Spatial-altitudinal and temporal variation of Degree Day Factors (DDFs) in the Upper Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Asif; Attaullah, Haleema; Masud, Tabinda; Khan, Mujahid

2017-04-01

Melt contribution from snow and ice in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayan (HKH) region could account for more than 80% of annual river flows in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB). Increase or decrease in precipitation, energy input and glacier reserves can significantly affect water resources of this region. Therefore improved hydrological modelling and accurate future water resources prediction are vital for food production and hydro-power generation for millions of people living downstream, and are intensively needed. In mountain regions Degree Day Factors (DDFs) significantly vary on spatial and altitudinal basis, and are primary inputs of temperature-based hydrological modelling. However previous studies have used different DDFs as calibration parameters without due attention to the physical meaning of the values employed, and these estimates possess significant variability and uncertainty. This study provides estimates of DDFs for various altitudinal zones in the UIB at sub-basin level. Snow, clean ice and ice with debris cover bear different melt rates (or DDFs), therefore areally-averaged DDFs based on snow, clean and debris-covered ice classes in various altitudinal zones have been estimated for all sub-basins of the UIB. Zonal estimates of DDFs in the current study are significantly different from earlier adopted DDFs, hence suggest a revisit of previous hydrological modelling studies. DDFs presented in current study have been validated by using Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) in various sub-basins with good Nash Sutcliffe coefficients (R2 > 0.85) and low volumetric errors (Dv<10%). DDFs and methods provided in the current study can be used in future improved hydrological modelling and to provide accurate predictions of future river flows changes. The methodology used for estimation of DDFs is robust, and can be adopted to produce such estimates in other regions of the, particularly in the nearby other HKH basins.

Prediction of future hydrological regimes in poorly gauged high altitude basins: the case study of the upper Indus, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocchiola, D.; Diolaiuti, G.; Soncini, A.; Mihalcea, C.; D'Agata, C.; Mayer, C.; Lambrecht, A.; Rosso, R.; Smiraglia, C.

2011-04-01

In the mountain regions of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalaya (HKH) the "third polar ice cap" of our planet, glaciers play the role of "water towers" by providing significant amount of melt water, especially in the dry season, essential for agriculture, drinking purposes, and hydropower production. Recently, most glaciers in the HKH have been retreating and losing mass, mainly due to significant regional warming, thus calling for assessment of future water resources availability for populations down slope. However, hydrology of these high altitude catchments is poorly studied and little understood. Most such catchments are poorly gauged, thus posing major issues in flow prediction therein, and representing in facts typical grounds of application of PUB concepts, where simple and portable hydrological modeling based upon scarce data amount is necessary for water budget estimation, and prediction under climate change conditions. In this preliminarily study, future (2060) hydrological flows in a particular watershed (Shigar river at Shigar, ca. 7000 km2), nested within the upper Indus basin and fed by seasonal melt from major glaciers, are investigated. The study is carried out under the umbrella of the SHARE-Paprika project, aiming at evaluating the impact of climate change upon hydrology of the upper Indus river. We set up a minimal hydrological model, tuned against a short series of observed ground climatic data from a number of stations in the area, in situ measured ice ablation data, and remotely sensed snow cover data. The future, locally adjusted, precipitation and temperature fields for the reference decade 2050-2059 from CCSM3 model, available within the IPCC's panel, are then fed to the hydrological model. We adopt four different glaciers' cover scenarios, to test sensitivity to decreased glacierized areas. The projected flow duration curves, and some selected flow descriptors are evaluated. The uncertainty of the results is then addressed, and use of the model for nearby catchments discussed. The proposed approach is valuable as a tool to investigate the hydrology of poorly gauged high altitude areas, and to project forward their hydrological behavior pending climate change.

Prediction of future hydrological regimes in poorly gauged high altitude basins: the case study of the upper Indus, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocchiola, D.; Diolaiuti, G.; Soncini, A.; Mihalcea, C.; D'Agata, C.; Mayer, C.; Lambrecht, A.; Rosso, R.; Smiraglia, C.

2011-07-01

In the mountain regions of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalaya (HKH) the "third polar ice cap" of our planet, glaciers play the role of "water towers" by providing significant amount of melt water, especially in the dry season, essential for agriculture, drinking purposes, and hydropower production. Recently, most glaciers in the HKH have been retreating and losing mass, mainly due to significant regional warming, thus calling for assessment of future water resources availability for populations down slope. However, hydrology of these high altitude catchments is poorly studied and little understood. Most such catchments are poorly gauged, thus posing major issues in flow prediction therein, and representing in fact typical grounds of application of PUB concepts, where simple and portable hydrological modeling based upon scarce data amount is necessary for water budget estimation, and prediction under climate change conditions. In this preliminarily study, future (2060) hydrological flows in a particular watershed (Shigar river at Shigar, ca. 7000 km2), nested within the upper Indus basin and fed by seasonal melt from major glaciers, are investigated. The study is carried out under the umbrella of the SHARE-Paprika project, aiming at evaluating the impact of climate change upon hydrology of the upper Indus river. We set up a minimal hydrological model, tuned against a short series of observed ground climatic data from a number of stations in the area, in situ measured ice ablation data, and remotely sensed snow cover data. The future, locally adjusted, precipitation and temperature fields for the reference decade 2050-2059 from CCSM3 model, available within the IPCC's panel, are then fed to the hydrological model. We adopt four different glaciers' cover scenarios, to test sensitivity to decreased glacierized areas. The projected flow duration curves, and some selected flow descriptors are evaluated. The uncertainty of the results is then addressed, and use of the model for nearby catchments discussed. The proposed approach is valuable as a tool to investigate the hydrology of poorly gauged high altitude areas, and to project forward their hydrological behavior pending climate change.

Spatial analysis of precipitation time series over the Upper Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latif, Yasir; Yaoming, Ma; Yaseen, Muhammad

2018-01-01

The upper Indus basin (UIB) holds one of the most substantial river systems in the world, contributing roughly half of the available surface water in Pakistan. This water provides necessary support for agriculture, domestic consumption, and hydropower generation; all critical for a stable economy in Pakistan. This study has identified trends, analyzed variability, and assessed changes in both annual and seasonal precipitation during four time series, identified herein as: (first) 1961-2013, (second) 1971-2013, (third) 1981-2013, and (fourth) 1991-2013, over the UIB. This study investigated spatial characteristics of the precipitation time series over 15 weather stations and provides strong evidence of annual precipitation by determining significant trends at 6 stations (Astore, Chilas, Dir, Drosh, Gupis, and Kakul) out of the 15 studied stations, revealing a significant negative trend during the fourth time series. Our study also showed significantly increased precipitation at Bunji, Chitral, and Skardu, whereas such trends at the rest of the stations appear insignificant. Moreover, our study found that seasonal precipitation decreased at some locations (at a high level of significance), as well as periods of scarce precipitation during all four seasons. The observed decreases in precipitation appear stronger and more significant in autumn; having 10 stations exhibiting decreasing precipitation during the fourth time series, with respect to time and space. Furthermore, the observed decreases in precipitation appear robust and more significant for regions at high elevation (>1300 m). This analysis concludes that decreasing precipitation dominated the UIB, both temporally and spatially including in the higher areas.

Climate Change and its Impacts on Water Resources and Management of Tarbela Reservoir under IPCC Climate Change Scenarios in Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Firdos; Pilz, Jürgen

2014-05-01

Water resources play a vital role in agriculture, energy, industry, households and ecological balance. The main source of water to rivers is the Himalaya-Karakorum-Hindukush (HKH) glaciers and rainfall in Upper Indus Basin (UIB). There is high uncertainty in the availability of water in the rivers due to the variability of the monsoon, Western Disturbances, prolonged droughts and melting of glaciers in the HKH region. Therefore, proper management of water resources is undeniably important. Due to the growing population, urbanization and increased industrialization, the situation is likely to get worse. For the assessment of possible climate change, maximum temperature, minimum temperature and precipitation were investigated and evidence was found in favor of climate change in the region. Due to large differences between historical meteorological data and Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulated data, different statistical techniques were used for bias correction in temperature and precipitation. The hydrological model was calibrated for the period of 1995-2004 and validated for the period of 1990-1994 with almost 90 % efficiencies. After the application of bias correction techniques output of RCM, Providing Regional Climate for Impact Studies (PRECIS) were used as input data to the hydrological model to produce inflow projections at Tarbela reservoir on Indus River. For climate change assessment, the results show that the above mentioned variables have greater increasing trend under A2 scenario compared to B2 scenario. The projections of inflow to Tarbela reservoir show that overall 59.42 % and 34.27 % inflow increasing to Tarbela Reservoir during 2040-2069 under A2 and B2 scenarios will occur, respectively. Highest inflow and comparatively more shortage of water is noted in the 2020s under A2 scenario. Finally, the impacts of changing climate are investigated on the operation of the Tarbela reservoir. The results show that there will be shortage of water in some months over different years. There are no chances of overtopping of the dam during the 2020s and the 2050s under A2 and B2 scenarios. _______________________________________________________________________________KEY WORDS: Climate Model, Climate Change, Hydrological Model, Climate Change Scenarios, Tarbela Reservoir, Inflow, Outflow, Evaporation, Indus River, Calibration, Bias Correction.

Identification of new deep sea sinuous channels in the eastern Arabian Sea.

PubMed

Mishra, Ravi; Pandey, D K; Ramesh, Prerna; Clift, Peter D

2016-01-01

Deep sea channel systems are recognized in most submarine fans worldwide as well as in the geological record. The Indus Fan is the second largest modern submarine fan, having a well-developed active canyon and deep sea channel system. Previous studies from the upper Indus Fan have reported several active channel systems. In the present study, deep sea channel systems were identified within the middle Indus Fan using high resolution multibeam bathymetric data. Prominent morphological features within the survey block include the Raman Seamount and Laxmi Ridge. The origin of the newly discovered channels in the middle fan has been inferred using medium resolution satellite bathymetry data. Interpretation of new data shows that the highly sinuous deep sea channel systems also extend to the east of Laxmi Ridge, as well as to the west of Laxmi Ridge, as previously reported. A decrease in sinuosity southward can be attributed to the morphological constraints imposed by the elevated features. These findings have significance in determining the pathways for active sediment transport systems, as well as their source characterization. The geometry suggests a series of punctuated avulsion events leading to the present array of disconnected channels. Such channels have affected the Laxmi Basin since the Pliocene and are responsible for reworking older fan sediments, resulting in loss of the original erosional signature supplied from the river mouth. This implies that distal fan sediments have experienced significant signal shredding and may not represent the erosion and weathering conditions within the onshore basin at the time of sedimentation.

An appraisal of precipitation distribution in the high-altitude catchments of the Indus basin.

PubMed

Dahri, Zakir Hussain; Ludwig, Fulco; Moors, Eddy; Ahmad, Bashir; Khan, Asif; Kabat, Pavel

2016-04-01

Scarcity of in-situ observations coupled with high orographic influences has prevented a comprehensive assessment of precipitation distribution in the high-altitude catchments of Indus basin. Available data are generally fragmented and scattered with different organizations and mostly cover the valleys. Here, we combine most of the available station data with the indirect precipitation estimates at the accumulation zones of major glaciers to analyse altitudinal dependency of precipitation in the high-altitude Indus basin. The available observations signified the importance of orography in each sub-hydrological basin but could not infer an accurate distribution of precipitation with altitude. We used Kriging with External Drift (KED) interpolation scheme with elevation as a predictor to appraise spatiotemporal distribution of mean monthly, seasonal and annual precipitation for the period of 1998-2012. The KED-based annual precipitation estimates are verified by the corresponding basin-wide observed specific runoffs, which show good agreement. In contrast to earlier studies, our estimates reveal substantially higher precipitation in most of the sub-basins indicating two distinct rainfall maxima; 1st along southern and lower most slopes of Chenab, Jhelum, Indus main and Swat basins, and 2nd around north-west corner of Shyok basin in the central Karakoram. The study demonstrated that the selected gridded precipitation products covering this region are prone to significant errors. In terms of quantitative estimates, ERA-Interim is relatively close to the observations followed by WFDEI and TRMM, while APHRODITE gives highly underestimated precipitation estimates in the study area. Basin-wide seasonal and annual correction factors introduced for each gridded dataset can be useful for lumped hydrological modelling studies, while the estimated precipitation distribution can serve as a basis for bias correction of any gridded precipitation products for the study area. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separating snow, clean and debris covered ice in the Upper Indus Basin, Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayas, using Landsat images between 1998 and 2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Asif; Naz, Bibi S.; Bowling, Laura C.

2015-02-01

The Hindukush Karakoram Himalayan mountains contain some of the largest glaciers of the world, and supply melt water from perennial snow and glaciers to the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) upstream of Tarbela dam, which constitutes greater than 80% of the annual flows, and caters to the needs of millions of people in the Indus Basin. It is therefore important to study the response of perennial snow and glaciers in the UIB under changing climatic conditions, using improved hydrological modeling, glacier mass balance, and observations of glacier responses. However, the available glacier inventories and datasets only provide total perennial-snow and glacier cover areas, despite the fact that snow, clean ice and debris covered ice have different melt rates and densities. This distinction is vital for improved hydrological modeling and mass balance studies. This study, therefore, presents a separated perennial snow and glacier inventory (perennial snow-cover on steep slopes, perennial snow-covered ice, clean and debris covered ice) based on a semi-automated method that combines Landsat images and surface slope information in a supervised maximum likelihood classification to map distinct glacier zones, followed by manual post processing. The accuracy of the presented inventory falls well within the accuracy limits of available snow and glacier inventory products. For the entire UIB, estimates of perennial and/or seasonal snow on steep slopes, snow-covered ice, clean and debris covered ice zones are 7238 ± 724, 5226 ± 522, 4695 ± 469 and 2126 ± 212 km2 respectively. Thus total snow and glacier cover is 19,285 ± 1928 km2, out of which 12,075 ± 1207 km2 is glacier cover (excluding steep slope snow-cover). Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) estimates based on the Snow Line Elevation (SLE) in various watersheds range between 4800 and 5500 m, while the Accumulation Area Ratio (AAR) ranges between 7% and 80%. 0 °C isotherms during peak ablation months (July and August) range between ∼ 5500 and 6200 m in various watersheds. These outputs can be used as input to hydrological models, to estimate spatially-variable degree day factors for hydrological modeling, to separate glacier and snow-melt contributions in river flows, and to study glacier mass balance, and glacier responses to changing climate.

Fluvial-aeolian interactions in sediment routing and sedimentary signal buffering: an example from the Indus Basin and Thar Desert

USGS Publications Warehouse

East, Amy E.; Clift, Peter D.; Carter, Andrew; Alizai, Anwar; VanLaningham, Sam

2015-01-01

Sediment production and its subsequent preservation in the marine stratigraphic record offshore of large rivers are linked by complex sediment-transfer systems. To interpret the stratigraphic record it is critical to understand how environmental signals transfer from sedimentary source regions to depositional sinks, and in particular to understand the role of buffering in obscuring climatic or tectonic signals. In dryland regions, signal buffering can include sediment cycling through linked fluvial and eolian systems. We investigate sediment-routing connectivity between the Indus River and the Thar Desert, where fluvial and eolian systems exchanged sediment over large spatial scales (hundreds of kilometers). Summer monsoon winds recycle sediment from the lower Indus River and delta northeastward, i.e., downwind and upstream, into the desert. Far-field eolian recycling of Indus sediment is important enough to control sediment provenance at the downwind end of the desert substantially, although the proportion of Indus sediment of various ages varies regionally within the desert; dune sands in the northwestern Thar Desert resemble the Late Holocene–Recent Indus delta, requiring short transport and reworking times. On smaller spatial scales (1–10 m) along fluvial channels in the northern Thar Desert, there is also stratigraphic evidence of fluvial and eolian sediment reworking from local rivers. In terms of sediment volume, we estimate that the Thar Desert could be a more substantial sedimentary store than all other known buffer regions in the Indus basin combined. Thus, since the mid-Holocene, when the desert expanded as the summer monsoon rainfall decreased, fluvial-eolian recycling has been an important but little recognized process buffering sediment flux to the ocean. Similar fluvial-eolian connectivity likely also affects sediment routing and signal transfer in other dryland regions globally.

Hydrological applications of Landsat imagery used in the study of the 1973 Indus River flood, Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deutsch, Morris; Ruggles, F.H.

1978-01-01

During August and September 1973, the Indus River Valley of Pakistan experienced one of the largest floods on record, resulting in damages to homes, businesses, public works, and crops amounting to millions of rupees. Tremendous areas of lowlands were inundated along the Indus River and major tributaries. Landsat data made it possible to easily measure the extent of flooding, totaling about 20,000 km2 within an area of about 400,000 km2 south from the Punjab to the Arabian Sea.The Indus River data were used to continue experimentation in the development of rapid, accurate, and inexpensive optical techniques of flood mapping by satellite begun in 1973 for the Mississipi River floods. The research work on the Indus River not resulted in the development of more effective procedures for optical processing of flood data and synoptically depicting flooding, but also provided potentially valuable ancillary information concerning the hydrology of much of the Indus River Basin.

Interannual and low-frequency variability of Upper Indus Basin winter/spring precipitation in observations and CMIP5 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, Arthur M.; Robertson, Andrew W.

2017-12-01

An assessment is made of the ability of general circulation models in the CMIP5 ensemble to reproduce observed modes of low-frequency winter/spring precipitation variability in the region of the Upper Indus basin (UIB) in south-central Asia. This season accounts for about two thirds of annual precipitation totals in the UIB and is characterized by "western disturbances" propagating along the eastward extension of the Mediterranean storm track. Observational data are utilized for for spatiotemporal characterization of the precipitation seasonal cycle, to compute seasonalized spectra and finally, to examine teleconnections, in terms of large-scale patterns in sea-surface temperature (SST) and atmospheric circulation. Annual and lowpassed variations are found to be associated primarily with SST modes in the tropical and extratropical Pacific. A more obscure link to North Atlantic SST, possibly related to the North Atlantic Oscillation, is also noted. An ensemble of 31 CMIP5 models is then similarly assessed, using unforced preindustrial multi-century control runs. Of these models, eight are found to reproduce well the two leading modes of the observed seasonal cycle. This model subset is then assessed in the spectral domain and with respect to teleconnection patterns, where a range of behaviors is noted. Two model families each account for three members of this subset. The degree of within-family similarity in behavior is shown to reflect underlying model differences. The results provide estimates of unforced regional hydroclimate variability over the UIB on interannual and decadal scales and the corresponding far-field influences, and are of potential relevance for the estimation of uncertainties in future water availability.

Socio-Hydrology of Channel Flows in Complex River Basins: Rivers, Canals, and Distributaries in Punjab, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wescoat, James L.; Siddiqi, Afreen; Muhammad, Abubakr

2018-01-01

This paper presents a socio-hydrologic analysis of channel flows in Punjab province of the Indus River basin in Pakistan. The Indus has undergone profound transformations, from large-scale canal irrigation in the mid-nineteenth century to partition and development of the international river basin in the mid-twentieth century, systems modeling in the late-twentieth century, and new technologies for discharge measurement and data analytics in the early twenty-first century. We address these processes through a socio-hydrologic framework that couples historical geographic and analytical methods at three levels of flow in the Punjab. The first level assesses Indus River inflows analysis from its origins in 1922 to the present. The second level shows how river inflows translate into 10-daily canal command deliveries that vary widely in their conformity with canal entitlements. The third level of analysis shows how new flow measurement technologies raise questions about the performance of established methods of water scheduling (warabandi) on local distributaries. We show how near real-time measurement sheds light on the efficiency and transparency of surface water management. These local socio-hydrologic changes have implications in turn for the larger scales of canal and river inflow management in complex river basins.

Monsoonal vs. glacial control on erosion and sediment storage in the Himalayan rain shadow, Zanskar River, northwest India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonell, Tara; Clift, Peter; Carter, Andrew; Böning, Philipp; Wittmann, Hella

2016-04-01

Summer monsoon precipitation strongly controls erosion and sediment storage in the frontal Himalaya but the relationship between monsoonal variability and erosion is less well-constrained beyond the High Himalayan topographic divide in the rain shadow. Here we establish a Quaternary erosional history for a rain shadow tributary of the upper Indus River system, the Zanskar River, by applying several sediment provenance techniques to modern and dated terrace river sediments. We evaluate if there are temporal links between sediment storage and moisture supply to the rain shadow and if regions like the Zanskar River basin play a significant role in controlling total sediment flux to the Indus River. We compile bulk sediment petrography and Sr and Nd isotope geochemistry, detrital U-Pb zircon and apatite fission track dating with in-situ 10Be cosmogenic radionuclide techniques to identify patterns of erosion and sediment production across Zanskar. Bulk petrography, Sr and Nd isotope geochemistry, and U-Pb detrital zircon spectra of modern and older terrace sediments indicate high rates of erosion along the Greater Himalaya in the Zanskar River basin. We find that the wettest and most glaciated subcatchment dominates the bulk sediment provenance signal, with only moderate input from other tributaries, and that other basin parameters cannot explain our observations. Catchment-averaged in-situ 10Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations of modern sediments indicate erosion rates up to ˜1.2 mm y-1 but show strong dilution attributed to glacial sediment recycling into the modern river, suggesting rates nearer 0.4-0.6 mm•y-1. These rates are consistent with longer-term rates of incision (0.3-0.7 mm•y-1) calculated from detrital apatite fission track ages, and incision rates inferred from Late Glacial and Holocene terraces near the Zanskar-Indus confluence. Our findings suggest that sediment production in glaciated Himalayan rain shadow environments like Zanskar is largely controlled by internal glacial fluctuations coupled with periodic dissection and reworking of terrace material during strong monsoonal precipitation phases.

Assessing the combined influence of TOC and black carbon in soil-air partitioning of PBDEs and DPs from the Indus River Basin, Pakistan.

PubMed

Ali, Usman; Mahmood, Adeel; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Katsoyiannis, Athanasios; Jones, Kevin C; Malik, Riffat Naseem

2015-06-01

Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechlorane plus (DPs) were investigated in the Indus River Basin from Pakistan. Concentrations of ∑PBDEs and ∑DPs were ranged between 0.05 and 2.38 and 0.002-0.53 ng g(-1) in the surface soils while 1.43-22.1 and 0.19-7.59 pg m(-3) in the passive air samples, respectively. Black carbon (fBC) and total organic carbon (fTOC) fractions were also measured and ranged between 0.73 and 1.75 and 0.04-0.2%, respectively. The statistical analysis revealed strong influence of fBC than fTOC on the distribution of PBDEs and DPs in the Indus River Basin soils. BDE's congener profile suggested the input of penta-bromodiphenylether (DE-71) commercial formulation in the study area. Soil-air partitioning of PBDEs were investigated by employing octanol-air partition coefficients (KOA) and black carbon-air partition coefficients (KBC-A). The results of both models suggested the combined influence of total organic carbon (absorption) and black carbon (adsorption) in the studied area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composite use of numerical groundwater flow modeling and geoinformatics techniques for monitoring Indus Basin aquifer, Pakistan.

PubMed

Ahmad, Zulfiqar; Ashraf, Arshad; Fryar, Alan; Akhter, Gulraiz

2011-02-01

The integration of the Geographic Information System (GIS) with groundwater modeling and satellite remote sensing capabilities has provided an efficient way of analyzing and monitoring groundwater behavior and its associated land conditions. A 3-dimensional finite element model (Feflow) has been used for regional groundwater flow modeling of Upper Chaj Doab in Indus Basin, Pakistan. The approach of using GIS techniques that partially fulfill the data requirements and define the parameters of existing hydrologic models was adopted. The numerical groundwater flow model is developed to configure the groundwater equipotential surface, hydraulic head gradient, and estimation of the groundwater budget of the aquifer. GIS is used for spatial database development, integration with a remote sensing, and numerical groundwater flow modeling capabilities. The thematic layers of soils, land use, hydrology, infrastructure, and climate were developed using GIS. The Arcview GIS software is used as additive tool to develop supportive data for numerical groundwater flow modeling and integration and presentation of image processing and modeling results. The groundwater flow model was calibrated to simulate future changes in piezometric heads from the period 2006 to 2020. Different scenarios were developed to study the impact of extreme climatic conditions (drought/flood) and variable groundwater abstraction on the regional groundwater system. The model results indicated a significant response in watertable due to external influential factors. The developed model provides an effective tool for evaluating better management options for monitoring future groundwater development in the study area.

Spatiotemporal variations of radar glacier zones in the Karakoram Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lund, Jewell

2017-04-01

Glaciers of the Karakoram Mountains are important climate indicators for densely populated South Central Asia. Glacial meltwater is a significant source of runoff in the Indus River Basin, upon which 60 million people rely for food security, economy and hydropower in Pakistan and India. Contrary to worldwide and also Himalayan trends, Karakoram glaciers have recently been verified in near balance, with some glaciers even gaining mass or surging. This 'Karakoram anomaly' is of interest, and many hypotheses exist for its causes. Complex climatology, coupled with the challenges of field study in this region, illicit notable uncertainties both in observation and prediction of glacial status. Constraining spatiotemporal variations in glacial mass balance will elucidate the extent and possible longevity of this anomaly, and its implications for water resources, as climate continues to change. Depending on snowpack conditions during image acquisition, different snow and ice zones on a glacier are identifiable in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The identification and monitoring of radar glacier zones over time can provide indicators of relative glacial mass balance to compliment field studies in a region with sparse field measurement. We will present spatiotemporal evolution of basic radar glacier zones such as wet snow, bare ice, percolation, and firn for glaciers feeding into the Upper Indus Basin. We will incorporate both ascending and descending passes of Sentinel-1 series C -band sensors, and possibly ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 L-band images. We may also explore the impacts of these variations on timing and intensity of runoff.

The Sedimentology and Origins of a Giant Mass Transport Deposit: The Nataraja Slide, Arabian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dailey, S. K.; Clift, P. D.; Kulhanek, D. K.; Calves, G.

2017-12-01

The Nataraja Slide was recently discovered by seismic mapping off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea. Volumetrically estimated to be 19,000 km3, it is the second largest mass transport deposit known on a passive margin. Understanding how this deposit was emplaced is important to constrain how mass wasting affects the bathymetry of sedimentary basins, as well as the effects triggered by such a large event, including tsunamis. The Nataraja Slide was emplaced at 10.8 Ma as a result of collapse of the western India margin, which traveled 550 km into the basin. The deposit has been cored in two locations by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 355, where it is 330 m (Site U1456) and 190 m thick (Site U1457). The presence of various deformation structures and the occurrence of a predominantly reworked calcareous nannofossil assemblages are used to define the top of the deposit. The deposit appears to consist of two units at Site U1456 with 22 m of upper Miocene hemipelagic sediment separating them, suggesting emplacement in two large pulses. At both sites, the mass transport deposit has a coarse carbonate-dominated base, composed of clast-supported breccia overlain by massive calcarenite associated with high-energy current transport, and calcilutite. These strata are overlain by steeply inclined, slumped but otherwise coherent pyritized, siliciclastic mudstones and minor volumes of matrix-supported conglomerates, interpreted as debris flows. Emplacement appears to have eroded significant thicknesses of Indus Fan turbidites at Site U1456, as there is a hiatus that is a minimum of 2.5 m.y. at the base. At Site U1457, the slide directly overlies Paleocene reddish mudstones on the eastern flank of the Laxmi Ridge, which likely diverted the sediment to the south in the Laxmi Basin and away from the main Arabian Sea basin. Bulk sediment Nd and Sr isotope geochemistry show a provenance, similar to those of the Tapti and Narmada rivers in western India, and include entrainment of Indus Fan material particularly in the top of the deposit, and drape. Our study aims to further evaluate the depositional mechanisms and original trigger for the mass wasting event by using petrography to understand the sediment in this upper Miocene mass transport deposit.

The atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle over the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorí, Rogert; Nieto, Raquel; Drumond, Anita; Vicente-Serrano, Sergio M.; Gimeno, Luis

2017-12-01

The atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle over the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins (IRB, GRB, and BRB respectively) in the South Asian region was investigated. The 3-dimensional model FLEXPART v9.0 was utilized. An important advantage of this model is that it permits the computation of the freshwater budget on air parcel trajectories both backward and forward in time from 0.1 to 1000 hPa in the atmospheric vertical column. The analysis was conducted for the westerly precipitation regime (WPR) (November-April) and the monsoonal precipitation regime (MPR) (May-October) in the period from 1981 to 2015. The main terrestrial and oceanic climatological moisture sources for the IRB, GRB, and BRB and their contribution to precipitation over the basins were identified. For the three basins, the most important moisture sources for precipitation are (i) in the continental regions, the land masses to the west of the basins (in this case called western Asia), the Indian region (IR), and the basin itself, and (ii) from the ocean, the utmost sources being the Indian Ocean (IO) and the Bay of Bengal (BB), and it is remarkable that despite the amount of moisture reaching the Indus and Ganges basins from land sources, the moisture supply from the IO seems to be first associated with the rapid increase or decrease in precipitation over the sources in the MPR. The technique of the composites was used to analyse how the moisture uptake values spatially vary from the sources (the budget of evaporation minus precipitation (E - P) was computed in a backward experiment from the basins) but during the pre-onset and pre-demise dates of the monsoonal rainfall over each basin; this confirmed that over the last days of the monsoon at the basins, the moisture uptake areas decrease in the IO. The Indian region, the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the basins themselves are the main sources of moisture responsible for negative (positive) anomalies of moisture contribution to the basins during composites of driest (wettest) WPR and MPR.

Low fidelity of CORDEX and their driving experiments indicates future climatic uncertainty over Himalayan watersheds of Indus basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasson, Shabeh ul; Böhner, Jürgen; Chishtie, Farrukh

2018-03-01

Assessment of future water availability from the Himalayan watersheds of Indus Basin (Jhelum, Kabul and upper Indus basin—UIB) is a growing concern for safeguarding the sustainable socioeconomic wellbeing downstream. This requires, before all, robust climate change information from the present-day state-of-the-art climate models. However, the robustness of climate change projections highly depends upon the fidelity of climate modeling experiments. Hence, this study assesses the fidelity of seven dynamically refined (0.44° ) experiments, performed under the framework of the coordinated regional climate downscaling experiment for South Asia (CX-SA), and additionally, their six coarse-resolution driving datasets participating in the coupled model intercomparison project phase 5 (CMIP5). We assess fidelity in terms of reproducibility of the observed climatology of temperature and precipitation, and the seasonality of the latter for the historical period (1971-2005). Based on the model fidelity results, we further assess the robustness or uncertainty of the far future climate (2061-2095), as projected under the extreme-end warming scenario of the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5. Our results show that the CX-SA and their driving CMIP5 experiments consistently feature low fidelity in terms of the chosen skill metrics, suggesting substantial cold (6-10 ° C) and wet (up to 80%) biases and underestimation of observed precipitation seasonality. Surprisingly, the CX-SA are unable to outperform their driving datasets. Further, the biases of CX-SA and of their driving CMIP5 datasets are higher in magnitude than their projected changes under RCP8.5—and hence under less extreme RCPs—by the end of 21st century, indicating uncertain future climates for the Indus Basin watersheds. Higher inter-dataset disagreements of both CMIP5 and CX-SA for their simulated historical precipitation and for its projected changes reinforce uncertain future wet/dry conditions whereas the CMIP5 projected warming is less robust owing to higher historical period uncertainty. Interestingly, a better agreement among those CX-SA experiments that have been obtained through downscaling different CMIP5 experiments with the same regional climate model (RCM) indicates the RCMs' ability of modulating the influence of lateral boundary conditions over a large domain. These findings, instead of suggesting the usual skill-based identification of 'reasonable' global or regional low fidelity experiments, rather emphasize on a paradigm shift towards improving their fidelity by exploiting the potential of meso-to-local scale climate models—preferably of those that can solely resolve global-to-local scale climatic processes—in terms of microphysics, resolution and explicitly resolved convections. Additionally, an extensive monitoring of the nival regime within the Himalayan watersheds will reduce the observational uncertainty, allowing for a more robust fidelity assessment of the climate modeling experiments.

Spatial quantification of groundwater abstraction in the irrigated Indus basin.

PubMed

Cheema, M J M; Immerzeel, W W; Bastiaanssen, W G M

2014-01-01

Groundwater abstraction and depletion were assessed at a 1-km resolution in the irrigated areas of the Indus Basin using remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ET) and precipitation; a process-based hydrological model and spatial information on canal water supplies. A calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to derive total annual irrigation applied in the irrigated areas of the basin during the year 2007. The SWAT model was parameterized by station corrected precipitation data (R) from the Tropical Rainfall Monitoring Mission, land use, soil type, and outlet locations. The model was calibrated using a new approach based on spatially distributed ET fields derived from different satellite sensors. The calibration results were satisfactory and strong improvements were obtained in the Nash-Sutcliffe criterion (0.52 to 0.93), bias (-17.3% to -0.4%), and the Pearson correlation coefficient (0.78 to 0.93). Satellite information on R and ET was then combined with model results of surface runoff, drainage, and percolation to derive groundwater abstraction and depletion at a nominal resolution of 1 km. It was estimated that in 2007, 68 km³ (262 mm) of groundwater was abstracted in the Indus Basin while 31 km³ (121 mm) was depleted. The mean error was 41 mm/year and 62 mm/year at 50% and 70% probability of exceedance, respectively. Pakistani and Indian Punjab and Haryana were the most vulnerable areas to groundwater depletion and strong measures are required to maintain aquifer sustainability. © 2013, National Ground Water Association.

Stochastic simulation and decadal prediction of hydroclimate in the Western Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, A. W.; Chekroun, M. D.; Cook, E.; D'Arrigo, R.; Ghil, M.; Greene, A. M.; Holsclaw, T.; Kondrashov, D. A.; Lall, U.; Lu, M.; Smyth, P.

2012-12-01

Improved estimates of climate over the next 10 to 50 years are needed for long-term planning in water resource and flood management. However, the task of effectively incorporating the results of climate change research into decision-making face a ``double conflict of scales'': the temporal scales of climate model projections are too long, while their usable spatial scales (global to planetary) are much larger than those needed for actual decision making (at the regional to local level). This work is designed to help tackle this ``double conflict'' in the context of water management over monsoonal Asia, based on dendroclimatic multi-century reconstructions of drought indices and river flows. We identify low-frequency modes of variability with time scales from interannual to interdecadal based on these series, and then generate future scenarios based on (a) empirical model decadal predictions, and (b) stochastic simulations generated with autoregressive models that reproduce the power spectrum of the data. Finally, we consider how such scenarios could be used to develop reservoir optimization models. Results will be presented based on multi-century Upper Indus river discharge reconstructions that exhibit a strong periodicity near 27 years that is shown to yield some retrospective forecasting skill over the 1700-2000 period, at a 15-yr yield time. Stochastic simulations of annual PDSI drought index values over the Upper Indus basin are constructed using Empirical Model Reduction; their power spectra are shown to be quite realistic, with spectral peaks near 5--8 years.

Miocene exhumation of the Indus-Yarlung Suture Zone in NW India: An insight into the controls of tectonics and climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, G.; Robinson, D. M.; Orme, D. A.; Olree, E.; Bosu, S.

2016-12-01

Detritus from the India-Asia collision and subsequent Cenozoic tectonic events is preserved in sedimentary basins along the 2500 km long Indus-Yarlung Suture Zone (IYSZ) in India and Tibet. In northwest India, these Eocene-Miocene synorogenic sedimentary rocks are preserved in the Tar and Indus Groups. We use (U-Th)/He dating of detrital zircons from units within these sedimentary basins, including the Temesgam Formation at Temesgam, the Lower Nimu Formation and the Sumdo Formation in the Zanskar Gorge, and the Artsa Formation and the Miru Formation in the Upshi-Lato region. These analyses indicate a phase of rapid exhumation from 19-8 Ma. Possible explanations for these data include a combination of tectonic events and the influence of climate. Regional back-thrusting initiated at 20 Ma along the Great Counter Thrust, which buried the IYSZ footwall with the Lamayuru slope deposits of the Indian passive margin. In south Tibet, previous studies identify underthrusting of the Indian plate as a key factor for basin exhumation in the IYSZ, which may also be a driver in northwest India. The flow of the paleo-Indus river through the IYSZ in Early Miocene time might have been triggered by the onset of Asian monsoon at 24 Ma and its intensification between 18-10 Ma. Our data demonstrate a phase of rapid exhumation in northwest India from 19-8 Ma, which may be linked to all of these tectonic and climate influences. Data in this study are similar to the data of Carrapa et al. (2014) from south Tibet that show peak exhumation at 17 Ma, and suggest that a regional cooling episode, driven by tectonics and climate, might have prevailed in the Miocene along the IYSZ.

Prevailing climatic trends and runoff response from Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya, upper Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasson, Shabeh ul; Böhner, Jürgen; Lucarini, Valerio

2017-05-01

Largely depending on the meltwater from the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya, withdrawals from the upper Indus Basin (UIB) contribute half of the surface water availability in Pakistan, indispensable for agricultural production systems, industrial and domestic use, and hydropower generation. Despite such importance, a comprehensive assessment of prevailing state of relevant climatic variables determining the water availability is largely missing. Against this background, this study assesses the trends in maximum, minimum and mean temperatures, diurnal temperature range and precipitation from 18 stations (1250-4500 m a.s.l.) for their overlapping period of record (1995-2012) and, separately, from six stations of their long-term record (1961-2012). For this, a Mann-Kendall test on serially independent time series is applied to detect the existence of a trend, while its true slope is estimated using the Sen's slope method. Further, locally identified climatic trends are statistically assessed for their spatial-scale significance within 10 identified subregions of the UIB, and the spatially (field-) significant climatic trends are then qualitatively compared with the trends in discharge out of corresponding subregions. Over the recent period (1995-2012), we find warming and drying of spring (field-significant in March) and increasing early melt season discharge from most of the subregions, likely due to a rapid snowmelt. In stark contrast, most of the subregions feature a field-significant cooling within the monsoon period (particularly in July and September), which coincides well with the main glacier melt season. Hence, a decreasing or weakly increasing discharge is observed from the corresponding subregions during mid- to late melt season (particularly in July). Such tendencies, being largely consistent with the long-term trends (1961-2012), most likely indicate dominance of the nival but suppression of the glacial melt regime, altering overall hydrology of the UIB in future. These findings, though constrained by sparse and short observations, largely contribute in understanding the UIB melt runoff dynamics and address the hydroclimatic explanation of the Karakoram Anomaly.

Chemistry of sands from the modern Indus River and the Archean Witwatersrand basin: Implications for the composition of the Archean atmosphere

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

Maynard, J.B.; Ritger, S.D.; Sutton, S.J.

1991-03-01

Both the Indus River and the Witwatersrand basin contain sand with grains of detrital uraninite. Because this mineral is easily oxidized, its presence in Archean strata as a detrital particle has been used as evidence for a low-oxygen atmosphere before 2.5 Ga. However, its presence in modern sand from the Indus River system has been used to argue that detrital uraninite does not provide information about the oxygen concentration of Earth's early atmosphere. Petrographic and chemical study of sand from these two sources reveals differences that suggest the modern Indus sand cannot be used as an analog for the Archeanmore » Witwatersrand occurrences. The Witwatersrand quartzites are depleted in Ca, Mg, and Na, indicating that the original sand from which they formed had been subjected to intense weathering. The chemical index of alteration (CIA), a commonly used indicator of degree of weathering, yields an average value of about 0.80 for Witwatersrand quartzites, comparable to modern tropical streams such as the Orinoco that drain deeply weathered terrains under tropical conditions (CIA=0.75). In contrast, the CIA for Indus sand is 0.45, indicating virtually no chemical weathering. The significance of Archean quartz-pebble conglomerates is not just that they contain unstable detrital phases like uraninite and pyrite, but that these particles are associated with rocks whose compositions suggest intense weathering. These conglomerates must have been subjected to intense weathering under tropical conditions, either in their source area or at the site of deposition, and the preservation of minerals like uraninite such conditions is indeed strong evidence for a low-oxygen atmosphere.« less

Basin-wide water accounting using remote sensing data: the case of transboundary Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimi, P.; Bastiaanssen, W. G. M.; Molden, D.; Cheema, M. J. M.

2012-11-01

The paper describes the application of a new Water Accounting Plus (WA+) framework to produce spatial information on water flows, sinks, uses, storages and assets, in the Indus Basin, South Asia. It demonstrates how satellite-derived estimates of land use, land cover, rainfall, evaporation (E), transpiration (T), interception (I) and biomass production can be used in the context of WA+. The results for one selected year showed that total annual water depletion in the basin (502 km3) plus outflows (21 km3) exceeded total precipitation (482 km3). The deficit in supply was augmented through abstractions beyond actual capacity, mainly from groundwater storage (30 km3). The "landscape ET" (depletion directly from rainfall) was 344 km3 (69% of total consumption). "Blue water" depletion ("utilized flow") was 158 km3 (31%). Agriculture was the biggest water consumer and accounted for 59% of the total depletion (297 km3), of which 85% (254 km3) was through irrigated agriculture and the remaining 15% (44 km3) through rainfed systems. While the estimated basin irrigation efficiency was 0.84, due to excessive evaporative losses in agricultural areas, half of all water consumption in the basin was non-beneficial. Average rainfed crop yields were 0.9 t ha-1 and 7.8 t ha-1 for two irrigated crop growing seasons combined. Water productivity was low due to a lack of proper agronomical practices and poor farm water management. The paper concludes that the opportunity for a food-secured and sustainable future for the Indus Basin lies in focusing on reducing soil evaporation. Results of future scenario analyses suggest that by implementing techniques to convert soil evaporation to crop transpiration will not only increase production but can also result in significant water savings that would ease the pressure on the fast declining storage.

Endogenous change: on cooperation and water availability in two ancient societies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pande, S.; Ertsen, M.

2014-05-01

We propose and test the theory of endogenous change in societal institutions based on historical reconstructions of two ancient civilizations, the Indus and Hohokam, in two water-scarce basins, the Indus Basin in the Indian subcontinent and the lower Colorado Basin in the southwestern United States. In our reconstructions, institutions are approximated by the scale of "cooperation", be it in the form of the extent of trade, sophisticated irrigation networks, a central state or a loosely held state with a common cultural identity. We study changes in institutions brought about by changes in factors like rainfall, population density, and land-use-induced water resource availability, in a proximate manner. These factors either change naturally or are changed by humans; in either case we contend that the changes affect the stability of cooperative structures over time. We relate the quantitative dimensions of water access by ancient populations to the co-evolution of water access and the socioeconomic and sociopolitical organizations. In doing so, we do not claim that water manipulation was the single most significant factor in stimulating social development and complexity - this would be highly reductionist. Nonetheless, we provide a discussion with the aim to enhance our understanding of the complexity of coupled human-hydrological systems. We find that scarcity triggered more complex cooperative arrangements in both Indus and Hohokam societies.

A vertical hydroclimatology of the Upper Indus Basin and initial insights to potential hydrological change in the region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsythe, Nathan; Kilsby, Chris G.; Fowler, Hayley J.; Archer, David R.

2010-05-01

The water resources of the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) are of the utmost importance to the economic wellbeing of Pakistan. The irrigated agriculture made possible by Indus river runoff underpins the food security for Pakistan's nearly 200 million people. Contributions from hydropower account for more than one fifth of peak installed electrical generating capacity in a country where widespread, prolonged load-shedding handicaps business activity and industrial development. Pakistan's further socio-economic development thus depends largely on optimisation of its precious water resources. Confident, accurate projections of future water resource availability and variability are urgent insights needed by development planners and infrastructure managers at all levels. Correctly projecting future hydrological conditions depends first and foremost on a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms and processes of present hydroclimatology. The vertical and horizontal spatial variations in key climate parameters (temperature, precipitation) govern the contributions of the various elevation zones and subcatchments comprising the UIB. Trends in this complex mountainous region are highly varied by season and parameter. Observed changes here often do not match general global trends or even necessarily those found in neighbouring regions. This study considers data from a variety sources in order to compose the most complete picture possible of the vertical hydroclimatology of the UIB. The study presents the observed climatology and trends for precipitation and temperature from local observations at long-record meteorological stations (Pakistan Meteorological Department). These data are compared to characterisations of additional water cycle parameters (humidity, cloud, snow cover and snow-water-equivalent) derived from local short-record automatic weather stations, the ECMWF ‘ERA' reanalysis projects and satellite based observations (AVHRR, MODIS, etc). The potential implications of the vertical (hypsometric) distribution of these parameters are considered. Interlinkages between observed changes in these parameters and the evolution of large-scale circulation indices (ENSO, NAO, local vorticity) are also investigated. In parallel to these climatological considerations, the study presents the typology of the observed UIB hydrological regimes -- glacial, nival and pluvial -- including interannual variability as quantified from the available river gauging record. In order to begin to assess potential implications of future climate change on UIB hydrology, key modes of variability in the climate parameters are identified. The study then analyses in detail the corresponding observed anomalies in UIB discharge for years exemplifying these modes. In conclusion, this work postulates potential impacts of changes in the hydrological variability stemming from continuation of estimated present local climatic trends.

Future changes in hydro-climatic extremes in the Upper Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra River basins

PubMed Central

Lutz, Arthur F.; Nepal, Santosh; Khanal, Sonu; Pradhananga, Saurav; Shrestha, Arun B.; Immerzeel, Walter W.

2017-01-01

Future hydrological extremes, such as floods and droughts, may pose serious threats for the livelihoods in the upstream domains of the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra. For this reason, the impacts of climate change on future hydrological extremes is investigated in these river basins. We use a fully-distributed cryospheric-hydrological model to simulate current and future hydrological fluxes and force the model with an ensemble of 8 downscaled General Circulation Models (GCMs) that are selected from the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The model is calibrated on observed daily discharge and geodetic mass balances. The climate forcing and the outputs of the hydrological model are used to evaluate future changes in climatic extremes, and hydrological extremes by focusing on high and low flows. The outcomes show an increase in the magnitude of climatic means and extremes towards the end of the 21st century where climatic extremes tend to increase stronger than climatic means. Future mean discharge and high flow conditions will very likely increase. These increases might mainly be the result of increasing precipitation extremes. To some extent temperature extremes might also contribute to increasing discharge extremes, although this is highly dependent on magnitude of change in temperature extremes. Low flow conditions may occur less frequently, although the uncertainties in low flow projections can be high. The results of this study may contribute to improved understanding on the implications of climate change for the occurrence of future hydrological extremes in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region. PMID:29287098

Characterizing the Sensitivity of Groundwater Storage to Climate variation in the Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, L.; Sabo, J. L.

2017-12-01

Indus Basin represents an extensive groundwater aquifer facing the challenge of effective management of limited water resources. Groundwater storage is one of the most important variables of water balance, yet its sensitivity to climate change has rarely been explored. To better estimate present and future groundwater storage and its sensitivity to climate change in the Indus Basin, we analyzed groundwater recharge/discharge and their historical evolution in this basin. Several methods are applied to specify the aquifer system including: water level change and storativity estimates, gravity estimates (GRACE), flow model (MODFLOW), water budget analysis and extrapolation. In addition, all of the socioeconomic and engineering aspects are represented in the hydrological system through the change of temporal and spatial distributions of recharge and discharge (e.g., land use, crop structure, water allocation, etc.). Our results demonstrate that the direct impacts of climate change will result in unevenly distributed but increasing groundwater storage in the short term through groundwater recharge. In contrast, long term groundwater storage will decrease as a result of combined indirect and direct impacts of climate change (e.g. recharge/discharge and human activities). The sensitivity of groundwater storage to climate variation is characterized by topography, aquifer specifics and land use. Furthermore, by comparing possible outcomes of different human interventions scenarios, our study reveals human activities play an important role in affecting the sensitivity of groundwater storage to climate variation. Over all, this study presents the feasibility and value of using integrated hydrological methods to support sustainable water resource management under climate change.

Seasonal cycle of precipitation over major river basins in South and Southeast Asia: A review of the CMIP5 climate models data for present climate and future climate projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasson, Shabeh ul; Pascale, Salvatore; Lucarini, Valerio; Böhner, Jürgen

2016-11-01

We review the skill of thirty coupled climate models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in terms of reproducing properties of the seasonal cycle of precipitation over the major river basins of South and Southeast Asia (Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mekong) for the historical period (1961-2000). We also present how these models represent the impact of climate change by the end of century (2061-2100) under the extreme scenario RCP8.5. First, we assess the models' ability to reproduce the observed timings of the monsoon onset and the rate of rapid fractional accumulation (RFA) slope - a measure of seasonality within the active monsoon period. Secondly, we apply a threshold-independent seasonality index (SI) - a multiplicative measure of precipitation (P) and extent of its concentration relative to uniform distribution (relative entropy - RE). We apply SI distinctly over the monsoonal precipitation regime (MPR), westerly precipitation regime (WPR) and annual precipitation. For the present climate, neither any single model nor the multi-model mean performs best in all chosen metrics. Models show overall a modest skill in suggesting right timings of the monsoon onset while the RFA slope is generally underestimated. One third of the models fail to capture the monsoon signal over the Indus basin. Mostly, the estimates for SI during WPR are higher than observed for all basins. When looking at MPR, the models typically simulate an SI higher (lower) than observed for the Ganges and Brahmaputra (Indus and Mekong) basins, following the pattern of overestimation (underestimation) of precipitation. Most of the models are biased negative (positive) for RE estimates over the Brahmaputra and Mekong (Indus and Ganges) basins, implying the extent of precipitation concentration for MPR and number of dry days within WPR lower (higher) than observed for these basins. Such skill of the CMIP5 models in representing the present-day monsoonal hydroclimatology poses some caveats on their ability to represent correctly the climate change signal. Nevertheless, considering the majority-model agreement as a measure of robustness for the qualitative scale projected future changes, we find a slightly delayed onset, and a general increase in the RFA slope and in the extent of precipitation concentration (RE) for MPR. Overall, a modest inter-model agreement suggests an increase in the seasonality of MPR and a less intermittent WPR for all basins and for most of the study domain. The SI-based indicator of change in the monsoonal domain suggests its extension westward over northwest India and Pakistan and northward over China. These findings have serious implications for the food and water security of the region in the future.

Drought Characteristics Based on the Retrieved Paleoprecipitation in Indus and Ganges River Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davtalabsabet, R.; Wang, D.; Zhu, T.; Ringler, C.

2014-12-01

Indus and Ganges River basins (IGRB), which cover the major parts of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, are considered as the most important socio-economic regions in South Asia. IGRB support the food security of hundreds of millions people in South Asia. The food production in IGRB strictly relies on the magnitude and spatiotemporal pattern of monsoon precipitation. Due to severe drought during the last decades and food production failure in IGRB, several studies have focused on understanding the main drivers for south Asia monsoon failures and drought characteristics based on the historical data. However, the period of available historical data is not enough to address the full characteristic of drought under a changing climate. In this study, an inverse Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) model is developed to retrieve the paleoprecipitation back to 700 years in the region, taking the inputs of available soil water capacity, temperature, and previous reconstructed PDSI based on tree-ring analysis at 2.5 degree resolution. Based on the retrieved paleoprecipitation, drought frequency and intensity are quantified for two periods of 1300-1899 (the reconstruction period) and 1900-2010 (the instrumental period). Previous studies have shown that in IGRB, a severe drought occurs when the annual precipitation deficit, compared with the long-term average precipitation, is greater than 10%. Climatic drought frequency is calculated as the percentage of years with predefined severe droughts. Drought intensity is defined as the average precipitation deficit during all of the years identified as severe droughts. Results show that the drought frequency, as well as the spatial extent, has significantly increased from the reconstruction period to the instrumental period. The drought frequency in the Indus River basin is higher than that in the Ganges River basin. Several mega-droughts are identified during the reconstruction period.

Seismic stratigraphy of the Mianwali and Bannu depressions, north-western Indus foreland basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farid, Asam; Khalid, Perveiz; Ali, Muhammad Y.; Iqbal, Muhammad Asim; Jadoon, Khan Zaib

2017-11-01

Regional seismic reflection profiles, deep exploratory wells, and outcrop data have been used to study the structure and stratigraphic architecture of the Mianwali and Bannu depressions, north-western Indus foreland basin. Synthetic seismograms have been used to identify and tie the seismic horizons to the well data. Nine mappable seismic sequences are identified within the passive and active margin sediments. In general, the Mianwali and Bannu depressions deepens towards north due to the flexure generated by the loading and southward shifting of the thrust sheets of the North-western Himalayan Fold and Thrust Belt. The seismic profiles show a classic wedge shaped foreland basin with a prominent angular unconformity which clearly differentiates the active and passive margin sediments. The onlap patterns in the Late Cretaceous sediments suggest the initial onset of foreland basin formation when the Indian Plate collided with Eurasian Plate. As the collision progressed, the lithospheric flexure caused an uplift along the flexural bulge which resulted in onlaps within the Paleocene and Eocene sequences. The tectonic activity reached to its maximum during Oligocene with the formation of a prominent unconformity, which caused extensive erosion that increases towards the flexural bulge.

Can rainfed agriculture adapt to uncertainty in availability of water in Indus Basin?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jutla, A.; Sen, S.

2015-12-01

Understanding impacts of hydrological and climatological functions under changing climate on regional floods, droughts as well as agricultural commodities remain a serious challenge in tropical agricultural basins. These "tropical agricultural basins" are regions where: (i) the understanding on hydrologic functions (such as precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, vegetation) are not well established; (ii) increasing population is at the convergence of rural and urban boundaries; (iii) resilience and sustainability of the water resources under different climatic conditions is unknown; and, (iv) agriculture is the primary occupation for majority of the population. More than 95% of the farmed lands in tropical regions are rainfed and 60% of total agricultural production in South Asia relying on seasonal rainfall. Tropical regions frequently suffer from unexpected droughts and sudden flash floods, resulting in massive losses in human lives and affecting regional economy. Prediction of frequency, intensity and magnitude of floods in tropical regions is still a subject of debate and research. A clear example is from the massive floods in the Eastern Indus River in July 2010 that submerged 17 million acre of fertile cropland. Yet, seasonal droughts, such as 2014 rain deficits in Indus Basin, had no effects on annual crop yields - thus creating a paradox. Large amounts of groundwater is being used to supplement water needs for crops during drought conditions, leading to oversubscription of natural aquifers. Key reason that rainfed agriculture is relying heavily on groundwater is because of the uncertainty in timing and distribution of precipitation in the tropical regions, where such data are not routinely collected as well as the basins are transnational, thus limiting sharing of data. Assessment of availability of water for agricultural purposes a serious challenge in tropical regions. This study will provide a framework for using multi-sensor satellite data and model products on computation of free usable water and associated uncertainty for rainfed agriculture.

Application of a stochastic weather generator to assess climate change impacts in a semi-arid climate: The Upper Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsythe, N.; Fowler, H. J.; Blenkinsop, S.; Burton, A.; Kilsby, C. G.; Archer, D. R.; Harpham, C.; Hashmi, M. Z.

2014-09-01

Assessing local climate change impacts requires downscaling from Global Climate Model simulations. Here, a stochastic rainfall model (RainSim) combined with a rainfall conditioned weather generator (CRU WG) have been successfully applied in a semi-arid mountain climate, for part of the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), for point stations at a daily time-step to explore climate change impacts. Validation of the simulated time-series against observations (1961-1990) demonstrated the models' skill in reproducing climatological means of core variables with monthly RMSE of <2.0 mm for precipitation and ⩽0.4 °C for mean temperature and daily temperature range. This level of performance is impressive given complexity of climate processes operating in this mountainous context at the boundary between monsoonal and mid-latitude (westerly) weather systems. Of equal importance the model captures well the observed interannual variability as quantified by the first and last decile of 30-year climatic periods. Differences between a control (1961-1990) and future (2071-2100) regional climate model (RCM) time-slice experiment were then used to provide change factors which could be applied within the rainfall and weather models to produce perturbed ‘future' weather time-series. These project year-round increases in precipitation (maximum seasonal mean change:+27%, annual mean change: +18%) with increased intensity in the wettest months (February, March, April) and year-round increases in mean temperature (annual mean +4.8 °C). Climatic constraints on the productivity of natural resource-dependent systems were also assessed using relevant indices from the European Climate Assessment (ECA) and indicate potential future risk to water resources and local agriculture. However, the uniformity of projected temperature increases is in stark contrast to recent seasonally asymmetrical trends in observations, so an alternative scenario of extrapolated trends was also explored. We conclude that interannual variability in climate will continue to have the dominant impact on water resources management whichever trajectory is followed. This demonstrates the need for sophisticated downscaling methods which can evaluate changes in variability and sequencing of events to explore climate change impacts in this region.

Asia’s glaciers are a regionally important buffer against drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, Hamish D.

2017-05-01

The high mountains of Asia—encompassing the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir Alai, Kunlun Shan, and Tian Shan mountains—have the highest concentration of glaciers globally, and 800 million people depend in part on meltwater from them. Water stress makes this region vulnerable economically and socially to drought, but glaciers are a uniquely drought-resilient source of water. Here I show that these glaciers provide summer meltwater to rivers and aquifers that is sufficient for the basic needs of 136 million people, or most of the annual municipal and industrial needs of Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. During drought summers, meltwater dominates water inputs to the upper Indus and Aral river basins. Uncertainties in mountain precipitation are poorly known, but, given the magnitude of this water supply, predicted glacier loss would add considerably to drought-related water stress. Such additional water stress increases the risk of social instability, conflict and sudden, uncontrolled population migrations triggered by water scarcity, which is already associated with the large and rapidly growing populations and hydro-economies of these basins.

Asia's glaciers are a regionally important buffer against drought.

PubMed

Pritchard, Hamish D

2017-05-10

The high mountains of Asia-encompassing the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir Alai, Kunlun Shan, and Tian Shan mountains-have the highest concentration of glaciers globally, and 800 million people depend in part on meltwater from them. Water stress makes this region vulnerable economically and socially to drought, but glaciers are a uniquely drought-resilient source of water. Here I show that these glaciers provide summer meltwater to rivers and aquifers that is sufficient for the basic needs of 136 million people, or most of the annual municipal and industrial needs of Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. During drought summers, meltwater dominates water inputs to the upper Indus and Aral river basins. Uncertainties in mountain precipitation are poorly known, but, given the magnitude of this water supply, predicted glacier loss would add considerably to drought-related water stress. Such additional water stress increases the risk of social instability, conflict and sudden, uncontrolled population migrations triggered by water scarcity, which is already associated with the large and rapidly growing populations and hydro-economies of these basins.

Seasonal cycle of precipitation over major river basins in South and Southeast Asia: A review of the CMIP5 climate models data for present climate and future climate projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucarini, Valerio

2017-04-01

We review the skill of thirty coupled climate models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in terms of reproducing properties of the seasonal cycle of precipitation over the major river basins of South and Southeast Asia (Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mekong) for the historical period (1961-2000). We also present how these models represent the impact of climate change by the end of century (2061-2100) under the extreme scenario RCP8.5. First, we assess the models' ability to reproduce the observed timings of the monsoon onset and the rate of rapid fractional accumulation (RFA) slope — a measure of seasonality within the active monsoon period. Secondly, we apply a threshold-independent seasonality index (SI) — a multiplicative measure of precipitation (P) and extent of its concentration relative to uniform distribution (relative entropy — RE). We apply SI distinctly over the monsoonal precipitation regime (MPR), westerly precipitation regime (WPR) and annual precipitation. For the present climate, neither any single model nor the multi-model mean performs best in all chosen metrics. Models show overall a modest skill in suggesting right timings of the monsoon onset while the RFA slope is generally underestimated. One third of the models fail to capture the monsoon signal over the Indus basin. Mostly, the estimates for SI during WPR are higher than observed for all basins. When looking at MPR, the models typically simulate an SI higher (lower) than observed for the Ganges and Brahmaputra (Indus and Mekong) basins, following the pattern of overestimation (underestimation) of precipitation. Most of the models are biased negative (positive) for RE estimates over the Brahmaputra and Mekong (Indus and Ganges) basins, implying the extent of precipitation concentration for MPR and number of dry days within WPR lower (higher) than observed for these basins. Such skill of the CMIP5 models in representing the present-day monsoonal hydroclimatology poses some caveats on their ability to represent correctly the climate change signal. Nevertheless, considering the majority-model agreement as a measure of robustness for the qualitative scale projected future changes, we find a slightly delayed onset, and a general increase in the RFA slope and in the extent of precipitation concentration (RE) for MPR. Overall, a modest inter-model agreement suggests an increase in the seasonality of MPR and a less intermittent WPR for all basins and for most of the study domain. The SI-based indicator of change in the monsoonal domain suggests its extension westward over northwest India and Pakistan and northward over China. These findings have serious implications for the food and water security of the region in the future. Reference Ul Hasson, S., Pascale, S., Lucarini, V., & Böhner, J. (2016). Seasonal cycle of precipitation over major river basins in South and Southeast Asia: A review of the CMIP5 climate models data for present climate and future climate projections. Atmospheric Research, 180, 42-63. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.05.008

Integrated use of SRS Data &GIS Technique for Monitoring Changes in Riverine Forest of Sindh, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddiqui, M.; Ali, Z.

Deforestation / depletion in forest area threaten the sustainability of agricultural production systems and en-danger the economy of the country. Every year extensive areas of arable agricultural and forestlands are degraded and turned into wastelands, due to natural causes or human interventions. There are several causes of deforestation, such as expansion in agricultural area, urban development, forest fires, commercial logging, illicit cutting, grazing, constructions of dams / reservoirs and barrages, com munication links, etc. Depletion in forest cover, therefore, has an important impact on socio - economic development and ecological balance. High population growth rate in Pakistan is one of the main causes for the rapid deterioration of physical environment and natural resource base. In view of this, it is felt necessary to carryout land -u s e studies focusing on strategies for mapping the past and present conditions and extent of forests and rangelands using Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS) data and GIS t echnology. The SRS and GIS technology provides a possible means of monitoring and mapping changes occurring in natural resources and the environment on a continuing basis. The riverine forests of Sindh mostly grow along the River Indus in the flood plains, spread over an area of 241,000 ha are disappearing very rapidly. Construction of dams / barrages on the upper reaches of the River Indus for hydroelectric power and irrigation works have significantly reduced the discharge of fresh water into the lower Indus basin and as a result, 100,000 acres of forests have disappeared. Furthermore, the heavy floods that occurred in 1978, 1988, 1992 and 1997, altered the course of the River Indus in many places, especially in the lower reaches, this has also damaged the riverine forests of Sindh. An integrated approach involving analysis of SRS data from 1977 to 1998 and GIS technique have been used to evaluate the geographic ex-tent and distribution of the riverine forests of Sindh and to monitor temporal changes in the forest cover between 1977 &1990 and 1990 &1998. The integrated landuse forest cover maps of riverine forest, shows temporal changes in the forest cover between 1977 &1990 and 1990 &1998, as well as in the River Indus course. The digital thematic maps based on SRS data and GIS technology can supplement existing conventional ground based sources of information for monitoring changes in forest cover on a regular basis, which can be helpful for forest resource management and planning and monitoring environmental changes.

Hydrological modelling improvements required in basins in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayas region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Asif; Richards, Keith S.; McRobie, Allan; Booij, Martijn

2016-04-01

Millions of people rely on river water originating from basins in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayas (HKH), where snow- and ice-melt are significant flow components. One such basin is the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), where snow- and ice-melt can contribute more than 80% of total flow. Containing some of the world's largest alpine glaciers, this basin may be highly susceptible to global warming and climate change, and reliable predictions of future water availability are vital for resource planning for downstream food and energy needs in a changing climate, but depend on significantly improved hydrological modelling. However, a critical assessment of available hydro-climatic data and hydrological modelling in the HKH region has identified five major failings in many published hydro-climatic studies, even those appearing in reputable international journals. The main weaknesses of these studies are: i) incorrect basin areas; ii) under-estimated precipitation; iii) incorrectly-defined glacier boundaries; iv) under-estimated snow-cover data; and v) use of biased melt factors for snow and ice during the summer months. This paper illustrates these limitations, which have either resulted in modelled flows being under-estimates of measured flows, leading to an implied severe water scarcity; or have led to the use of unrealistically high degree-day factors and over-estimates of glacier melt contributions, implying unrealistic melt rates. These effects vary amongst sub-basins. Forecasts obtained from these models cannot be used reliably in policy making or water resource development, and need revision. Detailed critical analysis and improvement of existing hydrological modelling may be equally necessary in other mountain regions across the world.

Snow cover trend and hydrological characteristics of the Astore River basin (Western Himalayas) and its comparison to the Hunza basin (Karakoram region).

PubMed

Tahir, Adnan Ahmad; Chevallier, Pierre; Arnaud, Yves; Ashraf, Muhammad; Bhatti, Muhammad Tousif

2015-02-01

A large proportion of Pakistan's irrigation water supply is taken from the Upper Indus River Basin (UIB) in the Himalaya-Karakoram-Hindukush range. More than half of the annual flow in the UIB is contributed by five of its snow and glacier-fed sub-basins including the Astore (Western Himalaya - south latitude of the UIB) and Hunza (Central Karakoram - north latitude of the UIB) River basins. Studying the snow cover, its spatio-temporal change and the hydrological response of these sub-basins is important so as to better manage water resources. This paper compares new data from the Astore River basin (mean catchment elevation, 4100 m above sea level; m asl afterwards), obtained using MODIS satellite snow cover images, with data from a previously-studied high-altitude basin, the Hunza (mean catchment elevation, 4650 m asl). The hydrological regime of this sub-catchment was analyzed using the hydrological and climate data available at different altitudes from the basin area. The results suggest that the UIB is a region undergoing a stable or slightly increasing trend of snow cover in the southern (Western Himalayas) and northern (Central Karakoram) parts. Discharge from the UIB is a combination of snow and glacier melt with rainfall-runoff at southern part, but snow and glacier melt are dominant at the northern part of the catchment. Similar snow cover trends (stable or slightly increasing) but different river flow trends (increasing in Astore and decreasing in Hunza) suggest a sub-catchment level study of the UIB to understand thoroughly its hydrological behavior for better flood forecasting and water resources management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Employment of satellite snowcover observations for improving seasonal runoff estimates. [Indus River and Wind River Range, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.; Salomonson, V. V.; Foster, J. L.

1975-01-01

Low resolution meteorological satellite and high resolution earth resources satellite data were used to map snowcovered area over the upper Indus River and the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, respectively. For the Indus River, early Spring snowcovered area was extracted and related to April through June streamflow from 1967-1971 using a regression equation. Composited results from two years of data over seven Wind River Mountain watersheds indicated that LANDSAT-1 snowcover observations, separated on the basis of watershed elevation, could also be related to runoff in significant regression equations. It appears that earth resources satellite data will be useful in assisting in the prediction of seasonal streamflow for various water resources applications, nonhazardous collection of snow data from restricted-access areas, and in hydrologic modeling of snowmelt runoff.

Estimation of regional mass anomalies from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) over Himalayan region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, R.; Singh, S. K.; Rajawat, A. S.; Ajai

2014-11-01

Time-variable gravity changes are caused by a combination of postglacial rebound, redistribution of water and snow/ice on land and as well as in the ocean. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission, launched in 2002, provides monthly average of the spherical harmonic co-efficient. These spherical harmonic co-efficient describe earth's gravity field with a resolution of few hundred kilometers. Time-variability of gravity field represents the change in mass over regional level with accuracies in cm in terms of Water Equivalent Height (WEH). The WEH reflects the changes in the integrated vertically store water including snow cover, surface water, ground water and soil moisture at regional scale. GRACE data are also sensitive towards interior strain variation, surface uplift and surface subsidence cover over a large area. GRACE data was extracted over the three major Indian River basins, Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, in the Himalayas which are perennial source of fresh water throughout the year in Northern Indian Plain. Time series analysis of the GRACE data was carried out from 2003-2012 over the study area. Trends and amplitudes of the regional mass anomalies in the region were estimated using level 3 GRACE data product with a spatial resolution at 10 by 10 grid provided by Center for Space Research (CSR), University of Texas at Austin. Indus basin has shown a subtle decreasing trend from 2003-2012 however it was observed to be statistically insignificant at 95 % confidence level. Ganga and Brahmaputra basins have shown a clear decreasing trend in WEH which was also observed to be statistically significant. The trend analysis over Ganga and Brahamputra basins have shown an average annual change of -1.28 cm and -1.06 cm in terms of WEH whereas Indus basin has shown a slight annual change of -0.07 cm. This analysis will be helpful to understand the loss of mass in terms of WEH over Indian Himalayas and will be crucial for hydrological and climate applications at regional scale.

Deadly heat waves projected in the densely populated agricultural regions of South Asia.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Soon; Pal, Jeremy S; Eltahir, Elfatih A B

2017-08-01

The risk associated with any climate change impact reflects intensity of natural hazard and level of human vulnerability. Previous work has shown that a wet-bulb temperature of 35°C can be considered an upper limit on human survivability. On the basis of an ensemble of high-resolution climate change simulations, we project that extremes of wet-bulb temperature in South Asia are likely to approach and, in a few locations, exceed this critical threshold by the late 21st century under the business-as-usual scenario of future greenhouse gas emissions. The most intense hazard from extreme future heat waves is concentrated around densely populated agricultural regions of the Ganges and Indus river basins. Climate change, without mitigation, presents a serious and unique risk in South Asia, a region inhabited by about one-fifth of the global human population, due to an unprecedented combination of severe natural hazard and acute vulnerability.

Indus basin off Pakistan contains few wells

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

Quadri, V.N.; Quadri, S.M.G.J.

1997-06-16

The U.N. Conference on the Law of the Sea reaffirmed sovereignty of nations over 22 km of territorial sea, a 370 km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and rights over the continental shelf to at least 370 km and out to 648 km or beyond under specified conditions. With a coast line of about 990 km, the EEZ for Pakistan extends over an area almost 240,000 sq km, or 40% of the land sedimentary area, in which two distinct geological provinces, and the Indus Offshore and the Makran offshore, have been defined. The paper discusses the tectonics, structure, exploration history, andmore » play types offshore Pakistan. Data show a potential for both oil and gas.« less

Evaluating the High Asia Reanalysis (HAR) using Gauge-based and Satellite Precipitation Data over High Mountain Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pangaluru, K.; Velicogna, I.; Ciraci, E.; Mohajerani, Y.

2017-12-01

The Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra (IGB) basins supply water for both domestic and agricultural demands, the latter of which is the mainstay of Indian economy. Here, we use high-resolution Asia Refined Analysis (HAR) rainfall datasets to study the spatial and temporal behavior of rainfall over the mountainous areas of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra (IGB) over the period from 2001 to 2014. The validation of High Asia Refined Analysis (HAR) precipitation data is carried out with observational (GPCP, CRU and CPC) and satellite (TRMM_3B43) datasets for the period. We find that the relative differences between the HAR model and the satellite and gauge-based datasets varies between -9% and 67% for the seasonal mean and between 1% and 26% for the annual mean for all basins. The correlation between the HAR model and the observational datasets lies between 0.5 and 0.9 for all seasons. Spatial variations and monthly magnitudes of gridded precipitation trends are calculated by using the Mann-Kendall (MK) test and the Thei-Sen approach (TSA) respectively. We found significant positive trends precipitation grids over the IGB basins in the annual and monsoon season time frames, as opposed to winter and falls seasons.

Baseline for Monitoring Water Resources Along Kabul and Indus Rivers of Pakistan for Potential Terrorist Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidullah, S.; Tariq, S.; Shah, M. T.; Bishop, M. P.; Kamp, U.; Olsenholler, J.

2002-05-01

Baseline for Monitoring Water Resources Along Kabul and Indus Rivers of Pakistan for Potential Terrorist Contamination Terrorism has temporarily constrained the dynamism of the world it was enjoying before September 11, 2001, but also has opened avenues for people of all ethnicities, creeds, and professions to join hands in combating it. Scientific efforts to combat terrorism are likely to lead to better use of existing scientific knowledge as well as to discoveries that will increase world organization, interconnectivity, and peace promotion. Afghanistan and surrounding regions are major focal points for current anti-terrorist activities of the USA and its allies, including Pakistan. The United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have shared many similar political objectives, as well as differences, in cold war and post-cold-war eras, reflected by variable provisions of material aid. It is well recognized that understanding Afghanistan requires comprehension of the Pakistan situation as well, especially for common resources. Water is paramount because it is absolutely vital, but can be contaminated by internal or cross-border terrorism. The Kabul and Indus rivers originate in the Hindu Kush - Himalaya ranges. The Kabul River flows from Afghanistan into Pakistan, and after irrigating Peshawar basin, joins the Indus. The Indus, after its origin in Tibet and flow through the Indian Himalaya, enters Pakistan and flows south as the irrigation lifeblood of the country. Any terroristic addition of radioactive nuclides or contaminants to either river could dramatically impact the dependent riverine ecologies. Monitoring cells thus need to be established at locations in Afghanistan and Pakistan to assess base-line river variances for possible future contamination by terrorists. This paper presents a general view and the physical and chemical parameters of parts of the two rivers, and of the surrounding underground water in Peshawar Basin, including pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, major elements, trace elements, heavy metals and oxygen isotopes. Data are mostly within allowed limits of US-EPA for surface and underground water. Oxygen isotopes confirm the dangers of contamination from the Kabul River to underground water. Heavy metals were determined through spectrophotometery, however, modern geophysical methods are cheaper and quicker and can be applied at monitoring stations. With Kabul river and its surroundings as examples, similar theory and practice can be applied to rivers within the United States and other parts of the world.

Geospatial analysis of creeks evolution in the Indus Delta, Pakistan using multi sensor satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ijaz, Muhammad Wajid; Mahar, Rasool Bux; Siyal, Altaf Ali; Anjum, Muhammad Naveed

2018-01-01

Sea level rise (SLR) in response to looming climate change is being considered as a major impediment to coastal areas. Acute wave activities and tidal propagations of semi-diurnal to mixed type are impairing the morphology of the Indus Delta in Pakistan. In this study a synthetic approach has been adopted using multi sensor satellite and ground data in order to integrate the individual effect of topography, oceanic activities and vegetative canopy for deduction of a synergic impact over the morphology of the Indus Delta creeks system from 1972 to 2017. Geomorphologic anomalies in the planform of fourteen major creeks were explored. Spatiotemporal variations suggested that a substantial amount of the delta alluvium had been engulfed by the Arabian Sea. On average, the creeks located on the right side of the Indus River were relatively less wide (3.9 km) than those of on the left side (5.2 km). Zonal statistics calculated with topographic position index (TPI) enabled to understand the tide induced inundation extents. The mangrove canopy on the right side was found greater, which is why tidal basins on that side experienced less erosive activities. Thus, it could be maintained that the coastal sedimentary processes may be monitored effectively with the remotely sensed data and temporal pattern of changes can be quantified for future planning and mitigation of adverse effects.

Source rock potential in Pakistan

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

Raza, H.A.

1991-03-01

Pakistan contains two sedimentary basins: Indus in the east and Balochistan in the west. The Indus basin has received sediments from precambrian until Recent, albeit with breaks. It has been producing hydrocarbons since 1914 from three main producing regions, namely, the Potwar, Sulaisman, and Kirthar. In the Potwar, oil has been discovered in Cambrian, Permian, Jurassic, and Tertiary rocks. Potential source rocks are identified in Infra-Cambrian, Permian, Paleocene, and Eocene successions, but Paleocene/Eocene Patala Formation seems to be the main source of most of the oil. In the Sulaiman, gas has been found in Cretaceous and Tertiary; condensate in Cretaceousmore » rocks. Potential source rocks are indicated in Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene successions. The Sembar Formation of Early Cretaceous age appears to be the source of gas. In the Kirthar, oil and gas have been discovered in Cretaceous and gas has been discovered in paleocene and Eocene rocks. Potential source rocks are identified in Kirthar and Ghazij formations of Eocene age in the western part. However, in the easter oil- and gas-producing Badin platform area, Union Texas has recognized the Sembar Formation of Early Cretaceous age as the only source of Cretaceous oil and gas. The Balochistan basin is part of an Early Tertiary arc-trench system. The basin is inadequately explored, and there is no oil or gas discovery so far. However, potential source rocks have been identified in Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene successions based on geochemical analysis of surface samples. Mud volcanoes are present.« less

Hydrocarbon potential in Pakistan - A geological perspective

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

Kemal, A.

1991-03-01

Share of petroleum in the energy mix of Pakistan is about 76%. Indigenous oil production meets only one-third of the requirement while the remaining is imported at a high cost. The pinch of soaring crude prices of the late 1970s accelerated the search for new petroleum resources. The last decade saw a notable increase in petroleum exploration as well as production of oil and gas. Pakistan lies along part of the Tertiary convergence zone and straddles the boundaries between Indian, Arabian, and Eurasian plates. It has a large sedimentary area and a proven petroleum potential. The basin evolution along themore » fringe of proto-Indian Ocean and subsequent modifications by continental collision can be correlated with the plate tectonic history. Better understanding of the geological history and the petroleum geodynamics have contributed in the finding of new resources. At the advent of the last decade, application of conceptual geological modeling opened up a new petroleum province in the south. Application of the state-of-the-art technique has made it possible to identify attractive prospects in the geologically complex imbricate zone in the northern province. The vast Indus basin also has the possibilities associated with stratigraphic, reefal, and other subtle trapping mechanisms. Finally, the Baluchistan basin and the continental shelf have only been marginally explored. The prospects for the future seem extremely bright, particularly the unproven Indus delta and the Baluchistan basin, which may drastically change this situation.« less

The Indus basin in the framework of current and future water resources management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laghari, A. N.; Vanham, D.; Rauch, W.

2012-04-01

The Indus basin is one of the regions in the world that is faced with major challenges for its water sector, due to population growth, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, environmental degradation, unregulated utilization of the resources, inefficient water use and poverty, all aggravated by climate change. The Indus Basin is shared by 4 countries - Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and China. With a current population of 237 million people which is projected to increase to 319 million in 2025 and 383 million in 2050, already today water resources are abstracted almost entirely (more than 95% for irrigation). Climate change will result in increased water availability in the short term. However in the long term water availability will decrease. Some current aspects in the basin need to be re-evaluated. During the past decades water abstractions - and especially groundwater extractions - have augmented continuously to support a rice-wheat system where rice is grown during the kharif (wet, summer) season (as well as sugar cane, cotton, maize and other crops) and wheat during the rabi (dry, winter) season. However, the sustainability of this system in its current form is questionable. Additional water for domestic and industrial purposes is required for the future and should be made available by a reduction in irrigation requirements. This paper gives a comprehensive listing and description of available options for current and future sustainable water resources management (WRM) within the basin. Sustainable WRM practices include both water supply management and water demand management options. Water supply management options include: (1) reservoir management as the basin is characterised by a strong seasonal behaviour in water availability (monsoon and meltwater) and water demands; (2) water quality conservation and investment in wastewater infrastructure; (3) the use of alternative water resources like the recycling of wastewater and desalination; (4) land use planning and soil conservation as well as flood management, with a focus on the reduction of erosion and resulting sedimentation as well as the restoration of ecosystem services like wetlands and natural floodplains. Water demand management options include: (1) the management of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater; as well as (2) the rehabilitation and modernization of existing infrastructure. Other demand management options are: (3) the increase of water productivity for agriculture; (4) crop planning and diversification including the critical assessment of agricultural export, especially (basmati) rice; (5) economic instruments and (6) changing food demand patterns and limiting post-harvest losses.

Prevailing climatic trends and runoff response from Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya, upper Indus basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasson, S.; Böhner, J.; Lucarini, V.

2015-03-01

Largely depending on meltwater from the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya, withdrawals from the upper Indus basin (UIB) contribute to half of the surface water availability in Pakistan, indispensable for agricultural production systems, industrial and domestic use and hydropower generation. Despite such importance, a comprehensive assessment of prevailing state of relevant climatic variables determining the water availability is largely missing. Against this background, we present a comprehensive hydro-climatic trend analysis over the UIB, including for the first time observations from high-altitude automated weather stations. We analyze trends in maximum, minimum and mean temperatures (Tx, Tn, and Tavg, respectively), diurnal temperature range (DTR) and precipitation from 18 stations (1250-4500 m a.s.l.) for their overlapping period of record (1995-2012), and separately, from six stations of their long term record (1961-2012). We apply Mann-Kendall test on serially independent time series to assess existence of a trend while true slope is estimated using Sen's slope method. Further, we statistically assess the spatial scale (field) significance of local climatic trends within ten identified sub-regions of UIB and analyze whether the spatially significant (field significant) climatic trends qualitatively agree with a trend in discharge out of corresponding sub-region. Over the recent period (1995-2012), we find a well agreed and mostly field significant cooling (warming) during monsoon season i.e. July-October (March-May and November), which is higher in magnitude relative to long term trends (1961-2012). We also find general cooling in Tx and a mixed response in Tavg during the winter season and a year round decrease in DTR, which are in direct contrast to their long term trends. The observed decrease in DTR is stronger and more significant at high altitude stations (above 2200 m a.s.l.), and mostly due to higher cooling in Tx than in Tn. Moreover, we find a field significant decrease (increase) in late-monsoonal precipitation for lower (higher) latitudinal regions of Himalayas (Karakoram and Hindukush), whereas an increase in winter precipitation for Hindukush, western- and whole Karakoram, UIB-Central, UIB-West, UIB-West-upper and whole UIB regions. We find a spring warming (field significant in March) and drying (except for Karakoram and its sub-regions), and subsequent rise in early-melt season flows. Such early melt response together with effective cooling during monsoon period subsequently resulted in a substantial drop (weaker increase) in discharge out of higher (lower) latitudinal regions (Himalaya and UIB-West-lower) during late-melt season, particularly during July. These discharge tendencies qualitatively differ to their long term trends for all regions, except for UIB-West-upper, western-Karakorum and Astore. The observed hydroclimatic trends, being driven by certain changes in the monsoonal system and westerly disturbances, indicate dominance (suppression) of nival (glacial) runoff regime, altering substantially the overall hydrology of UIB in future. These findings largely contribute to address the hydroclimatic explanation of the "Karakoram Anomaly".

Fluvial landscapes of the Harappan civilization.

PubMed

Giosan, Liviu; Clift, Peter D; Macklin, Mark G; Fuller, Dorian Q; Constantinescu, Stefan; Durcan, Julie A; Stevens, Thomas; Duller, Geoff A T; Tabrez, Ali R; Gangal, Kavita; Adhikari, Ronojoy; Alizai, Anwar; Filip, Florin; VanLaningham, Sam; Syvitski, James P M

2012-06-26

The collapse of the Bronze Age Harappan, one of the earliest urban civilizations, remains an enigma. Urbanism flourished in the western region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain for approximately 600 y, but since approximately 3,900 y ago, the total settled area and settlement sizes declined, many sites were abandoned, and a significant shift in site numbers and density towards the east is recorded. We report morphologic and chronologic evidence indicating that fluvial landscapes in Harappan territory became remarkably stable during the late Holocene as aridification intensified in the region after approximately 5,000 BP. Upstream on the alluvial plain, the large Himalayan rivers in Punjab stopped incising, while downstream, sedimentation slowed on the distinctive mega-fluvial ridge, which the Indus built in Sindh. This fluvial quiescence suggests a gradual decrease in flood intensity that probably stimulated intensive agriculture initially and encouraged urbanization around 4,500 BP. However, further decline in monsoon precipitation led to conditions adverse to both inundation- and rain-based farming. Contrary to earlier assumptions that a large glacier-fed Himalayan river, identified by some with the mythical Sarasvati, watered the Harappan heartland on the interfluve between the Indus and Ganges basins, we show that only monsoonal-fed rivers were active there during the Holocene. As the monsoon weakened, monsoonal rivers gradually dried or became seasonal, affecting habitability along their courses. Hydroclimatic stress increased the vulnerability of agricultural production supporting Harappan urbanism, leading to settlement downsizing, diversification of crops, and a drastic increase in settlements in the moister monsoon regions of the upper Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Deadly heat waves projected in the densely populated agricultural regions of South Asia

PubMed Central

Im, Eun-Soon; Pal, Jeremy S.; Eltahir, Elfatih A. B.

2017-01-01

The risk associated with any climate change impact reflects intensity of natural hazard and level of human vulnerability. Previous work has shown that a wet-bulb temperature of 35°C can be considered an upper limit on human survivability. On the basis of an ensemble of high-resolution climate change simulations, we project that extremes of wet-bulb temperature in South Asia are likely to approach and, in a few locations, exceed this critical threshold by the late 21st century under the business-as-usual scenario of future greenhouse gas emissions. The most intense hazard from extreme future heat waves is concentrated around densely populated agricultural regions of the Ganges and Indus river basins. Climate change, without mitigation, presents a serious and unique risk in South Asia, a region inhabited by about one-fifth of the global human population, due to an unprecedented combination of severe natural hazard and acute vulnerability. PMID:28782036

Climatic Variation and River Flows in Himalayan Basins Upstream of Large Dams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eaton, D.; Collins, D. N.

2014-12-01

High specific discharges from Himalayan headwater basins feed major reservoirs generating hydropower and supplying water to irrigation schemes across the Punjab plains of north-west India and Pakistan. Flow arises from seasonal winter snow cover, summer monsoon precipitation and melting glacier ice in varying proportions and differing absolute quantities along west -east axes of the Karakoram and western Himalaya. Discharge records for stations above Tarbela (Indus), Mangla (Jhelum), Marala (Chenab) and Bhakra (Sutlej) dams have been examined for periods between 1920 and 2009, together with precipitation and air temperature data for stations with long records (within the period 1893 to 2013) at elevations between 234 and 3015 m a.s.l. Ice-cover age in the basins above the dams was between 1 and 12 %. Flows in the Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum reached maxima in the 1950s before declining to the 1970s. Flow in the Chenab and Jhelum increased to 1950s levels in the 1990s, before falling steeply into the 2000s mimicking variations in winter and monsoon precipitation. Discharge in the Indus at Tarbela increased from the 1970s, reaching a maximum in the late 1980s/early 1990s, before declining back to 1970s levels in the 2000s, flow being influenced not only by precipitation fluctuations but also by changes in air temperature affecting glacier melt in headwater basins. Runoff at Bhakra was augmented by flow from the Beas-Sutlej link canal after 1977, but natural flow in the Sutlej above Luhri reduced considerably from the 1990s influenced by declining flows in the relatively dry but large Tibetan portion of the basin area. Large year-to-year fluctuations of reservoir inflows are nonetheless based on significant sustained underlying discharge levels at all four reservoirs.

Endogenous change: on cooperation and water in ancient history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pande, S.; Ertsen, M.

