail on the map to distinguish variations in age, process of formation, pedogenesis, lithology, and spatial interdependency, whereas pre-Quaternary bedrock units are grouped into generalized assemblages that emphasize their attributes as hillslope-forming materials and sources of parent material for the Quaternary units. The spatial information in this publication is presented in two forms: a spatial database and a geologic map. The geologic map is a view (the display of an extracted subset of the database at a given time) of the spatial database; it highlights key aspects of the database and necessarily does not show all of the data contained therein. The database contains detailed information about Quaternary geologic unit composition, authorship, and notes regarding geologic units, faults, contacts, and local vegetation. The amount of information contained in the database is too large to show on a single map, so a restricted subset of the information was chosen to summarize the overall nature of the geology. Refer to the database for additional information. Accompanying the spatial data are the map documentation and spatial metadata. The map documentation (this document) describes the geologic setting and history of the Newberry Springs map sheet, summarizes the age and physical character of each map unit, and describes principal faults and folds. The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata provides detailed information about the digital files and file structure of the spatial data.

3D coupled heat and mass transfer processes at the scale of sedimentary basisn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cacace, M.; Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Kaiser, B. O.

2014-12-01

We use coupled 3D simulations of fluid, heat, and transport based on a 3D structural model of a complex geological setting, the Northeast German Basin (NEGB). The geological structure of the NEGB is characterized by a relatively thick layer of Permian Zechstein salt, structured in differnet diapirs (up to 5000 m thick) and pillows locally reaching nearly the surface. Salt is thermally more conductive than other sediments, hydraulically impervious but highly solvable. Thus salt structures have first order influence on the temperature distribution, the deep flow regime and the salinity of groundawater bearing aquifers. In addition, the post-Permian sedimentary sequence is vertically subdivided into several aquifers and aquitards. The shallow Quaternary to late Tertiary freshwater aquifer is separated from the underlying Mesozoic saline aquifers by an embedded Tertiary clay enriched aquitard (Rupelian Aquitard). An important feature of this aquitard is that hydraulic connections between the upper and lower aquifers exist in areas where the Rupelian Aquitard is missing (hydrogeological windows). By means of 3D numerical simulations we explore the role of heat conduction, pressure, and density driven groundwater flow as well as fluid viscosity-related and salinity-dependent effects on the resulting flow and temperature fields. Our results suggest that the regional temperature distribution within the basin results from interactions between regional pressure forces and thermal diffusion locally enhanced by thermal conductivity contrasts between the different sedimentary rocks with the highly conductive salt. Buoyancy forces triggered by temperature-dependent fluid density variations affect only locally the internal thermal configuration. Locations, geometry, and wavelengths of convective thermal anomalies are mainly controlled by the permeability field and thickness values of the respective geological layers. Numerical results from 3D thermo-haline numerical simulations suggest that hydrogeological windows act as preferential domains of hydraulic interconnectivity between the different aquifers at depth, and enable vigorous heat and mass transport which causes a mixing of warm and saline groundwater with cold and less saline groundwater within both aquifers.

The giant Carlin gold province: A protracted interplay of orogenic, basinal, and hydrothermal processes above a lithospheric boundary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Emsbo, P.; Groves, D.I.; Hofstra, A.H.; Bierlein, F.P.

2006-01-01

Northern Nevada hosts the only province that contains multiple world-class Carlin-type gold deposits. The first-order control on the uniqueness of this province is its anomalous far back-arc tectonic setting over the rifted North American paleocontinental margin that separates Precambrian from Phanerozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Globally, most other significant gold provinces form in volcanic arcs and accreted terranes proximal to convergent margins. In northern Nevada, periodic reactivation of basement faults along this margin focused and amplified subsequent geological events. Early basement faults localized Devonian synsedimentary extension and normal faulting. These controlled the geometry of the Devonian sedimentary basin architecture and focused the discharge of basinal brines that deposited syngenetic gold along the basin margins. Inversion of these basins and faults during subsequent contraction produced the complex elongate structural culminations that characterize the anomalous mineral deposit "trends." Subsequently, these features localized repeated episodes of shallow magmatic and hydrothermal activity that also deposited some gold. During a pulse of Eocene extension, these faults focused advection of Carlin-type fluids, which had the opportunity to leach gold from gold-enriched sequences and deposit it in reactive miogeoclinal host rocks below the hydrologic seal at the Roberts Mountain thrust contact. Hence, the vast endowment of the Carlin province resulted from the conjunction of spatially superposed events localized by long-lived basement structures in a highly anomalous tectonic setting, rather than by the sole operation of special magmatic or fluid-related processes. An important indicator of the longevity of this basement control is the superposition of different gold deposit types (e.g., Sedex, porphyry, Carlin-type, epithermal, and hot spring deposits) that formed repeatedly between the Devonian and Miocene time along the trends. Interestingly, the large Cretaceous Alaska-Yukon intrusion-related gold deposits (e.g., Fort Knox) are associated with the northern extension of the same lithospheric margin in the Selwyn basin, which experienced an analogous series of geologic events. ?? Springer-Verlag 2006.

Mechanical properties of conjugate faults in the Makran accretionary prism estimated from InSAR observations of coseismic deformation due to the 2013 Baluchistan (Mw 7.7) earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, R.; Harrington, J.; Wang, T.; Feng, G.; Vasyura-Bathke, H.; Jonsson, S.

2017-12-01

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements allow us to study various mechanical and rheological properties around faults. For example, strain localizations along faults induced by nearby earthquakes observed by InSAR have been explained by the elastic response of compliant fault zones (CFZ) where the elastic moduli is reduced with respect to that of the surrounding rock. We observed similar strain localizations (up to 1-3 cm displacements in the line-of-sight direction of InSAR) along several conjugate faults near the rupture of the 2013 Mw7.7 Baluchistan (Pakistan) earthquake in the accretionary prism of the Makran subduction zone. These conjugate compliant faults, which have strikes of N30°E and N45°W, are located 15-30 km from the mainshock fault rupture in a N-S compressional stress regime. The long-term geologic slip direction of these faults is left-lateral for the N30°E striking faults and right-lateral for the N45°W striking faults. The 2013 Baluchistan earthquake caused WSW-ENE extensional coseismic stress changes across the conjugate fault system and the observed strain localizations shows opposite sense of motion to that of the geologic long-term slip. We use 3D Finite Element modeling (FEM) to study the effects extensional coseismic stresses have on the conjugate CFZs that is otherwise loaded in a compressional regional stress. We use coseismic static displacements due to the earthquake along the FEM domain boundaries to simulate the extensional coseismic stress change acting across the fault system. Around 0.5-2 km wide CFZs with reduction in shear modulus by a factor of 3 to 4 can explain the observed InSAR strain localizations and the opposite sense of motion. The InSAR measurements were also used to constrain the ranges of the length, width and rigidity variations of the CFZs. The FEM solution shows that the N45°W striking faults localize mostly extensional strain and a small amount of left-lateral shear (opposite sense to the geologic motion), whereas the N30°E striking faults localize mostly right-lateral shear (opposite sense) and a small amount of extensional strain. Similar results were found for CFZs near the 1992 Landers and the 1999 Hector Mine earthquakes in California, although here the strain localizations occur on a more complex conjugate sets of faults.

Geological, hydrological, and biological issues related to the proposed development of a park at the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco, Los Angeles County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Land, Michael; Trenham, Peter C.; Ponti, Daniel J.; Reichard, Eric G.; Tinsley, John C.; Warrick, Jonathan A.; Meyer, Robert W.

2005-01-01

A new park is being considered for the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles County, California. Components of the park development may include creation of a temporary lake on the Los Angeles River, removal of channel lining along part of the Arroyo Seco, restoration of native plants, creation of walking paths, and building of facilities such as a boat ramp and a visitor center. This report, prepared in cooperation with the Mountains Recreation and Conservancy Authority, delineates the geological, hydrological, and biological issues that may have an impact on the park development or result from development at the confluence, and identifies a set a tasks to help address these science issues. Geologic issues of concern relate to surface faulting, earthquake ground motions, liquefaction, landsliding, and induced seismicity. Hydrologic issues of concern relate to the hydraulics and water quality of both surface water and ground water. Biological issues of concern include colonization-extinction dynamics, wildlife corridors, wildlife reintroduction, non-native species, ecotoxicology, and restoration of local habitat and ecology. Potential tasks include (1) basic data collection and follow-up monitoring, and (2) statistical and probabilistic analyses and simulation modeling of the seismic, hydraulic, and ecological processes that may have the greatest impact on the park. The science issues and associated tasks delineated for the proposed confluence park will also have transfer value for river restoration in other urban settings.

Improving the delineation of hydrocarbon-impacted soils and water through induced polarization (IP) tomographies: a field study at an industrial waste land.

PubMed

Deceuster, John; Kaufmann, Olivier

2012-08-01

Without a good estimation of samples representativeness, the delineation of the contaminated plume extent and the evaluation of volumes of hydrocarbon-impacted soils may remain difficult. To contribute to this question, a time domain induced polarization (IP) field experiment was conducted on an industrial waste land. Boreholes were drilled to specify the local geological context. Cross-hole seismic tomographies were performed to extend borehole logs and to draw an interpreted geological cross-section. Soil samples taken during drillings were analysed in laboratory. A preliminary survey was conducted to locate the IP profile. The polarization signatures linked to the presence of clayey sediments were filtered out from the data set. Chargeability and resistivity depth soundings were computed and compared to mean concentrations of total organic products to overcome the data support issue between the geophysical models and the spot samples of soils. A logarithmic relation between chargeabilities and smoothed hydrocarbon concentrations in soils was found. Taking into account contaminant's concentration thresholds defined in local codes and regulations allows defining chargeability classes to delineate hotspots on this site. This showed that IP tomography can be an accurate screening methodology. A statistical methodology is proposed to assess the efficiency of the investigation strategy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Managing geological uncertainty in CO2-EOR reservoir assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welkenhuysen, Kris; Piessens, Kris

2014-05-01

Recently the European Parliament has agreed that an atlas for the storage potential of CO2 is of high importance to have a successful commercial introduction of CCS (CO2 capture and geological storage) technology in Europe. CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) is often proposed as a promising business case for CCS, and likely has a high potential in the North Sea region. Traditional economic assessments for CO2-EOR largely neglect the geological reality of reservoir uncertainties because these are difficult to introduce realistically in such calculations. There is indeed a gap between the outcome of a reservoir simulation and the input values for e.g. cost-benefit evaluations, especially where it concerns uncertainty. The approach outlined here is to turn the procedure around, and to start from which geological data is typically (or minimally) requested for an economic assessment. Thereafter it is evaluated how this data can realistically be provided by geologists and reservoir engineers. For the storage of CO2 these parameters are total and yearly CO2 injection capacity, and containment or potential on leakage. Specifically for the EOR operation, two additional parameters can be defined: the EOR ratio, or the ratio of recovered oil over injected CO2, and the CO2 recycling ratio of CO2 that is reproduced after breakthrough at the production well. A critical but typically estimated parameter for CO2-EOR projects is the EOR ratio, taken in this brief outline as an example. The EOR ratio depends mainly on local geology (e.g. injection per well), field design (e.g. number of wells), and time. Costs related to engineering can be estimated fairly good, given some uncertainty range. The problem is usually to reliably estimate the geological parameters that define the EOR ratio. Reliable data is only available from (onshore) CO2-EOR projects in the US. Published studies for the North Sea generally refer to these data in a simplified form, without uncertainty ranges, and are therefore not suited for cost-benefit analysis. They likely result in too optimistic results because onshore configurations are cheaper and different. We propose to translate the detailed US data to the North Sea, retaining their uncertainty ranges. In a first step, a general cost correction can be applied to account for costs specific to the EU and the offshore setting. In a second step site-specific data, including laboratory tests and reservoir modelling, are used to further adapt the EOR ratio values taking into account all available geological reservoir-specific knowledge. And lastly, an evaluation of the field configuration will have an influence on both the cost and local geology dimension, because e.g. horizontal drilling is needed (cost) to improve injectivity (geology). As such, a dataset of the EOR field is obtained which contains all aspects and their uncertainty ranges. With these, a geologically realistic basis is obtained for further cost-benefit analysis of a specific field, where the uncertainties are accounted for using a stochastic evaluation. Such ad-hoc evaluation of geological parameters will provide a better assessment of the CO2-EOR potential of the North Sea oil fields.

Evaluation of procedures for prediction of unconventional gas in the presence of geologic trends

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Coburn, T.C.

2009-01-01

This study extends the application of local spatial nonparametric prediction models to the estimation of recoverable gas volumes in continuous-type gas plays to regimes where there is a single geologic trend. A transformation is presented, originally proposed by Tomczak, that offsets the distortions caused by the trend. This article reports on numerical experiments that compare predictive and classification performance of the local nonparametric prediction models based on the transformation with models based on Euclidean distance. The transformation offers improvement in average root mean square error when the trend is not severely misspecified. Because of the local nature of the models, even those based on Euclidean distance in the presence of trends are reasonably robust. The tests based on other model performance metrics such as prediction error associated with the high-grade tracts and the ability of the models to identify sites with the largest gas volumes also demonstrate the robustness of both local modeling approaches. ?? International Association for Mathematical Geology 2009.

Section-constrained local geological interface dynamic updating method based on the HRBF surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jiateng; Wu, Lixin; Zhou, Wenhui; Li, Chaoling; Li, Fengdan

2018-02-01

Boundaries, attitudes and sections are the most common data acquired from regional field geological surveys, and they are used for three-dimensional (3D) geological modelling. However, constructing topologically consistent 3D geological models from rapid and automatic regional modelling with convenient local modifications remains unresolved. In previous works, the Hermite radial basis function (HRBF) surface was introduced for the simulation of geological interfaces from geological boundaries and attitudes, which allows 3D geological models to be automatically extracted from the modelling area by the interfaces. However, the reasonability and accuracy of non-supervised subsurface modelling is limited without further modifications generated through explanations and analyses performed by geology experts. In this paper, we provide flexible and convenient manual interactive manipulation tools for geologists to sketch constraint lines, and these tools may help geologists transform and apply their expert knowledge to the models. In the modified modelling workflow, the geological sections were treated as auxiliary constraints to construct more reasonable 3D geological models. The geometric characteristics of section lines were abstracted to coordinates and normal vectors, and along with the transformed coordinates and vectors from boundaries and attitudes, these characteristics were adopted to co-calculate the implicit geological surface function parameters of the HRBF equations and form constrained geological interfaces from topographic (boundaries and attitudes) and subsurface data (sketched sections). Based on this new modelling method, a prototype system was developed, in which the section lines could be imported from databases or interactively sketched, and the models could be immediately updated after the new constraints were added. Experimental comparisons showed that all boundary, attitude and section data are well represented in the constrained models, which are consistent with expert explanations and help improve the quality of the models.

Variational Bayesian Inversion of Quasi-Localized Seismic Attributes for the Spatial Distribution of Geological Facies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nawaz, Muhammad Atif; Curtis, Andrew

2018-04-01

We introduce a new Bayesian inversion method that estimates the spatial distribution of geological facies from attributes of seismic data, by showing how the usual probabilistic inverse problem can be solved using an optimization framework still providing full probabilistic results. Our mathematical model consists of seismic attributes as observed data, which are assumed to have been generated by the geological facies. The method infers the post-inversion (posterior) probability density of the facies plus some other unknown model parameters, from the seismic attributes and geological prior information. Most previous research in this domain is based on the localized likelihoods assumption, whereby the seismic attributes at a location are assumed to depend on the facies only at that location. Such an assumption is unrealistic because of imperfect seismic data acquisition and processing, and fundamental limitations of seismic imaging methods. In this paper, we relax this assumption: we allow probabilistic dependence between seismic attributes at a location and the facies in any neighbourhood of that location through a spatial filter. We term such likelihoods quasi-localized.

High-resolution geological mapping at 3D Environments: A case study from the fold-and-thrust belt in northern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Y. C.; Shih, N. C.; Hsieh, Y. C.

2016-12-01

Geologic maps have provided fundamental information for many scientific and engineering applications in human societies. Geologic maps directly influence the reliability of research results or the robustness of engineering projects. In the past, geologic maps were mainly produced by field geologists through direct field investigations and 2D topographic maps. However, the quality of traditional geologic maps was significantly compromised by field conditions, particularly, when the map area is covered by heavy forest canopies. Recent developments in airborne LiDAR technology may virtually remove trees or buildings, thus, providing a useful data set for improving geological mapping. Because high-quality topographic information still needs to be interpreted in terms of geology, there are many fundamental questions regarding how to best apply the data set for high-resolution geological mapping. In this study, we aim to test the quality and reliability of high-resolution geologic maps produced by recent technological methods through an example from the fold-and-thrust belt in northern Taiwan. We performed the geological mapping by applying the LiDAR-derived DEM, self-developed program tools and many layers of relevant information at interactive 3D environments. Our mapping results indicate that the proposed methods will considerably improve the quality and consistency of the geologic maps. The study also shows that in order to gain consistent mapping results, future high-resolution geologic maps should be produced at interactive 3D environments on the basis of existing geologic maps.

The British Geological Survey's Lexicon of Named Rock Units as Online and Linked Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCormick, T.

2012-12-01

The British Geological Survey's Lexicon of Named Rock Units provides freely accessible definitions and supplementary information about geological units of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and their associated continental shelf. It is an online database that can be searched at www.bgs.ac.uk/Lexicon/. It has existed since 1990 (under different names) but the database and user interface have recently been completely redesigned to improve their semantic capabilities and suitability for describing different styles of geology. The data are also now freely available as linked data from data.bgs.ac.uk/. The Lexicon of Named Rock Units serves two purposes. First, it is a dictionary, defining and constraining the geological units that are referenced in the Survey's data sets, workflows, products and services. These can include printed and digital geological maps at a variety of scales, reports, books and memoirs, and 3- and 4-dimensional geological models. All geological units referenced in any of these must first be present and defined, at least to a basic level of completeness, in the Lexicon database. Only then do they become available for use. The second purpose of the Lexicon is as a repository of knowledge about the geology of the UK and its continental shelf, providing authoritative descriptions written and checked by BGS geoscientists. Geological units are assigned to one of four themes: bedrock, superficial, mass movement and artificial. They are further assigned to one of nine classes: lithostratigraphical, lithodemic intrusive, lithodemic tectono-metamorphic, lithodemic mixed, litho-morpho-genetic, man-made, age-based, composite, and miscellaneous. The combination of theme and class controls the fields that are available to describe each geological unit, so that appropriate fields are offered for each, whether it is a Precambrian tectono-metamorphic complex, a Devonian sandstone formation, or a Devensian river terrace deposit. Information that may be recorded about each unit includes its rank, parentage, previous and alternative names and usage, geochronological age, lithology, environment of deposition / mode of origin, thickness, boundaries, type and reference localities and sections, geographical distribution, associated landforms, and literature references. BGS geoscientists use a web-based 'sandbox' system to write and revise definitions. The Lexicon currently stores information on approximately 13,400 geological units that BGS considers to be 'current', with cross references to some 6,000 other names that are considered to be obsolete or alternative names. The entries span the entire preserved geological history of the UK from Archaean to Recent, onshore and offshore.

Digital database of microfossil localities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDougall, Kristin; Block, Debra L.

2014-01-01

The eastern San Francisco Bay region (Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, California) is a geologically complex area divided by faults into a suite of tectonic blocks. Each block contains a unique stratigraphic sequence of Tertiary sediments that in most blocks unconformably overlie Mesozoic sediments. Age and environmental interpretations based on analysis of microfossil assemblages are key factors in interpreting geologic history, structure, and correlation of each block. Much of this data, however, is distributed in unpublished internal reports and memos, and is generally unavailable to the geologic community. In this report the U.S. Geological Survey microfossil data from the Tertiary sediments of Alameda and Contra Costa counties are analyzed and presented in a digital database, which provides a user-friendly summary of the micropaleontologic data, locality information, and biostratigraphic and ecologic interpretations.

Jurassic hot spring deposits of the Deseado Massif (Patagonia, Argentina): Characteristics and controls on regional distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guido, Diego M.; Campbell, Kathleen A.

2011-06-01

The Deseado Massif, Santa Cruz Province, Argentinean Patagonia, hosts numerous Middle to Late Jurassic age geothermal and epithermal features represented by siliceous and calcareous chemical precipitates from hot springs (sinters and travertines, respectively), hydrothermal breccias, quartz veins, and widespread hydrothermal silicification. They indicate pauses in explosive volcanic activity, marking the final stages in the evolution of an extensive Jurassic (ca. 178-151 Ma) volcanic complex set in a diffuse extensional back-arc setting heralding the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Published paleo-hot spring sites for the Deseado Massif, plus additional sites identified during our recent field studies, reveal a total of 23 locations, five of which were studied in detail to determine their geologic and facies associations. They show structural, lithologic, textural and biotic similarities with Miocene to Recent hot spring systems from the Taupo and Coromandel volcanic zones, New Zealand, as well as with modern examples from Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A. These comparisons aid in the definition of facies assemblages for Deseado Massif deposits - proximal, middle apron and distal siliceous sinter and travertine terraces and mounds, with preservation of many types of stromatolitic fabrics - that likely were controlled by formation temperature, pH, hydrodynamics and fluid compositions. Locally the mapped hot spring deposits largely occur in association with reworked volcaniclastic lacustrine and/or fluvial sediments, silicic to intermediate lava domes, and hydrothermal mineralization, all of which are related to local and regional structural lineaments. Moreover, the numerous geothermal and significant epithermal (those with published minable resources) deposits of the Deseado Massif geological province mostly occur in four regional NNW and WNW hydrothermal-structural belts (Northwestern, Northern, Central, and Southern), defined here by alignment of five or more hot spring deposits and confirmed as structurally controlled by aeromagnetic data. The Northern and Northwestern belts, in particular, concentrate most of the geothermal and epithermal occurrences. Hence, Jurassic hydrothermal fluid flow was strongly influenced by the most dominant and long-active geological boundaries in the region, the outer limits of the Deseado Massif 'horst' itself.

Composition of aeolian dust in natural traps on isolated surfaces of the central Mojave Desert - Insights to mixing, sources, and nutrient inputs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, R.L.; Reheis, M.; Yount, J.; Lamothe, P.

2006-01-01

The recognition and characterization of aeolian dust in soil contribute to a better understanding of landscape and ecosystem dynamics of drylands. Results of this study show that recently deposited dust, sampled in isolated, mostly high-ground settings, is chemically and mineralogically similar on varied geologic substrates over a large area (15 000 km2) in the Mojave Desert. The silt-plus-clay fraction (fines) on these isolated surfaces is closely alike in magnetic-mineral composition, in contrast to greatly dissimilar magnetic compositions of rock surfaces of vastly different lithologies, on which the fines have accumulated. The fines, thus, are predominantly deposited dust. The amounts of potential nutrients in the sampled dust are much more uniform than might be provided by direct, local weathering of bedrock or by dust locally derived from nearby weathered products. The compositional similarity of the dust on these surfaces is interpreted to result from mixing of fines in the atmosphere as well as in fluvial, alluvial, and lacustrine depositional settings prior to dust emission.

Using Google Earth and Satellite Imagery to Foster Place-Based Teaching in an Introductory Physical Geology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monet, Julie; Greene, Todd

2012-01-01

Students in an introductory physical geology course often have difficulty making connections between basic course topics and assembling key concepts (beyond textbook examples) to interpret how geologic processes shape the characteristics of the local and regional natural environment. As an approach to address these issues, we designed and…

Learning to live with geologic and hydrologic hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gori, Paula L.; Driedger, Carolyn L.; Randall, Sharon L.

1999-01-01

The Seattle, Washington, area is known for its livability and its magnificent natural setting. The city and nearby communities are surrounded by an abundance of rivers and lakes and by the bays of Puget Sound. Two majestic mountain ranges, the Olympics and the Cascades, rim the region. These splendid natural features are products of dynamic forces -- landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, glaciers, volcanoes, and floods. The same processes that formed this beautiful landscape pose hazards to the ever-growing population of the region. To maintain the Seattle area's livability, public and private policymakers must learn to manage the area's vulnerability to natural hazards to protect its three million residents from loss and damage from future disasters. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with other Federal and State agencies, the city of Seattle, and other local governments to provide necessary scientific information that will help communities manage the natural hazards. This information will be useful in planning future development, siting public facilities and businesses, and developing effective emergency plans. -- Gori, et.al., 1999

Nature, formation, and distribution of carbonates on Ceres.

PubMed

Carrozzo, Filippo Giacomo; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Raponi, Andrea; Ammannito, Eleonora; Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Ehlmann, Bethany L; Marchi, Simone; Stein, Nathaniel; Ciarniello, Mauro; Tosi, Federico; Capaccioni, Fabrizio; Capria, Maria Teresa; Fonte, Sergio; Formisano, Michelangelo; Frigeri, Alessandro; Giardino, Marco; Longobardo, Andrea; Magni, Gianfranco; Palomba, Ernesto; Zambon, Francesca; Raymond, Carol A; Russell, Christopher T

2018-03-01

Different carbonates have been detected on Ceres, and their abundance and spatial distribution have been mapped using a visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIR), the Dawn imaging spectrometer. Carbonates are abundant and ubiquitous across the surface, but variations in the strength and position of infrared spectral absorptions indicate variations in the composition and amount of these minerals. Mg-Ca carbonates are detected all over the surface, but localized areas show Na carbonates, such as natrite (Na 2 CO 3 ) and hydrated Na carbonates (for example, Na 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O). Their geological settings and accessory NH 4 -bearing phases suggest the upwelling, excavation, and exposure of salts formed from Na-CO 3 -NH 4 -Cl brine solutions at multiple locations across the planet. The presence of the hydrated carbonates indicates that their formation/exposure on Ceres' surface is geologically recent and dehydration to the anhydrous form (Na 2 CO 3 ) is ongoing, implying a still-evolving body.

Ground-water vulnerability to nitrate contamination in the mid-atlantic region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greene, Earl A.; LaMotte, Andrew E.; Cullinan, Kerri-Ann; Smith, Elizabeth R.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (USEPA) Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) Program has developed a set of statistical tools to support regional-scale, integrated ecological risk-assessment studies. One of these tools, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is used with available water-quality data obtained from USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) and other studies in association with land cover, geology, soils, and other geographic data to develop logistic-regression equations that predict the vulnerability of ground water to nitrate concentrations exceeding specified thresholds in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The models were developed and applied to produce spatial probability maps showing the likelihood of elevated concentrations of nitrate in the region. These maps can be used to identify areas that currently are at risk and help identify areas where ground water has been affected by human activities. This information can be used by regional and local water managers to protect water supplies and identify land-use planning solutions and monitoring programs in these vulnerable areas.

Controls on large landslide distribution and implications for the geomorphic evolution of the southern interior Columbia River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Safran, E.B.; Anderson, S.W.; Mills-Novoa, M.; House, P.K.; Ely, L.

2011-01-01

Large landslides (>0.1 km2) are important agents of geomorphic change. While most common in rugged mountain ranges, large landslides can also be widespread in relatively low-relief (several 100 m) terrain, where their distribution has been relatively little studied. A fuller understanding of the role of large landslides in landscape evolution requires addressing this gap, since the distribution of large landslides may affect broad regions through interactions with channel processes, and since the dominant controls on landslide distribution might be expected to vary with tectonic setting. We documented >400 landslides between 0.1 and ~40 km2 across ~140,000 km2 of eastern Oregon, in the semiarid, southern interior Columbia River basin. The mapped landslides cluster in a NW-SE-trending band that is 50-100 km wide. Landslides predominantly occur where even modest local relief (~100 m) exists near key contacts between weak sedimentary or volcaniclastic rock and coherent cap rock. Fault density exerts no control on landslide distribution, while ~10% of mapped landslides cluster within 3-10 km of mapped fold axes. Landslide occurrence is curtailed to the NE by thick packages of coherent basalt and to the SW by limited local relief. Our results suggest that future mass movements will localize in areas stratigraphically preconditioned for landsliding by a geologic history of fluviolacustrine and volcaniclastic sedimentation and episodic capping by coherent lava flows. In such areas, episodic landsliding may persist for hundreds of thousands of years or more, producing valley wall slopes of ~7??-13?? and impacting local channels with an evolving array of mass movement styles. ?? 2011 Geological Society of America.

An inventory of undiscovered Canadian mineral resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labovitz, M. L.; Griffiths, J. C.

1982-01-01

Unit regional value (URV) and unit regional weight are area standardized measures of the expected value and quantity, respectively, of the mineral resources of a region. Estimation and manipulation of the URV statistic is the basis of an approach to mineral resource evaluation. Estimates of the kind and value of exploitable mineral resources yet to be discovered in the provinces of Canada are used as an illustration of the procedure. The URV statistic is set within a previously developed model wherein geology, as measured by point counting geologic maps, is related to the historical record of mineral resource production of well-developed regions of the world, such as the 50 states of the U.S.A.; these may be considered the training set. The Canadian provinces are related to this training set using geological information obtained in the same way from geologic maps of the provinces. The desired predictions of yet to be discovered mineral resources in the Canadian provinces arise as a consequence. The implicit assumption is that regions of similar geology, if equally well developed, will produce similar weights and values of mineral resources.

Evidences of landslide earthquake triggering due to self-excitation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozzano, F.; Lenti, L.; Martino, Salvatore; Paciello, A.; Scarascia Mugnozza, G.

2011-06-01

The basin-like setting of stiff bedrock combined with pre-existing landslide masses can contribute to seismic amplifications in a wide frequency range (0-10 Hz) and induce a self-excitation process responsible for earthquake-triggered landsliding. Here, the self-excitation process is proposed to justify the far-field seismic trigger of the Cerda landslide (Sicily, Italy) which was reactivated by the 6th September 2002 Palermo earthquake ( M s = 5.4), about 50 km far from the epicentre. The landslide caused damage to farm houses, roads and aqueducts, close to the village of Cerda, and involved about 40 × 106 m3 of clay shales; the first ground cracks due to the landslide movement formed about 30 min after the main shock. A stress-strain dynamic numerical modelling, performed by FDM code FLAC 5.0, supports the notion that the combination of local geological setting and earthquake frequency content played a fundamental role in the landslide reactivation. Since accelerometric records of the triggering event are not available, dynamic equivalent inputs have been used for the numerical modelling. These inputs can be regarded as representative for the local ground shaking, having a PGA value up to 0.2 m/s2, which is the maximum expected in 475 years, according to the Italian seismic hazard maps. A 2D numerical modelling of the seismic wave propagation in the Cerda landslide area was also performed; it pointed out amplification effects due to both the structural setting of the stiff bedrock (at about 1 Hz) and the pre-existing landslide mass (in the range 3-6 Hz). The frequency peaks of the resulting amplification functions ( A( f)) fit well the H/ V spectral ratios from ambient noise and the H/ H spectral ratios to a reference station from earthquake records, obtained by in situ velocimetric measurements. Moreover, the Fourier spectra of earthquake accelerometric records, whose source and magnitude are consistent with the triggering event, show a main peak at about 1 Hz. This frequency value well fits the one amplified by the geological setting of the bedrock in correspondence with the landslide area, which is constituted of marly limestones and characterised by a basin-like geometry.

A geologic guide to Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska; a tectonic collage of northbound terranes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winkler, Gary R.; with contributions by MacKevett, E. M.; Plafker, George; Richter, D.H.; Rosenkrans, D.S.; Schmoll, H.R.

2000-01-01

Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest unit in the U.S. National Park System, encompasses near 13.2 million acres of geological wonderments. This geologic guide presents history of exploration and Earth-science investigation; describes the complex geologic makeup; characterizes the vast college of accretion geologic terranes in this area of Alaska's continental margin; recapitulates the effects of earthquakes, volcanoes, and glaciers; characterizes the copper and gold resources of the parklands; and describes outstanding locales within the park and preserve area. A glossary of geologic terms and a categorized list of additional sources of information complete this report.

Geologic history of central Chryse Planitia and the Viking 1 landing site, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craddock, Robert A.; Crumpler, L. S.; Aubele, Jayne C.

1993-01-01

A 1:500,000 scale geologic mapping was undertaken to synthesize the broad-scale geology of Chryse Planitia with the local geology of the Viking 1 landing site. The geology of Mars Transverse Mercators (MTM's) 20047 and 25047 has been presented previously. As part of the goals for the Mars Geologic Mapping program, the rational and scientific objectives for a return mission to Chryse Planitia and the Viking 1 Lander have also been presented. However, in mapping central Chryse Planitia our principle objective was to determine the depositional and erosional history of the Chryse Planitia basin. These results are presented.

Bacterial and Thermochemical Sulfate Reduction in Diagenetic Settings - Old and New Insights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machel, H.

2006-12-01

The association of dissolved sulfate and hydrocarbons is thermodynamically unstable in virtually all diagenetic environments. Hence, redox-reactions occur, whereby sulfate is reduced by hydrocarbons either bacterially (bacterial sulfate reduction = BSR) or inorganically (thermochemical sulfate reduction = TSR). Based on empirical evidence, BSR and TSR occur in two mutually exclusive thermal regimes, i.e., low-T and high-T diagenetic environments, respectively. BSR is common in diagenetic settings at T = 0 - 80 ° C. Above this T range, almost all sulfate reducers cease to metabolize. Those few types of hyperthermophiles that can form H2S at higher T appear to be very rare and do not normally occur and/or metabolize in geologic settings that are otherwise conducive to BSR. TSR appears to be common in geologic settings at T = 100 - 140 ° C, but in some settings T up to 180 ° C appears to be necessary. TSR does not have a sharply defined, generally valid minimum T because the onset and rate of TSR are governed by several factors that vary from place to place, i.e., the composition of the available organic reactants, kinetic inhibitors and/or catalysts, anhydrite dissolution rates, wettability, as well as migration and diffusion rates of the major reactants. A well- defined, specific minimum T for TSR can be expected only where the reservoir conditions are fairly homogeneous on the scale of a field or a play. BSR is geologically instantaneous in most geologic settings. Rates of TSR are much lower, but still geologically significant. TSR may form sour gas reservoirs and/or MVT deposits in several tens of thousands to a few million years at T = 100 - 140 ° C. BSR and TSR may be exothermic or endothermic, depending mainly on the presence or absence of specific organic reactants. The main organic reactants for BSR are organic acids and other products of aerobic or fermentative biodegradation, and those for TSR are branched and n-alkanes, followed by cyclic and mono-aromatic species, in the gasoline range. Sulfate is derived almost invariably from the dissolution of gypsum and/or anhydrite, which may be primary or secondary deposits at or near the redox-reaction site(s). The products of BSR and TSR are similar, but their relative amounts vary widely and are determined by a number of locally variable factors, including availability of reactants, formation water chemistry, and wettability. The primary inorganic reaction products in both thermal regimes are H2S (HS-) and HCO3- (CO2). The presence of alkali earth metals often results in the formation of carbonates, particularly calcite and dolomite. Iron sulfides, galena, and sphalerite form as by-products of H2S generation, if the respective transition or base metals are present or transported to a BSR/TSR reaction site. Elemental sulfur may accumulate as a volumetrically significant net reaction product, usually when the system runs out of reactive hydrocarbons. Solid bitumen may form as a by-product of both BSR and TSR.

Subsurface geologic features of the 2011 central Virginia earthquakes revealed by airborne geophysics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shah, Anjana K.; Horton, J. Wright; Burton, William C.; Spears, David B; Gilmer, Amy K

2014-01-01

Characterizing geologic features associated with major earthquakes provides insights into mechanisms contributing to fault slip and assists evaluation of seismic hazard. We use high-resolution airborne geophysical data combined with ground sample measurements to image subsurface geologic features associated with the 2011 moment magnitude (Mw) 5.8 central Virginia (USA) intraplate earthquake and its aftershocks. Geologic mapping and magnetic data analyses suggest that the earthquake occurred near a complex juncture of geologic contacts. These contacts also intersect a >60-km-long linear gravity gradient. Distal aftershocks occurred in tight, ~1-km-wide clusters near other obliquely oriented contacts that intersect gravity gradients, in contrast to more linearly distributed seismicity observed at other seismic zones. These data and corresponding models suggest that local density contrasts (manifested as gravity gradients) modified the nearby stress regime in a manner favoring failure. However, along those gradients seismic activity is localized near structural complexities, suggesting a significant contribution from variations in associated rock characteristics such as rheological weakness and/or rock permeability, which may be enhanced in those areas. Regional magnetic data show a broader bend in geologic structures within the Central Virginia seismic zone, suggesting that seismic activity may also be enhanced in other nearby areas with locally increased rheological weaknesses and/or rock permeability. In contrast, away from the Mw5.8 epicenter, geophysical lineaments are nearly continuous for tens of kilometers, especially toward the northeast. Continuity of associated geologic structures probably contributed to efficient propagation of seismic energy in that direction, consistent with moderate to high levels of damage from Louisa County to Washington, D.C., and neighboring communities.

An enhanced trend surface analysis equation for regional-residual separation of gravity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obasi, A. I.; Onwuemesi, A. G.; Romanus, O. M.

2016-12-01

Trend surface analysis is a geological term for a mathematical technique which separates a given map set into a regional component and a local component. This work has extended the steps for the derivation of the constants in the trend surface analysis equation from the popularly known matrix and simultaneous form to a more simplified and easily achievable format. To achieve this, matrix inversion was applied to the existing equations and the outcome was tested for suitability using a large volume of gravity data set acquired from the Anambra Basin, south-eastern Nigeria. Tabulation of the field data set was done using the Microsoft Excel spread sheet, while gravity maps were generated from the data set using Oasis Montaj software. A comparison of the residual gravity map produced using the new equations with its software derived counterpart has shown that the former has a higher enhancing capacity than the latter. This equation has shown strong suitability for application in the separation of gravity data sets into their regional and residual components.

Effects of multi-scale environmental characteristics on agricultural stream biota in eastern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, F.A.; Scudder, B.C.; Lenz, B.N.; Sullivan, D.J.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey examined 25 agricultural streams in eastern Wisconsin to determine relations between fish, invertebrate, and algal metrics and multiple spatial scales of land cover, geologic setting, hydrologic, aquatic habitat, and water chemistry data. Spearman correlation and redundancy analyses were used to examine relations among biotic metrics and environmental characteristics. Riparian vegetation, geologic, and hydrologic conditions affected the response of biotic metrics to watershed agricultural land cover but the relations were aquatic assemblage dependent. It was difficult to separate the interrelated effects of geologic setting, watershed and buffer land cover, and base flow. Watershed and buffer land cover, geologic setting, reach riparian vegetation width, and stream size affected the fish IBI, invertebrate diversity, diatom IBI, and number of algal taxa; however, the invertebrate FBI, percentage of EPT, and the diatom pollution index were more influenced by nutrient concentrations and flow variability. Fish IBI scores seemed most sensitive to land cover in the entire stream network buffer, more so than watershed-scale land cover and segment or reach riparian vegetation width. All but one stream with more than approximately 10 percent buffer agriculture had fish IBI scores of fair or poor. In general, the invertebrate and algal metrics used in this study were not as sensitive to land cover effects as fish metrics. Some of the reach-scale characteristics, such as width/depth ratios, velocity, and bank stability, could be related to watershed influences of both land cover and geologic setting. The Wisconsin habitat index was related to watershed geologic setting, watershed and buffer land cover, riparian vegetation width, and base flow, and appeared to be a good indicator of stream quality. Results from this study emphasize the value of using more than one or two biotic metrics to assess water quality and the importance of environmental characteristics at multiple scales.

Geomorphology of the Alluvial Sediments and Bedrock in an Intermontane Basin: Application of Variogram Modeling to Electrical Resistivity Soundings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Adnan Ahmad; Farid, Asam; Akhter, Gulraiz; Munir, Khyzer; Small, James; Ahmad, Zulfiqar

2016-05-01

The study describes a methodology used to integrate legacy resistivity data with limited geological data in order to build three-dimensional models of the near subsurface. Variogram analysis and inversion techniques more typically found in the petroleum industry are applied to a set of 1D resistivity data taken from electrical surveys conducted in the 1980s. Through careful integration with limited geological data collected from boreholes and outcrops, the resultant model can be visualized in three dimensions to depict alluvium layers as lithological and structural units within the bedrock. By tuning the variogram parameters to account for directionality, it is possible to visualize the individual lithofacies and geomorphological features in the subsurface. In this study, an electrical resistivity data set collected as part of a groundwater study in an area of the Peshawar basin in Pakistan has been re-examined. Additional lithological logs from boreholes throughout the area have been combined with local outcrop information to calibrate the data. Tectonic activity during the Himalayan orogeny has caused uplift in the area and generated significant faulting in the bedrock resulting in the formation of depressions which are identified by low resistivity values representing clays. Paleo-streams have reworked these clays which have been eroded and replaced by gravel-sand facies along paleo-channels. It is concluded that the sediments have been deposited as prograding fan-shaped bodies and lacustrine deposits with interlayered gravel-sand and clay-silt facies. The Naranji area aquifer system has thus been formed as a result of local tectonic activity with fluvial erosion and deposition and is characterized by coarse sediments with high electrical resistivities.

10 CFR 60.32 - Conditions of construction authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Licenses Construction Authorization § 60.32 Conditions of construction authorization... changes to the features of the geologic repository and the procedures authorized. The restrictions that... setting as well as measures related to the design and construction of the geologic repository operations...

Bringing Geology to a Community: The Benefits of USing Interpretive Signs in a Self-Guided Tour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, B. E.

2007-12-01

Geology is often missing in education settings. However, this science is key to understanding natural history and ecology. Without some knowledge of geologic processes, it is extremely difficult to comprehend how ecosystems work or how fragile an environment can be. To fully grasp these concepts, an interested person needs more than abstract concepts and self-contained examples. He or she needs to be exposed to the use of a domain's conceptual tools in authentic activity. Likewise, to understand natural processes, it is absolutely imperative to observe them in action. It is difficult to understand coastal processes, such as waves interacting with a beach, by reading a book. It is much easier to understand these concepts by learning about them and interacting with them simultaneously. Through an NSF-funded fellowship on informal education, the author has developed a self-guided walking tour that is designed to introduce geologic processes to school groups, families, and individuals. The guide, which is based at Seabright Beach, Santa Cruz, CA, a popular destination for both locals and visitors, uses inquiry and directed questioning. The beach boasts excellent examples of coastal processes and has an exciting and dynamic history. Pilot observations indicate that participants have had rewarding experiences using the guide, that they are excited to share their new knowledge, and that they have successfully been able to apply what they have learned about coastal processes at Seabright to other beaches.

Gravity study of the Middle Aterno Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Nezza, Maria; di Filippo, Michele; Cesi, Claudio; Ferri, Fernando

2010-05-01

A gravity study was carried out to identify the geological and structural features of the Middle Aterno Valley, and intramontane depression in the central Appennines, which was targeted to assess the seismic hazard of the city of L'Aquila and surrounding areas, after the Abruzzo 2009 earthquake. Gravity anomalies have been used for the construction of a 3D model of the area, and gravity data for the construction of Bouguer and residual anomaly maps. These data, together with geological surface data allowed for the understanding of the Plio-quaternary tectonic setting of the basins. The study area has been differentiated into different domains with respect to structural and morphological features of different styles of faults. Geology and gravity data show that the local amplification phenomena are due to the fact that the historical center of L'Aquila was built on a coarse breccias (debris-flow deposits with decameter scale limestone blocks) overlying sandy and clayey lacustrine sediments. As these sediments have a low density, gravity prospecting very easily identifies them. Residual anomalies, showing a relative gravity low corresponding to the historical center of L'Aquila, and surrounding areas, indicated that these sediments are up to 250 m-thick. Gravity prospecting also revealed the uprooting of the reliefs which outcrop in the area of Coppito. These reliefs, practically outcrop in the middle of the basin. Here, the gravity anomalies are negative and not positive as would be expected from outcropping geological bedrock.

Teaching Environmental Geology in the 21St Century: A Workshop Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.; Wiese, K.; Castendyk, D.; McDaris, J. R.

2012-12-01

Environmental Geology encompasses a range of topics that include geohazards, natural resources, issues such as climate change, human health, and environmental policy. Instruction in Environmental Geology provides students the opportunity to address the grand challenges facing humanity regarding how to live sustainably and responsibly on Earth. Instruction in Environmental Geology ranges from dedicated introductory courses, instructional modules in upper division Earth Science "core" classes, to courses in related disciplines such as environmental science, ecology, and the social and political sciences. To explore the opportunities of teaching Environmental Geology in all these contexts, the On the Cutting Edge program convened a workshop in June 2012 to bring together instructors representing a diversity of instructional settings. The goals of the workshop were to: 1) Share innovative teaching methods, approaches, and activities for teaching Environmental Geology and share ideas on how to teach in various contexts. 2) Examine where and how environmental geology topics are taught in the geoscience curriculum from introductory courses for non-majors to "core" geoscience courses for majors. 3) Consider the ways that Environmental Geology courses and topical materials can contribute to public science literacy, particularly how to make personal and societal decisions about the range of issues facing humanity and to live responsibly and sustainably on this planet. 4) Develop a list of best practices for integrating emerging environmental issues, recent natural disasters, and issues related to natural resources into course work and identifying how scientific data and research outcomes can inform public discourse on topical issues. 5) Develop strategies to reach under-represented groups and expand the diversity of students who enroll in our courses. 6) Identify topics of high interest and need for future development as teaching modules and courses. The workshop program included keynote talks, small group discussion sessions, interactive demonstrations, and opportunities to network and develop ideas for new instructional resources. The participants also reviewed over 300 teaching activities, and contributed to additional online resources focused on Environmental Geology. Field trips demonstrated teaching activities about environmental issues in local contexts. All workshop presentations, discussion summaries, teaching activity collections and related on-line resources are available on the workshop website. Faculty are encouraged to submit additional examples of Environmental Geology instructional resources.

Earthquake disaster mitigation of Lembang Fault West Java with electromagnetic method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widodo

2015-04-01

The Lembang fault is located around eight kilometers from Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia. The existence of this fault runs through densely populated settlement and tourism area. It is an active fault structure with increasing seismic activity where the 28 August 2011 earthquake occurred. The seismic response at the site is strongly influenced by local geological conditions. The ambient noise measurements from the western part of this fault give strong implication for a complex 3-D tectonic setting. Hence, near surface Electromagnetic (EM) measurements are carried out to understand the location of the local active fault of the research area. Hence, near surface EM measurements are carried out to understand the location of the local active fault and the top of the basement structure of the research area. The Transientelectromagnetic (TEM) measurements are carried out along three profiles, which include 35 TEM soundings. The results indicate that TEM data give detailed conductivity distribution of fault structure in the study area.

Earthquake disaster mitigation of Lembang Fault West Java with electromagnetic method

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

Widodo, E-mail: widodo@gf.itb.ac.id

The Lembang fault is located around eight kilometers from Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia. The existence of this fault runs through densely populated settlement and tourism area. It is an active fault structure with increasing seismic activity where the 28 August 2011 earthquake occurred. The seismic response at the site is strongly influenced by local geological conditions. The ambient noise measurements from the western part of this fault give strong implication for a complex 3-D tectonic setting. Hence, near surface Electromagnetic (EM) measurements are carried out to understand the location of the local active fault of the research area. Hence,more » near surface EM measurements are carried out to understand the location of the local active fault and the top of the basement structure of the research area. The Transientelectromagnetic (TEM) measurements are carried out along three profiles, which include 35 TEM soundings. The results indicate that TEM data give detailed conductivity distribution of fault structure in the study area.« less

First microwave map of the Moon with Chang'E-1 data: The role of local time in global imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Y. C.; Tsang, K. T.; Chan, K. L.; Zou, Y. L.; Zhang, F.; Ouyang, Z. Y.

2012-05-01

Among recent lunar orbiters, only the Chinese Chang'E-1 (CE-1) was equipped with a passive microwave radiometer (MRM) to measure the natural microwave emission from the lunar surface. The microwave emission, characterized by a frequency-dependent brightness temperature (TB), is related to the physical temperature and dielectric properties of the lunar surface. By measuring the brightness temperature at different frequencies, detailed thermal behavior and properties of the lunar surface can be retrieved. Using CE-1's microwave data, we present here a set of microwave maps of the Moon constructed through a rescaling of TB to noontime or midnight. The adopted processing technique helps to reduce the effect of mixing up the temporal and spatial variations introduced by the satellite's localized measurements which cover different locations of the globe at different lunar local times. The resulting maps show fine structures unseen in previous microwave maps that disregarded the local time effect. We discussed the new features revealed and their possible connections with the lunar geology.

Field-Scale Modeling of Local Capillary Trapping During CO2 Injection into a Saline Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, B.; Lake, L. W.; Bryant, S. L.

2015-12-01

Local capillary trapping is the small-scale (10-2 to 10+1 m) CO2 trapping that is caused by the capillary pressure heterogeneity. The benefit of LCT, applied specially to CO2 sequestration, is that saturation of stored CO2 is larger than the residual gas, yet these CO2 are not susceptible to leakage through failed seals. Thus quantifying the extent of local capillary trapping is valuable in design and risk assessment of geologic storage projects. Modeling local capillary trapping is computationally expensive and may even be intractable using a conventional reservoir simulator. In this paper, we propose a novel method to model local capillary trapping by combining geologic criteria and connectivity analysis. The connectivity analysis originally developed for characterizing well-to-reservoir connectivity is adapted to this problem by means of a newly defined edge weight property between neighboring grid blocks, which accounts for the multiphase flow properties, injection rate, and gravity effect. Then the connectivity is estimated from shortest path algorithm to predict the CO2 migration behavior and plume shape during injection. A geologic criteria algorithm is developed to estimate the potential local capillary traps based only on the entry capillary pressure field. The latter is correlated to a geostatistical realization of permeability field. The extended connectivity analysis shows a good match of CO2 plume computed by the full-physics simulation. We then incorporate it into the geologic algorithm to quantify the amount of LCT structures identified within the entry capillary pressure field that can be filled during CO2 injection. Several simulations are conducted in the reservoirs with different level of heterogeneity (measured by the Dykstra-Parsons coefficient) under various injection scenarios. We find that there exists a threshold Dykstra-Parsons coefficient, below which low injection rate gives rise to more LCT; whereas higher injection rate increases LCT in heterogeneous reservoirs. Both the geologic algorithm and connectivity analysis are very fast; therefore, the integrated methodology can be used as a quick tool to estimate local capillary trapping. It can also be used as a potential complement to the full-physics simulation to evaluate safe storage capacity.

On the generation of tangential ground motion by underground explosions in jointed rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorobiev, Oleg; Ezzedine, Souheil; Antoun, Tarabay; Glenn, Lewis

2015-03-01

This paper describes computational studies of tangential ground motions generated by spherical explosions in a heavily jointed granite formation. Various factors affecting the shear wave generation are considered, including joint spacing, orientation and frictional properties. Simulations are performed both in 2-D for a single joint set to elucidate the basic response mechanisms, and in 3-D for multiple joint sets to realistically represent in situ conditions in a realistic geological setting. The joints are modelled explicitly using both contact elements and weakness planes in the material. Simulations are performed both deterministically and stochastically to quantify the effects of geological uncertainties on near field ground motions. The mechanical properties of the rock and the joints as well as the joint spacing and orientation are taken from experimental test data and geophysical logs corresponding to the Climax Stock granitic outcrop, which is the geological setting of the source physics experiment (SPE). Agreement between simulation results and near field wave motion data from SPE enables newfound understanding of the origin and extent of non-spherical motions associated with underground explosions in fractured geological media.

Stromatolite- and coated-grain-bearing carbonate rocks of the western Brooks Range: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey during 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dumoulin, Julie A.

1988-01-01

Carbonate rocks characterized by locally abundant stromatolites and coated grains have been found at several localities in the Baird Mountains and Ambler River quadrangles (fig. 1). These rocks are part of a belt of metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks that constitutes the southwestern flank of the Brooks Range; all are included in the parautochthon (Schwatka sequence) of Mayfield and others (1983). The rocks have been deformed and metamorphosed to blueschist and greenschist facies, but primary textures and sedimentary structures are locally well preserved.

Semantic Web-based digital, field and virtual geological

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babaie, H. A.