2013-04-01

We propose and test the theory of endogenous change based on historical reconstructions of two ancient civilizations, Indus and Hohokam, in two water scarce basins, the Indus basin in the Indian subcontinent and the Lower Colorado basin in Southwestern United States. The endogenous institutional change sees changes in institutions as a sequence of equilibria brought about by changes in "quasi-parameters" such as rainfall, population density, soil and land use induced water resource availability. In the historical reconstructions of ancient civilizations, institutions are proximated by the scale of cooperation be it in the form of the extent of trade, sophisticated irrigation network, a centrally planned state or a loosely held state with a common cultural identity. The "quasi-parameters" either change naturally or are changed by humans and the changes affect the stability of cooperative structures over time. However, human influenced changes in the quasi-parameters itself are conditioned on the scale of existing cooperative structures. We thus provide insights into the quantitative dimensions of water access by ancient populations and its co-evolution with the socioeconomic and sociopolitical organization of the human past. We however do not suggest that water manipulation was the single most significant factor in stimulating social development and complexity - clearly this has been shown as highly reductionist, even misleading. The paper cautiously contributes to proximate prediction of hydrological change by attempting to understand the complexity of coupled human-hydrological systems.

Evaluation of Different Phenological Information to Map Crop Rotation in Complex Irrigated Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismaeel, A.; Zhou, Q.

2018-04-01

Accurate information of crop rotation in large basin is essential for policy decisions on land, water and nutrient resources around the world. Crop area estimation using low spatial resolution remote sensing data is challenging in a large heterogeneous basin having more than one cropping seasons. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of two phenological datasets individually and in combined form to map crop rotations in complex irrigated Indus basin without image segmentation. Phenology information derived from Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Leaf Area Index (LAI) of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor, having 8-day temporal and 1000 m spatial resolution, was used in the analysis. An unsupervised (temporal space clustering) to supervised (area knowledge and phenology behavior) classification approach was adopted to identify 13 crop rotations. Estimated crop area was compared with reported area collected by field census. Results reveal that combined dataset (NDVI*LAI) performs better in mapping wheat-rice, wheat-cotton and wheat-fodder rotation by attaining root mean square error (RMSE) of 34.55, 16.84, 20.58 and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 24.56 %, 36.82 %, 30.21 % for wheat, rice and cotton crop respectively. For sugarcane crop mapping, LAI produce good results by achieving RMSE of 8.60 and MAPE of 34.58 %, as compared to NDVI (10.08, 40.53 %) and NDVI*LAI (10.83, 39.45 %). The availability of major crop rotation statistics provides insight to develop better strategies for land, water and nutrient accounting frameworks to improve agriculture productivity.

Influential role of black carbon in the soil-air partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Indus River Basin, Pakistan.

PubMed

Ali, Usman; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Mahmood, Adeel; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Jones, Kevin C; Malik, Riffat Naseem

2015-09-01

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were assessed in surface soils and passive air samples from the Indus River Basin, and the influential role of black carbon (BC) in the soil-air partitioning process was examined. ∑26-PCBs ranged between 0.002-3.03 pg m(-3) and 0.26-1.89 ng g(-1) for passive air and soil samples, respectively. Lower chlorinated (tri- and tetra-) PCBs were abundant in both air (83.9%) and soil (92.1%) samples. Soil-air partitioning of PCBs was investigated through octanol-air partition coefficients (KOA) and black carbon-air partition coefficients (KBC-A). The results of the paired-t test revealed that both models showed statistically significant agreement between measured and predicted model values for the PCB congeners. Ratios of fBCKBC-AδOCT/fOMKOA>5 explicitly suggested the influential role of black carbon in the retention and soil-air partitioning of PCBs. Lower chlorinated PCBs were strongly adsorbed and retained by black carbon during soil-air partitioning because of their dominance at the sampling sites and planarity effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the satellite derived snow cover area - Runoff forecasting models for the inaccessible basins of western Himalayas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dey, B.

1985-01-01

In this study, the existing seasonal snow cover area runoff forecasting models of the Indus, Kabul, Sutlej and Chenab basins were evaluated with the concurrent flow correlation model for the period 1975-79. In all the basins under study, correlation of concurrent flow model explained the variability in flow better than by the snow cover area runoff models. Actually, the concurrent flow correlation model explained more than 90 percent of the variability in the flow of these rivers. Compared to this model, the snow cover area runoff models explained less of the variability in flow. In the Himalayan river basins under study and at least for the period under observation, the concurrent flow correlation model provided a set of results with which to compare the estimates from the snow cover area runoff models.

Static stress change from the 8 October, 2005 M = 7.6 Kashmir earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; Yeats, R.S.; Yagi, Y.; Hussain, A.

2006-01-01

We calculated static stress changes from the devastating M = 7.6 earthquake that shook Kashmir on 8 October, 2005. We mapped Coulomb stress change on target fault planes oriented by assuming a regional compressional stress regime with greatest principal stress directed orthogonally to the mainshock strike. We tested calculation sensitivity by varying assumed stress orientations, target-fault friction, and depth. Our results showed no impact on the active Salt Range thrust southwest of the rupture. Active faults north of the Main Boundary thrust near Peshawar fall in a calculated stress-decreased zone, as does the Raikot fault zone to the northeast. We calculated increased stress near the rupture where most aftershocks occurred. The greatest increase to seismic hazard is in the Indus-Kohistan seismic zone near the Indus River northwest of the rupture termination, and southeast of the rupture termination near the Kashmir basin.

Spatiotemporal assessment of historical skill and projected future changes in CORDEX South Asia ensemble simulation of precipitation and temperature for the Upper Indus Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsythe, Nathan; Fowler, Hayley; Pritchard, David

2017-04-01

High mountain Asia (HMA), including the Hindu Kush-Karakoram, Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, constitutes one the key "water towers of the world", giving rise to river basins whose resources support hundreds of millions of people. This area is currently experiencing substantial demographic growth and socio-economic development. This evolution will likely continue for the next few decades and compound pressure on resource managements systems from inevitable climate change. In order to develop climate services to support water resources planning and facilitate adaptive capacity building, it is essential to critically characterise the skill and biases of the evaluation (reanalysis-driven) and control (historical period) components of presently available regional climate model (RCM) experiments. For mountain regions in particular, the ability of RCMs to reasonably reproduce the influence of complex topography, through lapse rates and orographic forcing, on sub-regional climate - notably temperature and precipitation - must be assessed in detail. This is vital because the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation and temperature in mountains determine the seasonality of streamflow from the headwater reaches and of major river basins. Once the biases of individual GCM/RCM experiments have been identified methodologies can be developed for modulating (correcting) the projected patterns of change identified by comparing simulated climate sub-regional climate under specific emissions scenarios (e.g. RCP8.5) to historical representations by the same model (time-slice approach). Such methods could for example include calculating temperature change factors as a function elevation difference from present 0°C (freezing) isotherm rather than simply using the overlying RCM grid cell if for instance the RCM showed exacerbated temperature increase at snow line (i.e. albedo feedback in elevation dependent warming) but also showed a pronounced bias in the historical (vertical) position of the isotherm. HMA falls within the South Asia domain of the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) initiative to which multiple international modelling centres have contributed RCM experiments. This work evaluates the present publically available CORDEX South Asia experiments including integrations of CCAM, RegCM4, REMO2009 and RCA4. These have been driven by a range of GCMS including ACCESS1.0, CNRM-CM5, GFDL, LMDZ, MPI-ESM, and NorESM. This substantial multi-model ensemble provides a valuable opportunity to explore the spread in model skill at simulation of key characteristics of the present HMA climate. This study focuses geographically within the CORDEX South Asia domain on an orthogonal subdomain from 72E to 77E and 32.5N to 37.5N which covers the bulk of the Karakoram range and key headwaters tributaries of the Indus river basin upon which Pakistan is preponderantly dependent for agricultural water supply and hydro-electric power generation.

Assessing the utility of passive microwave data for Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) estimation in the Sutlej River Basin of the northwestern Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, T.; Bookhagen, B.; Dozier, J.

2014-12-01

Since 1978, space based passive microwave (PM) radiometers have been used to comprehensively measure Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) on a global basis. The ability of PM radiometers to directly measure SWE at high temporal frequencies offers some distinct advantages over optical remote sensors. Nevertheless, in mountainous terrain PM radiometers often struggle to accurately measure SWE because of wet snow, saturation in deep snow, forests, depth hoar and stratigraphy, variable relief, and subpixel heterogeneity inherent in large pixel sizes. The Himalaya, because of their high elevation and high relief—much above tree line—offer an opportunity to examine PM products in the mountains without the added complication of trees. The upper Sutlej River basin— the third largest Himalayan catchment—lies in the western Himalaya. The river is a tributary of the Indus River and seasonal snow constitutes a substantial part of the basin's hydrologic budget. The basin has a few surface stations and river gauges, which is unique for the region. As such, the Sutlej River basin is a good location to analyze the accuracy and effectiveness of the current National Snow and Ice Data Center's (NSIDC) standard AMSR-E/Aqua Daily SWE product in mountainous terrain. So far, we have observed that individual pixels can "flicker", i.e. fluctuate from day to day, over large parts of the basin. We consider whether this is an artifact of the algorithm or whether this is embedded in the raw brightness temperatures themselves. In addition, we examine how well the standard product registers winter storms, and how it varies over heavily glaciated pixels. Finally, we use a few common measures of algorithm performance (precision, recall and accuracy) to test how well the standard product detects the presence of snow, using optical imagery for validation. An improved understanding of the effectiveness of PM imagery in the mountains will help to clarify the technology's limits.

Integrated groundwater resource management in Indus Basin using satellite gravimetry and physical modeling tools.

PubMed

Iqbal, Naveed; Hossain, Faisal; Lee, Hyongki; Akhter, Gulraiz

2017-03-01

Reliable and frequent information on groundwater behavior and dynamics is very important for effective groundwater resource management at appropriate spatial scales. This information is rarely available in developing countries and thus poses a challenge for groundwater managers. The in situ data and groundwater modeling tools are limited in their ability to cover large domains. Remote sensing technology can now be used to continuously collect information on hydrological cycle in a cost-effective way. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a remote sensing integrated physical modeling approach for groundwater management in Indus Basin. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Satellite (GRACE)-based gravity anomalies from 2003 to 2010 were processed to generate monthly groundwater storage changes using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model. The groundwater storage is the key parameter of interest for groundwater resource management. The spatial and temporal patterns in groundwater storage (GWS) are useful for devising the appropriate groundwater management strategies. GRACE-estimated GWS information with large-scale coverage is valuable for basin-scale monitoring and decision making. This frequently available information is found useful for the identification of groundwater recharge areas, groundwater storage depletion, and pinpointing of the areas where groundwater sustainability is at risk. The GWS anomalies were found to favorably agree with groundwater model simulations from Visual MODFLOW and in situ data. Mostly, a moderate to severe GWS depletion is observed causing a vulnerable situation to the sustainability of this groundwater resource. For the sustainable groundwater management, the region needs to implement groundwater policies and adopt water conservation techniques.

Geochemical record of Holocene to Recent sedimentation on the Western Indus continental shelf, Arabian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limmer, David R.; BöNing, Philipp; Giosan, Liviu; Ponton, Camilo; KöHler, Cornelia M.; Cooper, Matthew J.; Tabrez, Ali R.; Clift, Peter D.

2012-01-01

We present a multiproxy geochemical analysis of two cores recovered from the Indus Shelf spanning the Early Holocene to Recent (<14 ka). Indus-23 is located close to the modern Indus River, while Indus-10 is positioned ˜100 km further west. The Holocene transgression at Indus-10 was over a surface that was strongly weathered during the last glacial sea level lowstand. Lower Holocene sediments at Indus-10 have higherɛNdvalues compared to those at the river mouth indicating some sediment supply from the Makran coast, either during the deposition or via reworking of older sediments outcropping on the shelf. Sediment transport from Makran occurred during transgressive intervals when sea level crossed the mid shelf. The sediment flux from non-Indus sources to Indus-10 peaked between 11 ka and 8 ka. A hiatus at Indus-23 from 8 ka until 1.3 ka indicates non-deposition or erosion of existing Indus Shelf sequences. HigherɛNdvalues seen on the shelf compared to the delta imply reworking of older delta sediments in building Holocene clinoforms. Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Mg/Al and Sr isotopes are all affected by erosion of detrital carbonate, which reduced through the Holocene. K/Al data suggest that silicate weathering peaked ca. 4-6 ka and was higher at Indus-10 compared to Indus-23. Fine-grained sediments that make up the shelf have geochemical signatures that are different from the coarser grained bulk sediments measured in the delta plain. The Indus Shelf data highlight the complexity of reconstructing records of continental erosion and provenance in marine settings.

Evolution of Continental Environments and Chemical Weathering in the Western Himalayan Foreland Basin since 11 Ma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, P.; Clift, P. D.; Murray, R. W.; Blusztajn, J.; Ireland, T. J.; Feakins, S. J.; Liddy, H.

2017-12-01

The Asian monsoon is the dominant climatic phenomena in Southwest Asia and as the primary source of moisture is one of the major controls over the processes of chemical weathering, especially in the Himalayan foreland basin. The sedimentary records of the eastern Arabian Sea mostly reflect the evolving erosion and chemical weathering processes in the source mountains and foreland basin, with limited input from peninsular India. Analysis of the geochemistry of sediments from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1456 and U1457 allow us to investigate how chemical weathering may relate to evolving environments and the intensity of the precipitation in the Indus catchment since 11 Ma. We employed X-ray diffraction methods to quantify clay mineral assemblages from the core samples of these two sites. kaolinite/(chlorite+illite) and illite crystallinity show a general long-term trend towards less chemical weathering from 10 Ma to 5 Ma. Meanwhile, the high-resolution hematite/goethite records were acquired from visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry from both Sites U1457 and U1456 show a general increase in hematite/goethite, This may represent a long-term drying of the climate and/or an increase in seasonality since 10 Ma, consistent with the long-term trend in carbon isotope values known from the Siwalik Group of the Himalayan foreland. In particular, there is an increase in the relative portion of hematite starting at 8.2 Ma with a subsequent decrease at 6.7 Ma, and a further notable increase after 5.7 Ma. Bulk sediment geochemistry allows us to calculate the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) as well other geochemical indices such as K/Al. Both these proxies indicate a strong decrease in chemical weathering intensity at 8.2 Ma, followed by a rapid increase in the degree of alteration after 7.8 Ma followed by a gradual decrease until 6.6 Ma. In general, drier/more seasonal conditions are associated with less chemical weathering over this critical transition. Sedimentary provenance does not drive the variations in weathering indices across most of the record. We therefore interpret the degree of chemical weathering in the floodplains of the Indus River as a record of changing monsoon precipitation (amount and seasonality) within the Indus catchment.

Global monthly water scarcity: blue water footprints versus blue water availability.

PubMed

Hoekstra, Arjen Y; Mekonnen, Mesfin M; Chapagain, Ashok K; Mathews, Ruth E; Richter, Brian D

2012-01-01

Freshwater scarcity is a growing concern, placing considerable importance on the accuracy of indicators used to characterize and map water scarcity worldwide. We improve upon past efforts by using estimates of blue water footprints (consumptive use of ground- and surface water flows) rather than water withdrawals, accounting for the flows needed to sustain critical ecological functions and by considering monthly rather than annual values. We analyzed 405 river basins for the period 1996-2005. In 201 basins with 2.67 billion inhabitants there was severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year. The ecological and economic consequences of increasing degrees of water scarcity--as evidenced by the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo), Indus, and Murray-Darling River Basins--can include complete desiccation during dry seasons, decimation of aquatic biodiversity, and substantial economic disruption.

Global Monthly Water Scarcity: Blue Water Footprints versus Blue Water Availability

PubMed Central

Hoekstra, Arjen Y.; Mekonnen, Mesfin M.; Chapagain, Ashok K.; Mathews, Ruth E.; Richter, Brian D.

2012-01-01

Freshwater scarcity is a growing concern, placing considerable importance on the accuracy of indicators used to characterize and map water scarcity worldwide. We improve upon past efforts by using estimates of blue water footprints (consumptive use of ground- and surface water flows) rather than water withdrawals, accounting for the flows needed to sustain critical ecological functions and by considering monthly rather than annual values. We analyzed 405 river basins for the period 1996–2005. In 201 basins with 2.67 billion inhabitants there was severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year. The ecological and economic consequences of increasing degrees of water scarcity – as evidenced by the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo), Indus, and Murray-Darling River Basins – can include complete desiccation during dry seasons, decimation of aquatic biodiversity, and substantial economic disruption. PMID:22393438

Seismic based characterization of total organic content from the marine Sembar shale, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Omer; Hussain, Tahir; Ullah, Matee; Bhatti, Asher Samuel; Ali, Aamir

2018-02-01

The exploration and production of unconventional resources has increased significantly over the past few years around the globe to fulfill growing energy demands. Hydrocarbon potential of these unconventional petroleum systems depends on the presence of significant organic matter; their thermal maturity and the quality of present hydrocarbons i.e. gas or oil shale. In this work, we present a workflow for estimating Total Organic Content (TOC) from seismic reflection data. To achieve the objective of this study, we have chosen a classic potential candidate for exploration of unconventional reserves, the shale of the Sembar Formation, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan. Our method includes the estimation of TOC from the well data using the Passey's ΔlogR and Schwarzkofp's methods. From seismic data, maps of Relative Acoustic Impedance (RAI) are extracted at maximum and minimum TOC zones within the Sembar Formation. A geostatistical trend with good correlation coefficient (R2) for cross-plots between TOC and RAI at well locations is used for estimation of seismic based TOC at the reservoir scale. Our results suggest a good calibration of TOC values from seismic at well locations. The estimated TOC values range from 1 to 4% showing that the shale of the Sembar Formation lies in the range of good to excellent unconventional oil/gas play within the context of TOC. This methodology of source rock evaluation provides a spatial distribution of TOC at the reservoir scale as compared to the conventional distribution generated from samples collected over sparse wells. The approach presented in this work has wider applications for source rock evaluation in other similar petroliferous basins worldwide.

Sediment Buffering and Transport in the Holocene Indus River System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clift, P. D.; Giosan, L.; Henstock, T.; Tabrez, A. R.; Vanlaningham, S.; Alizai, A. H.; Limmer, D. R.; Danish, M.

2009-12-01

Submarine fans are the largest sediment bodies on Earth and potentially hold records of erosion that could be used to assess the response of continents to changing climate in terms of both physical erosion and chemical weathering. However, buffering between the mountain sources and the abyssal plain may make detailed correlation of climate and erosion records difficult. We investigated the nature of sediment transport in the Indus drainage in SW Asia. Through trenching in the flood plain, drilling in the delta and new seismic and coring data from the shelf and canyon we can now constrain sediment transport from source to sink since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The Indus was affected by intensification of the summer monsoon during the Early Holocene and subsequent weakening since ca. 8 ka. Sediment delivery to the delta was very rapid at 12-8 ka, but slowed along with the weakening monsoon. At the LGM erosion in the Karakoram dominated the supply of sandy material, while the proportion of Lesser Himalayan flux increased with strengthening summer rainfall after 12 ka. Total load also increased at that time. Since 5 ka incision of rivers into the upper parts of the flood plain has reworked Lower Holocene sediments, although the total flux slowed. Coring in the Indus canyon shows that sediment has not reached the lower canyon since ca. 7 ka, but that sedimentation has recently been very rapid in the head of the canyon. We conclude that variations in sealevel and terrestrial climate have introduced a lag of at least 7 k.y. into the deep sea fan record and that monsoon strength is a primary control on whether sediment is stored or released in the flood plain.

The record of India-Asia collision preserved in Tethyan ocean basin sediments.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najman, Yani; Jenks, Dan; Godin, Laurent; Boudagher-Fadel, Marcelle; Bown, Paul; Horstwood, Matt; Garzanti, Eduardo; Bracialli, Laura; Millar, Ian

2015-04-01

The timing of India-Asia collision is critical to the understanding of crustal deformation processes, since, for example, it impacts on calculations regarding the amount of convergence that needs to be accommodated by various mechanisms. In this research we use sediments originally deposited in the Tethyan ocean basin and now preserved in the Himalayan orogeny to constrain the timing of collision. In the NW Himalaya, a number of workers have proposed a ca 55-50 Ma age for collision along the Indus suture zone which separates India from the Kohistan-Ladakh Intraoceanic Island arc (KLA) to the north. This is based on a number of factors including the age of youngest marine sediments in the Indus suture (e.g. Green et al. 2008), age of eclogites indicative of onset of Indian continental subduction (e.g. de Sigoyer et al. 2000), and first evidence of detritus from north of the suture zone deposited on the Indian plate (e.g. Clift et al. 2002). Such evidence can be interpreted as documenting the age of India-Asia collision if one takes the KLA to have collided with the Asian plate prior to its collision with India (e.g. Petterson 2010 and refs therein). However, an increasing number of workers propose that the KLA collided with Asia subsequent to its earlier collision with India, dated variously at 85 Ma (Chatterjee et al. 2013), 61 Ma (Khan et al. 2009) and 50 Ma (Bouilhol et al. 2013). This, plus the questioning of earlier provenance work (Clift et al. 2002) regarding the validity of their data for constraining timing of earliest arrival of material north of the suture deposited on the Indian plate (Henderson et al. 2011) suggests that the time is right for a reappraisal of this topic. We use a provenance-based approach here, using combined U-Pb and Hf on detrital zircons from Tethyan ocean basin sediments, along with petrography and biostratigraphy, to identify first arrival of material from north of the Indian plate to arrive on the Indian continent, to constrain the time of collision. With the recent discovery that the Indus Group sediments in the suture zone cannot be used for this purpose as previously proposed (Henderson et al. 2011) we turn to the 54 Ma Kong and Chulung La Formation youngest Tethyan sediments on the Indian margin (Garzanti et al. 1987) to investigate whether we can identify such material, and whether it be Spong arc (Fuchs and Willems 1990), KLA or Trans-Himalayan derived, thus determining what collided with India and when. References Bouilhol P, Jagoutz O, Hanchar JM, Dudas FO. 2013. Dating the India-Eurasia collision through arc magmatic records. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 366, 163-175. Chatterjee S, Goswami A, Scotese CR. 2013. The longest voyage: Tectonic, magmatic, and paleoclimatic evolution of the Indian plate during its northward flight from Gondwana to Asia. Gondwana Research 23, 238-267. Clift P, Carter A, Krol M, Kirby E. 2002. Constraints on India-Eurasia collision in the Arabian sea region taken from the Indus Group, Ladakh Himalaya, India. The tectonic and climatic evolution of the Arabian Sea region Geological Society of London Special Publication 195, 97-116. de Sigoyer J, Chavagnac V, Blichert-Toft J, Villa IM, Luais B, Guillot S, Cosca M, Mascle G. 2000. Dating the Indian continental subduction and collisional thickening in the northwest Himalaya: Multichronology of the Tso Morari eclogites. Geology 28, 487-490. Fuchs G, Willems H. 1990. The final stages of sedimentation in the Tethyan zone of Zanskar and their geodynamic significance (Ladakh - Himalaya). Jahrbuche Geologische Bundenstalt 133: 259-273. Garzanti E, Baud A, Mascle G. 1987. Sedimentary Record of the Northward Flight of India and Its Collision with Eurasia (Ladakh Himalaya, India). Geodinamica Acta 1, 297-312. Green OR, Searle MP, Corfield RI, Corfield RM. 2008. Cretaceous-tertiary carbonate platform evolution and the age of the India-Asia collision along the Ladakh Himalaya (northwest India). J Geol 116: 331-353. Henderson AL, Najman Y, Parrish R, Mark D, Foster GL. 2011. Constraints to the timing of India-Eurasia collision; a re-evaluation of evidence from the Indus Basin sedimentary rocks of the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone, Ladakh, India. Earth Science Reviews 106, 265-292. Khan SD, Walker DJ, Hall SA, Burke KC, Shah MT, Stockli L. 2009. Did the Kohistan-Ladakh island arc collide first with India? Geological Society of America Bulletin 121, 366-384. Petterson MG. 2010. A review of the geology and tectonics of the Kohistan island arc, north Pakistan. in The Evolving Continents: Understanding Processes of Continental Growth (eds. TM Kusky, M-G Zhai, W Xiao), pp. 287-327. Journal of the Geological society of London Special publication.

Detrital Geochemical Fingerprints of Rivers Along Southern Tibet and Nepal: Implications for Erosion of the Indus-Yarlung Suture Zone and the Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassim, M. F. B.; Carrapa, B.; DeCelles, P. G.; Kapp, P. A.; Gehrels, G. E.

2014-12-01

Our detrital geochemical study of modern sand collected from tributaries of the Yarlung River in southern Tibet and the Kali Gandaki River and its tributaries in Nepal shed light on the ages and exhumation histories of source rocks within the Indus-Yarlung Suture (IYS) zone and the Himalayas. Seven sand samples from rivers along the suture zone in southern Tibet between Xigatze to the east and Mt. Kailas to the west were collected for detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic and Apatite Fission Track (AFT) thermochronologic analyses. Zircon U-Pb ages for all rivers range between 15 and 3568 Ma. Rivers draining the northern side of the suture zone mainly yield ages between 40 and 60 Ma, similar to the age of the Gangdese magmatic arc. Samples from rivers draining the southern side of the suture zone record a Tethyan Himalayan signal characterized by age clusters at 500 Ma and 1050 Ma. Our results indicate that the ages and proportion of U-Pb zircons ages of downstream samples from tributaries of the Yarlung River directly reflect source area ages and relative area of source rock exposure in the catchment basin. Significant age components at 37 - 40 Ma, 47 - 50 Ma, 55 - 58 Ma and 94 - 97 Ma reflect episodicity in Gangdese arc magmatism. Our AFT ages show two main signals at 23-18 Ma and 12 Ma, which are in agreement with accelerated exhumation of the Gangdese batholith during these time intervals. The 23 - 18 Ma signal partly overlaps with deposition of the Kailas Formation along the suture zone and may be related to exhumation due to upper plate extension in southern Tibet in response to Indian slab rollback and/or break-off events. Detrital thermochronology of four sand samples from the Kali Gandaki River and some of its tributaries in Nepal is underway and will provide constraints on the timing of erosion of the central Nepal Himalaya.

Hinterland tectonics and drainage evolution recorded by foreland basin archives: the Neogene Siwaliks of the Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huyghe, Pascale; van der Beek, Peter; Matthias, Bernet; Catherine, Chauvel; Jean-Louis, Mugnier; Laurent, Husson; François, Chirouze

2014-05-01

Provenance analysis and detrital thermochronology of detrital synorogenic sediments, derived from erosion of mountain belts and deposited in surrounding sedimentary basins, are well-established methods to examine the exhumation history of convergent zones, tectonic activity and the associated evolution of the drainage network. We have conducted multidisciplinary studies on magnetostratigraphically dated sections throughout the Neogene Siwalik foreland basin of the Himalayan belt since more than 10 years. Sr, Nd and Hf isotopes are used as provenance indicators, providing information on the nature and size of catchment basins and their evolution through time in response to tectonics. Detrital zircon and apatite thermochronology provides constraints on exhumation rates in the hinterland of the Himalaya and the deformation of the Sub-Himalayan foreland basin. Throughout the Himalaya, detrital zircons from the Siwaliks generally show three age peaks: two static peaks (i.e., displaying constant peak ages through time), and a moving peak. The latter shows a constant lag time of ~4 m.y. corresponding to source-area exhumation rates on the order of 1.8 km/my, while the two static peaks respectively reveal a major 15-20 Ma exhumation event in the belt, the significance of which is still debated, and inheritance of pre-Himalayan ages that indicate recycling of Tethyan sediments. Therefore, our ZFT results suggest that the exhumation dynamics are broadly similar throughout the Himalaya since at least 13 m.y, as also shown by the Bengal Fan detrital sediment record. We relate this switch in tectonic regime to the destabilization of the Himalayan wedge that is rendered overcritical as a response to the transience of dynamic topography caused by the deforming underlying Indian slab. Nonetheless, in detail, the timing of thrusting in the Siwalik domain is delayed by about 1 my eastward as demonstrated by both structural and apatite fission-track data, suggesting overall eastward propagation of the main faults. The evolution of the sedimentary provenance can be explained by overall forward propagation of deformation in the Himalayan fold-thrust belt. In both the eastern and western syntaxes, it also shows stability of the major drainage systems of the Yarlung-Brahmaputra and Indus, respectively, suggesting that hinterland river incision kept pace with uplift of the syntaxes during the Neogene. Drainage reorganization may take place in the foreland basin because of thin-skinned tectonics but did not significantly affect sediment routing and the contribution of different sources of the upper catchment to the overall sediment budget. In contrast, major rivers in the Central Himalaya (such as the Kali Gandaki or the Karnali) could have been affected by changes in their upper catchment.

Sensitivity of Glacier Mass Balance Estimates to the Selection of WRF Cloud Microphysics Parameterization in the Indus River Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, E. S.; Rupper, S.; Steenburgh, W. J.; Strong, C.; Kochanski, A.

2017-12-01

Climate model outputs are often used as inputs to glacier energy and mass balance models, which are essential glaciological tools for testing glacier sensitivity, providing mass balance estimates in regions with little glaciological data, and providing a means to model future changes. Climate model outputs, however, are sensitive to the choice of physical parameterizations, such as those for cloud microphysics, land-surface schemes, surface layer options, etc. Furthermore, glacier mass balance (MB) estimates that use these climate model outputs as inputs are likely sensitive to the specific parameterization schemes, but this sensitivity has not been carefully assessed. Here we evaluate the sensitivity of glacier MB estimates across the Indus Basin to the selection of cloud microphysics parameterizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). Cloud microphysics parameterizations differ in how they specify the size distributions of hydrometeors, the rate of graupel and snow production, their fall speed assumptions, the rates at which they convert from one hydrometeor type to the other, etc. While glacier MB estimates are likely sensitive to other parameterizations in WRF, our preliminary results suggest that glacier MB is highly sensitive to the timing, frequency, and amount of snowfall, which is influenced by the cloud microphysics parameterization. To this end, the Indus Basin is an ideal study site, as it has both westerly (winter) and monsoonal (summer) precipitation influences, is a data-sparse region (so models are critical), and still has lingering questions as to glacier importance for local and regional resources. WRF is run at a 4 km grid scale using two commonly used parameterizations: the Thompson scheme and the Goddard scheme. On average, these parameterizations result in minimal differences in annual precipitation. However, localized regions exhibit differences in precipitation of up to 3 m w.e. a-1. The different schemes also impact the radiative budgets over the glacierized areas. Our results show that glacier MB estimates can differ by up to 45% depending on the chosen cloud microphysics scheme. These findings highlight the need to better account for uncertainties in meteorological inputs into glacier energy and mass balance models.

Borehole Shear Device Phase II Development.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

FIGURE 8 ITEM QUANTITY DESCRIPTION B1 1 Torque/Normal Load Transducer - First Extension Coupling. B2 1 Torque/Normal Load Transducer - Gauge Tube. B3 I...235, type RFN 7012. Supplier - Ringfeder Limited, Forum Drive, Midland Indus- trial Estate, Rugby , Warwickshire CV21 iNT, UK. FB 1 Expanding Friction...Midland Industrial Estate, Rugby , Warwickshire CV21 INT, UK. GF 2 Deep Groove Ball Bearing (upper support bearing), 80 x 100 x 10. Supplier - SKF ref

Fishes and habitat characteristics of the Keya Paha River, South Dakota-Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harland, B.; Berry, C.R.

2004-01-01

Fishes were collected in four mainstem reaches and eight tributary reaches in the Keya Paha River basin during May and June 2002. Most reaches were characteristically run habitats with sand substrates and riparian pastures. Data were combined with historical records to construct a basin-wide ichthyofaunal list which comprised 38 species from seven families. Dominant species were sand shiners (Notropis ludibundus; 47%), red shiners (Cyprinella lutrensis; 37%), and brassy minnows (Hybognathus hankinsoni; 8%). Dominant game species were bluegill (Lepomis machrochirus) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). We found one species previously listed as rare in South Dakota - plains topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus), and four species not previously found in the Keya Paha River - silver chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana), river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), northern pike (Esox Indus), yellow perch (Perca flavescens).

Understanding the drivers of the future water gap in the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Immerzeel, W. W.; Wijngaard, R. R.; Biemans, H.; Lutz, A. F.

2017-12-01

The Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra (IGB) river systems provide water resources for the agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors sustaining the lives of about 700 million people. The region is globally a hotspot for climate change as the headwaters of these rivers are fed by melt water from snow and glaciers, both strongly influenced by temperature change. In addition, the hydrology in the region is determined by the monsoon and its future dynamics as a results of climate change remains very uncertain. Simultaneously, the population is projected to grow rapidly over the coming decades, which in combination with strong economic developments, will likely result in a rapid increase in water demand. In this study we attempt to quantify the future water gap in the IGB and attribute this water gap to climate change and socio-economic growth. For the upstream mountainous parts of the basins we use the SPHY model, which is calibrated based on historical streamflow and glacier mass balance data and forced by the latest CMIP5 future climate model data for RCP4.5 and 8.5. Output of this model feeds into the downstream LPJmL model, which allows assessment of downstream climate change impacts and projected changes in water demand as a result of socio-economic developments. The LPJmL model is run for different combinations of RCPs and Shared Socio Economic Pathways (SSPs). Our results show that for the IGB as a whole climate change will increase water availability in the coming decades, due to an overall, albeit uncertain, increase in monsoon precipitation in combination with a sustained melt water supply from the upstream parts of the basins. However, irrespective of the SSP and RCP, the water demand as a result of socio-economic growth is expected to increase extremely fast in the near future and this is likely to be the main adaptation challenge for the IGB as far as water shortages are concerned. Our results also show that regional and temporal variation in the water gap is large and that basin specific adaptation measures are required that take into account both socio-economic developments as well as climate change.

Growth and demise of a Paleogene isolated carbonate platform of the Offshore Indus Basin, Pakistan: effects of regional and local controlling factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahzad, Khurram; Betzler, Christian; Ahmed, Nadeem; Qayyum, Farrukh; Spezzaferri, Silvia; Qadir, Anwar

2018-03-01

Based on high-resolution seismic and well datasets, this paper examines the evolution and drowning history of a Paleocene-Eocene carbonate platform in the Offshore Indus Basin of Pakistan. This study uses the internal seismic architecture, well log data as well as the microfauna to reconstruct factors that governed the carbonate platform growth and demise. Carbonates dominated by larger benthic foraminifera assemblages permit constraining the ages of the major evolutionary steps and show that the depositional environment was tropical within oligotrophic conditions. With the aid of seismic stratigraphy, the carbonate platform edifice is resolved into seven seismic units which in turn are grouped into three packages that reflect its evolution from platform initiation, aggradation with escarpment formation and platform drowning. The carbonate factory initiated as mounds and patches on a Cretaceous-Paleocene volcanic complex. Further, the growth history of the platform includes distinct phases of intraplatform progradation, aggradation, backstepping and partial drownings. The youngest succession as late-stage buildup records a shift from benthic to pelagic deposition and marks the final drowning in the Early Eocene. The depositional trend of the platform, controlled by the continuing thermal subsidence associated with the cooling of volcanic margin lithosphere, was the major contributor of the accommodation space which supported the vertical accumulation of shallow water carbonate succession. Other factors such as eustatic changes and changes in the carbonate producers as a response to the Paleogene climatic perturbations played secondary roles in the development and drowning of these buildups.

Rare earth elements in river waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Steven J.; Jacobsen, Stein B.

1988-01-01

To characterize the input to the oceans of rare earth elements (REE) in the dissolved and the suspended loads of rivers, the REE concentrations were measured in samples of Amazon, Indus, Mississippi, Murray-Darling, and Ohio rivers and in samples of smaller rivers that had more distinct drainage basin lithology and water chemistry. It was found that, in the suspended loads of small rivers, the REE pattern was dependent on drainage basin geology, whereas the suspended loads in major rivers had relatively uniform REE patterns and were heavy-REE depleted relative to the North American Shale composite (NASC). The dissolved loads in the five major rivers had marked relative heavy-REE enrichments, relative to the NASC and the suspended material, with the (La/Yb)N ratio of about 0.4 (as compared with the ratio of about 1.9 in suspended loads).

Recycling of Pleistocene valley fills dominates 125 ka of sediment flux, upper Indus River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munack, Henry; Blöthe, Jan Henrik; Fülöp, Réka-Hajnalka; Codilean, Alexandru T.; Fink, David; Korup, Oliver

2016-04-01

Rivers draining the semiarid Transhimalayan Ranges along the western Tibetan Plateau margin underwent alternating phases of massive valley infill and incision in Pleistocene times. The imprints of these cut-and-fill cycles on long-term sediment fluxes have remained largely elusive. We investigate the timing and geomorphic consequences of headward incision of the Zanskar River, which taps the vast More Plains valley fill that currently impedes drainage of the endorheic high-altitude basins of Tso Kar and Tso Moriri. In situ 10Be exposure dating and topographic analyses indicate that a phase of valley infill gave way to net dissection of the >250-m thick sedimentary stacks ˜125 ka ago, i.e. during the last interglacial (MIS 5e). Rivers eroded >14.7 km3 of sediment from the Zanskar headwaters since then, fashioning specific sediment yields that surpass 10Be-derived denudation rates from neighbouring catchments by factors of two to ten. We conclude that recycling of Pleistocene valley fills has provided Transhimalayan headwater rivers with more sediment than bedrock denudation, at least since the beginning of the last glacial cycle. This protracted liberation of sediment stored in thick valley fills could bias rate estimates of current sediment loads and long-term bedrock denudation.

Status of The Indian SRS Indus-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahni, V. C.

2009-07-01

Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT, formerly called Centre for Advanced Technology) is a prime R&D laboratory of Indian Department of Atomic Energy devoted to developing technologies related to accelerators and lasers as well as their applications. RRCAT is home to 2 synchrotron radiation sources (SRS): Indus-1 (a 100 mA, 450 MeV storage ring) & Indus-2 (a 2.5 GeV booster cum storage ring designed for a current of up to 300 mA), sharing a common injector system, comprising of 20 MeV microtron & 450-700 MeV range booster synchrotron. Most of the accelerator hardware has been built indigenously. Normally beam is injected into Indus-2 (and accumulated) at 550 MeV, and ramped to 2 or 2.5 GeV depending on the user needs. At present we have permission from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (Indian agency charged with radiation protection responsibility in the country) to operate Indus-2 at 2.5 GeV with up to 50 mA & in the next stage we will get authorization to go up to 100 mA. Currently 5 beam lines on Indus-1 and 3 on Indus-2 are operational and work is going on 4 more beam lines on Indus-2 & is progressing well. The 3 completed beam lines on Indus-2 are: high resolution XRD, position sensitive detector based multi channel EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) and EDXRD (Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction). The paper gives an overview of how the SRS program at RRCAT has evolved over the years, where we stand today and also some of our future plans.

Counter-intuitive influence of Himalayan river morphodynamics on Indus Civilisation urban settlements.

PubMed

Singh, Ajit; Thomsen, Kristina J; Sinha, Rajiv; Buylaert, Jan-Pieter; Carter, Andrew; Mark, Darren F; Mason, Philippa J; Densmore, Alexander L; Murray, Andrew S; Jain, Mayank; Paul, Debajyoti; Gupta, Sanjeev

2017-11-28

Urbanism in the Bronze-age Indus Civilisation (~4.6-3.9 thousand years before the present, ka) has been linked to water resources provided by large Himalayan river systems, although the largest concentrations of urban-scale Indus settlements are located far from extant Himalayan rivers. Here we analyse the sedimentary architecture, chronology and provenance of a major palaeochannel associated with many of these settlements. We show that the palaeochannel is a former course of the Sutlej River, the third largest of the present-day Himalayan rivers. Using optically stimulated luminescence dating of sand grains, we demonstrate that flow of the Sutlej in this course terminated considerably earlier than Indus occupation, with diversion to its present course complete shortly after ~8 ka. Indus urban settlements thus developed along an abandoned river valley rather than an active Himalayan river. Confinement of the Sutlej to its present incised course after ~8 ka likely reduced its propensity to re-route frequently thus enabling long-term stability for Indus settlements sited along the relict palaeochannel.

Sensitivity of Support Vector Machine Predictions of Passive Microwave Brightness Temperature Over Snow-covered Terrain in High Mountain Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, J. A.; Forman, B. A.

2017-12-01

High Mountain Asia (HMA) serves as a water supply source for over 1.3 billion people, primarily in south-east Asia. Most of this water originates as snow (or ice) that melts during the summer months and contributes to the run-off downstream. In spite of its critical role, there is still considerable uncertainty regarding the total amount of snow in HMA and its spatial and temporal variation. In this study, the NASA Land Information Systems (LIS) is used to model the hydrologic cycle over the Indus basin. In addition, the ability of support vector machines (SVM), a machine learning technique, to predict passive microwave brightness temperatures at a specific frequency and polarization as a function of LIS-derived land surface model output is explored in a sensitivity analysis. Multi-frequency, multi-polarization passive microwave brightness temperatures as measured by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) over the Indus basin are used as training targets during the SVM training process. Normalized sensitivity coefficients (NSC) are then computed to assess the sensitivity of a well-trained SVM to each LIS-derived state variable. Preliminary results conform with the known first-order physics. For example, input states directly linked to physical temperature like snow temperature, air temperature, and vegetation temperature have positive NSC's whereas input states that increase volume scattering such as snow water equivalent or snow density yield negative NSC's. Air temperature exhibits the largest sensitivity coefficients due to its inherent, high-frequency variability. Adherence of this machine learning algorithm to the first-order physics bodes well for its potential use in LIS as the observation operator within a radiance data assimilation system aimed at improving regional- and continental-scale snow estimates.

78 FR 16500 - Rolling Bay, LLC and Indus; Transfer of Data

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-15

... contract to perform work for OPP, and access to this information will enable Rolling Bay, LLC and its subcontractor, Indus, to fulfill the obligations of the contract. DATES: Rolling Bay, LLC and its subcontractor... Under Contract No. GS-35F-0072Y, Rolling Bay, LLC and its subcontractor, Indus, will: Capture data that...

Sediment provenance in the Laxmi Basin of the Arabian Sea during the last 800 kyrs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khim, B. K.; Horikawa, K.; Asahara, Y.; Kim, J. E.; Ikehara, M.; Lee, J.

2017-12-01

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 355 conducted to drill 1109.4 m penetration at Site U1456 in the Laxmi Basin of the Arabian Sea. Four lithologic units are defined onboard at Site U1456 (Pandey et al., 2016). Unit I is 121 m long, consisting mostly of pelagic carbonates (nannofossil ooze and/or foraminifera-rich nannofossil ooze) interbedded with thin terrigenous (clay, silt, and sand) turbidite layers. The age model of Unit I was determined by the correlation of δ18O fluctuations of planktonic foraminifera (Globigerinoides ruber) to LR04 stacks, estimating 1.2 Ma. A total of 60 samples, collected in the context of magnetic susceptibility (MS) changes at a discrete interval from a composite section (Holes U1456A and U1456C) of Unit I, were analyzed to measure Nd and Sr isotopes of detrital fraction. Based on Nd and Sr isotopes, the sediment provenance in the Laxmi Basin during the last 800 kyrs was traced in response to the monsoon activity between the interglacial and glacial periods. ɛNd and 87Sr/86Sr vary in a range from -12.4 to -8.0 and from 0.712 to 0.727, respectively. The correlation between ɛNd and 87Sr/86Sr is quite linear, indicating that the sediments were provided mainly by two dominant sources. Considering the ɛNd and 87Sr/86Sr end-members of sediment sources (i.e., river sediments), the Tapi River and Narmada River are the main contributors of sediments to Site U1456 with a little influence by the modern Indus River. However, the glacial sediments from the Indus River and the Mahi River may supply an additional fraction, leading to less ɛNd and more 87Sr/86Sr at Site U1456. Judged by the sediment sources, the sediments in the Laxmi Basin are characterized by the mixture of different provenances. In addition, it should be noted that the low ɛNd and high 87Sr/86Sr values coincide largely with high MS and vice versa, irrespectively of the glacial-interglacial change. Thus, rather than the sediment provenances, ɛNd and 87Sr/86Sr values of the detrital fraction in the Laxmi Basin of the Arabian Sea have been more controlled by the sedimentary processes (pelagic, hemi-pelagic and turbidite) and depositional conditions related with the sea level changes in response to the Arabian Sea monsoon activity between the glacial and interglacial periods during the last 800 kyrs.

Gujarat, Western India

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Extremely high sediment loads are delivered to the Arabian Sea along the coast of Pakistan (upper left) and western India. In the case of the Indus River (far upper left) this sedimentation, containing large quantities of desert sand, combines with wave action to create a large sand-bar like delta. In the arid environment, the delta lacks much vegetation, but contains numerous mangrove-lined channels. This true-color image from May 2001 shows the transition from India's arid northwest to the wetter regions farther south along the coast. The increase in vegetation along the coast is brought about by the moisture trapping effect of the Western Ghats Mountain Range that runs north-south along the coast. Heavy sediment is visible in the Gulf of Kachchh (north) and the Gulf of Khambhat(south), which surround the Gujarat Peninsula.

Detection of dual effects of degradation of perennial snow and ice covers on the hydrologic regime of a Himalayan river basin by stream water availability modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Biswajit

2012-01-01

SummaryIn river basins where melt water from snow and ice constitutes a dominant component of stream discharge during summer, degradation or reduction of perennial snow and ice covered areas ( SCA P) has a profound effect on stream water availability in those basins. Degradation of SCA P that includes glaciers is a globally widespread phenomenon observed in the recently past decades; its cause has been attributed to global warming and its consequence is expected to dramatically alter the flow regimes of the rivers draining the terrains. The predicted change in flow regime is an initial increase in summer flows in the early decades of 21st century followed by sharp decline of the same during the later parts of the century. Estimation of SCA P within the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), straddling the western ranges of the Greater Himalayas, Karakoram Mountains, and the eastern mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, shows that from 1992 to 2010 there has been about 2.15% reduction in SCA P. A spatially distributed basin-scale stream water availability model is presented to calculate monthly river discharges at critical hydrologic junctions within UIB. Model calculations for the years 1992, 2000, and 2008, show that due to the degradation of the SCA P within the basin, there has been significant decrease in summer discharges at various hydrologic junctions. The percentage decline in flows varies from 10% to 22%, depending on the locations of the junctions within the basin. The space-dependence of these variations reflects differential degradation of SCA P in various parts of the basin. Furthermore, the time of peak discharge at all of the hydrological junctions has shifted from middle/late summer to late spring/early summer as another outcome of SCA P reduction. Such temporal shifting of nival regimes to early part of warmer season has also been predicted by global warming models. However, the case study presented here for a major Himalayan river basin demonstrates that such shifting of peak discharge in the time domain can also take place simply due to retreat of the equilibrium line. Thus, the effects of a warming climate have possibly been already set within UIB. Instead of experiencing an increased pulse of summer flows for the next few decades, summer flows within this basin are expected to decline. Changes in the timing of peak flows can have adverse effects on multipurpose water resources management without appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures. Monthly average stream flow data with 35 year period of record from a key gauging station support the findings of the model results. Similarly, digital maps of SCA P at different time periods within a key catchment of UIB, containing one of the major glaciers, show retreat of glacial lobes and significant decrease in total SCA P taking place during the past decades.

Oxygen Fugacity Variation From Mantle Transition Zone To Ocean Ridges Recorded By In Situ Diamond-Bearing Peridotite Of Indus Ophiolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S.; Basu, A. R.

2017-12-01

Our recently discovered transition zone ( 410 - 660 Km) -derived peridotites in the Indus Ophiolite, Ladakh Himalaya [1] provide a unique opportunity to study changes in oxygen fugacity from shallow mantle beneath ocean ridges to mantle transition zone. We found in situ diamond, graphite pseudomorphs after diamond crystals, hydrocarbon (C - H) and hydrogen (H2) fluid inclusions in ultra-high pressure (UHP) peridotites that occur in the mantle - section of the Indus ophiolite and sourced from the mantle transition zone [2]. Diamond occurs as octahedral inclusion in orthoenstatite of one of these peridotites. The graphite pseudomorphs after diamond crystals and primary hydrocarbon (C-H), and hydrogen (H2) fluids are included in olivine of this rock. Hydrocarbon fluids are also present as inclusions in high pressure clinoenstatite (> 8 GPa). The association of primary hydrocarbon and hydrogen fluid inclusions in the UHP peridotites suggest that their source-environment was highly reduced at the base of the upper mantle. We suggest that during mantle upwelling beneath Neo Tethyan spreading center, the hydrocarbon fluid was oxidized and precipitated diamond. The smaller diamonds converted to graphite at shallower depth due to size, high temperature and elevated oxygen fugacity. This process explains how deep mantle upwelling can oxidize reduced fluid carried from the transition zone to produce H2O - CO2. The H2O - CO2 fluids induce deep melting in the source of the mid oceanic ridge basalts (MORB) that create the oceanic crust. References: [1] Das S, Mukherjee B K, Basu A R, Sen K, Geol Soc London, Sp 412, 271 - 286; 2015. [2] Das S, Basu A R, Mukherjee B K, Geology 45 (8), 755 - 758; 2017.

Teleconnection, Regime Shift, and Predictability of Climate Extremes: A Case Study for the Russian Heat Wave and Pakistan Flood in Summer 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, W. K.; Reale, O.; Kim, K.

2011-01-01

In this talk, we present observational evidence showing that the two major extremes events of the summer of 2010, i.e., the Russian heat wave and the Pakistan flood were physically connected. We find that the Pakistan flood was contributed by a series of unusually heavy rain events over the upper Indus River Basin in July-August. The rainfall regimes shifted from an episodic heavy rain regime in mid-to-late July to a steady heavy rain regime in August. An atmospheric Rossby wave associated with the development of the Russian heat wave was instrumental in spurring the episodic rain events , drawing moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the northern Arabian Sea. The steady rain regime was maintained primarily by monsoon moisture surges from the deep tropics. From experiments with the GEOS-5 forecast system, we assess the predictability of the heavy rain events associated with the Pakistan flood. Preliminary results indicate that there are significantly higher skills in the rainfall forecasts during the episodic heavy rain events in July, compared to the steady rain period in early to mid-August. The change in rainfall predictability may be related to scale interactions between the extratropics and the tropics resulting in a modulation of rainfall predictability by the circulation regimes.

Evidence for Patterns of Selective Urban Migration in the Greater Indus Valley (2600-1900 BC): A Lead and Strontium Isotope Mortuary Analysis

PubMed Central

Valentine, Benjamin; Kamenov, George D.; Kenoyer, Jonathan Mark; Shinde, Vasant; Mushrif-Tripathy, Veena; Otarola-Castillo, Erik; Krigbaum, John

2015-01-01

Just as modern nation-states struggle to manage the cultural and economic impacts of migration, ancient civilizations dealt with similar external pressures and set policies to regulate people’s movements. In one of the earliest urban societies, the Indus Civilization, mechanisms linking city populations to hinterland groups remain enigmatic in the absence of written documents. However, isotopic data from human tooth enamel associated with Harappa Phase (2600-1900 BC) cemetery burials at Harappa (Pakistan) and Farmana (India) provide individual biogeochemical life histories of migration. Strontium and lead isotope ratios allow us to reinterpret the Indus tradition of cemetery inhumation as part of a specific and highly regulated institution of migration. Intra-individual isotopic shifts are consistent with immigration from resource-rich hinterlands during childhood. Furthermore, mortuary populations formed over hundreds of years and composed almost entirely of first-generation immigrants suggest that inhumation was the final step in a process linking certain urban Indus communities to diverse hinterland groups. Additional multi disciplinary analyses are warranted to confirm inferred patterns of Indus mobility, but the available isotopic data suggest that efforts to classify and regulate human movement in the ancient Indus region likely helped structure socioeconomic integration across an ethnically diverse landscape. PMID:25923705

Evidence for Patterns of Selective Urban Migration in the Greater Indus Valley (2600-1900 BC): A Lead and Strontium Isotope Mortuary Analysis.

PubMed

Valentine, Benjamin; Kamenov, George D; Kenoyer, Jonathan Mark; Shinde, Vasant; Mushrif-Tripathy, Veena; Otarola-Castillo, Erik; Krigbaum, John

2015-01-01

Just as modern nation-states struggle to manage the cultural and economic impacts of migration, ancient civilizations dealt with similar external pressures and set policies to regulate people's movements. In one of the earliest urban societies, the Indus Civilization, mechanisms linking city populations to hinterland groups remain enigmatic in the absence of written documents. However, isotopic data from human tooth enamel associated with Harappa Phase (2600-1900 BC) cemetery burials at Harappa (Pakistan) and Farmana (India) provide individual biogeochemical life histories of migration. Strontium and lead isotope ratios allow us to reinterpret the Indus tradition of cemetery inhumation as part of a specific and highly regulated institution of migration. Intra-individual isotopic shifts are consistent with immigration from resource-rich hinterlands during childhood. Furthermore, mortuary populations formed over hundreds of years and composed almost entirely of first-generation immigrants suggest that inhumation was the final step in a process linking certain urban Indus communities to diverse hinterland groups. Additional multi disciplinary analyses are warranted to confirm inferred patterns of Indus mobility, but the available isotopic data suggest that efforts to classify and regulate human movement in the ancient Indus region likely helped structure socioeconomic integration across an ethnically diverse landscape.

Intensified summer monsoon and the urbanization of Indus Civilization in northwest India.

PubMed

Dixit, Yama; Hodell, David A; Giesche, Alena; Tandon, Sampat K; Gázquez, Fernando; Saini, Hari S; Skinner, Luke C; Mujtaba, Syed A I; Pawar, Vikas; Singh, Ravindra N; Petrie, Cameron A

2018-03-09

Today the desert margins of northwest India are dry and unable to support large populations, but were densely occupied by the populations of the Indus Civilization during the middle to late Holocene. The hydroclimatic conditions under which Indus urbanization took place, which was marked by a period of expanded settlement into the Thar Desert margins, remains poorly understood. We measured the isotopic values (δ 18 O and δD) of gypsum hydration water in paleolake Karsandi sediments in northern Rajasthan to infer past changes in lake hydrology, which is sensitive to changing amounts of precipitation and evaporation. Our record reveals that relatively wet conditions prevailed at the northern edge of Rajasthan from ~5.1 ± 0.2 ka BP, during the beginning of the agricultural-based Early Harappan phase of the Indus Civilization. Monsoon rainfall intensified further between 5.0 and 4.4 ka BP, during the period when Indus urban centres developed in the western Thar Desert margin and on the plains of Haryana to its north. Drier conditions set in sometime after 4.4 ka BP, and by ~3.9 ka BP an eastward shift of populations had occurred. Our findings provide evidence that climate change was associated with both the expansion and contraction of Indus urbanism along the desert margin in northwest India.

Impact of city effluents on water quality of Indus River: assessment of temporal and spatial variations in the southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

PubMed

Khan, Ilham; Khan, Azim; Khan, Muhammad Sohail; Zafar, Shabnam; Hameed, Asma; Badshah, Shakeel; Rehman, Shafiq Ur; Ullah, Hidayat; Yasmeen, Ghazala

2018-04-04

The impact of city effluents on water quality of Indus River was assessed in the southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Water samples were collected in dry (DS) and wet (WS) seasons from seven sampling zones along Indus River and the physical, bacteriological, and chemical parameters determining water quality were quantified. There were marked temporal and spatial variations in the water quality of Indus River. The magnitude of pollution was high in WS compared with DS. The quality of water varied across the sampling zones, and it greatly depended upon the nature of effluents entering the river. Water samples exceeded the WHO permissible limits for pH, EC, TDS, TS, TSS, TH, DO, BOD, COD, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , NO 3 - , and PO 4 2- . Piper analysis indicated that water across the seven sampling zones along Indus River was alkaline in nature. Correlation analyses indicated that EC, TDS, TS, TH, DO, BOD, and COD may be considered as key physical parameters, while Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Cl - , F - , NO 3 - , PO 4 2- , and SO 4 2- as key chemical parameters determining water quality, because they were strongly correlated (r > 0.70) with most of the parameters studied. Cluster analysis indicated that discharge point at Shami Road is the major source of pollution impairing water quality of Indus River. Wastewater treatment plants must be installed at all discharge points along Indus River for protecting the quality of water of this rich freshwater resource in Pakistan.

Probable existence of a Gondwana transcontinental rift system in western India: Implications in hydrocarbon exploration in Kutch and Saurashtra offshore: A GIS-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazumder, S.; Tep, Blecy; Pangtey, K. K. S.; Das, K. K.; Mitra, D. S.

2017-08-01

The Gondwanaland assembly rifted dominantly during Late Carboniferous-Early Permian forming several intracratonic rift basins. These rifts were subsequently filled with a thick sequence of continental clastic sediments with minor marine intercalations in early phase. In western part of India, these sediments are recorded in enclaves of Bikaner-Nagaur and Jaisalmer basins in Rajasthan. Facies correlatives of these sediments are observed in a number of basins that were earlier thought to be associated with the western part of India. The present work is a GIS based approach to reconnect those basins to their position during rifting and reconstruct the tectono-sedimentary environment at that time range. The study indicates a rift system spanning from Arabian plate in the north and extending to southern part of Africa that passes through Indus basin, western part of India and Madagascar, and existed from Late Carboniferous to Early Jurassic. Extensions related to the opening of Neo-Tethys led to the formation of a number of cross trends in the rift systems that acted as barriers to marine transgressions from the north as well as disrupted the earlier continuous longitudinal drainage systems. The axis of this rift system is envisaged to pass through present day offshore Kutch and Saurashtra and implies a thick deposit of Late Carboniferous to Early Jurassic sediments in these areas. Based on analogy with other basins associated with this rift system, these sediments may be targeted for hydrocarbon exploration.

Oxygen, deuterium, and strontium isotope characteristics of the Indus River water system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Anupam; Kumar, Kamlesh; Laskar, Amzad; Singh, Sunil Kumar; Mehta, Pankaj

2017-05-01

Understanding the sources and compositional characteristics of waters and sediments in the Indus River system is extremely important as its water availability is one of the primary factors for sustenance of the irrigation activities and the socioeconomic status of a very densely populated region of the world. Here we used stable isotopic compositions (δD and δ18O) and strontium isotopic ratio (87Sr/86Sr) in the Indus River water, its tributaries and its small streams (nallahs) in the Indian territory to understand the regional hydrology, water sources, and catchment processes (evaporation, transpiration, recycling, and mixing). The δ18O values in the Indus River system (IRS) ranges from - 16.9‰ to - 12.5‰ and δD from - 122.8‰ to - 88.5‰. The Indus River and its major tributaries (such as the Zanskar, Nubra and Shyok rivers) are characterized by relatively lower δ18O values, whereas TangTse and other small streams contributing to the Indus are relatively enriched in 18O. The local meteoric water line for the IRS was found to be δD = 7.87 × δ18O + 11.41, which is similar to the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL) indicating meteoric origin of the water and insignificant secondary evaporation in the catchment. The Deuterium excess (d-excess) in the IRS varies between 6.5‰ and 14.9‰ with an average of 11.7‰, which is mostly higher than the long-term average for the Indian summer monsoon ( 8‰). The higher d-excess value is because of the contribution of moisture from westerlies; a simple mass balance shows 26% water in the main Indus channel is contributed by the westerlies originated from the Mediterranean Sea. The Sr isotope ratio in IRS varies between 0.70515 and 0.71291; wherein the Indus, and its tributary rivers Shyok and Nubra, are characterized by relatively high Sr isotope ratios (avg. 0.71086-0.71243) compared to the Zanskar and TangTse tributaries (Sr 0.709) because of the variation in silicate rock weathering component and carbonate rock weathering component ratios respectively.

Rainfall forecast in the Upper Mahaweli basin in Sri Lanka using RegCM model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammadh, K. M.; Mafas, M. M. M.; Weerakoon, S. B.

2017-04-01

The Upper Mahaweli basin is the upper most sub basin of 788 km2 in size above Polgolla barrage in the Mahaweli River, the longest river in Sri Lanka which starts from the central hills of the island and drains to the sea at the North-east coast. Rainfall forecast in the Upper Mahaweli basin is important for issuing flood warning in the river downstream of the reservoirs, landslide warning in the settlements in hilly areas. Anticipatory water management in the basin including reservoir operations, barrage gate operation for releasing water for irrigation and flood control also require reliable rainfall and runoff prediction in the sub basin. In this study, the Regional Climate Model (RegCM V4.4.5.11) is calibrated for the basin to dynamically downscale reanalysis weather data of Global Climate Model (GCM) to forecast the rainfall in the basin. Observed rainfalls at gauging stations within the basin were used for model calibration and validation. The observed rainfall data was analysed using ARC GIS and the output of RegCM was analysed using GrADS tool. The output of the model and the observed precipitation were obtained on grids of size 0.1 degrees and the accuracy of the predictions were analysed using RMSE and Mean Model Absolute Error percentage (MAME %). The predictions by the calibrated RegCM model for the basin is shown to be satisfactory. The model is a useful tool for rainfall forecast in the Upper Mahaweli River basin.

A Markov model of the Indus script

PubMed Central

Rao, Rajesh P. N.; Yadav, Nisha; Vahia, Mayank N.; Joglekar, Hrishikesh; Adhikari, R.; Mahadevan, Iravatham

2009-01-01

Although no historical information exists about the Indus civilization (flourished ca. 2600–1900 B.C.), archaeologists have uncovered about 3,800 short samples of a script that was used throughout the civilization. The script remains undeciphered, despite a large number of attempts and claimed decipherments over the past 80 years. Here, we propose the use of probabilistic models to analyze the structure of the Indus script. The goal is to reveal, through probabilistic analysis, syntactic patterns that could point the way to eventual decipherment. We illustrate the approach using a simple Markov chain model to capture sequential dependencies between signs in the Indus script. The trained model allows new sample texts to be generated, revealing recurring patterns of signs that could potentially form functional subunits of a possible underlying language. The model also provides a quantitative way of testing whether a particular string belongs to the putative language as captured by the Markov model. Application of this test to Indus seals found in Mesopotamia and other sites in West Asia reveals that the script may have been used to express different content in these regions. Finally, we show how missing, ambiguous, or unreadable signs on damaged objects can be filled in with most likely predictions from the model. Taken together, our results indicate that the Indus script exhibits rich synactic structure and the ability to represent diverse content. both of which are suggestive of a linguistic writing system rather than a nonlinguistic symbol system. PMID:19666571

Ground-Water Hydrology of the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gannett, Marshall W.; Lite, Kenneth E.; La Marche, Jonathan L.; Fisher, Bruce J.; Polette, Danial J.

2007-01-01

The upper Klamath Basin spans the California-Oregon border from the flank of the Cascade Range eastward to the Basin and Range Province, and encompasses the Klamath River drainage basin above Iron Gate Dam. Most of the basin is semiarid, but the Cascade Range and uplands in the interior and eastern parts of the basin receive on average more than 30 inches of precipitation per year. The basin has several perennial streams with mean annual discharges of hundreds of cubic feet per second, and the Klamath River at Iron Gate Dam, which represents drainage from the entire upper basin, has a mean annual discharge of about 2,100 cubic feet per second. The basin once contained three large lakes: Upper and Lower Klamath Lakes and Tule Lake, each of which covered areas of 100 to 150 square miles, including extensive marginal wetlands. Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake have been mostly drained, and the former lake beds are now cultivated. Upper Klamath Lake remains, and is an important source of irrigation water. Much of the wetland surrounding Upper Klamath Lake has been diked and drained, although efforts are underway to restore large areas. Upper Klamath Lake and the remaining parts of Lower Klamath and Tule Lakes provide important wildlife habitat, and parts of each are included in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges Complex. The upper Klamath Basin has a substantial regional ground-water flow system. The late Tertiary to Quaternary volcanic rocks that underlie the region are generally permeable, with transmissivity estimates ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 feet squared per day, and compose a system of variously interconnected aquifers. Interbedded with the volcanic rocks are late Tertiary sedimentary rocks composed primarily of fine-grained lake sediments and basin-filling deposits. These sedimentary deposits have generally low permeability, are not good aquifers, and probably restrict ground-water movement in some areas. The regional ground-water system is underlain and bounded on the east and west by older Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks that have generally low permeability. Eight regional-scale hydrogeologic units are defined in the upper Klamath Basin on the basis of surficial geology and subsurface data. Ground water flows from recharge areas in the Cascade Range and upland areas in the basin interior and eastern margins toward stream valleys and interior subbasins. Ground water discharge to streams throughout the basin, and most streams have some component of ground water (baseflow). Some streams, however, are predominantly ground-water fed and have relatively constant flows throughout the year. Large amounts of ground water discharges in the Wood River subbasin, the lower Williamson River area, and along the margin of the Cascade Range. Much of the inflow to Upper Klamath Lake can be attributed to ground-water discharge to streams and major spring complexes within a dozen or so miles from the lake. This large component of ground water buffers the lake somewhat from climate cycles. There are also ground-water discharge areas in the eastern parts of the basin, for example in the upper Williamson and Sprague River subbasins and in the Lost River subbasin at Bonanza Springs. Irrigated agriculture is an integral part of the economy of the upper Klamath Basin. Although estimates vary somewhat, roughly 500,000 acres are irrigated in the upper Klamath Basin, about 190,000 acres of which are part of the Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Project. Most of this land is irrigated with surface water. Ground water has been used for many decades to irrigate areas where surface water is not available, for example outside of irrigation districts and stream valleys. Ground water has also been used as a supplemental source of water in areas where surface water supplies are limited and during droughts. Ground water use for irrigation has increased in recent years due to drought and shifts in surface-water allocation from irrigati

X-ray fluorescence results from IODP Expedition 355 sediments in Laxmi Basin, eastern Arabian Sea: Insights into late Miocene and Pleistocene carbonate production and burial and possible variations in monsoon intensit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, M. G.; Kulhanek, D. K.; Lyle, M. W.; Hahn, A.

2017-12-01

Variations in CaCO3 accumulation on the seafloor depend on a number of factors, including productivity of carbonate-producing organisms in the overlying water column, input of siliciclastic material from nearby continents, and changes in ocean chemistry. These factors are affected by variations in tectonics and climate. Here we use X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning data to develop high-resolution chemical profiles calibrated with discrete samples to examine changes in carbonate production and burial in the eastern Arabian Sea. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 355 cored two sites in the Indus Fan in Laxmi Basin. We scanned the Pleistocene composite sections from both sites at 2 cm resolution ( 150-300 year sampling resolution) using the Avaatech XRF core scanner at the IODP Gulf Coast Repository. In addition, we scanned a hemipelagic interval dated to the late Miocene ( 8 to 6 Ma) that spans the late Miocene climate transition to drier conditions globally, as documented by an expansion in C4 plants. The 2 cm scanning resolution represents 500 years between samples for the upper Miocene section. We used carbonate measurements on discrete samples to calibrate the XRF data, supplemented by analysis using a quantitative benchtop XRF at the University of Bremen. We find large variability in carbonate content in the Pleistocene and upper Miocene, varying from 15-80 wt%, with higher carbonate content correlating with lighter colored sediment. The aluminosilicate composition varies in part because of carbonate dilution but also because of changes in the source of clays and turbidites through the section. We also explore the use of chemical ratios to better understand the variations through the section. Changes in Ca/Fe (biogenic/terrestrial component) and Rb/Zr (fine/coarse grained) match well with visual observation of sediment composition in the cores. We can combine these with the oxygen isotope-derived age model for the Pleistocene section to examine orbital-scale variations in carbonate production and terrigenous input at the sites. We also explore proxies for precipitation (Ti/Ca) and weathering (Fe/K and Al/K) to elucidate changes in monsoon strength during the Pleistocene, although these results are preliminary.

Hydrogeologic framework and selected components of the groundwater budget for the upper Umatilla River Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrera, Nora B.; Ely, Kate; Mehta, Smita; Stonewall, Adam J.; Risley, John C.; Hinkle, Stephen R.; Conlon, Terrence D.

2017-05-31

Executive SummaryThis report presents a summary of the hydrogeology of the upper Umatilla River Basin, Oregon, based on characterization of the hydrogeologic framework, horizontal and vertical directions of groundwater flow, trends in groundwater levels, and components of the groundwater budget. The conceptual model of the groundwater flow system integrates available data and information on the groundwater resources of the upper Umatilla River Basin and provides insights regarding key hydrologic processes, such as the interaction between the groundwater and surface water systems and the hydrologic budget.The conceptual groundwater model developed for the study area divides the groundwater flow system into five hydrogeologic units: a sedimentary unit, three Columbia River basalt units, and a basement rock unit. The sedimentary unit, which is not widely used as a source of groundwater in the upper basin, is present primarily in the lowlands and consists of conglomerate, loess, silt and sand deposits, and recent alluvium. The Columbia River Basalt Group is a series of Miocene flood basalts that are present throughout the study area. The basalt is uplifted in the southeastern half of the study area, and either underlies the sedimentary unit, or is exposed at the surface. The interflow zones of the flood basalts are the primary aquifers in the study area. Beneath the flood basalts are basement rocks composed of Paleogene to Pre-Tertiary sedimentary, volcanic, igneous, and metamorphic rocks that are not used as a source of groundwater in the upper Umatilla River Basin.The major components of the groundwater budget in the upper Umatilla River Basin are (1) groundwater recharge, (2) groundwater discharge to surface water and wells, (3) subsurface flow into and out of the basin, and (4) changes in groundwater storage.Recharge from precipitation occurs primarily in the upland areas of the Blue Mountains. Mean annual recharge from infiltration of precipitation for the upper Umatilla River Basin during 1951–2010 is about 9.6 inches per year (in/yr). Annual recharge from precipitation for water year 2010 ranged from 3 in. in the lowland area to about 30 in. in the Blue Mountains. Using Kahle and others (2011) data and methods from the Columbia Plateau regional model, average annual recharge from irrigation is estimated to be about 2.2 in/yr for the 13 square miles of irrigated land in the upper Umatilla River Basin.Groundwater discharges to streams throughout the year and is a large component of annual streamflow in the upper Umatilla River Basin. Upward vertical hydraulic gradients near the Umatilla River indicate the potential for groundwater discharge. Groundwater discharge to the Umatilla River generally occurs in the upper part of the basin, upstream from the main stem.Groundwater development in the upper Umatilla River Basin began sometime after 1950 (Davies-Smith and others, 1988; Gonthier and Bolke, 1991). By water year 2010, groundwater use in the upper Umatilla River Basin was approximately 11,214 acre-feet (acre-ft). Total groundwater withdrawals for the study area were estimated at 7,575 acre-ft for irrigation, 3,173 acre-ft for municipal use, and 466 acre-ft for domestic use.Total groundwater flow into or from the study area depends locally on geology and hydraulic head distribution. Estimates of subsurface flow were calculated using the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Plateau regional groundwater flow model. Net flux values range from 25,000 to 27,700 acre-ft per year and indicate that groundwater is moving out of the upper Umatilla River Basin into the lower Umatilla River Basin.Water level changes depend on storage changes within an aquifer, and storage changes depend on the storage properties of the aquifer, as well as recharge to or discharge from the aquifer. Groundwater level data in the upper Umatilla River Basin are mostly available from wells in Columbia River basalt units, which indicate areas of long-term water level declines in the Grande Ronde basalt unit near Pendleton and Athena, Oregon. Groundwater levels in the Wanapum basalt unit do not show long-term declines in the upper Umatilla River Basin. Because of pumping, some areas in the upper Umatilla River Basin have shown a decrease, or reversal, in the upward vertical head gradient.Key data needs are improvement of the spatial and temporal distribution of water-level data collection and continued monitoring of streamflow gaging sites. Additionally, refinement of recharge estimates would enhance understanding of the processes that provide the groundwater resources in the upper Umatilla River Basin.

Statistical Analysis of the Indus Script Using n-Grams

PubMed Central

Yadav, Nisha; Joglekar, Hrishikesh; Rao, Rajesh P. N.; Vahia, Mayank N.; Adhikari, Ronojoy; Mahadevan, Iravatham

2010-01-01

The Indus script is one of the major undeciphered scripts of the ancient world. The small size of the corpus, the absence of bilingual texts, and the lack of definite knowledge of the underlying language has frustrated efforts at decipherment since the discovery of the remains of the Indus civilization. Building on previous statistical approaches, we apply the tools of statistical language processing, specifically n-gram Markov chains, to analyze the syntax of the Indus script. We find that unigrams follow a Zipf-Mandelbrot distribution. Text beginner and ender distributions are unequal, providing internal evidence for syntax. We see clear evidence of strong bigram correlations and extract significant pairs and triplets using a log-likelihood measure of association. Highly frequent pairs and triplets are not always highly significant. The model performance is evaluated using information-theoretic measures and cross-validation. The model can restore doubtfully read texts with an accuracy of about 75%. We find that a quadrigram Markov chain saturates information theoretic measures against a held-out corpus. Our work forms the basis for the development of a stochastic grammar which may be used to explore the syntax of the Indus script in greater detail. PMID:20333254

Low-latitude high elevation of the leading edge of southern Eurasia throughout the Cenozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingalls, M.; Rowley, D. B.; Colman, A. S.; Olack, G.; Currie, B.; Li, S.

2016-12-01

The elevation history of the Tibetan Plateau promises insight into the mechanisms and dynamics that develop and sustain high topography over tens of millions of years. We present the first continuous Cenozoic elevation history from two proximal sedimentary basins on the southern Tibetan Plateau, as well as preliminary paleoaltimetry results from the south-central and central Plateau (Sangsang and Lunpola). The oxygen stable isotope and Δ47 clumped isotope compositions of non-marine carbonates allow us to constrain the carbonate formation temperatures and reconstruct the paleo-precipitation record of the Eocene to Pliocene Oiyug Basin and Paleocene to Eocene Penbo Basin. We exploit the systematic decrease of surface temperature and meteoric water δ18O with elevation. Minimally altered and unaltered pedogenic carbonates from the Oiyug Basin yield Δ47, CDES values of 0.625 to 0.755, that correspond with temperatures of 1-30 °C using a (Zaarur et al., 2013) Δ47 thermometer for low temperature carbonates. Similarly, the Penbo Basin yields Δ47, CDES values of 0.700-0.730, corresponding with temperatures of 6-12°C. Our paleoelevation estimates for the well-studied Oiyug basin ( 6100-4200 meters) support previous evidence (Spicer et al., 2003; Currie et al., 2005; Polissar et al., 2009; Currie et al., 2016) that high elevations were attained in southern Tibet by at least 30 Ma. Our paleoelevation estimates for the Penbo Basin (4100±550 meters) extends the altitude record of the southern Plateau to pre-India-Asia collision. Preliminary results from Sangsang, further west along the Indus-Yarlung Suture, and Lunpola, on the central Plateau, allow us to develop a spatially and temporally more complex paleo-altitude map and land surface evolution of the Tibetan Plateau since the onset of continent-continent collision.

Hydroclimatology of the Missouri River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wise, Erika K.; Woodhouse, Connie A.; McCabe, Gregory; Pederson, Gregory T.; St. Jacques, Jeannine-Marie

2018-01-01

Despite the importance of the Missouri River for navigation, recreation, habitat, hydroelectric power, and agriculture, relatively little is known about the basic hydroclimatology of the Missouri River basin (MRB). This is of particular concern given the droughts and floods that have occurred over the past several decades and the potential future exacerbation of these extremes by climate change. Here, observed and modeled hydroclimatic data and estimated natural flow records in the MRB are used to 1) assess the major source regions of MRB flow, 2) describe the climatic controls on streamflow in the upper and lower basins , and 3) investigate trends over the instrumental period. Analyses indicate that 72% of MRB runoff is generated by the headwaters in the upper basin and by the lowest portion of the basin near the mouth. Spring precipitation and temperature and winter precipitation impacted by changes in zonal versus meridional flow from the Pacific Ocean play key roles in surface water supply variability in the upper basin. Lower basin flow is significantly correlated with precipitation in late spring and early summer, indicative of Atlantic-influenced circulation variability affecting the flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Although increases in precipitation in the lower basin are currently overriding the effects of warming temperatures on total MRB flow, the upper basin’s long-term trend toward decreasing flows, reduction in snow versus rain fraction, and warming spring temperatures suggest that the upper basin may less often provide important flow supplements to the lower basin in the future.

Exploration of relative skill of individual CORDEX South Asia domain experiments (GCM/RCM combinations) for spatiotemporal simulation of temperature and precipitation over the Karakoram sub-region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsythe, N. D.; Fowler, H.; Pritchard, D.

2016-12-01

High mountain Asia (HMA) constitutes one the key "water towers of the world", giving rise to river basins whose resources support hundreds of millions of people. This area will experience rapid demographic growth and socio-economic development for the next few decades compounding pressure on resource managements systems from inevitable climate change. In order to develop climate services to support water resources planning and facilitate adaptive capacity building, it is essential to critically characterise the skill and biases of the evaluation (reanalysis-driven) and control (historical period) components of presently available regional climate model (RCM) experiments. For mountain regions in particular, the ability of RCMs to reasonably reproduce the influence of complex topography, through lapse rates and orographic forcing, on sub-regional climate - notably temperature and precipitation - must be assessed in detail. HMA falls within the South Asia domain of the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) initiative. Multiple international modelling centres have contributed RCM experiments for the CORDEX South Asia domain. This substantial multi-model ensemble provides a valuable opportunity to explore the spread in model skill at simulation of key characteristics of the present HMA climate. This study focuses geographically on the northwest Upper Indus basin (NW UIB) which covers the bulk of the Karakoram range. Within this subdomain we use climatologies derived from local observations and meteorological reanalyses (ERA-Interim, NASA MERRA-2, HAR)as benchmarks for inter-comparison of individual CORDEX South Asia ensemble members skill in reproducing seasonality and spatial gradients (orographic precipitation profile, temperature lapse rates). Validation of individual CORDEX South Asia ensemble members to this level of detail is indispensable because discontinuities - e.g. differences in latent heat regimes (fusion versus vaporisation) - abound in mountain environments. These discontinuities may undermine widely used statistical approaches (e.g. change factors) used for downscaling and bias correction of future climate projections to locally observed conditions.

Water Demand Management Strategies and Challenges in the Upper Colorado River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, R. E.

2016-12-01

Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the Upper Basin (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) has flow obligations at Lee Ferry to downstream states and Mexico. The Colorado River Storage Project Act (CRSPA) of 1956 led to the construction of four large storage reservoirs. These provide river regulation to allow the Upper Basin to meet its obligations. Lake Powell, the largest and most important, and Lake Mead are now operated in a coordinated manner under the 2007 Interim Guidelines. Studies show that at current demand levels and if the hydrologic conditions the Basin has experienced since the mid-1980s continue or get drier, reservoir operations, alone, may not provide the necessary water to meet the Upper Basin's obligations. Therefore, the Upper Basin states are now studying demand management strategies that will reduce consumptive uses when total system reservoir storage reaches critically low levels. Demand management has its own economic, political and technical challenges and limitations and will provide new opportunities for applied research. This presentation will discuss some of those strategies, their challenges, and the kinds of information that research could provide to inform demand management.

Indus River above Hyderabad photographed during MA-9 flight

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-05-16

S63-06455 (15-16 May 1963) --- Indus River above Hyderabad, photographed from the Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) capsule by astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr., during his 22-orbit MA-9 spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA

Documentation of input datasets for the soil-water balance groundwater recharge model of the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.

2015-01-01

The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water to more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico, irrigating more than 4.5 million acres of farmland, and generating about 12 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power annually. The Upper Colorado River Basin, encompassing more than 110,000 square miles (mi2), contains the headwaters of the Colorado River (also known as the River) and is an important source of snowmelt runoff to the River. Groundwater discharge also is an important source of water in the River and its tributaries, with estimates ranging from 21 to 58 percent of streamflow in the upper basin. Planning for the sustainable management of the Colorado River in future climates requires an understanding of the Upper Colorado River Basin groundwater system. This report documents input datasets for a Soil-Water Balance groundwater recharge model that was developed for the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Groundwater quality and depletion in the Indo-Gangetic Basin mapped from in situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, A. M.; Bonsor, H. C.; Ahmed, K. M.; Burgess, W. G.; Basharat, M.; Calow, R. C.; Dixit, A.; Foster, S. S. D.; Gopal, K.; Lapworth, D. J.; Lark, R. M.; Moench, M.; Mukherjee, A.; Rao, M. S.; Shamsudduha, M.; Smith, L.; Taylor, R. G.; Tucker, J.; van Steenbergen, F.; Yadav, S. K.

2016-10-01

Groundwater abstraction from the transboundary Indo-Gangetic Basin comprises 25% of global groundwater withdrawals, sustaining agricultural productivity in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Recent interpretations of satellite gravity data indicate that current abstraction is unsustainable, yet these large-scale interpretations lack the spatio-temporal resolution required to govern groundwater effectively. Here we report new evidence from high-resolution in situ records of groundwater levels, abstraction and groundwater quality, which reveal that sustainable groundwater supplies are constrained more by extensive contamination than depletion. We estimate the volume of groundwater to 200 m depth to be >20 times the combined annual flow of the Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganges, and show the water table has been stable or rising across 70% of the aquifer between 2000 and 2012. Groundwater levels are falling in the remaining 30%, amounting to a net annual depletion of 8.0 +/- 3.0 km3. Within 60% of the aquifer, access to potable groundwater is restricted by excessive salinity or arsenic. Recent groundwater depletion in northern India and Pakistan has occurred within a longer history of groundwater accumulation from extensive canal leakage. This basin-wide synthesis of in situ groundwater observations provides the spatial detail essential for policy development, and the historical context to help evaluate recent satellite gravity data.

Outcrops, Fossils, Geophysical Logs, and Tectonic Interpretations of the Upper Cretaceous Frontier Formation and Contiguous Strata in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merewether, E.A.; Cobban, W.A.; Tillman, R.W.

2010-01-01

In the Bighorn Basin of north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana, the Frontier Formation of early Late Cretaceous age consists of siliciclastic, bentonitic, and carbonaceous beds that were deposited in marine, brackish-water, and continental environments. Most lithologic units are laterally discontinuous. The Frontier Formation conformably overlies the Mowry Shale and is conformably overlain by the Cody Shale. Molluscan fossils collected from outcrops of these formations and listed in this report are mainly of marine origin and of Cenomanian, Turonian, and Coniacian ages. The lower and thicker part of the Frontier in the Bighorn Basin is of Cenomanian age and laterally equivalent to the Belle Fourche Member of the Frontier in central Wyoming. Near the west edge of the basin, these basal strata are disconformably overlain by middle Turonian beds that are the age equivalent of the Emigrant Gap Member of the Frontier in central Wyoming. The middle Turonian beds are disconformably overlain by lower Coniacian strata. Cenomanian strata along the south and east margins of the basin are disconformably overlain by upper Turonian beds in the upper part of the Frontier, as well as in the lower part of the Cody; these are, in turn, conformably overlain by lower Coniacian strata. Thicknesses and ages of Cenomanian strata in the Bighorn Basin and adjoining regions are evidence of regional differential erosion and the presence of an uplift during the early Turonian centered in northwestern Wyoming, west of the basin, probably associated with a eustatic event. The truncated Cenomanian strata were buried by lower middle Turonian beds during a marine transgression and possibly during regional subsidence and a eustatic rise. An uplift in the late middle Turonian, centered in north-central Wyoming and possibly associated with a eustatic fall, caused the erosion of lower middle Turonian beds in southern and eastern areas of the basin as well as in an adjoining region of north-central Wyoming. Similarly, in east-central Wyoming and an adjacent area to the south, Cenomanian strata are disconformably overlain by upper middle and lower upper Turonian strata that probably reflect uplift and erosion in that region during the interim period of middle Turonian time. During later subsidence and a marine transgression, upper Turonian deposits buried Cenomanian beds in areas along the south and east margins of the Bighorn Basin and buried lower middle Turonian beds in much of northern Wyoming. Upper Turonian and lower Coniacian strata are apparently conformable in eastern and southern areas of the basin as well as near Riverton, Kaycee, and Casper in central Wyoming. Upper Turonian strata are absent on the west flank of the Bighorn Basin and in outcrops west of the basin, where middle Turonian beds are disconformably overlain by lower Coniacian beds . The conformable upper Turonian and lower Coniacian beds apparently transgressed an eroded middle Turonian surface in the region, but only Coniacian strata overlie middle Turonian beds on the west side of the basin and areas farther west. Coniacian strata onlap the truncated lower middle Turonian surface west of the basin, indicating a region that had higher elevation possibly resulting from tectonic uplift. In east-central Wyoming and an adjoining region to the south, upper middle Turonian and lower upper Turonian strata are disconformably overlain by lower and middle Coniacian beds. That region apparently was uplifted and eroded during the latest Turonian.

Alternative Futures for Landscapes in the Upper San Pedro River Basin of Arizona and Sonora

Treesearch

Carl Steinitz; Robert Anderson; Hector Arias; Scott Bassett; Michael Flaxman; Tomas Goode; Thomas Maddock III; David Mouat; Robert Peiser; Allan Shearer

2005-01-01

The Upper San Pedro River Basin in southeastern Arizona is well known for its avian diversity; however, water use by Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca, and agriculture in the basin threatens to lower its water table. This, in turn, could alter vegetation in the basin in a way that would negatively impact habitat currently supporting nesting of the endangered Southwestern...

Genetic and Phenotypic Catalog of Native Resident Trout of the Interior Columbia River Basin; Populations of the Upper Yakima Basin, 1997-1998 Annual Report.

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

Trotter, Patrick C.; McMillan, Bill; Gayeski, Nick

1999-10-01

The objective of this project is to photo-document upper Columbia Basin native resident trout populations in Washington, and to ascertain their species or subspecies identity and relative genetic purity using a nonlethal DNA technique.

Archaeology Through Computational Linguistics: Inscription Statistics Predict Excavation Sites of Indus Valley Artifacts.

PubMed

Recchia, Gabriel L; Louwerse, Max M

2016-11-01

Computational techniques comparing co-occurrences of city names in texts allow the relative longitudes and latitudes of cities to be estimated algorithmically. However, these techniques have not been applied to estimate the provenance of artifacts with unknown origins. Here, we estimate the geographic origin of artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, applying methods commonly used in cognitive science to the Indus script. We show that these methods can accurately predict the relative locations of archeological sites on the basis of artifacts of known provenance, and we further apply these techniques to determine the most probable excavation sites of four sealings of unknown provenance. These findings suggest that inscription statistics reflect historical interactions among locations in the Indus Valley region, and they illustrate how computational methods can help localize inscribed archeological artifacts of unknown origin. The success of this method offers opportunities for the cognitive sciences in general and for computational anthropology specifically. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Monitoring Environmental Impacts on Mangrove Ecosystem in the Indus Delta of Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddiqui, Mehrun-Nisa

Monitoring Environmental Impacts on Mangrove Ecosystem in the Indus Delta of Pakistan The mangrove forests growing in intertidal region along the tropical coastlines form a unique ecosystem with rich floral species and marine resources. In Pakistan, large mangrove forests are found all along the muddy coast of Sindh province at Indus Deltaic region. These mangroves are threatened by a variety of environmental pollution, like: dumping of untreated industrial and urban waste, sewage water; hazardous chemical released during ship breaking, oil spills, mangroves cutting, over fishing, scarcity of fresh water, seawater intrusion and unplanned urban development, etc. Dams and barrages, constructed on the mighty Indus River have reduced the supply of freshwater into the delta and consequently, seawater intruding into the riverine tract. The Tidal Link, constructed in 1995 to drain the agriculture effluents of cultivated areas of Sindh to sea, has also greatly damaged the ecology of the area. This study is based on integrated use of RS & GIS techniques for monitoring environmental impacts on the mangroves ecosystem of Indus Delta, for management and planning of this coastal ecosystem. Temporal satellite remote sensing (SRS) data acquired between 1976 to 2005 have been analysed using image processing and GIS techniques and coastal landuse maps representing coverage of the deltaic region have been prepared, which enabled to monitor dynamic and geomorphological changes occurred in the area. The tidal boundaries derived from temporal SRS data have been integrated to understand the coastal processes and their impact on mangroves ecosystem, and on tidal / intertidal zones. From the analysis, it was observed that the surface salt accumulation and dryness in the deltaic region and waterlogging & salinity in inland areas have been increased over the last 30 years, indicate the intrusion of seawater in groundwater aquifers and reduction in over all biomass in the area. This study demonstrated that the temporal SRS data used in this study are found suitable for monitoring environmental impacts on mangrove ecosystem and in identification of dynamic changes taking place in the Indus Delta of Pakistan. Key Words: Indus Delta, mangroves, ecosystem, temporal SRS data, environmental pollution, environmental impacts, seawater intrusion, coastal process, waterlogging & salinity

Water resources during drought conditions and postfire water quality in the upper Rio Hondo Basin, Lincoln County, New Mexico, 2010-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherson, Lauren R.; Rice, Steven E.

2015-07-16

Changes in climate and increased groundwater and surface-water use are likely to affect the availability of water in the upper Rio Hondo Basin. Increased drought probably will increase the potential for wildfires, which can affect downstream water quality and increase flood potential. Climate-research predicted decreases in winter precipitation may have an adverse effect on the amount of groundwater recharge that occurs in the upper Rio Hondo Basin, given the predominance of winter precipitation recharge as indicated by the stable isotope results. Decreases in surface-water supplies because of persistent drought conditions and reductions in the quality of water because of the effects of wildfire may lead to a larger reliance on groundwater reserves in the upper Rio Hondo Basin. Decreasing water levels because of increasing groundwater withdrawal could reduce base flows in the Rio Bonito and Rio Ruidoso. Well organized and scientifically supported regional water-resources management will be necessary for dealing with the likely scenario of increases in demand coupled with decreases in supply in the upper Rio Hondo Basin.

Provenance of upper Triassic sandstone, southwest Iberia (Alentejo and Algarve basins): tracing variability in the sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, M. F.; Ribeiro, C.; Gama, C.; Drost, K.; Chichorro, M.; Vilallonga, F.; Hofmann, M.; Linnemann, U.

2017-01-01

Laser ablation ICP-MS U-Pb analyses have been conducted on detrital zircon of Upper Triassic sandstone from the Alentejo and Algarve basins in southwest Iberia. The predominance of Neoproterozoic, Devonian, Paleoproterozoic and Carboniferous detrital zircon ages confirms previous studies that indicate the locus of the sediment source of the late Triassic Alentejo Basin in the pre-Mesozoic basement of the South Portuguese and Ossa-Morena zones. Suitable sources for the Upper Triassic Algarve sandstone are the Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous of the South Portuguese Zone (Phyllite-Quartzite and Tercenas formations) and the Meguma Terrane (present-day in Nova Scotia). Spatial variations of the sediment sources of both Upper Triassic basins suggest a more complex history of drainage than previously documented involving other source rocks located outside present-day Iberia. The two Triassic basins were isolated from each other with the detrital transport being controlled by two independent drainage systems. This study is important for the reconstruction of the late Triassic paleogeography in a place where, later, the opening of the Central Atlantic Ocean took place separating Europe from North America.

Entropic evidence for linguistic structure in the Indus script.

PubMed

Rao, Rajesh P N; Yadav, Nisha; Vahia, Mayank N; Joglekar, Hrishikesh; Adhikari, R; Mahadevan, Iravatham

2009-05-29

The script of the ancient Indus civilization remains undeciphered. The hypothesis that the script encodes language has recently been questioned. Here, we present evidence for the linguistic hypothesis by showing that the script's conditional entropy is closer to those of natural languages than various types of nonlinguistic systems.

Makran Mountain Range, Indus River Valley, Pakistan, India

NASA Image and Video Library

1984-10-13

41G-120-040 (5-13 Oct. 1984) --- Pakistan, featuring the city of Karachi, the Makran mountain range, the mouth of the Indus River and the North Arabian Sea were photographed with a medium format camera aboard the space shuttle Challenger during the 41-G mission. Photo credit: NASA

Testing Snow Melt Algorithms in High Relief Topography Using Calibrated Enhanced-Resolution Brightness Temperatures, Hunza River Basin, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramage, J. M.; Brodzik, M. J.; Hardman, M.; Troy, T. J.

2017-12-01

Snow is a vital part of the terrestrial hydrological cycle, a crucial resource for people and ecosystems. In mountainous regions snow is extensive, variable, and challenging to document. Snow melt timing and duration are important factors affecting the transfer of snow mass to soil moisture and runoff. Passive microwave brightness temperature (Tb) changes at 36 and 18 GHz are a sensitive way to detect snow melt onset due to their sensitivity to the abrupt change in emissivity. They are widely used on large icefields and high latitude watersheds. The coarse resolution ( 25 km) of historically available data has precluded effective use in high relief, heterogeneous regions, and gaps between swaths also create temporal data gaps at lower latitudes. New enhanced resolution data products generated from a scatterometer image reconstruction for radiometer (rSIR) technique are available at the original frequencies. We use these Calibrated Enhanced-resolution Brightness (CETB) Temperatures Earth System Data Records (ESDR) to evaluate existing snow melt detection algorithms that have been used in other environments, including the cross polarized gradient ratio (XPGR) and the diurnal amplitude variations (DAV) approaches. We use the 36/37 GHz (3.125 km resolution) and 18/19 GHz (6.25 km resolution) vertically and horizontally polarized datasets from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Advanced Microwave Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) and evaluate them for use in this high relief environment. The new data are used to assess glacier and snow melt records in the Hunza River Basin [area 13,000 sq. km, located at 36N, 74E], a tributary to the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. We compare the melt timing results visually and quantitatively to the corresponding EASE-Grid 2.0 25-km dataset, SRTM topography, and surface temperatures from station and reanalysis data. The new dataset is coarser than the topography, but is able to differentiate signals of melt/refreeze timing for different altitudes and land cover in this remote area with significant hazards from snow melt and glacier discharge. The improved spatial resolution, enhanced to 3-6 km, and retaining twice daily observations is a key improvement to fully analyze snowpack melt characteristics in remote mountainous regions.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plume, Russell W.

2009-01-01

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

Sedimentology of the upper Karoo fluvial strata in the Tuli Basin, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordy, Emese M.; Catuneanu, Octavian

2001-08-01

The sedimentary rocks of the Karoo Supergroup in the Tuli Basin (South Africa) may be grouped in four stratigraphic units: the basal, middle and upper units, and the Clarens Formation. This paper presents the findings of the sedimentological investigation of the fluvial terrigenous clastic and chemical deposits of the upper unit. Evidence provided by primary sedimentary structures, palaeontological record, borehole data, palaeo-flow measurements and stratigraphic relations resulted in the palaeo-environmental reconstruction of the upper unit. The dominant facies assemblages are represented by sandstones and finer-grained sediments, which both can be interbedded with subordinate intraformational coarser facies. The facies assemblages of the upper unit are interpreted as deposits of a low-sinuosity, ephemeral stream system with calcretes and silcretes in the dinosaur-inhabited overbank area. During the deposition of the upper unit, the climate was semi-arid with sparse precipitation resulting in high-magnitude, low-frequency devastating flash floods. The current indicators of the palaeo-drainage system suggest flow direction from northwest to southeast, in a dominantly extensional tectonic setting. Based on sedimentologic and biostratigraphic evidence, the upper unit of the Tuli Basin correlates to the Elliot Formation in the main Karoo Basin to the south.

Revision of Gymnotus (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) from the Upper Madeira Basin of Bolivia and Peru, with descriptions of two new species.

PubMed

Craig, Jack M; Correa-roldÁn, Vanessa; Ortega, HernÁn; Crampton, William G R; Albert, James S

2018-04-20

Banded Knifefishes (Gymnotus, Gymnotidae) comprise the most species-rich genus of Neotropical electric fishes, with 41 species currently described from throughout the humid Neotropics, from Mexico to Argentina. Despite substantial alpha-taxonomic work in recent years, the diversity of Gymnotus in some regions remains poorly understood. Here we describe the Gymnotus fauna of the Upper Madeira basin of Bolivia and Peru from examination of more than 240 adult specimens. Species are delimited and described using body proportions (traditional morphometrics), fin-ray, squamation and laterosensory-pore counts (meristics), quantitative shape differences (geometric morphometrics), osteological traits, and color patterns. Comparisons of standardized linear measures as well as multivariate statistical methods validate the presence in the Upper Madeira basin of three previously described species, two with wide-spread geographic distributions throughout Greater Amazonia (G. carapo and G. coropinae), and one (G. chaviro) endemic to southwestern Amazonia. We also diagnose and describe two new species that are endemic to the Upper Madeira basin: G. eyra n. sp., morphologically most similar to G. mamiraua from lowland Amazonia, and G. riberalta n. sp., morphologically most similar to G. pantanal from the Paraguay-Paraná basin. The five Gymnotus species from the Upper Madeira basin are not monophyletic, each species being more closely related to a different species from another region; i.e. the Gymnotus species from the Upper Madeira represents a polyphyletic assemblage. These descriptions to 43 the number of valid Gymnotus species.

Intercomparison of regional-scale hydrological models and climate change impacts projected for 12 large river basins worldwide—a synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krysanova, Valentina; Vetter, Tobias; Eisner, Stephanie; Huang, Shaochun; Pechlivanidis, Ilias; Strauch, Michael; Gelfan, Alexander; Kumar, Rohini; Aich, Valentin; Arheimer, Berit; Chamorro, Alejandro; van Griensven, Ann; Kundu, Dipangkar; Lobanova, Anastasia; Mishra, Vimal; Plötner, Stefan; Reinhardt, Julia; Seidou, Ousmane; Wang, Xiaoyan; Wortmann, Michel; Zeng, Xiaofan; Hattermann, Fred F.

2017-10-01

An intercomparison of climate change impacts projected by nine regional-scale hydrological models for 12 large river basins on all continents was performed, and sources of uncertainty were quantified in the framework of the ISIMIP project. The models ECOMAG, HBV, HYMOD, HYPE, mHM, SWAT, SWIM, VIC and WaterGAP3 were applied in the following basins: Rhine and Tagus in Europe, Niger and Blue Nile in Africa, Ganges, Lena, Upper Yellow and Upper Yangtze in Asia, Upper Mississippi, MacKenzie and Upper Amazon in America, and Darling in Australia. The model calibration and validation was done using WATCH climate data for the period 1971-2000. The results, evaluated with 14 criteria, are mostly satisfactory, except for the low flow. Climate change impacts were analyzed using projections from five global climate models under four representative concentration pathways. Trends in the period 2070-2099 in relation to the reference period 1975-2004 were evaluated for three variables: the long-term mean annual flow and high and low flow percentiles Q 10 and Q 90, as well as for flows in three months high- and low-flow periods denoted as HF and LF. For three river basins: the Lena, MacKenzie and Tagus strong trends in all five variables were found (except for Q 10 in the MacKenzie); trends with moderate certainty for three to five variables were confirmed for the Rhine, Ganges and Upper Mississippi; and increases in HF and LF were found for the Upper Amazon, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow. The analysis of projected streamflow seasonality demonstrated increasing streamflow volumes during the high-flow period in four basins influenced by monsoonal precipitation (Ganges, Upper Amazon, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow), an amplification of the snowmelt flood peaks in the Lena and MacKenzie, and a substantial decrease of discharge in the Tagus (all months). The overall average fractions of uncertainty for the annual mean flow projections in the multi-model ensemble applied for all basins were 57% for GCMs, 27% for RCPs, and 16% for hydrological models.

Groundwater storage changes in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas revealed from GRACE satellite gravity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Longwei; Wang, Hansheng; Steffen, Holger; Wu, Patrick; Jia, Lulu; Jiang, Liming; Shen, Qiang

2016-09-01

Understanding groundwater storage (GWS) changes is vital to the utilization and control of water resources in the Tibetan Plateau. However, well level observations are rare in this big area, and reliable hydrology models including GWS are not available. We use hydro-geodesy to quantitate GWS changes in the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings from 2003 to 2009 using a combined analysis of satellite gravity and satellite altimetry data, hydrology models as well as a model of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Release-5 GRACE gravity data are jointly used in a mascon fitting method to estimate the terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes during the period, from which the hydrology contributions and the GIA effects are effectively deducted to give the estimates of GWS changes for 12 selected regions of interest. The hydrology contributions are carefully calculated from glaciers and lakes by ICESat-1 satellite altimetry data, permafrost degradation by an Active-Layer Depth (ALD) model, soil moisture and snow water equivalent by multiple hydrology models, and the GIA effects are calculated with the new ICE-6G_C (VM5a) model. Taking into account the measurement errors and the variability of the models, the uncertainties are rigorously estimated for the TWS changes, the hydrology contributions (including GWS changes) and the GIA effect. For the first time, we show explicitly separated GWS changes in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas except for those to the south of the Himalayas. We find increasing trend rates for eight basins: + 2.46 ± 2.24 Gt/yr for the Jinsha River basin, + 1.77 ± 2.09 Gt/yr for the Nujiang-Lancangjiang Rivers Source Region, + 1.86 ± 1.69 Gt/yr for the Yangtze River Source Region, + 1.14 ± 1.39 Gt/yr for the Yellow River Source Region, + 1.52 ± 0.95 Gt/yr for the Qaidam basin, + 1.66 ± 1.52 Gt/yr for the central Qiangtang Nature Reserve, + 5.37 ± 2.17 Gt/yr for the Upper Indus basin and + 2.77 ± 0.99 Gt/yr for the Aksu River basin. All these increasing trends are most likely caused by increased runoff recharges from melt water and/or precipitation in the surroundings. We also find that the administrative actions such as the Chinese Ecological Protection and Construction Project help to store more groundwater in the Three Rivers Source Region, and suggest that seepages from the Endorheic basin to the west of it are a possible source for GWS increase in this region. In addition, our estimates for GWS changes basically confirm previous results along Afghanistan, Pakistan, north India and Bangladesh, and clearly reflect the excessive use of groundwater. Our results will benefit the water resource management in the study area, and are of particular significance for the ecological restoration in the Tibetan Plateau.

Archaeology through Computational Linguistics: Inscription Statistics Predict Excavation Sites of Indus Valley Artifacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Recchia, Gabriel L.; Louwerse, Max M.

2016-01-01

Computational techniques comparing co-occurrences of city names in texts allow the relative longitudes and latitudes of cities to be estimated algorithmically. However, these techniques have not been applied to estimate the provenance of artifacts with unknown origins. Here, we estimate the geographic origin of artifacts from the Indus Valley…

Harappans and Aryans: Old and New Perspectives of Ancient Indian History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manian, Padma

1998-01-01

Examines how nine world history texts treat the Harappan (Indus) civilization and the Aryans in ancient India. Analyzes the pioneering scholars of Indian studies, exploring the development of ideas about ancient Indian history. Discusses the ideas of recent scholars about the Aryan invasion theory, the Indus civilization, and the Vedas. (CMK)

Impacts of sediment supply and local tectonics on clinoform distribution: the seismic stratigraphy of the mid Pleistocene-Holocene Indus Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limmer, David R.; Henstock, Timothy J.; Giosan, Liviu; Ponton, Camilo; Tabrez, Ali R.; Macdonald, David I. M.; Clift, Peter D.

2012-09-01

We present results from the first high-resolution seismic reflection survey of the inner Western Indus Shelf, and Indus Delta, Arabian Sea. The results show major regional differences in sedimentation across the shelf from east to west, as well as north to south, both since the Last Glacial Maximum (~20 ka) and over longer time scales. We identify 10 major regional reflectors, interpreted as representing sea level lowstands. Strong compressive folding is observed underlying a reflector we have called Horizon 6 in the north-western shelf, probably compression associated with the transpressional deformation of the Murray Ridge plate boundary. Downslope profiles show a series of well developed clinoforms, principally at the shelf edge, indicating significant preservation of large packages of sediment during lowstands. These clinoforms have developed close to zones of deformation, suggesting that subsidence is a factor in controlling sedimentation and consequently erosion of the Indus Shelf. These clinoforms fan out from dome features (tectonic anticlines) mostly located close to the modern shoreline.

Are Deltaic Subaqueous Clinothems One-Highstand Affairs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giosan, L.; Clift, P.; Henstock, T.; Ponton, C.; Limmer, D. R.

2009-12-01

Clinothems are basic building blocks of continental shelves, whether modern or ancient. In many cases large delta-building rivers directly construct subaqueous clinothems on the shelf that are offset offshore from the delta coast. Assuming that the sediment flux to the shelf and the sediment redistributing processes are suitable for subaqueous clinothem development, the evolution of any subaqueous clinothems depends primarily on the availability of accommodation space. As the eustatic sea level varies with the volume of global ice, one primary mechanism of creating accommodation space on shelves is erosion during lowstands. We discuss here possible mechanisms for clinothems to survive erosion during lowstands by examining new data from the Indus delta shelf offshore Pakistan. Theoretical considerations based on estimates of the relative importance of wave energy vs. fluvial sediment delivery suggest that the Indus delta should develop a mid-shelf subaqueous clinothem. Instead, the Indus shelf exhibits a compound clinoform morphology. A shallow delta front clinoform extends along the entire delta coast from the shoreline to the 10-25 m water depth. New seismic data confirm that a mid-shelf clinothem developed between 30 and 90 m water depth extending over 100 km offshore east of the Indus canyon but less than 30 km west of the canyon. The advanced position of the eastern mid-shelf clinothem might reflect either a prolonged sediment delivery from the Indus River in that area compared to the shelf west of the canyon or the presence of a relict pre-Holocene mid-shelf delta.

Climate and meltwater changes in the Himalayas: impacts, risk assessment and mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, C.; Wang, S.; Zhang, D.; Guo, W.; Gao, X.; Guo, X.; Ming, J.

2017-12-01

Regional warming was identified in the whole Himalayas in the past 50 years, with larger warming rate in the last decade. During the same period, precipitation decreased in the most areas of Himalayas. Warming-dry regime of climate resulted in widespread retreating of glaciers. Based on in-situ investigations and mapping of satellite images, we studied glacial changes between 1970's to 2008. It shows that in the north slope of Himalayas, retreating glaciers amount to 25.3% of overall glaciers in Ganges basin, 23.3% in Yarlung Zangbo basin, 29.2% in Indus and 25% in other areas. Glacier areal changes in the southern slope roughly doubled than that of the northern slope. Darkening of glacier surface due to back carbon and other light-absorbing aerosols might have contributed to the strong melting, especially in the southern slope. Using degree-day model (DDM), we estimate that, during 1961-2006, the total mass loses of glaciers in the north slope of Himalayas amounts to 198 km3, equals to approximately 10 m thinning of glaciers. The mass balance is averaged -220mm•a-1 during 2000-2006. Glacier melt water increases in the last 5 decades, contributing to an increasing amount to total river runoff in the Indus, Ganges and Yarlung Zangbo Rivers. Projections of future climate change by Regional Climate Model (ICTP RegCM3) shows continuously warming and drying trends in the most part of Himalayas before 2050, implying continuously retreating of glacier thus depletion of water storage over the Himalayas. Assessment of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) disaster risk is completed in the north slope, combined with potential dangerous glacial lakes (PDGL) outburst hazard. The zones at highest risk of GLOF disaster are mainly located in Nyalam, Tingri, Dinggyê, Lhozhag, Kangmar and Zhongba, in the mid-eastern Himalayas. Post-melting season (winter and spring) coincides with strong wind season over valley of Yarlung Zangbo River, blowing sands from exposed river bed to bank and hill foot, where large cultivated and pasture lands exist. An engineering measure is suggested to mitigate such desertification trend.

Status and risk of extinction for westslope cutthroat trout in the Upper River Basin, Montana

Treesearch

Bradley B. Shepard; Brian Sanborn; Linda Ulmer; Danny C. Lee

1997-01-01

Westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi now occupy less than 5% of the subspecies' historical range within the upper Missouri River drainage in Montana. We assessed the risk of extinction for 144 known populations inhabiting streams within federally managed lands in the upper Missouri River basin using a Bayesian...

Five Centuries of Tree Ring Reconstructed Streamflow and Projections for Future Water Risk over the Upper Indus Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, M. P.; Cook, E. R.; Cook, B.; Palmer, J. G.; Uriarte, M.; Devineni, N.; Lall, U.; D'Arrigo, R.; Woodhouse, C. A.; Ahmed, M.

2017-12-01

We present tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow at seven gauges in the Upper Indus River watershed over the past five centuries (1452-2008 C.E.) using Hierarchical Bayesian Regression (HBR) with partial pooling of information across gauges. Using HBR with partial pooling we can develop reconstructions for short gauge records with interspersed missing data. This overcomes a common limitation faced when using conventional tree-ring reconstruction methods such as point-by-point regression (PPR) in remote regions in developing countries. Six of these streamflow gauge reconstructions are produced for the first time while a reconstruction at one streamflow gauge has been previously produced using PPR. These new reconstructions are used to characterize long-term flow variability and drought risk in the region. For the one gauge where a prior reconstruction exists, the reconstruction of streamflow by HBR and the more traditional PPR are nearly identical and yield comparable uncertainty estimates and reconstruction skill statistics. These results highlight that tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow are not dependent on the choice of statistical method. We find that streamflow in the region peaks between May-September, and is primarily driven by a combination of winter (January-March) precipitation and summer (May-September) temperature, with summer temperature likely guiding the rate of snow and glacial melt. Our reconstructions indicate that current flow since the 1980s are higher than mean flow for the past five centuries at five out of seven gauges in the watershed. The increased flow is likely driven by enhanced rates of snow and glacial melt and regional wetting over recent decades. These results suggest that while in the near-term streamflow is expected to increase, future water risk in the region will be dependent on changes in snowfall and glacial mass balance due to projected warming.

Horse-mounted invaders from the Russo-Kazakh steppe or agricultural colonists from western Central Asia? A craniometric investigation of the Bronze Age settlement of Xinjiang.

PubMed

Hemphill, Brian E; Mallory, J P

2004-07-01

Numerous Bronze Age cemeteries in the oases surrounding the Täklamakan Desert of the Tarim Basin in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, western China, have yielded both mummified and skeletal human remains. A dearth of local antecedents, coupled with woolen textiles and the apparent Western physical appearance of the population, raised questions as to where these people came from. Two hypotheses have been offered by archaeologists to account for the origins of Bronze Age populations of the Tarim Basin. These are the "steppe hypothesis" and the "Bactrian oasis hypothesis." Eight craniometric variables from 25 Aeneolithic and Bronze Age samples, comprising 1,353 adults from the Tarim Basin, the Russo-Kazakh steppe, southern China, Central Asia, Iran, and the Indus Valley, are compared to test which, if either, of these hypotheses are supported by the pattern of phenetic affinities possessed by Bronze Age inhabitants of the Tarim Basin. Craniometric differences between samples are compared with Mahalanobis generalized distance (d2), and patterns of phenetic affinity are assessed with two types of cluster analysis (the weighted pair average linkage method and the neighbor-joining method), multidimensional scaling, and principal coordinates analysis. Results obtained by this analysis provide little support for either the steppe hypothesis or the Bactrian oasis hypothesis. Rather, the pattern of phenetic affinities manifested by Bronze Age inhabitants of the Tarim Basin suggests the presence of a population of unknown origin within the Tarim Basin during the early Bronze Age. After 1200 B.C., this population experienced significant gene flow from highland populations of the Pamirs and Ferghana Valley. These highland populations may include those who later became known as the Saka and who may have served as "middlemen" facilitating contacts between East (Tarim Basin, China) and West (Bactria, Uzbekistan) along what later became known as the Great Silk Road. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Formation and tectonic evolution of the Pattani Basin, Gulf of Thailand

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

Bustin, R.M.; Chonchawalit, A.

The stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Pattani Basin, the most prolific petroleum basin in Thailand, reflects the extensional tectonic regime of continental Southeast Asia. E-W extension resulting from the northward collision of India with Eurasia since the Early Tertiary resulted in the formation of a series of N-S-trending sedimentary basins, which include the Pattani Basin. The sedimentary succession in the Pattani Basin is divisible into synrift and postrift sequences. Deposition of the synrift sequence accompanied rifting and extension, with episodic block faulting and rapid subsidence. The synrift sequence comprises three stratigraphic units: (1) Upper Eocene to Lower Olikgocene alluvial-fan,more » braided-river, and floodplain deposits; (2) Upper oligocene to Lowe Miocene floodplain and channel deposits; and (3) a Lower Miocene regressive package consisting of marine to nonmarine sediments. Post-rift succession comprises: (1) a Lower to Middle Miocene regressive package of shallow marine sediments through floodplain and channel deposits; (2) an upper Lower Miocene transgressive sequence; and (3) and Upper Miocene to Pleistocene transgressive succession. The post-rift phase is characterized by slower subsidence and decreased sediment influx. The present-day shallow-marine condition in the Gulf of Thailand is the continuation of this latest transgressive phase. The subsidence and thermal history of the Pattani Basin is consistent with a nonuniform lithospheric-stretching model. The amount of extension as well as surface heat flow generally increases from the margin to the basin center. The crustal stretching factor ({beta}) varies form 1.3 at the basin margin to 2.8 in the center. The subcrustal stretching factor ({delta}) ranges from 1.3 at the basin margin to more than 3.0 in the basin center. 31 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs.« less

An intramontane pull-apart basin in tectonic escape deformation: Elbistan Basin, Eastern Taurides, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusufoğlu, H.

2013-04-01

The Elbistan Basin in the east-Central Anatolia is an intramontane structural depression in the interior part of the Anatolide-Tauride Platform. The Neogene fill in and around Elbistan Basin develops above the Upper Devonian to lower Tertiary basement and comprises two units separated by an angular unconformity: (1) intensely folded and faulted Miocene shallow marine to terrestrial and lacustrine sediments and (2) nearly flat-lying lignite-bearing lacustrine (lower unit) and fluvial (upper unit) deposits of Plio-Quaternary Ahmetçik Formation. The former is composed of Lower-Middle Miocene Salyan, Middle-upper Middle Miocene Gövdelidağ and Upper Miocene Karamağara formations whereas the latter one is the infill of the basin itself in the present configuration of the Elbistan Basin. The basin is bound by normal faults with a minor strike-slip component. It commenced as an intramontane pull-apart basin and developed as a natural response to Early Pliocene tectonic escape-related strike-slip faulting subsequent to post-collisional intracontinental compressional tectonics during which Miocene sediments were intensely deformed. The Early Pliocene time therefore marks a dramatic changeover in tectonic regime and is interpreted as the beginning of the ongoing last tectonic evolution and deformation style in the region unlike to previous views that it commenced before that time. Consequently, the Elbistan Basin is a unique structural depression that equates the extensional strike-slip regime in east-Central Anatolia throughout the context of the neotectonical framework of Turkey across progressive collision of Arabia with Eurasia. Its Pliocene and younger history differs from and contrasts with that of the surrounding pre-Pliocene basins such as Karamağara Basin, on which it has been structurally superimposed.

Updated estimates of long-term average dissolved-solids loading in streams and rivers of the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.; Anning, David W.

2014-01-01

The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water to more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico, irrigating over 4.5 million acres of farmland, and annually generating about 12 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power. The Upper Colorado River Basin, part of the Colorado River Basin, encompasses more than 110,000 mi2 and is the source of much of more than 9 million tons of dissolved solids that annually flows past the Hoover Dam. High dissolved-solids concentrations in the river are the cause of substantial economic damages to users, primarily in reduced agricultural crop yields and corrosion, with damages estimated to be greater than 300 million dollars annually. In 1974, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act created the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program to investigate and implement a broad range of salinity control measures. A 2009 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, supported by the Salinity Control Program, used the Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes surface-water quality model to examine dissolved-solids supply and transport within the Upper Colorado River Basin. Dissolved-solids loads developed for 218 monitoring sites were used to calibrate the 2009 Upper Colorado River Basin Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes dissolved-solids model. This study updates and develops new dissolved-solids loading estimates for 323 Upper Colorado River Basin monitoring sites using streamflow and dissolved-solids concentration data through 2012, to support a planned Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes modeling effort that will investigate the contributions to dissolved-solids loads from irrigation and rangeland practices.

Hydrology of Jumper Creek Canal basin, Sumter County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Warren

1980-01-01

Jumper Creek Canal basin in Sumter County, Florida, was investigated to evaluate the overall hydrology and effects of proposed flood-control works on the hydrologic regiment of the canal. Average annual rainfall in the 83-square mile basin is about 53 inches of which about 10 inches runs off in the canal. Average annual evapotranspiration is estimated at about 37 inches. Pumping from limestone mines has lowered the potentiometeric surface in the upper part of the basin, but it has not significantly altered the basin yield. Channel excavation to reduce flooding is proposed with seven control structures located to prevent overdrainage. The investigation indicates that implementation of the proposed plan will result in a rise in the potentiometric surface n the upper basin, a reduction is surface outflow, an increase in subsurface outflow, an increase in the gradient of the potentiometeric surface of the Floridan aquifer, an increase in leakage from the canal to the aquifer in the upper basin, and an increase in the magnitude of flood flows from the basin. Ground water in Jumper Creek basin is a bicarbonate type. Very high concentrations of dissolved iron were found in shallow wells and in some deep wells. Sulfate and strontium were relatively high in wells in the lower basin. (Kosco-USGS)

The 9th annual INDUS-EM 2013 Emergency Medicine Summit, “Principles, Practices, and Patients,” a level one international meeting, Kerala University of Health Sciences and Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur, Kerala, India, October 23–27, 2013

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

INDUS-EM is India’s only level one conference imparting and exchanging quality knowledge in acute care. Specifically, in general and specialized emergency care and training in trauma, burns, cardiac, stroke, environmental and disaster medicine. It provides a series of exchanges regarding academic development and implementation of training tools related to developing future academic faculty and residents in Emergency Medicine in India. The INDUS-EM leadership and board of directors invited scholars from multiple institutions to participate in this advanced educational symposium that was held in Thrissur, Kerala in October 2013. PMID:24884923

The 9th annual INDUS-EM 2013 Emergency Medicine Summit, "Principles, Practices, and Patients," a level one international meeting, Kerala University of Health Sciences and Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur, Kerala, India, October 23-27, 2013.

PubMed

Swaroop, Mamta; Galwankar, Sagar C; Stawicki, Stanislaw P A; Balakrishnan, Jayaraj M; Worlton, Tamara; Tripathi, Ravi S; Bahner, David P; Bhoi, Sanjeev; Kaide, Colin; Papadimos, Thomas J

2014-05-06

INDUS-EM is India's only level one conference imparting and exchanging quality knowledge in acute care. Specifically, in general and specialized emergency care and training in trauma, burns, cardiac, stroke, environmental and disaster medicine. It provides a series of exchanges regarding academic development and implementation of training tools related to developing future academic faculty and residents in Emergency Medicine in India. The INDUS-EM leadership and board of directors invited scholars from multiple institutions to participate in this advanced educational symposium that was held in Thrissur, Kerala in October 2013.

Upper South Platte Watershed Protection and Restoration Project

Treesearch

Steve Culver; Cindy Dean; Fred Patten; Jim Thinnes

2001-01-01

The Upper South Platte Basin is a critical watershed in Colorado. Nearly 80 percent of the water used by the 1.5 million Denver metropolitan residents comes from or is transmitted through this river drainage. The Colorado Unified Watershed Assessment identified the Upper South Platte River as a Category 1 watershed in need of restoration. Most of the river basin is...

Comparison of Precipitation from Gauge and Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) for River Basins of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, A.; Chandniha, S. K.; Lakshmi, V.; Kundu, S.; Hashemi, H.

2017-12-01

This study compares the monthly precipitation from the gridded rain gauge data collected by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the retrievals from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) for the river basins of India using the TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) version 7 (V7). The IMD and TMPA datasets have the same spatial resolution (0.25°×0.25°) and extend from 1998 to 2013. The TRMM data accuracy for the river basins is assessed by comparison with IMD using root mean square error (RMSE), normalized mean square error (NMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NASH) and correlation coefficient (CC) methods. The Mann-Kendall (MK) and modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) tests have been applied for analyzing the data trend, and the change has been detected by Sen's Slope using both data sets for annual and seasonal time periods. The change in intensity of precipitation is estimated by percentage for comparing actual differences in various river basins. Variation in precipitation is high (>100 mm represents >15% of average annual precipitation) in Brahmaputra, rivers draining into Myanmar (RDM), rivers draining into Bangladesh (RDB), east flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Godavari (EMG), east flowing rivers between Pennar and Cauvery (EPC), Cauvery and Tapi. The NASH and CC values vary between 0.80 to 0.98 and 0.87 to 0.99 in all river basins except area of north Ladakh not draining into Indus (NLI) and east flowing rivers south of Cauvery (ESC), while RMSE and NMSE vary from 15.95 to 101.68 mm and 2.66 to 58.38 mm, respectively. The trends for TMPA and IMD datasets from 1998 to 2013 are quite similar in MK (except 4 river basins) and MMK (except 3 river basins). The estimated results imply that the TMPA precipitation show good agreement and can be used in climate studies and hydrological simulations in locations/river basins where the number of rain gauge stations is not adequate to quantify the spatial variability of precipitation. Keywords: Precipitation data comparison, IMD, TRMM, river basins, Mann-Kendall test

Potential for using the Upper Coachella Valley ground-water basin, California, for storage of artificially recharged water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mallory, Michael J.; Swain, Lindsay A.; Tyley, Stephen J.

1980-01-01

This report presents a preliminary evaluation of the geohydrologic factors affecting storage of water by artificial recharge in the upper Coachella Valley, Calif. The ground-water basin of the upper Coachella Valley seems to be geologically suitable for large-scale artificial recharge. A minimum of 900 ,000 acre-feet of water could probably be stored in the basin without raising basinwide water levels above those that existed in 1945. Preliminary tests indicate that a long-term artificial recharge rate of 5 feet per day may be feasible for spreading grounds in the basin if such factors as sediment and bacterial clogging can be controlled. The California Department of Water Resources, through the Future Water Supply Program, is investigating the use of ground-water basins for storage of State Water Project water in order to help meet maximum annual entitlements to water project contractors. (USGS)

The Canada Basin compared to the southwest South China Sea: Two marginal ocean basins with hyper-extended continent-ocean transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lu; Stephenson, Randell; Clift, Peter D.

2016-11-01

Both the Canada Basin (a sub-basin within the Amerasia Basin) and southwest (SW) South China Sea preserve oceanic spreading centres and adjacent passive continental margins characterized by broad COT zones with hyper-extended continental crust. We have investigated strain accommodation in the regions immediately adjacent to the oceanic spreading centres in these two basins using 2-D backstripping subsidence reconstructions, coupled with forward modelling constrained by estimates of upper crustal extensional faulting. Modelling is better constrained in the SW South China Sea but our results for the Canada Basin are analogous. Depth-dependent extension is required to explain the great depth of both basins because only modest upper crustal faulting is observed. A weak lower crust in the presence of high heat flow and, accordingly, a lower crust that extends far more the upper crust are suggested for both basins. Extension in the COT may have continued even after seafloor spreading has ceased. The analogous results for the two basins considered are discussed in terms of (1) constraining the timing and distribution of crustal thinning along the respective continental margins, (2) defining the processes leading to hyper-extension of continental crust in the respective tectonic settings and (3) illuminating the processes that control hyper-extension in these basins and more generally.

Environmental Setting and Implications on Water Quality, Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Apodaca, Lori E.; Driver, Nancy E.; Stephens, Verlin C.; Spahr, Norman E.

1995-01-01

The Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado and Utah is 1 of 60 study units selected for water-quality assessment as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program, which began full implementation in 1991. Understanding the environmental setting of the Upper Colorado River Basin study unit is important in evaluating water-quality issues in the basin. Natural and human factors that affect water quality in the basin are presented, including an overview of the physiography, climatic conditions, general geology and soils, ecoregions, population, land use, water management and use, hydrologic characteristics, and to the extent possible aquatic biology. These factors have substantial implications on water-quality conditions in the basin. For example, high concentrations of dissolved solids and selenium are present in the natural background water conditions of surface and ground water in parts ofthe basin. In addition, mining, urban, and agricultural land and water uses result in the presence of certain constituents in the surface and ground water of the basin that can detrimentally affect water quality. The environmental setting of the study unit provides a framework of the basin characteristics, which is important in the design of integrated studies of surface water, ground water, and biology.

'Not all that burns is wood'. A social perspective on fuel exploitation and use during the Indus urban period (2600-1900 BC).

PubMed

Lancelotti, Carla

2018-01-01

Ancient civilisations depended heavily on natural fuel resources for a wide array of activities, and this had an impact on such resources that can be traced in the archaeological record. At its urban apex, the populations of the Indus Civilisation (2600-1900 BC) produced a wide range of objects and crafts, several of which involved highly specialised pyrotechnology. In the wake of increasing aridity and a period of weakened monsoon rainfall that affected South Asia from 2100 BC, these activities potentially put pressure on the natural resource base that may have had to be counterbalanced by differentiation in fuel use. The combined analysis of archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological remains from four Indus urban phase archaeological sites, has enable an assessment of the mechanisms through which people exploited wood, and diversified their fuel resources to adapt to the arid to semi-arid environments in which they lived. The combined use of local wood species with alternative fuels, such as dung and crop-processing leftovers, are evidence for resilient socio-ecological practices during the 700 years of Indus urbanism and perhaps beyond.

'Not all that burns is wood'. A social perspective on fuel exploitation and use during the Indus urban period (2600-1900 BC)

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Ancient civilisations depended heavily on natural fuel resources for a wide array of activities, and this had an impact on such resources that can be traced in the archaeological record. At its urban apex, the populations of the Indus Civilisation (2600–1900 BC) produced a wide range of objects and crafts, several of which involved highly specialised pyrotechnology. In the wake of increasing aridity and a period of weakened monsoon rainfall that affected South Asia from 2100 BC, these activities potentially put pressure on the natural resource base that may have had to be counterbalanced by differentiation in fuel use. The combined analysis of archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological remains from four Indus urban phase archaeological sites, has enable an assessment of the mechanisms through which people exploited wood, and diversified their fuel resources to adapt to the arid to semi-arid environments in which they lived. The combined use of local wood species with alternative fuels, such as dung and crop-processing leftovers, are evidence for resilient socio-ecological practices during the 700 years of Indus urbanism and perhaps beyond. PMID:29513672

Small rural communities in the inland Northwest: an assessment of small communities in the interior and upper Columbia River basins.

Treesearch

Charles C. Harris; William McLaughlin; Greg Brown; Dennis R. Becker

2000-01-01

An assessment of small rural communities in the interior and upper Columbia River basin was conducted for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP). The characteristics and conditions of the rural communities in this region, which are complex and constantly changing, were examined. The research also assessed the resilience of the region’s...

Impact of structural and autocyclic basin-floor topography on the depositional evolution of the deep-water Valparaiso forearc basin, central Chile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laursen, J.; Normark, W.R.

2003-01-01

The Valparaiso Basin constitutes a unique and prominent deep-water forearc basin underlying a 40-km by 60-km mid-slope terrace at 2.5-km water depth on the central Chile margin. Seismic-reflection data, collected as part of the CONDOR investigation, image a 3-3.5-km thick sediment succession that fills a smoothly sagged, margin-parallel, elongated trough at the base of the upper slope. In response to underthrusting of the Juan Ferna??ndez Ridge on the Nazca plate, the basin fill is increasingly deformed in the seaward direction above seaward-vergent outer forearc compressional highs. Syn-depositional growth of a large, margin-parallel monoclinal high in conjunction with sagging of the inner trough of the basin created stratal geometries similar to those observed in forearc basins bordered by large accretionary prisms. Margin-parallel compressional ridges diverted turbidity currents along the basin axis and exerted a direct control on sediment depositional processes. As structural depressions became buried, transverse input from point sources on the adjacent upper slope formed complex fan systems with sediment waves characterising the overbank environment, common on many Pleistocene turbidite systems. Mass failure as a result of local topographic inversion formed a prominent mass-flow deposit, and ultimately resulted in canyon formation and hence a new focused point source feeding the basin. The Valparaiso Basin is presently filled to the spill point of the outer forearc highs, causing headward erosion of incipient canyons into the basin fill and allowing bypass of sediment to the Chile Trench. Age estimates that are constrained by subduction-related syn-depositional deformation of the upper 700-800m of the basin fill suggest that glacio-eustatic sea-level lowstands, in conjunction with accelerated denudation rates, within the past 350 ka may have contributed to the increase in simultaneously active point sources along the upper slope as well as an increased complexity of proximal depositional facies.

Modeled sulfate concentrations in North Dakota streams, 1993-2008, based on spatial basin characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galloway, Joel M.; Vecchia, Aldo V.

2014-01-01

Modeled sulfate concentrations generally were highest (greater than 750 milligrams per liter) in basins in western North Dakota and lowest (less than 250 milligrams per liter) in basins in the upper Sheyenne River and upper James River. Area-weighted means for the basin characteristics also were computed for 10-digit and 8-digit hydrologic units for streams in North Dakota and modeled sulfate concentrations were computed from the characteristics. The resulting distribution of modeled sulfate concentrations was similar to the distribution of estimates for the 12-digit hydrologic units, but less variable because the basin characteristics were averaged over larger areas.

Complex N-S variations in Moho depth and Vp/Vs ratio beneath the western Tibetan Plateau as revealed by receiver function analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murodov, Davlatkhudzha; Zhao, Junmeng; Xu, Qiang; Liu, Hongbing; Pei, Shunping

2018-04-01

We present herein detailed images of the Moho depth and Vp/Vs ratio along ANTILOPE-1 profile beneath the western Tibetan Plateau derived from receiver function analysis. Along the ANTILOPE -1 profile, a rapidly northward dipping Moho extends from ˜50 km below the Himalaya to ˜80 km across the Indus-Yarlung suture (IYS), shallowing to ˜66 km under the central Lhasa terrane. The Moho depth shows a dramatic increase from ˜66 km north of the Bangong-Nujiang suture (BNS) to ˜93 km beneath central Qiangtang terrane where it reaches the maximum depth observed along this profile before steeply rising to ˜73 km. We interpret both the 15 km and 20 km offsets of Moho depth occurring beneath the central Lhasa and central Qiangtang terranes as being related to the northern frontiers of the decoupled underthrusting Indian lower crust and lithospheric mantle, respectively. The Moho remains at a depth of ˜70 km with a slight undulation beneath the northern Qiangtang and Songpan-Ganzi terranes, and then abruptly shallows to ˜45 km near the Altyn Tagh Fault. The ˜25 km Moho offset observed at the conjunction of the Tarim Basin and the Altyn Tagh mountain range suggests that the crustal shortening is achieved by pure shear thickening without much underthrusting. The average crustal Vp/Vs ratio changes from 1.66 to 1.80 beneath the Himalaya, the Lhasa terrane and the Tarim Basin indicating a felsic-to-intermediate composition. However, higher Vp/Vs ratios between 1.76 and 1.83 (except for a few outlying low values) are found beneath the Qiangtang and Songpan-Ganzi terranes, which could be attributed to the joint effects of the more mafic composition and partial melt within the crust. The Moho depth and Vp/Vs ratio exhibit complex N-S variations along this profile, which can be attributed to the joint effects of Indian lower crust underthrusting, the low velocity zone of the mid-upper crust, crustal shortening and thickening and other involved dynamic mechanisms.

Effects of groundwater levels and headwater wetlands on streamflow in the Charlie Creek basin, Peace River watershed, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, T.M.; Sacks, L.A.; Hughes, J.D.

2010-01-01

The Charlie Creek basin was studied from April 2004 to December 2005 to better understand how groundwater levels in the underlying aquifers and storage and overflow of water from headwater wetlands preserve the streamflows exiting this least-developed tributary basin of the Peace River watershed. The hydrogeologic framework, physical characteristics, and streamflow were described and quantified for five subbasins of the 330-square mile Charlie Creek basin, allowing the contribution of its headwaters area and tributary subbasins to be separately quantified. A MIKE SHE model simulation of the integrated surface-water and groundwater flow processes in the basin was used to simulate daily streamflow observed over 21 months in 2004 and 2005 at five streamflow stations, and to quantify the monthly and annual water budgets for the five subbasins including the changing amount of water stored in wetlands. Groundwater heads were mapped in Zone 2 of the intermediate aquifer system and in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and were used to interpret the location of artesian head conditions in the Charlie Creek basin and its relation to streamflow. Artesian conditions in the intermediate aquifer system induce upward groundwater flow into the surficial aquifer and help sustain base flow which supplies about two-thirds of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Seepage measurements confirmed seepage inflow to Charlie Creek during the study period. The upper half of the basin, comprised largely of the Upper Charlie Creek subbasin, has lower runoff potential than the lower basin, more storage of runoff in wetlands, and periodically generates no streamflow. Artesian head conditions in the intermediate aquifer system were widespread in the upper half of the Charlie Creek basin, preventing downward leakage from expansive areas of wetlands and enabling them to act as headwaters to Charlie Creek once their storage requirements were met. Currently, the dynamic balance between wetland storage, rainfall-runoff processes, and groundwater-level differences in the upper basin allow it to generate approximately half of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Therefore, future development in the upper basin that would alter the hydraulic connectivity of wetlands during high flow conditions or expand recharging groundwater conditions could substantially affect streamflow in Charlie Creek. LIDAR (Light detection and ranging) based topographic maps and integrated modeling results were used to quantify the water stored in wetlands and other topographic depressions, and to describe the network of shallow stream channels connecting wetlands to Charlie Creek and its tributaries over distances of several thousand feet. Peak flows at all but one streamflow station were underpredicted in MIKE SHE simulations, possibly because the hydraulics of surface channels connecting wetlands to stream channels were not explicitly simulated in the model. Explicitly simulating the smaller channels connecting wetlands and stream channels should improve the ability of future watershed models to simulate peak flows in streams with headwater wetlands. The runoff potential was greater in the lower half of the Charlie Creek basin than in the upper half, and the streambed of Charlie Creek had greater potential to both directly gain streamflow from groundwater and lose streamflow to groundwater. Charlie Creek is more incised into the surficial aquifer in the lower basin than in the upper basin, and the streambed intersects the top of the intermediate aquifer system at two known locations. Groundwater levels in the intermediate aquifer system varied widely in the lower half of the basin from artesian conditions inducing upward flow toward the surficial aquifer and streams, to recharging conditions allowing downward flow and stream leakage. Recharge areas were greatest in May 2004 when rainfall was at a seasonal low and irrigation pumping was at a seasonal high. Recharge conditions

Assessment of undiscovered continuous gas resources in Upper Devonian Shales of the Appalachian Basin Province, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enomoto, Catherine B.; Trippi, Michael H.; Higley, Debra K.; Rouse, William A.; Dulong, Frank T.; Klett, Timothy R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Finn, Thomas M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2018-04-19

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable continuous resources of 10.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Upper Devonian shales of the Appalachian Basin Province.

FISH ASSEMBLAGE GROUPS IN THE UPPER TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

A hierarchical clustering technique was used to classify sites in the upper Tennessee River basin based on relative abundance of fish species. Five site groups were identified. These groups differed mainly by the occurrence of minnow and darter species. Drainage area and ecore...

SUBWATERSHEDS OF THE UPPER SAN PEDRO BASIN WITH PERCENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESULTS FROM TWO SWAT SIMULATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Subwatersheds of the Upper San Pedro basin with percent difference between results from two SWAT simulations run through AGWA: one using the 1973 NALC landcover for model parameterization, and the other using the 1997 NALC landcover.

Hydrologic evaluation of salinity control and reclamation projects in the Indus Plain, Pakistan--A summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mundorff, Maurice John; Carrigan, P.H.; Steele, T.D.; Randall, A.D.

1976-01-01

This report summarizes the observations and findings of a team of four specialists from the U.S. Geological Survey assigned to Pakistan under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development during May to August 1972 for a hydrologic evaluation of Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects in the Indus Plain Individual members of the team undertook comprehensive studies related to climatology, surface-water hydrology, and the canal system; streamflow and sediment yields of the rivers; computer applications to hydrologic data; aquifer characteristics; hydrologic evaluation of Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects (SCARPs); tubewell performance; hydrology of shallow versus deep tubewells; well and well-screen design in the Indus Plain; evaluation of observed and anticipated trends in both private and public tubewell development; evaluation of water-quality programs, data analysis, and records, and computer coding of special water-quality data; and evaluation of water-level data, well discharge and specific-capacity tests and aquifer tests. The reclamation program, by pumping from tubewells, has been notably successful in lowering the water table, in providing supplemental water for irrigation and for leaching of salinized soils, and in improving crop production. Some changes in water quality have been observed in SCARP-I and the Mona Scheme of SCARP-II, but these have not as yet (1972) significantly affected the utility of the water for irrigation. Problems associated with reclamation include control of deterioration in performance of tubewells and their rehabilitation, local brackish or saline-water encroachment, and maintenance of a favorable salt balance in the ground-water system. Rapid and as yet (1972) unregulated growth of shallow private tubewell development in the past decade has introduced complicating factors to the reclamation planning of the early 1960's which had emphasized public tubewell development through the SCARP program. In comparing shallow (0-200 feet) with deep (200-400 feet} tubewell development, it is concluded that long-term response of the water table is the same, whether many shallow wells of small capacity or fewer deeper wells of large capacity pump the same total volume of water in the same area. Moreover, it is concluded that there is no definite advantage for either type of pumping regime with respect to water quality. Utilization of the Punjab aquifer could be greatly enhanced by recharge of high-quality water diverted from the Chenab and Jhelum Rivers to the Ravi and Sutlej Rivers by way of the link and irrigation canals during periods of surplus flow. Recharge to the aquifer could also be improved by diversion of high-quality water from the Chenab and the Jhelum to natural nalas and other surface drainageways during periods of surplus flow. Such recharge would be of much better quality than water leaching downward from irrigated fields. Continued monitoring of the hydrologic system and research on problems engendered by reclamation are essential to the viability of the SCARP program and related water-resources development in the Indus River Basin.

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

Sari, A.; Geze, Y.

The studied area is a lake basin located in Bolu basin in Turkey. In the basin, from Upper Cretaceous to Upper Miocene 3,000-m thickness sediments were deposited. Upper Miocene Himmetoglu formation consisted of sandstone, claystone, and marl. To the middle level of the formation are located coal, bituminous limestone, and bituminous shales. In the basin, there are two coal beds whose thicknesses range from 1 to 13 m. The coals are easily breakable and black in color. In the coal beds exists some bituminous limestone and bituminous shales, and their thicknesses are between 5 and 45 cm. The amount ofmore » organic matter of the bituminous rocks from the Upper Miocene Himmetoglu formation are between 6.83 and 56.34 wt%, and the amount of organic matter of the bituminous limestone from the formation are between 13.58 and 57.16 wt%. These values indicate that these rocks have very good source potential. According to hydrogen index (HI), S2/S3, HI-T{sub max}, and HI-OI (oxygen index) parameters, kerogen types of the bituminous rocks and coals belonging to Upper Miocene Himmetoglu formation are Type I, Type II, and Type III. In accordance with HI, S2/S3, HI-T{sub max}, and HI-OI parameters, the bituminous rocks and coals from the Upper Miocene Himmetoglu formation are mostly immature.« less

Evolution of a Miocene sag basin in the Alboran Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do Couto, D.; Gorini, C.; Jolivet, L.; Letouzey, J.; Smit, J.; d'Acremont, E.; Auxietre, J. L.; Le Pourhiet, L.; Estrada, F.; Elabassi, M.; Ammar, A.; Jabour, H.; Vendeville, B.

2012-04-01

The Alboran domain represents the westernmost termination of the peri-Mediterranean Alpine orogen. Its arcuate shape, delimited to the North by the Betic range and to the South by the Rif range, is the result of subduction, collision and slab migration processes. During the Neogene, several sedimentary basins formed on the Betics metamorphic basement, mainly due to the extensional collapse of the previously thickened crust of the Betic-Rif belt. The major sedimentary depocentre, the Western Alboran Basin (WAB), is surrounded by the Gibraltar arc, the volcanic Djibouti mounts and the Alboran ridge, and is partly affected by shale tectonics and associated mud volcanism. High-quality 2-D seismic profiles acquired along the Moroccan margin during the last decade reveal a complete history of the basin. Our study deals with the analysis of seismic profiles oriented parallel and orthogonal to the Mediterranean Moroccan margin. The stratigraphy was calibrated using well data from offshore Spain and Morocco. Our study focuses particularly on the tectono-stratigraphic reconstruction of the basin. The formation of the WAB began in the Early Miocene (Aquitanian - Burdigalian). A massive unit of Early Miocene to Lower Langhian shales and olistostromes forms a thick mobile décollement layer that controls and accommodates deformation of the basin fill. From the Upper Langhian to the Upper Tortonian, the basin is filled by a thick sequence of siliciclastic deposits. Stratigraphic geometries identified on seismic data clearly indicate that deformation of the basin fill started during deposition of Upper Langhian to the Upper Tortonian clastics. Shale tectonic deformation was re-activated recently, during the Messinian desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea (and the following catastrophic Pliocene reflooding) or during the Quaternary contourite deposition The sedimentary layers gently dip towards the basin centre and "onlaps" onto the basin margin, especially onto the basement high that bounds the basin toward the East. The contacts observed between the sediment and the basement reflectors are purely stratigraphic. These observations confirm that the geometry is essentially that of a sag basin. We discuss all these stratigraphic observations in the scope of the geodynamic evolution of the eastern and western Alboran basin and the extension recorded onshore during the basin development time interval.

Midplate seismicity exterior to former rift-basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dewey, J.W.

1988-01-01

Midplate seismicity associated with some former rift-zones is distributed diffusely near, but exterior to, the rift basins. This "basin-exterior' seismicity cannot be attributed to reactivation of major basin-border faults on which uppercrustal extension was concentrated at the time of rifting, because the border faults dip beneath the basins. The seismicity may nonetheless represent reactivation of minor faults that were active at the time of rifting but that were located outside of the principal zones of upper-crustal extension; the occurrence of basin-exterior seismicity in some present-day rift-zones supports the existence of such minor basin-exterior faults. Other hypotheses for seismicity exterior to former rift-basins are that the seismicity reflects lobes of high stress due to lithospheric-bending that is centered on the axis of the rift, that the seismicity is localized on the exteriors of rift-basins by basin-interiors that are less deformable in the current epoch than the basin exteriors, and that seismicity is localized on the basin-exteriors by the concentration of tectonic stress in the highly elastic basin-exterior upper-crust. -from Author

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.

Are equilibrium multichannel networks predictable? The case of the regulated Indus River, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carling, P. A.; Trieu, H.; Hornby, D. D.; Huang, He Qing; Darby, S. E.; Sear, D. A.; Hutton, C.; Hill, C.; Ali, Z.; Ahmed, A.; Iqbal, I.; Hussain, Z.

2018-02-01

Arguably, the current planform behaviour of the Indus River is broadly predictable. Between Chashma and Taunsa, Pakistan, the Indus is a 264-km-long multiple-channel reach. Remote sensing imagery, encompassing major floods in 2007 and 2010, shows that the Indus has a minimum of two and a maximum of nine channels, with on average four active channels during the dry season and five during the annual monsoon. Thus, the network structure, if not detailed planform, remains stable even for the record 2010 flood (27,100 m3 s- 1; recurrence interval > 100 years). Bankline recession is negligible for discharges less than a peak annual discharge of 6000 m3 s- 1 ( 80% of mean annual flood). The Maximum Flow Efficiency (MFE) principle demonstrates that the channel network is insensitive to the monsoon floods, which typically peak at 13,200 m3 s- 1. Rather, the network is in near-equilibrium with the mean annual flood (7530 m3 s- 1). The MFE principle indicates that stable networks have three to four channels, thus the observed stability in the number of active channels accords with the presence of a near-equilibrium reach-scale channel network. Insensitivity to the annual hydrological cycle demonstrates that the timescale for network adjustment is much longer than the timescale of the monsoon hydrograph, with the annual excess water being stored on floodplains rather than being conveyed in an enlarged channel network. The analysis explains the lack of significant channel adjustment following the largest flood in 40 years and the extensive Indus flooding experienced on an annual basis, with its substantial impacts on the populace and agricultural production.

Habitat Fragmentation and Species Extirpation in Freshwater Ecosystems; Causes of Range Decline of the Indus River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor)

PubMed Central

Braulik, Gill T.; Arshad, Masood; Noureen, Uzma; Northridge, Simon P.

2014-01-01

Habitat fragmentation of freshwater ecosystems is increasing rapidly, however the understanding of extinction debt and species decline in riverine habitat fragments lags behind that in other ecosystems. The mighty rivers that drain the Himalaya - the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, Mekong and Yangtze - are amongst the world’s most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems. Many hundreds of dams have been constructed, are under construction, or are planned on these rivers and large hydrological changes and losses of biodiversity have occurred and are expected to continue. This study examines the causes of range decline of the Indus dolphin, which inhabits one of the world’s most modified rivers, to demonstrate how we may expect other vertebrate populations to respond as planned dams and water developments come into operation. The historical range of the Indus dolphin has been fragmented into 17 river sections by diversion dams; dolphin sighting and interview surveys show that river dolphins have been extirpated from ten river sections, they persist in 6, and are of unknown status in one section. Seven potential factors influencing the temporal and spatial pattern of decline were considered in three regression model sets. Low dry-season river discharge, due to water abstraction at irrigation barrages, was the principal factor that explained the dolphin’s range decline, influencing 1) the spatial pattern of persistence, 2) the temporal pattern of subpopulation extirpation, and 3) the speed of extirpation after habitat fragmentation. Dolphins were more likely to persist in the core of the former range because water diversions are concentrated near the range periphery. Habitat fragmentation and degradation of the habitat were inextricably intertwined and in combination caused the catastrophic decline of the Indus dolphin. PMID:25029270

Are Equilibrium Multichannel Networks Predictable? the Case of the Indus River, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darby, S. E.; Carling, P. A.

2017-12-01

Focusing on the specific case of the Indus River, we argue that the equilibrium planform network structure of large, multi-channel, rivers is predictable. Between Chashma and Taunsa, Pakistan, the Indus is a 264 km long multiple-channel reach. Remote sensing imagery, including a period of time that encompasses the occurrence of major floods in 2007 and 2010, shows that Indus has a minimum of two and a maximum of nine channels, with on average four active channels during the dry season and five during the monsoon. We show that the network structure, if not detailed planform, remains stable, even for the record 2010 flood (27,100 m3s-1; recurrence interval > 100 years). Bankline recession is negligible for discharges less than a peak annual discharge of 6,000 m3s-1 ( 80% of mean annual flow). Maximum Flow Efficiency (MFE) principle demonstrates the channel network is insensitive to the monsoon floods, which typically peak at 13,200 m3s-1. Rather, the network is in near-equilibrium with the mean annual flood (7,530 m3s-1). MFE principle indicates stable networks have three to four channels, thus the observed stability in the number of active channels accords with the presence of a near-equilibrium reach-scale channel network. Insensitivity to the annual hydrological cycle demonstrates that the time-scale for network adjustment is much longer than the time-scale of the monsoon hydrograph, with the annual excess water being stored on floodplains, rather than being conveyed in an enlarged channel network. The analysis explains the lack of significant channel adjustment following the largest flood in 40 years and the extensive Indus flooding experienced on an annual basis, with its substantial impacts on the populace and agricultural production.

Habitat fragmentation and species extirpation in freshwater ecosystems; causes of range decline of the Indus river dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor).

PubMed

Braulik, Gill T; Arshad, Masood; Noureen, Uzma; Northridge, Simon P

2014-01-01

Habitat fragmentation of freshwater ecosystems is increasing rapidly, however the understanding of extinction debt and species decline in riverine habitat fragments lags behind that in other ecosystems. The mighty rivers that drain the Himalaya - the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, Mekong and Yangtze - are amongst the world's most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems. Many hundreds of dams have been constructed, are under construction, or are planned on these rivers and large hydrological changes and losses of biodiversity have occurred and are expected to continue. This study examines the causes of range decline of the Indus dolphin, which inhabits one of the world's most modified rivers, to demonstrate how we may expect other vertebrate populations to respond as planned dams and water developments come into operation. The historical range of the Indus dolphin has been fragmented into 17 river sections by diversion dams; dolphin sighting and interview surveys show that river dolphins have been extirpated from ten river sections, they persist in 6, and are of unknown status in one section. Seven potential factors influencing the temporal and spatial pattern of decline were considered in three regression model sets. Low dry-season river discharge, due to water abstraction at irrigation barrages, was the principal factor that explained the dolphin's range decline, influencing 1) the spatial pattern of persistence, 2) the temporal pattern of subpopulation extirpation, and 3) the speed of extirpation after habitat fragmentation. Dolphins were more likely to persist in the core of the former range because water diversions are concentrated near the range periphery. Habitat fragmentation and degradation of the habitat were inextricably intertwined and in combination caused the catastrophic decline of the Indus dolphin.

Modeled streamflow metrics on small, ungaged stream reaches in the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Lindsay V.; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2016-01-20

Modeling streamflow is an important approach for understanding landscape-scale drivers of flow and estimating flows where there are no streamgage records. In this study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Colorado State University, the objectives were to model streamflow metrics on small, ungaged streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin and identify streams that are potentially threatened with becoming intermittent under drier climate conditions. The Upper Colorado River Basin is a region that is critical for water resources and also projected to experience large future climate shifts toward a drying climate. A random forest modeling approach was used to model the relationship between streamflow metrics and environmental variables. Flow metrics were then projected to ungaged reaches in the Upper Colorado River Basin using environmental variables for each stream, represented as raster cells, in the basin. Last, the projected random forest models of minimum flow coefficient of variation and specific mean daily flow were used to highlight streams that had greater than 61.84 percent minimum flow coefficient of variation and less than 0.096 specific mean daily flow and suggested that these streams will be most threatened to shift to intermittent flow regimes under drier climate conditions. Map projection products can help scientists, land managers, and policymakers understand current hydrology in the Upper Colorado River Basin and make informed decisions regarding water resources. With knowledge of which streams are likely to undergo significant drying in the future, managers and scientists can plan for stream-dependent ecosystems and human water users.

Crustal characteristic variation in the central Yamato Basin, Japan Sea back-arc basin, deduced from seismic survey results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Takeshi; No, Tetsuo; Miura, Seiichi; Kodaira, Shuichi

2018-02-01

The crustal structure of the Yamato Bank, the central Yamato Basin, and the continental shelf in the southern Japan Sea back-arc basin is obtained based on a seismic survey using ocean bottom seismographs and seismic shot to elucidate the back-arc basin formation processes. The central Yamato Basin can be divided into three domains based on the crustal structure: the deep basin, the seamount, and the transition domains. In the deep basin domain, the crust without the sedimentary layer is about 12-13 km thick. Very few units have P-wave velocity of 5.4-6.0 km/s, which corresponds to the continental upper crust. In the seamount and transition domains, the crust without the sedimentary layer is about 12-16 km thick. The P-wave velocities of the upper and lower crusts differs among the deep basin, the seamount, and the transition domains. These results indicate that the central Yamato Basin displays crustal variability in different domains. The crust of the deep basin domain is oceanic in nature and suggests advanced back-arc basin development. The seamount domain might have been affected by volcanic activity after basin opening. In the transition domain, the crust comprises mixed characters of continental and oceanic crust. This crustal variation might represent the influence of different processes in the central Yamato Basin, suggesting that crustal development was influenced not only by back-arc opening processes but also by later volcanic activity. In the Yamato Bank and continental shelf, the upper crust has thickness of about 17-18 km and P-wave velocities of 3.3-4.1 to 6.6 km/s. The Yamato Bank and the continental shelf suggest a continental crustal character.

Structure of the Tucson Basin, Arizona from gravity and aeromagnetic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rystrom, Victoria Louise

2003-01-01

Interpretation of gravity and high-resolution aeromagnetic data reveal the three-dimensional geometry of the Tuscson Basin, Arizona and the lithology of its basement. Limited drill hole and seismic data indicate that the maximum depth to the crystalline basement is approximately 3600 meters and that the sedimentary sequences in the upper ~2000 m of the basin were deposited during the most recent extensional episode that commenced about 13 Ma. The negative density contrasts between these upper Neogene and Quaternary sedimentary sequences and the adjacent country rock produce a Bouguer residual gravity low, whose steep gradients clearly define the lateral extent of the upper ~2000m of the basin. The aeromagnetic maps show large positive anomalies associated with deeply buried, late Cretaceous-early Tertiary and mid-Tertiary igneous rocks at and below the surface of the basin. These magnetic anomalies provide insight into the older (>13 Ma) and deeper structures of the basin. Simultaneous 2.5-dimensional modeling of both gravity and magnetic anomalies constrained by geologic and seismic data delineates the thickness of the basin and the dips of the buried faults that bound the basin. This geologic-based forward modeling approach to using geophysical data is shown to result in more information about the geologic and tectonic history of the basin as well as more accurate depth to basement determinations than using generalized geophysical inversion techniques.

RELATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS TO FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN THE UPPER FRENCH BROAD RIVER BASIN, NORTH CAROLINA

EPA Science Inventory

Fish assemblages at 16 sites in the upper French Broad River basin, North Carolina were related to environmental variables using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and linear regression. This study was conducted at the landscape scale because regional variables are controlle...

Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Middle and Upper Magdalena Basins, Colombia, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Le, Phuong A.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Finn, Thomas M.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Woodall, Cheryl A.

2017-09-22

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable continuous resources of 0.45 billion barrels of oil and 1.0 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Middle and Upper Magdalena Basins, Colombia.

Database for the geologic map of Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abendini, Atosa A.; Robinson, Joel E.; Muffler, L. J. Patrick; White, D. E.; Beeson, Melvin H.; Truesdell, A. H.

2015-01-01

This dataset contains contacts, geologic units, and map boundaries from Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1371, "The Geologic map of upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone, National Park, Wyoming". This dataset was constructed to produce a digital geologic map as a basis for ongoing studies of hydrothermal processes.

Harmonic analyses of stream temperatures in the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steele, T.D.

1985-01-01

Harmonic analyses were made for available daily water-temperature records for 36 measurement sites on major streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin and for 14 measurement sites on streams in the Piceance structural basin. Generally (88 percent of the station years analyzed), more than 80 percent of the annual variability of temperatures of streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin was explained by the simple-harmonic function. Significant trends were determined for 6 of the 26 site records having 8 years or more record. In most cases, these trends resulted from construction and operation of upstream surface-water impoundments occurring during the period of record. Regional analysis of water-temperature characteristics at the 14 streamflow sites in the Piceance structural basin indicated similarities in water-temperature characteristics for a small range of measurement-site elevations. Evaluation of information content of the daily records indicated that less-than-daily measurement intervals should be considered, resulting in substantial savings in measurement and data-processing costs. (USGS)

Upper-Ocean Variability in the Arctic’s Amundsen and Nansen Basins

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-01

collect vertical profiles of ocean temperature, salinity and horizontal velocity at few- hour interval as well as sample for specified time periods...deployed for the MIZ program - specifically, vertical temperature, salinity and velocity profiles were collected every 3 hours in the upper 250m of the...the system), this ITP-V returned 5+ months of upper ocean temperature, salinity , velocity and turbulence data from the Makarov Basin, a region of

Comparison of the petroleum systems of East Venezuela in their tectonostratigraphic context

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

Stronach, N.J.; Kerr, H.M.; Scotchmer, J.

1996-08-01

The Maturin and Guarico subbasins of East Venezuela record the transition from Cretaceous passive margin to Tertiary foreland basin with local post-orogenic transtensional basins. Petroleum is reservoired in several units ranging from Albian (El Cantil Formation) to Pliocene (Las Piedras Formation) age. Source rocks are principally in the Upper Cretaceous (Querecual Formation), and Miocene (Carapita Formation) in the Maturin subbasin and in the Upper Cretaceous (Tigre Formation) and Oligocene (Roblecito and La Pascua Formations) in the Guarico subbasin. An extensive well database has been used to address the distribution and provenance of hydrocarbons in the context of a tectonostratigraphic modelmore » for the evolution of the East Venezuela basin. Nine major plays have been described, comprising thirteen petroleum systems. The principal factors influencing the components of individual petroleum systems are as follows: (1) structural controls on Upper Cretaceous source rock distribution, relating to block faulting on the proto-Caribbean passive margin; (2) paleoenvironmental controls on source rock development within the Oligocene-Miocene foreland basin; and (3) timing of subsidence and maturation within the Oligocene-Upper Miocene foreland basin and the configuration of the associated fold and thrust belt, influencing long range and local migration routes (4) local development of Pliocene post-orogenic transtensional basins, influencing hydrocarbon generation, migration and remigration north of the Pirital High.« less

Survey of Rural Areas in the Western United States with the Potential to form Winter Ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, C. F.; Mansfield, M. L.

2012-12-01

Both the Uinta Basin of Eastern Utah and the Upper Green River Basin of Western Wyoming are prone to winter ozone events. Ozone in both basins is believed to require a specific set of meteorological phenomena, namely, snow cover and persistent thermal inversions. It is also believed that the primary source of ozone precursors in both basins is the production of oil and/or natural gas. We have conducted a survey of many basins and valleys in the West United States in order to identify regions having meteorology similar to either the Uinta or the Upper Green River Basins, but also having dissimilar industrial activity. Ozone monitoring in such regions may help us better understand the role of oil and gas emissions in the winter ozone phenomenon.

Risk assessment for arsenic-contaminated groundwater along River Indus in Pakistan.

PubMed

Rabbani, Unaib; Mahar, Gohar; Siddique, Azhar; Fatmi, Zafar

2017-02-01

The study determined the risk zone and estimated the population at risk of adverse health effects for arsenic exposure along the bank of River Indus in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 216 randomly selected villages of one of the districts along River Indus. Wells of ten households from each village were selected to measure arsenic levels. The location of wells was identified using global positioning system device, and spatial variations of the groundwater contamination were assessed using geographical information system tools. Using layers of contaminated drinking water wells according to arsenic levels and population with major landmarks, a risk zone and estimated population at risk were determined, which were exposed to arsenic level ≥10 µg/L. Drinking wells with arsenic levels of ≥10 µg/L were concentrated within 18 km near the river bank. Based on these estimates, a total of 13 million people were exposed to ≥10 µg/L arsenic concentration along the course of River Indus traversing through 27 districts in Pakistan. This information would help the researchers in designing health effect studies on arsenic and policy makers in allocating resources for designing focused interventions for arsenic mitigation in Pakistan. The study methods have implication on similar populations which are affected along rivers due to arsenic contamination.

Extensive arsenic contamination in high-pH unconfined aquifers in the Indus Valley

PubMed Central

Podgorski, Joel E.; Eqani, Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah; Khanam, Tasawar; Ullah, Rizwan; Shen, Heqing; Berg, Michael

2017-01-01

Arsenic-contaminated aquifers are currently estimated to affect ~150 million people around the world. However, the full extent of the problem remains elusive. This is also the case in Pakistan, where previous studies focused on isolated areas. Using a new data set of nearly 1200 groundwater quality samples throughout Pakistan, we have created state-of-the-art hazard and risk maps of arsenic-contaminated groundwater for thresholds of 10 and 50 μg/liter. Logistic regression analysis was used with 1000 iterations, where surface slope, geology, and soil parameters were major predictor variables. The hazard model indicates that much of the Indus Plain is likely to have elevated arsenic concentrations, although the rest of the country is mostly safe. Unlike other arsenic-contaminated areas of Asia, the arsenic release process in the arid Indus Plain appears to be dominated by elevated-pH dissolution, resulting from alkaline topsoil and extensive irrigation of unconfined aquifers, although pockets of reductive dissolution are also present. We estimate that approximately 50 million to 60 million people use groundwater within the area at risk, with hot spots around Lahore and Hyderabad. This number is alarmingly high and demonstrates the urgent need for verification and testing of all drinking water wells in the Indus Plain, followed by appropriate mitigation measures. PMID:28845451

South Asian climate change at the end of urban Harappan (Indus valley) civilization and mechanisms of Holocene monsoon variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staubwasser, M.; Sirocko, F.; Erlenkeuser, H.; Grootes, P. M.; Segl, M.

2003-04-01

Planktonic oxygen isotope ratios from the well-dated laminated sediment core 63KA off the river Indus delta are presented. The record reveals significant climate changes in the south Asian monsoon system throughout the Holocene. The most prominent event of the early-mid Holocene occurred after 8.4 ka BP and is within dating error of the GISP/GRIP event centered at 8.2 ka BP. The late Holocene is generally more variable and the largest change of the entire Holocene occurred at 4.2 ka BP. This event is concordant with the end of urban Harappan civilization in the Indus valley. Opposing isotopic trends across the northern Arabian Sea surface indicate a reduction in Indus river discharge at that time. Consequently, sustained drought may have initiated the archaeologically recorded interval of southeastward habitat tracking within the Harappan cultural domain. The hemispheric significance of the 4.2 ka BP event is evident from concordant climate change in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The remainder of the late Holocene shows drought cycles of approximately 700 years that are coherent with the evolution of cosmogenic radiocarbon production rates in the atmosphere. This suggests that solar variability is one fundamental cause behind late Holocene rainfall changes over south Asia.

Geohydrology of the Aucilla-Suwannee-Ochlockonee River Basin, south-central Georgia and adjacent parts of Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torak, Lynn J.; Painter, Jaime A.; Peck, Michael F.

2010-01-01

Major streams and tributaries located in the Aucilla-Suwannee-Ochlockonee (ASO) River Basin of south-central Georgia and adjacent parts of Florida drain about 8,000 square miles of a layered sequence of clastic and carbonate sediments and carbonate Coastal Plain sediments consisting of the surficial aquifer system, upper semiconfining unit, Upper Floridan aquifer, and lower confining unit. Streams either flow directly on late-middle Eocene to Oligocene karst limestone or carve a dendritic drainage pattern into overlying Miocene to Holocene sand, silt, and clay, facilitating water exchange and hydraulic connection with geohydrologic units. Geologic structures operating in the ASO River Basin through time control sedimentation and influence geohydrology and water exchange between geohydrologic units and surface water. More than 300 feet (ft) of clastic sediments overlie the Upper Floridan aquifer in the Gulf Trough-Apalachicola Embayment, a broad area extending from the southwest to the northeast through the center of the basin. These clastic sediments limit hydraulic connection and water exchange between the Upper Floridan aquifer, the surficial aquifer system, and surface water. Accumulation of more than 350 ft of low-permeability sediments in the Southeast Georgia Embayment and Suwannee Strait hydraulically isolates the Upper Floridan aquifer from land-surface hydrologic processes in the Okefenokee Basin physiographic district. Burial of limestone beneath thick clastic overburden in these areas virtually eliminates karst processes, resulting in low aquifer hydraulic conductivity and storage coefficient despite an aquifer thickness of more than 900 ft. Conversely, uplift and faulting associated with regional tectonics and the northern extension of the Peninsular Arch caused thinning and erosion of clastic sediments overlying the Upper Floridan aquifer southeast of the Gulf Trough-Apalachicola Embayment near the Florida-Georgia State line. Limestone dissolution in Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Ga., create karst features that enhance water-transmitting and storage properties of the Upper Floridan aquifer, promoting groundwater recharge and water exchange between the aquifer, land surface, and surface water. Structural control of groundwater flow and hydraulic properties combine with climatic effects and increased hydrologic stress from agricultural pumpage to yield unprecedented groundwater-level decline in the northwestern and central parts of the ASO River Basin. Hydrographs from continuous-record observation wells in these regions document declining groundwater levels, indicating diminished water-resource potential of the Upper Floridan aquifer through time. More than 24 ft of groundwater-level decline occurred along the basin's northwestern boundary with the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, lowering hydraulic gradients that provide the potential for groundwater flow into the ASO River Basin and southeastward across the Gulf Trough-Apalachicola Embayment region. Slow-moving groundwater across the trough-embayment region coupled with downward-vertical flow from upper to lower limestone units composing the Upper Floridan aquifer resulted in 40-50 ft of groundwater-level decline since 1969 in southeastern Colquitt County. Multi-year episodes of dry climatic conditions during the 1980s through the early 2000s contributed to seasonal and long-term groundwater-level decline by reducing recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer and increasing hydrologic stress by agricultural pumpage. Unprecedented and continued groundwater-level decline since 1969 caused 40-50 ft of aquifer dewatering in southeastern Colquitt County that reduced aquifer transmissivity and the ability to supply groundwater to wells, resulting in depletion of the groundwater resource.

Two-Dimensional Stable Isotope Fractionation During Aerobic and Anaerobic Alkane Biodegradation and Implications for the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Morris, Brandon; Suflita, Joseph M.; Richnow, Hans-Hermann

2010-05-01

Quantitatively, n-alkanes comprise a major portion of most crude oils. In petroliferous formations, it may be possible to relate the loss of these compounds to the levels of biodegradation occurring in situ [1]. Moreover, it is important to develop indicators of alkane degradation that may be used to monitor bioremediation of hydrocarbon-impacted environments. Desulfoglaeba alkanexedens and Pseudomonas putida GPo1 were used to determine if carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation could differentiate between n-alkane degradation under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively in the context of the Rayleigh equation model [2]. Bacterial cultures were sacrificed by acidification and headspace samples were analyzed for stable isotope composition using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Carbon enrichment factors (bulk) for anaerobic and aerobic biodegradation of hexane were -5.52 ± 0.2‰ and -4.34 ± 0.3‰, respectively. Hydrogen enrichment during hexane degradation was -43.14 ± 6.32‰ under sulfate-reducing conditions, and was too low for quantification during aerobiosis. Collectively, this indicates that the correlation between carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation (may be used to help elucidate in situ microbial processes in oil reservoirs, and during intrinsic as well as engineered remediation efforts. References 1. Asif, M.; Grice, K.; Fazeelat, T., Assessment of petroleum biodegradation using stable hydrogen isotopes of individual saturated hydrocarbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distributions in oils from the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. Organic Geochemistry 2009, 40, (3), 301-311. 2. Fischer, A.; Herklotz, I.; Herrmann, S.; Thullner, M.; Weelink, S. A. B.; Stams, A., J. M.; Schloemann, M.; Richnow, H.-H.; Vogt, C., Combined carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation investigations for elucidating benzene biodegradation pathways. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2008, 42, 4356-4363.

Predictability of Western Himalayan river flow: melt seasonal inflow into Bhakra Reservoir in northern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, I.; Lall, U.; Robertson, A. W.; Cane, M. A.; Bansal, R.

2013-06-01

Snowmelt-dominated streamflow of the Western Himalayan rivers is an important water resource during the dry pre-monsoon spring months to meet the irrigation and hydropower needs in northern India. Here we study the seasonal prediction of melt-dominated total inflow into the Bhakra Dam in northern India based on statistical relationships with meteorological variables during the preceding winter. Total inflow into the Bhakra Dam includes the Satluj River flow together with a flow diversion from its tributary, the Beas River. Both are tributaries of the Indus River that originate from the Western Himalayas, which is an under-studied region. Average measured winter snow volume at the upper-elevation stations and corresponding lower-elevation rainfall and temperature of the Satluj River basin were considered as empirical predictors. Akaike information criteria (AIC) and Bayesian information criteria (BIC) were used to select the best subset of inputs from all the possible combinations of predictors for a multiple linear regression framework. To test for potential issues arising due to multicollinearity of the predictor variables, cross-validated prediction skills of the best subset were also compared with the prediction skills of principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) techniques, which yielded broadly similar results. As a whole, the forecasts of the melt season at the end of winter and as the melt season commences were shown to have potential skill for guiding the development of stochastic optimization models to manage the trade-off between irrigation and hydropower releases versus flood control during the annual fill cycle of the Bhakra Reservoir, a major energy and irrigation source in the region.

Thermal maturity patterns (conodont color alteration index and vitrinite reflectance) in Upper Ordovician and Devonian rocks of the Appalachian basin: a major revision of USGS Map I-917-E using new subsurface collections: Chapter F.1 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Repetski, John E.; Ryder, Robert T.; Weary, David J.; Harris, Anita G.; Trippi, Michael H.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

2014-01-01

The conodont color alteration index (CAI) introduced by Epstein and others (1977) and Harris and others (1978) is an important criterion for estimating the thermal maturity of Ordovician to Mississippian rocks in the Appalachian basin. Consequently, the CAI isograd maps of Harris and others (1978) are commonly used by geologists to characterize the thermal and burial history of the Appalachian basin and to better understand the origin and distribution of oil and gas resources in the basin. The main objectives of this report are to present revised CAI isograd maps for Ordovician and Devonian rocks in the Appalachian basin and to interpret the geologic and petroleum resource implications of these maps. The CAI isograd maps presented herein complement, and in some areas replace, the CAI-based isograd maps of Harris and others (1978) for the Appalachian basin. The CAI data presented in this report were derived almost entirely from subsurface samples, whereas the CAI data used by Harris and others (1978) were derived almost entirely from outcrop samples. Because of the different sampling methods, there is little geographic overlap of the two data sets. The new data set is mostly from the Allegheny Plateau structural province and most of the data set of Harris and others (1978) is from the Valley and Ridge structural province, east of the Allegheny structural front (fig. 1). Vitrinite reflectance, based on dispersed vitrinite in Devonian black shale, is another important parameter for estimating the thermal maturity in pre-Pennsylvanian-age rocks of the Appalachian basin (Streib, 1981; Cole and others, 1987; Gerlach and Cercone, 1993; Rimmer and others, 1993; Curtis and Faure, 1997). This chapter also presents a revised percent vitrinite reflectance (%R0) isograd map based on dispersed vitrinite recovered from selected Devonian black shales. The Devonian black shales used for the vitrinite studies reported herein also were analyzed by RockEval pyrolysis and total organic carbon (TOC) content in weight percent. Although the RockEval and TOC data are included in this chapter (table 1), they are not shown on the maps. The revised CAI isograd and percent vitrinite reflectance isograd maps cover all or parts of Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia (fig. 1), and the following three stratigraphic intervals: Upper Ordovician carbonate rocks, Lower and Middle Devonian carbonate rocks, and Middle and Upper Devonian black shales. These stratigraphic intervals were chosen for the following reasons: (1) they represent target reservoirs for much of the oil and gas exploration in the Appalachian basin; (2) they are stratigraphically near probable source rocks for most of the oil and gas; (3) they include geologic formations that are nearly continuous across the basin; (4) they contain abundant carbonate grainstone-packstone intervals, which give a reasonable to good probability of recovery of conodont elements from small samples of drill cuttings; and (5) the Middle and Upper Devonian black shale contains large amounts of organic matter for RockEval, TOC, and dispersed vitrinite analyses. Thermal maturity patterns of the Upper Ordovician Trenton Limestone are of particular interest here, because they closely approximate the thermal maturity patterns in the overlying Upper Ordovician Utica Shale, which is the probable source rock for oil and gas in the Upper Cambrian Rose Run Sandstone (sandstone), Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician Knox Group (Dolomite), Lower and Middle Ordovician Beekmantown Group (dolomite or Dolomite), Upper Ordovician Trenton and Black River Limestones, and Lower Silurian Clinton/Medina sandstone (Cole and others, 1987; Jenden and others, 1993; Laughrey and Baldassare, 1998; Ryder and others, 1998; Ryder and Zagorski, 2003). The thermal maturity patterns of the Lower Devonian Helderberg Limestone (Group), Middle Devonian Onondaga Limestone, and Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale-Upper Devonian Rhine street Shale Member-Upper Devonian Ohio Shale are of interest, because they closely approximate the thermal maturity patterns in the Marcellus Shale, Upper Devonian Rhinestreet Shale Member, and Upper Devonian Huron Member of the Ohio Shale, which are the most important source rocks for oil and gas in the Appalachian basin (de Witt and Milici, 1989; Klemme and Ulmishek, 1991). The Marcellus, Rhinestreet, and Huron units are black-shale source rocks for oil and (or) gas in the Lower Devonian Oriskany Sandstone, the Upper Devonian sandstones, the Middle and Upper Devonian black shales, and the Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian(?) Berea Sandstone (Patchen and others, 1992; Roen and Kepferle, 1993; Laughrey and Baldassare, 1998).

The origin of groundwater composition in the Pampeano Aquifer underlying the Del Azul Creek basin, Argentina.