2012-12-01

Digital, field and virtual Semantic Web-based education (SWBE) of geological mapping requires the construction of a set of searchable, reusable, and interoperable digital learning objects (LO) for learners, teachers, and authors. These self-contained units of learning may be text, image, or audio, describing, for example, how to calculate the true dip of a layer from two structural contours or find the apparent dip along a line of section. A collection of multi-media LOs can be integrated, through domain and task ontologies, with mapping-related learning activities and Web services, for example, to search for the description of lithostratigraphic units in an area, or plotting orientation data on stereonet. Domain ontologies (e.g., GeologicStructure, Lithostratigraphy, Rock) represent knowledge in formal languages (RDF, OWL) by explicitly specifying concepts, relations, and theories involved in geological mapping. These ontologies are used by task ontologies that formalize the semantics of computational tasks (e.g., measuring the true thickness of a formation) and activities (e.g., construction of cross section) for all actors to solve specific problems (making map, instruction, learning support, authoring). A SWBE system for geological mapping should also involve ontologies to formalize teaching strategy (pedagogical styles), learner model (e.g., for student performance, personalization of learning), interface (entry points for activities of all actors), communication (exchange of messages among different components and actors), and educational Web services (for interoperability). In this ontology-based environment, actors interact with the LOs through educational servers, that manage (reuse, edit, delete, store) ontologies, and through tools which communicate with Web services to collect resources and links to other tools. Digital geological mapping involves a location-based, spatial organization of geological elements in a set of GIS thematic layers. Each layer in the stack assembles a set of polygonal (e.g., formation, member, intrusion), linear (e.g., fault, contact), and/or point (e.g., sample or measurement site) geological elements. These feature classes, represented in domain ontologies by classes, have their own sets of property (attribute, association relation) and topological (e.g., overlap, adjacency, containment), and network (cross-cuttings; connectivity) relationships. Since geological mapping involves describing and depicting different aspects of each feature class (e.g., contact, formation, structure), the same geographic region may be investigated by different communities, for example, for its stratigraphy, rock type, structure, soil type, and isotopic and paleontological age, using sets of ontologies. These data can become interconnected applying the Semantic Web technologies, on the Linked Open Data Cloud, based on their underlying common geographic coordinates. Sets of geological data published on the Cloud will include multiple RDF links to Cloud's geospatial nodes such as GeoNames and Linked GeoData. During mapping, a device such as smartphone, laptop, or iPad, with GPS and GIS capability and a DBpedia Mobile client, can use the current position to discover and query all the geological linked data, and add new data to the thematic layers and publish them to the Cloud.

Erosional and depositional history of central Chryse Planitia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crumpler, L. S.

1992-01-01

This map uses high resolution image data to assess the detailed depositional and erosional history of part of Chryse Planitia. This area is significant to the study of the global geology of Mars because it represents one of only two areas on the martian surface where planetary geologic mapping is assisted with 'ground truth.' In this case the ground truth was provided by Viking Lander 1. Additional questions addressed in this study are concerned with the following: the geologic context of the regional plains surface and the local surface of the Viking Lander 1 site; and the relative influence of volcanic, sedimentary, impact, aeolian, and tectonic processes at the regional and local scales.

Book review: New concepts and discoveries: the Geological Society of Nevada 2015 Symposium Proceedings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day, Warren C.

2016-01-01

The Nevada Geological Society has a long history of convening meetings and workshops focused on the geology and metallogeny of the western United States relevant to the mineral exploration and mining community across the Great Basin. One outgrowth of the Geological Society of Nevada’s 2015 Symposium is a two-volume set, edited by W.M. Pennell and L.J. Garside, entitled New Concepts and Discoveries. The symposium was held in Sparks, Nevada, May 14–23, 2015, with more than 1,000 attendees, 59 talks in 10 thematic sessions, 7 field trips, and 10 short courses, all focused on serving the geologic, exploration, and mining community. The attractively produced, hardbound, two-volume set includes a CD-ROM containing all the manuscripts as well as numerous abstracts from presentations arranged by the thematic session in which they were presented. The papers range from detailed case study descriptions of individual deposits to important syntheses covering the geologic evolution and resulting metallogeny of the Great Basin and beyond.

Automatic mapping of the base of aquifer — A case study from Morrill, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gulbrandsen, Mats Lundh; Ball, Lyndsay B.; Minsley, Burke J.; Hansen, Thomas Mejer

2017-01-01

When a geologist sets up a geologic model, various types of disparate information may be available, such as exposures, boreholes, and (or) geophysical data. In recent years, the amount of geophysical data available has been increasing, a trend that is only expected to continue. It is nontrivial (and often, in practice, impossible) for the geologist to take all the details of the geophysical data into account when setting up a geologic model. We have developed an approach that allows for the objective quantification of information from geophysical data and borehole observations in a way that is easy to integrate in the geologic modeling process. This will allow the geologist to make a geologic interpretation that is consistent with the geophysical information at hand. We have determined that automated interpretation of geologic layer boundaries using information from boreholes and geophysical data alone can provide a good geologic layer model, even before manual interpretation has begun. The workflow is implemented on a set of boreholes and airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data from Morrill, Nebraska. From the borehole logs, information about the depth to the base of aquifer (BOA) is extracted and used together with the AEM data to map a surface that represents this geologic contact. Finally, a comparison between our automated approach and a previous manual mapping of the BOA in the region validates the quality of the proposed method and suggests that this workflow will allow a much faster and objective geologic modeling process that is consistent with the available data.

Great Basin paleontological database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, N.; Blodgett, R.B.; Hofstra, A.H.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has constructed a paleontological database for the Great Basin physiographic province that can be served over the World Wide Web for data entry, queries, displays, and retrievals. It is similar to the web-database solution that we constructed for Alaskan paleontological data (www.alaskafossil.org). The first phase of this effort was to compile a paleontological bibliography for Nevada and portions of adjacent states in the Great Basin that has recently been completed. In addition, we are also compiling paleontological reports (Known as E&R reports) of the U.S. Geological Survey, which are another extensive source of l,egacy data for this region. Initial population of the database benefited from a recently published conodont data set and is otherwise focused on Devonian and Mississippian localities because strata of this age host important sedimentary exhalative (sedex) Au, Zn, and barite resources and enormons Carlin-type An deposits. In addition, these strata are the most important petroleum source rocks in the region, and record the transition from extension to contraction associated with the Antler orogeny, the Alamo meteorite impact, and biotic crises associated with global oceanic anoxic events. The finished product will provide an invaluable tool for future geologic mapping, paleontological research, and mineral resource investigations in the Great Basin, making paleontological data acquired over nearly the past 150 yr readily available over the World Wide Web. A description of the structure of the database and the web interface developed for this effort are provided herein. This database is being used ws a model for a National Paleontological Database (which we am currently developing for the U.S. Geological Survey) as well as for other paleontological databases now being developed in other parts of the globe. ?? 2008 Geological Society of America.

Recent Geologic Mapping Results for the Polar Regions of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

tanaka, K. L.; Kolb, E. J.

2008-01-01

The polar regions of Mars include the densest data coverage for the planet because of the polar orbits of MGS, ODY, and MEX. Because the geology of the polar plateaus has been among the most dynamic on the planet in recent geologic time, the data enable the most detailed and complex geologic investigations of any regions on Mars, superseding previous, even recent, mapping efforts [e.g., 1-3]. Geologic mapping at regional and local scales is revealing that the stratigraphy and modificational histories of polar materials by various processes are highly complex at both poles. Here, we describe some of our recent results in polar geologic mapping and how they address the geologic processes involved and implications for polar climate history.

Ground Water Atlas of the United States: Introduction and national summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, James A.

1999-01-01

The Ground Water Atlas of the United States provides a summary of the most important information available for each principal aquifer, or rock unit that will yield usable quantities of water to wells, throughout the 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Atlas is an outgrowth of the Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a program that investigated 24 of the most important aquifers and aquifer systems of the Nation and one in the Caribbean Islands (fig. 1). The objectives of the RASA program were to define the geologic and hydrologic frameworks of each aquifer system, to assess the geochemistry of the water in the system, to characterize the ground-water flow system, and to describe the effects of development on the flow system. Although the RASA studies did not cover the entire Nation, they compiled much of the data needed to make the National assessments of ground-water resources presented in the Ground Water Atlas of the United States. The Atlas, however, describes the location, extent, and geologic and hydrologic characteristics of all the important aquifers in the United States, including those not studied by the RASA program. The Atlas is written so that it can be understood by readers who are not hydrologists. Simple language is used to explain technical terms. The principles that control the presence, movement, and chemical quality of ground water in different climatic, topographic, and geologic settings are clearly illustrated. The Atlas is, therefore, useful as a teaching tool for introductory courses in hydrology or hydrogeology at the college level and as an overview of ground-water conditions for consultants who need information about an individual aquifer. It also serves as an introduction to regional and National ground-water resources for lawmakers, personnel of local, State, or Federal agencies, or anyone who needs to understand ground-water occurrence, movement, and quality. The purpose of the Ground Water Atlas of the United States is to summarize, in one publication with a common format, the most important ground-water information that has been collected over many years by the USGS, other Federal agencies, and State and local water management agencies. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to describe the content of the Atlas; to discuss the characteristics, use, and limitations of the maps and other types of illustrations used in the different chapters of the book; to summarize the locations of the principal aquifers on a Nationwide map; and to give an example of an aquifer in each principal hydrogeologic setting.

Integrating multisource land use and land cover data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, Bruce E.; Tait, Mike; Lins, K.F.; Crawford, J.S.; Benjamin, S.P.; Brown, Jesslyn F.

1995-01-01

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) land use and land cover (LULC) program, the USGS in cooperation with the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) is collecting and integrating LULC data for a standard USGS 1:100,000-scale product. The LULC data collection techniques include interpreting spectrally clustered Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images; interpreting 1-meter resolution digital panchromatic orthophoto images; and, for comparison, aggregating locally available large-scale digital data of urban areas. The area selected is the Vancouver, WA-OR quadrangle, which has a mix of urban, rural agriculture, and forest land. Anticipated products include an integrated LULC prototype data set in a standard classification scheme referenced to the USGS digital line graph (DLG) data of the area and prototype software to develop digital LULC data sets.This project will evaluate a draft standard LULC classification system developed by the USGS for use with various source material and collection techniques. Federal, State, and local governments, and private sector groups will have an opportunity to evaluate the resulting prototype software and data sets and to provide recommendations. It is anticipated that this joint research endeavor will increase future collaboration among interested organizations, public and private, for LULC data collection using common standards and tools.

Geologic road guides for the Southern Canadian Cordillera--Viewing geology and tectonics along major highways

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nokleberg, Warren J.; Price, Raymond A.; Bundtzen, Thomas K.; Nokleberg, Warren J.; Price, Raymond A.; Scholl, David W.; Stone, David B.

2017-01-01

The Geologic Road Guides for the Southern Canadian Cordillera provide a layperson’s understanding of the major geologic units and their tectonic origins along portions of two sets of major highways corridors, herein termed the Southern Road Guide and the Northern Road Guide. The two routes are shown on the Southern Canadian Cordillera Geologic Map. The first page of each Road Guide is this map that has Hot Spots for each site.

Earthquakes: Natural Science Museum and Civil Protection of Trento to inform citizens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauro, Claudia; Avanzini, Marco

2010-05-01

During 2009 the Natural Science Museum of Trento organized the exhibition "Attraction Earth: Earthquakes and Terrestrial Magnetism" in collaboration with the INGV (Italian National Institute of Geophysic and Volcanology). In this exhibition a particular sector has been devoted to the seismic activity and its monitoring in the Province of Trento. The purpose was to inform local people on the geological features of their territory, the monitoring activity carried out by the Civil Protection and the potential earthquake hazards, also in order to adopt a correct behaviour in case of seismic event. This sector, "The seismometric Trentino network", was organized by the Geological Service of the Trento Civil Protection and it is open till May 2010, both for general public and school students. For the latter, a particular education pack, realized by the Educational Department of the Museum and consisting of a guided tour coupled with the laboratory activity "Waves upside-down: seismology", is proposed. The whole exhibition has been also coupled with a cycle conferences targeted to adults, in which these topics have been explained by researchers and technicians of INGV and of Trento Geological Service. "The seismometric Trentino network" sector presents the daily monitoring activity of the Geological Service, that has been monitoring the seismic activity for the last 30 years, and describes the deep earth processes of the local territory, such as presence of tectonic discontinuities and their activity. It consists of display panels, a seismometer with rotating drums and a multimedia that reports the monitoring activity of the seismometric network, with real time connection to the various monitoring stations. This allows visitors to observe instantly the local seismic events recorded by each station. The seismometric network was established by the institutions of Trento Province after the earthquakes occurred in Friuli Venezia-Giulia and at Riva del Garda (1976). It started its activity in 1981 and consists of 7 stations equipped with seismometers and acquisition digital technology, working 24 hours per day. Moreover, a network of 9 accelerometers has been set up in the southern Trentino, where most of the seismic events are concentrated. All the information revealed in each station flow to the "Data Acquisition Central Office", where the data are checked, processed and recorded. The Geological Service manages the seismometric network, elaborates and publishes the information regarding the seismicity of the area and surroundings. In case of earthquake the "Seismic Alert", an automatic alarm system, is activated to Civil Protection purposes. The "Seismic Alert" is managed by "Antilope", the consortium of the Eastern Alpine seismometric networks. Moreover the seismotectonic is another research field carried out by this Geological Service, to investigate the formation mechanism of earthquakes and estimate the causative tectonic stress, in relation to the main tectonic structures of the region and of the whole Alpine chain. Hence the Trento study-case reported in this exhibition illustrates the general methodology used to understand the "seismic behaviour" of a region. At the end this exhibition sector also presents the activity of the Trento Civil Protection in the Abruzzo region, where a dramatic seismic event occurred on 6th April 2009, describing the investigation of the still occurring surface deformations. This activity is part of a general framework in which the Trento Province provided first aid and assistance to the local communities. The collaboration between the Natural Science Tridentino Museum and the Geological Service of Trento, already fruitful on field geological researches, has been also effective in this project of science communication. In the future the two institutions could collaborate in other main themes of the relationship between science and society, regarding the dissemination of Earth Sciences.

Stochastic seismic inversion based on an improved local gradual deformation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiuwei; Zhu, Peimin

2017-12-01

A new stochastic seismic inversion method based on the local gradual deformation method is proposed, which can incorporate seismic data, well data, geology and their spatial correlations into the inversion process. Geological information, such as sedimentary facies and structures, could provide significant a priori information to constrain an inversion and arrive at reasonable solutions. The local a priori conditional cumulative distributions at each node of model to be inverted are first established by indicator cokriging, which integrates well data as hard data and geological information as soft data. Probability field simulation is used to simulate different realizations consistent with the spatial correlations and local conditional cumulative distributions. The corresponding probability field is generated by the fast Fourier transform moving average method. Then, optimization is performed to match the seismic data via an improved local gradual deformation method. Two improved strategies are proposed to be suitable for seismic inversion. The first strategy is that we select and update local areas of bad fitting between synthetic seismic data and real seismic data. The second one is that we divide each seismic trace into several parts and obtain the optimal parameters for each part individually. The applications to a synthetic example and a real case study demonstrate that our approach can effectively find fine-scale acoustic impedance models and provide uncertainty estimations.

Abiotic Earth - Establishing a Baseline for Earliest Life, Data from the Archean of Western Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindsay, J. F.; Brasier, M. D.; McLoughlin, N.; Green, O. R.; Fogel, M.; McNamara, K. M.; Steele, A.; Mertzman, S. A.

2003-01-01

Stromatolitic structures preserved at two stratigraphic levels within the 3.47-3.43 Ga Warrawoona Group of Western Australia have been interpreted as some of "the least controversial evidence of early life on earth" and "the oldest firmly established biogenic deposits now known from the geologic record". The structures were said to have formed in a shallow sub-tidal to intertidal setting as part of an evaporite succession. In an extensive field program we have re-evaluated exposures of the Strelley Pool Chert from which stromatolites have been described and carried out detailed mapping and sampling of the Strelley Pool West site 13.7 km west of the type locality. Data from our ongoing program cast considerable doubt on the biogenic origins of the stromatolitic structures and on the nature of their depositional setting.

Geological investigation of the Socorro geothermal area. Final report

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

Chapin, C.E.; Sanford, A.R.; White, D.W.

1979-05-01

The results of a comprehensive geological and geochemical study of the Socorro geothermal area are presented. The following are discussed: geologic setting, structural controls, stratigraphic controls, an ancient geothermal system, modern magma bodies, geothermal potential of the Socorro area, and the Socorro transverse shear zone. (MHR)

Engineering-Geological Data Model - The First Step to Build National Polish Standard for Multilevel Information Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryżyński, Grzegorz; Nałęcz, Tomasz

2016-10-01

The efficient geological data management in Poland is necessary to support multilevel decision processes for government and local authorities in case of spatial planning, mineral resources and groundwater supply and the rational use of subsurface. Vast amount of geological information gathered in the digital archives and databases of Polish Geological Survey (PGS) is a basic resource for multi-scale national subsurface management. Data integration is the key factor to allow development of GIS and web tools for decision makers, however the main barrier for efficient geological information management is the heterogeneity of data in the resources of the Polish Geological Survey. Engineering-geological database is the first PGS thematic domain applied in the whole data integration plan. The solutions developed within this area will facilitate creation of procedures and standards for multilevel data management in PGS. Twenty years of experience in delivering digital engineering-geological mapping in 1:10 000 scale and archival geotechnical reports acquisition and digitisation allowed gathering of more than 300 thousands engineering-geological boreholes database as well as set of 10 thematic spatial layers (including foundation conditions map, depth to the first groundwater level, bedrock level, geohazards). Historically, the desktop approach was the source form of the geological-engineering data storage, resulting in multiple non-correlated interbase datasets. The need for creation of domain data model emerged and an object-oriented modelling (UML) scheme has been developed. The aim of the aforementioned development was to merge all datasets in one centralised Oracle server and prepare the unified spatial data structure for efficient web presentation and applications development. The presented approach will be the milestone toward creation of the Polish national standard for engineering-geological information management. The paper presents the approach and methodology of data unification, thematic vocabularies harmonisation, assumptions and results of data modelling as well as process of the integration of domain model with enterprise architecture implemented in PGS. Currently, there is no geological data standard in Poland. Lack of guidelines for borehole and spatial data management results in an increasing data dispersion as well as in growing barrier for multilevel data management and implementation of efficient decision support tools. Building the national geological data standard makes geotechnical information accessible to multiple institutions, universities, administration and research organisations and gather their data in the same, unified digital form according to the presented data model. Such approach is compliant with current digital trends and the idea of Spatial Data Infrastructure. Efficient geological data management is essential to support the sustainable development and the economic growth, as they allow implementation of geological information to assist the idea of Smart Cites, deliver information for Building Information Management (BIM) and support modern spatial planning. The engineering-geological domain data model presented in the paper is a scalable solution. Future implementation of developed procedures on other domains of PGS geological data is possible.

The oceanic islands - Azores. [geological, geophysical and geochemical features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ridley, W. I.; Watkins, N. D.; Macfarlane, D. J.

1974-01-01

A presentation is made of the known geological, geophysical, and geochemical data on the Azores. The regional setting of the islands is described; under the geological heading, surface geology and petrochemistry are discussed; and paleomagnetism, marine magnetic surveys, gravity, seismology, and heat flow are treated in the geophysics category. A model for the origin of the Azores is constructed on the basis of these observations.

Multiple data sets converge on a geologic structural model for Glass Buttes, Oregon geothermal prospect, Patrick Walsh, et al, 2010 American Geophysical Union Poster Session

DOE Data Explorer

Ezra Zemach

2010-01-01

Multiple data sets converge on a geologic structural model for Glass Buttes, Oregon geothermal prospect, Patrick Walsh, Brigette Martini, Chet Lide, Darrick Boschmann, John DIlles, Andrew Meigs, 2010 Ormat Nevada, Zonge Geophysical, Oregon State University American Geophysical Union, Poster Session

A catalog of porosity and permeability from core plugs in siliciclastic rocks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Philip H.; Kibler, Joyce E.

2003-01-01

Porosity and permeability measurements on cored samples from siliciclastic formations are presented for 70 data sets, taken from published data and descriptions. Data sets generally represent specific formations, usually from a limited number of wells. Each data set is represented by a written summary, a plot of permeability versus porosity, and a digital file of the data. The summaries include a publication reference, the geologic age of the formation, location, well names, depth range, various geologic descriptions, and core measurement conditions. Attributes such as grain size or depositional environment are identified by symbols on the plots. An index lists the authors and date, geologic age, formation name, sandstone classification, location, basin or structural province, and field name.

Geological remote sensing signatures of terrestrial impact craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garvin, J. B.; Schnetzler, C.; Grieve, R. A. F.

1988-01-01

Geological remote sensing techniques can be used to investigate structural, depositional, and shock metamorphic effects associated with hypervelocity impact structures, some of which may be linked to global Earth system catastrophies. Although detailed laboratory and field investigations are necessary to establish conclusive evidence of an impact origin for suspected crater landforms, the synoptic perspective provided by various remote sensing systems can often serve as a pathfinder to key deposits which can then be targetted for intensive field study. In addition, remote sensing imagery can be used as a tool in the search for impact and other catastrophic explosion landforms on the basis of localized disruption and anomaly patterns. In order to reconstruct original dimensions of large, complex impact features in isolated, inaccessible regions, remote sensing imagery can be used to make preliminary estimates in the absence of field geophysical surveys. The experienced gained from two decades of planetary remote sensing of impact craters on the terrestrial planets, as well as the techniques developed for recognizing stages of degradation and initial crater morphology, can now be applied to the problem of discovering and studying eroded impact landforms on Earth. Preliminary results of remote sensing analyses of a set of terrestrial impact features in various states of degradation, geologic settings, and for a broad range of diameters and hence energies of formation are summarized. The intention is to develop a database of remote sensing signatures for catastrophic impact landforms which can then be used in EOS-era global surveys as the basis for locating the possibly hundreds of missing impact structures. In addition, refinement of initial dimensions of extremely recent structures such as Zhamanshin and Bosumtwi is an important objective in order to permit re-evaluation of global Earth system responses associated with these types of events.

Field estimates of groundwater circulation depths in two mountainous watersheds in the western U.S. and the effect of deep circulation on solute concentrations in streamflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frisbee, Marty D.; Tolley, Douglas G.; Wilson, John L.

2017-04-01

Estimates of groundwater circulation depths based on field data are lacking. These data are critical to inform and refine hydrogeologic models of mountainous watersheds, and to quantify depth and time dependencies of weathering processes in watersheds. Here we test two competing hypotheses on the role of geology and geologic setting in deep groundwater circulation and the role of deep groundwater in the geochemical evolution of streams and springs. We test these hypotheses in two mountainous watersheds that have distinctly different geologic settings (one crystalline, metamorphic bedrock and the other volcanic bedrock). Estimated circulation depths for springs in both watersheds range from 0.6 to 1.6 km and may be as great as 2.5 km. These estimated groundwater circulation depths are much deeper than commonly modeled depths suggesting that we may be forcing groundwater flow paths too shallow in models. In addition, the spatial relationships of groundwater circulation depths are different between the two watersheds. Groundwater circulation depths in the crystalline bedrock watershed increase with decreasing elevation indicative of topography-driven groundwater flow. This relationship is not present in the volcanic bedrock watershed suggesting that both the source of fracturing (tectonic versus volcanic) and increased primary porosity in the volcanic bedrock play a role in deep groundwater circulation. The results from the crystalline bedrock watershed also indicate that relatively deep groundwater circulation can occur at local scales in headwater drainages less than 9.0 km2 and at larger fractions than commonly perceived. Deep groundwater is a primary control on streamflow processes and solute concentrations in both watersheds.

Geologic setting of Apollo 16

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, C. A.; Muehlberger, W. R.; Ulrich, G. E.

1973-01-01

Prior to the Apollo 16 mission, the materials of the Cayley Plains and the Descartes Mountains were thought to be mostly of volcanic origin. Rock and soil samples from these regions strongly suggest, however, that they may be products of multiring basin forming impacts, although minor local volcanism is not precluded. The smooth planar surfaces may have been formed initially by Imbrium ejecta which flowed into topographic lows at the distal margins of the lineated Fra Mauro ejecta. It is emphasized, however, that the rocks and soils returned from the Apollo 16 site cannot necessarily be considered representative of the lunar crust in the Descartes region from which they were collected.

Computational Earth Science: Big Data Transformed Into Insight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sellars, Scott; Nguyen, Phu; Chu, Wei; Gao, Xiaogang; Hsu, Kuo-lin; Sorooshian, Soroosh

2013-08-01

More than ever in the history of science, researchers have at their fingertips an unprecedented wealth of data from continuously orbiting satellites, weather monitoring instruments, ecological observatories, seismic stations, moored buoys, floats, and even model simulations and forecasts. With just an internet connection, scientists and engineers can access atmospheric and oceanic gridded data and time series observations, seismographs from around the world, minute-by-minute conditions of the near-Earth space environment, and other data streams that provide information on events across local, regional, and global scales. These data sets have become essential for monitoring and understanding the associated impacts of geological and environmental phenomena on society.

GIS representation of coal-bearing areas in Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, Matthew D.

2016-03-11

Understanding the distribution of coal-bearing geologic units in Antarctica provides information that can be used in sedimentary, geomorphological, paleontological, and climatological studies. This report is a digital compilation of information on Antarctica’s coal-bearing geologic units found in the literature. It is intended to be used in small-scale spatial geographic information system (GIS) investigations and as a visual aid in the discussion of Antarctica’s coal resources or in other coal-based geologic investigations. Instead of using spatially insignificant point markers to represent large coal-bearing areas, this dataset uses polygons to represent actual coal-bearing lithologic units. Specific locations of coal deposits confirmed from the literature are provided in the attribution for the coal-bearing unit polygons. Coal-sample-location data were used to confirm some reported coal-bearing geology. The age and extent of the coal deposits indicated in the literature were checked against geologic maps ranging from local scale at 1:50,000 to Antarctic continental scale at 1:5,000,000; if satisfactory, the map boundaries were used to generate the polygons for the coal-bearing localities.

Plate motions and deformations from geologic and geodetic data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Thomas H.

1989-01-01

The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements made in the western U.S. since 1979 provide discrete samples of the temporal and spatial deformation field. The interpretation of the VLBI derived rates of deformation requires an examination of geologic information and more densely sampled ground based geodetic data. Triangulation and trilateration data measured on two regional networks, one in the central Mojave Desert and one in the Coast Ranges east of the San Andreas fault, were processed. At the spatial scales spanned by these local geodetic networks, auxiliary geologic and geophysical data were utilized to examine the relation between measured incremental strain and the accommodation of strain seen in local geologic structures, strain release in earthquakes, and principal stress directions inferred from in situ measurements. VLBI data was also processed from stations distributed across the Pacific-North America plate boundary zone in the western U.S. The VLBI data were used to constrain the integrated rate of deformation across portions of the continental plate boundary in California and to provide a tectonic framework to interpret regional geodetic and geologic studies.

Geologic setting of the low-level burial grounds

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

Lindsey, K.A.; Jaeger, G.K.; Slate, J.L.

1994-10-13

This report describes the regional and site specific geology of the Hanford Sites low-level burial grounds in the 200 East and West Areas. The report incorporates data from boreholes across the entire 200 Areas, integrating the geology of this area into a single framework. Geologic cross-sections, isopach maps, and structure contour maps of all major geological units from the top of the Columbia River Basalt Group to the surface are included. The physical properties and characteristics of the major suprabasalt sedimentary units also are discussed.

Digital geologic map of McAlester-Texarkana quadrangles, southeastern Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cederstrand, J.R.

1997-01-01

This data set consists of digital data and accompanying documentation of the surficial geology of the 1:250,000-scale McAlester and Texarkana quadrangles, Oklahoma. The original data are from the Geologic Map, sheet 1 of 4, included in Oklahoma Geological Survey publication, Reconnaissance of the water resources of the McAlester and Texarkana quadrangles, southeastern Oklahoma, Hydrologic Atlas 9, Marcher and Bergman, 1983. The geology was compiled by M.V. Marcher and D.L. Bergman, 1971, and revised by R.O. Fay, 1978.

Problems with the concept of deformation phases as illustrated for the Goantagab Domain, NW Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passchier, C. W.

2010-12-01

The concept of deformation phases is one of the corner stones of structural geology and is used to reconstruct tectonic history in all metamorphic rocks. Despite its simplicity, however, there are situations where the concept breaks down. The junction of the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian Kaoko and Damara Belts in the well-exposed desert of Namibia is ideally suited for a critical assessment of our use of the deformation phase concept. Metaturbidites and granite intrusions in the Goantagab Domain at the junction of the belts record the amalgamation of the Congo, Kalahari and Rio de la Plata Cratons. The local structure is complicated, with km-scale sheath folds, and despite perfectly exposed geology over a large area, could only be reconstructed by detailed structural mapping. Structures can be subdivided into at least four sets, attributed to four deformation phases on the basis of overprinting relations. Three of these sets of structures, however, formed during the same tectonic event under similar metamorphic conditions but slightly different flow regime. These sets show unusual gradational “ring” transitions in space, where older DA structures are reoriented and overprinted by new structures DA+1 that have similar orientation, and seem to grade into DA structures outside the overprinted area. In the core of the Goantagab Domain, D2 is thus reoriented and overprinted by local D2b folds and foliations that have the same orientation and style as D2 structures outside the domain core. This kind of behaviour may be common in inhomogeneous non-coaxial flow in other, less well exposed terrains and would go there unnoticed, leading to erroneous interpretations. An additional general problem is that the geometry of critical structures is laterally highly variable because of changes in (1) lithology; (2) previous structure; (3) metamorphic conditions (4) orientation and geometry of stress and flow tensors and (5) finite strain magnitude. Of these, only (2) and (4) are relevant to understand local tectonics, while the other effects have to be filtered out. Work in the Goantagab Domain shows how such “expressions” of deformation can be organised. Foliation traces in metaturbidites of the Goantagab Domain, central Namibia. S2 and S2b show partially overlapping "ring" transitions

Connecting streamlined subglacial bedforms with the geological/geographical environment in which they are located.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dowling, Tom; Möller, Per; Greenwood, Sarah; Spagnolo, Matteo; Åkesson, Maria; Fraser, Stephen; Hughs, Anna; Clark, Chris

2016-04-01

Much work has qualitatively shown that there appears to be a relationship between the morphology of streamlined subglacial bedforms (drumlinoids) and the geological/geographical environment in which said bedforms are located upon, particularly in terms of bedrock influence. However, the one quantitative study that has been carried out on this connectivity (Greenwood and Clark, 2010) found that there appears to be a connection between bedrock type and morphology only at a local scale. At a regional scale the most important geological factor seemed to be the properties of the substrate, usually till. In order to investigate these connections further, self-organising maps (SOM) are used to investigate the role of contextual geology/geography in drumlinoid morphology. The SOM method allows the statistical exploration of data that cannot normally be evaluated by traditional means; categorical data (e.g. bedrock type) can be used in the same analysis as continuous/vector data (e.g. drift depth). Here, three large morphological data sets from Sweden (20 041), Britain (36 104) and Ireland (13 454) are combined with bedrock type, drift depth, basal elevation and distance to esker to see if there are any relationships to be found between them. The results indicate that there are pervasive, statistically significant, and weak to very weak correlations between contextual geological/geographical factors and drumlinoid morphology. The most important contextual factor appears to be 'drift depth', followed by 'distance to esker'. Therefore, models of drumlinoid formation and any efforts to use such features for palaeo-ice reconstruction must take into account the geological and geographical environment in which they are situated. The logical extension of this is that models of ice-sheet growth and retreat must also take into account and be sensitive to the type of substratum present beneath the ice. Further research into the effect of drift properties on the flow of ice is needed.

Southern California Earthquake Center Geologic Vertical Motion Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemi, Nathan A.; Oskin, Michael; Rockwell, Thomas K.

2008-07-01

The Southern California Earthquake Center Geologic Vertical Motion Database (VMDB) integrates disparate sources of geologic uplift and subsidence data at 104- to 106-year time scales into a single resource for investigations of crustal deformation in southern California. Over 1800 vertical deformation rate data points in southern California and northern Baja California populate the database. Four mature data sets are now represented: marine terraces, incised river terraces, thermochronologic ages, and stratigraphic surfaces. An innovative architecture and interface of the VMDB exposes distinct data sets and reference frames, permitting user exploration of this complex data set and allowing user control over the assumptions applied to convert geologic and geochronologic information into absolute uplift rates. Online exploration and download tools are available through all common web browsers, allowing the distribution of vertical motion results as HTML tables, tab-delimited GIS-compatible text files, or via a map interface through the Google Maps™ web service. The VMDB represents a mature product for research of fault activity and elastic deformation of southern California.

The Pilot Lunar Geologic Mapping Project: Summary Results and Recommendations from the Copernicus Quadrangle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Gaddis, L. R.; Hagerty, J. J.

2010-01-01

The first systematic lunar geologic maps were completed at 1:1M scale for the lunar near side during the 1960s using telescopic and Lunar Orbiter (LO) photographs [1-3]. The program under which these maps were completed established precedents for map base, scale, projection, and boundaries in order to avoid widely discrepant products. A variety of geologic maps were subsequently produced for various purposes, including 1:5M scale global maps [4-9] and large scale maps of high scientific interest (including the Apollo landing sites) [10]. Since that time, lunar science has benefitted from an abundance of surface information, including high resolution images and diverse compositional data sets, which have yielded a host of topical planetary investigations. The existing suite of lunar geologic maps and topical studies provide exceptional context in which to unravel the geologic history of the Moon. However, there has been no systematic approach to lunar geologic mapping since the flight of post-Apollo scientific orbiters. Geologic maps provide a spatial and temporal framework wherein observations can be reliably benchmarked and compared. As such, a lack of a systematic mapping program means that modern (post- Apollo) data sets, their scientific ramifications, and the lunar scientists who investigate these data, are all marginalized in regard to geologic mapping. Marginalization weakens the overall understanding of the geologic evolution of the Moon and unnecessarily partitions lunar research. To bridge these deficiencies, we began a pilot geologic mapping project in 2005 as a means to assess the interest, relevance, and technical methods required for a renewed lunar geologic mapping program [11]. Herein, we provide a summary of the pilot geologic mapping project, which focused on the geologic materials and stratigraphic relationships within the Copernicus quadrangle (0-30degN, 0-45degW).

The genetic algorithm: A robust method for stress inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakur, Prithvi; Srivastava, Deepak C.; Gupta, Pravin K.

2017-01-01

The stress inversion of geological or geophysical observations is a nonlinear problem. In most existing methods, it is solved by linearization, under certain assumptions. These linear algorithms not only oversimplify the problem but also are vulnerable to entrapment of the solution in a local optimum. We propose the use of a nonlinear heuristic technique, the genetic algorithm, which searches the global optimum without making any linearizing assumption or simplification. The algorithm mimics the natural evolutionary processes of selection, crossover and mutation and, minimizes a composite misfit function for searching the global optimum, the fittest stress tensor. The validity and efficacy of the algorithm are demonstrated by a series of tests on synthetic and natural fault-slip observations in different tectonic settings and also in situations where the observations are noisy. It is shown that the genetic algorithm is superior to other commonly practised methods, in particular, in those tectonic settings where none of the principal stresses is directed vertically and/or the given data set is noisy.

Paleozoic strata of the Dyckman Mountain area, northeastern Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dumoulin, Julie A.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Harris, Anita G.

2000-01-01

Paleozoic rocks in the Dyckman Mountain area (northeastern Medfra quadrangle; Farewell terrane) include both shallowand deep-water lithologies deposited on and adjacent to a carbonate platform. Shallow-water strata, which were recognized by earlier workers but not previously studied in detail, consist of algal-laminated micrite and skeletal-peloidal wackestone, packstone, and lesser grainstone. These rocks are, at least in part, of Early and (or) Middle Devonian age but locally could be as old as Silurian; they accumulated in shallow subtidal to intertidal settings with periodically restricted water circulation. Deepwater facies, reported here for the first time, are thin, locally graded beds of micrite and calcisiltite and subordinate thick to massive beds of lime grainstone and conglomerate. Conodonts indicate an age of Silurian to Middle Devonian; the most tightly dated intervals are early Late Silurian (early to middle Ludlow). These strata formed as hemipelagic deposits, turbidites, and debris flows derived from shallow-water lithologies of the Nixon Fork subterrane. Rocks in the Dyckman Mountain area are part of a broader facies belt that is transitional between the Nixon Fork carbonate platform to the west and deeper water, basinal lithologies (Minchumina “terrane”) to the east. Transitional facies patterns are complex because of Paleozoic shifts in the position of the platform margin, Mesozoic shortening, and Late Cretaceous-Tertiary disruption by strike-slip faulting.

Evaluation of rock classifications at B. C. Rail tumbler ridge tunnels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, Peter K.; Mackay, C.; Gale, A. D.

1986-10-01

Construction of four single track railway tunnels through sedimentary rocks in central British Columbia, Canada, provided an excellent opportunity to compare various rock mass classification systems and to evaluate their applicability to the local geology. The tunnels were excavated by conventional drilling and blasting techniques and supported primarily with rock bolts and shotcrete, and with steel sets in some sections. After a brief project description including tunnel construction techniques, local geology and groundwater conditions, the data collection and filed mapping procedure is reviewed. Four rock mass classification systems ( RQD, RSR, RMR, Q) for empirical tunnel design are reviewed and relevant factors for the data interpretation are discussed. In comparing and evaluating the performance of these classification systems three aspects received special attention. The tunnel support predicted by the various systems was compared to the support installed, a unique correlation between the two most useful and most frequently applied classifications, the RMR and Q systems, was established and assessed, and finally, the non-support limit and size effect were evaluated. It is concluded that the Q-system best predicted the required tunnel support and that the RMR was only adequate after adjustment for the influence of opening size. Correction equations for opening size effects are presented for the RMR system. The RSR and RQD systems are not recommended for empirical tunnel design.

Application of ERTS and EREP images to geologic investigations of the basin and range: Colorado plateau boundary in northwestern and north-central Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, A. F. H. (Principal Investigator); Billingsley, F. C.; Elston, D. P.; Lucchita, I.; Shoemaker, E. M.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. In the course of the ERTS investigation in the Cataract Creek Basin of the Coconino Plateau it was recognized that shallow perched ground water associated with the Kaibab Limestone could be discovered by means of drilling guided by geologic mapping aided by the use of ERTS imagery. At the Globe Ranch, the perched water table is only 5 meters beneath the surface at the site of the original, hand dug well. Recharge occurs from local runoff and from direct precipitation on the outcrop belt of the sandstone. This well provides water for the ranch at the rate of about 1,000 gallons a week. In order to explore the possibility of further developing this aquifer, unit 5 was mapped over an area of about 50 square miles in the vicinity of the hand-dug well, with negative results. A new location was then picked for drilling based on the occurrence of unit 5 in a favorable structural setting. This location was along a normal fault, and it was anticipated that water might be structurally trapped within the down-dropped block of the fault. Four shallow testholes were drilled and all encountered water. These four water-bearing holes are currently being monitored and will be tested to determine potential production of water from the local sandstone aquifer.

Identification of different geologic units using fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Anand; Sharma, S. P.

2018-01-01

Different geophysical inversion strategies are utilized as a component of an interpretation process that tries to separate geologic units based on the resistivity distribution. In the present study, we present the results of separating different geologic units using fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography. This was accomplished using fuzzy c means, a clustering procedure to improve the 2D resistivity image and geologic separation within the iterative minimization through inversion. First, we developed a Matlab-based inversion technique to obtain a reliable resistivity image using different geophysical data sets (electrical resistivity and electromagnetic data). Following this, the recovered resistivity model was converted into a fuzzy constrained resistivity model by assigning the highest probability value of each model cell to the cluster utilizing fuzzy c means clustering procedure during the iterative process. The efficacy of the algorithm is demonstrated using three synthetic plane wave electromagnetic data sets and one electrical resistivity field dataset. The presented approach shows improvement on the conventional inversion approach to differentiate between different geologic units if the correct number of geologic units will be identified. Further, fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography was performed to examine the augmentation of uranium mineralization in the Beldih open cast mine as a case study. We also compared geologic units identified by fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography with geologic units interpreted from the borehole information.

Importance of geology to fisheries management: Examples from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Kathryn M.; Koenig, C.C.; Coleman, F.C.; Miller, M.

2003-01-01

Seafloor mapping of shelf-edge habitats in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico demonstrates how sidescan-sonar imagery, seismic-reflection profiling, video data, geologic mapping, sediment sampling, and understanding the regional geologic history can enhance, support, and guide traditional fisheries research and management. New data from the Madison Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Marine Reserves reveal complex benthic habitats consisting of high-relief calcareous pinnacles, low-relief karstic hardbottom, rocky outcrops several kilometers in length, and variable thickness of fine-grained and apparently mobile coarse-grained sediments. Our data also show that certain fish alter the landscape by clearing sediment from hardbottom areas (e.g., red grouper Epinephelus morio) and by burrowing extensively in fine-grained sediment (e.g., tilefish Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps). The seafloor imagery and geologic maps show that (a) sea level fluctuations played a dominant role in the development of the present-day regional geology, and (b) habitats (and benthic communities) are tied closely to geologic character. Understanding the geologic setting allowed for efficient and representative sampling of the biology. The geologic data can be used to set meaningful boundaries for fishery reserves and to help predict habitats in areas that are not well mapped. This interdisciplinary work added value to traditional research disciplines by providing management with integrated tools to make better decisions. 

Nitrate (NO2+NO3-N) in ground water of the Upper Snake River basin, Idaho and western Wyoming, 1991-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rupert, Michael G.

1997-01-01

Factors related to contamination of ground water by dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (NO2+NO3-N) in parts of the upper Snake River Basin were evaluated at regional and local scales. Regional-scale relations between NO2+NO3-N concentrations and depth to first-encountered ground water, land use, precipitation, and soils were evaluated using a geographic information system. Local-scale relations between NO 2+NO3-N concentrations and other nutrients, major ions, nitrogen isotopes, stable isotopes, and tritium in five areas with different hydrogeologic settings, land use, and sources of irrigation water were evaluated to determine the factors causing differences in NO2+NO3-N. Data were collected and analyzed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, which began in 1991.

Geology of the Terra Cimmeria-Utopia Planitia Highland Lowland Transitional Zone: Final Technical Approach and Scientific Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Tanaka, K. L.

2010-01-01

The southern Utopia highland-lowland transitional zone extends from northern Terra Cimmeria to southern Utopia Planitia and contains broad, bench-like platforms with depressions, pitted cones, tholi, and lobate flows. The locally occurring geologic units and landforms contrast other transitional regions and record a spatially partitioned geologic history. We systematically delineated and described the geologic units and landforms of the southern Utopia-Cimmeria highland-lowland transitional zone for the production of a 1:1,000,000-scale geologic map (MTMs 10237, 15237, 20237, 10242, 15242, 20242, 10247, 15247, and 20247). Herein, we present technical and scientific results of this mapping project.

Provincial geology and the Industrial Revolution.

PubMed

Veneer, Leucha

2006-06-01

In the early nineteenth century, geology was a new but rapidly growing science, in the provinces and among the gentlemen scientists of London, Oxford and Cambridge. Industry, particularly mining, often motivated local practical geologists, and the construction of canals and railways exposed the strata for all to see. The most notable of the early practical men of geology was the mineral surveyor William Smith; his geological map of England and Wales, published in 1815, was the first of its kind. He was not alone. The contributions of professional men, and the provincial societies with which they were connected, are sometimes underestimated in the history of geology.

Data set of world phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences: Part A. geologic data; Part B. location and mineral economic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chernoff, Carlotta B.; Orris, G.J.

2002-01-01

An inventory of more than 1,600 world phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences was compiled from smaller data sets collected as part of multiple research efforts by Carlotta Chernoff, University of Arizona, and Greta Orris, U.S. Geological Survey. These data have been utilized during studies of black shale depositional environments and to construct phosphate deposit models. The compiled data have been edited for consistency and additional location information has been added where possible. The database of compiled phosphate information is being released in two sections; the geologic data in one section and the location and mineral economic data in the second. This report, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–156–A, contains the geologic data and is best used with the complimentary data contained in Open-File Report 02–156–B. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–156–B contains commodity data, location and analytical data, a variety of mineral economic data, reference information, and pointers to related records in the U.S. Geological Survey National mineral databases—MASMILS and MRDS.

On the generation of horizontal shear waves by underground explosions in jointed rocks

DOE PAGES

Vorobiev, Oleg; Ezzedine, Souheil; Antoun, Tarabay; ...

2015-02-04

This paper describes computational studies of non-spherical ground motions generated by spherical explosions in a heavily jointed granite formation. Various factors affecting the shear wave generation are considered, including joint spacing, orientation, persistence and properties. Simulations are performed both in 2D for a single joint set to elucidate the basic response mechanisms, and in 3D for multiple joint sets to realistically represent in situ conditions in a realistic geologic setting. The joints are modeled explicitly using both contact elements and weakness planes in the material. Simulations are performed both deterministically and stochastically to quantify the effects of geologic uncertainties onmore » near field ground motions. The mechanical properties of the rock and the joints as well as the joint spacing and orientation are taken from experimental test data and geophysical logs corresponding to the Climax Stock granitic outcrop, which is the geologic setting of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE). Agreement between simulation results and near field wave motion data from SPE enables newfound understanding of the origin and extent of non-spherical motions associated with underground explosions in fractured geologic media.« less

Rafting rocks reveal marine biological dispersal: A case study using clasts from beach-cast macroalgal holdfasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garden, Christopher J.; Craw, Dave; Waters, Jonathan M.; Smith, Abigail

2011-12-01

Tracking and quantifying biological dispersal presents a major challenge in marine systems. Most existing methods for measuring dispersal are limited by poor resolution and/or high cost. Here we use geological data to quantify the frequency of long-distance dispersal in detached bull-kelp (Phaeophyceae: Durvillaea) in southern New Zealand. Geological resolution in this region is enhanced by the presence of a number of distinct and readily-identifiable geological terranes. We sampled 13,815 beach-cast bull-kelp plants across 130 km of coastline. Rocks were found attached to 2639 of the rafted plants, and were assigned to specific geological terranes (source regions) to quantify dispersal frequencies and distances. Although the majority of kelp-associated rock specimens were found to be locally-derived, a substantial number (4%) showed clear geological evidence of long-distance dispersal, several having travelled over 200 km from their original source regions. The proportion of local versus foreign clasts varied considerably between regions. While short-range dispersal clearly predominates, long-distance travel of detached bull-kelp plants is shown to be a common and ongoing process that has potential to connect isolated coastal populations. Geological analyses represent a cost-effective and powerful method for assigning large numbers of drifted macroalgae to their original source regions.

Application of remote sensor data to geologic analysis of the Bonanza test site, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. (Compiler)

1972-01-01

A variety of remote sensor data has aided geologic mapping in central Colorado. This report summarizes the application of sensor data to both regional and local geologic mapping and presents some conclusions on the practical use of remote sensing for solving geologic mapping problems. It is emphasized that this study was not conducted primarily to test or evaluate remote sensing systems or data, but, rather, to apply sensor data as an accessory tool for geologic mapping. The remote sensor data used were acquired by the NASA Earth Observations Aircraft Program. Conclusions reached on the utility of the various sensor data and interpretation techniques for geologic mapping were by-products of attempts to use them.

Advances in Planetary Geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woronow, A. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Advances in Planetary Geology is a new series intended to serve the planetary geology community with a form for quick and thorough communications. There are no set lists of acceptable topics or formats, and submitted manuscripts will not undergo a formal review. All submissions should be in a camera ready form, preferably spaced, and submitted to the editor.

Map of surficial deposits and materials in the eastern and central United States (east of 102 degrees West longitude)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fullerton, David S.; Bush, Charles A.; Pennell, Jean N.

2003-01-01

This data set contains surficial geologic units in the Eastern and Central United States, as well as a glacial limit line showing the position of maximum glacial advance during various geologic time periods. The geologic units represent surficial deposits and other surface materials that accumulated or formed during the past 2+ million years, such as soils, alluvium, and glacial deposits. These surface materials are referred to collectively by many geologists as regolith, the mantle of fragmented and generally unconsolidated material that overlies the bedrock foundation of a continent. This data set and the printed map produced from it, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geologic Investigation Series I-2789, were based on 31 published maps in the USGS's Quaternary Geologic Atlas of the United States map series (USGS Miscellaneous Investigations Series I-1420). The data were compiled at 1:1,000,000 scale, to be viewed as a digital map at 1:2,000,000 nominal scale and to be printed as a conventional paper map at 1:2,500,000 scale.

Mapping Arid Vegetation Species Distributions in the White Mountains, Eastern California, Using AVIRIS, Topography, and Geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VandeVen, C.; Weiss, S. B.

2001-01-01

Our challenge is to model plant species distributions in complex montane environments using disparate sources of data, including topography, geology, and hyperspectral data. From an ecologist's point of view, species distributions are determined by local environment and disturbance history, while spectral data are 'ancillary.' However, a remote sensor's perspective says that spectral data provide picture of what vegetation is there, topographic and geologic data are ancillary. In order to bridge the gap, all available data should be used to get the best possible prediction of species distributions using complex multivariate techniques implemented on a GIS. Vegetation reflects local climatic and nutrient conditions, both of which can be modeled, allowing predictive mapping of vegetation distributions. Geologic substrate strongly affects chemical, thermal, and physical properties of soils, while climatic conditions are determined by local topography. As elevation increases, precipitation increases and temperature decreases. Aspect, slope, and surrounding topography determine potential insolation, so that south-facing slopes are warmer and north-facing slopes cooler at a given elevation. Topographic position (ridge, slope, canyon, or meadow) and slope angle affect sediment accumulation and soil depth. These factors combine as complex environmental gradients, and underlie many features of plant distributions. Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, digital elevation models, digitized geologic maps, and 378 ground control points were used to predictively map species distributions in the central and southern White Mountains, along the western boundary of the Basin and Range province. Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) bands were calculated from the visible and near-infrared AVIRIS bands, and combined with digitized geologic maps and topographic variables using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). CCA allows for modeling species 'envelopes' in multidimensional environmental space, which can then be projected across entire landscapes.

A multiple-point geostatistical method for characterizing uncertainty of subsurface alluvial units and its effects on flow and transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronkite-Ratcliff, C.; Phelps, G.A.; Boucher, A.

2012-01-01

This report provides a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the potential application of multiple-point geostatistics for characterizing geologic heterogeneity and its effect on flow and transport simulation. The study presented in this report is the result of collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Stanford University. This collaboration focused on improving the characterization of alluvial deposits by incorporating prior knowledge of geologic structure and estimating the uncertainty of the modeled geologic units. In this study, geologic heterogeneity of alluvial units is characterized as a set of stochastic realizations, and uncertainty is indicated by variability in the results of flow and transport simulations for this set of realizations. This approach is tested on a hypothetical geologic scenario developed using data from the alluvial deposits in Yucca Flat, Nevada. Yucca Flat was chosen as a data source for this test case because it includes both complex geologic and hydrologic characteristics and also contains a substantial amount of both surface and subsurface geologic data. Multiple-point geostatistics is used to model geologic heterogeneity in the subsurface. A three-dimensional (3D) model of spatial variability is developed by integrating alluvial units mapped at the surface with vertical drill-hole data. The SNESIM (Single Normal Equation Simulation) algorithm is used to represent geologic heterogeneity stochastically by generating 20 realizations, each of which represents an equally probable geologic scenario. A 3D numerical model is used to simulate groundwater flow and contaminant transport for each realization, producing a distribution of flow and transport responses to the geologic heterogeneity. From this distribution of flow and transport responses, the frequency of exceeding a given contaminant concentration threshold can be used as an indicator of uncertainty about the location of the contaminant plume boundary.

Discovering Volcanoes in the Azores - A Field Trip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandão, Susana; Fernandes, Fátima

2013-04-01

The Azores islands are located in the North Atlantic Ocean near a triple junction, between the African, Eurasian and North American plates, at about 1500 km from the European continent and 3900 km from the North America east coast. It is formed by nine volcanic islands and a few islets dispersed along a 600 km NW-SE direction axis. The complex geological and geodynamic setting of the Azores explains its significant seismic and volcanic activity, including eruptions and degassing processes. Important landslides triggered either by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, extreme meteorological conditions and/or coastal erosion processes frequently affect the islands, and tsunamis related with earthquakes and landslides were reported to have occurred in the past. The national curriculum for the school subject of Biology and Geology sees the Azores as a laboratory for the earth sciences and many topics revolve around it. For these reasons, we organised a field trip to the island of São Miguel, with pupils of the 11th grade who live in the Portuguese mainland, in a region that is geologically very different. During the six days of this trip, we attended training sessions in the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Risks Assessment (CVARG) of the Azores University. This multidisciplinary research unit organises activities around the prediction and prevention of disasters and natural hazards in the fields of volcanology and correlated phenomena, including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, volcanic fumes, air pollution and water contaminants, landslides, floods and tsunamis, among others. The pupils explored volcanic calderas, lava caves, fumaroles and hot springs. They also collected and analysed extremophile bacteria that live in local hot springs.

Geologic map of the Lake Mathews 7.5' quadrangle, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Douglas M.; Weber, F. Harold

2001-01-01

a. This Readme; includes in Appendix I, data contained in lkm_met.txt b. The same graphic as plotted in 2 above. Test plots have not produced 1:24,000-scale map sheets. Adobe Acrobat page size setting influences map scale. The Correlation of Map Units and Description of Map Units is in the editorial format of USGS Miscellaneous Investigations Series (I-series) maps but has not been edited to comply with I-map standards. Within the geologic map data package, map units are identified by standard geologic map criteria such as formation-name, age, and lithology. Where known, grain size is indicated on the map by a subscripted letter or letters following the unit symbols as follows: lg, large boulders; b, boulder; g, gravel; a, arenaceous; s, silt; c, clay; e.g. Qyfa is a predominantly young alluvial fan deposit that is arenaceous.Multiple letters are used for more specific identification or for mixed units, e.g., Qfysa is a silty sand.In some cases, mixed units are indicated by a compound symbol; e.g., Qyf2sc. Marine deposits are in part overlain by local, mostly alluvial fan, deposits and are labeled Qomf. Grain size follows f. Even though this is an Open-File report and includes the standard USGS Open-File disclaimer, the report closely adheres to the stratigraphic nomenclature of the U.S. Geological Survey. Descriptions of units can be obtained by viewing or plotting the .pdf file (3b above) or plotting the postscript file (2 above).

Geology and land use in the western part of the Gulf Coast coal-bearing region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Aubourg, C.E.; Hook, R.W.; SanFilipo, John R.

2002-01-01

This map series is a compilation of the outcrop geology in the U.S. Gulf Coast coal region. The maps show the regional geologic setting for primary coal occurrences and detailed geology and historic mining areas.The CD contains ESRI ArcView SHP files of cities, urban areas, historical mines (points and polygons), counties, current mines, 1:100,000 quadrangle outlines of the study area, fossil fuel powerplants, nuclear powerplants, political boundaries, federally managed lands, roads and railroads in the study area, hydrology in the study area (polygons and arcs), geology nomenclature breaks, geological features (faults), and geology. ArcExplorer is included on the CD.

Automated geomorphometric classification of landforms in Transdanubian Region (Pannonian Basin) based on local slope histograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Székely, Balázs; Koma, Zsófia; Csorba, Kristóf; Ferenc Morovics, József

2014-05-01

The Transdanubian Region is a typically hilly, geologically manifold area of the Pannonian Basin. It is composed primarily of Permo-Mesozoic carbonates and siliciclastic sediments, however Pannonian sedimentary units and young volcanic forms are also characteristic, such as those in the Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field. The geological diversity is reflected in the geomorphological setting: beside of the classic eroding volcanic edifices, carbonate plateaus, medium-relief, gently hilly, slowly eroding landforms are also frequent in the geomorphic mosaic of the area. Geomorphometric techniques are suitable to analyse and separate the various geomorphic units mosaicked and, in some cases, affected by (sub-)recent tectonic geomorphic processes. In our project we applied automated classification of local slope angle histograms derived of a 10-meter nominal resolution digital terrain model (DTM). Slope angle histrograms within a rectangular moving window of various sizes have been calculated in numerous experiments. The histograms then served as a multichannel input of for a k-means classification to achieve a geologically-geomorphologically sound categorization of the area. The experiments show good results in separating the very basic landforms, defined landscape boundaries can be reconstructed with high accuracy in case of larger window sizes (e.g. 5 km) and low number of categories. If the window size is smaller and the number of classes is higher, the tectonic geomorphic features are more prominently recognized, however often at the price of the clear separation boundaries: in these cases the horizontal change in the composition of various clusters matches the boundaries of the geological units. Volcanic forms are typically also put into some definite classes, however the flat plateaus of some volcanic edifices fall into another category also recognized in the experiments. In summary we can conclude that the area is suitable for such analyses, many characteristic landform elements can be recognized and, more importantly, tectonic geomorphic features are often consistently outlined. Acknowledgements: ZsK has been partly supported by Campus Hungary Internship TÁMOP-424B1, BS contributed as Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow.

Disentangling the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the distribution of endemic vascular plants in Sardinia.

PubMed

Fois, Mauro; Fenu, Giuseppe; Cañadas, Eva Maria; Bacchetta, Gianluigi

2017-01-01

Due to the impelling urgency of plant conservation and the increasing availability of high resolution spatially interpolated (e.g. climate variables) and categorical data (e.g. land cover and vegetation type), many recent studies have examined relationships among plant species distributions and a diversified set of explanatory factors; nevertheless, global and regional patterns of endemic plant richness remain in many cases unexplained. One such pattern is the 294 endemic vascular plant taxa recorded on a 1 km resolution grid on the environmentally heterogeneous island of Sardinia. Sixteen predictors, including topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors, were used to model local (number of taxa inside each 1 km grid cell) Endemic Vascular Plant Richness (EVPR). Generalized Linear Models were used to evaluate how each factor affected the distribution of local EVPR. Significant relationships with local EVPR and topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors were found. In particular, elevation explained the larger fraction of variation in endemic richness but other environmental factors (e.g. precipitation seasonality and slope) and human-related factors (e.g. the Human Influence Index (HII) and the proportion of anthropogenic land uses) were, respectively, positively and negatively correlated with local EVPR. Regional EVPR (number of endemic taxa inside each 100 m elevation interval) was also measured to compare local and regional EVPR patterns along the elevation gradient. In contrast to local, regional EVPR tended to decrease with altitude partly due to the decreasing area covered along altitude. The contrasting results between local and regional patterns suggest that local richness increases as a result of increased interspecific aggregation along altitude, whereas regional richness may depend on the interaction between area and altitude. This suggests that the shape and magnitude of the species-area relationship might vary with elevation. This work provides-for the first time in Sardinia-a comprehensive analysis of the influence of environmental factors on the pattern of EVPR in the entire territory, from sea level to the highest peaks. Elevation, as well as other environmental and human-related variables, were confirmed to be influencing factors. In addition, variations of EVPR patterns at regional-to-local spatial scales inspire next investigations on the possible interaction between elevation and area in explaining patterns of plant species richness.

A Self-Paced Physical Geology Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Donald W.

1983-01-01

Describes a self-paced geology course utilizing a diversity of instructional techniques, including maps, models, samples, audio-visual materials, and a locally developed laboratory manual. Mechanical features are laboratory exercises, followed by unit quizzes; quizzes are repeated until the desired level of competence is attained. (Author/JN)

ABCGheritage project - promoting geotourism in northern Finland, northern Norway and the Kola Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pihlaja, Jouni; Johansson, Peter; Lauri, Laura S.

2014-05-01

Nature tourism has been a growing business sector in the Barents area during the recent decades. With the purpose to develop nature tourism in a sustainable way, a cooperation project ABCGheritage - Arctic Biological, Cultural and Geological Heritage has been carried out. Project has received partial funding from the EU Kolarctic ENPI program. In the geoheritage part of the project the main activities were aimed to develop pro-environmental ways of geotourism in the area. The three main participants in the geoheritage part of the project are the Geological Survey of Finland, Northern Finland Office, the Geological Institute of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Bioforsk Soil and Environment from northeastern Norway. The duration of the project is 2012-2014 and most of the work has already been completed even if most of the results are not published yet. Totally ten different tasks have been implemented in the geological part of the project. The largest task has been the preparation of a geological outdoor map and guide book of the Khibiny Tundra locating in the central part of the Kola Peninsula. In Finland already 11 such maps have been published, and the experiences gained during their production have been used in this project, too. Geological heritage trails to the Khibiny Tundra have also been created and they will be drawn on the map. The second concrete result is the Barents Tour for Geotourist -guide, which will be published as a guide book, web pages and an exhibition. The route comprises ca 35 best geological demonstration sites along the circle route from northern Finland to northeastern Norway, from there to Kola Peninsula and then back to Finland. Information of the route will be available for all interested travelers. In addition to the geological outdoor map of the Khibiny Tundra and "Barents Tour for Geotourists"-guide, the primary outputs of the project are the geological nature trails on the field, geological demonstration sites with uniform signposts and educational data packages on geological heritage. The main target groups are pupils and teachers at schools, especially on elementary stage. Tourists and locals visiting protected and recreational areas and other heritage sites will also benefit from the results. Personnel working in education and tourism will get new targets and background data for their clients. Final beneficiaries are local inhabitants, entrepreneurs and companies through positive impact to local economy and communities.

Geology and geochemistry of samples from Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR Well EE-2, Fenton Hill, New Mexico

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

Laney, R.; Laughlin, A.W.; Aldrich, M.J. Jr.

1981-07-01

Petrologic, geochemical, and structural analyses of cores and cuttings obtained from 3000 to 4389-m true vertical depth in drill hole EE-2 indicate that this deeper part of the Precambrian section at Fenton Hill, New Mexico is composed primarily of a very heterogeneous and structurally anisotropic metamorphic complex, locally intruded by dikes and sills of granodioritic and monzogranitic composition. In this borehole none of these igneous bodies approach in size the 335-m-thick biotite-granodiorite body encountered at 2591-m depth beneath Fenton Hill in the other two drill holes. Contacts between the igneous and metamorphic rocks range from sharp and discordant to gradational.more » Analysis of cuttings indicates that clay-rich alteration zones are relatively common in the openhole portion of EE-2. These zones average about 20 m in thickness. Fracture sets in the Precambrian basement rock intersected by the EE-2 well bore mostly trend northeast and are steeply dipping to vertical; however, one of the sets dips gently to the northwest. Slickensided fault planes are present in a core (No.5) taken from a true vertical depth of 4195 m. Available core orientation data and geologic inference suggest that the faults dip steeply and trend between N.42/sup 0/ and 59/sup 0/E.« less

The National Map - Orthoimagery Layer

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2007-01-01

Many Federal, State, and local agencies use a common set of framework geographic information databases as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services. Emergency management and homeland security applications rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation's economy. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing The National Map to be a seamless, continually maintained, and nationally consistent set of online, public domain, framework geographic information databases. The National Map will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using data easily and consistently. The data will be the source of revised paper topographic maps. The National Map includes digital orthorectified imagery; elevation data; vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features; geographic names; and land cover information.

Elemental analysis using a handheld X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Groover, Krishangi D.; Izbicki, John

2016-06-24

The U.S. Geological Survey is collecting geologic samples from local stream channels, aquifer materials, and rock outcrops for studies of trace elements in the Mojave Desert, southern California. These samples are collected because geologic materials can release a variety of elements to the environment when exposed to water. The samples are to be analyzed with a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer to determine the concentrations of up to 27 elements, including chromium.

MODPATH-LGR; documentation of a computer program for particle tracking in shared-node locally refined grids by using MODFLOW-LGR

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickinson, Jesse; Hanson, R.T.; Mehl, Steffen W.; Hill, Mary C.

2011-01-01

The computer program described in this report, MODPATH-LGR, is designed to allow simulation of particle tracking in locally refined grids. The locally refined grids are simulated by using MODFLOW-LGR, which is based on MODFLOW-2005, the three-dimensional groundwater-flow model published by the U.S. Geological Survey. The documentation includes brief descriptions of the methods used and detailed descriptions of the required input files and how the output files are typically used. The code for this model is available for downloading from the World Wide Web from a U.S. Geological Survey software repository. The repository is accessible from the U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Information Web page at http://water.usgs.gov/software/ground_water.html. The performance of the MODPATH-LGR program has been tested in a variety of applications. Future applications, however, might reveal errors that were not detected in the test simulations. Users are requested to notify the U.S. Geological Survey of any errors found in this document or the computer program by using the email address available on the Web site. Updates might occasionally be made to this document and to the MODPATH-LGR program, and users should check the Web site periodically.

Digital geologic and geophysical data of Bangladesh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Persits, Feliks M.; Wandrey, C.J.; Milici, R.C.; Manwar, Abdullah

1997-01-01

The data set for these maps includes arcs, polygons, and labels that outline and describe the general geologic age and geophysical fields of Bangladesh. Political boundaries are provided to show the general location of administrative regions and state boundaries. Major base topographic data like cities, rivers, etc. were derived from the same paper map source as the geology.

Local geology controlled the feasibility of vitrifying Iron Age buildings.

PubMed

Wadsworth, Fabian B; Heap, Michael J; Damby, David E; Hess, Kai-Uwe; Najorka, Jens; Vasseur, Jérémie; Fahrner, Dominik; Dingwell, Donald B

2017-01-12

During European prehistory, hilltop enclosures made from polydisperse particle-and-block stone walling were exposed to temperatures sufficient to partially melt the constituent stonework, leading to the preservation of glassy walls called 'vitrified forts'. During vitrification, the granular wall rocks partially melt, sinter viscously and densify, reducing inter-particle porosity. This process is strongly dependent on the solidus temperature, the particle sizes, the temperature-dependence of the viscosity of the evolving liquid phase, as well as the distribution and longevity of heat. Examination of the sintering behaviour of 45 European examples reveals that it is the raw building material that governs the vitrification efficiency. As Iron Age forts were commonly constructed from local stone, we conclude that local geology directly influenced the degree to which buildings were vitrified in the Iron Age. Additionally, we find that vitrification is accompanied by a bulk material strengthening of the aggregates of small sizes, and a partial weakening of larger blocks. We discuss these findings in the context of the debate surrounding the motive of the wall-builders. We conclude that if wall stability by bulk strengthening was the desired effect, then vitrification represents an Iron Age technology that failed to be effective in regions of refractory local geology.

Tombstones as Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Karen L.

1989-01-01

Cemeteries can provide valuable teaching tools for studying art, genealogy, botany, math, geology, and local history. Several activities are suggested that will make a field trip to a local cemetery a learning experience. (IAH)

Hands-in Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furlough, Vickie; And Others

1997-01-01

Describes an earth science unit in which students study soil from their own backyards through a series of integrated activities. Introduces several earth science concepts, including local geology and the development of different types of geological regions. Presents activities to make a county soil map, measure moisture in soil, and measure the…

Testing MODFLOW-LGR for simulating flow around buried Quaternary valleys - synthetic test cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilhelmsen, T. N.; Christensen, S.

2009-12-01

In this study the Local Grid Refinement (LGR) method developed for MODFLOW-2005 (Mehl and Hill, 2005) is utilized to describe groundwater flow in areas containing buried Quaternary valley structures. The tests are conducted as comparative analysis between simulations run with a globally refined model, a locally refined model, and a globally coarse model, respectively. The models vary from simple one layer models to more complex ones with up to 25 model layers. The comparisons of accuracy are conducted within the locally refined area and focus on water budgets, simulated heads, and simulated particle traces. Simulations made with the globally refined model are used as reference (regarded as “true” values). As expected, for all test cases the application of local grid refinement resulted in more accurate results than when using the globally coarse model. A significant advantage of utilizing MODFLOW-LGR was that it allows increased numbers of model layers to better resolve complex geology within local areas. This resulted in more accurate simulations than when using either a globally coarse model grid or a locally refined model with lower geological resolution. Improved accuracy in the latter case could not be expected beforehand because difference in geological resolution between the coarse parent model and the refined child model contradicts the assumptions of the Darcy weighted interpolation used in MODFLOW-LGR. With respect to model runtimes, it was sometimes found that the runtime for the locally refined model is much longer than for the globally refined model. This was the case even when the closure criteria were relaxed compared to the globally refined model. These results are contradictory to those presented by Mehl and Hill (2005). Furthermore, in the complex cases it took some testing (model runs) to identify the closure criteria and the damping factor that secured convergence, accurate solutions, and reasonable runtimes. For our cases this is judged to be a serious disadvantage of applying MODFLOW-LGR. Another disadvantage in the studied cases was that the MODFLOW-LGR results proved to be somewhat dependent on the correction method used at the parent-child model interface. This indicates that when applying MODFLOW-LGR there is a need for thorough and case-specific considerations regarding choice of correction method. References: Mehl, S. and M. C. Hill (2005). "MODFLOW-2005, THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MODULAR GROUND-WATER MODEL - DOCUMENTATION OF SHARED NODE LOCAL GRID REFINEMENT (LGR) AND THE BOUNDARY FLOW AND HEAD (BFH) PACKAGE " U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 6-A12

3D geological to geophysical modelling and seismic wave propagation simulation: a case study from the Lalor Lake VMS (Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides) mining camp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miah, Khalid; Bellefleur, Gilles

2014-05-01

The global demand for base metals, uranium and precious metals has been pushing mineral explorations at greater depth. Seismic techniques and surveys have become essential in finding and extracting mineral rich ore bodies, especially for deep VMS mining camps. Geophysical parameters collected from borehole logs and laboratory measurements of core samples provide preliminary information about the nature and type of subsurface lithologic units. Alteration halos formed during the hydrothermal alteration process contain ore bodies, which are of primary interests among geologists and mining industries. It is known that the alteration halos are easier to detect than the ore bodies itself. Many 3D geological models are merely projection of 2D surface geology based on outcrop inspections and geochemical analysis of a small number of core samples collected from the area. Since a large scale 3D multicomponent seismic survey can be prohibitively expensive, performance analysis of such geological models can be helpful in reducing exploration costs. In this abstract, we discussed challenges and constraints encountered in geophysical modelling of ore bodies and surrounding geologic structures from the available coarse 3D geological models of the Lalor Lake mining camp, located in northern Manitoba, Canada. Ore bodies in the Lalor lake VMS camp are rich in gold, zinc, lead and copper, and have an approximate weight of 27 Mt. For better understanding of physical parameters of these known ore bodies and potentially unknown ones at greater depth, we constructed a fine resolution 3D seismic model with dimensions: 2000 m (width), 2000 m (height), and 1500 m (vertical depth). Seismic properties (P-wave, S-wave velocities, and density) were assigned based on a previous rock properties study of the same mining camp. 3D finite-difference elastic wave propagation simulation was performed in the model using appropriate parameters. The generated synthetic 3D seismic data was then compared to the 3D multicomponent field survey data. Main features of the geological models, especially boundaries of main ore bodies were comparable in both data sets. This shows that the 3D geophysical model based on local geology and limited core samples is in fair agreement with the lithologic units confirmed from the field seismic survey data.

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

Keefer, Donald A.; Shaffer, Eric G.; Storsved, Brynne

A free software application, RVA, has been developed as a plugin to the US DOE-funded ParaView visualization package, to provide support in the visualization and analysis of complex reservoirs being managed using multi-fluid EOR techniques. RVA, for Reservoir Visualization and Analysis, was developed as an open-source plugin to the 64 bit Windows version of ParaView 3.14. RVA was developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with contributions from the Illinois State Geological Survey, Department of Computer Science and National Center for Supercomputing Applications. RVA was designed to utilize and enhance the state-of-the-art visualization capabilities within ParaView, readily allowing jointmore » visualization of geologic framework and reservoir fluid simulation model results. Particular emphasis was placed on enabling visualization and analysis of simulation results highlighting multiple fluid phases, multiple properties for each fluid phase (including flow lines), multiple geologic models and multiple time steps. Additional advanced functionality was provided through the development of custom code to implement data mining capabilities. The built-in functionality of ParaView provides the capacity to process and visualize data sets ranging from small models on local desktop systems to extremely large models created and stored on remote supercomputers. The RVA plugin that we developed and the associated User Manual provide improved functionality through new software tools, and instruction in the use of ParaView-RVA, targeted to petroleum engineers and geologists in industry and research. The RVA web site (http://rva.cs.illinois.edu) provides an overview of functions, and the development web site (https://github.com/shaffer1/RVA) provides ready access to the source code, compiled binaries, user manual, and a suite of demonstration data sets. Key functionality has been included to support a range of reservoirs visualization and analysis needs, including: sophisticated connectivity analysis, cross sections through simulation results between selected wells, simplified volumetric calculations, global vertical exaggeration adjustments, ingestion of UTChem simulation results, ingestion of Isatis geostatistical framework models, interrogation of joint geologic and reservoir modeling results, joint visualization and analysis of well history files, location-targeted visualization, advanced correlation analysis, visualization of flow paths, and creation of static images and animations highlighting targeted reservoir features.« less

RVA: A Plugin for ParaView 3.14

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

2015-09-04

RVA is a plugin developed for the 64-bit Windows version of the ParaView 3.14 visualization package. RVA is designed to provide support in the visualization and analysis of complex reservoirs being managed using multi-fluid EOR techniques. RVA, for Reservoir Visualization and Analysis, was developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with contributions from the Illinois State Geological Survey, Department of Computer Science and National Center for Supercomputing Applications. RVA was designed to utilize and enhance the state-of-the-art visualization capabilities within ParaView, readily allowing joint visualization of geologic framework and reservoir fluid simulation model results. Particular emphasis was placed onmore » enabling visualization and analysis of simulation results highlighting multiple fluid phases, multiple properties for each fluid phase (including flow lines), multiple geologic models and multiple time steps. Additional advanced functionality was provided through the development of custom code to implement data mining capabilities. The built-in functionality of ParaView provides the capacity to process and visualize data sets ranging from small models on local desktop systems to extremely large models created and stored on remote supercomputers. The RVA plugin that we developed and the associated User Manual provide improved functionality through new software tools, and instruction in the use of ParaView-RVA, targeted to petroleum engineers and geologists in industry and research. The RVA web site (http://rva.cs.illinois.edu) provides an overview of functions, and the development web site (https://github.com/shaffer1/RVA) provides ready access to the source code, compiled binaries, user manual, and a suite of demonstration data sets. Key functionality has been included to support a range of reservoirs visualization and analysis needs, including: sophisticated connectivity analysis, cross sections through simulation results between selected wells, simplified volumetric calculations, global vertical exaggeration adjustments, ingestion of UTChem simulation results, ingestion of Isatis geostatistical framework models, interrogation of joint geologic and reservoir modeling results, joint visualization and analysis of well history files, location-targeted visualization, advanced correlation analysis, visualization of flow paths, and creation of static images and animations highlighting targeted reservoir features.« less

Methods for Adjusting U.S. Geological Survey Rural Regression Peak Discharges in an Urban Setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moglen, Glenn E.; Shivers, Dorianne E.

2006-01-01

A study was conducted of 78 U.S. Geological Survey gaged streams that have been subjected to varying degrees of urbanization over the last three decades. Flood-frequency analysis coupled with nonlinear regression techniques were used to generate a set of equations for converting peak discharge estimates determined from rural regression equations to a set of peak discharge estimates that represent known urbanization. Specifically, urban regression equations for the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year return periods were calibrated as a function of the corresponding rural peak discharge and the percentage of impervious area in a watershed. The results of this study indicate that two sets of equations, one set based on imperviousness and one set based on population density, performed well. Both sets of equations are dependent on rural peak discharges, a measure of development (average percentage of imperviousness or average population density), and a measure of homogeneity of development within a watershed. Average imperviousness was readily determined by using geographic information system methods and commonly available land-cover data. Similarly, average population density was easily determined from census data. Thus, a key advantage to the equations developed in this study is that they do not require field measurements of watershed characteristics as did the U.S. Geological Survey urban equations developed in an earlier investigation. During this study, the U.S. Geological Survey PeakFQ program was used as an integral tool in the calibration of all equations. The scarcity of historical land-use data, however, made exclusive use of flow records necessary for the 30-year period from 1970 to 2000. Such relatively short-duration streamflow time series required a nonstandard treatment of the historical data function of the PeakFQ program in comparison to published guidelines. Thus, the approach used during this investigation does not fully comply with the guidelines set forth in U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 17B, and modifications may be needed before it can be applied in practice.

Material instabilities and their role for the initiation of boudinage and folding structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veveakis, Manolis; Peters, Max; Poulet, Thomas; Karrech, Ali; Herwegh, Marco; Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus

2015-04-01

Localized phenomena, such as pinch-and-swell boudinage or localized folds, are usually interpreted to arise from viscosity contrasts. These are caused by structural heterogeneities, such as geometric or material imperfections. An alternative possibility for strain localization exists in material science, where dynamic localization emerges out of a steady state for a given critical set of material parameters and loading rates (Montési and Zuber, 2002). In our contribution, we will investigate the conditions under which this type of instabilities triggers localized deformation. Moreover, we discuss whether geological materials necessarily require structural heterogeneities, such as weak seeds, in order to generate aforementioned localized structures. We set up a random distribution of grain sizes in a layer embedded in a matrix with a diffusion creep rheology. Deformation within the layer is accommodated by dislocation and diffusion creep as end member deformation mechanism. The grain size evolution follows the paleowattmeter scaling relationship for calcite creep (Austin and Evans, 2007), which is controlled by thermo-mechanical feedbacks (Herwegh et al., 2014). During the first strain increments in the numerical simulation, the layer establishes a viscous steady state, which is the systems' response to optimize energy following the paleowattmeter (Herwegh et al., 2014). With further loading, localization interestingly arises out of a homogeneous state. We will demonstrate the robustness of this numerical solution by identifying the natural mode shapes and frequencies of the simulated structure and material parameters, including geometric imperfections (Rudnicki and Rice, 1975). This technique aims at the determination of the spatial manifestation of the instability pattern (Peters et al., in review). The eigenvalues are thought to represent the nodal points, where the onset of (visco)-elasto-plastic localization can initiate in the structure (Rudnicki and Rice, 1975). The eigenmodes appear as sinusoidal vibrations with geometry- and material parameter-specific natural modal frequencies and shapes. In a next step, the eigenmodes are perturbed and superposed to the initial conditions. We observe that this pattern of perturbations guides the ultimate material bifurcation. Boudinage and folding can therefore be seen as either a pure geometric problem or a fundamental material bifurcation, which evolves out of homogeneous state. The latter class offers the great possibility to extract fundamental material parameters out of localized structures directly from field observations. REFERENCES Herwegh, M., Poulet, T., Karrech, A. and Regenauer-Lieb, K. (2014). From transient to steady state deformation and grain size: A thermodynamic approach using elasto-visco-plastic numerical modeling. Journal of Geophysical Research, 119. Montési, L.G.J. and Zuber, M.T. (2002). A unified description of localization for application to large-scale tectonics. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107. Peters, M., Veveakis, M., Poulet, T., Karrech, A., Herwegh, M. and Regenauer-Lieb Klaus (in review). Boudinage as a material instability of elasto-visco-plastic rocks. Submitted to Journal of Structural Geology. Rudnicki, J. W., Rice, J. R. (1975). Conditions for the localization of deformation in pressure-sensitive dilatant materials. Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 23.

Environmental prospection for PCDD/PCDF, PAH, PCB and heavy metals around the incinerator power plant of Reggio Emilia town (Northern Italy) and surrounding main roads.

PubMed

Capuano, F; Cavalchi, B; Martinelli, G; Pecchini, G; Renna, E; Scaroni, I; Bertacchi, M; Bigliardi, G

2005-03-01

Samples of soil, sediment and pine needles from the Reggio Emilia area were analysed in order to estimate the environmental pollution caused by an MSWI. PCDD/PCDF, PCB, PAH and metals were analysed in the collected samples. The data obtained showed relatively low pollution levels. Indeed, the PCDD/PCDF and PCB data were comparable to the values usually found in the grazing areas of the European Union countries. Metal concentrations in soils and sediments may be related to local geological occurrences and to agricultural activities. PAH values are significantly lower than the limit values set by the Italian law.

The case of Sarno River (Southern Italy): effects of geomorphology on the environmental impacts.

PubMed

De Pippo, Tommaso; Donadio, Carlo; Guida, Marco; Petrosino, Carmela

2006-05-01

Analysis of the morphological, geological and environmental characteristics of the Sarno River basin has shown the present degraded condition of the area. Over the past thirty years, the supply of untreated effluent of domestic, agricultural and industrial origin has ensured the presence of high concentrations of pollutants, including heavy metals. The geological context of the catchment area has played a major part in determining the current ecological conditions and public health problems: while human activity has modified the landscape, the natural order has indirectly contributed to increasing the environmental impact. The health situation is precarious as the basin's inhabitants feed on agricultural and animal products, and use polluted water directly or indirectly. The hazard of contracting degenerative illnesses of the digestive or respiratory apparatus, bacterial infections or some neoplasia has gradually increased, especially in the last five years. Moreover, polluted basin waters flowing into the Bay of Naples increase sea water contamination, thereby damaging tourism, public health and degrading the local littoral quality. The overview presented shows how the environmental state of the Sarno River basin gives considerable cause for concern. The basin's complex geomorphologic setting has a direct bearing on local environmental and health conditions. The analysis of the available data demonstrates how the physical aspects of the area are closely linked to the diffusion and concentration of the pollutants, and how the latter ones have a large influence on the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the local population. Specific interventions need to be undertaken to monitor and improve the chemical, physical and microbiological conditions of water and sediments, especially in light of the geomorphological vulnerability of the river basin.

3D modeling of a dolerite intrusion from the photogrammetric and geophysical data integration.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte, João; Machadinho, Ana; Figueiredo, Fernando; Mira, Maria

2015-04-01

The aims of this study is create a methodology based on the integration of data obtained from various available technologies, which allow a credible and complete evaluation of rock masses. In this particular case of a dolerite intrusion, which deployed an exploration of aggregates and belongs to the Jobasaltos - Extracção e Britagem. S.A.. Dolerite intrusion is situated in the volcanic complex of Serra de Todo-o-Mundo, Casais Gaiola, intruded in Jurassic sandstones. The integration of the surface and subsurface mapping, obtained by technology UAVs (Drone) and geophysical surveys (Electromagnetic Method - TEM 48 FAST), allows the construction of 2D and 3D models of the study local. The combination of the 3D point clouds produced from two distinct processes, modeling of photogrammetric and geophysical data, will be the basis for the construction of a single model of set. The rock masses in an integral perspective being visible their development above the surface and subsurface. The presentation of 2D and 3D models will give a perspective of structures, fracturation, lithology and their spatial correlations contributing to a better local knowledge, as well as its potential for the intended purpose. From these local models it will be possible to characterize and quantify the geological structures. These models will have its importance as a tool to assist in the analysis and drafting of regional models. The qualitative improvement in geological/structural modeling, seeks to reduce the value of characterization/cost ratio, in phase of prospecting, improving the investment/benefit ratio. This methodology helps to assess more accurately the economic viability of the projects.

An Amplitude-Based Estimation Method for International Space Station (ISS) Leak Detection and Localization Using Acoustic Sensor Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Jialin; Madaras, Eric I.

2009-01-01

The development of a robust and efficient leak detection and localization system within a space station environment presents a unique challenge. A plausible approach includes the implementation of an acoustic sensor network system that can successfully detect the presence of a leak and determine the location of the leak source. Traditional acoustic detection and localization schemes rely on the phase and amplitude information collected by the sensor array system. Furthermore, the acoustic source signals are assumed to be airborne and far-field. Likewise, there are similar applications in sonar. In solids, there are specialized methods for locating events that are used in geology and in acoustic emission testing that involve sensor arrays and depend on a discernable phase front to the received signal. These methods are ineffective if applied to a sensor detection system within the space station environment. In the case of acoustic signal location, there are significant baffling and structural impediments to the sound path and the source could be in the near-field of a sensor in this particular setting.

The Andean Geotrail (1): A scientific adventure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sassier, C.; Galland, O.; Raufaste, C.; Mair, K.

2009-12-01

The role of Geosciences in our society is of primary importance. Its implications for humanity relate to major challenges such as climate change, managing energy resources, natural hazard mitigation, and water scarcity. Despite these issues being familiar to specialists, this is in general not the case for the public. In a world, where the impact of human activity is beginning to be seen on the environment, knowledge of the Earth and its history is paramount to make informed decisions that will influence our future. The necessity to educate the global population and raise awareness of Geosciences has led UNESCO to designate 2009 the International Year of the Planet Earth. In this context and with the label of the UNESCO, we organized and performed a popular science adventure that was followed in real time by both school children and many adults around the world. The Andean Geotrail consisted of a cycling expedition through a spectacular geological environment, the Andean Cordillera. During the nine month expedition, we cycled 8000 km and walked 400 km from Ushuaia in the Southern tip of Argentina to Nazca in Peru to encounter a rich variety of geological environments: active volcanoes, earthquakes, mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, and fantastic geological scenery. All this makes the Andes a great pedagogical natural laboratory. During the expedition, we visited spectacular geological localities that illustrate key Earth Science phenomena (such as mines and hydrocarbon deposits, erupting volcanoes and seismogenically active areas, and national parks) and discovered their implications for the local people. Along the way, we interviewed local geologists and scientists who helped us understand the geology of their areas. We gathered our own observations with those of the local specialists and published essays, articles and photographs on our website and blog (www.georouteandine.fr/English, http://georouteandine.blogspot.com). Seventeen schools in France and Norway followed our expedition, during which the teachers and pupils used our articles and photographs as dynamic illustrations for their geology classes (see Galland et al., this session). The observations collected during the expedition will now be developed for public conferences and popular science exhibitions to reach a wider audience.

Geologic map of the Cameron 30' x 60' quadrangle, Coconino County, northern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Billingsley, George H.; Priest, Susan S.; Felger, Tracey J.

2007-01-01

This geologic map is the result of a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service in collaboration with the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe to provide regional geologic information for resource management officials of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Navajo Indian Reservation (herein the Navajo Nation), the Hopi Tribe, and for visitor information services at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona as well as private enterprises that have lands within the area. The Cameron 30’ x 60’ quadrangle encompasses approximately 5,018 km2 (1,960 mi2) within Coconino County, northern Arizona and is bounded by longitude 111° to 112° W., and latitude 35°30’ to 36° N. The map area is within the southern Colorado Plateaus geologic province (herein Colorado Plateau). The map area is locally subdivided into six physiographic areas: the Grand Canyon (including the Little Colorado River Gorge), Coconino Plateau, Marble Plateau, Little Colorado River Valley, Moenkopi Plateau, and the San Francisco Volcanic Field as defined by Billingsley and others, 1997 (fig. 1). Elevations range from about 2,274 m (7,460 ft) at the south rim of Grand Canyon along State Highway 64 to about 994 m (3,260 ft) in the Grand Canyon, northeast quarter of the map area.The Cameron quadrangle is one of the few remaining areas near the Grand Canyon where uniform geologic mapping was needed for geologic connectivity of the regional geologic framework that will be useful to federal, state, and private land resource managers who direct environmental and land management programs such as range management, biological studies, flood control, and water resource investigations. The geologic information presented will support future and ongoing local geologic investigations and associated scientific studies of all disciplines within the Cameron quadrangle area.

78 FR 16713 - Board Meeting; April 16, 2013; Richland, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-18

... in a repository. Pursuant to its authority under section 5051 of Public Law 100-203, Nuclear Waste... facility in preparation for eventual disposal in a deep geologic repository. State, local, and regional... DOE's work related to the potential direct disposal in a deep geologic repository of existing SNF...

Links - Helpful Tools | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

Science.gov Websites

Tidal Datum Portal Climate and Cryosphere Hazards Coastal Hazards Program Guide to Geologic Hazards in Systems Alaska Tidal Datum Portal For Alaska's coastal communities, an understanding and awareness of local tidal datums is critical to assessing vulnerability and planning responses to coastal geohazards

Discovery of previously unrecognised local faults in London, UK, using detailed 3D geological modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldiss, Don; Haslam, Richard

2013-04-01

In parts of London, faulting introduces lateral heterogeneity to the local ground conditions, especially where construction works intercept the Palaeogene Lambeth Group. This brings difficulties to the compilation of a ground model that is fully consistent with the ground investigation data, and so to the design and construction of engineering works. However, because bedrock in the London area is rather uniform at outcrop, and is widely covered by Quaternary deposits, few faults are shown on the geological maps of the area. This paper discusses a successful resolution of this problem at a site in east central London, where tunnels for a new underground railway station are planned. A 3D geological model was used to provide an understanding of the local geological structure, in faulted Lambeth Group strata, that had not been possible by other commonly-used methods. This model includes seven previously unrecognised faults, with downthrows ranging from about 1 m to about 12 m. The model was constructed in the GSI3D geological modelling software using about 145 borehole records, including many legacy records, in an area of 850 m by 500 m. The basis of a GSI3D 3D geological model is a network of 2D cross-sections drawn by a geologist, generally connecting borehole positions (where the borehole records define the level of the geological units that are present), and outcrop and subcrop lines for those units (where shown by a geological map). When the lines tracing the base of each geological unit within the intersecting cross-sections are complete and mutually consistent, the software is used to generate TIN surfaces between those lines, so creating a 3D geological model. Even where a geological model is constructed as if no faults were present, changes in apparent dip between two data points within a single cross-section can indicate that a fault is present in that segment of the cross-section. If displacements of similar size with the same polarity are found in a series of adjacent cross-sections, the presence of a fault can be substantiated. If it is assumed that the fault is planar and vertical, then the pairs of constraining data points in each cross-section form a two-dimensional envelope within which the surface trace of the fault must lie. Generally, the broader the area of the model, the longer the envelope defined by the pairs of boreholes is, resulting in better constraint of the fault zone width and azimuth. Repetition or omission of the local stratigraphy in the constraining boreholes can demonstrate reverse or normal dip-slip motion. Even if this is not possible, borehole intercepts at the base of the youngest bedrock unit or at the top of the oldest bedrock unit can constrain the minimum angle of dip of the fault plane. Assessment of the maximum angle of dip requires intrusive investigation. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License together with an NERC copyright. This license does not conflict with the regulations of the Crown Copyright.

Influence of geologic setting on ground-water availability in the Lawrenceville area, Gwinnett County, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Lester J.; Kath, Randy L.; Crawford, Thomas J.; Chapman, Melinda J.

2005-01-01

Obtaining large quantities of ground water needed for municipal and industrial supply in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge physiographic provinces can be challenging because of the complex geology and the typically low primary permeability of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Areas of enhanced secondary permeability in the bedrock do occur, however, and 'high-yield' wells are not uncommon, particularly where careful site-selection techniques are used prior to test drilling. The U.S. Geological Survey - in cooperation with the City of Lawrenceville, Georgia - conducted this study from 2000 to 2002 to learn more about how different geologic settings influence the availability of ground water in igneous and metamorphic bedrock with the expectation that this knowledge could be used to help identify additional water resources in the area. In compositionally layered-rock settings, wells derive water almost exclusively from lithologically and structurally controlled water-bearing zones formed parallel to foliation and compositional layering. These high-permeability, water-bearing zones - termed foliation-parallel parting systems -combined with high-angle joint systems, are the primary control for the high-yield wells drilled in the Lawrenceville area; yields range from 100 to several hundred gallons per minute (gal/min). Near Lawrenceville, areas with high ground-water yield are present in sequences of amphibolite, biotite gneiss, and button schist where the structural attitude of the rocks is gently dipping, in areas characterized by abundant jointing, and in topographic settings with a continuous source of recharge along these structures. In massive-rock settings, wells derive water mostly from joint systems, although foliation-parallel parting systems also may be important. Wells deriving water primarily from steeply-dipping joint systems typically have low yields ranging from 1 to 5 gal/min. Joint systems in massive-rock settings can be identified and characterized by using many of the methods described in this report. Geologic mapping was the primary method used to determine the distribution, variability, and relative concentrations (intensity) of joint systems. In the subsurface, joints were characterized by taking orientation measurements in the open boreholes of wells using acoustic and/or optical televiewers. In this investigation, the only practical approach found for locating areas of high ground-water potential was first through detailed geologic mapping followed by test drilling, borehole geophysical logging, and aquifer testing. Geologic methods help characterize both large- and small-scale structures and other lithologic and stratigraphic features that influence development of increased secondary permeability in the bedrock. The rock types, discontinuities, depth of weathering, topographic position, and recharge potential - which were the principal factors assessed through detailed geologic mapping - must be evaluated carefully, in relation to one another, to assess the ground-water potential in a given area.

Scales of columnar jointing in igneous rocks: field measurements and controlling factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hetényi, György; Taisne, Benoît; Garel, Fanny; Médard, Étienne; Bosshard, Sonja; Mattsson, Hannes B.

2012-03-01

Columnar jointing is a common feature of solidified lavas, sills and dikes, but the factors controlling the characteristic stoutness of columns remain debated, and quantitative field observations are few in number. In this paper, we provide quantitative measurements on sizing of columnar joint sets and our assessment of the principal factors controlling it. We focus on (1) chemistry, as it is the major determinant of the physical (mechanical and thermal) properties of the lava, and (2) geology, as it influences the style of emplacement and lava geometry, setting boundary conditions for the cooling process and the rate of heat loss. In our analysis, we cover lavas with a broad range of chemical compositions (from basanite to phonolite, for six of which we provide new geochemical analyses) and of geological settings. Our field measurements cover 50 columnar jointing sites in three countries. We provide reliable, manually digitized data on the size of individual columns and focus the mathematical analysis on their geometry (23,889 data on side length, of which 17,312 are from full column sections and 3,033 data on cross-sectional area and order of polygonality). The geometrical observations show that the variation in characteristic size of columns between different sites exceeds one order of magnitude (side length ranging from 8 to 338 cm) and that the column-bounding polygons' average order is less than 6. The network of fractures is found to be longer than required by a minimum-energy hexagonal configuration, indicating a non-equilibrium, geologically quick process. In terms of the development and characteristic sizing of columnar joint sets, our observations suggest that columns are the result of an interplay between the geological setting of emplacement and magma chemistry. When the geological setting constrains the geometry of the emplaced body, it exerts a stronger control on characteristic column stoutness. At unconstrained geometries (e.g. unconfined lava flows), chemistry plays the major role, resulting in stouter columns in felsic lavas and slenderer columns in mafic lavas.

Research and implementation on 3D modeling of geological body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Lijuan; Li, Ligong; Zhu, Renyi; Huang, Man

2017-10-01

This study based on GIS thinking explores the combination of the mixed spatial data model and GIS model to build three-dimensional(3d) model of geological bodies in the Arc Engine platform, describes the interface and method used in the construction of 3d geological body in Arc Engine component platform in detail, and puts forward an indirect method which constructs a set of geological grid layers through Rigging interpolation by the borehole data and then converts it into the geological layers of TIN, which improves the defect in building the geological layers of TIN directly and makes it better to complete the simulation of the real geological layer. This study makes a useful attempt to build 3d model of the geological body based on the GIS, and provides a certain reference value for simulating geological bodies in 3d and constructing the digital system of underground space.

Conduct of Geologic Field Work During Planetary Exploration: Why Geology Matters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean B.

2010-01-01

The science of field geology is the investigative process of determining the distribution of rock units and structures on a planet fs surface, and it is the first-order data set that informs all subsequent studies of a planet, such as geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics, or remote sensing. For future missions to the Moon and Mars, the surface systems deployed must support the conduct of field geology if these endeavors are to be scientifically useful. This lecture discussed what field geology is all about.why it is important, how it is done, how conducting field geology informs many other sciences, and how it affects the design of surface systems and the implementation of operations in the future.

Geologic Map of the Utukok River Quadrangle, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mull, Charles G.; Houseknecht, David W.; Pessel, G.H.; Garrity, Christopher P.

2006-01-01

This map is a product of the USGS Digital Geologic Maps of Northern Alaska project, which captures in digital format quadrangles across the entire width of northern Alaska. Sources include geologic maps previously published in hardcopy format and recent updates and revisions based on field mapping by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and Division of Oil and Gas, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Individual quadrangles are digitized at either 1:125,000 or 1:250,000 depending on the resolution of source maps. The project objective is to produce a set of digital geologic maps with uniform stratigraphic nomenclature and structural annotation, and publish those maps electronically.

Hydrology of the Helena area bedrock, west-central Montana, 1993-98; with a section on geologic setting and a generalized bedrock geologic map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thamke, Joanna N.; Reynolds, Mitchell W.

2000-01-01

The Generalized Bedrock Geologic Map of the Helena Area, West-Central Montana (plate 1 in the report) provides an intermediate-scale overview of bedrock in the Helena area. The geologic map has been compiled at a scale of 1:100,000 from the most widely available sources of geologic map information (see index to geologic mapping on pl. 1). That information has been updated by M.W. Reynolds for this report with more recent geologic mapping and field revision of published maps. All well locations and all bedrock units penetrated during drilling have been confirmed on geologic maps at the largest scale available. Source geologic maps are all at scales larger than 1:100,000 scale. Care has been taken to ensure accurate representation of the original geology at the compilation scale. However, positional accuracy of some features might be somewhat diminished at the smaller scale of the base map when compared with the original data source. Also, line thicknesses for contacts and faults necessarily assume a greater width, relative to the real geologic feature, at the scale of the generalized map than on any original map. The map is not intended for large-scale, site-specific detailed planning. Bedrock units throughout the Helena area are generally covered by young surficial deposits such as alluvium, colluvium, glacial debris, or windblown sediment. Thickness of such deposits varies from veneers through which the underlying bedrock is clearly discernible to major thicknesses that conceal all underlying bedrock and structure. Boundaries of major accumulations of surficial deposits are attributed separately from bedrock contacts. These boundaries should not be considered precise at the map scale or at larger scales. Boundaries shown may be less accurate positionally than bedrock contacts and faults because (1) surficial deposits commonly thin to a knife edge; (2) different mappers will interpret the edge differently when drawing a boundary; or (3) the original geologic map maker was concerned principally with bedrock units and structure and thus overlooked, or did not originally map as consistently, some surficial deposits. Veneers of surficial sediment, when saturated, can be local sources of recharge to underlying bedrock. Use of the generalized map to define their distribution does not substitute for site specific mapping of such deposits. Specific knowledge is needed to determine the water-bearing properties of the geologic units at and surrounding a site because the units, including the igneous and metamorphic rocks, have internal differences in stratigraphy, composition, mineralogy and grain size or crystallinity. These differences, together with structural imprints such as faults, folds, and the spacing, orientation, degree of openness of fractures, and extent and type of mineral filling in fractures and faults, all affect the ability of rocks to store and transmit water.

The assessment of seismic hazard for Gori, (Georgia) and preliminary studies of seismic microzonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogoladze, Z.; Moscatelli, M.; Giallini, S.; Avalle, A.; Gventsadze, A.; Kvavadze, N.; Tsereteli, N.

2016-12-01

Seismic risk is a crucial issue for South Caucasus, which is the main gateway between Asia and Europe. The goal of this work is to propose new methods and criteria for defining an overall approach aimed at assessing and mitigating seismic risk in Georgia. In this reguard seismic microzonation represents a highly useful tool for seismic risk assessmentin land management, for design of buildings or structures and for emergency planning.Seismic microzonation assessment of local seismic hazard,which is a component of seismicity resulting from specific local characteristics which cause local amplification and soil instability, through identification of zones with seismically homogeneous behavior. This paper presents the results of preliminary study of seismic microzonation of Gori, Georgia. Gori is and is located in the Shida Kartli region and on both sides of Liachvi and Mtkvari rivers, with area of about 135 km2around the Gori fortress. Gori is located in Achara-Trialeti fold-thrust belt, that is tectonically unstable. Half of all earthquakes in Gori area with magnitude M≥3.5 have happened along this fault zone and on basis of damage caused by previous earthquakes, this territory show the highest level of risk (the maximum value of direct losses) in central part of the town. The seismic microzonation map of level 1 for Gori was carried out using: 1) Already available data (i.e., topographic map and boreholes data), 2) Results of new geological surveys and 3) Geophysical measurements (i.e., MASW and noise measurements processed with HVSR technique). Our preliminary results highlight the presence of both stable zones susceptible to local amplifications and unstable zones susceptible to geological instability. Our results are directed to establish set of actions aimed at risk mitigation before initial onset of emergency, and to management of the emergency once the seismic event has occurred. The products obtained, will contain the basic elements of an integrated system aimed at reducing risk and improving over all safety of people and infrastructure in Georgia.

Landslides in everyday life: An interdisciplinary approach to understanding vulnerability in the Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudmeier-Rieux, K.; Breguet, A.; Dubois, J.; Jaboyedoff, M.

2009-04-01

Several thousand landslides were triggered by the Kashmir earthquake, scarring the hillside with cracks. Monsoon rains continue to trigger landslides, which have increased the exposure of populations because of lost agricultural lands, blocked roads and annual fatalities due to landslides. The great majority of these landslides are shallow and relatively small but greatly impacting the population. In this region, landslides were a factor before the earthquake, mainly due to road construction and gravel excavation, but the several thousand landslides triggered by the earthquake have completely overwhelmed the local population and authorities. In Eastern Nepal, the last large earthquake to hit this region occurred in 1988, also triggering numerous landslides and cracks. Here, landslides can be considered a more common phenomenon, yet coping capacities amount to local observations of landslide movement, subsequent abandonment of houses and land as they become too dangerous. We present a comparative case study from Kashmir, Pakistan and Eastern Nepal, highlighting an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex interactions between land use, landslides and vulnerability. Our approach sets out to understand underlying causes of the massive landslides triggered by the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, Pakistan, and also the increasing number of landslides in Nepal. By approaching the issue of landslides from multiple angles (risk perceptions, land use, local coping capacities, geological assessment, risk mapping) and multiple research techniques (remote sensing, GIS, geological assessment, participatory mapping, focus groups) we are better able to create a more complete picture of the "hazardscape". We find that by combining participatory social science research with hazard mapping, we obtain a more complete understanding of underlying causes, coping strategies and possible mitigation options, placing natural hazards in the context of everyday life. This method is relatively simple, low cost and useful to local authorities or development agencies in planning and managing development projects, which include a hazard management aspect. We discuss some of our successes, some obstacles and ideas for future research.

Relating Stress Drop Variations with Geological Setting for Injection-Induced Seismicity and Its Seismic Hazard Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbancic, T.; Viegas, G. F.; Baig, A.

2017-12-01

We observe conflicting stress drop estimates of M0 to M4 injection-induced earthquakes in two regions of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Induced earthquakes in the Horn River Basin show lower stress drops than induced earthquakes in the Duvernay Basin by a factor of 10 to 20. Higher stress drop earthquakes have a significant role in seismic hazard as they generate higher frequency strong ground motions which can potentially cause more damages, making it important to understand its causes. Both earthquake datasets occur below shale reservoirs under hydraulic-fracture stimulation programs. Both treatment programs target the same shale formation (Muskwa in Horn River Basin and Duvernay in Duvernay Basin) at approximately the same depth (3 km). Both reservoirs are located to the edge of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin bordering the Rocky Mountains and are under the same tectonic setting, both currently and during the Devonian depositional phase. The major observable difference is the local geology. While the Horn River Basin in northeast British Columbia shows mostly continuous horizontal stratification the Duvernay shale in the Fox Creek region in Alberta drapes over Leduc Formation reefs which cross-cut it as chains of reefs, isolated atolls and isolated pinnacles. Schultz et al. (2017) showed that induced seismicity in the Duvernay Basin region occurs primarily in the margins of the Devonian carbonate reefs (10 to 20 km away) where optimally oriented basement faults exist. The fault system is in part associated with basement tectonism and isostatic compensation mechanisms involved in the reefs diagenesis. We propose that the observed stress drop differences are caused by different regional stress characteristics, with events occurring in more stressed regions having higher stress drops. These areas of higher stress are found at the margins of the denser Leduc reefs formation and may be caused either by load transfer, isostatic compensation mechanisms, and accumulation of strain energy in the underlying fault system. The geological setting in which earthquakes occur may be a more important factor than previously considered in seismic hazard studies.

Characterization of past landslides and slope susceptibility analysis for Lima and Callao provinces, Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatard, Lucile; Villacorta, Sandra; Metzger, Pascale

2013-04-01

85% of people exposed to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and drought live in developing countries (IPU, 2010). This population is also exposed to the landslide risk as this phenomenon is mainly triggered by earthquakes and rainfall. There is an urgent need to propose methods to evaluate and mitigate the landslide risk for developing countries, where few studies were undergone and data, and information on data, are scarce. In this study, we characterize a landslide inventory set up for the megalopolis of Lima, Peru, by the local geological bureau (INGEMMET). This inventory was set up using satellite images and includes landslides of all ages. It is composed of two landslide types: rockfalls and debris flows (huaycos) that we investigate together and separately. First, we describe qualitatively the landslide occurrences in terms of geology, slope steepness, altitude, etc. We notably find that debris flows occur at altitudes larger than the ones of the rockfalls, probably due to the climatic conditions. Then we find that the rockfalls and debris flows area distributions follow a power law when investigated separately whereas it does not follow a power law when investigated together. This highlights a logical difference of mechanics between the two landslide types. Then, using the dimension of correlation D (Grassberger and Procaccia, 1983) we show that the event spatial occurrences are not uniformly distributed but clustered. It supports the existence of controlling parameters on the spatial occurrence of landslides and the research to identify them. Last, we investigate the relationships between different landslide parameters (geology, altitude, slope steepness, ...) using the linear correlation coefficient r, and we find that all these parameters are independent to each other. This allows us to investigate each parameter separately in terms of landslide susceptibility and to define values for which the landslide susceptibility is low, medium or high for each parameter. The characterization of the landslide database is a necessary step to assess the good quality of the data. It then allows us to pursue our investigation and set up a robust landslide susceptibility analysis using our good-quality inventory.

Geologic and mineral and water resources investigations in western Colorado using ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knepper, D. H., Jr. (Compiler)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Geologic interpretation of ERTS-1 imagery is dependent on recognition of the distribution, continuity, trend, and geometry of key surface features. In the examination of ERTS-1 imagery, lithology must be interpreted largely from the geomorphic expression of the terrain. ERTS-1 imagery is extremely useful in detecting local structures. Most mapped structures are topographically-expressed. Consequently, ERTS-1 imagery acquired during mid-winter, when the solar illumination angle is low, provides the largest amount of structural information. Stereoscopic analyses of ERTS-1 images significantly aid geologic interpretation. Positive transparencies of ERTS-1 images (1:1,000,000) commonly contain more geologic information than can be adequately annotated during geologic interpretation.