PubMed

Zabala, M E; Manzano, M; Vives, L

2015-06-15

The Pampean plain is the most productive region in Argentina. The Pampeano Aquifer beneath the Pampean plain is used mostly for drinking water. The study area is the sector of the Pampeano Aquifer underlying the Del Azul Creek basin, in Buenos Aires province. The main objective is to characterize the chemical and isotopic compositions of groundwater and their origin on a regional scale. The methodology used involved the identification and characterization of potential sources of solutes, the study of rain water and groundwater chemical and isotopic characteristics to deduce processes, the development of a hydrogeochemical conceptual model, and its validation by hydrogeochemical modelling with PHREEQC. Groundwater samples come mostly from a two-depth monitoring network of the "Dr. Eduardo J. Usunoff" Large Plains Hydrology Institute (IHLLA). Groundwater salinity increases from SW to NE, where groundwater is saline. In the upper basin groundwater is of the HCO3-Ca type, in the middle basin it is HCO3-Na, and in the lower basin it is ClSO4-NaCa and Cl-Na. The main processes incorporating solutes to groundwater during recharge in the upper basin are rain water evaporation, dissolution of CO2, calcite, dolomite, silica, and anorthite; cationic exchange with Na release and Ca and Mg uptake, and clay precipitation. The main processes modifying groundwater chemistry along horizontal flow at 30 m depth from the upper to the lower basin are cationic exchange, dissolution of silica and anorthite, and clay precipitation. The origin of salinity in the middle and lower basin is secular evaporation in a naturally endorheic area. In the upper and middle basins there is agricultural pollution. In the lower basin the main pollution source is human liquid and solid wastes. Vertical infiltration through the boreholes annular space during the yearly flooding stages is probably the pollution mechanism of the samples at 30 m depth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Population dynamics modeling of introduced smallmouth bass in the upper Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breton, André R.; Winkelman, Dana L.; Bestgen, Kevin R.; Hawkins, John A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of these analyses was to identify an effective control strategy to further reduce smallmouth bass in the upper Colorado River basin from the current level. Our simulation results showed that “the surge”, an early to mid-summer increase in electrofishing effort targeting nest-guarding male smallmouth bass, should be made a core component of any future smallmouth bass management strategy in the upper basin. Immigration from off channel reservoirs is supporting smallmouth bass popualtions in the Yampa River and our modeling analyses suggest that smallmouth bass  in Little Yampa Canyon might go extinct in a few years under the present level of exploitation.

Petrography and chemistry of the bed sediments of the Red River in China and Vietnam: Provenance and chemical weathering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges, Joniell; Huh, Youngsook

2007-02-01

The Red (Hong) River straddles southwestern China and northern Vietnam and drains the eastern Indo-Asian collision zone. We collected bed sediments from its tributaries and main channel and report the petrographic point counts of framework grains and major oxide compositions as well as organic and inorganic carbon contents. The Q:F:Rf ratios and Q:F:(L-L c) ratios of the bed-load indicate quartz-poor, mineralogically immature sediments of recycled orogen provenance. The weathering indices based on major oxides — the chemical index of alteration (CIA) and the weathering index of Parker — are also consistent with the recycled sedimentary nature of the bed sediments. Using geographic information system (GIS) we calculated for each sample basin such parameters as temperature, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, runoff, basin length, area, relief, and areal exposure of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Statistically meaningful correlations are obtained between the two weathering indices, between CIA and sedimentary to metamorphic rock fragments ratio, S / (S + M), and between CIA and sedimentary rock cover, but otherwise correlations are poor. The bed sediments preserve signatures of their provenance, but the effect of weathering is not clearly seen. Subtle differences in the bed sediments are observed between the Red and the Himalayan rivers (Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra) as well as between sub-basins within the Red River system and are attributed mainly to differences in lithology.

Basin Analysis and Petroleum System Characterization and Modeling, Interior Salt Basins, Central and Eastern Gulf of Mexico

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

Ernest A. Mancini; Paul Aharon; Donald A. Goddard

2006-05-26

The principal research effort for Phase 1 (Concept Development) of the project has been data compilation; determination of the tectonic, depositional, burial, and thermal maturation histories of the North Louisiana Salt Basin; basin modeling (geohistory, thermal maturation, hydrocarbon expulsion); petroleum system identification; comparative basin evaluation; and resource assessment. Existing information on the North Louisiana Salt Basin has been evaluated, an electronic database has been developed, and regional cross sections have been prepared. Structure, isopach and formation lithology maps have been constructed, and burial history, thermal maturation history, and hydrocarbon expulsion profiles have been prepared. Seismic data, cross sections, subsurface mapsmore » and burial history, thermal maturation history, and hydrocarbon expulsion profiles have been used in evaluating the tectonic, depositional, burial and thermal maturation histories of the basin. Oil and gas reservoirs have been found to be associated with salt-supported anticlinal and domal features (salt pillows, turtle structures and piercement domes); with normal faulting associated with the northern basin margin and listric down-to-the-basin faults (state-line fault complex) and faulted salt features; and with combination structural and stratigraphic features (Sabine and Monroe Uplifts) and monoclinal features with lithologic variations. Petroleum reservoirs include Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous fluvial-deltaic sandstone facies; shoreline, marine bar and shallow shelf sandstone facies; and carbonate shoal, shelf and reef facies. Cretaceous unconformities significantly contribute to the hydrocarbon trapping mechanism capacity in the North Louisiana Salt Basin. The chief petroleum source rock in this basin is Upper Jurassic Smackover lime mudstone beds. The generation of hydrocarbons from Smackover lime mudstone was initiated during the Early Cretaceous and continued into the Tertiary. Hydrocarbon expulsion commenced during the Early Cretaceous and continued into the Tertiary with peak expulsion occurring during the Early to Late Cretaceous. The geohistory of the North Louisiana Salt Basin is comparable to the Mississippi Interior Salt Basin with the major difference being the elevated heat flow the strata in the North Louisiana Salt Basin experienced in the Cretaceous due primarily to reactivation of upward movement, igneous activity, and erosion associated with the Monroe and Sabine Uplifts. Potential undiscovered reservoirs in the North Louisiana Salt Basin are Triassic Eagle Mills sandstone and deeply buried Upper Jurassic sandstone and limestone. Potential underdeveloped reservoirs include Lower Cretaceous sandstone and limestone and Upper Cretaceous sandstone.« less

Flood of June 8-9, 2008, Upper Iowa River, Northeast Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, Edward E.; Eash, David A.

2010-01-01

Major flooding occurred June 8-9, 2008, in the Upper Iowa River Basin in northeast Iowa following severe thunderstorm activity over the region. About 7 inches of rain were recorded for the 48-hour period ending 4 p.m., June 8, at Decorah, Iowa; more than 7 inches of rain were recorded for the 48-hour period ending 7 a.m., June 8, at Dorchester, Iowa, about 17 miles northeast of Decorah. The maximum peak discharge measured in the Upper Iowa River was 34,100 cubic feet per second at streamgage 05387500 Upper Iowa River at Decorah, Iowa. This discharge is the largest discharge recorded in the Upper Iowa River Basin since streamgaging operations began in the basin in 1914. The flood-probability range of the peak discharge is 0.2 to 1 percent. High-water marks were measured at 15 locations along the Upper Iowa River between State Highway 26 near the mouth at the Mississippi River and U.S. Highway 63 at Chester, Iowa, a distance of 124 river miles. The high-water marks were used to develop a flood profile.

Modeling water scarcity over south Asia: Incorporating crop growth and irrigation models into the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troy, Tara J.; Ines, Amor V. M.; Lall, Upmanu; Robertson, Andrew W.

2013-04-01

Large-scale hydrologic models, such as the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model, are used for a variety of studies, from drought monitoring to projecting the potential impact of climate change on the hydrologic cycle decades in advance. The majority of these models simulates the natural hydrological cycle and neglects the effects of human activities such as irrigation, which can result in streamflow withdrawals and increased evapotranspiration. In some parts of the world, these activities do not significantly affect the hydrologic cycle, but this is not the case in south Asia where irrigated agriculture has a large water footprint. To address this gap, we incorporate a crop growth model and irrigation model into the VIC model in order to simulate the impacts of irrigated and rainfed agriculture on the hydrologic cycle over south Asia (Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra basin and peninsular India). The crop growth model responds to climate signals, including temperature and water stress, to simulate the growth of maize, wheat, rice, and millet. For the primarily rainfed maize crop, the crop growth model shows good correlation with observed All-India yields (0.7) with lower correlations for the irrigated wheat and rice crops (0.4). The difference in correlation is because irrigation provides a buffer against climate conditions, so that rainfed crop growth is more tied to climate than irrigated crop growth. The irrigation water demands induce hydrologic water stress in significant parts of the region, particularly in the Indus, with the streamflow unable to meet the irrigation demands. Although rainfall can vary significantly in south Asia, we find that water scarcity is largely chronic due to the irrigation demands rather than being intermittent due to climate variability.

Stratigraphy and tectonic history of the Tucson Basin, Pima County, Arizona, based on the Exxon state (32)-1 well

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houser, Brenda B.; Peters, Lisa; Esser, Richard P.; Gettings, Mark E.

2004-01-01

The Tucson Basin is a relatively large late Cenozoic extensional basin developed in the upper plate of the Catalina detachment fault in the southern Basin and Range Province, southeastern Arizona. In 1972, Exxon Company, U.S.A., drilled an exploration well (Exxon State (32)-1) near the center of the Tucson Basin that penetrated 3,658 m (12,001 ft) of sedimentary and volcanic rocks above granitoid basement. Detailed study of cuttings and geophysical logs of the Exxon State well has led to revision of the previously reported subsurface stratigraphy for the basin and provided new insight into its depositional and tectonic history. There is evidence that detachment faulting and uplift of the adjacent Catalina core complex on the north have affected the subsurface geometry of the basin. The gravity anomaly map of the Tucson Basin indicates that the locations of subbasins along the north-trending axis of the main basin coincide with the intersection of this axis with west-southwest projections of synforms in the adjacent core complex. In other words, the subbasins overlie synforms and the ridges between subbasins overlie antiforms. The Exxon State well was drilled near the center of one of the subbasins. The Exxon well was drilled to a total depth of 3,827 m (12,556 ft), and penetrated the following stratigraphic section: Pleistocene(?) to middle(?) Miocene upper basin-fill sedimentary rocks (0-908 m [0-2,980 ft]) lower basin-fill sedimentary rocks (908-1,880 m [2,980-6,170 ft]) lower Miocene and upper Oligocene Pantano Formation (1,880-2,516 m [6,170-8,256 ft]) upper Oligocene to Paleocene(?) volcanic and sedimentary rocks (2,516-3,056 m [8,256-10,026 ft]) Lower Cretaceous to Upper Jurassic Bisbee Group (3,056-3,658 m [10,026-12,001 ft]) pre-Late Jurassic granitoid plutonic rock (3,658-3,827 m [12,001- 12,556 ft]). Stratigraphy and Tectonic History of the Tucson Basin, Pima County, Arizona, Based on the Exxon State (32)-1 Well The 1,880 m (6,170 ft) of basin-fill sedimentary rocks consist of alluvial-fan, alluvial-plain, and playa facies. The uppermost unit, a 341-m-thick (1,120-ft) lower Pleistocene and upper Pliocene alluvial-fan deposit (named the Cienega Creek fan in this study), is an important aquifer in the Tucson basin. The facies change at the base of the alluvial fan may prove to be recognizable in well data throughout much of the basin. The well data show that a sharp boundary at 908 m (2,980 ft) separates relatively unconsolidated and undeformed upper basin fill from denser, significantly faulted lower basin fill, indicating that there were two stages of basin filling in the Tucson basin as in other basins of the region. The two stages apparently occurred during times of differing tectonic style in the region. In the Tucson area the Pantano Formation, which contains an andesite flow dated at about 25 Ma, fills a syntectonic basin in the hanging wall of the Catalina detachment fault, reflecting middle Tertiary extension on the fault. The formation in the well is 636 m thick (2,086 ft) and consists of alluvial-fan, playa, and lacustrine sedimentary facies, a lava flow, and rock- avalanche deposits. Analysis of the geophysical logs indicates that a K-Ar date of 23.4 Ma reported previously for the Pantano interval of the well was obtained on selected cuttings collected from a rock-avalanche deposit near the base of the unit and, thus, does not date the Pantano Formation. The middle Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks have an aggregate thickness of 540 m (1,770 ft). We obtained a new 40Ar/ 39Ar age of 26.91+0.18 Ma on biotite sampled at a depth of 2,584-2,609 m (8,478-8,560 ft) from a 169-m-thick (554-ft) silicic tuff in this interval. The volcanic rocks probably correlate with other middle Tertiary volcanic rocks of the area, and the sedimentary rocks may correlate with the Cloudburst and Mineta Formations exposed on the flanks of the San Pedro Basin to the northeast. The Bisbee Group in the Exxon well is 602 m (1,975 f

A Synoptic Survey of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Tributary Streams and Great Rivers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin

EPA Science Inventory

We combined stream chemistry and hydrology data from surveys of 467 tributary stream sites and 447 great river sites in the Upper Mississippi River basin to provide a regional snapshot of baseflow total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, and to investigate th...

Language: Talking or Trading Blows in the Upper Silesian Industrial Basin?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamusella, Tomasz

2011-01-01

In the 19th century, in the eastern half of Prussia's region of Upper Silesia, continental Europe's second largest industrial basin emerged. In the course of the accelerated urbanization that followed, an increasing number of German- and Germanic-speakers arrived in this overwhelmingly Slavophone area that historically skirted the Germanic dialect…

RELATION OF LANDSCAPE-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS TO FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN THE UPPER FRENCH BROAD RIVER BASIN, NORTH CAROLINA

EPA Science Inventory

Fish assemblages at 16 sites in the upper French Broad river basin in North Carolina were related to environmental characteristics at the landscape scale, the scale at which management activities and decisions are most likely to occur. Indirect gradient analysis and subsequent re...

Definition of Greater Gulf Basin Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous Lower Cenomanian Shale Gas Assessment Unit, United States Gulf of Mexico Basin Onshore and State Waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennen, Kristin O.; Hackley, Paul C.

2012-01-01

An assessment unit (AU) for undiscovered continuous “shale” gas in Lower Cretaceous (Aptian and Albian) and basal Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) rocks in the USA onshore Gulf of Mexico coastal plain recently was defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The AU is part of the Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS) of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Definition of the AU was conducted as part of the 2010 USGS assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in Gulf Coast Mesozoic stratigraphic intervals. The purpose of defining the Greater Gulf Basin Lower Cretaceous Shale Gas AU was to propose a hypothetical AU in the Cretaceous part of the Gulf Coast TPS in which there might be continuous “shale” gas, but the AU was not quantitatively assessed by the USGS in 2010.

Meltwater Contributions to Irrigation in High Mountain Asia Under a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grogan, D. S.; Wisser, D.; Proussevitch, A. A.; Lammers, R. B.; Frolking, S. E.

2016-12-01

Snow melt and glacier melt are known to contribute significantly to river flows in High Mountain Asia. This region is also an important agricultural producer, and relies heavily on irrigation. In this study we use a hydrologic model coupled with a glacier model to quantify the historical contribution of snow melt and glacier melt to irrigation water use in High Mountain Asia, with detailed basin-level budgets of meltwater use, re-use, and contributions to crop evapotranspiration. We find that it is important to quantify not only how much meltwater is extracted from rivers and reservoirs for irrigation, but also to track this water through irrigation return flows and downstream re-use. We also project future basin-level meltwater use for irrigation, making use of a suite of climate model projections and associated glacier model projections. We assess the relative importance of snow melt and glacier melt to irrigation supplies across seasons, and for future projections we compare temporal shifts in meltwater hydrographs to potential shifts in crop planting dates due to increasing temperatures and shifts in monsoon onset. Results show that, historically (c. 2000), meltwater for irrigation is most important in the Indus and Ganges basins, which use 90 km3yr-1 and 20 km3yr-1 meltwater, respectively. In both basins, snow melt contributions to annual irrigation use are larger than glacier melt contributions, but the relative importance of these two meltwater sources shifts through the growing season. Uncertainties in future precipitation projections lead to large differences in the direction of change of future meltwater use for irrigation: depending upon the climate model and pathway used, we find that meltwater availability may decrease or increase in 2070-2099 compared to historical results.

Improved design and in-situ measurements of new beam position monitors for Indus-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, M.; Babbar, L. K.; Holikatti, A. C.; Yadav, S.; Tyagi, Y.; Puntambekar, T. A.; Senecha, V. K.

2018-01-01

Beam position monitors (BPM) are important diagnostic devices used in particle accelerators to monitor position of the beam for various applications. Improved version of button electrode BPM has been designed using CST Studio Suite for Indus-2 ring. The new BPMs are designed to replace old BPMs which were designed and installed more than 12 years back. The improved BPMs have higher transfer impedance, resonance free output signal, equal sensitivity in horizontal and vertical planes and fast decaying wakefield as compared to old BPMs. The new BPMs have been calibrated using coaxial wire method. Measurement of transfer impedance and time domain signals has also been performed in-situ with electron beam during Indus-2 operation. The calibration and beam based measurements results showed close agreement with the design parameters. This paper presents design, electromagnetic simulations, calibration result and in-situ beam based measurements of newly designed BPMs.

Transient electromagnetic study of basin fill sediments in the Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, M.W.; Gray, F.

2011-01-01

The Upper San Pedro River Basin in Mexico and the United States is an important riparian corridor that is coming under increasing pressure from growing populations and the associated increase in groundwater withdrawal. Several studies have produced three-dimensional maps of the basin fill sediments in the US portion of the basin but little work has been done in the Mexican portion of the basin. Here, the results of a ground-based transient electromagnetic (TEM) survey in the Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico are presented. These basin fill sediments are characterized by a 10-40 m deep unsaturated surficial zone which is composed primarily of sands and gravels. In the central portion of the basin this unsaturated zone is usually underlain by a shallow clay layer 20-50 m thick. Beneath this may be more clay, as is usually the case near the San Pedro River, or interbedded sand, silt, and clay to a depth of 200-250 m. As you move away from the river, the upper clay layer disappears and the amount of sand in the sediments increases. At 1-2 km away from the river, sands can occupy up to 50% of the upper 200-250 m of the sediment fill. Below this, clays are always present except where bedrock highs are observed. This lower clay layer begins at a depth of about 200 m in the central portion of the basin (250 m or more at distances greater than 1-2 km from the river) and extends to the bottom of most profiles to depths of 400 m. While the depth of the top of this lower clay layer is probably accurate, its thickness observed in the models may be overestimated due to the relatively low magnetic moment of the TEM system used in this study. The inversion routine used for interpretation is based on a one-dimensional geologic model. This is a layer based model that is isotropic in both the x and y directions. Several survey soundings did not meet this requirement which invalidates the inversion process and the resulting interpretation at these locations. The results from these locations were rejected. ?? 2011 Springer-Verlag (outside the USA).

Hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Karoo in Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiller, K.; Shoko, U.

1996-07-01

The hydrocarbon potential of Zimbabwe is tied to the Karoo rifts which fringe the Zimbabwe Craton, i.e. the Mid-Zambezi basin/rift and the Mana Pools basin in the northwest, the Cabora Bassa basin in the north and the Tuli-Bubye and Sabi-Runde basins in the south. Based on the geochemical investigation of almost one thousand samples of fine clastic Karoo sediments, a concise source rock inventory has been established showing the following features. No marine source rocks have been identified. In the Mid-Zambezi area and Cabora Bassa basin, the source rocks are gas-prone, carbonaceous to coaly mudstones and coal of Lower Karoo age. In the Cabora Bassa basin, similar gas-prone source rocks occur in the Upper Karoo (Angwa Alternations Member). These kerogen type III source rocks are widespread and predominantly immature to moderately mature. In the southern basins, the Lower Karoo source rocks are gas-prone; in addition some have a small condensate potential. Most of the samples are, however, overmature due to numerous dolerite intrusions. Samples with a mixed gas, condensate and oil potential (mainly kerogen types II and III) were identified in the Lower Karoo (Coal Measure and Lower Madumabisa Mudstone Formations) of the Mid-Zambezi basin, and in the Louver Karoo (Mkanga Formation) and Upper Karoo (Upper Angwa Alternations Member Formation) of the Cabora Bassa basin. The source rocks, with a liquid potential, are also immature to moderately mature and were deposited in swamp, paludal and lacustrine environments of limited extent.

Petroleum geology and resources of northeastern Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, James A.

1985-01-01

Petroleum deposits (primarily gas) in northeastern Mexico occur in two main basins, the Tertiary Burgos basin and the Mesozoic Sabinas basin. About 90 gas fields are present in the Burgos basin, which has undergone active exploration for the past 30-40 years. Production in this basin is from Oligocene and Eocene nearshore marine and deltaic sandstone reservoirs. Most of the fields are small to medium in size on faulted anticlinal or domal structures, some of which may be related to deep-seated salt intrusion. Cumulative production from these fields is about 4 trillion cubic feet gas and 100 million barrels condensate and oil. Since 1975, about 10 gas fields, some with large production rates, have been discovered in Cretaceous carbonate and Jurassic sandstone reservoirs in the Sabinas basin and adjacent Burro-Picachos platform areas. The Sabinas basin, which is in the early stages of exploration and development, may have potential for very large gas reserves. The Sabinas basin is oriented northwesterly with a large number of elongate northwest- or west-trending asymmetric and overturned Laramide anticlines, most of which-are faulted. Some of the structures may be related to movement of Jurassic salt or gypsum. Lower Cretaceous and in some cases Jurassic rocks are exposed in the centers of the larger anticlines, and Upper Cretaceous rocks are exposed in much of the remainder of the basin. A thick section of Upper Cretaceous clastic rocks is partly exposed in tightly folded and thrust-faulted structures of the west-east oriented, deeply subsided Parras basin, which lies south of the Sabinas basin and north of the Sierra Madre Oriental fold and thrust belt south and west of Monterrey. The sedimentary cover of Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks in the Sabinas and Parras basins ranges from about 1,550 m (5,000 ft) to 9,000 m (30,000 ft) in thickness. Upper Jurassic rocks are composed of carbonate and dark organic shaly or sandy beds underlain by an unknown thickness of Late Jurassic and older redbed clastics and evaporites, including halite. Lower Cretaceous rocks are mainly platform carbonate and fine clastic beds with some evaporites (gypsum or anhydrite) deposited in two main rudist reef-bearing carbonate cycles. Upper Cretaceous rocks are mainly continental and marine clastic beds related to early development of the Laramide orogeny. This Upper Cretaceous sequence contains a marine shale and deltaic clastic complex as much as 6,000 m (20,000 ft) or more thick in the Parras basin, which grades northward and eastward to open marine, fine clastic beds. The Burgos basin, which is an extension of the Rio Grande embayment of the western Gulf of Mexico basin province, contains an eastward-thickening wedge of Tertiary continental and marine clastics. These beds are about 1,550 to 3,000 m (5,000-10,000 ft) thick in the outcrop belt on the west side of the basin and thicken to more than 16,000 m (50,000 ft) near the Gulf Coast.

Maps showing thermal maturity of Upper Cretaceous marine shales in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Thomas M.; Pawlewicz, Mark J.

2013-01-01

The Wind River Basin is a large Laramide (Late Cretaceous through Eocene) structural and sedimentary basin that encompasses about 7,400 square miles in central Wyoming. The basin is bounded by the Washakie Range, Owl Creek, and southern Bighorn Mountains on the north, the Casper arch on the east and northeast, the Granite Mountains on the south, and the Wind River Range on the west. Important conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources have been discovered and produced from reservoirs ranging in age from Mississippian through Tertiary. It has been suggested that various Upper Cretaceous marine shales are the principal hydrocarbon source rocks for many of these accumulations. Numerous source rock studies of various Upper Cretaceous marine shales throughout the Rocky Mountain region have led to the conclusion that these rocks have generated, or are capable of generating, oil and (or) gas. With recent advances and success in horizontal drilling and multistage fracture stimulation there has been an increase in exploration and completion of wells in these marine shales in other Rocky Mountain Laramide basins that were traditionally thought of only as hydrocarbon source rocks. Important parameters that control hydrocarbon production from shales include: reservoir thickness, amount and type of organic matter, and thermal maturity. The purpose of this report is to present maps and a structural cross section showing levels of thermal maturity, based on vitrinite reflectance (Ro), for Upper Cretaceous marine shales in the Wind River Basin.

Integrating understanding of biophysical processes governing larval fish dispersal with basin-scale management decisions: lessons from the Missouri River, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erwin, S. O.; Jacobson, R. B.; Fischenich, C. J.; Bulliner, E. A., IV; McDonald, R.; DeLonay, A. J.; Braaten, P.; Elliott, C. M.; Chojnacki, K.

2017-12-01

Management of the Missouri River—the longest river in the USA, with a drainage basin covering one sixth of the conterminous USA—is increasingly driven by the need to understand biophysical processes governing the dispersal of 8-mm long larval pallid sturgeon. In both the upper and lower basin, survival of larval sturgeon is thought to be a bottleneck limiting populations, but because of different physical processes at play, different modeling frameworks and resolutions are required to link management actions with population-level responses. In the upper basin, a series of impoundments reduce the length of river for the drifting larval sturgeon to complete their development. Downstream from the mainstem dams, recruitment is most likely diminished by channelization and reduced floodplain connectivity that limit the benthic habitat available for larval sturgeon to settle and initiate feeding. We present a synthesis of complementary field studies, laboratory observations, and numerical simulations that evaluate the physical processes related to larval dispersal of sturgeon in the Missouri River basin. In the upper basin, we use one-dimensional advection-dispersion models, calibrated with field experiments conducted in 2016-2017 using surrogate particles and tracers, to evaluate reservoir management alternatives. Results of field experimentation and numerical modeling show that proposed management alternatives in the upper basin may be limited by insufficient lengths of flowing river for drifting larvae to fully develop into their juvenile lifestage. In the intensively engineered lower basin, we employ higher resolution measurements and models to evaluate potential for channel reconfiguration and flow alteration to promote successful interception of drifting larvae into supportive benthic habitats for the initiation of feeding and transition to the juvenile life stage. We illustrate how refined understanding of small-scale biophysical process has been incorporated into the basin-scale management framework, thereby prompting a shift in restoration actions and design.

An environmental DNA assay for detecting Arctic grayling in the upper Missouri River basin, North America

Treesearch

K. J. Carim; J. C. S. Dysthe; Michael Young; Kevin McKelvey; Michael Schwartz

2016-01-01

The upper Missouri River basin in the northwestern US contains disjunct Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) populations of conservation concern. To assist efforts aimed at understanding Artic grayling distribution, we developed a quantitative PCR assay to detect the presence of Arctic grayling DNA in environmental samples. The assay amplified low...

Modeling water-quality loads to the reservoirs of the Upper Trinity River Basin, Texas, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water quality modeling efforts have been conducted for 12 reservoirs in ten watersheds in Upper Trinity River Basin located in north Texas. The reservoirs are being used for water supply to the populated area around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro and the water quality of some of these reservoirs has b...

Assessing climate change impacts on water availability of snowmelt-dominated basins of the Upper Rio Grande Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Study Region- Upper Rio Grande, Colorado and New Mexico, USA: Climate change is predicted to further limit the water availability of the arid southwestern U.S. In this study, the Snowmelt Runoff Model is used to evaluate impacts of increased temperature and altered precipitation on snow covered are...

Characteristics of fish assemblages and related environmental variables for streams of the upper Snake River basin, Idaho and western Wyoming, 1993-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, Terry R.

1997-01-01

limited designation for the middle reach of the Snake River between Milner Dam and King Hill and provide a framework for developing indices of biotic integrity by using fish assemblages to evaluate water quality of streams in the upper Snake River Basin.

Water Planning in the States of the Upper Basin of the Colorado River.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, Dean E.

1978-01-01

Discussion of issues involved in water planning of the upper basin of the Colorado River: attitudes toward water planning, agricultural leisure and environmental issues, pollution, and energy issues. Various sections are devoted to Indian interests and the interests of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Final section discusses the future of…

76 FR 20302 - Listing Endangered and Threatened Species; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List Chinook Salmon

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-12

... a Petition To List Chinook Salmon AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic... salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Basin as threatened or... conduct a status review of the Chinook salmon in the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers Basin to determine...

Vegetation Cover Change in the Upper Kings River Basin of the Sierra Nevada Detected Using Landsat Satellite Image Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

The Sierra Nevada of California is a region where large wildfires have been suppressed for over a century. A detailed geographic record of recent changes in vegetation cover across the Sierra Nevada remains a gap that can be filled with satellite remote sensing data. Results from Landsat image analysis over the past 25 years in the Upper Kings River basin showed that consistent, significant increases in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) have not extended above 2000 m elevation, where cold temperatures presumably limit the growing season. Moreover, mean increases in NDVI since 1986 at elevations below 2000 m (which cover about half of the total basin area) have not exceeded 9%, even in the most extreme precipitation yearly comparisons. NDVI has decreased significantly at elevations above 2000 m throughout the basin in relatively wet year comparisons since the mid-1980s. These findings conflict with any assumptions that ET fluxes and river flows downstream could have been markedly altered by vegetation change over most of the Upper Kings River basin in recent decades.

Petroleum geology of Carter sandstone (upper Mississippian), Black Warrior Basin, Alabama

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

Bearden, B.L.; Mancini, E.A.

1985-03-01

The presence of combination petroleum traps makes the Black Warrior basin of northwestern Alabama an attractive area for continued hydrocarbon exploration. More than 1,500 wells have been drilled, and more than 90 separate petroleum pools have been discovered. The primary hydrocarbon reservoirs are Upper Mississippian sandstones. The Carter sandstone is the most productive petroleum reservoir in the basin. Productivity of the Carter sandstone is directly related to its environment of deposition. The Carter accumulated within a high constructive elongate to lobate delta, which prograded into the basin from the northwest to the southeast. Carter bar-finger and distal-bar lithofacies constitute themore » primary hydrocarbon reservoirs. Primary porosity in the Carter sandstone has been reduced by quartz overgrowths and calcite cementation. Petroleum traps in the Carter sandstone in central Fayette and Lamar Counties, Alabama, are primarily stratigraphic and combination (structural-stratigraphic) traps. The potential is excellent for future development of hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Upper Mississippian Carter sandstone. Frontier regions south and east of the known productive limits of the Black Warrior basin are ideal areas for continued exploration.« less

Makran Mountain Range, Indus River Valley, Pakistan, India

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The enormous geologic pressures exerted by continental drift can be very well illustrated by the long northward curving parallel folded mountain ridges and valleys of the coastal Makran Range of Pakistan (27.0N, 66.0E). As a result of the collision of the northward bound Indian sub-continent into the Asian Continent, the east/west parallel range has been bent in a great northward arc and forming the Indus River valley at the interface of the collision.

Oligocene-Miocene burial and exhumation of the southernmost Gangdese mountains from sedimentary and thermochronological evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Yukui; Li, Yalin; Wang, Xiaonan; Qian, Xinyu; Zhang, Jiawei; Zhou, Aorigele; Liu-Zeng, Jing

2018-01-01

The Kailas conglomerates crop out ubiquitously along the southernmost boundary of the Gangdese batholith. They unconformably overlie the Gangdese batholith and are displaced by the Great Counter thrust (GCT) fault, forming a fault contact with the Xigaze forearc basin, the associated subduction complex and the Tethyan Himalayan sequence. These strata furnish a record of uplift and paleoenvironmental change in the Indus-Yarlung suture zone during the Oligocene-Miocene. Our new and previously published low-temperature thermochronometric data from the Gangdese batholith and the Kailas conglomerates indicate a period of rapid exhumation beginning approximately 17-15 Ma centered on the southern margin of the Gangdese batholith, whereas regional uplift commenced significantly earlier during the deposition of the Kailas conglomerates, based on the presence of an abrupt facies transition from deep-water lacustrine deposits to red alluvial fan or fluvial deposits. The period of rapid exhumation probably lagged behind the initiation of faster uplift, while the related changes in the depositional environment were most likely recorded immediately in the basin stratigraphy. Subsequently, the Kailas conglomerates were buried in association with the development of the north-directed Great Counter thrust, while rapid exhumation was facilitated by efficient incision by the paleo-Yarlung river at approximately 17-15 Ma.

Regional Vp, Vs, Vp/Vs, and Poisson's ratios across earthquake source zones from Memphis, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.

1999-01-01

Models of P- and S-wave velocity, Vp/Vs ratios, Poisson's ratios, and density for the crust and upper mantle are presented along a 400-km-long profile trending from Memphis, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri. The profile crosses the New Madrid seismic zone and reveals distinct regional variations in the crustal velocity structure north and south of the latitude of New Madrid. In the south near Memphis, the upper few kilometers of the crust are dominated by upper crustal sedimentary basins or graben with P-wave velocities less than 5 km/sec and S-wave velocities of about 2 km/sec. P-wave velocities of the upper and middle crust range from 6.0 to 6.5 km/sec at depths above 25 km, and corresponding S-wave velocities range from 3.5 to 3.7 km/sec. The lower crust consists of a high-velocity layer (Vp = 7.4 km/sec; Vs ~4.2 km/sec) that is up to 20-km thick at the latitude of New Madrid but thins to about 15 km near Memphis. To the north, beneath the western-most Illinois basin, low-velocity (Vp < 5 km/sec; Vs < 2.3 km/sec) sedimentary basins are less than 1-km deep. The average velocities (Vp = 6.0 km/sec; Vs = 3.5 km/sec) of the underlying, near-surface rocks argue against large thickness of unconsolidated noncarbonate sediments within 50 km of the western edge of the Illinois basin. Most of the crust beneath the Illinois basin is modeled as one layer, with velocities up to 6.8 km/sec (Vs = 3.7 km/sec) at 37-km depth. The thick, high-velocity (Vp = 7.4 km/sec; Vs ~4.2 km/sec) lower crustal layer thins from about 20 km near New Madrid to about 6 km beneath the western Illinois basin. Refractions from the Moho and upper mantle occur as first arrivals over distances as a great as 160 km and reveal upper mantle layering to 60 km depth. Upper mantle layers with P-wave velocities of 8.2 km/sec (Vs = 4.5 km/sec) and 8.4 km/sec (Vs = 4.7 km/sec) are modeled at 43 and 60 km depth, respectively. Crustal Vp/Vs ratios range between 1.74 and 1.83, and upper mantle Vp/V s ratios range from 1.78 to 1.84. Poisson's ratios range from about 0.26 to 0.33 in the crust and from about 0.27 to 0.29 in the upper mantle. Modeled average densities range from about 2.55 in the sedimentary basins to 3.43 in the upper mantle. Geophysical characteristics of the crust and upper mantle within the New Madrid seismic zone are consistent with other continental rifts, but the crustal structure of the Illinois basin is not characteristics of most continental rift settings. Seismic and gravity data suggest a buried horst near the middle of Reelfoot rift, beneath which is a vertical zone of seismicity and velocity anomalies. The relative depth of the Reelfoot rift north and south of the Reelfoot graben suggests that the rift and its bounding faults may extend eastward beneath the city of Memphis.

Use of satellite data in runoff forecasting in the heavily forested, cloud-covered Pacific Northwest. [Upper Snake, Boise, Dworshak, Libby and Hungry Horse River Basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dillard, J. P.; Orwig, C. F. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Satellite-derived snow cover data improves forecasts of stream flow but not at a statistically significant amount and should not be used exclusively because of persistent cloud cover. Based upon reconstruction runs, satellite data can be used to augment snow-flight data in the Upper Snake, Boise, Dworshak, and Hungry Horse basins. Satellite data does not compare well with aerial snow-flight data in the Libby basin.

Klamath River Basin water-quality data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Cassandra D.; Rounds, Stewart A.; Orzol, Leonard L.; Sobieszczyk, Steven

2018-05-29

The Klamath River Basin stretches from the mountains and inland basins of south-central Oregon and northern California to the Pacific Ocean, spanning multiple climatic regions and encompassing a variety of ecosystems. Water quantity and water quality are important topics in the basin, because water is a critical resource for farming and municipal use, power generation, and for the support of wildlife, aquatic ecosystems, and endangered species. Upper Klamath Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Oregon (112 square miles) and is known for its seasonal algal blooms. The Klamath River has dams for hydropower and the upper basin requires irrigation water to support agriculture and grazing. Multiple species of endangered fish inhabit the rivers and lakes, and the marshes are key stops on the Pacific flyway for migrating birds. For these and other reasons, the water resources in this basin have been studied and monitored to support their management distribution.

Simulated Effects of Year 2030 Water-Use and Land-Use Changes on Streamflow near the Interstate-495 Corridor, Assabet and Upper Charles River Basins, Eastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlson, Carl S.; Desimone, Leslie A.; Weiskel, Peter K.

2008-01-01

Continued population growth and land development for commercial, industrial, and residential uses have created concerns regarding the future supply of potable water and the quantity of ground water discharging to streams in the area of Interstate 495 in eastern Massachusetts. Two ground-water models developed in 2002-2004 for the Assabet and Upper Charles River Basins were used to simulate water supply and land-use scenarios relevant for the entire Interstate-495 corridor. Future population growth, water demands, and commercial and residential growth were projected for year 2030 by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. To assess the effects of future development on subbasin streamflows, seven scenarios were simulated by using existing computer-based ground-water-flow models with the data projected for year 2030. The scenarios incorporate three categories of projected 2030 water- and land-use data: (1) 2030 water use, (2) 2030 land use, and (3) a combination of 2030 water use and 2030 land use. Hydrologic, land-use, and water-use data from 1997 through 2001 for the Assabet River Basin study and 1989 through 1998 for the Upper Charles River Basin study were used to represent current conditions - referred to as 'basecase' conditions - in each basin to which each 2030 scenario was compared. The effects of projected 2030 land- and water-use change on streamflows in the Assabet River Basin depended upon the time of year, the hydrologic position of the subbasin in the larger basin, and the relative areas of new commercial and residential development projected for a subbasin. Effects of water use and land use on streamflow were evaluated by comparing average monthly nonstorm streamflow (base flow) for March and September simulated by using the models. The greatest decreases in streamflow (up to 76 percent in one subbasin), compared to the basecase, occurred in September, when streamflows are naturally at their lowest level. By contrast, simulated March streamflows decreased less than 6.5 percent from basecase streamflows in all subbasins for all scenarios. The simulations showed similar effects in the Upper Charles River Basin, but increased water use contributed to decreased simulated streamflow in most subbasins. Simulated changes in March streamflows for 2030 in the Upper Charles River Basin were within +- 6 percent of the basecase for all scenarios and subbasins. Percentage decreases in simulated September streamflows for 2030 were greater than in March but less than the September decreases that resulted for some subbasins in the Assabet River Basin. Only two subbasins of the Upper Charles River Basin had projected decreases greater than 5 percent. In the Mill River subbasin, the decrease was 11 percent, and in the Mine Brook subbasin, 6.6 percent. Changes in water use and wastewater return flow generally were found to have the greatest effect in the summer months when streamflow and aquifer recharge rates are low and water use is high. September increases in main-stem streamflow of both basins were due mainly to increased discharge of treated effluent from wastewater-treatment facilities on the main-stem rivers. In the Assabet River Basin, wastewater-treatment-facility discharge became a smaller proportion of total streamflow with distance downstream. In contrast, wastewater-treatment facility discharge in the Upper Charles River Basin became a greater proportion of streamflow with distance downstream. The effects of sewer-line extension and low-impact development on streamflows in two different subbasins of the Assabet River Basin also were simulated. The result of extending sewer lines with a corresponding decrease in septic-system return flow caused September streamflows to decrease as much as 15 percent in the Fort Pond Brook subbasin. The effect of low-impact development was simulated in the Hop Brook subbasin in areas projected for commercial development. In this simulation, the greater the area where low-i

Geologic evolution and sequence stratigraphy of the offshore Pelotas Basin, southeast Brazil

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

Abreu, V.S.

1996-01-01

The Brazilian marginal basins have been studied since the beginning of the 70s. At least nine large basins are distributed along the entire Eastern continental margin. The sedimentary infill of these basins consists of lower Cretaceous (continental/lacustrine) rift section underlying marine upper Cretaceous (carbonate platforms) and marine upper Cretaceous/Tertiary sections, corresponding to the drift phase. The sedimentary deposits are a direct result of the Jurassic to lower Cretaceous break-up of the Pangea. This study will focus on the geologic evolution and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Pelotas basin (offshore), located in the Southeast portion of the Brazilian continental margin betweenmore » 28[degrees] and 34[degrees] S, covering approximately 50,000 Km[sup 2]. During the early Cretaceous, when the break-up of the continent began in the south, thick basaltic layers were deposited in the Pelotas basin. These basalts form a thick and broad wedge of dipping seaward reflections interpreted as a transitional crust. During Albian to Turonian times, due to thermal subsidence, an extensive clastic/carbonate platform was developed, in an early drift stage. The sedimentation from the upper Cretaceous to Tertiary was characterized by a predominance of siliciclastics in the southeast margin, marking an accentuate deepening of the basin, showing several cycles related to eustatic fluctuations. Studies have addressed the problems of hydrocarbon exploration in deep water setting within a sequence stratigraphic framework. Thus Pelotas basin can provide a useful analogue for exploration efforts worldwide in offshore passive margins.« less

Geologic evolution and sequence stratigraphy of the offshore Pelotas Basin, southeast Brazil

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

Abreu, V.S.

1996-12-31

The Brazilian marginal basins have been studied since the beginning of the 70s. At least nine large basins are distributed along the entire Eastern continental margin. The sedimentary infill of these basins consists of lower Cretaceous (continental/lacustrine) rift section underlying marine upper Cretaceous (carbonate platforms) and marine upper Cretaceous/Tertiary sections, corresponding to the drift phase. The sedimentary deposits are a direct result of the Jurassic to lower Cretaceous break-up of the Pangea. This study will focus on the geologic evolution and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Pelotas basin (offshore), located in the Southeast portion of the Brazilian continental margin betweenmore » 28{degrees} and 34{degrees} S, covering approximately 50,000 Km{sup 2}. During the early Cretaceous, when the break-up of the continent began in the south, thick basaltic layers were deposited in the Pelotas basin. These basalts form a thick and broad wedge of dipping seaward reflections interpreted as a transitional crust. During Albian to Turonian times, due to thermal subsidence, an extensive clastic/carbonate platform was developed, in an early drift stage. The sedimentation from the upper Cretaceous to Tertiary was characterized by a predominance of siliciclastics in the southeast margin, marking an accentuate deepening of the basin, showing several cycles related to eustatic fluctuations. Studies have addressed the problems of hydrocarbon exploration in deep water setting within a sequence stratigraphic framework. Thus Pelotas basin can provide a useful analogue for exploration efforts worldwide in offshore passive margins.« less

An IODP proposal to drill the Godzilla Megamullion as a step to Mohole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohara, Y.; Michibayashi, K.; Dick, H. J. B.; Snow, J. E.; Ono, S.

2017-12-01

The year 2017 represents the 60th anniversary of the "original" project Mohole, which was coined by Walter Munk in 1957. Although the project Mohole has not yet been realized, the hard-rock community is now striving hard to understand the upper mantle in a variety of ways. Firstly, the present-day project Mohole, M2M (Moho-to-Mantle) project, will move forward in this September, conducting multi-channel seismic profiling off Hawaii as a site survey. Oman Drilling Project has started last December, and the drilled cores are being described aboard D/V Chikyu from July, this year. Furthermore, the forearc M2M proposal to drill the Bonin Trench forearc mantle was submitted to IODP in April 2016. Being a part of these efforts, we are preparing an IODP proposal to drill the Godzilla Megamullion, the largest known oceanic core complex on the Earth, located in the Parece Vela Basin in the Philippine Sea. A significant fraction of the ocean floor is created in backarc basins, while there have been no single long core of backarc basin lower ocean crust, from which to understand the likely differences in magmatic evolution and crustal structure in this key setting. The opportunity to explore the formation of the backarc basin lower crust and upper mantle is, therefore, an important contribution to understanding the ocean basins. At the same time, a better understanding of the architecture of backarc basin lower crust and upper mantle will greatly aid in the interpretation of the results of ophiolite study, since much of our understanding of the architecture of oceanic lower crust and upper mantle comes from ophiolites, most of which are thought to have at least some arc and/or backarc component. The Godzilla Megamullion is unique in its huge size as well as its development in a backarc basin, a rare tectonic window to study backarc basin lithosphere. The Godzilla Megamullion is prepared for full drilling proposal, with complete bathymetric data, multiple bottom samplings, and multi-channel seismic profilings as well as P-wave velocity structures. We will propose substantial riserless drilling at Godzilla Megamullion that will provide an excellent opportunity to understand backarc basin lower crust and upper mantle. In this contribution, we will make use of this opportunity to share the general scheme of the proposal with the community.

Climate controls on streamflow variability in the Missouri River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wise, E.; Woodhouse, C. A.; McCabe, G. J., Jr.; Pederson, G. T.; St-Jacques, J. M.

2017-12-01

The Missouri River's hydroclimatic variability presents a challenge for water managers, who must balance many competing demands on the system. Water resources in the Missouri River Basin (MRB) have increasingly been challenged by the droughts and floods that have occurred over the past several decades and the potential future exacerbation of these extremes by climate change. Here, we use observed and modeled hydroclimatic data and estimated natural flow records to describe the climatic controls on streamflow in the upper and lower portions of the MRB, examine atmospheric and oceanic patterns associated with high- and low-flow years, and investigate trends in climate and streamflow over the instrumental period. Results indicate that the two main source regions for total outflow, in the uppermost and lowermost parts of the basin, are under the influence of very different sets of climatic controls. Winter precipitation, impacted by changes in zonal versus meridional flow from the Pacific Ocean, as well as spring precipitation and temperature, play a key role in surface water supply variability in the upper basin. Lower basin flow is significantly correlated with precipitation in late spring and early summer, indicative of Atlantic-influenced circulation variability affecting the flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The upper basin, with decreasing snowpack and streamflow and warming spring temperatures, will be less likely to provide important flow supplements to the lower basin in the future.

Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources of Upper Cretaceous Shales in the Songliao Basin of China, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Potter, Christopher J.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Pitman, Janet K.; Klett, Timothy R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Finn, Thomas M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Marra, Kristen R.; Woodall, Cheryl A.

2018-05-03

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 3.3 billion barrels of oil and 887 billion cubic feet of gas in shale reservoirs of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou and Nenjiang Formations in the Songliao Basin of northeastern China.

Sediment Production From Small Undisturbed Forested Basins In The Upper Coastal Plain

Treesearch

Daniel A. Marion; Greg Malstaff; Howard G. Halverson

1996-01-01

Forest lands in the Upper Coastal Plain (UCP) of the American South are widely recognized as producing water with relatrvely low amounts of sediment. Previous research has established that sediment concentrations from forest basins lacking well-defined channel networks averages 5.3 to 6.2 kg of sediment per hectare per centimeter of runoff (kg/ha-cm) in this...

The Public Discourse about Land Use and Water Quality: Themes in Newspapers in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmid, Andrea N.; Thompson, Jan R.; Bengston, David N.

2007-01-01

Effective educational and management programs to improve water quality will require an improved understanding of public perceptions of the relationship between land use and water quality. We analyzed a large database of newspaper articles in the Upper Mississippi River Basin to assess the public discourse about water quality and land use, and…

Monitoring Supraglacial Streams over Three Months in Southwest Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthyala, R.; Rennermalm, A.; Leidman, S. Z.; Cooper, M. G.; Cooley, S. W.; Smith, L. C.; van As, D.

2017-12-01

Supraglacial river networks are the most efficient conduits for evacuation of meltwater runoff produced on Greenland ice sheet. These rivers are prominent features on the ablation zone of southwest Greenland. However, little is known about the transport of meltwater through supraglacial stream network and most of the in-situ observations only capture a few days of streamflow. Here we report three months of observations of water level and discharge collected during summer of 2016, in two small supraglacial streams near the ice sheet margin in southwest Greenland. We also compare streamflow observations with meteorological data from a nearby automatic weather station. The two sites are very different, with the lower basin relatively steep, smooth and dark while the upper basin has rugged terrain and deeply incised stream channels. These catchment characteristics propagate to different relationships with meteorological parameters. For example, upper basin stream water levels show a strong covariance with surface temperature while the lower basin water levels do not. We also find differences in temporal variation of supraglacial stream water level, with the upper basin having two distinct peaks, in mid-June and mid-July, while the lower basin shows gradual decrease from June to August. Long-term supraglacial stream observations such as these will ultimately help assess how well surface mass balance models can simulate ice sheet runoff.

Regional effects of agricultural conservation practices on nutrient transport in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, Ana Maria.; Alexander, Richard B.; Arnold, Jeffrey G.; Norfleet, Lee; White, Michael J.; Robertson, Dale M.; Schwarz, Gregory E.

2016-01-01

Despite progress in the implementation of conservation practices, related improvements in water quality have been challenging to measure in larger river systems. In this paper we quantify these downstream effects by applying the empirical U.S. Geological Survey water-quality model SPARROW to investigate whether spatial differences in conservation intensity were statistically correlated with variations in nutrient loads. In contrast to other forms of water quality data analysis, the application of SPARROW controls for confounding factors such as hydrologic variability, multiple sources and environmental processes. A measure of conservation intensity was derived from the USDA-CEAP regional assessment of the Upper Mississippi River and used as an explanatory variable in a model of the Upper Midwest. The spatial pattern of conservation intensity was negatively correlated (p = 0.003) with the total nitrogen loads in streams in the basin. Total phosphorus loads were weakly negatively correlated with conservation (p = 0.25). Regional nitrogen reductions were estimated to range from 5 to 34% and phosphorus reductions from 1 to 10% in major river basins of the Upper Mississippi region. The statistical associations between conservation and nutrient loads are consistent with hydrological and biogeochemical processes such as denitrification. The results provide empirical evidence at the regional scale that conservation practices have had a larger statistically detectable effect on nitrogen than on phosphorus loadings in streams and rivers of the Upper Mississippi Basin.

Regional Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Nutrient Transport in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

PubMed

García, Ana María; Alexander, Richard B; Arnold, Jeffrey G; Norfleet, Lee; White, Michael J; Robertson, Dale M; Schwarz, Gregory

2016-07-05

Despite progress in the implementation of conservation practices, related improvements in water quality have been challenging to measure in larger river systems. In this paper we quantify these downstream effects by applying the empirical U.S. Geological Survey water-quality model SPARROW to investigate whether spatial differences in conservation intensity were statistically correlated with variations in nutrient loads. In contrast to other forms of water quality data analysis, the application of SPARROW controls for confounding factors such as hydrologic variability, multiple sources and environmental processes. A measure of conservation intensity was derived from the USDA-CEAP regional assessment of the Upper Mississippi River and used as an explanatory variable in a model of the Upper Midwest. The spatial pattern of conservation intensity was negatively correlated (p = 0.003) with the total nitrogen loads in streams in the basin. Total phosphorus loads were weakly negatively correlated with conservation (p = 0.25). Regional nitrogen reductions were estimated to range from 5 to 34% and phosphorus reductions from 1 to 10% in major river basins of the Upper Mississippi region. The statistical associations between conservation and nutrient loads are consistent with hydrological and biogeochemical processes such as denitrification. The results provide empirical evidence at the regional scale that conservation practices have had a larger statistically detectable effect on nitrogen than on phosphorus loadings in streams and rivers of the Upper Mississippi Basin.

Occurrence and transport of nutrients in the Missouri River Basin, April through September 2011: Chapter G in 2011 floods of the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kalkhoff, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Heavy snow and early spring rainfall generated substantial amounts of runoff and flooding in the upper part of the Missouri River Basin in 2011. Spring runoff in the upper and middle parts of the basin exceeded the storage capacity of the Missouri River reservoirs and unprecedented amounts of water were released into the lower parts of the basin resulting in record floods from June through September on the Missouri River in Iowa and Nebraska and extending into Kansas and Missouri. Runoff from the Missouri River Basin in April through September 2011 was 8,440,000 hectare meters (68,400,000 acre feet) and was only exceeded during flooding in 1993 when runoff was 11,200,000 hectare meters (90,700,000 acre feet). Nitrate and total phosphorus concentrations in the Missouri River and selected tributaries in April through September, 2011 generally were within the expected range of concentrations measured during the last 30 years. Substantial discharge from the upper and middle parts of the Missouri River Basin resulted in nitrate concentrations decreasing in the lower Missouri River beginning in June. Concentrations of nitrate in water entering the Mississippi River from the Missouri River were less in 2011 than in 1993, but total phosphorus concentrations entering the Mississippi River were substantially greater in 2011 than in 1993. The Missouri River transported an estimated 79,600 megagrams of nitrate and 38,000 megagrams of total phosphorus to the Mississippi River from April through September 2011. The nitrate flux in 2011 was less than 20 percent of the combined total from the Upper Mississippi and Missouri River Basins. In contrast, the total phosphorus flux of 38,000 megagrams from the Missouri River constituted about 39 percent of the combined total from the Upper Mississippi and Missouri River Basins during April through September 2011. Substantially more nitrate but less total phosphorus was transported from the Missouri River Basin during the historic 1993 than during the 2011 flood. Greater runoff from the lower part of the basin contributed to the greater nitrate transport in 1993. In addition to the differing amounts of runoff and the source of flood waters, changes in land use, and management practices are additional factors that may have contributed to the difference in nitrate and total phosphorus flux between the 1993 and 2011 floods.

Depth to bedrock in the upper San Pedro Valley, Cochise County, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gettings, M.E.; Houser, Brenda B.

2000-01-01

The thickness, distribution, and character of alluvial sediments that were deposited in the structural subbasins of the upper San Pedro basin in southeastern Arizona during the late Cenozoic provide important constraints on ground-water availability of the area. Two sedimentary units are recognized; the Oligocene and Miocene Pantano(?) Formation and an unnamed upper Miocene through lower Pleistocene unit termed basin fill. The complete Bouguer gravity anomaly map shows that there are three major structural subbasins in the upper San Pedro basin north of the international border with Mexico. The Tombstone subbasin is north of Tombstone, and two more are located north and south of Sierra Vista, respectively. This report concentrates on the two subbasins north and south of Sierra Vista. The northern subbasin (termed the Huachuca City subbasin) extends from east of Huachuca City to northeast of Whetstone, and the southern subbasin (termed the Palominas subbasin) extends southward from a line between Nicksville and Hereford to the border. The locations and shapes of these subbasins, thickness of basin fill, and depth to bedrock were estimated using a procedure involving interpolation of (1) the density functions derived in this study, (2) stratigraphic data from water wells, and (3) a residual gravity anomaly grid obtained by subtracting the gravity effects of the bedrock ranges bordering the basin from the complete Bouguer gravity anomaly. This procedure indicates that the subbasins are shallow and contain significant thicknesses of the Pantano(?) Formation in addition to the overlying younger basin fill. The maximum depth to bedrock is about 1,700 m in the Palominas subbasin and 800m in the Huachuca City subbasin; the basin-fill unit occupies the upper 250-350 m in general with local thickenings exceeding 1,000 m in the Palominas subbasin. An east-west trending buried bedrock high beneath Fort Huachuca, Sierra Vista, and Charleston separates the subbasins. The depth to bedrock over this high is 200-500 m and the basin-fill unit ranges from 100 to 200 m thick there. A number of previously unrecognized faults were identified and the lengths of some of the known faults were extended based on reconnaissance geologic mapping, study of driller's logs, interpretation of aerial photographs and thematic mapper satellite images, and inspection of contoured gravity and aeromagnetic anomaly data. Many faults that segment the main San Pedro basin and shape the boundaries of the subbasins are apparently pre-existing faults that have been reactivated by Basin and Range extension.

Assessing the feasibility of low temperature XAFS experiments at Indus-2, India: First results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanan, Nitya; Rajput, Parasmani; Jha, S. N.; Lahiri, Debdutta

2015-05-01

In this work, we report installation of displex cryostat XAFS sample holder at XAFS beamline (BL-09) of Indus-2 synchrotron facility, India and make critical assessment of feasibility of low-temperature XAFS experiments in terms of data quality and reproducibility, temperature range, calibration and attainable resolution. We adopted the Debye Model-based calibration method by measuring XAFS of standard Au foil with known Debye temperature (ΘDebye)Autheory = 165 K. The data is of good quality and reproducible with international data. By fitting Debye Waller Factor (σexpt2 (T)), we deduced (ΘDebye)Auexpt = 163 K which implies calibration within 2 K. Error bars for σexpt2 (T) correspond to temperature uncertainty ΔT ≤ 5 K, which defines the temperature resolution for low temperature XAFS experiments. Thus, from both calibration and resolution points-of-view, this work demonstrates the feasibility of low temperature XAFS experiments at BL-09, Indus-2. Feasibility of extending XAFS experiments to lower temperature and unknown samples is discussed.

Timber resource statistics for the Upper Susitna block, Susitna River basin multiresource inventory unit, Alaska, 1980.

Treesearch

Bert R. Mead; Theodore S. Setzer; Gary L. Carroll

1985-01-01

A multiresource inventory of the Upper Susitna block, Susitna River basin inventory unit, was conducted in 1980. Statistics on forest area, timber volumes, and annual growth from this inventory are presented. Timberland area is estimated at 112,130 acres, and net growing stock volume, mostly hardwood, is 84.6 million cubic feet. Net annual growth of growing stock is...

Evaluating the applicability of four recent satellite–gauge combined precipitation estimates for extreme precipitation and streamflow predictions over the upper Yellow river basin in China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study aimed to statistically and hydrologically assess the performance of four latest and widely used satellite–gauge combined precipitation estimates (SGPEs), namely CRT, BLD, 3B42CDR, and 3B42 for the extreme precipitation and stream'ow scenarios over the upper Yellow river basin (UYRB) in ch...

An inventory and evaluation of biological investigations that relate to stream-water quality in the upper Illinois River basin of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steffeck, D.W.; Striegl, Robert G.

1989-01-01

Results of studies of the aquatic biology of the upper Illinois River basin provide a historical data source from which inferences can be made about changes in the quality of water in the main stem river and its tributaries. The results of biological investigations that have been conducted throughout the basin since 1900 are summarized and their relevance to stream-water-quality assessment is described, particularly their relevance to the upper Illinois River basin pilot project for the National Water Quality Assessment program. Four general categories of biological investigations were identified: Populations and community structure, chemical concentrations in tissue, organism health, and toxicity measurements. Biological investigations were identified by their location in the basin and by their relevance to each general investigation category. The most abundant literature was in the populations and community structure category. Tissue data were limited to polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, dioxin, and several metals. The most cited measure of organism health was a condition factor for fish that associates body length with weight or body depth. Toxicity measurements included bioassays and the Ames Tests. The bioassays included several testing methods and test organism. (USGS)

Structuring of The Jurassic Basin of Chott in Gabes region (Southern Tunisia) associated to the Liassic rifting from geophysical and well data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassine, Mouna; Abbes, Chedly; Azaiez, Hajer; Gabtni, Hakim; Bouzid, Wajih

2016-04-01

The graben system of El Hamma, west of Gabes in Tunisia, corresponds to a pull apart basin developed in an extensive relay zone between two principal shear corridors (PSC) with a dextral sliding of N110-120 average direction. These PSC corresponds to two segments of the south-Atlasic shear corridor of NW-SE direction, which extends from Chott El Hodna in Algeria, to the NW, to the Libyan Djeferra to the SE (M.Hassine and al., 2015; M.Hassine and al., work in progress). This work aims to define the basin structuring during the Jurassic, especially from the Upper Lias during the Liassic rifting. For this, we performed seismic, gravity and well data analysis. Several wells situated in this basin and on its edges, which totally or partly crossed the Jurassic series which were described by several authors (J. Bonnefous, 1972 ; M. Soussi, 2002, 2004). These series corresponds to the Nara formation (PF Burollet, 1956) elevated to a group rank by M. Soussi (2003). It consists of two carbonate units separated by a marl-carbonate and sandstone member, dated successively of lower Lias (Hettangian- lower Pliensbachian.), Toarcian to Callovian and Upper Callovian-Tithonian. The correlation of this Jurassic formations along a North-South transect shows, from the South to the North, a significant variation in facies and thickness of the Jurassic series especially from the Upper Lias. Two resistant moles appears to the Northern and Southern edges of the pull-apart basin of El Hamma. The trend reversal of the lateral evolution of this series take place on the border NW-SE faults of the basin (PSC). The analysis of several seismic lines calibrated to well data, reveals a differentiated structuring inside the pull-apart basin itself, associated on the one hand, to the play of the N160 and N130-140 direction fault network which structure the basin in horsts and grabens of second order ( M. Hassine and al., 2015); and on the other hand, to the rise of the upper Triassic evaporates either by intrusions along major faults or as domes. They are especially observed on the northern margin of the basin where they delimit subsiding mini-basins bordered by high zones. The Middle Jurassic seismic horizons are then billeted in these mini-basins where they show an aggradational and retrogradational onlaps between the gutters zones and the salt rise zones. The Upper carbonate term of the series, attributed to the Upper Callovian- Tithonian sealed in unconformity the entire system. This early salt migration, that seems to be associated to the Liassic extension, was already mentioned in the Central Atlas (Bedir M. and al., 2000; D. Tanfous and al., 2005) and along the north-south chain (C . Gourmelen, 1984; C. Abbes, 2004). The residual gravity anomaly map shows a complex gravity field. Negative anomalies of -7.2 to -3.2 mlGal coincide with the graben structures; while positive anomalies reaching 2.2 mlGal overlap with horst structures. Moreover, Euler solutions reveal only the deep faults sealed by the upper member Callovo- Tithonian of the series, preferentially oriented in a direction close to East-West.

Impacts of golden alga Prymnesium parvum on fish populations in reservoirs of the upper Colorado River and Brazos River basins, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

VanLandeghem, Matthew M.; Farooqi, Mukhtar; Farquhar, B.; Patino, Reynaldo

2013-01-01

Several reservoirs in the upper Colorado River and Brazos River basins in Texas have experienced toxic blooms of golden alga Prymnesium parvum and associated fish kills since 2001. There is a paucity of information, however, regarding the population-level effects of such kills in large reservoirs, species-specific resistance to or recovery from kills, or potential differences in the patterns of impacts among basins. We used multiple before-after, control-impact analysis to determine whether repeated golden alga blooms have led to declines in the relative abundance and size structure of fish populations. Sustained declines were noted for 9 of 12 fish species surveyed in the upper Colorado River, whereas only one of eight species was impacted by golden alga in the Brazos River. In the upper Colorado River, White Bass Morone chrysops, White Crappie Pomoxis annularis, Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, River Carpsucker Carpiodes carpio, Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens, Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus, Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris, and Blue Catfish I. furcatus exhibited sustained declines in relative abundance, size structure, or both; Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum, Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus, and Common Carp Cyprinus carpio did not exhibit those declines. In the Brazos River, only the relative abundance of Blue Catfish was impacted. Overall, toxic golden alga blooms can negatively impact fish populations over the long-term, but the patterns of impact can vary considerably among river basins and species. In the Brazos River, populations of most fish species appear to be healthy, suggesting a positive angling outlook for this basin. In the upper Colorado River, fish populations have been severely impacted, and angling opportunities have been reduced. Basin-specific management plans aimed at improving water quality and quantity will likely reduce bloom intensity and allow recovery of fish populations to the abundances and size structures present before golden alga. Received August 26, 2011; accepted November 25, 2012

Petroleum systems of the Southeast Tertiary basins and Marbella area, Southeast Mexico

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

Fuentes, F.

1996-08-01

This study was done in an area where insufficient organic-rich rocks were available for a reliable oil-source rock correlation. However, oil-rock correlations, molecular characteristics of key horizons, paleofacies maps, maturation and potential migration pathways suggest the Tithonian as a major source rock. Moreover, there is good evidence of high quality source rocks in Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, Middle-Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene (mainly in the Eocene). Plays were identified in Upper Jurassic oolitic sequences, Early-Middle Cretaceus carbonate platform rocks and breccias, Late Cretaceous basinal fracture carbonates, Paleogene carbonates and breccias, Early-Middle Miocene mounds and submarine fans and isolated carbonate platform sediments and Miocene-Recentmore » turbidites. Seal rocks are shaly carbonates and anhydrites from Tithonian, basinal carbonates and anhydrites from Middle-Upper Cretaceous, basinal carbonates and marls from Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene shales, and bathyal shales from Early Miocene-Recent. The first phase of oil migration from upper Jurassic-Early Cretaceous source rocks occurred in the Early-Middle Cretaceous. In the Upper Cretaceous the Chortis block collided with Chiapas, and as a result mild folding and some hydrocarbons were emplaced to the structural highs. The main phase of structuration and folding of the Sierra de Chiapas started in the Miocene, resulting in well-defined structural traps. Finally, in Plio-Pleistocene the Chortis block was separated, the major compressional period finished and the southern portion of Sierra de Chiapas was raised isostatically. As a result of major subsidence, salt withdrawal and increased burial depth, conditions were created for the generation of liquid hydrocarbons from the Paleogene shales.« less

Provenance of Mesozoic clastic rocks within the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, central Tibet: Implications for the age of the initial Lhasa-Qiangtang collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shun; Guilmette, Carl; Ding, Lin; Xu, Qiang; Fu, Jia-Jun; Yue, Ya-Hui

2017-10-01

The Bangong-Nujiang suture zone, separating the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks of the Tibetan Plateau, is marked by remnants of the Bangong-Nujiang oceanic basin. In the Gaize area of central Tibet, Mesozoic sedimentary strata recording the evolution of the basin and subsequent collision between these two blocks include the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic turbidites of the Mugagangri Group, the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sandstone-dominated Wuga and Shamuluo formations, and the Upper Cretaceous molasse deposits of the Jingzhushan Formation. The Shamuluo and Jingzhushan formations rest unconformably on the underlying Mugagangri Group and Wuga Formation, respectively. In this contribution, we analyze petrographic components of sandstones and U-Pb-Hf isotopic compositions of detrital zircons from the Wuga and Jingzhushan formations for the first time. Based on the youngest detrital zircon ages, the maximum depositional ages of the Wuga and Jingzhushan formations are suggested to be ∼147-150 Ma and ∼79-91 Ma, respectively. Petrographic and isotopic results indicate that sediments in the Wuga Formation were mainly sourced from the accretionary complex (preserved as the Mugagangri Group) in the north, while sediments in the Jingzhushan Formation have mixed sources from the Lhasa block, the Qiangtang block and the intervening suture zone. Provenance analysis, together with regional data, suggests that the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Wuga and Shamuluo formations were deposited in a peripheral foreland basin and a residual-sea basin, respectively, in response to the Lhasa-Qiangtang collision, whereas the Upper Cretaceous Jingzhushan Formation reflects continental molasse deposition during the post-collisional stage. The development of the peripheral foreland basin evidenced by deposition of the Wuga Formation reveals that the age of the initial Lhasa-Qiangtang collision might be the latest Jurassic (∼150 Ma).

The Itajaí foreland basin: a tectono-sedimentary record of the Ediacaran period, Southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basei, M. A. S.; Drukas, C. O.; Nutman, A. P.; Wemmer, K.; Dunyi, L.; Santos, P. R.; Passarelli, C. R.; Campos Neto, M. C.; Siga, O.; Osako, L.

2011-04-01

The Itajaí Basin located in the southern border of the Luís Alves Microplate is considered as a peripheral foreland basin related to the Dom Feliciano Belt. It presents an excellent record of the Ediacaran period, and its upper parts display the best Brazilian example of Precambrian turbiditic deposits. The basal succession of Itajaí Group is represented by sandstones and conglomerates (Baú Formation) deposited in alluvial and deltaic-fan systems. The marine upper sequences correspond to the Ribeirão Carvalho (channelized and non-channelized proximal silty-argillaceous rhythmic turbidites), Ribeirão Neisse (arkosic sandstones and siltites), and Ribeirão do Bode (distal silty turbidites) formations. The Apiúna Formation felsic volcanic rocks crosscut the sedimentary succession. The Cambrian Subida leucosyenogranite represents the last felsic magmatic activity to affect the Itajaí Basin. The Brusque Group and the Florianópolis Batholith are proposed as source areas for the sediments of the upper sequence. For the lower continental units the source areas are the Santa Catarina, São Miguel and Camboriú complexes. The lack of any oceanic crust in the Itajaí Basin suggests that the marine units were deposited in a restricted, internal sea. The sedimentation started around 600 Ma and ended before 560 Ma as indicated by the emplacement of rhyolitic domes. The Itajaí Basin is temporally and tectonically correlated with the Camaquã Basin in Rio Grande do Sul and the Arroyo del Soldado/Piriápolis Basin in Uruguay. It also has several tectono-sedimentary characteristics in common with the African-equivalent Nama Basin.

Dating the Indo-Asia collision in NW Himalaya: constraints from Sr-Nd isotopes and detrital zircon (U-Pb) and Hf isotopes of Paleogene-Neogene rocks in the Katawaz basin, NW Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Guangsheng; Najman, Yani; Millar, Ian; Chauvel, Catherine; Guillot, Stephane; Carter, Andrew

2015-04-01

The time of collision between the Indian and Asian plates is key for understanding the convergence history and the impact on climatic systems and marine geochemistry. Despite much active research, the fundamental questions still remain elusive regarding when and where the Indian plate collided with the Asian plate. Especially in the west Himalaya, the questions become more complex due to disputes on the amalgamation history of interoceanic Kohistan-Ladakh arcs (KLA) with Karakoram of the Asian plate and the Indian plate. Here, we present a result of multiple-isotopic geochemistry and geochronology study in the Katawaz Basin in NW Pakistan, a remnant oceanic basin on the western Indian plate which was the repository for the sediments eroded from the west Himalaya ( Qayyum et al., 1996, 1997a, 1997b, 2001; Carter et al., 2010), to evaluate the time and character of collision in this region. In this study, we analyzed 22 bulk mudstone samples for Sr-Nd isotopes and 11 medium-grained sandstones for detrital zircon (U-Pb) geochronology and Hf isotopes. We constructed the Cenozoic chronology in the Katawaz Basin based on our newly collected detrital zircon U-Pb ages and fission track ages. We present the first record of Katawaz chronology that constrained the Khojak Formation to be < 40 Ma to < 22 Ma. The result is consistent with the previous nanofossil study that constrained the upper part of underlying Nisai Formation to be the Middle to Late Eocene. Our current study revealed that the Katawaz sedimentary sequence ranges in age from Eocene to the earliest Miocene. The samples from the Nisai Formation show the 87Sr/86Sr - ɛNd values overlapping those of the end member of the Karakoram of Asian origin, revealing the arrival of Asian detritus on the Indian plate prior to 50 Ma. There are two parallel lines of evidence supporting this conclusion: (1) young zircon grains (< 120 Ma), characterizing the KLA and Karakoram, persistently exist throughout the whole sedimentary section and (2) the detrital zircons from KLA and Karakoram which are distinctive in Hf isotopes also show the presence throughout the sequence. Collectively, we argue that 1) the major collision between the Indian and Asian plates occurred no later than 50 Ma in the NW Himalaya and 2) the amalgamation of KLA with the Asian plate occurred prior to the major Indo-Asia collision. Cited references Carter, A., Najman, Y., Bahroudi, A., Bown, P., Garzanti, E., Lawrence, R.D., 2010. Locating earliest records of orogenesis in western Himalaya: Evidence from Paleogene sediments in the Iranian Makran region and Pakistan Katawaz basin. Geology 38, 807-810. Qayyum, M., Lawrence, R.D., Niem, A.R., 1997a. Discovery of the palaeo-Indus delta-fan complex. Journal of the Geological Society 154, 753-756. Qayyum, M., Lawrence, R.D., Niem, A.R., 1997b. Molasse-Delta-flysch continuum of the Himalayan orogeny and closure of the Paleogene Katawaz Remnant Ocean, Pakistan. International geology review 39, 861-875. Qayyum, M., Niem, A.R., Lawrence, R.D., 1996. Newly discovered Paleogene deltaic sequence in Katawaz basin, Pakistan, and its tectonic implications. Geology 24, 835-838. Qayyum, M., Niem, A.R., Lawrence, R.D., 2001. Detrital modes and provenance of the Paleogene Khojak Formation in Pakistan: Implications for early Himalayan orogeny and unroofing. Geological Society of America Bulletin 113, 320-332.

Holocene landscape dynamics of the Ghaggar-Hakra floodplain, India: implications for the Indus Civilisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durcan, Julie; Thomas, David; Pawar, Vikas; Gupta, Sanjeev; Petrie, Cameron; Singh, Ravindra

2016-04-01

The area around the ephemeral Ghaggar-Hakra River system in India and Pakistan is associated with a dense concentration of Indus Civilisation archaeological sites. Giosan et al. (2012) have suggested that a decline, and ultimately cessation, of flow in this river system in response to the weakening of the Asian Monsoon was influential in the collapse of the Indus Civilisation around 4,000 years ago and palaeoclimatic studies in the region (e.g. Berkelhammer et al., 2012; Dixit et al., 2014; Leipe et al., 2014) have shown abrupt drying events during the mid-Holocene, which are superimposed onto a longer-term insolation driven decline in Asian Monsoon intensity. Further work is required to understand the dynamics of this river system during the Holocene and to assess the importance of changing landscape dynamics, as well as climatic variability, in the decline of the Indus Civilisation. This paper presents optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates from palaeochannel sediments and associated dune deposits in the Ghaggar-Hakra river system in Northwest India, with the aim of understanding late Quaternary geomorphological and palaeoenvironmental change. Reconstructing palaeoenvironmental variability will allow a comparison between the documented archaeological record of the Indus Civilisation and an absolute chronology of regional landscape dynamism. This comparison will also allow an insight into whether the mid-Holocene collapse and/or transformation of the Indus Civilisation can be correlated with geomorphological and/or climatic variability. Berkelhammer, M., Sinha, A., Stott, L., Cheng, H., Pausata, F.S.R., and Yoshimura, K., 2012, An abrupt shift in the Indian monsoon 4000 years ago, in Giosan, L., Fuller, D.Q., Nicoll, K., Flad, R.K. and Clift P.D. (eds.), Climates, landscapes, and civilizations. American Geophysical Union Geophysical Monograph, 198, 75-87. Dixit, Y., Hodell, D.A. and Petrie, C.A., 2012. Abrupt weakening of the summer monsoon in northwest India ~4100 yr ago. Geology, 42, 339-342. Giosan, L., Clift, P.D., Macklin, M.G., Fuller, D.Q., Constantinescu, S., Durcan, J.A., Stevens, T., Duller, G.A.T., Tabrez, A.R., Gangal, K., Adhikari, R., Alizai, A., Filip, F., Vanlaningham, S. and Syvitski, J.P.M., 2012. Fluvial landscapes of the Harappan civilization Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109 (26), E1688-E1694 Leipe, C., Demske, D., Tarasov, P.E. and HIMPAC Project Members, 2014. A Holocene pollen record from the northwestern Himalayan lake Tso Moriri: Implications for palaeoclimatic and archaeological research. Quaternary International, 348, 93-112.

Stratigraphy and Mesozoic–Cenozoic tectonic history of northern Sierra Los Ajos and adjacent areas, Sonora, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, William R.; Gray, Floyd; Iriondo, Alexander; Miggins, Daniel P.; Blodgett, Robert B.; Maldonado, Florian; Miller, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Geologic mapping in the northern Sierra Los Ajos reveals new stratigraphic and structural data relevant to deciphering the Mesozoic–Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the range. The northern Sierra Los Ajos is cored by Proterozoic, Cambrian, Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian strata, equivalent respectively to the Pinal Schist, Bolsa Quartzite and Abrigo Limestone, Martin Formation, Escabrosa Limestone, and Horquilla Limestone. The Proterozoic–Paleozoic sequence is mantled by Upper Cretaceous rocks partly equivalent to the Fort Crittenden and Salero Formations in Arizona, and the Cabullona Group in Sonora, Mexico.Absence of the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Bisbee Group below the Upper Cretaceous rocks and above the Proterozoic–Paleozoic rocks indicates that the Sierra Los Ajos was part of the Cananea high, a topographic highland during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Deposition of Upper Cretaceous rocks directly on Paleozoic and Proterozoic rocks indicates that the Sierra Los Ajos area had subsided as part of the Laramide Cabullona basin during Late Cretaceous time. Basal beds of the Upper Cretaceous sequence are clast-supported conglomerate composed locally of basement (Paleozoic) clasts. The conglomerate represents erosion of Paleozoic basement in the Sierra Los Ajos area coincident with development of the Cabullona basin.The present-day Sierra Los Ajos reaches elevations of greater than 2600 m, and was uplifted during Tertiary basin-and-range extension. Upper Cretaceous rocks are exposed at higher elevations in the northern Sierra Los Ajos and represent an uplifted part of the inverted Cabullona basin. Tertiary uplift of the Sierra Los Ajos was largely accommodated by vertical movement along the north-to-northwest-striking Sierra Los Ajos fault zone flanking the west side of the range. This fault zone structurally controls the configuration of the headwaters of the San Pedro River basin, an important bi-national water resource in the US-Mexico border region.

Evolution of Meso-Cenozoic lithospheric thermal-rheological structure in the Jiyang sub-basin, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern North China Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wei; Qiu, Nansheng; Wang, Ye; Chang, Jian

2018-01-01

The Meso-Cenozoic lithospheric thermal-rheological structure and lithospheric strength evolution of the Jiyang sub-basin were modeled using thermal history, crustal structure, and rheological parameter data. Results indicate that the thermal-rheological structure of the Jiyang sub-basin has exhibited obvious rheological stratification and changes over time. During the Early Mesozoic, the uppermost portion of the upper crust, middle crust, and the top part of the upper mantle had a thick brittle layer. During the early Early Cretaceous, the top of the middle crust's brittle layer thinned because of lithosphere thinning and temperature increase, and the uppermost portion of the upper mantle was almost occupied by a ductile layer. During the late Early Cretaceous, the brittle layer of the middle crust and the upper mantle changed to a ductile one. Then, the uppermost portion of the middle crust changed to a thin brittle layer in the late Cretaceous. During the early Paleogene, the thin brittle layer of the middle crust became even thinner and shallower under the condition of crustal extension. Currently, with the decrease in lithospheric temperature, the top of the upper crust, middle crust, and the uppermost portion of the upper mantle are of a brittle layer. The total lithospheric strength and the effective elastic thickness ( T e) in Meso-Cenozoic indicate that the Jiyang sub-basin experienced two weakened stages: during the late Early Cretaceous and the early Paleogene. The total lithospheric strength (approximately 4-5 × 1013 N m-1) and T e (approximately 50-60 km) during the Early Mesozoic was larger than that after the Late Jurassic (2-7 × 1012 N m-1 and 19-39 km, respectively). The results also reflect the subduction, and rollback of Pacific plate is the geodynamic mechanism of the destruction of the eastern North China Craton.

Novel single-nucleotide polymorphism markers confirm successful spawning of endangered pallid sturgeon in the upper Missouri River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eichelberger, Jennifer S.; Braaten, P. J.; Fuller, D. B.; Krampe, Matthew S.; Heist, Edward J.

2014-01-01

Spawning of the federally endangered Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus is known to occur in the upper Missouri River basin, but progeny from natural reproductive events have not been observed and recruitment to juvenile or adult life stages has not been documented in recent decades. Identification of Pallid Sturgeon progeny is confounded by the fact that Shovelnose Sturgeon S. platorynchus occurs throughout the entire range of Pallid Sturgeon and the two species are essentially indistinguishable (morphometrically and meristically) during early life stages. Moreover, free embryos of sympatric Paddlefish Polyodon spathula are very similar to the two sturgeon species. In this study, three single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays were employed to screen acipenseriform free embryos and larvae collected from the upper Missouri River basin in 2011, 2012, and 2013. A mitochondrial DNA SNP discriminates Paddlefish from sturgeon, and specific multilocus genotypes at two nuclear DNA SNPs occurred in 98.9% of wild adult Pallid Sturgeon but only in 3% of Shovelnose Sturgeon sampled in the upper Missouri River. Individuals identified as potential Pallid Sturgeon based on SNP genotypes were further analyzed at 19 microsatellite loci for species discrimination. Out of 1,423 free embryos collected over 3 years of sampling, 971 Paddlefish, 446 Shovelnose Sturgeon, and 6 Pallid Sturgeon were identified. Additionally, 249 Scaphirhynchus spp. benthic larvae were screened, but no Pallid Sturgeon were detected. These SNP markers provide an efficient method of screening acipenseriform early life stages for the presence of Pallid Sturgeon in the Missouri River basin. Detection of wild Pallid Sturgeon free embryos in the upper Missouri and Yellowstone rivers supports the hypothesis that the failure of wild Pallid Sturgeon to recruit to the juvenile life stage in the upper Missouri River basin is caused by early life stage mortality rather than by lack of successful spawning.

Comparison of historical streamflows to 2013 Streamflows in the Williamson, Sprague, and Wood Rivers, Upper Klamath Lake Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, Glen W.; Stonewall, Adam J.

2014-01-01

In 2013, the Upper Klamath Lake Basin, Oregon, experienced a dry spring, resulting in an executive order declaring a state of drought emergency in Klamath County. The 2013 drought limited the water supply and led to a near-total cessation of surface-water diversions for irrigation above Upper Klamath Lake once regulation was implemented. These conditions presented a unique opportunity to understand the effects of water right regulation on streamflows. The effects of regulation of diversions were evaluated by comparing measured 2013 streamflow with data from hydrologically similar years. Years with spring streamflow similar to that in 2013 measured at the Sprague River gage at Chiloquin from water years 1973 to 2012 were used to define a Composite Index Year (CIY; with diversions) for comparison to measured 2013 streamflows (no diversions). The best-fit 6 years (1977, 1981, 1990, 1991, 1994, and 2001) were used to determine the CIY. Two streams account for most of the streamflow into Upper Klamath Lake: the Williamson and Wood Rivers. Most streamflow into the lake is from the Williamson River Basin, which includes the Sprague River. Because most of the diversion regulation affecting the streamflow of the Williamson River occurred in the Sprague River Basin, and because of uncertainties about historical flows in a major diversion above the Williamson River gage, streamflow data from the Sprague River were used to estimate the change in streamflow from regulation of diversions for the Williamson River Basin. Changes in streamflow outside of the Sprague River Basin were likely minor relative to total streamflow. The effect of diversion regulation was evaluated using the “Baseflow Method,” which compared 2013 baseflow to baseflow of the CIY. The Baseflow Method reduces the potential effects of summer precipitation events on the calculations. A similar method using streamflow produced similar results, however, despite at least one summer precipitation event. The result of the analysis estimates that streamflow from the Williamson River Basin to Upper Klamath Lake increased by approximately 14,100 acre-feet between July 1 and September 30 relative to prior dry years as a result of regulation of surface-water diversions in 2013. Quantifying the change in streamflow from regulation of diversion for the Wood River Basin was likely less accurate due to a lack of long-term streamflow data. An increase in streamflow from regulation of diversions in the Wood River Basin of roughly 5,500 acre-feet was estimated by comparing the average August and September streamflow in 2013 with historical August and September streamflow. Summing the results of the estimated streamflow gain of the Williamson River Basin (14,100 acre-feet) and Wood River (5,500 acre-feet) gives a total estimated increase in streamflow into Upper Klamath Lake resulting from the July 1–September 2013 regulation of diversions of approximately 19,600 acre-feet.

Silver concentrations and selected hydrologic data in the Upper Colorado River basin, 1991-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johncox, D.A.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, collected water and sediment samples in May and September 1991 and 1992 from nine stream-sampling sites and three lake-sampling sites within the Upper Colorado River Basin upstream from Kremmling, Colorado. Data were collected to determine the present (1992) conditions of the Upper Colorado River Basin regarding silver concentrations in the water and sediment. Lake-water and stream-water samples were analyzed for concentrations of total recoverable silver, dissolved silver, and suspended solids. Lake- and stream-bottom material was analyzed for concentrations of total recoverable silver. Additional data collected were streamflow, specific conductance, pH, and water temperature. Transparency (Secchi-disk measurements) also was measured in the lakes.

Assessment of historical surface-water quality data in southwestern Colorado, 1990-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Lisa D.; Schaffrath, Keelin R.; Linard, Joshua I.

2013-01-01

The spatial and temporal distribution of selected physical and chemical surface-water-quality characteristics were analyzed at stream sites throughout the Dolores and San Juan River Basins in southwestern Colorado using historical data collected from 1990 through 2005 by various local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies. Overall, streams throughout the study area were well oxygenated. Values of pH generally were near neutral to slightly alkaline throughout most of the study area with the exception of the upper Animas River Basin near Silverton where acidic conditions existed at some sites because of hydrothermal alteration and(or) historical mining. The highest concentrations of dissolved aluminum, total recoverable iron, dissolved lead, and dissolved zinc were measured at sites located in the upper Animas River Basin. Thirty-two sites throughout the study area had at least one measured concentration of total mercury that exceeded the State chronic aquatic-life criterion of 0.01 μg/L. Concentrations of dissolved selenium at some sites exceeded the State chronic water-quality standard of 4.6 μg/L. Total ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and total phosphorus concentrations generally were low throughout the study area. Overall, results from the trend analyses indicated improvement in water-quality conditions as a result of operation of the Paradox Valley Unit in the Dolores River Basin and irrigation and water-delivery system improvements made in the McElmo Creek Basin (Lower San Juan River Basin) and Mancos River Valley (Upper San Juan River Basin).

Surficial deposits in the Bear Lake Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reheis, Marith C.; Laabs, Benjamin J.C.; Forester, Richard M.; McGeehin, John P.; Kaufman, Darrell S.; Bright, Jordon

2005-01-01

Mapping and dating of surficial deposits in the Bear Lake drainage basin were undertaken to provide a geologic context for interpretation of cores taken from deposits beneath Bear Lake, which sometimes receives water and sediment from the glaciated Bear River and sometimes only from the small drainage basin of Bear Lake itself. Analyses of core sediments by others are directed at (1) constructing a high-resolution climate record for the Bear Lake area during the late Pleistocene and Holocene, and (2) investigating the sources and weathering history of sediments in the drainage basin. Surficial deposits in the upper Bear River and Bear Lake drainage basins are different in their overall compositions, although they do overlap. In the upper Bear River drainage, Quaternary deposits derived from glaciation of the Uinta Range contain abundant detritus weathered from Precambrian quartzite, whereas unglaciated tributaries downstream mainly contribute finer sediment weathered from much younger, more friable sedimentary rocks. In contrast, carbonate rocks capped by a carapace of Tertiary sediments dominate the Bear Lake drainage basin.

BASIN ANALYSIS AND PETROLEUM SYSTEM CHARACTERIZATION AND MODELING, INTERIOR SALT BASINS, CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO

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

Ernest A. Mancini; Donald A. Goddard; Ronald K. Zimmerman

2005-05-10

The principal research effort for Year 2 of the project has been data compilation and the determination of the burial and thermal maturation histories of the North Louisiana Salt Basin and basin modeling and petroleum system identification. In the first nine (9) months of Year 2, the research focus was on the determination of the burial and thermal maturation histories, and during the remainder of the year the emphasis has basin modeling and petroleum system identification. Existing information on the North Louisiana Salt Basin has been evaluated, an electronic database has been developed, regional cross sections have been prepared, structuremore » and isopach maps have been constructed, and burial history, thermal maturation history and hydrocarbon expulsion profiles have been prepared. Seismic data, cross sections, subsurface maps and related profiles have been used in evaluating the tectonic, depositional, burial and thermal maturation histories of the basin. Oil and gas reservoirs have been found to be associated with salt-supported anticlinal and domal features (salt pillows, turtle structures and piercement domes); with normal faulting associated with the northern basin margin and listric down-to-the-basin faults (state-line fault complex) and faulted salt features; and with combination structural and stratigraphic features (Sabine and Monroe Uplifts) and monoclinal features with lithologic variations. Petroleum reservoirs are mainly Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous fluvial-deltaic sandstone facies and Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous shoreline, marine bar and shallow shelf sandstone facies. Cretaceous unconformities significantly contribute to the hydrocarbon trapping mechanism capacity in the North Louisiana Salt Basin. The chief petroleum source rock in this basin is Upper Jurassic Smackover lime mudstone beds. The generation of hydrocarbons from Smackover lime mudstone was initiated during the Early Cretaceous and continued into the Tertiary. Hydrocarbon expulsion commenced during the Early Cretaceous and continued into the Tertiary with peak expulsion occurring mainly during the Late Cretaceous.« less

Evolution of sedimentary architecture in retro-foreland basin: Aquitaine basin example from Paleocene to lower Eocene.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega, Carole; Lasseur, Eric; Guillocheau, François; Serrano, Olivier; Malet, David

2017-04-01

The Aquitaine basin located in south western Europe, is a Pyrenean retro-foreland basin. Two main phases of compression are recorded in this retro-foreland basin during the Pyrenean orogeny. A first upper Cretaceous phase corresponding to the early stage of the orogeny, and a second one usually related to a Pyrenean paroxysmal phase during the middle Eocene. During Paleocene to lower Eocene deformations are less pronounced, interpreted as a tectonically quiet period. The aim of the study is to better constrain the sedimentary system of the Aquitaine basin during this period of Paleocene-lower Eocene, in order to discuss the evolution of the sedimentary architecture in response of the Pyrenean compression. This work is based on a compilation of a large set of subsurface data (wells logs, seismic lines and cores logs) represented by isopachs and facies map. Three main cycles were identified during this structural quiet period: (1) The Danian cycle, is recorded by the aggradation of carbonate reef-rimmed platform. This platform is characterized by proximal facies (oncoid carbonate and mudstone with thalassinoides) to the north, which leads to distal deposit facies southern (pelagic carbonate with globigerina and slump facies) and present a significant thickness variation linked to the platform-slope-basin morphology. (2) The upper Selandian-Thanetian cycle follows a non-depositional/erosional surface associated with a Selandian hiatus. The base of this cycle marked the transition between the last reef rimmed platform and a carbonate ramp. The transgressive cycle is characterized by proximal lagoon facies to the north that leads southward to distal hemipelagic facies interfingered by turbiditic Lowstand System Tracks (LST). The location of these LST is strongly controlled by inherited Danian topography. The regressive cycle ends with a major regression associated with an erosional surface. This surface is linked with a network of canyons in the north, an important terrigeneous LST and a massive erosional surface in deep basin. We correlated this upper Thanetian major regression with a flexural deformation of the basin. In this context, the importance of terrigeneous LST could be explained by the erosion of the East Pyrenean range. (3) The lower Ypresian records the installation of mixed terrigenous-carbonated system. While the East-West progradation of siliciclastic deltas is drained into foreland basin, a carbonates condensation are developed on structural ridges, attesting the structural activation of foreland basin during lower Ypresian. This study shows that Danian to middle Thanetian time represents a quiet tectonic period in the retro-foreland basin. During the upper Thanetian period, the compressive deformation is increasing, marked by the emersion of the northern platform, a massive LST in distal environment and a rise of terrigenous input in flexural basin (LST). This deformation associated with the Pyrenean compression continues during the Ypresian and highlights the paroxysm of the Pyrenean orogeny. This work is included in the Gaia project founded by TIGF, BRGM and Agence de l'Eau Adour/Garonne whose aim at constrain the nature and dynamics of deep Upper cretaceous and Tertiary aquifers of the Aquitaine basin.

Superposed folding in the Neogene series of the northeastern Tunisia: precision of the upper Miocene compression and geodynamic significance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramzi, Azizi; Lassaad, Chihi

2017-09-01

New field observations carried out in northeastern Tunisia (Kechabta Neogene basin) allowed us to clarify and pinpoint the chronology of the folding phases which had been the subject of contradictions in previous studies. To better understand the folding in the study area, a set of structural, lithostratigraphic and cartographic arguments are given in order to confirm the Atlassic folding phase (upper Tortonian) affecting rheologically weak and incompetent materials of the Neogene layers. In the Kechabta Neogene basin, the upper Tortonian folding is materialized by an unconformity between the Kechabta (Tortonian) and the Oued Bel Khedim (Messinian) formations. The highlight of this event allows us to identify the current fold structure of the study area as a superposition of two major folding episodes: The first one occurred during the upper Tortonian, and the second in the Early Quaternary (post-Villafranchian). The chronological consistency of the upper Tortonian folding in the Kechabta basin with the rest of the Tunisian chains allows for a better understanding of the collision context (Miocene to the Quaternary) which dominated the western Mediterranean Sea and steered the structural evolution of Tunisia.

Augmentation of Quick-EXAFS measurement facility at the energy scanning EXAFS beamline at INDUS-2 SRS

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

Poswal, A. K., E-mail: poswalashwini@gmail.com; Agrawal, Ankur; Bhattachryya, D.

2015-06-24

In this paper implementation of Quick-EXAFS data acquisition facility at the Energy Scanning EXAFS beamline(BL-09) at INDUS-2 synchrotron source, Indore is presented. By adopting a continuous-scan mode in the Double Crystal monochromator (DCM), a high signal-to-noise ratio is maintained and the acquisition time is reduced to few seconds. The quality of spectra and repeatability is checked by measuring standards. The present mode of data acquisition would enable EXAFS measurement for in-situ studies even in fluorescence mode.

Lithofacies, depositional environments, and regional stratigraphy of the lower Eocene Ghazij Formation, Balochistan, Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Edward A.; Warwick, Peter D.; Roberts, Stephen B.; Khan, Intizar H.

1999-01-01

The coal-bearing, lower Eocene Ghazij Formation is exposed intermittently over a distance of 750 kilometers along the western margin of the Axial Belt in north-central Pakistan. Underlying the formation are Jurassic to Paleocene carbonates that were deposited on a marine shelf along the pre- and post-rift northern margin of the Indian subcontinent. Overlying the formation are middle Eocene to Miocene marine and nonmarine deposits capped by Pliocene to Pleistocene collision molasse.The lower part of the Ghazij comprises mostly dark gray calcareous mudrock containing foraminifers and rare tabular to lenticular bodies of very fine grained to finegrained calcareous sandstone. We interpret the lower portion of this part of the Ghazij as outer-shelf deposits, and the upper portion as prodelta deposits. The middle part of the formation conformably overlies the lower part. It comprises medium-gray calcareous mudrock containing nonmarine bivalves, fine- to medium-grained calcareous sandstone, and rare intervals of carbonaceous shale and coal. Sandstone bodies in the middle part, in ascending stratigraphic order, are classified as Type I (coarsening-upward grain size, contain the trace fossil Ophiomorpha, and are commonly overlain by carbonaceous shale or coal), Type II (mixed grain size, display wedge-planar cross stratification, and contain fossil oyster shells and Ophiomorpha), and Type III (finingupward grain size, lenticular shape, erosional bases, and display trough cross stratification). These three types of bodies represent shoreface deposits, tidal channels, and fluvial channels, respectively. Mudrock intervals in the lower portion of this part of the formation contain fossil plant debris and represent estuarine deposits, and mudrock intervals in the upper portion contain fossil root traces and represent overbank deposits. We interpret the middle part of the Ghazij as a lower delta plain sequence. Overlying the middle part of the Ghazij, possibly unconformably, is the upper part of the formation, which comprises calcareous, nonfossiliferous, light-gray, brown, and red-banded mudrock, and rare Type III sandstone bodies. Much of the mudrock in this part of the formation represents multiple paleosol horizons. Locally, a limestone-pebble conglomerate is present in the upper part of the formation, either at the base or occupying most of the sequence. We interpret all but the uppermost portion of the upper part of the Ghazij as an upper delta plain deposit.Thin sections of Ghazij sandstones show mostly fragments of limestone, and heavy-liquid separations reveal the presence of chromite. Paleocurrent data and other evidence indicate a northwestern source area.During earliest Eocene time, the outer edge of the marine shelf off the Indian subcontinent collided with a terrestrial fragment positioned adjacent to, but detached from, the Asian mainland. This collision caused distal carbonateplatform deposits to be uplifted, and an intervening intracratonic sea, the Indus Foreland Basin, was created. Thus for the first time, the depositional slope switched from northwest facing to southeast facing, and a northwestern source for detritus was provided. We conclude that the Ghazij was deposited as a prograding clastic wedge along the northwestern shore of this sea, and that the formation contains sedimentologic evidence of a collisional event that predates the main impact between India and Asia.

Population trends of smallmouth bass in the upper Colorado River basin with an evaluation of removal effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breton, André R.; Winkelman, Dana L.; Hawkins, John A.; Bestgen, Kevin R.

2014-01-01

Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu were rare in the upper Colorado River basin until the early 1990’s when their abundance dramatically increased in the Yampa River sub-basin. Increased abundance was due primarily to colonization from Elkhead Reservoir, which was rapidly drawn down twice, first to make improvements to the dam (1992) and a second time for reservoir expansion (2005), and allowed escapement of resident bass to the river through an unscreened outlet. Elkhead Reservoir is located on Elkhead Creek, a tributary of the Yampa River. The rapid Elkhead Reservoir drawdown in 1992 was followed by a period of drought years with low, early runoff in the Yampa River sub-basin that benefitted smallmouth bass reproduction. This combination of factors allowed smallmouth bass to establish a self-sustaining population in the Yampa River. Subsequently, successful recruitment allowed smallmouth bass to disperse upstream and downstream in the Yampa River and eventually move into the downstream Green River. Smallmouth bass were also likely introduced, by unknown means, into the upper Colorado River and have since dispersed in this sub-basin. The rapid increase of smallmouth bass in the upper Colorado River basin overlapped with significant reductions in native fish populations in some locations. The threat to these native fishes initiated intensive mechanical removal of smallmouth bass by the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program.In general, three factors explain fluctuating patterns in smallmouth bass density in the upper Colorado River basin in the last decade: reductions due to electrofishing removal, bass recovery after exploitation due to recruitment and immigration, and changes due to environmental factors not related to electrofishing and other management actions. Our analyses indicated that smallmouth bass densities were substantially reduced in most years by 7 electrofishing removal efforts. Less often, but dramatically in some cases, environmental effects were also responsible for significant declines in smallmouth bass densities in some reaches. Abundant year classes of young smallmouth bass produced in low flow and warm years such as 2007 have potential to overwhelm removal efforts, and the year class persists for one or more years. Nonetheless, it appears that increased electrofishing removal efforts from 2007 to 2011 resulted in sustained reductions in density of smallmouth bass sub-adults and adults throughout the upper basin despite environmental conditions that favored smallmouth bass reproduction in some years (e.g. 2007 and 2009), subsequent recruitment into sub-adult and adult age classes, and movement of smallmouth bass which previously (prior to increases in electrofishing removal efforts) allowed densities to recover in some reaches.We recommend that removal efforts continue in most areas of the upper basin but that the Recovery Program consider allocating effort based on population trends and suspected areas of highest smallmouth bass reproduction. For instance, reproduction, recruitment, and movement of smallmouth bass allowed densities to recover in some reaches, particularly Little Yampa Canyon. Smallmouth bass population recovery implies that areas such as Little Yampa Canyon itself or adjacent reaches (especially upstream), may provide important habitat for age-0 production. We recommend continued assessment of smallmouth bass populations in reaches where reproduction or age-1 nurseries are suspected, such as Little Yampa Canyon and the adjacent upstream reach. It may also be necessary to expand monitoring to areas surrounding suspected sources of smallmouth bass reproduction and increase electrofishing removal effort in these reaches.

Fluid inclusions and biomarkers in the Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district; implications for the fluid-flow and thermal history of the Illinois Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowan, E. Lanier; Goldhaber, Martin B.

1996-01-01

The Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district is hosted by Ordovician carbonate rocks at the northern margin of the Illinois Basin. Fluid inclusion temperature measurements on Early Permian sphalerite ore from the district are predominantly between 90?C and I50?C. These temperatures are greater than can be explained by their reconstructed burial depth, which was a maximum of approximately 1 km at the time of mineralization. In contrast to the temperatures of mineral formation derived from fluid inclusions, biomarker maturities in the Upper Mississippi Valley district give an estimate of total thermal exposure integrated over time. Temperatures from fluid inclusions trapped during ore genesis with biomarker maturities were combined to construct an estimate of the district's overall thermal history and, by inference, the late Paleozoic thermal and hydrologic history of the Illinois Basin. Circulation of groundwater through regional aquifers, given sufficient flow rates, can redistribute heat from deep in a sedimentary basin to its shallower margins. Evidence for regional-scale circulation of fluids is provided by paleomagnetic studies, regionally correlated zoned dolomite, fluid inclusions, and thermal maturity of organic matter. Evidence for igneous acti vity contemporaneous with mineralization in the vicinity of the Upper Mississippi Valley district is absent. Regional fluid and heat circulation is the most likely explanation for the elevated fluid inclusion temperatures (relative to maximum estimated burial depth) in the Upper Mississippi Valley district. One plausible driving mechanism and flow path for the ore-forming fluids is groundwater recharge in the late Paleozoic Appalachian-Ouachita mountain belt and northward flow through the Reelfoot rift and the proto- Illinois Basin to the Upper Mississippi Valley district. Warm fluid flowing laterally through Cambrian and Ordovician aquifers would then move vertically upward through the fractures that control sphalerite mineralization in the Upper Mississippi Valley district. Biomarker reactant-product measurements on rock extracts from the Upper Mississippi Valley district define a relatively low level ofthermal maturity for the district, 0.353 for sterane and 0.577 for hopane. Recently published kinetic constants permit a time-temperature relationship to be determined from these biomarker maturities. Numerical calculations were made to simulate fluid heat flow through the fracture-controlled ore zones of the Thompson-Temperly mine and heat transfer to the adjacent rocks where biomarker samples were collected. Calculations that combine the fluid inclusion temperatures and the biomarker constraints on thermal maturity indicate that the time interval during which mineralizing fluids circulated through the Upper Mississippi Valley district is on the order of 200,000 years. Fluid inclusion measurements and thermal maturities from biomarkers in the district reflect the duration of peak temperatures resulting from regional fluid circulation. On the basis of thermal considerations, the timing of fluorite mineralization in southern Illinois, and the northward-decreasing pattern of fluorine enrichment in sediments, we hypothesize that the principal flow direction was northward through the Cambrian and Ordovician aquifers of the Illinois Basin. A basin-scale flow system would result in mass transport (hydrocarbon migration, transport of metals in solution) and energy (heat) transport, which would in turn drive chemical reactions (for example, maturation of organic matter, mineralization, diagenetic reactions) within the Illinois Basin and at its margins.

Reimagining cost recovery in Pakistan's irrigation system through willingness-to-pay estimates for irrigation water from a discrete choice experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Andrew Reid; Shah, M. Azeem Ali; Ward, Patrick S.

2014-08-01

It is widely argued that farmers are unwilling to pay adequate fees for surface water irrigation to recover the costs associated with maintenance and improvement of delivery systems. In this paper, we use a discrete choice experiment to study farmer preferences for irrigation characteristics along two branch canals in Punjab Province in eastern Pakistan. We find that farmers are generally willing to pay well in excess of current surface water irrigation costs for increased surface water reliability and that the amount that farmers are willing to pay is an increasing function of their existing surface water supply as well as location along the main canal branch. This explicit translation of implicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for water (via expenditure on groundwater pumping) to WTP for reliable surface water demonstrates the potential for greatly enhanced cost recovery in the Indus Basin Irrigation System via appropriate setting of water user fees, driven by the higher WTP of those currently receiving reliable supplies.

Reimagining cost recovery in Pakistan's irrigation system through willingness-to-pay estimates for irrigation water from a discrete choice experiment

PubMed Central

Bell, Andrew Reid; Shah, M Azeem Ali; Ward, Patrick S

2014-01-01

It is widely argued that farmers are unwilling to pay adequate fees for surface water irrigation to recover the costs associated with maintenance and improvement of delivery systems. In this paper, we use a discrete choice experiment to study farmer preferences for irrigation characteristics along two branch canals in Punjab Province in eastern Pakistan. We find that farmers are generally willing to pay well in excess of current surface water irrigation costs for increased surface water reliability and that the amount that farmers are willing to pay is an increasing function of their existing surface water supply as well as location along the main canal branch. This explicit translation of implicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for water (via expenditure on groundwater pumping) to WTP for reliable surface water demonstrates the potential for greatly enhanced cost recovery in the Indus Basin Irrigation System via appropriate setting of water user fees, driven by the higher WTP of those currently receiving reliable supplies. PMID:25552779

Sequence stratigraphy, geodynamics, and detrital geothermochronology of Cretaceous foreland basin deposits, western interior U.S.A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Painter, Clayton S.

Three studies on Cordilleran foreland basin deposits in the western U.S.A. constitute this dissertation. These studies differ in scale, time and discipline. The first two studies include basin analysis, flexural modeling and detailed stratigraphic analysis of Upper Cretaceous depocenters and strata in the western U.S.A. The third study consists of detrital zircon U-Pb analysis (DZ U-Pb) and thermochronology, both zircon (U-Th)/He and apatite fission track (AFT), of Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous foreland-basin conglomerates and sandstones. Five electronic supplementary files are a part of this dissertation and are available online; these include 3 raw data files (Appendix_A_raw_isopach_data.txt, Appendix_C_DZ_Data.xls, Appendix_C_U-Pb_apatite.xls), 1 oversized stratigraphic cross section (Appendix_B_figure_5.pdf), and 1 figure containing apatite U-Pb concordia plots (Appendix_C_Concordia.pdf). Appendix A is a combination of detailed isopach maps of the Upper Cretaceous Western Interior, flexural modeling and a comparison to dynamic subsidence models as applied to the region. Using these new isopach maps and modeling, I place the previously recognized but poorly constrained shift from flexural to non-flexural subsidence at 81 Ma. Appendix B is a detailed stratigraphic study of the Upper Cretaceous, (Campanian, ~76 Ma) Sego Sandstone Member of the Mesaverde Group in northwestern Colorado, an area where little research has been done on this formation. Appendix C is a geo-thermochronologic study to measure the lag time of Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous conglomerates and sandstones in the Cordilleran foreland basin. The maximum depositional ages using DZ U-Pb match existing biostratigraphic age controls. AFT is an effective thermochronometer for Lower to Upper Cretaceous foreland stratigraphy and indicates that source material was exhumed from >4--5 km depth in the Cordilleran orogenic belt between 118 and 66 Ma, and zircon (U-Th)/He suggests that it was exhumed from <8--9 km depth. Apatite U-Pb analyses indicate that volcanic contamination is a significant issue, without which, one cannot exclude the possibility that the youngest detrital AFT population is contaminated with significant amounts of volcanogenic apatite and does not represent source exhumation. AFT lag times are <5 Myr with relatively steady-state to slightly increasing exhumation rates. Lag time measurements indicate exhumation rates of ~0.9->>1 km/Myr.

Isopach and structure contour maps of the Burro Canyon(?) Formation in the Chama-El Vado Area, Chama Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ridgley, Jennie L.

1983-01-01

In the Chama Basin a wequence of conglomerate, sandstone, and red, gray-green, and pale-purple mudstone occurs stratigraphically between the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation and Upper Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone. This stratigraphic interval has been called the Burro Canyon Formation by several workers (Craig and others, 1959; Smith and others, 1961; Saucier, 1974). Although similarities in lithology and stratigraphic position exist between this unit and the Burro Canyon Formation in Colorado, no direct correlation has been made between the two. For this reason the unit in the Chama Basin is called the Burro Canyon(?) Formation. 

The Scientific Assessment and Strategy Team

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1999-01-01

The flood of 1993 in the Upper Mississippi River Basin caused widespread devastation. The human and economic costs were high. The total flood and other related damage estimates were in the $10 billion to $16 billion range, with total Federal expenditures in excess of $5.4 billion. In response to the effects of the flood of 1993, the White House established the Scientific Assessment and Strategy Team (SAST) on November 24, 1993. The SAST?s goals are to provide scientific advice and assistance to policymakers and officials responsible for flood recovery and river basin management in the Upper Mississippi River Basin and to prepare a data base to support those goals.

Signal or noise? Separating grain size-dependent Nd isotope variability from provenance shifts in Indus delta sediments, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonell, T. N.; Li, Y.; Blusztajn, J.; Giosan, L.; Clift, P. D.

2017-12-01

Rare earth element (REE) radioisotope systems, such as neodymium (Nd), have been traditionally used as powerful tracers of source provenance, chemical weathering intensity, and sedimentary processes over geologic timescales. More recently, the effects of physical fractionation (hydraulic sorting) of sediments during transport have called into question the utility of Nd isotopes as a provenance tool. Is source terrane Nd provenance resolvable if sediment transport strongly induces noise? Can grain-size sorting effects be quantified? This study works to address such questions by utilizing grain size analysis, trace element geochemistry, and Nd isotope geochemistry of bulk and grain-size fractions (<63μm, 63-125 μm, 125-250 μm) from the Indus delta of Pakistan. Here we evaluate how grain size effects drive Nd isotope variability and further resolve the total uncertainties associated with Nd isotope compositions of bulk sediments. Results from the Indus delta indicate bulk sediment ɛNd compositions are most similar to the <63 µm fraction as a result of strong mineralogical control on bulk compositions by silt- to clay-sized monazite and/or allanite. Replicate analyses determine that the best reproducibility (± 0.15 ɛNd points) is observed in the 125-250 µm fraction. The bulk and finest fractions display the worst reproducibility (±0.3 ɛNd points). Standard deviations (2σ) indicate that bulk sediment uncertainties are no more than ±1.0 ɛNd points. This argues that excursions of ≥1.0 ɛNd points in any bulk Indus delta sediments must in part reflect an external shift in provenance irrespective of sample composition, grain size, and grain size distribution. Sample standard deviations (2s) estimate that any terrigenous bulk sediment composition should vary no greater than ±1.1 ɛNd points if provenance remains constant. Findings from this study indicate that although there are grain-size dependent Nd isotope effects, they are minimal in the Indus delta such that resolvable provenance-driven trends can be identified in bulk sediment ɛNd compositions over the last 20 k.y., and that overall provenance trends remain consistent with previous findings.

Reconstructing Holocene hematite and goethite variations in the Indus Canyon to trace changes in the Asian monsoon system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehler, Cornelia; Clift, Peter; Pressling, Nicola; Limmer, David; Giosan, Liviu; Tabrez, Ali

2010-05-01

In order to study Holocene Asian monsoon variations, we reconstructed changes in chemical weathering by examining sediments from the Indus Canyon. During the late Holocene, the Asian monsoon system had periods of high and low intensities that influenced the civilisations living in its realm. For example, the demise of the Harappan civilisation has been linked to a weakened monsoon system around 4 ka. The sediments in the Indus Canyon, which originate from the River Indus and its Himalayan tributaries, provide an ideal, natural environmental archive of the South Asian monsoon system. In order to investigate the alternation between arid and humid monsoonal climatic conditions, variations are traced using the magnetic minerals hematite and goethite, which form under distinct environmental conditions: goethite is stable under humid conditions, whereas hematite forms from the dehydration of goethite under arid conditions. The two minerals are characterised and quantified using environmental magnetic measurements, as well as diffuse reflectance spectrometry. Combining both approaches will enable us to reconstruct variations in chemical weathering over time. Furthermore, because this is governed by temperature and the availability of moisture, our weathering record will allow us to understand monsoon variability during the Holocene and test whether summer rain intensity has been decreasing in SW Asia since 8 ka. In addition, the multi-component analysis of colour reflectance spectra identifies different mineral components including hematite/goethite, clay mineral mixtures, calcite and organics. We will present our results from the multi-sensor core logger equipped with a Minolta spectrometer, measuring both magnetic susceptibility and the optical properties of the split sediment cores. Initial results indicate the presence of hematite and goethite in the sediment. There is an increasing hematite content up the cores, indicating an aridification trend during the Holocene. The sediments are further analysed using the environmental magnetic proxies NRM, ARM and IRM to fully understand the mineral magnetic variations and to quantify hematite and goethite contributions. This work plays an integral part of a larger scale palaeoenvironmental project on Indus Canyon sediments.

Evidence for an upper mantle low velocity zone beneath the southern Basin and Range-Colorado Plateau transition zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benz, H.M.; McCarthy, J.

1994-01-01

A 370-km-long seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profile recorded during the Pacific to Arizona Crustal Experiment (PACE) detected an upper mantle P-wave low-velocity zone (LVZ) in the depth range 40 to 55 km beneath the Basin and Range in southern Arizona. Interpretation of seismic data places constraints on the sub-crustal lithosphere of the southern Basin and Range Province, which is important in light of the active tectonics of the region and the unknown role of the sub-crustal lithosphere in the development of the western United States. Forward travel time and synthetic seismogram techniques are used to model this shallow upper mantle LVZ. Modeling results show that the LVZ is defined by a 5% velocity decrease relative to a Pn velocity of 7.95 km s−1, suggesting either a ∼3–5% mafic partial melt or high-temperature, sub-solidus peridotite.

Beyond annual streamflow reconstructions for the Upper Colorado River Basin: a paleo-water-balance approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gangopadhyay, Subhrendu; McCabe, Gregory J.; Woodhouse, Connie A.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a methodology to use annual tree-ring chronologies and a monthly water balance model to generate annual reconstructions of water balance variables (e.g., potential evapotrans- piration (PET), actual evapotranspiration (AET), snow water equivalent (SWE), soil moisture storage (SMS), and runoff (R)). The method involves resampling monthly temperature and precipitation from the instrumental record directed by variability indicated by the paleoclimate record. The generated time series of monthly temperature and precipitation are subsequently used as inputs to a monthly water balance model. The methodology is applied to the Upper Colorado River Basin, and results indicate that the methodology reliably simulates water-year runoff, maximum snow water equivalent, and seasonal soil moisture storage for the instrumental period. As a final application, the methodology is used to produce time series of PET, AET, SWE, SMS, and R for the 1404–1905 period for the Upper Colorado River Basin.

18 CFR 708.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Snelling, Twin Cities, Minnesota. (c) Master Plan means the Upper Mississippi River System Comprehensive... Section 708.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN COMMISSION: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER SYSTEM MASTER PLAN § 708.1 Definitions...

Stratigraphic framework and regional subsurface geology of upper Cretaceous through lower Eocene rocks in Wind River basin, Wyoming

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

Hogle, D.G.; Jones, R.W.

1989-03-01

A detailed stratigraphic study of over 6000 m of Upper Cretaceous through lower Eocene sedimentary rocks in the Wind River basin. Wyoming, has refined and expanded previous work and conclusions. A much larger data base than previously available was assembled to include a correlation net of 325 geophysical well logs, 36 drill holes with palynological age dates, lithology logs of drill hoes, and limited surface exposures. The most significant results and conclusions from this study are summarized below. (1) The lower part of the Mesaverde Formation intertongues with marine sandstones and shales of the upper Cody Shale to the eastmore » and with marine sandstones of the lower Mesaverde Formation in the Big Horn basin to the north. (2) An unconformity between the Mesaverde and Fort Union Formations in the southwestern part of the basin can be traced into the subsurface. (3) During the latest Cretaceous and Paleocene, over 2100 m of Lance Formation and over 2700 m of Fort Union Formation were deposited in the northeastern part of the basin. Ponding during the Paleocene is demonstrated by correlation and subsurface mapping of over 900 m of shale and siltstone in the Waltman Shale Member of the Fort Union Formation. (4) The Lance and Fort Union Formations can be mapped in the subsurface throughout much of the basin. The Lance Formation pinches out in the western part of the basin. (5) Coal beds can be traced for short distances in the subsurface; coal bed occurrence is documented for the Mesaverde, lower Fort Union, and Meeteetse Formations in the southwestern, northern and central, and northwestern parts of the basin, respectively.« less

Regression-transgression cycles of paleolakes in the Fen River Graben Basin during the mid to late Quaternary and their tectonic implication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Meijun; Hu, Xiaomeng

2017-12-01

An investigation into lake terraces and their sedimentary features in the Fen River Graben Basin shows that several paleolake regression-transgression cycles took place during the mid to late Quaternary. The horizontal distribution of the lowest loess/paleosol unit overlying each lake terrace indicates the occurrence of four rapid lake regressions when paleosols S8, S5, S2, and S1 began to develop. The horizontal distribution of the topmost loess/ paleosol unit underlying the lacustrine sediment in each transition zone between two adjacent terraces indicates that following a lake regression, a very slow lake transgression occurred. The durations of three lake transgressions correspond to those of the deposition or development of loess/paleosols L8 to L6, L5 to L3, and L2. It is thereby inferred that regional tectonic movement is likely the primary factor resulting in the cyclical process of paleolake regressions and transgressions. Taking these findings along with published geophysical research results regarding the upper mantle movements underneath the graben basin into account, this paper deduces that a cause and effect relationship may exist between the paleolake regression-transgression cycles and the tectonic activity in the upper mantle. The occurrence of a rapid lake regression implies that the upwelling of the upper mantle underneath the graben basin may be dominant and resulting in a rapid uplifting of the basin floor. The subsequent slow lake transgression implies that the thinning of the crust and cooling of the warm mantle material underneath the graben basin may become dominant causing the basin floor to subside slowly. Four rapid paleolake regressions indicate that four episodic tectonic movements took place in the graben basin during the mid to late Quaternary.

Tectonic Evolution of the Çayirhan Neogene Basin (Ankara), Central Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behzad, Bezhan; Koral, Hayrettin; İşb&idot; l, Duygu; Karaaǧa; ç, Serdal

2016-04-01

Çayırhan (Ankara) is located at crossroads of the Western Anatolian extensional region, analogous to the Basin and Range Province, and suture zone of the Neotethys-Ocean, which is locus of the North Anatolian Transform since the Late Miocene. To the north of Çayırhan (Ankara), a Neogene sedimentary basin comprises Lower-Middle Miocene and Upper Miocene age formations, characterized by swamp, fluvial and lacustrine settings respectively. This sequence is folded and transected by neotectonic faults. The Sekli thrust fault is older than the Lower-Middle Miocene age formations. The Davutoǧlan fault is younger than the Lower-Middle Miocene formations and is contemporaneous to the Upper Miocene formation. The Çatalkaya fault is younger than the Upper Miocene formation. The sedimentary and tectonic features provide information on mode, timing and evolution of this Neogene age sedimentary basin in Central Turkey. It is concluded that the region underwent a period of uplift and erosion under the influence of contractional tectonics prior to the Early-Middle Miocene, before becoming a semi-closed basin under influence of transtensional tectonics during the Early-Middle Miocene and under influence of predominantly extensional tectonics during the post-Late Miocene times. Keywords: Tectonics, Extension, Transtension, Stratigraphy, Neotectonic features.

A new species of Euprox (Cervidae, Artiodactyla) from the upper Miocene of the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China, with interpretation of its paleoenvironment.

PubMed

Hou, Sukuan

2015-01-16

The Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China, is known for its abundant and well preserved fossils. Here a new species, Euprox grandis sp. nov., is established based on a skull and antlers collected from the upper Miocene Liushu Formation of the Linxia Basin. The new species is distinguishable from other Euprox species by its large body size, notably long pedicle and weak burr. The main beam and the brow tine are slightly curved both medially and backwards, and the apex of the main beam turns, curving slightly laterally. The upper cheek teeth are brachydont, with a clear central fold on the premolars and internal postprotocrista and metaconule fold on M1-M2. The cingulum is almost absent, only occasionally weakly developed at the anterior and lingual surface of the teeth. Cladistic analysis was carried out using the TNT software, and two most parsimonious trees were retained. As the strict consensus tree shows E. grandis appears to be an advanced muntiacine form, which may have a close relationship with the genus Muntiacus. The presence of E. grandis in the Linxia Basin adds new evidence to support a warm and humid environment during the late Miocene in the basin. 

Hydrogeology and quality of ground water in the upper Arkansas River basin from Buena Vista to Salida, Colorado, 2000-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watts, Kenneth R.

2005-01-01

The upper Arkansas River Basin between Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado, is a downfaulted basin, the Buena Vista-Salida structural basin, located between the Sawatch and Mosquito Ranges. The primary aquifers in the Buena Vista-Salida structural basin consist of poorly consolidated to unconsolidated Quaternary-age alluvial and glacial deposits and Tertiary-age basin-fill deposits. Maximum thickness of the alluvial, glacial, and basin-fill deposits is about 5,000 feet, but 95 percent of the water-supply wells in Chaffee County are no more than 300 feet deep. Hydrologic conditions in the 149-square mile study area are described on the basis of hydrologic and geologic data compiled and collected during September 2000 through September 2003. The principal aquifers described in this report are the alluvial-outwash and basin-fill aquifers. An estimated 3,443 wells pumped about 690 to 1,240 acre-feet for domestic and household use in Chaffee County during 2003. By 2030, projected increases in the population of Chaffee County, Colorado, may require use of an additional 4,000 to 5,000 wells to supply an additional 800 to 1,800 acre-feet per year of ground water for domestic and household supply. The estimated specific yield of the upper 300 feet of the alluvial-outwash and basin-fill aquifers ranged from about 0.02 to 0.2. Current (2003) and projected (2030) ground-water withdrawals by domestic and household wells are less than 1 percent of the estimated 472,000 acre-feet of drainable ground water in the upper 300 feet of the subsurface. Locally, little water is available in the upper 300 feet. In densely populated areas, well interference could result in decreased water levels and well yields, which may require deepening or replacement of wells. Infiltration of surface water diverted for irrigation and from losing streams is the primary source of ground-water recharge in the semiarid basin. Ground-water levels in the alluvial-outwash and basin-fill aquifers vary seasonally with maximum water levels occurring in the early summer after snowmelt runoff peaks. Because of the drought during 2002, relatively large declines in ground-water levels occurred in about one-half of the monitored wells. Differences in water-level altitudes in shallow and deep wells indicate the potential for downward flow in upland areas and support results of preliminary cross-sectional models of ground-water flow. The apparent mean age of ground-water recharge ranged from about 1 to more than 48 years before 2001. The older (pre-1953) water was from wells that were located in ground-water discharge areas. Ground-water flow in the Buena Vista-Salida structural basin drains eastward toward the Arkansas River and, locally, toward the South Arkansas River. Ground water in the alluvial-outwash and basin-fill aquifers generally is calcium-bicarbonate water type with less than 250 milligrams per liter dissolved solids. Nitrate concentrations generally were less than 1 to 2 milligrams per liter and do not indicate widespread contamination of ground water from surface sources.

Groundwater quality in the Upper Hudson River Basin, New York, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, Tia-Marie; Nystrom, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Water samples were collected from 20 production and domestic wells in the Upper Hudson River Basin (north of the Federal Dam at Troy, New York) in New York in August 2012 to characterize groundwater quality in the basin. The samples were collected and processed using standard U.S. Geological Survey procedures and were analyzed for 148 physiochemical properties and constituents, including dissolved gases, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radionuclides, and indicator bacteria. The Upper Hudson River Basin covers 4,600 square miles in upstate New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts; the study area encompasses the 4,000 square miles that lie within New York. The basin is underlain by crystalline and sedimentary bedrock, including gneiss, shale, and slate; some sandstone and carbonate rocks are present locally. The bedrock in some areas is overlain by surficial deposits of saturated sand and gravel. Eleven of the wells sampled in the Upper Hudson River Basin are completed in sand and gravel deposits, and nine are completed in bedrock. Groundwater in the Upper Hudson River Basin was typically neutral or slightly basic; the water typically was moderately hard. Bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, and sodium were the major ions with the greatest median concentrations; the dominant nutrient was nitrate. Methane was detected in 7 samples. Strontium, iron, barium, boron, and manganese were the trace elements with the highest median concentrations. Two pesticides, an herbicide degradate and an insecticide degredate, were detected in two samples at trace levels; seven VOCs, including chloroform, four solvents, and the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) were detected in four samples. The greatest radon-222 activity, 2,900 picocuries per liter, was measured in a sample from a bedrock well; the median radon activity was higher in samples from bedrock wells than in samples from sand and gravel wells. Coliform bacteria were detected in one sample with a maximum of 2 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters. Water quality in the Upper Hudson River Basin is generally good, but concentrations of some constituents equaled or exceeded current or proposed Federal or New York State drinking-water standards. The standards exceeded are color (1 sample), pH (3 samples), sodium (3 samples), chloride (1 sample), dissolved solids (1 sample), arsenic (1 sample), iron (2 samples), manganese (2 samples), uranium (1 sample), radon-222 (12 samples), and gross beta activities (3 samples). Total coliform bacteria were each detected in one sample. Concentrations of fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, aluminum, antimony, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, thallium, zinc, and gross alpha activities did not exceed existing drinking-water standards in any of the samples collected. Methane concentration in one sample was greater than 28 milligrams per liter, with a concentration of 35.1 milligrams per liter.

Recent changes in terrestrial water storage in the Upper Nile Basin: an evaluation of commonly used gridded GRACE products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamsudduha, Mohammad; Taylor, Richard G.; Jones, Darren; Longuevergne, Laurent; Owor, Michael; Tindimugaya, Callist

2017-09-01

GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data monitor large-scale changes in total terrestrial water storage (ΔTWS), providing an invaluable tool where in situ observations are limited. Substantial uncertainty remains, however, in the amplitude of GRACE gravity signals and the disaggregation of TWS into individual terrestrial water stores (e.g. groundwater storage). Here, we test the phase and amplitude of three GRACE ΔTWS signals from five commonly used gridded products (i.e. NASA's GRCTellus: CSR, JPL, GFZ; JPL-Mascons; GRGS GRACE) using in situ data and modelled soil moisture from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) in two sub-basins (LVB: Lake Victoria Basin; LKB: Lake Kyoga Basin) of the Upper Nile Basin. The analysis extends from January 2003 to December 2012, but focuses on a large and accurately observed reduction in ΔTWS of 83 km3 from 2003 to 2006 in the Lake Victoria Basin. We reveal substantial variability in current GRACE products to quantify the reduction of ΔTWS in Lake Victoria that ranges from 80 km3 (JPL-Mascons) to 69 and 31 km3 for GRGS and GRCTellus respectively. Representation of the phase in TWS in the Upper Nile Basin by GRACE products varies but is generally robust with GRGS, JPL-Mascons, and GRCTellus (ensemble mean of CSR, JPL, and GFZ time-series data), explaining 90, 84, and 75 % of the variance respectively in "in situ" or "bottom-up" ΔTWS in the LVB. Resolution of changes in groundwater storage (ΔGWS) from GRACE ΔTWS is greatly constrained by both uncertainty in changes in soil-moisture storage (ΔSMS) modelled by GLDAS LSMs (CLM, NOAH, VIC) and the low annual amplitudes in ΔGWS (e.g. 1.8-4.9 cm) observed in deeply weathered crystalline rocks underlying the Upper Nile Basin. Our study highlights the substantial uncertainty in the amplitude of ΔTWS that can result from different data-processing strategies in commonly used, gridded GRACE products; this uncertainty is disregarded in analyses of ΔTWS and individual stores applying a single GRACE product.

New Insights into Arctic Tectonics: Uranium-Lead, (Uranium-Thorium)/Helium, and Hafnium Isotopic Data from the Franklinian Basin, Canadian Arctic Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anfinson, Owen Anthony

More than 2300 detrital zircon uranium-lead (U-Pb) ages, 32 176Hf/177Hf (eHf) isotopic values, 37 apatite helium (AHe) ages, and 72 zircon helium (ZHe) ages represent the first in-depth geochronologic and thermochronologic study of Franklinian Basin strata in the Canadian Arctic and provide new insight on >500 M.y. of geologic history along the northern Laurentian margin (modern orientation). Detrital zircon U-Pb age data demonstrate that the Franklinian Basin succession is composed of strata with three distinctly different provenance signatures. Neoproterozoic and Lower Cambrian formations contain detrital zircon populations consistent with derivation from Archean to Paleoproterozoic gneisses and granites of the west Greenland--northeast Canadian Shield. Lower Silurian to Middle Devonian strata are primarily derived from foreland basin strata of the East Greenland Caledonides (Caledonian orogen). Middle Devonian to Upper Devonian strata also contain detrital zircon populations interpreted as being primarily northerly derived from the continental landmass responsible for the Ellesmerian Orogen (often referred to as Crockerland). U-Pb age data from basal turbidites of the Middle to Upper Devonian clastic succession suggest Crockerland contributed sediment to the northern Laurentian margin by early-Middle Devonian time and that prior to the Ellesmerian Orogeny Crockerland had a comparable geologic history to the northern Baltica Craton. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages in Upper Devonian strata suggest Crockerland became the dominant source by the end of Franklinian Basin sedimentation. Mean eHf values from Paleozoic detrital zircon derived from Crockerland suggest the zircons were primarily formed in either an island arc or continental arc built on accreted oceanic crust setting. ZHe cooling ages from Middle and Upper Devonian strata were not buried deeper than 7 km since deposition and suggest Crockerland was partially exhumed during the Caledonian Orogen. AHe cooling ages are partially reset since deposition and experienced varying burial histories depending on stratigraphic and geographic location within the basin. AHe ages from Middle Devonian strata from the western margin of the basin indicate episodes of exhumation associated with clastic influxes of sediment into the Sverdrup Basin during the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous.

Mesozoic (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) deep gas reservoir play, central and eastern Gulf coastal plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mancini, E.A.; Li, P.; Goddard, D.A.; Ramirez, V.O.; Talukdar, S.C.

2008-01-01

The Mesozoic (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) deeply buried gas reservoir play in the central and eastern Gulf coastal plain of the United States has high potential for significant gas resources. Sequence-stratigraphic study, petroleum system analysis, and resource assessment were used to characterize this developing play and to identify areas in the North Louisiana and Mississippi Interior salt basins with potential for deeply buried gas reservoirs. These reservoir facies accumulated in Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Norphlet, Haynesville, Cotton Valley, and Hosston continental, coastal, and marine siliciclastic environments and Smackover and Sligo nearshore marine shelf, ramp, and reef carbonate environments. These Mesozoic strata are associated with transgressive and regressive systems tracts. In the North Louisiana salt basin, the estimate of secondary, nonassociated thermogenic gas generated from thermal cracking of oil to gas in the Upper Jurassic Smackover source rocks from depths below 3658 m (12,000 ft) is 4800 tcf of gas as determined using software applications. Assuming a gas expulsion, migration, and trapping efficiency of 2-3%, 96-144 tcf of gas is potentially available in this basin. With some 29 tcf of gas being produced from the North Louisiana salt basin, 67-115 tcf of in-place gas remains. Assuming a gas recovery factor of 65%, 44-75 tcf of gas is potentially recoverable. The expelled thermogenic gas migrated laterally and vertically from the southern part of this basin to the updip northern part into shallower reservoirs to depths of up to 610 m (2000 ft). Copyright ?? 2008. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Nutrient transport and transformation beneath an infiltration basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sumner, D.M.; Rolston, D.E.; Bradner, L.A.

1998-01-01

Field experiments were conducted to examine nutrient transport and transformation beneath an infiltration basin used for the disposal of treated wastewater. Removal of nitrogen from infiltrating water by denitrification was negligible beneath the basin, probably because of subsurface aeration as a result of daily interruptions in basin loading. Retention of organic nitrogen in the upper 4.6 m of the unsaturated zone (water table depth of approximately 11 m) during basin loading resulted in concentrations of nitrate as much as 10 times that of the applied treated wastewater, following basin 'rest' periods of several weeks, which allowed time for mineralization and nitrification. Approximately 90% of the phosphorus in treated wastewater was removed within the upper 4.6 m of the subsurface, primarily by adsorption reactions, with abundant iron and aluminum oxyhydroxides occurring as soil coatings. A reduction in the flow rate of infiltrating water arriving at the water table may explain the accumulation of relatively coarse (>0.45 ??m), organic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus slightly below the water table. Mineralization and nitrification reactions at this second location of organic nitrogen accumulation contributed to concentrations of nitrate as much as three times that of the applied treated wastewater. Phosphorus, which accumulated below the water table, was immobilized by adsorption or precipitation reactions during basin rest periods.Field experiments were conducted to examine nutrient transport and transformation beneath an infiltration basin used for the disposal of treated wastewater. Removal of nitrogen from infiltrating water by denitrification was negligible beneath the basin, probably because of subsurface aeration as a result of daily interruptions in basin loading. Retention of organic nitrogen in the upper 4.6 m of the unsaturated zone (water table depth of approximately 11 m) during basin loading resulted in concentrations of nitrate as much as 10 times that of the applied treated wastewater, following basin 'rest' periods of several weeks, which allowed time for mineralization and nitrification. Approximately 90% of the phosphorus in treated wastewater was removed within the upper 4.6 m of the subsurface, primarily by adsorption reactions, with abundant iron and aluminum oxyhydroxides occurring as soil coatings. A reduction in the flow rate of infiltrating water arriving at the water table may explain the accumulation of relatively coarse (>0.45 ??m), organic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus slightly below the water table. Mineralization and nitrification reactions at this second location of organic nitrogen accumulation contributed to concentrations of nitrate as much as three times that of the applied treated wastewater. Phosphorus, which accumulated below the water table, was immobilized by adsorption or precipitation reactions during basin rest periods.

Tectonics, basin analysis and organic geochemical attributes of Permian through Mesozoic deposits and their derivative oils of the Turpan-Hami basin, northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, Todd Jeremy

The Turpan-Hami basin is a major physiographic and geologic feature of northwest China, yet considerable uncertainty exists as to the timing of its inception, its late Paleozoic and Mesozoic tectonic history, and the relationship of its petroleum systems to those of the nearby Junggar basin. Mesozoic sedimentary fades, regional unconformities, sediment dispersal patterns, and sediment compositions within the Turpan-Hami and southern Junggar basins suggest that these basins were initially separated between Early Triassic and Early Jurassic time. Prior to separation, Upper Permian profundal lacustrine and fan-delta fades and Triassic coarse-grained braided-fluvial/alluvial fades were deposited across a contiguous Junggar-Turpan-Hami basin. Permian through Triassic fades were derived mainly from the Tian Shan to the south as indicated by northward-directed paleocurrent directions and geochemical provenance of granitoid cobbles. Lower through Middle Jurassic strata begin to reflect ponded coal-forming, lake-plain environments within the Turpan-Hami basin. A sharp change in sedimentary-lithic-rich Lower Jurassic sandstone followed by a return to lithic volcanic-rich Middle Jurassic sandstone points to the initial uplift and unroofing of the largely andesitic Bogda Shan range, which first shed its sedimentary cover as it emerged to become the partition between the Turpan-Hami and southern Junggar basins. In Turpan-Hami, source rock age is one of three major statistically significant discriminators of effective source rocks in the basin. A newly developed biomarker parameter appears to track conifer evolution and can distinguish Permian rocks and their correlative oils from Jurassic coals and mudrocks, and their derivative oils. Source fades is a second key control on petroleum occurrence and character. By erecting rock-to-oil correlation models, the biomarker parameters separate oil families into end-member groups: Group 1 oils---Lower/Middle Jurassic peatland/swamp fades, Group 2 oils---Lower/Middle Jurassic marginal lacustrine fades, and Group 3 oils---Upper Permian lacusbine fades. Burial history exercises a third major control on petroleum in the Turpan-Hami basin. While relatively uninterrupted deep burial in the Tabei Depression exhausted Upper Permian source rocks and brought Lower/Middle Jurassic rocks well into the oil generative window, Late Jurassic uplift in the Tainan Depression eroded much of the Lower/Middle Jurassic section and preserved Upper Permian sourced oils as biodegraded, relict, heavy oils.* *This dissertation includes a CD that is multimedia (contains text and other applications that are not available in a printed format). The CD requires the following applications: Adobe Acrobat, UNIX.

Assessment of Anthropogenic Impacts in La Plata River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, N. O.; Venencio, M.

2006-12-01

An assessment of the variability of the streamflows in La Plata Basin (LPB), particularly in its major tributaries Paraná and Uruguay, is presented in this work. The La Plata Basin, the fifth largest basin in the world and second only to the Amazon in South America, is 3.6 million km2 and covers portions of 5 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Sub-basins include the Bermejo, Paraná, Paraguay, Pilcomayo, and Uruguay. Major rivers of the basin are the Paraguay, the Uruguay and the Paraná. Streamflows in the LPB have been above normal in the last decades, e.g. the mean flow in the Paraná river during the 1971-1994 period was 34% higher than the mean flow during the 1931-1970 period. A similar analysis carried out on the precipitation records for the La Plata basin showed only a 14% increase during the same periods for the Upper Paraná basin and a 20% increase for the Uruguay basin. In this paper it is postulated that the increase in the streamflows, not explained by precipitation increases, is due to the changes in cultivation patterns in the upper basins of the Paraná and Uruguay. Particularly, the substitution of coffee plantations for annual crops, mainly soybeans, has produced a change in the infiltration patterns that influenced the discharges.

Hydrogeologic framework, groundwater and surface-water systems, land use, pumpage, and water budget of the Chamokane Creek basin, Stevens County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kahle, Sue C.; Taylor, William A.; Lin, Sonja; Sumioka, Steven S.; Olsen, Theresa D.

2010-01-01

A study of the water resources of the unconsolidated groundwater system of the Chamokane Creek basin was conducted to determine the hydrogeologic framework, interactions of shallow and deep parts of the groundwater system with each other and the surface-water system, changes in land use and land cover, and water-use estimates. Chamokane Creek basin is a 179 mi2 area that borders and partially overlaps the Spokane Indian Reservation in southern Stevens County in northeastern Washington State. Aquifers within the Chamokane Creek basin are part of a sequence of glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediment that may reach total thicknesses of about 600 ft. In 1979, most of the water rights in the Chamokane Creek basin were adjudicated by the United States District Court requiring regulation in favor of the Spokane Tribe of Indians' senior water right. The Spokane Tribe, the State of Washington, and the United States are concerned about the effects of additional groundwater development within the basin on Chamokane Creek. Information provided by this study will be used to evaluate the effects of potential increases in groundwater withdrawals on groundwater and surface-water resources within the basin. The hydrogeologic framework consists of six hydrogeologic units: The Upper outwash aquifer, the Landslide Unit, the Valley Confining Unit, the Lower Aquifer, the Basalt Unit, and the Bedrock Unit. The Upper outwash aquifer occurs along the valley floors of the study area and consists of sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, with minor silt and (or) clay interbeds in places. The Lower aquifer is a confined aquifer consisting of sand and gravel that occurs at depth below the Valley confining unit. Median horizontal hydraulic conductivity values for the Upper outwash aquifer, Valley confining unit, Lower aquifer, and Basalt unit were estimated to be 540, 10, 19, and 3.7 ft/d, respectively. Many low-flow stream discharge measurements at sites on Chamokane Creek and its tributaries were at or near zero flow. The most notable exception is where Chamokane Creek is supported by discharge of large springs from the Upper outwash aquifer in the southern part of the basin. Most high-flow measurements indicated gains in streamflow (groundwater discharging to the stream). Large streamflow losses, however, were recorded near the north end of Walkers Prairie where streamflow directly recharges the Upper outwash aquifer. The similarity in seasonal water-level fluctuations in the Upper outwash aquifer and the Lower aquifer indicate that these systems may be fairly well connected. Land use and land cover change analysis indicates that Chamokane Creek basin has been dominated by forests with some pasture and agricultural lands with sparse residential development from the 1980s to present. Loss in forest cover represents the largest change in land cover in the basin between 1987 and 2009. This appears to be mostly due to forestry activities, especially in the northern part of the basin. Since 1987, more than 18,000 acres of evergreen forest have been logged and are at various stages of regrowth. Estimated average annual total groundwater pumpage in the basin increased from 224 million gallons per year (Mgal/yr) in 1980 to 1,330 Mgal/yr in 2007. The largest withdrawals during 2007 were to supply two fish hatcheries, with a combined total annual pumpage of about 1,150 Mgal. Annual groundwater pumpage values from 1980 through 2007 for the study area ranged from 21.1 to 28.9 Mgal/yr for domestic wells and 0.38 to 23.7 Mgal/yr for public supply. An approximate water budget for a typical year in the Chamokane Creek basin indicates that 19.6 in. of precipitation are balanced by 4.7 in. of streamflow discharge from the basin, and 14.9 in. of evapotranspiration.

Climate Change Impacts to Hydro Power Reservoir Systems in British Columbia, Canada: Modelling, Validation and Projection of Historic and Future Streamflow and Snowpack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, K. E.; Schnorbus, M.; Werner, A. T.; Berland, A. J.

2010-12-01

The British Columbia Hydro Electric Corporation (BC Hydro) has a mandate to provide clean, renewable and reliable sources of hydro-electric power into the future, hence managing those resources in the context of climate change will be an important component of reservoir operational planning in British Columbia. The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (www.PacificClimate.org) has implemented the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model parameterized at 1/16th degree (~32 km2) to provide BC Hydro with future projections of changes to streamflow and snowpack to the 2050s. The headwaters of the Peace, Columbia, and Campbell River basins were selected for study; the Upper Peace River basin (101,000 km2) is a snowmelt-dominated watershed, and the Upper Columbia River Basin (104,000 km2) has a mixed snowmelt-glacier melt runoff regime, with glacier runoff contributing up to 15 to 20% of late summer discharge. The Upper Campbell River watershed (1,200 km2) has a mixed rainfall and snowmelt (hybrid) hydrologic regime. The model has been calibrated using historical streamflow observations and validated against these observations, as well as automated snow pillow measurements. Future streamflow changes are estimated based on eight Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the CMIP3 suite, downscaled using the Bias Correction Spatial Downscaling (BCSD) technique, run under three emissions scenarios (A2, A1B and B1; A1B is specifically reported on herein). Climate impacts by the 2050s in the three watersheds illustrate an increase in annual average temperature and precipitation ranging between +2.2°C to +2.8°C and +2% to +10% depending on basin, and an annual change in streamflow of -1% to +12% for the three watersheds. Changes are more profound on the seasonal time-scale and differ across basins. Summer streamflow in the Upper Campbell River watershed is projected to decline by -60%, where as the Upper Peace and Columbia systems are projected to decline by -25% and -22%, respectively. Streamflow is projected to increase during winter months for all basins, ranging from increases of +54% (Upper Campbell), +77% (Upper Peace) to +94% (Upper Columbia). These changes in streamflow illustrate a shift towards more rainfall dominated systems with lower snowpacks during the winter months, particularly in the Campbell system (shifting from 23% to 13% snow dominated by the 2050s), which is located at a relatively low elevation and proximal to the Pacific Ocean. Shifts in the distribution of water resources, and in particular snowpack reserves, may require BC Hydro to reconsider their operational planning framework for impacted systems.

Human-induced Terrestrial Water Storage Change: A Global Analysis using Hydrological Models and GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felfelani, F.; Pokhrel, Y. N.

2016-12-01

Hydrological models and data derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission are used to study terrestrial water storage (TWS) change; however, both have disadvantages that necessitate the integrated use of them. While GRACE doesn't disintegrate the vertical storage into its components, most models do not account for human activities. Here we use two Land Surface Models (LSMs), i.e., HiGW-MAT and PCRGLOBWB that fully couple natural and human drivers of changes in water cycle, explicitly simulating the changes in various TWS compartments. We first evaluate the models performance with GRACE observations. Then, we quantify the human footprint over global river basins located in different geographic and climate regions. To quantify human impacts, a new framework is proposed based on the GRACE observations (representing both climate variability and human activities) together with the natural simulation of LSMs using water budget equation (P-ET-R; P for precipitation, ET for evapotranspiration, and R for runoff). Finally, we examine the uncertainty in TWS simulations arising from the uncertainties in forcing data. Results indicate that, in snow-dominated regions, PCRGLOBWB generally fails to reproduce neither the interannual variability of observed TWS nor the seasonal cycle, while HiGW-MAT model shows significantly better results. In basins with human signatures, PCRGLOBWB generally shows better agreement with GRACE compared to HiGW-MAT. It is found that HiGW-MAT tends to overestimate groundwater depletion in basins with human impacts (e.g., Amudarya, Colorado, Euphrates and Indus), which results in larger negative interannual TWS trend compared to GRACE. Euphrates and Ganges river basins experience the highest human-induced TWS deficit rates (2.08 cm/yr and 1.94 cm/yr, respectively) during the simulation period of 2002-2010. Uncertainty analysis of results from the same model but with different forcing data suggests a high standard deviation in the order of 10 cm/yr.

Ground-water and water-chemistry data for the upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caldwell, Rodney R.; Truini, Margot

1997-01-01

This report presents ground-water data collected and compiled as part of a study of the ground-water resources of the upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon. Data in this report include tabulated information and a location map for more than 1,500 field-located water wells, hydrographs showing water-level fluctuations over various time periods for 102 of the wells, and water-chemistry analyses from 26 wells, 7 springs, and 5 surface-water sites.

Albuquerque, NM, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-06-14

STS040-614-061 (5-14 June 1991) --- Albuquerque, New Mexico is perched on the edge of the Rio Grande floodplain, which crosses the photograph from upper left to center lower right. The reddish-brown surface of the Albuquerque Basin, a fault-bounded structural basin filled by alluvial fan and lake-bed sediments, is broken by an irregular light-toned rim River along both the Rio Grande and Rio Puerco (lower left). The rim marks the erosional edge of an ancient caliche soil that formed more than a half-million years ago, before the Rio Grande integrated its drainage from basin to basin. The upper right portion of the photograph is dominated by dark tones, representing pinyon/juniper and other timber growing on very old rocks of the Sandia Mountains. Interstate 40 can be seen passing through Sandia Pass which cuts the mountain mass.

Hydrology of the Upper Capibaribe Basin, Pernambuco, Brazil - A reconnaissance in an Area of Crystalline Rocks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chada Filho, Luiz Goncalves; Dias Pessoa, Mario; Sinclair, William C.

1966-01-01

The upper Capibaribe basin is the western three-fourths, approximately, of the valley of the river that empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Recife, the capital of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. It is the part of the drainage basin that is within the Drought Polygon of northeast Brazil, and it totals about 5,400 square kilometers. It receives relatively abundant precipitation in terms of the annual average, yet is regarded as hot subhumid to semiarid because the precipitation is uneven from year to year and place to place. The dependable water supply, therefore, is small. The basin has water, which could be put to better use than at present, but the opportunities for augmenting the usable supply are not great. The streams are intermittent and therefore cannot be expected to fill surface reservoirs and to keep them filled. The ground-water reservoirs have small capacity--quickly filled and quickly drained. A rough estimate based on the records for 1964 suggests that, of 4,700 million cubic meters of precipitation in the upper Capibaribe basin, 2,700 million cubic meters (57 percent) left the basin as runoff and 2,000 million cubic meters {43 percent) went into underground storage or was evaporated or transpired. The bedrock of the upper Capibaribe basin is composed of granite, gneiss, schist, and other varieties of crystalline rocks, which have only insignificant primary permeability. They are permeable mainly where fractured. The principal fracture zones, fortunately, are in the valleys, where water accumulates and can feed into them, but the volume of fractured rock is small in relation to the basin as a whole. A well in a large water-filled fracture zone may yield up to 20,000 liters per hour, but the average well yields less than one-fourth this amount, and some wells yield none. The saprolite, or weathered rock, is many meters thick at some places especially in the eastern half of the upper Capibaribe basin. It contains water locally, but ordinarily will yield only small quantities to wells. The alluvium probably is the most productive aquifer in the basin, but is limited to narrow bands along the rivers that generally are no more than a few hundred meters wide and 5 meters thick. The alluvium contains variable amounts of silty sand capable of yielding small to moderate quantities of water to wells. Wells driven or dug into the alluvium could solve many small water problems. The chemical quality of the water in the upper Capibaribe basin ranges from good to bad and generally presents a major problem that cannot be solved solely by applying geological criteria. Mineralized water is widespread in the area, both in streams and underground, and .the choice of aquifers is small. All known aquifers contain, at one place or another, water that is mineralized, leaving no alternative for a natural supply of good-quality water. Although much of the available water is unsatisfactory for human consumption, it is generally acceptable for animals and therefore meets one of the principal water needs. Some of the ground water could be made potable by diluting it with rainwater, which could be collected during rainy seasons and temporarily stored in cisterns or reservoirs.

The Inskip Formation, the Harmony Formation, and the Havallah Sequence of Northwestern Nevada - An Interrelated Paleozoic Assemblage in the Home of the Sonoma Orogeny

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ketner, Keith B.

2008-01-01

An area between the towns of Winnemucca and Battle Mountain in northwestern Nevada, termed the arkosic triangle, includes the type areas of the middle to upper Paleozoic Inskip Formation and Havallah sequence, the Upper Devonian to Mississippian Harmony Formation, the Sonoma orogeny, and the Golconda thrust. According to an extensive body of scientific literature, the Havallah sequence, a diverse assemblage of oceanic rocks, was obducted onto the continent during the latest Permian or earliest Triassic Sonoma orogeny by way of the Golconda thrust. This has been the most commonly accepted theory for half a century, often cited but rarely challenged. The tectonic roles of the Inskip and Harmony Formations have remained uncertain, and they have never been fully integrated into the accepted theory. New, and newly interpreted, data are incompatible with the accepted theory and force comprehensive stratigraphic and tectonic concepts that include the Inskip and Harmony Formations as follows: middle to upper Paleozoic strata, including the Inskip, Harmony, and Havallah, form an interrelated assemblage that was deposited in a single basin on an autochthonous sequence of Cambrian, Ordovician, and lowest Silurian strata of the outer miogeocline. Sediments composing the Upper Devonian to Permian sequence entered the basin from both sides, arkosic sands, gravel, limestone olistoliths, and other detrital components entered from the west, and quartz, quartzite, chert, and other clasts from the east. Tectonic activity was expressed as: (1) Devonian uplift and erosion of part of the outer miogeocline; (2) Late Devonian depression of the same area, forming a trough, probably fault-bounded, in which the Inskip, Harmony, and Havallah were deposited; (3) production of intraformational and extrabasinal conglomerates derived from the basinal rocks; and (4) folding or tilting of the east side of the depositional basin in the Pennsylvanian. These middle to upper Paleozoic deposits were compressed in the Jurassic, causing east-verging thrusts in the eastern part of the depositional basin (Golconda thrust) and west-verging thrusts and folds in the western part. Hypotheses involving a far-traveled allochthon that was obducted from an ocean or back-arc basin are incompatible with modern observations and concepts.

Detailed measured sections, cross sections, and paleogeographic reconstructions of the upper cretaceous and lower tertiary nonmarine interval, Wind River Basin, Wyoming: Chapter 10 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas resources in the Wind River Basin Province, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.

2007-01-01

Detailed measured sections and regional stratigraphic cross sections are used to reconstruct facies maps and interpret paleogeographic settings for the interval from the base of Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Formation to top of lower member of the Paleocene Fort Union Formation in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming. The Mesaverde Formation spans the time during which the Upper Cretaceous seaway retreated eastward out of central Wyoming in Campanian time and the initial stages of the Lewis transgression in earliest Maastrichtian time. This retreat stalled for a considerable period of time during deposition of the lower part of the Mesaverde, creating a thick buildup of marginal marine sandstones and coaly coastal plain deposits across the western part of the basin. The Lewis sea transgressed into the northeast part of Wind River Basin, beginning in early Maastrichtian time during deposition of the Teapot Sandstone Member of the Mesaverde Formation. The Meeteetse Formation, which overlies the Teapot, was deposited in a poorly-drained coastal plain setting southwest of the Lewis seaway. The Lewis seaway, at maximum transgression, covered much of the northeast half of the Wind River Basin area but was clearly deflected around the present site of the Wind River Range, southwest of the basin, providing the first direct evidence of Laramide uplift on that range. Uplift of the Wind River Range continued during deposition of the overlying Maastrichtian Lance Formation. The Granite Mountains south of the basin also became a positive feature during this time. A rapidly subsiding trough during the Maastrichtian time formed near the presentday trough of the Wind River Basin in which more than 6,000 feet of Lance was deposited. The development of this trough appears to have begun before the adjacent Owl Creek Mountains to the north started to rise; however, a muddy facies in the upper part of Lance in the deep subsurface, just to the south, might be interpreted to indicate that the Cretaceous Cody Shale was being eroded off a rising Owl Creek Mountains in latest Cretaceous time. The Paleocene Fort Union Formation unconformably overlies older units but with only slight angular discordance around much of the margins of the Wind River Basin. Pre-Fort Union erosion was most pronounced toward the Wind River Range to the southwest, where the Fort Union ultimately overlies strata as old as the upper part of the Cretaceous Cody Shale. The unconformity appears to die out toward the basin center. Coal-forming mires developed throughout the western part of the basin near the beginning of the Paleocene. River systems entering the basin from the Wind River Range to the southwest and the Granite Mountains to the south produced areas of sandy fluvial deposition along mountain fronts. A major river system appears to have entered the basin from about the same spot along the Wind River Range throughout much of the Paleocene, probably because it became incised and could not migrate laterally. The muddy floodplain facies that developed along the deep basin trough during latest Cretaceous time, expanded during the early part of the Paleocene. Coal-forming mires that characterize part of the lower Fort Union Formation reached maximum extent near the beginning of the late Paleocene and just prior to the initial transgression of Lake Waltman. From the time of initial flooding, Lake Waltman expanded rapidly, drowning the coal-forming mires in the central part of the basin and spreading to near basin margins. Outcrop studies along the south margin of the basin document that once maximum transgression was reached, the lake was rapidly pushed basinward and replaced by fluvial environments.

Dry spell, onset and cessation of the wet season rainfall in the Upper Baro-Akobo Basin, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kebede, Asfaw; Diekkrüger, Bernd; Edossa, Desalegn C.

2017-08-01

In this study, maximum dry spell length and number of dry spell periods of rainy seasons in the upper Baro-Akobo River basin which is a part of the Nile basin, Western Ethiopia, were investigated to analyse the drought trend. Daily rainfall records of the period 1972-2000 from eight rain gauge stations were used in the analysis, and Mann-Kendall test was used to test trends for significance. Furthermore, the beginning and end of the trend development in the dry spell were also tested using the sequential version of Mann-Kendall test. Results have shown that there is neither clear monotonic trend found in dry spell for the basin nor significant fluctuation in the onset, cession and duration of rainfall in the Baro-Akobo river basin. This sufficiently explains why rain-fed agriculture has suffered little in the western part of Ethiopia. The predictable nature of dry spell pattern may have allowed farmers to adjust to rainfall variability in the basin. Unlike many parts of Ethiopia, the Baro-Akobo basin climate variability is not a limiting factor for rain-fed agriculture productivity which may contribute significantly to national food security.

Dynamique sédimentaire comparative dans les bassins stéphano-permiens des Ida Ou Zal et Ida Ou Ziki, haut Atlas Occidental, MarocDynamic sedimentology of two Upper Stephano-Lower Permian basins: Ida Ou Zal and Ida Ou Ziki, western High Atlas, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saber, H.; El-Wartiti, M.; Broutin, J.

2001-05-01

The intra-mountainous Ida Ou Zal Basin developed as a graben during the Stephanian (Carboniferous) and Lower Permian. Along its borders from east to west are the remnants of basal conglomerates. Passing laterally towards the centre of the basin are fine-grained fluvial-lacustrine sediments or flood-plain deposits. The important accumulation (1800 m) of sediments, associated with climatic and tectonic changes, caused substantial subsidence in a late orogenic setting. The remnants of sporadic volcanic products (shards) found in the Ida Ou Zal and the Ida Ou Zika Basins suggest nearby simultaneous magmatic activity. A comparison between the basins of Ida Ou Zal and Ida Ou Ziki suggest that the two basins formed a single unit, called the Souss Basin, ultimately terminated between the Lower Permian and Upper Permian times by a sinistral movement of the N70-80° Agadir Ou Anzizen Fault (west branch of the Tizi N'Test Fault) at the very end of the Hercynian Orogeny in Morocco.

Anthropogenic emissions and space-borne observations of carbon monoxide over South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ul-Haq, Zia; Tariq, Salman; Ali, Muhammad

2016-11-01

The focus of this study is to understand anthropogenic emissions, spatiotemporal variability and trends of carbon monoxide (CO) over South Asia by using datasets from MACCity (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate, MACC and megaCITY - Zoom for the Environment, CityZEN), REAS (Regional Emission inventory in Asia), AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) and SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY). MACCity anthropogenic emissions show an overall increase of 16.5% during 2000-2010. Elevated levels of MACCity CO are found in Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB), eastern mining region of India, Bangladesh and large urban areas. Some of the major contributors of these emissions have been identified as agricultural waste burning, land transport, industrial production, and energy generation and distribution. An area averaged mean value of AIRS CO at 600 hPa is found to be 114 ± 2 ppbv (slope -0.48 ± 0.2 ppbv yr-1, y-intercept 117 ± 1 ppbv and r = 0.68) with a minor declining trend at -0.41 ± 0.18% yr-1 over the region during 2003-2015. A strong seasonality in AIRS CO concentration is observed with spring season peak in March 129 ± 1.9 ppbv, whereas low values have been observed in summer monsoon with sturdy dip in July 99.6 ± 1.94 ppbv. AIRS CO and SCIAMACHY CO Total Column (CO TC) over the study region show spatial patterns similar to MACCity and REAS emissions. An analysis of SCIAMACHY CO TC tendencies has been performed which indicates minor rising trends over some parts of the region. Background CO, Recent Emissions (RE), and spatial anomalies in RE over high anthropogenic activity zones of Indus Basin, Ganges Basin and Eastern Region were analyzed using AIRS and SCIAMACHY CO data.

Isopach and structure contour maps of the Burro Canyon(?) Formation in the Mesa Golondrina and Mesa de los Viejos areas, Chama Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ridgley, Jennie L.

1983-01-01

In the Chama Basin a wequence of conglomerate, sandstone, and red, gray-green, and pale-purple mudstone occurs stratigraphically between the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation and Upper Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone. This stratigraphic interval has been called the Burro Canyon Formation by several workers (Craig and others, 1959; Smith and others, 1961; Saucier, 1974). Although similarities in lithology and stratigraphic position exist between this unit and the Burro Canyon Formation in Colorado, no direct correlation has been made between the two. For this reason the unit in the Chama Basin is called the Burro Canyon(?) Formation. 

Upper mantle heterogeneity: Comparisons of regions south of Australia with Philippine Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The nature of mass anomalies that occur beneath the regions of negative residual depth anomalies were identified. Residual geoid anomalies with negative residual depth anomalies are identified in the Philippine Basin (negative) and in the region south of Australia (positive and negative). In the latter region the geoid anomalies are eastward and the depth anomaly is northeast. It is suggested that the negative depth anomaly and the compensating mass excess in the uppermost mantle developed in the Eocene as the lithosphere of the west Philippine basin formed. Heating of the deeper upper mantle which causes slow surface wave velocities and negative gravity and geoid anomalies may be a younger phenomenon which is still in progress.

Maps showing thermal maturity of Upper Cretaceous marine shales in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Thomas M.; Pawlewicz, Mark J.

2014-01-01

The Bighorn Basin is one of many structural and sedimentary basins that formed in the Rocky Mountain foreland during the Laramide orogeny, a period of crustal instability and compressional tectonics that began in latest Cretaceous time and ended in the Eocene. The basin is nearly 180 mi long, 100 mi wide, and encompasses about 10,400 mi2 in north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana. The basin is bounded on the northeast by the Pryor Mountains, on the east by the Bighorn Mountains, and on the south by the Owl Creek Mountains). The north boundary includes a zone of faulting and folding referred to as the Nye-Bowler lineament. The northwest and west margins are formed by the Beartooth Mountains and Absaroka Range, respectively. Important conventional oil and gas resources have been discovered and produced from reservoirs ranging in age from Cambrian through Tertiary. In addition, a potential unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation may be present in Cretaceous reservoirs in the deeper parts of the basin. It has been suggested by numerous authors that various Cretaceous marine shales are the principal source rock for these accumulations. Numerous studies of various Upper Cretaceous marine shales in the Rocky Mountain region have led to the general conclusion that these rocks have generated or are capable of generating oil and (or) gas. In recent years, advances in horizontal drilling and multistage fracture stimulation have resulted in increased exploration and completion of wells in Cretaceous marine shales in other Rocky Mountain Laramide basins that were previously thought of only as hydrocarbon source rocks. Important parameters controlling hydrocarbon production from these shale reservoirs include: reservoir thickness, amount and type of organic matter, and thermal maturity. The purpose of this report is to present maps and a cross section showing levels of thermal maturity, based on vitrinite reflectance (Ro), for selected Upper Cretaceous marine shales in the Bighorn Basin.

Petroleum geology of Cretaceous-Tertiary rift basins in Niger, Chad, and Central African Republic

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

Genik, G.J.

1993-08-01

This overview of the petroleum geology of rift basins in Niger, Chad, and Central African Republic (CAR) is based on exploration work by Exxon and partners in the years 1969-1991. The work included 50,000 km of modern reflection seismic, 53 exploration wells, 1,000,000 km[sup 2] of aeromagnetic coverage, and about 10,500 km of gravity profiles. The results outline ten Cretaceous and Tertiary rift basins, which constitute a major part of the West and Central African rift system (WCARS). The rift basins derive from a multiphased geologic history dating from the Pan-African (approximately 750-550 Ma) to the Holocene. WCARS in themore » study area is divided into the West African rift subsystem (WAS) and the Central African rift subsystem (WAS) and the Central African rift subsystem (CAS). WAS basins in Niger and Chad are chiefly extensional, and are filled by up to 13,000 m of Lower Cretaceous to Holocene continental and marine clastics. The basins contain five oil (19-43[degrees]API) and two oil and gas accumulations in Upper Cretaceous and Eocene sandstone reservoirs. The hydrocarbons are sourced and sealed by Upper Cretaceous and Eocene marine and lacustrine shales. The most common structural styles and hydrocarbon traps usually are associated with normal fault blocks. CAS rift basins in Chad and CAR are extensional and transtensional, and are filled by up to 7500 m of chiefly Lower Cretaceous continental clastics. The basins contain eight oil (15-39[degrees]API) and one oil and gas discovery in Lower and Upper Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. The hydrocarbons are sourced by Lower Cretaceous shales and sealed by interbedded lacustrine and flood-plain shales. Structural styles range from simple fault blocks through complex flower structures. The main hydrocarbon traps are in contractional anticlines. Geological conditions favor the discovery of potentially commercial volumes of oil in WCARS basins, of Niger, Chad and CAR. 108 refs., 24 figs., 4 tabs.« less

A comparison of the South China Sea and Canada Basin: two small marginal ocean basins with hyper-extended margins and central zones of sea-floor spreading.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.

2015-12-01

Both the South China Sea and Canada Basin preserve oceanic spreading centres and adjacent passive continental margins characterized by broad COT zones with hyper-extended continental crust. We have investigated the nature of strain accommodation in the regions immediately adjacent to the oceanic spreading centres in these two basins using 2-D backstripping subsidence reconstructions, coupled with forward modelling constrained by estimates of upper crustal extensional faulting. Modelling is better constrained in the South China Sea but our results for the Beaufort Sea are analogous. Depth-dependent extension is required to explain the great depth of both basins because only modest upper crustal faulting is observed. A weak lower crust in the presence of high heat flow is suggested for both basins. Extension in the COT may continue even after sea-floor spreading has ceased. The analogous results for the two basins considered are discussed in terms of (1) constraining the timing and distribution of crustal thinning along the respective continental margins, (2) defining the processes leading to hyper-extension of continental crust in the respective tectonic settings and (3) illuminating the processes that control hyper-extension in these basins and more generally.

Carbonate platform, slope, and basinal deposits of Upper Oligocene, Kalimantan, Indonesia

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

Armin, R.A.; Cutler, W.G.; Mahadi, S.

1987-05-01

Upper Oligocene platform carbonates (Berai Formation) occur extensively on the Barito shelf in southeastern Kalimantan (Borneo) and are flanked northward by coeval slope and basinal deposits (Bongan Formation) which accumulated in the southwestern part of the Kutei basin. Isolated carbonate buildups equivalent to the Berai Formation also occur within the Kutei basin and were probably deposited on basement highs. The distribution of these facies is fairly well constrained by the study of outcrops, wells, and seismic profiles. The Berai Formation consists of diverse limestone types with a wide range of textures and with dominant skeletal components of large foraminifera, redmore » algae, and corals. Deposition of the Berai Formation occurred in moderate- and high-energy shallow-marine conditions. Slope and basin facies occur in extensional basins adjacent to the shelfal carbonates and peripheral to isolated carbonate buildups. Slope deposits consist of hemipelagic claystone, debris-flow conglomerate, calciturbidite, and volcaniclastic intervals. syndepositional downslope transport of slope deposits was an important process, as indicated by intervals containing redeposited debris flows, intraformational truncation surfaces, slide blocks, and associated shear planes. Recurrent movement on basin-margin faults and local volcanism probably perpetuated instability of slope deposits. Basinal deposits consist of calcareous claystone with intercalated thin, distal calciturbidite and volcaniclastic beds.« less

Comparison of Water Years 2004-05 and Historical Water-Quality Data, Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spahr, Norman E.; Hartle, David M.; Diaz, Paul

2008-01-01

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River Basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River Basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of stations - stations that are considered long term and stations that are considered rotational. The long-term stations are monitored to assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational stations are monitored to assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and to address local and short-term concerns. Some stations in the rotational group were changed beginning in water year 2007. Annual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for discussions regarding water-quality monitoring in the upper Gunnison River Basin. This summary includes data collected during water years 2004 and 2005. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network stations. The remainder of the summary is organized around the data collected at individual stations. Data collected during water years 2004 and 2005 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. Data were collected following USGS protocols.

Comparison of 2002 Water Year and Historical Water-Quality Data, Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spahr, N.E.

2003-01-01

Introduction: Population growth and changes in land-use practices have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local sponsors, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, and Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of stations, stations that are considered as long term and stations that are rotational. The long-term stations are monitored to assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions have changed over time). The rotational stations are monitored to assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and to address local and short term concerns. Another group of stations (rotational group 2) will be chosen and sampled beginning in water year 2004. Annual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for discussions regarding water-quality sampling in the upper Gunnison River basin. This summary includes data collected during water year 2002. The introduction provides a map of the sampling locations, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network stations. The remainder of the summary is organized around the data collected at individual stations. Data collected during water year 2002 are compared to historical data (data collected for this network since 1995), state water-quality standards, and federal water-quality guidelines. Data were collected during water year 2002 following USGS protocols (U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated).

Comparison of 2006-2007 Water Years and Historical Water-Quality Data, Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Solberg, P.A.; Moore, Bryan; Smits, Dennis

2009-01-01

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of stations - stations that are considered long term and stations that are considered rotational. The long-term stations are monitored to assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational stations are monitored to assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and to address local and short-term concerns. Some stations in the rotational group were changed beginning in water year 2007. Annual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for discussions regarding water-quality monitoring in the upper Gunnison River basin. This summary includes data collected during water years 2006 and 2007. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network stations. The remainder of the summary is organized around the data collected at individual stations. Data collected during water years 2006 and 2007 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. Data were collected following USGS protocols (U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated).

The Upper Rio Grande Basin as a Long-Term Hydrologic Observatory - Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, E.; Duffy, C.; Phillips, F.; Hogan, J.; Winter, C. L.

2001-12-01

Long-term hydrologic observatories (LTHO) have been identified as a key element to advance hydrologic science. Issues to be addressed are the size and locations of LTHOs to meet research needs and address water resources management concerns. To date, considerable small watershed research has been performed, and these have provided valuable insights into processes governing hydrologic response on local scales. For hydrology to advance as a science, more complete and coherent data sets at larger scales are needed to tie together local studies and examine lower frequency long wavelength processes that may govern the water cycle at the scale of river basins and continents. The objective of this poster is to describe the potential opportunities and challenges for the upper Rio Grande as a LTHO. The presence of existing research programs and facilities can be leveraged by a LTHO to develop the required scientific measurements. Within the upper Rio Grande Basin, there are two Long-Term Ecological Research sites, Jornada and Sevilleta; Los Alamos National Laboratory, which monitors the atmosphere, surface water and groundwater; a groundwater study is being performed by the USGS in the Albuquerque Basin to examine recharge and water quality issues. Additionally, the upper Rio Grande basin served as an USGS-NAWQA study site starting in the early 1990's and is currently being studied by SAHRA (NSF-STC) to understand sources of salinity of the river system; such studies provide an existing framework on which to base long-term monitoring of water quality. The upper Rio Grande Basin has a wealth of existing long-term climate, hydrologic and geochemical records on which to base an LTHO. Within the basin there are currently 122 discharge gages operated by the USGS; and many of these gages have long-term records of discharge. Other organizations operate additional surface water gages in the lower part of the basin. Long-term records of river chemistry have been kept by the USGS, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, IBWC and EBID. Significantly, these records extend through periods of climate extremes, notably the 1950's drought. One challenge that the Rio Grande faces as a LTHO is combining datasets maintained by different agencies in order to address research questions at this spatial and temporal scale. Challenges facing the development of a LTHO on the Rio Grande include instrumentation over steep topographic and biological gradients that exist. Political issues surrounding any basin can create problems for making long-term measurements. Current water resources management requires a greater scientific understanding of coupled processes, serious improvements in predictive capability and available computational resources, both of which require a comprehensive hydrologic monitoring system beyond any which exist today.

Tectonostratigraphy and depositional history of the Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary sequences in Kid area, southeastern Sinai, Egypt: Implications for intra-arc to foreland basin in the northern Arabian-Nubian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalaf, E. A.; Obeid, M. A.

2013-09-01

This paper presents a stratigraphic and sedimentary study of Neoproterozoic successions of the South Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), including the Kid complex. This complex is composed predominantly of thick volcano-sedimentary successions representing different depositional and tectonic environments, followed by four deformational phases including folding and brittle faults (D1-D4). The whole Kid area is divisible from north to south into the lower, middle, and upper rock sequences. The higher metamorphic grade and extensive deformational styles of the lower sequence distinguishes them from the middle and upper sequences. Principal lithofacies in the lower sequence include thrust-imbricated tectonic slice of metasediments and metavolcanics, whereas the middle and upper sequences are made up of clastic sediments, intermediate-felsic lavas, volcaniclastics, and dike swarms. Two distinct Paleo- depositional environments are observed: deep-marine and alluvial fan regime. The former occurred mainly during the lower sequence, whereas the latter developed during the other two sequences. These alternations of depositional conditions in the volcano-sedimentary deposits suggest that the Kid area may have formed under a transitional climate regime fluctuating gradually from warm and dry to warm and humid conditions. Geochemical and petrographical data, in conjunction with field relationships, suggest that the investigated volcano-sedimentary rocks were built from detritus derived from a wide range of sources, ranging from Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic continental crust. Deposition within the ancient Kid basin reflects a complete basin cycle from rifting and passive margin development, to intra-arc and foreland basin development and, finally, basin closure. The early phase of basin evolution is similar to various basins in the Taupo volcanics, whereas the later phases are similar to the Cordilleran-type foreland basin. The progressive change in lithofacies from marine intra-arc basin to continental molasses foreland basin and from compression to extension setting respectively, imply that the source area became peneplained, where the Kid basin became stabilized as sedimentation progressed following uplift. The scenario proposed of the study area supports the role of volcanic and tectonic events in architecting the facies and stratigraphic development.

Hydrogeologic framework of the middle San Pedro watershed, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickinson, Jesse; Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Pool, D.R.; Cordova, Jeffrey T.; Parker, John T.; Macy, J.P.; Thomas, Blakemore

2010-01-01

Water managers in rural Arizona are under increasing pressure to provide sustainable supplies of water despite rapid population growth and demands for environmental protection. This report describes the results of a study of the hydrogeologic framework of the middle San Pedro watershed. The components of this report include: (1) a description of the geologic setting and depositional history of basin fill sediments that form the primary aquifer system, (2) updated bedrock altitudes underlying basin fill sediments calculated using a subsurface density model of gravity data, (3) delineation of hydrogeologic units in the basin fill using lithologic descriptions in driller's logs and models of airborne electrical resistivity data, (4) a digital three-dimensional (3D) hydrogeologic framework model (HFM) that represents spatial extents and thicknesses of the hydrogeologic units (HGUs), and (5) description of the hydrologic properties of the HGUs. The lithologic interpretations based on geophysical data and unit thickness and extent of the HGUs included in the HFM define potential configurations of hydraulic zones and parameters that can be incorporated in groundwater-flow models. The hydrogeologic framework comprises permeable and impermeable stratigraphic units: (1) bedrock, (2) sedimentary rocks predating basin-and-range deformation, (3) lower basin fill, (4) upper basin fill, and (5) stream alluvium. The bedrock unit includes Proterozoic to Cretaceous crystalline rocks, sedimentary rocks, and limestone that are relatively impermeable and poor aquifers, except for saturated portions of limestone. The pre-basin-and-range sediments underlie the lower basin fill but are relatively impermeable owing to cementation. However, they may be an important water-bearing unit where fractured. Alluvium of the lower basin fill, the main water-bearing unit, was deposited in the structural trough between the uplifted ridges of bedrock and (or) pre-basin-and-range sediments. Alluvium of the upper basin fill may be more permeable than the lower basin fill, but it is generally unsaturated in the study area. The lower basin fill stratigraphic unit was delineated into three HGUs on the basis of lithologic descriptions in driller?s logs and one-dimensional (1D) electrical models of airborne transient electromagnetic (TEM) surveys. The interbedded lower basin fill (ILBF) HGU represents an upper sequence having resistivity values between 5 and 40 ohm-m identified as interbedded sand, gravel, and clay in driller?s logs. Below this upper sequence, fine-grained lower basin fill (FLBF) HGU represents a thick silt and clay sequence having resistivity values between 5 and 20 ohm-m. Within the coarse-grained lower basin fill (CLBF) HGU, which underlies the silt and clay of the FLBF, the resistivity values on logs and 1D models increase to several hundred ohm-m and are highly variable within sand and gravel layers. These sequences match distinct resistivity and lithologic layers identified by geophysical logs in the adjacent Sierra Vista subwatershed, suggesting that these sequences are laterally continuous within both the Benson and Sierra Vista subwatersheds in the Upper San Pedro Basin. A subsurface density model based on gravity data was constructed to identify the top of bedrock and structures that may affect regional groundwater flow. The subsurface density model contains six layers having uniform density values, which are assigned on the basis of geophysical logs. The density values for the layers range between 1.65 g/cm3 for unsaturated sediments near the land surface and 2.67 g/cm3 for bedrock. Major features include three subbasins within the study area, the Huachuca City subbasin, the Tombstone subbasin, and the Benson subbasin, which have no expression in surface topography or lithology. Bedrock altitudes from the subsurface density model defined top altitudes of the bedrock HGU. The HFM includes the following HGUs in ascending stratigr

Vertical displacements inherited from pre-Neogene time in the Gulfes of Sigacik and Kusadasi (Western Anatolia) by multi channel seismic and chirp data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurcay, S.; Cifci, G.; Dondurur, D.; Sozbilir, H.