Geologic Studies in Support of Manned Martian Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frix, Perry; McCloskey, Katherine; Neakrase, Lynn D. V.; Greeley, Ronald

1999-01-01

With the advent of the space exploration of the middle part of this century, Mars has become a tangible target for manned space flight missions in the upcoming decades. The goals of Mars exploration focus mainly on the presence of water and the geologic features associated with it. To explore the feasibility of a manned mission, a field analog project was conducted. The project began by examining a series of aerial photographs representing "descent" space craft images. From the photographs, local and regional geology of the two "landing" sites was determined and several "targets of interest" were chosen. The targets were prioritized based on relevance to achieving the goals of the project and Mars exploration. Traverses to each target, as well as measurements and sample collections were planned, and a timeline for the exercise was created. From this it was found that for any mission to be successful, a balance must be discovered between keeping to the planned timeline schedule, and impromptu revision of the mission to allow for conflicts, problems and other adjustments necessary due to greater information gathered upon arrival at the landing site. At the conclusion of the field exercise, it was determined that a valuable resource for mission planning is high resolution remote sensing of the landing area. This led us to conduct a study to determine what ranges of resolution are necessary to observe geology features important to achieving the goals of Mars exploration. The procedure used involved degrading a set of images to differing resolutions, which were then examined to determine what features could be seen and interpreted. The features were rated for recognizability, the results were tabulated, and a minimum necessary resolution was determined. Our study found that for the streams, boulders, bedrock, and volcanic features that we observed, a resolution of at least 1 meter/pixel is necessary. We note though that this resolution depends on the size of the feature being observed, and thus for Mars the resolution may be lower due to the larger size of some features. With this new information, we then examined the highest resolution images taken to date by the Mars Orbital Camera on board the Mars Global Surveyor, and planned a manned mission. We chose our site keeping in mind the goals for Mars exploration, then determined the local and regional geolog of the "landing area. Prioritization was then done on the geologic features seen and traverses were planned to various "targets of interest". A schedule for each traverse stop, including what measurements and samples were to br taken, and a timeline for the mission was then created with ample time allowed for revisions of plans, new discoveries, and possible complications.

A Narrowing Target for Early Mars Climate Models: Which Models Survive Confrontation with Improved Hydrology Constraints?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kite, E. S.; Goldblatt, C.; Gao, P.; Mayer, D. P.; Sneed, J.; Wilson, S. A.

2016-12-01

The wettest climates in Mars' geologic history represent habitability optima, and also set the tightest constraints on climate models. For lake-forming climates on Early Mars, geologic data constrain discharge, duration, intermittency, and the number of lake-forming events. We synthesise new and existing data to suggest that post-Noachian lake-forming climates were widely separated in time, lasted >10^4 yr individually, were few in number, but cumulatively lasted <10^7 yr (to allow olivine to survive globally). We compare these data against existing models, set out a new model involving methane bursts, and conclude with future directions for Early Mars geologic analysis and modelling work.

Hypogene caves of the central Appalachian Shenandoah Valley in Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doctor, Daniel H.; Orndorff, Wil

2017-01-01

Several caves in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia show evidence for early hypogenic conduit development with later-enhanced solution under partly confined phreatic conditions guided by geologic structures. Many (but not all) of these caves have been subsequently invaded by surface waters as a result of erosion and exhumation. Those not so affected are relict phreatic caves, bearing no relation to modern drainage patterns. Field and petrographic evidence shows that carbonate rocks hosting certain relict phreatic caves were dolomitized and/or silicified by early hydrothermal fluid migration in zones that served to locally enhance rock porosity, thus providing preferential pathways for later solution by groundwater flow, and making the surrounding bedrock more resistant to surficial weathering to result in caves that reside within isolated hills on the land surface. Features suggesting that deep phreatic processes dominated the development of these relict caves include (1) cave passage morphologies indicative of ascending fluids, (2) cave plans of irregular pattern, reflecting early maze or anastomosing development, (3) a general lack of cave breakdown and cave streams or cave stream deposits, and (4) calcite wall and pool coatings within isolated caves intersecting the local water table, and within unroofed caves at topographic locations elevated well above the local base level. Episodes of deep karstification were likely separated by long periods of geologic time, encompassing multiple phases of sedimentary fill and excavation within caves, and reflect a complex history of deep fluid migration that set the stage for later shallow speleogenesis that continues today.

A three-dimensional finite-volume Eulerian-Lagrangian Localized Adjoint Method (ELLAM) for solute-transport modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heberton, C.I.; Russell, T.F.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Hornberger, G.Z.

2000-01-01

This report documents the U.S. Geological Survey Eulerian-Lagrangian Localized Adjoint Method (ELLAM) algorithm that solves an integral form of the solute-transport equation, incorporating an implicit-in-time difference approximation for the dispersive and sink terms. Like the algorithm in the original version of the U.S. Geological Survey MOC3D transport model, ELLAM uses a method of characteristics approach to solve the transport equation on the basis of the velocity field. The ELLAM algorithm, however, is based on an integral formulation of conservation of mass and uses appropriate numerical techniques to obtain global conservation of mass. The implicit procedure eliminates several stability criteria required for an explicit formulation. Consequently, ELLAM allows large transport time increments to be used. ELLAM can produce qualitatively good results using a small number of transport time steps. A description of the ELLAM numerical method, the data-input requirements and output options, and the results of simulator testing and evaluation are presented. The ELLAM algorithm was evaluated for the same set of problems used to test and evaluate Version 1 and Version 2 of MOC3D. These test results indicate that ELLAM offers a viable alternative to the explicit and implicit solvers in MOC3D. Its use is desirable when mass balance is imperative or a fast, qualitative model result is needed. Although accurate solutions can be generated using ELLAM, its efficiency relative to the two previously documented solution algorithms is problem dependent.

Multiscale magmatic cyclicity, duration of pluton construction, and the paradoxical relationship between tectonism and plutonism in continental arcs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Saint Blanquat, Michel; Horsman, Eric; Habert, Guillaume; Morgan, Sven; Vanderhaeghe, Olivier; Law, Richard; Tikoff, Basil

2011-03-01

The close relationship between crustal magmatism, an expression of heat dissipation, and tectonics, an expression of stress dissipation, leads to the question of their mutual relationships. Indeed, the low viscosity of magmas and the large viscosity contrast between magmas and surrounding rocks favor strain localization in magmas, and then possible "magmatic" initiation of structures at a wide range of scales. However, new data about 3-d pluton shape and duration of pluton construction perturb this simple geological image, and indicate some independence between magmatism and tectonics. In some cases we observe a direct genetic link and strong arguments for physical interactions between magmas and tectonics. In other cases, we observe an absence of these interactions and it is unclear how magma transfer and emplacement are related to lithospheric-plate dynamics. A simple explanation of this complexity follows directly from the pulsed, incremental assembly of plutons and its spatial and temporal characteristics. The size of each pluton is related to a magmatic pulsation at a particular time scale, and each of these coupled time/space scales is related to a specific process: in small plutons, we can observe the incremental process, the building block of plutons; in larger plutons, the incremental process is lost, and the pulsation, which consists of a cycle of injections at different timescales, must be related to the composition and thermal regime of the source region, itself driving magmatic processes (melting, segregation, and transfer) that interact with tectonic boundary conditions. The dynamics of pulsed magmatism observed in plutonic systems is then a proxy for deep lithospheric and magmatic processes. From our data and a review of published work, we find a positive corelation between volume and duration of pluton construction. The larger a pluton, the longer its construction time. Large/fast or small/slow plutons have not been identified to date. One consequence of this observation is that plutonic magmatic fluxes seem to be comparable from one geodynamic setting to another and also over various geologic time spans. A second consequence of this correlation is that small plutons, which are constructed in a geologically short length of time, commonly record little about tectonic conditions, and result only from the interference between magma dynamics and the local geologic setting. The fast rate of magma transfer in the crust (on the order of cm/s) relative to tectonic rates (on the order of cm/yr) explain why the incremental process of pluton construction is independent of - but not insensitive to - the tectonic setting. However, in large plutonic bodies, which correspond to longer duration magmatic events, regional deformation has time to interact with the growing pluton and can be recorded within the pluton-wall rock structure. Magma transfer operates at a very short timescale (comparable to volcanic timescales), which can be sustained over variable periods, depending on the fertility of the magma source region and its ability to feed the system. The fast operation of magmatic processes relative to crustal tectonic processes ensures that the former control the system from below.

Micro-XRF : Elemental Analysis for In Situ Geology and Astrobiology Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allwood, Abigail; Hodyss, Robert; Wade, Lawrence

2012-01-01

The ability to make close-up measurements of rock chemistry is one of the most fundamental tools for astrobiological exploration of Mars and other rocky bodies of the solar system. When conducting surface-based exploration, lithochemical measurements provide critical data that enable interpretation of the local geology, which in turn is vital for determining habitability and searching for evidence of life. The value of lithochemical measurements for geological interpretations has been repeatedly demonstrated with virtually every landed Mars mission over the past four decades.

Earthquake Shaking - Finding the "Hot Spots"

USGS Publications Warehouse

Field, Edward; Jones, Lucile; Jordan, Tom; Benthien, Mark; Wald, Lisa

2001-01-01

A new Southern California Earthquake Center study has quantified how local geologic conditions affect the shaking experienced in an earthquake. The important geologic factors at a site are softness of the rock or soil near the surface and thickness of the sediments above hard bedrock. Even when these 'site effects' are taken into account, however, each earthquake exhibits unique 'hotspots' of anomalously strong shaking. Better predictions of strong ground shaking will therefore require additional geologic data and more comprehensive computer simulations of individual earthquakes.

A "mental models" approach to the communication of subsurface hydrology and hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Hazel; Stewart, Iain S.; Pahl, Sabine; Stokes, Alison

2016-05-01

Communicating information about geological and hydrological hazards relies on appropriately worded communications targeted at the needs of the audience. But what are these needs, and how does the geoscientist discern them? This paper adopts a psychological "mental models" approach to assess the public perception of the geological subsurface, presenting the results of attitudinal studies and surveys in three communities in the south-west of England. The findings reveal important preconceptions and misconceptions regarding the impact of hydrological systems and hazards on the geological subsurface, notably in terms of the persistent conceptualisation of underground rivers and the inferred relations between flooding and human activity. The study demonstrates how such mental models can provide geoscientists with empirical, detailed and generalised data of perceptions surrounding an issue, as well reveal unexpected outliers in perception that they may not have considered relevant, but which nevertheless may locally influence communication. Using this approach, geoscientists can develop information messages that more directly engage local concerns and create open engagement pathways based on dialogue, which in turn allow both geoscience "experts" and local "non-experts" to come together and understand each other more effectively.

Geologic map of the Metis Mons quadrangle (V–6), Venus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dohm, James M.; Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Skinner, James A.

2011-01-01

The Metis Mons quadrangle (V–6) in the northern hemisphere of Venus (lat 50° to 75° N., long 240° to 300° E.) includes a variety of coronae, large volcanoes, ridge and fracture (structure) belts, tesserae, impact craters, and other volcanic and structural features distributed within a plains setting, affording study of their detailed age relations and evolutionary development. Coronae in particular have magmatic, tectonic, and topographic signatures that indicate complex evolutionary histories. Previously, the geology of the map region has been described either in general or narrowly focused investigations. Based on Venera radar mapping, a 1:15,000,000-scale geologic map of part of the northern hemisphere of Venus included the V–6 map region and identified larger features such as tesserae, smooth and hummocky plains materials, ridge belts, coronae, volcanoes, and impact craters but proposed little relative-age information. Global-scale mapping from Magellan data identified similar features and also determined their mean global ages with crater counts. However, the density of craters on Venus is too low for meaningful relative-age determinations at local to regional scales. Several of the coronae in the map area have been described using Venera data (Stofan and Head, 1990), while Crumpler and others (1992) compiled detailed identification and description of volcanic and tectonic features from Magellan data. The main purpose of this map is to reconstruct the geologic history of the Metis Mons quadrangle at a level of detail commensurate with a scale of 1:5,000,000 using Magellan data. We interpret four partly overlapping stages of geologic activity, which collectively resulted in the formation of tesserae, coronae (oriented along structure belts), plains materials of varying ages, and four large volcanic constructs. Scattered impact craters, small shields and pancake-shaped domes, and isolated flows superpose the tectonically deformed materials and appear to be the most youthful materials in the map region.

Βedrock instability of underground storage systems in the Czech Republic, Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakova, Lucie; Broz, Milan; Zaruba, Jiri; Sosna, Karel; Najser, Jan; Rukavickova, Lenka; Franek, Jan; Rudajev, Vladimir

2016-06-01

Underground storage systems are currently being used worldwide for the geological storage of natural gas (CH4), the geological disposal of CO2, in geothermal energy, or radioactive waste disposal. We introduce a complex approach to the risks posed by induced bedrock instabilities in deep geological underground storage sites. Bedrock instability owing to underground openings has been studied and discussed for many years. The Bohemian Massif in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) is geologically and tectonically complex. However, this setting is ideal for learning about the instability state of rock masses. Longterm geological and mining studies, natural and induced seismicity, radon emanations, and granite properties as potential storage sites for disposal of radioactive waste in the Czech Republic have provided useful information. In addition, the Czech Republic, with an average concentration radon of 140 Bq m-3, has the highest average radon concentrations in the world. Bedrock instabilities might emerge from microscale features, such as grain size and mineral orientation, and microfracturing. Any underground storage facility construction has to consider the stored substance and the geological settings. In the Czech Republic, granites and granitoids are the best underground storage sites. Microcrack networks and migration properties are rock specific and vary considerably. Moreover, the matrix porosity also affects the mechanical properties of the rocks. Any underground storage site has to be selected carefully. The authors suggest to study the complex set of parameters from micro to macroscale for a particular place and type of rock to ensure that the storage remains safe and stable during construction, operation, and after closure.

Physiography, geology, and land cover of four watersheds in Eastern Puerto Rico

Treesearch

S.F. Murphy; R.F. Stallard; M.C. Larsen; W.A. Gould

2012-01-01

Four watersheds with differing geology and land cover in eastern Puerto Rico have been studied on a long-term basis by the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate water, energy, and biogeochemical budgets. These watersheds are typical of tropical, island-arc settings found in many parts of the world. Two watersheds are located on coarse-grained granitic rocks that weather...

Inventory of Well Yields in Avery and Watauga Counties, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huffman, Brad A.; Chapman, Melinda J.; Tighe, Kirsten C.; Terziotti, Silvia

2008-01-01

More than 1,500 well records were compiled for Avery and Watauga Counties, North Carolina, as part of a study of ground-water resources. Wells in this area of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province produce water from the fractured-bedrock aquifer. Prior to this study, only about 132 wells were included in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System, as a result of a study conducted during the late 1960s. The large number of additional well records provide a better data set to evaluate the ground-water resources. From the more recent well inventory conducted in 2007, the range of well yields in these two counties is from 0 to 400 gallons per minute. Total depth of the wells ranged from 20 to 1,204 feet below land surface, and depth to primary fracture zones ranged from 25 to 1,000 feet below land surface. In many rural areas of North Carolina (NC), ground water is the sole resource for drinking water. With increasing population, many more wells are being drilled, and information on this important resource needs to be updated. In February 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a study in cooperation with the High Country Council of Governments, through a grant received by the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, to better quantify available ground-water resources in two rural counties (Avery and Watauga) in the northern North Carolina mountains. Many small towns in Avery and Watauga counties are dependent on wells from local fractured-bedrock aquifers, and local officials are concerned about the sustainability of the resource for support of economic development and population growth. In 2005, all residents in Avery County were served by ground-water resources, while 37 percent of the population in Watauga County was served by ground water (D.G. Smith, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2007).

Triassic structural and stratigraphic evolution of the Central German North Sea sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Marco; Jähne-Klingberg, Fabian

2017-04-01

The subsurface of the Central German North Sea sector is characterized by a complex sequence of tectonic events that span from the Permo-Carboniferous initiation of the Southern Permian Basin to the present day. The Triassic period is one of the most prominent stratigraphic intervals in this area due to alternating phases of relatively tectonic quiescence and intense tectonic activity with the development of grabens, salt-tectonics movements, various regional and local erosional events and strong local and regional changes in subsidence over time. The heterogeneous geological history led to complex structural and lithological patterns. The presented results are part of a comprehensive investigation of the Central German North Sea sector. It was carried out within the scope of the project TUNB (www.bgr.bund.de). The main goal was to enhance the understanding of the Triassic geological development in the area of interest due to detailed seismic interpretation of several hundred 2D seismic lines and as well 3D seismic data sets. A seismostratigraphic concept was used to interpret most formations of the Triassic resulting in a detailed subdivision of the Triassic unit. Depth and thickness maps for every stratigraphic unit and geological cross sections provided new insights regarding an overall basin evolution as well as the timing and mechanisms of rifting and salt-tectonics. New results concerning the evolution of the Keuper in the German North Sea and especially the Triassic evolution of the Horn Graben, as one of the major Triassic rift-structures in the North Sea, will be highlighted. We will show aspects of strong tectonic subsidence in the Horn Graben in the Lower Triassic. In parts of the study area, halotectonic movements started in the Upper Triassic, earlier than previously proposed. Besides mapping of regional seismic reflectors, distinct sedimentary features like fluvial channel systems of the Stuttgart formation (Middle Keuper) or subrosion-like structures along the major Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous unconformity, which are related to erosion of Triassic evaporitic formations, will be shown.

Probability-of-success studies for geothermal projects: from subsurface data to geological risk analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumacher, Sandra; Pierau, Roberto; Wirth, Wolfgang

2017-04-01

In recent years, the development of geothermal plants in Germany has increased significantly due to a favorable political setting and resulting financial incentives. However, most projects are developed by local communities or private investors, which cannot afford a project to fail. To cover the risk of total loss if the geothermal well should not provide the energy output necessary for an economically viable project, investors try to procure insurances for this worst case scenario. In order to issue such insurances, the insurance companies insist on so called probability-of-success studies (POS studies), in which the geological risk for not achieving the necessary temperatures and/or flow rates for an economically successful project is quantified. Quantifying the probability of reaching a minimum temperature, which has to be defined by the project investors, is relatively straight forward as subsurface temperatures in Germany are comparatively well known due tens of thousands of hydrocarbon wells. Moreover, for the German Molasse Basin a method to characterize the hydraulic potential of a site based on pump test analysis has been developed and refined in recent years. However, to quantify the probability of reaching a given flow rate with a given drawdown is much more challenging in areas where pump test data are generally not available (e.g. the North German Basin). Therefore, a new method based on log and core derived porosity and permeability data was developed to quantify the geological risk of reaching a determined flow rate in such areas. We present both methods for POS studies and show how subsurface data such as pump tests or log and core measurements can be used to predict the chances of a potential geothermal project from a geological point of view.

Geological Mapping Using Legacy Geophysical Data in Las Vegas Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, D.; O'Donnell, J.; McLin, K.

2014-12-01

In 2008-2011, Clark County, Building Department contracted with Optim to collect 10,700 Reflection Microtremor (ReMi) 600 ft seismic lines that cover most of the metropolitan area of Las Vegas and other outlying communities such as Moapa, Laughlin, Primm, and Coyote Spring. The County completed their goal of characterizing seismic susceptibility of the top 100 ft and the results are posted at http://gisgate.co.clark.nv.us/openweb/. The research question of the authors is: What additional geologic information can be inferred from the data, either through reprocessing, cross correlation of drill hole data or additional data collection? An advantage of geophysical data is that it can be reprocessed to provide additional insight into the local geologic setting. The interpretation is also improved if combined with drill hole data and / or hydrologic information. It should be noted that there is also legacy geophysical data in limited areas collected by the USGS, primarily in conjunction with water well drilling, where some of the ReMi seismic data was collected. An unexpected result of the ReMi survey was a clear delineation of current and paleo channels in Laughlin, Moapa, and Las Vegas. The geometry of the paleochanel, of the Colorado River, is well away from the current position. however the signal is very similar to modern streams such as the Muddy River. Although the surficial geologic mapping in Las Vegas Valley was very detailed, and importantly, was performed prior to development; the new geophysical data provides better details of the lithologic properties of the units. That is it may be an excellent basis for remapping for specific properties related to engineering and hydrologic modeling.

Hydrology of some deep mines in Precambrian rocks

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

Yardley, D.H.

1975-10-01

A number of underground mines were investigated during the summer of 1975. All of them are in Precambrian rocks of the Lake Superior region. They represent a variety of geologic settings. The purpose of the investigations was to make a preliminary study of the dryness, or lack of dryness of these rocks at depth. In other words, to see if water was entering the deeper workings through the unmined rock by some means such as fracture or fault zones, joints or permeable zones. Water entering through old mine workings extending to, or very near to the surface, or from themore » drilling equipment, was of interest only insofar as it might mask any water whose source was through the hanging or footwall rocks. No evidence of running, seeping or moving water was seen or reported at depths exceeding 3,000 feet. At depths of 3,000 feet or less, water seepages do occur in some of the mines, usually in minor quantities but increased amounts occur as depth becomes less. Others are dry at 2,000 feet of depth. Rock movements associated with extensive mining should increase the local secondary permeability of the rocks adjoining the mined out zones. Also most ore bodies are located where there has been a more than average amount of faulting, fracturing, and folding during the geologic past. They tend to cluster along crustal flows. In general, Precambrian rocks of similar geology, to those seen, well away from zones that have been disturbed by extensive deep mining, and well away from the zones of more intense geologic activity ought to be even less permeable than their equivalents in a mining district.« less

Utility of shallow-water ATRIS images in defining biogeologic processes and self-similarity in skeletal scleractinia, Florida reefs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lidz, B.H.; Brock, J.C.; Nagle, D.B.

2008-01-01

A recently developed remote-sensing instrument acquires high-quality digital photographs in shallow-marine settings within water depths of 15 m. The technology, known as the Along-Track Reef-Imaging System, provides remarkably clear, georeferenced imagery that allows visual interpretation of benthic class (substrates, organisms) for mapping coral reef habitats, as intended. Unforeseen, however, are functions new to the initial technologic purpose: interpr??table evidence for real-time biogeologic processes and for perception of scaled-up skeletal self-similarity of scleractinian microstructure. Florida reef sea trials lacked the grid structure required to map contiguous habitat and submarine topography. Thus, only general observations could be made relative to times and sites of imagery. Degradation of corals was nearly universal; absence of reef fish was profound. However, ???1% of more than 23,600 sea-trial images examined provided visual evidence for local environs and processes. Clarity in many images was so exceptional that small tracks left by organisms traversing fine-grained carbonate sand were visible. Other images revealed a compelling sense, not yet fully understood, of the microscopic wall structure characteristic of scleractinian corals. Conclusions drawn from classifiable images are that demersal marine animals, where imaged, are oblivious to the equipment and that the technology has strong capabilities beyond mapping habitat. Imagery acquired along predetermined transects that cross a variety of geomorphic features within depth limits will ( 1) facilitate construction of accurate contour maps of habitat and bathymetry without need for ground-truthing, (2) contain a strong geologic component of interpreted real-time processes as they relate to imaged topography and regional geomorphology, and (3) allow cost-effective monitoring of regional- and local-scale changes in an ecosystem by use of existing-image global-positioning system coordinates to re-image areas. Details revealed in the modern setting have taphonomic implications for what is often found in the geologic record.

Fluvial processes in Puget Sound rivers and the Pacific Northwest [Chapter 3

Treesearch

John M. Buffington; Richard D. Woodsmith; Derek B. Booth; David R. Montgomery

2003-01-01

The variability of topography, geology, climate; vegetation, and land use in the Pacific Northwest creates considerable spatial and temporal variability of fluvial processes and reach-scale channel type. Here we identify process domains of typical Pacific Northwest watersheds and examine local physiographic and geologic controls on channel processes and response...

The U.S. Geological Survey Federal-State Cooperative Water- Resources Program: Fiscal Year 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilbert, Bruce K.; Mann, William B.

1989-01-01

The Federal-State Cooperative Program is a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey and State and local agencies. It provides a balanced approach to the study and resolution of water-related problems and to acquiring hydrologic data. The principal program objectives are to: (1) collect, on a systematic basis, data needed for the continuing determination and evaluation of the quantity, quality, and use of the Nation's water resources, and (2) appraise the availability and the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water through analytical and interpretive investigations. During fiscal year 1988, hydrologic data collection, interpretive investigations, and research were conducted by Geological Survey personnel in offices in every State, Puerto Rico, and several territories in cooperation with more than 1,000 local, State, and regional agencies. In fiscal year 1988, Federal funding of almost $60 million was matched by cooperating agencies, who also provided approximately $6 million unmatched for a total program of about $126 million. This amounted to more than 40 percent of the total funds for Geological Survey water-resources activities. This report presents examples of current (1988) investigations. It also lists about 250 water-resources investigations related to agricultural activities that the Geological Survey conducted from 1970 to 1988.

A multiple-point geostatistical approach to quantifying uncertainty for flow and transport simulation in geologically complex environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cronkite-Ratcliff, C.; Phelps, G. A.; Boucher, A.

2011-12-01

In many geologic settings, the pathways of groundwater flow are controlled by geologic heterogeneities which have complex geometries. Models of these geologic heterogeneities, and consequently, their effects on the simulated pathways of groundwater flow, are characterized by uncertainty. Multiple-point geostatistics, which uses a training image to represent complex geometric descriptions of geologic heterogeneity, provides a stochastic approach to the analysis of geologic uncertainty. Incorporating multiple-point geostatistics into numerical models provides a way to extend this analysis to the effects of geologic uncertainty on the results of flow simulations. We present two case studies to demonstrate the application of multiple-point geostatistics to numerical flow simulation in complex geologic settings with both static and dynamic conditioning data. Both cases involve the development of a training image from a complex geometric description of the geologic environment. Geologic heterogeneity is modeled stochastically by generating multiple equally-probable realizations, all consistent with the training image. Numerical flow simulation for each stochastic realization provides the basis for analyzing the effects of geologic uncertainty on simulated hydraulic response. The first case study is a hypothetical geologic scenario developed using data from the alluvial deposits in Yucca Flat, Nevada. The SNESIM algorithm is used to stochastically model geologic heterogeneity conditioned to the mapped surface geology as well as vertical drill-hole data. Numerical simulation of groundwater flow and contaminant transport through geologic models produces a distribution of hydraulic responses and contaminant concentration results. From this distribution of results, the probability of exceeding a given contaminant concentration threshold can be used as an indicator of uncertainty about the location of the contaminant plume boundary. The second case study considers a characteristic lava-flow aquifer system in Pahute Mesa, Nevada. A 3D training image is developed by using object-based simulation of parametric shapes to represent the key morphologic features of rhyolite lava flows embedded within ash-flow tuffs. In addition to vertical drill-hole data, transient pressure head data from aquifer tests can be used to constrain the stochastic model outcomes. The use of both static and dynamic conditioning data allows the identification of potential geologic structures that control hydraulic response. These case studies demonstrate the flexibility of the multiple-point geostatistics approach for considering multiple types of data and for developing sophisticated models of geologic heterogeneities that can be incorporated into numerical flow simulations.

Venus geology and tectonics - Hotspot and crustal spreading models and questions for the Magellan mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, James W.; Crumpler, L. S.

1990-01-01

Spacecraft and ground-based observations of Venus have revealed a geologically young and active surface - with volcanoes, rift zones, orogenic belts and evidence for hotspots and crustal spreading - yet the processes responsible for these features cannot be identified from the available data. The Magellan spacecraft will acquire an unprecedented global data set which will provide a comprehensive and well resolved view of the planet. This will permit global geological mapping, an assessment of the style and relative importance of geological processes, and will help in the understanding of links between the surface geology and mantle dynamics of this earth-like planet.

Local geology controlled the feasibility of vitrifying Iron Age buildings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fabian B Wadsworth,; Michael J Heap,; Damby, David; Kai-Uwe Hess,; Jens Najorka,; Jérémie Vasseur,; Dominik Fahrner,; Donald B Dingwell,

2017-01-01

During European prehistory, hilltop enclosures made from polydisperse particle-and-block stone walling were exposed to temperatures sufficient to partially melt the constituent stonework, leading to the preservation of glassy walls called ‘vitrified forts’. During vitrification, the granular wall rocks partially melt, sinter viscously and densify, reducing inter-particle porosity. This process is strongly dependent on the solidus temperature, the particle sizes, the temperature-dependence of the viscosity of the evolving liquid phase, as well as the distribution and longevity of heat. Examination of the sintering behaviour of 45 European examples reveals that it is the raw building material that governs the vitrification efficiency. As Iron Age forts were commonly constructed from local stone, we conclude that local geology directly influenced the degree to which buildings were vitrified in the Iron Age. Additionally, we find that vitrification is accompanied by a bulk material strengthening of the aggregates of small sizes, and a partial weakening of larger blocks. We discuss these findings in the context of the debate surrounding the motive of the wall-builders. We conclude that if wall stability by bulk strengthening was the desired effect, then vitrification represents an Iron Age technology that failed to be effective in regions of refractory local geology.

Ancient Hydrothermal Springs in Arabia Terra, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oehler, Dorothy Z.; Allen, Carlton C.

2008-01-01

Hydrothermal springs are important astrobiological sites for several reasons: 1) On Earth, molecular phylogeny suggests that many of the most primitive organisms are hyperthermophiles, implying that life on this planet may have arisen in hydrothermal settings; 2) on Mars, similar settings would have supplied energy- and nutrient-rich waters in which early martian life may have evolved; 3) such regions on Mars would have constituted oases of continued habitability providing warm, liquid water to primitive life forms as the planet became colder and drier; and 4) mineralization associated with hydrothermal settings could have preserved biosignatures from those martian life forms. Accordingly, if life ever developed on Mars, then hydrothermal spring deposits would be excellent localities in which to search for morphological or chemical remnants of that life. Previous attempts to identify martian spring deposits from orbit have been general or limited by resolution of available data. However, new satellite imagery from HiRISE has a resolution of 28 cm/pixel which allows detailed analysis of geologic structure and geomorphology. Based on these new data, we report several features in Vernal Crater, Arabia Terra that we interpret as ancient hydrothermal springs.

Recharge area of the Umbulan spring on the basis of the geology, hydrochemistry and isotopic approach, a high discharge spring of the Bromo-Tengger volcano, East Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jourde, H.; Toulier, A.; Baud, B.; De Montety, V.; Leonardi, V.; Pistre, S.; Hendrayana, H.

2017-12-01

Hydrogeochemical analysis and geological mapping, together with water Isotopes analysis, were performed to identify the recharge area of Umbulan spring, a high discharge spring located in the Bromo-Tengger volcano. The volcanic edifice, situated in a tropical climatic context, is the origin of exceptionally high discharge springs in such a volcanic context. This is the case of Umbulan spring whose discharge is about 3500 l/s that supply drinking water to the city of Surabaya, the second biggest city of Indonesia. Groundwater flows through fractured/weathered andesitic lava flow and pyroclastic deposits. The main groundwater outlet corresponds to gravity springs on the flanks of the volcano and to artesian springs in the plain. To improve the hydrogeological knowledge of the study area, the geological mapping of the North volcano flank has been performed to identify the aquiferous formations and refine the geological limits defined in the literature. Based on this geological survey, a new geological map was proposed. Water samples of gravity springs, artesian springs and deep wells were collected with elevations ranging from 40 to 2700 m above sea level, for water major ions elements and stable isotope (δ18O, δD). The meteoric local gradient of δ18O is assessed from the water isotope contents of springs, which are considered as "local pluviometer" representative of the precipitation isotope content at a given elevation corresponding to the mean elevation of their recharge catchment. Based on the analysis of the meteoric local gradient of δ18O, the mean elevation of Umbulan spring recharge catchment ranges between 700 to 1300 m a.s.l, which in agreement with geological observations. Many interrogations subsist but these first hydrogeological data collected in the field allowed to propose a first conceptual model of the Bromo-Tengger volcano, which will help improving the hydrogeological knowledge of the study area and thus preserve and manage the groundwater resource of Bromo-Tengger volcano.

Protecting Geoheritage - Geodiversity Charter for England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunlop, Lesley

2016-04-01

The Geodiversity Charter for England, launched in 2014, sets out the clear vision that England's 'geodiversity is recognised as an integral and vital part of our environment, economy and heritage that must be safeguarded and managed for current and future generations'. England is privileged to be among the most geodiverse places in the world with 700 million years of geological history revealed by our rocks. The white cliffs of Dover, honey coloured Cotswold limestone, granite Dartmoor Tors, are examples of this geodiversity. To maintain and enhance our geodiversity it is important to recognise its role in: • the understanding of England's geological history and global geosciences • natural heritage, both terrestrial and marine, and landscapes in all their diversity • supporting habitats and species and the many essential benefits they provide for society • adaptation to changes in climate and sea-level through sustainable management of land and water and working with natural processes • sustainable economic development • the history, character and cultural development of our society through intellectual growth and creative expression alongside industrial and technological development • public health, quality of life and national well-being and connecting people with the natural environment including active promotion of geotourism. Geodiversity, however, is an often overlooked environmental asset. The vision of the Charter and the work of the English Geodiversity Forum is to encourage good practice and to act as a focus in order to: • raise awareness of the importance, value and relevance of geodiversity to our economic prosperity and comfort and its wider links with the natural environment, landscape, cultural and historical heritage and sense of place • encourage a sense of pride through education and learning, promotion and interpretation • promote careful management of geodiversity through conservation and enhancement of its special character and qualities across the country and the continued development and sharing of good geoconservation practice • encourage a sustained legacy through maintenance and conservation of museum geology collections and archives and support initiatives to reach a wide audience • integrate geodiversity into relevant local and national policies, guidance and advice ensuring a sustainable and integrated approach to the management of our natural environment for the wider benefit of England's people, environment and economy • carry out research to improve our understanding of the role of geodiversity in providing benefits to ecosystems and people, leading to better decisions about managing our natural environment • secure resources to support the delivery of these goals from a local to a national level through existing organisations and funding provision and continue to encourage the provision The Geodiversity Charter encourages determined action from all sectors of society to fulfil the vision set out above. There are a number of actions can be taken to achieve this ambition and sections within the Charter to explain how individuals, groups, industry, land owners and local government etc can become involved and a case study approach is used to highlight good practice. The Charter provides an opportunity to engage with organisations and to highlight the importance of the England's geoheritage using the clear objectives set out as guidance. English Geodiversity Forum, (2014) Geodiversity Charter for England, Keyworth, UK

Relations of Water Quality to Agricultural Chemical Use and Environmental Setting at Various Scales - Results from Selected Studies of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began studies of 51 major river basins and aquifers across the United States as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to provide scientifically sound information for managing the Nation's water resources. The major goals of the NAWQA Program are to assess the status and long-term trends of the Nation's surface- and ground-water quality and to understand the natural and human factors that affect it (Gilliom and others, 1995). In 2001, the NAWQA Program began a second decade of intensive water-quality assessments. The 42 study units for this second decade were selected to represent a wide range of important hydrologic environments and potential contaminant sources. These NAWQA studies continue to address the goals of the first decade of the assessments to determine how water-quality conditions are changing over time. In addition to local- and regional-scale studies, NAWQA began to analyze and synthesize water-quality status and trends at the principal aquifer and major river-basin scales. This fact sheet summarizes results from four NAWQA studies that relate water quality to agricultural chemical use and environmental setting at these various scales: * Comparison of ground-water quality in northern and southern High Plains agricultural settings (principal aquifer scale); * Distribution patterns of pesticides and degradates in rain (local scale); * Occurrence of pesticides in shallow ground water underlying four agricultural areas (local and regional scales); and * Trends in nutrients and sediment over time in the Missouri River and its tributaries (major river-basin scale).

Assessing future vent opening locations at the Somma-Vesuvio volcanic complex: 1. A new information geodatabase with uncertainty characterizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadini, A.; Bisson, M.; Neri, A.; Cioni, R.; Bevilacqua, A.; Aspinall, W. P.

2017-06-01

This study presents new and revised data sets about the spatial distribution of past volcanic vents, eruptive fissures, and regional/local structures of the Somma-Vesuvio volcanic system (Italy). The innovative features of the study are the identification and quantification of important sources of uncertainty affecting interpretations of the data sets. In this regard, the spatial uncertainty of each feature is modeled by an uncertainty area, i.e., a geometric element typically represented by a polygon drawn around points or lines. The new data sets have been assembled as an updatable geodatabase that integrates and complements existing databases for Somma-Vesuvio. The data are organized into 4 data sets and stored as 11 feature classes (points and lines for feature locations and polygons for the associated uncertainty areas), totaling more than 1700 elements. More specifically, volcanic vent and eruptive fissure elements are subdivided into feature classes according to their associated eruptive styles: (i) Plinian and sub-Plinian eruptions (i.e., large- or medium-scale explosive activity); (ii) violent Strombolian and continuous ash emission eruptions (i.e., small-scale explosive activity); and (iii) effusive eruptions (including eruptions from both parasitic vents and eruptive fissures). Regional and local structures (i.e., deep faults) are represented as linear feature classes. To support interpretation of the eruption data, additional data sets are provided for Somma-Vesuvio geological units and caldera morphological features. In the companion paper, the data presented here, and the associated uncertainties, are used to develop a first vent opening probability map for the Somma-Vesuvio caldera, with specific attention focused on large or medium explosive events.

NADM Conceptual Model 1.0 -- A Conceptual Model for Geologic Map Information

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2004-01-01

Executive Summary -- The NADM Data Model Design Team was established in 1999 by the North American Geologic Map Data Model Steering Committee (NADMSC) with the purpose of drafting a geologic map data model for consideration as a standard for developing interoperable geologic map-centered databases by state, provincial, and federal geological surveys. The model is designed to be a technology-neutral conceptual model that can form the basis for a web-based interchange format using evolving information technology (e.g., XML, RDF, OWL), and guide implementation of geoscience databases in a common conceptual framework. The intended purpose is to allow geologic information sharing between geologic map data providers and users, independent of local information system implementation. The model emphasizes geoscience concepts and relationships related to information presented on geologic maps. Design has been guided by an informal requirements analysis, documentation of existing databases, technology developments, and other standardization efforts in the geoscience and computer-science communities. A key aspect of the model is the notion that representation of the conceptual framework (ontology) that underlies geologic map data must be part of the model, because this framework changes with time and understanding, and varies between information providers. The top level of the model distinguishes geologic concepts, geologic representation concepts, and metadata. The geologic representation part of the model provides a framework for representing the ontology that underlies geologic map data through a controlled vocabulary, and for establishing the relationships between this vocabulary and a geologic map visualization or portrayal. Top-level geologic classes in the model are Earth material (substance), geologic unit (parts of the Earth), geologic age, geologic structure, fossil, geologic process, geologic relation, and geologic event.

Reported historic asbestos prospects and natural asbestos occurrences in the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2006-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 26 natural asbestos occurrences in the Central United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Central U.S. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which began with U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1189 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

[The application of spectral geological profile in the alteration mapping].

PubMed

Li, Qing-Ting; Lin, Qi-Zhong; Zhang, Bing; Lu, Lin-Lin

2012-07-01

Geological section can help validating and understanding of the alteration information which is extracted from remote sensing images. In the paper, the concept of spectral geological profile was introduced based on the principle of geological section and the method of spectral information extraction. The spectral profile can realize the storage and vision of spectra along the geological profile, but the spectral geological spectral profile includes more information besides the information of spectral profile. The main object of spectral geological spectral profile is to obtain the distribution of alteration types and content of minerals along the profile which can be extracted from spectra measured by field spectrometer, especially for the spatial distribution and mode of alteration association. Technical method and work flow of alteration information extraction was studied for the spectral geological profile. The spectral geological profile was set up using the ground reflectance spectra and the alteration information was extracted from the remote sensing image with the help of typical spectra geological profile. At last the meaning and effect of the spectral geological profile was discussed.

Geological evolution of the Pietersburg greenstonebelt, South Africa and associated gold mineralization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M. G.; Dewit, M. J.

1986-01-01

The polyphase history of gold mineralization seen in the Pietersburg greenstone belt is integrated with the geochemical and tectonic evolution of greenstone belts as a whole. The four distinct regional geological settings of gold mineralization are described.

A Comparison of Natural and Urban Characteristics and the Development of Urban Intensity Indices Across Six Geographic Settings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falcone, James A.; Stewart, Jana; Sobieszczyk, Steven; Dupree, Jean; McMahon, Gerard; Buell, Gary

2007-01-01

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program, the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems have been intensively investigated in six metropolitan areas in the United States. Approximately 30 watersheds in each area, ranging in size from 4 to 560 square kilometers (median is 50 square kilometers), and spanning a development gradient from very low to very high urbanization, were examined near Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Denver, Colorado; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Milwaukee-Green Bay, Wisconsin. These six studies are a continuation of three previous studies in Boston, Massachusetts; Birmingham, Alabama; and Salt Lake City, Utah. In each study, geographic information system data for approximately 300 variables were assembled to (a) characterize the environmental settings of the areas and (b) establish a consistent multimetric urban intensity index based on locally important land-cover, infrastructure, and socioeconomic variables. This paper describes the key features of urbanization and the urban intensity index for the study watersheds within each area, how they differ across study areas, and the relation between the environmental setting and the characteristics of urbanization. A number of features of urbanization were identified that correlated very strongly to population density in every study area. Of these, road density had the least variability across diverse geographic settings and most closely matched the multimetric nature of the urban intensity index. A common urban intensity index was derived that ranks watersheds across all six study areas. Differences in local natural settings and urban geography were challenging in (a) identifying consistent urban gradients in individual study areas and (b) creating a common urban intensity index that matched the site scores of the local urban intensity index in all areas. It is intended that the descriptions of the similarities and differences in urbanization and environmental settings across these study areas will provide a foundation for understanding and interpreting the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems in the studies being conducted as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program.

CO{sub 2} Sequestration Capacity and Associated Aspects of the Most Promising Geologic Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region: Local-Scale Analyses

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

Laes, Denise; Eisinger, Chris; Morgan, Craig

2013-07-30

The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of individual local-­scale CCS site characterization studies conducted in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. These site-­ specific characterization analyses were performed as part of the “Characterization of Most Promising Sequestration Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region” (RMCCS) project. The primary objective of these local-­scale analyses is to provide a basis for regional-­scale characterization efforts within each state. Specifically, limits on time and funding will typically inhibit CCS projects from conducting high-­ resolution characterization of a state-­sized region, but smaller (< 10,000 km{sup 2}) site analyses are usually possible, and suchmore » can provide insight regarding limiting factors for the regional-­scale geology. For the RMCCS project, the outcomes of these local-­scale studies provide a starting point for future local-­scale site characterization efforts in the Rocky Mountain region.« less

Groundwater contaminant science activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in New England

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weiskel, Peter K.

2016-03-23

Aquifers in New England provide water for human needs and natural ecosystems. In some areas, however, aquifers have been degraded by contaminants from geologic and human sources. In recent decades, the U.S. Geological Survey has been a leader in describing contaminant occurrence in the bedrock and surficial aquifers of New England. In cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, the U.S. Geological Survey has also studied the vulnerability of groundwater to contaminants, the factors affecting the geographic distribution of contaminants, and the geochemical processes controlling contaminant transport and fate. This fact sheet describes some of the major science needs in the region related to groundwater contaminants and highlights recent U.S. Geological Survey studies that provide a foundation for future investigations.

Geostatistical Modeling of Sediment Abundance in a Heterogeneous Basalt Aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welhan, John A.; Farabaugh, Renee L.; Merrick, Melissa J.; Anderson, Steven R.

2007-01-01

The spatial distribution of sediment in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer was evaluated and modeled to improve the parameterization of hydraulic conductivity (K) for a subregional-scale ground-water flow model being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The aquifer is hosted within a layered series of permeable basalts within which intercalated beds of fine-grained sediment constitute local confining units. These sediments have K values as much as six orders of magnitude lower than the most permeable basalt, and previous flow-model calibrations have shown that hydraulic conductivity is sensitive to the proportion of intercalated sediment. Stratigraphic data in the form of sediment thicknesses from 333 boreholes in and around the Idaho National Laboratory were evaluated as grouped subsets of lithologic units (composite units) corresponding to their relative time-stratigraphic position. The results indicate that median sediment abundances of the stratigraphic units below the water table are statistically invariant (stationary) in a spatial sense and provide evidence of stationarity across geologic time, as well. Based on these results, the borehole data were kriged as two-dimensional spatial data sets representing the sediment content of the layers that discretize the ground-water flow model in the uppermost 300 feet of the aquifer. Multiple indicator kriging (mIK) was used to model the geographic distribution of median sediment abundance within each layer by defining the local cumulative frequency distribution (CFD) of sediment via indicator variograms defined at multiple thresholds. The mIK approach is superior to ordinary kriging because it provides a statistically best estimate of sediment abundance (the local median) drawn from the distribution of local borehole data, independent of any assumption of normality. A methodology is proposed for delineating and constraining the assignment of hydraulic conductivity zones for parameter estimation, based on the locally estimated CFDs and relative kriging uncertainty. A kriging-based methodology improves the spatial resolution of hydraulic property zones that can be considered during parameter estimation and should improve calibration performance and sensitivity by more accurately reflecting the nuances of sediment distribution within the aquifer.

Inverse modeling and uncertainty analysis of potential groundwater recharge to the confined semi-fossil Ohangwena II Aquifer, Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallner, Markus; Houben, Georg; Lohe, Christoph; Quinger, Martin; Himmelsbach, Thomas

2017-12-01

The identification of potential recharge areas and estimation of recharge rates to the confined semi-fossil Ohangwena II Aquifer (KOH-2) is crucial for its future sustainable use. The KOH-2 is located within the endorheic transboundary Cuvelai-Etosha-Basin (CEB), shared by Angola and Namibia. The main objective was the development of a strategy to tackle the problem of data scarcity, which is a well-known problem in semi-arid regions. In a first step, conceptual geological cross sections were created to illustrate the possible geological setting of the system. Furthermore, groundwater travel times were estimated by simple hydraulic calculations. A two-dimensional numerical groundwater model was set up to analyze flow patterns and potential recharge zones. The model was optimized against local observations of hydraulic heads and groundwater age. The sensitivity of the model against different boundary conditions and internal structures was tested. Parameter uncertainty and recharge rates were estimated. Results indicate that groundwater recharge to the KOH-2 mainly occurs from the Angolan Highlands in the northeastern part of the CEB. The sensitivity of the groundwater model to different internal structures is relatively small in comparison to changing boundary conditions in the form of influent or effluent streams. Uncertainty analysis underlined previous results, indicating groundwater recharge originating from the Angolan Highlands. The estimated recharge rates are less than 1% of mean yearly precipitation, which are reasonable for semi-arid regions.

Geology and Nonfuel Mineral Deposits of Africa and the Middle East

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Cliff D.; Schulz, Klaus J.; Doebrich, Jeff L.; Orris, Greta; Denning, Paul; Kirschbaum, Michael J.

2009-01-01

A nation's endowment of nonfuel mineral resources, relative to the world's endowment, is a fundamental consideration in decisions related to a nation's economic and environmental well being and security. Knowledge of the worldwide abundance, distribution, and general geologic setting of mineral commodities provides a framework within which a nation can make decisions about economic development of its own resources, and the economic and environmental consequences of those decisions, in a global perspective. The information in this report is part of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) endeavor to evaluate the global endowment of both identified and undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources. The results will delineate areas of the world that are geologically permissive for the occurrence of undiscovered selected nonfuel mineral resources together with estimates of the quantity and quality of the resources. The results will be published as a series of regional reports; this one provides basic data on the identified resources and geologic setting, together with a brief appraisal of the potential for undiscovered mineral resources in Africa and the Middle East. Additional information, such as production statistics, economic factors that affect the mineral industries of the region, and historical information, is available in U.S. Geological Survey publications such as the Minerals Yearbook and the annual Mineral Commodity Summaries (available at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals).

Osmotic generation of 'anomalous' fluid pressures in geological environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzii, C.E.

2000-01-01

Osmotic pressures are generated by differences in chemical potential of a solution across a membrane. But whether osmosis can have a significant effect on the pressure of fluids in geological environments has been controversial, because the membrane properties of geological media are poorly understood. 'Anomalous' pressures - large departures from hydrostatic pressure that are not explicable in terms of topographic or fluid-density effects are widely found in geological settings, and are commonly considered to result from processes that alter the pore or fluid volume, which in turn implies crustal changes happening at a rate too slow to observe directly. Yet if osmosis can explain some anomalies, there is no need to invoke such dynamic geological processes in those cases. Here I report results of a nine- year in situ measurement of fluid pressures and solute concentrations in shale that are consistent with the generation of large (up to 20 MPa) osmotic-pressure anomalies which could persist for tens of millions of years. Osmotic pressures of this magnitude and duration can explain many of the pressure anomalies observed in geological settings. The require, however, small shale porosity and large contrasts in the amount of dissolved solids in the pore waters - criteria that may help to distinguish between osmotic and crystal-dynamic origins of anomalous pressures.

A geologic analysis of the Side-Looking Airborne Radar imagery of southern New England

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banks, Paul T.

1975-01-01

Analysis of the side looking airborn radar imagery of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island indicates that radar shows the topography in great detail. Since bedrock geologic features are frequently expressed in the topography the radar lends itself to geologic interpretation. The radar was studied by comparisons with field mapped geologic data first at a scale of approximately 1:125,000 and then at a scale of 1:500,000. The larger scale comparison revealed that faults, minor faults, joint sets, bedding and foliation attitudes, lithology and lithologic contacts all have a topographic expression interpretable on the imagery. Surficial geologic features were far less visible on the imagery over most of the area studied. The smaller scale comparisons revealed a pervasive, near orthogonal fracture set cutting all types and ages of rock and trending roughly N40?E and N30?W. In certain places the strike of bedding and foliation attitudes and some lithologic Contacts were visible in addition to the fractures. Fracturing in southern New England is apparently far more important than has been previously recognized. This new information, together with the visibility of many bedding and foliation attitudes and lithologic contacts, indicates the importance of radar imagery in improving the geologic interpretation of an area.

Geological research for public outreach and education in Lithuania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skridlaite, Grazina; Guobyte, Rimante

2013-04-01

Successful IYPE activities and implementation of Geoheritage day in Lithuania increased public awareness in geology. A series of projects introducing geology to the general public and youth, supported by EU funds and local communities, were initiated. Researchers from the scientific and applied geology institutions of Lithuania participated in these projects and provided with the geological data. In one case, the Lithuanian Survey of Protected Areas supported the installation of a series of geological exhibitions in several regional and national parks. An animation demonstrating glacial processes was chosen for most of these because the Lithuanian surface is largely covered with sedimentary deposits of the Nemunas (Weichselian) glaciation. Researchers from the Lithuanian Geological Survey used the mapping results to demonstrate real glacial processes for every chosen area. In another case, 3D models showing underground structures of different localities were based on detailed geological maps and profiles obtained for that area. In case of the Sartai regional park, the results of previous geological research projects provided the possibility to create a movie depicting the ca. 2 Ga geological evolution of the region. The movie starts with the accretion of volcanic island arcs on the earlier continental margin at ca. 2 Ga and deciphers later Precambrian tectonic and magmatic events. The reconstruction is based on numerous scientific articles and interpretation of geophysical data. Later Paleozoic activities and following erosion sculptured the surface which was covered with several ice sheets in Quaternary. For educational purpose, a collection of minerals and rocks at the Forestry Institute was used to create an exhibition called "Cycle of geological processes". Forestry scientists and their students are able to study the interactions of geodiversity and biodiversity and to understand ancient and modern geological processes leading to a soil formation. An aging exposition at the Museum of Erratic Boulders in NW Lithuania is being rearranged for educational purposes, to show the major rock types and their origins more clearly. A new exhibition is supplemented with computer portals presenting geological processes, geological quizzes, animations etc. Magmatism, metamorphism, sedimentation and other geological processes are demonstrated using erratic boulders brought by glaciers from Scandinavia and northern Russia. A part of the exhibition is devoted to glaciation processes and arrival of ice sheets to Lithuania. Visitors are able to examine large erratic boulder groups in a surrounding park and to enjoy beautiful environment. The exhibition also demonstrates mineral resources of Lithuania, different fossils and stones from a human body. In all cases it was recognised that a lack of geological information limits the use of geology for public outreach. Ongoing scientific research is essential in many places as well as a mediator's job for interpreting the results of highly specialised research results and to adapt them for public consumption.

Aeromagnetic Survey in Afghanistan: A Website for Distribution of Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abraham, Jared D.; Anderson, Eric D.; Drenth, Benjamin J.; Finn, Carol A.; Kucks, Robert P.; Lindsay, Charles R.; Phillips, Jeffrey D.; Sweeney, Ronald E.

2007-01-01

Afghanistan's geologic setting indicates significant natural resource potential While important mineral deposits and petroleum resources have been identified, much of the country's potential remains unknown. Airborne geophysical surveys are a well accepted and cost effective method for obtaining information of the geological setting of an area without the need to be physically located on the ground. Due to the security situation and the large areas of the country of Afghanistan that has not been covered with geophysical exploration methods a regional airborne geophysical survey was proposed. Acting upon the request of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey contracted with the Naval Research Laboratory to jointly conduct an airborne geophysical and remote sensing survey of Afghanistan.

Monitoring burned and unburned hillslopes from North Carolina to southern California: insights into hydrologic and geomorphic controls on disturbance-recovery cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirus, B. B.; Kean, J. W.; Smith, J. B.; Staley, D. M.; Wooten, R.; Cattanach, B.; Rengers, F. K.; McGuire, L.; Godt, J.; Lu, N.