2012-12-01

Gulfes of Sigacik and Kusadasi (Western Anatolia) are located south of the Middle Eastern Aegean depression which formed by vertical displacements along the NB- to N-trending structural planes. This study consists of the results of the multi-channel seismic reflection and chirp data acquisition by K. Piri Reis, research vessel of Dokuz Eylül University (Izmir-TURKEY), in Sigacik Gulf and Kusadasi Gulf (West Anatolia) in August-2005 and in March-2008. Data were acquired approximately along the 1300km seismic lines. Two main seismic units, lower unit (Pre-Neogene) and upper unit (Neogene), can easily be determined on multi channel seismic sections. It is also observed on seismic sections that there are many active faults deform these units. Two main submarine basins can be determined from multi-channel seismic sections, Sigacik Basin and Kusadasi Basin. The upper unit in Sigacik Basin is deformed generally by strike slip faults. But there are some faults that have sharp vertical movements on lower unit. Some of these vertical movements are followed by strike-slip active faults along the upper unit indicating that these normal movements have changed to lateral movements, recently.

Changes in native bull trout and non-native brook trout distributions in the upper Powder River basin after 20 years, relationships to water temperature and implications of climate change

Treesearch

Philip J. Howell

2017-01-01

Many bull trout populations have declined from non-native brook trout introductions, habitat changes (e.g. water temperature) and other factors. We systematically sampled the distribution of bull trout and brook trout in the upper Powder River basin in Oregon in the 1990s and resampled it in 2013–2015, examined temperature differences in the habitats of the two species...

Hybridization threatens shoal bass populations in the Upper Chattahoochee River Basin: Chapter 37

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dakin, Elizabeth E; Porter, Brady A.; Freeman, Byron J.; Long, James M.; Tringali, Michael D.; Long, James M.; Birdsong, Timothy W.; Allen, Micheal S.

2015-01-01

Shoal bass are native only to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, and are vulnerable to extinction as a result of population fragmentation and introduction of non-native species. We assessed the genetic integrity of isolated populations of shoal bass in the upper Chattahoochee River basin (above Lake Lanier, Big Creek, and below Morgan Falls Dam) and sought to identify rates of hybridization with non-native, illegally stocked smallmouth bass and spotted bass.

Regional paleohydrologic and paleoclimatic settings of wetland/lacustrine depositional systems in the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic), Western Interior, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunagan, S.P.; Turner, C.E.

2004-01-01

During deposition of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, water that originated as precipitation in uplands to the west of the Western Interior depositional basin infiltrated regional aquifers that underlay the basin. This regional groundwater system delivered water into the otherwise dry continental interior basin where it discharged to form two major wetland/lacustrine successions. A freshwater carbonate wetland/lacustrine succession formed in the distal reaches of the basin, where regional groundwater discharged into the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which was a smaller structural basin within the more extensive Western Interior depositional basin. An alkaline-saline wetland/lacustrine complex (Lake T'oo'dichi') formed farther upstream, where shallower aquifers discharged into the San Juan/Paradox Basin, which was another small structural basin in the Western Interior depositional basin. These were both wetlands in the sense that groundwater was the major source of water. Input from surface and meteoric water was limited. In both basins, lacustrine conditions developed during episodes of increased input of surface water. Inclusion of wetlands in our interpretation of what had previously been considered largely lacustrine systems has important implications for paleohydrology and paleoclimatology. The distal carbonate wetland/lacustrine deposits are well developed in the Morrison Formation of east-central Colorado, occupying a stratigraphic interval that is equivalent to the "lower" Morrison but extends into the "upper" Morrison Formation. Sedimentologic, paleontologic, and isotopic evidence indicate that regional groundwater discharge maintained shallow, hydrologically open, well oxygenated, perennial carbonate wetlands and lakes despite the semi-arid climate. Wetland deposits include charophyte-rich wackestone and green mudstone. Lacustrine episodes, in which surface water input was significant, were times of carbonate and siliciclastic deposition in scarce deltaic and shoreline deposits. Marginal lacustrine deposits include ooid and skeletal packstone-grainstone, siltstone, and sandstone. Distal lacustrine units are skeletal mudstone-wackestone, microbialites, and laminated (siliciclastic) mudstone. Differentiation between wetlands and distal lacustrine units is not always possible. Palustrine features, Magadi-type chert (MTC), and evaporites record episodes of increased aridity and exposure. Farther upstream, during deposition of the upper part of the Brushy Basin Member, the ancestral Uncompahgre Uplift imposed a barrier to shallow, eastward-flowing groundwater that discharged into the San Juan/Paradox Basin on the upstream side of the uplift. This created the closed hydrologic setting necessary for development of an alkaline-saline wetland/lacustrine complex ("Lake" T'oo'dichi'). Silicic volcanic ash, delivered by prevailing winds from calderas west and southwest of the basin, contributed to the pore-water evolution in the sediments. A distinctive lateral hydrogeochemical gradient, reflecting increasing salinity and alkalinity in the pore waters, altered the ash to a variety of authigenic minerals that define concentric zones within the basin. The basinward progression of diagenetic mineral zones is smectite???clinoptilolite???analcime ??potassium feldspar???albite. The groundwater-fed wetlands were shallow and frequently evaporated to dryness. Scarce laminated gray mudstone beds record distinct episodes of freshwater lacustrine deposition that resulted from intermittent streams that carried detritus well out into the basin. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deformation Mechanism of the Northern Tibetan Plateau as Revealed by Magnetotelluric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Letian; Wei, Wenbo; Jin, Sheng; Ye, Gaofeng; Xie, Chengliang

2017-04-01

As a unique geologic unit on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Qaidam Basin plays a significant role in constraining the vertical uplift and horizontal expansion of the northern and northeastern Tibetan Plateau. However, due to its complex evolution history and difficult logistic condition, deformation mechanism of the lithosphere beneath the Qaidam Basin is still highly debated. To better understand the lithospheric electrical structure and deformation mechanism of the Qaidam Basin, A 250 km long, NE-SW directed Magnetotelluric (MT) profile was finished in the northern portion of the Basin, which is roughly perpendicular to the thrust fault systems on the western and eastern margins of the Basin, as well as anticlinorium systems within the Basin. The profile consists of 20 broad-band MT stations and 5 long-period MT stations. Original time series data is processed with regular robust routines. Dimensionality and regional strike direction are determined for the dataset through data analysis. Based on the analysis results, 2D inversions were performed to produce a preferred model of the lithospheric electrical structure beneath the northern Qaidam Basin. Uncertainty analysis of the 2D inversion model was also conducted based on a data resampling approach. The outcome 2D electrical model was further used to estimate the distribution of temperature and melt fraction in the upper mantle based on laboratory-determined relationships between the electrical conductivity and temperature of nominally anhydrous minerals and basaltic melt by using the mixing law of Hashin-Shtrikman's bounds. All these results suggest that: (1) the crust-mantle boundary is imaged as a conductive layer beneath the western Qaidam Basin, with its temperature estimated to be 1200-1300 °C and melt fraction 5-8%, indicating decoupling deformation of the crust and upper mantle. (2) A large-scale east-dipping conductor is imaged beneath the eastern Qaidam Basin. This conductor extends from the upper crust to the upper mantle, implying vertical coherent deformation of the lithosphere. Melt fraction of this conductive region is estimated to be as high as 10%, which might accommodates a major portion of the thrust deformation on the boundary between the Qaidam Basin and the Qilian Block. (3) Two different end-member deformation mechanisms, namely the decoupling deformation and vertical coherent deformation are both active on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and both play a significant role in controlling the uplift and expansion of the northern Tibetan Plateau. *This work was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (41404060, 41404059).

Climate and Provenance Evolution Recorded in the Sub-aqueous Indus Delta since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limmer, D. R.; Clift, P. D.; Koehler, C.; Giosan, L.; Ponton, C.; Henstock, T.; Tabrez, A.

2010-12-01

Source to sink processes in large fluvial systems are complicated by large transport distances and the potential to store and rework material on route to the submarine fan. We target the Indus river system and assess how climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) may have affected the storage and deposition of sediment in the nearshore shelf setting. While sediment reworking within the floodplain appears to have been strong during the Holocene, it is unclear whether this can be observed in the deep sea or in the submarine delta. We present a multi-proxy record of mineralogical and geochemical change from two cores obtained from the Indus Shelf during Winter 2008/9, one located close to the modern river and one located in the north-west shelf. Results show a strong contrast in the geochemistry, reflectance spectroscopy and clay mineralogy between Holocene sediments from the two cores. We propose that these differences are caused by both local variations in sediment source and transport mechanisms. Trends common in both cores could be related to climatic processes, such as low values in the chemical alteration index (CIA) and low 87Sr/86Sr that rise between 11 and 8ka suggests more intense chemical weathering at that time. This period coincides with presumed warmer, wet conditions and a stronger summer monsoon. A small decline in chemical weathering after 8ka could be caused by an apparent weakening of the monsoon since that time. These data suggest that sediment weathered in the floodplains is transported quickly to the submarine delta during the Holocene, but that this material has not yet been re-deposited into the deep water via the Indus Canyon.

Syn-extensional lithogenetic sequences of the Soledad basin, central Transverse Ranges: Implications for detachment-fault models

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

Hendrix, E.D.

1993-04-01

The Soledad Basin (central Transverse Ranges, CA) contains the first recognized example of mid-Tertiary detachment-faulting west of the San Andreas fault. Displacements along the Pelona detachment fault and syn-extensional upper-plate sedimentation occurred between [approximately] 26--18 Ma, resulting in deposition of at least 4 separate lithogenetic sequences (LS) which record distinct phases of crustal response to extension. The 1st LS (lower Vasquez Fm.) predates syn-extensional volcanism and records initial basin subsidence along small, discontinuous faults. The 2nd LS (middle Vasquez Fm.) consists of both volcanic and sedimentary strata and signals simultaneous onset of magmatism and initial development of a well-defined networkmore » of high-angle, upper-plate normal faults, creating 2 separate sub-basins. Resulting alluvial fans were non-entrenched, implying that subsidence rates, and thus vertical displacement rates on high-angle faults, equaled or exceeded an estimated average sedimentation rate of 1.4 mm/yr. The 3rd LS (upper Vasquez Fm.) reflects transition to a single, well-integrated depositional basin characterized by streamflood sedimentation. This suggests an enlarged drainage basin and a decrease in subsidence rate relative to sedimentation rate, triggered possibly by uplift of the detachment lower-plate. The 4th LS (Tick Canyon Fm.) lies with angular unconformity above the 3rd LS and contains the 1st clasts eroded from the detachment lower plate. Detachment faulting in the Soledad basin appears to involve, in part, reactivation of structural zones of weakness along the Vincent thrust. Preliminary reconstructions of Soledad extension imply 25--30 km of displacement along the Pelona detachment fault system at an averaged slip rate of 3.6--4.3 mm/yr.« less

Fish assemblages and environmental correlates in least-disturbed streams of the upper Snake River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, T.R.; Robinson, C.T.; Minshall, G.W.

1997-01-01

Fish assemblages and environmental variables were evaluated from 37 least-disturbed, 1st- through 6th-order streams and springs in the upper Snake River basin, western USA. Data were collected as part of the efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program and the Idaho State University Stream Ecology Center to characterize aquatic biota and associated habitats in least-disturbed coldwater streams. Geographically, the basin comprises four ecoregions. Environmental variables constituting various spatial scales, from watershed characteristics to in stream habitat measures, were used to examine distribution patterns in fish assemblages. Nineteen fish species in the families Salmonidae, Cottidae, Cyprinidae, and Catostemidae were collected. Multivariate analyses showed high overlap in stream fish assemblages among the ecoregions. Major environmental factors determining species distributions in the basin were stream gradient, watershed size, conductivity, and percentage of the watershed covered by forest. Lowland streams (below 1,600 m in elevation), located mostly in the Snake River Basin/High Desert ecoregion, displayed different fish assemblages than upland streams (above 2,000 m elevation) in the Northern Rockies, Middle Rockies, and Northern Basin and Range ecoregions. For example, cotrids were not found in streams above 2,000 m in elevation. In addition, distinct fish assemblages were found in tributaries upstream and downstream from the large waterfall, Shoshone Falls, on the Snake River. Fish metrics explaining most of the variation among sites included the total number of species, number of native species, number of salmonid species, percent introduced species, percent cottids, and percent salmonids. Springs also exhibited different habitat conditions and fish assemblages than streams. The data suggest that the evolutionary consequences of geographic features and fish species introductions transcend the importance of ecoregion boundaries on fish distributions in the upper Snake River basin.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) variability in Barataria Basin using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC).

PubMed

Singh, Shatrughan; D'Sa, Eurico J; Swenson, Erick M

2010-07-15

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) variability in Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA,was examined by excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). CDOM optical properties of absorption and fluorescence at 355nm along an axial transect (36 stations) during March, April, and May 2008 showed an increasing trend from the marine end member to the upper basin with mean CDOM absorption of 11.06 + or - 5.01, 10.05 + or - 4.23, 11.67 + or - 6.03 (m(-)(1)) and fluorescence 0.80 + or - 0.37, 0.78 + or - 0.39, 0.75 + or - 0.51 (RU), respectively. PARAFAC analysis identified two terrestrial humic-like (component 1 and 2), one non-humic like (component 3), and one soil derived humic acid like (component 4) components. The spatial variation of the components showed an increasing trend from station 1 (near the mouth of basin) to station 36 (end member of bay; upper basin). Deviations from this increasing trend were observed at a bayou channel with very high chlorophyll-a concentrations especially for component 3 in May 2008 that suggested autochthonous production of CDOM. The variability of components with salinity indicated conservative mixing along the middle part of the transect. Component 1 and 4 were found to be relatively constant, while components 2 and 3 revealed an inverse relationship for the sampling period. Total organic carbon showed increasing trend for each of the components. An increase in humification and a decrease in fluorescence indices along the transect indicated an increase in terrestrial derived organic matter and reduced microbial activity from lower to upper basin. The use of these indices along with PARAFAC results improved dissolved organic matter characterization in the Barataria Basin. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of unconvential (tight) gas resources in Upper Cook Inlet Basin, South-central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.; Nelson, Philip H.; Klett, Timothy R.; Le, Phuong A.; Anderson, Christopher P.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

A geologic model was developed for the assessment of potential Mesozoic tight-gas resources in the deep, central part of upper Cook Inlet Basin, south-central Alaska. The basic premise of the geologic model is that organic-bearing marine shales of the Middle Jurassic Tuxedni Group achieved adequate thermal maturity for oil and gas generation in the central part of the basin largely due to several kilometers of Paleogene and Neogene burial. In this model, hydrocarbons generated in Tuxedni source rocks resulted in overpressure, causing fracturing and local migration of oil and possibly gas into low-permeability sandstone and siltstone reservoirs in the Jurassic Tuxedni Group and Chinitna and Naknek Formations. Oil that was generated either remained in the source rock and subsequently was cracked to gas which then migrated into low-permeability reservoirs, or oil initially migrated into adjacent low-permeability reservoirs, where it subsequently cracked to gas as adequate thermal maturation was reached in the central part of the basin. Geologic uncertainty exists on the (1) presence of adequate marine source rocks, (2) degree and timing of thermal maturation, generation, and expulsion, (3) migration of hydrocarbons into low-permeability reservoirs, and (4) preservation of this petroleum system. Given these uncertainties and using known U.S. tight gas reservoirs as geologic and production analogs, a mean volume of 0.64 trillion cubic feet of gas was assessed in the basin-center tight-gas system that is postulated to exist in Mesozoic rocks of the upper Cook Inlet Basin. This assessment of Mesozoic basin-center tight gas does not include potential gas accumulations in Cenozoic low-permeability reservoirs.

The late Cenomanian oyster Lopha staufferi (Bergquist, 1944) - the oldest ribbed oyster in the Upper Cretaceous of the Western Interior of the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hook, Stephen C.; Cobban, William A.

2016-12-01

Lopha staufferi (Bergquist, 1944) is a medium-sized, ribbed, Late Cretaceous oyster with a slightly curved axis and a zigzag commissure; it appears suddenly and conspicuously in upper Cenomanian rocks in the Western Interior Basin of the United States. At maturity, the ribs on both valves thicken into steep flanks that allow the oyster to increase interior volume without increasing its exterior footprint on the seafloor. Lopha staufferi is the first (earliest) ribbed oyster in the Late Cretaceous of the Western Interior, but has no ancestor in the basin. It disappears from the rock record as suddenly as it appeared, leaving no direct descendent in the basin. In the southern part of the basin where it is well constrained, L. staufferi is restricted stratigraphically to the upper Cenomanian Metoicoceras mosbyense Zone (= Dunveganoceras conditum Zone in the north). Lopha staufferi has an unusual paleogeographic distribution, occurring in only two, widely scattered areas in the basin. It has been found at several localities near the western shoreline of the Late Cretaceous Seaway in west-central New Mexico and adjacent Arizona, and in localities 1,900 km (1,200 mi) to the northeast near the eastern shoreline in northeastern Minnesota, but nowhere in between. In west-central New Mexico and adjacent Arizona, L. staufferi is a guide fossil to the Twowells Tongue of the Dakota Sandstone.

Agro-hydrologic landscapes in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins.

PubMed

Schilling, Keith E; Wolter, Calvin F; McLellan, Eileen

2015-03-01

A critical part of increasing conservation effectiveness is targeting the "right practice" to the "right place" where it can intercept pollutant flowpaths. Conceptually, these flowpaths can be inferred from soil and slope characteristics, and in this study, we developed an agro-hydrologic classification to identify N and P loss pathways and priority conservation practices in small watersheds in the U.S. Midwest. We developed a GIS framework to classify 11,010 small watersheds in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins based on soil permeability and slope characteristics of agricultural cropland areas in each watershed. The amount of cropland in any given watershed varied from <10 to >60 %. Cropland areas were classified into five main categories, with slope classes of <2, 2-5, and >5 %, and soil drainage classes of poorly and well drained. Watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River basin (UMRB) were dominated by cropland areas in low slopes and poorly drained soils, whereas less-intensively cropped watersheds in Wisconsin and Minnesota (in the UMRB) and throughout the Ohio River basin were overwhelmingly well drained. Hydrologic differences in cropped systems indicate that a one-size-fits-all approach to conservation selection will not work. Consulting the classification scheme proposed herein may be an appropriate first-step in identifying those conservation practices that might be most appropriate for small watersheds in the basin.

Allogenic controls on the fluvial architecture and fossil preservation of the Upper Triassic Ischigualasto Formation, NW Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colombi, Carina E.; Limarino, Carlos O.; Alcober, Oscar A.

2017-12-01

The Upper Triassic Ischigualasto Formation in NW Argentina was deposited in a fluvial system during the synrift filling of the extensional Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin. The expansive exposures of the fluvial architecture and paleosols provide a framework to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution of this basin during the Upper Triassic using continental sequence stratigraphy. The Ischigualasto Formation deposition can be divided into seven sequential sedimentary stages: the 1) Bypass stage; 2) Confined low-accommodation stage; 3) Confined high accommodation stage; 4) Unstable-accommodation stage; 5) Unconfined high-accommodation stage; 6) Unconfined low-accommodation stage; and finally, 7) Unconfined high-accommodation stage. The sedimentary evolution of the Ischigualasto Formation was driven by different allogenic controls such as rises and falls in lake levels, local tectonism, subsidence, volcanism, and climate, which also produced modifications of the equilibrium profile of the fluvial systems. All of these factors result in different accommodations in central and flank areas of the basin, which led to different architectural configurations of channels and floodplains. Allogenic processes affected not only the sequence stratigraphy of the basin but also the vertebrate and plant taphocenosis. Therefore, the sequence stratigraphy can be used not only as a predictive tool related to fossil occurrence but also to understand the taphonomic history of the basin at each temporal interval.

Petroleum Systems of the Nigerian Sector of Chad Basin: Insights from Field and Subsurface Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suleiman, A. A.; Nwaobi, G. O.; Bomai, A.; Dauda, R.; Bako, M. D.; Ali, M. S.; Moses, S. D.

2017-12-01

A.A. Suleiman, A. Bomai, R. Dauda, O.G. NwaobiNigerian National Petroleum CorporationAbstract:Formation of the West and Central African Rift systems (WCARS) reflects intra-plate deformation linked to the Early to Late Cretaceous opening of South Atlantic Ocean. From an economic point of view, the USGS (2010) estimated Chad Basin, which is part of WCARS rift system to contain, up to 2.32 BBO and 14.62 TCF. However, there has been no exploration success in the Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin principally because of a poor understanding of the basin tectono-stratigraphic evolution and petroleum system development. In this study, we use 3D seismic, geochemical and field data to construct a tectono-stratigraphic framework of the Nigerian sector of Chad Basin; within this framework we then investigate the basins petroleum system development. Our analysis suggests two key plays exist in the basin, Lower and Upper Cretaceous plays. Pre-Bima lacustrine shale and the Gongila Formation constitute the prospective source rocks for the Lower Cretaceous play, whereas the Fika Shale may provide the source, for the Upper Cretaceous play. Source rock hydrocarbon modeling indicates possible oil and gas generation and expulsion from the lacustrine shales and Fika Shale in Cretaceous and Tertiary times respectively. Bima Sandstone and weathered basement represent prospective reservoirs for the Lower Cretaceous play and intra-Fika sandstone beds for the Upper Cretaceous play. We identify a range of trapping mechanisms such as inversion-related anticlines. Shales of the Gongila Formation provide the top sealing for the Lower Cretaceous play. Our field observations have proved presence of the key elements of the petroleum system in the Nigerian Sector of the Chad Basin. It has also demonstrated presence of igneous intrusions in the stratigraphy of the basin that we found to influence the hydrocarbon potential of the basin through source rock thermal maturity and degradation. Our study indicates that Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin is affected by igneous activity and basin inversion both of which impact its petroleum system development. Therefore, a detailed study of the tectono-stratigraphic framework of a rift basin is crucial to investigate the development of its petroleum system and hydrocarbon prospectivity.

Biostratigraphic sequence analysis of two Lower Miocene to Pliocene sections, Eastern Falcon, Northwestern Venezuela

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

Diaz De Gamero, M.L.; Giffuni, G.; Castro Mora, M.

1993-02-01

The eastern region of the Falcon Basin in northwestern Venezuela comprises a thick sedimentary sequence deposited from a deep marine bathyal to neritic environment, ranging in age from the Middle Eocene to the Pliocene. A detailed biostratigraphic study (foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton) was carried out in two sedimentary sequences outcropping in Cumarebo and Piritu, adjacent areas of eastern Falcon, representing: platform, slope and basinal settings. The Cumarebo section is continuous in the studied interval, from the Middle Miocene to the Pliocene. The Piritu section is continuous from the Lower to the lower Upper Miocene, terminating unconformably beneath a thin intervalmore » of middle Pliocene platform sediments, indicating tectonism during the latest Miocene. The sequence stratigraphical interpretation was based on the biostratigraphic analysis of the benthic and planktonic fossils, facies distribution and sedimentological data. Systems tracts, sequence boundaries and maximum flooding surfaces from cycles TB2.4 to TB3.5 of the cycle chart were identified. In the Cumarebo section, the upper Middle and Upper Miocene is mostly composed of shales, with some turbiditic sands belonging to a LSW system tract. The upper most Miocene contains a thick carbonate buildup (HST), and it is overlain by a Pliocene section that shallows upward from upper slope to outer shelf depositional environments. In the basinal (Piritu) section, most of the sediments are deep-water shales belonging to a LSW system tract, with some turbiditic sands in the upper Lower Miocene. TST and HST sediments, with scattered carbonate buildups in the upper Middle Miocene were also identified.« less

Radial flow pulse jet mixer

DOEpatents

VanOsdol, John G.

2013-06-25

The disclosure provides a pulse jet mixing vessel for mixing a plurality of solid particles. The pulse jet mixing vessel is comprised of a sludge basin, a flow surface surrounding the sludge basin, and a downcoming flow annulus between the flow surface and an inner shroud. The pulse jet mixing vessel is additionally comprised of an upper vessel pressurization volume in fluid communication with the downcoming flow annulus, and an inner shroud surge volume separated from the downcoming flow annulus by the inner shroud. When the solid particles are resting on the sludge basin and a fluid such as water is atop the particles and extending into the downcoming flow annulus and the inner shroud surge volume, mixing occurs by pressurization of the upper vessel pressurization volume, generating an inward radial flow over the flow surface and an upwash jet at the center of the sludge basin.

Relation of the lower Pennsylvanian unconformity to a mid-carboniferous eustatic event in the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Englund, K.J.; Thomas, R.E.

1997-01-01

Two contrasting concepts specifying the age and duration of the hiatus resulting from a mid-Carboniferous eustatic event in the eastern United States are based on different evidence. The original model indicated that the hiatus is at an unconformity in cratonic areas that was assumed to coincide with the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary at the contact between the Mississippian Bluestone Formation and the Pennsylvanian Pocahontas Formation in the Appalachian foreland basin. This concept was adhered to exclusively until 1969 and continues to reappear in reports dealing with global correlations and division of the Carboniferous into the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Systems. This division is at a major eustatic event that supposedly occurred at about 330 Ma in scattered parts of the world, including the Appalachian basin. An alternative concept, fully supported by geologic mapping and biostratigraphic studies, indicates that the unconformity and associated hiatus are much younger because they originate in the Appalachian foreland basin in the lower part (upper Namurian) of the Lower Pennsylvanian New River Formation, about 260 m above the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary. The duration of this hiatus increases in a northwesterly direction onto the cratonic shelf because the unconformity progressively truncated the underlying Lower Pennsylvanian and Upper Mississippian successions. The westward onlap of Pennsylvanian strata onto the eroded surface resulted in a hiatus from the Early Mississippian (Tournaisian) to the Middle Pennsylvanian (Westphalian B). The systemic boundary, which is in a depositional continuous sequence of strata in the Appalachian foreland basin, was correlated biostratigraphically by Pfefferkorn and Gillespie in 1982 with Gothan's "Florensprung" (floral break) described in 1913 at the Namurian A-B boundary in the Upper Silesian basin. An intra-Namurian erosive event was noted also in the Upper Silesian basin by Havlena, who reported in 1982 that an intra-Namurian erosive contact occurs well above the Florensprung. The origin of the Florensprung in depositional continuous strata has been attributed to tectonism, environment, or climate. However, spherules found in depositional continuous strata near the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary in the Appalachian basin indicate that the effect of an asteroid impact may be the underlying cause for the biodiversity noted at the systemic boundary.

Geology and geologic history of the Moscow-Pullman basin, Idaho and Washington, from late Grande Ronde to late Saddle Mountains time

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bush, John H; Garwood, Dean L; Dunlap, Pamela

2016-01-01

The Moscow-Pullman basin, located on the eastern margin of the Columbia River flood basalt province, consists of a subsurface mosaic of interlayered Miocene sediments and lava flows of the Imnaha, Grande Ronde, Wanapum, and Saddle Mountains Basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group. This sequence is ~1800 ft (550 m) thick in the east around Moscow, Idaho, and exceeds 2300 ft (700 m) in the west at Pullman, Washington. Most flows entered from the west into a topographic low, partially surrounded by steep mountainous terrain. These flows caused a rapid rise in base level and deposition of immature sediments. This field guide focuses on the upper Grande Ronde Basalt, Wanapum Basalt, and sediments of the Latah Formation.Late Grande Ronde flows terminated midway into the basin to begin the formation of a topographic high that now separates a thick sediment wedge of the Vantage Member to the east of the high from a thin layer to the west. Disrupted by lava flows, streams were pushed from a west-flowing direction to a north-northwest orientation and drained the basin through a gap between steptoes toward Palouse, Washington. Emplacement of the Roza flow of the Wanapum Basalt against the western side of the topographic high was instrumental in this process, plugging west-flowing drainages and increasing deposition of Vantage sediments east of the high. The overlying basalt of Lolo covered both the Roza flow and Vantage sediments, blocking all drainages, and was in turn covered by sediments interlayered with local Saddle Mountains Basalt flows. Reestablishment of west-flowing drainages has been slow.The uppermost Grande Ronde, the Vantage, and the Wanapum contain what is known as the upper aquifer. The water supply is controlled, in part, by thickness, composition, and distribution of the Vantage sediments. A buried channel of the Vantage likely connects the upper aquifer to Palouse, Washington, outside the basin. This field guide locates outcrops; relates them to stratigraphic well data; outlines paleogeographic basin evolution from late Grande Ronde to the present time; and notes structures, basin margin differences, and features that influence upper aquifer water supply.

Variability of Mercury Content in Coal Matter From Coal Seams of The Upper Silesia Coal Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wierzchowski, Krzysztof; Chećko, Jarosław; Pyka, Ireneusz

2017-12-01

The process of identifying and documenting the quality parameters of coal, as well as the conditions of coal deposition in the seam, is multi-stage and extremely expensive. The taking and analyzing of seam samples is the method of assessment of the quality and quantity parameters of coals in deep mines. Depending on the method of sampling, it offers quite precise assessment of the quality parameters of potential commercial coals. The main kind of seam samples under consideration are so-called "documentary seam samples", which exclude dirt bands and other seam contaminants. Mercury content in coal matter from the currently accessible and exploited coal seams of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) was assessed. It was noted that the mercury content in coal seams decreases with the age of the seam and, to a lesser extent, seam deposition depth. Maps of the variation of mercury content in selected lithostratigraphic units (layers) of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin have been created.

Anatomy of Old Faithful From Subsurface Seismic Imaging of the Yellowstone Upper Geyser Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Sin-Mei; Ward, Kevin M.; Farrell, Jamie; Lin, Fan-Chi; Karplus, Marianne; Smith, Robert B.

2017-10-01

The Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park contains one of the highest concentrations of hydrothermal features on Earth including the iconic Old Faithful geyser. Although this system has been the focus of many geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies for decades, the shallow (<200 m) subsurface structure remains poorly characterized. To investigate the detailed subsurface geologic structure including the hydrothermal plumbing of the Upper Geyser Basin, we deployed an array of densely spaced three-component nodal seismographs in November of 2015. In this study, we extract Rayleigh wave seismic signals between 1 and 10 Hz utilizing nondiffusive seismic waves excited by nearby active hydrothermal features with the following results: (1) imaging the shallow subsurface structure by utilizing stationary hydrothermal activity as a seismic source, (2) characterizing how local geologic conditions control the formation and location of the Old Faithful hydrothermal system, and (3) resolving a relatively shallow (10-60 m) and large reservoir located 100 m southwest of Old Faithful geyser.

Algal Data from Selected Sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, Water Years 1996-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mize, Scott V.; Deacon, Jeffrey R.

2001-01-01

Algal community samples were collected at 15 sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program during water years 1996-97. Sites sampled were located in two physiographic provinces, the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateaus, and represented agricultural, mining, urban, and mixed land uses and background conditions. Algal samples were collected once per year during low-flow conditions. Quantitative algal samples were collected within two targeted instream habitat types including a taxonomically richest-targeted habitat and a depositional-targeted habitat. This report presents the algal community data collected at the fixed sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin study unit. Algal data include densities (abundance of cells per square centimeter of substrate) and biovolumes (cubic micrometers of cells per square centimeter of substrate) for the two habitat types. Quality-assurance and quality-control results for algal samples indicate that the largest sampling variability tends to occur in samples from small streams.

Landsat Evapotranspiration for Historical Field-scale Water Use (1984-2015) in the Upper Rio Grande River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senay, G. B.; Schauer, M.; Singh, R. K.; Friedrichs, M.

2017-12-01

Field-scale water use maps derived from evapotranspiration (ET) can characterize water use patterns and the impacts of water management decisions. This project generated historical (1984-2015) Landsat-based ET maps for the entire Upper Rio Grande basin which makes this one of the largest regions in the United States with remotely sensed historical ET at Landsat resolution. More than 10,000 Landsat images spanning 32 years were processed using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model which integrates weather data and remotely sensed images to estimate monthly and annual ET. Time-series analysis focused on three water-intensive study areas within the basin: the San Luis Valley in Colorado, irrigated fields along the Rio Grande River near Albuquerque, NM, and irrigated fields near Las Cruces, NM. Preliminary analysis suggests land use changes result in declining water use in irrigated areas of the basin which corresponds with increases in land surface temperatures. Time-series analysis of water use patterns at multiple temporal and spatial scales demonstrates the impact of water management decisions on the availability of water in the basin. Comparisons with cropland data from the USDA (NASS CDL) demonstrate how water use for particular crop types changes over time in response to land use changes and shifts in water management. This study illustrates a useful application of "Big Data" earth observation science for quantifying impacts of climate and land use changes on water availability within the United States as well as applications in planning water resource allocation, managing water rights, and sustaining agricultural production in the Upper Rio Grande basin.

Neogene stratigraphy, foraminifera, diatoms, and depositional history of Maria Madre Island, Mexico: Evidence of early Neogene marine conditions in the southern Gulf of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCloy, C.; Ingle, J.C.; Barron, J.A.

1988-01-01

Foraminifera and diatoms have been analyzed from an upper Miocene through Pleistocene(?) sequence of marine sediments exposed on Maria Madre Island, largest of the Tre??s Marias Islands off the Pacific coast of Mexico. The Neogene stratigraphic sequence exposed on Maria Madre Island includes a mid-Miocene(?) non-marine and/or shallow marine sandstone unconformably overlain by a lower upper Miocene to uppermost Miocene upper to middle bathyal laminated and massive diatomite, mudstone, and siltstone unit. This unit is unconformably overlain by lower Pliocene middle to lower bathyal sandstones and siltstones which, in turn, are unconformably overlain by upper Pliocene through Pleistocene(?) upper bathyal to upper middle bathyal foraminiferal limestones and siltstones. These beds are unconformably capped by Pleistocene terrace deposits. Basement rocks on the island include Cretaceous granite and granodiorite, and Tertiary(?) andesites and rhyolites. The upper Miocene diatomaceous unit contains a low diversity foraminiferal fauna dominated by species of Bolivina indicating low oxygen conditions in the proto-Gulf Maria Madre basin. The diatomaceous unit grades into a mudstone that contains a latest Miocene upper to middle bathyal biofacies characterized by Baggina californica and Uvigerina hootsi along with displaced neritic taxa. An angular unconformity separates the upper Miocene middle bathyal sediments from overlying lower Pliocene siltstones and mudstones that contain a middle to lower bathyal biofacies and abundant planktonic species including Neogloboquadrina acostaensis and Pulleniatina primalis indicating an early Pliocene age. Significantly, this Pliocene unit contains common occurrences of benthic species restricted to Miocene sediments in California including Bulimina uvigerinaformis. Pliocene to Pleistocene(?) foraminiferal limestones and siltstones characterize submarine bank accumulations formed during uplift of the Tre??s Marias Island area, and include abundant planktonic foraminifera such as Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Neogloboquadrina duterteri. Common benthic foraminifera in this unit are indicative of upper bathyal water depths. The Neogene depositional history recorded on Maria Madre Island involves an early late Miocene subsidence event marking formation of the Tre??s Marias Basin with relatively undiluted diatomaceous sediment deposited in a low oxygen setting. Subsidence and deepening of the basin continued into the early Pliocene along with rapid deposition of terrigenous clastics. Uplift of the basinal sequence began in late Pliocene time accompanied by deposition of upper Pliocene-Pleistocene foraminiferal limestones on a rising submarine bank. Continued episodic uplift of the Neogene deposits brought the island above sea level by late Pleistocene time. ?? 1988.

Chondrites isp. Indicating Late Paleozoic Atmospheric Anoxia in Eastern Peninsular India

PubMed Central

Bhattacharya, Biplab; Banerjee, Sudipto

2014-01-01

Rhythmic sandstone-mudstone-coal succession of the Barakar Formation (early Permian) manifests a transition from lower braided-fluvial to upper tide-wave influenced, estuarine setting. Monospecific assemblage of marine trace fossil Chondrites isp. in contemporaneous claystone beds in the upper Barakar succession from two Gondwana basins (namely, the Raniganj Basin and the Talchir Basin) in eastern peninsular India signifies predominant marine incursion during end early Permian. Monospecific Chondrites ichnoassemblage in different sedimentary horizons in geographically wide apart (~400 km) areas demarcates multiple short-spanned phases of anoxia in eastern India. Such anoxia is interpreted as intermittent falls in oxygen level in an overall decreasing atmospheric oxygenation within the late Paleozoic global oxygen-carbon dioxide fluctuations. PMID:24616628

Changes in groundwater recharge under projected climate in the upper Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred; Gangopadhyay, Subhrendu; Pruitt, Tom

2016-01-01

Understanding groundwater-budget components, particularly groundwater recharge, is important to sustainably manage both groundwater and surface water supplies in the Colorado River basin now and in the future. This study quantifies projected changes in upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) groundwater recharge from recent historical (1950–2015) through future (2016–2099) time periods, using a distributed-parameter groundwater recharge model with downscaled climate data from 97 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 climate projections. Simulated future groundwater recharge in the UCRB is generally expected to be greater than the historical average in most decades. Increases in groundwater recharge in the UCRB are a consequence of projected increases in precipitation, offsetting reductions in recharge that would result from projected increased temperatures.

Thermal maturity map of the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Group, Uintah Basin, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nuccio, Vito F.; Johnson, Ronald C.

1986-01-01

The ability of rock to generate oil and gas is directly related to the type and quantity of kerogen and to its thermal maturity; therefore, thermal maturity is a commonly used tool for oil and gas exploration.  The purpose of this study ws to provide a thermal-maturity map for the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Group in the eastern part of the Uinta Basin.  Prior to this study, thermal-maturity data were not available for the Uinta Basin.  This study uses coal rank to show the thermal maturity of the associated rocks.  The map was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy under its western gas sands project.

Earth observations taken during STS-83 mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-12

STS083-747-052 (4-8 April 1997) --- Sunglint on the Indus River, Sukkar, and Rohri, Pakistan. Sukkar city (27.42 north 68.52 east), Sindh province, southeastern Pakistan lies on the west bank of the Indus River, connected with Rohri on the opposite bank by a cantilever bridge. Midstream between the two cities is the strategic island fortress of Bukkur. The old town contains many historic tombs and mosques, including the Mir Ma'sum Shah Minaret (c. AD 1607). An industrial and trade center, it has biscuit, cigarette, oil, lime, and cement factories, and cotton, silk, thread, and flour mills; boat building is also significant. The surrounding region is a vast alluvial plain broken only occasionally by low limestone hills. A portion of the Thar Desert is reaching from the south to Rohri. The Sukkur Barrage, highlighted by the sunglint, was completed in 1932. Nearly 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) long it crosses the Indus River 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) below Sukkur Gorge and feeds irrigation canals. The canals originating from it serve a cultivable area of about five million acres of land producing both food and cash crops, such as wheat, cotton, rice, oilseed, and fruit cultivation.

A peaceful realm? Trauma and social differentiation at Harappa.

PubMed

Robbins Schug, Gwen; Gray, Kelsey; Mushrif-Tripathy, V; Sankhyan, A R

Thousands of settlements stippled the third millennium B.C. landscape of Pakistan and northwest India. These communities maintained an extensive exchange network that spanned West and South Asia. They shared remarkably consistent symbolic and ideological systems despite a vast territory, including an undeciphered script, standardized weights, measures, sanitation and subsistence systems, and settlement planning. The city of Harappa (3300-1300B.C.) sits at the center of this Indus River Valley Civilization. The relatively large skeletal collection from Harappa offers an opportunity to examine biocultural aspects of urban life and its decline in South Asian prehistory. This paper compares evidence for cranial trauma among burial populations at Harappa through time to assess the hypothesis that Indus state formation occurred as a peaceful heterarchy. The prevalence and patterning of cranial injuries, combined with striking differences in mortuary treatment and demography among the three burial areas indicate interpersonal violence in Harappan society was structured along lines of gender and community membership. The results support a relationship at Harappa among urbanization, access to resources, social differentiation, and risk of interpersonal violence. Further, the results contradict the dehumanizing, unrealistic myth of the Indus Civilization as an exceptionally peaceful prehistoric urban civilization. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hazardous impact of arsenic on tissues of same fish species collected from two ecosystem.

PubMed

Shah, Abdul Qadir; Kazi, Tasneem Gul; Arain, Mohammad Balal; Baig, Jameel Ahmed; Afridi, Hassan Imran; Kandhro, Ghulam Abbas; Khan, Sumaira; Jamali, Mohammad Khan

2009-08-15

The purpose of this paper is to develop a database of fish tissues and to evaluate concentration of arsenic (As) in five tissues of fish species collected from Manchar Lake Pakistan and to compare concentration of As in fish tissues of same fish species collected from the Indus River, Pakistan. A sensitive and precise, hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG AAS) method is presented for the determination of total Arsenic (As). Microwave acid-assisted digestion (MAD) procedure based on the mixture HNO(3)/H(2)O(2) was evaluated. The method was successfully validated against CRM DORM-2 (dogfish muscle). Quantitative As recovery in CRM (DORM-2) was obtained and no statistical differences were found at 95% level by applying the t-test. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ), for As were established as 0.022 and 0.063 microg g(-1), respectively. The results of this study indicated that As concentration in fish tissues from the Indus River are generally lower than in tissues of fishes from Manchar Lake. Arsenic concentrations in fish tissues of Indus River are although above the respective human health-based concentrations.

Deformation Mechanism on the Northern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau Inferred from Magnetotelluric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Jin, S.; Wei, W.; Ye, G.; Xie, C.

2017-12-01

As a unique geologic unit on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Qaidam Basin plays a significant role in constraining the vertical uplift and horizontal expansion of the plateau. However, deformation mechanism of the lithosphere beneath the Qaidam Basin is still highly debated. To better understand the lithospheric electrical structure and deformation mechanism of the Qaidam Basin, A 250 km long, NE-SW directed Magnetotelluric (MT) profile was finished in the northern portion of the Basin, which is roughly perpendicular to the thrust fault systems on the western and eastern margins of the Basin. The profile consists of 20 broad-band MT stations and 5 long-period MT stations. Original time series data is processed with regular robust routines. Dimensionality and regional strike direction are determined for the dataset through data analysis. 2D inversions were performed to produce a preferred model of the lithospheric electrical structure. Uncertainty analysis of the 2D inversion model was also conducted based on a data resampling approach. The outcome 2D electrical model was further used to estimate the distribution of temperature and melt fraction in the upper mantle based on laboratory-determined relationships between the electrical conductivity and temperature of nominally anhydrous minerals and basaltic melt by using the mixing law of Hashin-Shtrikman's bounds. These results suggest that: (1) the crust-mantle boundary is imaged as a conductive layer beneath the western Qaidam Basin, with its temperature estimated to be 1200-1300 ° and melt fraction 5-8%, indicating decoupling deformation of the crust and upper mantle. (2) A large-scale east-dipping conductor is imaged beneath the eastern Qaidam Basin extending from the upper crust to upper mantle, implying vertical coherent deformation of the lithosphere. Melt fraction of this conductive region is estimated to be as high as 10%, which might accommodates a major portion of the thrust deformation on the basin boundary. (3) Decoupling deformation and vertical coherent deformation are both active on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and both play significant roles in controlling the uplift and expansion of the northern Tibetan Plateau. *This work is funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (41404060, 41404059).

Sedimentary and tectonic evolution of Plio Pleistocene alluvial and lacustrine deposits of Fucino Basin (central Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavinato, Gian Paolo; Carusi, Claudio; Dall'Asta, Massimo; Miccadei, Enrico; Piacentini, Tommaso

2002-04-01

The Fucino Basin was the greatest lake of the central Italy, which was completely drained at the end of 19th century. The basin is an intramontane half-graben filled by Plio-Quaternary alluvial and lacustrine deposits located in the central part of the Apennines chain, which was formed in Upper Pliocene and in Quaternary time by the extensional tectonic activity. The analysis of the geological surface data allows the definition of several stratigraphic units grouped in Lower Units and Upper Units. The Lower Units (Upper Pliocene) are exposed along the northern and north-eastern basin margins. They consist of open to marginal lacustrine deposits, breccia deposits and fluvial deposits. The Upper Units (Lower Pliocene-Holocene) consist of interbedded marginal lacustrine deposits and fluvial deposits; thick coarse-grained fan-delta deposits are interfingered at the foot of the main relief with fluvial-lacustrine deposits. Most of the thickness of the lacustrine sequences (more than 1000-m thick) is buried below the central part of the Fucino Plain. The basin is bounded by E-W, WSW-ENE and NW-SE fault systems: Velino-Magnola Fault (E-W) and Tremonti-Celano-Aielli Fault (WSW-ENE) and S. Potito-Celano Fault (NW-SE) in the north; the Trasacco Fault, the Pescina-Celano Fault and the Serrone Fault (NW-SE) in the south-east. The geometry and kinematic indicators of these faults indicate normal or oblique movements. The study of industrial seismic profiles across the Fucino Basin gives a clear picture of the subsurface basin geometry; the basin shows triangular-shaped basin-fill geometry, with the maximum deposits thickness toward the main east boundary fault zones that dip south-westward (Serrone Fault, Trasacco Fault, Pescina-Celano Fault). On the basis of geological surface data, borehole stratigraphy and seismic data analysis, it is possible to recognize and to correlate sedimentary and seismic facies. The bottom of the basin is well recognized in the seismic lines available from the good and continuous signals of the top of Meso-Cenozoic carbonate rocks. The shape of sedimentary bodies indicates that the filling of the basin was mainly controlled by normal slip along the NW-SE boundary faults. In fact, the continental deposits are frequently in on-lap contact over the carbonate substratum; several disconformable contacts occurred during the sedimentary evolution of the basin. The main faults (with antithetic and synthetic fault planes) displace the whole sedimentary sequence up to the surface indicating a recent faults' activity (1915 Avezzano earthquake, Ms=7.0). The stratigraphic and tectonic setting of the Fucino Basin and neighboring areas indicates that the extensional tectonic events have had an important role in driving the structural-sedimentary evolution of the Plio-Quaternary deposits. The geometry of the depositional bodies, of the fault planes and their relationships indicate that the Fucino Basin was formed as a half-graben type structure during Plio-Quaternary extensional events. Some internal complexities are probably related to the fold-and-thrust structures of the Apenninic orogeny formed in Messinian time, in this area, and to a different activity timing of the E-W and WSW-ENE fault systems and the NW-SE fault systems. We believe, based on the similarity of the surface characteristics, that the structural setting of the Fucino Basin can be extrapolated to the other great intramontane basins in Central Italy (e.g. Rieti, L'Aquila, Sulmona, Sora, Isernia basins).

Geologic and climatic controls on streamflow generation processes in a complex eogenetic karst basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vibhava, F.; Graham, W. D.; Maxwell, R. M.

2012-12-01

Streamflow at any given location and time is representative of surface and subsurface contributions from various sources. The ability to fully identify the factors controlling these contributions is key to successfully understanding the transport of contaminants through the system. In this study we developed a fully integrated 3D surface water-groundwater-land surface model, PARFLOW, to evaluate geologic and climatic controls on streamflow generation processes in a complex eogenetic karst basin in North Central Florida. In addition to traditional model evaluation criterion, such as comparing field observations to model simulated streamflow and groundwater elevations, we quantitatively evaluated the model's predictions of surface-groundwater interactions over space and time using a suite of binary end-member mixing models that were developed using observed specific conductivity differences among surface and groundwater sources throughout the domain. Analysis of model predictions showed that geologic heterogeneity exerts a strong control on both streamflow generation processes and land atmospheric fluxes in this watershed. In the upper basin, where the karst aquifer is overlain by a thick confining layer, approximately 92% of streamflow is "young" event flow, produced by near stream rainfall. Throughout the upper basin the confining layer produces a persistent high surficial water table which results in high evapotranspiration, low groundwater recharge and thus negligible "inter-event" streamflow. In the lower basin, where the karst aquifer is unconfined, deeper water tables result in less evapotranspiration. Thus, over 80% of the streamflow is "old" subsurface flow produced by diffuse infiltration through the epikarst throughout the lower basin, and all surface contributions to streamflow originate in the upper confined basin. Climatic variability provides a secondary control on surface-subsurface and land-atmosphere fluxes, producing significant seasonal and interannual variability in these processes. Spatial and temporal patterns of evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge and streamflow generation processes reveal potential hot spots and hot moments for surface and groundwater contamination in this basin.

Impact assessment of climate change and human activities on net runoff in the Yellow River Basin from 1951 to 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, D.

2017-12-01

Runoff in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) has changed constantly during the past six decades. This study investigates the features of variations in runoff increment in the YRB and evaluates the impact of climate change and human activities on the mean annual net runoff. Residual analysis based on double mass curves (RA-DMC) was performed to quantitatively assess the separate contributions of climate change and human activities to the changes in net runoff. There was a significant downward trend in annual net runoff for each of the Yellow River sub-basins. For the basin as a whole, net runoff decreased at a rate of 0.721 × 109 m3 yr-1, with the upper, middle, and lower sub-basins separately accounting for 28.4%, 40.5% and 31.1% of the decrease. Human activities were responsible for more than 90% of the change in runoff in each separate sub-basin between 1960 and 2012. For the entire YRB, 91.7% of the change in net runoff from baseline was attributed to human activities. This indicates that human activities have become the dominant factor in net runoff changes in the Yellow River Basin. Among the upper, middle, and lower reaches, the effect of human activities was greatest in the lower reaches.

Observed changes in extremes of daily rainfall and temperature in Jemma Sub-Basin, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worku, Gebrekidan; Teferi, Ermias; Bantider, Amare; Dile, Yihun T.

2018-02-01

Climate variability has been a threat to the socio-economic development of Ethiopia. This paper examined the changes in rainfall, minimum, and maximum temperature extremes of Jemma Sub-Basin of the Upper Blue Nile Basin for the period of 1981 to 2014. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall, seasonal Mann-Kendall, and Sen's slope estimator were used to estimate annual trends. Ten rainfall and 12 temperature indices were used to study changes in rainfall and temperature extremes. The results showed an increasing trend of annual and summer rainfall in more than 78% of the stations and a decreasing trend of spring rainfall in most of the stations. An increase in rainfall extreme events was detected in the majority of the stations. Several rainfall extreme indices showed wetting trends in the sub-basin, whereas limited indices indicated dryness in most of the stations. Annual maximum and minimum temperature and extreme temperature indices showed warming trend in the sub-basin. Presence of extreme rainfall and a warming trend of extreme temperature indices may suggest signs of climate change in the Jemma Sub-Basin. This study, therefore, recommended the need for exploring climate induced risks and implementing appropriate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Holocene faulting in the Bellingham forearc basin: upper-plate deformation at the northern end of the Cascadia subduction zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelsey, Harvey M.; Sherrod, Brian L.; Blakely, Richard J.; Haugerud, Ralph A.

2013-01-01

The northern Cascadia forearc takes up most of the strain transmitted northward via the Oregon Coast block from the northward-migrating Sierra Nevada block. The north-south contractional strain in the forearc manifests in upper-plate faults active during the Holocene, the northern-most components of which are faults within the Bellingham Basin. The Bellingham Basin is the northern of four basins of the actively deforming northern Cascadia forearc. A set of Holocene faults, Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, and Sandy Point faults, occur within the Bellingham Basin and can be traced from onshore to offshore using a combination of aeromagnetic lineaments, paleoseismic investigations and scarps identified using LiDAR imagery. With the recognition of such Holocene faults, the northernmost margin of the actively deforming Cascadia forearc extends 60 km north of the previously recognized limit of Holocene forearc deformation. Although to date no Holocene faults are recognized at the northern boundary of the Bellingham Basin, which is 15 km north of the international border, there is no compelling tectonic reason to expect that Holocene faults are limited to south of the international border.

Ground-Water Hydrology of the Upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gannett, Marshall W.; Lite, Kenneth E.; Morgan, David S.; Collins, Charles A.

2001-01-01

The upper Deschutes Basin is among the fastest growing regions in Oregon. The rapid population growth has been accompanied by increased demand for water. Surface streams, however, have been administratively closed to additional appropriation for many years, and surface water is not generally available to support new development. Consequently, ground water is being relied upon to satisfy the growth in water demand. Oregon water law requires that the potential effects of ground-water development on streamflow be evaluated when considering applications for new ground-water rights. Prior to this study, hydrologic understanding has been insufficient to quantitatively evaluate the connection between ground water and streamflow, and the behavior of the regional ground-water flow system in general. This report describes the results of a hydrologic investigation undertaken to provide that understanding. The investigation encompasses about 4,500 square miles of the upper Deschutes River drainage basin.A large proportion of the precipitation in the upper Deschutes Basin falls in the Cascade Range, making it the principal ground-water recharge area for the basin. Water-balance calculations indicate that the average annual rate of ground- water recharge from precipitation is about 3,500 ft3/s (cubic feet per second). Water-budget calculations indicate that in addition to recharge from precipitation, water enters the ground-water system through interbasin flow. Approximately 800 ft3/s flows into the Metolius River drainage from the west and about 50 ft3/s flows into the southeastern part of the study area from the Fort Rock Basin. East of the Cascade Range, there is little or no ground-water recharge from precipitation, but leaking irrigation canals are a significant source of artificial recharge north of Bend. The average annual rate of canal leakage during 1994 was estimated to be about 490 ft3/s. Ground water flows from the Cascade Range through permeable volcanic rocks eastward out into the basin and then generally northward. About one-half the ground water flowing from the Cascade Range discharges to spring-fed streams along the margins of the range, including the upper Metolius River and its tributaries. The remaining ground water flows through the subsurface, primarily through rocks of the Deschutes Formation, and eventually discharges to streams near the confluence of the Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers. Substantial ground-water discharge occurs along the lower 2 miles of Squaw Creek, the Deschutes River between Lower Bridge and Pelton Dam, the lower Crooked River between Osborne Canyon and the mouth, and in Lake Billy Chinook (a reservoir that inundates the confluence of the Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers).The large amount of ground-water discharge in the confluence area is primarily caused by geologic factors. North (downstream) of the confluence area, the upper Deschutes Basin is transected by a broad region of low-permeability rock of the John Day Formation. The Deschutes River flows north across the low-permeability region, but the permeable Deschutes Formation, through which most of the regional ground water flows, ends against this rampart of low-permeability rock. The northward-flowing ground water discharges to the streams in this area because the permeable strata through which it flows terminate, forcing the water to discharge to the surface. Virtually all of the regional ground water in the upper Deschutes Basin discharges to surface streams south of the area where the Deschutes River enters this low-permeability terrane, at roughly the location of Pelton Dam.The effects of ground-water withdrawal on streamflow cannot presently be measured because of measurement error and the large amount of natural variability in ground-water discharge. The summer streamflow near Madras, which is made up largely of ground-water discharge, is approximately 4,000 ft3/s. Estimated consumptive ground-water use in the basin i

Discriminating Sediment Supply versus Accommodation Controls on Late Cretaceous Foreland Basin Stratigraphic Architecture in the Book Cliffs, Utah using Detrital Zircon Double Dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartschi, N.; Saylor, J. E.

2016-12-01

Middle to late Campanian strata of the Book Cliffs, Utah record the Late Cretaceous deposition of three clastic wedges in the North American Cordilleran foreland basin east of the Sevier thrust-belt. Variations in wedge geometries provide an opportunity to evaluate the effects of sediment supply versus accommodation on foreland basin stratal architecture. There is a significant increase in eastward progradation rate from the Lower to the Upper Castlegate Sandstone. However, the progradation rate decreases in the overlying Bluecastle and Price River formations, as well as the laterally equivalent Farrer and Tuscher formations. Rapid progradation during Upper Castlegate deposition may be caused by increased sediment supply from either rapid exhumation of the Sevier thrust-belt or introduction of a new sediment source. Alternatively, reduced accommodation within the proximal foreland basin from uplifts associated with Laramide deformation, or a transition from flexural to dynamic subsidence, could produce the observed rapid wedge progradation. Changes in sediment provenance and source-area exhumation rate can be identified using a combination of detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and (U-Th)/He thermochronology. Quantitative comparisons between collected samples and published provenance data indicates an upsection increase in a new sediment source, revealing a significant overall shift in provenance between wedge boundaries. This change in provenance is coupled by an upsection decrease in lag time between the Lower and Upper Castlegate, consistent with an increase in exhumation rate. Conversely, there is no change in lag time between the Upper Castlegate and overlying Price River Formation, suggesting a relatively constant exhumation rate. Near-zero lag times during the Upper Castlegate is consistent with rapid exhumation associated with increased thrusting of the Sevier thrust-belt. Therefore, progradation of the Upper Castlegate can be attributed to an increase in sediment supply due to both rapid exhumation of the Sevier thrust-belt and introduction of a new sediment source. However, the data do not rule out the potential influence of reduced accommodation associated with early Laramide deformation during Upper Castlegate deposition.

Extensional deformation of the Guadalquivir Basin: rate of WSW-ward tectonic displacement from Upper Tortonian sedimentary rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roldán, Francisco J.; Azañón, Jose Miguel; Rodríguez-Fernández, Jose; María Mateos, Rosa

2016-04-01

The Guadalquivir Basin (Upper Tortonian-Quaternary sedimentary infilling) has been considered the foreland basin of the Betic Orogen built up during its collision with the Sudiberian margin. The basin is currently restricted to its westernmost sector, in the Cadiz Gulf, because the Neogene-Quaternary uplift of the Betic Cordillera has produced the emersion of their central and eastern parts. The upper Tortonian chronostratigraphic unit is the oldest one and it was indistinctly deposited on the South Iberian paleomargin and the External units from the Betic Cordillera. However, these rocks are undeformed on the Sudiberian paleomargin while they are deeply affected by brittle deformation on the External Betic Zone. Outcrops of Upper Tortonian sedimentary rocks on External Betic Zone are severely fragmented showing allocthonous characters with regard to those located on the Sudiberian paleomargin. This post- Upper Tortonian deformation is not well known in the External Zones of the Cordillera where the most prominent feature is the ubiquity of a highly deformed tecto-sedimentary unit outcropping at the basement of the Guadalquivir sedimentary infilling. This tecto-sedimentary unit belongs to the Mass Wasting Extensional Complex (Rodríguez-Fernández, 2014) formed during the collision and westward migration of the Internal Zone of the Betic Cordillera (15-8,5 Ma). In the present work, we show an ensemble of tectonic, geophysical and cartographic data in order to characterize the post-Upper Tortonian deformation. For this, seismic reflection profiles have been interpreted with the help of hidrocarbon boreholes to define the thickness of the Upper Tortonian sedimentary sequence. All these data provide an estimation of the geometrical and kinematic characteristics of the extensional faults, direction of movement and rate of displacement of these rocks during Messinian/Pliocene times. References Rodríguez-Fernández, J., Roldan, F. J., J.M. Azañón y Garcia-Cortes, A. 2013. EL colapso gravitacional del frente orogénico alpino en el Dominio Subbético durante el Mioceno medio-superior: El Complejo Extensional Subbético. Boletín Geológico y Minero, 124 (3): 477-504

Remote sensing of coal mine pollution in the upper Potomac River basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A survey of remote sensing data pertinent to locating and monitoring sources of pollution resulting from surface and shaft mining operations was conducted in order to determine the various methods by which ERTS and aircraft remote sensing data can be used as a replacement for, or a supplement to traditional methods of monitoring coal mine pollution of the upper Potomac Basin. The gathering and analysis of representative samples of the raw and processed data obtained during the survey are described, along with plans to demonstrate and optimize the data collection processes.

Test drilling in the upper Sevier River drainage basin, Garfield and Piute Counties, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feltis, R.D.; Robinson, G.B. Jr.

1963-01-01

A test-drilling program was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in the upper Sevier River drainage basin (fig. 1) in the summer of 1962. The program was part of a ground-water investigation made in cooperation with the Utah State Engineer. The drilling was financed cooperatively through the State Engineer by the U.S. Geological Survey, Garfield, Piute, Sevier, Sanpete, and Millard Counties, and various water users within those counties. Drilling began in May and continued through September 1962, and 21 test holes were drilled.

Crustal Stretching Style and Lower Crust Flow of the South China Sea Northern Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Y.; Dong, D.; Runlin, D.

2017-12-01

There is a controversy about crustal stretching style of the South China Sea (SCS) northern margin mainly due to considerable uncertainty of stretching factor estimation, for example, as much as 40% of upper crust extension (Walsh et al., 1991) would be lost by seismic profiles due to poor resolution. To discover and understand crustal stretching style and lower crustal flow on the whole, we map the Moho and Conrad geometries based on gravity inversion constrained by deep seismic profiles, then according to the assumption of upper and lower crust initial thickness, upper and lower crust stretching factors are estimated. According to the comparison between upper and lower crust stretching factors, the SCS northern margin could be segmented into three parts, (1) sediment basins where upper crust is stretched more than lower crust, (2) COT regions where lower crust is stretched more than upper crust, (3) other regions where the two layers have similar stretching factors. Stretching factor map shows that lower crust flow happened in both of COT and sediment basin regions where upper crust decouples with lower crust due to high temperature. Pressure contrast by sediment loading in basins and erosion in sediment-source regions will lead to lower crust flow away from sediment sink to source. Decoupled and fractured upper crust is stretched further by sediment loading and the following compensation would result in relatively thick lower crust than upper crust. In COT regions with thin sediment coverage, low-viscosity lower crust is easier to thin in extensional environment, also the lower crust tends to flow away induced by magma upwelling. Therefore, continental crust on the margin is not stretching in a constant way but varies with the tectonic setting changes. This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41506055, 41476042) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities China (No.17CX02003A).

Quality of economically extractable coal beds in the Gillette coal field as compared with other Tertiary coal beds in the Powder River basin, Wyoming and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, Margaret S.

2002-01-01

The Powder River Basin, and specifically the Gillette coal field, contains large quantities of economically extractable coal resources. These coal resources have low total sulfur content and ash yield, and most of the resources are subbituminous in rank. A recent U.S Geological Survey study of economically extractable coal in the Gillette coal field focused on five coal beds, the Wyodak rider, Upper Wyodak, Canyon, Lower Wyodak-Werner, and Gates/Kennedy. This report compares the coal quality of these economically extractable coal beds to coal in the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone in the Powder River Basin and in the Gillette coal field (Flores and others, 1999) and other produced coal in the Gillette coal field (Glass, 2000). The Upper Wyodak, Canyon, and Lower Wyodak/Werner beds are within the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone. Compared with all coal in the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, both throughout the Powder River Basin and just within the Gillette coal field; the thick, persistent Upper Wyodak coal bed in the Gillette coal field has higher mean gross calorific value (8,569 Btu/lb), lower mean ash yield (5.8 percent), and lower mean total sulfur content (0.46 percent).

Groundwater quality in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin, New York, 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reddy, James E.; Risen, Amy J.

2012-01-01

Water samples were collected from 16 production wells and 14 private residential wells in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin from August through December 2009 and were analyzed to characterize the groundwater quality in the basin. Wells at 16 of the sites were completed in sand and gravel aquifers, and 14 were finished in bedrock aquifers. In 2004–2005, six of these wells were sampled in the first Upper Susquehanna River Basin study. Water samples from the 2009 study were analyzed for 10 physical properties and 137 constituents that included nutrients, organic carbon, major inorganic ions, trace elements, radionuclides, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and 4 types of bacterial analyses. Results of the water-quality analyses are presented in tabular form for individual wells, and summary statistics for specific constituents are presented by aquifer type. The results are compared with Federal and New York State drinking-water standards, which typically are identical. The results indicate that groundwater genrally is of acceptable quality, although concentrations of some constituents exceeded at least one drinking-water standard at 28 of the 30 wells. These constituents include: pH, sodium, aluminum, manganese, iron, arsenic, radon-222, residue on evaporation, total and fecal coliform including Escherichia coli and heterotrophic plate count.

Comparative water quality of lightly-and moderately-impacted streams in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, USA

Treesearch

Katie Price; David S. Leigh

2006-01-01

For less-developed regions like the Blue Ridge Mountains. data are limited that link basin-scale land use with stream quality. Two pairs of lightly-impacted (90-100% forested) and moderately-impacted (7&80% forested) sub-basins of the upper Little Tennessee River basin in the southern Blue Ridge were identified for comparison. The pairs contain physically similar...

Paleogeography and sedimentology of Upper Cretaceous turbidites, San Diego, California.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nilsen, T.H.; Abbott, P.L.

1981-01-01

Upper Cretaceous (Campanian and Maestrichtian) marine strata of the Rosario Group in the San Diego area include the Point Loma Formation and overlying Cabrillo Formation. Thes units contain 6 facies associations which define a deep-sea fan deposited by westward-flowing sediment gravity flows that transported sediments derived chiefly from batholithic and pre-batholithic metamorphic rocks of the Peninsular Ranges. The sedimentary basin initially deepened abruptly. The fan then prograded westward into the basin, with a retrogradational phase recorded in the uppermost part of the sequence. The fan was deposited along the eastern edge of a forearc basin similar to that of the Great Valley sequence in northern California. The western part of the fan appears to have been truncated by late Cenozoic strike-slip faulting.-from Authors

Seismic stratigraphy of sedimentary cover in Amerasian Basin based on the results of Russian High Arctic expeditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poselov, Viktor; Kireev, Artem; Smirnov, Oleg; Butsenko, Viktor; Zholondz, Sergey; Savin, Vasily

2016-04-01

Massive amount of multichannel seismic (MCS) data were obtained by Russian High Arct ic expeditions "Arctica-2011", "Acrtica-2012" and "Arctica-2014". More than 40 MCS lines are located in the Amerasian basin and help to substantiate the seismic stratigraphy model of its sedimentary cover. The proposed seismic stratigraphy model was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the sedimentary section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by boreholes. Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge. Two major unconformities are traced. The upper regional unconformity (RU) is associated with a major pre-Miocene hiatus. Another major hiatus is recorded in the borehole section between the Campanian and the Upper Paleocene units. It is recognized as the post-Campanian unconformity (pCU) in the seismic sections. Formation of the regional unconformities is associated with a fundamental change in depositional environment. Formation of RU was initiated by opening of the Fram Strait gateway at the Paleogene/Neogene boundary. Post-Campanian unconformity is linked with the initial stage of the Eurasian Basin opening between the Cretaceous and the Paleogene. Cenozoic sedimentary units are continuously traced from the East-Siberian and Chukchi sea shelves across the transit zone to the Amerasian basin. Paleogene unit (between pCU and RU) is formed under the neritic depositional environment and it is characterized by an extremely small thickness on the Lomonosov Ridge (less than 200 m), on the Mendeleev Rise and in the Podvodnikov Basin (not more than 300-400 m). Neogene unit (above RU) consists of hemipelagic deposits and occupies the essential part of thickness of the Cenozoic section in Podvodnikov and Makarov Basins. Interval velocities in the Paleogene unit vary within 2.8-3.2 km/s, in the Neogene unit they vary within 1.8-2.7 km/s. Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on tracing major unconformities from boreholes on the Chukchi shelf (Crackerjack, Klondike, Popcorn) to the North-Chuckchi Trough and further to the Mendeleev Rise as well as to the Vilkitsky Trough and the adjacent Podvodnikov Basin. Three regional unconformities are correlated: Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit). Above the acoustic basement the pre-Cenozoic section is mainly represented by terrigenous units. Two major unconformities: RU and pCU are allocated on all MCS lines intersecting the Mendeleev Rise along its entire extent. BU is traced nearly everywhere along the rise excepting certain acoustic basement highs. All unconformities are also traced from the Mendeleev Rise to the continental structure of the Chuckchi Borderland. Sedimentary sequence between pCU and JU which underlies deposits of the Upper Ellesmerian unit is recorded as a synrift unit of the entire area of the Podvodnikov Basin. MCS data show a natural prolongation of the sedimentary cover from the shelf to the Podvodnikov Basin without any breaks and tectonic movements. Interval velocities in the Upper Cretaceous unit (between pCU and BU) vary within 3.2-3.9 km/s, in the pre-Upper Cretaceous units (between BU and the acoustic basement) vary within 4.1-4.8 km/s.

Characterisation of the sedimentary processes responsible for the filling and excavation of two intra mountainous basins (Agua Amarga and Collon Cura) in the Andes of Neuquén (Argentina) during the Neogene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnel, C.; Huyghe, D.; Nivière, B.; Messager, G.; Dhont, D.; Fasentieux, B.; Hervouët, Y.; Xavier, J.-P.

2012-04-01

Intramontane basins constitute potential good recorders of orogenic systems deformation history through the documentation of their remnant sedimentary filling and observation of syntectonic growth strata. In this work, we focus on the Neuquén basin, located on the eastern flank of the Andes between 32°S and 41°S latitude. It has been structured since the late Triassic, first as back arc basin and as compressive foreland basin since the upper Cretaceous. Most of the sedimentary filling is composed of Mesozoic sediments, which have been importantly studied because of their hydrocarbon potential. On the contrary, Cenozoic tectonic and sedimentologic evolutions remain poorly documented in regard to the Mesozoic. The structural inheritance is very important and strongly influences the deformation and shortening rates from the North to the South of the basin. Thus, the northern part exhibits a classical configuration from the western high Andes, to younger fold and thrust belts and piggy-back basins to the East. On the contrary, no fold and thrust belt exist in the southern part of the basin and the deformation is restricted to the internal domain. Nevertheless, contemporaneous intramontane basins (the Agua Amarga to the North and the Collon Cura basin to the South) existed in these two parts of the basin and seem to have followed a similar evolution despite of a different structural context. To the North, the partial closing of the Agua Amarga basin by the growth of the Chuihuidos anticlines during the Miocene is characterised by the deposition of a fining upward continental sequence of ~250 m thick, from lacustrine environment at the base to alluvial and fluviatile environments in the upper part of the section. In the Collon Cura, the sedimentary filling, due to the rising of the Piedra del Aguila basement massif, reach at maximum 500 m and consist in fluvial tuffaceous material in the lower part to paleosoils and coarse conglomeratic fluvial deposits in the upper part. To the North, excavation of the Agua Amarga basin happened after regressive erosion on the external flank of the Chuihuidos anticlines and generated the deposition of an alluvial fan of 50 km length and maximum thickness of 140 m. Concerning the South, the paleolandscape conditioned the deposition of a very long (~ 20 km) but very narrow (few tens of kilometres) alluvial fan. The excavation is the consequence of the elevation cessation of the Piedra del Aguila basement.

Upper Neogene stratigraphy and tectonics of Death Valley - A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knott, J.R.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Machette, M.N.; Klinger, R.E.

2005-01-01

New tephrochronologic, soil-stratigraphic and radiometric-dating studies over the last 10 years have generated a robust numerical stratigraphy for Upper Neogene sedimentary deposits throughout Death Valley. Critical to this improved stratigraphy are correlated or radiometrically-dated tephra beds and tuffs that range in age from > 3.58 Ma to < 1.1 ka. These tephra beds and tuffs establish relations among the Upper Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene sedimentary deposits at Furnace Creek basin, Nova basin, Ubehebe-Lake Rogers basin, Copper Canyon, Artists Drive, Kit Fox Hills, and Confidence Hills. New geologic formations have been described in the Confidence Hills and at Mormon Point. This new geochronology also establishes maximum and minimum ages for Quaternary alluvial fans and Lake Manly deposits. Facies associated with the tephra beds show that ???3.3 Ma the Furnace Creek basin was a northwest-southeast-trending lake flanked by alluvial fans. This paleolake extended from the Furnace Creek to Ubehebe. Based on the new stratigraphy, the Death Valley fault system can be divided into four main fault zones: the dextral, Quaternary-age Northern Death Valley fault zone; the dextral, pre-Quaternary Furnace Creek fault zone; the oblique-normal Black Mountains fault zone; and the dextral Southern Death Valley fault zone. Post -3.3 Ma geometric, structural, and kinematic changes in the Black Mountains and Towne Pass fault zones led to the break up of Furnace Creek basin and uplift of the Copper Canyon and Nova basins. Internal kinematics of northern Death Valley are interpreted as either rotation of blocks or normal slip along the northeast-southwest-trending Towne Pass and Tin Mountain fault zones within the Eastern California shear zone. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characteristics and trends of streamflow and dissolved solids in the upper Colorado River Basin, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liebermann, Timothy D.; Mueller, David K.; Kircher, James E.; Choquette, Anne F.

1989-01-01

Annual and monthly concentrations and loads of dissolved solids and major constituents were estimated for 70 streamflow-gaging stations in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Trends in streamflow, dissolved-solids concentrations, and dissolved-solids loads were identified. Nonparametric trend-analysis techniques were used to determine step trends resulting from human activities upstream and long-term monotonic trends. Results were compared with physical characteristics of the basin and historical water-resource development in the basin to determine source areas of dissolved solids and possible cause of trends. Mean annual dissolved-solids concentration increases from less than 100 milligrams per liter in the headwater streams to more than 500 milligrams per liter in the outflow from the Upper Colorado River Basin. All the major tributaries that have high concentrations of dissolved solids are downstream from extensive areas of irrigated agriculture. However, irrigation predated the period of record for most sites and was not a factor in many identified trends. Significant annual trends were identified for 30 sites. Most of these trends were related to transbasin exports, changes in land use, salinity-control practices, or reservoir development. The primary factor affecting streamflow and dissolved-solids concentration and load has been the construction of large reservoirs. Reservoirs have decreased the seasonal and annual variability of streamflow and dissolved solids in streams that drain the Gunnison and San Juan River basins. Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge Reservoirs have increased the dissolved-solids load in the Green River because of dissolution of mineral salts from the bank material. The largest trends occurred downstream from Lake Powell. However, the period of record since the completion of filling was too short to estimate the long-term effects of that reservoir.

Water Quality in the Upper Illinois River Basin Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Groschen, George E.; Arnold, Terri L.; Harris, Mitchell A.; Dupre, David H.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Scudder, Barbara C.; Morrow, William S.; Terrio, Paul J.; Warner, Kelly L.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.

2004-01-01

This report contains the major findings of a 1999?2001 assessment of water quality in the upper Illinois River Basin. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public-interest groups, or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report also is for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the upper Illinois River Basin summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed from (http://il.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/uirb). Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report in addition to reports in this series from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site at (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

The interaction of heavy metals and nutrients present in soil and native plants with arbuscular mycorrhizae on the riverside in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin (Argentina).

PubMed

Mendoza, Rodolfo E; García, Ileana V; de Cabo, Laura; Weigandt, Cristian F; Fabrizio de Iorio, Alicia

2015-02-01

This study assessed the contamination by heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn), and nutrients (N, P) in soils and native plants, and the effect of the concentration of those elements with the density of arbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM) spores in soil and colonization in roots from the riverside of the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin (MRRB). The concentration of metals and nutrients in soils and plants (Eleocharis montana, Cyperus eragrostis, Hydrocotyle bonariensis) increased from the upper sites (8 km from headwaters) to the lower sites (6 km from the mouth of the Riachuelo River) of the basin. AM-colonization on the roots of H. bonariensis and spore density in soil decreased as the concentrations of metals in soil and plant tissues increased from the upper to lower sites of the basin within a consistent gradient of contamination associated with land use, soil disturbance, population, and chemicals discharged into the streams and rivers along the MRRB. The general trends for all metals in plant tissue were to have highest concentrations in roots, then in rhizomes and lowest in aerial biomass. The translocation (TF) and bioconcentration (BCF) factors decreased in plants which grow from the upper sites to the lower sites of the basin. The plants tolerated a wide range in type and quantity of contamination along the basin by concentrating more metals and nutrients in roots than in aboveground tissue. The AM spore density in soil and colonization in roots of H. bonariensis decreased with the increase of the degree of contamination (Dc) in soil. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Earthquake and Geyser Events in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park from a Nodal Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, S.; Karplus, M. S.; Farrell, J.; Lin, F. C.; Smith, R. B.

2017-12-01

A large seismic nodal array incorporating 133 three-component, 5-Hz geophones deployed for two weeks in early November 2015 in the Upper Geyser Basin recorded earthquake and hydrothermal activity. The University of Utah, the University of Texas at El Paso, and Yellowstone National Park collaborated to deploy Fairfield Nodal ZLand 3-C geophones concentrically centered around the Old Faithful Geyser with an average station spacing of 50 m and an aperture of 1 km. The array provided a unique dataset to investigate wave propagation through various fractures and active geysers in a hydrothermal field located over the Yellowstone hotspot. The complicated sub-surface features associated with the hydrothermal field appear to impact earthquake wave propagation in the Upper Geyser Basin and to generate seismic signals. Previous work using ambient noise cross-correlation has found an intricately fractured sub-surface that provides pathways for water beneath parts of the Upper Geyser Basin that likely feed Old Faithful and other nearby geysers and hot springs. For this study, we used the data to create visualizations of local earthquake, teleseismic earthquake, and hydrothermal events as they propagate through the array. These ground motion visualizations allow observation of wave propagation through the geyser field, which may indicate the presence of anomalous structure impacting seismic velocities and attenuation. Three teleseismic events were observed in the data, two 6.9MW earthquakes that occurred off the coast of Coquimbo, Colombia 9,000km from the array and one 6.5MW near the Aleutian Islands 4,500km from the array. All three teleseismic events observed in the data exhibited strong direct P-wave arrivals and several additional phases. One local earthquake event (2.5ML) 100km from the Upper Geyser Basin was also well-recorded by the array. Time-domain spectrograms show the dominant frequencies present in the recordings of these events. The two 6.9MW earthquakes in Chile were one hour apart and offered interesting signals that also included a geyser tremor between the two events.

Comparison of 2008-2009 water years and historical water-quality data, upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Solberg, Patricia A.; Moore, Bryan; Blacklock, Ty D.

2012-01-01

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River Basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, U.S. Forest Service, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River Basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of sites: (1) sites that are considered long term and (2) sites that are considered rotational. Data from the long-term sites assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational sites assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and address local and short-term concerns. Biannual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for stakeholder discussions regarding the location and purpose of water-quality monitoring sites in the upper Gunnison River Basin. This report compares and summarizes the data collected during water years 2008 and 2009 to the historical data available at these sites. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network sites. The remainder of the report is organized around the data collected at individual sites. Data collected during water years 2008 and 2009 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. A seasonal Kendall test for trend analysis is completed when there is sufficient data (typically >5 years) at the station. Data were collected following USGS protocols.

Along-strike variations of structural styles in the imbricated Molasse of Salzburg and Upper Austria: a 3-D seismic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinsch, Ralph; Linzer, Hans-Gert

2010-05-01

At the southern border of the Northern Alpine Foreland Basin syntectonic deposits (Molasse Sediments) are partly incorporated into Alpine contractional deformation. Along the alpine chain style and timing of this deformation varies significantly. In this study we use one of the largest European on-shore 3-D seismic datasets, spanning the Molasse basin of Upper Austria and Salzburg states, to investigate the along-strike structural architecture of the alpine deformation front. In the Austrian Part of the Molasse basin, foredeep sedimentation started in Upper-Eocene times (Wagner, 1996). The sediments cover the European margin, consisting of a crystalline basement covered by variously thick Mesozoic sediments (Nachtmann und Wagner, 1987). In Oligocene to Lower Miocene times, syntectonic foredeep sedimentation took place in a deep marine environment, comprising an axial channel system (Linzer 2001, DeRuig and Hubbard, 2006). Parts of these syntectonic sediments are subsequently affected by the advancing thrust wedge. Within the study area, three distinct fold-and-thrust belt segments of different structural architecture can be defined. 1) The Perwang Imbricates are a promontory mostly situated in Salzburg at the border to Germany. Complexly deformed small thrust sheets evolve above a detachment horizon situated in Late Cretaceous shaly marls in Oligocene times. Syntectonic piggy-back and thrust top basins evolve (Covault et al. 2008), which are partly affected by subsequent Miocene overthrusting. 2) The Regau Segment is the area west of the Perwang lobe. It is dominated by few number of thrust sheets in the Molasse sediments. Instead, over-thrusting by the alpine wedge (pre-deformed Flysch and Helvetic thrust sheets) dominates. 3) The Sierning Imbricates segment is located further to the east, at the border of Upper Austria to Lower Austria. The structural inventory of this thrust belt is comprises varying numbers of thrust sheets along strike (1-5), ramp-flat-ramp geometries, tear faults as well as belt-parallel strike-slip faults. The differences in structural style along strike are interpreted to be caused by pre-deformational conditions (sediment thickness and distribution of potential decollement horizons) and varying tectonic pulses. Covault, J.A., Hubbard, S.M., Graham, S.A., Hinsch, R. and Linzer, H., 2008, Turbidite-reservoir architecture in complex foredeep-margin and wedge-top depocenters, Tertiary Molasse foreland basin system, Austria, Marine and Petroleum Geology, V26/3, 379-396 De Ruig, M. J., and Hubbard, S. M., 2006. Seismic facies and reservoir characteristics of a deep marine channel belt in the Molasse foreland basin. AAPG Bulletin, v. 90, p. 735-752 Linzer, H.-G., 2001, Cyclic channel systems in the Molasse foreland basin of the Eastern Alps- the effects of Late Oligocene foreland thrusting and Early Miocene lateral escape. AAPG Bulletin, 85, 118. Nachtmann, W., Wagner, L., 1987.Mesozoic and Early Tertiary evolution of the Alpine Foreland in Upper Austria and Salzburg, Austria. Tectonophysics, 137, 61-76 Wagner, L. R., 1996. Stratigraphy and hydrocarbons in the Upper Austrian Molasse Foredeep (active margin). In:Wessely, G., Liebl, W. (Eds.), Oil and Gas in Alpidic Thrustbelts and Basins of Central and Eastern Europe. EAGE Special Pub. 5, pp. 217-235.

Two distinct phylogenetic clades of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus overlap within the Columbia River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garver, K.A.; Troyer, R.M.; Kurath, G.

2003-01-01

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), an aquatic rhabdovirus, causes a highly lethal disease of salmonid fish in North America. To evaluate the genetic diversity of IHNV from throughout the Columbia River basin, excluding the Hagerman Valley, Idaho, the sequences of a 303 nt region of the glycoprotein gene (mid-G) of 120 virus isolates were determined. Sequence comparisons revealed 30 different sequence types, with a maximum nucleotide diversity of 7.3% (22 mismatches) and an intrapopulational nucleotide diversity of 0.018. This indicates that the genetic diversity of IHNV within the Columbia River basin is 3-fold higher than in Alaska, but 2-fold lower than in the Hagerman Valley, Idaho. Phylogenetic analyses separated the Columbia River basin IHNV isolates into 2 major clades, designated U and M. The 2 clades geographically overlapped within the lower Columbia River basin and in the lower Snake River and tributaries, while the upper Columbia River basin had only U clade and the upper Snake River basin had only M clade virus types. These results suggest that there are co-circulating lineages of IHNV present within specific areas of the Columbia River basin. The epidemiological significance of these findings provided insight into viral traffic patterns exhibited by IHNV in the Columbia River basin, with specific relevance to how the Columbia River basin IHNV types were related to those in the Hagerman Valley. These analyses indicate that there have likely been 2 historical events in which Hagerman Valley IHNV types were introduced and became established in the lower Columbia River basin. However, the data also clearly indicates that the Hagerman Valley is not a continuous source of waterborne virus infecting salmonid stocks downstream.

THE CHANNELS AND WATERS OF THE UPPER SALMON RIVER AREA, IDAHO. (HYDROLOGIC EVALUATION OF THE UPPER SALMON RIVER AREA)

EPA Science Inventory

The upper 1,800 square miles of the Salmon River drainage basin (17060201) in south-central Idaho is an area of great scenic beauty and little-disturbed natural environment. Proper development and use of this land and its natural resources are contingent on a multifaceted and de...

Pakistan and Water: New Pressures on Global Security and Human Health

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The Indus River is the major source of water for the more than 180 million people of Pakistan. A rapidly increasing population over the past 60 years has created new pressures on water that was once a plentiful resource for the health and development of the country. Rising tensions between India and Pakistan, which share the Indus flow, may lead to violent confrontation in an already volatile part of the globe. The recent flooding, which affected more than 20 million people, drew attention to poor management of the rivers of Pakistan. Public health has the scientific knowledge and professional capacity to help develop water management practices that could improve population health in Pakistan. PMID:21421956

Flood of September 18-19, 2004 in the Upper Delaware River Basin, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, Lloyd T.

2005-01-01

The interaction between the remnants of tropical depression Ivan and a frontal boundary in the upper Delaware River basin on September 18-19, 2004, produced 4 to more than 6 inches of rainfall over a 5-county area within a 24-hour period. Significant flooding occurred on the East Branch Delaware River and its tributaries, and the main stem of the Delaware River. The resultant flooding damaged more than 100 homes and displaced more than 1,000 people. All of the counties within the basin were declared Federal disaster areas, but flood damage in New York was most pronounced in Delaware, Orange, and Sullivan Counties. Flood damage totaled more than $10 million. Peak water-surface elevations at some study sites in the basin exceeded the 500-year flood elevation as documented in flood-insurance studies by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Flood peaks at some long-term U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations were the highest ever recorded.

Surface-water-quality assessment of the Upper Illinois River basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin : data on manmade nonagricultural volatile and semivolatile organic chemicals in water, May 1988 through March 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, F.A.; Colman, J.A.

1993-01-01

This report contains data from the survey of manmade nonagricultural volatile and semivolatile organic chemicals in surface water in the upper Illinois River basin from May 1988 through March l990. In addition to the data, sampling methods and quality-assurance procedures are described. The survey was part of the upper Illinois River basin pilot project of the National Water-Quality Assessment program conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. The organic chemicals analyzed from the water samples were those expected to be associated primarily with effluent from point sources in urban areas. A low-flow synoptic investigation of 52 volatile and 54 semivolatile organic chemicals was conducted at 31 sites in July 1988. Additional samples were collected monthly at two sites to continue to test for the presence of 43 volatile organic chemicals from December 1988 through March l990, and of all semivolatile organic chemicals at two sites from August through September 1988.