2017-12-01

On steep hillslopes, vegetation often provides an important ecosystem function by preventing landsliding, debris flows, and floods, thereby protecting human lives and infrastructure. Disturbances that disrupt vegetation - from wildfire and forest clearing to landslides themselves - can abruptly alter hillslope hydrologic and geomorphic processes thereby increasing the threat of these natural hazards. Two major challenges from a hazard assessment perspective are: (1) quantifying disturbance impacts on near-surface hydrologic responses, and (2) understanding the relevant processes and timescales associated with disturbance-recovery cycles. These challenges are complicated by the limited availability of long-term monitoring in pre- and post-disturbance environments. Therefore, many tools designed to provide rapid situational awareness and improve disaster preparedness and response rely on temporally invariant parameterization or locally derived empirical relations that are not necessarily transferrable across different geologic or climatic settings. Here we examine hillslope hydrologic response in landslide-prone terrain across the continental US, from the West Coast to Appalachia, to explore these issues related to disturbance-recovery cycles. Wildfire is a recurring disturbance along the actively uplifting mountains in semi-arid southern California, and heavy winter storms arriving from the Pacific are frequently able to produce debris flows in recently burned areas. Although wildfire is less common in the much wetter Cascades and Coast Ranges of Oregon and Washington, frequent landslides and forest clearing disturbances also influence hillslope hydrology and slope stability. In contrast, the recent wildfires in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina have highlighted critical knowledge gaps related to post-fire hydrology and natural hazards in the geologically stable and humid sub-tropical southeastern US, where severe wildfires are less common than other disturbances. Our continuous monitoring from several burned and unburned hillslopes across these diverse geologic and climatic settings reveals variations in the disturbance impacts and recovery timescales, as well as the need for further monitoring, modeling, and synthesis across regions and scales.

HVDC Ground Electrodes and Tectonic Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freire, P. F.; Pereira, S. Y.

2017-12-01

Ground electrodes in HVDC transmission are huge grounding systems for the DC part of the converter substation, about 1 km wide, sized to inject in the ground DC currents up to 3.5 kA. This work presents an analysis of how the tectonic setting at converter substation location is determinant for the search of the best electrode location (Site Selection) and on its design and performance. It will briefly present the author experience on HVDC electrode design, summarized as follows: Itaipu - Foz do Iguaçu electrodes (transmitter side) located in the middle of Paraná Sedimentary Basin, and Ibiúna electrodes (receiving side) on the border of the basin, 6 km from the geological strike, where the crystalline basement outcrops in São Paulo state; Madeira River - North electrodes (transmitting side) located on the Northwest border of South Amazon Craton, where the crystalline basement is below a shallow sediments layer, and South electrodes (receiving side) located within Paraná Sedimentary Basin; Chile - electrodes located on the Andean forearc, where the Nazca Plate plunges under the South American Plate; Kenya - Ethiopia - electrodes located in the African Rift; Belo Monte - North electrodes (transmitter side) located within the Amazonian Sedimentary Basin, about 35 km of its South border, and South electrodes (receiving side) within Paraná Sedimentary Basin (bipole 1) and on crystalline metamorphic terrain "Brasília Belt" (bipole 2). This diversity of geological conditions results on ground electrodes of different topologies and dimensions, with quite different electrical and thermal performances. A brief study of the geology of the converter stations regions, the so-called Desktop Study, allows for the preview of several important parameters for the site selection and design of the electrodes, such as localization, type, size and estimate of the interference area, which are important predictors of the investment to be made and indications of the design to be developed.

Bibliography of United States Geological Survey reports on the geology and water resources of Texas, 1887-1974

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friebele, Charlotte D.

1975-01-01

Water-resources investigations in Texas consist of the collection of basic records through the hydrologic-data network, interpretive studies, and research projects. An office was established in Austin, Texas, in 1915 for surface-water studies, for ground-water studies in 1929, and water-quality studies in 1937. Previous investigations of the water resources of Texas were carried out by personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey from the Washington headquarters. The basic-data records and the results of investigations are published by the Geological Survey or by cooperating agencies.Geologic investigations were made by personnel from Washington and Denver as early as 1887. The Geophysics Branch of the Geologic Division maintained an office in Austin from 1954 to 1974. Results of these investigations were published by the Geological Survey.This bibliography lists alphabetically by author all reports prepared as a result of Geological Survey investigations in Texas, many of which were carried out in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board and its predecessor agencies, river authorities, other State and local agencies, and other Federal agencies.

Riparian shrub buffers reduce surface water pollutant loads

Treesearch

W. A. Geyer; C. Barden; K. Mankin; D. Devlin

2003-01-01

Surface water resources in Kansas often contain concentrations of pesticides, nutrients, and sediments that are of concern to local citizens. The United States Geological Survey reported in 1999 that 97 percent of streams and 82 percent of lakes in Kansas would not fully support all uses as designated by state statutes (U.S. Geological Survey 1999). Bacteria and...

Hot as You Like It: Models of the Long-term Temperature History of Earth Under Different Geological Assumptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domagal-Goldman, S.; Sheldon, N. D.

2012-12-01

The long-term temperature history of the Earth is a subject of continued, vigorous debate. Past models of the climate of early Earth that utilize paleosol contraints on carbon dioxide struggle to maintain temperatures significantly greater than 0°C. In these models, the incoming stellar radiation is much lower than today, consistent with an expectation that the Sun was significantly fainter at that time. In contrast to these models, many proxies for ancient temperatures suggest much warmer conditions. The surface of the planet seems to have been generally free of glaciers throughout this period, other than a brief glaciation at ~2.9 billion years ago and extensive glaciation at ~2.4 billion years ago. Such glacier-free conditions suggest mean surface temperatures greater than 15°C. Measurements of oxygen isotopes in phosphates are consistent with temperatures in the range of 20-30°C; and similar measurements in cherts suggest temperatures over 50°C. This sets up a paradox. Models constrained by one set of geological proxies cannot reproduce the warm temperatures consistent with another set of geological proxies. In this presentation, we explore several potential resolutions to this paradox. First, we model the early Earth under modern-day conditions, but with the lower solar luminosity expected at the time. The next simulation allows carbon dioxide concentrations to increase up to the limits provided by paleosol constraints. Next, we lower the planet's surface albedo in a manner consistent with greater ocean coverage prior to the complete growth of continents. Finally, we remove all constraints on carbon dioxide and attempt to maximize surface temperatures without any geological constraints on model parameters. This set of experiments will allow us to set up potential resolutions to the paradox, and to drive a conversation on which solutions are capable of incorporating the greatest number of geological and geochemical constraints.

Geothermal resources in Oregon: site data base and development status

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

Justus, D.L.

An inventory of resources based on available information is presented. Potential for utilization and the legal and institutional environment in which development is likely to occur were also considered. Sites selected for this investigation include the 13 identified KGRA's, one PGRA which was chosen because of substantial local interest expressed in favor of development, and one major geologic fault zone which shows indications of high potential. Each chapter represents a planning region and is introduced by a regional overview of the physical setting followed by a narrative summary statement of the specific resource location and characteristics, existing utilization and potentialmore » end-uses for future development. Detailed site information in the form of data sheets follows each narrative. (MHR)« less

Assessing the quality of the nation's water resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, Pixie A.

2002-01-01

This issue of IMPACT highlights findings from the first decade of studies (1991 to 2001) by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The articles also discuss the Program’s approaches and models designed to help understand and estimate the fate and transport of contaminants in different geographic areas and environmental settings and over different time frames. NAWQA was established by Congress in 1991 with a goal of developing long-term, consistent, and comparable science-based information on nationwide water-quality conditions. This information is used to support sound management and policy decisions by decision makers at all levels – local, state, and national – who, every day, face complex regulations and management issues related to water resources.

Titanic exploration with GIS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kerski, J.J.

2004-01-01

To help teachers and students investigate one of the world's most famous historical events using the geographic perspective and GIS tools and methods, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) created a set of educational lessons based on the RMS Titanic's April 1912 sailing. With these lessons, student researchers can learn about latitude and longitude, map projections, ocean currents, databases, maps, and images through the analysis of the route, warnings, sinking, rescue, and eventual discovery of the submerged ocean liner in 1985. They can also consider the human and physical aspects of the maiden voyage in the North Atlantic Ocean at a variety of scales, from global to regional to local. Likewise, their investigations can reveal how the sinking of the Titanic affected future shipping routes.

Dragonfly: Investigating the Surface Composition of Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Lawrence, D. J.; Barnes, J. W.; Lorenz, R. D.; Horst, S. M.; Zacny, K.; Freissinet, C.; Parsons, A. M.; Turtle, E. P.; Trainer, M. G.;

Integrated monitoring of ecological conditions in wetland-upland landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gallant, Alisa; Sadinski, Walt

2012-01-01

Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Managing lands to maximize ecosystem services requires information that distinguishes change caused by local actions from broader-scale shifts in climate, land use, and other forms of global change. Satellite and airborne sensors collect valuable data for this purpose, especially when the data are analyzed along with data collected from ground-based sensors. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is using remote sensing technology in this way as part of the Terrestrial Wetland Global Change Research Network to assess effects of climate change interacting with land-use change and other potential stressors along environmental gradients of wetland-upland landscapes in the United States and Canada.

Surface compositions across Pluto and Charon.

PubMed

Grundy, W M; Binzel, R P; Buratti, B J; Cook, J C; Cruikshank, D P; Dalle Ore, C M; Earle, A M; Ennico, K; Howett, C J A; Lunsford, A W; Olkin, C B; Parker, A H; Philippe, S; Protopapa, S; Quirico, E; Reuter, D C; Schmitt, B; Singer, K N; Verbiscer, A J; Beyer, R A; Buie, M W; Cheng, A F; Jennings, D E; Linscott, I R; Parker, J Wm; Schenk, P M; Spencer, J R; Stansberry, J A; Stern, S A; Throop, H B; Tsang, C C C; Weaver, H A; Weigle, G E; Young, L A

2016-03-18

The New Horizons spacecraft mapped colors and infrared spectra across the encounter hemispheres of Pluto and Charon. The volatile methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen ices that dominate Pluto's surface have complicated spatial distributions resulting from sublimation, condensation, and glacial flow acting over seasonal and geological time scales. Pluto's water ice "bedrock" was also mapped, with isolated outcrops occurring in a variety of settings. Pluto's surface exhibits complex regional color diversity associated with its distinct provinces. Charon's color pattern is simpler, dominated by neutral low latitudes and a reddish northern polar region. Charon's near-infrared spectra reveal highly localized areas with strong ammonia absorption tied to small craters with relatively fresh-appearing impact ejecta. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Rare earth element patterns in Archean high-grade metasediments and their tectonic significance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Stuart Ross; Rudnick, Roberta L.; Mclennan, Scott M.; Eriksson, Kenneth A.

1986-01-01

REE data on metasedimentary rocks from two different types of high-grade Archean terrains are presented and analyzed. The value of REEs as indicators of crustal evolution is explained; the three geologic settings (in North America, Southern Africa, and Australia) from which the samples were obtained are described; and the data are presented in extensive tables and graphs and discussed in terms of metamorphic effects, the role of accessory phases, provenance, and tectonic implications (recycling, the previous extent of high-grade terrains, and a model of Archean crustal growth). The diversity of REE patterns in shallow-shelf metasediments is attributed to local provenance, while the Eu-depleted post-Archean patterns are associated with K-rich plutons from small, stable early Archean terrains.

Measuring and Modeling the Earth's Gravity - Introduction to Ground-Based Gravity Surveys and Analysis of Local Gravity Data

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

Rowe, Charlotte Anne

We can measure changes in gravity from place to place on the earth. These measurements require careful recording of location, elevation and time for each reading. These readings must be adjusted for known effects (such as elevation, latitude, tides) that can bias our data and mask the signal of interest. After making corrections to our data, we can remove regional trends to obtain local Bouguer anomalies. The Bouguer anomalies arise from variations in the subsurface density structure. We can build models to explain our observations, but these models must be consistent with what is known about the local geology. Combiningmore » gravity models with other information – geologic, seismic, electromagnetic, will improve confidence in the results.« less

Are fractal dimensions of the spatial distribution of mineral deposits meaningful?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raines, G.L.

2008-01-01

It has been proposed that the spatial distribution of mineral deposits is bifractal. An implication of this property is that the number of deposits in a permissive area is a function of the shape of the area. This is because the fractal density functions of deposits are dependent on the distance from known deposits. A long thin permissive area with most of the deposits in one end, such as the Alaskan porphyry permissive area, has a major portion of the area far from known deposits and consequently a low density of deposits associated with most of the permissive area. On the other hand, a more equi-dimensioned permissive area, such as the Arizona porphyry permissive area, has a more uniform density of deposits. Another implication of the fractal distribution is that the Poisson assumption typically used for estimating deposit numbers is invalid. Based on datasets of mineral deposits classified by type as inputs, the distributions of many different deposit types are found to have characteristically two fractal dimensions over separate non-overlapping spatial scales in the range of 5-1000 km. In particular, one typically observes a local dimension at spatial scales less than 30-60 km, and a regional dimension at larger spatial scales. The deposit type, geologic setting, and sample size influence the fractal dimensions. The consequence of the geologic setting can be diminished by using deposits classified by type. The crossover point between the two fractal domains is proportional to the median size of the deposit type. A plot of the crossover points for porphyry copper deposits from different geologic domains against median deposit sizes defines linear relationships and identifies regions that are significantly underexplored. Plots of the fractal dimension can also be used to define density functions from which the number of undiscovered deposits can be estimated. This density function is only dependent on the distribution of deposits and is independent of the definition of the permissive area. Density functions for porphyry copper deposits appear to be significantly different for regions in the Andes, Mexico, United States, and western Canada. Consequently, depending on which regional density function is used, quite different estimates of numbers of undiscovered deposits can be obtained. These fractal properties suggest that geologic studies based on mapping at scales of 1:24,000 to 1:100,000 may not recognize processes that are important in the formation of mineral deposits at scales larger than the crossover points at 30-60 km. ?? 2008 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Autonomous Segmentation of Outcrop Images Using Computer Vision and Machine Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francis, R.; McIsaac, K.; Osinski, G. R.; Thompson, D. R.

2013-12-01

As planetary exploration missions become increasingly complex and capable, the motivation grows for improved autonomous science. New capabilities for onboard science data analysis may relieve radio-link data limits and provide greater throughput of scientific information. Adaptive data acquisition, storage and downlink may ultimately hold implications for mission design and operations. For surface missions, geology remains an essential focus, and the investigation of in place, exposed geological materials provides the greatest scientific insight and context for the formation and history of planetary materials and processes. The goal of this research program is to develop techniques for autonomous segmentation of images of rock outcrops. Recognition of the relationships between different geological units is the first step in mapping and interpreting a geological setting. Applications of automatic segmentation include instrument placement and targeting and data triage for downlink. Here, we report on the development of a new technique in which a photograph of a rock outcrop is processed by several elementary image processing techniques, generating a feature space which can be interrogated and classified. A distance metric learning technique (Multiclass Discriminant Analysis, or MDA) is tested as a means of finding the best numerical representation of the feature space. MDA produces a linear transformation that maximizes the separation between data points from different geological units. This ';training step' is completed on one or more images from a given locality. Then we apply the same transformation to improve the segmentation of new scenes containing similar materials to those used for training. The technique was tested using imagery from Mars analogue settings at the Cima volcanic flows in the Mojave Desert, California; impact breccias from the Sudbury impact structure in Ontario, Canada; and an outcrop showing embedded mineral veins in Gale Crater on Mars. These initial results show promising performance in segmenting images, including multi-class scenes with complex boundaries. In particular, the system was able to learn to distinguish between successive layers of volcanic deposits, including massive basalts overlaying lahar materials. It was also able to separate clasts from ground mass in outcrops of impact breccia, and to find veins of hydrated material within a clay-bearing host rock. The tests also reveal initial details about the types of visual information relevant to segmentation of these types of scenes, providing guidance for further development of the technique. Funding for this work was provided in part by the Canadian Astrobiology Training Program. A portion of this research was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Copyright 2013 The University of Western Ontario. All Rights Reserved.

Coastal Change Along the Shore of Northeastern South Carolina - The South Carolina Coastal Erosion Study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, W.C.; Gayes, P.T.; Morton, R.A.; Driscoll, N.W.; Baldwin, W.E.; Barnhardt, W.A.; Denny, J.F.; Harris, M.S.; Katuna, M.P.; Putney, T.R.; Voulgaris, G.; Warner, J.C.; Wright, E.E.; Barnhardt, Walter A.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, conducted a 7-year, multidisciplinary study of coastal erosion in northeastern South Carolina. Shoreline behavior along the coast of Long Bay is dictated by waves, tidal currents, and sediment supply that act within the overall constraints of the regional geologic setting. Beaches are thin ribbons of sand that sit on top of layered sedimentary rocks, which have been deeply eroded by rivers and coastal processes over millions of years. Offshore of the beaches, these sedimentary rocks are exposed as hardgrounds over large expanses of shallow seafloor and are locally overlain by a discontinuous veneer of sandy sediment generally less than 1 m thick. Rates of shoreline retreat largely depend on the geologic framework of the shoreface that is being excavated by ocean processes. Mainland-attached beaches have remained relatively stable, whereas barrier islands have experienced large shifts in shoreline position. In this sediment-limited region, erosion of the shoreface and inner shelf probably contributes a significant amount of new material to the beach system. Oceanographic studies and numerical modeling show that sediment transport varies along the coast, depending on the type and travel path of storms that impact Long Bay, but the long-term net transport direction is generally from north to south. Changes in storm activity that might accompany climate change, coupled with anticipated increases in sea-level rise, are expected to strongly affect low-lying, heavily developed areas of the coast.

A seasonal and spatial comparison of metals, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, in Chincoteague Bay and the marsh deposits of Assateague Island and the adjacent vicinity, Maryland and Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, Alisha M.; Smith, Christopher G.

2017-11-28

After Hurricane Sandy, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted a seasonal collection of estuarine, marsh, and sandy overwash surface sediments from Chincoteague Bay, Tom’s Cove, and the surrounding Assateague Island and Delmarva Peninsula in March–April and October 2014. Surplus surface sediment was analyzed for metals, percent carbon and nitrogen, δ13C, and δ15N as part of a complementary U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines project study. The geochemical subsample analyzed for metals and stable isotopes at each site may be used for comparison with past data sets, to create a modern baseline of the natural distribution of the area, to understand seasonal variability as it relates to the health of the local environment, and to assess marsh-to-bay interactions. The use of metals, stable carbon, and stable nitrogen isotopes allows for a more cohesive snapshot of factors influencing the environment and could aid in tracking environmental change.This report serves as an archive for chemical data derived from the surface sediment. Data are available for a seasonal comparison between the March–April 2014 and October 2014 sampling trips. Downloadable data are available as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. These additional files include formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata (data downloads).

Geodiversity and geoconservation in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardozo Moreira, Jasmine; Muggler, Cristine Carole

2014-05-01

Brazil is a large country with a wide diversity of landscapes and geological features and has been an important world producer of mineral resources. Despite this, until the 90's of last century, there has not been much concern and policies about geological heritage and geoconservation. Only at the end of the century the National Geological Service (CPRM) included the physical characterization of areas with geotouristic interest in its mission of generation and diffusion of geological information. In 1997, was created the Brazilian Commission of Geological and Paleobiological Sites (SIGEP, http://sigep.cprm.gov.br), responsible for the assessment, description and publicizing the sites of geological heritage. This is by now the most comprehensive and relevant initiative to protect the national heritage. It is composed by a fully accessible national database composed by 167 certified sites presented as scientific papers. Furthermore, a web-based applicative for the inventory and protection of geological heritage sites is being developed by the National Geological Service. The wider knowledge about geological heritage can be a useful tool for its conservation and this has been an important goal in the creation of protected areas, by means of environmental education and tourism. In Brazil, actions, research and publications about the subject have increased in the last five years, as well as the outreach and responsible use of the geological heritage. Scientific meetings, conferences and courses are growing and spreading around the country. The main scientific meeting has been the Brazilian Symposium of Geological Heritage that in its second edition (2013) had more than 200 papers presented. At that meeting it was also created the Association in Defence of the Geomining Heritage and the Association of Aspiring Geoparks. Brazil has only one geopark in the Unesco's Global Geopark Network, that is the Araripe Geopark, created in 2006. By the moment, propositions are being prepared in eight states of the country. Movements and activities have been developed to widen the understanding of geological features in many states, which include interpretative panels, training of monitors, publication of folders and educational leaflets. Geotourism is being stimulated both as a way to protect the geological heritage sites and as a source of jobs and income to local communities. Still, the strengthening of geoconservation in Brazil depends on a change of strategies related to geological heritage: they include education, the suitable use of resources and coordinated activities. Public policies about sustainable use of natural resources from local to national levels have to take into account geodiversity and its protection.

Seismic response in archaeological areas: the case-histories of Rome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donati, Stefano; Funiciello, Renato; Rovelli, Antonio

1999-03-01

Rome is affected by earthquakes associated to three different seismogenic districts: the Central Apennines area, the Colli Albani volcanic area and the Roman area. The major effects were exclusively due to Apennine seismicity and reached in some cases felt intensities up to VII-VIII degree (MCS scale). The predominant role in the damage distribution seems to be played by the local geological conditions. The historical centre of the city is characterized by the presence of two geomorphologic domains: the alluvial plain of Tiber river and the topographic relieves of Roman Hills, where tradition indicates the first site of the city foundation. In particular, the right river side is characterized by the outcropping of the regional bedrock along the Monte Mario-Gianicolo ridge, while the eastern relieves are the remnants of the Sabatini and Albani volcanic plateau, deeply eroded by the Tiber river and its tributaries during the last glacial low-stand (Würm). These domains are characterized by a large difference in seismic response, due to the high impedance contrast between Holocene coarse deposits filling the Tiber Valley and sedimentary and volcanic Plio-Pleistocene units. Seismic damage observed in 150 monuments of downtown Rome was indicating a significant concentration on alluvial recent deposits. This result was confirmed by the geographical distribution of conservation and retrofitting activities subsequent to main earthquakes, mostly related to local geological conditions. The cases of Marcus Aurelius' Column and Colosseum confirmed the influence of the Holocene alluvial network in local seismic response. During 2500 years of history, the monuments of Rome have `memorized' the seismic effects of historical earthquakes. In some cases, the integration of historical and geological research and macroseismic observations may provide original and useful indications to seismologists to define the seismic response of the city. Local site effects represent a serious threat for historical buildings in Rome and in other historical towns with similar cultural heritage and geological characteristics, as in the Mediterranean region, even in areas that are not affected by a local seismic activity.

Barents Tour for Geotourists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pihlaja, Jouni; Johansson, Peter; Lauri, Laura

2015-04-01

Barents Tour for Geotourists is a guidebook for a circular route locating in northern Finland, northern Norway and north-western Russia. The targets along the route are all connected with different aspects of geology: there are localities presenting rare rock types and minerals, potholes, gorges, eskers, raised beaches and palsa mires. Total number of sites along the route is 26, 14 of them are locating in Finland, 4 in Norway and 8 in the Kola Peninsula, Russia. In addition to geological information on the sites, the guidebook features directions and information on local tourism services in four languages: English, Finnish, Russian and Norwegian. Good examples of the geological sites in northern Finland are the potholes at Aholanvaara, Salla. The largest pothole is called the "Drinking pot". With a diameter of 15.5 m and a depth of 9.5 m it is the largest known pothole in Finland. One famous target in northern Finland is also the Gold Prospector Museum and geological nature trail at Tankavaara, Sodankylä. The museum has an impressive mineral and jewellery stone collection and it is the only international museum in the world displaying past and present items of gold panning and prospecting. The Khibiny Tundra is the largest mountain massif on the Kola Peninsula, Russia. These mountains are best known for their unique landscapes, geology and mineralogy. With an experienced guide, minerals like apatite, nepheline, titanite, eudialyte and lamprophyllite can be found there. In north-eastern Norway, the palsas at Øvre Neiden and Færdesmyra are examples of a specific mire type in the cold climate area. The palsa mires are characterized by the presence of 2-5 m high peat mounds that consist of interleaved peat and ice layers. The route was planned and implemented in the ABCGheritage project (Arctic Biological, Cultural and Geological Heritage) partly funded by the Kolarctic ENPI CBC program of the European Union. The guidebook was written by researchers of the Geological Survey of Finland and the Geological Institute of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is available in electronic format on the websites of Metsähallitus, the Geological Survey of Finland and the Geological Institute.

Obtaining maps and data from the U.S. Geological Survey*

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hallam, C.A.

1982-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey produces a variety of resource information for the United States. This includes many data bases of particular interest to planners such as land use and terrain information prepared by the National Mapping Division, water quantity and quality data collected by Water Resources Division, and coal resource information gathered by the Geologic Division. These data are stored in various forms, and information on their availability can be obtained from appropriate offices in the U.S. Geological Survey as well as from USGS Circular 777. These data have been used for the management, development, and monitoring of our Nation's resources by Federal, State, and local agencies. ?? 1982.

West Virginia Geological Survey's role in siting fluidized bed combustion facilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, C.J.; King, Hobart M.; Ashton, K.C.; Kirstein, D.S.; McColloch, G.H.

1989-01-01

A project is presented which demonstrates the role of geology in planning and siting a fluidized bed combustion facility. Whenever a project includes natural resource utilization, cooperation between geologists and design engineers will provide an input that could and should save costs, similar to the one stated in our initial premise. Regardless of whether cost reductions stem from a better knowledge of fuel and sorbent availabilities, or a better understanding of the local hydrology, susceptibility to mine-subsidence, or other geologic hazards, the geological survey has a vital role in planning. Input to planning could help the fluidized-bed developer and design-engineer solve some economic questions and stretch the financial resources at their disposal.

Issues of scale, location and geologic terrain related to Salt Lake City and Baltimore-Washington metropolitan areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cleaves, E.T.; Godfrey, A.E.; ,

2004-01-01

Planning and development of expanding metropolitan regions require consideration of earth science issues related to issues involving scale, space (location), geologic terrain and physiographic units, and information transfer. This paper explores these matters with examples from the Salt Lake City, Utah area and Mid-Atlantic region of Baltimore-Washington that include water supply and natural hazards (earthquakes, landslides, and sinkholes.) Information transfer methods using physiographic units at national, regional, local and site scales serve to communicate relevant geologic constraint and natural resource information.

Geological Structures Mapping of Bukit Bunuh using 2-D Resistivity Imaging Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nur Amalina, M. K. A.; Nordiana, M. M.; Rahman, Nazrin; Saidin, Mokhtar; Masnan, S. S. K.

2018-04-01

The geological area of Bukit Bunuh is very complex due to the meteorite impact that has occurred millions years ago at Lenggong, Perak. The lithology of the study area consists of alluvium, tephra dust, and granitic rock. The geological contact, fault and fracture zone were found at the study area may indicate the geological process that undergoes at a place locally or regionally. These important features have led to the further research on 2-D resistivity imaging method (2-D RIM) to study the geological features. This method can provide the subsurface image that will delineate the geological structures. The surveys include three separate lines of different length which depend on the accessibility. The surveys were done by using Pole-Dipole array and 10 m of electrodes spacing. The objectives of this research are to determine the subsurface geological contact and to determine the existence of fault/fracture zones at the contact zone. The results from 2-D inversion profiles have successfully signified the types of geological structural such as fault, contact, and fractures. Hence, the results from 2-D RIM were used to draw the geological lineaments of Bukit Bunuh. The discontinuity of the lineaments may indicate the structures present.

Comparing Geologic Data Sets Collected by Planetary Analog Traverses and by Standard Geologic Field Mapping: Desert Rats Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, Wanda; Evans, Cynthia; Gruener, John; Eppler, Dean

2014-01-01

Geologic mapping involves interpreting relationships between identifiable units and landforms to understand the formative history of a region. Traditional field techniques are used to accomplish this on Earth. Mapping proves more challenging for other planets, which are studied primarily by orbital remote sensing and, less frequently, by robotic and human surface exploration. Systematic comparative assessments of geologic maps created by traditional mapping versus photogeology together with data from planned traverses are limited. The objective of this project is to produce a geologic map from data collected on the Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) 2010 analog mission using Apollo-style traverses in conjunction with remote sensing data. This map is compared with a geologic map produced using standard field techniques.

Geologic Map of the Point Lay Quadrangle, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mull, Charles G.; Houseknecht, David W.; Pessel, G.H.; Garrity, Christopher P.

2008-01-01

This map is a product of the USGS Digital Geologic Maps of Northern Alaska project, which captures in digital format quadrangles across the entire width of northern Alaska. Sources include geologic maps previously published in hardcopy format and recent updates and revisions based on field mapping by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and Division of Oil and Gas, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Individual quadrangles are digitized at either 1:125,000 or 1:250,000 depending on the resolution of source maps. The project objective is to produce a set of digital geologic maps with uniform stratigraphic nomenclature and structural annotation, and publish those maps electronically. The paper version of this map is available for purchase from the USGS Store.

Geologic Map of the Ikpikpuk River Quadrangle, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mull, Charles G.; Houseknecht, David W.; Pessel, G.H.; Garrity, Christopher P.

2005-01-01

This map is a product of the USGS Digital Geologic Maps of Northern Alaska project, which captures in digital format quadrangles across the entire width of northern Alaska. Sources include geologic maps previously published in hardcopy format and recent updates and revisions based on field mapping by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and Division of Oil and Gas, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Individual quadrangles are digitized at either 1:125,000 or 1:250,000 depending on the resolution of source maps. The project objective is to produce a set of digital geologic maps with uniform stratigraphic nomenclature and structural annotation, and publish those maps electronically. The paper version of this map is available for purchase from the USGS Store.

Geologic Map of the Lookout Ridge Quadrangle, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mull, Charles G.; Houseknecht, David W.; Pessel, G.H.; Garrity, Christopher P.

2006-01-01

This map is a product of the USGS Digital Geologic Maps of Northern Alaska project, which captures in digital format quadrangles across the entire width of northern Alaska. Sources include geologic maps previously published in hardcopy format and recent updates and revisions based on field mapping by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and Division of Oil and Gas, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Individual quadrangles are digitized at either 1:125,000 or 1:250,000 depending on the resolution of source maps. The project objective is to produce a set of digital geologic maps with uniform stratigraphic nomenclature and structural annotation, and publish those maps electronically. The paper version of this map is available for purchase from the USGS Store.

Correlations and Areal Distribution of the Table Mountain Formation, Stanislaus Group; Central Sierra Nevada, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrez, G.; Carlson, C. W.; Putirka, K. D.; Pluhar, C. J.; Sharma, R. K.

2011-12-01

Late Cenozoic evolution of the western Cordillera is a matter of ongoing debate in geologic studies. Volcanic deposits within, and adjacent to the Sierra Nevada have played a significant role in many of these debates. With local faulting coincident with eruption of members of the Stanislaus Group at ca. 38°N, the composition and correlation of these volcanics can greatly aid our understanding of Sierra Nevada tectonics. At the crest of the central Sierra Nevada, 23 trachyandesite lava flows of the Table Mountain Formation, dated at ~10 Ma, cap Sonora Peak. These 23 flows compose the thickest and most complete known stratigraphic section of the Table Mountain Formation in the region. Located ~12 km east of Sonora Peak are 16 flows of trachyandesite at Grouse Meadow. We have collected a detailed set of geochemical and paleomagnetic data for flows of these two sections at Sonora Peak and Grouse Meadows in an attempt to correlate volcanic, paleomagnetic and structural events related to uplift and extension in the Sierra Nevada and the Walker Lane. Correlation of individual flows is possible based on: stratigraphic order, temporal gaps in deposition as determined by paleomagnetic remanence direction and nonconformities, and flow geochemistry. These correlations allow us to infer source localities, flow directions, and temporal changes in flow routes. The large number of flows present at Grouse Meadow provides an additional data set from which to correlate various localities in the region to those units not represented at Sonora Peak. Several flows which occur in the upper portions of the Sonora Peak and Grouse Meadow stratigraphic sections do not correlate between these localities. The causes of stratigraphic discontinuity potentially represent: tectonic isolation across the Sierran Crest, topographic isolation by the emplacement of younger flows, or the combination of the two. Additional to the correlation of individual flows at these localities, this study shows a significant shift in geochemistry across a stratigraphic boundary at both localities.

The effect of an outdoor setting on the transfer of earth science concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Jerry Marvin

The ability of students to transfer concepts learned in school to future learning and employment settings is critical to their academic and career success. Concept transfer can best be studied by defining it as a process rather than an isolated event. Preparation for future learning (PFL) is a process definition of transfer which recognizes the student's ability to draw from past experiences, make assumptions, and generate potential questions and strategies for problem resolution. The purpose of this study was to use the PFL definition of concept transfer to examine whether a knowledge-rich outdoor setting better prepares students for future learning of science concepts than the classroom setting alone does. The research hypothesis was that sixth-grade students experiencing a geology-rich outdoor setting would be better prepared to learn advanced earth science concepts than students experiencing classroom learning only. A quasi-experimental research design was used for this study on two non-equivalent, self-contained sixth-grade rural public school classes. After a pretest was given on prior geology knowledge, the outdoor treatment group was taken on a geology-rich field excursion which introduced them to the concepts of mineral formation and mining. The indoor treatment group received exposure to the same concepts in the classroom setting via color slides and identification of mineral specimens. Subsequently, both groups received direct instruction on advanced concepts about mineral formation and mining. They were then given a posttest, which presented the students with a problem-solving scenario and questions related to concepts covered in the direct instruction. A t-test done on pretest data revealed that the indoor treatment group had previously learned classroom geology material significantly better than the outdoor treatment group had. Therefore an analysis of covariance was performed on posttest data which showed that the outdoor treatment group was better prepared for future learning of advanced geology concepts than the indoor treatment group. Because the environment chosen for this study was by nature one that contained variables outside the control of the researcher, it can only be speculated that the outdoor environment was the agent of transfer. Subsequent studies need to be done to substantiate this hypothesis.

Radioactive Waste Management, its Global Implication on Societies, and Political Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, Kazuaki

2009-05-01

Reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Japan is under commissioning at the end of 2008, and it starts soon to reprocess about 800 Mt of spent fuel per annum, which have been stored at each nuclear power plant sites in Japan. Fission products together with minor actinides separated from uranium and plutonium in the spent fuel contain almost all radioactivity of it and will be vitrified with glass matrix, which then will fill the canisters. The canisters with the high level radioactive waste (HLW) are so hot in both thermal and radiological meanings that they have to be cooled off for decades before bringing out to any destination. Where is the final destination for HLW in Japan, which is located at the rim of the Pacific Ocean with volcanoes? Although geological formation in Japan is not so static and rather active as the other parts of the planet, experts concluded with some intensive studies and researches that there will be a lot of variety of geological formations even in Japan which can host the HLW for so long times of more than million years. Then an organization to implement HLW disposal program was set up and started to campaign for volunteers to accept the survey on geological suitability for HLW disposal. Some local governments wanted to apply, but were crashed down by local and neighbor governments and residents. The above development is not peculiar only to Japan, but generally speaking more or less common for those with radioactive waste programs. This is why the radioactive waste management is not any more science and technology issue but socio-political one. It does not mean further R&D on geological disposal is not any more necessary, but rather we, each of us, should face much more sincerely the societal and political issues caused by the development of the science and technology. Second topic might be how effective partitioning and transformation technology may be to reduce the burden of waste disposal and denature the waste toxicity? The third one might be the proposal of international nuclear fuel centers which supply nuclear fuel to the nuclear power plants in the region and take back spent fuel which will be reprocessed to recover useful energy resources of uranium and plutonium. This may help non proliferation issue due to world nuclear development beyond renaissance.

Landscapes with high geotouristic value and impact from the Benguela-Sumbe region (Western Angola): inventory and geological characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte, Luís V.; Segundo, Januário; Gonçalves, Alberto; Cavita, João R.; Lapão, Luís; Bandeira, Manuel; Callapez, Pedro; Meneses, Luís; Prata, Mendonça E.

2014-05-01

The natural beauties and wildlife of Austral Africa are worldwide known, and their related touristic and socioeconomic activities have a strong interregional impact. Angola, one of the larger countries from this region of the Southern Hemisphere, shows a high number of natural landscapes, well testified by the recent election of "7 Natural Wonders of Angola". This contest, the first one of this kind carry out in Africa, means the priority of this country in the promotion of geotourism. Despite the large diversity of landscapes, among deserts, mountains, coastal cliffs, waterfalls, and/or caves, resulting from different geomorphological contexts and age (from Archaean to Recent), the geological knowledge of the territory remains poor, through scientific documents, great part of them published before and around the 70's of last century. Based on this concern, the first goal of this work is the inventory and the geological description of several geosites with natural relevance and touristic potential from the Meso-Cenozoic coastal region of Benguela and Sumbe Provinces (Western Angola). This area, particularly materialized by the sedimentary infill of Benguela Basin, with deposits (carbonates, siliciclastics and evaporites) mainly dated from the Cretaceous, has been recently studied and researched by our team in the domains of sedimentary geology, stratigraphy, geological mapping, resources and geoheritage. On the basinal onshore stand out hundreds of outcrops with good exposure, great part of them never studied, representing and recording a large number of sedimentary units deposited on a complex tectonic setting. Besides the geological characterization of Egito-Praia, Sassa Caves and Binga waterfalls (this one located in the eastern boundary of the basin), three of the twenty seven sites proposed for the reported Angola's natural wonders contest, we present and describe several other distinctive natural sites and coastal landscapes of this region such as the cases of Binge, Tapado, Quicombo, Quissonde and Porto Amboim beaches. All these localities, mainly highlighted by their geomorphological attributes and high geotouristic impact (including history and other leisure aspects), present an exceptional geological record, being important in the stratigraphic knowledge of the Benguela (and Kwanza) Basin. With this work we intend to update and promote the geological knowledge of all these sites, so that this new information could be support future programs of valorization and geoconservation. The authors would like to acknowledge the consortium agreement between the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and Instituto Superior Politécnico da Tundavala (Angola).

Assessment of planetary geologic mapping techniques for Mars using terrestrial analogs: The SP Mountain area of the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanaka, K.L.; Skinner, J.A.; Crumpler, L.S.; Dohm, J.M.

2009-01-01

We photogeologically mapped the SP Mountain region of the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona, USA to evaluate and improve the fidelity of approaches used in geologic mapping of Mars. This test site, which was previously mapped in the field, is chiefly composed of Late Cenozoic cinder cones, lava flows, and alluvium perched on Permian limestone of the Kaibab Formation. Faulting and folding has deformed the older rocks and some of the volcanic materials, and fluvial erosion has carved drainage systems and deposited alluvium. These geologic materials and their formational and modificational histories are similar to those for regions of the Martian surface. We independently prepared four geologic maps using topographic and image data at resolutions that mimic those that are commonly used to map the geology of Mars (where consideration was included for the fact that Martian features such as lava flows are commonly much larger than their terrestrial counterparts). We primarily based our map units and stratigraphic relations on geomorphology, color contrasts, and cross-cutting relationships. Afterward, we compared our results with previously published field-based mapping results, including detailed analyses of the stratigraphy and of the spatial overlap and proximity of the field-based vs. remote-based (photogeologic) map units, contacts, and structures. Results of these analyses provide insights into how to optimize the photogeologic mapping of Mars (and, by extension, other remotely observed planetary surfaces). We recommend the following: (1) photogeologic mapping as an excellent approach to recovering the general geology of a region, along with examination of local, high-resolution datasets to gain insights into the complexity of the geology at outcrop scales; (2) delineating volcanic vents and lava-flow sequences conservatively and understanding that flow abutment and flow overlap are difficult to distinguish in remote data sets; (3) taking care to understand that surficial materials (such as alluvium and volcanic ash deposits) are likely to be under-mapped yet are important because they obscure underlying units and contacts; (4) where possible, mapping multiple contact and structure types based on their varying certainty and exposure that reflect the perceived accuracy of the linework; (5) reviewing the regional context and searching for evidence of geologic activity that may have affected the map area yet for which evidence within the map area may be absent; and (6) for multi-authored maps, collectively analyzing the mapping relations, approaches, and methods throughout the duration of the mapping project with the objective of achieving a solid, harmonious product.

Joint and constrained inversions in a complex geological setting, example from the Skellefte District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia Juanatey, M. A.; Lelievre, P. G.; Juhlin, C.; Farquharson, C. G.

2015-12-01

The Skellefte District is a very rich metallogenic province in northern Sweden. It is of Paleoproterozoic age and consists of mainly metavolcanic rocks. Even though the district has been intensively studied, many questions still remain about its emplacement. The complicated structural setting, and the great extension of post-glacial sediments, pose a challenge for geophysical and geological investigations. Most recent research efforts in the area have been directed at the construction of 3D geological models through the combined interpretation of independently modeled geophysical and geological data. Our aim is to take these studies further and derive, through joint and constraint inversions, a common 3D earth model consistent with all the available data. By integrating the datasets already at the modelling stage we intend to reduce significantly the uncertainties associated to the constructed 3D models.The available geophysics in the district includes regional gravity and magnetic data acquired by the Geological Survey of Sweden in the 1970s, four lines of seismic reflection data totalling approximately 70 km, and more than 60 magnetotelluric sites spread across the area. The existing geological data (from surface, borehole, and in-mine observations) is condensed on interpreted surfaces representing the most important lithological boundaries. Additionally, there are density and susceptibility values obtained from samples across the whole district. We are looking for the best way to integrate the different geophysical datasets with geologically-constrained joint and cooperative inversions.

Map showing geology, oil and gas fields, and geologic provinces of the Gulf of Mexico region

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, Christopher D.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2006-01-01

This map was created as part of a worldwide series of geologic maps for the U.S. Geological Survey's World Energy Project. These products are available on CD-ROM and the Internet. The goal of the project is to assess the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources of the world. Two previously published digital geologic data sets (U.S. and Caribbean) were clipped to the map extent, while the dataset for Mexico was digitized for this project. Original attributes for all data layers were maintained, and in some cases, graphically merged with common symbology for presentation purposes. The world has been divided into geologic provinces that are used for allocation and prioritization of oil and gas assessments. For the World Energy Project, a subset of those provinces is shown on this map. Each province has a set of geologic characteristics that distinguish it from surrounding provinces. These characteristics may include dominant lithologies, the age of the strata, and/or structural type. The World Geographic Coordinate System of 1984 is used for data storage, and the data are presented in a Lambert Conformal Conic Projection on the OFR 97-470-L map product. Other details about the map compilation and data sources are provided in metadata documents in the data section on this CD-ROM. Several software packages were used to create this map including: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) ArcGIS 8.3, ArcInfo software, Adobe Photoshop CS, Illustrator CS, and Acrobat 6.0.

A Forward Glimpse into Inverse Problems through a Geology Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkel, Brian J.

2012-01-01

This paper describes a forward approach to an inverse problem related to detecting the nature of geological substrata which makes use of optimization techniques in a multivariable calculus setting. The true nature of the related inverse problem is highlighted. (Contains 2 figures.)

10 CFR 63.102 - Concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... appropriate; and the sealing of shafts, ramps, and boreholes. (d) Areas related to isolation. Although the... geologic setting that provides isolation of the radioactive waste, make up the geologic repository. (e... will be capable of contributing to the isolation of radioactive waste and thus be a barrier important...

10 CFR 63.102 - Concepts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... appropriate; and the sealing of shafts, ramps, and boreholes. (d) Areas related to isolation. Although the... geologic setting that provides isolation of the radioactive waste, make up the geologic repository. (e... will be capable of contributing to the isolation of radioactive waste and thus be a barrier important...

High resolution multi-facies realizations of sedimentary reservoir and aquifer analogs

PubMed Central

Bayer, Peter; Comunian, Alessandro; Höyng, Dominik; Mariethoz, Gregoire

2015-01-01

Geological structures are by nature inaccessible to direct observation. This can cause difficulties in applications where a spatially explicit representation of such structures is required, in particular when modelling fluid migration in geological formations. An increasing trend in recent years has been to use analogs to palliate this lack of knowledge, i.e., exploiting the spatial information from sites where the geology is accessible (outcrops, quarry sites) and transferring the observed properties to a study site deemed geologically similar. While this approach is appealing, it is difficult to put in place because of the lack of access to well-documented analog data. In this paper we present comprehensive analog data sets which characterize sedimentary structures from important groundwater hosting formations in Germany and Brazil. Multiple 2-D outcrop faces are described in terms of hydraulic, thermal and chemical properties and interpolated in 3-D using stochastic techniques. These unique data sets can be used by the wider community to implement analog approaches for characterizing reservoir and aquifer formations. PMID:26175910

Environmental geology and hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakić, Zoran; Mileusnić, Marta; Pavlić, Krešimir; Kovač, Zoran

2017-10-01

Environmental geology is scientific discipline dealing with the interactions between humans and the geologic environment. Many natural hazards, which have great impact on humans and their environment, are caused by geological settings. On the other hand, human activities have great impact on the physical environment, especially in the last decades due to dramatic human population growth. Natural disasters often hit densely populated areas causing tremendous death toll and material damage. Demand for resources enhanced remarkably, as well as waste production. Exploitation of mineral resources deteriorate huge areas of land, produce enormous mine waste and pollute soil, water and air. Environmental geology is a broad discipline and only selected themes will be presented in the following subchapters: (1) floods as natural hazard, (2) water as geological resource and (3) the mining and mineral processing as types of human activities dealing with geological materials that affect the environment and human health.

Sustainable Agriculture as a Recruitment Tool for Geoscience Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enright, K. P.; Gilbert, L. A.; McGillis, A.

2014-12-01

Small-scale agriculture has exploded with popularity in recent years, as teenagers and college students gain interest in local food sources. Outdoor experiences, including gardening and farming, are often among the motivations for students to take their first geoscience courses in college. The methods and theories of small agriculture translate well into geologic research questions, especially in the unique setting of college campus farms and gardens. We propose an activity or assignment to engage student-farmers in thinking about geosciences, and connect them with geoscience departments as a gateway to the major and career field. Furthermore, the activity will encourage a new generation of passionate young farmers to integrate the principles of earth science into their design and implementation of more sustainable food systems. The activity includes mapping, soil sampling, and interviewing professionals in agriculture and geology, and results in the students writing a series of recommendations for their campus or other farm. The activity includes assessment tools for instructors and can be used to give credit for a summer farming internship or as part of a regular course. We believe reaching out to students interested in farming could be an important recruitment tool for geosciences and helps build interdisciplinary and community partnerships.

Submarine Landslides: A Multidisciplinary Crossroad

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moscardelli, L. G.

2014-12-01

The study of submarine landslides has advanced considerably in the last decade. A multitude of geoscience disciplines, including marine, petroleum and planetary geology, as well as geohazard assessments, are concerned with the study of these units. Oftentimes, researchers working in these fields disseminate their findings within their own communities and a multidisciplinary approach seems to lack. This presentation showcases several case studies in which a broader approach has increased our understanding of submarine landslides in a variety of geologic settings. Three-dimensional seismic data from several continental margins (Trinidad, Brazil, Morocco, Canada, GOM), as well as data from outcrop localities are shown to explore geomorphological complexities associated with submarine landslides. Discussion associated with the characterization and classification of submarine landslides is also part of this work. Topics that will be cover include: 1) how data from conventional oil and gas exploration activities can be used to increase our understanding of the dynamic behavior of submarine landslides, 2) analogies between terrestrial submarine landslides and potential Martian counterparts, 3) impact of submarine landslides in margin construction, as well as their economic significance and 4) the importance of quantifying the morphology of submarine landslides in a systematic fashion.

Geology of the Biwabik Iron Formation and Duluth Complex.

PubMed

Jirsa, Mark A; Miller, James D; Morey, G B

2008-10-01

The Biwabik Iron Formation is a approximately 1.9 billion year-old sequence of iron-rich sedimentary rocks that was metamorphosed at its eastern-most extent by approximately 1.1 billion year-old intrusions of the Duluth Complex. The metamorphic recrystallization of iron-formation locally produced iron-rich amphiboles and other fibrous iron-silicate minerals. The presence of these minerals in iron-formation along the eastern part of what is known as the Mesabi Iron Range, and their potential liberation by iron mining has raised environmental health concerns. We describe here the geologic setting and mineralogic composition of the Biwabik Iron Formation in and adjacent to the contact metamorphic aureole of the Duluth Complex. The effects of metamorphism are most pronounced within a few kilometers of the contact, and decrease progressively away from it. The contact aureole has been divided into four metamorphic zones-each characterized by the composition and crystal structure of the metamorphic minerals it contains. The recrystallization of iron-formation to iron-rich amphibole minerals (grunerite and cummingtonite) and iron-pyroxene minerals (hedenbergite and ferrohypersthene) is best developed in zones that are most proximal to the Duluth Complex contact.

Evaluation of Confining Layer Integrity Beneath the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Dade County, Florida

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

Starr, R.C.; Green, T.S.; Hull, L.C.

2001-02-28

A review has been performed of existing information that describes geology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, in Dade County, Florida. Treated sanitary wastewater is injected into a saline aquifer beneath the plant. Detection of contaminants commonly associated with treated sanitary wastewater in the freshwater aquifer that overlies the saline aquifer has indicated a need for a reevaluation of the ability of the confining layer above the saline aquifer to prevent fluid migration into the overlying freshwater aquifer. Review of the available data shows that themore » geologic data set is not sufficient to demonstrate that a competent confining layer is present between the saline and freshwater aquifers. The hydrogeologic data also do not indicate that a competent confining layer is present. The geochemical data show that the freshwater aquifer is contaminated with treated wastewater, and the spatial patterns of contamination are consistent with upward migration through localized conduits through the Middle Confining Unit, such as leaking wells or natural features. Recommendations for collection and interpretation of additional site characterization data are provided.« less

Evaluation of Confining Layer Integrity Beneath the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Dade County, Florida

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

Starr, Robert Charles; Green, Timothy Scott; Hull, Laurence Charles

2001-02-01

A review has been performed of existing information that describes geology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, in Dade County, Florida. Treated sanitary wastewater is injected into a saline aquifer beneath the plant. Detection of contaminants commonly associated with treated sanitary wastewater in the freshwater aquifer that overlies the saline aquifer has indicated a need for a reevaluation of the ability of the confining layer above the saline aquifer to prevent fluid migration into the overlying freshwater aquifer. Review of the available data shows that themore » geologic data set is not sufficient to demonstrate that a competent confining layer is present between the saline and freshwater aquifers. The hydrogeologic data also do not indicate that a competent confining layer is present. The geochemical data show that the freshwater aquifer is contaminated with treated wastewater, and the spatial patterns of contamination are consistent with upward migration through localized conduits through the Middle Confining Unit, such as leaking wells or natural features. Recommendations for collection and interpretation of additional site characterization data are provided.« less

Geology of the Biwabik Iron Formation and Duluth Complex

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jirsa, M.A.; Miller, J.D.; Morey, G.B.

2008-01-01

The Biwabik Iron Formation is a ???1.9 billion year-old sequence of iron-rich sedimentary rocks that was metamorphosed at its eastern-most extent by ???1.1 billion year-old intrusions of the Duluth Complex. The metamorphic recrystallization of iron-formation locally produced iron-rich amphiboles and other fibrous iron-silicate minerals. The presence of these minerals in iron-formation along the eastern part of what is known as the Mesabi Iron Range, and their potential liberation by iron mining has raised environmental health concerns. We describe here the geologic setting and mineralogic composition of the Biwabik Iron Formation in and adjacent to the contact metamorphic aureole of the Duluth Complex. The effects of metamorphism are most pronounced within a few kilometers of the contact, and decrease progressively away from it. The contact aureole has been divided into four metamorphic zones-each characterized by the composition and crystal structure of the metamorphic minerals it contains. The recrystallization of iron-formation to iron-rich amphibole minerals (grunerite and cummingtonite) and iron-pyroxene minerals (hedenbergite and ferrohypersthene) is best developed in zones that are most proximal to the Duluth Complex contact. ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Semiautomatic approaches to account for 3-D distortion of the electric field from local, near-surface structures in 3-D resistivity inversions of 3-D regional magnetotelluric data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodriguez, Brian D.

2017-03-31

This report summarizes the results of three-dimensional (3-D) resistivity inversion simulations that were performed to account for local 3-D distortion of the electric field in the presence of 3-D regional structure, without any a priori information on the actual 3-D distribution of the known subsurface geology. The methodology used a 3-D geologic model to create a 3-D resistivity forward (“known”) model that depicted the subsurface resistivity structure expected for the input geologic configuration. The calculated magnetotelluric response of the modeled resistivity structure was assumed to represent observed magnetotelluric data and was subsequently used as input into a 3-D resistivity inverse model that used an iterative 3-D algorithm to estimate 3-D distortions without any a priori geologic information. A publicly available inversion code, WSINV3DMT, was used for all of the simulated inversions, initially using the default parameters, and subsequently using adjusted inversion parameters. A semiautomatic approach of accounting for the static shift using various selections of the highest frequencies and initial models was also tested. The resulting 3-D resistivity inversion simulation was compared to the “known” model and the results evaluated. The inversion approach that produced the lowest misfit to the various local 3-D distortions was an inversion that employed an initial model volume resistivity that was nearest to the maximum resistivities in the near-surface layer.

OneGeology-Europe and the new EC Directive INSPIRE - A matter of semantic subtlety?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asch, K.

2009-04-01

The EC INSPIRE Directive which came into force in May 2007 set out how the Member States of the European Union would describe, discover and provide access to spatial environmental data in a harmonised way. Amongst the data sets specified in INSPIRE is geology. A fundamental question is just what is meant by ‘geology'? The question must be answered, and in some detail, if the intentions of the INSPIRE Directive to provide consistency of access are to be realised The Directive itself provides very little constraint on this definition. In it geology is described as "Geology characterised according to composition and structure. Includes bedrock, aquifers and geomorphology". The challenge for the EC and its Member States - more specifically for the geological survey community - is to convert this single line into a precise and practical specification that will deliver the outcomes intended by INSPIRE. The geological survey community is attempting to develop this specification through two complementary routes. Theme Working Groups - a generic procedure adopted by the EC that will start in May 2009 - and a new EC eContentplus project, OneGeology-Europe. Within OneGeology-Europe is a Work Package whose task is to deliver a semantic specification of "geology" at 1:1 million scale. While the initial reaction of some would be to question whether defining geology at this scale poses any significant challenges the reality is somewhat different. Fundamental questionsare: Should we specify the geology at the surface or restrict it to "bedrock" geology? Do we attempt to define the rocks chronostratigraphically, or by their lithology, perhaps even by the more regional lithostratigraphy or by genetic aspect? To what extent do we include tectonic features? How to cope with th ecomplexity of metamorphic rocks etc? These are only some of the high level questions - the devil, however, comes in the detail. How should we deal with the classification of the Pre-Cambrian rocks? What approach should we adopt to hypabyssal rocks? There are many more to approach and of course already existing vocabulararies, definitions and classifications need to be taken into account. Compounding these questions is the fact that in the absence of accepted international standards, almost every national geological survey has adopted different standards; standards which they are reluctant to concede. This presentation will outline the issues and challenges facing the geological community to define the geological classification of the OneGeology-Europe project while considering the future requirements of the EC INSPIRE Directive and provides an update on the progress in meeting those challenges.

Some concepts of favorability for world-class-type uranium deposits in the northeastern United States

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

Adler, H.H.

1981-03-01

An account is given of concepts of favorability of geologic environments in the eastern United States for uranium deposits of several major types existing elsewhere in the world. The purpose is to convey some initial ideas about the interrelationships of the geology of the eastern United States and the geologic settings of certain of these world-class deposits. The study and report include consideration of uranium deposits other than those generally manifesting the geologic, geochemical and genetic characteristics associated with the conventional sandstone-type ores of the western United States.

Architected squirt-flow materials for energy dissipation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Tal; Kurzeja, Patrick; Bertoldi, Katia

2017-12-01

In the present study we explore material architectures that lead to enhanced dissipation properties by taking advantage of squirt-flow - a local flow mechanism triggered by heterogeneities at the pore level. While squirt-flow is a known dominant source of dissipation and seismic attenuation in fluid saturated geological materials, we study its untapped potential to be incorporated in highly deformable elastic materials with embedded fluid-filled cavities for future engineering applications. An analytical investigation, that isolates the squirt-flow mechanism from other potential dissipation mechanisms and considers an idealized setting, predicts high theoretical levels of dissipation achievable by squirt-flow and establishes a set of guidelines for optimal dissipation design. Particular architectures are then investigated via numerical simulations showing that a careful design of the internal voids can lead to an increase of dissipation levels by an order of magnitude, compared with equivalent homogeneous void distributions. Therefore, we suggest squirt-flow as a promising mechanism to be incorporated in future architected materials to effectively and reversibly dissipate energy.

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taran, Yuri; Tassi, Franco; Varekamp, Johan; Inguaggiato, Salvatore; Kalacheva, Elena

2017-10-01

Many volcanoes at any tectonic settings host hydrothermal systems. Volcano-hydrothermal systems (VHS) are result of interaction of the upper part of plumbing systems of active volcanoes with crust, hydrosphere and atmosphere. They are heated by magma, fed by magmatic fluids and meteoric (sea) water, transport and re-distribute magmatic and crustal material. VHS are sensitive to the activity of a host volcano. VHS may have specific features depending on the regional and local tectonic, geologic and geographic settings. The studies reported in this volume help to illustrate the diversity of the approaches and investigations that are being conducting at different volcano-hydrothermal systems over the world and the results of which will be of important value in furthering our understanding of the complex array of the processes accompanying hydrothermal activity of volcanoes. About 60 papers were submitted to a special session of "Volcano-Hydrothermal Systems" at the 2015 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The papers in this special issue of the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research were originally presented at that session.

Terrain types and local-scale stratigraphy of grooved terrain on ganymede

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murchie, Scott L.; Head, James W.; Helfenstein, Paul; Plescia, Jeffrey B.

1986-01-01

Grooved terrain is subdivided on the basis of pervasive morphology into: (1) groove lanes - elongate parallel groove bands, (2) grooved polygons - polygonal domains of parallel grooves, (3) reticulate terrain - polygonal domains of orthogonal grooves, and (4) complex grooved terrain - polygons with several complexly cross-cutting groove sets. Detailed geologic mapping of select areas, employing previously established conventions for determining relative age relations, reveals a general three-stage sequence of grooved terrain emplacement: first, dissection of the lithosphere by throughgoing grooves, and pervasive deformation of intervening blocks; second, extensive flooding and continued deformation of the intervening blocks; third, repeated superposition of groove lanes concentrated at sites of initial throughgoing grooves. This sequence is corroborated by crater-density measurements. Dominant orientations of groove sets are parallel to relict zones of weakness that probably were reactivated during grooved terrain formation. Groove lane morphology and development consistent with that predicted for passive rifts suggests a major role of global expansion in grooved terrain formation.

A direct correlation among indoor Rn, soil gas Rn and geology in the Reading Prong near Boyertown, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reimer, G.M.; Gundersen, L.C.S.

1989-01-01

We feel that this study suggests a relationship among geology, soil gas Rn and the potential for indoor Rn accumulation in this portion of the Reading Prong. There are deviations from a perfect correlation but these are related to inhomogeneities in the geologic environment and perhaps variations in construction techniques of homes in the area. This study also demonstrates that several analyses in a small area may be necessary to adequately determine the Rn distribution for a particular geologic unit. That scale would be determined by the complexity of the local geology. Where no discrete source of elevated Rn supply is found for dwellings having a significant Rn accumulation, the implication is that overall gross permeability may be sufficient to supply Rn from a larger volume of soil and rock.

Geologic interpretation of space shuttle radar images of Indonesia

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

Sabing, F.F.

1983-11-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle mission in November 1981 acquired images of parts of the earth with a synthetic aperture radar system at a wavelength of 23.5 cm (9.3 in.) and spatial resolution of 38 m (125 ft). This report describes the geologic interpretation of 1:250,000-scale images of Irian Jaya and eastern Kalimantan, Indonesia, where the all-weather capability of radar penetrates the persistent cloud cover. The inclined look direction of radar enhances subtle topographic features that may be the expression of geologic structures. On the Indonesian images, the following terrain categories are recognizable for geologic mapping:more » carbonate, clastic, volcanic, alluvial and coastal, melange, and metamorphic, as well as undifferentiated bedrock. Regional and local geologic structures are well expressed on the images.« less

Aerial radiometric and magnetic survey: Aztec National Topographic Map, New Mexico

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

Not Available

1979-01-01

The results of analyses of the airborne gamma radiation and total magnetic field survey flown for the region identified as the Aztec National Topographic Map NJ13-10 are presented. The airborne data gathered are reduced by ground computer facilities to yield profile plots of the basic uranium, thorium and potassium equivalent gamma radiation intensities, ratios of these intensities, aircraft altitude above the earth's surface, total gamma ray and earth's magnetic field intensity, correlated as a function of geologic units. The distribution of data within each geologic unit, for all surveyed map lines and tie lines, has been calculated and is included.more » Two sets of profiled data for each line are included, with one set displaying the above-cited data. The second set includes only flight line magnetic field, temperature, pressure, altitude data plus magnetic field data as measured at a base station. A general description of the area, including descriptions of the various geologic units and the corresponding airborne data, is included also.« less

Aerial radiometric and magnetic survey: Lander National Topographic Map, Wyoming

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

Not Available

1979-01-01

The results of analyses of the airborne gamma radiation and total magnetic field survey flown for the region identified as the Lander National Topographic Map NK12-6 are presented. The airborne data gathered are reduced by ground computer facilities to yield profile plots of the basic uranium, thorium and potassium equivalent gamma radiation intensities, ratios of these intensities, aircraft altitude above the earth's surface, total gamma ray and earth's magnetic field intensity, correlated as a function of geologic units. The distribution of data within each geologic unit, for all surveyed map lines and tie lines, has been calculated and is included.more » Two sets of profiled data for each line are included, with one set displaying the above-cited data. The second set includes only flight line magnetic field, temperature, pressure, altitude data plus magnetic field data as measured at a base station. A general description of the area, including descriptions of the various geologic units and the corresponding airborne data, is included also.« less

Preliminary geologic map of the Big Bear City 7.5' Quadrangle, San Bernardino County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Fred K.; Cossette, Digital preparation by Pamela M.

2004-01-01

This data set maps and describes the geology of the Big Bear City 7.5' quadrangle, San Bernardino County, California. Created using Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO software, the data base consists of the following items: (1) a rock-unit coverage and attribute tables (polygon and arc) containing geologic contacts, units and rock-unit labels as annotation which are also included in a separate annotation coverage, bbc_anno (2) a point coverage containing structural point data and (3) a coverage containing fold axes. In addition, the data set includes the following graphic and text products: (1) A PostScript graphic plot-file containing the geologic map, topography, cultural data, a Correlation of Map Units (CMU) diagram, a Description of Map Units (DMU), an index map, a regional geologic and structure map, and an explanation for point and line symbols; (2) PDF files of the Readme (including the metadata file as an appendix), and a screen graphic of the plot produced by the PostScript plot file. The geologic map describes a geologically complex area on the north side of the San Bernardino Mountains. Bedrock units in the Big Bear City quadrangle are dominated by (1) large Cretaceous granitic bodies ranging in composition from monzogranite to gabbro, (2) metamorphosed sedimentary rocks ranging in age from late Paleozoic to late Proterozoic, and (3) Middle Proterozoic gneiss. These rocks are complexly deformed by normal, reverse, and thrust faults, and in places are tightly folded. The geologic map database contains original U.S. Geological Survey data generated by detailed field observation and by interpretation of aerial photographs. The map data was compiled on base-stable cronoflex copies of the Big Bear City 7.5' topographic map, transferred to a scribe-guide and subsequently digitized. Lines, points, and polygons were edited at the USGS using standard ARC/INFO commands. Digitizing and editing artifacts significant enough to display at a scale of 1:24,000 were corrected. Within the database, geologic contacts are represented as lines (arcs), geologic units as polygons, and site-specific data as points. Polygon, arc, and point attribute tables (.pat, .aat, and .pat, respectively) uniquely identify each geologic datum.

Hazard Ranking Method for Populations Exposed to Arsenic in Private Water Supplies: Relation to Bedrock Geology.

PubMed

Crabbe, Helen; Fletcher, Tony; Close, Rebecca; Watts, Michael J; Ander, E Louise; Smedley, Pauline L; Verlander, Neville Q; Gregory, Martin; Middleton, Daniel R S; Polya, David A; Studden, Mike; Leonardi, Giovanni S

2017-12-01

Approximately one million people in the UK are served by private water supplies (PWS) where main municipal water supply system connection is not practical or where PWS is the preferred option. Chronic exposure to contaminants in PWS may have adverse effects on health. South West England is an area with elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater and over 9000 domestic dwellings here are supplied by PWS. There remains uncertainty as to the extent of the population exposed to arsenic (As), and the factors predicting such exposure. We describe a hazard assessment model based on simplified geology with the potential to predict exposure to As in PWS. Households with a recorded PWS in Cornwall were recruited to take part in a water sampling programme from 2011 to 2013. Bedrock geologies were aggregated and classified into nine Simplified Bedrock Geological Categories (SBGC), plus a cross-cutting "mineralized" area. PWS were sampled by random selection within SBGCs and some 508 households volunteered for the study. Transformations of the data were explored to estimate the distribution of As concentrations for PWS by SBGC. Using the distribution per SBGC, we predict the proportion of dwellings that would be affected by high concentrations and rank the geologies according to hazard. Within most SBGCs, As concentrations were found to have log-normal distributions. Across these areas, the proportion of dwellings predicted to have drinking water over the prescribed concentration value (PCV) for As ranged from 0% to 20%. From these results, a pilot predictive model was developed calculating the proportion of PWS above the PCV for As and hazard ranking supports local decision making and prioritization. With further development and testing, this can help local authorities predict the number of dwellings that might fail the PCV for As, based on bedrock geology. The model presented here for Cornwall could be applied in areas with similar geologies. Application of the method requires independent validation and further groundwater-derived PWS sampling on other geological formations.

U. S. Geological Survey Federal-State Cooperative Water-Resources Program Fiscal Year 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilbert, B.K.

1994-01-01

The Federal-State Cooperative Program is a part- nership between the U.S. Geological Survey and State and local agencies. It provides a balanced approach to the study and resolution of water- related problems and to acquiring hydrologic data. The principal program objectives are to: (1) collect, on a systematic basis, data needed for the continuing determination and evaluation of the quantity, quality, and use of the Nation's water resources, and (2) appraise the availa- bility and the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water through analytical and interpretive investi- gations. During fiscal year 1993, hydrologic data collection, interpretive investigations, and research were conducted by Geological Survey personnel in offices in every State, Puerto Rico, and in several territories in cooperation with about 1,100 local, State, and regional agencies. In fiscal year 1993, Federal funding of $63.5 million was matched by cooperating agencies, which also provided almost $23 million unmatched for a total program of about $150 million. This amounted to nearly 40 percent of the total funds for Geological Survey water- resources activities. This report presents examples of current (1993) investigations. It also provides updated information on Cooperative Program investigations related to agricultural activities.

Geodetic measurement of deformation in California. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauber, Jeanne Marie

1988-01-01

The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements made in the western U.S. since 1979 as part of the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project provide discrete samples of the temporal and spatial deformation field. The interpretation of the VLBI-derived rates of deformation requires an examination of geologic information and more densely sampled ground-based geodetic data. In the first two of three related studies embodying this thesis triangulation and trilateration data measured on two regional networks are processed, one in the central Mojave Desert and one in the Coast Ranges east of the San Andreas fault. At the spatial scales spanned by these local geodetic networks, auxiliary geologic and geophysical data have been utilized to examine the relation between measured incremental strain and the accommodation of strain seen in local geological structures, strain release in earthquakes, and principal stress directions inferred from in situ measurements. In the third study, VLBI data from stations distributed across the Pacific - North American plate boundary zone in the western United States are processed. The VLBI data have been used to constrain the integrated rate of deformation across portions of the continental plate boundary in California and to provide a tectonic framework to interpret regional geodetic and geologic studies.

Structural and lithologic constraints to mineralization in Aurora, Nevada and Bodie, California mining districts, observed with aerospace geophysical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smailbegovic, Amer

This study used a multifaceted approach to investigate the geology and metallogenesis of the Bodie Hills region and the Aurora mining district. The factors influencing regional- and local-scale metallogenesis are compared and discussed in context of the various datasets, analysis techniques and methodologies. The Aurora and Bodie mining districts are located in the Miocene volcanics of the Bodie Hills, north of Mono Lake, on the opposite sides of the Nevada-California state line. From the standpoint of economic geology, both deposits are structurally controlled, low-sulfidation, quartz-adularia-sericite precious metal vein deposits with an extensive alteration halo. The area has been exploited since late 1870s by both underground and minor open pit operations (Aurora), exposing portions of altered andesites, rhyolite flows and tuffs and quartz-adularia-sericite veins. Much of the previous geologic mapping and explanation in Aurora was ad-hoc and primarily in support of the mining operations, without particular interest paid to the system as a whole. Using detailed field mapping and interpretation of the deposit in Bodie as a guide, a combined array of geophysical data in conjunction with traditional field mapping and GIS-based Weights of Evidence (WofE) modeling was utilized to attain better understanding of the Aurora district and both districts in the local and regional framework. The gravity data suggests a NE-trending, positive anomaly, resulting from a density contrast between the presumably uplifted pre-Tertiary basement and Miocene volcanic assemblage in the Bodie Hills. The aeromagnetic data are dominated by the strong signature of the Miocene volcanism (vents, flows, etc.) and suggests that the volcanic activity is concentrated along the northeasterly corridor of basement uplift. Multispectral, spaceborne imagery (Landsat ETM, ASTER) shows the regional structural setting, which is dominated by NNE and NE-trending lineaments and major alteration trends in the Bodie Hills. The high-resolution, narrow-swath, hyperspectral data obtained from high and low altitude AVIRIS targeted on the individual districts, allows identification of hydrothermal alteration assemblages, potential structural mineralization conduits and surface manifestations of mineralization. Individual segments of the regional-to-local geophysical survey are field checked and spatially integrated using WofE. The interpretation and WofE modeling of the geophysical data and detailed geologic field mapping reveal a close relationship between the basement uplift (source for metals), NE-trending structures (conduits), volcanic activity (energy), hydrothermal activity (genesis) and mineralization in Aurora and Bodie. This study confirms that Aurora represents a low-sulfidation system hosted in a strike-slip influenced dilational vein system, which may be genetically associated with the initial phase of Miocene extension and stress accommodation in Western Great Basin during 15--8 Ma.

10 CFR 60.113 - Performance of particular barriers after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... complete filling with groundwater of available void spaces in the underground facility shall be...) Geologic setting. The geologic repository shall be located so that pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel... release rate, designed containment period or pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time, provided that...

10 CFR 60.113 - Performance of particular barriers after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... complete filling with groundwater of available void spaces in the underground facility shall be...) Geologic setting. The geologic repository shall be located so that pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel... release rate, designed containment period or pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time, provided that...

10 CFR 60.113 - Performance of particular barriers after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... complete filling with groundwater of available void spaces in the underground facility shall be...) Geologic setting. The geologic repository shall be located so that pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel... release rate, designed containment period or pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time, provided that...

Subsurface geology and oil and gas resources of Osage County, Oklahoma. Part 2, Townships 22 and 23 north, ranges 8 and 9 east

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirk, C.T.; Jenkins, H.D.; Leatherock, Otto; Dillard, W.R.; Kennedy, L.E.; Bass, N.W.

1939-01-01

This report on the subsurface geology of Osage County, Okla., describes the structural features, the character of the oil- and gas-producing beds, and the localities where additional oil and gas may be found. It embodies a part of the results of a subsurface geologic investigation of the Osage Indian Reservation, which coincides in area with Osage County. The investigation was conducted by a field party of the Geological Survey of the United States Department of the Interior from 1934 to 1937 and involved the study of the records of about 17,000 wells that have been drilled in Osage County. Funds for the investigation were allotted to the Geological Survey by the Public Works Administration. The primary purpose of the examination was to obtain geologic data for use in the administration of the Indian lands. The results of the inquiry have shown that many localities in Osage County outside the present producing oil fields are worthy of prospecting for oil and gas and that additional oil and gas can be found also by exploring deeply buried beds in old producing fields.All townships in Osage County that contain many wells are described; the information furnished by such townships is ample for drawing detailed subsurface structure-contour maps. The descriptions of several contiguous townships are combined in separate reports, which are issued as parts of a single bulletin. No edition of the consolidated volume will be published, but the several parts can be bound together if desired.

Application of PALSAR-2 remote sensing data for structural geology and topographic mapping in Kelantan river basin, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beiranvand Pour, Amin; Hashim, Mazlan

2016-06-01

Natural hazards of geological origin are one of major problem during heavy monsoons rainfall in Kelantan state, peninsular Malaysia. Several landslides occur in this region are obviously connected to geological and topographical features, every year. Satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data are particularly applicable for detection of geological structural and topographical features in tropical conditions. In this study, Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR-2), remote sensing data were used to identify high potential risk and susceptible zones for landslide in the Kelantan river basin. Adaptive Local Sigma filter was selected and applied to accomplish speckle reduction and preserving both edges and features in PALSAR-2 fine mode observation images. Different polarization images were integrated to enhance geological structures. Additionally, directional filters were applied to the PALSAR-2 Local Sigma resultant image for edge enhancement and detailed identification of linear features. Several faults, drainage patterns and lithological contact layers were identified at regional scale. In order to assess the results, fieldwork and GPS survey were conducted in the landslide affected zones in the Kelantan river basin. Results demonstrate the most of the landslides were associated with N-S, NNW-SSE and NE-SW trending faults, angulate drainage pattern and metamorphic and Quaternary units. Consequently, geologic structural map were produced for Kelantan river basin using recent PALSAR-2 data, which could be broadly applicable for landslide hazard assessment and delineation of high potential risk and susceptible areas. Landslide mitigation programmes could be conducted in the landslide recurrence regions for reducing catastrophes leading to economic losses and death.

Insect herbivory fluctuations through geological time.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Esther R S; Iannuzzi, Roberto; Duarte, Leandro D S

2016-09-01

Arthropods and land plants are the major macroscopic sources of biodiversity on the planet. Knowledge of the organization and specialization of plant-herbivore interactions, such as their roles in food webs is important for understanding the processes for maintaining biodiversity. A limited number of studies have examined herbivory through geological time. The most have analyzed localities from one restricted interval within a geological period, or a time transition such as the Paleocene-Eocene boundary interval. In the present study, we analyzed the frequency of herbivory and density of damage type (DT) from the Middle Devonian to the early Miocene. The data were compiled from literature sources and focused on studies that describe occurrences of leaves with DTs indicating herbivore consumption as a proportion of the total number of leaves analyzed. The data were standardized based on the DT categories in the Damage Type Guide, and the age of each locality was updated based on the most recent geochronological standard and expressed in millions of years. Temperature and geological age were the best descriptors of the variation in herbivory frequency, which tended to increase at higher temperatures. Two models were equivalent to explain DT density: the interaction between CO 2 levels and geological age, and O 2 levels and geological age had the same predictive power. The density of DT tended to increase with higher content of atmospheric CO 2 and O 2 compared to modern values. The frequency of herbivory and the density of DTs appear to be influenced by long-term atmospheric variables. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Aeromagnetic surveys in Afghanistan: An updated website for distribution of data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shenwary, Ghulam Sakhi; Kohistany, Abdul Hakim; Hussain, Sardar; Ashan, Said; Mutty, Abdul Salam; Daud, Mohammad Ahmad; Wussow, Michael D.; Sweeney, Ronald E.; Phillips, Jeffrey D.; Lindsay, Charles R.; Kucks, Robert P.; Finn, Carol A.; Drenth, Benjamin J.; Anderson, Eric D.; Abraham, Jared D.; Liang, Robert T.; Jarvis, James L.; Gardner, Joan M.; Childers, Vicki A.; Ball, David C.; Brozena, John M.

2011-01-01

Because of its geologic setting, Afghanistan has the potential to contain substantial natural resources. Although valuable mineral deposits and petroleum resources have been identified, much of the country's potential remains unknown. Airborne geophysical surveys are a well accepted and cost effective method for obtaining information about the geological setting of an area without the need to be physically located on the ground. Owing to the current security situation and the large areas of the country that have not been evaluated by geophysical exploration methods, a regional airborne geophysical survey was proposed. Acting upon the request of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey contracted with the Naval Research Laboratory to jointly conduct an airborne geophysical and remote sensing survey of Afghanistan.

Hunting for Hydrothermal Vents at the Local-Scale Using AUV's and Machine-Learning Classification in the Earth's Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, S. M.

2018-05-01

New AUV-based mapping technology coupled with machine-learning methods for detecting individual vents and vent fields at the local-scale raise the possibility of understanding the geologic controls on hydrothermal venting.

Climate-soil Interactions: Global Change, Local Properties, and Ecological Sites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Global climate change is predicted to alter historic patterns of precipitation and temperature in rangelands globally. Vegetation community response to altered weather patterns will be mediated at the site level by local-scale properties that govern ecological potential, including geology, topograph...

Monte Carlo simulation for uncertainty estimation on structural data in implicit 3-D geological modeling, a guide for disturbance distribution selection and parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakyuz-Charrier, Evren; Lindsay, Mark; Ogarko, Vitaliy; Giraud, Jeremie; Jessell, Mark

2018-04-01

Three-dimensional (3-D) geological structural modeling aims to determine geological information in a 3-D space using structural data (foliations and interfaces) and topological rules as inputs. This is necessary in any project in which the properties of the subsurface matters; they express our understanding of geometries in depth. For that reason, 3-D geological models have a wide range of practical applications including but not restricted to civil engineering, the oil and gas industry, the mining industry, and water management. These models, however, are fraught with uncertainties originating from the inherent flaws of the modeling engines (working hypotheses, interpolator's parameterization) and the inherent lack of knowledge in areas where there are no observations combined with input uncertainty (observational, conceptual and technical errors). Because 3-D geological models are often used for impactful decision-making it is critical that all 3-D geological models provide accurate estimates of uncertainty. This paper's focus is set on the effect of structural input data measurement uncertainty propagation in implicit 3-D geological modeling. This aim is achieved using Monte Carlo simulation for uncertainty estimation (MCUE), a stochastic method which samples from predefined disturbance probability distributions that represent the uncertainty of the original input data set. MCUE is used to produce hundreds to thousands of altered unique data sets. The altered data sets are used as inputs to produce a range of plausible 3-D models. The plausible models are then combined into a single probabilistic model as a means to propagate uncertainty from the input data to the final model. In this paper, several improved methods for MCUE are proposed. The methods pertain to distribution selection for input uncertainty, sample analysis and statistical consistency of the sampled distribution. Pole vector sampling is proposed as a more rigorous alternative than dip vector sampling for planar features and the use of a Bayesian approach to disturbance distribution parameterization is suggested. The influence of incorrect disturbance distributions is discussed and propositions are made and evaluated on synthetic and realistic cases to address the sighted issues. The distribution of the errors of the observed data (i.e., scedasticity) is shown to affect the quality of prior distributions for MCUE. Results demonstrate that the proposed workflows improve the reliability of uncertainty estimation and diminish the occurrence of artifacts.

GEMAS - Soil geochemistry and health implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernstsen, Vibeke; Ladenberger, Anna; Wragg, Joanna; Gulan, Aleksandra

2014-05-01

The GEMAS Project resulted in a large coherent data set displaying baseline levels of elements in agricultural and grazing land soil, which has a wide variety of applications. Medical geology is an emerging new discipline providing a link between geoscience and medicine by interpreting natural geological factors in relation to human and animal health and their geographical distribution. Medical geology shows not only problems related to harmful health effects of natural geological materials and processes, but also deals with their beneficial aspects. Since the GEMAS project demonstrates the importance of geological factors in geochemical patterns in European soil, this data set can be used in improving our understanding of how the geological processes may affect human health in Europe. The main potential health problems are related to deficiency of nutrients in soil and toxic effects of potentially harmful elements. Deficiency in macro- (e.g., K, Fe, Mg, P) and micro-nutrients (e.g., Se, Zn, Cl) can be responsible for a reduction in crop productivity and certain health issues for livestock and humans. On the other hand, bioavailability of crucial elements depends on soil parameters, e.g., pH; namely, low pH in soil (in northern Europe) makes more micronutrients bioavailable, with the exception of Mo, P and Ca. Rocks underlying the soil layer have a major impact on soil composition, and soil parent material can be a main source of toxic metals, for instance, soil developed on black shale (e.g., Oslo region) shows potentially toxic levels of metals, such as As, Cd, U, Zn and Pb. High content of organic matter is another factor amplifying the toxic levels of metals in soil. Several important topics with health implications can be then addressed using the GEMAS data set, namely, soil properties and element bioavailability, arsenic toxicity, selenium deficiency, potential health effects of liming, uranium in European soil, influence of recent and historical volcanic activity on soil composition and its health consequences. References Reimann, C., Birke, M., Demetriades, A., Filzmoser, P. & O'Connor, P. (Editors), 2014. Chemistry of Europe's agricultural soils - Part A: Methodology and interpretation of the GEMAS data set. Geologisches Jahrbuch (Reihe B), Schweizerbarth, Hannover, 528 pp. Reimann, C., Birke, M., Demetriades, A., Filzmoser, P. & O'Connor, P. (Editors), 2014. Chemistry of Europe's agricultural soils - Part B: General background information and further analysis of the GEMAS data set. Geologisches Jahrbuch (Reihe B), Schweizerbarth, Hannover, 352 pp.

Digital atlas of the upper Washita River basin, southwestern Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, Carol J.; Masoner, Jason R.; Scott, Jonathon C.

2008-01-01

Numerous types of environmental data have been collected in the upper Washita River basin in southwestern Oklahoma. However, to date these data have not been compiled into a format that can be comprehensively queried for the purpose of evaluating the effects of various conservation practices implemented to reduce agricultural runoff and erosion in parts of the upper Washita River basin. This U.S. Geological Survey publication, 'Digital atlas of the upper Washita River basin, southwestern Oklahoma' was created to assist with environmental analysis. This atlas contains 30 spatial data sets that can be used in environmental assessment and decision making for the upper Washita River basin. This digital atlas includes U.S. Geological Survey sampling sites and associated water-quality, biological, water-level, and streamflow data collected from 1903 to 2005. The data were retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database on September 29, 2005. Data sets are from the Geology, Geography, and Water disciplines of the U.S. Geological Survey and cover parts of Beckham, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Custer, Dewey, Grady, Kiowa, and Washita Counties in southwestern Oklahoma. A bibliography of past reports from the U.S. Geological Survey and other State and Federal agencies from 1949 to 2004 is included in the atlas. Additionally, reports by Becker (2001), Martin (2002), Fairchild and others (2004), and Miller and Stanley (2005) are provided in electronic format.

Local Earthquake Tomography in the Eifel Region, Middle Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaensicke, H.

2001-12-01

The aim of the Eifel Plume project is to verify the existence of an assumed mantle plume responsible for the Tertiary and Quaternary volcanism in the Eifel region of midwest Germany. During a large passive and semi-active seismological experiment (November 1997 - June 1998) about 160 mobil broadband and short period stations were operated in addition to about 100 permanent stations in the area of interest. The stations registered teleseismic and local events. Local events are used to obtain a threedimensional tomographic model of seismic velocities in the crust. Since local earthquake tomography requires a large set of crustal travel paths, seismograms of local events recorded from July 1998 to June 2001 by permanent stations were added to the Eifel Plume data set. In addition to travel time corrections for the teleseismic tomography of the upper mantle, the new 3D velocity model should improve the precision for location of local events. From a total of 832 local seismic events, 172 were identified as tectonic earthquakes. The other events were either quarry blasts or shallow mine-induced seismic events. The locations of 60 quarry blasts are known and for 30 of them the firing time was measured during the field experiment. Since the origin time and location of these events are known with high precision, they are used to validate inverted velocity models. Station corrections from simultaneous 1D-inversion of local earthquake traveltimes and hypocenters are in good agreement with travel time residuals calculated from teleseismic rays. A strong azimuthal dependency of travel time residuals resulting from a 1D velocity model was found for quarry blasts with hypocenters in the volcanic field in the center of the Eifel. Simultaneous 3D-inversion calculations show strong heterogeneities in the upper crust and a negative anomaly for p-wave velocities in the lower crust. The latter either could indicate a low velocity zone close to the Moho or subsidence of the Moho. We present preliminary results obtained by simultaneous inversion of earthquake and velocity parameters constrained by known geological parameters and the controlled source information from calibrated quarry blasts.

Monitoring fossil fuel sources of methane in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loh, Zoe; Etheridge, David; Luhar, Ashok; Hibberd, Mark; Thatcher, Marcus; Noonan, Julie; Thornton, David; Spencer, Darren; Gregory, Rebecca; Jenkins, Charles; Zegelin, Steve; Leuning, Ray; Day, Stuart; Barrett, Damian

2017-04-01

CSIRO has been active in identifying and quantifying methane emissions from a range of fossil fuel sources in Australia over the past decade. We present here a history of the development of our work in this domain. While we have principally focused on optimising the use of long term, fixed location, high precision monitoring, paired with both forward and inverse modelling techniques suitable either local or regional scales, we have also incorporated mobile ground surveys and flux calculations from plumes in some contexts. We initially developed leak detection methodologies for geological carbon storage at a local scale using a Bayesian probabilistic approach coupled to a backward Lagrangian particle dispersion model (Luhar et al. JGR, 2014), and single point monitoring with sector analysis (Etheridge et al. In prep.) We have since expanded our modelling techniques to regional scales using both forward and inverse approaches to constrain methane emissions from coal mining and coal seam gas (CSG) production. The Surat Basin (Queensland, Australia) is a region of rapidly expanding CSG production, in which we have established a pair of carefully located, well-intercalibrated monitoring stations. These data sets provide an almost continuous record of (i) background air arriving at the Surat Basin, and (ii) the signal resulting from methane emissions within the Basin, i.e. total downwind methane concentration (comprising emissions including natural geological seeps, agricultural and biogenic sources and fugitive emissions from CSG production) minus background or upwind concentration. We will present our latest results on monitoring from the Surat Basin and their application to estimating methane emissions.

The topology of geology 1: Topological analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiele, Samuel T.; Jessell, Mark W.; Lindsay, Mark; Ogarko, Vitaliy; Wellmann, J. Florian; Pakyuz-Charrier, Evren

2016-10-01

Topology has been used to characterise and quantify the properties of complex systems in a diverse range of scientific domains. This study explores the concept and applications of topological analysis in geology. We have developed an automatic system for extracting first order 2D topological information from geological maps, and 3D topological information from models built with the Noddy kinematic modelling system, and equivalent analyses should be possible for other implicit modelling systems. A method is presented for describing the spatial and temporal topology of geological models using a set of adjacency relationships that can be expressed as a topology network, thematic adjacency matrix or hive diagram. We define three types of spatial topology (cellular, structural and lithological) that allow us to analyse different aspects of the geology, and then apply them to investigate the geology of the Hamersley Basin, Western Australia.

Methodology for earthquake rupture rate estimates of fault networks: example for the western Corinth rift, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chartier, Thomas; Scotti, Oona; Lyon-Caen, Hélène; Boiselet, Aurélien

2017-10-01

Modeling the seismic potential of active faults is a fundamental step of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA). An accurate estimation of the rate of earthquakes on the faults is necessary in order to obtain the probability of exceedance of a given ground motion. Most PSHA studies consider faults as independent structures and neglect the possibility of multiple faults or fault segments rupturing simultaneously (fault-to-fault, FtF, ruptures). The Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast version 3 (UCERF-3) model takes into account this possibility by considering a system-level approach rather than an individual-fault-level approach using the geological, seismological and geodetical information to invert the earthquake rates. In many places of the world seismological and geodetical information along fault networks is often not well constrained. There is therefore a need to propose a methodology relying on geological information alone to compute earthquake rates of the faults in the network. In the proposed methodology, a simple distance criteria is used to define FtF ruptures and consider single faults or FtF ruptures as an aleatory uncertainty, similarly to UCERF-3. Rates of earthquakes on faults are then computed following two constraints: the magnitude frequency distribution (MFD) of earthquakes in the fault system as a whole must follow an a priori chosen shape and the rate of earthquakes on each fault is determined by the specific slip rate of each segment depending on the possible FtF ruptures. The modeled earthquake rates are then compared to the available independent data (geodetical, seismological and paleoseismological data) in order to weight different hypothesis explored in a logic tree.The methodology is tested on the western Corinth rift (WCR), Greece, where recent advancements have been made in the understanding of the geological slip rates of the complex network of normal faults which are accommodating the ˜ 15 mm yr-1 north-south extension. Modeling results show that geological, seismological and paleoseismological rates of earthquakes cannot be reconciled with only single-fault-rupture scenarios and require hypothesizing a large spectrum of possible FtF rupture sets. In order to fit the imposed regional Gutenberg-Richter (GR) MFD target, some of the slip along certain faults needs to be accommodated either with interseismic creep or as post-seismic processes. Furthermore, computed individual faults' MFDs differ depending on the position of each fault in the system and the possible FtF ruptures associated with the fault. Finally, a comparison of modeled earthquake rupture rates with those deduced from the regional and local earthquake catalog statistics and local paleoseismological data indicates a better fit with the FtF rupture set constructed with a distance criteria based on 5 km rather than 3 km, suggesting a high connectivity of faults in the WCR fault system.

Creation of a Web-Based GIS Server and Custom Geoprocessing Tools for Enhanced Hydrologic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welton, B.; Chouinard, K.; Sultan, M.; Becker, D.; Milewski, A.; Becker, R.

2010-12-01

Rising populations in the arid and semi arid parts of the World are increasing the demand for fresh water supplies worldwide. Many data sets needed for assessment of hydrologic applications across vast regions of the world are expensive, unpublished, difficult to obtain, or at varying scales which complicates their use. Fortunately, this situation is changing with the development of global remote sensing datasets and web-based platforms such as GIS Server. GIS provides a cost effective vehicle for comparing, analyzing, and querying a variety of spatial datasets as geographically referenced layers. We have recently constructed a web-based GIS, that incorporates all relevant geological, geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing data sets that were readily used to identify reservoir types and potential well locations on local and regional scales in various tectonic settings including: (1) extensional environment (Red Sea rift), (2) transcurrent fault system (Najd Fault in the Arabian-Nubian Shield), and (3) compressional environments (Himalayas). The web-based GIS could also be used to detect spatial and temporal trends in precipitation, recharge, and runoff in large watersheds on local, regional, and continental scales. These applications were enabled through the construction of a web-based ArcGIS Server with Google Map’s interface and the development of customized geoprocessing tools. ArcGIS Server provides out-of-the-box setups that are generic in nature. This platform includes all of the standard web based GIS tools (e.g. pan, zoom, identify, search, data querying, and measurement). In addition to the standard suite of tools provided by ArcGIS Server an additional set of advanced data manipulation and display tools was also developed to allow for a more complete and customizable view of the area of interest. The most notable addition to the standard GIS Server tools is the custom on-demand geoprocessing tools (e.g., graph, statistical functions, custom raster creation, profile, TRMM). The generation of a wide range of derivative maps (e.g., buffer zone, contour map, graphs, temporal rainfall distribution maps) from various map layers (e.g., geologic maps, geophysics, satellite images) allows for more user flexibility. The use of these tools along with Google Map’s API which enables the website user to utilize high quality GeoEye 2 images provide by Google in conjunction with our data, creates a more complete image of the area being observed and allows for custom derivative maps to be created in the field and viewed immediately on the web, processes that were restricted to offline databases.

Digital data sets for map products produced as part of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williamson, Joyce E.; Jarrell, Gregory J.; Clawges, Rick M.; Galloway, Joel M.; Carter, Janet M.

2000-01-01

This compact disk contains digital data produced as part of the 1:100,000-scale map products for the Black Hills Hydrology Study conducted in western South Dakota. The digital data include 28 individual Geographic Information System (GIS) data sets: data sets for the hydrogeologic unit map including all mapped hydrogeologic units within the study area (1 data set) and major geologic structure including anticlines and synclines (1 data set); data sets for potentiometric maps including the potentiometric contours for the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers (5 data sets), wells used as control points for each aquifer (5 data sets), and springs used as control points for the potentiometric contours (1 data set); and data sets for the structure-contour maps including the structure contours for the top of each formation that contains major aquifers (5 data sets), wells and tests holes used as control points for each formation (5 data sets), and surficial deposits (alluvium and terrace deposits) that directly overlie each of the major aquifer outcrops (5 data sets). These data sets were used to produce the maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Geological Modeling and Fluid Flow Simulation of Acid Gas Storage, Nugget Sandstone, Moxa Arch, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, X.; Du, C.

2009-12-01

The Moxa Arch Anticline is a regional-scale northwest-trending uplift in western Wyoming where geological storage of acid gases (CO2, CH4, N2, H2S, He) from ExxonMobile's Shute Creek Gas Plant is under consideration. The Nugget Sandstone, a deep saline aquifer at depths exceeding 17,170 ft, is a candidate formation for acid gas storage. As part of a larger goal of determining site suitability, this study builds three-dimensional local to regional scale geological and fluid flow models for the Nugget Sandstone, its caprock (Twin Creek Limestone), and an underlying aquifer (Ankareh Sandstone), or together, the ``Nugget Suite''. For an area of 3000 square miles, geological and engineering data were assembled, screened for accuracy, and digitized, covering an average formation thickness of ~1700 feet. The data include 900 public-domain well logs (SP, Gamma Ray, Neutron Porosity, Density, Sonic, shallow and deep Resistivity, Lithology, Deviated well logs), 784 feet of core measurements (porosity and permeability), 4 regional geological cross sections, and 3 isopach maps. Data were interpreted and correlated for geological formations and facies, the later categorized using both Neural Network and Gaussian Hierarchical Clustering algorithms. Well log porosities were calibrated with core measurements, those of permeability estimated using formation-specific porosity-permeability transforms. Using conditional geostatistical simulations (first indicator simulation of facies, then sequential Gaussian simulation of facies-specific porosity), data were integrated at the regional-scale to create a geological model from which a local-scale simulation model surrounding the Shute Creek injection site was extracted. Based on this model, full compositional multiphase flow simulations were conducted with which we explore (1) an appropriate grid resolution for accurate acid gas predictions (pressure, saturation, and mass balance); (2) sensitivity of key geological and engineering variables on model predictions. Results suggest that (1) a horizontal and vertical resolution of 1/75 and 1/5~1/2 porosity correlation length is needed, respectively, to accurately capture the flow physics and mass balance. (2) the most sensitive variables that have first order impact on model predictions (i.e., regional storage, local displacement efficiency) are boundary condition, vertical permeability, relative permeability hysteresis, and injection rate. However, all else being equal, formation brine salinity has the most important effects on the concentrations of all dissolved components. Future work will define and simulate reactions of acid gases with formation brines and rocks which are currently under laboratory investigations.

Influence of stratigraphic factors on the failure mechanisms of sinkholes related to man-made underground caves at Cutrofiano (South-Eastern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lollino, Piernicola; Margiotta, Stefano; Parise, Mario

2013-04-01

An increasing number of areas in southern Italy are being interested by sinkholes related to the presence of man-made cavities, with underground quarries representing the more problematic typology of anthropogenic caves in terms of instability. The case of Cutrofiano (Apulia, SE Italy) is here presented as a representative case study. This territory is well known for the underground quarrying activity of soft calcarenitic rocks that caused in the last decades widespread phenomena of subsidence at the surface, with extensive damage and problems to the main communication routes in the area. A very complex and intricate network of subterranean galleries is present underground, for a total development on the order of several tens of kilometres. The Gravina Calcarenite Formation, that is the object of the underground quarries, consists of whitish calcarenite with an upper greenish clayey-sandy interval rich in fossils. This formation is overlain by grey sandy clays (Subapennine Clays) grading upward to fossil-rich sands (Brindisi Sands). In recent years, clay mining has been resumed at the ground surface, following the opening of a cement factory, and resulting in the realization of wide open-pit quarries. The local sedimentary sequence is closed by terraced calcarenite deposits, that holds a phreatic groundwater body. The results of detailed geological, geomorphological and geomechanical surveys, supported by laboratory tests, show that in the Cutrofiano area the thickness of the stratigraphical succession, the depth of the underground galleries, the structural conditions of the rock mass, and the failure mechanisms observed within the quarries are variable. The geological model reconstructed represents the base for the implementation of numerical simulations, which are aimed at defining the eventual mechanisms of rock failure, up to the formation of the sinkhole. Local changes in the stratigraphy are very common in the area, due to the overall slight attitude of the strata, dipping toward the SW, and to lateral variations in the geological succession. Thus, at least two different geological settings may be recognized: the first is typical of those areas closest to the town, where the calcarenite rock mass is at low depth, and appears to be covered by very thin deposits; in such a situation, the underground quarries develop at depths ranging from 7 to 10 meters below the ground surface. The second setting, which typically characterizes the sectors a few kilometres farther south, shows, on the other hand, the presence of thick cover of the clay-sandy intervals, and has the galleries of underground quarries located at depth variable from 15 to 45 m. Starting from these different situations, two-dimensional numerical analyses have been developed by using the finite element method to investigate the stress-strain evolution of the rock mass surrounding the galleries due to long-term degradation of the rock properties induced by weathering and water infiltration. The results obtained from the numerical simulations point out a quite different behaviour between the two geological settings, since the presence of the significant clay layer overlying the calcarenite substratum affects the geometry of the subsidence cone, and, consequently, the real extent of the likely sinkholes at the surface. These outcomes are of great importance to highlight the need to use detailed, site-specific, data in order to perform numerical modelling, and warn about the common habit of extending a small number of borehole data, tens of hundreds of meters apart, over large areas. Especially when carried out to define vulnerability and/or risk of specific elements at risk, the researches should be performed having available on-site data, or, alternatively, the end users should be properly warned in the use of the outcomes from the study.

Characterization of Most Promising Sequestration Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region (RMCCS)

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

McPherson, Brian; Matthews, Vince

2013-09-30

The primary objective of the “Characterization of Most Promising Carbon Capture and Sequestration Formations in the Central Rocky Mountain Region” project, or RMCCS project, is to characterize the storage potential of the most promising geologic sequestration formations within the southwestern U.S. and the Central Rocky Mountain region in particular. The approach included an analysis of geologic sequestration formations under the Craig Power Station in northwestern Colorado, and application or extrapolation of those local-scale results to the broader region. A ten-step protocol for geologic carbon storage site characterization was a primary outcome of this project.

A guided inquiry approach to learning the geology of the U.S

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leech, M.L.; Howell, D.G.; Egger, A.E.

2004-01-01

A guided inquiry exercise has been developed to help teach the geology of the U.S. This exercise is intended for use early in the school term when undergraduate students have little background knowledge of geology. Before beginning, students should be introduced to rock types and have a basic understanding of geologic time. This exercise uses three maps: the U.S. Geological Survey's "A Tapestry of Time and Terrain" and "Landforms of the Conterminous United States" maps, and a geologic map of the United States. Using these maps, groups of 3 to 5 students are asked to identify between 8 and 12 geologic provinces based on topography, the age of rocks, and rock types. Each student is given a blank outline map of the contiguous U.S. and each group is given a set of the three maps and colored pencils; as a group, students work to define regions in the U.S. with similar geology. A goal of 8 to 12 geologic provinces is given to help establish the level of detail being asked of students. One member of each group is asked to present their group's findings to the class, describing their geologic provinces and the reasoning behind their choices.

AAPG forms environmental unit; Geosat moving

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

Not Available

1992-07-20

This paper reports that the American Association of Petroleum Geologists has established a new environmental geology division, while a geology related committee is moving from Oklahoma. AAPG set up a Division of Environmental Geosciences to provide services and information to its members working in environmental geosciences, the Bernold M. Bruno Hanson of Midland, Tex., the DEG's first president. The division will publish a newsletter in October, and plans are being set to solicit technical articles for consideration by the AAPG Bulletin and for a possible future separate DEG technical publication.

Reconnaissance geologic mapping in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica using the Earth Resources Technology Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houston, R. S. (Principal Investigator); Zochol, F. W.; Smithson, S. B.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Reconnaissance geologic mapping can be done with 60-70% accuracy in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica using ERTS-1 imagery. Bedrock geology can be mapped much better than unconsolidated deposits of Quaternary age. Mapping of bedrock geology is facilitated by lack of vegetation, whereas mapping of Quaternary deposits is hindered by lack of vegetation. Antarctic images show remarkable clarity and under certain conditions (moderate relief, selection of the optimum band for specific rock types, stereo-viewing) irregular contacts can be mapped in local areas that are amazing like those mapped at a scale of 1:25,000, but, of course, lack details due to resolution limitations. ERTS-1 images should be a valuable aid to Antarctic geologists who have some limited ground truth and wish to extend boundaries of geologic mapping from known areas.

Conservation and promotion of the geological heritage in the «Ile-de-France» region (France): Establishment of a decision support-tool based on inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auberger, Elise; Gély, Jean-Pierre; De Wever, Patrick; Merle, Didier

2017-04-01

Based on an initiative by the "Regional Commission of Geological Patrimony" (CRPG), the French state and the regional government of Ile-de-France co-financed the setting up of an inventory with the aim of safeguarding geological sites of patrimonial interest. This project forms part of larger scale policies, at the national and European level. Geological studies in the Paris region began as early as the 18th century, in the fields of cartography and paleontology. Later on, prominent scientists like G. Cuvier, A. Brongniart and A. d'Orbigny established the first concepts in sedimentology and stratigraphy through the description of Cenozoic fossil sites that rank amongst the richest in the world and geological formations in the Paris Basin. Eventually, later on, five historical stratotypes were established in the Ile-de-France region. Yet, at present, this geological heritage is constantly threatened by expanding urbanisation. To conserve this diverse geological patrimony, we have set up a protocol composed of 4 main actions: i) The exhaustive and objective referencing of geological sites in Ile-de-France. This information is centralised in a database, which currently comprises 639 sites (mainly of anthropic nature such as quarries) ii) The pre-selection of sites (298 out of the initial 639) based on sufficient accessibility and potential geological interest. iii) The use of a method of description and hierarchisation - following the guidelines of the National Geological Heritage Inventory Program (INPG) - on the pre-selected sites. iv) Establishment of a schedule specifying actions of geo-conservation which will take into account the patrimonial value of the sites, but also their threats, their juridical status and the socio-economic context of the region. The purpose of this program is to conserve a collection of geological sites that reflect the totality of the regional geology in Ile-de-France. The results of this study will be released to the general public and thus serving as a decision support-tool for government members, territorial administrations and non-profit organisations in the creation of projects of protection and promotion of the geoheritage. This methodology will represent a reference for the management of the geological heritage in urban and peri-urban contexts.

Charles Darwin in Australia; or How To Introduce Some Local Colour to the Teaching of Evolution, Geology, Meteorology, and the Determination of Longitude.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholas, Frank W.

The background to Charles Darwin's little-known visit to Australia, and the account of his experiences while here, provide some invaluable historical material for teaching evolution, geology, meteorology, and the determination of longitude. Indeed, by using his Australian experiences as a foundation, it is possible to explain the theory of…

U.S. Geological Survey Business Partner Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1999-01-01

The Business Partner Program is composed of a network of private sector organizations that distribute U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) products. By engaging the private sector, State and local government, and academic and nonprofit organizations in product dissemination, the USGS expects to increase the availability of its products to end users, locate customer service closer to the user, and provide cost savings to the Federal Government.

New results concerning geophysical and geological-engineering data. Case study Telega, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maftei, Raluca-Mihaela; Rusu, Emil; Cristea, Paul; Manj, Valeriu; Avram, Ovidiu; Tudor, Elena; Porumbescu, Constantina; Ciurean, Roxana

2010-05-01

New results concerning geophysical and geological-engineering data. Case study Telega, Romania R.Maftei, E.Rusu, P.Cristea, V.Manj, R.Ciurean, O.Avram, E.Tudor, C.Porumbescu Geological Institute of Romania, Geohazard, Bucharest, Romania (mafteir@yahoo.com) Geophysical tests The geoelectric investigation (October-November 2009) outlines horizontally the sliding area, and vertically the elements of the landslide surface - position, depth, shape, and the bedrock's relief. The quantitative interpretation of the resistivity geoelectrical vertical tests, and the correlation with the geological structure identified 3 sliding surfaces, from which only the upper one (2-6m depth) was known before the stability works. There were localized the rainfall waters circulation and accumulation zones, areas with high sliding risk. Same results were obtained in sliding zones, been localized the principal elements of the landslides, with practical implications in land instability and estimation of the evolution of the destructive phenomena mechanisms. With this study we try to quantify the complex relationship between the natural factors that generate the terrain instability phenomena and the intensity of the socio-economic effects, at a regional and local scale, by correlating the engineering geology information and geophysical data. Recent seismic research program (September 2009) conceived for "La Butoi" landslide, Telega locality, aims to a specific monitoring of the dynamic deformations, more active in the central part of the landslide, with reference to the shallow seismic refraction information obtained in the 2004 - 2005 period. The investigations were performed on a seismic lines network, and two seismic boundaries, in the shallow seismic section, were exhibited. As a result, one can observe the curvature tendency of the first arrivals sin-phase for the end-off shot devices, setting off the velocity increasing regime with depth; relative high variations and irregularities of the time distance curves on short intervals are interpreted as a response to the bedrock's irregular surface. Based on the centralized time - distance curve of the L longitudinal profile, from which a fragment - 0-115 m is being reproduced in Fig. 4, the shallow section was redefined for the most part of the seismic line (Fig. 5). The picket positions are identical along the seismic line for the seismo-geological section represented in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5. Within the section, based on the recent acquired seismic data, seismic velocities regimes associated to the main compartments are being reproduced. Hence, a new seismic limit is imposed by the t1 refracted wave presence as a result of the apparent velocities of about 400 - 500 m/s. Therefore, underlying the intensively weathered shallow formation, defined by velocities of about 250 m/s, one can find a thin layer (1.5 - 4 m), above which the t1 wave travels; the thicknesses increases downstream. Following the vertical distribution, the seismic velocities regime does not modify significantly comparing with the section determined by the observations made 4 years before present. We can presume that the weathering process is continuously and gradually active in depth, leading to a dynamic behavior of the loose material. Complementary, we must emphasize the discreet tendency of increasing velocities (with 50 m/s) characterizing the main inferior body of the sliding mass (between 0m to 100m stakes), presumably as an effect of the high pressure exerted by the upstream unstable complex. Additional information will be yield by the recordings over transversal profiles, located especially on the maximum development of the landslide area. Geological-engineering data The field trip (September-November 2009) was made to observe the changes in the studied area. After a rainy period, a lot of terrain's surface transformations were observed. Comparing with the last year situation, 2 other steps appeared on the sliding mass. Also, the landslide expended both lateral and in depth. The excess water areas were enlarged and become deeper. Same the cracks and fissures. This paper is part of the DIGISOIL project dissemination plan. The DIGISOIL project is financed by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, Area "Environment", Activity 6.3 "Environmental Technologies".