Fault-sourced alluvial fans and their interaction with axial fluvial drainage: An example from the Plio-Pleistocene Upper Valdarno Basin (Tuscany, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fidolini, Francesco; Ghinassi, Massimiliano; Aldinucci, Mauro; Billi, Paolo; Boaga, Jacopo; Deiana, Rita; Brivio, Lara

2013-05-01

The present study deals with the fault-sourced, alluvial-fan deposits of the Plio-Pleistocene Upper Valdarno Basin (Northern Apennines, Italy). Different phases of alluvial fan aggradation, progradation and backstep are discussed as possible effects of the interaction among fault-generated accommodation space, sediment supply and discharge variations affecting the axial fluvial drainage. The Upper Valdarno Basin, located about 35 km SE of Florence, is filled with 550 m palustrine, lacustrine and alluvial deposits forming four main unconformity-bounded units (i.e. synthems). The study alluvial-fan deposits belong to the two uppermost synthems (Montevarchi and Torrente Ciuffenna synthems) and are Early to Middle Pleistocene in age. These deposits are sourced from the fault-bounded, NE margin of the basin and interfinger with axial fluvial deposits. Alluvial fan deposits of the Montevarchi Synthem consist of three main intervals: i) a lower interval, which lacks any evidence of a depositional trend and testify balance between the subsidence rate (i.e. fault activity) and the amount of sediment provided from the margin; ii) a coarsening-upward middle interval, pointing to a decrease in subsidence rate associated with an augment in sediment supply; iii) a fining-upward, upper interval (locally preserved), documenting a phase of tectonic quiescence associated with a progressive re-equilibration of the tectonically-induced morphological profile. The basin-scale unconformity, which separates the Montevarchi and Torrente Ciuffenna synthems was due to the entrance of the Arno River into the basin as consequence of a piracy. This event caused a dramatic increase in water discharge of the axial fluvial system, and its consequent embanking. Such an erosional surface started to develop in the axial areas, and propagated along the main tributaries, triggering erosion of the alluvial fan deposits. Alluvial-fan deposits of the Torrente Ciuffenna Synthem accumulated above the unconformity during a phase of tectonic quiescence, and show a fining-upward depositional trend. This trend was generated by a progressive decrease in sediment supply stemming out from upstream migration of the knickpoints developed during the embanking of the axial system.

Low crustal velocities and mantle lithospheric variations in southern Tibet from regional Pnl waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodgers, Arthur J.; Schwartz, Susan Y.

We report low average crustal P-wave velocities (5.9-6.1 km/s, Poisson's ratio 0.23-0.27, thickness 68-76 km) in southern Tibet from modelling regional Pnl waveforms recorded by the 1991-1992 Tibetan Plateau Experiment. We also find that the mantle lithosphere beneath the Indus-Tsangpo Suture and the Lhasa Terrane is shield-like (Pn velocity 8.20-8.25 km/s, lid thickness 80-140 km, positive velocity gradient 0.0015-0.0025 s-1). Analysis of relative Pn travel time residuals requires a decrease in the mantle velocities beneath the northern Lhasa Terrane, the Banggong-Nujiang Suture and the southern Qiangtang Terrane. Tectonic and petrologic considerations suggest that low bulk crustal velocities could result from a thick (50-60 km) felsic upper crust with vertically limited and laterally pervasive partial melt. These results are consistent with underthrusting of Indian Shield lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau to at least the central Lhasa Terrane.

The Sedimentary History of Southern Central Crete: Implications for Neogene Uplift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kröger, K.; Brachert, T. C.; Reuter, M.

2003-04-01

The tectonic setting of Crete was largely extensional since Lower Miocene uplift and exhumation of HP/LT rocks. Erosion of uplifted areas resulted in the deposition of terrestrial to marine sediments in the Messara and Iraclion Basins. There are several concurring models that discuss Late Neogene uplift of the basinal margins. Neogene near shore sediments in the south of the Messara Basin record fault movements contemporaneous to sedimentation and sedimentary input from the hinterland. Therefore they provide information on the paleogeographic situation and the resulting amount of subsidence and uplift of mountain areas since the Upper Miocene. The studied sediments consist of terrestrial to shallow marine, floodplain related sediments of the Upper Miocene Ambelouzos Formation that are overlain by platform limestones of the Upper Miocene Varvara Formation. In the Messara Basin these units are overlain by the Pliocene Kourtes Formation. The stratigraphic architecture of these deposits indicates fragmentation of the basinal margin. Proximal boulder conglomerates and reworked blocks of the Ambelouzos formation indicate fault activity during the deposition of the Varvara Formation. Contents of terrigenous clastics, provided by rivers and distributed by longshore currents, are high in the Ambelouzos and the lower Varvara Formations but decrease rapidly upsection within the Varvara Formation. This indicates drowning of the fault bounded blocks and little topography of the hinterland (Asteroussia Mountains) at that time. The Pliocene marls at the southern margin of the Messara Basin contain lithoclasts of the Upper Miocene limestones and thus indicate uplift of the carbonate platform. The modern topographic elevation of formerly drowned fault bounded blocks requires a minimum uplift of 400m. Main uplift occurred at approximately orthogonal NW-SE and SW-NE striking normal to oblique faults. The present elevation of the Asteroussia Mountains indicates net uplift of at least 1000m since the Early Pliocene. At the Central Iraklion Ridge that separates the Messara and Iraclion Basins a similar history is indicated for the Psiloritis Mountains by fault movements within Neogene near shore sediments and their subsequent drowning. A structural model of the Neogene evolution of Crete therefore has to explain successive phases of uplift and subsidence in an over all extensional setting only slightly oblique to the modern direction of convergence between Africa and the Aegean microplate.

Studies of longitudinal profile of electron bunches and impedance measurements at Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, Akash Deep; Yadav, S.; Kumar, Mukesh; Shrivastava, B. B.; Karnewar, A. K.; Ojha, A.; Puntambekar, T. A.

2016-04-01

Indus-2 is a 3rd generation synchrotron radiation source at the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) in India. We study the longitudinal profile of electrons in Indus-2 by using dual sweep synchroscan streak camera at visible diagnostic beamline. In this paper, the longitudinal profiles of electron bunch are analyzed by filling beam current in a single bunch mode. These studies are carried at injection energy (550 MeV) and at ramped beam energy (2.5 GeV). The effects of the wakefield generated interactions between the circulating electrons and the surrounding vacuum chamber are analyzed in terms of measured effects on longitudinal beam distribution. The impedance of the storage ring is obtained by fitting the solutions of Haissinski equation to the measured bunch lengthening with different impedance models. The impedance of storage ring obtained by a series R+L impedance model indicates a resistance (R) of 1350±125 Ω, an inductance (L) of 180±25 nH and broadband impedance of 2.69 Ω. These results are also compared with the values obtained from measured synchronous phase advancing and scaling laws. These studies are very useful in better understanding and control of the electromagnetic interactions.

The Limits of Extrusion in the Western Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.; Webb, A. G.; Donaldson, D.; Johnson, S.; Elorriaga, T.

2014-12-01

Himalayan orogenesis is commonly explained by 1) extrusion models, involving expulsion of high-grade rocks southwards from beneath Tibet and up towards the High Himalayan orographic front, and/or 2) duplexing models, involving accretion of thrust horses from the downgoing Indian plate to the over-riding orogenic wedge. Most extrusion models predict exhumation and erosion of upper-amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks between the Main Central thrust (MCT) and a structurally higher normal fault, and therefore can be tested by determining if such high grade rocks occur between the MCT and the Indus-Yalu suture to the north. Prior qualitative studies suggest that such rocks are missing across the east Ladakh / Chamba and Kashmir regions of the western Himalaya. Here we present new quantitative and semi-quantitative results that document low peak metamorphic temperatures along a northeast-trending transect across the east Ladakh / Chamba Himalaya. We performed illite crystallinity (IC) and quartz grain boundary analyses to determine metamorphic and deformation temperatures, respectively. Calibrated IC values of structurally high samples range from 0.25 to 0.54, indicating temperatures of ~100 ˚C to ~300 ˚C. In structurally lower, muscovite +/- biotite-bearing meta-pelitic and meta-psammitic rocks, quartz grain boundaries show bulging recrystallization fabrics, corresponding to deformation temperatures of <~450 ˚C. Local exceptions occur along the southeast margin of the study region near a dome, where quartz sub-grain rotation fabrics indicate deformation temperatures between ~450 ˚C and ~550 ˚C. Our results, combined with similar IC values to the north from Girard et al. [2001, Clay Minerals v. 36, p. 237-247], demonstrate that a continuous strip of <~450 ˚C rocks extends from the MCT to the Indus-Yalu suture here. Therefore the predictions of extrusion models are not met in this portion of the Himalaya; we present alternative duplexing models.

Extreme Mesozoic crustal thinning in the Eastern Iberia margin: The example of the Columbrets Basin (Valencia Trough)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohn, G.; Etheve, N.; Frizon de Lamotte, D.; Roca, E.; Tugend, J.; Gómez-Romeu, J.

2017-12-01

Eastern Iberia preserves a complex succession of Mesozoic rifts partly or completely inverted during the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic in relation with Africa-Eurasia convergence. Notably, the Valencia Trough, classically viewed as part of the Cenozoic West Mediterranean basins, preserves in its southwestern part a thick Mesozoic succession (locally »10km thick) over a highly thinned continental basement (locally only »3,5km thick). This sub-basin referred to as the Columbrets Basin, represents a Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous hyper-extended rift basin weakly overprinted by subsequent events. Its initial configuration is well preserved allowing us to unravel its 3D architecture and tectono-stratigraphic evolution in the frame of the Mesozoic evolution of eastern Iberia. The Columbrets Basin benefits from an extensive dataset combining high resolution reflection seismic profiles, drill holes, refraction seismic data and Expanding Spread Profiles. Its Mesozoic architecture is controlled by interactions between extensional deformation and halokinesis involving the Upper Triassic salt. The thick uppermost Triassic to Cretaceous succession describes a general synclinal shape, progressively stretched and dismembered towards the basin borders. The SE-border of the basin is characterized by a large extensional detachment fault acting at crustal scale and interacting locally with the Upper Triassic décollement. This extensional structure accommodates the exhumation of the continental basement and part of the crustal thinning. Eventually our results highlight the complex interaction between extreme crustal thinning and occurrence of a pre-rift salt level for the deformation style and tectono-stratigraphic evolution of hyper-extended rift basins.

Seismic investigation of the buried horst between the Jornada del Muerto and Mesilla ground-water basins near Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodward, D.G.; Myers, R.G.

1997-01-01

Six seismic reflection profiles were collected in the vicinity of the Jornada Horst between Goat Mountain and Tortugas Mountain (northeast and east of Las Cruces, New Mexico) to delineate more precisely the geometry of the horst and to determine whether large, buried channels have been incised into the top of the horst. The Jornada fault zone separates the southern Jornada del Muerto ground-water basin from the Mesilla ground-water basin in the Mesilla drainage basin. The upper part of the Jornada Horst is composed of Tertiary volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks; these rocks overlie Permian sedimentary rocks. The horst, in turn, is overlain by unconsolidated sediments of the upper Santa Fe Group. Some test holes indicate that little or no ground water flows from the Jornada del Muerto ground-water basin to the Mesilla ground-water basin over some portions of the horst. However, some ground water flows through the upper Santa Fe Group deposits above some portions of the horst. Ground-water flow immediately east of the horst near U.S. Highway 70 is deflected northward in the southern Jornada del Muerto ground-water basin presumably because of the change from higher hydraulic-conductivity values of aquifer materials in the southern basin to lower hydraulic-conductivity values of materials in the horst. Incised, buried channels, if present on the horst, could be filled with alluvial material with higher hydraulic- conductivity values than those of the material in the horst. Incised, buried channels would allow ground water to readily move from the Jornada del Muerto ground-water basin to the Mesilla ground-water basin. The gross geometry of the horst--eastern extent, constraints on the western extent, and general altitude of the top--was discerned by interpretations of the seismic profiles. The presence or absence of large channels incised into the top of the horst could not be confirmed by these interpretations. However, the seismic interpretations suggest that the water table is above the top of the horst for most of its extent between U.S. Highway 70 and Tortugas Mountain and that the top of the horst is above the water table and acts as a subsurface flow barrier north of U.S. Highway 70.

Assessment of undiscovered continuous gas resources of the Ordos Basin Province, China, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Charpentier, Ronald R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.

2016-01-11

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean resources of 28 trillion cubic feet of tight gas and 5.6 trillion cubic feet of coalbed gas in upper Paleozoic rocks in the Ordos Basin Province, China.

Three Mountain Areas in Southwestern Wyoming.

DTIC Science & Technology

purpose of this report the areas are called the Wyoming-Salt River Range Area, the Wind River Range Area, and the Uinta Range Area. These mountain...ranges enclose the Upper Green River and Bridger Basins , high plateau basins with a general elevation of 6,500 to 7,500 feet.

Ground Water Recharge Estimation Using Water Table Fluctuation Method And By GIS Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vajja, V.; Bekkam, V.; Nune, R.; M. v. S, R.

2007-05-01

Quite often it has become a debating point that how much recharge is occurring to the groundwater table through rainfall on one hand and through recharge structures such as percolation ponds and checkdams on the other. In the present investigations Musi basin of Andhra Pradesh, India is selected for study during the period 2005-06. Pre-monsoon and Post-monsoon groundwater levels are collected through out the Musi basin at 89 locations covering an area11, 291.69 km2. Geology of the study area and rainfall data during the study period has been collected. The contour maps of rainfall and the change in groundwater level between Pre-monsoon and Post- monsoon have been prepared. First the change in groundwater storage is estimated for each successive strips of areas enclosed between two contours of groundwater level fluctuations. In this calculation Specific yield (Sy) values are adopted based on the local Geology. Areas between the contours are estimated through Arc GIS software package. All such storages are added to compute the total storage for the entire basin. In order to find out the percent of rainfall converted into groundwater storage as well as to find out the ground water recharge due to storageponds, a contour map of rainfall for the study area is prepared and areas between successive contours have been calculated. Based on the Geology map, Infiltration values are adopted for each successive strip of the contour area. Then the amount of water infiltrated into the ground is calculated by adjusting the infiltration values for each strip, so that the total infiltrated water for the entire basin is matched with change in Ground water storage, which is 1314.37 MCM for the upper Musi basin while it is 2827.29 MCM for entire Musi basin. With this procedure on an average 29.68 and 30.66 percent of Rainfall is converted into Groundwater recharge for Upper Musi and for entire Musi basin respectively. In the total recharge, the contribution of rainfall directly to Groundwater recharge is 8.53 and 8.81 percent and the remaining 21.15 and 21.85 percent is due to groundwater recharge from water conservation structures such as check dams, contour bunds, tanks, etc. for Upper Musi and for entire Musi basin respectively. The difference is attributable to the canal recharge in the case of Lower Musi. Therefore the Upper Musi values may be taken as a percent of Rainfall that is converted into Groundwater recharge.

The lowering of Glacial Lake Hitchcock in the Upper Connecticut Valley (New Hampshire and Vermont) as registered by varved sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigl, M.; Kelly, M. A.

2012-12-01

Subsequent to the last glacial maximum, the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated northward through New England and New York and large glacial lakes formed in the Hudson, Connecticut and Merrimack Valleys. Varved sediments in these former lake basins preserve an incredible record of the timing and rates of ice sheet recession as well as regional climatic conditions. Here, we test the hypothesis that these varves also preserve a history of the lowering and drainage of the lakes. We present evidence of sudden increases in varve thicknesses within the former Glacial Lake Hitchcock (GLH) basin in the Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont and test the hypothesis that these result from lake-level lowering events. GLH existed in the Connecticut Valley due to a sediment dam at its southern end near Rocky Hill, CT. At its maximum, it may have extended from Rocky Hill to near Lyndon, VT. A breach of the Rocky Hill dam at ~13.5 ka caused the drainage of the southern basin of GLH, located south of the Holyoke Range in Massachusetts, but the northern basin of GLH (in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont) retained water until ~11.5 ka (Stone, 1999). However, no studies have focused on lake level fluctuation, exact timing of GLH drainage, and whether the lake drained in one episode or as a longer sequence of drainage events. We use sediment cores from modern lake basins to examine the lowering and final drainage of GLH in the Upper Valley region. As GLH lowered, these modern basins emerged (with higher elevation basins emerging first) and deposition in each basin transitioned from glacial varves to non-varved and organic-rich sediments. We hypothesize that during a lowering event a basin submerged by GLH would have received an increase in sediment flux from deposits exposed at the lakeshore and, thus, a sudden thickening of varves would occur. We test this hypothesis by comparing the age of the transition from glacial varves to non-varved and organic-rich sediments in higher elevation basins with the age of the sudden thickening of varves in lower elevation basins. An alternative hypothesis is that a sudden thickening of varves results from a colder or wetter climatic conditions that caused an increased sediment flux to GLH. In winter 2012, we obtained sediment cores using a modified Livingstone corer from six modern lake basins in the Upper Valley region. All of these basins are located beneath the level of GLH and contain glacial varved sediments below ~6-9 m of Holocene organic-rich sediments. On an isostatically depressed landscape reconstructed for this study, the modern basins occur over a range of ~80 m of elevation, from near the highest level of GLH to near the modern elevation of the Connecticut River. We are using high-resolution line-scan images obtained at the Limnological Research Center (LRC) at the University of Minnesota to measure varve thicknesses in the sediment cores and correlate these with the North American Varve Chronology (NAVC). This method of correlation has been used successfully with varved sediments in the Hudson, Connecticut, and Merrimack Valleys to develop the NAVC. Where possible, we will use radiocarbon dating of terrestrial macrofossils within varved sediment and organic-rich sediment to test the varve correlations.

Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of ground-water volumes in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinaman, Kurt

2005-01-01

The Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana is an important source of energy resources for the United States. Coalbed methane gas is contained in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin. This gas is released when water pressure in coalbeds is lowered, usually by pumping ground water. Issues related to disposal and uses of by-product water from coalbed methane production have developed, in part, due to uncertainties in hydrologic properties. One hydrologic property of primary interest is the amount of water contained in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, conducted a study to describe the hydrogeologic framework and to estimate ground-water volumes in different facies of Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. A geographic information system was used to compile and utilize hydrogeologic maps, to describe the hydrogeologic framework, and to estimate the volume of ground water in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River structural basin in Wyoming. Maps of the altitudes of potentiometric surfaces, altitudes of the tops and bottoms of hydrogeologic units, thicknesses of hydrogeologic units, percent sand of hydrogeologic units, and outcrop boundaries for the following hydrogeologic units were used: Tongue River-Wasatch aquifer, Lebo confining unit, Tullock aquifer, Upper Hell Creek confining unit, and the Fox Hills-Lower Hell Creek aquifer. Literature porosity values of 30 percent for sand and 35 percent for non-sand facies were used to calculate the volume of total ground water in each hydrogeologic unit. Literature specific yield values of 26 percent for sand and 10 percent for non-sand facies, and literature specific storage values of 0.0001 ft-1 (1/foot) for sand facies and 0.00001 ft-1 for non-sand facies, were used to calculate a second volume of ground water for each hydrogeologic unit. Significant figure considerations limited estimates of ground-water volumes to two significant digits. A total ground-water volume of 2.0x1014 ft3 (cubic feet) was calculated using porosity values, and a total ground-water volume of 3.6x1013 ft3 was calculated using specific yield and specific storage values. These results are consistent with retention properties, which would have some of the total water being retained in the sediments. Sensitivity analysis shows that the estimates of ground-water volume are most sensitive to porosity. The estimates also are sensitive to confined thickness and saturated thickness. Better spatial information for hydrogeologic units could help refine the ground-water volume estimates.

Climatic-oceanic forcing on the organic accumulation across the shelf during the Early Cambrian (Age 2 through 3) in the mid-upper Yangtze Block, NE Guizhou, South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeasmin, Rumana; Chen, Daizhao; Fu, Yong; Wang, Jianguo; Guo, Zenghui; Guo, Chuan

2017-02-01

The organic-rich sediments were widely deposited over the entire Yangtze Block during the Early Cambrian (late Nemakit-Daldynian to Botomian). In the mid-upper Yangtze region, northeastern Guizhou, South China, they comprise, in ascending order, the Niutitang, Jiumenchong and lower Bianmachong formations which are dominated by black shales except the middle one characterized by interbedded shales-limestones. Three third-order depositional sequences are identified in the two studied sections located on the upper slope to basin of the open shelf. The organic-rich sediments were mostly deposited notably during transgressions on the shallower upper slope-margin (TOC up to 25 wt.%) where they are characterized by co-increases in C, P, Fe, and Ba concentrations, indicating the highest organic productivity and coupled C, P and Fe cycling there. In contrast, in the shelf basin, the concomitant organic-rich sediments yield lower organic (TOC <10 wt.% mostly) and Ba abundances, and generally show antithetic relationship of TOC with P and Fe variations, indicative of a relatively low organic productivity and transient decoupled C, P and Fe cycling in the deeper basin. This spatial difference in C, P, Fe and Ba cycling as a whole thus indicate that the highest organic productivity wedge on the shallower shelf upper slope-margin was likely induced by the oceanic upwelling from the restricted basin where the P and Fe nutrients were transiently depleted without timely renewal. Meanwhile, multiple redox proxies, including V/Al, Ni/Al and Cr/Al ratios vs. TOC contents, together with V/(V + Ni) and V/Cr ratios, generally characterize a more severe euxinic water wedge localized on the shallower upper slope-margin of shelf where the organic production culminated, but a nonsulfidic (ferruginous) anoxic state in the basin due to the relatively low sulfate level. Meanwhile, episodic depletion of trace elements in the deeper basin during the higher organic productivity also reconciles the concomitantly enhanced upwelling from the somewhat restricted deep watermass likely silled by the underwater upland seaward. The coincidence of organic-rich intervals with more arid climate epoches, as shown by increased Ti/Al ratios indicative of increased aeolian fluxes, reconciles a subtropical arid climate of Yangtze Block within the north mid-low-latitude trade-wind zone during deposition (the Early Cambrian). As such, enhanced offshore currents driven by the trade winds could have further induced the upwelling of nutrient-rich deep waters along the shelf during the transgressions, although tended to wane onwards, leading to the tempo-spatial heterogeneities in organic production and redox state across the shelf sea.

Tectonothermal modeling of hydrocarbon maturation, Central Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela

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

Manske, M.C.

1996-08-01

The petroliferous Maracaibo Basin of northwestern Venezuela and extreme eastern Colombia has evolved through a complex geologic history. Deciphering the tectonic and thermal evolution is essential in the prediction of hydrocarbon maturation (timing) within the basin. Individual wells in two areas of the central basin, Blocks III and V, have been modeled to predict timing of hydrocarbon generation within the source Upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation, as well as within interbedded shales of the Lower-Middle Eocene Misoa Formation reservoir sandstones. Tectonic evolution, including burial and uplift (erosional) history, has been constrained with available well data. The initial extensional thermal regimemore » of the basin has been approximated with a Mackenzie-type thermal model, and the following compressional stage of basin development by applying a foreland basin model. Corrected Bottom Hole Temperature (BHT) measurements; from wells in the central basin, along with thermal conductivity measurements of rock samples from the entire sedimentary sequence, resulted in the estimation of present day heat flow. An understanding of the basin`s heat flow, then, allowed extrapolation of geothermal gradients through time. The relation of geothermal gradients and overpressure within the Upper Cretaceous hydrocarbon-generating La Luna Formation and thick Colon Formation shales was also taken into account. Maturation modeling by both the conventional Time-Temperature Index (TTI) and kinetic Transformation Ratio (TR) methods predicts the timing of hydrocarbon maturation in the potential source units of these two wells. These modeling results are constrained by vitrinite reflectance and illite/smectite clay dehydration data, and show general agreement. These results also have importance regarding the timing of structural formation and hydrocarbon migration into Misoa reservoirs.« less

Tectono-stratigraphic evolution and crustal architecture of the Orphan Basin during North Atlantic rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouiza, Mohamed; Hall, Jeremy; Welford, J. Kim

2017-04-01

The Orphan Basin is located in the deep offshore of the Newfoundland margin, and it is bounded by the continental shelf to the west, the Grand Banks to the south, and the continental blocks of Orphan Knoll and Flemish Cap to the east. The Orphan Basin formed in Mesozoic time during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean between eastern Canada and western Iberia-Europe. This work, based on well data and regional seismic reflection profiles across the basin, indicates that the continental crust was affected by several extensional episodes between the Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous, separated by events of uplift and erosion. The preserved tectono-stratigraphic sequences in the basin reveal that deformation initiated in the eastern part of the Orphan Basin in the Jurassic and spread towards the west in the Early Cretaceous, resulting in numerous rift structures filled with a Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous syn-rift succession and overlain by thick Upper Cretaceous to Cenozoic post-rift sediments. The seismic data show an extremely thinned crust (4-16 km thick) underneath the eastern and western parts of the Orphan Basin, forming two sub-basins separated by a wide structural high with a relatively thick crust (17 km thick). Quantifying the crustal architecture in the basin highlights the large discrepancy between brittle extension localized in the upper crust and the overall crustal thinning. This suggests that continental deformation in the Orphan Basin involved, in addition to the documented Jurassic and Early Cretaceous rifting, an earlier brittle rift phase which is unidentifiable in seismic data and a depth-dependent thinning of the crust driven by localized lower crust ductile flow.

Invasion of the Upper Mississippi River System by Saltwater Amphipods

EPA Science Inventory

Zoobenthos surveys of the Great Rivers of the Upper Mississippi River basin (Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio Rivers) provided an opportunity for documenting a series of invasions by euryhaline amphipods. The corophiid amphipod Apocorophium lacustre was first found in the Ohio Ri...

Using the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Impact Melt Composition to Infer Upper Mantle Mineralogy and Timing of Potential Mantle Overturn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kring, D. A.; Needham, D. H.

2018-05-01

Observed melt composition within the SPA basin are consistent with an impact prior to mantle overturn, when the upper mantle contained clinopyroxene rather than olivine. Potentially, the impact triggered mantle overturn.

The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Matthew P.; Buto, Susan G.; Susong, David D.; Rumsey, Christine

2016-01-01

The Colorado River has been identified as the most overallocated river in the world. Considering predicted future imbalances between water supply and demand and the growing recognition that base flow (a proxy for groundwater discharge to streams) is critical for sustaining flow in streams and rivers, there is a need to develop methods to better quantify present-day base flow across large regions. We adapted and applied the spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) water quality model to assess the spatial distribution of base flow, the fraction of streamflow supported by base flow, and estimates of and potential processes contributing to the amount of base flow that is lost during in-stream transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). On average, 56% of the streamflow in the UCRB originated as base flow, and precipitation was identified as the dominant driver of spatial variability in base flow at the scale of the UCRB, with the majority of base flow discharge to streams occurring in upper elevation watersheds. The model estimates an average of 1.8 × 1010 m3/yr of base flow in the UCRB; greater than 80% of which is lost during in-stream transport to the Lower Colorado River Basin via processes including evapotranspiration and water diversion for irrigation. Our results indicate that surface waters in the Colorado River Basin are dependent on base flow, and that management approaches that consider groundwater and surface water as a joint resource will be needed to effectively manage current and future water resources in the Basin.

The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Matthew P.; Buto, Susan G.; Susong, David D.; Rumsey, Christine A.

2016-05-01

The Colorado River has been identified as the most overallocated river in the world. Considering predicted future imbalances between water supply and demand and the growing recognition that base flow (a proxy for groundwater discharge to streams) is critical for sustaining flow in streams and rivers, there is a need to develop methods to better quantify present-day base flow across large regions. We adapted and applied the spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) water quality model to assess the spatial distribution of base flow, the fraction of streamflow supported by base flow, and estimates of and potential processes contributing to the amount of base flow that is lost during in-stream transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). On average, 56% of the streamflow in the UCRB originated as base flow, and precipitation was identified as the dominant driver of spatial variability in base flow at the scale of the UCRB, with the majority of base flow discharge to streams occurring in upper elevation watersheds. The model estimates an average of 1.8 × 1010 m3/yr of base flow in the UCRB; greater than 80% of which is lost during in-stream transport to the Lower Colorado River Basin via processes including evapotranspiration and water diversion for irrigation. Our results indicate that surface waters in the Colorado River Basin are dependent on base flow, and that management approaches that consider groundwater and surface water as a joint resource will be needed to effectively manage current and future water resources in the Basin.

Climate change on the Colorado River: a method to search for robust management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keefe, R.; Fischbach, J. R.

2010-12-01

The Colorado River is a principal source of water for the seven Basin States, providing approximately 16.5 maf per year to users in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Though the dynamics of the river ensure Upper Basin users a reliable supply of water, the three Lower Basin states (California, Nevada, and Arizona) are in danger of delivery interruptions as Upper Basin demand increases and climate change threatens to reduce future streamflows. In light of the recent drought and uncertain effects of climate change on Colorado River flows, we evaluate the performance of a suite of policies modeled after the shortage sharing agreement adopted in December 2007 by the Department of the Interior. We build on the current literature by using a simplified model of the Lower Colorado River to consider future streamflow scenarios given climate change uncertainty. We also generate different scenarios of parametric consumptive use growth in the Upper Basin and evaluate alternate management strategies in light of these uncertainties. Uncertainty associated with climate change is represented with a multi-model ensemble from the literature, using a nearest neighbor perturbation to increase the size of the ensemble. We use Robust Decision Making to compare near-term or long-term management strategies across an ensemble of plausible future scenarios with the goal of identifying one or more approaches that are robust to alternate assumptions about the future. This method entails using search algorithms to quantitatively identify vulnerabilities that may threaten a given strategy (including the current operating policy) and characterize key tradeoffs between strategies under different scenarios.

Crustal structure of central Lake Baikal: Insights into intracontinental rifting

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Taylor, M.H.

2002-01-01

The Cenozoic rift system of Baikal, located in the interior of the largest continental mass on Earth, is thought to represent a potential analog of the early stage of breakup of supercontinents. We present a detailed P wave velocity structure of the crust and sediments beneath the Central Basin, the deepest basin in the Baikal rift system. The structure is characterized by a Moho depth of 39-42.5 km; an 8-km-thick, laterally continuous high-velocity (7.05-7.4 km/s) lower crust, normal upper mantle velocity (8 km/s), a sedimentary section reaching maximum depths of 9 km, and a gradual increase of sediment velocity with depth. We interpret the high-velocity lower crust to be part of the Siberian Platform that was not thinned or altered significantly during rifting. In comparison to published results from the Siberian Platform, Moho under the basin is elevated by <3 km. On the basis of these results we propose that the basin was formed by upper crustal extension, possibly reactivating structures in an ancient fold-and-thrust belt. The extent and location of upper mantle extension are not revealed by our data, and it may be offset from the rift. We believe that the Baikal rift structure is similar in many respects to the Mesozoic Atlantic rift system, the precursor to the formation of the North Atlantic Ocean. We also propose that the Central Baikal rift evolved by episodic fault propagation and basin enlargement, rather than by two-stage rift evolution as is commonly assumed.

Low-angle faulting in strike-slip dominated settings: Seismic evidence from the Maritimes Basin, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinet, Nicolas; Dietrich, Jim; Duchesne, Mathieu J.; Hinds, Steve J.; Brake, Virginia

2018-07-01

The Maritimes Basin is an upper Paleozoic sedimentary basin centered in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada). Early phases of basin formation included the development of partly connected sub-basins bounded by high-angle faults, in an overall strike-slip setting. Interpretation of reprocessed seismic reflection data indicates that a low-angle detachment contributed to the formation of a highly asymmetric sub-basin. This detachment was rotated toward a lower angle and succeeded by high-angle faults that sole into the detachment or cut it. This model bears similarities to other highly extended terranes and appears to be applicable to strike-slip and/or transtensional settings.

Hydrogeologic framework of the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston and Powder River structural basins, United States and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thamke, Joanna N.; LeCain, Gary D.; Ryter, Derek W.; Sando, Roy; Long, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

Regionally, water in the lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems flows in a northerly or northeasterly direction from the Powder River structural basin to the Williston structural basin. Groundwater flow in the Williston structural basin generally is easterly or northeasterly. Flow in the uppermost hydrogeologic units generally is more local and controlled by topography where unglaciated in the Williston structural basin than is flow in the glaciated part and in underlying aquifers. Groundwater flow in the Powder River structural basin generally is northerly with local variations greatest in the uppermost aquifers. Groundwater is confined, and flow is regional in the underlying aquifers.

Relations of principal components analysis site scores to algal-biomass, habitat, basin-characteristics, nutrient, and biological-community data in the Upper Wabash River Basin, Indiana, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leer, Donald R.; Caskey, Brian J.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Lowe, B. Scott

2007-01-01

The values for nutrients (nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) were compared to published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) values for Aggregate Nutrient Ecoregions VI and VII and USEPA Level III Ecoregions 55 and 56. Several nutrient values were greater than the 25th percentile of the published USEPA values. Chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) values either were greater than the 25th percentile of published USEPA values or extended data ranges in the Aggregate Nutrient and Level III Ecoregions. If the proposed values for the 25th percentile were adopted as nutrient water-quality criteria, many samples in the Upper Wabash River Basin would have exceeded the criteria.

Dating the upper Cenozoic sediments in Fisher Valley, southeastern Utah ( USA).

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, Steven M.; Choquette, Anne F.; Rosholt, J.M.; Miller, G.H.; Huntley, D.J.

1986-01-01

More than 140 m of upper Cenozoic basin-fill sediments were deposited and then deformed in Fisher Valley between about 2.5 and 0.25 m.y. ago, in response to uplift of the adjacent Onion Creek salt diapir. In addition to these basin-fill sediments, minor amounts of eolian and fluvial sand were depositd in Holocene time. The sediments, whose relative ages are known from the stratigraphy, are predominantly sandy, second-cycle red beds derived from nearby Mesozoic rocks; most were deposited in a vertical sequence, filling a sedimentary basin now exposed by fluvial dissection. We have applied a variety of established and experimental dating methods to the sediments in Fisher Valley to establish their age and to provide time control for the recent history of the Onion Creek salt diapir.-from Authors

Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in Vermont, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horn, M.A.; Medalie, Laura

1996-01-01

Estimated freshwater withdrawals during 1990 in Vermont totaled about 632 million gallons per day. The largest withdrawals were for thermoelectric- power generation (82 percent), industrial use (7 percent), and public supply (6 percent). Most withdrawals, 587 million gallons per day, were made from surface-water sources as compared to 44.9 million gallons per day from ground-water sources. The largest withdrawals were in the Upper Connecticut-Mascomo River Basin (525 million gallons per day). About 17,700 million gallons per day were used instream for hydroelectric-poser generation, the largest of which were in the Upper Connecticut-Mascoma and Otter River Basins. Other information describing water-use patters is shown in tables, bar graphs, pie charts, maps, and accompanying text. The data are aggregated by river basin (hydrologic cataloging unit), and all amounts are reports in million gallons per day.

Bibliography, indices, and data sources of water-related studies, upper Colorado River basin, Colorado and Utah, 1872-1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bauch, N.J.; Apodaca, L.E.

1995-01-01

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, current water-quality conditions in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado and Utah are being assessed. This report is an initial effort to identify and compile information on water-related studies previously conducted in the basin and consists of a bibliography, coauthor and subject indices, and sources of available water-related data. Computerized literature searches of scientific data bases were carried out to identify past water-related studies in the basin, and government agencies and private organizations were contacted regarding their knowledge or possession of water-related publications and data. Categories of information in the bibliography include: aquatic biology, climate, energy development, geology, land use, limnology, runoff, salinity, surface- and ground-water hydrology, water chemistry, water quality and quantity, and water use and management. The approximately 1,400 indexed references date from 1872 through February 1995 and include books, journal articles, maps, and reports. In many instances, an abstract has been provided for a given reference. Sources of water-related data in the basin are included in a table.

P-wave velocity structure beneath the northern Antarctic Peninsula: evidence of a steeply subducting slab and a deep-rooted low-velocity anomaly beneath the central Bransfield Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Yongcheol; Kim, Kwang-Hee; Lee, Joohan; Yoo, Hyun Jae; Plasencia L., Milton P.

2012-12-01

Upper-mantle structure between 100 and 300 km depth below the northern Antarctic Peninsula is imaged by modelling P-wave traveltime residuals from teleseismic events recorded on the King Sejong Station (KSJ), the Argentinean/Italian stations (JUBA and ESPZ), an IRIS/GSN Station (PMSA) and the Seismic Experiment in Patagonia and Antarctica (SEPA) broad-band stations. For measuring traveltime residuals, we applied a multichannel cross-correlation method and inverted for upper-mantle structure using VanDecar's method. The new 3-D velocity model reveals a subducted slab with a ˜70° dip angle at 100-300 km depth and a strong low-velocity anomaly confined below the SE flank of the central Bransfield Basin. The low velocity is attributed to a thermal anomaly in the mantle that could be as large as 350-560 K and which is associated with high heat flow and volcanism in the central Bransfield Basin. The low-velocity zone imaged below the SE flank of the central Bransfield Basin does not extend under the northern Bransfield Basin, suggesting that the rifting process in that area likely involves different geodynamic processes.

Assessment of spatial distribution of soil loss over the upper basin of Miyun reservoir in China based on RS and GIS techniques.

PubMed

Chen, Tao; Niu, Rui-qing; Wang, Yi; Li, Ping-xiang; Zhang, Liang-pei; Du, Bo

2011-08-01

Soil conservation planning often requires estimates of the spatial distribution of soil erosion at a catchment or regional scale. This paper applied the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to investigate the spatial distribution of annual soil loss over the upper basin of Miyun reservoir in China. Among the soil erosion factors, which are rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length (L), slope steepness (S), vegetation cover (C), and support practice factor (P), the vegetative cover or C factor, which represents the effects of vegetation canopy and ground covers in reducing soil loss, has been one of the most difficult to estimate over broad geographic areas. In this paper, the C factor was estimated based on back propagation neural network and the results were compared with the values measured in the field. The correlation coefficient (r) obtained was 0.929. Then the C factor and the other factors were used as the input to RUSLE model. By integrating the six factor maps in geographical information system (GIS) through pixel-based computing, the spatial distribution of soil loss over the upper basin of Miyun reservoir was obtained. The results showed that the annual average soil loss for the upper basin of Miyun reservoir was 9.86 t ha(-1) ya(-1) in 2005, and the area of 46.61 km(2) (0.3%) experiences extremely severe erosion risk, which needs suitable conservation measures to be adopted on a priority basis. The spatial distribution of erosion risk classes was 66.9% very low, 21.89% low, 6.18% moderate, 2.89% severe, and 1.84% very severe. Thus, by using RUSLE in a GIS environment, the spatial distribution of water erosion can be obtained and the regions which susceptible to water erosion and need immediate soil conservation planning and application over the upper watershed of Miyun reservoir in China can be identified.

A Semiarid Long-Term Hydrologic Observatory at the Continental Scale: The Upper Río Grande Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogan, J. F.; Vivoni, E. R.; Bowman, R. S.; Coonrod, J.; Thomson, B. M.; Samani, Z.; Ferre, P. T.; Phillips, F. M.; Rango, A.; Rasmussen, R.; Springer, E. P.; Small, E. E.

2004-12-01

Water availability is critical in arid and semiarid regions, which comprise 35 percent of the land area of the globe. In the Southwestern US, climate variability and landscape heterogeneity lead to strong gradients in hydrological processes, which in turn impact land-atmosphere interactions, ecological dynamics, biogeochemical cycles and geomorphic change. This complexity presents a fundamental challenge to our understanding of hydrology, one that is best addressed through long-term, systematic field and remote-sensing observations and numerical-model investigations. In this poster, we will present our plans to study the interaction of climate-landscape-vegetation and water using a nested set of instrumented sites within the Upper Río Grande, a continental-scale semiarid watershed. This complex watershed extends from the snow-dominated headwater basins in San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, through the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico, Texas and Mexico, to the desert valley alluvial basins southeast of El Paso, Texas. As part of the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) plan for a network of Long-Term Hydrologic Observatories (LTHOs), the Upper Río Grande would represent the combination of mountain landscapes, semiarid to arid alluvial basin aquifers and riparian corridors that are characteristic of the Western United States. We will describe existing hydrologic, ecologic and atmospheric measurement infrastructure in the watershed and discuss plans for integrating these into a coherent network that provides a core set of scientific data products for the hydrologic community. Data products generated by the Upper Río Grande LTHO will also aid in the testing of coupled numerical models of the atmosphere-surface-groundwater system applied at high resolution over the region. The Upper Río Grande presents unique opportunities to test hydrologic hypotheses concerning surface water-groundwater interactions and their control on runoff response, solute transport and reactivity, and riparian ecological communities

CFD Analysis of different types of single basin solar stills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maheswari, C. Uma; Meenakshi Reddy, R.

2018-03-01

The current work deals with the numerical and experimental analysis of a solar still of single basin with improved models of stepped, finned, PCM (Phase modification Materials) instrumentation in single slope. The work is additionally extended to double slope solar still of single basin and also the performances were compared with one another. The one slope basin inclinations were compared for 15° and 20°. From the investigations it had been ascertained that single slope with 20° and PCM instrumentation has given the upper productivity compared to different sorts.

Ground-water conditions and geologic reconnaissance of the Upper Sevier River basin, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, Carl H.; Robinson, Gerald B.; Bjorklund, Louis Jay

1967-01-01

The upper Sevier River basin is in south-central Utah and includes an area of about 2,400 .square miles of high plateaus and valleys. It comprises the entire Sevier River drainage basin above Kingston, including the East Fork Sevier River and its tributaries. The basin was investigated to determine general ground-water conditions, the interrelation of ground water and surface water, the effects of increasing the pumping of ground water, and the amount of ground water in storage.The basin includes four main valleys - Panguitch Valley, Circle Valley, East Fork Valley, and Grass Valley - which are drained by the Sevier River, the East Fork Sevier River, and Otter Creek. The plateaus surrounding the valleys consist of sedimentary and igneous rocks that range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The valley fill, which is predominantly alluvial gravel, sand, silt, and clay, has a maximum thickness of more than 800 feet.The four main valleys constitute separate ground-water basins. East Fork Valley basin is divided into Emery Valley, Johns Valley, and Antimony subbasins, and Grass Valley basin is divided into Koosharem and Angle subbasins. Ground water occurs under both artesian and water-table conditions in all the basins and subbasins except Johns Valley, Emery Valley, and Angle subbasins, where water is only under water-table conditions. The water is under artesian pressure in beds of gravel and sand confined by overlying beds of silt and clay in the downstream parts of Panguitch Valley basin, Circle Valley basin, and Antimony subbasin, and in most of Koosharem subbasin. Along the sides and upstream ends of these basins, water is usually under water-table conditions.About 1 million acre-feet of ground water that is readily available to wells is stored in the gravel and sand of the upper 200 feet of saturated valley fill. About 570,000 acre-feet is stored in Panguitch Valley basin, about 210,000 in Circle Valley basin, about 6,000 in Emery Valley subbasin, about 90,000 in Johns Valley subbasin, about 36,000 in Antimony subbasin, about 90,000 in Koosharem subbasin, and about 60,000 in Angle subbasin. Additional water, although it is not readily available to wells, is stored in beds of silt and clay. Some ground water also is available in the bedrock underlying and surrounding the basins, although the bedrock formations generally are poor aquifers.The principal source of recharge to the valley fill in the upper Sevier River basin is infiltration from streams, canals, and irrigated fields. Some ground water also miles into the valley till from the bedrock surrounding the basins.The basin contains about 300 wells, most of which are less than 4 inches in diameter, are less than 250 feet deep, and are used for domestic purposes and stock watering. More than half the wells are flowing wells in Koosharem subbasin.Approximately 82,000 acre-feet of ground water was discharged in 1962 from the valley till. Springs discharged about 33,000 acre-feet, wells about 3,000, and drains about 3,000; and evapotranspiration from phreatophyte areas about 43,000 acre-feet. Springs in bedrock discharged an additional 75,000 acre-feet. Most of the water discharged by springs, wells, and drains was used for irrigation.The ground water in the basin generally is of good chemical quality. The water is excellent for irrigation and stock but is not as desirable for most domestic and industrial uses because of its hardness. The dissolved-solids content of the ground water generally increases slightly from the upstream end of the individual ground-water basins to. the downstream end owing mostly to repeated use of the water for irrigation. Surface water and ground water in the upper Sevier River basin are inter- connected, and the base flows of streams are affected by changes in ground- water levels. Increased pumping of ground water would result in (1) an increase in the recharge to the aquifers from surface-water sources or (2) a decrease in the discharge from streams, springs, flowing wells, and areas of phreatophytes or (3) a combination of these.About 43,000 acre-feet of ground water is now discharged annually by evapotranspiration from phreatophyte areas, and perhaps one-third of this loss, or about 14,000 acre-feet, could be salvaged by eliminating wet areas and phreatophytes. The areas where water could be salvaged are at the downstream ends of Panguitch Valley basin, Circle Valley basin, and Antimony subbasin. Most of the 14,000 acre-feet 'of water could be pumped from large-diameter wells or developed by properly designed drains without greatly affecting stream- flow and with only moderate effect on 'spring discharge. If the wells were properly located, the pumping would lower water levels and dry up wet areas where phreatophytes grow. Conjunctive use of ground water and surface water would facilitate the more efficient use of all water resources in the basin

A revision of the Norian Conchostracan Zonation in North America and its implications for Late Triassic North American tectonic history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weems, Robert E.; Lucas, Spencer G.

2015-01-01

Collections of Upper Triassic (Norian) conchostracans from the upper Cumnock and lower Sanford formations (North Carolina), Bull Run Formation (Virginia), Gettysburg Formation (Pennsylvania), Passaic Formation (New Jersey), Blomidon Formation (Nova Scotia), and Redonda Formation (New Mexico) have significantly expanded our knowledge of the Norian conchostracan faunas in these units. These collections show that the temporal and spatial distribution of Norian conchostracans in North America is more complex and more environmentally controlled than previously thought. The new collections require a revision and simplification of the published conchostracan zonation for this interval. The revised zonation, based almost entirely on evolution within the lineage of the conchostracan genus Shipingia, consists of five zones: the Shipingia weemsi-Euestheria buravasi zone (Lacian), the Shipingia mcdonaldi zone (lower Alaunian), the Shipingia hebaozhaiensis zone (upper Alaunian), the Shipingia olseni zone (lower and middle Sevatian), and the Shipingia gerbachmanni zone (upper Sevatian). A new species of Norian conchostracan, Wannerestheria kozuri, is described from the Groveton Member of the Bull Run Formation (Virginia). Two new members (Plum Run and Fairfield members) are named in the Gettysburg Formation (Gettysburg Basin, Maryland and Pennsylvania). The distribution of upper Carnian and Norian strata in the Fundy, Newark, Gettysburg, and Culpeper basins indicates that there was a significant, previously undetected tectonic reorganization within these basins that occurred around the Carnian-Norian boundary. The presence of an upper Norian-lower Rhaetian unconformity within the Newark Supergroup is reaffirmed. A re-evaluation of the conchostracan record from the Redonda Formation of the Chinle Group in New Mexico indicates that the four conchostracan-bearing lacustrine beds in this unit are part of only a single, consistently recognizable conchostracan zone, which we here designate as the Shipingia gerbachmanni zone.

Distribution and Origin of Iridium in Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic Continental Strata of the Fundy, Deerfield and Hartford Basins, Newark Supergroup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, L. H.; Kyte, F. T.

2015-12-01

To date, elevated Ir levels in continental sediments proximal to the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (TJB) have been reported only from Upper Triassic strata of the Newark and Fundy basins, below the basal extrusive units of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province. We report here the first occurrence of elevated Ir above the oldest volcanic units, as well as additional horizons of Ir enrichment from other basins of the Newark Supergroup. In the Fundy Basin (Nova Scotia, Canada), lacustrine sediments of the Scots Bay Member of the McCoy Brook Formation that directly overlie the North Mountain Basalt contain Ir up to 413 pg/g in fish-bearing strata very close to the palynological TJB. Higher in the formation the strata lack significant Ir enrichment. Similarly, sedimentary strata from between flows of North Mount Basalt show no Ir appreciable enrichment. The Deerfield Basin (Massachusetts) extension of the Hartford Basin contains only one CAMP extrusive unit, the Lower Jurassic Deerfield Basalt. Very modest Ir enrichment, up to 90 pg/g, occurs in the Fall River Beds of the Sugarloaf Formation, several meters below the basalt, and up to 70 pg/g in the Turners Falls Formation less than 2 meters above the basalt. The uppermost New Haven Formation (Upper Triassic) at the Silver Ridge locality (Guilford, CT) in the Hartford Basin contains abundant plant debris, but no evidence of elevated Ir. At the Clathopteris locality to the north (Holyoke, MA), potentially correlative strata that are fine grained and rich in plant remains have Ir enriched to 542 pg/g, an order of magnitude higher than in the coarser-grained strata in direct stratigraphic contact. The high-Ir beds also have elevated REEs relative to other Hartford Basin samples, although there is no evidence of HREE enrichment. We consider the basalts of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, widely accepted as the driver of Late Triassic extinctions, as the origin of the elevated Ir levels in the Newark Supergroup.

Sedimentology and Reservoir Characteristics of Early Cretaceous Fluvio-Deltaic and Lacustrine Deposits, Upper Abu Gabra Formation, Sufyan Sub-basin, Muglad Rift Basin, Sudan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yassin, Mohamed; Abdullatif, Osman; Hariri, Mustafa

2017-04-01

Sufyan Sub-basin is an East-West trending Sub-basin located in the northwestern part of the Muglad Basin (Sudan), in the eastern extension of the West and Central Africa Rift System (WCARS). The Early Cretaceous Abu Gabra Formation considered as the main source rock in the Muglad Basin. In Sufyan Sub-basin the Early Cretaceous Upper Abu Gabra Formation is the main oil-producing reservoir. It is dominated by sandstone and shales deposited in fluvio-deltaic and lacustrine environment during the first rift cycle in the basin. Depositional and post-depositional processes highly influenced the reservoir quality and architecture. This study investigates different scales of reservoir heterogeneities from macro to micro scale. Subsurface facies analysis was analyzed based on the description of six conventional cores from two wells. Approaches include well log analysis, thin sections and scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations, grain-size, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the Abu Gabra sandstone. The cores and well logs analyses revealed six lithofacies representing fluvio-deltaic and lacustrine depositional environment. The sandstone is medium to coarse-grained, poorly to moderately sorted and sub-angular to subrounded, Sub-feldspathic arenite to quartz arenite. On macro-scale, reservoir quality varies within Abu Gabra reservoir where it shows progressive coarsening upward tendencies with different degrees of connectivity. The upper part of the reservoir showed well connected and amalgamated sandstone bodies, the middle to lower parts, however, have moderate to low sandstone bodies' connectivity and amalgamation. On micro-scale, sandstone reservoir quality is directly affected by textures and diagenesis.The XRD and SEM analyses show that kaolinite and chlorite clay are the common clay minerals in the studied samples. Clay matrix and quartz overgrowth have significantly reduced the reservoir porosity and permeability, while the dissolution of feldspars during the diagenetic process increase it. The estimated porosity in Abu Gabra Formation ranges from 10 to 21% with an average of 15%; while permeability varies from 200 to 400 md. The results of this study might contribute to better understanding of reservoir heterogeneities and help in reservoir quality prediction, therefore enhancing the hydrocarbon productivity.

Extension style in the Orphan Basin during the Mesozoic North Atlantic rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouiza, Mohamed; Hall, Jeremy

2013-04-01

The Orphan Basin, lying along the Newfoundland passive continental margin, has formed in Mesozoic time during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean and the breakup of Iberia/Eurasia from North America. Regional deep seismic reflection profiles across the basin indicate that the Neoproterozoic basement has been affected by repeated extensional episodes between the Late Triassic/Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. Deformation initiated in the eastern part of the Orphan basin in the Jurassic and migrated toward the west in the Early Cretaceous, resulting in numerous rift structures filled with Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous syn-rift successions and sealed by thick Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic post-rift sediments. The seismic data show an extremely attenuated crust underneath the eastern and western part of the deep basin, forming two sub-basins associated with the development of rifting. The two sub-basins are separated by a wide structural high with a relatively thick crust and are bounded to the west by the continental shelf domain. Restoration of the Orphan Basin along a 2D crustal section (520 km long), yields a total amount of stretching of about 144 km, while the total crustal thinning indicates an extension of around 250 km, assuming mass conservation along the section and an initial crustal thickness of 28 km. Brittle deformation accommodated by normal faults is documented in the seismic profiles and affected essentially the present-day upper portion of the crust, and represents only 60% of the total extension which thinned the Orphan crust. The remaining crustal thinning must involve other deformation processes which are not (easily) recognizable in the seismic data. We propose two models that could explain discrepancies between brittle deformation and total crustal thinning during lithospheric extension. The first model assumes the reactivation of pre-rift inherited structures, which act as crustal-scale detachments during the early stages of rifting. The second model uses depth-dependent extension of a 20 km thick crust characterized by a strong upper crust and a weak lower crust. Both models raise secondary issues that are discussed around the order of rifting events and the original crustal thickness.

Genèse des séquences sédimentaires du Crétacé supérieur des Aurès (Algérie). Rôle de l'eustatisme, de la tectonique, de la subsidence: une mise au pointSedimentary sequences in the Upper Cretaceous of Aures Mountains (Algerie). Eustatsy, tectonics and subsidence: a development.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herkat, Missoum; Delfaud, Jean

2000-06-01

The Upper Cretaceous of Aurès has been studied using a sedimentological approach to characterize the sequential organisation and deposits distribution in the basin. The sequential chain which was observed has been correlated to eustatic cycles defined on a global scale. Palaeogeographic reconstruction shows a basin with its south margin corresponding to a proximal platform domain with essentially carbonate deposits and toward the northeast, marly sedimentation of pelagic nature. The influence of NW-SE to WNW-ESE accidents on sedimentation control has been found preponderant. Therefore a system of tilted blocks toward the south characterizes a large part of the basin. The subsidence evolution through Upper Cretaceous is marked by a recovery of a tectonic distension during some phases (Late Albian and Lower Turonian) and an essentially thermic subsidence during the other periods. Finally some precocious tectonic phases appeared as early as the Santonian-Campanian transition. The evolution of the basin was thus controlled by the drift of the African plate during the expansion of the Atlantic ocean and also the tectonic influence which began to appear in north Alpine domain.

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic igneous intrusions and related sediment-dominated hydrothermal activities in the South Yellow Sea Basin, the Western Pacific continental margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yumao, Pang; Xunhua, Zhang; Guolin, Xiao; Luning, Shang; Xingwei, Guo; Zhenhe, Wen

2018-04-01

Various igneous complexes were identified in multi-channel seismic reflection profiles from the South Yellow Sea Basin. It is not rare that magmatic intrusions in sedimentary basins cause strong thermal perturbations and hydrothermal activities. Some intrusion-related hydrothermal vent complexes have been identified and they are considered to originate from the deep sedimentary contact aureole around igneous intrusions and terminate in upper vents structures, and are linked by a vertical conduit system. The upper vent complexes are usually eye-shaped, dome-shaped, fault-related, crater-shaped or pock-shaped in seismic profiles. A schematic model was proposed to illustrate the structures of different types of hydrothermal vent complexes. A conceptual conduit model composed of an upper pipe-like part and a lower branching part was also derived. Hydrothermal vent complexes mainly developed during the Middle-Late Cretaceous, which is coeval with, or shortly after the intrusion. The back-arc basin evolution of the area which is related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic may be the principal factor for voluminous igneous complexes and vent complexes in this area. It is significant to study the characteristics of igneous complexes and related hydrothermal vent complexes, which will have implications for the future study of this area.

Dissolved-Solids Load in Henrys Fork Upstream from the Confluence with Antelope Wash, Wyoming, Water Years 1970-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, Katharine; Kenney, Terry A.

2010-01-01

Annual dissolved-solids load at the mouth of Henrys Fork was estimated by using data from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 09229500, Henrys Fork near Manila, Utah. The annual dissolved-solids load for water years 1970-2009 ranged from 18,300 tons in 1977 to 123,300 tons in 1983. Annual streamflows for this period ranged from 14,100 acre-feet in 1977 to 197,500 acre-feet in 1983. The 25-percent trimmed mean dissolved-solids load for water years 1970-2009 was 44,300 tons per year at Henrys Fork near Manila, Utah. Previous simulations using a SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model for dissolved solids specific to water year 1991 conditions in the Upper Colorado River Basin predicted an annual dissolved-solids load of 25,000 tons for the Henrys Fork Basin upstream from Antelope Wash. On the basis of computed dissolved-solids load data from Henrys Fork near Manila, Utah, together with estimated annual dissolved-solids load from Antelope Wash and Peoples Canal, this prediction was adjusted to 37,200 tons. As determined by simulations with the Upper Colorado River Basin SPARROW model, approximately 56 percent (14,000 tons per year) of the dissolved-solids load at Henrys Fork upstream from Antelope Wash is associated with the 21,500 acres of irrigated agricultural lands in the upper Henrys Fork Basin.

Nitrogen Removal by Streams and Rivers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin

EPA Science Inventory

Our study, based on chemistry and channel dimensions data collected at 893 randomly-selected stream and river sites in the Mississippi River basin, demonstrated the interaction of stream chemistry, stream size, and NO3-N uptake metrics across a range of stream sizes and across re...

SWAT ungauged: Hydrological budget and crop yield predictions in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Physically based, distributed hydrologic models are increasingly used in assessments of water resources, best management practices, and climate and land use changes. Model performance evaluation in ungauged basins is an important research topic. In this study, we propose a framework for developing S...

Hot Spot at Yellowstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dress, Abby

2005-01-01

Within this huge national park (over two million acres spread across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) are steaming geysers, hot springs, bubbling mudpots, and fumaroles, or steam vents. Drives on the main roads of Yellowstone take tourists through the major hot attractions, which also include Norris Geyser Basin, Upper and Lower Geyser Basin, West…

Simulating sediment loading into the major reservoirs in Trinity River Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Upper Trinity Basin supplies water to about one-fourth of Texas' population. The anticipated rapid growth of North Central Texas will certainly increase regional demands for high quality drinking water. This has increased concerns that sediment and nutrient loads received by drinking water reser...

Mesozoic evolution of the Amu Darya basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunet, Marie-Françoise; Ershov, Andrey; Korotaev, Maxim; Mordvintsev, Dmitriy; Barrier, Eric; Sidorova, Irina

2014-05-01

This study, granted by the Darius Programme, aims at proposing a model of tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Amu Darya basin since the Late Palaeozoic and to understand the relationship with the nearby basins. The Amu Darya basin, as its close eastern neighbour, the Afghan-Tajik basin, lies on the Turan platform, after the closure of the Turkestan Ocean during the Late Paleozoic. These two basins, spread on mainly lowlands of Turkmenistan, southwest Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and northern Afghanistan, are separated from one another by the South-Western Gissar meganticline, where series of the northern Amu Darya margin are outcropping. The evolution is closely controlled by several periods of crustal thinning (post-collision rifting and back-arc extension), with some marine incursions, coming in between accretions of continental blocks and collisions that succeeded from the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (Eo-Cimmerian orogeny) to the Cenozoic times. These orogenies controlled the deposition of thick clastics sequences, and the collision of the Indian Plate with Eurasia strongly deformed the sedimentary cover of the Afghan-Tajik basin. The more than 7 km thick Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary succession of the Amu Darya basin, lies on a complex system of rifts and blocks. Their orientation and age (late Permian, Triassic?) are not well known because of deep burial. The north-eastern margin, with the Bukhara (upper margin) and Chardzhou steps, is NW oriented, parallel to the Paleozoic Turkestan suture. The orientation bends to W-E, in the part of the Gissar situated to the North of the Afghan-Tajik basin. This EW trending orientation prevails also in the south(-eastern) margin of the basin (series of North Afghanistan highs) and in the Murgab depression, the south-eastern deepest portion of the Amu Darya basin. It is in this area and in the eastern part of the Amu Darya basin that the Jurassic as well as the lower Cretaceous sediments are the thickest. The south-western part of the basin is occupied by the Pre-Kopet Dagh Cenozoic foreland basin NW oriented, possibly underlain by an earlier extensional trough. The main elements of the sedimentary pile, which can be partly observed in the South-Western Gissar are: Lower to Middle Jurassic continental to paralic clastic rocks; upper Middle to Upper Jurassic marine carbonate then thick Tithonian evaporite rocks, sealing the reservoirs in the Jurassic carbonates; continental Neocomian clastic rocks and red beds, Aptian to Paleogene marine carbonate and clastic rocks. To reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the Amu Darya Basin, we analysed the subsidence by backstripping of some wells/pseudo-wells and of three cross-sections with some examples of thermal modelling on the periods of maturation of the potential source rocks. The crustal thinning events take place in the Permo-Triassic? (depending on the age of the rifts underlying the basin), in Early-Middle Jurassic and during the Early Cretaceous, resulting in increases of the tectonic subsidence rates.

A survey of valleys and basins of the western United States for the capacity to produce winter ozone.

PubMed

Mansfield, Marc L; Hall, Courtney F

2018-04-18

High winter ozone in the Uintah Basin, Utah, and the Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming, occurs because of the confluence of three separate factors: (1) extensive oil or natural gas production, (2) topography conducive to strong multiple-day thermal inversions, and (3) snow cover. We surveyed 13 basins and valleys in the western United States for the existence and magnitude of these factors. Seven of the basins, because winter ozone measurements were available, were assigned to four different behavioral classes. Based on similarities among the basins, the remaining six were also given a tentative assignment. Two classes (1 and 2) correspond to basins with high ozone because all three factors just listed are present at sufficient magnitude. Class 3 corresponds to rural basins with ozone at background levels, and occurs because at least one of the three factors is weak or absent. Class 4 corresponds to ozone below background levels, and occurs, for example, in urban basins where emissions scavenge ozone. All three factors are present in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming, but compared to the Uintah or the Upper Green Basins, it has only moderate oil and gas production and is assigned to class 3. We predict that the Wind River Basin, as well as other class 3 basins that have inversions and snow cover, would transition from background (class 3) to high ozone behavior (class 1 or 2) if oil or gas production were to intensify, or to class 4 (low winter ozone) if they were to become urban. High ozone concentrations in winter only occur in basins or valleys that have an active oil and natural gas production industry, multiple-day thermal inversions, and snow cover, and have only been documented in two basins worldwide. We have examined a number of other candidate basins in the western United States and conclude that these factors are either absent or too weak to produce high winter ozone. This study illustrates how strong each factor needs to be before winter ozone can be expected, and can be used by planners and regulators to foresee the development of winter ozone problems.

STREAM CHANNELS OF THE UPPER SAN PEDRO BASIN WITH PERCENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESULTS FROM TWO SWAT SIMULATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Stream channels of the Upper San Pedro with percent difference between results from two SWAT simulations run through AGWA: one using the 1973 NALC landcover for model parameterization, and the other using the 1997 NALC landcover.

An Index of Ecological Condition Based on Great River Fish Assemblages

EPA Science Inventory

I will be presenting this talk at a workshop titled: Examining biological indicators for the Upper Mississippi River: Applications in Clean Water Act (CWA) and ecosystem restoration programs. This workshop is sponsored by the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association to frame th...

Abnormal high surface heat flow caused by the Emeishan mantle plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Qiang; Qiu, Nansheng; Zhu, Chuanqing

2016-04-01

It is commonly believed that increase of heat flow caused by a mantle plume is small and transient. Seafloor heat flow data near the Hawaiian hotspot and the Iceland are comparable to that for oceanic lithosphere elsewhere. Numerical modeling of the thermal effect of the Parana large igneous province shows that the added heat flow at the surface caused by the magmatic underplating is less than 5mW/m2. However, the thermal effect of Emeishan mantle plume (EMP) may cause the surface hear-flow abnormally high. The Middle-Late Emeishan mantle plume is located in the western Yangtze Craton. The Sichuan basin, to the northeast of the EMP, is a superimposed basin composed of Paleozoic marine carbonate rocks and Mesozoic-Cenozoic terrestrial clastic rocks. The vitrinite reflectance (Ro) data as a paleogeothermal indicator records an apparent change of thermal regime of the Sichuan basin. The Ro profiles from boreholes and outcrops which are close to the center of the basalt province exhibit a 'dog-leg' style at the unconformity between the Middle and Upper Permian, and they show significantly higher gradients in the lower subsection (pre-Middle Permian) than the Upper subsection (Upper Permian to Mesozoic). Thermal history inversion based on these Ro data shows that the lower subsection experienced a heat flow peak much higher than that of the upper subsection. The abnormal heat flow in the Sichuan basin is consistent with the EMP in temporal and spatial distribution. The high-temperature magmas from deep mantle brought heat to the base of the lithosphere, and then large amount of heat was conducted upwards, resulting in the abnormal high surface heat flow.

Seasonal and spatial variability of pesticides in streams of the upper Tennessee River basin, 1996-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Treece, M.W.

2003-01-01

From 1996 to 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted an assessment of pesticides in streams in the upper Tennessee River Basin (UTEN), which includes parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. A total of 362 water samples were collected at 13 fixed surface-water sites from March 1996 through June 1999, and an additional 61 samples were collected throughout the UTEN during the spring and summers of 1996, 1997, and 1998. In 1996, 3 of the 13 fixed sites located in agricultural watersheds were sampled intensively (weekly) for about 8 months during the growing season. Water samples were analyzed for 85 herbicides, insecticides, and pesticide metabolites. Based on a threshold concentration of 0.01 microgram per liter, the most frequently detected herbicides were atrazine (59 percent); tebuthiuron (41 percent); the metabolite, deethylatrazine (31 percent); metolachlor (24 percent); simazine (17 percent); and prometon (6.4 percent). The insecticides detected most frequently were carbaryl (6.1 percent), diazinon (1.9 percent), carbofuran (1.7 percent), and chlorpyrifos (1.1 percent). Pesticide concentrations varied seasonally and were closely related to land use. The highest pesticide concentrations occurred in the agricultural watersheds in late spring and early summer (April through July), coinciding with pesticide application and the first substantial storm following pesticide application. Results of the spatial analysis of pesticides during base-flow conditions indicate that water-quality conditions at the fixed sites were representative of conditions in the upper Tennessee River Basin. Although most of the water samples collected in the upper Tennessee River Basin contained detectable concentrations of one or more pesticides, none of the concentrations exceeded any human health guidelines.

Preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for samples from Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, Maverick Basin, south Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, Paul C.; Dennen, Kristin O.; Gesserman, Rachel M.; Ridgley, Jennie L.

2009-01-01

The Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation, a regionally occurring limestone and shale interval of 500-600-ft maximum thickness (Rose, 1986), is being evaluated as part of an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in onshore Lower Cretaceous strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this report is to release preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for Pearsall Formation, Glen Rose Formation, Hosston Formation, Austin Group, and Eagle Ford Group samples from the Maverick Basin in south Texas in order to aid in the characterization of these strata in this area. The preliminary nature of this report and the data contained herein reflect that the assessment and characterization of these samples is a work currently in progress. Pearsall Formation subdivisions are, in ascending stratigraphic order, the Pine Island Shale, James Limestone, and Bexar Shale Members (Loucks, 2002). The Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation is also part of the USGS Lower Cretaceous assessment and produces oil in the Maverick Basin (Loucks and Kerans, 2003). The Hosston Formation was assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources in 2006 (Dyman and Condon, 2006), but not in south Texas. The Upper Cretaceous Austin Group is being assessed as part of the USGS assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in the Upper Cretaceous strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico and, along with the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group, is considered to be an important source rock in the Smackover-Austin-Eagleford Total Petroleum System (Condon and Dyman, 2006). Both the Austin Group and the Eagle Ford Group are present in the Maverick Basin in south Texas (Rose, 1986).

Historical trend of nitrogen and phosphorus loads from the upper Yangtze River basin and their responses to the Three Gorges Dam.

PubMed

Sun, Chengchun; Shen, Zhenyao; Liu, Ruimin; Xiong, Ming; Ma, Fangbing; Zhang, Ouyang; Li, Yangyang; Chen, Lei

2013-12-01

Excessive inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P) degrade surface water quality worldwide. Impoundment of reservoirs alters the N and P balance of a basin. In this study, riverine nutrient loads from the upper Yangtze River basin (YRB) at the Yichang station were estimated using Load Estimator (LOADEST). Long-term load trends and monthly variabilities during three sub-periods based on the construction phases of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) were analyzed statistically. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) loads from the upper YRB for the period from 1990 to 2009 ranged from 30.47 × 10(4) to 78.14 × 10(4) t, while the total phosphorus (TP) loads ranged from 2.54 × 10(4) to 7.85 × 10(4) t. DIN increased rapidly from 1995 to 2002 mainly as a result of increased fertilizer use. Statistics of fertilizer use in the upper YRB agreed on this point. However, the trend of the TP loads reflected the combined effect of removal by sedimentation in reservoirs and increased anthropogenic inputs. After the TGD impoundment in 2003, decreasing trends in both DIN and TP loads were found. The reduction in DIN was mainly caused by ammonium consumption and transference. From an analysis of monthly loads, it was found that DIN had a high correlation to discharges. For TP loads, an average decrease of 4.91 % in October was found when the TGD impoundment occurred, but an increase of 4.23 % also occurred in July, corresponding to the washout from sediment deposited in the reservoir before July. Results of this study revealed the TGD had affected nutrient loads in the basin, and it had played a role in nutrient reduction after its operation.

Late Wisconsin and Early Holocene runoff through the upper Ohio River basin

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

Kite, J.S.

A tentative absolute chronology is emerging from radiocarbon dates on glacial, alluvial and colluvial sediments in the upper Ohio River basin. Radiocarbon dates for Gallipolis Lock and Dam indicate the river eroded down to its present bedrock floor before 22,400 yr B.P. Data from several sites indicate aggradation began soon after 22,400 yr B.P., coincident with, or just before, a glacier advance into the upper Ohio basin. Sand and gravel aggraded in glaciated tributaries and the main valley, whereas silt, fine sand, and clay accumulated in unglaciated tributaries. Slope instability and colluvial deposition were extensive at this time. Aggradation continuedmore » until 25 to 40 m of sediments filled the Ohio River Valley. The paucity of radiocarbon dates prohibits precise determination of when peak aggradation occurred and how that peak related to glacial and climatic events. Although the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated out of the basin by about 14,000 yr B.P., the river remained braided until at least 13,000 yr B.P., possibly because of slope instability in a cold late Wisconsin climate or the time required for the river to adjust to reduced outwash sediment supply. Coarse late-glacial channel deposits may reflect increased flood discharges after 13,000 B.P. and onset of the transition from a braided system to a meandering channel. However, the upper Ohio River seems not to have taken on its modern morphology until the early Holocene. Most dated overbank deposits on tributaries are younger than 10,000 yr B.P.; most on the Ohio River are younger than 8,500 yr B.P.« less

Stratigraphic cross sections of the Niobrara interval of the Cody Shale and associated rocks in the Wind River Basin, central Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Thomas M.

2017-02-07

The Wind River Basin in Wyoming is one of many structural and sedimentary basins that formed in the Rocky Mountain foreland during the Laramide orogeny. The basin is nearly 200 miles long, 70 miles wide, and encompasses about 7,400 square miles in central Wyoming. The basin is bounded by the Washakie Range, Owl Creek uplift, and southern Bighorn Mountains on the north, the Casper arch on the east, the Granite Mountains on the south, and Wind River Range on the west.Many important conventional oil and gas fields producing from reservoirs ranging in age from Mississippian through Tertiary have been discovered in this basin. In addition, an extensive unconventional overpressured basin-centered gas accumulation has been identified in Cretaceous and Tertiary strata in the deeper parts of the basin. It has long been suggested that various Upper Cretaceous marine shales, including the Cody Shale, are the principal hydrocarbon source rocks for many of these accumulations. With recent advances and success in horizontal drilling and multistage fracture stimulation, there has been an increase in exploration and completion of wells in these marine shales in other Rocky Mountain Laramide basins that were traditionally thought of only as hydrocarbon source rocks.The two stratigraphic cross sections presented in this report were constructed as part of a project carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey to characterize and evaluate the undiscovered continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources of the Niobrara interval of the Upper Cretaceous Cody Shale in the Wind River Basin in central Wyoming. The primary purpose of the cross sections is to show the stratigraphic relationship of the Niobrara equivalent strata and associated rocks in the lower part of the Cody Shale in the Wind River Basin. These two cross sections were constructed using borehole geophysical logs from 37 wells drilled for oil and gas exploration and production, and one surface section along East Sheep Creek near Shotgun Butte in the northwestern part of the basin. Both lines originate at the East Sheep Creek surface section and end near Clarkson Hill in the extreme southeastern part of the basin. The stratigraphic interval extends from the upper part of the Frontier Formation to the middle part of the Cody Shale. The datum is the base of the “chalk kick” marker bed, a distinctive resistivity peak or zone in the lower part of the Cody Shale. A gamma ray and (or) spontaneous potential (SP) log was used in combination with a resistivity log to identify and correlate units. Marine molluscan index fossils collected from nearby outcrop sections were projected into the subsurface to help determine the relative ages of the strata and aid in correlation.

Water-quality assessment of the upper Snake River basin, Idaho and western Wyoming; summary of aquatic biological data for surface water through 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, Terry R.

1995-01-01

The 35,800-square-mile upper Snake River Basin in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming was one of 20 areas selected for water-quality study under the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. As part of the initial phase of the study, data were compiled to describe the current (1992) and historical aquatic biological conditions of surface water in the basin. This description of natural and human environmental factors that affect aquatic life provides the framework for evaluating the status and trends of aquatic biological conditions in streams of the basins. Water resource development and stream alterations, irrigated agriculture, grazing, aquaculture, and species introductions have affected stream biota in the upper Snake River Basin. Cumulative effects of these activities have greatly altered cold-water habitat and aquatic life in the middle Snake River reach (Milner Dam to King Hill). Most of the aquatic Species of Special Concern in the basin , consisting of eight native mollusks and three native fish species, are in this reach of the Snake River. Selected long-term studies, including comprehensive monitoring on Rock Creek, have shown reduced pollutant loadings as a result of implementing practice on cropland; however, aquatic life remains affected by agricultural land use. Community level biological data are lacking for most of the streams in the basin, especially for large river. Aquatic life used to assess water quality of the basin includes primarily macroinvertebrate and fish communities. At least 26 different macroinvertebrate and fish community metrics have been utilized to assess water quality of the basin. Eight species of macroinvertebrates and fish are recognized as Species of Special Concern. The native fish faunas of the basin are composed primarily of cold-water species representing 5 families and 26 species. An additional 13 fish species have been introduced to the basin. Concentrations of synthetic organic compounds and trace-element contaminants in whole fish collected in the basin during 1970-90 generally did not exceed National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering concentration guidelines or the 1980-81 geometric mean concentrations from samples collected as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program. Currently, there are no State fish consumption advisories on any streams in the basin, The organochlorine compounds DDT and PCB's were the most frequently detected fish tissue contaminant. Selected long-term data on DDT, its metabolites, and PCB's indicate decreasing concentrations of these compounds. Arsenic, mercury, and selenium were slightly elevated compared with nationwide baseline concentrations and may indicate bioaccumularion in the food chain. Concentrations of most other trace elements in fish tissue were below levels of concerns for the protection of humans and wildlife.

Preliminary report on the ground-water resources of the Klamath River basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newcomb, Reuben Clair; Hart, D.H.

1958-01-01

The Klamath River basin, including the adjacent Lost River basin, includes about 5,500 square miles of plateaus, mountain-slopes and valley plains in south-central Oregon. The valley plains range in altitude from about 4,100 feet in the south to more than 4,500 feet at the northern end; the mountain and plateau lands rise to an average altitude of 6,000 feet at the drainage divide, some peaks rising above 9,000 feet. The western quarter of the basin is on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range and the remainder consists of plateaus, mountains, and valleys of the basin-and-range type. The rocks of the Klamath River basin range in age from Recent to Mesozoic. At the southwest side of the basin in Oregon, pre-Tertiary metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks, which form extensive areas farther west, are overlain by sedimentary rocks of Eocene age and volcanic rocks of Eocene and Oligocene age. These early Tertiary rocks dip east toward the central part of the Klamath River basin. The complex volcanic rocks of high Cascades include three units: the lowest unit consists of a sequence of basaltic lava flows about 800 feet thick; the medial unit is composed of volcanic-sedimentary and sedimentary rocksthe Yonna formation200 to 2,000 feet thick; the uppermost unit is a sequence of basaltic lava flows commonly about 200 feet thick. These rocks dip east from the Cascade Range and are the main bedrock formations beneath most of the basin. Extensive pumice deposits, which emanated from ancestral Mount Mazama, cover large areas in the northwestern part of the basin. The basin has an overall synclinal structure open to the south at the California boundary where it continues as the Klamath Lake basin in California. The older rocks dip into the basin in monoclinal fashion from the adjoining drainage basins. The rocks are broken along rudely rectangular nets of closely spaced normal faults, the most prominent set of which trends northwest. The network of fault displacements includes two main grabens, the Klamath and the Langell, which were downthrown approximately 50 and 1,000 feet, respectively. The average annual precipitation varies with the altitude, the higher parts of the Cascade Range getting more than 60 inches, and the semiarid valley plains receive as little as 13 inches in some places. Most precipitation occurs in the winter. The principal tributaries, Williamson and Sprague Rivers, rise near the higher parts of the eastern rim of the basin, flow through narrow valley plains to the western part, and discharge into Upper Klamath Lake. Wood River and associated creeks also empty into Upper Klamath Lake after draining southward along along the eastern foot of the Cascade Range. The Klamath River receives the outflow from Upper Klamath Lake, via Link River and Lake Ewauna, and flows southwestward through Keno Gap and hance through a youthful canyon, to its lower valley in California. The ground water occurs largely in an unconfined, or water-table, condition, though areas of local confinement are present. The regional water table is graded to a base level about equal to that of the major drainage on the valley plains. The slop of the water table, where water is confined, or the piezometric surface is downstream at about the same grade as that of the surface drainage in each of the larger valleys, and ground-water divides occur between the upper parts of adjacent major valleys. The principal water-bearing units are the lower lava rocks and upper lava rocks of the volcanic rocks of high Cascades, the pumice of Quaternary age, and the alluvium. In places layers of coarse fragmental material in the Yonna formation (Newcomb, 1958) also transmit water. The water-bearing units, especially the breccia layers of the lava rocks and the pumice, yield large amounts of water to wells and provide natural discharge outlets for the ground water. The spring outflows to the Williamson and Wood Rivers-Crooked Creek drainage, mea

Geologic setting and water quality of selected basins in the active coal-mining areas of Ohio, 1987-88

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sedam, A.C.

1991-01-01

This report presents hydrologic data from selected drainage basins in the active coal-mining areas of Ohio from July 1987 through October 1988. The study area is mostly within the unglaciated part of eastern Ohio along the western edge of the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province. The 1987-88 work is the second phase of a 7-year study to assess baseline water quality in Ohio's coal region. The data collection network consisted of 41 long-term surface-water sites in 21 basins. The sites were measured and sampled twice yearly at low flow. In addition, six individual basins (three each year) selected for a more detailed representation of surface-water and ground-water quality. In 1987, the Sandy Creek, Middle Tuscarawas River and Sugar Creek, and Lower Tuscarawas River basins were chosen. In 1988, the Short and Wheeling Creeks, Upper Wills Creek, and Upper Raccoon Creek basins were chosen. Because of their proximity to the glaciated region and outwash drainage, the basins studied intensively in 1987 contain more shallow productive aquifers than do the basins studied in detail for 1988, in which shallow ground-water sources are very localized. Chemical analyses for 202 surface-water and 24 ground-water samples are presented. For field measurements made at surface-water sites, the specific conductance ranged from 295 to 3150 ? S/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius). For pH, the range was 2.8 to 8.6. Alkalinity ranged from 5 to 305 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as CaCO3.

Tectonic constraints on the development and individualization of the intermontane Ronda basin (external Betics, southern Spain): a structural and geomorphologic approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Bonilla, Alejandro; Balanyá, Juan Carlos; Expósito, Inmaculada; Díaz-Azpiroz, Manuel; Barcos, Leticia

2014-05-01

As a result of progressive shortening and orogenic wedge thickening, marine foreland basins tend to emerge and divide. We have analyzed possible recent tectonic activity within the late evolution stage of the Ronda basin, an intermontane basin located in the external wedge of the Gibraltar Arc, formerly connected with the Betic foreland basin and infilled by marine Upper-Miocene sediments. We analyze (1) the structures responsible for the basinward relief drop along the arc strike and the different topography of their boundaries; (2) qualitative and quantitative geomorphologic indices to asses which structures could present recent activity; and 3) the structures causing the division of the former Betic foreland basin and the isolation of the Ronda basin. Within the deformational history of the Ronda basin, late structures that control high topographic gradients and generate remarkable fault scarps group into three main types: (a) Extensional structures represented by NW-SE striking normal faults, clustered close to the current SW and NE boundaries of the basin. They usually dip towards the basin and their vertical displacement is maximum up to 1,5 km. These structures partially affect the basal unconformity of the Upper Miocene basin infill and are scarcely developed inside the basin infill. (b) Shortening structures developed both in the basin infill and in the outcropping basement near the Northeastern and Southwestern basin boundaries. They are represented by NE-SW directed plurikilometric box-folds and reverse faults, responsible for the alternation of sierras (altitudes 1000-1500 m) and valleys. (c) Strike-slip dominated structural associations where WSW-ENE lateral faults combined with folds and normal and reverse faults defined a NE-SW directed deformation band constituting the NW basin boundary. This band includes some sierras up to 1.100 m. Regarding the relief of the Ronda basin area, the abrupt slopes of the outcropping basement (heights between 500-1500 m) contrast with the relief inside the basin, a relative low-lying relief varying between 400 and 700 m. The drainage network is dendritic, although some 2nd-3rd order streams show a significant deviation to NW-SE , probably controlled by normal faults. The calculated geomorphologic indices (SLk, Vf, Smf) show anomaly zones in the footwall of normal faults, reaching their highest values in the Northeastern basin boundary (SlK > 6, Vf = 0-0.5, Smf = 1-1.15), where, additionally, the hypsometric curves display convex trajectories with HI > 0.5. Anomalous values of geomorphologic indices (SlK > 10, Vf 0-0.75, Smf 1-1.25) together with convex hypsometric curves with HI > 0.5 have also been obtained for shortening structures, such as hanging wall of reverse faults and folds. Structural criteria show that extensional and shortening structures in the Ronda basin are coetaneous and active since the Upper Miocene. Geomorphologic analyses suggest that some of these structures could continue active up to the Quaternary with low-to-medium deformation rates. Our results, together with previous sedimentological data suggest that, from the Messinian on, the Ronda basin became disconnected from the Betic foreland basin as the result of the tectonic uplift of its NW boundary.

Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards aquifer, Uvalde County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Allan K.

2003-01-01

The Edwards aquifer in Uvalde County is composed of Lower Cretaceous carbonate (mostly dolomitic limestone) strata of the Devils River Formation in the Devils River trend and of the West Nueces, McKnight, and Salmon Peak Formations in the Maverick basin. Rocks in the Devils River trend are divided at the bottom of the Devils River Formation into the (informal) basal nodular unit. Maverick basin rocks are divided (informally) into the basal nodular unit of the West Nueces Formation; into lower, middle, and upper units of the McKnight Formation; and into lower and upper units of the Salmon Peak Formation. The Edwards aquifer overlies the (Lower Cretaceous) Glen Rose Limestone, which composes the lower confining unit of the Edwards aquifer. The Edwards aquifer is overlain by the (Upper Cretaceous) Del Rio Clay, the basal formation of the upper confining unit. Upper Cretaceous and (or) Lower Tertiary igneous rocks intrude all stratigraphic units that compose the Edwards aquifer, particularly in the southern part of the study area.The Balcones fault zone and the Uvalde salient are the principal structural features in the study area. The fault zone comprises mostly en echelon, high-angle, and down-to-the-southeast normal faults that trend mostly from southwest to northeast. The Uvalde salient—resulting apparently from a combination of crustal uplift, diverse faulting, and igneous activity—elevates the Edwards aquifer to the surface across the central part of Uvalde County. Downfaulted blocks associated with six primary faults—Cooks, Black Mountain, Blue Mountain, Uvalde, Agape, and Connor—juxtapose the Salmon Peak Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in central parts of the study area against Upper Cretaceous strata in the southeastern part.The carbonate rocks of the Devils River trend and the Maverick basin are products of assorted tectonic and depositional conditions that affected the depth and circulation of the Cretaceous seas. The Devils River Formation formed in a fringing carbonate bank—the Devils River trend— in mostly open shallow marine environments of relatively high wave and current energy. The West Nueces, McKnight, and Salmon Peak Formations resulted mostly from partly restricted to open marine, tidal-flat, and restricted deep-basinal environments in the Maverick basin.The porosity of the Edwards aquifer results from depositional and diagenetic effects along specific lithostratigraphic horizons (fabric selective) and from structural and solutional features that can occur in any lithostratigraphic horizon (non-fabric selective). In addition to porosity depending upon the effects of fracturing and the dissolution of chemically unstable (soluble) minerals and fossils, the resultant permeability depends on the size, shape, and distribution of the porosity as well as the interconnection among the pores. Upper parts of the Devils River Formation and the upper unit of the Salmon Peak Formation compose some of the most porous and permeable rocks in Uvalde County.

Insights upon upper crustal arhitecture of a subduction zone and its surroundings - Vrancea Zone and Focsani Basin - substantiated by geophysical studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocin, A.; Stephenson, R.; Mocanu, V.

2007-12-01

The DACIA PLAN (Danube and Carpathian Integrated Action on Processes in the Lithosphere and Neotectonics) deep seismic reflection survey was performed in August-September 2001, with the proposed objective of obtaining new information on the deep structure of the external Carpathians nappes and the architecture of Tertiary/Quaternary basin developed within and adjacent to the Vrancea zone, including the rapidly subsiding Focsani Basin. The DACIA-PLAN profile is about 140 km long, having a roughly NW-SE direction, from near the southeast Transylvanian Basin, across the mountainous southeastern Carpathians and their foreland to near the Danube River. A high resolution 2.5D velocity model of the upper crust along the seismic profile has been determined from a tomographic inversion and a 2D ray tracing forward modelling of the DACIA PLAN first arrival data. Peculiar shallow high velocities indicate that pre-Tertiary basement in the Vrancea Zone (characterised by velocities greater than 5.6 km/s) is involved in Carpathian thrusting while rapid alternance, vertically or horizontally, of velocity together with narrowingly contemporary crustal events suggests uplifting. Further to the east, at the foreland basin-thrust belt transition zone (well defined within velocity values), the velocity model suggests a nose of the Miocene Subcarpathians nappe being underlain by Focsani Basin units. A Miocene and younger Focsani Basin sedimentary succession of ~10 km thickness is ascertained by a gradual increase of velocities and strongly defined velocity boundaries.