Geogenic and anthropogenic impacts on indoor radon in the Techa River region.

PubMed

Yarmoshenko, I; Malinovsky, G; Vasilyev, A; Onischenko, A; Seleznev, A

2016-11-15

Indoor radon concentration was studied in the 14 settlements located near the Techa River, which was contaminated by radioactive wastes in 1950-s. Results of the radon survey were used for analysis of the relationship between the indoor radon and main geologic factors (Pre-Jurassic formations, Quaternary sediments and faults), local geogenic radon potential and anthropogenic factors. Main influencing factors explain 58% of the standard deviation of indoor radon concentration. Association of the air exchange influence over radon concentration with underlying geological media was related to different contributions of geogenic advective and diffusive radon entries. The properties of geological formation to transfer radon gas in interaction with the house can be considered within the radon geogenic potential concept. The study of the radon exposure of the Techa River population can be used to estimate the contribution of natural radon to the overall radiation exposure of the local population during the period of radioactive waste discharges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ground water in Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leonard, A.R.

1960-01-01

One of the first requisites for the intelligent planning of utilization and control of water and for the administration of laws relating to its use is data on the quantity, quality, and mode of occurrence of the available supplies. The collection, evaluation and interpretation, and publication of such data are among the primary functions of the U. S. Geological Survey, Since 1895 the Congress has made appropriations to the Survey for investigation of the water resources of the Nation. In 1929 the Congress adopted the policy of dollar-for-dollar cooperation with the States and local governmental agencies in water resources investigations of the U. S. Geological Survey, In 1937 a program of ground-water investigations was started in cooperation with the Oklahoma Geological Survey, and in 1949 this program was expanded to include cooperation with the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, In 1957 the State Legislature created the Oklahoma Water Resources Board as the principal State water agency and it became the principal local cooperator.

Geology and neotectonism in the epicentral area of the 2011 M5.8 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burton, William C.; Spears, David B.; Harrison, Richard W.; Evans, Nicholas H.; Schindler, J. Stephen; Counts, Ronald C.

2015-01-01

arc (Ordovician Chopawamsic Formation) to Laurentia, intrusion of a granodiorite pluton (Ordovician Ellisville pluton), and formation of a post-Chopawamsic successor basin (Ordovician Quantico Formation), all accompanied by early Paleozoic regional deformation and metamorphism. Local transpressional faulting and retrograde metamorphism occurred in the late Paleozoic, followed by diabase dike intrusion and possible local normal faulting in the early Mesozoic. The overall goal of the bedrock mapping is to determine what existing geologic structures might have been reactivated during the 2011 seismic event, and surfi cial deposits along the South Anna River are being mapped in order to determine possible neotectonic uplift. In addition to bedrock and surfi cial studies, we have excavated trenches in an area that contains two late Paleozoic faults and represents the updip projection of the causative fault for the 2011 quake. The trenches reveal faulting that has offset surfi cial deposits dated as Quaternary in age, as well as numerous other brittle structures that suggest a geologically recent history of neotectonic activity.

Staff - David L. LePain | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

geothermal energy sources for local use in Alaska: Summary of available information: Alaska Division of fuel and geothermal energy sources for local use in Alaska: Summary of available information: Alaska , J.G., Fossil fuel and geothermal energy sources for local use in Alaska: Summary of available

SIR-A imagery in geologic studies of the Sierra Madre Oriental, northeastern Mexico. Part 1 (Regional stratigraphy): The use of morphostratigraphic units in remote sensing mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Longoria, J. F.; Jimenez, O. H.

1985-01-01

SIR-A imaging was used in geological studies of sedimentary terrains in the Sierra Madre Oriental, northeastern Mexico. Geological features such as regional strike and dip, bedding, folding and faulting were readily detected on the image. The recognition of morphostructural units in the imagery, coupled with field verification, enabled geological mapping of the region at the scale of 1:250 000. Structural profiling lead to the elaboration of a morphostructural map allowing the recognition of an echelon folds and field trends which were used to postulate the ectonic setting of the region.

Earth science photographs from the U.S. Geological Survey Library

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGregor, Joseph K.; Abston, Carl C.

1995-01-01

This CD-ROM set contains 1,500 scanned photographs from the U.S. Geological Survey Library for use as a photographic glossary of elementary geologic terms. Scholars are encouraged to copy these public domain images into their reports or databases to enhance their presentations. High-quality prints and (or) slides are available upon request from the library. This CD-ROM was produced in accordance with the ISO 9660 standard; however, it is intended for use on DOS-based computer systems only.

Volcanism on Io: Results from Global Geologic Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David A.; Keszthelyi, L. P.; Crown, D. A.; Geissler, P. E.; Schenk, P. M.; Yff, Jessica; Jaeger, W. L.

2010-01-01

We have completed a new 1:15,000,000 global geologic map of Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io, based on a set of 1 km/pixel combined Galileo- Voyager mosaics produced by the U.S. Geological Survey. The map was produced over the last three years using ArcGIS(TM) software, and has undergone peer-review. Here we report some of the key results from our global mapping efforts, and how these results relate to questions regarding the volcano-tectonic evolution of Io.

Geologic and Seismologic Investigation

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

Descriptions, Hidden and Buchanan Dams 4 1.6.1 Hidden Dam 4 1.6.2 Buchanan Dam 5 2 TECTONIC SETTING 2.1 General 7 2.2 Cretaceous-Cenozoic Tectonic ...Activity 7 2.2.1 Cretaceous-Paleogene 8 2.2.2 Neogene 9 2.2.3 Late Cenozoic Tectonic Model 9 3 REGIONAL GEOLOGY 3.1 General 11 3.2 Geologic Units 11...detected by the imagery analysis which indicates there has been no tectonic movement from about 100,000 to 400,000 years ago to the present. The field

Changes in Sea Levels around the British Isles Revisited (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teferle, F. N.; Hansen, D. N.; Bingley, R. M.; Williams, S. D.; Woodworth, P. L.; Gehrels, W. R.; Bradley, S. L.; Stocchi, P.

2009-12-01

Recently a number of new and/or updated sources for estimates of vertical land movements for the British Isles have become available allowing the relative and average changes in sea levels for this region to be revisited. The geodetic data set stems from a combination of re-processed continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements from stations in the British Isles and from a global reference frame network, and absolute gravity (AG) measurements from two stations in the British Isles. The geologic data set of late Holocene sea level indicators has recently been updated, now applying corrections for the 20th century sea level rise, syphoning effect and late Holocene global ice melt, and expanded to Northern Ireland and Ireland. Several new model predictions of the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) process active in this region form the modelling data set of vertical land movements for the British Isles. Correcting the updated revised local reference (RLR) trends from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) with these vertical land movement data sets, regional and averaged changes in sea levels around the British Isles have been investigated. Special focus is thereby also given to the coastal areas that have recently been identified within the UK Climate Projections 2009.

Outcrop descriptions and fossils from the Upper Cretaceous Frontier Formation, Wind River Basin and adjacent areas, Wyoming: Chapter 11 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas resources in the Wind River Basin Province, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merewether, E.A.; Cobban, W.A.

2007-01-01

The index maps used to show locations of outcrop sections and fossil collections are from scanned versions of U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps of various scales and were obtained from TerraServer®. The portion of each map used depended on the areal distribution of the localities involved. The named quadrangles used for locality descriptions, however, all refer to 7½-minute, 1:24,000-scale quadrangles (for example, “Alcova”). The aerial photographs also are from TerraServer®; http://www.terraserver.com/.

Integrated system for well-to-well correlation with geological knowledge base

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

Saito, K.; Doi, E.; Uchiyama, T.

1987-05-01

A task of well-to-well correlation is an essential part of the reservoir description study. Since the task is involved with diverse data such as logs, dipmeter, seismic, and reservoir engineering, a system with simultaneous access to such data is desirable. A system is developed to aid stratigraphic correlation under a Xerox 1108 workstation, written in INTERLISP-D. The system uses log, dipmeter, seismic, and computer-processed results such as Litho-Analysis and LSA (Log Shape Analyzer). The system first defines zones which are segmentations of log data into consistent layers using Litho-Analysis and LSA results. Each zone is defined as a minimum unitmore » for correlation with slot values of lithology, thickness, log values, and log shape such as bell, cylinder, and funnel. Using a user's input of local geological knowledge such as depositional environment, the system selects marker beds and performs correlation among the wells chosen from the base map. Correlation is performed first with markers and then with sandstones of lesser lateral extent. Structural dip and seismic horizon are guides for seeking a correlatable event. Knowledge of sand body geometry such as ratio of thickness and width is also used to provide a guide on how far a correlation should be made. Correlation results performed by the system are displayed on the screen for the user to examine and modify. The system has been tested with data sets from several depositional settings and has shown to be a useful tool for correlation work. The results are stored as a data base for structural mapping and reservoir engineering study.« less

Normal-faulting slip maxima and stress-drop variability: a geological perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hecker, S.; Dawson, T.E.; Schwartz, D.P.

2010-01-01

We present an empirical estimate of maximum slip in continental normal-faulting earthquakes and present evidence that stress drop in intraplate extensional environments is dependent on fault maturity. A survey of reported slip in historical earthquakes globally and in latest Quaternary paleoearthquakes in the Western Cordillera of the United States indicates maximum vertical displacements as large as 6–6.5 m. A difference in the ratio of maximum-to-mean displacements between data sets of prehistoric and historical earthquakes, together with constraints on bias in estimates of mean paleodisplacement, suggest that applying a correction factor of 1.4±0.3 to the largest observed displacement along a paleorupture may provide a reasonable estimate of the maximum displacement. Adjusting the largest paleodisplacements in our regional data set (~6 m) by a factor of 1.4 yields a possible upper-bound vertical displacement for the Western Cordillera of about 8.4 m, although a smaller correction factor may be more appropriate for the longest ruptures. Because maximum slip is highly localized along strike, if such large displacements occur, they are extremely rare. Static stress drop in surface-rupturing earthquakes in the Western Cordillera, as represented by maximum reported displacement as a fraction of modeled rupture length, appears to be larger on normal faults with low cumulative geologic displacement (<2 km) and larger in regions such as the Rocky Mountains, where immature, low-throw faults are concentrated. This conclusion is consistent with a growing recognition that structural development influences stress drop and indicates that this influence is significant enough to be evident among faults within a single intraplate environment.

A method for mapping topsoil field-saturated hydraulic conductivity in the Cévennes-Vivarais region using infiltration tests conducted with different techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braud, Isabelle; Desprats, Jean-François; Ayral, Pierre-Alain; Bouvier, Christophe; Vandervaere, Jean-Pierre

2017-04-01

Topsoil field-saturated hydraulic conductivity, Kfs, is a parameter that controls the partition of rainfall between infiltration and runoff. It is a key parameter in most distributed hydrological models. However, there is a mismatch between the scale of local in situ measurements and the scale at which the parameter is required in models. Therefore it is necessary to design methods to regionally map this parameter at the model scale. The paper propose a method for mapping Kfs in the Cévennes-Vivarais region, south-east France, using more easily available GIS data: geology and land cover. The mapping is based on a data set gathering infiltration tests performed in the area or close to it for more than ten years. The data set is composed of infiltration tests performed using various techniques: Guelph permeameter, double ring and single ring infiltration tests, infiltrometers with multiple suctions. The different methods lead to different orders of magnitude for Kfs rendering the pooling of all the data challenging. Therefore, a method is first proposed to pool the data from the different infiltration methods, leading to a homogenized set of Kfs, based on an equivalent double ring/tension disk infiltration value. Statistical tests showed significant differences in distributions among different geologies and land covers. Thus those variables were retained as proxy for mapping Kfs at the regional scale. This map was compared to a map based on the Rawls and Brakensiek (RB) pedo-transfer function (Manus et al., 2009, Vannier et al., 2016), showing very different patterns between both maps. In addition, RB values did not fit observed values at the plot scale, highlighting that soil texture only is not a good predictor of Kfs. References Manus, C., Anquetin, S., Braud, I., Vandervaere, J.P., Viallet, P., Creutin, J.D., Gaume, E., 2009. A modelling approach to assess the hydrological response of small Mediterranean catchments to the variability of soil characteristics in a context of extreme events. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 13: 79-87. Vannier, O., Anquetin, S., Braud, I., 2016. Investigating the role of geology in the hydrological response of Mediterranean catchments prone to flash-floods: regional modelling study and process understanding. Journal of Hydrology, 541 Part A, 158-172.

Geologic and mineral and water resources investigations in western Colorado using ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knepper, D. H. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Most of the geologic information in ERTS-1 imagery can be extracted from bulk processed black and white transparencies by a skilled interpreter using standard photogeologic techniques. In central and western Colorado, the detectability of lithologic contacts on ERTS-1 imagery is closely related to the time of year the imagery was acquired. Geologic structures are the most readily extractable type of geologic information contained in ERTS images. Major tectonic features and associated minor structures can be rapidly mapped, allowing the geologic setting of a large region to be quickly accessed. Trends of geologic structures in younger sedimentary appear to strongly parallel linear trends in older metamorphic and igneous basement terrain. Linears and color anomalies mapped from ERTS imagery are closely related to loci of known mineralization in the Colorado mineral belt.

Conflation and integration of archived geologic maps and associated uncertainties

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shoberg, Thomas G.

2016-01-01

Old, archived geologic maps are often available with little or no associated metadata. This creates special problems in terms of extracting their data to use with a modern database. This research focuses on some problems and uncertainties associated with conflating older geologic maps in regions where modern geologic maps are, as yet, non-existent as well as vertically integrating the conflated maps with layers of modern GIS data (in this case, The National Map of the U.S. Geological Survey). Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri was chosen as the test area. It is covered by six archived geologic maps constructed in the years between 1928 and 1994. Conflating these maps results in a map that is internally consistent with these six maps, is digitally integrated with hydrography, elevation and orthoimagery data, and has a 95% confidence interval useful for further data set integration.

Planetary geology and terrestrial analogs in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Goro; Namiki, Noriyuki

2012-04-01

2011 PERC Planetary Geology Field Symposium;Kitakyushu City, Japan, 5-6 November 2011 In spite of the extremely diverse geological settings that exist in Asia, relatively little attention has previously been paid to this region in terms of terrestrial analog studies for planetary application. Asia is emerging as a major center of studies in planetary geology, but no attempt had been made in the past to organize a broadly based meeting that would allow planetary geologists in Asia to meet with ones from more advanced centers, such as the United States and Europe, and that would include the participation of many geologists working primarily on terrestrial research. The Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC) of the Chiba Institute of Technology hosted the first planetary geology field symposium in Asia to present results from recent planetary geology studies and to exchange ideas regarding terrestrial analogs (http://www.perc.it-chiba.ac.jp/meetings/pgfs2011/index.html).

Analysis of geologic terrain models for determination of optimum SAR sensor configuration and optimum information extraction for exploration of global non-renewable resources. Pilot study: Arkansas Remote Sensing Laboratory, part 1, part 2, and part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaupp, V. H.; Macdonald, H. C.; Waite, W. P.; Stiles, J. A.; Frost, F. S.; Shanmugam, K. S.; Smith, S. A.; Narayanan, V.; Holtzman, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Computer-generated radar simulations and mathematical geologic terrain models were used to establish the optimum radar sensor operating parameters for geologic research. An initial set of mathematical geologic terrain models was created for three basic landforms and families of simulated radar images were prepared from these models for numerous interacting sensor, platform, and terrain variables. The tradeoffs between the various sensor parameters and the quantity and quality of the extractable geologic data were investigated as well as the development of automated techniques of digital SAR image analysis. Initial work on a texture analysis of SEASAT SAR imagery is reported. Computer-generated radar simulations are shown for combinations of two geologic models and three SAR angles of incidence.

Fault-slip inversions: Their importance in terms of strain, heterogeneity, and kinematics of brittle deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riller, U.; Clark, M. D.; Daxberger, H.; Doman, D.; Lenauer, I.; Plath, S.; Santimano, T.

2017-08-01

Heterogeneous deformation is intrinsic in natural deformation, but often underestimated in the analysis and interpretation of mesoscopic brittle shear faults. Based on the analysis of 11,222 faults from two distinct tectonic settings, the Central Andes in Argentina and the Sudbury area in Canada, interpolation of principal strain directions and scaled analogue modelling, we revisit controversial issues of fault-slip inversions, collectively adhering to heterogeneous deformation. These issues include the significance of inversion solutions in terms of (1) strain or paleo-stress; (2) displacement, notably plate convergence; (3) local versus far-field deformation; (4) strain perturbations and (5) spacing between stations of fault-slip data acquisition. Furthermore, we highlight the value of inversions for identifying the kinematics of master fault zones in the absence of displaced geological markers. A key result of our assessment is that fault-slip inversions relate to local strain, not paleo-stress, and thus can aid in inferring, the kinematics of master faults. Moreover, strain perturbations caused by mechanical anomalies of the deforming upper crust significantly influence local principal strain directions. Thus, differently oriented principal strain axes inferred from fault-slip inversions in a given region may not point to regional deformation caused by successive and distinct deformation regimes. This outcome calls into question the common practice of separating heterogeneous fault-slip data sets into apparently homogeneous subsets. Finally, the fact that displacement vectors and principal strains are rarely co-linear defies the use of brittle fault data as proxy for estimating directions of plate-scale motions.

Research on Remote Sensing Geological Information Extraction Based on Object Oriented Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Hui

2018-04-01

The northern Tibet belongs to the Sub cold arid climate zone in the plateau. It is rarely visited by people. The geological working conditions are very poor. However, the stratum exposures are good and human interference is very small. Therefore, the research on the automatic classification and extraction of remote sensing geological information has typical significance and good application prospect. Based on the object-oriented classification in Northern Tibet, using the Worldview2 high-resolution remote sensing data, combined with the tectonic information and image enhancement, the lithological spectral features, shape features, spatial locations and topological relations of various geological information are excavated. By setting the threshold, based on the hierarchical classification, eight kinds of geological information were classified and extracted. Compared with the existing geological maps, the accuracy analysis shows that the overall accuracy reached 87.8561 %, indicating that the classification-oriented method is effective and feasible for this study area and provides a new idea for the automatic extraction of remote sensing geological information.

Integration of Field Geophysics and Geology in an International Setting: Multidisciplinary Geoscience Field Experience at the University of Western Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenders, A. J.; Banerjee, N.; Pratt, R. G.

2010-12-01

The pedagogical value of the field experience is unequaled: students, teaching assistants, and professors alike return with a renewed sense of purpose, community, and the context in which to place classroom education. It is widely regarded as valuable to personal development, and is required by the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists for professional registration. As part of our ongoing International Geoscience Field Experience Initiative, Earth Sciences students at the University of Western Ontario have the opportunity to enhance their education through a study abroad program. The focus is on a residential field experience to world-class localities, offered with the collaboration of internationally recognized academic researchers, government survey personnel, and industry leaders. Recent trips have included the Sn-W mineralization in the Cornwall district of the U.K., the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in Portugal and Spain, and the metallogenic belts of Western Turkey. The integration of geological knowledge with geophysical data was one of the key organizing principles of our recent field trips to the IPB and Western Turkey. This integration is a foundation of modern Earth Sciences, and common practice in industry, it is relatively rare in classroom settings. Lectures before departure and evening exercises during the field trip supplemented the core undergraduate curriculum in geophysics, reviewing gravity, DC resistivity, induced polarization (IP), and magnetotelluric methods, focusing on application to mineral exploration. During our trip to the IPB, partnership with industry allowed students the opportunity to work with state of the art geophysical data, acquired on an exploration prospect visited during the field trip. Multi-parameter geophysical inversions of the IP and MT data produced cross-sections in depth - results interpretable by the students in the complex geological environment of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Although the students gained valuable geological insight, the lack of practical experience in the acquisition and processing of geophysical data was identified in course evaluations. To address this, in Western Turkey, students had the opportunity to design and acquire total magnetic field surveys using a walking magnetometer, combining a GPS receiver and proton-precession magnetometer. Using this instrument, students identified the geophysical response of subsurface features, visible in both outcrop and during traverse through open pit mines. A transect across a buried basalt - limestone contact was made, and the strike of the contact identified during subsequent data processing. Students also had the opportunity to visit an active IP-resistivity survey, observing the acquisition of this data in the field, and learn how project geologists integrate this data with geological drill cores. Finally, students designed and acquired a total magnetic field survey over an archaeological site: the Acropolis at Pergamon. By integrating data acquisition, processing, and interpretation with field visits to sites of both geological and archaeological interest, students acquired field and technical skills that ideally prepared them for a future in research or industry.

Geologic Controls of Hydraulic Conductivity in the Snake River Plain Aquifer At and Near the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho

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

S. R. Anderson; M. A. Kuntz; L. C. Davis

1999-02-01

The effective hydraulic conductivity of basalt and interbedded sediment that compose the Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) ranges from about 1.0x10 -2 to 3.2x10 4 feet per day (ft/d). This six-order-of-magnitude range of hydraulic conductivity was estimated from single-well aquifer tests in 114 wells, and is attributed mainly to the physical characteristics and distribution of basalt flows and dikes. Hydraulic conductivity is greatest in thin pahoehoe flows and near-vent volcanic deposits. Hydraulic conductivity is least in flows and deposits cut by dikes. Estimates of hydraulic conductivity at and near themore » INEEL are similar to those measured in similar volcanic settings in Hawaii. The largest variety of rock types and the greatest range of hydraulic conductivity are in volcanic rift zones, which are characterized by numerous aligned volcanic vents and fissures related to underlying dikes. Three broad categories of hydraulic conductivity corresponding to six general types of geologic controls can be inferred from the distribution of wells and vent corridors. Hydraulic conductivity of basalt flows probably is increased by localized fissures and coarse mixtures of interbedded sediment, scoria, and basalt rubble. Hydraulic conductivity of basalt flows is decreased locally by abundant alteration minerals of probable hydrothermal origin. Hydraulic conductivity varies as much as six orders of magnitude in a single vent corridor and varies from three to five orders of magnitude within distances of 500 to 1,000 feet. Abrupt changes in hydraulic conductivity over short distances suggest the presence of preferential pathways and local barriers that may greatly affect the movement of ground water and the dispersion of radioactive and chemical wastes downgradient from points of waste disposal.« less

Spatial Autocorrelation, Source Water and the Distribution of Total and Viable Microbial Abundances within a Crystalline Formation to a Depth of 800 m

PubMed Central

Beaton, E. D.; Stuart, Marilyne; Stroes-Gascoyne, Sim; King-Sharp, Karen J.; Gurban, Ioana; Festarini, Amy; Chen, Hui Q.

2017-01-01

Proposed radioactive waste repositories require long residence times within deep geological settings for which we have little knowledge of local or regional subsurface dynamics that could affect the transport of hazardous species over the period of radioactive decay. Given the role of microbial processes on element speciation and transport, knowledge and understanding of local microbial ecology within geological formations being considered as host formations can aid predictions for long term safety. In this relatively unexplored environment, sampling opportunities are few and opportunistic. We combined the data collected for geochemistry and microbial abundances from multiple sampling opportunities from within a proposed host formation and performed multivariate mixing and mass balance (M3) modeling, spatial analysis and generalized linear modeling to address whether recharge can explain how subsurface communities assemble within fracture water obtained from multiple saturated fractures accessed by boreholes drilled into the crystalline formation underlying the Chalk River Laboratories site (Deep River, ON, Canada). We found that three possible source waters, each of meteoric origin, explained 97% of the samples, these are: modern recharge, recharge from the period of the Laurentide ice sheet retreat (ca. ∼12000 years before present) and a putative saline source assigned as Champlain Sea (also ca. 12000 years before present). The distributed microbial abundances and geochemistry provide a conceptual model of two distinct regions within the subsurface associated with bicarbonate – used as a proxy for modern recharge – and manganese; these regions occur at depths relevant to a proposed repository within the formation. At the scale of sampling, the associated spatial autocorrelation means that abundances linked with geochemistry were not unambiguously discerned, although fine scale Moran’s eigenvector map (MEM) coefficients were correlated with the abundance data and suggest the action of localized processes possibly associated with the manganese and sulfate content of the fracture water. PMID:28974945

A basic tool for post-seismic rebuilding: the new 1:5.000 scale geological map of Amatrice town

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, Marco; Vignaroli, Gianluca; Ardizzone, Francesca; Bucci, Francesco; Cardinali, Mauro; Cavinato, Gian Paolo; Cosentino, Giuseppe; Di Salvo, Cristina; Fiorucci, Federica; Gaudiosi, Iolanda; Giallini, Silvia; Peronace, Edoardo; Polpetta, Federica; Putignano, Maria Luisa; Reichenbach, Paola; Santangelo, Michele; Scionti, Veronica; Simionato, Maurizio; Sirianni, Pietro; Stigliano, Francesco

2017-04-01

A geological survey has been carried out in the area of Amatrice, the most damaged town after the 24 August 2016 event, to provide a basic reference for geophysical and geotechnical data useful for seismic response analyses and microzonation studies. The morphologies and the stratigraphic-structural setting of the investigated area are detailed on a 1:5000 scale geological map and cross sections, which derive from the integration of field-based observations and photo-geological interpretation. The Amatrice basin is filled by the one km-thick Laga Formation, composed of Messinian syn-orogenic marine sandstones and siltstones (Marini et al., 2015) and covered with disconformity by Quaternary conglomerates and sands, referred to alluvial fans, fluvial terraces and landslides. Presently, the Amatrice basin is a structurally-controlled depression bounded eastward by the Gorzano Mt ridge, and westward by the Sibillini Mts thrust front (Koopman, 1983). Our observations focus on (i) relationships between geometry and extent of cover deposits, (ii) bedding of the substratum, and (iii) areal arrangement and distribution of the main fault systems. Amatrice is located on a N-S trending mesa bounded by steep escarpments. The siliciclastic substratum was folded by syn-orogenic movements, broadly forming a NW-SE-trending synform, and is dissected by two main fault systems of the Plio-Quaternary post-orogenic tectonics. The first system consists of N-S striking high angle normal fault segments, each one having continuous length of up to 2 km; the second consists of E-W-striking normal-to-strike slip fault systems dissecting the first one. N-S-striking faults are morphologically expressed by fault plane scarps and triangular facets, and control the areal distribution of the Quaternary fluvial deposits. These are up to 50 m thick below Amatrice and thin to few metres along the north west direction. East of Amatrice, the stratigraphic setting is dominated by SW-prograding alluvial fans, downlapping the substratum, while on the West the stratigraphic setting is strongly complicated by large scale deformations (folding and tectonic repetitions) produced by shortening mechanisms. The recognized morphological irregularities, stratigraphic heterogeneities, and structural alignments are considered critical elements to define, at local scale, subsoil models useful for evaluating seismic amplification effects. References Koopman, A., (1983) Detachment tectonics in the central Apennines, Italy. Geol. Ultraiectina, 30, 1-155. Marini M., Milli S., Ravnås R., Moscatelli M. (2015) A comparative study of confined vs. semi-confined turbidite lobes from the Lower Messinian Laga Basin (Central Apennines, Italy): Implications for assessment of reservoir architecture. Mar. and Petrol. Geol., 63, 142-165.

Introductory Geology From the Liberal Arts Approach: A Geology-Sociology Linked Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, E. O.; Davis, E.

2008-12-01

Geology can be a hard sell to college students, especially to college students attending small, liberal arts institutions in localities that lack exaggerated topography. At these schools, Geology departments that wish to grow must work diligently to attract students to the major; professors must be able to convince a wider audience of students that geology is relevant to their everyday lives. Toward this end, a Physical Geology course was linked with an introductory Sociology course through the common theme of Consumption. The same students took the two courses in sequence, beginning with the Sociology course and ending with Physical Geology; thus, students began by discussing the role of consumption in society and ended by learning about the geological processes and implications of consumption. Students were able to ascertain the importance of geology in their daily lives by connecting Earth processes to specific products they consume, such as cell phones and bottled water. Students were also able to see the connection between seemingly disparate fields of study, which is a major goal of the liberal arts. As a theme, Consumption worked well to grab the attention of students interested in diverse issues, such as environmental science or social justice. A one-hour lecture illustrating the link between sociology and geology was developed for presentation to incoming freshmen and their parents to advertise the course. Initial response has been positive, showing an increase in awareness of geological processes among students with a wide range of interests.

Controls on Water Storage, Mixing and Release in a Nested Catchment Set-up with Clean and Mixed Physiographic Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfister, L.; McDonnell, J.; Hissler, C.; Martínez-Carreras, N.; Klaus, J.

2015-12-01

With catchment water storage being only rarely determined, storage dynamics remain largely unknown to date. However, storage bears considerable potential for catchment inter-comparison exercises, as well as it is likely to have an important role in regulating catchment functions. Catchment comparisons across a wide range of environments and scales will help to increase our understanding of relationships between storage dynamics and catchment processes. With respect to the potential of catchment storage for bringing new momentum to catchment classification and catchment processes understanding we currently investigate spatial and temporal variability of dynamic storage in a nested catchment set-up (16 catchments) of the Alzette River basin (Luxembourg, Europe), covering a wide range of geological settings, catchment areas, contrasted landuse, and hydro-meteorological and tracer series. We define catchment storage as the total amount of water stored in a control volume, delimited by the catchment's topographical boundaries and depth of saturated and unsaturated zones. Complementary storage assessments (via input-output dynamics of natural tracers, geographical sounding, groundwater level measurements, soil moisture measurements, hydrometry) are carried out for comparison purposes. In our nested catchment set-up we have (1) assessed dependencies between geology, catchment permeability and winter runoff coefficients, (2) calculated water balance derived catchment storage and mixing potential and quantified how dynamic storage differs between catchments and scales, and (3) examined how stream baseflow dD (as a proxy for baseflow transit time) and integrated flow measures (like the flow duration curve) relate to bedrock geology. Catchments with higher bedrock permeability exhibited larger storage capacities and eventually lower average winter runoff coefficients. Over a time-span of 11 years, all catchments re-produced the same winter runoff coefficients year after year, regardless of their bedrock geology, permeability and winter season storage filling ratios. Ultimately, catchment organisation in our area of interest (i.e. geology, permeability, flowpath length) appeared to have a strong control on winter runoff coefficients, catchment storage and subsequently baseflow dD.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR LARGE-SCALE GEOLOGIC SEQUESTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE: A NORTH AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Large scale geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide poses a novel set of challenges for regulators. This paper focuses on the unique needs of large scale GS projects in light of the existing regulatory regimes in the United States and Canada and identifies several differen...

Influences of watershed geomorphology on extent and composition of riparian vegetation

Treesearch

Blake M. Engelhardt; Peter J. Weisberg; Jeanne C. Chambers

2011-01-01

Watershed (drainage basin) morphometry and geology were derived from digital data sets (DEMs and geologic maps). Riparian corridors were classified into five vegetation types (riparian forest, riparian shrub, wet/mesic meadow, dry meadow and shrub dry meadow) using high-resolution aerial photography. Regression and multivariate analyses were used to relate geomorphic...

Mapping the origins of Imperial Roman workers (1st-4th century CE) at Vagnari, Southern Italy, using 87 Sr/86 Sr and δ18 O variability.

PubMed

Emery, Matthew V; Stark, Robert J; Murchie, Tyler J; Elford, Spencer; Schwarcz, Henry P; Prowse, Tracy L

2018-04-18

We obtained the oxygen and strontium isotope composition of teeth from Roman period (1st to 4th century CE) inhabitants buried in the Vagnari cemetery (Southern Italy), and present the first strontium isotope variation map of the Italian peninsula using previously published data sets and new strontium data. We test the hypothesis that the Vagnari population was predominantly composed of local individuals, instead of migrants originating from abroad. We analyzed the oxygen ( 18 O/ 16 O) and strontium ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotope composition of 43 teeth. We also report the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr composition of an additional 13 molars, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values from fauna (n = 10), and soil (n = 5) samples local to the area around Vagnari. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variation map of Italy uses 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values obtained from previously published data sources from across Italy (n = 199). Converted tooth carbonate (δ 18 O DW ) and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data indicate that the majority of individuals buried at Vagnari were local to the region. ArcGIS bounded Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation of the pan-Italian 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data set approximates the expected 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range of Italy's geological substratum, producing the first strontium map of the Italian peninsula. Results suggest that only 7% of individuals buried at Vagnari were born elsewhere and migrated to Vagnari, while the remaining individuals were either local to Vagnari (58%), or from the southern Italian peninsula (34%). Our results are consistent with the suggestion that Roman Imperial lower-class populations in southern Italy sustained their numbers through local reproduction measures, and not through large-scale immigration from outside the Italian peninsula. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Geologic investigation of layered mound of Henry Crater, Mars: Implications for history of ancient hydrological activities in the region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Samarpita; Sinha, Rishitosh Kumar; Banerjee, Debabrata; Vijayan, S.

2016-07-01

Craters around the Schiaparelli Basin (sim460 km diameter; 2.71^circS 16.77^circE) on Mars are distributed in a unique combination that includes infilled craters with mound on their floors. The mounds have preserved intriguing layers in stratigraphy that has exposed pristine sets of geomorphic and geochemical signatures bearing strong implications towards understanding geological history of Mars. With a view to avail the maximum scientific benefit from this unique geological assemblage on Mars, we have carried out remote analysis of stratigraphy of layers exposed over Henry crater's (sim150 km diameter; 10.79^circN 23.45^circE) mound (rising sim2km from floor) to infer the origin and episodes of geological events occurred in the region. Henry crater is situated approximately 500 km northeast of Schiaparelli Basin. Using crater counting technique the age of the topmost surface of the crater mound is found to be sim3.64 Ga since the exposure of this strata post complete infilling. The stratigraphy of consistent and conformable layers in the crater interior acts as a proxy of the long-lived event of sediment deposition in a rather quiescent condition. Distinct layering can be traced across the crater from the mound to the crater wall across the floor. Evidence for differential erosion of deposited materials, wherein local geological setup developed in the different parts of the crater interior is preserved. Using MRO HiRISE & CTX images, distinct spatial distribution of morphological features distributed in stratigraphy is observed that reveals the dominant geological agents behind their formation, viz. temporal hydrological and eolian processes. The morphological features were aided with an understanding of the composition of the exposed sedimentary succession. MRO CRISM based mineralogical investigation reveals diagnostic signature of the hydrated sulfate mineral Kieserite. Based on the thermodynamic properties of Kieserite and apparent lack of desiccation cracks in the scale of observation, it is inferred that the water level inside the crater did not experience fluctuation. Rather on systematic compilation of the mineralogical and morphological data, it is inferred that the mound formation process was gradual and can be correlated with the water level inside the crater at various stages during the recession stage.

Geologic map and structural analysis of the Victoria quadrangle (H2) of Mercury based on NASA MESSENGER images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galluzzi, V.; Di Achille, G.; Ferranti, L.; Rothery, D. A.; Palumbo, P.

The first stratigraphic and geologic study of Mercury was released by Trask & Guest (1975) followed by Spudis & Guest (1988, and references therein), whose work was based on the images taken by Mariner 10 covering 42% of the total surface of Mercury. The planet has been officially divided into fifteen quadrangles: 2 polar, 5 equatorial and 8 at midlatitudes. Quadrangle H2 (= Hermes sheet n.2), named ``Victoria'' (20oN - 65oN Lon.; 270oE - 0o Lat.), was partially mapped by McGill & King (1983), though a wide area (˜64%) remained unmapped due to the lack of imagery. Following the terrain units recognized and described by the above authors, we have produced a geologic map of the entire quadrangle using MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) images. The images taken by the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) allowed us to map geologic and tectonic features in much greater detail than the previously published map (mapping scale range between 1:300k and 1:600k). We classified craters larger than 20 km using three relative age classes, which are a simplification of the past five degradation classes defined by McCauley et al. (1981). Victoria quadrangle is characterized by a localized N-S thrust array constituted by Victoria Rupes, Endeavour Rupes and Antoniadi Dorsum to the East and by a more diffuse system of NE-SW oriented fault arrays to the West: the two systems seem to be separated by a tectonic bulge. The Victoria-Endeavour-Antoniadi system has been interpreted as a fold-and-thrust belt by Byrne et al. (2014) and a previous study made on craters cross-cut by its thrusts reveals fault dips of 15-20o and a near dip slip motion (Galluzzi et al., 2015). This geologic map has the aim to build a regional model of its structural framework. Deciphering the geological setting of this quadrangle will bring important insights for understanding the tectonic evolution of the whole planet. Moreover, the results obtained with this study can help in the future targeting choices of the BepiColombo SIMBIOSYS instruments.

The Bayan Obo iron-rare-earth-niobium deposits, Inner Mongolia, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drew, Lawrence J.; Qingrun, Meng; Weijun, Sun

1990-01-01

The plate tectonic setting, regional geology and certain aspects of the economic geology of the iron-rare-earth-niobium ore bodies at Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia, China, were studied by a team of geologists from the Tianjin Geologic Research Academy and the U.S. Geological Survey between 1987 and 1989. These ore bodies were formed by hydrothermal replacement of Middle Proterozoic dolomite in an intra-continental rift setting. A variety of veins and/or dikes that have a carbonatitelike mineralogy cut the footwall clastic rocks and migmatites. A stockwork of veins occurs at several locations in the footwall. The hanging wall is a shale that has been converted to a K-metasomatite and has microcrystalline potassium feldspar as its principal constituent. This shale served as a sealing caprock that contained the chemical solutions that reacted with the dolomite and created the enormous concentration of mineralized rock in an 18-kilometer-long syncline. The rocks that host these ore bodies and the associated mineralized areas occur today as roof pendants in granitoid rocks of Permian age that were emplaced during a continent-to-continent collision during that period.

Development of teaching modules for geology and engineering coursework using terrestrial LiDAR scanning systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarbrough, L. D.; Katzenstein, K.

2012-12-01

Exposing students to active and local examples of physical geologic processes is beneficial to the learning process. Students typically respond with interest to examples that use state-of-the-art technologies to investigate local or regional phenomena. For lower cognitive level of learning (e.g. knowledge, comprehension, and application), the use of "close-to-home" examples ensures that students better understand concepts. By providing these examples, the students may already have a familiarity or can easily visit the location. Furthermore, these local and regional examples help students to offer quickly other examples of similar phenomena. Investigation of these examples using normal photographic techniques, as well as a more sophisticated 3-D Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) (AKA Terrestrial Laser Scanning or TLS) system, allows students to gain a better understanding of the scale and the mechanics of the geologic processes and hazards. The systems are used for research, teaching and outreach efforts and depending on departmental policies can be accessible to students are various learning levels. TLS systems can yield scans at sub-centimeter resolution and contain surface reflectance of targets. These systems can serve a number of learning goals that are essential for training geoscientists and engineers. While querying the data to answer geotechnical or geomorphologic related questions, students will develop skills using large, spatial databases. The upper cognitive level of learning (e.g. analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) is also promoted by using a subset of the data and correlating the physical geologic process of stream bank erosion and rock slope failures with mathematical and computer models using the scanned data. Students use the examples and laboratory exercises to help build their engineering judgment skills with Earth materials. The students learn not only applications of math and engineering science but also the economic and social implication of designed engineering solutions. These course learning modules were developed for traditional geological engineering courses delivered on campus, for more intensive field work courses and online-based asynchronous course delivery.

Hydrologic framework of Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smolensky, Douglas A.; Buxton, Herbert T.; Shernoff, Peter K.

1990-01-01

Long Island, N.Y., is underlain by a mass of unconsolidated geologic deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel that overlie southward-sloping consolidated bedrock. These deposits are thinnest in northern Queens County (northwestern Long Island), where bedrock crops out, and increase to a maximum thickness of 2,000 ft in southeastern Long Island. This sequence of unconsolidated deposits consists of several distinct geologic units ranging in age from late Cretaceous through Pleistocene, with some recent deposits near shores and streams. These units are differentiated by age, depositional environment, and lithology in table 1. Investigations of ground-water availability and flow patterns may require information on the internal geometry of the hydrologic system that geologic correlations and interpretation alone cannot provide; hydrologic interpretations in which deposits are differentiated on the basis of water-transmitting properties are generally needed also. This set of maps and vertical sections depicts the hydrogeologic framework of the unconsolidated deposits that form Long Island's ground-water system. These deposits can be classified into eight major hydrogeologic units (table 1). The hydrogeologic interpretations presented herein are not everywhere consistent with strict geologic interpretation owing to facies changes and local variations in the water-transmitting properties within geologic units. These maps depict the upper-surface altitude of seven of the eight hydrogeologic units, which, in ascending order, are: consolidated bedrock, Lloyd aquifer, Raritan confining unit, Magothy aquifer, Monmouth greensand, Jameco aquifer, and Gardiners Clay. The upper glacial aquifer—the uppermost unit—is at land surface over most of Long Island and is, therefore, not included. The nine north-south hydrogeologic sections shown below depict the entire sequence of unconsolidated deposits and, together with the maps, provide a detailed three-dimensional interpretation of Long Island's hydrogeologic framework. The structure-contour map that shows the upper-surface altitude of the Cretaceous deposits is included to illustrate the erosional unconformity between the Cretaceous and overlying Pleistocene deposits. Pleistocene erosion played a major role in determining the shape and extent of the Lloyd aquifer, the Raritan confining unit, and the Magothy aquifer, and thus partly determined their hydrogeologic relation with subsequent (post-Cretaceous) deposits.

Internet-based information system of digital geological data providing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuon, Egor; Soukhanov, Mikhail; Markov, Kirill

2015-04-01

One of the Russian Federal аgency of mineral resources problems is to provide the geological information which was delivered during the field operation for the means of federal budget. This information should be present in the current, conditional form. Before, the leading way of presenting geological information were paper geological maps, slices, borehole diagrams reports etc. Technologies of database construction, including distributed databases, technologies of construction of distributed information-analytical systems and Internet-technologies are intensively developing nowadays. Most of geological organizations create their own information systems without any possibility of integration into other systems of the same orientation. In 2012, specialists of VNIIgeosystem together with specialists of VSEGEI started the large project - creating the system of providing digital geological materials with using modern and perspective internet-technologies. The system is based on the web-server and the set of special programs, which allows users to efficiently get rasterized and vectorised geological materials. These materials are: geological maps of scale 1:1M, geological maps of scale 1:200 000 and 1:2 500 000, the fragments of seamless geological 1:1M maps, structural zoning maps inside the seamless fragments, the legends for State geological maps 1:200 000 and 1:1 000 000, full author's set of maps and also current materials for international projects «Atlas of geological maps for Circumpolar Arctic scale 1:5 000 000» and «Atlas of Geologic maps of central Asia and adjacent areas scale 1:2 500 000». The most interesting and functional block of the system - is the block of providing structured and well-formalized geological vector materials, based on Gosgeolkart database (NGKIS), managed by Oracle and the Internet-access is supported by web-subsystem NGKIS, which is currently based on MGS-Framework platform, developed by VNIIgeosystem. One of the leading elements is the web-service, which realizes the interaction of all parts of the system and controls whole the way of the request from the user to the database and back, adopted to the GeoSciML and EarthResourceML view. The experience of creation the Internet-based information system of digital geological data providing, and also previous works, including the developing of web-service of NGKIS-system, allows to tell, that technological realization of presenting Russian geological-cartographical data with using of international standards is possible. While realizing, it could be some difficulties, associated with geological material depth. Russian informational geological model is more deep and wide, than foreign. This means the main problem of using international standards and formats: Russian geological data presentation is possible only with decreasing the data detalisation. But, such a problem becomes not very important, if the service publishes also Russian vocabularies, not associated with international vocabularies. In this case, the international format could be the interchange format to change data between Russian users. The integration into the international projects reaches developing of the correlation schemes between Russian and foreign classificators and vocabularies.

Bedrock Geologic Map of the Greater Lefkosia Area, Cyprus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harrison, Richard W.; Newell, Wayne L.; Panayides, Ioannis; Stone, Byron; Tsiolakis, Efthymios; Necdet, Mehmet; Batihanli, Hilmi; Ozhur, Ayse; Lord, Alan; Berksoy, Okan; Zomeni, Zomenia; Schindler, J. Stephen

2008-01-01

The island of Cyprus has a long historical record of earthquakes that have damaged pre-Roman to modern human settlements. Because the recurrent damaging earthquakes can have a significant economic and social impact on Cyprus, this project was initiated to develop a seismic-hazard assessment for a roughly 400 square kilometer area centered on Cyprus' capital and largest city, whose European name is Nicosia and whose local name is Lefkosia. In addition, geologic and seismotectonic evaluations for the project extended beyond the perimeter of the geologic map. Additional structural, stratigraphic, and paleontological data were collected island-wide as well as data from literature research throughout the eastern Mediterranean region, in order to accurately place the geology and seismic hazards of the Lefkosia area in a regional tectonic framework.

Geologic and mineral and water resources investigations in western Colorado using ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knepper, D. H., Jr. (Principal Investigator); Hutchinson, R. M.; Sawatzky, D. L.; Trexler, D. W.; Bruns, D. L.; Nicolais, S. M.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Topography was found to be the most important factor defining folds on ERTS-1 imagery of northwestern Colorado; tonal variations caused by rock reflectance and vegetation type and density are the next most important factors. Photo-linears mapped on ERTS-1 imagery of central Colorado correlate well with ground-measured joint and fracture trends. In addition, photo-linears have been successfully used to determine the location and distribution of metallic mineral deposits in the Colorado Mineral Belt. True color composites are best for general geologic analysis and false color composites prepared with positive/negative masks are useful for enhancing local geologic phenomena. During geologic analysis of any given area, ERTS-1 imagery from several different dates should be studied.

Geologic map of Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Skinner, James A.; Dohm, James M.; Irwin, Rossman P.; Kolb, Eric J.; Fortezzo, Corey M.; Platz, Thomas; Michael, Gregory G.; Hare, Trent M.

2014-01-01

This global geologic map of Mars, which records the distribution of geologic units and landforms on the planet's surface through time, is based on unprecedented variety, quality, and quantity of remotely sensed data acquired since the Viking Orbiters. These data have provided morphologic, topographic, spectral, thermophysical, radar sounding, and other observations for integration, analysis, and interpretation in support of geologic mapping. In particular, the precise topographic mapping now available has enabled consistent morphologic portrayal of the surface for global mapping (whereas previously used visual-range image bases were less effective, because they combined morphologic and albedo information and, locally, atmospheric haze). Also, thermal infrared image bases used for this map tended to be less affected by atmospheric haze and thus are reliable for analysis of surface morphology and texture at even higher resolution than the topographic products.

Activities of the Water Resources Division, California District, in the 1985 fiscal year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anttila, P. W.

1986-01-01

This report summarizes the progress of water-resources studies in California by the U.S. Geological Survey during the fiscal year 1985. Much of the work was done in cooperation with the State and local agencies. Additional supporting funds were transferred from other Federal agencies or appropriated directly to the Geological Survey. The water-resources program in California consisted of 55 projects. This report includes a brief discussion of each project and also contains a brief description of the origin of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Water Resources Division 's basic mission, and abbreviated organizational structure of the California District, sources of funding, and a summary of water conditions. Reports issued by the Geological Survey on studies completed fiscal years 1984 and 1985 also are listed. (USGS)

Origin of the Valley Networks On Mars: A Hydrological Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, Virginia C.

2000-01-01

The geomorphology of the Martian valley networks is examined from a hydrological perspective for their compatibility with an origin by rainfall, globally higher heat flow, and localized hydrothermal systems. Comparison of morphology and spatial distribution of valleys on geologic surfaces with terrestrial fluvial valleys suggests that most Martian valleys are probably not indicative of a rainfall origin, nor are they indicative of formation by an early global uniformly higher heat flow. In general, valleys are not uniformly distributed within geologic surface units as are terrestrial fluvial valleys. Valleys tend to form either as isolated systems or in clusters on a geologic surface unit leaving large expanses of the unit virtually untouched by erosion. With the exception of fluvial valleys on some volcanoes, most Martian valleys exhibit a sapping morphology and do not appear to have formed along with those that exhibit a runoff morphology. In contrast, terrestrial sapping valleys form from and along with runoff valleys. The isolated or clustered distribution of valleys suggests localized water sources were important in drainage development. Persistent ground-water outflow driven by localized, but vigorous hydrothermal circulation associated with magmatism, volcanism, impacts, or tectonism is, however, consistent with valley morphology and distribution. Snowfall from sublimating ice-covered lakes or seas may have provided an atmospheric water source for the formation of some valleys in regions where the surface is easily eroded and where localized geothermal/hydrothermal activity is sufficient to melt accumulated snowpacks.

Earth Science Pipeline: Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGill, S.; Smith, A.; Fryxell, J.; Leatham, W.; Brunkhorst, B. J.

2002-12-01

Our initial efforts to recruit and retain students from under-represented ethnic groups were guided by results from a survey of students in our introductory geology courses. Among students from under-represented ethnic groups, the most common reasons for NOT majoring in geology were (1) lack of exposure to geosciences, (2) lack of knowledge about careers in geology, (3) a student's perception that he or she is not a "science-type" of person, (4) the difficulty of science, (5) the fact that the student had no friends or family members that had majored in geology, (6) the lack of role models from their ethnicity in geology, (7) boredom with science. The first reasons listed above were rated as "very important" to the greatest number of students [45%], and the following reasons were considered "very important" to decreasing numbers of students [down to 20%]. Issues related to prestige, religion and gender role models were considered "very important" to <10% of the students. To address the two most common reasons for not majoring in geology, we made presentations about the geosciences and careers in geosciences at local schools. We have presented in science classes, to students in Project UPBEAT, as well as to students in the Advancement Via Independent Determination (AVID) program at local high schools. We also participated in the Earth Science portion of a Science Olympiad for high-achieving middle and high school students, offered consulting for science fair projects and led students on field trips to the San Andreas fault and Pisgah Crater. We hired CSUSB students from both our introductory and upper-division geology courses to help with these outreach activities. Several of these students were from under-represented ethnic groups, and they thus served as role models for the pre-college students from those ethnic groups. These outreach assistants have also continued taking geology courses, and some have become geology majors or minors. A total of 44 presentations/field trips/other activities with students were conducted during 2001-02, resulting in over 4300 contact hours with more than 2300 pre-college students. The majority (66%) of the students at these events were from under-represented groups. Responses on evaluation forms indicate that presentations that provided hands-on experiences for students were more likely to influence students to consider majoring in the geosciences than were more traditional presentations, such as slide shows. We have also engaged in teacher development, to better prepare teachers to provide more exposure to the Earth Sciences for pre-college students. We conducted a week-long field trip to Owens Valley for local high school and middle school teachers, as well as various one-day workshops. To address students' perception that they are not "science-type" people, we recruited and hired 15 student research assistants, many of whom were students from under-represented ethnic groups from our introductory geology courses. We trained these students to help us begin monitoring deformation across the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults near our campus, using the Global Positioning System. To address the difficulty with science that many students expressed, we hired students who had done well in our introductory geology courses to serve as tutors for those courses during subsequent quarters. The presence of these tutors (some of whom were from under-represented ethnic groups) in the laboratory session made it easier for students currently taking the class to get their questions answered promptly, thus making their experience with geology more pleasant and effective.

Ice cover, landscape setting, and geological framework of Lake Vostok, East Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Studinger, M.; Bell, R.E.; Karner, G.D.; Tikku, A.A.; Holt, J.W.; Morse, D.L.; David, L.; Richter, T.G.; Kempf, S.D.; Peters, M.E.; Blankenship, D.D.; Sweeney, R.E.; Rystrom, V.L.

2003-01-01

Lake Vostok, located beneath more than 4 km of ice in the middle of East Antarctica, is a unique subglacial habitat and may contain microorganisms with distinct adaptations to such an extreme environment. Melting and freezing at the base of the ice sheet, which slowly flows across the lake, controls the flux of water, biota and sediment particles through the lake. The influx of thermal energy, however, is limited to contributions from below. Thus the geological origin of Lake Vostok is a critical boundary condition for the subglacial ecosystem. We present the first comprehensive maps of ice surface, ice thickness and subglacial topography around Lake Vostok. The ice flow across the lake and the landscape setting are closely linked to the geological origin of Lake Vostok. Our data show that Lake Vostok is located along a major geological boundary. Magnetic and gravity data are distinct east and west of the lake, as is the roughness of the subglacial topography. The physiographic setting of the lake has important consequences for the ice flow and thus the melting and freezing pattern and the lake's circulation. Lake Vostok is a tectonically controlled subglacial lake. The tectonic processes provided the space for a unique habitat and recent minor tectonic activity could have the potential to introduce small, but significant amounts of thermal energy into the lake. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: Surficial Geology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the area of surficial geology types in square meters compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of selected Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). The source data set is the "Digital data set describing surficial geology in the conterminous US" (Clawges and Price, 1999).The MRB_E2RF1 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2008). Data were compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Map showing locations of mines, prospects, and patented mining claims, and classification of mineral deposits in the Silver City 7 1/2-minute Quadrangle, Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWitt, Ed; Buscher, David; Wilson, A.B.; Johnson, Thomas

1988-01-01

This map is one in a set of 26 maps (see index map) at 1:24,000 scale of the Black Hills region of South Dakota and Wyoming om which are shown a geologic classification of mines, a bibliography of mineral deposits, and locations of active and inactive mines, prospects, and patented mining claims. Some of these maps are published as U. S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Maps (MF series) and some as U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports (QF series); see index map. An earlier unpublished version of this set of maps was the data base from which plate 4 (scale 1:250,000) of DeWitt and others (1986) was compiled. Subsequent to that publication, the set has been revised and updated, and prospects and patented claims have been added. These revised and more detailed 1:24,000-scale maps should be used for the equivalent areas of plate 4 of DeWitt and others (1986).

Application of LANDSAT satellite imagery for iron ore prospecting in the western desert of Egypt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elshazly, E. M.; Abdel-Hady, M. A.; Elghawaby, M. A.; Khawasik, S. M. (Principal Investigator)

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The delineation of the geological units and geological structures through image interpretation, corroborated by field observations and structural analysis, led to the discovery of new iron ore deposits. A new locality for iron ore deposition, namely Gebel Qalamun, was discovered, as well as new occurrences within the already known iron ore region of Bahariya Oasis.

Dione's spectral and geological properties

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stephan, K.; Jaumann, R.; Wagner, R.; Clark, R.N.; Cruikshank, D.P.; Hibbitts, C.A.; Roatsch, T.; Hoffmann, H.; Brown, R.H.; Filiacchione, G.; Buratti, B.J.; Hansen, G.B.; McCord, T.B.; Nicholson, P.D.; Baines, K.H.

2010-01-01

We present a detailed analysis of the variations in spectral properties across the surface of Saturn's satellite Dione using Cassini/VIMS data and their relationships to geological and/or morphological characteristics as seen in the Cassini/ISS images. This analysis focuses on a local region on Dione's anti-saturnian hemisphere that was observed by VIMS with high spatial resolution during orbit 16 in October 2005. The results are incorporated into a global context provided by VIMS data acquired within Cassini's first 50 orbits. Our results show that Dione's surface is dominated by at least one global process. Bombardment by magnetospheric particles is consistent with the concentration of dark material and enhanced CO2 absorption on the trailing hemisphere of Dione independent of the geology. Local regions within this terrain indicate a special kind of resurfacing that probably is related to large-scale impact process. In contrast, the enhanced ice signature on the leading side is associated with the extended ejecta of the fresh impact crater Creusa (???49??N/76??W). Although no geologically active regions could be identified, Dione's tectonized regions observed with high spatial resolution partly show some clean H2O ice implying that tectonic processes could have continued into more recent times. ?? 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative assessment of mineral resources with an application to petroleum geology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harff, Jan; Davis, J.C.; Olea, R.A.

1992-01-01

The probability of occurrence of natural resources, such as petroleum deposits, can be assessed by a combination of multivariate statistical and geostatistical techniques. The area of study is partitioned into regions that are as homogeneous as possible internally while simultaneously as distinct as possible. Fisher's discriminant criterion is used to select geological variables that best distinguish productive from nonproductive localities, based on a sample of previously drilled exploratory wells. On the basis of these geological variables, each wildcat well is assigned to the production class (dry or producer in the two-class case) for which the Mahalanobis' distance from the observation to the class centroid is a minimum. Universal kriging is used to interpolate values of the Mahalanobis' distances to all locations not yet drilled. The probability that an undrilled locality belongs to the productive class can be found, using the kriging estimation variances to assess the probability of misclassification. Finally, Bayes' relationship can be used to determine the probability that an undrilled location will be a discovery, regardless of the production class in which it is placed. The method is illustrated with a study of oil prospects in the Lansing/Kansas City interval of western Kansas, using geological variables derived from well logs. ?? 1992 Oxford University Press.

Updated symbol catalogue for geologic and geomorphologic mapping in Planetary Scinces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nass, Andrea; Fortezzo, Corey; Skinner, James, Jr.; Hunter, Marc; Hare, Trent

2017-04-01

Maps are one of the most powerful communication tools for spatial data. This is true for terrestrial data, as well as the many types of planetary data. Geologic and/or geomorphologic maps of planetary surfaces, in particular those of the Moon, Mars, and Venus, are standardized products and often prepared as a part of hypothesis-driven science investigations. The NASA-funded Planetary Geologic Mapping program, coordinated by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center (ASC), produces high-quality, standardized, and refereed geologic maps and digital databases of planetary bodies. In this context, 242 geologic, geomorphologic, and thematic map sheets and map series have been published since the 1962. However, outside of this program, numerous non-USGS published maps are created as result of scientific investigations and published, e.g. as figures or supplemental materials within a peer-reviewed journal article. Due to the complexity of planetary surfaces, diversity between different planet surfaces, and the varied resolution of the data, geomorphologic and geologic mapping is a challenging task. Because of these limiting conditions, the mapping process is a highly interpretative work and is mostly limited to remotely sensed satellite data - with a few expetions from rover data. Uniform and an unambiguous data are fundamental to make quality observations that lead to unbiased and supported interpretations, especially when there is no current groundtruthing. To allow for correlation between different map products (digital or analog), the most commonly used spatial objects are predefined cartographic symbols. The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Digital Cartographic Standard for Geologic Map Symbolization (DCSGMS) defines the most commonly used symbols, colors, and hatch patterns in one comprehensive document. Chapter 25 of the DCSGMS defines the Planetary Geology Features based on the symbols defined in the Venus Mapper's Handbook. After reviewing the 242 planetary geological maps, we propose to 1) review standardized symbols for planetary maps, and 2) recommend an updated symbol collection for adoption by the planetary mapping community. Within these points, the focus is on the changing of symbology with respect to time and how it effects communication within and between the maps. Two key questions to address are 1) does chapter 25 provides enough variability within the subcategories (e.g., faults) to represent the data within the maps? 2) How recommendations to the mapping community and their steering committees could be delivered to enhance a map's communicability, and convey information succinctly but thoroughly. For determining the most representative symbol collection of existing maps to support future map results (within or outside of USGS mapping program) we defined a stepwise task list: 1) Statistical review of existing symbol sets and collections, 2) Establish a representative symbol set for planetary mapping, 3) Update cartographic symbols, 4) Implementation into GIS-based mapping software (this implementation will mimic the 2010 application of the planetary symbol set into ArcGIS (more information https://planetarymapping.wr.usgs.gov/Project). 6) Platform to provide the symbol set to the mapping community. This project was initiated within an ongoing cooperation work between the USGS ASC and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Dept. of Planetary Geology.

Complex geohazard susceptibility zoning for effective landuse planning and catastroph prevention in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hradecky, P.; Baron, I.

2012-04-01

The Czech Geological Survey conducted projects of geological mapping and complex geohazard susceptibility zoning in Nicaragua in the years 1997-2009. For selected areas in vicinity of major cities and towns basic geological maps at a scalle 1:50,000, maps of geomorphic features (Geomorphic Inventory Maps), Morphostructural Maps of estimated fault zones, and derived Geohazard Susceptibility maps were done. These maps were prepared during field campaigns by direct field mapping, analysis of remote-sensing data, communicating the local authorities, interwieving the local inhabitants and with very close cooperation with the local partner of the projects - the Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER). The resulting maps and explanatory reports presented the dangerous natural processes that occurred in each respective area in the past and proposed preventive measures in detail. Zones evaluated as highly susceptible, e.g., to (i) mass movements, (ii) large inundations, (iii) torrential flooding, (iv) seismogenic liquefaction, etc., were presented in bold colours on the maps. Such maps and reports were presented to local authorities and inhabitants of respective cities during public breefings at the end of each mapping campaign. In such a way, areas of Pacific volcanic ridge (1997-2003), Jinotega (2004), Somoto (2005), Estelí (2006), Boaco and Santa Lucia (2007, 2008), Sebaco (2008) and Jalapa (2009) were elaborated. The maps then served to the INETER for implementation into the landuse plans, evacuation routes and other preventive measures to protect and save human lives and inftrastructure. This approach could serve as a muster for a simple, cost effective and relatively fast geohazards susceptibility evaluation of any area in any developing country. The projects also paid attention to capacity building of our Nicaraguan partners. These projects of the Czech Geological Survey were conducted as the international aid of the Czech Republic to Nicaragua, financed by the Ministry of the Czech Republic

Genetic approach to reconstruct complex regional geological setting of the Baltic basin in 3D geological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popovs, K.; Saks, T.; Ukass, J.; Jatnieks, J.

2012-04-01

Interpretation of geological structures in 3D geological models is a relatively new research topic that is already standardized in many geological branches. Due to its wide practical application, these models are indispensable and become one of the dominant interpretation methods in reducing geological uncertainties in many geology fields. Traditionally, geological concepts complement quantitative as much as qualitative data to obtain a model deemed acceptable, however, available data very often is insufficient and modeling methods primarily focus on spatial data but geological history usually is mostly neglected for the modeling of large sedimentary basins. A need to better integrate the long and often complex geological history and geological knowledge into modeling procedure is very acute to gain geological insight and improve the quality of geological models. During this research, 3D geological model of the Baltic basin (BB) was created. Because of its complex regional geological setting - wide range of the data sources with multiple scales, resolution and density as well as its various source formats, the study area provides a challenge for the 3D geological modeling. In order to create 3D regional geometrical model for the study area algorithmic genetic approach for model geometry reconstruction was applied. The genetic approach is based on the assumption that post-depositional deformation produce no significant change in sedimentary strata volume, assuming that the strata thickness and its length in a cross sectional plane remains unchanged except as a result of erosion. Assuming that the tectonic deformation occurred in sequential cycles and subsequent tectonic stage strata is separated by regional unconformity as is the case of the BB, there is an opportunity for algorithmic approach in reconstructing these conditions by sequentially reconstructing the layer original thickness. Layer thicknesses were sliced along fault lines, where applicable layer thickness was adjusted by taking into account amount of erosion by the presence of the regional unconformities. Borehole data and structural maps of some surfaces were used in creating geological model of the BB. Used approach allowed creating geologically sound geometric model. At first borehole logs were used to reconstruct initial thicknesses of different strata in every tectonic stage, where topography of each strata was obtained sequentially summing thickness to the initial reference surface from structural maps. Thereby each layer reflects the topography and amount of slip along the fault of the overlying layer. Overlying tectonic cycle sequence is implemented into the model structure by using unconformity surface as an initial reference surface. Applied techniques made possible reliably reconstructing and predicting in areas of sparse data layer surface geometry, its thickness distribution and evaluating displacements along the fault planes. Overall results indicate that the used approach has a good potential in development of regional geological models for the sedimentary basins and is valid for spatial interpretation of geological structures, subordinating this process to geological evolution prerequisites. This study is supported by the European Social Fund project No. 2009/0212/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/09/APIA/VIAA/060.

New Measurements and Modeling Capability to Improve Real-time Forecast of Cascadia Tsunamis along U.S. West Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y.; Titov, V. V.; Bernard, E. N.; Spillane, M. C.

2014-12-01

The tragedies of 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Tohoku tsunamis exposed the limits of our knowledge in preparing for devastating tsunamis, especially in the near field. The 1,100-km coastline of the Pacific coast of North America has tectonic and geological settings similar to Sumatra and Japan. The geological records unambiguously show that the Cascadia fault had caused devastating tsunamis in the past and this geological process will cause tsunamis in the future. Existing observational instruments along the Cascadia Subduction Zone are capable of providing tsunami data within minutes of tsunami generation. However, this strategy requires separation of the tsunami signals from the overwhelming high-frequency seismic waves produced during a strong earthquake- a real technical challenge for existing operational tsunami observational network. A new-generation of nano-resolution pressure sensors can provide high temporal resolution of the earthquake and tsunami signals without loosing precision. The nano-resolution pressure sensor offers a state-of the-science ability to separate earthquake vibrations and other oceanic noise from tsunami waveforms, paving the way for accurate, early warnings of local tsunamis. This breakthrough underwater technology has been tested and verified for a couple of micro-tsunami events (Paros et al., 2011). Real-time forecast of Cascadia tsunamis is becoming a possibility with the development of nano-tsunameter technology. The present study provides an investigation on optimizing the placement of these new sensors so that the forecast time can be shortened.. The presentation will cover the optimization of an observational array to quickly detect and forecast a tsunami generated by a strong Cascadia earthquake, including short and long rupture scenarios. Lessons learned from the 2011 Tohoku tsunami will be examined to demonstrate how we can improve the local forecast using the new technology We expect this study to provide useful guideline for future siting and deployment of the new-generation tsunameters. Driven by the new technology, we demonstrate scenarios of real-time forecast of Cascadia tsunami impact along the Pacific Northwest, as well as in the Puget Sound.

Lithosphere-asthenosphere interaction beneath the western United States from the joint inversion of body-wave traveltimes and surface-wave phase velocities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Obrebski, M.; Allen, R.M.; Pollitz, F.; Hung, S.-H.

2011-01-01

The relation between the complex geological history of the western margin of the North American plate and the processes in the mantle is still not fully documented and understood. Several pre-USArray local seismic studies showed how the characteristics of key geological features such as the Colorado Plateau and the Yellowstone Snake River Plains are linked to their deep mantle structure. Recent body-wave models based on the deployment of the high density, large aperture USArray have provided far more details on the mantle structure while surface-wave tomography (ballistic waves and noise correlations) informs us on the shallow structure. Here we combine constraints from these two data sets to image and study the link between the geology of the western United States, the shallow structure of the Earth and the convective processes in mantle. Our multiphase DNA10-S model provides new constraints on the extent of the Archean lithosphere imaged as a large, deeply rooted fast body that encompasses the stable Great Plains and a large portion of the Northern and Central Rocky Mountains. Widespread slow anomalies are found in the lower crust and upper mantle, suggesting that low-density rocks isostatically sustain part of the high topography of the western United States. The Yellowstone anomaly is imaged as a large slow body rising from the lower mantle, intruding the overlying lithosphere and controlling locally the seismicity and the topography. The large E-W extent of the USArray used in this study allows imaging the 'slab graveyard', a sequence of Farallon fragments aligned with the currently subducting Juan de Fuca Slab, north of the Mendocino Triple Junction. The lithospheric root of the Colorado Plateau has apparently been weakened and partly removed through dripping. The distribution of the slower regions around the Colorado Plateau and other rigid blocks follows closely the trend of Cenozoic volcanic fields and ancient lithospheric sutures, suggesting that the later exert a control on the locus of magmato-tectonic activity today. The DNA velocity models are available for download and slicing at http://dna.berkeley.edu. ?? 2011 The Authors Geophysical Journal International ?? 2011 RAS.

Landscape- and local-scale habitat influences on occupancy and detection probability of stream-dwelling crayfish: Implications for conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Magoulick, Daniel D.; DiStefano, Robert J.; Imhoff, Emily M.; Nolen, Matthew S.; Wagner, Brian K.

2017-01-01

Crayfish are ecologically important in freshwater systems worldwide and are imperiled in North America and globally. We sought to examine landscape- to local-scale environmental variables related to occupancy and detection probability of a suite of stream-dwelling crayfish species. We used a quantitative kickseine method to sample crayfish presence at 102 perennial stream sites with eight surveys per site. We modeled occupancy (psi) and detection probability (P) and local- and landscape-scale environmental covariates. We developed a set of a priori candidate models for each species and ranked models using (Q)AICc. Detection probabilities and occupancy estimates differed among crayfish species with Orconectes eupunctus, O. marchandi, and Cambarus hubbsi being relatively rare (psi < 0.20) with moderate (0.46–0.60) to high (0.81) detection probability and O. punctimanus and O. ozarkae being relatively common (psi > 0.60) with high detection probability (0.81). Detection probability was often related to local habitat variables current velocity, depth, or substrate size. Important environmental variables for crayfish occupancy were species dependent but were mainly landscape variables such as stream order, geology, slope, topography, and land use. Landscape variables strongly influenced crayfish occupancy and should be considered in future studies and conservation plans.

The geological heritage of the Kurkur-Dungul area in southern Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallam, Emad S.; Ponedelnik, Alena A.; Tiess, Günter; Yashalova, Natalia N.; Ruban, Dmitry A.

2018-01-01

The inventory of the geological heritage of Egypt is important for its efficient conservation and usage for the purposes of science, education, and tourism. The field investigations in the Kurkur-Dungul area in southern Egypt have permitted to identify several unique geological features. Their type, rank, relative abundance, and intrinsic diversity, as well as importance of the entire geological heritage of the study area are investigated. Seven geological heritage types are distinguished, namely stratigraphical, sedimentary, palaeogeographical, mineralogical, structural, geomorphological, and economical types. The rank of the features belonging to the listed types ranges from local to global, and the relative abundance and the intrinsic diversity range from low to high. The global rank is established for the sedimentary type, which is determined by the wide distribution of palaeospring tufa deposits. The high relative abundance and intrinsic diversity are established for the geomorphological type. The entire geological heritage of the Kurkur-Dungul area can be employed for diversification of the existing tourism programs offered at the tourist destination of Aswan, as well as for geotourism development. A geopark can be created in the Kurkur-Dungul area for the better exploitation of its geological heritage. The combined development of geological and industrial tourism seems to be possible.

Folding and Fracturing of Rocks: the background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsay, John G.

2017-04-01

This book was generated by structural geology teaching classes at Imperial College. I was appointed lecturer during 1957 and worked together with Dr Gilbert Wilson teaching basic structural geology at B.Sc level. I became convinced that the subject, being essentially based on geometric field observations, required a firm mathematical basis for its future development. In particular it seemed to me to require a very sound understanding of stress and strain. My field experience suggested that a knowledge of two- and three-demensional strain was critical in understanding natural tectonic processes. I found a rich confirmation for this in early publications of deformed fossils, oolitic limestones and spotted slates made by several geologists around the beginning of the 20th century (Sorby, Philips, Haughton, Harker) often using surprisingly sophisticated mathematical methods. These methods were discussed and elaborated in Folding and Fracturing of Rocks in a practical way. The geometric features of folds were related to folding mechanisms and the fold related small scale structures such as cleavage, schistosity and lineation explained in terms of rock strain. My work in the Scottish Highlands had shown just how repeated fold superposition could produce very complex geometric features, while further work in other localities suggested that such geometric complications are common in many orogenic zones. From the development of structural geological studies over the past decades it seems that the readers of this book have found many of the ideas set out are still of practical application. The mapping of these outcrop-scale structures should be emphasised in all field studies because they can be seen as ''fingerprints'' of regional scale tectonic processes. My own understanding of structural geology has been inspired by field work and I am of the opinion that future progress in understanding will be likewise based on careful observation and measurement of the features of naturally deformed rocks mathematically analysed using the concepts of three-dimensional continuum mechanics.

Geophysical-geological studies of possible extensions of the New Madrid Fault Zone. Annual report for 1983. Volume 2

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

Hinze, W.J.; Braile, L.W.; Keller, G.R.

1985-04-01

Recent geophysical investigations have shown that the seismicity of the New Madrid, Missouri seismogenic region is correlative with an ancient rift complex suggesting that the anomalous seismicity is the result of the localization of the regional compressive stress pattern by basement structures. Preliminary evidence indicates that this inferred basement rift complex extends beyond the immediate realm of the intense New Madrid region microseismicity. An integrated geophysical/geological research program is being conducted to evaluate the rift complex hypothesis as an explanation for the earthquake activity in the New Madrid area and its extensions, to refine our knowledge of the structure andmore » physical properties of the rift complex, and to investigate the possible northern extensions of the New Madrid Fault zone, especially the possible northeastern connection to the Anna, Ohio seismic region. Investigation of the northeast extension of the New Madrid Rift Complex into eastern Indiana, north of 39/sup 0/N latitude, has focused upon the acquisition and preparation of arrays of gravity and magnetic anomaly data sets. Another possible arm of the New Madrid Rift Complex, the St. Louis Arm, which extends northwesterly from southern Illinois along the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, is being studied by an integrated geophysical, seismicity and geological investigation. However, during 1983, special emphasis was placed upon integration of gravity and magnetic anomaly data from the Anna, Ohio seismogenic region with basement lithologic and seismicity information to investigate the possible relationship of basement geology to the seismicity of the Anna area. Interpretation of these data indicate the occurrence of several major lithologic/structural features in the crust of the Anna area. Current seismicity in this region appears to be related to an ancient rift structure and possibly its contact with a low density pluton. 18 refs., 37 figs.« less

The value of DCIP geophysical surveys for contaminated site investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbarini, N.; Rønde, V.; Maurya, P. K.; Møller, I.; McKnight, U. S.; Christiansen, A. V.; Binning, P. J.; Bjerg, P. L.

2017-12-01

Geophysical methods are increasingly being used in contaminant hydrogeology to map lithology, hydraulic properties, and contaminant plumes with a high ionic strength. Advances in the Direct Current resistivity and Induced Polarization (DCIP) method allow the collection of high resolution three dimensional (3D) data sets. The DC resistivity can describe both soil properties and the water electrical conductivity, while the IP can describe the lithology and give information on hydrogeological properties. The aim of the study was to investigate a large contaminant plume discharging to a stream from an old factory site by combining traditional geological, hydrological, and contaminant concentration data with DCIP surveys. The plume consisted of xenobiotic organic compounds and inorganics. The study assesses benefits and limitations of DCIP geophysics for contaminated site investigations. A 3D geological model was developed from borehole logs and DCIP data as framework for the complex transport pathways near the meandering stream. IP data were useful in indicating the continuity and the changes in thickness of local clay layers between the borehole logs. The geological model was employed to develop a groundwater flow model describing groundwater flows to the stream. The hydraulic conductivity distribution was based on IP data, slug tests and grain size analysis. The distribution of contaminant concentrations revealed two chemically distinct plumes, separated by a clay layer, with different transport paths to the stream. The DC resistivity was useful in mapping ionic compounds, but also organic compounds whose spatial distribution coincided with the ionic compounds. A conceptual model describing the contaminant plume was developed, and it matched well with contaminant concentrations in stream water and below the streambed. Surface DCIP surveys supported the characterization of the spatial variability in geology, hydraulic conductivity and contaminant concentration. Though DCIP data interpretation required additional borehole data, the DCIP survey reduced the number of boreholes required and helped design field campaigns. The results suggest DCIP surveys are useful and inexpensive tools, which has potential as an integrated part of contaminated site investigations.

The regional geological hazard forecast based on rainfall and WebGIS in Hubei, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Guizhou; Chao, Yi; Xu, Hongwen

2008-10-01

Various disasters have been a serious threat to human and are increasing over time. The reduction and prevention of hazard is the largest problem faced by local governments. The study of disasters has drawn more and more attention mainly due to increasing awareness of the socio-economic impact of disasters. Hubei province, one of the highest economic developing provinces in China, suffered big economic losses from geo-hazards in recent years due to frequent geo-hazard events with the estimated damage of approximately 3000 million RMB. It is therefore important to establish an efficient way to mitigate potential damage and reduce losses of property and life derived from disasters. This paper presents the procedure of setting up a regional geological hazard forecast and information releasing system of Hubei province with the combination of advanced techniques such as World Wide Web (WWW), database online and ASP based on WEBGIS platform (MAPGIS-IMS) and rainfall information. A Web-based interface was developed using a three-tiered architecture based on client-server technology in this system. The study focused on the upload of the rainfall data, the definition of rainfall threshold values, the creation of geological disaster warning map and the forecast of geohazard relating to the rainfall. Its purposes are to contribute to the management of mass individual and regional geological disaster spatial data, help to forecast the conditional probabilities of occurrence of various disasters that might be posed by the rainfall, and release forecasting information of Hubei province timely via the internet throughout all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the academic community. This system has worked efficiently and stably in the internet environment which is strongly connected with meteorological observatory. Environment Station of Hubei Province are making increased use of our Web-tool to assist in the decision-making process to analyze geo-hazard in Hubei Province. It would be more helpful to present the geo-hazard information for Hubei administrator.

Yucca Mountain, Nevada - A proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levich, R.A.; Stuckless, J.S.

2006-01-01

Yucca Mountain in Nevada represents the proposed solution to what has been a lengthy national effort to dispose of high-level radioactive waste, waste which must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. This chapter reviews the background of that national effort and includes some discussion of international work in order to provide a more complete framework for the problem of waste disposal. Other chapters provide the regional geologic setting, the geology of the Yucca Mountain site, the tectonics, and climate (past, present, and future). These last two chapters are integral to prediction of long-term waste isolation. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Notes on the geology of northeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

St. John, O.

1876-01-01

During the season of 1869, in the progress of his extended reconnaissance of the Rocky Mountains, Dr. Hayden visited this region, from whom we have authentic account of its general geological features, and their intimate relation to those prevailing in other and similar districts to the north and south. A few months' residence in this part of the country in 1874-'75* afforded the writer opportunity to become somewhat familiar with its geological features; and the purpose of the present communication is to present such facts as may tend to contribute something toward a similar knowledge of remote and perhaps hitherto rarely-visited localities, and their connection with already examined districts.

Subgrid geoelectric field specification for GIC modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butala, M.; Grawe, M.; Kamalabadi, F.; Makela, J. J.

2017-12-01

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) result from surface geomagnetic field (ěc{B}) variation driven by space weather disturbances. For the most intense disturbances, the consequences can range from power grid instability to even widespread failure. Modeling GICs to assess vulnerability requires the specification of the surface geoelectric field (ěc{E}) at all spatial locations coincident with the electric power system. In this study, we investigate how to best reproduce ěc{E} given the available sparse, irregularly spaced magnetometer measurements of ěc{B} and suitable electromagnetic transfer functions (EMTFs) to transform the local ěc{B} to ěc{E}. The assessment is made against ground truth from publicly available ěc{E} measurements provided by the EarthScope magnetotelluric (MT) array, a set of 7 fixed and several transportable joint ěc{B} and ěc{E} sensors. The scope of this study spans several dimensions: geomagnetic disturbance intensity, spatial interpolation scheme, and EMTF type, i.e., 1-D models based on studies of local geology and 3-D models derived from the EarthScope MT data.

Local search for optimal global map generation using mid-decadal landsat images

USGS Publications Warehouse

Khatib, L.; Gasch, J.; Morris, Robert; Covington, S.

2007-01-01

NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS) are seeking to generate a map of the entire globe using Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor data from the "mid-decadal" period of 2004 through 2006. The global map is comprised of thousands of scene locations and, for each location, tens of different images of varying quality to chose from. Furthermore, it is desirable for images of adjacent scenes be close together in time of acquisition, to avoid obvious discontinuities due to seasonal changes. These characteristics make it desirable to formulate an automated solution to the problem of generating the complete map. This paper formulates a Global Map Generator problem as a Constraint Optimization Problem (GMG-COP) and describes an approach to solving it using local search. Preliminary results of running the algorithm on image data sets are summarized. The results suggest a significant improvement in map quality using constraint-based solutions. Copyright ?? 2007, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.

Exploring the Largest Mass Fraction of the Solar System: the Case for Planetary Interiors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danielson, L. R.; Draper, D.; Righter, K.; McCubbin, F.; Boyce, J.

2017-01-01

Why explore planetary interiors: The typical image that comes to mind for planetary science is that of a planet surface. And while surface data drive our exploration of evolved geologic processes, it is the interiors of planets that hold the key to planetary origins via accretionary and early differentiation processes. It is that initial setting of the bulk planet composition that sets the stage for all geologic processes that follow. But nearly all of the mass of planets is inaccessible to direct examination, making experimentation an absolute necessity for full planetary exploration.

Sets of spectral lines for spectrographic thermometry and manometry in d.c. arcs of geologic materials

USGS Publications Warehouse

Golightly, D.W.; Dorrzapf, A.F.; Thomas, C.P.

1977-01-01

Sets of 5 Fe(I) lines and 3 Ti(I)Ti(II) line pairs have been characterized for precise spectrographic thermometry and manometry, respectively, in d.c. arcs of geologic materials. The recommended lines are free of spectral interferences, exhibit minimal self absorption within defined concentration intervals, and are useful for chemically-unaltered silicate rocks, arced in an argon-oxygen stream. The functional character of these lines in thermometry and manometry of d.c. arcs for evaluations of electrical parameter effects, for temporal studies, and for matrix-effect investigations on real samples is illustrated. ?? 1977.

Geoethics and Forensic Geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Laurance

2017-04-01

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), Initiative on Forensic Geology (IFG) was set up in 2011 to promote and develop the applications of geology to policing and law enforcement throughout the world. This includes the provision of crime scene examinations, searches to locate graves or items of interest that have been buried beneath the ground surface as part of a criminal act and geological trace analysis and evidence. Forensic geologists may assist the police and law enforcement in a range of ways including for example; homicide, sexual assaults, counter terrorism, kidnapping, humanitarian incidents, environmental crimes, precious minerals theft, fakes and fraudulent crimes. The objective of this paper is to consider the geoethical aspects of forensic geology. This includes both delivery to research and teaching, and contribution to the practical applications of forensic geology in case work. The case examples cited are based on the personal experiences of the authors. Often, the technical and scientific aspect of forensic geology investigation may be the most straightforward, after all, this is what the forensic geologist has been trained to do. The associated geoethical issues can be the most challenging and complex to manage. Generally, forensic geologists are driven to carry-out their research or case work with integrity, honesty and in a manner that is law abiding, professional, socially acceptable and highly responsible. This is necessary in advising law enforcement organisations, society and the scientific community that they represent. As the science of forensic geology begins to advance around the world it is desirable to establish a standard set of principles, values and to provide an agreed ethical a framework. But what are these core values? Who is responsible for producing these? How may these become enforced? What happens when geoethical standards are breached? This paper does not attempt to provide all of the answers, as further work is required. However, it draws attention to some of the relevant geoethical issues within forensic geology and forensic geoscience. This paper also highlights the need for the development of a set of resources; references and guidelines, standards and protocols, a code of conduct (including for example integrity, accountability, honesty, professional fairness, courtesy, trustworthiness), data sharing and information transparency, education and training, multi-disciplinary collaboration, development of research, fair debate, evaluating uncertainty and risk, regulation and accreditation, effective communication and diplomacy, attendance at crime scenes, presenting evidence in courts of law, dealing with the media and elimination of potential bias. The uptake of Forensic Geoscience brings with it considerable challenges arising from the direct and often very sensitive human interactions. By developing this ethical component to the work that the IUGS-IFG group does, combines technical approaches with sensitive solutions, and also in parallel helps define an ethical framework for forensic geoscientists' research and practice in addressing these challenges.

The GPlates Portal: Cloud-Based Interactive 3D Visualization of Global Geophysical and Geological Data in a Web Browser.

PubMed

Müller, R Dietmar; Qin, Xiaodong; Sandwell, David T; Dutkiewicz, Adriana; Williams, Simon E; Flament, Nicolas; Maus, Stefan; Seton, Maria

2016-01-01

The pace of scientific discovery is being transformed by the availability of 'big data' and open access, open source software tools. These innovations open up new avenues for how scientists communicate and share data and ideas with each other and with the general public. Here, we describe our efforts to bring to life our studies of the Earth system, both at present day and through deep geological time. The GPlates Portal (portal.gplates.org) is a gateway to a series of virtual globes based on the Cesium Javascript library. The portal allows fast interactive visualization of global geophysical and geological data sets, draped over digital terrain models. The globes use WebGL for hardware-accelerated graphics and are cross-platform and cross-browser compatible with complete camera control. The globes include a visualization of a high-resolution global digital elevation model and the vertical gradient of the global gravity field, highlighting small-scale seafloor fabric such as abyssal hills, fracture zones and seamounts in unprecedented detail. The portal also features globes portraying seafloor geology and a global data set of marine magnetic anomaly identifications. The portal is specifically designed to visualize models of the Earth through geological time. These space-time globes include tectonic reconstructions of the Earth's gravity and magnetic fields, and several models of long-wavelength surface dynamic topography through time, including the interactive plotting of vertical motion histories at selected locations. The globes put the on-the-fly visualization of massive data sets at the fingertips of end-users to stimulate teaching and learning and novel avenues of inquiry.

The GPlates Portal: Cloud-Based Interactive 3D Visualization of Global Geophysical and Geological Data in a Web Browser

PubMed Central

Müller, R. Dietmar; Qin, Xiaodong; Sandwell, David T.; Dutkiewicz, Adriana; Williams, Simon E.; Flament, Nicolas; Maus, Stefan; Seton, Maria

2016-01-01

The pace of scientific discovery is being transformed by the availability of ‘big data’ and open access, open source software tools. These innovations open up new avenues for how scientists communicate and share data and ideas with each other and with the general public. Here, we describe our efforts to bring to life our studies of the Earth system, both at present day and through deep geological time. The GPlates Portal (portal.gplates.org) is a gateway to a series of virtual globes based on the Cesium Javascript library. The portal allows fast interactive visualization of global geophysical and geological data sets, draped over digital terrain models. The globes use WebGL for hardware-accelerated graphics and are cross-platform and cross-browser compatible with complete camera control. The globes include a visualization of a high-resolution global digital elevation model and the vertical gradient of the global gravity field, highlighting small-scale seafloor fabric such as abyssal hills, fracture zones and seamounts in unprecedented detail. The portal also features globes portraying seafloor geology and a global data set of marine magnetic anomaly identifications. The portal is specifically designed to visualize models of the Earth through geological time. These space-time globes include tectonic reconstructions of the Earth’s gravity and magnetic fields, and several models of long-wavelength surface dynamic topography through time, including the interactive plotting of vertical motion histories at selected locations. The globes put the on-the-fly visualization of massive data sets at the fingertips of end-users to stimulate teaching and learning and novel avenues of inquiry. PMID:26960151

Hazard Ranking Method for Populations Exposed to Arsenic in Private Water Supplies: Relation to Bedrock Geology

PubMed Central

Close, Rebecca; Watts, Michael J.; Ander, E. Louise; Smedley, Pauline L.; Verlander, Neville Q.; Gregory, Martin; Middleton, Daniel R. S.; Polya, David A.; Studden, Mike; Leonardi, Giovanni S.

2017-01-01

Approximately one million people in the UK are served by private water supplies (PWS) where main municipal water supply system connection is not practical or where PWS is the preferred option. Chronic exposure to contaminants in PWS may have adverse effects on health. South West England is an area with elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater and over 9000 domestic dwellings here are supplied by PWS. There remains uncertainty as to the extent of the population exposed to arsenic (As), and the factors predicting such exposure. We describe a hazard assessment model based on simplified geology with the potential to predict exposure to As in PWS. Households with a recorded PWS in Cornwall were recruited to take part in a water sampling programme from 2011 to 2013. Bedrock geologies were aggregated and classified into nine Simplified Bedrock Geological Categories (SBGC), plus a cross-cutting “mineralized” area. PWS were sampled by random selection within SBGCs and some 508 households volunteered for the study. Transformations of the data were explored to estimate the distribution of As concentrations for PWS by SBGC. Using the distribution per SBGC, we predict the proportion of dwellings that would be affected by high concentrations and rank the geologies according to hazard. Within most SBGCs, As concentrations were found to have log-normal distributions. Across these areas, the proportion of dwellings predicted to have drinking water over the prescribed concentration value (PCV) for As ranged from 0% to 20%. From these results, a pilot predictive model was developed calculating the proportion of PWS above the PCV for As and hazard ranking supports local decision making and prioritization. With further development and testing, this can help local authorities predict the number of dwellings that might fail the PCV for As, based on bedrock geology. The model presented here for Cornwall could be applied in areas with similar geologies. Application of the method requires independent validation and further groundwater-derived PWS sampling on other geological formations. PMID:29194429

Geomorphic responses of Duluth-area streams to the June 2012 flood, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Ellison, Christopher A.; Czuba, Christiana R.; Young, Benjamin M.; McCool, Molly M.; Groten, Joel T.

2016-09-01

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, completed a geomorphic assessment of 51 Duluth-area stream sites in 20 basins to describe and document the stream geomorphic changes associated with the June 2012 flood. Heavy rainfall caused flood peaks with annual exceedance probabilities of less than 0.002 (flood recurrence interval of greater than 500 years) on large and small streams in and surrounding the Duluth area. A geomorphic segment-scale classification previously developed in 2003–4 by the U.S. Geological Survey for Duluth-area streams was used as a framework to characterize the observed flood-related responses along a longitudinal continuum from headwaters to rivermouths at Lake Superior related to drainage network position, slope, geologic setting, and valley type. Field assessments in 2013 followed and expanded on techniques used in 2003–4 at intensive and rapid sites. A third level of assessment was added in 2013 to increase the amount of quantitative data at a subset of 2003–4 rapid sites. Characteristics of channel morphology, channel bed substrate, exposed bars and soft sediment deposition, large wood, pools, and bank erosion were measured; and repeat photographs were taken. Additional measurements in 2013 included identification of Rosgen Level II stream types. The comparative analyses of field data collected in 2003–4 and again in 2013 indicated notable geomorphic changes, some of them expected and others not. As expected, in headwaters with gently sloping wetland segments, geomorphic changes were negligible (little measured or observed change). Downstream, middle main stems generally had bank and bluff erosion and bar formation as expected. Steep bedrock sites along middle and lower main stems had localized bank and bluff erosion in short sections with intermittent bedrock. Lower main stem and alluvial sites had bank erosion, widening, gravel bar deposition, and aggradation. Bar formation and accumulation of gravel was more widespread than expected among all main stems, especially for sites upstream and downstream from channel constrictions from road crossings, or even steep sites with localized, more gently sloping sections. Decreases in large wood and pools also were observed throughout the longitudinal continuum of main-stem sites, with immediate implications for fish and benthic invertebrate aquatic habitat. Whether or not the geomorphic conditions will return to their preflood condition depends on the location along the longitudinal continuum. The amount of large wood and pools may return after more moderate floods, whereas bars with coarse material may remain in place, locally altering flow direction and causing continued bank erosion. Results from this study can be used by local managers in postflood reconstruction efforts and provide baseline information for continued monitoring of geomorphic responses to the June 2012 flood.

Digital data to support development of a pesticide management plan for the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, Sioux County, North Dakota, and Corson County, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaap, Bryan D.

2004-01-01

As part of a program to support development of pesticide management plans for Indian Reservations, the U.S. Geological Survey has been working in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make selected information available to the Tribes or in a format easier for the Tribes to use.As a result of this program, four digital data sets related to the geology or hydrology of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation were produced as part of this report. The digital data sets are based on maps published in 1982 at the 1:250,000 scale in "Geohydrology of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, North and South Dakota," U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Investigations Atlas HA-644 by L.W. Howells. The digital data sets were created by 1) scanning the appropriate map to create an image file, 2) registering the image file to real-world coordinates, 3) creating a new image file rectified to real-world coordinates, and 4) digitizing of the features of interest using the rectified image as a guide. As digital data sets, the information can be used in a geographic information system in combination with other information to help develop a pesticide management plan.

Geologic Setting of Mosul Dam and Its Engineering Implications

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

thought that an increase in vol- ume, produced during alteration of interbedded anhydrite to gypsum, generated sufficient pressure to fracture the...construction.. ..................................................................23 Figure 8. Geologic sections with water- pressure test values and...contains fragments or clasts of limestone, dolomite , or larger pieces of insoluble rocks of collapsed material. The upper portion of the accumulation

Geologic Mapping Results for Ceres from NASA's Dawn Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D. A.; Mest, S. C.; Buczkowski, D.; Scully, J. E. C.; Raymond, C. A.; Russell, C. T.

2017-12-01

NASA's Dawn Mission included a geologic mapping campaign during its nominal mission at dwarf planet Ceres, including production of a global geologic map and a series of 15 quadrangle maps to determine the variety of process-related geologic materials and the geologic history of Ceres. Our mapping demonstrates that all major planetary geologic processes (impact cratering, volcanism, tectonism, and gradation (weathering-erosion-deposition)) have occurred on Ceres. Ceres crust, composed of altered and NH3-bearing silicates, carbonates, salts and 30-40% water ice, preserves impact craters and all sizes and degradation states, and may represent the remains of the bottom of an ancient ocean. Volcanism is manifested by cryovolcanic domes, such as Ahuna Mons and Cerealia Facula, and by explosive cryovolcanic plume deposits such as the Vinalia Faculae. Tectonism is represented by several catenae extending from Ceres impact basins Urvara and Yalode, terracing in many larger craters, and many localized fractures around smaller craters. Gradation is manifested in a variety of flow-like features caused by mass wasting (landslides), ground ice flows, as well as impact ejecta lobes and melts. We have constructed a chronostratigraphy and geologic timescale for Ceres that is centered around major impact events. Ceres geologic periods include Pre-Kerwanan, Kerwanan, Yalodean/Urvaran, and Azaccan (the time of rayed craters, similar to the lunar Copernican). The presence of geologically young cryovolcanic deposits on Ceres surface suggests that there could be warm melt pockets within Ceres shallow crust and the dwarf planet remain geologically active.

Geology and deposits of the lunar Nectaris basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spudis, P. D.; Hawke, B. R.; Lucey, P. G.

1989-01-01

The geology and composition of Nectaris basin deposits have been investigated in order to provide information on the lunar basin-forming process and the regional geologic setting of the Apollo 16 landing site. Several outcrops of nearly pure anorthosite were noted in locations such as the walls of Kant crater, an inner ring of the basin, and the crater Bohnenberger F. The results suggest that the impact can be modeled as a proportional-growth crater, and that the Nectaris excavation cavity was about 470 km in diameter and as deep as 55 km.

Geology and deposits of the lunar Nectaris basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spudis, P. D.; Hawke, B. R.; Lucey, P. G.

The geology and composition of Nectaris basin deposits have been investigated in order to provide information on the lunar basin-forming process and the regional geologic setting of the Apollo 16 landing site. Several outcrops of nearly pure anorthosite were noted in locations such as the walls of Kant crater, an inner ring of the basin, and the crater Bohnenberger F. The results suggest that the impact can be modeled as a proportional-growth crater, and that the Nectaris excavation cavity was about 470 km in diameter and as deep as 55 km.

Geologic map of the Callville Bay Quadrangle, Clark County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, R. Ernest

2003-01-01

Report: 139 Map Scale: 1:24,000 Map Type: colored geologic map A 1:24,000-scale, full-color geologic map and four cross sections of the Callville Bay 7-minute quadrangle in Clark County, Nevada and Mohave County, Arizona. An accompanying text describes 21 stratigraphic units of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks and 40 units of Cenozoic sedimentary, volcanic, and intrusive rocks. It also discusses the structural setting, framework, and history of the quadrangle and presents a model for its tectonic development.

Drill-hole data, drill-site geology, and geochemical data from the study of Precambrian uraniferous conglomerates of the Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre of southeastern Wyoming

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

Karlstrom, K.E.; Houston, R.S.; Schmidt, T.G.

1981-02-01

This volume is presented as a companion to Volume 1: The Geology and Uranium Potential of Precambrian Conglomerates in the Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre of Southeastern Wyoming; and to Volume 3: Uranium Assessment for Precambrian Pebble Conglomerates in Southeastern Wyoming. Volume 1 summarized the geologic setting and geologic and geochemical characteristics of uranium-bearing conglomerates in Precambrian metasedimentary rocks of southeastern Wyoming. Volume 3 is a geostatistical resource estimate of U and Th in quartz-pebble conglomerates. This volume contains supporting geochemical data, lithologic logs from 48 drill holes in Precambrian rocks of the Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre,more » and drill site geologic maps and cross-sections from most of the holes.« less

Erosion-tectonics feedbacks in shaping the landscape: An example from the Mekele Outlier (Tigray, Ethiopia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembroni, Andrea; Molin, Paola; Dramis, Francesco; Faccenna, Claudio; Abebe, Bekele

2017-05-01

An outlier consists of an area of younger rocks surrounded by older ones. Its formation is mainly related to the erosion of surrounding rocks which causes the interruption of the original continuity of the rocks. Because of its origin, an outlier is an important witness of the paleogeography of a region and, therefore, essential to understand its topographic and geological evolution. The Mekele Outlier (N Ethiopia) is characterized by poorly incised Mesozoic marine sediments and dolerites (∼2000 m in elevation), surrounded by strongly eroded Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks and Tertiary volcanic deposits in a context of a mantle supported topography. In the past, studies about the Mekele outlier focused mainly in the mere description of the stratigraphic and tectonic settings without taking into account the feedback between surface and deep processes in shaping such peculiar feature. In this study we present the geological and geomorphometric analyses of the Mekele Outlier taking into account the general topographic features (slope map, swath profiles, local relief), the river network and the principal tectonic lineaments of the outlier. The results trace the evolution of the study area as related not only to the mere erosion of the surrounding rocks but to a complex interaction between surface and deep processes where the lithology played a crucial role.

Designing and Implementing a Retrospective Earthquake Detection Framework at the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patton, J.; Yeck, W.; Benz, H.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center (USGS NEIC) is implementing and integrating new signal detection methods such as subspace correlation, continuous beamforming, multi-band picking and automatic phase identification into near-real-time monitoring operations. Leveraging the additional information from these techniques help the NEIC utilize a large and varied network on local to global scales. The NEIC is developing an ordered, rapid, robust, and decentralized framework for distributing seismic detection data as well as a set of formalized formatting standards. These frameworks and standards enable the NEIC to implement a seismic event detection framework that supports basic tasks, including automatic arrival time picking, social media based event detections, and automatic association of different seismic detection data into seismic earthquake events. In addition, this framework enables retrospective detection processing such as automated S-wave arrival time picking given a detected event, discrimination and classification of detected events by type, back-azimuth and slowness calculations, and ensuring aftershock and induced sequence detection completeness. These processes and infrastructure improve the NEIC's capabilities, accuracy, and speed of response. In addition, this same infrastructure provides an improved and convenient structure to support access to automatic detection data for both research and algorithmic development.

Eye-tracking novice and expert geologist groups in the field and laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottrell, R. D.; Evans, K. M.; Jacobs, R. A.; May, B. B.; Pelz, J. B.; Rosen, M. R.; Tarduno, J. A.; Voronov, J.

2010-12-01

We are using an Active Vision approach to learn how novices and expert geologists acquire visual information in the field. The Active Vision approach emphasizes that visual perception is an active process wherein new information is acquired about a particular environment through exploratory eye movements. Eye movements are not only influenced by physical stimuli, but are also strongly influenced by high-level perceptual and cognitive processes. Eye-tracking data were collected on ten novices (undergraduate geology students) and 3 experts during a 10-day field trip across California focused on neotectonics. In addition, high-resolution panoramic images were captured at each key locality for use in a semi-immersive laboratory environment. Examples of each data type will be presented. The number of observers will be increased in subsequent field trips, but expert/novice differences are already apparent in the first set of individual eye-tracking records, including gaze time, gaze pattern and object recognition. We will review efforts to quantify these patterns, and development of semi-immersive environments to display geologic scenes. The research is a collaborative effort between Earth scientists, Cognitive scientists and Imaging scientists at the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology and with funding from the National Science Foundation.

The concept of hydrologic landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winter, T.C.

2001-01-01

Hydrologic landscapes are multiples or variations of fundamental hydrologic landscape units. A fundamental hydrologic landscape unit is defined on the basis of land-surface form, geology, and climate. The basic land-surface form of a fundamental hydrologic landscape unit is an upland separated from a lowland by an intervening steeper slope. Fundamental hydrologic landscape units have a complete hydrologic system consisting of surface runoff, ground-water flow, and interaction with atmospheric water. By describing actual landscapes in terms of land-surface slope, hydraulic properties of soils and geologic framework, and the difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration, the hydrologic system of actual landscapes can be conceptualized in a uniform way. This conceptual framework can then be the foundation for design of studies and data networks, syntheses of information on local to national scales, and comparison of process research across small study units in a variety of settings. The Crow Wing River watershed in central Minnesota is used as an example of evaluating stream discharge in the context of hydrologic landscapes. Lake-research watersheds in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska are used as an example of using the hydrologic-landscapes concept to evaluate the effect of ground water on the degree of mineralization and major-ion chemistry of lakes that lie within ground-water flow systems.

Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases for the United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nicholson, Suzanne W.; Dicken, Connie L.; Horton, John D.; Foose, Michael P.; Mueller, Julia A.L.; Hon, Rudi

2006-01-01

The rapid growth in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has highlighted the need for regional and national scale digital geologic maps that have standardized information about geologic age and lithology. Such maps can be conveniently used to generate derivative maps for manifold special purposes such as mineral-resource assessment, metallogenic studies, tectonic studies, and environmental research. Although two digital geologic maps (Schruben and others, 1994; Reed and Bush, 2004) of the United States currently exist, their scales (1:2,500,000 and 1:5,000,000) are too general for many regional applications. Most states have digital geologic maps at scales of about 1:500,000, but the databases are not comparably structured and, thus, it is difficult to use the digital database for more than one state at a time. This report describes the result for a seven state region of an effort by the U.S. Geological Survey to produce a series of integrated and standardized state geologic map databases that cover the entire United States. In 1997, the United States Geological Survey's Mineral Resources Program initiated the National Surveys and Analysis (NSA) Project to develop national digital databases. One primary activity of this project was to compile a national digital geologic map database, utilizing state geologic maps, to support studies in the range of 1:250,000- to 1:1,000,000-scale. To accomplish this, state databases were prepared using a common standard for the database structure, fields, attribution, and data dictionaries. For Alaska and Hawaii new state maps are being prepared and the preliminary work for Alaska is being released as a series of 1:250,000 scale quadrangle reports. This document provides background information and documentation for the integrated geologic map databases of this report. This report is one of a series of such reports releasing preliminary standardized geologic map databases for the United States. The data products of the project consist of two main parts, the spatial databases and a set of supplemental tables relating to geologic map units. The datasets serve as a data resource to generate a variety of stratigraphic, age, and lithologic maps. This documentation is divided into four main sections: (1) description of the set of data files provided in this report, (2) specifications of the spatial databases, (3) specifications of the supplemental tables, and (4) an appendix containing the data dictionaries used to populate some fields of the spatial database and supplemental tables.

New Age of 3D Geological Modelling or Complexity is not an Issue Anymore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitrofanov, Aleksandr

2017-04-01

Geological model has a significant value in almost all types of researches related to regional mapping, geodynamics and especially to structural and resource geology of mineral deposits. Well-developed geological model must take into account all vital features of modelling object without over-simplification and also should adequately represent the interpretation of the geologist. In recent years with the gradual exhaustion deposits with relatively simple morphology geologists from all over the world are faced with the necessity of building the representative models for more and more structurally complex objects. Meanwhile, the amount of tools used for that has not significantly changed in the last two-three decades. The most widespread method of wireframe geological modelling now was developed in 1990s and is fully based on engineering design set of instruments (so-called CAD). Strings and polygons representing the section-based interpretation are being used as an intermediate step in the process of wireframes generation. Despite of significant time required for this type of modelling, it still can provide sufficient results for simple and medium-complexity geological objects. However, with the increasing complexity more and more vital features of the deposit are being sacrificed because of fundamental inability (or much greater time required for modelling) of CAD-based explicit techniques to develop the wireframes of the appropriate complexity. At the same time alternative technology which is not based on sectional approach and which uses the fundamentally different mathematical algorithms is being actively developed in the variety of other disciplines: medicine, advanced industrial design, game and cinema industry. In the recent years this implicit technology started to being developed for geological modelling purpose and nowadays it is represented by very powerful set of tools that has been integrated in almost all major commercial software packages. Implicit modelling allows to develop geological models that really correspond with complicated geological reality. Models can include fault blocking, complex structural trends and folding; can be based on excessive input dataset (like lots of drilling on the mining stage) or, on the other hand, on a quite few drillholes intersections with significant input from geological interpretation of the deposit. In any case implicit modelling, if is used correctly, allows to incorporate the whole batch of geological data and relatively quickly get the easily adjustable, flexible and robust geological wireframes that can be used as a reliable foundation on the following stages of geological investigations. In SRK practice nowadays almost all the wireframe models used for structural and resource geology are developed with implicit modelling tools which significantly increased the speed and quality of geological modelling.

Apollo 15 clastic materials and their relationship to local geologic features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fruchter, J. S.; Stoeser, J. W.; Lindstrom, M. M.; Goles, G. G.

1973-01-01

Ninety sub-samples of Apollo 15 materials have been analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis techniques for as many as 21 elements. Soil and soil breccia compositions show considerable variation from station to station although at any given station the soils and soil breccias were compositionally very similar to one another. Mixing model calculations show that the station-to-station variations can be related to important local geologic features. These features include the Apennine Front, Hadley Rille and the ray from the craters Aristillus or Autolycus. Compositional similarities between soils and soil breccias at the Apollo 15 site indicate that the breccias and soils are related in some fundamental way, although the exact nature of this relationship is not yet fully understood.