Watershed prioritization in the upper Han River basin for soil and water conservation in the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (middle route) of China.

PubMed

Wu, Haibing

2018-01-01

Watershed prioritization with the objective of identifying critical areas to undertake soil and water conservation measures was conducted in the upper Han River basin, the water source area of approximately 95,000 km 2 for the middle route of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Based on the estimated soil erosion intensity in uplands and clustering analysis of measured nutrient concentrations in rivers, the basin was grouped into very-high-, high-, moderate-, and low-priority regions for water and soil conservation, respectively. The results indicated that soil erosion was primarily controlled by topography, and nutrients in rivers were associated with land use and land cover in uplands. Also, there was large spatial disparity between soil erosion intensity in the uplands and nutrient concentrations in the rivers across the basin. Analysis was then performed to prioritize the basin by the integration of the soil erosion intensity and water quality on a GIS platform in order to identify critical areas for water and soil conservation in the basin. The identified high-priority regions which occupy 5.74% of the drainage areas need immediate attention for soil and water conservation treatments, of which 5.28% is critical for soil erosion prevention and 0.46% for water conservation. Understandings of the basin environment and pollutant loading with spatial explicit are critical to the soil and water resource conservation for the interbasin water transfer project.

Thick deltaic sedimentation and detachment faulting delay the onset of continental rupture in the Northern Gulf of California: Analysis of seismic reflection profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín-Barajas, Arturo; González-Escobar, Mario; Fletcher, John M.; Pacheco, Martín.; Oskin, Michael; Dorsey, Rebecca

2013-09-01

transition from distributed continental extension to the rupture of continental lithosphere is imaged in the northern Gulf of California across the obliquely conjugate Tiburón-Upper Delfin basin segment. Structural mapping on a 5-20 km grid of seismic reflection lines of Petroleos Mexicanos demonstrates that ~1000% extension is accommodated on a series of NNE striking listric-normal faults that merge at depth into a detachment fault. The detachment juxtaposes a late-Neogene marine sequence over thinned continental crust and contains an intrabasinal divide due to footwall uplift. Two northwest striking, dextral-oblique faults bound both ends of the detachment and shear the continental crust parallel to the tectonic transport. A regional unconformity in the upper 0.5 s (two-way travel time) and crest erosion of rollover anticlines above the detachment indicates inversion and footwall uplift during the lithospheric rupture in the Upper Delfin and Lower Delfin basins. The maximum length of new crust in both Delfin basins is less than 40 km based on the lack of an acoustic basement and the absence of a lower sedimentary sequence beneath a wedge-shaped upper sequence that reaches >5 km in thickness. A fundamental difference exists between the Tiburón-Delfin segment and the Guaymas segment to the south in terms of presence of low-angle normal faults and amount of new oceanic lithosphere, which we attribute to thermal insulation, diffuse upper-plate extension, and slip on low-angle normal faults engendered by a thick sedimentary lid.

Thick deltaic sedimentation and detachment faulting delay the onset of continental rupture in the Northern Gulf of California: Analysis of seismic reflection profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, A.; González-Escobar, M.; Fletcher, J. M.; Pacheco, M.; Oskin, M. E.; Dorsey, R. J.

2013-12-01

The transition from distributed continental extension to the rupture of continental lithosphere is imaged in the northern Gulf of California across the obliquely conjugate Tiburón-Upper Delfín basin segment. Structural mapping on a 5-20 km grid of seismic reflection lines of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) demonstrates that ~1000% extension is accommodated on a series of NNE-striking listric-normal faults that merge at depth into a detachment fault. The detachment juxtaposes a late-Neogene marine sequence over thinned continental crust and contains an intrabasinal divide due to footwall uplift. Two northwest striking, dextral-oblique faults bound both ends of the detachment and shear the continental crust parallel to the tectonic transport. A regional unconformity in the upper 0.5 seconds (TWTT) and crest erosion of rollover anticlines above the detachment indicates inversion and footwall uplift during the lithospheric rupture in the Upper Delfin and Lower Delfin basins. The maximum length of new crust in both Delfin basins is less than 40 km based on the lack of an acoustic basement and the absence of a lower sedimentary sequence beneath a wedge shaped upper sequence that reaches >5 km in thickness. A fundamental difference exists between the Tiburón-Delfin segment and the Guaymas segment to the south in terms of presence of low angle normal faults and amount of new oceanic lithosphere, which we attribute to thermal insulation, diffuse upper-plate extension, and slip on low angle normal faults engendered by a thick sedimentary lid.

Holocene climate and cultural evolution in late prehistoric-early historic West Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staubwasser, Michael; Weiss, Harvey

2006-11-01

The precipitation climatology and the underlying climate mechanisms of the eastern Mediterranean, West Asia, and the Indian subcontinent are reviewed, with emphasis on upper and middle tropospheric flow in the subtropics and its steering of precipitation. Holocene climate change of the region is summarized from proxy records. The Indian monsoon weakened during the Holocene over its northernmost region, the Ganges and Indus catchments and the western Arabian Sea. Southern regions, the Indian Peninsula, do not show a reduction, but an increase of summer monsoon rain across the Holocene. The long-term trend towards drier conditions in the eastern Mediterranean can be linked to a regionally complex monsoon evolution. Abrupt climate change events, such as the widespread droughts around 8200, 5200 and 4200 cal yr BP, are suggested to be the result of altered subtropical upper-level flow over the eastern Mediterranean and Asia. The abrupt climate change events of the Holocene radically altered precipitation, fundamental for cereal agriculture, across the expanse of late prehistoric-early historic cultures known from the archaeological record in these regions. Social adaptations to reduced agro-production, in both dry-farming and irrigation agriculture regions, are visible in the archaeological record during each abrupt climate change event in West Asia. Chronological refinement, in both the paleoclimate and archaeological records, and transfer functions for both precipitation and agro-production are needed to understand precisely the evident causal linkages.

How well do the GCMs replicate the historical precipitation variability in the Colorado River Basin?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guentchev, G.; Barsugli, J. J.; Eischeid, J.; Raff, D. A.; Brekke, L.

2009-12-01

Observed precipitation variability measures are compared to measures obtained using the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) General Circulation Models (GCM) data from 36 model projections downscaled by Brekke at al. (2007) and 30 model projections downscaled by Jon Eischeid. Three groups of variability measures are considered in this historical period (1951-1999) comparison: a) basic variability measures, such as standard deviation, interdecadal standard deviation; b) exceedance probability values, i.e., 10% (extreme wet years) and 90% (extreme dry years) exceedance probability values of series of n-year running mean annual amounts, where n=1,12; 10% exceedance probability values of annual maximum monthly precipitation (extreme wet months); and c) runs variability measures, e.g., frequency of negative and positive runs of annual precipitation amounts, total number of the negative and positive runs. Two gridded precipitation data sets produced from observations are used: the Maurer et al. (2002) and the Daly et al. (1994) Precipitation Regression on Independent Slopes Method (PRISM) data sets. The data consist of monthly grid-point precipitation averaged on a United States Geological Survey (USGS) hydrological sub-region scale. The statistical significance of the obtained model minus observed measure differences is assessed using a block bootstrapping approach. The analyses were performed on annual, seasonal and monthly scale. The results indicate that the interdecadal standard deviation is underestimated, in general, on all time scales by the downscaled model data. The differences are statistically significant at a 0.05 significance level for several Lower Colorado Basin sub-regions on annual and seasonal scale, and for several sub-regions located mostly in the Upper Colorado River Basin for the months of March, June, July and November. Although the models simulate drier extreme wet years, wetter extreme dry years and drier extreme wet months for the Upper Colorado basin, the differences are mostly not-significant. Exceptions are the results about the extreme wet years for n=3 for sub-region White-Yampa, for n=6, 7, and 8 for sub-region Upper Colorado-Dolores, and about the extreme dry years for n=11 for sub-region Great Divide-Upper Green. None of the results for the sub-regions in the Lower Colorado Basin were significant. For most of the Upper Colorado sub-regions the models simulate significantly lower frequency of negative and positive 4-6 year runs, while for several sub-regions a significantly higher frequency of 2-year negative runs is evident in the model versus the Maurer data comparisons. The model projections versus the PRISM data comparison reveals similar results for the negative runs, while for the positive runs the results indicate that the models simulate higher frequency of the 2-6 year runs. The results for the Lower Colorado basin sub-regions are similar, in general, to these for the Upper Colorado sub-regions. The differences between the simulated and the observed total number of negative or positive runs were not significant for almost all of the sub-regions within the Colorado River Basin.

Wetland Management Reduces Sediment and Nutrient Loading to the Upper Mississippi River

EPA Science Inventory

Restored riparian wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River basin have the potential to remove sediment and nutrients from tributaries before they flow into the Mississippi River. For 3 yr we calculated retention efficiencies of a marsh complex, which consisted of a restored marsh...

Integrated sequence stratigraphy of the postimpact sediments from the Eyreville core holes, Chesapeake Bay impact structure inner basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Browning, J.V.; Miller, K.G.; McLaughlin, P.P.; Edwards, L.E.; Kulpecz, A.A.; Powars, D.S.; Wade, B.S.; Feigenson, M.D.; Wright, J.D.

2009-01-01

The Eyreville core holes provide the first continuously cored record of postimpact sequences from within the deepest part of the central Chesapeake Bay impact crater. We analyzed the upper Eocene to Pliocene postimpact sediments from the Eyreville A and C core holes for lithology (semiquantitative measurements of grain size and composition), sequence stratigraphy, and chronostratigraphy. Age is based primarily on Sr isotope stratigraphy supplemented by biostratigraphy (dinocysts, nannofossils, and planktonic foraminifers); age resolution is approximately ??0.5 Ma for early Miocene sequences and approximately ??1.0 Ma for younger and older sequences. Eocene-lower Miocene sequences are subtle, upper middle to lower upper Miocene sequences are more clearly distinguished, and upper Miocene- Pliocene sequences display a distinct facies pattern within sequences. We recognize two upper Eocene, two Oligocene, nine Miocene, three Pliocene, and one Pleistocene sequence and correlate them with those in New Jersey and Delaware. The upper Eocene through Pleistocene strata at Eyreville record changes from: (1) rapidly deposited, extremely fi ne-grained Eocene strata that probably represent two sequences deposited in a deep (>200 m) basin; to (2) highly dissected Oligocene (two very thin sequences) to lower Miocene (three thin sequences) with a long hiatus; to (3) a thick, rapidly deposited (43-73 m/Ma), very fi ne-grained, biosiliceous middle Miocene (16.5-14 Ma) section divided into three sequences (V5-V3) deposited in middle neritic paleoenvironments; to (4) a 4.5-Ma-long hiatus (12.8-8.3 Ma); to (5) sandy, shelly upper Miocene to Pliocene strata (8.3-2.0 Ma) divided into six sequences deposited in shelf and shoreface environments; and, last, to (6) a sandy middle Pleistocene paralic sequence (~400 ka). The Eyreville cores thus record the fi lling of a deep impact-generated basin where the timing of sequence boundaries is heavily infl uenced by eustasy. ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

Water-quality assessment of part of the Upper Mississippi River basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin, environmental setting and study design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stark, J.R.; Andrews, W.J.; Fallon, J.D.; Fong, A.L.; Goldstein, R.M.; Hanson, P.E.; Kroening, S.E.; Lee, K.E.

1996-01-01

Environmental stratification consists of dividing the study unit into subareas with homogeneous characteristics to assess natural and anthropogenic factors affecting water quality. The assessment of water quality in streams and in aquifers is based on the sampling design that compares water quality within homogeneous subareas defined by subbasins or aquifer boundaries. The study unit is stratified at four levels for the surface-water component: glacial deposit composition, surficial geology, general land use and land cover, and secondary land use. Ground-water studies emphasize shallow ground water where quality is most likely influenced by overlying land use and land cover. Stratification for ground-water sampling is superimposed on the distribution of shallow aquifers. For each aquifer and surface-water basin this stratification forms the basis for the proposed sampling design used in the Upper Mississippi River Basin National Water-Quality Assessment.

Twinning European and South Asian river basins to enhance capacity and implement adaptive integrated water resources management approaches - results from the EC-project BRAHMATWINN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flügel, W.-A.

2011-04-01

The EC-project BRAHMATWINN was carrying out a harmonised integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach as addressed by the European Water Initiative (EWI) in headwater river systems of alpine mountain massifs of the twinning Upper Danube River Basin (UDRB) and the Upper Brahmaputra River Basins (UBRB) in Europe and Southeast Asia respectively. Social and natural scientists in cooperation with water law experts and local stakeholders produced the project outcomes presented in Chapter 2 till Chapter 10 of this publication. BRAHMATWINN applied a holistic approach towards IWRM comprising climate modelling, socio-economic and governance analysis and concepts together with methods and integrated tools of applied Geoinformatics. A detailed description of the deliverables produced by the BRAHMATWINN project is published on the project homepage http://www.brahmatwinn.uni-jena.de.

Subdivision of Holocene Baltic sea sediments by their physical properties [Gliederung holozaner ostseesedimente nach physikalischen Eigenschaften

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harff, Jan; Bohling, Geoffrey C.; Endler, R.; Davis, J.C.; Olea, R.A.

1999-01-01

The Holocene sediment sequence of a core taken within the centre of the Eastern Gotland Basin was subdivided into 12 lithostratigraphic units based on MSCL-data (sound velocity, wet bulk density, magnetic susceptibility) using a multivariate classification method. The lower 6 units embrace the sediments until the Litorina transgression, and the upper 6 units subdivide the brackish-marine Litorina- and post-Litorina sediments. The upper lithostratigraphic units reflect a change of anoxic (laminated) and oxic (non-laminated) sediments. By application of a numerical stratigraphic correlation method the zonation was extended laterally onto contiguous sediment cores within the central basin. Consequently the change of anoxic and oxic sediments can be used for a general lithostratigraphic subdivision of sediments of the Gotland Basin. A quantitative criterion based on the sediment-physical lithofacies is added to existing subdivisions of the Holocene in the Baltic Sea.

Palynologie des formations houillères du bassin de Béchar-Abadla (SW oranais, Algérie)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanislas, Loboziak; Ahmed, Nedjari

In the Permo-Carboniferous basin of Béchar-Abadla (SW Oran, Algeria), on the northern margin of the Saharan Platform, the final infilling is essentially continental. The microflora recognised in part of these upper terrigenous deposits is composed principally of spores. These show strong similarity with those in the basins of western Europe. This study completes the palaeontological inventory so far discussed in the basin and confirms previous age determinations.

Environmental Assessment for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

type and amount of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere, the size and topography of the air basin , and the prevailing meteorological conditions...Upper Missouri Dearborn Rivers Sub- Basin , Sub-Unit 686 (BAH, 2008). 3.2.1.2 Surface Water MAFB lies on a plateau roughly 10 square miles in...Rivers Sub- Basin (Hydrologic Unit Code 10030102) (BAH, 2008). The watershed drainage area is approximately 6,930 acres, of which approximately 3,052

Metagenome Sequencing of Prokaryotic Microbiota Collected from Rivers in the Upper Amazon Basin.

PubMed

Santos-Júnior, Célio Dias; Kishi, Luciano Takeshi; Toyama, Danyelle; Soares-Costa, Andrea; Oliveira, Tereza Cristina Souza; de Miranda, Fernando Pellon; Henrique-Silva, Flávio

2017-01-12

Tropical freshwater environments, like rivers, are important reservoirs of microbial life. This study employed metagenomic sequencing to survey prokaryotic microbiota in the Solimões, Purus, and Urucu Rivers of the Amazon Basin in Brazil. We report a rich and diverse microbial community. Copyright © 2017 Santos-Júnior et al.

Air quality climate in the Columbia River Basin.

Treesearch

Sue A. Ferguson

1998-01-01

Aspects of climate that influence air quality in the Columbia River basin of the Northwestern United States are described. A few, relatively simple, analytical tools were developed to show the spatial and temporal patterns of mean-monthly mixing heights, precipitation scavenging, upper level and surface trajectory winds, and drought that inhibit pollution uptake. Also...

Geologic setting of Boulder 1, Station 2, Apollo 17 landing site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfe, E.W.

1975-01-01

Boulder 1 at Station 2 is one of three boulders sampled by Apollo 17 at the base of the South Massif, which rises 2.3 km above the floor of a linear valley interpreted as a graben formed by deformation related to the southern Serenitatis impact. The boulders probably rolled from the upper part of the massif after emplacement of the light mantle. Orbital gravity data and photogeologic reinterpretation suggest that the Apollo 17 area is located approximately on the third ring of the southern Serenitatis basin, approximately 1.25 times larger than the analogous but fresher Orientale basin structure. The massif exposures are interpreted to represent the upper part of thick ejecta deposited by the southern Serenitatis impact near the rim of the transient cavity. Basin ring structure and the radial grabens that give the massifs definition were imposed on this ejecta at a slightly later stage in the basin-forming process. There is no clear-cut compositional, textural, or photogeologic evidence that Imbrium ejecta was collected at the Apollo 17 site. ?? 1975 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht-Holland.

Microlepidogaster arachas, a new species of hypoptopomatine catfish (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the upper rio Paraná basin, Brazil.

PubMed

Martins, Fernanda O; Calegari, Bárbara B; Langeani, Francisco

2013-01-22

Microlepidogaster arachas Martins, Calegari & Langeani, sp. nov., a new Hypoptopomatinae, is described from the upper rio Paraná basin. The new species is distinguished from M. longicolla and M. dimorpha by having the anterior portion of the compound supraneural plus first dorsal-fin proximal radial contacting the neural spine of the ninth vertebra. The new species differs from M. perforatus by having 18-29 dentary teeth; median series of lateral plates complete, reaching caudal-peduncle end, and continuous lateral line; and 20-24 mid-dorsal plates. Microlepidogaster arachas is further distinguished from its congeners by several other osteological features.

A Methology for Assessing the Regional Transportation Energy Demands of Different Spatial Residential Development Scenarios: a Case Study for the Upper Housatonic River Basin, Massachusetts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oski, J. A.; Fabos, J. G.; Gross, M.

1982-01-01

A method is suggested whereby regional landscape planning efforts can be aided by the use of a geographic information system to determine sites for more energy efficient residential and mixed use developments within a study area. The location of land parcels suited for residential and mixed land use developments in the Upper Housatonic River Basin Study Area in Berkshire County, Massachusetts is described as well as the three development options. Significant steps in the procedure are discussed and the computation of the transportation energy requirement is elaborated.

Summary appraisals of the Nation's ground-water resources; Upper Colorado region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Don; Arnow, Ted

1974-01-01

Options available for use of ground water in water-resources management·in the·region include conjunctive use with surface water or development of ground water as an independent supply. The latter option could be for & perennial supply or for a time-limited supply (mining ground water), depending on the need and the existing ground-water conditions. All options can be carried out so as to meet the requirements of the Colorado River Compact. The options could be implemented to optimally develop the Upper Colorado River Basin's allocation of Colorado River water while meeting the Compact commitments to the Lower Basin.

Resistivity sections, upper Arkansas River basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zohdy, Adel A.R.; Hershey, Lloyd A.; Emery, Philip A.; Stanley, William D.

1971-01-01

A reconnaissance investigation of ground-water resources in the upper Arkansas River basin from Pueblo to Leadville is being made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, and the Colorado Division of Water Resources, Colorado State Engineer. As part of the investigation, surface geophysical electrical resistivity surveys were made during the summer and fall of 1970 near Buena Vista and Westcliffe, Colo. (p1.1). The resistivity surveys were made to verify a previous gravity survey and to help locate areas where ground-water supplies might be developed. This report presents the results of the surveys in the form of two resistivity sections.

Gravity change from 2014 to 2015, Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.

2016-09-13

Relative-gravity data and absolute-gravity data were collected at 68 stations in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona, in May–June 2015 for the purpose of estimating aquifer-storage change. Similar data from 2014 and a description of the survey network were published in U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1086. Data collection and network adjustment results are presented in this report, which is accompanied by a supporting Web Data Release (http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7SQ8XHX). Station positions are presented from a Global Positioning System campaign to determine station elevation.

Tectonic and magmatic processes of the post-spreading ridge in the Southwest Sub-basin, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Zhang, J.; Ruan, A.; Niu, X.; Ding, W.

2016-12-01

We report here a 3D ocean bottom seismometer experiment on the fossil spreading ridge in the Southwest Sub-basin of the South China Sea. An extreme asymmetric crustal structure across the axis is revealed and caused by lower crust thinning and upper mantle uplifting located on NW side of the ridge. Such crustal extension proposed a low-angle oceanic detachment fault throughout the whole crust on the last or post spreading stages. A low-velocity (7.6-7.9 km/s) on the uplifting upper mantle is possibly induced by both mantle serpentinization and/or decompression melting through the detachment fault. Velocity models also demonstrate that a post-spreading volcano erupted on the axis is mainly formed by an extrusive process with an extrusive/intrusive ratio of 1.92. Very low velocity of upper crust (3.1-4.8 km/s) of the volcano is attributed to the composition of volcaniclastic rocks and high-porosity basalts, which have been observed in the borehole and dredged samples on the seamounts nearby. KEY WORDS post-spreading ridge; wide-angle seismic refraction; crustal structure; South China Sea; Southwest Sub-basin

Regional L-Moment-Based Flood Frequency Analysis in the Upper Vistula River Basin, Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutkowska, A.; Żelazny, M.; Kohnová, S.; Łyp, M.; Banasik, K.

2017-02-01

The Upper Vistula River basin was divided into pooling groups with similar dimensionless frequency distributions of annual maximum river discharge. The cluster analysis and the Hosking and Wallis (HW) L-moment-based method were used to divide the set of 52 mid-sized catchments into disjoint clusters with similar morphometric, land use, and rainfall variables, and to test the homogeneity within clusters. Finally, three and four pooling groups were obtained alternatively. Two methods for identification of the regional distribution function were used, the HW method and the method of Kjeldsen and Prosdocimi based on a bivariate extension of the HW measure. Subsequently, the flood quantile estimates were calculated using the index flood method. The ordinary least squares (OLS) and the generalised least squares (GLS) regression techniques were used to relate the index flood to catchment characteristics. Predictive performance of the regression scheme for the southern part of the Upper Vistula River basin was improved by using GLS instead of OLS. The results of the study can be recommended for the estimation of flood quantiles at ungauged sites, in flood risk mapping applications, and in engineering hydrology to help design flood protection structures.

Stakeholder views on flood risk management in Hungary's Upper Tisza Basin.

PubMed

Vari, Anna; Linnerooth-Bayer, Joanne; Ferencz, Zoltan

2003-06-01

With escalating costs of flood mitigation and relief, a challenge for the Hungarian government is to develop a flood mitigation and insurance/relief system that is viewed as efficient and fair by the many stakeholders involved. To aid policymakers in this task, this article reports on a recent study to elicit stakeholder views on flood risk management in the Upper Tisza Basin, including views on appropriate means of reducing losses and for transferring the residual losses from the direct victims to taxpayers or an insurance pool. This study is part of a project to develop an integrated approach to flood risk management coordinated by the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in collaboration with Swedish and Hungarian researchers. The discussion begins by describing the background of flood risk management problems in the Upper Tisza Basin. The results of interviews carried out with selected key stakeholders and the results of a public survey eliciting views on flood risk management are reported. The final section draws conclusions on incorporating stakeholder views into a flood risk management model, which will be used to illustrate policy paths at an upcoming stakeholder workshop. The conclusions are also of direct interest to Hungarian policymakers.

Holocene South Asian Monsoon Climate Change - Potential Mechanisms and Effects on Past Civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staubwasser, M.; Sirocko, F.; Grootes, P. M.; Erlenkeuser, H.; Segl, M.

2002-12-01

Planktonic oxygen isotope ratios from the laminated sediment core 63KA off the river Indus delta dated with 80 AMS radiocarbon ages reveal significant climate changes in the south Asian monsoon system throughout the Holocene. The most prominent event of the early-mid Holocene occurred after 8.4 ka BP and is within dating error of the GISP/GRIP event centered at 8.2 ka BP. The late Holocene is generally more variable, and shows non-periodic cycles in the multi-centennial frequency band. The largest change of the entire Holocene occurred at 4.2 ka BP and is concordant with the end of urban Harappan civilization in the Indus valley. Opposing isotopic trends across the northern Arabian Sea surface indicate a reduction in Indus river discharge at that time. Consequently, sustained drought may have initiated the archaeologically recorded interval of southeastward habitat tracking within the Harappan cultural domain. The hemispheric significance of the 4.2 ka BP event is evident from concordant climate change in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The late Holocene cycles in South Asia, which most likely represent drought cycles, vary between 250 and 800 years and are coherent with the evolution of cosmogenic radiocarbon production rates in the atmosphere. This suggests that solar variability is the fundamental cause behind late Holocene rainfall changes at least over south Asia.

Genetic analysis of invasive Asian Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) in the Mississippi River Basin: evidence for multiple introductions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, Margaret E.; Nico, Leo G.

2015-01-01

Invasive Asian Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) have been present in USA aquaculture facilities since the 1980s and wild Black Carp have been found in the Mississippi River Basin since the early 1990s. This study characterizes the genetic diversity and relatedness of the Basin’s Black Carp and clarifies the introduction history. Analyses focused on three mitochondrial markers (control region, cytochrome-b, and 16S) and seven nuclear microsatellite markers (nDNA), using aquaculture and wild-caught samples collected in the upper and lower Mississippi Basin. Of the three mitochondrial haplotypes, two were shared between the aquaculture and wild populations, while a third was only present in upper Mississippi wild-caught specimens. Due to the presence of diploid and triploid fish, microsatellite markers were scored as pseudodominant and revealed low polymorphism (NA = 4.6, NA Ave = 1.5). Nuclear Bayesian clustering analyses identified two genetically distinct groups and four subclusters, each primarily composed of a unique haplotype. Samples from three aquaculture farms were assigned to group 1, while a fourth farm included samples from both groups 1 and 2. Wild-caught fish from the upper Basin were predominantly group 1, whereas wild samples from the lower Mississippi were assigned to both genetic groups. The presence of divergent haplotypes and distinct nDNA groups, along with geographic distribution patterns, indicate that wild populations in the basin likely resulted from multiple introductions. Genetic similarities between wild and captive populations support claims that aquaculture is the introduction source, but a shortage of samples and a history of repeated transfers among facilities obscure the precise pathway.

Advances in water resources research in the Upper Blue Nile basin and the way forward: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dile, Yihun Taddele; Tekleab, Sirak; Ayana, Essayas K.; Gebrehiwot, Solomon G.; Worqlul, Abeyou W.; Bayabil, Haimanote K.; Yimam, Yohannes T.; Tilahun, Seifu A.; Daggupati, Prasad; Karlberg, Louise; Srinivasan, Raghavan

2018-05-01

The Upper Blue Nile basin is considered as the lifeline for ∼250 million people and contributes ∼50 Gm3/year of water to the Nile River. Poor land management practices in the Ethiopian highlands have caused a significant amount of soil erosion, thereby threatening the productivity of the Ethiopian agricultural system, degrading the health of the aquatic ecosystem, and shortening the life of downstream reservoirs. The Upper Blue Nile basin, because of limited research and availability of data, has been considered as the "great unknown." In the recent past, however, more research has been published. Nonetheless, there is no state-of-the-art review that presents research achievements, gaps and future directions. Hence, this paper aims to bridge this gap by reviewing the advances in water resources research in the basin while highlighting research needs and future directions. We report that there have been several research projects that try to understand the biogeochemical processes by collecting information on runoff, groundwater recharge, sediment transport, and tracers. Different types of hydrological models have been applied. Most of the earlier research used simple conceptual and statistical approaches for trend analysis and water balance estimations, mainly using rainfall and evapotranspiration data. More recent research has been using advanced semi-physically/physically based distributed hydrological models using high-resolution temporal and spatial data for diverse applications. We identified several research gaps and provided recommendations to address them. While we have witnessed advances in water resources research in the basin, we also foresee opportunities for further advancement. Incorporating the research findings into policy and practice will significantly benefit the development and transformation agenda of the Ethiopian government.

Late Quaternary glaciation of the Upper Soca River Region (Southern Julian Alps, NW Slovenia)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bavec, Milos; Tulaczyk, Slawek M.; Mahan, Shannon; Stock, Gregory M.

2004-01-01

Extent of Late Quaternary glaciers in the Upper Soc??a River Region (Southern Julian Alps, SE Europe) has been analyzed using a combination of geological mapping, glaciological modeling, and sediment dating (radiocarbon, U/Th series and Infrared Stimulated Luminescence-IRSL). Field investigations focused mainly on relatively well preserved Quaternary sequences in the Bovec Basin, an intramontane basin located SW of the Mediterranean/Black Sea divide and surrounded by mountain peaks reaching from approximately 2100 up to 2587 m a.s.l. Within the Basin we recognized two Late Quaternary sedimentary assemblages, which consist of the same facies association of diamictons, laminated lacustrine deposits and sorted fluvial sediments. Radiocarbon dating of the upper part of the lake sediments sequence (between 12790??85 and 5885??60 14C years b.p.) indicates that the younger sedimentary assemblage was deposited during the last glacial maximum and through early Holocene (Marine Isotope Stage 21, MIS 2-1). Sediment ages obtained for the older assemblage with U/Th and IRSL techniques (between 154.74??22.88 and 129.93??7.90 ka b.p. for selected samples) have large errors but both methods yield results consistent with deposition during the penultimate glacial-interglacial transition (MIS 6-5). Based on analyses of field data combined with glaciological modeling, we argue that both sediment complexes formed due to high sediment productivity spurred by paraglacial conditions with glaciers present in the uplands around the Bovec Basin but not extending down to the basin floor. Our study shows that the extent and intensity of direct glacial sedimentation by Late Quaternary glaciers in the region was previously significantly overestimated. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source-rock geochemistry of the San Joaquin Basin Province, California: Chapter 11 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, Kenneth E.; Magoon, Leslie B.; Valin, Zenon C.; Lillis, Paul G.

2007-01-01

Source-rock thickness and organic richness are important input parameters required for numerical modeling of the geohistory of petroleum systems. Present-day depth and thickness maps for the upper Miocene Monterey Formation, Eocene Tumey formation of Atwill (1935), Eocene Kreyenhagen Formation, and Cretaceous-Paleocene Moreno Formation source rocks in the San Joaquin Basin were determined using formation tops data from 266 wells. Rock-Eval pyrolysis and total organic carbon data (Rock-Eval/TOC) were collected for 1,505 rock samples from these source rocks in 70 wells. Averages of these data for each well penetration were used to construct contour plots of original total organic carbon (TOCo) and original hydrogen index (HIo) in the source rock prior to thermal maturation resulting from burial. Sufficient data were available to construct plots of TOCo and HIo for all source-rock units except the Tumey formation of Atwill (1935). Thick, organic-rich, oil-prone shales of the upper Miocene Monterey Formation occur in the Tejon depocenter in the southern part of the basin with somewhat less favorable occurrence in the Southern Buttonwillow depocenter to the north. Shales of the upper Miocene Monterey Formation generated most of the petroleum in the San Joaquin Basin. Thick, organic-rich, oil-prone Kreyenhagen Formation source rock occurs in the Buttonwillow depocenters, but it is thin or absent in the Tejon depocenter. Moreno Formation source rock is absent from the Tejon and Southern Buttonwillow depocenters, but thick, organic-rich, oil-prone Moreno Formation source rock occurs northwest of the Northern Buttonwillow depocenter adjacent to the southern edge of Coalinga field.

Glacier elevation and mass change over the upper Maipo Basin, Central Andes, Chile.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farías, David; Seehaus, Thorsten; Vivero, Sebastian; Braun, Matthias H.; Casassa, Gino

2017-04-01

The upper Maipo basin (33° S, 70° W, 5400 km2) is located 15 km from the eastern outskirts of the mega-city of Santiago. The basin is characterized by Mediterranean climate with marked winter and summer seasons and occasionally disturbed by large annual and multi-annual variations in temperature and precipitation (ENSO). The upper Maipo basin is the main glacierized region of Chile, where the last Chilean glacier inventory revealed a glacier extent of about 397.6 km2 distributed over 1009 glaciers larger than 0.01 km2. The glaciers located in this basin represent 2% of the total glacierized area in Chile. The 1009 glaciers in this area, compose of 708 rock glaciers (159.91 km2), 126 glaciarets (5.85 km2) and 175 valley and mountain glaciers (231.84 km2). Our focus in this study is to evaluate the suitability of TanDEM-X to derive geodetic glacier mass balance on small mountain glaciers. Our database comprises different digital elevation models (DEM) from historical cartography based on aerial photographs (1955), SRTM (2000), Lidar data and TanDEM-X (2015). The historical cartography was scanned and georeferenced with the aid of several GCPs derived from the Lidar dataset. The TanDEM-X data was processed using differential interferometry using SRTM C-band DEM as reference. Differences resulting from X- and C-band penetration are considered comparing X- and C-band SRTM data. All DEMs were horizontal and vertically co-registered to each other. Error assessment was done over stable ground (off-glacier). On our poster we present preliminary results about detailed quantification of glacier elevation and mass change in this area.

Northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) and tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) interactions in the Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nagler, Pamela L.; Nguyen, Uyen; Bateman, Heather L.; Jarchow, Christopher; Glenn, Edward P.; Waugh, William J.; van Riper, Charles

2018-01-01

Northern tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda carinulata) were released in the Upper Colorado River Basin in the United States in 2004–2007 to defoliate introduced tamarisk shrubs (Tamarix spp.) in the region’s riparian zones. The primary purpose was to control the invasive shrub and reduce evapotranspiration (ET) by tamarisk in an attempt to increase stream flows. We evaluated beetle–tamarisk interactions with MODIS and Landsat imagery on 13 river systems, with vegetation indices used as indicators of the extent of defoliation and ET. Beetles are widespread and exhibit a pattern of colonize–defoliate–emigrate, so that riparian zones contain a mosaic of completely defoliated, partially defoliated, and refoliated tamarisk stands. Based on satellite data and ET algorithms, mean ET before beetle release (2000–2006) was 416 mm/year compared to postrelease (2007–2015) ET of 355 mm/year (p<0.05) for a net reduction of 61 mm/year. This is lower than initial literature projections that ET would be reduced by 300–460 mm/year. Reasons for the lower-than-expected ET reductions are because baseline ET rates are lower than initially projected, and percentage ET reduction is low because tamarisk stands tend to regrow new leaves after defoliation and other plants help maintain canopy cover. Overall reductions in tamarisk green foliage during the study are 21%. However, ET in the Upper Basin has shown a steady decline since 2007 and equilibrium has not yet been reached. Defoliation is now proceeding from the Upper Basin into the Lower Basin at a rate of 40 km/year, much faster than initially projected.

Resurfacing event observed in Morpheos basin (Eridania Planitia) and the implications to the formation and timing of Waikato and Reull Valles, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostama, V.-P.; Kukkonen, S.; Raitala, J.

2017-06-01

The large scale outflow channels of the Hellas impact basin are characteristic to its eastern rim region. Although the majority of the valles are located in the large-scale topographic trough connecting Hesperia Planum and Hellas basin, the most far-reaching of them, Reull Vallis is situated to the south-southeast of this trough cutting through Promethei Terra. Reull Vallis and the general geology of the region has been studied in the past, but new higher resolution image data enables us to look into the details of the features implicating the fluvial history of the region. Photogeological mapping using the available data and extensive crater counting utilizing CTX, HiRISE and HRSC provided new insights to the timing of the regional events and episodes. The study resulted in more detailed age constraints compared to the previous results from Viking images. These calculations and the geological study of the upper WMR system (Waikato Vallis - Morpheos basin - Reull Vallis) region and southern Hesperia Planum enabled us to estimate the time-frame of the (fluid) infilling of this reservoir to a model time period of 3.67-3.52 Ga which is thus also the time of the visible activity of the upper Reull Vallis and Waikato Vallis outflow channels. The results also more explicitly defined the size of previously identified Morpheos basin (confined to the 500-550 m contour lines). We also present a geological analysis of the upper parts of the WMR system, and using the observations and calculations, present an updated view of the evolution of the system and associated region.

Sedimentological and diagenetic patterns of anhydrite deposits in the Badenian evaporite basin of the Carpathian Foredeep, southern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasprzyk, Alicja

2003-05-01

Anhydrite deposits are widely distributed in the Middle Miocene Badenian evaporite basin of Poland, including the marginal sulphate platform and adjacent salt depocenter. Particular sedimentological, petrographic and geochemical characteristics of these anhydrite deposits and especially common pseudomorphic features, inherited from the precursor gypsum deposits, allow the interpretation of the original sedimentary facies. The observed facies distribution and succession (lower and upper members) reveal three distinct facies associations that record a range of depositional environments from nearshore to deeper basinal settings. Platform sulphates were deposited in subaerial and shallow-marine environments (shoreline and inner platform-lagoon system) mainly as autochthonous selenitic gypsum. This was reworked and redistributed into deeper waters (outer platform-lagoon, slope and the proximal basin floor system) to form resedimented facies composed mostly of allochthonous clastic gypsum and minor anhydrite. The general variation in petrographic and geochemical compositions of anhydrite lithofacies of the lower and upper members reflects the brine evolution, as the result of interactions between seawater, meteoric runoff and highly saline, residual pore fluids. The results indicate the importance of synsedimentary and diagenetic anhydritisation processes in formation of the Badenian anhydrite lithofacies, all of which preserve the original depositional features of the former gypsum. This also applies to the basinal anhydrite previously interpreted to have a depositional genesis. Two different genetic patterns of anhydrite have been reinforced by this study: (1) synsedimentary anhydritisation of gypsum deposits by highly concentrated brines or elevated temperatures in surficial to shallow-burial environments (lower member), and (2) successive phases (syndepositional de novo growth, early diagenetic to late diagenetic replacement of former gypsum) of anhydrite formation during progressive burial (upper member).

Upper crust beneath the central Illinois basin, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, J.H.; Kolata, Dennis R.

1999-01-01

Newly available industry seismic reflection data provide critical information for understanding the structure and origin of the upper crust (0-12 km depth) beneath the central Illinois basin and the seismic-tectonic framework north of the New Madrid seismic zone in the central Mississippi Valley. Mapping of reflector sequences furnishes the first broad three-dimensional perspective of the structure of Precambrian basement beneath the central United States Midcontinent. The highly coherent basement reflectivity is expressed as a synformal wedge of dipping and subhorizontal reflections situated beneath the center of the Illinois basin that thickens and deepens to the northeast (e.g., 0 to ???5.3 km thickness along a 123 km south to north line). The thickening trend of the wedge qualitatively mimics the northward thickening of the Late Cambrian Mt. Simon Sandstone; however, other Paleozoic units in the Illinois basin generally thicken southward into the basin center. The seismic data also reveal an anomalous subsequence defined by a spoon-shaped distribution of disrupted reflections located along the southern margin of the wedge. The boundaries of this subsequence are marked by distinct steeply dipping reflections (possible thrust faults?) that continue or project up to antiformal disruptions of lower Paleozoic marker reflectors, suggesting Paleozoic or possibly later tectonic reactivation of Precambrian structure. The areal extent of the subsequence appears to roughly correspond to an anomalous concentration of larger magnitude upper to middle crustal earthquakes. There are multiple hypotheses for the origin of the Precambrian reflectivity, including basaltic flows or sills interlayered with clastic sediments and/or emplaced within felsic igneous rocks. Such explanations are analogous to nearby Keweenawan rift-related volcanism and sedimentation, which initiated during Proterozoic rifting, and were followed eventually by reverse faulting along the rift margins caused by Grenville compression.

Review of waterpower withdrawals in Weiser River Basin, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colbert, Jesse Lane; Young, Loyd L.

1964-01-01

The Weiser River basin is primarily agricultural and is supported by extensive irrigation. The Geological Survey has initiated withdrawals, or has made powersite classifications of lands having value for reservoir sites and for waterpower production. These withdrawals have been examined to see if they should continue in force or if it is in the public interest to restore them. The 1960 report, "Upper Snake River Basin," by the U.S. bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers included recommendations conooming potential water resource-development sites in Water River basin. That report furnished much of the information for this review.

APPLYING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES CONCEPT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE UPPER SAN PEDRO BASIN, ARIZONA

EPA Science Inventory

The Upper San Pedro River flows intermittently north from Sonora, Mexico into southeastern Arizona and is one of the last few large unimpounded rivers in the American Southwest. The remaining perennial reaches support a desert riparian ecosystem that is a rare remnant of what ...

76 FR 42658 - Endangered and Threatened Species: Authorizing Release of a Nonessential Experimental Population...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-19

... Experimental Population of Upper Columbia Spring-Run Chinook Salmon in the Okanogan River Basin Under the... nonessential experimental population of Upper Columbia (UC) spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha... Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. The geographic boundaries of the experimental population area would...

Chapter 2. Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources--Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Cotton Valley group, Jurassic Smackover interior salt basins total petroleum system, in the East Texas basin and Louisiana-Mississippi salt basins provinces.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dyman, T.S.; Condon, S.M.

2006-01-01

The Jurassic Smackover Interior Salt Basins Total Petroleum System is defined for this assessment to include (1) Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation carbonates and calcareous shales and (2) Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous Cotton Valley Group organic-rich shales. The Jurassic Smackover Interior Salt Basins Total Petroleum System includes four conventional Cotton Valley assessment units: Cotton Valley Blanket Sandstone Gas (AU 50490201), Cotton Valley Massive Sandstone Gas (AU 50490202), Cotton Valley Updip Oil and Gas (AU 50490203), and Cotton Valley Hypothetical Updip Oil (AU 50490204). Together, these four assessment units are estimated to contain a mean undiscovered conventional resource of 29.81 million barrels of oil, 605.03 billion cubic feet of gas, and 19.00 million barrels of natural gas liquids. The Cotton Valley Group represents the first major influx of clastic sediment into the ancestral Gulf of Mexico. Major depocenters were located in south-central Mississippi, along the Louisiana-Mississippi border, and in northeast Texas. Reservoir properties and production characteristics were used to identify two Cotton Valley Group sandstone trends across northern Louisiana and east Texas: a high-permeability blanket-sandstone trend and a downdip, low-permeability massive-sandstone trend. Pressure gradients throughout most of both trends are normal, which is characteristic of conventional rather than continuous basin-center gas accumulations. Indications that accumulations in this trend are conventional rather than continuous include (1) gas-water contacts in at least seven fields across the blanket-sandstone trend, (2) relatively high reservoir permeabilities, and (3) high gas-production rates without fracture stimulation. Permeability is sufficiently low in the massive-sandstone trend that gas-water transition zones are vertically extensive and gas-water contacts are poorly defined. The interpreted presence of gas-water contacts within the Cotton Valley massive-sandstone trend, however, suggests that accumulations in this trend are also conventional.

Upper Rio Grande Simulation Model (URGSIM)

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

Roach, Jesse; & Tidwell, Vincent

2010-08-05

URGSIM estimates the location of surface water and groundwater resources in the upper Rio Grande Basin between the Colorado-New Mexico state line, and Caballo Reservoir from 1975 - 2045. It is a mass balance hydrology model of the Upper Rio Grande surface water, groundwater, and water demand systems which runs at a monthly timestep from 1975-1999 in calibration mode, 2000-2004 in validation mode, and 2005-2045 in scenario analysis mode.

Reworked planktonic Foraminifera from the Late Rupelian of the southern Upper Rhine Graben and their palaeogeographic and biostratigraphic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirkenseer, C.; Spezzaferri, S.; Berger, J.-P.

2009-04-01

During the Late Rupelian the widespread second transgression (corresponding to international Ru2-3 transgressions; BERGER et al. 2005) affected the whole Upper Rhine Graben basin and led to the deposition of the several hundred meters thick marine "Série grise". An abrupt transition (erosion surface) between the uppermost "Série grise" and Niederroedern Formation indicates the change to fluviatile and lacustrine conditions throughout the basin close to the Late Rupelian / Early Chattian boundary. Abundant reworked Middle to Late Cretaceous (e.g., Marginotruncana pseudolinneiana) and Late Paleocene to Late Eocene (e.g., Acarinina bullbrooki, Morozovella subbotinae, Turborotalia cocoaensis) ranging planktonic Foraminifera occur in the "Série Grise" and equivalent lithological units of the Upper Rhine Graben and the Mainz Basin (e.g., FISCHER 1965, PIRKENSEER 2007, SCHÄFER & KUHN 2004). At least Late Cretaceous, Ypresian, Lutetian and Priabonian ages of source sediments are indicated by the overlapping biostratigraphic ranges of the reworked specimens. Abundant reworked material first appears in the lower "Couches à Mélettes" and reaches its acme in the increasingly "Marnes à Cyrènes" (terminal "Série grise"). Only sparse records are documented from the subsequent terrestrial Niederroedern Formation. These reworking events are linked to intervals of increased clastic input throughout the "Série grise". The planktonic Foraminifera are proposed to be reworked from related alpine deposits (later Helvetikum?) via a northwards trending fluviatile system, as no autochthonous Cretaceous and Early to Middle Eocene marine sediments were deposited within the graben basin. Furthermore other possible source areas (e.g., Paris Basin) were either not connected to the Upper Rhine Graben or were not subject to erosion in the Late Rupelian. This accords with the proposition (ROUSSÉ 2006) of a vast northwards prograding delta-system that was located close to the southern margin of the Upper Rhine Graben. Reworked Mesozoic and Paleogene calcareous nannoplankton from the Upper Rhine Graben and the Mainz Basin confirms the data derived from planktonic Foraminifera. The existence of reworked planktonic Foraminifera influences the biostratigraphic interpretation of the assemblage ranges attributed to "Série grise" samples. Facultatively reworked planktonic Foraminifera as Subbotina utilisindex and Pseudohastigerina micra ranging from the Lutetian to the Late Rupelian should not be included in the biostratigraphic analyses, as the occurrences of these facultatively reworked species are always linked to those of exclusively Cretaceous and Eocene age. Therefore the age of the "Série grise" deposits at Allschwil-2 is most likely to be placed within the "Chiloguembelina cubensis - Globigerinella obesa / Globorotaloides variabilis"-assemblage range of Mid P20 to Final P21a, lasting considerably longer than the very short Mid P20 range based on the presence of Pseudohastigerina micra as "last occurrence"-marker (PIRKENSEER 2007). This study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation projects 109457 and 118025. References: BERGER, J.-P., REICHENBACHER, B., BECKER, D., et al. (2005): Eocene-Pliocene time scale and stratigraphy of the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) and the Swiss Molasse Basin (SMB). - International Journal of Earth Sciences, 94, 4: 711-731. FISCHER, H. (1965): Geologie des Gebietes zwischen Blauen und Pfirter Jura. - Beiträge zur geologischen Karte der Schweiz, NF 122: 106p. PIRKENSEER, C. (2007): Foraminifera, Ostracoda and other microfossils of the Southern Upper Rhine Graben - Palaeoecology, biostratigraphy, palaeogeography and geodynamic implications. - PhD thesis: 340p, Fribourg. ROUSSÉ, S. (2006): Architecture et dynamique des séries marines et continentales de ĺOligocène Moyen et Supérieur du Sud du Fossé Rhénan: Evolution des milieux de dépôt en contexte de rift en marge de ĺavant-pays alpin. - PhD: 471p, Strasbourg. SCHÄFER, P. & KUHN, W. (2004): Mikropaläontologische und lithologische Abgrenzungskriterien zwischen Oberem Rupelton [= Rosenberg-Subformation] und "Schleichsand" [= Stadecken-Formation] im Rupelium (Tertiär) des Mainzer Beckens. - Mainzer geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen, 32: 139-178.

Modeling and Simulation of the ARES UPPER STAGE Transportation, Lifting, Stacking and Mating Operations Within the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kromis, Phillip A.

2010-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes the modeling and simulation of the Ares Upper Stage Transportation, lifting, stacking, and mating operations within the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). An aerial view of KSC Launch Shuttle Complex, two views of the Delmia process control layout, and an upper stage move subroutine and breakdown are shown. An overhead image of the VAB and the turning basin along with the Pegasus barge at the turning basin are also shown. This viewgraph presentation also shows the actual design and the removal of the mid-section spring tensioners, the removal of the AFT rear and forward tensioners tie downs, and removing the AFT hold down post and mount. US leaving the Pegasus Barge, the upper stage arriving at transfer aisle, upper stage receiving/inspection in transfer aisle, and an overhead view of upper stage receiving/inspection in transfer aisle are depicted. Five views of the actual connection of the cabling to the upper stage aft lifting hardware are shown. The upper stage transporter forward connector, two views of the rotation horizontal to vertical, the disconnection of the rear bolt ring cabling, the lowering of the upper stage to the inspection stand, disconnection of the rear bolt ring from the upper stage, the lifting of the upper stage and inspection of AFT fange, and the transfer of upper stage in an integrated stack are shown. Six views of the mating of the upper stage to the first stage are depicted. The preparation, inspection, and removal of the forward dome are shown. The upper stage mated on the integrated stack and crawler is also shown. This presentation concludes with A Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) utilizing male and female models for assessing risk factors to the upper extremities of human beings in an actual physical environment.

Water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; major and trace elements in water, sediment, and biota, 1978-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, F.A.; Scudder, B.C.; Crawford, J.K.; Schmidt, A.R.; Sieverling, J.B.

1995-01-01

The distribution of 22 major and trace elements was examined in water, sediment, and biota in the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin as part of a pilot National Water-Quality Assessment project done by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1987 through 1990. The 22 elements are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, selenium, silver, strontium, vanadium, and zinc. Concentrations of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority pollutants among the 22 elements were elevated in the Chicago area in all three aquatic components (water, sediment, and biota). Further, some of the priority pollutants also were found at elevated concentrations in biota in agricultural areas in the basin. Cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, silver, and zinc concentrations in water exceeded USEPA acute or chronic water-quality criteria at several sites in the Chicago area. Correlations among concentra- tions of elements in water, sediment, and biota were found, but the correlation analysis was hindered by the large proportion of observations less than the minimum reporting level in water. Those sites where water-quality criteria were sometimes exceeded were not always the same sites where concentrations in biota were the largest. This relation indicates that accumulation of these pollutants in biota is confounded by complex geochemical and biological processes that differ throughout the upper Illinois River Basin.

Revision of Tympanopleura Eigenmann (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) with description of two new species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walsh, Stephen J.; Ribeiro, Frank R.V.; Rapp Py-Daniel, Lúcia H.

2015-01-01

The Neotropical catfish genus Tympanopleura, previously synonymized within Ageneiosus, is revalidated and included species are reviewed. Six species are recognized, two of which are described as new. Tympanopleura is distinguished from Ageneiosus by having an enlarged gas bladder not strongly encapsulated in bone; a prominent pseudotympanum consisting of an area on the side of the body devoid of epaxial musculature where the gas bladder contacts the internal coelomic wall; short, blunt head without greatly elongated jaws; and smaller adult body size. Species of Tympanopleura are distinguished from each other on the basis of unique meristic, morphometric, and pigmentation differences. Ageneiosus melanopogon and Tympanopleura nigricollis are junior synonyms ofTympanopleura atronasus. Tympanopleura alta is a junior synonym of Tympanopleura brevis. A lectotype is designated for T. brevis. Ageneiosus madeirensis is a junior synonym of Tympanopleura rondoni. Tympanopleura atronasus, T. brevis, T. longipinna, and T. rondoni are relatively widespread in the middle and upper Amazon River basin. Tympanopleura cryptica is described from relatively few specimens collected in the upper portion of the Amazon River basin in Peru and the middle portion of that basin in Brazil. Tympanopleura piperata is distributed in the upper and middle Amazon River basin, as well as in the Essequibo River drainage of Guyana.

Depositional history of the Mississippian Ullin and Fort Payne Formations in the Illinois Basin

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

Lasemi, Z.; Treworgy, J.D.; Norby, R.D.

1994-04-01

Field and subsurface data suggest that the mid-Mississippian Ullin Limestone in the Illinois Basin is composed of coalesced Waulsortian-type mounds and porous bryozoan-dominated buildups. Waulsortian mounds in the basin contain a lime mudstone to wackestone core that is flanked and capped by in situ porous bryozoan bafflestone or transported crinoidal-bryozoan packstone and grainstone. The mound core facies appear to be most common in the lower part of the Ullin and is thicker in a deeper outer-ramp setting. Shoreward and up-section (upper part of the outer-ramp through mid-ramp setting), the core facies is generally thinner, while the flanking and capping faciesmore » are thicker. Isopachous maps of the Ullin and Fort Payne suggest the presence of several large areas of thick carbonate buildups (Ullin) surrounded by a deep-water, sub-oxic environment (Fort Payne) in the Illinois Basin. Progradation of these buildups and associated facies resulted in a shallower ramp setting during deposition of the upper Ullin. Storm-generated carbonate sandwaves became widespread on this ramp. Sandwaves were mobile and for the most part unfavorable sites for further development of thick mud mounds and/or in situ bryozoan buildups. However, isolated mounds and flanking buildups are present in the upper part of the Ullin, and, together with the sandwaves, formed an irregular topography that led to the development of oolitic grainstone shoals during deposition of the overlying Salem Limestone.« less

Simultaneous measurements of X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence fluorescence at BL-16 beamline of Indus-2

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

Das, Gangadhar; Kane, S. R.; Khooha, Ajay

2015-05-15

A new multipurpose x-ray reflectometer station has been developed and augmented at the microfocus beamline (BL-16) of Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source to facilitate synchronous measurements of specular x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence x-ray fluorescence emission from thin layered structures. The design and various salient features of the x-ray reflectometer are discussed. The performance of the reflectometer has been evaluated by analyzing several thin layered structures having different surface interface properties. The results reveal in-depth information for precise determination of surface and interface properties of thin layered materials demonstrating the immense potential of the combined measurements of x-ray reflectivity and grazingmore » incidence fluorescence on a single reflectometer.« less

Indus-2 X-ray lithography beamline for X-ray optics and material science applications

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

Dhamgaye, V. P., E-mail: vishal@rrcat.gov.in; Lodha, G. S., E-mail: vishal@rrcat.gov.in

2014-04-24

X-ray lithography is an ideal technique by which high aspect ratio and high spatial resolution micro/nano structures are fabricated using X-rays from synchrotron radiation source. The technique has been used for fabricating optics (X-ray, visible and infrared), sensors and actuators, fluidics and photonics. A beamline for X-ray lithography is operational on Indus-2. The beamline offers wide lithographic window from 1-40keV photon energy and wide beam for producing microstructures in polymers upto size ∼100mm × 100mm. X-ray exposures are possible in air, vacuum and He gas environment. The air based exposures enables the X-ray irradiation of resist for lithography and alsomore » irradiation of biological and liquid samples.« less

Tree-ring indicators of rainfall and streamflow for the Ili-Balkhash Basin, Central Asia since CE 1560

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Feng; Yuan, Yujiang; Yu, Shulong

2017-09-01

We reconstructed previous July - current April total precipitation in the upper Ili-Balkhash Basin of Central Asia, using a transfer equation based on the correlation between regional tree-ring width series and local precipitation data. Dry periods were identified from 1586-1612, 1637-1669, 1695-1721, 1759-1782, 1804-1864, 1907-1930 and 1974-1993, while wet periods occurred from 1560-1585, 1613-1636, 1670-1694, 1722-1758, 1783-1803, 1865-1906, 1931-1973 and 1994-2006. Spatial correlation analysis indicates that our precipitation reconstruction is broadly representative of precipitation in the entire Ili-Balkhash Basin. The precipitation timeseries is also strongly related to streamflow measurements, revealing that variations in precipitation in the upper Ili-Balkhash Basin have a dramatic influence on streamflow into Lake Balkhash. The precipitation reconstruction also compares well with various streamflow reconstructions from the Tien Shan, and exhibits an increasing streamflow trend in the 1980s through 2000s. Spectral analysis showed significant 60-, 33-, 11-, 2.8- and 2.1-year cycles over the past 447 years. Our 447-year precipitation reconstruction provides the basis for comparing past and present hydroclimate changes, which will be important for detection and attribution of hydroclimate variation in the Ili-Balkhash Basin.

Constraints on crustal structure in the Southeastern United States from the SUGAR 2 refraction seismic refraction experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzen, R. E.; Shillington, D. J.; Lizarralde, D.; Harder, S. H.

2016-12-01

The Southeastern United States is an ideal location to study the interactions between continental collision, extensive but short-lived magmatism, and continental rifting. Continental collision during the Alleghenian Orogeny ( 290 Ma) formed the supercontinent Pangea. Extension leading to the breakup of Pangea began 230 Ma, forming the South Georgia Basin and other rift basins. The extensive Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) magmatism was emplaced at 200 Ma, and continental separation occurred afterwards. During these processes, part of the African continent was added to North America. Prior work has raised questions including (1) the location and geometry of the suture zone and implications for the style of collision (thin-skinned versus thick-skinned), (2) the role of pre-existing structures on later rifting, and (3) the distribution of magmatism, and possible relationships between magmatism and rifting. To address these questions, we present preliminary velocity models for the 400-km-long refraction seismic line from the SUwanee Suture and GA Rift basin experiment (SUGAR) Line 2. This line is central to CAMP magmatism, and crosses the South Georgia rift basin and two hypothesized locations for the ancient suture zone. The data were collected in August 2015 by a team of over 40 students and scientists. Fifteen shots spaced at 20-40 km were recorded by 1981 Texans spaced at 250 m. We observe refractions from the basin, crust, and upper mantle, and wide-angle reflections from the base of the sediments, within the crust, and from the Moho. Prominent mid crustal reflections may arise from the top of elevated lower crustal velocities and possible lower crustal layering. The starting velocity model and constraints on the upper sedimentary basin velocity structure are obtained through forward modeling, which show basin sediment thickness increasing to the South. We then invert for smooth 2D velocity structure using first arrivals (FAST) and a layered velocity model using refractions and reflections (RAYINVR) to evaluate the crust and upper mantle velocity structure. Model results will be compared to other geological and geophysical data, including the roughly parallel SUGAR Line 1, to examine along-strike changes in rift structure, suture structure, and evidence of magmatism.

Comparison of Subsidence Rates for Conjugate Margins of the Equatorial and Northern South Atlantic Ocean as A First-Order Constraint on Symmetry of Underlying, Early Rift Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavala, O.

2017-12-01

We compared subsidence histories from wells into Cretaceous-Cenozoic conjugate margins in the Equatorial and northern South Atlantic as a first-order constraint on whether rifting occurred in a symmetrical, pure shear mode, or whether rifting occurred in an asymmetrical, simple shear mode. For the pure shear mode of rifting, the prediction is for longterm subsidence on both conjugate margins to be similar and reflective of underlying, rift symmetry; for the simple shear mode of rifting, the prediction is that subsidence above the more thinned and wider, lower plate margin is greater than subsidence above the less thinned and more narrow, upper plate margin. A major caveat of this approach is that subsidence variations can be affected by other external factors that include increased sedimentation related to local deltas and structural or hotspot-related uplifts of coastal areas. In the northern Equatorial Atlantic, the longterm subsidence rate for the Guyana basin of northeastern South America of 18.52 m/Ma is less that of the Senegal area of west Africa of 54 m/Ma suggestive of an upper plate to the west and lower plate to the east. Moving southwards, the Potiguar basin of northern Brazil of 23 m/Ma is roughly the same as the Keta-Togo-Benin-Cote d'Ivoire basins of west Africa (21 m/Ma) and suggestive of an underlying rift symmetry. The Bahia Norte-Reconcavo-Sergipe-Alogoas basins of Brazil are less (28 m/Ma) than the Gabon basin (57 m/Ma) of west Africa suggesitive of an lower plate to the east and an upper plate to the west. The Bahia Sul-Espirito Santo basins of Brazil are less (20 m/Ma) than the Lower Congo basin (45 m/Ma) although the latter area includes the localized influence of the Congo delta. We compare additional evidence such as seismic reflection and refraction data and gravity modeling to the predictions of the subsidence values.

Regulating N Application for Rice Yield and Sustainable Eco-Agro Development in the Upper Reaches of Yellow River Basin, China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Aiping; Liu, Ruliang; Gao, Ji; Yang, Shiqi; Chen, Zhe

2014-01-01

High N fertilizer and flooding irrigation applied to rice on anthropogenic-alluvial soil often result in N leaching and low recovery of applied fertilizer N from the rice fields in Ningxia irrigation region in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which threatens ecological environment, food security, and sustainable agricultural development. This paper reported the regulating N application for rice yield and sustainable Eco-Agro development in the upper reaches of Yellow River basin. The results showed that reducing and postponing N application could maintain crop yields while substantially reducing N leaching losses to the environment and improving the nitrogen use efficiency. Considering the high food production, the minimum environmental threat, and the low labor input, we suggested that regulating N application is an important measure to help sustainable agricultural development in this region. PMID:25045728

Regulating N application for rice yield and sustainable eco-agro development in the upper reaches of Yellow River basin, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Aiping; Liu, Ruliang; Gao, Ji; Yang, Shiqi; Chen, Zhe

2014-01-01

High N fertilizer and flooding irrigation applied to rice on anthropogenic-alluvial soil often result in N leaching and low recovery of applied fertilizer N from the rice fields in Ningxia irrigation region in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which threatens ecological environment, food security, and sustainable agricultural development. This paper reported the regulating N application for rice yield and sustainable Eco-Agro development in the upper reaches of Yellow River basin. The results showed that reducing and postponing N application could maintain crop yields while substantially reducing N leaching losses to the environment and improving the nitrogen use efficiency. Considering the high food production, the minimum environmental threat, and the low labor input, we suggested that regulating N application is an important measure to help sustainable agricultural development in this region.

Comparision between crustal density and velocity variations in Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Hauksson, E.

2001-01-01

We predict gravity from a three-dimensional Vp model of the upper crust and compare it to the observed isostatic residual gravity field. In general this comparison shows that the isostatic residual gravity field reflects the density variations in the upper to middle crust. Both data sets show similar density variations for the upper crust in areas such as the Peninsular Ranges and the Los Angeles basin. Both show similar variations across major faults, such as the San Andreas and Garlock faults in the Mojave Desert. The difference between the two data sets in regions such as the Salton Trough, the Eastern California Shear Zone, and the eastern Ventura basin (where depth to Moho is <30 km), however, suggests high-density middle to lower crust beneath these regions. Hence the joint interpretation of these data sets improves the depth constraints of crustal density variations.

A telemetric study of the movement patterns and habitat use of Rana muscosa, the mountain yellow-legged frog, in a high-elevation basin in Kings Canyon National Park, California

Treesearch

K.R. Matthews; K.L. Pope

1999-01-01

ABSTRACTS.–In a high-elevation (3470 m) lake basin (upper Dusy Basin) in Kings Canyon National Park, California, we used radio transmitters on 24 mountain yellow-legged frogs (Rana muscosa) to gather basic information on their movement patterns. Rana muscosa have declined throughout their range in the Sierra Nevada and restoration plans require information on their...

Natural gas accumulations in low-permeability Tertiary, and Cretaceous (Campanian and Maastrichtian) rock, Uinta Basin, Utah

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

Fouch, T.D.; Wandrey, C.J.; Pitman, J.K.

1992-02-01

This report characterizes Upper Cretaceous Campanian and Maastrichtian, and lower Tertiary gas-bearing rocks in the Uinta Basin with special emphasis on those units that contain gas in reservoirs that have been described as being tight. The report was prepared for the USDOE whose Western Tight Gas Sandstone Program cofunded much of this research in conjunction with the US Geological Survey's Evolution of Sedimentary Basins, and Onshore Oil and Gas Programs. (VC)

Natural gas accumulations in low-permeability Tertiary, and Cretaceous (Campanian and Maastrichtian) rock, Uinta Basin, Utah. Final report

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

Fouch, T.D.; Wandrey, C.J.; Pitman, J.K.

1992-02-01

This report characterizes Upper Cretaceous Campanian and Maastrichtian, and lower Tertiary gas-bearing rocks in the Uinta Basin with special emphasis on those units that contain gas in reservoirs that have been described as being tight. The report was prepared for the USDOE whose Western Tight Gas Sandstone Program cofunded much of this research in conjunction with the US Geological Survey`s Evolution of Sedimentary Basins, and Onshore Oil and Gas Programs. (VC)

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmidt, Arthur R.; Blanchard, Stephen F.

1997-01-01

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

Vegetation canopy cover effects on sediment erosion processes in the upper Colorado River Basin mancos shale formation, Price, Utah

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study provides new parameterizations for applying the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) on the highly erosive, rangeland saline soils of the Mancos Shale formation in the Price-San Rafael River Basin in east central Utah. Calibrated hydrologic parameters (Kss and K') values are gener...

Metaphor in Natural Resource Gaming: Insights from the RIVER BASIN GAME

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lankford, Bruce; Watson, Drennan

2007-01-01

The RIVER BASIN GAME is a dialogue tool for decision makers and water users tested in Tanzania and Nigeria. It comprises a physical representation of a river catchment. A central channel flows between an upper watershed and a downstream wetland and has on it several intakes into irrigation systems. Glass marbles, representing water, roll down the…

15. The 183Filter Plant with settling basins in January 1945. ...

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

15. The 183-Filter Plant with settling basins in January 1945. The 182-B Reservoir and Pump House is on the left in the background, and the coal storage pond for the 184-B Power House is in the upper right. View is to the northwest. P-8012 - B Reactor, Richland, Benton County, WA

Occurrence of the Rayed Creekshell, Anodontoides Radzatus, in the Mississippi River Basin: Implications For Conservation and Biogeography

Treesearch

Wendell R. Haag; Melvin L. Warren; Keith Wright; Larry Shaffer

2002-01-01

We document the occurrence of the rayed creekshell (Anodontoides radiatus Conrad), a freshwater mussel (Unionidae), at eight sites in the upper Yazoo River drainage (lower Mississippi River Basin) in northern Mississippi. Previously, A. radiatus was thought to be restricted to Gulf Coast drainages as far west only as the...

Runoff and sediment yield from proxy records: Upper Animas Creek Basin, New Mexico

Treesearch

W. R. Osterkamp

1999-01-01

Analyses of water- and sediment-yield records from the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, the San Simon Wash Basin, and the Jornada Experimental Range, combined with observations of regional variations in climate, geology and soils, vegetation, topography, fire frequency, and land-use history, allow estimates of present conditions of water and sediment discharges in...

Chemical quality of surface waters in the Brazos River basin in Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irelan, Burdge; Mendieta, H.B.

1964-01-01

The quality of water in the lower main stem can be improved by control and disposal of brines in the upper basin. Also, the maximum concentrations in the water of the lower main stem can be lowered by dilution with water stored in reservoirs on tributaries that yield water of good quality.

Structure of the western Rif (Morocco): Possible hydrocarbon plays

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

Flinch, J.

1995-08-01

Seismic data offshore and onshore northwestern Morocco (i.e. Atlantic margin, Rharb Basin, Rif foothills) provided a detailed picture of the Western Rif Cordillera. The most external units of the folded-belt consist of allochthonous Cretaceous and Neogene strongly deformed sediments that constitute a westward-directed accretionary wedge. The structure of the accretionary wedge consist of a complex set of thrust and normal faults. The inner part of the study area consist of NW-SE trending thrust faults, partially exposed in the foothills of the Western Rif. Proceeding towards the foreland, thrust faults are offset by low-angle extensional detachments characterized by anastomosing extensional horses.more » Widespread extension overlying the accretionary wedge defines a Late Neogene episode of extensional collapse. Extension is not characterized by localized conventional half-grabens but consists of a complex extensional system with variable orientation. Locally shale ridges and toe-thrusts characterized by rear extension and frontal compression define a set of mixed extensional-compressional satellite basins that significantly differ from conventional thrust-related piggy-back basins. Satellite basins are filled with Upper Tortonian to Pliocene sediments. Shallow fields of biogenic gas are present in this Upper Neogene succession of the satellite basins. The frontalmost part of the wedge consist of WNW-ESE trending thrust imbricates. A flexural basin (foredeep) developed as a result of the accretionary prism loading. The foredeep basin discordantly overlies thinn Cretaceous and Lower-Middle Miocene shallow-water sediments that indistinctly cover Plaeozoic basement rocks and Triassic half-grabens. Pre-foredeep units are related to rifting and passive margin development of the Atlantic Ocean. East from the Rharb Basin the Rif Cordillera is essentially unexplored. Few scattered seismic sections display subsurface ramp anticlines similar to those exposed in the mountain belt.« less

High-Elevation Evapotranspiration Estimates During Drought: Using Streamflow and NASA Airborne Snow Observatory SWE Observations to Close the Upper Tuolumne River Basin Water Balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henn, Brian; Painter, Thomas H.; Bormann, Kat J.; McGurk, Bruce; Flint, Alan L.; Flint, Lorraine E.; White, Vince; Lundquist, Jessica D.

2018-02-01

Hydrologic variables such as evapotranspiration (ET) and soil water storage are difficult to observe across spatial scales in complex terrain. Streamflow and lidar-derived snow observations provide information about distributed hydrologic processes such as snowmelt, infiltration, and storage. We use a distributed streamflow data set across eight basins in the upper Tuolumne River region of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and the NASA Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) lidar-derived snow data set over 3 years (2013-2015) during a prolonged drought in California, to estimate basin-scale water balance components. We compare snowmelt and cumulative precipitation over periods from the ASO flight to the end of the water year against cumulative streamflow observations. The basin water balance residual term (snow melt plus precipitation minus streamflow) is calculated for each basin and year. Using soil moisture observations and hydrologic model simulations, we show that the residual term represents short-term changes in basin water storage over the snowmelt season, but that over the period from peak snow water equivalent (SWE) to the end of summer, it represents cumulative basin-mean ET. Warm-season ET estimated from this approach is 168 (85-252 at 95% confidence), 162 (0-326) and 191 (48-334) mm averaged across the basins in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. These values are lower than previous full-year and point ET estimates in the Sierra Nevada, potentially reflecting reduced ET during drought, the effects of spatial variability, and the part-year time period. Using streamflow and ASO snow observations, we quantify spatially-distributed hydrologic processes otherwise difficult to observe.

Asymmetric Distribution of Lunar Impact Basins Caused by Variations in Target Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miljkovic, Katarina; Wieczorek, Mark A.; Collins, Gareth S.; Laneuville, Matthieu; Neumann, Gregory A.; Melosh, H. Jay; Solomon, Sean C.; Phillips, Roger J.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.

2014-01-01

Maps of crustal thickness derived from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission revealed more large impact basins on the nearside hemisphere of the Moon than on its farside. The enrichment in heat-producing elements and prolonged volcanic activity on the lunar nearside hemisphere indicate that the temperature of the nearside crust and upper mantle was hotter than that of the farside at the time of basin formation. Using the iSALE-2D hydrocode to model impact basin formation, we found that impacts on the hotter nearside would have formed basins up to two times larger than similar impacts on the cooler farside hemisphere. The size distribution of lunar impact basins is thus not representative of the earliest inner Solar system impact bombardment.

Assessment of impacts of climate change on surface water availability using coupled SWAT and WEAP models: case of upper Pangani River Basin, Tanzania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishiwa, Peter; Nobert, Joel; Kongo, Victor; Ndomba, Preksedis

2018-05-01

This study was designed to investigate the dynamics of current and future surface water availability for different water users in the upper Pangani River Basin under changing climate. A multi-tier modeling technique was used in the study, by coupling the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) models, to simulate streamflows under climate change and assess scenarios of future water availability to different socio-economic activities by year 2060. Six common Global Circulation Models (GCMs) from WCRP-CMIP3 with emissions Scenario A2 were selected. These are HadCM3, HadGEM1, ECHAM5, MIROC3.2MED, GFDLCM2.1 and CSIROMK3. They were downscaled by using LARS-WG to station scale. The SWAT model was calibrated with observed data and utilized the LARS-WG outputs to generate future streamflows before being used as input to WEAP model to assess future water availability to different socio-economic activities. GCMs results show future rainfall increase in upper Pangani River Basin between 16-18 % in 2050s relative to 1980-1999 periods. Temperature is projected to increase by an average of 2 °C in 2050s, relative to baseline period. Long-term mean streamflows is expected to increase by approximately 10 %. However, future peak flows are estimated to be lower than the prevailing average peak flows. Nevertheless, the overall annual water demand in Pangani basin will increase from 1879.73 Mm3 at present (2011) to 3249.69 Mm3 in the future (2060s), resulting to unmet demand of 1673.8 Mm3 (51.5 %). The impact of future shortage will be more severe in irrigation where 71.12 % of its future demand will be unmet. Future water demands of Hydropower and Livestock will be unmet by 27.47 and 1.41 % respectively. However, future domestic water use will have no shortage. This calls for planning of current and future surface water use in the upper Pangani River Basin.

Occurrence of antibiotic compounds in source water and finished drinking water from the upper Scioto River Basin, Ohio, 2005-6

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finnegan, Dennis P.; Simonson, Laura A.; Meyer, Michael T.

2010-01-01

The occurrence of antibiotics in surface water and groundwater in urban basins has become a topic of increasing interest in recent years. Little is known about the occurrence, fate, or transport of these compounds and the possible health effects in humans and aquatic life. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Columbus, Division of Power and Water, did a study to provide a synoptic view of the occurrence of antibiotics in source and finished waters in the upper Scioto River Basin. Water samples were collected seasonally-winter (December 2005), spring (May 2006), summer (August 2006) and fall (October 2006)-at five surface-water sites, one groundwater site, and three water-treatment plants (WTPs). Within the upper Scioto River Basin, sampling at each WTP involved two sampling sites: a source-water intake site and a finished-water site. One or more antibiotics were detected at 11 of the 12 sampling sites. Of the 49 targeted antibiotic compounds, 12 (24 percent) were detected at least one time for a total of 61 detections overall. These compounds were azithromycin, tylosin, erythromycin-H2O, erythromycin, roxithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, iso-chlorotetracycline, lincomycin, and trimethoprim. Detection results were at low levels, with an overall median of 0.014 (u or mu)g/L. Hap Cremean WTP had the fewest detections, with two source-water detections of sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin and no detections in the finished water. Of the total of 61 detections, 31 were in the winter sample run. Sulfamethoxazale and azithromycin detections represent 41 percent of all antibiotic detections. Azithromycin was detected only in the winter sample. Some antibiotics, such as those in the quinoline and tetracycline families, dissipate more quickly in warm water, which may explain why they were detected in the cool months (winter, spring, and fall) and not in the summer. Antibiotic data collected during this study were compared to antibiotic data collected in previous national, regional, and local studies. Many of the same antibiotic compounds detected in the upper Scioto River Basin also were detected in those investigations.

Relations among rainstorm runoff, streamflow, pH, and metal concentrations, Summitville Mine area, upper Alamosa River basin, southwest Colorado, 1995-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rupert, Michael G.

2001-01-01

The upper Alamosa River Basin contains areas that are geochemically altered and have associated secondary sulfide mineralization. Occurring with this sulfide mineralization are copper, gold, and silver deposits that have been mined since the 1870's. Weathering of areas with sulfide mineralization produces runoff with anomalously low pH and high metal concentrations; mining activities exacerbate the condition. Summer rainstorms in the upper Alamosa River Basin produce a characteristic relation between streamflow and pH; streamflow suddenly increases and pH suddenly decreases (commonly by more than 1 pH unit). This report evaluates changes in pH in the upper Alamosa River Basin during July, August, and September 1995, 1996, and 1997 to examine possible adverse environmental effects due to rainstorm runoff. Ninety-three percent of the rainstorms occurring during 1995?97 produced runoff throughout the entire basin. Out of 54 storms, only 3 storms were isolated to the river reach upstream from the streamflow-gaging station Alamosa River above Wightman Fork, and only 1 storm was isolated to the river reach between the streamflow-gaging stations Alamosa River below Jasper and Alamosa River above Terrace Reservoir. Although most rainstorm runoff events occurred throughout the entire basin, pH changes were highest in parts of the basin that receive runoff from hydrothermally altered areas. The three principal altered areas within the basin are the Jasper, Stunner, and Summitville areas. Only limited mining occurred in the Stunner altered area, and yet significant decreases in pH values occur due to runoff from this area. Even after environmental restoration activities are completed at the Summitville Mine, the main stem of the Alamosa River may continue to be adversely affected by runoff from the Stunner and Jasper altered areas. A comparison of measured pH with Federal and State of Colorado water-quality standards and Toxicological Reference Values indicates pH was too low to support aquatic life in many parts of the basin for extended periods of time. Added stresses from sudden decreases in pH due to rainstorm runoff compound the adverse effects. Discharge of effluent from the Summitville Mine impoundment can significantly decrease pH in the Alamosa River downstream to Terrace Reservoir. A release of only 3 cubic feet per second from the impoundment decreased pH by at least 1 standard unit at all downstream sites. Low-flow years may pose a substantial risk to aquatic organisms within and downstream from Terrace Reservoir. During 1996, the basin had a low-flow year, and water storage and pool size of Terrace Reservoir were significantly reduced. The pH of water discharging from Terrace Reservoir was anomalously low during late August and September 1996, possibly due to geochemical interactions between sediment and the water column within the reservoir. In general, an inverse log-log relation exists between pH and the logarithm of dissolved metal concentrations, but the relations generally are not significant enough to confidently predict metal concentrations based upon measured pH values.

Bedrock morphology and structure, upper Santa Cruz Basin, south-central Arizona, with transient electromagnetic survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, Mark W.; Page, William R.

2016-10-31

The upper Santa Cruz Basin is an important groundwater basin containing the regional aquifer for the city of Nogales, Arizona. This report provides data and interpretations of data aimed at better understanding the bedrock morphology and structure of the upper Santa Cruz Basin study area which encompasses the Rio Rico and Nogales 1:24,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey quadrangles. Data used in this report include the Arizona Aeromagnetic and Gravity Maps and Data referred to here as the 1996 Patagonia Aeromagnetic survey, Bouguer gravity anomaly data, and conductivity-depth transforms (CDTs) from the 1998 Santa Cruz transient electromagnetic survey (whose data are included in appendixes 1 and 2 of this report).Analyses based on magnetic gradients worked well to identify the range-front faults along the Mt. Benedict horst block, the location of possibly fault-controlled canyons to the west of Mt. Benedict, the edges of buried lava flows, and numerous other concealed faults and contacts. Applying the 1996 Patagonia aeromagnetic survey data using the horizontal gradient method produced results that were most closely correlated with the observed geology.The 1996 Patagonia aeromagnetic survey was used to estimate depth to bedrock in the upper Santa Cruz Basin study area. Three different depth estimation methods were applied to the data: Euler deconvolution, horizontal gradient magnitude, and analytic signal. The final depth to bedrock map was produced by choosing the maximum depth from each of the three methods at a given location and combining all maximum depths. In locations of rocks with a known reversed natural remanent magnetic field, gravity based depth estimates from Gettings and Houser (1997) were used.The depth to bedrock map was supported by modeling aeromagnetic anomaly data along six profiles. These cross sectional models demonstrated that by using the depth to bedrock map generated in this study, known and concealed faults, measured and estimated magnetic susceptibilities of rocks found in the study area, and estimated natural remanent magnetic intensities and directions, reasonable geologic models can be built. This indicates that the depth to bedrock map is reason-able and geologically possible.Finally, CDTs derived from the 1998 Santa Cruz Basin transient electromagnetic survey were used to help identify basin structure and some physical properties of the basin fill in the study area. The CDTs also helped to confirm depth to bedrock estimates in the Santa Cruz Basin, in particular a region of elevated bedrock in the area of Potrero Canyon, and a deep basin in the location of the Arizona State Highway 82 microbasin. The CDTs identified many concealed faults in the study area and possibly indicate deep water-saturated clay-rich sediments in the west-central portion of the study area. These sediments grade to more sand-rich saturated sediments to the south with relatively thick, possibly unsaturated, sediments at the surface. Also, the CDTs may indicate deep saturated clay-rich sediments in the Highway 82 microbasin and in the Mount Benedict horst block from Proto Canyon south to the international border.

Preliminary three-dimensional geohydrologic framework of the San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin, Santa Barbara County, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cromwell, G.; Sweetkind, D. S.; O'leary, D. R.

2017-12-01

The San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin is a rural agricultural area that is heavily dependent on groundwater to meet local water demands. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with Santa Barbara County and Vandenberg Air Force Base to assess the quantity and quality of the groundwater resources within the basin. As part of this assessment, an integrated hydrologic model that will help stakeholders to effectively manage the water resources in the basin is being developed. The integrated hydrologic model includes a conceptual model of the subsurface geology consisting of stratigraphy and variations in lithology throughout the basin. The San Antonio Creek Groundwater Basin is a relatively narrow, east-west oriented valley that is structurally controlled by an eastward-plunging syncline. Basin-fill material beneath the valley floor consists of relatively coarse-grained, permeable, marine and non-marine sedimentary deposits, which are underlain by fine-grained, low-permeability, marine sedimentary rocks. To characterize the system, surficial and subsurface geohydrologic data were compiled from geologic maps, existing regional geologic models, and lithology and geophysical logs from boreholes, including two USGS multiple-well sites drilled as part of this study. Geohydrologic unit picks and lithologic variations are incorporated into a three-dimensional framework model of the basin. This basin (model) includes six geohydrologic units that follow the structure and stratigraphy of the area: 1) Bedrock - low-permeability marine sedimentary rocks; 2) Careaga Formation - fine to coarse grained near-shore sandstone; 3) Paso Robles Formation, lower portion - sandy-gravely deposits with clay and limestone; 4) Paso Robles Formation, middle portion - clayey-silty deposits; 5) Paso Robles Formation, upper portion - sandy-gravely deposits; and 6) recent Quaternary deposits. Hydrologic data show that the upper and lower portions of the Paso Robles Formation are the primary grou­ndwater-bearing units within the basin, and that the fine-grained layer within this Formation locally restricts vertical groundwater flow.

Water resources and potential effects of ground-water development in Maggie, Marys, and Susie Creek basins, Elko and Eureka counties, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plume, R.W.

1995-01-01

The basins of Maggie, Marys, and Susie Creeks in northeastern Nevada are along the Carline trend, an area of large, low-grade gold deposits. Pumping of ground water, mostly for pit dewatering at one of the mines, will reach maximum rates of about 70,000 acre-ft/yr (acre-feet per year) around the year 2000. This pumping is expected to affect ground-water levels, streamflow, and possibly the flow of Carlin spring, which is the water supply for the town of Carlin, Nev. Ground water in the upper Maggie Creek Basin moves from recharge areas in mountain ranges toward the basin axis and discharges as evapotranspiration and as inflow to the stream channel. Ground water in the lower Maggie, Marys, and Susie Creek Basins moves southward from recharge areas in mountain ranges and along the channel of lower Maggie Creek to the discharge area along the Humboldt River. Ground-water underflow between basins is through permeable bedrock of Schroeder Mountain from the upper Maggie Creek Basin to the lower Maggie Creek Basin and through permeable volcanic rocks from lower Maggie Creek to Carlin spring in the Marys Creek Basin. The only source of water to the combined area of the three basins is an estimated 420,000 acre-ft/yr of precipitation. Water leaves as runoff (38,000 acre-ft/yr) and evapotranspiration of soil moisture and ground water (380,000 acre-ft/yr). A small part of annual precipitation (about 25,000 acre-ft/yr) infiltrates the soil zone and becomes ground-water recharge. This ground water eventually is discharged as evapotranspiration (11,000 acre-ft/yr) and as inflow to the Humboldt River channel and nearby springflow (7,000 acre-ft/yr). Total discharge is estimated to be 18,000 acre-ft/yr.

Seasonal variability in CDOM absorption and fluorescence properties in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA.

PubMed

Singh, Shatrughan; D'Sa, Eurico; Swenson, Erick

2010-01-01

Absorption and fluorescence properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) along a 124 km transect in the Barataria Basin, a large estuary located in Louisiana, USA, were investigated during high and low flow periods of the Mississippi River in the spring and winter of 2008-2009. Mean CDOM absorption at 355 nm from the marine to the freshwater end member stations ranged from (3.25 +/- 0.56) to (20.76 +/- 2.43) m(-1) for the three month high flow period whereas it varied from (1.48 +/- 1.08) to (25.45 +/- 7.03) m(-1) for the same stations during low flow period. Corresponding salinity values at these stations indicated the influence of river and shelf exchanges in the lower basin and precipitation and runoff in the upper basin. An inverse relationship of CDOM absorbance and fluorescence with salinity observed in the basin could be a useful indicator of salinity. CDOM fluorescence also varied over a large range showing an approximately 8 to 12-fold increase between the marine and freshwater end members for the two flow seasons. Excitation-emission matrix spectral plots indicated the presence of various fluorescence components with highest being the A-peak, lowest the T-peak, and the C and M-peaks showing similar trends along the transect. During low flow season the A/C ratio were well correlated with station locations indicating increased terrestrial influence towards the upper basin. CDOM absorption and fluorescence at 355 nm were highly correlated and independent of CDOM sources suggesting that fluorescence could be used to characterize CDOM in the basin.

Evaluating the performance of real-time streamflow forecasting using multi-satellite precipitation products in the Upper Zambezi, Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demaria, E. M.; Valdes, J. B.; Wi, S.; Serrat-Capdevila, A.; Valdés-Pineda, R.; Durcik, M.

2016-12-01

In under-instrumented basins around the world, accurate and timely forecasts of river streamflows have the potential of assisting water and natural resource managers in their management decisions. The Upper Zambezi river basin is the largest basin in southern Africa and its water resources are critical to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in eight riparian countries. We present a real-time streamflow forecast for the basin using a multi-model-multi-satellite approach that allows accounting for model and input uncertainties. Three distributed hydrologic models with different levels of complexity: VIC, HYMOD_DS, and HBV_DS are setup at a daily time step and a 0.25 degree spatial resolution for the basin. The hydrologic models are calibrated against daily observed streamflows at the Katima-Mulilo station using a Genetic Algorithm. Three real-time satellite products: Climate Prediction Center's morphing technique (CMORPH), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN), and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM-3B42RT) are bias-corrected with daily CHIRPS estimates. Uncertainty bounds for predicted flows are estimated with the Inverse Variance Weighting method. Because concentration times in the basin range from a few days to more than a week, we include the use of precipitation forecasts from the Global Forecasting System (GFS) to predict daily streamflows in the basin with a 10-days lead time. The skill of GFS-predicted streamflows is evaluated and the usefulness of the forecasts for short term water allocations is presented.